That you may know the voice of the Spirit of God from the carnal con- fidence of our own spirits, inquire,
1. What went before.
2. AVhat accompanieth it.
3. What followeth after this ravishing joy.
1. The word must go hej'ore it, in being assented unto by faith, and sub- mitted unto by answerable obedience : ' In whom, after you believed' the word of promise, ' you were sealed.' So that if there be not,
(1.) First, A believing of the ivord of promise, there is no sealing : ' The God of peace give you joy in believing,' 1 Thes. v. 23. There must be a believing, a ' walking according to rule,' Gal. vi. 16, or else no joy nor peace will be unto us. If we cannot bring the word and our hearts together, it is not God's, but Satan's sealing, a groundless presumption, and it will end in despair. As Christ came by water and blood, so doth this testimony ; it cometh after the other two. First, the heart is carried to blood, and from thence hath quiet ; then followeth water, and our nature is washed and changed ; and then cometh this of the Spirit. Though it be not grounded on their testimony,' but is above theirs, yet they go before. Where we thus find the work, we may know it to be right by the order of it.
(2.) It cometh after deep humiliation and abasement. Though we know ourselves to be the children of God in some such measure, as we would not change our condition for all the world, yet we would have more evidence ; we would have further manifestation of God's countenance towards us ; we are not satisfied, but wait. After we have long fasted, and our hearts melted and softened, then God poureth water upon the dry wilderness, and then it comes to pass, through his goodness and mercj-, that he comforts and satisfies the desires of the hungry soul. God will not sufier the spirit of his children to fail.
(3.) Likewise, after self-denial in that uhich ispleasing to us. It is made
442 A FOUNTAIN SEAIiED.
up with inward comfort. If this sclf-doiiial bo from a desire of nearer comiuuuion with God, God will not fail thorn in that they desire. There are wretches in the world that will deny their sinful nature nothing. If tho}'^ have a disposition to pride, they will be proud ; if they have a lust to bo rich, to live in pleasures, to follow the vanities of the times, they will do so ; they will not say nay to corrupt nature in any thing. Will God vouchsafe to give any true joy or comfort of spirit to such ones ? No. Those that let loose their natures without a check shall never taste of this hidden manna. But when we deny ourselves, deny to hear or see that which may feed corruption, when we deny to take delight in that, that we might if we would go the course of the world, there is a proportionable measure of joy and peace and comfort in a higher kind made good to the soul. God is so good, we shall lose nothing for parting with anything for his sake.
(-4.) It is usually found, afler coiijlict ainl victory, as a rewai'd. * To him that overcometh,willlgivetoeatof the hidden manna,' Rev. ii. 17. God's children, after strong conflict with some temptation or inward corruption, especially that which accompanieth their disposition and temper, when they have so conflicted as that at last they get the better, they find by experience sweet enlargement of spirit. To strive against them is a sign of grace, but to get victory over them, even to subdue our enemies under us that rise up against us, this bringeth true peace and joy.
(5.) After ire hare put furth our spiritual strength iu linly duties, God crowns our endeavours with increase of comfort. A Christian that takes pains with his heart, and will not serve God with that which cost him nothing, enjoys that which the spiritual sluggard wishes for, and goes with- out. God is so just that those men which have striven to live according to the principles of nature, have found a contentment proportionable to their endeavours ; some degree of pleasure attends every good action, as a reward before a reward.
2. Besides these things that go before this joy and testimony, there are, secondly, some things that,do accompany it, if it he right, as,
(1.) This spiritiial comfort enlargeth our hearts to a desire after an high prizing the ordinances, so far is it from taking us off from a dependence upon them. In the word and other means it found comfort from God, therefore it delights to be meeting God still in his own ways. The eye of the soul is strengthened to see further into truths, and is enabled more spiritually to understand the things it knew before, as in many of the same truths that wise men understand, they understood them when they were young as when they were old, but then more clearly. So all truths are more clearly known by this. The Spirit by which we are sealed is the Spirit of illumination, not that it reveals any thing ditierent from the word, but giveth a more large understanding and inward knowledge of the same truths as were known before.