Page images
PDF
EPUB

have fpoken, if Chrift himself had not first spoken it, and that is this, John 14. 12. He that believeth in me, the works that I do, shall he do, and greater works than thefe, because I go to the Father. Where Chrift faith, a Believer fhall not only do the fame. works with himself, (which alfo had been a great thing) but also greater works than himself; and this indeed is altogether admirable and wonderful, that a Believer fhall do greater works than Chrift: But how is this made good? Why thus. Christ he overcame the Law, and Sin, and Death, and Hell, and the whole power of the Devil in a Body and Soul free from fin; (his humane nature being the immediate formation of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and fo had not the least spot of fin in it.) But now Believers overcome the fame evils, even the Law, Sin, Death, Hell, and the whole power of the Devil, in corrupted and polluted nature, in Bodies and Souls, at the first full of Sin, and afterwards defiled through many corruptions. The Devil came to Chrift, and found nothing in him, and fo he overcame; but he comes to a Believer and finds much in him, and yet he overcomes. And this truly is a greater work than Chrift did, and thefe works we do, but not through our own power, but through Chrifts, of which we truly partake, through Faith.

2. A Chriftian, through the power of Faith, is 2. able not only to do, but alfo to fuffer the fame To fuffer things that Chrift himself fuffered. Now the Suf- the fame ferings of Chrift were the most grievous and in- that Chrift things tolerable to nature, that ever were. For how himself did Chrift for the prefent, as it were lay afide his fuffered. Divine Nature, that he might fuffer in his Humane! and how did he fuffer in this, the whole weight and condemnation of Sin, to the very utmoft, and the whole wrath of God to the utmoft,

[blocks in formation]

and all the forrows of death, and the pains of hell, to the very utmoft! And among all the Sufferings, had not the leaft drop of Comfort either from Heaven or Earth; and yet through the power of the Spirit, he indured and overcame all. And fo each Chriftian is able to indure and overcome the fame evils, by the fame power; and Phil. 3.10 therefore Paul defired to know Chrift truly, and nor only the power of his refurrection, which any one would defire to know, but alfo the fellowship of his Sufferings, which flesh and blood trembles at, yea and to be made conformable to his very death. Yea I add yet further, that if a Chriftian should chance to fall down into Hell (as we believe Christ defcended into Hell, and fo alfo many of his Saints have done, as David, and Hezekiah, &c.) yet a Chriftian, through the power of the Spirit, were able to overcome both the Sins and the Pains of Hell; and therefore faith Solomon, Love (which is the power of the Spirit) is too ftrong for death and too hard or too cruel for Hell; as is evident in that Godly Woman (for I will name but one inftance inftead of many) who thinking of the torments of Hell, and of the hatred and blafphemy of God, which reigned in the Damned, did earnestly entreat God, ut etiamfi damnaretur, tamen Deum diligeret; that though fhe were damned, yet ftill The might love God. Here Love was too hard for Hell indeed.

Cant. 9.

52 6.

And thus a Believer through Faith, is inabled, both to do and indure the felf fame things which Chrift himself did and endured; and the Holy Spirit, by being a Spirit of Faith, is a Spirit of Power in us.

5. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Power in us, A fpirit of by being in us a Spirit of Righteoufnes; and fo righteouf he is two ways.

nejs.

1. In regard of mortifying Sin. For the Spirit

of

1.

of God dwelling in us, is not idle in us, but continually active; and fo from day to day mortifies MortifySia. And this is the proper work of the Spirit in ing Sin our Flesh, to deftroy out of us, whatsoever is contrary to it felf; and that is, every Sin, Luft and Corruption. Now our Sins are our Weakness, a Mans Pride and Paffion, and Envy, and Covetoufnefs, and Luft, and Intemperance, and every Sin is his Weakness. Now the Holy Spirit, by being in us, a Spirit of Righteousness mortifies and deftroys all our Sins,and fo takes away our Weakness.

2.

Grace.

2. Again, as the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Righ teousness in us, in regard of mortifying Sin, fo Imparting alfo in regard of imparting Grace to us; for all' Grace is the fruit and operation of the Spirit in our Flesh; and as all Light is from the Sun, fo is all Grace from the Spirit. Now every Grace, is so much strength in the Soul; Faith fo much ftrength, Hope fo much strength, Love fo much ftrength; and fo Humility, and Patience, and Temperance, and Godliness, and Brotherly Kindnefs, and all other Graces, are so much strength; and according to each mans measure of grace, fo is his measure of strength; and according to each mans measure of the Spirit, fo is his measure of Grace. And thus the Holy Spirit, by being a Spirit of Righteousness, is alfo in us a Spirit of Power.

6.

6. The Holy Spirit, is a Spirit of Power in us, by being in us, a Spirit of the fear of the Lord; and 4 Spirit fo he is, by reprefenting God to us in his Glory and of the fear of the Majefty, according as he hath revealed himself to Lord. us in his word; from which Knowledge of God fprings his fear. For what is the reason that the men of the World fear not God, but Sin fecurely, against the great and glorious God every day? Why, the reason is, because they know not the Lord. Now the Spirit comes and reveals the Father in the Son, and prefents God to the Soul, through

through his word, in his Infinite and Eternal Power, and Juftice, and Wifdom, and Truth, and Faithfulness, and Love, and Mercy, and Goodness, &c. and fhines to the Soul in each Attribute of God; and now, when a Man fees God by his own Light, and knows him by his own teaching, then firft doth he begin truly to fear God, and the fear of God is his ftrength. For he that fears God, is free from all other fear; he fears not Men of high degree, nor Men of low degree, nor the united power of all the Creatures; he fears not the fear of other Men in their Evils, but in the midst of all fearful things, he is without fear, because he fanctifies the Lord of Hafts in a.8.13. himself, in his heart, and makes him his fear, and bis dread. And by this means, amidst all evils, he hath admirable confidence and aflurance; because he knows, that no evil can befall him from any Man, or from any Creature, till firft it be the will of God; and alfo, that whatever evil befalls him, according to the will of God, it shall work for good unto him in the end. Thus the fear of the Lord is a Chriftians confidence, and a Believers ftrength; whereas, he that fears not God, fears every thing, yea, not only real, but imaginary evils; and as evils multiply his fears, fo his fears again multiply his evils, till at last he be fwallowed up of both. But the Holy Spirit being in us a Spirit of the fear of the Lord, is alfo in us a Spirit of strength.

7.

7. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Power in us, A Spirit by being in us a Spirit of Love and Unity. The of Love Holy Spirit, is a Spirit of Love and Unity in the and Unity. Godhead; for the Father loves the Son, with the

Spirit; and the Son loves the Father with the
Spirit; and the Father is one with the Son in the
Spirit; and the Son is one with the Father in the
Spirit; and the Spirit is both the Bond of Love
and Unity between the Father and the Son; and

God

God being most Love, and most one, is also most ftrong. Now what the Spirit is in the Godhead, he is the fame in the Church of God, which is the true Temple and Habitation of the Godhead, and that is, a Spirit of Love and Unity: For why is there fuch conftant Love and Unity between the members of the fame body, but because one Spirit runs through them all? and fo there is fuch conftant love and unity between all Believers, because one Holy Spirit runs through them all. And hence we may take notice of a Remarkable difference between Nature and Grace, for Nature, of one makes many; for we all, who are many among our felves, even a whole world of Men, were but one in Adam, omnes eramus ille unus homo; but Grace, of many makes one; for the Holy Spirit, which is as fire, melts all the faithful into one mafs or lump, and makes of many one Body, one thing, yea it makes them one, in the unity of God, according to that of Chrift, John 17. 21. that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; mark the words, for they are wonderful; that they all may be one, that is, that all Believers, who are many among themfelves, may be all made one; one? How one? As thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that is, as thou and I,being two Perfons, are yet but one God; after this highest example of Unity, let them be made one in us, as long as they remain in themfelves, they are many; and how much they remain in themselves they are many, for their Unity is not in themfelves, but they are one in us who are one; that is, how much the Saints by the Spirit are carried into the Father, and the Son, who are one, fo much alfo are they made one, not only with the Father and the Son, but also with one another. You may fee in the Acts how the multitude of Believers, after they had received the Spirit, fo far forth as they had received

« PreviousContinue »