DISPENSATION OF TIIE HOLY SPIRIT. û£7 30. non sendest furth thy Spirit. John xiv. 26. The Father will sendthe Holy Ghost in my-name. This is also spoken of the Son; Iwill send untoyou the Com- fortee from the Father, John xv. 26. John xvi. 7. And, in the accomplishment of that promise, it is said, he poured him forth, Acts ii. 83. Gal. iv. 6. God hat!, sent forth the Spirit of his Son in your hearts; and in other places the same expression is used. Now this, upon the matter, is the same with the former of giving him, arguing the same authority, the same freedom, the samo bounty: only the word naturally includes in its signification a respect unto a local motion. IIe which is sent, removeth from the place where he was, from whence he is sent, unto a place where he was not, whi- ther he was sent. Now this cannot properly be spoken of the Holy Ghost. For he being God by nature, is naturally omnipresent, and an omnipresence is incon- sistent with a localmutation. So the Psalmist expressly, Psal. cxxxix. 7, 8. " Whither shall I go from thy Spi.. " rit? or w'iithér shall I flee from thy presence? If L " ascend up into heaven." &c. There must therefore a metaphor be allowed in thissexpression, but such an one as the scripture, by the frequent use of it, bath rendered familiar unto us. Thus God is said " to arise " out of his place, to bow the heavens and comedown; " to come down and see what is done in the earth," Gen. xviii. 21. Isa. lxiv. 1. That these things are not spoken properlyof God, who is immense, all men ac- knowledge. But where God begins to work in any place, in any kind, where before he slid not do so, he is said to come thither; for so must we do, we must come to a place beforewe can work in it. Thus the sending of the Holy Ghost includeth two things as add- ed unto his being given. (l.) That he was not before in or with that person, or amongst those persons, for that especial work and end which he is sent for. He may be in them, and with them, in one respect, and beafterwards said to be sent unto them in another: So our Lord Jesus Christ promiseth to send the Holy Ghost unto his disciples as a Comforter, whom they had re- ceived before as a sanctifier. " I will," saith he, " send " him unto you, and you know him, for he dwelleth " with you," John xiv. 17. He did so as a sanctifier, before hecame unto them as a comforter. But in every coming of his, he is sent for one especial work or ono. ther. And this sufficiently manifests, that in his gifts 18 from bounty: for God is said to give him unto us tin ly, Tit. iii. 6. This will be spoken unto, in the fourth way of his communication. Only I say, at present, the greatness of a gift, the freemind of the giver, and and want of desert or merit in the receiver, are that which declare bounty to be the spring and fountain of it. And all these concur to the height in God's giving of the Holy Ghost. Sect. 7. Again, on the part of them who receive this gift, privilege and advantage are intimated. They receive a gift, and that from God, and that a great and singular gift from divine bounty. Some, indeed receive bim in a sort, as to some ends and purposes, without any advantage finally unto their own souls. So do they who prophecy and cast out devils by his power in the nameof Christ, and yet continuing workers of iniquity are rejected at the last day, Matth. vii. 22, 23. Thus it is with all who receive his gifts only, without his grace to sanctify their persons and their gifts, and this whether they be ordinary or extraordinary; but this is only by accident. There is no gift of the Holy Ghost, but is good in its own nature, tending to a good end, and is proper for the good and advantage of them by whom it is received. And although the direct end of some of thembe not the spiritual good of them on whom they are bestowed, but the edification of others; for Memanifestation oftheSpirit is given unto every man to profit withal, 1 Cor. iv. 12, 17. yet there is that excel- lency and worth in them, and that use may bemade of them, as to turn greatly to the advantage of them that receive them. For although they are not grace, yet they serve to stir up and give an edge unto grace, and to draw it out unto exercise, whereby it is strength- ened and increased. And they have an influence into glory; for it is by the abilities which they give, that some are made wise and effectual instruments for the turning of many to righteousness, who shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars for ever and ever, Dan. xii. 3. But the unbelief, ingra- titude and lusts of men, can spoil these and any o- ther good things whatever. And these things will af- terwards in particular fall under our' consideration. In general, to be made partaker of the Holy Ghost, is an inestimable privilege and advantage, and as such is proposed by ourtSaviour, John xiv. 17. Sect. 8.Secondly; God is said to send him, Psal,
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