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the other has : One may have a double testimony, and another but a single. Nay, the same scul may have at one tine a double ieftimony, and at ano her but a single. The light of the Spirit may, and do's often withdraw ii self, and leave only the witnesse of our own spirii , and yet then the rol has affurance, But yet the roul hould aime at the highest Plerophory, at the top of . Assurance: Then qxench not the Spirit, left you put out your own joy; grieve not so sweet an inhabitant, that comes to comfort you, give him no cause to withdraw his light.

Quest. But what if the soul have noc the witnesse of Gods Spirit,not of its own spirit neither? What if it have no present light, no certain evidence ?

Answ. There's one way left yet; have recourse to former Affurance. Do'st thou certainly know and remember, that once thou had'At a sweet 'erenity of soul? ihat an inlightoned consciscience upon good grounds, did speak peace unto thee? Did'st thou never see the light of the Spirit crowning thy soul with fatisfying beames? Art thou sure that once he did bear witnesse wish thy spirie, that thou were the child of God? Why then, be lure ftill

, chat thou are in the same condition, for there's no totall falling from grace. Thy light ( it may be) is put out for the present : Conscience does not speak so friendly cothee, as ’i was pont. And thou hast griev'd the Spirit, and he has took it unkindely, and has held of his light for a while : But now canft thou remember the dayes of old, when the Rock pour'd out oile unto thee, when thy branch was green and flourishing? Canft thou certainly recall thy former Assurance ? Canit tell the time when the Spirit did set his seale unto thee, and confirm'd all thine Evidences? Well then, lay down but perseverance for a ground, and thou are fill affur’d of thy salvation. The Spirits ieftimony is of an eternal truth: And heaven and earth Mall sooner pasje away, then one beam of this light shall vanish though now it be

» not apparent to thy eye. When the soul for the present is cloudy and dark, it may cherish it self with former Assurance. Now that a foul may have no sensible Affurance for the present, and yet may remember former Affurance, is clear in that holy man David. Pfal. 5 1.12. Rejtore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit. Davids joy was extinguilhe, and he would fain have it lighted againe : Three things imply'd in the

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word Restore. I. That for the present it was taken away, 2. That once he had it. 3. He remembers that he had ir, and therefore prayes, Peltore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with iby free spirit; that was the spring of Davids joy; the testimony of the Spirit wirnelling with his spirit, was that which did uphold and ftaffe up the soul. Davids own spirit was now very unquiety and Gods Spirit did withdraw himself;and now the best refreth ment that David has is from fornier Assurance. 'Tis true, there it some sadnesse and bitternesse in this cenfideration, when a Christian Chall think what he has loft. O; my soul was once a beautiful Temp!e full of fair windowes, and goodly profpe&s, and glorious light! I could take a prospe&t of Cansan when i pleased ; but now I dwell in the tents of Kedar, nothing but blackneffe & darknesse, There is trouble and a ding in these thoughts; but yet

There is some honey and sweetnesse too: Was I not once a friend of God, and does he use to forsake his friends? Did he, not once speake peace to thee, & does he use to recall his words? Did not he shed his love in thy heart and is not his love immortall? Did not his Spirit fcale up thy soul, and is not the print of that seale indelible? Speak, did not he once shew thee thy name written with his owne hand in the Book of Life,& does he use to blot out what he has wristen? Doeft not thou remember: did not he smile upon thee in such and such an Ordinance, and are his smiles deceitful? O no ! rest satisfyed, O Christian Coul, and quiet thy self in those rich expressions of his Love, which he has formerly beftowed upon thee;O queftion not his goodnesse, but prepare thyself for receiving of it. The streams are dryed up but yet the fountain's full;thou haft had come tastes of it, though now thou

att dry and thrifty; and thou shalt have in time fresh bublings up of his grace towards thee : in the interim; take this for a cordial. Those former drops which thou haft rafted of it, will cherish thy soul to all eternity. The leaft drop of grace shall never be exhausted, the least spark of true joy Thall never be ex tinguisht; all the floods that the Dragon can vomit out of his mouth, shall never be able to quench ic. But then

4. Put the case thus, that there be no Sun-light, not Starrelight,nor reliques of former light;neither the testimony of Gods Sirit, nor of our own spirits, nor any recalling of former affu. rance'; what muft the roul do now? Now look to the dawning

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of the day, to the firit Crepusculum, look now to the initials of grace, to the preface of San&ification. Thou canst not, it may be, Thew ony faire and lively pourtrai&ture; I, but halt thou the firft draughts, any rudiments of holinesse? Thou haft not any goodly and delicious clusters of Canaan; O but see if the tender grape do bud. There are not any ripe fruits of the Spirii, but yet are there some blossomings of hcline (fe? Thy graces don't flow out in so full and faire a Aream; but canst thou see any bubblings up of goodneffe in thee? Thou haft not yet the strength of a well grown Christian, well, but is there the vagitus of an infant? Look now to the souls prizing of a Chrift, co the whimprings after the breast, to the breathings and longings after its Beloved, thoughts upon him,delires for him,endeavours after him, there's much confort and sweeerneffe in i bele; 1,and some kinde of AGsurance. For

(1) Be sure, that God that has begun this great work in thee, will never give over till it be full and compleat; he does not use to leave his work imperfe&t. The laft tendency to goodness is cherished by him; The very firft motion, tis of his own plante ing, and it hall lack for no watering, and he himself will give it an increase.

(2) The least seed ofgrace, as cis choice and precious; lo 'ris very vigorous and operative, it will never leave working till Chrift be formed in thee. Y bo bath defpised the day of small things? Thy spark may spread it self into a flame and thy tender bud may flourish and bring forth much fruit. He that is richest in grace, began with as little a stock. He that is now a tall Cedar , was once a tender plant. Improve but present ftrength, and God will send the io frelh supplies, Auxiliary forces, and thou shale walk from Arength to strengih, till thou appeareft before God, in glory. Thy lighe (hall ihine out brighter and brighter till per: fea day, Donec stabiliatur dies, according to the Syriac, till thou com A to a firme and well establisht Aflurance. The leaft peeping out of light, the leaft dawning of the day is pleasant and comfortable.

5. Ifihov canft not spy out any grace in thy felf, borrow.light of another. Lay open thy soul to an Interpreter, one of a thou. land, he may explain thy condition, and paraphraze upon thy soul better then thou thy self canft. This interpreter; one of a thou,

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sand may more exa&ly analyse thy condition and shew the context and coherence of it. 'Tis ibe fțeech of Elibu, Job 33. 23. There meets him a mrefTenger, an Interpreter,one among a thoufand, co lhew unto him his uprightneffe ; Het'i shew thee, here's grace and there's grace, here's a true pearle, and there's a spark, Though in ashes, and there's an evidence. A ciscerning and experienced Christian may shew thee cause of joy, when thou canft And none thyself. Tis no shame to borrow light, especially [piritual light.

6.One itep further. What if after all this there be not the least glimmering of lighs, nothing of a spark, nothing of a beam? a totall ecclipse, all clouds and blacknesse and darknefse and the very valley of the shadow of death? yet even here will we fear none ill.

s. When reflex ads are wanting, be sure to mulciply dire& aðs: when there is no certainly of Evidence , yet even then have a certainty of Adherence and Recumbency. Now grafp. a Promise, take faft hold of that precious offer ; rolle thyself upon the free grace of God in Chrift; lay all the ftreffe ofthy falvation upon it, with a gallant and heroical resolution ; If I perish, I perish. Thus Job. Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him. Thus our Saviour, My God, my God, wky hajt thou forsaken me: And this muft needs be a strong ađ of faith , even then to rely upon God when he seems thine enemy;to cruft in an angry and displeas sed God; and when he frowus on thee, yet then to leane upon him. Like men ready to be Erowned, be sure to cake faft hold caft Anchor, though in the dark.

2. Study self-deriyal, and though thou long and breath after Afforánce; yet refigne up thy self wholly to his will, and be content to wart Assurance, if he see it best for the. Take heed of murmuring in the wildernefre, in the saddest and most deserted condition. Throw thy self ar his feet, with this resolution; O my God,l'le blesse ihee for those eretnal treasures of sweetnesse that are in thy self, though I hould never taste of them : l'le blesse thee for those liniles of thy face, which thou befowest upon others, though thou wilt nor cast one gracious look aron my loc!e : l'le biefse thee for those rich offers of grace hou makeit unto me, though I have not a heart to lay hold of them.

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3. Put thy soul into a waiting, posture, and ftay till he please to display some of himfelf unto thee, and make some of his good: nels pals before thee. One beam of his countenance, one graci. ous (niile, one propicious glance of his eye, the least crumb of the hidden Manna ; 'cis worth waiting for all thy life-time. And when I speak of waiting, I mean not thar the loal should stand, ftill

, and do noching ; no, this were against the Text, Give diligence, &c. improve all present ftrength ; wait upon him in prayer, beg one glimpse of him, be earnest for a tafte, for a reJit of the hidden Manna; and wait upon him in his Ordinances, here the Spirit breathes, here Manna's rain'd down, here God shews his face ; here's the sealing place, the Spirit confirms the Word, and prints it upon thy soul. Thus wait upon him in his own way; 1, and wait upon him in bis own time too, don't think cime tedious;He that believes, makes not halte, which St. Paul renders, He that believes, is not ashamed, as if to make hafte and be alham’d, were all one.God will wonderfully prepare the soul, that he means to fill with his love. Afsurance is too precious a thing to be pour*d into every spirit; He won't put neve wine into old botiles. God is all this while making thee more capable of his love ; and though for the present thou haft no Alsurance,yer thus trufting and waitiog upon bim, thou art in a great tendency to it. And put the worst that can be imagin'd, that thou shouldet dye under a cloudjyet thy condițion were safe, and thou shall come then to a foll Adurance ; nay, to a full possession of thine, inheritance;and thou thali see the glorious Son. Chine of the face of God, a beam of which thou didit so much long for here.

We come now to the fourth particolar; those special Sealing times, when Chriftians have their Affurance and Plerophory.

1. Many times at their first converfion, God dees then seal op the work of grace in the soul. When the Spirit of Bondage has paft upon the soul, and by a strong convi&ion, has apply'd par; ticularly guilt and wrath unto it; the fatal sentence is pronounc'', and the soul.is filled with the scorching pre-apprehensions of hell and dagination, and trembles at the very thought of er ernity: Now for the Gospel to bring, thee welcome news of a pardon, and for the spirit of Adoption to apply grace and mercy unto the

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