the _spirit of fear and bondage_, is beautifully described by the
apostle in the foregoing chapter, speaking in the person of an awaken’d
man. _I_ (saith he) _was alive without the law once_, ver. 9. I had
much life, wisdom, strength and virtue; so I thought: _but when the
commandment came, sin revived, and I died_. When the commandment, in
its spiritual meaning, came to my heart, with the power of God, my
inbred sin was stirred up, fretted, inflamed, and all my virtue died
away. _And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to
be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived
me, and by it slew me_, ver. 10, 11. It came upon me unawares, slew
all my hopes, and plainly shewed, in the midst of life I was in
death. _Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just
and good_, ver. 12. I no longer lay the blame on this, but on the
corruption of my own heart. I acknowledge that _the law is spiritual:
but I am carnal, sold under sin_, ver. 14. I now see both the spiritual
nature of the law, and my own carnal, devilish heart; _sold under sin_,
totally inslaved: (like slaves bought with money, who were absolutely
at their master’s disposal.) _For that which I do, I allow not; for
what I would, I do not; but what I hate, that I do_, ver. 15. Such is
the bondage under which I groan; such the tyranny of my hard master.
_To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good,
I find not. For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which
I would not, that I do_, ver. 18, 19. _I find a law_, an inward
constraining power, _that when I would do good, evil is present with
me. For I delight in_ (or consent to) _the law of God, after the inward
man_: (ver. 21, 22.) In my mind: (so the apostle explains himself in
the words that immediately follow: and so ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος, _the inward
man_, is understood in all other Greek writers.) _But I see another law
in my members_, another constraining power, _warring against the law of
my mind_, or inward man, _and bringing me into captivity to the law_,
or power, _of sin_, ver. 23, dragging me as it were at my conqueror’s
chariot-wheels, into the very thing which my soul abhors. _O wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death!_
ver. 24. Who shall deliver me from this helpless, dying life: from this
bondage of sin and misery! Till this is done, I _myself_ (or rather,
_that I_, αὐτὸς ἐγὼ, _that man_ I am now personating) _with the mind_,
or inward man, _serve the law of God_; my mind, my conscience is on
God’s side: _but with the flesh_; with my body, _the law of sin_,
ver. 25, being hurried away by a force I cannot resist.
11. How lively a portraiture is this of one _under the law_! One who
feels the burthen he cannot shake off; who pants after liberty, power
and love, but is in fear and bondage still! Until the time that God
answers the wretched man, crying out, _Who shall deliver me_, from this
bondage of sin, from this body of death? _The grace of God, through
Jesus Christ thy Lord._
III. 1. Then it is, that this miserable bondage ends, and he is no
more _under the law, but under grace_. This state we are, Thirdly,
to consider, the state of one who has found _grace_ or favour, in the
sight of God, even the Father, and who has the _grace_, or power of the
Holy Ghost, reigning in his heart: who has received, in the language
of the apostle, _the Spirit of adoption, whereby_ he now _cries, Abba,
Father_!
2. _He cried unto the Lord in his trouble, and_ God _delivers him
out of his distress_. His eyes are opened in quite another manner than
before, even to see a loving, gracious God. While he is calling, _I
beseech thee shew me thy glory_, he hears a voice in his inmost soul,
_I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim
the name of the Lord: I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious,
and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy_. And it is not long
before _the Lord descends in the cloud, and proclaims the name of
the Lord_. Then he sees, (but not with eyes of flesh and blood) _The
Lord, the Lord God: merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant
in goodness and truth: keeping mercy for thousands, and forgiving
iniquities and transgression and sin_.
3. Heavenly, healing light now breaks in upon his soul. He _looks on
him whom he had pierced_, and _God who out of darkness commanded light
to shine, shineth in_ his _heart_. He _sees the light of the_ glorious
love _of God, in the face of Jesus Christ_. He hath a divine _evidence
of things not seen_ by sense, even of _the deep things of God_; more
particularly of the love of God, of his pardoning love to him that
believes in Jesus. Overpowered with the sight, his whole soul cries
out, _My Lord, and my God_! For he sees all his iniquities laid on him,
who _bare them in his own body on the tree_; he beholds the Lamb of God
taking away his sins. How clearly now does he discern, that _God was
in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself! Making him sin for us
who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God through
him!_ And that he himself is reconciled to God, by that blood of the
covenant!
4. Here end both the guilt and power of sin. He can now say, _I am
crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh_, even in this
mortal body, _I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me_. Here end remorse and sorrow of heart, and the anguish
of a wounded spirit. _God turneth his heaviness into joy_. He _made
sore_, and now _his hands bind up_. Here ends also that bondage unto
fear; for _his heart standeth fast, believing in the Lord_. He cannot
fear any longer the wrath of God; for he knows it is now turned away
from him, and looks upon him no more as an angry judge, but as a loving
father. He cannot fear the devil, knowing he has _no power, except
it be given him from above_. He fears not hell, being an heir of the
kingdom of heaven; consequently, he has no fear of death; by reason
whereof he was in time past, for so many years _subject to bondage_.
Rather, knowing that _if the earthly house of this tabernacle be
dissolved_, he _hath a building of God, a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens: He groaneth earnestly, desiring to be cloathed
upon with that house which is from heaven_. He groans to shake off this
house of earth, that _mortality_ may be _swallowed up of life_: knowing
that _God hath wrought him for the self same thing; who hath also given
him the earnest of his Spirit_.
5. And _where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty_; liberty
not only from guilt and fear, but from sin, from that heaviest of all
yokes, that basest of all bondage. His labour is not now in vain. The
snare is broken and he is delivered. He not only strives, but likewise
prevails; he not only fights, but conquers also. _Henceforth he doth
not serve sin_ (chap. vi. ver. 6, _&c._) _He is dead unto sin and
alive unto God. Sin doth not_ now _reign_, even _in his mortal body_,
nor doth he _obey it in the desires thereof_. He does not _yield his
members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but as instruments
of righteousness unto God_. For _being now made free from sin, he is
become the servant of righteousness_.
6. Thus _having peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ,
rejoicing in hope of the glory of God_, and having power over all sin,
over every evil desire, and temper, and word, and work, he is a living
witness of the _glorious liberty of the sons of God_: all of whom,
being partakers of _like precious faith_, bear record with one voice,
_We have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father_!
7. It is this spirit which continually _worketh in them, both to will
and to do of his good pleasure_. It is he that sheds the love of God
abroad in their hearts, and the love of all mankind; thereby purifying
their hearts from the love of the world, from the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. It is by him they are
delivered from anger and pride, from all vile and inordinate affections.
In consequence, they are delivered from evil words and works, from
all unholiness of conversation: doing no evil to any child of man, and
being zealous of all good works.
8. * To sum up all. The _natural_ man neither fears nor loves God; one
_under the law_, fears; one _under grace_, loves him. The first, has
no light in the things of God, but walks in utter darkness; the second
sees the painful light of hell; the third, the joyous light of heaven.
He that sleeps in death, has a false peace. He that is awakened has
no peace at all. He that believes has true peace, the peace of God
filling and ruling his heart. The heathen, baptized or unbaptized,
hath a fancied liberty, which is indeed licentiousness: the _Jew_ (or
one under the _Jewish_ dispensation) is in heavy, grievous bondage:
the Christian enjoys the true glorious liberty of the sons of God. An
unawakened child of the devil, sins willingly: One that is awakened
sins unwillingly: a child of God _sinneth not_, but _keepeth himself,
and the wicked one toucheth him not_. To conclude; the natural man
neither conquers nor fights; the man under the law fights with sin, but
cannot conquer: the man under grace fights and conquers, yea is _more
than ♦conqueror, through him that loveth him_.
IV. 1. From this plain account of the three-fold state of man, the
_natural_, the _legal_, and the _evangelical_, it appears, that it is
not sufficient, to divide mankind, into sincere, and insincere. A man
may be sincere in any of these states; not only when he has the _Spirit
of adoption_, but while he has the _spirit of bondage unto fear_. Yea,
while he has neither this fear, nor love. For undoubtedly there may
be sincere Heathens, as well as sincere _Jews_ or Christians. This
circumstance then, does by no means prove, that a man is in a state
of acceptance with God.
_Examine yourselves_ therefore, not only whether ye are sincere,
_but whether ye be in the faith_. Examine narrowly; for it imports you
much. What is the ruling principle in your soul? Is it the love of God?
Is it the fear of God? Or is it neither one nor the other? Is it not
rather the love of the world? The love of pleasure? or gain, of ease,
or reputation? If so, you are not come so far as a _Jew_. You are but a
_Heathen_ still. Have you heaven in your 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 barefaced. 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
dost, 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
committest 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 shews,
that the legal state, or state of fear, is frequently mixt 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
mixt 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 remembreth 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. He causes a part of his goodness
to pass before them, and shews he is a _God that heareth the prayer_.
They see the promise which is by faith in Christ Jesus, tho’ it be yet
afar off: and hereby they are encouraged to _run with patience the race
which is set before them_.
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 benovelent
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
attaining higher degrees of virtue. He may abstain from much evil;
perhaps from all that is grosly contrary to justice, mercy or truth.
He may do much good, may feed the hungry, cloath the naked, relieve
the widow and fatherless. He may attend publick 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.
DISCOURSE I.
ROM. viii. 16.
_The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are
the children of God._
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 to
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 surprized, 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, and 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 a
sufficient distance from that 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
mind; 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 own 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 Αὐτὸ
τὸ πνεῦμα· (some copies read τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα) συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι
ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐσμεν τέκεν Θεοῦ. Which may be translated, _The same Spirit
beareth witness_ to _our spirit, that we are the children of God_
(the preposition σὺν 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.
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 plain, that he which runneth may read them. These
are also collected together, and placed in the strongest light, by
many both antient 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. ver. 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. ver. 4. _Hereby we know
that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him_,
ver. 18. Namely because we _love_ one another, _not in word, neither in
tongue; but in deed and in truth. Hereby 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 tempers
mentioned in the word of God, as belonging to his adopted children;
even, a loving heart toward God and toward all mankind, hanging with
child-like confidence on God our father, desiring nothing but him,
casting all our care upon him, and embracing every child of man,
with earnest, tender affection: a consciousness, that we are inwardly
conformed, by the Spirit of God to the image of his Son, and that we
walk before him in justice, mercy and truth, doing the things which are
pleasing in his sight.
7. But what is that testimony of God’s Spirit, which is super-added
to and conjoined with this? How does he _bear witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God_? It is hard to find words in the
language of men, to explain _the deep things of God_. Indeed there are
none that will adequately express, what the children of God experience.
But perhaps one might say (desiring any who are taught of God, to
correct, to soften, or strengthen the expression) the testimony of the
Spirit, is an inward impression on the soul, whereby the Spirit of God
directly _witnesses to my spirit, that I am a child of God_; that Jesus
Christ hath loved _me_, and given himself for _me_: that all my sins
are blotted out, and I, even I, am reconciled to God.