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A71036 Sixteene questions of seriovs and necessary consequence, propounded unto Mr. John Cotton of Boston in New England together with his answer to each question. Cotton, John, 1584-1652. 1644 (1644) Wing S3928; ESTC R17699 8,425 18

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his Soule when he hath fallen into some grosse Sinne or neglected some knowne Duty as when he walked most closely with God Answer A Christian man cannot find like constant Comfort maintained to his Soule after he hath fallen into sin whether of Commission or Omission as when God keeps him in a close walking with him For the Spirit of God in him being grieved and grieved it is by any grosse sin especially it will not speak wonted Peace and Comfort to him If David fall into such grosse Sins as Adultery and Murder it cannot be but the Bones of his Comfort will be broken Psal 51.8 Neverthelesse the assurance of a mans good Estate may be maintained to him when the frame and Course of his Spirit is growne much degenerate Isa 63.16 Quest VII Whether a weake Beleever may not warrantably apply some Promise to himselfe as given by God although he doth not yet discerne his Interest in it by the Broad Seale of the Spirit Answer A weake Beleever may warrantably apply some Promise to himselfe and may have it also given him of God even whilest he is yet waiting for it before he can discerne his Interest in the Promise by the Witnesse of the Spirit it selfe For the Soule that waiteth for Christ may come to see and know by his renewed knowledge that he doth waite and may from thence conclude that he on whom he waiteth will not absent himselfe for ever Quest VIII Whether a Christian must of necessity have his first assurance from an absolute and not from a Conditionall Promise Answer A Christian mans first assurance doth arise from the Spirit of God applying Gods free grace in an absolute Promise Or if in a Conditionall Promise it is not to Workes but to Faith and to faith not as as it is a Worke but as it revealeth the free grace of God offered and applyed in Christ Jesus Quest IX What you meane by Christian Sanctification whether immediate acting of the Spirit or infused Habits If habits infused whether such as are contrary to corrupt Nature and all vitious Habits and if so whether you must not meane the Image of God in Adam renewed in us to be our Sanctification Answer I meane by Christian Sanctification the fruit of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in true Beleevers working and acting in us both infused Habits and actions of Holinesse contrary to all vitious Habits and actions of corrupt Nature And yet I doe not meane that the Image of God in Adam renewed in us and no more then so is our Sanctification our Sanctification in Christ hath in it this more Faith in the Righteousnesse of Christ and Repentance from dead Works and that which is the Root of all the indwelling Power of the Spirit to act and keep Holinesse in us all which Adam wanted Quest X. Whether this Sanctification being discerned by us be not a true Evidence of Justication Answer If this Sanctification be evidently discerned it is a true evidence of Justification a Posteriori as Justification is likewise a true Evidence of Sanctification a Priori Quest XI Whether sanctification being discerned may not be and often is a ground of Primitive Comfort as it is an Evidence of our being in Christ Answer I doe not beleeve that this Sanctification being discerned is a ground of Primitive Comfort though when it is evidently discerned it be an Evidence of our being in Christ I conceive our faith depending on Christ is as soon discerned and sooner then our Sanctification by Christ and yet neither will discerning of it yeeld setled Comfort to the Soule till the Spirit of God doth witnesse from Christ Gods thoughts of Peace towards him Quest XII Whether when my Sanctification lyeth prostrate I may not prove my self in a state of Grace by my Sanctification Answer If my Justification lyeth prostrate that is altogether dark and hidden from me I cannot prove my selfe in a state of Grace by my Sanctification For whilst I cannot beleeve that my Person is accepted in Justification I cannot beleeve that my Works are accepted of God as any true Sanctification Quest XIII Whether evidencing Iustification by Sanctification be a building my Iustification on my Sanctification or a going on in a Covenant of Workes Answer To evidence my Justification by my Sanctification though it may seem at first blush a plain and evident Phrase yet is it indeed ambiguous or at least obscure Give me leave to cleare the sense of it and then give you mine answer To evidence my Iustification by my Sanctification is no more at first hand than to give or hold forth my Sanctification for an evident Argument of my Iustification Thus farre the Phrase is plain But now when I give it for an evident Argument I may give it either for an evident cause or ground of my Iustification or for an evident Sign or Effect of it Again when I give it for an evident sign of Iustification I may either give it alone for an evident sign having nothing else to shew for my Iustification or I may give it for a concurrent Sign together with other Signs and Witnesses which may make both my Iustification and my Sanctification evident and cleere to my selfe and others Having thus cleered the ambiguity and obscurity of the Phrase I give you mine Answer distinctly in these severall Propositions Proposition 1. To give my Sanctification for an evident ground or cause or matter of my Iustication is to build my Iustification upon my Sanctification and to go on in a Covenant of Works Propos 2. To give my Sanctification for an evident ground or cause of my Faith whereby I am justified as when I doe not nor dare not depend upon Christ for my Iustification till I evidently see my Sanctification this is also to build my Iustification on my Sanctification and to go on in a Covenant of works For Sanctification or which is all one good works are not the Cause of faith justifying faith but justifying faith the Cause of them Propos 3. To give my Sanctification for an evident cause and ground of my faith not whereby I am justified but whereby I beleeve my selfe to be justified which they call the Faith of Assurance this may be a building my Iustification on my Sanctification or a going on in a Covenant of Works two wayes 1. If the Soul have no Evidence of his Dependance upon Christ for Righteousnesse nor no Evidence of his Effectuall Calling unto Christ and unto faith in Christ by the Fathers drawing him to come to him but onely he seeth an evident Change in himselfe from a prophane and civill course to a sanctified Conversation or at least upon that which is worse to wit upon that which seemeth true Christian Sanctification which indeed is not but a legall Reformation For when a man hath bin humbled under the Spirit of Bondage by the Terrors of the Law yet he may never come to feel his need of Christ nor his own insufficiencie or