1. Then thou hast a care to live by faith in the Son of God daily, and
cause, indeed, of thy backwardness, and not the greatness of thy sins.
You see then that there is ground sufficient for any sinner to come in and labour for this particular assurance.
Obj. But put the case, I be not one that Christ redeemed, and God elected.
Sol. Away with disputing, and fall to obey. Put this question out of question, by believing and obeying. Come in and stoop unto Christ, and then it will appear that thou art one that Christ died for; for he gives himself for all that believe in him. Do thou thy duty, bring thou thy heart to rest upon Christ, and to be ruled by him, and then thou wilt put this question out of question, that thou art one of God's elect.
The devil holds many in a state of darkness by this delusion.
Obj. If I knew that I were elected, or that Christ died for me, then I could believe.
'Secret things belong unto God, revealed things to us,' saith Moses.
Thy duty is, when thou art sought for, invited, entreated, and commanded to be reconciled, then to come in and yield obedience, and in yielding thereof, thou shalt find the fruit of Christ's redemption, that thou art one for whom he gave himself. Thus much is for those who want this particular assurance.
Well then, to draw to an end, for those that pretend they have a particular faith and assurance of salvation, by this they shall know it.
These things will follow.
1. Then thou hast a care to live by faith in the Son of God daily, and in all estates and conditions; and where this faith and assurance is, it is with care and conscience of duty always. Herein it is distinguished from a false conceit. Where there is no conscience of duty, there is no