The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

and that therefore he that knows himself sanctified, may also know thereby that he is justified: Tell me how will you know that you are justified? You will say, by the testimony of the spirit; and cannot the same spirit shine upon your graces and witness that you are sanctified as well? 1 Joh 4.13, 24. 1 Cor. 2.12. Can the Spirit make the one clear to you, and not the other?

and that therefore he that knowes himselfe sanctified, may also know thereby that he is justified: Tell me how will you know that you are justified? You will say, by the testimony of the spirit; and cannot the same spirit shine upon your graces and witnesse that you are sanctified as well? 1 Ioh 4.13, 24. 1 Cor. 2.12. Can the Spirit make the one cleare to you, and not the other?

Oh beloved its a sad thing to hear such questions and such cold answers, also that sanctification possibly may be an evidence; may be? is it not certain? Assuredly, to deny it is as bad as to affirm that Gods own promises of favour are true evidences thereof, and consequently, that they are lies and untruths; for search the Scripture, and consider sadly, how many Evangelical promises are made unto several graces, i. e. ⟨p. 297⟩unto such persons as are invested with them; you may only take a taste from Mat. 5.3, 4, &c. where our Saviour (who was no legal Preacher) pronounceth, and consequently evidenceth blessedness by eight or nine promises, expressly made to such persons as had inherent graces of poverty, mourning, meekness, &c. there mentioned; the Lord Jesus leaving those precious Legacies of his promises unto his children that are called by those names of Mourners, poor in spirit, pure in heart, &c. that so every one may take, and be assured of his portion manifested particularly therein: That I many times wonder how it comes to pass, that this so plain and ancient principle of Catechism (for so it was among the Waldenses many 100, years since) grounded on so many pregnant Scriptures, should come to be so much as questioned in our days; sometimes I think it ariseth from some wretched lusts men have a mind to live quietly in; desirous to keep their peace, and yet unwilling to forsake their lusts; and hence they exclude this witness of water, the witness of sanctification to testify in the Court of conscience, whether they are beloved of God and sincere hearted or no, because this is a full witness against them, and tells them to their faces, that there is no peace to the wicked,