A80637:131
A treatise of the covenant of grace, as it is dispensed to the elect…
A treatise of the covenant of grace, as it is dispensed to the elect seed, effectually unto salvation. Being the substance of divers sermons preached upon Act. 7. 8. / by that eminently holy and judicious man of God, Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the church at Boston in N.E.
London: printed by Ja. Cottrel for John Allen, 1659
THE COVENANT OF GRACE, As it is Dispensed to the Elect Seed, effect… › Part 5-100
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.
That the true sanctification of a sincere Christian is not discerned by him, Propos. 3 nor is indeed discernible, until he first discern his Justifying Faith. A double ground of it, and so leave it to your Christian disquisition, and search; they are ⟨p. 56⟩both taken from the necessity of Faith, both to the acceptance of a mans person, and of his work: there is a necessity of the activeness of Faith in a mans sanctification: The Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offering, Gen. 4.4. a mans person must be first accepted, otherwise all his work will not go beyond the work of a legal Christian, and without Faith it is impossible to please God: no acceptance therefore without faith. It is also necessary to the performance of all spiritual and holy duties: for all sanctification is from that faith which Christ doth convey into the soul: Now if the just man live by his Faith, whether it be the life of sanctification, or consolation; then no Christian can discern his sanctification to be lively, but he must discern his faith living in it; he must see his faith, deriving strength, and grace, and life from Christ, or else he cannot approve his sanctification to be the Sanctification of the Gospel: for as there can be no true Sanctification, unless there be Faith whereby the person is accepted, and whereby life is received to act in all sanctification; so there can be no knowledge of Sanctification, but there must be knowledge of Faith, whereby a mans person is accepted, and whereby strength is conveyed to Sanctification: for if a poor soul be doubtful of his acceptance with the Lord, he is where he was, notwithstanding his Sanctification, and wanteth comfort; for this doubt remaineth, whether he be accepted, or no; which (until the Lord do manifest a mans Faith unto him by the revelation of the holy Ghost) he is still at a loss in: for ⟨p. 57⟩though true Sanctification be an evidence of Justification, yet it self must be first evident. Thus we see by this third Proposition, that a further light is required to the sight of Sanctification.
That the true sanctification of a sincere Christian is not discerned by him, Propos. 3 nor is indeed discernable, until he first discern his Justifying Faith. A double ground of it, and so leave it to your Christian disquisition, and search; they are