SERMON IX.Shewing the Lawfulness and Duty of proceeding by way of Signs, and proving that inherent gracious Qualifications within a man evidence his Justifi∣cation.2 COR. 13. 5.Examine your selves, prove your own selves, &c.WE have laid down several Propositions tending to the clearer Discove∣ry of this truth about Signs or Marks of Grace. I now come to shew The Lawfulnesse, yea the Duty both of Ministers and People to proceed by this method. For although my proper work is onely to speak of the fruits of Grace, as they evidence a principle of Sanctification within, yet I shall in this grasp also that other Question Of evidencing our Justification by inherent graciousInherent gra∣cious Qualifi∣cations within us evidence our Justification.Qualifications within us, this latter being expresly written and preached against; so that by this means godly Christians are plunged into several intanglements of conscience, and know not how to come out. I shall therefore (God assisting) bring Arguments to confirm us in this Duty: onely let us first understand, What the true practical Case and Question is. And first the Question is not, Whether a The Question stated. Christian in his first act of Faith, whereby he closeth with Christ, applieth him, and is engraffed in him, ought to see inherent Qualifications in him, by way of Signs and Evidences? for this is not possible: we must first by faith be implanted in Christ, before there can be any fruits demonstrating this our insition in him. The Apostle John, 1 John 2. 5. maketh the observation of Gods Commandments a sign that we are in Christ, therefore we are in Christ before by faith; and thus in all the Promises, where a Christian loaden with sin is invited to Christ, there is not required a Knowledge or Certainty of what condition he is in, Whether his graces be true or no, but only out of the sense and feeling of his own unwor∣thiness to apprehend Christ It is therefore a falshood to preach thus, Thou maiest not relie upon Christ for Justification, till thou hast certainty and evidence in thy heart, whether grace be truly in thee or no? for the Scripture makes them blessed that hunger and thirst, that mourn, and cals those that are burdened, and they shall have ease, although they may not have certainty of the work of grace at that time. This therefore is diligently to be attended unto, because it cannot be denied but at this Rocke many a tender Christian splits himself.Nor secondly is the Question, Whether a godly man in sad temptations, having no light at all, should then make search for the motions and workings of grace in his soul? for that would breed further fears and uncertainties. The soul in temptations being like the muddied water, where nothing can be clearly represented, and as in the night the imagination is prone to represent nothing but objects of fear and terrors; so is the heart apt to do in those desolations: Hence David in such exi∣gences
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