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'born of God.' The abiding Seed of Peace of Confcience in Believers, is, their State of Peace with God: 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.' The abiding Seed of Joy in the Holy Ghoft in them, is, their faving Intereft in the Fulness of Chrift: 1 John i. 3. 4. 'That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father, ' and with his Son Jefus Chrift. And these things 'write we unto you, that your joy may be full." And out of these they may recover their loft Peace of Confcience, and Joy in the Holy Ghost, by the renewed Actings of Faith and Repentance: Rom. xv. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with 'all joy and peace in believing, that ye may a'bound in hope, through the power of the Holy " Ghost.' Matth. v. 4. Bleffed are they that < mourn for they fhall be comforted.' Compared with Pfal. cxxvi. 5. They that fow in tears, 'fhall reap in joy.' And they may maintain and preferve them, by a holy tender Walk, and the daily Exercife of Faith and Repentance: Acts xxiv. 16. And herein do I exercife myself, to have always < a confcience void of offence toward God, and toward men,' Compared with 2 Cor. i. 12. For our rejoicing is this, the teftimony of our 'confcience, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace 6 of God, we have had our converfation in the 'world, and more abundantly to you-wards." John xiii. 10. Jefus faith to Peter, He that is washed,

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wafhed, needeth not, fave to wash his feet, but whit.' every 'Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from fe'cret faults.'

The Benefits flowing from Juftification, Adop. tion, and Sanctification, which may proceed on the mere Reality of Grace, without the Evidence of it, are, Increafe of Grace, and Perfeverance therein to the End.

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It is of the Nature of Grace, as of a Seed, or the Morning-light, to increase or grow, till it come to Perfection: 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. Compared with Mark iv. 26. 27. And Jefus faid, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man fhould caft feed into the ground, and fhould fleep, and rise night and day, and the feed fhould fpring and grow up he knoweth not how.' Prov. iv. 18. The path of the juft is as the fhining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.' John iv. 14. The water that I shall give him, shall be in him well of water fpringing up into everlasting life." Eph. iv. 13. 'Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift. And it doth grow accordingly, Prov. iv. 18. above cited. Nevertheless, it doth not therefore grow at all Times, but is liable to Decays: Rev. ii. 4. I have fome

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what against thee, because thou haft left thy 1 first love. The actual Increase or Growth of it depends on Supplies of Grace from Chrift the Head, communicated to us by the Spirit: Hof. xiv.

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5. 'I will be as the dew unto Ifrael: he hall grow as the lily, and caft forth his roots as Le'banon.' Compared with . xliv. 3. 4. I will pour water upon him that is thirfty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my fpirit upon thy feed, and my bleffing upon thine offfpring and they fhall fpring up as among the grafs, as willows by the water-courfes.' John xv. 5. 'I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame 'bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." Howbeit, it is our Duty to grow in Grace: 2 Pet. iii. 18. Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift.' A Chriftian fhall grow in Grace, by exercifing it, and ufing the Means of it, diligently: Matth. xxv. 29. Unto every one that hath fhall be given, and he fhall have abundance: but from him that hath not, fhall be taken away even that which he hath Pfal. xcii. 13. Thofe that be planted in the house of the Lord, fhall flourish in the courts of our God.' The Graces, the Exercise whereof doth efpecially influence the Growth of all the reft, as well as their own, are, firft, Faith, and then Love: Gal. ii. 20. " I am crucified with Chrift: Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me: and the 'life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the 'faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and himself for me.' gavé 2 Cor. v. 14. 15. For " the love of Chrift conftraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live, fhould not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for

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them, and rofe again.' 1 Tim. i. 5. Now the ' end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good confcience, and of faith unfeigned.' True fpiritual Growth is dif cerned from falfe Growth, in that it is proportionable in all the Parts of the new Creature, and rests at no Pitch attained till it come to Perfection : Eph. iv. 15. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.' Philip. iii. 13. 14. '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, I prefs toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." By Perfeverance in Grace to the End, is meant, a conftant Continuance in Grace, all along till Death: Col. i. 23. If ye continue in the faith grounded and fettled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gofpel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.' Matth. x. 22.

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He that endureth to the end, fhall be faved.' All who are once endowed with true Grace, fhall infallibly perfevere in it to the End, notwithstanding of Satan's Temptations, the World's Snares, and their own Corruptions: John x. 28. 29. And I give unto them eternal life, and they fhall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all and none is able to pluck them ❝ out of my Father's hand.' 1 Pet. i. 5. • Who

are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation.' 1 John ii. 19. They went out from us, but they were not of us for if

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they had been of us, they would no doubt have 'continued with us: but they went out, that 'they might be made manifeft, that they were

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< not all of us.' Chap. iii. 9. Whofoever is born ' of God, doth not commit fin; for his feed re'maineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he ' is born of God.' They may lofe the Evidence, and much of the Measure and Exercife of their Grace: I. 1. 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 name of the Lord, and ftay " upon his God.' Rev. ii. 4. 5. I have fomewhat against thee, because thou haft left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, ' and repent, and do the first works. Cant. v. 2. 3. 'I fleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my 'beloved that knocketh, faying, Open to me, my fifter, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for " my head is filled with dew, and my locks with 'the drops of the night. I have put off my coat, 'how fhall I put it on? I have washed my feet, 'how fhall I defile them? But they can never fall away from Grace finally, fo as never to recover it: Pet. i. 5. forecited. John vi. 39.

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'And this is the Father's will which hath fent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lofe nothing, but fhould raise it up again at the laft day.' Chap. viii. 35. The fervant abideth not in the house for ever; but the Son abideth " ever. Nor can they fall away from it totally, fo as to lose it altogether for fhorter or longer time, 1 John iii. 9. above cited. Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them

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