are before this Work is wrought in them and on them Ephes. 2. 1 5. which is the Work of the Spirit alone for it is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing John 6. 63. see Rom. 8. 9 10. Titus 3. 4 5 6. where the same Truth is declared and asserted But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit which he shed on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Sect. 4 What we have frequently mentioned occurreth here expresly namely the whole Blessed Trinity and each Person therein acting distinctly in the Work of our Salvation The Spring or Fountain of the whole lyeth in the Kindness and Love of God even the Father Thereunto it is every-where ascribed in the Scripture see John 3. 16. Ephes. 1. 4 5 6. What-ever is done in the Accomplishment of this Work it is so in the pursuit of his Will Purpose and Counsel and is an Effect of his Love and Grace The procuring Cause of the Application of the Love and Kindness of God unto us is Jesus Christ our Saviour in the whole Work of his Mediation v. 6. and the immediate efficient Cause in the Communication of the Love and Kindness of the Father through the Mediation of the Son unto us is the Holy Spirit And this he doth in the Renovation of our Natures by the washing of Regeneration wherein we are purged from our sins and sanctified unto God Sect. 5 More Testimonies unto this purpose need not be insisted on This Truth of the Holy Spirit being the Author of our Regeneration which the Ancients esteemed a Cogent Argument to prove his Deity even from the the Greatness and Dignity of the Work is in words at least so far as I know granted by all who pretend to sobriety in Christianity That by some others it hath been derided and exploded is the occasion of this Vindication of it It must not be expected that I should here handle the whole Doctrine of Regeneration practically as it may be educed by Inferences from the Scripture according to the Analogie of Faith and the Experiences of them that believe It hath been done already by others My present aim is only to confirm the Fundamental Principles of Truth concerning those Operations of the Holy Spirit which at this day are opposed with violence and virulence And what I shall offer on the present Subject may be reduced unto the ensuing Heads Sect. 6 1. Although the Work of Regeneration by the Holy Spirit was wrought under the Old Testament even from the Foundation of the World and the Doctrine of it was recorded in the Scriptures yet the Revelation of it was but obscure in comparison of that Light and Evidence which it is brought forth into by the Gospel This is evident from the Discourse which our Blessed Saviour had with Nicodemus on this Subject For when he acquainted him clearly with the Doctrine of it he was surprized and fell into that enquiry which argued some amazement How can these things be But yet the Reply of our Saviour manifests That he might have attained a better acquaintance with it out of the Scripture than he had done Art thou saith he a Master in Israel and knowest not these things Dost thou take upon thee to Teach others what is their State and Condition and what is their Duty towards God and art ignorant thy self of so Great and Fundamental a Doctrine which thou mightest have learned from the Scripture For if he might not so have done there would have been no just cause of the Reproof given him by our Saviour For it was neither Crime nor Negligence in him to be ignorant of what God had not revealed This Doctrine therefore namely That every one who will enter into the Kingdom of God must be born again of the Holy Spirit was contained in the Writings of the Old Testament It was so in the Promises That God would circumcise the Hearts of his People that he would take away their Heart of Stone and give them a Heart of Flesh with his Law written in it and other wayes as shall be afterwards proved Sect. 7 But yet we see that it was so obscurely declared that the principal Masters and Teachers of the People knew little or nothing of it Some indeed would have this Regeneration if they knew what they would have or as to what may be gathered of their minds out of their great swelling words of vanity to be nothing but Reformation of Life according to the Rules of the Scripture But Nicodemus knew the necessity of Reformation of Life well enough if he had ever read either Moses or the Prophets And to suppose that our Lord Jesus Christ proposed unto him the thing which he knew perfectly well only under a new Name or Notion which he had never heard of before So to take an advantage of charging him with being ignorant of what indeed he full well knew and understood is a blasphemous Imagination How they can free themselves from the Guilt hereof who look on Regeneration as no more but a Metaphorical Expression of Amendment of Life I know not And if it be so if there be no more in it but as they love to speak becoming a new Moral Man a thing which all the World Jews and Gentiles understood our Lord Jesus was so far from bringing it forth into more Light and giving it more perspicuity by what he teacheth concerning Regeneration the Nature Manner Causes and Effects of it that he cast it thereby into more darkness and obscurity than ever it was delivered in either by Jewish Masters or Gentile Philosophy For although the Gospel do really teach all Duties of Morality with more exactness and clearness and press unto the Observance of them on motives incomparably more cogent than any thing that otherwise ever befel the Mind of Man to think or apprehend yet if it must be supposed to intend nothing else in its Doctrine of the New Birth or Regeneration but those Moral Duties and their Observance it is dark and unintelligible I say if there be not a secret mysterious Work of the Spirit of God in and upon the Souls of Men intended in the Writings of the New Testament but only a Reformation of Life and the Improvement of Mens Natural Abilities in the Exercise of Moral Virtue through the Application of outward means unto their Minds and Understandings conducting and perswading thereunto they must be granted to be obscure beyond those of any other Writers whatsoever as some have not feared already to publish unto the World concerning the Epistles of Paul But so long as we can obtain an acknowledgment from Men that they are true and in any sense the Word of God we doubt not but to evince that the things intended in them are clearly and
it appear that the same Expression must have different Interpretations and that the Spirit is called the Spirit of God because he is so and proceedeth from him but the Spirit of Christ because he is not so but only treateth of him The answer is ready namely because the Father is God but Christ is not and therefore could not give the Spirit when he was not This is an easie Answer namely to deny a Fundamental Truth and to set up that denyal in an Opposition unto a clear Testimony given unto it But the Truth is this pretended sense leaves no sense at all in the Words For if the Spirit which was in the Prophets be called the Spirit of Christ only because he did before-hand declare the things of Christ that is his suffering and the Glory that did ensue and that be the sole Reason of that Denomination then the sense or importance of the Words is this searching what or what manner of Time the Spirit which did signifie when it testified before hand the sufferings of Christ which was in them did signifie when he testified before hand the sufferings of Christ. For according to this Interpretation the Spirit of Christ is nothing but the Spirit as testifying before-hand of him and thence alone is he so called the Absurdity whereof is apparent unto all Sect. 17 But countenance is indeavoured unto this wresting of the Scripture from 1 Joh. 4. 3. Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the World For say some the Spirit of Antichrist is said to be in the World when Antichrist was not as yet come But the Spirit here intended is not called the Spirit of Antichrist because it declared and foretold the things of Antichrist before his coming On which account alone they allow the Spirit of God in the Prophets of Old to be called the Spirit of Christ. They have therefore no countenance from this Place which failes them in the Principal thing they would prove by it Again supposing those Words whereof you have heard that it should come and is now in the World are to be interpreted of the Spirit mentioned and not of Antichrist himself yet no more can be intended but that the false Teachers and Seducers which were then in the World acted with the same Spirit as Antichrist should do at his coming And so there is no Conformity between these Expressions Besides the Spirit of Antichrist was then in the World as was Antichrist himself so far as his Spirit was in the world so far was he so also For Antichrist and his Spirit cannot be separated Both he and it were then in the World in their forerunners who opposed the Truth of the Gospel about the Incarnation of the Son of God and his sufferings And indeed the Spirit of Antichrist in this Place is no more but his Doctrines Antichristian Doctrine which is to be tryed and rejected Neither is any singular Person intended by Antichrist but a Mysterious Opposition unto Christ and the Gospel signally Headed by a series of men in the latter days He therefore and his Spirit began to be together in the World in the Apostles Days when the Mystery of Iniquity began to work 2 Thessal 2. 7. There is therefore no countenance to be taken from these words unto the perverting and wresting of that other expression concerning the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets of old This therefore is the formal Reason of this Apellation The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of the Son and the Spirit of Christ upon the Account of his Procession or Emanation from his Person also Without respect hereunto he could not be called properly the Spirit of Christ but on that supposition he may be he is so denominated from that various Relation Respect that he hath unto him in his Work and Operations Thus is the Spirit called in the Scripture these are the Names whereby the Essence and Subsistence of the Third Person in the Holy Trinity are declared How he is called on the Account of his Offices and Operations will be manifested in our Progress Divine Nature and Personality of the HOLY SPIRIT Proved and Vindicated CHAP. III. 1. Ends of our consideration of the Dispensation of the Spirit 2. Principles premised thereunto 3. The Nature of God the Foundation of all Religion 4. Divine Revelation gives the Rule and Measure of Religious Worship 5. God hath revealed himself as Three in One. 6. Distinct Actings and Operations ascribed unto these Distinct Persons 7. Therefore the Holy Spirit a Divine Distinct Person 8. Double Opposition to the Holy Spirit 9. By some his Personality granted and his Deity denyed 10. His Personality denyed by the Socinians 11. Proved against them 12. The open vanity of their Pretences Matth. 28. 19. pleaded 13 14 15. Appearances of the Spirit under the shape of a Dove 16. Explained and Improved 17. His appearance as Fire opened 18. His Personal Subsistence proved 19. Personal Properties assigned unto him Understanding Argument from hence pleaded and vindicated 20. A Will Joh. 33. Jam. 3. 4. cleared 21. Exceptions removed 22. Power 23 24 c. Other Personal Ascriptions to him with Testimonies of them vindicated and explained Sect. 1 WE shall now proceed to the Matter it self designed unto Consideration namely the Dispensation of the Spirit of God unto the Church And I shall endeavour to six what I have to offer upon its proper Principles and from them to educe the whole Doctrine concerning it And this must be so done as to manifest the Interest of our Faith Obedience and Holy Worship in the whole and each Part of it For these are the immediate Ends of all Divine Revelations according to that Holy Maxime of our Blessed Saviour if you know these things happy are ye if you doe them To this End the Ensuing Principles are to be observed Sect. 2 1. The Nature and Being of God is the Foundation of all true Religion and holy Religious Worship in the World The great End for which we were made for which we were brought forth by the Power of God into this World is to Worship him and to give glory unto him For he made all things for himself or his own Glory Prov. 16. 4. to be rendred unto him according to the Abilities and Capacities that he hath furnished them withal Revel 4. 11. And that which makes this Worship indispensibly necessary unto us and from whence it is Holy or Religious is the Nature and Being of God himself There are indeed many Parts or Acts of Religious Worship which immediately respect as their Reason and Motive what God is unto us or what he hath done and doth for us But the Principal and Adaequate Reason of all Divine Worship and that which makes it such is what God is in himself Because he is
of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost said separate unto me He therefore alone is intended All the Answer which the Wit and Diligence of our Adversaries can invent is That these words are ascribed unto the Holy Ghost because the Prophets that were in the Church of Antioch spake therein by his Instinct and Inspiration But in this Evasion there is no regard unto the force of our Argument for we do not argue meerly from his being said to speak but from what is spoken by him separate unto me and do enquire whether the Prophets be intended by that word or no If so which of them for they were many by whom the Holy Ghost spake the same thing and some one must be intended in common by them all And to say that this was any of the Prophets is foolish indeed blasphemous 2. The close of the third Verse confirms this application of the Word to the Work whereunto I have called them This confessedly is the Holy Ghost Now to call Men to the Ministry is a free Act of Authority Choice and Wisdom which are Properties of a Person and none other Nor is either the Father or the Son in the Scripture introduced more directly clothed with Personal Properties than the Holy Ghost is in these places And the whole is confirmed vers 4. And they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed He called them by furnishing them with Ability and Authority for their work he commanded them to be set apart by the Church that they might be blessed and owned in their Work and he sent them forth by an impression of his Authority on their Minds given them by those former Acts of his And if a Divine Person be not hereby described I know not how he may so be Sect. 27 The other Text speaks unto the same purpose Chap. 20. 28. It is expresly said that the Holy Ghost made the Elders of the Church the Overseers of it The same Act of Wisdom and Authority is here again assigned unto him and here is no room left for the Evasion before insisted on For these words were not spoken in a way of Prophesie nor in the Name of the Holy Ghost but concerning him And they are Explicatory of the other For he must be meant in those Expression separate unto Me those whom I have called by whom they are made Ministers Now this was the Holy Ghost for he makes the Overseers of the Church And we may do well to take notice that if he did so then he doth so now for they were not Persons extraordinarily inspired or called that the Apostle intends but the ordinary Officers of the Church And if Persons are not called and constituted Officers as at the first in ordinary Cases the Church is not the same as it was And it is the Concernment of those who take this Work and Office upon them to consider what there is in their whole Undertaking that they can ascribe unto the Holy Ghost Persons furnished with no Spiritual Gifts or Abilities entring into the Ministry in the pursuit of Secular Advantages will not easily satisfie themselves in this Enquiry when they shall be willing or be forced at the last to make it Sect. 28 There remains yet one sort of Testimonies to the same purpose which must briefly be passed through And they are those where he is spoken of as the Object of such Actings and Actions of Men as none but a Person can be For let them be applyed unto any other Object and their Inconsistency will quickly appear Thus he is said to be tempted of them that sin You agree together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord Acts 5. 9. In what sense soever this word is used whether in that which is indifferent to try as God is said to tempt Abraham or in that which is evil to provoke or induce to sin it never is it never can be used but with respect unto a Person How can a Quality an Accident an Emanation of Power from God be tempted None can possibly be so but he that hath an Understanding to consider what is proposed unto him and a Will to determine upon the Proposals made So Satan tempted our first Parents so Men are tempted by their own Lusts so are we said to tempt God when we provoke him by our Unbelief or when we unwarrantably make Experiments of his Power So did they tempt the Holy Ghost who sinfully ventured on his Omniscience as if he would not or could not discover their sin or on his Holiness that he would patronize their Deceit In like manner Ananias is said to lie to the Holy Ghost vers 3. And And none is capable of lying unto any other but such a one as is capable of hearing and receiving a Testimony For a Lie is a false Testimony given unto that which is spoken or uttered in it This He that is lyed unto must be capable of judging and determining upon which without Personal Properties of Will and Understanding none can be And the Holy Ghost is here so declared to be a Person as that he is declared to be One that is also Divine For so the Apostle Peter declares in the Exposition of the words v. 4. Thou hast not lyed unto Men but unto God These things are so plain and positive that the Faith of Believers will not be concerned in the Sophistical Evasions of our Adversaries In like manner he is said to be resisted Acts 7. 51. which is the moral Reaction or Opposition of one Person unto another So also is he said to be grieved or we are commanded not to grieve him Ephes. 4. 30. as they of old were said to have rebelled and vexed the Holy Spirit of God Isa. 63. 10. A figurative Expression is allowed in these words Properly the Spirit of God cannot be grieved or vexed for these things include such Imperfections as are incompetent unto the Divine Nature But as God is said to repent and to be grieved at his heart Gen. 6. 6. when he would do things correspondent unto those which Men will do or judg fit to be done on such Provocations and when he would declare what Effects they would produce in a Nature capable of such perturbations So on the same Reason is the Spirit of God said to be grieved and vexed But this can no way be spoken of him if he be not one whose respect unto sin may from the Analogie unto humane Persons be represented by this figurative Expression To talk of grieving a Vertue or an actual Emanation of Power is to speak that which no Man can understand the Meaning or Intention of Surely He that is thus tempted resisted and grieved by Sin and Sinners is one that can understand judg and determine concerning them And these things being elsewhere absolutely spoken concerning God it declares that he is so with respect unto whom they are mentioned in particular Sect. 24 The whole of the Truth contended for is yet more evident in that
the edification of the Church Ephes. 4. 10 11 12 13. The owning therefore and avowing the Work of the Holy Ghost in the Hearts and on the Minds of Men according to the Tenor of the Convenant of Grace is the principal part of that Profession which at this day all Believers are called unto Sect. 5 4. We are taught in an especial manner to pray that God would give his Holy Spirit unto us that through his Aid and Assistance we may live unto God in that Holy Obedience which he requires at our hands Luk. 11. 9 10 12 13. Our Saviour enjoyning an importunity in our Supplications v. 9 10. and giving us encouragement that we shall succeed in our Requests v. 11 12. makes the Subject Matter of them to be the Holy Spirit Your Heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him v. 13. Which in the other Evangelists is good things Mat. 7. 11. because he is the Author of them all in us and to us Nor doth God bestow any good thing on us but by his Spirit Hence the Promise of bestowing the Spirit is accompanied with a Prescription of Duty unto us that we should ask him or pray for him which is included in every Promise where his sending giving or bestowing is mentioned He therefore is the great Subject Matter of all our Prayers And that signal Promise of our Blessed Saviour to send him as a Comforter to abide with us for ever is a Directory for the Prayers of the Church in all Generations Nor is there any Church in the World fallen under such a total Degeneracy but that in their Publick Offices there are Testimonies of their ancient Faith and Practice in praying for the coming of the Spirit unto them according to this Promise of Christ. And therefore our Apostle in all his most solemn Prayers for the Churches in his dayes makes this the chief Petition of them That God would give unto them and increase in them the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit with the Spirit himself for sundry especial Effects and Operations whereof they stood in need Ephes. 1. 17. Chap. 3. 16. Col. 2. 2. And this is a full conviction of what importance the Consideration of the Spirit of God and his Work is unto us We must deal in this Matter with that confidence which the Truth instructs us unto and therefore say That he who prayeth not constantly and diligently for the Spirit of God that he may be made partaker of him for the Ends for which he is promised is a Stranger from Christ and his Gospel This we are to attend unto as that whereon our Eternal Happiness doth depend God knows our State and Condition and we may better learn our Wants from his Prescription of what we ought to pray for than from our own Sense and Experience For we are in the Dark unto our own Spiritual Concerns through the Power of our Corruptions and Temptations and know not what we should pray for as we ought Rom. 8. 26. But our Heavenly Father knows perfectly what we stand in need of And therefore whatever be our present Apprehensions concerning our selves which are to be examined by the Word our Prayers are to be regulated by what God hath enjoyned us to ask and what he hath promised for to bestow Sect. 6 5. What was before mentioned may here be called over again and farther improved yea it is necessary that so it should be This is the solemn Promise of Jesus Christ when he was to leave this World by Death And whereas he therein made and confirmed his Testament Heb. 9. 15 16 17 He bequeathed his Spirit as his great Legacy unto his Disciples And this he gave unto them as the great Pledg of their future Inheritance 2 Cor. 1. 22. which they were to live upon in this World All other good things he hath indeed bequeathed unto Believers as he speaks of Peace with God in particular Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you John 14. 27. But he gives particular Graces and Mercies for particular Ends and Purposes The Holy Spirit he bequeaths to supply his own Absence John 16. 17. that is for all the Ends of Spiritual and Eternal Life Let us therefore consider this Gift of the Spirit either formally under this Notion that he was the principal Legaoy left unto the Church by our dying Saviour or materially as to the Ends and Purposes for which he is so bequeathed and it will be evident what valuation we ought to have of Him and his Work How would some rejoice if they could possess any Relique of any thing that belonged unto our Saviour in the dayes of his Flesh though of no use or benefit unto them Yea how great a part of Men called Christians do boast in some pretended Parcels of the Tree whereon he suffered Love abused by Superstition lies at the bottom of this Vanity For they would embrace any thing left them by their dying Saviour But he left them no such things nor did ever bless and Sanctify them unto any holy or Sacred Ends. And therefore hath the abuse of them been punished with blindness and Idolatry But this is openly testified unto in the Gospel then when his Heart was overflowing with Love unto his Disciples and Care for them when he took an Holy Prospect of what would be their Condition their Work Duty and Temptations in the World and thereon made Provision of all that they could stand in need of he promiseth to leave and give unto them his Holy Spirit to abide with them for ever directing us to look unto Him for all our Comforts and Supplies According therefore unto our valuation and esteem of Him of our Satisfaction and Acquiescency in Him is our regard to the Love Care and Wisdom of our Blessed Saviour to be measured And indeed it is only in his Word and Spirit wherein we can either honour or despise him in this World In his own Person he is exalted at the Right Hand of God far above all Principalities and Powers So that nothing of ours can immediately reach him or affect him But it is in our regard to these that he makes a Tryal of our Faith Love and Obedience And it is a matter of Lamentation to consider the contempt and scorn that on various Pretences is cast upon this Holy Spirit and the Work whereunto he is sent by God the Father and by Jesus Christ. For there is included therein a contempt of them also Nor will a pretence of honouring God in their own way secure such Persons as shall contract the guilt of this Abomination For it is an Idol and not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who doth not work effectually in the Elect by the Holy Ghost according to the Scriptures And 2. if we consider this Promise of the Spirit to be given unto us as to the Ends of it Then Sect. 7 6. He is promised and given as
114 20 Matter of Holiness wherein it consists 411 3 Means assigned in the Wisdom of God for the Recovery of fallen Man 8 9 Due Means to be sued in coming to the knowledge of Christ. 151 14 False Means rejected ibid. Means of Regeneration various 177 10 Vse of Means towards Persons unregenerate 244 16 Measures of the Gift of the Holy Spirit 95 21 The Spirit not given by Measure to Christ. 140 Mediation of Christ the only procuring Cause of Holiness 444 49 Christ a Mediator in what sence 451 62 Mediation of Christ confined unto his Offices 554 2 Merit inâ—â—nsistent with Grace 332 13 Merit destractive unto Holiness 505 14 Metaphors not to be faigned in the Scripture 57 21 Metaphor in the Expression of sending the Spirit 84 8 Meteors when created 72 8 Method of the Work of the Spirit in Regeneration 189 26 Method of the Gospel in declaring the Matters contained in it 235 58 Method of Divine Revelations to be believed 523 9 The Mind Depraved in things Natural and Moral 209 12 The Mind as the leading Faculty of the Soul how Corrupted 211 15 The Mind affected with Darkness 236 60 Carnal Mind in all Man-kind by Nature 243 14 Mind as the Conducting faculty of the Soul how Depraved 181 51 Mind to be renewed 367 Wofull Disorder of the Mind in a Natural Condition 567 2 Impotency of the Mind to receive spiritual Things 210 13 To be spiritually Minded what it is 424 18 Ministration of the Spirit renders the Gospel effectual 11 11 Ministration of the Spirit or how he is ministred 85 9 Ministers how called by the Holy Ghost 62 26 Ministers Duty to inquire into and declare the Nature of Regeneration 188 26 Ministry of the Gospel how the Ministry of the Spirit 122 3 Ministry of Angels about the Body of Christ when dead 147 10 Ministry of the Word its use in Conversion 257 9 Foundation of the Ministry of the Church in the Promise of the Spirit 156 3 Miracles Effects of the Power of the Holy Ghost 114 21 No Mere Man the real Subject of a Power of working Miracles 115 21 Miraculous Operations in Christ by the Power of the Holy Ghost 141 6 Misery of Defiled Sinners 394 10 Misery of Man in this World not renewed by Grace 566 1 Moral Condition of Man by Creation 75 11 Moral Vertues and Endowments in Civil things wrought by the Holy Spirit 118 23 Moral Impotency of the Mind wherein it consists 225 41 Moral Vertue its worth and Excellency 325 326 8 Moral Vertue is not the Holiness of Truth 326 8 Moral Habits the Nature of them 416 8 Moral what is intended thereby 460 79 Name and Nature of Moral Vertue examined 459 78 Moral Operation and Efficacy of Dutyes for the Mortifying of sin 490 29 Moral Vertue what intended thereby 506 15 Morality improved by Grace no way hindred 181 17 Morality or a Course of Moral Duties not Gospel Holiness 440 441 c. To mortifie sin what it signifies 474 3 Mortification of Sin the Nature of it explained 473 1 Mortification an alwayes present Duty 475 5 Mortification progressive 479 10 Moses the first who committed Divine Revelations to writing 113 19 No local Motion in the sending of the Spirit 84 8 Motives unto Religious Worship taken from what God is unto us 44 2 Motives unto the Purification of Sin 391 8 Example of Christ our great Motive unto Holiness 449 58 Principal Motive unto the Mortification of Sin what it is 489 19 Moving on the Face of the Waters 72 8 Mistake of sundry ancient Translations 30 3 Mystery of Holiness 326 9 Mystery of the Cleansing of Sin by the Blood of Christ. 399 Mystical Body prepared for Christ by the Holy Ghost 321 1 N. The Name Spirit with the several Significations of it in the Scripture considered 28 2 The Name Spirit how peculiar to the third Person in the Trinity 34 9 The Name of God denoting his Being and Authority proper to each Person in the Trinity 50 12 The Nature of God the Foundation of all Religion 43 2 Nature of Prophesie of Old 100 5 Humane Nature of Christ derived no Evil from the Fall of Adam Reasons thereof 136 1 Sanctification of the Humane Nature of Christ in the Womb. 137 1 Divine Nature in Christ acted not as his Soul 137 2 The Divine Nature what it is 184 21 Nature of the Common Work of the Spirit explained what 198 13 Our whole Nature the subject of Sanctification 323 3 Nature of Holiness not to be comprehended by Natural Reason 326 9 Nature of Merit wherein it consists 332 13 Nature lapsed and depraved not able to repair it self 335 14 Nature of Decayes in Holiness 353 Nature created in the Image of God 365 The Nature of the Guilt and Filth of Sin how made known 375 True Nature of spiritual Liberty 434 34 Nature of God the onely infinite Fountain of Holiness 451 63 Holy Nature of God the Original Reason of the Necessity of Holiness in us 499 3 The Nature of that Holiness which God requireth of us revealed in Christ. 502 7 Some things clear in the Light of Nature 560 13 The Natural Man who he is 217 24 Natural Impotency of the Mind wherein it consists 225 40 Necessity of Changes in the Work of Grace 353 3 Necessity of Holiness acknowledged by all 498 1 Necessity of Holiness notwithstanding Gods readiness to pardon sin 518 33 Necessity of Holiness arising from Gods Command 533 2. 553 37 Neglect of known Duty ruinous to the Life of Holiness 250 10 New Act of especial Grace required unto every particular Duty 430 28 New Creation how effected by the Holy Spirit 95 1 Work of the Holy Spirit in the New Creation greatly to be considered 121 1 New Creation the Work whereby God designed to glorifie himself principally in this World 126 8 New Creation how assigned unto the Father Son and Spirit dictinctly 126 9 New Creature what it is and wherein it consists 183 20 New Man what it is 367 New Nature wherein it consisteth 411 2 Nine sorts of spiritual Gifts 6 7 7 Nocturnal Visions and Dreams the same 107 13 Nothing to be done in Obedience without Aids from Christ. 466 8 Nourishing of the Creation the Work of the Holy Spirit 73 9 O. Obedience of Christ gave Efficacy to his Oblation 144 Obedience without Merit Foolishness to Carnal Reason 334 13 Obedience with respect unto Rewards and Punishments not servile 541 15 Object of Christs Priestly Acts God himself 555 3 Objects of the Life of Innocency and the Life of Grace in Christ different 242 10 Objects of Creating Acts not in potentia before their Existence 273 37 Objections against the Progressive Nature of Holiness answered 349 350 c. 10 Objections against the Necessity of Holiness from the Decree of Election removed 522 523 c. How the Lord Christ sanctified himself to be an Oblation or Sacrifice 143 9 Oblation of Christ
whence voluntary and meritorious 146 9 Obligation unto Holiness no less under the Gospel than under the Law 535 6 All Obstacles removed by effectual Grace 270 30 Obstinacy and Stubbornness of the Heart by Nature 277 45 Obstructions of the Growth of Holiness 350 10 Occasions of spiritual decays in Grace 354 How Christ Offered himself to God through the Eternal Spirit 143 8 Office of Witness-bearing unto the Lord Christ discharged by the Holy Spirit 149 13 One singular Spirit of God declared in the Scripture 33 8 The Holy Spirit One dividing as he pleaseth to others 94 21 Operations of the Spirit called the Spirit by a Metonymy 33 8 Divine Operations of all sorts ascribed to the Holy Spirit 59 24 All Divine Operations ascribed unto God absolutely 68 1 Operations of the Holy Spirit on the Humane Nature of Christ of two sorts 128 2 Operations of the Holy Spirit on the Humane Nature of Christ notwithstanding its personal Vnion with the Son 129 3 Operations of the Holy Spirit in Conversion suited unto the Powers of our Souls 270 31 Two-fold Operation of Christ as Three in One 162 Opening of the Heavens what it signifies 52 15 Opinions in the Primitive Church falsly fathered on spiritual Revelations 15 19 Opposition to the Spirit of God and his Works with the Grounds of it 21 25 Pretences of Opposition unto the Spirit of God examined 21 25 Oppositions against the Church suppressed by the Spirit of God 78 16 No Opposition between Gods Commands and his Grace 167 Vniversal Opposition between Sin and Grace 477 7 Order of Divine Dispensations dependeth on the Order of the subsistence of the Divine Persons 39 14 Order of subsistence of the Holy Spirit in the Blessed Trinity 66 33 Order of Operation depending on the Order of Subsistence not the Order of Promination ibid. Outward Order in the Church of no use without the Presence and Work of the Spirit 158 4 Order in Subsistence gives Order in Operation 162 Order of the Mind in its first Creation 212 15 Order of the Gospel inverted by Prejudices 235 58 Order of Precedency in the Acts of Sanctification 410 1 Skill in the Original Text necessary to the Exposition of the Scripture 30 4 Original of all things in their several kinds 73 9 Original of the Spirits Acting in all his Works towards the Church 89 15 Where Original Sin is denyed Regeneration cannot be effected 186 24 Original Order of our Souls wherein it consisted 568 6 Outward Manner and wayes of Divine Revelations 106 11 P. Pains of Death how loosed towards Christ. 147 11 Vanity of Papal Inventions for the Purification of Sin 379 380 Partial departure of the Spirit from any 91 19 Partial Works deceitfull 369 Two Parts of the Life of God 423 16 Particular good End not sufficient to render a Duty Good or Holy 441 44 Peace with God preserved by Sanctification 323 3 How God sanctifieth us as the God of Peace ibid. Pelagius his Artifices 177 9 Doctrine of Pelagius 183 20 Pelagianism renewed 255 5 Pelagianisme reduced unto its Head 256 7 Difference between Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians 262 19 Pelagian Grace inconsistent with Prayer 265 24 Pelagius his Prayer 266 25 Pelagian Grace rejected 458 73 Pen-men of the Scripture whether all holy 111 18 Pen-men of the Scripture not left unto the use of their own Natural Abilities 114 20 Sinless Perfection not attainable in this Life 547 25 Persecution of Erring Persons vain and fruitless 19 20 23 Person of the Spirit and his Operations distinguished 33 8 Third Person in the Trinity whence called the Spirit 34 9 Person of the Father the Fountain of the Trinity 38 13 Some things not proper to a Person assigned to the Holy Ghost in what sence 48 9 The Person of the Holy Spirit not poured out but his Gifts and Graces 87 13 Every Divine Person Author of the same Work 68 1 The Person of Christ how the Fountain of all Grace 455 The whole Person of a Believer the subject of Sanctification 365 Divine Persons succeeded not to each other in their Operations 70 3 Manifestation of the distinction of Persons in the Divine Nature a great End in the Work of the New Creation 155 2 All Personal Properties assigned unto the Holy Spirit in the Scripture 48 8 Personal Vnion or the Subsistence of both the Natures of Christ in one Person the necessary Consequent of Assumption 129 5 Personality of the Holy Spirit from John 14. 15 16. 60 61 25 Perswasive Efficacy of the Word Preached 258 12 Perswasion conferres no Strength 262 21 Perswasions enable not men to convert themselves 266 25 Perswasions of Perfection ruinous to Holiness 355 Pharisaical Confidence 397 12 Wise Philosophers of Old the greatest Despisers of the Gospel 221 222 Physical Operations of Grace proved 269 29 Pleas for Balaam answered 111 112 19 Pleas of Pelagians 263 21 Vain Pleas for the Power of Free-will in Opposition to the Aids of the Spirit 471 15 Pleas for Holiness by unholy persons uncomely and dangerous 498 2 Pleas for Moral Vertue examined 506 15 Pollution or spiritual Defilement in Sin 372 3 Pollution of Sin that property of it whereby it is opposed to the Holiness of God 374 4 Habitual Pollution inconsistent with any Holiness 378 Pouring forth of the Spirit 86 11 Pouring forth of the Spirit alwayes respects the times of the Gospel 87 12 Power ascribed unto the Holy Spirit 58 22 Powers and Operations of Secondary Causes to be owned 77 15 Power of the Mind with respect unto spiritual things examined 216 23 Power in the Mind by Nature to discern spiritual things 221 30 Power of spiritual Darkness 227 43 Power of Darkness in the Devil 228 45 Powers and Duties of the Mind 236 60 Power unto Obedience in the State of Innocency 241 8 Power in Natural men beyond what they do or will use 245 20 Power in the Faculties of Nature as Corrupted 250 29 Power of the Word to prevail on the Souls of Men whereon it depends 258 13 Spiritual Power in the Habit of Holiness 432 31 Commands of the Covenant respect the Power administred in the Covenant 432 30 Spiritual Power wherein it consists 432 31 No Power in Believers unto Duties of Holy Obedience without assistance of the Spirit 465 c. Power administred by Christ enabling us to be Holy 502 8 No Power given by one Covenant to fulfill the Commands of the other 544 20 All power unto Obedience from Grace 546 22 Two-fold power necessary unto Obedience 547 26 Practice of Moral Vertue not Gospel Holiness 459 77 Pravity of Sin with respect unto the Holiness of God Two-fold 377 6 Praying for the Spirit prescribed as our Duty 123 124 5 Difference between the Prayers of Wicked men and of Believers 164 6 Prayers of the Church prove Effectual Grace 265 24 Prayers for Grace and Holiness of what Nature 348 349 9 Prayer for the Holy Spirit in what sence 357 2
of these actings is not considered absolutely as a Divine Person but with respect unto some peculiar Dispensation and Condescention So the Father gives sends commands the Son as he had condescended to take our Nature upon him and to be the Mediator between God and Man So the Father and the Son do send the Spirit as he condescends in an especial manner to the Office of being the Sunctifier and Comforter of the Church Now these are free and voluntary Acts depending upon the Sovereign Will Counsel Pleasure of God and might not have been without the least diminution of his Eternal Blessedness 2. There are especial Acts ad extra towards the Creatures This the whole Scripture testifieth unto so that it is altogether needless to confirm it with particular Instances None who have learned the first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ but can tell you what works are ascribed peculiarly to the Father what to the Son and what to the Holy Ghost Besides this will be manifested afterwards in all the distinct Actings of the Spirit which is sufficient for our purpose Sect. 6 Fifthly Hence it follows unavoidably that this Spirit of whom we treat is in himself a distinct living powerful intelligent divine Person for none other can be the Author of those internal and external Divine Acts and Operations which are ascribed unto him But here I must stay a little and firm that Foundation which we build upon For we are in the Investigation of those things which that one and self-same Spirit distributeth according to his own Will And it is indispensibly necessary unto our present Design that we enquire who and what that one and self-same Spirit is seeing on him and his Will all these things do depend And we do know likewise that if men prevail in the Opposition they make unto his Person it is to no great purpose to concern our selves in his Operations For the Foundation of any Fabrick being taken away the Superstructure will be of no use nor abide Sect. 7 The Opposition that is made in the World against the Spirit of God Doctrinally may be reduced unto two Heads For some there are who grant his Personality or that he is a distinct self-subsisting Person but they deny his Deity deny him to be a participant of the Divine Nature or will not allow him to be God A Created Finite Spirit they say he is but the chiefest of all Spirits that were created and the Head of all the Good Angels Such a Spirit they say there is and that he is called the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost upon the account of the Work wherein he is employed This way went the Macedonian Hereticks of old and they are now followed by the Mahumetans and some of late among our selves have attempted to revive the same Frenzy But we shall not need to trouble our selves about this Notion The folly of it is so evident that it is almost by all utterly deserted For such things are affirmed of the Holy Ghost in the Scripture as that to assert his Personality and deny his Deity is the utmost madness that any one can fall into in Spiritual things Wherefore the Socinians the present great Enemies of the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity and who would be thought to go soberly about the work of destroying the Church of God do utterly reject this Plea and Pretence But that which they advance in the room of it is of no less pernitious Nature and Consequence For granting the things assigned to him to be the Effects of Divine Power they deny his Personality and assert that what is called by the Name of the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit is nothing but a Quality in the Divine Nature or the Power that God puts forth for such and such purpose which yet is no new invention of theirs I do not design here professedly to contend with them about all the Concernments of this Difference for there is nothing of importance in all their Pretences or Exceptions but it will in one place or other occur unto consideration in our Progress I shall onely at present confirm the Divine Personality of the Holy Ghost with one Argument which I will not say is such as no Man can return the shew of an Answer unto For what is it that the Serpentine Wits of Men will not pretend an Answer unto or an Exception against if their Lusts and Prejudices require them so to do But I will boldly say it is such as that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it in the Hearts of true Believers the strengthning of whose Faith is all that in it I do aim at And if it doth not unto all unprejudiced Persons evince the Truth and Reality of the Divine Personality of the Holy Ghost it must certainly convince all Men that nothing which is taught or delivered in the Scripture can possibly be understood Sect. 8 One Consideration which hath in part been before proposed I shall premise to free the Subject of our Argument from Ambiguity And this is that this Word or Name Spirit is used sometimes to denote the Spirit of God himself and sometimes his Gifts and Graces the Effects of his Operations on the Souls of Men. And this our Adversaries in this Cause are forced to confess and thereon in all their Writings distinguish between the Holy Spirit and his Effects This alone being supposed I say it is impossible to prove the Father to be a Person or the Son to be so both which are acknowledged any other way than we may and do prove the Holy Ghost to be so For he to whom all personal Properties Attributes Adjuncts Acts and Operations are ascribed and unto whom they do belong and to whom nothing is or can be truly and properly ascribed but what may and doth belong unto a Person he is a Person and him are we taught to believe so to be So know we the Father to be a Person as also the Son For our Knowledg of things is more by their Properties and Operations than by their Essential Forms Especially is this so with respect to the Nature Being and Existence of God which are in themselves absolutely Incomprehensible Now I shall not confirm the Assumption of this Argument with reference unto the Holy Ghost from this or that particular Testimony nor from the Assignation of any single Personal Property unto him but from the constant Uniform Tenor of the Scripture in ascribing all these Properties unto him And we may add hereunto that things are so ordered in the Wisdom of God that there is no Personal Property that may be found in an Infinite Divine Nature but it is in One place or other ascribed unto him Sect. 9 There is no Exception can be laid against the force of this Argument but only that some things on the One hand are ascribed unto the Spirit which belong not unto a Person nor can be spoken of him
what I have to offer concerning these things consists upon the Matter solely in the Explication of those places of Scripture wherein they are revealed We must therefore consider 1. what we are taught on the part of God the Father with respect unto the Holy Spirit and his Work and 2. what relates immediately unto himself Sect. 2 First God's disposal of the Spirit unto his Work is five wayes expressed in the Scripture For he is said 1. to give or bestow Him 2. to send Him 3. to administer him 4. to pour him out 5. to put him on us And his own Application of Himself unto his Work is likewise five wayes expressed For he is said 1. to proceed 2. to Come or come upon 3. to fall on Men 4. to rest and 5. to depart These things containing the general Manner of his Administration and Dispensation must be first spoken unto Sect. 3 First He is said to be GIVEN of God that is of God the Father who is said to GIVE him in an especial manner Luk. 11. 13. Your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Joh. 3. 34. He hath Given his Spirit unto us 1. Joh. 3. 24. Joh. 14. 16. The Father shall Give you another Comforter which is the Holy Ghost v. 26. And in answer unto this Act of God those on whom he is bestowed are said to Receive him Joh. 7. 39. This he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on Him should Receive 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God 2. Cor. 11. 4. if you have received another Spirit which you had not Reoeived Where the Receiving of the Spirit is made a matter Common unto all Beleivers So Gal. 3. 2. Acts. 8. 15 19. Joh. 14. 17. Chap. 20. 22. For these two Giving and Receiving are related the one supposing the other And this Expression of the Dispensation of the Holy Ghost is irreconcileable unto the Opinion before rejected Namely that he is nothing but a transient Accident or an Occasional Emanation of the Power of God For how or in what sense can an Act of the Power of God be Given by him or be Received by us It can indeed in no sense be either the Object of God's Giving or of our Receiving especially as this is explained in those other Expressions of the same thing before laid down and afterwards considered It must be somewhat that hath a Subsistence of its own that is thus Given and Received So the Lord Christ is frequently said to be Given of God and Received by us It is true we may be said in another sense to receive the Grace of God Which is the Exception of the Socinians unto this Consideration and the constant practice they use to evade plain Testimonies of the Scripture For if they can find any Words in them used elsewhere in another sense they suppose it sufficient to contradict their plain Design and proper meaning in an other place Thus we are exhorted not to receive the Grace of God in vain 2 Cor. 6. 1. I Answer the Grace of God may be considered two Ways 1. Objectively for the Revelation or Doctrine of Grace as Tit. 2. 11 12. So we are said to Receive it when we believe and profess it in opposition unto them by whom it is opposed and rejected And this is the same with our Receiving the Word preached so often mentioned in the Scripture Acts 2. 41. James 1. 21 which is by Faith to give it Entertainment in our Hearts which is the meaning of the Word in this Place 2 Cor. 6. 1. Having taken the Profession of the Doctrine of Grace that is of the Gospel upon us we ought to express its Power in Holiness and suitable Obedience without which it will be of no use or Benefit unto us And the Grace of God is sometimes 2. take Subjectively for the Grace which God is pleased to Communicate unto us or gracious Qualities that he Works in our Souls by his Spirit In this sense also we are sometimes said to receive it 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou which thou didst not receive Where the Apostle speaketh both of the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit And the Reason hereof is because in the Communication of internal Grace unto us we contribute nothing to the Procurement of it but are merely capable recipient Subjects And this Grace is a Quality or Spiritual Habit permanent and abideing in the Soul But in neither of these senses can we be said to receive the Spirit of God nor God to Give him if he be only the Power of God making an Impression on our Minds and Spirits no more than a Man can be said to receive the Sun-beams which cause Heat in him by their Natural Efficacy falling on him Much less can the Giving and Receiving of the Spirit be so interpreted considering what is said of his being sent and his own Coming with the like Declarations of God's Dispensation of him whereof afterwards Sect. 14 Now this Giving of the Spirit as it is the Act of Him by whom he is Given denotes Authority Freedom and Bounty and on the Part of them that receive him Priviledge and Advantage 1. Authority He that gives any thing hath Authority to dispose of it None can give but of his own and that which in some sense he hath in his Power Now the Father is said to give the Spirit and that upon our Request as Luk. 11. 13. This I acknowledg wants not some Difficulty in its Explication For if the Holy Ghost be God himself as hath been declared how can he be said to be given by the Father as it were in a way of Authority But keeping our selves to the sacred Rule of Truth we may solve this Difficulty without Curiosity or Danger Wherefore 1. the Order of the Subsistence of the three Persons in the Divine Nature is regarded herein For the Father as hath been shewed is the Fountain and Original of the Trinity the Son being of him and the Spirit of them both Hence he is to be considered as the principal Author and Cause of all those works which are immediately wrought by either of them For of whom the Son and Spirit have their Essence as to their Personality from him have they Life and Power of Operation Joh. 5. 19 26. Therefore when the Holy Spirit comes unto any the Father is said to Give him for he is the Spirit of the Father And this Authority of the Father doth immediately respect the Work it self and not the Person Working But the Person is said to be given for the Works sake 2. The Oeconomy of the Blessed Trinity in the Work of our Redemption and Salvation is respected in this Order of things The Fountain hereof lies in the Love Wisdom Grace and Counsel of the Father Whatever is done in the pursuit hereof is originally the Gift of the Father because it is
the baptismal Regeneration of Infants which is so plainly professed by the Church wherein he is dignified But this is publickly declared avowed and vended as allowed Doctrine amongst us and therefore deserves to be noticed though the person that gives it out be at irreconcilable feuds with himself and his Church Of Morality and Grace an account shall be given elsewhere At present the work of Regeneration is that which is under our consideration And concerning this those so severely treated teach no other Doctrine but what for the substance of it is received in all the Reformed Churches in Europe and which so many learned Divines of the Church of England confirmed with their suffrage at the Synod of Dort Whether this deserves all the scorn which this haughty person pours upon it by his swelling words of vanity will to indifferent persons be made appear in the ensuing discourse as also what is to be thought of the description of it given by that Author which whether it savour more of ignorance and folly or of pride and fulsom errors is hard to determine I know some words in it are used with the old Pelagian trick of ambiguity so as to be capable of having another sense and Interpretation put upon them than their present use and design will admit of But that Artifice will be immdiately rendred useless Sect. 2 There is a two-fold state of men with respect unto God which is comprehensive of all individuals in the World For all men are either Unregenerate or Regenerate There being an Affirmation and a Negation concerning the state of Regeneration in the Scripture one of them may be used concerning every capable Subject every man living is so or he is not so And herein as I suppose there is a general consent of Christians Again it is evident in the Scripture and we have proved it in our way that all men are born in an unregenerate Condition This is so positively declared by our Saviour that there is no rising up against it Joh. 3. 3 4 5 6 7 8. Now Regeneration being the delivery of men or the means of it from that state and condition wherein they are born or are by nature we cannot discover wherein it doth consist without a declaration of that state which it gives us deliverance from And this in the first place we shall insist upon at large giving an account of the state of lapsed nature under a loss of the Original Grace of God And these things I shall handle practically for the Edification of all sorts of Believers and not in the way and method of the Schools which yet shall be done elsewhere Sect. 3 In the Declaration of the state of corrupted nature after the fall and before the Reparation of it by the Grace of Jesus Christ that is the effectual Operation of the Holy Spirit The Scripture principally insists on 3 things 1 The Corruption and Depravation of the Mind which it calls by the name of Darkness and Blindness with the consequents of vanity ignorance and folly 2 The Depravation of the Will and Affections which it expresseth several wayes as by weakness or impotency and stubbornness or obstinacy 3 By the general name of death extended to the condition of the whole soul and these have various Effects and Consequences as in our explanation of them will appear Sect. 4 1. All Men by nature not inlightened not renewed in their minds by the saving effectual Operation of the Holy Spirit are in a state of Darkness and Blindness with respect unto God and Spiritual things with the way of pleasing him and living unto him Be men otherwise and in other things never so wise knowing learned and skilful in Spiritual things they are dark blind ignorant unless they are renewed in the Spirit of their Minds by the Holy Ghost This is a matter which the World cannot endure to hear of and is ready to fall into a tumult upon its mention They think it but an Artifice which some weak men have got to reflect on and condemn them who are wiser than themselves On the like occasion did the Pharisees ask of our Saviour that question with pride and scorn are we blind also Joh. 9. 40. But as he lets them know that their presumption of light and knowledg would serve only to aggravate their sin and condemnation v. 41. so he plainly tells them that notwithstanding all their boasting they had not heard the voice of God at any time nor seen his shape Joh. 5. 37. Sect. 5 Some at present talk much about the power of the intellectual faculties of our Souls as though they were neither debased corrupted impaired nor depraved All that disadvantage which is befallen our anture by the entrance of Sin is but in the disorder of the affections and the inferiour sensitive parts of the Soul which are apt to tumultuate and rebel against that poor untainted light which is in the Mind And this they speak of it without respect unto its Renovation by the Holy Spirit for if they include that also they are in their discourses most notorious confused triflers Indeed some of them write as if they had never deigned once to consult with the Scriptures and others are plainly gone over into the Tents of the Pelagians But setting aside their modern Artifices of confident boasting contemptuous reproaches and scurrilous railings it is no difficult undertaking so to demonstrate the depravation of the Minds of men by nature and their impotency thence to discern Spiritual things in a spiritual manner without a saving effectual Work of the Holy Spirit in their Renovation as that the proudest and most petulant of them shall not be able to return any thing of a solid answer thereunto And herein we plead for nothing but the known doctrine of the ancient Catholick Church declared in the writings of the most learned Fathers and Determinations of Councils against the Pelagians whose errors and heresies are again revived among us by a crew of Socinianized Arminians Sect. 6 We may to this purpose first consider the Testimonies given in the Scripture unto the Assertion as laid down in general Matth. 4. 16. The People which sat in darkness saw great Light and to them that sat in the Region and Shadow of Death Light is sprung up Of what kind this Darkness was in particular shall be afterwards declared For the present it answers what is proposed That before the Illumination given them by the Preaching of the Gospel the People mentioned sat in Darkness or lived under the Power of it And such as was the Light whereby they were relieved of the same kind was the Darkness under which they were detained And in the same sense when Christ preached the Gospel the Light shined into Darkness the Darkness comprehended it not John 1. 5. gave not place to the Light of the Truth declared by him that it might be received in the Souls of Men. The Commission which he gave to Paul
of Pelagius that a supposition hereof renders all Exhortations Commands Promises and Threatnings which comprize the whole Way of the external communication of the Will of God unto us vain and useless For to what purpose is it to exhort Blind Men to see or Dead Men to live or to promise Rewards unto them upon their so doing Should Men thus deal with stones would it not be vain and ludicrous and that because of their Impotency to comply with any such proposals of our Mind unto them And the same is here supposed in Men as to any Ability in Spiritual things Answ. 1 There is nothing in the highest Wisdom required in the Application of any Means to the producing of an Effect but that in their own Nature they are suited thereunto and that the Subject to be wrought upon by them is capable of being affected according as their Nature requires And thus Exhortations with Promises and Threatnings are in their kind as Moral Instruments suited and proper to produce the Effects of Faith and Obedience in the Minds of Men. And the Faculties of their Souls their Understandings Wills and Affections are meet to be wrought upon by them unto that End For by Mens rational Abilies they are able to discern their Nature and judge of their Tendency And because these Faculties are the Principle and Subject of all actual Obedience it is granted that there is in Man a Natural remote Passive Power to yield Obedience unto God which yet can never actually put forth it self without the effectual working of the Grace of God not only enabling but working in them to will and to do Exhortations Promises and Threatnings respect not primarily our present Ability but our Duty Their End is to declare unto us not what we can do but what we ought to do And this is done fully in them On the other hand make a general Rule that what God commands or Exhorts us unto with Promises made unto our Obedience and Threatnings annexed unto a supposition of Disobedience that we have power in and of our selves to do or that we are of our selves able to do and you quite evacuate the Grace of God or at least make it only useful for the more easie discharge of our Duty not necessary unto the very being of Duty it self which is the Pelagianism Anathematized by so many Councils of old But in the Church it hath hitherto been believed that the Command directs our Duty but the Promise gives strength for the performance of it Sect. 18 3. God is pleased to make these Exhortations and Promises to be Vehicula Gratiae the means of communicating Spiritual Life and Strength unto Men. And he hath appointed them unto this end because considering the Moral and Intellectual Faculties of the Minds of Men they are suited thereunto Hence these Effects are ascribed unto the Word which really are wrought by the Grace communicated thereby Jam. 1. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 23. And this in their Dispensation under the Covenant of Grace is their proper end God may therefore wisely make use of them and command them to be used towards Men notwithstanding all their own disability savingly to comply with them seeing he can will and doth himself make them effectual unto the end aimed at Sect. 19 But it will be further objected That if Men are thus utterly devoid of a Principle of Spiritual Life of all Power to live unto God that is to repent believe and yeeld obedience is it righteous that they should perish eternally meerly for their disability or their not doing that which they are not able to do This would be to require Brick and to give no Straw yea to require much where nothing is given But the Scripture every-where chargeth the Destruction of Men upon their wilful sin not their weakness or disability Answ. 1. Mens Disability to live to God is their sin What-ever therefore ensues thereon may be justly charged on them It is that which came on us by the Sin of our Nature in our first Parents all whose Consequents are our sin and our misery Rom. 5. 12. Had it befallen us without a guilt truly our own according to the Law of our Creation and Covenant of our Obedience the Case would have been otherwise But on this Supposition sufficiently confirmed else-where those who perish do but feed on the Fruit of their own Wayes Sect. 20 2. In the Transactions between God and the Souls of Men with respect unto their Obedience and Salvation there is none of them but hath a Power in sundry things as to some degrees and measures of them to comply with his Mind and Will which they voluntarily neglect And this of it self is sufficient to bear the Charge of their eternal ruine But 3. No Man is so unable to live unto God to do any thing for him but that withal he is able to do any thing against him There is in all Men by Nature a depraved vitious habit of Mind wherein they are alienated from the Life of God And there is no command given unto Men for Evangelical Faith or Obedience but they can and do put forth a free positive Act of their Wills in the rejection of it either directly or interpretatively in preferring somewhat else before it As they cannot come to Christ unless the Father draw them so they will not come that they may have Life wherefore their Destruction is just and of themselves This is the Description which the Scripture giveth us concerning the Power Ability or Disability of Men in the State of Nature as unto the Performance of Spiritual Things By some it is traduced as Fanatical and senseless which the Lord Christ must answer for not we For we do nothing but plainly represent what he hath expressed in his Word and if it be foolishness unto any the Day will determine where the blame must lie Sect. 21 Secondly There is in this Death an actual cessation of all Vital Acts. From this defect of Power or the want of a Principle of Spiritual Life it is that Men in the state of Nature can perform no Vital Act of Spiritual Obedience nothing that is spiritually Good or Saving or Accepted with God according to the Tenor of the New Covenant which we shall in the second place a little explain The whole course of our Obedience to God in Christ is the Life of God Ephes. 4. 18. That Life which is from him in a peculiar manner whereof he is the especial Author and whereby we live unto him which is our End And the Gospel which is the Rule of our Obedience is called the words of this Life Acts 5. 20. That which guides and directs us how to live to God Hence all the Duties of this Life are Vital Acts spiritually Vital Acts Acts of that Life whereby we live to God Sect. 22 Where therefore this Life is not all the Works of Men are Dead Works Where Persons are dead in sin their Works are dead
with them at the great Day Would we prevent all these fatal evils would we engage in a reall thriving everlasting Holiness let our first business be to secure a Relation unto Jesus Christ without which nothing of it will ever be attained To close this discourse I shall only from it obviate a putid Calumny cast by the Papists Quakers and others of the same Confederacy against the Grace of God upon the Doctrine of the free Justification of a sinner through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ. For with a shameless Impudence they clamour on all by whom it is asserted as those who maintain Salvation to be attained through a meer External Imputation of Righteousness whilest those so saved are unclean and unholy as the Quaker or negligent of the Dutyes of Righteousness and Obedience as the Papists and others slanderously report For the frontless impudence of this Calumny is sufficiently evident from hence that as we assert Sanctification and Holiness to be peculiar only unto Believing justified Persons that is that Faith and Holiness are inseparable habitually or actually or in both regards so in like manner that all such Persons are infallibly sanctified and made Holy Sect. 7 All Believers and only Believers being sanctified and made Holy What it is that is sanctified in them or what is the proper Seat and Subject of this Work is in the next place to be declared For it is not a meer External Denomination as things were called Holy under the Old Testament nor any transient Act nor any series or Course of Actions that we plead about but that which hath as a reall Being and Existence so a constant abiding or Residence in us Hence he that is Holy is alwayes so whether he be in the Actual Exercise of the Dutyes of Holiness or no though an Omission of any of them in their proper season is contrary unto and an impeachment of Holiness as to its Degrees Now this subject of Sanctification is the Entire Nature or whole Person of a Believer It is not any one Faculty of the Soul or Affection of the Mind or Part of the Body that is sanctified but the whole Soul and Body or the entire Nature of every Believing Person And hereby is the Work of Sanctification really distinguished from any other meer common Work which may represent it or pretend unto it For all such Works are partiall either they are in the Mind only by Light and Notions of Truth or on the Affections only in Zeal and Devotion or on the Mind and Conscience in the Convictions of Sin and Duty but further they proceed not But true Holiness consists in the Renovation of our whole Persons which must be demonstrated 1 That our entire Nature was Originally created in the Image of God I have proved before and it is by all acknowledged Our whole Souls in the Rectitude of all their Faculties and Powers in order unto the Life of God and his Enjoyment did bear this Image Nor was it confined unto the Soul only The Body also not as to its shape figure or natural use but as an Essential part of our Natures was interested in the Image of God by a Participation of Original Righteousness Hence the whole Person was a meet Principle for the Communication of this Image of God unto others by the means of Natural Propagation which is an act of the entire Person For a Person created and abiding in the Image of God begetting another in his own Image and Likeness had by vertue of the Covenant of Creation begotten him in the Image of God also that is had communicated unto him a Nature upright and pure 2 By the Entrance of sin this Image of God so far as it was our Righteousness and Holiness before him was utterly defaced and Lost. This also I have sufficiently evidenced before It did not depart from any one Power Part or Faculty of our Souls but from our whole Nature Accordingly the Scripture describes 1 the Depravation of our Natures distinctly in all the Powers of it In particular the Corruption that ensued on our Minds Wills and Affections upon the loss of the Image of God I have before declared and vindicated And 2 in reference unto the first Actings of all these Faculties in things Moral and Spiritual the Scripture addes that all the Thoughts and Imaginations of our Hearts are evil and that continually Gen. 6. 5. All the Original first Actings of the Powers of our Souls in or about things Rational and Morall are alwayes evil For an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit That which is lame and distorted can act nothing that is straight and regular Hence 3 All the Outward Actions of Persons in this State and Condition are evil unfruitfull works of Darkness And not only so but the Scripture 4 in the Description of the Effects of this Depravation of our Nature calls in the Body and the members of it unto a partnership in all this Obliquity and Sin The members of the Body are Servants unto Vncleanness and Iniquity Rom. 6. 19. And the engagement of them in all the Course and Actings of Depraved Nature is particularly declared by our Apostle out of the Psalmist Rom. 3. 12 13 14 15. They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Their throat is an open sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood in all wayes of evil This being the State of our whole Nature in its Depravation our Sanctification wherein alone its Reparation in this Life doth consist must equally respect the whole Some suppose that it is our Affections only in their Deliverance from corrupt Lusts and Prejudices with their direction unto Heavenly Objects that are the Subject of this Work For the Mind or rational Intellectual Power of the Soul is in its self they say pure noble untainted and needs no other Ayd but to be delivered from the Prejudices and Obstructions of its Operations which are cast upon it by the Engagements and Inclinations of corrupt Affections and a vitious course of Conversation in the World received by uninterrupted Traditions from our Fathers from whence it is not able to extricate or deliver it self without the Aid of Grace But they have placed their Instance very unhappily For among all things that belong unto our Nature there is not any one which the Scripture so chargeth this Depravation of it upon as the Mind This in particular is said to be fleshly to be Enmity against God to be filled with Vanity Folly and Blindness as we have at large before evinced Nor is there any thing concerning which the Work of Sanctification and Renovation is so expressly affirmed as it is concerning the Mind It is declared by the Renovation of our Minds Rom. 12. 2. or being Renewed in
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
what sence 453 67 Universality the best Evidence of sincere Sanctification 369 Unregenerate Persons must all perish 253 2 Unregenerate Persons may pray for the Spirit 361 4 Use of spiritual Gifts 1 1 Use of Promises Exhortations and Threatnings 166 10 Use of Ordinances and Means necessary to the Progress of Holiness 354 Diligent Use of Means required unto every one that would be holy 521 4 Usefulness in the World depends on our Conformity to God 512 22 W. Water poured on Grace to cause it to grow 347 8 Fire and Water the Means of all Typical Cleansing 371 1 Watching against Sin on the Account of its Defilement 403 15 The Way whereby the Blood of Christ cleanseth from Sin known to few 384 3 The Way of Cleansing Sin made known by the Holy Spirit alone 388 Wayes whereby Grace is encreased 343 6 Wayes and Means whereby we may come to a Discovery of the Defilement of Sin 395 The weakest Grace shal be preserved 344 6 Weakness of Humane Reason to instruct us unto Obedience 559 13 A Rational Will the most eminent Property of a Person ascribed to the Holy Ghost 57 2â— The Will of the Spirit in all his Operations 165 8 Christ not to be sought in the Wilderness in what sence 151 15 Will and Affections how under the Power of the Mind 237 61 The Will of God the only Rule of Obedience 249 27 Wills and Assections of men how wrought upon by the Word 259 13 The Will in Conversion acts not but as it is acted 271 35 Acts of the Will in Conversion how to be considered 274 39 The Will considered as a Vital Faculty and as a free Principle 283 55 Will of God the Rule and Measure of our Obedience 412 3 Every gracious Act of the Will wrought by the Holy Spirit 470 14 Wisdom and Power of the Holy Spirit in the Preservation of Grace 348 9 Wisdom of God to be considered in all Commands of Obedience 543 18 19 c. Office of Witness-bearing unto the Lord Christi discharged by the Holy Spirit 149 13 Witness of the Spirit 168 9 Words the Means of any thing in us applyed to God intend signs onely of it 160 What the Word worketh instrumentally the Spirit worketh effectually 197 11 Word of God the onely Rule and Means of perswading the Soul to Conversion 257 8 Word and Doctrine of Christ the Rule and Measure of Holiness 445 52 Every divine Work distinctly assigned to each Person 68 1 Work of the Spirit towards the Humane Nature of Christ in the state of the Dead 146 10 Every Work of the Spirit is not sanctifying or saving 166 9 Work of Illumination and Conviction wherein it comes short of Conversion 199 16 Work of the Spirit in Regeneration not confined to Arguments and Motives 261 19 Work of the Holy Ghost in Sanctification owned by all the Nature of that Work questioned 339 3 Work of Holiness secret and Mysterious 351 10 Work of Grace variously carryed on in the Soul 353 Work of the Holy Spirit in us as to the Subject and Object of it 385 3 Entire Work of the Holy Ghost in Sanctification explained 435 35 What Works ascribed distinctly to the Father what to the Son and what to the Holy Spirit 69 2 Works supposed satisfactory for Sin overthrow the Gospel 331 13 Workings of the Spirit of God on and in men of the World 77 15 Writing of the Scripture an Effect of the Holy Ghost 113 19 Three things required unto the Writing of the Scripture 113 20 Z. Zeal to the Glory of God how Acted by Christ in his Oblation 144 A TABLE of some Places of Scripture Explained or Applyed in this Treatise GENESIS Chapters Verses Pages Sections 1 2 38 13 1 2 72 8 1 22 32 7 1 26 27 75 11 2 7 74. 465 10 6 3 8 29 2 4 4 53 16 6 5 211 366 15 6 6 63 28 8 1 29 2 8 11 53 16 9 1 2 510 18 17 1 334 413 13 4 EXODUS 4 8 115 21 7 1 102 8 31 2 3. 118 25 LEVITICUS 1 11 385 4 9 24 53 16 NUMBERS 11 16 17 95 116 21 12 8 106 12 19 4 5 6. 389 Â Â 20 387 4 â—4 1 112 18 DEUTERONOMY 5 29 424 17 13 1 2 18 22 18 20 14 17 30 6 417 11 32 12 65 31 JOSHUA 10 11 115 12 12 22 112 18 JUDGES Chapters Verses Pages Sections 3 10 17 15 5 20 71 6 I. SAMUEL 10 9 117 Â 16 14 36 11 Â 15 91 19 18 10 37 11 19 24 110 17 II. SAMUEL 23 2 101 7 I. KINGS 22 6 13 16 22 26 15 18 22 21 22. 33 7 22 18 108 14 II. KINGS 2 9 95 21 I. CHRONICLES 12 18 90 16 28 12 105 10 28 19 113 19 EZRA 9 6 396 Â JOB 9 29 30 31 379 Â 26 13 71 7 32 4 58 22 33 4 75 12 PSALMS 1 4 29 2 5 4 5 6. 500 3 8 3 72 7 Psalms Verses Pages Sections 16 11 146 10 18 21 22 23 490 28 19 12 13 408 Â 33 6 35 9 38 5 377 5 40 6 7 8 144 Â 45 13 329 12 5â— 11 35 9 Â 5 402 Â Â 7 389 5 53 3 395 Â 63 8 425 18 68 18 157 3 104 29 30. 73 9 139 13 14. 327 10 143 10 37 12 PROVERBS 1 23 86 11 4 18 347 9 6 10 436 36 8 26 74 10 30 12 397 12 ECCLESIASTES 5 6 31 5 12 10 114 20 SOLOMONS SONG 5 2 3 436 Â ISAIAH 4 4 370 1 6 6 7 54 17 11 1 2 3 131 59. 90 94. 23 18 20. 20 1 2 3. 109 15 32 15 86 11 40 27 28 342 5 40 31 431 30 44 3 88 13 45 1 77 118 15 22 57 9 10 376 232. 5 53 59 20 21 11 11 61 1 139 4 63 10 11 14 35 65 9 31 64 6 377 6 JEREMIAH 2 22 379 Â 4 22 216 22 20 9 103 8 23 28 104 10 23 33 36 108 14 31 33 418 11 52 23 32 6 EZEKIEL Chapters Verses Pages Sections 8 3 109 16 13 3 32 7 16 60 61 62 63 396 Â 36 25 26 27. 185 335 370 418 23 14 1 11. DANIEL 10 9 107 13 12 3 83 7 12 9 104 10 HOSEA 1 2 109 15 5 13 388 Â 8 12 236 59 14 5 6 346 8 AMOS 4 13 30 3 MICAH 2 7 59 23 3 8 101 7 6 6 7 331 13 ZEPHANIAH 3 17 91 18 ZECHARIAH 4 7 78 16 12 8 342 5 13 1 387 394. 4 11. MATTHEW 1 18 131 10 3 11 54 17 3 16 17 52 139 17 4 16 207 6 6 22 23 237 61 9 38 142 6 12 24 28 31 32. 63 141 6 29 24 26 151 15 27 46 130 6 28 19 45 50 51 Â MARK 1 12 141 7 11 13 36 Â 13 32 130 6 17 5 360 Â LUKE Chapters Verses Pages Sections 1 35 131 10 2 11 5 3 2 40 137 2 3 16 88