296 ORDINARY WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. he was also raised from the dead ; and thus he was declared to' be the Son of God, with power, as some interpret that text; Rom. i. 4. He was God'sfirst born, before all worlds ; and it is the same Spirit that dwells in him, the original Son, without measure, that is sent, according to our measure, to dwell in us also : It is the. same Spirit that raises us from a death in tres- passes and sins to a new life : It is the sameSpirit that is given to sanctifyus, and to make us children. Go on yet and compare Rom. viii. 9, 11, 14. with Heb. ii. 14. and you will find, as be was pleased in a way of condescension to take flesh and blood upon him, becausethe children were partakers of flesh and blood, that he might be like them ; Heb. ii. So he is pleased to give his own spirit to men, that they might be like him also; for he that has not the Spirit of Christ is none . of his; Rom. viii. 9. For this reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren, children of one Father ; for he partook of their flesh, and they partake of his Spirit. III. God has given to each of our spirits a power of re- flecting upon our own hearts and lives, wherebywe become wit- nesses and judges for or against ourselves : And by this power we pass a judgment both concerning our particular actions, con- cerning the temperof our spirits, and concerning our state toward God. This power is sometimes called conscience. It is a faculty whereby we compare our words, our thoughts, and actions, with some rule; and that rule is the law of God : And thereby we judge concerning these particular thoughts, words, and actions, whether they are good or bad. But when we compare the habitual frame and temper of our spirits, as well as the transac- tions and conduct of our lives, with the plain description and characters ofthe children of God, that are given us in his word. hereby wejudgeof our own state, whether it be a state of sin, or a state of grace. This is thatlight that God has set up in men, by which they should pass sentence in their own case, with regard to their own present conduct, and their future hopes. And Solomon, for this, reason, calls thespirit of man the candle of the Lord ; Prov. xx. 27. The heathens had this conscience in them, and those broken pieces of the law that were written in their hearts, was the rule by which their consciences dideither excuse, or else accuse ; Rom. ií. 15. But wehave a more certain rule to judge ourselves by, even the word of God, the revelation of his mind andwill, that he has made in the bible. Our..consciences must judgeaccording to this rule. We are bid therefore to try, to judge, to examine our- selves ; 2 Cor. viii. 5. Examine and prove yourselves. And 1 Cor. xi. 28. Let a man.exämine himself. This self -examination is required as a necessary duty, in order to còtne at the know -.
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