Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

894- Book.IV.Part.V. Looiingunto1ef•r. Chap.l.Se4t.4 alfurance in the heart,even ofa godly & foundChriftian; thenry fame man may ad: alfurance fometimesrationally, and fome· times fpiritually; in the former the fpirit acts too, but in a common way,onely in the latter is the !upernarural,fpecial affiftance, which peculiarly is faid to be the witnefs ofthe [pirit. 1 fpeak not againft rational evidences, onely it concerns us to apply our felves to the Spirit to fuperadde his teftimony : 0 let us not fo .content our felves with rational evidences,but that we labour to elevate the evidence of reafon into a teftimony of the holy Spirit ofGod. To wind up all I have faid. -- 0 my foul, try now the hope of the fpirits in-dwelling by .thefe feveral !ignes; art thou enlightned fa vingly in the knowledg ofGod, and of Chrift? art thou a child ofGod, one of his adopted fonnes for whom he hath referved the inheritance ? haft thou a fpirit of grace and fupplication ! a fpirit of fanctification? a fpirit of love? art thou led by the Spirit ? do£!: thou feel the dn~wijrgs of thy foul in every duty to Jcfus Chrift ? do£!: thou feel a liberty , or a delight in thy foul to walk in the way of his commandements ? do£!: thou feel any ftrength to come in againft thy corruptions? doft thou feel the Spirits help to act in Gofpel duties for Gofpel ends? haft thou ever had the immediate teftimony ofthe Spirit? or if not fo; haft thou ever had the'mediate teftimony of the Spirit without any argumentation? haft thou unexpectedly dipt and lighted on fome place of Scripture that hath fatif- · fied thy foul as with ma~row and fatnefs? or if aot fo neither, - hafr thou the mediate teftimony of the'Spirit with argumentation? canft thou argue thus , h~ that be!eeves fhall beJaved, but I beleeve, therefore I fha/l be fav(d.Or ifany doubt be made ofthe alfumption; canft thou prove it by fuch other graces as accompany faith, and are the fruits offaith? can£!: thou fay by the help ·of theSpirit and lhinings of theSpirit,that thefe,and thefe graces are in me, and have been acted by me ; yea , I do love God and Chrijl,l elo repent of myjins,&c. furelythen thy hope iswellgrounded, thou haft the in-dwelling of the Spirit, -it is thyne, even thine. SECT ~ S· -. j

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