(4.) The Spirit helps us to compare them with the rule, and ac- cordingly to judge of their sincerity. The Spirit opens our under- standings, that we may be able to discern the intent and scope of the scripture, that so we may not be mistaken. We must plough with God's heifer if we would understand the riddle : ' In thy light we shall see light.' We shall be apt to misapply the rule, so as to judge of our own actions : Eom. ix. 1, 'I lie not, the Holy Ghost bearing me witness ;' when he had spoken of some eminent thing wrought in him. We are apt to lie, and feign and misapply rules, comforts, and privi- leges ; but now the Holy Ghost bearing witness with our spirits, by this means we come to have a certainty. There are so many circuits, WTies, turnings in the heart of man, that we are not competent judges of what is wrought in us ; therefore it is usually ascribed to the Spirit to be the searcher of the heart : Ps. cxxxix. 7, ' Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?' Acts V. 4, ' Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.' The Holy Gliost is rather spoken of than any other person, because it is his personal operation to abide in the hearts of men, and to search and try the reins. It is more particularly ascribed to him, though it belongs to all the persons.
(5.) As the Spirit helps us to compare that which is wrought with the rule, the impression or thing sealed with the stamp or the thing sealing, so he helps us to conclude rightly of our estate. For many times when the ])remises are clear, the conclusion may be suspended, either out of self-love, in case of condemnation ; or out of legal fear and jealousy, in case of self-acquitment. Therefore the conclusion is of the Holy Ghost: 1 John iv. 13, ' Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.' Tiiere
Mat. YI. 9.] the lord's prayer. 53
is a great deal ado to bring us to heaven with comfort. There needs a person of the Godliead to satisfy us as well as to satisfy God, and help us to determine concerning our condition.
(6.) He enlivens and heightens our apprehensions in all these par- ticulars, and so fills us with comfort, and raiseth our joy upon the feeling of the sense of the favour of God ; for all this is the fruit of his operation. Therefore it is said, Rom. v. 5, ' The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.' Those unspeakable glimpses of God's favour, and sweet manifestations of God's love in the conscience which Ave have, these are given by the Holy Ghost. There is not one act of the soul, but the' Holy Ghost hath a stroke in it for our comfort. In every degree, all comes from God. So that if 3'ou would know what the witness of the Spirit is, consider — What ai'e the marks in scripture ? what graces are wrought in your hearts ? how doth the Spirit help you to discern those graces, to compare them to the rule, to make accordingly in these things a determination of our condition ? and what joy and peace have you thereupon wrought in your hearts by the Holy Ghost ? For an immediate testimony of the Spirit, the scripture knows of no such thing. All other is but delusion besides this.
[3.] There are certain fruits and effects which do more sensibly evidence it unto the soul. What are those fruits of the Spirit of adoption in our hearts, by which we may further evidence it, whether we are the children of God or not ?
(1.) In pi-ayer, by a kind of naturalness or delight in this duty of holy commerce with God : Eom. viii. 15, ' We have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father ;' Gal. iv. G, ' Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father;' and Zech. xii. 10, ' I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of sup- ])lication.' Wherever the Spirit of God is dispensed, and dwelleth in the hearts of any, the heart of that man will be often with God. The Spirit of grace will put him upon supplication ; he will be often acquainting God with his desires, wants, fears.
(2.) You will be mainly carried out to your inheritance in heaven. Those which are the children of God do look after a child's portion, and will look for an estate in heaven, and cannot be satisfied with present tilings. Worldly men, they have their reward : Mat. vi. 2. They discharge God for other things. If they may have plenty, honour, worldly ease, and delights here, they never look after heaven. As a servant hath his reward from quarter to quarter, but a child waits imtil the inheritance comes, so when we are begotten for this lively ho])e, when there is a heaveidy-mindedness in you, this is a fruit of the Holy Ghost wrought in the heart, by which you might know you are the sons of God : Eom. viii. 23, ' Having the first-fruits of the Spirit, we groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.'