delude their own fouls unto their ruin. And many that are truly born of God, yet know it not; they may for a season walk in darkness and have no light. Nor,

2dly. That this is always known to others. It is not known to unregenerate men in refpect of them that are fo. For they know not really and fubftantially what it is to be fo. Natural men perceive not the things of God; that is, fpiritually, in their own light and nature, 2 Cor. ii. And as they cannot aright difcern the things which put men into that condition, (for they are foolishness unto them,) fo they cannot judge aright of their perfons in whom they are. And if they do at any time judge aright notionally concerning any things or perfons, yet they do not judge fo upon right grounds, nor with any evidence in or unto themfelves of what they do judge. Wherefore, generally they judge amifs of fuch perfons; and because they make profeffion of fomewhat which they find not in themselves, they judge them hypocrites, and falfe pretenders unto what is not. For those things which evince their union with Christ, and which evidence their being born of God, they favour them not, nor can receive them; nor is this always known unto, or difcerned by, them that are regenerate. They may fometimes with Peter thick à Simon Magus to be a true believer; or with Eli an Hannah to be a daughter of Belial. Many hypocrites are fo fet forth with gifts, common graces, light and profession, that they pass amongst all believers for fuch as are born of God. And many poor faints may be so disguised under darkness, temptation, fin, as to be looked on as strangers from that family whereunto indeed they do belong. The judgment of man may fail, but the judgment of God is according unto righteousness; wherefore.

3dly, This is that we fay: It may be known in the fedulous use of means appointed for that end, to a man's felf and others, which of the conditions mentioned he doth belong unto; that is, whether he be regenerate or no, fo far as his or their concernment lies therein.

This I fay may be known, and that infallibly and affuredly with reference unto any duty wherein from hence we are concerned. The difcharge of fome duties in ourfelves, and towards others, depends on this knowledge, and therefore we may attain it, fo far as it is Deceffary for the difcharge of fuch duties unto the glory of God. Now, because it is not directly in our way, yet having been mentioned, I fhall briefly in our paffage touch upon the latter, or what duties do depend upon our judging of others to be regenerate, and the way or principles whereby fuch a judgment may be made.

1. There are many duties incumbent on us to be performed with and towards profeffors; which, without admitting a judgment to be made of their state and condition, cannot be performed in faith: And in reference unto these duties alone, it is, that we are called to judge the state of others. For we are not giving countenance unto a rash uncharitable cenfuring of mens fpiritual conditions, nor unto any judging of any men, any other than what our own duty towards them, doth indifpenfibly require. Thus, if we are to lay down our lives for the brethren, it is very meet we should so far know them fo to be, as that we may hazard our lives in faith when we are called thereunto. We are alfo to join with them in thofe ordinances, wherein we make a folemn profeffion that we are members of the fame body with them, that we have the fame head, the fame fpirit, faith and love: We must love them, because they are begotten of God, children of our heavenly Father; and therefore must on fome good ground believe them fo to be, In a word, the due performance of all principal mutual gofpel-duties, to the glory of God and our own edification, depends on this fuppofition, that we may have fuch a fatisfying perfwafion concerning the fpiritual conditions of others, as from thence we may take our aim in what we do.

2. For the grounds hereof I fhall mention one only; which all others do lean upon. This is expreffed, I Cor. xii. 12, 13. As the body is one, and hath many members

members, and all the members of that one body being ma ny, are one body, fo is Chrift. For by one fpirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one fpirit. They are all united unto, and hold of one head: For as are the members of the body, natural under one head, fo is Chrift myftical, that is, all believers under Chrift their Head. And this union they have by the inhabitation of the fame quickning fpirit, which is in Chrift their Head, and by him they are brought all into the fame fpiritual ftate and frame; they are made to drink into one and the fame fpirit; for this fame fpirit produceth the fame effects in them all, the fame in kind though differing in degrees, as the apoftle fully declares, Eph. iv. 3, 4, 5, 6, And this fpirit is in them, and not in the world, John xvi. And as this gives them a naturalness in their duties one towards another; or in mutual caring for, rejoicing and forrowing with one another, as members one of another, 1 Cor. xii. 25, 26. So it reveals and discovers them to each other, fo far as is neceffary for the performance of the duties mentioned, in fuch a manner as becomes members of the fame body. There is on this account a fpiritually natural anfwering of one to another, as face anfwereth face in the water. They can fee and difcern that in others whereof they have experience in themselves; they can taste and relish that in others, which they feed upon in themselves, and wherein the lives of their fouls do confift; the fame fpirit of life being in them, they have the fame fpiritual taste and favour. And unless their pallats are diftempered by temptations or falfe opinions, or prejudices, they can, in their communion, taste of that fpirit in each other, which they are all made to drink into. This gives them the fame likeness and image in the inward man, the fame heavenly light in their minds, the fame affections; and being thus prepared and enabled to judge and difcern of the state of each other, in reference unto their mutual duties, they have moreover

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the true rule of the word to judge of all fpirits and fpiritual effects by. And this is the ground of all that love without diffimulation, and real communion that is among the faints of God in this world. But here two cautions must be allowed.

1. That we would not judge the state and condition of any men in the world, no further than we are called thereunto in a way of duty; and we are fo called only with reference unto the duties that we are to perform towards them. What have we to do to judge them that are without, that is, any one that we have not a call to confider in reference unto our own duty. Herein that great rule takes place; Judge not, that ye be not judged. Let us leave all men, the worít of men, unless where evident duty requires other actings, to the judgment-feat of God. They are the fervants of another, and they ftand or fall unto their own master. There have been great mifcarriages amongst us in this matter, fome have been ready to condemn all that go not along with them in every principle, yea opinion or practice. And every day flight occcafions and provications, are made the grounds and reafons of fevere cenfures: But nothing is more contrary to the conduct of the meek and holy fpirit of Chrit. This is our rule, are we called to act towards any as faints, as living members of the body of Chrift, and that in fuch duties as we cannot perform in faith, unless we are perfwaded that fo they are? Then are we on the grounds and by the ways before-mentioned, to fatisfy ourfelves in one another.

2. Do we endeavour mutually to difcern the condition of one another, in reference unto fuch ends? Let us be fure to look into and pursue those ends, when we have attained our fatisfaction. What these ends are hath been fhewed. It is that we may love them without diffimulation, as members of the fame myftical body with us; that we may naturally take care of them, and for them; that we may delight fincerely in them; that we may minifter unto their wants, temporal

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and fpiritual; that we may watch over them with pity and compaffion. These, and the like, are the only ends for which we are, at any time, called to the confideration of the fpiritual condition of one another; if thefe be neglected, the other is ufelefs. And here lies a great aggravation of that neglect, in that fuch a way is made for the avoidance of it. Here lies the life or death of all church-fociety. All church fociety and relation is built on this fuppofition, that the members of it are all regenerate. Some lay this foundation in baptifm only, profeffing that all that are baptized are regenerate; others require a farther fatisfaction in the real work itself: But all build on the fame foundation, that all church-members are to be regenerate. And to what end is this? namely, that they may all mutually perform those duties one towards another, which are incumbent mutually on regenerate perfons. If these are omitted, there is an end of all profitable use of church-fociety. Churches without this are but mere hufks and fhells of churches, carcaffes without fouls. For as there is no real union unto Chrift without faith, fo there is no real union among the members of any church without love, and that acting itself in all the duties mentioned. Let not this ordinance be in vain.

But we must return from this digreffion, to that which lies before us, which is concerning what a man. may difcern concerning himself being regenerate or born again. I fay then,

SECONDLY, Men may come to an affured fatisfactory perfwafion that themselves are regenerate, and that fuch, as is fo far infallible, as that it will not deceive them, when it is brought unto the trial. For there are many duties, whofe performance in faith unto the glory of God, and the edification of our own fouls doth depend on this perfuafion and conviction. As,

1. A due fenfe of our relation unto God and an anfwerable comportment of our fpirits and hearts towards him. He that is born again, is born of God; he is begotten of God by the immortal feed of the word. With

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