Serrn.CLXVII. on theMindsofChrij1ians. 3o9 Others pretend tobe guided by the Spirit in all their a&ions, and to be gover- ned in an extraordinary manner by particular impulfes and impreflions froth the Spirit of God ; which they likewife pretend they can certainly difcern from the motions of their own minds and imaginations. But as they can give no reafon for this, fo we have Peen many times in experience, that Men have been led intó unlawful and wicked pra&ices, and have done weak and unreafonable, and ridi- culous things, and then have blafphemoufly charged them upon the Spirit of God; a prefumption of a high nature, and which hath fomerefemblance to the finagainft the Holy Ghoft, and feems to be ofnear affinity with it. For as the unpardona -: ble fin againft the Holy Ghoft confifted in refilling theevidence of our'Saviour's. Miracles, and perverfly and malicioufly imputing the operations of the Spirit of God.to,the power and efficacy of the Devil; fo on the other hand, to pretend the Spirit of God and his motions for the works of the Devil, and any thing that is wicked ; and to afcribe thefe things, which are more likely to proceed from the inftigation of that evil Spirit, to the impulfe ofthe Holy Spirit of God, is a high blafphemy of the Holy Ghoft. Others pretend, that the Spirit doth immediately didate to them their Prayers, which many times are very confuted and unbefeeming, and too plainly the ilfue of a heated imagination ; whereas God is not the God ofconfufion, but oforder. And what is meetly the effe& of an acquired habit, or natural fluency and facility of expreffion and warm affe&ions, they confidently afcribe to the Spirit of God ; whereas the Spirit of God is more frequently and certainly in thehill voice, than in the high wind and fire, the boifterous paffiont, and fiery zealofMen. And cer- tainly he that takes care toput up wife and decent Petitions to God, and confiders carefully what to beg of him, and afks it in a becoming manner, with faith and true fervency of affection, though in a form, hath much more reafon to conclude that he prays in and by the Spirit of God, than he that hath thegreateft freedom ofextempore effufions. And after all, there is a much better and clearer demonftration, that a Man hath the Spirit of God, than any of thefe pretences, and that is from the un- doubtedfruits e the Spirit; in the graces and virtues of a good life, which are vi- fible and manifeft in the temper and converfation of a good Mang and without thefe, all pretences to the Spirit of God, are but fancy and vain deufions ; fuch Men deceive themfelves, and the truth is not in them. VIII. And La/Ily, From hence it- appears how happy it is for us, that we are not left in our own hands, and to our own weaknefs and impotency, and td work out our own Salvation, but that we are under the continual conduet, and powerful prote&ion of fuch a Guardian, and that the Holy Spirit is always ready to be affordedïo us, to all the purpofes of guidance and affiftance, ofcomfort and fupport, offandification andobedience, of patient continuance and perfeverance in well- doing, Let us therefore, as the Apoftle exhorts, work out our Salvation with fear and trembling, becaufe it is God that worketh in us; both to will and to do. We are not left to our felves to carry on this great work, for then it would cer- tainly mifcarry; but God works in us both the will and inclination to that which is good, and gives us the power to do it: he does not force our wills, but incline them by the gentle fuggeftions and motions of his bleffed Spirit ; withwhich, ifwe comply, we are happy ; if we refill them, and rebel againft them, we receive the graceofGod in vain, and our ruin anddefiruflion is ofour 'elves. But can we then do nothing? No, not without the preventing and affìfting glace of God ; but that being afforded to us, we may complywith the motions ofGod's bleffed Spirit ; we may co-operate and concur with his affiftance. God alas, butwe do; he fandifies and renews us by the Holy Ghoft, and yet we pu- rifle and cleanfe our felves. But is not this injurious to the grace of God, if we do any thing at all and the grace of God do not do all in us and for us? I anfwer, t. It is a great grace of God, to help our weaknefs, and to relieve our impo- tency, and to ftrengthen and enable us to do what we cannot do of our felves. We owe our Salvation to the grace of God, to the influence and aflìftance ofhis Holy Spirit,
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