us therefore stand fast in our liberty We now come to the tenth Question Quest 10 How God the Holy Ghost gives himself to Abraham and his elect seed in the Covenant of Grace For if God give himself he doth not onely give his nature but his persons God the Father gives himself and God the Son gives himself and God the Holy Ghost gives himself unto the people of God Joh. 14.16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knows him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you if then the Holy Ghost be given as well as the Father and the Son How is he given Or how doth he give himself unto the Church and unto all the Israel of God Answ There be four several Acts or works whereby the Holy Ghost is given to the Church and to his people for though the Lord Jesus pray the Father for him and the Father sendeth him and the Son also sendeth him Joh. 15.26 yet the Holy Ghost himself doth comes upon his people Act. 2.2 c. and He comes by a fourfold act 1. First by indwelling or inhabitation in the Church 2. Secondly by an act of Sanctification 3. Thirdly by an act of Revelation and therefore he is called a Spirit of Revelation and that is proper to the Holy Ghost 4. Fourthly by an act of Consolation and therefore he is called the Comforter 1. First for Inhabitation so saith the Apostle Ephes 2.22 You are builded together in Christ for an habitation of God through the Spirit in this respect also it is the Apostle demandeth of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.16 Know you not that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you so in the place fore-alledged Joh. 14.16 17. and when he saith dwell in you it noteth the constancy of his being in them he will abide in his dwelling place so 1 Joh. 2.27 the anointing there promised is the Spirit great is the necessity of his in-dwelling in us for two principal reasons The first is taken from the necessity of our union into one mystical spiritual body with the Lord Jesus Reas 1 which by this means is firmly and inviolably wrought 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit in as much as that one Spirit who dwelleth in Christ without measure dwelleth in us according to our measure and so we are all one mystical body and I cannot tell how better to compare it then to a musical Instrument wherein though there be many pipes yet one blast of the bellowes puts breath into them all so that all of them at once break forth into a kinde of melody and give a pleasant sound to the ears of those that stand by all of them do make but one Instrument and one sound and yet variety of musick So is this very case look at all the living members of Christ they are all compacted together and set into one stock and root by which means it comes to pass that though they be many thousands yet they all make a melodious harmony in the ears of the Lord of Hosts therefore for the combining of us into the unity of one Spirit necessary it is that the same Spirit that breathes in the humane nature of Christ should breath in us all and though the divine Nature of Christ be God the humane Nature is finite and yet hath the Spirit above the capacity of the creature and this same Spirit doth act and guide and move all our affairs in him and which is wonderful it comes to pass that the same Spirit breathing in Christ and in us we have not only a measure of the Spirit to do one duty but he doth concur with us in all spiritual duties which we undertake according to him for without him we can do nothing Joh. 15.5 This is the first reason of the inhabitation of the Spirit to keep alive spiritual union between Christ and us therefore is there one Spirit in us all Secondly Reas 2 another end of this inhabitation of the Spirit is to keep possession for the Lord in our hearts against all adversary power for if the Lord should leave his gifts only to keep possession there the devil would make very hard work with the best gifts that we have received he blasted all the precious gifts that Adam had received which were more perfect in degrees than any we receive and yet when all the powers of darkness and gates of hell are banded together against Jesus Christ and his servants there is not the least of the servants of God that falleth away finally and the Apostle John gives the reason of it 1 Joh. 4.4 Ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world Neither are we preserved by faith only but by the mighty power of God 1 Pet. 1.5 The Spirit it is that setteth Faith awork and Christ it is that setteth the Spirit awork to keep us unto his heavenly kingdom And from this possession of the Spirit there comes a garison as it were to be kept in our hearts whereby our souls are kept alive so that the Spirit doth not only shed abroad his gifts into our hearts but he keeps our hearts in a sweet frame of sanctification 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed to thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us that goodly depositum his Evangelistical Gift that did accompany his own salvation and the salvation of the Church he must keep it by the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in us otherwise our gifts would soon vapour out into smoak and ashes whether it be faith hope zeal patience courage or whatsoever else is requisite for the salvation of Gods people the Spirit by his power dwelling in us acteth and preserveth them the sons of God are led by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 nor is this a confining of the Spirit of God unto poor houses of clay Solomons Temple could not contain him no not the heaven of heavens he dwelleth above all heavens unmeasurably yet he dwelleth also with him that is of an humble and contrite spirit Isa 57.15 though it were a poor kitchin-boy that hath such a spirit he dwelleth there to revive the spirit of the humble As those that dwell in earthly houses there they take up their rest and lay up their treasure and there they delight to converse even thus doth the Spirit of God and it is a wonderful Indulgence of the most High that dwels in temples made without hands so to be pleased to dwell in the sons and daughters of men to make good his own eternal counsel for their salvation There is I confess also some kinde of presence of the Spirit of God even in hypocrites that
seek for some qualification in our selves and think that the Holy Ghost applieth some promise made to such a qualification and so we lay hold upon Jesus Christ a most unsafe building in my understanding for we cannot reach any gracious qualification until we have first received Christ in the Promise and then we must look up unto him to bring us unto the promises and to apply them to us It is not possible that a corrupt tree should bring forth good fruit but first make the tree good and good trees we cannot be till we be ingrafted into Christ which is indeed the ground of my great fear and solicitude and the reason why I dare not be so unfaithful as to set men in a way of faith or any other qualifications thereby to conclude their safe estate before they have received Christ in a promise Indeed when a mans soul is wounded and convinced of some hainous sins the Promises of God in such a case may support his soul but do not lead a man in such a case to see his faith or any other qualification therein to satisfie himself but if I would help and comfort such a soul I would declare to him what the Lord hath done for us in Christ I would shew him all the treasures of the rich grace of Christ I would set in order before him how he loveth freely without any deserts in us I would tell him how freely the Lord Jesus Christ doth invite men to come to him that have neither money nor moneys worth and if the Lord take delight to do him good and to do him good by my mouth he will convey his Spirit of grace in some such word as I have spoken unto him but if the Lord do not breath by his Spirit in my words then I would advise him to go and talk with some other Christians I would not limit him to any one brother but let others also tell him what Christ hath done for their souls it may be the Lord may thereby convey himself and I have sometimes known this in experience that when some have spoken scornfully of the free grace of God yet when the same hath been held forth their spirits have been subdued to stoop unto it so great is the power of the word of Gods free grace set home by the Spirit of God and the meditation thereof doth serve greatly to the firm rooting of the peace of Gods people The fourth Use Use 4 is to such a soul who is brought home to fellowship with Jesus Christ and actually justified being first adopted he is reconciled to God and is become the son of the most High and hath all his sins pardoned both past present and to come It is a ground of much Consolation to such a soul who hath the Holy Ghost dwelling in him he cannot rest till he find the free grace of Jesus Christ revealed to him by his holy Spirit in some promise thereof for Christ himself hath said That the Spirit of truth will take of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 There is strong consolation laid up for all those that cannot rest without the manifestation of the free grace of God unto their souls other things will not satisfie them the Lord doubtless will withhold no good thing from such We now proceed unto the ninth Question Quest 9 which is How doth God the Son give himself unto Abraham and to his seed in an everlasting Covenant and union that shall never be dissolved In three acts or works about Abraham and his seed Answ 1. First in giving Christ God doth give himself and therefore here is the Son's work to come and take our nature upon him For the Father gave him for that end and the Son came to fulfil the will of the Father and that is the Son's work even the true distinct work of Christ It properly belongeth unto the Son to be our actual Redeemer from all sin and misery 2. As the Father draws us to the Son and reveals the Son unto the soul so doth the Son reveal the Father also Joh. 1.18 Mat. 11.27 3. As the Father doth accept us in his Son as justified by his righteousness so the Son doth preserve us in this estate even to his heavenly Kingdom These therefore are the three works of the Son in the Covenant of Grace He takes our nature upon him for our redemption He reveals the Father to us He preserveth us in the Father and in himself Let us speak something to each of these in particular 1. For the first of these That he took our nature upon him the Apostle saith Heb. 2.14 15. c. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage c. Therefore it was truly said Isa 9.6 Unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given c. He took our nature upon him lived a miserable life died a cursed death this is the proper character and work of the Son and thus he is made an horn of salvation to us Luk. 1.69 and all this floweth from the everlasting Covenant as also Zachariah Prophesied Luk. 1.72 73. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he sware to our father Abraham By him we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 This then is the first work of the Son to Redeem us And the very phrase of Redemption doth imply a double state of those that are redeemed without which it cannot be understood to wit The state whence and whereunto they are redeemed Even from a state of bondage unto Christian liberty this is found in all redemption properly so called It findeth us in bondage and setteth us in a state of liberty Heb. 2.14 15. He took our nature upon him that he might deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time made subject to bondage And this third thing also is implyed in the word Redemption with both the former namely a certain price by which we are redeemed from bondage unto liberty In a state of Bondage we were under the Law and curse of God but Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law Gal. 3.13 and now sin shall no more have dominion over us for we are not under the law Rom. 6.14 that is not under the Covenant of the Law though we lie under the Commandment of it in Christ we were sometime under the bondage of sin under the guilt and strength of sin but by Christ we have redemption even the forgiveness of our sin and as the Law was the
had done they wrought from themselves and for themselves and so those many that were called Mat. 20 they had denied father and mother and wife and children and therefore they looked for great reward having borne the burden and heat of the day and this is the proper character of an hypocrite he doth challenge his reward out of the worth of his work whereas the chosen ones of God are taught to say When we have done all that is commanded us we are unprofitable servants Luk. 17.10 this is one difference in the rise of the work Again there is a difference in the work it self Gods chosen ones work the will of Christ and not their own though their will also goeth along with it others work the will of Christ as far as it will stand with their own Jebu's zeal did root out Baal and the house of Abab freely he drove on furiously for it was an act of his own ambitious heart to settle his own Kingdom this he aimed at no further would he go from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat he departed not And Lastly Hypocrites will out-shoot Christ in his own bow they will aim at their own ends in Christs works Jehu will root out Ahab and Baal but it is to establish his own Kingdom to walk in all the Lords Commandments he did not regard while Gods will accomplisheth his will he goeth along with it but no farther Thus we see there is a work of sanctification under a Covenant of works such as whereby men have another heart and many gifts of courage and wisdom and zeal and power come upon them for the service of the Church and yet you will find that they will work from themselves and for themselves and for God they will not work beyond their own ends and though they seem to walk with him for a while yet you shall soon see the Lord will take one course and they will take another 3. We now come unto a third work of the Holy Ghost in which he doth give himself as God unto his people for in all these works he doth work as God and so expresseth himself this work is Divine revelation he doth reveal himself like a God in the soul that so you may acknowledge his presence power and truth a very clear place we have for it Eph. 1.17 18. c. I cease not to make mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him c. mark how the Apostle doth consider God in regard of his most eminent glory and power as he is the God of Jesus Christ and the Father of glory That he might give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him that is of the Father Son and Spirit That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints c. minde what Divine revelation here is see how gloriously God is set forth that giveth it and also the gift that is given and these things the Apostle prayeth not only for glorious and transcendent Christians men of renown but for all the Ephesians for all ordinary Christians among them he would have none of them destitute of a Spirit of wisdom and revelation and what should this Spirit do it should enlighten the organ even the eyes of their understanding otherwise it is beyond the power of created gifts to reach the clear discerning of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God as they are dispensed in the Gospel of Christ and as in all sight there is the Organ and the Medium and the Object the eye is the organ the air is the medium the thing seen is the object so doth the Apostle here pray that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened far above the capacity of Reason yea above the capacity of the spiritual gifts which they had received for he desires that a spirit of wisdom and revelation might be given them though the Lord had blessed them with all spiritual blessings already they had believed and had been sealed yet here is something more to be attained they want a further enlightening by the clearing of the word of God which is the medium by which we discern all things therein and for the Object he doth express what it is that you may know what is the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward which believe c. these things the Apostle prayeth that the Spirit would reveal even the hope that God hath laid up for his Saints glorious things are spoken of the church of God great and glorious hopes are prepared for them and they are begotten unto them even to an inheritance incorruptable and undefiled that by vertue of our calling we might have fellowship with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.2 3. some degree of fellowship we have already but the hope of that which is to come is beyond all our comprehension and beyond what any created understanding can search into the depth of and yet we may see much in the hope of preservation and quickening to that which is good in the hope of God's turning all things to the best for us we may see much of the rich and plenteous redemption which God hath wrought for us and what goodness of God is reserved to every poor servant of his and what is the riches of his glorious inheritance in his Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe even that mighty power which he did put forth to bring us to believe that ever he should bring such hearts as ours were to be enlightened to see the blessings of his heavenly calling to be called unto fellowship with the Father and with the Son and with the Spirit and with the Church of God in all the promises of God and gifts of grace and duties of sanctification our calling is to be exercised in them all until at length all their enemies be subdued and death at length swallowed up in victory This the Apostle prayeth for that their eyes might be opened to behold all these mysteries And thus doth the Holy Ghost clear up our understandings and the Scriptures whereby we understand and the objects which are to be understood by us even the riches of grace here bestowed upon us and laid up in heaven for us But how doth the Holy Ghost work these things Quest indeed they are unconceivable mysteries better felt then told The Spirit doth reveal himself partly in witnessing unto our spiritual estate Answ and partly by revealing all other counsels of his truth needful for us to know in this our age and time wherein any Christian man
the Spirit comes in the mouth of the Word and the Word in the mouth of the Spirit take heed therefore of all Revelations in which the Word of God is silent for the Spirit of God will speak Scripture to you when he comes he will not bring a new Gospel and new Revelations but he alwaies speaks in the Word of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is given unto us therefore if any Spirit shall speak and not according to the Word it is but a delusion rest not therefore in any assurance nor revelation unless thou hast a word for it In the third and last place Use 3 This may teach and exhort us in Justification to look for no word but such as holdeth forth some absolute Promise of Free-grace for the Lord looketh for no work in our Justification but the Works of the Son it is the work of his free grace to justifie the ungodly therefore if any man having been in desperate anguish of soul have built his faith upon some Promise made unto some such work as he findeth in himself this is no other but a legal righteousness for when the Lord doth pronounce Grace in a way of Justice he will pronounce it unto that soul that he is most ungodly and that he himself doth justifie him freely for example take that promise which we read Acts 10.43 44. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever beleeveth on him shall receive remission of sins there is a promise of remission of sins unto them which believe But was this faith in them before Nay but while he spake these words the Holy Ghost fell upon all them which heard the word and this Holy Ghost it was that did beget that Faith by this Promise whereby they did receive the Promise So in like manner if the Lord do promise that he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall finde mercy as Prov. 28.13 if he doth manifest his free grace in such a promise to any soul that soul will look at his old confessions as marvellous poor works and will not challenge this mercy promised by vertue of them for when the Holy Ghost doth apply a conditional promise to the soul he doth work the condition by the promise in the soul therefore when the Lord comes to testifie his acceptance of our persons it is freely of his Grace and thou canst not build any thing thereof upon any of thy works and if he do acknowledge our sanctification in any word of his grace he will let us see that every such gift or work of grace is freely given unto us so as that we shall be ready after all this to say with David Who are we or what are our fathers houses that the Lord should ever accept such as we are and such poor sacrifices as we offer unto him Thus having spoken of three distinct Works wherein the Holy Ghost doth give himself unto the soul to wit 1. In a work of Inhabitation 2. In a work of Sanctification 3. In a work of Revelation It now remaineth The fourth work of the Spirit that we speak unto the fourth work wherein the Holy Ghost gives himself unto the soul and that is a work of Consolation This is one of the great Characters of the Holy Ghost and this the Lord Jesus doth in special ascribe unto the Spirit Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter so vers 26. and this is no other but the Spirit of Truth Joh. 15.26 thus doth he stile the Holy Ghost the Comforter Why had the disciples no comfort before think you was there no comfort in the Fathers drawing them to Christ and revealing Christ in them Mat. 16.17 Was there no comfort in Christ his revealing the Father to them doubtless there is comfort in all these works the work of the Father mentioned in Joh. 6.44 is the same with what we read Isai 54.13 All thy children shall be taught of God and great shall be the peace of thy Children though it be but peace for the future yet light is sowen for the righteous herein and gladness for the upright in heart Psal 97.11 there is some ground-work of light and comfort in the Fathers work and some sparkles of it do appear for the Father reveals the Son and the Son is no sooner seen but hope is seen for Jesus Christ is our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 and hope it self I mean the grace of hope is a comfortable blessing so that the soul hath supportance in the very work of our being drawn to Jesus Christ and moreover the Father addeth further comfort in his Justifying grace for by it we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 and chap. 8.34 it is God that justifies who shall condemn such gracious supports and more then transient tastings of his mercy not such as hypocrites may have but such as do more or less stay with the Saints and people of God so that at the least there doth ever remain a seed of consolation in the hearts of all those whom God hath by his Spirit drawn home unto his Son And when the Son receives the soul he doth amplifie this comfort he reveals the Fathers work unto the soul Mat. 16.16 17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven and Luk. 10.20 Rejoyce in this because your names are written in heaven So that there is consolation also in the work of the Son but you shall finde it true that it is by the Holy Ghost that both of them work and that either of them comfort the soul with those beginnings of consolation that afterwards break forth into more abundant riches of increase But what doth the Holy Ghost do more 1. For Answer He doth bear witness with a more abundant measure of consolation Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost He doth so clearly reveal our acceptance through the righteousness of Christ that from thence springeth peace unto the soul which groweth up until it passeth understanding and bringeth us unto joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 therefore he is called by way of eminency The Comforter because when he comes he doth so clearly ratifie unto you your righteousness to be in Jesus Christ 2. Secondly The comfort of the Holy Ghost is more constant and abiding as Christ speaking of the Comforter promiseth unto his Apostles Joh. 16.22 I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you not but that God may sometimes eclipse it for the trial of his servants yet ordinarily it is more constant and leaveth faith even then more constant and firm Nehem. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength when the Holy Ghost taketh in hand to comfort his people he doth abundantly strengthen them with his consolations 3. Thirdly As
teacheth and none like him 1 Joh. 2.20 27. You have an unction from the holy One and ye know all things c. and in this respect every Christian is a sealed one of God more or less when as the Angel was sent to set the seal of God upon his servants Revel 7.2 3. he did not leave out weak Christians doubtless but did seal all the servants of God Christ is careful to keep his weak servants from inundations of evil as well as others so in Ezek. 9.4 The mark of God is set upon all that mourn for the sins of the times therefore in some work of this seal the Holy Ghost is not wanting to seal all believers otherwise thou couldest not believe that the Father hath drawn thee to Christ unless the Lord had revealed it nor couldest thou believe that the Father is thy Father unless the Holy Ghost hath sealed thee thou canst not know that thy faith is accepted of God that thy sanctification is in truth unless the Spirit of God do clear up these things unto thy soul though thou hadst many promises before thee yet unless the Lord by his Spirit apply them thou canst not see thy right in them But is not that my sin Object It is your sin Answ but it is such a sin as the power of the creature cannot help you out of for unless the Lord be pleased to discover Jesus Christ unto you and your faith in him and your deriving of your works from him you will neither know your justification nor your sanctification to be true therefore there is ever a sealing work of Gods Spirit upon the souls of his Saints though this may be done before the Holy Ghost come to seal you in his own proper work for you have many gracious workings of God about you before he come to seal his own work in your soul 2. The second work of the Spirit in respect whereof he is called a seal is his ingraving the likeness of Jesus Christ upon the soul for the Lord hath predestinated us to be conformed unto the image of his Son Rom. 8.29 and how come we to be so conformed even by the Spirit of God who writeth as it were Jesus Christ in our hearts as with the finger of the living God and hence Christ is formed in us Gal. 4.19 and this image of Christ the Holy Ghost writeth in us by making us conformable unto the death and resurrection of Christ and unto that end he doth breathe in both the Sacraments Rom. 6.4 5 6. for he is both a Spirit of mortification and vivification so as that through him we do not onely finde sin mortified but do live by the faith of the Son of God and the Spirit it is that doth preserve these gifts and acteth and stirreth up our faith to look unto Christ this is another use of the seal not only to confirm but to conform so that of his fulness we all receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 and we live yet not we but Christ liveth in us and this seal the Holy Ghost doth set on more or less in every Christian but in his own proper work he doth it with more power 3. The third work whereby the Holy Ghost doth express the nature of a seal is in distinguishing the Saints from other men Rev. 7.2 3. the servants of God were sealed and in sealing them he doth conceal them as a seal doth so that the world knows them not Joh. 14.17 and 1 Joh. 3.1 we are called the sons of God therefore the world knows us not c. and the more the Spirit doth distinguish a man from the wicked of the world the less they do discern him to be a gracious man the more lively grace is the more it is hidden from the world as men grow more in godliness so they grow more and more to be suspected by the world this is sealing work to distinguish and yet to conceal these things doth the Spirit of God as a seal upon the hearts and consciences of his people he begetteth and confirmeth all their faith more or less he doth conform them to the image of Christ more or less he doth also conceal and distinguish them from the world The second Question needful for the clearing of this point Quest 2 is How is the Holy Ghost an earnest For Answer Answ He is called an earnest in two respects 1. First As he bindeth the bargain between God and the soul he doth confirm all the promises of God to us and fasteneth them upon our hearts and settleth our hearts with an unmovable faith God having given us his Spirit doth give us all in him for he bindeth our union with Christ and our relation to the Father the Covenant of Gods grace unto us and us unto it the Gospel to us and us unto the Gospel 2. Secondly He is an earnest as he is the first fruits of the payment if a man give a pledge he meaneth to take his pledge again but if he gives money in earnest he meaneth not to take that again for it is part of the payment and the whole is but a greater payment of the same kinde so in like manner what is all our inheritance surely a fulness of the fruition of God the Father and of Jesus Christ and of the blessed Spirit of God this is all our inheritance that we look for in another world Eph. 1.14 He is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory here we have but a little portion of the Spirit a little earnest-peny but this little portion is an assurance unto us that he will make it up until we be able to receive no more Now for Application of this Point Use 1 let it first teach us how to speak of the seal of the Spirit all those that desire to speak the language of Canaan no man hath part in Christ but he hath the seal of the Spirit also for if the Holy Ghost had not given thee Christ in this or that promise thou couldest never have believed it True it is indeed there are many Christians yea and sealed Christians which are not sealed with the proper work of the Spirit I mean with that full consolation and universal conformity to Gods image every Christian hath not received that measure of power but every Christian waiteth for it and is sealed by the blessed Spirit having set home some word of Gods grace wherein Jesus Christ is brought unto the soul In the second place Use 2 let it teach us thus much that it will come short of bringing us unto Christ if we lay claim to a promise of God by any work of grace such as we can have before we have the seal of the Spirit I mean such a work of the Spirit as wherein he doth come in with power upon the soul above the power of the word and works of God for they are both creatures and