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Note.

SECT. V.

Quest. 1. Ow I come to the laft inquiry, by what means the foule may get up to this affurance?

Sol. I hall only prefcribe fuch rules as reach a beleeving perfon. Therefore thus,

1. If thou be a beleever and would eft be affured, then preferve the fenfe of thy own natural wretchednesse, and of the darknele of thy fouls ftate without affurance. Chrift came to Mary when hee was weeping; and the Great God looks down upon the broken Spirit. The highest mountaine hath the first fight of the Sunne, but the loweft Christian hath the first fight of God. When the people of God were mourning, then faith God, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, and Jay unto them your fins are pardoned.

You fhall finde this, That the truely fenfible heart hath three properties in it, which envite the Lord much to gratifie it with affurance, viz.

One that is very humble.

Another that is much in the prizing of Gods love and

mercy.

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And a third, that it is exceeding thirty after a good look from God, after fome tafte of Chrift, and God will fatisfie all these.

2. Be no strangers to the Ordinances: you fhall finde this, that the ripening of faith belongs to them as well as the feeds of it.

The word you know is the foule of faith, it was that which did incline the heart to yeild, which did make it to accept of Chrift, and it is that alfo which can make us to know our poffeffions: 1 John 15.13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life. So John 1.4 Thefe things we write unto you that your joy may be full. More plainly: In whom, after you beard the Word of truth, je beleeved, in whom alfo, after that ye believed,

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Je were fealed with that holy Spirit of promife, Ephefians

1.13.

For, look as the Word hath promifes which draw the foul to Chrift, fo it hath promises to clear the foul in its intereft in Chrift, to answer all doubts and feares, and to answer the feare about acceptance,fo it removes doubts which strive againft evidence and propriety.

The Sacrament, you know, it is the Seal of righteousneffe which is by faith, Rom. 4. 11. Look, as a Seale doth diftinguish, and confirme, and fettle the minde, fo is the Sacrament ordained to fatisfie, and perfwade the heart of a belever, God appointed this Ordinance, as for other ends, fo for this, That the matter might be out of doubt, out of controverfie, that Chrift is ours, and finne is pardoned in his blood.

3. Be much in prayer: If a man would gaine affurance, he must be much in prayers, to perfwade and affure the heart: David found marvellous loving kindnesse, but then he cried in fupplications, Pfalme 31, 21,

22.

Thou must pray earnestly for mercy,earnestly for pardon,and most earnestly for Chrift.

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And thou must ufe diligence. Remember this, that all thy endeavours for affurance, thou must use diligence, a cold hearing, a cold reading, a cold praying will not bring the foul to it: No, you must be moft diligent and fervent in them, and lo, &c,

4 Again, with all these there must be joyned strong upright care to pleafe God.

This know, that finne feparates, but uprightneffe gathers God and the foule together. To him that ordereik his con. verfation aright, I will shew the salvation of the Lord, Pfalme 50.23.

Why? Light is fown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart, Pfal. 97. 11. See that of the Prophet, Ifa. 64.5. Thou meeteft him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy wayes. Unevenneffe of heart or way, it is a flaw, and it is that which cuts us off after many prayers, it renews our doubtings again, and we are as far to feek as at the Oo

firft;

first, but if the heart be plaine,if it be fincercly fet for God, defirous to please him in all things, this a compendious way of affurance: the Word falls in directly to fettle and confirme fuch a foul: The fteps of the Words direct us to the fight of our God.

s Lastly, you must be much in the exercife of faith. There be two parts of it which you must improve. One is, you must against all fenfe and feeling, and against all the contradict.ons of reafon and unbelief, caft the foul on God in Chrift, and rest on him to be your God, and on Chrift to be your Lord and Saviour, and that your fins fhall be pardoned.

Then you must wait, you most not limit God, but feek ftill, I will bearken, faid David, what God the Lord will peak, for be Will speak peace to bis Saints, Pfalme 85.8. See ifa. 64 4. Since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare, neu her hath the eye feen, O God befides thee, what be bath prepared for him that waiteth for Him. The Lord will wait that he may be gracious: bleffed are they that wait for him, Ifa. 50. 18. fo Ila. 25.9. It shall be faid in that day, Lo this is our God, we have waited for bim, &c. This is the Lord,we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoyce in his (alvation. For Pfal. 147.11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him,in thofe that hope in his mercy.

So that this is the fumme of all, walk with all uprightnesse, and with an humble, penitent,and believing foul, caft your fins upon God in Chrift, trufting in him alone for the favour of God, pardon of finnes, and eternal falvation, and wait upon God for all this in the ufe of the means, and constant diligency in prayer; you fhall at length have your hearts defire, you fhall hear from God thus much, I am thy falvation; and from Chrift as much: given thee.

Be of good cheer, thy finnes are for

FINIS

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Anointing, vid. Chrift.
Antecedent.

The difference betwixt an Ante

rance.

p.38,39 How affurance is an act of faith.

P.39

Affurance of Chrifts willingnesse an encouraging ground to be

leeve.

P 196

cedent and a cause. p.90 A double affurance of Chrifts

What antecedents go neceffarily before faith.

willingness.

p.196

P.93

p.91 Affurance, a fruit of an eminent
faith.
Affurance easily let go, argues`a
weak faith.
The improvement of faith to a full.
affurance.

There is no concluding the prefence of the habit of faith, from the common antecedents of p.91

Affent.

faith. Affent, how one beleever differs from another therein. p,121,

P. 134

P.259 What the affurance of faith is. p.260

122 Affurance is the conclusion of an. evangelical fylogifme. p.260 002

Affifting

Affu

Affurance is a victorious conclu- Affurance is a bathing spring to fion against the strength of all our graces.

p.261

doubtings. Affurance is an afferting or perSwading act. p.262 Two kinds of affurance touching our perfonal interest in Christ, and the difference of them. p

263

Affurance of faith directs to a

P.277 Affurance doth cafe us of the world, and mounts the foul a-·

bove it.

p.278,279

Means by which the foul may get up to this affurance. F.280

Atheisme.

perfinal evidence of particular Natural Atheisme a hindrance intereft in Chrift and his bene- to faith.

fits.

p.158

p.265 How to be removed.

Every beleever may be affured Atheisme, what it is.

p.169

thereof.

P.168

p.266

Arguments to evince it.

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Beleever, Believing.

To be affured how far it is a du

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p.29

Believing in Chrift, what it deth import. p.268. The general nature of believing Arguments to evince it. Ibid in feveral propofitions. p.30 Want of affurance hinders thank- The difference betwixt knowledg,

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