The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems…The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems…

¹Concerning the first, namely, that we may be certainly assured of our election and salvation, it may be proved by testimonies of Scriptures, and also by infallible reasons grounded upon them. For we must not think that we can have this assurance, by ascending into heaven, and there searching into Gods secret decree, but we must gather it out of Gods word, wherein the Lord hath revealed his will unto us: and in regard hereof, though Gods will in it self be secret, so that we may ask who hath known the will of the Lord? ²yet seeing the Lord hath revealed his hidden will in his word, we may say with Paul, that we have known the mind of Christ. Now this knowledge of Gods will concerning our election, is not to be gathered out of the law, as the Papists would have it; for by reason of the condition annexed to the promise of everlasting life (Do this and live) it leaveth our consciences in perpetual doubting, nay, rather in utter desperation, because we know that we are far from the exact obedience thereof: but out of the gracious promises of the Gospel,³ freely made to every one who believeth, without any condition of our own works and worthiness. And therefore if we believe the promises of the Gospel made in Christ, we may be assured of our election and salvation, though in our selves we are miserable sinners, who have transgressed all Gods commandments: for the covenant and promises of God made to Abraham and his seed, was not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith, as it is Rom 4.13. and therefore it is by faith, that it might come by grace, and the promise might be sure, not in self only, and in respect of the sufficiency of Gods mercy and Christs merits, as the Papists dream; but to all the seed, that is, to all that believe, and be the children of Abraham, who was the father of the faithful both Jew and Gentle. For otherwise we should have no better assurance of salvation by the Gospel than by the Law; for even the promise of the Law was most sure in it self and on Gods part, ⟨p. 190⟩yet not sure to us who could not perform the condition: and therefore the Lord made a new covenant, not of works but of grace, only on the condition of faith; that so the promise might be sure, not only in it self and on Gods behalf, but also unto us who are Abraham's seed, that is, true believers, as appeareth