in the naked confideration hereof, we can make no other progrefs, than the bare acquiescence of faith in the mystery revealed with the performance of that which is due to the perfon, folely on the account of his participation of the effence, I fhall not at present dwell upon it.

His proceeding mentioned in the place infisted on is his œconomical or difpenfatory proceeding for the carrying on of the work of grace; it is spoken of him in reference to his being sent by Christ after his afcenfion: I will fend him, which proceedeth namely then, when I fend him. As God is faid to arife out of his place, Ifa. xxvi. 21. not in regard of any mutation in him, but of the new work which he would effect; fo it follows, the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth. And it is in reference to a peculiar work that he is faid to proceed, namely to testify of Chrift; which cannot be affigned to him in respect of his eternal proceffion but of his actual difpenfation; as it is faid of Chrift, he came forth from God. The fingle mention of the Father in this place, and not of the Son, belongs to the gradation before mentioned, whereby our Saviour difcovers this mystery to his difciples. He speaks as much concerning himself, John xvi. 7. and this relation ad extra as they call it, of the Spirit unto the Father and the Son in respect of operation, proves his relation ad intra, in respect of perfonal proceffion whereof I fpake before.

Three things are confiderable in the foundation of this difpenfation, in reference to our communion with the Holy Ghost.

That the will of the Spirit is in the work; he comes forth himself? frequent mention is made (as

we

we shall fee afterwards) of his being fent, his being given and poured out: that it might not be thus apprehended, either that this Spirit were altoge ther an inferior, created, Spirit, a mere fervant as fome have blafphemed, nor yet merely and principally as to his perfonality' the vertue of God as fome have fancied; he hath personal properties applied to him in this work arguing his perfonality and liberty. He of himself and of his own accord proceedeth.

2. The condefcenfion of the Holy Ghost in this order of working this difpenfation, to proceed from the Father and the Son, as to this work; to take upon him this work of a Comforter, as the Son did the work of a Redeemer, of which afterwards.

3. The fountain of the whole is discovered to be the Father, that we may know his works in the pursuit of electing love which every where is afcribed to the Father. This is the order here intimat

ed. 1. There is the prothefis of the Father; or the purpose of his love the fountain of all: then the ereiefs the asking of the Son, John xiv. 15. which takes in his merit and purchase, whereunto follows ekpodevis, or willing proceeding of the Holy Ghoft: and this gives teftimony alfo, to the foundation of this whole discourse, namely our peculiar communion with the Father in love, the Son in grace, and the Holy Ghost in confolation. This is the door and entrance of that fellowship of the Holy Ghost, whereunto we are called. His gracious and bleffed will, his infinite and ineffable condefcenfion being eyed by faith, as the foundation of all those effects, which he works in us, and privileges whereof by him we are made partakers, our fouls are peculiarly converfant with him, and their

defires,

defires,affections,and thankfulness,terminated in him: of which more afterwards. This is the first thing confiderable is our communion with the Holy Ghost.

2. The manner of his collation, or bestowing; or the manner of his communication unto us from this fountain is herein also confiderable, and it is va riously expreffed to denote three things.

1. The freeness of it: thus he is faid to be given, John xiv. 16. he shall give you another comforter; I need not multiply places to this purpofe. The moft frequent adjunct of the communication of the Spirit is this, that he is given, and received as of gift, he will give his Holy Spirit to them that afk him: that which is of gift is free, the Spirit of grace is given of grace: and not only the Spirit of fanctification, or the Spirit to fanctify and convert us, is a gift of free grace, but in the fense whereof we fpeak in refpect of confolation he is of gift alfo; he is promised to be given unto believers. Hence the Spirit is faid to be received by the gospel, not by the law, Gal. iii. 2. that is of meer grace and not of our own procuring. And all his workings are called free donations. He is freely bestowed and freely works: and the different measures wherein he is received for those ends and purposes of confolation which we fhall confider, by believers, which are great, various and unexpreffable, arife from hence that we have him by donation, or free gift. And this is the tenor whereby we hold and enjoy him: a tenor of free donation. So is he to be eyed, fo to be afked, fo to be received. And this alfo faith takes in, and clofeth withal, in our communion with the Comforter. The conjunction and accord of his will, with the gift of Father and Son the one refpecting the diftinct operation of the De

ity in the Person of the Holy Ghost; the other the œconomy of the whole. Trinity, in the work of our falvation by Jefus Chrift. Here the foul rejoiceth itfelf in the Comforter; that he is willing to come to him, that he is willing to be given him. And feeing all is will and gift, grace is magnified on this account.

2. The authority of it: thence he is faid to be fent, chap. xiv. 26. the Father will fend him in my name: and chap. xv. 26. I will fend him unto you from the Father, and him will I fend to you, chap. xvi. 17. This miffion of the Holy Ghost by the Father and the Son, as it anfwers the order of the perfons fubfiftence in the bleffed Trinity, and his proceffion from them both, fo the order voluntariJy engaged in by them, for the accomplishment, (as was faid) of the work of our falvation. There is in it, in a moft fpecial manner the condefcenfion of the Holy Ghost in his love to us, to the authoritative delegation of Father, and Son, in this bufinefs: which argues not a difparity diffimilitude,, or inequality of effence, but of office, in this work: it is the office of the Holy Ghoft to be an advocate for us, and a comforter to us; in which respect, not abfoJutely,he is thus fent authoritatively by the Father and Son: it is a known maxim, that inequalitas officii non tollit aqualitatem nature: this fubjection (if I may fo call it) or inequality in respect of office doth no ways prejudice the equality of nature which he hath with Father and Son, no more than the miffion of the Son by the Father doth his. And on this authoritative miffion of the Spirit, doth the right apprehenfions of many myfteries in the gospel, and the ordering of our hearts in communion with him depend.

Hence is the fin against the Holy Ghost (what it

is I do not now difpute) unpardonable; and hath that adjunct of rebellion put upon it, that no other fin hath namely because he comes not, he acts not in his own name only, though in his own alfo, but in. › the name and authority of the Father and Son, from and by whom he is fent; and therefore to fin against him, is to fin against all the authority of God, all the love of the Trinity, and the utmoft condefcenfion of each perfon to the work of our falvation. It is, I fay, from the authoritative miffion of the Spirit that the fin against him is peculiarly unpardonable; it is a fin against the recapitulation of the love of the Father, Son, and Spirit. And front this confideration, were that our prefent bufinefs, might the true nature of the fin against the Holy Ghost be investigated. Certainly it must confift in the contempt of fome operation of his, as acting in the name and authority of the whole Trinity, and that in their ineffable condefcenfion to the work of grace. But this is of another confideration.

2. On this account, we are to pray the Father and the Son, to give the Spirit to us, Luke xi. 13. your heavenly Father will give his holy Spirit to to them that afk him: now the Holy Ghoft being God, is no lefs to be invocated, prayed to, and called on, than the Father and the Son, as elfewhere I have proved; how then do we ask the Father for him, as we do in all our fupplications, feeing that we alfo pray that he himself would come to vifit us, and abide with us? In our prayers that are directed to himself, we confider him as effentially God over all bleffed for evermore; we pray for him from the Father and Son, as under this miffion and delegation from them. And indeed God having most plentifully revealed himself in the order of this Hh 2

dif