Verf. 38,39 the E piffle to the Romans. our affurance, and to make the matter, teach, that fuch as are in the !late of grace and Gods love, may flofeit and fall from it.Secondly it affordeth much confolatioit and joy in time of deep temptations,to all filch as are infallibly affured, that they hand in the love of God ; whatfoever they lofe , yet they more evident. For Gods children have divers teftimonies of their Fathers love,and fruits of their adoption. T I M. Flaw Phew ur what ufe is to bee made of this'? s 1 L. Firfl,itconvi&teth the Papiffs keep Will Gods love : whereof before oferrour, in that they teach, that wee enough. have but a probable and conje&urall af- T 1 M. But may any Chriflianbe after this furanceof our elt &ion(towit)byhope fort affured? as they fpeak,to hope well ofit; nnlefs S 1 L. Yes, Paul the Apoffle was fo, it be fome certain men, who knew by as himfelf confeffeth in this place [I am revelation Gods love,as Abraham, Ifaac, perfawaded,&c.] Jacob, Devid,Paul,e 'c. Or of the prede- T Tea,but he pealketh thisof his own perfolt,what is that to us? there is great diffe- rence between Paul and other Cbriflians. S 1 L. Paul fpeaketh many things of himfelf, which are not peculiar to him- felf, but in common doe belong to all Chriltians,as Gal.2.2o. & 6.14. Phil a. as. and often elfewhere.Secondly,in the lall words of this Text he wraps up all other beleeving Chriftians with him- felf,faying;Whofhaifeparate xs ? Third - ly,every true beleever may be certainly allured of his own falvation, upon the fame grounds that Paul was of his : which grounds are either Theological and neceflary, others are but Logicall and probable onely. The Theologicall and neçeffary grounds be:Firft,the fore- knowledge and immutable purpofe of Gods ele&ion,Rom 8.3o. manifelted in cal ling ,juffification,fan&ification. The fecond is the inward perfwafion of the holy Spirit, witnef ling to their fpirits that they are Gods children, Korn. 8.16. Thirdly, the molt faithful promifeof God,that fuch as do beleeve in him (hal have everlaflinglife ,o6.3.18.Fourthly Chrifit his delivering himfelf to death , and his now making requeft in heaven for them,Rom.8.32,33.Laftly,theeffe &s of Gods fanEtifying Spirit in their hearts(towit,)unfeigned faith and dili- gent love, i -7'i :el: 1.3,4. The probable grounds,be all the outward proteótions and bleffings ofGod, which being very many and great, though they have no force in themfelves to perfwade us to the love ofGod,yet being joined unto the former,they help wet to ftrengthen &inate in general : but for any particu- lar man to affure hinifelfthat God loves him,and that he is juftified,and (hall be faved,they e(teem it prefumption, and an illufion of the divell. Their reafons be : Firft,becaufe none can be certain of his perfeverance in grace, contrary to 1om.8.29,3o. Secondly, becaufe they finde the word here Engliflied [Perfwa- ded] to be elfewhere in Scripture ap- plyed unto conje&ural knowledge, as i 7hef..1.4. Rom.' 5.14. 2 Tim.1.5.Heb. 6.9. The caufe whereof is, becaufe in thefe places the Apofile fpeaketh not of his own,but of the faith and eleétion of others,whereof we can have but a cha- ritableperfwafion. The fecond ufe of this dottrine,is to provoke al that find not this certain perfwafion of Gods love,to labour for it, and thofe which have it, to be exceeding thankful to God for it. Laftly,this reproves thofe that build their perfwafion of Gods love and their title to eternal life, on grounds which be probable onely, as becaufe they are baptized,and have knowledg,and make proteftation,and come to Sermons and Sacraments,and doe fomegood things, and refrain from fome evil things, and have beene many wayes bleffed and holpen of God; for all thefe things are common bath to good and bad, which live in the ba Come of the Church. See Ecclef.9.2. I Car.' O. Hypocrites may have,and many have them all in a far greater plenty and proportion,theu very many of Gods children have them. CHAP. 323 Duplexper. fN9j. Nr4 fidei,altaes charitati. : nee al/9Naë. fall+tur. ilia ,uu. quarr. Lutherws.
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