36 DISCOURSES ON TLIE how great your concern is in his continuance with you ; fects. But that which is denoted, when it is said togrieve and, withal, that he is a free, infinitely wise and holy a- him, is unkindness, or that defect of an answerable love gent, in all that he cloth, who came freely unto you, and unto the fruits and testimonies of his love which wehave can withdraw fromyou, and grieve him not. It is. the received, that it is accompanied withal. He is the Spirit person of the Holy Spirit that is intended in the words, of love, he is love. All his acting towards us, and in us, as appears, (i.) From the manner of the expression, are fruits of lave, and they all of leave an impres- re w,s /sa s, ay,e,, that .110 Spirit. (.2.) By the work sion of lave upon our souls. All the joys and consols- assigned=unto -him ; for by him we are sealed unto the tion we are madepartakers ofin this world, arise from a dayofredemption; him we are not to grieve. The ex- sense of the love of God, communicatedin an endearing pression seems to be borrowed from Isa. lxiii. IO. where way of love unto our souls. This requires a return of mention is made of the sin and evil here prohibited, love and delight in all duties of obedience on our part. m5naM t rn,mrnai but they rebelled, and vexed the When, instead hereof, by our negligence and careless- Holy Spirit, tut, is to trouble and togrieve, and is used ness, -or otherwise, we fall into those things or ways which when it is done to a great degree. The LXX render it he most abhors, he greatly respects the unkindness and here by aagógu, , which is so togrieve, as also to irritate ingratitude which is therein, and is therefore said to be and provoke to anger and indignation, because it hash grieved by us. respect unto therebellions of the people in the Wilder- 2. Disappointment in expectation. It is known that ness, which our apostle expresseth by r tuw,aga4a and no disappointment properly can befal the Spirit of God. +,ragaeaagaeCes, words of the same signification. To vex, It is utterly inconsistent with his prescience and omni- therefore, is the heightening ofgrieving by a provoca, science. But we are disappointed, when things fall not tion unto anger and indignation; which sense is suited out according as we justly expected they would, in au- to the place and matter treated of, thought he word sig- swer unto the means used by us for their accomplishment. nify no more but to grieve, Gen. xlv. b. 1 Kings xix. 2. And when the means that God useth towards. us, do not, Now, grief is here ascribed unto the Holy Spirit, as by reason of our sin, produce the effect they are suited it is elsewhere unto God absolutely, Gen. vi. g. It re- unto, God proposeth himself as under a disappointment. pented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and' So he speaksof his vineyard, Ilooked that itshould bring it grieved him at his heart. Such affections and pertur- forthgrapes, and it broughtforthwild grapes, lea. v. 2. butions of mind are not ascribed untoGodor the Spirit Now, disappointment causeth grief.: As when a father but metaphorically. That intended, in such ascriptions, bath used all means for the education of a child in any is to give us an apprehension of things as we are able honest way or course, and expended much of hisestate to receive it, And the measurewe take of them is their therein, ifhe, through dissoluteness or idleness, fail his stature and effects inourselves. What may justlygrieve expectation, and disappoint him, it fills him with grief a good man, and what he will do when he is unjustly or They are great things which are done for us by the undeservedly grieved, represent unto us what we are to . Spirit of God. These, all of then, have their tendency understand of our own condition with respect unto the unto an increase in -holiness, light, and love. Where Holy .Ghost, when he is said tobe grieved by us. And they are not answered, where there is not a suitable el grief, in the sense here intended, is a troubleof mind a- feet, there is that disappointment that causeth grief. E- rising from an apprehension of unkindness not deserved, specially is this so with respect untosome signal mercies. of disappointments not expected, on the account of a A return in holy obedience is justly expected on their near concernment in those by whom we are grieved. account. And where this is not, it is a thing causing «1e may therefore see hence, what it is we are warn- grief. This are we hereminded of, Grieve not theSpirit ed of, when we are enjoined not to grieve the Holy wherebyye are sealed unto the day of redemption. So Spirit: As, great a kindness should have produced other effects, 1. There must be unkindness in what we do. Sin bath than those there 'mentioned by the apostles. various respects towards God, of guilt and filth, and the 3. The concernment of the Holy Spirit in us concur like. 'These several considerations ofit have severaleta to his being said to be grievedby us. l'or we aregrieve
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