Disc.. XI: ORDINÀRY WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. 279 the candle of the Lord ;" Prove. xx. 27. The heathens bad this conscience in them, and those broken pieces of " the law that were written in their hearts, was the rule by which their consciences did either .excuse or else ac- cuse ; Rom. ii. 15. But we have a more certain rule to judge ourselves by, even the word of God, the revelation of his mind and will, that he has made in the bible. Our consciences must judge according to this rule. We are bid therefore to try; to judge, to examine ourselves Cor, xiii. 5. Examine and prove yourselves. And 1 Cor. xi. 28. " Let a man examine himself." This self- examination is required as a necessary, duty, in order to come at the knowledge of our sonship, that our spirits may be able to bear a witness, that we are the children of God. Blessed are theywho, Upon such an inward search and examination of themselves, can find such marks of his children. Blessed are we, if our own hearts condemn us not : Then " we may assure our hearts before Jesus'our Judge, and have confidence at his coming ;" 1 John iii. .19, -21. Happy is our state, if our spirits bear witness that we are the children of God, by this inward and im- partial reflection upon ourselves, and the comparison of our hearts with this rule ofjudgment. IVth Prop. Though God has given us this power of reflecting and comparing ourselves with characters laid down in his word, yet there is need of the assisting light of his Spirit to search with our spirits, and to witness to his ownwork in our hearts. We are too often ready to deceive ourselves in this matter two ways : -1. In some persons, pride and self- flattery are sò prevalent, that they always thinkbetter of themselves than they deserve, and are ready to pronounce themselves the children of God, without jùst evidence and sufficient ground. -2. Others, who are humble and sincere christians, have their spirits so depressed, either by a melancholy constitution, by a natural self -diffidence, by weakness of body, or by heavy afflictions, that they can see nothing good in themselves ; they cannot read any characters of divine grace in their hearts, though grace shines visibly in their whole conversation, to the . view of their fellow- christians. On these accounts, and some others also, we stand in T4
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