CHAP. VII. Concerning our being set free from Damnable Sins.

NOtwithstanding that those who be∣lieve in Christ do fall into Sin, trans∣gress the Laws of God, Prov. 24.16. and, it may be, more frequently than those, who do not believe; yet they who be∣lieve in Christ, have the advantage, that their Sins shall not be imputed to them to their Condemnation; God will not, because of them, turn away his loving kindness from them, but will visit their transgressions with his fatherly Rod, and not take his loving kindness quite away from them, For so God declares and testifies to David, concerning Christ, Psalm. 89.30, 31, 32, 33. 2 Sam. 7.12, 13, 14, 15. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with the Fathers, I will set up thy Seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels; and I will establish and confirm the Throne of his Kingdom for ever, and will exalt him above all the Kings of the Earth. I will be Page  156his Father, and he shall be my Son. If his Children forsake my Law, and walk not in my Judgment; if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments, then will I visit their Transgression with the Rod, and their Iniquity with Stripes; nevertheless my Loving kindness will not I utterly take from them, nor break my Covenant made with them, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my Lips. I will abide true, whether they abide so or no. For whatsoever is once born of God, shall never sin, neither can ever sin unto Death. Their sins are always pardonable, if they repent, be∣cause they have been once born of God, for that Divine Birth, withholds them from sinning, not their own Virtue, Reason or Strength, and presence of mind. Forasmuch then, as no Man is born of God, but he that believes in Jesus Christ, it is a consideration above all measure, wonderful and terrible to see then so little exercised in, or acquainted with the Faith that is in Christ. It were good and necessary therefore that the Ministers of Gods Word should continu∣ally, in season and out of Season, faith∣fully exhort and press people to this Page  157Holy Faith. And indeed tho there were no other Fruit of the true Faith in Christ, but this only, yet would all men have sufficient Reason to press after and desire it, as being of such absolute necessity to Salvation.