the Scriptures found that Pauls Doctrine was sound And the Church of Ephesus having tryed the false Apostles and found them lyars need not try the same Persons and Doctrines over again Acts 17. Rev. 2. Also some Spirits lie not in our way and we are not to go out of Gods way to find out matters of tryal for then we should needlesly rush into many temptations and spend all the daies of our short life in enquierie and examination of the several dreams and dotages of Pagans Turks Jews Papists Hereticks and Schsmaticks of several sorts instead of growing in grace and the knowledg of Christ Crucified and abounding in the fruits of righteousness Tryal necessarily supposeth some Rule by which the Tryal must be made and no righter or surer Rule imaginable then the Word of God and if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isai 8.20 whatsoever they boast of light in them their light is darkness this is the Rule and Square of our walking Gal. 6.16 and must judge us at the last day Ioh. 12.48 Rev. 20 12. God the Author of the holy Scripture is the Supream Law-giver and Judge the Maker and Expounder of the Law Isai 33.22 Jam. 4.12 This holy men writ being inspired by the Holy Eternal Infallible Spirit 2 Pet. 1. ult and and none knows the mind of God better then the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 To the Spirit speaking in Scripture all created spirits are to be subject Pauls Doctrine though an Apostle was tryed by this Rule Act. 17.11 Though the Scripture cannot do all the parts of a Judge because it neither speaketh with the voice of a man nor doth it or can it examine or determine matters of fact as whether Arius denyed the God-head of Christ or no yet it is said to speak Ioh. 7.42 and doth judge controversies as a Writing Hos 8.12 a mans Will and Testament Heb. 9.15 a Chartey a Letter a Law doth speak and we may understand a mans mind by his writing as well as if we heard him speak and may better preserve yea more and longer ponder upon a writing then upon words only I shall adde this hereunto by way of Caution That when I speak of the Spirits being or dwelling in a Saint I mean not an essential or personal in-being or in-dwelling of the Spirit as he is God or the third Person of the Holy Trinity God is said to dwell in us 2 Cor. 6.16 and we are the Templers and Habitations of God 1 Cor. 3.16 17. and Christ is not only given for us but to us Isa 9 6. comes in to us Rev. 3.20 is in us Ioh. 17.23 liveth in us Gal. 2.20 dwelleth in our hearts Ephes 3.16 17. as well as the holy Spirit of God Yet me thinks it is strange to say that the Father Son and Holy Ghost do dwell personally in the Saints for whereas each Person is both indivisible and omnipresent this seems both to divide and limit them to say that any of them is personally here or there in Peter Paul or other Saints and not in intermediate places and there is a generation of men now a daies that upon this account would confound and and equalize the Creator and creature the Eternal God Father Son and Spirit with mortal yea miserable men If the evil Spirit though finite and limitted may act and rule in the children of disobedience 1 Ioh. 4.4 Eph. 2.2 and may be said to keep the house Luk. 11.21 though he do not inhabit personally in them much more may the Infinite and Eternal Spirit without such personal inhabitation act and rule in Beleevers Besides this Scripture phrase of in-being and in-dwelling doth import only inwardness meer relation and close union Ioh. 17.22 23. Hence God is said to be in Christ as well as Christ in God Ioh. 17.21 and Saints are as well said to be in and to dwell in Christ Rom. 8.1 Ioh. 6.56 and to be in the Spirit Rom. 8.9 As Christ or the holy Spirit are said to be or dwell in them and therefore this phrase doth no more evince personal inhabitation on the one side then one the other It may be granted that the Spirit of God being the last of all the three Persons in order both of subsisting and working doth come lower and neerer to us and more immediately close with our spirits then the Father or the Son for what the Father or the Son do act andinfluence upon the soul is mediately by the holy Ghost and God by the Spirit on his part doth take hold on us Ezek. 11.19 and we are the Habitations of God through the Spirit Ephes 2.21 22. as we by faith on our part lay hold on Christ Ioh. 1.12 And he dwelleth in our hearts by faith Eph. 3.17 and it must of necessity be granted that the Spirit by a Metonymy may be said to dwell in us when we dwell in love 1 Ioh. 4.16 and the truth dwelleth in us 2 Ep. Ioh. v. 2. When we partake of his Gifts and Graces though these be not the Spirit it self for the Scripture doth manifestly distinguish them from it saying there are diversities of Gifts and but one spirit and that these are but the Gifts Fruits and operations of that one spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 to 14. Gal. 5.22 as when we say the Sun comes into an house we mean not the body of the Sun for that abides in its own Orb but the Beams of it so the Apostle makes the Word of Christ dwelling in us richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms c. to be the same with being filled with the spirit Col. 3.16 with Eph. 5.18 19. Yea even Bezaleel because God had made him a good workman in blue Purple c. is said to be filled with the Spirit of God Ex. 31.2 3 4 5. And there is a stronger and higher reason why a good Christian because of such gracious impressions of Gods Spirit on his soul should be said to be filled with the Spirit Lastly it is not to be denyed but there are several actings of the Spirit in on and with thy soul distinct from yea and subsequent to his working of grace in it viz. those Acts whereby he doth support assist co-operate and comfort bear witness with our spirits and seal to the day of Redemption Rom. 8.16 Eph. 1.13 and 4.30 which notwithstanding come short of proving the Spirits personal In-being or In-dwelling in us as hath been shewed CHAP. II. Of the Properties of the Spirit of God with the vindication of them from common mistakes THe First unquestionable Property of the Spirit of God is that it is good Psal 143.10 not only Metaphysically so the Devils are good because they are beings but morally He is the Holy Ghost or Spirit the Spirit of holiness Rom. 1.4 and his Motions are good and holy and never evil but Satan is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one wickedness
enemy to Timothy and other Ministers and their sound Doctrine and Teaching yet he is not an enemy to all Teaching he will admit that men shall get themselves an heap of corrupt and flattering Teachers 2 Tim. 4.2 3. and that Jeroboam should set up Idolatrous Priests of the lowest of the people and consecrate whosoever will which yet indeed were good enough for their Gods for they were but Calves so he sets up false Apostles false Ministers and As Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so do these men resist the truth being men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith Secondly In case there be some notorious pollution prophanation or corruption of that Ordinance which Elies Sons were in their Sacrificing guilty of 1 Sam. 2.12 13. whereby not only themselves were made vile but the Lords people possibly the better part of them were made to transgress because they abhorred not only that corruption but also the offering of the Lord because of it Thirdly In case that Ordinances be set up against Ordinances Church against Church and Altar against Altar Some saith Paul Preached Christ of envy and strife and contention Phil. 1.16 those which say they are of Christ in opposition to Peter and Paul are reproved 1 Cor. 1.12 so far as the holiest Minister that lives doth never so rightly and skilfully Preach the Word or administer other Ordinances in contention and opposition to any faithful though possibly not so well gifted Minister or people he therein doth the work of Satan and not of God CHAP. V. Of the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication Shewing how he doth assist in Prayer THat the Spirit doth help us to Pray I need not to prove only I shall endeavuor to search out the manner how he helps And that First Negatively Secondly Affirmatively First The Holy Ghost doth not immediately inspire the Method Matter words of Prayer as he inspired the holy men of God in their Prophesying and Penning of holy Scriptures for if he did then as those Prophesies were purely divine infallible free from any fault or failing corruption yea and indiscretion in the form phrase method or manner of them so also should the words of our Prayers be also perfect purely divine infallible c. but by sad experience we find the contrary 2ly It had been a sin I conceive for the Prophets or men of God not to have delivered the very same Message they received of the Lord both for matter manner and method but it cannot be conceived to have been a sin in any Saint of God against the guidance and governance of Gods Spirit if he had used another Method or Phrase of words in his morning Devotions then then he did Secondly The Spirit is not in our prayers properly the person praying or petitioning that is below the High and Holy Spirit of God Arrius Macedonius and others more lately do abuse Rom. 8.26 27. and finding him as they fancy upon his knees they degrade him from his Deity but Augustine Answers the Spirit is said to Pray as we say Solomon builded the House yet he was a Magistrate a King not a Mason or Carpenter he directed how to build found out Workmen furnisht them with Materials and Money for the work Indeed all the Persons in the Trinity are Authors of our Supplications as well as of our Sanctification Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa but every one in his order the Father and Son do Sanctifie and also help us to pray by the Holy Ghost Thirdly The Spirit doth not make Intercession for us after the same manner that Christ doth Romans 8.34 Christ maketh Intercession in Heaven presenting himself to God for us as the high Priest did bear the names of the children of Israel upon his Shoulders and upon his Brest-Place noting to us that he would bear them up and bear them out that he loves them and they lie near to his heart Exod. 28.12.28 29. but the Spirit of God doth make Intercession in us upon Earth there is a vast difference which somewhat doth resemble this between directing or drawing up a Petition to a Prince or State and the preferring presenting it speaking to it and pleading for it the one may be done in the Country the other must be done at the Court. Fourthly The help of the Spirit of God in Prayer is not to be understood exclusively with relation to other Ordinances as though he did not help Godly Ministers to Preach and Godly men to hear remember and practise as well as to pray for the Sons of God are led by the Spirit in the one as well as the other Rom. 8.14 and he as hath been before shewed is the Spirit of wisdom of the fear of the Lord and of grace as well as of Supplication Now these have a general influence upon the whole conversation and not only upon Prayer We are to walk in the Spirit to sing with the Spirit to serve God in the Spirit Rom. 1.9 Ioh. 4.24 Fiftly The help of the Spirit of God doth not prohibit evacuate or invalidate other helps John did not sin in teaching his Disciples to Pray Luk. 11.1 nor did the Disciples of Christ sin in desiring Christ to teach them to pray and yet they did not consider Christ as God as Head of the Church or Saviour of the world but as their Master pressing him with the example of John the Baptist and perswading him to imitate it they it seems did not understand or not remember the mind and meaning of Christ in his Sermon Mat. 6.6 7. brief notes whereof are in Luk. 6. Therefore they here desire that he would teach them to pray and our Saviour saith not ye have the Spirit therefore you need not to be taught nor saith he John was to blame to teach them to pray nor I will teach you as being the Head of the Church but I oughe not to teach you as your Master no I will send my Spirit to teach you and in the mean time I will not help you but he teacheth them again giving them hence a special rule of direction to whom for what and in what manner and order they ought to pray as also we have a short directory 1 Tim. 2.1 And the Israelites were appointed to take unto them words Hosea 14.2 though the Spirit of God doth put us in remembrance Ioh. 14.26 yet Ministers also may yea must put people in remembrance of what is necessary 2 Pet. 1.12.15 the same may be said of Prayer Thus much for the Negative how the Spirit of God doth not help in Prayer Now I shall endeavor by the help of his Spirit and your Prayers to shew Affirmatively how the Spirit of God doth help in prayer and that help is of two sorts Habituating or Actuating the one is more remote and the other more neerer The one qualifies the person praying the other the Prayer it self The Spirit of God as to the person is First an Enlightening Spirit Secondly
one Spirit baptized into one body or universal Church 1 Cor. 12.12 13. the most plentiful effusion of the Spirit made beleevers of one heart and soul Act. 4.31 32. but the evil spirit is a dividing spirit Jude 9.23 The Apostle intimates that scandals and devissons are from Satan Rom. 16.17 with 20. He is a separating Spirit as the Spirit of God is not Jude v. 19. Quest But is dot Satan also on uniting spirit Answ Yes he is but that is in his own Kingdom and amongst his own people For he is not divided against himself nor is his Kingdom divided against it self Mat. 12.25 26 27. While the strong man armed keepeth the house all things are in peace Luk 11.21 He would not have Idolatrous Heretical false Churches to be disturbed divided or separated from much less destroyed but in true Churches which are the Kingdom of his enemy the Lord Jesus Satan labours to breed and feed jealousies suspicions divisions scandals heresies separations As it is the Policy of all States to maintain Unity amongst their own Subjects and servants and to foment contention and divisions amongst their enemies CHAP. IV. Containing two other Properties of the Spirit of God THe seventh Property of the Spirit of God is That he is a friend and Favorite of all Graces or holy habits and dispositions in the soul he is the Spirit of grace Zach. 12.10 of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 of the fear of the Lord Isa 11.2 of meekness descending in the shape of a Dove Mat. 3. Gal. 6.1 and the effects and fruits of it are love joy c. Gal. 5.22 obedience Ezek. 36.27 31 But the evil spirit is an adversary to these graces they are the Armor of the soul against him Eph. 6.12 13 c. and a man would not have his enemy armed but naked that he may more easily wound him He is an adversary to faith Luke 22.31 32. to integrity and uprightness Iob ch 1 2. to obedience Gen. 3.1 c. He ruleth in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 Indeed he is a friend to false and feigned graces 2 Cor. 11.14 15. a friend of false faith or of presumption of hypocritical repentance as in Ahab and Judas of voluntary humility while men are vainly puffed up Col. 2.18 of a pretended purity Isaiah 65.5 that a sinner is not to be touched Luke 7 39. of a seeming self-denyal such as was in the false Apostles which inveighed against the true Apostles that they walked after the flesh 2 Cor. 10. that they were Hirelings and Preached for money but say they we will not exact nor expect any thing we wil Preach the Gospel freely 2 Cor. 11.12 13 14. And this occasioned the Apostles to plead that it was as lawful for Ministers to receive yea in its place to expect Maintenance for himself and Family as it is for a Souldier to expect his pay an Husbandman a Planter of a Vineyard a Shepherd to expect the fruit of his Grounds Vineyard or Flock Though Satan had got such strong Holds in the carnal covetous hearts of the Corinthians that Paul was glad to Preach the Gospel freely to them while he received maintenance from other Churches The eight Property of the Spirit of God is that he also is a friend and favourer of holy Duties and Ordinances of Supplication as well as of Grace Zach. 12.10 the breath of the Spirit is sweet it breaths in grace and breaths out prayers and other duties For First It is gotten and encreased by Ordinances by Preaching Gal. 3.2.5 Prayer Luk. 11.13 Sacraments Luk. 4.1 This golden Oyl comes from the two Olive-Trees through the golden Pipes of Ordinances Zach. 4.12 Secondly It doth assist and help in holy Duties and Ordinances as in Preaching Isa 61.1 in praying Rom. 8.26 27. in Sacraments Mat. 3.11 Baptizing us inwardly and making us Christians within Rom. 2.29 and the word which Christ speaketh concerning eating his flesh and drinking his blood are Spirit and life Joh. 6.63 And by one spirit we are all whether Jews or Gentiles baptized into one body and are made to drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 So we sing with the Spirit c. 1 Cor. 14. Thirdly When the gifts of the Spirit were undeniably poured out plenteously and that Prophesie of Ioel was unquestionably fulfilled Act. 2.16 17. those upon whom those gifts were poured out and in whom that Prophecy was fulfilled did highly prize holy Ordinances they were baptized and continued daily with one accord in the Temple and in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of Bread and Prayers Act. 2.41 42 46 And the gifts then poured our were principally to fit and furnish men for the work of the Ministry and other Ordinances Ephes 4.8.11 12. particularly they were taught to prize the Ministry Cornelius was not of a Captain made a Preacher nor did the Angels preach to him or send a gifted Brother to him though he had a devout Souldier and Servant that waited on him yet he was to send and Peter must come from Joppa to Cesarea straight which was about thirty six miles Act. 10.4 In Acts 8. the Spirit finding the Eunuch reading doth not himself interpret but bids Philip go joyn himself to the Chariot and Philip Preached Jesus Christ to the Eunuch Indeed the Spirit of God hath sometimes wrought without or above the Word and Ordinances yet it never wrought against them it hath sometimes strengthened their Authority and Use but never weakened them But the evil spirit is an enemy to holy Ordinances to Prayer resisting the Priest as he was standing to Sacrifice and Pray Zach. 3.1 To Preaching 1 Thes 2.18 and thereupon Elimas withstanding Paul is called a child of the Devil Act. 13.10 he endeavours to draw Ministers into sins and snares Luk. 22.32 He is an enemy to Baptism he moved some to despise the Counsel of God and not to be Baptised of John Luk. 7.30 He perswades Witches Wizzards and open Apostates to renounce their Baptism received in their Infancy that they may be more devoted to his Service As soon as Jesus was Baptised Satan fiercely tempted him Luk. 4.1 and entred into Judas as soon as he had received the Sop Ioh. 13. Object Is Satan in no case a friend to holy Ordinances Answ Satan is never a friend to Ordinances in themselves or to Ordinances as holy though he do not always appear plainly against all Ordinances he may seem to be zealous for them in these Cases First in case there be som usurpation either on the part of the person sadministring them or on part of the persons which partake of them Though Satan be an enemy to the right offering of incense sacrificing preaching of the Word yet he liked Corahs offering Incense Sauls Sacrificing giving of holy things unto Dogs casting Pearls before Swine coming to the Marriage Feast without a wedding Garment unworthy communicating whereby men are guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord so though he be an