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ance to all thofe, who seriously would entertain those s ER M. tenders of mercy, fincerely refolving the performance. of the conditions.

Now although the natural and ordinary manner of this divine Spirit's operation (like that of all fpirits and more fubtile fubftances) is not by violent and fenfible impreffions*, but rather in way of imperceptible penetration, or gentle infinuation of itfelf into the fubject upon which it worketh, hardly difcovering itself otherwife than by the notable effects refulting from it; and although likewife the proper and principal effects thereof, according to divine defignation, do relate to the furthering our performance of the faid conditions requifite toward our falvation, that is, to the cherishing our faith, and quickening our obedience; difpofing men to perform virtuous actions, rather than to atchieve wondrous exploits; yet more fully to fatisfy the doubtful, to convince the incredulous (to confound the obftinate) world about the truth of his intentions, more illuftrioufly to manifeft the completion of his promife, more furely to fortify the faithful against the fcandals and temptations, which their profeffion would incur, God was pleafed after our Lord's afcenfion, and when the apoftolical promul- acts ii. 12, gation of the Chriftian doctrine did commence, to 43. iv. 14. dispense both to the teachers and the difciples there- 1 Cor. xiv. of, more liberal communications of that Holy Spirit, 25. attended with notorious, ftrange, and wonderful effects, apt to provoke the admiration of men, to perfuade their judgments, to prevail upon their affections, to produce within them ftrong defires of par

* Καὶ γὰρ σὺ θείας απέλαυσας χάριτος βαπτιζόμενος, καὶ πνεύματος μετέχες, εἰ καὶ μὴ πρὸς τὸ σημεῖα ποιεῖν, ἀλλ ̓ ὅσον ἀρκεῖ πρὸς τὸ πολιτείαν of Dùr, nai ingibwuírny activ. Chryf. Tom. 6. Orat. 12. ad Demet.

† Τῶν γὰρ χαρισμάτων τῶν πνευματικῶν τὰ μὲν ἀόρατά ἰσιν καὶ πίσει καταλαμβάνεται μόνη, τὰ δὲ καὶ αἰσθητὸν ἐνδείκνυται σημεῖον πρὸς τὴν τῶν axiswr λnpopogiar. Chryf. Tom. 5. Orat. 88. D d

taking

ix. 11, 16.

SER M. taking fo high a privilege, and excellent endow

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19. John vi. 45.

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The memorial therefore of that moft gracious and glorious difpenfation, the Chriftian church wifely and pioufly hath continually preferved, obliging us at this time peculiarly to blefs God for that incomparable and ineftimable gift, conferred then most vifibly upon the church, and ftill really beftowed upon every particular member, duly incorporated thereinto.

I fay beftowed upon every particular member of the church; for the evangelical covenant doth extend to every Chriftian; and a principal ingredient thereof is the collation of this Spirit; which is the Luke xi. finger of God, whereby (according to the Prophet Jer. xxxi. Jeremiah's defcription of that covenant) God's law is put into their inward parts, and written in their hearts ; inferibed, as St. Paul allufively fpeaketh, not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of floue, but in the fleshly tables of the heart; not only, as the Jewish law reprefented, from without to the fenfes, 2 Cor. iii. 3. but impreffed within upon the mind and affections; Пa whence God's Spirit is called the Spirit of promife, the ayas donation thereof being the peculiar promife of the Eph. i. 13.1 Gofpel; and the end of our Saviour's undertaking is Gal. iii. 14. by St. Paul declared, that we might receive the promife of the Spirit by faith, that is, by embracing Chriftianity might partake thereof, according to God's promifes; and the apoftolical miniftry or exhibition of Aanevia r the Gofpel is ftyled the miniftration of the Spirit; and 2 Cor. ii. 8. tafting of the beavenly gift, and participation of the Holy Heb. vi. 4. Ghost is part of a Chriftian's charter; and the fufcep

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tion of Chriftianity is thus defcribed by St. Paul; 2 Thef. ii. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God bath chofen you from the beginning to falvation, through fanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; and our Saviour inftructed Nicodemus, that no man can enter into the kingdom of God (that is, become a Chriftian, or fubject

John iii. 5.

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of God's fpiritual kingdom) without being regenerated s ER M. by water, and by the Spirit, that is, without baptifm, xx. and the fpiritual grace attending it; according as St. Peter doth in the words adjoining to our text imply, that the reception of the Holy Spirit is annexed to holy baptifin: Repent, faith he, and be bap- A&ts ii. 38, tized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the 39. remiffion of fins, and ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft; for the promise (that great promife of the Holy Ghost) is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even to as many as the Lord our God fhall call, that is, the Holy Spirit is promised to all, how far foever distant in place or time, whoever fhall be invited unto, and fhall embrace the Chriftian profeffion. St. John alfo maketh it to be the diftinctive mark of those, in whom Chrift abideth, and who dwell in Chrift, that is of all true Chriftians, to have this Spirit; Hereby, faith he, we know that he abideth 1 John iii. in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us; and, Hereby John. iv. we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because be 13. hath given us of his Spirit. And St. Paul denieth him to be a good Chriftian, who is deftitute thereof; Now, Rom. viii. faith he, if any man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is 9. none of his and, Know ye not, faith he to the Corin- 1 Cor. iii. thians, that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? that is, do ye not understand this to be a common privilege of all Chriftians, fuch as ye profefs yourselves to be? And the converfion of men to Christianity he thus expreffeth; After the Tit. iii. 4 kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared; not by any righteous works which we had done, but according to his mercy he faved us, by the laver of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. And all pious difpofitions qualifying us for entrance into heaven and happiness (faith, charity, devotion, every grace, Gal. v. 22. every virtue) are reprefented to be fruits of the Holy Rom. iv. 5. Spirit: and the union of all Chriftians into one body, the catholic fociety of all truly faithful people, doth, according to St. Paul, refult from this one

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SER M. Spirit, as a common foul animating and actuating them: For, faith he, by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or 1 Cor. xii. free; and have all been made to drink of one Spirit.

13.

In fine, whatever fome few perfons, or fome petty fects (as the Pelagians of old, the Socinians now) may have deemed, it hath been the doctrine conftantly, and with very general confent delivered in the Catholick Church, that to all perfons by the holy myftery of baptifm duly initiated to Chriftianity, or admitted into the communion of Chrift's body, the grace of God's Holy Spirit certainly is beftowed, enabling them to perform the conditions of piety and virtue then undertaken by them; enlightening their minds, rectifying their wills, purifying their affections, directing and affifting them in their practice; the which holy gift (if not abused, ill treated, driven away, or quenched by their ill behaviour) will perpetually be continued, improved, and increafed to them it is therefore by Tertullian (in his prefcriptions against Hereticks *) reckoned as part of that fundamental rule, which was grounded upon the general tradition, and confent of the Chriftian church, that Chrift had fent the virtue of the Holy Ghoft in his room, which doth act believers; to which that article doth anfwer of the Apoftolical Creed, in which we profefs to believe the Holy Ghoft; meaning, I fuppofe, thereby not only the bare exiftence of the Holy Ghoft, but also its gracious communication and energy.

Since therefore the collation of this eminent gift and favour fo nearly doth concern us all; feeing it is our prefent duty more efpecially to praife and bless God for it; feeing alfo we are wont to commenfurate our gratitude to our eftimation of the benefit, unto which it relateth, let us a little confider the

*Tert. de Præfc. 13.-mififfe vicariam vim Spiritus San&i, qui credentes agat.

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That it is tranfcendently valuable we may neral hence collect, that even in our Lord's esteem it did not only countervail, but in a manner furmount the benefit of his prefence; Zuupipe, It is, John xvi. faid he, expedient (or profitable) for you that I go 7. away; God having defigned, that my abfence fhall be fupplied by the Comforter's more beneficial prefence and wonderfully beneficial furely must that prefence be, which could not only compenfate, but render advantageous the lofs of that moft benign and fweet conversation, that tender and watchful infpection, that wholesome and powerful advice, that clear and lively pattern of all goodness fhining forth in our Saviour's life upon his Difciples. Could there be a more indulgent Mafter, a more difcreet Guide, a more delightful Companion, a more faithful Friend, a mightier Protector, a furer Affiftant, a fweeter Comforter than he? Yes, it feemeth that our Saviour did apprehend, that upon fome accounts thofe benefits with greater advantage might accrue to them by the gift of his Spirit, than by his own immediate prefence; that it by internal operation could more clearly inform the mind, more ftrongly incline the will, more vigorously affect the heart, than any exterior word or example could do: neither could our Saviour, according to the condition of his humanity, limited to particularities of time and place, fo perfectly correfpond to the various exigencies of mankind, as that omnipotent Spirit, intimately prefent to, uniformly diffufed through all things: Him oix d'e therefore did our Saviour leave the guardian of his age. otherwise orphan Disciples; him did he substitute to undergo the care and tuition of them, to conduct them in the right way, to preferve them from dangers, to comfort them in diftreffes, to manage all their concernments, to be their counsellor, monitor, advocate, and patron; by him he meant fully to make

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John xiv.18.

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