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

Object. But my duty is terminated in my examination, proving of my self, whether I conclude or not.

Answ. That is not true; you have not proved your self, till you have concluded: What are you? Are you a believer or not? Are you in Christ or not? or is he in you, which is all one? This you must know and prove, this you are bound to, which must be by concluding upon your examination: for then hath a man performed his duty in examination, when he comes to the end of his examination: you are to examine and prove your selves to this end, to see whether you are not in the Faith, Christ in you, that you are called and chosen; now you have performed your duty, and not till now: We will suppose (as no doubt but there were such amongst them) there were some unbelievers and Christless persons amongst the Corinthians, they were bound also to examine and prove ⟨p. 291⟩themselves: now if these did not upon examination and proving themselves, conclude themselves to be unbelievers, and out of Christ, and now look out for sound faith, and interest in Christ, these persons did not answer their duty, nor perform what the exhortation called for, though they did examine: so on the other side, nor did the true believer answer his duty, till he concluded he was in the Faith, and Christ in him, that he was called and chosen.

Thirdly, If Christians ought not to conclude their state, according to the Question, then examination were a vain thing, and Christians called, and bound to that which is but a vain duty, for there is nothing comes of it. God hath given man a rational Soul, set up his candle and light within him, made able to reflect upon it self, try and know what is in himself, it is able to draw Conclusions from Premises: hence when the Lord sets him upon examination, he sets him about a rational work, to which he hath fitted and enabled him. If by it he be able to see the Minor proposition, convinced so as he dare not deny, but such a work of faith (if this be true faith which you have opened, as I am sure it is) I do feel in me, why then is he not as able, and ought he not to infer the Conclusion, and so perform the duty of examination, which is very profitable, and not vain as those Christians make it, who can come to the Minor proposition, and cannot deny it, yet wave the Conclusion; when as examination respects the Conclusion, and hath not its scope and aim till it determines there.