The Evidential Importance of the Inner Witness
Abp. W. Alexander. 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 has testified of his Son.… All the objective witness is crowned and perfected when it passes inwardly into the soul, into the heart and life — when the believer on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. The evidential importance of the inner witness is well stated by Baxter. "I am now much mare apprehensive than heretofore of the necessity of well grounding men in their religion, and especially of the witness of the indwelling Spirit; for I more sensibly perceive that the Spirit is the great witness of Christ and Christianity to the world. And though the folly of fanatics tempted me long to overlook the strength of the testimony of the Spirit, whilst they placed it in certain internal affection or enthusiastic inspiration, yet now I see that the Holy Ghost in another manner is the witness of Christ and His agent in the world. The Spirit in the prophets was His first witness; and the Spirit by miracles was the second; and the Spirit by renovation and sanctification, illumination and consolation, assimilating the soul to Christ and heaven, is the continued witness to all true believers. And therefore ungodly persons have a great disadvantage in their resisting temptations to unbelief." (Abp. W. Alexander.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. WEB: If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God's testimony which he has testified concerning his Son.