Difficulties Associated With Articles Of Religion Among Particular Baptists

54 2 LONDON BAPTIST CONFESSION 1689 before he be partaker of it311; yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of means, attain thereunto312: and therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance313; so far is it from inclining men to looseness314.

4. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving of it315, by falling into some special sin which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit316; by some sudden or vehement temptation317, by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light318, yet are they never destitute of the seed of God319 and life of faith320, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived321,19 and by the which, in the meantime, they are preserved from utter despair.20 19. Of The Law Of God 1. God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil322;1 by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience323; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it324.

2. The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall325, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to 311 Isa. 50:10; Ps. 88; Ps. 77:1-12 312 1 John 4:13; Heb. 6:11,12 313 Rom. 5:1,2,5, 14:17; Ps. 119:32 314 Rom. 6:1,2; Titus 2:11,12,14 315 Cant. 5:2,3,6 316 Ps. 51:8,12,14 317 Ps. 116:11; 77:7,8, 31:22 318 Ps. 30:7 319 1 John 3:9 320 Luke 22:32 321 Ps. 42:5,11 20 Lam. 3:26-31 322 Gen. 1:27; Eccles. 7:29 323 Rom. 10:5 324 Gal. 3:10,12 325 Rom. 2:14,15