Phil. ii. 13. βάνεται ταῖς SER M. can do nothing, that is, cannot difcharge the most xx. ealy things required of us; all our fufficiency is of God; it is he, who out of his goodness doth effect in us both to 2 Cor. iii. 5. will and to perform; his Spirit taking part with our inTo a firmities, and thereby giving us advantage over all Cari oppofition and difficulty. The chief reason why we do devias do not fin, or perfift in a course of disobedience to the laws of God, is, as St. John telleth us, because the divine feed abideth in us, that root of divine life, and 1 John iii. 9. vital activity implanted in us, by the Holy Spirit; 2 Pet. i. 4. that divine nature (as St. Peter ftyleth it), that princiVis divina ple and fpring of spiritual motion by him inserted in gratia, po- us; from which only feed or nature do fprout out tention utique all heavenly graces and virtues *. ἡμῶν Rom. viii. 26. 1 Pet. i. 23. Θεία φύσις. natura. Tertull. The principal and original virtue, Charity (the root, the fountain, the mother of all goodness, as St. ChryRom. v. 5. foftom calleth it) even that shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit given unto us, as St. Paul Eph. v. 9. telleth us; and the fruit, faith he, of the Spirit is in Gal. v. 22. all goodness, righteousness and truth; and, love, peace, long-fuffering, benignity, goodness, faith, meekuefs, iemperance, are by the fame divine Apostle reckoned ftreams from the fame fource, fruits of the fame rich and goodly stock to it generally are attributed all pu. rification of our hearts, mortification of our lufts, fanctification of our lives, and confequently falvation 1 Cor. vi. of our fouls: Ye, faith St. Paul, are washed, ye are fanctified, ye are juftified in the name of the Lord Jefus, 2 Thef. ii. and by the Spirit of our God; and, God hath chofen us from the beginning to falvation by fanctification of the 1 Pet. i. 22. Spirit, and belief of the truth; and, Having, faith St. 11. 13. Peter, purified our fouls in obedience to the truth, by the Rom. viii. Spirit, unto charity unfeigned; and If, faith St. Paul again, by the Spirit ye mortify the deeds of the flesh, ye 13. * Οὐ γάρ ἐσιν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος ἔνεςyas. Chryf. † Ρίζα, καὶ πηγὴ, καὶ μήτηρ ἁπάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Chryf. Shall fhall live; thus doth our fpiritual being and state, s E R M. together with our life and active powers, depend xx. upon the holy Spirit; and not only fo, but, 3. The continued fubftance and prefervation, the actual ufe and exercife of them, all our difcreet conduct, all our good practice do rely upon him: it is true of our spiritual, no less than of our natural life. If he doth avert his face, we are troubled; if he doth Pfal. civ. fubtract his influence, we die and return unto our duft:29. upon' all occafions we do need his direction, aid, and comfort; for the way of man, as the Prophet faith, is Jer. x. 23. not in himself; it is not in man that walketh, to direct his Steps: It is the Lord, as the Pfalmift faith, that order- Pí. xxxvii. eth the fteps of a good man, and upholdeth him with bis 23. band. We have all need to pray with that good man; Cause me to know the way, wherein I fhould walk; Pfal. exliii. teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God; thy Spirit 8, 10. is good, lead me into the land of uprightness. We are vain and uncertain in our opinions, fickle and irrefolute in our purposes, flow and heavy in our proceedings; apt to faint and faulter, to ftumble and flip in all our practice; we do need therefore this fure oracle to confult in our doubts and darkneffes; this faithful friend to direct and advise us in our affairs; this conftant monitor to rouse and quicken us in our undertakings; this powerful guardian to fupport and establish us in our ways: it is, in refpect to good men, this fteady hand that holdeth the helm, and gently fteereth their courfe through the blind tracks of religious practice; withdrawing them from those dangerous fhelves of error and temptation, upon which they are apt to fplit; it is this heavenly gale, that filleth their fails with conftant resolution, and fairly driveth them forward in their voyage toward eternal bliss. He foftly doth whisper and infinuate good thoughts into us; doth kindle pious defires, doth cherith virtuous intentions, doth promote honeft endeavours; he feasonably checketh and reftraineth us from fin; he faithfully reproveth and upbraideth Ee XX. SER M. upbraideth us for committing it; he raifeth wholefome remorse, fhame, and difpleasure for our unwor thinefs and folly; he fweetly warmeth our cold affections, inflaming our hearts with devotion toward God; he qualifieth us, and encourageth us to approach the throne of grace, breeding in us faith and humble confidence, prompting us fit matter of request, becoming our advocate and interceffor for Eph. ii. 18. the good fuccefs of our prayers; through Chrift Jefus, faith St. Paul, we have access by one Spirit unto the Rom. viii. Father; and, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should ask for as we ought; but the Spirit itself intercedeth for us. 26. He guardeth us, he ftandeth by us, he fuftaineth 2 Cor. xii. us in all trials and temptations, affording grace fufficient to escape or to endure them; not fuffering us to be tempted above what we are able. 9. 1 Cor. x. 13. 12. &c. He supporteth and comforteth us in our afflictions and diftreffes of all kinds, of our inward and outward eftate: this David knew when in his penitenP. li. 11, tial agonies he prayed, Caft me not away from thy prefence, and take net thy holy Spirit from me; reflore unto me the joy of thy falvation, and uphold me with thy free Acts xiii. Spirit: this thote firft Chriftians felt, who, under per52. ix. 31, fecutions and all outward difcouragements, were yet filled with joy, and did walk in the comfort of the Holy Ghoft; whence that teftimony of St. Paul concernThef. i. 6. ing the Theffalonians; Ye were followers of me, and of the Lord, receiving the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghoft: by it the bleffed Saints, Martyrs, and Confeffors being infpired, did not only with admirable patience, but incredible alacrity, undergo the extremeft loffes, ignominies, and tortures, which the spite of hell and rage of the world could inflict on them. It is, in fine, this holy Spirit, which is the fole author and spring of all true delight, of all real content 1 Pet. i. 8. within us; of that unspeakable joy in believing, that gaiety of hope, that fatisfaction in well doing the Rom. xv. 13. partaking partaking of his fociety, influence, and confolation, iss ERM. indeed the most delicious repaft, and richeft cordial xx. of our foul; the neareft refemblance, the sweetest foretaste of Paradife. So many, fo great; yea far more, far greater than, fhould the time give me leave, I could enumerate or exprefs, are the benefits accruing to us from this moft excellent gift of God, by him gracioufly conferred upon all good Chriftians; for which we should correfpondently endeavour with all our hearts to praife and thank him; in all our lives to make grateful and worthy returns for it; efpecially by well ufing it to the greatest purposes, for which it was bestowed, of enabling us to ferve God, of preferving us from fin, of conducting us to eternal falvation. 37, 38, 39. Eph. iv. 30. Let us earnestly invite this holy gueft unto us, by our prayers unto him, who hath promised to beftow his Spirit upon thofe which afk it, to impart this Luke xi. 13. living ftream to every one, which thirfteth after it; John vii. let us willingly reccive him into our hearts, let us treat him with all kind ufage, with all humble obfervance. Let us not exclude him by fupine neglect, or rude refiftance; let us not grieve him by our Acts vii. perverfe and froward behaviour toward him: let us 51 not tempt him by our fond prefumptions, or bafe . xii. treacheries; let us not quench his heavenly light and 10. heat by our foul lufts and paffions: but let us admit Thel. v. gladly his gentle illapfes; let us hearken to his faith-19 ful fuggeftions; let us comply with his kindly motions; let us demean ourfelves modeftly, confiftently, and officioufly toward him; that we may fo do, God of his infinite mercy grant unto us, through Jefus Chrift our Lord; to whom with the fame Holy Spirit for ever be all glory and praise. Amen. O God, the ftrength of all them that put their truft in thee, mercifully accept our prayers; and becaufe, through the weakness of our mortal nature, we can E e 2 do I Acts v. 9. |