* Even as by the Spirit of the Lord.'
* As ' here is taken according to the phrase in the Greek ; and there is the like word in the Hebrew. It signifieth likeness and similitude some- times, and sometimes otherwise.* It is not here meant as if we were like the Spirit of the Lord, but this change is wrought even as by the Spirit of the Lord. That is, it is so excellent and so strong, that j^ou may know that it is done by none but the Spirit of God.
Again, ' as by the Spirit of the Lord,' that is, so far as the Spirit of the Lord changeth us. It implieth those two things, that is, it is done by the power of the Spirit, that we may know it is done by the Spirit of the Lord ; and then, as by him and no further, for we no further shine than he enlight- eneth us. As the air, it is no further light than the sun shines into it ; so we have no more glory, strength, comfort, and peace, or anything gracious or glorious, than the Spirit of God shines into us : therefore he saith, ' as by the Spirit of the Lord.' It is so glorious and excellent, and so far forth as he doth it. ' As by the Spirit of the Lord ;' so he expresseth the mean- ing of that phrase.
« That is, xaSd'rriP = Hebrew, "1^i^3. Cf. Gen. xii. 4 ; Exod. vii. 6, 10 ; in LXX.— G. - '"■
ABOVE THE LAW. 293
Now you seo liere the doctrine is clear, that all that I have spoken of before comes from the Spirit of the Lord, and from no other cause.
The beholding, the transforming, the degrees of transforming from glory to glory, the taking away of the veil, all is from the Spirit of the Lord. To go over the particulars.
The Holy Ghost doth open our eyes to behold the glory of the Lord, and therefore he is called the Spirit of illumination. The Holy Ghost takes away the veil of ignorance and unbelief, and thereupon he is called the Spirit of revelation. The Holy Ghost upon revealing the love of God to ns in Christ, and the love of Christ to us, and illuminating our understand- ings to see these things, ho breeds love to God again, shewing the love of God to us, and thereupon he is called the Spirit of love. Now when God's love is shed into us by the Spirit of illumination and revelation, then we are changed according to the image of Christ ; and thereupon the Holy Ghost, from the working of a change, is called the Spirit of sanctification, because he is not only the holy temple of that blessed person, but he makes us holy ; and because this change is a glorious change, a change from one degree of grace to another, till we come to be perfect in heaven ; hereupon it is called a Spirit of glory, as St Peter saith, ' the Spirit of glory resteth on you,' 1 Peter iv. 14, that is, the Spirit of peace, of love, of comfort, of joy, &c. The Spirit, in i-egard of this blessed attribute, working all these, he is called the Spirit of glory. The Spirit hath divers names according to the divers operations he works in the saints and people of God ; as here the Spirit of illumination, of revelation, of love, of sanctification, of glory, all is by the Spirit. Whatsoever is wrought in man it is by the Spirit. All comes from the Father as the fountain, and through the Son as Media- tor ; but whatsoever is wrought it is by the Holy Ghost in us, which is the substantial vigour in the Trinity. All the vigour and operation in the Trinity upon the creature, it is by the Holy Ghost, the third person. As in the creation the Spirit moved upon the waters, and moving there and brooding on them, framed the whole model of the creatures ; all were framed by the Holy Ghost ; so the Holy Ghost upon the water of our souls frames the new creature, frames all this change ' from glory to glory,' all is by tho Holy Spirit. Therefore it is here in the passive term, ' Wo are changed from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.' So in the chain of salvation you have passive words in them all. ' Whom God foreknew he chose : and whom he chose he justified : and whom he justified he glorified,' Rom. viii. 30, all because they come from God, and the Spirit of God. So here we are transformed from glory to glory, all is by the Spirit of God, the third person. For, beloved, even as from God toward us all things come through the Son by the Spirit, so back again, all things from us to God must come by the Spirit and through Christ. We do all by the Spirit, as all things are wrought in us by the Spirit. God gives us the Spirit of prayer and supplication, and the Spirit of sanctification ; and we pray in the Spirit, and work in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit. We do all in the Spirit, to shew that the Spirit doth all in all. In this new creature and work of sanctification it is by no less than the Spirit of the Lord. For, beloved, as it was God that redeemed us, so it is God that must change us ; as it was God that wrought our salvation and reconciled us, — no less person could do it, — so it must be God that must persuade us of that glorious work, and fit us for it by his Holy Spirit. It is God that must knit us to our head Christ, and then by little and little transform us to that blessed con- dition that Christ hath purchased for us. God the Son doth the one, and