62 What are no Signs PART II. his Path as it were in the mighty Waters, that his Footeps may not he known : And efpecially in the Works of his Spirit on the Hearts of Men, which are the higheft and chief of his Works. And there- fore it is laid, Ifai. 4o. 53. Who bath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his Counfellor bath taught him. 'Tis to be feared that fome have gone too far towards directing the Spirit of the Lord, and mark- ing out his Footfteps for him, and limiting him to certain Steps and Methods. Experience plainly (hews, that God's Spirit is unfearch- able and untraceable, in fome of the belt of Chriftians, in the Method of his Operations, in their Converfion. Nor does the Spirit of God proceed difccrnably in the Steps of a particular eftablifhed Scheme, one half fo often as is imagined. A Scheme of what is neceffary, and according to a Rule already received and eftablifhed by common O- pinion, has a vaft (tho' to many a very infenfible) Influence in form- ing Perfons Notions of the Steps andMethod of their ownExperiences. I know very well what their Way is ; for I have had muchOpportu- nity to obferve it. Very often, at firft, theirExperiences appear like a confufed Chaos, as Mr. Shepard expreffes it : But then thofe Pal- fages of their Experience are pick'd out, that have molt of the Ap- pearance of fuch particular Steps that are infifted on ; and thefe are dwelt upon in theThoughts, and thefe are told of fromTime toTime, in the Relation they give : Thefe Parts grow brighter and brighter in their View ; and others, being neglected, grow more and more ob- fcure : And what they have experienc'd is infenfibly ftrain'd to bring all to an exa9 Conformity to the Scheme that is effablifhed. And it becomes natural for Minifters, who have to deal with them and di- rect them that infitt upon Diftinctnefs and Clearnefs of Method, to do fo too. But yet there has been fo much to be feen of theOperations Hof the Spirit of God, of late,that they who have had much to do with Souls, and are not blinded with a. feven -fold Veil of Prejudice, muff know that the Spirit is fo exceeding various in the 'Manner of his ope- rating, that in many Cafes it is impoffible to trace him, or find out bis Way. What we have principally to do with, in our Enquiries into our own State, or Directions we give to others, is the Nature of the Ef£eE that God has brought to pals in the Soul. As to the Steps which the Spirit of God took to bring that Effect to pats, we may leave them to him. We are often in Scripture exprefly dire E ed to try our felves by the Nature of theFruits of the Spirit ; but no where by the Spirit's Methodof producing them *. Many do greatly err in * Mr. Shepard, fpeaking of the Soul's clof.na with Cnrift, lays, CG As aChild cannot tell how hisSjutl come,. i -,nor it may be " when ;
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