3. It is by Intuition or seeing of grace in their own hearts. It is by consciousness; as Peter knew his love to Christ, when he says, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee, Joh. 11.17. And as David knew his love to God; Psal. 116.1. I love the Lord, And as Job knew his repentance; Job. 42.6. I abhor my self in dust and ashes. And as Paul knew that he knew Christ; 1 Tim. 1.12. I know whom I have believed. There is a reflecting power in man: As he can look out and see external objects, so he can look in, and see his own actions. In this manner saints know the corrupt workings of their own hearts: They know their pride, and worldliness, and ⟨p. 86⟩frowardness, and unbelief; so they know their grace. In this manner they know their natural actions; they know that they think, and what they think about; they know the acts of their Wills, what they choose, and what they refuse; and the acts of their Affections; they know that they love their children; that they desire meat and drink; that they are afraid of pain and death; that they rejoice in their good things: So, they may have the knowledge by intuition, that they know God and Christ; that they receive the gospel; that they love God and the saints; that they are sorry for their sins. A godly man understanding what it is to love God and to repent, tho' he cannot give an exact definition of them, yet may be able by his observation to know that he doth so; and may be as able to say, that he loves God, and believes in Christ, as to say, he has pride and worldliness in his own heart. There may indeed be something of more difficulty in it, because many actings of grace are low and weak; on that account it may be hard to see it; as it is hard to see the motion of water in a river, when it moves very slowly; and upon that account, because grace is much counterfeited; and there be many actings that do look like the actings of grace that are not so: But sometimes grace works so powerfully, that it is very visible; and men are able to distinguish between ⟨p. 87⟩grace and the resemblances of it, and be satisfied understandingly: 1 Chron. 29.17. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart, I willingly offered all these things.
3. It is by Intuition or seeing of grace in their own hearts. It is by consciousness; as Peter knew his love to Christ, when he says, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee, Joh. 11.17. And as David knew his love to God; Psal. 116.1. I love the Lord, And as Job knew his repentance; Job. 42.6. I abhor my self in dust and ashes. And as Paul knew that he knew Christ; 1 Tim. 1.12. I know whom I have believed. There is a reflecting power in man: As he can look out and see external objects, so he can look in, and see his own actions. In this manner saints know the corrupt workings of their own hearts: They know their pride, and worldliness, and ⟨p. 86⟩frowardness, and unbelief; so they know their grace. In this manner they know their natural actions; they know that they think, and what they think about; they know the acts of their Wills, what they chuse, and what they refuse; and the acts of their Affections; they know that they love their children; that they desire meat and drink; that they are afraid of pain and death; that they rejoyce in their good things: So, they may have the knowledge by intuition, that they know God and Christ; that they receive the gospel; that they love God and the saints; that they are sorry for their sins. A godly man understanding what it is to love God and to repent, tho' he cannot give an exact definition of them, yet may be able by his observation to know that he doth so; and may be as able to say, that he loves God, and believes in Christ, as to say, he has pride and worldliness in his own heart. There may indeed be something of more difficulty in it, because many actings of grace are low and weak; on that account it may be hard to see it; as it is hard to see the motion of water in a river, when it moves very slowly; and upon that account, because grace is much counterfeited; and there be many actings that do look like the actings of grace that are not so: But sometimes grace works so powerfully, that it is very visible; and men are able to distinguish between ⟨p. 87⟩grace and the resemblances of it, and be satisfyed understandingly: 1 Chron. 29.17. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart, I willingly offered all these things.
