Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	law_n	life_n	sin_n	22,698	5	5.7840	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01028	A letter first written and sent by Io. Forbes, pastour of the English Church at Middelburgh vnto certen of the companie of marchands adventurers at Stoade, at their earnest desire, for resolving this question: how a Christian man may discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit, from the testimonie of his owne spirit, in witnessing his adoption. And now againe renewed and enlarged by the authour, at the desire of divers good Christians, for the comfort of their troubled co[n]sciences, and published by those of his flocke, to whom he did dedicate it for the publike vse of the Church.	Forbes, John, 1568?-1634.	1616 (1616)	STC 11131; ESTC S118027	27,622	94

so that hee is dead Wherevpon it comes to passe that God therein is so terrible to man that hee cannot abyde him nor heare him but is compelled to runne from him as is cleere by the 12. chapt of the Hebrues verse 19. 20. 21. compared with Exod. chapt 20. verse 18. 19. 20. 21. Thus our former blindnes is turned into bondage and the fruit of blindnes that is securitie is turned in the fruit of bondage which is feare Therefore the ministerie of the Lawe is called the ministerie of death and condempnatiō And in the first act of Gods calling the spirit that speaketh in the Lawe and is given by the ministerie of the Lawe is called the spirit of bondage vnto feare Because the sight and knowledge of our selves and of God which the spirit gives vs by the Lawe workes these effectes And therefore by that name is distinguished from the spirit of Adoption which is given by the Gospell and this will the Apostle signifie to the Galathians when he comparinge the two Testaments to the two by whom Abraham begot Ismael Isaack doeth shewe that the one which is from Mount Sinai doeth beget vnto bondage This being the estate of man both by nature and by the Lawe it is manifest that these effectes of the spirit which witnesse adoption are not in man neither by nature neither by the Lawe But when the free spirit of the Lorde commeth then commeth libertie to the heart And this spirit of the Lord otherwayes called the spirit of promise comes to vs by the preaching of faith and not of the workes of the Lawe as witnesseth the Apostle to the Galathians and the historie of the Actes of the Apostles Nowe then when the man who first by nature was vnder blindnes and next by the Lawe was vnder sinne and death kept in bondage and feare findes him selfe first delivered frō that blindnes and ignorance of minde and next from that bondage of sinne and death and so consequentlie frō his feare which was wrought in him by his bondage then may he knowe that the spirit of adoption grace and libertie hath spoken to his heart and hath taken possession of it because he findes that promise accōplished in him whereof Zacharias speaketh in the Gospell according to Luke to wit that God would grant to vs that we being delivered out of the handes of our enemies should serve him without feare all the dayes of our life in holynes and righteousnes before him For this was the ende of Christes death sayeth the Apostle to the Hebrewes to witt that hee might deliver all them who for feare of death were all their life tyme subiect to bondage Thus therefore the mā who can discerne in his hearte which once was filled with the spirit of bondage vnto feare the ioyfull libertie of the sonnes of God whereby hee that was the bondman and seruant of sinne by the Lawe is now by the Gospell made the free man of Christ the bandes of iniquitie being broken and so freed both from the guiltines and also from the power of sinne being iustified by faith in Iesus Christ and having grace in the superabondance thereof reigning through righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord even in the soule wherin sinne in the aboūdance thereof had reigned through vnrighteousnes vnto death this mā I say may easilie discerne the spirit witnessing his adoption by this his libertie from the slauerie of sinne First in his iustification next in his sanctification and so consequentlie from the feare of death following thereon In place whereof succeeds a ioye vnspeakeable glorious the hart iustified reioycing in the hope of the glorie of God For this cause is it that the Apostle Peter willeth vs by ioyning vertue to our faith and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance c. to make our calling and election sure Because our sanctification being the worke of the spirit of adoption is a sure seale of our election And therefore doeth the Apostle Peter give this reason of his threatning and rebuke against Simon Magus to wit that albeit he was baptised yet the Apostle did see that he was in the gale of bitternesse and in the band of iniquitie wherein Simon being still captive could have no assurance of adoption albeit hee had outwardly embraced the Gospell and therefore is said to have beleeved And because this worke is the great worke of Christ in the elect and chief ende of his comming Therefore doeth the Prophet Esaie describe the worke of his comming and effect of the spirit of the Lord in him in these wordes The spirit of the Lorde is vpon mee the Lord hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliverie to the captives and receyvinge of sight to the blinde that I should set at libertie them that are brused and that I should preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord to appoint vnto them that murne in Zion and to give vnto them beautie for ashes the oyle of ioye for mourning the garmentes of gladnes for the spirit of heavines that they might be called trees of righteousnes the planting of the Lord. Which Prophesie Christ sheweth to bee fulfilled by him selfe in the Gospell accordinge to Luc. in the which it is manifest that the work of the spirit in preaching the Gospell is to worke knowledge and libertie in making vs trees of righteousnes planted by God and by libertie to worke ioye and gladnes in place of mourning heavines Therefore is it by good reason that the Apostle forbiddes vs to let sinne reigne in our mortall bodies that we should obey it in the lustes therof in respect wee are made free from sinne in Christ and are made the servants of God having our fruit in holines And also biddeth vs reioyce alwayes in the Lord for there is no condempnation to vs that are in Christ seeing we are freed from the lawe of sinne and death by the lawe of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus This is then that great effect of the spirit of Adoption in our heartes whereby as by a most sure testimonie wee discerne the spirit sealing our Adoption Because this spirit of adoptiō which is given vs by the preaching of the Gospell takes away both these miseries to witt the blindnes wherein we are by nature next the bondage reveiled by the law and feare caused thereby Havinge thus spoken of the worke of the spirit it followeth that we consider the voyce of the spirit This voyce of the spirit is of two sortes The first is when the spirit within vs speaketh to God for vs. The second is whē the spirit in vs speaketh from God vnto vs. The voice of the spirit to God is when we by the spirit call vpon God as our Father And this voice of the spirit is

to teach him that that testimonie was not the testimonie of his owne heart but by the spirit of God did tell him that flesh and bloud had not reveyled that to him but his Father that is in heaven This I speake not to make men carelesse in trying whether they have the spirit or no but to comfort weake Christians who although they have the livelie effectes of the spirit yet have not come so farre as to bee able to discerne them to be from the spirit as sometimes they will bee taught to vnderstande and can not tell how at the first and to repent and can not tell how and to reioyce and can not tell how and to love God and his Saints and can not tell how and to beleeve and cannot tell how which all notwithstanding are the proper workes of the spirit Neither speake I this to shunne the answering of your question touching the discerning of the spirites testimonie which I pray the Lord to teach vs all seeing there can indeed no solide ioy possesse our mindes till we feele the spirit of Adoption sealing vp the certaintie of our electiō in our harts for if we bee sonnes as saieth the Apostle the Lord hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne in our heartes which crieth Abba Father and therefore if any mā hath not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Seeing then it is even by the spirit which he hath givē vs that we know our selves to bee the sonnes of God and that God as our Father abydeth in vs as saieth Iohn It is a most necessarie studie and most commendable in a Christian to trie if he hath the spirit Now therefore to come to your question I will speake of it in all sobrietie accordinge to that measure of faith which the Lord hath given me First in generall it shall not bee amisse to know what is the Testimonie of the spirit Secondly after what maner the spirit doth give testimonie And lastly we shall cleerlie see how to discerne it from the testimonie of our owne spirit In generall the whole word of God is the testimonie of the spirit For whatsoever is therein contayned the spirit doeth witnes it and nothing els doeth the spirit witnes but that which is contayned in the word therefore is the word of God called his Testimon The testimonie of the Lord is sure And againe God established a Testimonie in Iacob And oft times in the 119. Psalme the Lords wordes are called his Testimonies because everie sentence of the word is a testimonie of Gods will Therefore is it that the Prophet commands vs to goe to the Lawe and to the Testimonie For nothing can we know of Gods minde towards vs except we hearken what the spirit speakes in his worde and therefore Christ willeth vs to search the Scriptures because they witnes of him So whatsoever the worde doeth perswade our hearts touching GOD and his love in Christ that is the Testimonie of the spirit and therfore when hearing the worde of God our hearts receyves anie assurance or perswasion of redemption remission of sinnes c. that same is and must be the spirits testimonie As for example whē by the word a man is made to knowe Christ to be the Lord the Redeemer c. doubtlesse that is a testimonie of Gods spirit by the word witnessing to the heart that trueth and causing the heart to beleve it But heere wee must carefully take heede that our hearts bee not deceyved touching that which you most disire to know that is touching our Adoption by mistaking the spirits testimonie For eschewing this danger we have to vnderstande that the spirit by the worde perswades two maner of wayes to wit generallie and speciallie generallie when that which is reveyled out of the worde is generally beleeved as Gods truth speciallie when it is speciallie beleeved The generall is no warrant of adoptiō For in that sort the very Divells beleeve and tremble saieth Iames a reprobate may beleeve generally all to be true which is in the word of God and yet never have anie testimonie of the spirit of his particular adoption hee may beleeve that Christ is a Saviour of sinners and yet not beleeve that hee is a Saviour vnto him he may beleeve that God in Christ will forgive sinners and yet no wayes have assurance of the remission of his owne sinnes yea hee may bee a Preacher and be witnes of all the promises of God in Christ to others yet have no parte in them him selfe Therefore leaving this generall testimonie of the spirit I come to the speciall testimonie which wee must discerne before our Adoption bee sealed to vs. And in discerning this there is also great wisedome required for therein also may a man be deceyved For there is some sort of speciall testificatiō that witnesseth not adoption For vnderstanding hereof we must consider that the spirits testimonie in speciall maner is of two sortes The first is when hee witnesses and reveiles grace particularlie to a man but imprints not the thing reveiled in the heart neither seales it in his soule The second is when not onely he reveyles and witnesses the promises in speciall manner to a man but also writeth them in his heart and seales them in his soule Now to make this more plaine we must consider what are the wordes of Gods covenant in Christ with the elect After these dayes saieth the Lord I will put my Lawes in their minde and in their heart I will write them If we waye these wordes aright we shall see that which I have spoken cleere GOD in giving his Lawe spake to his people and by his spirit witnessed his will to them but this word which was spoken was not written in their hearts but in tables of stone therfore the Iewes did not abyde in that covenant The peculiar promise of God to the elect in Christ is that he shall write his wordes in their hearts When thē the Lords spirit witnesseth in witnessing writes the thing witnessed in the heart it is an assurance of Gods effectuall speaking but when hee witnesses to the heart yet writes not that testimonie in the heart it is no testimonie of adoption To make this plaine it is certaine there can be no true faith in the heart where the worde of GOD abydeth not Christ shewes this in the fift chap. of Iohn speakinge to the Iewes His worde sayeth hee have ye not abyding in you because yee beleeve not in him whom he hath sent declaring that the abyding of the worde in man and beleeving doe still accōpanie one the other And if we will consider his speech in the sixt chap. of Iohn wee shall see that the cause why his worde did not abyde in them was because they were not taught of God that is they had not hard nor learned of the Father according to his promise I will put my lawes in their

which is vnderstood libertie is opponed to bondage as the effect of the spirit Next the voyce following heerevpon is manifest in the wordes following whereby wee crye Abba Father Which crye more plainly is saide by the Apostle to the Galathians to bee the crie of the spirit saying and because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne in your harts which cryeth Abba Father And therefore is it that the Apostle to the Romans saieth that the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God What then is this worke of the spirit in vs that witnesseth Adoption This speciall worke is libertie or freedome accompanied ever with peace boldnes confidence and reioycing This is plaine by these places of scripture First the Apostle to the Corinthians speaking of this first great effect of the spirit saith Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie and of the peace that accōpanies this libertie the Apostle speakes plainlie to the Ephesians where after he hath shewē that by Christ we are delivered from the Law of commandements hatred that thereby did lye vpon vs and hath spoken of the peace followinge therevpon hee proves this peace by these wordes for through him wee both haue an entrance vnto the Father by one spirit Therefore the same Apostle to the Romans sayeth That being iustified by faith wee have peace towardes God Of this boldnes and confidence the Apostle speakes to the Ephesians saying By whom wee have boldnes and accesse with confidence by faith in him Therefore is it that the Apostle to the Romans sayeth That wee have not receyved the spirit of bondage vnto feare but the spirit that is without feare that is of boldnes and confidence Touching reioycing the Apostle Peter speaketh saying In whom beleeving yee reioyce with ioye vnspeakeable and glorious The same also affirmeth the Apostle to the Rom. saying we reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God neither so onely but wee reioyce also in tribulations and he addes the reason because the love of God is shed abroad in our heartes by the holy ghost which is given vnto vs. This I call the speciall working of the spirit for sealing our Adoption because these effectes cannot possiblie bee in vs except the spirit of adoption worke them and therefore whosoever hath them hee hath an vndoubted testimonie of his adoption from the verie spirit of adoption For this libertie and effectes of it are not the worke of a mans owne hart but the work of Gods spirit in the heart making it free causing it to reioyce making it cōfident towards God that this may be cleere we have to consider the estate of man first in ignorāce and blindnes before he knewe either God or him selfe Secondly his estate vnder the Lawe And lastlie his estate vnder grace thorough the Gospell In the two former cases there is nothing in mans heart but blindnes or the spirit of bondage vnto feare yea even in the verie elect before they receyve this spirit of Adoption and grace by the Gospell In man by nature as he is borne there is nothinge but blindnes I say nothing not that I exclude bondage for in both the first two estates of man blindnes and bondage doe accompanie each other but in the first estate blindnes so reigneth that bondage is not perceyved nor felt In the second although blindnes be so farre taken away as man see and feele his bōdage yet it is not so taken away that it hide not from him his libertie and freedome Therefore in the first he is the slave of blindnes and darknesse because the power thereof is predominant in him holding him in ignorāce of God of him selfe of sinne and of true righteousnes Therefore doth the scripture say There is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seeketh God And the Apost to the Ephesians shewing the naturall estate of man declareth that he is without Christ an aliant from the common wealth of Israel a stranger from the covenant of promise without hope and without God in the worlde And therefore speakinge of the vaine conversation of men naturall hee sheweth the causes of it to be this because they have their vnderstanding darkened beeing strangers from the life of God through the ignorāre that is in them And most cleerlie in the fift chapter for ye were once darknes meaning by nature and therefore they who are effectuallie called to grace are in that same place saide to be light in the Lord. And by the Apostle Peter are said to be called of God out of darknes to his marveylous light And to the Thessalonians they that are called are saide to be of the day and of the light And they which are not called are saide to be of the night and of darknes And the Apostle to the Colossians willing to shewe the force of darknes in holding men in bondage expresses their calling by GOD in these wordes who hath drawen vs out vnder the power of darknes So it is manifest that in our estate naturall wherein as saith the Apostle to the Galathians wee knowe not God darknes hath power and dominion over vs in such sorte that we have no libertie of minde nor body to serve God the minde being kept in ignorance of God of righteousnes and of sinne And so consequentlie man in this estate is without feare Not because he is not in danger but because hee seeth not his danger Therefore also may he bee secure because he is senselesse but confident hee can not be because hee hath no knowledge It is true men in this case are commonly most peart in sinne and bolde in wickednesse against GOD because they know neither him nor them selves And therefore oft tymes as foolish flyes they rush vpon the candle or blinde horses doe runne against the wall but bolde and confident in him they can not be who knowes him not in Christ Therefore doth the Apostle declare that the cause why such men give themselves to wantonnesse is because they have no feeling Now in the second estate vnder the Lawe we are further from libertie and the remaynant blessings of the spirit of Adoptiō For albeit that some light arise in the heart by the Lawe as the knowledge of sinne conforme to that of the Apostle I knew not sinne but by the Law yet this light doeth only reveyle to man his bondage but doth not remove nor remedie it because that was impossible to the Lawe in as much as it was weak because of the flesh as saieth the same Apostle Therefore this light of the Lawe although it bee necessarie yet it is comfortlesse For it shewes first to man that he is solde vnder sinne and that no good dwelleth in him Heerevpon it reveiles vnto him that hee is vnder the curse of God and

minde and in their heart will I write them therefore it is that Moses speakinge of the estate of the chosen children of God vnder grace saith that this cōmandement which I command thee this day meaning thereby the worde of the Father is not hid from thee neither is it farre from thee it is not in the heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp for vs to heaven and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that we may do it neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say who shall goe over the sea for vs and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that wee may doe it but the word is very neare vnto thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart for to doe it The Apostle expounds the same to the Rom. and shewes that this is the word of the Father which they did preach For this is the promise of God to his Church vnder the Gospell by the mouth of his Prophet All thy children shal be taught of the Lord and this is the Lords teaching evē the writing of his word in the hart by his spirit Of the first sort of this speciall receyving the word you may read in Iohn it is said of the Iewes many beleeved in Christ yet these same doth Christ declare to be the servants of sinne childrē of the divel murtherers and in the 37. verse he shewes why they were such because his word had no place in thē therefore doth he warn thē in the 31. ver that if they did cōtinue in his word they were verily his discipl teaching thereby that it is not the receyving of his word simplie that maketh vs disciples but the abydiug in it which none can doe that hath it not written in their heart by the spirit Of the second sorte of the speciall receyving the word you may read in the 17. chap. of Iohn in the wordes of Christ concerning his Disciples I have given them the wordes which thou gavest mee they have receyved them c. Of both these sortes of receyving the spirites testimonie you may read in the Gospell of Saint Math. in the Parable of the Sower the one is like the ground which receyveth seed but yeeldeth no fruit againe the other is like the ground which receiveth the seed and bringeth forth fruit in aboundance because God the Father is the Husbande man thereof as Christ sayeth in the 15. chapter of Iohn But you may aske how I can call this sorte of witnessinge which is fruitlesse to be the spirits testimonie Remēber I pray you what the Apostle saieth to the Corinthians No man can call Iesus Lord but by the H. ghost Whereby it is plaine that there is no possibilitie in man of receyving or acknowledging any part of that mysterie of godlynes without the spirits working And yet albeit this be the worke of the spirit yet doth it not prove him in whom it is to be the childe of God For Christ saieth plainly Not every one that call me Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heaven And because this same effect in the verie reprobate is the work of the spirit for the naturall man can not perceyve the things of the spirit therefore are the very reprobate thus illuminate after this maner said to have bene made partakers of the H. ghost not that ever that spirit of Adoptiō which God sendes foorth in the heartes of his sonnes to seale them vnto the day of redemption was ever sent into their hearts But because even that light tast of heavēly things whiche they received was by the working of the H. ghost although he never did give thē ful possession of them by imprinting them in their harts sealing thē in their soules For that which Christ saith to his discip whē he promiseth to send thē the spirit of truth remayneth still true that the world can not receive him because it seeth him not neither knoweth him therfore wee may iustly say that they who receive this tast of Christ of the good word of god do not discern the spirit to worke these thinges because they neither see him nor know him neither cā they receive him but are like vnto natural men who albeit they have their being life moving in God yet still remain without God in this world But it may thē be demanded how it is that they are said to bee made partakers of the H. ghost and what difference is there betwixt them the elect in the participatiō of the spirit To vnderstand this we must remember that ther must be a certain participatiō of the spirit whersoever any effect of the spirit is foūd in whatsoever measure or maner But we are to mark a differēce both of measure maner For as a mā that hath an excellent piece of wine to sel wil give to al that com so much as is sufficiēt to make thē knowe the tast of it yet he giveth not to every one such a quātitie as is sufficiēt to bring nourishment refreshment to their bodyes spirits And as a phisicion that hath prepared a comfortable potiō for the health of a beloved patient he will give to others a little of it to make them apprehende the taste of it but not so as to have anie strength to make anie operation in their stomacke for that quantitie hee gives onely to the patient for whose health it is prepared Nowe they who tasted of this wine or potion can discerne the goodnesse of it albeit they never did drinke it nor ever be partakers of the refreshing power of it So is it with the Lorde in his dispensation he vseth sometimes onely to give a naked sight and knowledge of Christ and his mercie in him to men and this I called before a generall perswasion of the spirit when men are made to know Christ in generall but without all sense of feelinge of him Somtimes the spirit comes nearer and touches the heart with Christ and with the powers of the world to come even so farre as the heart receiveth a tast of the love of God of the mercies of God in Christ in such sorte that they receive the word incontinentlie with ioy as saith Christ The spirit havinge in that measure testified the worde to them as is sufficient to make them to taste the sweetnes of it albeeit hee never fill their heart with it nor imprint it in their mindes that they may finde the power of it vnto life The last degree of the spirites witnessinge is when not onely he touches the lippes with grace to make the tast of it felt but when hee poures in the love of God and all the graces reveyled in the worde and shedds them abroad in the heart as saith the Apostle to the Romans and so makes the heart to enioy receyve and possesse the promise by printing it

you all things Secondly God is said to speake vnto vs by his spirit when hee confirmeth to vs the thinge which he hath spoken and of this wee have also spoken in generall And of this kinde of voyce speaketh the Apostle in that place to the Romanes sayinge The same spirit heareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the sonnes of God Of this confirmation the same Apostle speaketh to the Corinht whē he saieth As the testimonie of Iesus Christ was confirmed in you Which wordes shewe the cleere evidence of that two fould testimonie of the spirit whereof wee did speake before The one when God writeth his word in our hearts which heere is vnderstood by the testimonie of Christ The other when he seales that which hee hath spoken and in speaking hath written in our heartes and that is here vnderstood by the cōfirming of the testimonie of Iesus in vs. And for this work of cōfirmation the spirit is called the earnest seale of God And as God by his spirit sealeth and confirmeth all the promises in Christ and also all what hee himselfe hath wrought in vs according to the promise So among other things he specially cōfirmeth our Adoption whē the spirit beareth witnesse to vs that we are the sonnes of God After that first he hath effectuallie called vs by teaching vs and working faith in our hearts and also hath made our hearts now beleeving speake to vs that we are sonnes Thirdly God is said to speake vnto vs by his spirit whē he comforted vs in our troubles removing by his spirit the anguish and grief of our hearts restoring vs to our wonted ioyes in him again Of which voyce of the spirit David speaketh whē he prayeth Make me heare ioy and gladnesse And a●aine Restore me to the ioye of thy salvation and establish mee with thy free spirit For this worke the spirit is called the Comforter Nowe wee come to the last point which is the principal thing which yee demaund and that is Howe wee shall discerne this Testimonie of the Lords spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit And this is to bee done eyther in the time of peace or trouble although it is more difficile in prosperitie to distinguish them There is two voyces of the spirit as we have saide which both witnesse our Adoption The first when the spirit in vs speakes to God This testimonie of the spirit is discerned three wayes The first thing whereby we discerne it is the great heavines of heart and sorrowe which the conscience of sinne breedeth in vs whē as saith the Prophet God having poured vpon vs the spirit of grace and cōpassion Wee looke vppon him whom we have pea●sed and lament for him as men mourne for their onely begotten sonne and are sorrie for him as men are for their first begotten childe Of this nature was the mourning of Peter after his deniall when as sayeth the holy scripture hee went out and weeped bitterlie and because this is a sure ●oken of saving grace therefore they that mourne are compted blessed This mourning hath alwayes ioyned with it an hunger thirst for righteousnes For ther can be no true mourning for sinne where there is no desire of righteousnes And because this is the proper effect of the spirit of grace in all and everie one of those who receyve him Therefore doeth the Lord by his Prophet declare what shall be the worke of the spirit of grace and compassion in that day whē God shall poure him out vpon his children sayinge Then shall there bee great mourning at Ierusalem like as the lamentation of Adadrimmon in the valey of Megiddon c. In which place mourning is attributed to everie familie to everie state and everie person and that apart by them selves to shewe that it is a common effect wrought by the spirit in all Gods children that vnfainedly The second thing whereby we discerne this testimonie of the spirit is the earnest longing with vehement grones and sighes in our selves for to be with Christ Of this voyce of the spirit the Apostle speaketh when he sayeth Wee also who have the first fruite of the spirit even wee sigh in our selves wayting for the adoption And in an other place to the same effect hee sayeth That wee sigh desiring to bee clothed vpon with our house which is from heaven For certainly the naturall disposition of a man can never bring forth this stronge desire of heaven neither yet could the renewed heart beeing yet burdened with infirmitie and love of this life have so strong a desire of removing from it of it selfe if the spirit did not worke it and therefore the Apostle attributes these sighes for righteousnes heaven to the spirit and doth shewe vs that the spirit in these cryes and sighes helpeth our infirmities Thirdly this testimonie of the spirit is discerned by the cōfident requestes and petitions it maketh to God in vs in the full assurance of faith without doubting when with boldnes wee drawe neare vnto the Throne of grace crying vpon God Abba Father and in all things making our petitions manifest to God as sayeth the Apostle For this confident boldnes of the heart towardes God still accompanied with reverence and feare cannot be in the heart except the spirit did worke it For the boldnes of a blind heart wanteth both assurance of Gods love and reverence of his maiestie But leaving this wee come to the discerning of the other voyce which more properly is called the testimonie of the spirit speciallie in that place to the Romans And that is when God in vs speaketh by his spirit vnto vs. This testimonie is to be discerned from the testimonie of our hearte three manner of wayes First in our first beleevinge Secondly after wee have beleeved Thirdly in the eclipses of our faith and in our troubles In our first beleeving wee may discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit from our owne touchinge our Adoption because our first beleeving is ever by the testimonie of the spirit and not by the testimonie of our owne heart For our heart can never beare witnes to vs that wee are the sonnes of God vntill first our heartes have beleeved that wee are his sonnes and this our hearts can not do except the spirit have first wrought this faith by the worde in our hearts Therefore my first beliefe and assurace of my Adoption is alwayes the testimonie of the spirit of God and my owne hearts testimonie must still followe vpon this so that in mans hearte the voyce that maketh it first cōceyve Gods love and beleeve it is the spirits testimonie which when the heart of man hath receyved then it speaketh For till it beleeve it can not speake according as it is written I have beleeved and therefore I have spoken Thus then is this testimonie first discerned when I discerne the voyce of the spirit which I beleeve from