(5.) The fifth difference. Fifthly, The testimony and witness of the Spirit ia a sure testimony, a sure witness. The Spirit is truth itself; he is the great searcher of the deep things of God. The Spirit of the Lord is the discoverer, the confuter, and destroyer of all false spirits.'* The Spirit is above all possibility of being deceived, he is omnipotent, he is omniscient, he is omnipresent, he is one of the cabinet-council of heaven ; he lies and lives in the bosom of the Father, and can call them all by name upon whom the Father hath set his heart, and therefore his testimony must needs be true. It is a surer testimony than if a man should hear a voice from heaven pronouncing him to be happy and blessed. You may safely and securely lay the weight of your souls upon this testimony ; it never hath, it never will deceive any that hath leaned upon it. This testimony will be a rock that will bear up a soul, when other false testimonies will be but ' a reed of Egypt,' that will deceive the soul, that will undo the soul ; as I am afraid many in this deluding age have found by sad experience.
(6.) The sixth difference. Sixthly, The testimony of God's Spirit is always acconripanied with the testimony of our own.^ These may be distinguished, but they can never be separated. When the Spirit of God gives in witness for a man, his own spirit doth not give in witness against him. Look, as face answers to face, so doth the witness of a believer's spirit answer to the witness of the Spirit of Christ. Rom. viii. 16, ' The Spirit witnesseth together with our spirits that we be the sons of God.' Now, if our own consciences do not testify first, that we are sons and heirs, the Spirit doth not testify ; for the Spirit bears witness together with our spirits. St John is very express in 1 John iii. 21, ' But if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. But if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things,' 1 John v. 8-J 2, and ' There are three that
* A man may be a-doing in one room, when he is not in another. So is the Spirit in the heart of a saint.
» Titus i. 2 ; John xiv. 17 ; 1 Cor. ii. 10 ; 1 John iv. 1-6.
' I do not say that the testimony of our spirits i.s always accompanied with the testi- niony of the Spirit, No; for a believer hath often the single testimony of his own spirit, when he wants the testimony of the Spirit of Christ, and the single testimony of his own conscience will afford him much courage and comfort, 2 Cor. i. 12. Yea, it will make a paradise of delight in his soul, &c.
522 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one.' The Spirit doth witness eminently and efficiently, but water and blood materially, and our spirits and reason instrument- ally. By the Spirit we may understand the Holy Ghost, by whose strength we lay hold on Christ and all his benefits. By water we may understand our regeneration, our sanctification ; and by blood we may understand the blood and righteousness of Christ, that is imputed and applied by faith to us. ' And these three agree in one,' that is, they do all three of one accord testify the same thing.
(7.) The seventh difference. Seventhly, The witness of the Spirit is ever according to the word. There is a sweet harmony between the in- ward and the outward testimony, between the Spirit of God and the word of God. The scriptures were all indited by the Spirit, 2 Peter i. 20, 21 ; and therefore the Spirit cannot contradict himself, which he should do, if he should give in any testimony contrary to the testimony of the word. It is blasphemy to make the testimony of the Spirit to contradict the testimony of the word. The Spirit hath revealed his whole mind in the word, and he will not give a contrary testimony to what he hath given in the word. The word saith. They that are born again, that are new creatures, that believe and repent, shall be saved. But thou art bom again, thou art a new creature, thou believest and repentest ; therefore thou shalt be saved, saith the Spirit. The Spirit never looseth where the word bindeth, the Spirit never justifies where the word condemns, the Spirit never approves where the word dis- approves, the Spirit never blesses where the word curses. In the Old Testament all revelations were to be examined by the word, Deut. xiii. 1-4. Isa. viii. 20, ' To the law and to the testimony : if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light (or no morn- ing) in them.' ^ So in that of John xvi. J 3, ' The Spirit shall lead you into all truth : for he shall not speak of himself ; but what he shall hear, that shall he speak.' Here the Holy Ghost is brought in as some messenger or ambassador who only relates things faithfully according to that he hath in charge. Such as look and lean upon the hissing of the old serpent, may have a testimony that they are happy, against the testimony of the word ; but wherever the Spirit of Christ gives in his testimony, it is still according to the word. Look, as indenture answers to indenture, or as the counterpain* exactly answers to the principal conveyance; there is article for article, clause for clause, covenant for covenant, word for word ; so doth the testimony of the Spirit exactly answer to the testimony of the word.
(8.) The eighth difference Eighthly, It is a holy witness, a holy testimony.^ It is formally, it is originally holy, it is effectually holy. Nothing makes the heart more in the love, study, practice, and growth of holiness, than the glorious testimony of the Holy Spirit; and the more clear and full the testimony is, the more holy and gracious it will make
' int? IT^^N. We are not only blind, but lame too ; therefore the Spirit shall lead us to the knowledge and practice of all necessary saving truths.
» ' Counterpain,' «. e. counterpart, adds another to Halliwell's examples of the rare use of this word. See Halliwell, tub voce G.
' Nil nisi sanctum <2 saneto Spiritu prodiere potest, nothing can come from the Holy Spirit but that which is holy.
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