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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 they
who, 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
own
work
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
think
better
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