Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

502 llook-lV. Chap.2.Sccb. 3. Confider of the Million of the holy Ghoft: no fooner is Chrift inaugurated in his Epl1. +· 8. Throne, but he fcatters his coin, and gives gifts; Wh'? he afcended on high,. he led cap– ]ohn 4· 10 • ttvtty captwe, and gave gifts Jtnto men. He gave g1fts or the gtft of gtft>, the gifc of rhe holy Ghoft; If thou k§nvrft the gt(t of Cod, fa1d Chmt to the SamJriran wo. John 7 • 39 . man ; that gift was the water ot hf<, and that water of life was the Spirit, as John, who knew belt his mind, gave the mterpretatJon, Thi< fpak!; he of the Spirit. 0 my foul confider of this princely gift of Chrifl! fuch a gift was never before, but when God gave his Son ; God fo loved the lVorid, th.u he gave his Son· and Chrift fo loved the world, that he gave his Spirit; but <?.my foul confider efp~ciJ!Iy ro whom this Spirit ~~;~:5~·5• was given ; the _appltcatton of rhe grfr is the very foul of rhy meditation ; Vnto ul 4 ·San is .!{iven, fa1d the Prophet; and Vnto tu the holy Ghujf is given, faith the Apo– ftle.: And yer above all, confJder the reafons of thi, gift in reference to thy felf. was ir nor ro make chee a Temple and ReceptJcle of the holy Gho£1? ftand a while on' rhis! admire,O my foul, ar the condefcending, glorious, and unfpeakable love ofChrill: in rhis ! it was infinite love to come down into our nature when he was incarmre. bur ·eh is is more, ro come down into thy hean b)•·his holy Spirit· he came near to us ;hen bur as if thJt were nor near enough be comes nearer now;'for now he unites himfdf unto thy perfon, .now be comes and dwells in thy foul by his holy Spirit: 0 my foul, thou · hall: many m. comes of the world, though many are a?ove thee, yec many are belo·.'f thee'. bur oh what lmle contentment hall: rhou m rhefe outward things·? Come! heres rlmwfuch wtH tnfinnely content rhy vaft defires; Chrijf is in thee, rea– !Y in !her, by hisSpirit ; wtll not rhis content the utmo!l capacity of an heart? furely he · ts too covetous wliom God himfelf cannor fufficc; if thou !Jafl Chrift, rhou halt aU thing~, a'nd If thou hall the Spirit of Chrit1, thou hail Chri!l himfelf, noc notionaHy, 11 nor by the habit of grace onjy , but really , e!fenttally, fubll:antiaHy by his Spirit. it is rhe.very Spirit of Chriil, rhe Spirit it felf, the holy Ghofl: ir felf in his own per: fon chat i~. united ro thee, and dwells in rhee; nor only come~ he in perfon, but he -bri~g>along with him all his Train; harh he not indowed .thee with fome gifts? bath he nor divided a portion and meaf!lre eo rhee in thy place '·ana <f.tlling? rake notice, obferve ir , and be thankful, rf thou hall a gift of prayer, ·of,zy-ophelle, of wif– dom , of knowledge, ir comes and Rows from this holy Spirit ;<- Vnto every om of Eph. 4· 7· u; isgivengrace according to the meafure of thegift of Chrijf. Or according ro rhe mea. 1 Cor. 12. u· fure of rhe Spirit; who is rhe gift of Chtifl. And ,,1/ th'fe •vork§_th that one and the {elf– fame Spirit, dividing to every man feverally a< he will. But behdes a gift, harh he nor endowed thee with his grace? harh he not planred in rhy foul the habit, the power, the feed , the fpring, the principle of grace? hail: thou nor felt fomerimes rhe exciting>, quickenings, llirrings of rhe Spirit of God, commanding rhy fairh, love, zeal, and other graces to be in exercife? bath he not many a time at fome dead )ift,ar fGme-ll'ligh– ty ftraighc, at fome prevailrng temptation, "'hen chou waft even ready ro yield t() Satan, come in as betwixt the bridge and warer, and gken thee grace to help in tiwe of Hcb.4. ' 6 · need? 0 rhe fwee'r in-comes of rh< Spirit of God! as he is an holy Spirit, fo he makes holy beans; and if rhere .be a;;y holinefs in thy heart, wbar is it but an emanat!on, influence, effect of the Spmr of God? tf e>er thou hadft any Rowmgs of excmng. quickening grace, fly, This is above nawre, above ji·fh and blood, it comes from the holy andblejf.d Spirit of God. Some orher effects thou mayll c?~ftder of, a; of the comforts of the Spirit ; what? haft rhou nor fometJmes fel~ the ]Oyes unfpeakable and fuU of glory? haft rhou not fometimes known amornings JO'\' afcer" mghrs forrow 1. a1heal– ing of thy broken heart? a revrvmg of thy dead fpmt? a drop of Heavens JOY grven thee as chc hanfel or earneft of rhy inheritance? why all thefe are bur the workings of John I.\· t6. the promifed Comforter: And I will prayrhe Fatl1er, andhe jha/1 give JOII another Com– foner tb.u he may abide with yo" for ever. Another eff~ct IS the fell of the Spmr; and what? ha•t rhou nor fomerimes had rhe feal of the Sptrtt flamped on rhee? I wrll nor fay this is abfolmely neceffary, buc haft thou nor fometimes been a!frn:ed of thy fal~ation, by a reflex act of faith, or by a work ~f grace habu ual_or actual ? or.by an trra– diatic>n of the Spirit on thy graces? fomettmes the Spmt ts pleafed to flunc wtrh us briohr, and glorious, and beJvenfy beamsmro our fouls, and then we arc affured: • , • f hec~ce tbe Apoftle prayes for rhe Ephejians, That they m(~ht h,zve the Spirit of re·velati– F.'''· 1 ' 1 ' 1 'on· and to what end r That zhey might IQtolV what is the hJpe of his calling; ( i. ) that 19 ' th;y mighr know upon whar certain grounds and foundJtion their hopes were built; and ,. , Lence the Pfalmill prayes for himfelf, Ca~tfe thy face to jhine up011 thy fervailt; a?d ,a:. ; t,. r6. agam,

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