Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

SR c T. I I. rrue Signs of Grace. p contemplation andcoa(ant beholding ofthe beauty and luftre.of Gods Attri- butes, his Wifdom, Holineffe, but efpecially his Love tous in Chrift, all which doth kindle lovein us again. And from this beholding of God doth arife that neer unionwith God, which is Gods dwelling in ut, and *e in him. All which theApoftle makes manifelt tous by the etfed, oit. by the Spirit, of whichhe bath givenus. it is needleffe totrouble you with the feveral acceptions of the word Spirit ; It is enough toknow, That bySpirit is notmeant theeffence of the Spi- rit, for that is impartible ; nor ofany immediate teftimony of theSpirit, as the phrafe will imply, He bathgiven as of hid Spirit, which denoteth fome effe&s of the Spirit, and ofeffef`ts, not thecommon effeFts, for they are not a fore Argu- mentofGods dwelling inus, and we in him ; it remaineth therefore that it be underftoodof the gracious works ofGods Spirit, whereby in all our duties we are lifted up byGods Spirit todo them in an higher manner,then natural ftrength could enable us unto: fo thatthe Obfervation is, Thefpiritual performing of holy duties, is aforeftgn anddemonflration of our be- Ó6ferv. ing inGod, andGod on us. Thug the fame Apoftle t john 3.24. foras miracles did truly demonfrate thofe ' that did them, to beendued with the power of Gods Spirit from above, and they wrought miracles toconfirmmen in this belief, that they were fent of God; Thus the fpiritual doingofthofe things required of thee, are a kindeof miracles to confirm thy foul, that thou art of God. And as actual difcourfe and laugh- ter do infalliblyprove a rational life, becaufe tilde actions tranfcend a fenfitive life ; fo do fpiritual praying, hearing, o c. evidence a fpiritual life becaufe of their tranfcendency. For the openingof this point, which is neceffary ( and the want ofwhich Paul did fo greatly bewail, in the Corinthians , X could not fpeakunto you as unto fpiricual, but as carnal) take notice of theft things by way of a foun- dation. . Firft,dt innatural things there is afenfitivefont above the vegetative,a.nd aratio- nal above thefenfitive, fo (With moredijproportion) there ùafpiritooallife voncbfa. fed by the holy Ghofi above a rationaL infomuch that take the molt rational man, that is endùed withall intellechual abilities and moral perfections; fo that he be Vloimus conatos natura, as one faid of Arifiotle, yet he is no more able to do any thing fpiritually, or to apprehend what are tholefpiritual operations , then a worm can comprehend the reafonof the moil wife men. Thu; Pau/faith, The natural man perceivethnot the things of God, ,uacio¿es , that is, one who loth 'excolereanimans, mmdc the polifloingand dreflingof his foul, fachas Plato and Seneca. Nowbowfitever prophane men mockat the word Spirit, and the works thereof, yet that-there is fach an immediate participation of the holy Ghoft in theoperations thereof, the Scripturedoth abundantly teflifìe , ?don 3.6. That Which is bornof theAelb csfleJh, and that Which it born of the (pint h fpirit, where our Saviour Makes fach a fpiritual birth abfolutely neceffary to falvation, and fheweth two contrary kindsof fine, one carnal, abidingin the condition they were bornin, the otherfpirirmal, made foby God ; and the Apoftle in both pla- ces ufeth the abflrai!for theconcrete, for more efficacy. This afterwards hecals, Beingbornofthe Spirit. So that as a manbornofa man, bath indolenthumanam, is and cloth morethen abeaft t fo he that is bornof the Spirit , bath indolem di-+ oinam, and cloth more thena mats. Indeed our Saviour makes the original of this fpiritual being unknown tous, which he expreffeth by a comparifon from the winde, oras Maldonat will babe it from the foul ofa man, which we donot perceive infufed into us, or how we come by it; fo in this great work of Gods Spirit, Motumfentimtu, modem nefcimns ; Godbreathed into Adam a natural life, and a f oul , but this is a great mercy.whichGod loth for his people. And be- 'taufe the fpiritualbeing andworking isof fuch important confequence, you may ebfeìve theScripture otherplaces diligently inculcatingof it. Therefore ob- N a ferve

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