The Voice of the Spirit, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Foure Arguments to prove that weake beleivers are capable of attaining theſe witneſſings of the Spirit.
ANd, that weake beleevers are capable of attaining theſe witneſſings of the Spirit, I ſhall prove theſe wayes.
Argu. 1. From the Spirits being given to all beleevers as a witneſſe. 1 Joh. 5.10. It is not ſaid, he that is an eminent beleever, but he that beleeveth; not hereafter ſhall have, but [hath] the witnes within himſelfe. This propoſition were not univerſally true, if the weakeſt beleever were at any time deſtitute of it. Neither is it ſaid he hath the Spirit, but he hath [the witnes] i.e. the Spirit as a witnes; or for this end to be a witnes to him. And how harſh doth it ſound that weake beleevers, ſhould be uncapable of attaining the end of its being preſent with them as a witneſſe, without which it ſhould neither performe its office, nor anſwer its name.
Object. It may performe the office of a witnes, or be a witnes-bearer to all beleevers objectively, by graces & operations, though they ſee or know it not: as a Landmarke, or ſheep-mark, witneſſe whoſe the land or ſheep are: though not efficiently; as a Landmarke or Sheep-mark is not alwayes diſcerned. Or, the thing witneſſed here, is, onelyonly [that Chriſt is the Son of God] 1 Joh. 5. v. 5, 6.10. Not, that this or that particular ſoule is intereſted in Chriſt.
Anſw. That witneſſing to particular ſoules, their Adoption, and that efficiently. i.e. ſo as to give them a knowledge of it, is intended; as well as, that Chriſt is the Son of God, may appeare theſe wayes.
1. In this whole Epiſtle the manifeſtation of mens intereſt in Chriſt is driven at, as a great end in the Apoſtles eye. 1 Joh. 1. v. 4. Theſe things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. Chap. 2. v. 3.12.20. Chap. 3. v. 1.10.19.24. Hereby we know that he abideth in us by his Spirit — Chap. 4.13. Chap. 5. v. 2.4. &c.
2. Water and bloud doe witnes efficiently, that Chriſt is the Son of God: 1 Joh. 5. v. 5, 6.8, 9, 10. Many in thoſe dayes denyed Chriſt to be the Son of God, and therein denyed that record which God gave of him, viz. That he hath given unto us eternall life, and this life is in his Son. v. 11.
In oppoſition to theſe Faith is deſcribed in this Chapter to be, a beleeving that Chriſt is the Son of God. Not, as if aſſenting to that, did expreſſe the whole nature of faith, but as it includeth a cordiall receiving of Chriſt, according to that record, v. 11. And hence, ſuch are ſaid to be borne of God, v. 1. and to overcome the world by their faith. ver. 4, 5. which argueth the whole of Juſtifying faith to be intended. Now, to eſtabliſh theſe beleevers in theſe things. 1. That Chriſt is the Son of God, and therefore hath life to give, v. 1.11. 2. That they were borne of God, v. 1. had overcome the world, v. 5. and had eternall life in him, v. 11, 12, 13. Which latter falleth with the denyal of the former; no life to be had in Chriſt, if he be not the Son of God. To evidence and confirme the whole faith ſpoken of v. 1.5. he ſendeth them to ſix witnes, v 7, 8. whereof water and bloud are two. v. 6.8. As if he had ſaid, I appleale to your own experiences; have you not felt vertue and efficacy in the bloud of Chriſt for the pacification of your accuſing Conſciences? and hath not Chriſt been as water. i.e. for the purification of your polluted ſoules? Theſe (ſaith the Apoſtle) are witneſſes that you are borne of God, and that Chriſt is the Son of God; for, none elſe hath power to do theſe things. But neither water nor bloud can witnes ſo much as, that Chriſt is the Son of God, to any ſoules, if themſelves be inevident, unſeen, undiſcerned. I muſt know, I am Juſtified and ſanctified, in order before I can know Chriſt to be the Son of God thereby.
And the witneſſing of this efficiently is intended by the Apoſtle. For 1. It is his deſigne to ſtrengthen the beleevers (by theſe witneſſes) againſt that grand error of denying Chriſt to be deſcended from God (which prevailed in thoſe times) and that cannot be accompliſhed by water and bloud without a diſcerning their teſtimonie. 2. Water and bloud witneſſed objectively before. 3. It is ſuch a witneſſing as is proper to beleevers, 1 Joh. 5.10. Whereas, Chriſt is objectively witneſſed to be the Son of God, unto unbeleevere. Joh. 3.11. Joh. 5.32, 33.36, 37, 38. Joh. 19 v. 34, 35.
And if I know that I have the water. i.e. Sanctification; and the bloud. i.e. Juſtification, then my Adoption is witneſſed efficiently to me alſo.
3. It is expreſſely declared to be the end aimed at. 1 Joh. 5.13. Theſe things have I written to you that beleeve — for what end? That [ye] may [know] that ye have eternall life — This was his ſcope or drift to manifeſt unto them their title to eternall life. Ergo a witneſſing to particular ſoules their Adoption efficiently is intended, and that to all, even weake beleevers. 1 Joh. 5.10.
Argu. 2. From the extenſivenes of the promiſe. Joh. 14.21. Chriſt engageth to afford manifeſtations of himſelfe unto all that love him, and the weakeſt beleever is a lover of Chriſt. Pſal. 25.14. The ſecret of the Lord is with thoſe that feare him, and he will ſhew them his Covenant. Not eminent beleevers onelyonly, but weake ones ſhall ſee his Covenant, for they feare him.
Arg. 3. Many that were weake in the faith, yet are concluded under a capacity to attaine the witneſſings of the Spirit, if not under an actual injoyment of them. 1 Cor. 3.16. Know ye not that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. i.e. Can you be ignorant of it? if it be a doubting ſpeech whither they did know or not, yet it cannot but ſpeake a poſſibility of their knowing it. Nay, ſuch Interrogations frequently have the force of vehement Affirmations. i.e. ye doe know that the Spirit dwelleth in you. And yet they were weak Chriſtians; for, ſaith the Apoſtle, ver. 1, 2. I could not ſpeake unto you, as unto ſpiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto [babes in Chriſt]. There is then, a poſſibility, even for babes in Chriſt, not onelyonly to have a probable opinion, but a certaine knowledge, that the Spirit dwelleth in them; which is to know their Adoption. Rom. 8. v. 9. And, 1 Joh. 3.24. Hereby [we] know he abideth in us, by the Spirit — And thoſe he writeth to, are little Children, v. 18. & 1 Joh. 2.12. He telleth them, that their ſins are forgiven them: which may aſſure us, that it doth not make to the hurt of weake beleevers, to know they are forgiven.
Arg. 4. Weake Chriſtians ought to exerciſe themſelves unto ſelfe-examination. Ergo, They are in a capacitie to attaine a knowledge of their ſtate thereby. 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your ſelves — Prove your ſelves — The ingemination of the exhortation, argueth it to be a duty of high Concernment, elſe he would not uſe ſo much earneſtnes in exciting to it. And it is their ſtation they are to enquire about. 1. Whither they be in the faith. 2. Whither Chriſt be in them or not.
And, that weake beleevers are not exempted from this duty is undenyable.
For 1. It extendeth or reacheth to unbeleevers: thoſe that have not Chriſt in them, are to finde it out hereby: they are to try whither they be in the faith or no —
2. It hath no limitation unto ſtrong beleevers: let them prove it, that will aſſert it.
3. Theſe were weake in the faith, which are here twice over required to come up to it. 2 Corin. 12. v. 20, 21. Prone to envyings, ſtrifes, backbitings, whiſperings, ſwellings &c. which are made the ſymptomes of but babes in Chriſt. 1 Cor. 3. v. 1, 2, 3. Yet, theſe are injoyned to examine, 2 Cor. 13.5.
There are ſome ſeaſons then, which all Chriſtians, even the weakeſt, ought to take for ſelf-examination about their union with Chriſt. Ergo they are capable of doing it with good ſucceſſe.
Either weake Chriſtians muſt alwayes give in this verdict, that they are without Chriſt: and this is falſe, and the Lord doth not command them to a falſe Concluſion. Or elſe, they muſt give in no verdict, and then the duty is fruitleſſe as to its proper end. Or elſe, they muſt conclude that they are in the faith. And the Text calleth for one of theſe Concluſions; Either 1. That they are in the faith. Or 2. Reprobates. i.e. unſound, hypocrites, without the Spirit. Unto all which I may adde, that theſe Romans, were many of them weake in the faith, Rom. 14. v. 1, 2. &c. And yet in the Text he excepteth and excludeth none, but ſeemeth to conclude all, under the witneſſings of the Spirit. By all which I cannot but apprehend, Aſſurance to be ordinarily attaineable, even by weake beleevers.