( 107 ) THE GENERAL WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW CREATION, WITH RESPECT UNTO THE MEMBERS OF THAT BODY WHEREOF CHRIST ISTHE HEAD. CHAP. V. (f.) Christ the head of the new creation. (2.) Things premised in general unto Me remaining work ofthe Spirit. Things presupposed unto the work ofthe Spirit towards the church, the love andgrace of Father and Son. (3.) The whole work ofthe building ofthe church committed to the Holy Spirit; Acts ii. 33. opened. O..) Thefoundation. ofthe church in the promise of the Spirit, and its building by him alone. (5.) Christ present with his church only byhis Spirit; Matth. xxviii. 19. Acts i. 9, 10. Acts iii. 21. Matte. xviii. 19. 1 Cor. vi 16. 1 Cor. iii. 16. compared. (6.) The Holy Spirit works the work ofChrist; John xvi. 13, 14, 15. opened. (7.) The Holy Spirit the peculiar author ofall grace. (8.) The Holy Spirit work-eth all this according to his own will; 1. His will and pleasure is in all his works. 2. He works variously as to the kinds and degrees ofhis operations. How he may be resisted, how not.(9.) How thesame work is ascribed Onto the Spirit dis- tinctly, and to others with him. (10.) The general heads ofhis operations towards the church. WE have considered the work of the Spirit of God ¡ Father. Concerning which, before we come to Consi- in his laying the foundation of the church of the New ! der particular instances, some things in general most be Testament, by his dispensations towards the head of it, premised; which are these that follow: our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the foundation stone of Sect. 2.First; Unto the work of the Holy Spirit this building, with seven eyes engraven on him, or fill- towards the church, some things are supposed from ed with an absoluteperfection of all the gifts and graces whence it proceeds, which it is built upon, and resolved of the Spirit, Zech. iii. 9. which when he is exalted al- into. It is not an original but a perfecting work; some no as the head stone in the corner, there are shootings things it supposeth, and bringeth all things toperfection; in heaven and earth, crying, grace, grace unto him, and these are: Rech. iv. 7. As upon the laying of the foundation, and ! First; The love, grace, counsel, and eternal pur, placing ofthe corner stones of theearth in the old crea- pose of the Father. (2.) The whole work of the me- tion; the morning stars sang together, and all the sons diction of Jesus Christ, which things I have handled of God shouted for joy, Job. xxxviii. 8, 7. So upon elsewhere. For it is the peculiar work of the Holy the laying of this foundation, and placing of this corner Spirit, to make those things of the Father and Son ef stone in the new creation, all things sing together and ' fectual unto the souls of the elect, to the praise of the glory of the grace of God. God doth all things for himself, and his supreme end- is the manifestation ofhis own glory. And, in the old or first creation, he seeme principally; or firstly, to intend the demonstration and exaltation of the glorious essential properties of his na- ture, his goodness, power, wisdom, and the like: as Psal. xix. 1, 2, 3, 4. Rom. i. 19, 20; 21. Acts xiv. 15, 16, 17. Acts xvii. 24, 25, 26, 27. leaving only on the worsts of his hands some obscure impressions of the cry, Grace, grace unto it. The sameSpirit which was given unto him, not by measure, John iii. 34. giveth grace unto every one of us, according to the measure of the gift of Christ, Ephes. iv. 7. And this falleth now under our consideration; namely, the perfecting the work of the new creation by the effectual operation and distributions of the Spirit of God. And this be- longs unto the establishment of our faith, that he who prepared, sanctified, and glorified the human nature . the natural body of Jesus Christ, the head of the church, distinction of persons, subsisting in the unity of that be- bath undertaken to prepare, sanctify, and glorify his ing, whose properties he had displayed and glorified. mystical body, or all the elect given unto him of the But in the work of the new creation, God firstly and D d 00
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