Inf. 4. Did Christ ascend so munificently, shedding forth so many mercies upon his people ? mercies of inestimable value re- served on purpose to adorn that day ? O then see that you abuse not those precious ascension-gifts qf Christ, but value and improve them as the choicest mercies. Now, the ascenion-gifts, as I told you, are either the ordinances and officers of the church, (for he then gave them pastors and teachers,) or the Spirit that furnished the church with all its gifts. Beware you abuse not either of these.
First, Abuse not the ordinances and officers of Christ. This is a sin that no nation is plunged deeper into the guilt of, than this na- tion, and no age more than this. Surely God hath written to us the great things of his law, and we have accounted them small things. We have been loose, wanton, sceptical professors for the most part, that have had nice and coy stomachs, that could not relish plain, wholesome truths, except so and so modified to our humours. For this the Lord hath a controversy with the nation, and by a sore judgment, he hath begun to rebuke this sin already. And I doubt
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not, before he make an end, plain truths will down with us, and we shall bless God for them.
Secondly, But in the next place, see that you abuse not the Spi- rit, whom God sent from heaven at his ascension, to supply his bodily absence among us, and is the great pledge of his care for, and tender love to his people. Now take need that you do not vex him by your disobedience ; nor grieve him by your unkind- nesses ; nor quench him by your sinful neglects of duty, or abuse of light. O deal kindly with the Spirit, and obey his voiced com- ply with his designs, and yield up yourselves to his guidance and conduct. Methinks, to be intreated by the love of the Spirit, Rom. xv. 30. should be as great an argument as to be intreated for Christ's sake. Now, to persuade all the saints to be tender of grieving the Spirit by sin, let me urge a few considerations proper to the point under hand.
Consid. 1. First, He was the first and principal mercy that Christ received for you at his first entrance into heaven. It was the first thing he asked of God when he came to heaven. So he speaks, John xiv. 16, 17. "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you " another Comforter, that he may abide with you." No sooner had he set foot upon the place, but the first thing, the great thing that was upon his heart to ask the Father for us was, that the Spi- rit might forthwith be dispatched, and sent down to his people. So that the Spirit is the first-bom of mercies ; and deserves the first place in our hearts and esteem.
Consid. 2. Secondly, The Spirit comes not in his own name to us, (though, if so, he deserves a dear welcome for his own sake, and for the benefits we receive by him, which are inestimable,) but he comes to us in the name, and in the love, both of the Father, and the Son. As one authorized and delegated by them ; bringing his credentials under both their hands and seals, John xv. 26. " But " when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the " Father :" Mark, I will send him from the Father ; and in John xiv. 26. the Father is said to " send him in Christ's name.'1 So that he is the messenger that comes from both these great and holy persons. And if you have any love for the God that made you, any kindness for the Christ that died for you, shew it by your obe- dience to the Spirit that comes from them both, and in both their names to us, and who will be both offended and grieved, if you grieve him. O therefore give him an entertainment worthy of one that comes to you in the name of the Lord. In the Father's name, and in the Son's name.
Consider. 3. Thirdly, But that is not the only consideration that should cause you to beware of grieving the Spirit, because he is sent in the name of such great and dear persons to you, but he dc-
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serves better entertainment than any of the saints give him, for his uum sake, and upon his own account, and that upon a double score, viz. of his nature and office.
Firsts On the account of his nature ; for he is God co-equal with the Father and Son in nature and dignity, 2 Sam. xxiii. 23. " The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my " tongue ; the God of Israel said ; the Rock of Israel spake to <; me.1' So that you see he is God. The Rock of Israel. God omnipotent, for he created all things, Gen. i. 2. God omnipresent, filling all things, Psal. exxxix. 7. God omniscient, who knows your hearts, Rom. ix. 1. Beware of him therefore, and grieve him not, for in so doing you grieve God.
Secondly, Upon the account of his office, and the benefits we re- ceive by him. We are obliged, even on the score of gratitude and ingenuity, to obey him ; for he is sent in the quality of an advo- cate to help us to pray ; to indite our requests for us ; to teach us what and how to ask of God, Rom. viii. 26. He comes to us as a Comforter, John xiv. 16. And none like him. His work is to take of Christ's and shew it to us *, i. e. to take of his death, resur- rection, ascension, yea, of his very present intercession in heaven, and shew it to us. He can be with us in a moment, he can, (as f one well observes,) tell you what were the very last thoughts Christ was thinking in heaven about you. It was he that formed the body of Christ in the womb, and so prepared him to be a sacrifice for us. He filled that humanity with his unex- ampled fulness J. So fitting and anointing him for the discharge of his office.
It is he that puts efficacy into the ordinances, and without him they would be a dead letter. It was he that blessed them to your conviction and conversion §. For if angels had been the preachers, no conversion had followed without the Spirit. It is he that is the vinculum unionis, bond of union betwixt Christ and your souls, without which you could never have had interest in Christ, or communion with Christ. It was he that so often hath helped your infirmities, when you knew not what to say ; comforted your hearts when they were overwhelmed within you, and you knew not what to do ; preserved you many thousand times from sin and ruin, when you have been upon the slippery brink of it in temptations. It is he (in his sanctifying- work) that is the best
* John xvi. 14. f Mr. Tho. Goodwin. t Luke i. 55. Isa. hi. 1. Col. i. 19.
§2 Cor. ix. 6. John xvi. 9. 1 Pet. i. 12. 1 John iii. 24. Rom. viii. 9, 26. John xiv. 26. Ezek. xxxvi. 17.
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