TheSpiritual) Sontae-rip: 354 ditiruftfulneffe.WW )artthemcafl dowse myfoo ,andvnguietwitbiarxee? waiteon God,,thrjce there repeated :nay,I knew further, &am affured,that theywhich ePC 0.8, 43. neuer doubted oftheir adoption, did neuerbeleeueit:For, ¿sbone as faith lookesaboue the groundoftheheart, Satan feekestoblaft witha flormeof doubtings. What alíurancethen(wiilyou fay)is this youdifcpurfe of? Ian- fwer,an affuranceaiming& ff riuing afteraffurance:an affprance wrefllingand combatingwith continual!doubtings ;anaffurancewhich looker not to come toperfe&ion,butby wauering. iris the wifdomeofGod by thisvery meánes to fettle the heartsofhis chofen. Amanthat plants S. tree,after that hee hath put itinto the ground,and begun to throwearth thereon, ever andanonhe is shaking it why?not toouerthrow it, but tofetle ithowit ftands,to make it flake deeper,andthe roomsto lieclofer tothe ground:fo the Lord glues kaue ro the affurance of hischildren tobefhaken, not toweaken ir,but to confirme it,and to fettle itfomuch the Curerin the heart.Thus istheaffurance ofadodti.. on euerflriuing withdillrultfulneffe,fometimesa littlefoyled,but (Donereui. ling it felfc,&, ffill in theend crownedwithvifory: and whofo (hallground hisaffurance upon the manyftormes ofdoubtings,thathebathendured, I am perfwaded he dothbuild itvpoha rule that fhallnot deceive him. Firft,this difcouerethone grand errorofPopery,which is(accordingto the The1.t7 Canonsof the CouncellofTregt),that no man can haueany affurance of his adoption in thislife,other then conieeturall, vnleffe it bemade knownvnto him by fpeciall reuelation. He that will bea Papifcindeed and compleate,iu bound bythe Rulesofhis owneReligion, evento the veryCad andperiodof his daies,tobe in fufpenfeofthar,withouttheaffurancewhtìrof,thefouleOa Chriftian canhaue nofolidcomfort.We fay,a Chriffian may doubt: it is póf- frble for him todoubt:they lay,hcemull doubt, and hee isaccurfed if euerhe thinke,or endeauour forany grounded certainty.Mi ferabiecomfortersthey are al(as lob laid ofhisfriendso:)and as in alltheir doddrines they rob God of his sieb r6.a: glory, which ishis dea;eft Iewell, fothey depriue thefoule of theaffurance of faith,which isher chiefeftcomfort.But kauewe them,andcome toour (elites. Secondly,this meets with corruptions among our felpes; twochiefly: the 7ÿey" firftis theirs,whocondemne this doarineas prefumptuopstwhat?for men to takevpon them toknow fo muchof Gods fecrets,as whethertheyshall be la- uedor no ; whether they bee the formes anddaughters ofGod orno? Ay. finer. Topreffe toknow what God bath fecreted, is prefumption, but tore. fufe totake notice of that whichGod had: appointed a means tofindout, that is vnthankefulneffe.Truthis, ofhimfelfenoman canfind out this fecret, farthe thingsofGodknowetbno men,bntthe SpiritofGods:But now(faithhe) 9 wee x i Cor.a. bene recomeddie-Spirit whichis ofGod,tbatwe might knew the things whichareguten yverfe ta. vs ofGad,añd°we hastethe mindofChrifi.Letmenbeware,leftvnder ápretence ofnot prefuming , they make themfelues guiltyofcontempt. Thefecönd is theirs , who neuer labour afterany certaintyof refolution inthis particu- lar : I have often wonderedat ie , to leehow inother things every mans de. fire is to dealt vpon certainties, and yet hpw in thismain and important point,they can fatisfiethemlelues withmeere fuppofals.For tenuresoflands, for eosneyances, fur lealea,foebonds,for indentures, (Lord) what adoethere Is among men! how manydraughts inpaper, whatfcanningofwords, what weighing ofcurry claufe,as ina ballance, what coenfelling with lawyers be- foreengrofl'tng,thenwhatcare tokeep them, what boxingtheta vp topresent embezeling;and yet,whatisall that is held, but men a lumpe the earrh,for a manofclay? two things, which all thewit and policyof the world, be not able to combine, Comewe tothepoint of ourchicle inheritance , and let mee proceed by poll, from man toman, andurge him tofltew his affurance: Alas;what word! ynsettainty ¡f hops well, faithone,;rnff,faith the other; God li
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