difpenfation to us, we are (as Chriftians generally do,) in our communion to abound in answerable addreffes, that is not only to the person of the Holy Ghost himself, but properly to the Father and Son, for him, which refers to this difpenfation.

3. Hence is that great weight in particular laid upon our not grieving the Spirit, Eph. iv. 30. because he comes to us in the name, with the love, and upon the condefcenfion of the whole bleffed Trinity. To do that which might grieve him fo fent, on fuch an account, for that end and purpofe which fhall afterwards be mentioned, is a great aggravation of fin. He expects cheerfully entertainment with us, and may do fo juftly upon his own account, and the account of the work which he comes about; but when this alfo is added, that he is fent of the Father and the Son, commiffioned with their love and grace, to communicate them to their fouls, this is that which is, or ought to be of ufpeakable efteem with believers. And this is that fecond thing expreffed in the manner of his communication, he is fent by authority.

3. He is faid to be poured out, or, fhed on us, Tit. iii. 6. ou exechein eph emas ploufios, that Holy Ghost which he hath richly powered out upon us, or fhed on us abundantly: and this was the chief expreffion of his communication under the old Tcflament, the mystery of the Father and the Son, and the matter of commiffion and delegation being then not fo clearly difcovered, Ifa. xxxii. 15. until the Spirit be poured on us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forreft; that is, until the Gentiles be called, and the Jews rejected; and chap. xliii. 2.

I will pour my Spirit upon thy feed, and my bleffing upon thy offspring. That eminent place of Zech. xii. 10. is always in our thoughts. Now this expreffion, as is know, is taken from the allufion of the Spirit unto water: and that in relation to alli the ufes of water both natural and typical: a par-ticular relation of them, I cannot now infist on :: perhaps efficacy and plenty are chiefly intended. -Now this threefold expreffion of giving, fending, and pouring out of the Spirit, 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 fon;: 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 purchafe of the blood of the Son. 3. The efficacy of it, as was laft. obferved. And this is the fecond thing confiderable.

3. The third, which is our receiving him, I shall fpeak more briefly of. That which I first propofed, of the Spirit confidered as a Spirit of fanctifica tion, and a Spirit of confolation, is here to be minded. Our receiving of him as a Spirit of Sanctifica tion, 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 deadi Hearts, and quickens them, by an act of his almighty power: but now as he is the Spirit of confolation, it it otherwife; in this fenfe our Saviour tell us, Fhat the world cannot receive him, John xiv. 17.. the world receiveth him not, because it feeth him not,, ner knows him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and abideth in you.. That it is the Spi 11 h 33

rii:

rit of confolation, or the Spirit for confolation that here is promifed, is evident from the clofe of the verfe, where he is faid then to be in them, when he is promised to them. He was in them as a Spirit of quickening and fanctification when promifed to them, as a Spirit of comfort and 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 the Spirit, because they know him 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, though not in his reception for regeneration and fanctification. And this is the power of faith, fo Gal.iii. 2. they received the Spirit by the hearing of the 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 Ghost, John vii. 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, I fhall but name them.

1. It confiders the Spirit in the oeconomy before defcribed, as promifed. It is faith alone, that makes profit of the benefit of the promises, Heb. iv. 2. now he is called the Spirit of that promife, Eph. ii. 13. the Spirit that in the covenant is promised, and we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith, Gal. iii. 14. fo that the receiving of the Spirit through faith, is the receiving of him as promifed; fith eyes the promise of God, and of Jesus Christ, of fending the Spirit for all thofe ends, that he is

defired:

defired: thus it depends, waits, mixing the promife with itself, until it receive him.

2. By prayer, he is given as a Spirit of fupplication, that we may ask him as a Spirit of confolation, Luke xi. 13. and indeed this afking of the Spirit of God, in the name of Chrift, either di rectly or immediately, or under the name of fome fruit and effect of him, is the chiefeft work of faith. in this world.

3. It cherisheth him, by attending to his moti ons, 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 purchafed by Jefus Chrift, and promifed of the Fa ther, we feek him at the hands of God, and do receive him.

4. The next confiderable thing, is his abode with us; now this is two ways expreffed in the fcripture. 1. In general, as to the thing itself, it is faid, 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 fanctification, or a Spirit of confolation; he is faid to dwell in us chiefly, or perhaps folely, as he is a Spirit of fanc tification; which is evident from the work he doth as indwelling; he quickeneth and fanctifieth, Rom. viii. 11. and the manner of his indwelling, as in a temple, which he makes holy thereby, 2 Cor. vi. and his permanency in his fo doing, which, as is evident, relates to fanctification only; but yet the general notion of it in abiding, is afçribed to him as a

Com

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Comforter, John xiv. 16. he fali abide with for ever; now all the difficulty of this promife lies in this, that whereas the Spirit of fanctification dwells in us always, and it is therefore impoflible that we fhould loofe utterly our holinefs; whence is it, that, if the Comforter abide with us for ever, we may yet utterly loofe our comfort? a little to clear this in our paffage:

1. He is promifed to abide with the difciples for ever,, in oppofition to the abode of Chrift: Chrift in the flesh, had been with them for a little while, and now was leaving them, and going to his Father. He had been the Comforter immediately himfelf for a feafon, but is now upon his departing; wherefore promifing them another Comforter, they might fear that he would even but vifitthem for a little feafon alfo, and then their condition would be worfe than ever. Nay, but faith our Saviour, fear it not, this is the laft difpenfation; there is to be no alteration, when I am gone, the Comforter is to do alt the remaining work; there is not another to be looked for, and I promise you him; nor fhall he depart from you, but always abide with you.

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 purpofes he is always with us, as to fanctify and make us holy. So was the cafe with David, Pfal. li. 11, 12. take not thy boly Spirit from me, the holy Spirit of fanctification was fill with David, but faith he, Reftore unto me the joy of thy falvation, that is, the Spirit of con+ folation; that was loft, when the promife was made good in the abode of the other.