Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Cbap.l.SeC't.5. _ Lockinguntoj-efus. Book.IV. PJrt.V. · 903 _ not in all this conquero'Jrs, and more than conquerurs1 tryumph, ing in flames, to the confufion ofSatan, and all their enemyes; as Chrifl: tryumphed on the cro!fe~ deflroying by death the Prince Heb. t.x4 • of death? Oh what a ble!fed .advantage is it a&ainft all temptations, to have the impre!f~ of the Gofpel of Chnfr on our heart~ and the witnejfe in our (elves? But I heare fome object; If the witne!fe in our felves be fo full, and convincing, then what need have we any.more to make ufc: of Scriptures, or Mioifters? why {hould we leave an higher teacher, co go to a lower ? But I anfw@r, 1. There is more than one thing wanting to enwife us to falvation; as firfr,an outward word; and fecondly, an outward teacher; and thirdly, an inward light : And accordingly God fupplyes this threefold want; the firft, by giving us the Scriptur-e; the fecond, by giving us a minifl:ry, and other occafionai tea~ hers; the third,by giving us the illumination of the Spirit, to help us to fee by the former meanes, and to make the Word and Minifiry to us effeetual. Now it were a mad thing for a man to fay, I have eyes to read in a book, and therefore I have no need of the light of candle, or ofSun-; or I have eyes, and Sun, and therefore I have no need of the light in the a·. re, which cometh from the Sun; or I have the light both of the eye, andSun, and ayre, and therefore l can read by it without a book; or I have a book, and therefore I can read it without ll teacher: certainly if a man would read, he muft have all thefe, or more than one ofthefe; fo God hath appoynted us three nece!fary meanes for our illumination and direction ; the \V ord, the :tyiinitlry, and the Spirit; wh.1t God hath joyntd, let 110 man fepar.m; ifany will foolifhly go, and fet oae of thefe againft anocher,when God hath fet them all together,and made them all neceffary, aligning to each a feveral part in th)! work ofour illumination, they may abufe God and themfelves, and go without the light, while they defpife the neceffn·y caufes of it Gods evidences muft not be feparated, much leffe mutt om:: be pleaded to the neglect of all the rel1 . a> the work within us is not the firft tdl:imony, but a fecdn;hrv confirming teO:i6ony, (o doth it not make the firil: unneceffary or voyde: bdides that, by th~ ex.ternal tdl:imony we mufi convince other men, which by th~ wttneO'e within us we cannot do. But thi> only by the way. z. For

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