Chap. t. Seet. 5· ~'lA.lO~an.g~t~t~eftt.s'. Book IV. 51 1 impati;;;;;;;;z:;; mine u, ro be carrytd 111 ;hy ar,nJ, and cheered UJJ.ththyfmlles, and to enjoy the comforts of thy Spmt ? Oh w/Ht '' wonderfiil , metcif"l gracww GOd have 1 ? I "d c · Yet in all this I exclude not the Spirit in drawing a rationa evt ence ,rom Scnptures ; certainly the Spirit helps in a general way, by m>king ufe of our reafo~, only it elevates and improves our reafon to a further alfurance by a fupernatural alhflance ; •s in Prayer, andin Preaching of the Word, there may be acommon affiftance of the Spirit of God; but there is another kind of Praying and Preaching by the Spirit, which the Scripmre often fpeaks of, and calls the Spirit of fuppltc•tion, and the demon– jfcation of the Spirit; a~d rhat i~ not petformed by a common ?r general, b_ut by a fpecial and particular afi!ll:ance of the Sptrtt of God ; fo there ts a two-fold tnfluence of the Spirit in putting forth aC!s of affurance in the heart, even of a godly and found Chriltian · the very fame tm nmay a:!: affurance fomettme< ranonally, and fomenmes fpiritually . in the former the Spirir aCts too, hilt in a common way, only in the latter is the fupe;narural, fpecial allillance, which peculiarly is faid to be the wirnefs of the Spirit. I fpeak not againfi rational evidences, only it concerns us to apply our felves eo the Spirir to fuperadd his tefiimony: 0 let us not fo content our felves with ratio– nal evidences, but th>t we labour coelevr.te the evidence of reafon into a teftimony of the Holy Spirit of God. To wind up all I have faid. -- 0 my foul, try now the hope of the Spirits indwelling by thefe feveral figns; art thou enlighrned favingly in the knowledg of God, and of Chrifl:? art tbouachild of God, one of his adopted fons for whom he bath referved the inheritance ? haft thou afpirit of Grace and Supplication? a fpirit of Sanctification? a fpirit of Love? arc thou led by the Spirit? dol\ thou feel the drawings of thy foul in every duty toJefus Chrill? doll thou feel a liberty, or adelight in thy foul to walk in the way of his Commandments I doll: thou feel any firengttl to comr in againft thy corruptions ? doll: thou feel the Spirits help to act in Gofpel duties for Gofpel end•? halt thou ever h•d the immediate tefl:imony of the Spirit? or if not fo; hafl: thou ever bad· the immediate tefl:imony of the Spirit without any argumentation ? haft thou unex– pectedly dipt and lighted on fome places of Srripture that bath fatisfied thy foul as with marrow and famefs? or if not fo neither, haft thou the mediate tefiimony of the Spirit·with argumentation? canfi thou argue thus, He that btlievCJjhall be[~¥~Jed, but 1 believe, therefore 1 Jhall be f MJed. Or if a~y doubt be made of the alfumption ; canft.thou prove it by luch other graces as accompany faith·, and are the fruit> of faith? canft thou fay by the help of the Spirit, and Otinings of the Spirit, that thefe, and rhefe graces are in 1f!<, and have been a:led by me; yea, 1 do love God ~>nd Cbrifl, 1 do repent of my fim, &c. furely then thy hope is well-grounded, thou hall: the in– dwelling of the Spirit, iris thine, even chine. SECT. V. Of believing in Jefiu in that reJfc£1-, 5. J ET us 'believe on 7efrtJ , ·ascarrying on the great work of our falvation for us .- in thefe particulars, many fcruples are in many hearrs, What? u it pojfr.ble that 1fl19uldhave onyJh•re in Chriff's afcmfion, Chriff's fe[/ion, Chriff's mijfion of hu Spirit? WM it ever in God's heart that I j)10uld partak! with Chriff in 11llthe(e glories ? if it m11Jf befo that hewonldlet ont h<J loves tofottnwortby a wretch, Wa& it 11ot fu.fficient for him to h~ve cowe dawu from H_Mven, and to have a£fed my redemption here below .< Is it not an htghf avour that a Kingjhonld leaveh~ Cou.-r, to give apoa>· prifonerin theGoal a vijit ? but \VtNhe tak$ him with him to his own home, and bring him imo hu own prefence-cham– ber, and (et him at hi, right hand in hu throne? .And fo that Chriff jhould not only LMVt hu Ffrthers Throne, and give me e1 'Viflt, l)'ing in the d4r/z_ dungeon of smbelief; bNt that hej)10uld tak$ off thebolts, andferope the prifon dom, and tak$ me "Pwith him into Henvm, and there{tt me down at hi! right hand, ar.d in the meantimegive me the earneff andpledge of my.inheritance, by filling my [o11l withhu "'vn Spirit; 0 what an admirable mcredtble rhmg u thu.? itwMrhel.tff vifion of John, whichwa.< fofttll of wonders . .And 1John fawthe holy Ctty, the new {mt[alem comir~gdownfrom God out of Heaven. -- • .And I heard agreatvoiceo~ttof Heaven, faying, Behold the tabernacle of God i; with Rev. 21, 2 , 3 • men, and he wzll dwell w11h them. Surely tt wa& am.raculou; mercy thdt Heavenjhonld COl!J!
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