306 EXTRAORDINARY WITNESS OP THE SPIRIT. may be not sometimes discover his power and grace in an ex-. traordinary manner, above and beyond his ordinary and usual operations ? IV. Some special seasons and occasions may arise, and in- deed have arisen, wherein theblessed Spirit of God has thought it proper vastly to exceed the measures and rules of his ordinary operations in the exercise of his offices of illumination and sanc- tification ? And why may it not be allowed in his consolations also ì I. There may be some reason for extraordinary acts of his. illumination as when persons are not able to read the holy scrip- tures, or when the bible is with-held from them, and when they have enjoyed but very poor and insufficient ministrations of the gospel ? theblessed Spirit may sometimes shine into humble souls with some uncommon rays of divine truth, and they may enjoy more sensible teachings ofthe Holy Spirit : Orsometimes a per- sonof low parts, and weak understanding, may have been illumi- nated in the knowledge of some scriptural doctrine, beyond what the mere exercises of their own feeble reason upon scripture would have attained to in so short a time : And perhaps some christians of better capacities may have enjoyed this favour also. Luther, that extraordinary servant of God in the reformation, is said to have oftentimes learned more of the gospel on his knees in prayer, than in his laborious studies. 2. There may be, and there have been, instances of an ex- traordinary work of sanctification. To what glorious degrees of piety, virtue, and true holiness, have some persons been raised in a very short time? A most astonishing change has been wrought in their souls, and a swift preparation for heaven, be- yond what appears in the ordinary work ofthe Spirit, by the ra- tional or persuasive influence of outward ordinances. And since the spirit of God appears sometimes, for the honour of his own grace, to be an extraordinary enlightener and sanctifier ; why may he notbe an extraordinary comforter also ? V. Ifwe can credit the accounts which have been given by holymen in later ages, and some of which are recorded in the me- moirs oftheir lives, we must confess that there llave been instan- ces and experiences of most sublime and extraordinary consola- tions of the Blessed Spirit bestowed on them ; such as, upon the most rational survey of things according to scripture, we cannot but conclude to havebeen truly divine. Itwould take up manywholepages to cite such instances as we find upon record, in the lives of particular persons. Many. such may be found In the late Mr. Fleming's fulfilling of the scriptures, especially in Scotland. I shall mention one only, and it shall be a most incontested example, in our land, in England, even in our own day ; the example of a personwhose solid sense,
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