Remains of that reverend and learned divine, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in…Remaines of that reverend and learned divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in…

The fifth sign, whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit, or no, is this, ¹examine whether it be the spirit of adoption: if it make you to call God, Father, then it is the sanctifying spirit, Gal. 4. 6. We have received the spirit ²of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father, this is the property of the holy man; no wicked man can call God Father, because they have not amity with God, they neither love God, neither doth God love them. The Apostle saith, I do this to prove or know the naturalness of your love, they ³that have the spirit, they have as it were a natural inclination wrought in them, to love God again, and delight in God, and in the Communion of Saints; and therefore our Saviour saith, John 4. 34. It is my meat and drink, to do the will of my Father: ⁴he that hath God for his father, will serve him willingly without constraint, as willingly as a man will cate meat. A man will eat and drink without wages, he needs not have wages to do that, so he that hath the spirit, he will delight in doing Gods will; he would serve God, though he should give him nothing, and this that ⟨p. 154⟩God is our Father, it will raise some like affections in us to love God again: so likewise in prayer, to have God to be our father, it raiseth some like affections in us, whereby we do not only believe that the things we pray for, we shall have: but we have boldness, also to come unto him, as unto a Father, which no man can do till he have this Spirit of adoption; Therefore examine, with what confidence and boldness you pray, with what reverence you hear, with what affections you love; examine whether you have the Spirit, that doth make you to call God Father.

The fift signe, whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit, or no, is this,