- Chap. I .Se~.9 Locking unto1e'[us. Book. IV.Part.V. 851 --------------------------------------------------- fie their conftancy and continuance; they did not light, and touch, and away, after the manner pf butterfl.yes; but they fate,they aboade frill, they continued freddy, wi lbout any frirring or ftarting. _This was ~he privy llgne by which r ~bn the Baptift knew Jcfus to be Chrdl; upon whum th6u foal& fee the Spirit de- Job. r.33; fcending and rem~tining on him, the [11me iJ he which baptifeth with the hoi] Ghoft. It was not only the Spirits dtfeending, but the Spirits rem111ining on him, that was the figne. The Spirit of God is a conftant Spirit; it abides on the fou,l to whom it is given; Pfa!.)I .xo; and therefore the Pfalmift defcribes thefe great tranfad:ions o.f "" Ckriil to this very end, that the Spirit m~ht dwell with us;· thou Pfa'.68 .18, h11fl afcended on high, thou haft led captivity captive, thou hlljt receivedgifts for men,yea for the rebel!iom al{o, that the Lord Gad might dwell among th~m_· Not only that he rnig?t ,fray and lodge for a night as a wayfamng man, that cornell to hts I nne, and then is gone in the morning : no,.no; but that he might take up hill refidence, and dwell in them. I know it is a quefiion, whether the holy Ghoil may be loft? But certainly of the Elect he is~- ver totally, or wholly loft; only I dare not fay but as touching many gifts, he may be loft even ofthe Elect themfelves: D11vid after his fins, was forced to cry, Cltjl me not awaJ from thy preflnce , 0 Lord, and ta"<! not thy hoi] Spirit from me; reftore unto me the Pfal.sx.u,I:. j6y of thy (alv~tti~n,and uphold me with thJ free Spirit; we finde here - that in refpc:d of fome gifts even of regeneration, the Spirit is fometimes loft, but that the godly fuould retaine n<> remnants of the Spirit in their worft declinings, I cannot imagine; {uhn teacheth expre!fely, whofoever is borne ofGoa dQth not commit fin, 1 Job. 3 ,. (a fin unto death)for his feed remaineth in him, neither can he fin, ' becaufl he is borne ofGod. David in his fall loft the joy of his · heart, the purity of his confcience, and many other g1fts which hedefired to have refiored to him; hut the holy Ghoil he had not utterly loft; for iffo, how could he have prayed, caftme not away from thy prefence, 11nd tak§ not thJ holy Spirit from me f I have done with the manner of tbc: Spirits million. Q_qqqq 2 , ·sECT.
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