The sound believer. A treatise of evangelical conversion. Discovering the work of Christ's spirit,…

I confess thus the Popish Doctors argue against Assurance of Faith from the Scriptures without special and extraordinary Revelation; but what is all this to the Purpose if the Scripture make it an Evidence? Away then with thy corrupt Experience, shall this be judge, or the Scriptures rather? What tho' many judging of themselves by Marks and Signs have been deceived; yet if the Scripture make it an Evidence, (as we have proved) then, tho' Men through' their own Weakness or Wickedness have been deceived in misapplying Promises; yet the Scriptures cannot deceive you: What tho' it be difficult to discern Christ's Grace in us; yet if the Scriptures will have us try our Estates by that Rule, which in it self is easy, but to our Blindness and Weakness, difficult many Times to see; who shall, who dares condemn the holy Scriptures? Which as they shall judge us at the last Day, should judge us now. Suppose that divers Books, and many Ministers sometimes give false Signs of Grace and God's Favour, yet doth the Scripture give any? I shall propose one Thing to Conscience, as the Conclusion of this Discourse: Suppose thou wert now lying upon thy Death-bed, comforting thy self in thy elected and justified Estate, suppose the Spirit of God should now grapple with thy Conscience, and tell thee, if thou art justified, then thou art called and sanctified, 2 Thes. 2.13, 14. Is it thus with thee? What wilt thou answer? If thou sayest thou art not sanctified, the Word and Spirit will bear Witness then against thee, and say, then thou art not elected nor justified; if thou sayest thou knowest not, thou lookest not to Sanctification, or Fruits of the Spirit, they will then ••ply, How then canst thou say that thou art elected or justified? For it is a Truth as clear ⟨p. 226⟩as the Sun, and as immovable as Heaven and Earth, none are elected and justified, but they are also sanctified, and they that are not sanctified are not justified, Rom. 18.1, 13. And now t•ll me, how can you have Peace, unless you make your Faces like Flint before the Face of God's eternal Truth, or heal your Conscience by such a Plaster as will not stick? If therefore the Lord ever made Sin bitter to thee, let Holiness be sweet;

I confess thus the Popish Doctors argue against Assurance of Faith from the Scriptures without special and extraordinary Revelation; but what is all this to the Purpose if the Scripture make it an Evidence? Away then with thy corrupt Experience, shall this be judge, or the Scriptures rather? What tho' many judging of themselves by Marks and Signs have been deceived; yet if the Scripture make it an Evidence, (as we have proved) then, tho' Men thro' their own Weakness or Wickness have been deceived in misapplying Promises; yet the Scriptures cannot deceive you: What tho' it be difficult to discern Christ's Grace in us; yet if the Scriptures will have us try our Estates by that Rule, which in it self is easy, but to our Blindness and Weakness, difficult many Times to see; who shall, who dares condemn the holy Scriptures? Which as they shall judge us at the last Day, should judge us now. Suppose that divers Books, and many Ministers sometimes give false Signs of Grace and God's Favour, yet doth the Scripture give any? I shall propose one Thing to Conscience, as the Conclusion of this Discourse: Suppose thou wert now lying upon thy Death-bed, comforting thy self in thy elected and justified Estate, suppose the Spirit of God should now grapple with thy Conscience, and tell thee, if thou art justified, then thou art called and sanctifed,