---------~~~ 900 BooLIV. l)art. V. Looking unto }eftu. Chap. 3.Setl: 5· pofe faith the A poftle, he that btleeverh on the S on ,j yod h.uh 1 john;.. 1o. the witnefs in .him [elf 1 how in himfelfi' I anfwer, r. In that the Spirit gives him the habit offaith. 2. In (hat the Sptrit caufc:th - him to bring ,it forth into act 3'· In that the Spirit ftamps on the foul all thofe other impreffions of deGre, hope; love, joy or what ever elfe we call the new nature; fo that now there is a new nature within him, he hath new thoughts, new deGgns, new de· fires, new hopes, new• loves, new d~ligbts~ he drives a new trade (as it were) in this world for another world; l1e is become in Chrift a new creature; old things ~Are pajfed uWd],'md all things are aCor•J'·I ·7· Income new. And from hence we may foundly argue the truth ofour Religion. Mark this; as the written word is the teftimony without us, fo are thefe impreffioas of the Spirit the tefiimony within m, by which we may know every necelfary truth as it is in Jefus; this isthe meaning ofthe Apoftle, he that beleeveth, h~tth the witnejfe in him [elf: unbeleevers have indeed a teftimony without them, but beleevers have a double tefiimony, one without, and one within; . and this witnefs within us will go with us which way foevc:r we g9 ; it will accompany us through all flraits and difficulties. The external teftimony may be taken from us; men may take.from us-our Bibles, our Teachers. our Friends; or they mayimprifon us where we cannot enjoy them; but they cannot take from us the Spirit of Chrift ; this witnefs within is .a permanent,fetled,habituate,fl:anding witnefs; 0 what an excellent help is here, that a poor Chrifrian hath beyond all the furniture of the moft learned men th~tt want this teftimony of tbe Spirit of Chrift 1 furely this advantage will exceed. ingly furnifh us againft all temptations to any errour, that is plarnely contrary to the effentials of Religion. One· Of our late , Divines puts a cafe. --- .. Mr. BJxtm If the devil or any·feducer would draw us to doubt, whether Spirits witnelle there be indeed a Chrifi? or whether he did rife againe, afcendto rhe .tr~th of ed, fate down at Gods right hand,and thence fent down the-holy ChtJ!hamty. Gholl:? what an excellent advantage is it againft this temptation, when we can repaire toour·own heart•,. and there finde a Chrift, or a Spirit of Chrill: within us? 0 (faith the fam'tified foul) have 1 felt Chrift relieving me in my loft condition, deliverii:lg mefrom my captiviry , reconciling me to God, and bringing me' w.i(h voldt;rjfe into hil gloriom prefen~e? lindnow il/ter all this fhtA/l 1
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