Ans. Did you ask me, if the sun were risen, and how you should know whether it were risen or not? I would bid you look up to the heavens, and see it with your eyes. And would you know if the light be risen in your heart? Look in and, and see. Grace is light, and discovers itself: Look into thy mind, see if it has been illuminated in the knowledge of God. Hast thou been inwardly taught what God is? Where thine eyes ever turned inward to see thyself; the sinfulness of thy depraved state; the corruption of thy nature; the sins of thy heart and life? Wast thou ever let into a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin? Have thine eyes seen King Jesus in his beauty; the manifold wisdom of God in him, his transcendent excellency, and absolute fulness and sufficiency, with the vanity and emptiness of all things else? Next, What change is there on thy will? Are the fetters taken off, wherewith it was sometimes bound up from moving heavenwards? And has thy will got a new set? Dost thou find an aversion to sin, and a proneness to good wrought in thy heart? Is thy soul turned towards God, as thy chief end? Is thy will new moulded into some measure of conformity to the preceptive and providential will of God? Art thou heartily reconciled to the covenant of peace, and fixedly disposed to the receiving of Christ, as he is offered in the gospel? And as to a change on your affections, are they rectified and placed on right objects? Are your desires going on after God? Are they to his name and remembrance of him? Isa. xxvi. 8. Are your hopes in him? Is your love set upon him, and your hatred set against sin? Does your offending a good God affect your heart with sorrow, and do you fear sin more than suffering? Are your affections regulated? Are they, with respect to created comforts, brought down, as being too high; and with respect to God in Christ, screwed up, as being too low? Has he the chief seat in your heart? And are all your lawful worldly comforts and enjoyments laid at his feet? Has thy conscience been enlightened and awakened, refusing all ease, but from the application of the blood of a Redeemer? Is thy memory sanctified, thy body consecrated to the service of God? And art thou now walking in newness of life? Thus ye may discover, whether ye are born again or not.

But for your further help in this matter, I will discourse a little of another sign of regeneration, namely, The love of the brethren, an evidence whereby the weakest and most timorous saints have often had comfort, when they could have little or no consolation from other marks proposed to them. This the Apostle lays down, 1 John iii. 13. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." It is not to be thought, that the Apostle, by the brethren in this place, means brethren by a common relation to the first Adam, but to the second Adam, Christ Jesus: Because, however true it is, that universal benevolence, a good-will to the whole race of mankind, takes place in the renewed soul, as being a lively lineament of the divine image; yet the whole context speaks of those that are the sons of God, ver. 1, 2. children of God, ver. 10. born of God, ver. 9. distinguishing betwixt the children of God and the children of the devil, ver. 10. betwixt these that are of the devil, ver. 8, 12. and these that are of God, ver. 10. And the text itself comes in as a reason why we should not marvel that the world hates the brethren, the children of God, ver. 13. How can we marvel at it, seeing the love of the brethren is an evidence of one's having passed from death to life? And therefore, it were absurd to look for that love amongst the men of the world, who are dead in trespasses and sins. They cannot love the brethren; no marvel then that they hate them. Wherefore it is plain, that by brethren here, are meant brethren by regeneration.

Now, in order to set this mark of regeneration in a true light, consider these three things: (1.). This love to the brethren is a love to them as such. Then do we love them in the sense of the text, when the grace or image of God in them is the chief motive of our love to them. When we love the godly for their godliness, the saints for their sanctity or holiness; then we love God in them, and so may conclude, we are born of God: For, "Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him," 1 John v. 1. Hypocrites may love saints, on account of a civil relation to them; because of their obliging conversation; for their being of the same opinion with themselves in religious matters; and

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on many other such like accounts, whereby wicked men be induced to love the godly. But happy they, who can love them for naked grace in them; for their heavenborn temper and disposition; who can pick this pearl out of a dung-hill of infirmities in and about them; lay hold on it, and love them for it. (2.) It is a love that will be given to all, in whom the grace of God appears. They that love one saint, because he is a saint, will have love to all the saints, Eph. i. 15. They will love all who, to their discerning, bear the image of God. They that cannot love a gracious person in rags, but confine their love to those of them who wear gay cloathing, have not this love to the brethren in them. Those who can confine their love to a party, to whom God has not confined his grace, are souls too narrow to be put among the children. In what points soever men differ from us, in their judgment or way, yet if they appear to agree with us, in love to God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, and in bearing his image; we will love them as brethren, if we ourselves be of the heavenly family. And, (3.) If this love be in us, the more grace any person appears to be possessed of, he will be the more beloved by us. The more vehemently the holy fire of grace doth flame in any, the hearts of true Christians will be the more warmed in love to them. It is not with the saints as with many other men, who make themselves the standard for others; and love them so far as they think they are like themselves. But, if they seem to out-shine and darken them, their love is turned to hatred and envy; and they endeavour to detract from the due praise of their exemplary piety; because nothing relisheth with them in the practice of religion, that goes beyond their own measure. What of the life and power of religion appears in others, serves only to raise the serpentine grudge in their Pharisaical hearts. But, as for them that are born again, their love and affection to the brethren bears proportion to the degrees of the divine image they discern in them.

Now, if ye would improve these things to the knowledge of your state, I would advise you, (1.) To set apart some time, when ye are at home, for a review of your case, and try your state, by what has been said. Many have comfort and clearness as to their state, at a sermon,

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who in a little time lose it again; because, while they hear the word preached, they make application of it; but do not consider of these things more deliberately and leisurely when alone. The action is too sudden and short, to give lasting comfort. And it is often so indeliberate, that it has bad consequences. Therefore, set about this work at home, after earnest and serious prayer to God, for his help in it. Complain not of your want of time, while the night follows the busy day; or of place, while the fields and out-houses are to be got. (2.) Renew your repentance before the Lord. Guilt lying on the conscience, unrepented of, may darken all your evidences and marks of grace. It provokes the Spirit of grace to depart; and when he goes, our light ceases. It is not fit time for a saint to read his evidences, when the candle is blown out by some conscience-wounding guilt. Lastly, Exert the powers of the new nature; let the graces of the divine Spirit in you discover themselves by action. If ye would know whether there is a sacred fire in your breast or not, ye must blow the coal; for although it be a live-coal, yet if it be under the ashes, it will give you no light. Settle in your hearts a firm purpose, through the grace that is in Christ Jesus, to comply with every known duty, and watch against every known sin; having a readiness of mind, to be instructed in what ye know not. If gracious souls would thus manage their inquiries into their state, it is likely they would have a comfortable issue. And if others would take such a solemn review, and make trial of their state impartially, sisting themselves before the tribunal of their own consciences, they might have a timely discovery of their own naughtiness: But the neglect of self-examination leaves most men under sad delusions, as to their state; and deprives many saints of the comfortable sight of the grace of God in them.

But that I may afford some further help to true Christians, in their inquiries in their state, I shall propose, and briefly answer, some cases or doubts, which may possibly hinder some persons from the comfortable view of their happy state. The children's bread must not be with-held, though while it is reached to them, the dogs should snatch at it.

Case 1. I doubt if I be regenerate, because I know not the precise time of my conversion; nor can I trace the particular steps, in the way in which it was brought to pass.-Ans. Though it is very desirable to be able to give an account of the beginning, and the gradual advances of the Lord's work upon our souls, as some saints can distinctly do; howbeit, the manner of the Spirit's working is still a mystery; yet this is not necessary to evidence the truth of grace. Happy he that can say, in this case, as the blind man in the gospel, « One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." Like as when we see flames, we know there is fire, though we know not how or when it began; so the truth of grace in us may be discerned, though we know not how, or, when, it was dropped into our hearts. If thou canst perceive the happy change, which is wrought on thy soul; if thou findest thy mind is enlightened, thy will inclined to comply with the will of God in all things, especially to fall in with the divine plan of salvation through a crucified Redeemer; in vain dost thou trouble thyself, and refuse comfort, because thou knowest not, how and what way it was brought about.

Case 2. If I were a new creature, sin could not prevail against me as it doth-Ans. Though we must not lay pillows for hypocrites to rest their heads upon, who indulge themselves in their sins, and make the doctrine of God's grace subservient to their lusts, lying down contentedly in the bond of iniquity, like men that are fond of golden chains; yet it must be owned, the just man falleth seven times a-day, and iniquity may prevail against the children of God. But if thou art groaning under the weight of the body of death, the corruption of thy nature; loathing thyself for the sins of thy heart and life; striving to mortify thy lusts; fleeing daily to the blood of Christ for pardon; and looking to his Spirit for sanctification; though thou mayest be obliged to say with the Psalmist, "Iniquities prevail against me:" Yet thou mayest add with him, "As for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away," Psal. lxv. 3. The new creature doth not yet possess the house alone; it dwells beside an ill neighbour; namely, remaining corruption, the relicts of depraved nature. These struggle together