I 134 The Life of Faith. 20. Laftly, A fuccetlion of the fame Spirit, `which was in the Apottles, and of much of the fame works, which were done by them, was fuch a way of a(í'uring us of the truth of their dotirine and hiflory, as a fucceflion of potterity tel- eth us, that our progenitors were men. The time fpirit of Wifdom and Goodnefi in a great degree continued ofer them to this day. And all wrought by their doctrine: and very credible hiftory affureth us, that many miracles alto were done, in many ages after them; thoughnot fo many as by them : Eufebius, Gyjrian, Auguftine, Virfor, Vlicenfss, Sulpitius, Severus, and manyothers, thew us fo much as may make the beliefof the Apoftics the more eafie. And indeed, the Image of Gods WISDOM, GOODNESS and POWER on the fouls of all trueChriJtians in the world, fuccefvely to this' day, confidered in it fef, and in itsagreement with the fame Image in the holy Scriptures, which do imprint it, and in its agreement or famenefs as found in all Ages, Na. rions andPerfons, is filch a (landing perpetual evidence that the Chritlian Religion is Divine, that (being (till at hand) it thould be exceeding fatisfa6ory to a confiderate Believer, againfl; all doubts and temptations to unbelief. And K ere it not left, I thould inficadof an Index, give you too large a re- cital of what I have more fully written in my forefaid Tree- ',fife, I would here flay yet to thew you how impofe le it -is Ittiat this Spirit of Holinefl, which we feel in us, and fee by the effects in others, even in every true Believer, thould be caufed by a word of falthood, which he abhorreth, and as the Juft Ruler of the world, would be obliged to dif- own. I (hall only here defire you by the way tonote that when I have all this while (hewed you that the SPIRIT is -the great witnefs of the truth of Chriftianity, that it is, this fpirit of Wsfdom, Gosetnefd and Power, in the Prophets, in Chrift, in the Apotlles,and in all Chriflians, exprclfcd in the dotrine, and the pratiices aforetaid, which I mean; as being principally the Evidences, or objeí1ive witnefs of Jefus Chrift ; and fecondarily, being in all true Believers, their teacher, or illuminater and fanc%tjcr, efficiently to caufe them to perceive the aforofaid abjeQive Evidences in its cogent undeniable power.
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