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EXTRAORDINARY
WITNESS
OF
THE
SPIRIT.
IIISC.
from
this
extraordinary testimony
of
the Holy Spirit,
unless
you find
some
considerable measure
of
those:s.aitc-
tifying
effects
of
them
which
I
have described
;
I
havq6
granted that
in
particular
seasons
of
trial
when
the.natu-
ral spirits sink and
fail,
and
temptations
are exceeding
strong,
God
may give this
immediate
testimony,
on
pur-
pose
to
bear
up the soul from
sinking; yet
we
should
not
dare
to
trust
such
sort of
vehement
impressions,
and pro-
nounce them
divine,
if
we
neither
find
any
of
the plain
scriptural
marks
of
the children
of
(od
upon
us,
before
or
after
these impressions.
There
is.
great
danger-
of
depending
upon
such
raptures,
if
they leave no
evident
and lasting
effects
of sanctification behind
them.
Where
the
Spirit
shines with such
a
divine
light, he
will
warm
the
heart
with
uncommon
love,
and
the soul
niust
be
consci-
ous
of
some such
rational
evidence
of
adoption, such
a
love
to
God
in
the
heart,
as
will
effectually prove
that
God
has
first
loved
us.
Perhaps
this
is
one
reason
why some
christians
fall
under
so
many doubts and
fears,
because they
live
more
upon their inward sensations of joy, their transports
of
pleasure
in
religion, which they
call the
extraordinary
witness
of
the
Spirit,
than they
do
upon the characters
of
the
children
of
God,
which
should
be
written
in
their
hearts, and
by
which
they
should endeavour
to
search
out
and
to evidence
their
interest
in the
favour
of
God.
4.
Let
every believer walk humbly before
God,
in all
the
paths
of
holiness.
Take
heed lest
at
apy time you
resist
the
blessed Spirit,
in
his
sanctifying
influences,
lest
he
withdraw your comforts
of
every kind
Be
not
de-
ceived, for the
Spirit
of God
will
not
be
trifled
with.
If
you
sow to the
flesh,
after
you
have received any witness
-
ings
of
the
Spirit, you may
expect
to
reap
desertions,
sorrow, pains,
and
long mourning.
Keep
a conscience
tender, and afraid
of
every
sin
;"
"
grieve
not
the
Holy
Spirit of God, whereby
ye
are
sealed
to
the
day
of
re-
demption
;"
Eph.
iv.
30.
5.
Wait
on
God
in
all his
holy
ordinances, and
wait
for
the manifestations
of
his
love.
It
is
hi
a
regular
at-
tendance
on the public and
private duties
of
religion,
that
we
may hope to
meet
with the
witnessing,
,Spirit;
there
the
principles
of
grace are
wont
to be
awakened,
and called forth into
lively e.<ercise;
and
where
your