5 `o The Life of Faith. your skill, and his weaknefs and unskilfulnets do both appear in the letters which are made ;, fo is it in the ordinary atfitiancc of the Spiritin our ttudies, meditations, prayers, &c. other- wife all that we do would be perfeli, in which we have the Spiritshelp ; which Scripture, and all Chri(tians experience do contradi&. 4. And toafcribe that to the Spirit which is not at all Ws work, or that which is partlyour own work, fofar as it is our own, and favoureth ofour weakneffesand errour, is a heinous injury to the Spirit. g. And it toffeth fuch enifiaken Chriftiatis up anddown in uncertainties ; while they think all fuch thoughts arc the fug- geftions of the Spirit, they meet withmany contrary thoughts, and fo are carrycd like the waves ofthe Sea, fometimes up,and fometimesdown ; and theyhave fometirnes a humbling ter- rible text, and the next day perhaps a comforting text cometh into theirminds, and fo are between terrours and comforts, di- ¡traded by their own fantafies, and think it is all donc by the Spirit ofGod. 6. And it is a pervcrfe abuftng of the holyScripture, to make filch remembrances the Rule of your application of it to your Calves : that text whichyon remember had the fame fenfe before you remembrcd it ; and your fpiritual (fate was the fame be- fore : Ifthat text agree withyour fiate, and tither the ter- rour or the comfort of it belong to you, this mutt beproved by folid reafon, drawn from the truemeaning ofthe text, and the true (late ofyour fouls; and not fuppofed mcerly beeaufe it cometh into your thoughts, or beeaufe it is fct upon your hearts : Do you think that your remembring it will prove that itfpecially belongs to you ? Do not many comfortable texts come into theminds ofHypocrites, who are unfit for com- fort ? And many terrible texts come into the minds of humble fouls, that have right to comfort, and fhouldnot be more terrified ? You may as well think that your money or, eftate is another mans, beeaufe he tbinketbon it : Or that ano- ther mans dangers andmiferics are yours, beeaufe you think of them : Or that you are either Kings, or Lords, or beggars, or thieves, or whatever cometh into your minds : Os that another mass Leaksor Deedsby which he holdcth his Lands, arc
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