Soo The twelfth Sign PART III, hearken unto his Voice. They ought to profefs a Willingnefs of Heart to embrace Religion with all its Difficulties, and to walk in a Way of Obedience to God univerfally and perfeveringly ; Exod. 19. 8. and 24. 3, 7. Deut. 26. 16, 17, 18. 2 Kings 23. 3. Nehem. t o. 28, 29. Pfal. 119. 57, i o6. They ought to profefs that all their Hearts and Souls are in thefe Engagements to be the Lord's, and for ever to ferve him ; 2 Cbron. 15. 12, 13, 14. God's People's fwear- ing to God, and fwearing by his Name, or to his Name, as it might be render'd, (by which feems tobe fignified their folemnly giving up themfelves to him in Covenant, and vowing to receive him as their God, and to be entirely his, to obey and ferve him) is fpoken of as a Duty to be performed by all God's vifible Ifrael; Deut. 6. 13. and IO. 20. Pfal. 63. 1 r. Ifni. 19. 18. Chap. 45. 23, 24. compared with Rom. 14. 1 r. and Phil. 2. 10, 1 r. Ifai. 48. 1, 2. and 65. 15, 16. Jer. 4. 2. and 5. 7. and 12. 16. Hof. 4. 15. and 10. 4. Therefore, in order to Perfons being entitled to full Effeem and Cha- rity, with their Neighbours, as being fincere Profeffors of Chrii:ianity; by thofe foremention'd Rules of Chriff and his Apofiles, there muff be a vifibly holy Life, with a Profeffion, either exprefling, or plainly im- plying fuchThings as thofe which have been nowmention'd. We are to know than by their Fruits ; that is, we are by their Fruits to know whether they be what they profefs to be ; not that we are to know by their Fruits, that they have fomething in them, which they don't fo much as pretend to. And moreover, 2. That Profeffion of thefeThings, which is properly called a chrif- tian Profeflion, and which muff be joined with chriftian Pra6tice, in order to Perfon's being entitled to the Benefit of thofe Rules, mutt be made (as to what appears) underftandingly : that is, they muff be Perfons that appear to have been fo far inftruated in the Principles of Religion, as to be in an ordinary Capacity to underffand the proper Import of what is exprefs'd in their Profeffion. For Sounds are no Significations or Declarations of any Thing, any further than Men underffand the Meaning of their own Sounds. But in order to Perfons making a proper Profeffion of Chriftianity, fuch as the Scripture direc`fs to, and fuch as the Followers of Chriff fhould require, in order to the Acceptance of the Profeffors with full Charity, as of their Society ; 'tis not neceffary they fhould give an Account of the particular Steps and Method, by which the Holy Spi- rit, fenfibly to them, wrought and brought about thofe great effential Things of Chriftianity in their Hearts. There is no Footftep in the Scripture ofany fuch Way ofthe Apoftles, or primitive Minifters and Chriffians requiring any fuch Relation, in order to their receiving and treating others, as their chriftianBrethren, toall Intents and Purpofes, or
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