A09466:152
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he may discern it, and persevere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set down in the page following.A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.
London: printed by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin, 1590
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
XXV.
From true justification, proceed amany other benefits, and they are either outward, or inward. Outward benefits are three. The bfirst is Reconciliation, by which a man justified is perfectly reconciled to God; because his sin is done away, and he is arrayed with the perfect righteousness of Christ. The csecond is, that afflictions4 to the faithful are no punishments for sin, but only fatherly and loving chastisements. For the guilt and punishment of sin was borne of Christ. Now therefore, if a Christian be afflicted, it is no punishment: for then God should punish one fault twice, once in Christ, and the second time upon the Christian: which thing doth not agree with his justice: it remaineth therefore that afflictions are only corrections in the faithful. ⟨p. 59⟩The third benefit is, that the man justified5 doth ddeserve and merit at Gods hands the kingdom of heaven. For being made perfectly righteous in Christ, he must needs merit eternal life in and by Christ. And therefore Paul called it the justification of life. Rom. 5. 18.