duced; and I will not farther divert from that which lies directly in my aim. CHAP. VI. Of Particular Communion with the Holy Ghost. Of preparation thereunto: Valuation of the Benefits we received by him: What it is be comforts us in, and against: Wherewith,How. TH HE way being thus made plain for us, I come to fhew how we hold particular Communion with the Holy Ghoft, as he is Promised by Chrift to be our Comforter, and as working out our Confolation by the means formerly infifted on. Now, the first thing I fhall do herein, is the propofal of that, which may be fome preparation to the Duty under confideration; and this by leading the Souls of Believers, to a due valuation of this Work of his, towards us, whence he is called our Comforter. §. 2. To raife up our Hearts to this frame, and fit us for the Duty intended, let us confider these three things. 1. First, What it is he Comforts us against. 2. Secondly, Wherewith be Comforts us. 3. Thirdly, The principle of all his actings, and Operations in us for our Confolation. 1. There are three Things in the whole Courfe of our Pilgrimage, that the Confolations of the Holy Ghoft are ufeful and neceffary in. 1. First, In our Afflictions. Affliction is part of the Provifion that God hath made in his Houfe for his Children, Heb. 12. 5, 6 The great variety of its causes, means, ufes, and effects, is generally known. There is a measure of them appointed for every one. To be wholly without them is a Temptation, and fo in fome meafure an Affliction. That which I am to speak unto is, that in all our Afflictions, we need the Confolations of the Holy Holy Ghoft. It is the nature of man to relieve himfelt, when he is entangled, by all ways and means. According as mens natural spirit are, fo do they mannage themselves under preffures. The fpirit of a man will bear his infirmity; at least it will strugle with it. There are two great evils, one of which does generaly feife on men under their Afflictions, and keep them from a due management of them. The Apostle mentioneth them both, Heb, 12. 5. Μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας Κυεία, μηδὲ ἐκλύο τα auto inexoμer, defpife not the chaftifment of the Lord, neither faint when thou art reproved. One of thefe extreams do men ufually fall into; either they defpife the Lords correction, or fink under it. Firft. Men defpife it. They account that which befalls them to be a light or common thing. They take no notice of God in it. They can fhift with it well enough: they look on inftruments, fecond caufes, provide for their own defence and vindication, with little regard to God, or his hand in their affliction. And the ground of this is, because they take in fuccours in their trouble, that God will not mix his grace withall. They fix on other remedies, than what he hath appointed, and utterly loose all the benefits and advantage of their affliction. And fo fhall every man do that relieves himself from any thing, but the confolations of the Holy Ghost. 2. Secondly, Men Faint and fink under their trials, and afflictions, Which the Apostle farther reproves, verf. 12. The first defpife the affiftance of the Holy Ghoft through pride of heart; the latter refufe it through dejectedness of fpirit, and fink under the weight of their troubles. And who almost is there, that offends not on one of these hands? Had we not learned to count light of the chastisements of the Lord, and to take little notice of his dealings with us, we should find the season of our Afflictions to comprize no fmall portion of our Pilgrimage. S. 5. Now there is no due management of our fouls under any affliction, fo that God may have the glory of Hh it it; and our felves any fpiritual benefit or improvement thereby, but by the Confolations of the Holy Ghoft. All that our Saviour promifeth his Difciples, when he tells them of the great trials and tribulations they were to undergo, is, I will send you the fpirit, the Comforter, he fhall give you Peace in me, when in the World ye shall have trouble. He fhall guide, and direct, and keep you in all your Tryals. And fo the Apostle tells us it came to pafs, 2 Cor.1.4,5,6. Yea, and this under the greatest afflitions will carry the foul to the higheft joy, peace, rest and contentment. So the fame Apoftle, Rom.5.3. We glory in tribulations. It is a great expreffion. He had faid before, that we gloried in the hope of the glory of God, verfe 2. Yea, but what if manifold afflictions and tribulations befal us? even, in them alfo we glory, faith he, We glory in our tribulations. But whence is it that our fpirits are fo born up, to a due management of afflictions, as to glory in them in the Lord? He tells us, verfe 5. It is from the fhedding abroad of the love of God in our hearts by the Holy Ghoft. And thence are Believers faid to receive the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghoft, 1 Thef.1.6. And to take joyfully the Spoiling of their Goods. This is that I aim at, There is no management, nor improvement of any affliction, but meerly and folely by the Confolations of the Holy Ghoft. Is it then of any esteem or value unto you, that you lofe not all your Tryals, Temptations and Afflictions? learn to value that whereby alone they are rendred useful. §. 6. 2. Sin is the fecond burthen of our lives, and much the greatest ; Unto this, is this Confolation peculiarly fuited: So Heb. 6.17, 18. an Allufion is taken from the manflayer under the Law, who having killed a man at unawares, and brought the guilt of his blood upon himself, fled with speed for his deliverance to the City of Refuge our great and only refuge from the guilt of fin, is the Lord Jefus Chrift, in the flying to him doth the Spirit administer confolation to us. A fenfe of fin fills the heart heart with troubles and difquietnefs; it is the Holy Ghost, which gives us peace in Chrift. That gives an apprehenafion of wrath, the Holy Ghost sheds abroad the Love of God in our hearts. From thence doth Satan, and the Law accnfe us, as objects of Gods hatred, the spirit bears witnefs with our fpirits, that we are the Children of God. There is not any one engine or inftrument, that fin ufeth, or fets up against our peace, but one effect or other of the Holy Ghoft towards us, is fuited and fitted to the cafting of it down. S. 7. In the whole courfe of our obedjence are his confolations neceffary also, That we may go through with it cheerfully, willingly, patiently to the end. This will afterwards be more fully difcovered as to particulars, when I come to give directions for our communion with this blessed Comforter. In a word, in all the concernments of this life, and in our whole expectation of another, we ftand in need of the confolations of the Holy Ghost. §. 8. Without them, we shall either despise afflictions, or faint under them, and God be neglected, as to his intendments in them. Without them, fin will cither harden us to a contempt of it, or caft us down to a neglect of the remedies, graciously provided against it. Without them, Duties will either puff us up with pride, or leave us without that sweetness which is in new obedience. Without them, profperity will make as carnal, fenfual, and fo take upour contentment in these things, and gutterly weaken us for the trials of adverfity. Without them, the comforts of our Relations, will separate us from God, and the lofs of them make our hearts as Nabal's. Without them, the calamity of the Church will overwhelm us; and the profperity of the Church will not concern us. Hh 2 Without Without them, we shall have wisdom for no work, Peace in no condition, ftrength for no duty, fuccefs in no tiial, joy in no state, no comfort in life, no light in death. §. 9. Now our Afflictions, our fins, and our obedience, with the Attendencies of them refpectively, are the great concernments of our lives; what we are, in reference unto God, is comprized in them, and the due management of them, with their contraries, which come under the fame rule; Through all thefe, doth there run a line of confolation from the Holy Ghoft, that gives us a joyful issue throughout: How fad is the condition of poor fouls deftitute of thefe confolations? What poor shifts are they forced to betake themselves unto? what Giants have they to encounter in their own strength? and whether they are conquered, or feem to conquer, they have nothing but the mifery of their trials. 2. The fecond thing confiderable, to teach us to put a due valuation on the confolations of the Holy Ghoft, is, the matter of them, or that wherewith he comforts us. Now this may be referred to the two heads, that I have formerly treated of: the Love of the Father, and the Grace of the Son. All the confolations of the Holy Ghost confift in his acquainting us with and communicating unto us, the Love of the Father, and the Grace of the Son: nor is there any thing in the one or the other, but he makes it a matter of confolation to us; fo that indeed we have our commuuion with the Father in his Love, and the Son in his Grace, by the operation of the Holy Ghost. §. 11. 1. First, He communicates to us, and acquaints us with the Love of the Father. Having informed his Difciples with that ground and foundation of their confolation, which by the comforter they should receive; our bleffed Saviour, John 16. 27. fhuts up all in this, The Father himself loveth you: This is that which the Comforter is given to acquaint us withal; even that God is the Father. aid that he loves us. In particular, that the Father the first Perfon in Trinity, confidered fo diftinctly, loves us. On |