Thirdly, What the Result of their Evidence is, and with what kind of Certainty we know that we are the Children of God. First, We are to confider how many Witneffes St. Paul points out to us in the Text, and who they are. As our Translators have reprefented St. Paul's Meaning, there is no Room for Difpute concerning the Number of the Witnesses, which are evidently two: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit: The Spirit itself, that is, the Spirit of Adoption, which Chriftians receive, is one Witnefs; and our own Spirit is the other Witnefs. But the vulgar Latin, and several other Tranflators, render the Words to this Effect: The Spirit itself beareth witness to our Spirit. According to this Senfe, which is maintained by Grotius and Crellius, and fome others, there is but one Witness, the Spirit of Adoption, who bears evidence to our Spirit. But the Words in the Original evidently imply the Senfe which our Tranflators follow: Αυτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν. Zuμμapтupav fignifies to be a Fellow-witness, or to witness the fame Thing that another does: And fo the Word constantly fignifies in Scripture, and is never ufed but where there is a concurrent Evidence of two Witneffes. We meet with the fame Word in

Rom. ii. 15: Which fhew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts, their Confcience alfo bearing witness, and their Thoughts the mean while accufing or elfe excufing one another. And to this Place Grotius fends us, to fhew that the Word is used of one fingle Witness only; as here the Conscience only is said to bear witness. But a little Attention will fhew us in this Place another Witness: The Apoftle proves from the Evidence of Conscience, that the Gentiles had the Work or Matter of the Law written in their Hearts: The Law teftifies to Men what is good, and what is evil: If Confcience teftifies the fame Thing to be good and just which the Law does, then Conscience proves the Matter of the Law to be written in the Heart; if it teftifies any thing else, fo be it: But no other Evidence will prove the Apoftle's Affertion, that the Gentiles have the Work of the Law written in their Heart. And therefore the Apoftle's Argument ftands thus: The Gentiles fhew the Work of the Law to be written in their Heart by the Testimony of their Confcience, which agrees with the Testimony of the Law; their Confcience and the Law both allowing and forbidding the fame Thing. So that the Apoftle's Argument plainly supposes the concurrent Evidence of the Law

and of Confcience. And therefore even here the Word σuμμapTupev points out two Witneffes to us. The fame Word is used by St. Paul in the first Verse of the ninth Chapter of the Romans: I fay the Truth in Chrift, I lye not, my Confcience alfo bearing me witnels, συμμαρτυρέσης μοι. But here evidently are two Witnesses to the fame Thing. When a Man does not speak the Truth, 'tis certain that he witnesses one Thing, and his Confcience witneffes another, and are therefore two distinct Witneffes: So are they likewise when a Man speaks Truth; for the fame Evidence will not make two Witneffes to be one Witness. And therefore here alfo there are two Witneffes; St. Paul, who witneffed his Affection to his Countrymen, and his Confcience, which witneffed for his Sincerity. The Word is used but once more in the New Teftament, and that is in the last Chapter of the Revelations; and there it is used with respect to a Testimony, in which Christ, and his Angel whom he sent to the Churches, and even St. John, were concerned. So that the Word is every-where ufed of the concurrent Evidence of two or more Witneffes. And, this being the conftant Ufe of the Word, there can be no Reafon given why it should not be taken in

the

the fame Sense here, and rendered, The Spirit itself beareth witness, not to, but with, or together with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God. Here then are two Witneffes; and who they are, is next to be confidered.

Who the first Spirit is, must be learnt from what goes before. In the second Verse of this Chapter we read of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus, which hath made us free from the Law of Sin and of Death: In the ninth Verse he is called the Spirit of God and of Chrift; in the eleventh Verse, the Spirit of him that raised up Jefus from the Dead; in the fifteenth Verse, the Spirit of Adoption, by which we cry Abba, Father. In the Verse of the Text Reference is had to this Spirit: The Spirit itself, that is, the Spirit which has made us free in Chrift Jefus, the Spirit by which we have received Adoption, does itself bear witness with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God. But the Question then is, whether Spirit in all these Places be the Name of a Person, or whether it denotes only a Quality and Temper belonging to Chriftians; fo that the Spirit of Christ shall fignify no more than the Mind of Chrift does in another Place, Let the fame Mind be in you which was in Chrift Jefus ; that is, the fame Temper and Difpofition.

This Senfe Crellius maintains, and others after him; and thus he explains the Text: Our Evangelical Spirit, that is, as he explains himfelf in another Place, our Evangelical Temper, is a fufficient Argument to our own Minds that we are the Children of God. I mean not to difpute this Point with Crellius, and his Brethren, the Socinians; which would be to run into a great Controverfy: But, fince the Spirit of Chrift may and does fometimes fignify both Ways, I shall endeavour to point out to fuch as have no private Prejudices to be maintained, which Senfe is here to be followed. First then, This Spirit is the Spirit of Life, by which we are made free; that is, by which we are regenerated in Christ Jefus, and set at Liberty from the heavy Yoke of Sin, which the Apostle had been describing in the foregoing Chapter. Now, an Evangelical Temper is not the Cause, but the Confequent of this Freedom. The Spirit of God is the efficient Caufe; of whom we are faid, for that Reafon, to be born. Secondly, "Tis the Spirit of him who raised up Chrift; that is, the Spirit by which he wrought that great Wonder and Miracle, as is evident by taking the whole eleventh Verse together: If the Spirit of him who raised up Jefus from the Dead dwell in you, he that raised