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, thatwe 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, arechildren 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: ifyou 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.
8. That this testimony of the Spirit of God must needs, in the very nature of things, be antecedent to the testimony of our own spirit, may appear from this single consideration. We must be holy of heart and holy in life, before we can be conscious that we are so; before we can have the testimony of our spirit, that we are inwardly and outwardly holy. But we must love God, before we can be holy at all; this being the root of all holiness. Now we cannot love God, till we know he loves us. We love him, because he first loved us. And we cannot know his pardoning love to us, till his Spirit witnesses it to our spirit. Since therefore this testimony of his Spirit must precede the love of God and all holiness, of consequence it must precede our inward consciousness thereof, or, the testimony of our spirit concerning them.
9. Then, and not till then, when the Spirit of God beareth that witness to our spirit, “God hath loved thee, and given his own Son to be the propitiation for thy sins; the Son of God hathloved thee, and hath washed thee from thy sins in his blood:” We love God, because he first loved us, and for his sake we love our brother also. And of this we cannot but be conscious to ourselves: we know the things that are freely given to us of God. We know that we love God and keep his commandments. And hereby also we know that we are of God. This is that testimony of our own spirit; which, so long as we continue to love God and keep his commandments, continues joined with the testimony of God’s Spirit, that we are the children of God.
10. Not that I would, by any means, be understood, by any thing which has been spoken concerning it, to exclude the operation of the Spirit of God, even from the testimony of our own spirit. In no wise. It is he that not only worketh in us every manner of thing that is good, but also shines upon his own work, and clearly shews what he has wrought. Accordingly this is spoken of by St. Paul, as one great end of our receiving the Spirit, that we may know the things which are freely given to us of God: that he may strengthen the testimony of our conscience, touching our simplicity and godly sincerity, and give us to discern in a fuller and stronger light, that we now do the things which please him.
11. Should it still be enquired, How does the Spirit of God, bear witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God, so as to exclude alldoubt, and evince the reality of our sonship? The answer is clear, from what has been observed above. And first, as to the witness of our spirit. The soul as intimately and evidently perceives, when it loves, delights, and rejoices in God, as when it loves and delights in any thing on earth. And it can no more doubt, whether it loves, delights and rejoices, or no, than whether it exists, or no. If therefore this be just reasoning,