374 Of COMMUNIOaT with nite and ineffable condefcenfion being eyed by faith, as the foundation of all thofe effects, which he works in us, and privileges whereof by him we are made partakers, our fouls are peculiarly converfant with him, and their delires, affections, and thankfulnefs, terminated in him: of which more afterwards. This is the hrft thing confiderable in our communion with the Holy Ghoft. a.) The manner of his collaion, or bellowing ; or the manner of his communication unto us from this fountain is herein alfo confide - cable, and it is varioufly expreffed to denote three things. O. The freenefs of it : thus he is faid to be given, Joh. xiv. 16. the fball give you another comforter ; I need not multiply places to this pur- pole : the moft frequent adjimd of the communication of the Spirit is this, that he is given, and received as of gift, He will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. That which is of gift is free, the fpirit of grace is givenof grace ; and not only the fpirit of fandification, or the fpirit to fanttify and convert us, is a gift of free grace, but in the fence whereof we fpeak in refpe& of confolation he is of gift alfo; he is promifed to be given unto believers: (a) Hence the Spirit is faid to be received by the gofpel, not by the law, Gal. Hi, a. that is, of meer grace, and not of our own procuring. And all lais workings are called xp au«Tx free donati- ons. He is freely bellowed and freely works : and the different meal-limes wherein he is received for thofe ends and purpofes of confolation which we f1aallConfider, by believers, which are great, various and unexprcliiblc, arife from hence, that we have him by donation, or free gift. And this is the tenoue whereby we hold and enjoy him : a tenour of free donation. So is he to be eyed, fo to be asked, fo to be received. And this al,o faith takes in, and cloletit withal, in our communion with the comforter. The conjunction and accord of his will, with the gift of Father and Son : the one refpecling the diftind operation of the deity in the perfon of the Holy Ghoft ; the other the economy of the whole Trinity, in the work of our falvation by Jefus Cltrift. Here the foul rejoiceth itlelf in the coin- forter ; that the is willing to come to him, that he is_willing to be given him. And feeing all is will and gift, grace is magnified on this account. (a. The authority of it ; thence he is Paid to be feat ; chap. xiv. 26. The Father willfend him in mynaine : and chap. xv. s6. Iwill fendhim untoyou from the Father, and him will Ifend toyou, chap. xvi. 17. This million of theHoly Ghoft by theFather and the Son, as it anfwers the or- der of the perfons fubfiftence in the bleffed Trinity, and lais proceffion from theta both, fo the order voluntarily engaged in by them, for the accom- plifhntent, as was faid, of the workof our falvation. There is in it, in a moll fpecial manner, the condefcenfion of the Holy Ghoft, in lais love to us, to the authoritative delegation of Father and Son in this bufinefs ; which argues not a difparity, diffimilitude, or inequality of effence, but of office, in this work it is tite office of the Holy Ghoft to be an advocate for us, and a comforter to us; in which refpelt, not abfolutely, he is thus lent authoritatively by Father and Son. It is a known maxim, that inegaalitaa affìcii non tollit equalitatem nature : this fubjedion, if I may fo call it, or inecualityin refped ofoffice, doth no ways prejudice the equality ofnature, which he bath with Father and Son, no more than the millionof the Son by theFather loth his. And (a) Nebem. ix. 2o. Joh, sty. /6. Sii. 39. sx. 22. Ails ii 28. V.32. viii. 15. x 47. xv. 8, six. z. Rom. v, 5 1 Cor. ü. 1,. vi. sq, 011. 7. v Thee iv. 8. c Joh. iv. 14.
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