PART III. of gracious Afegions. 89 and eternal State ; yet, 'tis alto evident, that it was never God's De- fign to give us any Rules, by which we may certainly know, who of our Fellow- Profeffors are his, and to make a full and clear Sepa- ration between Sheep and Goats : But that on the Contrary, it was God's Defign to referve this to himfelf, as his Prerogative. And therefore no fuch diflinguifhing Signs as (hall enable Chriflians or Minifters to do this, are ever to be expected to the World's End : For no more is ever to be expcaed from any Signs, that are to be found in the Word of God, or gathered from it, than Chrifi defign- ed them for. 2. No fuch Signs are tobe expeaed, that (hall be fufficient to ena- ble thofe Saints certainly to difcern their- own good Eflate, who are very low in Grace, or are fuch as have much departed from God, and are fallen into a dead, carnal and unchriftian Frame. It is not a- greable to God's Defign ( as has been -already obferved ) that fuch fhould know their good Eflate : Nor is it defireable that they fhould ; but on the contrary, every Way belt that they fhould not ; and we have Reafon to biers God, that he has made no Provifion that fuch fhould certainly know the State that they are in, any other Way, than by firft coming out of the ill Frame and Way they are in. Indeed it is not properly thro' the Defedt of the Signs given in the Word of God, that every Saint living, whether ftrong or weak, and thofe who are in a bad Frame, as well as others, can't certainly know their good Effate by them. For the Rules in themfelves are certain and infallible, and every Saint has, or has had thofe Things in him- felf, which are fure Evidences ofGrace ; for every, even the leajf Aa of Grace is fo. But it is thro' his Defeél to whom the Signs are gi- ven. There is a twofold Defeat in that Saint who is very low in Grace, or in an ill Frame,which makes it impoflìble for him to know certainly that he has true Grace, by the heft Signs and Rules which can be given him. FirJ, A Defea in the Objec`3, or the Qualifica- tion to be view'd and examin'd. I don't mean an effential Defe± ; becaufe I fuppofe the Perron to be a real Saint ; but a Defet in De- gree : Grace being very fmall, cannot be clearly and certainly dif- cerned and diftinguifhed. Things that are very fmall,we can't clear- ly difcern their Form, or diftinguifh them one from another ; tho', as they are in themfelves, their Form may be very different. There is doubtleffs a great Difference between the Body of Man, and theBodies ofother Animals, in the firff Conception in the Womb : But yet if we fhould view the different Embryos, it might not be poffible for us to difcern the Difference, by reafon of the imperfect State of the Ob- jeEt ; but as it comes to greater Perfection, the Difference becomes very plain. The Difference between Creatures of very contrary O talities, is not fo plainly to be feen while they are very young, even after
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