But how or by what means doth Christ give his Spirit to us ? This Spirit that is so necessary for us, it is given by the ministry of the gospel, which is the ministry of the Spirit. * Received ye the Holy Ghost by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith preached ?' Gal. iii. 2. AVhen the love of God in Christ, and the benefits by Christ, are laid open in the
24 A DESCRIPTION OF CHBIST.
preaching of the gospel to us, God gives his holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. Now God in Christ would save us by a triumphant and abundant love and mercy, and the Spuit of God never goes but where there is a magnifying of the love and mercy of God in Christ ; therefore the ministry of the gos- pel, which only discovers the amity and love of God to mankind, being now reconciled in Christ, it is accompanied with the Spirit, to assure us of our part and portion in those benefits, for the Spirit is the fruit of God's love as well as Christ. Christ is the first gift, and the Spirit is the second, therefore that part of the word that discovers God's exceeding love to man- kind, leaving angels when they were fallen, in their cursed estate, and yet giving his Son to become man, and ' a curse for us :' the discovery of this love and mercy of God, and of his Son Christ to us, is joined with the Spirit. For by the Spirit we see our cursed estate without the love and mercy of God in Christ, and likewise we are convinced of the love of God in Christ, and thereupon we love God again, and trust to his mercy, and out of love to him perform all cheerful obedience. AVhatsoever we do else, if it be not stirred by the Spmt, apprehending the love of God in Christ, it is but morality. A man shall never go to heaven but by such a disposition and frame and temper of soul as is wrought by the Holy Ghost, persuading the soul first of the love and favour of God in Christ. What are all our performances if they be not out of love to God ? and how shall we love God except we be persuaded that he loves us first ? Therefore the gospel breeds love in us to God, and hath the Spirit together with it, working a blessed frame of sanctification, whereby we are disposed to every good duty. Therefore if we would have the Spirit of God, let us attend upon the sweet promises of salvation, upon the doctiine of Christ ; for together with the knowledge of these things, the Holy Ghost slides and insinuates and infuseth himself into our souls.
Therefore the ministers of the gospel should be much in laying open the riches of God in Christ. In unfolding Christ, all other things will follow, as St Paul in Titus ii. 11, 12, ' The grace of God hath shined, hath appeared gloriously, teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to hve holily and soberly in this present world.' Where the grace and love of God is persuaded and shed into the soul, all will follow.
What is the reason that former times were called dark times (and so they were), the times of popery a dark age ? Christ was veiled, the gospel was veiled, there was no preaching of salvation by Christ alone, people were sent to stocks and stones, and to saints, and instead of the word, they were sent to legends and such things. Christ was obscured, thereupon they were dark ages. Those ages wherein the Spirit of God is most, is where Christ is most preached, and people are best always where there is most Spirit ; and they ai'e most joyful and comfortable ancf holy, where Christ is truly laid open to the hearts of people. The preaching of mere morality, if men be not careful to open Christ, to know how salvation is wrought by Christ, and how all good comes by Christ, it will never make a man perfectly good and fit him for heaven. It may make a man reform many abuses, like a philosopher, which hath its reward and respect amongst men, but nothing to give comfort at the hour of death and the day of judgment. Only that whereby the Spirit is conveyed, is the knowledge and preaching of Christ in his state and offices.
Again, the Spirit of Christ is given in obedience to this gospel, Acts v. 32. He gives the Holy Ghost to them that obey him. Now, there is the obe- dience of faith, and the obedience of Hfe. When the soul is wrought to
A DESCRIPTION OF CHKIST. ' 25
obedience, to believe, and to be directed by God, then the Holy Spu-it is given in a further measure still. The Holy Ghost is given to them that obey, to them that do not resist the Spirit of God. For in the ministry of the gospel the Spirit is given in some degree to reprobates. It is offered, it knocks at the hearts of the vilest persons, that live in filthj^ and false courses of life, whose tongues and bodies are all instruments of an unsanc- tified soul to offend God. They have gracious motions offered them, but then they do not obey them. Therefore the Spirit seizeth not upon them, to rule in them. They have the Spirit knocking upon them ; he doth not dweU in them, and take up his lodging in them. The Spirit is given to them that obey the sweet motions of it. Now, who is it that hears the blessed word of God, the blessed tidings of salvation, but he hath sweet motions of the Spirit to be in love with God, and the mercy of God, and to hate sin a little for a time, then presently upon it corruption joins and swells against those motions, and they only rest in the bare motion, and never come to any perfection. This is the state of reprobates in the church. They have many motions by the Holy Ghost, but their hearts are not subdued to obedience, not to constant obedience. Therefore, if we would have the Spirit of Christ, let us labour to subject ourselves unto it. When we have any good motion by the ministry of the word, or by con- ference, or by reading of good things (as holy things have a savour in them, the Spirit breathes in holy exercises). Oh give way to the motions of God's Spirit. We shall not have them again perhaps, turn not back those blessed messengers, let us entertain them, let the Spirit dwell and rule in us. It is the most blessed lodger that ever we entertained in all our lives. If we let the Spirit guide and rule us, it will lead us and govern and support us in life and death, and never leave us tiU it have raised our bodies (the Spirit of Christ in us at length will quicken our dead bodies), Rom. viii. 11, it wiU never leave us tiU it have brought us to heaven. This is the state of those that belong to God, that give way to the motions of God's Spirit to rule and guide them. Therefore, if we would have the Spirit of Christ, let us take heed of rebelling against it.