Pirea. X. Of Sanri tcation. a7 to the exercife of their faith, agreeably to the Tong: and, doubtlefs, this faith was unfeigned in Tome few of them, though but feigned.in others; for it is tefti- fied of them, that then they believed hia words, they fang his-praife, Pfal. cvi. 12. Several other pfalms and Tongs that were by divine appointment in com- mon ufeunder the old Teftament, are as clear an e- vidence as we can delire, of that afrurance of faith which is commonly profeffad, and that people were generally bound to, under the old Teftament; as Pfa, xxiii. xxvii. xliv. and xlvi. Many other pfalms, or ex= preffions in pfalms, might be alledged. The fpirita òf few,1n comparifon, could have throughly oomph- ed with fuch pfalms, though they were true believ ers, if all the afrurance of the love of God muff alto. gether depend upon the certain knowledge of the fin- cerity of their own hearts. We have a great cloud of witneffes gathered out of the whole hiftory of the old Teftament, lieb. xi. who did, and fuffered, and obtained'great things by faith; whole examples are produced on purpofe that we follow them in believ. ing, to the faving of our fouls, Heb. x. 39. And if we., oíhder thefe examples particularly, we (hall find, that manyof them do evidently guide us to fuch a laving faith as hath an affurance of the effe1 con- tained in the nature of it. I confefs, we read feverai times of the fears and doubtings of the faints under the old Teff.arnent; but we read alfo how their faith oppofed fuch fears and doubts, and how they them- felves condemned them as contrary to faith, as in the Pfalms ; Pfal. xlii. t r. xxxi. 22. and Ixxvii. 7, to. The moft mournful pfalm in fcripture begins with an expreffion of forne affurance, Pfalm lxxxviii. z. And we may note, that the doubtings that we meet with of the faints of old, were commonly occafioned by Tome extraordinary afiliaion, or forne heinous tranfgreffion ; not by common failings, or the corn. mon original depravation of nature, or the under. tainty of their eletion, or any thought that it is hug. Y
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