242 An Expofition upon Chap.$: wicked men, yea all prophane men and Atheiffs,do lay claime to this comfort, yet it doth not at all belong unto them, becaufe they are out ofChrifl. Second - ly,we cannot be partakers of any bene- fit by Chrift, except firft we bee in Chrifl, as the members muff bee one with the head, and the branches with the vine,ere they can draw any life from them. Thirdly,fuch as beleeve in Chrift and abide in this faith,may be Pure and ce: Caine to be faved : the reafons hereof be. Firft,becaufe every beleever is juffi- fied and is freed from the guiltineffe of his finnes, and therefore muff needs be faved. Secondly,he is one with Chrift, in whom there is nothing but righte- oufneffe and life, therefore he is free from finne and damnation. TIM. Yeea, but though be is freed from fins pafl,and the punifliment ofthem, yet eve- ry beleever by bi:t daily inner, makes him - felfewerthy and guilty ofdeath? S i L. True belcevers need not feare, neither fins pail, prefent,nor to come; for this univerfall negative particle [No] excludes all finnes, the beleever being juftified from finnes pat', finnes prefent are pardoned, and fins to come !hall not be imputed; therefore he needs feare no deftru&ion. T r M. Will not this dollrine malçe men fecure and careleffe S I L. This do&rine !hakes out of mens hearts , the feare of condemnation,and therefore in that behalte they may be fpiritu illy. fecure : but it nourifheth the feare of Gód,being an enemy to carnal] fedurity,Pfal. i; o.4.Rom. 1 2.1,2. Ti M. Yea, but we cannot be fo certaine ofour falvation as S.Pard,wbo bad his cer- tainty byfpeeiall revelation. S I L. This is not fo : for firft, Paul fpeakes not here of his owne particu- lar allitrance, but gives a general! com- fort common to all the faithful! ; there- fore he writeth not,there is nocondem- nation to me, but, to them. Second- ly, the fignes and tokens of this comfort; to wit, to be in Chria, and to walke after the Spirit;are common with Paul to all other true Chriflians,verfe I. Therefore the certainty of falvation, aid the comfort from thence muff needs be common. Tea, but it if no where written I that thou art in Cirrifl, and that that ¡halt not be condemned, and it is the do- Urine of Proteffants to beleeve no more then is written, and therefore no man can k oflured to be faved. S i L When we teach that no more is to be beleeved then is written, it is to be underftood of univerfall do&rine and generali points of Paving truth, to which wee are not bound to give credit, nor can wee firmely affent unto them,unleffe we finde them in the writ- ten word, which is the onely fufficient perfe& rule of faith and manners ;Iohn 5.29.&2I. 24. & 2 Tim. 3. 16. Se- condly, we affil me and hold, that the certainty of every mans owne falvation is written in the flefhy tables of his heart, by the finger of the holy Oho4 for as this univerfall truth, that there is no condemnation to fuch as are in Chrift, is written in the word; fo this particular affumption of the faithful!: but I beleeve and am in lefus Chrift, is written in his owneheart by the Spirit, which alwayes together with faith, workes and engenders a feeling and to -' flimony of his owne faith, whereby he knowes he is a beleeving perfon. a Cor. 13.5.2 Tim.1.2.Mark 9. 24. All which places fhew,that a man bath in himfelfe a witnelfe of his owne faith. Now we are bound no leffe certain- ly to beleeve the inward particular wit - nefs,written by the Spirit,in the hearts and confciences of every faithful! per - fon,then that outward univerfall telti. mony which is written in the word:for both theft teflimonies come from one Spirit, and the fenfe of faith, is as firme as an article of faith. T I M. Tea,but this f ngular faith,what is it elfe but a ftngular prefumption for how common is it for every evill liver to fay, ì 1 truff to be famed ? S r L. It is very true,that fach as have no faith and fo be not in Chrift, if they fay they truft tobe faved,it is prefump- tion :but for a truely faithful! man to be- leeve,and to fay it, is no prefumption but
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