Christ, to such as are penitent," he so grieves for, and hates his sins, as that he turns from them all to God," purposing and endeavouring constantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obedience. ¶

Q. 77. Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?

- Psa. cxxx. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared, &c. Joel ii. 12, 13.-Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Zech. xii. 10.

Jer. xxxi. 18, 19. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus: Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

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• 2 Cor. vii. 11. For behold this selfsame thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yes, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!

P Acts xxvi. 18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Ezek. xiv. 6. Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 1 Kings viii. 47, 48.-If they shall bethink themselves-and so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul. 1 Sam. vii. 3.

9 Psa. cxix. 59, 128. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. Luke i. 6.

A. Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification, imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification, his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued; the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation ;"

1 Cor. v. 11. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. i. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

Rom. iv. 6, 8. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.-Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 2 Cor. v. 21. Rom. iii. 24.

t Ezek. xxxvi. 27, And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

u Rom. iii. 24, 25. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins.

▾ Rom. vi. 6, 14. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.-For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

w Rom. viii. 1, 33, 34. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.-Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?

the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to per fection."

Q. 78. Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers ?

A. The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the Spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their

a

* Heb. v. 12, 13, 14. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk, is unskilful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 1 John ii. 12, 13, 14.

1 John i. 8, 10. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us -If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

z 2 Cor. vii. 1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Phil. iii. 12, 13, 14. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

a Rom. vii. 18, 23. For I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. But I see another law in my members war

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spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God."

Q. 79. May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace?

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A. True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his continual intercession for them," and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally

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ring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

b Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the spiritso that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Heb. xii. 1. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.

c Isa. lxiv. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Ex. xxviii. 38.

d Jer. xxxi. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. John xiii. 1.

• Heb. xiii. 20, 21. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect. 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.-Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. Isa. liv. 10.

I Cor. i. 8. Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heb. vii. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Luke xxii. 32. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.

1 John iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not

nor finally fall away from the state of grace,1 but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.j

Q. 80. Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall persevere therein unto salvation?

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A. Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavour to walk in all good conscience before him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God's promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made,' and bearing

commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John ii. 27. But the anointing, which ye have received of him, abideth in you: and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

i Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. John x. 28. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.

j 1 Pet. i. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Phil. i. 6.-He which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

* 1 John ii. 3. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. Acts xxiv. 16.

1 1 Cor. ii. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1 John iv. 13, 16. Hereby know we that we