the Point The First is an Use of Tryal hereby ye may try if ye have had the Spirit of Bondage or no if the Mystery of Christs Cross be credible If sin appear an hateful thing to you If readily ye accept of Christs offered Righteousness If willingly ye subject your selves to the Divine Law as a Rule of Life If ye prefer Christ to all things in your Esteem If ye esteem the burthen of Christs Cross light Then ye have received the Spirit of Bondage 2d Sort of Uses are Uses of Instruction It instructs us in the Cause why so many Men see so little of the Moral Ill of Sin the Cause is they have not received the Spirit of Bondage 2ly Since the Spirit of Bondage goes before the Spirit of Adoption we may soon see that if the Spirit of Bondage be a rare thing in the World the Work of Conversion is as rare 3â—y We may be instructed that the Hearts of the Elect are very stupid under sin because that a mans Convictâ—on of his sin and misery must be brought about by the mighty Power of the Spirit of Bondage The Causes of the stupidity under sin before this Work of the Spirit of Bondage are 1st A feared Conscience through customary sinning A 2d Is Impunity Eccl. 9.3 A 3d. is Prosperity in sin Ephraim said I am become rich there is no iniquity in me A 4th Cause is the flattery of Ministers and Neighbours A 5th Cause is leaning to formal Services There is a 3d. Use of Exhortation to Ministers to preach the Law to prepare People for receiving of the Gospel because it is the moral Mean whereby this Work is wrought A 2d Use is to all the Members of the Visible Kirk as they would desire this necessary preparatory Work to be wrought in them so they would consider the Spirituality and Perfection of the Law and examine their Life according to it A second Observation Viz. That God allowes the Spirit of Adoption to these that have received the Spirit of Bondage He gives them this Frame to evidence the Reality of the Grant of Adoption and this Grant of Adoption is given them to testâ— his Love 1 John 1.3 2ly To testify his Respâ— to Christ to whom they are united Eph. 1.6 Aâ— 3ly To confirm their hope of Glory he gives thâ— this Honourable Title to it over and above the Tâ—tle they have to it by their Justification The Use of this is 1st of Consolation if Gâ— give them the Spirit of Adoption to evidence tâ— Reality of this Grant Then these that have the Sâ—rit of Adoption may be sure that God deals wiâ— them as with Children he 'll correct them for thâ— faults Heb. 12 6. He 'll pity them under the straits Psal 103.13 He 'll punish them sparing Mal. 3.17 He 'll give them access to himself unâ— their Trouble Eph. 2.18 He 'll be reconcilable â— them after their strayings Luke 15. He 'll proviâ— for all their wants Mat. 6.32 And he 'll give theâ— the Heavenly Inheritance in the end Rom. 8.17 Use of Reproof since God allows the Spirit 〈◊〉 Adoption to these that have had the Spirit of Boâ—dage It reproves such who have had some measurâ— of the Spirit of Bondage and do lay Obstructioâ— in their own way for their receiving the Spirit â— Adoption Such are these 1st Who refuse â— take with all the Aggravations of their Guilt sâ— Psal 32.9 2d Sort are such who continue ignoraâ— of the Grace of the Gospel A 3d. sort are sudâ— who continue an respect to their old Predominanâ— A 4th sort are such who are tenacious of their owâ— Righteousness and will not quite it It is to be Observed That God in his Soveraigâ— Wisdom deals variously with his Elect as to thâ— leaving them longer or shorter time under the Preâ—sures of the Spirit of Bondage There are some that lye short time under it As 1st Such as are called in their younger Years 2ly Such as are called presently after their Conversion to great and difficult Services as it was with Paul 3ly Such as upon their Conversion are called to endure hard â—ersecutions as it was with these Converts Acts â—3 Some he continues longer under the Spirit of Bondage As 1st Such as are Persons of Eminent Gifts such as Heman was Psal 88. This he does to to prevent their Pride A 2d sort are such as have been very gross sinners before their Conversion such are continued longer under the fears of Wrath that their Condition may be a scar to others to live in gross sins A 3d. sort are such who are continued long under these fears that they may acquire a skill and sympathy to be useful and comfortable to those that are in the like condition For the 3d. Observation These that once have received the Spirit of Adoption the Spirit of God never becomes to them a Spirit of Bondage A full Conviction that the sinner is presently lyable to wrath cannot be wrought by Gods Spirit in the Adopted Child of God because such a Conviction as this is inconsistent with the Word seing the Adopted Child of God notwithstanding of his Failings is not under the Law but under Grace If it be questioned what fears the Child of God may be allowed to entertain seing this Text tells us that he is not allowed to entertain a fear of his present actual lyableness into Wrath It may be answered to the Question he should entertain a fear and jealousie of the Evil of his own Heart that it may make him neglect his Duty and mislead him into sin Phil. 2.12 2ly He should fear that he will fall under certain ruine on supposition of his total Apostasie from God and this fear will breed an aversation from sins agaiâ— light and upsitting in duty and halting in the waâ— of God seing that Carriage has an tendency to Apostasie the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews labours to cure their lame walk in the way of God by proposing the danger of Apostasie to them Use 1st Of Reproof to such that are Gods Adopted Children who have tormenting fears â— Wrath in their bosom which fears are not wroughâ— by Gods Spirit but they flow from their own miâ—believing hearts and Satans suggestions and are permitted of God as Chastisements for their former siâ— such I say are to be reproved who reckon theâ— fears well grounded as judgeing them wrought bâ— Gods Spirit when as they are nothing but permittod of God for their Chastisement 2ly Such arâ— to be reproved who entertain these fears as an â— for restraint against sin seing although they â— restrain from the outward Transgression yet thâ— are never effectual to remove the inward Inclination to sin Use 2d Of Exhortation Seing God allows noâ— his Adopted Children to entertain Tormenting fears of Wrath they would beware of these Sins that provocks God to give them up to their mis-believing Hearts to fill them with these fears As first They would beware of
your Interest in this priviledge by your being Married to Christ that is by forsaking your own personal Righteousness which is by the Law and betaking your selves to Christ's Rom. 7.4 3ly Try your Interest by your Union with Christ If you would know that Union with Christ ye must try it by this whether ye be new Creatures or no 2 Cor. 5.17 4ly ye must try it by the mark in the Text which is that such as are in Christ They walk not after the flesh that is they have not an walk that evidences the dominion of Lust over them Pride Covetousness Malice and Self-love do not Influence their Conversation And 2ly They do not regulate their Life by the Laws of Corruption which are directly opposite to the Laws of God whereof some of them may be repeated As 1st The Natural Man thinks it fit to depend upon himself and not upon God and to please himself and not God 2ly The Natural Man denys the Being of God and mistakes the perfection of God and his walk evidences his Atheism Psal 14.1 and his denyal of God's perfection Psal 36.1 3ly It is a Principle of the Natural Man that he Exerciseth himself in Superstitious Worship In being formal in appointed Worship as meritorious with God see Luke 18. about the Pharisee 4ly It is his principle that we may warrantably use unlawful means to obtain our end That false policy is better then tenderness of Conscience 5ly It is a Principle of his that Folk should rather Sin then suffer Affliction 6ly It is a Principle of the Carnal Man that we should not love our Neighbour with a pure and single Love but with a Selfish Love not designing singly his good but aiming still at our own Advantage in what kindness we do to him 7ly It s the walker after the flesh his Principle that we should not live in Subjection to Superiours from Conscience but because of fear of force and because of Expectation of Advantage 8ly It 's his Principle that his Felicity stands in sensual good 9ly He is not content with what satisfies Nature but with what satisfies Lust and Lust being unsatiaable he cannot but always be discontented Now this Walk after the Flesh does not only import a Walk that evidences reigning Lusts in the Heart and a Walk that is the practical improvement of those pernicious Principles formerly mentioned and such like but it is a Walk tending to corrupt Ends a Walk wherein a Mans Imaginations Desires and Purposes are all levelled at the gratifying of some one predominant Lust or other And 5ly we would try our interest in this priviledge by our walking after the Spirit Which is a walk first which stands in obedience to the motions of the Spirit Rom. 8 13. Gal. 5.18 2ly It stands in giving God spiritual Worship Phiâ—ip 3.3 and Jo. 4 24. 3ly It stands in having a Walk flowing from Spiritual Principles viz. Faith 2 Cor. 5.7 Love Eph. 5.2 4ly It stands in eying an spiritual Rule in our Walk viz. The Law in its spiritual meaning in having a spiritual frame in conforming our selves to that Law that we may do what we do in the strength of Christ's Spirit And 5ly It stands in designing spiritual Ends viz. The Glory of God the Edification of our Neighbour and our own Salvation From the Restriction of this priviledge to such as Walk after the Spirit We may infer an Use of Reproof to many who walk after the flesh and yet will apply this priviledge to themselves The causes of their security may be 1st They lean to their Superstitious Services Mica 6 7. Isa 1 11. And to their External Acts of Worship Isai 58 3. Jer. 7 10. 2ly They Lean to their present impunity Psal 50 21. And 3ly They lean to their own Gifts Matth. 7.22 Observe that the Apostle divides all the Members of the Visible Church in these Two sorts of Men viz. Who walk after the Flesh and Who walk after the Spirit Importing to us that all those that Walk not after the Spirit they certainly walk after the Flesh From this one may infer That all Moralists and Civilians Whatever pretences they have for Innocency in Walking since they are unacquainted with a walking after the Spirit they are certainly to be reckoned as Walkers after the Flesh Observe next from the words That when the Apostle would give a discovery to persons of their spiritual state and of their Interest in the priviledge of Non-condemnation he brings this Discovery not from a particular Act of their Walk whether good or bad but from the Tract of their Walk for a Godly Man may be overcome with an Temptation at a time and do an evil Act which may be called an Act of the Flesh and an godless Man may do an Act materially good but a Godly Man cannot Walk after the Flesh neither can a godless man walk after the Spirit Verse 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death SOme take the meaning of those words to be That the Gospel doth free the Apostle Paul from the Law and Covenant of Works and its Threatning And therefore since the Gospel frees him from the Laws Threatning It cannnot but secure all that are in Christ from Condemnation seing he has no priviledge by the Gospel but what all that are in Christ actually have for the Gospel confers priviledges of this sort and nature equally on all Believers And if the words be taken in this sense they are a proof of the first part of the first verse to this purpose as if the Apostle had said Ye may be very sure that there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Because I who am a Believer by the promulgate Gospel am delivered from the Threatning of the Covenant of Works And so these that ascribe this sense to the words they say that by the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is meaned the Gospel called the Law of Faith 3d. Rom. And it gets that Name because as a Law hath Authority in it to oblidge to Obedience so the Gospel has the stampt of Divine Authority on it obliging to Obedience Likeways It is called a Law of the spirit of life because the Gospel and not the Law which is as to this a Dead Letter is the Ministration of the Spirit see Gal. 3.5.2 Cor. 3.8 and we are receivers of the spirit by the hearing of Faith Gal 3.2 and it is said the Gospel is the Law in Christ Jesus because Christ Jesus is the principal Subject about which it Treats Or these words in Christ Jesus may be added not to denote that the principal Subject of the Gospel is Christ Jesus but to denote that the Spirit of Life which is conveyed by the Gospel is to be had from Christ Jesus 2ly Those that ascribe this sence to the words they say that by the Law of sin and death is meant the
would not be discouraged for although the present measure of inherent Grace that is in him be not able to do his work and overcome the opposition made to it yet there is an abundance of strength in the Spirit of Life that principally resides in the Head and is derived from him to all his Members to manadge all the Christians Work and to overcome all the opposition made to it Take notice 5ly Of the name the Spirit gets here he is called the Spirit of Life or a quickning Spirit and he is called so for Three Reasons 1st Because he raised Christ from the dead 2ly Because he raises us from the Death of Sin And 3ly Because he is to raise the Christian at the last day to immortal Glory From this we infer that those in whom the Spirit dwells must have Spiritual Life that is they must live so as to make his Will their Rule and his Glory their End and his Love their chiefest Comfort 6ly Take notice That the Spirit of Life is said to be in Jesus Christ and that 1st Because Christ did merite the Spirit of Life to his People 2ly Because the Spirit of Life did evidence principally It's quickning vertue in his raising Christ from the dead He did this that believers might have a pledge by this deed that he could raise them from the death of sin and of the grave 3. He is said to be in Christ Jesus because he is given to him principally and primarly and in a greater measure then to Believers the Father gave not the Spirit by measure to him John 3.34 And the Spirit is given to believers from Christ and for his sake and this directs Believers how to strengthen their Faith as to the expectation of the Spirits grace and influence to their Hearts Unbelief will say in their Hearts they should not expect the Spirits presence seeing they cannot deserve it The Answers is that Christ hath deserved it from them tho they have not deserved it themselves 2ly Unbelief will object the difficulty of the Spiritual and Corporal Resurrection a work so difficult how can the accomplishment thereof be expected The answer is That this Spiriâ— of life hath performed ane greater work in raising Christ from the dead then he should perform tho he should raise thee who are the Believer from the death of sin and the grave 3ly Unbelief in Believers will object against their undertaking great Spiritual work for God because they do not find such strength of the Spirits grace in them as many be proportioned to the greatness and Spirituality of that work But the Answer is They should not take their encouragement to the work from the greatness of the strength of their present inherent grace but from the greatness of the strength of that Spirit of life that primarly and principally resides in Christ and therefore Paul 1 Tim. 2.1 He bids Timothy be strong in the grace that is in Jesus and in the Philip 4. He says he can do all things through Christ that strengthneth him and in 2 Cor. 12. He says he rejoyces in his infirmity that the power of Christ may rest upon him And therefore an exercised Believer with indwelling sin if he would have the most comfortable look of Christ let him look to him as having the fullness of the Spirit of life in him for Christ is not only lovely to a Believer as his Blood has an Expiatory vertue to cleanse away our guilt but as he has an fullness of the Spirit whereby he is able to quicken the Believer and raise him from the Death of sin to a Spiritual life Observe the designation of Corruption it is called the Law of Sin to hold out its moral evil 2ly It is called the Law of Death to hold out the prejudice it doeth to us It gets the name of the Law of sin to hold out the impetuous activity of it to make us commit Actual sin notwithstanding all the restraints that God puts upon us by his prohibitions by his Threatenings by his Judgements and Crosses by his Checking and Restraining-providences by his Allureing mercies by his awakening-Smarting challenges of our conscience 2ly This Corruption is very powerful to overcome the restraints of Men made against it No humane law with it's most Vigorous execution can altogether stop its Impetuousness Indwelling sin is so impetuous that it doeth overcome the restraints the the sinner puts on himself he will break his own Vow 's purposes and promises From the Impetuousness and efficacy of this indwelling sin we may inferr the folly of them that think to get it Mortified by their own strength without the efficacy of the Spirit of life convoyed to us in the humble use of appointed means 2ly It says they are fools who look upon their resolutions to live blamelesly as a sufficient guard against Scandalous sins Indwelling sin is so impetuous in its acting that it will break out notwithstanding of that resolution if it be not mortified by the Law of the Spirit of life Next the Text holds out the prejudice we lustain by Corruption here it is called the Law of Death and that first because the strength of Corruption and it's Actings marr Spiritual Life 2ly Because although the Guilt of Corruption be Pardoned to â— Believer yet the intrinsick Demerite of Eternal Death sticks to it 3ly Because that Natural Death necessarly is Connected with it For though the Death of a Believer be not the effect of a Curseing Law as the just Punishment of Corruption yet the Totaâ— removeal of Corruption from the Believer is to be brought about by Death the Dissolution of Nature If this were well considered by Believers it would make us humble under the Sense of Indwelling sin and would make us painful for its Mortification anâ— make us exceedingly long for it's Total Abolition Observe Paul applyes this Priviledge of freedom from indwelling sin to himself and thâ— Application is worthy of Observation if yâ— look to its Qualities As 1st It 's an Application that is attended with a due Sense of sin the Moral ill and prejudice of it an Christian exercised with the exceeding sinfulness of indwelling sin and the prejudice following on it is a fit applye of this benefite 2ly This Application is an humble Application he expects freedom from indwelling sin not from any paines he can take to Mortifâ— it but from the Law and Efficacy of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus 3ly Paul's Application of this benefite is from Knowledge he know's the Guilt of indwelling sin is removed by his Justification and he knowes the presence of it is to be removed alsewell as the Dominion of it to be broken by the Efficacy of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Paul did expect this benefite on rational Grounds which he understood Not like many ignorant Christians that expect benefites fraâ— God and yet they have not distinct Grounds to found their Expectation on 4ly This Application was
the Visible Church who because of their being strangers to the Operations of the Spirit in the Hearts of true Believers look upon Assurance as an unattainable thing As to the second Observation The way to win to this Assurance it is set down in the Text and it is by getting a two fold Testimony for our Sonship The one from the Spirit and the other from our Conscience The Spirit Testifies to our Sonship 1st By giving an External Revelation in the Scriptures that penitent Believers are the Sons of God John 1.12 2ly The Spirit concurrs with this Testimony by illuminating the Mind and Understanding and perswading it of the truth of this External Revelation 1 Cor. 2.12 3ly The Spirit concurrs to this Testimony by being an evidence of our Sonship by reason of his Gracious sanctifying presence in us Therefore the Scripture calls him the Earnest of our Inheritance Eph. 1 13 and Gods Seal on us Eph 4.30 4ly The Spirit testifies our Sonship by giving us this Internal Objective Revelation viz. That we are Sons and that we have these true Graces in us that are the true Marks of our Adopted state and albeit we cannot discern a true difference between a suggestion of the Spirit of God injecting this thought in us That we are â—onâ— differing I say from the Act of our Conscience concluding our Sonship from reflecting on the truth of our Graces yet there may be a difference between these Two the thought and persuasion injected by the Spirit being attended with a total expulsion of all Fears Whereas the Act of the Conscience may have some mixture of fears attending it And if we consider this Text which asserts the Spirit to be a Co-witness with Conscience testifieing Sonship it supposeth that the Spirit doth give this Internal Objective Revelation to the Mind as a distinct Testimony from that of the Conscience For to say that all that the Spirit works in this affair is to assist the Conscience concluding Sonship from the discerning of the true Marks of a renewed state To say this does not seem to be the whole of his Text for in that case the Spirit helps only the Conscience to be a Witness but he cannot properly be called a Testator himself yea also and another Testator besides the Conscience which the Text does here assert neither doeth tâ— is Assertion of the Spirits giving this Internal Objective Revelation anent the Son ship of the Saints take off Believers from the written word as a Rule of their Life and expose Believers to delusions by leading them to wait upon Internal Revelations differing from the Revelations made in Scripture And that 1st Because this Internal Revelation is agreeable to Scripture-Revelation because it is the Revelacion of Sonship to a particular Membeâ— of the Church who hath all the Scripture-marks of an Adopted state neither is this internal Revelation of Sonship to a particular Believer a new Revelation of a new Article of Faith not contained in the Scriptures added to the Creed of other Believers obliedging them to believe the same it is only the Revelation of a Truth consonant to the Scriptures made to a particular Believer to his comfort And if it be said the asserting of such an Revelation leaves men at great uncertainty because they may take Satans Suggestion for the Testimony of the Spirit It is Answered The Testimony of the Spirit is attended with the Testimony of Conscience concluding upon rational Grounds their Sonship he is said here to be a Co-witness with our Spirits 2ly Where it is it brings with it a disposition and promptitude for Prayer It is the Testimony of the Spirit of Adoption whereby we Cry Abba Father 3ly It disposes the Soul for Holiness it is the holy Spirit of Promise that gives this Testimony Eph. 1.13 There are these Three or Four Ways whereby we may win to this Spirits Testimony As. 1st By exact walking God gives it as a Reward to his Obedient Children 2ly By being of a Gospel-frame of Spirit he is the holy Spirit of Promise and we receive the Spirit as well in his comforting Testimony as in his Sanctifying Vertue by improving the Gospel We receive the Spirit by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 That is by the acceptance and improving of the Object of Faith Viz. the Promise of the Gospel A 3d. Way we receive the Spirit is to be devout much given to Prayer the Spirit of Adoption prompting us to pray is attended with this Testimony as we see by thir two Verses joined together A 4th Way to win at it is Labour for the constant witnessing of our own Conscience testifying to our Son ship and this is win at by studying singleness and sincerity 2 Cor. 1.12 See Jobâ— Experience 2ly We would labour for the grouth of Grace for when Grace is growen it is better seen than when it is in a mean measure 3ly We would labour to have all the Graces of the Spirit for our shortcoming in some makes us jealous we want all 4ly When God calls us to self-denying Acts of Obedience we would readily answer Gods Call For if God take self-denying Acts of Obedience for Evidences of the Truth of Grace a mans own Conscience may safely take them for a sure Evidence of the same for God says Gen. 22. That by Abrahams offering up of Isaac he knew that he feared God Verse 17. And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-Heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorifyed together HERE the Apostle infers a certainty of the Children of Gods possessing the Inheritance If Children then Hears and he commends that Inheritance from these two Grounds As 1st It is an Inheritance suitable to the Giver they are Heirs of God 2d Ground is it is the same Inheritance possest by the Lord Christ they are Co-heirs with him The Apostle here also prevents an Objection that might be made against this Doctrine which might be taken from the suffering Lot of the Saints and he turns the Objection to a Confirmation of this Truth See 1 Pet. 1.14 If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorifyed together Observe 1st From the Text that God's Children shall certainly possess the Inheritance The 1st Ground of this Objective Certainty is the Oath and Promise of the Covenant See Heb. 6. 2d Ground is the two Priviledges of the Saints whereby they have Right to this Inheritance And these are 1st Justification Tit. 3.6 2ly Adoption See the Text. 3d. Ground are the Seals whereby God confirms the Promise of this Inheritance to his People 1st Seal is the internal Seal of the Spirit Eph. 1.13 2d Seal is the external Seal of the Sacrament of the Supper which is a Seal of the Communion of his Body and Blood the Bread which we break is the Communion of his Body and the Cup which we drink is the Communion of his Blood 2 Cor. 10. And we know
we are lying out of our Duty 2 Sam. 11. when Corruption stirrs in us Eph. 4.27 He suites his Temptation to our External Condition he tempts them that are in Adversity to despair and them that are in Prosperity to Pride he suits his Temptations to our Predominants as he tempted Covetous Judas with 30 peices of Silver he conveys his temptations to us by Instruments beloved of us as he tempted Adam by his Wife and by Instruments unexpected by us as he tempted Job to despair by his Godly Friends and as he tempted Christ to forbear suffering by Peter Verse 23. And not only they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan with in our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of 〈◊〉 Body HEre the Apostle goes on to hold out the certainty and excellency of the Glory to come from the Saints Frames relative to it First they vehemently desire it They groan within themselves 2ly They patiently expect it They wait for the Adoption And in this Verse ye may observe three things 1st Gods allowance to his own in this life they receive the first fruits of the Spirit 2ly Observe their Affections toward the other Life they groan for it and wait for it 3ly Observe the description of the happiness that is given of the other World in this Verse it is called the Adoption The redemption of our Body For the First That God allows the first fruits of the Spirit to Believers in this Life By these first fruits are not to be understood the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit given to the Apostles in the primitive times but by these are understood the ordinary Graces of the Spirit conferred upon all Believers called the first Fruits because as the first Fruits were offered up to God under the Law so these Graces should be used to Gods Glory and as they were an pledge of a plentiful Harvest so these Graces are a pledge to us of our full Felicity because God gives us them for that end to confirm our Hope 2ly They are a pledge because that same Love and Grace that moved God to confer the beginnings of our Salvation will move him to perfect them and if God bestow upon Believers part of Christs purchase he 'l bestow the whole By these first Fruits then are meant the Renovation of our Nature Peace of Conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost Communion with God which stands in saving views of God in his Word and in his Works 2ly It stands in access to God Eph. 2.18 And 3ly In Influences â—rae God God gives these first Fruits to Believers in this Life to defend them against the Worlds deriding their Faith in the Gospel to give them the Witness of the Gospels Verity in their own Heart 1 John 5 10.11 2ly He does it to excite and confirm their hope of Heaven and to awaken their desire after it See the Text. 3ly To Comfort and support them under their Sufferings 4ly To encourage them to Self-denying Duties 5ly To make them content with a mean measure of Worldly Enjoyments 6ly To make them content to go through Death that they may have the full measure of the Spirits presence seing they experience the sweetness of a small measure of it Use 1st Of Exhortation Labour for the presence of the Spirit that ye may have these first Fruits 1st Act Faith on Christ Eph. 1.10 2ly Be tender of grieving the Spirit Eph. 4 30. 3ly Obey his Motions Gal. 5.17 4ly Pray for his presence Luke 11.18 5ly Be not Worldly Minded John 14.17 6ly Beware of Sensuality See the Epistle of Jude Verse 19. 2d Use is of Tryal Try whether ye have Sanctification or no true Sanctification possesses the whole Man it makes a change on the Mind Will and Affections 1 Thess 5.23 True peace it founded on the merite of Christ and guards the Heart against Temptations Phil. 4.3 True joy strengthens the Heart for Duty and makes the Heart despise Worldly Comforts in comparison of it and is an attendant on tender walking Acts 9 31. True Communion with God advances the Believer in a conformity to Gods Image 2 Cor. 3.18 For our Affections relative to the Glory to come 1st They have an vehement desire after it which they cannot sufficiently express and therefore they are said to groan within themselves for the Adoption Likeas this phrase imports the sincerity of their desire this was Pauls desire and he reckons it to be the desire of the rest of the Godly 2 Cor. 5.1 2. But this desire tho it be vehement it should be attended with submission to God prescribing the time of our Death Phil. 1. This Desire should flow rather from a desire of enjoying full Communion with God than a desire to be free of Trouble 2 Cor. 5.8 This Desire is necessary for the Saints that their Affections may be set on Heavenly things That they may be reconciled more to Death and that they may be more Zealous for further degrees of Mortification And therefore Covetousness after the good things of this World marr's this desire as also Anxiety and Concernment about the future Events of Providence marrs this Desire and again the want of the enjoyment of the first Fruits of the Spirit marr's it For when we feel not the sweetness of Communion with God we cannot have an desire after an full measure of it The best way to excite this Desire is frequently to reflect on our Misery through Original and Actual Sin our Chastisement for our Sins our trying Dispensations from God and our persecutions from the World The 2d mean to excite this Desire is the firm Faith of the certainty of the Excellency and of the Eternity of the Glory to come This vehement Desire is of great use to the Godly It makes them Strangers in the World and sober in the Enjoyment of Worldly Good and sober in their expectations from it The next Affection that is ascribed to the Godly Relative to Heaven is waiting Importing first Their expecting their Felicity 2ly It imports their patience under the delay of the same For the first They should expect it for that engages them to Purity 1 John 3 3. 2ly It supports them under Sufferings Heb. 10.35 3ly It makes them content with little in the World 1 Pet. 1.13 The way to win to this Expectation is to be diligent in all Dutys especially the Dutys of Brotherly-Love Heb. 6.12 2ly Make use of your Victory over Temptations as a confirmation to your Hope Psal 73.23 3ly Be oft considering the Grounds of security that secures your right to Heaven And first consider the promise of Eternal Life in the Word First Consider its universaâ— extensiveness to all Acts 13 48. Tit. 2.12 Actâ— 2.39 2ly Consider the freedom of the promise Gal. 3. It is said the Inheritance is not by the Law but by the promise Rom. 4. It is said that the Inheritance is by Grace that it might be
pursueing our necessary Good 7ly Our peremptoriness in seeking what we would be at without submission makes us miscarry we should be absolute in our Desires but it is for what is absolutely promised in all other things we should leave God the liberty of his disposal 8ly Our unbelief makes us miscarry in the Manner of our praying James tells us that what we ask we should ask in Faith James 1.3 9ly Presumption is the cause of our miscarriage when we do not found our Prayers upon Promises Psal 119. Remember thy Word to thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope A 10th Cause is selfishness and the want of a publick Spirit when we pray for our selves and neglect the Saints Eph. 6 17. We should pray for the peace of Jerusalem Psal 122. 11ly We miscarry when we neglect the Confession of Sin and Thanksgiving to God for Mercy see Dan. 9. Phil. 4.6 Confession is necessary for strengthning of Faith Thanksgiving makes way for the obtaining of further Mercy And 12ly Want of an firm Belief of the Power and Efficacy of Prayer which makes us be unfrequent in it when we get not our will at the first when we are called to pray always Eph. 6.17 and to pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5. Use is since we are so ready to miscarry in the manner of our praying we should be far from thinking that our Acts of Devotion are meritorious before God and we should reckon that when God hears any Prayers we put up to him he evidences his rich Grace in overlooking our Infirmities that stick to our Prayers Observe The Spirit helps us to pray aright 1st Because it is his inward Light that discovers what is expedient for our Good he sets us on a right Choice he makes us prefer Spiritual Mercies to Temporal Mercies he makes us prefer the Mercy of the Cross to our Deliverance from it he makes us prefer the Spiritual Good of our Neighbours before our own Temporal Good he gives our heart a right sett as to its choice 2ly The Spirit gives us the clearest view of Gods Attributes and his relation to us and so presents the Object of Prayer aright to us Rom. 5.5 3ly The Spirit glorifies Christ and enclines the Soul to give him his due and makes the Soul acknowledge his Merit as the ground of our expectation of Mercy and makes the Soul look on his Intercession as the appointed Mean to obtain the same Eph. 1.18 John 16.14 4ly The Spirit is a Spirit of Promise and leads the Soul to the Promises of God in the Word which are the Foundation of our Expectations of Mercy Eph. 1.16 John 14.26 5ly The Spirit encreases a great Esteem of Spiritual Mercies in the Hearts of the Godly and makes them pursue with fervent Desires the obtaining of the same Paul tells us Rom. 8.5 That those that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit 6ly The Spirit discovers a mans Evils to him and so makes the Creature humble in its Addresses to God he is a convinceing Spirit John 16.8 7ly The Spirit is a Spirit of Faith and therefore he keeps up the heart in believing under the sense of Guilt Corruption and Temptations 2 Cor. 4.13 And this Faith in Prayer makes way for returns to it unbelief being a great Restraint to God's working for us When it is said the Spirit interceeds for us the meaning it that our Intercession flows from his Influence This Intercession is not like Christs Intercession for he interceeds for us when we make no intercession for our selves as witness his Intercession for Peter when he fell but the Spirit is said to interceed for us when he makes us interceed as it is said in Matth. 10. That we do not speak but it is the Spirit of the Father that speaketh in us The Spirit assists us in Prayer by causeing a fervour in our Desires and bringing us into a cordial submission to his Will he makes us groan he makes us pray according to the Will of God This lets us see that we are to depend on the Spirit of God for his assistance in Prayer as being convinced that we cannot pray aright without him The darkness of our mind as to spiritual Things the disquiet of our Conscience and perverseness of our Will the disorder of our Affections makes it impossible for us to pray aright without his help And therefore in all the Course of our Walk we should be tender of grieving this Spirit lest by doing so we marrâ— our Devotions which are the great Mean of our intercourse with God Observe That under Crosses the Saints may be very indistinct as to their Prayers they have groans unutterable that is they have such Desires as that they cannot give an perfect and explicite Account of The Text says plainly That they know not what to pray for as they ought their Faith may be up and down in their Prayers as witness Davids practice in the Psalms their Petitions may be upon the matter inconsistent and yet they do not know many a desire had Job to God that he would take away his life and yet undoubtedly he had his own desires for delivery many a time they are forced to sist in a Petition for help in the General without condescending to particular Requests because they are ignorant what is expedient for them but all the irregular desires of the Saints in such a case does not come from the Spirit but only the lawful Desires that are mixed with these irregular Desires these are called the Sense and Meaning of the Spirit which God approves of in the next Verse Now these confused Prayers of the Saints they arise from various Causes 1st From dark Providences this was Jobs case When men know not the Cause why God afflicts nor the Ends which he intends to bring about by the Affliction it is no wonder then they be indistinct in their Prayers they know not what to seek of God in this Case 2ly When men are under the Apprehensions of imminent great Trouble causeing a fear that they may be overcome by the Trouble the Creature is at a stand and knows not what to desire even innocent finite Nature while it is seiled upon by these great Fears the Mind is not free at the time to have the actual uptaking of what is fit to be desired or expected of God for the finite Mind is detained in the Contemplation of the greatness of the Trouble that is coming on them see Christs Words John 12.27 3ly When Corruption is tumultuating in the Heart and Grace fighting against it the Spirit lusteth against the Flesh and the Flesh against the Spirit it is no wonder the Soul be troubled with contrary Tydes of contrary Desires 4ly While the Soul is troubled with sad Challenges of Conscience for sin that vexation of mind caused by these Challenges makes the Creature unfit to take up the particular state and condition of their Soul so that they cannot