of God.'

On first thought we might say, perhaps, that the gift would speak for
itself. But the Lord goes beyond that by giving us not only the
blessing itself, but also the Spirit to assure us that we have got the
blessing. John is on the same line when he says repeatedly about those
spiritual blessings, 'we know', 'we know that we know', and the secret
of sureness is made clear, 'we know by the Spirit which He hath given
unto us'.

When we speak of the witness of the Spirit, either to our conversion or
our sanctification, we do not mean some audible voice or some
miraculous demonstration, but an inwrought conviction as to the
correctness of our words when, in all sincerity, and to the glory of
God, we profess to have arrived at a certain point, or obtained a
certain blessing. It is a conviction which removes doubt, and satisfies
the soul on the question. The mode of this--the way in which the Holy
Ghost does it--may be quite beyond our comprehension; but the fact is
there, as far beyond dispute as with the assurance of the blind man,
who said, 'This one thing I know, that whereas once I was blind, now I
see'.

3. Then I also used the word _'results', as indicating a class of
evidence_ without which all other professed experiences are but passing
sentiments and sensations. In the character and life there must be
results in the shape of those holy fruits of which I have so frequently
spoken.

In a sense often described, and well understood, every child of God
becomes at conversion the temple of the Holy Ghost; we are born of the
Spirit; enlightened by the Spirit; our spiritual life is sustained by
the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are therefore manifest in a
greater or lesser degree, but the advantage to the entirely sanctified
is that not only is the fruit-bearing power increased, but fruits of an
opposite character are absent. In other words, the fully sanctified man
is 'filled with the Spirit'. The fruits of righteousness, which are by
Jesus Christ, are abundant in him.

To illustrate my meaning, take one passage relating to that spiritual
fruit described by the word _love_. 'We know that we have passed from
death unto life, because we love the brethren.' Now, of course, that
comes into operation at conversion; but in the fully sanctified this is
love without admixture, pure love, without any feeling opposed to love.
We can soon test ourselves. Think of love in the forgiveness of injury;
the love which 'th