Quest. How doth this water bear witness that Jesus is the Son of God?

Quest. How doth this water bear witnesse that Jesus is the Son of God?

Answ. Because all the virtue that this water hath to cleanse, comfort, or fructify us, springs only from faith in the testimony, that Jesus is the Son of God, Gal. 2.19, 20. Let Christians observe, when we walk in the strength ⟨p. 369⟩of our own spirits and graces, we shall grow so dry and barren, that not one good fruit comes from us, and this is because we suck from our own graces, and so spend on the stock, and so soon draw our selves dry, for want of living by faith in the Son of God; but a Christian that hath the water of Sanctification, let him do all in the Name of Christ, and suck life from him daily, and he shall be sufficiently enabled to every duty that God requires; we never found this water, till we believed on Christ, and this water no longer runs fresh and full, then we renew our daily dependence on him, and if we did so daily, we should always find it full Sea in our hearts.

Answ. Because all the vertue that this water hath to cleanse, comfort, or fructifie us, springs onely from faith in the testimony, that Jesus is the Son of God, Gal. 2.19, 20. Let Christians observe, when we walk in the strength ⟨p. 369⟩of our own spirits and graces, we shall grow so dry and barren, that not one good fruit comes from us, and this is because we suck from our owne graces, and so spend on the stock, and so soon draw our selves dry, for want of living by faith in the Son of God; but a Christian that hath the water of Sanctification, let him doe all in the Name of Christ, and suck life from him daily, and he shall be sufficiently inabled to every duty that God requires; we never found this water, till we believed on Christ, and this water no longer runs fresh and full, then we renew our dayly dependence on him, and if we did so dayly, we should alwayes find it full Sea in our hearts.

3 Blood is a third witness on earth, and that is the blood of his sufferings that doth bear witness to our souls, that Jesus is the Son of God.

3 Bloud is a third witnesse on earth, and that is the bloud of his sufferings that doth bear witnesse to our souls, that Jesus is the Son of God.

2 The blood of Christ, purchaseth us to become his, Acts 20.28. Now when we can find our selves the purchased ones of God, the peculiar people of God, this blood of purchase witnesseth, that it was the Son of God that redeemed us from the world and our own corrupt hearts.

2 The bloud of Christ, purchaseth us to become his, Acts 20.28. Now when we can find our selves the purchased ones of God, the peculiar people of God, this bloud of purchase witnesseth, that it was the Son of God that redeemed us from the world and our own corrupt hearts.

3 The same blood doth therefore bear witness, that Jesus is the Son of God, because it's a blood of purity, sprinkled upon every Ordinance and creature, every thing was purified by blood, Heb. 9.19. to 23. this blood of Christ on every thing makes it pure, To the pure all things are pure, so that to such a one, his calling and company, his meat and drink do not ensnare him, as they do other men, set further off from God, but by this blood it is, and the blessing of God, that we are made more fruitful and serviceable to God, yea were it not for the blood of Christ, our very graces would corrupt us, it's the blood of Christ that makes them all useful and savoury, and turn to our good.

3 The same bloud doth therefore bear witnesse, that Jesus is the Son of God, because it's a bloud of purity, sprinkled upon every Ordinance and creature, every thing was purified by bloud, Heb. 9.19. to 23. this bloud of Christ on every thing makes it pure, To the pure all things are pure, so that to such a one, his calling and company, his meat and drink doe not insnare him, as they doe other men, set further off from God, but by this bloud it is, and the blessing of God, that we are made more fruitful and serviceable to God, yea were it not for the bloud of Christ, our very graces would corrupt us, it's the bloud of Christ that makes them all usefull and savory, and turn to our good.

Doct. These three witnesses, the Spirit, the Water, and the blood are in one.

Doct. These three witnesses, the Spirit, the Water, and the bloud are in one.

Not only in this witness, but they are all one for one work; in the Original, [Greek or Hebrew] that is, they all consent to one truth.

Not only in this witnesse, but they are all one for one work; in the Original, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 that is, they all consent to one truth.

And 2. they all go an end and conspire in one work of our Redemption, so that one would be of small use without the other.

And 2. they all goe an end and conspire in one work of our Redemption, so that one would be of small use without the other.

Use 1. To establish our hearts in this testimony, that Jesus is the Son of God, and so to believe it, that we may overcome the world; In the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth shall stand, how much more when three in heaven and three on earth testify the truth? and it's not enough to believe this upon the authority of the State, or thy Parents, or upon the universal consent of all men, for this is no part of divine testimony, and this belief will never help thee to overcome the world; and yet this is the testimony of the Church of Rome, but these humane testimonies will beget but humane credulity.

Ʋse 1. To establish our hearts in this testimony, that Jesus is the Son of God, and so to believe it, that we may overcome the world; In the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth shall stand, how much more when three in heaven and three on earth testifie the truth? and it's not enough to believe this upon the authority of the State, or thy Parents, or upon the universal consent of all men, for this is no part of divine testimony, and this beliefe will never help thee to overcome the world; and yet this is the testimony of the Church of Rome, but these humane testimonies will beget but humane credulity.

Use 2. For trial, whether you believe this truth aright or no; if your faith be built upon the testimony of the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, upon the testimony of the Spirit breathing in the Scripture, and in your own conscience upon the water of Sanctification and blood of Redemption, if your faith be built on these principles it will stand.

Ʋse 2. For tryall, whether you believe this truth aright or no; if your faith be built upon the testimony of the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, upon the testimony of the Spirit breathing in the Scripture, and in your own conscience upon the water of Sanctification and bloud of Redemption, if your faith be built on these principles it will stand.

Use 3. Reproves that Popish doctrine that maintains a Christian can never attain to any certain assurance; Why, if a Christian have six such strong witnesses, and divine, as these, will they not breed more then probable conjecture? Six be •est mens testimonies would breed more then probability; And do not God the Father, Son and holy Ghost breed assurance in their testimonies? It's a dishonourable thing to think otherwise.

Ʋse 3. Reproves that Popish doctrine that maintains a Christian can never attain to any certain assurance; Why, if a Christian have six such strong witnesses, and divine, as these, will they not breed more then probable conjecture? Six be •est mens testimonies would breed more then probability; And doe not God the Father, Son and holy Ghost breed assurance in their testimonies? It's a dishonourable thing to think otherwise.

Use 4. Of consolation to every one that hath found this witness in ⟨p. 370⟩him, it is a ground of singular comfort to them, that that Jesus on whom they have believed, will help them to overcome the world.

Ʋse 4. Of consolation to every one that hath found this witnesse in ⟨p. 370⟩him, it is a ground of singular comfort to them, that that Jesus on whom they have believed, will help them to overcome the world.

Use 5. Since these three, the Spirit, the water, and blood, do bear witness to the Sonship of Christ, it should teach us to keep our hearts and ears always open to these testimonies. Two things hinder this testimony, the noise and tumults of worldly businesses so fill our hearts and hands, that we cannot hear what the Spirit speaks. Secondly, the noise of our lusts doth so fill our souls, that we cannot listen to the peace Christs blood speaks, which speaks better things then our lusts: therefore we should always keep our hearts and ears open, and free from tumults of the world, or the noise of our own lusts, that so we might hear what Gods Spirit testifies to our own hearts.

Ʋse 5. Since these three, the Spirit, the water, and bloud, doe bear witnesse to the Sonship of Christ, it should teach us to keep our hearts and ears always open to these testimonies. Two things hinder this testimony, the noyse and tumults of worldly businesses so fill our hearts and hands, that we cannot hear what the Spirit speaks. Secondly, the noyse of our lusts doth so fill our souls, that we cannot listen to the peace Christs bloud speaks, which speaks better things then our lusts: therefore we should alwayes keep our hearts and ears open, and free from tumults of the world, or the noyse of our own lusts, that so we might hear what Gods Spirit testifies to our own hearts.

1 JOHN 5.9, 10. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son, &c.

1 JOHN 5.9, 10. If we receive the witnesse of men, the witnesse of God is greater; for this is the witnesse of God, which he hath testified of his Son, &c.

Having spoken in the former verse, of the manner of Christs coming, and of the witness born to it, three in Heaven, and three on earth, in these verses he excites us to receive the testimony of those witnesses by four arguments.

HAving spoken in the former verse, of the manner of Christs coming, and of the witnesse born to it, three in Heaven, and three on earth, in these verses he excites us to receive the testimony of those witnesses by four arguments.