i 52 The Covenant of Works' Chap. 21 any intereft in it. The Covenant of God is the ground of our falvation ; if that be waved, all is loft , and we muft make good our part in the Covenant. Grace muft aílift to anfwer what the Covenant requires, or no faivation. How is it a Covenant, if nothing be required in Covenant? and why is it required , if it muff not be performed ? How to gather up Affurance from the conditions of the Covenant is,a bufineffe of greater confequence. It is the higheft pitch of a Chriflian it is a great work to beleeve and repent, a greater work to know that we favingly beleeve and repent. The work it felf is difficult, no bufineffe ofa lazie foule. To know that the work is aright done, is a greater difficulty but that it muff be gathered from the conditions, is eafie to refolve® I know fome finding in Scripture, thefeale of the Spirit, and the witneffe of the Spirit in order to Affurance , will have the whole of the work of Affurance to be carried on alone by the Spirit, that all is done in us without us, a fecret whifper from God , that we are Gods, and no more. This muff be heeded , and our faith or repentance in the work not at all regarded; but I would know of thofe, if the Spirit be a Peale, whether the -foul doth not bear the impreffe ? and what this impreffe is but the graces of the Spirit? The Seale fealing , and the impreffe made fully anfwer one the o- ther. Sometimes it may dimmely anfwer, where the wax or clay, or whatfoever is fealed, takes not a full impreßîon; but if it an- fwer nor, it is no Seale. The graces that the Spirit works, are its impreffe, and thefe are the conditions of the Covenant; and fo infteadofanobjedion, we have a proofe. For the witneffe of the Spirit , I define toknow, whether it be a fingle witneffe gi- ving tefimony to us without us , or a witneffe concurring with our fpirits. The Text is clear, Rom. 8.16. The Spirit it felf beareth 14nitnef 'e With our fpirits; that We are the children cf Clod. Our fpirits bearing wirnefle, are our confciences, Rom. 2. 15.1 Their confciences alfa bearing them Wine fe ; and therefore Matter 1 ItS'axter affirmes `7 hat the tes`iimony. of the Spirit and the l teftimony of our conic ences are two concurrent teftimonies, or caufes, to Produce one and the fame effeR. But every confcience cannot !; witneffe thus with the spirit, cannot joyne in a concurrent tefti- mony, It is the wirne fì:' of a good confcience, i Pet. 3. 2i. Baptifine ; faves (faith tie Apoflte) by the refî+rrettionofChrift; explaining himfeif, not the putting .away the filth of the flejh, not the bare 1 out- The office of the Spirit in the work of Affurance.
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