.... ;68 Of Comm u N T o N With dernefs, in the fadeft condition, there it will flay until Chrift come for to take it up ; until it can come forth leaning upon him, Cant. viii. 5. The many in{tancesof this that the book of Canticles affords us, we have in part fpoken of before. This doth he who hathcommunion with Chrift ; -he watcheth diligently over his own heart, that nothing creep into its affe&i- ons to give it any peace or eít.blilhment before God, but Chrift only. When ever that queftion is to be anfwered, Wherewith flwll I come before the Lord, and appear before the high God ? He cloth not gather up, this or that I will do, or here and there I will watch and amend my ways; but inftantly he cries, In the Lord Jefus, have I(a) righteoufnefs. All my de- fire is to be found in him, not having on my own righteofnefs. (2.) In cherilhing that fpirit, that holy comforter which Christ fends to us; to abide with us in his room, and {lead, he tells us that he fends him to that purpofe, job. xvi. 7. he gives lritn to us, hicariarn navare opecam, faith Tertadlian, to abide with us for ever, for all thofe ends and purpofes which he hath to fulfil towards us, and upon us ; he gives him to dwcll in us, to keep us and preferve us blainelefs for himfelf; his nerve is in him, and with him ; and it is upon his account that whatcve' is done to any of Chriff's, is done to him, becaufe it is done to there in whom he is and dwells by his fpirit. Now herein do the faints p cícrve their conjugal af- fedtions entire to Clarift, that they labour by all means not to grieve his holy fpirit, which he hath fent in his Read to abide with them. 'diets the apoftle puts them in mind of, Eph. iv. go. Grieve not the holy fpirit. Therebe two main ends for which Chrift fends his fpirit to believers. Fir/(, For their fanftification. Secondly, For their confolation, to which two all the particular alts of purging, teaching, anointing, and the reft that are afcribed to him may be referr'd. So there be two ways whereby we may grieve him. [i.] In refped of fanftification. [2.] In refpeft of confolation. [v.] In refpeft of fanftification; lie is the fpirit of holinefs; holy in himfelf, and the author of holinefsi in us, he works it in us, 'Tit. hi. 5. and he perfuades us to it, by thofe motions of his which are not quench- ed (b). Now this in the aft place grieves the fpirit,. when he is carrying on in us, and for us, a work fo infinitely for our advantage, and without which we cannot fee God, that we Ihould run crois to him in ways of un- holinefs, pollution, and defilement. So the connexion of the words in the place before mentioned manifefts, Eph. iv. 28, 29, go, 3i. and thence doth Paul bottom his powerful and molt effedtual perfuahon untoholinefs, even from the abode and indwelling of this holy fpirit with us, 1 Cor. in. 16, 17. indeed what can grieve a loving and tender friend more than to oppofe him and flight him, when he is molt intent about our good; and that a good of the greateft confequence to us? In this then believersmake it their bufinefs to keep their hearts loyal and their affedlions chalk to Jefus Chrift. They labour inflantly not to grieve the holy fpirit by loufe and foolish, by carelefs and negligent walking, which he bath fent to dwell and abide with them. Therefore. (hall no auger, wrath, malice, envy dwell in their hearts, becaufe they are contrary to the holy meek fpirit of Chrift, which he bath given to dwell with them. They attend to his motions, make ufe of his aflìltance, improve his gifts, and nothing lies more upon their fpirits, than that they may walk worthy of the pretence of this holy fob - ftitute of the Lord Jefus Chrift. (a) itt. xiv, 24. Phil. iii. 9. Heb. ii. , 4. (5) Theft. y. ,9.
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