A09466:343
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he may discern it, and persevere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set down in the page following.A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.
London: printed by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin, 1590
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Euseb. Yea they are indeed.
Timoth. Me thinks it is an hard point of the law for a man to love his enemy.
Timoth. Me thinkes it is an hard point of the law for a man to loue his enemie.
Euseb. It is indeed: yet in the faithful it will be so: for they have in their harts a persuasion, that whereas they are damned in them selves, yet in Christ the mercy of God is most plentiful to their salvation, and all this God confirmeth and sealeth unto them by his holy spirit, and therefore they cannot but love God again, and that with a fervent love even above all things in the world, and so they love all Gods creatures, and even their enemies, because they bear the image of God whom they love: like as if I have a friend and love him, I love all of his name, all his kindred, and all that appertain unto him. And by the way, here is a good way to know whether we have faith or not Though faith only justify and make the marriage between our Soul and Christ and is properly the marriage garment, yea and the sign Tau, that defendeth us from the smiting and power of evil Angels, an• is also the rock on which Christs Church is built, and standeth against all weather o• wind and tempest: yet is faith never sieve ⟨p. 179⟩red from hope and charity: then if a man will be sure that his faith is perfect, let him examine himself whether he love the law, and in like manner if he will know whether he love the law, that is, love God and his neighbour, then let him examine himself whether he believe in Christ only for the remission of sin, and obtaining the promises made in the scripture. And even so let him compare his hope of the life to come with faith, and love, & to the hatred of sin in his life, which hatred the love of the law engendereth in him. And if they accompany not one another all three together, then let him be sure all is but hypocrisy.