XXll OF THE DIVINE AUTHORITY fee Mr. Streat's Book, it~titled, 'l'he Dividing of the Hoof, a very ufeful Piece, and worthy Perufal. I have but one Argument more to add, from a very learned Author, and then I fhall clofe up all with the Teftimony of the reverend and learned Mr. J ohn Cal-vin. XVII. And now it may not be amifs to add one Thing more, which I could not pafs by, i. e. notwithltanding the great Force and Strength of external Arguments and Motives to evince the divine Authority of the holy Scripture; yet it is abfolutely neceffarv, to the Stability and Affurance of our Faith, in order to ew nal Life, to have the inte;nal Teftimony oi the Holy Spirit upon our Hearts, or the effectual O perations thereof; for if he does no atherwife work in and upon our Hearts, but by the common Communication of fpiritual Light into our Minds, enabling us to difcern the Evidences that are in the Scripture of its own divine Original, we fhou ld be often tbaktn rn our Affent, and moved from our Stability. Therefore confidering the great Darknefs and Blindnefs which remains upon the Minds of Men, all Things'believed having fallle Sort of Obfcurity attending them, befides the manifold T emptations of Satan, who ftrives to difturb our Peace, and weaken our Faith, and caufe D oubtings : Happy are fuch who can experience the powerful Eltablitbmer.t and Affurance of the Holy Ghoit, who gives them a fpiritual Senfe of the Power and Reality of thofe T hings bdieved, whereby their Faith is greatly confirmed. This is that "hich brings us unto the Riches of the full Affurance of U nderitanding, Col. ii. z. 1 'l'heff i. 5· and on the Account of this fpiritual Experience is our Perception of fpiritual Things, fo often expreffed by Acts of Senfe, as 'l'ajling, Seeing, Feeling, &c. which are the greateft E vice:1ces of the Property of Things natural. It is the Holy Spirit that affilts, helps, and rehcves us againft Temptations that may arife in us, fo that they fhallnot be prevalent. And indeed without this, our firft prime Affent unto the divine Authority of the Scriptures will noe fecure us; but the Influence and Afliltancc of the Spirit in the Midft of Dangers, fo ltrengthens the fincere Chriftian, that it makes him ftand as firm as a Rock, who has no Skill to defend the Truth by Force of Arguments, againft thofe fubtil and fophiltical Artificers, who on all Occafions !hive to infinuate Objections again!r it, from its Obfcurity, Imperfection, vVant of Order, Difficulties, and feeming Contradictions contained therein, &c. Moreover, there are other fpecial and gracious Actings of the Holy Ghoft on the Minds of Believers, which belong alfo to this in– ternal Teftimony, whereby their Faith is eftablitbed, viz. his Anointing and Sealing of them, his Wirneffing with them, and his being an Earneft in them. Wherefore although no internal Work of the Spir.it can be the formal Reafon of our Faith, or that which it is refolved into; yet it is fuch, as without it we can never fincerely believe as we ought, nor be eftablii!Jed in believing, againft the Temptations of the Devil, and Objections of evil Men. ' It hath been already declared, faith Dr. Owen, that it is the Authority and Vera– ' city of God, revealing ihemfelves in the Scripture, and by it, that is the formal • Reafon of our Faith, or fupernatural Allent unto it, as it is the Word of God. 'It remains only that we enquire, in the fecond Place, into theWayand Means whereby ' they evidence themfelves unto us, and the Scriptures thereby to be of God, fo as that ' we may undoubt~dly and infallibly believe them fo to be. Now becaufe Faith, as 'we have tbewed, is an Affent upon Teftimony; and confequently, divine Faith is an • Affent upon divine Teftimony; there mutt be fame Teftimony or Witnefs in this • Cafe, whereon Faith cloth re!r; and this; we fay, is the Teftimony of the Holy Ghoft, • the Author of the Sciptures. And this Work and Teltimony of the Spirit may be ' reduced into two Heads, &c. ' The Impreffions or Characters, which are fubjectively left in the Scripture, and • upon it, by the Holy Ghoft its Author, of all the divine Excellencies or Properties • of the divine Nature, are the firft Means evidencing that Teftimony of the Spirit ' which our Faith refts upon, or they give the firlt Evidence of its divine Original, ' whereon we do belreve rt. The Way whereby we learn the eternal Power and Deity 'of God from the '"larks of Creation, is no otherwife, but by thofe Marks, Tokens, • and Impreffions of his divine Power, Wifdom, and Goodnefs that are upon them· 'for from the Confideration of their Subfiftence, Greatnefs, Orcler, and Ufe, Reafo; • doth neceffarily conclude an infinite fubfilting Being, of whofe Power and Wifdom • ihefe Things are the manifeft Effects : Thefe are dearly feen and underftood by the ~Things
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