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Show the union betwixt him and them; yet he is no way obliged not to ma"e them in this life, jmart for_ their tra nfgreilions. Add to this that he hath a liberty to make tri al oft heir fa ith and patience, &c. Hence it i• that the fame Child of God that one time can, by and by or hereaft er ( poilibly) cannot fay, My Beloved if mine ~nd 1 am bU. BLJ.t (thirdly) Every truly believing SoHl, and that at aU times, hath a right to f ay fo. T he reafon is becaufe it is fo, evrry one may lj,eak the tr ut h, and glory in what is, though he may not glory in what is nor. Now it is certain concerning every true believer, he i1 Chri{ft ,and Chri{l i1 hif ; for faith is that grace by which the Soul is unaed un to Chrit\. This knowledg, this comfortable relletl:ion;is the light and joy of the Soul: now, faith the Pfalmifl, light i1 fo"'n for tbi righteout, and joy for the upright in heart, Pfai. 97·I I. Every r;gbteouJ man,every upright man, doth not reap light and joy; he is a child of light , but he may walk, in dari<,nejt, and fee no light; he hath a r<afon of joy, but yet he may at prcfent be in heavimfr, great heaviwfr through many a_fJiiCJions, temptationr, defertiOitt; but he can never be in fuch a !late, but he hath a right to fay,my Beloved i; mine, and I .am hi< : He hath a right to fay fo, becaufe it it fo. He that believeth 'is paffed from death to life, he hath an i~.u!«,, a righr;apriviledgtobecalledthe Son ofGod, ] ob.1. v. I2. Fourthly, Many of the Children of God have attained to this, and more may attai11 it; it is a thing attainable in this life by a truly believing S'Ottl : This the Church of Rome denietb, The Rhemi/ fJ call this a faith of Devils. The coun<il of Trent, calls it a vain prrfwajim, and remote from aU true piety. Bellarmine tells us that it cannot be had without a{pecial revelatio~; we affirm it, and that upon the evidence of Scripture, reafon and experience, which is all the evidence can be had of any thing. I. I lhall make it evid ent from Scripture. I· from the plain a[{trttont of Script>tre, Rom. 8. I 5· you have received the Spirit of Adoption, whmby rre 'cry Abba Father : 'Ibe fame Spir;: beareth witn<fJ with o11r Spirits, that we are the children of God; bov. ll,all we fay Abba Father, if we cannot know we are the children of God ? how doth the Spirit "'itnefr if we be not capab[e of its teflimooy ? the fame Apoftle faith, we have nor received the Spirit •f bondage again to fear : and 1 Job, 4· 18. where no fear is there is love made perfei1, 1 Cor. 2, 9, I o, I 1, 1 z. Eyt hatb not .fim, >tor bath ear heard, neither hath it mmd into the heart ofmJn, tbe Believers »Ja) attain to affim:nce. thtthingr which God bath prepartdfor tbcm that love hint. Bnt God hath reve•led them -unto 111 by bit Spirit;{or the Spirit j earcbeth all tbingr ,yea tlu deep thingr of' God; for :vbat rnani{noweth the thmgs of a manJar'e the Spirit of a man which it in bim.?even fo the thrngr of God i(}ro"'"" no man, but tke Spirit of God. Now we have received not tbe Spirit of tbe world, but the Spirit wbich iJ of God : Tb# we might ~now tbe tbingt tbat are freely given nt of God. 1. The Scripture plainly afferts that God hath prepared inconceivable good for thofe that love God. 2. Tbat nolle Jtnowr thefe things originall y, but the Spirit ot God. 3. 'That bdieverJ have rmived this Spirit of God. 4· That they have therefore received it, that tbey might i(irow tlu thing/ which are freely given them of God. Hence it is mJnitet\ that tbefe thingr may be ~nown, and that by every believer, for ev ery believer hath received this Spirit of. God. Secondly,The promifes of Scripture make it as evident. l will not in fiance in all, take only rwq,PJal.so-23.----'Io him that ordereth biJ converJ.tion aright, I will ]hew the Salvation of God; not only' l will fave him,but I will {hew him my Salvation. I will not only {ave him, but he lhall ·know that I will {ave him.I "'iUjhewbim my Salvation. The other Oiall be that,J,b. 14.2 I .H• that lovrth me jh;ll beloved of my F atbfr,a11d I will love him, and wiU manifi(f TIIY ]elf unto him:ma1k not only ,I willl,ve him; but I wiU manifijl my [elf unto him. To this 1n,ight be added that If. p. 17. A11d the work,_ofrigbteou[nefijhaU be eeacr, a lid the effdl of righteoufne[s, quietm[s and affurance fo• ever. Hence j'OJ and peace · are made the fruits o( the Spirit, Gaj. 5• 22, and p.ace with God,the fruit of juflilication, Rom, 5· '' Thirdly, Con(ider the Scripture-ex•mplet and pre!idents of ir, it !hall be fullident to name fomc.of them. Take that of 'fob. 1 9• 15. Ikno,.,tbat my Redeemer liveth.---·v. 26. Inmyflejhi{haUfee ·God,wbom IjhaUf" for my [elf; aud mine eyes 01all behold, he did not only know that there was a Redeemer and be alive, but that he was his Redeemer, that hejhould fee him with thofe eyu, and for himfelf. Take the in fiance of Peter, Joh. 2 I. Lord,thou that i<_now< 11 all thingr,i<,now<ft that I love thee; he knew he loved Chrifl, and he challeogeth Chrifl as confcious of this love in his difciples heart · toward him: finally take the famous and knowninfianceofSaint Pau~ Rom. S. 38,39. For I am perf waded, that neit/mdeath llott life, &c. Olill be able tofeparateur from the Lqve o[God, which it in 1tJiu Chrift our Lord. And again, where he fpeaketh not only on bis own behalf, but on the behalf of believers, 2 Cor. 5· I. F o• N n n we |