A Golden Chain

The merit of Christ, is the value and price of his death and Passion, whereby ⟨p. 819⟩any man is perfectly reconciled to god. This reconciliation hath two parts, Remission of sins, and acceptation to life everlasting. Remission of sins, is the removing, or the abolishing both of the guilt and punishment of mans sins. By guilt I understand a subjection or obligation to punishment, according to the order of divine justice. And the punishment of sin is the malediction or curse of the whole law, which is the suffering of the first and second death. Acceptation to life everlasting, is a giving of right and title to the kingdom of heaven, and that for the merit of Christs obedience imputed. Now this benefit of reconciliation must be known not by conceit and imagination, nor by carnal presumption; but by the inward testimony of Gods spirit certifying our consciences thereof,¹ which for this cause is called the spirit of Revelation. And that we may attain to infallible assurance of this benefit, we must call to mind the promises of the gospel touching remission of sins and life everlasting: this being done, we must further strive and endeavour by the assurance of Gods spirit to apply them to our selves, and to believe that they belong unto us; and we must also put our selves often to all the exercises of invocation and true repentance. For in and by our crying unto heaven to God for reconciliation, comes the assurance thereof, as Scriptures and Christian experience makes manifest. And if it so fall out, that any man in temptation apprehend and feel nothing but the furious indignation and wrath of God, against all reason and feeling he must hold to the merit of Christ, and know a point of religion hard to be learned, that God is a most loving father to them that have care to serve him even at that instant when he shows himself a most fierce and terrible enemy.

The merit of Christ, is the value and price of his death and Passion, whereby ⟨p. 819⟩any man is perfectly reconciled to god. This recōciliation hath two parts, Remission of sinnes, and acceptation to life euerlasting. Remission of sinnes, is the remoouing, or the abolishing both of the guilt and punishment of mans sinnes. By guilt I vnderstand a subiection or obligation to punishmēt, according to the order of diuine iustice. And the punishment of sinne is the malediction or curse of the whole lawe, which is the suffering of the first and second death. Acceptation to life euerlasting, is a giuing of right and title to the kingdome of heauen, and that for the merit of Christs obedience imputed. Now this benefit of reconciliation must be knowne not by conceit and imagination, nor by carnall presumption; but by the inward testimonie of Gods spirit certifying our consciences thereof,