The Life of Faith. 227 Light, to deceive men by pretending to be the Spirit of God : There- fore the Jfirits muff be tryed,and not every fpirit truJted, 2 Cor. t t. 14,15. Mat. 24. 4, 5,11,24. t John 3.7. Ephef. 4.14. Revel. 20. 3, 8. 2 TheC a. 2. 1 John q.. t, 3, 6. Dire. 23. The way oftrying the fpirits, is to try all their uncertain fuggeftions, by the Rule of the certain Truths already revealed in Nature, and in the holy Scriptures : And to try them by the Scriptures, is but to try the fpirits, by the Spirit : the edoubtfui [finit, by.tbe undoubted Spirit, which indited andfoaled the Scripturesmore fatly, than can beexpelled in any after reve- lation, z TheC 1.21. Ufa. 8. 16, 20. 2 Pei. 1. 19. John 5. 39. As 17. t 1. The Spirit of God is never contrary to it felts Therefore nothing can befrom that Spirit, which is contrary to the Scriptures which the Spirit indited. Dire& 24. When you would have an increafe ofthe Spirit,go to Chrift forit, by renewed ails of that fame Faith, by which at ftrftyou obtained the Spirit, Gal. 3.3,4. Gal. 4.6. Faith inChrift doth two waits help us to the Spirit : 1. As it is that Condition upon whichhe hath promifcd it, to whom it belongeth to give us the Spirit. 2. As it is that ad of the foul which is fitted in the nature of it, to the work cf the Spirit ; That is, as it is the ferious contemplation of the in- finite Goodnefs and Love ofGod, molt brightly fhining to us in theface of the Redeemer : and as it is a ferious contempla- tion of that heavenly glory procured by Chrift, which is the fullclt expreffion of the -Love of God : and fo is fittea to kindle that Love to God in the foul, which is the work of the Spirit. Thefe are joyned, Root. 5. 1,2,5,6. Being juftified by Faith, we havepeace with God, through our LordJefur Chrift, By whom alfo we baveaccef? by Faith into thie grace wherein we Rand, and rejoyce in hopeofthe Glory of God The Love of God is flied abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghoft, which is given to us. For when we were without ftrengtb, in due time Cbrift diedfor the ungodly God commended bù Love to us, that while we wereyet (inners, Chrift died for ue So Ephef: 3. 17, 18, 19 Let Chrift dwellinyaur hearts by Faith, and it would help you to be rooted and grounded in Love, and to com- prehendwith all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, andheight axdto know the Love of Cbr't which paffetb F f 2 knowledge,,
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