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ftantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obediencer. Q.77. Wherein do juftification and fanctification differ?

A. Although fanctification be infeparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in juftification imputeth the righteousness of Christt; in fanctification his Spirit infufeth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereofv; in the former, fin is pardoned w; in the other, it is fubdued ; the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condem

nefs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and inheritance among them who are fanctified by faith that is in me. Ezek. xiv. 6. Therefore fay unto the house of Ifrael, thus faith the Lord God, Repent and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 1 Kings viii, 47. Yet if they fhall bethink themfelves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make fupplication to thee in the land of them that carried them captives, faying, We have finned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; v. 48. and fo return unto thee with all their heart and with all their foul.

r Pfal. cxix. 6. Then fhall not I be afhamed, when I have refpect ynto all thy commandments. v. 59. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy teftimonies. v. 128. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every falfe way. Luke i. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. 2 Kings xxiii. 25. And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his

foul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Mofes; neither after him arose there any like him.

77. ⁄ 1 Cor. vi, 11. And fuch were fome of you: but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. i. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jefus, who of God is made unto us wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and fanctification, and redemption.

Rom. iv. 6. Even as David also defcribeth the bleffedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteoufnefs without works. v. 8. Bleffed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute fin.

v Ezek. xxxvi. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you, and caufe you to walk in my statutes, and ye fhall keep my judgments, and do them.

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Rom. iii. 24. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Christ: v. 25. Whom God hath fet forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufness for the remiffion of fins that are past, through the forbearance of God.

* Rom. vi. 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of fin might be deftroyed, that henceforth we fhould not ferve fin. v. 14. For fin fhall not

condemnation y; the other is neither equal in all z, nor in this life perfect in any a, but growing up to perfection b.

Q.78. Whence arifeth the imperfection of fanctification in believers?

A. The imperfection of fanctification in believers arifeth from the remnants of fin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual luftings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many fins c,

have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. , Rom. viii. 33- Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's eleat? It is God that juftifieth: v. 34. Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh interceffion for us.

z 1 John ii. 12. I write unto you, little children, because your fins are forgiven you for his name's fake. v. 13. I write unto you fathers, becaufe ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you little children, because ye have known the Father. v. 14. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Heb. v. 12. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become fuch as have need of milk, and not of ftrong meat. v. 13. For every one that ufeth milk, is unskilful in the word of righteoufnefs, for he is a babe. v. 14. But Atrong meat belongeth to them that

are

are of full age, even those who by reafon of use have their fenfes exercised to difcern both good and evil.

a 1 John i. 8. And if we fay that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. v. 10. If we fay that we have not finned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2 Cor. vii. 1. Having therefore thefe promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthinefs of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Phil. iii. 12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Chrift Jefus. v. 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, v. 14. I prefs towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jesus.

78. c Rom. vii. 18. For I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is prefent with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. v. 23. But I fee another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of fin, which is

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are hindered in all their fpiritual fervices d, and their beft works are imperfect and defiled in the fight of God e.

Q.79. May not true believers by reafon of their imperfections, and the temptations and fins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace?

A. True believers, by reafon of the unchangeable love of Godf, and his decree and covenant to give them perseveranceg, their infeparable union with Chrift b, his continual interceffion for themi, and the Spirit and feed of God abid

in my members. Mark xiv. 66. to the end. And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priests, &c. Gal. ii, 11. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. v. 12. For before that, certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew, and feparated himself, fearing them who were of the circumcifion.

d Heb. xii. 1. Wherefore, feeing we also are compaffed about with fo great a cloud of witneffes, let us lay afide every weight, and the fin which doth fo eafily befet us, and let us run with patience the race that is fet before us.

Ifa. Ixiv. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteoufneffes are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Exod. xxviii. 38. And it fhall be

upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Ifrael fhall hallow in all their holy gifts and it fhall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

79. f Jer. xxxi. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, faying,

ing

Yea, I have loved thee with an everlafting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

82 Tim. ii. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift depart from iniquity. Heb. xiii. 20. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great fhepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlafting covenant, v. 21. make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Although my house be not fo with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and fure: for this is all my falvation, and all my defire, although he make it not to grow.

b 1 Cor. i. 8. Who fhall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jefus Chrift. v. 9. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jefus Chrift our Lord.

i Heb. vii. 25. Wherefore he is able alfo to fave them to the utter

moft,

ing in them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace/, but are kept by the power of God thro' faith unto falvation m.

Q. 80. Can true believers be infallibly affured that they are in the eftate of grace, and that they shall perfevere therein unto falvation?

A. Such as truly believe in Chrift, and endeavour to walk in all good confcience before him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God's promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to difcern in themfelves thofe graces to which the promifes of life are made o,

moft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them. Luke xxii. 32. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

1 John iii. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin: for his feed remaineth in him and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. 1 John ii. 27. But the anointing, which ye have received of him, abideth in you: and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the fame anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie: and even as it hath taught you, ye fhall abide in him.

Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they fhall not depart from me. John x. 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they fhall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. m 1 Pet. i. 5. Who are kept by the power of God thro' faith unto falvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

80. n 1 John ii. 3. And hereby

and

we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

• 1 Cor. ii. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1 John iii. 14. We know that we have pasfed from death unto life, because we love the brethren: he that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. v. 18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. v. 19. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and fhall affure our hearts before him. v. 21. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence towards God. v. 24. And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him: and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. i John iv. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. v. 16. And we have known, and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Heb. vi. 11. And we defire, that every one

and bearing witness with their spirits that they are the chil dren of Godp, be infallibly affured that they are in the estate grace, and fhall perfevere therein unto falvation q.

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Q. 81. Are all true believers at all times affured of their prefent being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be faved?

A. Affurance of grace and falvation not being of the effence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and, after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, thro' manifold diftempers, fins, temptations and desertionst: yet are they never left without fuch

of you do fhew the fame diligence, to the full affurance of hope unto the end: v. 12. That ye be not flothful, but followers of them, who thro' faith and patience inherit the promises.

Rom. viii. 16. The Spirit itfelf beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

91 John v. 13. These things have I written unto you, that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the

name of the Son of God.

81. Eph. i. 13. In whom ye alfo trufted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your falvation: in whom alfo after that ye believed, ye were fealed with that Holy Spirit of promife.

Ifa. I. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light?, let him trust in the Lord, and stay upon his God. Pfal. 88. throughout. v. 1. O Lord God of my falvation, I have cried day and night before thee. v. 2. Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry. v. 3. For my foul is full of

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trouble: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.- —v. 6. Thou haft laid me in the lowest pit, in darknefs, in the deeps. v. 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.-v. 9. Mine eye mourneth by reafon of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have ftretched out my hands unto thee. v. 10. Wilt thou fhew wonders to the dead? -v. 13. But unto thee have I cried, O Lord, and in the morning fhall my prayer prevent thee. v. 14. Lord, why castest thou off my foul? why hideft thou thy face from me? v. 15. I am afflicted and ready to die, from my youth up, while I fuffer thy terrors, I am distracted, &c.

(Pfal. lxxvii. 1. to the 12. verfe.) v. 1. I cried unto thee with my voice: even unto God with my voice, and he gave ear unto me. v. 2. In the day of my trouble I fought the Lord; my fore ran in the night, and ceased not: my foul refused to be comforted. v. 3. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my fpirit was overwhelmed.-v. 7. Will the Lord caft off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? &c. Cant." v. 2. I fleep, but my heart waketh :

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