germ. CXCVIII.for obtaining the Holy Spirit. 651 (3.) God hath a nearer and more intimate relation to us , than our earthly Pa- rents, and is more concerned for our happinefs. Our. earthly Parents are but the Fathers ofour flefhh, as the Aponte fpeaks, Heb. 12. 9. but God is the Father ofour Spirits. Nay, in refpeft ofour veryBodies , God bath the greateft hand in fra= ring of us ; 'tis he who made us in fecret, and curioufly wrought us in the loweft parts of the earth ; in his Book all our members were written, which in continuance were fafhioned, Pfal. 539: 55, 56. fo that we being God's Creatures, cur Bodies the work of his Hands, and our Souls the breath of his Mouth , God is more our Father :than he that begat us, and having a nearer and ftronger relation to us, hath a greater care and concernment for our happinefs. So that ifour earthly Parents, who are many times indigent and ill-natur'd, and are but the Fathers of our flefh, and that but as fecond caufes in fubordination to God , the principal Author of our beings, I fay, if they will givegood things to their children; howmuch more fhall our heavenly Father, who is the Fountain of all good, and goodnefs it felf, who is our Creator, theFramer ofour Bodies, and the Father ofour Spirits, be more ready to beftow on us the belt things we can beg ofhim. 2. Let us compare likewife temporal and fpiritual good things ; in which terms you have the Gifts compared together. Now there are two Confiderations be- longing to a Gift,. which are apt to move and incline a Perfon to beftow it ; if it be fuch as is neceffary, or veryconvenient for the Perfon on whom it isbeftowed ; and if it be fuch as the Perfon that beftows it takes great pleafure and delight in the imparting of it. (5.) If it be fuch as is neceffary, or very convenient for thofe on whom it is be- flowed. Such is bread which earthlyParents give their Children ; but that is only neceffary to the Body, and for the fupport of this frail and temporal life : but the Holy Spirit ofGod is neceffary to the life and health of our Souls, to our eternal life and happinefs. Now our Soul beingour felves , and eternity the molt confi- derable duration, God's Holy Spirit is confequently much more neceffary and con- venient for us; than any thing that our earthly Parents can give us (2.) TheSpirit of God is fuch a Gift as he takes thegreateft pleafure and de- light in the imparting and bellowing ofit. What can be more acceptable to Godi than that hisChildren fhould be made partakers of his own Divine nature, and Con- formed to his Image, than that we fhould be holy as God is holy, and renewedafter the image of him that bath created us in righteoufnefs and true holinefs? than that human nature fhould be reftored to its primitive Perfeftion and Dignity, and reco- vered to that {late in which it came out of God's hands ? than to fee theruin and 'decay ofhis own workmanfhip repaired ; and his Creatures, that were become mi- ferableby the temptation of the Devil, reftored to happinefs by the operationof the Holy Spirit of God ? And this is the proper workof the Spirit of God upon theminds ofMen, to fan- &ifie and renew us, and (as the Apoftle expreffeth it) to createus again unto good works, to make uspartakers of bis own holinefs, and to rettore our Souls to that condition that his Soul may have pleafure inus, What can we imagine more accep- table to God, than that Men fhould be brought to this happy Efate and temper? A Child does not pleafe his Father fo much when he delires to be inftrufed by, him in learning and virtue, as we pleafe God when we afk his Holy Spirit of him : for nothing can be more pleating to him , than to beftow this heft of Gifts upon us. So that the wholeforce of the Argument comes to this, That ifwe believe that earthly Parents have any good inclinations toward their Children, and are willing to beftow upon them the neceffaries of life, we have much more reafon tobelieve that God our Heavenly Father is much more ready to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him; whether we confider the quality of the Giver , or thenature of-the " Gift. I fhould now have proceeded to the other particulars whichI propounded i. but I (hall only at prefent make fore fhort refleftions upon what hath already been delivered. 0 o o o 2 What
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