.. -· Dird/. 3• Direl1·4· Direa. 5· ~eft. An[w. Okjtll. Anfw. VireEfiom for a well grounded Fait/J. and you will tind th3t by all thcfefruirs the Spirit of God is known from all feducing Spirits, and from the fancies or paffions of fclf.conccittd men. ?· 14·, Dire~. 2· ~encb }1ot_t~e Spirit, _eitbtr by wilft~l {;;z, or by yot~f nt!J?)e[]i;tg of its affered help. lt ts as tm: [prmg to all yourJjnrzttt.tl mouons; as the Wmd to your Sazls: You can do nothingwith. out it. Therefore reverence and regard its help, and pray for it, and obey it, and negkC:t ir not. when you arC fure it is the Spirit of God indeed, that is knocking at the door , b-.:hlve nor your fdvcs as if you heard not. 1· Obey himjpeedily: Dday is a prc.fent untlunkrul rcfufal, and a kind of a denya.l. 2· Obey him throughl_y: A half obedience is difobedience. Put him not off wirh AIta· nia1 and Sapbira's gift; the balf of that which he requircth of you. 3· Obey him co~{f.mtG' : noc fometime hearkning to him and more frcquem1y neglcc:ting him; but attending him in a learning obediential tourfe of life. §·15· Direct. 3· Neglrl1 not tbofe mtalfi wh.icb the Spirit batiJ appointr:d J•Ou to u[c, for the recriv· ing of iu bclp, and wbicb lu ufetb in hii bAy (lperatims. If you will meet with him> attend him in his own way, and expect him not ln by·wayes where he ufcth not to go. Pray, and mediratc,and hear, and read, and do your befi, and exped: his bteffing. Though your plowing and j71wing will not give you a plentiful ha1vetl: without the Su11, and Rflin, and rhe hleffing of God, yet thcfo will not dO it neither, unlcfs you plorv and [ozr. God bath not appointed a courfe of means in Naturtor M(Jr<l .. lity in vain ; nor will he ufe to meet yon in any other way. 9· 16. DireCt. 4• Domojl wlmr the Spirithelpetl> yor< m<if!. NegleCt not the extraordinary mu· furti of h!s affifiance: Ifhe extraordinarily help you in prayer, or meditation, improve that hc:lp, and break not off fo foon as at other times ( without necetfity ) : Not that yuu fiwuld omit duty till you feel his help : For he ufcth to come in with help in the pcrf~rmanie, and net in the mgl.{l of duty: But tire not out your {elf with affeUtd length, when you want the lift. y. 17· Dire&. 5· Bt not rmthanlifHl f ur the affijtance he bath givm you. Deny not his grace: Afcdbe it not to nature: Remember it to encourage your future expeCtations; Unrh:mkfulneE and negleCt are the way to be denyed further help. ' §· 18. Q£_efl. But how jhaU I ~;?row whether good effeC/J be from the MeanJ, or from my Re4o" and Endeavo:tt, and whenfrom tbe Spirit ofGod? . Anfw. It is as if you fhould ask, How 01al1 I know, whether my harvejl be from the Eartb, or Sutt, or Railt, or God, or from my labour? I will tell you how. They are all con·caufes : If the cffcU be there, they aU co1tcur: If the ejfe{] be wanting, [ome of them were wanting. It's fooli(h to aSk 1 which is tht caufc, when the cjfelJ is not produced but by the concurrence of tbem all: If you had asked, wbich caufe did fail, whtn the effcll faileth? there weTe rrafon in that qucfiion; But there is nom in this. The more to blame thofc foolilh Athcills, that think God or the Spirit is not the caufe, if they can but find that Rea{on and !rleans are in the effect. Your Reafon, and Confcienct, and Meam would fall !hort of the effeCI, if the Spirit put not life inro all. §· 19 . Obj. $ut I am exceedingly troubled andcoJtfomtdtdwith continu.Jl dvubJJ about every motion that is in my mind, whether it be from the Spirit ofGod, ~r mt. . . AnfW. The more is your ignorance, or the mahce of Satan caufing your d,~qUJct. In one word, ~~ou have fufficicnt Dirctlion to rdolve thofe doubts, and (nd thofe troubles: Is 1t Good, or Evil, or /Jt– Jifferent that you are moved to.? Tbis que!lion muft be ref~lved from t~e J!ord of Gtd, W:h.ich is rhc Rule of duty. If it be good, mmatter, and manner, and czrcuniffancu, lt JS from the Spmr of God, ( citherits common or fpecial operation ) : If it be evil or iltdilfcrem,you ca:mot afcribe it to tht: Spi– rit. Remember that the Spirit comtth not to you; to mak.! you new duty which the Script:tre never m.1de your duty, s~:td [o to hring an additional L~w : ~ut to m~ve and help J'~rre i~ tbat ~hicb wa~ your duty bt· fore. (Only it may giye the Mattrr, whtle Scnpture g.tv<th the ObhgauO>t bX tts general comliJa~d ). If you know not what JS yom duty, and wha_t not, tt IS yo~r. 1gnor~nce ot. Scnpturc that muh be cured : Inu:rprct Scripture well, and you may mterpret the Spmts ~ooons eal1ly. Ifan,r mw duty be motioned to you, which Scripture commandeth not, take [uch motions as not horn Goa; ( \lnkts !t were by extraordinary confirmed Revelation. )
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=