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The trial of assurance, set forth in a sermonThe tryal of assurance, set forth in a sermon
The trial of assurance, set forth in a sermon; preached at Boston upon a lecture day. July 7th. 1698. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of the church in Northampton. ; [Two lines from 2 Peter]The tryal of assurance, set forth in a sermon; preached at Boston upon a lecture day. July 7th. 1698. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of the church in Northampton. ; [Two lines from 2 Peter]
printed by B. Green, 1698
The TRIAL of Assurance. › Application 2: USE. II.The TRYAL of Assurance. › Application 2: USE. II.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
USE. II.
Others cannot be certain of a mans sincerity from his Conversation: if •thers see men carry well, they presently say, they are good men: but they don't know it from thence; there is indeed ground enough for Charity; but not for Assurance: for whatever mens Conversation be, if they don't see the actings of Grace, they cannot be assured that the man is a Godly man. It is not good to depend upon the judgment of others, for they do not know, whether a man be sincere or not. All the external acts of Charity, Piety, Justice and Sobriety, may be performed by a man that has no Grace; Prudence and Conscience may produce them all: and one that has no Grace may carry as well in the eye of the world, as he that has it▪ Peter does but suppose Silvanus to be faithful. 1 Pet. 5.12.
Consider 1. The inward actings of Grace are invisible to others. A man may look into his own heart, and see the actings and workings that are there; but he can't look into the hearts of others; men can't tell what actings there be ⟨p. 14⟩in their understandings and wills: men can't see when they act, nor what they act, nor what they act upon; nor how they act: men can't tell whether they choose or refuse. Jer. 17.9. The heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it?
Consider 1. The inward actings of Grace are invisible to others. A man may look into his own heart, and see the actings and workings that are there; but he can't look into the hearts of others; men can't tell what actings there be