[5.] The parts and branches of this leading are two ; First, His restraining motions for the mortifying of sin, and his inviting motions for the perfecting of holiness. He teacheth us, as he leadeth us into all truth, what we are to reject, what to believe in religion. Again, what is to be left undone in the practice of our lives ; and he backeth botli with what we ought to hope and fear after death in the other world.
(1.) His leading consisteth in his restraining motions, for the mortify- ing of sin, or the avoiding of sin. Wlien we are running into the snare, he mindeth us of our danger ; as when any evil habit, or spiritual disease is growing upon our spirits, or when we are about to do some- thing unseemly and offensive to God, — the Spirit in effect saith, ' 0 do not this abominable thing which I hate ! but cast out pride, worldliness, and sensuality ; do not give way to such and such lusts.' The Holy Ghost is in a singular manner familiar with God's people, taking up a place of abode in their hearts, and furnishing them with sweet and necessary counsel and advice from time to time ; therefore he is said to strive with us, when he opposeth himself to our corrupt inclinations : Gen, vi. 3, ' My Spirit shall not always strive with man.' He striveth by inward motions and checks of conscience, by which he seeketh to humble us for sin, and to reclaim us from sin ; if we struggle against these, we lose our advantage : Neh. ix. 20-30, ' Thou gavest them also thy good Spirit to instruct them. Thou testifiedst against them by the Spirit to bring them back to thy law.' In these and many places, we read of the Spirit's guidance : ' If ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body.' We must avoid those things he dissuadeth us from.
(2.) There are his inviting and quickening motions, to bring us on in a way of holiness, and to perfect the work of grace in us, and fit us
96 SERMONS UPOX llOMANS VIII. [SeK. XXI.
more for God's use and service. He doth not only close us at first with Christ, but is the agent and worker of the life of Christ within us, to do his work, and maintain his interest, and sanctify us throughout, as we have experience of his restraining motions, that we may be more and more conformed to God's blessed will, and seek our delight and happiness in communion with his blessed self: Ps. xxvii. 8, ' The Lord said. Seek ye my face: and my heart said, thy face. Lord, will I seek.' God speaketh to us by the injection of holy thoughts, and the secret inspuations of his grace, and we speak to God by the inclinations and resolutions of our own souls. This dialogue is carried on in soul language ; there need no audible words between God and the soul ; so in other places, how often doth he solicit us by his holy motions and inspirations ! The Spirit incliaeth and presseth us to that which is good.
2. As the office of the Spirit is to guide and lead, so it is our duty to submit to his direction ; to be led by him. That makelh the evidence in the passive sense, if we suffer ourselves to be led and guided by him in all things ; for otherwise the Spirit worketh on many, but they will not hear ; they either neglect or resist his motions. There is a double voice within us, the flesh and the Spirit ; and men's spiritual estate is determined by submission and compliance with either : Eom. viii. 1, ' That walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ' The flesh is near and dear to us, and very imperious and importunate to be pleased. Now some men live in a perfect obedience to the flesh, according to the fancies and appetites of corrupt nature, and deny it nothing which it craveth at their hands ; but there is another voice within us, saying, This is the way, walk in it ; thus you must do, if you mean to be happy. Now let us not hear and pass by, as if you heard not ; no, you must suffer yourselves to be led and governed by this voice, or this blessed Spirit in all ; you must improve his assist- ance, wait for his approaches, obey his sanctifying motions, direct ali the actions of your lives according to his guidance and counsel ; that is your evidence.
[1.] I shall urge it in conformity to Christ. There is a perfect like-. ness between christians and Christ ; all the privileges which Christ had, are conveyed to us by the Spirit. If Jesus be the natural Son of the Father, the christian is his adopted sou, John xx. 17 ; if Jesus be the heir of all things, a christian is a co-heir with Christ, Eom. viii. 17 ; if Jesus be innocent, the christian is justified ; if Jesus be born of the Spirit, or framed by the Holy Ghost, the christian is regenerated, born also of water, and the Holy Ghost, John iii. 5 ; if Jesus be evidenced to be the Son of God by the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon him, the Spirit beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the sons of God. Jesus was led by the Spirit continually, so we ; if he retire into the desert, if he come back again into Galilee, he is still led by the Spirit : Mat. iv., ' Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness,' the Holy Ghost aiding him in that conflict ; when it was ended, Luke iv. 14, 'Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee,' that is, to preach, or to execute his prophetical office ; if he cast out devils, Mat. xii. 14, ' I cast out devils by the Spirit of God.' Thus it was with Christ; certainly therefore whatever design we conceive,