PART II. to diftingitilh 4§èEtions. 7 And if fo, 'tis certainly too much for us to determine, to how great a Degree the Spirit of God may give this holy Exercife, on fuck an Occafion. This Notion, of certainly difcerning another's State, by Love flowing out, is not only not founded on Reafon or Scripture, hut it is anti- fcriptural, 'tis agairift the Rules of Scripture ; which fay not a Word ofany fuchWay of judging theState of others as this,but dircdd: us to judge chiefly by the Fruits that are feen in them. And it is a-" gainli the Doctrines of Scripture, which do plainly teach us that the State of others Souls towards God, cannot be known by us, as in Rev. 2. 17. YO him that overcometh, will Igive to eat of the hidden Manna ; and I will give him a white Stone, and in the Stone a new Name written, which no Man knoweth, laving he that recciveth it And Rom. 2. 29. He is a Jew, which is one inwardly ; and Cir- comciion is that of the Heart ; in the Spirit, and not in the Letter ; who fe Praife is not of Men, but of God. That by this laft Exprcfìion, whofè Praife is not of Men, but of God, the Apoftle has Refpedt to the Infuf- ficiency of Pylon to judge concerning him, whether he be inwardly a yew or no ( as they could eafily fee by outward Marks, whether Men were outwardly yews) and would fign ify, that it belongs to God alone to give a determining Voice in this Matter, is confirmed by the fame Apot§le's Ufe of the Phaafe, in Cor. 4. 5. Therefore judge nothing before the Time, until the Lord come ; who both will bring to Light the hidden Things of Darknef, and will make manifill the Counfels of the Hearts ; and then fhail every Man have Praife of God.The ApoftIe, in the two foregoing Verfes, Pays, But with me, it is a very fmall Thing, that I fheuld be judged of you, or of Man's 'judgment : Yea, I judge not mine ownPelf, for I know nothing by myfa'f, yet am I not hereby juflified ; but he that judgeth me is the Lord. And again, it is further confirmed, becaufe the Apoftle in this fecond Chapter to the Romans, diredts his Speech efpecially to thofe who had a high Conceit of their own Holinefs, made their Boaft of God, and were confident of their own Difcerning, and that they knew God's Will, and approved the Things which were excellent, or tried the Things that differ (as it is in the Margin. ) V. r 8. And were confident that they were Guides of the Blind, -and a Light to themwhich are in Darknefs, Il rutiors of the Foolifh, Teachers ofBabes ; and fo took upon them to judge others, fee V. 1. and 17, 18, And how arrogant muff the Notion be, that they have, who ima- gine they can certainly know othersGodlinefs, when that great Apofile Peter pretends not to fay any more concerning'Silvanus, than that he was afaithful Brother, as he fuppofed ; i Pet. 5 12. Tho' this Sylvanus appears to have been a very eminent Minifter of Chrift, and an Evan- gelift, and a famous Light in God's Church at that Day, and an inti- anate Companion of the Apofles, Sec 2 Cor. i. 19. i Thef. a. r. and 2 Thef. z. I. PART,
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