Owen - BS1450 130st 093 1669

Ver.4. in Spiritua'Experience, tisfying experience unto all their arguings and fuggeflions. Aman will not be difputed out of what he fees and feels. And, a Believer will abide as firmly by hisffiritual fenfe, as any man can by his natural. This is the meaning of that Prayer of theApoffle, Co1.2.2. That your hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, unto all riches of the full Afferance of underffanding,to the ac nozv- ledgement of the tofferie of God, and of the Father and of Chrij ünderfiar.ding in the myteries of the Gofpel they had ; but he prayes that by a farther experience of it, they might corne to the Affurance cf underffanding. To be true, is the property of the Docríne it fell, to be certain or afured i3 the property of our minds. Now this ex4eri nce dotii fo unite the mind and truth, that we fay, fuch a Truth is most certain, whereas cer- tainty is indeed the property of our minds or their knowledge, and not of the truth known. I.t is certain unto us, that is, we have an affured knowledge of it, by the Experience wç have of it. This is the Affurance of Vnderffanding here men- tioned. And he further prayes, that we may cc me to the Riches ofthis Afurance ; that is to au abundant plentiful Aff. ftrrance. And that Ñs ¡Irí7,1440, to the acknowledgement of the Myfierie ofGod, owning it from a fenfe and experience of its excellency and worth. And this is in the Nature of all Gospel Truths ; they are fitted and fuited to be experienced by .a believing foul. There is nothing in them fo Jìsblime and high, nothing fo my feriotat, nothing fo feemingly low and outwardly cowemptible, but that a gracious foul bath experience ofan Excellency, Reality, Power and Efficacy in it all. For inftance; look on that which concerns the Order and Worfhip of the Gofpq : This teems to many to be a meer external thing, whereof a foul can have no inward fin& or relifb. Notions there are many about it, and endlefs contentions, but what more ? why let a gracious foul in simplicity and fincerity of Spirit, give up himfelf to walk withChrifi according to his Appointment, and he (hall quickly 'find fuch a :age and relifh in the fellowship of the Gofpel, in the Communion of Saints, and ofChrist amongft them, as that he (hall come up to fuch Riches ofAffrrance in the Underfiand- Z 2 ing I]I

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