Birea. x.' Of Sanfification.. 177. Hence then we m.. y firmly conclude, that whofo feeketh to be faved by faith, and doth not feek to have affurance or confidence of his own falvaticn, doth but deceive himfelf, and delude his foul with a mere fancy ìnftead of faving faith, and Moth, in ef.. fed, feek to be faved in his corrupt, natural state, without receiving, and laying aauai hold of the Lord Jefus Chrift and his falvation. Sixthly, it is allo a great and rìeceffary office of faving faith, to purify the heart, and to enable us tó live and walk in the prauice of all holy duties; by the grace of Chrift, and by Chrift himfelf living in us, as bath been (hewed before ; which office faith is not able to perform, except fome affurance of our own intereft in him and his faivationbe comprehend= ed in the nature of it. Ifwe would live to God, not ourfelves, but by Chrift living in ús, according to Paul's example, we mutt be able to affure ourfelves as he did, " Chrift loved me, and gave himfelf for of me, Gal. ii. 20. We are taught, that if we live " in the Spirit, we fhould walk in the Spirit," Gal. V. 25. It would be high prefumption if we fhould endeavour to walk above our natural flrength and power by the Spirit, before we have made fore of our living by theSpirit. I have (hewed, that we can. not make ufe of the comfortable benefits of the fay.= ing grace of Chrift, whereby the gofpel doth engage and encourage us to an holypraelice, except we have fome confidence of our Own intereft in thofe faving benefits. If we do not affuredly believe, that we are dead to fin, and alive to God through Chrift, and rif- en withhim,and not under the law, but under grace, and members of Chrift's body, the temple of his Spi- rit, the dear children of God, it would be hypocrify to ferve God upon the account of filch privileges ai if we reckoned ourfelves to be partakers of them. He that thinks he fhould doubt of his falvation, is not a fit difciple for this manner of doarine; and hè Í ay reply to the preachers of thegofpel, ifyou would
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