Ver.4. their Condition in refeaof .Inherent Grace. pleafed to give them alI the Affurance and Etfablithment con- cerning their State and Condition which is needful! for them, and which may give them incouragement in their courfe of obedience. 1 ut fu_ppo{ing all that hath been fpoken ; what if a man by the utmolf fearch and enquiry that he is able tomake, cannot attain any fatisfac`i'ory perfwa(ion that indeed this great work of Gods Grace hath palled upon his foul ; is this It fuffi- dent ground to keep him off from accepting Of fiipportment and confolation from this Truth, that there is forgivenefs with God, which is the detign ofthe Objection, laid do.wn before I fay nccrefore further, that I. Regeneration doth not in Order of time .precede the fouls intcreff in the forgivenefs that is with God, or its being made.par- taker of the pardon offin ; I fay no more but that it doth not precede it in order of tune, not determining which hath pre - cedensy in orderof nature. That, I coals, which the method. of the Gofpel leads unto, is that Ablolution, Acquitment, or the pardon of fin, is the foundation of thecommunication ofall lavingGrace unto the foul, and fo precedeth all Grace in the (inner whatever. But becaule this Abfolution or pardon of fin is to be received by faith, whereby the foul is really made par- taker ofit, and all the benefits belonging thereunto ; and that faith alto is the radical grace which we receive in our Regene- ration; for it is by faith that our hearts are purified, as an In- firument in the hand ofthe great purifier, the Spirit of God ; T place there two together, and shall riot difpute as to their prio- rity in nature , but in time the one doth not precede the other. 2. It is hence evident, that an Affurance ofbeing Regene- rate, is no way ,previously neceiTary unto the believingof an in-- tereft in forgivenefs ; fo that although a man have not the far- mer, it is, or may be his duty to endeavour the latter. When convinced perlons creed out,What (hall we do to be Caved ! the anfwer was, believe and you (hall be ,fo.; Believe inChrifi, and in the remiffion of finby his blood., is the fir(i thing that con- vinced (inners are calledunto. They are not diree` ed lirti to fe- cure their fouls that they are born again and then afterwards to, b.liever But they are fir(i to believe that the Retniflion of fin Y is 347
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