but we may know these things in ourselves. What moves ourselves fo to walk, we can affuredly know ; but what moves others, we cannot know that. This is clear from the following grounds. (1.) A true child of God may affuredly know his relative state in the favour of God. Though he cannot open the fealed books of the decrees, and read his name at first hand in the decree of election; yet by comparing the word of God in the Bible, and the work of God in his own foul; he may know himself to be one of the elect, 2 Pet. i. 10. Heb. vi. 11. to be one of thofe for whom Chrift died, and of the family of God, Rom. viii. 16, 17. (2.) He may discern in himself real grace, and know that he believes in Chrift, as fure as he breathes, 2 Tim. i. 12. and loves him, fo that he can appeal to Omniscience for the truth thereof, as Peter did, John xxi. 15. And knowing that all who believe in Christ, and love the Lord, are of God, feparated from the world, and shall never be suffered to mix with them again, he may conclude so of himself with the greatest certainty. (3.) All the faints have the Spirit of Christ, Rom. viii. 9. And it is the office of the Spirit to lead them into all truth, and particularly to fhine upon his own work in the foul, 1 Cor. ii. 12.; and fo to be a joint witness with their own fpirits to their adoption into the family of God, Rom. viii. 16.; to be a feal, which is defigned to enfure, Eph. iv. 30.; and an earnest too, which is both a part of the price, and a pledge of the whole, 2 Cor. v. 5. (4.) The effects of faith fometimes produced by it in the faints confirm this. Such is the boldness and confidence they fometimes have with God, Eph. iii. 12. rejoicing in hope of the glory of God, Rom. v. 2. which is fometimes unfpeakable, 1 Pet. i. 8. So that they can cheerfully undergo fufferings, Heb. x. 34. All which neceffarily pre-fuppofeth their knowing themselves to be of God. (5.) Laftly, (5.) Laftly, The examples of the faints make it plain, as Job xix. 25, 26, 27. "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall ftand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my fkin, worms deftroy this body, yet in my flesh fhall I fee God; whom I fhall fee for myself, and mine eyes fhall behold, and not another; though my reins be confumed within me." Pfal. xxiii. ult. "Surely goodness and mercy fhall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." 2 Tim. iv. 8. "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge fhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his appearing." This knowledge is what has been reached, and therefore yet may be fo. II. For practical improvement of this point, I ex hort you to be concerned to know, whether ye are of God, feparated from the world, or not. Take that matter under ferious confideration. To press you thereto, confider, 1. We are all of us naturally, and by our first birth, of the world lying in wickedness, Eph. ii. 2, 3. No queftion but we were once joined to the wicked world, as kindly members thereof; all the queftion is, Whether we be separated from them, or not? It is by a fecond birth that we are of God, if at all. What experience have we of that? 2. The world lying in wickedness is the fociety appointed to deftruction, as in a state and course of enmity against God, Eph. ii. 3. Therefore all that are to be faved, are delivered and gathered out of it, Gal. i. 4. Wo to them that are left in it, for they will perish in the ruins of it. David prays, "Gather not my foul with the wicked." But they that are not gathered out of them in life, cannot mifs to be gathered with them in death; being eternally left in B the the guilt and filth of their wickedness, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 3. Many deceive themselves in this matter, as the foolish virgins, Matth. xxv. Chrift's flock is certainly a little flock, Luke xii. 32. Matth. vii. 13. 14. Yet there are but very few who do not hope to share with them; for a ruining principle obtains, That if we be not notoriously profane, it will be well with us in the end; as if the devil could dwell in none, whose name is not Legion. They that have a form of religion, build on that; and others build on the mercy of God. They confider not, how very unlikely it is, that they shall leap out of Delilah's lap into Abraham's bofom; and therefore they trouble not themselves with feparating from the world lying in wickedness. 4. Death is approaching; and if it were come, there will be no feparating more from the world. There are two parts of that world, the one within, the other without the line of mercy. The latter lies on the other fide of death. And death separates the unregenerate from the former part indeed, but it fixes them for ever among the other part that is quite hopeless. A 5. It is uncertain when death comes to us, and how, Matth. xxiv. 42. People of all ages and sizes die, and death fixes all in an unalterable ftate. death-bed is not to be trufted to; for death may furprise you without getting one; and though ye get it, it may be very ufelefs for foul-bufinefs, whether through raving, or extreme toffing. At beft it is hardly the fit time of being new born, when a dying. 6. Lastly, It is an excellent and useful thing to know our state in this point. For if we find that we are not of God, but of the world, we are awakened to fee to it in time. If we find that we are, it is what makes both a comfortable life, in the midft of troubles from the world; and a fruitful life, inflaming the heart with love, humbling the foul, and ftrengthening it, and fitting both to live and to die. For For your help in this inquiry, confider the following figns, marks, and characters of thofe that are of God, feparated from the world. CHARACTERS OF THOSE THAT ARE OF GOD. Firft, They are fuch as have fled from the world to Jefus Chrift as a refuge, Heb. vi. 18. They have feen danger in it, in a work of conviction; and fafety from it in Christ, in a work of faving illumination. Such are of God, and none other, as is mauifeft from that gospel- call, 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18. "Wherefore come out from ainong them, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my fons and daughters, faith the Lord Almighty." The fecure, and ftrangers to Chrift, are yet in the world lying in wickednefs. 1. Seen danger in the world has made them flee from it. They have come out of it, as Lot out of Sodom, under conviction that deftruction from the Lord was waiting it. They have heard and believed the report of the word about it, faying, as Rev. xviii. 4. "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." They have got an awakening that has frighted them from staying longer with them, notwithstanding of the multitude abiding at eafe therein, the difcerning of which makes many easy in their stay in it. 2. Seen fafety in Chrift has brought them to him, in a way of believing, Acts xv. 11. "But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, we fhall be faved." They have seen him to be the Chrift, in whom the fulness of happiness is lodged in oppofition to the world, 1 John v. 1. They have difcovered in him a glory darkening all the world's glory, and fo have made the exchange as of hufks for bread, Matth. xiii. 45, 46. Secondly, They are coming away with Chrift B 2 from from the world in their daily walk, answering his call, Cant. iv. 8. "Come with me from Lebanon, my fpoufe, with me from Lebanon." After Ifrael came out of Egypt, they went not back to it, to the brick kilns, and the flesh-pots; but they marched through the wildernefs. Thofe that are feparated from the world in regeneration, are ftill feparating from it, in progreffive fan&tification, labouring to keep themfelves unfpotted from the world. They are not of God then, who having once had fomething like converfion, make that ftand for all, and never endeavour to be feparating more and more from the world. There are three things that make them ftill to be coming away from the world. 1. It grows no better in their eyes, in any of its fhapes, whatever it grows worfe; fo they continue their feparation and march, coming up from the wildernefs, Cant. viii. 5. Some people get a fright of the world fome time; and the ways of the world appear to them dangerous ways. But that fright goes off, and the way of the world looks more gay to them; and they being hardened by the deceitfulness of fin, even go back again, and fettle down in the world lying in wickednefs in one fhape or another, that be like them. 2. There are two contrary principles in them, an earthly one and a heavenly one, grace and corruption, Gal. v. 17. If they had only the earthly principle, they would fettle still with the world, they could not come away at all. If they had only the heavenly principle, they would be quite feparated from the world, and their march from it would be at an end. But having both, the one puts them in continual hazard of the unclean thing, and the other prompts them to be making away from it. 3 They have peremptorily left their old reft, and are not yet come to their new reft, therefore they must be moving. They have left the city of destruction, but they are not come yet to the city of God, the New |