ignorance and inadvertency, which, many times, thro' the levity of the matter, infenfibly steal from us: Sins of infirmity, wherein we are furprized on a fudden, and Sins wherein we are overtaken thro' the daily incurfion and tire fom importunity of temptations; but thefe, upon a general humiliation and petition, being put upon the accounts of Chrift's Crofs, and pardoned, as it were, of course to the regenerate, do not interrupt his Eftate, nor impeach his Intereft in God's favour, and hereupon fuch Men Luk. 15.7. are reckoned by our Saviour in the account of just John. 13. perfons which need no repentance; Nor no more washing, fave of their feet. Which is ordinarily performed in the daily use of their Prayers and other holy Offices.

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Prov. 28.

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Mr. Takeo'-trust. But we fee, by daily experi ence, that the deareft of God's children, do frequently complain of their corruptions, and bitterly bewail them, and grown under the apprehenfion and burden of them: Oh wretched Man that I am! &c.

Tilenus. No doubt, 'tis fit a Chriftian fhould entertain fuch a holy jealousy over himself, as may make him humble, and keep him upon his guard, vigilant and induftrious. Bleed is the Man that feareth always.

Mr. Narrowgrace. Yea, but we find alfo that the moft eminent of the Saints of God have fallen foully.

Tilenus. We muft walk by precept not example; efpecially we should take heed we do not tranfcribe a foul copy, tho' written by the hand of the greateft Saint in Heaven, who, we know, had never been admitted thither, had not that hand been wash'd in the ftreams of Repentance and the Blood of Chrift. But the truth is, fuch is the frailty of our human Nature, and the lubricity, the flexible and wax-like temper of youth, fo apt to receive the

impref

impreffions of vice, and fuch the precipitancy of our paffions, that if we be not bridled by the benefit of a more fevere and holy inftitution, and taught to improve our Talents of Grace and Nature for our own prefervation, the deceitful paintry of Pleasures, and the fnare of occafions, and the witchcraft of ill company and examples, with the fundry ftratagems of that politic Enemy, who manageth all the reft to his beft advantage, will furprize and foil, and most miserably wound us. But as to deny the poffibility of preventing this mifchief, were an huge difparagement to the Power of the Divine grace; fo having that Grace fo abundantly adminiftred, as it is under the difpenfation of the Gospel to prevent, and affift and follow us; not to cooperate therewith, but to let loose the reins unto our lufts, and give way for Sin to abound, that Grace may much more abound to the working of a remarkable Repentance, that having fuch a fignal experience of Sin and Mifery, we may be able to give a punctual account of the time and manner of our Converfion; what were this but to grow defperate and tempt God; a ridiculous folly joined with a moft execrable impiety, like a Man that fets his house on fire, that he may make light for others to read the evidence, by which he holds it; we should turn God's Grace into lasciviousness, and venture upon a certain Evil, for an uncertain Good, and our damnation would be just.

Dr Confidence. If a Man fhould do fo wilfully and of fet purpofe I grant it: but if you cannot fatisfy our question concerning your certainty of being in the ftate of Grace, how will you be able to obey that of the Apostle, Sanctify the Lord God 1. Pet. 2 your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer 15. to every Man that asks you, a reafon of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear?

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Tilenus. That you may not think I have a defire to wave your question, by telling you, that I perceive, you do, many times, allege Scriptures very impertinently, 1 fhall fhape my answer directly, to what I conceive to be your meaning: we must confider therefore what our Savior Chrift faith, Luk. 17. very applicable to our purpofe, the Kingdom of God, in the work we fpeak of, cometh not, always,' Mar.4.26, with obfervation: but, many times, 'tis as if a Man fhould caft feed into the ground, and should fleep, and rife night and day, and the feed fhould Spring, and grow up, he knoweth not how. And therefore I ob Merve our Savior and his Apoftle direct us to make our Judgment à Pofteriori, from the effects. By their Gal. 6. 4. fruits ye shall know them. And let And let every Man prove his own Work, and then shall be have rejoycing in himfelf alone and not in another. The children of God are called Saints of Light: And the wifeman faith, The path of the Just is like the shining Light, that Prov. 4. ineth more and more unto the perfect day. Tis only the confcience loaded with guilt, and fear, and Horror, having fire put to it, that like a Gun charged with Powder and Shot, makes a bounce when 'tis difcharged. Experience teacheth, that the natural day breaks without a crack to report it to us, and fo does the day of Grace too in many Souls. Tho' the Sun rife under a Cloud, and fo undifcernibly, and the clock of Confcience do not ftrike to give notice of the hour, yet we may be affured, he is up by the effects, viz. if his influences have dried up the dirt, and made the plants and herbs to fpring out and flourish. Grace is more discoverable in the progress, than in the dawning of it.

Cal. 1.

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Mr. Impertinent. But the Apoftle faith, He that hath not the Spirit of Chrift is none of his.

Tilenus. And I fay as the fame Apostle to ano1. Cor. 7 ther purpofe. I think alfo, that I have the Spirit 40. of God.

Mr.

Dr. Confidence. You faid well even now from our Savior, that the Tree is known by the Fruits; can you give us a good account of the Fruits that the Spirit of Chrift hath brought forth in you, fo as we may be able to diftinguish them from counterfeit, and difcern that they procede from the holy Spirit,not a lying one.

Tilenus. That I may not deceive my felf nor you herein, I think the fureft way is, not to go by the common Inventory of the World; whereby I find Men pretending to godliness, to be generally very partial in their reckoning: if they abhor Idols, they think it tolerable enough to commit Sacrilege and Sedition: and if they be not drunk with wine or ftrong drink, they think 'tis no matter tho' the Spirit of Pride and Difobedience stagger them into any Schifm or Herefie. I choose therefore to follow the Apostles Catalogue, and if I can find that in my felf, I hope I am fafe; the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. faith he, is Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fuffering, Gentlenefs, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance; against fuch there is no Law; That is, as I conceive, the love of Christ in fincerity, which fincerity dif- Eph. 6. 24. covers and approves it felf in a conftant, uniform John. 14. obfervation of all his Commandments.

Mr. Efficax. How did the Spirit of God bring forth thefe fruits in you, if you find them? Did you ever feel it offer a holy violence to your will and affections, fo that you were not able to refift the Power of it? You have read how Paul was furprized in the height of his Rebellion, his Spirit fubdued and forced to yield, and he caft down to the Earth in great aftonishment.

Tilenus. Tho' I have intimated mine Opinion in this particular already, yet I fhall add, that the converfion of St. Paul was not according to the common way and rule, but extraordinary, in regard

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whereof he may very well ftyle himself an abortive. 1.Cor. 15.

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For the ordinary courfe is not for the Kingdom of Mat 11. Heaven to offer violence to us, and take us by force; but for us to do fo by it.

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Mr. Efficax. You fpeak as if the Grace of converfion were refiftible; and fo you would make Man ftronger than God: but the Apofile tells you, that God exerts and putteth forth a Power for the Converfion of a Sinner equal to that, which he wrought in Chrift, when he raised him from the Dead. And indeed there is a neceffity of fuch a Power for the accomplishment of this work; because the Sinner Eph. 2. 1. is a Dead perfon, dead in Trefpaffes and Sins.

Eph. 1.20.

Tilenus. 'Tis a rule we have learned in the Schools, that Theologia Symbolica non eft argumentativa, Metaphors never make folid and cogent Arguments. Sinners are like dead Men: but no like is the fame. If they were abfolutely Dead, then it were imposfible for them to make any oppofition or refiftance at all, to any the leaft difpenfation of Grace. Refiftance implyeth reaction, but the Dead have no Power at all to act; and yet 'tis acknowledged, that the Sinner hath a Power to refift, and doth actually refift. But that which is maintained genenerally by that fide is, that the Power of Grace is fo prevalent and invincible, that at laft it will fubdue and take away the refiftibility of Man's will. And therefore Man is not Dead in every Senfe. We find him fometimes refembled to one half Dead, Sometimes to one A fleep: So that you Eph. 5.14. cannot certainly infer the conclufion defired, from fuch figurative expreffions. Befides, that place of Eph. 1. 20. the Apoftle fpeaketh of God's Power toward those that were already believers, not of his Power that works belief in them.

Luk. 10.

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'Acts. 6.10.

Mr. Impertinent. 'Tis faid of thofe that difputed with Stephen, That they were not able to refift the Wif dom and the Spirit by which he spake.

Tilenus.