Use 1. Let us give up ourselves to the Holy Spirit as our sanctifier ; set open your hearts, that he may come into them as his habitation ; do not receive him guest-wise in a pang, or for a turn, or in some solemn duty; but see that he dwelleth in you as an inhabitant in his house. A man is not said to dwell in an inn, where as a stranger or wayfaring man, he goeth aside to tarry for a night ; or in the house of a friend, where he resorteth ; no, use all Christ's holy means that he may fix his abode in your hearts ; that he may dwell there, as at home in his own house ; that he may be reverenced there as a God in his temple.
Motives. 1. He richly requiteth us ; he keepeth up the house and temple where he dwelleth ; the Spirit is our seal and envnest: 'The Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you,' 1 Pet. iv. 14.
2. The heart of man is not a waste ; you will have a worse guest there, if not the Holy Spirit; Satan dwelleth and worketh in the children of disobedience: 1 Sam. xvi. 14, 'But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him ;' and Eph. ii. 2, ' The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience ; ' and Eph. iv. 27, ' Neither give place to the devil.' That cursed inmate will enter, if we give place to him and hearken to his motions ; so that then he will make the body a sink of sin, and a dung- hill of corruption ; he tempts you to scandalous sins, which do not only waste the body for the present, but are a pledge of eternal dam,nation.
3. Consider how many deceive themselves with the hopes of a glorious resurrection. Alas ! they are strangers to the Spirit ; it may be not to his transient motions — they resist the Holy Ghost, which will be their greater condemnation — but to his constant residence ; for where he dwelleth, he maketh them more heavenly, acquainting them with God, Col. i. 6 ; more holy, that is his office to sanctify, 1 Pet. i. 22 ; to love God more, for he is the operative love of God, Rom. v. 5 ; 1 John iv. 8 ; to hate sin more, that bringeth death ; and his business is to come as a pledge of life. Alas! in most, the spirit that dwelleth in them lusteth to envy; they are ruled by an unclean spirit, by the spirit of the world: 1 Cor. ii. 12 ; have no love to God, no real hatred of sin.
Use 2. Live in obedience to his sanctifying motions : Rom. viii. 14, 'As many as are led by the Spirit are the sons of God.' The
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 27
Spirit of God by which you are piuided and led, is tliat divine and potent Spirit that raised up Christ's dead body out of the grave ; and if you be led and governed by him, you shall be raised by the power of the same Spirit that raised Christ's body ; his power is the cause, but your right is by his sanctification.
Use 3. Use your bodies well ; possess your vessel in sanctification and honour : 1 Thes. iv. 4.
[1.] Ofi'er up yourselves to God. For every temple must be dedi- cated : Rom. xii. 1, ' I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service;' Eom. vi. 13, 'Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead. '
[2.] When devoted to God, take heed you do not nse them to sensuality and filthiness ; which wrong the body here and hereafter ; the pleasures of the body cannot recompense the pains of your surfeit or intemperance, much less eternal torments ; for what will be the issue ? ' If you live after the flesh (Rom. viii. 13), you must die ; ' there- fore you should daily keep the flesh in a subordination to the spirit : 1 Pet. ii. 11, ' I beseech j'ou as strangers and pilgrims, that ye abstain from fleshly lusts.' To please and gratify the flesh, is to wrong the soul.
[3.] We should deny our.selves even lawful pleasures, when they begin to exercise a dominion over us : 1 Cor. vi. 12, ' All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.' It is a miserable servitude to be brought under the power of any pleasui'e, either in meat, drink, or recreations ; enchanted with the witchery of gaming, though it grieve the Spiiit, wrong the soul, defraud God of his time, rob the poor of what should feed charity, yet they are enslaved.
SERMON XV.
Therefore, h-ethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after theflesli.
—Rom. viii. 12.
In the words we have,
1. A note of inference.
2. The truth inferred. In this latter we find, fl.] A compellation — Brethren.