Chap. XIV. Of being in the Faith, or turning Reprobate.

SAInt Paul saith, 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your selves, whether ye be in the faith, prove your selves; know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be Reprobates? Now in the Apostle's time there was a twofold way of Christ's being in the Churches; for Christ said to his Disciples, The Spirit that dwelleth with you, shall be in you, John 14.17. because, unto them was given the Holy Ghost to be in them, which Page  57afterward also was but with the Churches. But Christ in every true Believer, must be so in them, as to have the ruling-power in their hearts and affections, in that their wills must be brought into subjection unto Christ, by a com∣plying frame of spirit to his will. And thus Christ dwells in every true Believer: For, who∣soever is in Christ, in them is required a mind agreeable to the will of Christ, that he thereby may rule in the heart. Now the Corinthians having embraced the faith, in yielding their consent to be obedient unto Christ, and had al∣so received the Spirit; of whom St. Paul after∣ward heard of their disorderly walking; there∣fore he writes to them to examine themselves whether they were in the faith, and to prove themselves, whether Christ were still thus in them, or not; for if Christ were not thus in them, then they had rebelled from their sub∣jection unto him, and thereby grieved the Spi∣rit of God, and so become Reprobates: But those that had never yielded their obedience to God, or Christ, cannot properly be said to be Rebels, or Reprobates, because they did never own themselves as servants to them; but did all along yield themselves servants to sin, for which they shall receive their punishment, tho' not as Rebels or Reprobates. But Israel, whom God had taken into Covenant with himself, they likewise were termed Reprobates for their wil∣ful disobedience; for which they were rejected of God, Jer. 6.28,30. They are all grievous Page  58revolters, walking with slanders: they are Brass and Iron: they are all corrupters. Reprobate Silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them. Now, tho' the Lord saith, The Spirit, like the Wind, bloweth where it listeth, but it listeth not to blow on them by whom it is grieved; and therefore Israel was rejected. Now some of them of Corinth were fallen into great iniquity, and also had spoken evil of St. Paul, and some other Disciples. Therefore he saith in verse 6. But I trust that ye shall know that we are not Repro∣bates. As much as to say, ye shall know that we have not rebelled from our great Master, and therefore not Reprobates. For it is said, Every one is his servant; To whom they yield themselves to obey, his servants they are to whom they obey, whe∣ther of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righte∣ousness, Rom. 6.16.