The third evidence is, when a man can truly love his enemies, Matt. vi. 14. And that he does, when he can pray heartily for them, and forgive them their particular trespasses against him; being more grieved for that they have sinned against God than for that they have wronged him; and when he can forbear them, and yet could be revenged of them, either by bringing shame and misery upon them, 1 Pet. iii. 9; Rom. xii. 14; andwhen he strives to overcome their evil with goodness, being willing to help them, and relieve them in their misery, and do them any good in soul or body; and, lastly, when he can freely and willingly acknowledge his enemy's just praise, even as if he were his dearest friend.

SECT. 15.-Neo. But, sir, I pray you, let me ask you one question more touching this point; and that is, suppose that hereafter I should see no outward evidences, and question whether I had ever any true inward evidences, and so whether ever I did truly believe or no, what must I do then?

Evan. Indeed it is possible you may come to such a condition; and therefore you do well to provide beforehand for it. Now then, if ever it shall please the Lord to give you over to such a condition, first, let me warn you to take heed of forcing and constraining yourself to yield obedience to God's commandments, to the end you may so get an evidence of faith again, or a ground to lay your believing, that you have believed, upon; and so forcibly to hasten your assurance before the time:* for although this be not to turn quite back to the covenant of works, (for that you shall never do,) yet it is to turn aside towards that covenant, as Abraham did, who, after that he had long waited for the promised seed, though he was before justified by believing the free promise, yet, for the more speedy satisfying of his faith, he turned aside to go unto Hagar, who was, as you have heard, a type of the covenant of works. So that you see, this is not

* This forcing one's self to yield obedience, which the author warns Christians against, when they have lost sight of their evidences, and would fain recover them, is by pressing to yield obedience, without believing, till once by their obedience they have recovered the evidence of their having faith. To advise a Christian to beware of taking this course, in this case, is not to favour laxness, but to guard him against beginning his work at the wrong end, and so labouring in vain; for obeying, indeed, must still spring from believing, since "without faith it is impossible to please God,' Heb. xi. 6. And "whatsoever is not of faith, is sin," Rom. xiv. 23. The following advice sets the matter in full light.

the right way; but the right way for you, in this case, to get your assurance again, is, when all other things fail, to look to Christ; that is, go to the word and promise, and leave off and cease awhile to reason about the truth of your faith; and set your heart on work to believe, as if you had never yet done it; saying in your heart, Well, Satan, suppose my faith has not been true hitherto, yet now will I begin to endeavour after true faith; and therefore, O Lord, here I cast myself upon thy mercy afresh, for in thee the fatherless find mercy, Hos. xiv. 3. Thus, I say, hold to the word; go not away, but keep you here, and you shall bring forth fruit with patience,* Luke viii. 15.

SECT. 16.-Neo. Well, sir, you have fully satisfied me concerning that point: but as I remember, it follows in the same verse, "Know ye not your own selves, how that Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates ?" 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Wherefore, I desire to hear how a man may know that Jesus Christ is in him.

Evan. Why, if Christ be in a man, he lives in him as says the apostle, "I live not, but Christ liveth in me."

Neo. But how then, shall a man know, that Christ lives in him?

Evan. Why, in what man soever Christ lives according to the measure of his faith, he executes his threefold office in him, viz. his prophetical, priestly, and kingly office.

Neo. I desire to hear more of this threefold office of Christ; and therefore, I pray you, sir, tell me, first, how a man may know that Christ executes his prophetical office in him?

Evan. Why, so far forth as any man hears and knows that there was a covenant made betwixt God and all mankind in Adam; and that it was an equal covenant,† and that God's justice must needs enter,‡ upon the breach of it; and that all mankind, for that cause, were liable to eternal death and damnation; so that if God had condemned all mankind, yet had it but been the sentence of an equal and just judge, seeking rather the execution of his justice, than man's ruin and destruction; and thereupon takes it home, and applies it particularly to himself, Job v. 27, and so is convinced that he is a miserable, lost, and helpless man; I say, so far forth as

* Namely, obedience, whereby you shall recover your evidence. + See page 12, note *.

Demanding satisfaction.

a man does this, Christ executes his prophetical office in him, in teaching him, and revealing unto him the covenant of works. And so far forth as any man hears and knows that God made a covenant with Abraham, and all his believing seed in Jesus Christ, offering him freely to all to whom the sound of the Gospel comes, and giving him freely to all that receive him by faith; and so justifies them, and saves them eternally; and thereupon has his heart opened to receive this truth, not as a man takes an object or a theological point into his head, whereby he is only made able to discourse: but as an habitual and practical point, receiving it into his "heart by the faith of the Gospel," Philip. i. 27, and applying it to himself, and laying his eternal state upon it; and so setting to his seal, that God is true : I say, so far forth as a man does this, Christ executes his prophetical office in him, in teaching him and revealing to him the covenant of grace. And so far forth as any man hears and knows, that "this is the will of God, even his sanctification," 1 Thess. iv. 3, and thereupon concludes, that it his duty to endeavour after it; Ι say, so far forth as a man does this, Christ executes his prophetical office in him, in teaching and revealing his law to him. And this I hope is sufficient for answer to your first question.

Neo. I pray you, sir, in the second place, tell me, how a man may know that Christ executes his priestly office in him? Evan. Why, so far forth as any man hears and knows that Christ has given himself, as that only absolute and perfect sacrifice for the sins of believers, Heb. ix. 26, and joined them unto himself by faith, and himself unto them by his Spirit, and so made them one with him; and is now "entered into heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God for them," Heb. ix. 24; and hereupon is emboldened to go immediately to * God in prayer, as to a father, and meet him in Christ, and present him with Christ himself, as with a sacrifice without spot or blemish; I say, so far forth as any man does this, Christ executes his priestly office in him.

Neo. But sir, would you have a believer to go immediately unto God? How then does Christ make intercession for us at God's right hand, as the apostle says he does ? Rom. viii. 34.

Evan. It is true indeed, Christ, as a public person, representing all believers, appears before God his Father; and

* That is, even unto.

willeth according to both his natures, and desires as he is a man, that God would, for his satisfaction's sake, grant unto them whatsoever "they ask according to his will." But yet you must go immediately to God in prayer for all that.*

You must not pitch your prayers upon Christ, and terminate them there, as if he were to take them, and present them to his Father; but the very presenting place of your prayers must be God himself in Christ. Neither must you conceive, as though Christ the Son were more willing to grant your request than God the Father, for whatsoever Christ willeth, the same also the Father, being well pleased with him, willeth. In Christ, therefore, I say, and no where else, must you expect to have your petitions granted; and as in Christ and no place else, so for Christ's sake, and nothing else. And therefore I beseech you to beware you forget not Christ when you go unto the Father to beg any thing you desire, either for yourself or others; especially when you desire to have any pardon for sin, you are not to think, that when you join with your prayers, fasting, weeping, and afflicting of yourself, that for so doing you shall prevail with God to hear you, and grant your petitions; no, no, you must meet God in Christ, and present him with his sufferings; your eye, your mind, and all your confidence, must be therein; and in that be as confident as possible you can; yea, expostulate the matter, as it were, with God the Father, and say, "Lo; here is the person that has well deserved it; here is the person that wills and desires it; in whom thou hast said thou art well pleased; yea, here is the person that has paid the debt, and discharged the bond for all my sins; and, therefore, O Lord! now it stands with thy justice to forgive me." And thus, if you do, why, then you may be assured that Christ executes his priestly office in you.

Neo. I pray you, sir, in the third place, show me how a man may know that Christ executes his kingly office in him?

Evan. Why, so far forth as any man hears and knows " that all power is given unto Christ, both in heaven and on earth," Matt. xxviii. 18; both to vanquish and overcome all the lusts and corruptions of believers, and to write his law in their hearts; and hereupon takes occasions to go unto Christ for the doing of both in him; I say, so far forth as he does this, why, Christ executes his kingly office in him.

* But you yourself were not to come near unto him, nay, we must come unto God by Christ," Heb. vii. 25.

Neo. Why then, sir, it seems that the place where Christ executes his kingly office, is in the hearts of believers ?

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Evan. It is true indeed; for Christ's kingdom is not temporal or secular over the natural lives or civil negociations of men; but his kingdom is spiritual and heavenly, over the souls of men, to awe and over-rule the hearts, to captivate the affections, to bring into obedience the thoughts, and to subdue and pull down strong holds. For when our father Adam transgressed, he and we, all of us, forsook God, and chose the devil for our lord and king; so that every mother's child of us are, by nature, under the government of Satan; and he rules over us, till Christ come unto our hearts, and dispossess him cording to the saying of Christ himself, Luke xi. 21, 22, "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:" that is, says Calvin, Satan holds them that are in subjection to him in such bonds and quiet possession, that he rules over them without resistance; but when Christ comes to dwell in any man's heart by faith; according to the measure of faith, he dispossesses him, and seats himself in the heart, and roots out, and pulls down all that withstands his government there; and, as a valiant captain, he stands upon his guard, and enables the soul to gather together all its forces and powers, to resist and withstand all its and his enemies, and so set itself in good earnest against them, when they at any time offer to return again; and he doth especially enable the soul to resist, and set itself against the principal enemy, even that which does most oppose Christ in his government; so that whatsoever lust or corruption is in a believer's heart or soul as most predominant, Christ enables him to take that into his mind, and to have most revengeful thoughts against it, and to make complaints to him against it, and to desire power and strength from him against it, and all because it most withstands the government of Christ, and is the rankest traitor to Christ; so that he uses all the means he can to bring it before the judgment-seat of Christ, and there he calls for justice. against it, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, here is a rebel and a traitor, that does withstand thy government in me, wherefore, I pray thee, come and execute thy kingly office in me, and subdue it; yea, vanquish and overcome it." Whereupon Christ gives the same answer that he gave to the centurion, "Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee,"* Matt. viii. 13.

* Namely, believed the promise of sanctification, Ezek. xxxvi. 27;