DISC. 3111:; tXTRÀORDINARY WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. 3O1 I proceed now to finish this discourse, by offering to your thoughts a few advices concerning these witnessings 'bf the Spirit of God, both in his ordinary and extraordi- nary ways. 1. Though you have never felt any such immediate influences of the Spirit Of God, givingyou an extraordi- nary assurance of your interest in his love, yet have a care of ridiculing and reproaching these peculiar and uncom- mon operations of the Holy Spirit Take heed of pro- nouncing them all at once, the delusions of the devil, the visions of anheated fancy, or vain and idle dreams. It is certain that God has bestowed some such favours on men in the primitive days of christianity. It is certain also, that there -is no place of scripture that declares, that these influences are utterly ceased, or that God will bestow no more such divine favours. It is certain yet further, that wise, and judicious, and holy men, have had very extraordinary impressions of.this kind made on their souls, so that they were almost constrained to believe that they were divine ; and the effects of these impressions have been holy and glorious : We should seta guard therefore on our hearts and our tongues, lest we cast a reproach and scandal on such sacred appearances,. which the Spirit of God will hereafter acknowledge to have been his own work. 2. Let not humble christians, who walk with God ac- cording to the ordinary methods of his grace, be discou- raged, though they have never found this extraordinary witness of the Spirit, nor tasted of these peculiarfavours. Value the evident marks and characters of the children of God, wrought in your hearts, more than ecstacies ofjoy and pleasure. Value mortification tó sin more than rap- tures ; for mortification is a certain sign that the Spirit ofGod dwells in us, and that we are heirs of life ; Rom. viii. 13. " If you by the Spirit do mortify the deeds of' the flesh you shall live." Heaven is the place of com- plete joy ; heaven is the state where sight and sense shall . be exercised ; but we are here ordained to " live by faith;" 2 Cor. v. 7. We may have the assisting presence of the Spirit of adoption, and by that Spirit may say unto God, " Abba, Father," without the extraordinary wit- nessing of that good Spirit. Dare not believe any sudden raptures to proceed
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