The Spirit itself beareth witness, &c.— It may be proper to inquire, on this much controverted verse, 1st, How many and who are the witnesses here spoken of? and 2nd, What is the kind of evidence given by them? I. Συμμαρτυρει, rendered bearing witness with, signifies to be a fellow-witness, or to witness the same thing that another doth. This is the constant meaning of the word in Scripture, nor is it ever used but where there is a concurrent evidence of two witnesses (see chap. Romans 2:15 Romans 9:1.Revelation 22:16.). There can be no reason given therefore why it should not be taken in the same sense here, and rendered the Spirit beareth witness with, or together with, our spirit. Here then are two witnesses, and who they are we must next inquire. Who the first Spirit is, must be learnt from what goes before. In Romans 8:2 we read of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which hath made us free from the law of sin and of death. In Romans 8:9 he is called, the Spirit of God and of Christ. In Romans 8:11 the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead. In Romans 8:15 the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father.—In the present verse, reference is had to this Spirit:—"The Spirit itself; that is, the Spirit which has made us free in Christ Jesus,—the Spirit by whom we have received adoption, does himself bear witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." But then the question is, whether spirit in all these places be the name of a person, or whether it denotes only a quality or temper belonging to Christians; so that the Spirit of Christ shall signify no more than the mind of Christ does, Philippians 2:5.; that is, the same temper and disposition. This sense Crellius maintains, and others after him, explaining the passage thus: "Our evangelical spirit (that is, as he explains himself in another place,—our evangelical temper) is a sufficient argument to our own minds, that we are the children of God." To dispute this point with Crellius, and his brethren the Socinians, would be to run into a great controversy. But since the Spirit of Christ may and does signify both senses, it may be proper to point out, to such as have no private prejudices to be maintained, which sense 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 Jesus, 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 consequent of this freedom: the Spirit of God is the efficient cause, of whom we are said for that reason to be born. Secondly, It is the Spirit of him who raised up Christ; that is to say, the Spirit by which he wrought that great wonder and miracle, as is evident by taking the whole 11th verse together:—the Spirit of him who raised Christ from the dead, is the Spirit by which he so raised him, that is, the Holy Spirit, mighty in works and wonders. Lastly, It is the Spirit of adoption, by which we are made sons. The Spirit of adoption is the Spirit of which we are born in Christ; of which birth an evangelical temper is not the cause, but the effect. So that by the whole tenor of the Apostle's arguing it must appear most evidently to every candid mind, that the Spirit which beareth witness with our spirit is the Holy Spirit of God, who works together with our spirit, to enable us to perform the will of God.—As to the second witness,—our own spirit,—it needs not much time to shew what it is, since most are agreed that is our own mind. Who knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him? that is, save his mind and conscience? Thus then the faithful Christian has two witnesses of his being the son of God;—the Holy Spirit of God, and his own mind and conscience.
II. Let us therefore see, in the next place, what evidence each of them gives in this case. In order to this, we must look back to the latter part of the former chapter, to which the present verse relates. Our crying, Abba, Father, Romans 8:15 is very improperly pitched upon by some as the evidence proceeding from our own mind, since it is said expressly, that we so cry, by the spirit of adoption; so that our crying, Abba, Father, is an evidence coming not from our minds but from the Holy Spirit.—The evidence of our own spirit is, that it loves and delights in the law of God, and is restless to obey the law it loves. The Apostle's words, chap. Romans 7:25 are strong to this purpose; With the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin;—words which we should bear in memory while we are considering the evidence of the Spirit of God. In the present chapter St. Paul tells us, that the redemption by Christ Jesus has put an end to the wretched captivity under which we lived. The law of the Spirit, &c. see Romans 8:2. Law here signifies power, for power is a law to those who live under it: now then, the power of the Spirit has destroyed the power of sin. The power of sin was opposite to the mind and reason of man, so that man, while he lived under that power, was a slave; but the power of the Spirit is on reason's side, and works together with it; so that to be under this power is a state of liberty and freedom, and therefore it is justly said, that the law of the Spirit of life hath made free. The consequence of our being under the power of the Spirit is, that we walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, Romans 8:4.; that we mind the things of the Spirit, Romans 8:5.; that we mortify the deeds of the body, Romans 8:13.; that we are the sons of God, Romans 8:14.; that we cry, Abba, Father! Romans 8:15. These are the fruits of the Spirit. Now, to walk after the Spirit, and to do the deeds of the Spirit, is to walk according to our own mind and reason; for reason approves the things of God, and the things of the Spirit are the things of God. To cry, Abba, Father, proceeds from a settled and undisturbed mind,—from filial duty and reverence. This therefore we owe to the Spirit; for before, however our minds consented to his laws, yet still we were sinners, and conscience stood between us and our Father; so that we could not approach without fear and trembling, our minds still representing him to us rather as an injured Lord, than as a tender Father. But since the power of the Spirit has stilled the horrid contest that was within us between reason and sin, and that we both love and obey him,—we now no longer fear his presence; but like children longing for the return of a kind Father, we run out to embrace him, with words of friendship and affection in our mouths, crying, Abba, Father.—With the mind, he had said before, I serve the law of God, chap. Romans 7:25. "And now," says he, "by the same Spirit you obey the same law; and the Spirit of God, and your spirit, agree to give you the utmost assurance of being the children of God. Youare no longer in the sad condition before described; the mind leaning one way, and the flesh another; so that you desired to do one thing, yet did the contrary, and was always restless and uneasy; rebuked within, and constrained without: for the Spirit by which you are now ruled, consents to your mind, and is bent to perform the same things which the mind approves; whence you may have the greatest confidence towards God: for what plainer signs can you have of a good son and servant, than to know that he loves the law of his Father, and obeys it? Love the law, indeed, you did before in your awakened state; but obey it you could not: but now by the Spirit you obey it, and have the greatest satisfaction, both from within and without, that you are the children of God."This may suffice to shew the Apostle's meaning, and to explain "the nature of the evidence which each Spirit gives." See Bishop Sherlocke, Archbishop Sharpe, the Inferences, and the REFLECTIONS.