The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

And now Soul, what hinders but thou mayst say, My Beloved is mine, and I am his? Why doest not draw up the conclusion, then Christ is mine, forgiveness of sin is mine; having laid such premises, which will of necessity enforce this conclusion? Here Christians many times fly back; that which is the most ridiculous thing in the art of reasoning, that is, to yield the premises and deny the conclusion, or not yield it, every boy laughs at it, being so absurd; this absurdity is found no where but among Christians, in their concluding upon their spiritual state and interest in Christ, as those who have to deal with troubled and dark Christians do commonly experience.

And now Soul, what hinders but thou mayst say, My Beloved is mine, and I am his? Why doest not draw up the conclusion, then Christ is mine, forgiveness of sin is mine; having laid such premises, which will of necessity inforce this conclusion? Here Christians many times fly back; that which is the most ridiculous thing in the art of reasoning, that is, to yield the premises and deny the conclusion, or not yield it, every boy laughs at it, being so absurd; this absurdity is found no where but among Christians, in their concluding upon their spiritual state and interest in Christ, as those who have to deal with troubled and dark Christians do commonly experience.

Quest. Whence riseth this, what should be the reason, that when Christians have yielded to that, which will certainly conclude them to be in Christ, and that Christ is theirs, that forgiveness of sin is theirs, (according to our Fathers definition of Faith) that yet they cannot come to assent to the Conclusion, Christ is mine, Pardon is mine?

As in what is said before, He that believeth in Christ, that receiveth him as he is offered, and so resteth upon him for life and salvation, for all the benefits of communion, Christ is his (for he is united to him by this faith) Forgiveness is his; this they yield. But I do believe in Christ, I do receive Christ as God offers him, his Person, clothed with all his Offices, and I so receiving, do trust to him, rest upon him, for life, salvation, all the benefits of communion: when you have well examined them, take them in cool blood, they will say, I dare not deny it, but I must yield it: the first they yield, for the Scripture saith it, that is, faith, no denial there: the second they must yield,