336 The twelfth . Sign . PART III. The Witnefs or Seal of the Spirit that we read of, doubtlefs con - fifts in the Effect of the Spirit of God in the Heart, in the Implantati- on and Exercifes of Grace there, and fo confifls in Experience. And it is alto beyond Doubt, that this Seal of the Spirit, is the higheft Kind of Evidence of the Saints Adoption, that ever they obtain. But in thefe Exercifes of Grace in Praaice, that have been fpoken of, God gives Witnefs, and fets to his Seal, in the moft confpicuous emi- nent and evident Manner. It has been abundantly found to be true in Fact, by the Experienceof the chriftian Church ; that Chrift com- monly gives, by his Spirit, the greateft, and moft joyful Evidences to his Saints, of their Sonihip, in thofe effectual Exercifes of Grace, un- der Trials, which have been fpoken of ; as is manifeft in the fullAffu- rance, and unfpeakable Joys of many of the Martyrs. Agreable to that, i Pet. 4. 14. Ifye are reproachedfor the Name of Chrift, happy are ye ; for the Spirit of Glory, and ofGod re eth upon you. And that in Rom. 5. 2, 3. We rejoice in hope of the Glory ofGod, and glory in Tribulations. And agreable to what the Apoftle Paul often declares of what he experienc'd in his Trials. And when the Apoffle Peter, in my Text, fpeaks of the Toy unfpeakable, andfull of Glory, which the Chriftians to whom he wrote, experienc'd ; he has Refpect to what they found under Perfecution, as appears by the Context. Chrift's thus manifefting himfelf, as the Friend and Saviour of his Saints, cleaving to him under Trials, Teems to have been reprefented of old, by his coming and manifefting himfelf, to Shadrach, Mefhach, and !?bednego, in the Furnace. , And when the Apoftle fpeaks of the Witnefs of the Spirit, in Rom. S. 15, 16, 17 ; he has a more im- mediate Refpec`t to what the Chriftians experienced, in their Exercifes of Love toGod, in fuffering Perfecution ; as is plain by the Context. « will be. A Man that has been affured of fuch vifible Exer- s< cifes of Grace, may quickly after be in Doubt, whether he C< was not miftaken. But when fuch Aaings are renewed a- s< gain and again, he grows more fettled and eftablifhed about c< his good Eftate. If a Man fee a Thing once, that makes CC him Pure : But if afterwards he fear he was deceived, when « he comes to fee it again, he is more Pure he was not miftaken. « If a Man read fuch Paffages in a Book, he is Pure it is fo. 6< Some Months after, fome may bear him down, that he was « miftaken, fo as to make him queftion it himfelf : But wl{.en c< he looks, and reads it again, he is abundantly confirmed. s< The more Men's Grace is multiplied, the more their Peace t< is multiplied ; 2 Pet. I. 2. Grace and Peace be multiplied un- cs to you, through the Knowledge of God and jefus our Lord." Stoddard's Way to know Sincerity and Hypocrify. He
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