48 The,DOEârine, DutyandblfefudneßafAffurance. SP C r. I. theSpirit of God inus, fothat it doth farre tranfcend probable conjecqures and moral perfwafions arifing in us, becaufeof fuch bodily affeftions or difpofitions of joyand grief, which we fornetimesfinde in our felves, and hypocrites alto are many times made partakers thereof. 2. Secondly, A. manmay be affured that the conditionhe liveth in is damnable, and Aman may be fuoh a aVickd man is to be affure,.dofthat as long as he continueth in that life, he is wicked- he is without the. lateof grace : So: thatwe may truly fay tomany thecontrary in this wicked, .Text: E.tiamjneyeurfelves, iryyourfelver, lkhetheryoubeintheflz/b, andPower of finneor no; Knowyenot that thedevil dwelleth and reigneth in you ? The Apoille faith, Gal.6 .TheWerkrof theflefhare manifeft, and therefore furls who we in tire praftice and habitual cutomeofgroffe fins may and ought to conclude unto theirown fouls that they are in the fiateofgall and wormwood, and that they haveno portion inChriftor his benefits andO that fuel) would make fuck pra- bical conclufons and judgements againit their own felves, it might be an efle- élual preparation to awaken and roufe them out of their fecurity,whereas through ,felf-flattery, and agroundlefeperfwafionof Gods mercy, they, utterly deifroy themfelves. None can be But although a man may for theprefent conclude thathe is in a flare of (inne Cure they are Reprobates, and death, Yet none may affure themfelvesthatthey arereprobated by Cod, andthat they have fuch figns upon them that they can never be faved, becaufe no man can come to fach a certainty out oftheScripture; and as fora particular revelation, asGòd doth not affure believers by any fuch extraordinaryway, much leffe may we think he,will the reprobate by that way. We therefore fpeakof the prefent elate ofa wicked man, let furls an one call up his accounts, come to a perern- ptory conclufion how it is betweenGod and his foul, do not live in vain hopes, be not as one that knowethnot what o do, or what will become of him, how many are therewho on their death-beds cry out, Live theycannot, and die they dare not, though they mull ? Doll thou notfee theplague -tokens upon thy foul as yet? Are notthy oaths, thy lulls, thynegled ofholy duties a full demonilca. tion that thy heart is barrenofall grace? 3. Thirdly, It is ealìerfor aparticular Church to know it is a trace vifible Church, thenfor a particular Chriflian to know that he is a truebeliever. For to a true binChurch are requiredonly thofe notes and markswhich are external as the pure preachingof theWord with an external fubmilion unto it,or receivingof it, and where this is, a man may conclude there is a true vifible Church for the el- fence of it; but to the truth ofgrace in a mans heart, there is re aired internal and ferretoperations of Gods Spirit by a powerful andáentelfecina chap e of a mans four Now as in the notesand marksofa true Church, Thme take general marks which arecommon to falle Churches, as the Papils, Signs of univerfality, antiquityand temporalfelicity,&c. And again, Others they make the whole difputeabout themarks of a Church ufeleffe and of no profit at all (as Epif- copitss that Remontrant) fo forthe figns ofgrace, fome are too large, and make thofe things arguments of grace which any hypocrite may attain to, as Baptifm, Morality, external conformity to Gods Law, d 'e. So others, as the Ant inomi- ans, do wholly overthrow the Doftrine about figns of grace, and make it al- together ufeleffe to preach about them: but this is tobe confuted in its time. EfFitis the Papilwouldmake this exhortation ofthe Apolle in the Text, to be only for trial, Whether theywere a true Church, and whether Chrit dwelt inthem by true Doftrine, Miracles and his Ordinances? But that cannotbe the total meaning, partly, becaufe every believer had not Chrift dwelling inhim by Miracles, and therefore fuch an one couldnot have acknowledged Pauls minile- rial power; and if fo, thenPaul would not have provoked to that, partly be- caufe this place, and that of Epbef.3.17. may explain one another; now there Chrif£isfaid, To dwell in their hearts by faith, where it mitt needs be ¡Ai- lying faith; and certainly Chrill is in us, as weare inChril, for oib,rq.ro. there
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