The Spirits Touchstone, Part 8
Now I come to ſhew what are the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit, that ſo we may know the one from the other.
1. A man hath then an extraordinary teaching of the Spirit upon his heart, when he is certain God will give him the ſame thing he asked of him in prayer, in the very ſame kinde and manner he asked it of God: when he is fully perſwaded, and verily believes that God will grant him the very ſame thing which he asked of him. It is an extraordinary work of the Spirit upon the heart that muſt produce ſuch a ſtrong confidence in God, that God will give him the very ſame thing he deſires. When a ſoul can ſay, I know that God heareth me alwaies, and will hear me in this thing, and give me my hearts deſire, eſpecially when there is no promiſe in the word made to that particular thing which he praies for: As ſuppoſe thou hadſt a friend ſick, and thou praieſt for his recovery; and haſt ſuch a ſtrong confidence in God by the Spirit, that thou undoubtedly believeſt that he ſhall recover; ſuch a confidence had Luther, when he wrote to Myconius, hearing that he was ſick, that without he ſhould recover; ſo he did, according to Luthers prayer. So had Elijah when he prayed for rain; and Jeſus Chriſt when he did his miracles.
2. When a ſoul hath that Plerophory, that full aſſurance of faith without all doubting; then he hath an extraordinary teaching of the Spirit upon his heart. When he can ſay with Job, I know that my redeemer liveth; Job 19.25and though worms deſtroy my body, yet I ſhall ſee him with theſe very eyes. 2 Tim. 4.7.And with Paul, I have fought the good fight of faith, I have finiſhed my courſe, hence forth there is laid up for me a Crown of life, &c. When a ſoul can ſay by the full evidence of the Spirit upon his ſpirit, without the leaſt wavering or doubting, I know that both in life and death Chriſt ſhall be unto me advantage. When a ſoul can merrily and cheerfully rejoyce in the expectation of the glory of God. Many precious Saints are without this full aſſurance till they come to die, as that godly Martyr Mr Glover was, who was full of fears and doubts till he came to the ſtake, and then out of a ſenſe of Jeſus Chriſt, he cries out, He is come, he is come. That is, Jeſus Chriſt was come with his extraordinary comforts unto his ſoul; the Spirit of God ſealing unto him the pardon of his ſinnes, and the love of Jeſus Chriſt unto his ſoul.
3. When a ſoul hath ſuch a ſpirit of zeal, courage and magnanimity in the waies of God; that though he were the Butt of the whole world, and the laughing-ſtock of men and Angels for the cauſe of God, and were perſecuted on all ſides, yet he patiently can undergo it for the ſake of Chriſt. Theſe are Saints of the firſt magnitude, who have more than ordinary to other Saints, flowings in of the Spirit upon their hearts. Such were the Apoſtles; Luther, Ignatius, Athanaſius, Gregory, Nazianzen, and the like. Tempore Athanaſii totus mundus gemuit ſub Ario. The Martyr Antipas, who is ſpoken of in the Revelation of St John, Rev. 2.13.who dwelt where Satan had his ſeat, and kept himſelf unſpotted amongſt that wicked and perverſe generation, and witneſſed to the truth with the loſs of his life, had an extraordinary meaſure of the Spirit upon his heart.
4. When men have an infallible Spirit, ſo that whatſoever they ſay is truth, and as it were an Oracle from God; and when upon all emergencies they have Divine influences from the Spirit of grace, then they have the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit: When they have an infallible Spirit, ſo only had the Apoſtles. For they being univerſall meſſengers of Jeſus Chriſt, not tied to one particular place, but to plant Churches in ſeverall places, and to pen one part of the Word of God, which was to be a ſtanding rule to the end of the world, they were guided by the infallible Spirit of God; ſo that they could not erre in things which belong to faith and piety. Only the Apoſtles were infallible in their doctrine. Popes and generall Councils may erre, and have erred groſly from the faith. Alſo when upon all exigencies they have the ſupplies of the Spirit of God, then they have the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit, ſo had the Apoſtles: Luke 12.11. And when they bring you unto the Synagogues, and unto Magiſtrates and Powers, take ye no thought, how or what thing ye ſhall anſwer, or what ye ſhall ſay; For the holy Ghoſt ſhall teach you in the ſame hour what ye ought to ſay. Whether the Saints in the Primitive times who ſuffered for the Goſpel, or the Martyrs in Queen Maries daies had not theſe influences of the Spirit upon their ſad exigencies, when they were brought before their cruell perſecutors, to anſwer for themſelves, is beyond all controverſie. Certainly ſilly men and women, I mean, in reſpect of any deep knowledge, could never on a ſudden expreſs their mindes ſo excellently concerning the things of God; had they not more than ordinary at ſuch a time the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts: witneſs that woman of Exeter, mentioned in the Book of Martyrs, with many others.