Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

i 4 e o concti nce. of GOD : and nofieíh can doe this. Again; bee perfwades vsby reafons drawne not fromour workes, or from anieworthineffe invs; but fromthe a- lone goodneffe ofGodthe Father, andgrace ofChriti. Inthis manner thedi- uellwillneuerper ( wadeanie. LafGlie,the perfwalionofthe holieGhoft isfull ofpower, for they which areperfwaded that theyarc the fonnesofGod, can- not but needs mutt call him Abba, Father, and in regardof loue tohim,doe hateCame, and whatfoeuer isdifagreeing tohis will: and on the contrarie, they hauea found& aheartic delire to do his wilLlfat ariie time thouhL felt in thy felfany filch te'fi+nony,perfwadethy feifit wasthe reftimonyoftheholyGhofi: and thatvery true &certainetoo: & therefore that thou art the childeofGod, & predeflinate to eternal life. This is the propbywhich we mull vnderfetthat weakebeleefe we haueofour certaineelection to eternalllife. Againe,hold this without wauering whofoeuerthou art,that art temptedtodoubt ofthyeledtió: elk' «snothing is requiredat ourhands toworkeour eletid,(forGoachofe vs ofhis onelymetre goodnes)fo,that we mare truelyknowwhether webe elect or not: thisone thing .hull be fitfticient, namely, ifwefhal attaineto theeet. tameknowledgeofthis, that we are inChrift,andpartakersofhim: for,he that is nowingrafted in Chriti, and is itt ified,it cannot be,but thathe was,eleCled in Chriti, before the foundationoftheworld. And that we may be inChritt, faith isboth required, and isíùflicient : not perfeft faith, buttrue faith,though itbe fo little, as a graine ofmuffand feede, and feeble like a young bornebabe, and that fore difeafed too. Nowthatfaith, which isa liuely and a true faithla riethalwaies,ashathbeenbefore declared,neither can it atany time altogether faile. Andfo it comtneth to paffe,that they which oncehaue beene truely en- grafted into Chrift, romaine alwaies and continue in him,.accordiug to that laying. All that myFather giueth me, (hall corne tomee: andhe which cotes- methvntomcIwill nor catitzth. Thatistruenodoubt,thatlookehowmuch the faith is more perféft,fo machthe greater power it hath,to knit vs moreand more to Chriti: and therefore wee muflalwaies.endeuourtoencreafe in faith. Yet forall char, this is ni oft certaine; one little fparkleoftrue faith is fufficient to engraft vs into (Thrift. And for that caufe, we muff in nówife doubt ofour engrafting into Chri&, andof ourelecrtion too byreáfon ofthe weakenesof faith : and the fnall and (lenderElites it bringcthout. Whereby a But how (hal lcertainlyknow(fay you)whethermy faith be a true & liuely manmale faith,or not?Outofthe famegrounds, fr6whence the teflimonie ofouradop- ienow who Lion is erceiued. Firfiofall ifyou Thal true! feels thatyou areperfwadedof p Y Y faith beea the truth of the Gofpell, yea and that all your times are pardoned you for true faith or Chritt, and you receiued to fauour. Againe, ifyou fee that this perfwaGon is nor. groundednot vponany merits ofyours, but on thefoiegoodnesofGOD, and grace ofChrifi. Laffly,ifyou reekfuch a confidence to approachvnto,and cal vpon the l~a. ther,a dfuch a louetowards him and his SonneIefus Chriti, thatyee doe hate and deteft whatfoeueris againf{his glorie asall finne is,) and on the contra- . _. ---- -___._ __: -- _ -- - -.

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