A Short and Sure Way to Grace and Salvation, Section 24
Sect. XXIV.
Fourthly, as for their aſſurance of ſalvation, it is upon a good ground as apage missing the reſt: for they ſ…mber, and ſuppoſe themſelvs good Chriſtians: …e faith is but a dream, their hope but a dream, their charity but a dream, their obedience but a dream, their whole religion but a dream; & ſo their aſſurance of ſalvation is but a dream, they have regeneration in conceit, …epentance and righteouſneſs in conceit, they ſerve God well in conceit, do the works of juſtice and piety in conceit, and they ſhall go to heaven only in conceit, or in a dream; and never awake untill they feel themſelvs in the flames of hell Every drunken beaſt, and blaſphemer thinks to go to heaven: though none ſhall come there, nor once ſee God without holineſs: which they abhor. One mindes nothing but his cups, another nothing but his coyn, a third onelyonly his Curtiz…n: yet all theſe point to meet in heaven, but this is not the way thi…her. The luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eyes and the pride of life, 1 John 2. 16. is a broad way, but not to heaven. Micha when hee had a Levite in his houſe, thought that God loved him, Judg. 17. 13. It is uſuall with formaliſts, when they have the Sacrament in their belly, to think that all is well, as the Jews thought, wee may …ut away our wives, wee may ſwear, wee may hate our enemies, wee may kill the Prophets, ſubject the Word of God to our traditi…ns, and follow our own ways. Why, Abraham is our father, John 8. 39. But by their leave, Chriſt calls them baſtards, and finds out another father for them, ver. 44. Ye are of your father the Devill, and the luſts of your father ye will do. Profane Libertine…, ſuch as account not themſelves well, but when they are doing ill: yea, the moſt covetous oppreſſors, who may ſay as Pope … did, I can have no place in heaven, becauſe I have ſo often ſold it upon earth; every man of them hopes (I confeſs with more confidence, then judgment) to have benifit by the Goſpell; when they will not bee tyed to the leaſt tittle of the Law. But if Chriſt bee not our King to govern us▪ hee will nei…her bee our Prophet to fore-warn nor our Prieſt to expiate. Except we ſo ſake our ſins, God will never forgive them, yea hee hath ſw…rn by an oath, that whomſoever hee redeemeth out of the hands of their ſpi…ituall enemies; ſhall ſerve him in holineſs, and righteouſneſs all the days of their lives. Neither can it confiſt with his juſtice, to pardon ſuch as continue in an evill c…u…ſe of life.
If Chriſt hath freed us f…om the damnation of ſin, hee hath alſo freed us from the dominion of ſin. If with his blood hee hath quenched the fire of hell for us; hee hath alſo quenched the fire of luſt in us. Chriſts juſtifying blood, is given us by his ſanctifying Spirit. He being conſecrated, was made the authour of eternall ſalvation, unto all t…em (and them onelyonly) that ob…y him, Heb. 5. 9. Of whomſoever a man i… overcome, even unto the ſame he is in bondage, 2 Pet. 2. 19 Have ye then no government of your paſſions, no conſcience of your actions, no care of your lives: falſe hypocrites, yee do but abuſe, and profane that name, which yee unjuſtly arrogate.