within them d; and the nature of the covenant of gracee : From - all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof f.

III. Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of Satan and the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous lips g; and for a time continue therein h: whereby they incur God's displeasure i, and grieve his boly Spi

ritk:

also to save them to the urtermost, would no doubt have continued Ibat come unto God by him, seeing with us : but they went out, that he ever liveth to make intercession they might be made manifest that. for them.

they were not all of us. d. John xiv. 16. And I will pray III. g Mat. xxvi. 70, But he de.. the Father, and he shall give you nied before them all, saying, I know another Comforter, that he may a- , not what thou sayelt. v. 72. And bide with you for ever; v. 17. Even again he denied with: an oath, I do the Spirit of truth whom the world Dot know the man.

v. 74. Then cannot receive, because it feeth him began be to curse and to swear, faynot, neither knoweth him: but ye ing, I know not the man. And im know him, for he dwelleth with you mediately the cock crew. and shall be in you. I John. ii. 27. h Pfal.li. (the title) To the chief But the anointing which ye have re- musician, a pfalm of David, when ceived of him, abideth in you: and Nathan the prophet came unto hitn, ye ceed got that any man teach you: after he had gone into Bathiheba.. But, as the same anointing teacheth vi 14. Deliver me from blood guii. you of all things, and is truth, and tiness, o God, thou God of my fal- . is no lie: and even as it hath taught vation; and my congue shall ling you, ye shall abide in kim. 1 John aloud of thy righteousucfs. iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God, i Isa. Ixiv. S. Thou meetest him . doch not commit (in; for his feed that rejoiceth, and worketh righteremaineth in him, and he cannot ousness, those that remember thee fin, because he is born of cod. in thy ways: behold, thou art

e Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make wroth, for we have finned; in those an everlasting covenant with them, is continuance, and we shall be That I will not turn away from them, saved. v. 7. and there is node to do them good: but I will put my that calleth upon thy rame, that fear in their hearts, that they shall stirreth up himself to take hold of not depart from nie,

thec : for thou hast hid thy face f John Xi 28. And I gave unto from us, and haft consumed us bethem eternal life, and they shall ne- cause of our iniquities. v.9. Be not ter perish, neither thall any pluck wroth very sore, O Lord, neither them out of my hand. 2 Thell. iii. remember iniquity for ever : be3. But the Lord is faithful, who hold, fee, we beseech thee, we are thall ftablish you, and keep you from all thy people. 2 Sam. xi. 27. And evil, 1 Joha ii. 19. They went out when the morning was past, Dafrom us, but they were not of us : vid fent, and fet her to bis house, for if they had been of us, they 200 ibe became his wife, and bare

rit k; come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts /; have their hearts hardened m, and their confciences wounded n; hurt and fcandalize others.Q, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves p.

Chap. XVIII. Of the Affurance of Grace and Salvation.

LTHOUGH hypocrites and other unregenerate men may

sumptions

him a fon : but the thing that Da- m lsa. Ixii. 17. O Lord, why vid had done displeased the Lord. halt thou made us to err from thy

k Eph. iv. 30. And griere not ways ? and hardened our heart from the bely Spirit of God, whereby ye thy fear? Return for thy servants are sealed unto the day of redemp-, fake, the tribes of thine inheritance. tion.

Mark vi, 53. For they considered . 1 Pfal. li. 8. Make me to hear joy not the miracle of the loaves, fór asd gladness; that the bones which their heart was hardened, Mark thou haft broken may rejoice. V. 10. xvi, 14. Afterwards he appeared Create in me a clean heart, O God; unto the eleven, as they sat at meat, and recew a right spirit within me. and uploraided them with their unV. 12. Refore unto me the joy of belief and hardness of heart, because thy salvation; and uphold me with they believed not them who had seen thy free spirit. Rev. ii. 4. Never. him after he was risen. theless, I have fomewhat against n Pfal. xxxii. 3. When I kepe "th:, because thou hast left thy first filence, my bones waxed old thro' love. Cant. v. 2. 1llcep, but my my roaring all the day long. 5. 4. tea;t wakech : it is the voice of my For day and niglit thy hand was beloved that knockerh, faying, Open beavy upon me: my muilture is 10 me, my sister, my love, my dove, turned into the drought of summer, my undefiled : for

head is filled Pfal. li. 8. Make me lo leat joy, and with dew, and my locks with the gladness: that the bones which thou. drops of the night, v. 3. I have halt broken may rejoice. put

off my coat, how shall I put it 2 Sam. xii. 14. Howbeit, beon? I have washed my feet, how cause by this deed thou halt given Mall I defile them? v. 4. My be- great occasion to the enemn.es of the loved put in his hand by the hole of Lord to blaspheme, the child also the door, and my bowels were mov- that is born unto thee shall surely die. ed for him. v. 6, I opened to my p Pfal. Ixxxix. 31. If they break beloved, but my heloved had with my statutes and keepin it my comdrawn himself, and was gone; my mandments, v. 32, Then will.[ foul failed when he spake : I fought visit their tranfgrelhon with the iod, him, but I could not find him; 1 and their iniquity with Atripes. : 3 called him, but he gave, me no an.. Cor. xi. 32. But when we are judga fwer

my

-fumptions of being in favour of God and estate of salvation a; which hope of theirs shall perish b: yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in fincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be cercainly assured that they are in the state of grace c, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God; which hope Thall never make them alhamed d.

II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope c; but an infallible

assurance

:

that we should not be condemned We know that we have passed from with the world.

death unto life, because we love the I. a Job viii. 13. So are the paths brethren: he that loveth not his of all that forget God, and the hy. brother abideth in death. v. 18. pocrices hope fhall perilh. v. 14. My little children, Jet as not love in Whose hope shall be cut off, and word, neither in tongue, but in deed whose trust thall be a spiders web. and in truth, v. 19. And hereby Micah iii. 11. The heads thereof we know that we are of the truth, judge for reward, and the priests and shall assure our hearts before thereof teach for hire, and the pro- him. V. 21. Beloved, if our heart phets thereof divine for money; yet condemn us not, then have we conwill they lean upon the Lord, and fidence towarris God. v. 24. And fay, is not the Lord among us ? he that keepeth his commandments, none evil can come upon us. Deut. dwelleth in him, and he in him : xxix. 19. And it come to pass when and hereby we know that he abid. he heareth the words of this curse, eth in us, by the Spirit that he ebat he bless himself in his heart, hath given us. 1 John v. 13. There saying, I shall have peace, though things have I written unto you that I walk in the imagination of my believe on the name of the Son of beart; to add drunkeoness to thirst. God; that ye may know that ye Johd vii. 41. Ye do the deeds of bave eternal life, and that ye may your father. Then said they to him, believe on the name of the Son of We be not born of fornication, we God, have one Father eyen God.

d Rom. v. 2. By whom also we 1.6 Mat, vii, 22, Many shall say to have access by faith into this grace me in that day, Lord, Lord, have wherein we stand, and rejoice in we not prophesied in thy name ? hope of the glory of God.

v. 5. - and in thy name have cast out de. And hope maketh not alhamed, be. . vils? and in thy name done many cause the love of God is shed abroad wonderful works? v. 23. And then in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost will i profefs unto them, I never

which is given upto us. knew you ; depart from me, ye II. e Heb. vi, 11. And we delire * that work iniquity.

that every one of you do shew the .: Cf John ii. 3. And hereby we do fame diligence to the full aßurance know that we know him, if we keep of hope unto the end. v. 19. Which his commandments. John iii. 14. hope we have as an anchor of the

soul

assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the pros mises of falvation f, the inward evidences of those graces udto which these promises are made g, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God h: which fpirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption i.

111. This infallible affurance doth not fo helong to the efsence of faith, but that a true believer may waic long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker of it k: yet

being

foul, both fure and stedfast, and eth in death. 2 Cor. i. 12. For our which entereth into that within the rejoicing is this, The testimony of vail,

our conscience, that in simplicity, Heb. vi. 17. Wherein God wil. and godly fincerity, not with felly ting more abundantly to thew unto wisdom, but by the grace of God the heirs of promise the immutabi- we have had our conversation in the fity of his counsel, copfirmed it by world, and more abundantly to on oath: V.'18. That by two im- you-wards. mutable things, in which it was b Rom. viii. 15. For ye have not z impoffible for God to lie, we might received the spirit of bondage again have a strong confolation, who have

to fear;

but
ye

have received the fed for refuge to lay hold upon the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, hope sét before us.

Abba, Father, v. 16. The spirit § 2 Pet. i. 4. Whereby are given itself beareth witness with our spirit, into as exceeding great and precious that we are the children of God, promises, that by these you might į Eph. i. 13. In whom ye alfo be partakers of the divine nature, trusted, after that ye heard the word having escaped the corruption that of truth, the gospel of your falvais in the world through lust. v. s. tion; in whom also, after that ye And besides this, giving all diligence, believed, ye were sealed with that add to your faith, virtue; and to holy Spirit of promise, v. 14. Which virtue, knowledge. V, 10. Where is the earnest of our inheritance, unfore the rather brethren, give difi. til the redemption of the purchased higence to make your calling and poffeffion, unto the praise of his gloelection fure: for if ye do these ry. Eph. iv. 30. and grieve not things, ye shall never falle v. 11. the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye For so an entrance shall be ministred are sealed unto the day of redempunto you abundantly, into the ever. tion. 2 Cor. i, 21, Now he who ftakalting kingdom of our Lord and blisheth us with you, in Chrift, and Saviour Jesus Christ. 1 John ii. 3. hath anointed us, is God, V. 22. And bereby we do know that we Who bath also sealed us, and given know him, if we keep his command- the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts, ments. 1 John ii. 14. We know III. & 1 John Vi 13. These things that we have passed from death va- hare f written unto you that believe to life, because we love the brethren; on the name of the Son of God; chat he that loveth not his brother, abid ye may kaow that ye have eternal

Life,

being enabled by the Spirit, to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the righe use of ordinary means, attain thereunto d. And therefore it is the duty of every one, to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure m; that thereby bis heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience; the proper fruits of this assurance n:

so

V.

life, and that ye may believe on the m 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore the. name of the Son of God. Ila. l. 10, rather, brethren, give diligence to Who is among you :hat feareth the make your calling and election sure : Lord, that obeyeth' the voice of his for if ye do these things, ye shall servant, that walk eth in darkbels, never fail. and hath no light? let him trust in 1 Rom, v. 1. Therefore being the name of the Lord, and stay up- justified by faith, we have peace on his God. Mark ix. 24. And with God through our Lord Jesus straightway the father of the child Chrift. 2. By whom also we cried out, and said with tears, Lord have access by faith into this grace I believe; help thou mine unbelief. wherein we stard, and rejoice in (See Psal. Ixxxvii. throughout. Pfal. hope of the glory of God. v. 5. ,lxxvir. to the 12, verse.)

And hope maketh not ashamed, beTi Cor, ii. 12. Now we have re. cause the love of God is led aceived, not the spirit of the world, broadin our hearts, by the Holy Ghost but the spirit which is of God; that which is given unto us. Rom. xiv, we might know the things that are 171 For the kingdom of God is not freely given to us of God. 1 John iv. meat and drink, but righteousness

i 13. Hereby know we that we dwell and peace, and joy in the Holy in him, and he in us, because he Ghost. Rom. xv. 13. Now the God hath given us of his Spirit. Heb.vi, of hope fill you with all joy and 11. And we desire, that every one peace in believing, that ye may 2of you do Mew the fame diligence, bound in hope, through the power to the full assurance of hope unto of the Holy Ghost. Eph. i. 35 the end; v. 12. That ye be not Blessed be the God and Father of, Nothful, but followers of them, who our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath through faith and patience inherit blessed us with all spiritual bleffings the promises. Eph. iii. 17. That in heavenly places id Chrift: Accord Christ

may dwell in your hearts by ing as he hath chofen us in him before faith, that ye being rooted and the foundation of the world, that grounded in love, v. 18. May be we Mouid be holy, and without able to comprehend with all saints, blame before him in love. Psal. iv. what is the breadth, and length, 6. There be many that say, Who and depth, and height, v. 19. And will few us any good ? Lord, lift to know the love of Christ, which thou up the light of thy countenance palleth knowledge, tkat ye might upon us. v.7. Thou halt put glad. , be filled with all the fulnels of code ness in my heart, more than in the