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act_n assurance_n faith_n justify_v 2,314 5 9.2915 5 false
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A41637 Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ... Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681. 1661 (1661) Wing G1359; ESTC R955 152,866 176

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any terms my soul might enjoy him which desires are the lifting up of the doors and gates of the soul for the receiving of Jesus Christ. 7 The Spirit of God having thus prepared the soul to a closing with Jesus Christ then he works the grace of faith in it whereby it throwes it self into the armes of Christ rolls it self upon him and rests upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon and forgiveness of its Sins here and for eternal life and salvation hereafter Thus have I shewed thee the ordinary way and method which the Lord useth for the working of true saving faith in the hearts of his people Wouldst thou then know whether that faith thou pretendest to be a true saving faith try examine it by the fore-mentioned particulars consider whether it was thus kindly wrought in thee according to the ordinary method of Gods Spirit if so then though the fruits of faith are very weak in thee yet thou hast a comfortable evidence of the truth thereof and so consequently hast a sure evidence for heaven Obj. Though I cannot deny these fore-mentioned particulars to bee wrought in me yet notwithstanding I have no comfortable evidence and assurance of Heaven nor of my interest in Iesus Christ. Ans. For answer hereunto I shall lay down three comfortable considerations 1 A man may have the faith of adherence and dependence though he hath not the faith of evidence and assurance For the better understanding whereof you must know there is a two-fold faith as Divines distinguish viz. The faith of adherence whereby we roul our selves upon Christ and rest upon him and his Merits alone for ●ife and for salvation and the faith of evidence and assuran●e whereby wee know and are assured of our interest in Christ and consequently of our right and title unto Heaven This latter is the refle● act of the soul by which a Christian clearly seeth his own happiness whereas the former is the direct act of the soul. Now a man may have the faith of adherence which is true justifying faith that giveth him an interest in Christ and a right to Heaven and yet may want the faith of evidence and assurance so that he knowert not his own happiness As the child may truly hang about the mothers neck or cast it self into her armes and yet receive neither kiss nor smile from her so a poor soul may truly roul it self upon Christ cast it self into his armes and rest in his bosome which is true faith and yet have neither kiss nor smile from him therefore far be it from thee to question the truth of thy faith meerly for want of Christs smiling upon thee or to question thy faith of adherence because thou hast not the faith of evidence and assurance 2 Assurance of our interest in Christ and of our future happiness though it be requisite to the consolation of a Christian yet not to his salvation though to his comfort yet not to his safety his condition may be safe though not very comfortable at present for a Christians safety doth not at all depend upon his assurance but upon his faith That Christian that can by faith roul himself upon Christ cast himself into his armes resting upon his merits alone for life and for salvation his state and condition is safe though he hath not that assurance which he doth desire for the promise of life and salvation is made to faith and not to assurance the tenour of the Gospel is Beleeve and thou shalt be saved as Ioh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life It is not said that whosoever hath assurance of his interest in Christ and of eternal life and salvation but whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall be saved This consideration may revive many drooping souls who though they doe renounce all confidence in themselves and in any righteousness of their own and place their whole confidence upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ and the merits of his Death and Passion yet have no comfortable assurance in their own souls of their interest in Christ or of their eternal life and salvation let such know that their condition may bee good and safe for all that 3 Assurance of Salvation is not so ordinary as many Christians doe imagine for indeed they are but for Christians who doe here attain to a clear evidence and full assurance of their salvation such whom the Lord here calleth forth to hard services or great sufferings to them he is pleased many times to give some clear evidence and assurance of their eternal life and salvation for their better comfort and support Thus many Martyrs have expressed their full assurance of a better life after this whereas such a measure is not usually granted to ordinary Christians their trials being but flea-bites in comparison of the others VI. Then especially act the graces of Gods Spirit in thee as 1 Thy Falth which is a grace of special use to thee so long as thou livest in this world but most of all at thy last Sickness and in the time of Death therefore then especially bee often actuating and exercising thy faith in Jesus Christ with the eye of faith look upon Christ hanging upon the Cross there offering up his life as an all-sufficient Sacrifice and full satisfaction to Gods Justice for thy Sins and cast thy self into the armes of Jesus Christ resting upon his Merits alone for life and for salvation with a disclaiming of all confidence in thy self or any righteousness of thine own place thy whole confidence upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ and upon the merits of his death and passion 2 Then especially act thy zeal for Gods glory by giving good counsel to those who are about thee or come to visit thee it is the last time thou canst doe any thing for God in this world therefore then shew thy love to him and zeal for his glory by calling upon others to fear him and serve him by a conscionable discharge of the duties of their places callings and relations perswade them to minde the things of this world less and the things of Heaven more to prize health and improve it for the good of their souls to lay up a stock of graces and comforts against the evil day and to get their evidences for Heaven clear before they be cast upon their Death-beds Words of dying men are of most efficacy and authority and therefore improve thy dying speeches to the glory of God and the good of thy neighbour Thus our blessed Saviour when he was to leave the world shewed his zeal for Gods glory and love to his Disciples in leaving with them many precious counsels comforts and exhortations and the Apostle Paul being aged and knowing the time of his departure was at hand called for the Elders of the Church of Ephesus and leaves with them