[1.] Take this spirit as it worketh towards God. Negatively, it is not a dastardly spirit or a spirit of fear ; the great cause of fear and bondage is taken away, which is sin, for he is reconciled to God. The next cause of fear is removed, which is the wrath of men ; he believeth God's particular providence, and that they cannot stir hand or foot without God : Acts iv. 28, ' For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.' The third cause of trouble is the hazarding of his worldly comforts ; God is able to give him a hundred-fold notwithstanding persecution : Mark x. 29, 30, ' And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive a hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions ; and in the world to come eternal life.' He hath a serious foresight of the world to come : Luke xii. 32, ' Fear not, little flock ; for it is your Father's good plea- sure to give you the kingdom.' It is enough God hath delivered him from sin and hell. Now how quietly and securely may such a one possess his soul in the midst of all the troubles of the world ! Well, then, to be out of the reach of fear is a great privilege ; and this spirit is given by Christ to his people for the advancement of his interest in the world. But positively —
(1.) It is a spirit of power. Surely that is a glorious and powerful spirit that can vanquish the most rooted inclination of nature, and can strive against our sensualit}^ not by a fruitless resistance, but so as to conquer it, and make you go through all conditions with an equal mind ; to bear afflictions with that quietness, modesty, and contented- ress as is strange to the world, and prosperity with that humbleness and lowliness of mind as if you were destitute of all things : James i. 9, 10, ' Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted ; but the rich in that he is made low.' The one, when he hath nothing in the creature, hath all in God ; the other, when he hath all things, is
VeR. 18.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 405
as if he had nothing ; he possesseih as if he possessed not. Thus doth Christianity level mountains and exalt valleys, and teach us to bless God for giving and taking, to fear God for his goodness : Hosea iii. 5, ' They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days ; ' and love him for his judgments : Isa. xxvi. 8, ' Yea, in the way of thy judg- ments, 0 Lord, have we waited for thee ; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.'
(2.) It is a noble spirit, as it is a spirit of love, sincerely and with- out self-respect to aim at the glory of God, and do his will. So ' the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour/ Prov. xii. 26.
(3.) It is a spirit of wisdom and of a sound mind. None go so wisely to work as believers, for they take the surest course to avoid the greatest misery and obtain the greatest happiness : Prov. xv. 24, ' The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.' While others busy themselves about impertinent vanities or temporary trifles, they busy themselves about the greatest things, the knowledge of God in Christ, and the obtaining of eternal life. It is no low-spirited thing to be godly ; they that judge so are blind, and are seduced by the delusions of the flesh.
[2.] Take this spirit as it worketh towards men : ver. 9, ' The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.'
(1.) All goodness: 1 Thes. iv. 9, 'Ye are taught of God to love one another.' God's teaching is by impression ; it is a spirit that inclineth us to do good to others. Naturally men's hearts are narrow, minding their own interests ; but a christian is one that taketh it to be his work to do good, and to ' do good to all men, especially to the household of faith,' Gal. vi. 10. This they do with such a facility and easiness, that it is become as another nature to them.
(2.) For righteousness ; the world applaudeth that, it being so neces- sary for human society. Though the spirit of the gospel be a spirit of courage and fortitude, yet it is not a boisterous zeal without know- ledge, nor a bloody zeal without love ; it can suffer wrong, but do none.
(3.) So for truth ; they that live always in the eye of God dare not dissemble with men ; their consciences can have no quiet without sim- plicity of commerce.
Object But where are such christians to be found ?
Ans. (1.) Blessed be God there are such, and many such, though the world will not own it : 1 Peter iv. 6, ' For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit/