an Enlivening Spirit Thirdly an Enlarging Spirit First He is a Spirit of Light enlightening the person discovering our needs necessities our dangers and duties our cases and cures he shews us our sins our selves and the means of our Salvation Ioh. 16.9 and consequently what we should pray for Secondly He is the Spirit of Life enlivening a man Rom. 8.2 When God made man he breathed into his Body the Breath of Life and when a man is converted the Spirit of Life is breathed into the soul as the body without the soul is dead so the soul without this Spirit of Life is dead also A man that marries an Inheretrix is Tenant by the Curtesie of England if he beget a Son which is born and cries it is much presumed that if there be life there will be crying The Spirit of grace is the Spirit of Supplication Zach. 12.10 Paul a new born Babe falls a crying Act. 9.11 without life there can be no crying Thirdly He is the Spirit of Liberty and not of Liberty only but of Adoption also enlarging the soul with faith and love to God Rom. 8.15 only Sons can call God father Christ in his Prayer called God Father six or seven times Ioh. 17. This Fatherhood is a good foundation of Faith and Prayer Christ taught us to call God our Father children cry Dad and Mam. I shall now come to those Acts of the Spirit that are nearer to and have more influence upon the Prayer Which are these First The Spirit of God doth invite excite us to pray as Satan suggests evil motions to hinder it so the Spirit of God suggests good motions Rev. 22.19 The Spirit saith venite oremus come let us pray Secondly The Spirit of God doth discover to us our present wants and needs that we which of our selves know not what to pray for may know what to pray for Rom. 8.26 Thirdly The Spirit brings to our remembrance the savory and suitable phrases and passages of holy Writ especially the precious Promises which are most pertinent are brought to our minds and memories by this Spirit of Promise Ioh. 14.26 Eph. 1.13 Promises and Prayers are like figure 6. and of 9. the very same figure only the Promises like the figure of 9. do bend downward and Prayers like the figure of 6. do point upward Fourthly He excites corroborates and strengthens the graces of prayer faith hope and love c. That they lye not as sparks under the ashes he fills the Sails of the soul with a fair wind and carries it with a full sail Heb. 10.12 as Satan filled the heart of Ananias and Saphira to lye so he fills the hearts of the Saints to cry Our hearts saith one are dead and dull and lye like a Log in a Ditch and though we toil and tug with them we cannot lift them up but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he enlivens our graces and raises up our souls Rom. 8.26 Fiftly He enlargeth our affections in prayer with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered in words or phrases as one who is so sore burden'd oppressed and grieved that he cannot express it Rom. 8 26. Sixtly It teacheth us to take care and make conscience that now especially in Prayer we offend not in our tongue Psal 39.1 It restrains that petulancy and extravagancy of words and wit great swelling words of vanity vain bablings idle repetitions c. and so far as the Spirit doth assist us in our words he teacheth us to pray in the words of truth and soberness CHAP. VI. Shewing the difference between the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and the common gift of Prayer THe help of the Spirit of God is not in all alike some have only a common gift of Prayer such are as canting Beggers which by use and custome have got an artificial trade of begging such were the cunning women in Iewry and the like in Ireland that have Lachrimas venales Tears to sell and others have a special gift or grace of Prayer and though even the common gift be from the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 Yet I shall crave leave thus to distinguish these works by calling the first of them the gift of Prayer and the second I shall call as Zachary calls it Zach. 12.10 The Spirit of Prayer And thus they differ First Hypocrites may have the gift of Prayer as well as the gift of Prophecying Mat. 7.22 so had Iudas but only the Saints have the Spirit of Prayer Rom. 8.26 27. Secondly Possibly all Saints have not the gift of Prayer or skill to conceive and compose a Prayer suitable to their several occasions as Children or Babes in Christ but all Saints have the Spirit of Prayer Rom. 8.15 Thirdly The gift of Prayer is only exercised in vocal Prayer and that in conceived Prayer too but the Spirit of Prayer may be found in silent Ejaculations as in Nehemiah Ch. 2.4 and Hannah whose words were not heard and Eli supposed she had been drunk but she was full of the Spirit of God as they were Act. 2. Yea though a word be not uttered Ex. 14. 15. the heart hath a tongue that God can hear Jesus Christ prayed the same words thrice though he had not the Spirit by measure and he exercised the Spirit of Prayer as much or more the last time then the first So we may sing Davids Psalms in the spirit 2 Chron. 29.30 Hence it also follows that Tyrants may rob us of the exercise of the gift of Prayer but not of the Spirit of Prayer the tongue of the Spirit cannot be cut out when a man cannot speak the Spirit may pray Fourthly They that have the gift of Prayer they have apt expressions outward enlargements they court God and complement with him profess more then is true and promise more then they mind to perform they draw nigh to God with their mouth Matth. 15.8 But they that have the Spirit of Prayer have sometimes yea at all times when their Spirit is lively deep impressions upon their heart devout affections soul inlargements sighs and groans of the soul are the life and soul of Prayer sighs and sobs grieving and groaning are good Rhetorick in the Closet between God and us their affections are too big for their expressions Rom. 8.26 27. words are but the outside of Prayer Fiftly The gift of Prayer is only or chiefly of use when we joyn with others the Spirit of Prayer is of as much use when we are alone Sixtly The gift of Prayer is apt to puff men up with pride because he can pray better then others it makes men censorious and contemptuous of others saying or thinking at least I am not as this Publican Luk. 18.11 or stand by thy self I am more holy then thou Isa 65.5 But the Spirit of Prayer doth shew men so much of their own wants and weaknesses that they are ashamed of themselves that they are humble mean in their own eyes and prefer others before themselves the one is
THE HOLY GHOST ON THE BENCH OTHER SPIRITS AT THE BAR Or the Judgment of the Holy Spirit of God upon the Spirits of the Times Recorded in Holy Writ And Reported by Richard Hollinworth Mancuniens London Printed by J. M. for Luke Fawn and are to be sold at his Shop at the Signe of the Parrot in Pauls-Churchyard 1656. To the Reader Gentle Reader IF thou beest Pious and Prudent and lovest Gods truth and the Churches Purity and Peace This plain Piece will not be unacceptable to thee The Subject is seasonable and suitable enough and I have endeavoured to handle it so far as I meddle with it solidly satisfactorily and also succictly omitting Illustrations Illations yea and Applications also that thou mightest have much fruit in a few small Leaves and not read long for a little If the Doctrine be sound I shall leave thee to make the use My desire and design is the suppression of sin and wickedness and whereas wickedness according as one or other of the three enemies of our salvation is predominant is either fleshly as Adultery Fornication Gluttony Drunkenness Or wordly as Covetousness injustice oppression extortion Or Divelish as Schism Heresie Blasphemy Contempt of Magistracy Ministery and other Ordinances of God The first of which was too much indulged in former times and the third to say nothing of the second is as much indulged in these times I am not now to fight against flesh and blood but against the spiritual evils of the times which are both sins and judgments and shew both mans wickedness and Gods wrath and are to say no more as leavening Matt. 16.6.11 12. Gal. 5.9 Antichristian 1 Ioh. 2.22 and 4.3 and 2 Ep. Ioh. v. 7. Sathanical Ioh. 8.44 1 King 22.22 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Act. 13.10 2 Tim. 3.8 as prophaneness is though now more practised Preached and pleaded for then formerly I am not able to encounter with them my self alone when these enemies come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against them I desire not to speak any thing my self but to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches and to report what judgment he gives as he hath left it on Record in holy Scripture in which are written the great things of the Law and the gracious glorious things of the Gospel O let them not be accounted a small thing The ensuing Tract doth represent that the holy Ghost doth as it were cite or summon and cause several spirits to be apprehended and brought to Tryal and that he sets down certain distinctive Signes and Symptomes of the Spirit of God and other Spirits And Lastly That he doth examine and determine some particular cases brought before him concerning the Spirit of Prayer the Spirit of Prophesie the witnesing Spirit the Ministerial and Anti-ministerial Spirit And when this Treatise hath made this representation it gives up the Ghost It hath been my hearts desire and Prayer that I might represent these judicial proceedings aright It is my hearts desire and prayer that thou mayest receive them aright And that the high and holy Spirit of God may be with thy Spirit and with the Spirits of all Saints and particularly with the spirit of him who is the least of all Saints Manchester March 1. 1655 6 R. H. An Epistle Good Reader I Cannot conceal the contentment that I took in this little but judicious Treatise when it was brought to me for perusal The communications of Gods Spirit are made matter of scorn by some and by others a meer pretence what more usual now then for fanaticall persons to pretend to a peculiarity of the Spirit as the filthy Gnosticks in the primitive times gave out that all others were carnal they only were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual men as having a special presence of the Spirit in them Vide Iraeneum Lib. 5. to adversus heresis cap. 11. passim alibi and therefore their pride is supposed to be taxed by the Apostle Jude vers 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sensual not having the Spirit that is by their bruitish practises they plainly shewed they had least of that Spirit to which they did pretend Tertullian when he turned Montanist wrot a Book Adversus Psychicos against the carnal or animal men intending thereby the Orthodox But this is not all how often do such kind of persons father the Brats of their own carnal hearts upon the Holy Ghost and intitle the suggestions of the Devil that evil spirit to the impulsions of that holy Spirit of promise by whom we are sealed to the day of Redemption Therefore it much concerneth the Ministers of the Gospel to vindicate the honour of God and to put people upon trying the Spirits and in a matter of such concernment to give them the best light they can You will bear with me a little in my folly for uch I account it to be to acquaint the world with the course of my private Ministery and indeed bear with me 2 Cor. 11.1 whilest I tell you that considering the necessity of the present times wherein some deny the Personality and God-head of the Spirit others counterfeit his Presence and Operations and many mishapen and monstruous conceits are obtruded upon the world concerning both I thought I could not better serve the present truth and accomplish the ends of my Ministery than by clearing up the whole Doctrine of the Spirit as touching his Godhead and Personality His Effusion first upon Christ as the Head sensibly at his Baptism Mat. 3. On the Apostles as the chief Agents and Factors for his Kingdom on the day of Penticost Act. 2. Then upon all Beleivers till his second comming especially on the Ministers of the Gospel who are ordinarily presumed to have a more plentiful measure of the Spirit according to that place which they sustain in the body Next my work was to state the manner of his Presence the quality of his Operations in Inlightning Sanctifying Witnessing Comforting Strengthning Quickning awakening thoughts of and desires after our blessedness in Heaven more especially the influence of the Spirit upon the duties of Prayer and Preaching And after all this I took occasion to speak of resisting grieving and quenching the Spirit on the one side and of gratifying and glorifying the Spirit on the other in all which discourses I mainly intended a Direction to Christians to guide them in the tryal of Spirits and whilest I was considering of making this work more publiquely useful how happily am I prevented by the pains of this Godly Learned and judicious Authour who hath treated of the same things almost in the same Method and that in such a succinct and strengthy way that if thou complain of any thing it will be of want of Words not of Matter so Much being spoken in so Little a compass for my part I cannot but profess my joy That the Lord hath inclined the heart of such an able person to such an Argument Now
lye is not the Spirit of God yet it is not true that every spirit which speaks any truth is therefore the Spirit of God Satan doth sometimes attest the highest and holyest truths viz. That Fesus is the Son of God that the Apostles are the Servants of God which shew the way of Salvation Act. 16.17 but our Saviour silenceth them and would not suffer them to speak though they spoke truths Mark 1.34 Act. 16.18 The difference therefore between Satans speaking truth and Gods Spirit speaking truth is this 1. If Satan speaks truth he speaketh not of his own a lye only is his own Ioh. 8.44 he doth but borrow truths or rather steal them from from the Scriptures the Ministers or people of God Fer. 23.30 2. When Satan speaks truth he usually misapplies it as Iobs Friends did many precious truths 3. He never speaks truth in the love or for the advantage of it but to be a pretence shadow and introduction to a lye If Error should appear in her own shape she would be very horrid and deformed therefore she puts on her the Mantle of Truth or gets some truth usually to bear her company CHAP. III. Of four other Qualifications of the Spirit of God and the vindication of them A Third Property of the Spirit of God is Light he is the Spirit of Light of Wisdom and Knowledge Isa 11.2 of Revelation in the knowledge of Christ Eph. 1.17 As God is light and Christ is light a Sun a bright Morning Star the Spirit is compared to fire Act. 2. 1 Thes 5. Heavenly fire which gives light as well as heat but Hell-fire is hot and dark Satan is that Prince of darkness the Ruler of the darkness of this world which darkens and blinds the minds of them that beleeve not 2 Cor. 4.4 Object But doth not the evil Spirit bring also a light with it Answ Satan doth indeed transform himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.14 especially in times and amongst persons pretending to much light and abounding in all utterance and knowledge 1 Cor. 1.5 And therefore we are to understand that the Light of the Spirit of God is to argue or convince the world of sin of righteousness of judgment Ioh. 16.8 Eph. 5.12 13. to shew us as the Angel did Dan. 10.21 that which is noted in the Scripture of truth to explain the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel and Godliness that we may discern them in a spiritual manner which a natural man cannot do 1 Cor. 2.10 11. to shew us that by Sun-light which reason can either not see at all or but as it were by Moon-light The Gospel is an everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 and the Spirit bids us contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints not alway in delivering This Light is a Light of the same nature with the light held forth in the Word Psal 119.105 the Word is a Lantorn a dark Lantorn say some without the Spirit but I am sure that Spirit is a going fire a deluding spirit that carries not but contemns and confounds this Lanthorn and there is no light in them Isa 8.20 The light that is in them is darkness and how great is that darkness Mat. 6.23 Gods people are led by the Spirit when they are led by the word inspired by the Spirit 2 Pet. 1. ult and they are taught by God when taught by his Book No Spirit of Christ doth abstract any mans faith from the Word of God which is indeed the word of faith Rom. 10.8 Spiritual knowledge doth not exclude but contain in it the litteral knowledge though the litteral knowledge may be without the spiritual yet the spiritual knowledge of Gods Word is not without the litteral We are not warranted to expect or trust to Enthusiasm's or praeter-scriptural much less contra-scriptural Revelations as they which had Moses and the Prophets the Books of Moses and the Prophets and those that sate in Moses Chair were not to expect guidance from revived returning Ghosts but to hear Moses and the Prophets Luk. 16.29 Mat. 23.2 3. so we which besides Moses and the Prophets have also Christ and his Apostles and have the Canon of the holy Scriptures perfected have much less reason to expect Revelations and to sleight the holy Scriptures but may and ought to build on the foundations of the Prophets of the old Testament and the Apostles of the new Eph. 2.21 That light which contradicts old Articles of faith and coyns new ones that Canonizeth new Scriptures or preacheth new Gospels yea the very questioning of Carping or Cavilling against known received Truths is of Satan Gen. 3.1.5 And he that preacheth another Gospel though he seem wise as an Angel and have the Tongue of an Angel and seem as holy and zealous as the Angels is to be accursed Gal. 1.7 8 9. The fourth Property of the true Spirit of God is Lowliness and indeed the more light the more lowliness The more loathing of our selves Ezek. 36. 27. with 31. for the Spirit convinceth us of sin Ioh. 16.8 makes Paul to judge himself the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 and to be carnal Rom. 7.14 but the evil Spirit is proud and puffeth up 1 Tim. 3.6 1 Cor. 8.1 is supercilious and censorious of other men speaking evil of persons and things which they know not and saying stand by thy self I am more holy then thou Isa 65.5 calling others carnal sensual divelish while they pretend themselves to be free from sin But the Apostle who had the true Spirit of God saith if we that is If I John that writ this Epistle or other Apostles or Beleevers say that we have no sin we are lyers 1 Ioh. 1. The first Property of the true Spirit of God is Liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 He is a free Spirit Psal 51.12 Satan is a slave and of a servile Spirit and so all his Agents and Servants are yea say some that is it which we plead for viz. Liberty but you must therefore take notice of the marks of this Liberty First That Liberty which is from the Spirit of God is not a Liberty to sin but from sin Iohn 8.34 2 Peter 2.19 Secondly This Liberty overthrows not either Ecclesiastical or Civil Government 1 Pet. 2.13.16 for this were to make it a Cloak of maliciousness Thirdly This Liberty is to and in the service of God and not from it men now talk much against Forms but there are some Forms of Gods Institution and others of mens inventions though we be free from all sinful superstitious forms of mens inventing yet we are not therefore free from the lawful and needful Forms that are of Gods appointing His service is perfect freedom The sixt Property of the Spirit of God is Unity Unity Love and Peace is the fruit and effect of the good Spirit Eph. 4.3 Gal. 5.22 we are all made to drink into one Spirit as we all Jews and Gentiles are by
that are come from beyond Sea to Preach to our Assemblies to revile and raile against Protestant Ministers to vent Errors and Heresies to the reproach and dishonour of the Protestant Religion To furnish all sort of men and scratch their itching eares with an heap of teachers for they will not abide called officers or sound Doctrine 1 Tim. 4. as the adulteress too often pleaseth the unchast Husband more then the beautiful yoke-fellow as Witches and Wizzards are merry at their diabolical fancied Feast as though they did eat and drink the most pleasant and wholesome meats and drinks How strangely did Satan fill the heart of Hacket Copinger and Arthington whose story you may read in Camdens Elizabetha as well as see the like in very many now adays To promote those sins that in opposition to the sins of the world and the sins of the flesh are properly and purely Sathanical viz. Errors Heresies Seduction for Satan is not a drunkard adulterer a swearer or a covetous person but a lyer seducer that abode not in the truth to disturb the unity and peace of our Congregations whilest almost every man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an absurd man out of his place 2 Thes 3.2 multitudes of souls perverted very few saved a good Protestant of the old stamp whether conformable or non-conformable is worth a thousand of these new Saints Finally I have heard an ignorant one distempered in brain and overcome with melancholy speak excellently of the most divine and deep Mysteries of Religion and Doctor Merick Causabone indeavors to shew how this may be done by natural causes and we read that the Anabaptists in Munster having made a Law that all the Citizens should bring their goods into a common stock there were Maids amongst them could tell how much every man had left at home like as Paul did discern Ananias and Saphirah It is easie to guesse who taught them Little did Peter a pious and eminent Apostle think that he acted Satans part till Christ discerned and discovered Satan Mat. 16. CHAP. VIII Of the witnessing Spirit mentioned Rom. 8.16 EVery matter of worth and weight is to be transacted before and proved by two sufficient witnesses unus testis nullus testis In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established the Apostle produceth here two witnesses of our Adoption Son-ship which is a thing of very great consequence and concernment our Spirit and Gods Spirit and these witnesses depose point blank we cry Abba Father vers 15. and this is not a false cry but a true cry and the Spirit it self beareth witness together with our Spirit that it is so the Spirit as we use to say by way of excellency the Bible the Scripture the eminent excellent Spirit Infinite Eternal Spirit a wit-witness of greater authority evidence and credit After the reading of these and other words of Scripture it is unnecessary as well as it is beyond my purpose to prove that the Spirit doth witness that we are all the children of God I shall only enquire into the manner how the Spirit of God witnesseth And first it must be granted that the witness-bearing of the Spirit here mentioned is spoken of not as a peculiar priviledge of two or three or a few eminent Saints but as the general or usual priviledge of all the Saints of God which are led by the Spirit are the children Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ and how this witness is born I shall endeavour to shew 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively Negatively First not by outward voice as of Christ Mat. 3. ult Mat. 17.5 which voyce saith the Apostle Peter was heard of many 2. Pet. 1.18.19 this witness is inward and secret it is hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 which no man knows but he that receiveth it As Satan can suggest thoughts into the soul which no by-stander can see So can the Spirit of God set his privy seal upon the soul and none discern but the spirit of a man in him 2ly The Spirit of God doth not use the Ministry of Angels though Christs his Sonship was proclaimed by such Heavenly Heralds Luk. 1.30 31 32. Luk. 2.9.13 3ly The Spirit of God doth not witness our Adoption by immediate Revelation and Inspiration Jesus Christ indeed received not the Spirit by measure Ioh. 3.34 The fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily Col. 2.9 and the Prophets and Apostles were in their measure so inspired 2 Pet. 1. ult by virtue of which Inspiration that which was not Canonical before was so aâ—ter and new Truths and Tenets were to be received and beleeved But now we may say are all Apostles are all Prophets Yea are there now any Apostles any Prophets so inspired 4ly The Spirit of God doth not witness our Sonship in such dark and dubious phrases as Apollos Oracles used to be delivered in but there is such certainty and clearness in this Testimony that it doth either altogether or in a great measure suspend and silence doubts and distrusts he that sees the Sun knows it is bright and light he that tastes honey knows it is sweet and he that tastes the hidden Manna and hears this Testimony is fully perswaded and satisfied by it Rom. 8.38 5ly The Spirit of God doth not witness to all men that they are the children of God there are multitudes myriads of men that never heard it when we speak of it to them we are as it were Barbarians to them this high Language of Canaan is an unknown Tongue to them for they must be the children of God by Adoption indeed before they be witnessed to be so prius est predicare de esse quam de cognosci Yea the Elect of God have it not before conversion nor usually in the first act of conversion then they lye under the spirit of bondage v. 15. and are in the pangs of the new Birth nor always afterward for the Testimony is not de esse but de bene esse of a Christian not their Diet but their Banquet not common food but a Cordial a witness the most punctual faithful witness doth but speak when there is need and occasion he witnesseth not alway but for always Secondly Affirmatively The Spirit of God I conceive doth witness all or at least some of these ways First He doth attest Scripture truths unto the soul saying the same in the breast of the beleever that it saith in the Bible by irradiating those truths he making the the light of Gods word brighter and illuminating the eyes of the soul he makes the sight better so that the divine Authority Infallibility and Majesty of the Word of God doth appear I shall instance in two sweet and comfortable Scripture truths Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness Mat. 5.6 which seems to be the minimum quod sic the lowest least degree of saving faith and Come to me I will give rest to them that are weary and heavy laden Mat. 11.28