The nature of saving conversion, and the way

GODLINESS is a thing of great concernment. The acceptance of services, the hearing of prayers, and the salvation of the soul doth depend upon it. And because it is of such moment, the comfort of men doth much depend upon the knowledge of it. But there is a great deal of darkness in the minds of men about it. ⟨p. 108⟩Many times godly men have scruples, and sometimes great fears, that they are not godly: They often set in judgment on themselves, and are at a loss what sentence to pronounce. And some ungodly men have great hopes that they are in a good estate, and steal comfort that do not belong to them. Some cannot see their way to condemn themselves, and some give judgment for themselves. But the Apostle doth here direct the one sort and the other in the determination of their condition. First, he tells us how a godly man may know his godliness: He that sees the workings of the grace of love in himself; he that sees more or fewer actings of that grace, may conclude for himself, that he is born of God, hath had a work of regeneration, the gospel has had a saving efficacy on his heart, he has the spiritual knowledge of God, his eyes have been opened to see the glory of God. Secondly, he tells us how hypocrites may know their hypocrisy: He that loveth not, that liveth in the omission of love, that hath nothing of the working of that spirit, that lives in the neglect of it, hath not the spiritual knowledge of God; whatever pretences he makes, this casts the case against him. The like we may say with respect to every other grace: He that believeth on Jesus Christ, that loveth God, that has godly sorrow, is born of God: But he that doth not believe in Christ, that loveth not God, that hath not godly sorrow, knoweth not God, whatever professions he maketh