HOLY SPIRIT, AND HIS WORIt. of st, in the communication of the Spirit unto,us: For7to the Church. This he received of the Father, as the where the Spirit of' God is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. iii. 17. For although we are net capable of the full and perfect estate of the libertyprovided for the, children of God, whilst we are in this world, conflicting with the remain- ders of sin, pressed and exercised with temptations, our bodies also being subjectunto death and corruption, yet, where the Spirit of God is, where we have that first-fruit ofthe fulness of our redemption, there is liberty in the real beginning of it, and assured consolation, because it shall be consummated in the appointed season. These are some of the spiritual benefits and privileges which believers enjoy by a participation of the Holy Ghost, as the promised Comforter of the church: these things he is until them, and as unto all other things be- longing unto their consolation, he works them in them, which we must, in the next place, inquire into. Only something we may take noticeof from what we have al- ready insisted on: As, (l.) That all evangelical privile- ges whereof believers are made partakers in this world, do centre in the person of the Holy Spirit. He is the great promise that Christ hath made unto his disciples, the great legacy which he bath bequeathed unto them. The grant made unto him by the Father, when he bad doneall his will, and fulfilled all righteousness, and ex- alted the glory of his holiness, wisdom, and grace, was this of the Holy Spirit, to be communicated by him un- complement of his reward, when he saw the travail of his soul andwas satid. The Spirit he now gives unto believers, and no tongue can express the benefits which they receive thereby. Therein are they anointed and sealed, therein do they receive the earnest and first-fruits of immortalityand glory. In a word, therein are they taken into a participation with Christ himself in all his honour and glory. Hereby is their condition rendered honourable, safe, comfortable, and the whole inheri tance is unchangeably secured unto them. In this one privilege, therefore, of receiving the Spirit, are all others enwrapped: For, (2.) No one way, or thing, or simi- litude, can express or represent the greatnessof this pri- vilege. It is anointing, it is sealing, it is an earnest, amt first- fruit, every thing whereby the loveof God, and the blessed security of our condition may be expressed or in- timated unto us: for what greater pledge can we have of the love and favour of God? what greater dignity can we be made partakers of ? what greater assurance of a future, blessed condition, than that God hath given us of his Holy Spirit? And, (3.) Hence also it is manifest, how abundantly willing he is, that the heirs of promise should receive strong consolation in all their distresses, when they fly for refuge unto the hope that is set be- fore them. THE APPLICATION OF THE FOREGOING DISCOURSE. WITH respect unto the dispensation of the Spirit towards believers, and his holy operations in them and upon them, there are sundry particular duties, whereof he is the immediate object, prescribed unto them. And they are those whereby, on our part, we comply with him in his work of grace, whereby it is carried on, and rendered useful unto us. Now, whereas this Holy Spirit is a divine person, and he acts in all things to- wards us as a free agent according unto his,own will, the things enjoined us, with respect unto him, are those whereby we may carry ourselves aright towards such a one, namely, as he is an holy, divine, intelligent person, working freely in and towards us for our good. And they are of two sorts ; the first whereof are expressed in prohibitions of those things which are unsuited ubto hits and his dealings with us; the latter incommands for our attendance unto such duties as arepeculiarly suited stnto a compliance with him in his operations; in both which our obedience is to be exercised with a peculiar regard unto him. I shall begin with thefirst sort, and go over them in the instances given us in the scripture. 1. We havea negative precept to this purpose, Eph. iv. 30. µ, duwues e, wv,c as s. áymr, Grieve not the Holy Spirit.. Consider who he is, what he bath done for you,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=