Clarke - BV4500_C46_1659_v1

lag fo< 2U, I. II. I. I I: Queflionf,andCafes ofConfcience Chap ï q; HighTower knows that heis fafe,& yet whenhe looks downhe is afraid of falling. Thirdly, confcience fometimes gives in adark and cloudy evidencewhen its difquieted, and lies under new guilt, fo that then the foul cannot fo clearly reade its own evidences. It may be it bath dealt hypoctitically in fome one particular, and thereforebegins to queflion all its fincerity. The confcience indeed doth not ahvayes give in a clear and full Testimony, but fometimes it Both, and that with abiolute certainty, Come we then to the fecondTefiimony, the great and the fupream witneffe of ch.: Spirit, not only the gifts and graces ofthe Spirit, but the Spirit it felf.. Ob. '/ his feems to be the fame with the former : for we cannot knave eurfince- rit y till the Spirit revealits to ourfelves : Thefoul cannotfee . its ownface, tillthe Spirit unmask it Anfir. We grantthat to the leaf+ motion in fpirituals there is neceflárily re- quired the concurrence of the HolyGhol , but yet there is a great difference be- tween the working of theSpirit , and the witneffe of the Spirit ; there is aneffi- cacious work of the Spirit whenfaith is wrought in the foul : but yet there is not the Tefiimony of the Spirit, for then every believer fhouldbt prefently fealed. So that though the Tefiimonyof our own fpirit cannot be without the Alliance of Gods Spirit, yet its clearlydiftinbtfrom theTef+imony of the Spirit : For here the Spirit enables the foul to fee its graces by the foules light : But when it comes with a teffimony, then it brings a new light of its own, and lends the foul fo:ne auxiliarybeams for the more clear revealingof it. Q.1.1eft. what kinde of teflimony is that of the Spirit ?. Arfn. Firfi, its a clear teftimony, a full and fatisfying light which fcatters all clouds and doubts, s John 3.24. By this we know that / e.dwells in tse, by the Spirit whichhe bathgiven tu. If an Angel lhould tell us fo, there might be fome doubt about it : but the inward Tefluinony of the Spirit is more powerful, then ifit were by an outward voice. Secondly, a fure Teftimony : For its thewitneffe of theSpirit, that can nei- ther deceive, nor be deceived, s. He cannot deceive, for he is truth it felfe. 2. He cannot be deceived, for he is all eye, Omnifcience it Pelf. Hedwells in the bofomeof God. and isfully acquainted with the mimic of God : Its fuch a certainty as makes themcry Abba Father, and that with confidence. Its op-, pofed to the fpirit ofbondage, and therefore takes awayall doubtings, yea, the very endwhy the Holy Ghof+cornes to the foul, is to makeall fure, and there- fore he is called a Seal, and an Earneft. Nowhe allures the foul. s. By a powerful application of thepromife : Foras faith appropriates the pro - mife onour part,fo the Spirit applies it on Gods part.This fpirit ofadoption feeks love,and peace and pardon;and that by a particular application of the promife ro us z as when the, promife ofpardonoffin, and life everlafling is generally pro- pounded in the Minifiryof the Word, the HolyGhof+cloth particularly apply it to theheart, and fo feats up the promife to the foul.: 2. By a bright irradiation or enlightningof the foul, clearing its evidences, dìfcovering its graces, and (hewing them to be true, and'not counterfeit, r (or. 2. r 2. We have received the Spirit, .which is of God, that wemidht know the things which are freelygivenus of Clod.. Ob. But many thinkthey have the Spirit.wbenthey have not : Satan transforms himfelfinto an Angel oflight ? t/Infw. Firft, one mans felf-deceit doth not prejudiceanothets certainty. A man in a dream, thinks himfelfawake whenhe is not : yet for all this, a man that is awake may certainly know that,he is fo. Secondly, theSpiritcomes with a convincing light, and gives a full manife- f+artonofhis own practice: fo that we may fooner takeaGlow-worme for the Sun, then an experienced Chriftian can take a falfe delufion for the lightof the Spirit. Thirdly

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