170 SERMONS upon Serm. XXIV. 5. The benefits occuring to ws thereby : I (hall Inftance in Three. i The gift of the Spirit, to be our Sanáifyer, Guide,and Comforter. This is a gift which he giveth to none but his Children, and which he giveth to all his Children. Agift.which fuitéth with the greatnefs and love of our Father 5 and abfolutely neceffary for us, as Children. God as a Creator, giveth us our Natural Endowments; but as a Father in Ch,rm, he giveth us his Spirit ; Gal. 4, 6. And becaufe ye are font, God bath fent forth the fp*tt of his fon into our hearts. If we, have this high Priviledge of Adoption, we have alfo the fpirit of Adoption, to refide and dwell in our hearts as our Sanetifyer, Guide, and Comforter ; as a Sdntlifyer,he doth firlt change our hearts, andtransform us into the Image of God in Chrift, 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glafe, the glory of the Lord, are changed into his image from glory to glory : And Titus 3. 5, 6. Not by works of righteonfnefs which roe have done, but according to his mercy he faced us, by the wafhing of Regeneration, and the renewing of the holy Ghof1, which he bath flied on us abundantly through Jefees Cbriftour Saviour: and fo he maketh us Children ; but as Bees firft frame their Cells, and then dwell in them : fo he doth dwell in us, that hemay fur- ther fanûifie us, retraining us from fin. Rom.8. r3. If ye live after the flefh, (ball die : but if je through the fpirit do mortify the deeds of the body,ye, fhall live. And quickening . us to holinefs; Gal. 5.25. If Pre live in the fpirit, let us alfo walkin the fpirit. As a guide leading us into all Truth, John 16.13. When the fpirit of truth is come,he (hall guide us in- to all truth. And regulating all the motions of the fpiritual Life; Rom. 8.14. As many at are led by the fpirit : efpecially our prayers, Jude 20. Praying in the holy Gboft. Rom. 8. 26. We know not what we fhould pray for as we ought, but the fpirit maketh intercefon for us. As a Comforter,confirming our prefent Interet, and future hopes, 2 Cor. 5. 5, Now he that bath wrought us for the felt fame thing is God, who alfo bath given us the earnefI of hü fpirit. Indeed, the fpirit is not fo neceffarily a Comforter, as a SanEtifyet : yet a Com- forter he is ; and if not fo explicitely and manifetly, we may blame our felves. This is Gods allowance, and we deprive our felves of the benefit of it, by.our own folly. 2. Suchan allowance of Temporal Mercies as isconvenient for us, Matt. 6.32. For your heavenly father knowetl.r, thatye have need ofallthefethings. AChntianhath Two things to relieve him again( all his ditrutful fears and cares, Adoption, and particular Provi- dence 5 he bath a Father in Heaven, and his Father is not ignorant of his condition, nor mindlefs of it 5 and therefore tho he bath little or nothing in hand, 'cis enough that his Father keepéth the Purfe for him, whofe care extendeth to all things, and all perfons, and bath the hearts of Men in his own hands, and performeth all things according to his own will ; He knoweth their Perçons, Neceffities, and Temptations; and if we truft him for our Heavenly Inheritance, we may truft him for our daily Maintenance, which he vouchfafeth to the Fowls of the Air, and Beats of the Field ; yea, to his Enemies, while they are finning again( him, difhonouring his Name, oppreffrng his Servants, oppofing his Interet in theWorld ; he that feedeth a Kite, will he not feed a Child ? He that fup- plieth his Enemies, will he not take care of his Friends ? thofe of his own Family ? Indeed, he choofeth rather to profit us,than pleafe us,in his Difpenfations; but 'tis your duty to refer all to his Wifdom and Love. 3. Eternal Blejdnefi is alto the fruit of this Adoption,Rom.8. r 7. If f ns,thenheirs,coheirs with Chrift : as loon as we are taken into Gods Family,we have a right to the blefred Inhe- ritance; and the right and hope that we have now, is enough to counterballance all Temptations. Alas, what are all the carnal pleafures and delights of Sin, which tempt us to difobey onr Father, to thofe bleffed things which he hath provided for us in Hea- ven ! 'Twas Efau's Profanenefs, to fell his Birth. right, Pleb. 12. 16: So all the fears and forrows of the prefent Life, Luk. 52.32. Fear not little flock, 'cis your fathers good plea- fire to give you a kingdom : if we have the Kingdom at the lac, 'cis no great matter what we fuffer by the way ; but hereafter, we (hall fully receive the fruits of our Obedi- ence; Rom. 8.23. We our felves groan within our felves, waiting for the adoption , to wit, the redemption of our bodies. In Heaven we have the fullet and largeft demonftration of Gods love and favour. 'Tis Love now, and Grace now, that he will take us into his Family, and Imploy us in his Service. But then 'tis another manner of Love, when taken not onely into his Family, but Prefence and Palace, where we have not onely a Bight, but Poffe(fton : not onely force remote fervice and minitration, but everlating- ly injoying, delighting, and praifing God. Secondly, We now come to the proof and teftimony of our Intereft in this Priviledge, Ths fpirit beareth witnefi with our fpirit. Here let us, a. Open
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