V er. 2. the 8th Chapter of the ROMANS. 17 whom tstvote,aod pratje to whompratfe belongeth,not borrowing without a mind orabilit to pay,whick t bat fpeciousrobbery;. and 'tis afhame fo many Chriftians are guilty of it.; I a,a Cure 'tis contrary to the Spirit of God,for when God hath done fo much to manifeft his j ace to the wort d, all that have the Spirit of God fhotild be very righ- teous, for from Opprefon, Fraud, or Detention of what is another mans. The Third ThingisTruth,or Fidelity,whereby we carry our felves fincerely, and free from IJypocrifte and DiJmulation,or lying,cozenage and deceit. God is aGod ofTruth,and the Holinefs he worketh in us is trite hólinefS ; the Apoftle groundeth his Exhortation upon that, Wherefore put away lying, Eph. 4. 24, 21. and f eaktruth every man to his neighbour, Tis a fin inconfrftent with fincerity more than anyother. Well then, this is the Gofpel fpirit; now iheHolyGhoft doth not only plant thefe graces in us at firft,but doth continually in- creafe them,and affft us in the exercife ofthem;he doth plant them in us at firfl.Faith is his gift, and 'fish_ doth change our hearts, and kindle an holy love in us to God,and raifeth . the heart to the hope of Salvation, I Pet. t. 9. begotten to a lively hope. This is his firft work, for men mutt be good before their actions can be good ; then he doth increafe Grace, making alloutward means effectual to this end and purpofe 5 this is called the flip. ply of the fpirit of Chrifi Jefas, Phil. I. 19.. meaning thereby a further addition of grace wrought in us by the fpirit, whereby we grow and advance in the way to Heaven. Thefe Imprellions are weak in us at firft, but they are increafed by the fame Author or Agent in the nfe of the fame means: Laftly, he doth affl us in the exercife of the fame grace, Rill working in uç what is pleating in the fight of God, Heb. 13. 21. he concurreth to every a &ion, and wed() not only live in the fpirit,but walk in the fpirit, Gal. S. 25. all along we are quickned by his influence. Let us in the next place confider from whom we receive it ; 'cis Paid here the fpirit of lif which in Chrift Jefes, it belongeth to Chrifl to give the fpirit. J. He is the head of therenewed fiate. Chrill was filled with the fpirit to this end, to be the head, or quickningfpirit to his Myflical Body, 1 Cor. 15. 45. The firft Adam was made a living foul, the feconda quickening fpirit ; not only as he giveth us the life of glory, but the life of Grace alto; fo Eph. t. 22, 23. he is head over all things to the church, which is his body, the falnef of him that filleth all in all. He is an Head, not on- ly to govern and defend the Church, but to give them fpiritual life and motion, as the Head doth to the members; for he filleth all with grace, all believers are fupplied from this fountain, and continually fupplied, till they be filled with all the fulnefo of God , Eph. 3. 17, 18, 19. That is, with all the Grace he meaneth to impart to us. Well then, the fpirit is given by,Chrifl, John 4. 14. Whofo drinketh of the water that I Jball give, fhall never thirfi, but the water that I Jhall give him, fhall be in him a well of water, fpring. ing up to everlafling life. 'Tis a living Conduit. John 7. 38, 39 2. Tis his law that is written upon oar hearts by the fpirit. The new Covenant is made with (inners in Chrift, Heb. 8.8, 9, Io. Behold the days come (faith the Lord ) I will make a new covenant with the horefe of *wet, net according to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, betan, fe they continued not in my covenant ; for this is the covenant I will make with the he:di of Ifrael, I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts. Now he that taught us the Clfriftian'Faith and Religion, dothiimprefs it upon us by his fpi rit; we find a power more than can be from the words alone, in the effet s on our felves. This cometh from Chrifti whofe Law it is, but it is immediately wrought by the fpirit. 3. Chrifl proniifid it, therefore Chriftgiveth it, John 15. 26. The comforter fhall come whom 1 will fend you from the fither;by virtue of his Merit and Interceffìon, Chrift from. the Father fendeth forth the all-conquering fpirit to fubdue the world to himfelf, he promifed aforehand to fend down this fanflifying fpirit into mens fouls to do this work upon them. 4. He giveth it on his own conditions, that is tot-ay, of Faith, John 7. 37, 38. if auy man ehirfl,let him come to me, and drink; he that believeth in me, out of his belly (hall flow river, of living water: but this he fpake of the fpirit which they that believe in him fhould receive. And repentance, Ads 2. 38. Then Peter Paid unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of JefesChr, for the remifiou o f fins, and you (hall receive the gift of the Holy Ghofi. Now thefe are the conditions of the new covenant which Chrilt brought out of the BoCom of Geld. lit le By the fpirit given by this is the law nature tohelpmenftoread the ook there is of the Come 8 C tune%
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=