The 'Parable of the your dhre, and uemble, and fee before thee all the tr.ercy the Lord err:braceth his people wirh! and fay, Oh dm mercy for u:e! and follow him till he hJrh done it. SECT. lV. life 5· HEnce it may apfear ·tiJJt rile trre Believer may know rhcb'e{ledndfe of his eltare, by the reculiarnc!lc of a work within him. For if indeed rhere ~10uld. be no diffeence tecween thole ~races dJJt be ~n Hytocrires and in Saints, tf no duferencc between Love, and Fmh, and de;,re 111 one, and rh.1t whirh is in anorher, rhen none could know the ble{fedne!fe of rheir db res by any work; bur leeing chat rhe Lord h.uh made~ VJ!l and aknown diiference, fo thJt God knows i r, and rhemlelves know ir, a~ harh been pro\·ed, ~ne! all rhe world mighr know ir, but that they wan~ eyes to fee mens hearcs, and they fhall know it ar the I all day eo their eremal anguilh, when tl:e hidden things of d~trf0ejfe, and tl:eJee-rers of 11/1 hearts Jht<ll be ofened, r.r.en it muft needs foll0w trom the knowledge of fuch awork, aman may conclude hts blelfed and He eihre. By work , I meJn, no Popilh good work, nor confider a work without a reculiar word of promile made·d:e eunro, If we lhould ask a woman married ro another Husband, how f11e knows fuch a one is her husband, fr.e would manife!l it by thole reculiar ads or works or manifc!lations of a husband w her. She harh krown he harh forfaken grear offers, and come to her: Her heant rhat was n:o[t oppolire,was at latl: overcome to forf"ke all, rhen they enrred into a peculiar bond of covenanc, fo that they cannot parr, and though rhey do deparr, yet- they Hay .not long. So here: If you l11ould have asked the l{r~teliw, how they did know they f11ould be faved from the ceflroying Angel? Why rhe Lordharh rromiledrofaveus. You tbatdowhJr? That fpriniJethe door-pojh with the Blood. So rhe defiro)ing Angel ofGodsprefence f11all de!lroy millions of people, and that in the night-rime, when they leaH fufpeet ir. Notwirh!landing all deliverances, miracles, pl<gues and reren- ·tatKes , Shall you b<! preferved? Yes, the Lord harh pwmifed irJ and reveal'd ir. Towhorn? To rhem that have their door-ports fprinkled with Chri!l's Blood, apftehendcd by the work of Faith, Rom. 3·"4>25· Heb.10.22, If one thould have asked the Lord JeCus •himfelf, whom he loverh? he would Jol:n ro anfwer,his{hctp; forforthemhelales down his ltfe; be they feeble orHrong. If onethould ask further, who m: his fheep? he would dcfcribe them by feveral proper~ies, as he barb done, John I o, Such as f0oll' me, as hear 111e only, as folloJ~ me. So if you ask a believer char queHion, How do you know you are loved? Is it good eo anfwer with Chri!l, I am his f11eep, for whom he harh laid down his fife, when I was loll and went a!lray. But h01v do you know rhat? Is he now w anfwer like Chrif1, by thefe properties wrought in rr.e, or no? If you f:q, No, becaule all rhefe an hypocrite may have, then the Lord Jefus bath done very w<::akly in defcribing his own fl,eep, by fuch proferties robe his, which difcover them no more rhan fo: Its rrue an hypocrite harh lomthing like aU rhefe, bur not there indeed. If you fay, yes, then a man may know his blelfed eltare by thefe. The promife is, Prov.8.17. !love them th.ttl>veme. llut how·do you kt\OW you love the Lord ? There is the queflion, If Satan and blind ornal re.1fon ask rhis queflion, you will be filled with accufarions, and never farisfie them ; for he due accufed Job to Gods face, will much more to their own f•ces, accule Sa\nrs of bypocrilie. If uncharitable men that never had the love of Chri{l: abiding in their beJrtS, you will never fatisfie them ; but if the Lord ask rhe quellion in his Word, h<Jid there, and the work is fo clear, chat though there barb been much decay, yet after recovery, the foul dares eye the Sun, and f~y, Lord, ·thouk_,noweft q/lrhingr, thPH f0owe(l thllt T love thee, John 1.1,17, Hence by this work you may come to know yourfafe e!lare. I,A
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