20 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. XIX.
Ps. li. 8, * Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoice ; ' his conscience was troubled, and he begs peace in his conscience.
Use 3. To put us on the trial, how shall we discern the testimony God giveth us in duties? I answer, Two ways: by impressions and by exi)ressions, for God writeth and speaketh.
1. By impressions, which are left to be managed by our reason and discourse. By impressions I mean two things —
[I.] Those gracious experiences we have of quickening enlargement and actual excitation in the duty ; these are tokens for good : Ps. x. 17, ' Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear.' Fire from heaven was the visible testimony of old ; that which answers it now is fire in the affections ; there is a communion with God in grace, though not in comfort ; the motions of your hearts towards God are discovered by the enlargement of your desires ; unutterable groans are a fruit of the Spirit's presence as well as unutterable joys ; he is not only called ' the Comforter,' John xiv. 26, but ' the spirit of grace and supplication,' Zech. xii. 10.
[2.] The frame of the spirit after duty. Peace, as well as joy, is a fruit of the Holy Ghost : Kom. xiv. 17, ' The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' God giveth you a rest from the accusations from conscience, though not sensible consolations ; as when a man cometh from a prince cheerful because of his hopes, though he hath not received an actual answer to his request. Suavities and joys are mere dispensations : 2 Cor. iii. 17, ' Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.' Many of his children God keepeth in the lower way, and usually, though they have less of comfort, they have more of grace ; there is an impression of confidence and support is given, though not ravishment. By con- versing with God christians learn to rejoice in their hopes, though they have not enjoyment: Heb. iii. 6, 'Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.' It is a great matter to have impressions of confidence and encouragement in waiting.
2. By expressions ; when God doth, as it were, speak to us, and we are comfortably persuaded by the Spirit of God that we are accepted with him. Heretofore God spake to the ear audibly and by oracle : Gen. XV. 1, ' The word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, say- ing. Fear not, Abram,' &c ; but now he speaks by his Spirit, not by voices and oracles ; such things are the dotages of distempered persons. A voice there is : Psa. li. 8, ' Make me to hear joy and gladness,' <fec. ; David prayeth for it : Ps. xxxv. 3, ' Say unto my soul, I am thy salva- tion ; ' but this voice is inward and secret, not to our ears, but to our hearts : 1 John v. 10, ' He that believeth in the Son of God hath the witness in himself ; ' Kom. v. 5, ' The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.' God speaks to us by our own thoughts, which may be discerned to be the voice of the ■Spirit by the certainty and sweetness of it. The Spirit's voice can hardly be discerned from the voice of renewed conscience, because it insinu- ateth itself with our discourse and reason : Kom. ix. 1 , 'I speak the truth
VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 21
in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost' It can only be distinfjuished by its certainty and overpower- ing light : Lam. iii. 24, ' The Lord is my portion, saith my soul ; ' and the Spirit assureth us it is true. Now the Spirit's witness is sometimes more sensible, and accompanied with sweetness ; but at all times certain, and accompanied with peace. The Spirit's witness concerning us must l)e understood with analogy to his witness concerning the word ; some- times it is more high and sensible ; we cry, as the centurion, Mat. xxvii. 54, ' Truly this was the Son of God ; ' it is he, and it can be no other. At other times there is a more temperate confidence ; so here con- science witnesseth we can be no other but the sons of God, and then it leaveth a marvellous sweetness upon the soul, and a reverence of grace. At other times confidence is more deliberate and temperate , and though there be not such a lively sweetness and strong consolation, that is, the effect of solemn duties, raised meditation, fervent prayer, and the like, yet there is serenity and calmness of mind, which is the same which I called peace of conscience before, but only that it is not built upon future hopes, but a present interest.