An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

I meet with a gross exposition of this text given by some Papists. No man (saith one of them) can know whether God dwell or abide in him or no. And Bellarmine in his 5th book, and 5th Chapter concerning justification citeth it to prove, That a believer cannot know that he is justified, but must believe blind-fold, or take the ⟨p. 229⟩work of justification by grace in the dark, For (saith he) God goeth by us, and we see him not; he passeth on, and we perceive him not: ¹That is (as his gloss speaks) God cometh in favour to justify, or he leaveth under wrath, and yet man remains ignorant both of the one, and of the other state. Surely he was at a great pinch to find a proof for his point, when he was forced to repair to this Scripture to seek one. Providence toward man-kind (not the justification of a sinner) is the proper subject of this text. And as there is nothing for a blind-fold justification here, so many other Scriptures are expressly against it. To say that a man cannot know when God loveth him, or shineth upon him, is to contradict what our Saviour asserts, Joh. 14.17. I will send the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Ye know him, saith Christ to his people, the Saints see God in a spiritual sense, or in his workings upon their spirits. And though God works much upon our spirits, which we know not, yet we have a promise of the Spirit, by whom we know God in his workings. Few know when God is nigh, or when he is a far off, what his goings away mean, or what his comings. But when he cometh to the Saints, they know he cometh; and when he hideth or departeth from them, they know his hidings and departures. Hence their joys and over-flowings of comfort, when he manifests his presence; and hence their bitter complainings and cryings after him, where he seems to absent himself and hide his face: yet this Text hath a truth in it, in reference to the inward and spiritual, as well as the outward and providential dealings of God, that sometimes, He goeth by us, and we see him not; he passeth on also, and we perceive him not.

I meet with a grosse exposition of this text given by some Papists. No man (saith one of them) can know whether God dwell or abide in him or no. And Bellarmine in his 5th book, and 5th Chapter concerning justification citeth it to prove, That a believer cannot know that he is justified, but must believe blinde-fold, or take the