I 8 ephefians,Chap,t, `i E1i14 felye to have love, not havingit but becaufea man dreaming, or run- ning upon force niiftake,may be deceived,fhall this prejudice,but that a man walking may judge truely of this or that which is before him! Aman that hathnocharity, thinkethhimfelfetohave it ; therefore may not onethat bath it, judge infallibly that he hath it Nowfor thofethat have it as Peter, they may be deceived, not in judging limply of the thing, but of the meafureof that which is circumftantiall in their fpiri- tuall life, not in that which is fubftantiall. Peter was not deceived in thinking that heehad faithand love, but inperfuming abovehis mea- fure. Thirdly, wee may know our workes, which are fruits growing from the tree ofgrace in our hearts. S. John maketh them fignes which doe evidentlydeclare love, ergo, they are manifeft. He whoknoweth whenhe Both finne and fwerve from obeyingGod,heemay know how farre heobeyeth God ; they who doe fpirituallyobey God,eyther they know it, or their confciences are not privy to that they doe, cannot beare witneffe and judge ofthat they doe; butthis is falle. Pailscon- fcience did teltifie to him, that he did walke in fimplicity, according to the Grace of God. True it is, that for the =fide, the workesof unfanttified men are like to the workes ofthe fanttified, but they are without the life and fpirit which is in the workeofa true beleever, to which he is no leffe privy,then to theexternal! worke which commeth from him. To conclude; they who have the teftimonyof agood con- fcience, may know thatthey obey God fncerely : But Chriffians may have the teftimony ofgood confciences. Befide that?, the fpirit Both teachour confciences tobeare witneffe of the griefeand joy we have, and fo by confequent ofall wee doe according to good. Now the confcience as through faith fo defcerning thefe things, doth teftifie to us from thefe our falvation, which he hath promifed,and God will not forgetto finifh what he beginneth. Should a King promife to erect force Colledge, and give liberal! maintenance to Students in it, wee are certaine by a humane faith, that he willdoe fuch a thing, though it be not begun ; but whennow the foundations were in laying, then we fhould not onely beleeve his purpofe, but in part know it by that we faw executed, and by that we law in execution, wee would allure ourfelves the thing fhould be finifhed. But here it willbeobjetted that though knowing thefe things we might come to fee our felves in prefent false of grace, yet we cannot be lure of our falvation, un- leffe we could know that our faith, love, and obedience, fhould per- fevere to the end. To this I anfwer, that the Scripture could not fay that he thatbeleeveth hash an everlafling life, thatthere is no condem- nation to them that are in Chrift, did it not take our faith and the fruits. of it to be fuch , from which we fhould never fall, through the power ofGod ; and this theonfcience commeth to know by faith in God, conceived through fuch promifes as thefe ; I willmake you walke in my commandements ; i will put myfaare inyou thatyoufhalinot depart; I have began my worke , and I will perfell it in you ; I. am author andfrnifber of thy faith ; it u my will thou fhouldefl have eternall life,
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