• ·Book II. THE I-IOLY SPIRIT COMPARED TO THE WIND. 483 and Refolutions heaven-wards; yet nothing is efT"eclual to impede the powerful In– fluences of the Spirit, and Grace of God; Mountains of Sin and Oppofition are broken in pieces by it. When it once blows briOdy upon the Soul, it prefendy cries out, Lord, what wouldeft thou have me to do? Immediatv:!y, faith Saul, I conferred not .with Flejh and Blood, Gal. i. 16. M E T A P H 0 R. P A R A L L E L. XII. The Winds many Times ·by their blowing caufe Rain, by diffolving the Clouds. XIII. Men obferve or take good notice of the blowing of the Wind, and by certain Signs, 'Uiz. by be– holding the Clouds, Vanes, C'c. they know which way it blows. XII. The Spirit diffolving the CloHds of Ini– quity, waters the Heart with Tears of Repentance and godly Sorrow. Xlll. The Blowings or Operations of the Holy Spirit ought carefully to be obferved, with the Accefs and Recefs thereof; for a Chriftian can make no earne£1: of the Duties of Religion, unlefs thefe Winds blow. Moreover, thne are certain Signs, whereby a Man may know which way the Spirit biows. z. If the Defires of the Soul be after God and Holinefs, it is one Sign ·the Wind is in a right Point. 2. If the Underftanding be enlightened, and Clouds of Ignorance fcattercd , the Affections changed, fo that heavenly Objects are princi– pally delighted in; if the Will be brought to yield, and readily to fubmit to the Will of God, the Spirit blows the right way. 3· If a Man leave his old and evil Courfes and Company ; if thot which was once pleafant to him, be now become gri.,vous to him; if his Difcoude be favory, and his Life holy, you may know which way the wind blows: '!'hey that are after the Spirit, do mi11d the 'l'hings of the Spjrit, Rom. viii. 5· 4· If there be new Habits wrought in the Soul, fo that although a Man may fometimes be obilrutted in his way, and hindered in his courfe heaven-ward , yet im– mediately, as it were by a natural or divine Inflinct, he falls into his former Way and 'Courfe of Grace and Holinefs again; it is a Sign which way the Wind blows. You know the Wind is fometimes obftructed or ftopped in its ufual Courfe, by Houfes or Trees, &c. fo that you can hardly difcern by Vanes or Smoke, &c. -which way it is·; 'fo it may be with a Chriftian. Befides, fometimes you can fcarcely percei1•e any Wind to blow at all, no,more can you the Operations of the Spirit. XIV. The Wind, Naturalifts XIV. The Spirit of God blowing upon the obferve, caufes fome Flowers to Soul of a Sinner, caufes his Pride <1nd external wither, and hang down their Glory to fade away, which is compared to the .Heads. Flower of the Field. '!'he Rod bath bloJ!omed. Pride bath budded, Ezek. vii. 10. All Flejh is Grafs, and the Goodlinifs thereof is as the Flower of the Field: '!'he Grafs wirhereth, the Flower fadeth, becaufe tbe Spirit of the Lo'd bloweth upon it, Ifa. xl. 6, 7· XV. The Wind, though it be XV. The Holy Spirit, though it be invioble, inv.iGble, and cannot be feen, yet r,nd its Operations myfterious, and not to be dif– it may be heard, and its Effects cerned by many Men ; yet they may fee and hear are feen, and its Influences evithe Effects of it, they may perceive what Altera– dently felt and experienced by all. cion and Changes it makes in this and that Man : Such as were very vicious and ungodly, are by the Workings of rhe Spirit formed into another Likenefs, and become pious, and truly– religious; tha< Tongue that was wont to b!afpheme God, they now hear to praife and admire him, &c. And Believers themfelves clearly fed and experience the bleffed .Effects and Operations thereof in their own Souls. XVI. The Wind cheri01es and X VI. The Spirit of God caufes the Saints to caufes Plants and Grafs to grow grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our and thrive; as it is obfervecl by Lord J efus Chri£1:. The Spirit moves upon the fame, that nothing will grow and Affections, and every other Faculty of the Heart, thrive without it. It is thought, and by that eans caufes the Seed of Grace to that the Roots of Things being take the deeper Root. The Ground or Spirit of moved by the Vi'ind, it caufes a Chrif\ian mu£1: be broken, and loofened fro m them to root the n1ore, making the World, and from the Love of fenfu al Things the G round to give way unto them, more and more, by the Wind of the Spirir, or he by which means they take the will not be fruitful in Grace and good Works. &Hcrh~~ · - XVII. Unlefs
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