The sound believer. A treatise of evangelical conversion. Discovering the work of Christ's spirit,…

5. If such a Testimony should be the first Ground of Faith, then no Man should believe but he that hath such a Testimony antecedent to his Faith; but this is cross to the Scripture; Isa. 50.10. He that sits in Darkness, and sees no Light, let him stay himself upon God. When Jonah is cast out of God's Sight to his own Feeling, yet he is bound to look again unto the Temple.

6. This absolute Testimony is either the Testimony of the Word, or of the Spirit: Not of the Word, as is proved: If of the Spirit, then let it be considered Whether that can be the Testimony of the Spirit, which is not according to the Word, nay contrary to the Word, for the Word to say none are justified before Faith; for the Spirit to testify some are justified before Faith. If it be said, that the Spirit doth not witness these to any Man before and without Faith; but yet it is without Respect unto, or showing a Man his Faith, for those that exclude Sanctification from being any Evi••nce; they me•n Faith as well as any other renewed Work of Holiness, and so exclude that ⟨p. 175⟩also, then I say, the Testimony of the Spirit (which of it self is exceeding clear) is an obscure and dark Testimony, because it clears up the Predicate of this Proposition, Thou Believer art justified, it witnesseth to a Man, Thou art justified; but clears not up the Subject of it; viz. Thou Believer: It makes a Man believe a Testimony without understanding the full Meaning of it; for the Spirit testifying to any Man Thou art justified; his Meaning is, Thou Believer art justified. And I do beseech the God and Father of all Lights, that his poor People may be led into the Truth in this Particular; for want of Establishment here, you little think how many Delusions you may fall into about your spiritual Condition; I remember that when Satan came to overthrow the Faith of Christ, in his second Temptation,