Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

42 The Marineand tifefulneffof, Sign.. S n c r. Y. Aittichriff, itmay fall outthat forne other havefomeofthe figns which did be- long to the Mefae, but none could have themall, but he that was trulyQuilt indeed 6 So there are many defcriptions of Antichriff and it may fall out that fomeother befides himmay have forneof thofe marks, but none have them all cumulatively and collectively, but the true Antichrift. It is not fo with themarks ofgrace, for ifaman upon good grounds can be perfwadedbutofone he may undoubtedly concludehe hath all the refs, though hedoe not yet feel them in himfelf. tr. Eleventh ly, The Signes and Marks Which the Scripturemakes oftrue grace, are to be infifted uponorafed, although it may fall out that Hypocrites may belrongly confident they have them, When indeed theyhave them not. It is therefore no argu- ment againff figuesof grace, beCaufean hypocrite is confident he baththem, and yet is deceived. The wife Virgins who had prepared oyl, knew their Bride- groom, and went out to meethim; although the foolifhwhowanted oyl,went out at firlt to meet the Bridegroom as confidently as thewife; doe not therefore defpair ofdifcerning the true marks ofgrace inthy felf, becaufe many have falfly perfwaded themfelves thereof. Many a dreamer bath pleated himfelf that he en- joyed fuch riches-or delicacies in his dream yet that hindreth not, but that the man awake knoweth when he bath riches, and is not deceived. An hypocrite then, he may be bold, be is fecure ofGods favour, he dieth with confidence, calling God his God, and Chrift his Chrift, it cannot be denied; but this hin- dereth not, thatthe truebeliever knoweth he is in the right, and not deceived. As in matter of Religion, theTurk is confident of his, the 3emof his, the Pa- pill as he, yet it followeth not that the Proteflant therefore may not confident- ly know, he is in the truth, and all other deceived. Twelfthly, Signes or Notes ofany thing muff be according to the Nature of that Which they notifie : So that ifthe Effence be imperfeet then the marks thereof have alfo imperfeéfion. This is arule ofgrand comfort inpraeeke, for thegodly they look for perfeet fignes ofgrace in themfelves, and if they finde hypocrifie, carnal ends, lukewarmneffe, or any fuck diftempers , they begin to doubt of their wholeelate, but they mull confider, that as their graces themfelves are not perfeei ; fo neither canthe figns thereof be perfeft. Hence it is, that al- thoughwegrant that the godly may, as Hezekjah and Paul did, take comfort from the truth of grace in themfelves, yet it wasnot from itas a caufe, or merit oftheir Juftificátion, for evenatthefame time they didalto efpie much imperfe- lion in themfelves. 40,4s44,444AAAAR14,444.4444w,%444, S ERMON.

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