The Voice of the Spirit, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Shewing how a ſoule may know whether it enjoyeth the witneſſings of the Spirit or not: and firſt the Immediate witneſſings of the Spirit.
Qu: 4. HOw may a ſoule know whither it injoyeth the witneſſings of the Spirit or not?
Before I give a direct anſwer to this Queſtion, I ſhall premiſe, that the anſwers to it, will be uſefull, to ſuch ends as theſe.
1. To give ſatisfaction unto doubting ſoules: many precious ſons of Sion are full of feares about their Adoption: could they but know that God were their Father, they ſhould account it a favour of great value. Whereas, the Spirit hath witneſſed this to them, but they know not its voyce, or underſtand not, that theſe operations which they have found, doe amount to a teſtimonie of Divine love. They queſtion, whither they be from the Spirit or not; or elſe, whither they be witneſſing, and intended by the Lord for that end. By a due obſervation of what I ſhall here lay downe, and the ſhinings of the Spirit on its owne workes, (without which nothing will be witneſſing) thoſe, that never had Aſſurance, way attaine it, and thoſe that have loſt it, may recover it againe; if by reflexion they can finde that ſuch workes have paſſed upon their hearts, as I ſhall ſpeake of.
2. To difference the teſtimonie of the Spirit from Deluſions of Satan, and the ſingle teſtimonie of our owne Spirit: that ſo the voyce of the Spirit may be owned, and Satanicall deluſions rejected.
3. To confirme and eſtabliſh thoſe that doe injoy witneſſings, in the perſwaſion of their Adoption.
And, the better to attaine theſe ends, I ſhall,
1 Speake particularly unto the feverall wayes of witneſſing. How a ſoule may know that. 1. The Spirit. 2. Water. 3. Bloud have witneſſed.
2. Adde ſome Generall diſcoveries, or ſecondary evidences which will reſpect all thoſe wayes of witneſſing.
According unto the threefold way of the Spirits witneſſing, ſo muſt I divide the Queſtion into three.
Qu: 1. How may a ſoule know whither the Spirit hath witneſſed its Adoption to it, in that more Immediate way, or not?
Before I reply to this Queſtion, I ſhall give theſe pre-conſiderations.
Preconſid. 1. That there muſt be ſome great and remarkeable impreſſion and alteration made upon the heart, working it into ſome ſtrong perſwaſion of Adoption; elſe there is not the leaſt ground for a pretending to an Immediate teſtimony. Thoſe that never found any thing of this nature, are not concerned in this Queſtion; for, there muſt be ſomething like the teſtimonie, to make capable of tryal. The Nature of an Immediate preſence of the Spirit, and the application of a word, require, that there be ſome great impreſſion when ever they be injoyed. Jam. 1.21. 1 Theſ. 2.13. 2 Corin 3.3. So that, if a man ſhould read over witneſſing words never ſo often, and his thoughts ſhould run this way, that God is his God, and Chriſt and eternall life his; yet, if no power commeth alongſt with the word, to fix, faſten, and ſet it upon the heart; there is not any colour for an Immediate teſtimonie. The word muſt take deep rooting in the heart. Matth. 13. v. 21.23. elſe, no gracious effects at all, are accompliſhed by it; much leſſe can it be witneſſing. But if a man hath found ſome great alteration made upon his Spirit, that hath wrought towards a perſwaſion of Adoption. Our enquiry is, How he may know whither it be meerly a ſtrong flaſhy opinion and fancy of his owne Spirit, a deluſion of Satan, or indeed a teſtimonie from the Divine Spirit.
Preconſ. 2. That my deſigne in anſwering this Queſtion, is not to diſcover, who is intereſted in Chriſt and who not (that will be the thing driven at, when I come to ſpeake of the Spirits witneſſing by water & bloud) But, if a man hath a teſtimonie of intereſt in Chriſt by ſome eminent impreſſion made upon his Spirit; our enquiry is, whither it be from the Divine Spirit, or be a Deluſion. I ſuppoſe, that many reall beleevers, may (through their owne default) want this Immediate teſtimonie of the Spirit, and may be under falſe confidences, through the Deluſions of Satan, i. e. Confidences taken up, from ſuch grounds as are not evidencing. Revel. 3.17. Pſal. 30.6. when by a due ſearch, they might finde infallible grounds, for the ſame Concluſions. This Queſtion is not for the tryal of Chriſtianitie, but of ſome Confidences thereof.
Preconſ. 3. That the primary evidence of this Immediate teſtimonie, is not to be limited or reſtrained, unto this Immediate way of witneſſing onelyonly: For, as graces doe ſometimes diſcover their owne proceeding to be from the Spirit: ſo, at other times the Spirit evidenceth its owne preſence in the exerciſe of graces. Indeed, it is the very buſines of the Spirit, and the maine errand it is ſent upon, to put the ſoule into a perſwaſion of Adoption, when it witneſſeth in this Immediate way, and ſo the ſoules aſſurance of the truth of the thing teſtified, hath a great dependance here, on its knowledge that the Spirit is the witnes, and therefore uſually, it giveth the moſt tranſparent, and remarkable tokens of of its owne preſence here. Yet, it is not to be confined to that way of witneſſing: but ſometimes, the Spirit draweth out graces to act at ſuch a height, more then ordinary, and doth ſo efficaciouſly witnes adoption, by reflex acts upon theſe; as, it giveth ſufficient evidence to its owne preſence therein.