S s;c T. I. The Dotirine.and tifefrelneff ofSigns. Thatby this obfervation ofhis Law, wemay know that our knowledge is good. To the fame purpofe alfo he fpeaketh in the two following verfes first, For our faith, that it mutt not only becarried wChrift as a propitiation for finne , but allo tohim as anexample whomwe are to imitate, heought towalkas Chrift walked, andby this imitation of Chrift ( faith the Apoftle) weknowwe are in him, where obfervetwo things ; First, That by faith we come to be implanted in Chrift, Se- condly, That we difcover this our being in him by an holy walking; None there- fore that plead for Sandification asan evidenceofJuttifitation, make our graces to be chofe things that put us into Chrift, and by which we are juítificd ; but theft are teftimonies and wnnefles todeclare the truth ofour real being in Chrift. Pro- ceedwe to the third Chapter, verf.to. In this the childrenofGod, and the chil- dren ofthe devil are manifeft, wu- ? in this, that relateth to the axioms going before, He that is born ofGodf,nnethnot, which is thus tobe underftood, viz. He finneth not, from fuch afull and habitual purpofeofwill, fo as that his fin extingai- fheth the feed ofgrace within him; now howfoever this manifeftation ache chil- drenofGod and ofthe devil to others bebut conjeelural, yet to the godly than, whofeheart byregeneration is cured in partof that innate guile which cleaveth to it,it is clear without any deceit.Atv.r;.theApoftle exhorteth the godly not towon- der,if theworld hate them; and to amplifie their confolation herein he addech v./ 4. .yre know we are trarflatedfrom death to life becaufe we love the brethren. This is the great ligoofgodlinefs, to love another godly man,becaufehe is godly,and the more any is godly, the more to love him: au on the other fije, tohate another'uecaufc his wales aregood, and thine evil (which is too ordinary) is a demonftration thou art of the devil ; now this loveof our brethren is not acaufe ofour tranliation from death to life, for the very word [tranflated] fappofeth it a grace of God from withoutus, but it is a fign only. Nowalthough a Papiltloveth a Papila, a Jew a Jew, thinking them more godly, when they are deceived therein, yet that doch not hinder a true godly man from lovinganother that is godly, and he have folid comfort therein: but moreofthis hereafter. The Apoftle having made loveof the brethren align, he furtherexplicates what this love is, not a complemental feign- ed love, but real and operative, for love is like fire, Si von operator, von eft, if it do not workit is an argument it is not at all, whereupon hemaketh this again a fign, by that exprefí-ion peculiar to the Apoltle, hereby we know that we are of the truth, and fball Ailre our heartsbefore him, perfwsde our hearts, as }}.it is in the Greek, which implieth, That though the heart be full of doubts andtmbelicf, yet thedifcovery of filchgrace withinus, is able'to fatisfie our hearts, hereupon verf to. he faith, ¡four heartscondemn us not, we haveconfidence towards God: Now hereare twodoubts; first, Whole heart dothnot condemn himofmuch pride,va- nity,negleet, &e. therefore none canhave confidence: But the Apoftle fpeaks of Inch a condemning, axis for total and reigning hypocrifie, not for partiall corru- ption which is in the moftgbdly. A feconddoubt maybe ofthofewho perfecute the truth and the peopleof God, as the Jews and Paul did; whole hearts did not condemn them, but rather they thought they did God good ferviee; but the A- poftlefpeakethof Chriftiansendued with the true Doçtrine and Knowledge of Gina out ofhis Word, and as for fuch, if their hearts reprove them not for hy- pocrifie, theyhave boldnelswitiaGod. This Apolkle is very frequent in urging thefruits of godlinefs by way offigns ; but thefemay fufliceto confirme the Do- &tine. The ¡aftArgument toprove this method by way of figns, may be thus urged, If Argum. -, aChriftian may not gather the grace of Justification and Sandification, by the fruits thereof, itwould be for oneofthefe grounds, either first the impoflibility of . ir, as the Papills urge, itwouldnot be poffible for a man toknow when grace is in him : but that isfalfe, for howfoever a mans heart is naturally deceitful!, yet when regenerated, God takes away that guile in ir, and fo farceas it is fpiritual it is fincere and cannot lie; Orfecondly, This w d be ufeleffe, having Affurance
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