The holy apostles, we know, till the Spirit came more abundantly upon them, what dark creatures they were ! But when the Holy Ghost was come upon them, how full of life and light and courage they were ! that the more they suffered, the more they might suffer ! So it will be with Christians : the more spiritual they grow, the more lightsome and courageous ; the more strong, the more lively and vigorous to all duties. The Holy Ghost is the substantial vigour of all creatures whatsoever. All the spiritual vigour of every thing comes from the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit from Christ.
For nothing can work above itself. Nature cannot work above nature. That which elevates nature above itself, and sets a spiritual stamp, and puts divine qualities upon it, is the Spirit of God. That divine quality is called spirit. There is the flesh and the spirit. All in us is flesh by nature, and whatsoever is spiritual and divine cometh from the Spirit, and therefore it is called spirit. You see therefore a necessity of the working of the Spirit, even as there is a necessity to be new creatures, and to be spiritual. If we will be spiritual, we must have it from him that is first spiritual, the Spirit himself ; that is the principal* and fountain of all that is spiritual.
Thirdly, We are called ofttbnes to do and sitffer such things as are above nature ; and therefore tee must have a spirit above nature. When we feel sin, to believe the forgiveness of sins ; when we see death, to believe life ever- lasting ; and when we are in extremity, to believe God present with us to deliver us, to believe contraries in contraries, is a strange almighty work of faith, by the work of the Spirit. It is above the work of nature to die, to end our days with comfort, and to resign up our souls, for nature sees nothing but darkness and desolation in the grave and destruction. Nothing can make a man comfortable in death, but that which raiseth him above nature, the Spirit of God.
Now these things, and many such like, we must do and suffer, if we be Christians ; and therefore we must have the Spirit to enable us to do all. The Spirit is to the soul as the soul is to the body. What is the body without the soul ? A carcase, a loathsome dead thing. What is the soul without the Spirit ? A chaos of darkness and confusion.
Well, how shall we know whether we have the Spirit of Christ or no ?
(1.) We may know it partly by that I said before. The Spirit is a rigorous working thing, and therefore all three persons take upon them the name of Spirit,' but the Holy Ghost especially, because he is the spiritual vigour. The Spirit is an operative thing. The spirits are the quintessence and extraction of things, that is nothing but operation. God that is nothing but a pure act is said to be a spirit. Those that have the Spirit of God are full of act and ^dgour. The spirits of dull creatures are active when they are extracted. Shall the spirits of bodies be vigorous, and shall not the Holy Ghost be vigorous, that is a substantial vigour ? Therefore, if a man have the Spirit of God in him, it will work in him ; it is very operative.
Therefore it is compared to fire in divers respects, for.
First, Fire it is of a working nature. It is the instrument of nature. If we had not fire, wliat could we work ? All fabrics and all things are done by fire, especially metals ; they are framed and made malleable by fire. So * Qu. ' principle ?'— Ed.
214 EXCELLENCY OF THE GOSPEL
the Holy Ghost, it is a working thing and softcucth the heart, and malics us malleable ; it makes us fit for the impression of all good.
Secondli/, Fire, again, i/iourjh bodies he dark, it makes them lightsome like itself. Iron is a dark body, but if the fire penetrate it, it makes it light- some. We are dark creatures of ourselves : if we have the Spirit it makes us light.
'J hirdh/ Again, fire it makes cheerfid, and ascends upwards. If a man have the Spirit of God, his conversation will be upward, his conversation will be heavenly, he minds the things of God, he doth not grovel here below ; so in divers such respects the Holy Ghost is compared to fire, and hath such efiects in us. In some sort we find our understandings enlight- ened, and ourselves quickened, and carried up to the above nature, in holy and heavenly actions ; and then it is a good sign that we have the Spirit of Christ. A part will follow the whole. As wo see a part of the earth it falls to the centre, because all the earth is heavy, all the whole earth falls down to the centre, and therefore every little clod will do it ; so Christ our head, that hath abundance of the Spirit, is in heaven, and if we have the Spirit we will follow him, and mind the things where Christ is.