Fourthly, The Christian upon trial and examination answers to the question, as he considers the work of faith in its causes, or essence, a priori, and so commonly when you examine, is it not thus? you open the nature and essence of faith to him, and he viewing of his own heart, ⟨p. 278⟩[…] ⟨p. 279⟩[…] ⟨p. 280⟩[…] ⟨p. 281⟩[…] ⟨p. 282⟩tells you, if I know any thing of my own heart, I have thus received, I do thus cleave to Christ, rest and roll my Soul upon him, for all benefits of communion, and execution of all his Offices; but for the experiencing of these in my heart I cannot: I have looked and longed to find Christ ruling like a King in me, and acting like a Prophet in me, and so as a Priest for me: Now the want of these experiences shake his assent which he gave before, while he considers faith in the causes. Certainly, saith the Soul, if I had rightly received him, did I truly cleave and trust to him, I should experience the virtues of his Offices, as well as the woman found virtue flowing from him when she touched the hem of his garment, Matth. 9.20. Now if the want of these make him almost to eat his words, the assent he gave before, though still the Soul would hold that, for saith the man, were I to begin the work now again, that a new I were to believe in Christ, I could not tell how I should receive him, adhere to him, roll upon him otherwise than I do, and have done already [note this Christian and hold it] so that it will not wholly let it go, but hold it; yet if the want can so shatter his assent to the minor Proposition, to be sure the want of these experiences will trouble him so, that he dare not assent to the Conclusion: A man must have experience of Christ before he can say, Christ is mine.
Fourthly, The Christian upon tryal and examination answers to the question, as he considers the work of faith in its causes, or essence, a priori, and so commonly when you examine, is it not thus? you open the nature and essence of faith to him, and he viewing of his own heart, ⟨p. 278⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 279⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 280⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 281⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 282⟩tells you, if I know any thing of my own heart, I have thus received, I do thus cleave to Christ, rest and roul my Soul upon him, for all benefits of communion, and execution of all his Offices; but for the experiencing of these in my heart I cannot: I have looked and longed to find Christ ruling like a King in me, and acting like a Prophet in me, and so as a Priest for me: Now the want of these experiences shake his assent which he gave before, while he considers faith in the causes. Certainly, saith the Soul, if I had rightly received him, did I truly cleave and trust to him, I should experience the vertues of his Offices, as well as the woman found vertue flowing from him when she touched the hem of his garment, Matth. 9.20. Now if the want of these make him almost to eat his words, the assent he gave before, though still the Soul would hold that, for saith the man, were I to begin the work now again, that a new I were to believe in Christ, I could not tell how I should receive him, adhere to him, roul upon him otherwise than I do, and have done already [note this Christian and hold it] so that it will not wholly let it go, but hold it; yet if the want can so shatter his assent to the minor Proposition, to be sure the want of these experiences will trouble him so, that he dare not assent to the Conclusion: A man must have experience of Christ before he can say, Christ is mine.
