'II Q, effronf,andCafe.tofConfience Chap. 11 Heaven, r c c. for all thefe are inherent qualifications in a childe of God , but they are doubtful and uncertain. How then bath God promifed to love the riohteoús': togive theprize to him that runneth, &c. Secondly, the tellimony of the Spirit, bearing witneffe to our fpirit that we ar'e thechilar:n of god, Rom. 8. a 6. is in this fenfe, an immediate a& of the Spirit, becaufethe reflex a&ts of the foul are performed without any other medi- um, or rneanes, but that whereby the dire5c aeis are performed. I know that I know , and I know that I believe ; my fenfe by the fame immediate operation of the Spirit, by that which I knowGod, without any other light, teacheth me to know that I knowGod : Asby light I fee colours, and mycommon fenfe needs not another li, In to make me know that I fee colours : fo when I believe in Chrift, that habitual inßina of thegrace of ,God actuated and flirtedup by the Spirit of God, makes me know that I knowGod, and thatI believe, and fo that I a in in Chrill tomy oven certain feelingand apprehenfion : but this doth not hinder, but the aflurance of my intereft in Chrift is made evident tome by o- ther inferiour evidences, as 1 Jyhn 2. 3. Hereby w" know that we know him, if w. keep his Commandments. By keeping Gods Commandments we do not limply know that we know him by certainty offaith ; but we knew that weknow God thefe two wayes. , I. We know ( the inllin& of the new man being flirted up to action by the winde which bloweth when, and where it lufleth) our knowing of God to`be found, faving and true ; we donot fo much know our knowing of Godby this fùpérnatual fenfe, as we know the fupernatural qualification and fincerity of our knowing ofGod ; fo that we rather know the qualification of the aét, that thework is done accordingto God : then the act according co its fubflance, though we do alfo know it in this relation. So i John 3.14. We know that we havepaffed from death to life, becaufe we love the brethren, .t. e. our love to the brethren dot.hevidence to us, both that weare tran(lated to the Kingdome of Brace, and alfo weknow that that tranflauon is real, true, fincere, and effectual by love, and all the fruits of the Spirit. 2. By thefe worksof fan6lification we have evidence that we have interea in Chrift, not as by formal light fuggefting tous, that the immediate imprcffiotrof this great, and broadSeal of God, andhis perfonal and particular teflimony is true, (forGods Spirit needeth not,another witnefle to adde authority to what he faith) but becaufe this Conclufion, (thou Jobn,Thomas, &c. haft intereft in Chrift to thy own feeling) muff be provedbyScripture, (except with Eat hull- a31s, we feparate the Word and the Spirit) therefore thefe works of Sanecificati onprove the Conclufion confequently by Scripture and fenfe, and fo lead us to ( the word or Promife, thus, He thatbelieveth, and maketh fure hisbelief by walking not after the fleíh, butafter the Spirit, bath a clear evidence to his own feeling that he hath interei in Chrift. But I John, Thomas, &c. do believe, anddo make fure my belief bywalking, not after the flefh, butafter theSpirit ; thereforeI have a clear evidence to my own feeling that I have intereft in Chrift. The Propofition is Scripture, John 3. 36. and ç. 24. and I1. 2 ç, 26. Rom. 8. 1, z. I John 1.4. and 2. 3. The Affumption is made fureby fenfe, not at all times, but when the Spirit isbreathing upon the foul. For thoughI dobelieve, and walk after the Spirit, yet tomy own feelingI have only evidence of my in- tereft in Chrift, when the Spirit flits upmy fenfe to comparemy faith,andwalk- ing with the Promifes of God in Chrift. Ob. Ifthis be fo, thenall the certainty that Ihave of my intereft in Chrifl, is ultimately and rincipally refolved Into this weak and rotten foundation of my own good works, which being examined by . the Law of God, will be found fo fnful, that they muff needs involve me under the Carle of god? Anfw.
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