1 74 ~;t:pcrtcnceS'. except there ~o-t_n_e-inc-a-lr.-o-the E'!.lidmce of inherent qualifications. F~kbctt;;-u;: deribnding of this, obferve,That the Evidence of the Spirit is either mediate, when it enables the foul to frame a Syllogifm, wherem the minor, fc. the dicLte of the con~ fci<:nce, fv f:tr makcth to this Eviden~e as our graces are witneifcd unto by the Spirit, I Cor. 2. 1 z. or immediate, which ts mdeed Without any fuch difcourfc ·of our con. fciencc, a.ncl wherein our fpirit is mccrly pailive or receptive; it i> an act of irradiatib~ or impreilion ofGods love, or (as fome call it) a tranfcript of the decree of Gods eledi– on fee upon the Confciencc; the Scripture calls this cfpecially, .Afoal of the Spirit, which imports the mccr pailiveneife of the heart to it, as of the wax to the feal· and· this Evidence is fo!itary, without reference to inherent Graces; yet howfoevcr, it ex. eludes them not, nor cometh in till that mediate evidence precede, Eph. 1. 1 3 . Hence I infer, rh~ mediate tefiimony of the Spirit, that ordinarily concludes for hie & i/lc. cloth not fpcak according to the \Vord, but where a Text of Scripture hath a £2.!.tietm: que for the Propofition, and a work of the fandifying Spirit for the aifumption; as thus; the Scripture faith, 'They that repent and bclic7Je : --7hty thm arc Led by the ]t, . , B. 16 • Spirit ofGod, arc th< Som of God, Mark r. 15· Rom. 8: 14. Hereupon the renew. •r ~;:.ov /omc: eel and f,mctificd Confcicncc faith, I do repent and bclic7Jc, I am Led by tbc Spirit: thcre– t, "" fr·,;,, fo;·c I r.m rh: child cf c·od: Now this conclufion deduced, if afterwards rhc immediate rmderj/<nd the tcfiimony of the Spirit (ntlnifefl:cd by on heavenly imprcilion and irradiation upon the cifr of re~ore· foul) comes in with his atteftation to confirm it, we may not doubt·eithrr of this or of ra:il)n, ft.:drhar G,d, Jpi; it by the former tc'l:imuny, bccaufc now they both fpeak cccording to the word and work..of or in ,;,.,, e•fr Grac·c in the heart; the ground of all this i> in the nature of this tcftimony ofthe Spirit, >"hicb he b:. which is rather an attelbtion, then a tcfcimony, a fccondary, not fir{[ deponent:. [s ~;~;.'~q;,~;',7,:~ not this rightly concluded (fo far as it irriplycs the immediate tefiimony from that of or 10 our /['t- *Rom.8. 16. T/Je Spirh wimejfeth with our.fpirit? ] where we have two witncffcs joy– riu. q. d. '''" ning togeth er their teftimonics to aifert this truth, Tb.: we a; · tb. Sons of God; two, fpld rfGod. I fay, viz.. our fpirit, and the Spirit of God: The witncifc of .onr fpirit ( i.) of our re– ~~~;e~:r;;~:;:~fs ncwed confcicnce,nis .. the fir~, the Spirit .D~ God 1s .t.~e [;:~oad: His work is ~ot thr[<!gij'rs ar..i •t.J.~:-1up~~ l' but a-uu·J"P/V~f" :~ to lWtneJ: together Wtt? our .sprr~t ;, ..... t.) ~~confirm and ra~1~e gracrs thar are what that hath aifcrtccl; fo that mdeed the CVIdcncmg of t.,ts re t1mony of the Sp!!·It, >h,{ruit af '"' is after the tcfiimony of our own confcience ; if this do not fir re fpeak and conclude, f"mdpr·u :.fo that other of the Sptrit fpeaks not at all: Now the tcfiimony of the Confcience is the t~},'/,;7;,.~, conclufwn of the p~aCJ:ic~l Syllogifm, and the certainty of this conclufion depends upon "" imrmdia«· the verity of the ailumptiOn whtch mentiOneth the work of Grace m the heart: So then ly, ~"' m:di· · let it be the care of the Chriil:ian, to make good the verity of the aifumption, that he aui, bJ a~ti. may truly fay, I do repent, I do believe, I a•n Led by tht Spirit; and this fhall not only ;;;;;~~~fr"' . afford him comfortb~ the Conc\uuon, but alfo (when the immediate teil:~mony of.the ned"'" fan[fi- Spirit comes 111 wtth h1s atteil:atiOn to confirm tt) It Will aifure hun. that he B not min.,d fied: for '"J by the fuggefl:ion of Satan, but guided by the Spirit in this point of aifuroncc: S~trely P••; ~tu :::.ff (will he fa.y) thi> isth' Spirit of,God, jjr ~uiv hefpcak.J accordmg tu the JVord of God, and ;~~s~xp,ftiOJi: ac,:ording to thelvork.,ofhuorvngrace lVttEmme. andtbe ra>her, . . "'fl J< · f.G ;{ r.· · · 1 a· f·r d [m· buaul~?ltra'lttbattbcteJUmony:v.'JI~hHhyt~e t'JJt san 1tutti? o f,~mt, UtJ.·o~ lnal), .l1 ut; J .. ·e'«Rf:·..)n as I ~not den} the imm edi,11e tcjlfmony, fr; neJlbCY dare 1ezdJid~ Jt OUf of 1m rext • 0!_efl. .Anfw. 1 ] ohn3•l4• SE C T. Of the k;cping cf E7Jidcnccs; 'IF in eyeing the promifes, and ..rz:races., and truth of tho(egrJ!CtJ writ_tcn in our hrarfl,. the Spirit fha1kome in, and (hine upon our gr«w, either med!ltely by way of crrgument from fanCJ:ification, orwore immediately by.way of prefence, then labour to keep our E7Jidences c)car and fair, mat~tam that which we have gottcn, and keep it as the bell: treafure under heaven. Chn!lians! we had need to prefervc our E7Jtde~:· ces clear and bright, that. they m~y be fccn and read upon . all occa– fions. But how fhould we keep thus-our Evidence> ? I. Hearken to the \Vord, :mdhear~en to our own confcienccs, and h~arkcn to the Spirit! What fay all thcfe to our fouls? Ex. _gr. The Word faith thus, Wh,[m" lo7JCS the brethren, hei> tranjlated from death life; now cloth thy confct_cn:c tell thee: thatfo do I, in trmh and fincerity.? then here ts the Word and thy coufctcncdor thee, and doth the Spirit come in, and_· witneife with thy confctcnce th3t" "fo mdrcd! then it
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