A little cabinet richly stored with all sorts of heavenly varieties, and soul-reviving influences.: Wherein there is a remedy for every malady, viz. milk for babes, and meat for strong men, and the ready way for both to obtain and retain assurance of salvation: being an abridgement of the sum and substance of the true Christian religion; wherein the cause of our salvation, the way, the guide, the rule, the evidence, the seals, &c. and the connection of these points together, and dependancy of them one upon another: this I have endeavoured to do orderly, exactly, methodically, with much plainness and clearness. / By Robert Purnell.

Of the Tryals of our love to the brethren.

THere is a two-fold tryal or evidence of our love to the Lords people, the one more in∣ternal, the other ext••rnal. ••••••st, of the first, of the inward evidences. We ••••ad •• J••hn 3. 14. By this we know we have passed from death to life, be∣cause we love the Brethr••n. Now ••••r unfeign∣ed love to them will appear by these ensuing things.

1. If I would know whether I love the Brethren▪ Let me exam•••••• what my thoughts are of them, love thinketh no evil, 1 Cor. 13. 4, 5. Now I can

certainly tell what I do think of another, although I cannot tell what he doth think of me. So, though I cannot certainly, and infallibly tell whether ano∣ther loves me, yet I can certainly tell whether I love him or no; his love to me is in his heart, which I know not; my love to him is in my heart, which I know, and no creature else.

2. If I would indeed know if I love the brethren, let me examine how I do stand affected to them, in sympathizing with them when they be in misery, Heb. 13. 3. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity, as being your selves also in the body.

3. When we are at distance from them, what de∣sires have we after them, Phil. 1. 8. God is my re∣cord, how greatly I long after y•••• all, in the bowels of Jesus Christ. Now why doth Paul call God to record? to prove the truth of his love to these Saints, but because this love in his heart, was known to none but to God and himself.

4. What delight do we take in their company; we are often in the company of those that we take no delight in: Now do we indeed delight in the society of the Saints: then we love them, Psalm 16. 3, &c.

In a word, such things as we love, we keep with care, possess with joy, and loose with grief: so much of the inward tryals of our love to the Saints.

Next of the external tryals of this love, by which we may know, that others do love us, and by which they may know that we love them.

But these evidences are not so infallible as the

other, we read John 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye have love one to a∣nother: and how doth our love unto another appear, but in these or the like things, viz.

1. He that doth love his brother, will be apt to reprove him when he doth ill, and praise him when he doth well; a friend can bear a sharp reproof from a friend, &c.

2. Another evidence of love is this, we acquaint those whom we love with our miseries, lay open our griefs, and account it some ease to discharge some of our sorrows into their bosoms; their advice we ask, and from them we look for assistance, 2 Cor. 8. 3.

3. Where love is in the heart, it will appear in the tongue, 1 Cor. 13. Love is kind, but there is a great deal of verbal and complementary love with men, forbidden in the Scriptures of truth, saying, love not in word and tongue, but in deed and in truth.

4. Another Character of love is this, when thou hast some injuries offered thee, thou wilt not soon be angry, 1 Cor. 13. 4. love suffereth long.

5. Where there is love unto another, there will be endeavours to do good unto another; not only to the body, but also to the soul; they will be apt to say, as the woman of Samaria did to her neighbours, when she had found Christ her self, she cals them to him, John 4. 29. Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Christ? Or as David, Psal. 66. 16. I will tell you what God hath done for my soul.