A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

(3.) The Spirit goes further; he helpeth us to feel and discover those Acts in our selves. There is a stupid Deadness in the Conscience, so that we are not always sensible of our spiritual Acts. ⟨p. 100⟩Hagar saw not the Fountain near her, until God opened her Eyes: So we may not see the Work of the Spirit, without the Light of the Spirit. We cannot own Grace in the midst of so much Weakness and Imperfection, there is a misgiving of Conscience; therefore the Spirit of Sanctification is also a Spirit of Revelation. Eph. 1. 17. The Author of the Grace, is the best Revealer and Interpreter of it: He works, and he gives us a sight of it. As a Workman that made a thing, can best warrant it to the Buyer; he knows the Goodness and Strength of it, and how it is framed and made: So the Holy-Ghost, which works Grace, he reveals and discovers this Grace to us.

(4.) The Spirit helps us to compare them with the Rule, and accordingly to judg of their Sincerity. The Spirit opens our Understandings, that we may be able to discern the Intent and Scope of the Scripture, that so we may not be mistaken. We must plough with God's Heifer, if we would understand the Riddle. In thy Light, we shall see Light. We shall be apt to misapply the Rule, so as to judg of our own Actions. Rom. 9. 1. I lie not, the Holy-Ghost bearing me witness; when he had spoken of some eminent Thing wrought in him. We are apt to lie, and feign and misapply Rules, Comforts, and Privileges: But now the Holy-Ghost bearing witness with our Spirits, by this means we come to have a Certainty. There are so many Circuits, Wiles, Turnings in the Heart of Man, that we are not competent Judges of what is wrought in us; therefore it is usually ascribed to the Spirit to be the Searcher of the Heart. Psal. 139. 7. Whither ⟨p. 101⟩