40 TheDaLárineandufefuóneßof Signs. S S C r. I. that of the fublunary ; fo that nomention of parts intention ofdegrees; pro tention of time , could evermake temporary faith faving faith, for Species on fit ex fbecie, as themaxim inPhilofophy is, One dif1inft kinde is notcompound- edofanother, butthis matteris of larger debate. 6. Sixthly , The Scripture defcribing the Marks of a godly man maker them... Pofitive marks of diffèrent forts, force Negative, fame Pofitive, and the Pofitive do fignifte more lignifie more evidently then the Negative. James o. 27. `Pure Religion is defcribed by ma_ evidently then Pofitives, and byone Negative : to be unfßotted from the World. Pfalm. t 5. the negative. is a profeffed defcriptionofa godly man, wherein are fix Pofitives and fix Ne- gatives Now ie is true, neither Negatives or Pofitives as they are outwardly and vifibly expreffed,can be a lure teflimony of godlinefs ; for a man may doe that which is good and abflain from that which is evil upon feverall cor- rupt grounds, every one of which is a dead Plie in a box of Ointment. In the lieftPfalm, a godlyman is defcribed by his Negatives; fiat, That he doth not fit in the counfell of the Wicked, nor tivalketh With the ungodly," onely Ne- gative lignes doe not come up to fo full a manifeftation of grace, as Pofitive; and the reafon is, becaufe grace lieth molt in the things we ought to doe, and good is more good then evil is evil , and thereforeour love to theone is more to beexercifed then our hatred of the other; Therefore it is a deceitful! and vain way, CO argue our grace from Negatives onely, as the Pharifee did, I am no extortioner, no adulterer. ForGod atthedayof Judgement will proceed in this form, according to the good things we have done ; yet thegenerality ofpeople have no otherclaim or plea, but what is upon-Negatives, they are no fuch wic- kedor prophane perlons ; But godlinefs doth;not denotea meet abfence of evil, but a Pofitive concùrrenceofgood. 7 Seventhly, The Properties and Effeibs of Grace, may be confidered Abfolute- ä de éfféftsttof ly, ae they are Properties, or Relatively an they are Signs. Now the Scripture grace coraidet- leaksofthefe both wayes, Gal.6.25. He that is Chriffs, bathmortified the fleth cd abfolutely With the affellions and lullsthereof. So 2Cor.5.i7. Fie that is in Chrifl is a new and relatively. creature; Old things arepaflaway, and all things arebecome new. Thus alfo Rom. ó.t. Theft that are inC'hria'l7efrosare Paid to Walk after the ffbirit, not after the flefb. All thefe Texts and the like, are only indicative, and defcriptive of thole fubjeftswho are godly in their Properties; but john in his Epillles doth (peak ofthefe as they are figues, wherebywe know we are of God ; as more largely is to be(hewed. There is a great difference between there two , for a Chrillian may have all the adjunets and fruit ofgrace, andyet they not be lignes to him, for he may be ignorant that they are in him, yea he may be firongly perfwaded through temptation that heloath them not; and how often are the people of God in this fad darkneffe, concluding tbemfelves hypocrites, A barren Wilder- neffe, unfavouryfall, whenyet they are the plealant Garden ofChrill! Now if theft Effeets were in them by way of figues it is impoftìble but they lhould conclude themfelves in a flareof grace and peace : So that to beafgne is a Rela- tive Being, by Which We ate brought into remembranceoffomething elfe. Thus the Sacraments are figues. Thus Rahabs red thred was a figue to remember the Ifraelites for her prefervation. 'Then are the Effefts of Grace by way of Marks and Signes, when in the beholding of them, we fee the caufes that wrought them, we fee Eleftior, Juftification, Adoption and Rege- neration fromwhence thefe flow, concluding thus, All there great and heaven- ly things couldnot be in my foul, were not Chrift and his Spirit there ; this rich and glorious furniture could notbe in my foul, were not the King of Glory there. The flowers ofthis garden wouldnot finell fo fweetly, did not the winde blow upon them, 8. Eighthly, Signs (as to our purpofe) may be divided into two ranks: Natu- ral, which by a neceffary confequence fignifiey Thusfmoke doth lignifie there is
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