d you shall find that
he will soon be sick of your company too, except God shall touch
his heart, and turn it.

FAITH. What would you have me to do?

CHR. Why, go to him, and enter into some serious discourse about
the power of religion; and ask him plainly (when he has approved
of it, for that he will) whether this thing be set up in his heart,
house, or conversation.

{197} FAITH. Then Faithful stepped forward again, and said to
Talkative, Come, what cheer? How is it now?

TALK. Thank you, well. I thought we should have had a great deal
of talk by this time.

{198} FAITH. Well, if you will, we will fall to it now; and since
you left it with me to state the question, let it be this: How doth
the saving grace of God discover itself when it is in the heart of
man?

Talkative's false discovery of a work of grace

TALK. I perceive, then, that our talk must be about the power of
things. Well, it is a very good question, and I shall be willing
to answer you. And take my answer in brief, thus: First, Where
the grace of God is in the heart, it causeth there a great outcry
against sin. Secondly--

FAITH. Nay, hold, let us consider of one at once. I think you
should rather say, It shows itself by inclining the soul to abhor
its sin.

TALK. Why, what difference is there between crying out against,
and abhorring of sin?

{199} FAITH. Oh, a great deal. A man may cry out against sin of
policy, but he cannot abhor it, but by virtue of a godly antipathy
against it. I have heard many cry out against sin in the pulpit,
who yet can abide it well enough in the heart, house, and conversation.
Joseph's mistress cried out with a loud voice, as if she had been
very holy; but she would willingly, notwithstanding that, have
committed uncleanness with him. Some cry out against sin even as
the mother cries out against her child in her lap, when she calleth
it slut and naughty girl, and then falls to hugging and kissing
it.

TALK. You lie at the catch, I perceive.

{200} FAITH. No, not I; I am only for setting things right. But
what is the second thing whereby you would prove a discovery of a
work of grace in the heart?

TALK. Great knowledge of gospel mysteries.

FAITH. This sign should have been first; but first or last, it is
also false; for knowledge, great knowledge, may be obtained in the
mysteries of the gospel, and yet no work of grace in the soul. [1
Cor. 13] Yea, if a man have all knowledge, he may yet