Burroughs - Houston-Packer Collection BT750 .B945 1674

Go fpel Xemf.oya. 59 his own Spirit that lyes in his own bofome, and knows all his fe- crets to declare themind of God, and to fay to fuch a foul, Peace be to thee, thy firs are forgiven ; now this fatisfies the foul. But it may be here objected, Howmay I lçzow it is the-Spirit of God that witneffes, and not my own fancies or deltzfons of Satan. I anfwer, as we know the Sun by its own light, fo we may know the Spirit by its own teftimony ; and though there may be Tome ebbs, yet it will rife again ; there is fuch a witneiliag work of the Spirit, by a kindof Tweet and fecret intercourfe between God and the Soul, whereby God over-powers all doubts and fears ; though I do not fay, every one hash it in a like fenfible meafure ; yet this I fay, when this full affarance com ,fs, a-- though there may be doubts and many queftions before in the foul, for fear of being deluded, ( for certainly many are de- ceived and deluded) yet then the Spirit over-powers all doubts and fears, and witneffes to the Soul its ownwork : Do not you fay, becaufe Tome are deluded with fancies, that there is no witnefs of the Spirit ; when as there is fcarce any point in the Gofpel the Scripture fpeaks more about than this of the witnefs of the Spirit : indeed they that judge of the myfteries of the Gofpel by Humane Reafon, and underftand no further than that reaches too, and that are little acquainted with thofe converfes that are between God and a believing Soul, they may flight this witnefs of the Spirit ; but you muft know, there is not any Soul that has affurance he íhall go to Heaven, but it is wrought on by a high fupernatural and myfterious way ; and if there were no other way to evidence this to the foul but by fume figns, this would be no higher evidence than by way of reafon But we are to know,as great is the myficrieofgodlinefs,God ma- nifefied in the flefh,fo alto c-reat is the myfierie ofgodlinefs,God jufifed in theSpirit ; God juftified in the Spirit is a great my fterie, Chrifts Incarnation is a great myfterie, fo is a Believers Juftification as well as Chrifts Incarnation ; fo alto the witnefs of Juftification is a great myfterie ; and therefore I befeech ycu look uphigher than for fuch figns as Reafon may reach unto and beg ofGod to reveal this unto you, that thou maift have the I z witnefs

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