SER M. bearing witness with their Spririt, that they IV. are the Children of God. But This is fo

fenfelefs a notion, fo manifeftly deftructive of all Virtue, and of all the true difference between Good and Evil: that it needs barely be mentioned among Perfons of common Understanding, to expose the Folly of it. Wherefore

2dly, IN the Apostles days, the miraculous Gifts and Graces of the Spirit, made evident by their real and visible Effects, as in That great Inftance of the Gift of Tongues bestowed as upon This day, were undeniable Teftimonies, of the Spirit of God being given to those persons, in whom thofe Effects appeared. Not that all who were endued even with miraculous Gifts, were confequently good and fincere Chriftians: But thefe Gifts, to those who beheld them, were evident Atteftations of the Spirit, to the Truth of the Gofpel; And to the Perfons themfelves, on whom thofe Gifts were bestowed, if they were confcious in their own Hearts of their being fincere in their Profeffion, and virtuous in their Practice, then these Gifts were indeed the Spirit of God bearing witness with Their Spirit,

that

that they were the Children of God.

But SER M.

and

3dly, BOTH in the Apostles days, in all fucceeding generations, even to the end of the World; the feveral Declarations which the Spirit of God hath made, by the Prophets in the Old Teftament, and by Chrift and his Apoftles in the New, compared with the verdict of our own Confciences, concerning the agreeableness of our Actions to thofe declarations; thefe are the Teftimony of the Spirit itself bearing witness with Our Spirit, that we are the Children of God. The Promifes of God made to men in Christ, and eftablished upon the Terms of the Gospel, are represented in the New Testament as being Sealed, or confirmed by Covenant, to us in Baptifm: And therefore, fpeaking concerning Baptized Converts, 2 Cor. i. 22. God, faith St Paul, hath alfo Sealed us, and given the Earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts. Confequently they who make good. This obligation, by bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit in the fuitable Practice of a Virtuous Life; Thefe have the Seal or Earnest of the Spirit: 2 Tim. The Foundation of God ftandeth

ü. 19.

fure, having This Seal,

G 4

Let every one

that

IV. n

SER M. that nameth the Name of Chrift, depart IV. from iniquity: And, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are Sealed unto the day of Redemption. The Testimony of a good Confcience, is, in the language of the text, the Witness of our own Spirit; And the Agreement of this Teftimony of our own Confcience, with the Revealed Declarations of the Will of God, when carefully and duly compared together, is what the Apoftle here ftiles the Spirit of God bearing witness with Our Spirit, that we are the children of God.

By this One obfervation, the whole Difcourfe of the Apostle in this chapter becomes very plain and intelligible: And at the fame time, by the whole tenour of his difcourfe in this chapter, is this clearly confirmed to be the true meaning of the Text. Ver. 1. There is now, fays he, condemnation to them which are in Chrift Fefus; who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit: That is, who are guilty of no debauchery or vicious Practices, but live in the regular practice of those moral virtues, which he elfewhere by name calls the Spirit. For to be carnally

110

Fruits of the (that is, vici

oufly)

IV.

oufly) minded, (ver. 6.) is death; but to SER M. be fpiritually (that is, virtuously) minded, is life and peace. Ver. 8. So then they that are in the Flefb, (they that are under the power, and live in the practice of any known Sin,) cannot pleafe God: And if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, Ver. 9. (that is, if any man who profeffeth the Name of Chrift, yet departeth not from iniquity, which is the Seal upon which the Foundation or Covenant of God ftandeth fure; If any man in This fenfe bath not the Spirit of Chrift,) he is none of his. For if ye live after the Flesh, ver. 13. ye fhall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, (that is, as many as are prevailed upon by the Motives of the Gospel to live answerably to their Holy Profeffion, ) they are the Sons of God, ver. 14. And that they are fo, they may certainly know, by these Fruits of the Spirit appearing in the whole courfe of their lives, compared with the Declarations of the Spirit made in the Gospel; even as certainly as a Tree is known by its Fruit. For Thus, adds the Apoftle in the Text, the Spirit itself.

beareth

13.

SER M. beareth witness with our Spirit, that we IV. are the Children of God; and if Children,

Pet. iv.

then Heirs, Heirs of God, and Joint Heirs with Chrift; if fo be that we fuffer with him, that we may be alfo glorified toge ther.

THE reafon of his annexing thefe laft words concerning our Suffering with Christ, is, because in the whole System of moral Virtues which are the Fruits of the Spirit, there is no one that affords a more certain Mark or Teftimony of Sincerity; there is no one, to which a man's own Spirit or Confcience beareth witnefs with more confidence, or to which All the Declarations of the Spirit of God bear witness with greater Clearnefs and Affurance; than to this virtue of Chufing to run the hazard of fuffering at any time for Truth and Righteoufnefs, 2 Tim. ii. II. It is a faithful Saying, If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him; If we fuffer, we shall also reign with him. Wherefore, think it not Strange, faith St Peter, but rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Chrift's Sufferings, that when his glory fhall be revealed, ye may be glad alfo with ex

ceeding