will return to the good old way the Scripture way Christs way the Apostles way in which I shall finde rest to my soule The third point now remains viz. that there is no such inextricable difficulty darknesse or mist in this mark the love of the brethren but that the children of God may and sometimes do clearly and safely assure their hearts by this mark that they have passed from death to life Which that it may appeare I shall speak first to the Object the Brethren then to the Act which is love Touching the Object let foure things be observed First this we certainly know that there are Saints on earth we believe the holy universall Church Now all who have passed from death to life those and none but those have a true and sincere love to the saints in generall praying heartily for them sympathizing with their suffering and rejoycing at their felicity None but a Saint can say in truth and with a sincere selfe-denying affection If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to theroof of my mouth If I preferre not Ierusalem above my chief joy Ps. 137. 5. 6. The Apostle commends praying for all Saints Eph 6. 18. and love to all the Saints Col 1. 4. I conceive he means not only all the Saints known to us but the whole invisible Church of Saints on earth That prayer and protestation Psal. 122. 7 8. when uttered in Spirit and Truth can proceed from no other but a gracious renewed heart peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy Palaces For my brethren and companions sake I will now say peace be within thee This very love to the Saints in generall as to the excellent and precious ones of the earth is a fruit of Sanctification and a mark of a renewed and gracious estate even as contrary wise they that have no love to the Saints in their species or kind that love and esteem men only for some earthly respect and consideration the Rich the Honourable the Mighty c. or for some particular humane relation Parents Wives Children Kindred Friends Benefactors c. much more they that delight in the company and fellowship of the prophane and ungodly prove themselves to be such as have not yet passed from death to life Secondly t is neither necessary nor possible that we have a a certain and infallible knowledge of the true Saintship and regeneration of these particular persons whom we love under the notion of Brethren and Saints The Apostles themselves did once look upon and love some as Saints who were no Saints Iudas Simon Magus Ananias and Saphyra and others of that kind It is Gods own prerogative to know certainly the hearts of men To require a certain knowledge of the Saintship of others before we can say we love the Brethren doth not only strike at the mark of love but at the duty of love and makes the yoke of Christ heavy yea unsupportable and the very Evangelicall commandment of love to be most grievous yea impossible And if the Antinomian objection hold good no man on earth can performe acceptably this duety of Love except he know the hearts of those whom he loves under the notion of Saints If it be replyed that the commandement of Christ is acceptably performed when to my best knowledge and observation and according to the best tryall which one Christian is allowed by Christ to take of another they are Saints whom I love under that notion and that tiâ—… not necessary to the acceptable pâ—…rformance of the duty of love that I know infallibly such a one to be a true Saint Then it will follow by the like rule and by parity of reason that comfort and assurance may be had from this mark I love the Brethren although I cannot certainly and infallibly say these whom I love are true Saints For if I can be cleare in point of the duety and that my obedience to the new commandement of Christ love one another is acceptable to God then may I also be clear in point of the mark or signe this proposition I love the Brethren being a necessary consequent from that proposition I have through the grace of Christ so far performed the duty of Love as that it is acceptable to God in point of new obedience and this leads me to a third answer 3. Particular or individuall Saints may be so farre known by their fruits and are so farre discernable and visible as that our love to them under that notion may be known to be an acceptable service to God and so a comfortable mark or evidence to our selves Which plainly appears from what Christ saith Math 10. 41. 42. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward And he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward And whoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward Before verse 11. Into whatsoever City or Town ye shall enter enquire who in it is worthy and there abide till ye goe thence Heb 6. 20. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of Love which ye have shewed towards his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister These believing Hebrews did not infallibly know that they were Saints to whom they ministred yet the Apostle tels them their worke was acceptable to God and made himself to be perswaded of them things that accompany Salvation They to whom he writes being conscious to themselves of the truth and sincerity of their love might much more be perswaded of themselves things that accompany Salvation from this mark of Love although they could not know infallibly the hearts of those whom they loved as Saints We may without either revelation or infallibility of judgement by the marks which the word gives us for judging and discerning of others so farre be perswaded in a judgement of Charity that this or that person is a Saint a Brother a Sister one in Christ as that our love to the person under that notion is according to the rules of Christ flowes from faith which worketh by love and is acceptable to God as a part of our new obedience If it were not so this absurdity would also follow there could be no communion of Saints one with another at least no such thing done in faith Do not Believers act in Faith and not doubtingly when they have communion one with another when they exhort and comfort one another when they pray one with another when they sympathize one with another If they do not act these things in Faith they sinne for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin 4. It is to be observed that he who objects to others
changeth the heart it maketh not a new man but leaveth him in the vanity of his former opinion and conversation Whence I infâ—…r that he who wil throughly rightly examine himself in this particular have I true faith yea or no Must needs before he have a solid resolution be put upon this further inquiry is there any heart-renewing or heart-changing work in me or am I still in the vanity of my former opinion and conversation yea or no I shall now after all this appeall to any tender conscience which is sadly and seriously searching it self whether it be in the faith whether Christ be in the soul and the soul in Christ let any poor wearied soul which is longing and seeking after rest refreshment ease peace comfort and assurance judge and say whether it can possibly or dare sit down satisfied with the Antinomian way of assurance before largely declared which yet hath been held foorth by those of that stamp as the only way to satisfie and assure the conscience and to put an end to all objections I begin to hear as it were sounding in mine ears the sad lamentation of a poor soule which hath gone along with their way of comfort and assurance and hath followed it to the utmost as far as it will go Oh saith the soul I have applyed my self to search and find out and to be clearly resolved in this great and tender point whether I bee in Christ or not whether I have passed from death to life from the state of nature into the state of grace or not whether I be acquit from the curse and condemnation of the Law and my sins pardoned or not when O when shall I be truly clearly and certainly resolved in this thing T is as darknesse and death to me to be unresolved and unsatisfied in it I refused to be comforted without this comfort Is id go to now and prove see this Antinomian way and when I had proved it I communed with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search Then said I of it thou art madnesse and folly Their doctrine pretendeth to drop as the honey comb yet at the last it byteth like a serpent and stingeth like an Adder I find their words at first to be soft as oyle and butter yet I find them at last as swords and spears to my perplexed heart I am forbidden to try my spirituall condition or to seek after assurance of my interest in Christ by any mark or fruit of sanctification be it sincerity of heart hatred of sin love to the Brethren or be what it will be I am told it is unsafe and dangerous for me to adventure upon any such marks I do not mean as causes conditions or any way instrumentall in my justification for in that consideration I have ever disclaimed my graces nay I do not mean of any comfort or assurance by my sanctification otherwise then as it flowes from Christ who is made unto me of God sanctification al 's well as righteousnes But I am told by these Antinomians that even in the point of consolation and assurance t is not safe for me to reason and conclud from the fruit to the tree from the light to the sun from the heat to the fire from the effect to the cause I love the brethren with true and unfeigned love therefore I have passed from death to life They say I dare not I cannot have any true comfort or assurance grounded upon this or any such mark They promised me a shorter an easier a surer a sweeter way to come by the assurance which I so much long after They put me upon the revealing evidence or Testimony of the holy Ghost which I know indeed to be so necessary that without it all my marks will leave me in the dark But as they open and explain it unto me I must not try by the written word whether the voice or Testimony that speaks in my heart be indeed the voice of the Spirit of the Lord yet they themselves tell me that every voice in man which speaketh peace to him and speaketh not according to the word of grace is a spirit of delusion Again they tel me this Testimony of the Spirit of the Lord will put an end to all objections and is that beyond which there must be no inquiry yet by and by they tell mee there must there must be more then this there must be a receiving evidence of faith and till I believe I do not possesse Christ or his benefits neither can sit down satisfied and assured Oh then said I how shall I know that I have true faith Shall I try faith by the fruits of faith No say they by no means but try it by the eccho in the heart which answers the voice of the spirit as face answers to face in water But what if there be no such Eccho in my heart What if I cannot say with assurance my sins are forgiven me must I then conclude I have no faith And what if there be such an Eccho in mine heart how shall I know whether it be the voice of a true faith or whether it be a delusion Hath every one a true faith whose heart suggesteth and singeth my sins are forgiven me But where there is a receiving and believing said they there cannot be a dead faith Alas said I they leave me where I was How shall I know whether there be a believing or receiving Doe not themselves tell me there is a great difference between a true faith and a counterfeit faith are not these miserable comforteâ—…s who tell mee that true faith hath fruits and yet will not give me leave to try it by its fruits They teach me that Iustification is like the fire so that he that is not Zealous in holynes and righteousnes by Sanctification t is to be feared that he never had the fire of Iustification Another of them sâ—…ith doth not love manifested as truly and infallibly kindle love again a fire kindleth fire Sure then if I doe not love God and his children the Eccho in my heart which saith my sinnes are forgiven me is but a delusion Oh how have these men been charming and cheating me out of the right way They have unsetled mee and frighted me out of all my marks of grace or fruits of faith and when they have promised me a clear resolution behold they leave me much more unsatisfied They have deceived me and I was deceived When all comes to all in their way I must either conclude which I dare not that I have true faith because my heart suggesteth and saith my sins are forgiven mee without any tryall of faith by the fruits thereof or otherwise I am left in a labyrinth believe I must and they will allow me no markes to know whether I believe or not Wherefore I will not come into their secret I will come out of their paths which lead downe to the Chambers of death I
proves it ibid. CAP. XIX That there was among the Iews a jurisdiction and government Ecclesiasticall distinct from the civill pag. 231. The Jews had Ecclesiasticall Elders or Church governours which proves the point ibid. Even under the Roman Emperour they had their Presbyteri and Arcbisynagogi It s proved out of Mr. Selden that their Elders received a judiciall degree and were not civil Magistrats ibid. 232. The Jewish ordination of Elders with imposition of hands proves it also pag. 233. 234. A third argument is taken fâ—…om the Synagâ—…ga Magna pag. 235. The Hebrews triple Crown proves it ibid. The Jews exercised Ecclesiastical discipline since their dispersion which is a fifth reason pag. 236. 237. CAP. XX. That necessary consequences from the written word of God do sufficiently and strongly prove the consequent or conclusion if Hereticall to be a certain divine Truth which ought to be believed and if practicall to be a necessary dutie which we are obliged unto jure divino pag 238 The assertion is cleared by some premisses ibid Humane reason drawing the consequence is not the ground of our beliefe pa. 239. There is a difference between corrupt and renewed Reason ibid. Two sorts of consequences distinguished pag. 240 The Assertion is proved First by the example of Christ and his Apostles ibid. In the old Testament as well as in the new some necessary things were left to be drawn by necessary consequence from the Law of Moses pag. 241. Two sorts of necessary consequences from the Law a sortiori and a pari pag. ibid 242 A third reason from the infinite wisedome of God who must foresee all things that followes upon his words pag. 243. Diverse absurdities will follow if this truth be not admitted pag. 244. These who most cry down this assertion yet themselves can bring no other but consequentiall proffes to proove their tenents pag. 245. If this be denied we deny to the great God what is granted to the litle Gods or Magistrats ibid. CAP. XXI Of an assurance of an interest in Christ by the marks or fruits of sanctification and namely by love to the Brethren Also how this agreeth with or differeth from assurance by the Testimony of the spirit and whether there can be any wel grounded assurance without marks of grace pag. 246. Three Cautions for right understanding the question that is Marks are not to be separated either from the free grace or from Christ or from the spirit ibid. It s a sure way to seek after assurance of our interest in Jesus by the marks of Sanctification proved by five reasons p. 247. 248 A twofold certainty of the mind distinguished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a twofold uncertainty opposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 249. 250 The evidence of marks gives the first kinde of certainty the testimony of the spirit gives the second ibid. This is illustrat by a simile of believing the Scriptures p. ibid. 251. And by another of the disciples going to Emmaâ—…s ibid. The assurance of Justification is virtually done in a Syllogistical way 252 The spirit works the firme belief of the proposition a twofold testimony concurre to the assumption pag. 252. None should divide these testimonies they are joyned in three Texts of scripture pag. 253. D. Crisps objection against assurance from the love of the Brethren propounded pag. 254 For answer three things are demonstrat ibid. This objection militateth as much against their own interpretatioÌ„ p. 255. The Antinomian way of setling assurance is an inextricable labyrinth pag. 256. The testimony of the spirit must be an evidence according to the word of God pag. 257. 258. Wee say the evidence of marks is privative they say it is at most cumulative pag 259. The spirit of God is a spirit of Revelation but not beside or contrary to the Word ibid. Another objection of Crispe removed pag. 260. 261. How the spirit and word concurre to this assurance ibid. The word is more sure nor any voice within or without pag. 262. Crispe his way of assurance by the testimony of the spirit received by faith resuted pag. 263 264. He grosly mistakes faith ibid. Mr. Eton brought against him pag. 265. A sad lamentation of a poor soul holding foorth what miserable comforters these antinomians are pag. 266 267 268. The love of the Brethren is a sure and clear mark of one being past from death to life ibid Four things observed touching the Brethren pag. 269. It s not necessar to have a infallible knowledge of their regeneration 270 How far particular saints may be known by their fruits pag. 271. Antinomians expone 1 Cor 13. legally pag. 272 5. Marks and tokens of true and sincere love of the brethren p. 273 274 No marks hâ—…eraway without some mixture of contrary corruption p. 275 There is alwayes bellum though not alwayes proelium between the flesh and the spirit pag. 276. CAP. XXII Of the true real and safe grounds of incouragement to believe in Iesus Christ Or Upon what warrands a sinner may adventure to rest and rely upon Christ for Salvation pag 277. To say Christ died for all men conditionally is not the way to ease troubled consciences pag. ibid 278 The true and saâ—…e grounds of incouragement to believe in Christ are First Christ his alsufficiency pag. 279. It s a great part of true faith to believe Christ is able to save to the uttermost ibid. 2. Christs intention to die for all men 1. all sorts of sins or sinners of any kinde pag. 280. All men exponed ibid. To pray for all men and to pray in every place exponed pag. 281. 282. Every man Heb. 9. â—… hath the same sense pag 283. All men can only be all men who are in Christ. ibid 284 The whole world 2 Ioh. 2 2. exponed ibid. 285. The world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 3. 16. is no larger nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. 3 Iesus Christ hath died for expiation of all forts and all manner of sins pag. 286. The sin against the holy Ghost only excepted what it is ibid How a blasphemer against the holy Ghost may repent pag 287. 4 Christ receives all who come unto him and excluds none but such as by their unbelief excludes themselves pag. 288. CHAP. I. That the Ministery is a perpetuall Ordinance of Christ in the Church and that Ministers are to bee received as the Embassadours of Christ now aswell as in the Primitive times THat which hath long lurked in the hearts of many Atheists is now professed and argued for by that sierce furious Erastiane whose book was published the last year at Franeker He cryes out that the world is abused with that notion of a pretended sacred ministerial calling that though the Apostles and others who first preached the Gospel were indeed sent and set apart for that holy calling which was also confirmed by signes and miracles and
disput from Scripture against a Christian who receaveth and beleeveth the Scripture to be the word of God but hee must needs take himself to consequentiall prooffs for no Christian will deny what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 literally and syllabically in Scripture but all the controversies of Faith or Religion in the Christian world were and are concerning the sense of Scripture and consequences drawne from Scripture 6. Argument If wee do not admit necessary consequences from Sripture to prove a jus divinum wee shall deny to the great God that which is a priviledge of the little Gods or Magistrates Take but one instance in our own age When the Earle of Strafford was impeached for high treason one of his defences was that no Law of the Land had determined any of those particulars which were proved against him to be high treason Which defence of his was not confuted by any Law which literally and syllabically made many of those particulars to be high treason but by comparing together of severall Lawes and severall matters of fact and by drawing of necessary consequences from one thing to another which made up against him a constructive treason If there be a constructive or consequentiall jus humanum there must be much more for the considerations before mentioned a constructive or consequentiall jus divinum CHAP. XXI Of an assurance of an interest in Christ by the marks and fruits of sanctification and namely by love to the Brethren Also how this agreeth with or differeth from assurance by the Testimony of the Spirit and whether there can bee any well grounded assurance without marks of grace T Is a right a safe a sure way to seek after and to enjoy assurance of our interest in Christ and in the Covenant of grace by the marks and fruits of Sanctification Which before I come to the proof of it that it may not be mistaken but understood aright take these three cautions first our best marks can contribute nothing to our justification but onely to our consolation cannot availe to peace with God but to peace with our selves gracious marks can prove our justification and peace with God but cannot be instrumentall towards it that is proper to faith Faith cannot lodge in the soule alone and without other graces yet faith alone justifies before God Secondly beware that marks of grace doe not lead us from Christ or make us looke upon our selves as any thing at all out of Christ. Thou bearest not the root but the root beares thee Christ is made unto us of God sanctification as well as righteousnesse Thy very inherent grace and sanctification is in Christ as light in the sunne as water in the fountaine as sap in the roote as money in the treasure 'T is thine onely by irradiation effluence diffusion and debursement from Jesus Christ. 'T is Christs by propriety thine onely by participation 'T is thy Union with Christ which conveighs the habits of grace to thy soule 'T is thy communion with Christ which stirs up actuateth and putteth forth those habits into holy dueties and operations 'T is no acceptable duetie no good fruit which flowes not from the inward acting and exerciseing of grace in the soule 'T is no right acting of grace in the soule which floweth not from habituall grace and a new nature 'T is no new nature which floweth not from Christ. Thirdly all thy markes will leave thee in the darke if the spirit of grace do not open thine eyes that thou mayest know the things which are freely given thee of God Hagar could not see the well though she was beside it till her eyes were opened Markes of grace are uselesse undiscernable and unsatisfactory to the deserted and overclouded soule These cautions being in our eye that we may not separat our markes either from the free grace of God or from Christ or from the spirit I proceed to the proof of that point which I propounded in the beginning First It may bee aboundantly proved from these Texts Psal 17. 3. and 119. 6. 2 Cor 1. 12. 1 John 1. 6 7. and 2. 3. and 3. 9 10 14. Secondly our passing from the state of nature and wrath into the state of grace and to bee in Christ is compared in Scripture to such things as are most decernable and perceptible by their proper markes 'T is called a passing from death to life from darknesse to light from being farre off to be near c. all which things are known by manifest and certaine evidences The spirit of grace is compared to fire water winde which are known by sensible signes Conversion is a returning of one who had turned away and is not returning discernable by certaine tokens The new creature is a good tree and is not a good tree known by good fruits Matth. 7. 17 18. Thirdly both in Philosophy and Divinity yea in common sense 't is allowed to reason from the effects to the causes here is burning therefore here is fire here is the blossoming of trees and flowers therefore it is spring and the Sunne is turning again in his course here is perfect day light therefore the Sunne is risen here is good fruit growing therefore here is a good tree 'T is a consequence no lesse sure and infallible here is unfeigned love to the brethen therefore here is regeneration here are spirituall motions affections desires acts and operations therefore here is spirituall life Fourthly the markes of grace have so much evidence in them as formeth in others of the Saints and servants of God a well grounded judgement yea perswasion of charity that those in whom they behold these markes are in the state of grace and regeneration If they could see into the hearts of others to bee sure of the sincerity and soundnesse of their graces they could have a judgement of certainty concerning them But this they cannot for who knowes the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him Sure a Saint may know more of himselfe then another Saint can know of him for hee is conscious to the sincerity of his owne heart in in those things whereof another Saint sees but the outside And unlesse one will say that a Saint can know no more of himself by marks then another Saint can know of him by the same markes it must needs be yeelded that a Saint may certainly and assuredly know himselfe by the marks of grace which are in him Fifthly without a tryall by markes wee cannot distinguish between a well grounded and an ill grounded assurance between a true and a false peace between the consolation of the Spirit of God and a delusion How many times doth a soule take Sathan for Samuell and how shall the soul in such a case be undeceived without a tryall by markes But it may bee objected that this remedy may prove and doth often prove no remedy for may not Sathan deceive the soule in the way of markes as well as without
they cannot know whether this or that man be a Brother even he himself akes upon him to judge who are the Brethren He makes a description of the Antinomians under fair and plausible expressions and then concludes These are the Brethren do ye love these men It seems if it had been condescended upon that the Antinomians are the Brethren there had been an end of his objection But is not this Popish Donatisticall Pharisaicall to appropriat to themselves the name of the Brethren the godly partie the true Church excluding many thousands of those who are truly godly and dear to Jesus Christ although different in opinion from them And what if one should fancy that the Antinomians are only the Brethren yet how should one know that this or that Antinomian is a Brother Doth not his own objection fall upon him the Brother-hood consists in being united unto Christ that is an invisible thing none can know it but God only no man can say such a one is a Brother So much of the certainty of the Object the Brethren Now to the certainty of the Act which is Love The nature of Love was described out of 1 Cor. 13. 4 5 6 7. Then to fright the soul from examining it self by this mark it was added Is there no envying at all towards the Brethren Is there no thinking evill of any of the Brethren Is there no seeking my self or my own good in my love to them c. Who is the legal Preacher now Here is a racking of the conscience with necessity of egall perfection in our sanctification and Evangelicall graces Do not themselves say that our Iustification is perfect but our Sanctification unperfect why then wil they not suffer the soul to take any comfort from the fruits of Sanctification except they be perfect When Iohn saith hereby we know that we have passed from death to Life because we love the Brethren I ask doth he mean perfect Love which is every way what it ought to be If so then they put a false sense upon the Text for there neither is now nor was then any such Love in the world Doth he mean of true unfeigned sound love although imperfect Then there is no place for their objection For a true Believer hath in himself a true love to the Brethren which Love putteth forth and exerciseth it self in a sincere and conscionable indeavour of all those duties which are reckoned forth 1 Cor 13. as effects or if you will acts of Love This soundnesse and sincerity of Love may be a sure mark to the soule although I confesse without this sincerity the very work and labour of love is no sure mark to the conscience to examine it self by for as the Apostle there teacheth us a man may give all his goods to the poore and yet not have true love O but how shall I know saith the doubting Christian that my love to the Brethren is a true sincere sound love To that I say thou mayest know it by these tokens First if thou lovest the Saints as Saints and because they are Saints not for their excellent Gifts or parts so much as for their Graces not for any relation to thy self so much as for relation to Christ. T is true repentance when we sorrow for sinne as sinne T is true love when we love the Saints as Saints that is for this cause and consideration chiefly because the Image of God appears in them Papists pretend that with one act of adoration they worship Christ and his image But we say with more truth and reason with one affection and one act of love we love both Christ himself and those who bear his Image both God and his Children I mean t is Christ himself whom we love in his Saints Secondly thy love when thou lovest all Saints Col 1. 4. epist to Philemon v. 5. And this followeth necessarily from the first mark For a quatenus ad omne If as Saints then all saints Lovest thou all the saints in general praying for them all Lovest thou all the Saints in particular whom thou knowest that is thou darest not confine or limit this love to those Saints only who are altogether of thy opinion which it appears from the objection before mentioned the Antinomians have dared to do or who have some intimacy of friendship with thee nay nor to these who never wronged thee never strovâ—…with thee who never spake evill of thee but all whom thou hast reason to judge to be saints thou lovest them wishest well to them art ready to do them good according to thy power and if thou be at variance or difference with any of them tho â—… prayest God to make them and thy self of one heart and of one minde and it is an affliction of spirit to thee to be at variance with any that are Christs Canst thou thus clear thy self in thy conscience and darest thou say these things before the searcher of hearts Then is thy love a true Love Thirdly thou art a sincere Lover of the Brethren when thou lovest them in all their different estats and conditions the Poor as well as the Rich them of low degree as well as them of high degree the persecuted as well as the prospering the reproached as well as the commended This is also a necessary consectary upon the first mark For if thou lovest saints as saints the variation or difference of their outward condition will not make thy love towards them to cease Obadiah was a sincere Lover of the Brethren and he gave this good Testimony of it he was a kinde friend to the Prophets of the Lord when they were persecuted by Ahab and Iezabel Foorthly thy Love to the Brethren is true and sincere when it puts forth it self in all thy relations when a man desires to choose a wife that fears God and a woman desires to marie none who is not godly when a Master seeks godly servants and a servant seeks a godly master when a people choose godly Ministers and godly Magistrats godly Commanders and Officers of Armies c. And again Magistrats Commanders Ministers love countenance encourage and strengthen the hands of such under their Charge as are godly when a man if he be to choose a friend to consult with yea if he were but to choose a Lodging where he is a sojourner he desires and seeks after a godly Friend a godly Family c. Fifthly Love is true and sincere when the action of Love is not without the affection of Love 1 Cor. 13. 3. and when the affection of Love is not without the action of Love 1 Iohn 3 17 when love openeth both the heart and the hand both the Bowels and the bosome I do not mean that all or any of these marks can be found in any saint on earth without some mixture of the contrary corruptions for we must not look that an imperfect grace such as love to the Brethren is in this world must needs