4. It is a Spirit of power, enabling us to vanquish temptations that arise either from the terrors and delights of sense, by propounding the blessedness of the other and better world : 2 Tim. i. 7, ' For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.'
5. It is a Spirit of adoption : Rom. viii. 1.5, 16, ' But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God ; ' and Gal. iv. 6, ' And because we are sons, he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.' It is the surest sign of God's fatherly love, and the pledge of our adoption, and so inclineth us to God as a Father in Christ, that we may love him, delight in him, and depend upon him. It breedeth a childlike affection to God, childlike con- fidence, childlike obedience ; these are the true fruits of the Spirit of Christ. All God's children have not a childlike confidence, but a childlike inclination ; they cannot keep away from God ; when they cannot own him as a Father with delightful confidence, yet they dare not offend him ; there is an awe of God, though they are not assured of his love. In short, they love him, though they cannot say he loveth them.
6. It is a Spirit of supplication : Zech, xii. 10, ' I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplication.' Wherein we manifest our childlike affec- tion to God ; and in that duty he doth most help our infirmities, Rom. viii. 26, stirring up in us ardent groans and desires, and in giving us life in our prayers, and a holy boldness whenever we come to God. There the renewed soul doth directly apply itself to God, and the work of the sanctifying Spirit is most sensibly acted and discovered.
Use 1. To inform us how to know whether our communion with God be interrupted, yea or no, or whether God be pleased or displeased with us, by observing the motions or withdrawings of his Spirit. We can- not know it by outward things ; for God may ' rebuke those whom ho loveth, and chasten every son whom he receiveth,' Heb. xii. 6, and may give outward comforts in anger; these are not evidences of God's love and hatred, Eccles. ix. 2. God will not mark out men by their out- ward estate, discover the wicked by their afflictions, nor reward the godly with this world's good things, nor distinguish them by the bless- ings of his common providence, but hath taken another course to show his anger or his love, his pleasure or displeasure, by giving and with- iiolding the Spirit. When he is provoked by his people, there is some
234 sEiiMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [Ser. XXXII.
abatement, not only of the comforting;, but quickening and sanctifying influences of his Spirit. Therefore David prayeth, Ps. li. 10, ' Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.' On the contrary, when he is well pleased with any, they are filled with the Spirit : Acts xi. 24, ' For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost ; ' Acts ix. 31, ' They walked in the fear of God, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost;' Actsxiii.52, 'And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.' Therefore when there is any stop of this kind of influence, we should inquire what is the matter, where it sticketh, how came our delightful commerce with God to be interrupted, what unkindness there hath been on our part ? Use 2. To put us upon self-reflection, what kind of spirit dwelleth in our hearts. Some are acted by the wrathful unclean spirit : Eph. ii. 2, ' According to the prince of the power of the air, that woi-keth in the children of disobedience.' Others guided and influenced by the mere corrupt natural spirit : James iv. 5, ' The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy.' But all that are adopted into God's family, all that are members of Christ's mystical body, they are guided and influ- enced by the Spirit of God : Kom. viii. 14, ' For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.' If we will follow the impure and revengeful spirit, he will hurry us to destruction, as he did the herd of swine into whom he entered, Mat. viii. If we be guided by the wisdom of the flesh and our own carnal affections, we shall easily be led away from God and our happiness. It is the Holy Ghost only who bringeth us into a state of communion with God, and is as necessary to make all right between us and Christ, as Christ is between us and God. Now who are those that are guided by the Spirit of God ? Our conversa- tion will declare that princi/jjiata respondent suis principiis. The constant effects declare the prevailing principle ; therefore what effects and fruits can you produce of the Spirit's dwelling in you ?