S eIC T. I. ?'heDaarine and Zifefulneff ofSigns. 39 world, and the term towhich, viz. CommunionandfellowlbspWitb Chrifi. Now the notes andmarks ofthis common'grace are tafle and plain and it may fall out that vifible number ofpeoplemay have thefe,fo that they are to be accoun- ted avifible Church, and the Ordinances not denied to them, yet be without thofe figns that do indeed accompany Salvation. But we intend not to (peak of fuch notes and characters that are enough to makeone a vifible member of the Church, and fo to qualifie us thatwe maynot +rave theOrdinances denied us, in which fenfe theApoftle, verf.7,,ofthis prefent 13th Chapter praieth to God, that the Corinthians may do no evil, which is not meant of evil abfolutely, but reftrictedly, viz. fuch anevil for which the Apoftle Ihould punifh with Church- cenfures, as the context doth abundantly wiend . It is true, the greateft fort of Chriftians fatisfie themfelveswith common charactersand figns, fuch as Baptifm, external profeflion, andoutward abftinence from fin ; hencefrom arguing for their Sandificacion andAcceptation with God : But moreof this hereafter. As we muff not make the figns ofgrace higher then theScripturemakes them, fo nei- ther ought we to draw them down lower. Fourthly, TheScripture fpeaksoffilchmark: ofgrace, Whereby others may know that Webelo>.gtoGod, and offlchasWe may inour own hearty be evidenced thereof. Marks where- Of the firft fee ?oh.' 3.3 5.By thu(ball all men knowye are my Difciples,ifye loveone by others may another; He doth not fay,If ye w6rk mitacles,ifye raile up the dead,but ifye love know we be- one another;now what a kinde oflove this oughttobe,the Scripture in other pla- lieve. ces deicribeth,viz.not a love in word,but in deed and in truth;now the knowledg wehave ofother mens graces is but charitativeandconjel ural ; The Apoftle ex- preffeth it by a fuppolrng anda perfwafion that faith is truly in fuch;Though men may giveclearandundoubted figns of theirwickednefs andnaughtinefs, yet they cannot oftheir godlinefs andpiety; becaufe there is not any thing in Religion which may be expreffed to another, which maynot flow from an hypocritical heart, aswell asa found ; yet the Scripture r Cart t, fpeaks of the end of here. fies, That the approved may be made mani eft , viz. to others : So 2 Cor.3.3. the Signs whereby Corinthians are laid tobe manifeftly declared To be the EpifileofChrifi; but this wea our felves in refpesfloniyofa moral certainty, fo faereas men can perceive, otherwifeit is may know we made Gods prerogative to knowwho arehis : Therefore theApoftle caIs the in- are of God. wards olaman, 7aarda1azryrdlás, The hidden things oftheheart. In the fecond place, The Scripturemakes fach figns, whereby wemay know in our felves that we are of God, and his Spirit dwelleth in us, r Sohn 2.3. Hereby We do know that Weknowhim, ifWe keep his commandments ; and `fohn is very frequent in defcribing grace by way offigns, in hisEpi[tles, as is more largely to be¡hewed; now this knowledge and evidence which thegodly have in themfelvesoftheir own grace, isfarre more clear and certain, thenwhat they have of anothers; Infomuch that it is made by fame to be acertainty of faith, or atlea ft thefenfe and experiment of faith, howfoever fucha knowledge it is that it cannot deceiveus, or he de- ceived. Fifthly, Tholefgs:Which the Scripturegives of graceare proper and peculiar to thegodly man only. Sothat whwfoever hash thefe loath grace, andhe that is with- Signs of grace out them muff alfo bewithout grace. Thus Matth.03. thegood ground,which proper to the is alfo the good and Iron&heart, is defcribed by fuch a temper and confutation, godly only. that it differs fpecificaily from thofe works which are upon hypocrites : So that howfoever that be true of Calvin, Reprobates (fmili firmé fcnfu afciunturac cleft;) are affefted almoft in like manner with the eiedl, yet it is but alm oft, and the difference between them is not gradual, but fpeciflcally, as is more largely to be ¡hewed againít Antinomians on the one fide, and Arminians on the other ; fo that the forrow, the faith which the godly havediffer from that tangolam, as it were, forrow and faith, which the hypocriteshave, as theFhilofophers fay, The matter of theheavenly bodies which they make quinteffential, ditlereth from that
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