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lovely, than to endeavour after it, to the utmost of its power; it paints in fuch lively colours, the most fhining holiness of the Lord Chrift, that while the foul beholds it with fupreme affection, it is tranfformed into its image, 2 Cor. 3. 18; it fo pathetically represents the love of a dying Chrift, that the believer accounts nothing dearer, than, in return, both to live and die to him, Gal. 2. 20; the meditation of the promifed happiness is fo deeply engraved on his mind, that he is ready, for the fake of it, to try all things, to bear all things, 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17, 18; and thus it purifies the heart itself, Acts 15. 9, in order to the practice of a fincere and conftant piety; which, in confequence of a more lively or more languid faith, is itself either more lively or more languid.

his faith.

XXXIV. Having confidered thefe things con- One may cerning the nature of a living faith, and how it differs be confrom that which is prefumptuous, let us now further fcious of enquire, how a perfon may be conscious of his own faith. Now that it is both poffible and frequent for believers to have a consciousness of their own faith, Paul not only teacheth us by his own example, 2 Tim. 1. 12, I know whom I have believed, but alfo by that admonition directed to all, 2 Cor. 13. 5, examine yourfelves, whether ye be in the faith, prove your own felves. Which admonition would have been in vain, was it impoffible for them, by examining and proving themselves, to attain to the knowledge of what they fearch after. Yea, that it is poffible, he expressly enough infinuates, by adding, know ye not your own felves, bow that Jefus Christ is in you!

XXXV. Nor is it difficult to understand, how this How we consciousness of faith may arife in believers: for first come to it becomes them to be well inftructed, from the the know. word of God, about the nature of faving faith. Nor ledge of

is it neceffary to harrass the minds of the weak with a multiplicity of marks: only let the principal and effential acts of a true faith be explained to them in a fimple

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this.

Whence

the difficulty fome times of knowing

it.

a fimple and clear manner; let the difference between a strong and weak faith be inculcated; between a lively and a languid; between a calm faith, and that haken by many temptations; and let them be put in mind, that not only a weak, a languid and a fhaken faith is nevertheless genuine and true; but alfo that, in examining themfelves, a weak faith is not to be tried by the idea of a ftrong faith; nor a languid by that of a lively; nor that which is fhaken by the idea of a calm and quiet faith; but that each is to be compared with its own proper idea. This being well obferved, let every one examine himself, whether he puts forth acts agreeable to what we have now defcribed. Which none, who attends to himfelf, can be ignorant of: as every one is immediately conscious to himself of what he thinks and ills, for this very reason that he thinks and wills it: for faith is an act of the understanding and will.

XXXVI. But one perhaps may reply, if it is fo very easy to have a confcioufnefs of one's own faith, whence then is it, that very many believers are tormented with fuch troublesome waverings about this matter? There is more than one reason for this: Ift, It often happens, that they have either formed to themselves a wrong notion of faving faith, or un advisedly taken up with what others have as uncautionfly drawn up to their hand. Thus we have learned by experience, that not a few afflicted fouls have thought, that the effence of faith confifts in the affured perfuafion, and delightful fenfe of divine love, and in the full affurance of their own falvation. not obferving these things in themselves, they have, by an unfavourable fentence, croffed themselves out of the roll of believers. But thefe very perfons being better informed of the nature of faith, and taught that these things were rather glorious fruits of an established, than effential acts of a true faith, have gradually returned to a more compofed mind. 2dly, It also fometimes happens, that believers being toffed

And

toffed with fo many storms of temptations, do but little, nay, are unable to diftinguish the proper acts of their own fouls: for, while they are in that cafe, they perform every thing in fuch a confufed, fuch á feeble and inconfiftent manner, that, during that dif order, they cannot clearly discern the state and frame of their own heart; while the thoughts of their mind, and the emotions of their will fucceed and crofs each other with a furprising variety. 3dly, Sometimes too it is difficult, efpecially in an afflicted ftate of foul, to compare their own actions with the difcription of true faith, or, to fpeak more clearly, to compare the rule with that which they want to bring to it, especially when one has proposed to himself the idea of a lively faith, and finds in himself only ä languid one. In that cafe, it can scarcely be otherwife, but that, when he fees fo little agreement, nay, the greateft difference between the two, he muft form a lefs favourable judgment of his own faith.

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XXXVI. It is not, indeed, abfolutely neceffary Tho' not neceffaty to falvation, that one fhould know that he believes: to falvafor, the promise of falvation is annexed to the fin- tion, yet cerity of faith, Mark 16. 16. John 3. 16, not to the expedient knowledge one may have of his faith. Yet it is to have a nevertheless expedient, that every one should, by an nefs of accurate fcrutiny, enquire into the fincerity and truth one's faith. of his faith. ft, In order to render due thanks to God for this invaluable gift. For, if Paul did fo often return thanks to God for the faith of others, Epb. 1. 15, 16. Phil. 1, 3. Col. 1. 3, 4. 1 Theff. 1. 2, 3. 2 Theff. 1. 3. How much more incumbent is it to do fo for one's own faith? But he cannot do this, unless he knows that he does believe. 2dly, That he may have strong confolation in himfelf: for, the confcioufnefs of our faith gives us affureance of falvation; thus the Apoftle joins these two together, 2 Tim. 1. 12, I know whom I have believed, and I am perfuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 3dly,

That

That, with the greater alacrity, he may run the race of piety for, he, who is affured, that he acts from faith, is alfo affured, that his labour fball not be in vain in the Lord; and this affurance makes the believer stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, I Cor. 15. 58.

The doctrine of

juftifica

greatest importance.

I.

T

CHA P. VIII.

Of Juftification.

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HAT faith, which we have in the last chapter treated of, as faving, is ufually alfo tion of the called juftifying in the divinity fchools. And fince JUSTIFICATION is its first memorable effect, it will by no means be improper to fpeak of it now, and that with the greater accuracy, as it fo nearly concerns the whole of religion, that we ftumble not in explaining this article. The doctrine of juftification diffuseth itself thro' the whole body of divinity, and if the foundation here is well laid, the whole building will be the more folid and grand; whereas a bad foundation or fuperftructure threatens a dreadful ruin. The pious Picardians, as they were call'd in Bohemia and Moravia, valued this article, at its true price, when, in their confeffion of faith, Art. 6,fpeaking of juftification, they thus write: this fixth article is accounted with us the most principal of all, as being the fum of all chriftianity and piety. Wherefore our divines teach and handle it with all diligence and application, and endeavour to inftil it into all. Let us to the utmost of our power imitate them in this, beginning with its name.

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The term II. To juftify, in hebrew pyn, in greek dia, is juftify ge- very frequently and ordinarily used in a declarative nerally fenfe, and fignifies to account, declare, prove any

one

declarative fense.

one juft. Which is manifeft from thofe places of taken in 2 fcripture, where it occurs, as the act of a judge, as Pf. 82. 3, pryn do justice to (justify) the afflicted and needy; and this is especially the cafe, when it is opposed to condemnation, as Deut. 25. 1. Prov. 17. 15. Ifa. 5. 22, 23.

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III. And doubtlefs this word has fuch a fignifi- Applied cation, when God is faid to be justified as Pf. 51. 4, God. that thou mightest be juftified when thou speakeft; that is, that thou mighteft be declared, proved, acknowledged to be juft, when thou pronounceft fentence. In like manner, Mat. 11. 19, wisdom is juftified of her children, that is, they who are truely regenerated of God, by the Gofpel, have accounted the wifdom of God, which the Scribes and Pharifees, falfely accounted foolishness, to be, as it really is, the most confummate wisdom, and cleared it from the calumny of folly, with which it was branded. In the same sense it is faid Luke 7. 29, all the people and the publicans juftified God.

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IV. Nor can this word have any other than a And to Chrift. forenfick fignification, when Christ is faid to be justified, 1 Tim. 3. 16, and still more fully Ifa. 50. 8, where the Lord himself thus fpeaketh: be is near that justifieth me, who will contend with me? Let us Stand together, who is mine adversary? Almoft in the fame manner as the apostle speaks of the elect, Rom. 8. 33, 34 How was Chrift juftified? rft. When the father declared, that he was holy and without fpot, according to his mind and will, and even fuch in whom he was well pleafed, Mat. 3. 17, and 17. 5. 2dły. When he pronounced him innocent of all the crimes, with which he was falsely accufed, and for which he was unjustly condemned. 3dly. When he declared, that he had made full fatisfaction to his juftice, and was no longer under the guilt of those fins which, as furety, he took upon himself. The two former acts of juftification respect Christ as man; the laft as mediator. And in this view, he is called

the

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