If they do it not they shall perish and did not chuse the fear of the Lord. Ver. 30. They would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof Ver. 31. Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devises Ver. 32. The turning away of the simple shall slay them Gal. 6. 7. Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap Ver. 8. He that soweth unto the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that sowâ—th to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting 3. You live under the Gospel which teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and We live under the Gospel which teacheth it worldly lusts and that we should live godly soberly and righteously in this present world Tit. 2. 11 12. It is enough for Heathens to walk wickedly and profanely This I say and testifie in the Lord saith Paul Ephes 4. 17. that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minds O how unworthy is this of the Gospel and what an aggravation of guilt is this to walk in whoredom and drunkenness in c. 4. The farther and the longer you walk in your sinful wayes the more do you The longer we continue in sin the more we dishonor God dishonour God shame the Christian Religion harden and fear your Conscience make way to be given up to a reprobate mind and encrease your own dreadful damnation Therefore remember your selves and consider your wayes do not venture your souls desperately but take time to make a right judgement of the wayes wherein you walk 1. Compare them with the Word of God what God saith of them how he Compare your wayes with the Word of God Observe whether they tend Behold them in their woful effects forbids and theatens them 2. Observe them in their proper tendencies whether these sinful wayes do carry you what will be the end and waâ—es of them Rom. 6. 21. The end of all these things is death 3. Behold them in the woful effects of them in wicked men dying what horrors and terrors and despairs they have raised in their consciences O that we had never been born O that we had never lived O that we had never lived thus what will become of us c. 4. Take notice of their fruits in your own consciences many times when Take notice of â—heir fruits you have been sick when you have been alone what bitter things have they spoken unto you what dangers what fears what presages of wrath what terrible condemnations and thereupon fall down and beseech the Lord to turn your hearts and feet from these paths of death Secondly get a clearer knowledge and better liking of the wayes of God Get a clear knowledge of the wayes of God Scientia non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem if you knew God a right you could not but love him and if you knew his statutes and wayes a right you could not but approve of them Do not take testimony from the enemies of God and of his wayes nor from your own carnal and unregenerate heart which is at enmity with the Law of God But be so far perswaded as to believe God himself who cannot lye concerning those statutes of his and our walking in them how he commâ—nds commends approves blesseth and rewards all that do walk in them yea give some credit unto those who have experimentally travelled in them what they have found of and in them whether ever they found the like comfort peace delight safety blessing and happinesse At least give credit unto their death-bed-testimony when men are most solemn and serious and consciencious how much sweetness they then do find what rejoycings in Conscience and what hopes and confidences towards God c. Thirdly Resolve at least to make some assay and attempt set a foot in this way lay aside sin and take up holinesse reject wicked company fall At least attempt to walk in this way in with good society leave off profaness and vanity in thy person and family and set up the practice of godliness in both and try what will come of mourning for sinne of forsaking of sinne of calling upon the Name of God of conscientious keeping of one Sabbath of one dayes enjoyment of Christ c. thou should'st find that of David to be true one day in thy Courts is better than a thousand Psal 84. 10. 1. Object But men say that if we walk in Gods statutes we shall meet with This is an afflicted way many crosses and afflictions nay the Scriptures say so Sol. True He that will be my Disâ—iple saith Christ must take up his cross and follow me Matth. 16. 24. But First This is a part of the way to life Strait is the gate and narrow is Yet it s the way to honor Christ bore the Cross for us It s better to meet with crosses in our way than with curses They are but outward crosses But then farewell all mirth They are but sinful pleasures that we lose the way that leadeth to life Matth. 7. 11. there 's Heaven at the end of it Secondly Christ himself endured the cross for you why should you not bear it for him Thirdly It is better to meet with crosses in the wayes of God than with curses in the wayes of sin here and hereafter affliction is nothing to malediction and molestation is nothing to damnation Fourthly They are but 1. Outward crosses and troubles 2ly Temporary not inward in conscience nor eternal in hell 3ly Such as consist with peace in Christ Joh. 16. And joy in conscience Rom. 5. 3. 2. Object But men say We shall lose all delight and mirth and pleasure c. Sol. 1. Only sinful pleasures which 1. Are unlawful 2ly But for a season And 3ly Bitter in the latter end And 4ly Many times mixt with terror in the enjoyment 2. You may still enjoy any outward lawful enjoyment delight and pleasure 3. But you shall meet with better delights and pleasures and joyes with divine pleasures delights in God comforts of the Holy Ghost assurance of mercy experience of Gods loving-kindness joy unspeakable and glorious and peace that passeth all understanding 4. You shall meet with other delights 1. More Prayers for your souls 2ly More powerfull that enter into the Conscience 3ly More safe and lasting 3. Object But we shall not enjoy that liberty which once we did to do and But then we shall lose our liberties speak and walk as we pleased Sol. 1. You mean that you may not be so wicked as you were no marvel 2. That was not your liberty but your bondage and slavishness to your own lusts and to the lusts of men you are shrewdly hurt indeed that you are forbidden and restrained so that you may not be suffered to dishonour God and wound your consciences and undo your souls and
love as this is in every one who hath the Spirit of God Thirdly To all the children of God and servants of Jesus Christ 1 Thes 4. 9. Ye are taught of God to love one another 1 Joh. 5. 2. Every one that loveth him Love to Gods children that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Pet. 3. 8. Love as brethren Col. 2. 2. Being knit together in love If this be the fruit of the Spirit then many men have not the Spirit for they Who have not the spirit hate the people of God The righeous are an abomination unto the wicked Pro. 29. 27. Yea and many who talk much of the Spirit have great cause to suspect their hearts because they do not love the people of God they do love men of their particular Opinion and men of their particular interest but if in these any of the people of God do differ from them now they cannot love them but they have very hard and uncharitable Opinions of them and speak evil of them and revile them and utterly shun and decline them SECT III. THus have you the discoveries of the presence of the Spirit of God by the qualities of the Spirit Now follows the last way to know whether we have the Spirit of God and that is 3ly By the properties of such persons to whom indeed the The spirit is known by the properties Spirit is given e. g. They that have the Spirit given unto them are spiritually-minded Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Here the Apostle gives a different character Such as are Spiritually minded of two different sorts of persons Here are some who are after the flesh i. e. who are carnal unregenerate in their natural condition the character of these persons is that they do mind the things of the flesh sinful sensual vain things And there are some who are after the Spirit i. e. who are born of the Spirit who are Regenerate converted sanctified by the Spirit and the character of them is That they do mind the things of the Spirit The things of the Spirit i. e. the things which the Spirit of God commands suggests the things which are agreeable to a spiritual nature holy and heavenly objects holy and heavenly wayes and works the things which belong to the kngdom of God and the Righteousness thereof the things which do conduce to the glory of God and the salvation of their souls They do mind these things they do Cogitare think much of them they do Curare lay out their greatest care for them they do Sapere relish these things above all other they are most sweet and delightful unto them Psal 4. 6. But Lord lift thou up the light c. Psal 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey to my mouth Cant. 2. 3. I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my taste O what a discovery doth this one tryal make They that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit Many men seldom or never think of the things of the Spirit God is not in their thoughts they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21. 14. They mind not God nor Christ nor Word nor Soul nor Heaven nor Repentance nor Faith c. If they do think of them it is but carelesly and coldly not with any care to get them not with any affections to desire them or to delight in them they are not suitable objects c. The things of God the things of Christ the thinâ—s of salvation the things of the way to heaven they savor them not they relish them not at all but their sinful lusts they do mind on these do their thoughts run and in these do they take pleasure and they do mind earthly things Phil. 3. 19. on these are their affections set who will shew us any good any earthly bargain any earthly gain and earthly discourse these they savor and relish c. Yea I doubt that many amongst us who presume their estates to be good have just cause to fear and suspect themselves because spiritual Ordinances and spiritual Communions and spiritual Conferences and spiritual Exercises and Imployments and spiritual Meditations and Cares are no way favoury and relishing and delighting but rather burthensome irksome and displeasing O where is a David to be found amongst us who can say with him Psal 119. 97. O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day And ver 111. Thy testimonies are the rejoycing of my heart Where is a Paul to be found 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified Secondly They that have the Spirit given unto them they are presently in They oppose their corruptions opposition or conflict with sinful corruptions abiding or dwelling in them Simile As you can no sooner put fire and water together but immediately they are a conflicting with one another So as soon as any man receives the Spirit of God which is holy and good there doth immediately ensue a commotion a war a combat in the soul with it and sinful corruptions Gal. 5. 17. the flesh against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other c. Before we do partake of the Spirit all is at rest and peace within us the flesh i. e. sinne doth reign and command and we do willingly yield obedience and service unto its lusts in the approbation and delight and execution of them But when the Spirit of God comes into our hearts and renews them now begins the conflict and war there being in us two natures contrary to each other and inclinations and affections contrary to each other and motions and services likewise contrary to each other For the work of Renovation We are renewed but in part from the Spirit although it passes through the whole soul and every faculty of it yet it is an imperfect work the whole soul is renewed but not wholly not a faculty but it hath renewing grace in it yet so that there is not a faculty but it hath sin also abiding in it And hence doth arise the Spiritual conflict from the presence and cohabitation of two such utterly different and irreconcilable adversaries as grace and sin the Spirit and the flesh Paul found this within himself Rom. 7. and so doth every regenerate person in the world The Spirit kindles such a war in a man renewed self against his sinful self as will never be quenched nor ended untill his course be finished and his life ended Thirdly They that have the Spirit given unto them for that very reason Such shall meet with great opposition shall meet with most deadly opposition from
to the principal matter here distinctly promised by God unto his people viz. A new heart and a new spirit CHAP. VIII God gives a new heart and a new spirit to his people in Covenant Doct. 1. THat a new heart and a new spirit God will give unto all his people in Covenant A new heart will I give you and a new spirit c. SECT I. FOr the opening of this great and necessary Truth I will speak unto a few God gives a new heart and a new spirit to his people in Covenant What is meant by heart and spirit Heart taken diversly Questions Quest 1. What is meant by heart and spirit Sol. The word heart is taken Sometimes Physically for that noble and vital part of man which is the seat of the soul and life in man Thus it is not looked on in this place Sometimes it is taken for the soule of man which hath its principal residence in the heart Gen. 6. 5. God saw that every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart was only evil continually of mans heart i. e. of mans soul Prov. 23. 26. My Son give me thy heart i. e. thy soul thy will thy affections thus it is taken in this place Secondly That word Spirit is in Scripture taken sometimes in opposition Spirit how taken to the body of man as in Eccles 12. 7. Then shall the dust i. e. the body of man return to the earth as it was and the spirit i. e. the soul shall return to God who gave it Sometime it is put in a direct distinction from the soule as in 1 Thes 5. 23. I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless c. Here the Spirit denotes the intellectual part and the soule denotes the will and affections And so I humbly conceive the word Spirit is taken in the Text Namely for the mind and judgement called the intellectual part of man and the word Heart is taken for the will and affections and by both is meant all the soul the whole soul in all the faculties of it 2. Quest What is meant by the newness of heart and by the newness of spirit What is meant by newness of heart How many waâ—es a thing is said to be new for this is the thing promised Sol. A thing may be said to be new either in respect of substance or in respect of qualities First There is a substantial newnesse where all the materials are so as an house is new and a garment is new and a ship is new being all made of new materials under this notion God doth not give a new heart and a new spirit unto his people i. e. he doth not give unto them another soul for substance from what formerly they had they have one and the same substantial soul still c. all the same essential faculties of the soul still the same faculty of understanding the same will the same affections still Secondly There is an accidental newness where the substance remaines the same yet the qualities supervinient or super-added to the substance are new Simile As when a Garment is cut into a new fashion or a piece of Plate is melted and purged of its dross and made clean and pure we call those new though not for substance yet for qualities Naaman was the same man when he was a Leper and when he was cured the cure was accidental In this respect God gives a new heart and a new spirit i. e. he doth as it were new shape the heart and spirit he puts into them such gracious qualities which are opposite to the wicked or sinful qualities in them before And these are called new not in opposition to our Creation for God made us holy and righteous but in opposition to our degeneration for by the fall we lost all our excellencies and corrupted our hearts and filled them with all unrighteousness with sinful corruptions when God doth purge out of our hearts and infuseth into them the graces of his Spirit then are our hearts said to be new and our This newness of heart spirits are said to be renewed This only in the general Now I shall more particularly discover unto you what this newness of heart is which God doth promise unto his people Described It is that great and eminent change wrought in all the soul by the Spirit of Christ infusing a new principle of grace which inclines and conformes the heart to the whole will of God and opposeth and mortifieth all the old sinful lust formerly residing and prevailing in the heart There are many particulars in this description which I shall in order unfold unto you First A new heart is a changed heart Newness in the very nature of it A new heart is a changed heart implies an alteration for whatsoever is altogther the same that it was cannot be said to be new If the heart was ignorant and so remains still if it was proud and vain and filthy and earthly and so remaines still this heart is an old heart still there is no newness because no change Newness of heart peremptorily implies a change of the heart therefore it is in Scripture called a new birth Joh 3. 3. Except a man be born again And a quickning from the dead Luke 15. 24 This my son was dead and is alive again And a turning from darkeness to light Act. 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God And a transformation Rom. 12. 2. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind And a translation 2 Cor. 5. 17. Old things are past away all things are become new And a washing and a cleansing and a refining 1 Cor. 6. 11. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Mal. 3. 2 3. Secondly When the heart is made new there is a great and eminent change made It is an eminent change in it There are three great changes of mans heart 1. One was by sin when man being in honour abode not but fell by transgression and became like the beasts that perish This was a wofull change like that of the apostatizing Angels from heaven to hell 2. Another is by grace wherein we are changed into the very image of God 3. A third is by glory when we shall be like God himself For we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3. 2. The change which makes newness of heart is a great and eminent change reckoned therefore amongst the wonders of God called a Creation and a Resurrection and the opening of the eyes of the blind and unstopping the ears of the deaf Isa 35. 5. And loosing the tongue of the dumb It is such a change that others beholding it stand amazed at as they did when they saw Paul appear another man at Damascus from what he was at Jerusalem Acts 19. 21. Yea the very Angels are affected with it and rejoyce I say unto you there is
as most sure because God hath given his Spirit unto you 2ly In Particular But let us descend unto particulars which if we do rightly understand and consider of we must confess that to have the Spirit given unto us it is an unspeakable blessing and mercy You read in Scripture of several Attributes if I may so call them given unto the Spirit and all of them in relation unto those to whom he is given And every one of them respecting their good and benefit all the dayes of their life He is called 1. A holy and sanctifying Spirit What the spirit is called in Scripture 2. A revealing and manifesting Spirit 3. A strengthening and helping Spirit 4. A restoring and recovering Spirit 5. A comforting and quickning Spirit 6. A dwelling and an abiding Spirit 1 Fifthly The Spirit of God which is given unto you is a holy and sanctifying He is a holy and sanctifying spirit Spirit He is the holy Spirit of God Ephes 4. 30. And the Spirit sanctifies 1 Cor. 6. 11. Now there are three comforts from this that the Spirit of God within you is a sanctifying Spirit 1. He sanctifies you in truth he renews your very hearts it is not a formal or Sanctifies in truth deceivable work but a real and effectual work which is indeen the new Creation 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. the image of God the life and glory of Christ which shall certainly end in happiness Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2. He will go on with his sanctifying work he will begin and make an end Causeth growth in grace 1 Thes 5. 23. He will change you from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Though it begins in weakness he will carry it on in power This sanctifying work of the Spirit shall move on in the soul as the sun doth in the firmament from strength to strength the Spirit within will more and more mortifie and weaken and destroy the body of sin and he will be renewing your inward man day by day 2 Cor. 4. 3. He will still maintain and preserve this sanctifying work against all the rebellions Defends it against all its enemies of our corruptions and against all the assaults of Satan and will never leave untill he hath crowned it with glory Secondly The Spirit of God which is given unto you is a revealing and manifesting Spirit He is expresly called the Spirit of revelation in Ephes 1. 17. and He is a revealing spirit verily herein doth lie most admirable comfort and joy yea all our actual soul joy in this life If all the thoughts and works of grace were hid from us we should have but sad dayes all our life long we should be in perpetual fears and doubts and complaints But the discovery of them which is by the light of the Spirit makes day with us makes joy and rejoycing abound within us Now there are four things which the Spirit of God given unto the people of God can and doth reveal unto them First The presence of Christ within us Though Christ be in us for he dwells The spirit reveals Christs presence within us in our hearts by faith Ephes 3. 17 yet we cannot see or discover his presence but by the Spirit Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us â— Joh. 3. 24. To know that Christ is mine and in me and that I am Christs and in him cannot be without the Spirit and this manifestation is from the Spirit and is not this joy and comfort indeed to know that Christ is in us Know ye not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. Secondly The love of God towards us 'T is true that God doth love his people with a most gracious love and with a great love and with a most kind love Gods love towaâ—ds us his love is called loving-kindness Hose 2. 19. with a love that surpasseth all love And it is also true that the apprehension and experience of his love is most sweet and transcendent Thy loving-kindness is better than life Psal 63. 3. And if we could know his love unto us this would pacifie us and how should we come to tast how gracious the Lord is by the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Simile The love of God is like a fountain that is sealed it is like a vessel of precious liquor like that box of oyntment none can open it unto us none can poure it into our hearts none can make us see and tast it he can and oftentimes doth make us to know that the Father loves us Thirdly The wonderful glory prepared for us Mark what the Apostle saith The glory prepared for us 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Ver. 10 But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the Spirt searcheth all things yea the deep things of God the quality and quantity of future happiness prepared from eternity and must answer the blood of Christ c. Fourthly All the precious works of the Spirit himself with his finger hath The precious works of the spirit wrought in us Though there be an aptitude in them to manifest and discover themselves yet we cannot see them without the Spirit How often are we in darkness how often in doubts and enquiries but have I faith but have I repentance but have I godly sorrow but have I the new heart the tender heart the humble heart In truth Simile Beloved as there is no seeing of the heavenly bodies but by an heavenly light so there is no discovering of the graces of the Spirit but by the light of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God O what happiness is all this to enjoy the Spirit of God by whom we come to know Jesus Christ and as present in my soul to know the love of God and tast the sweetness of it in my heart to know the future heavenly happiness that is prepared from eternity and prepared for my soul and to know all that God hath freely given me in order unto my own eternal happiness Thirdly The Spirit of God which is given unto us is a strengthening and helping He is a stâ—enthening spirit Spirit Ephes 3. 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man Rom. 8. 26. Likewise also the Spirit helpeth our infirmities c. Is it not a benefit when one is weak and faint to find a friend to relieve to support assist uphold and help him we are weak we are fainting we are oppressed distressed burdened ready to sink to fail
many times we know not what to do and cannot do any good that we would and now the Spirit of God comes and strengthens our feeble hands and supports our fainting spirits and puts out his power upon our hearts and carries us on in our wayes and works You do find it thus in several cases viz. 1. Frequently when we are to pray we are at a loss and cannot go on with Gods spirit helps us in prayer the heavenly work our ignorance our unbelief Satans temptations and distractions all these hold us down and bind us up and we cannot help and free our selves But then the Spirit of God comes in with his strength and with his help and stirs up our hearts and enlargeth our hearts and new desires flow and groans abound and affâ—â—ctions work and faith works with confidence to the throne of grace to find grace and mercy to help in time of need 2. Alwayes in our spiritual warfare with our own corruptions with Satans temptations In our spiritual warfare in these conflicts we feel our own weakness and their power and violence so that we many times cry out O wretched men that we are who shall deliver us Rom. 7. 24. Or as Jehoshaphat in another case We have no might against this great company that commeth against us neither know we what to do 2 Chron. 20. 12. And verily we may say concerning our own corruptions what he spake of his enemies If it had not been the Lord who was on our side if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick Psal 124. 1,2,3 so if the Spirit of the Lord had not been with us and if the Spirit of the Lord had not strengthened and helped us sin had been too hard for us But in those conflicts the Spirit of God hath made us strong still to pray still to believe still to wait still to resist and at length to conquer 4ly The spirit of God which is given unto us is a reconciling and a restoring spirit He is a restoring spirit he restoreth my soul saith David Psal 23. 3. Even the people of God sometimes are circumvented by Satans temptations and are overpowered by sin that dwelleth in them what I hate that do I saith Paul Rom. 7. 15. They do many times fall very grievously and sadly and are not able by their own strength to rise again but there they lye with their weakness and losses and complaints and tears Now in this condition the Spirit of God puts forth his hand and recovers and raises them up again he doth not leave them when they are fallen but by the power of his assisting grace 1. He awakens them out of their sleep by a quick conviction upon their consciences He awakens out of spiritual sleep to see the great evil which they have done I have sinned saith David as soon as Nathan said Thou art the man 1 Sam. 12. 2. He melts their hearts into singular grief for that evil which they have done Melts their hearts into grief David watred his couch with tears Psal 6. 6. And Peter goes out and weeps bitterly Luk. 22. 62. he makes them to mourn and to be ashamed and to loath themselves 3. He stirs up their hearts to confess and acknowledge their sinnings and to judge themselves before the Lord for their unfaithful dealings and unworthy walking Stir them up to confess their sins and likewise earnest wrestlings and strivings with the Lord by prayer for pardoning mercy and restoring grace and a more stedfast spirit Psal 51. 9. Blot out all mine iniquities Ver. 10. Renew a right spirit witbin me Ver. 12. Vphold me by thy free spirit 4. He enables them by faith to lay hold on Christ to be their peace and to Enables by Faith to lay hold on Christ make Reconciliation and thus doth the Spirit of God recover and restore their fallen souls and assures them that their sin is pardoned Fifthly the Spirit of God which is given unto you is a comforting Spirit Christ He is a comforting spirit himself calls him the Comforter Joh. 14. 16. and you find him actually comforting the people of God Acts 9. 31. They walked in the comforts of the Holy Ghâ—st He is called the Comforter by way of Eminency and Excellency there is no such Comforter as the Siprit of God Psal 77. 2. For 1. He can comfort your very souls with proper comfors and consolations Thy Comforts the soul comforts delight my soul Psal 94. 19. 2. He can comfort you against all your discomforts 2 Cor. 1. 4. Who comforteth Comforts against all discomforts us in all our tribulations 1. From Conscience 2. From the Divel and the world 3. From Providence when it seems to be cross to us 3. He can comfort you under all absences when there is neither Father nor In all absence and wants Mother nor Husband nor Wife nor Child nor Friend nor Land nor House yet he can comfort you he alone can shew you the salvation of the Lord speak peace and joy and assure you of mercy and cause you to rejoyce in believing Psal 27. 10. When my Father and my Mother for sake me then the Lord will take me up 4. He can comfort you and none can hinder him nor men nor Divels nor fears nor doubts for he can create you peace and create you joy and create He cannot be hindred in comforting us you comfort he himself alone is a sufficient cause of comfort Object How so how doth the Spirit comfort Sol. 1. By opening all the springs of comfort unto you the fountain of mercy How the Spirit comforts By opening the springs of comfort By actuating our Faith Zech. 13. 1. the Fountain of grace the Fountain of the blood of Christ and of justification 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement 2. By actuating your faith to behold all these fountains of joy and to dig water out of the wells of salvation and making you to suck the brests of consolation 3. By applying them to your very souls clearing and witnessing your right unto By opplying them to our souls them your propriety in them that Christ dyed for your sins that God is reconciled to your souls that you are justified and accepted unto life and that you are the children of God Rom. 8. 4. By enabling conscience to testifie 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this By enabling Conscience to testifie the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation Sixthly The Spirit which is given unto you is dwelling and an abiding spirit He is a dwelling spirit in all the people of God Rom. 8. 11. By his Spirit that dwelleth in you Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he
commend to you that have the Envy not the gifts of the Spirit in others Spirit is this Do not envy the gifts and graces of the Spirit in any man nor speak evil of them Numb 11. 29. And Moses said unto Joshua Enviest thou for my sake Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them The Spirit of God gives different gifts unto men to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 7. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit Ver. 8. To another Faith by the same Spirit Ver. 9. And there are different measures of his gifts some do excell in one gift and some in another and this holds true in publick persons and in private persons all of us should rejoyce in all these manifestations of the Spirit It should not grieve us that any one is good nor that he can do good in his private way or in his publick way nor should it grieve and trouble us if any man hath more grace or that he can do more good bring more glory to Christ than we do or can The end of every Christian is Gods glory now every one should mind that and contribute towards that one man may contribute more and every man should contribute his utmost towards it is it not enough if Christ be magnified and thy soul saved Sixthly You should not be discouraged for any work which God puts upon Be not discouraged at hard tasks you though never so great and difficult for you have the Spirit of wisdom and power and sufficiency to assist you Zach. 4. 6. Not by might not by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts 2ly Now follows the Positive or affirmative duties for them that have received the Spirit of God The positive duties of such as have the spirit They should shew â—orth the vertues of the spirit As love First You should express the virtue of the Spirit which abideth in you you should walk like men of another spirit especially you should hold out those nine fruits or virtues of the spirit mentioned in Gal. 5. 22 23. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance these you should strive to act in your convesations 1. Love i. e. a loving behaviour especially towards the Godly nay and towards all men you should walk in love without hatred and emulation and envying and rash suspition and censoriousness 2. Joy i. e. such a behaviour as sets out a contentedness and well-pleasedness Joy with our worldly portion and a chearfulness and comfortableness in our spiritual relation unto and portion in God and Christ 3. Peace i. e. such a behaviour as exempts us from medling and wrangling and quarrelling and contentiousness and turbulency and tumâ—ltuousness and Peace variancies and that frames us to a quiet peaceable and unprovoking inoffensive carriage 4. Long-suffering i. e. we should bear much of the weaknesses and infirmities Long-suffering of those with whom we do converse and pass by slight injuries and forgive many a wrong done unto us as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us 5. Gentleness i. e. we should behave our selves towards others in speaking Gentleness or looking or dealing without pâ—ide austerity insolency scornfulness rigidness in a soft humble affable candid manner 6. Goodness i. e. we should not be hard-hearted and backward to do good Goodness to the souls or bodies of others but should be ready to distribute full of the fruits of mercy and be helpful and profitable and merciful to them that need especially to the distressed members of the body of Christ 7. Faith i. e. fidelity we should be just in our words promises and in all our Faith dealing with men by no means lye or deceive or over-reach or deal with guile deceitfully or falsly but squarely plainly and honestly and righteously 8. Meekness i. e. we should suppress all rash furious immoderate unlawful anger and frowardness and perturbation and passionateness and strive to Meekness manifest that we are in some measure able to deny our selves and to bear crosses and afflictions provocations injuries patiently and contentedly 9. Temperance i. e. we should not excessively lay out our cares and labours Temperance for any wordly thing whether honour or riches or pleasures but be soher in the desire and use of all the earthly blessings which God hath given unto us Secondly you should be wonderful thankful unto the Lord for giving of his We must be thankful for the spirit Spirit unto you Paul takes special notice of this mercy and often speaks of it We have received the Spirit of God and he hath given unto us his holy Spirit and his Spirit dwelleth in us c. There are four things for which God is eternally to be blessed viz. 1. For his free grace and love 2ly For his Christ 3ly For his Gospel And 4ly for his Spirit Quest And why for his Spirit Sol. Because what you are in relation to God you are by the Spirit First Are you in Christ this is by the Spirit are you new creatures born Reasons of it again this is by the Spirit are you delivered from Satan and your sinfull corruptions this is by the Spirit 2. What you can do this comes from the Spirit Can you mourn for sin can you poure out your hearts in Prayer can you at any time trust in the Name of the Lord can you look towards his holy place in times of desertion can you deny your selves can you do the will of God can you suffer the will of God all your spiritual strength is from the Spirit Thirdly Have you any discoveries of the Love of God have you any clearness of the love of Christ and of your propriety in him have you any satisfying evidences of your present relation to God have you any sealings and assurances of future blessedness have you ever tasted of joy unspeakable and glorious of a peace that passeth all understanding of recoveries out of sin of sweet refreshings under troubles of conscience then bless the Lord who hath given his own Spirit unto you Thirdly you should improve the Spirit that is given unto you and make Improve the spirit use of him 1. For works which he can do but hath not yet begun within you 2. For works which he hath begun but hath not as yet perfected and finished within you First For works which he can do but perhaps hath not yet begun within you He hath begun the work of humiliation and of vocation and of union and of regeneration but then perhaps there are other works wanting you have found him an healing Spirit but did you ever find him a sealing Spirit you have felt the power of his grace but did you ever tast the sweetness of his joyes you have found him a regenerating