A57963:287
Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself
Christ dying and drawing sinners to himself, or, A survey of our Saviour in his soul-suffering, his loveliness in his death, and the efficacy thereof in which some cases of soul-trouble in week believers ... are opened ... delivered in sermons on the Evangel according to S. John Chap. XII, vers. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 ... / by Samuel Rutherford.Christ dying and drawing sinners to himself, or, A survey of our Saviour in his soule-suffering, his lovelynesse in his death, and the efficacie thereof in which some cases of soule-trouble in weeke beleevers ... are opened ... delivered in sermons on the Evangel according to S. John Chap. XII, vers. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 ... / by Samuel Rutherford.
London: printed by J.D. for Andrew Crooke, 1647
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.
2. Because no sanctification can be pure and sincere, but when it is wrought in faith; and so it cannot be evident, but when it clearly appeareth to be wrought in faith.
2. Because no sanctification can be pure and sincere, but when it is wrought in faith; and so it cannot be evident, but when it clearely appeareth to be wrought in faith.
Answ. 1. There is in the Conclusion (first) the first evidence of justification, that is not in the premises, against all art. The Proposition, When sanctification is not evident, it cannot be an evidence of justification, is weak, and weakly proved: For there is a twofold evidence, one of sense and feeling spiritual, another of faith. When sanctification wants the evidence of faith, that I cannot believe salvation from mine own Christian walking, yet may the soul have evidence of feeling and sense, that we trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly, Heb. 13.18. and we dare say, Lord, we delight to do thy will, and long for thee, O Lord, as the night-watch watcheth for the morning; and, whom have we in heaven but thee, &c. and can out of sense give a testimony of our selves, yea, and can place all our delight in the excellent ones, Psal. 16.3. & 119.62. 1 Joh. 3.14. so as the heart warms, when we see the Saints; and in this case sanctification is evident, when remission of sins may be under cloud; else this Argument does conclude, if it have any feet, that sanctification ever and at all times is dark, when justification is dark; and so sanctification is never an evidence of justification, but when justification is evident: So the wisdom of God is taxed, as if he would never have us to know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren, but when we evidently know, we are thus translated, though we had no love to the brethren: Then the Lord hath provided a candle for his weak ones, by this Argument, when it is day-light; but hath denied any candle-light, moon-light, or star-light, when it is dark night. 2. The Major is not proved: Faith is not so the evidence of all things, as that it maketh all things evident to our spiritual sense; for Cornwall granteth, faith may be hidden; then it can evidence nothing when it is is hidden. Love to the brethren, keeping of his commandments, yield sensible evidences that