Chapter 18: Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it: 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 ordinary means, attain thereunto. 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 Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: So far is it from inclining men to looseness.
Changes from Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), Paragraph 18.3
This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it: 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 ordinary means, attain thereunto. 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 Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: So far is it from inclining men to looseness.
This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true beleever may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it: yet, being inabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary meanes, attain thereunto. 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 inlarged in peace and joy in the holy Ghost, in love and thankfullnes to God, and in strength and chearfullnes in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: so farre is it, from inclining men to loosenesse.
Westminster Confession of Faith (American revision, 1788), Paragraph 18.3
This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it: 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 ordinary means, attain thereunto. 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 Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: So far is it from inclining men to looseness.
May they who truely believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, and endeavour to walk in all good conscience before him; May they (I say) be certainly assured in this…
The distinction is here made between faith and the assurance of faith. Divines have been in the habit of distinguishing the direct act of faith (actio fidei directa), by which we…
