5o6 Book IV. 1Looking unto jjefuS'. 1 Tim. 6'.•9· even now ro converfe with God, and Chrift, and Saints and Angels; Faith /ayes hold upo11'eternallife, it puts the foul as it were into heaven, and fets it down at the right hand of Chrift; and this is our charatl:er that Chrill's Selli'on is truly ours. 3. If Chrifl's Spirit be mine, and fent to me. then have I both the perfon, and train of rhe Spirit of Chri!t; it is the having rhe Spirit, and rhe working of rhe Spirit in me, that is my evidence of rh~ Spirits million; I look upon this as the greatdl Quefiion, and rhe'weightiefr, and moft Important cafe of confcience that can be propounded or known of us; vi::... Whether the Spirit of Chrift doth rdide in us i' or whether we have a well– grounded hope to fay of our {elves that we have the in-dwelling of the Spirit of God? J Cor. 3· 1 6· Know ye not thAt ye are the 7'emple of God (faith the Apollle) and that the Spirit of God 1 l or. 6 · '9· dwe/leth in yo'!? An~ again, K11ow ye not that your bodies Are the Ternples of the holy Gho.ft? In _rh•~ ~ell10n he {eems to put it our of queftion, that true Chrillians il10uld know, and m rtght temper do know that the Spirit of'Goq dwells in them; If we know nor this, .we cannot know that we have any part in Chrifi; becaufe the holy Spirit is rhe prinCipal bond of our union betwixt Chrifl and us ; if we know nor this, wecannot know rhar we are juflified, for we have nothing to do with Chrill's Righreoufnefs, by which we are juflified, until by our fpiritual union Chrifl is made ours; if we know nor this, we cannot know we are the adopted children of God, for iris the Spirit of ll.oro. 8 • IS. adoption, whereby we cry in our ht~~rts, Abba Father: If we know not this, we can– not know that we are fantl:ified, for it is the Spirit which is the beginner and perfetter of our fantl:ification ; if we know not rhis, we cannot know that our prayers are heard, for ROin. 8 • ' 6 ' it is the Spirit that helps our infirmities, and that makp intercejfion for m with grMnings which cannot be uttered; If we know not this, we cannot know whether we are in error or truth; or whether our Religion which we profefs be rrue or falfe, for it is the Spirit who enlightens us, and teacheth qs, and leadeth us into all truth, if we know nor this, we cannot know our own comforts, for he is the only true Comforter, from whom all found comfort fprings. Come then and put we our felves ro the trial ; Ler us fearch whether we have the Spirit of Chri!l:, which we may refolve (if we will not deal deceit– fully with our own hearts) by thefefollowingfigns.--- · r. The Spirit of Chrill: is the Spirit of illumination ; if he dwell in us he will en~ lighten our eyes, reveal to us thof~ faving truths of God as they are in Jefus; lilst the h 15 Comforter which is the holy Ghoft, whom the Father will fmdin my name, he foalt teach ~01ofm'~: ~c:youa/1 things. --Bm ye have an unflion from the holy One, ·and ye ~ow all things. v.27, --- But the anoi11ting which ye haw received of him abitkth in you, and ye need not that any man tMch you, but "' th! fame anointing teacheth )'OU of all things; and hence Eph• .r.,,. it isthatthisholy Spirit is called the Spirit of wifdom, a'n.drevelation ilzthe k..nory/edgeof God. · z.. The Spirit of Chrill: is the Spirit of adoption ; it brings our fouls into that bleffed ellate that we are rhe children of God: Te have not received the fpirit of bondage again Kom. 8. •s· to fear; but we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father. And G 1 becaufo ye are fons, God bath font forth the Spirit of his Son into your beam , crymg ' 4.(, A/}ba Father, · i 2 ·h , 3. The Spirit of Chrifl:is a Spirit of prayer. I will pour uponthehoufoof David, l\~;,: ~:;6:0 and upon the inhabitants of 7erufalem the Spirit ofgrace, and of fupplication.---L•k!– wifo the Spirit 4lfo helpeth our infirmities, for we cyo1v not .what we Jhould pray for tU we ought, but the Spirit it folf makgth intercejfion for llf with groanings which cannot be utter– ed. It is not faid that the Spirit teacheth U3 words , and Ruem phrafes, bur it teacher a us to pray in the heart and fpirit with fighs and groam. . . 4· The Spirit of Chrifl is a Spirit of fantl:ificarion ; the Apoflle havmg told the Co– ,aor. 6 1 1, rimhians that they had been notoriou; !inners, fait? .funher, that they 1~ere wafhcd and l!.o.n. '· 4• fanflijiedby the Spirit of God. Hence the holy Sptm IS called The Spmt of holmefs ; be. c~ufe he makes us holy who were in our felves c?rrupt ~nd finful . If. we have this Spi– m, it inclines our hearts to the rhmgs above, 1t mornfies o11r lufl:s, u brmgs us nearer unto God: rhe fpirit therefore that is impur.e~ and enc~uragerh men !n fin, and cries np carnal liberty, is certainly none of !he Spmt ~f Chnft; and by thtsone fignmany carnal pretenders of our times may be JUfl:ly conv1tl:ed. ,. TheSpirit of 'Chrifr isaSpiricof love. Godislove, and he thatdwellethinlO'Ue, dwellcth in God, and Godin him, as the Spirit i9 love, fo it begets love in the heartS of ~~ot~. i::· his people; The'fruit of the Spirit is live, } oy, peace, long-J~t/fering, gent!e'!efs, good– nefs, faith, meek;.ufs, temperance. All thefe graces are the fruns of rhe Sprrn, but~~~
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