V/ Commentarie "ipon Chap.4. wherebyrhis Cr~e iscaufed, z. The nature A ofir, 3· To whom it i& direaed. 4· The manner ofdireaion. narie, and poffible, for all rhatbcleeueand repent, to be cenainclya!Tured tharrhcyare the childre ofGod.Forifrhcy bauethcfpi– rire ofGod cryingin them (as allGods chil– dren haue)theycannotbutperceiuethiscry, and wtthall they haue the tcllimony of the fpirit in the, which is the groundofrhiscrie. Rom,8,1G,Andfccingthis is fo, wee m.u!t be admoni!hcd tovfeall meanes,that wemay be alli~red that wearc thechildren ofGod.:. Pet. I. l o. Giue alldiligenceto mAk! 1 our eleQion (rm. P•ul bid•rich menlay vp~good(oundatun •gainflrhttilnetocome, 1.Tim.6.18, And this foundation mull be laid, not in heauen, but in the confcicnce. God of hia mercy bath For rhe 6r(l, in the eff'eaing or cauGr.g of rhisCrie, thcrcarefoureworks ofrhe fpirir. The fir(! is (on•i/Ji••, when a man in his iudgemcntand c:onfciencc isconUitlcd, that thefcnprurcs of rhe Prophets and Apolllcs, are indeedc rhc word of God. To rhis pur· pole there.arc manr_argumcntswhichnow l omit. Thts conmd:ton ts acommon worke ofrhe lpirit;yer nccdfarie, becaufc much A– rhci(me li<S lurking in our harts,whtchma– keth vs call into que(lion cucry part of the word ofGod, Thcfecond worke is Suhie[/wn , whereby a man conuiaed,that rhefcriprure,and euc– rypart of it, isrhewordofGod, lubicch himfelfe in his hart to thecomandemcnt of God, which bids him turneto God and be– leeue in ChrHtAndrhisfccond,is aworke of the lpirit of grace proper ro rhc Elea. The third is, rheCemftcat<ortc(limonie ofthefpirir, which is adiuinemanner ofrca– for.ing framed in the mindaofthem that be– lecuc and repent,on this manner: Heethat bdecrus andrepents, uqods childe. Thusfarththe qojJul, But I teluue in chriflrmdrepent: atthele.jl I{t1hiefJ my will to the commAundemtnt which bidsm<rtpent anJbduu<: I d<tefl mine vnheliefe,ttn£~111/ my flnt~tl: anddr.ftre the !ftrdtoinm•f "'1faith, 7hmforelam tbtchildufqod; ' This is rhepratlicall fyllogifmeofrhe holie Ghon. Iris there!limonieofthefpirite, thar we are rhefonnesofGod: iris the earnell of the fpirit,and thcfeale whereby we arc fealed to rhe day of our redemption: anditcon– taincs the certaintie offpeciall faith. The fourth thing rbatfolloweo vponthis Tefiimony, is peace ofconfcience,ioy, and alliance in God. And from this alliance comes the crying heere mentioncd,whcreby cuerytrue beleeuerwithopen throate (as it were) cries vnto God the father. This do– c'trine is ofgreat woorth,it is the hingevpon which rhe ga•e ofheauen turnes: and there– fore to be remembred. The vfe. By this we fee a manifell errour in the Popi!h Religion,which reacheth thar wee canhaue no other faluationinthislife, bur that which is probable or conietlurall, that is, a certaintieioyncdwithfear-e,fufpiti– on,and Come doubting. Certainty in refpea ofGod,that promifcth: feareand doubting• in refpea ofour01me indifpoGtioa. Burrhis dotlrineiofalfe. For they which are Gods children,recciue rhe fpirit crying Ahha:and this crying argues afliance or confidence in God. By fairh wee haue confidence in God, and entrance with boldndfe,Epbif.3,11, and boldnelfc is oppofite to feare, and excludes dou~ring in rclpetlofour felucs. Agame, by this doarine weefecit is ordiB madeacouenantorbargainc, with vs that beleeue and repenr:in this bargalne he hath promifed to v• pardon ofour finnes, aqd life cuerla(ling : let vs then ncuer be at rea till wee haue recetuod earne(l from the band of God,and haue his promifefealed vnro vs by the fpirite of our beam. You1rlll fay, what !halldo to be alfurcd that I am Gods child/ An(•. Thou mull cxaminerhyfclfeoftwo things. The 6rll is, whether rhou art conui– acd in thy iudgement,thatthefciiptureis in– deedctheword ofGod: ifthou art not yet conuictcd, then inquire and vfe means rhar thou ma;(l indeed be conuitled:otherwifeal is in vain e. Secondly, inquirewhetherthou C doell indeed,and in good earne(l,fubmitand fubica rhy will to rhc commaundemcnt of Gad,which bids rhcc bcleeuein Chr;(l, and turne vnro God. For ifthoucan!t fay , that thou doll will tobeleeue, and will to repent, if thou !hew this will indeedeio the vfeof good mcanes, ifthoucondrmne andderell rhy vnbcleefe andall orlter rhylinncs, thou hall receiucd the earnell ofthe fpirir, & thou art indeed thechildeofGod. And thisalfu– rane< !hall be vnro theeofgreatvfe. For it will make thee reioyce in atlli&oos : and it will workepatience,exp<ricnce, hope, Rom. s.s. Irwill make thee drfpife thisworld,itwil takeawaythefeareofdeath, and kindleIn thy heart a defircto be with Chrill. ll. Touching the nature of this Cry 1 it D llands in the dcfiresandgroans of thehcarr, direacdvntoGod.And thefedefiresmarbe di(lingui!hed from alcarnall defires by three properties. Firll ofall,theyare in thehearts ofthe thar are turned ro God;orattheIcall begin to rurne vnto him. For Godhcareth no finners. Secondly, theyare concemcd m the mindc, according to thercuealcd will of God,Rom.8.•7· r.Ioh.;.14- Thirdly, tbey are diuine &fpiritual,rouchingthings which concemethekingdom• ofGod, Rom. 8s. , Defires rhus qualified, hauerheforce of alowd cric in the cares ofGod. P/•1. 10, 17. Godhear<th the Jefireo(th<poore.Pfalme38.9. AOmJde(rr<SAr< be(orethee. P(•lm< 145. J 9· HufH/fili<ththedefreiftheTnJ thatfearehim. 'Ef•1 64- :-4, Before rh<] cri< I wiU ••f»er: that is, fo (coneasadeflrc ofmy helptS con. ceiued,
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