$0O ORDINARY WITNESS Mr THE SPIRIT. conscience which is a faculty of comparingourselveswith the mile of his word and judging accordingly : The spirit of God by his power, and by his providence, awakens these holy dispositions into lively exercise : He assists our enquiring and our judging faculties, helps us to compare our own souls with his words and thusconfirms our own spirits in the belief of this proposition, that we are the children of God. This is the more commonand Ordinary way and method, whereby God is pleased togive 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 aresometimes convinced in their own consciences that they are children of wrath, and further con- firmed 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 sàith the same also, then they have perfect peace. That the Spirit of God may thus concur with the inward consci- ousness and testimonyof 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 thisconcurring witness of the Spirit of God to his own consciousness, and his sincere love of his countrymen, when he says Rom. ix. 1. Myconscience also bear< ing me witness in the Holy Ghost. Thereis nothing in all this account of things but what is perfectly agreeable to the word of God, and to the rational actings of created minds, under the happy influences of the untreated 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 whether you find the same marks and evidences of adoption remaining in you or no. Do not content yourselves torun the whole course of life with one of two solemn examinations of your own hearts, when God first be- gan to work religion in you, but enquire and see whether your principles of grace abide in the same brightness, evidence, and activityas in time past. Perhapsby this means you may discern a sensiblegrowth in grace, andyou may find abundant advantage, worth all the care and labourof self-examination; or if you find decaysand backslidings, it will awaken repentance and zeal to- ward a recovery. 2. In this searching work keep aloof from carnal self -love. When you,call yourselves to an account, set yourselves before the bar of your own consciences, as before the bar of God ; for con- science is a judge for God withiu.us. Pass an impartial sen tence concerning yourselves, even such as you suppose God him-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=