172 Tagilies rook of kg of Gods children. A Box of precious Ointment : Or, ready, becaufe thisdefire of the fpirit cannot be but from the Spirit. Our faith, faith another, may be fo final' and weak, as it cloth not yet bring forth fruits that may be lively felt in us ; but if they which feel themfelves in fuch an elate, defire to have thefe feelings (namely of God's favour and love) if they ask them of God's hands by prayer, this defire and!prayer,are teftimonies that the Spirit of God is in them, and that they have faith already ; for is fuch a defire a fruit of the flffh or of the Spirit ? it is of the holy Spirit, who bringeth it forth only in fuch as he dwells in, &c. Then thofe holy defires and prayers being the motions of the holy Ghoft in us, are tertimonies of our faith, although they feem to us (mall and weak. As the woman that feeleth the moving of a child in her body, though very weak, affareth her felt' that the hath conceived, and that the goeth with a live child : So if we have thefe motions, thefe holy affeaions and defires be- t fore mentioned, let us not doubt but that we have the holy Ghat (VirbQ is the Author of them) dwelling in us, and con- fequently that we have alfo faith. Again, faith the fame Au- thor. It. If thou haft begun to hate and flue fin ; Z. If thou feeleft that thou art difpleafed at thine infirmities and cor- ruption; ; 3. If having offended God, thou findefl a grief and a forrow for it; 4. If thou defire to abftain from fin ; S. If thou avoideft the occafions of fin ; 6. If thou doeft thy endeavours againft fin ; 7. If thou prayeft to God to give thee grace, all thefe holy affeaions proceeding from none other than from the Spirit of God, ought to be as fo many pledges and teftirnonies that he is in thee. It is as impoffible for us naturally to do the leaf' good, or to de re the leaft grace, as 'tis for a Toad to fpit Cordials. Sincere defires af- ter Gods and Chrift, and Grace, is fometimes the all that the people of God find in themfelves. This was all that Nehe- miah could fay of himfelf, and the ref} of his brethren, Neh. t , it. That they did defire to fear God's name. And fa the Church, Ifa. 26. 8. The defire our foul vs to thy name, and to the remembrance of thy holineir. And verf. 9. with my fowl have I degred thee in the night. So the Spoufe, Cant, 3. t, 2, 3. Soljovid, Pfal, 27..4. Ffal. 42. It, 2. PfaI. 63. i. They malt Phil. 2. '4. 2. Cur.!. ze)
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