of mee as I am of Christ. Q. When did this fulnesse of the Spirit come upon Christ when had hee it Ans. There was a fulnesse of the Spirit powred out upon Christ in the union of the Humane nature with the Divine Vnion and Vnction went together there was annoynting of the Spirit together with the union of the Spirit 2. There was a more full manifestation of the Spirit in his Baptisme when the holy Ghost fell on him in the shape of a Dove then he received the Spirit hee was to enter into the Ministâ—ry of the Gospell the Spirit of the Lord God was upon him because hee had anoynted him to Preach good tidings unto the meek c. Esa. 61. 1. 3. But the fullest degree of declaration and manifestation of the Spirit upon Christ was after his Resurrection after he had satisfied fully for our salvation then the stop of his glory was taken away For to worke our salvation there was a keeping backe of the glory of Christ from his Humane nature that hee might bee abased to suffer for us when hee had fully suffered for us that stay of his glory his abasement was taken away and then nothing appeared but all glory and Spirit in Christ. All things were put under his feet and he was set upon his Throne as a glorious King His Priestly Office appeared in his death his Propheticall Office before his death but then hee appeared to be King and Lord of all in the Resurrection Thus wee see how Christ is that Spirit that is hee is full of the Spirit in regard of himselfe Secondly he is that Spirit in regard of his dispensations towards his Church and Children The Lord is that Spirit that is 1. of all truths and 2. of all persons to give life and quickning to them First of truths what is the scope of the whole scriptures but Christ from the first Promise of the blessed Seed The Seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head to the end of the book What is all the Scriptures without Christ The Law is a dead letter yea and so is the Gospell too without Christ hee is that Spirit which gives life unto all the Scriptures Moses without Christ is but a shadow without a body or a body without a soule Take away Christ what was the Brazen Serpent What was the Arke What were the Sacrifices What is all Is not Christ all in all these The Kings and Prâ—ests and 〈◊〉 they were types of Christ all the Promises they were made and fulfilled in Christ the Law Ceremoniall aymed at Christ the Law Morall is to drive us to Christ Christ is the Spirit of all and the Scripture without Christ it is but a meere dead thing it is but a shell without a kernell as it is to the Iewes at this day 2. Christ is that Spirit in regard of persons quickning them hee is an universall Principle of spirituall life infusing it into al his Church and Children Christ is alwayes with his Church from the beginning of the world and will bee to the end It was no losse to the Church that Christ in his bodily presence lâ—ft it for hee left them the Comforter his Spirit by which he wrought greater workes after his Ascension than hee did before He is annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse and grace above his fellowes but all was for his fellowes whatsoever he is or hath all is for his Church and Children for us he was borne for us he was given hee is a King a Priest a Prophet for us he dyed for us he rose againe for us And he doth all he doth toward the Church as hee hath the Spirit and by the Spirit The Father is the first in the Trinity from whom all comes and the Son by whom all things are but the holy Ghost is the immediat worker of all things next the creature all things are applied from God the Father through the Sonne by the Spirit what Christ wrought and what the Father in wisdome devised was applyed by the Spirit and so the framing of us to be fit for such a glorious condition as wee have by Christ is also by the Spirit And this is the reason why Christ giveth the Spirit to those to whom hee purposeth to give faith or love or to worke any gracious worke For where Christ saveth he doth it not onely by merit and satisfying the wrath of God for us but also by sanâ—tifying and effectuall working in us that he might be a perfect Saviour Now the Essentiall vigour and operative Principle in all things either wrought by or from the Father or the Sonne is the Spirit As in Man there is his will from which he resolveth and purposeth there is wisedome and understanding by which hee proceedeth and then there is a vigorous power in man by which he executeth and doth all so is it in this working of God the Father plotteth and determineth of what is to be done the Sonne who is the wisdome of the Father dispenseth what the Father willeth the holy Spirit the power of both finisheth and worketh all upon us and therefore hee is called the power of the highest Luk. 1. 35. Whatsoever works come from God to the creature in generall and are wrought in the world as works of Creation and providence are immediately by the holy Spirit nakedly considered as the third person comming from the Father and the Sonne And in those speciall workes wrought in his Church and on his Children all things commeth from the holy Ghost but not simply considered as the third person but as hee is the Spirit of Christ that is first sanctifying and filling the Humane Nature of Christ and then sanctifying and filling us Christ could not give the holy Ghost immediately to us wee being in enmity with God and separated from him through our sinnes but he must first take it to himselfe who having by his death and sufferings reconciled us to his Father and purchased the Spirit for us may now dispense and give forth his Spirit to us If we had stood in Adam wee should not have received grace so as now we doe for we should have received it from the first Adam but as from a man now wee receive it not from meere man but which is much more from the second Adam who is God-man nay Adam himselfe received not his grace after so glorious a manner as we doe for he received it from the Spirit nakedly considered as the third person in the Trinity and as all other creatures received their excellencies but wee receive it from the holy Spirit which doth not onely proceed from the Father and the Son but commeth as it were through our owne nature which was marvellously united to God the Sonne and made one with him unto us and worketh in us The first Adam was a living soule the last Adam was a quickning Spirit he quickened himselfe when he was dead and hee
quickeâ—s all his members too first hee receives the Spirit himselfe and the same Spirit that filled and sanctified his humane nature the samâ— Spirit sanctifieth his Church which hee loves even as himselfe as he loveth that his owne humane nature which the holy Ghost sanctified so doth he love his owne mysticall body his Church being mystically united to him and sanctifieth it by the same Spirit Christ dispenseth his Spirit unto us as Head of his Church and this he doth in divers respects 1. As he is God by way of immediate influence he powreth it out upon us as the prime and pricipall cause and this he doth as God not as man for the Man-hood cannot worke above it selfe it cannot doe the worke of God it cannot worke grace or give the Spirit 2. As he is Man considered as joyned together with the God-head by way of merit and satisfaction he procureth the Spirit to bee given powred out which is done by the Father and the Sonne on all those who are beloved in the Sonne so that the Spirit is given by Christ with the Father as Mediator Meritoriously for hee by suffering and satisfying procured the gift Christ himselfe is the first gift yea the greatest that ever was given the giving of Christ to dye to satisfie the wrath of God and to obtaine eternall life Next to 〈◊〉 maine gift is the gift of the Spirit in which is the seed of all gifts and graces and this we have by his Merit and Mediatorship Yet this wee must likewise remember that although Christ be sayd to give the Spirit as he doth yet the holy Spirit giveth it selfe too for there is such an unity in the Trinity of consent and nature that though the Father and the Sonne send the Spirit yet the Spirit comes of his owne selfe though the Father and the Sonne give the Spirit yet the Spirit giveth himselfe 3. Wee have the Spirit from Christ not onely by way of Merit but in some kind by way of Example hee is the exemplary cause of all graces in us looking to whom wee are transformed as wee shall see afterwards from glory to glory For when wee consider that Christ hath done so much for us as to save us and redeeme us and dye for us this begetteth a love in us to Christ and makes us often to thinke of him and desirous to imitate him as wee usually doe such as we love and highly esteeme of The dispensation of the Spirit is in most abundance after the resurrection of Christ as hee appeared in himselfe then to bee most spirituall and glorious after he rose againe so then being as the Sun in its full height and perfect beauty casteth his beames most plentifully abroad and that for these reasons 1. Because then hee having finished the worke of Redemption and satisfied the wrath of God fully and given contentment to Divine Justice and accomplished all by his death there was nothing to hinder the blessed gift of the Spirit It is sayd that before the holy Ghost was not given because Christ was not glorified The gift of the holy Ghost especially depends upon the glorifying of Christ when he had fulfilled the worke of Redemption and was raised to glory God being pacified gave the holy Ghost as a gift of his favour 2. Then againe after his Resurrection and Ascension he did give the holy Ghost more abundantly than before to his Church because now hee is in heaven and hath the advantage of the place being exalted on high As that glorious creature the Sunne by the advantage it hath being placed in the heavens above us is able to shine upon the greatest part of the earth at all times and wee need not call the Sunne downe from its place to come into our houses or fields or gardens no where it is seated in its proper place or orbe it hath the best opportunity in most abundance and largest extent to send downe heat and light and influence to inferiour things So Christ doth his Church more good now he is in heaven from whence he sends the Spirit then hee could doe if hee were below because though his Humane nature be confined in heaven his person is every where and being ascended now farre above all heavens he giveth gifts more liberally and plentifully insomuch as he filleth all things Eph. 4. hee enlargeth the tents of his Gospel and hath taken in a greater people to himselfe We see in Winter when the Sunne is low and neare the earth all things are dead and cold but when the Sunne in the Spring commeth to over-top us to bee in a higher point above us wee see how all things put a new garment upon them there is a new vigour and freshnesse in them so there was more abundant vigour of the Spirit when Christ came in the Flesh his vertue appeared much more every way then before But when this blessed Sonne of righteousnesse was advanced and seated at the right hand of his Father where his Nature was perfectly inriched and perfectly adorned with all kind of graces whatsoever in the highest glory of them his influence of light and heat now beginneth to be increased and the efficacy and working of it to bee felt every where The glorious beams of the Sunne beganne to be scattered and the light of the Gospel to shine to a greater number of people now there was no respect of persons whether Jew or Gentile bond or free male or female all was one the Commission was enlarged to all Mark 16. Goe preach the Gospell to every Creature and with the Word the Spirit went and was received and those that were added to the Church even such as should be saved were many thousands Thus have wee opened the meaning of the words and shewed how Christ is that Spirit both in respect of the Spirits being eminently in him and his giving of it and spirituall gifts by it all the vigour and life and influence we have that is spirituall and supernaturall and above the ordinary course is from the Spirit and whatsoever the Spirit hath or doth for us is done as sent from Christ in whom the Spirit is in all fulnesse Now wee shall shew how many wayes the consideration of these truths will be profitable and usefull to us in the course oâ— our lives and for the comfort of our spirits Vse Christ is the Spirit of the Scriptures of all Truths of all Ordinances Wee may be this bee able to reconcile the Scriptures one place with another where they sâ—eme to contradict The Law is said to be a 〈…〉 a ministr ation of condemnation c. 2. Cor. â— but in the 19. Psal. there it is sayd The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule c. These places are thus reconciled The Law is said to be dead so it is without Christ without the Spirit which quickneth and so is â—he Gospell too even a savour of death and so
to finish our course with joy as Saint Paul speakes of himselfe And doth God bring us from glory to glory til he have brought us to perfection of glory then I beâ—eech you let us before hand be thankfull to God as we see in the Epistles of blessed Saint Paul and Peter Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that hath begotten us to an inheritance immortall undefiled reserved in Heaven saith Saint Peter and so Saint Paul let us beginne the imployment of Heaven before hand for why doth God discover to us that he wil bring us to glory why doth he discover it to our faith that excellent state that we might beginne Heaven on earth as much as might be and how shall we doe that by the imployment of Heaven what is that Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts There is nothing but magnifying and glorifying of God there shall be no neede of Prayer there are prayses alway and so much as we are in the prayses of God and glorifying of God for his mercy and love in Christ so much wee are in Heaven before our time I beseech you therefore be stirred up in consideration of this that wee are leading on by degrees from glory to glory till wee come to perfection let us even give God the praise of all before hand for it is as sure as if wee had it For one way how things to come are present is by faith Glory to come is present two or three wayes already that may stirre us up to glorifie God before hand The glory to come is present to Christ our head wee in our Husband are in Heaven now he hath taken Heaven for us And in regard of faith that is the evidence of things not seene it is the nature of faith to present things to come as present to faiâ—h glory to come is present present in Christ and we are part of Christ Christ misticall and members and we in our head are in Heaven already and sit there and to faith that makes things present that are to come we are in heaven already And we have the earnest of Heaven the first fruites of the Spirit wee have grace which is glory the beginnings of glory we have the first fruites and earnest Now an earnest is never taken away but is made up by the bargaine with the rest so the earnest of the Spirit of God the first fruites of peace and joy of comfort and liberty to the throne of grace these are the beginnings of Heaven therefore be much in praising God Oh that wee could be so if wee could get into a frame and disposition to blesse God we could never be miserable no not in the greatest afflictions for thankefulnesse hath joy alway when a man is joyfull he can never be miserable for joy inlargeth the soule when is a man most joyfull but in a state of thankfulnesse and what makes us thankfull so much as to consider the wonderfull things that are reserved in another world the glory that God is leading us to by little and little from glory to glory till wee bee perfect Even as by the Spirit of the Lord. As here is taken according to the phrase in the Greeke and there is the like word in the Hebrew it signifieth likenesse and similitude sometimes and sometimes otherwise it is not here meant as if we were like the Spirit of the Lord but this change is wrought even as by the Spirit of the Lord that is it is so excellent and so strong that you may know that it is done by none but the Spirit of God Againe As by the Spirit of the Lord that is so farre as the Spirit of the Lord changeth us it implyeth those two things that is it is done by the power of the Spirit that we may know it is done by the Spirit of the Lord and then as by him and no further for we no further shine then he enlighteneth us as the ayre it is no further light then the Sun shines into it so we have no more glory strength comfort and peace or any thing gracious and glorious then the Spirit of God shines into us Therefore he saith As by the Spirit of the Lord. It is so glorious and excellent and so farre forth as he doth it as by the Spirit of the Lord so he expresseth the meaning of that phrase Now you see here the Doctrine is cleare that all that I have spoken of before comes from the Spirit of the Lord and from no other cause The beholding the transforming the degrees of transforming from glory to glory the taking away of the vayle all is from the Spirit of the Lord To goe over the particulars The Holy Ghost doth open our eyes to behold the glory of the Lord and therefore he is called the Spirit of illumination The Holy Ghost takes away the vaile of ignorance and unbeleife and thereupon hee is called the Spirit of Revelation The Holy Ghost upon revealing the love of God to us in Christ and the love of Christ to us and illuminating our understandings to see these things he breedes love to God againe shewing the love of God to us and thereupon he is called the Spirit of Love now when Gods love is shed into us by the Spirit of illumination and Revelation then we are changed according to the Image of Christ and thereupon the Holy Ghost from the working of a change is called the Spirit of sanctification because he is not onely the holy temple of that blessed Person but he makes us holy and because this change is a glorious change a change from one degree of grace to another till we come to be perfect in Heaven hereupon it is called a Spirit of glory as Saint â—eter saith the spirit of glory resteth on you that is the Spirit of peace of love of comfort of joy c. The Spirit in regard of this blessed attribute working all these he is called the Spirit of glory the Spirit hath diverse names according to the diverse operations hee workes in the Saints and People of God as here the Spirit of Illumination of Revelation of love of sanctification of glory all is by the Spirit whatsoever is wrought in man it is by the Spirit all comes from the Father as the Fountaine and through the Sonne as Mediator but whatsoever is wrought it is by the Holy Ghost in us which is the substantiall vigour in the Trinity all the vigour and operation in the Trinity upon the creature it is by the Holy Ghost the third person As in the creation the Spirit mooved upon the waters and mooving there and brooding on them framed the whole module of the creatures all were framed by the Holy Ghost so the Holy Ghost upon the water of our soules frames the new creature frames all this change from glory to glory all is by the Holy Spirit Therefore it is here in the passive tearme We are
changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord so in the chayne of Salvation you have passive words in them all Whom God foreknew he chose and whom hee chose hee justified and whom he justified he glorified all because they come from God and the Spirit of God so here we are transformed from glory to glory all is by the Spirit of God the third person for beloved even as from God toward us all things come through the Sonne by the Spirit so backe againe all things from us to God must come by the Spirit and through Christ wee doe all by the Spirit as all things are wrought in us by the Spirit God gives us the Spirit of Prayer and supplication and the Spirit of Sanctification and we pray in the Spirit and worke in the Spirit and walke in the Spirit wee doe all in the Spirit to shew that the Spirit doth all in all in this new creature and worke of Sanctification it is by no lesse then the Spirit of the Lord For beloved as it was God that redeemed us so it is God that must change us as it was God that wrought our Salvation and reconciled us no lâ—sse person could doe it so it must bee God that must perswade us of that glorious worke and fit us for it by his holy Spirit it is God that must knit us to our head Christ and then by little and little transforme us to that blessed condition that Christ hath purchased for us God the Sonne doth the one and God the Spirit doth the other you have all the three persons in this place for wee see the glory of God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost shining in lesus Christ. Christ is the Image according to which we are changed the Spirit is he that changeth us according to that Image God shewes his mercy in Christ we knowing and apprehending the mercy of God in Christ by the Spirit are changed by that Spirit from glory to glory so that the blessed Trinity as they have a perfect unity in themselves in nature for they are all one God so they have a most perfect unity in their love and care and respect to mankinde we cannot want the worke of any one of them all their worke is for the good of mankind The Father in his wisedome decreed and laid the foundation how mercy and justice might be reconciled in the death of the mediator Christ wrought our Salvation the Holy Ghost assures us of it and knits us to Christ and changeth and fits us to be members of so glorious a head and so translates and transformes us more and more from glory to glory It is a comfortable consideration to see how our salvation and our fitting for salvation till wee be put in full possession of it stands upon the unity of the three glorious persons in the Trinity that all joyne in one for the making of man happy I will name two or three Doctrines before I come to that which I meane to dwell on As first that The Spirit comes from Christ. It is said here By the Spirit of the Lord that is of Christ Because Christ doth spirare as well as the Father the Father doth spirare and the Son doth breath the Holy Ghost proceedes by way of spiration from both therefore the Spirit is not only the Spirit of the Father but of the Sonne as we see here The Spirit of the Lord. Christ sends the Spirit as well as the Father I will send you the Comforter The Holy Ghost proceedes from the Father and the Sonne and hee doth report to us the love of the Father and of the Sonne and therefore 2 Cor. 13. The shutâ—ing up of the Chapter The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost c. As the Holy Ghost hath communion in proceeding from the Father and the Sonne and knowes the secrets of both so he reveales them to us the love of God the Father and the Sonne and the communion of the the Holy Ghost so the Holy Ghost proceedes from the Sonne as well as from the Father he is called here the Spirit of the Lord. Then againe the Spirit is a distinct person from Christ it is said before The Lord is that Spirit that might trouble men how to know that The Lord is that Spirit men might thinke that Christ is all one with the Spirit No here the Spirit is said to be the Spirit of the Lord he meanes he is another distinct person from Christ and the Spirit is God as well as Christ because the Spirit hath the operations of God attributed to him to change and transfrome and make new wee are changed into the same Image from glory to glory Even as by the Spirit of the Lord creation and renovation of all new is from an Almighty power all the power in Heaven and earth cannot make that that was not to be especially that that was contrary and opposite to be now for a man in opposition and enmity to Religion to be changed to a better Image to the Image of Christ it argueth an Almighty power these Doctrinall poynts I doe but onely touch I come to that that I judge more usefull that is that What soever â— good in us it comes from the Spirit of God What need I stand upon reasons whatsoever is above nature it must come from Gods Spirit the Spirit is the Authour of all things above nature grace whereby wee are like Christ it is above nature therefore it must bee by the Spirit of God Besides that which riseth of nothing and is opposite and hath Sathan to oppose it it must have an Almighty power to work it Therefore whosoever workes any thing that is supernaturally good in us hee must be above the devill we cannot so much as call Iesus with a feeling but by the Spirit of God we cannot thinke a good thought all is by the Spirit whatsoever is gracious and comfortable in us I should bee overtroublesome to you to be much in so cleare a common argument as this is therfore I wil hasten to make some use of it Vse 1 And therefore put out of your thoughts I beseech you when you look to have any grace or comfort wrought shut out of your hearts too much relying upon any outward thing thinke not that education can make a man good or plodding can make a man good in bodily exercise in hearing much in conferring much in custome or education or any paines of our owne these are things that the Spirit will be effectuall in if we use them as wee should but without the Spirit what are theyâ— nay what is the body of Christ without the Spirit The flesh prositeth nothing what is the Sacrament and the Word dead things without the Spirit of the Lord nothing can worke upon the soule no outward thing in the world but the Spirit of God and the
rather increased by the Law for although Moses bee read yet untill this day remaineth the same vayle untaken away the Jewes will unavoydably abide in their Ignorance and bondage Now in opposition to this darknesse and obscurity of the Law in all those respects the Apostle exalteth the Gospell in this high and excellent privilege of it That it is plaine and evident and full of demonstration and that the light of it is not terrifying and amazing but sweet and comfortable so that wee may with much liberty and boldnesse of Spirit looke constantly upon the great glorious things set before us in it although it be no other but the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is moreover such an efficacy and working power in this Ministery of the Gospell as it will not suffer men to remaine the same without alteration as they did under Moses Ministery though hee was read daily but it will change them even into the Image of Jesus Christ and the carry them on still in that Image and likenesse from one degree of glory to another after a most admirable and spirituall manner of working This speciall excellency and prerogative of the Gospell is laid downe in the two last verses of this Chapter which are the words upon which wee shall more largely insist in the following discourse Vers. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty The Lord is that Spirit that takes away the vaile that is spoken of before Hee sets downe what Christ is by what he doth Christ is that Spirit because he gives the Spirit And then a sweet effect of the Spirit of Christ Where the Spirit of Christis there is liberty The Spirit here is not taken for the person of God as if the Holy Ghost had said The Lord is a Spirit and not a bodily thing though that be a truth And as it is not meant naturally so not personally Christ is that Spirit as if Christ were the holy Ghost that were a confusion of persons nor as restrained to the third person the holly Ghost is the Spirit Neither as some heretofore would have it to shew that the Spirit is Iehovah God It is neither to shew that Christ is God nor that the Spirit is God nor that Christ is the holy Ghost But it is meant in regard of a speciall dispensation The Lord is that Spirit that is the Lord Iesus Christ who is the Lord of his Church by marriage office c. is that Spirit that is hee 1. hath the Spirit in himselfe eminently and 2. dispenseth and giveth the Spirit unto others all receiving the Spirit from him as the common root and fountaine of all spirituall gifts First he was that Spirit as having the holy Ghost in himselfe as man the holy Ghost filled the Humane Nature and made it spirituall The Spirit is all in all in the Humane nature of Christ and whatsoever hee doth he doth as it were being full of the Spirit in himselfe He gives the Spirit as God and receives it as man so hee both gives and receives the Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne as God but the Spirit sanctified Christ as man as it did in the Virgins womb the holy Ghost sanctified that blessed masse of his body it sanctified him and filled him with all graces and gifts whereupon it is said he received the Spirit without measure that is in â—bundance Christ hath the Spirit in himselfe in a more eminent excellent manner than all others and it must needs be so for these reasons 1. From the neere union betweene the Humane naâ—ure and the Divine they â—re one person therefore â—here is more Spirit in Christ than in all creatures â—ut them together then in all the Angels and all men because the Divine nature is nearer to Christ then it is to the Angels or to any creature 2. Christ hath the Spirit without measure both in regard of extention and intention as we say he hath all graces in all degrees even next to an infinite all others have it in their measure and proportion 3. The Spirit doth rest upon Christ invariably in other men that have the Spirit it ebbes and flowes it is sometimes more and sometimes lesse there be spirituall desertions not onely in regard of comfort but in regard of grace though not totally but the Spirit rests â—n Christ eternally in a full â—easure and therefore you have it thus in Esa. 11. 2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of Wisedome and Vnder standing the Spirit of Counsell and might c. 4. By reason of his place or offices in relation to the Church as Head Husband King Priest Prophet c. the Head is made by nature the seat of the more noble faculties as of Seeing Hearing Understanding Iudgeing and is furnished accordingly with greater plenty of spirits for the ruling and governing the whole body so Christ is the head of the Church and the governement of all the world is laid upon him and all excellencies are derived from him unto all his members as from the Root life is derived unto all the branches and therefore he must needs have the Spirit in greatest abundance his fulnesse of the Spirit is as the fulnesse of the fountaine ours is but as the fulnesse of the Cisterâ—â— hee hath grace in the Spring wee have it but in the Conduit his graces are primitive ours derivative we have nothing but what wee have received therefore it is sayd hee hath the oyle of gladnesse powred upon him above his fellowes Hee hath his name from Annoynting Christ. Hee was annoynted that is separated and ordained to the office of Mediaâ—orship by annoynting not properly that is with any materiall oyle but with the Spirit this was in regard of his Humane nature onely but it was above his fellowes that is above all Kings and Priests for they are his fellowes in regard of titles hee was above them all for all have their annoynting from him therefore he is the King of Kings and the Prophet of Prophets c. Also above all his fellowes as we take his fellowes for Christians they are his fellowes I goe to my God and your God c. he is the first borne amongst them and in all things hee hath the preeminence 5 Hee is to be as the patterne we are to follow him wee are predestinated to be conformed to â—im and to grow up to that fulnesse which is in him and in thiâ— respect there is cause why hee should have the Spirit and all the graces of it is greater abundance that hee might exceed all even Christians of greatest growth and perfection hee is to bee a patterne and example to all to the strongest as wel as to the weake Eveâ— Paul himselfe who was 〈◊〉 Leader to others for the excellency of the grace 〈◊〉 Christ that was in him 〈◊〉 a follower of Christ Be 〈◊〉 followers
as being of the same nature with us so being a Mediatour in office and being so fit for a Mediator in nature what a comfort is this Indeed there is no comming to God no entercourse betweene God and us immediately but betweene God-man and God and us who is the Mediatour betweene God and us hee comes betweene in Christ we goe to God in our flesh in our nature and in Christ and from Christ and by Christ we have all grace and comfort from Christ we have all as God together with the holy Ghost and the Father and wee have all in Christ as a head and husband and we have all through Christ as mediator by his merit therefore wee should goe to Christ every way Vse 5 Let us labour to bee in Christ that we may get the Spirit it is of great necessity that wee should have it Above all things next to redemption by Christ labour for the spirit of Christ. Christ is our Saviour not onely by merit and satisfaction but by efficacy and grace that is as hee hath purchased us for his people by his blood so hee will subdue our corruptions and rule us by his Spirit For first Hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his those that have not the efficacy of the spirit in them to rule them shall not have benefit by his death to reconcile them for these goe alway together Christ as a King to rule and as a Priest to dye He came by blood and by water to satisfie and to sanctifie Secondly there is a necessity of the Spirit that we may be new Creatures it was the Spirits brooding upon the Chaos that brought forth all so the Spirit must sit upon our soules before any change will be made Now there is a necessity that wee bee changed and that wee bee new or else wee can never bee inhabitants of the new heavens and the new earth we must have the Spirit of God therefore Zech. 4. 6. as in the materiall Temple It s not by might or by power but by the Spirit So in rearing up spirituall Temples it is not by strength of wit or parts but by the Spirit therefore the Spirit is necessary for us even as our being in grace is necessary The holy Apostles wee know till the Spirit came more abundantly upon them what darke creatures they were but when the holy Ghost was come upon them how full of life and light and courage they were that the more they suffered the more they might suffer So it will bee with Christians the more spirituall they grow the more lightsome and couragious the more strong the more lively and vigrous to all duties the holy Ghost is the substantiall vigour of all creatures what soever all the spirituall vigour of every thing comes from the holy Spirit and the holy Spirit from Christ. For nothing can worke above it selfe nature cannot worke above nature That which elevates nature above it selfe and sets a spirituall stampe and puts divine qualities upon it is the Spirit of God That divine quality is called Spirit There is the flesh and the spirit all in us is flesh by nature and what soever is spirituall and divine commeth from the Spirit and therefore it is called Spirit you see therefore a necessity of the working of the Spirit even as there is a necessity to bee new creatures and to bee spirituall If we will be spirituall wee must have it from him that is first spirituall the Spirit himselfe that is the principle and fountaine of all that is spirituall Thirdly wee are called oft times to doe and suffer such things as are above nature and therefore wee must have a spirit above nature when wee feele sin to beleeve the forgivenesse of sinnes when wee see death to beleeve life everlasting and when wee are in extremity to beleeve God present with us to deliver us to beleeve contraries in contraries is a strange almighty worke of faith by the works of the Spirit It is above the work of nature to dye to end out dayes with comfort and to resigne up our soules for nature sees nothing but darknesse and desolation in the grave and destruction 〈◊〉 nothing can make a man comfortable in death but that which rayseth him above nature the Spirit of God Now these things and many such like we must do and suffer if we be Christians and therefore wee must have the Spirit to enable us to doe all The spirit is to the soule as the soule is to the body what is the body without the soule a caâ—kâ—ssâ— a loathsome dead thing what is the soule without the spirit a Caos of darknesse and confusion Well how shall we know whether we have the spirit of Christ or no We may know it partly by that I sayd before The Spirit is a vigorous working thing and therefore all three persons take upâ—n them the name of Spirit but the Holy Ghost especially because he is the spirituall vigour The Spirit is an operative thing the spirits are the quintessence and extraction of things that is nothing but operation God that is nothing but a pure act is said to be a spirit those that have the spirit of God are full of act and vigour the spirits of dull creatures are active when they are exâ—racted shall the spirits of bodies bee vigrous and shall not the Holy Ghost be vigrous that is a substantial vigour therefore if a man have the Spirit of God in him it will worke in him it is very operative Therefore it is compared to fire in diverse respects for first Fire it is of a working nature it is the instrument of nature if we had not fire what could we worke all Fabrickes and all things are done by Fire especially mettalls they are framed and made mallyable by fire So the Holy Ghost it is a working thing and softneth the heart and makes us mallyable it makes us fit for the impression of all good Secondly Fire againe though bodies be darke it makes them lightsome like it selfe Iron is a darke body but if the fire penetrate it it makes it lightsom We are darke creatures of our selves if we have the Spirit it makes us light Againe Fire it makâ—s chearefull and it ascends upward if a man have the Spirit of God his conversation will be upward his conversation will bee heavenly he minds the things of God he doth not grovel here below so in diverse such respects the Holy Ghost is compared to Fire and hath such effects in us in some sort wee finde our understandings enlightned and our selves quickened and carryed up to be above nature in holy and heavenly actions and then it is a good signe that we have the Spirit of Christ. A part will follow the whole as we see a part of the earth it falls to the center because all the earth is heavy all the whole earth fals down to the Center and
therefore every little clod will doe it so Christ our head that hath abundance of the Spirit is in Heaven and if we have the spirit we will follow him and minde the things where Christ is Where the Spirit of Christ is likewise it convinceth as it is Iohn 16. that is it brings a cleare evident conviction with it that the truth of God is the truth of God It is no doubtfull thing therfore when a man stâ—ggers in the truth in this and that course whether he should doe this or that it is a signe hee hath not the spirit or that he hath it in a very little measure because the Spirit is a convincing thing as light it convinceth a man he doth not doubt of that that he seeth at noone day so that that a man seeth by the Spirit he is convinced of when a man doubts and wavers whether hee should take a good course or a bad and wavers it is a signe he is carnall and hath not the Spirit of God for if hee had the Spirit it would convince him and set him downe you must take this course if you will bee saved That is said to convince that saith more for a thing then any thing can say against it Now when a man hath the Spirit of God he can say more for God and for good things and good wayes then all the devils in hell by discouragement can say against them Therefore when a man cannot say any thing for God and for good causes to purpose he hath not the spirit of God the spirit of God would so convince him that hee should answer all cavils and objections The argument is wondrous large I give you but a tast to know whether the Spirit of Christ be in you or no. In a word if Christ bee that spirit and have infused the spirit into us it will make us like him it will transforme us into his likenesse it will make us holy and humble and obedienâ— as hee was even to the death these things mighâ— bee largely followed buâ— we have occasion to speaâ— of these in other portioâ—â— of Scripture therfore that yee may get the Spirit of God take these directions We must goe to Christ studdy Christ if wee will have the Spirit studdy the Gospell of Christ what is the reason that before Christ there was so little spirit in comparison there was but a little measure of the knowledge of Christ the more Christ is discovered the more is the spirit given and according to the manifestation of Christ what he hath done for us and what hee hath the more the riches of Christ is unfolded in the Church the more the Spirit goes along with them The more the free grace and love of God in Christ alone is made knowne to the Church the more Spirit there is and againe backe againe the more spirit the more knowledge of Christ for there is a reciprocall going of these two the knowledge of Christ and the Spirit What is the reason that in Popery the Schoolemen that were witty to distinguish that there was little spirit in them they savoured not the Gospell they were wondrous quick in distinctions but they savoured not the matters of grace and of Christ it was not fully discovered to them but they attributed it to satisfaction and to merits and to the Pope the head of the Church c. They divided Christ they knew him not and dividing Christ they wanted the Spirit of Christ and wanting that spirit they taught not Christ as they should they were darke times as themselves confessed especially about nine hundred and a thousand yeares after Christ because Christ was vayled then in a world of idle ceremonies to darken the Gospell and the victory of Christ that the Pope made who was the Vicare of Sathan these were the Doctors of the Church then and Christ was hid and wrapped in a company of idle traditions and ceremonies of men and that was the reason that things were obscure Now when Christ and all good things by Christ and by Christ onely are discovered the vaile is taken off now of late for these hundred yeares in the time of reformation there hath beene more spirit and more light somenesse and comfort Christians have lived and dyed more comfortably why because Christ hath beene more knowne and as it is with the Church so it is with particular Christians the more they studdy Christ and the fulnesse that is in Christ and all comfort in him alone to be had Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and redemption the more men grow up in the knowledge of Christ the more they grow spirituall and the more spirituall they grow the more they grow in the knowledge of Christ therefore if wee would have the spirit let us come neere to Christ and labour to know him more who is the fountaine of all that is spirituall Then againe if wee would be spirituall let us take heed we trust not too much to dead things without Christ to have a kinde of Popery in the worke done to thinke that reading and hearing and receiving the Sacrament and that the government of the Church will doe it as if it were as man would have it put case there were all these which are excellent good things but what are all these without the spirit of Christ a man may bee dead with all these though he heare never so much and receive the Sacrament never so often if a man goe not to Christ the quickning spirit in this manner Lord these and my soule too are dead things without thy spirit therefore quicken me joyn Christ with all our performances without which all is nothing and then he will be spirituall to us And when wee goe to Christ for the spirit as we must beg it if wee will have it God will give the holy Ghost to them that aske him remember that we use the meanes carefully reading and hearing and holy communion of Saints because though these without the spirit can doe nothing yet the spirit is not given but by these these are the golden conduites of the spirit of Christ no man is ever spirituall but they are readers and hearers and conferrers of good things and attenders upon the meanes of Salvation because God will worke by his owne tooles and instruments therefore it is sayd Revel 1. That Iohn was full of the spirit upon the Lords day Let a Christian sanctifie the Sabbath as he should doe he will be in the Spirit on the Lords day more than on other dayes Why Because then he is reading and hearing and conferring and in some spirituall course and the more a man on the Lords day is in a spirituall course the more he is in the spirit Iohn was in the Spirit on the Lords day so much for those words The Lord is that Spirit And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty VVE see here what the Spirit
works where it is Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty I will name the instance that I gave before that I may the better goe on we say the sunne is heate and influence not that it is so for they bee accidents but the sunne appeares to us for our comfort in heate and influence therefore we call it by that name we say of a man he is all spirit so Christ is all spirit the sunne is all light and where the light and heate of the sunne is there is fruitfulnesse so Christ is all spirit and where the spirit of Christ is there is spirituall liberty It were expense of time to no purpose to tell you of the divers kinds of liberty in a word liberty is that that all desire but our miscarriage is in the meanes of it the way to attaine to it here we see whence to have it from the spirit of Christ liberty is a sweete thing especially liberty from the greatest enemies of all if outward liberty be such a sweete thing liberty from tyranny and base servitude it is a thing that mans nature delights in and the contrary man as a man abhorres and hee hath not the nature of a man that doth not abhorre it what shall we thinke then of the liberty of the spirit from the great enemies that daunt the greatest Monarches in the world liberty from the anger of the great God and liberty from Sathan Gods executioner liberty from the terrour of conscience from the feare of death and hell and judgement what shall wee thinke of liberty in these respects therefore we speake of great matters here beloved when wee speake of liberty Now liberty is either Christian or Evangelicall You may thinke this a nice difference but there is some realty in it Christian liberty is that that belongs to all even to those before Christ though they have not the terme of Christians yet they were members of Christ Christ was head of the Church Yesterday and to day and for ever Evangelicall liberty is that that is more appropriated to the times of the Gospell since the comming of Christ now the liberty that belongs to Christians as Christians is perpetuall from those grand enemies the greatest enemies of all spirituall and inward liberty In Evangelicall liberty besides that there is another outward liberty from the ceremoniall and morrall law and such like and a liberty from the restraint of the law the Iewes were under many restraints that under the Gospell in this time wee are not I speake therefore of liberty as it runnes through all ages of the Church not of Evangelicall meerely since the time of Christ where the spirit is both these liberties are now since the comming of Christ now in that the holy Ghost saith here where the spirit of Christ is there is liberty it supposeth that We are in bondage before wee have the spirit of Christ. That is a supposed ground and truth and indeed so it is for out of Christ wee are slaves the best of us all are slaves in Christ the meanest of all is a free man and a King out of Christ there is nothing but thraldome wee are under the kingdome of the devill when he cals us we come wee are in thraldome under the wrath of God under the feare of death and damnation and all those spiritual enemies that I neede not mention they are well enough knowne to you by often-repetition there is no man but he is a slave till hee be in Christ and the more free a man thinks himselfe to be and labours to be the more slave hee is for take a man that labours to have his liberty to doe what he list he thinkes it the happyest condition in the world and others thinke it the best condition to have liberty not to be tyrannized over by others It is the disposition of mans nature without grace they account it a happinesse to have their wils over all other but the more liberty in this the more slavery Why The more liberty that a man hath to doe lawlessely what he wil contrary to justice equity the more he sins the more he sinnes the more he is inthrawled to sinne the more he is inthrawled to sin the more he is in bondage to the devill and becomes the enemy of God therefore if a man would picke out the wretchedest man in the world I would picke out the greatest man in the world if he be naught that hath most under him hee hath most liberty and seekes most liberty and accounts it his happinesse that hee may have his liberty this is the greatest thraldome and it will prove when he dyes and comes to answer for it the greatest thraldome of all therefore the point needes not much proofe that if wee be not in Christ wee are slaves as Augustine saith in his Booke De civit Dei hee is a slave though he domineere and rule A man till he be in Christ is a slave not of one man or of one lord over him but he hath so many lords as hee hath so many lusts There are but two Kingdomes that the Scripture speaks of that is the kingdome of Sathan and darknesse and the Kingdome of Christ all therefore that are not in the Kingdome of Christ in that blessed liberty they must needes be shoaled under the other kingdome of Sathan This is a ground therefore I speake shortly of it as an insentive and provocation to stirre us up to get into Christ to get the Spirit of Christ that we may have this spirituall liberty or else we are al slaves notwithstanding all our civill liberties whatsoever they be Now where the Spirit of Christ is there is liberty there is freedome from that bondage that we are in by nature and which is strengthened by a wicked course of life for though we be all slaves by nature borne slaves yet notwithstanding by a wicked course of life we put our selves into bonds and tangle our selves so many sins and so many repetitions of sinne so many cords the longer a man lives the greater slave he is Now when the Spirit of Christ comes it frees us from all both from the naturall and from the customary slavery Now this liberty is wrought by Christ and applyed by the Spirit what Christ workes hee makes it ours by his Spirit which takes all from Christ as Christ doth all by the Spirit so the Spirit takes all from Christ all the comfort it hath is from reasons taken from Christ from grounds from Christ and doctrines from Christ but yet both have their efficacy Christ as the meritorious cause and the Spirit as the applying cause The spirit discovers the state of bondage we are in by nature and it discovers withall a more excellent condition and as it discovers so likewise the spirit of God brings us to this state by working faith in that that Christ
where these outward liberties are it is a signe that God hath an intendment to set men at Spirituall liberty Those therefore that are enemies of the dispensation of the Gospell in the ministery they are enemies to spiritâ—all liberty and it is an argument that a man is in bondage to Sathan when hee is an enemy any way of the unfolding of the Word of God for it is an argument that he is licentious that he will not be called to Spirituall liberty but live according to the flesh when he will not heare of the liberty of the Spirit as you have some kinde of men that account it a bondage Let us breake their bonds and cast away their coards why should we be tyed with the Word and with these holy things it is better that wee have no preaching no order at all but live every man as he would though they speake not so in words yet their lives and prophane carrige shew that they regard not outward liberties and that argueth that they are in spirituall bondage and that they have no interest in spirituall liberty because they are enemies of that whereby spirituall liberty is preserved Therefore the Gospell is set out by that phrase The Kingdome of God not onely the Kingdome of God set up in our hearts the Kingdome of the Spirit but likewise where the Gospell is preached there is the Kingdome of God why because with the dispensation of divine truth Christ comes to rule in the heart by the outward kingdome comes the spirituall kingdome they come under one name Therefore those that would have the spirituall kingdome of God by grace and peace to rule in their hearts till they reigne for ever in heaven they must come by this doore by the ministery by the outward ordinance the ordinance brings them to grace and grace to glory and it is a good and a sweete signe of a man spiritually set at liberty brought out of the kingdome of Sathan and freed from the guilt of sinne and from the dominion of sinne which is broken in Sanctification when we can meekely and cheerefully submit to the ordinance of God with a desire to have his spirituall thraldome discovered and to have spirituall duties unfolded and the riches of Christ layd open when hee heares these things with a tast and relish and a love it is a signe God loves his soule and that he hath interest in spirituall liberty because he can improve the Charter of his soule so well Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And besides this liberty in this world there is a liberty of glory called the liberty of the Sonnes of God The liberty of our bodies from corruption the glorious liberty in heaven when we shall be perfectly free for alas in this world we are free to fight not free from fight and we are free not from misery but free from thraldome to misery but then we shall be free from the encounter and incombrance all teares shall be wiped from our eyes wee shall be free from all hurt of body in sickenesse and the like and free from all the remainders of sinne in our soules that is perfect liberty perfect redemption and perfect adoption both of body and soule And that we have by the spirit too for where the Spirit of God is there is that to in this world in the beginnings of it for beloved what is peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost is it not the beginnings of heaven is it not a Grape of the heavenly Canaan is not the Spirit that wee have here an earnest of that inheritance an earnest penny and an earnest is a peece of the bargaine it is never taken away but is made up with the bargaine therefore when by the Spirit we have the beginnings of grace and comfort we have the beginnings of that glorious liberty and it assures us of that glorious liberty as sure as we have the earnest for God never repents of his bargaine that he makes with his children grace in some sort is glory as we see in the next verse because grace is the beginning of glory it frees the soule from terrour and subjection to sinne from the thraldome of sinne so the life of glory is begunne in grace we have the life of glory begunne by the Spirit this glorious life Vse 1 If we have all these blessed liberties in this world and in that to come by the Spirit then we should labour to have the Spirit of Christ or else we have no liberty at all and labour every day more and more to get this spirituall liberty in our consciences to have our consciences assured by the Spirit that our sinnes are forgiven and to feele in our consciences a power to bring under sinne that hath tyrannized over us before let us every day more and more labour to finde this spirituall liberty and prize dayly more the ordinances of God sanctified to set us at liberty attend upon spirituall meanes that God hath sanctified wherin he will convey the Spirit there were certaine times wherein the Angell came to stirre the waters of the poole so the Spirit of God stirres the waters of the Word and Ordinances and makes them effectuall attend upon the ordinances of God the Communion of Saints c. and the Spirit of God will slide into our soules in the use of holy meanes there is no man but hee findes experience of it he findes himselfe raysed above himselfe in the use of holy meanes The more we know the Gospell the more we have of the Spirit and the more Spirit we have the more liberty we enjoy If we prize and value outward liberty as indeede we doe and wee are naturally moved to doe it how should wee prize the Charter of our spirituall liberty the Word of God and the promises of Salvation whereby wee come to know all our liberty where we have all the promises opened to us the promise of forgivenesse of sinnes of necessary grace the promise of comfort in all conditions whatsoever therefore let us every day labour to grow farther and farther both in the knowledge and in the taste and feeling of this Spirituall liberty Vse 2 Oh beloved what a blessed condition it is to have this spirituall liberty doe but see the blessed use and comfort of it in all conditions for if a man hath the Spirit of God to set him at Spirituall liberty in all temptations either to sinne he hath the Spirit of God to free him from temptation or if temptation catch hold on him for sinne he hath the Spirit of God to flye too the blood of Christ to shew that if he confesse his sinnes and lay hold on Christ he hath pardon of sinne and the blood of Christ speakes better things than the blood of Abel it speakes mercy and peace if hee by faith sprinkle it upon his soule if he know the liberty of justification
and make use of it what a blessed liberty is this when wee have sinned In restraint of the outward man if ever God restraine us to humble us what a blessed thing is this that the Spirit is at liberty and that is the best part of a man a man may have a free conscience and minde in a restrayned condition and a man may be restrayned in a free state in the guilt of sinne bound over to the wrath of God and bound over to another evill day a man in the greatest thraldome may have liberty what a blessed condition is this So in sickenesse to consider that there is a glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God and a redemption of body as well as of soule that this base body of mine shall bee like Christs glorious body that there is a resurrection to glory the resurrection will make amends for all these sicknesses and ills of body what a comfort is it to thinke of the resurrection to glory And to when death comes to know that by the blood of Christ there is a liberty to enter into heaven that Christ by his blood hath opened a passage to heaven And so in all necessities to thinke I have a liberty to the Throne of Grace I am free of heaven I am free of the company of Saints in earth and in heaven too I am free to have Communion with God I have a freedome in all the promises what a sweet thing is this in all wants and necessities to use a spirituall liberty to have the eare of God as a favourite in heaven not onely to be free from the wrath of God but to have his favour to have his eare in all our necessities what a blessed liberty is this that a man may goe with boldnesse to the throne of grace by the Spirit of Christ Beloved it is invalluable there is not the least branch of this spirituall liberty but it is worth a thousand worlds how should we value it and blesse God for giving Christ to wroke this blessed liberty and for giving his spirit to apply it to us more and more and to set us more and more at spirituall liberty for both the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost all joyne in this Spirituall liberty the Father gives the Sonne and he gives the Spirit and all to set us free It is a comfortable and blessed condition Vse 3 But how shall we know whether we be set at liberty or no because all will pretend a liberty from the law and from the curse of God and his wrath in justificaâ—ion and though it be the foundation of all I will not speake of that but of that that alwayes accompanies iâ— a liberty of holinesse a liberty to serve God a liberty from bondage to lusts and to Sathan Therefore Wheresoever the Spirit of God is there is a liberty of holinesse to free us from the dominion of any one sinne we are freed to serve him in holinesse all the dayes of our lives where the Spirit therefore is it will free a man from thraldome to sinne even to any one sinne for the Spirit discovers to the soule the odiousnesse of the bondage for a man to be a slave to Sathan who is his enemy a cruell enemie what an odious thing is this Now whosoever is in thralled to any lust is in thraldome to Sathan by that lust therefore where this liberty is there cannot be slavery to any one lust Sathan therefore cares not how many sinnes one leaves if he live in any one sinne for hee hath them in one sinne and can pull them in by one sinne as children when they have a bird they can give it leave to flye so it bee in a string to pull it backe againe so Sathan hath men in a string if they live in any one sinne the Spirit of Christ is not there but Sathans Spirit and he can pull them in when hee will The beast that runnes away with a coard about him he is catched by the coard againe so when we leave many sinnes and yet notwithstanding carry his coards about us hee can pull us in when hee lists such are prisoners at liberty more than others but notwithstanding they are slaves to Sathan by that and where Sathan keepes possession by one sinne and rules there there is no liberty for the Spirit of Sanctification where it is is a counterpoyson to the corruption of nature and it is opposite to it in all the powers of the soule if suffers no corruption to get head Againe where this liberty from the Spirit is there is not onely a freedome from all grosse sinnes but likewise a blessed freedome to all duties an inlargement of heart to duties Gods people are a voluntary people those that are under grace they are annointed by the Spirit and the Spirituall annoyntment makes them nimble Christian is nothing but annointed now he that is truely annoynted by the Spirit is nimble and quicke and active in that that is good in some degree and proportion one use of annoynting is to make the members nimble and agile and strong so the Spirit of God is a Spirit of chearefulnesse and strength where it is therefore those that finde some chearefulnes and strength to preforme holy services to heare the Word to pray to God and to performe holy duties it is a signe that this comes from the Spirit of God the Spirit sets them at this liberty because otherwise spirituall duties are as opposite to flesh and blood as fire and water When we are drawne therefore to duties as a Beare to stake as we say with forraigne motives for feare or out of custome with extrinsicall motives and not from a new nature this is not from the Spirit this performance is not from the true liberty of the Spirit for the liberty of the Spirit is when actions come off naturally without force of fâ—are or hope or any extrinsicall motive a childe needes not extrinsicall motives to please his father when hee knowes he is the child of a loving father it is naturall so there is a new nature in those that have the Spirit of God to stirre them up to duty though Gods motives may helpe as the sweete incouragements and rewards but the principall is to doe things naturally not for feare or for giving content to this or that man Artificiall things move from a principle without them therefore they are artificiall clockes and such things have weights that stirre all the wheeles they goe by and that moove them so it is with an artificiall Christian that composeth himselfe to a course of religion he moves with weights without him he hath not an inward principle of the Spirit to make things naturall to him and to excite and make him doe things naâ—urally and sweetely Where the Spirit of God is there is freedome that is a kinde of naturall freedome not forced nor
he is above all and seeth all beneath him therefore the greatest men in the world are holy men they are above all other men and without usurpation they passe a censure upon the course and state of other men though they be never so great howsoever the Image of God is upon them in regard of their authority and the like yet in their dispositions they are base and slaves to their corruptions and to Sathan they are not out of the base rancke of nature Now a man that is a child of God hee is taken into a better condition and hath a spirituall liberty in him hee judgeth all things and is judged of none they may call him this and that it is but malice and a spice of the sinne against the holy Ghost but their hearts tells them he is otherwise he shall judge them ere long for The Saints shall judge the world therefore Christians should know and take notice of their excellency where the Spirit of God is there is liberty to judge all things as farre as they come within their reach and calling to judge aright of all things therefore we should know how to maintaine the credite of a Christian that is to maintaine a liberty independant upon all but God and other things with reservation as farre as they agree with conscience and religion thus we see how we may judge of this liberty Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty He doth not say licenciousnesse to shake off all governement for by too much licenciousnesse all liberty is lost but where the Spirit of God is there is liberty for a true Christian is the greatest servant and the greatest freeman in the world for he hath a Spirit that will yeeld to none in things Spirituall he reserves a liberty for his judgement yet for outward conformity of life and conversation he is a servant to all to doe them good love makes him a servant Christ was the greatest servant that ever was he was both the servant of God and our servant and there is none so free the greater portion of the Spirit the more inward and Spirituall freedome and the more freedome the more disposition to serve one another in love and to doe all things that a man should doe outwardly all things that are lawfull we must take heede of that mistake not this Spirituall liberty it stands with conformity to all good lawes and all good orders and there is a great mistake of carnall men for want of this they thinke it liberty to doe as men list it is true if a man have a strong and a holy understanding to be a good leader to it but it is the greatest bondage in the world to have most freedome in iâ—l as I sayd before those that are most free in ill are most slaves of all for their corruptions will not suffer them to heare good things to bee where good things are spoâ—en to accompany with those that are good their corruptions hath them in so narrow a custodie some kinde of men their corruptions are so malignant and binding that they will not suffer them to be in any opportunity wherein their corruptions may be restrayned at all but they hate the very sight of persons that may restraine them and all lawes that might restraine them Now this is the greatest slavery in the world for a man to have no acquaintance with that that is contrary to his corrupt disposition Well new Lords new Lawes as soone as ever a man is in Christ and hath Christs Spirit he hath another law in his soule to rule him contrary to that that there was before before he was ruled by the law of his lusts that carried him whither he would but now in Christ he hath a new Lord and a new law and that rules him according to the regiment of the Spirit The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ hath freed me from the Law of sinne and of death Vse 4 Againe seeing where the Spirit of God is there is this sweete and glorious liberty let us take heede by all meanes that we doe not grieve the Spirit when wee finde the holy Ghost in the use of any good meanes to touch upon our soules oh give him entrance and way to come into his owne chamber as it were to provide a roome for himselfe as Cyprian saith Consecra habitaculum c. enter into thy bed chamber consecrate a habitation for thy selfe so let us give him way to come into our soules when hee knockes by his sweete motions Wee that live in the Church there is none of us all but our hearts tell us that we have ofâ—en reâ—isted the holy Ghost weâ— might have beene saved if we had not beene rebellious and opposite Grieve not the Spirit by any meanes Quest. How is the Spirit grieved Ans. Especially these two or three wayes Answ. The Spirit being a Spirit of holinesse is grieved with uncleane courses with uncleane motions and words and actions he is called the holy Spirit and he stirres up in the soule holy motions like himselfe he breathes into us holy motions and hee breathes out of us good and holy and savory words and stirres us up to holy actions Now when we give liberty to our mouthes to speake rottenly to sweare I am ashamed almost to name that word when we give liberty to such filthinesse is not this a grieving of the Spirit if we have the Spirit at all If wee have not a care to grieve our selves doe we not grieve all about us therefore take heed of all filthy unholy words thoughts or carriages it grieves the Spirit Then the Spirit is a Spirit of love take heede of cankor and malice wee grieve the Spirit of God by cherishing cankor and malice one against another it drives away the sweete spirit of love therefore make conscience of grieving the Spirit he will not rest in a malicious heart who is the Spirit of love Againe the Spirit of Christ wheresoever it is it is joyned with a spirit of humility God gives grace to the humble it empties the soule that it may fill it it empties it of what is in it of windy vanity and fills it with it selfe therefore those that are filled with vaine high proud conceites they grieve and keepe out the good Spirit of God for wee should empty our soules that the Spirit of God may have a large dwelling there or else we grieve the Spirit in a word any sinne against conscience grieves the Spirit of God and hinders spirituall liberty because Where the Spirit of God is there is liberty would we preserve liberty we must preserve the Spirit if we sinne against conscience wee hinder liberty every way we hinder our liberty to good duties when a man sinnes against conscience hee is dead to good actions conscience tells him why doe you goe about it you have done this and that
he is shackled in his performances he cannot goe so naturally to prayer and to hearing conscience layes a clogge upon him hee is shackled in prayer especially he hath not liberty to the throne of grace how dares hee looke to heaven when hee hath grieved the Spirit of God and broken the peace of his conscience what communion hath he with God so it hinders peace with God a man cannot looke Christ in the face as a man when hee hath wronged another man he is ashamed to looke on him so the soule when it hath runne into sinnes against conscience it is ashamed to looke on Christ and to goe to God againe therefore any sinne against conscience grieves the Spirit and hinders all sweete liberty that was before it takes away the degree of it It hinders boldnesse with men for what makes a man couragious in his dealings with men a cleere conscience let it be the stoutest man in the world let him maintaine any lust against conscience it will make him so farre a slave for when it comes to the crossing of that lust once then you shall see he will even betray all his former stoutnesse and strength if a man be covetous and ambitious he may be stout for a time but when he comes to bee crossed it will take away all liberty that a man hath to cherish any sinne In a word to preserve this liberty let us goe to Christ from whom wee have this liberty complaine to him when wee finde any corruption stirring goe to the Lord in the words of S. Austine and say Now Lord free me from my necessities I cannot serve thee as I should doe nor as I would doe I am inthralled to sinne but I would doe better I cannot doe so well as I would free mee from my necessities complaine of our corruptions to God as the woman in the Law when â—he complayned if she were assaulted she saved her life by complaying so let us complaine to Christ if we finde violence offered to us by our corruptions I cannot by my owne strength set my selfe at liberty from this corruption Lord give mee thy Spirit to doe it set me more and more at liberty from my former bondage and from this that hath inthralled me so complaine to Christ and desire him to doe his office Lord thy office is To dissolve the workes of the devill And goe to the Spirit it is the office of the holy Ghost to free us to be a Spirit of liberty now desire Christ and the holy Ghost to doe their office of setting us at Spirituall liberty and this we must doe in the use of meanes and avoyding of occasions and then it will be efficatious to preserve that Spirituall liberty as will tell our consciences that wee are no hypocrites and that will end in a glorious liberty in the life to come And let this be a comfort to all poore strugling and striving Christians that are not yet set at perfect liberty from their lusts and corruptions that it is the office of the Spirâ—t of Christ as the King of the Church it is his office by his Spirit to purge the Church perfectly to make it a glorious spouse at last he will doe his owne office and besides this liberty of grace joyned with conflict in this world there is another liberty of glory when I shall bee freed from all oppositions without and from all conflict and corruption within It is called The liberty of the Sonnes of God Rom. 8 and those that looke not more and more for the gracious liberty to be free from passions and corruptions here they must not looke for the glorious liberty in heaven but those that live a conflicting life and pray to Christ more and more for the Spirit of liberty to set up a liberty in us these may looke for the liberty of the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 will be ere long when wee shall be out of reach and free from corruption when the Spirit of God shall be all in all Now our lusts will not suffer the Spirit to bee all in all but in heaven he shall there shall be nothing to rise against him This that hath beene spoken shall suffice for that 17. verse The Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is 〈◊〉 I proceede to the next verse which I purpose to dwell more on VERSE XVIII But we all as in a glass with open face behold the glory of the Lord and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. AS the Sunne riseth by degrees till he come to shine in glory so it was with the Sonne of righteousnesse hee discovered himselfe in the Church by little and little the latter times now are more glorious than the former and because comparisons give lustre the blessed Apostle to set forth the excellency of the administration of the covenant of grace under the Gospell he compares it with the administration of the same covenant in the time of the law and in the comparison prefers that administration under the Gospell is more excellent Now besides other differences in the Chapter he insists upon three especially they differ in Generality Evidence Efficacie First in regard of the generalitie We all now with open face c. Moses onely beheld the glory of the Lord in the Mount but We all not all men but all sound Christians that have their eyes opened all sorts of beleevers behold this glory In Spirituall things there is no envie every one may be partaker in solidum intirely of all Envie is in the things of this life where the more one hath the lesse another hath it is a matter of glory and excellencie the more are partakers of Spirituall things the Iewes rejoyced that the Gentiles should be called and wee now rejoyce in hope and should rejoyce mervelously if we could see it effected that the Iewes should be taken in againe the more the better Wee all And then for evidence We behold with open face that is with freedome and boldnesse which was not in the time of the law for they were affraid to looke upon Moyses when hee came downe from the Mount his couâ—â—enance was so majesticall and â—â—â—rible but We all with open face freely boldly and cheerâ—fully looke upon the glory of God in the Gospell the light of the Gospell is an alluring comâ—â—rting light the light of the law was dazelling and terrifying As in a Glasse they beheld God in a glasse but it was not so cleere a glasse they beheld him as it were in the water wee behold him in Christâ—ll we see God in the glasse of the Word and Sacraments but they in a worâ—â— of Ceremonies Chrisâ— was to them swadled and wrapped up in a great many types And then for the power and efficacie the Gospell is beyond the law the law had not power to convert to change into
excellent let us all labour for grace above all things we all as I said before desire liberty and as we desire liberty so wee desire glory but we know not the way how to come to it in seeking liberty wee seeke licensiousnesse in seeking glory we seeke it from men that cannot give it we seeke glory in outward things that are nothing what is the glory of all outward things but the shining of a rotten peece of wood in the night time or as a glow-worme what is all this glory but a flash it is nothing if we would seek true glory indeed as naturally all doe let us seeke grace thereby we resemble Christ the Lord of glory thereby wee are glorious in the eyes of Christ thereby wee are glorious both without and within though this glory for the present bee hid thereby we are terrible to the devill and all enemies For ever since his head was crushed by Christ that broke the Serpents head he is afraid of mans nature in Christ he is afraid of Christians as knowing that they be better then himselfe and hee shall bee judged by them ere long the devill shall be judged by Christians therefore let us studdy for this glory a man is never glorious till he be a Christian. It is said of Antiochus that he was a vile person what though hee was a King yes let a man be never so great in the world if he be a wicked man a man that dishonoureth his tongue that shold be his glory that hath not the language of Canaan that dishonors and defiles his body that should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost a man that carries a malicious and malignant Spirit that hath the image of the devill in his soule if hee bee never so great a person he will be vile ere long when all relations shall end in death all excellencies must bee layd downe in death therefore seeing all other excellencies cannot keepe a man from being a vile person let us labour for that that will put a glory upon us labour for the Image of Christ to be stamped upon our soule There is a great humour in this age in looking to peeces of workemanship if a man have skill to discerne a peece as they call it it is more then ordinary Beloved what a vanity is this though these pictures be lawfull they are a kind of mute poetry but what is this to the having of the glorious Image of Christ stamped upon us to bee glorious in the eye of God and in the very judgement of carnall men There is nothing so excellent as grace and nothing so base as sinne indeed there is nothing base but sinne and nothing excellent but grace so that Gods children not onely in their glorious riches and prerogatives to be the Sonnes of God and heires of Heaven are glorious but they have an inward glory The Spouse of Christ is glorious within Insomuch that Christ is in love with his owne graces he wonders at his owne graces in his children Vse 2 Againe oppose this to the scorne and hatred of the world base minded persons that disgrace goodnesse that their illnesse may bee the lesse discerned they labour to make all alike all they can by slaunders at least that their illnesse may not appeare oppose the judgment of Gods Spirit that esteemes grace glory a gainst all the judgement of the base world Beloved they shall know one day that those that they despise shall judge them and their hearts secretly tell them so what makes them maligne men better then themselves they have a secret conceit he is above me The spirituall man judgeth all things he is a man that discernes by a spirituall eye he judgeeth and condemneth my wayes and hereafter he will judge mee a secret conscience in him makes him feare a good man though hee deprave and maligne him yet his heart stoupes Vse 3 Againe is grace glory when God sets it on us shall wee cast our crowne in the dirt shall wee defile and blemish our glory by sinniug against conscience wee forget our excellency that grace is glory it teacheth us how to carry our selves to our selves If there be grace is us let us be honorable to our selves It is a good caveat that wee should be venerable to our selves that is Christians should take a holy state to themselves What I that am an Heire of Heaven I that am a King I that am a Conquerour I that am the Sonne of God I that am a Freeman should I tangle my selfe with these things shall I goe and staine my selfe Is it not an unsightly thing to see a golden pillar daubed with dirt or to see a crowne cast in the dirt God hath put a crowne upon me he hath made me a King he hath made me an Heire of Heaven hee hath made me his Sonne he hath put a glory upon mee shall I abase my selfe to devillish base courses No I will be more honorable in my owne eyes Let us thinke our selves too good for the base services of Sathan these thoughts we should take to our selves these are not proud thoughts but befitting our condition when wee are tempted to any base course whatsoever it is it is contrary to my calling Vse 4 And let us comfort our selves in the worke of grace though it bee wrought in never so poore a measure in all the disparagements of the world for those that are besotted with false vaine-glory they have the eyes of their soules put out and dimmed and dazled with false glory they cannot judge of the glory of a Christian they want eyes therefore let us bee content to passe in the world as hidden Christ passed concealed in the world onely now and then the beames of his glory brake forth in his miracles so wee must be content for our glory is hid in Christ for the most part and it is clouded with the imputations and malice of men and sometimes with infirmities as it will in this world let us comfort our selves with this that wee are glorious howsoever and glorious within and this glory will breake out in a holy conversation and it is better to be glorious in the eyes of God and Angels and good men and in the consciences of ill men then to have glory from their mouthes mallice will not suffer them to glorify them with their mouthes but their consciences must needes stoope to goodnesse for God hath put a majesty into goodnesse that any man that is a man that is not a beast that hath naturall principles will reverence it and the consciences of such men wil make them speake the truth one day and they shall say We fooles thought these men mad but Nâ—w wee see our selves fooles therefore in the disparagements of worldly men that know not where true glory lies let us be content with this that God hath made us truely glorious by working a change in a comfortable measure let us comfort our selves in this Vse
5 Againe by this wee may know whether wee have grace in us or no If we thinke grace to be glory let us have thaâ— judgement and conceit of grace of the change of our natures by the Spirit of God and the truth of God as the Holy Ghost hath here calling it glory that very judgement shewes that there is an alteration in our affections that we are changed in the spirit of our minds that we have a right conceite of heavenly things for none but a Christian indeed can judge grace to be glory that can truely thinke so for if a man thinke grace to be glory truely if hee be convinced by the power of the spirit he will be gracious for there is an instinct in all men by nature to glory in something you have the gulls of the world they glory in somthing in swaggering beastly courses you have devillish men glory that they can circumvent others rather then men will have no glory they will glory in that that is shame indeed man having a disposition alway to glory in something if hee be convinced that grace is glory he will be gracious Therefore I beseech you enter into your owne soules and see what conceites you have of the Image of God of the graces of Christianity and then certainely it will raise a holy ambition to have that stampe set upon you Againe this is another evidence that a man is gracious if he can looke upon the life of another that is better then he with a conceite that it is glory and loving of it as glory many men see grace in other men but with a maligning eye they see it to disgrace it for naturally this is in men they are so vaineglorious and ambitions that when they see the lives of other men outshew theirs instead of imitation they goe to base courses they obscure and darken that light with slanders that they will not imitate in their courses This is in the better sort of men the prouder and greater sort of men what grace they will not imitate they will defame they will not be outshined by any thing therefore those that can see so farre into the life of another man as they love it and honour the grace of God in another man it is a signe there is some worke of glory begunne in them men can indure good things in bookes and by reports and good things of men that are dead c. but they cannot indure good things running in their eies especially when it comes in a kind of competition and comparison they love not to bee out-shined From glory to glory Wee see the state of Gods children here and the state in Heaven come both under one name both are glory The children of God are Kings here they shall be Kings in Heaven they are Saints here as they be Saints in Heaven there is an adoption of grace as well as an adoption of glory Rom. 8. There is a regeneration here of our soules there is a regeneration of soule and body then We are new creatures here and we shall be new creatures there Quest. Why doe all come under one name the state of glory in Heaven and the state of grace here is there no difference Answ. Yes but the difference is in degrees and not otherwise for Heaven must be begunne here if ever wee meane to enter into Heaven hereafter we enter into the subburbs here we must be new creatures here we are kings here we are Heires apparant here we are adopted here we are regenerate here we are glorious here before we be glorious hereafter therfore beloved we may read our future state in our present wee must not thinke to come de scelo in celum as he saith out of the filth of sinne to Heaven but Heaven must be begunne here you see both have the same name grace and glory Therefore wouldst thou know what thy condition shall be afterwards read it in thy present disposition if there be not a change and a glorious change here never looke for a glorious change hereafter what is not begunne in grace shall never be accomplished in glory both grace here and glory hereafter comming under the same name it forceth this And likewise it is a ground of comfort for why have we the same terme here when we are in the state of grace why are we decked and adorned with the same title as wee shall bee in heaven It is partly for certainety grace is glory as well as the perfection of it is glory to shew that where grace is truely begun it will end in glory all the powers in the world cannot interrupt Gods gracious progresse and way what is begun in grace will end in glory where the foundation is layd God will be sure to put up the roofe he never repents of his beginnings Salomon saith that the righteous is like to the Sun that growes brighter and brighter till hee come to his full strength so the state of the godly growes more and more from light to light till hee come to full strength The state of the wicked is cleane contrary the state of the wicked is like the declining day the Sunne growes downe and downe till it bee twilight and thence to darkenesse and then to utter darkenesse so they being darke in themselves they grow from the darkenesse of misery and terrour of conscience to eternall darkenesse blacke dismall darkenesse in hell but the state of the godly it is like the course of the Sunne after midnight that is growing up up still till it come to mid day so the state of the godly it is alway on the mending hand it is alwayes a growing state it is a hopefull condition they goe from glory to glory and therefore let us be assured of eternall glory for the time to come as sure as we are of the beginnings of grace here wrought you see then a maine difference betweene the godly and others other men grow backeward proficere in pejus as we say they take degrees backe from worse to worse till they end in utter desolation and destruction for ever but the other riseth by degrees till they come to that happinesse that can admit no further degrees all the glory of the world ends in vanity and in nothing but the glory of a Christian that begins in grace you see it proceedes from glory to glory alway growing and amending If men were not spiritually mad would they not rather be in a condition alway amending and growing more and more hopefull still than to bee in a condition alway declining and most subject to decline when it is at the toppe There is no consistence in any humane felicity but it is in precipite neere a downefall when it is at the highest Gods children are neere rising when they are at the lowest there is a Spirit of glory lights and not onely so but rests on them it doth not light upon them and then
because it is carryed with the current of nature but in age it is more refined that that is that knowledge they have is more pure and more setled and that love and affection is more refined there is lesse selfe-love and that zeale they have it is joyned with more heavenly discretion there is lesse wild fire there is lesse strange fire with though there be lesse heate of nature that it doe not worke in outward demonstrations to the eye of the world yet it is more refined and pure so grace growes thus likewise in the purity and perfection of it Not altogether pure for somewhat will sticke to our best performances savouring of the worst principle in nature for as we carry flesh and spirit alway so that that comes from them will savour of corruption yet lesse in a growne Christian that is a father in Christianity than in another From glory to glory Grace is glory in regard of the state before the least degree of grace is glory in regard of the state of nature but grace is not glory properly till it come to a growth grace is not glorious so in comparison to other Christians that are growne in regard of the state of nature grace is glory take it in the lowest for is not this a glory for a man to be taken into the fellowship of Christ to be the Sonne of God and an heire of heaven to have Angels for his attendants to be begotten by the glorious Gospell the Word of God that imortall seede whatsoever thing is about a Christian it is glorious is not he glorious that hath God the Father and God the Son the Lord of glory and the holy Ghost the Spirit of glory and the glorious Gospell and glorious Angels for his attendants every thing is glorious in a Christian in every Christian there is this so grace is a kinde of glory but notwithstanding wee must not content our selves with that grace is then especially glory when it comes to growth we must labour that grace may appeare what is glory properly glory is excellency and victory over the contrary with manifestation excellency manifested Now a man is sayd to bee glorious in grace when his grace comes to be excellent in view and victorious over the contrary with publick manifestation Vse 1 Now this we ought to labour for though grace be glory in respect of the former estate yet in the ranke of Christians wee ought to be glorious that is more and more gracious both In regard of God that God may have the more glory from us the more grace the more esteeme from him because we resemble him And in regard of Christ Iesus the more glorious we are the more wee resemble him Let us labour to be more and more glorious in regard likewise of the Church whom we shall benefit more the more we grow in grace the more we shall prevaile with God by our prayers who prevayled more with their prayers than Moses and such men Againe when grace is glorious that is with victory and full manifestation the more we are fit to give a luster and light that others seeing it may glorifie God to draw others to the love of grace when they see grace glorious now grace is then glorious in us that others may be incouraged when wee can resist strong temptations when we are not like children carried away with the winde of every doctrine this is a glorious thing when a Christian can hold his owne in the worst times when it is a witty thing to be a Christian as Hillary sayd in a time of schisme it required a great deale of wit to be a Christian it requires a great deale of wit and studdy to hold a man on in Christianity And for a man to bee strong against temptations and the world whether it frowne or fawne that hee cares for neither but holds his owne is not this a glorious thing when a man shall carry himselfe as a Lyon breake through oppositions in ill times and fall square cast him as you will in all conditions here is a glorious Christian therefore though grace be glory that must not content us but wee must labour to have such a measure of glory as that we may be glorious in our owne ranke is it not a glorious thing when a man can breake through doubts and feares that trouble other folke too much as the sunne is sayd to be in glory when he is gotten on high there are many clouds in the morning but when the funne is gotten to his height at noone day hee scatters all so a Christian is in his glory and exaltation when he can scatter doubts and feares and terrours that trouble other weake beginning Christians therefore when we are troubled with scruples with this and that we should labour to get out of them that grace may be glorious to shew that we have gotten such a light and such a convincing knowledge and that wee are so rooted in faâ—th and grace that the Spirit of Christ in us hath broken through all these clouds and mists and made us glorious From glory to glory Our glory it is not like a torrent that runs a maine for a time and after is dryed up for ever grace it is a continuing and an increasing thing it continues still as the streame that it is fed with is an ever-living spring so is grace it is fed with the grace in Christ and he is a never-dying spring a fountaine for that grace in him is fed with his divinity therefore there must be a perpetuall Spring in Christ so where Christ hath opened a spring in the heart hee will feede that grace perpetually Vse 2 Let none be discouraged that have grace begun in them God will goe on with his own grace when hee hath begunne a good Worke hee will finish it to the day of the Lord Though grace be little at the first yet it shall not stay there it growes up we know not how but at last it is glorious indeed for till grace be growne it is little discerned from other things as betweene weeds and herbes there iâ— little difference when they be green till they be growne grace is little at the first as a graine of Mustardseed Ierusalem is not built in a day as wee say of Rome you have some that are a weaker sort of Christians that are good they would faine be in Canaan as soon as ever they are out of Egypt and I cannot blame them but hereupon they are discomforted as soone as ever they have grace in them they would have their pitch presently out of spiritual covetousnesse Oh that I had more knowledge and more victory c. these desires are good for God puts not in vaine desires into the hearts of his children but they must be content to be lead from glory to glory from one degree of grace to another Christ himselfe grew more in favour with God and man as that
Spirit of God workes upon the soule by the meanes of grace by gracious habits and qualities wrought for he doth not worke upon the soule immediately before he alter and change the soule the Spirit workes upon the sâ—ule by altering and changing of it and when it hath altered the soule then it joynes with the soule and alters and changeth it according to the Image of Christ more and more still I beseech you in your dayly practise all learne this that you trust not too much to any outward performance or taske to make Idols of outward things people when they would change their dispositions and bee better they take a great deale of pâ—ines in hearing and reading and praying all these are things necessary but they are dead things without the Spirit of Christ therefore in the use of all those outward things whatsoever they be looke up to â—hrist that is the quickning Spirit that sends the Spirit into our hearts the Spirit must enliven and give vigour to all these things and then somewhat will be done in religion in hearing and reading and praying and receiving the Sacrament Therefore in all these looke to the Spirit first hee laboureth in vaine that relieth not wholly upon the Spirit of God that trusts not to a higher strength than his owne it must be a higher strength than our owne that must worke any good in our soules either grace or comfort or peace and therefore in the use of all things as the proverbe is oculos ad coelum c. let the eye bee to heaven when the hand is at the sterne at the same time and then we shall be transformed and changed by the Spirit of God Know that in all meanes alway the spirit is the principle efficient blessing cause of all and therefore before we set upon any thing that is good wherein we looke for any spirituall good desire God by his holy Spirit that hewould â—loath what shall be sayd words are winde without the Spirit the Spirit must goe with the ordinances as the Arteries goe together with the Veines You know in the Veines in the body there are Arteries that goe with them they convey the spirits the veynes convey the blood that is a dull thing without the Spirits of it selfe if there were no Spirits in the Arteries what would the blood in the veines be nothing but a heavie uncomfortable humour but the Arteries that come from the heart the fountaine of life being joyned and conveying the spirits they quicken the blood that comes from the Liver so the veines and arteries joyne together to make the blood cheerefull The Word and truth of God are like the blood in the veines there is a great deale of matter in them but there is no life at all there must the Spirit goe along with them to give life and quickning to the Word to cloath those divine truthes with the Spirit and then it workes wonders not else Paul spake to Lydia Ast. 16. but the holy Ghost opened her heart the Spirit hath the key of the heart to unlocke and open the heart we speake to the outward man but except the inward man be opened by the Spirit of God and unlocked all is to no purpose therefore let us pray for the Spirit of this changing all is by the Spirit of the Lord. It is in mysticall Christ even as it was in naturall Christ all his grace was from the holy Ghost as man for though he were conceived of the holy Ghost he was annoynted by the hâ—ly Ghost he was sealed by the holy Ghost he was lead by the holy Ghost into the wildernesse he offered himselfe by the Spirit he was raysed by the Spirit he was full of the Spirit As it was in Christ naturall so it is in Christ mysticall that is in the Church all is by the Spirit as he was conceived in the wombe by the Spirit so we are conceived to be Christians by the Spirit the same Spirit that sanctified him sanctifieth us but first the Spirit by way of Vnion sanctifieth us by knitting us to him the head of all and then unction comes after union annoynting after union then the Spirit when he hath knit us to Christ workes the same annoynting that he did in Christ. Therefore we are called Christians of Christ not onely partakers of the naked name but of the annoynting of Christ that annoynting that runnes downe the head of our spirituall Aaron to the skirts to every poore Christian. All change all comfort all peace is from the Spirit of Christ therefore give him the glory of all if wee Finde any comfort in any truth it comes not from us but from his Spirit and wee must goe upward to him againe as all descends from heaven from the Father of lights and from the Spirit of God so all must ascend againe yeeld him the prayse of all And one worke of the Spirit is to carry our soules up for the Spirit as it comes from heaven to change us so it carries us up againe to view and to imitate Christ to be where Christ is as water when it is to be carryed up it is carryed as high as the spring head from whence it came so the Spirit comming from Christ it never leaves changing and altering of us till it have carryed us to Christ againe therefore as it is the work of the Spirit to carry us to Christ so let us desire it may carry us before hand for the good worke begun in us in thankefulnesse that we may begin heaven upon earth all is from the Spirit of Christ. A man now in the state of grace must looke for nothing from himselfe for as we are saved altogether out of our selves by Christ the mediator so the fitting for that glorious Sâ—lvation that we have purchased by Christ it is by the Spirit the working of our salvation is by God and the assurance of it to our soules is by the holy Ghost by the witnesse of God sealed to us and the fitting and preparing and changing and sanctifying of us it is by the holy Ghost all is out of us in the covenant of grace wherein God is a gracious Father in Christ all is out of us in regard of the spring The worke indeed is terminated in us the Spirit of God alters our understanding will and affections but the spring is out of us as in Paradise those foure streames that watered Paradise that runne through it yet the head of them was out of Paradise in another part of the world so though the worke of the holy Ghost the streames of the Spirit runne through the soule and water it yet the spring of those graces the holy Ghost is out of us and Christ the roote of Salvation is out of us for God in the covenant of grace will not trust us as in Adam God trusted us with grace hee had grace in his owne keeping if he would he might have stood he had
liberty of will but God saw wee were all ill husbands of grace and goodnesse that he would not trust us againe therefore he trusted God-man the second Adam with grace and hee sends his Spirit into us and conveyes grace from glory to glory by degrees and all by the Spirit of the Lord. And in the next place this point of doctrine should mervailously comfort and stay us and direct us Vse 2 It should comfort us when we finde no goodnesse at all nor no strength at all nor no strength at all in our natures doth God expect that wee should have any thing from our selves who expects any thing from a barren wildernesse our hearts are such God knowes it well enough there is no goodnesse in us no more than there is moysture in a stone or a rocke therefore he looks that we should begge the Spirit of him and depend upon him for the Spirit of his Sonne to open our eyes with the Spirit of illumination to reveale his love to us and then to sanctifie us and to worke us more and more to glory and to worke out all corruption by little and little he expects that we should depend upon him for the Spirit in all things we doe Therefore Christians are much to blame they thinke to worke and to hew out of their owne nature the love of God and keepe a doe with their owne hearts as if they had a principle of grace in themselves as of themselves and they may long enough worke that way but that is not the way but acknowledgement that in our selves as of our selves as Saint Paul saith we cannot doe any thing we cannot so much by all the power in the world as thinke a good thought If wee should live a thousand yeares there cannot rise out of our hearts a good desire of our selves all is out of us from the Spirit of the Lord Now thereupon we must not looke for it in our selves but goe to God for his holy Spâ—rit goe to Christ for his Spirit for the Spirit proceeds from them both that hee would enlighten us and sanctifie us as I shewed in particular before we must not therefore presume that we can doe any thing of our selves and so wee must not despaire shall we despaire when once wee beleeve in Christ when we have abundance of grace and Spirit in our head Christ and he can derive his Spirit as hee pleaseth he gives the Spirit by degrees as he pleaseth for he is a voluntary head to dispence it as he will he is not a naturall head who shall despaire when he is in Christ who is compleate and in him wee receive grace for grace grace answerable for grace in him Let none presume that he can doe any thing of himselfe for you see how God suffered holy men to miscarry it was folly in this case in Peter to presume of his owne strength Though all forsooke Christ yet would not he he presumed upon his owne strength God left him to himselfe you see how foulely he fell so it is with us all when wee presume upon the strength of our nature and parts We must not come to this holy place in the strength of our owne wit and parts but come with a desire that the Spirit may joyne with his ordinances and make them efficatious for our change all change is by the Spirit of the Lord nothing workes above his owne sphere It is above the powâ—r of nature to worke any thing supernaturall therefore if we will profit by the Word come not with presumptuous spirits but lift up our hearts to God that his Spirit may cloath the ministery with vigour and power that he may convey holy truthes into our hearts and make them effectuâ—ll for the changing of the inward and of the outward man then we come as we should all is by the Spirit of the Lord blessing all meanes whatsoever without which all meanes are dead therefore we must open as that flower that opens and shuts as the Sunne shines on it so must wee as Christ shines on us and we ebbe and flow as hee flowes upon us we shine or are darke as hee shines on us as the ayre is no longer light than the sunne shines so we are no longer lightsome and open and flow and are carryed to any thing than Christ by his Spirit flowes on us for we doe what we doe but we are patients first to receive that power from the Spirit we heare and doe good workes but the activity and power and strength comes all from the Spirit of God Vse 3 Hence likewise wee may make another use of tryall whether we have the Spirit of Christ or no whether wee have the holy Ghost which is called here the Spirit of the Lord I will not goe out of the text for tryalls if a man have the Spirit of God it openeth the eyes of his soule to see in the glasse of the Word the face of God shining on him in Christ if a man have the Spirit he sees God as a Father by the Spirit of â—illumination AgaineÌ„ if thou hast the Spirit of God thou hast the Spirit of love Gods Spirit manifesteth the hidden love of God that was hid in the breast of God to his soule for the Spirit of God searcheth the breast of God and the secret of God and it searcheth my heart Now he that hath the Spirit of God knowes the love of God in Christ to him it reveales the love of God the heighth and breadth and depth of it to our Spirits as in the text we see the gracious love of God in Christ and then wee love him againe And thereupon where the Spirit is it changeth it is not onely a Spirit of illumination but of sanctification where hee dwels hee sanctifieth the house and makes it a Temple it is efficatious where the Spirit is it will worke it is like the wind where it is it will stirre it will move where it moves not it is not at all where the Spirit alters not the condition from bad to good and from good to better suspect that it is not there at least it will move as the pulses will have a drawing in and a sending out by stirring so there will be some operation of the Spirit that is discernable to a judicious eye alway some stirring where the Spirit of God is The Papists slander us willingly I thinke against many of their consciences that understand any thingâ— Oh say they we will have Christians like sathan to appeare as Angels of light and blackamores in white garments that have their teeth white and nothing else so your Christians put on the garment of Christs righteousnesse let them put on that and then though they be not changed a whit it is no matter who teacheth thus we teach out of this Text that First of all the Spirit of God opens our eyes he takes off the vayle and then wee see the
glory of Gods mercy in Christ pardoning our sinnes for the righteousneffe and obedience of Christ and then that love warmes our hearts so that it changeth our hearts by the Spirit from one degree of grace to another there is a changing power that goes with the love of Christ and with the mercy of God in Christ this 〈◊〉 Doctrine the same Spirit that justifieth us by applying to us the obedience of Christ the same Spirit sanctifyeth us therefore their allegations and objections are to no purpose wee see here the Spirit of the Lord changeth us And so for your common Atheisticall professors that professe themselves Christians they partake of the name but not of the annoynting of Christ true Christians that are annoynted with the Spirit of Christ it will inforce a change Beloved we cannot behold the Sunne but wee must be enlightned we cannot behold the Sunne of righteousnesse but we shall be changed and enlightned The eye of faith though we thinke not of it though it looke upon Christ for justification and forgivenesse of sinnes yet notwithstanding at the same time incensibly there is an alteration of the soule if a man looke up for other ends yet at the same time there is an enlightning by the Sunne so at the same time that wee looke upon the mercy of God in Christ at the same time there is a glory shines upon us and wee are altred and changed though we thinke not of it at the very instant that we apprehend justification and forgivenesse of sinnes in the mercy of God in Christ at the same instant there is a glory put upon the soule we cannot have commerse with the God of glory but we shall be glorious Therefore there is no man that hath any thing to doe with God that hath not some glory put into his soule whatsoever he is Therefore let no man thinke hee hath any thing to doe in Religion till he finde the worke of the Spirit altering and changing him He hath the title of Holy Spirit from the blessed worke of sanctâ—â—ying anâ— changing he 〈…〉 And when hehath changed us he governes and guides us from glory to glory where the Holy Ghost is therfore he promotes the worke of grace begunne he doth not onely move us but promove he promotes the worke begunne therefore those that have the Spirit of God they rest in no degree of grace but grow from grace to grace from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith till they come to that measure of perfection that God hath appointed them in Christ those therefore that set up their staffe and will goe no further that thinke all is well they have not the Spirit of God for the Spirit stirres up to grow from one degree of grace to another to adde grace to grace and to enter further and further into the Kingdome of grace and to come nearer to glory still For this end the holy Spirit dwels in us and guides us as it is Rom. 8. he is a Tutor to us where the holy Ghost is in any body it is as a counseller Guide mee by thy counsell till thou bring me to glory It is a Tutor as Noblemens children they have their Tutors so Gods children are nobly borne they have their Tutor and Counsellor as well as Angels to attend them they have the Spirit of God to tell them this doe and that doe and here you have done ill they have a voyce behind them to teach them in particular wherein they have done amisse they that have the Spirit finde such a sweete operation of the Spirit the Spirit is a teacher and a counsellour to them they that are acquainted wiâ—h the government of Gods Spirit they find i checking them presently when they doe ill 〈◊〉 grieves them when they grieve the Spirit so it teachâ—th them in particular â—usinesses doe this doe not that Thus wee may know if we have the Spirit if it guide and governe us from glory to glory till wee come to perâ—ection where the Spirit is all in all in heaven Another evidence is this the Spirit where it is it rests and abides because it doth not onely change us at the first but it leads us from glory to glory as Saint Augustine saith wicked men have the Spirit of God knocking and he would saine enter as the wickedest man when he heares holy truthes discovered the Spirit of God knockes at his heart and he findes sweete motions in his poysonfull rebellious nature but this is but the spirit knocking that would have entrance but Gods children have the spirit entering and dwelling and resting there The spirit of God resteth on Christ and it rests on Christs members how can it change them and having done so guide and governe them from glory to glory but hee must rest there hee must take up his lodging and residence a Christian is not an ordinary house but a Temple he is not an ordinary man but a King he is not an ordinary stone but a Pearle he is not an ordinary tree but a Cedar hee is an excellent person and therefore the Spirit of God delights to dwell in him As the excellency of the body is from the soule so the excellency of the soule is from the spirit dwelling in him However in particular operations the spirit suspends his acts of comforâ—ing and guiding to humble them for their presumption alway the Holy Ghost is in the heart though he be hid in a corner of the heart I will send you the Comforter and hee shall abide with you for ever saith Christ thus we see how we may try ourselves whether we have the Spirit of the Lord oâ— no If wee have not the Spirit we are none of his wee are none of Christs Rom. 8. 13. And then whose are we if wee bee none of Christs Doe but thinke of that therefore if wee would not be men not having the Spirit that is men dead lead with a worse spirit then our own let us labor to know whether we have the Spirit of Christ or no Let us see what change there is to the likenesse of Christ for the Spirit as it comes from the Lord so it makes us like the Lord and wee are changed by reasons from the Lord by reasons and considerations from Christ and from the love of God in Christ because the spirit takes from Christ whatsoever he hath Hee shall take of mine c. that is the comfort hee comforts the soule with hee fetches them from his death and blood-shed and the love of God in him that he takes of Christ so there is a change wrought is us by reasons fetched from the love of God in Christ those conforming reasons God hath given his Sonne and Christ hath given himselfe and wee feele the love of God by the Spirit if the Spirit worke any grace or comfort by considerations fetched from Christ this is the true Spirit the change and alteration that it workes in
us is according to the Image of Christ that we may be like Christ so Christ is the beginning and the end and Christ is all hee workes from Christ and to Christ. Let us examine therefore if wee have the Spirit of Christ whether it change us and examine if wee have the Spirit from what reasons and grounds it changes us and then wee may upon some comfortable grounds say we have the Spirit indeed If we have not the Spirit how shall we come to have the Spirit what meanes must wee use to get it In a word this Chapter excellently sets out that for the Gospell is called the Ministery of the Spirit for the opening of the love of God in Christ which is the Gospell is the Mynistery of the Spirit why because God hath joyned the Spirit with the publishing and opening of these mysteries therefore study the Gospell and heare unfolded divine Evangelicall truthes the more wee heare of the sweete love of God in Christ the more the Spirit flowes into the soule together with it the Spirit goes together with the Doctrine of the Gospell which is called the ministery of the Spirit Therefore let us delight in hearing Evangelicall poynts the love of God opened in Christ. A civill morall man Oh he is taken mightily if hee heare a morall witty pollitique discourse that toucheth him and he is in his element then What is this to the Gospell this hath its use Oh but the Spirit goes with the opening of the Gospell with Evangelicall points and if our hearts were ever seasoned with the love of God these points of Christ and the benefits and priviledges by Christ they will affect us more then any other things in the world that is one meanes to studdy the Gospell to heare the truths of the Gospell opened where the Spirit workes Againe the Spirit of the Lord it is given to us usually in holy community the Holy Ghost fell upon them in the Actes when they were gathered together and surely wee never finde sweeter motions of the Spirit then now when wee are gathered at such times about holy businesse as this day wee never find the Spirit more effectuall to alter and change our soules then at such times Where two or three are gathered together I will be in the midst of you but by the Spirit saith Christ warming and altering and changing the soule For God infâ—seth al grace in communion as we are members of the body mysticall those that have â—ullen spirits a spirit of separation that scorne all meetings they are carryed with the spirit of the devill and of the world they know not what belongs to the things of God It is the meeâ—e spirit that subjects it selfe to the Ordinance of God the Holy Ghost falls usually upon men when they are in holy Communion And in Luke 11. there God will give the Holy Ghost to all that begge him pray for the holy Ghost as the most excellent thing in the world he shal be given to them that begge him as if he should say there is nothing greater then that and God will give him to them that aske him Therefore come to God and in any thing wee have to doe empty our selves and beg the Spirit for the more a man empties him of his owne confidence in regard of holy performance of duties the more wee wil desire to be filled with the fullnesse of the Spirit and this sense of our owne emptines will force prayer Therefore know that of our selves wee can doe nothing holily that may further our reckoning but by the Spirit doe all things therefore in a sense of our owne emptinesse and begge the Spirit As likewise when wee are framed by the Spirit to obedience those that obey the motions of the Spirit the Spirit joynes morâ— and more closely with their soules God gives his Spirit to them that obey him those that obey the first motions of the Spirit they have further degrees What is the reason that men have no more Spirit in the Ordinances The holy Ghost knockes at their hearts and would faine have entrance and they resist it as Stephen saith now the Holy Ghost is willing to enter upon the soule but he is resisted therefore if you will have him more and more let us open our soules that the King of glory may come in the Spirit is willing to enter especially in holy assemblies saith Saint Iohn I was on the Lords day I was in the Spirit that is as if he were drowned in the Spirit on the Lords day when we are about holy exercises we are never more in the Spirit than then let us open our soules to the Spirit and then we shall find the Spirit joyning with our soules the Spirit is more willing to save us and to sanctifie us then wee are to entertaine him Oh that we were willing to entertaine the sweete motions of the Spirit our natures would not be so defiled and we so uncomfortable as we are there are none of us all but wee finde comfortable motions in holy exercises thus wee may get the Spirit of the Lord that doth all that illuminates and sanctifieth and ruleth and rests in us Vse 4 And let us learne I beseech you hence to give the third glorious person the Holy Ghost his due since wee have all by the Spirit let us learne to give the Spirit his due and learne how to make use of the worke of the Spirit there are severall workes of the Spirit you see here what the Spirit doth We all the Spirit unites us together it is a Spirit of union it knits all together by one faith to God all meete in God the Father reconciled and we all are joyned together by love wrought by the Spirit With open face who takes away the vayle wee are all vayled by nature the Spirit takes away the vaile from our eyes and from the truth what is the reason the Gospell is so obscure the Spirit takes not away the vaile it teacheth not by the Ministery or else it takes not away the vaile from the eyes the Spirit takes away the scales from our eyes and the Spirit in the ministery takes away the obscurity of the Scriptures all those that wee call graces the free gifts the ministeriall gifts they are the gifts and the graces of the Spirit and they are for the graces of the Spirit skill in tongues and in the Scriptures and in other learning are given to men that they may take away the vaile from the the Scriptures that they may be lightsome and then when the Spirit is given he takes away the vaile from the soule by his owne worke and then with open face we behold the glory of the Lord What doth open our eyes to see when the vaile is taken off the Spirit wee have no inward light nor sight but by the illumination of the Spirit all light in the things and all sight in us it is by
the illumination of the Spirit And then the change according to the Image of Christ this is altogeâ—her by the Spirit of Christ it is altogether from the holy Ghost Christ baptiseth With the Holy Ghost and with fiâ—e and Christ came By blood and by water by blood to dye for us and by water by his Spirit to change us and purge and cleanse us all is by the Spirit Christ came as well by the Spirit as by blood This change and the graduall change from glory to glory all is by the Spirit therefore wee should not thinke altogether of Christ or God the Father when we goe to God in prayer but thinke of the worke of the Spirit that the holy Ghost may have his due Lord without thy Spirit my body is as a thing without a soule a dead loathsome stiffe unapt carkasse that cannot stirre a whit and so my soule without the operation of thy holy Spirit it is a stiffe dead unmoveable thing and therefore by thy Spirit breath upon me as thy holy Spirit in the creation did lye upon the waters and brood as it were all things there lying upon the waters it fashioned this goodly creature heaven and earth this Mundus so the Spirit of God lying upon the waters of the soule it fashions all graces and comforts whatsoever they are all is wrought by the Spirit in the new creature as all in this glorious fabricke of the world was by the Spirit of God Let the Spirit of God therefore have due acknowledgement in all things whatsoever And what are we to looke to mainely now the knowledge of God the Father and his love to us shining in Christ all is in Christ and if we would have any thing wrought in us any alteration of our natures let us begge the Spirit that we may have the discovery of the love of God in Christ the Spirit attending upon the Gospell And because we have all these aboundantly in these latter times of the Church in the second spring of the Gospell in the reformation of religion after our recovery out of Popery there is a second spring of the Gospell oh belovd how much are we beholding to God never since the beginning of the world was there such glorious times as we enjoy Wee see how the holy Apostle doth preferre these times before former times when the vayle was upon their eyes and when all was hid in ceremonies and types and such things among the lewes Now saith he we behold the glory of God and are changed by the Spirit from glory to glory To conclude all therefore consider that the glory of the times and the glory of places and persons all is from the revelation of Christ by the Spirit which hath the Spirit accompanying it the more God in Christ is layd open the more the times and places and persons are excellent What made the second temple beyond the former Christ came at the second temple therefore though it were baser in it selfe yet the second Temple was more glorious than the first what made Bethelem that little City glorious Christ was borne there what makes the heart where Christ is borne more glorious than other folke Christ is borne there Christ makes persons and places glorious What makes the times now more glorious than they were before Christ what made the least in the Kingdome of heaven greater than Iohn Baptist he was greater than all that were before him and all that are after him are greater than he because his head was cut off he saw not the death and resurrection of Christ and the giving of the holy Ghost he saw not so much of Christ so that the revelation of Christ and the love of God in Christ it is that that makes times and persons and places glorious all glorious because the vayle is taken away from our eyes we see Christ the King of glory in the Gospell flourishing and the love of God manifested and by the Spirit of God the vayle is taken away inwardly as well as outwardly now for a fuller discovery of Christ than in former times comes the glory of the times now there are more converted than in former times because the Spirit goes together with the manifestation of Christ what is the reason that this Kingdome is more glorious than any place beyond the Seas because Christ is here revealed more fully than there the vayle is taken off and here we see the glory of God with open face which changeth many thousands from glory to glory by the Spirit of God that accompanies the revelation of the Gospell Is there any outward thing that advanceth our Kingdome before Turkey or Spaine c. No thing their government and riches and outward things are as much as ours if not more the glory of places and times are from the revelation of Christ that hath the Spirit accompanying of it that Spirit changeth us from glory to glory our times are more glorious than they were a hundred yeeres or two before why because we have a double revelation of Christ and of Antichrist we see Christ revealed and the Gospell opened and the vayle taken off we see Antichrist revealed that hath masked under the name of head of the Church and hath seduced the world Now this double revelation challengeth acknowledgement of these blessed times what should all this doe but stirre us up to know the time of our visitation to thankfulnesse to blesse God that hath reserved us for these places and Countries that we live in to cast our times to be in this glorious light of the Gospell to be borne in what if we had beene borne in those darke Egyptian times of Popery our lives had not beene so comfortable Now we live under the Gospell wherein with open face we see the glory of the mercy of God in Christ the unsearchable riches of Christ opened and discovered to us And together with the Gospell the ministery of the Spirit goeth the Spirit and those that belong to God thousands by the blessing of God are changed from glory to glory Certainely if we share in the good of the times we will have hearts to thanke God and to walke answerably that as wee have the glorious Gospell so we will walke gloriously that we doe not by a base and fruitlesse life dishonour so glorious a Gospell I beseech you let us thinke of the times else if we be not the better for the glorious times if the vayle be not taken away we are under a fearefull judgement The god of this world hath blinded our eyes doe wee live under the glorious light and yet are darke that wee see no glory in Christ we see nothing in religion but are as ready to entertaine Popery as true religion is this the fruite of the long preaching of the Gospell and the vayle being taken off so long certainely the God of this world hath cast the dust of the world into our eyes that we can see