so6 THE HOLY SPIRIT COMPARED TO A DOVE. Book II. leaves them and gives them utterly in their own Counfel. up to their own Heart's Luft, and to walk TEA CH ER. 'XI. Godly Teachers are fo great • Ble!Eng to People, that it is a great Lols to bfe them; nay, a fore and lamentable Judgment upon the Church snd the World to be deprived of, or have their Teachers taken away from them or forced into a Corner. PARALLEL. XI. The Holy Ghoft is fuch a great Bleffing to the Church and People of God, nay, and unto Sinners too, that there can come no greater Judg– ment upon them, than to be deprived of this fa– creel and heavenly Teacher, though it is fad with the Church, ' When her 'l'eachers are removed into ' a Corner,* and her Eyes fee them not; yet we ' had better lole all our Teachers, and that utter– ' ly, than lofe this great Teacher only; for though ' he be pleafed to make ufe of them, he can teach elfec'\ually and favingly without ' them, were they removed and taken away; but they cannot teach without him unto • the lealt fpiritual Advantage; and thofe who pretend to be Teachers of others, and • yet defpife his Teaching-Affiftance, will once find they undertook a Work which ~ was none of theirs.' N F E R E N C E S. I. JS the Holy Ghoft the great Teacher? How dare any then reproach and vilify hm1, or Oight his Teaching, or thofe who are lead and in!hufted by him? II. It may allo !l:ir up all hrlons to a Readinefs and Willingnefs of Heart and Mind to be taught and inl\ruc'\ed by him. !zyefl. How may we know, fay fome, the Spirit's Teachings?. Hho are they that are taught a~d inftruc'\ed by him ? Anfw. This you may take as an undoubted Truth, that the Spirit never teacheth ;my Thing contrary to the written Word, becaufe fo the World might be at a certainty about a good and true Teacher in Maners of Religion; the Spirit hath left us the holy Scripture, and he always teacheth as that teacheth, opening and explaining wh'at dark and obfcure Things are contained therein; fu he that walketh faithfully up w the writ– ten Word, is lead and taught by the Spirit. !zyefl. But dot not the Apo!lles fay, We have mz Unflion from the holy One, and know a/l'l'hings, and need not that any Man teacb us? 1 John ii. 20. 27. We need no other Teachn therefore but the Spirit. Anfw. That is a great Miftake, and apparent Wrefting of the Text; for the Spirit of God, that holy Unc'\ion, was in the primitive Saints in a more glorious Meafure than he is in any now, and yet Chrirt called forth and ordained divers other Teachers for them, who were to build them up in their moO: holy Faith; And the 'l'hings (laith Paul to 'limothy) that tbou haft heard of me, amotzg many Witnejfes, the fame commit thou to faithful Men, who }hall be able to teach othen alfo? 2 'l'im. ii.. 2. A Gofpe!-Miniftry is to abide till Chrifl's fecond Coming, they are appointed for the gathering together, building up and perfec'\ing of the Saints, u;:til we all come into the Unity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perJcft Man, Eph. iv. 13. Therefore the Meaning of the floly GhoO: in that Place is this, We need not that any Man teach us, but as that Anointing teacheth ; if any Man teach us fuch and fuch Things that are not written; Things that the Spirit never taught in the Word of God, we ought not to hearken to them; we need no Teaching but that which is according to the Spine's Teachings, :.nd agreeable to its ble!fed Rule, left upon Record, viz. the holy Scrip– tures of Truth. THE HOLY SPIRIT , coMPARED TO A DOVE. And he Jaw the Spirit of God defcendil:g like a Dove, and lighting on him, Mall. iii. I 6. THE Holy Spirit is reprefented by a Dove, or appeared in the Shape of a Dove. and may in fome Things be refembled thereto. • Dr. O:t~·tn. SIM ILE.
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