Ver. >í. Fifth Cbàp. 2d Ep. to the C O R I N T H. 7 together in Heavenly places in Jefus Chri/1. Though. our glorification be yet to come,yet the Apoftle fpeaketh it all already paft,when theFather railed and glorified Chrift. He bath it in Chrift who is the Fountain, Caufe and Pledge of it. He rofeagain, and entred into Heaven as our Head. Chrift feized upon Heaven in our right, and poffefleth it in our name, ,john 14. z. Igo to prepare a place for you. Though for the prefent we lye groan- ing under preffures and miferies, and though we are not glorified in our perfons, yet in Chrift our Head we are. The Head is Crowned for all the reft of the members,' which fheweth an undoubted certainty, a greater certainty than that ofa Pimple pre didion and promife, even fach a certainty as the giving ofa pledge, or the fuffering us to take poffeflìon in our name of an eftate. idly. They have it in fpe & fide, in the fure beliefand certain expeáation of it, Heb. r s, a. Faith is the fubflance afthings hoped for, the evidence of things not feen. By faith andrhope we preoccupy and fore - taft thofe eternal and excellent delights which God bath prepared for us. The certain expeáation in force meafure affedeth the heart, as if they were already injoyed. This hope is not a fancy, like the fuppofal, or bare imagination of a begger, what an happy life he might lead, if he were a King, but the expeáation ofa Prince who is the undoubted Heir of the Crown, and knoweth that one day he (hall poffefs it. 4thly. In Çrimitiis, in the frrft fruits, which are grace and comfort, and begun Communion with Chrift, which are both a tali how good, and a pledge how Pure, called the earneft, Eph. a. 13. Our prefent Communion with Chrift and delight in him, 'tis an Heaven upon Earth, as the fweet odours of Arabia are finelt in the neighbouring Countries. 1. Here is a certain confidence ; [ We know.] 'Tis not only we think, or we hope, but we know. No man calleth that knowledge which is but ä conjecture. Therefore a cer- tain knowledge is hereunderftood,a knowledge not built upon probabilities,but certainties; only here will be the queftion whether this knowledge that I (hall be faved or go to I-leaven when I dye,be the knowledge of faith, or the knowledge of fenfe? I anfw. It is both. The Scripture fometimes expreffeth it barely by knowing, fometimes by believing. r. By knowing, as r joh. z, 3. We know, that we know him, if we keep his Commandments, and 1 Joh. ;. 14. We know that we have palledfrom death to Life, becaufe we love the Brethren. 1 Joh. 413. Hereby we know that we dwell ìn him, and he in us, becaufé we love the Brethren. In all which placesit implieth Spiritual fenfe ; we feel it,we find it to be fo, by refie&ion upon our felves. Again fometimes our particular happinefs, or the grace of God to us is made to be a matter of Faith, Rom. 6. 8. If we k deadwith Chrifl, we be- lieve we (hall alfo live with him. So r Job. 4. 16. We have known, and believed theLove whechGodhath to us. Mark, 'his a thing to be believed, and that with a Divine Faith. Q. But how can this be, you will fay, fence I have no Divine Teftimony and Revelation for it that I that( be faved ? Anfw. IfI take any thing upon mans Teftimo- sty, that is Credulity, if I take it upon Gods Teftimony, that is Faith. Now I have Gods Teftimony in the general, that whofoever believeth, !hall be Paved. And particulars are included in their generals. Look as with that faith, that believeth the Command- ments, Pfal. r r n. 66. I believe that it is the will of God that I muff not flea!, I muff not Commit Adultery, difhonoerr Parents, becaufe God bath faid fo to all and every one, though not to me by name : So with that faith which I believe promifes, I believe they belong to me, though my name be not expretfed inChrifts Charter and Deed of grace, if I have the qualification annexed. Thequalification I difcetn by Spiritual fenfe, the bene- fit of the promife I expe& by faith, even falvation to me ; 'tis a matter tö be believed up- on fuppofition that I am converted and brought home to God : As in this Syllogifin, All the dead (hall rife; Peter is dead ; ergo: the Conclufion is de fide, it belongeth to faith, though it be not exprefly written in Scripture ; the firft Propofition is evident by faith, the fecond by fenfe, and yet the conclufion is de fide. So here, all that heartily come to God by jefus Chrift flhall be faved, this is written in Scripture; but I do fo, that is evident by Spiritual fenfe; the Conclufion is de tide, I am bound to believe that I (hall be faved if it be fo upon fuppofition, the Conclufion Both arife from premifes, one whereof is in Scripture, the other evident by Spiritual fenfe : Therefore It is of faith. Only let me give you thefe cautions. r. The particular certainty of our eternal Salvation is not equal m;certainty and firmnefs of afhent, to that affurance which we have about the Common objeft of faith the promifes of the Gofpel: Becaufe Tome things are believed abfolutely and immediately, other things are believed only mediately, and upon fuppofition as they fuit with things believed immediately. The Nomifes of the Gofpel are totally and imme- diately revealed in Scripture. But that I thane faved in particular depen'deth upon an Argument, whereofone part is in Scripture, the other arifeth from reffe &ion upon, and obfervation
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=