A30582:358
Gospel remission, or, A treatise showing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin…Gospel remission, or, A treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin…
Gospel remission, or, A treatise showing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin wherein is discovered the many Gospel mysteries therein contained, the glorious effects proceeding from it, the great mistakes made about it, the true signs and symptoms of it, the way and means to obtain it / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being several sermons preached immediately after those of The evil of sin by the same author, and now published by Philip Nye ... [et al.]Gospel remission, or, A treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin wherein is discovered the many Gospel mysteries therein contained, the glorious effects proceeding from it, the great mistakes made about it, the true signs and symptomes of it, the way and means to obtain it / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being several sermons preached immediately after those of The evil of sin by the same author, and now published by Philip Nye ... [et al.]
London: printed for Dor. Newman, 1668
Gospel Remission. › Chapter 18: Of the Rules how to apply the Evidences of Pardon of Sin.
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.
and therefore upon examination of your Evidences, when you cannot get up to such acts of faith as assurance is, live then by a faith of adherence, stick to Christ, say, here I will resolve to live and dye, venture on the grace of God in Christ: Now for the soul to do this, it is a mighty work of faith; for if you can venture your souls on Christ, you will venture your Estates on Christ, your Names on Christ, and all that you have on Christ; and therefore remember, if you have not a faith of assurance, then venture your selves on Christ by a faith of adherence, and comfort will come in that way,
Eighthly, If at any time you feel comforts from Evidences flow in upon your souls, and that you are able to apply the comforts to your selves, that the Lord hath spoken to you by such and such signs of a pardoned sinner, take heed you do not rest much upon Evidences; but then at that very time, think with your selves, though now I have comforts, I may loose them, and God may call me to another condition; God never granted these helps unto me for my Saviours that I should rest upon them, they are but bladders to help me to swim, and God may take away these, and call me to live upon the mere actings of faith, and not at all on sense, that's certain he may do it, for when we bring these Signs and Evidences of grace, as they come from faith, and are effects and fruits of it, they are but as bladders to help young swimmers that cannot swim without them, and learn them to swim; but those that have got the Art, though the bladders be taken away, they can swim; but take them away from the others, and they will sink; so that these Evidences are for young and weak Christians that cannot live on primary acts of faith, which a strong Christian can do, when all other things are taken away; and therefore when we feel the comfort of any signs depend not on this, ⟨p. 201⟩the Lord may take them away; and because he delights in the mere actings of faith, that is the reason why God withdraws himself from the souls of his people, that they shall not have the use of Signs and Evidences as they had before, because he would teach them to live on the more necessary acts of faith; God loves the voice of Job, though he kill me, yet will I trust in him; I will venture my soul upon him, whatever becomes of me; when there's nothing else to rest on but God, then to live by actings of faith merely on him, he delights much in this; and therefore take heed you do not rest so much on signs, as if all your comforts were lost and you undone, when you cannot have such use of them as you have had heretofore.