perfeverance g their infeparable union with Chrift by his continual interceffion for them, and the Spirit and feed of God abiding in them k, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the ftate of grace 1, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation m. Q. 80. Can true believers be infallibly affured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall perfevere therein unto falvation? A. Such as truely believe in Christ, and endeavour to walk in all good confcience before him n, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God's promifes, and by the Spirit enabling loving kindness have I drawn thee, g 2 Tim. ii. 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God ftandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord know. eth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Heb. xiii. 20. Now the God of peace that_brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the fheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. V. 21. Make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Although my house be not fo with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and fure: for this is all my falvation, and all my defire, although he, make it not them moft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them. Luke xxii. 32. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren. k1 John iii.9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin, for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. 1 John ii. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you: but, as the fame anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie: and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1 Jer. xxxii. 40. And 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 fhall not depart from me. John x. 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they fhall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. m 1 Pet. i. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. 80. 2 1 John ii. 3. And hereby we 4 them to difcern in themselves thofe graces to which the promises of life are made o, and bearing witnefs with their fpirits that they are the children of God p, be infallibly affured that they are in the estate of grace, and fhall perfevere therein unto falvation q. Q81. Are all true believers at all times affured of their prefent being in the eftate of grace, and that they shall be Javed? A. Affurance of grace and falvation not being of the effence of faith r, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and, after the enjoyment thereof, may have it we do know that we know him, if to the full affurance of hope unto p Rom. viii. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witnefs with our fpirit that we are the children of God. q 1 John v.. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may be lieve on the name of the Son of God. 81. r Eph. i. 13. In whom ye alfo trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your falvation; in whom alfo after that ye believed, ye were fealed with that holy Spirit of promise. 1 Cor. ii. 12. Now we have ceived, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1 John iii. 14. We know that we have paffed from death unto life, because we love the brethren: he that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. v. 18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. v. 19. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and fhall affure our hearts before him. V. 21. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence to wards God. v. 24. And he that keepeth his commandments dwell/If. I. 10. Who is among you eth in him, and he in him: and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, 1 John iv. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, becaufe he hath given us of his Spirit. v. 16. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and be that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Heb. vi. And we defire that every one of you do fhew the fame diligence, II. that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth V. 2. the the it weakened and intermitted, through manifold diftempers, fins, temptations, and defertions t; yet are they never left without fuch a prefence and fupport of the Spirit of God, as keeps them from finking into utter defpair v. the lowest pit, in darkness, in the (Pfal. lxxvii. 1. to the 12th Q. 82. he fpake: I fought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. Pfal. li. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness: that the bones which thou hast broken, may rejoice. V. 12. Reftore unto me the joy of thy falvation : and uphold me with thy free spirit. Pfal. xxxi. 22. For I faid in my hafte, I am cut off from before thine eyes; nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my fupplications, when I cried unto thee. Pfal. xxii. 1. My God, my God, why halt thou forfaken me? why art thou fo far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 1 John iii. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin, for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. Job xiii. 15. Though he flay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Pfal. lxxiii. 15. If I fay, I will fpeak thus: behold, I fhould offend against the generation of thy children. v. 23. Nevertheless, I am continually with thee: thou haft holden me by my right hand. If. liv. 7. For a fmail moment have I forfaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. v. 8. In a little wrath I hide my face from thee, for a moment; but with everlasting kindnefs will I have mercy on thee, faith the Lord thy Redeemer. v. 9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have fworn that the waters of Noah fhould no more go over the earth; fo have I fworn that I would not be wroth with thee, Ff nor Q. 82. What is the communion in glory which the members of the invifible church have with Chrift? A. The communion in glory, which the members of the invifible church have with Chrift, is in this life w, immedi ately after death x, and at laft perfected at the refurrection and day of judgment y. Q. 83. What is the communion in glory with Chrift, which the members of the invifible church enjoy in this life. A. The members of the invifible church have communicated to them, in this life, the firft-fruits of glory with Chrift, as they are members of him their head, and fo in him are interested in that glory, which he is fully poffeffed ofz; and, as an earnest thereof, enjoy the fenfe of God's love a, peace of confcience, joy in the Holy Ghoft, and hope of glory b: as, on the contrary, fenfe of God's reveng ing wrath, horror of confcience and a fearful expectation of judgment, are to the wicked the beginning of their torments which they fhall endure after death c. nor rebuke thee. v. 10. For the mountains fhall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness fhall not depart from thee, neither fhall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord, that hath mercy on thée. 82. w 2 Cor. iii. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,' are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. x Luke xxiii. 43. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, Today fhalt thou be with me in paradife. y 1 Theff. iv. 17. Then we which are alive and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and fo fhall we ever be with the Lord 83. z Eph. ii. 5. Even when we were dead in fins hath quickened us together with Chrift, (by grace ye are faved) v. 6. And hath raised us up together,and made us fit together الغر 2.84. in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus. a Rom. v. 5. And hope maketh not afhamed, because the love of God is fhed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Compared with 2 Cor. i. 22. Who hath alfo fealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. b Rom. v. 1. Therefore being ju, ftified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. v. 2. By whom alfo we have access by faith into this grace 'wherein we ftand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Rom. xiv. 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. c Gen. iv. 13. And Cain faid unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Matth. xxvii. 4. Saying, I have finned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they faid, What is that to us? fee thou to that. Heb. x. 27. But Q. 84. Shall all men die? A. Death being threatened as the wages of fin d, it is appointed unto all men once to die e; for that all have finned f. Q. 85. Death being the wages of fin, why are not the righ teous delivered from death, feeing all their fins are forgiven in Chrift? A. The righteous fhall be delivered from death itfelf at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the fting and curfe of it g, fo that, although they die, yet it is out of God's love b, to free them perfectly from fin and mifery i, and to make them capable of further communion with Chrift in glory, which they then enter upon k But a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which fhall devour the adverfaries. Rom. ii. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every foul of man that doth evil, of the Jew firft, and alfo of the Gentile. Mark ix. 44. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quench ed. 84.d Rom. vi.23. For the wages of fin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. e Heb. ix. 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. fRom. v. 12. Wherefore, as by one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin; and fo death paffed upon all men, for that all have finned. 85. g 1 Cor. xv. 26. The last enemy that shall be deftroyed, is death.-v. 55. O death, where is thy fting? O grave, where is thy victory? v. 56. The fting of death is fin; and the ftrength of fin is the law. v. 57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Heb. ii. 15. And deliver them who through Q. 86. fear of death were all their lifetime fubject to bondage. 1⁄2 If. lvii. 1. The righteous perifheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none confidering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. v. 2. He fhall enter into peace, they shall reft in their beds, each one walking in his uprightnefs. 2 Kings xxii. 20. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou fhalt be gathered into thy grave in peace, and thine eyes fhall not fee all the evil which I will bring upon this place. i Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, Bleffed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours; and their works do follow them. Eph. v. 27. That he might prefent it to himself a glorious church, not having fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish. k Luke xxiii. 43. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, To-day |