Evidence 4. Wherever the Spirit of God dicellcth, he doth in some degree, mortify and subdue the evils and corruptions of the soid in which he resides. This Spirit lusteth against the flesh, Gal. v. 7. and believers, " through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body," Rom. vih. 13. This is one special part of his sanctifying work. I do not say he kills and subdues sin in believers, as that it shall never trouble or defile them any more : No ; that freedom be- longs to the perfect state in heaven, but its dominion is taken away, though its life be prolonged for a season. It lives in believers still, but not upon the provision they willingly make to fulfil the lust of it, Rom. xiii. 27. The design of every true believer, is co-incident with the design of the Spirit, to destroy and mortify corruption : They long after the extirpation of it, and are daily in the use of all sanctified means and instruments, to subdue and destroy it ; the workings of their corruption are the afflictions of their souls, Rom. vii. 24. " O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me " from the body of this death ?" And there is no one thing that sweetens the thoughts of death to believers (except the sight and full enjovment of God) more than their expected deliverance from sin doth.
Evidence 5. Wherever ilie spirit of God dzcelleth in the way of sanctification, in all such he is the Spirit of prayer and supplication, Rom. vih. 26. " Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, " for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the " Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which " cannot be uttered :* Wherever he is poured out as the Spirit of grace, he is also poured out as the Spirit of supplication, Zech. xii^lO. His praying and his sanctifying influences are undivided. There is a threefold assistance that the Spirit gives unto sanctified persons in prayer. He helps them before they pray, by setting an edge upon their desires and affections : He helps them in prayer,
r,ERM. XXIV. THE METHOD OP GRACE. * 339
by supplying matters of request to them, teaching them what they should ask of God : He assisteth them in the manner of prayer, supplying them with suitable affections, and helping them to be sincere in all their desires to God. It is he that humbles the pride of their hearts, dissolves, and breaks the hardness of their hearts ; Out of deadness makes them lively; out of weakness makes them strong. He assisteth the spirits of believers after prayer, helping them to faith and patience, to believe, and wait for the returns and answers of their prayers. O reader, reflect upon thy duties, con- sider what spirituality, sincerity, humility, broken-heartedness, and melting affections after God, are to be found in thy duties : Is it so with thee ? Or dost thou hurry over thy duties as an interrup- tion to thy business and pleasures ? Are they an ungrateful task, imposed upon thee by God, and thy own conscience ? Are there no hungerings and thirstings after God in thy soul ? Or, if there be any pleasure arising to thee out of prayer, is it not from the ostentation of thy gifts ? If it be so, reflect sadly upon the carnal state of thy heart ; these things do not speak the Spirit of grace and supplication to be given thee.
Evidence 6. Wherever the Spirit of grace inhabits, there is an heavenly i, spiritual frame of mind accompanying, and evidencing the indicelling of the Spirit, Rom. viii. 5, 6. "For they that are after " the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh ; but they that are after " the Spirit, the things of the Spirit : for to be carnally minded " is death : but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." By the mind, understand the musings, reasonings, yea, and the cares, fears, delights and pleasures of the soul, which follow the work- ings and meditations of the mind. As these are, so are we ; if these be ordinarily and habitually taken up, and exercised about earthly things, then is the frame and state of the man carnal, and earthly : The workings of every creature follow the being and na- ture of it. If God, Christ, heaven, and the world to come, en- gage the thoughts and affections of the soul, and the temper of such a soul is spiritual, and the Spirit of God dwelleth there ; this is the life of the regenerate, Phil. iii. 20. " Our conversation is in " heaven ;" and such a frame of heart is life and peace : A serene, placid, and most comfortable life. No pleasures upon earth, no gratifications of the senses, do relish and savour, as spiritual things do. Consider, therefore, which way thy heart ordinarily works, especially in thy solitudes and hours of retirement. These things will be a great evidence for, or against thy soul. David could say, " How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God ! " How great is the sum of them : if I should count them, they " are more in number than the sand ; when I awake, I am still " with thee," Pail, cxxxix. 17, 18. Yet it must be acknowledged,
840 THE METHOD 01 GRACE. SERM. XXIV,
for the relief of weaker Christians, that there is a great differ- ence and variety found in this matter, among the people of God : For the strength, steadiness, and constancy of a spiritual mind, re- sult from the depth and improvement of sanctification : The more grace, still the more evenness, spirituality, and constancy there is in the motions of the heart after God. The minds of weak Chris- tians are more easily entangled in earthly vanities, and more fre- quently diverted by inward corruptions ; yet still there is a spiri- tual Pondus, inclination and bent of their hearts towards God ; and the vanity and corruption which hinders their communion with him are their greatest grief and burthen under which they groan in this world.