43 The (fl4teofaChrifzar7 ' I .COi.? .: z all things, yea grievous at1 idions andGnne it felfe,turne tohis good; though Heb.r .r4 in his owne nature it benewer fohurtful' : b and therefore death (which is molt a ` terrible' vntohim is no entrance into hell, but a narro:t e gate to lethim into ,rr,t2." 2. 7 eucrlaRing lite,. Lardy, being thus adopted, hee may lookefor comfort at i b .ie,.z. r 5 Gods hand, anív,R'erable to the rneafureof his afr3io`lion: as Godbathpromiícd. 1 r'or,i5. XXX, 54 The inwarde aßùrance ofAdoption is by twowitneffes. The firtl isour fpi- V S.. tit, that is, an heart and confcience fan&ified, by the f rincklingof the blood z.ror.o, ofChrifl. Now becaufe it comrnethtopaffe that the teí+imonieofour fpirit I is often feeble and weake, Godofhis goodnes bathgiven his owne fpirite to Affurance bee a fellowwitneffe with our fpirit : for theeledehaue in themfelues thefpi- ofadoptió. riteofIefirs Chrift,teflifiyngvnto themand perfwading them that they are the oadopn fpirite adopted childrenofGod. cFor this caufe the holyGhofl is calledthe/ÿiritc of of ao. p eRo.8,i 6. adAption,becaufe it worketh in vsthe affuranceofour adoption : d and it is cal- Ga1.4,6. led apawne or earnefl. For as in abargaine, when parte ofthe price is payed 1.Ve>.3' 21 in earnefl, then aífurance is made, that menwill pay the whole : fowhen the W'or'zt childe ofGod hath receiued thus much from theholieghofl to be perfwaded thathet: is adopted and chofèn inChrifl,he maybee ingood hope, andhe is al- readie put in good affurance , fully to enioye eternalilife in the kingdorne ofheauen. cRorn.R.2 5 e Indeede thisteflimonie is weake in moil men, and can fcarcebee percei- l'i!t' ; ued : becaufemoll Chriflians, though they may be old inrefpedofyeares,yet r.co,3. ,3. generally they are babes in Chrif} and not et come to a ,erfeo`I grouch : and .G T.3.1. y . Ephe.4,14. may findeAl themfelues great flrength of finne, and the gracesofGod tobee in finali tneafure in them. And againe, the children of Godbeing moti di- flreffed, as in timeoftriall, and in thehoureofdeath, then theinward working ofthe holy Ghoft is felt moil euidently. Buta reprobatecannot baue this te- flimonie at all: though indeede a man fl atterethhimfelfe,andthediuellimita- ring thefpirite ofGO `D, doothvfuallye perfwadecarnali men andhypocrites thatthey íhali bee faued. But that diuellifh illufion, and the teflimonieofthe Spirite may bee difcerned by twonotes. The fitil is heartieand feruent prayer to GOD in the narneofChrifl. For the famefpiritthat teflifieth to vs that Wee are the adopted children ofGòd, doth alto make vs crie, that is fer- uently with grones and fighes fillingHeauen and Earth, pray toGod.Now, I Labont ill this heartie, feruent and Ioude crying in the caresofGod, can theDiuell give to prayer: for no hypocrite : for it is thefjeciall markeofthe SpiriteofGod. The other note is, tr is rize ,r_ yp Y t per (-pint of that theywhich bane the fpeciall teflimonie from the Spirite ofGOD, haue acoption: alfo in their hearts the fame affediosrstoGod, which children baue totheir fa- and inArai- ther : namly, loue;feare, reverence, obedience, thar,kefulnes,for they call not er,we Shall v on God,-as vpott, a terrible loge, bt:tthey cryAbba, that is, Father, And i<nofi of' all p t:ele the thefe affections they hauenot, whomSathan illudeth with a phantafiicall ima- fìurrteof ae ginationof their faluation : for it may he,thatthrough hyposrifQ,orthrough doption. cohere, theymaycall GodFather,but in truth theycannot do it. XXXI
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