V E R.13. Epheßians,Chap:t. 14.1 inheritance, (.4th zo. 32. But I haften to the thingsremaining in this verfe. The 3d. generall doctrine is, that it is not enough toheare, butwe muff beleeve,before wecan be partakerofthegood fpirit ofChrift,Gal. 3. r4.Byfaith wereceive thefpirit ofpromi f : The Gentiles having heard & beleeved, God didgive them his fpirit,Adls r 5.7,8.He that heleeveth, rivers ofwater'hallflow from him, which is fpokenof that fpirit which they receive, whobeleeve onChrift, John7.28. Thisfore- promifed fpi- rit,is firft in the fulneffeofit received byChrift our head,AUs z. 33.and from Chrift it commeth to us ; for from hisfulneffe we receive Gracefor Grace. Now looke asamember cannot receive thofefpirits from the headwhich caufe fenfe and motion in the body,but theymuft beunited with the head : fo it is here, we cannot have this fpirit from Chrift our head, but we mull by this finewor nerve of faith bee united to him. But how can we_receive thefpirit byfaith, when we cannot beleeve beforewe have thefpirit e Some thinke that wehave firft aEtuall grace, that is, that the fpirit as an ayde withoutus, dothmakeus aáually be- leeve, that fo the fpirit afterward by habit offaith and all otherfanti- fying graces, maycome todwell in us. Now theywould anfwer, that though we cannot beleevewithout the outwardaideof the fpirit, yet we might beleeve without thefpirit, by an fupernaturall habit dwel- lingin us ;.but this is the errour ofthefc ole: for weare faid tohave a fpirit of faith, before wecanbring for the a&offaith, z Cor.4. having thefelfe-fameSpirit ofFaithwefeake.Againe, no externe helpcan make us bring forth good fruit,till it makeus firft good trees; and ablindeman may be lifted up to fee, without a facultieof feaing, as well asanunbe- leeving man lifted up to anaifofFaith,without a faculty,a fupernaturall habit ofbeleeving : Wee,erge,are faid beleeving toreceivethe fpirit,be- caufe then we receive it more fully and manifeffly, dwelling in us to our faniificationand affúrance, touchingour redemption. Wherefore let us labourby faith to beone with Chrift ;let us care, as it were, and drinke him, by beleefe on him, then fhall we feele the quickning fpirit comming out of him ; yea let us ftrive fora further meafureof faith;for thewider the mouth or neckof veffell is,the more it receiveth, the fatter it filleth ; fo here, the more our faith dilatethit fclfe,the more abundantly doth this fpirit flow intous from Chrift. We fee the idoli faith which manyreft on, for itbringeth them not to be partakers ofa holy fpirit, nay their faith is accompanied with a fpirit offenfuality, flefhly prophaneneffe,filthineffe, covetoufnefl'e,even fuch a fpirit as is fit to come from a groundleffe and fruitlefle pre- fumption. Thus having confidered the benefit in generall, we will lift it more particularly ; for hedoth not barely fay, in whomwhen yealfo had be- leeved, ye received thefpirit, but yewere Pealedwith theholy fpirit Two things are to be marked.; r. The fealing, whichdoth '> figuratively DoFi.3; ue i. PP z: `
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