either want wheels or oyl to our wheels 3. How little of a praying frame of a spirit of grace and supplication is among us Where the Spirit of Christ is there are these Abba's those groanings that cannot be uttered Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Rom. 8.26 The Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Where there is any good measure of the Spirit there is liberty of access to God there will be freedome of pouring out the the heart before God and strong wrestling with God holy importunity and taking the Kingdome of heaven by violence But alas how little is there of these things Our prayers are too cold dead formal lifeless insipid and wordy only How little of a melting frame in our prayers and humble brokenness therein and how little vehement breathings of Soul after and strong actings of faith upon the Lord Jesus therein How little of patient and painful wrestlings with the Lord in them How little of earnest looking after prayers and believing expectation and waiting for a gracious answer of them 4. How little studying and practising of Holiness is among us Little of a Gospel-becoming conversation Were the Spirit of God put within us it would cause us to walk in his statutes and keep his Judgements and do them Ezek. 36.27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them We should then live holy and amiable lives our light would shine before men and so give occasion of much glory to God But how do we walk at all peradventures with God in our conversation We are too uncertain and uneven if not unholy therein This is a thing confessed by most Oh that it were lamented and reformed by All 5. How little breathings of love to God his wayes Ordinances and Saints are among us Were the holy Ghost in the gifts and graces of it given to us in plentiful manner the love of God would be shed abroad in our hearts it would be much there Rom. 5.5 The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given to us We should entirely love God and dearly love his word Saints and wayes The bent and stream of our affections would be turned this way But alas How low does our affection run to God to his house to his word to his Ordinances and one to another How eager are we in our pursuits of other things but after these not so earnest It is too too evident that of these things mentioned there is too little among us but of their contraryes too much There is too much boldness in and impenitency for sinning too much neglect of formality and deadness in prayer too much of weariness in and under and listlessness to the worship service of God too much heedlessness carelessness unholiness profaneness in conversation too much loathing slighting undervaluing disregarding of God his word Ordinances Saints Which plainly show our want of the pouring out of the Spirit And hence is our trouble continued and growing VSE 4. Learn to observe the motions and breathings of Gods Spirit that we may discern the signs of the times We are from this Text informed that the pouring out or with-holding of the Spirit hath a great influence to alter or dispose the frame or manner or state of times and dispensations And therefore this dispensation of God concerning his Spirit is a special signe of the times a signe for us to know the times by or to understand what the work of God is or is like to be in the times we live in It is the duty of Christians to labour to discern the signs of the times for want of which our Saviour blames and sharply reproves those Math. 16.3 O ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the sky but can ye not discern the signes of the times Luk. 12.56 But how is it that ye do not discern this time That was the time of the Messiah and his coming of which there were special signs by which they might have apprehended and understood it had they been wise and diligent to have marked the same The signes of any times they are those visible appearances of Gods providence whereby God leads us to discern that which is more inward as to his purposes intentions and expectations By these signes we may be led to observe or understand what God intends with or to a people in such or such a time which way the providence of God is at present working or like to work toward such a people what God is doing with or among them Now the Spirit of God in the pouring out or withdrawing of it being a special eminent and remarkable signe of the times by a wise and prudent observation of the motions and workings of that we may be signally led to this discerning of the times And therefore let all Christs disciples take due notice and observation of this matter And consider particularly 1. What movings of the Spirit there are in the Souls of men and women in these times What solemn awakenings and sound convictions wrought by the Spirit in the hearts of finners what wooings and allurings to draw their Souls unto God What noise there is rushing and shaking caused by the wind of the Spirit among the dry bones Do we see them coming together bone to his bone and standing up on their feet from the dead Is the Spirit of God striving mightily shaking powerfully and irresistibly working upon the hearts of secure sinners Does it force them to cry out of their sin and misery wretched and woful condition Does it terrifie them from persisting in or medling with iniquity Does it humble and make them look about them with greatest care and sollicitude how they may do to escape the wrath of God and to obtain Salvation Are these workings of the Spirit upon the hearts of smners in these times Speak you who still remain unregenerate Is the Spirit of God still dealing with you by awakening warning and not letting you alone to go on in sin and alluring you by love to Jesus Christ Or hath it done striving with you in that solemn manner and moving upon you in that winning way which formerly it hath done whereby it made you sometimes to listen to its motions Have you got the mastery of the Spirit by frequent resistance that now you will not be jog'd or moved by it Or hath the Spirit rever thus moved upon you Will you let us know how it is with you in this matter that we may the better understand what God is doing or about to do If there be these movings awakenings allurings of the Spirit in the Souls of men and women in any considerable measure among us it is a good signe But if not it is surely bad 2. Consider what presence of God
the working of his Spirit is in us so the presence of his mercyes and blessings will be with us his presence or absence will be much according as our spirits are working towards or from him 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you So Psal 18.25 26 27. If any shall say Then setting aside what God in his Soveraignty may do We hope it will go well with us It is probable it will so For there are sure these workings of the Spirit among us In Answer hereto I shall only add that it will be needful to consider these things further 1. Whether these workings of the Spirit supposed among us may in any sense be said to be general That there are some few here and there one that keep themselves close to God and have a good measure of the Spirit breathing in them for whose sakes we fare the better is I suppose beyond question But whether there be a sufficient number to obtain the sparing or saving such a place of light and means as New-England is at least without the feeling of more sorrow first may yet be a question For I am ready to take this for granted that the same number of righteous persons that might save a sinning Sodom would yet not be enough to save a sinning Israel And that because of what the Lord sayes Am. 3.2 You only have I known of all the Familyes of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities 2. Whether those workings of the Spirit that appear among us be for the most part effectual and saving Whether they be not mostly or in great part common and ineffectual and so issue only in formalities It is the inward saving and effectual operation of the Spirit that gives us grounded hope of the expectation of sure mercyes and blessings 3. Whether the breathings and workings of Gods Spirit are more or less among us then when we were first set under a dispensation of Judgement If they be less yea if they be not more there is little likelihood that we should be delivered from under that Judgment For it is not probable that that should remove anger which was not sufficient to keep it off If the want of such and such graces and fruits of the Spirit hath brought us under the Lords displeasure the same defect will sure be like to continue us there This therefore must not escape our consideration what difference there is betwixt us then and now That there is more sin and that iniquity abounds more since Gods hand hath been out against us I think is the general observation of all that take notice of any thing According to that Zeph. 3.7 I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings 4. Whether the workings of the Spirit are now growing or decaying among us If there be more more of this gracious work of the Spirit breaking forth dayly it is well But if it grow more rare and less and less and the loss of good men and women in whom the Spirit of God eminently was is not in some good measure made up by the resting of the same Spirit upon others rising up in their stead our case looks threatning But I shall say no more in this matter Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them For the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein Hos 14 9. VSE 5. Of Exhortation 1. To all such among us as have any Interest at the throne of grace earnestly to pray that God would pour out of his Spirit upon us from on high Let Gods favourites among us be earnest in crying unto God in this matter If there be any strength for wrestling with God left improve all the Interest you have with God and with his Son that you may prevail for this blessing For Motive Consider Mot. 1. It is the manner of and is becoming to Gods people to supplicate and wait upon him for all their mercyes It is meet we should receive all our special blessings from God upon our knees Thus Gods Servants have done Psal 123.1 2. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us We must not expect to receive any signal mercy unless God say the word and that in answer to our earnest prayers What ever mercy God bestows on his people he will be sought to by them for it When he hath any mercy to bestow on his people he is wont to stay till his people ask it though it is God that puts it into their hearts to ask it Hence we are bidden in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to let our requests be made known unto God Phil. 4.6 We must ask the Father in Christs name for all And therefore for this great blessing of the pouring out of the Spirit there is all reason that we should wait upon God by humble prayer As the Apostles were commanded to wait at Jerusalem for the promise of the Father the sending down of the Spirit Act. 1.4 and most or much of that time they spent in praying ver 14. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication And this no doubt was a special or main part of their prayer that God would accomplish his promise in the actual pouring down of his Spirit 2. Nothing else is like to do us good unless God will pour out his Spirit on us We have had experience of the inefficacy of means upon us to bring us into order and to a good frame Much and frequent instruction and warning by the word hath not done it We have been taught what people this day in the world more It may be said of us as Zeph. 3.5 The just Lord is in the midst thereof every morning doth he bring his Judgment to light he faileth not The word of the Lord hath been to us precept upon precept line upon line We have been in that respect planted in the house of the Lord But have we not been as the fig-tree barren Or as the Lord speaks of his Vineyard Isai 5.4 Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes Judgements have not done it We have been under many But yet may it not be said of us after all as of them Am. 4. Yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord How true is it of us The people turneth not to him that smiteth them We have not received correction but refused to return Deliverances do not do it We have been respited And when we have seen there hath been respite have we not been secure still As it was said of Pharaoh Exod. 8.15 But when Pharaoh
THE NECESSITY OF The pouring out of the Spirit from on High UPON A Sinning Apostatizing People set under Judgment in order to their merciful Deliverance and Salvation As it was Delivered in part upon 21. 9. 1678. being a general FAST throughout the united Colonies of N. E. By WILLIAM ADAMS Pastor of the Church of Christ in Dedham Luk. 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Luk. 13.35 Behold your house is left unto you desolate And verily I say unto you Ye shall not see me until the time come when ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Psal 14.7 O that the Salvation of Israel were come out of Sion I when the Lord bringeth back the Captivity of his People Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad BOSTON Printed by John Foster for William Avery near the sign of the blew Anchor 1679. To the Reader THat these Churches once flourished with much spiritual prosperity under a glorious dispensation of the Spirit and grace of God by the saving administrations of his word and worship and that with full demonstration of his special grace and favour we ought to commemorate unto his praise and glory and our own present shame and confusion That now we are a people in extream danger of perishing in our own sins and under Gods Judgements unless God shall please in an extraordinary way of Soveraign mercy to save us is the most humbling consideration of our present sad condition That all ordinary means in that extraordinary way of improvement which God hath of late set us under have been altogether ineffectual unto a general and saving work of reformation makes it at least a fearful question whether our degeneracy and apostacy may not prove Judicial and so perpetual a question which will not admit of a comfortable resolution until God shall pour out his Spirit from on high upon us That Soveraign promise of the donation and effusion of the Spirit and so of the dispensation of saving grace as it hath been unto the Churches in all Ages under their deepest defection So it is unto us the main stay of our faith confidence and comfort and that which gives some present reviving unto our languishing hope of the resurrection of Religion in these Churches That God doth at present so far suspend the accomplishment of this promise and so far with-hold his Spirit and grace it is the just yet most dreadful punishment of that most sinful abuse of it and general unprofitableness under the means of grace and of that resisting his Spirit and rejecting his Son by unbelief and disobedience unto the Gospel which is found amongst us and is sadly signal of the gradual cessation of the work of Conversion and of the further execution of Gods wrath both by external and spiritual plagues and Judgements How much that blessed work doth already fail the decaying and dying state of Religion and of these Churches doth evidence by woful instance and experience there being little more left then a name to live and those things which remain so ready to dye That so many sinners do seem to be given up Judicially unto the still growing and prevailing sins of the times which both in their nature and working are so utterly inconsistent with the progress of the work of Conversion doth make the considgration of our present case much the more lamentable especially-considering that such sinners do remain under a secret soveraign influence of Gods vindictive Justice whence the word in the Ministry is become a savour of death unto death in them that perish What remains then but that we do most enixly endeavour in whatsoever we may or can possibly to approve our selves a people more hopeful as to Conversion Reformation and Salvation labouring practically and savingly to understand even we at least in this our day the great things of our temporal spiritual and eternal peace and welfare least they should be hidden from our eyes because we know not this time of our visitation How is it then the most important concernment of all unconverted sinners to take heed unto themselves that they do not as heretofore hinder their own Conversion by abusing and loosing their special day and seasons of grace or by yielding up their Souls unto the power of sin and Satan in those wayes of sinning wherein their hearts will be hardned against the power and working of the word and Spirit of God unto positive unbelief and disobedience unto the Gospel against light and so by giving up themselves unto deep security in their unregeneracy and unto spiritual Apostacy from that common grace which they may have received and that past ordinary hope of recovery Heb. 6.4 to 8. But that sinners do redeem this present time unto a constant attendance upon the Ministry of the word and a most diligent improvement of all means of grace and operations of the Spirit crying earnestly unto God and waiting instantly upon him for the application of Christ and salvation in a saving work of grace and that under a sense of their extream necessity thereof crying out as they when prickt in their heart Act 2.31 what shall we do and as he Act. 16.30 what must I do to be saved How severely also then are all such persons to be reproved and warned as the most dangerous destructive Enemyes unto both the temporal and spiritual welfare and prosperity of this people and of these Churches feeking the utter ruine and destruction both of the present and succeeding generations who make it their business to hinder obstruct yea utterly to destroy the work of Conversion by upholding the sins of the times opposing the dutyes of the times corrupting the Souls of others with error heresy libertinisme and licentiousness weakning the hearts and hands of those who labour in the work of Christ for the salvation of Souls by all means crossing and counter-working the whole work of Reformation such do declare themselves to be full of all mischief Children of the Devil and Enemies of all righteousness Act. 13.10 incurre that woe pronounced by our Saviour Math. 23.19 Therefore all those who would approve themselves to be true friends to the work of Christ in the promotion of his Kingdome the propagation of Religion and the Salvation of Souls ought to labour most intensly in their several places by all means with all their might to promote converting work especially amongst the Rising Generations Godly parents Masters heads of Families by the constant exercise of the worship of God in the life and power of it by dayly instructions admonitions and all kind of religious education by the right and full improvement of Family government training up Children and Servants in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and this with
Saints more more sanctified And by pouring out of the Spirit we may understand a plentiful effusion or giving forth of the gifts and graces of the Spirit to the sound Conversion and through Sanctification of a People The dispensation of the Spirit in all the gracious and saving operations thereof is exprest by giving the Holy Ghost Joh. 7.39 This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given And by pouring out the gift of the Holy Ghost Act. 10.45 On the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost By the Spirit being poured out upon them therefore is intended a plentiful and abundant measure of the communication of the gifts and graces of the Spirit unto them and this was the determined period of their miseryes See more of this in M. I Mather his Sermon on Isai 44.3 Qu. 1 2. where these things are directly and fully spoken too From on High from God above Father and Son And the Wilderness be a fruitful field and the fruitful field be counted for a Forrest I shall not trouble you with reciting the various Expositions given of this as in the parallel place in Isai 29.17 but only lay down and improve that which comparing them with the Text and one with another I take to be most probable What is therefore exprest in the latter part of this Verse we may take to intimate the immediate effects or fruits of the pouring out of the Spirit wrought upon or in those upon whom it is poured And they are two 1. The Conversion of the unregenerate And the Wilderness be a fruitful Field i. e. Those that have been as a Wilderness barren and unfruitful bringing forth no fruit to God but wild fruits of sin they shall be changed tilled converted and made fruitful to bring forth fruits of holiness unto God 2. The admirable fruitfulness and encrease of grace in the godly And the fruitful Field be counted for a Forrest i.e. They that have a Principle of fruitfulness in them and did bring forth fruit before yet now upon the pouring out of the Spirit upon them shall receive such abundance of grace and be so eminent in the acting of it that what they did before shall be accounted as the fruit of a barren Forrest in comparison of what they do now Such a difference shall there be in their fruitfulness before and after the pouring out of the Spirit on them Or the meaning may be The fruitful field shall be counted for a Forrest i.e. Those that were before fruitful fields shall upon the pouring out of the Spirit fructifie so incredibly that they shall seem rather to be a Wood a Forrest a Thicket then fields of Tillage by an appropriation of such expressions as are sometimes used concerning the incredible fertility of some Fields in grain and fruits unto the exceeding great fruitfulness of persons in grace and spiritual and holy actions And so the Sense is the same as before Vide Angl. Annot in Isai 25.17 and Calvin in Pol. Synops Crit. Ibid. 3. The great turn and change following upon the pouring out of the Spirit v. 16 17 18. Then shall c. The immediate Effects fruits of the pouring out of the Spirit were exprest in the former Verse The mediate or more remote effect and consequent of it is here exprest to be the restoration and multiplication of sure mercies and blessings upon them in the Particulars mentioned in these verses And they respect either 1. Their Sanctification as a holy and heavenly Conversation v. 16. Then Judgement shall dwell in the wilderness i.e. in illis qui olim Desertum erant Forerius in Pol. Synop. Crit. in Loc. Those that were as a wilderness before untilled unt aught unregenerate unsubdued to the will of God being now converted shall give heed to Judgement equity righteousness honesty and piety abandoning all ways of profaneness debauchery dishonesty injustice intemperance and impiety which before once they lived in And righteousness remain in the fruitfull field Ergasia five exornatio effectorum Spiritus Dei in Sanctis erunt inquit fructus spiritus in arvo i.e. Ecclesiâ Dei Justitia c. Jun. in Loc. Christians Professors who have given up their names to Christ shall be studiously carefull to hold fast righteousness sincerity and uprightness in all their carriages and actions towards God and man being plain-hearted right-down fair and square in all their dealings behaving themselves in all things holily justly and unblameably being harmless and without rebuke putting away all semblance of dishonesty unjust dealing unfaithfulness untruth encroaching covetousness double-dealing unsteadiness shifting winding turning and whatsoever else is unworthy the vocation wherewith they are called And these sure are blessed and happy times when there are such fruits of sanctification so generally and universally appearing Or 2. Their Glorification which concern the felicity and blessedness of their lives And they are either 1. Inward and spiritual blessings Peace Quietness and Assurance v. 17. and the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever There shall be peace Soul-peace Peace with God and the testimony of that peace in their Consciences whenee an holy serenity and calmness of soul the peace of God which passeth all understanding keeping their hearts and minds through Jesus Christ a religious composure of mind resting quietly upon God alone and depending on him with confident assurance of receiving protection and all good from him English Annot. in Loc. Or 2. Outward Blessings peaceableness in their habitations security and quietness in their dwellings v. 18. and my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellinge and in quiet resting places They shall have peace safety quietness and rest round about together with all the blessings of such a merciful and heaven-born peace Nor is it absurd or immethodical to rank this outward peace of the Saints under glorification for it is to them a real freedome from misery evill of punishment wherein they experience the good-will kindness of God and therefore is a part or degree of Glorification begun Huc pertinet ad Grorificat inchoat scil paterna illa Dei Providentia quae Fidelibus invigilat somper in bonum Ames Medui l. 0 c. 30. th 30. For the timing this Prophesy in the Text concerning the pouring out of the Spirit and the effects and Consequents of it it is variously fixed by Expositors as to the restitution of the Jewish state after Sennacheribs defeat to the Jews return from the Babylonian Captivity to the times of the Messiah in general and to some particular time or times under the Gospel and that either already past or yet expected That this Prophesy in the Text doth respect some particular time mainly and principally is without doubt But what that time is Scriptura prophetica sapius impletur See Mr. Increase
not repentance and reformation in a people there is no likelihood that Gods wrath should be pacified by Judgements formerly inflicted but rather that there will be a procedure to further greater and sorer Judgements For when the Soveraign God hath once taken a people thus into his hand it is likely in reason that he will have his will of them or bring them very low mend or mar them bow or break them Lev. 26.23 And if ye will not be reformed by these things and ver 27 28. And if ye will not for all this bearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury 3. Because where there is not repentance and reformation under Affliction there will be an encrease of provocation The Lords expectation is frustrated and thereby will he be provoked Besides such who thus frustrate Gods expectation they will grow more hardned in sin and security by affliction if not more bold to sin Zeph. 3.7 I said surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction so their dwelling should not be cut off howsoever I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings And this will be like to continue and encrease their affliction Hos 13.2 3. And now postquam moniti fuerint castigati Rivet After they have been warned and chastned they sin more and more Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud as the early dew it passeth away as the chaff that is driven with a whirlwind out of the floor and as a smoak out of the Chimney By which four similitudes the greatness and certainty of their calamity is denoted and that that flourishing prosperity which they hoped for should come to nothing Prop. III. The miseries of such a people will be like to proceed till there be a pouring out of the Spirit from on high upon them to their sound conversion Vntil the Spirit be poured upon us from on high c. Text. ver 15. If God hath once so far taken a people in hand as to set them under a dispensation of Judgement there is no grounded hope of their deliverance and release in mercy till God do in a gracious manner pour out his Spirit upon them or wonderfully work a saving change in them and among them by the effectual operation of his holy Spirit Till abundance of grace be given forth for the procuring and effecting of their found conversion The Spirit is given or poured out for that end that there may be Conversion And that either 1. The Conversion of sinners which is exprest in the Text by the Wilderness becoming a fruitful field Psal 51.13 Sinners shall be converted unto thee The Lord sends down his Spirit for this end to convince awaken convert regenerate and sanctifie sinners Joh. 16.8 11. to open their eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God This is the work of the Ministry Act. 26.18 which works effectually only through the power presence and assistance of the Spirit accompanying of the same It is the work of the Spirit efficiently to deliver sinners out of the power of darkness and translate them into the Kingdome of the dear Son of God to make them of unholy profane proud and vain serious humble holy pious and conformed to the image and will of God to love those things of God which they have not loved nor regarded and to hate and abandon those things of sin world and vanity which they have loved and set their hearts upon 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Or 2. The Conversion of Saints and Christians Which is exprest in the Text according to the interpretation given by the fruitful field being counted for a forrest Peter was converted before Satan fifted him and made him deny his Master for saith Christ I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not But he must be converted again and therefore Christ sayes to him When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Luk. 22.32 though the relative charge of state in believers is but once wrought it is wrought at once and continues for ever and the real change in their persons by sanctification is perfect in its parts yet this latter admits of degrees It is so wrought in the believer as that it needs constant carrying on in this life and it may so decay as to need to be done over again and so the Christian to pass under the work of Conversion again a second time Hence David prayes when he had as it were lost the work or effect of former Conversion that God would create in him a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within him Psal 51.10 Apprehending himself deprived in a manner of that holy disposition and power of godliness which God had formerly wrought in bm asi before he begged for pardon so here for the sanctification of Gods Spirit The word Renew I conceive hath reference to his former piety which he found greatly decayed in him wherewith he desires to be established again Jackson in loc Now this is the work of the Spirit to renew the work of Conversion and carry on the work of grace in believers He is given for this end for the furthering the work of grace and holiness in believers in renewed and more strong acts of repentance saith and obedience to make them more free from sin end pollution more and more conformable to the will of God in all things more abundantly fruitful in every good work to enlarge them in duty and to make their faces and conversations to shine that they shall in good carnest be engaged for God his service and glory Hence when the Spirit is poured out upon a people All or the generality of them or at least very many among them will be either enquiring for or walking in the way to Zion with their faces thitherward Jer. 50.4 5. In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going and weeping they shall go and seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward Which last expression may intimate their sincere intention and fixed resolution to go on in the way they enquired after To set ones face is to fix the Affections and actions without declining to any other way Wilson Christ Diction Such a people will be bound for God having received the Spirit of God every one will go bound in the Spirit to the performance of his duty and the glorifying and honouring of God They shall be signally carryed out in seeking Gods face and doing of his will There would appear a right and full bent of Spirit for God in persons doing all sincerely in the name and in an evangellical manner exactly according to the
will of the Lord Jesus heartily giving thanks to God and the Father by him Col. 3 17. The Spirit of God and of holiness will breath and be manifest in them There will be a godly sorrow and mourning for sin in All Ezek. 7.16 But they that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity A hearty grief that they have displeased dishonoured and provoked God by their sin And a sincere and earnest care and endeavour to repair the honour and glory of Gods Name by future holy obedience These are the immediate effects and fruits of the pouring out of the Spirit And till the Spirit be thus poured out and these gracious effects of it in some good measure obtained to the Conversion and Sanctification of a people under Judgement their misery and sorrow will be like to procead and continue And that 1. Because the profaneness unbelief and impenitency of sinners and the unholiness and unfruitfulness of Christians are the causes of these sorrows and miseryes And as till the causes be removed there is no probability that the effect should cease Josh 7.12 neither will I be with you any more except ye destroy the accursed from among you So in order to the removal of these from a people the pouring out of the Spirit from on high upon them to their sound conversion and sanctification is the grand expedient And therefore till this be they will remain a generation of Gods wrath His anger will not be like to be turned away from them till this work be wrought in and for them 2. Because till the Spirit be in some measure poured out upon them they will not be fit for mercy They will not duely acknowledge nor improve it but profane and abuse it Till by the gracious work of Gods Spirit in them they be brought to a complyance with his will they will not be in a posture to receive mercy They will not carry it aright under mercy Psal 106.8.13 21. Nevertheless he saved them for his Names sake But they soon forgat his works they waited not for his Counsel They forgat God their Saviour which had done great things And therefore there is little probability that God will bestow Salvation upon such a people 3. Till then they will be provoking God Though the Lord be striking them they will certainly be adding new provocations Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a rock they have refused to return Isai 57.17 For the iniquity of his Covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart After this manner will they certainly do till Soveraign grace heal them till such time as there be a gracious effusion of the Spirit from on high upon them to change convert and sanctifie them And therefore notwithstanding all the evil God hath done unto them it will be probable that his Anger will not be turned away but his hand stretch-out still against them Prop. IV. When the Spirit from on high is poured out upon a People to their sound Conversion there will be a restoration and multiplication of sure mercyes and blessings upon them Though such a people were under affliction and expressions of divine displeasure before The Seal of Gods providence would then turn towards them and there would be a remarkable glorious and happy change among them Text ver 16 17 18. Then there should be a new face and aspect of divine providence upon them and the clouds of divine displeasure would blow over What before was taken away or withheld from them should be then restored or given and what mercy they want bestowed upon them They should have mercyes and blessings indeed that are worthy the name of blessings store of sure mercyes and blessings 1. There would be great holiness Holiness would abound There would be Holiness to the Lord as it were engraven in bells and pots Zech. 14.20.21 Holiness would be conspicuous both in persons and actions Judgment and righteousness would dwell and remain every where both in the wilderness and in the field Text ver 16. Then Judgement shall dwell in the wilderness and righteousness remain in the fruitful field 1. We should then see sinners studying and following after Holiness Christians might then see those ignorant profane wicked creatures whom they now with grief behold or hear of that they mind nothing but their vanity their pride excess intemperance disorder who now will not be perswaded to pray to read or hear the word of God with diligence reverence and obedience who will be profane wanton intemperate negligent irreligious who will do any thing but what they should and every thing that they should not But then we might see them serious humble attentive to what is good acting in the fear of God diligent and studious to know the will of God careful to please God fearful of displeasing him circumspect in their actions Christian in their behaviour adorning the doctrine of the Gospel denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts and living soberly righteously godly in the world Tit. 2.12 Isai 32.4 The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge Such as were heady and inconsiderate as fond and foolish persons usually are shall then be better advised and by attending to the word of God come to understand aright the will of God And the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly Men by their religious speech and communication at which they did but stammer when they assayed ought before shall now manifest the inward alteration and change of their hearts Engl. Annot. There are many who having little or nothing of Religion in their hearts little or no discerning or taste of things of the Spirit of God when they are put upon it to speak of any spiritual matters or to perform any religious duty they do miserably stammer sumble and falter they cannot speak or but very brokenly though it may be they can speak fast enough and are of voluble speech in other things But were there abundant effusion of the Spirit upon these it would loose their tongues and make them able to speak distinctly understandingly and feelingly of spiritual and holy things Isai 29.18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness Those that were deaf to all the calls and warnings of God by his word and rod they would not hearken that were blind that could not would not see notwithstanding all that glorious light of Gods truth was held forth before them they shall be recovered of those their former maladies and by the Spirit of God effectually working with his word they shall come to have their cars
the reaching of the Conscience and stirring the affection of many others under a common work of the Spirit which usually goeth along with solemn times Fulfilling of the Scripture pag. 142. Edit 2. Oh therefore pray that New England may have such or another such a solemn day before her Sun go down 8. It is necessary to evidence that you have the Spirit that you be earnestly desirous to have more of the Spirit and that both for your selves and others 9. If Christians would in good earnest set to pray for this there would be good hope that the Spirit would be poured out upon us The Lord is not wont to say to his people seek or to stir them up to seek him in vain Isa 45.19 I said not unto the Seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain 30.19 He will be very grasious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee More encouragement to instant prayer for the pouring out of the Spirit see in Mr. I. Mathers Sermon on Isai 44.3 pag. 14 to 19. By all let Christians be perswaded to lift up the hands which hang down and set to prayer with a deep sense of our want of the Spirit with a Soul humbling sense that we have so grieved the Spirit as thus to forsake and with hold its gracious operations from us and also with faith and expectation that God will do this for us for the sake and upon the account of Christ And then we might hope that it would go well with us and that that should be accomplished in us which is prayed for by the Psalmist Psal 90.14 15 16 17. O satisfy us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the years wherein we have seen evil Let thy work appear unto thy Servants and thy glory unto their Children And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish thou the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it Exhortation 2. To All to labour that the Spirit may be poured out upon them that they may hoth have the Spirit and a plentiful measure of the graces of it Let every one endeavour to get the Spirit for himself and so there would be a general pouring out of the Spirit Would we be free from misery would we be happy make this our busmess Let all unregenerate persons rouze and stir up themselves and take the Kingdome of heaven by holy violence Sue and strive by all means that the saving graces of the Spirit may be given to you If we would have the Spirit poured out upon us upon our persons we must be in the way of waiting for it And O that we could use utmost diligence and endeavours in this thing It is a matter of most eminent and everlasting concernment I might here urge those two things hinted in the Text The misery of being without and the blessedness of having the Spirit poured out upon us which comprehend all can be said But more particularly by way of motive consider Mot. 1. If you have not the Spirit you are none of Christs you have no Christ you are Christless persons and have no more to doe with the Son of God in your present state as to any propriety in him then the Devils had Luk. 8.28 You may talk of Christ and it may be profess him but you have no right nor interest in him Rom. 8.9 Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his The Spirit is the bond of union on Christs part and it is the Spirit which works Faith in us which is the bond of union on our part whence Christ dwels in his people by his Spirit Where therefore the Spirit of Christ is not there is no union of that Soul to Christ no faith wrought in the heart and so no Christ dwelling in that soul And now seriously consider what it is to be without Christ to be none of his 1. It is to have no pardon of sin No Christ no forgiveness You are yet in your sins under the guilt of them and can have no pardon so long as you are without Christ All the sins that ever you have committed they stand on file against you and you must answer for them You lye under the heavy load of the guilt of innumerable evils the which if you had any sense might-make your hearts to fail at the thoughts of it Psal 40.12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquityes have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me It is enough to make the heart of any person to fail indeed to see the load of all his sins lying upon him unpardoned What a dreadfull thing is it for us who have been Transgressors from the womb endless in acting of sin to have all our sins to answer for before God Job 9.3 If he will contend with him be cannot answer him one of a thousand We cannot give a satisfying Answer for one single sin of a thousand But we must answer that is we must be called to an account for them all if they be not pardoned and pardoned they are not if we have not Christ In him pardon is to be had Rom. 3.25 whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God But pardon is no where to be had without him 2. It is to have no favour with God No Christ no favour in Heaven The heart of God will never be towards any that are not in Christ and that continue out of him The world is at enmity with God and reconciliation is only to be had in Christ Jesus God will enter into friendship with or shew favour to no person but by the means and mediation of his Son And therefore if thou art and continuest without Christ God does and ever will look upon thee as an Enemy thou shalt find no favour in his eyes He that made thee will not have mercy on thee he that formed thee will shew thee no favour There will never be other then anger in the face and heart of God toward We are all by nature children of wrath and Enemies but they who are gotten into Christ they are thereby reconciled Col. 1.2 22. You that were sometimes alienated and Enemyes in your minds by wicked works yet now hath be reconciled in the body of his flesh through death c. But for others the wrath of God abides on them and there it will abide to Eternity for they can have no favour if they continue out of Christ Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son the wrath of God abideth on him 3. It is to
have no Salvation No Christ no Salvation Whatever else men may have if they have not Christ they can never be saved Act. 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life Poor creature what dost thou dream of Heaven happiness eternal life glory hast no Christ All thy hopes will prove to be but vain dreams and will in the end vanish 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath not the Son of God hath not life 4. It is to be reprobate i. e. disapproved disallowed and rejected of God Jer. 6.30 Reprobate or refuse and rejectea silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them 2 Cor. 13.5 Know you not your own solves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates They who are without Christ though they may not be Reprobate as the word is opposed to Elect yet in their present state and as to what appears they are no better then those that are reprobate And continuing under Gospel enjoyments without getting into Christ is a fearful symptome of everlasting Reprobation 5. It is to be Satans If thou art none of Christs thou art the Devils The possession of men in the world is divided betwixt Christ and Satan What Christ possesses not are under Satans power and tyranny Know therefore that if Christ hath no possession of thee thou art possessed of the Devil Most lamentable tydings I bring to all unconverted sinners you are possessed by the Devil you are in the hands of that cruel Enemy of Souls in the paw of that roaring Lyon who goes about seeking whom he may devour Is it not a dreadful thing to have the body possessed See Mark 5.2 5. There met him out of the Tombs a man with an unclean Spirit And alwayes night and day he was in the mountains and in the Tombs crying and cutting himself with stones But how much more dreadful is it to have the Soul in the Devils possession Ah sinner Hast thou any reason to laugh and be merry to enjoy one good hour whilest thou art under the hand of so cruel a master and murtherer of Souls as thou art He hath his will upon thee 2 Tim. 2.26 Who are taken captive by him as his will The evil Spirit worketh in the Children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 He trades there In some he keeps open shop setting forth his wares before the world in those abominations and villanyes by them committed In others he deals more underhand he does not appear so openly but yet he is at work in the heart of every child of disobedience Every sinner is the Devils factor and erelong unless thou withdraw from his service he will pay thee thy wages Every Christless sinner is under Satans power Hence when persons are converted they are turned from the power of Satan delivered from the power of darkness Act. 26.18 To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness Thus remember and consider that if you have not the Spirit of Christ you are none of Christs and if none of Christs then what and whose you are Mot. 2. If you have not the Spirit you are worth nothing The true worth and value of men is according to what of the Spirit of God is in them And therefore Pharaoh judged right of Joseph on this account that he was an eminent man a man in whom the Spirit of God was Gen. 41.38 But if you are without this whatever rate you may value your selves at or others may value you you are indeed good for nothing For 1. You know nothing of that which is only worth the knowing and to which all other knowledge ought to be subservient You know nothing of the things of God and his Kingdome of the mysteries of union and communion with God in Christ Speculative knowledge you may have but practical saving knowledge you have none for the true saving knowledge of these is only attained by the help of the Spirit which you are without 1 Cor. 2.11 14. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned You have little reason any one of you he that knows most to boast of or be lifted up with your knowledge for you know nothing as you ought to know The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.4 And therefore whatever you may imagine or speak or reason concerning spiritual things it is but even as the blind mans imagination discourse and reasoning concerning Colours It is very ignorantly You do not really understand any thing about them Si Christum nescis nihil est si catera discis 2. You can do no good thing You have no ability to perform any good action We are all naturally so impotent that we can do nothing that is good unless we have the Spirit to help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities Which you have not We cannot take any step in a right path without the manuduction and leading of the Spirit Rom. 8.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Psal 51.12 Vphold me with thy free Spirit But you have no such guide All spiritual life and every action of life it comes from the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.11 and without it nothing is to be done And therefore let me tell you who have none of the Spirit of God you never did any thing well in your lives not any thing that God will accept 3. You have no good in you All the good that is or ever was in fallen man it is wrought by the Spirit of God And therefore if you have none of the Spirit of God you have no real good in you You may have these and those good natural dispositions and some shews of good but as for any spiritual saving good that will abide the tryal when God shall judge what is good and what is bad you have none of it And therefore it may be said truly of you whatever you may think of your good heart c. your heart is little worth Prov. 10.20 The heart of the wicked is little worth It is little worth indeed for it is worth nothing Hence is it said Psal 119.119 God putteth away all the wicked of the Earth like dross they being of no worth Thus you see you are worth nothing good for nothing if you have not the Spirit
then we shall be fit objects for the Spirit who is the comforter to manifest his gracious work upon Isai 57.18 I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and on his mourners Penitential mourners for sin stand fan in the way to be comforted by God Thus it is said the Spirit of the Lord was upon Christ for this end Isai 61.1 2 3. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to preclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning If we do not feel sin to purpose as it is to be feared few in these dayes do whatever common convictions many have there is little hope that we should have this blessed Comforter sent to us to take up his abode with us Mourning for sin cannot be too much if it raise the price of Christ in the Soul and draw out a more earnest desire of the applying work of the Spirit to be wrought in the heart Direct 5. Cry mightily to God for his Spirit Ask this boon of Heaven When you feel an utter want of the Spirit of God in you then run flee to the throne of grace and let your Soul cry out to the living God for this mercy Tell the Lord in humble manner what need you have of his Spirit what your misery is without it and earnestly beg of him that he will give you his holy Spirit to work faith repentance and all other graces in you And for your encouragement consider what Christ sayes Luk. 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him and Prov. 2.3 4 5. But you will say We cannot pray without the Spirit Answ But yet go and present your selves before God and spread your case before him as well as you can Bemoan your wants your inability to good your insensibleness of your misery Plead as well as you can for mercy for the bestowing of his Spirit upon you Who knows but when you are endeavouring seeking and striving God may give in his holy Spirit to you and help you to pray to acceptation with him It is our duty to wait let God take his time way to work But be sure to pray that with great earnestness from a deep sense of your distress and danger that God will speedily help you Psal 70.1 Make haste O God to deliver me make haste to help me O Lord Psal 143.7 Hear me speedily O Lord my Spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit It must be with humble and earnest prayer on our part that the Spirit of God will come into our Souls if ever it come there Look therefore to the Infinite mercy of God in Christ to help in this matter Direct 6. Be exceeding diligent in the use of all means especially in attending upon the word of God for the obtaining of the Spirit As we must pray so we must use all due means with praying over them Seek for the Spirit wherever there is hope it may be found in all those wayes which God hath instituted for the giving forth of grace mercy and good to the Souls of men Let Sabbaths be observed Ordinances attended meditation self examination prayer secret Family and publick prayer reading the word of God And especially the Ministry of the word Oh wait there By that the word of God dispensed the Spirit is pleased to convey himself The Gospel is called the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 We read of those upon whom the holy Ghost sell while they were hearing the word Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word The Galatians Gal. 3.2 received the Spirit by the hearing of faith i.e. the word of faith which the Apostles preached Therefore attend diligently to the Ministry of the Word pray before you come pray when you go from hearing of the word that it might be a blessed means to conveigh the Spirit to you And when you come to the word attend with all your might hear as for your lives do not heedlesly let slip any one Sentence without your careful attention Expect wait long look when by what sentence by what word spoken God will let in his spirit into your Souls Oh if persons would set themselves in good earnest to attend upon the word of the Gospel as the word of God as the Ministry of the Spirit who knows what God might do for them Let the word of God be precious if ever you would have the Spirit of God with you and in you Dir. 7. Enquire seriously and consult with those that have the Spirit of God If you have any serious christian friend you can open your heart to be plain with him beseech him to be plain with you Enquire the way of the Spirit from those who have had experience thereof Jer. 50.4 5. In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going and weeping they shall go and seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward Where you meet with difficulty in the way seek for instruction Listen what others what Christians of approved godliness and experience say concerning the way of the Spirit of God in their Souls if so be that you thereby might go forth by the footsteps of Christs flock and find him whom your Soul seeks after This is the direction the Lord gives to her Cant. 1.8 If thou know not go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock It is of exceeding use for persons whose desires are intensly set after the Spirit of God to be opening their hearts and conferring seriously one with another about the same Oh the holy breathings of the Spirit that have many times been kindled in the Souls of persons when they have been seriously and sincerely conferring concerning the things and wayes of the Spirit of God! Direct 8. Continue seeking striving and waiting in the use of all means till you find till the Spirit be poured out from on high upon you If the Lord do not come and give his Spirit to you presently yet take heed of giving over or slacking your endeavours Many being some way or other rouzed for a fit are very earnest but not finding the Spirit of God to come quickly they give over they are soon cooled and content themselves with their former formalities in the exercises of Religion Take heed we do not cast away our Souls here How many many perish here Rosolve never to give over seeking and waiting till God be gracious to you and pour out his Spirit upon you If God give you not the holy Spirit to be your Comforter resolve never to take comfort but ly down in sorrow Let nothing divert you from this seeking let nothing satisfy you till you have found the thing you seek for Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Importunity and constancy may at last prevail Luk. 11.5 10. Yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth c. and Luk. 18.1 And be spake a parable unto them to this and that men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint The Lord Jesus spake these things to encourage to importunity and constancy in prayer And for the prevalency and good effect of this we have the famous example of the woman of Canaan Math. 15.22 -28 Direct 9. Make this the business of your lives Look upon it as the main thing you came into the world for Lay out the strength of your Souls about it Drive on this as if you had nothing else to mind or do Make this your work to get the Spirit of God to be in you and all other things subordinate and subservient to this Do not think that for a sinner to obtain all the gracious operations of the Spirit in himself to get a due sense of sin as most odious and loathsome and to rest his Soul upon Christ as most pretious and to shew forth all the blessed fruits of the Spirit in his conversation is a work easily or quickly done And yet you must not rest till you come to this till there be the apparent manifest full breathings and operations of the Spirit in you As Mercy is not like to come to us till the Spirit be poured out upon us from on high So let us wait and labour till the Spirit be poured out upon us fingly and generally that the wilderness may become a fruitful field and the fruitful field be counted for a Forrest and so those mercyes and blessings which are consequent to this may be derived down to and setled upon us For a close let every sincere one whose heart is upon the work and glory of Christ heartily and earnestly joyn with the Psalmist in that prayer profession of his Psal 53.6 O that the Salvation of Israel were come out of Zion When God bringeth back the Capivity of his people Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel shall be glad FINIS