Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him Ver. 16. The Father shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever The Father dwells in us 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell in them The Son dwells in us Ephes 3. 17. Christ dwells in your hearts by Faith The Spirit dwells in us Rom. 8. 11. Fourthly That all the people of God have the Spirit of God may plainly appear by the works â—f the Spirit which are to be found in every one of them 1. They are sanctified by the Spirit Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. 2. They are led by the Spirit As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God Rom. 8. 14. 3. They are upheld and strengthened by the Spirit Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit Ephes 3. 16. To be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man 4. They are partakers of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. Our selves have the first fruits of the Spirit 5. They are helped by the Spirit Rom. 8. 26 The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities and the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered 6. They are taught by the Spirit Joh. 14. 26. The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things 7. They are comforted by the Spirit Acts 9. 31. They walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 8. They are sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Quest 3. Why doth the Lord put his Spirit within every one of his Reasons of it people Sol. There may be assigned six Reasons for it viz. 1. Necessity 2ly Congruity 3ly Conformity 4ly Excellency 5ly The love of God 6ly The purchase of Christ First Necessity The presence and enjoyment of the Spirit is necessary for The necessity of it them in many respects 1. For applying of Christ unto them and for the applying of them unto Christ For applying Christ that there is a conjunction or union between Christ the Head and his Mystical body the Church is an unquestionable truth And how Christ who locally in heaven should be joyned or united to his Church here on earth this cannot be done but by the Spirit who doth knit or joyn Christ to us and us to Christ as really as the head is joyned to the body and as the body is joyned to the head But take the instance in any particular believer that Christ is his and he is Christs it is certain but how comes Christ to be his what is that on Christs part which makes this union it is the Spirit and none but the Spirit and what is it on our part which makes this union it is faith and it is caused by the Spirit So that the Spirit is necessary to this union on either part on Christs part to apply or unite him to us and on our part in causing faith which applyes and unites us to Christ And unto this reciprocal union the Spirit is such a necessary agent that without him there cannot possibly be any union at all No man can be united to Christ but by the Spirit neither can Christ I speak it with reverence unite himself to us but by his Spirit 2. For conveying of spiritual life into them or a new being into their souls For conveying of spiritual life Naturally all men are dead in trespasses and sins and every faculty in them is totally defiled and polluted and corrupted and is deprived of the glory of God nor can any man help himself in this case nor can any creature do it None can raise him from his death but that Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead Therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of life and the Spirit of grace forasmuch as he is the authour of both unto our souls it is the Spirit who quickens them by infusing the life of Christ into them and who renews them by changing of them into the image of Christ 3. For all the actings of grace Take me any Christian though endowed with For all the actings of grace all the principles of grace and great measures thereof now put him upon any particular acting put him upon believing put him upon repenting upon mourning upon any acts of obedience why looâ—â—s no member of the body can move or strive but from an influence from the head no more can we act any grace we have but by an influence from the Spirit of Christ our Head Joh. 15. 5. And we find it in experience that it is with our souls Simile as with a ship which stirs not if the wind stirs not and it stirs more or less as the wind is greater or lesser so if the Spirit of God stirs not in us our graces stir not c. For all our receptions 4. For all our Receptions Would you know any truth of God you cannot know it unless the Spirit of God give you his light to know it 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. would you be acquainted with the love of God you can never perceive it unless the Spirit shed abroad that love in your hearts Rom. 5. 5. would you be clear and satisfied in your relation of sonship unto God as your Father all the men in the world cannot perswade and satisfie as to that unlesse and untill the Sperit beareth witness with your Spirits that you are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Secondly Congruity It is meet and fit that the people of God should have the Spirit of God For Congruity 1. They are his children and is it not meet that the children of God should have the Spirit of God should they not bear his image if they were led by the same spirit by which the children of this world are led had they not another Spirit they could not be his children 2. They are his servants and therefore they have much to do for him and they have much to suffer for him Is it not meet that the Lord should help his servants The services of the people of God which they are to do for him and to suffer for him are above all their own strength and therefore God will give them his Spirit to enable them for all their services whether active or passive the Spirit can supply them for every work 3. They are his Heirs and intended for eternal glory and is it not fit that they should have the Spirit of grace who must have the Spirit of glory Heirs of God Rom. 8. 17. Before a person comes to heaven it is fit that he should be fitted for heaven be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. And who
new born babes as the Apostle calls them 1 Pet. 2. 2. The graces of the Spirit are sometimes in so weak and so low a ebb that they are compared to a bruised reed and to smoaking flax and to the dawning of of light in the morning and to a grain of mustardseed and to a little leaven in the lump Now here I would shew you three things 1. How one may know that he hath as yet but a very weak measure of the Spirit of grace 2. How one may know that the weak measure of grace is not false but true grace 3. That no Christian should discourage himself because his grace is weak but rather encourage himself because grace is sound although it be weak How to know our grace to be weak 1. Quest How one may know that he hath as yet but a very weak measure of the Spirit of grace Sol. This may be known In our first conversion First By the time of the implantation of it this is a truth that grace begins in weakness if a man be but newly converted his grace cannot be but weak Simile The Christian at first is but as a plant newly set and but as a sick man newly recovered or as the Sun newly risen although it may seem much unto him and he may find many stirrings in his spirit and in his affections yet this grace is but weak it hath but little strength in it Simile As a prisoner who hath been long in captivity and bondage when he is delivered his rejoycing may be great and yet his body may be very weak so when the Lord converts a man and so delivers him from the bondage of sin his heart may exceedingly rejoyce in his mercy that he is translated from death to life and yet his Spiritual strength of grace is very weak in him Secondly By the strength of corruptions The stronger that any mans corruptions By the strength of our corruptions are this is a sign that his graces are but weak I call those sinful corruptions strong which do often prevail upon us and lead us captive which are able to hinder us from doing what is good and to drive and force us to do that which is evil nor are we able to withstand this why this ariseth from weakness of grace Simile When it is with us as with a little Child who is ready to stumble and fall at every straw as we speak at every stone at every chip is not this the weakness of the Child So when every temptation every occasion every strong motion of sin is apt to shake us and stagger us and to surprize us is not grace very weak within us If this be a truth that sin grows weak as grace grows stronger Simile that the darkness is less when the light is clear then this also holds true that grace is weak when sin is strong Simile when grace is like a little light in the mid'st of much darkness By the proportions of actings Thirdly by the proportion of actings Every true grace of the Spirit is of an active nature it is apt to put forth itself Simile in this respect it is like all true fire and light which in the least degrees are apt and do put forth themselves but they have their different proportions in acting a little fire acts but little and a great fire acts much so weak grace hath but a weak operation and strong grace stronger operations weak grace acts most in desires and most in the will and most in tears and most in sighs and groans O that I could believe Lord help my unbelief answered the father of child with tears O that I could mourn that I could obey To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not Rom. 7. 18. Fourthly By the mixture of contrary workings a little of grace and much of corruption a little of faith and much of doubtings a little of hope and By the mixture of contrary workings much of fear a little of sorrow and much of hardness a little of prayer and much of distraction a little of zeal and much of flatness a little that is done and much that is undone a little of knowledge and much of ignorance a little heavenly-mindedness and much of earthliness a little fire and much smoak a little going and much halting c. Fifthly By the aptness to live not by faith but by sense when God draws up all our helps and hopes into his promises and puts us now to fetch all our supplies By aptness to live by sence and comforts from his good and faithful Word Here is my Word that I will pardon your sins and here is my Word that I will subdue your iniquities and here is my Word that I will answer your prayers and here is my Word that I will supply your wants and I will never leave you nor forsake you O but because we feel not the assurance of pardon and because we find not victory over our sins and because we do not see the answet of our prayers and because we cannot discern the means and wayes how our wants may be supplyed therefore our hearts fail us and we are troubled and perplexed and sad thoughts do arise in our hearts and they are much cast down within us If it be thus with us certainly our graces are weak very weak the lesse able are ye to trust an All sufficient and faithful God in his promises but you must have the portion in your own hands you must see or else you will not believe you cannot so stedfastly believe that Gods Bond is sufficient c. Simile The child is but weak which must still be held by the hand c. Sixthly By the prevailing of discouragements If we be apt to be offended By the prevailing of discouragements and discouraged this shews weakness of grace there are discouragements taken from Gods dealing with us as when he delayes our suits and denies some of the requests and tries and exercises us with smart afflictions and suffers temptations to abide on us From the wayes of Christianity the strictness of them and the danger by them and the greatness of them From men that wicked men do so vex and trouble us that good men are so strange and unkind unto us From ouâ— selves that we go on so slowly and exactly and uncomfortably and others get so far before us and attain so much Discouragements from any of these shew that there is in us but small knowledge little faith much fear and weak grace Seventhly By the presence of censoriousness of strife and contentions and envyings 1 Cor. 3. 3. For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among By the presence of censoriousness you envying and strife and division are you not carnal and walk as men 2. Quest How may one know that the weak measure of grace is not false but true grace and the very effect of
God and you There are four acts which God doth expresse when he becomes our God in Covenant 1. There is his choosing act he makes choyce of us before any other to be his people The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all the people that are upon the face of the earth Deut. 7. 6. 2. There is his loving act When I passed by thee and looked on thee Behold His loving act thy time was the time of love And I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16. 18. 3. There is his engaging act He bindes himself to be our God by Promise His engaging act and by Oath Ezek. 16. I sware unto thee 4. There is his imparting act He doth in this Covenant bestow himself and His imparting act all that he hath or can do upon us I am thine and I will blesse thee and do thee good And all these acts are free not compelled and they are also fixed acts never will he reverse or alter them Answerable unto these acts of God are the Acts in such who are the people of On our part God by Covenant What God acts towards them they do act by the instinct of his Spirit towards him They do also 1. Choose him before all other to be their God You have chosen you the Lord to serve him Josh 24. 22. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God We choose him Deut. 26. 27. As the wife owns the husband this is the man on whom her heart is set and none but him 2. Love him I love the Lord said David Psal 116. 1. Thou shalt love the Love him Lord thy God Deut. 11. 1. We loved him because he loved us first 1 John 4. 19. Oh how dear is his presence and his favour to them how sweet are their mutual communions 3. Engage themselves unto him Many Nations shall be joyned to the Lord in Engage our selves to him that day and shall be my people Zech. 2. 11. They yield themselves unto the Lord or as it is in the original they give the hand unto the Lord 2 Chron. 30. 8. As the custome is when men make a Covenant or Agreement they strike hands or take one another by the hand arguing hereby their consent and engagement as the people in Ezra 10. 19. gave their hands that they would put away their wives So in covenanting with God we give out the hand unto him i. e. we give up our selves unto him and binde our selves unto him 4. Impart themselves and all that they have or can do unto him their hearts Impart our selves to him and lives and gifts and services that God may have all and draw out your All All your hearts all your graces all your parts and lives and estates Josh 24. 17. The Lord is our God Ver. 24. The Lord our God will we serve Rom. 14. 7. None of us liveth to himself Verse 8. Whether we live we live unto the Lord c. Now is it thus with us have we indeed chosen the Lord to be our God and are we engaged unto him and love him and own him and are become his and none but his and have we made over our selves and all that we have unto him and count nothing no not our lives too dear for him The Lord hath passed by thousands and hath set his heart on you and have you passed by all others and set your hearts only on him But are you sure that you have not chosen some other Object with him or before him only the Lord God is chosen by you and set up by you No sinful object and no earthly object is set up And are you so become his as that you will be his for ever you are bound to him you cleave unto him nothing shall part you and your God no outward preferments afflictions and crosses do you count it your only happiness to enjoy him and your only unhappiness to be deprived of him do you say None but God none but God as the Martyr said None but Christ. But are you so his that he is the greatest desire and the greatest delight and the greatly beloved of your souls Whom have I in heaven but thee There is none on earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73. 25. Nay but may the Lord make use of you as his If he should say I must use your wisdome or your power or your authority or your zeal or your estate or your lives for the service of my glory Can you now answer O Lord I am thine I am thy servant all that I have is thine and all that I can do is thine thou shalt command my heart my parts my estate my life my All c. 2. You may know whether the Lord be your God and you be his people By our mutual interests and properties By your mutual interests and proprieties inclusively and exclusively God hath an interest in you and you have an interest in God he hath a propriety in you and you have a propriety in him in all that he hath you have an interest and in all that you have he hath an interest what he is he is for you and what you are you are for him he is only for you and you are only for him None hath that interest in you as God hath if indeed he be your God Nay you have not such an interest in your selves as God hath in you you are not your own you are wholly his if indeed he be your God and you be his people No Sinne can say You are mine and no Creature can say You are mine only God can say You are mine As in the Covenant of Marriage none but the Husband can say This woman is mine So if God be our God in Covenant none can say You are mine but God only Levit. 20. 26. You shall be holy unto me for I the Lord am holy and have sever'd you from other people that you should be mine Ezek. 16. 8. I entered into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Cant. 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his O sirs these two words mine and thine make up the Covenant Nay if I may be rightly understood this one word mine makes up the Covenant when you summe up all it is in this God is mine he is my God he is my Lord he is my Father he is my friend he is my mercy he is my wisdome he is my counsel he is my rock he is my help he is my comfort he is my hope he is my salvation he is my portion he is my life he is my happiness Domine ubi sunt omnia mea tuscis said Paulinus And when God looks on any person in Covenant with him he can say This person is mine he is my child and my friend and my servant I have all his heart and all his love and
Regeneration there is a new Divine being or quality brought into our souls by the Spirit by which we are Spiritually changed from what we were Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Look as that which is born of the flesh is flesh the sinner begets a sinner and that which is born of the sinner it is born after his own sinful image In like manner that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit If any man be born of the Spirit there is the life and holiness of that quickning and holy Spirit in him he is not what he was there is an excellent change wrought in him he is quite contrary to himself not only for conversation but for inclination his mind his judgement his will his affections there is a new principle in every one of these Old things are past away all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. Quest 2. Whether this work of Regeneration or Renovation is in every one of the people of God unto whom the Spirit is given Regeneration is in every child of God Sol. Certainly it is The Spirit is never put in medio within the heart of any man but he doth regenerate and renew him 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord Mark it we are changed by the Spirit of the Lord into the same image which we see in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Nay surely all that ever had the Spirit of God put within them you shall find that they were new creatures you read it in Mary Magdalen in Zacheus in those Acts 2. in Paul Acts 9. in the Jaylor Acts 16. in the Corinthians Such were some of you but ye are weshed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Therefore consider well what you were and what you now are if there be not a Regeneration a work of Renovation in you verily you have not the Spirit God hath not put his Spirit within you If the old sinful qualities remain and prevail in you of drunkenness of filthiness of pride of malice of hatred of holiness of unbelief of hardness of heart if these or any other sinful lusts continue unmortified you have not received the Spirit And if no new qualities contrary unto these are to be found in you if the image of Christ if holiness if faith if love c. are not in you in some measure you are none of the people of God you have none of his Spirit within you For as they say of the soul of man the soul doth build and frame a house fit for itself to dwell in that is most true of the Spirit of God when he comes into our hearts he doth purge them and renew them and make them Temples fit for himself to dwell in Indeed he doth not find us holy when he first comes into us but as soon as he comes he makes us holy and sanctifies us throughout in soul spirit and body he fills our Temple with his glory Fifthly Direction or leading This is another work of the Spirit to be found Direction is another work of the Spirit in all who have the Spirit given unto them Spiritus Dei docet ducit Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God And so for the words are Reciprocal as many as are the sons of God they are led by the Spirit of God That expression of leading is a Metaphor taken either from blind men and men in the dark who do need a guide or from little weak children not able to go alone and therefore are held and led by the hand Now concerning this work of the Spirit I will briefly open two things unto you 1. Quest How the Spirit of God leads the people of God There is you know a twofold leading or guidance of the Spirit How the Spirit leads Gods children 1. One is general by a common virtue or influence which assists the creatures in all their powers and faculties to their several operations 2. The other is special by a more high and peculiar influence upon the hearts of men in order to the estate and acts and wayes of grace and salvation Thus the Spirit of God leads the people of God First By way of Irradiation or illumination he opens the eyes of their minds to see the paths and wayes of life and the will and wayes concerning them what way the Word reveals certainly he reveals internally giving light to see it Isa 2. 3. Come and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and he will teach us of his wayes Chap. 20. 21. Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left Secondly By way of inclination when the Spirit leads he doth not only shew us what good we are to do but also he doth powerfully incline our hearts to comply with and follow that direction of his Psal 25. 4. Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths Ver. 5. Lead me in thy truth Isa 2. 3. He will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths The Spirits leading is not a meer Revelation of the will and way of God unto the people of God as if one should point out the way to Traveller but it is an efficacious perswasion add a secret and strange inclination in enabling to walk in that good way of life revealed by him unto them Simile As a Nurse leads the child by lending her help and strength unto the going of the child Simile Or rather as the head leads the feet in their motion by letting down an influence enabling thereunto Thirdly By way of Exâ—ortation stirring up their hearts and quickning them to holy services and to walk according to his motions and directions Cant. 1. 4. Draw me and I will run after thee Psal 119. 37. Quicken me in thy way Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Forthly by way of Cooperation As the Spirit leads us by inclining our hearts unto good so also he leads us by working with us in doing of good He worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2. 13. And 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me As when the King of Israel was to shoot the arrow he did put his hand upon the Bow and Elisha did put his hand upon the Kings hand 2 King 13. 16. So when we are to do any good work we are to put up our hand
the garden he will water He will end forth â—udgement unto victory Mat. 12. 20. 2 Cor. 3. 18. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory 3. He will preserve your holinesse and you being holy in holiness To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse 1 Thes 3. 13. and He will preserve our holinesse 1 Thes 5. 23. I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ver 24. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it Phil. 1. 6. He which hath begun a good work in you will performe it untill the day of Jesus Christ 4. He loves your holinesse and takes delight in it for it is his own Image and He loves your holinesse his own work the fruit of his own grace the birth of his own Spirit 5. He will crown your holinesse ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end He will crown our holinesse everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. Blessed are the poor in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5. 8. Therefore is holinesse called a change from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Holiness at first is weak and little at length it is much and strong at last it shall be perfect and glorious At first it is like a spark of fire covered with ashes at length it is like a burning fire at last like a flaming fire at first it is in groans and desires at length it is in conflicts and combates at last it is in victory and glory 4. God is an Omniscient God he knows all things whatsoever and all persons God is an omniscient God and all conditions and all the hearts and all the counsels and thoughts and words and wayes of all men at all times and in all places and that most clearly and perfectly by his own infinite light he knows all that is past and all that is present and all that is future and all that is possible Heb. 4. 13. There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Consider this place seriously which declares Gods Omniscience There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight There be many millions of millions of creatures and they be farre and near over all the world but whatsoever they are and wheresoever they are they are manifest in his fight though they be hid from us yet they are known to God and though they be out of our fight yet are they manifest in his sight they are before his eyes which runne to and fro throughout all the world And all things are naked and open to his eyes there is no darkness twixt him and them no curtain is drawn over his eye they are as naked to him as the childe which is newly born is unto our eye or as every pile of grass is discovered by the Sun at noon day or as the parts of a diseased body c. Psal 139. 2. Thou knowest my down-lying and my up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off verse 3. Thou art acquainted with all my wayes vese 4. There is not a word in my tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Quest You will say This is granted it is very unquestionable that God is omniscient that he knows all things But what is this for the comfort and good of What comfort have we by this his people what good have they by being interested in an all-knowing God Sol. 1. The good and comfort thereby is exceeding great for Gods omniscience This is the key to open all his other Attributes is as it were the Key to open all his other Attributes it is the spring which sets them all to work and without which they could not work at all for your good Though the Lord be an All-sufficiency yet unlesse he were omniscient unlesse he did know all your wants what good could his all-sufficiency do you And though the Lord be of a very merciful nature ready to pity and help yet unlesse he did know your miseries he could not help you in your miseries It is his omniscience which doth if I may be so bold to expresse it acquaint and inform all his other glorious Attributes and put them on and draw them out to work for our good 2. That the omniscient God is your God this is an unspeakable comfort unto It is comfortable if we consider you whether you consider what he knows or how he knows as concerning your selves For what he knows as concerning your selves and your conditions The Lord What he knows as concerning our selves The integrity of our hearts knows who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. He knows the integrity of your hearts notwithstanding all your weaknesse and failings But the High places were not taken away neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dayes 2 Chron. 15. 17. 2 Sam. 7. 20. Thou Lord knowest thy servant John 2. 17. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee He knowes all your wants and all your distresses I know thy works and tribulation All our wants and poverty saith Christ to the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2. 9. Your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things Matth. 6. 32. He knows all your desires and prayers and tears Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth All our desires the heart knows what is the minde of the Spirit Psal 38. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Psal 56. 8. Put thou my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book He knows all your active and passive service in his cause for his glory all the All our active and passive service How he knows us and our conditions With a knowledge Of approbation good that ever you have done and all the evil that ever you have suffered Rev. 2. How he knows you and all your conditions He doth know all the conditions of his people with a knowledge 1. Of Approbation The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Psal 1. 6. that is he likes their way he approves of their way so Rev. 2. 9. I know thy works that is I like them exceeding well I am pleased to see them 2. Of Compassion The Lord said I have surely seen the afflictions of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for Of compassion I know their sorrowes Exod. 3. 7. If one loved us much but did not know our wants and conditions if one did know all our conditions but did not love us it were sad but God knows and loves c. As a father knows the distresses and wants of his childe and pities the childe in that condition his bowels are troubled for him and if he can he will relieve
Rom. 16. 25 26. even the Mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest unto his Saints Col. 1. 26. Though others sit in darknesse and see no light yet unto you through Christ there ariseth light in darknesse and your eyes shall and do see the salvation of the Lord and the glory of the Lord the light shines in your hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. he makes known unto you the true life and the true way of life the mystery of salvation 2. He hath it in his commission to instruct and teach you the whole minde and will of To instruct and teach us the while mind and will of God God in every thing which concerns your salvation all things that I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you Joh. 15. 15. As he discovers unto us infallibly the reality and the quality of our salvation so there is not any one truth nor any one path necessary unto that salvation but he opens it and reveales it whether it respect our faith or our obedience he is the annoâ—nting which teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye 1 Joh. 2. 27. 3. He is that Prophet who doth teach not only by his word but also by his Spirit others can speak only to the eares of men but he can speak to the hearts of He teacheth not only by his Word but by his Spirit men he can imprimere in mentem as well as mentem exprimere write his Law in the heart as well and as easily as he can deliver and make it known to our mindes when he teacheth you that you must believe he doth by his Spirit cause you to believe when be saith that you must be born again he doth by his Spirit make you new creatures there is not any one grace or duty or path of liâ—e which he sets before you who are in covenant with God but he works in you those very graces and puts forth a strength to perform all those duties and to walke in those paths 4. As a Prophet he is annointed to preeah good tydings Isa 61. 1. the Apostle calls it preaching of peace Ephes 2 17. and not only the Prophet Isaiah in that He is anointed oâ— preach good tidings place but also Christ himself in Luke 4. 18. tells you what those good tydings are what that Gospel is namely to hinde up and heale the broken-heared liberty and deliverance to the captives sight to the blinde to give beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse O what comfort is here for you who are the people of God and have Christ to be your Christ and your Prophet Here are glad tydings for you and your Christ is annointed to preach them unto you when your hearts are broken and bruised you have a Christ to binde them up and to heale them with his own precious blood I dyed for you saith Christ this is my blood which was shed for you for the remission of your sins to reconcile you to make peace for you saith Christ and when you finde your selves captives and as it were shut up on prison Christ your Prophet comes to you by his Spirit and breaks open the prison doores and sets you at liberty from your sins from Satan from your fears and tears and all the powers and chaines of darknesse and when your soule sits in darkness and sees no light when they feed on tears and are overwhelmed with sorrows and heaviness your Christ who is your Prophet can and will speak words of life unto you and words of joy unto you why are your hearts troubâ—ed said he to his Disciples woman why weepest thou said he to Mary daughter go in peace so to another son be of good comfort There is no Prophet like your Prophet who knows so much of the minde of God who reveals it so fully so faithfully so infallibly so powerfully so sweetly so savingly Christ is a Priest and your Priest Jesus Christ is a Priest and he is annointed to be your Priest Psal 110. 4. The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck vide Heb. 6. 20. Heb 7. 17. Cap. 4. 14. we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God I shall not insist on this Argument to tell you how Christ was called and qualified for his priestly Office nor of the differences 'twixt him and all other Priests nor how that his Sacrifice was his humane nature and the Altar was his Divine Nature and himself according to both these natures was the Priest My intention is only in few words to touch at this Office of Christ as our Mediatour and then to expresse unto you the chief comforts from your interest in him as to this his Office of Priesthood There are two Acts wherein his Priestly Office consisteth Two acts of his Priestly Office Oblation 1. One was the oblation of himself once for all as a perfect Sacrifice for the expiation of sin and reconcilâ—ng us to God Heb. 9. 14. Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself without spot to God verse 26. he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself verse 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many Rom. 5. 10. when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Col. 1. 20. He made peace though the blood of his Crosse Heb. 2. 17. a merciful and faithful High Priest to make reconciliation for the sins of the people 2. The other is His Intercession for us This man saith the Apostle because Intercession he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood Heb. 7. 24. wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them and therefore as to this interceding part of his Priestly Office Christ is said to appear for us in the presence of God Heb. 9. 24. as the Atturney appears for his Client in Court to answer for him and likewise he is called our Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2. 1. to plead for us and to obtaine for us c. But some may now reply We know all this that Christ is a Priest and a Mediatour of Redemption and of Intercession that he offered up himself that he died shed his blood was sacrificed and that he ever lives to make Intercession Quest But where lies the comfort of this to them that are in Covenant with God and have Christ to be their High Priest Sol. What câ—mfort we have by this I will shew you what comfort you have by this and I pray you mark it There are four unspeakable comforts unto you who are Christs from this that he is
your good he seeks your wel-fare and happinesse speaks kindly to you hears your groans answers your complaints and pleads for the poor and needy 7. He is a King for Protâ—ction He will protect and secure you against all your Enemies Divels Sins Men the worst and greatest and will subdue them and trample them under his feet His enemies shall be his foot-stoole 8. He hath great rewards an infinite treasure to bestow on all his people he will accept He hath great rewards for you of their service and reward every one of them with a crown of life O how happy are the people who have the Lord to be their God! and who have therefore Christ to be their Christ a Christ who is such a Prophet such a Priest and such a King I will not stay you any longer in this one part of your Covenant-happiness viz. That Christ is yours only I think it fit to summe up in a few particulars the general comforts which I have mentioned or insinuated already in the Person and Offices of Christ Thus then if Christ be yours Then 1. Life is yours Christ is your life and he that hath the Son hath life Col. 3. 4. 1 Joh. 5. 12. 2. Love is yours Christ loves all his with a love of Kindnesse and tendernesse and benevolence and benificence 3. All that Christ did or suffered in order to mans salvation all is yours your good and for your good 4. His Redemption is yours he hath Redeemed you from wrath and curse and sin and Satan and death and hell 5. You are certainly partakers of the forgivenesse of all your sins 6. You are perfectly reconciled unto God who is now your God and your Father 7. You are accepted and approved with God in the Righteousness of Christ which is now yours as Christ himself is yours 8. You now receive the adoption of sons as you are the brethren of Christ so are you with him in the same relation of sons unto God 9. You are cloathed with the same Spirit wherewith Christ himself was anointed the self same Spirit which is in Christ as your Head is in you as his Members 10. He is your Apology against all Satans accusations and your own sins and fears There is no condemnation unto them that are in Christ Jesus for it is Christ that died 11. He is the living Root and foundation of all your graces and comforts 12. All his victories shall extend to you over Satan the world your sinnes and death 13. You are no more strangers nor Forreiners but are made nigh by the blood of Christ 14. You have all the sights of God in his glory as he is the Lord gracious and merciful long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth 15. You enjoy liberty of Accesse by his blood to the throne of grace 16. You shall assuredly speed well in all your suites be heard and answered upon his account 17. He will take special care of you and will own and help and succour and supply you as long as you have a day to live on earth 18. He is your Defence as he is exceedingly sensible of all your Injuries so he will certaâ—nly judge all your enemies 19 By him you are heires of the same glory and Kingdom which the Father hath bestowed on him and which he hath prepared for you 20. He will never part with you nor forsake you but will love and keep you to the end 21. He will entertain you with sweet communions in the day of your pilgrimage and as you are walking and travelling through the vale of tears many a kind word many a good look many a feast all you have where he will sup with you and you shall sup with him many refreshings and joyes and revivings of your spirits 22. You shall infallibly possâ—sse and enjoy all the grace and comfort and blessing and blessednesse which he hath purchased for you in this life and in the life to come even to all eternity he is ever with you whilst you are on earth and you shall for ever be with him when you dye and come to Heaven SECT IX 4. A Fourth singular comfort unto you who have God to be your God is this The Spirit of God is yours then the Spirit of God is yours He also is given unto you for this is one part of the Covenant Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you 1 Thes 4. 8. He hath given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Joh. 4. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Nehem. 9. 20. Thou gavest them also thy good Spirit Acts 5. 32. The holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him The Spirit of God may be considered seven wayes and as to every one of them The spirit is ours in respect of his Titles and Attributes The Spirit of God of Christ of Glory he is yours In respect 1 Of his â—itles or Attributes 2. Of his gifts and fruits 3 Of his works or operations 4. Of his helps or vertues 5. Of his joyes and comforts 6. Of his Office or Function 7. Of his presence or abode 1. The Spirit is yours in respect of his Titles and Attributes he is called sometimes 1. The Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 11. and the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. and the Spirit of glory 1 Pet. 4. 14. This very Spirit is given unto you who have God to be your God we have received the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2. 12 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Gal. 4. 6. O what a glory is this what a dignity what a comfort that the same Spirit which is in Christ is also in you that you have Christ and you have the Spirit of Christ 2. The holy Spirit Grieve not the holy Spirit of God Ephess 4. 30. sealed with The holy Spirit that holy Spirit of promise Ephes 1. 13. above eighty times is the Spirit of God stiled the holy Ghost or Spirit in the Scripture And under this notion also is he given unto you as we are said in Heb. 3. 14. to be partakers of Christ so are we said in Heb. 6. 4. to be partakers of the holy Ghost and as Christ is said to be given unto us Isa 9. 6. so the Holy Ghost is said to be given unto us Acts 5. 32. 1 Thes 4. 8. This is the excellency of the Spirit of God that he is holy and this is our excellency that we are holy and the holy Spirit is given unto us for this end to make us holy like unto the Father and the Son and himself hence it is that we are said to be sanctified by the Holy Ghost Rom. 15. 16. 2 Thes 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2. 3. The free Spirit so he is called Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit The free Spirit He is a free Spirit on a two fold account
a happinesse is all this to know Jesus Christ and as present in my soul To know the love of God in mine heart To know the exceedingly exceeding weight of glory prepared and prepared for me and to know all that God hath freely given me in order unto that exceeding glory This c. 4. He fits us for that salvation which Christ hath purchased for us As the He fits us for that salvation which Christ hath purchased for us blood of Christ did purchase our salvation so the Spirit of Christ doth fit us for the enjoyment thereof He makes us meet to â—e partakers of the inheritance of thâ— Saints in light The Apostle speaking of this salvation under several expressions in 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3 4. he addes in the fifth verse Now he which hath wâ—oughâ— us for the self-same thing is God who hath given unto us the earnest of his Spirit And this fitting work of his upon us for the salvation purchased by Christ he doth execute Partly by cleansing and purifying ouâ— sinful hearâ—s and mortifying those lusts which otherwise would render us unfit and uncapable of that glorious salvation Partly by endowing and beautifying the soul with Christ and his righteousnesse and his graces that thereby an enterance may be made for us into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 11. Partly by leading and upholding us in all the wayes of Christ untill we come to receive the end of our faith even the salvation of our souls 5. I will adde but one work more of the Spirit on your behalf which is this He works all our works in us and for us He works all your works in you and for you Consider your works either of faith or obedience your works of faith in reference to the promises of God and your work of obedience in reference to the precepts of God although you are the persons who do believe the one and obey the other yet it is the Spirit of Christ which is the cause and the powerful principle of those in you He it is who doth make your hearts to believe and who doth cause you to walk in his Statutes and do them Ezek. 36. 27. 4. The Spirit is yours in respect of his help or vertue The Spirit helpeth our The Spirit is ours in respect of his help and vertue infirmities Rom. 8. 26. And there are six things wherein the Spirit is an help unto all the people of God 1. In all their Communions with God 2. In the weaknesses of all their graces 3. In the actings of every grace 4. In the conflicts of grace 5. In the darknesse upon their spirits 6. In the 〈◊〉 of their souls 1. The Spiri◠〈◊〉 them in in all their communions with God in their Meditations He help them in all their communions with God of God in their hearing of the Word of God in their addresses of prayer unto God and as to this the Apostle gives a special instance in that Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered When we are to pray there is in us sometimes an infirmity of ignorance we know not what to pray for either for the matter or for the manner and there is in us sometimes an infirmity of deadnesse and dulnesse we cannot pray with that fervency as we should or as we would But now the Spirit helps these infirmities by way of instruction Teaching us what especially to pray for and by way of causation in making intercession for us that is in quickening and enabling us to pray with groanings that is with such full and strong affections of heart as cannot be uttered or expressed by words Our streightened and narrow and barren hearts are many times by the influence and assistance of Gods Spirit enlarged and opened and filled with a Spirit of supplication with such an ardency with such an earnestnesse with such a copiousnesse that after we have long insisted with God yet we have not opened half our minds and desires unto God it excites all our graces and sets them a work such an help is the Spirit unto us in praying unto God 2. The Spirit helps them in the weaknesse of their graces He waters the plants In the weakness of their graces and blows upon the buds and draws on his works of grace towards perfection He doth as it were Nurse them up and breed and brood them up He helps your â—imme knowledge by adding light unto light and opening more and more the eyes of your understanding to know the things of God in Christ He helps the weak and staggering faith by adding faith unto faith in answering your doubts and evidencing your grounds and interests in Jesus Christ He is the wind which blows upon your garden and makes the Spices there of to flow out Cant. 4. 16. 3. The Spirit helps them in the actings of every grace You know In the actings of every grace the distinction of gratia praeveniens gratia subsequens gratia operans gratia cooperans It is the Spirit which works grace in us and it is the Spirit which makes grace wrought in us to work You are not able of your selves to use the graces given unto you when you please without the influence and assistance of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am that I am and his grace bestowed upon me was not in vain I laboured yet not I but the grace of God in me Can you trust when you will and mourn when you will and fear when you will and command your thoughs and passions when you will and patiently bear the hand of God when you will The light if it were cut off from the influence and presence of the Sunne would not be light nor give light at all The arme if it were cut off from the body it could not stirre at all Though the arme be grafted into the body yet it stirres by influence from the head No grace that we have could move or act at all were it not acted and moved by the Spirit of Christ and therefore when you are to believe he helps you to believe and when you are to repent he helps you to repent and when you are to blesse he helps you to blesse and when you are to suffer c. His hand is upon your hand his strength is upon your strength his grace is upon his own grace As all your graces have their being from his power of life so they have their working from his power of influence too He it is who worketh in you to will and to do 4. The Spirit helps them in the conflicts of grace when inward temptations arise In the conflicts or grace out of your own hearts and when outward temptations 〈◊〉 in from
than your own lives yea and more than your own souls you should love your God sine omnibus super omnia without all and above all c. And verily there are most choice and most strong reasons for all this in the Covenant alone because he is your God for because he is your God therefore For 1. He loves you with an unutterable love the purest and highest love with a fatherly He loves you love with a faithful love with a tender love with an everlasting love The Schoolmen distinguish of amor gratuitus and of amor debitus our love is but of debt which we owe to God Gods love is a gracious gift unto us we love him but can adde nothing to him he loves us and his love makes us up for ever he begins in love oâ—ly from his love and we love when he sheds abroad his love into our hearts he loves and receives nothing from us we love and receive all from him 2. He blesseth you provides for you bestows all upon you enricheth you He blesseth you gives Christ and Mercy and Grace and Peace and Glory Who would not love a God who is Goodnesse it self and Love it self and Blessednesse it self who would not but love a God who is his God who delivers from hell who quickens from death who pardons all sins who cleanseth from all iniquity who makes us near unto himself who puts his Name upon us who speaks peace to our consciences who blesseth us with all blessings who guides and keeps and feeds us all our dayes who will give eternal life at last Walk in all manner of holinesse before your holy God In holinesse of dsposition 3. You who are the people of God you should walk in all manner of holinesse before your Holy and Omnipresent God There is an holinesse 1. Of Disposition which is the renewing of the heart by the Holy Ghost Lev. 11. 44. I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves and ye shall be holy for I am holy ver 45. I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the Land of Egypt to be your God ye shall therefore be holy for I am holy Lev. 19. 2. Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy Of Conversation 2. Of Conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. Be ye holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Thess 2. 10. Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves amongst you that believe Esay 35. 8. And an high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse Luke 1. 74. That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear ver 35. In holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Which consists This holinesse of Conversation consists partly In a separation from all sinful wayes 1. In separation from all sinful and polluted wayes and courses of the world Come out from among them and separate your selves 2 Cor. 6. 17. Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Walk not as other Gentiles walk Ephes 4. 17. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse Ephes 5. 11. In exercising our selves in all holy duties In doing our civil works with holy hearts and to holy ends Reasons why such should walk in holinesse Holinesse suits with the end of the Covenant 2. In the exercising of our selves in all holy duties and works and that after an holy manner with godly fear and reverence 3. In the managing of the civil works and employments of our ordinary callings with spiritual and holy hearts and for spiritual and holy ends so that whither we deal with God or with men whither you deal in heavenly businesses or in earthly something of holinesse flows out and appears in them boâ—h Esay 23. 18. Her Merchandize shall be holinesse to the Lord. Now that the people of God who have him to be their God should be holy and should live very holy lives it may be thus demonstrated 1. If you consider the scope and end of the Covenant or of taking us into Covenant the end of the Covenant is to glorifie the riches of Gods mercy and grace for the praise of the glory of his grace and the end of taking us into Covenant is that we might glorifie God who is so rich in mercy and grace unto us See 1 Pet. 2. 9. upon either of these accounts his people must be holy and live holily for should they live profanely and unholily this would pollute the Name of their God and extreamely dishonour it Ezek. 36. 21 22. and cause his Name to be blasphemed Rom. 2. 24. It is the life of holinesse which makes his Name to be glorified openly amongst men as it is the life of faith which makes it to be glorified secretly in the heart Maâ—th 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven 2. You are taken into Covenant that there might be a near relation 'twixt Holinesse fits for communion with God you and your God and that there might be a delight ful communion between God and you but holinesse is necessary to both these you must be sanctified if you will be near unto him for unholinesse is the greatest distance from God who is holinesse it self neither will he have fellowship with you without holinesse because similitude is the foundation of communion there can be no fellowship 'twixt light and darkness nor 'twixt God and Belial 2 Cor. 6. 14. All your communions with God are in acts of holinesse as aâ—l his communions with you are by his holy Spirit 3. The people of God are made high above all Nations in praise and in name and in honour Deut. 26. 19. They are the excâ—llâ—nt on the earth Psal 16. 3. Holinesse is our praise and honour A precious people Jer. 15. 19. A peculiar treasure unto the Lord Exod. 19. 5. But then he addes in verse 6. And ye shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation Why How can you be above all other in praise and in name and in honour if your hearts and lives continued in the same inglorious condition and course of wickednesse and sinfulnesse with others Or how could you be said to be the excellent on earth if your hearts and lives were as base and common as the vilest on earth No certainly but it is holinesse which raiseth your natures and it is holinesse which raiseth your lives As God is said to be Glorious in Holinesse Exodus 15. 11. so his Church or people is said to be glorious when it is holy and without blame Ephes 5. 27. 4. You have certainty and Testimony from your holinesse that you are indeed Holinesse is the
himself to hate every sinne to love all good to delight in the Lord to walk with God till he finde working in him the power of holinesse Vse 4 Is the Covenant of grace an holy Covenant then strive to be holy persons bewaile your former unholinesse and want of holinesse and oppositions and Strive to be holy persons contempts and reproaches of holinesse and as you desire to enâ—oy Gâ—d for your God and the mercies and comforts and hopes and happinesse of the Covenant so desire to be holy If holinesse be one of the great ingredients if it be the lively testimony of the people in Covenant with God if it be the expresse Will and Command of God for all in Covenant with him if it be the excellency of your natures if it be the necessary and certaine way of happinesse then be not ashamed be not averse to holinesse any more c. Quest And what is to be done that we may be holy What is to be done that we may be holy Beg of God to make you holy Sol. I will tell you what is to be done 1. Beseech the holy God to make you holy holinesse is attributed to God 1. Essentially he is holinesse it self 2. Infinitely there are no bounds of his holinesse And 3. Causally and therefore Christ prayed for his Disciples to his Father John 17. 17. Sanctifie them c. And the Apostle for the Thessalonâ—ans 1 Thes 5. 23. The God of peace sanctifie you And God hath promised to give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. And he hath sanctified those that were very unholy 1 Cor. 6. 11 12. Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified And besides all this this prayer is well-pleasing to God Lord make me holy I would not grieve and dishonour thee any more I would not be vile 2. Attend the holy Word and wait upon God therein to work holinesse in Attend to the holy Word you John 15. 3. Ye are clean through the Word which I spake unto you John 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy Word thy Word is truth The Word is compared to cleansing water to Fullers sope which whitens to refining fire which separates the drosse and purifies the mettal the hearts of sinners are changed by it so was Pauls and so those Jewes in Acts 2. 3. 4. 3. Get Faith to unite you to Christ who is made Sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Get faith to unite us to Christ Make use of the promises 4. Make use of the promises as 2 Cor. 7. 1. SECT VII A seventh property of this Covenant is this It is a sure and stedfast Covenant It is a sure and stedfast Covenant Deut. 7. 9. The Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant with them that love him 2 Chron. 6. 14. O Lord God which keepest Covenant 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure Psa 19. 7. The testimony of the Lord is sure Psal 93. 5. Thy testimonies are very sure That is called sure A thing is called sure which is not a lye 1. Which is not a lye but a truth In this respect the Covenant is a sure Covenant It is no lye Psal 89. 35. I will not lye unto David Hab. 2. 7. At the end the vision shall speak and not lye Titus 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began It is a truth Micah 7. 20. Thou wilt perform the truth unto Jacob. Psalme 132. 11. The Lord hath sworne in truth Psalme 91. 4. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler 2. Which will not faile but will certainly come to passe it will be accomplished it will answer hope and expectation every way In this respect also Which will not fail the Covenant is sure Psal 89. 33. I will not suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Hab. 2. 3. It will surely come though it tarry wait for it Jer. 32. 41. I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this Land assuredly Verse 42. I will bring upon them all the good that I have promised them 1 Kings 8. 56. There hath not failed one word of all his good promise 3. Which alters not In this respect also is the Covenant sure Psal 89. 28. My Covenant shall stand fast with him Verse 34. My Covenant will I not Which alters not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Isa 54. 10. The mountains shall remove and the hills shall fall down but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee 2 Cor. 1. 20. All the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us There are two things unto which I would briefly speak concerning this property of the Covenant namely the surenesse or certainty of it 1. Quest How it may be demonstrated That the Covenant of grace is a sure How it is demonstrated to be a sure Covenant It depends upon the counsel purpose and love of God Covenant Sol. There are six things to demonstrate or clear it Viz. 1. This Covenant depends upon the counsel of God and the purpose of God and love of God immutable and sure grounds these are as it were the springs and the foundations of the Covenant of grace viz. Gods love unto us his counsel wisely and deliberately contriving for us and his purpose resolving and intending everlasting good unto us Now every one of these is sure and certain The love of God is unchangeable whâ—m he loves once he loves for ever I have loved thee with an everlasting love Jer. 31. 3. The counsel of God is immutable wherein speaking of this Covenant Heb. 6. 17. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath The purpose of God is sure So the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure that foundation of God is his election which is compared to a foundation because it is that upon which all our good and happinesse is built and because as a foundation it abides firme and sure 2. This Covenant hath as firme and sure Ingredients as can be desired It hath firm and sure ingredients There is in it 1. The presence of what is necessary to the certain performance of the Covenant The presence of what is necessary to the performance of it as There are two things necessary thereunto 1. The power of God 2. The Will of God if God be able and if God will performe his Covenant it is then sure Now let us consider both these in reference to the Covenant 1. The power of
inwardly offer Christ to the heart and secretlâ—â—alls there Come unto Christ you are poor and you are thirsty and you are brâ—â—â—h and bruised in heart And such sinners as these doth Christ call to come unto him and live for ever He was anointed for you and is sent to you 3. The Spirit backs these offers and calls with expresse promises for though the He backes these offers with Promises sinner be exceeding glad to finde out Christ the Saviour yet he is exceeding doubtful whether he may close with Christ thus offering himself unto him therefore herein likewise doth the Spirit appear towards the working of faith viz. he doth clear up the promises of the Gospel so that the poor sinner may be convinced and satisfied that Jesus Christ is contented and willing to be his and that he may come and be kindly and graciously accepted of Christ Those passages Him that comes to me I will in no wise reject Joh. 6. 27. And let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Rev. 22 17. And a bruised reed will he not break Matth. 12. 20. Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11 28. All these and other promises and encouragements are set home by the Spirit upon the heart of the poor sinner so that he deemes that he hears Jesus Christ himself speaking alluring comforts unto his soul 4. The Spirit rests not here but proceeds further For notwithstanding all this The Spirit carries on the work further yet the poor sinner findes himself without all strength and saith he I am not able to believe though I see this Christ and his goodness and his love and his kindness and his graciousnesse yet I cannot believe yet I cannot come to him c. Now upon this there are two things more wrought by the Spirit in the heart of the poor sinner 1. One is Earnâ—st desires for faith O Lord give me faith He works earnest desires for faith perswade my heart bring in my heart draw it to Christ for Christ his sake 2. The other is The very gift or work of faith The Spirit by his mighty power gives an ability unto the heart of the sinner to come to him to receive him and thuâ— uniting faâ—th is wrâ—ught namely by the Spirit of Christ accompanying and blessing the Gospel as you have heard unto the soule of a sinner Therefore look well to your selves in this If your faith be not a faith which the Spirit of God works by the Gospel it is a false faith it is a faith of delusion and not of union it is a presumption of your own making a meere imagination of your own No faith will bring you to Christ but that faith which comes from the Spirit of Christ He works saiâ—h it self 2. That Faith which unites to Christ hath alwayes some particular operations upon the soule in relation to that union with Christ For the faith which is The peculiar operations of faith about this union wrought by the Spirit of Christ is no base quality nor is it any dead quality but it is Noble High and Active Now there are three things which this faith doth work in every one that hath it 1. An exceeding appreciation or esteem of Christ 2. A fervent desire to enjoy Christ 3. A separation of the heart It works from every thing that would hinder it from union with Christ 1. If your faith be this saith of union then it hath raised your hearts to exceeding An exceeding esteem of Christ high estimation of Christ other people have no high nor great thoughts of Christ What is thy beloved more than another beloved said they to the Church Cant. 5. 9. There is no beauty in him that we should desire him said they Isa 57. 2. Not this man but Barabbas said the Jews Joh. 18. 40. The Farme and the Oxen are preferred before him Luke 14. 18 19. But unto you who believe he is precious saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 7. Pretious faith makes us to look on Christ as pretious How did the Church look on Christ in that Cant. 5 why As the chiefest of ten thousand verse 10. As altogether lovely verse 16. How did those Believers look on Christ in Joh. 1. 14 We beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father full of Grace and Truth How did Paul look on Christ Phil. 3. 8. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord Beloved Never was there unbeliever â—â—o had high thoughts of Christ and never was there sound believer but he hâ—â— precious thoughts of Christ the Apostle tells us as much 1 Cor. 1. 23. We preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness verse 24. But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God O sirs The excellencies of Christ are hidden excellencies from the men of the world and no eye can see them but the eye of faith there must be a light shining in the heart to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. When faith is wrought then a light is wrought to see the beauties of Christ the beauty of his Person the beauty of his Offices the beauty of his Love of his Death of his Righteousness of his Holiness of his Peace c. the vaile is removed and we do with open face as in a glass behold the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. c. So that none like Christ he is the Pearle of great price and nothing like Christ no love like his no enjoyment like the enjoyment of him c. 2. If your faith be this Faith of union Then it hath raised in your hearts Exceeding desires to enjoy Christ exceeding desires to enjoy Christ I must have this Christ I cannot live without this Christ O Lord give me Christ I have nothing if I have not Christ There is nothing in heaven or earth that I desire in comparison of Christ I desire to be found in him saith Paul He is the desire of all Nations Hag. 2 7. You never had such desires towards Christ untill faith was wrought in you such high desires such longings such hungrings such thirstings nor such busie and stirring desires saw you him whom my soule loveth and I sought him whom my soule loveth and I will seek him whom my soule loveth Nor such unsatisfied desires Nothing satisfies you or puts an end to your desires but Christ desired by you 3. If your faith be this faith of union Then it did work in your hearts a A separation from all things which hinder union separation from all things which otherwise would have hindred yâ—u from union with Christ You know that whatsoever keeps things at
a distance so that they cannot close that same hinders union Now there are four things which keep the soule and Christ at a distance Christ and we cannot close whiles they continue and faith breaks them all down 1. A proud conceit of our own fulnesse Righteousness sufficiency I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance said Christ And the whâ—le need From a proud conceit of our own fulnesse no physitian but the sick And the Son of man is câ—me to seek and to save that which was lost Now faith that unites to Christ breaks this partition wall and levels this mountain it empties the sinner of himself it takes away all confidence in himself and will by no means suffer him to rest upon or to be found in his own righteousnesse Phil. 3. 3. We rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh verse 9. And be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ 2. A love of sin This is likewise an absolute hindrance of union with Christ From a love of sin That heart cannot close with Christ which closeth with sin and Christ will not close with that heart which is joyned to sin Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hosea 4. 17. as if he should say his heart loves Idols and therefore I will have nothing to do with him So Joh. 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Christ is that light and he presented and offered himself to sinners but they loved thier sins and would not part with them to joyne with Christ Now faith which brings a soule to Christ hath parted that soule and sin it hath given a bill of divorce unto sin it takes off the heart from sin what shall I prefer hell before heaven shall I prefer damnation before salvation shall I for this sinful lusts-sake deny Christ my heart refuse to marry him who is the Son of God the Lord of glory the Prince of Peace the Saviour of sinners What have I to do any more with Idols said Ephraim Hosea 14. 8. Get thee hence said they in Isa 30. 22. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6. 2. 3. A love of the world He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not From a love of the world worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me Matth 10. 37. If a man saith I will have my ease and I will have my liberty and I will have my pleasures and I will have my profits and I will have my friends and I will have my honours and I will not have Christ with any losse or crosse this man loves the world and this hinders union with Christ The young man lost Christ upon this very account Luke 18. 22 23. But if Faith indeed be wrought in the heart all this language is removed out of the way Faith overcomes the world 1 Joh. 5. 4. The Merchants sold all for to buy the pearle of great price and Moses in Heb. 11. 24 25 26. We have forsaken all and followed thee said the Disciples When a man hath faith he can be content to be Fatherlesse and Motherlesse to be friendlesse and landlesse to part with all rather than he will be Christlesse Faith sees enough in Christ though he should enjoy no more but Christ Faith will enable us to trample upon the world so that we may enjoy Christ it will enable us to break off with all and to breake down all to possesse him who is better than all 4. Vnbelief This locks and shuts up the heart that it cannot move at all to From unbelief Christ cannot see Christ nor hear Christ nor desire Christ nor give consent to Christ But faith breakes down unbelief breaks open the prison and breaks asunder all the shackles and fetters of unbelief answers all exceptions reasonings cavils delayes fears doubts and sets the soule at liberty and works in the whole soule to Christ O beloved try your hearts by what I have spoken in this particular you think that you have this uniting faith But what hath that faith wrought upon you and within you to bring you and Christ together It is not so easie a work to match Christ and the soule together nothing can do that but faith and no faith can do that but such a faith which presents Christ in that height of goodness and beauty and excellency that the soul is drawn out with that strength and vehemency of desire after Christ as to part with all to enjoy Christ c. And who hath found it thus Is there not yet something or other which stand between Christ and our hearts c. 3. Thirdly you may know whether your faith be indeed a faith of union by The acts by which the soul is brought into union those acts or workings in the soule immediately and necessarily to make up an union between a soule and Christ unto which when the soule attains then Christ is ours and we are Christs For as there are some acts which are immediate to constitute a conjugal union twixt person and person without which there is no conjugal relation between them and upon which the relation is immediately made so there are some acts of the soul immediate to the being of the Spiritual union twixt a person and Christ without which there is no relation and upon which there is an immediate relation twixt him and Christ There are two acts upon the soule when the union is made between Christ and us 1. One is an act or work of the Spirit on the behalf of Christ testifying unto our An act of the Spirit testifying that Christ is willing to be ours hearts and perswading our hearts that Jesus Christ is contented is very willing to become ours to be an Husband to us to be our Head to be our Saviour Jesus Christ doth outwardly expresse his consent in the Gospel but he inwardly delivers it unto us by his Spirit As by the spirit he becomes ours If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. So by the Spirit he testifies his willingness and consent to be ours yea and that he is ours Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 24. 2. The other is the act or effect of faith on our behalf For the Spirit in testifying unto us the willingnesse and consent of Christ to be ours doth at the same An act of faith in a Reciprocal câ—nsent from us to Christ time work faith in our hearts which draws out a reciprocal consent from us to Châ—ist And therefore as Christ is said to abide in us by his Spirit so he is said to dwell in us by faith These
of his ways but when that comes then he judgeth of himself as he is and of his ways as indeed they are and have been Psal 73. 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a Beast before thee 1 Tim. 1. 15. To save sinners of whom I am chief and for his wayes he now looks on them as ways of death and paths of hell in which who so walks shall find no rest nor peace In respect of God and his ways God is now look't upon as an only happiness and could I enjoy him for my God in Christ I were blessed for ever and his ways are righteous and good and holy and most pleasant and only safe the way of Repentance the way of faith the way of holiness the way of a godly Conversation how excellent how beautiful how desirable are all of them to an heart renewed by grace which yet in former times were judged with scorn and contempt and hatred Thirdly Where the Lord gives a new heart there he gives new cares and New cares and requests requests Before the Lord renews the heart by grace a sinner is very careful and very careless He is very careful for two things One is for the world What shall I eat and what shall I drink and wherewith shall I be cloathed Matth. 6. His heart is set on the world and he minds earthly things and his heart goes after his covetousness and who will shew us any good his affections are set on things below The other is for his fleshly lusts They that are after the flesh minde the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. And they make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. But he is very careless about his soul therefore he is said to despise his soul and not to know the day of his visitation nor the things which concern his peace and to make light of the invitations of Christ But when the Lord begins to renew the heart by grace there are new cares and new desires O how the soul is taken with the soul and for the soul Lord What will become of my poor soul and what shall I do for my poor soul if I get not Christ my soul is lost and if I get not mercy I am undone Take the world who will and take sinful pleasures who will but O Lord be merciful to me a sinner and O Lord be thou reconciled to my soul and lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me Every new heart hath new thoughts and cares and desires What shall we do said they to John the Baptist Matth. 3. And What shall we do said they to Peter Acts 2. 37. And What shall we do to be saved said he to Paul and Silas Acts 16. 30. Fourthly If a new heart be given there will then be found in you the presence New principles of all new principles which are contrary to all the old principles in the old sinful heart there is not any one spiritual and heavenly principle respecting salvation but they may be found in you v. g. 1. Ignorance that is one principle of an old heart the contrary unto it viz. Knowledge is given when you come to partake of a new heart Colos 3. 10. And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge Eph. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. 2. Carnal wisdome that is another principle of the old heart the contrary unto that is given to a person when God renews his heart viz. Spiritual and heavenly wisdom a wisdom for salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. A wisdom unto that which is good Rom. 16. 9. A wisdom to approve the things that are excellent Phil. 1. 10. A wisdome to know the times or seasons of grace and to imbrace and improve them Hebr. 3. 3. Vanity of spirit that is another old principle in the old heart an old heart is a vain heart and an old mind is a vain mind but when the Lord gives a new heart he then gives a spiritual seriousness unto the heart To work out its salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Hebr. 12. 28. And to give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 1â— And taking heed of neglecting so great salvation Hebr. 2. 1 3. 4. Hardness this is another principle in an old heart the heart is a stony heart Ezek. 36. 26. and an heart of Adamant Zach. 7. 11 12. But when God gives a new heart there is a principle contrary unto this put into the heart namely a soft and tender and mournful heart Josiah had a tender heart 2 Chron. 34. 27. God maketh my heart soft Job 23. 16. They shall mourn as one mourneth for his only son Zach. 12. 10 5. Pride this is another old principle of the old heart Mark 7. 22. so Psal 73. 6. Pride compasseth them about as with a chain So Jer. 48. 29. We have heard the pride of Moab he is exceeding proud his loftiness his arrogancy and his pride and the haughtiness of his heart So Rom. 1. 30. Deceitful proud boasters But when the Lord gives a new heart there is a principle of humility given which is contrary unto that pride of heart Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thine hand they sit down at thy feet every one shall receive of thy words Psal 131. 1. Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty c. Ver. 2. Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a childe that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned childe Acts 20. 19. Serving the Lord with all humility of minde 6. Stubbornness of resistance and unyieldingness this is another principle of an old heart an old heart is a stubborn heart as for the Word which thou hast spoken in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee said they to Jeremiah Jer. 44. 16. Ye always resist the Holy Ghost ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart said Stephen unto them in Acts 7. 51. But when God gives a new heart there is given a contrary principle unto this even a yielding and obedient spirit to the Word and Will of God Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 10 33. We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Isa 66. 2. To him that trembleth at my Word Psal 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word Rom. 6. 17. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you 7. Hypocrisie this is another principle in the old heart an old heart is an hypocritical heart it is full of guilt and deceit Jer. 17. 9. Deceitful above all things But when the Lord gives a new heart he gives a principle contrary to this viz. sincerity and uprightness of heart and a true heart John 1. 47. Behold
you all things Joh. 15. 26. But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father c. Whence it is thus argued That Comforter which proceedeth from the Father and the Son is the person of the Holy Ghost but that Comforter dwelleth and abideth in us Ergo the person of the Holy Ghost doth dwell in us 2 Tim. 1. 14. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us Hence it is also argued the Holy Ghost that keepeth the good gift or gifts in us dwelleth in us but the Holy Ghost which keepeth these gifts is not the gifts but the person of the Holy Ghost distinguished from them Ergo it is the person of the Holy Ghost and not his gifts only that dwelleth in us Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Hence also 't is thus argued the Spirit that dwells in us is the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and shall likewise quicken our mortal bodies But it is not the gifts and graces of the Spirit but the person of the Spirit himself that raised up Christ from the dead and that shall quicken our mortal bodies Ergo the person of the Spirit himself dwelleth in us Thirdly Some do hold that the putting of the Spirit within the heart of the Some say it denotes only the gifts and graces of the spirit given to us people of God denotes only the donation of the gifts and the graces of the Spirit And so is the Spirit often taken in Scripture by a Metonymie of the Cause for the Effect Luke 1. 15. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his Mothers womb Act. 6. 3. Look you out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom Ver. 5. And they chose Stephen a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit i. e. the gifts or graces of the Spirit for the Spirit in himself either Essentially or Personally considered is not capable of being quenched there is no abating or remission or vacation possibly incident unto him Fourthly Some do hold that the giving of the Spirit unto the people of God is only the letting in of his vigour and assistance for the works which they are to do Some for the letting in of the vigour and assistance of the spirit and not any Inherent presence of the Spirit in the people of God either as to his person or as to his graces But as a Bowle moves from that power and strength which the hand lends unto it so do the people of God act and move from the vigorous influence which the Spirit of God puts into them and not from any inherent principle of grace which they deny to be in them But this Opinion is not sound for the people of God do possess the Spirit not only in way of assurance to do good but also in way of inward influence to make them good Therefore they are said to be born of the Spirit Joh 5. 6. And to be washed and renewed Tit. 3. 5. And sanctified by the Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 11. which notes an inward change made by the Spirit and not a bare assistance only And besides here in the Text the Lord saith that he will put his Spirit within us which certainly is something more than external assistance Again They who do hold the donation of the Spirit as to assistance only hold likewise free-will to supernatural good that there is in the will of man such a power unto the same that it needs not any renovation by the Spirit but only the assistance of the Spirit to that purpose c. which is a dangerous Error Well then the meaning of this expression I will put my Spirit within you is principally to be understood of the person of the Spirit It is principally meant of the person of the spirit And there are three Reasons which incline me thus to think 1. One is because the graces of the Spirit were promised before in the 26. ver A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you which unquestionably takes in the renewing graces of the Spirit and if in this 27. vers by putting his Spirit within us should be meant only the graces of the Spirit then one and the same thing only should be promised But this is no way probable or congruous to affirm q. d. I will give you the graces of my Spirit and I will give you the graces of my Spirit c. 2. Another is because the Spirit here in this verse promised is that Spirit which doth cause us to walk in the Statutes of God and to keep them which cause of such walking cannot well be attributed to any but the Spirit himself 3. Unto which I may add a third viz The usual way of tryal and evidencing whether we have the Spirit here promised namely by the graces of the Spirit which were very improper if by the Spirit in the place were meant the graces of the Spirit q. d. you may know that you have the graces of the Spirit if you do find in you the graces of the Spirit How it may be demonstrated Quest 2. How may this be demonstrated that all the people of God in Covenant have the Spirit of God within them Sol. Besides these Scriptures already produced which do bear witness unto this truth it may be further demonstrated thus First All that are Christs have the Spirit of Christ for saith the Apostle Rom. 8 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit But all who are in Covenant are Christs because all that are in Covenant are believers and all believers are Christs Ergo all that are in Covevant have the Spirit Secondly All that are in Covenant are the Sons of God God is their Father and they are his sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 18. Now saith the same Apostle in Gal. 4. 6 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Nay Thirdly all the people of God have a fellowship and communion with every person of the Trinity and so high is that fellowship that every person of the Trinity doth as it were take up his mansion and make his abode and dwelling in them They have a fellowship with every person of the Trinity 1 Joh. 1. 3. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Phil. 2. 1. If there be any fellowship of the Spirit c. Every person of the Trinity dwells and abides in them
Every one of Gods people hath so much of the spirit as is necessary to salvation Sixthly Though none of the People of God in this life have the Spirit in perfection yet every one of them hath so much of the Spirit as will bring him to salvation For he hath so much of the spirit as will bring him to Christ and he who hath as much as will bring him to Christ certainly he hath as much as will bring him to heaven Again he hath as much of the spirit as doth sanctifie and renew and regenerate him and therefore he hath as much as will bring him to salvation Matth. 5. 8. The pure in heart shall see God 1 Pet. 1. 3. We are begotten again to a lively hope Ver. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fades not away reserved in heaven for us SECT II Vse 1. DOth the Lord put his own Spirit within his own people Then let Try whether we have the spirit within us all of us look well to this whether we have within our hearts the the Spirit of God yea or no. O beloved think much and often of that expression of the Apostle in Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his he hath no part in Christ who hath no part in the Spirit of Christ There are four Reasons why I should press this great search and great care upon Reasons of this search you to know whether God hath put his own Spirit within you 1. Because many persons have not the spirit of God 2. Because many persons do deceive themselves with a false and lying spirit instead of the Spirit of God 3. Because many have the spirit as to many effects and works yet the spirit is not fully given to them 1. Many persons have not the Spirit of God Many have not the spirit of God They who blaspheme the Spirit First What think you of those who blaspheme and scoff at the Spirit As those Jews did at the effusion of the Spirit upon the Apostles These men are full of new wine Acts 2. 13. And ordinarily among our selves the Spirit of God is jeared derided mocked and reproached in his graces which he bestows upon the people of God O these are men of the Spirit these are the Saints your holy brethren and your holy sisters forsooth they are full of the Spirit Ah thou profane wretch unworthy to live among Christians and unworthy of the name of a Christian who darest thus openly to reproach the holy God and the holy Spirit of God! and the graces in the people of God which are the excellent faculties of the Spirit promised unto all who are in Covenant with God! Is the Spirit of God a scorn unto thee is any work of the Spirit a derision unto thee is holiness the chief of all his works a matter to be scoffed and mocked at O how wicked art thou what a child of the Divel art thou what an Atheist how deep in the guilt of blasphemy will the Lord ever pardon thee can'st thou ever repent can'st thou ever be saved who deridest the Spirit without whom and his holiness without which there is no salvation Secondly what think you of those who do despite to the Spirit of grace Who do despite to the spirit of grace of such you read in Heb. 10. 29. And have done despite unto the Spirit of grace Men do despite to the Spirit of grace many wayes 1. When they have base thoughts of Jesus Christ and his blood treading under foot the Son of God and counting the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing these the Spirit sets forth as most high and precious and worthy of all reverence and acceptation but when sinners come to despise Christ and his blood looking on them but as common and ordinary things and regarding them no more than the dirt under their feet they do now despite unto the spirit of Grace they do now prejudice and disgrace and dishonour and shame him in his Revelation and Commendation of Christ and his blood 2. When they will sinne on purpose to vex and grieve the Spirit when they know Who sin on purpose to grieve the Spirit such or such a work or way is evil and displeasing unto him they will therefore chuse to do it knowing that it is grievous and vexatious to the Spirit as they in Jer. 44. 4. Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate Ver. 5 But they hearkned not nor inclined their ears And verse the 17. profess that they will burn incense unto the Queen of heaven c. Thirdly what think you of those that either have no work of the Spirit within Who have no saving work of the spirit in them them or no saving work of the Spirit within them have those the spirit put within them The spirit is never present in any but there is some work or other of the spirit appearing in them for he is most active and working some way or other in the hearts of those where he is present and dwells Ergo. But in some persons 1. There is no work of the Spirit at all neither highest nor lowest the lowest works of the Spirit within men are illuminations and pulsations when he enlightens sinners to see their sins and moves and stirs them to leave their sinnes and gives them some trouble for their sins But many persons there are who never had any light from the Spirit to see their sins nor were they ever troubled for their sins nor did they ever find those strong motions and perswasions of the Spirit to leave their sins 2. Though in many persons these common works of the Spirit may be found yea so many works as the Spirit useth the Ministry of the Law for as Illumination Conviction Excitation Humiliation and Terror and Fear yet in them we no Evangelical and saving works of the Spirit to be found no works of Regeneration no works of union with Christ no hungring and thirsting after him no faith in him no love in him no holy sorrow no repentance no newness of obedience no walking and living in the Spirit c. Fourthly What think you of those who have in them another spirit quite contrary Who have in them another spirit to the Spirit of God even that spirit which works effectually in the children of disobedience and in whom all the qualities and works of a contrary spirit are manifestly appearing and ruling The Spirit of God is a pure and holy Spirit but they are unclean and unholy The Spirit of God is effective an humble and lowly Spirit but they are proud and lofty and arrogant The Spirit of God is meek and gentle but they are turbulent and furious and violent The Spirit of God is merciful and compassionate but they are unmerciful incompassionate cruel and bloody The Spirit of God is a Spirit of love and of peace but they are full of
Causally in us c. 3. Without faith no salvation He that believes not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. But without the spirit there can be no faith because that grace is the fruit and effect of his Almighty power So now you see plainly the infinite misery of being destitute of the Spirit of God Quest But how may we know whether the Lord hath put his own Spirit within How to knw that we have the Spirit of God us that the spirit of God is given to us indeed Sol. This may be known 1. By the works of the spirit 2ly By the qualities of the spirit 3ly By the properties of such who have the spirit in relation unto the spirit 1. By the works of the spirit The spirit of God is a vigorous and active and operative spirit and By the works of the Spirit when he is indeed put within any mans heart there he works in order unto the salvation of that man for unto that do all the works of God the Father as our Father tend and unto that do all the works of Christ the Son of God as our Redeemer tend and unto that do all the works of the spirit of God within us tend What are the works of Gods Spirit in them that shall be saved Now the works of the spirit in them which shall be saved are these .. Conviction 1. Conviction Joh. 16. 8. And when he is come that is the spirit whom Christ calls the Comforter ver 7. he will reprove the world he will convince the world of sinne Simile As when the light of the sun shines in a room this opens and discovers all the nastiness and sluttishness in the room so when the spirit of God comes into the heart he doth by his own light clearly discover and represent the sinful foulness that lies therein Here now I will briefly speak unto two Questions Quest 1. How the spirit convinceth a person of sin Sol. He doth convince of sin 1. By opening the Law of God unto us partly in the spiritualness of it as How the Spirit convinceth of sin reaching not only to our outward words and actions but also to our inward thoughts and affections both in the commands of it and likewise in the prohibitions of it that God doth not only command of us a Righteousness and holiness of conversation but also a righteousness and holiness of heart and nature not only that we do good but also that we be good not only that we hear him but also that we know and love and fear and trust upon him not only that we draw near unto him with our lips and bodies but also that we draw near unto him with our hearts and serve him in spirit and in truth That God in his Law doth not only forbid and condemn sinful words and deeds but also sinful desires and delights and motions not only murder in the hand but murder also in the heart not only adultery in the act but adultery also in the heart as Christ assures us himself in Matth. 5 28. Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Perfection of it that it is so precise and exact that it expects from us not this or that particular duty but an universal obedience and full conformity unto all and every particular which is required and not for some little space of our life but constantly and invariably as to all the time of our lives and if we fail either in the fulness or in the continuance of obedience at any time in any particular presently the Law pronounceth a sentence of curse against us Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all these things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Secondly By opening our sins the transgression of the Law unto us Rom. By opening our sins to us 7. 9. When the Commandement came sin revived and I died i. e. when the Law came accompanied with the Spirit of God now sinne revived now it appeared now I saw what a sinful creature and what a miserable creature I was This is certain that when the spirit of God doth convince any one of sinne he then doth by an invincible evidence or lâ—ght so set out a mans sinful life and heart that he cannot but confess and acknowledge the same and withall himself to lye under the curse of God as long as by unbelief he remains in his sinful estate Quest 2. Whether a wicked person may not be convinced of sin and if he may how then can this work of conviction be any distinguishing character that we have the spirit Sol. To this I answer First I do not make every work flowing from the Spirit a character of his What are not characters of the presence of Gods Spirit gracious presence not illumination not conviction solitarily considered by themselves alone but as concomitantly considered with other more powerful and effectual works of the spirit following them 2. But secondly there is a difference between that conviction of sin in wicked The difference between the convictions of the wicked and the godly men and that in the people of God and the difference lies thus First The conviction in wicked men is ordinarily levis mollis it is such an evidencing of their sins as doth not much afflict and distress them indeed they cannot deny but that they are sinners yet they hope to escape well enough for all this c. Secondly The conviction in wicked men is ordinarily semiplena imperfecta it is of some outward gross sins as swearing lying adultery drunkenness but for all these they think their hearts are as good as the best they are seldom convinced their sinful hearts and natures and that original sin which is the fountain of all sins and which pollutes the whole soul Thirdly The conviction in wicked men if it be full and strong it is but Judicialis it is not Remedialis it is not in salutem but proves only in perniciem for when they are so convinced either they sin more desperately against the convincing light of the Spirit or else they fall into despair as Cain and Judas and Spira crying out that their sinnes are greater than can or shall be forgiven But now the conviction of sin by the Spirit in the people of God is another kind of conviction For 1. It is deep and powerful it makes discovery of the very root and foundation What is the conviction of the Spirit in Gods children of all sins even of that corruption and vileness in the heart In sinne did my Mother conceive me said David Psal 51. 5. And I see another Law in my members said Paul Rom. 7. 23. And Ecce cor meum Deus meus ecce cor meum said Austin Ah Lord what a wicked heart had I c. 2. It is graciously effectual this work of conviction works graciously upon
through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10. 1. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ ver 5. This spiritual Ministry is that with which a spiritual heart doth and can most close O a Ministry which doth most dive into the heart and discovers the depth of sin and the hidden things of the heart and the secret guiles and hypocrisies of our spirits And that Ministry which shames our sins most and rents them out of our bosomes and makes our souls to loath them And that Ministry which like a spiritual Adamant draws a heart to Christ breaking down all the powers of unbelief And that Ministry which discovers and dashes in pieces all our self-deceits and all our self-confideace And that Ministry which presseth and leadeth one to the power of godliness and to the practical expressing of the virtues of Jesus Christ and of him that calleth us And that Ministry which raiseth a drooping soul with spiritual truth and rules though never so strict and contrary to flesh and blood This is a Spiritual Ministry and this is a Ministry of the Spirit and this is the Ministry which every one who indeed hath the Spirit of God doth highly prize doth cordially close with and desires from his soul to live under Psal 139. 23. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts Ver. 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Such are singularly tender as to the spirit Seventhly They who have the Spirit have this property also that they are singularly tender as to that spirit which appears in four things 1. In no case will they part with the Spirit Psal 6. 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from me 2. They are afraid by anything to grieve the Spirit Ephes 4. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God by whom c. 3. If they have grieved him so as to withdraw himself they are not at rest untill the Spirit returns again in his gracious operations and manifestations Psal 51 10. Renew a right Spirit within me And Ver. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit 4. They strive more and more after purity of Spirit that so that good Spirit may take more and more delight to dwell in his temple Thus have I at length finished the Tryals and Characters by which we may know whether the Lord hath given his own Spirit unto us SECT III. 2. Use I Now proceed unto a second Use which shall be of Comfort unto all and every one unto whom the Spirit of God is given who do find him in their hearts in any of those works and saving effects before-mentioned Not without cause doth the Apostle Paul take pleasure in this I have the Spirit of Christ and we have received the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost is given unto us Yea Christ himself look't upon the sending and giving of the Spirit to be the Comforter unto his Disciples as equivalent unto his own presence with them and as a sufficient cordial against all the troubles of their heart and against all the temptations of the world Quest But will some say What benefit and happiness is there by having the Spirit of God given unto us Sol. I will answer you 1. In the general 2ly In particular unto this Question 1. In the General The presence of the Spirit of God within you it is an infallible evidence of The benefits which come by having the spirit Such are assured of their election your happiness in the whole estate of it from first to last from eternity to eternity from the time past to the time present and the time to come First For the time past Beloved our happiness begins long before we do begin it begins in the eternal love of God and in the election of God before the foundation of the world Ephes 1. 4. The Records of election are Records of Eternity that is the date of writing our names in heaven and in the book of life And questionless this is a great part of our blessedness it is the first stone thereof which is said that we are out of a free and an immutable love and purpose set down and infallibly chosen and ordained for blessedness of which gracious act the presence of the Spirit is a sure evidence unto us 2 Thes 2. 13. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit Ephes 1. 4. He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy Secondly For the time present it is you know a common doubt and debate among serious and solid Christians whether their present spiritual condition Such have the spirits presence to assure them that God is their Father be right and sound whether or no they have a real relation to God as their Father and whether Christ be in them of a truth and verily that estate is really good and sound and sure in which there is such a relation and such a profession Now when the Spirit of God is given his presence and work are undoubted evidences of him Rom. 8. 15. We have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Ver. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God 1 Joh. 3. 24. Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us Thirdly For the time to come there is reserved for all the people of God in heaven an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 4. Assured of their salvation A Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. An exceedingly exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. And of this also is the presence of the Spirit a sure evidence unto us Ephes 1. 13 14. The holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance q. d. The Lord will hereafter give you full possession he hath promised you no less than an heavenly kingdom and a glorious inheritance for you are his Children and Heirs and to satisfie and assure you of this he hath given you a pledge or earnest and that earnest is his own Spirit in that you have for the present the Spirit of God this is your earnest that you shall hereafter fully enjoy the kingdom of God And now I beseech you tell me whether the enjoying of the Spirit of God be not very happy and comfortable If you look back by this you know that your names are written in heaven If you look on your present condition by this you know that God is your Father and you are his children Christ is yours and you are Christs If you look forward by this also you know that heavenly glory is yours and shortly you shall perfectlâ— anâ— eternally possesse it and all this you may look on
shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever He will be mortifying your sins perfecting your graces conquering your temptations subduing your corruptions helping your weaknesses comforting your consciences leading you on in your journey untill you come to the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls As Jesus Christ accomplished all the works for which the Father sent him he gave not over untill he had finished all of them so doth the Spirit of God who is sent and given unto us he proceeds and goes on with all the works for which he is given unto us and that is to communicate and apply unto us all which Christ hath purchased for us even grace and glory even life and eternal life Thus have you heard 1. The Discoveries of the presence of the Spirit 2ly The Benefits and blessedness in the enjoyment of that Spirit SECT IV. 3. Vse I Now proceed unto a third Use which shall be of relief to tender and Reliefe to weak Christians weak Christians who are full of tears and sadness because they can find no discoveries of the presence of Gods Spirit within them or at most very weak and feeble pulses and appearances thereof That which I would say for the support of those weak persons I shall set down in five Conclusions First One may have the real presence of the Spirit and yet sometimes The spirit may be really present and yet not discovered It s in desertions have no sensible discoveries of his presence as to his own apprehension As 1. In the time of desertions when the Lord hides himself from the soul and draws off and leaves it a while to sit in darkness and in silence in such a case though there be actings of the Spirit and puttings forth tears and groans and complaints Will the Lord cast off for ever will he be favourable no more Psal 77. 7. yet the deserted soul discerns them not in a Relative way as working testimonies of the presence of the Spirit 2. In time of great transgressions Then the Spirit as is it were in a swoon and the light appears not and confusion and darkness rise upon our graces David In great transgressions in his great transgressions looks upon all as lost and therefore prayes that the Lord would not take his holy Spirit from him Psal 51. 11. Secondly One may have the Spirit of God within him and yet sometimes as to his own thinking the discoveries may be rather that he hath not the spirit than that he hath Job saith of God he holds me for his enemy Job 13. 24. And David saith cast me not off Psal 43. 2. And the Church saith my God hath forsaken me Isa 49. 14. This is our condition in the times of vile temptation and in the time of sad melancholy and there is no grace in me no faith no love softness of heart no ability to pray all was but hypocrisie there was never any thing in truth wrought within my soul Thirdly There are comforting discoveries of the presence of the Spirit and Other effects of the Spirit there are proper and respective discoveries of this presence as to our present ways and works and needs Perhaps you have not the manifestations of the spirit in the effect of peace and joy and assurance and yet you may have the manifestations of the Spirit in the effects of mourning for sin and conflicting with it and prayer against it and to walk uprightly Perhaps you find not the presence of the Spirit discovering himself in strong and powerful actings in your souls and yet you may find the Spirit discovering himself in making you to hunger after Christ Perhaps you find not the Spirits presence in raising your hearts with his testimony and yet you find his presence in humbling your hearts for the sins into which you are fallen Perhaps you do not find the presence of the Spirit in delivering you from temptations but yet you find his presence in upâ—olding of you against temptations Fourthly There are many things which may befall us in our Christian race When we may conclude our having of the Spirit not withstanding afflictions and course which yet are not sufficient grounds to conclude that God hath not given unto us his Spirit e. g. 1. Afflictions losses and crosses in outward things you may not from these conclude that God hath not given you his Spirit Because 1. The Lord doth correct every son whom he loveth 2. The most holy persons have been afflicted Job was so so was Jacob so was David 3. These are sent for the tryal of our faith and repentance c. and for the improvement of them 2. Oppositions from wicked men by reproaches and slanders and threatnings and injuriousness these are so far from aproving that we have not the And opposition and reproaches Spirit that they rather do demonstrate his presence and work in us Gal. 4. 28. We brethren as Isaac was are the children of promise Ver. 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now 1 Joh. 3. 12. As Cain who was of that wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 Pet. 4. 4. They think it strange that you run not with them to the same excesse of riot speaking evil of you 3 Inward motions of sin and outward temptations from Satan They have Inward motions of sin and outward temptations Different temptations in our own hearts and do befall the best of Saints Paul found the one in Rom. 7. and the other in 2 Cor. 12. and who of the people of God is free from them 4. Several diversities upon our own spirits sometimes a lowliness a dulness sometimes great confidence and someties many doubtings sometimes rejoycings sometimes mournings sometimes an enlargedness of heart and sometimes a narrowness and restrainedness sometimes an high elevation of heart and sometimes why art thou cast down O my soul sometimes I do believe and yet sometimes O that I could believe sometimes I will not fear what man can do unto me and sometimes I am affraid and that I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 5. Particular wandrings and sinnings when yet the course of a Christian is Particular wandrings holy and upright in this case we may neither condemn another nor yet our selves as utterly destitute of the Spirit of grace because as a course of sinning ariseth from the want of grace so the particular acts of sinning may arise only from the weakness of grace Fifthly there may be but a very weak measure of grace in a person who yet A weak measure of grace where yet is the Spirit of grace hath the Spirit of grace in truth A Child that is newly born is a living child and yet he is very weak Some Christians are but
voluntaries freely offering themselves and freely serving without hire and pay people of a princely spirit and magnificent as if all their acts of obedience were their own free will-offerings Carnal men are but so many hirelings they are coacti serviles not servi but serviles men of a slavish spirit they are forced and driven to their duties out of fear of wrath and punishment and out of terror of conscience their hearts like not God nor his statutes nor doing of them they look on spiritual duties as their grievances and burdens But the people of God are a willing people they obey and serve him with a willing mind with a readiness and freeness of Spirit and well they may for they do discern and find that in their duties and obedience they have communion with God through Christ they speak to their God and their God speaks to them Object How may one know that he willingly walks in Gods statutes When do we willingly walk in Gods statutes When we make them our choice Sol Thus 1. When he rather chuseth them than any other wayes to walk in election is an act of the will Josh 2. 4 15. Chuse ye this day whom ye will serve but I and my house will serve the Lord. Psal 119. 173. I have chosen thy precepts 2. VVhen our obedience unto them springs from a love of them Psal When our obedience springs from love When we find a sweetnesse in them 119. 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly all the service of love is a willâ—ng service 3. VVhen we find a sweetness in them and in our walking in them Psal 119. 72. The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver And ver 127. I love thy Commandement above gold yea above fine gold And ver 14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches 4. VVhen the great desires and requests of his soul are that God would enable When we pray for ability to walk in them and enlarge his heart to walk in them O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. And teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end Ver. 33. And give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Ver. 24. Make me to go in the paths of thy Commandements Ver. 35. Incline my heart to thy testimonies Ver. 36. I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart Ver. 32. When we are not weary of well doing We must walk in them seriously 5. VVhen he is not weary of well-doing but his heart still holds â—ut and is in its element when walking with God and accounts it a special favour and happiness to mainâ—ain commuâ—ion with God Secondly VVe should walk in Gods statutes seriously carefully marking what they require of us and conscientiously endeavouring to conform our lives and actions unto them David calls this an ordering of our conversations aright Psal 50. 23. And an ordering his steps in the word Order my steps in thy word Psal 119. 133. As an Artificer puts every stone in the building according to rule and line Simile Or as one who goes in a narrow path 'twixt dangers on either side he hath a care how he sets his feet So a Christian should take heed unto his wayes and direct them by the VVord he should set and square them by the rule Solomon calls this a pondering of our path Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy wayes be established turn not to the right hand nor to the left Pro. 4. 26 27. To ponder is to weigh and to consider well of what we are about to do whether it be agreeable or disagreeable to the will of God what the work or way is for the nature of it and scope and end of it Thus should we ponder the path of our feet i. e. the wayes wherein we walk and all the works we have to do and have a care that they be established i. e. set upon a good foundation and really allowed by God and commanded in his VVord and then we should go on in those wayes without swerving to the right hand or to the left A seriousness of consideration how God would have us to walk what his will is concerning us and then a seriousness of observation conscientiously to do what God would have us to do and to walk as God would have us to walk this is the right and acceptable walking in Gods statutes Now there are four Reasons why we should thus seriously and conscientiously Why we should be so serious Because God hath honour or dishonour by every action consider the statutes of God and every step of our walking 1. Because there is not any step not any one action or work which we do but God hath either honour or dishonour by it for either it is good or it is evil either it is conformed unto his will or it disagrees with his will if it agrees with his will this conduceth to his honour if it doth 〈◊〉 disagree then it is evil and brings dishonour upon him And should we be serious and conscientious in every thing wherein the honour or dishonour of God are concerned 2. Because there is not one moral work of ours but it hath our peace or comfort It bâ—ings either comfort or discomfort or our trouble and discomfort in its hand Let the good we are bound to do be greater or lesser if we do conscientiously observe and act it there will ensue peace of conscience upon the right acting of it Great peace have they that keep thy Law saith David Psal 119. 165. And this is our rejoycing â—â— the testimony of our conscience that we have had our conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity saith Paul 2 Cor. 1. 12. And so on the contrary let our vvandering or swerving from Gods statutes by sinning be never so little there is enough in that little to disquiet conscience and to cause trouble unto us Simile If the foot tread awry but one step though a man fall not into the dirt yet the small irregular motion doth cause much pain So the irregularity or inconformity of any one action may disquiet conscience and may cost us a great deal of sorrovv and trouble Ergo. Every work is a step to eternity 3. Because every individual vvork vvhich vve do it is a step to eternity either to a blessed or to â— cursed eternity Simile Though men think not of it yet every motion or action done by them is a step tovvards eternity as every step that a traveller takes brings him forvvard to his journeyes end VVhen a man vvalks in paths of righteousness or in Gods statutes the further he goes every nevv step that he takes brings him nearer to a blessed eternity And vvhen