3 oo Ofthe ordinary influenceoftheHoly Ghofi, VoL l Ia Religion. Not that all Chriftians were endowed with thofe extraordinary gifts, much lets all in an equal degree. But they were diftributed, as St. Paul tells us' in fuch manner and meafure as the Wifdom of God thought fit, and aswas moft for the ufe and edificationof the Church. But all were partakers ofthe Holy Ghoft in refile& ofhis more ordinary influence and affiftance, and this gift all Chriftians receiv'd upon their embracing and owning the Chriftian Religion. Thus Ads 5.32. The Holy Ghofl is faid tobe given by God to them that obey him. And Gal. 3. r4. We are faid to receive the promife of the Spirit through Faith. And Ephef, i. 13. In whom afi after that ye believed, ye were fealed with that Holy Spirit ofpro- mife. And becaufe this Profeffon of Faith was made in Baptifm, whereby Men are folemnly initiated into the Chriftian Religion, hence it is, that this gift of the Holy Ghoft is in Scripturepromifed, and faid to be conferred in Baptifm, Alls z. 38. Then Peterfaid unto them, Repent and be baptized everyone of in the name of fefus Chris', for the remßaon of fins, andye /hall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft. And Heb. 6.4., The Apoftles fpeakinng of thofe who had folemnly taken upon them the profeffion ofChriftianity, he thus defcribes them, Thofe who were once enligghtned, that is, baptized ; (for fo Baptifm is frequently by the Ancients call'd Illumination) thofe who were once baptized, and have tattedof the heavenly gift, "and were made partakers ofthe Holy Ghoft; implying that this Heavenly Gift of God's Holy Spirit was conferr'd upon Chriftians in their Baptifin; and hence it is, that Baptizing with' Water and the Holy Ghoft were frequently put together, Water being the outwardSymbol, and the Holy Ghoft the inward grace, conferred in Baptifin. So likewife the Apoftle joins together the laver of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft, Tit. 3: q. All which confider'd, I cannot imagine why fo great a fcruple fhould be made of thofe exprefíìons which our Church ufeth in the Office of Baptifm of Children ; Being regenerated and born again by Baptifm, and being thereby made the Children of God, andheirs ofeternal life. That is, by entring into this Covenant, they are put into aRate and capacity of all the bleffings of the Gofpel, if they do not ne- gle& the condition which that Covenant requires on their part. For all this is in truth no other but what the Scripture fays ofBaptifm, and afetibes to it, when it calls it, The laver ofregeneration, when it declares the Spirit to be conferred in Baptifm, and when it fays, that as many as are led by theSpirit ofGod, are theSons ofGod, and that the Sons of God, are heirs of eternal life. So that I cannot fee that our Church, in her higheft expreflions concerning the benefits and effe&s of Baptifin, fays any thing but what is very agreeable, both to the expreflions and fenfe ofScripture. And thus not only the ancient Fathers fpake of this matter, but fo likewife do all the Liturgies of the reformed Churches, in the Offices and Forms appointed by them for the Adminiltràtion of Baptifm ; fo that it feems a very affefted fingularityto, take exceptions at fuch expreffionsas have conftantly been, and Rill are generally ufed in all Chriftian Churches. The Third Thing confiderable in the Text is, the particular Time and Seafonof the conferring of this gift of the HolyGhoft; and that was after our Saviour's Afeen- fion into Heaven, and being received up into Glory, implyed in thofe words, The Holy Ghoft was notyet given, becaufe fefus was not yet glorified; fignifying to, us, than this effufion of the Spirit was not to be till after our Saviour's Afcenfion into Heaven. But was not the Holy Ghoft given to the Prophets of old ? And were not good Men in former Ages of the World under the ordinary influence and of&ftance'of the Divine Grace and Spirit ? why is it then faid that the Holy Ghoft was not yet given ? The Anfwer to this is eafile; Than our Saviour here fpeaks of that general and plentiful effufion of the Holy Ghoft which was promifed to the latter days, that is, to the Gofpel Age ; the like to which, both for the univerfal Communication of this gift, and for the extraordinary degree and meafure ofits Participation, had ne- ver been in theWorld before g andofthis it is, that the Evangeliff fpeaks, when he dates the time of it, from after our Saviour's Afcenfion into Heaven. .Now why 4 the
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