Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

t armoire be an examplevntovs, t. Tim. t . a 6. For this catife(faith he) mu frecelued to.rercie, that ChrtftJbould [hewfir(# on weall/mg fro f fertrg vntothe en- fample ofthem whichfhall°in time to comebeleeue in him toeternalllsfe. A- gaine, Philip. 3.8W he faith, Ithsnkeall thongs but loJfe, that Imight whine ehrift,andms&tit hefound in ham not hawing mine omone rigbteoujites, butth4t which is through thefaith afChrifl, that 1 may knowhim rrd the vertueofhis refisrreftion : and afterward he addeth, vas.Let vs as many as bèperfeube this; minded. 1 I I. Whatfocuer we pray for according toGods will, we arebound to belecue that it (hall begiuen vntovs,Mark.t-t . 29.. Whatfoeuer yedesire whenyepray, beleeue thatyeeJhall home it, andit"hall be done vntoyou, But we pray for thepardonofour finnes, and for lifeeuerlaftingby Chrift; and that according to the will of God. Therefore weare bound in confci- ence to beleeue the pardonofour fhnnes and life euerlafling. I V. If God should fpeakeparticularly to any man, and fayveto him,Cornelius, or Pe- t,-;,beleeue thou in Chrift , and thou ¡baltbefaued; this commandement flhould binde him particularly. Nowwhen the Minifier lawfully called, in the name and Bead ofGod publifheth the goípell to the congregation, that is as much as ifGodhiinfclfe had fpoken to them particularly, calling eachofthem by their names and prom,fïng vnto them hfe euerlafling in Chrift.a.Cor.5.20. Weal aw6afJadours for Chri(i, as though God duibefeech you through vs, prayyou in Chrfis'load, thatyebe reconciled to God. It may be and is obie5?ed, that ifeuery man beboundin confcience to beleeue his.owne Ele6tion and faluation by Chrift, thenTome men arc bound to beleeue that which is falfe, becaufe fome there bemen in the middef}ofthe Church,which in the counfell ofGodwere neuer chofen to faluation.I anfwer,thatthis reafonwere good, ifmen were boundabfolute- ly to beleeue their faluation without further refpeft or condition : but the bond is conditionall, according to the tenour ofthe couenant ofgrace; for we are bound tobeleeue inChriff, ifwe would come to life euerlafling, or if we wouldbe in the fauour ofGod , or ifwe would be gooddifciples and members of Chrifl. I anfwer againe, that whatfoeuer a man is bound to beleeue,is true: yetnot alwaies in theeuent, but true in the intentionofGod that bindeth. Now the commandement ofbeleeuing andapplyingthe go- fpell is byGodgiuen toall within the Church; but not in the fame manner to all. his giuen to theElea , that bybeleeuing they might indeedebe fa- wed; God inabling them to doe that which he commaunds. To therell, whome God in iuflice will refute, the famecommaundement is giuen not for the famecaufe,but to another ende, that theymight fee how they could not beleeue , and by this meanes bebereft ofall excufe in the dayofiudge- ment. God loth not alwaies giue commandements limply that theymight be done,but fometimes for other refpeas, that theymight be meanesoftri- all, as the commandementgiuen toAbraham of killing Ifaac : againe that theymight ferue tokeepemen attheleaft inoutwardobedience in this life, and,ftoppe their.mouthea before the tribunali feateofGod. In;

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