Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A95625
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On the coming of Christ
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W. T.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing T67A; ESTC R230395
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59,179
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90
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are the Subjects of it together with the Effects thereof and then lastly as to the Time when this shall be intimated in the Word afterwards something may be written briefly to these Things And first what 's meant by POURING OUT OF THE SPIRIT And here we must know that the Communication of THE SPIRIT is represented to us in Scripture more Ways than one as sometimes by Donation 1 John 3.13 God is said there to give us his Spirit John 14.16 God the Father is said there to give the Comforter which is his Spirit Luk. 11.13 how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Spirit to them that ask it Again sometimes t is represented to us by Mission or sending John 14.26 Christ tells them that the Father would send the holy Ghost that should teach them all Things And Chap. 16.7 he tells them again he would send the Comforter Gal. 4.6 God is said there to send forth the Spirit of his Son into our Hearts Sometimes also by Aspersion or sprinkling hence Christ is said to sprinkle many Nations Isai 52.15 and to sprinkle clean Water upon them Ezekiel 36.25 which I understand of the Spirit Again sometimes by Infusion or putting his Spirit in us Ezekiel 36.27 and Chap. 37.14 And the last that I shall mention is by Effusion or pouring out of his Spirit upon us as in the Text proposed to be spoken to quoted also by the Apostle Peter Act. 2.17 we have the same Expression of pouring of the Spirit Isai 44.3 as also Chap. 32.15 where the Spirit is promised to be poured out from on High we have the like Expression Zech. 12.10 there is one Scripture more and all that at present is with me where this Expression of pouring out the Spirit is used and that is Prov. 1.23 behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you c. But what may we think is meant by pouring out Pouring out in Scripture doth ordinarily if not always signify an Abundance of that which is poured forth as when God brings Abundance of Wrath on a People he is said to pour out his Wrath as we might easily instance in Scripture hence we read of so many Vials of Wrath which were to be poured out on them that were the Subjects of them until they were destroyed Rev. 16 the like is said when God promiseth Abundance of Mercy he is said to pour it out as in Mal. 3.10 God saith there that he would open the Windows of Heaven and pour out such a Blessing as there should not be Room to receive it So that we see what is meant by pouring forth The next Thing to be inquired into is what is meant by Spirit which is thus to be poured out By Spirit in this Place I do not understand the Person of the HOLY SPIRIT tho' that is said to dwell in all Believers and if any Man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 2 Tim. 1.14 Neither do I think by Spirit here is meant the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit which every Believer Receives at his first Conversion But I think by Spirit in this Place is meant a plentiful Effusion of the Gifts of the Spirit which are extraordinary as will evidently appear if we compare this Text with Act. 2.17 and take the postle Peter's Commentary on the Words For it cannot be denied but that the Apostles and for any Thing that I know others that were with them at Jerusalem after Christ was ascended they all had received the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit at their first Conversion and yet they were to wait there for the Promise of the Father which Christ hath told them of before Luk. 24.49 But what was this Promise only of more and higher Degrees of the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit which they had already received I cannot think so and the Consequence doth make it evidently to appear that it was otherwise But when and where was this Promise of the Father made which they were to wait for The Apostle Peter when they began to speak with other Tongues Act. 2.4 in the 16th Verse tells them that this was that which was spoken of by the Prophet Joel and therefore this in my Understanding is the Promise of the Father which they were to wait for consisting only in the pouring out of extraordinary Gifts both of Tongues Prophesy and Miracles The next Thing to be considered is the Subjects or Recepients upon whom the Spirit was thus to be poured out and that the Prophet tells us and after him the Apostle that t is upon all Flesh By all Flesh here we are not to understand all Mankind as t is taken in Gen. 6.12 where t is said that all Flesh had corrupted their Way No nor are we to understand it of all Saints neither but some of all Sorts and Sexes viz. Jews and Gentiles young and old Male and Female Sons and Daughters Servants and Handmaids And there were above an Hundred besides the Apostles and that Women as well as Men assembled together at Jerusalem waiting for this Promise Act. 1.14.15 and they were all with one accord in one Place Chap. 2.1 and they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them Utterance and that not only upon Jews but upon Gentiles also were poured out the Gifts of the holy Ghost as we may see Act. 10.45 46. Upon Cornelius his Family and his Kindred and near Friends ver 24 and in Chap. 19. ver 2 we read of Disciples that were Believers and doubtless had received the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit and such as were saving and yet were Strangers to these extraordinary Gifts till Paul laid his Hands on them and then they received these extraordinary Gifts and spake with Tongues and did Prophesy and t is very likely these were Gentiles The first Effect then that followed after the pouring out of the Spirit was the Gift of Tongues the Gospel being now to be preached to all the World and the Disciples being most of them if not all unlearned Men the Wisdom of God saw it necessary in order thereunto to give them to speak and to understand all Languages that those Nations to whom they were to preach might understand what was spoken T is true indeed this Gift of Tongues nor Miracles is not mentioned by Joel but yet Peter tells us and we must believe him that when they thus spake with Tongues this was that which was spoken of by the Prophet Joel without which they could not Prophesy or preach the Gospel to all Nations or to the Edification of them to whom they were to speak The next Thing therefore we shall take Notice of is that which is mentioned both by the Prophet and the Apostles and that is Prophesy Prophesy in Scripture is sometimes taken for a foretelling of Things to come much of what the Prophets spake in Times past was then future when spoken the whole Book
of Revelation is called a Prophesy Chap. 1.3 and yet when made known to John was all future ver 1. But I do not understand Prophesy in this Sense in this Place tho' I do not know but God may sometimes in an extraordinary Way make known to some of his Servants Things to come for there were Prophets in the primative Times as we may read Act. 13.1 as Barnabas and Simeon and Lucius and Manaen and Saul and these were called their Teachers We read also Act. 11.27 of Prophets which came from Jerusalem to Antioch of whom Agabus was one who signified by the Spirit that there should be a great Dearth in all the World which came to pass in the Days of Claudius Caesar and in Act. 15.32 we read of Judas and Silas that were Prophets and Act. 19.7 t is said there were twelve Disciples at Ephesus which did prophesy and the Apostle Paul who was more than a Prophet speaks very much of Prophets and Prophesying 1 Cor. 12. 14 and saith expresly that God hath set in his Church next after Apostles PROPHETS and we read not only of Prophets but Prophetesses also Act. 21.8.9 Philip the Deacon had four Daughters that were Virgins that did Prophesy I do not think that all good Men and Women could Prophesy the Apostle seems to deny that 1 Cor. 12 Are all Prophets are all Teachers do all work Miracles or do all speak with Tongues but there are Diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit as the Apostle shews at large 1 Cor. 12. And indeed it was for this very End amongst others that Christ ascended to give Gifts to Men and that not only ordinary but extraordinary and the Gift of Prophesy as well as others Eph. 4.11 and Christ told his Disciples that if he did not ascend the Comforter would not come but had they not the saving Presence and Power of the Spirit already and the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit long before this Time yea doubtless therefore it must needs be meant not of higher Degrees greater Measures of the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit only but of those which was extraordinary And the Effect of pouring out the Spirit was seeing of Visions and dreaming of Dreams of which I shall write a little and but a little We know that God revealed his Mind to his Servants and sometimes to others also in the old Testament often by Visions and by Dreams Abraham had a Vision Gen. 15.1 and t is like a Dream also ver 12. Jacob had a Dream Chap. 31.11 Joseph had two Dreams Moses had a Vision Exod. 3.2 Job had his Dreams and Visions tho' they were a Terror to him Job 7.14 Isaiah had Visions Chap. 1.1 6.1 Ezekiel had many Chap. 1.1 And we read in the New Testament Joseph had a Dream to fly into Egypt and a Dream to return out of Egypt Mat. 2.13.19 the wise Men were warned by a Dream not to return to Jerusalem ver 12. Zecharias had a Vision Luk. 1.22 And after the sending of the Spirit by extraordinary Gifts Annanias had a Vision Act. 9.10 Cornelius had a Vision Act. 10.3 Peter also saw a Vision ver 17 Paul had a Vision Act. 16.9 yea more then one for he had as many as he could well bear 2 Cor. 12.1 much of the Revelation was made known to John by Vision And t is likely the Effects of pouring out the Spirit are not all recorded in Scripture yet we must and ought to believe that either they have been or shall be fulfilled but it hath been shewed that it hath been poured out in an extraordinary Way upon Jews Gentiles young and old Male and Female Servants Handmaids Now of other Effects about the Sun being turned into Darkness and the Moon into Blood we have written something of this before and therefore shall forbear to write of it here and come to The last Thing proposed to be spoken to and that is the TIME to which this Prophesy doth refer held forth in the Word Afterward This Word Afterward seems to refer to some remarkable Time which was to go before it and the Apostle Peter renders it in other Words Act. 2.17 It shall come to pass in the last Days but both the Prophet and Apostle agree in this that t is a most remarkable Period of Time a Fore-runner of the great terrible Day of the Lord as the Prophet speaks and the Apostle after him calls it the notable Day of the Lord. And indeed whether we take it as past or future it hath been both notable and terrible and will yet be more notable and terrible when this Prophesy shall be fully accomplished Notable to the People of God that call on him for they shall be saved ver 21 but terrible to his and their Enemies for they shall be destroyed Multitudes Multitudes in the Valley of Decision for the Day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Decision Joel 3.14 The right Understanding of the Time to which this Prophecy refers will give great Light to the Point under Consideration 'T is true indeed this Prophecy was in Part fulfilled immediately after Christ's Ascention but that there is yet a further Accomplishment of it to be expected will easily be made to appear for some prophetical Scriptures may be fulfilled more than once but to speak a little more fully to the Time. There are two remarkable Periods of Time recorded in Scripture besides the ultimate Period the one is already past the other is yet to come the one at soon after the first Coming of CHRIST and this Time was much spoken of in the Scriptures and this the Apostle calls the Fulness of Time Gal. 4.4 and this was a most remarkable Time when the Son of God became the Son of Man to save poor lost Men This was a great Day and many great Things were done at this Time The Way of instituted Worship wholly changed and the ceremonial Law abolished and another Way appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ instead thereof the Levitical Priesthood laid aside or changed and Gospel Ministers appointed to supply that Place the national Church ceased the Jews rejecting the Gospel are cast off and the Gentiles receiving the Gospel are taken into their Room City and Temple ruined the Nation Multitudes Multitudes destroyed the rest scattered all the World over the Gospel to be preached to all Nations to that End extraordinary Gifts are given and many other Things done which might be mentioned And therefore this was a great Day both notable terrible And this Peter calls the last Days it shall come in the last Days Paul also calls Gospel Times the last Days Heb. 1.1 in these last Days God hath spoken to us by his Son. There is also the latter Part of the last Days and this is also called the last Days Isa 2.2 The Prophet there tells us that in the last Days the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in the Top of