86 GENERAL DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, This is no less than to overthrow his whole work, to take his sovereignty out of his hand, and to deprive the church of all especial interest in the promise of Christ concerning him. In this inquiry, therefore, we look after what at present belongs unto ourselves, if so be we are disciples of Christ, and do expect the fulfilling of his promises. For whatever menmay pretend unto this day, if they have not the Spirit of Christ, they are none of his, Rom. viii. 9. For our Lord Jesus Christ bath promised him asa comforter, to abide with his disciples forever, John xiv. And by him it is, that he is present with them, and among them to the end of the world, Matth. xxviii. 20. chap. xviii. 20. That we speak not as yet of his sanctifying work, wherebywe are enabled to believe, and are made partakers of that holiness, without which no man shall see God. Wherefore, without him, all religion is but a body without a soul, a carcase without an animating Spirit. it is true, in the continuation of his work, he ceaseth from putting forth-these extraordinary effects of his power which were needful for the laying the foundation of the church in the world. But the whole work of his grace, according to the promise of the covenant, is no less truly and really carried on at this day in and towards all the elect of God, than it was on the day ofpentecost, and onwards; and so is his communication of gifts necessary for the edification of the church, Ephes. iv. 10, 11, 12, 13. The owning, therefore, and avowing the work of the Holy Ghost in the hearts, and on the minds of men, accord- ing to the tenor of the covenant of grace, is the princi- pal part ofthat profession which at this day all believers are called unto. Sect. 5.--1. We are taught in an especial manner to pray that God would give his Holy Spirit unto us, that through his aid and assistance we may Live unto God in that holy obedience which he requires at our hands, Luke xi. .9, 10, I I, 12, IS. Our Saviour enjoining an opportunity in our supplications, ver, 9, 10. and giving us encouragement, that we shall succeed in our requests, ver. 11, 12. moires the subject- matter of them to be the Holy Spirit; Your heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, ver. 13. Which in the other evangelists, is gocd things, Mattis. vii. 11. because he is the author of them all in us and to us; nor doth God bestow any good thing on us, but by his MSp ri.t. Hence the promise of bestowing the Spirit is accompanied with a prescription of dutyunto us, that we should ask him, or pray to him; which is included in every promise where his sending, giving, or bestow- ing is mentioned. He therefore is the great subject mat- ter of all our prayers. And that signal promise of our blessed Saviour, to send him as a Comforter, to abide with us for ever, is a directory for the prayers of the church in all generations. Nor is there any church in the world fallen under such a total degeneracy, but that, in their publicoffices, there are testimonies of their an- cient faith and practice in praying for the coming of theSpirit unto them, according to this promise of Christ. And therefore our apostle, in all his most solemn prayers for the churches in his days, makes this the chief peti- tion of them, that God would give unto them, and in- crease in them, the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, with the Spirit himself, for sundry especial effects and operations whereof they stood in need, Ephes. i. 17. chap. iii. 16. Col. ii. 2. And this is a full conviction of what importance the considerationof the Spirit of God, and his work, is unto us. We must deal in this matter with that confidence which the truth instructs us unto, and therefore say, that he who prayeth not con- stantly and diligentlyfor the Spirit ofGod, that he may be made partaker of him for the ends for which he is promised, is a stranger fromChristand hisgospel. This we are to attend unto as that whereon our eternal hap. piness doth depend. God knows our state and condi- tion, and we may better learn our wants from his pre- scription of what we ought to pray for, than from our own sense and experience: for we are in the dark unto our own spiritual concerns, through the power of our corruptions and temptations, and know not what we should pray for as we ought, Rom. viii. 26. But our heavenly Father knows perfectly what we stand in need of. And therefore whatever be our present apprehen- sions concerning ourselves, which are to be examined by the word, our prayers are to be regulated by what God hath enjoined as to ask, and what he bath promis- ed for to bestow. Sect. 6.-5. What was before mentioned may here be called over again, and farther improved; yea, it is necessary that so it should be. This is the solemn pro- mise ofPesas Christ when hewas to leave this world by death. Andwhereas he therein made and confirmed his Testament, Heb. ix. 15, 16, 17. He bequeathed
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