The truly blessed man

5. There is no Testimony that can satisfy the Conscience in this case, but that of the Spirit of God. He must speak peace to, and in the man, or it cannot be believed: Conscience saith, it is God that is provoked, he is Judge, the Sentence of Condemnation hath proceeded from his mouth; and if he do not take it off again, none can. I must therefore hear what he saith to me; Psal. 85.8. There is indeed the terms of the Covenant, to which the ⟨p. 222⟩promise of forgiveness is connected, which being wrought in the man, have the evidence in them▪ and do make the witness of our own spirit; but this alone will not satisfy; a troubled Soul will object against the reality of them, and suspect them of fallacy, till the Spirit come in and set his seal to the truth of them, and confirm them by his secret application. Godly and skilful Christians may inquire into the mans case, and give him great encouragement, judging his condition safe; but all will signify nothing to him; they are charitable, and do not know him as he knows himself; he knoweth his own state better than they do; he therefore can have no quiet till there be a Divine Obsignation upon him, till it comes to that, Rom. 8.16. Faith only can receive the consolation, and apply it, and that cannot build on any thing short of a Divine Testimony.

5. There is no Testimony that can satisfie the Conscience in this case, but that of the Spirit of God. He must speak peace to, and in the man, or it cannot be believed: Conscience saith, it is God that is provoked, he is Judge, the Sentence of Condemnation hath proceeded from his mouth; and if he do not take it off again, none can. I must therefore hear what he saith to me; Psal. 85.8. There is indeed the terms of the Covenant, to which the ⟨p. 222⟩promise of forgiveness is connected, which being wrought in the man, have the evidence in them▪ and do make the witness of our own spirit; but this alone will not satisfie; a troubled Soul will object against the reality of them, and suspect them of fallacy, till the Spirit come in and set his seal to the truth of them, and confirm them by his secret application. Godly and skilful Christians may inquire into the mans case, and give him great encouragement, judging his condition safe; but all will signifie nothing to him; they are charitable, and do not know him as he knows himself; he knoweth his own state better than they do; he therefore can have no quiet till there be a Divine Obsignation upon him, till it comes to that,