2 COR. 13. 5.
THere remain more places of Scripture to prove the lawfulness and obligation also of proceeding by way of signs, but because there are different Expositions of them, I shall rank them in the order of controverted places, which probably at least confirm this truth.
And the first is Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirit, that (Rom. 8. 16) we are the sons of God. In which words we may observe the Authour of the testimony, the manner, and the object of it. The Author is said to be The Spirit it self, where the Apostle makes it no Presumption or Arrogancie for the people of God, to call God Father, because they are encouraged and emboldened hereunto by the Spirit of God. It is not a delusion from the Devil, but an Assurance from Gods Spirit. In the next place there is the Manner of the Testimony, it is a conjoined Testimony, not a single Witnesse; Therefore it is said […], it witnesseth with. It is true, Grotius takes the word, though compounded, for a simple, […] for […], alledging two places for a parallel, 1 Cor. 2. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 2. where the Apostle speaketh of the Conscience bearing witnesse, but these Texts are not cogent, for the conscience in testifying doth witnesse with another, which is God, and therefore it is called […], so that the witnesse of the conscience is not a single Testimony. It being therefore to be understood of a Joint-witnesse, the Question is, What is the other partner that is joined with Gods Spirit in this action? Some understand the spirit of a man not to be the cowitnesser, but the subject only receiving the Testimony, and they render it thus, The Spirit beareth witnesse to our spirit, not with our spirit, and then, some make the joint-witnesse to be Christ, that as vers. 10. the Apostle had affirmed, Christ dwelleth in us, then his Spirit, and that the Spirit made us to cry Abba Father; so here, the Spirit, with Christ, and the Father also supposed, as if it were the same with that 1 John 5. 7. There are three that bear witnesse in heaven. But others referre it to that Voice caused in us by Gods Spirit, and that is to be understood of the gift of Regeneration. Thus Chrysostom, The Spirit of God, by or in that gift, which he bestoweth on us; and in this sense it will be all one whether we translate it, to or with our spirit. So then the meaning is, The Spirit of God beareth witnesse unto us, with those gifts and graces that are the fruit of the same Spirit. So that he speaks not of such an immediate Testimony, as the Prophets had in their visions, when they heard God speak immediately to them, but mediately by and with our spirits, being enlightned and sanctified: So that although the Spirit of God be the alone Author of this Assurance, yet it is in an ordinary way by the fruits of the Spirit. Now the Spirit of God may be conceived witnessing this infallibly and surely, or else conjecturally, and by way of probability. Popish Commentators expound it the latter way, but it is very unworthy and derogatory, to make the Spirit of God Author of a conjectural Certainty only, for it being a divine Testimony it cannot but have infallibility: and certainly if he said of the conscience, which yet hath much error and falshood in it, that it was mille testes a thousand witnesses, how much rather may this be said of the Spirit of God? but more of this place hereafter.
The second place is Ephes. 1. 13. In whom after ye believed, ye were sealed with (Ephes. 1. 13) the holy Spirit of Promise. Where you have this Witnessing or Assurance expressed metaphorically by sealing, which is used to ratifie and confirm things; now God doth thus seal us, not for his sake, but ours, that we may be perswaded of his love; God doth not seal as a Merchant his wares, that he may know them, but as a Father doth his Testament, or deeds of Gift, to assure his Childe of such favour towards him. But you will say, What is this sealing? The Metaphor will declare it: As in sealing, the Seal makes an impression of its own likenesse in the wax; so God in sealing unto us makes an impression of his own holy image in us, and by this we are assured. They therefore who understand this sealing of the extraordinary and miraculous gifts of Gods Spirit, hit not the mark, because these were not necessary signes of Adoption, and also they were not bestowed upon every particular believer; we must therefore understand it of the sanctifying graces of Gods Spirit: And here you may also observe that faith whereby we receive Christ first, is not the evidence, as some plead, because it is after their believing, for the word is in the time past: that it is meant of holinesse, doth appear also by the words following, Sealed by the holy Spirit of Promise, where the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of the Promise, either because he doth confirm the Promises, or else because he is the fruit of the Promise; and holy, because of the holinesse he works in his children, which is their sealing; so that as God the Father is said to seal Christ, when he gave him those abilities which were required to a Mediator, annointing him with all grace, and witnessing by miracles he was his Son; Thus doth God the Father seal his children to him by furnishing them with all the graces of his holy Spirit, and by these they know they are of God.