'392 LIFE OF FAITH. And for the surer effecting of this knowledge, God doth not only set before us the ascertaining evidence of his own veracity, and the Scripture's divinity, but, moreover, 1. He giveth us to believe ; Phil. i. 29. 2 Pet. i. 3. For it is "not of ourselves, but is the gift of God; " Ephes. ii. 8. Faith is one of the " fruits of the Spirit;" Gal. v. 22. By the drawing of the Father, we come to the Son. And he that hath knowledge given from heaven, will certainly know; and he that hath faith given him from heaven, will certainly believe. The heavenly light will dissipate our darkness, and infallibly illuminate. Whilst God sets before us the glass of the gospel, in which the things invisible are revealed, and also gives us eyesight to behold them, believers must needs be a heavenlypeople, as walking in that light which proceedeth from, and leadeth to the celestial, everlasting light. 2. And that faith may be so powerful as to serve instead of sight and presence, believershave the Spirit of Christ within them, to excite and actuate it, and help themagainst all temptations to unbelief, and to work in them all other graces that concur to pro- mote the works of faith ; and to mortify those sins that hinder our believing, and are contrary to a heavenly life. So that as the exercise of our sight, and'taste, and hearing, and feeling, is caused by our natural life ; so the exercise of faith and hope, and love, upon things unseen, is caused by the Holy Spirit, which is the principle of our new life: "We have received the Spirit, that we might know the things that are given us of God;" 1 Cor. ii. 12. This Spirit of God acquainteth us with God, with his veracity and his word: " We know him that bath said, I will never fail thee, nor forsake thee ;." Heb. x. 30. This Spirit of Christ acquainteth us with Christ, and with his grace and will ; I Cor. ii. 10-12. This heavenly Spirit acquainteth us with heaven, so that " we know that when Christ appeareth, We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is ; " 1 John iii. 2. And " we know that he was manifested to take awaysin;" 1 John iii. 5. And will per- fect his work, and present us spotless to his Father; Eph. v. 26, 27. This heavenly Spirit possesseththe saints with suchheavenly dispositions and desires, as much facilitate the work of faith. It bringeth us to a heavenly conversation; and maketh us live as " fellow-citizens of the saints," and " in the household of God ; " Eph. ii. 19. Phil. iii. 20. It is within us a Spirit of supplication, breathing heavenward, with sighs and groans which cannot be expressed ; and as God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit, so the Spirit knows the mind of God ; Rom. viii. 37. I Cor. ii. 11. 3. And the work of faith is much promoted by the spiritual experiences of believers. When they find a considerable part of the Holy Scriptures verified on themselves, it much confirmeth
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