The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

If you say, experiences of others are not a safe rule to go by, ¹they may be deceitful, and the men deceitful.

1. 1[Greek or Hebrew] Hippoc. Aph. 1.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Hippoc. Aph. 1.

I grant what you say, therefore I shall not give you bare experiences, but their grounds; weigh those, and if they be not sound, I shall be thankful to those who will undeceive me.

First, They had this testimony in themselves, Conscience bearing them witness, that they were willing to give up themselves to the working of Gods good Spirit; let him do what he would with them, only make them sound; they did not balk any legal workings, because bitter, sad, uncomfortable, would spoil their sport, hinder their mirth; yea, so far from this, that they did follow God many years, seeking of him to open sin unto them, and make them taste the gall and wormwood; so that sin might be made bitter to them, Christ excellent and precious, and their hearts thereby separated from those sins by which they had offended: this frame for several years proved to be true.

First, They had this testimony in themselves, Conscience bearing them witness, that they were willing to give up themselves to the working of Gods good Spirit; let him do what he would with them, only make them sound; they did not bawk any legal workings, because bitter, sad, uncomfortable, would spoil their sport, hinder their mirth; yea, so far from this, that they did follow God many years, seeking of him to open sin unto them, and make them taste the gall and wormwood; so that sin might be made bitter to them, Christ excellent and precious, and their hearts thereby separated from those sins by which they had offended: this frame for several years proved to be true.