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2
EXTRAÓRDÌNARY WITNESS
OF
THE
SPIRIT.
CDISC.
XtÍ.
this
very
morning
I
awoke
out' of a
most ravishing and
delightful dream,
that
a
wonderful and copious stream of
celestial'
rays, from
the
lofty
throne of
the
divine Ma-
jesty, did
seem
to
dart
into
my
open
and
expanded
breast.
I
have often since, with
great
complacency, re-
flected on
that
very signal pledge
of
special divine
favour,
vouchsafed
to me on
that
noted memorable day
;
and
have
with
repeated
fresh
pleasure, tasted the
delights
thereof.
But
what of
the
same kind
I
sensibly
felt through
the
admirable bounty of
mÿ
God, and
the most pleasant
boinforting influence
of
the Holy Spirit,
on
October
22,
1704,
far
surpassed the most
expressive words
my
thoughts
can
suggest.
I
then experienced an
inex-
pressibly pleasant melting
of
heart, tears
gushing
`out
of
Mine eyes for
joy that God
should
shed
abroad
his love
abundantly through
the hearts of
men
:
and
that
for
this
very
purpose
mine own
heart
should
be
so
signally pos-
sessed
of
and
by
his
Blessed
Spirit
;
Rom:
v.
5."
Besides this
instance of
so sedate,
so
rational,
and
so
jildieious a
person,
there have
been many others
of
our
pious fathers
in
England,
but
especially,
as
1
said
before,
in
the
church
of
Scotland,
have
enjoyed such
divine
visits,
and
given very
sensible evidence
that
the
Holy
Spirit
is
not utterly
withdrawn from men
even
as to
his
extraordinary
influences.
If
any
thing could
be
added
to
this testimony of
Mr.
Howe,
it
should be the
instance
of
Mr.
Flavel, the
fa-
iovs
practical
divine
in
the
west
of
England,
who
in
his
treatise
of
the soul
of
man, gives us this
account of
him
-.
self,
but
with his
name concealed
:
"
That,
in
a
journey
on horseback,
the
fell
into
a
divine
meditation,
wherein
he had such tokens of the
love
of God,
and
his
interest
in the divine favour manifested
to
him,
that
greatly
sur-
passed
all
the
rational and
inferential
evidences
that
ever
he had
;
though
he
was
known to
be
a
close
walker
with
God,
and an eminent
saint,
and
a lively
preacher of
the
blessed gospel
of
Christ."
1
VIth
Consideration.
There
have been several learned
and judicious
divines,
who
have
declared their
firm
belief
of
such
extraordinary
manifestations
and witnessings
of
the
Blessed
Spirit
;
which
belief has risen
from
their
acquaintance
with the
scriptures, and their
observations