Third Use.

The next information is this; we see hence what is the testimony of the Spirit, and who they be that have this testimony. There is a twofold testimony of the Spirit, as to the thing testified.

1. Its testimony of Christ and the christian religion.

2. Its testimony to the truth of our own graces, and of our adoption. What the former is you may easily discern by what is already spoken, that is both the work of miracles and sanctification. As for the latter, the Spirit's workings are some common, and some special; the common, as miracles, tongues, prophecies, &c., formerly, and many common gifts now, may prove a man a common Christian. For Christ giveth to common, sanctified Christians those gifts of his Spirit which he giveth not to any of the heathen world. But yet these will not prove him a true Christian in the favour of God. But that the special gifts of sanctification will prove. It is not, therefore, at least principally, any internal voice, or the Spirit, saying within a a man, Thou art the child of God,' which is the witness of the Spirit; but as the Lord Jesus hath made a promise of giving his Spirit to all that are his; so when he performeth that promise they may hereby know that they are his. It is the having this Spirit, and the working of this Spirit in us, that first witnesseth to our souls the power, goodness, and truth of Christ, and next witnesseth our own adoption, because he giveth it to none but to sons. For because we are sons, (so made upon our believing), God sendeth forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying Abba Father." (John i. 11, 12.) When we find the Spirit working child-like love, and child-like hope, and child-like dependence upon God, and desires after him, and recourse in prayer to him, we have then the certain witness of our adoption. (Gal. iv. 6; Rom. viii. 15, 16.) For by this work of the Spirit, causing us to cry Abba Father, and causing us to speak to God from child-like affection, and so helping our infirmities in our prayer, doth the Spirit witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. (Rom. viii. 15, 16, 26.) As many as are led by the Spirit of God may conclude they are the sons of God; (Rom. viii. 14;) that is, if they live not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Verse 13.) It is the Spirit dwelling in us, then, which is the testimony. (Verse 9.) And if any man have not this Spirit of Christ he is none of his. (Verse 9.) It is therefore objectively that this Spirit testifieth. It is the seal, and

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pledge, and witness of our adoption; as the having of a reasonable soul, and the workings of it, witness our humanity. Those, therefore, that look after a witness otherwise efficient, that is, the Spirit within, to tell them they are the children of God, may on both sides delude and undo themselves. They that have no grace, may think they have, while their own deluded hearts persuade them they are good Christians. How readily would most of our worldlings think their presumption were the witness of the Spirit! And those that have true grace may think they have none, because they discern not such a witness: whereas, if they faithfully enquired after the indwelling and working of Christ's Spirit in their souls, mortifying the flesh, and causing them to live to Christ, according to his law, they would have the sure witness, and that which they might sooner find. Yet I know, that when even from hence they conclude their sonship, the Spirit helpeth them in that conclusion. It is the Spirit itself, in its powerful, victorious workings, that is the white stone, and infallible seal of the love of God.

Fourth Use.

Next, we are hence informed what it is to believe in the Holy Ghost, and what it is to be baptised into the Holy Ghost. We find mention of the Spirit of God upon the prophets and holy men in the Old Testament, before Christ's coming in the flesh; and the salvation of man then did lie in their believing this Spirit's speaking in the prophets, and revealing God's will to them. Those natural discoveries, which are made by the mere book of the creatures, was not then sufficient to instruct men in the truths and duties necessary to salvation. God saw it meet, even from the creation of the world, even to innocent Adam, to add some supernatural revelation: and we find now, by full experience, the defectiveness of mere natural discoveries, called the law or light of nature. Therefore had God still some special messengers, whom he designed to this work in former ages, that by them his Spirit might speak to the world and they that believed not, but resisted these prophets, were said to resist the Holy Ghost. (Acts vii. 51.) For that I judge the true meaning of the text, not excluding other resistance. Yet as Christ was not then so fully revealed, or so fully described to those believers to whom he was then propounded; so the Holy Ghost was not so explicitly propounded to be believed in, nor the doctrine of the Trinity then so fully opened. Yet then, as they were to believe in the Messiah, or

Saviour to come, so they were to believe that the Spirit of God in the prophets, foretelling his coming, was a true witness; and therefore their prophecy is called a sure word, whereto we do well to look and trust, as to a light shining in a dark place. (2 Pet. i. 19.) But now, since the coming of Christ in the flesh, both the Son and the Holy Ghost are more fully revealed, the Holy Ghost by himself, and the Son by the Holy Ghost, and the Father by the Son and Holy Ghost, in a special manner. And though the Spirit in the prophets were truly the Spirit of Jesus foretelling his coming and salvation, yet the more eminent measure and working of the Spirit, given since Christ's coming, especially in the first ages of the church, for the confirmation of Christianity is peculiarly called the Spirit of the Son. (Gal. iv. 6; Phil. i. 19.) Therefore, when we are said to believe in the Holy Ghost, it is not only that there is a Holy Ghost, or to believe the doctrine of the Trinity; but it is to believe, first, that Jesus Christ did send forth his Spirit into his prophets before his coming, and more fully into believers since his coming, to be his infallible witness to the world, to convince the unbelieving, and confirm believers: and that this Spirit was poured out on the church, especially on the apostles, causing them to prophesy, and speak strange languages, and cast out devils, and heal diseases; and that the same Spirit is given to all true believers, in all ages, to guide, and sanctify, and comfort them, working their hearts to God by Christ, and sealing the love of God to their soul, striving against and conquering the flesh. 2. And, further, to believe that the witness of this Spirit is certain and infallible, and that it is and must needs be the Holy Spirit of God which doth such miracles as were then wrought, and attesteth and revealeth so holy a doctrine, and worketh in men's souls so holy and blessed effects; and therefore that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who sealeth his doctrine by sending into believers this Spirit. When we read of the glorious workings of the Holy Ghost of old, and see the holy workings of it still, to believe that this is the Spirit of Christ, which he promised to send for the confirming of his doctrine, and guiding his church, and applying his merits and benefits: this is to believe in the Holy Ghost, as to the assenting part. And then as to the consenting part, (for the will hath its part also in this work of believing in the Holy Ghost, as well as in believing in Christ,) it is a hearty consent that this Spirit shall be our Confirmer, Guide, Sanctifier, and Comforter in particular; with a sincere resolu

tion to yield to his revelations, to obey his guidance and motions, and give up ourselves to his sanctifying work: this is believing in the Holy Ghost.

And then by this you may easily see what it is to be baptised into the name of the Holy Ghost; for it is but the obsignation of this our faith on our part, and receiving of Christ's obsignation of the promise of the Holy Ghost on his part. We do not only, by baptism, profess to believe that there is a Holy Ghost, but we profess to believe the truth of his witnessing to Christ and his doctrine, and to trust our souls on his teaching and revelation, and take him for our Guide and Sanctifier; and to believe on him, as that Holy Spirit which Jesus Christ, in his bodily absence, hath sent to supply his room, and to be, as it were, the soul of his church, and actuate every true believer. I know none that more fully opens the sense of the Scripture and primitive church, concerning believing in the Holy Ghost, than Tertullian, de Præscript., where he citeth the creed, or foundation of religion, which the church believed and professed in those times, and by which the orthodox were known from all heretics, Christum misisse vicariam vim Spiritus sancti qui credentes agat; having spoken of Christ's own working miracles before. Every word of it deserveth consideration.

1. He speaks of the Holy Ghost as sent into the world, and not only as proceeding from the Father and the Son before the world was made.

2. He speaks of him as sent by Christ, and so flowing from him, the Head, to his members, and testifying to him.

3. To show the manner of his indwelling and working, he calls it vim Spiritus sancti, the power or active force of the Holy Ghost, because, essentially, he is every where, but he is not pleased every where to exercise or manifest his force; and he chooseth this phrase rather than an habit or an act; and I conceive it more fit than either to signify that which we receive from Christ, called by the name of the Holy Ghost; for the habit and act are but the effects of this force of the Holy Ghost. By this force he moveth the soul to action so effectually that it produceth a habit; and he saith, not the substance, or person, or essence of the Holy Ghost is sent or given, but the force or energy.

4. He calls it vicariam vim, to show that this Spirit is sent from Christ, the Head, upon his personal departure from the earth, and ascending to heaven to supply the room of his bodily pre

sence, both in testification, and in sanctification, and consolation of his people, as he told his disciples: "I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart I will send him to you." (John xvi. 7.) It is not expedient for the body that the head be contiguous to every member, but rather that it join locally only to the highest part of the body, and send forth the animal spirits into the whole body; and the life and motion of the feet and hands, that stand remotest from the head, is yet an infallible mark, both that there is a head, and that it conveyeth spirits to those members, and those members have a conjunction and communion with the head: so is it most expedient that Christ, our Head, should be bodily present in heaven, but send his Spirit to his lowest and remotest members; and he that feeleth or seeth the certain effects of this Spirit, is mad if he doubt of the life and efficacy of the Head; so that this Spirit is instead of Christ's personal presence, even as the magistrate is in the stead of the sovereign, through the body of the commonwealth. Nor doth this intimate any personal inequality between the Son and the Holy Ghost, but only a subserviency in operation.

5. The office that Tertullian and the primitive church here giveth the Spirit, is ut credentes agat, to actuate believers, as the soul actuates the body: not that man's soul is merely passive herein, as the body is to the soul;, for the soul is of a more active nature, being itself a spirit; but as to the spirituality, and holy and heavenly manner of action, it comes from this Spirit. It actuated the first church after Christ' with a force extraordinary, by miracles, prophecies, healing, languages, &c., and it still actuateth the whole body of Christ, according to their necessity, for the perfecting of them in the application of Christ's blood and merits.

6. It is especially the eminent degree of the Spirit which is here meant, that is given to believers after their faith; and therefore he saith, qui credentes agat. Though, as I have said, the Spirit of prophecy that foretold of Christ was Christ's Spirit too, and so is the Spirit that bringeth men to Christ, by causing them to believe. Yet this is but the Spirit moving without, and knocking at the door first, and making his way into the soul, and then he dwelleth in the soul afterwards. Sure I am the Scripture speaks of giving the Holy Ghost upon and after believing frequently, and that must be some gift eminently, and by an excellency called the Holy Ghost. Yet even that Spirit

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