OCR Text |
Show reafon itfelf will dichte to us. Papi{!s will tell us that a' man cannot know that he is the child of God, th:u his lins are pardon• ed, and that he (hall be faved,but by [ptcial revrlation;we deny that and upon jufi grounds, but that a man may know it by [pecial revel• tion, we alfo fay. In fhort then, we fay a Chri!\ian may know this, ,, By tbe more or~inory opeotiont, and w.rkjngs of the Spirit of .God. 2. By the more extrav.diuary imprrf[ion1, awi fralingJ of it. Or if you will by a double fealing of the Spirit. 1. You Jtnow a [ealleaves the imprtffi·m of its li/{!ne[t upon the wax. So doth the Spirit ofGod Jeal Soui111Hfo the doy of T6demption, by turning them into its likenefs, leaving upou the Soul imprellions of the love of God, imprellions ofHolinefs, by which they may know they belong to God: Thus the A poClle fays, he hath fent hiJ Spirit into our heartr, teaclnng Itt to cry Abba Fathrr. l!y thirwe 'know we are tranJT•ted from deatlrto life, berau[e rre love the Brethrelf ; from which imprellions a Chrifiian may raife a reafonable Conclulion, that he it hit beloveds, and his beloved it his ' and to make this knowledg, there is no more required thin a more ordigary concurrence of the Spirit of God, inabling the Soul to <~bide in Chrifts love and giving it a view of its own llate a no! lincerity. Secondly, Ajeal confirms a thing; and fo the holy Spirit of Go<l fometimes fealeth the gracious Soul, fhining in upon it with a" extraordinary light, witnrffing with our SpiritJ, not only upholding our Spirits in their tellimony,and inabling r hem to it; bur adding fomething further of it> own ; rvitnrf[in;r, with our SpiritJ>o Now where this latter is there mufi necelfarily be a greater overflowing of joy and peace,.and inward confolation, fuch mull-the Martyrr have had; that thought the Fa golf to burn them were but the Rofcs under their feet; and cryed out,O ye Papij!t,yo~ looil, TO/., vo1.2• p. for miracles, and norv yc~ may.fee a miracle, fo~ i~ this fire I 'feel n• 102. p. 301. more pain than iflwerun a Bed.ofdo'lf'n; bm zt utome at a Bed of Vol. 3• p. 4'4· Ro{es ;_ without this Laure11ce Saunders could hardly have cried out, lam in pri[on tiU I be in prifon. Such an influence, mufi Mr. Robert Samuelhalle had when he faw one all in white fianding before him and minifiring comfort thus,Samuel! S•muell be off!.ood· chear, a;d tak! a good heart unto thee, for afttr tbiJ day thou Jhalt> ntver be hungry nor tbir~.Y.t.. But th,is is but the rue port!on of:fome particular Souls,, And. Believer I 11111) Ttnolll their Beloved is theirt. And from this latter part of my difcouife mufi be fetched the evi· dence of the fecond part of my PropoGtion; wherein I told you, Tbat a graciolll Soul, may be able thut to Jpea"" even u11der fame p.~rti3l rritbd,·.•wingt nf-b•·r lSelovcd. The Spoufc fJir h fo here, yet fhc pr.Jys in rhc ch•fc; Tnrn my Beloved! ;znd be u1zto me as 11 E..o?, aud as a y otmg I-Jnt upo11 tbt- Mountains of Brthrr. Some Iranflare it upon rhc Moun r ~ins of foparatiol! but I 01Jil difcourfe that term more hereafrer; in rhe n•can ticie I Jay not the (!refs of this ,;otion :~pa~t it, but upon the word '!urn. She doth not deGre h,er Beloved to tum from her, but t11TII to her; and if there were any need ofrhat Ote was under a pallial dtfertion, A totol drfirtion, as I told you before cannot be. So much cfthe Lords pr<fence with a gracious Soul !hall alwa~s be as to maintain ' the union betwixt Chrifi and it' But a partial defertion may be, r. At to tbe gradU.Jl infiuencn ofjlrengtbwing grace. The Soul !hall not tind fo much Clrength and· ability to Spiritual duties; to tread t•pon the neck of its corruptions. fniquities, faith David, prevail again!\ me, nor to the repelling of temptations as formerly. How often do we hear ChriClians thus complaining? 2. As to !bffinjluencn •fq,.ic/{!1linggr~cr.Though ~he Soul cannot complain for want of fireng1h; yet 11 doth not find fuch life fuch alacrity, fuch Creed om and chearfulnefs of Spirit, as it former~ ly had; hence we hear Chrifiians complaining of deadnrfs of heart dt<lnrfs, beavimfs, &c. · ' 3. As to the infiuencu of comfvrting !{race. The Soul lives,and that is all; it walks in the dark, and r<es no litht, it hath no in· ":ard JOY· Now under a defertion of this third fort efpecially: his yet pof!iblefor a Soul to fay, my Belovrd is mine, and hm his. The proof of it is evident from what Haid before. For if the Je[ertiOJt rxtendt 1101 to th•t degree that the Soul cannot fee ill own fincc~ity, nor any fruits of the Spirit in it, that it i~ born again, tha.t It loves the Brethren, that the Spirit dwells and works in it nothing hinders. Tf.lefc being,as I proved before, marks by which it mw kn~w, and upon. which it may fay, My Beloved is mine, an~ lam lm. But I ~ave enlarged far enough, both in the explicauon and confirmauon of this Propofition. I come to the Applica· tion; which I !hall bring all to two Heads. r. Shewing you how far what yo" have- hrard may ferve, either f~r the fetling of your Judgments in this point, fo highly 'oncermng_all our. Souls, or. for.our.fatisfaction and .comforr •. 2.To |