Ver. x6. the 8th Chapter to the ROMANS. 183' 4. He helpeth ns not only to fee grace, but to judg of the fncerity of grace: 'Tis more ea: fie to prove that we believe, than to know that our faith is Paving ; to love Chrift, than to know that we love him in fiòcerity ; becaufe of the deceitfulnefs of the heart, and the mixtures of unbelief, felf love, and other fins ; and fome degrees may be in hypo- crites, as temporary faith, tarts, imperfect love, partial obedience; and betides, Grace where it is weak, is hardly perceived; the air will fbew it felt in a windy feafon ; the fire when 'tis blown up into a flame, 'tis no more hidden ; grace ftrengthned, increafed; a&ed, is more evident to confcience ; habits are difcerned by as and exercife, and God is wont to reward'the faithful foul with his affuring feal of light and comfort, t John 3. t 8. Love not in word or in tongue only, but in deed and in truth. The lets we are Chriftians in Phew, and the more in fincerity, the more joy and peace. 5. He helpeth us with boldnef to conclude from thefe evidences. Many times when the premifes are clear, the conclufion is fufpended ; we find in cafe of condemnation, 'tis fufpended out of felflove ; many know that they that live after the flefh (hall die, yet they will not judg themfelves ; and the fame may be done in cafe of felt- approbation out of legal fear or jealoufie;for perfons of great fancy, and large affeâions, are always full of fcruples , or loathnefs to apply the comforts due to them ; the fpirit concludeth for them, that they are the children of God, 1 john 3. r4. We know that we have paled from death to life. t John a. 3. And herebywe know that we know him. 6: He canfeth us to feel the comfort of this conclnfton, Rom. 5. 13. Now the God of hope jillyou with alljoy, and peace in believing ; 'Tis an impreffion of the comforting fpirit ; and Ads 9. 31: They walked in the fear of the Holy shall ; The fpirit is neceffary to this aftual joy ; for 'tis poffrble a man may be perfwaded of his frncerity, or have no doubt- ing of it, and have too much deadnefs and dulnefs of foul; not fo comforted. Well then, 'ris slot an Oracle, as to Chrift, Matth. 3: 17: Nor an internal fuggeftion, thou art a child of God ; we have no warrant for that from Scripture ; 'tis not only to, but 'with confcience ; Now confcience goeth upon rational evidence, and we reafon and ar- gue from what we feel, or find in our (elves; and 'tie afcending to the covenant, where Priviledges are afligned to the believer, t John t. 2. To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the foes of Gods to the ?enitetit, As 2: 38: Repent, and yon /hall receive the Hod gbofl. To the obedient Hi ìs become the author of falvation to all that obey him. 2. Theone fuperaddetb totheother: Not the priviledg without the qualification, that is fuf6:iently done by the word i not the confcience, bydifcourfe, and the fpirit imme, diately ; no, they concur to produce the fame conclufion 5 the fpirits teftimony fu erá addeth certainty, authority, and overpowering light, t Cor. 4.4. For I know nothing by my Jelf, yet am 1 not hereby jullífs d ; but he that fudgeth me is the Lord ; and Rom.g. 1. I fay the truth in Cbrifi, I lye not, my confcience alfo bearing me witnefs in the Holt ghofl As the influences of the +leavens work trongly, but imperceptibly, while they mingle themfelves with the nterions of the creatures; fo doth the fpirit with our fpirit, it for- tifieth and ftrengthneth the teftimony of a mans own heart, and fo doth with more autho city and.power perfwade us that we are the children of God. 3. The necery of this to our full comfort. t. We cannot pray without it. For the Text is brought to prove that they have a fpi- rit within them, which inclineth them to cry Abha Father; furely,'tis a great advantage in prayer, to be able to fay, PIal. 63. 26. Doubtlejsthou art or:s father; and again, Ifa. 64. 8. But now, Lord, thou art our father : But how will you do, unlefs you be Gods chil. dren? and how will you know you be Gods children,but by the fpirit bearing witnefs,to, and with your fpirits? I know all Gods children have not the comfort of the fpirit, but they have the fpirit ofcomfort, and in Come meafure can come to Codas a Father. 2. We cannot apply the promifes without it : For the promifes are children bread, unlefs we be the children of God , what comfort can we take in the promifes, unlefs we have an intereft in them ? priviledges have their conditions annexed ; the right is fufpended till the condition be performed ; that is, till we know our felves to he true believers, the promifes are in vain, and of noeffeft ; if to all, you deceive the moll, for tho fome are of Gods Family, the whole world lieth in wickendnefs;5 the moth are the children of the Devil. If to Come, they have their charafters, which occafioneth ¢he reftraint g and you are told here ;this is known by the fpirits bearing winters to our fpirits. But
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