Asser. 4. What ever objections, Crisp, Saltmarsh, Town, and others, have to prove, that all the marks of sincerity, love, universal obedience, agree to hypocrites, and so can be no certain evidences of our faith, and assured interest in Christ; are 1. such as Papists bring to prove, None can have undoubted assurance they are in the state of grace. 2. The arguments that prove these marks may be counterfeit, because they may be such in hypocrites. We conclude also, that the Faith of the Saints, and their bro•d Seal, and immediate Testimony of the Spirit, may be in hypocrites? A white Devil, and a noon-day Angel, may interpose himself in a bastard voice, counterfeiting the tongue of the immediate speaking-Spirits, and the faith of the Elect; and there can be nothing that Saints can rejoice in, no work of grace in themselves, by the in-dwelling Spirit, and Christ may as well dwell in the heart of an hypocrite by faith, as of a Saint, contrary to Eph. 3.17. Hypocrites may be filled with all the fullness of sGod, as the Saints, and have the seed of God remaining in them. The anointing abiding in them, which teacheth them all things, and need not any to teach them. tAnd the Holy Spirit in them, and abiding with them. uThe Father and the Son making their abode with them. xA new heart in the midst of them, and the stony heart removed. yA circumcised heart, zthe law in their inward parts. All these are as doubtful and litigious evidences of interest in Christ, and the counterfeits of these in hypocrites; as universal obedience, sincerity, love to the brethren, ⟨p. 87⟩and any inherent qualifications that are in believers; for saith aCrisp, All these may be in hypocrites. But its true, there is not a living man, or beast, or bird in nature, but a painter can counterfeit the like by Art; nor a rose, or flower in the garden, but there a is wild flower and rose in the mountains like it. The Devil is an exact painter, But this will not prove, but that he that hath a new heart, and the anointing dwelling in him, and inherent qualifications of the Spirit of Christ, knoweth with a full persuasion, that these are not counterfeits, or such as may be in hypocrites; nor doth it follow, as Papists and Antinomians argue, a mad man, or a sleeping man, knoweth not that he is mad or sleeping;
Asser. 4. What ever objections, Crisp, Saltmarsh, Towne, and others, have to prove, that all the marks of sincerity, love, universal obedience, agree to hypocrites, and so can be no certain evidences of our faith, and assured interest in Christ; are 1. such as Papists bring to prove, None can have undoubted assurance they are in the state of grace. 2. The arguments that prove these marks may be counterfeit, because they may be such in hypocrits. We conclude also, that the Faith of the Saints, and their bro•d Seale, and immediate Testimony of the Spirit, may be in hypocrits? A white Devill, and a noone-day Angel, may interpose himselfe in a bastard voice, counterfeiting the tongue of the immediate speaking-Spirits, and the faith of the Elect; and there can be nothing that Saints can rejoyce in, no worke of grace in themselves, by the in-dwelling Spirit, and Christ may as well dwell in the heart of an hypocrite by faith, as of a Saint, contrary to Eph. 3.17. Hypocrites may be filled with all the fulnesse of sGod, as the Saints, and have the seed of God remaining in them. The annointing abiding in them, which teacheth them all things, and need not any to teach them. tAnd the Holy Spirit in them, and abiding with them. uThe Father and the Sonne making their abode with them. xA new heart in the midst of them, and the stony heart removed. yA circumcised heart, zthe law in their inward parts. All these are as doubtfull and litigious evidendences of interest in Christ, and the counterfeits of these in hypocrits; as universall obedience, sinceritie, love to the brethren, ⟨p. 87⟩and any inherent qualifications that are in beleevers; for saith aCrispe, All these may be in hypocrits. But its true, there is not a living man, or beast, or bird in nature, but a painter can counterfeit the like by Art; nor a rose, or flower in the garden, but there a is wild flower and rose in the mountaines like it. The Devill is an exact painter, But this wil not prove, but that he that hath a new heart, and the annointing dwelling in him, and inherent quallifications of the Spirit of Christ, knoweth with a full perswasion, that these are not counterfeits, or such as may be in hypocrits; nor doth it follow, as Papists and Antinomians argue, a mad man, or a sleeping man, knoweth not that he is mad or sleeping;
- sEph. 3.9.
- t1 Joh. •.9.1 Ioh. •.9.
- u1 Joh. 2.27.1 Ioh. 2.27.
- xJoh. 14.16.17.Ioh. 14.16.17.
- yJoh. 14.23.Ioh. 14.23.
- zEzech. 36.26 27. D•ut. 30.6 Jer. 31.33.34Ez•ch. 36.26 27. D•ut. 30.6 Ier. 31.33.34
- aCrispe vol. 2. ser. 15.
