munication under the Old Testament, the Mystery of the Father and the Son, and the matter of Commiffion and Delegation being then not fo clearly discovered, Ifa. 32. 15. until the spirit be powred on us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest; that is, 'till the Gentiles be called, and the Jews rejected; and Chap. 43. 3. I will powr out my Spirit upon thy feed, and my bleffing upon thy off-spring; that eminent place of Zach.12.10. is always in our thoughts. Now this expreffion, as is known, is taken from the allufion of the Spirit unto Water; and that in relation to all the uses of Water both Natural and Typical; a particular relation of them, I cannot now infifton; perhaps efficacy and plenty are chiefly intended.

S. 21. Now this threefold expreffion of giving, fending and powring out the fpirit, gives us the three great Properties of the Covenant of Grace.

1. That it is free, he is given.

2. That it is orderly; ordered in all things and fure; from the love of the Father, by the procurement of the Son; and thence is that variety of expreffion, of the Father's fending him, and the Son's fending him from the Father, he being the gift of the Father's love, and the purchase of the blood of the Son.

3. The Efficacy of it, as was laft obferved. And this is the fecond thing confiderable.

§. 22. The Third, which is our receiving him, I fhall fpeak more briefly of. That which I first propofed, of the Spirit confidered as a Spirit of Sanctification, and a Spirit of Confolation, is here to be minded. Our receiving of him, as a Spirit of Sanctification, is a meer paffive reception, as a Veffel receives Water. He comes as the Wind on Ezekiel's dead bones, and makes them live. He comes into dead hearts and quickens them, by an act of his Almighty Power; but now as he is the Spirit of Confolation, it is otherwife; in this fenfe our Saviour tells us that the world cannot receive him, John 14. 17. the world receiveth

ceiveth him not, because it fees him not, nor knows him, but ye know him, for be dwelleth with you, and abideth in you. That it is the Spirit of Confolation, or the Spirit for Confolation, that here is promifed, is evidont from the clofe of the Verfe, where he is faid, then to be in them, when he is promifed to them. He was in them as a Spirit of quickning and Sanctification, when promised to them as a Spirit of Confolation, to abide with them for that purpofe. Now the power that is here denied to be in the World, with the reafon of it, that they cannot receive him, because they know bim not, is afcribed to Believers; they can receive him, because they know him. So that there is an active power to be put forth in his reception for Confolation, tho not in his reception for Regeneration and Sanctification. And this is the power of Faith, fo Gal.3.2. they received the Spirit by the bearing of faith; the Preaching of the Gofpel begetting faith in them, enabled them to receive the Spirit. Hence believing is put as the qualification of all our receiving the Holy Ghoft, John 7. 39. this he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him fhould receive: It is Believers that thus receive the Spirit; and they receive him by Faith. Now there are Three special acts of Faith, whereby it goes forth in the receiving of the Spirit. Í fhall but name them.

§. 23. 1. It confiders the Spirit in the Oeconomy before defcribed, as promifed. It is Faith alone,that makes profit of the benefit of the Promifes, Heb. 4. 2. now he is called the Spirit of that promife, Eph. 2. 13. the Spirit that in the Covenant is promifed, and we receive the promife of the fpirit through faith, Gal.3.14. fo that the receiving of the Spirit through Faith, is the receiving of him as promifed: Faith eyes the Promise of God, and of Jefus Chrift, of fending the Spirit for all thofe ends that he is defired; thus it depends, waits, mixing the Promise with it felf, until it receive him.

2. By Prayer; He is given as a spirit of Supplication, that we may ask him as a Spirit of Confolation, Luke

11.13.

11. 13. and indeed this asking of the Spirit of God, in the Name of Chrift, either directly or immediately, or under the Name of fome Fruit and Effect of him, is the chiefest Work of Faith in this World.

3. It cherisheth him, by attending to his Motions, improving his actings according to his Mind and Will : Which is all I fhall fay to this third Thing, or our receiving of the Spirit, which is fent of Jefus Chrift; we do it by Faith, looking on him as purchased by Jefus Chrift, and promised of the Father, we feek him at the Hands of God, and do receive him:

S. 24. 4. The next confiderable thing, is his abode with us; now this is two ways expreffed in the Scripture. 1. In General as to the Thing it felf, it is said he fhall abide with us. 2. In Particular as to the Manner of its abiding, it is by Inhabitation or indwelling. Of the Inhabitation of the Spirit, I have fpoken fully elsewhere. Nor fhall I now infift on it: Only whereas the Spirit, as hath been obferved, is confidered as a Spirit of Sanctification, or a Spirit of Confolation: He is faid to dwell in us chiefly or perhaps folely, as he is a Spirit of Sanctification; which is evident from the Work he doth, as indwelling ; He quickneth and fanctifieth, Rom. 8. 11. and the manner of his indwelling, as in a Temple, which he makes Holy thereby, 2 Cor. 6. and his permanency in his fo doing, which, as is evident, relates to Sanctification only: But yet the general Notion of it in abiding, is afcribed to him as a Comforter, Joh. 14. 16. He shall abide with you for ever; now all the difficulty of this Promife, lies in this, that whereas the Spirit of Sanctification dwells in us al ways, and it is therefore impoffible that we fhould loofe utterly our Holiness; whence is it, that, if the Comforter abide with for ever, we may yet utterly loofe our Comfort? A little to clear this in our passage.

S. 25. 1. He is promifed to abide with the Difciples for ever, in Oppofition to the abode of Chrift: Chrift in the Flefb, had been with them for a little while, and

now

now was leaving them, and going to his Father. He had been the Comforter immediately himself for a feason, but is now upon his departing; wherefore promifing them another Comfort, they might fear that he would even but vifit them for a little feafon alfo, and then their Condition would be worfer then ever. Nay but faith our Saviour fear it not, this is the last Difpenfation: There is to be no Alteration, when I am gone, the Comforter is to do all the remaining Work: There is not an another to be looked for, and I promise you him; nor fhall he depart from you, but always abide with you.

§. 26. 2. The Comforter may always abide with us, though not always Comfort us, He who is the Comforter may abide, though he do not always that Work: For other ends and purposes he is always with us, as to Saniti fy and make us Holy. So was the cafe with David, Pfal. 51. 11, 12. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me, the Holy Spirit of Sanctification was ftill with David, but faith he, reftore unto unto me the Joy of thy Salvation, that is, the Spirit of Confolation; that was loft, when the Promise was made good in the abode of the other.

S. 27. 3. The Comforter may abide as a Comforter, when he doth not actually Comfort the Soul; In truth, as to the Effence of Holiness, he cannot dwell in us, but withal he must make us Holy, for the Temple of God is Holy; but as to his Comforting, his actings therein, are all of his Sovereign will, fo that he may abide, and yet not actually comfort us.

S. 28. 4. The Spirit often Works for it, and and tenders Confolation to us, when we do not receive it; the Well is nigh, and we fee it not: We refufe to be comforted; I told you that the Spirit as a Sanctifier comes with Power to con quer an unbelieving Heart; the Spirit as a Comforter comes with fweetness to be received in a believing Heart; He Speaks and we believe not that it is bis Voice; he tenders the things of confolation and we receive them not: My fore ran (faith David,) and my Soul refufed to be comforted.

§. 29.

S. 29. 5. I deny that ever the Holy Spirit doth absolutely and univerfally leave a believing Soul without Confolation: A Man may be darkned, clouded, refufe comfort, Actually find none, feel none, but radically he hath a Foundation of Confolation, which in due time will be drawn forth. And therefore when God promises that he will heal Sinners and restore comfort to them, as Ifa. 57. 17. it is not that they were without any, but that they had not fo much as they needed, that that Promife is made. To infift on the feveral ways whereby Men refufe comfort, and come fhort of the ftrong Confolation, which God is willing that we should receive, is not my Purpose at present. Thus then the Spirit being fent, and given, abideth with the Souls of Believers: Leavs them not, though he varioully manifeft himself in his Operations: Of which in the next place.

CHA P. II.

Of the Actings of the Holy Ghost in us being bestowed on us. He worketh effectually, Diftributeth, Giveth.

Aving thus declared, from whence, and how the Holy Ghoft is given unto us as a Spirit of Confolation; I come in the next place to declare what are his actings in us, and towards us, being fo bestowed on us, and received by us. Now here are two general Heads to be confidered; 1. The Manner and Kind of his actings in us, which are variously expreffed and 2. The particular products of his actings in our Souls, wherein we have Communion with him. The first is variously expressed: I fhall pass through them briefly.

S. 2. 1. He is faid vegyer to Work effectually, i Car. 12. 11. all these worketh or effecteth that one and self fame Spirit: it is spoken there indeed in refpect of his diftribution of Gifts: But the way is the fame for the

Com