N` Senn. CXCVIII. for obtaining the Holy Spirit. 65o cannot without manifeft force andviolence be refirained only to the regenerate : for then the promife fhould not have run thus, If any man lack wifdom ; but If any man have this fpiritual wifdom already, let him afk more ofGod. You fee then what reafon there is , why this prornife of God's Holy Spirit fhould be un- derftood in the Latitude wherein it is exprefs'd , and not refirained to the regenerate only. Thirdly, Ifby having the Spirit of God, be understood the general and common influence of God's Spirit upon the minds of Men, whereby they ate quickneá and excited to their duty; I grant that no Man that bath not the Spirit ofGod in this fenfe, can pray toGod, or acceptably perform anyiother duty of Religion : and this affertion isvery agreeable to the Phrafeand Language of the holyScriptures, which attribute all good motions and a&ions to the Spirit of God working in us, and aflìfling us ; and in this fenfe unregenerate Men are under the influence of God's Spirit, or elfe they could not be faid to refill it : but they have not the Spirit of God dwelling in them, which is the molt proper fenfeof having the Spirit ofGod, in which fenfe the Apoflle fays, Ifany man have not the Spirit ofCbriff he is none ofhis : but then it is fpecialiy to be noted, that the common and tranfient opera- Lion of God's Spirit, which is preparatory to Converfion and Regeneration and whereby God works in Men a fenfe of fin, and fome inclination and difpofition to goodnefs, is by our Saviour peculiarly attributed to the Father, as his proper work, in which fenfe our Saviour Pays, john. 6: qq. No man can come to me, except the Father , which bath fent nie , draw him. Ver. 45. Every man therefore that bath heard , and learnedof the Father cometh unto me. NowMen are faid to learn of the Father , and to be drawn by him , by thofe preparatory difpofitions for the recei- ving ofthe Chriftian Religion, which were wrought in Men by that natural fenfe of good and evil , which they have by the law of nature, which is properly the Difpenfation of the Father, as being the immediate effe'c of God's Crea- tion , as a late judicious Writer bath very well obferved, and more largely explained. Fourthly, But if by having the Spirit ofGod, be meant the fpeéial effect of Rege= aeration and Sanftification, and the permanent influence and confiant Refidence of God's HolySpirit in good Men, then I make no doubt to fay; that thofe who have not the Spirit ofGod in this fenfe, may alk his Spirit ofhim; that is, thofewhoare not yet regenerate and fanflified, may in an acceptable manner pray toGod to give them hisHolySpirit, tothe purpofes of San&ification and Perfeverance in goodnefs; and they may afk this of God fncerely, earneftly, and in Faith, which are the Qualifications of an acceptable Prayer. And this I think may be evidently made appear, both fromScripture, and by good confequence from theconceffions of all forts ofDivines. s. From Scripture. It is plain that wicked and unregenerate Men are com- manded and required to pray to this purpofe. Not to mention the general com- mands concerning Prayer, which do certainlyoblige unregenerate men, I will pro- duce one plain and undeniable inflance, Alts 8. 22, 23. where St. Peter direls Si- monMagus, whom he exprefly declares to be in an unregenerate fiate, to pray to God for the pardon of his great fin, which certainly he would not have done, had he thought an unregenerate Man could not pray in an acceptable manner; becaufe his counfel would have been to no purpofe: but it is plain that St. Peter was fo far from thinking that an unregenerate Man could not pray acceptably to God, that he gives this as the reafon why he fhould pray; becaufe he was unregenerate; Pray to God, ifperhaps the thought ofthy heart may beforgiven thee : fbr Iperceive that thou art in the gall ofbitternefs, and in the bond ofiniquity. 2. This will appear farther byclear confequence, from the conceffions ofall forts of Divines, and principles granted on all hands. T. 'Tis univerfally granted, that it is a thing verypleating and acceptable to God, that Men fhould pray to be regenerate and fantlified ; fo that the matter of this Prayer is unqueflionablyacceptable. 2. It is likewife granted on all hands , that before a Man is regenerate and fan- ftified, he mull be made fenfible of his evil and finful [late, and of his great need of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=