3d. The true view is that " although this infallible assurance does not belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he par- take of it, yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him by God, he may, without extraordi- nary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means attain there- unto. And, therefore, it is the duty of each one to give diligence to make his calling and election sure." It is agreed by all that a true faith can not admit of any doubt as to its object. What is believed is assuredly believed. But the object of saving faith is Christ and his work as Mediator guaranteed to us in the promises of the gospel on the condition of faith. True faith does, there- fore, essentially include the assurance, 1st, that Christ is able to save us. 2d. That he is faithful and will save us if we believe. It is meant that this is of the essence of faith, not that every true believer always enjoys a state of mind which excludes all doubt as to Christ's power or love ; because the spiritual illumination upon which faith rests is often imperfect in degree and variable in exercise. Faith may be weak, or it may be limited by doubt, or it may alternate with doubt. Yet all such doubt is of sin, and is alien to the essential nature of faith. But the condition, if we believe, upon which all assurance of our own salvation is sus- pended, is a matter not of revelation, but of experience, not of faith, but of consciousness.
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Theologians have, therefore, made a distinction between the assurance of faith, Heb. x., 22, and the assurance of hope. Heb. vi. 11. The first is of the essence of saving faith, and is the as- surance that Christ is all that he professes to be, and will do all that he promises. The second is the assurance of our own per- sonal salvation, is a fruit of faith, and one of the higher attain- ments of the Christian life.
33. Row may it be proved that assurance of our own personal salvation is not essential to saving faith ?
1st. From the true object of saving faith as given above. 2d. From the examples given in the Scriptures of eminent saints who doubted with regard to themselves, 1 Cor. ix., 27. 3d. From the exhortations addressed to those who were already believers to at- tain to assurance as a degree of faith beyond that which they al- ready enjoyed. 4th. From the experience of God's people in all ages.
34. Hoio may it be proved that assurance is attainable in this life ?
1st. This is directly asserted, Kom. viii., 16 ; 2 Pet. i., 10 ; 1 John ii., 3 ; iii., 14 ; v., 13. 2d. Scriptural examples are given of its attainment, 2 Tim. i., 12 ; iv., 7, 8. 3d. Many eminent Christians have enjoyed an abiding assurance, of the genuineness of which their holy walk and conversation was an indubitable seal,
35. On what grounds may a man be assured of his salvation ?
" It is an infallible assurance of faith, founded, 1st, upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation ; 2d, the inward evidence of those graces unto which those promises are made, and, 3d, the testimony of the spirit of adoption, Eom. viii., 15, 16, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God. Which Spirit, Eph. i., 13, 14 ; 2 Cor. i., 21, 22, is the earnest of our inheri- tance whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption/' — Con. of Faith, Chap. XVIII.
This genuine assurance may be distinguished from that pre- sumptuous confidence which is a delusion of Satan, chiefly by these marks. True assurance, 1st, begets unfeigned humility, 1 Cor. xv., 10 ; Gal. vi., 14 ; 2d, leads to ever-increasing diligence
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in practical religion, Ps. li., 12, 13, 19 ; 3d, to candid self-exami- nation, and a desire to be searched and corrected by God, Ps. cxxxix., 23, 24 ; 4th, to constant aspirations after nearer con- formity, and more intimate communion with God, 1 John iii., 2, 3.
36. How may it be shown that a living faith necessarily leads to good works ?
1st. From the nature of faith. It is the spiritual apprehen- sion and the voluntary embrace of the whole truth of God, the promises, the commands, the threatenings of the Scripture viewed as true and as good. This faith occasions, of course, the exercise of the renewed affections, and love acted out is obedience. Each separate truth thus apprehended produces its appropriate effect upon the heart, and consequently upon the life.
2. The testimony of Scripture, Acts xv., 9 ; xxvi., 18 ; Gal. v., 6 ; James ii. 18 ; 1 John v., 4.
3. The experience of the universal church.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
UNION OF BELIEVERS WITH CHRIST.
1. To whom are all men united in their natural estate ?
To Adam. Our union with him includes, 1st, his federal headship under the covenant of works, Rom. v., 12-19. 2d. His natural headship, as per force of ordinary generation, the source of our nature, and of its moral corruptions, Gen. v., 3 ; 1 Cor. xv., 49.