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Assurance

1,587 bytes removed, 15:42, 14 August 2024

Removed commented-out material from sections which had been contributed by me. Added a mention of the word "depression", in order to get it found by searches.

===John Knox===

Letter to Thomas Upcher.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/worksofjohnknox04knox Laing D (1895), "The works of John Knox", vol 4, pp241-244.]</ref> Also relevant to the topic of depression.

:The Lord shall wipe all tears from the eyes of his Saints.

:DEARLY BELOVED Brother in our Saviour Jesus Christ, by your short writing I perceive somewhat of that battle which, during the short time ye were with us, I judged you to fight.

:.... if I can not ease any part of your grief, (that is only the office of Christ Jesus by his Spirit,) yet I praise my God I can lament and mourn with my brother tormented. Nothing I know to be more dolorous to the heart of the faithful, ~~then~~ than to lack the sensible feeling of God's mercy and goodness ... and yet as nothing more commonly cometh to God's children, so is there no exercise more profitable for his soldiers than is the same.

:.... [David, Job and Paul] were destitute of the sensible feeling of God's mercy, as I am assured that every member of Christ's body is at a time or other.

===[[Westminster Confession, Larger Catechism and Shorter Catechism.|The Westminster Confession and the Larger Catechism]]===

~~<!----~~

~~<CENTER>~~

~~The Humble Advice of the Assembly of Divines, ~~

~~now by Authority of Parliament ~~

~~sitting at Westminster, ~~

~~concerning ~~

~~a Confession of Faith: ~~

~~with the Quotations and Texts of Scripture annexed. ~~

~~Presented by them lately to both Houses of Parliament.~~

~~</CENTER>~~

~~---->~~

~~<!----~~

~~Wikisource Bible verses are used here because they show, on single click, a multiple-verse quotation, with following-context. Preceding-context is seen simply by scrolling upwards.~~

~~---->~~

The Larger Catechism<ref>Westminster Assembly (1658), "The Humble Advice of the Assembly of Divines", viewed 13 December 2021 at archive.org, https://archive.org/details/humbleadviceofas200west.</ref> (p164ff) gives an abbreviated version of the section of the Westminster Confession (ch 18, p62ff) about Christian Assurance.

(The Discussion page has a note regarding the use here of wikisource Bible verses.)

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

~~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 witness with their spirits that they are the children of God,~~

~~be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and shall persevere therein unto salvation.~~

~~Q. Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved?~~

~~A. Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith,~~

~~true believers may wait long before they obtain it;~~

~~and after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions,~~

~~yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.~~

~~---->~~

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