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A45368
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A cordial for Christians traveling heavenward being the substance of some sermons upon the eight chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans / preached in the city of Edinburgh by a minister of the Gospel there.
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Hamilton, Alexander, d. 1696.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing H475; ESTC R35978
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131,544
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244
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believe that an external Profession of the Christian Faith is sufficient to Entitle them to Christ and these Priviledges for this see Mat. 7.21 a◠Rom. 2.28 29. 2d Cause of this Mistake 〈◊〉 That People think that to whomsoever the Sacrament of Baptism is administred though they be voi◠of Christs Spirit yet they have an Interest in Christ and in the Gospel Against this see Rom. 2 2◠If thou break the Law thy Circumcision is made uncircumcision And Luke 3.7 8. also Simon Magus was baptised and yet was in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity It is true that Baptism gives those that are baptised who are not Ignorant o◠Scandalous a Right to join with the Church in al◠Church-Institutions but it does not possess them with a Right to the great Priviledges of the Gospel except they cordially receive Christ offered therein It is true it doth really seal the Truth of the free Covenant of Grace and the closs Particular and condescending Good offered therein but it cannot oblige God to give that Good to those that refuse it and will not cordially accept it A 3d. Cause of the Mistake is They take Morality for true Grace so they think their Morality evidenceth their Interest in Christ but Christ tells us Mat. 5.20 That our Righteousness must exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees otherways we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God A 4th Cause is They think the great and sole End of Christs Mission is to free them from the Guilt and Curse of the Law Therefore they think tho they be void of Christs Spirit they may have an Interest in Christ and the Gospel because they think Christ is come to save them from Wrath tho they take liberty to live as they will so they make Christ the Minister of Sin See Gal. 2.17 The folly of thir Persons is evidenced from this That Christs Errand into the World was to Redeem us from all Iniquity and to purify to himself a Peculiar People zealous of good Works A 5th Cause of this Mistake is That unrenewed Folks takes the Challenges of their Consciences to be the strivings of the Spirit against the Flesh for they conclude from having these Challenges that they have the Spirit of Christ tho they altogether want him But to undeceive such they would consider that those that have the strivings of the Spirit they do not fulfill the Lusts of the Flesh the External Conversation is regular although the inward Frame with Paul as Rom. 7. may want some Degrees of Perfection Likeas the strivings of the Spirit where they are they oppose heart-evils as well as external-evils evils against the Gospel as well as evils against the Moral-Law As this Text tells us That those that want Christs Spirit Christ has no such peculiar Interest in them as he has in Believers So it plainly supposeth that all those that have a peculiar Interest in him have this great Priviledge of the Presence of his Spirit I shall clear 1st That it is so 2ly Confirm it by telling you what are the Causes from whence the presence of the Spirit flowes 3ly What are the Ends and Uses for which God bestows this Benefit on Believers 4ly We shall exhort the People of God to improve this Benefite and not to lye out in the use making of it And 5ly Seeing all that are Christs have the Spirit and none other We will reprove those that have this Spirit and yet notwithstanding question Christs peculiar Interest in them and theirs in him As for the First Scripture shews it and the Experience of the Saints confirms it that Believers have the Spirit 1st Their illumination clears it their distinct clear near and solid Views of the sublime Mysteries of Gods Covenant that the sharpest Witts that want the Spirit reckon foolishness 1 Cor. 2.12 That Illumination discovers it self in a Presence of the Spirit 2. The Work of Sanctification discovers it if ye look to the greatness of the Change the thorrowness of the Change upon the whole Faculties and the whole conversation the constancy of the Change the suddenness of it and that it is carried over great and manifold Obstructions from Allurements and Terrors from bad Counsel and bad Custom from many false Suggestions of a deceitful Heart and subtile Reasonings of a tempting Devil 3ly The Spirits Consolation evinceth the reality of this Gift if we consider how the Saints Hearts are kept up under fightings without and terrours within 4. Their Devotions clears it if you consider their single humble fervent spiritual and confident Desires persevered in notwithstanding of Guilt Corruption Misery and Repulses surely such Desires come from no other Principle than the Omnipotent Spirit of God The Causes of this Gift may be 1st The Internal moving Cause is Electing Love 2ly The Meritorious Cause is Christs Satisfaction Gal. 3.13 14. 3ly The Procuring Cause is Christs Intercession John 14.16 4ly The Dispensing Cause is Christ himself John 16.7 and 15.26 5ly The Final Causes and Ends of this Gift are these following He is given 1st As an Illuminator to guide us into all Truth John 16.13 and to direct us in dubious Cases and lead us Rom. 8.14 2d End is to help our Infirmity in Prayer Rom. 8.26 3d. Is to comfort us in our Trouble John 14.16 A 4th Is to sanctify us 1 Thess 4.7 A 5th Is to be the Earnest of our Inheritance and to strengthen our Hope thereof Eph. 1.19 A 6th End is he is Gods Mark and Seal upon us till the Day of Redemption to obstruct the Worlds Calumnies whereby they calumniate us as Hypocrites and to hinder us to dispose upon our selves as we were our own And 7ly That his Presence may be a standing Witness in and to the World of the Truth of Christianity 1 John 5.10 As to the 4th Thing how to improve this Gift we have by Promise from the Fathers Love Christs Merite and Intercession 1st Believe that God will give us this promised Mercy Eph. 1.13 2ly We would pray for it Luke 11.13 3ly We would obey the Spirits Motions Gal. 5. penult 4ly Grieve not the Spirit and meddle not with these sins mentioned Eph. 4.30 5ly Savour the things of the Spirit and have an high esteem of Spiritual Priviledges Rom. 8.4 A 2d Use is since these that are Christs have this Gift and none other it reproves these that participate in part of this Gift and question Christs Interest in them and theirs in him and that First on the account of their Miseries Crosses and Mortalitie 2ly On account of the Remainders of their Corruption and sinful Infirmities 3ly Upon account of their partial Darkness in Spiritual Matters for we know but in part 4ly Upon account of their strong Temptations from Satan Verse 10. And if Christ be in you the Body is dead because of Sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness THE Apostle having applyed to the Romans the former Priviledges spoken of in
of Conscience Next Regulate your life by the Word having a constant Eye upon that as your Rule Use 2d Of Reproof If this be so advantageous an Exercise it reproves those that lay this work aside because they think the neglect of Mortification is consistent with Grace but as we were saying it is not consistent with the Life of Grace And the total neglect of it is inconsistent with Grace it self 3ly It reproves those that forbear Mortification because they see not many Evils to Mortifie through want of Self-Examination 4ly Those that spare their Sins because they think there are few free of the like of these Evills they are loath to Mortify Use 3d. Of Tryal To try whether we be about this Work or not 1st The Man that is about this Work he is glad of any actual separation Providence makes between him and his Ills by Crosses 2ly He is daily watchful against External Temptations 3ly He is daily porcing on the Mischiefs that Sin does him and Prays more for Grace against sin then to be free of Crosses and welcoms that Word most that particularly hits his Evills and does not spurn at it Observe 3ly That the Spirit is the great and principal cause of Mortification This is clear if ye consider the strength and deceitfulness of Lusts it must require the Spirits power in opposition to them 2ly if ye consider the ineffectualness of the means that many enjoy without the Spirits Blessing 3ly If ye consider that even those that are weak in natural parts they will when they depend upon the Spirit find great success in Mortification beyond others The manner how the Spirit does Mortifie is by discovering the hatefulness of Sin and its danger 2ly By applying the promises of the Gospel and so outbidding Corruption 3ly By enforcing the Commands of God against sin upon the Conscience Use If it be so we should use the means and Pray for the Spirits Blessing upon them 2ly We should not grieve the Mortifieing Spirit by unwatchfulness against External Temptations by want of Self-Examination to discern our Evills by falling into a frame of indifferency about Mortification that so we desire it faintly Verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God HEre is a proof That those that Mortify their Corruption by the Spirit shall live because They are the Sons of God And he proves this because that as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God Observe the Children of God are led by Gods Spirit I shall clear how this is and then apply it And first The Spirit leads the Child of God by giving him saving Instruction this is Gods teaching according to the Covenant-Promise 1st He opens his understanding that he may understand the Scriptures Luke 24.45 He makes them understand Truth Error 1 John 2.27 2ly He reveals the good things of the Gospel to him in their reality and usefulness 1 Cor. 2 13. 3ly He reveals the spirituality of the Law to them he makes the Commandment which is the Law come in its spiritual meaning to them Rom. 7.9 4ly He instructs them in the vanity of the Creature he makes them see an end of all perfection Psal 119.96 But 2ly He leads them as a Comforter and Encourager of them in their Journey and this he does these three ways 1st By witnessing their Adoption Rom. 8.15 2ly By helping them to apply the Promises Eph. 1.13 3ly By exciting their Hope Rom. 15.13 A 3d. way how he leads them is by strengthening their Grace and so assisting them in their Duty Eph. 3 16. A 4th Way is By exciting them to their Duty when they are laisy And this is done 1st By bringing the Word to their Remembrance Jo. 14.27 2ly By bringing their Engagements to God to their remembrance 3ly He excites them to their Duty by making them observe the Call of Exciteing Providences A 5th Way is By being a Reprover to them discovering to them their sinful Inclinations and strayings out of the way A 6th Way is By discovering unto them and giving them a foresight of the Stumbling-blocks that lye in the way and of the manifold Temptations they may meet with in it A 7th Way is By determining them in dubious cases Paul was bound in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem tho Agabas the Prophet told him of his suffering there From this We may make an Use of Tryal We may conclude that we are Gods Children if we observe these Operations of the Spirit in us 2ly We would be exhorted to beware of these things that marrs the presence of this Guide from us And 1st We would beware of impenitency under known Guilt Psal 51. David was afraid of the loseing the free Spirit by his Impenitency 2ly Beware of Worldliness John 14 17. 3ly Beware of Intemperance These that would be filled with the Spirit must not be filled with Wine Eph. 5.18 4ly Beware of an Vindictive Spirit Eph. 4.31 5ly Beware of slighting the Motions of the Spirit if we would live by the Spirit we must walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 6ly Beware of a Legal Frame of Spirit The Spirit glorifies Christ and so is grieved when Christians give not Christ his due The Spirit glorifies Christ John 16.14 7ly We would beware of Laziness or lying by from the use of appointed Means for that is the Way to quench the Spirit 1 Thess 5.19 8â—y Beware of neglecting Praying for the Spirit for the Father gives the holy Spirit to them that ask him 9ly Beware of casting your self upon Temptations we should abstain from all appearance of Evil if we would not quench the Spirit 1 Thess 5.22 Motives to perswade us to entertain the presence of this Guide 1st He is an unerring Guide He neither can nor will mislead us 2ly He is an experienced Guide he hath led many Sons to Glory 3ly He is sent by the Father and the Son to lead the Believer to Heaven 4ly This Guide is near us and constantly with us if we doe not grieve him he remaineth with us and shall be in us John 14 17. 4ly This Guide is absolutely needful for the Christian without him he has no Light no Comfort and no Strength The ignorant dejected and weak Condition of the Christian makes the guiding and leading of the Spirit absolutely needful to him There is a 3d. Use of Consolation from this Doctrine if the Child of God have the leading of the Spirit he may be much comforted under the various Cases he is in in the World he is many times weak for his Duty The Spirit can strengthen him with Might in the inward Man The Child of God is many times environed with Temptations the Spirit can give him the foresight of these He is many times straitned to know what is his Duty The Spirit can lead the blind by a way they know not He is subject to many Discouragements but the Spirit is a