The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

First then, here you have a clear locking-glass, wherein you ⟨p. 58⟩may be able to judge of the faces, of the state and temper of your souls. I beseech you consider it well, and the Lord set it home upon your hearts; either you have Christ in you, or you have him not in you: If Christ be in you, then you have this imperfect death of sin, and life of righteousness; but if you have not this, then Christ is not in you. Be exhorted therefore I beseech you to try your selves by this touchstone.

First then, here you have a cleer locking-glasse, wherein you ⟨p. 58⟩may be able to judge of the faces, of the state and temper of your souls. I beseech you consider it well, and the Lord set it home upon your hearts; either you have Christ in you, or you have him not in you: If Christ be in you, then you have this imperfect death of sin, and life of righteousnesse; but if you have not this, then Christ is not in you. Be exhorted therefore I beseech you to try your selves by this touchstone.

But some will say, How shall I be able to know, whether I have this same death of sin, and life of righteousness in me yea or no? This is shown already; yet to help you more particularly, I will show you how you may judge of that imperfect death of sin, and life of righteousness, which is to be found in us in this world. And first for the death of sin, you must know that there is a great deal of difference, between the restraint or the sleep of sin, and this death of sin. Many people deceive themselves with taking the restraining or sleep of sin, for the death of sin; And indeed many times a sin that is restrained or asleep, may appear to others, and to a mans self, to be more dead then a sin that is dead indeed. For this same death of sin, that is to be in all those that have Christ in them, is not (as I said before) an utter destruction, a plenary and full abolishment of sin; but it is only a weakening, a lessening, and diminishing thereof. Now a sin that is only weakened, and yet stirreth, may be more manifest then a sin that is restrained or asleep, and stirreth not for the present. One that is shut up in a prison cannot do so much in the street, as a weak and dying man that is in the streets: and one that is asleep cannot do so much as a weak and dying man that is not asleep: Even thus many times sin, so long as the sit of restraint, or sleep lasteth, doth not manifest it self so much as when it is dead with this imperfect death, for then it is only weakened and lessened in the strength of it. Therefore I say, it concerneth us much to know the difference: And I conceive you may know it by the effects of the death of sin; which are these: