The marrow of the oracles of God. Or, divers treatisesThe marrovv of the oracles of God. Or, diuers treatises

Though at the first in reading but a sign or two, thou get but a few things may comfort thee, yet hold out till thou come to the end of all the signs, and then thou shalt see a fair army (as it were of arguments) to prove thy election and salvation. For whereas the most and best of us if we be asked this question, By what marks do we know that we are the true children of God, and not wicked men? If we answer on a sudden, and by present memory, we can scarce give two sound reasons to prove the infallibility of our happy estate: which shows, that the most of •s live at a great uncertainty. Now he that hath gone through the signs, shall find perhaps twenty, or thirty, or forty several and distinct arguments or ⟨p. 182⟩marks, which when he hath collected them all together, may serve to answer all the objections of all the Devils in Hell. The gates of hell cannot prevail against his faith: which I declare thus: If the Devil say, Thou art a wicked man, and an hypocrite; thou mayest readily answer, that by the grace of God in Jesus Christ thou art none such; and mayest put the Devil to prove by the Word of God; that ever any wicked man did attain to all those signs thou hast collected. Which, because it cannot be done, thou mayest with much rest and full assurance commit thy self to God, and bind thy self by Covenant, never more to dishonour him by such unbelief, as to call his love and his salvation into question. If a three-fold cord cannot be broken, how weak then should thy heart be, if thou shouldst fear thy estate, unto which God hath so sealed, ⟨p. 183⟩and so many ways marked thee out for himself?

Though at the first in reading but a signe or two, thou get but a few things may comfort thee, yet hold out till thou come to the end of all the signes, and then thou shalt see a faire armie (as it were of arguments) to prooue thy election and saluation. For whereas the most and best of vs if wee be asked this question, By what markes doe we know that we are the true children of God, and not wicked men? If we answer on a sudden, and by present memory, we can scarce giue two sound reasons to prooue the infallibilitie of our happy estate: which shewes, that the most of •s liue at a great vncertaintie. Now he that hath gone through the signes, shall finde perhaps twenty, or thirty, or fortie seueral and distinct arguments or