name of Jefus Chrift. This the daily work of believers. They look upon, and by faith confider the Holy Ghost as promised to be fent; in this promise they know lyes all their grace, peace, joy, and hope. For by him fo promised, and him alone, are these things communicated to them. If therefore our life to God, or the joy of that life be confiderable, in this we are to abound: to ask him of the Father, as children do of their parents, daily bread. And as in this asking and receiving of the Holy Ghoft, we have communion with the Father in his love, whence he is fent, and with the Son in his grace, whereby he is obtained for us, fo with himself, on the account of his voluntary condefcenfion to this difpenfation. Every request for the Holy Ghost, implies our closing with all these; Ob the riches of the grace of God.

Humbling ourselves for our miscarriages in reference to him, is another part of our communion with him. That we have grieved him, as to his perfon, quenched him as to the motion of his grace, or refifted him in his ordinances, is to be mourned for, as hath been declared. Let our fouls be hum bled before him on this account. This one confiderable ingredient of godly forrow, and the thoughts of it, are as fuitable to the affecting of our hearts with humiliation, and indignation against fin, as any one whatever. I might proceed in the like confiderations; as alfo make application of them to the particular effects of the Holy Ghoft enume rated; but my defign is only to point out the heads of things, and to leave them to the improvement of others.

I shall shut up this whole difcourfe with fome confiderations of the fad ftate and condition of men

not

not interested in this promife of the Spirit, nor made partakers of his confolation.

1. They have no true confolation or comfort be their estate and condition what it will. Are they under affliction or in trouble? they must bear their own burden, and how much too weak they are for it, if God be pleased to lay on his hand with more weight than ordinary, is easily known. Men may have ftoutness of fpirit, and put on great refolutions to wrestle with their troubles. But when this is merely from the natural spirit of a man,

1. For the moft part it is but an outfide. It is done with refpect to others, that they may not appear low fpirited, or dejected. Their hearts are eaten up and devoured with troubles and anxiety of mind. Their thoughts are perplexed, and they are ftill ftriving, but never come to a conqueft. Every new trouble, every little alteration in their trials, puts them to new vexation. It is an ungrounded refolution that bears them up, and they are eafily fhaken.

2. What is the beft of their refolves and enduring? It is but a contending with God, who hath entangled them; the struggling of a flea under a mountain. Yea though on outward confiderations and principles, they endeavour after patience and tolerance; yet all is but a contending with God, a ftriving to be quiet under that which God hath fent on purpose to disturb them: God doth not afflict men without the Spirit, to exercise their patience; but to disturb their peace and fecurity. All their arming themselves with patience and refolution, is but to keep the hold, that God will caft them out of; or elfe make them the nearer to ruin. This is O 02 the

the best of their confolation in the time of their trouble.

3. If they do promife to themselves any thing of the care of God towards them, and relieve themfelves thereby, as they often do on one account or another, (especially when they are driven from. other holds) all their relief is but like the dreaming of an hungry man, who fuppofeth that he eateth and drinketh, and is refreshed; but when he awaketh, he is empty, and difappointed. So are they as to all their relief, that they promise to receive from God, and the fupport which they feem to have from him. When they are awaked at the latter day and fee things clearly, they will find that God was their enemy, laughing at their calamity, and mocking when their fear was on them.

So it is with them in trouble. Is it any better with them in their profperity? This indeed is often great, and is marvellously defcribed in fcripture, as to their lives, and oftentimes quiet peaceable ends. But have they any true confolation all their days? They eat, drink, fleep, and make merry, and perhaps heap up to themselves: but how little do these things make them to differ from the beasts that perish? Solomon's advantage to have the use, and know the utmost of these things much beyond any of the fons of men of our generation, is commonly taken notice of. The account also that he gives of them is known; They are all vanity and vexation of fpirit. This is their confolation, a crackling of thorns under the pot, a fudden flash, and blaze, that begins but to perish. So that both adverfity and profperity flayeth them, and whether they are laughing or crying, they are ftill dying.

Secondly

Secondly, They have no peace: no peace with God, nor in their own fouls. I know that many of them upon falfe bottoms, grounds, and expectations, do make a fhift to keep things in fome quietness. Neither is it my business at present to discover the falfenefs and unfoundnefs of it. But this is their ftate: true and folid peace being an effect of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of believers (as hath been declared) they who are not made partakers of him, have no fuch peace. They may cry peace, peace, indeed, when fuddenly deftruction is at hand; the principles of their peace, (as may be easily evidenced) are darkness, or ignorance, treachery of confcience, felf-righteoufnefs, and vain hope. To thefe heads may all the principles of their peace be reduced, and what will these avail them in the day when the Lord fhall deal with them,

I might fay the fame concerning their joy and hope, they are falfe and perishing. Let them then confider this, who have fatisfied themfelves with a perfuafion of their intereft in the good things of the gospel, and yet have defpifed the Spirit of Chrift. I know there are many that may pretend to him, and yet are ftrangers from his grace. But if they perifh who in profeffion use him kindly, and honour him, if he dwell not in them with power, where fhall they appear who oppofe and affront him? The fcripture tells us that unless the Spirit of Christ be in us, we are dead, we are reprobates, we are none of Chrift's without him, you can have none of thefe glorious effects of his towards believers before-mentioned; and you are so far from enquiring whether he be in you or no, as that you are ready to deride them in whom he is. Are there none who profefs the gospel, who have never once feriously

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feriously enquired, Whether they are made partakers of the Holy Ghost or no? You that almoft account it a ridiculous thing to be put upon any fuch question; who look on all men as vain pretenders that talk of the Spirit; the Lord awake fuch men to a fight of their condition, before it be too late. If the Spirit dwell not in you, if he be not your Comforter, neither is God your Father, nor the Son your Advocate, nor have you any portion in the gospel. O that God would awake fome poor foul to the confideration of this thing, before the neglect and contempt of the Holy Ghost come to that of defpifing of him, from which there is no recovery? That the Lord would spread before them all the folly of their hearts, that they may be afhamed and confounded, and do no more prefumptuously.

FINI S.