514 Book IV. 1!.ooaing unto 'jlefus_._chap.. 2. ~ea. 5· thing it felf.A new na~;;-;is onely that bell bottom of Prayer, that takes i·t-otf [;;; being a taking of God's name in vain. Now this is the fruit of the Spirit, and one of thofe ends of the Spirits million. 2. That he might guide us into all Truth ; I mqn into all necdfary Faundrnental faving Truths: in this refpect wehave need of the Spirit in thefe day;. He it is rhar n ;aates to us which is the true Reltgwn; he lt IS that tranfcribes upon our heuts that \vhich was before onely written in our books; he it is that nor unely reveals rruth'from without, but imprints it alfo on the foul, as a man dorh a feJl by impreffing it on the 1 John s.to. wax, to rh is purpofe fait~ rh~ Apoftle, H e th(lt believerh on the Son of God, hatb the wiwejj in lnmfeif ; how rn hrmfelf? I anfwer, I. In that the Spirrr ·gives him the habit of faith. 2. ln that the Spirit cauferh him to bring it forth into ad. 3 In that rhe Spirit llamps on the foul all thofe orher imprefirons of delirc, hope, love, joy, or what– ever elfe we call the new nature; fo that now there is a new nature within him he harh new thoughts, new _deligns, new ~efires, new hopes, new loves, new delights: he dnves anew trade (as 1t were) m thiS world for another world. he i> become in • Cor. 5·17· Chrifl a new creature, Old things are p•ffid away, and all things a:e become new. And from hence we may foundly argue the rrurh of our Religion. Mark this, as the Writ– ten Word is the teftimony without us, fo are thefe impreflions of the Spirit the tefti– mony within us, by which we may know every neceiTary truth as it is in Jefus ; this is the meaning of rhe Apoftle, He that believetl• hath the witnefs in himfc!f: unbelievers have indeed a teftimony without them, but believers have a double tellimony, one with– out, and one within ; and this wimefs within us will go with us which way foever we go ; it will a«ompany u< through all flrairs and difficulties. The external teflimony nuy be taken from us; men may take from us our Brbles, our Teachers, our Friends. or they may imprifon us where we cannot enjoy them; bur they cannot take from u; the Spirit of ChrHf: this witnefs within, is a permanent, fetled, habituate, ftanding wirnefs; 0 what an excellent help is here., rhat a poor. Chriftian harh beyond all rbe furniture of rhe mofi Learned Men, that want thrs tefhmony of the Spirit of Chrifl! furely this advantage will exeeedingly furnilh us againll all temptations to any errour, that is plainly contrary to the effentia!s of Reltgron. One of our late Divines FUts a cafe - - Mr. B•xttrs If the Devil or any feducer would draw us to doubt, whether there· be indeed a Spirits wir- Cbrift? or whether he drd rife again, afcended, fate down at God's right hand, and nefs ro rhe . thence fem down tbe Ho!}' Ghoft? what an excellent advantage is it ag~inft this tempta– flurhofChn- tion, when we can repatr to our own hearrs, and there find a Chrifl, or aSpirit of tamry. Chrift wirhin us ? 0 (faith the fandifieft foul) h~ve Iflit Chriff relieving me in my loft condition, dliivtring mefrom mycaptivity, rtconcilingme to God, and bringing me with boldnefs into hi& gloriol« pre(ence? and no1v 11/ter all thi< fh~ll I doubt whaher there be a Chriff in Heaven, or a Spirit of Chriff in my heart on Earth l have I felt hin. mw crea– ting me, opening my darb, eyes, and bringing me fro>n d•rknefs int• hu maveilom l(ghr, and from the power ofSatan unto God, binding the f!rong man, and cafting him 0111, and yet Jha!ll queftion whether there-be a Chriff, or a Spirit of Chriff? bath he made me love the things which l hated, and hate that which llovtd ? bath he given me foch a taj/e of the powers of theworldtocomc, andpoffi!Jedmewith thehopeJ of glorywithh,mfclf, andgivm mea trettfure, and portion in God. and [et my heart where my treafure u) and caufed me in fome meafure to have my conver{ation in Heaven above, andyet Jh.•ll 1do11bt rrhether there be t~Chriff above, or" Sp.ritwithin? 0 what an imp11dent lying !Jn'm i& thu, that wo11/d tempt me ag~tinff fo much experienu? And thus may a believer argue from the teftimony that is within. · 1know fame feeming Saints have fallen off imo as great blafphemies as thefe I have I John 2.· 19. named; witnefs the ~akers, and Ranters, 0-c. but I may fay of fuch, as Johndid, They went out from tU, but they were not of I'!? for if they had b.een of tu, they Wo11fd no~oHbt have continued with 11<. It rs no wonder rf Saran prevaJI agamft rhofe that gave Chrrft no deeper room but in their phanrafie, and that did never lieartily clofe with him in love. I3ut for thofe that have,the Spirit of Chrift within them, it is not fo with them; if they .cannot anfwer the cavil of Satan, or of any of his inflruments, yet they can hold faft the grounds of faith. Chrift bath adeep room and inrereft in rheir fpirits; he is held fafler by the heart th;n by the head alone; love will hold Chrift, when reafon alone Rom. a. "' would let him go; his ear isnayled (as ir were) unto his door, and becaufe he loveth 36, j;. him he will not leave him: Who jhall fepartlt< him from the love of Chriff l jhall mbu– /atJon,
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