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og
Of
the
meaner
wherby
we
maybe
oflured
of
our
eleEtían.
223
their
confident prefumption.
beaten
dowse.
If
then
wee are
carefull
to
vfe
all
holie meaues ordained
ofGod
to
afire
vs
of
our
faluation;that
aflurancc and
teflimonie which follow
-
eth
is
the
teflimonie
of
Gods
fpirit
:
otherwife
it
is
nothing
elfe
but
fond prefumption.Thirdly,prefumption
is
tnofii
con-
fident,
and neuer
doubteth
nor
mak.eth
any
quefhion
of
his
eledlion
&
faluation
who
thus
prefumeth;but this teflimonie
ofthe
fpirit
is
much affaulted
with
doubting,
and oftentimes
thereby
fo
exceedingly weakened
that
tti'ee
cannot
heare
the
voice
thereof:
as
wee
may
fee in
the
example
of
lob,
Dauid
the father
ofthe
poffeffed
child,the two
Difciples.who
iour-
neied
to
Emaus, and
in all
Gods
children
who
haue
not
yet
attained vnto
fulneffe
of
perfwafion,
vnto-which
_none
can
come but by degrees.And
therefore
if
vvee
can
bragge with
fecure
worldlings,
and
fay
with
the.
proudPharifie,
I
neuer
was troubled
I
thanke
God
with
any
doubting: ofinine
ele-
&ion
&
faluation,as many are;but.alwaies haue
had
a
firong
beleefe
that I
am in
Gods
loue and
hall
undoubtedly
be fa-
ued
:
wee may
affure
our
felues
that
this
is
the
voice
of
pre-
fumption, and-not the teflimonie
ofGods
fpirit.
Fourthly,
prefumption
is
ioyned
with
worldlineffe and prophanenefl'e,
but
the teflimonie
ofGods
fpirit
is
neuer
fettered
from
fan
-
¿
ification, or at
leafi
from
an
carnal
delire and holie
ende-
uour offeruing
the
Lord
in holineffe
and
righteoufnefe
:
for
(as I faid)
the teflimonie
ofthe
fpirit in the
confcience
is
ne-
uer
contrarie
to
the teflimonie
ofthe
fpirit in the
word,
nei-
ther
doth
it
beare
witneffe
that
thofe are in
Gods Ioue
and
ele6lcd
ro
faluation, which
the Scriptures witneffe
to bee
in:
Gods
difpleafure-and in the (late
ofcondemation,
namely,
all
vnrepentant
(inners
continuing
in
their
vnrepentancie
and therefore
iftheaffurance which
we
haue
of
our
ele
lion
and
faluation be
not
ioyned
with
a
delire
to
lean
-e
our
fumes;
and
with
an earnefl
endeuourofferuing God
in
the
duties
of
holines and
ri
hteoufiies,
then it
doth
-not
proceed from
the
teflimonie
ofGods
fpirit,but
from
earn
all
fecuritie and
fond
prefumption.
Lafilie,
prefumption
no-
longer-
perfwaded%
men
ofGods
loue and
fallout-,
than they enioy the outward
.
benefits
of
this
life;but
when the
Lord
laieth
vpon them
any
grieuous,