A second time also there is of a great measure of humiliation, which is, though a man be free of worldly pollutions and gross sins, when the Lord intends to shew the sense or feeling of his mercy to any in an extraordinary measure, or to fit them for some high service, then they shall be much humbled before, as we see Paul was, Acts ix. 8. God did thunder upon him, and beat him down in the highway, being stricken with blindness three days after.
And thus much shall sufiice to have spoken of the 15th verse, touching ' the spirit of bondage' and the ' Spirit of adoption.' The apostle tells them, they may thank God the spirit of fear thus came, that hereafter they might partake of the Spirit of adoption to fear no more. He stirs them up, as it were, to be thankful, because now they had obtained a better state. Why, what estate ? A very high one : ver. 16, ' The Spirit itself beareth witnesseth with our spirit, that we are the children of God.' The thing is then to know ourselves to be the children of God. There must be sound evidences. Here then are two set down, whose testimony cannot fail. I will touch them, by your patience, as briefly as I can, and so make an end.
1. The witness of our spirit. 2. The witness of God's Spirit with our spirit.
These be two evidences, not singly but conjoined, wherein you see there must be some work of our own spirit.
Obj. Our spirit is deceitful ; how can our spirit work then in this manner to testify this ?
Ans. I answer in this place. Our spirit is taken as an evidence of God from heaven ; as it were a love-token given, and assuring me from good grounds that I have not misapplied the promises ; that though God do write bitter things against me, yet I love him still, and cleave unto him ; that for all this, I know that I hunger and thirst after righteousness ; that I will not be beaten ofi", nor receive an ill report of my Lord and Saviour; that I rest, wait, serve, and trust in him still.' In a word, the witness of our spirit I take to be a sanctified resolution upon deep soi'row and mature judgment both of God's mercies bestowed, and my obedience to the will of God ; whence the soul gathers strength to wait and depend upon God, and serve him in all holiness, though for the present he hide his face and seem an enemy. When thus our valour and faith is tried, then comes the same Spirit, and seals with our spirit, that we are the children of God. When our seal is first put, then God seals with our spirit the same thing by his Spirit. To this efiect, 1 John v. 8, we read of three witnesses there set down,
1. The Spirit ; 2, the water ; 3, the blood.
' And these three agree in one.' These three witness that we have
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everlasting life, and that onr names are written in heaven. How do these three agree with these two witnesses ? Very well, Saint John ranks them according to the order of their clearest evidence.
1. The Spirit; 2, then the water ; 3, then the blood.
The apostle here ranks them according to their natural being : first, our spii-it in justification ; and sanctification is put next, and then God's Spirit. For the Spirit, of all other things, is the clearest evidence ; and when this is bright and manifest, there needs no more. The thing is sealed. So the testimony of water is a clear evidence whereby is meant sanctification. This is put next unto the Spirit ; for when the Spirit is silent, yet this may speak. For though I have many wants and imperfections in me, yet if my spirit can testify unto me that I have a desire to please God in all things, that I have resolved to set up his service as the pitch of all my utmost endeavours ; that I with allowance will cherish no corruption, but have set myself against all : this water will thus comfort. It holds up a man from sinking, as we see in all the sore troubles of Job, chap, xxvii. 2-5, he still stood upon the integi'ity of his own spirit, and would not let that go though he were sore beaten of the Almighty, and slandered of his friends for a wicked person. But the water may be muddy, and the struggling of the flesh and spirit so strong, that we cannot well judge which is master. What then ? In this case faith lays hold of the blood of justification, which though it be the darkest testimony, yet is it as sure as any of Ihe other. Now in comparing these witnesses together in Saint John and in my text,
1. I rank the water and the blood with the testimony of our spirit. And,
2. The Spirit mentioned in St John and in my text to be all one.
Not as though we wrought them, but that we do believe them to be so. If a man ask, how I know that I am sanctified ? the answer must be, I believe, I know it to be so. The work of working these things in me comes of God ; but the work of discerning them is certain, how our afiection stands in this case — comes of us. But yet to come nearer to the matter.