293 / 652
DISC.
xi.1
ORDIN.IRI'
'WITNESS
OF
THE
SPIRI'I,.
283
is a
faculty
of
comparing
ourselves with
the
rule
of
his
word and
judging
accordingly
:
The
Spirit
of
God
by his
power,
and
by
his
providence,,
awakens
these holy dis-
positions
into
lively
exercise
:
He
assists
our
enquiring
and our
judging
faculties,
helps
us
to
compare
our
own
souls
with
his word,
and
thus
confirms
our
own
spirits
in
the
belief
of this proposition,
that
we
are
the children
of
God. This
is
the more common
and ordinary
way
and
method, whereby God
is
pleased
to
give
the
comforts
of
adoption
to
his
people.
It
is
the
remark of
a
judicious writer
on
this subject,
"
That
as on
the one
hand
wicked men
are
sometimes
convinced
in
their
own
consciences
that
they are
children
of
wrath,
and further
confirmed
in
this
persuasion
by
that
evil
spirit
who
labours
from
hence
to
drive
and hurry
them on to
despair
;
so,
on the other
-hand, when
the
hearts
of
believers
speak
peace to them, telling them
that
God
is
their Father,
reconciled
to
them
in
Christ,
and the
Holy
Spirit
saith
the same
also,
then they
have
perfect
peace."
That
the Spirit
of God
may thus
concur
with
the
in-
ward
consciousness
and testimony
of
our
own
spirits
in
so
important
a matter
as
our
love
to God, and
his
love
to
us,
is very easy
to
be
supposed,
when
the
apostle
speaks
of
this
concurring
witness
of
the Spirit
of God
to
his
own
consciousness,
and his sincere
love
of
his
coun-
trymen, when he
says
;
Rom.
ix.
i.
My
conscience
also
bearing
me
witness in
-the
Holy
Ghost.
There
is
nothing
in all this
account of
things
but what
is
perfectly agreea-
ble to the word
of
God,
and
to
the
rational
actings
of
created
minds,
under the happy
influences
of
the
uncre-
'ated Spirit.
The
third thing proposed
was, to give
a
few
advices
relating
to this
ordinary
witness
of
the
Spirit
of
God
concurring with our
spirits.
1.
Satisfy
not
yourselves
with
one slight
examination,
but
renew the
work
frequently, and search
whetheryou
find
the same
marks and evidences
of adoption remain-
ing
in you
or
no.
Do not
content
yourselves
to
run the
whole course
of
life
with one
or
two
solemn
examina-
tions
of
your
own
hearts,
when
God,first
began to work
religion
in
you,
but enquire
and
see
whether
your prin-
ciples
of
grace abide
in
the saine brightness, evidence,