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thing supernatural. Therefore if we will profit by the word, come not with presumptuous spirits, but lift up our hearts to God, that his Spirit may clothe the ministry with vigour and power, that he may convey holy truths into our hearts, and make them effectual for the changing of the inward and of the outward man. Then we come as we should. All is by the Spirit of the Lord, blessing all means whatsoever, without which all means arc dead. Therefore we must'opcn as that flower that opens and shuts as the sun shines on it (ii). So must we as Christ shines on us ; and we ebb and flow as he flows upon us. We shine or are dark as he shines on us. As the air is no longer light than the sun shines, so we are no longer lightsome and open, and flow and are carried to anything, than Christ by his Spirit flows on us. For we do what we do, but we are patients first to receive that power from the Spirit. We hear and do good works, but the activity and power and strength comes all from the Spirit of God.
Use 3. Hence likewise we may make another use of trial, whether we have the Spirit of Christ or no ; whether we have the Holy Ghost, which is called here the Spirit of the Lord.
I will not go out of the text for trials.
(1.) If a man have the Spirit of God, it openeth the eyes of the soul to see in the (jlass of the word, the face of God shiniiuf on hbn in Christ. If a man have the Spirit he sees God as a Father, by the Spirit of illumination.
(2.) Again, if thou hast the Spirit of God, tJiou hast the Spirit of love. God's Spirit manifesteth the hidden love of God, that was hid in the breast of God, to his soul ; for the Spirit of God searcheth the breast of God and the secret of God, and it searcheth my heart. Now he that hath the Spirit of God knows the love of God in Chidst to him ; it reveals the love of God, the height, and breadth, and depth of it to our spirits. As in the text, we see the gracious love of God in Christ, and then we love him again.
(3.) And thereupon where the Spirit is it changeth. It is not only a Spirit of illumination, but of sanctification. Where he dwells he sanctifieth the house, and makes it a temple. It is efficacious. Where the Spirit is, it will work. It is like the wind. Wliere it is it will stir, it will move. Where it moves not it is not at all. Where the Spirit alters not the condi- tion from bad to good, and from good to better, suspect that it is not there ; at least it will move. As the pulses will have a drawing in, and a sending out, by stirring, so there will be some operation of. the Spirit that is dis- cernible to a judicious eye ; alway some stirring where the Spirit of God is.
The papists slander us willingly : I think against many of their con- sciences that understand anything. Oh, say they, we will laave Christians like Satan, to appear as angels of light, and blackamores in white garments, that have their teeth white, and nothing else. So your Christians put on the garment of Christ's righteousness. Let them put on that, and then though they be not changed a whit, it is no matter. Who teacheth thus ? We teach out of this text, that.
First of all, the Spirit of God opens our eyes. He takes off the veil , and then we see the glory of God's mercy in Christ, pardoning our sins for the righteousness and obedience of Christ ; and then that love warms our hearts, so that it changeth our hearts by the Spirit, from one degree of grace to another. There is a changing power that goes with the love of Christ, and with the mercy of God in Christ. This [is] our doctrine. The same Spirit that justifieth us by applying to us the obedience of Christ, the same Spirit sanctifieth us. Therefore their allegations and objections are to no purpose. We see here the Spirit of the Lord changeth us.
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And so for your common atheistical professors, that profess themselves Christians. They partake of the name, but not of the anointing of Christ. True Christians that are anointed with the Spirit of Christ, it will enforce a change. Beloved, we cannot behold the sun, but we must be enlightened ; we cannot behold the Sun of righteousness, but we shall be changed and enlightened. The eye of faith, though we think not of it, though it look upon Christ for justification and forgiveness of sins, yet notwithstanding at the same time insensibly there is an alteration of the soul. If a man look up for other ends, yet at the same time there is an enlightening by the sun. So at the same time that we look upon the mercy of God in Christ, at the same time there is a glory shines upon us, and we are altered and changed, though we think not of it. At the very instant that we apprehend justifi- cation and forgiveness of sins, in the mercy of God in Christ, at the same instant there is a glory put upon the soul. We cannot have commerce with the God of glory, but we shall be glorious. Therefore, there is no man that hath anything to do with God, that hath not some glory put into his Boul, whatsoever he is.