netiottO Jattt). 39$ Ore ground -work for, him to believe that it is fo ; and fo accordingly he doth, as loon as Affurance comes in to him. Moreover the Romani is urge, That the Doórine of Affurance puffs up Pride, and opens a gap to Licentioufnefs. Unto which my. and wer is a flat Denial : If our Saviour had thought, that Affurance would make men like Devils in Pride, or 13eafis in Licentioufnefs, he would never have faid, as he did to the Para - lytick, 2hy fins be forgiven thee, Mat. 9.2. Had they told us, That fuch a Worm as Pride would breed out of the Doetrines of Merit and Su- pererogatory Works, it might eafily have been believed ; but that it fhould drop from fuch an Honeycomb of Free - Grace, as the Dotrinc of Affurance is, is not reafonably to be ima- gined. Here's nothing of Merit, nothing of our own, all is pure meer Grace ; the Belie- vers Faith and Repentance is of Grace, and the Affurance of Pardon and Salvation is Grace upon Grace, Sealing-Grace upon Sanaifying: And whatever perverfe abufe may be made of thefe, the natural tendency thereof is not to Pride ; for a man after fuch Graces to forget the great Fountain, and fet up an Idol of Self- excellency, is extreamly unreafonable. Jufi as if he fhould fay, Now I am in the bofom of "Grace, but I would be cart out, and be held afar off; Now I have the warm Beams of Gods Favour, but I would fain be in the Dark again ; Who would argue thus ? Will it not be much more proper, in an hucnlále admira- tion
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