the Spirit of Counsell and of might the Spirit of Knowledge and fear of God and shall make him of quick understanding in the feare of God and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes nor reprove after the hearing of his eares here is the impression of Gods Spirit which did rest upon his heart and it shall make him quick and nimble to act for God when the Spirit of God is powerfull upon the heart of a believer it doth make him act powerfully and couragiously I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter Iohn 14. 16. As if he should have said the Lord he hath great things for you to do to go forth and preach salvation to the people nay to lay down your lives for God and to act very great things for the good of the people and the glory of God In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospell of the salvation in whom also after that you believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory Here now you see that the seal is the earnest of our inheritance that they do act great things for the glory of God Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new If that you will be a new Creature this Spirit of God must make an impression in your hearts Now all old things are past away those things which at the first we had by nature but now by the Holy Ghost we do receive new things for when a man is in the ways of God all things become new there is a new mind a new spirit a new conversation there is nothing of the old man in him when before the mind was busied about earthly things now it is busied about heavenly things now his conversation is in heaven now when the Spirit of God doth make a new impression in the spirits of Men it doth enable them to act great things for the glory of God and for the good of the People And for this I shal give you some Reasons 1. The first ground or reason is taken from Gods decree for as the Lord prepared Heaven for the Elect so the Lord hath decreed that those that he hath appointed for salvation shall live with him and they shall have an influence of the Holy Ghost I say that it doth proceed from the Lords decree Ephes. 2. v. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them God hath before from all Eternity ordain'd that those that shall be saved shall live here a sanctified and holy life they shall receive an influence of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God shall make a new impression upon their hearts 2. The second ground is from the communion we have from Christ it is impossible that there should be such a communion between the members and the head as there is between a Saint and God but there must be the Spirit of God and that Spirit must work effectually between them both there is a communion betweene him and us members the same grace and glory thar he hath the same hath his members John 17. v. 22. That the same glory thou gavest me I have given them that they be one even as we are one There is such a communion between Christ and his members that the glory which God hath given him the same he hath given them therefore they must get grace here that they may live the life of a gracious Christian for it is begun here and it shall be perfected when they come to glory hereafter 3. The third ground is from the operation of the Holy Ghost for those that have not the Spirit of God within them they are none of his those upon whose hearts the Holy Ghost doth not make an impression they have no right to Heaven nor to any of the glory that God hath prepared for his Children Rom. 8. v. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead be in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you It is in vaine for any man to think that he doth write in the waies of God if that there be no influence of the Holy Ghost that makes an impression in his heart Now I will speak a word or two for application 1. For Reproofe 2. Instruction 3. For Comfort or Consolation Is it so that the Spirit of God when that it does make an impression upon the spirits of men it doth carry them on to act great things for the glory of God Then in the first place this must serve 1. To reprove those that doe make a stright account of it and low esteem of it insomuch that for any other temporall thing they will worke night and day for it but so slack for my heavenly matter and in the waies to be acquainted with God and Heaven that they doe cast it behind their backs they make no account of leaving the Holy Ghost 2. Another sort are to be reproved that though they could wish that they might go to Heaven and be saved yet they are drawn back by some Earthly Creature and by some sinne or other so that they are mighty slack to get communion with Christ they are so much in love with the World and Earthly things that they cannot hardly leave it 3. They are much to be reproved that have had a great discovery of God in their soules who were once inlightned by the word of God who have tasted of the good word who have had knowledge of God and now doe turne their backs againe upon the word of God with the Dog to the vomit and with the Swine to the mire Jer. 13. v. 15 16. Because they have turned from me my soule shall have no pleasure saith the Lord c. When those that did professe the name of Christ those that are of the Church and those that are called those that have gone farre in the waies of Religion and now fall back this doth make them odious in the sight of the Lord Heb. 6. v. 4 5 6. It is impossible who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gifts and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have casted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them againe to repentance seeing they Crucifie to themselves the Sonne of God afresh and put him to an open shame When they have gone so farre in the waies of God and Religion that have been enlightned and have tasted the good word and the power of God it is an impossible thing for to renew those Men to repentance
when that they doe Crucifie the Lord Jesus but now I would have you to know that it is not impossible for there is nothing impossible to him but yet if that God will do it he must doe a great worke to bring them againe that are once gone 4. Another sort are to be reproved who will not suffer Gods Servants to have communion with the Saints who had rather blot the Name of God out of their minds than God should work such a worke upon them that they should look into their Consciences no their Consciences they are seared with a hot iron and they cannot indure to behold and looke into their Consciences and they cannot indure that the spirit of God should make any impression in their soules 5. It must serve to reprove them that doe hinder others from having cōmunion with God either by drawing them to sinne or hinder them in the worke of God such as doe deceive the Children of God because that they are conscientious in their waies and doe strive to lead their lives in the feare of God and to lead a good life Now the second thing is for Instruction is it so that the Spirit of God working so upon the spirits of Men doe put them into a condition to worke great things for Gods glory take you heed that you doe not quench the Spirit of God Do you find the Holy Ghost warme in your hearts and stirring you up to prayer ◠than if you doe quench it you know not when ever you may have such an opportunity againe or no take you heed that you doe never quench these motions 2. Take you heed that you doe not grieve the Spirit of God as those that are about to commit any sinne if it be Drunkennesse or whoredome or any such like sin when the Spirit of God doth smite your heart for it and tells you that that is the way to Hell take heed that you doe not grieve it then when it doth strive to draw you off from doing such a sinne and strives to shew you the right way to Heaven 3. Take heed that you doe not trample the Spirit of God under your feet take heed that when the passion comes it doth not carry you on to act any great and desperate sin against the Spirit of God Heb. 10. v. 28 29. He that did despise Moses Law died without mercy under two or three Witnesses how much severer punishment think ye he shall be thought worthy of who hath trodden under foot the Soune of God and bath counted the bloud of the Covenani wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hash done despite to the Spirit of Grace If that a man for the breach of Moses Law with two or three Witnesses should suffer death what doe you thinke a man at the great Day of Judgement shall suffer for the shedding the Spirit of Grace under foot 4. Let this stirre up your affection to an holy duty be in love with the Word of God with the Ordmances of God with the People of God with Proyer for by this meanes there is a great injoyment of God We doe now come to lay downe an Use of Comfort and Consolation to all the People of God it must needs be a great deale of comfort to the People of God when the Holy Ghost by working an impression in their hearts it doth carry you on to worke your owne salvation and the glory of God what greater comfort can you have all comfort is wrapt up in the Spirit of God all are enjoyed by enjoying it and by enjoying this impression now then there is a testimony that you are and of the Children of God that you have this seale upon your soules you have the Holy Ghost to carry you on in the kingdome of grace and it will lift you up in the kingdome of glory some will say this is a great comfort if that a man leave this evidence that the Holy Ghost did make an impression upon his heart that he had a Spirit to pray that he did find an ability to doe such things for the comfort of this you shall see how they were carried on to work things above their power Rom. 8. v. 26 27. Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered but he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because that he doth make intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Now the Spirit it doth help you it doth carry you on to work higher things than your owne spirit is able to doe And I doe make no question but there are some here that when they have come to prayer their hearts have been cold and before that they have gone away their hearts had been warmed with the Spirit of God I would not have you be mistaken for there hath been some men that have presumed to say that they had the Holy Ghost when they have no such matter therefore I will lay downe some few signes or tokens that you may be certified whether you have the Holy Ghost or no 1. The first token is when there it a comfortable knowledge of the Lord when that the Holy Ghost hath wrought a comfortable knowledge of God and when that any man can say I know that my Redeemer liveth and I doe know that God is my God and that the Holy Ghost hath set a seale upon my heart and I doe know that I am the Child of God John 17. v. 16 14. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not and knoweth him not but ye know him because he dwelleth with you and in you As if Christ should have said Here is cleer demonstration of those that are sanctified those that are not 1. For those that are not sanctified they know nothing above nature they do not know Christ to be their Christ nor God to be their God but when the Spirit of God doth work effectually upon them then they doe know that they are the Children of God and that the Spirit of God is sealed upon them the world doe not know him but the People of God they know him 2. When that there is a liberty in the spirit I doe not say a liberty to sin but when a man can serve God freely and couragiously where there is a delight to work the worke of God 2 Cor. 3. v. 16 14. Neverthelesse when it shall turne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away Now the Lord is that Spirit where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty A wicked man there is the vaile of sinne that doth lie upon his heart that doth keep him downe it makes him go unwillingly to the Church that
A SERMON PREACHED In the Kings Chappell AT WHITE-HALL On Sunday last July 15. 1649. By HENRY WALKER Cleric AUTHOR of the Perfect Occurrences MATTH. 7. 15. Beware of false Prophets c. Printed in the Yeer 1649. A SERMON NUMB. 14. Vers 24. But my servant Caleb because he had another Spirit with him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the Land whereinto he went and his seed shall possesse it THis Verse and the Verse going before sets forth the condition of those Children of Israel under two notions First part of them God doth declare should not enter into the Land of Canaan those are set downe in the Verse going before Surely they shall not see the Land of Canaan which I sware to their Fathers nor shall any of them that provoked me see it There were twelve select men chosen out to search the Land of Canaan and of those twelve eleven of them did draw back the people from going on â—â— searching the Land Now God doth denounce thâ—â— judgment against them because that they did designe and act against God in drawing back the people God he gave them this curse that they should never injoy the Land of Canaan then he proceeded to the words of the Text But my servant Caleb and his seed they shall injoy the land because that Caleb and his seed did stand faithfull to the Lord and the Lord then did bring them to the Land Now the words that I shall pitch upon at this time is He had a Spirit and that Spirit was with him In which words you may take notice of these foure parts 1. Here is the persons mean't those are Caleb and his seed 2. Here is the Leader that is the Lord 3. Here is the qualification of this person He had a Spirit and that Spirit was with him 4. Here is the manner of his injoying this Spirit 1. He had it 2. He had it with him I shall begin with the branch concerning the Leader that is the Lord it is in the Originall JEHOVAH which is the most highest the highest of the word is HATHO which doth signifie to be that signifies his beginning there is so much comprehended in that word that it is both the time present then the time past and in the future tense the time to come JE that doth signifie the time to be HO the time present VAH the time past Now there is a signification in VAH that doth shew the originall of all things God he is the Originall cause of all things that are and shall be and have been The next thing is the persons mean't that is Caleb and his seed Caleb was with his seed in the 13. Chap. 6. of the Tribe of Judah Caleb the son of Iephumieh he was one of these twelve and the only one of them that did stand for God 3. The qualification of this Spirit he had a Spirit then he had it with him The word is RUAN a Spirit it doth come from RAVER to receive breath the word it is sometimes in the Masculine and sometimes in the feminine Gender which the Hobrewes do set forth much to us and the Jewes they were used to put words oftentimes in the feminine Gender as he had another Spirit that is he did receive a Spirit from another Spirit from God the fountain of all Spirits Now these may be understood the clearer by comparing two Scriptures together for it doth much concern a Christian to know the operation of the Spirit of God And the Spirit of God did move upon the face of the waters and God said let there be light and there was light 1 Cen. 2 3. The Spirit of God did move upon the face of the water the word which is here taken for moved is MER HUAH it doth come from RAHAP it doth signifie to put into to put an influence into the spirit of man now the same word which is used 〈◊〉 is used in the 32. Deut. 11. 12. As an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings so did the Lord alone lead him and there was no strange God with him now I say that the same word in Genesis is in Deuteronomic that doth signifie it lighteth down so now the comparison doth lie thus that he might bring it to our capacity he layeth down this similitude as an Eagle if it doth not sit upon her eggs and keeps them warm but lets them be cold they will not be chickens so if that the Spirit of God doth not come into the spirits of men their spirits will be cold and they cannot act any thing for the glory of God So this comparison doth set forth the glorious operâ—â—ion of Gods Spirit that the Holy Ghost when it doth warm the spirit of a man and doth put an influence into the spirit it doth make the spirit act for the glory of God and to see the cleer light of God as the Sun doth put an influence into creatures and the fire doth warm the spirits of men and revive them so doth the Holy Ghost cause men to act for the peoples good and doth inlighten their hearts 2. He had another spirit that is set forth in these words he had a spirit and another spirit with him others they had a spirit but theirs was a spirit of fears and of bondage but he did stand faithfully to the Lord he had the Spirit of God in him to work for the glory of God and the good of his people 4. The manner of his injoying this spirit 1. He had it 2. He had it with him 1. He had it it did work effectually with him it did take place in his heart and did cause him to work for Gods glory 2. He had it with him NUMAI it was such an influence of Gods Spirit upon him that it did make him act great things So now the doctrine that I shall observe from these words are That when the Spirit of God doth work or make an new impression upon the spirits of men it doth put them into a condition to act high and great things for the glorie of God and the good of the people I shall prove this out of Scripture saith David praying to God Create in me a clean spirit O God and renew a right spirit within me Psalm 51. ver. 10. 11. 12. David did know very well that he was altogether unable to do any of those works which God did set him about without he did make his spirit clean Ver. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me David still had an eye to the Spirit of God knowing that that must make him work great things for the glory of God Ver. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy holy spirit And the Spirit of God shall rest upon him Esay 11. v. 2. 3. the Spirit of Wisdome and Understanding
when he doth go to performe any duty he must be forced to it but for the Child of God that doth goe willingly to Prayer and to the Church 3. The third mark is when the Holy Gh: hath wrought a similitude of himself upon the heart of a Man that is the third point as a Seale we doe know that the seale hath made an impression upon the wax when that we doe take it off there is the same marke in the wax as is in the seale so the Holy Ghost we may know that the Holy Ghost hath set this seale upon you when that there is the same forme and image in the spirit of the man as is in the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 3. v. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of God are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as the Spirit of God Where the Holy Ghost doth make a powerfull influence there is a growth of grace from one decree of grace to another till he be made a perfect Saint 4. The fourth marke is when there is a cheerfull eccho answering in the Holy Ghost and without which there is many a poore soule doth drop into Hell then when a poore soule will take and misconstrue a piece of Scripture to colour his sinne that is a very sad thing for now it is a hard matter when a man shall argue with the Devill and his owne soule it is like to have the â—oâ—le and now when that God shall bid him doe any thing he shall argue with God Gal. 1. 15 16. There Paul if that he had conferr'd with flesh and bloud when God had called him to be an Apostle if he had argued with flesh and blâ—ud it would never have let him been an Apostle 〈◊〉 but saith he But when it pleased God who seperated me from my Mothers wombe and called me by his grace to reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the Heathen immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood If that he should have stood arguing and saying I was a Persecutor of the Church of God before and they will never believe me they may apprehend and stone me I who before would apprehend Preachers now am become one my selfe but he did not conferre with flesh and blood but went immediately and did as the Lord bid him 5. When there is a respect and tendernesse of the Spirit of God and not to grieve it when there is not the least inclination in the world to sinne that when a man is going to him he shall heare a check in his heart to bring him back when there shall be a wearisomnesse in him to doe any duty the Spirit of God shall rowse him up to doe it chearfully Ephes. 4. v. 30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption When Paul had told them of many sins he bid them not grieve the Holy Ghost there is such a tendernesse in the spirit of a Child of God that he is mighty carefull that he may not displease the Spirit of God nor grieve it for feare their seal and evidence should be lost 2. Secondly for a use of comfort and incouragement to those that are destin'd for the Cause of God for those that are to go into Ireland Those that doe find an impression of Gods Spirit upon their soules to doe the worke of God to which they are called now to receive courage to go against those Idolaters in the relief of the Protestants here may be a great deale of comfort to those that doe walk with God and have God on their side they should go couragiously on in this good worke Esay 43. v 4. Since thou wert precious in my fight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life It hath pleased the Lord to manifest his love to this Army and he hath honoured them and he hath set a marke of his love upon them But it may be objected by some that they are stronger and theirs are stronger Garrisons than ours are and there are more of them but you shall see there was but a 11. to go to search the Land and the same was objected by them Numb. 13. 28. Neverthelesse the people be strong that dwell in the Land and the Cities are walled and very great moreover we saw the Children of Amak there v. 29. The Abimilecks doe dwell in the Land of the South the Hittites the Jebuzites and the Amorites dwell upon the Mountains and the Canaanites dwell by the Sea and the coast of Jordan You see how they did object many things v. 31. But the men that went up with him said we be not able to stand against the people for they are stronger than we You do see that there was but 12. sent to search the Land and a 11. of them returned back but see what Caleb did he had another Spirit with him to incourage him v. 30. But Caleb stilled the People before Moses and said let us go up at once and possesse it for we are well able to overcome But it may be there will be more objections and some will hinder the designe and therefore it may not prosper but you shall say what they say If that the Lord doth delight in us he will give us the victory now this is the worke that every one should doe they should seek to get the Lord with them that they may receive an influence of Gods Spirit that it may carry them on to undertake the work with courage now the Lord he is with us if that you have but a heart to trust in God you are well enough trust in God he is able to deliver you and them into your hands But some will say there are many divisions and so they have made a league with them Vers 10. But all the Congregation bade stone them with stones and the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the Congregation before all the Children of Israel How much have we had Gods love appeared to us and have much more should we go cheerfully to destroy Idolaters and Rebels Esay 41. v. 13 14. For I the Lord thy God will hold up thy right hand saying unto thee Feare not I will help thee feare not thou worme Jacob and ye men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel See now you doe so put your trust in God and take him along with you and you need not to feare the victory FINIS Ephes. 1. 13 14. 2. Cor. 7. 17.