302 The twefth Sign ` PART ilia' there in fome Cafes, efpecially Cafes of great Importance, where all pòffible Satisfaction concerning Perfons Piety is efpecially tp be defired and fought after, as in the Cafe of Ordination or Approbation ` of a Minifter. It may give Advantage in forming a Judgment, in feveral Refpects ; and among others, in this, That hereby we may be better fatisfied that the Profeffor fpeaks honeffly and underftandingly, la what he profeffes ; and that he don't make the Profeffion in weer Formality. In order to a Profeffion of Chriftianity being accepted to any Purpofe, there ought to be good Reafon, from the Circumftances of the Profeffion, to think that the Profeffor don't make filch a Pro- feffion out of a nicer cuftomary Compliancewith a prefcribed Form, tiling Words without any diftindt Meaning, or in a very lax and am- biguous Manner, as ConfeIons of Faith are often fubfcribed ; but that the Profeffor underfiandingly and honeffly fignifies what he is confcious of in his own Heart ; ofherwife his Profeffion can be of no Significance, and no more to be regarded than the Sound of Things without Life. But indeed ( whatever Advantage an Account of par- ticular Exercifes may give in judging of this ) it muft be own'd that the ProfefTor having been previoufly thoroughly inftruéed by his Teachers, and giving good Proof of his fufficient Knowledge, toge- ther with a Practice agreable to his Profeffion, is the heft Evidence of this. Nor do I fuppofe, but that, if a Perron that is enquired of about particular PafTiges, Times and Circumflances of his chriftian Experi- ence, among other Things, feems to be able to give a diftin& Ac- count of the Manner of his firlt Converfion, in fuch a Method as has been frequently obfervable in true Converfion, fo that Things Teem fenfibly and diftinaly to follow one another, in the Order of Time, according to the Order of Nature ; it is an illuftrating Circumftance, that among other Things, adds Luftre to the Evidence he gives his Brethren of the Truth of his Experiences. But theThing thatI fpeak of as unfcriptural,is the infifting on a par- ticular Account of the diftindt Method and Steps, wherein the Spirit ofGod did fenfibly proceed, in firft bringing the Soul into a State of Salvation, as a Thing requifite in order to receiving a Profeffor into full Charity as a realChriftian ; or fo, as for theWant of fuch Relation, to difregard other Things in the EvidencePerfons give to their Neigh- bours of their Chriftianity, that are vaftly more important and effen- tial. Secondly, That we may rightly underftand how chriftian Practice is the greateft Evidence that others can have of the Sincerity of a pro- felling Chriftian, 'tis needful that what was faid before, (hewing what chriftianPrac} ice is, fhould be borne inMind ; and that it fhould be confîder'd how far this may be vifible to others. Meerly that a Profeffor
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