Spirit of God workes upon the soule by the meanes of grace by gracious habits and qualities wrought for he doth not worke upon the soule immediately before he alter and change the soule the Spirit workes upon the sâ—ule by altering and changing of it and when it hath altered the soule then it joynes with the soule and alters and changeth it according to the Image of Christ more and more still I beseech you in your dayly practise all learne this that you trust not too much to any outward performance or taske to make Idols of outward things people when they would change their dispositions and bee better they take a great deale of pâ—ines in hearing and reading and praying all these are things necessary but they are dead things without the Spirit of Christ therefore in the use of all those outward things whatsoever they be looke up to â—hrist that is the quickning Spirit that sends the Spirit into our hearts the Spirit must enliven and give vigour to all these things and then somewhat will be done in religion in hearing and reading and praying and receiving the Sacrament Therefore in all these looke to the Spirit first hee laboureth in vaine that relieth not wholly upon the Spirit of God that trusts not to a higher strength than his owne it must be a higher strength than our owne that must worke any good in our soules either grace or comfort or peace and therefore in the use of all things as the proverbe is oculos ad coelum c. let the eye bee to heaven when the hand is at the sterne at the same time and then we shall be transformed and changed by the Spirit of God Know that in all meanes alway the spirit is the principle efficient blessing cause of all and therefore before we set upon any thing that is good wherein we looke for any spirituall good desire God by his holy Spirit that hewould â—loath what shall be sayd words are winde without the Spirit the Spirit must goe with the ordinances as the Arteries goe together with the Veines You know in the Veines in the body there are Arteries that goe with them they convey the spirits the veynes convey the blood that is a dull thing without the Spirits of it selfe if there were no Spirits in the Arteries what would the blood in the veines be nothing but a heavie uncomfortable humour but the Arteries that come from the heart the fountaine of life being joyned and conveying the spirits they quicken the blood that comes from the Liver so the veines and arteries joyne together to make the blood cheerefull The Word and truth of God are like the blood in the veines there is a great deale of matter in them but there is no life at all there must the Spirit goe along with them to give life and quickning to the Word to cloath those divine truthes with the Spirit and then it workes wonders not else Paul spake to Lydia Ast. 16. but the holy Ghost opened her heart the Spirit hath the key of the heart to unlocke and open the heart we speake to the outward man but except the inward man be opened by the Spirit of God and unlocked all is to no purpose therefore let us pray for the Spirit of this changing all is by the Spirit of the Lord. It is in mysticall Christ even as it was in naturall Christ all his grace was from the holy Ghost as man for though he were conceived of the holy Ghost he was annoynted by the hâ—ly Ghost he was sealed by the holy Ghost he was lead by the holy Ghost into the wildernesse he offered himselfe by the Spirit he was raysed by the Spirit he was full of the Spirit As it was in Christ naturall so it is in Christ mysticall that is in the Church all is by the Spirit as he was conceived in the wombe by the Spirit so we are conceived to be Christians by the Spirit the same Spirit that sanctified him sanctifieth us but first the Spirit by way of Vnion sanctifieth us by knitting us to him the head of all and then unction comes after union annoynting after union then the Spirit when he hath knit us to Christ workes the same annoynting that he did in Christ. Therefore we are called Christians of Christ not onely partakers of the naked name but of the annoynting of Christ that annoynting that runnes downe the head of our spirituall Aaron to the skirts to every poore Christian. All change all comfort all peace is from the Spirit of Christ therefore give him the glory of all if wee Finde any comfort in any truth it comes not from us but from his Spirit and wee must goe upward to him againe as all descends from heaven from the Father of lights and from the Spirit of God so all must ascend againe yeeld him the prayse of all And one worke of the Spirit is to carry our soules up for the Spirit as it comes from heaven to change us so it carries us up againe to view and to imitate Christ to be where Christ is as water when it is to be carryed up it is carryed as high as the spring head from whence it came so the Spirit comming from Christ it never leaves changing and altering of us till it have carryed us to Christ againe therefore as it is the work of the Spirit to carry us to Christ so let us desire it may carry us before hand for the good worke begun in us in thankefulnesse that we may begin heaven upon earth all is from the Spirit of Christ. A man now in the state of grace must looke for nothing from himselfe for as we are saved altogether out of our selves by Christ the mediator so the fitting for that glorious Sâ—lvation that we have purchased by Christ it is by the Spirit the working of our salvation is by God and the assurance of it to our soules is by the holy Ghost by the witnesse of God sealed to us and the fitting and preparing and changing and sanctifying of us it is by the holy Ghost all is out of us in the covenant of grace wherein God is a gracious Father in Christ all is out of us in regard of the spring The worke indeed is terminated in us the Spirit of God alters our understanding will and affections but the spring is out of us as in Paradise those foure streames that watered Paradise that runne through it yet the head of them was out of Paradise in another part of the world so though the worke of the holy Ghost the streames of the Spirit runne through the soule and water it yet the spring of those graces the holy Ghost is out of us and Christ the roote of Salvation is out of us for God in the covenant of grace will not trust us as in Adam God trusted us with grace hee had grace in his owne keeping if he would he might have stood he had
rather increased by the Law for although Moses bee read yet untill this day remaineth the same vayle untaken away the Jewes will unavoydably abide in their Ignorance and bondage Now in opposition to this darknesse and obscurity of the Law in all those respects the Apostle exalteth the Gospell in this high and excellent privilege of it That it is plaine and evident and full of demonstration and that the light of it is not terrifying and amazing but sweet and comfortable so that wee may with much liberty and boldnesse of Spirit looke constantly upon the great glorious things set before us in it although it be no other but the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is moreover such an efficacy and working power in this Ministery of the Gospell as it will not suffer men to remaine the same without alteration as they did under Moses Ministery though hee was read daily but it will change them even into the Image of Jesus Christ and the carry them on still in that Image and likenesse from one degree of glory to another after a most admirable and spirituall manner of working This speciall excellency and prerogative of the Gospell is laid downe in the two last verses of this Chapter which are the words upon which wee shall more largely insist in the following discourse Vers. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty The Lord is that Spirit that takes away the vaile that is spoken of before Hee sets downe what Christ is by what he doth Christ is that Spirit because he gives the Spirit And then a sweet effect of the Spirit of Christ Where the Spirit of Christis there is liberty The Spirit here is not taken for the person of God as if the Holy Ghost had said The Lord is a Spirit and not a bodily thing though that be a truth And as it is not meant naturally so not personally Christ is that Spirit as if Christ were the holy Ghost that were a confusion of persons nor as restrained to the third person the holly Ghost is the Spirit Neither as some heretofore would have it to shew that the Spirit is Iehovah God It is neither to shew that Christ is God nor that the Spirit is God nor that Christ is the holy Ghost But it is meant in regard of a speciall dispensation The Lord is that Spirit that is the Lord Iesus Christ who is the Lord of his Church by marriage office c. is that Spirit that is hee 1. hath the Spirit in himselfe eminently and 2. dispenseth and giveth the Spirit unto others all receiving the Spirit from him as the common root and fountaine of all spirituall gifts First he was that Spirit as having the holy Ghost in himselfe as man the holy Ghost filled the Humane Nature and made it spirituall The Spirit is all in all in the Humane nature of Christ and whatsoever hee doth he doth as it were being full of the Spirit in himselfe He gives the Spirit as God and receives it as man so hee both gives and receives the Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne as God but the Spirit sanctified Christ as man as it did in the Virgins womb the holy Ghost sanctified that blessed masse of his body it sanctified him and filled him with all graces and gifts whereupon it is said he received the Spirit without measure that is in â—bundance Christ hath the Spirit in himselfe in a more eminent excellent manner than all others and it must needs be so for these reasons 1. From the neere union betweene the Humane naâ—ure and the Divine they â—re one person therefore â—here is more Spirit in Christ than in all creatures â—ut them together then in all the Angels and all men because the Divine nature is nearer to Christ then it is to the Angels or to any creature 2. Christ hath the Spirit without measure both in regard of extention and intention as we say he hath all graces in all degrees even next to an infinite all others have it in their measure and proportion 3. The Spirit doth rest upon Christ invariably in other men that have the Spirit it ebbes and flowes it is sometimes more and sometimes lesse there be spirituall desertions not onely in regard of comfort but in regard of grace though not totally but the Spirit rests â—n Christ eternally in a full â—easure and therefore you have it thus in Esa. 11. 2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of Wisedome and Vnder standing the Spirit of Counsell and might c. 4. By reason of his place or offices in relation to the Church as Head Husband King Priest Prophet c. the Head is made by nature the seat of the more noble faculties as of Seeing Hearing Understanding Iudgeing and is furnished accordingly with greater plenty of spirits for the ruling and governing the whole body so Christ is the head of the Church and the governement of all the world is laid upon him and all excellencies are derived from him unto all his members as from the Root life is derived unto all the branches and therefore he must needs have the Spirit in greatest abundance his fulnesse of the Spirit is as the fulnesse of the fountaine ours is but as the fulnesse of the Cisterâ—â— hee hath grace in the Spring wee have it but in the Conduit his graces are primitive ours derivative we have nothing but what wee have received therefore it is sayd hee hath the oyle of gladnesse powred upon him above his fellowes Hee hath his name from Annoynting Christ. Hee was annoynted that is separated and ordained to the office of Mediaâ—orship by annoynting not properly that is with any materiall oyle but with the Spirit this was in regard of his Humane nature onely but it was above his fellowes that is above all Kings and Priests for they are his fellowes in regard of titles hee was above them all for all have their annoynting from him therefore he is the King of Kings and the Prophet of Prophets c. Also above all his fellowes as we take his fellowes for Christians they are his fellowes I goe to my God and your God c. he is the first borne amongst them and in all things hee hath the preeminence 5 Hee is to be as the patterne we are to follow him wee are predestinated to be conformed to â—im and to grow up to that fulnesse which is in him and in thiâ— respect there is cause why hee should have the Spirit and all the graces of it is greater abundance that hee might exceed all even Christians of greatest growth and perfection hee is to bee a patterne and example to all to the strongest as wel as to the weake Eveâ— Paul himselfe who was 〈◊〉 Leader to others for the excellency of the grace 〈◊〉 Christ that was in him 〈◊〉 a follower of Christ Be 〈◊〉 followers
quickeâ—s all his members too first hee receives the Spirit himselfe and the same Spirit that filled and sanctified his humane nature the samâ— Spirit sanctifieth his Church which hee loves even as himselfe as he loveth that his owne humane nature which the holy Ghost sanctified so doth he love his owne mysticall body his Church being mystically united to him and sanctifieth it by the same Spirit Christ dispenseth his Spirit unto us as Head of his Church and this he doth in divers respects 1. As he is God by way of immediate influence he powreth it out upon us as the prime and pricipall cause and this he doth as God not as man for the Man-hood cannot worke above it selfe it cannot doe the worke of God it cannot worke grace or give the Spirit 2. As he is Man considered as joyned together with the God-head by way of merit and satisfaction he procureth the Spirit to bee given powred out which is done by the Father and the Sonne on all those who are beloved in the Sonne so that the Spirit is given by Christ with the Father as Mediator Meritoriously for hee by suffering and satisfying procured the gift Christ himselfe is the first gift yea the greatest that ever was given the giving of Christ to dye to satisfie the wrath of God and to obtaine eternall life Next to 〈◊〉 maine gift is the gift of the Spirit in which is the seed of all gifts and graces and this we have by his Merit and Mediatorship Yet this wee must likewise remember that although Christ be sayd to give the Spirit as he doth yet the holy Spirit giveth it selfe too for there is such an unity in the Trinity of consent and nature that though the Father and the Sonne send the Spirit yet the Spirit comes of his owne selfe though the Father and the Sonne give the Spirit yet the Spirit giveth himselfe 3. Wee have the Spirit from Christ not onely by way of Merit but in some kind by way of Example hee is the exemplary cause of all graces in us looking to whom wee are transformed as wee shall see afterwards from glory to glory For when wee consider that Christ hath done so much for us as to save us and redeeme us and dye for us this begetteth a love in us to Christ and makes us often to thinke of him and desirous to imitate him as wee usually doe such as we love and highly esteeme of The dispensation of the Spirit is in most abundance after the resurrection of Christ as hee appeared in himselfe then to bee most spirituall and glorious after he rose againe so then being as the Sun in its full height and perfect beauty casteth his beames most plentifully abroad and that for these reasons 1. Because then hee having finished the worke of Redemption and satisfied the wrath of God fully and given contentment to Divine Justice and accomplished all by his death there was nothing to hinder the blessed gift of the Spirit It is sayd that before the holy Ghost was not given because Christ was not glorified The gift of the holy Ghost especially depends upon the glorifying of Christ when he had fulfilled the worke of Redemption and was raised to glory God being pacified gave the holy Ghost as a gift of his favour 2. Then againe after his Resurrection and Ascension he did give the holy Ghost more abundantly than before to his Church because now hee is in heaven and hath the advantage of the place being exalted on high As that glorious creature the Sunne by the advantage it hath being placed in the heavens above us is able to shine upon the greatest part of the earth at all times and wee need not call the Sunne downe from its place to come into our houses or fields or gardens no where it is seated in its proper place or orbe it hath the best opportunity in most abundance and largest extent to send downe heat and light and influence to inferiour things So Christ doth his Church more good now he is in heaven from whence he sends the Spirit then hee could doe if hee were below because though his Humane nature be confined in heaven his person is every where and being ascended now farre above all heavens he giveth gifts more liberally and plentifully insomuch as he filleth all things Eph. 4. hee enlargeth the tents of his Gospel and hath taken in a greater people to himselfe We see in Winter when the Sunne is low and neare the earth all things are dead and cold but when the Sunne in the Spring commeth to over-top us to bee in a higher point above us wee see how all things put a new garment upon them there is a new vigour and freshnesse in them so there was more abundant vigour of the Spirit when Christ came in the Flesh his vertue appeared much more every way then before But when this blessed Sonne of righteousnesse was advanced and seated at the right hand of his Father where his Nature was perfectly inriched and perfectly adorned with all kind of graces whatsoever in the highest glory of them his influence of light and heat now beginneth to be increased and the efficacy and working of it to bee felt every where The glorious beams of the Sunne beganne to be scattered and the light of the Gospel to shine to a greater number of people now there was no respect of persons whether Jew or Gentile bond or free male or female all was one the Commission was enlarged to all Mark 16. Goe preach the Gospell to every Creature and with the Word the Spirit went and was received and those that were added to the Church even such as should be saved were many thousands Thus have wee opened the meaning of the words and shewed how Christ is that Spirit both in respect of the Spirits being eminently in him and his giving of it and spirituall gifts by it all the vigour and life and influence we have that is spirituall and supernaturall and above the ordinary course is from the Spirit and whatsoever the Spirit hath or doth for us is done as sent from Christ in whom the Spirit is in all fulnesse Now wee shall shew how many wayes the consideration of these truths will be profitable and usefull to us in the course oâ— our lives and for the comfort of our spirits Vse Christ is the Spirit of the Scriptures of all Truths of all Ordinances Wee may be this bee able to reconcile the Scriptures one place with another where they sâ—eme to contradict The Law is said to be a 〈…〉 a ministr ation of condemnation c. 2. Cor. â— but in the 19. Psal. there it is sayd The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule c. These places are thus reconciled The Law is said to be dead so it is without Christ without the Spirit which quickneth and so is â—he Gospell too even a savour of death and so
are the Sacraments also as well as the Word dead Ordinances if Christ be not in them The Law is sayd to be perfect and to convert the soule so it doth when the Spirit goeth along with â—t as it did ordinarily before Christ came in the flesh as in Davids time but after Christ was come who was the substance of those shadowes they became beggerly Rudiments as in Pauls time and the Spirit did not worke with them but with the Gospel the hearing of Faith Gal. 3. 2. Vse And we may understand likewise from hence what the reason is that an Ordinance at one time differeth so much from it selfe at another time in respect of the life and comfort of it as we often find even in our owne experience as also why the same Ordinance be it the Word or Sacrament c. at the same time is profitable to one and another hath no benefit at all by it This is from the presence or absence of Christ who is that Spirit What is the reason that Wine or Aqua-vitae doth more refresh and strengthen then common water It is of the same substance of the same colour that other water is but there is more spirit in it all things worke answerable to the spirits that is in them So what is the reason that â—he reading or hearing of â—he same thing affecteth one â—nd not another at all the â—ubstance of the thing is the â—ame but the spirit is not â—he same the spirit goeth with the one and not with â—he other Wee grant that our negligence in preparation and attention our pride and earthly-mindednesse our want of faith to mingle with the Word these or â—he like may be causes why wee are many times sent â—mpty away yet this still â—ust be observed as a most â—vident truth that all the efficacy and fruit of any Orâ—inance dependeth upon Christs being present in it who is that Spirit that quickneth 〈◊〉 most powerfull meanes that ever was ordayned for our good will be dead and heartlesse if hee be not there by his Spirit to put life into it It may seemâ— strange what Iohn saith chap. 6. The flesh profiteth nothing The flesh of Christ our nature which Christ tooke and in which so much was wrought for us which is the greatest Ordinance o◠〈…〉 this flesh profiteth not nor will there be any benefit of it if it be not applied unto us spiâ—â—â—ually for it is not the flesh simply considered but as by it and with it we receive the Spirit of Christ which Spirit quickneth and maketh the flâ—sh oâ— Christ meat indeed As iâ— is with the flesh of Christ 〈◊〉 with all other ordinanâ—es the Scriptures profit â—othing preaching profitâ—th nothing the Sacraâ—ents will profit nothing â—â—here is none of these will 〈◊〉 meate indeede unlesse 〈◊〉 spirit of Christ quicâ—â—en them Therefore we ought to 〈◊〉 with all the ordiâ—â—nces of God a desire â—â—at Christ would joyne â—â—is spirit and make them â—ffectuall wee ought to â—ome to the ordinances in 〈◊〉 dependance upon Christ â—or a blessing upon them 〈◊〉 for his presence in â—â—em who is the life and â—cope of all and then wee â—hould not finde such dulâ—esse and deadnesse in them It is the sinne oâ— this age this formality it is the sinne of those thaâ— have any thing in them set desperate drunkardâ— and roarers and such wretches a side as plainely discover themselves to be acted by the spirit oâ— the Devill take them thaâ— conforme themselves iâ— any fashion to religion the killing sinne that they lyâ— under is this same deaâ— formality they will heare a Sermon now and then looke on a booke and iâ— may be pray morning and evening but never looke up to the living and quickning spirit Iesus Christ so that all they doe is dead and loathsome like salâ— that hath no savour What is the best liquor if it hath lost its life and spirit but flat and unsavory and blood when the spirits are out of it what is it but loathsome goare so are all their performances even like sacrifices that had no fire in them the Lord loathed such sacrifices as he did Cains and so hee doth all our flat and livelesse services yea and our persons too being as Iude saith fleshly and not having the spirit Vse 3 What neede is there that we should sanctifie all we take in hand by prayer when we goe to heare a Sermon when wee take up the Bible to reade a Chapter alone by our selves or in our families we should lift up our eyes and hearts and voyces to heaven we should say to Christ Lord joyne thy Spirit be present with us without thee thy Word is dead our hearts are dead and will harden under the meanes and darken in the light and we shall fall under the heavie condemnation of these secure and formall times if thou leavest us Vse 4 Christ is sayd to be that spirit to send the spirit as God and to receive it as man in fulnesse and that for our sakes it is a point of much comfort that there is such abundance of Spirit in our nature in Christ and for the behalfe of the Church that wee have a fulnesse to receive of It was a comfort to Iosephs brethren and that family that Ioseph was full of honour and rules the second in the kingdome therefore they should want nothing that was good in Egypt is it not a comfort for Christians to know that Christ is the spirit that he hath the spirit to give the spirit of wisedome in all straights the spirit of truth to keepe us from all errours the spirit of strength for all services the spirit of comfort for all afflictions hee that is their Lord hath abundance of spirit in him and for them therefore when we want any grace or gift of the spirit wee should goe to Christ for God doth all by Christ Christ doth all by the spirit desire Christ that hee would vouchsafe his spirit to rule us counsell us comfort us and strengthen us Therefore in our emptinesse as indeede we are empty creatures of our selves let us goe to Christ for the spirit he hath received that fulnesse for us desire him that out of his fulnesse he would vouchsafe to give unto us It is the reason why Christians are so dead and so dull and so darke in their spirits they doe not first consider themselves and then goe to Christ we should all in all exigents whatsoever make use of this our great high Treasurer the great high Steward of heaven and earth of this our Ioseph the second Person in heaven he is at the right hand of God and all to fill his Church with his spirit our comfort is now that our strength and comfort lyes hid in Christ that is neere to us as man and neere to God as God he is betweene the Father and us he is neere the Father as being of the same nature with him hee is neere us
from all that is ill from sinne but from that that followes it there is some ill that followes as feare and terrours of conscience c. they follow sinne and death and wrath and such like the subjection to these now where the Spirit of God is it frees from the ill consequents from the tayle that followes sinne where the Spirit is it frees us from feare for the same Spirit that tells us in justification that God is appeased the same Spirit frees us from the feare of damnation and death and judgement from the terrours of an evill conscience being sprinkled with the blood of Christ we are freed from feare And it frees not onely from the feare of ill things but it shewes immunity and freedome to good liberty implies here two things a freedome from ill from a cursed condition and likewise a liberty to a better a liberty from ill and to good we must take it in the just latitude because the benefits of Christ are compleate not onely privative but positive not onely to free us from ill but to conferre all good to us as much as our nature is capable of as much as these soules of ours are capable of they shall be made free and glorious and happy in heaven God will leave no part of the soule unfilled no corner of the soule empty by little and little he doth it as we shall see in the next verse when we are called out of Sathans kingdome we are not onely called out of that cursed state but we are made free of a better kingdome we are mede the members of Christ we are infranchised and so in justification we are not onely freed from damnation from the justice and wrath of God but likewise wee can implead our righteousnesse whereby we have title to heaven which is a blessed priviledge and prerogative we are not onely free from the curse of the law but likewise wee have other gracious prerogatives and priviledges we are not onely freed from the dominion of sinne but we are likewise set at liberty by the spirit to doe that that is good wee have a voluntary free spirit to serve God with as great chearefulnesse as we served our lusts before and as we are freed from the rigour and curse of the law so we have prerogatives to good answerable we are now by the Spirit set at liberty to delight in the law to make the law our councellour to make the Word of God our councellour that that terrified and affrighted us before now it is our direction even as he that was a severe Schoolemaster to one in his under yeares after when hee comes to yeares becomes a wise Tutor to guide and direct him so the law that terrified and whipped us when we were in bondage till we be in Christ it scares us to Christ that law after comes to bee a Tutor to tell us this we shall doe to councell us and say this is the best way and wee come to delight in those truthes when they are discovered to us in the inward man and the more we know the more wee would know because wee would please God every day better so that besides freedome from that that is ill and the consequents of ill there is a blessed immunity and prerogative and priviledge that is meant here by liberty For Gods workes are compleate we must know when he delivers from ill he advanceth to good his workes are full workes alwayes he doth not things by halves therefore wee have through Christ and by the Spirit not onely freedome from that that is ill but advancement to all that is comfortable and graciously good And one thing give me leave to touch which though it bee more subtile yet it is usefull that the text puts mee to speake of Where the Spirit of God is there is liberty of the inward man liberty of judgement and liberty of will where the Spirit of God is not there is no liberty no free will a little to touch upon that That which we call free will it is either taken for a naturall power and indowment that God hath put upon the soule and so the will is alway free in earth and in hell the divils will is free so free to evill there is the naturall freedome for freedome it is a dowrie upon the will invested upon the will that God never takes from it to doe it freely that is upon reason that it sees be it good or evill so I meane not freedome but I take freedome for ability and strength to that that is good for any liberty and ability to that that is good is onely from the spirit and the defence of Luthers and others that wrote of this freedome is sound and good that the will of man is slavish altogether without the Spirit of God Where the Spirit is there is liberty Liberty as it is taken for power and ability to doe good In a word there is alway a liberty of the subject of the person a liberty of the understanding but not of the object to this or that thing a liberty to supernaturall objects comes from supernaturall principles nothing moves above its owne spheare nothing is acted above its owne activity that God hath put into it now a naturall man can doe nothing but naturally for nothing can worke above it selfe by its owne strength no more than a beast can worke according to the principles of a man therefore the soule of man hath no liberty at all to that which is spiritually good without a supernaturall principle that rayseth it above it selfe and put it into the ranke of supernaturall things First the Spirit of God puts a new life into the soule of a man and then when hee hath done that it preserves that life against all opposition and together with preserving that life it applyes that inward life and power it hath put into it to particular workes for when wee have a new life yet wee cannot doe particular actions without the exciting power of the Spirit of God the Spirit stirres up to every particular thing when the soule would be quiet of it selfe the moving comes from the Spirit of God as every particular moving in the body comes from the soule so the Spirit it puts a new life it applyes that life it applyes the soule to every action Where the Spirit of God therefore is not there is no liberty to any supernaturall action but where the Spirit of God is there is liberty It followes both the negatively and affirmatively there is a liberty of will to that that is good so then this riseth from hence againe that where the Spirit of God is efficatious and effectuall in his working there it robbes not the soule of liberty but perfects that liberty You have some Divines too many indeede that hold that the holy Ghost onely workes by way of perswasion upon the soule and by way of mooving as it were without
of mee as I am of Christ. Q. When did this fulnesse of the Spirit come upon Christ when had hee it Ans. There was a fulnesse of the Spirit powred out upon Christ in the union of the Humane nature with the Divine Vnion and Vnction went together there was annoynting of the Spirit together with the union of the Spirit 2. There was a more full manifestation of the Spirit in his Baptisme when the holy Ghost fell on him in the shape of a Dove then he received the Spirit hee was to enter into the Ministâ—ry of the Gospell the Spirit of the Lord God was upon him because hee had anoynted him to Preach good tidings unto the meek c. Esa. 61. 1. 3. But the fullest degree of declaration and manifestation of the Spirit upon Christ was after his Resurrection after he had satisfied fully for our salvation then the stop of his glory was taken away For to worke our salvation there was a keeping backe of the glory of Christ from his Humane nature that hee might bee abased to suffer for us when hee had fully suffered for us that stay of his glory his abasement was taken away and then nothing appeared but all glory and Spirit in Christ. All things were put under his feet and he was set upon his Throne as a glorious King His Priestly Office appeared in his death his Propheticall Office before his death but then hee appeared to be King and Lord of all in the Resurrection Thus wee see how Christ is that Spirit that is hee is full of the Spirit in regard of himselfe Secondly he is that Spirit in regard of his dispensations towards his Church and Children The Lord is that Spirit that is 1. of all truths and 2. of all persons to give life and quickning to them First of truths what is the scope of the whole scriptures but Christ from the first Promise of the blessed Seed The Seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head to the end of the book What is all the Scriptures without Christ The Law is a dead letter yea and so is the Gospell too without Christ hee is that Spirit which gives life unto all the Scriptures Moses without Christ is but a shadow without a body or a body without a soule Take away Christ what was the Brazen Serpent What was the Arke What were the Sacrifices What is all Is not Christ all in all these The Kings and Prâ—ests and 〈◊〉 they were types of Christ all the Promises they were made and fulfilled in Christ the Law Ceremoniall aymed at Christ the Law Morall is to drive us to Christ Christ is the Spirit of all and the Scripture without Christ it is but a meere dead thing it is but a shell without a kernell as it is to the Iewes at this day 2. Christ is that Spirit in regard of persons quickning them hee is an universall Principle of spirituall life infusing it into al his Church and Children Christ is alwayes with his Church from the beginning of the world and will bee to the end It was no losse to the Church that Christ in his bodily presence lâ—ft it for hee left them the Comforter his Spirit by which he wrought greater workes after his Ascension than hee did before He is annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse and grace above his fellowes but all was for his fellowes whatsoever he is or hath all is for his Church and Children for us he was borne for us he was given hee is a King a Priest a Prophet for us he dyed for us he rose againe for us And he doth all he doth toward the Church as hee hath the Spirit and by the Spirit The Father is the first in the Trinity from whom all comes and the Son by whom all things are but the holy Ghost is the immediat worker of all things next the creature all things are applied from God the Father through the Sonne by the Spirit what Christ wrought and what the Father in wisdome devised was applyed by the Spirit and so the framing of us to be fit for such a glorious condition as wee have by Christ is also by the Spirit And this is the reason why Christ giveth the Spirit to those to whom hee purposeth to give faith or love or to worke any gracious worke For where Christ saveth he doth it not onely by merit and satisfying the wrath of God for us but also by sanâ—tifying and effectuall working in us that he might be a perfect Saviour Now the Essentiall vigour and operative Principle in all things either wrought by or from the Father or the Sonne is the Spirit As in Man there is his will from which he resolveth and purposeth there is wisedome and understanding by which hee proceedeth and then there is a vigorous power in man by which he executeth and doth all so is it in this working of God the Father plotteth and determineth of what is to be done the Sonne who is the wisdome of the Father dispenseth what the Father willeth the holy Spirit the power of both finisheth and worketh all upon us and therefore hee is called the power of the highest Luk. 1. 35. Whatsoever works come from God to the creature in generall and are wrought in the world as works of Creation and providence are immediately by the holy Spirit nakedly considered as the third person comming from the Father and the Sonne And in those speciall workes wrought in his Church and on his Children all things commeth from the holy Ghost but not simply considered as the third person but as hee is the Spirit of Christ that is first sanctifying and filling the Humane Nature of Christ and then sanctifying and filling us Christ could not give the holy Ghost immediately to us wee being in enmity with God and separated from him through our sinnes but he must first take it to himselfe who having by his death and sufferings reconciled us to his Father and purchased the Spirit for us may now dispense and give forth his Spirit to us If we had stood in Adam wee should not have received grace so as now we doe for we should have received it from the first Adam but as from a man now wee receive it not from meere man but which is much more from the second Adam who is God-man nay Adam himselfe received not his grace after so glorious a manner as we doe for he received it from the Spirit nakedly considered as the third person in the Trinity and as all other creatures received their excellencies but wee receive it from the holy Spirit which doth not onely proceed from the Father and the Son but commeth as it were through our owne nature which was marvellously united to God the Sonne and made one with him unto us and worketh in us The first Adam was a living soule the last Adam was a quickning Spirit he quickened himselfe when he was dead and hee
as being of the same nature with us so being a Mediatour in office and being so fit for a Mediator in nature what a comfort is this Indeed there is no comming to God no entercourse betweene God and us immediately but betweene God-man and God and us who is the Mediatour betweene God and us hee comes betweene in Christ we goe to God in our flesh in our nature and in Christ and from Christ and by Christ we have all grace and comfort from Christ we have all as God together with the holy Ghost and the Father and wee have all in Christ as a head and husband and we have all through Christ as mediator by his merit therefore wee should goe to Christ every way Vse 5 Let us labour to bee in Christ that we may get the Spirit it is of great necessity that wee should have it Above all things next to redemption by Christ labour for the spirit of Christ. Christ is our Saviour not onely by merit and satisfaction but by efficacy and grace that is as hee hath purchased us for his people by his blood so hee will subdue our corruptions and rule us by his Spirit For first Hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his those that have not the efficacy of the spirit in them to rule them shall not have benefit by his death to reconcile them for these goe alway together Christ as a King to rule and as a Priest to dye He came by blood and by water to satisfie and to sanctifie Secondly there is a necessity of the Spirit that we may be new Creatures it was the Spirits brooding upon the Chaos that brought forth all so the Spirit must sit upon our soules before any change will be made Now there is a necessity that wee bee changed and that wee bee new or else wee can never bee inhabitants of the new heavens and the new earth we must have the Spirit of God therefore Zech. 4. 6. as in the materiall Temple It s not by might or by power but by the Spirit So in rearing up spirituall Temples it is not by strength of wit or parts but by the Spirit therefore the Spirit is necessary for us even as our being in grace is necessary The holy Apostles wee know till the Spirit came more abundantly upon them what darke creatures they were but when the holy Ghost was come upon them how full of life and light and courage they were that the more they suffered the more they might suffer So it will bee with Christians the more spirituall they grow the more lightsome and couragious the more strong the more lively and vigrous to all duties the holy Ghost is the substantiall vigour of all creatures what soever all the spirituall vigour of every thing comes from the holy Spirit and the holy Spirit from Christ. For nothing can worke above it selfe nature cannot worke above nature That which elevates nature above it selfe and sets a spirituall stampe and puts divine qualities upon it is the Spirit of God That divine quality is called Spirit There is the flesh and the spirit all in us is flesh by nature and what soever is spirituall and divine commeth from the Spirit and therefore it is called Spirit you see therefore a necessity of the working of the Spirit even as there is a necessity to bee new creatures and to bee spirituall If we will be spirituall wee must have it from him that is first spirituall the Spirit himselfe that is the principle and fountaine of all that is spirituall Thirdly wee are called oft times to doe and suffer such things as are above nature and therefore wee must have a spirit above nature when wee feele sin to beleeve the forgivenesse of sinnes when wee see death to beleeve life everlasting and when wee are in extremity to beleeve God present with us to deliver us to beleeve contraries in contraries is a strange almighty worke of faith by the works of the Spirit It is above the work of nature to dye to end out dayes with comfort and to resigne up our soules for nature sees nothing but darknesse and desolation in the grave and destruction 〈◊〉 nothing can make a man comfortable in death but that which rayseth him above nature the Spirit of God Now these things and many such like we must do and suffer if we be Christians and therefore wee must have the Spirit to enable us to doe all The spirit is to the soule as the soule is to the body what is the body without the soule a caâ—kâ—ssâ— a loathsome dead thing what is the soule without the spirit a Caos of darknesse and confusion Well how shall we know whether we have the spirit of Christ or no We may know it partly by that I sayd before The Spirit is a vigorous working thing and therefore all three persons take upâ—n them the name of Spirit but the Holy Ghost especially because he is the spirituall vigour The Spirit is an operative thing the spirits are the quintessence and extraction of things that is nothing but operation God that is nothing but a pure act is said to be a spirit those that have the spirit of God are full of act and vigour the spirits of dull creatures are active when they are exâ—racted shall the spirits of bodies bee vigrous and shall not the Holy Ghost be vigrous that is a substantial vigour therefore if a man have the Spirit of God in him it will worke in him it is very operative Therefore it is compared to fire in diverse respects for first Fire it is of a working nature it is the instrument of nature if we had not fire what could we worke all Fabrickes and all things are done by Fire especially mettalls they are framed and made mallyable by fire So the Holy Ghost it is a working thing and softneth the heart and makes us mallyable it makes us fit for the impression of all good Secondly Fire againe though bodies be darke it makes them lightsome like it selfe Iron is a darke body but if the fire penetrate it it makes it lightsom We are darke creatures of our selves if we have the Spirit it makes us light Againe Fire it makâ—s chearefull and it ascends upward if a man have the Spirit of God his conversation will be upward his conversation will bee heavenly he minds the things of God he doth not grovel here below so in diverse such respects the Holy Ghost is compared to Fire and hath such effects in us in some sort wee finde our understandings enlightned and our selves quickened and carryed up to be above nature in holy and heavenly actions and then it is a good signe that we have the Spirit of Christ. A part will follow the whole as we see a part of the earth it falls to the center because all the earth is heavy all the whole earth fals down to the Center and
therefore every little clod will doe it so Christ our head that hath abundance of the Spirit is in Heaven and if we have the spirit we will follow him and minde the things where Christ is Where the Spirit of Christ is likewise it convinceth as it is Iohn 16. that is it brings a cleare evident conviction with it that the truth of God is the truth of God It is no doubtfull thing therfore when a man stâ—ggers in the truth in this and that course whether he should doe this or that it is a signe hee hath not the spirit or that he hath it in a very little measure because the Spirit is a convincing thing as light it convinceth a man he doth not doubt of that that he seeth at noone day so that that a man seeth by the Spirit he is convinced of when a man doubts and wavers whether hee should take a good course or a bad and wavers it is a signe he is carnall and hath not the Spirit of God for if hee had the Spirit it would convince him and set him downe you must take this course if you will bee saved That is said to convince that saith more for a thing then any thing can say against it Now when a man hath the Spirit of God he can say more for God and for good things and good wayes then all the devils in hell by discouragement can say against them Therefore when a man cannot say any thing for God and for good causes to purpose he hath not the spirit of God the spirit of God would so convince him that hee should answer all cavils and objections The argument is wondrous large I give you but a tast to know whether the Spirit of Christ be in you or no. In a word if Christ bee that spirit and have infused the spirit into us it will make us like him it will transforme us into his likenesse it will make us holy and humble and obedienâ— as hee was even to the death these things mighâ— bee largely followed buâ— we have occasion to speaâ— of these in other portioâ—â— of Scripture therfore that yee may get the Spirit of God take these directions We must goe to Christ studdy Christ if wee will have the Spirit studdy the Gospell of Christ what is the reason that before Christ there was so little spirit in comparison there was but a little measure of the knowledge of Christ the more Christ is discovered the more is the spirit given and according to the manifestation of Christ what he hath done for us and what hee hath the more the riches of Christ is unfolded in the Church the more the Spirit goes along with them The more the free grace and love of God in Christ alone is made knowne to the Church the more Spirit there is and againe backe againe the more spirit the more knowledge of Christ for there is a reciprocall going of these two the knowledge of Christ and the Spirit What is the reason that in Popery the Schoolemen that were witty to distinguish that there was little spirit in them they savoured not the Gospell they were wondrous quick in distinctions but they savoured not the matters of grace and of Christ it was not fully discovered to them but they attributed it to satisfaction and to merits and to the Pope the head of the Church c. They divided Christ they knew him not and dividing Christ they wanted the Spirit of Christ and wanting that spirit they taught not Christ as they should they were darke times as themselves confessed especially about nine hundred and a thousand yeares after Christ because Christ was vayled then in a world of idle ceremonies to darken the Gospell and the victory of Christ that the Pope made who was the Vicare of Sathan these were the Doctors of the Church then and Christ was hid and wrapped in a company of idle traditions and ceremonies of men and that was the reason that things were obscure Now when Christ and all good things by Christ and by Christ onely are discovered the vaile is taken off now of late for these hundred yeares in the time of reformation there hath beene more spirit and more light somenesse and comfort Christians have lived and dyed more comfortably why because Christ hath beene more knowne and as it is with the Church so it is with particular Christians the more they studdy Christ and the fulnesse that is in Christ and all comfort in him alone to be had Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and redemption the more men grow up in the knowledge of Christ the more they grow spirituall and the more spirituall they grow the more they grow in the knowledge of Christ therefore if wee would have the spirit let us come neere to Christ and labour to know him more who is the fountaine of all that is spirituall Then againe if wee would be spirituall let us take heed we trust not too much to dead things without Christ to have a kinde of Popery in the worke done to thinke that reading and hearing and receiving the Sacrament and that the government of the Church will doe it as if it were as man would have it put case there were all these which are excellent good things but what are all these without the spirit of Christ a man may bee dead with all these though he heare never so much and receive the Sacrament never so often if a man goe not to Christ the quickning spirit in this manner Lord these and my soule too are dead things without thy spirit therefore quicken me joyn Christ with all our performances without which all is nothing and then he will be spirituall to us And when wee goe to Christ for the spirit as we must beg it if wee will have it God will give the holy Ghost to them that aske him remember that we use the meanes carefully reading and hearing and holy communion of Saints because though these without the spirit can doe nothing yet the spirit is not given but by these these are the golden conduites of the spirit of Christ no man is ever spirituall but they are readers and hearers and conferrers of good things and attenders upon the meanes of Salvation because God will worke by his owne tooles and instruments therefore it is sayd Revel 1. That Iohn was full of the spirit upon the Lords day Let a Christian sanctifie the Sabbath as he should doe he will be in the Spirit on the Lords day more than on other dayes Why Because then he is reading and hearing and conferring and in some spirituall course and the more a man on the Lords day is in a spirituall course the more he is in the spirit Iohn was in the Spirit on the Lords day so much for those words The Lord is that Spirit And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty VVE see here what the Spirit
where these outward liberties are it is a signe that God hath an intendment to set men at Spirituall liberty Those therefore that are enemies of the dispensation of the Gospell in the ministery they are enemies to spiritâ—all liberty and it is an argument that a man is in bondage to Sathan when hee is an enemy any way of the unfolding of the Word of God for it is an argument that he is licentious that he will not be called to Spirituall liberty but live according to the flesh when he will not heare of the liberty of the Spirit as you have some kinde of men that account it a bondage Let us breake their bonds and cast away their coards why should we be tyed with the Word and with these holy things it is better that wee have no preaching no order at all but live every man as he would though they speake not so in words yet their lives and prophane carrige shew that they regard not outward liberties and that argueth that they are in spirituall bondage and that they have no interest in spirituall liberty because they are enemies of that whereby spirituall liberty is preserved Therefore the Gospell is set out by that phrase The Kingdome of God not onely the Kingdome of God set up in our hearts the Kingdome of the Spirit but likewise where the Gospell is preached there is the Kingdome of God why because with the dispensation of divine truth Christ comes to rule in the heart by the outward kingdome comes the spirituall kingdome they come under one name Therefore those that would have the spirituall kingdome of God by grace and peace to rule in their hearts till they reigne for ever in heaven they must come by this doore by the ministery by the outward ordinance the ordinance brings them to grace and grace to glory and it is a good and a sweete signe of a man spiritually set at liberty brought out of the kingdome of Sathan and freed from the guilt of sinne and from the dominion of sinne which is broken in Sanctification when we can meekely and cheerefully submit to the ordinance of God with a desire to have his spirituall thraldome discovered and to have spirituall duties unfolded and the riches of Christ layd open when hee heares these things with a tast and relish and a love it is a signe God loves his soule and that he hath interest in spirituall liberty because he can improve the Charter of his soule so well Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And besides this liberty in this world there is a liberty of glory called the liberty of the Sonnes of God The liberty of our bodies from corruption the glorious liberty in heaven when we shall be perfectly free for alas in this world we are free to fight not free from fight and we are free not from misery but free from thraldome to misery but then we shall be free from the encounter and incombrance all teares shall be wiped from our eyes wee shall be free from all hurt of body in sickenesse and the like and free from all the remainders of sinne in our soules that is perfect liberty perfect redemption and perfect adoption both of body and soule And that we have by the spirit too for where the Spirit of God is there is that to in this world in the beginnings of it for beloved what is peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost is it not the beginnings of heaven is it not a Grape of the heavenly Canaan is not the Spirit that wee have here an earnest of that inheritance an earnest penny and an earnest is a peece of the bargaine it is never taken away but is made up with the bargaine therefore when by the Spirit we have the beginnings of grace and comfort we have the beginnings of that glorious liberty and it assures us of that glorious liberty as sure as we have the earnest for God never repents of his bargaine that he makes with his children grace in some sort is glory as we see in the next verse because grace is the beginning of glory it frees the soule from terrour and subjection to sinne from the thraldome of sinne so the life of glory is begunne in grace we have the life of glory begunne by the Spirit this glorious life Vse 1 If we have all these blessed liberties in this world and in that to come by the Spirit then we should labour to have the Spirit of Christ or else we have no liberty at all and labour every day more and more to get this spirituall liberty in our consciences to have our consciences assured by the Spirit that our sinnes are forgiven and to feele in our consciences a power to bring under sinne that hath tyrannized over us before let us every day more and more labour to finde this spirituall liberty and prize dayly more the ordinances of God sanctified to set us at liberty attend upon spirituall meanes that God hath sanctified wherin he will convey the Spirit there were certaine times wherein the Angell came to stirre the waters of the poole so the Spirit of God stirres the waters of the Word and Ordinances and makes them effectuall attend upon the ordinances of God the Communion of Saints c. and the Spirit of God will slide into our soules in the use of holy meanes there is no man but hee findes experience of it he findes himselfe raysed above himselfe in the use of holy meanes The more we know the Gospell the more we have of the Spirit and the more Spirit we have the more liberty we enjoy If we prize and value outward liberty as indeede we doe and wee are naturally moved to doe it how should wee prize the Charter of our spirituall liberty the Word of God and the promises of Salvation whereby wee come to know all our liberty where we have all the promises opened to us the promise of forgivenesse of sinnes of necessary grace the promise of comfort in all conditions whatsoever therefore let us every day labour to grow farther and farther both in the knowledge and in the taste and feeling of this Spirituall liberty Vse 2 Oh beloved what a blessed condition it is to have this spirituall liberty doe but see the blessed use and comfort of it in all conditions for if a man hath the Spirit of God to set him at Spirituall liberty in all temptations either to sinne he hath the Spirit of God to free him from temptation or if temptation catch hold on him for sinne he hath the Spirit of God to flye too the blood of Christ to shew that if he confesse his sinnes and lay hold on Christ he hath pardon of sinne and the blood of Christ speakes better things than the blood of Abel it speakes mercy and peace if hee by faith sprinkle it upon his soule if he know the liberty of justification
cannot see a man but it trembles it cannot see a judge without trembling and will not the trembling conscience the guilty soule flee from the face of God a pace that trembles at the sigâ—t of a man What is so contrary as the nature of God to the nature of man out of Christ the unholy impure and uncleane nature of man to the pure holy nature of God if Christ had not taken our nature and sanctified it in himselfe and satisfied justice in it what boldnesse could this uncleane nature of ours have had to goe to the holy Godâ— let us I beseech you be wrapped up in admiration of the singular love of God to us especially in the dayes of the Gospell that now we see in a glasse in a cleare glasse the love of God in Christ and with open face boldly we may goe to God Sometimes when the soule is bold in sinne it weakeneth boldnesse and faith and makes us looke upon that object that our sinnes hath deserved upon a wise God for howsoever we may behold his glorious face in Christ yet if we behold sinne against conscience God will hide himselfe Christ will hide his face and hide the promises and leave us to terrours of conscience and the soule shall not apprehend his gracious face in Christ but that correction that our sinne hath deserved God hath power over the soule and makes the soule apprehâ—nd what objâ—ct he will and he presents to a bold soule that runnes into sinne what it deserves hell for the present there is no terrours to the terrour of a Christian that is bold in sinne till God shine upon him in his grace againe sinnes against conscience especially wasting sinnes weaken faiâ—h that wee cannot goe so boldly to God therefore those that say when they sinne against conscience that all the cause of their griefe is because they doe not conceive the free mercy of God they are ignorant of Gods wayes God is wise and though hee pardon sinne as sinne is pardoned in heaven before it be pardoned in the conscience they shall never be pardoned in thy conscience till God have made thy conscience smart for it and God will let wrath into thy conscience and thy faith shall stagger it is a sinne for faith to stagger it should not doe so but it will â—remble and quake till wee have humbled our selves before God What is the way after wee have had boldnesse and sweete familiarity with God and it hath beene interrupted by sin how shall we recover our selves Surely to apprehend our sinnes to be pardonable in Christ and that God is an everlasting Father and that the covenant of grace is everlasting and that there is mercy in Israâ—ll for this thing and the conceite of mercy must worke our hearts to griefe and shame that is certaine for marke in the Gospell Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden hee cals us when we find our consciences afflicted and tormented Hee came to save that which was lost by the blessed power of the Spirit the blood of Christ is as a fountaine for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in and the blood of Christ purgeth us from sinne and Christ bids us for daily trespasses aske pardon daily therefore conceive goodnesse in God still an everlasting current of mercy and this must work upon us griefe and shame and recover and strengthen our faith againe for Gods children after breaches arise the stronger rather then ever they were before but this onely by â—he way we see here how Gods glorious grace is conveyed to us and what is wrought in us to apprehend it a spirituall eye to see it in the glasse of the Gospell and with open face wee behold it wee may goe boldly to the throne of grace I beseech you let not this priviledge be forgotten this priviledge of the Gospell what is the glory of the times we live in but Gods face discovered in Christ in the Gospel faith is wrought in us to apprehend this to see Gods face openly and that we may come boldly with Benjamin our elder brother come with Esaus garments come with Christ and wee cannot be too bold remember alway there must be a reverent familiarity because hee hath Majesty mixed with his bowels of mercy both are mixed together beames and bowels so our carriage to him must bee loving and familiar as he is full of bowels of mercy but then he hath Majesty a reverent familiarity is fit for a father and for so gracious and so sweete a God therfore that phrase wee see in the Scriptures We goe boldly and cry Ab. ba Father Father is a word of reverence that is we goe boldly to God in Christ open our wants as to a Father with love and reverence as it is said here with open face let us not forget this priviledge We all Here is the generality Wee all before in Moses time hee alone went into the Mount and saw God but now We all â—ewes and Gentiles where the Gospell is Preached Wee all Therefore you see here the Church is enlarged by the comming of Christ. And it was a comfort to Saint Paul and to all good Christians to thinke of the inlargement of the Church by taking in the Gentiles as it will be a comfort hereafter to thinke of the inlargeing of the Church by taking in the lewes againe The more the better in religion Why is it a priviledge for many that we all because in matters of grace and glory there is no envy at all all may share without prejudice all cannot be Kings here upon earth nor all cannot bee great men because the more one hath the lesse another hath but in Christ and in Religion all may be gracious God respects every one as if there were none but them hee respects all as one and one as if there were none but he every man in solidum as Civillians expresse it entirely enjoyeth Christ as if there were none but he he is to all as one and to one as if there were none but hee there is no envy as I said in grace and glory where all may share alike and that is the reason why it is alway comfortable to thinke of community in Religion it is joyned with comfort And indeed so it is matter of comfort to see a communion of many in one for what is the misticall body of Christ Iesus but many members joyned in one body under one gracious and glorious head and therefore it is a deformed sight to see fraction and disunion it is that the divell rules in divide rule it is fit for the devill God and Christ rule in union the same Spirit of God that knits the members to the head by faith knits the members one to another in love and all grace is derived from the head to the members as they are united to the body if there be therefore disunion there is no grace conveyed so farre as there is
excellent let us all labour for grace above all things we all as I said before desire liberty and as we desire liberty so wee desire glory but we know not the way how to come to it in seeking liberty wee seeke licensiousnesse in seeking glory we seeke it from men that cannot give it we seeke glory in outward things that are nothing what is the glory of all outward things but the shining of a rotten peece of wood in the night time or as a glow-worme what is all this glory but a flash it is nothing if we would seek true glory indeed as naturally all doe let us seeke grace thereby we resemble Christ the Lord of glory thereby wee are glorious in the eyes of Christ thereby wee are glorious both without and within though this glory for the present bee hid thereby we are terrible to the devill and all enemies For ever since his head was crushed by Christ that broke the Serpents head he is afraid of mans nature in Christ he is afraid of Christians as knowing that they be better then himselfe and hee shall bee judged by them ere long the devill shall be judged by Christians therefore let us studdy for this glory a man is never glorious till he be a Christian. It is said of Antiochus that he was a vile person what though hee was a King yes let a man be never so great in the world if he be a wicked man a man that dishonoureth his tongue that shold be his glory that hath not the language of Canaan that dishonors and defiles his body that should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost a man that carries a malicious and malignant Spirit that hath the image of the devill in his soule if hee bee never so great a person he will be vile ere long when all relations shall end in death all excellencies must bee layd downe in death therefore seeing all other excellencies cannot keepe a man from being a vile person let us labour for that that will put a glory upon us labour for the Image of Christ to be stamped upon our soule There is a great humour in this age in looking to peeces of workemanship if a man have skill to discerne a peece as they call it it is more then ordinary Beloved what a vanity is this though these pictures be lawfull they are a kind of mute poetry but what is this to the having of the glorious Image of Christ stamped upon us to bee glorious in the eye of God and in the very judgement of carnall men There is nothing so excellent as grace and nothing so base as sinne indeed there is nothing base but sinne and nothing excellent but grace so that Gods children not onely in their glorious riches and prerogatives to be the Sonnes of God and heires of Heaven are glorious but they have an inward glory The Spouse of Christ is glorious within Insomuch that Christ is in love with his owne graces he wonders at his owne graces in his children Vse 2 Againe oppose this to the scorne and hatred of the world base minded persons that disgrace goodnesse that their illnesse may bee the lesse discerned they labour to make all alike all they can by slaunders at least that their illnesse may not appeare oppose the judgment of Gods Spirit that esteemes grace glory a gainst all the judgement of the base world Beloved they shall know one day that those that they despise shall judge them and their hearts secretly tell them so what makes them maligne men better then themselves they have a secret conceit he is above me The spirituall man judgeth all things he is a man that discernes by a spirituall eye he judgeeth and condemneth my wayes and hereafter he will judge mee a secret conscience in him makes him feare a good man though hee deprave and maligne him yet his heart stoupes Vse 3 Againe is grace glory when God sets it on us shall wee cast our crowne in the dirt shall wee defile and blemish our glory by sinniug against conscience wee forget our excellency that grace is glory it teacheth us how to carry our selves to our selves If there be grace is us let us be honorable to our selves It is a good caveat that wee should be venerable to our selves that is Christians should take a holy state to themselves What I that am an Heire of Heaven I that am a King I that am a Conquerour I that am the Sonne of God I that am a Freeman should I tangle my selfe with these things shall I goe and staine my selfe Is it not an unsightly thing to see a golden pillar daubed with dirt or to see a crowne cast in the dirt God hath put a crowne upon me he hath made me a King he hath made me an Heire of Heaven hee hath made me his Sonne he hath put a glory upon mee shall I abase my selfe to devillish base courses No I will be more honorable in my owne eyes Let us thinke our selves too good for the base services of Sathan these thoughts we should take to our selves these are not proud thoughts but befitting our condition when wee are tempted to any base course whatsoever it is it is contrary to my calling Vse 4 And let us comfort our selves in the worke of grace though it bee wrought in never so poore a measure in all the disparagements of the world for those that are besotted with false vaine-glory they have the eyes of their soules put out and dimmed and dazled with false glory they cannot judge of the glory of a Christian they want eyes therefore let us bee content to passe in the world as hidden Christ passed concealed in the world onely now and then the beames of his glory brake forth in his miracles so wee must be content for our glory is hid in Christ for the most part and it is clouded with the imputations and malice of men and sometimes with infirmities as it will in this world let us comfort our selves with this that wee are glorious howsoever and glorious within and this glory will breake out in a holy conversation and it is better to be glorious in the eyes of God and Angels and good men and in the consciences of ill men then to have glory from their mouthes mallice will not suffer them to glorify them with their mouthes but their consciences must needes stoope to goodnesse for God hath put a majesty into goodnesse that any man that is a man that is not a beast that hath naturall principles will reverence it and the consciences of such men wil make them speake the truth one day and they shall say We fooles thought these men mad but Nâ—w wee see our selves fooles therefore in the disparagements of worldly men that know not where true glory lies let us be content with this that God hath made us truely glorious by working a change in a comfortable measure let us comfort our selves in this Vse
goe away it is not as a flash or blaze of flaxe or so but the Spirit rests and growes still upon them from glory to glory the state of a Christian it is comfortable that is soundly converted when he shall thinke every day brings me nearer my glory every day I rise I am somewhat happier than I was the day before because I am somewhat more glorious and nearer to eternall glory when another wretch that lives in sinnes against conscience may say I am somewhat nearer hell nearer eclipsing and ebbing and declining than before so every day brings terrour to the one and matter of comfort to the other From glory to glory Grace we see is glory especially when it is in strength and the more grace growes the more glory the more it shines the more glory we say of fire the more it burnes the lesse it smoakes the lesse infirmity appeares that may disgrace it the more grace the more light and luster and the lesse infirmity glory belongs to the growth of grace in this world for is not a Christian a glorious Christan when he is a growne Christian when he sends a luster as a pearle when as a glorious light he shines to the example of others when he is able as Paul saith gloriously of himselfe I can doe all in Christ that strengthneth me to want and to abound cast him into any condition what you will he is like himselfe cast Ioseph into prison he is Ioseph still cast Paul in the dungeon he is Paul still and is never more glorious than in the middest of afflictions so grace growing to some perfection is glorious Wisedome makes a mans face to shine saith Salomon so it is true of all other graces in some perfection they make a man shine there is nothing in the world so glorious as a Christian that is growne to some perfection indeed he is so glorious that the eye of the world when it is cast upon him it stirres up envie as carnall persons when they see a Christian man unmoveable in the middest of all motions and unchangeable in all changes when nothing can alter him but he goes on they wonder at the condition of this man when as indeede his grounds and resolutions are above all discouragements or incouragements that the world can afford David was a King and a Prophet and David was a holy man and David for constitution of body was ruddy and of a sweete complection and David for the manner of his Kingdome was a King of a great people there were many excellencies of David oh but what doth David account the prerogative of a man Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven in whose spirit there is no guile that is that is truely sanctified in Spirit that is in the state of justification and as a witnesse of that of the forgivenesse of his sinnes hath a spirit without guile happy is that man not that is a King or a Prophet or a strong man or a beautifull man or hath this indowment or that but happy is the man whose sinnes are forgiven and whose spirit is sanctified From glory to glory We see then that there must be an increase a growing from glory to glory there is no stoppe nor stay to be made in religion there must be of necessity a desire to grow better and better for glory will grow still to glory grace will never cease till it end in glory Both in our dispositions that have it wrought in us we shall desire it may increase in us the Image of God and Christ more and more And in Gods purpose where he beginnes hee makes an end whether we looke to him that will not have us in a state of imperfection he hath not chosen us to imperfection but to perfection and he hath called us not to imperfection but to perfection he hath elected us to perfection he hath chosen us to be spotlesse not to be conflicting with our corruptions and to bee halting alway as Iacob we shal have perfect strength we are called and elected to perfection therefore there is no standing at a stay in religion there must be a perpetuall growth it is our disposition to desire and endeavour it still For beloved it is that that is inbred to all things that are imperfect to hasten to perfection till they come to their ubi to their pitch we see it in graine weake graine till it come to the full growth it breakes through clods through harder things than it selfe there is a nature in corne and seedes that have a beginning of life in their kinde in them till those seedes come to growth they put out themselves with a great deale of strength against opposition so grace is of such a strong nature being intended by God to perfection it will not rest in meane beginnings but puts it selfe forward still and breakes through opposition I will not stand upon the common place of growth in grace it is a large discourse and I touched it upon many occasions you see the necessity of it there must be a growth from glory to glory A growth not in parts as we say for at the first regeneration in the first beginning when we are gracious there is the beginning of a new life and there is the seedes of all graces but especially this growth is in intention and extention grace growes more and more in strength and extends and reacheth it selfe further and further to the use of many grace growes I say in the intention of it selfe and extends and reacheth it selfe to the use of more the more a Christian lives when he is in a right state and frame as a Christian should be he is of more strength in all particular graces and doth the more good and shines more in his life and conversation to others And likewise as there is a growth in intention and extention so there is a growth in the quality and purity of grace for the longer a man lives those graces that he hath grow more refined when a Christian is but a new Christian he tasts much of the old stocke as all fruite at the first will taste of the stocke so there is no fruite of righteousnesse that comes from a man at his first conversion but it tasts a great deale of old Adam it savours of the old stock the more hee live and growes spirituall the more that that comes from him relisheth of the Spirit the more refined is his wisedome the more refined is his love the more refined from selfelove his joy and delight is more refined Object Hence we may answere an objection by the way an old man seemes not to grow in grace he seemes not to be so good a man not to be so zealous as when he was young not so forward Answ. Beloved in those that are young there is a great deale of nature joyned with a little grace and that grace in them makes a greater expression
changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord so in the chayne of Salvation you have passive words in them all Whom God foreknew he chose and whom hee chose hee justified and whom he justified he glorified all because they come from God and the Spirit of God so here we are transformed from glory to glory all is by the Spirit of God the third person for beloved even as from God toward us all things come through the Sonne by the Spirit so backe againe all things from us to God must come by the Spirit and through Christ wee doe all by the Spirit as all things are wrought in us by the Spirit God gives us the Spirit of Prayer and supplication and the Spirit of Sanctification and we pray in the Spirit and worke in the Spirit and walke in the Spirit wee doe all in the Spirit to shew that the Spirit doth all in all in this new creature and worke of Sanctification it is by no lesse then the Spirit of the Lord For beloved as it was God that redeemed us so it is God that must change us as it was God that wrought our Salvation and reconciled us no lâ—sse person could doe it so it must bee God that must perswade us of that glorious worke and fit us for it by his holy Spirit it is God that must knit us to our head Christ and then by little and little transforme us to that blessed condition that Christ hath purchased for us God the Sonne doth the one and God the Spirit doth the other you have all the three persons in this place for wee see the glory of God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost shining in lesus Christ. Christ is the Image according to which we are changed the Spirit is he that changeth us according to that Image God shewes his mercy in Christ we knowing and apprehending the mercy of God in Christ by the Spirit are changed by that Spirit from glory to glory so that the blessed Trinity as they have a perfect unity in themselves in nature for they are all one God so they have a most perfect unity in their love and care and respect to mankinde we cannot want the worke of any one of them all their worke is for the good of mankind The Father in his wisedome decreed and laid the foundation how mercy and justice might be reconciled in the death of the mediator Christ wrought our Salvation the Holy Ghost assures us of it and knits us to Christ and changeth and fits us to be members of so glorious a head and so translates and transformes us more and more from glory to glory It is a comfortable consideration to see how our salvation and our fitting for salvation till wee be put in full possession of it stands upon the unity of the three glorious persons in the Trinity that all joyne in one for the making of man happy I will name two or three Doctrines before I come to that which I meane to dwell on As first that The Spirit comes from Christ. It is said here By the Spirit of the Lord that is of Christ Because Christ doth spirare as well as the Father the Father doth spirare and the Son doth breath the Holy Ghost proceedes by way of spiration from both therefore the Spirit is not only the Spirit of the Father but of the Sonne as we see here The Spirit of the Lord. Christ sends the Spirit as well as the Father I will send you the Comforter The Holy Ghost proceedes from the Father and the Sonne and hee doth report to us the love of the Father and of the Sonne and therefore 2 Cor. 13. The shutâ—ing up of the Chapter The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost c. As the Holy Ghost hath communion in proceeding from the Father and the Sonne and knowes the secrets of both so he reveales them to us the love of God the Father and the Sonne and the communion of the the Holy Ghost so the Holy Ghost proceedes from the Sonne as well as from the Father he is called here the Spirit of the Lord. Then againe the Spirit is a distinct person from Christ it is said before The Lord is that Spirit that might trouble men how to know that The Lord is that Spirit men might thinke that Christ is all one with the Spirit No here the Spirit is said to be the Spirit of the Lord he meanes he is another distinct person from Christ and the Spirit is God as well as Christ because the Spirit hath the operations of God attributed to him to change and transfrome and make new wee are changed into the same Image from glory to glory Even as by the Spirit of the Lord creation and renovation of all new is from an Almighty power all the power in Heaven and earth cannot make that that was not to be especially that that was contrary and opposite to be now for a man in opposition and enmity to Religion to be changed to a better Image to the Image of Christ it argueth an Almighty power these Doctrinall poynts I doe but onely touch I come to that that I judge more usefull that is that What soever â— good in us it comes from the Spirit of God What need I stand upon reasons whatsoever is above nature it must come from Gods Spirit the Spirit is the Authour of all things above nature grace whereby wee are like Christ it is above nature therefore it must bee by the Spirit of God Besides that which riseth of nothing and is opposite and hath Sathan to oppose it it must have an Almighty power to work it Therefore whosoever workes any thing that is supernaturally good in us hee must be above the devill we cannot so much as call Iesus with a feeling but by the Spirit of God we cannot thinke a good thought all is by the Spirit whatsoever is gracious and comfortable in us I should bee overtroublesome to you to be much in so cleare a common argument as this is therfore I wil hasten to make some use of it Vse 1 And therefore put out of your thoughts I beseech you when you look to have any grace or comfort wrought shut out of your hearts too much relying upon any outward thing thinke not that education can make a man good or plodding can make a man good in bodily exercise in hearing much in conferring much in custome or education or any paines of our owne these are things that the Spirit will be effectuall in if we use them as wee should but without the Spirit what are theyâ— nay what is the body of Christ without the Spirit The flesh prositeth nothing what is the Sacrament and the Word dead things without the Spirit of the Lord nothing can worke upon the soule no outward thing in the world but the Spirit of God and the
glory of Gods mercy in Christ pardoning our sinnes for the righteousneffe and obedience of Christ and then that love warmes our hearts so that it changeth our hearts by the Spirit from one degree of grace to another there is a changing power that goes with the love of Christ and with the mercy of God in Christ this 〈◊〉 Doctrine the same Spirit that justifieth us by applying to us the obedience of Christ the same Spirit sanctifyeth us therefore their allegations and objections are to no purpose wee see here the Spirit of the Lord changeth us And so for your common Atheisticall professors that professe themselves Christians they partake of the name but not of the annoynting of Christ true Christians that are annoynted with the Spirit of Christ it will inforce a change Beloved we cannot behold the Sunne but wee must be enlightned we cannot behold the Sunne of righteousnesse but we shall be changed and enlightned The eye of faith though we thinke not of it though it looke upon Christ for justification and forgivenesse of sinnes yet notwithstanding at the same time incensibly there is an alteration of the soule if a man looke up for other ends yet at the same time there is an enlightning by the Sunne so at the same time that wee looke upon the mercy of God in Christ at the same time there is a glory shines upon us and wee are altred and changed though we thinke not of it at the very instant that we apprehend justification and forgivenesse of sinnes in the mercy of God in Christ at the same instant there is a glory put upon the soule we cannot have commerse with the God of glory but we shall be glorious Therefore there is no man that hath any thing to doe with God that hath not some glory put into his soule whatsoever he is Therefore let no man thinke hee hath any thing to doe in Religion till he finde the worke of the Spirit altering and changing him He hath the title of Holy Spirit from the blessed worke of sanctâ—â—ying anâ— changing he 〈…〉 And when hehath changed us he governes and guides us from glory to glory where the Holy Ghost is therfore he promotes the worke of grace begunne he doth not onely move us but promove he promotes the worke begunne therefore those that have the Spirit of God they rest in no degree of grace but grow from grace to grace from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith till they come to that measure of perfection that God hath appointed them in Christ those therefore that set up their staffe and will goe no further that thinke all is well they have not the Spirit of God for the Spirit stirres up to grow from one degree of grace to another to adde grace to grace and to enter further and further into the Kingdome of grace and to come nearer to glory still For this end the holy Spirit dwels in us and guides us as it is Rom. 8. he is a Tutor to us where the holy Ghost is in any body it is as a counseller Guide mee by thy counsell till thou bring me to glory It is a Tutor as Noblemens children they have their Tutors so Gods children are nobly borne they have their Tutor and Counsellor as well as Angels to attend them they have the Spirit of God to tell them this doe and that doe and here you have done ill they have a voyce behind them to teach them in particular wherein they have done amisse they that have the Spirit finde such a sweete operation of the Spirit the Spirit is a teacher and a counsellour to them they that are acquainted wiâ—h the government of Gods Spirit they find i checking them presently when they doe ill 〈◊〉 grieves them when they grieve the Spirit so it teachâ—th them in particular â—usinesses doe this doe not that Thus wee may know if we have the Spirit if it guide and governe us from glory to glory till wee come to perâ—ection where the Spirit is all in all in heaven Another evidence is this the Spirit where it is it rests and abides because it doth not onely change us at the first but it leads us from glory to glory as Saint Augustine saith wicked men have the Spirit of God knocking and he would saine enter as the wickedest man when he heares holy truthes discovered the Spirit of God knockes at his heart and he findes sweete motions in his poysonfull rebellious nature but this is but the spirit knocking that would have entrance but Gods children have the spirit entering and dwelling and resting there The spirit of God resteth on Christ and it rests on Christs members how can it change them and having done so guide and governe them from glory to glory but hee must rest there hee must take up his lodging and residence a Christian is not an ordinary house but a Temple he is not an ordinary man but a King he is not an ordinary stone but a Pearle he is not an ordinary tree but a Cedar hee is an excellent person and therefore the Spirit of God delights to dwell in him As the excellency of the body is from the soule so the excellency of the soule is from the spirit dwelling in him However in particular operations the spirit suspends his acts of comforâ—ing and guiding to humble them for their presumption alway the Holy Ghost is in the heart though he be hid in a corner of the heart I will send you the Comforter and hee shall abide with you for ever saith Christ thus we see how we may try ourselves whether we have the Spirit of the Lord oâ— no If wee have not the Spirit we are none of his wee are none of Christs Rom. 8. 13. And then whose are we if wee bee none of Christs Doe but thinke of that therefore if wee would not be men not having the Spirit that is men dead lead with a worse spirit then our own let us labor to know whether we have the Spirit of Christ or no Let us see what change there is to the likenesse of Christ for the Spirit as it comes from the Lord so it makes us like the Lord and wee are changed by reasons from the Lord by reasons and considerations from Christ and from the love of God in Christ because the spirit takes from Christ whatsoever he hath Hee shall take of mine c. that is the comfort hee comforts the soule with hee fetches them from his death and blood-shed and the love of God in him that he takes of Christ so there is a change wrought is us by reasons fetched from the love of God in Christ those conforming reasons God hath given his Sonne and Christ hath given himselfe and wee feele the love of God by the Spirit if the Spirit worke any grace or comfort by considerations fetched from Christ this is the true Spirit the change and alteration that it workes in
us is according to the Image of Christ that we may be like Christ so Christ is the beginning and the end and Christ is all hee workes from Christ and to Christ. Let us examine therefore if wee have the Spirit of Christ whether it change us and examine if wee have the Spirit from what reasons and grounds it changes us and then wee may upon some comfortable grounds say we have the Spirit indeed If we have not the Spirit how shall we come to have the Spirit what meanes must wee use to get it In a word this Chapter excellently sets out that for the Gospell is called the Ministery of the Spirit for the opening of the love of God in Christ which is the Gospell is the Mynistery of the Spirit why because God hath joyned the Spirit with the publishing and opening of these mysteries therefore study the Gospell and heare unfolded divine Evangelicall truthes the more wee heare of the sweete love of God in Christ the more the Spirit flowes into the soule together with it the Spirit goes together with the Doctrine of the Gospell which is called the ministery of the Spirit Therefore let us delight in hearing Evangelicall poynts the love of God opened in Christ. A civill morall man Oh he is taken mightily if hee heare a morall witty pollitique discourse that toucheth him and he is in his element then What is this to the Gospell this hath its use Oh but the Spirit goes with the opening of the Gospell with Evangelicall points and if our hearts were ever seasoned with the love of God these points of Christ and the benefits and priviledges by Christ they will affect us more then any other things in the world that is one meanes to studdy the Gospell to heare the truths of the Gospell opened where the Spirit workes Againe the Spirit of the Lord it is given to us usually in holy community the Holy Ghost fell upon them in the Actes when they were gathered together and surely wee never finde sweeter motions of the Spirit then now when wee are gathered at such times about holy businesse as this day wee never find the Spirit more effectuall to alter and change our soules then at such times Where two or three are gathered together I will be in the midst of you but by the Spirit saith Christ warming and altering and changing the soule For God infâ—seth al grace in communion as we are members of the body mysticall those that have â—ullen spirits a spirit of separation that scorne all meetings they are carryed with the spirit of the devill and of the world they know not what belongs to the things of God It is the meeâ—e spirit that subjects it selfe to the Ordinance of God the Holy Ghost falls usually upon men when they are in holy Communion And in Luke 11. there God will give the Holy Ghost to all that begge him pray for the holy Ghost as the most excellent thing in the world he shal be given to them that begge him as if he should say there is nothing greater then that and God will give him to them that aske him Therefore come to God and in any thing wee have to doe empty our selves and beg the Spirit for the more a man empties him of his owne confidence in regard of holy performance of duties the more wee wil desire to be filled with the fullnesse of the Spirit and this sense of our owne emptines will force prayer Therefore know that of our selves wee can doe nothing holily that may further our reckoning but by the Spirit doe all things therefore in a sense of our owne emptinesse and begge the Spirit As likewise when wee are framed by the Spirit to obedience those that obey the motions of the Spirit the Spirit joynes morâ— and more closely with their soules God gives his Spirit to them that obey him those that obey the first motions of the Spirit they have further degrees What is the reason that men have no more Spirit in the Ordinances The holy Ghost knockes at their hearts and would faine have entrance and they resist it as Stephen saith now the Holy Ghost is willing to enter upon the soule but he is resisted therefore if you will have him more and more let us open our soules that the King of glory may come in the Spirit is willing to enter especially in holy assemblies saith Saint Iohn I was on the Lords day I was in the Spirit that is as if he were drowned in the Spirit on the Lords day when we are about holy exercises we are never more in the Spirit than then let us open our soules to the Spirit and then we shall find the Spirit joyning with our soules the Spirit is more willing to save us and to sanctifie us then wee are to entertaine him Oh that we were willing to entertaine the sweete motions of the Spirit our natures would not be so defiled and we so uncomfortable as we are there are none of us all but wee finde comfortable motions in holy exercises thus wee may get the Spirit of the Lord that doth all that illuminates and sanctifieth and ruleth and rests in us Vse 4 And let us learne I beseech you hence to give the third glorious person the Holy Ghost his due since wee have all by the Spirit let us learne to give the Spirit his due and learne how to make use of the worke of the Spirit there are severall workes of the Spirit you see here what the Spirit doth We all the Spirit unites us together it is a Spirit of union it knits all together by one faith to God all meete in God the Father reconciled and we all are joyned together by love wrought by the Spirit With open face who takes away the vayle wee are all vayled by nature the Spirit takes away the vaile from our eyes and from the truth what is the reason the Gospell is so obscure the Spirit takes not away the vaile it teacheth not by the Ministery or else it takes not away the vaile from the eyes the Spirit takes away the scales from our eyes and the Spirit in the ministery takes away the obscurity of the Scriptures all those that wee call graces the free gifts the ministeriall gifts they are the gifts and the graces of the Spirit and they are for the graces of the Spirit skill in tongues and in the Scriptures and in other learning are given to men that they may take away the vaile from the the Scriptures that they may be lightsome and then when the Spirit is given he takes away the vaile from the soule by his owne worke and then with open face we behold the glory of the Lord What doth open our eyes to see when the vaile is taken off the Spirit wee have no inward light nor sight but by the illumination of the Spirit all light in the things and all sight in us it is by
the illumination of the Spirit And then the change according to the Image of Christ this is altogeâ—her by the Spirit of Christ it is altogether from the holy Ghost Christ baptiseth With the Holy Ghost and with fiâ—e and Christ came By blood and by water by blood to dye for us and by water by his Spirit to change us and purge and cleanse us all is by the Spirit Christ came as well by the Spirit as by blood This change and the graduall change from glory to glory all is by the Spirit therefore wee should not thinke altogether of Christ or God the Father when we goe to God in prayer but thinke of the worke of the Spirit that the holy Ghost may have his due Lord without thy Spirit my body is as a thing without a soule a dead loathsome stiffe unapt carkasse that cannot stirre a whit and so my soule without the operation of thy holy Spirit it is a stiffe dead unmoveable thing and therefore by thy Spirit breath upon me as thy holy Spirit in the creation did lye upon the waters and brood as it were all things there lying upon the waters it fashioned this goodly creature heaven and earth this Mundus so the Spirit of God lying upon the waters of the soule it fashions all graces and comforts whatsoever they are all is wrought by the Spirit in the new creature as all in this glorious fabricke of the world was by the Spirit of God Let the Spirit of God therefore have due acknowledgement in all things whatsoever And what are we to looke to mainely now the knowledge of God the Father and his love to us shining in Christ all is in Christ and if we would have any thing wrought in us any alteration of our natures let us begge the Spirit that we may have the discovery of the love of God in Christ the Spirit attending upon the Gospell And because we have all these aboundantly in these latter times of the Church in the second spring of the Gospell in the reformation of religion after our recovery out of Popery there is a second spring of the Gospell oh belovd how much are we beholding to God never since the beginning of the world was there such glorious times as we enjoy Wee see how the holy Apostle doth preferre these times before former times when the vayle was upon their eyes and when all was hid in ceremonies and types and such things among the lewes Now saith he we behold the glory of God and are changed by the Spirit from glory to glory To conclude all therefore consider that the glory of the times and the glory of places and persons all is from the revelation of Christ by the Spirit which hath the Spirit accompanying it the more God in Christ is layd open the more the times and places and persons are excellent What made the second temple beyond the former Christ came at the second temple therefore though it were baser in it selfe yet the second Temple was more glorious than the first what made Bethelem that little City glorious Christ was borne there what makes the heart where Christ is borne more glorious than other folke Christ is borne there Christ makes persons and places glorious What makes the times now more glorious than they were before Christ what made the least in the Kingdome of heaven greater than Iohn Baptist he was greater than all that were before him and all that are after him are greater than he because his head was cut off he saw not the death and resurrection of Christ and the giving of the holy Ghost he saw not so much of Christ so that the revelation of Christ and the love of God in Christ it is that that makes times and persons and places glorious all glorious because the vayle is taken away from our eyes we see Christ the King of glory in the Gospell flourishing and the love of God manifested and by the Spirit of God the vayle is taken away inwardly as well as outwardly now for a fuller discovery of Christ than in former times comes the glory of the times now there are more converted than in former times because the Spirit goes together with the manifestation of Christ what is the reason that this Kingdome is more glorious than any place beyond the Seas because Christ is here revealed more fully than there the vayle is taken off and here we see the glory of God with open face which changeth many thousands from glory to glory by the Spirit of God that accompanies the revelation of the Gospell Is there any outward thing that advanceth our Kingdome before Turkey or Spaine c. No thing their government and riches and outward things are as much as ours if not more the glory of places and times are from the revelation of Christ that hath the Spirit accompanying of it that Spirit changeth us from glory to glory our times are more glorious than they were a hundred yeeres or two before why because we have a double revelation of Christ and of Antichrist we see Christ revealed and the Gospell opened and the vayle taken off we see Antichrist revealed that hath masked under the name of head of the Church and hath seduced the world Now this double revelation challengeth acknowledgement of these blessed times what should all this doe but stirre us up to know the time of our visitation to thankfulnesse to blesse God that hath reserved us for these places and Countries that we live in to cast our times to be in this glorious light of the Gospell to be borne in what if we had beene borne in those darke Egyptian times of Popery our lives had not beene so comfortable Now we live under the Gospell wherein with open face we see the glory of the mercy of God in Christ the unsearchable riches of Christ opened and discovered to us And together with the Gospell the ministery of the Spirit goeth the Spirit and those that belong to God thousands by the blessing of God are changed from glory to glory Certainely if we share in the good of the times we will have hearts to thanke God and to walke answerably that as wee have the glorious Gospell so we will walke gloriously that we doe not by a base and fruitlesse life dishonour so glorious a Gospell I beseech you let us thinke of the times else if we be not the better for the glorious times if the vayle be not taken away we are under a fearefull judgement The god of this world hath blinded our eyes doe wee live under the glorious light and yet are darke that wee see no glory in Christ we see nothing in religion but are as ready to entertaine Popery as true religion is this the fruite of the long preaching of the Gospell and the vayle being taken off so long certainely the God of this world hath cast the dust of the world into our eyes that we can see
Three parts of the Text. Happinesse of man in two things Doct. The mercie of God his glory Glory what Excellency Evidence Victory Witnesse Severall attributes shine on severall occasions All attributes terrible without mercie Why men are enemies to Gods free grace The glory of God in the Gospell greater than that in Adam The glory of God in Gospell above that in Creation Gods glory to man more than to Angels 1 Cor. 14. The glory of Gods mercy shineth in Christ. To imbrace this mercy God joynes our good with his glory To admire the love of God We may glory in Gods love without danger Glorious mercy will satisfie conscience Comfort from Gods mercy How we may looke at our owne Salvation How to thinke of mercy in temptation Often offences exclude not from mercy How God shewed Moses his glory Exhortation to accept mercy When we account grace glorious Necessity of the Gospell God condescends in giving the Gospell Motions of the Spirit in men unconverted God must be seene in some glasse God hath ingaged himselfe by his promise We cannot see Divine things but in a glasse Sight weak here perfect in heaven Our soules helped by our sences What makes spirituall things difficult Vse of a glasse To helpe weake sight Sacraments glasses Degrees of sight In the creatures In the Word Of Christ in the flesh Of faith Faith compared to sight It is the noblest sence It is largest It is the surest It is most working Vse How to keepe the eye of the soule cleare To â—ixe it on the object Remoove hinderances Inward Outward Spirituall sight presered by hearing The best glasse to know Christ in The vayle tooke away But in part Two fold use of a vayle Why men see not though the Gospell be unvailed Boldnesse in the Gospell Feare taken away by the Gospell Boldnesse in sinne weakneth boldnesse of faith How to â—ecovâ—r boldnesse with God Comfort in community in Religion To labour for union Necessity of a chang Simil. Reasons why our nature mâ—st be changed Because naturally we are opposite to God Simile Change double We cannot â—lse be fitted for heaven Every true Christian desires it A change in Sanctification as well as justification We can performe no holy action else The change especially on the will God qualifies whom he dignifies All good in Christ opposite to the ill in Adam Why the 〈◊〉 of Gods children is unâ—ltâ—rable Why Christ changeth us into his Image He is a powerfull head and husband We are predestinate to his likenesse Christs end is to destroy sathans work in us We could have no communion with Christ else To stuâ—â—dy Christ. Christs carriage Toward his friends To weake Christians To those that had but seeming grace To his Father To himselfe To his enemies To the Devill To Hypocrites How to reade the life of Christ in the Gospell The more we are like Christ the more beloved of God And of one another Simil. Who keepe Christ alive in the world How we come to be like Christ. How we are dead and risen with Christ. Three things comfortable to us in Christs death Whence hatred of sinne proceedes How to know if we be changed to Christs Image Most desire to be changed into the likenesse of the world Meditate on Christ. The sight of remainder of sin Christ all in all in changing us The gift of the Spirit For Christ. From Christ. The patterne of all grace from Christ. The reasons of this câ—ange from Christ To see all that is good and comfortable in Christ first This change wrought by beholding The excellencie of the glasse of the Gospell Vpon what ground we are changed by beholding Three efficatious sights How to knoW if we see the glory of God as we ought Love workes imitation Repentance a turning If there were not a change God would be forsworne Foure degrees of the glory of a Christian. Sin makes us shamefull Glorious comforts in religion Growth in grace glory The glory of the soule in heaven Of bodie and soule at the resurrection Grace is glory It is Gods image Mans perfection Terible to al opposites Wisedome Humility Selfe deniaâ—l Boldnesse with God Love Hope The glorious condition of a Christian. Difference betweene a Christan and another man Why the world despise those that are gracious From blindnesse of carnall men From Saints infirmities It is but a forced contempt We must be conformed to Christ. Grace in others either imitated or envied The excellency of Christians above others Two sorts of carnall men To labour for grace that we may be glorious No man glorious but a Christian Oppose this glory to the base esteem of carnall men Comfort our selves in the disparagements of the world To know whether we have grace by our esteeme of it In himselfe In others The state of grace and glory both goe under one name Heaven must be begun here Comfort that grace and glory have the same name Difference betweene the state of the godly and wicked Grace glorious when it is in strength Grace of a growing nature From our disposition From Gods purpose Simil. Grace more refined in aged Christians The least degree of grace glory in respect of the state of nature To labour for strength of grace Priviledges of growth in grace Not to be discouraged in the weaknesse of grace God leads his by degrees to heaven It is our owne fault that we are not more perfect Not to be discouraged in seeming interruption of spirituall growth The least beginnings and the perfection of grace have the same name and why Simile No change in Heaven Why we are not brought to perâ—â—ction here Not to â—â—are death Degrees in the glory of a Christian. A part of heaven to know the glory of it To trâ— the truth of our graces Christians grow when they thinke they doe not Why God brings us on by little and little Not to decay in grace Christians compared to the best things A â—icked man cannot desire heaven Account must be givâ—n for examples To beare the reproach of Christ. Vse 7. To be thankfull for glory beforehand In our head By Faith In the first fruites The workâ— of the whole Trinity in mans salvation Doct. Doct. Not to rest too much in outward performances The Spirit quickens all ordinances The Word and Spirit compared to the blood and arterieâ— The Spirit in Christ naturall and mysticall In the state of grace we must looke for nothing from our selves Comfort in want of goodnesse in us When men trust their owne strength they fall Whether we have the Spirit It openeth the eyes of the soule It discovers Gods love It sanctifieth Slander of the Papists He promotes sâ—nctification The Spirit a Counsellor It abides It changeth by reasons from Christ How to get the Spirit By hearing the Gospel In holy Communion Prayer To give the Spirit of God his dâ—e Whence the glory of times and places is Why more are converted now than formerly The danger of unprofitablenesse under meanes Spirituall judgements â—errable
little stone grew to a mountaine Dan. 2. so we must bee content to grow from grace to grace there is a graduall proceeding in the new creature wee must not be presently in Canaan God will lead us through the wildernesse through temptations and crosses before wee come to Heaven many because they see they are farre short of others that are stronger Christians therefore they thinke they have no grace at all Therefore let those that are on the growing hand though they bee short of many that are before them let them not be discouraged with their over-little beginnings for it is Gods Ordinance course in this world to bring his children by little and little through many stations as they were led in the wildernesse from standing to standing and from place to place so God brings his children by many standings to Heaven and it is one part of a Christians meekenesse to subject to Gods wisedome in this kinde and not to murmure that they are not so perfect as they would be or as they shall be but rather to magnifie the mercy of God that there is any change in such defiled and polluted soules that hee hath vouchsafed any spirituall light of understanding any love of good things that the bent of their affections are turned to a contrary course then they were before that God hath vouchsafed any beginnings rather magnifie his mercy then quarrell with his dispensation that he doth not this all at once and indeed if we enter into our owne hearts it is our fault that wee are not more perfect but let us labour to be meeke and say Lord since thou hast ordained that I shall grow from glory to glory from one degree of grace to another let me have grace to magnifie thy mercy that thou hast given me any goodnesse rather then to murmure that I have no more and bee content in the use of meanes and indeavour to grow further though wee have not so much as others have Nay wee may not be discouraged because of the weaknesse of grace but we may not be discouraged with a seeming interruption in our spirituall growth God sometimes works by contraries hee makes men grow by their puttings backe and to stand by their falls sometimes when God wil have a man grow hee will suffer him to fall that by his fall he may grow in a deeper hatred of sinne and in jealousie over his owne heart and a nearer watchfulnesse over his owne wayes that he may grow more in love with God for pardoning of him and grow more strong in his resolution for the time to come that he may grow more in humility none growes so much as those that have their growth stopped for a time Let none be discouraged when they find a stop but consider that God is working grace in another kind the Spirit appeares in one grace when it doth not in another it grows in one grace when it doth not in another sometime the Spirit will have us grow in humility as the juyce of the herbes runnes to the roote in the Winter it is in the leaves in the Spring it is in the seede in Autumne as the life sometime appeares in the plant in one part and sometime in another so the Spirit of God appeares sometime in humility sometime in joy sometime in spiriâ—uall strength and courage Let none bee discouraged over much when they finde a stoppe for there is no interruption of spirit altogether and this little interruption is like a sickenesse that will make them grow and shoote up more afterwards it spends the humours that hinders growth there is such a mystery in the carrying of men from glory to glory that it makes men more glorious sometimes by base sinnes I would have no man discouraged therfore indeed God will worke so that hee shall wish he had not given him occasion to shew his strength in his weakenes his glory in his shame but God where hee hath begunne he will go through with the worke and will turne all to good And to incourage us here grace begunne hath the same name as grace perfect both are glory why doth God call them by one name To incourage Christians he tels them that if it be begunne it is glory not that it is so properly but if it be begunne it shall never end till it come in Heaven therefore God stiles grace in all the latitude from the highest to the very beginnings by the same name to incourage Christians if they be within the doore of the Temple though they be not so farre as those that are in high and glorious places yet they are going thither to incourage Christians to know that unavoydably and undefesably they shall come to perfection of glory if it be begunne and God lookes not on Christians as they are in their imperfections and beginnings but that that in time hee meanes to bring them to he intends to bring them to glory therfore he gives grace the stile of glory As in the creatures God looked not on the seedes of trees as such but he looked on them as seedes that he meant to make trees of and when God lookes upon his children he lookes not on them as they are children but as they shall be perfect men Doth the wisedome of God looke on the seedes of trees as he intends to make them trees and doth he not looke upon Christians that are babes in grace as he intends to make them men to come to the perfect stature of Christ he viewes us at once in our beginnings and perfections all is presented at once to him therefore he gives one name to the whole state of grace grace and glory all is glory I beseech you therefore if there be any goodnesse any blessed change in us let us be comforted for he that hath brought us to the beginnings of glory will never faile till hee hath brought us to perfect glory in heaven and there our change shall rest there is no further change there when we are once in our element For even as God when he made man he rested from all his worke upon the Sabboth man was his excellent peece so the Spirit of God will rest sanctifying and altering of us when we are once in Heaven in that eternall Sabboth then wee shall neede no changes from glory to glory wee shall for ever be filled with the fulnesse of God till which time there is no creature in the world so changable as a Christian. For first you see hee was made in Gods Image and likenesse in his state of standing After he fell there was a change to his second state of sinne After the state of fall there is a change to the state of grace After that from one degree of grace to another in this world till hee dye and Then the soule is more perfect and glorious but at the last when body and soule shall be united there shall bee no more change there
shall bee an end of all alteration So we see that God intends by his spirit to bring us to perfection though by little and little to perfection of glory as farre as our nature is capable and this shall be at the latter day Quest. Why not before why not in this world Ans. Beloved wee are not capable here of that fullnesse of glory Saint Peter on the Mount had but a glimpse of the glory of Heaven and he was spiritually drunke as it were he knew not what he said we are not capable therefore wee must grow here from glory to glory till we come to that perfection of glory God that gives us the earnest could make up the bargain here if we were capable of it but we are not God will have a differâ—nce betweene the millitant and the tryumphant Church and will traine us up here to live the life of faith till we come to live the life of sight the life of vision for ever in Heaven Doth God by his Spirit change us by his Spirit to the likenâ—sse of Christ from glory to glory till he have brought us to perfection of glory in Heaven Oh let us comfort our selves in our imperfections here we are here lame Mephibosheths hee was a Kings Sonne but he was lame we are spiritually lame and defective though we be Kings Sons Oh but we shal grow from glory to glory till all end in perfection in Heaven what a comfort is this in our imperfections that as every day we live in this world cuts off a day of our life for we live so much the shorter so every day we live brings us nearer to Heaven that as we decay in the life of nature every day so we grow up another way from glory to glory till we come to perfect glory in Heaven is not this a sweete comfort Let us comfort our selves with these things Vse 3 Againe if the state of Gods people bee thus sweet and comfortable and full of well grounded hopes that glory shall goe further on to glory and end in glory Then why should we be afraid of death for grace will but end in glory a meane glorious estate will but even be swallowed up of a truely glorious estate indeed grace is swallowed up of glory even as the Rivers are swallowed up of the Ocean glory takes away nothing but perfects all better by death why should wee bee afraid of death we are afraid of our glory and of the perâ—ection of our glory There be degrees of glory there is glory begunne here in grace and there is the glory of the soule after death and the glory both of soule and body for ever in heaven and these make way one to another A Christian is glorious while he lives and hee growes in glory while he lives he is more glorious when he dyes for then his soule hath perfectly the image of Christ stamped upon it but he is most glorious at the day of resurrection when body and soule shall be glorious when he shall put downe the very Sunne it selfe all glory shall be nothing to the glory of the Saints They shall shine as the Sun in the firmament And indeed there will be no glory but the glory of Christ and of his Spouse all other glory shall vanish and come to nothing but the glory of the King of Heaven and his Queene that hee hath chosen to himselfe to sollace himselfe eternally with when the spirituall marriage shal be accomplished they shall be for ever glorious together why then should we be afraid of death for then there shall be a further degree of glory of the soule and after that a further degree of body and soule when our bodies shall be conformable to the glorious body of Christ when they shall be spirituall as it is in 1 Cor. 15. I beseech you therefore let us learne this to comfort our selves against those darker times of dissolution when we shall see an end of all other glory all wordly glory shall end in the dust and lie downe in the grave when we must say that rottennesse is our Father and the worme our Mother we can claime no other kinne in regard of our body yet then we shall be more glorious in regard of our soules Christ shall put a robe of glory upon us and then afterward wee shall be more glorious still Therefore it is base infidelity to be afraid of our dissolution when indeed it is not a dissolution but a way to glory we should rather consider the conjunction then the dissolution death takes in peeces body and soule but it joynes the soule to Christ it makes the soule more glorious then it was before we goe from glory to glory our Saviour Christ saith Hee that beleeveth in mee shall never dye What doth he meane by that Indeed he shall never dye for grace shall bee swallowed up of glory as soone as ever the life of nature it gone he lives the life of glory presently so he never dies there is but a change of the life of grace and of nature for the life of glory VVhat that glory shall be at that day it is a part of that glory to know for indeede it is beyond expression and beyond the comprehension of our mindes they cannot conceive it nor our tongues expresse it Peter as I sayd seeing but a glimpse of it sayd It is good for us to be here he forgot all his former troubles and afflictions If such a little glimpse of glory could so possesse the soule of that blessed man Peter as that it made him forget all his former miseries and all his afflictions whatsoever to be in love with that condition above all others what shall the glory of heaven be then shall we thinke then of our former misery and basenesse and trouble and persecution oh no. Vse 4 Againe let us be exhorted by this to try the truth of grace in us by our care to grow and proceed further from glory to glory still to be more glorious in Christianity beloved of necessity it must be so let us not deceive our selves in our naturall condition doe we content our selves that we live a sicke mans life no we desire health when we have health is that all no when we have health wee desire strength too that we may encounter oppositions Is it so in nature that life is not enough but health and that is not enough but strength too and is it not so much more in the new creature in the new nature in the divine nature if there be life there will be a desire to have health that our sicke soules may be more and more healed that our actions that come from our facul ies sanctified be not sicke actions that they be not weake languishing actions that we may have healed soules that God together with pardoning grace may joyne healing grace to cure our soules dayly more and more that we may be more able to