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things of Christ, which lie hath procured for us; shows them to us for our comfort and estabhshment. These things, I say, he effectually declares to the souls of believers ; and makes them knoAv them for their own good ; — know them as originally the things of the Father, prepared from eternity in his love and good-will; as purchased for them by Christ, and laid up in store in the covenant of grace for their use. Then is Christ magnified and glorified in their hearts; then they know Avhat a Saviour and Redeemer he is. A soul doth never glorify or honour Christ upon a discovery or sense of the eternal redemption he hath purchased for him, but it is in him a peculiar effect of the Holy Ghost as our comforter. " No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," 1 Cor. xii. 3.
3. He " sheds the love of God abroad in our hearts," Rom. v. 5. That it is the love of God to us, not our love to God, which is here intended, the context is so clear as nothing can be added thereunto. Now, the love of God is either of ordination or of acceptation, — the love of his purpose to do us good, or the love of acceptation and ap- probation with him. Both these are called the love of God frequently in Scripture, as I have declared. Now, how can these be shed abroad in our hearts? Not in themselves, but in a sense of them, — in a spi- ritual apprehension of them. ''E-/.-/iyjjrai, is "shed abroad;" the same word that is used concerning the Comforter being given us, Tit. iii. 6. God sheds him abundantly, or pours him on us; so he sheds abroad, or pours out the love of God in our hearts. Not to insist on the expression, which is metaphorical, the business is, that the Comforter gives a sweet and plentiful evidence and persuasion of the love of God to us, such as the soul is taken, delighted, satiated Avithal. This is his work, and he doth it effectually. To give a poor sinful soul a comfortable persuasion, affecting it throughout, in all its faculties and affections, that God in Jesus Christ loves him, delights in him, is well pleased with him, hath thoughts of tenderness and kindness towards him ; to give, I say, a soul an overflowing sense hereof, is an inexpressible mercy.
This we have in a peculiar manner by the Holy Ghost; it is his peculiar work. As all his works are woi'ks of love and kindness, so this of communicating a sense of the love of the Father mixes itself with all the particulars of his actings. And as we have herein pecu- liar communion with himself, so by him we have communion with the Father, even in his love, which is thus shed abroad in our hearts: so not only do we rejoice in, and glorify the Holy Ghost, which doth this work, but in him also whose love it is. Thus is it also in respect of the Son, in his talcing of his, and showing of it unto us, as was declared. What we have of heaven in this world lies herein; and
OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. 241
the manner of our fellowship with the Holy Ghost on this account falls in with what was spoken before.
4. Another effect we have of his, Kom. viii. 16, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." You know whose children we are by nature, — children of Satan and of the curse, or of wrath. By the Spirit we are put into another capacity, and are adopted to he the childi'en of God, inasmuch as by receiving the Spirit of our Father we become the children of our Father. Thence is he called, verse 15, "The Spirit of adoption." Now, sometimes the soul, because it hath somewhat remaining in it of the principle that it had in its old condition, is put to question whether it be a child of God or no ; and thereupon, as in a thing of the greatest importance, puts in its claim, with all the evidences that it hath to make good its title. The Spirit comes and bears witness in this case. An allusion it is to judicial proceedings in point of titles and evidences. The judge being set, the person concerned lays his claim, produceth his evidences, and pleads them; his adversaries en- deavouring all that in them lies to invalidate them, and disannul his plea, and to cast him in his claim. In the midst of the trial, a person of known and approved integrity comes into the court, and gives tes- timony fully and directly on the behalf of the claimer ; which stops the mouths of all his adversaries, and fills the man that pleaded with joy and satisfaction. So is it in this case. The soul, by the power of its own conscience, is brought before the law of God. There a man puts in his plea, — that he is a child of God, that he belongs to God's family; and for this end produceth all his evidences, every thing Avhereby faith gives him an interest in God. Satan, in the mean- time, opposeth with all his might ; sin and law assist him ; many flaws are found in his evidences; the truth of them all is questioned; and the soul hangs in suspense as to the issue. In the midst of the plea and contest the Comforter comes, and, by a word of promise or other- wise, overpowers the heart with a comfortable persuasion (and bears down all objections) that his plea is good, and that he is a child of God. And therefore it is said of him, 'Su/M/^aprvpsT rSj Hvsj//,ari i]/xc!iv. When our spirits are pleading their right and title, he comes in and bears witness on our side; at the same time enabling us to put forth acts of filial obedience, kind and child-like ; which is called " crying, Abba, Father," Gal. iv. 6. Remember still the manner of the Spirit's working, before mentioned, — that he doth it effectually, voluntarily, and freely. Hence sometimes the dispute hangs long, — the cause is pleading many years. The law seems sometimes to prevail, sin and Satan to rejoice; and the poor soul is filled with dread about its inheritance. Perhaps its own witness, from its faith, sanctification, former experience, keeps up the plea with some life and comfort ;