146 John .4°. eph`¡-ans,Chap.', VE x,14 fulneffe, courage to proceed in a godly courfe, that is contrary ro the truth : But to take away thiscertainperfwa(ìonofour inheritance doth this : howcan I joy ina thingwhich I knownot whether I (hall have it or no e I meanewith found and full rejoycing a How can I be thanke- full for that whichI know not whether ever I (hall get it or no a How cana man have heart to proceed, while he cannot knowwhether he is in acourfe right or wrong, andtannot tell whether all he Both will come toany thing,yeaor norTo explainethe truth more fully,Iwil open thefe four points, a. What this certainty is. 2. On what grounds it rifeth. 3. In what (late the faithfull attaine it. 4. That the fenfeofit may altereven in thofe whohave attained it. r. This certainty is no other thing then the teftimony of a re- newed confcience, which doth witneffe through the (pith, that we are in Rate of grace, and that we (hall be brought by God to life everlafting. I call it a teflimony of the confcience, for the confci- ence doth not only Thew us what we are to doe, what Rate we (hould feeke to get into, but it doth witnefs and give judgement about that we havedone,& the Efatewe (land in, be it good orevil!. The con - fcience accufeth offinne, and witneffeth toa man that he is in the flare ofdamnation,it dothwitneffe to a man that he is in Rate fubjedto Gods temporarydifpleafure, and folikewife that a man is in filch flare as that Godwill (hewhim favour for the prefent, and bring him to feehis pro- mifed falvation: That it is a teflimonyofour fpirir, that is, our confci- ence renewed, it is plaine, Rem.8.16. That our fpirit doth witneffe ir, through the fpirit wimeßïng our flareunto it, is plaine in that place alfö, Thefpirit ofGodBothwitneffe withourfpirit; and Rom.g. z. My confcience bearethme record through the rprrit; for the confcienceBothbut fpeake it as an eccho ; that it teftifleth tous both our prefent elate ofGrace, and our inheritance with Chrift. it is evident there alto ; Nay, when the confcience, through the miniftery of the Law, doth talifie to a man his Rate in (inne, and under the curfe, it is through the fpïrit of bondage that it doth fo teftifie, this being the office of Gods fpirir, to teach us to know the things bellowed on us, r car. z.12 . to worke in us not faith onely, but fpirituall difcerning of thofe things which are wrought in us, and looke toward us beleeving. The confcience doth teflifie this, partly through faith beleeving ir, partly throughdifcerning the faith,love,obedience, which are by Gods fpirir brought forth in us, r lohn4. a6. Wee have known andbelieved the love the Father beareth us. I know whom I have trufted, and that bee is able to keepe my falvation committed to him unto that day, 2 Tim.1.9. Faith mayreceive what the Word doth teflifie, butthere is aword ratifying thus much, that my particular perfon beholding the Sonne, and beleeving on him, (hall have eternall life, and be raifed up at the laft day ; that there is no condemnation tomebeing in Chrift; that he who bath begun his good worke, is faithful], is conftant, and will finifh italfo ; that Chrift is madeof God, not onely an author, but a finifher ofmy faith, not onlya juftifìer ofme, but aperfeÛredeemer; that
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