scattered abroad and left to the Place the name of Confusion So that altho it is not fit to perswade to these Graces from the advantages of Commerce for they are gifts of the Holy Spirit and to desire them on any Temporal account and to make Merchandize of them would be a Crime against the Holy Ghost and truely Simony yet however their proper Intrinsick worth may be sensibly understood by their visible Consequences and their Beauty will appear by the Comparison of their opposite Vices The certain Effects of the one are Poverty Ruin and Desolation And the natural tendency of the other to Riches Honour and Prosperity With these the spiritual Graces will probably bless us but they will too make us Happy without them for they are able alone to give us the best Joy and surest Satisfaction â—here and they only can consign to us Everlasting Happiness hereafter III. We shall therefore in the third Place consider the greater Obligations we have to beg of the holy Spirit to produce this Fruit in us And 1. As Christians in general For this is the Fruit which if the Tree beareth not it will hereafter be hew'd down and cast into the Fire And indeed we take only a Name in Baptisme and begin thence to be called Christians only for distinction sake on Earth for in Heaven it will give none except a real Change is made in the Person said to be regenerate and the Holy Ghost enters into the Temple so purified by Sprinkling For by Baptisme we are cut off from the Old stock and grafted into the Body of Christ but so as to close and grow and bear Fruit. By it we are indeed dead unto all former Sin but dead too and Lifeless we continue except we are quickned by his free Spirit Man in Baptism being like Adam new form'd and as yet but Clay expecting the breath of his No 〈…〉 and this we have seen was the Method of the 〈◊〉 our Saviour received and the Apostles gave when the new planted Disciples were Watered then 〈◊〉 the Spirit and gave the Increase We therefore that have not been baptized with the Baptism of John only Act. 19. but know there is a Holy Ghost ought to know our selves for true Christians by the true distinctive Character its proper Fruit not by a search into a Baptismal Register but by what we find in our selves of these Graces by the Seal of the Spirit Our Title to the Name is not good but after this Confirmation Neither are we at our grown Age to take our selves for Believers if we stood at the Creed not only to declare our Assent but in the posture of those Warlike Christians with Swords drawn in its desence the true judgement of our Faith is not only whether it be Resolute and Obstinate for that may be from a willful Mind but whether the belief of the Divine Existence be so Lively the Representation of his Perfections so clear and distinct the Sence of his Love to us so great and engaging as to oblige our mutual Affection to Possess us with a delight no oother Joy can equal a Quiet and Satisfaction not to be interrupted here below to inflame us with a Love for all his Images the whole Race of mankind to disengage our Minds from all earthly Pleasures and meaner Satisfactions admitting no Rival with our God This is the Catholick Apostolick Faith and who ever believes so shall not perish everlastingly Such a Faith as this so well Rooted and so Fruitful if it does differ in some lesser Speculative points yet is not like to be mis-informed long Its Meekness disposes it for Instruction Philip. 3.15 and its Fidelity is ready to Confess the mistake And if in any thing he is otherwise minded yet God the giver of all good and perfect Gifts and who has given to him those other already will reveal even this unto him And however if the Error shall be suffer'd to continue it will produce no ill Effect under the Governance of Peace Long-suffering and Gentleness And this stain may be Purg'd at last by the Fire of Love as others are said to be by that of Martyrdom If then we find those Qualities bestow'd upon us happy are we for the present and secure for the Future they are Gifts in their own Value inestimable but they are too Earnests of a greater of our eternal Inheritance the Redemption of the purchas'd Possession And as the first of these Graces the Love of God is the most natural Effect the most certain Argument of a Christian Faith So that we love God intirely and solidly not in Fancy only and conceit in a holy Dream the best Proofs we can produce are its genuine results the Fruit here mentioned Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Fidelity c. And if in this age of Distinctions we would discriminate betwixt those that are Christians and those that are not Our Saviour has given us a Text St. Joh. 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye Love one another In vain shall ye pretend the love of God or of his Son St Joh. 4.20 if it be not seen on your Brethren He that says he loves God and hates his Brother is a Lyar. Says the loving and beloved Apostle A Lyar as great as he that should say he loved his Brother and yet was provoked on the next Occasion never would Pardon him the least fault and refus'd him the smallest kindness as great a Lyar as he that should pretend Meekness and Faithfulness and yet be guilty of Treason and Rebellion By that Mark the Christians of old were known Behold how they love one another said the Heathen admiring their Unanimity ignorant of the Spirit by which they were lead of the Graces which so inclin'd them but if one of those Heathen had been acquainted with their powerful principle of Love and yet had afterwards found them Discontented Mutinous Revengefull Factious Passionate he might have cryed out Behold how they hate one another with greater Admiration The Qualities of the Text are the proper disposition of a Christian Mind They are the Life and Soul of our Holy Religion all its Precepts all its Institutions tend only to produce and cherish this Fruit. For all the Revelations of the Scripture are nothing else but Discoveries of God's Love to us to create in us a Love for him and all its commands have no other intention then that this our Love to God should be exemplifi'd in Affection to our Brethren and demonstrated by our Indifference for all worldly Pleasures This is the sum the spirit of the Christian Religion into this we are baptiz'd for this the Holy Ghost descends and this Love the Blessed Supper feeds by the pledges of Christ's Love the continual remembrance of his Death to our great and endless comfort And however men may refine in their pretences and be singular in their Denominations and titles of purer Professions if
complexion and shape of this Fruit something the Holy Ghost may own and they may then have leave to think Charitably and to presume from what they do see of what they cannot that the Spirit dwells there But to believe the Spirit to be where there appears nothing but the works of the Flesh is the same absur'd Creed with that of Transubstantiation it is to subdue our Reason and Sence so far as to take that for a Sheep which has the shape and qualities of a Wolf to think that a Dove that you see hiss and bite and sting This was the case of the Church of Rome When its Bishops first began to Change their Title into an Inherent Quality to challenge Holyness to their Persons as well as in their style when they pretended the Holy Ghost and Claim'd to be infallible and rested so far on that Presumption as to justifie their Actions by the Pretence and not to take Care to make their Pretences good by Actions answerable the World tho held in by all Arts of Policy and force of Power yet could not but discover and reject the Imposture rather then believe the Spirit should dwell in such restless ambitious bloody men they abjudged it from the See and thought it more reasonable the Pope might err then that the Doctrines of Image-Worship Indulgences and Transubstantiation should be True that Decrees for Perjury Rebellion desposing and Murdering of Princes should come from God This certainly What ever sort of men Attribute to themselves the Spirit of God in them should be seen nothing but what is agreeable to it nothing whereby it should be grieved within or dishonoured without Pure they should be within as those that Lodge a God And Careful of their outward Actions as of such as may be imputed to the Holy Ghost For to use our Apostles argument Profess ye That ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 Cor. 3.16 If any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy For the Temple of God is Holy which Temple ye are It is Holy not so as to bring a Necessity of Holiness on your Actions but to affect you with an unpardonable Guilt if ye unhallow and profane it The pretence to the Spirit so is it to be Examin'd by man And when false is in their sight a bold Presumption But can it impose upon the Holy Ghost himself Or will the unlike Counterfeit appear less impudent before him The divine Nature had before an irreconcileable Aversion to Wrath Anger and Hatred But what an indignity and Provocation must this be to find it self entitled to it That instead of mans being chang'd by the Spirit the Spirit of God should have received new impressions from Man Ananias and Saphira were struck Dead for telling a single untruth concerning the Value of an Estate They lye boldly to the Holy Ghost whose Fashoods are concerning himself And till Interpreters shall be agreed what hainous Crime is that Sin against him well may this bear the Name And may not the strangeness of our present Temper prompt us to suspect that the blessed Spirit has not only deserted us but abandon'd us to the Wicked one For if our Luxury Variance Aemulations Perverseness and Discontent consisted with our Interest if there were no temporal Danger that they threatned were these Divisions in a time of Confessed safety and general Security and we at leisure and Liberty to Quarrel We might then be content to say that those things were not the Fruit of the Spirit were the Works of the Flesh and the fulfilling the Lusts thereof But when common Danger alarms us continually within and threatens terribly from abroad when the interest of the Liberty of our Native Country calls upon us to unite and arm against the growing strength of a Violent forraigner and a Tyrannical Religion presented upon the Point of his Sword when all Moral Considerations joyn in with the Suggestions of the Spirit and call for Love and Peace or we are utterly ruin'd here and for ever then not to hearken to continue this unnatural feud is not from the Flesh only from a Carnal mind for that would have at least Carnal prudential Thoughts but is one would fear from the Prevalence of the Evil Spirit There must be something more then Humane that is the cause of all this Infatuation enough to justifie the Liberty of the Speaker if he should take up that of the Prophet Micaiah I saw the Lord sitting on the Throne of Heaven and all the Host of Heaven by him 1 Kings 22.9 on his right Hand and on his left And the Lord said who shall perswade Ahab to go up and fall Who shall perswade a Country full of the blessings of God but ungrateful and unworthy to give up what they have forfeited and execute God's wrath upon themselves Who shall perswade a Country of so much Strength Riches Laberty and Peace to fall Voluntarily under Dishonour Poverty and a forrain Yoak In the Text there came forth a Spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will perswade him And the Lord said wherewith And he said I will go forth and I will be a Lying Spirit in the Mouth of his Prophets And what is it but a Lying Spirit That shall accuse the best reform'd Church of Popery the easiest Government under the Sun of Tyranny that shall talk now of Grievances and Impositions and shall speak of want of Trade in times of the most flourishing Commerce that shall haunt Places of publick resort and fly about the Land in Libellous Prints with false Tales and mishapen Truths to enrage the Minds of men against lawful Government their only common Security to confound our just fears with Ridiculous jealousies and distract us in the Face of an Enemy with false Alarms And if to this Spirit God shall have added seven more as wicked as the other If he has mingled a perverse Spirit in the midst of us a Spirit deaf to the Voyce of the Charmer charme he never so wisely hearkening to no Accommodation submitting to no Terms of Communion fearful in things indifferent and bold in things unlawful a Conscience tender at one time and fear'd at another easie of belief in Surmises against Authority but difficult and beyond all Precedent scrupulous in Poofs that are for it a Spirit of Revenge and Ambition in the Great of Mutiny and Sedition in the Meaner a Spirit of Schisme in matters Ecclesiastick and of Faction in Temporals if to all these the Lord shall have said as to that you shall perswade and Prevail go forth and do so They will then effect their Errand By our Hatred of one anoother by our Frowardness and disobedience they seem to be now at Work by these they will engage us into a Civil War and expose us to a forain and then will Arbitrary Government and Popery things of forain growth and Strangers to our Land come in with Armed force through the wide Breaches we have made our selves But may God be more merciful yet to us that so little deserve it check these unruly Spirits that are gone out in the mid'st of us and give us of his Holy Spirit May He that commands the Wind and the Sea and they obey him He that is not in tempests nor earthquakes but in the still voyce restrain the striving lay the swelling of the Waves compose our minds and asswage our animosities turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and of the Children to the Fathers lest he come and smite the Earth with a curse May he that has graciously joyn'd us in so many common advantages Spiritual and Temporal shed his love abroad in our hearts by his Holy Spirit that as we have one Baptism one Spirit one Faith one hope of our calling so we may be before Him as one holy congregation that as we have one Prince one Law one Interest so we may be as a City at Unity in it self God unite us before himself in his worship and before the face of our enemies for our Defence that we may be an Example to those of our Religion that yet enjoy it undisturb'd and a Refuge to those that are Distressed that we be not the Scandal now and a little after the Ruin of the Protestant Profession To this effect let us beseech Him that by his spirit he would give our Governours an affectionate zeal for his honour for the good of his People Long-suffering and Gentleness towards those who much need it that He would possess the People with a reverent Love for the Majesty of God for his Vicegerent with Meekness Faithfulness and Goodness that he would endue all subordinate Magistrates with proper graces with the steady resolution of a true Fidelity to God their Prince and the Law that he would grant that we abuse not wantonly the blessed means of our reformed Religion to Schism or Heresie the Publick Quiet to Civil Discord our Liberty to Faction nor our Plenty to Luxury and Intemperance That the Peace of God maybe on all our Consciences and the Joy of the Holy Ghost on our Minds that our Fruit may be unto Holyness and our end Everlasting Life FINIS
Moore Major Cura Specialitent Die Dominico XXX Octob. 1681. Anno. R. R. Caroli Secundi Ang. c XXXIII This Court doth desire Dr. Hooper to print his Sermon preached this morning at the Guild-Hall Chappel before the Lord Major and Aldermen of this City Wagstaff A SERMON Preach'd before my Lord Major AT GUILD-HALL CHAPPEL ON The 30th of Octob. 1681. By GEORGE HOOPER D. D. LONDON Printed for Mark Pardoe at the Sign of the Black Raven over against Bedford House in the Strand 1682. To the Right HONOURABLE Sir JOHN MOORE Knight Lord Major OF THE City of London My Lord THis Discourse as it doth justifie its becoming now more Publick by so good an Authority as that which it hath Prefixed so is too to confess that it owes that Honour to the Subject of which it treats Those Graces of the Blessed spirit were likely to procure favour from your Lordship to One that did but mention their Names and might be understood well enough tho in an Imperfect Description by Such as were no Strangers to them That the Holy Ghost may proceed to exhibit them to your Lordship and your Brethren in their own Life and full Power that by the Influence of your Government Love and Joy and Peace may be once again Restor'd amongst us that by such Fruit your City may flourish Now and your selves be everlastingly happy hereafter is the Prayer of My Lord Your Lordships Most Obedient Servant George Hooper 5 GALAT. 22 23. But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Longsuffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance I Will not leave you comfortless 14 S. Joh. 18. said our Blessed Saviour upon his Departure to the disconsolate Disciples I will come unto you And this promise he afterwards graciously verified in the Mission of the Holy Ghost when the Divine Nature came yet nearer to them then it had before done in the Incarnation did not take flesh apart and constitute a distinct man but United it self in particular to each Believer came in unto them and dwelt within them not now to work its wonders in its own Person or only to declare Laws but to endue others with that Power of Miracles and to enable us all for the mighty works of Obedience to perform those his commands That is the Manifestation of the Spirit spoke in the same Chapter and given to every one to profit withal But because too there are Differences of Spirits and those as great as between the Holy and the Wicked the Blessed and the Accurs'd because it is necessary to know which to ask of God and cherish in our selves which we should command to avoid and get behind us And the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 This manifestation is not yet clear till we are taught to discern the Spirit and till the Holy Ghost in farther favour to us shall have inform'd us of the Manner and Signs of it's blessed Presence How it operates and where it is to be presum'd And if the Operation of our Souls the Apprehension of the Understanding and Inclination of the Will afford such Advantagious and delightful Speculation to Rational minds Our thoughts being no other way better entertain'd nor further improv'd then by such Reflections The motions of the holy Spirit within us the Actings of that new Divine Soul as they are infinitely more exalted and more Concerning so are they a far Nobler and much more necessary Subject for our most attentive Consideration Our Saviour entred upon this Subject in Answer to Nicodemus 5. Joh. 3.8 The wind saith he bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof c. Not to direct us to know the Holy Spirit by the sound for we may hear of it loudly where it is not Nor that we should expect it always in Storms and Tempests but to inform us that it 's Sustance is Invisible and that it is discernable only by the Effects And after those Effects we are now to inquire That therefore we may know how to stir up the gift of God that is in us and may duely thank him for those Graces of his we find in our selves or in our Brethren that we may not be deluded by our own Imaginations or others Pretences let me engage you a little while into so noble so useful a Contemplation while the Spirit in St. Paul tells you what Fruit of it ye are to expect in your selves and others The Fruit of the Spirit saith the Apostle is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance And in these words you may consider 1. The Natures of these Graces and their orderly Production 2. Their Beauty and Advantage and 3. Our obligation to Produce them I. The Love here first mentioned is the same with that you find throughout the whole New Testament sometimes under it's own Name sometimes under that of Charity and is nothing else but the Love with which the Christian is affected to God first and then for God's sake to his Brethren This Fruit contains the Seeds of those that follow the Holy Spirit producing the rest from it in a most Natural manner And this how it is raised it self we are first to Consider And in order to this it will be necessary to Premise that one of those Graces which results from Love and is here rendred Faith ought not to be taken for that Faith by which we become Christians but for Faithfulness or Fidelity as will appear hereafter The initiating Faith whereby we assent to the Gospel being here presuppos'd and leading us to Love as Love will afterwards incline us to Fidelity For the Apostle begins here 1 Cor. 13.13 where he ended in his Epistle to the Corinthians There after he had discover'd the Temporary Instrumental use of those Miraculous gifts which Shin'd out in some Christians for the Benefit of others he directs them earnestly to covet the Better those which were to abide and were necessary to their own Salvation And now says he abideth Faith Hope Charity these three And as these three have the preserence before those other afore mentioned For they tended only to excite Faith the first of these so amidst these too the Preeminence is given to the Last But the greatest of these is Charity Faith and Hope themselves being but of a Transitory Nature in respect of Love they serving only to create that and not Continuing in the next World And this Love he there largely Commends by the Effects of which he here gives us a more Particular enumeration For this Reason the Apostle mentions here neither Faith nor Hope the Preparatory Graces But begins with Love their Perfect work and this agreeably to the ordinary Method of the blessed Spirit whose Gifts he now describes For so in the Acts of the Apostles after the New Convert had given Assent to the Doctrine of Christianity and in Hope of it's Promises had been Baptiz'd then it was that
is in it's own Nature the sweetest the most delightful and most agreeable Motion of the Mind And lastly as we observ'd of Love that it's Motives from Faith and Hope were powerful enough in themselves but invincibly Prevalent when inforc'd by the blessed Spirit so is the Joy that arises from them and Love certain and sure in it's immediate Causes and necessary from their Natural influence but exalted yet more by the Concurrence of the Holy Ghost and super naturally enlarg'd by it's Operations For the Motions of the Holy Spirit within us cannot be suppos'd to be but in the most grateful Cheerful manner It is the Spirit of Comfort and Consolation and in it's Presence are fulness of Joys as the Property of the Wicked one is to torment to infuse Grief and Anguish Sadness and Despair 3. From Love and Joy springs Peace of both kinds of the Mind and Conscience within and to the World abroad In such a breast is no disorder nor trouble nothing but content and satisfaction a Quiet and Serenity as if it were in Heaven no outward accidents nor inferior cares can discompose it And if peace be preserved within it will appear in our conversation and we shall be as easy to others as to our selves In those passions of Joy and Love the Spirits move outwards and diffuse the sweetness and equality of their temper into all our Actions Here will be no Envy Anger nor Discontent we shall not be Turbulent Disorderly nor seditious 4. Thence too Long-suffering not easy to be disorder'd disturb'd or provoked by sufferings by Injuries by failing of better expectations None of these things will move Minds that are wholly set upon their God nor will their divine Joy suffer them to be sensible of the lighter momentary afflictions So far will they be from being hasty froward captious querulous and repining 5. From the same cause is Gentleness or sweetness of Temper to be ready to forgive and easy to be reconcil'd this will be done in imitation of Gods Love to us and out of Love to our Brethren for God's sake Besides that Joy of it self disposes to pardon opens our Heart and our Arms. 6. Goodness too is perfect from the same principle as we here may take it for an Universal Kindness Pitty and Compassion to be ready to do all good Offices to all the world in the most obliging manner out of Affection and with Joy 7. Faith which here follows is as I premised before sitly understood by Integrity or Fidelity and the reason of this rendering may recommend it the more to the better part of this Audience These two words Faith and Meekness as they are joyned here so are they found together in Elder Authors and probably in the same signification Eccles 1.27 As in Ecclesiasticus Faith and Meekness are Gods Delight and afterwards in the Description of Moses he sanctified him with Faithfulness and Meekness Eccles 45 9 4. where faithfulness is in the Greek the same with the Faith before And these two Qualities that make up here the Character of the greatest Magistrate and wisest Governour Moses are the same that are recorded in the Book of Numbers The first this of Fidelity God himself gives him My servant Moses who is Faithfull in all my house The other of Meekness Numb 12.3 the Holy Writer makes his peculiar commendation Now this man Moses was the meekest man in all the Earth Numb 12 3. The Faithfulness of Moses appear'd eminently in the whole course of his Ministry in the Delivery of his Messages and discharge of his Duty but most remarkably amidst the Rebellious Prevarication of the People Israel He never Connived at their Mutinies nor gave Countenance to their Ingratitude His Brother had suffered himself to be led by the People and set up a Molten Image But Moses is never found in their murmurings and discontents He kept his integrity and preserv'd his Loyalty to his God His Meekness too was as singular Not Fierce Proud and Haughty Arrogant and Imperious but Modest Humble and Affable This being that other part of the Character of that holy Governour and the Signification of the Word here translated Meek and answering to the Hebrew Notion of Lowliness and Modesty For this reason we take leave to render the word Faith by Faithfulness When God gave Moses of his Holy Spirit this was the Fruit. And in this Sense it comes here most Properly amongst the other attendants of Divine Love It being here as in Conjugal affection where Fidelity and Truth are the most Proper and most necessary Companions of that and Peace For when our Affection is once engaged to God there will follow a faithful Perseverance in all known Duties Obedience to laws Divine and Humane Loyalty to God and his Representatives But on the contrary when Love and Peace are banished and Hatred Animosity Faction and Sedition take place they presently introduce Prevarication Dissimulation and Treachery they are the constant Causes of Calumny Slander Falshood and Perjury As Satan the first Rebel is the known Father of Lyes 8. The other Grace of Meekness as oppos'd to insolence is too a Fruit that necessarily grows from Love For that disposition of mind as it is Peaceable Easie and Gentle So too does it equal and Level and respects all Mankind but as Brethren of the same House tho under differing Circumstances This causes that the Superiors stoop and Condescend are not harsh nor Supercilious are Civil Kind and Treatable And if it has that Power over Governours and makes the Character of a Magistrate it may well become Subjects and suit with those of a lower degree Humility Modesty Deference and Submission are proper to their Station as Insolence Contemptuousness Affronting of Government is both absurd in Morals and impossible in Charity and neither consists with the Spirit of God nor with Order and Policy 9. The last is Temperance Which is but an Argument of our Love to God in not preferring the Pleasures of the World before him For as the Spirit of God is Holy and cannot dwell in a Body polluted so neither can it be suppos'd that a Soul accustom'd to Divine Love and Spiritual Joys should relish any longer those sensual Satisfactions These are the Fruit of the Spirit with this Connexion and Dependance Heavenly Love is the Original of those that follow and they like the issue of the same Parent have indeed a near resemblance but so that their Natures are distinct and their difference discernable Gifts fit for the Holy Spirit to give and worthy each of a more particular description II. And now after we have known and consider'd them distinctly I shall entreat you to bestow one reflection upon them all together This Fruit how fair it is to the Eye how Lovely not forbid us as that of Paradise but given and presented of which if we have tasted We are restored to a Condition of Happiness greater then that design'd in Eden We
are become like Gods and we shall live for ever We have a Heaven in our Breasts we make the Sphere of our Conversation so to all about us We are only less happy now then we shall be hereafter but in a Felicity begun already of the same kind For let us suppose that God would appear bountiful to some Fortunate man here below What Present should we expect from Heaven Power or Honour or Riches they are not necessary Causes of a happy Life are not inconsistent with Trouble and Vexation They are what the World Chance or the Devil may bestow But a gift fit for a God to give what can it be but himself what can it be But to bless our sight with Moses his view Exod. 33.19 a Display of all his Excellencies to Proclaim himself and cause his Glory to pass before us To proclaim our style too to call us his Friends and adopt us for his Sons to publish our Pardon aloud from Heaven and declare his Love before all the Creation to discover too to us as to St. Paul his future Glories and to open his third Heaven to our view and our Expectations and Lastly till he shall take us up thither to come down himself to come unto us and make his abode with us to bring his Heaven here In what trouble now shall that Breast be that is secur'd of the affection of a God and what other thing will he desire that Loves him His present Fruition is greater then any thing but his Hopes And of those too he is as well assured as of what he now enjoys His Peace no man can take from him his Joy must be perfectly Compleat and his Satisfaction infinite This inward Joy when it fills and overflows the Heart how will it Cheer and enliven the Countenance What an agreeable Lustre and divine Brightness will it cast Then will the Face of man look indeed like the Image of God and discover by the Glory who it is that dwells within This Love burning inward when it sends forth its Light and its Heat and shines out on others in Kindness Long-suffering Gentleness and Goodness must too engage and warm their mutual Affections Nothing can appear so Attractive nothing so Lovely The Temple of Salomon in all its Beauty overlay'd with Gold within and without and fill'd with the Glory of the Lord was not so glorious as one of these Houses under the second Dispensation as one of these Temples of the Holy Ghost You have the Pourtraiture of this in the Description of St. Stephen He was full of the Holy Ghost and all that sat in the Council looking stedfastly upon him Act. 6.15 saw his Face as it had been the Face of an Angel These Graces if Vouch-safe'd to any Family would recommend it in the Eyes of a discerning Heathen to be more happy then Plenty Authority or Greatness of Blood could make them The Gentleness Goodness and Meekness of the Master the Fidelity and Affectionate concern of the Inferior relations Temperance in all their Lives and Joy in all their Faces the Peace of man and of God the Correspondence betwixt themselves and the Intercourse of Love betwixt them and Heaven all this must make the admiring Spectator take up Jacob's saying Gen. 28.17 Surely the Lord is in this Place this is no other but the House of God and this the Gate of Heaven And were there but a City compos'd of such Families this yet would be but one Family and like that now described the Spirit of God dwelling in it and his holy Protection watching over it Peace within its Walls and Plenteousness within its Palaces All the Inhabitants nearer in their Persons then their Dwellings the City esteem'd not from the beauty proportion or order of the Buildings but from the symmetry the Harmony of the Inhabitants Such an Union as this is to make the true Neighbourhood and the Happiest Commerce So compacted it would have a surer strength then from Walls and Bulwarks This would make it the Fairest the strongest the best order'd the Richest City of the World It would be like the Great City the Holy Jerusalem descending from God out of Heaven at each Gate an Angel its building of precious stones For all Policies and Ordinances of the best constituted Cities are but faint imitations of the Graces of the Spirit are set up to procure the Shadow of Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness c. Joyning of Houses designs uniting of Minds a Corporation speaks it self to be one body Companies and fraternities are appointed for nearer associations to make yet a firmer tye then what results only from common interest There are seasons of Cheerfulness and days of Joy Civility thence call'd and there learnt affected Gentleness and customary complaisance artificial Goodness and Pretended Love There is the profession of faithful dealing Order and Obedience are own'd and Intemperance as well as other Filth remov'd out of sight and from the observation of these rules and the benefit of Peace and security arises Wealth and Plenty As on the contrary when the manners of men are distant from any likeness of these Graces when Hatred Discontent Variance Spite Insolence even in subjects Faithlessness Fraud and Luxury come together and take place a City then is only an Association of Evils and the Nuisance as great as the advantage that was intended As Neighbouring houses at other times a common strength are found too nigh in a Fire and Company the Comfort and convenience of mankind is dangerous in time of Infection and it is their Wisdom then to live at distance If intemperance prevails in the Town It is no better then a common receptacle of Impurity if Fraud and Perjury it is but as a Den of Thieves If Malice Revenge and Mutiny it is as a place of Battle If ye bite and devour one another take heed says the Apostle in this Chapter to the Galatians that ye be not Consumed one of another Neither is it needful to shew how Dammageable these Vices are to Commerce and how impossible it is to manage it in that Company We may only observe that Tumultuousness and Sedition are as great Enemies to Trade as they are to Government while they are growing they disturb and hinder it as hereafter when they are form'd into a War they will plunder its Effects Parties and Animosities take off mens Minds from the Business of their Imployment and Faction grows up to be a Trade Men are Apprentices to other Mysteries and set up for Politicians and then no wonder if our Commerce flourishes not if Honesty and Lawful Industry Riches and Plenty go seek out other Dwellings After a great and general Judgement of God the Children of men went to make Bricks to build a City Gen. 11. and a Tower that should reach to Heaven But when by another just Judgement from the same righteous Hand they begun to vary and spake not the same Language they were
their doctrine does not at last determine and center here it is Christian Religion falsely so called it is counterfeit and has not to it the Witness of the Holy Ghost 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and good Conscience and Faith unfeign'd Gal. 5.6 for in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love So Contradictorily do they Act to our holy Religion who think they may be malicious disorderly false perjur'd in its defence so little do they consider the Nature of God who consecrate their wicked Passions and offer the Service of their Hatred and Anger to his Name who like the Pope give Absolution to all Lusts that List themselves in a pretended holy War For the Works of the flesh are manifest says our Apostle which are these Adultery Fornication Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Aemulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in Times past that they who do such Things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God But as the Text continues the Fruit of the Spirit is Love c. By this Fruit are all Christians to be Sav'd But 2. Those are oblig'd to abound in this Fruit in a more particular manner who make a more peculiar claim to the Holy Spirit Those that pretend to the Gifts of the Holy Ghost happy are they if they have attain'd them They seem sensible of those blessed Influences every good Christian is to expect and to Cherish And pretend to no more then what is necessary to the Salvation of each Believer Neither is he yet partaker in any Measure of the Heavenly gift that shall Envy it to any that are called by the Name of Christ Such a thought suits neither with the Love of God nor of his Brother Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets Num. 11.29 said the meek Moses when those that shar'd of the Spirit were too to have their part in the Government Besides that the Holy Ghost himself has inform'd us in his first Speech after his Descent how largely he intended his Bounty The Promise says he by the mouth of St. Peter is made to you and to your Children Acts 2.39 and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall Call God fulfill his Gracious Promise and make all these Partakers of the Gift that own it But on the other side because a good Opinion of one's self may be taken for the Holy Ghost and we may not impose only on others but our selves because there cannot be a more dangerous delusion then to mistake the lying Spirit for the Spirit of Truth and to be Possessed instead of being Inspir'd we are therefore commanded to make Tryal of the Spirits whether they be of God When then the Holy Spirit its self is content to be tryed he will betray a great want of it that is not meek enough to submit to the Examination And here too the Proof is to be by the Product By their Fruits too shall ye know the Spirits And the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Life will not fail presently to discover it self by sensible signs by strong vital indications But the Effects we are to Expect are not Miracles Curing of the sick or Raising of the Dead they were Illustrious signs of the Divine presence are not heard of after the first Ages nor mentioned here They are not Talents of Eloquence and Discourse Copiousness of Language or a fluent Volubility in publick this seems to be of the same kind with the Gift of Tongues and to have been but of Temporary use here we are sure not expressed They are no other then those you find recounted in our Text they are Love Joy Peace c. Things not so glorious indeed in the Eyes of Carnal men but the most proper most natural Effects of the Holy Ghost as visible Marks and as Convincing Proofs of his Presence as the louder and seemingly more mighty Works He then that lays a more particular Claim to the Possession of the Holy Spirit is to shew it by a Love more exalted towards God and more enlarg'd toward man extended in all its Dimensions Height Breadth Length and Depth to God our Soveraign in chief to his Vicegerent to all Magistrates all Superiors to Equals on all sides and Inferiors of all kinds He is to do Miracles of Charity to be a wonder of Contentedness Peaceableness Gentleness Lowlyness and Condescention His mighty works will be in Temperance Goodness and Fidelity The Fathers of the Hermites of Syria are said to have try'd the Spirit of an Anchorite of a new kind in one of these Qualifications in Meekness if he shew'd Submission and Humility they Presum'd the singularity of his Posture guilty of no Affectation nor Design We may make a more certain Judgment from all these signs the Text affords us Nor will it be a Difficult thing to view the Conversation of men and to discern whether their behaviour be more quiet and Peaceable whether they are Patient freer from murmuring and Complaint Easie Gentle and Tractable not Censorious nor Backbiters not Proud nor disobedient not given to the World and its desires to Ambition Covetousness or Cernality Happy is he on whom the difference is found against him there is no Law He is to be Cherished and esteem'd by all to be Blessed and imitated by all good men But on the contrary when a man is readier to Hate then to Love so far from affecting his Brother for God's sake that he endures not his next Image upon Earth his immediate Representative so full of Rancour and Malice that the abundance of the Heart breaks out at the Mouth where one searches for Occasions of Complaint and is fond of Grievance and Discontent is weary of Peace wishes and prepares for War so little Long suffering that he is under Indulgence as if he were under Persecution Insolent Provoking despising Dominion pardoning not the least defects tho in his Father and Prince Calumniating Slandering Libelling even Autority it self making and delighting in a Lye suborning Falshood and Confounding truth Heady Refractory and disobedient The Evidences against this man's Pretences are so great that did he work Miracles they must find no Credit they too must be ascribed not to the blessed Spirit but to him that works in the Children of Disobedience To assign them to a Divine cause would be a Slander against the Righteousness of God would be to Blaspheme against the Holy Ghost If there are among ye strifes and Envying and Seditions are ye not Carnal and walk as men In the name then of God and of Religion let men in Pretences of so high a Nature at least dissemble well let there be some colour of Love some disguise of Gentleness Humility and Obedience let men see something of the
the Apostles laid on their hands and the Holy Ghost descended The Spirit had indeed before secretly Co-operated to that Faith and Encourag'd that Hope It had privately Prepar'd for it self a fitting Mansion but did not make it 's publick Entry till the Temple was ready When those previous Graces were form'd before then it solemnly appeared and thorough them powerfully exerted it self either in Signs and Wonders or in the more desireable Fruits those here of the Text. When therefore the Holy Ghost was come it did in many believers of the first Age for the Conversion of those that believed not so exalt the Faith it found and endue it with such an Extraordinary force that the Christians in the strength of their pure Belief wrought the greatest Miracles and were able by no more of it than might be compar'd to a grain of Mustard seed to remove Mountains to such Effects the Blessed Spirit advanced the Nature of Faith in a singular manner on a Particular occasion But it was however always to be understood that then the Operation was most Divine and the improvement most Natural when from Faith and Hope God giving the increase there arose Love their Proper genuine Fruit whose Production you are now to see For when a man by a stedfast lively Faith shall be assur'd of the Existence of his God as firmly as he is of his own and shall have on his Mind any suitable Conception of the Divine Nature any view of those ineffable Transcendent Perfections shall have once discover'd the Eternal Immortal Omnipotent All-wise the absolutely Holy Just and most infinitely Good As he cannot but fall down Prostrate before all this Greatness and adore the Majesty so must he if there be in him any resemblance of such qualities be infinitely affected at the sight of so much Purity and passionately devote himself to so great Goodness Had man no Interest in those Attributes did he stand by only and see and were the Kindness of the Gospel directed to the Angels yet certainly he could not but take part and concern himself to Esteem and to Love he would be naturally attracted and fix'd on such an Object by the tendency of a Rational Soul the Sympathy if I may so say of a Spiritual Being But if he shall find himself the happy Object of all that Goodness that all those Glorious Attributes shine on him if by the same Faith he shall come to learn that this Being of such inconceivable Perfection was wonderful in nothing more then in his love to Mankind and had prevented any Affection we could shew by one conceived for us before the foundation of the World when he shall reflect by what hand he is made and whose likeness he has the honour to bear that himself whatsoever he values himself upon or whatever he delights in is owing all to the Benignity of the same Cause when he shall have read in the holy writings such passionate expressions of good will how earnestly and concernedly the Almighty bespeaks us how willing he is to pardon how glad to reward how he lovesus more then we do our selves in one instance appear'd to love us more then he loved his so only Begotten Son when man shall have perceived much love for him from a Being so infinitely to be belov'd himself if he retains any thing of the Image of his Maker will he not resemble him in a correspondent Affection except he be yet but Earth if he has any apprehension any sense will he not discover it by grateful dutiful resentment he might as well at the Creation have refuss'd to Live as now to Love This way would a lively attentive Faith move After it has laid before us the History of the Divine Love it would of it self excite us to demonstrations of our own But further when Faith hath given us such a beauteous glorious Idea of the nature of God such an Obliging Engaging representation of his Goodness to man and has had its proper effect upon us has created in us a Due Value and Adoration for his Blessed being an approbation of his holy Will and a warm zealous Devotion to his service It then too begins to give us the confidence of entitling our selves more peculiarly to the Favour of God and we presume of a particular interest in his gracious Promises Assur'd of the Veracity of his Love and conscious of the sincerity of our own we look not only on the past testimonies of his goodness but expect the Glories of the future and hope now as earnestly for Heaven as we certainly believe it And if Faith alone which is in it self but a passive Impression on the Mind has that force in it as to be the cause of so much Love This Hope when once conceived being of a Moving Active Nature will not fail to quicken our desires anew and absolutely inflame our Divine Affection To sum up then the whole The soul having from Faith the glorious amiable view of God's Infinite Perfections together with the History of his Exceeding Kindness his undeserved and unchangeable Affection to Mankind and seeing too before its eye by Hope the prospect of Heaven it s assur'd blessed immortal expectations which way will it turn it self where it shall not see cause to Love and to admire It must give it self up encompassed on all sides surrounded with infinite Attractives and everlasting Obligations If any Person is to be beloved it is this which Faith presents if any past Favours can engage us none earlier nor greater then His If any Future Hopes can prevail none more Certain nor more Glorious then those And these Bands of Love each of them singly would certainly hold and fix us Irremovably but joyn'd together and Twisted in a threefold Cord they are impossible to be broken And so far have I represented to you these workings of Faith and Hope after the manner of Nature and without the Co-operation of the Holy Spirit But if we shall suppose that God himself comes in enlightens our Understanding and warms our Affections if he shall be pleas'd to draw the lovely Image of himself on our Minds to form in us a right Sense of all his Goodness and a true Conception of his everlasting Joys to enliven the Thoughts and actuate the Motions of the Soul What raptures and extasies are we then to suppose Whom then would we have but God And whom should we desire on Earth in Comparison of him Then should we be all on fire from Heaven And a Flame kindled in us that many Waters would not quench neither could the Floods drown Our Love for him would resemble his Divine Nature and as much surpass any Worldly Passion as God excells the Creation This then is the Holy Passion of those that are grown up in Christ to their full Stature This is the Fire they are Baptiz'd with who are Baptiz'd with the Holy Ghost And as soon as the Breathings of the Spirit have blown up and