You will say, then, " What shall a man do who cannot find or obtain an experience in himself of what is affirmed in the word? He cannot find the death of Christ crucifying sin in him, and he cannot find the Holy Ghost sanctifying his nature, or obtain joy in believ- ing; what shall he, then, do? shall he not believe or profess those things to be so, because he cannot obtain a blessed experience of them?" I answer, our Saviour hath perfectly given direction in this case : John vii. 1 7, " If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." Continue in following after the things revealed in the doctrine of the gospel, and you shall have a satisfactory experience that they are true, and that they are of God. Cease not to act faith on them, and you shall find their effects ; for " then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord," Hos. vi. 8. Experience will ensue upon per- manency in faith and obedience; yea, the first act of sincere believ- ing will be accompanied with such a taste, will give the soul so much experience, as to produce a firm adherence unto the things believed. And this is the way to " prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God," which is revealed unto us, Rom. xii. 2.
2. Where there is an inivarcl, spii'itual experience of the j^otver, reality, and efficacy of any siqiernatural truth, it gives great satis- faction, stability, and assurance unto the soul. It puts the soul out of danger or suspicion of being deceived, and gives it to have the testimony of God in itself So the apostle tells us, " He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself," 1 John
45 G AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Yor.-i.
V. 10. lie had discoursed of the manifold testimony that is given m heaven by all the holy persons of the Trinity, and on earth by grace and ordinances, unto the forgiveness of sin and eternal life to be obtained by Jesus Christ. And this record is tx'ue, firm, and stable, an abiding foundation for souls to rest upon, that will never deceive them. But yet all this while it is without us, — it is that which we have no experience of in ourselves; only we rest upon it because of the authority and faithfulness of them that gave it. But now he that actually believeth, he hath the testimony in himself; he hath by experience a real evidence and assurance of the things tes- tified unto, — namely, " That God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son," verse 11. Let us, then, a little consider wherein this evidence consisteth, and from whence this assurance ariseth. To this end some few things must be considered ; as, —
(1.) Tliat there is a great answerahleness and correspondency between the heart of a believer and the truth that he doth believe. As the word is in the gospel, so is grace in the heart; yea, they are the same thing variously expressed : Rom. vi. 1 7, " Ye have obeyed from the heart," s/'g h 'zafidodriTi rv'Xov bibayjig, " that form of doctrine which was delivered you." As our translation doth not, so I know not how in so few words to express that which is emphatically here insinuated by the Holy Ghost. The meaning is, that the doctrine of the gospel begets the form, figure, image, or likeness of itself in the hearts of them that believe, so they are cast into the mould of it. As is the one, so is the other. The principle of grace in the heart and that in the word are as children of the same parent, com- pletely resembling and representing one another. Grace is a living word, and the word is figured, limned grace. As is regeneration, so is a regenerate heart; as is the doctrine of faith, so is a believer. And this gives great evidence unto and assurance of the things that are believed : " As we have heard, so we have seen and found it." Such a soul can produce the duplicate of the word, and so adjust all things thereby.
(2.) That the first original expression of divine truth is not in the word, no, not as given out from the infinite abyss of divine ivis- dom and veracity, but it is first hid., laid np, and expressed in the person of Christ. He is the apx'^T-o'rrog, the first pattern of truth, wliicl) from him is expressed in the word, and from and by the word impressed in the hearts of believers: so that as it hath pleased God that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge should be in him, dAvell in him, have their principal residence in him. Col. ii. 3 ; so the whole word is but a revelation of the truth in Christ, or an expres- sion of his image and likeness to the sons of men. Thus we are said to learn "the truth as it is in Jesus," Eph. iv, 21. It is in Jesus
Ver.4.] EVIDENCE OF FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 457