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DISC.XIL]
EXrRAO"RDINARY WITNESS
OF
THE
SPIRIT.
20
to
counterfeit the
works
of
his own
Spirit,
as to leave
no
marks or evidences whereby to distinguish them
from
th6
impostures of Satan.
Truth
and
holinessare
the
objects
of
the-devil's
hatred
;
and
though
he may
transform
him
-'
self
in some
particulars
into an
angel
of
light,
yet
he
brings
along with him
some
peculiar
evil
badge,
whereby
he may be
known or distinguished
And
if
christiáns
will be
sincere and honest, watchful and
diligent; to
exa
-'
mine
not
only
the present impressions,
but
the
succeeding
effects
of
such sort
of
assurances
of
their adoption;
toge
-`
ther
with
earnést prayer
to
be
kept
fröm
all
delusions, I'
cari"hardly think
that
God
will suffer his own
people
to
be imposed
upon
in
a matter
of
so sacred.
importance:
The fourth thing I
proposed,
was to
mention briefly
some
characters of
this
extraordinary
witness
of
the
Spi-
rit, wherein
it
differs
from the
ordinary
witness.
I. The
extraordinary
testimony
of
our adoption
is
a
more
sensible
and
strong impression upon
the
soul
;
which seems
to be
distinguished in
itself
from the more
slow successive,
and
rational operations
of
the human
faculties.
The
spirit
of
á
christian searching
out
his
own
interest
in
the love
of
God, exercises
his
reasoning
pow_
ers,
lays down
these
propositions
:
He
that
believes
in
Christ, or
he
that loved'
God,
is
a child
of God.
Again,
I
believe in Christ,
or
I
love
God
:
And then
it
infers
this
conclusion; therefore
I
am one
of
his
children.
Now
the
Spirit of God
in
his
ordinary and
usual
influ-
ences, does so'gently,
so
secretly, and
in such a
con-
natural
manner, assist these
operations of
the soul,
that
it seems
to
be
all
our
own
work; and
the influences
of
the Spirit
are
seldom sensibly
distinguished from
'the
operations
Of
our
own
faculties
;
and
we
learn,
that
we
have the assist-
ance
of
the Holy
Spirit
herein,
rather
by
the
doctrine'of
scripture, and
by its
sanctifying
effects,
than
by
any pow-
erful sensations
of
a superior
influence on
our
souls
:
But
in
the
extraordinary
witness the case
is
otherwise
;
for the
superior and 'external
influence
appears strong
and
sensible.
The
Holy Spirit impresses the,conclusion,
cr
the
assurance
of
our adoption,
with
power
upon
the
soul,
without any successive
deduction
of
it
from any
foregoing propositions,
sets
it
in
a bright
light,
and
per-
suades the
soul
to believe it.
C.
This
extraordinary-
witness
is
usually
.
short and