7am ty. Ivfatth.7 . 7. Luk. i 1"heíccond tueaues,the . hearingofthe ffiord. 224 Ofthemeanswherebywemay beofercdofour eleEbion. gri cuous affidlion,either outwardly inbodie and fiate,or in.. wardly in mind;then thisperfvvafion vanifheth,and nothing remainethbut doubting,which commonlie endeth invtter defpaire : but the teflimonieof the fpirit is conflantand per- manent ; and howfoeuer wee cannot by reafonofthegrief uoufüeffe ofaffli&ions,and the violent noifeofour ownpaf lions heare thevoice thereofat fome times,yet afterwards a- gaine it crieth alowd inour hearts Abba father, and witnef- ieth vnto ourfpirits that wee are theTonnesofGod : So that thechicle meanes whereby wee are affuredofourcle&ion is thefpirit ofGod. But feeingwee haue it not naturally in our felues,howmay we 'attaineveto it? Surely we are to haue our recourfe voto the Father oflights by earnefl prayer, from whom defcendeth euerygoodand perfeitgift, hawing our faith grounded uponGods gratious promife, namely, that if wee .aske we (hall receiue,and more efpecially,that bee will giue his.holy fpiritto them thataske it,as it is Luk.z z . z 3. . The fecond meanes whereby wee may attaine to the cer- taintieofour ele&ion,is thehearing oftheword,wherin the Lordmanifefleth his grace and goodwill to all beleeuing and repentant finners,andwhereby altohe ordinarilybeget- teth this faithand repentance in all his children. For howfo- euer Paul mayplant, and !Apollo' maywater, butGod alone giueth the increafe; yet Gods blefhng ordinarily accompa- niethhis owne ordinance,making it effe6Iuall by the inward operationof his Spirit for thofe ends for which bee F ;athor- dained it.And though thewordmay long found inour cares before it pearce the heart,or beget any fauing grace invs,vn- leffe the Lordopenour hearts and make the iced ofhisword fruitful:yet thofe whomake confcienceofhearing the word, with diligence, reuerenceandattention, andpray for theaf- fflance ofGods fpirit: whereby it maybecome profitable to their faluation, may conflantly expe6l the blefiing ofGod vpon his owne ordinance, which they carefullyvfe in obe- dience tohis will; whereas thofe who negle&and contemne Gods wordhaue no fuch affurance,becaufe it is themeanes and inf}rument which is ordained ofGod forthis purpofe, without which the fpiritofGoddoth not ordinarily beget faith,
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