heart? Have you the Spirit of Adoption, ever crying, Abba, Father? Or, do you cry unto God, as "out of the belly of hell," overwhelmed with sorrow and fear? Or, are you a stranger to this whole affair, and cannot imagine what I mean? Heathen, pull off the mask. Thou hast never put on Christ. Stand bare faced. Look up to heaven. And own before Him that liveth for ever and ever, thou hast no part, either among the sons or servants of God.

Whosoever thou art. Dost thou commit sin, or dost thou not? If thou do, is it willingly, or unwillingly? In either case God hath told thee whose thou art. "He that committeth sin is of the devil." If thou commit it willingly, thou art his faithful servant. He will not fail to reward thy labour. If unwillingly, still thou art his servant. God deliver thee out of his hands!

Art thou daily fighting against all sin? and daily more than conqueror? I acknowledge thee for a child of God. O stand fast in thy glorious liberty. Art thou fighting, but not conquering; striving for the mastery, but not able to attain? Then thou art not yet a believer in Christ; but follow on; and thou shalt know the Lord. Art thou not fighting at all, but leading an easy, indolent, fashionable life? O how hast thou dared to name the name of Christ? Only to make it a reproach among the heathen? Awake, thou sleeper! Call upon thy God, before the deep swallow thee up.

2. Perhaps one reason why so many think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, why they do not discern what state they are in, is, because these several states of soul, are often mingled together, and in some measure meet in one and the same person. Thus experience shows, that the legal state, or state of fear, is frequently mixed with the natural. For few men are so fast asleep in sin, but they are sometimes more or less awakened. As the Spirit of God does not "wait for the call of man," so, at some times, he will be heard. He puts them in fear, so that for a season, at least, the heathen "know themselves to be but men." They feel the burthen of sin, and earnestly desire to flee from the wrath to come. But not long. They seldom suffer the arrows of conviction to go deep into their souls: but quickly stifle the grace of God, and return to their wallowing in the mire.

In like manner, the evangelical state, or state of love, is frequently mixed with the legal. For few of those who have the spirit of bondage and fear, remain always without hope. The wise and gracious God rarely suffers this; for he remembereth that we are but dust. And he willeth not that "the flesh should fail before him, or the spirit which he hath made." Therefore, at such times as he seeth good, he gives a dawning of light unto them that sit in darkness. causes a part of his goodness to pass before them, and shows he is a "God that heareth their prayer." They see the promise, which is by faith in Christ Jesus, though it be yet afar off: and hereby they are encouraged to "run with patience the race which is set before them."

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3. Another reason why many deceive themselves, is, because they

do not consider how far a man may go, and yet be in a natural, or, at best, a legal state. A man may be of a compassionate and a benevolent temper; he may be affable, courteous, generous, friendly; he may have some degree of meekness, patience, temperance, and of many other moral virtues. He may feel many desires of shaking off all vice, and of attaining higher degrees of virtue. He may abstain from much evil; perhaps from all that is grossly contrary to justice, mercy, or truth. He may do much good, may feed the hungry, clothe the naked, relieve the widow and fatherless. He may attend public worship, use prayer in private, read many books of devotion and yet for all this, he may be a mere natural man, knowing neither himself nor God; equally a stranger to the spirit of fear and to that of love; having neither repented nor believed the gospel.

But, suppose there were added to all this, a deep conviction of sin, with much fear of the wrath of God; vehement desires to cast off every sin, and to fulfil all righteousness; frequent rejoicing in hope, and touches of love often glancing upon the soul; yet neither do these prove a man to be under grace, to have true, living, Christian faith, unless the Spirit of Adoption abide in his heart, unless he can continually cry, Abba, Father!

4. Beware then, thou who art called by the name of Christ, that thou come not short of the mark of thy high calling. Beware thou rest not, either in a natural state, with too many that are accounted good Christians: or, in a legal state, wherein those who are highly esteemed of men, are generally content to live and die. Nay, but God hath prepared better things for thee, if thou follow on till thou attain. Thou art not called to fear and tremble, like devils, but to rejoice and love, like the angels of God. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." Thou shalt rejoice evermore. Thou shalt pray without ceasing. Thou shalt in every thing give thanks. Thou shalt do the will of God on earth, as it is done in heaven. O prove thou" what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Now present thyself a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. "Whereunto thou hast already attained, hold fast," by reaching forth unto those things which are before; until "the God of peace make thee perfect in every good work, working in thee that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever! Amen!"

SERMON X.

THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God." ROMANS viii. 16.

1. HOW many vain men, not understanding what they spake, neither whereof they affirmed, have wrested this Scripture, to the great loss, if not the destruction, of their souls? How many have mistaken the voice of their own imagination, for this "Witness of the Spirit of God?" And thence idly presumed, they were the children of God, while they were doing the works of the devil? These are truly and properly enthusiasts; and, indeed, in the worst sense of the word. But with what difficulty are they convinced thereof? Especially, if they have drank deep into that spirit of error. All endeavours to bring them into the knowledge of themselves, they will then account fighting against God And that vehemence and impetuosity of spirit, which they call "contending earnestly for the faith," sets them so far above all the usual methods of conviction, that we may well say, "With men it is impossible." 2. Who can then be surprised, if many reasonable men, seeing the dreadful effects of this delusion, and labouring to keep at the utmost distance from it, should sometimes lean toward another extreme? If they are not forward to believe any who speak of having this witness, concerning which others have so grievously erred? If they are almost ready to set all down for enthusiasts, who use the expressions which have been so terribly abused? Yea, if they should question, whether the witness or testimony here spoken of, be the privilege of ordinary Christians, are not rather, one of those extraordinary gifts, which they suppose belonged only to the apostolic age.

3. But is there any necessity laid upon us, of running either into one extreme or the other? May we not steer a middle course? Keep at a sufficient distance from the spirit of error and enthusiasm, without denying the gift of God, and giving up the great privilege of his children? Surely we may. In order thereto, let us consider, in the presence and fear of God,

First, What is this Witness or Testimony of our spirit? What is

the Testimony of God's Spirit? And how does he "bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God?"

Secondly, How is this joint testimony of God's Spirit and our own, clearly and solidly distinguished from the presumption of a natural man; and from the delusion of the devil?

I. 1. Let us first consider what is the Witness or Testimony of our spirit. But here I cannot but desire all those who are for swallowing up the "testimony of the Spirit of God," in the "rational testimony" of our own spirit, to observe, that in this text the Apostle is so far from speaking of the testimony of our spirit only, that it may be questioned, whether he speaks of it at all? Whether he does not speak, only of the testimony of God's Spirit? It does not appear, but the original text may be fairly understood thus: The Apostle had just said, in the preceding verse, "Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father ;" and, immediately subjoins, Αυτο το πνευμα (some copies read το αυτο πνευμα) συμμαρτυρεί τω πνευματι, ημών, οτι εσμεν τεκνα. Θε8; which may be translated “ The same Spirit beareth witness to our spirit, that we are the children of God." (The preposition only denoting, that he witnesses this at the same time that he enables us to cry Abba, Father.) But I contend not; seeing so many other texts, with the experience of all real Christians, sufficiently evince, that there is in every believer, both the testimony of God's Spirit, and the testimony of his own, that he is a child of God.

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2. With regard to the latter, the foundation thereof is laid in those numerous texts of Scripture, which describe the marks of the children of God, and that so plainly, that he who runneth may read them. These are also collected together, and placed in the strongest light, by many both ancient and modern writers. If any need farther light, he may receive it by attending on the ministry of God's word; by meditating thereon before God in secret, and by conversing with those who have the knowledge of his ways. And by the reason or understanding that God has given him, which religion was designed not to extinguish, but to perfect: according to that of the Apostle, "Brethren, be not children in understanding in malice [or wickedness] be ye children; but in understanding be ye men," 1 Cor. xiv. 20; every man applying those scriptural marks to himself, may know, whether he is a child of God. Thus. if he know, First, As many as are led by the Spirit of God, into all holy tempers and actions, they are the sons of God, for which he has the infallible assurance of holy Writ:) Secondly, I am thus led by the Spirit of God he will easily conclude, therefore I am a Son of God.

3. Agreeable to this are all those plain declarations of St. John in his first epistle. "Hereby we know, that we do know him, if we keep his commandments," chap ii. 3. "Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him," that we are indeed the children of God, ver. 5. If ye know, that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him," ver. 29. "We know, that we have passed from

death unto life, because we love the brethren," chap. iii. 14. "Hereby we know, that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him," ver. 19: Namely, because we love one another, not in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. "Here

by know we, that we dwell in him, because he hath given us of his [loving] Spirit," chap. iv. 13. And, "Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the [obedient] Spirit which he hath given us," chap. iii. 24.

4. It is highly probable, there never were any children of God, from the beginning of the world unto this day, who were farther advanced in the grace of God, and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, than the Apostle John, at the time when he wrote these words, and the Fathers in Christ, to whom he wrote. Notwithstanding which, it is evident, both the Apostle himself and all those pillars in God's temple, were very far from despising these marks of their being the children of God; and that they applied them to their own souls for the confirmation of their faith. Yet all this is no other than rational evidence, the "witness of our spirit," our reason or understanding. It all resolves into this: those who have these marks, are children of God. But we have these marks: therefore we are children of God.

5. But how does it appear, that we have these marks? This is a question which still remains. How does it appear, that we do love God and our neighbour? And that we keep his commandments? Observe, that the meaning of the question is, How does it appear to ourselves? (not to others.) I would ask him then that proposes this question, How does it appear to you, that you are alive? And that you are now in ease, and not in pain? Are you not immediately conscious of it? By the same immediate consciousness you will know, if your soul is alive to God: if you are saved from the pain of proud wrath, and have the ease of a meek and quiet spirit. By the same means you cannot but perceive, if you love, rejoice, and delight in God. By the same, you must be directly assured, if you love your neighbour as yourself; if you are kindly affectioned to all mankind, and full of gentleness and long-suffering. And with regard to the outward mark of the children of God, which is, according to St. John, the keeping his commandments, you undoubtedly know in your own breast, if, by the grace of God, it belongs to you. Your conscience informs you, from day to day, if you do not take the name of God within your lips, unless with seriousness and devotion, with reverence and godly fear; if you remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy: if you honour your father and mother; if you do to all as you would they should do unto you: if you possess your body in sanctification and honour and if whether you eat or drink, you are temperate therein, and do all to the glory of God.

6. Now this is properly the "testimony of our own spirit;" even the testimony of our own conscience, that God hath given us to be holy of heart, and holy in outward conversation. It is a consciousness of our having received, in and by the Spirit of Adoption, the