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many thousands, whose consciences for the present may justly condemn them of not loving those that are indeed God's children, may yet love them hereafter, as dearly as their own souls.

Some will yet say, Certainly we are reprobates: for we have, according to the command of the apostle, tried whether we be in the faith, or no; and whether Christ be in us; but we find neither: the apostle saith, We know these to be in us, else we are reprobates, 2 Cor. xiii. 5.

By reprobate, in this place, is not meant one that is not elect; for none of the elect can before their conversion know, by any search, that they are in the faith, or that Christ is in them; for that cannot be known which yet is not. Many are not converted until they be thirty, forty, or fifty years old. Will you say, these in their younger years were reprobates? You may say, they then were in a state of condemnation, and children of wrath, but no reprobates. Besides, a man must not be said not to be in the faith, and not to have Christ in him, because he does not know so much. For many have faith and are in Christ, yet do not always know it.

The word reprobate, because it is ordinarily understood, by our common people, for a man ordained to condemnation, is too harsh.

The words now rendered "except ye be reprobates," may, as I judge, rather be translated thus: "except you be unapproved, or except you be without proof," namely, of your being in the faith, and of Christ's being in you, whereof you outwardly make profession. As if the apostle had said, If upon trial you cannot find that you are in the faith, &c., you are unapproved Christians. Either you have yet only a mere form of Christianity, and, like false coin, or reprobate silver, are but hypocrites and counterfeits; or if you be Christians in truth, yet you are unexperienced Christians, and without proof of it to yourselves.

Some may reply, If I find upon trial that I am a counterfeit, may I not then judge myself to be a reprobate?