264 / 808
Oaeff.
eflnf.
Difcovcry
of
him
that
bath
but
a
rempora-
rie
Faith.
z.
3.
4
Ephefans,Chap.
Z.,
V
E
R. $.
penitentiary, yea and
to
firetch
forth
his
hands
to the
poor
in
gifts
eleemofinary: yea, and
if
you
mark
it,
fo will
fome Drunkard too,
he will
upon his Ale-bench play
the
Divine, and with
a
counterfeit
fobriety praife
God;
and
as
for the poor,
if
the
toy
take him
in
the
head, he will
disburfe, and
give him all
that
he hath
in
his purfe,
and
yet neither holy nor charitable. Even fo this foul, having once
tatted
in
Chrifis Wine- cellar,
of
that comfortable
Nectar
which the
Saints
of
God
drink of,
viz.
the blood
of
Chrift
;
he may
for
a
time
look
with
a
cheerful' hue,
and
frefh
countenance,
walk and talk much
like
a
Chriflian,
but
in
truth nothing
leffe
,
but
a
faithleffe
wretch ,
and
unconfcionable temporizer.
But
it
will be then here
demanded, how
this man may be known
and difcerned from
him,
that
hach
indeed
a
true,
juftifying,
and
faving Faith.
I
anfwer, it
is
as
hard for
a
man
to
know him,
as
it
is
to
difcern
him
that
hath
a
Vizzard before
his
face,
he
is
fo clofe
vailed
and
masked.
with the
Phew
of
holineffe,
that
a
man may pry into the
very
face
of
him, and
yet
never
the nearer, until'
he difcover himfelf
by
force flinching
revolt,
and
apparent Apoftafie.
ludo
you know
went
a
long time
unkenned
in
regard
of
the Apotties, albeit
very
expert
and well difcerning men
;
he was well accounted
of,
put
in trust,
and
carried
the bag,untill our
Lord Chrift
Jefus,
by the power
of
his tran-
(rendent Godhead did difcover
and
decal
him.
But
yet,
that
we may
not altogether be
deceived, let
us
try
the
fpi-
rits,
whether they
be
of
God or not,
fo far
forth
as
we are men,
and
therefore can but probably conjebture: howfoever
in
regard
of
our
felves, we may grant
either
by way
of
affirming
or
denying
in
our
own
confciences.
Let
us
well
obferve,
and
we
(hall finde,
that
the
man
that hath this temporary Faitb,hath (as
I
have
faid) but
agene
-
rall
knowledge.
He knows
Chrift but
by
hear-fay
,
or
as
it were
by the
face,
he
hath no inward familiarity and communion with him. And
this
knowledge
is
wrought
in
him ,
partly by the Spirit opening the
eye
of
his
minde,
as
the Oculift
that
brings
a
man
to
a confuted
ken-
ning
of
the light, or rather
a
mill
:
partly allo
by
the often
hearing
of
the
Word,
conferring, reading,
and
the
like.
Secondly,
his
heart
is
feldom
or
never touched with the
(harp point
of
his fins.
And therefore you
(hall fee
commonly, that
this man
will be full
of
fcurrilotis and idle
talk, ready upon
all occafrons
to
lavifh
into vanity.
Thirdly,
his
conference will be cold and careletfe, and for the
molt part about unneceffary and curious Arguments
:
As whether
we
(hall
know
one
another
in heaven
or not
,
whether
hell be
in
the ayr,
in
the earth, or where it
is, &c. all tending
to
controverfie,
and
inter
vanity.
You
(hall fee,
that
this
perfon, howfoever
he feem to
be
reformed
in himfelf,
yet
he
will utterly refute
to
reform
his
family.
This