Ver.17. the 17th Chapter of St. J O HN. 253 Spirit of God. Now the Spirit witneffeth from Heaven or on Earth. t John 5. 7, & For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Gbofi and theft three are One. And there are three that bear :rimers in Earth, the Spirit, and the Water, and Blood; and theft three agree in One. From Heaven in Miracles, and fo Chrift as God might be a Witnefs in his own Caufe. On Earth ; fo in an A(fociation andConjun &ion with Water and Blood, when we feel the Effe &s of it in cafe ot. Con - fcience, or San&ification of Heart. And over and above the Spirit's Tef}imony, there is an inward Teftimony. 1 John 5. ro. He that believeth in the Son of God, bath the Te- fiimony in himfelf. But what is this inward Teftimony ? a Witnefs to the Truth of Scripture by the certainty of our own Thoughts ; it is not that which every one's Mind and Fancy fuggefts to him, but the Light of the Holy Ghoft leading us into the . acknowledgment of the Truth ; the fame Holy Ghoft which infpired the Penmen of the Scriptures, inclines our Hearts to believe them. 1 John 2. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you; and ye need net that any Man teach lots but as the fame Anointing teacheth yen all things, and is Truth, and it no lie : and even as it bath taught you, ye (hall abide in him. Faith cannot be wrought by Humane Autho- rity, or more rational Inducements, it is the Work of the Spirit : We may plead and urge, but the Heart clofeth not with what is reprefented, till the Spirit worketh. lfä: 53.1. Who hath believed our Report ? and to wham is the Armefthe Lord revealed ? There is an outward Report, and an inward Revelation. This Teftimony of the Spirit may be thus difeerned. 1. It is affeaive. Truth reprefented in the Light of Reafon, leaveth a weak ho- preffron ; but Truth reprefented in the Evidence and Demonflration of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 2. 4. worketh after another manner, fees another manner of excellency and beauty in Chrift, another manner of vanity in the Creatures. 2: It draweth to Admiration. Pfd. 119. 18. Open than mine Eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law. A Man never wondreth fo at the dreadfulnefs of God'i. Wrath, at the fweetnefs of God's Mercy in Chrift, at the Evil of Sin, the ftri &nets of Duty, till the Spirit opens his Eyes. Ads 13.12. Then the Deputy, when he taw what was done, believed, being afionifbed at the Doarine of the Lord. 3. It begets more certainty. Till we have the Spirit's Light, we have but a trem- bling, wavering Opinion, but then we have that which the Apoltle calleth, The Ful - . nefs of the *trance of Zlnderftanding, Col. 2. 2. Tho we have no other Arguments, yet we fee by another Light. As Gerfon reporteth of a devout Man, that doubted of an Article of Faith,. and came to be fetled, not by any new Demonftration, but by the humiliation and captivation of the Underftanding, to fee more say fermer Argu- ments. As Hagar's Eyes were opened to fee the Fountain by her, Gen. 21. 19. The Spirit taketh away the Vail of Ignorance, the Pride of Reafon ; and by an over- powering Force, maketh the Soul ftoop to the fimplicity of the Gofpel. 4. It is a transforming Light. 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open Face, beholding. as in e Gla; the Glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame Image from Glory to Glory, even ar by the Spirit of our God. A Man that looketh. upon the Gofpel in the Light of Parts and External Tradition, bath a Model of Truth in his Brain; but thefe find it impref- fed upon their Hearts, there is Light and Fire. Wait for this Witnefs. Sixthly, By the wonderful prefervation of Scriptures, even to our Times. There is no Doarine fo ancient, it defcribeth the whole Hiftory of the World from the very Creation: Moles was ancienter than the Gods of the Heathens. No Do &rine can pro- duce fuch Records of the Original of the World. The Doarine of the Gofpél is as Old as Paradife, where God preached it to ./Adam : Gen.3.15. I will put enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed : It (hall bruifi thy Head,and thou (halt bruife bis Heel. The Foundation was laid long fince, tho it was more explicitly revealed upon. the coming of Chrift. None fo much oppugned. We have Tome ancient Writings of the Heathens, tho nothing fo ancient as Scripture. Other Writings, by tra& óf Time, have been much mangled, tho they have been cherifhed by Men, as not contrary to their Lulls ; but theScripture is ftillóppofed, perfecuted, maligned, and yet it conti- nueth. Pfal. 129. 1, 2. sYWany a time have they afieled me from my Youth, may Ifrael now fay. e2lany a time have they afjlilled me from my Youth : yet they have not prevailed againft me. The Church hath been always bred up under Affli &ions ; Enmity againff h began betimes, yet Mk holdeth up its Heat Errors are not long- lived. i Cor. 3: 12, 13. Now if any Man build upon this Foundation, Gold, Silver; precious Stones, Wood, Hay,
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