June 2009 - Posts
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XXVII.
All believers are by Christ united to God; by which union, God is one with them, and they are one with Him; and that all believers are the sons of God, and joint heirs with Christ, to whom belong all the promises of this life, and that which is to come.
1 Thess. 1:1; John 17:21, 20:17; Heb. 2:11, 1 John 4:16; Gal.
2:19,20.
XXVIII.
Those that have union with Christ, are justified from all their sins by the blood of Christ, which justification is a gracious and full acquittance of a guilty sinner from all sin, by God, through the satisfaction that Christ hath made by His death for all their sins, and this applied (in manifestation of it) through faith.
1 John 1:7; Heb. 10:14, 9:26; 2 Cor. 5:19; Rom. 3:23; Acts 13:38,39; Rom. 5:1, 3:25,30.
XXIX.
All believers are a holy and sanctified people, and that sanctification is a spiritual grace of the new covenant, and an effect of the love of God manifested in the soul, whereby the believer presseth after a heavenly and evangelical obedience to all the commands, which Christ as head and king in His new covenant hath prescribed to them.
1 Cor. 12; 1 Pet. 2:9; Eph. 1:4; 1 John 4:16; Matt. 28:20.
XXX.
All believers through the knowledge of that justification of life given by the Father and brought forth by the blood of Christ have as their great privilege of that new covenant, peace with God, reconciliation, whereby they that were afar off are made nigh by that blood, and have peace passing all understanding; yea, joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received atonement.
2 Cor. 5:19; Rom. 5:9,10; Isa. 54:10; Eph. 2:13,14, 4:7; Rom. 5:10,11.
XXXI.
All believers in the time of this life, are in a continual warfare and combat against sin, self, the world, and the devil; and are liable to all manner of afflictions, tribulations and persecutions, being predestined and appointed thereunto, and whatsoever the saints possess or enjoy of God spiritually, is by faith; and outward and temporal things are lawfully enjoyed by a civil right by them who have no faith.
Rom. 7:23,24; Eph. 6:10,11, etc.; Heb. 2:9,10, 2 Tim. 3:12; Rom. 8:29; 1 Thess. 3:3; Gal. 2:19,20; 2 Cor. 5:7; Deut. 2:5.
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XXII.
Faith is the gift of God, wrought in the
hearts of the elect by the Spirit of God; by which faith they come to know and believe the
truth of the Scriptures, and the excellency of them above all other writings, and all
things in the world, as they hold forth the glory of God in His attributes, the
execellency of Christ in His nature and offices, and of the power and fulness of the
Spirit in its [His] workings and operations; and so are enabled to cast their souls upon
His truth thus believed.
Eph. 2:8; John 6:29, 4:10; Phil. 1:29; Gal.
5:22; John 17:17; Heb. 4:11,12; John 6:63.
XXIII.
All those that have this precious faith
wrought in them by the Spirit, can never finally nor totally fall away; seeing the gifts
of God are without repentance; so that He still begets and nourisheth in them faith,
repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; and though
many storms and floods arise, and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take
them off that foundation and rock, which by faith they are fastened upon; not
withstanding, through unbelief, and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of this
light and love, be clouded and overwhelmed for a time; yet God is still the same, and they
shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their
purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palms of His hands, and their names
having been written in the book of life from all eternity.
Matt. 7:24,25; John 13:10, 10:28,29; 1 Pet.
1:4,5,6; Isa. 49:13,14,15,16.
XXIV.
Faith is ordinarily begotten by the
preaching of the gospel, or word of Christ, without respect to any power or agency in the
creature; but it being wholly passive, and dead in trespasses and sins, doth believe and
is converted by no less power than that which raised Christ from the dead.
Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:28; Rom. 9:16; Ezek.
16:16; Rom. 3:12, 1:16; Eph. 1:19, Col. 2:12.
XXV.
The preaching of the gospel to the
conversion of sinners, is absolutely free; no way requiring as absolutely necessary, any
qualifications, preparations, or terrors of the law, or preceding ministry of the law, but
only and alone the naked soul, a sinner and ungodly, to receive Christ crucified, dead and
buried, and risen again; who is made a prince and a Savior for such sinners as through the
gospel shall be brought to believe on Him.
John 3:14,15, 1:12; Isa. 55:1; John 7:37; 1
Tim. 1:15; Rom. 4:5, 5:8; Acts 5:30,31, 2:36, 1 Cor. 1:22,24.
XXVI.
The same power that converts to faith in
Christ, carrieth on the soul through all duties, temptations, conflicts, sufferings; and
whatsoever a believer is, he is by grace, and is carried on in all obedience and
temptations by the same.
1 Pet. 1:5, 2 Cor. 12:9, 1 Cor. 15:10;
Phil. 2:12, 13; John 15:5; Gal. 2:19,20.
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XVII.
Concerning His priesthood, Christ having
sanctified Himself, hath appeared once to put away sin by that one offering of Himself a
sacrifice for sin, by which He hath fully finished and suffered all things God required
for the salvation of His elect, and removed all rites and shadows, etc. and is now entered
within the vail into the holy of holies, which is the presence of God. Also, He makes His
people a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable
to God through Him. Neither doth the Father accept, nor Christ offer to the Father, any
other worship or worshippers.
John 17:19; Heb. 5:7,8,9,10,12; Rom. 5:19,
Eph. 5:2; Col. 1:20; Eph. 2:14, etc.; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24; 8:1; 1 Pet. 2:5; John 4:23,24.
XVIII.
This priesthood was not legal or temporary,
but according to the order of Melchisedec, and is stable and perfect, not for a time, but
forever, which is suitable to Jesus Christ, as to Him that ever liveth. Christ was the
priest, sacrifice, and altar: He was a priest according to both natures; He was a
sacrifice according to His human nature; whence in Scripture it is attributed to His body,
to His blood: Yet the effectualness of this sacrifice did depend upon His divine nature;
therefore it is called the blood of God. He was the altar according to His divine nature,
it belonging to the altar to sanctify that which is offered upon it, and so it ought to be
of greater dignity than the sacrifice itself.
Heb. 7:16, etc.; Heb. 5:6, 10:10; 1 Pet.
1:18,19; Col. 1:20, 22; Heb. 9:13; Acts 20:28; Heb. 9:14, 13:10,12,15; Matt. 23:17; John
17:19.
XIX.
Concerning His kingly office, Christ being
risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and having all power in heaven and earth,
He doth spiritually govern His church, and doth exercise His power over all, angels and
men, good and bad, to the preservation and salvation of the elect, and to the overruling
and destruction of His enemies. By this kingly power He applieth the benefits, virtue, and
fruits of His prophecy and priesthood to His elect, subduing their sins, preserving and
strengthening them in all their conflicts against Satan, the world, and the flesh, keeping
their hearts in faith and filial fear by His Spirit: By this His mighty power He ruleth the
vessels of wrath, using, limiting and restraining them, as it seems good to His infinite
wisdom.
1 Cor. 15:4; 1 Pet. 3:21,22; Matt.
28:18,19; Luke 24:51; Acts 1:1, 5:30,31; John 19:36; Rom. 14:9; John 5:26,27; Rom.
5:6,7,8; 14:17; Gal. 5:22,23; Mark 1:27; Heb. 1:14; John 16:15; Job 2:8; Rom. 1:21,
[9:17-18]; Eph. 4:17,18; 2 Pet. 2.
XX.
This His kingly power shall be more fully
manifested when He shall come in glory to reign among His saints, when He shall put down
all rule and authority under His feet, that the glory of the Father may be perfectly
manifested in His Son, and the glory of the Father and the Son in all His members.
1 Cor. 15:24,28; Heb. 9:28; 2 Thess.
1:9,10; 1 Thess. 4:15,16,17; John 17:21, 26.
XXI.
Jesus Christ by His death did purchase
salvation for the elect that God gave unto Him: These only have interest in Him, and
fellowship with Him, for whom He makes intercession to His Father in their behalf, and to
them alone doth God by His Spirit apply this redemption; as also the free gift of eternal
life is given to them, and none else.
Eph. 1:14; Heb. 5:9; Matt. 1:21; John 17:6;
Heb. 7:25; 1 Cor. 2:12; Rom. 8:29,30; 1 John 5:12; John 15:35, 3:16.
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