Preston - BX9318 P725 1633

The boarineo f fortifacatiosl 33 grace, thenhow is it in ourpower toget him e To this Ianfwer, howfoeverI grant that the Spi ; rit is theagentatnd worker of every grace, yet I fay, theremaybee fuch means ufed byus, whereby wee may obtayne the Spirit andtherefore the Apoftle faith, Rorn.8 . i 3. Ifyou live after the flefh youfhalldye, braif you morti.fie the deeds of the fief") you (hall live : whichmuffbee done by.the Spirit ; for theApoftle makes us the Agents, and the Spirit the Inílrument ; whereby hee fhewes us thus much, that it is poflible not onely toget the Spirit, but alfo have theworke of theSpirit afcribeduntous. Now as there is ameanes to get theSpirit, fo alfo x" the 3Q rit may bee there is a meanes to hindertheSpirit ; fo that the Spi- wonor loft:. ritmaybewon orloll, eitherby thedoing or the not doingof thefethreethings Firíl, ifthouwouldefthave the Spirit, then thou muff knowthe Spirit ; that is, fo to know him as to give him thegloryof theworkeof every grace ; for how(hall weegive the Spirit the glory ofeverygrace ifwee knownot the Spirit ? And therefore our Savi- our makes the want of the knowledge of the Spirit the reafon that mendoe not receive the Spirit ; zoh. Iq.. I 7. Imillfenduntoyou the Comforter,whom theworld cannot receive, becaufe they knowhim not : that is, the worldknoweth not the precioufnef 'e of the Spirit., therefore they lightly efteeme ofhim ; but youknow him, and the excellencyofhim, thereforeyouhighly efteeme of him : The firflmeanes then to have the Spirit, is, Labour toknow theSpirt, that youmay givehim theglory ofeverygrace. Secondly, if thou wouldeft have tee Spirit, then z 4,4' °°t

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=