A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

And I must needs hold that whatsoever voice in man speaking peace to him, is antecedaneus unto, and separated or disjoined from all or any evidence of the marks of true (although very imperfect) Sanctification, is not the voice of the Spirit of the Lord, neither speaketh according, but contrary to the written Word of God.

And I must needs hold that whatsoever voice in man speaking peace to him, is antecedaneus unto, and separated or disjoyned from all or any evidence of the marks of true (although very imperfect) Sanctification, is not the voice of the Spirit of the Lord, neither speaketh according, but contrary to the written Word of God.

I heartily yield that the Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of Revelation, and it is by the Spirit of God, that we know the things which are freely given us of God, so that without the Comforter, the Holy Ghost himself bearing witness with our Spirit, all our marks cannot give us a plerophory or comfortable assurance. But this I say, that which we have seen described by the Antinomians as the Testimony of the Spirit of the Lord is a very unsafe and unsure evidence, and speaks beside, yea contrary to the written Word. The Word speaks no peace to the wicked, to the ungodly, to hypocrites, to moral Christians, to the presumptuous, to the self▪ confident, to the unmortified carnal professors, to temporary believers. Christ and his benefits are indeed offered and held forth unto all that are in the Church, and all called upon to come unto Christ, that they may have life in him, and whoever cometh shall not be cast out, this is certain: but yet the Word speaks no peace nor assurance, save to the humble and contrite, to ⟨p. 260⟩those that tremble at his word, to those that are convinced of sin, to those that do not regard iniquity in their hearts; but hate sin with sincere hatred; to those that believe on the Son of God, that love the Brethren, &c. Now therefore the Spirit of the Lord which speaks not to the soul, but according to the word of grace (as is confessed) doth not speak comfort or assurance to any others, but these only. And if a man would know certainly whether the voice or Testimony which speaks to his Spirit be a delusion or not, he must to the Law and to the Testimony, and search whether it speak according to this Word. Tis granted to us that if the voice which speaks peace in man be not according to the written word of God, it is not the Spirit of the Lord. But withal tis cautiously declined by these men, that the voice which speaks in the soul be tried by the written word. They tell us, it is not the Word that makes us