Mary Magdalen's tears wip't off. Or The voice of peace to an unquiet conscience.: Written by way of letter to a person of quality. And published for the comfort of all those, who mourn in Zion.

OBJECTION. XIV.

But doth not St. Paul. tell us Rom. 8.16. That the Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God? I want both these testimonies of my Adoption, that of the Spirit of adoption and that of mine owne Spirit witnessing that I am a Child of God: surely then my condition is not such as it ought to be, and as I desire it should be.

SOLUTION.

20. THat this Epistle of S. Paul (and especi∣ally the 7^th. 8^th. and 9^th. Chapters) hath in it some things that are hard to be un∣derstood, those Esau, and Jacob-like contests in the Bowels of the Church about the mean∣ing

thereof, do sufficiently witnesse: I pray God that we may all of us, in the heat and animosity of our disputes, have an eye to that example of admonition St. Peter menti∣ons of those in his times who being unlearned and unstable, did wrest those and other Scriptures to their own destruction. 2 Pet. 3.16.

But I am persasaded better things of you, and such as accompany salvation. And therefore to give you a full and tender account of your objection, I conceive it consists of 3. branches. 1. You suppose that every Child of God hath testimony that he is such. 2. that the Scrip∣ture asserts the testimony to be twofold one the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, the other the testimony of his own Spirit. and 3. that you want both these and therefore hastily con∣clude that you are not the child of God. To these I shall answer distinctly thus.

1. I do affirm with your supposition that every child of God, hath testimony, or wit∣nesse, that he is such. I shall give you but one place for all, 1 Joh. 3.9. Whosoeuer is born of God doth not commit sin i. e. he is such a one as keeps a sincere Eye upon himself in respect of all, especially of deliberate sins.

2. In the 2^d. I am likewise of your judge∣ment, that this testimony is the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, and of his own Spirit; but whether it be necessary that a child of God have both these testimonies, giving the like full and joynt evidence for his sonship; and

therefore till such full and joynt-evidence be given to him, he really is not (and therefore ought not to repute himself) a child of God is more then matter of doubt with you hav∣ing (it seems) indissolvably espoused the ne∣gative part. But I doubt you do not rightly apprehend what the Apostle doth mean by [the self same, or the Spirit it self bearing wit∣ness] with our Spirrit, to me he seems to mean one or rather all of these 3. things, ei∣ther 1. The Witness of Scripture (which in the testimonie of the Spirit of God) that such as believe in Christ Jesus, i. e. receive him as their Priest Prophet and King, are in∣fallibly adopted into God paternall Relation to Christ Jesus, the adoption by Grace, as truely interessing those believers in Gods Paternity, as doth the Divine Nature Christ himself ac∣cording to that of St. John. cap. 1.12. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that be∣lieve on his name. and this testimony have all the sons of God, or all true believers. Se∣condly it may signifie the aeconomy of the Gos∣pell in opposition to that of the Jewes, whose state or condition, was that of Servitude; as ours under the Gospel is a state of Freedom they Servants, we Sons: they full of the Spirit of bondage, engendered from Sinai, we filled with the Spirit of adoption, flow∣ing from Sion: Gal. 4.25. a sufficient evi∣dence whereof is the divers Methods that God

hath made use of, in delivering the System, or Rules of either dispensation unto both People. A 3^d sence may be this; the Apo∣stle may intend by the Testimonie of the Spi∣rit in Gods Children, that Inclination and duct of Obedience which Gods Children do, (though not all of them in the same measure) feel in their hearts, sweetning their natures, and bringing them gently to a complyable∣ness with the Precepts of the Gospel, and a putting their necks most willingly into the yoke of Christ, his Commandments being no whit grievous to them, 1 Jo. 5.3. like as yokes are very troublesome to Beasts not accustomed thereto, (as the Prophet speaks of the Jews, Jer. 31.18. I was chastised as a Bullock unac∣customed to the yoke;) but to such whose necks have been used to draw in them, yokes are no way dreadful, or troublesome. In the first of these senses, the word Spirit must be taken personally, for the third Person in the ever Blessed and Glorious Trinity: in the 2^d it must be taken tropically, the word not signi∣fying in the natural and proper sense thereof, but yet not without example, Rom. 8.2. 2 Cor. 3.6. Gal. 4.29. in the 3^d sense it must signi∣fy metonymically, the effect of the Spirit be∣ing called by the name of him that works that blessed effect in the Souls of Gods Chil∣dren.

In the first and second of these senses, the Testimony of the Spirit is communicated to

all true Christians; but in the third I know lyes the ground of your exception: but be∣cause I shall have occasion to speak somewhat afterward directly to this point, be pleased for the present to remember, that I have told you, that this inclination to obedience, the duct of the Gospel is not alike efficacious up∣on all the children of God, this Spirit being not given in the same measure to all the Sons of God.

As to the third branch of your Objection, (rather but one part of it) viz. the want of the Testimony of your own Spirit, that might witness (together with the other) that you are the Childe of God; to give full satisfaction therein, we must inquire into 1. the meaning of the word [Spirit] in this place. 2. What the Testimony thereof is. And of 3. what Au∣thority in a business of this Importance the Testimony of a mans own Spirit is.

For the first; the word [Spirit] in this place must signify (I conceive) one of these two things: either first, some noble and sub∣lime Essence, presiding in a Christian, either as a Distinct subsistence from that, which is one of the essential constitutive principles of every man; or else as the Celestial and more Sera∣phical part of the Soul, informing, ordering, and governing the rational faculties in all Spiritual and Divine things. And in this sense it must be conceived to have some Re∣semblance with the office of the Imaginative

faculty; which being seated betwixt the out∣ward senses and the Ʋnderstanding, conveyes the Species of all sensible objects to the Intel∣lectual facultie, being it self of a middle na∣ture, betwixt rational and sensible. To one of these senses (I judge) those Divines referre their opinions, who assert man to consist of 1. Spirit, 2. Soul, and 3. Bodie: unless by [Soul] in this tripartite division, they under∣stand an Essence capable of no other offices in Man, but the performance of sensitive and vegitative operations. Or 2^ly the word [Spi∣rit] in this place may signify (and me thinks not at all incongruously) some excellent gift of the Holy Ghost, infused from above in our Baptism, into the Souls of Christians, where∣by they are not only made capable of recei∣ving divine Revelations, and things above Reason, but likewise inclined, and encoura∣in the performance of all those things which God requires at their hands, to render them capable of obtaining the further inestimable degrees of his Love and Favour to Mankinde. And therefore 2^ly the Testimony of any mans Spirit, is that Evidence which it gives con∣cerning the whole Series of his conversation, in reference to those principles of Faith and Obedience which God hath given him, in his revealed Will, as the Grounds and Rules of his Practice. The 3^d Authentickness of which Testimony doth manifest it self to every man, partly by the known truth of the things at∣tested,

which are not concealed from him, but represented as the things of himself; and partly from that power which God hath over it, not only in rectifying any Errors thereof, but likewise in shewing himself merciful to∣ward us, in such things, wherein such a Te∣stimony is not for, but against us. This Testi∣mony you (say you) want, because you finde not any Witness in your self that you are a Childe of God.

I conceive it is not impossible for your Spi∣rit to give this Testimony, though you have deafned your ear to it, and take it for some deception of flesh and blood, or a delusion of Satan, using all the Devices he can, to insnare you in carnal security: but whether it be thus or no, I shall advise you to endeavour to elicite and call up this Testimony by that which is the Test of it: Do you continue in any wilful course of deliberate sin? what know you by your self? are you still guilty of any of those sins which in the judgment of the Apostle render a man uncapable of any inheritance with the Children of God? if you are; then look not for this Testimony till you have repented, and amended your life; nor then neither for it presently, until such time as you have good experience of your Resolutions, how they have held out in the time of tryal and Tem∣ptation, and that the greatest and sharpest that in all likelyhood may happen unto you. But if you are not thus guilty (as for my

part I believe you a re not) of any mortal sin reigning in your bodie; go to the Rule with this argument in your mouth: The Ho∣ly Spirit of God saith, Whosoever is born of God doth not sin [willfully and deliberately] Joh. 3.9. But upon a strict survey of my self, I finde that I do not commit any such sin. Therefore I am borne of God.

Upon the Truth of the middle Proposition depends the validity of this Testimony of your Spirit; for the major is infallible, and the Conclusion is undoubtedly true, upon suppo∣sition that there be no such sin, either of o∣mission or commission, in your conversation, which may exclude you from your Sonship: But yet for as much as the Apostle doth tell us, that though he knew nothing by himself, yet was he not thereby justified; we ought in reason to lay no more weight on this disquisition and search of our selves, then it will bear: for our Knowledge being imperfect, this search and inquiry into our own wayes cannot be absolutely perfect: and consequently we sub∣ject to errors therein: yet is it most certain, that if we do it in sincerity of heart, with∣out partiality to our selves; not only, not allowing in our practise any the smallest sin, but by deeds of Mortification, earnestly, and faithfully endeavouring to subvert the power of it; we have the Faith of the Divine Ma∣jestie to rely on, in the Tenor of the Go∣spel, not exacting unsinning obedience under

pains of eternal death, from those who shall be reputed, and rewarded as the Children of God.