1 Pet. 2.7 Not onely as making Peace for you but withall as bringing Power for subduing sin and carrying on Gods Service to you 3. Could you as you feel you do in some degree pant after Holiness and Pureness in your Spirits Do you not Watch as well as Pray against Spiritual defilements Phil. 3.3 Are not your Souls for Spiritualness in Worship Would you not have Faith and Love to influence the Duties you engage in Tell me if you can where those Hypocrites dwell in whom the three qualifications last named meet As for Profane Persons Procul hinc procul ite I may say to 'em stand off stand off From this word which I have applyed to these to whom it is proper and hearken to me that God may hearken to you The next word is very much for you For the Second branch of the first Use is as followeth They that are at a want of the Holy Spirit may hence learn to whom or whither they should go for him Should they not bow their knees and with 'em their Hearts to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and cry Pour O pour of this Holy Water thy Spirit upon us I should have more hope that this Use would be more useful to you if once you well understand your own case and state I may deal with you further about it ere long at present I propound these Questions to you 1. How can you think having the Spirit consistent with such diligent service as the Flesh or the World have from you 2. How can you pretend to be inspired with the Spirit that have not a great care to demean your selves well towards the Spirit and a fear to resist yea to quench or grieve him And O that you would give this a serious thought Can you with confidence look God in the face or hope to escape his dreadful wrath if his Spirit be not in you Could I see or hear of right relentings in your Hearts for your miscarriages with reference to the Spirit and breathings in 'em that he may breath in you yea and be a Guide and Governour to you how joyfully and seriously would I commend you to and commend to you the Grace of God the Father encouraging you to expect this great gift 1. Do not earthly Fathers even evil ones know how to give good gifts to their Children Luke 11.13 Will not the best of Fathers the Heavenly one give the Spirit to humble askers 2. Grace though long slighted Luke 15. per totum hath long Arms and hath 'em open to receive poor Praying Penitents 3. Qui dedit gratiam desiderii da hit gratiam desideratam Will not he that causeth Persons to desire his Spirit if they follow on desiring answer their desire Seeing upon the Fathers giving the Spirit to Persons both he and his Son will be Honoured by 'em and for his Sons sake he doth with his Honour give him The second Use for Reproof The first branch of the Reproof falls full upon them to whom the Holy Spirit and the effusion or pouring out of his Grace is matter of Drollery and scorn It is known that the men of Rome call Protestants in scorn Spiritists See Mr. Brownsword against Popery for their speaking much and honourably of the Aids of the Spirit May this Spirit reprove and convince 'em of this sinful sin May they feel his humbling work that so they may not fall under his destroying Hand Mat. 12.31 32. Are not all the Persons in the Godhead wronged when the Spirit is so Will not Arrows shot at Heaven fall down on their Heads that shoot ' em It is a Lamentation that any are so daring The second Branch is for or if you will against those that make vain pretensions to the Holy Spirit and his differencing workings when indeed they are too much strangers both to him and them O that they who cast off all or at least most of the Institutions of Christ did not cry up themselves as men who have most of the Spirit 1. John 4.23 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doth Worshipping God in the Spirit exclude external Worship pointed at in the Greek word 2. Doth the Spirit speaking in the Heart contradict his speech in the Scripture 3. Doth Baptism by the Holy Ghost shut out Baptism by Water Doth drinking of or into the spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 make against drinking the Sacramental Cup that is set out by that very Phrase Should not Spiritual Persons use and prize Spiritual Ordinances The Third Branch of the Reproof falls to their share with whom the Spirit of God and his Gracious Influences are at an undervalue They neither have nor desire to have him Alas Alas is not this evidently their case 1. Who are sensual Jude 19. living in Carnal Pleasures being given up to ' em 2. Who are inspired with the spirit of the World 1 Cor. 2.12 Earth Earth Earth may be written on their Minds and Affections 3. Heb. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who are utter strangers and that out of choice to those first works of the Spirit which accompany Salvation or have it following ' em 1. Are they enlightned Have they a sight of sin in its sinfulness Of Christ in his Beauty and Glory And of Holyness in its Excellency and Extent Is their knowledge near so much as a spiritual one Is it any more than a meer literal one Hath it in it clearness of Light See Doctor Arrow-smith's Armella which enables Persons to discern things that differ or sweetness of taste for relishing what excels 2. Are they enlivened Doth this appear 1. By their crying or breathing in Prayer after spiritual things Acts 9.11 and Christ with whom they are given 2. Natura principium motus By their motion in other Holy Duties and by the vigour and constancy as well as freeness of it 3. By their sense of what tends to prejudice Spiritual Life Hath not a little living Child a feeling of a small prick of a pin 4. 1 Pet. 2.2 3. By their desire of proper Food and Nourishment particularly of the sincere and unmixed Milk of Gods Word that they may grow thereby Have they an inward concern about these things O that there were such an Heart in ' em May the Lord set this use of Reproof home upon those to whom it of right belongs 1. Shall slighters of or meer pretenders to the Holy Spirit be able to stand in Judgment surely they will not What then will be the end of those that take the scorners Chair and play not onely with sacred things but also with this most sacred Person except Repentance reach their Hearts 2. Will not this to those that hearken to him sweet Friend be found by those that abuse and undervalue him a most severe Foe Can Persons during this state endure the terrors he strikes into their Consciences How then will they be able to
to receive more when they are most enlarged in Thanksgivings for what they have received Have they not matter and ground for high Praises 1. Doth not the Holy Spirit dwell in ' em And doth not that imply 1. That he is very inwardly present with and near to 'em Intimior intimo nostro He is nearer to their Souls than they are to their Bodies 2. That he abides with ' em There is a fixedness and continuance in his Presence He that knocks at the Doors of others Hearts See Reverend Burgess on 1 Cor. 3. Pulsat aliorum corda Dr. Sibbs makes theirs his House and Temple He that moves others at times will not remove from them but stay with 'em for ever 3. That he exerciseth towards 'em much of Familiarity and Condescendence He useth 'em as his special Friends as those of his Family they know such Visitations of his as others are strangers to 2. Will not the Holy Spirit work where he dwells and so fitly furnish his Habitation Will he not be to 'em 1. Rom. 8.14 The most faithful Conductor Shall they not be led by him 2. John 14.26 The most seasonable Remembrancer Will he not write Truths in ' em 3. Rom. 8.2 16. The most powerful quickner Shall they not have Life abundantly 4. The most satisfying Witness Will he not speak to their Hearts Yet in all these workings he is a most free worker taking his own way and time 4. Be they by no means driven out of the good beaten way of earnest believing Prayer On their knees and through their Saviour cry they for the effusion of the Spirit I add That they may more feel the real effects of the Spirit beware they of the Rock on which too many are split to wit making vain and groundless Pretensions to him and his Operations And so in the close of this short Discourse I will offer at the Resolution of some Questions or Cases The First is Are Persons at this day to look for new Revelations from the Spirit Answ 1. They are to look that the Spirit would reveal in 'em what he hath in the Scripture revealed to 'em Eph. 1.17 Vide Arrowsmith Tact. Sac. but that he should add to the Canon and Rule of Scripture and make new Articles of Faith is not to be expected 2. Fish Usher Dr. Winter c. To some choice Favourites that have cleaved to the Scriptures as to matters of Faith he hath strongly suggested what his Providence would do as to matters of Fact This he may do to others The second Case is Is Duty never to be done save when Persons are under extraordinary impulses of the spirit to do it Answ 1. It is brave sailing before full Gales of this Wind and sweet moving when he is sensibly the first mover Yet 2. 1 Thes 5.17 The Spirit speaking in the Scripture calls us to Pray and perform other Duties when there is an Opportunity for it and this Call is to be Answered The Third Case is Is every impulse and strong motion to Prayer or other Duties to be Father'd on the Holy Spirit Answ See Mr. Hollingsworth The late worthy Mr. Oldfield c. This is utterly denyed by the best Divines Though Satan being evil cannot be the Author of Motions that are purely good yet he may excite to a work that is for the matter of it good And if we be moved unseasonably and unreasonably we may fear his hand is in it The Fourth Case is What Use are we to make of those extraordinary motions which some have had to Actions in an ordinary way less defensible as that of Phinehas and that of Sampson Answ We are to think they had full assurance those motives came from the Spirit but our selves should tremble lest we touch with what we have not a clear word for Now the good Spirit concerning whom these Pages are breath in 'em and in those that will give 'em a reading The Lord grant that Writer and Readers may more than ever be filled with the Spirit Amen and Amen A Fourth Instance OF THE RICHES OF GRACE TO WIT Effectual Calling 2 Tim. 1.9 And called us SUch are the difficulties and dangers that attend the Profession of Christianity especially as to those Professors that are Preachers thereof that all encouragements that are given prove few and small enough Blessed Paul who found that his Ministry drew down and deriv'd * Totius mundi furorem So Luther used to say the fury of the World upon him being at the time of his writing a Prisoner calls on his Son Timothy to fet his face on the Wind and Storms and hold on in his Holy Warfare being not onely a Souldier but a Commission-Officer he should quit himself like a good man And to that end he sets before him how highly he with others was Priviledged by and thereby engaged to the Lord In particular he instanceth in his and their effectual Calling and so gives us fair footing for This Doctrine God the Father out of his Free Grace gives Persons a Powerful Call 1. That God the Father is spoken of in the Text is well argued from his being distinguished from Jesus Christ And 2. His Calling of Persons is denyed to have its rise from their Works and expresly affirmed to arise from his purpose and grace Concerning the Calling of Persons sundry distinctions are found at some of which I shall point 1. Ad munus foedus Acts 17.30 It 's either to Office or Grace 2. It is either general so God calls all by the Gospel to Repent Or particular and so he calls his own Sheep and Elect by Name 3. It is either outward onely John 10.3 to the Ear or inward also to the Heart 4. It is either extraordinary Mat. 20.16 Acts 9.4 as Paul was called by a voice from Heaven as was that Ancient that was bidden * Tolle Lege Take and Read and directed to the Verse that turned him Or ordinary by the Ministry of the Word 5. It is either ineffectual or effectual Ex effectu vocationis Hoornbeck Instit p. 342. Some are barely invited others answer the invitation Some so far answer the Lord's Call as to come to the Profession of Christ and external Communion with his Members and so are of the Church considered as visible Idem 343. Others so answer it as to come to the possession of Christ having inward Communion with him as their Head and so are of the Church considered as invisible My short Treatise is to run concerning those that are so called Rom. 9.6 that they are chosen being Israel or Israelites indeed and not onely of Israel And now we will enquire what is implyed in the Notion or Phrase of Effectual Calling For Resolution whereof I shall lay down some Positions The First is Men in their meer Naturals are afar off from God O that they considered this Eph. 2.12 13
2. Did not the Holy Spirit strive with you Mat. 11.28 and persuade you to do it 3. Were you not sometimes under convictions and good inclinations First Will you offer to say Covenanting with God is more than needeth I say 1. Let Scripture be judge of that Do not its Precepts enjoyn it Its Promises encourage it And its Paterns lead to it 2. Have you not done it Sacramentally Is it any more than Baptism binds to 3. Isa 45. latter end 56.5 6. Will not this at Death and Judgment appear one thing necessary 4. Will you not be undone for ever if this be not done What will it avail you that the Church is your Mother if God in a Covenant-way be not your Father Will not all your external performances Mr. S. Shaw yea and your pretensions to glory in Christ's Righteousness be construed as an Essay to bribe the Lord that he fall not on you whilst you resolve not to be his through and through Secondly Will you say you are not yet at leisure to attend this business I will say 1. What then have you leisure for Or for what end is further space given you Is it not in order to your Repentance In which Covenanting with God is included 2. Do those employments or enjoyments with which your time is taken up satisfie you Rev. 2.21 Have not the fairest Roses that grow in Natures Garden prickles about ' em 3. Jer. 2.27 Shall you not at Death be sent to those Comforts you so doted on in the time of Life that you neglect God Will they not then be burdens to you Thirdly Will you say It is a Summers day to Night hereafter you 'l Covenant with God I will say 1. In whose Hand is your time Is it not in his you stand off from Cannot he soon end it 2. If your time continue may not seasons and strivings of Grace cease This Tide may be the last 3. Psal 31.15 You speak as Persons unconcern'd in the Honour of God If you were sure he would accept your last fruits Mat. 6.33 should you not out of choice give him your first-fruits Is the best you have good enough for him Fourthly Do you plead you have otherwise disposed of your selves You are in Covenant with some sin and will not be so with God The Reply is ready 1. This is plain dealing but are you not ashamed on 't 2. Quo Warranto By what Right did you give away your Hearts Are they not by right the Lords Ezek. 18.4 3. Your disposal is illegal and so void * Ipso facto in and on your doing it 4. The Obligation to Covenanting with God is on you may you through grace answer it Fifthly Do you say you have Covenanted with God I Answer That is very good if very true Attend you well to what will be next offered you The Third Use is for Exhortation The first Branch is general Be we all excited to look and long that there may be on and in us such Characters as will be Proofs that our Covenanting with God is sincere 1. May we clearly apprehend and highly esteem the just and honourable terms required in and of those that do so Covenant to wit sin-disliking Jer. 24.7 self-disclaiming and Saviour-accepting May our Hearts say These terms we like 2. Rom. 7.24 11.28 May we inwardly and daily grieve for Original sin and for this branch of it averseness to close with Gospel-tenders and to glorifie Christ to which his Spirit leads 3. May we when in secret and seriousness much admire that Rich Grace that founded the Covenant and hath been set before it 4. John 6.44 May we feel a need of special Grace to bring into and keep in this Bond May we be sensible that the Fathers drawings brought us to and the Spirits Influences hold us in Christ 5. May we find this Bond forcible on us restraining us from sin when tempted to it and constraining us to Duty when prone to decline it Do we say to purpose we have made a Dedication of our selves to the Lord his Vows are on us how can we slight him 6. 1 Sam. 30.6 7. 2 Sam. 23.5 Do we from this Covenant fetch our supports under down-castings in distresses and upon the apprehensions of Death Holy was David that saw and went this good way O that all Readers Souls breathed after such Expereinces The Second branch is more particular They who have not engaged their Hearts to approach to God should be at unrest till it be done To them The First Direction is Get they a good Understanding of those great Points of Divinity that are related to the Covenant Jer. 24.7 Doth not God give those with whom he Covenants an Heart to know him Is not Covenanting an Act of the Intelligent O that all were clear as to these Heads 1. Man cannot have Communion with God except God greatly condescend 2. That God Covenants with him is a great condescension and honour to Man 3. That Man broke the first Covenant was very sinful unfaithfulness was with undutifulness 4. Every Child coming from Adam in the ordinary way by that breach is a Child of wrath 5. It 's no small part of the Curse on man that he seels not his state nor desires a change of it 6. Except the Covenant-state of Persons be chang'd they cannot stand in Judgment 7. It 's the wonder of Angels God will transact with men in a new way 8. The New Covenant is made in and through a Mediator 9. This Mediator Christ is a compleat one being God-man a Priest to God and a Prophet and King to men obtaining declaring and applying Salvation 10. To the Mediation of the Son the Ministration of the Spirit is graciously added 11. That Persons may have benefit by Christ they must be joyned and married to him 12. None will consent to Christ till convinced they absolutely need him 13. Grace that joyns to Christ doth still aid those that are in him 14. All that are in Christ are for dying to sin and living to Righteousness 15. They who partake of Covenant-grace shall partake of Covenant-glory and together with understanding these Points Persons should understand concerning the Action of Covenanting 1. That it is a free Action Being a Marriage-covenant choice is requisite 2. It is a deliberate Action grounded on the strongest Reasons 3. It is a Resolute Act A Covenanter is to be against revoking his Choice The Second Direction is Feel they as well as see a necessity of Covenanting both that of Precept Praecepti medii 2 Chron. 30 7. Data manus 1 John 5.12 and that of means as to attaining Heaven Yield they themselves give they their Hands and Hearts to him He that hath not the Son so as to Covenant with the Father through him hath not Life he hath neither right to nor fitness for it The Third Direction Be they for a