each P E R S O N dif$inc`tly. L4°57 to improve them all to the end aimed at, as coming from him, who is fa loving and kind, and tender tous, we have communion with him. This is that which is intended. Every gracious ailing of the bleffed Spirit in and towards our fouls, is conflantly by faith to be confidered as coming from him in a peculiar manner : his mind, his good-will, is to be obferved therein. Hence care and diligence for the improvement of every motion of his will arife, the4fe'reverence of his pretence with us, with due fpiritual regard to his holinafs doth enfúe, and our fouls are wonted to intercourte with him. t5.] The third caution concerns him, and his work, in the difpenfatiod of that great ordinance of the. word. Stephen tells the Jews, AR. vii. 51. that they refilled the Holy Ghoft; how did they do it? Why, as their fa- thers did it: as your fathers did, fo do ye. How did ,their fathers refill the Holy Ghoul ? Ver. 52. They perfecuted the prophets and lino them; their oppofition to the prophets in preaching thegofpel, or their Ihewing Of the coming of the ,lull one, was, their refitting of the Holy Ghoft: Now the Holy Ghoft is Paid to be refitted in the contempt of the preach- ingof the word, becaufe the gift of preaching of it is from lastn. The ma- nifèfÉation of the Spirit is given to profit, h Cor. xii. 6. Hence when our Saviour promifeth the Spirit to his difciptes, to be preterit with them for the convi@ton of the world; he tells them, he will give them a mouth and wifdom, which their adverfaries than not be able to gainfay, nor_ refift, Luke xx. 16. concerning which, in the acconiplithment of it in Stephen, it is laid, that they were not able to refill the Spirit by which he fpake, Ad. vi. to. The Holy. Ghoft then letting up a miniftry in the Church, feparáting merf- thereto, furnithing themwith gifts and abilities for the difpenfation of the void j the not obeying of that word, oppofìiag of it not falling down before it, is called'refifting of the Holy Ghoft: This in the examples of the wickednefs of others are we cautioned againft: And this enwraps the thirdgeneral rule of our communion with the HolyGhoft, in the difpenfation of the word of the gofpel, the authority, wifdom and goodnefs-of the Holy Ghoft, irí furnithing men with gifts for that end, and purpofe, and his pretence with therm, as to the vertue thereof, is to be eyed; and fubjeetion given unto it on tic t account.. On this reafon, I fay, on this ground,. is obedience to be yielded to the word, in the minifterial difpenfation thereof; becaufe the Holy Ghoft, and the alone, doth furnifh with gifts to that end and purpofe. When this confiderationcaufeth us to fall low before the word, then have we communion with the Holy Ghoft in that ordinance. But this is commonly fpoken unto. kkkkk CHAP.
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