----------~- -------- - ---- -~ 5 (o Book IV. J.Looatng unto 'jl;;fttS', Chap. r. ~ea. 4 . --for pardon of I in, and even then a fecrtt whifper of the S~;;:;;-c-afls that word in~ thy Ho[. '4-4hearr, hv.ll heal thy back:-fltdmgs, and love theefreely, or fuch a vo1ce as that, come un– ~!J:. ''· ;8. te me allye thatlabour, ana are heavy /,den~ attd I IV ill give) ott re ff. Now this is adi– rect teflimony; only I dare not leave 1t Wlthouc a caution. - Some <an relate extra– ordinary palfages of providence attendmg the coming in of fuch and fuch a word; as that they dtd nor know there was any fuch Scrtpture,nor ~·d they know where it was, and yet in opening the Bo_ok, lt was the very fir!\ place thetr eye was call upon; or they . wanted a Book, and m the ufe of fome other means unexpectedly a word was fpoken or remembred~ fo_ pat to the cafe, as if it had been a very melfage from Heaven : cer~ tainly the Sptrns brmwg mof words thus, Is very obfervable · yer a bare giving in of a word is no warrant that it comes from the Spirit, unlefs the foul come up to fome end which the Word.it fdf poynteth at; there mutt not only_ be a word, but a doling wtth rhc word, and _1mprovmg of tbe word, for the ends 1t aymeth at, as quickning, comforrmg, fupporrmg, _acbng of fome graces, or fuch hke ; and by this we may know that the telbmony rs rrue, and proceeds from the Spirit of God. 2. With argumentation, and rhat is when the Spirit brings in the Teflimonyof blood and water; I may call Ha Te!\rmony of fatth, and other graces of rhe Spirit wrirren in our hearts, and brought out by the Spirit in a way of argument ; as rhus __He thnr believcth, hath ever/afting life; bm I believ•, Ergo. The firft propolition is rhe Gofpel, and in this way ir is the firfl: work of the Spirit ro open our eyes, forrheun– derftanding thereof. The fecond propolition is thy cafe, or my cafe; and here rhe Spirit enlightens the foul to fee it felf underrhar condition, but I believe. Indeed many rimes this is nor fo eafily done, and therefore the Spirit dorh elicire and draw forth the foul to an alfenr by a fun her evidence of argument, Trm ( fays the foul ) he thM ·be– lieveshath everlafting life, but 1am none of thofe believers, and therefore what doth this promife concern Juch art unbelieving wretch ~~am I In this cafe now the Spirits work is longer, or llJOrter, even as he pleafetb; rf rr wrll be no better, the Spirit is fain to produce fome orher proofs of Scripture, as evidence faith in the fubjdt in whom it is. fuch as purifying r/Je heart, love to God, hi< ways, hu pC6ple, &c. and poffibly it goe; funher yet, and proves rhofe graces robe in the foul by funher marks. --- I know fome object, if the Spirit fay, thou art abeliever, becaufe thou ha!\ love, the foul may doubt fl:ill whether it have love or no ; and if the Spirit fay, thou ha!\ love becaufe rhou delighteft ill qod's ~ommandmems 1 the queflion may be frill, whether that delight be fincere, or counterfen; pure, or m1xed; and therefore fay they, There can be nQ judg– mentof am1111's juftificationby hufanffijication; or of hufanllijicationbythe operation of partic11lar graces. . .. I anfwer, it is true, rhar whrles I endeavour ro drlcover rhefe graces meerly by rea. fon, they may be flill fubjeCl: ro queflion, and fo rhey can make no firm alfurance; but in rbe foul that is gracioufly alfured this way, rhe Spirit of God rells the heart upon an ultimum quodftc: he convincerh the foul by that which is moll: vilible in him, and fo fiops the mouth of cavilling reafon from perplel!ing the queflion any more. Indeed ir is a fine skill to know whether a true alfurance be meerly r-ational, or from rhe witnefs of rhe Spirit of God? wherherir be wrought out of aman's own brain,or wrought into his hearrbythe H6ly Ghofl:? nowin fomecafeswemaydifcernit, as rhus; the alfurance that rhe Spirit gives, doth fometime furprife a man unexpectedly, at unawars; as it may be in aSermon, rhat he came accidentally unro; or in aScripture, that I call a rranfienr. glancing eye upon ; but rhus doth no_r reafon. Again, The alfu~ance that rhe Spirit gives, mainrams a foul tn a way of rehanre and dependance, when It fees no reafon why he fhould do fo; or it n.-.ay be when he fees a reafon why it fhould not be fo; as it Rem. 4-18. is faid of .Abraham in another cafe, rhar he believed in hope againff hope; faith told him there was hope that he fhould be rhe Father of many Nations, when reafon told him there was none. Again, The alfurance rbat the Spirit givf!, is attended with an high dleem of Prayer, Duries, ·ordinances, .and in the ilfue (which is the rno(r principal 1 John;. 3. fure mark) it purifies the foul·tha_r hath It, He that hath thu _hope pu_rijieth himfelf, evm M he u pure; he is e1·er walhmg htmfelf from lin, and warch1ng agar_nfl lin, and rakmg aU polllble care ro keep himfelfpure and unfpotted tn thts prefenr evtl world, 11 keeps rhe foul humble, and lowly, ir being impoflible that fuch a re!\imony of the Spirit, and fo inrimare a converfe with God, and the hghr of hts countenance flwu]d not rellec'l: low thoughts upon a man's felf concerninghimfelf; fuch a man cannot bur fay, Lord, tvh.tt am 1 that thou h.tff br-ugbt me hitherto? whm? for fuch apeevijh, unbelieving, imp~tient
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