298 NRn1NARY WITNESS OF TIME SPIRIT. it, in an hour of darkness ; unless the spirit, like the sun, dart his beams of light into the soul, and discover his own work. Therefore, a great writer of practical divinity, Mr. R. Allein ex- presses it, " As the Spirit seals us, by being the mark of theLord upon us, so he witnesses, by being the light of the Lord within us ; whereby we come to discern the markof theLord upon us." As Nagar in the wilderness did not see the fountain of water, though it was near her, till God opened her eyes ; Gen. xxi. Ill. so the springs of divine life and holiness, which the Spirit of God has raised within our souls, aresometimes, as it were, hidden from the soul itself, till the Spirit shew it to the believer, by assisting his enquiring faculties, and shedding down a divine light. This leads me to Tise second thing proposed : And that is, to shew the- me- thod by which the Spirit generally works in this assisting testi- mony. L He doth it by stirring up the soul to a most diligent search, and making it unwearied in this toil and labour of self- examination. I call it labour and toil, forby nature we are very unwilling tobe accurate, and strict, and just in the search of our- selves. The Spirit of Godwill hold us to it, when we firtd great aversions and disinclination inour own hearts to sucha. work. We, who have so much sin, are sometimes much afraid to look into the bottom of our souls, lest we should find nosincerity there : It is the Spirit of truth therefore, that excites us todiligence in theseholy enquiries. 2. He gives us sometimes a fair opportunity and occasion for the exercise of some grace in a clear and distinct manner god hereby assists the witness of our spirits. Perhaps by the discovery of the grace and glory of Christ, in a sermon, he in- vites our faith, our love, our holy joy to appear : By akind pro- vidence, and somenew signal mercy, he puts us in mind of thank- fulness : Or if our souls have lain long in a secure careless frame, he leaves us, it may be, under some spiritual affliction, some ter- rible temptation, and awakens us to thoughtfulness, repentance, holy mournings, and longingdesires after God. 'Thus the cha-, ratters of adoption appear in our hearts, that before were covered ever with the dust of this world, and buried under the cares or vanities of life. 3. It is the Spirit of God that inwardly assists these holy principles, and strengthens them in their exercise, when he bath . givenan outward and providential occasion to awaken them : For as he is the first spring of all the powers of the new creature, so he is a constant assistino. principle to promote their holy exercise. Ile dWells in the saints for ever, and is an everlasting spring of their holiness. It is he that excites and managesthe vital motions of our souls, and makes it appear by holy exercises that we have
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