him of quick Understanding in the Fear of the Lord. Now this was in a singular manner and in a measure inexpressible whence he is said to be anointed with the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows or those who were Partakers of the same Spirit with him Psal. 45. 7. Heb. 1. 8 9. Although I acknowledg that there was in that Expression a peculiar respect unto his Glorious Exaltation which afterwards ensued as hath been declared on that place And this Collation of Extraordinary Gifts for the discharge of his Prophetical Office was at his Baptism Matth. 3. They were not bestowed on the Head of the Church nor are any Gifts of the same Nature in general bestowed on any of his Members but for Use Exercise and Improvement And that they were then collated appears For Sect. 5 1. Then did he receive the Visible Pledge which confirmed him in and testified unto others his calling of God to the Exercise of his Office For then the Spirit of God descended like a Dove and rested on him and lo a voice came from Heaven saying This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3. 16 17. Hereby was he sealed of God the Father John 6. 27 in that Visible Pledg of his Vocation setting the great Seal of Heaven to his Commission And this also was to be a Testimony unto others that they might own him in his Office now he had undertaken to discharge it John 1. 33. 2. He now entred on his Publick Ministry and wholly gave himself up unto his Work For before he did only occasionally manifest the Presence of God with him somewhat to prepare the Minds of Men to attend unto his Ministry as when he filled them with astonishment at his Discourses with the Doctors in the Temple Luke 2. 46 47. And although it is probable that he might be acted by the Spirit in and unto many such extraordinary Actions during his Course of a Private Life yet the fulness of Gifts for his Work he received not until the time of his Baptism and therefore before that he gave not himself up wholly unto his publick Ministry 3. Immediately hereon it is said that He was full of the Holy Ghost Luke 4. 1. Before he was said to wax strong in Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 2. 40. continually filling but now he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of the Holy Ghost He was actually possessed of and furnished with all that fulness of Spiritual Gifts which were any way needful for him or useful unto him or which Humane Nature is capable of receiving With respect hereunto doth the Evangelist use that Expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 3. 34. For God giveth not the Spirit by measure That it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is here intended unto whom the Spirit is thus given is evident from the Context although it be not express in the Text. He is spoken of and is the Subject of the whole Discourse v. 31. He that cometh from Above is above all He that cometh from Heaven is above all None doubts but that this is a Description of the Person of Christ. And in the beginning of this Verse He whom God hath sent speaketh the Words of God which is the usual Periphrasis of the Lord Christ used at least twenty times in this Gospel Of him this account is given that he testifieth what he hath seen and heard v. 32. and that he speaketh the Words of God v. 3 4. Different events are also marked upon his Testimony for many refused it v. 32. but some received it who therein set to their Seal that God is true vers 33. For he that believeth not the Record that he gave of his Son hath made him a lyar 1 John 5. 1. As a Reason of all this it is added That God gave not the Spirit unto him by Measure So that he was fully enabled to speak the Words of God and those by whom his Testimony was rejected were justly liable to Wrath v. 36. Vain therefore is the attempt of Crellius de Spirit Sanct. followed by Sclictingius in his Comment on this Place who would exclude the Lord Christ from being intended in these words For they would have them signifie no more but only in general That God is not bound up to Measures in the Dispensation of the Spirit but gives to one according unto one measure and to another according to another But as this gloss overthrows the coherence of the words disturbing the Context so it contradicts the Text it self For God's not giving the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Measure is his giving of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immeasurably without known Bounds or Limits and so the Spirit was given unto the Lord Christ only For unto every one of us is given Grace according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ Ephes. 4. 7. That is in what Measure he pleaseth to communicate and distribute it But the Effects of this giving of the Spirit unto the Lord Christ not by Measure belonged unto that fulness from whence we receive Grace for Grace John 1. 16. For hereby the Father accomplished his Will when it pleased him that in him all fulness should dwell Col. 1. 19. that he in all things might have the Pre-eminence Nor can any Difficulty of weight be cast on this Interpretation from the use of the word in the present Tense which is by Crellius insisted on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he giveth For Christ they say had before received the Spirit for this is spoken of him after his Baptism If therefore he had been intended it should rather have been he hath given or he hath not given unto him by Measure But 1. this was immediately on his Baptism and therefore the collation of the Fulness of the Spirit might be spoken of as a thing present being but newly past which is an ordinary kind of Speech on all occasions Besides 2. the collation of the Spirit is a continued Act in that he was given him to abide with him to rest upon him wherein there was a continuance of the Love of God towards and his care over him in his Work Hence the Lord Christ saith of himself or the Prophet in his Person that the Spirit sent him Now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me Isa. 48. 16. The same Work in sending of Christ is ascribed unto the Lord God that is the Father and to the Spirit but in a different manner He was sent by the Father authoritatively and the Furniture he received by the Spirit of Gifts for his Work and Office is called his sending of him As the same Work is assigned unto different Persons in the Trinity on different accounts Sect. 6 Fifthly It was in an especial manner by the Power of the Holy Spirit by which he wrought those great and miraculous Works whereby his Ministry was attested unto and confirmed Hence it is said That God wrought Miracles by him Acts 2.
Ends and Effects for which he is promised And these are those which are before expressed with all those particular Instances which may be reduced unto them We might therefore hence give Direction in some Enquiries which indeed deserve a larger Discussion if our present Design would admit of it one only I shall instance in May a Person who is yet Vnregenerate pray for the Spirit of Regeneration to effect that Work in him For whereas as such he is promised onely unto the Elect such a Person not knowing his Election seems to have no foundation to make such a Request upon Ans. 1. Election is no Qualification on our part which we may consider or plead in our Supplications but only the secret Purpose on the part of God of what himself will doe and is known unto us only by its Effects 2 Persons convinced of sin and a state of sin may and ought to pray that God by the Effectual Communications of his Spirit unto them would deliver them from that Condition This is one way whereby we flee from the wrath to come 3 The especial Object of their Supplications herein is Sovereign Grace Goodness and Mercy as declared in and by Jesus Christ. Such Persons cannot indeed plead any especial Promise as made unto them But they may plead for the Grace and Mercy declared in the Promises as indefinitely proposed unto sinners It may be they can proceed no further in their Expectations but unto that of the Prophet who knoweth if God will come and give a Blessing Joel 2. 14. yet is this a sufficient ground and encouragement to keep them waiting at the Throne of Grace So Paul after he had received his Vision from Heaven continued in great distress of mind praying until he received the Holy Ghost Acts 9. 11 17. 4 Persons under such Convictions have really sometimes the seeds of Regeneration communicated unto them and then as they ought so they will continue in their Supplications for the Encrease and Manifestation of it It is evident that by these Observations the foregoing Objection is utterly removed out of the way and there is no disadvantage ariseth unto the Doctrine of the Free and Effectual Grace of God by confining this Work of Sanctification and Holiness unto Believers only None are sanctified none are made Holy but those who truely and savingly Believe in God through Jesus Christ which I shall now further confirm Sect. 5 1 Without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. The Faith discoursed of by the Apostle is that whereby the Fathers received the Promises walked with God and obtained the Inheritance the Faith of Abraham that is true saying justifying Faith This Faith constitutes all them in whom it is true Believers and without it it is impossible to please God Now Holiness wherever it is pleaseth God and therefore without Faith it is impossible we should have any interest in it This is the Will of God even our Sanctification 1 Thess. 4. 3. and walking therein we please God v. 7. All that pleaseth God in us is our Holiness or some part of it and it principally consists in an Opposition unto all that displeaseth him That which he commands pleaseth him and that which he forbids displeaseth him and our Holiness consists in a Complyance with the one and an Opposition unto the other Wherefore that any others but Believers should have any thing which really belongs unto this Holiness the Apostle declares it to be impossible Some would except against this sense of the words from the ensuing Reason which the Apostle gives of his Assertion which contains the nature of the Faith intended For he that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him For this is that they say which the Light of Nature directs unto and therefore there is no other Faith necessarily required that a man may please God but only that which is included in the right use and exercise of Natural Reason But this Exception will no way evade the Force of this Testimony For the Apostle discourseth concerning such a Coming unto God and such a Belief in him as is guided directed and ingenerated in us by the Promises which it rests upon and is resolved into Now these Promises all and every one of them include Jesus Christ with a respect unto him and his Grace And therefore the Faith intended is that which is in God through Christ as revealed and exhibited in the Promises and this Coming unto God is a Fruit and Effect thereof 2 Our Lord Jesus Christ affirms that men are sanctified by the Faith that is in him Acts 26. 18. That they may receive Forgiveness of sins and an Inheritance among them that are sanctified by the Faith that is in me If there were any other way or means whereby men might be sanctified or made Holy he would not have confined it unto the Faith that is in him At least there is no other way to attain that Holiness which may bring them unto the Heavenly Inheritance or make them meet for it Col. 1. 11. which alone we enquire after And indeed there can be no greater Contempt cast on the Lord Jesus and on the Duty of Believing in him whereunto he makes this one of his principal Motives than to Imagine that without Faith in him any one can be made Holy 3. Faith is the Instrumental Cause of our Sanctification so that where it is not no Holiness can be wrought in us God purifyeth our hearts by Faith Acts 15. 9. and not otherwise And where the Heart is not purifyed there is no Holiness All the Dutyes in the world will not denominate him Holy whose Heart is not purified nor will any such Dutyes be holy themselves seeing unto the unclean all things are unclean All the Obedience that is accepted with God is the Obedience of Faith Rom. 1. 7. thence it springs and therewith is it animated So is it expressed 1 Pet. 1. 21 22. You who by Christ do believe in God and have purifyed your Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit It is from Faith in God through Jesus Christ acting it self in Obedience unto the Gospel that we purifie or cleanse our Souls which is our Sanctification See Col. 2. 12 13 14. Chap. 3. 7 8 9 10 11. 4 All Grace is Originally entrusted in and with Jesus Christ. The Image of God being lost in Adam whatever was prepared or is used for the Renovation of it in our Natures and Persons wherein Gospel Holiness doth consist was to be treasured up in him as the second Adam by whom many are to be made alive who dyed in the first It pleased the Father that in him all Fulness should dwell as the Fullness of the Godhead in and for his own Divine Personal Subsistence so the Fulness of all Grace for Supplyes unto us that of his Fulness we might receive Grace for Grace He is made the Head
spiritual Life Strength and Nourishment made unto every Member of the Body unto its Encrease Growth and Edification for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Chap. 5. 30. being made out of him as Eve was out of Adam yet so continuing in him as to have all our Supplyes from him we in him and he in us as he speaks Joh. 14. 20. And Col. 2. 19. it is expressly affirmed that from him the Head there is Nourishment ministred unto the Body unto its Encrease with the Encrease of God And what this Spiriritual Nourishment supplyed unto the Souls of Believers for their Encrease and Growth from Christ their Head can be but the Emanation from his Person and Communication with them of that Grace which is the Principle and Spring of all Holiness and Duties of Evangelical Obedience none have as yet undertaken to declare And if any do deny it they do what lies in them to destroy the Life and overthrow the Faith of the whole Church of God Yea upon such a blasphemous Imagination that there could be an Intercision for one Moment of Influences of spiritual Life and Grace from the Person of Christ unto the Church the whole must be supposed to dye and perish and that Eternally Sect. 70 4 The whole of what we assert is plainly and evidently proposed in sundry instructive Allusions which are made use of to this purpose The principal of them is that both laid down and declared by our Saviour himself Joh. 15. 1. 4 5. I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman Abide in me and I in you As the Branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the Vine and ye are the Branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me or severed from me apart from me ye can do nothing The Natural in-being of the Vine and Branches in each other is known unto all with the Reason of it and so is the Way whereby the in-being of the Branches in the Vine is the Cause and Means of their Fruit-bearing It is no otherwise but by the Communication and Derivation of that Succus i. e. Juyce and Nourishment which alone is the Preservative of Vegetative Life and the next Cause of Fruit-bearing In this Juyce and Nourishment all Fruit is Virtually yea also as to the first matter and substance of it In and by the Branch it is only formed into its proper Kind and Perfection Let any thing be done to intercept this Communication from the Vine unto any Branch and it not only immediately looseth all its Fruit-bearing Power and Vertue but its self also withereth and dyeth away And there is a mutual acting of the Vine and Branches in this matter Unto the Vine it self it is Natural from its own Fullness to communicate Nourishment unto the Branches it doth it from the Principle of its Nature And unto the Branches it is also Natural to draw and derive their Nourishment from the Vine Thus is it saith the Lord Christ unto his Disciples between me and you I am the Vine saith he and ye are the Branches and there is a mutual in-being between us I am in you and ye are in me by vertue of our Union That now which is expected from you is that you bring forth Fruit that is that you live in Holiness and Obedience unto the Glory of God Unless you do so you are no true real Branches in me whatever outward Profession you may make of your so being But how shall this be effected How shall they be able to bring forth Fruit This can be no otherwise done but by their abiding in Christ and thereby continually deriving spiritual nourishment that is Grace and supplyes of Holiness from him For saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate or apart from me ye can do nothing of this kind And that is because nothing becomes Fruit in the Branch that was not Nourishment from the Vine Nothing is Duty nothing is Obedience in Believers but what is Grace from Christ communicated unto them The Preparation of all fructifying Grace is in Christ as the Fruit of the Branches is naturally in the Vine And the Lord Christ doth spiritually and voluntarily communicate of this Grace unto all Believers as the Vine communicates its Juyce unto the Branches naturally And it is the new Nature of Believers to derive it from him by Faith This being done it is in them turned into particular Duties of Holiness and Obedience Therefore it is evident that there is nothing of Evangelical Holiness in any one Person whatever but what is in the Vertue Power and Grace of it derived immediately from Jesus Christ by vertue of Relation unto him and Union with him And it may be enquired Whether this be so with Moral Vertue or no. The same is taught by our Apostle under the Similitude of an Olive-tree and its Branches Rom. 11. As also where he is affirmed to be a living Stone and Believers to be built on him as lively Stones into a spiritual House 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. Sect. 71 Particular Testimonies do so abound in this Case as that I shall only name some few of them Joh. 1. 15. He is full of Grace and Truth And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace It is of the Person of Christ or the Word made Flesh the Son of God Incarnate that the Holy Ghost speaketh He was made Flesh and dwelt among us full of Grace and Truth It is not the Fulness of the Deity as it dwelt in him personally that is here intended but that which was in him as he was made flesh that is in his Humane Nature as inseparably united unto the Divine An All-fulness that he received by the good pleasure or voluntary Disposal of the Father Col. 1. 19. and therefore belongeth not unto the Essential Fulness of the Godhead And as to the Nature of this Fulness it is said to consist in Grace and Truth that is the Perfection of Holiness and Knowledge of the whole Mind Counsel and Mystery of the Will of God Of this Fulness do we receive Grace for Grace all the Grace in every Kind whereof we are made partakers in this World That this Fulness in Christ expresseth the unconceivable Fulness of his Humane Nature by vertue of his indissolute Personal Union with all Graces in their perfection wherein he received not the Spirit by measure Joh. 3. 34. is as I suppose by all Christians acknowledged I am sure cannot be denyed without the highest Impiety and Blasphemy Hence therefore the Holy Ghost being witness do we derive and receive all our Grace every one according to his Measure Ephes. 4. 7. Wherefore Grace is given unto the Lord Christ in an immeasurable Perfection by vertue of his Personal Vnion Col. 2. 9. and from him is it derived unto
execution of his Office as the King and Head of the Church is included in these words But his first Sanctifying Work in the Womb is principally intended For those Expressions a Rod out of the Stem of Jesse and a Branch out of his Roots with respect whereunto the Spirit is said to be communicated unto him do plainly regard his Incarnation And the Soul of Christ from the first moment of its Infusion was a Subject capable of a Fulness of Grace as unto its habitual Residence and Inbeing though the actual exercise of it was suspended for a while until the Organs of the Body were fitted for it This therefore it received by this first Unction of the Spirit Hence from his Conception he was Holy as well as harmless and undefiled Heb. 7. 26. An Holy Thing Luke 1. 35. radically filled with a Perfection of Grace and Wisdom Inasmuch as the Father gave him not the Spirit by Measure John 3. 34. See to this purpose Our Commentary on Heb. 1. v. 1. p. 17. see John 1. 14 15 16. Sect. 2 Thirdly The Spirit carried on that Work whose Foundation it had thus laid And Two Things are to be here diligently observed 1. That the Lord Christ as Man did and was to exercise all Grace by the Rational Faculties and Powers of his Soul his Understanding Will and Affections For he acted Grace as a Man made of a Woman made under the Law His Divine Nature was not unto him in the place of a Soul nor did immediately operate the things which he performed as some of old vainly imagined But being a perfect Man his Rational Soul was in him the immediate principle of all his Moral Operations even as ours are in us Now in the Improvement and Exercise of these Faculties and Powers of his Soul he had and made a Progress after the manner of other Men. For he was made like unto us in all things yet without sin In their Encrease Enlargement and Exercise there was required a Progression in Grace also And this he had continually by the Holy Ghost Luke 2. 40. The Child grew and waxed strong in Spirit The first Clause refers to his Body which grew and increased after the manner of other Men as v. 52. He increased in Stature The other respects the confirmation of the Faculties of his Mind he waxed strong in Spirit So v. 47. he is said to increase in Wisdom as in Stature He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continually filling and filled with new Degrees of Wisdom as to its Exercise according as the Rational Faculties of his Mind were capable thereof an increase in these things accompanied his years v. 52. And what is here recorded by the Evangelist contains a Description of the Accomplishments of the Prophesie before mentioned Isa. 11. 1 2 3. And this Growth in Grace and Wisdom was the peculiar Work of the Holy Spirit For as the Faculties of his Mind were enlarged by Degrees and strengthened so the Holy Spirit filled them up with Grace for Actual Obedience Sect. 3 2. The Humane Nature of Christ was capable of having New Objects proposed to its Mind and Understanding whereof before it had a simple Nescience And this is an inseparable adjunct of Humane Nature as such as it is to be weary or hungry and no vice or blameable defect Some have made a great outcry about the ascribing of Ignorance by some Protestant Divines unto the Humane Soul of Christ Bellarm. de Anim. Christi Take Ignorance for that which is a moral Defect in any kind or an unacquaintedness with that which any one ought to know or is necessary unto him as to the Perfection of his Condition or his Duty and it is false that ever any of them ascribed it unto him Take it meerly for a nescience of some things and there is no more in it but a denial of Infinite Omniscience nothing inconsistent with the highest Holiness and Purity of Humane Nature So the Lord Christ sayes of himself that he knew not the Day and Hour of the End of all things and our Apostle of him that he learned Obedience by the things that he suffered Heb. 5. 8. In the representation then of things anew to the Humane Nature of Christ the Wisdom and Knowledg of it was objectively increased and in new Tryals and Temptations he experimentally learned the new Exercise of Grace And this was the constant Work of the Holy Spirit in the Humane Nature of Christ. He dwelt in him in fulness for he received him not by measure And continually upon all occasions he gave out of his unsearchable Treasures Grace for Exercise in all Duties and Instances of it From hence was he habitually Holy and from hence did he exercise Holiness entirely and universally in all things Sect. 4 Fourthly The Holy Spirit in a peculiar manner anointed him with all those extraordinary Powers and Gifts which were necessary for the Exercise and Discharging of his Office on the Earth Isa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me because the Lord hath anointed me to Preach good Tydings unto the Meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim Liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison unto them that are bound It is the Prophetical Office of Christ and his discharge thereof in his Ministry on the Earth which is intended And he applies these words unto himself with respect unto his Preaching of the Gospel Luke 4. 18. For this was that Office which he principally attended unto here in the World as that whereby he instructed Men in the Nature and Use of his other Offices For his Kingly Power in his Humane Nature on the Earth he exercised but sparingly Thereunto indeed belonged his sending forth of Apostles and Evangelists to preach with Authority And towards the End of his Ministry he instituted Ordinances of Gospel-Worship and appointed the Order of his Church in the Foundation and Building of it up which were Acts of Kingly Power Nor did he perform any Act of his Sacerdotal Office but only at his Death when he gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour Ephes. 5. 2. wherein God smelt a Savour of Rest and was appeased towards us But the whole course of his Life and Ministry was the Discharge of his Prophetical Office unto the Jews Rom. 15. 8. Which he was to do according to the great Promise Deut. 18. 18 19. And on the Acceptance or Refusal of him herein depended the Life and Death of the Church of Israel v. 19. Acts 3. 23. Heb. 1. 1. John 8. 44. Hereunto was he fitted by this Unction of the Spirit And here also is a distinction between the Spirit that was upon him and his being anointed to Preach which contains the Communication of the Gifts of that Spirit unto him As it is said Chap. 11. 3. The Spirit rested on him as a Spirit of Wisdom to make
us much to blame that we do not more abound in the use of this Means unto the End mentioned Did we abide more constantly in the beholding or Contemplation of the Person of Christ of the Glory and Beauty of his Holiness as the Pattern and great Example proposed unto us we should be more transformed into his Image and Likeness But it is so fallen out that many who are called Christians delight to be talking of and do much admire the vertuous Sayings and Actions of the Heathen and are ready to make them the Object of their Imitation whilest they have no thoughts of the Grace that was in our Lord Jesus Christ nor do endeavour after Conformity thereunto And the Reason is because the Vertue which they seek after and desire is of the same Kind with that which was in the Heathen and not of that Grace and Holiness which was in Christ Jesus And thence also it is that some who not out of Love unto it but to decry other important Mysteries of the Gospel thereby do place all Christianity in the Imitation of Christ do yet indeed in their practice despise those Qualities and Dutyes wherein he principally manifested the Glory of his Grace His Meekness Patience Self-denyal Quietness in bearing Reproaches Contempt of the World Zeal for the Glory of God Compassion to the Souls of men Condescentions to the Weaknesses of all they regard not But there is no greater Evidence that whatever we seem to have of any thing that is good in us is no part of Evangelical Holiness than that it doth not render us conformable to Christ. Sect. 60 And we should alwayes consider how we ought to act Faith on Christ with respect unto this End Let none be guilty practically of what some are falsely charged withall as to Doctrine Let none divide in the Work of Faith and Exercise themselves but in the one half of it To Believe in Christ for Redemption for Justification for Sanctification is but one half of the Duty of Faith It respects Christ only as he died and suffered for us as he made Attonement for our sins Peace with God and Reconciliation for us as his Righteousness is imputed unto us unto Justification Unto these Ends indeed is he firstly and principally proposed unto us in the Gospel and with respect unto them are we exhorted to receive him and to believe in him But this is not all that is required of us Christ in the Gospel is proposed unto us as our Pattern and Example of Holiness And as it is a cursed Imagination that this was the whole End of his Life and Death namely to exemplifie and confirm the Doctrine of Holiness which he taught so to neglect his so being our Example in considering him by Faith to that End and labouring after Conformity to him is evil and pernitious Wherefore let us be much in the Contemplation of what he was what he did how in all Instances of Duties and Trials he carried himself untill an Image or Idea of his perfect Holiness is implanted in our Minds and we are made like unto him thereby Sect. 61 4 ly That which principally differenceth Evangelical Holiness with respect unto the Lord Christ from all other Natural or Moral Habits or Duties and whereby he is made Sanctification unto us is that from him his Person as our Head the Principle of spiritual Life and Holiness in Believers is derived and by vertue of their Vnion with him real Supplyes of spiritual Strength and Grace whereby their Holiness is preserved maintained and encreased are constantly communicated unto them On the stating and proof hereof the whole difference about Grace and Morality doth depend and will issue For if that which men call Morality be so derived from the Lord Christ by vertue of our Union with him it is Evangelical Grace if it be not it is either nothing or somewhat of another Nature and Kind for Grace it is not nor Holiness neither And all that I have to prove herein is that the Lord Jesus Christ is an Head of Influence the Spring or Fountain of spiritual Life unto his Church wherein I know my self to have the Consent of the Church of God in all Ages And I shall confine the proof of my Assertion unto the ensuing Positions with their Confirmation Sect. 62 First Whatever Grace God promiseth unto any bestoweth on them or worketh in them it is all so bestowed and wrought in by and through Jesus Christ as the Mediatour or middle Person between God and them This the very Notion and Nature of his Office of Mediator and his Interposition therein between God and us doth require To affirm that any good thing any Grace any Vertue is given unto or bestowed on us or wrought in us by God and not immediately through Christ or that we Believe in God yield Obedience unto him or Praise with Glory not directly by Christ is utterly to overthrow his Mediation Moses indeed is called a Mediator between God and the People Gal. 3. 19. as he was an Internuntius a Messenger to declare the Mind of God to them and to return their Answers unto God but to limit the Mediatory Work of Christ unto such an Interposition only is to leave him but one Office that of a Prophet and to destroy the principal Uses and Effects of his Mediation towards the Church In like manner because Moses is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Saviour or Redeemer Acts 7. 35. metaphorically with respect unto his Use and Employment in that mighty Work of the Deliverance of the People out of Aegypt some will not allow that the Lord Christ is a Redeemer in any other sence subverting the whole Gospel with the Faith and Souls of men But in particular what there is of this nature in the Mediation of Christ in his being the middle Person between God and us may be declared in the ensuing Assertions Sect. 63 1 God himself is the absolute infinite Fountain the supream efficient Cause of all Grace and Holiness For He alone is originally and essentially Holy as he only is Good and so the first Cause of Holiness and Goodness to others Hence he is called the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5. 10. The Author Possessour and Bestower of it He hath Life in himself and quickeneth whom he pleaseth Joh. 5. 26. With him is the Fountain of Life Psal. 36. 9. as hath been declared before This I suppose needs no further Confirmation with them who really acknowledge any such thing as Grace and Holiness These things if any are among those perfect Gifts which are from above coming down from the Father of Lights with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning Jam. 1. 17. Sect. 64 2 God from his own fullness communicates unto his Creatures either by the way of Nature or by the way of Grace In our first Creation God implanted his Image on us in Uprightness and Holiness in and by the making or Creation
received And although the direct end of some of them be not the Spiritual Good of them on whom they are bestowed but the Edification of others for the manifestation of the Spirit is given unto every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 4. 12 17. yet there is that excellency and worth in them and that use may be made of them as to turn greatly to the advantage of them that receive them For although they are not Grace yet they serve to stir up and give an edg unto Grace and to draw it out unto Exercise whereby it is strengthened and increased And they have an influence into Glory For it is by the Abilities which they give that some are made wise effectual Instruments for the turning of many to Righteousness who shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and as the Stars for ever and ever Dan. 12. 3. But the Unbelief Ingratitude and Lusts of Men can spoil these and any other good things whatever And these things will afterwards in particular fall under our Consideration In general to be made Partaker of the Holy Ghost is an inestimable Priviledg and Advantage and as such is proposed by our Saviour John 14. 17. Sect. 8 Secondly God is said to SEND him Psal. 104. 30. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit John 14. 26. The Father will send the Holy Ghost in my Name This is also spoken of the Son I will send unto you the Comforter from the Father John 15. 26. John 16. 7. And in the accomplishment of that Promise it is said he poured him forth Acts 2. 33. Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son in your hearts and in other places the same Expression is used Now this upon the matter i◠the same with the former of Giving him arguing the same Authority the same Freedom the same Bounty Only the word naturally includes in its signification a respect unto a local Motion He which is sent removeth from the place where he was from whence He is sent unto a place where he was not whither he was sent Now this cannot properly be spoken of the Holy Ghost For he being God by Nature is naturally omnipresent and an Omnipresence is inconsistent with a Local Mutation So the Psalmist expresly Psal. 139. 7 8. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence if I ascend up into Heaven c. There must therefore a Metaphor be allowed in this Expression but such a One as the Scripture by the frequent use of it hath rendred familiar unto us Thus God is said to arise out of his place to bow the Heavens and come down to come down and see what is done in the Earth Gen. 18. 21. Isa. 64. 1. That these things are not spoken properly of God who is immense all men acknowledg But where God begins to work in any place in any kind where before he did not do so he is said to come thither For so must we do we must come to a place before we can work in it Thus the Sending of the Holy Ghost includeth two things as added unto his being Given 1. That He was not before in or with that Person or amongst those Persons for that especial Work and End which he is sent for He may be in them and with them in one respect and be afterwards said to be sent unto them in another So our Lord Jesus Christ promiseth to send the Holy Ghost unto his Disciples as a Comforter whom they had received before as a Sanctifier I will saith he send him unto you and you know him for he dwelleth with you John 14. 17. He did so as a Sanctifier before he came unto them as a Comforter But in every coming of His He is sent for one especial Work or another And this sufficiently manifests that in his Gifts and Graces he is not common unto all A supposition thereof would leave no place for this especial Act of sending him which is done by Choice and Distinction of the Object Much less is he a Light which is alwayes in all Men and which all Men may be in if they please For this neither is nor can be absent in any sense from any one at any time 2. It denotes as especial Work there or on them where and on whom there was none before of that kind For this cause is he said to be sent of the Father No Local Motion then is intended in this Expression only there is an allusion thereunto For as a Creature cannot produce any Effects where it is not until it either be sent thither or go thither of its own accord So the Holy Ghost produceth not the blessed Effects of his Power and Grace but in and towards them unto whom he is given and sent by the Father How in answer hereunto he is said himself to come shall be afterwards declared And it is the Person of the Spirit which is said to be thus sent For this belongs unto that Holy Dispensation of the several Persons of the Trinity in the Work of our Salvation And herein the Spirit in all his Operations is considered as sent of the Father for the Reasons before often intimated Sect. 9 Thirdly God is said to MINISTER the Spirit Gal. 3. 5. He that ministreth the Spirit unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that gives you continual or abundant supplies of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to give a sufficiency of any thing and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are dimensum a sufficiency of Provision And addition thereunto is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the Communication of the Spirit is expressed Phil. 1. 19. For I know that this shall turn to my Salvation through your Prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the additional supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. That Spirit and its Assistance he had before received but He yet stood in need of a daily further supply So is the word used constantly for the adding of one thing to another or one degree of the same thing unto another 2 Pet. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 add to your Faith Vertue or in your Faith make an increase of Vertue When therefore God is thus said to Minister the Spirit it is his continual giving out of Additional Supplies of his Grace by his Spirit which is intended For the Holy Spirit is a voluntary Agent and distributes unto every one as he will When therefore he is given and sent unto any his Operations are limited by his own Will and the Will of him that sends him And therefore do we stand in need of supplies of him and from him which are the principal Subject Matter of our Prayers in this World Sect. 10 Fourthly God is said to PUT his Spirit in or upon Men and this also belongeth unto the manner of his Dispensation Isa. 42. 1. Behold my Servant whom I uphold I have put my Holy Spirit upon
him The word there indeed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have given my Holy Spirit upon him but because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon Him is joyned to it it is by ours rendred by Put. As also Ezek. 37. 14. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in you is added Put my Spirit in you The same is plainly intended with that Isa. 63. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that put his Holy Spirit in the midst of them Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have given or I will give Isa. 42. 1. is rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 12. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will put my Spirit upon him The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then used in this sense doth not denote the granting or Donation of any thing but its actual bestowing as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth And it is the effectual Acting of God in this Matter that is intended He doth not only give and send his Spirit unto them to whom he designs so great a Benefit and Priviledg but he actually collates and bestows him upon them He doth not send Him unto them and leave it in their Wills and Power whether they will receive Him or no but he so effectually collates and puts him in them or upon them as that they shall be actually made Partakers of him He efficaciously endows their Hearts and Minds with Him for the Work and End which he is designed unto So Exod. 31. 6. I have put Wisdom is as much as I have filled them with Wisdom v. 2. So then where God intendeth unto any the Benefit of his Spirit he will actually and effectually collate Him upon them He doth not indeed always doe this in the same manner Sometimes he doth it as it were by a surprizal when those who receive him are neither aware of it nor do desire it So the Spirit of the Lord as a Spirit of Prophesy came upon Saul when his Mind was remote and enstranged from any such thoughts In like manner the Spirit of God came upon Eldad and Medad in the Camp when the other Elders went forth unto the Tabernacle to receive Him Numb 11. 27. And so the Spirit of Prophesy came upon most of the Prophets of Old without either Expectation or Preparation on their Parts So Amos giveth an Account of his Call unto his Office Chap. 7. 1◠15. I was saith he no Prophet neither was I a Prophets Son but I was an Heardman and a gatherer of Sycomore fruits And the Lord took me as I followed the Flock and the Lord said unto me go Prophesy He was not brought up with any Expectation of receiving this Gift He had no Preparation for it but God surprized him with his Call and Gift as he followed the Flock Such also was the Call of Jeremiah Chap. 1. 5 6 7. So vain is the Discourse of Maimonides on this Subject prescribing various Natural and Moral Preparations for the receiving of this Gift But these things were extraordinary Yet I no way doubt but that God doth yet continue to Work Grace in many by such unexpected Surprizal the manner whereof shall be afterwards inquired into But sometimes as to some Gifts and Graces God doth bestow his Spirit where there is some Preparation and Cooperation on our Part. But wherever he designs to put or place him he doth it effectually Fifthly God is said to POUR him out and that frequently Prov. 1. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies ebullire more scaturiginis to bubble up as a Fountain Hence the words are rendered by Theodot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scaturire faciam I will cause my Spirit to Spring out unto you as a Fountain And it is frequently applied unto speaking when it signifies eloqui aut proferre verba more scaturiginis See Psal. 72. 2. Psal. 145. 7. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also which some take to be the root of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 1. 23. hath the same signification And the Word hath a double lively Metaphor For the Proceeding of the Spirit from the Father is compared to the continual rising of the Waters of a Living Spring and his Communication unto us to the overflowing of those Waters yet guided by the Will and Wisdom of God Isa. 32. 15. Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on High and the Wilderness be a fruitful field 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is indeed sometimes to pour out but more properly and more commonly to uncover to make bare to reveal Until the Spirit be revealed from on High There shall be such a plentiful Communication of the Spirit as that He and His Work shall be made open revealed and plain Or the Spirit shall be bared as God is said to make his Arme bare when he will Work mightily and effectually Isa. 52. 10. Isa. 44. 3 I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thine Offspring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word here is so to pour a thing out as that it cleaveth unto and abideth on that which it is poured out upon As the Spirit of God abides with them unto whom he is Communicated Ezek. 39. 29. I have poured out my Spirit on the House of Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another word This is properly to pour out and that in a plentiful manner The same word that is used in that great Promise Joel 2. 28. which is rendred Acts 2. 17. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effundam I will pour out my Spirit and the same Thing is again expressed by the same word Acts 10. 45. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is poured on the Gentiles Sect. 12 Let us then briefly consider the Importance of this Expression And one or two things may be observed concerning it in general As 1. wherever it is used it hath direct respect unto the Times of the Gospel Either it is a part of the Promises concerning it or of the Story of its Accomplishment under it But where-ever it is mentioned the Time State and Grace of the Gospel are intended in it For the Lord Christ was in all things to have the preeminence Col. 1. 18. And therefore although God gave his Spirit in some measure before yet he poured him not out until He was first anointed with his Fulness 2. There is a tacit comparison in it with some other Time and Season or some other Act of God wherein or whereby God gave his Spirit before but not in the way and manner that he intended now to bestow him A larger Measure of the Spirit to be now given than was before or is signified by any other Expressions of the same Gift is intended in this Word Sect. 13 Three things are therefore comprized in this Expression 1. An eminent Act of Divine Bounty Pouring forth is the way whereby Bounty from an all-sufficeing fulness is expressed As the Clouds filled with a moist vapour pour
declares That the Holy Spirit gave out various Gifts unto the first Preachers of the Gospel for the confirmation of their Doctrine according to the Promise of our Saviour John 15. 26 27. Of these he mentions in particular First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signs That is Miraculous Works wrought to signifie the Presence of God by his Power with them that wrought them so giving out his Approbation of the Doctrine which they taught Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prodigies or Wonders Works beyond the Power of Nature or energie of Natural Causes wrought to fill Men with Wonder and Admiration manifesting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and surprizing Men with a sense of the Presence of God Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty Works of several sorts such as opening of the Eyes of the Blind raising the Dead and the like These being mentioned there is added in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gifts of the Holy Ghost For these and other like things did the Holy Ghost work and effect to the end mentioned And these Distributions are from him as the Signs and Wonders were that is Effects of his Power only there is added an intimation how they are all wrought by him which is by giving them a power for their Operation variously dividing them amongst those on whom they were bestowed and that as it is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according unto his own Will And this place is so directly and fully expounded 1 Cor. 12. 7 8 9 10 11. that there is no room of exception left unto the most obstinate And that place having been opened before in the entrance of this Discourse I shall not here call it over again These 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore are his Gifts which as Parts and Parcels of his Work he giveth out in great variety To the same purpose are his Operations described Isa. 11. 2 3. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding the Spirit of Counsel and of Might the Spirit of Knowledg and of the Fear of the Lord. He is first called the Spirit of the Lord to express his Being and Nature and then he is termed the Spirit of Wisdom and of Counsel c. That is He who is the Author of Wisdom and Counsel and the rest of the Graces mentioned who divides and distributes them according to his own Will That variety of Gifts and Graces wherewith Believers are endowed and adorned are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Distributions of the Holy Spirit Hence the principal respect that we have unto him immediately in our Worship of him under the New Testament is as he is the Author of these various Gifts and Graces So John saluting the Churches of Asia prayeth for Grace for them from God the Father and the seven Spirits that are before his Throne Rev. 1. 4. That is the Holy Spirit of God considered in his care of the Church and his yielding supplies unto it as the Author of that Perfection of Gifts and Graces which are and are to be bestowed upon it So doth the number of Seven denote And therefore whereas our Lord Jesus Christ as the Foundation of his Church was anointed with all the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit in their Perfection it is said that upon that one Stone should be seven Eyes Zech. 3. 9. all the Gifts of the Seven Spirits of God or of that Holy Spirit which is the Author of them all Sect. 21 All therefore that is pleaded for the Division of the Holy Ghost from this place is built on the Supposition that we have before rejected namely that he is not a Divine Person but an Arbitrary Emanation of Divine Power and yet neither so can the division of the Holy Ghost pleaded for be with any tolerable sense maintained Crellius sayes indeed that all Divine Inspirations may be considered as one Whole as many Waters make up one Sea In this respect the Holy Ghost is One that is one Universal made up of many Species this is totum logicum And so He may be divided into his Subordinate Species But what Ground or Colour is there for any such Notions in the Scripture Where is it said that all the Gifts of the Holy Ghost do constitute or make up one Holy Ghost Or the Holy Ghost is one in general because many Effects are ascribed unto him Or that the several Gifts of the Spirit are so many distinct kinds of it The contrary unto all these is expresly taught namely that the One Holy Spirit worketh all these things as he pleaseth so that they are all of them external Acts of his Will and Power And it is to as little purpose pleaded by the same Author that he is divided as a Natural Whole into its Parts because there is mention of a Measure and Portion of him So God is said not to give him to Jesus Christ by Measure John 3. 34. And to every one of us is given Grace according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ as though one Measure of him were granted unto One and another Measure to another But this Measure is plainly of his Gifts and Graces These were bestowed on the Lord Christ in all their fulness without any limitation either as to Kinds or Degrees They were poured into him according unto the utmost extent and capacity of Humane Nature and that under an inconceivable advancement by its Union unto the Son of God Others receive his Gifts and Graces in limited proportion both as to their Kinds and Degrees To turn into a Division of the Spirit himself is the greatest madness And casting aside Prejudices there is no difficulty in the understanding of that saying of God to Moses Numb 11. 17. I will take of the Spirit that is on thee and put it on the Elders For it is evidently of the Gifts of the Spirit enabling Men for Rule and Government that God speaketh and not of the Spirit himself Without any diminution of that Spirit in him that is of the Gifts that He had received God gave unto them as lighting their Candle by his And so also the double Portion of the Spirit of Elijah which Elisha requested for himself was only a large and peculiar measure of Prophetical Light above what other Prophets which he left behind him had received 2 Kin. 2. 9. He asked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 os duorum or duplex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Expression is first used Deut. 21. 17. where the double Portion of the First-Born is intended So that probably it was such a Portion among the other Prophets as the First-Born had among the Brethren of the same Family which he desired and so it came to pass whence also he had the Rule and Government of them BOOK II. Peculiar Operations OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UNDER THE Old Testament Preparatory for The NEW CHAP. I. 1. The Work of the
to have a specialty in our Divine Love to the Person of Christ. 2. The Uncreated Glories of the Divine Nature whence our Love hath the same Object with that which we owe unto God absolutely 3. That Perfection and Fulness of Grace which dwelt in his Humane Nature as communicated unto him by the Holy Spirit whereof we have treated If you love the Person of Christ it must be on these Considerations Which whilst some have neglected they have doted on their own Imaginations and whilst they have thought themselves even sick of Love for Christ they have only languished in their own Fancies Secondly We are to know Christ so as to labour after conformity unto him And this Conformity consists only in a Participation of those Graces whose fulness dwells in him We can therefore no other way regularly press after it but by an Acquaintance with and due Consideration of the Work of the Spirit of God upon his Humane Nature which is therefore worthy of our most diligent enquiry into And so have we given a brief delineation of the Dispensation and Work of the Holy Spirit in and towards the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ the Head of the Church his preparation of a Mystical Body for him in his Powerful Gracious Work on the Elect of God doth nextly ensue The General Work of the Holy Spirit in the New Creation with respect unto the Members of that Body whereof Christ is the Head CHAP. V. 1 Christ the Head of the New Creation 2. Things premised in general unto the remaining Work of the Spirit Things presupposed unto the Work of the Spirit towards the Church the Love and Grace of Father and Son 3. The whole Work of the building of the Church committed to the Holy Spirit Acts 2. 33. opened 4. The Foundation of the Church in the Promise of the Spirit and its Building by him alone 5. Christ present with his Church only by his Spirit Mat. 28. 19. Acts 1. 9 10. Acts 3. 21. Mat. 18. 19. 1 Cor. 6. 16. 1 Cor. 3. 16. compared 6. The Holy Spirit works the Work of Christ John 16. 13 14 15. opened 7. The Holy Spirit the peculiar Author of all Grace 8. The Holy Spirit worketh all this according to his own Will 1. His Will and Pleasure is in all his Works 2. He works variously as to the Kinds and Degrees of his Operations How he may be resisted how not 9 How the same Work is ascribed unto the Spirit distinctly and to others with him 10. The General Heads of his Operations towards the Church Sect. 1 VVE have considered the Work of the Spirit of God in his laying the Foundation of the Church of the New Testament by his Dispensations towards the Head of it our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Foundation Stone of this Building with seven Eyes engraven on him or filled with an absolute perfection of all the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit Zech. 3. 9. which when he is exalted also as the Head Stone in the Corner there are shoutings in Heaven and Earth crying Grace Grace unto him Zech. 4. 7. As upon the laying of the Foundation and placing of the Corner Stones of the Earth in the Old Creation the Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for Joy Job 38. 6 7. So upon the laying of this Foundation and placing of this Corner Stone in the New Creation all things sing together and cry Grace Grace unto it The same Hand which laid this Foundation doth also finish the Building The same Spirit which was given unto him not by Measure Joh. 3. 34. giveth Grace unto every one of us according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ Ephes. 4. 7. And this falleth now under our Consideration namely the perfecting the Work of the New Creation by the effectual Operation and Distributions of the Spirit of God And this belongs unto the Establishment of our Faith that he who Prepared Sanctified and Glorified the Humane Nature the Natural Body of Jesus Christ the Head of the Church hath undertaken to Prepare Sanctifie and Glorifie his Mystical Body or all the Elect given unto him of the Father Concerning which before we come to consider particular Instances some things in general must be premised which are these that follow Sect. 2 First Unto the Work of the Holy Spirit towards the Church some things are supposed from whence it proceeds which it is built upon and resolved into It is not an Original but a Perfecting Work some things it supposeth and bringeth all things to perfection And these are First The Love Grace Counsel and Eternal Purpose of the Father 2. The whole Work of the Mediation of Jesus Christ which things I have handled elsewhere For it is the peculiar Work of the Holy Spirit to make those things of the Father and Son effectual unto the Souls of the Elect to the Praise of the Glory of the Grace of God God doth all things for himself and his Supream End is the manifestation of his own Glory And in the Old or First Creation he seems principally or firstly to intend the Demonstration and Exaltation of the Glorious Essential Properties of his Nature his Goodness Power Wisdom and the like as Psal. 19. 1 2 3 4. Rom. 1. 19 20 21. Acts 14. 15 16 17. Acts 7. 24 25 26 27. leaving only on the Works of his Hands some obscure Impressions of the distinction of Persons subsisting in the Unity of that Being whose Properties he had displayed and glorified But in the Work of the New Creation God firstly and principally intends the especial Revelation of each Person of the whole Trinity distinctly in their peculiar distinct Operations all which tend ultimately to the manifestation of the Glory of his Nature also And herein consists the principal Advantage of the New Testament above the Old for although the Work of the New Creation was begun and carried on Secretly and Virtually under the Old Testament yet they had not a full discovery of the Oeconomy of the Holy Trinity therein which was not evidently manifest until the whole Work was illustriously brought to Light by the Gospel Hence although there appear a vigorous acting of Faith and ardency of Affection in the Approaches of the Saints unto God under the Old Testament yet as unto a clear access to the Father through the Son by the Spirit as Ephes. 2. 18. wherein the Life and Comfort of our Communion with God doth consist we hear nothing of it Herein therefore God plainly declares that the Foundation of the Whole was laid in the Counsel Will and Grace of the Father Ephes. 1. 3 4 5 6. Then that the making way for the accomplishing of that Counsel of his so that it might be brought forth to the praise of his Glory is by the Mediation of the Son God having designed in this Work to bring things so about that all Men should honour the Son even as they honour the
7. 51. and so to frustrate his Work towards them it is not because they can do so absolutely but only they can do so as to some way kind or degree of his Operations Men may resist some sort or kind of means that he useth as to some certain end and purpose but they cannot resist him as to his purpose and the end he aims at For he is God and who hath resisted his Will Rom. 9. 19. Wherefore in any Work of his two things are to be considered 1. What the means he maketh use of tend unto in their own Nature And 2. what he intends by it The first may be resisted and frustrated but the latter cannot be so Sometimes in and by that word which in its own Nature tends to the Conversion of Sinners he intendeth by it only their hardning Isa. 6. 9 10. John 12. 40 41. Acts 18. 26. Rom. 11. 8. And he can when he pleaseth exert that Power and Efficacy in working as shall take away all Resistance Sometimes he will only take order for the Preaching and Dispensation of the Word unto Men for this also is his Work Acts 13. 2. Herein Men may resist his Work and reject his Counsel concerning themselves But when he will put forth his Power in and by the Word to the creating of a new heart in Men and the opening of the Eyes of them that are blind he doth therein so take away the Principle of Resistance that he is not that he cannot be resisted Sect. 9 3. Hence also it follows that his Works may be of various kinds and that those which are of the same kind may yet be carried on unequally as to Degrees It is so in the Operations of all voluntary Agents who work by Choice and Judgment They are not confined to one sort of Works nor to the Production of the same kind of Effects and where they design so to do they moderate them as to degrees according to their Power and pleasure Thus we shall find some of the Works of the Holy Spirit to be such as may be perfect in their kind and Men may be made Partakers of the whole End and Intention of them and yet no saving Grace be wrought in them Such are his Works of Illumination Conviction and sundry others Men I say may have a Work of the Holy Spirit on their Hearts and Minds and yet not be Sanctified and Converted unto God For the Nature and Kind of his Works are regulated by his own Will and Purpose if he intends no more but their Conviction and Illumination no more shall be effected For he works not by a necessity of Nature so that all his Operations should be of the same kind and have their especial Form from his Nature and not from his Will So also where he doth work the same Effect in the Souls of Men I mean the same in the kind of it as in their Regeneration he doth yet he doth it by sundry means and carrieth it on to a great inequality as to the strengthening of its Principle and increase of its Fruits unto Holiness And hence is that great difference as to Light Holiness and Fruitfulness which we find among Believers although all alike Partakers of the same Grace for the kind thereof The Holy Spirit worketh in all these things according to his own Will whereof there neither is nor can be any other Rule but his own Infinite Wisdom And this is that which the Apostle minds the Corinthians of to take away all Emulation and Envy about Spiritual Gifts that every one should orderly make use of what he had received to the Profit and Edification of others They are saith he given and distributed by the same Spirit according to his own Will to one after one manner unto another after another so that it is an unreasonable thing for any to contend about them Sect. 10 But it may be said that if not only the working of Grace in us but also the Effects and Fruits of it in all its variety of Degrees is to be ascribed unto the Holy Spirit and his Operations in us according to his own Will then do we signifie nothing our selves nor is there any need that we should either use our endeavours and diligence or at all take any care about the furtherance or growth of Holiness in us or attend unto any Duties of Obedience To what end and purpose then serve all the Commands Threatnings Promises and Exhortations of the Scripture which are openly designed to excite and draw forth our own Endeavours And this is indeed the principal Difficulty wherewith some Men seek to intangle and perplex the Grace of God But I Answer 1. Let Men imagine what absurd Consequences they please thereon yet that the Spirit of God is the Author and Worker of all Grace in us and of all the Degrees of it of all that is spiritually good in us is a Truth which we must not forgo unless we intend to part with our Bibles also For in them we are taught That in us that is in our flesh there dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. That we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. Who is able to make all Grace abound towards us that we may alwayes have All-sufficiency in all things abounding to every good work Chap. 9. 8. But without Christ we can do nothing John 15. 5. For it is God which worketh in us both to Will and to Do of his good Pleasure Phil. 2. 13. To grant therefore that there is any spiritual good in us or any Degree of it that is not wrought in us by the Spirit of God both overthrows the Grace of the Gospel and denies God to be the only First Supream and chiefest Good as also the immediate cause of what is so which is to deny his very Being It is therefore certain what-ever any pertend that nothing can hence ensue but what is true and good and useful to the Souls of Men For from Truth especiall such great and important Truths nothing else will follow 2. It is brutish Ignorance in any to argue in the Things of God from the Effectual Operations of the Spirit unto a sloth and negligence of our own Duty He that doth not know that God hath promised to work in us in a way of Grace what he requires from us in a way of Duty hath either never read the Bible or doth not believe it or never Prayed or never took notice of what he prayed for He is a Heathen he hath nothing of the Christian in him who doth not pray that God would work in him what he requires of him This we know that what God commands and prescribes unto us what he encourageth us unto we ought with all diligence and earnestness as we value our Souls and their eternal welfare to attend unto and comply withal And we do know that what-ever God hath
evident from the Context For they pray for this Encrease of Faith upon the Occasion of our Saviours enjoyning frequent forgiveness of offending Brethren a Duty not at all easie nor pleasing to Flesh and Blood And the Apostle prayes for the Ephesians that they may be rooted and grounded in Love chap. 3. 17. that is that by the encrease and strengthening of their Love they may be more established in all the Duties of it See 1 Thess. 3. 12 13. Sect. 5 These Graces being the Springs and Spirits of our Holiness in the encrease of them in us the work of Sanctification is carryed on and universal Holiness encreased And this is done by the Holy Spirit several wayes First By exciting them unto frequent Actings Frequency of Acts doth naturally encrease and strengthen the Habits whence they proceed And in these spiritual Habits of Faith and Love it is so moreover by Gods Appointment They grow and thrive in and by their exercise Hos. 6. 3. The want thereof is the principal means of their decay And there are two wayes whereby the Holy Spirit excites the Graces of Faith and Love unto frequent Acts. 1 He doth it Morally by proposing their Objects suitably and seasonably unto them This he doth by his Ordinances of Worship especially the preaching of the Word God in Christ the Promises of the Covenant and other proper Objects of our Faith and Love being proposed unto us these Graces are drawn out unto their Exercise And this is one principal Advantage which we have by attendance on the Dispensation of the Word in a due Manner namely that by presenting those Spiritual Truths which are the Object of our Faith unto our Minds and those Spiritual Good Things which are the Object of our Love unto our Affections both these Graces are drawn forth into frequent actual Exercise And we are greatly mistaken if we suppose we have no Benefit by the Word beyond what we retain in our Memories though we should labour for that also Our chief Advantage lyes in the Excitation which is thereby given unto our Faith and Love to their proper Exercise And hereby are these Graces kept alive which without this would decay and wither Herein doth the Holy Spirit take the things of Christ and shew them unto us Joh. 16. 14 15. He represents them unto us in the Preaching of the Word as the proper Objects of our Faith and Love And so brings to remembrance the things spoken by Christ Chap. 14. 26. that is in the Dispensation of the Word he minds us of the gracious Words and Truths of Christ proposing them to our Faith and Love And herein lies the secret profiting and thriving of Believers under the preaching of the Gospel which it may be they are not sensible of themselves By this means are many Thousands of Acts of Faith and Love drawn forth whereby those Graces are exercised and strengthened and consequently Holiness is encreased And the Word by the Actings of Faith being mixed with it as Hebr. 4. 2. increaseth it by its incorporation 2 The Spirit doth it really and internally He dwelleth in Believers preserving in them the Root and Principle of all their Grace by his own immediate Power Hence all Graces in their Exercise are called the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22 23. He brings them forth from the Stock that he hath planted in the Heart And we cannot Act any one Grace without his Effectual Operation therein God worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 1. 13. That is there is no part of our Wills singly and separately from him in Obedience but it is the Operation of the Spirit of God in us so far as it is Spiritual and Holy He is the immediate Author of every good or gracious Acting in us For in us that is in our Flesh and of our selves we are but Flesh there dwelleth no Good Wherefore the Spirit of God dwelling in Believers doth effectually excite and stir up their Graces unto frequent Exercise and Actings whereby they are increased and strengthened And there is nothing in the whole Course of our Walking before God that we ought to be more carefull about than that we grieve not that we provoke not this good and Holy Spirit whereon he should with-hold his gracious Aids and Assistances from us This therefore is the first way whereby the work of Sanctification is gradually carryed on by the Holy Ghost exciting our Graces unto frequent Actings whereby they are encreased and strengthened Secondly He doth it by supplying Believers with Experiences of the Truth and Reality and Excellency of the things that are believed Experience is the Food of all Grace which it growes and thrives upon Every Taste that Faith obtains of Divine Love and Grace or how Gracious the Lord is addes to its measure and stature Two things therefore must briefly be declared 1 That the Experience of the Reality Excellency Power and Efficacy of the things that are believed is an effectual means of encreasing Faith and Love 2 That it is the Holy Ghost which gives us this Experience For the First God himself expostulates with the Church how its Faith came to be so weak when it had so great Experience of Him or of his Power and Faithfulness Isa. 40. 27 28. Hast thou not heard hast thou not known How then sayest thou that God hath forsaken thee And our Apostle affirms that the Consolations which he had experimentally received from God enabled him unto the discharge of his Duty towards others in trouble 2 Cor. 7. 4. For herein we prove or do really approve of as being satisfied in the good and acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12. 2. And this is that which the Apostle prayeth for in the behalf of the Colossians chap. 2. v. 2. I may say that he who knoweth not how Faith is encouraged and strengthened by especial Experiences of the Reality Power and spiritual Efficacy on the Soul of the things believed never was made partaker of any of them How often doth David encourage his own Faith and others from his former Experiences which were pleaded also by our Lord Jesus Christ to the same purpose in his great Distress Psal. 22. 9 10. Secondly That it is the Holy Ghost who giveth us all our Spiritual Experiences needs no other Consideration to evince but only this that in them consists all our Consolation His Work and Office it is to administer Consolation unto Believers as being the only Comforter of the Church Now he administreth Comfort no other way but by giving unto the Minds and Souls of Believers a Spiritual sensible Experience of the Reality and Power of the things we do believe He doth not comfort us by Words but by Things Other means of Spiritual Consolation I know none and I am sure this never fails Give unto a Soul an Experience a Taste of the Love and Grace of God in Christ Jesus and be its Condition what
testifieth unto but withall I must adde that as to the proper Nature or Essence of it no Mind can apprehend it no Tongue can express it none can perfectly understand its glory some few things may be added to illustrate it Sect. 13 1 This is that whereby we have Vnion with Jesus Christ the Head of the Church Originally and efficiently the Holy Spirit dwelling in him and us is the Cause of this Union But formally this new Principle of Grace is so It is that whereby we become members of his bones and of his flesh Ephes. 5. 30. As Eve was of Adam she was one with him because she had the same Nature with him and that derived from him which the Apsotle alludeth unto so are we of him partakers of the same Divine Nature with him Thus he that is Joyned unto the Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. that is of one and the same spiritual Nature with him Heb. 2. 11 14. How excellent is this Grace which gives us our Interest in and Continuity unto the Body of Christ and to his Person as our Head It is the same Grace in the kind thereof which is in the holy Nature of Christ and renders us one with him 2 Our Likeness and Conformity unto God consists herein For it is the Reparation of his Image in us Ephes. 4. 23 24. Col. 3. 10. Something I hope I apprehend concerning this Image of God in Believers and of their Likeness unto him how great a Priviledge it is what honour safety and security depend thereon what Duties are required of us on the Account thereof But perfectly to conceive or express the Nature and Glory of it we cannot attain unto but should learn to adore the Grace whence it doth proceed and is bestowed on us to admire the Love of Christ and the Efficacy of his Mediation whereby it is renewed in us but the thing it self is ineffable 3 It is our Life our spiritual Life whereby we live to God Life is the Foundation and summe of all Excellencies Without this we are dead in Trespasses and sins and how we are quickened by the holy Ghost hath been declared But this is the internal Principle of Life whence all Vital Acts in the Life of God do proceed And whereas we know not well what is the true Form and Essence of Life Natural only we find it discern it and judge of it by its Effects much less do we know the Form and Essence of Life Spiritual which is far more Excellent and Glorious This is that Life which is hid with Christ in God Coloss. 3. 3. In which words the Apostle draws a Veil over it as knowing that we are unable steadfastly to beholds its Glory and Beauty Sect. 14 But before I proceed unto a further Description of this Principle of Holiness in its Effects as before laid down it may not be amiss practically to call over these general Considerations of its Nature and our own Concernment in this Truth which is no empty Notion will be therein declared And First We may learn hence not to satisfie our selves or not to rest in any Acts or Duties of Obedience in any good Works how good and usefull soever in themselves nor howsoever multiplyed by us unless there be a Vital Principle of Holiness in our Hearts A few honest Actions a few usefull Dutyes do satisfie some persons that they are as holy as they should be or as they need to be And some mens Religion hath consisted in the multiplying of outward Duties that they might be meritorious for themselves and others But God expressely rejecteth not only such Duties but the greatest multitude of them and their most frequent Reiteration if the heart be not antecedently purified and sanctified if it be not possessed with the Principle of Grace and Holiness insisted on Isa. 1. 11 12 13 14 15 16. Such Acts and Duties may be the Effects of other Causes the Fruits of other Principles Meer Legal Convictions will produce them and put men upon a Course of them Fears Afflictions Terrors of Conscience Dictates of Reason improved by Education and confirmed by Custom will direct yea compell men unto their Observance But all is lost men do but labour in the Fire about them if the Soul be not prepared with this spiritual Principle of habitual Holiness wrought in it immediately by the Holy Ghost Yet we must here observe these two things 1 That so far as these Duties be they of Morality or Religion of Piety or Divine Worship are good in themselves they ought to be approved and men encouraged in them There are sundry wayes whereby the best Duties may be abused and misapplyed as when men rest in them as if they were meritorious or the matter of their Justification before God For this as is known is an effectual Means to divert the Souls of sinners from Faith in Christ for Life and Salvation Rom. 9. 31 32. Chap. 10. 3 4. And there are Reasons and Causes that render them unacceptable before God with respect unto the Persons by whom they are performed as when they are not done in Faith for which Cain's Sacrifice was rejected and when the Heart is not previously sanctified and prepared with a spiritual Principle of Obedience But yet on neither of these grounds or pretences can we or ought we to condemn or undervalue the Duties themselves which are good in their own nature nor take off men from the performance of them yea it were greatly to be desired that we could see more of the Fruits of Moral Vertues and Duties of Religious Piety among unsanctified Persons than we doe The World is not in a Condition to spare the good Acts of bad men But this we may doe and as we are called we ought to doe When men are engaged in a course of Duties and good Works on Principles that will not abide and endure the triall or for Ends that will spoyl and corrupt all they doe we may tell them as our Saviour did the Young man who gave that great Account of his Diligence in all Legal Duties one thing is yet wanting unto you you want Faith or you want Christ or you want a spiritual Principle of Evangelical Holiness without which all you do will be lost and come to no account at the last Day The due Assertion of Grace never was nor never can be an Obstruction unto any Duty of Obedience Indeed when any will give up themselves unto such Works or Actings under the Name of Duties and Obedience unto God which although they may make a specious shew and appearance in the World yet are evil in themselves or such as God requireth not of men we may speak against them deny them and take men off from them So Persecution hath been looked on as a good Work men supposing they did God good service when they slew the Disciples of Christ and men giving their Goods unto pious Uses as they were called indeed impious Abuses
of Operations whatever Nor have they the same influence into particular Actions so as that they should not be justly denominated from one of them either gracious or sinfull But by Nature the vitious depraved Habit of sin or the flesh is wholly predominant and universally prevalent constantly disposing and enclining the Soul to sin Hence all the Imaginations of mens hearts are evil and that continually And they that are in the Flesh cannot please God There dwelleth no good thing in them nor can they do any thing that is good and the Flesh is able generally to subdue the Rebellions of Light Convictions and Conscience against it But upon the Introduction of the New Principle of Grace and Holiness in our Sanctification this Habit of sin is weakened impaired and so disenabled as that it cannot nor shall encline unto sin with that Constancy and Prevalency as formerly nor press unto it ordinarily with the same Urgency and Violence Hence in the Scripture it is said to be dethroned by Grace so as that it shall not reign or lord it over us by hurrying us into the pursuit of its uncontroulable inclinations Rom. 6. 12. Concerning these things the Reader may consult my Treatises of the Remainder of Indwelling sin and the Mortification of it in Believers Sect. 26 But so it is that this flesh this Principle of Sin however it may be dethroned corrected impaired and disabled yet is it never wholly and absolutely dispossessed and cast out of the Soul in this Life There it will remain and there it will work seduce and tempt more or less according as its remaining Strength and Advantages are By Reason hereof and the Opposition that hence ariseth against it the Principle of Grace and Holiness cannot nor doth perfectly and absolutely encline the Heart and Soul unto the Life of God and the Acts thereof so as that they in whom it is should be sensible of no Opposition made thereunto or of no contrary motions and inclinations unto sin For the Flesh will lust against the Spirit as well as the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary This is the Analogie that is between these two States In the state of Nature the Principle of sin or the Flesh is predominant and bears rule in the Soul but there is a Light remaining in the Mind and a Judgment in the Conscience which being heightned with Instructions and Convictions doe continually oppose it and condemn Sin both before and after its commission In them that are Regenerate it is the Principle of Grace and Holiness that is predominant and beareth rule But there is in them still a Principle of Lust and sin which rebells against the Rule of Grace much in the proportion that Light and Convictions rebell against the Rule of sin in the Unregenerate For as they hinder men from doing many evils which their ruling Principle of sin strongly inclines them unto and puts them on many Dutyes that it likes not so do these on the other side in them that are Regenerate They hinder them from doing many good things which their ruling Principle inclines unto and carry them into many Evils which it doth abhorr Sect. 27 But this belongs unto the Principle of Holiness inseparably and necessarily that it inclineth and disposeth the Soul wherein it is universally unto all Acts of Holy Obedience And these inclinations are predominant unto any other and keep the Soul pointed to Holiness continually This belongs unto its Nature and where there is a Cessation or Interruption in these inclinations it is from the prevailing Re-action of the Principle of Sin it may be advantaged by outward Temptations and Incentives which an holy Soul will constantly contend against Where this is not there is no Holiness The Performance of Dutyes whether of Religious Worship or of Morality how frequently sedulously and usefully soever will denominate no man Holy unless his whole Soul be disposed and possessed with prevalent inclinations unto all that is spiritually Good from the Principle of the Image of God renewed in him Outward Dutyes of what sort soever may be multiplyed upon Light and Conviction when they spring from no root of Grace in the Heart and that which so riseth up will quickly wither Math. 13. And this free genuine unforced Inclination of the Mind and Soul evenly and universally unto all that is Spiritually Good unto all Acts and Duties of Holiness with an inward labouring to break through and to be quit of all Opposition is the first Fruit and most pregnant Evidence of the Renovation of our Natures by the Holy Ghost It may be enquired Whence it is if the Habit or inherent Principle of Holiness do so constantly encline the Soul unto all Dutyes of Holiness and Obedience that David prayes that God would incline his Heart unto his Testimonies Psal. 119. 36. For it should seem from hence to be a new Act of Grace that is required thereunto and that it doth not spring from the Habit mentioned which was then eminent in the Psalmist Ans. 1 I shall shew afterwards that notwithstanding all the Power and Efficacy of Habitual Grace yet there is required a new Act of the Holy Spirit by his Grace unto its actual Exercise in particular instances 2 God enclines our Hearts to Dutyes of Obedience principally by strengthening encreasing and exciting the Grace we have received and which is inherent in us But we neither have nor ever shall have in this World such a stock of spiritual Strength as to doe any thing as we ought without Renewed Co-operations of Grace Sect. 29 Thirdly There is Power accompanying this Habit of Grace as well as Propensity or Inclination It doth not meerly dispose the Soul to holy Obedience but enables it unto the Acts and Dutyes of it Our Living unto God our walking in his Wayes and Statutes keeping his Judgements which things express our whole Actual Obedience are the Effects of the New Heart that is given unto us whereby we are enabled unto them Ezek. 36. 26 27. But this must be somewhat further and distinctly declared And 1 I shall shew That there is such a Power of holy Obedience in all that have the Principle of Holiness wrought in them by the Sanctification of the Holy Spirit which is inseparable from it and 2 shew What that Power is or wherein it doth consist That by Nature we have no Power unto or for any thing that is Spiritually good or to any Acts or Dutyes of Evangelical Holiness hath been sufficiently proved before When we were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the Vngodly Rom. 5. 6. Untill we are made partakers of the Benefits of the Death of Christ in and by his sanctifying Grace as we are ungodly so we are without strength or have no Power to live to God But as was said this hath been formerly fully and largely confirmed in our Declaration of the impotency of our Nature by Reason of its Death in Sin and so
us by the gracious Inhabitation of his Spirit in us 1 Cor. 6. 19. Eph. 4. 30. according unto the Degree of participation allotted unto us This in the substance of it is contained in this Testimony There was and is in Jesus Christ a Fulness and Perfection of all Grace in us of our selves or by any thing that we have by Nature or natural Generation by Blood or the Flesh or the Will of Man v. 13. there is none at all Whatever we have is received and derived unto us from the Fullness of Christ which is an inexhaustible Fountain thereof by Reason of his Personal Vnion Sect. 72 To the same purpose is he said to be our Life and our Life to be hid with him in God Col. 3. 3. Life is the Principle of all Power and Operation And the Life here intended is that whereby we live to God the Life of Grace and Holiness For the Actings of it consist in the setting of our Affections on heavenly things and mortifying our Members that are on the Earth This Life Christ is He is not so Formally for if he were then it would not be our Life but his only He is therefore so Efficiently as that he is the immediate Cause and Author of it and that as he is now with God in Glory Hence it is said that we live that is this Life of God yet so as that we live not of our selves but Christ liveth in us Gal. 1. 20. And he doth no otherwise live in us but by the Communication of vital Principles and a Power for vital Acts that is Grace and Holiness from himself unto us If he be our Life we have nothing that belongs thereunto that is nothing of Grace of Holiness but what is derived unto us from him Sect. 73 To conclude we have all Grace and Holiness from Christ or we have it of our selves The old Pelagian Fiction that we have them from Christ because we have them by yielding Obedience unto his Doctrine makes our selves the only Spring and Author of them and on that Account very justly condemned by the Church of old not only as false but as blasphemous Whatever therefore is not thus derived thus conveyed unto us belongs not unto our Sanctification or Holiness nor is of the same Nature or Kind with it Whatever Ability of Mind or Will may be supposed in us what Application soever of Means may be made for the exciting and exercise of that Ability whatever Effects in Vertues Dutyes all Offices of Humanity and Honesty or Religious Observances may be produced thereby from them and wrought by us if it be not all derived from Christ as the Head and Principle of spiritual Life unto us it is a thing of another nature than Evangelical Holiness Sect. 74 Thirdly The immediate efficient Cause of all Gospel Holiness is the Spirit of God This we have sufficiently proved already And although many Cavils have been raised against the Manner of his Operation herein yet none have been yet so hardy as openly to deny that this is indeed his Work For so to doe is upon the matter expressly to renounce the Gospel Wherefore we have in our foregoing Discourses at large vindicated the manner of his Operations herein and proved that he doth not educe Grace by Moral Applications unto the natural Faculties of our Minds but that he creates Grace in us by an immediate Efficiency of Almighty Power And what is so wrought and produced differeth Essentially from any Natural or Moral Habits of our Minds however acquired or improved Sect. 75 Fourthly This Evangelical Holiness is a Fruit and Effect of the Covenant of Grace The Promises of the Covenant unto this purpose we have before on other Occasions insisted on In them doth God declare That he will cleanse and purifie our Natures that he will write his Law in our Hearts put his Fear in our inward parts and cause us to walk in his Statutes in which things our Holiness doth consist Whoever therefore hath any thing of it he doth receive it in the Accomplishment of these Promises of the Covenant For there are not two wayes whereby men may become Holy one by the Sanctification of the Spirit according to the Promise of the Covenant and the other by their own Endeavours without it though indeed Cassianus with some of the Semi-Pelagians dreamed somewhat to that purpose Wherefore that which is thus a Fruit and Effect of the Promise of the Covenant hath an especial Nature of its own distinct from whatever hath not that Relation unto the same Covenant No man can ever be made partaker of any the least Degree of that Grace or Holiness which is promised in the Covenant unless it be by vertue and as a Fruit of that Covenant For if they might do so then were the Covenant of God of none Effect for what it seems to promise in a peculiar Manner may on this Supposition be attained without it which renders it an empty Name Sect. 76 Fifthly Herein consists the Image of God whereunto we are to be renewed This I have proved before and shall afterward have Occasion to insist upon Nothing less than the intire Renovation of the Image of God in our Souls will constitute us Evangelically Holy No series of Obediential Actings no Observance of Religious Duties no Attendance unto Actions amongst men as Morally vertuous and usefull how exact soever they may be or how constant soever we may be unto them will ever render us lovely or holy in the sight of God unless they all proceed from the Renovation of the Image of God in us or that Habitual Principle of spiritual Life and Power which renders us conformable unto him Sect. 77 From what hath been thus briefly discoursed we may take a Prospect of that horrible mixture of Ignorance and Impudence wherewith some contend that the Practice of Moral Vertue is all the Holiness which is required of us in the Gospel neither understanding what they say nor whereof they do affirm But yet this they do with so great a Confidence as to despise and scoffe at any thing else which is pleaded to belong thereunto But this Pretence notwithstanding all the swelling words of vanity wherewith it is set off and vended will easily be discovered to be weak and frivolous For Sect. 78 1 The Name or Expression it self is foreign to the Scripture not once used by the Holy Ghost to denote that Obedience which God requireth of us in and according to the Covenant of Grace Nor is there any sence of it agreed upon by them who so magisterially impose it on others Yea there are many express Contests about the signification of these words and what it is that is intended by them which those who contend about them are not ignorant of and yet have they not endeavoured to reduce the sence they intend unto any Expression used concerning the same matter in the Gospel but all men must needs submit unto it that at
he dwelleth in us God doth it by his Spirit as he dwelleth in us As it is a work of Grace it is said to be wrought by the Spirit and as it is our Duty we are said to work it through the Spirit v. 13. And let men pretend what they please if they have not the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them they have not mortified any sin but do yet walk after the flesh and continuing so to doe shall dye Sect. 19 Moreover as this is the only Spring of Mortification in us as it is a Grace so the Consideration of it is the principal Motive unto it as it is a Duty So our Apostle pressing unto it doth it by this Argument Know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God 1 Cor. 6. 19. To which we may adde that weighty Caution which he gives us to the same purpose 1 Cor. 3. 16. Know you not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you if any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is Holy which Temple are ye Whereas therefore in every Duty two things are principally considered First The Life and Spring of it as it is wrought in us by Grace Secondly The principal Reason for it and Motive unto it as it is to be performed in our selves by the way of Duty Both these as to this matter of Mortification do center in this Inhabitation of the Spirit For 1 It is he who mortifies and subdues our Corruptions who quickens us unto Life Holiness and Obedience as he dwelleth in us that he may make and prepare an Habitation meet for himself And 2 The principal Reason and Motive which we have to attend unto it with all Care and Diligence as a Duty is that we may thereby preserve his Dwelling-place so as becometh his Grace and Holiness And indeed whereas as our Saviour tells us they are things which arise from and come out of the Heart that defile us there is no greater nor more forcible Motive to contend against all the defiling Actings of sin which is our Mortification than this that by the Neglect hereof the Temple of the Spirit will be defiled which we are commanded to watch against under the severe Commination of being destroyed for our Neglect therein Sect. 20 If it be said that whereas we do acknowledge that there are still remainders of this sin in us and they are accompanyed with their Defilements how can it be supposed that the Holy Ghost will dwell in us or in any one that is not perfectly Holy I answer 1 That the great Matter which the Spirit of God considereth in his Opposition unto sin and that of sin to his Work is Dominion and Rule This the Apostle makes evident Rom. 6. 12 13 14. Who or what shall have the principal Conduct of the Mind and Soul Chap. 8. 7 8 9. is the matter in Question Where sin hath the Rule there the Holy Ghost will never dwell He enters into no soul as his Habitation but at the same instant he dethrones sin spoyls it of its Dominion and takes the Rule of the soul into the hand of his own Grace Where he hath effected this Work and brought his Adversary into subjection there he will dwell though sometimes his Habitation be troubled by his subdued Enemy 2 The souls and minds of them who are really sanctified have continually such a sprinkling with the Blood of Christ and are so continually purified by vertue from his sacrifice and oblation as that they are never unmeet Habitations for the holy Spirit of God Sect. 21 2 The Manner of the actual Operation of the Spirit of God in effecting this Work or how he mortifies sin or enables us to mortifie it is to be considered And an Acquaintance herewith dependeth on the Knowledge of the sin that is to be mortified which we have before described It is the vitious corrupt Habit and Inclination unto sin which is in us by Nature that is the principal Object of this Duty or the Old man which is corrupt according unto deceitfull Lusts. When this is weakened in us as to its Power and Efficacy when its strength is abated and its Prevalency destroyed then is this Duty in its proper Discharge and Mortification carryed on in the soul. Now this the Holy Ghost doth First By implanting in our Minds and all their Faculties A contrary Habit and Principle with contrary Inclinations Dispositions and Actings namely a Principle of spiritual Life and Holiness bringing forth the Fruits thereof By means hereof is this work effected For sin will no otherwise dye but by being killed and slain And whereas this is gradually to be done it must be by Warring and Conflict There must be something in us that is contrary unto it which opposing of it conflicting with it doth insensibly and by Degrees for it dyes not at once work out its Ruine and Destruction As in a Chronical Distemper the Disease continually Combates and Conflicts with the Powers of Nature untill having insensibly improved them it prevails unto its Dissolution So is it in this matter These adverse Principles with their Contrariety Opposition and Conflict the Apostle expressely asserts and describes as also their contrary Fruits and Actings with the Issue of the whole Gal. 5. 16 17. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. The contrary Principles are the Flesh and Spirit and their contrary Actings are in Lusting and Warring one against the other ver 16. Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the Lusts of the Flesh Not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh is to Mortifie it for it neither will nor can be kept alive if its Lusts be not fulfilled And he gives a fuller Account hereof ver 17. For the Flesh Lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit Lusteth against the Flesh and these are contrary one to the other If by the Spirit the Spirit of God himself be intended yet he Lusteth not in us but by vertue of that spirit which is born of him that is the New Nature or Holy Principle of Obedience which he worketh in us And the way of their mutual Opposition unto one another the Apostle describes at large in the following verses by instancing in the contrary Effects of the one and the other But the Issue of the whole is v. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts. They have crucified it that is fastned it unto that Cross where at length it may expire And this is the way of it namely the Actings of the Spirit against it and the Fruits produced thereby Hence he shuts up his discourse with that Exhortation If we live in the Spirit let us walk in the Spirit That is if we are endowed with this Spiritual Principle of Life which is to live in the Spirit then let us Act Work and
consists 493 34 Real internal Efficiency ascribed unto Grace 269 29 Eminent Effusions of the Holy Spirit accompanyed with effectual Delusions of Sathan at the same time 18 22 Plentiful Effusion of the Spirit the great Promise of the Old Testament 122 2 The Elect the subject of the Promise of the Spirit as to Regeneration 357 3 Election the Spring of all true Holiness 442 45 Eternal Election a Cause of and Motive unto Holiness 520 c. No Evidence of Election without Holiness 521 5 Election absolutely considered no part of Gods Revealed Will. 523 10 No man Obliged to believe his Election before Conversion 524 13 Who are bound to believe that they are Elected 525 13 Divine Emanation of the Holy Spirit from the Father and Son 35 9 End of Prophesie in the Church 99 5 End of Miraculous Operations 115 21 End of God in the Work of the Old and New Creature 155 2 End of Afflictions and Tryals 343 6 End of Dutyes Two-fold 441 44 End of Legal Commands 535 5 Ends of Holiness for which it is required 414 4 Principal Ends for which the Holy Spirit is promised 357 3 Enforcements unto Obedience from the Authority of God in his Commands 538 10 11 No Enjoyment of God without Purification from Sin 378 Enmity of the Carnal Mind against God and his Wayes 231 49 50 Natural Impotency and Enmity how taken away 278 46 Enquiry into the Reasons and Difficulties in Holy Duties 438 8 Enthusiastical Raptures no Means of Conversion 186 25 No Enthusiastical Impressions in Conversion 270 32 No Entrance with God without Holiness 504 11 Equity of the Law how it respects the Ability of them that are Obliged by it 249 27 Espousals of the Blessed Virgin with Joseph the Necessity thereof 134 14 Essence and Form of Holiness wherein it consists 415 7 8 Eternal Love a powerfull Motive unto Holiness 525 14 Evangelical Holiness distinguished from all Pretences thereunto 439 40 No Evangelical Truth inconsistent with Holinesse or repugnant thereunto 507 16 Evidences of Regeneration various 177 11 No Evidence of an Interest in the Oblation of Christ unless we are Holy 556 4 Infallible Evidences of Divine Inspiration 104 10 Evil Spirits and their Operations 37 11 Evil Frame of Nature how Cured 383 Evil Spirit how it wrought in Saul 112 18 All Excellencies ascribed unto the Holy Spirit in the Scripture 98 3 How Christ is our Example 447 448 449 Exhortations respect Duty not Ability 244 17 Experience of the work of the Spirit of God in the Souls of Men. 27 31 Experiences of the Truth and Reality of things believed supplyed by the Holy Spirit 341 5 Experience of the Defilement of Sin 372 3 External Duties of two sorts 464 4 Extraordinary Works of the Holy Spirit the several kinds of them 99 4 Extraordinary Acts of Christ during the Course of his private Life 140 F. Face of the Earth by what means Annually renewed 74 9 Facility in Dutyes of Obedience from a Principle of Holiness 436 37 Faith and Obedience with respect unto the Gift of the Holy Ghost how to be regulated 90 16 Faith Actually wrought by Grace 272 36 Faith and Love the Spring of Holiness how they are encreased 340 5 Faith encreased by the due Proposal of its proper Objects 341 5 What Faith is required that a man may please God 362 Faith alone interests us in the purifying Vertue of the Blood of Christ. 388 Faith worketh by Prayer unto the Cleansing of Sin 390 6 How it purgeth the Soul 390 8 Faith whether it be a Fixing of the Imagination 400 The Power of Faith in Conforming the Soul unto God 513 24 Faith of Election tends not to Carelesness 530 22 Faith without Holiness vain 553 38 Faithfulness of God in his Promises to be pleaded in Prayer 360 How the Holy Spirit doth Fall on men 90 17 Reasons of Mens Falling from a Course of Duties 548 26 False pretences unto the Name and Work of the Holy Spirit 13 15 False Prophets how they were Acted ib. 16 False Prophets of two sorts some meerly Acted by the Devil some pretenders only 14 17 False pretences to Divine Revelation Sathans Design therein 15 18 False Prophets why called Spirits 16 21 False Notions of Jews and Mahumetans about the Spirit of God 33 8 The Father how he is said to raise Christ from the Dead 148 All Grace Originally from the Father 163 Dread and Fear attending Convictions of Sin 304 30 Fear inseperable from Guilt 375 Fear of Sin a Fruit of Faith 404 Fear of Man how to be removed 539 13 Fiery Tongues what they signified 54 17 Figurative Expressions multiplyed in the Scripture 48 9 Figurative Expressions setting out the Vileness of Sin 402 The Nature of the Guilt and Filth of Sin how made known 375 The Finger of God what it is 72 7 Filiation a personal Adjunct 133 11 Fire on the Altar what it signified 53 16 Fire and Water the Means of all Typical Cleansing 371 1 Folly of men in seeking after Instruction in Moral Duties from others rather than from Christ. 558 11 The Things of God Foolishness unto the Mind of the Natural man how and in what sence 221 31 No Force put upon the Faculties of our Souls by the Operations of the Spirit 187 Forming of the Host of Heaven and Earth the Work of the Holy Spirit 71 7 Forming of the Body of Christ in the Womb the Work of the Holy Spirit 131 10 Foundation of all Church-Order in the Confession of the Lordship of Christ. 4 2 Foundation of the Ministry of the Church in the Promise of the Spirit 156 3 Foundation of Moral Differences among Mankind 364 Freedome and Bounty in the Gift of the Spirit 82 4 Free-will wherein it ends consists 433 33 Freedom of Corrupted Nature and of Grace 434 33 Frequency in Duties produceth Facility 437 Fruits of Sin Internal and External 476 6 Fruits of Election its onely Manifestation 524 13 Evil Frame of Nature how Cured 383 Fulness of Christ what it is and how Communicated 457 71 Fundamental Principles to be attended unto in the tryal of Spirits 17 12 G. Gift of Prophesie honourable in the Church of Old and why 13 16 Gift of Prophesie falsely pretended unto and abused 13 16 The Gift of Prophesie whether ever given to Wicked men 110 17 Gift of Prophesie not a sanctifying Grace 111 18 Gifts of Civil Government from the Holy Ghost 116 22 Gifts for the Discharge of the Office of Mediator Collated on the Humane Nature of Christ by the Holy Ghost 139 4 Gifts how to be prayed for 360 The Holy Spirit Given of God and how 80 3 Giving and Receiving related ibid. Giving of the Spirit includes Authority Freedom and Bounty 81 4 The Spirit how Given by the Father in the way of Authority 81 4 To Glorifie God as God what it is 44 2 Glorified Body of Christ the Example of ours 149 12 Glorying in Sin its Abomination 397 12