Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-John, vi. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God. Phil. i. 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he, which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. ii. 13. For it is God, that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

19. Q. How are you assured of God's grace to enable you to believe, and to do, what he requires of you?

A. I am assured of it from hence, that by my baptism I was put into a state of salvation, which I could not have been, were I not thereby secure of whatsoever is needful, on God's part, to be bestowed upon me, in order to my attaining of salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Rom. i. 16. The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Phil. ii. 12, 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do, of his good pleasure.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Jer. xxxii. 40. 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 shall not depart from me. Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26, 27. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will

take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my commandments and do them. 1 John, iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 2 Thess. iii. 3. But the Lord is faithful who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

20. Q. How came you to be called unto such a blessed state as this?

A. Only by the mercy of God, and through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour; and therefore I do most heartily thank our heavenly Father, that he has called me to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-John, vi. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him and I will raise him up at the last day. Eph. ii. 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Phil. i. 29. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. 2 Tim. i. 9. God hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Tit. iii. 4, 5. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

21. Q. Do you think you shall be able still to go on, and persevere in this state?

A. It is my earnest desire and purpose so to do;

and I trust, that by the grace of God, I shall do so. For which cause I will never cease to pray unto him for the continuance of his Grace; that so I may be found faithful and sincere in my duty to my life's end. 2 Thess. iii. 3. The Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil. Eph. iv. 30. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Phil. i. 6. Being confident of this very thing, That He which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-John, viii. 31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. Rom. ii. 7. God, who will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and honor, and immortality, eternal life. 1 Cor. i. 8. Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. xv. 58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 2 Cor. i. 22. Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts. Gal. 6, ix. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due. season we shall reap, if we faint not.

SECT. IV.

Of the method and means of restoring ourselves to God's Favour after the Violation of them.

1. Q. But what if notwithstanding all your present desires and resolutions, you should chance to

fall away from your duty, and thereby put yourself out of this state of salvation; is there no way left for you to recover yourself, and to return again to it?

A. Yes, there is; by a true repentance for the sins which I shall have committed, and an humble confession of them to God; with earnest prayer for his forgiveness, through the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ, our Blessed Saviour and Redeemer.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Luke, xv. 7, 18, &c. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 1 John, i. 8, 9. If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2. Q. What mean you by repentance?

A. I mean such a conversion of a sinner to God, whereby he is not only heartily sorrow for the evil he has done, and resolved to forsake it, but does actually begin to renounce it, and to fulfil his duty according to his ability, with a stedfast purpose to continue God's faithful servant unto his life's end.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-2 Cor. vii. 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Psalm xxxii. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Prov. xxviii. 13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso

confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Isaiah, i. 16, 17. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

3. Q. What are the chief acts required to such a repentance?

A. To forsake evil, and to do good: to turn from those sins which we repent of; and to serve God by an universal obedience of him, in whatsoever he has required of us.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Psalm Xxxiv. 14. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Isaiah, i. 16, 17. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well.

4. Q. What is the first step towards a true repentance?

A. To be thoroughly convinced of the evil of our ways, and heartily sorrow for it.

PROOF SUBJOINED. - Psalm xxxviii. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. 5. Q. Is every kind of sorrow to be looked upon as a part of true repentance?

A. No; there is a sorrow for sin which proceeds not from any love of God, or sense of our duty to Him; nor yet from any real hatred of the sins which we have committed; but merely from the fear of God's judgment, and of the punishment which we may be likely to suffer for them. This is that sorrow which is commonly called attrition; and may be found in the most wicked men, without ever bringing them to any true repentance for their sins.

PROOF SUBJOINED.-2 Cor. vii. 9, 10, 11. Now I

« IndietroContinua »