36o TheSpirituell Sonne/hip. ¡texereifedl, faitha third ; I fhttlldoter well others, faith a fourth : Surely,he that hash nobetter affurance ofhishoufe wherehedwels,then the moil haue, or caretohaveofthe promifedinheritance oftheir foules,would thinke him. felfe in anmill taking. Alas, that weewhich are fopolitique forour bodies, fhouldbe fo liimple and filly for ourfoules ! thatwee whichfeeke to make that fofine, which we are fure to forgoe, arcforemiffeto lay abetter foun- dation for the timeto come! Iwould l were asable to reforme this groffe fault, asIan: toconuinceit. Who is there amonftvs able ropleade notguil_ ty ? either wevtterly negle& this duty, or we doe not plieit fodiligently as welhould.,Ibefeech you fuller thewordsofexhorcation,and let my counfell hereinbeacceptableunto you.Gixecuenaldiligence tomake this onepoint fare, orelfeletmeefpeakeplainely vnto you ; you hauenothing farebut condem- nation. Youbuild now vpon I know not whathope,which indeed is no hope, aKin,rs.zr. but meereprefumption,andis but asthe reedof gypta,onwhich ifaMAN lease, itwillgoeintohie handandpierceit, it will deceiue vs mofl,whenby it weexpeEh thegreaten comfort. Thegetofthe wicked(hallfeile (faith theScripture)their blob silo._ refngefballperefh,andtheir bo efhalldeforron+efmindeb. When death, the Kìngef s lob18.14 fetter (as Batacallech hime)lhal l feizevponthem, their candle (hallbee fnddenl Blobss.s. put ota'their former confidence/hallconfime likea rottentbing,and,tt agarment elobr;.a8. thatis moat.eetms. This maybee enough forthe reproofe ofthis mill. Let me now withyour good leavefollow thecourfe in thiswhich Iheld in the for. mer point : Ifirf perfwaded you to affelb the dignityofadoption. I next di- re&edyou howtoattaineit:fo now , Ihanemooned youto labourfor affu- rance,let me teach youhow tobe refolued. And thisis indeed the very fweet andmarrowofa Religion , all man is but asan apprentice inReligion, heis neuer Mailer ofhis Craft, tillbee is cometoTomeskilland diligence in this particular. It was one ofthe old rulesof theLaw, That in themouth !fewor three wit- fDeut.19.t5. nefes eaery wordfhonldfandf.It is thereforethe wifedomcof God,that thegib. raneeofadoptionthould be groundcdvpon the teftimonyoftwovery fuffici- gRom.S.ie. cntwitneffei',7be Spirit ofggod,aod ourownefpiírts: TheSpiritofGod bearethwit- wfewithourfpirit,thatweare the childrenofGod. Concerning this teftimony of the Spirit, it is amytteryto flefh &blood, it isa thing more eallleto feel,then to expreffe. Therebecertainefecret inflin&sand impreffionsofnature ,which no tongue or penofanyman can define;as whocandetermine the diflin&ion offmell,by which theEwe knowethher owne Lambefrom a flranger?orthe differenceofbleating, by which the one difcerneth the other in a multitude, whichtoour cares doemake the fame found? The famemay be raidofthefe fecret workings in the regenerate; they inwhom they are,perceiue them,and make vie ofthem; butthe diftis&andproper nature of them , it paffeth the skillofthe moll exa& artift to letdown.This isverified innothing morethen inthis teflimonyofadoption,by Gods Spirit:fomecircumftantialldefcripti_ on i may makeofit,bstro define it l'trï&ly,is more thenI canperforme. The Spirit of God beares wirnes of adoption,by applyingto theheart inparticu_ lar,thepromifesofGod touchingthe remiffionof finites , and lifeeuerlafling by Chrift,whichare generally propounded by thepublikeminiflry.Theword fpeaketh in large and vnlimited manner vntoall, the Spirit ofGod appro- priatesit tomy foule,and conuerteth that tomy perfonalcomfort,which was commended in common to the wholeaffembly. Efay calleth this a wardbe. belay ;8. Zs. bindh,priuilyalluringamansfouleofamorefpeciallintereft intogeneral!fa- eours. Themaine thingtobe cared for about this teflimony of the fpirit, is howtodillinguifh it froman allufon ofSatan, from a diabolicall impoflure : It is truelyraid that the diuill is Godsape , and recites to counterfait him al. moil incurry thing. There is a thing like repentance,which is not repentance indeed,
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