not only an evidēce that we have the spirit but also a witnes of our Adoption making manifest vnto vs that the spirit hath wrought in vs that worke of libertie whereof we have alreadie spoken Touching the first it is manifest in that without the spirit we can not pray vnto God as testifieth the Apostle to the Romans saying The spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee knowe not what to pray as we cought but the spirit it self maketh request for vs with sighes that can not be expressed Conforme to this also doth the same Apostle say in that same place Wee also who have the first fruites of the spirit even wee doe sigh in our selves waitinge for the Adoption And this is cleerly confirmed by the words of the Prophet Zacharie In that day sayeth the Lord I will poure vpon the house of David and vpon the inhabitanes of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of compassion and they shall looke vpon me whō they have pearched and they shall lament for him c. The veritie of this point may be shewed by the nature of prayer in which first it is required that it be made vnto God Secondly that it bee made in the Name of Christ Thirdly that it be made accordinge to the will of God Concerning the first it cannot be without the spirit because we have no entrance nor accesse to God in Christ but by the spirit This is manifest by the Apostle saying For through him wee both have accesse to tbe Father by one spirit Secondly we can not pray in the Name of Christ except wee acknowledge God his Father and in him our Father which we can never doe except we be taught by the spirit For as saieth the Apostle The spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Thirdly no prayer can bee made accordinge to the will of God but by the spirit because None knoweth the mynde of God but the spirit of GOD. According to which the same Apostle sayeth That he that searceth the heartes knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit For hee maketh intercession for the Saincts according to the will of God By all these it is plaine that none can pray which have not the spirit For the babling of hypocrits is no prayer seeing it proceedes not from the spirit And this is to be vnderstoode of all manner of prayer For all manner of prayer be it confession petition supplication or giving of thankes must still be by the spirit According to the saying of the Apostle And pray alway in all maner of prayer and supplication in the spirit Moreover this voyce of the spirit is the witnesse of our adoption and of the worke of our freedome in Christ Which is evident by the Apostle First in that hee sayeth That by this spirit we crye Abba Father And the same Apostle to witnesse the same trueth sayeth in another place Because yee are sonnes God hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your heartes crying Abba Father Which crie of the spirit can not bee in vs vntill first we be the sonnes of God seeing this crye contayneth in it a plaine profession of our Adoption while the spirit in vs doth call vpō God as our Father and maketh vs call vpon him as our Father Secondly this is manifest by the description which the Apostle setteth downe of the spirit whereby we crye Abba Father That it is not the spirit of bondage vnto feare but the spirit of adoption Which by the contrarie may be vnderstood to comprehend freedome and libertie According to the saying of of the Apostle Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie For they who live in darknesse and in the bandes of iniquitie not yet made partakers of the ioyfull libertie of the sonnes of God can never with boldnes approch to the throne of grace to call vpon GOD as their Father Heerevpon it is that the Scriptures absolutely conclude That whosoever shall call vpon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Because no man can call vpō God vntill hee beleeve that God is his God and he his sonne in Christ according to the saying of the Apostle How shall they call vpon him in whom they have not beleeved This sheweth plainlie that the spirites crie or our callinge vpon God by the spirit as out Father is a sure testimonie of our Adoption and seale of our effectuall calling Therefore vnder the calling vpon the Name of the Lord is oft set downe the true and infallible description of Gods children as namelie to the Corinthians Vnto the Church of GOD which is at Corinth with all that call vpon the Name of the Lord IESVS Christ in every place And the same Apostle sheweth that the foundation of God which remayneth sure that is the election of God hath this seale Let every one that calleth vpon the Name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Declaring plainlie that to call vpon the Name of the Lord is as much as to be one of Gods elect children which in that same place is made manifest by this other sentence Follow after righteousnes faith love and peace with them that call vpon the Name of the Lord with pure hearts Thus wee are to take our calling or cryinge on the Name of the Lorde with boldnes in that confidence and assruance which faith bringeth for a sure testimonie of the spirit of Adoption possessing our heartes and so of our Adoption The other voyce of the spirit to wit when the spirit speaketh from God to vs is likewise a most solide firme and infallible testimonie of our Adoption And this sorte of voyce is that whereof the Prophet speaketh And thine eare shall heare the voyce of one behinde thee saying This is the way c. Of the same doeth the Lord speake in another place saying I will allure hir and bring hir in the wildernes and speake kindly vnto hir Which places are not onely to bee referred to the Lords speaking to his Church in the externall ministerie of his word but are speciallie to be vnderstoode of the inwarde working of God in the heart by his spirit Of which sorte of voyce David speaketh when hee sayeth to the Lord Let mee heare ioye and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce And this sorte of voyce is three folde for it consisteth eyther in Gods teaching or in his confirminge of that which he teacheth or then in his conforting of his children in their afflictions Of the first that is his teaching voyce wee have spoken before For God by his spirit speakes to vs when inwardlie he openeth our heartes and maketh vs heare his word of grace and to vnderstande it to receyve it Of this worke Christ speaketh when hee sayeth But the Comforter which is the holy spirit whom the Father will sende in my Name hee shall teach
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
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
therein So that the working and witnessing of the spirit in the wicked is like the smell of an Apothecaris shop which one that passeth by receyveth although hee never carrie anie of these odoriferous things with him But the witnessing of the spirit to the elect is by imparting the thing witnessed to the soule making it reallie to possesse it So that if a man could see the soule of a true child of God he should see ingraven in it mercie peace love righteousnes life ioy and Christ himselfe all the promises of God in Christ being written therein by the spirit according to the covenant of God Conforme to this doth the Apostle speake of the spirits witnessing to the hearts of the Corinthians when hee saieth yee are manifest to bee the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with inck but with the spirite of the livinge GOD not in Tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart Nowe therefore wee come to speake of this witnessinge of the spirit which is proper to the elect And to the ende wee may cleerelie discerne the testimonie of the spirit which witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sonnes of GOD wee must yet more deepelie marke and consider this testimonie The worke of the spirit in assuring vs of Adoption is twoofolde The firste for distinction wee shall call this first writinge of the worde reveyled in our hearts and so makinge vs to beleeve in God as our God and Father in Christ The second is our sealling after we have beleeved That it is so ye may see in the wordes of the Apostle to the Ephesians In whom also sayes he ye have trusted after that yee heard the word of trueth even the Gospell of your salvation wherein also after yee beleeved yee were sealed with the holy spirit of promise Marke first this worke of the spirit in causing vs to beleeve in God by the effectuall revelation of the worde next marke that other worke of the spirit after we have beleeved in sealing vs. The first of these two although it bee felt by vs yet at the first wee can not discerne it to be the worke of the spirit till afterward For before we be made spirituall we can discerne nothing of the spirit because the things of the spirit are spiritually discerned But when we receyve the spirit which is of God then are we able to knowe the things which are given to vs of God Therefore that testimonie whereof the Apostle speaketh to the Rom. which witnesseth with our spirits is to be vnderstood of the seconde worke of the spirit which is our sealing That we may vnderstande this aright we must consider that there is something that cōmeth in in vs betwixt the first worke of the spirit and the second And that is the testimonie of our owne spirit bearing witnes that we are the sonnes of God For when God by his spirit hath imprinted in our heartes the word of promise then begins our hearts to say we are the children of God being perswaded by the spirit secretlie insinuating the worde in our hearts to beleeve beleeving to speak according as it is said I beleved therfore did speak Now it might seeme there needed no more but let vs remember what Christ saith to Peter Simon Simon behold Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not So wee have need that our heartes be established in that worke of the spirit otherwayes we should bee in danger to make shipwracke of faith of a good conscience which is nothing els but this testimonie of our owne hearts Therefore doth the Church pray in the Psalme Establish O God that which thou hast wrought in vs. And the Apostle after hee hath given thankes vnto God for the Thessalonians effectuall calling he prayes to GOD That hee who had given them this good hope through grace would also establish them in everie word and good worke Therefore is it that our God for stablishing vs in faith in the assurance of our Adoption seales vs by the holy spirit of promise This is manifest out of the former place to the Ephes where he saieth That after they beleeved they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise This same doth the Apostle to the Gallat confirme when hee sheweth that Christ was sent to this ende to redeeme vs That we might receyve the Adoption of the sonnes and then he addeth and because yee are sonnes GOD hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts that crieth Abba Father And that this sealing of vs by sendinge forth the spirit of Adoptiō in our hearts is the meane whereby God establisheth vs it is manifest by the Apostle to the Corinthians For when first hee hath shewed that it is God which establisheth saying It is God which establisheth vs with you in Christ then addeth he the meane whereby God did stablish them saying and hath anointed vs who hath also sealed vs and hath given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts Which three sayings are all one thing in substance Therefore doeth Iohn from this anointing confirme and assure these to whom he did write against the fearing to fall away but saith he The anointing which yee receyved of him dwelleth in you and as it taught you yee shall abide in him And the Apostle to the Corinthians taketh the Argument of his confidence from this that God hath given vs the earnest of the spirit And the same Apostle from this giving of vs the spirit of libertie which crieth Abba Father proveth vs to bee the sonnes of God in that eight chap. to the Romanes Whereby it is plaine that by these three the self-same thing is meant albeit diverslie expressed accordinge to the three sortes of confirmation the one by anointing so were Kings Priestes and Prophetes confirmed in their calling the other by an earnest which is a cōfirmation of the bargaine and of the payement of the full somme and the last by sealing which in all writes contractes and obligations is a confirmation of all therein conteyned and promised Accordinge to which amongst the Persians whatsoever was sealed with the Kinges Ring could not bee changed nor revoked Therefore whomsoever God seales vnto life as his child he is made most sure of eternall life For this cause is it that in the Revelatiō God first will have his childrē sealed before the enemies can have power to execute their malice and of these thus sealed it is that Christ saieth that the gates of hell shall not prevayle against them And that they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of his hande Now this same sending foorth of the spirit of Adoption in our hearts is our sealinge Therefore saieth the Apost to the Ephesians ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise And this same is also
our anointing poured out vpon vs as that oyle on Aaron therefore are we saide to have this annointing from him which is holy and that it teacheth vs and that it is true not lying according to that whiche is said by Christ of the spirit I will pray the Father he will give you another comforter that hee may abyde with you for ever even the spirit of trueth he shall teach you all things And the same also is our earnest therefore it is called the earnest of the spirit and also the first fruites of the spirit So by the same spirit as by oyle as by earnest as by a seale doth God stablish our harts in that which they doe witnes to vs touching our Adoption And that doth the Apostle signifie whē he saieth the same spirit beareth witnes with our spirits that wee are the sonnes of God Marke then the order of Gods working First he speakes the word of trueth to the heart and in speaking writes it in the heart heerevpon the heart is made to beleeve that which it hath heard receyved from the spirit and when it beleeves it speakes and the thing it speakes is that same which is engravē in it by the spirit to wit that God is his God and hee his child For never can the hart of a man speak one word of mercie to him nor of Adoption till the spirit of God have spoken first mercie to it Nowe when the spirit of man hath spoken and given testimonie to him of his election he◠the Lord for establishing the heart in this and confirming man in the testimonie of his heart he addeth his spirit and by the testimonie thereof seales this promise in the heart and makes Adoption and eternall life most certaine and sure to the soule that he dare be bold with the Apostle to say Who shall lay any thing to my charge who shall condempne me who shall seperate mee from the love of Christ I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor anguish c. shall bee able to seperate me from the love of God which is in Iesus Christ my Lord. And that we may yet more evidentlie see the necessitie of this testimonie of Gods spirit we are to consider that albeit our own harts have in them a power to witnes vnto vs what wee are both by nature and by grace yet the testimonie of our heartes touching our estate by grace is not so fullie and confidentlie to bee reposed vpon and trusted as the testimonie therof touching our estate by nature For wee may assuredly trust our hearts and cōsciences when vpon anie guiltines they condemne vs seeing hee is cursed who abydes not in everie jo◠of the Law to fulfil it he that trāsgresseth one cōmandment is guiltie of all but we are not always to give absolut credit to our consciences when vpon conceit of innocēcie they iustifie vs. For although our consciences accuse vs of nothing yet thereby we are not iustified as is plaine by the saying of the Apost touching himself 1. Cor. 4. 4. the reason hereof is because our consciences doe not so cleerlie see our estate which is from God neither can they of them selves so truely iudge of it as they may do of their estate by nature when they are illuminate by God for then they are made to know and cleerly to see that in vs there is no goodnes and therefore ther is iust reason why they should condempne vs. And we are verily to beleeve our harts vpō this sight and knowledge condempning vs. but on the other part although we see the minde of God towards vs in Christ yet wee can not so throughly apprehende his promises vpon any sight we receive that we dar trust our felicitie absolutly to the testimonie of our owne hearts First because our heartes may be deceyved as is evident by scripture that many shall bee Secondly because wee may mistake the working of God in vs and lay hold on a wrong ground Thirdlie because our heartes are more prone to speake good nor evill of our selves even when they have neuer so small occsion to doe so and when they have much more occasion to do the contrarie And lastlie because all men are lyars onely God is true and therfore we must never give so much credit to our consciences speaking good of vs as when they speake evill speciallie when the question is of being the sonnes of God or not so that even when they witnes that we are the sonnes of God wee are not to rest herevpon except God who only knoweth whom he hath chosen doe by his spirit confirme the testimonie of our spirit For we may much more surely trust our heartes in that which is in our selves and from our selves then in that which is neither from our selves nor in our selves but is the free gift of God in Christ Therefore that we should not bee deceyved by our deceitful harts God secoūdeth our owne testimonie touching his taking of vs for his children by his spirit witnessinge the same even as by his owne mouth cōfirming our adoptiō For by the mouth of two or three witnesses shal everie word be stablished Thus I have shewen you what is the spirits testimonie in what manner he gives it and how necessarie it is Now I come to that which you desired to know that is how wee discerne the testimonie of the spirit which seales our Adoption from the testimonie of our owne spirit For knowledge of this First let vs consider that there be three things whereby wee discerne our Election and Adoption from the spirit of God The first is his presence with vs. The second is his worke in vs. The third is his voyce vnto vs. Touching the first the verie presence of the spirit of Adoptiō is a witnesse of our Adoption For the spirit is the earnest of the inheritance of God as wee have shewen before therefore whosoever hath the spirit the verie having of him is a sure testimonie to that man that he is the sonne of God For he that hath the spirit of Christ he is Christes as by the contrarie hee that hath not the spirit of Christ is not Christes Now the having of the spirit is discerned by the other two that is by the work and by the voyce therefore those two are chiefly to be considered first his worke in vs which must go before his voyce I meane this voyce which seales Adoptiō For otherwayes his voyce alwayes goeth before his worke for it is by the worde that hee worketh all things in vs. For vnderstanding of this work and voyce of the spirit which sealeth adoption marke the wordes of the Apostle in that same eight chap. of the Rom touchinge the spirit Yee have not receyved sayeth he the spirit of bondage to feare againe but yee have receyved the spirit of Adoption whereby wee crye Abba Father Heere Adoption vnder
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 wheÌ„ 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 coÌ„firming of the testimonie of Iesus in vs. And for this work of coÌ„firmation 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 coÌ„firmeth our Adoption wheÌ„ 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 wheÌ„ 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 wheÌ„ he prayeth Make me heare ioy and gladnesse And aâ—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 wheÌ„ as saith the Prophet God having poured vpon vs the spirit of grace and coÌ„passion Wee looke vppon him whom we have peaâ—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 â—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 wheÌ„ 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 coÌ„fident 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 coÌ„ceyve 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
the voyce of my spirit now beleving and bearing witnes to me of that which first the spirit of God did witnes to it Secondlie after we have beleeved wee may also discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit by a plaine contrarie order For in the former the spirites testimonie did goe before the testimonie of our spirit but heere it followeth after it and is the confirmation of it So that when after wee have beleeved the spirit speakinge the word vnto vs and after that beleeving wee have spoken with our owne spirit if then wee heare a new voyce cōfirming that which we beleeved and which our spirit did speake that cōfirming sealing and stablishing voyce is the testimonie of Gods spirit Thus wee must learne to discerne betwixt our beleeving and the confirmation of our belief and so shal wee know the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit Therefore still the holie Scriptures of God distinguish betwixt the worke of God in making vs receyve the testimonie of his spirit and his worke in confirming in vs that testimonie nowe receyved And also teacheth vs to knowe the testimonie of our own spirit which commeth in betwixt these two to bee different from them both Accordinge to this working of God the Saincts pray Stablish O God that which thou hast wrought in vs. To speake more plainly of this point there is a three folde voyce in the heart that hath the testimonie of Iesus confirmed in it The first is the voyce of God by his spirit in the worde speaking vnto our hearts and perswading them to beleeve that the promise belongeth vnto vs. The second voyce is the voyce of our hearts receyving the word wherby it speaketh that which the spirit hath perswaded and this in effect is nothing but the very faith of the heart now actually working in vs. Whereas the first was the worke of the spirit working this faith in vs so that in this first act we are patients in the other we are agentes in the first we are spoken too by the spirit of God in the seconde our owne heartes speaketh in vs. The third voice is the voyce of Gods spirit following the voyce of our hearts ratifying it and this is nothing els but the confirmation of our faith So wee may see that the Lord performeth twoo workes in vs for our comfort the first is the working of faith beliefe the other is the confirmation of the faith which he him selfe did work But before his last work our hearts having faith wrought in them doe worke by it or wee with our hearts worke and this is nothing but beleeving with the heart or the hearts beleevinge Wherevpon followeth the sealing of vs in that which it beleeveth that is in the testimonie which the beleeving heart giveth of him in whom it is Thirdlie we discerne this testimonie of the spirit in our trouble when we find any cōfort or peace wrought in our hearts when they are troubled or anie ioye vpon the assurance of Gods love If wee finde a quiet calmnesse of minde with patience meeknes and reioycing in tribulation vpon anie sight or knowledge of our Adoption all these are the vndoubted testimonies of the spirit who shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts maketh vs to reioyce in affliction as the Apost speaketh of the Hebrues and ye suffered with gladnes the spoyling of your goods knowing in your selves that yee have in heaven a better and an enduring substance And touching the Apostles it is saide They departed reioycing that they were compted worthie to suffer for his Name That this ioy is the work of the spirit vpon the testimonie of Gods love is manifest by the Apost to the Romans where shewing the cause why we reioyce in afflictions sayth Because of the love of God which is shed abroad in our heartes by the holy spirit which is given vs. According to this grounde it is that the Saints are brought in wayting what God will speake to them in trouble as namely in the Psalme 85. vers 8. I will hearken what the Lord will say concerning mee for hee shall speake peace vnto his people and to his saints And the Prophet Habacuk in like manner is brought in saying thus I will stande vpon my watch and set mee vpon the Towre and will looke and see what hee will say vnto mee Thus whē God speaketh peace to the Saincts in affliction and quieteth their thoughtes and maketh them heare ioye and gladnes that is the testimonie of the spirit of the Lord who is our onely Comforter For as sayeth the Prophet David My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart And therefore Moses prayeth O satisfie vs with thy mercie so shall wee reioyce and be glad all our dayes comfort vs againe c. We may hold it for a most certaine trueth that our patient enduring of grievous trialls ioyfully the constant peace of God in our hearts in the tyme when wee endure the enimitie of the world the cōsolations wherewith we are comforted in all our afflictions are vndoubted testimonies of our Adoption proceeding all from Gods spirit But all this is most cleerlie discerned when the testimonie of Gods spirit and the testimonie of our spirit are seperate the one frō the other when they are found to speake one against the other and to give two contrarie testimonies For while these two goe together and are not severed or disagreeing it is oft tymes hard to discerne the one from the other But if we can finde them seperate so that the one faile vs and the other vphold vs then may they cleerly bee discerned And this commeth to passe eyther when God vpon the carnall presumption of our hearts suffereth vs to fall in some dangerous triall or then when God him selfe seemeth to become our enemie so that the heart hath to wrestle with GOD him selfe vnder the sense of his wrath all former feeling of his mercie then ceasing Of the first wee have example in Peter whose heart saide vnto him that no danger could make him forsake Christ the Lorde to make him know that this was not the testimonie of Gods spirit but a carnall confidence of his owne heart suffered him to be tried and in the triall to fall and so to finde it was but his owne carnall heart that did beare witnes to him God oft tymes for this cause tryeth his owne children to make them discerne betwixt the confidence and assurance which their owne hearts giveth them and that confidence and comfort which the spirit of God worketh in them that they may not trust in them selves or in their owne hearts but in the living God This the Apostle witnesseth to the Corinthians saying He maekth vs to receyve the sentence of death in our selves because we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead Of the second wee
have example in David and Iob. And this discerning of the spirits testimonie is two folde one is by the voyce of the spirit in vs vnto God when our hearts speake the contrarie The other is by the voyce of the spirit vnto vs whē our own hearts saith otherwayes Of the first David is an example who in his prosperitie saide hee should never bee moved Yet when God did hyde his face his heart fayled him and he saide in his haste I am cast out of thy sight and yet hee presently addeth these wordes neverthelesse thou heardest the voyce of my prayer Heere wee may perceyve Davids owne heart saying hee was cast out of Gods sight but yet the spirit of GOD maketh request vnto God for him and maketh him pray to God in faith as not reiected of God and the Lord did heare him This him selfe sheweth plainlie in an other place when he sayeth I beleeved and therefore I spake but I was sore troubled I saide in my haste All men are liers At this time David compassed with the snares of death holden by the griefes of the grave finding trouble and heavines declares the estate of his owne heart that it said that all men are liers and therefore he gathers this conclusion that albeit his owne heart did say that Gods promise should not bee accomplished yet doubtlesse he behoved to have faith because he prayed For except hee had beleeved he had not spoken And what can bee more cleere to let vs see Gods spirit bearing witnesse that God hath not forsaken vs when our owne hearts say the contrarie Then when by witnessing this the spirit causeth vs against the distrust of our owne hearts to pray to God evē above hope yet vnder hope trusting in the Lord as did Abraham If we examine our selves what hath bene the estate of our hearts in the like or at least in our greatest temptations wee shall finde that many tymes when our harts hath spoken no comfort vnto vs yet the spirit of God hath drawen sighes and cries to God out of our hearts which also our God hath heard most graciouslie These cries are testimonies of the spirit witnessing to vs that wee are the sonnes of God when as they proceed from vs our hearts saying the contrarie Of the second kinde of the spirits voyce in speaking from God vnto vs wee have likewise example in David when his owne heart said vnto God Why hast thou forgotten me Behold an other voyce speakinge vnto his heart in that same tyme Why art thou vexed O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee O put thy trust in God for I will yet give him thankes he is my helpe and my God Heere the heart speaking no comfort but being wholy discouraged and cast downe the spirit of God in that same heart speaketh to the heart and comforteth it with this that God was his God Nowe that these consolations are the worke and testimonie of Gods spirit it appeareth by that reason which David giveth when hee boasteth in strong cōfidence that although hee should walke through the valey of the shadowe of death yet would hee feare none evill saying For thou art with mee thy rod and thy staffe they comfort mee By these wordes declaring that the experiēce he had of the comfort which Gods spirit did minister vnto him in his most desperate troubles past even then when his owne spirit did faile him was the ground of al his cōfidence against all future trialls Wee have an example also of this in Iob. Who when his owne heart reasoned that God had hid his face from him and taken him for his enemie yet hee saith Although hee slaye mee yet will I trust in him hee shal be my salvation Heere two different speeces in one heart the one from the spirit of Iob the other from the spirit of the Lord in Iob. The one perswading that God was his salvation when the other saide God had hid his face from him Thus if wee would cleerlie discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit let vs beholde our selves when God tryeth vs rather then when he maketh our mountaine to stande stronge or when hee doeth wrestle with vs himselfe as he did with Iacob and in seeminge to fight against vs yet doeth sustaine vs by his owne strength in vs when our strength faileth vs. Thus I have as distinctlie as I could and therefore somewhat more largelie then an epistle perhaps requireth given you such satisfaction to your question as it hath pleased the Lorde to grant me light If you finde any comfort thereby you shall thank God for it And what is wanting in it for your full satisfaction in this matter the Lord shall supplie it by his owne spirit or by that sufficiencie of grace which hee hath given vnto others his servants whō he shall raise vp to write more fullie of this matter for the edification of his Saints in this and all other thinges I pray the Lord to give you and vs all his everlasting peace through Christ IESVS our Saviour reveyling more and more the mysterie of godlinesse in your hearts and makinge you abound in all knowledge with faith feeling and ioy of the holy Ghost The grace of the Lord IESVS bee with you and all the Brethren AMEN Io. Forbes Reve. 3. 17 Luke 18. Luc. 13. 22 Mat. 7. 22. 1 Ioh. 3. 20 Io. 3. 8. Acts. 19. 2 Mat. 16. 16 Galat 4. 6. Rom. 8. 10 1 Ioh. 3. 24. Psal 19. Psal 79. Esa 8. Ioh. 5. 39. Iam. 2. 19. Ier. 31. Heb. 8. Hebr. 8. 9. Ioh. 5. 38. Ioh. 6. 45. Deut. 30. 12. Rom. 10. 68. Esay 54. 13. Ioh. 8. 30. Ioh 17. 8. Mat. 13. 18. 1 Cor. 12. 3. Mat. 7. 21. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Heb. 6. 4. Ioh. 14. 17 Act. 17. 28 Ephe. 2. 12. Math. 13. 20. Rom. 5. 5. Eph. 1. 13. Eph. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 2. Psal 116. 10. 1 Cor. 4. 13. Luc. 22. 31. Psal 68. 28. Gal. 4. 6. 2 Cor. 1. 21. 1 Ioh. 2. 27. 2 Cor. 5. 5. Rom 8. 15 16. Dan. 6. ◠Revel 7. 3 Ma. 16. 18 Ioh. 10. 28 Ioel 2. 28. Act. 2. 17. 1 Ioh. 2. 2. Io. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 5 Rom. 8. 16. Rō 8. 33. Deut. 27. 21. Gal. 3. 10. Iam. 2. 10. Rom. 8. 9. Rom. 8. 15 Gal. 4. 6. 2. Cor. 3. 17. Eph. 2. 13. Eph. 2. 18 Rom. 5. 1. Eph. 3. 12 1 Pet. 1. 8. Rom. 5. 2. Rom. 3. 11 Eph. 2. 12. Ep. 4. 8. Cha. 5. 8. 1. Pet. 2. 9. 1. Thes 5. 5. Colos 1. 13. Gal. 4. 8. Eph. 4. 19. Rom. 7. 7 Rom. 8. 3. Rō 7. 14. Gal. 3. 10. Rō 7. 10. 2 Cor. 3. Rom. 8. 15 Gal. 4. 24. Gal. 3. 2. and 14. Act. 10. 44. Luk. 1. 74 Heb. 2. 15 Heb. 2. 15 Rom. 5. 1. and 21. Pet. 1. 8. Rom. 5. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 10 Esa 61. 1. Luk. 4. 18. Rom. 6. 12 Phil. 4. 4. Rom. 8. 1. 2. Rom. 8. 26 Rom. 8. 23 Zacha. 12. 10. Eph. 2 18. Rom. 8. 16. 1 Cor. 2 1◠Rom. 8. 27. Ephe. 6. 18. Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 15 2 Cor. 3. 17. Ioel. 2. 32. Rom. 10. 13. Rom. 10. 1. Cor. 1. 2 2. Tim. 2. ◠19. 2. Tim. 2. 22. Esay 30. 21. Hos 2. 14 Psal 51. 8. Io. 14. 26. Rō 8. 15. 1. Cor. 1. 6 Psal 51. 8. 12. Zach. 12. 10. Math. 26. 75. Math. 5. 4 Zach. 12. 11. Rom. 8. 23 2. Cor. 5. 2 Rom. 8. 26 Phil. 4. 6. Psal 116. 10. 2. Cor. 4. 13. Psal 68. 28 Heb. 10. Act. 5. 41. Psal 73. 25. Psal 90. 14. 15. 2 Cor. 1. 9 Psal 31. 2. Psal 116. 10. Psal 42. Psal 23.