God a lyar if we say we have not sinned he that says he has no sin he does no sin he does by consequence charge God with falshood who hath frequently told us in that word of grace that can't deceive us that all men are sinners and that they have all gone astray and that they all need pardoning and purging grace and that upon these very accounts he sent his beloved Son to lay down his dearest life Isa 53.3 Rom. 10.23 5.12 c. and to make himself an offering for sin Now from these Scriptures these two things are most evident First that sinful qualities do remain in the most sanctified persons Secondly that these sinful qualities are sometimes very prevalent over the most sanctified persons and therefore I shall answer the objection thus Ans viz. That a true penitential turning from all sin consists in these six things First In the alienation and inward aversation and drawing off of the soul from the love and liking of all sin and from all free and voluntary subjection unto sin the heart being filled with a loathing and detestation of all sin Psal 119.104 128. as that which is most contrary to all goodness and happiness Secondly In the wills detestation and hatred of all sin When the very bent and inclination of the will is set against all sin and opposes and crosses all sin and is set upon the ruin and destruction of all sin then the penitent is turned from all sin Rom. 7.15 19 21 23. Isa 30.20 Thou shalt cast them away as a menstrous cloth thou shalt say unto it get thee hence Hosea 14.8 Ephraim shall say what have I to do any more with Idols When the will stands upon such terms of defiance with all sin as that it will never enter into a league of friendship with any sin then is the soul turned from every sin When the will is set upon avenging it self upon all sin and upon daily endeavours to mortifie and crucifie all sin then is the penitent turned from all his sins when those sins that were once to the will as Dalilah to Sampson are now to the will as Tamar to Amnon then is the soul turned from sin with a witness Thirdly In the judgments turning away from all sin by disapproving disallowing and condemning of it Rom. 7.15 For that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I. O saith the judgment of a Christian sin is the greatest evil in all the world 't is the only thing that God abhors and that brought Jesus Christ to the Cross that damns souls that shuts heaven and that has laid the foundations of hell O it is the pricking thorn in my eye the deadly arrow in my side the two-edged sword that hath wounded my conscience and slain my comforts and separated between God and my soul O it is that which hath hindred my prayers and imbittered my mercies and put a sting into all my crosses and therefore I can't but disapprove of it and disallow of it and condemn it to death yea to hell fâ—om whence it came I thus preach and thus think saith Chrysostom that it is more bitter to sin against Christ than to suffer the torments of hell Plutarch reports of Marcus Cato that he never declared his opinion in any matter in the Senate but he would close it with this passage Methinks still Carthage should be destroyed So when ever a penitent looks upon his sins in his judgment he is still saying Methinks these sins should be destroyed methinks this pride this unbelief this earthly-mindedness this hypocrisie this vain glory c. should be destroyed Fourthly In the purpose and resolution of the soul the soul sincerely purposing and resolving never willingly wilfully or wickedly to transgress any more The true penitent holds up his purposes and resolutions to keep off from sin and to keep closs with God though he be not able in every thing and at all times to make good his purposes and resolutions c. Psal 17.3 I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress The general purpose and resolution of my heart is not to transgress though particular failings may attend me yet my resolutions and purposes are firmly fixt against evil Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked are before me David highly resolves so to bridle and muzzle up his mouth that he would not break out into any impatient or unbeseeming speeches that might give the wicked any advantage to reproach Religion or to blaspheme the holy One of Israel c. Anselme was a man of a holy resolution I had rather saith he go to hell pure from sin than to heaven polluted with that filth And saith another I will rather leap into a bonfire than wilfully to sin against God When Valens the Emperor threatned Basil with imprisonment banishment death Threaten sayes he your Boyes with such fray-bugs and your purple Gallants that give themselves to their pleasures I am resolved neither menaces nor flatteries shall silence me or draw me to betray a good cause or a good conscience c. Fifthly In the earnest and unfeigned desires and careful endeavours of the soul to abandon all sin to forsake all sin to be rid of all sin Rom. 7.22 23. Now where God sees this frame of spirit there he will certainly pardon the failings and pass by the imperfections of his people and he will spare them as a man spareth his son that serveth him Mal. 3.17 Now you know when a prudent tender indulgent father sees his child to fail and come short in that which he enjoyns him to do yet knowing that his desires and endeavours is to please him and serve him he will not be harsh rigid sowre or severe towards him but will spare him and exercise much tenderness and indulgence towards him and will God will God whose mercies reach above the heavens and whose compassions are infinite and whose love is like himself carry it worse towards his children than men do carry it towards theirs surely no. God's fatherly indulgence accepts of the will for the work Heb. 13.18 2 Cor. 8.12 As a father will accept in his child the desire for the deed and if there be a blemish in his child he will pity it and cast a mantle of love over it A sick man is not more desirous to be rid of all his diseases nor a prisoner to be freed from all his bolts and chains than the true penitent is desirous to be rid of all his sins c. Sixthly and lastly In the ordinary declining shunning and avoiding of all known occasions temptations provocations inducements and inticements to sin c. That royal Law 1 Thes 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil is a Law that is very precious in a penitent man's eye See Jude 23.
say I hate every false way but a sincere Christian he hates all sinful wayes but his own first and most 1 Kings 5.18 an upright heart leaves no nest-egg for Satan to sit on but the hypocrite alwayes does Mark in true hatred there are six things observable First True hatred includes an extream detestation every dislike is not hatred but true hatred is an extream loathing Thou shalt cast them away as a menstrous cloth Isa 30.22 thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Chap. 2.20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver and his idols of gold which they made each one for himself to worship to the Moles and to the Bats Their detestation should be so great that they should cast their most costly idols of silver and gold into the most dark nasty dusty corners to testifie the sincerity of their conversion to God they should hate and abhor abandon and abolish their gold and silver idols which they valued above all others Secondly True hatred includes an earnest separation He that hates his sin would fain be separated from his sin 2 Cor. 5.4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burdened A sincere Christian finds no burden to lay so heavy and weighty upon his spirit as sin and therefore he groans to be delivered from it In the Law Deut. 24.3 he that hated his Wife did sue out a bill of divorce from her He that truly hates sin puts in many a bill into the Court of Heaven that he may be for ever divorced from his sin Thirdly True hatred includes an irreconcilable alienation He that hates sin has his heart for ever alienated from sin he who hates sin can never be one with sin Two angry men may be made friends Lawyers often fall out at the Bar but are very well agreed when they meet at the Tavern but if two men hate each other all friendship is everlastingly broken betwixt them A man may be angry with sin and yet made friends with sin again but if once he comes to hate his sin then all friendship with sin is everlastingly broken When Christ and the soul comes to be really one then sin and the soul comes to be everlastingly two c. Fourthly True hatred includes a constant and perpetual conflict the flesh will be still lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal. 5.17 Rom. 7.22 23. Though sin and grace were not born together and though sin and grace shall never die together yet whilst a believer lives in this world they must live together and whilst sin and grace do cohabit together they will still be opposing and conflicting one with another That man that truly hates sin will everlastingly conflict with sin he will die fighting against his sins as one of the Dukes of Venice died fighting against his enemies with his weapons in his hand Well Christians remember this Though to be kept from sin brings most peace and comfort to us yet for us to oppose sin and for God to pardon sin that brings most glory to God 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. Fifthly True hatred includes a deadly intention and destruction for nothing satisfies hatred but death and ruin Saul hated David 1 Sam. 26.19 20. 1 Sam. 23.23 Est 5.14 and sought his life he hunted him up and down as a Partridge in the mountains he left no stone unturn'd nor no means unattempted whereby he might revenge himself upon David Haman hated Mordecai and nothing would satisfie him but to bring him to a shameful death to see him hang'd on a gallows fifty cubits high which was design'd saith Lyra to put Mordecai to the greater shame for he hanging hâ—gh every one might see him and point to him Now when there was but one night betwixt Mordecai and a shameful death divine providence opportunely strook in and saved hâ—m from Haman's malice and caused the mischief which he had plotted against Mordecai suddenly to fall upon his own pate for he who was highly feasted with the King one day 2 Sam. 13.22 28 29 30 31 32 33. was made a feast for crows the next day Absalom hated Amnon and killed him Julian the Apostate hated the Christians with a deadly hatred he put many thousands of them to death and threatned and vowed that at his return from fighting against the Persians he would put all the Christians in his Empire to the sword but God prevented him by cutting him off in that expedition A Christian that hates sin can't be satisfied but in the death and destruction of it in all his duties the language of his soul is Lord let my sins be destroyed whoever escapes let not my sins escape the hand of thy revenging justice And in all Ordinances the language of his soul is O Lord when shall my sins be subdued and mortified when shall my cursed corruptions be brought to an under yea when shall they all be drowned in the Red-Sea of my Saviours bloud c. Sixthly True hatred includes an impartial aversation true hatred is of the whole kind but of this before To wind up all ask thy heart what is it that thou abhorrest as the superlative evil what is that which thou wouldst have separated as far from thee as heaven is from hell what is that thy heart will never renew league or friendship with any more what is that against which thy soul doth rise and with which as Israel with Amalek thou wilt have war for ever Exod. 17.16 what is that which thou wilt be avenged of and daily dost endeavour the mortifying and crucifying of what is that which thou settest thy heart against in the comprehensive latitude thereof whether great or little open or secret if it be sin if it be thy sins if it be all thy sins then assuredly here is a true hatred of sin and assuredly here is a most distinguishing character of a child of God of a sound conversion and of a saving change It was not wont to be thus with thee nor is this findable in any hypocrite Judg. 14.3 7. or in any unconverted person upon the face of the earth 2 Sam. 13.15 sin was once to thee as Dalilah to Sampson but now it is to thee as Tamar to Amnon Job 20.12 13. once it was a sweet morsel which thou heldst fast and wouldst not let it go Isa 30.22 but now it is the menstruous cloth which thou castest away Hos 14.8 saying Get thee hence Now with Ephraim thou cryest out What have I to do any more with Idols O if it be indeed thus with thee then thou hast cause for ever to be much in blessing and in admiring of the Lord for his distinguishing grace and favour towards thee O Sirs the world is full of baits snares and temptations but whilst the hatred of sin burns in your breasts you may cast up your caps and throw the Gantlet to the
to do worse than the Dâ—vils â—â—r they believe and tremble Though the word of the Lord desâ—rves the greatest credit that any mortals can give unto it he being truth it self that hath said it though it had no Oaths nor no Asseverations to be its surety yet God in his infinite condescending love to poor sinners that he may sink the truth of what he saith deeper into the hearts and minds of his people and leave the fairer and fuller print in our assents to the same he sets on the word of Promise with the weight of Asseverations and Oaths yea and to all these he hath annexed his Broad Seal the Lords Supper and the Privy Seal of his Spirit O unreasonable unbelief shall not the Oath of God silence all Disputes A man would never desire of any honest man so much as God hath condescended to for the confirmation of our Faith witness his Promises his Covenant his Oath and his Seals and therefore let us give glory to him by believing and quietly rest upon his faithfulness O Sirs that soul that dares not take his sanctification as an evidence yea as a choice and sure evidence of his interest in Christ and of the Lords precious love to him according to the Promises of his favour and Grace several of which hath been but now under consideration that Soul ought to acknowledg it as his sin yea as his great sin for which he deserves to be smartly rebuked as making God a loud Lyar. O my friends it is a spiritual peevishness and sinful crossness that keeps many good men and women long in a sad dark doubting perplexed and disconsolate condition and certainly 't is no small sin to set light by any work of the blessed Spirit and the joy comfort and peace that we might have by it ah how many are there that fear the Lord who quench grieve vex and provoke the holy Spirit by denying his work and by quarrelling against themselves and the blessed work of the Spirit in them Certainly 't is the duty of every Christian to hear as well what can be said for him as what can be said against him Many poor Psal 77.2 Psal 88. Job 15.11 chap. 16.8 9. weak and yet sincere Chr stians are often apt to be too sowre rigid and bitter against their own souls they love to practise a merciless severity against themselves they do not indifferently impartially consider how the case stands between God and their own souls It is in this case as Solomon speaks in another There is that maketh himself rich Prov. 13.7 Ever since man ceased to be what he should be he striveth to seem to be what he is not It is not the outward shew that shews what things are and yet hath nothing And there is that maketh himself poor and yet hath great Riches That is there be those in the world that pretend they are rich and make a shew before men as if they were men of great estates whereas indeed they are exceeding poor and needy There are not a few that stretch their wing beyond their nest that bear a port beyond their Estates that trick up themselves with other mens plumes laying it on above measure in cloaths in high entertainments in stately Buildings in great Attendance c. when not worth one groat in all the World but either they dye in Prison or lay the key under the door or compound for twelve pence in the pound c. And there are others again that are exceeding rich and wealthy and yet feign themselves and look upon themselves to be very poor and needy To apply this spiritually 'T is the damning sin of the self-flattering Hypocrite Rev. 3.17 to make himself rich to make himself significant to make his condition better than 't is And it is the vanity the folly of some sincere Christians to make their condition worse than indeed it is to make themselves more miserable and unhappy than indeed they are Ah Christians 't is sad with you tâ—s night with you when you read over the evidences of Gods love to your souls as a man does a Book which he intends to confute Is it not sad when Christians shall study hard to find evasions to wheel off all those comforts refreshings cheerings and supports that are tendered to them that are due to them and that they may upon Gospel-grounds justly claim as their portion as their inheritance And O that all such Christians would seriously and frequently lay to heart these eight things First that they highly dishonour the blessed God and the work of his Grace by denying that which he hath done for them and wrought in them Secondly they are spiritual Murderers they are self-Murderers they are soul-Murderers for by this means they stab and wound their own precious souls and Consciences through and through with many a deadly dart Now is there any Murder like to spiritual Murder to self-Murder to soul-Murder surely no. But Thirdly They are Thieves for by this means they rob their own precious souls of that joy peace comfort rest content assurance and satisfaction which otherwise they might enjoy Now there is no theft to spiritual theft and of all spiritual theft there is none to that which reaches the precious and immortal soul Mark all prevalent Disputes about our personal integrity they do hold off the Application and tasts of comfort though they do not disanul the title and right Even the good man will walk uncomfortably so long as he concludes and strongely fears that his Estate is sinful for sensible comfort riseth or falleth cometh on or goeth off according to the strength of our judgment and present apprehensions observe it is not what indeed our estate is but what we judg of it which breeds in us sensible comfort or discomfort a false heart may even break with a timpany of foolish joy upon an erring perswasion oâ— his estate and so may a sound sincere heart be very heavy and disconsolate upon an unsound misconstruction and judging of its true condition But Fourthly They bear false witness against Christ his Spirit their own Souls and the work of Grace that is wrought in them O how many dark doubting drooping Christians are there who if you could give them ten thousand worlds yet would never be brought to bear false witness against their poorest Neighbour Brother or Friend and that out of Conscience because of that Command Thou shalt not bear false witness c. who yet make no Conscience no bones of it frequently to bear witness against the Lord Jesus Christ and his gracious works upon their own hearts But Fifthly they joyn with Satan and his work and his suggestions and with that strong party he has in them against the Lord Jesus Christ and his work and his weak party in them See Mr. Dod on the Commandments p. 310 311. and p. 321 322 323 324. Sin is Satans work and Grace is Christs work Now how sad is it
and life Psal 119.112 Psal 40.8 Psal 39.1 Psal 101.3 2 Cor. 1.12 Psal 119 4 5 20. 2 Chron. 19.3 2 Chro. 30.18 19 Neh. 1.11 Isa 26.8 9. I have inclined my heart to keep thy Statutes alwayes even to the end Verse 38. Stablish thy Word unto thy Servant who is devoted to thy fear Verse 44. So shall I keep thy Law continually for ever and ever Verse 45. And I will walk at liberty for I seek thy Precepts Acts 24.16 And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Heb. 13.18 Pray for us for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Gracious Souls do strongly affect that which they cannot easily effect Psal 119.57 Thou art my Portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words Some read this Verse thus Lord I have said my portion shall be to keep thy words Holy David was fully determined and resolved in himself to keep Gods Royal Law in spite of the World the flesh and the Devil And so Barnabas exhorted the Dâ—sciples that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord Acts 11.23 As if all piety and truth of Grace consisted in Gracious purposes of heart Certainly when the bent of a mans mind and the setled purpose of a mans Soul and the unfeigned desires of his heart are for God for Grace for holiness in heart in life then the estate and condition of that man is safe and happy 'T is very observable that that great Apostle Paul Though the Needle or the Seamans Compass may jog this way and that way yet the bent of the Needle wâ—ll still be Northward So though a Christian may have his particular sinful joggings this way or that way yet the bent of his heart will still be God-wards Una actio non denominat in his spiritual conflict layes a very great stress upon these things witness Rom. 7. ver 16. If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good So Verse 18. For to will is present with me So Verse 19. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do So Verse 21 22. I find then a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man So Verse 25. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God Certainly the truth the lise and power of Grace of Holiness of Regeneration is not so much seen in our actions as in the renewing and sanctifying of our minds and wills according to that Rom. 12.2 Be ye transformed or Metamorphosed as the Greek has it by the renewing of your mind No man is to judg of the soundness or sincerity of his Spirit by some particular acts but by the constant frame and bent of his Spirit and by his general conversation in this world If particular actions might determine whether a man had Grace or no Grace whether he were in Christ or not in Christ whether he were a Saint or not a Saint whether he were sincere or unsound we should many times conclude that those had no Grace who indeed have and that they were not in Christ who indeed are and that they are no Saints who indeed are and that they are not sincere who certainly are true Nathaniels The best Saints have had their extravagant motions and have very foully and sadly miscarried as to particular actions even then when the constant course and bent of their spirits have been God-wards and Christ-wards and Holiness-wards and Heaven-wards c witness Davids Murther and Adultery Noahs Drunkenness Lots Incest Josephs Swearing Jobs Cursing Jonahs Vexing Peters Denying and Thomas his not believing Such twinklings do and will accompany the highest and fairest stars As he who foots it best may be found sometimes all along and the neatest person may sometimes slip into a slow He that cannot endure to see a spot upon his Cloaths may yet sometimes fall into a Quagmire So the holiest and exactest Christians may sometimes be surprised with many infirmities and unevennesses and sad miscarriages Certainly particular sinnings are compatible with a gracious frame though none are with a glorious condition Though no darkness no clouds can be mixt with the Sun in Heaven yet both may be in the Ayre which is enlightned below Our best estate on earth is mixt and not absolute Glory annihilates all sinful practices but Grace only weakens them the most sincere Christian is but an imperfect Christian and hath daily cause to mourn over his infirmities as well as he has cause to bless God for his Graces and mercies Well Sirs Look as every particular stain doth not blemish the universal fineness of the Cloth so neither doth this or that particular fact disprove and deny the general bent of the heart particulars may not decide the estate either way 't is true a man by a particular sinning is denominated Guilty but by no one particular can a mans Estate be challenged either for good or bad He that shall judg of a Christians estate by particular acts though notorious bad will certainly condemn the Generation of the Righteous We must alwayes distinguish betwixt some single good actions and a series of good actions Meer particular actions do not conclude either way the estate of the Soul an hypocrite may do some good act and an upright person may do some sinful act A man must give in Judgment for or against himself according as the habitual purpose and temper of his heart stands c. It is not this or that particular good action but a continued course of holy Actions that denominates us holy Certaâ—nly as there is no man so holy but sometimes he falls into this or that particular sin So there is no man so wicked but sometimes he falls in with this or that particular duty witness Pharaoh who in a fit desires Moses and Aaron to pray for him and witness Balaam who in a good mood desires to dye the death of the Righteous and witness Saul who under a pang condemns himself and justifies David And so witness Ahabs humbling of himself and Nineveh's repenting and Foelix his trembling and Herod's hearing of John Baptist gladly Now look as every sin which a godly man falls into through infirmity doth not presently denominate him ungodly so neither will a few good actions done by a wicked man prove him godly 'T is what the course and tenour of the life is that must be most diligently and wisely observed for every man is as his course is if his course be holy the man is so if his course be wicked the man is wicked There is a Maxim in Logick viz. that no general Rule can be stablished upon a particular instance and there is another Maxim in Logick viz. that no particular instance can overthrow a
highest Mountains and Hills yet were drowned So let men climb up to the highest duties yet if they be not housed in Christ in his righteousness they will be as certainly damned as the men in the old world were certainly drowned Adam and all his posterity was to be saved by doing Do this and live And hence it is natural to all the sons and daughters of Adam to rest on duties and to look for life and happiness in a way of doing but if salvation were to be had by doing what need of a Saviour Well remember this once for all such as rest on duties such as rest on their own righteousness or on any thing on this side Christ such shall find them as weak as the Assyrian or as Jareb they cannot heal them they cannot cure them of their wounds Hos 5.13 When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb yet could they not heal him nor cure him of his wound Duties are to Satan as the Ark of God was to the Philistines he trembles to see a soul diligent in the use of them and yet not daring to rely on them but on Christ but when he can draw poor souls to confide in their duties and to rest on their duties then he has his design then he claps his hands for joy then he cryes out Ah ah so would I have it There is no sin that doth so formally and immediately oppose Christ and reject Christ and provoke Christ as this of resting upon self-righteousness and therefore above all pray against this and watch against this and weep over this There is no man in his wits that hath a precious lading that will dare to adventure it in a crackt and broken vessel so there is no Christian in his wits that will dare to adventure the everlasting safety of his soul upon the leaking vessels and bottoms of his own holiness or services O Sirs your duties cannot satisfie the Justice of God they cannot satisfie the Law of God your present duties cannot satisfie for your former sins and rents that be behind A man that payes his Rent honestly every year does not thereby satisfie for the old Rent not paid in ten or twenty years before Thy new obedience O Christian is too weak to satisfie for old debts and therefore roll thy self on Christ and Christ alone for life and for salvation Bellarmine could say after all his disputes for relying on works on Saints and Angels Tutius est c. The safest way is to rely on Jesus Christ Now let all these things work you to renounce your own righteousness and to take sanctuary alone in the pure perfect and most glorious righteousness of Jesus Christ and in the free-grace of God Austin Paul is called by one the best child of grace in the world Eph. 3.8 for whatsoever he was or had or did he ascribeth all to free-grace he was the chiefest of the Apostles and yet less than the least of all Saints he was very eminent in grace and yet what he was he was by grace By the grace of God I am what I am He lived yet not he but Christ lived in him 1 Cor. 15.10 Gal. 2.20 1 Cor. 15.10 Phil. 4.13 He laboured more abundantly than they all yet not he but the grace of God which was with him He was able to do all things but still through Christ that strengthned him O that these three last things might work you to be more in love with free-grace than ever and to be more in love with the righteousness of Christ than ever and to be more in love with the Covenant of grace than ever But The fourteenth Proposition is this The more grace the more holiness the more any man has of the Spirit of Sanctification the more clear the more fair the more full the more sweet will his evidences be for heaven for salvation and the more comfort and the more assurance and the more settlement and the more of the witness of the spirit of Adoption such a person will certainly attain unto That Spirit which is the earnest of our inheritance and which seals us up to an holy assurance is an holy Spirit Eph. 1.13 14. he is frequently called the holy Spirit Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal 51.11 Isa 63.10 Eph. 4.30 1 Thes 4.8 But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Hâ— therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit To make a man holy is more than to create a world 't is a work too high and too hard for Angels or men it becomes none and it can be done by none but by the holy Spirit Sanctification is the Spirits personal operation 't is the great work of the Spirit to shape 2 Thes 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 form and fashion the new-creature holiness in all the vessels of glory The Spirit is the root of all holiness and therefore the several parts of holiness are called the fruits of the Spirit Holiness is the very picture of God Gal. 5.22 and certainly no hand can carve that excellent picture but the Spirit of God Holiness is the Divine nature and none can impart that to man but the Spirit the Spirit is the great principle of holiness Now the more grace the more holiness any man hath the more he is the delight of the Spirit and the more the Spirit will delight to witness his Sonship his Saintship and his Heirship unto him Scripture and experience will tell you that commonly men of greatest holiness have been men of greatest assurance This is certain the more holiness the more assurance for so the precious promises runs Isa 32.17 The work of righteousness shall be peace to wit peace of conscience Rom. 5.1 and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Inherent righteousness for of that he speaks as is evident by the 15. and 16. verses of the same Chapter is the high-way to assurance and peace So Psal 50. ult To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God that is declare my self to be his Saviour say some say others I will give him a prospect of heaven here and a full fruition of heaven hereafter say others I will cause him to see and know that he shall be saved So John 14.21 He that hath my commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him Ver. 23. If any man love me he will keep my words and my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Holy Christians shall have most of the spiritual presence of