be is faithful to keep his sayings, God the Father loves him, and they come unto him, and make their abode with him, and manifest themselves unto him as they do not to the world. God, as his Father, has declared that he is more ready to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him, than earthly parents are to give bread to their children. Relying on this assurance of the Holy Spirit, he asks, and he receives till his joy is full. All these enjoyments of the advanced and devoted Christian go to increase the joy and peace in believing, which naturally springs from the testimony of conscience. The witness of his own spirit is confirmed. It therefore appears perfectly proper to call this the witness of the Spirit.

I cannot better illustrate my ideas than by comparing the case with that of Jacob meeting with Joseph. When his sons told him, saying Joseph is yet alive, and is governor over all the land of Egypt, his heart fainted, for he believed them not. But when he saw the waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him, his spirit revived, and he said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive, I will go and see him before I die. He believed it upon testimony, and rejoiced in the belief.

But when the son of his old age, Rachel's son, the long-lost son, actually presented himself before his father, he fell on his neck and wept a good while, and said, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face. because thou art yet alive. Something like this is the experience of the believer. When he believes the testimony of God respecting the Saviour, he rejoices in the evidence of his conscience. But he rejoices with trembling, because conscience gives her evidence with trembling. His joy is imperfect, because the evidence is imperfect. A subsequent and a high point of religious attainment is when the

He

Spirit comes with his witness. Then the things of religion come to his mind, not as matters of testimony merely, not merely of God's testimony even, but as realities which are seen, and felt, and tasted. has a realizing sense how secure the believer is of this inheritance: if children, then heirs. And how rich the inheritance: heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. And then such a foretaste of its joys as leaves for the time no remaining doubt or fear that he shall one day possess them.

5. This view of the subject corresponds with that of the most pious and experimental Christian commentators. On subjects of experi mental religion, the comment of a pious man of good sense is worth much more than that of a mere critic.

Such critics as Rosenmuller, and others of a similar class, may afford much assistance in questions of mere philology. But in explaining experimental passages, they fall far below the spirit of the inspired writings, and far below the actual experience of many Christians. And on this one respecting the witness of the Spirit, all which they can make of it is the idea that the filial spirit witnesses with the mind, that is, the mind concurs with the mind in bearing testimony to the fact that we are the children of God. In discerning the mind of the Spirit on such subjects, the opinions of Calvin, and Beza, and Poole, and Henry, and Scott, and Doddridge, and Hawies, outweigh a whole library of free-thinking phi lologists.

Beza says, "So there are two witnesses, the Spirit of God and our spirit." Pol. Syn.

Poole. Annot. "And this it doth by an inward and secret suggestion, whereby he raised our hearts to this persuasion, that God is our Father, and we are his children. This is not the testimony of the graces and operations of the Spirit, but of the Spirit itself."

Gillies. "Let thy Spirit witness with our spirit, that we are indeed thy children."

Doddridge. "He himself, by his internal and gracious operations, beareth witness with the answer of our spirit, when seriously examined and interrogated, and gives us an inward and joyful assurance that we are the children of God."

Hawies. "The Spirit itself, in such approaches to God, when in simplicity we offer our hearts to him, beareth witness with our spirits, shining upon his own work in our souls, and satisfying our consciences, that we are the children of God, and may take the comfort of that honorable relation."

or

Scott, "This is not done by a voice, or immediate revelation, impulse, or merely by a text brought to the mind; (for all these things are equivocal and illusory ;) but by bearing witness with their spirits, or coinciding with the testimony of their own enlightened minds and consciences, as to their uprightness in embracing the Gospel, and giving themselves up to the service of God."

Storr. "El. Ch. Theol. § 115. illus. 7. "This spirit cannot signify a Christian disposition; because it evidently corresponds to v. 26, and because the interpretation would be unnatural, to say, "the disposition of our spirit beareth witness with our spirit." If this had been the idea, it would rather have been "with us" than " with our spirits." Vol. II. p. 344.

I consider this last remark as very important, because coming from a modern writer, and distinguished philologist, who has also been pe

culiarly happy in satisfying all classes of evangelical people on most points of Christian theology. It is undoubtedly the biblical view of the subject, equally removed from enthusiasm and rationalism.

6. The experience of Christians shews that something like this is the witness of the Spirit.

The first case which I shall mention is that of David Brainerd. His case is worthy of more attention, because all his views of doctrine were so eminently scriptural, and because his experiences were so carefully guarded from enthusiasm. President Edwards testifies that "he was not a person of a warm imagination," and that " his views and experiences were not excited by strong and lively images formed in his imagination." Under date of Sept. 1739, he writes, "I was spending some time in prayer and self-examination, when the Lord, by his grace, so shined into my heart, that I enjoyed full assurance of his favor, for that time, and my soul was unspeakably refreshed with divine and heavenly enjoyments."

July 26, 1745. “In the evening God was pleased to help me in prayer, beyond what I have experienced for some time. Especially, my soul was drawn out for the enlargement of Christ's kingdom, and for the conversion of my poor people; and my soul relied on God for the accomplishment of that great work. How sweet were the thoughts of death unto me at that time! How I

longed to be with Christ, to be employed in the glorious work of angels, and with an angel's vigor and delight! Yet how willing was I to stay a while on earth, that I might do something, if the Lord pleased, for his interest in the world. My soul, my very soul, longed for the ingathering of the poor heathen; and I cried unto God, most willingly and heartily. I could not but cry, This was a sweet season,

for I had some lively taste of heaven, and a temper of mind suited in some measure to the employments and entertainments of it. Oh! the inward peace,composure, and Godlike serenity of such a frame! Heaven must differ from this only in degree, not in kind.”

The next extract is dated June 18, 1747, during his sickness at Boston, and is important, because it shews his care to distinguish his experience from those impressions which those contend for who hold to the original witnessing of the Spirit. He says:

"I think that my mind never penetrated with so much ease and freedom into divine things as at this time. As I saw clearly the truth of those great doctrines which are called the doctrines of grace; so I saw with no less clearness, that the essence of religion consisted in the soul's conformity to God, and acting above all selfish views for his glory, longing to be for him, to live to him, and please and honor him in all things.—Then I saw again, that if God should slight and reject his own moral image, he would deny himself, which he cannot do. And thus I saw the stability and impartiality of this religion.--The next thing I had to do, was to inquire, whether this was my religion and here God was pleased to help me to the most easy remembrance and critical review, of what had passed in course, of a religious nature, during several of the latter years of my life. Although I could discover much corruption, &c,-yet God was pleased, as I was reviewing. quickly to put this question out of doubt, by shewing me that I had, from time to time, acted above the utmost influence of mere self-love. This review was, through grace, attended with a present feeling of the same divine temper of mind. This feeling of the love of God in my heart, which I trust the Spirit of God excited in me afresh, was suf

ficient to give me a full satisfaction. I did not want any of the sudden suggestions, which many are so pleased with, that Christ and his benefits are mine; that God loves me, &c., in order to give me satisfaction about my state. No, my soul abhorred those delusions of satan, which are thought to be the immediate witness of the Spirit, while there is nothing but the empty suggestion of a certain fact, without any gracious discovery of the divine glory, or of the Spirit's work in their own hearts." Life, pp.

401-403.

The experience of President Edwards, as related by himself, was very full of joys and assurances, and anticipations, which appear far beyond the mere testimony of conscience. I have room only to transcribe a single passage

"My mind was very much taken up with contemplations of heaven, and the enjoyments there, and living there in perfect holiness, humility, and love; and it used to appear a great part of the happiness of heaven, that there the servants could express their love to Christ. It appeared to me a great clog and burden, that what I felt within I could not express as I desired."

The death bed of the late Dr. Payson, of Portland, exhibited the same operation of the Holy Spirit, enhancing the holy joy as well as the holy affections of the advanced Christian. The following remarks bear upon the subject.

"In proportion as my joy has increased," he said, "I have been filled with intense love to all, and a strong desire that they might partake of my happiness.'

From his letter to his sister, written about a month before his death. "Were I to adopt the figurative language of Bunyan, I might date this letter from the land of Beulah, of which I have been for several weeks a happy inhabitant. The celestial city is full in my view.

Its glories beam upon me; its breezes fan me; its odors are wafted to me; its sounds strike upon my ears; and its spirit is breathed into my heart. Nothing separates me from it but the river of death, which now appears but as an insignificant rill, that may be crossed at a single step whenever God shall give permission, You have known a little of my trials and conflicts, and know that they have been neither few nor small; and I hope this glorious termination of them will serve to strengthen your faith, and elevate your hope. O my sister, my sister! could you but know what awaits the Christian; could you know only so much as I know, you could not refrain from rejoicing, and even leaping for joy."

He replied to one who asked him if he was reconciled to his sufferings, "Oh! that is too cold -I rejoice-I triumph! And I know it is the very Spirit of heaven which I feel, for I long to see every creature happy."

he

One sabbath morning, which he supposed would be his last on earth the first words he uttered on awakening were " I am going to mount Zion, to the city of the living God. to the heavenly Jerusalem. to an innumerable company of angels." "Last night I had a clear, full view of the king of terrors; now comes and crowds the poor sinner to the very verge of the precipice of destruction, and then pushes him down headlong. But I felt that I had nothing to do with that. And now death was disarmed of all its terrors; all he could do would be to touch me. and let my soul loose to go to my Saviour."

"It has often been said, that people who have been to the other world cannot come back again to tell us what they have seen; but I am so near the eternal world that I can see almost as clearly as if I were there, and I see enough to satisfy myself at least of the truth of

religion; so that I do not know that I should feel at all surer, if I had been really there."

"The man who is prepared to die is not obliged to be crowded reluctantly along, but the other world comes like a great magnet to draw him away from this, and he knows that he is going to enjoy, and not only knows but begins to taste it, perfect happiness forever and ever, forever and ever."

The following are some of the exercises of Mr. Pearce, while he was contemplating a mission to the heathen. "My eyes, almost closed with weeping, hardly suffer me to write. Oh! what a view of the love of a crucified Redeemer did I enjoy! The attractions of his cross how powerful! I was as a giant refreshed with new wine, as to my animation; like Mary weeping at the Master's feet for tenderness of soul; like a little child for submission to my heavenly Father's will; and like Paul, for a victory over all self-love, and creature-love, and fear of mn, when these things stand in the way of my duty. The interest that Christ took in the redemption of the heathen. the situation of our brethren in Bengal, the worth of the soul, the command of Christ, together with an irresistible drawing of soul, which by far exceded any thing I ever felt before ; all compelled me to vow that I would, by his leave, serve him among the heathen. If ever in my life I knew any thing of the influences of the Holy Ghost, it was then. I was swallowed up in God. All was delightful, for Christ was all, and in all."

It were easy to multiply extracts like these. But perhaps we have more than sufficient. Let any believer read these attentively, and I am sure he will recognize a work of the Holy Spirit, in all these saints, enlarging their conceptions, brightening their views, giving reality to their hopes, dissipating