The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ

2. The second way of trial is by the manner of the Souls first closing with Christ: there is a great difference between saints and hypocrites in their first venturing upon Christ: though there be a similitude, yet there is also a dissimilitude: some persons indeed through negligence, lose the distinct remembrance of this, which occasions much darkness afterwards, but a false heart does not experience such things in his first receiving of the Gospel as a sincere heart does: there are some things that are common to one and to another, but there are other things that are peculiar to the people of God: if the manner of their closing were the same, their Faith would be the same: the manner of closing is such as doth distinguish them, and take it up in such particulars:

2. The second way of trial is by the manner of the Souls first closing with Christ: there is a great difference between saints and hipocrites in their first venturing upon Christ: though there be a similitude, yet there is also a dissimilitude: some persons indeed through negligence, lose the distinct remembrance of this, which occasions much darkness afterwards, but a false heart does not experience such things in his first receiving of the Gospel as a sincere heart does: there are some things that are common to one and to another, but there are other things that are peculiar to the people of God: if the manner of their closing were the same, their Faith would be the same: the manner of closing is such as doth distinguish them, and take it up in such particulars:

1. The soul is assured of the truth of the Gospel by the spirit of God: before the Soul was full of ⟨p. 218⟩doubts and questions, but when he closes with Christ he is assured of the truth of the Gospel: the reason that men do not entertain the truth of the Gospel is because they are not assured of the truth of it, when they believe the truth of it, then it works effectually up on them, 1 Thess. 2.13