Evidence 7. Those to whom the Spirit of grace is given, are led by the Spirit, Rom. viii. 14. "As many as are led by the Spirit of " God, they are the sons of God :" Sanctified souls give themselves up to the government and conduct of the Spirit ; they obey his voice, beg his direction, follow his motions, deny the solicitations of flesh and blood, in obedience to him, Gal. i. 16. And they that do so, they are the sons of God. It is the office of the Spirit to guide us into all truth ; and it is our great duty to follow his guidance. Hence it is, that in all enterprises and undertakings, the people of God so earnestly beg direction and counsel from him. " Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, (saith David) make " thy way straight before my face," Psal. v. 8. They dare not, in doubtful cases, lean to their own understandings ; yea, in points of duty, and in points of sin, they dare not neglect the one, or commit the other, against the convictions and persuasions of their own consciences ; though troubles and sufferings be unavoid- able in that path of duty, when they have balanced duties with sufferings, in their most serious thoughts, the conclusion and re- sult will still be, it is better to obey God, than man, the dictates of the Spirit, rather than the counsels of flesh and blood.
But, before I leave this point, I reckon myself a debtor unto weak Christians, and shall endeavour to give satisfaction to some special doubts and fears, with which their minds are ordinarily entangled in this matter ; for it is a very plain case, that many souls have the presence and sanctification of the Spirit without the evidence and comfort thereof. Divers thing are found in be- lievers, which are so many fountains of fears and doubts to them. And,
Objection 1. First, I greatly doubt the Spirit of God is not in me, (saith a poor Christian) because of the great darkness and ignorance which clouds my soul ; for I read, 1 John ii. 27. that he enlighteneth the soul which he inhabiteth. " The anointing which " ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that
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" any man teach you, but as the same anointing teachetli you of " all things," &c. but alas, my understanding is weak and cloudy, I have need to learn of the meanest of God's people : This only I know, that I know nothing as I ought to know.
Sol. Two things are to be regarded in spiritual knowledge ; viz. the quantity, and the efficacy thereof. Your condition doth not so much depend upon the measures of knowledge ; for, haply, you are under many natural disadvantages, and want those helps and means of increasing knowledge, which others plentifully enjoy. It may be you have wanted the helps of education, or have been incumbered by the necessities and cares of the world, which have allowed you but little leisure for the improvement of your minds : But if that which you do know, be turned into practice and obe- dience, Col. i. 9, 10. If it have influence upon your hearts, and transform your affections into a spiritual frame and temper, 2 Cor. hi. 17, 18. If your ignorance humble you, and drive you to God daily for the increase of knowledge, one drop of such knowledge of Christ, and yourselves as this, is more worth than a sea of hu- man, moral, unsanctified, and speculative knowledge. Though you know but little, yet that little, being sanctified, is of great value : Though vou know but little, time was when you knew nothing of Jesus Christ, or the state of your own souls. In a word, though you know but little, that little you do know will be still increasing, " like the morning light, which shineth more and more " unto the perfect day," Prov. iv. 18. If thou knowest so much as brings thee to Christ, thou shalt shortly be where thy knowledge shall be as the light at noon-day.
Object % I sometimes find my heart raised, and my affections melted in duties, but I doubt it is in a natural way, and not from the Spirit of God : could I be assured those motions of my heart were from the Spirit of grace, and not merely a natural thing, it would be a singular comfort and satisfaction to me.
Sol. First, Consider whether this be not the ground of your fear and doubting, because you are fain to take pains in the way of meditation, prayer, and other duties, to bring your hearts to relish and savour the things of God ; whereas, it may be, you expect your spiritual enlargements and comforts should flow in upon you spontaneously, and drop from heaven immediately of their own accord, without any pains or industry of yours. Here may be, (and probably is) a great mistake in this matter ; for the Spirit of God works in the natural method, wherein affections use to be raised, and makes use of such duties as meditation and prayer, as instruments to do that work by, Ezek. xxxvi. 37. So David was forced to reason with, and chide his own heart, Psal. xlii. 5. Thy
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comfort and enlargement may nevertheless be the fruit of the Spirit, because God makes it spring up, and grow upon thy duties.
Secondly, Take this as a sure rule, Whatsoever rises from self, always aims at, and terminates in self. This stream cannot be car- ried higher than the fountain ; if therefore thy aim, and end in striving for affections and enlargements in duty, be only to win applause from men, and appear to be what in reality thou art not, this, indeed, is the fruit of nature, and a very corrupt and hypo- critical nature ; but if thy heart be melted, or desire to be melted in the sense of the evil of sin, in order to the further mortification of it ; and, under the apprehensions of the free grace and mercy of God in the pardon of sin, in order to the engaging of thy soul more firmly to him ; if these, or such like, be thy ends and de- signs, or be promoted and furthered by thine enlargements and spiritual comforts, never reject them as the mere fruits of nature : A carnal root cannot bring forth such fruits as these.
Object. 3. Upon the contrary, spiritual deadness, and indis- posedness to duties, and to those especially which are more secret, spiritual, and self-denying than others, is the ground upon which many spiritual souls, who are yet truly gracious, do doubt the in- dwelling of the Spirit in them. O, saith such a soul, if the Spirit of God be in me, Why is it thus ? Could my heart be so dead, so backward and averse to spiritual duties ? No ; these things would be my meat and my drink, the delights and pleasures of my life.
Sol. First, These things indeed are very sad, and argue thy heart to be out of frame, as the body is, when it cannot relish the most desira- ble meats or drinks : But the question will be, how thy soul behaves itself in such a condition as this is ? whether this be easy or burden- some to be borne by thee ? * and if thou complain under it as a bur- den ; then M'hat pains thou takest to ease thyself, and get rid of it ?