-44 S E RM ON S upo * Serín. 2 in_fin:our Hearts to believe them; otherwife we (hall look upon them but as a Tra- ditional Report; Ifa. 53. 1. Lord, *rho hath believed our Report? The Church maketh Report : What is the reafon wicked Men do not entertain it ? t John 2. ao. Te have. an 2inelien from the Holy One, and ye know all thing,. Men may fpeak of Chrift by hear -fay, as a Parrot talks after a Man ; but it is the Spirit only that mint reveal him to the Heart. The Difciples themlelves.keew nor the Truth of the Golpel fd. much by Chrifes outward Miniflry, as by the inward Illumination of the Spirit. So Chrift himfelf faith, John 16. 13. Howbeit, when the Spirit of Truth is corm, he(fiatl guide yam into all Trials. Chrift had brought it out of the Bofom of the Father, and had taught them by an. external Miniftry 5 but the Comforter was to bring it into their Hearts, to lead them into all Truth. Therefore tho carnal Men may have a rational Conviction, and may be fo over- powered with Reafon, that they cannot contradiâ the Word, and fo far underftand it as to be condemned by it ; yet they have not an abfolute Affu- ranee, it is accompanied with Atheifm, Doubts, and Diflàtisfal ions. s. Becaufe the Spirit worketh not by way of Certioration and full Affurance, but where he fandifieth. And therefore the Apoftle faith, 1 Theft: 1. 5. Our Gojpel came not to you in Word only, but a fo in Power, and in the Holy -Ghcf, and in much Arance. It cleanfeth and fanlhlieth the Heart. And in the Text it is Luid, Sanelify them through thy Iruth, thy Word irTrnth. Where-ever there is an inward plenar,Convil ion,there is the Spirit ; and where theSpirit of God works, he changeth.the Heart. It is true, a wicked Man, remaining carnal, may have common Gifts from the Spirit. Heb. 6. q,., They may be inlightned, and tafle of the heavenly Gift, and be made Partakers of the Hay. Ghofl °and tafle the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come. They may be able to make ufe of the Model and Form of Knowledg that is in the Brain, but there is not an abfolute Affurance. This partial Conviction is Coon loft; it is led in by Man, and led off by Man. A natural Man being in the Church, may have great Prefumption and Probability; he may know nothing to the contrary why it is not God's Word : nay,he may in Bravery die for his Profeflion; but he dies in his' own Quarrel, and foc his own Humor, not for the love of the Truth; becaufe it is his, not becaufe it is God's, becaufe his own Profeftìon may not be difparaged : But a true Certaintyy they cannot have, fuch as is affective, transforming, fetled. Vfe 1. To wicked Men, that flagger about the Truth of the Scriptures, and are haunted with a Spirit of Atheifm and continued Doubts. s. Wait upon common Grounds, Content of the Church, and probable Arguments. You ought out of refpeCt, to fearch into it, whether it will be found to be the Word of God, or no. You read in 9udges, when Ehud laid to Eglon, Judges 3. ao. I have a Meffsge from God unto thee ; he rojo out of his Seat. If a King's Letter, threatning great Peril, were brought to a Man, he Both not know whether it be the King's Letter or no, but becaufe the Peril is great, he will enquire further into the Matter. So when the Word of God is brought unto you, propounding everlafting Hope, threatning everlafting Death, this fhould make you wait, enquire, and fee if it be the Word of God, Or no. We venture far for great Gain upon a probable Hope. If thére were but a loofe probability of having a great Prize for a Shilling, a Man would venture upon that probability. Now here is not only a poffibility of gaining, but you are threatned with horrible Torments; everlafling Death and Horror, more than is propounded in any Religion. Do not.think this is a foolish Credulity ; the Simple believeth every Word ; there is none more foolifhly credulous, than the Atheift and the Antifcripturift, who withhold their Affent from the Word of God upon very flight Reafons, and venture their Salvation upon them. 2. Do not in fuch a Matter reft upon the Credit of any Man, but leek to have a firm Ground in your Confciences, an inward Certioration from the Spirit of God. Phil. 1. 9. This 1 pray, that your Love may abound yet more and more in Knowledg, and in Judgment, à.»; in all fence. Wait till you have an inward feeling. He that is led by a Man into the acknowledgment of the Truth, will be led off again by Men. There will be no (lability, till you have an inward Affurance. a Pet. 3. 16. 'Beware, left ye alfo, being led away with the Error of the Wicked, fall from your own fledfaflnefs, &ov wEswtóv. Every Child of God fhould have Tome Ballalt in his own Spirit, Come Ground and Experience upon which he dud} venture his Soul. Labour for this prof per Ballalt, and Stedfaftnefs of your own. And for your Comfort, let me tell.you, if you, with a humble and pious Mind, wait upon God, you will not want itlong. He
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