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

3. The soul is assured at this time by the Spirit of God, that the Gospel is true: and the messages of salvation certain. The comforter shall convince of righteousness, Joh. 16.10. the Spirit works a principle of faith, and draws it into act: sanctifies the reason and understanding: and discovers the glorious excellency of God, whereby the heart is assured; indeed this assurance cannot arise from any other cause: natural reason will not assure men of this: for the reason of man is miserably corrupted, and cannot see such spiritual things, 1 cor. 2.14. the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Indeed natural reason from Scripture principles, may strongly argue the truth of this way of salvation against the Papist and other ⟨p. 221⟩Heretics; but natural reason can't satisfy men about those scripture principles: yea though natural reason be enlightened by a common work of the Spirit, so as to be greatly affected with the Gospel for a time, yet it cannot assure a man of the truth of it, neither is it possible for Satan to work any such assurance in men: men are sometimes afraid whether the discovery they have had were not the delusions of the Devil: but though the Devil may comfort false hearts, and fill them with joy, yet he cannot assure men of the truth of the Gospel: for he can only raise those principles that are in men, and not put a new principle of faith in them; whereby it is that the truth of the Gospel is discerned: neither can the Devil give a discovery to the soul of the glorious nature of God, or excellency of Christ, so as that the heart should trust him, love him, &c. Satan can make no such discoveries to a natural man, as a natural mind is uncapable of receiving, so that this assurance is the peculiar work of the Spirit.

3. The soul is assured at this time by the Spirit of God, that the Gospel is true: and the messages of salvation certain. The comforter shall convince of righteousness, Joh. 16.10. the Spirit works a principle of faith, and draws it into act: sanctifies the reason and understanding: and discovers the glorious excellency of God, whereby the heart is assured; indeed this assurance cannot arise from any other cause: natural reason will not assure men of this: for the reason of man is miserably corrupted, and cannot see such spiritual things, 1 cor. 2.14. the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Indeed natural reason from Scripture principles, may strongly argue the truth of this way of salvation against the Papist and other