[398] Of COMMUNïON' with with wehave to do, pretends the carrying men above fuels low and con- temptible means of communionwith God. In a word, it were a very eafy and facile task to pafs through all of theeminent effects of the Holy Ghoft, in and towards believers ; and to manifelt,that the pretending fpirit of our days comes in a direct oppofition and contradiftion to every one of them. Thus bath fatan paffed from one extream to another, from a bitter wretch- ed oppofition to the Spirit of Chrift, unto a turfed pretending to the Spi- rit, (till to the fame end and purpofe. I might give fundry other inftances of rite contempt or abufe of the di- fpenfation of the Spirit. Thofe mentioned are the extreams whereunto all other are, or may be reduced; and I will not farther divert from that which lyesdireftly in my aim. ,AAAAtA#A.M.áeäA4.f,.A9..AAA:SäeQäA4äë.áääçAäP4eg fififfiiffivi'ifiififéitiv6fi'v6iffiilféc'vï CHAP. VI. Ofparticular communionwith the Holy Ghoft. Ofpreparation thereunto; . valuation of the benefits we receive by him; what it is he comforts us in, and againft ; wherewith; bow. HE way being thus made plain for us, I come to fhew howwe I hold particular communion with the Holy Glioft, as he is pro- ,/ mifed of Chrift to he our Comforter, and as working out our Má confolation by the means formerly inflted on. Now the frft thing I (hall do herein, is the propofal of that, which may be fome preparation to the duty under confideration', and this by leading the fouls of believers to a due valuation of this work of his, towards us, whence he is called our Comforter. To raife up our hearts to this frame, and fit us for the duty intended, let us confider thefe three things. s. What it is he comforts us againft. 2. Wherewith he comforts us. 3. The principle of all his alings, and operations in us for ourcon- folation. r. There are three things in the whole courfe of our pilgrimage, that the confolations of the Holy Ghoft are ufeful and neceltary in. (a.) In our afiliftions. AfhiAion is part of the provtfion that God hath made in his houfe for his children, Heb. xii. g, 6. The great variety of its caufes, means, ufes, and effefls, is generally known. There is a area- lure of them appointed for every one. To be wholly without them is a temptation, and fo in fame meafure an aflliftion. That which lain to (peak unto you is, that in all our afiliftions, we need trio confolations of the Holy Ghoft. It is the nature of man to relieve lumfelf, when he is en- tangled, by all ways and means. According as mros natural fpirits are, fo do they manage themfelves under peelfares. The fpirit of a onan will bear his infirmity; at leafs it will ftruggle with it. There are two great evils, one of which does generally feize on men under their afflidions, and keep them from a due management ofthem. The apofile mentioneth them both, Heb. xii. $. MR t wm8u lt O e+ ssBE tamieEre' áorr6 d eIXdus, , defp:fe not the chaflifiment of the Lord, neither
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