cancel that Title by their Wickedness and Folly. They are just in the Cafe of disobedient, incorrigible Children, who were born Heirs to a good Estate; but through their manifold Miscarriages and Undutifulness have so provoked their Parent, that he at last thinks fit to disinherit them, and cut them off from that which Nature and his fatherly Kindness first designed them to.

Thus far I have pursued the first Notion I gave of the Witness of the Spirit, that which is general and publick, and concerns the whole Body of Christians; and it is in this Senfe that some of the most learned Expofitors do understand this Text. But yet for all that, upon a more strict Confideration of the Apostle's Design in this Chapter, and of what goes before, and what follows after my Text; I am very inclinable to think that St. Paul in these Words does more principally intend (or at least that he hath a particular Respect unto) that latter Notion I gave of the Witness of the Spirit: I mean, that private Testimony which the Holy Spirit of God gives to the Minds of particular Christians, that they are in the Favour of God, and shall be rewarded with our Lord Jesus at the last Day. He doth not exclude the publick miraculous Testimony which the Holy Spirit in those Days gave to the Christian Cause; but he seems to take in also another Testimony of the Spirit, by which every Christian then

might, and all Christians, to the End of the World, may conclude that they in particular were, and are the Elect of God, and shall certainly one Day be glorified with our Lord Jesus Christ. This is that which I called the private Witness of the Spirit, and which only concerns particular Perfons; and of this I come now to treat in the fecond Place.

II. IF it be ask'd, what this private Witness of the Spirit is, to the Minds of particular Persons, that they are the Children of God, or wherein it doth confist, I answer very briefly, as far as we can gather from the Apostle's Discourse, both in this Place, and in others of his Epistles, it confifts in this, viz. In the Holy Ghost's dwelling in the Hearts of particular Christians, and enabling them to mortify their Lufts, and to lead an holy Life, in all Sobriety, Righteousness and Godliness. Now this Indwelling of the Spirit, and these Fruits thereof, where-ever they are found, are to those that have them a Seal of the Spirit of God upon their Souls, whereby they are Eph.4.30. fealed to the Day of Redemption, as the Apostle expresses it. They are an Earnest, Or 2 Cor. 1. a Pledge of their future Happiness, as the same Apostle in other Places calls them. Ephef. 1. Lastly, they are a Testimony or Evidence 13, 14. to their Spirits, that they are the true Sons of God, and shall be glorified with Jesus

Christ in another World; which is the
Tenour of his Expression in my Text.

Now, that this is the true Meaning of the Spirit's witnessing with our Spirit that we are the Children of God, fo far as that Witness concerns particular Persons, will appear evidently from what goes before in this Chapter. The main Design that the Apostle is pursuing, is, to encourage and animate the Christians of his Time, againft the Sufferings and Perfecutions they were likely to meet with in this World, upon account of their Religion; and this he doth chiefly from the Confideration of the great Rewards that were laid up for them in the

other World. And to this purpose he tells Rom. 8. them in the tenth Verse, If Christ be in you, the Body is indeed dead, because of Sin; but the Spirit is Life, because of Righteousness: That is, Your Body is indeed obnoxious to all forts of outward Calamities, and even to Death itself, which is entailed upon the Sons of Adam, upon Account of Sin: But yet the Spirit of Chrift, which he hath given to dwell in you, will procure you a glorious Life in another World, upon Account of that inward spiritual Righteousness which he worketh in you. This is the Senfe of that Verse. But because what he here faith, is very shortly expressed, and fo might be obfcure, he explains himself fufficiently in the next Verse. V. 11. If, fays he, the Spirit of him that raised up up Jesus from the Dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Chrift from the Dead, Shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Here the Apoftle speaks plainly, and his Words need no Comment: And I desire you to attend to them; for they seem to fix the Sense of all that follows after. That which comes next in the three Verses following, are these Words; Therefore, Brethren, ye are Debtors, Rom. 8. not to the Flesh, to live after the Flesh (and the Reafon he intimated before; for it was that which wrought Death in the World); but to the Spirit, to live after the Spirit: v.13. for, fays he, if you live after the Flesh, ye shall die; but if ye thro the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye shall live; that is, live in another World. For as many as are v.14 led by the Spirit of God (that is, as many as the Spirit of God dwells in) they are the Sons of God; that is, as I explained before, they are the Children of God, because they shall be the Children of the Refurrection: For, as he goes on in the next Verse, ye v.15. have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear; viz. ye are not brought back again to such a Difpenfation, as the Jews were, under the Mofaical Covenant, which made no Promises of eternal Life; but the People under it were left to their own Fears and natural Apprehenfions of a future Judgment; and the Letter of the Law gave them no Relief against it: But, says the Apostle,

Apostle, ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father; viz. Ye are now in a gracious Dispensation, in a filial State, where ye may chearfully call God, Abba; which, being interpreted, is, Father; and, as his Children, not doubt of receiving an Inheritance from him in the World to come. And then come in the

Rom. 8. Words of my Text: The Spirit itself beareth Witness with our Spirit, that we are the *.17. Children of God. And if Children, then Heirs, Heirs of God, and Joint-Heirs with Chrift, if fo be that we fuffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. The plain Sense of which Words, if we make them to cohere with all that went before, cannot appear to be other than this; viz. That that Spirit which dwelt in Chrift, now dwelling in Christians; that Spirit which raised up Jesus, now raising up his Members from the Death of Sin, to a Life of Righteousness, is a Witness to all those in whom he doth thus dwell; to all those who are thus led by him; is a strong Evidence to their Minds that they are the Sons of God, and the Brethren of Chrift, and confequently that they shall be Sharers of his Inheritance, and be glorified with Him; if so be they do patiently and constantly endure the Sufferings they are called out to for his Cause, as he did before them. This, as I take it, is the full Sense of this Text. And now, I hope, I may have Liberty