Secondly^ All these may others have — bating for the publicness of his office and the extraordinary assistance of the Holy Ghost. All ministers and all christians may have an approbation of God, and the testimony of their own consciences, and a witness in the consciences of others.
1. They may have the approbation of God ; who certainly will not be wanting to the comfort of his faithful servants. Partly, because he hath promised not only to reward their sincerity at last, but to give them the comfort of it for the present : John xiv. 21, 'He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father : and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.' Let a man but love Christ, and be faithful to him, and he is capable of this promise : God will love him, and Christ will love him, and in testimony thereof, he will manifest himself to him. Christ knoweth the burden of believers, and what it costs them in the world to be faithful to him, and what sad hours many times they have, who make conscience of obedience. Now, to encourage them, the more seriously they engage in it, the more evidences and confirmations they shall have of his love to them, yea, sensible manifestations, and comfortable proofs thereof, shall still be given out to them, in their course of a constant, uniform, diligent, and self-denying obedience. Hidden love is as no love : Prov. xxvii. 5, ' Open rebuke is better than secret love.' As in our love to God, if it be not manifested, it is but a compliment and vain pretence ; so in God's love to us, though he hath not absolutely engaged for our com- fort, yet he hath his times of allowing special manifestations of himself to his people, and lifting up the light of his countenance upon them. Surely God will not be altogether strange, reserved, and hidden to a loving, faithful, and obedient soul. They need more testimonies of his favour than others do, and they shall not be without them. Partly, because the Spirit of God is given us for this end, not only as a spirit of sanctification, but of revelation, to witness God's acceptance of our persons and services, and the great things which he hath promised for us : 1 Cor. ii. 11, 12, ' What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him ? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given us of God.' None but the Holy Ghost can know God's secrets, and reveal thereof to believers as much as
Vers. 11, 12.] sermons upon 2 Corinthians v. 105
is needful for their salvation. For as man's own understanding can only know man's secrets, so none can know God's secret thoughts, hut God's own Spirit. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, which only carrieth a proportion with worldly things, but the Spirit of God, which is given us to know the mind of God concerning us ia Christ. He doth not only reveal the mysteries of salvation in general, but our own interest therein : Rom. viii. 16, ' The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.' The infinite mercies of God being bestowed on us, God would not have them con- cealed from us ; thus we may have the approbation of God.
2. We may have the testimony of conscience concerning our sincerity. For conscience is that secret spy which is privy to all our designs and actions, and taketh notice of all that we are and do ; therefore a man should or may know the acts of grace which he puts forth. It is hard to think tbat the soul should be a stranger to its own operations ; the spirit in man knoweth the things of a man, much more acts of grace ; partly, because they are the most serious and important actions of our live. Many acts may escape us for want of advertency, they not being of such moment ; but things that concern our eternal interests, and done with the most advisedness and serious- ness, surely the man that is thus conversant about them, he will mind what he doth, and how he doth it: 1 John ii. 3, 'Hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments : ' 1 Cor. ix. 26, ' I therefore so run, not as uncertainly.' And partly, because acts of grace are put forth with difficulty, and with some strife and wrestling ; a man cannot believe, but he feeleth oppositions of unbelief : Mark ix. 24, ' Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.' A man cannot love God, and attend upon holy things, but he feeleth drowsiness and deadnesa in his heart, which must be overcome, though with difficulty : Cant. V. 2, ' I sleep, but my heart waketh.' A man cannot obey God, or do any serious good action, but the flesh will be opposing : Gal. v. 17, ' For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other; ' and Rom. vii. 21, ' I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.' Now things difficult, and carried on with opposition, must needs leave a notice and impression of themselves upon the conscience. And partly, because there is a special delight which accompanieth acts of grace, by reason of the excellency of the object they are conversant about, and by reason of the greatness and excellency of the power they are assisted withal, and the excellency and nobleness of the faculties they are acted by. Faith can hardly be exercised about the pardon of sin, or the hopes of glory, but a man findeth some peace and joy in believing, Rom. xv. 13. Acts of love and hope are pleasant ; a prospect of eternity is delightful. Now any notable pleasure and delight of mind notifieth itself to the soul ; and therefore, upon the whole, we may have glorying if we love and fear God, and hope for eternal life from him, and thereupon study to approve ourselves to to him ; conscience, which is privy to these things, will witness them to us.