IN THE NEW C1t6Af1OM, f.15 hm e communicates unto us, or worketh in us. He i not as a mere instrument or servant, disposing of the things wherein he hails no concern, or over which he bath no power; but in all things he worketh towards us according to his own will. We are, therefore, in what we receive from hint, and by him, no less to ac- knowledge his love, kindness, and sovereigngrace, than we do to those of the Father, and the Son. 2. That he doth not work as a natural agent, ad ul- - timoni oit-iuni, to the utmost of his power, as though in allhe did, he came and did what he could. Ile mo- derates all his operations by his will and wisdom: and, therefore, whereas some are said to resist the HolySpi- rit, Acts vii, 51. and so to frustrate his work towards them, it is not because they can do so absolutely, but only they can do so as to some way, kind, or degree of his operations. Menmay resist some sort or kind of meansthat he sells, as tosomecertain and and purpose; but they cannot resist him as to his purpose, and the -end he aims at; for he is God, and who hat, resisted his will? Rom. ix. 19. Wherefore, in any work- of his, two things are to be considered: (I.) What the means hemaketh. use of tend unto in their own nature; And, (2.) What he intends by it; the first may be re- sisted and frustrated, but the latterrannot be so. Some- times in and by that word, which, in its own nature, tends to, the conversion; of sinners, he intandeth by it only their hardening, lsa. vi, 9, 10. ;,john.. xii. 40, 1. Acts avid, 26. Rom. xi. 8. And he can, when he pleased,, exert that power and efficacy in working, as shall take away all resistance. Sometimes he will only take order for the preaching and dispensation of the word unto men; for this also is his work, Acts xiii. 2. Hereinmen may resist his work, and reject his counsel concerning; themselves. But when he will put forth his power in and by the word, to the creating of a new heart in men, and the opening of the eyes of them that are blind, he doth therein so take away the principle ofresistance; that he is not, that he cannot be resisted. Sect. 9.--9:. Hence also it follower that his works may be of various ]rinds, and that those which are of the same kind: may yet be carried on unequally as to degrees. It is so in the operations of all voluntary agents, who work by choice and judgment. They are not confined to one sort of works, nor to the production P s of the same kind of effects; and where they design so to do, they moderato then as to degrees according to their power and pleasure. Thus we shall find some of'the works ofthe Holy Spirit to be such as may be perfect in their kind, and men may be made partakers of the whole end and intention of them, and yet no saving grace be wrought in them. Such arehis works of illumination, conviction, and sundry others. Men, I say, may have a, work of the Holy Spirit on their hearts and minds, and yet not be sanctified and con- verted unto God: for the nature and kind of his works are regulated by his own will and purpose; if he intends no more but their conviction and illumination, no more shall be effected. For he works not by a-necessity. of nature, so that all his operations should be of the same kind, and have their especial form from his nature, and not front his will. So also, where he doth work the same effect in thesouls of men, 1 mean the same in the kind of it, as in their regeneration he dot,; yet he doth it by sundry means, and carrieth it on to a great inequality, as to the strengthening of its principle, and increaseofits fruits unto holiness; and hence is that great difference as to light, holiness, and fruitfulness, which we find among believers, although allalike partakers of the sane grace for the kind thereof. The Holy Spirit worketh in all these things according to his own will; whereof there neither is nor can be any other rule but his own infinitewisdom. And this is that which the a- postle minds the Corinthiansof, to take away all emu- lation and envy about spiritual gifts, that every one should orderly make use of what be had received to the profit and edification of others. 'They are, saitlt he, given and distributed by the same Spirit, according to his own will, to one after one manner, unto another after another; so that itis an unreasonable thing for any to contend about them. Sect. 10. But it may be said, that if mot only the working ofgrace in us, but also the effects and fruits of it, in all its variety of degrees, is to be ascribed unto the f-Ioly Spirit, and his operations in us according to his own will, then do we signify nothing ourselves; nor is there any need that we should either use our endea- vours and diligence, or at all take any care about the furtherance or growth ofholiness in us, or attend unto any duties of obedience. To what end and purpose then serve all the commands, threateninge, promises, 20
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=