The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI. Some Proofs thereof.
THat this is a principal work of the witniſſing Spirit of Adoption, to raiſe the fervencie and boldneſs of the ſoul in prayer, may be evidenced to us by the parallell place of Scripture, Gal. 4. 6. Becauſe ye are ſonnes God hath ſent the Spirit of his ſonne into your hearts. It is to be underſtood of the witneſſing acts of the Spirit, becauſe this gift followes upon ſonſhip, [becauſe ye are ſons:] He ſaith not, [that you might be ſons:] then (indeed) it muſt have been underſtood of the ſanctifying and uniting grace of the Spirit, which makes ſons; but [becauſe ye are ſons] which ſuppoſeth their preſent ſtanding as children, to be the ground of this gift, and therefore it is underſtood of the witneſſing act of the Spirit. And what followes from it? What get they by this Spirit of Chriſt adminiſtred in this way? what doth the Spirit there? He cryes, not [enables them to cry] (though that be true;) but he cryes (in them) Abba, Father: cryes, (with earneſtneſſe) Father, (with confidence;) and Father, Father, (with holy importunity.)
And this appears farther,
1. From the nature of the witneſſing Acts of the Spirit of Grace. The Spirit is a witneſs to all Gods promiſes and obligations to us: and he puts Gods ſeal to all the Covenant of grace. Now to the vigorous and confident putting a bond in ſuit, an expreſſe witneſs to the ſealing and delivery is a great encouragement. By prayer the ſoul puts Gods bonds in ſuit. The Spirit comes into Court at the ſame time whiles the bond is pleading, and ſaith, Lord, I witneſs this bond to be true, I did put thy ſeal to it by thy own appointment. And to the ſoul he ſaith, Soul, do not be nonſuited, do not let thy ſuit fall; I will witneſs for thee, plead thy bond … the utmoſt, I will juſtifie it; what an encouragement is this?
2. From the comparative ſtraightneſs and flatneſs of ſpirit, and that cowardlineſs and dauntedneſs of ſpirit, which poſſeſſeth the Saints when the Spirit is withdrawn from them. David when he had loſt the joy of Gods Salvation, his mouth was ſhut, his heart was ſtraightened, and he is fain to go to God for enlargement by his free Spirit. He complains of caſting away from Gods preſence, &c. Pſal. 51. 11, 12. Ʋphold me (ſaith he) with thy free Spirit, that is, prop up my zeal and confidence, which is even falling to the ground without ſuch a ſupport.
3. From the removal of all diſcouragements to a fervent and confident addreſs to God. The great diſcouragement of the ſoul is either a diſtance conceived between God and the ſoul, or the guilt of ſinne that makes it.
The Spirit aſſures us, that ſinne is pardoned, and that breach made up, and that we may come when we will, and be as bold with God as if there had never been any occaſion of breach on our part, or act of diſpleaſure on Gods.
4. From the manifeſtation of our relation to Christ. Christs name being the only ground of all gracious boldneſſe and fervency in prayer, Heb 4. 15, 16. and 10. 20. The Spirit ſhews us Chriſt, as our mediator at the right hand of God, aſſures us we have a mighty powerfull advocate, the Fathers favourite, at his right hand, one who hath his ear (as we ſay) at command, and his heart too, who pleads ſtrongly on our behalfe, and therefore under the wing of ſuch a mediator, we may come foreign, with aſſuming a liberty to ſpeak any thing we will (keeping within the bounds of reverence) in the ear of God the Father: As the Author to the Hebrews affirms in the place but now quoted.
Before the application of this point, it is needfull to anſwer a queſtion or two, hinted at before, but now particularly to bee handled.