A Golden Chain

Thirdly, we are here to mark and to remember with care, the foundation of the unfallible certainty of mans salvation. For if man be bound in conscience first to give assent to the Gospel, and secondly to apply it to himself by true faith, then without doubt a man by faith may be certainly persuaded of his own Election and salvation in this life without any extraordinary revelation: Gods commandments being in this and the like cases possible. For commandments are either Legal or Evangelical. Legal show us our disease, but give us no remedy: and the perfect doing of them according to the intent of the Lawgiver, by reason of mans weakness and through mans default, is impossible in this world. As for Evangelical commandments, they have this privilege, that they may and can be performed according to the intent of the Lawgiver in this life: because with the commandment is joined the inward operation of the spirit in the elect, to enable them to effect the duty commanded: and the will of God is not to require absolute perfection at our hands in the Gospel as in the law, but rather to qualify the rigour of the law by the satisfaction of a Mediator in our stead; and of us (we being in Christ) to accept the upright will and endeavour for the deed; as the will to repent, and the will to believe, for repentance and true faith indeed. Now then, if things required in the Gospel, be both ordinary and possible, then for a man to have an unfallible certainty of his own salvation, is both ordinary and possible. But more of this point afterward.

Thirdly, we are here to marke and to remember with care, the foundation of the vnfallible certentie of mans saluation. For if man be bound in conscience first to giue assent to the Gospel, and secondly to applie it to himselfe by true faith, then without doubt a man by faith may be certenly perswaded of his owne Election and saluation in this life without any extraordinarie reuelation: Gods commandements beeing in this and the like cases possible. For commandements are either Legal or Euangelical. Legall shew vs our disease, but giue vs no remedie: and the perfect doing of them according to the intent of the Lawgiuer, by reason of mans weaknes and through mans default, is impossible in this world. As for Euangelical commandements, they haue this priuiledge, that they may and can be performed according to the intent of the Lawgiuer in this life: because with the commandement is ioyned the inward operation of the spirit in the elect, to inable them to effect the dutie cō maunded: and the will of God is not to require absolute perfection at our hands in the Gospel as in the law, but rather to qualifie the rigour of the law by the satisfaction of a Mediatour in our stead; and of vs (we being in Christ) to accept the vpright will and indeauour for the deede; as the will to repent, and the will to beleeue, for repentance and true faith indeede. Now then, if things required in the Gospell, be both ordinarie and possible, then for a man to haue an vnfallible certentie of his owne saluation, is both ordinarie and possible. But more of this point afterward.