hold out 17, 18. 3. Without this power of the Spirit, as Mini- 3. fters are not able to preach the Word, nor to Unable to preach it powerfully, fo neither are they able to in the Mihold out in their miniftry, and to carry it on niftry. frongly against all oppofition and contradiction. Peer and John Preached the Gofpel, but prefently the Rulers and Elders and Scribes convented them; and ftraightly threatned them, and commanded them, not to fpeak at all, nor to teach in the name of Jefus. And now if the Apoftles had Acts 4. wanted this power of the Spirit, they would prefently have been nib'd and awed, and would have fneaked away, and you fhould have heard no more of them. But they having received this power, all the threatnings and fcornings of the Rulers and Magiftrates could not deter them from the discharge of their Office, and that Ministry they had received from Chrift. But though before, they were fearful, and trembling, and daunted at the apprehenfion of the leaft danger, yet now having received this power, they are altogether undaunted, and faid to the Rulers and Elders, Whether it be right in the fight of God, to bearken unto you, more than unto God, judge ye. As Acts 4.19 if they fhould have faid, O ye Rulers and Elders of the People, our Cafe is a plain Cafe, wherein. we are most willing that even your own felves fhould be Judges. For we have received a Command from God, to preach the Gospel of his Son Jefus Chrift, and you forbid us to do that, which God hath commanded us. Now do you your felves be Judges, who is fittest to be obeyed, God or you? the great and glorious God of Heaven and Earth, or poor wretched men, fuch as your felves? Nay, what God hath commanded us, we must and will obey, against all your threatnings and punishments, and whatever you can fay or do. We cannot conceal, but most publish C what 4. what we have seen and known of our Lord Jefus Christ, of his Incarnation, Life, Death, Refurre&tion, Afcenfion, Kingdom, Glory, and of that great Redemption and Salvation, which he hath wrought and purchased for all the Elect of God. Now I would to God, that the unjust Commands of all Magiftrates, and Secular Powers whatsoever, might be no otherwise obeyed, than this unjust Command of the Rulers was by Peter and John; and that no man would dare to yield more obedience to the Creature, than to the Lord of all. For no Princes or Magiftrates in the World, have any power to forbid the preaching of the everlasting Gospel, which God hath commanded, fhould be published to all Nations for the obedience of Faith. I fay, they have no power at all to forbid the preaching of this Gospel, or of any one truth of it, though never fo cross to their defigns. And if they fhould, yet herein ought we to know no more obedience, than Peter and John did here. We ought to obey God, and not them, and to make known the whole mind of God, though it be never fo contrary to their mind; after the example of Peter and John, who having received this power of the Holy Spirit, held on their Ministry against all the countermands, and threatnings, and punishments of the Magiftrates. Whereas, without this power, they had foon fainted and failed, and had never been able to have gone through with it. 4. Without this power of the Holy Spirit, MiUnable to nifters are not able to reprove the World. For reprove every man by nature, feeks the amity of the the world. World, and no man by his good will, would provoke the enmity of it against himself. And therefore flesh and blood will never reprove the World of Sin, but allows it, and countenances it in Sin. But now the Spirit when he is come, he will reprove the world of fin. When a Man hath this power of the Spirit in him, then presently he reproves and argues the World of Sin, and fo by his Miniftry, bids defiance to the whole World, and provokes the whole World against himself. And this no man either can do, or dares do, except he be firft indued with this power of the Spirit coming on him. And therefore faith Micah, Ch. 3. ver. 8. I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment and of might, to declare unto Jacob his tranfgreffion, and to Ifrael his fin. The World, of all other things, cannot indure the reproof of Sin, and the declaration of its evil ways. And therefore it is exceedingly offended, yea, and extreamly rages against the faithful Teachers of the Word, with all forts of punifhments and perfecutions, as the Examples of all the Prophets, Apoftles and faithful Teachers of the Word of God in all Ages do declare. Yea, and Chrift himself, teftifies touching himself, therefore. the world hates me, because I teftifie of it, that the works thereof are evil. But now, they that will connive at Šin, and flatter the World in its own ways, these are the only men of reckoning, and live in all Worldly Honour and Profperity. And all Ages can witnefs, that all Teachers are not of that ftrength and refolution, to contemn the hatred and fury of the World: Nay, the most are quite overcome with the profperity of this prefent Life, and with the defire of Friends, and Riches, and Preferment, and fo wink at the Sins of the World, and are Minifters in whose mouths are no reproofs, though the whole World lie in wickednefs. For, thus they escape the rage and violence, and obtain the favour and love of the men of this World. And thus weak and unworthy are those men, who are only indued with C 2 their wreftle their own Spirits. But now (faith Micah) I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment and of might, to declare unto Jacob his tranfgreffion, and to Ifrael his fin. As if he should have faid, the power of the Spirit of the Lord dwelling in me, puts forth it felf two ways, in Judgment, and in Fortitude. 1. In Judgment, and this fignifies the reproving and the condemning Sin and Wickedness, as the Prophet himself explicates, faying, that I might declare unto Jacob his tranfgreffion, and to Ifrael his fin. But feeing their being full of judgment doth not want danger, but expofes a Man to a thenfand evils, in as much as the World can indure nothing less then the reproof of Sin, therefore I am, by the power of the Spirit, not only full of Judgment, but also Secondly, full of Might; and as the Spirit of Judgment expofes me to danger, so the Spirit of Might inables me to contemn thofe dangers. So that though the World, because of the Spirit of Judgment, threatens never fo mauy evils, yet the Prophet is not frighted from his Office, but thro' the Spirit of Might, difcharges it faithfully, in defpight of all thofe threatnings. And whatever Minifters want this Spirit of Might, though out of danger, they may be confident, yet at the very first incounter of evil, they will bend and yield, and speak and do all things for the favour of the World, rather than for the Truths fake, they will expofe themfelves to the hatred and oppofition of the World. 5. Without this power of the Spirit, they are Unable to unable to wrestle with, and overcome the Devil, with and whofe fubtilty, and wrath, and malice, and powovercome er, they must needs encounter with, in the work the Devil. of the Miniftry. Chrift, as foon as he was indued with this power, and anointed by the Spirit to Preach, Preach, was immediately led into the Wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil, who would fain have taken him off from the Work of the Ministry, if it had been poffible: But Chrift being indued with this power, overcame the Devil. And Chrift, before he fent his Apoftles to preach the Kingdom of God, as you may fee Luke 9. 1. called them together, and gave them power and authority over all Devils; and when they returned, they told him, that the Devils themselves, were fubject to them. But now the feven Sons of Sceva, who were deftitute of this power, when they took upon them, to call over one who had an Evil Spirit, the name of the Lord Jefus, and to fay, we adjure you by Jefus whom Paul preacheth: The Evil Spirit anfwered and faid, Jefus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye? and fo, the Man in whom the Evil Spirit was, leaped upon them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, and they fled away, naked and wounded, A&ts 19. So that they being deftitute of this power from on high,the Devil was presently too hard for them, and they were overcome by the Devil. But now, they that are invefted with this power of the Holy Spirit, are able to wrestle with principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world, and to outreftle them, and to tread Satan himself under their feet. fecution Sixthly, without this power of the Holy Spirit, 6. they are unable to fuffer perfecution for the Word; Unable to but the leaft touch of evil, caufes them to pull in fuffer pertheir horns, and each reproach, and oppofition, for the and perfecution fhakes them down. Whereas Word. this power, makes them confident, couragious, comfortable, and invincible, in the midft of all evils. See this in fome Examples. Our Lord Jefus Chrift being anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, did not only preach the Truth |