to the E PH E SI AN S. cometh iodivided from the other, and Promzfe ~ometh in between in the Greek,~ 7 ;wY.lfr«tnoidmt[yu-..i«r, 7~ d;yf¥, it ~s that SptrJt of. t_hat Protmje, that holy_. . Th 1 s_St ~VI isthe true reading of it accord~ng to the Ongtnal, to lhew,. that tlus title '?t '-"· • ....., Holy is not given to th~ Sl'mt lumfelf, but as an effect of Ius I~ jea!111g, It IS true indeed, he is holym lumfelf, and tt aq~ueth lum to be fo, t! he make us fo when he fealeth us; for look what ImpreJs IS left upon the Wax; muft needs be in the Seal much more; if he make us holy when we are feuled, he himfelf muit be holy much more originally. But that is not the atm of u,only to lhew that he is holy; but t.O lhcw, that when he fealeth then he works holinefs; therefore the Holy Ghoft here puttetl1 an Emphalis upon 1t, by putttng to the Article That. • . . Obferve from hence thts, That all A!furance that IS true AJ!urmzce, and the trtle Seat of the Hoty Gbofl, it makes a man holy. If ever any thing makes him holy, this dotb it. Is he aHob Spzrit in worlung Faith? Doth he purifie your hearts by believing? He will purifie your hearts, much more when he fealeth you, when he worksj'!Y;, br!ievmg, tmjpeakab!e andg!ortotu. Yea, my Brethren, God dothnot give this Promifeof his Spirit as a SealeY; tillamanbe verv holy. Joh.r4.2t,Hethatbath my Comma11dments, mzd keep– eth them, he-zt ,;that /oveth me; mzd he that !oveth me, jha/1 be loved of my Father; ,znd I wi /1/ovehim andmallift(/myjflf to him. God cloth not put thefe Cordials int<1 a' foul Stomach; and when a man hatit thefe, they make him wonderful! holy. T~ke the ApofHesfor an Inftance, The Apofltu (as I told you) they were Believers, they had a promifeof the Holy Ghoft, as a S.a!er and aComforter; buttheyweretowait forit, (as you read in Afl,t.4.) Now all the wbile they waited for ir, what did they ? Thry co11timud all tht while; till they had it, ill prayer alld fuppticatiou; the Text faith fo: they were ex– ceeding holy, efpecially before. Well, when they had it, how holy did it make them! (it is of purpofe made the Preface to the book of the Afls.) You fee how fall of boldnefs they-were, how full of zeal; becaufe full of the Holy Gho(/, •nd lull of thej'!Yof the Holy Ghojl. The Apoftles were poor low Chri– fiians as any are, almoft; when Jefus Chrift was to die, how fleepy were they ? When Chdl was adminiftring the Sacrament to them, and told them what he lhould fuffer, they talked pre.fently who fhottld be the g>'eatef/ amongfl them, Thus carnal were they, they had not received the Spirit as a Staley; but when once they had received him as a SealeY, read the ftory of the AEfs, read their Epiftles, and fee what a Jpirit ef Boldnefs and Zeal they had. Whm thou art cott• verttd, flrengthmthy Brethren. It is a new Converlion, it will make a man differ from himfelf in what he was before in that manner, as Converlion almoit doth belore he was converted; there is a new Edition of all a man's Graces, when. the Holy Ghoft comcth as a SealeY. Self-!ove bufleth before, and keepeth a gum) ro fecure 1t felf; but when once Self-love 1s fecure, and the love of God is lhed a broad in a man's heart, it makes a man work for God ten times more than before, or tlfe at leaft more kindly. I know there are ways wherein the Soui can glorifie God more, in a way of recumbency, when he bath wrought Affu– rance, by fubmitting himftlf to God whatfoever becometho~ him; and by pure tru(ltng of God, though he know not whether he Will fave h1m oF nor, which is the greate!l truft in the world: But yet in matter of Holinefs and Obedience,the aj[ur•ttce ofthe love of God,when It is once lhed abroad in the heart,will conftraio ~man, (as the Apo!lle'sphrafe is. )He that bath this hope(he fpeaksof Affurance m that 1 .7oh.j. j.) purtfieth himjflf evtn as he is pure. My Brethren, it is the SJext thing to Heaven, therefore it muft needs make a man heavenly. If there were nothing but Self-love in a man, it is true he would abufe it when he bath A!furance; but when this love fl1all ftir up love to God, and bring a greater in- . creafe of love to God above a man's felf, how will that work! I appeal to you good Souls, If Chnft do but look toward you a little,how holy cloth it make you! Much more then, when the Holy Ghoft is poured out upon you, and when you are baptized with the Holy Ghofl:, as a Comforter. Look, as when the S 111 , cometh oeartothe Earth, then is the Sprincr; it was Winter before: fo when the Holy Gho(l cometl1 in this manner upon ~he heart; it WlS Winter before but it will be Spring no":. ' My
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=