r54 .The Gofpel-Millery 3lireft. . acceptable to God through Chrift ; as hath been be. fore (hewed= Hence it will clearly follow, that this affurance is very neceffary to enable us for the prac- tice of holinefs,as thofe comforts that muff go before the duties of the law in order of nature, as the caufe goethbefore the effec}, though not in any diftance of time. My prefent work is, to thew, what this af- furance is, that is fo neceffary unto holinefs, an& vrhich I have here afferted we muff ait, in that very faith whereby we receive Chrift himfelf into our hearts, even in juftifying faxing faith. This dofrine feemeth firange tomany that profefs themfelves Pro.. teftants a late days; whereas it was formerly highly owned by the chief Proteftants whom God made ufe of to reftore the purity of the gofpel, and to main. tain it againft the Papifts for manyyears. They corn- monly taught, That faith was a perfuafion or confi- dence of our own falvation by Chrift and that we muff be fuse to apply him and his falvation to our- felves in believing. And this dottrinewas one of the great engines whereby they prevailed to overthrow the Popifh fuperftition, whereof doubtfulnefs of fal- vation is one of the principal pillars. But many of the fucceffors of thofe Proteftants have deferted them, and left their writings to be fhamefully infult- ed by the Papiffs. And this innovation hath been of longer Landingaanongff us, than feveral other parts of our new divinity, and maintained by thofe that profefs to abhor that corrupt dó trinewhich thePa- pifts have built upon fuch principles. Modern di-, pies may think they ftand upon the fhoulders of their predeceffors,whofe labours they enjoy, and that they can fee farther than they ; as the fchoolmen might have like thoughts of the ancient fathers; but, for all this, they may not be able to fee fo far, if the eyes of their predeceffors were better enlightened by the Spirit of God, to underftand the myftery of the gofpel. And why may we not judge that it is fo in the prefent cafe? The eyes of men in thefe late years
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