8. These are ascribed to the Spirit by the apostle for two reasons — [1.] Partly because of man's ineapacity to produce these things of
himself. We are not only defective in the duties which concern our commerce with God, but also in the lower hemisphere of duties, those which concern our dealings with men. None is good of himself, but only God: Mat. xix. 17, 'Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God ; ' that is, originally good.' As all the stars derive their light from the sun, so do we receive every good and perfect gift from the Father of lights, James i. 17. God is originally good, but we are good by participation. This was true of man in innocency; but there is another reason for man in his fallen estate, for there we were altogether bent on evil : Ps. xiv. 3, ' There is none that docth good, no not one.' Surely in that estate, whatever good we do is from the Spirit
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of God : Acts xi. 24, ' Barnabas was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of laith.' Wc are made so by the Holy Spirit, not born so ; none of us love good, and hate evil, and sincerely set ourselves to do that which is holy and righteous, till he hath framed us for this use. Therefore all true goodness and righteousness is from him.
[2.] And partly because all the etlects carry such a resemblance with the Spirit. The fruit must be correspondent with the root or nature of the plant on which it grows. If you are made light in the Lord by the Spirit, you will bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Goodness; the Spirit is called the good Spirit : Ps. cxliii. 10, ' Teach me, for thou art my God ; thy Spirit is good ; lead me into the land of uprightness ; ' Neh. ix. 20, ' Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them.' Now this operation is accordingly ; he maketh us good, kind, to love all with a love of benevolence, and our fellow-christians with a love of complacency. So for righteousness, or justice in all our dealings, giving every one his due ; this is the fruit of the Spirit ; for, Eph. iv. 24, ' The new man is created after God in righteousness and true holiness.' God hath done so much to demonstrate his righteousness, that christians have not the spirit of their religion if they be not righteous. So for truth or fidelity, whereby we carry ourselves sincerely, and free from all hypocrisy and craft. The Spirit is often called the Spirit of truth; and that holiness which he worketh in us is holiness of truth, or true holiness : ' Therefore put away lying,' Eph. iv. 25 ; it is a sin contrary to the new nature.
9. This Spirit God hath sent among us by the preaching of the gospel ; for when he saith, 'Ye are light in the Lord,' it implieth both the know- ledge of the gospel and the illumination of the Spirit ; the one as concomitant with the other, and settling the belief of it in our henrts. The doctrine of Christ bringeth the Spirit to us, and we receive it by faith : Gal. iii. 2, ' Keceived ye tlie Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith ? ' John vii. 39, ' But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.' We receive the Spirit more plentifully by the gospel than by the law, and we receive it by faith in Christ. Having made this \vay, I come now to propound a [)articular point.
Doct. 1. That the Spirit which we receive by the gospel worketh all goodness in the hearts of believers.
To illustrate this point, I shall show — (1.) What is goodness ; (2.) How this is the product of the Spirit of the gospel.
I. What is goodness ? I answer — Goodness is either moral or beneficial.
1. Moral goodness is our whole duty required by the law of (jlotl, whatever is just and equal for us to perform : Deut. xxx. 15, ' I have set before you life and good, death and evil.' Holiness is called good, and sin evil ; and the whole duty of man elsewdiere is called good : Micah vi. 8, 'He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee?' The Mum hominis, the whole duty of man, is honum hominis, the avIk^Ic good of man.
2. There is beneficial goodness, Avhicli is a branch of the former, and implieth a readiness to do good to others to the utmost of our capacity ;
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for all good is commnnicative of itself: Heb. xiii. 16, 'But to do good, and to communicate, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.' This duty must not be forgotten nor neglected, because it showeth tlie due impress of our religion upon us. Well, then, the first sort of goodness is holiness, the second beneficence.
II. Tliat this is the fruit and product of the Spirit by the gospel,