such let them now humble themselves and seeke the spirit with earnestnesse that ye may be renewed that ye may be strengthned and quickned to good and received to favour againe but if you will not but continue in this condition still you have but a name that you are alive but indeed you are dead Rom. 6. 8. it is said that they that dye in Christ shall live in him if you once live the life of grace and have received the sanctifying spirit you shall never dye but live for ever in Christ this was the promise that Christ made unto his Disciples and in them unto every Christian that he would send the spirit and hee should abide with them forever Therefore examine if the spirit doe not remaine in you and make you constant in good it is not the sanctifying spirit The fift signe whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no is this examine whether it be the spirit of adoption if it make you to call God Father then it is the sanctifying spirit Gal. 4. 6. We have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father this is the property of the holy man no wicked man can call God Father because they have not amity with God they neither love God neither doth God love them The Apostle saith I doe this to prove or know the naturalnesse of your love they that have the spirit they have as it were a naturall inclination wrought in them to love God againe and delight in God and in the Communion of Saints and therefore our Saviour saith Iohn 4. 34. It is my meate and drinke to doe the will of my Father he that hath God for his father will serve him willingly without constraint as willingly as a man will cate meate A man will eate and drinke without wages he needs not have wages to doe that so he that hath the spirit he will delight in doing Gods will hee would serve God though he should give him nothing and this that God is our Father it will raise some like affections in us to love God againe so likewise in prayer to have God to be our father it raiseth some like affections in us whereby wee doe not onely beleeve that the things we pray for wee shall have but we have boldnesse also to come unto him as unto a Father which no man can doe till he have this Spirit of adoption Therefore examine with what confidence and boldnesse you pray with what reverence you heare with what affections you love examine whether you have the Spirit that doth make you to call God Father The sixth signe whereby you shall know whether you have the Spirit or no is this you shall know it by the manner of working if it change you and lye combating in you as Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh if you have the spirit you will have a continuall fighting and striving in the soule and this will not onely be against one or some more particular lusts but it will be against all that it knowes to be sinnes I say not that there is onely a striving or a suppressing but a lusting or a striving and suppressing by way of lusting because a naturall man that hath not the sanctifying Spirit may keepe downe a lust for some by-respects but it is not by lusting it is not because his heart hates it or suppresses it by another power then a naturall power for they retaine the love of sinne still but the opposition and resisting of sinne in the godly is by way of lusting because they hate the sinne and they fight against it with courage Therefore examine what lusting there is in you what hating of sinne and then see with what courage and power you goe about the subduing of it It is said that Iohn Baptist came in the Spirit of Eliah that is he came with that Spirit that is full of power you will fight but faintly against sinne except you have the Spirit Acts 4. they spake with great boldnesse that is they had greater power to speake then before therefore the Lord exhorts all men in Esa. 31. 3. trust not in them they are men and not Gods as if the very name of men were weakenesse they are men they have no power it is God that hath power and therefore trust not in them but in every thing labour to see the power of God in it and seeke for all spirituall power to good from God and examine your selves what power you have when you pray what power have you to goe through it to the end when you heare what power have you to edification when you see evill what power have you to avoid it when you are offered the profits and pleasures of the world what power have you to forsake them if they may proove hurtfull unto the inward man if you have strong lusts in you what power have you to suppresse and lust against them therefore you shall know by this whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no by the manner of working of it The seventh signe whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no is this you shall know it by your carriage in your words and actions and by your Christian-like walking and holy conversation and this is the same that the Apostle speakes of when he would assure them of their resurrection unto life in Rom. 6. 8. If you dye with Christ you shall also rise with Christ againe if your actions be the actions of the Spirit proceeding from the inward man and have some resemblance with Christ shewing that you are dead with him then you shall rise againe to life with him and then in Rom. 8. 14. hee comes unto the workes of the Spirit so many saith he as are lead by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God that is they are lead unto all holy actions and then he comes in Gal. 5. 22. unto the first fruits of the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace c. well then examine whether you have the Spirit by the actions of the Spirit and by the working of the Spirit and by the teaching of the Spirit for it is the Spirit that is the Doctor of the soule that teacheth it all spirituall and saving knowledge and therefore the Lord saith you shall not need to be taught of one another for you shall be all taught of God that is mens teaching will never be effectuall to worke grace and holinesse in you except God teach you by his Spirit Now you must know that there is a twofold teaching First there is a teaching of beasts by man that they may bee serviceable unto men which may serve to put men in mind of this spirituall teaching for as God hath put such a nature into some beasts that they cannot choose but obey being
by pronunciation against him and your sinnes are as great and the same but you know them not and therefore let us compare them together and you shall see that they are the same and all one and that in these three particulers First Simon Magus thought that the Spirit might have beene had at any time for he neglected the meanes and despised that presuposing that at any time with a small reward hee might get it of the Apostles what shall I give thee c. Even so when you put off the spirit is not your sinne the same thinking that you may have him when you will that you can have him at your pleasure to mortifie a strong lust a sinne that you would be rid of and for a sinne that is pleasing unto your nature you can when you will subdue it you can when you will forbeare it and is not this one part of Simon Magus his sinne Secondly Simon Magus thought it was in the power of men to give the Spirit What shall I give thee Peter for the spirit and is not your sinne the same doe not many men thinke that it is in the power of men to give the spirit when all the time of their life they will neglect the calling of the Spirit but in some great affliction when they lye upon their death beds then they will send for the Minister but not till then as if it were in his power to give the Spirit O Sir what shall I doe to be saved can you tell mee of any hope of salvation and the like Thirdly Simon Magus hee desired the spirit to a wrong end namely for his owne advantage That upon whomsoever I shall lay my hands they may receive the holy Ghost and doe not men do the like they desire to have the spirit and they could wish with all their hearts that they had him but yet not for a right end for Gods glory but for some carnall end of their owne that they may be reputed thus and thus but not to any other end For know that a man may desire grace but if the ayme of his desire be for his owne end the desire is sinne the same that Simon Magus was therefore I beseech you deferre not put not off the opportunity and remember what the Lord saith Hebr. 3. 15. to day if yee will heare his voice harden not your hearts this is the day now you have the opportunitie the candle is in your hands and you may light your soule by it the Word is neere you Well light your candles by it you may now light them whilest the fire is here but if you will not now how will you when the candle is out when you shall be either taken from the meanes or else the meanes from you therfore labour to know the spirit and judge aright of him if you would get him The second means to get the spirit is to beleeve and the best meanes to get faith is to be conscionable and constant in hearing the Word preached the preaching of the Word is a meanes to get the spirit and therefore the Apostle saith received you the Spirit by the workes of the Law or else by faith preached Gal. 3. You may know whether you have the spirit or no by this examine whether you have gotten faith by the preaching of the Word our Saviour saith that the tree is knowne by his fruit the branch cannot beare fruit except it receive vertue and strength from the roote so if we get not faith in Christ and be joyned with him wee shall never get the spirit therefore if you would get the spirit you must get faith for faith is the knitting and drawing grace it will draw the spirit into the soule and it will knit him fast unto the soule that he can never depart away from it faith will recover the Spirit if it seeme to want his power of working in the soule it will returne him if he seeme to depart away it will enlarge the heart if the spirit be scanted in it it will widen the narrow bottle of your hearts and you know what Christ said unto the woman in the Gospell So be it unto thee according unto thy faith therefore if you would get the spirit you must get faith in your hearts if you would get a large measure of the spirit then get a large measure of faith for what is the reason that men thrive not in the spirit but because they thrive not in faith The third meanes to get the spirit is an earnest desire joyned with prayer to desire and pray earnestly for the spirit is a meanes to get the spirit an instance of this wee have in Elisha servant to Eliah he earnestly desires and prayes that the Spirit of Eliah his master might bee doubled upon him not that hee meant that hee might have asmuch more againe but that hee might have a greater measure of the Spirit then other of the Prophets and hee did obtaine his desire for hee was indued with a greater measure of the Spirit then other of the Prophets were even so if you would but desire and pray earnestly for the Spirit you might get him Salomon desired wisedome and prayed for it and he had it and that in a larger measure then those that went before him so if you would pray for the spirit you have his promise Luke 11. 13. That he will give the Holy Ghost unto them that aske him and this hee doth speake by way of opposition if you that are evill can give good things unto your children then much more will God give you his Spirit that is if a man will bee importunate for grace and the spirit as a child will be unto his father for bread then he cannot deny you But you will say if hee were my father and I his child then it is true he would give me his spirit but alas he is not for any thing I know neither my father nor I his child To this I answer suppose thou be not his child in thy owne apprehension yet looke backe unto the 8. verse and see what Importunity doth though hee would not open the doore and give him that which he would have yet in regard of the importunity of him that asketh he will open and give him what he would have thus doe you though you may have a deniall sometimes no answer at all or an angry answer yet take no deniall and your importunity will at last prevaile with him and to incourage you against former runnings out from God the Apostle saith that he giveth and upbraideth no man Iames 1. 5. As no man meriteth at Gods hand so no man shall be upbraided with any failing to shame him he gives unto all men that comes unto him without exceptions of person without any gift freely and reproaches no man that is he will not lay before him either that which might hinder him from
III. THe Spirit is a free gift p. 168. How said to bee a free gift in five particulars p. 169 USE To terrifie those that be not sanctified by the spirit lest they be deprived p. 170 Meanes to get the Spirit I. Knowledge of him p. 171 Simon Magus and some men now commit the same sinne in three particulars p. 172 II. Faith p. 173 III. An earnest desire joyn'd with Prayer p. 174 IV. Obedience p. 176 V. Wayting on the Meanes THE SAINTS SPIRITVALL STRENGTH EPHES. 3. 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to bee strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man THESE words are part and the summe of that Divine Prayer that Paul made for the Ephesians the principall thing that the Apostle prayes for is this That they may bee strengthned by the Spirit in the Inward man and this hee sets downe in such a manner that he answereth all doubts that might hinder the Ephesians from obtaining of this grace For first they might demand this of Paul you pray That we might be strong in the Inward man but how shall we or what meanes shall we use to get this strength the Apostle answers to this and tels them the meanes to be strong in the inward man is to get the Spirit that you may be strengthned by the Spirit in the inward man Secondly they might demand I but how shall we doe to get the Spirit the Apostle answers to this you must pray for him for your selves as I doe for you For I pray that he would grant you the Spirit that you may be strengthned in the inward man Thirdly they might demand but what should moove God to give us his Spirit and to heare our prayers to this the Apostle answers that the motive-cause is the riches of his glory that hee would grant you according to the riches of his glory that you may be strengthned by the Spirit in the inward man Fourthly they might demand I but what shall we be the better for this strength if we get it to this the Apostle answers in the verses following then saith he You shall be able to comprehend with all the Saints what is the length and the height the depth and the breadth of the riches of the love of God towards you in Christ Now in that the Apostle above all other good things that hee wishes vnto them prayes for this That they may be strengthned by the Spirit in the Inward man I gather this point That which is to be desired of every Christian and to be sought for above all things is this that he may be strongthened in the inward man I gather it â—â—â—r it thus Paul was now to pray for some good to the Ephesians and considering what might bee most profitable for them he makes choice of this above all other good things making it the summe and substance of his prayer that they may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inward man I shall not need to prove it by any other place of Scripture because this in hand sufficiently proves the point as being the maine scope and intent of the Spirit in this place to shew the necessity of this doctrine of strengthening the inward man But for the more fuller explaining of this point we will first shew you what this strength is and then we will come to the uses There is therefore a twofold strength First there is a naturall strength Secondly there is a supernaturall strength First I say there is a naturall strength and this is when a man is naturally strong either in the parts of his body or in the gifts of his mind as for example a strong memory in a man that is a naturall strength and so other qualities of the mind so likewise when a man is strong in the parts of his body as in his armes or legges or necke these are naturall strengthes but this is not the strength that is here meant Secondly there is a supernaturall strength and this is twofold the first is a supernaturall strength which is received from the evill spirit that is when Satan shall joyne with the spirit of a man to doe evill then he addes a supernaturall strength and so makes him to doe more or suffer more then otherwise by nature he is able to doe with this spirit are all the enemies of the Church strengthned withall Paul himselfe before he was converted was thus strengthned and so was hee that killed the French King hee had more then a naturall strength to undergoe all those torments and not to shrinke at them but this is not the strength here meant but there is 2. a supernaturall strength and this is that strength which comes from the sanctifying spirit whereby a Christian is able to doe more then naturally he could doe and this is the strength that is here meant in this place and with this strength all the Saints are strengthned withall This was the strength that Eliah Stephen Iohn Baptist and the Apostles had this made them speake boldly in the name of Christ. But you shall the better understand what this strength is if you doe but consider the particulars of it which are these the first particular in which this spirituall strength is seene is this if a man can beare any wrong patiently without seeking revenge any way it is a signe that they are spiritually strong the second particular wherein this spirituall strength is seene is this if a man can thrive under many afflictions rejoycing under them he hath this this strength as in the Acts 5 41. it is said of the Apostles that they departed from the Councell rejoycing that they were thought worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ hee that can beare some troubles hath some strength but to beare great troubles is required great strength that is to stand fast to Christ to professe his name there as the holy Ghost saith in Revelation 2. vers 13. where Satan hath his throne must needs be a great supernaturall worke of the spirit the third particular wherein this spirituall strength is seene is this If a man can beleeve though hee hath all reason and strength of reason against him or if a man can doe all things of knowledge this is to be strong in the inward man But to goe further that you may the better know what this strength is I will give you a description of it that is I will describe what the strength of the inward man is more fully First I say it is a generall good disposition or right habite temperature or frame of the minde whereby it is able to please God in all things I say it is a generall good disposition or right habite because if it be onely in some particulers and that at sometime onely it is not strength as for example to have a passion to good and not to
speciall meanes for the strengthning of the inward man for as hee sets up the building and furnisheth the roomes and gives power unto the soule to use them so that which makes all these effectuall is this when hee gives power and efficacy unto the meanes that are for the strengthning of the inward man now you know that the Word is the onely meanes to worke new habits and qualities in us to call us and beget us unto Christ. And if the Spirit should not adde this unto it namely efficacy it would never beget us unto Christ therefore this is the meanes to make all effectuall it gives a blessing unto the meanes of grace the Word alone without the Spirit is as I told you but as a scabberd without a sword or a sword without a hand that will doe no good though you should stand in never so much need therefore the Apostle joynes them together Act. 20. 32. he calles it the Word of his grace that is the spirit must worke grace by it or else the Word will nothing availe you Againe prayer is a meanes to strengthen the inward man but if the Spirit bee nor joyned with it it is nothing worth and therefore the holy Ghost saith pray in the holy Ghost that is if you pray not by the power of the holy Ghost you will never obtaine grace or sanctification The Spirit is unto the meanes of grace as raine is unto the plants raine makes plants to thrive and grow so the spirit makes the inward man to grow in holinesse therefore it is the promise that God makes unto his Church in the Scripture that hee will powre water upon the dry ground The heart that before was barren in grace and holinesse shall now spring up in holinesse and grow strong in the inward man and this shall be when I shall powre my Spirit upon them therefore you see how the Spirit doth strengthen grace in the soule by building and setting up the building of grace in the soule and then by furnishing the roomes with new habits and qualities of grace and then by giving power unto the soule to use those habits to good and then by giving a blessing unto all the meanes of grace The use of this stands thus If the Spirit be the onely meanes to strengthen the inward man then it will follow that whosoever hath not the holy Ghost hath not this strength and whatsoever strength a man may seeme to have unto himselfe if it proceed not from the Spirit it is no true strength but a false and counterfeit strength for a man may thus argue from the cause unto the effect the true cause of strength must needs bring forth strong effects and on the contrary that which is not the cause of strength cannot bring forth the effects of strength so I may reason that no naturall strength can bring forth the strength of the inward man because it wants the ground of all strength which is the Spirit and therefore you may have a flash or a seeming power of strength such as the Virgins had Matth. 25. that seemed to be strong in the inward man but it was but a fained strength because they had not the Spirit it is the Spirit that must give you assurance of salvation and happinesse And I have chosen this point especially in regard of the present occasion the receiving of the Sacrament before which you are especially to examine your selves whether you have this or no which if you have not then you have neither strength in the inward man nor any right or interest unto Christ For I may well follow the Apostles rule that they that are Christs have the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. The Spirit searcheth the deepe things of God which hee hath revealed unto us by his Spirit Ephes. 1. 13. You were sealed with the Spirit of promise Rom. 8. 11. That they should bee raised by the Spirit that dwelleth in them and againe as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God thus you see that it stands you upon to examine your selves whether you have the Spirit but above all places there are two places which prove the necessity of having the Spirit the one is this place which is my text That you may be strengthned by the Spirit in the inward man and the other is the place which Saint Iohn hath in 1 Iohn 3. 14. By this wee know that we are translated from death unto life because we love the brethren it is a signe to judge of your spirituall strength by your love if we be united in the bond of love it is a signe that wee have the Spirit and having the Spirit it is the cause that we are translated that is changed so that you must be changelings from sinne to grace before you can be saved Examine therefore what effectuall spirituall strength you have what spirituall love there is amongst you and so accordingly you may judge of your estates whether you have any right or interest unto Christ and that I may helpe you in this thing I will lay downe some signes by which you shall know whether you have the Spirit The first signe whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no is this if you have the sanctifying Spirit you will be full of fire that is it will fill you with spirituall heat and zeale now if you finde this in you then it is the sanctifying Spirit and therefore Iohn saith of Christ Matth. 3. 11. that hee will baptize them with the Spirit and with fire that is he will baptize you with that Spirit whose nature is as fire that will fill you full of spirituall heate and zeale and therefore it is said Act. 2. 3. that they had tongues as of fire and againe it is said that the Apostles were stirred up with boldnesse to speake that is when they saw God dishonoured this Spirit kindled a holy zeale in them it set their hearts on fire it set their tongues on fire so when the spirit enters into the heart of a Christian it will fill it full of heate and zeale the heart the tongue the hands the feete and all the rest of the parts will be full of the heate of the spirit And it is unpossible that any man should have true zeale except hee have the spirit therefore it is said that they spake with new tongues as the spirit gave them utterance they spake with a great deale of zeale of another nature and qualitie then they did before Well then examine what heat and zeale you have in your actions so much heate so much spirit Hee shall baptize you with the Spirit and with fire If you have the sanctifying Spirit you shall know it by the zeale that is in you in the performance of holy duties therefore I say this is an excellent signe whereby a man may know whether he have the spirit
or no. Now that a man may know this the better I will make it cleere by this example Take a bottle that is full of water and another that is full of Aqua-vitae looke upon them outwardly and they are all one in colour but if you taste the one is hote and lively but the other is cold and rawe so if you looke unto the outward formall actions of wicked men they have the same colour that the actions of the holy men have but if you taste them examine their lives and search into their hearts you shall finde a great difference the one of them it may be may seeme to have life and heate in them but they want the Spirit for they have neither a loathing of sinne nor power to resist sinne they may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold they may restraine some lusts for some ends but such cannot master and subdue them and it may heat a part of his heart but it cannot heat all his heart but where the sanctifying Spirit comes it heats all the soule kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burne up sinne which is there And this was the difference betweene Iohn Baptists Baptisme and the Baptisme of Christ. Iohn would baptize them with water but Christ in the spirit and with fire therefore examine what heat there is in you against evill and what zeale there is in you to good are you cold in prayer in conference in the Communion of Saints it is a signe that you have not the spirit it may be you heare and reade and pray and conferre but see with what heat you doe them Is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly 1 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if yee sorrowed not to use the world as if you used it not doe you performe holy duties with that coldnesse as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not doe you heare as if you heard not and doe you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not and doe you pray as if you prayed not and doe you love as if you loved it not then surely you have not the Spirit And on the contrary if you finde spirituall heat and zeale in you a nimblenesse and quicknesse to good it is a signe that you have the Spirit for it is the propertie of the Spirit to heate the soule therefore the Prophet saith That the zeale of thine House hath even eaten mee up Intimating I have such a measure of zeale wrought in mee by thy Spirit that I cannot see thee in the least measure dishonoured but I must burne with zeale Therefore examine what zeale you have for God and godlinesse are you hot for the things of the world and cold for grace and holinesse whatsoever you thinke of your selves yet you have not the sanctifying Spirit There is not a holy man or woman that belongs unto Christ but they have this holy fire in them and yet I would not have you to mistake mee as if every Christian did attaine unto the like heate and zeale as others doe For you must know that some have more some have lesse according unto the measure of the sanctifying Spirit that they have but this you must know that you must be full of heate full in some measure answerable unto the measure of the sanctifying Spirit but if you finde no heate at all in you then you have not a graine of the Spirit not to be hot is to bee luke-warme and luke-warmenesse is that which God hates it is a temper mixt which is both loathsome to nature and odious to God Revel 3. 15. the Laodiceans were neither hotte nor cold but luke-warme that is they had neither heate to good nor so cold as to forsake the truth Sinne and holinesse stood in aequilibrio together and they had as good a minde unto the one as unto the other now because it was thus with them therefore saith God I will spue them cut and then in the next verse hee exhorts them to be zealous and amend except you labour to bee hot in the Spirit you cannot be saved Titus 2. 14. the Apostle saith That Christ dyed that hee might purchase unto himselfe a people zealous of good workes this zeale must not bee a constrained zeale but a willing zeale and if there were no other motive to move men to bee zealous but this because Christ came to redeeme them for this end that they might be zealous for his glory if there bee any sparke of the fire of the Spirit in him it will burne at Christs dishonour and if Christ came unto this end to make men zealous then surely Christ will not loose his end but they that Christ will save shall be zealous therefore I beseech you labour to be strong in the inward man and labour to get the Spirit that you may be zealous but alas men have drunke too much of this Cup of giddinesse they thinke they need not be so zealous as they are but I say if you be not it is a signe that you have not the Spirit especially it stands men now upon if they have any holy zeale in them to show it I say it is time you should show it when you see such halting betweene two opinions show your zeale by hating and abhorring popery and by labouring to draw men from it especially now when we see men so desirous to goe into Egypt againe which is to be lamented in these dayes for which the Lord hath stretcht out his hand against us but where is our zeale what spirituall heate is there in us where are these men that at such a time would have beene hot and zealous nay where are the generation of these men surely they are all gone for there is no heate and zeale left it is true we abound in knowledge we have the same knowledge that they had but we want their zeale and spirit and we have the same gifts but we want their Spirit but let us now at length shew our selves to be in the spirit to have the Spirit in vs by our zeale against evill But you will say that many holy men that have the Spirit yet are not so hot and zealous against evill but are marvellous milde and patient therefore a man may have the Spirit and yet not bee zealous First to this I answer that holy men may have pits wherein they may be falne They may have drosse aswell as Gold and hence they may bee drawne by a strong passion and lust not justly to weigh sinnes aright whence ariseth remissenesse and neglect both in doing good and resisting evill but this in a regenerate man I call but a passion because it continues not for prayer and the preaching of the pure Word will recover this againe that is will recover his strength and make him zealous against sinnes but if you see a man whatsoever
Spirit comes and workes holy affections they widen the soule and make it large and firme therefore that you may have large hearts in praier in meditation labour to get the Spirit that you may have holy affections kindled in you The fourth benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it will make the heart good because it is the proper worke of the holy Ghost to sanctifle the heart to cleanse and change and so make it good it is the worke of the Spirit to worke repentance in us a thorow change in us I call repentance a thorow change because men for the most part mistake repentance taking that for repentance which is no repentance men thinke that if they be turned this way and that way from this sinne and that sinne though it be not from every sinne and evill way that they have true repentance but they are deceived for repentance is a thorough change of the whole man consisting both of soule and body whereby the parts and faculties of both are turned a quite contrary way the heart is turned out of the way of sinne into the way of holinesse now that a partiall turning is not repentance I will make cleare by this comparison take any naturall thing that is of an earthly substance whose nature is to goe downeward yet you may force it upwards by meanes that you may use as for example water you know is of an earthly substance and the nature of it is to descend yet you see by the force and strength of the Sunne it is drawne upward first into vapors and then congealed into ice and snow and raine and then it will not rest till it descend againe but there is another ascent of the fire and that is upward and not forced but naturally doth ascend up even so a carnall man may doe the same things that a spirituall man doth hee may keepe downe some lust and he may forsake some evill he may forsake his drunkennesse and uncleannesse and his old evill haunts yea he may doe some good but yet he doth not forsake the evill neither doth he doe the good by the power of the sanctifying Spirit but by a naturall strength if he doth a good action it is by constraint he is forced by something Spirit is a free agent it workes freely of himselfe therefore to whom it goes it goes as a free gift Now that the Spirit is a free agent it appeares by this that reason makes man to be a free agent but it is the Spirit that gives reason therefore the Spirit must needs be most free Thirdly the Spirit must be a free gift by his carriage to them hee will save hee might have chosen the elder and not the younger hee might have chosen Esau and not Iacob or if he would have chosen the younger then hee might have brought him first out of the wombe but he will not because he is most free in his choice he will save Iacob and cast off Esau and so he might have chosen honourable and noble men to have both preacht the Gospell and to be all saved by the Gospell he might have chosen them only for salvation but he will not but the poore they shall receive the Gospell he will make choice of them for salvation he might have chosen Simon Magus aswell as Simon Peter but hee will not therefore you see he is free Fourthly the Spirit is free which appeares by the paucitie of them he choses he is at libertie he might have saved more but this shows his freedome he is not tyed to one more then unto another the winde bloweth where it listeth Iohn 3. 8. hee calles when and whom he will Let them come in that my house may bee full none shall come no more no lesse then I have chosen Fifthly the Spirit is a free gift which appeares by the prosecution of his decree both of Election and Reprobation nothing more free then the Spirit is he might as I said have chosen Esau and not Iacob for there cannot a reason be given wherefore he should chuse the one and not the other he will choose the wife and not the husband hee will choose the husband and not the wife hee will choose the childe and not the father and hee will choose the father and not the childe againe he will choose this man and that woman and not another man or another woman and what is the reason of it surely there can be no reason given of it but because the Spirit is free to choose and choose not thus briefely I have shewed you that the Spirit is a free gift Is the spirit a free gift and doth it worke freely then let them consider this and tremble that are not sanctified by the Spirit and in whom the spirit hath not yet wrought his good worke least they may seeme to be deprived Againe if the wind bloweth where it listeth then it stands you upon to doe as Millars are wont to doe to watch the opportunity and grind if the Spirit doth blow upon you if at any time the Spirit doth kindle any sparke of grace in you take heed of neglecting the opportunity doe not say in this case unto the spirit as Festus said unto Paul that you will heare him another time but bee sure if the spirit commands doe you runne or if he cals be sure to answer him least he call you no more I have often told you that there is a time when he will call you no more therefore thinke with your selves what a time of darkenesse and sorrow it will bee to you then when with the five foolish Virgins you shall be shut out of heaven and happinesse I say there is a time when he will sweare that you shall not enter into his rest and doe not onely labour and watch for the opportunity to take the Spirit when it is offered but labour to get the opportunity Vse the meanes whereby you may get him and for your helpe herein I will lay downe some meanes whereby you may get the spirit The first meanes to get the Spirit is this you must labour to know the Spirit for what is the reason that men doe not receive the spirit but because they know him not they doe not know him in his purity in his free working in his incomprehensible greatnesse in his increate holinesse and therefore they put off the working of the Spirit Men thinke that now their sinne in this kind is not so great as Simon Magus was it is true say they Simon Magus sinne was a great sinne and worthy of punishment because hee thought to have bought the Spirit with money but if wee well consider mens dealings now with the Spirit wee shall finde that the same sinne is committed now I say men thinke they doe not commit this sinne of Simon Magus when indeed you doe you know how great the sinne was in him and what a judgement was inflicted
he should say if you would know what will strengthen you it is the Spirit Hence note this point That whatsoever saving or sanctifying grace or strength of grace every man hath it all proceeds from the sanctifying spirit I say all the saving grace all strength of grace comes from the Spirit yet doe not mistake mee as if I did exclude the Father and the Sonne for they worke together in every act the Father workes not without the Sonne the Sonne workes not without the Father the Father and the Sonne worke not without the Spirit neither doth the Spirit worke without the Father and the Sonne for what one doth all doth but I ascribe the worke of sanctification unto the Spirit because it is the proper worke of the Spirit to sanctifie and hee is the strengthner of all grace that is all grace comes from the Father as the first cause of all things and then throùgh Christ by the Spirit Grace is wrought in the Soule Therefore these three distinctions of the Trinity is good the Father is of Himselfe the Sonne is of the Father and the Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Sonne that is the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Sonne and is sent unto the hearts of his Children to worke Grace and Holinesse in them and it must needs be so that the holy Ghost is the onely Worker and Strengthner of Grace because proceeding from such a Holy Fountaine as the Father and the Sonne is he must needes bee Holy and the way to get Sanctification and Holinesse is to get the holy Spirit For in a thing that is sent to sanctifie two things are required First hee that is sent to sanctifie must proceed from a holy Fountaine but the Spirit doth proceed from a most holy and pure God therefore it cannot chuse but be a holy worke that Hee workes Secondly the second thing required in him that is sent to sanctifie is this that he subsist in sanctification that is that he depend not upon another for sanctification but that he be able to sanctifie himselfe now this is the excellency of the holy Ghost He is sanctification and holinesse it selfe that is subsisting in sanctification and abounding in holinesse and therefore able to strengthen the inward man But that you may more fully understand this point I will show you how the Spirit strengthens the inward man and works holinesse and sanctification and this will appeare in foure things The first way how the spirit strengthens grace in the soule is this by giving unto the soule an effectuall operative and powerfull facultie and that is done by rearing the inward man in the soule and setting up the building of grace and this Hee doth by shedding abroad in the heart the blessed effects of grace unto every facultie as the blood is infused into every veine or as the soule goes through every part of the body and so gives life unto it so doth the Spirit goe through all the parts of the soule by infusing spirituall life and power into them and therefore the Apostle calles it Eph. 1. his effectuall power that is he hath such efficacy in working that he infuseth spirituall life unto the whole soule The second way how the Spirit strengthens grace is this when he hath set up the building and swept every corner of the soule then he inables the soule to doe more then it could doe by nature by putting new habits and qualities in the soule as first when a man can doe more then a naturall man can doe by nature then the Spirit hath added new habits as for example any hand can cut with a Chissell or the like instrument but if he can by it make a picture this is a worke above nature because no man can doe it unlesse he hath beene raught it So when the Spirit comes into the heart then it makes a man to doe more then naturally he can doe water you know the nature of it is cold but if you would have it of another quality then you must put a quality of fire into it So the soule is dead and cold by nature but if a quality of the fire of the spirit be added unto it then it will be able to do more then it naturally can doe therefore examine what new habits and qualities be in you whether you have a new habit of patience love hope and experience that is as patience begets experience and experience hope so where the spirit is it doth beget new habits and qualities in the soule by which it is able to doe more then naturally it can doe as I said it first builds the house and sweepes the roomes and then it fits and furnishes the roomes with new habits and qualities of grace The third way how the Spirit strengthens grace is this when it hath given us new habits then it inables and helpes us to use these habits to good And herein appeares the power and excellency of the Spirit not onely to give spirituall life and strength but also to inable us to use that strength for the strengthning of the inward man there may bee qualities and habits in the soule and yet want power to use them as for example a man that is asleepe hee hath habits and qualities but hee wants power to use them or as a man that hath an instrument that will sound well but hee wants skill to use it so many men they have habits and qualities but because they want power to use them therfore they are not strengthned in the inward man but he that hath the Spirit hath withall power to use those habits to good therefore it is said that they spake as the Spirit gave them vtterance that is they had power from the Spirit to speake to doe to use those habits which were in them thus Sampson by the power of the Spirit had power to use his strength Acts 4. 32. It is said that the Apostles spake boldly that is they had power for you must know that there may be common graces in the heart and yet want power but when the Spirit comes then it puts strength in the inward man to worke accordingly Thus it is said that the Spirit came upon Saul and hee prophesied that is hee was able to doe more then before he could doe and yet know that you may have true grace and yet now and then for the present want action you may want a power to doe ought with it and it is then when the Spirit seemes to absent himselfe from the soule and this was that which the Apostle spake of in Heb. 11. Brethren you have forgotten the consolation that is your spirituall strength and power be hid as dead and forgotten but the Spirit will returne and you shall finde your power to good againe The fourth way whereby the Spirit strengthens grace in the soule is by giving efficacy and power unto the meanes of growth which is a
comming unto him or him from receiving of him he might doe both but he will doe neither and you know the promise the Disciples they must goe unto Ierusalem and he will after a certaine time send the spirit but they must waite for him and this they did by constant prayer and they had the promise made good unto them for the holy Ghost came upon every one of them in Acts 2. 4. so if you be constant in prayer what though for the present you get him not yet at last you shall have him thus much for this meanes if you would have the Spirit you must pray and desire him earnestly The fourth meanes to get the Spirit is to obey him and this you doe when you make him good entertainment when you feed him with heavenly thoughts and doe what he would have you to doe but if you slight him set light by him and will not obey and be ruled by him you will never get him and this you doe when you resist greive and quench the spirit you resist the spirit when you resist that light which the spirit hath wrought in you when you fight against it against its reason and arguments this is a great sinne you grieve the spirit when you mingle two contraries PAVLS CONVERSION OR THE RIGHT VVAY TO BE SAVED As it is excellently well set out in divers Doctrines raised from ACTS 9. 6. And he trembling and astonished c. By the late faithful and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Printed at London for Andrew Crooke 1634. The Contents of PAVLS Conversion NOthing can deject a sinner so much as the fearefull power of God pag. 108 Three things cause an astonishment Suddennesse of evil p. 181 Greatnesse  Inevitablenesse  DOCTRINE I. He that will receive Christ or the Gospell must first bee humbled p. 182 Humiliation how t is call'd in Scripture 1. Pricking of the heart ibid. 2. Poverty in Spirit p. 183 3. A melting heart ibid. 4. A trembling at the Word p. 184 Humiliation of necessity to salvation because without it men keepe backe from Christ. Two hinderances that keepemen from Christ. 1. Vnbeleefe p. 187 2. Neglect of Christ which is twofold 1. Totall refusing all offers of grace p. 188 2. Partiall having a mixture of the love of the world and Christ. p. 189 Men compared to the three grounds in the Gospel p. 190 Whether Humiliation bee absolutely necessary or no p. 191 A two fold sorrow Preparative p. 193  Godly p. 194 Godly and worldly sorrow differ in the Objects p. 195 Causes ibid. Effects p. 196 They are distinguished by the Ingredients p. 197  Continuance p. 198  Event ibid. The degrees of godly sorrow p. 199 The least measure of Humiliation is that which makes a man beleeve in Christ. p. 200 USE I. To examine our selves whether wee have received Christ or no for it must be by a deepe Humiliation p. 201 Without Humiliation no receiuing the Gospell shew'd in five particulars 1. A man will not find any need of Christ. p. 202 2. He will not hold out to entertaine Christ. p. 203 3. He will not for sake all things for Christ. p. 204 4. He will not wholly depend on him p. 205 5. He will not undergo any thing for Christs sake 206 Meanes to attaine humiliation of Spirit are I. A rectifi'd Iudgement p. 207 From a rectifi'd Iudgement proceeds sorrow for sinne in respest 1. Sinne is evill of its owne Nature p. 208 2. It is the greatest evill because it deprives us 1. Of the best outward good which is God ibid. 2. Of the chiefest good within us For 1. It deformes the beauty and strength of the inward man 2. It weakens grace within us p. 209 3. It produces evill effects ibid. 4. It needs the greatest medicine to beale it even Christ himselfe ibid. II. Humility of heart p. 210 The way to get our hearts humbled is 1. To labour for some sense of holinesse p. 211 2. To consider the punishment of sinne ibid. III. Application p. 213 IV. Bringing things to a propinquity p. 216 V. The removall of all excuses p. 818 Excuses or deceits are 1 We doe as well as the best p. 219 2 We have as good meanings as the best p. 221 3 It is our Nature to be thus and thus p. 222 4 Our condition privilegeth us p. 223 The better the condition the more reason to serve God 1 Because a greater account is to be rendred p. 224 2 Because their knowledge is the more p. 225 3 Because a greater Iudgement will bee inflicted p. 226 VI. The obtaining of the Spirit ibid. VII A joyning the Word with the Spirit p. 228 The Word will effectually humble us 1 If we get saving knowledge of the Word ibid. 2 If we receive it as the Word of God p. 229 3 If we bring it home to the Conscience p. 231 Three Rules that the Word by Application may be effectuall to humble us 1 Not to defer or put off the worke of the Spirit p. 232 2 Not to make too much haste out of humiliation p. 233 3 To proportion humiliation to the sinnes p. 235 USE II. To exhort us to get our selves throughly humbled p. 236 Motives hereunto are 1. All we doe till we be humbled is but lost labour p. 237 Reasons hereof are because 1 A broken heart is the Altar on which we must offer ib. 2 An humble soule is a fit habitation for Gods Spirit 238 3 Without humiliation no keeping close unto Christ. ib. 2. Whatsoever profession we make it is worth nothing without humiliation Reasons hereof are because without humiliation 1 A man withers will not hold out in his profession 239 2 He will not grow strong in Christ. ibid. 3 Good duties wil be chok'd as the seed amongst thornes p. 240 3. There can be no sound cōfort without humiliation 241 Two Questions answered 1 What kind of sorrow meant here p. 242 2 Whether it be of absolute necessity to salvation 243 Signes to know whether we be truly humbled or no are I. To love much p. 247 Motives to love Christ grace and holinesse are 1 To consider the goodnesse and exoellency of the thing you are perswaded to ibid. 2 To consider the good you see in Christ is yours if you be his p. 248 II. To tremble at the Word Preached p. 249 III. To be affected with the Word when it comes in the edence of the Spirit p. 251 In the Word two things 1 Meat ibid. 2 Medicine p. 253 IV. To be little in ones owne eyes p. 254 V. To yeeld a generall obedience unto Christ. p. 255 Humiliation fits the soule for obedience because 1 It makes a man see God in his holinesse and power 256 2 It makes him desire the favour of God ibid. 3 It makes him chuse God