a certain feeling in the heart is produced by a certain agency, his faith and reason may decide that that agency produced the feeling, but consciousness has nothing whatever to do with the cause of the feeling.  Likewise, a certain feeling in the heart may be attributed to the Spirit because one has been taught that the Spirit will produce such a feeling, but consciousness can not trace that feeling to the Spirit himself.  A man should feel right because he knows he is right, and not know he is right because he feels right.

In deciding whether we be children of God, we have two witnesses:  first, the Spirit himself, and, second, our spirit.  The Spirit testifies as to who is a child of God; our spirits testify as to what we are.  If our spirits testify that we are the character which the Spirit says belongs to a child of God, then we have the testimony of the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirits that we are children of God.  The testimony of the Spirit, in the nature of the case, must be general.  He testifies that whosoever believes in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized into him, is a child of God.  This is the whole of his testimony.  Your spirit, likewise, must bear witness to your position on all of these points.

No one but your own spirit can testify that you believe in Christ; you may profess to, and the whole world may believe that you do, but your own spirit knows that you are a hypocrite in making the profession.  Likewise, no one can testify but your own spirit that you have repented; you may make professions of repentance, and the world may believe you thoroughly sincere, but your own spirit may tell you that your profession is false.  In a similar manner, no one but your own spirit can testify that you have been baptized; your father and mother may say so, the church record may so testify, and yet it is possible for them to be mistaken.  To be certain you are a child of God you must have the testimony of your own spirit that you believe, that you have repented and that you have been baptized.  If, in the judgment day, God should ask such people, “Have you obeyed me in the act of Christian baptism?” they would not have the testimony of their spirit that they had so obeyed; they would have to fall back upon the church record or that of their father and mother.  Others may be satisfied with such testimony, but, as for myself, if I did not have the testimony of my own spirit that I had obeyed the Lord in Christian baptism, I would obtain that testimony before the going down of the sun.

“Well,” says one, “is that all the witness of the Spirit mentioned by the apostle?” Yes, that is all; absolutely and unqualifiedly all.  What more can you desire?  “Well,” says another, “I want something more than the mere word; I want to be saved like the thief on the cross.”  How do you know that the thief on the cross was saved?  “Oh, the Bible says he was.”  True, but that is the testimony of the “mere word”; so you have as much