Do not rest in the fruit alone

The second inference is, let no one rest in any supposed fruit of the Spirit without the witness. There may be foretastes of joy, of peace, of love, and those not delusive, but really from God, long before we have the witness in ourselves, before the Spirit of God witnesses with our spirits that we have redemption in the blood of Jesus, even the forgiveness of sins. Yes, there may be a degree of long-suffering, of gentleness, of fidelity, meekness, temperance, not a shadow of them, but a real degree, by the preventing grace of God, the grace that goes before. This may be so before we are accepted in the Beloved, and consequently before we have a testimony of our acceptance. But it is by no means advisable to rest here. It is at the peril of our souls if we do.

If we are wise, we shall be continually crying to God, until his Spirit cries in our heart, Abba, Father. This is the privilege of all the children of God, and without this we can never be assured that we are his children. Without this we cannot retain a steady peace, nor avoid perplexing doubts and fears. But when we have once received this Spirit of adoption, this peace which passes all understanding, and which expels all painful doubt and fear, will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And when this has brought forth its genuine fruit, all inward and outward holiness, it is undoubtedly the will of him who calls us, to give us always what he has once given. So there is no need that we should ever again be deprived either of the testimony of God's Spirit, or of the testimony of our own, the consciousness of our walking in all righteousness and true holiness.