---------------------------- CerriruJo evi· den(r.t,r/.:Jad– h.uenfi£. Job 1~1 IS· Rem. 8. ;6, is therefore in the Saints, the ~tJli,era~ce of eviden~·e, and the ·tt/furancc of aJhcre1ice; The alfurance of evidmce, is that whtch IS Without fcruple, and bnngs an admirable joy with it, and this more cfpccially appears flther m our more fervent prayers·, or in our hea– venly meditations, or in t1me of m.artyrdom, or in fome quickening el<crcifes of ex. traordioary humiliation, or m begtonnrng of our fpiritual, or end of our natural life as mort needful times; then dpth Gods Spirit fpeak comfortably to us, whifpering t~ our fot!ls the alfurance of ~>Ur happmelfc, that we !hall be mheritors of his kingco.me. The afiuranco of adherence IS that, wh1ch I doubt not the Samts have in their greateJ\ extremity: for mftancc, many a fa1thful foul, that makes con'fcicnce of hn, lies and Janguilhes upon the rack of.fears and terrors, he feels nothing but a dead he:ut, and a fpiritual defertion,yet in the mean time his foul cleaves unto Chri,ll:,as to the furcl! rock and cryes and longs after him, and for all his fears and forrows he will ll:ill rc!1: upo~ h1m, Jub·l•~r, Though he flay me, ptw•lll truftm h11n, Job 13· 15· Now this adhe– rence ~nto Chrilt may alfure him of falvation, for (if we fpeak punCtually and properly) fa1th JUillfymg IS not to be alfured of pardon, but to trult. ,~holly upon Chrill: for pardon; anr\ thus 1fhe do, then may he w1th freedom of fpmt fay, I believe ""the Son. whence arifcth this conclufion, which is the tefiimony of Gods Spirit, thcrrfure I jltaU b; Javcd. To our fccond doubt, how we may diforn betwixt the rcftimon;• of Gods Spirit, and the illu(ion of Satan? I anfwer. · Firtl, the rcftimony of God, Spirit is ever agreeable to the \!,lord,and thus to try us, the Scripture tells us that Whofoewr is born of Gud,dorh not cotmmt fin, 1John 3.9. which is not to be underll:ood filllply of the act of fining,for rvbo can[«y, my heart is dean! but in this fenfe he doth not commit jinne,that is,hc makes nota trade of fin,it cloth not reign in him;if then thou allowefl: any lufi in thine heart, or gocft on in the willing practice of any one known fin, and yet hall a conceit that thou art furc of falvation, alas, thou art deceived Thon haft made'a lie thy refttge, and hid rhy[elf 1mder faljhod. Secondly, Gods Spirit breeds in the foul a Reverend love, and infatioble longing af– ter all good means appointed and fan.'l:ified for our fpiritual gcod: and therefore that heartwhi<h fwectly is affeCl:cd and inflamed with the Word, and prayer, and meditati· on, and conference, and vowcs, and finging of Pfcdms, and ufe of good books, we doubt not but it is breathed on by the Spirit of God ; whilfi others that ufe oil thefe Or– dinances out of cull:om or formality, or fome other finill:er end, alas, their conceit of being right, is built on the fands, and therefore down it falls at deaths flood, and is o– verwhelmed in dell:rucrion. Thirdly, Gods Spirit is ever attended with the Spirit •f Putyer, and therefore faith the Apollle, rve l(_norv not horv to pray, but the Spirit it (cif mak:,th mterrcjfionf•r '"withgroan– ings whiCh cannot be utlered, Rom . 8. 26. 0 the blclfcdoperation of this Spirit! it even warms the fpirit of a man with quicknirg'life, to pour out it !elf in the prcfencc of the Lord his God, fometimes in more hearty prayers,and fometimes in more faint and cold, yet alwaycs edged with infinite defires that they were far more fervent than they arc: but on the other fide, every deluded Pharifee is a meer (!ranger to the power of Pray– er, if he praycs often, (os I make it.a quell:ion) yet never praycs he from abroken heart, and this argues that all his confidence is no better than a weed whtch grows of its own accord, and therefore like Jcn~<h's gourd, when afllic'lion comes, it withers on a fudden. Fourthly, the reftimony ofGods Spirit, is often exercifed and accompanied.with fears, anp jcaloufies, and doubts, and dilhufl:s, and vanet1cs of temptatiOns, wh1ch many tifues will drive:the foul thus di!1:rell: to cry m1ght1ly toGod,to re-examme her grounds, to cor.finn her watch, to refort her counfcl where it may be had; wh!lell: on the con– trary the Pharifees groundlelfe conceit lies in his bofome .\'.lthout fears , or Jealoufies, or doubts, or diflrul1s, or any fuch a do; why fo? alas, Satan IS too fubtlc to trouble him in that cafe· he knows his foundation is falfhood, h1s hope of heaven no better.than a golden dream/ and therefore in polity he holds his pe~cc, that t;e may hold h1m the failer. . · fifthly, the tcjlimony of God, Spirit is ever mofi refrclhing at thofe tllnes when were– 'tire our fclves to converfc with God in a more folcmn manner, \1 hen we feel that. we have conquered or well curbed fome corruption of nature; when we are wdl e)<<JCJfed in the Ord:nanc~s ofGod or is our fuffcrings by mail fora good caufc, anq confCJence fake· then (or at fuch ti1~cs) !hall we feel that fwectnefic of the Spirit cberifiung our ' ' - hearts
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