THE HOLY SPIRIT coMPARED TO THE WIND. Book II. MET A P .H 0 R. P A R A L L EL. XVII. The Vvind is ufcfu} for XVII. Unlefs the Spirit blow upon the Soul. Navigation, to carry a Ship from or upon the Church, they lie becalmed, and can– one Port unto another; for if the nor fail towards the Haven of eternal Happinefs; Wind do not blow, they are beno Duty or Service, performed in public or pri– calmed ; nor can they fail at all vate, can avarl any Thmg; we get not a bit of without it. Ground, nor any real Advantage by them, unlefs the Spirit: God is a Spirit, .in 'Truth, John iv. 24. they are performed by the 1-Jelp and Influence of and they that worjhip him mpjt worjhip him iil Spirit and XVIII. The Wind is very pro– fitable to fan or winnow Wheat, to fever the Chaff or lig ht Sred from the good Corn or Grain. XVIII. The Holy Spirit winnows and fans God's People, who are compared to Wheat and good Grain. It is faid of Chri!1:, His Fan is ;,. his Hand, and ht will throughly purge his Floor, Matt. iii. 12. How dorh Chri!1: fan and purae his People, but by his Word and Spirit? It is that which cleanfes and makes the~ pure from the Drofs and Pollutions of Sin and Wickednefs, as the Apoltle obfervcs, 1 Cor. vi. I r. XIX. The Wind rifes high, and blows powerfully; lometimes · it rifeth on a fudden, and at other Times gradually, XX. Naturalifts tell us, * that an Earthquake is occafioned by the Wind ; certain Exhalations, {)f Wind, being got into the Earth, fhake it. XIX. The Spirit of God fometimes comes on a fuddrn upon a Soul, and by its powerful Ope– ration, in a fhort Space makes a great and wor.– derful Change; as appears in the Cafe of Saul; but at other Times it raifeth and worketh upon fomc Mens Hearts gradually. XX. The Holy Spirit, when it gets into rhe Heart of a Man, by its powerful Operation it makes him tremble, and fh akes him to pieces, as it were, caufing flrange, though glorious Workings in the inward Man. This he doth by fetting the Evil of Sin before his Eyes, and his wofJl Condition thereby. A Man never trembles as he fhould, till the Spirit enter into him. Saul was taken with fuch a trembling, when the Spirit entered into h•m, and began to work, that he could not !1:and upon his Feet. METAPHOR. I. soME Winds are fent in Judgment, to deftroy and overthrow; which many Times blow down Houfes and Trees, and make gr.eat Defolation: Wirncfs that prodigious Wind in the Year !661. I I. Some Winds are of a blaft– ing Nature, and caufe the Fruit to fall before it be ripe. Ill. There bath been a Wind, in which the Lord hath not ap· peared, 1 Kiugs xix. 1 ' . D IS PAR IT Y. I. BUT the Spi,rit being the great Promifc of the FaJher, and the Fruit and Effeft of Chri!t's Afcenfion, is fenr in Mercy to ftrengthen and e!tablifh, and is fa far from deftroying or overthrowing, as thac ir cauferh the Church in gtneral, or a Chrifi:ian in particular, to rake the more firm Root, an'd !land the faller, Eph. iii. 17. Col. ii. 7· I!. But the Spirit, as compared to the North and Somh ·winds, ripeneth a Chiftian in Grace, and caufeth the Spices thereof to flow forth, Cant. iv. ult. Grace ripeneth and fitteth for Glory, Pfa!. lxxxiv. 1 1. Ill. But there is no greater Demon!tration of the Lord's Prefence with his People, or with a Soul, than by Jhe Indwelling of his Spirit, John xiv. '7· lf/bere t·wo or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I, faith Chri!1:, /vfatt. xviii. 20. . .. IV. Some Winds are compared IV. But no Man fpeakmg by the Spzrzt, calletb to \Vords, and Speeches of one Jifus accurfed, 1 Cor. xii. 3·. Men are by the that is defperate. Spirit brought into thw nght Mmds; WJtnefs the P rodigal, Luke xv. • Sec l'lil~y; alfo Speculum P.1lwdi, P· I73• 3 V. But
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