1 John iv. 6. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit
of error.
IN matters of eternal moment, every man must think for himself. We should take nothing upon trust ; but bring to the test of Scripture the doctrines we hear, and the persons who profess to instruct us in the mind of God. This may appear presumptuous, in persons who have not made theology their pecu- liar study : but it is not presumptuous in any one who has the Scriptures in his hands, and a Divine Instructor to apply to. It was to the Church at large, and not to any particular person, that St. John said, " Beloved, believe not every spirit ; but try the spi- rits, whether they be of God." Even in the apostolic age, " many false prophets had gone out into the world :" and certainly there are not a few at this day, who, whilst they profess to preach the Gospel, hold forth an extremely erroneous standand of truth and duty. But the Gospel itself affords us a sufficient
test, whereby to try whatever is set before us. Moreover we should feel the same jealousy respect- ing ourselves, and use the same precautions in esti- mating our own character. There is " a spirit of truth ;" but there is also " a spirit of error :" and the two may easily be mistaken for each other ; and, through that mistake, a most erroneous judgment be formed of our conduct. To keep you from any such mistakes, I will shew,
I. The different spirits by which men are actuated —
There is, in some, " a spirit of truth" —
[In some there is a simplicity of mind, that desires nothing but what is right and true. They are open to conviction : they will weigh with candour whatever is set before them : they will not knowingly harbour any prejudices or pre- possessions. They take pains to acquire knowledge : they, in particular, search into the fountain of all knowledge, the book of God : and, conscious of their need of divine instruction, they will look up to God for the teachings of his Spirit, and readily submit to whatever they find to be his revealed will. They are like Cornelius, who, though a heathen, hesitated not to send for Peter, who was a Jew, and to receive without gainsaying all that that divine instructor was commissioned to reveal.]
There is, in others, "a spirit of error" —
[There is in some a perverseness of mind, which, instead of affecting truth, loves rather paradox and disputation. There is in them an inaptitude to receive instruction. They have certain principles in their mind, which bias them on all subjects ; and they have a certain pleasure in being singular. Things which are plain and obvious to others are not so to them, because their minds are fertile in supplying objections : to find which, they will travel far out of their road ; and, hav- ing found them, they will lay a far greater stress on them than such trifling difficulties can in any way deserve. Hence, on almost all subjects, they are at issue with their nearest friends, unless indeed they have prevailed to draw others into the same vortex with themselves.]
But, as these imagine themselves to be influenced by a very opposite spirit, it will be proper for us to inquire,
II. How we are to discriminate between them —
it<; 1 JOHN, IV. 6. [2451.
As in natural substances we may, by a chemical process, discover of what they are compounded ; so may we, by the application of certain tests, find how far the foregoing ingredients enter into the composi- tion of our minds. In the context, two tests are pro- posed ; namely, the world, and the Gospel ; and by these " we may know" the two different spirits which we have been considering.
1 . Take the world, then, as a test —
[If we have " a spirit of truth," there will be a readiness to see and acknowledge the vanity of all things here below. The whole world, and all that it contains, will appear to us lighter than vanity itself. Its views will appear erroneous in the extreme : its habits, altogether contrary to the mind of God. Eternity will be taken into the account in every estimate of the things of time ; and every thing be viewed with a direct reference to that.