A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

3. Hence it appears that there must needs be great Assurance of those Truths which are thus received, and believed. For hereby are the senses exercised to discern good and evil. Heb. 15. 14. Where there is a spiritual sense of Truth, of the Good and Evil that is in Doctrines, from an inward experience of what is so good, and from thence an Aversation unto the contrary; and this obtained [Greek or Hebrew], by reason of an habit, or an habitual frame of heart, there is strength, there is steadfastness, and Assurance. This is the teaching of the Unction, which will not, which cannot deceive. Hence many of old and of late, that could not dispute, could yet dye for the truth. He that came to another, and went about to prove by Sophistical reasonings that there was no such thing as motion; had only this return from him, who either was not able to answer his cavilling, or unwilling to put himself to trouble about it, he arose and walking up and down gave him a real confutation of his Sophistry. It is so in this case; when a soul hath a real experience of the Grace of God, of the Pardon of sins, of the Virtue and Efficacy of the death of Christ, of Justification by his blood, and peace with God by believing; let men or Devils, or Angels from Heaven oppose these things, if it cannot answer their Sophisms, yet he can rise up and walk: he can with all holy confidence and Assurance oppose his own satisfying ⟨p. 171⟩experience unto all their arguings and suggestions. A man will not be disputed out of what he sees and feels. And a Believer will abide as firmly by his spiritual sense, as any man can by his natural.

3. Hence it appears that there must needs be great Assurance of those Truths which are thus received, and believed. For hereby are the senses exercised to discern good and evil. Heb. 15. 14. Where there is a spiritual sense of Truth, of the Good and Evil that is in Doctrines, from an inward experience of what is so good, and from thence an Aversation unto the contrary; and this obtained 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, by reason of an habit, or an habitual frame of heart, there is strength, there is stedfasiness, and Assurance. This is the teaching of the Unction, which will not, which cannot deceive. Hence many of old and of late, that could not dispute, could yet dye for the truth. He that came to another, and went about to prove by Sophistical reasonings that there was no such thing as motion; had only this return from him, who either was not able to answer his cavilling, or unwilling to put himself to trouble about it, he arose and walking up and down gave him a real confutation of his Sophystrie. It is so in this case; when a soul hath a real experience of the Grace of God, of the Pardon of sins, of the Vertue and Efficacy of the death of Christ, of Justification by his blood, and peace with God by believing; let men or Devils, or Angels from Heaven oppose these things, if it cannot answer their Sophisms, yet he can rise up and walk: he can with all holy confidence and Assurance oppose his own satisfying