Chap. ~.Sett.4. Looking tmto :fe[114. Book. IV. Part. v~ 89 3 --- the witnelfe of the Spirit of God? whether it be wrought out of a mans own braine, or wrought into nis heart by the ho:yGhoiV now in fome cafes we may difcer)1e it, as thus; the aflurance that the Spirit gives doth fometimes furprize a man unexpectedly, at unawares; as-it may be in a Sermon that he came accidentally unto; or in a Scripture that I caJ1 a tranGent-glancmg eye upon; but thus doth not reafon. Again, the affurance that the Spirit gives, maintayns a foul in a way of relianc<: and dependance, whenttfees-no reafon why he fhould do fo; or it may be when he fees a reafon why it fbould not be fo: as it is faid of Abr<~httm in another cafe, that he bt!ceved in hope Mainft hope: faith told him R?m li there was hope that he fhould be thefather of many nation;;, + · when reafon told him there was none; Again, the affurance th~t the Spirit gives, is actended with an high efieem of prayer, duties,ordinances, and in the iffue (which is the moft principal fure mark)it purifyes the foul that hath it, he thttt hath this hope puri- J b firth himfelf, cvrn as he is pure; he is ever wafhing himfelf 1 0 ·3· 3 • from Gn , and watching againft !In, and taking all poflible care to keep himfelfpure and unf13otted in this preferit evil worid: it keeps the fou{ humble, and lowly, it being impoilihle that fuch a tefrimony of the Spirir,and fo inttmate a converfe with God, and the light of his countenance fhould not refleCt lo1v thoughts upon a mans felf concerning himfelf; fuch a m~n cannot but fay, Lord, what sm I that thou haft 6rought me hitherto~wht~t?f,r fuch a -,eevifb, unbe/eeving , impatient foul M mille is, to be c.,zrr_red in thy arms, and cheered with thy frn_i!es, and to enj9} the comfor.ts of thy Spi;·it ? oh wh11i a wonderful , memfu! graciom god have I? Yet in all th:s I exclude-not th<: fpirit in drawing a rational evidence from Scriptures; certainly the fpirit helps in a general way,by making ufe of our reafon, onely it elevates and improves our reafon to a further alfurance by a fupern:1tural ailiJlance; as in prayer, and in preaching of the Word, there may be a common affifiance of the Spirit ofGod , but there is another kind of praying and preaching hy the Spiri t , which the Scripture often [peaks of, and calls the Spirit offupplication, nnd the demonftratiM ofthe Spirit; and that is not perfonred by a common or general, but by a fpeci~.J and particular ailifl:ance of the Spirit of God; ·fo thm is a two-fold influence of the Spirit in putting forth ads of Xxxx Jt 5 aff~ranc~
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