OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. 2-19
8. We have adoption also by the Spirit; hence he is called the " Spirit of adoption;" that is, either he who is given to adopted ones, to secure them of it, to beget in their hearts a sense and persuasion of the Father's adopting love ; or else to give them the privilege itself, as is intimated, John i. 12. Neither is that opposite hereunto which we have. Gal. iv. 6 ; for God may send the Spirit of supplication into our hearts, because we are sons, and yet adopted by his Spirit. But of this elsewhere.
9. He is also called the "Spirit of supplication ;" under which notion he is promised, Zech. xii. 10; and how he effects that in us is declared, Rom. viii. 26, 27, Gal. iv. 6 ; and we are thence said to " pray in the Holy Ghost." Our prayers may be considered two ways : —
(1.) First, as a spiritual duty required of us by God; and so they are wrought in us by the Spirit of sanctification, which helps us to perform all our duties, by exalting all the faculties of the soul for the spiritual discharge of their respective offices in them.
(2.) As a means of retaining communion with God, whereby we sweetly ease our hearts in the bosom of the Father, and receive in refreshing tastes of his love. The soul is never more raised with the love of God than when by the Spirit taken into intimate communion with him in the discharge of this duty; and therein it belongs to the Spirit of consolation, to the Spirit promised as a comforter. And this is the next thing to be considered in our communion with the Holy Ghost, — namely, what are the peculiar effects which he worketh in us, and towards us, being so bestowed on us as was declared, and working in the way and manner insisted on. Now, these are, — his bringing the promises of Christ to remembrance, glorifying him in our hearts, shedding abroad the love of God in us, witnessing with us as to our spiritual estate and condition, sealing us to the day of re- demption (being the earnest of our inheritance), anointing us with privileges as to their consolation, confirming our adoption, and being present with us in our supplications. Here is the wisdom of faith,— to find out and meet with the Comforter in all these things ; not to lose their sweetness, by lying in the dark [as] to their author, nor coming short of the returns which are required of us.
CHAPTER IV.
The general consequences in the hearts of believers of the effects of the Holy Ghost before mentioned — Consolation; its adjuncts, peace, joy — How it is wrought immediately, mediately.
Having proceeded thus far in discovering the way of our commu- nion with the Holy Ghost, and insisted on the most noble and known
250 OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
effects that he produceth, it remains that it be declared what general consequences of these effects there are brought forth iu the hearts of behevers; and so we shall at least have made mention of the main heads of his dispensation and work in the economy of grace. Now, these (as with the former) I shall do little inore than name ; it being not at all in my design to handle the natures of them, but only to show what respects they beai" to the business in hand : —
1. Consolation is the first of these: "The disciples walked in the fear of the Lord, and in the consolation of the Holy Ghost," Acts ix. 31, If] 'Xapax'/.r^cm rov ayiov Uvixj/xarog. He is 6 TapaxXTjroj, and he gives -rapaKXriffiv: from his work towards us, and in us, Ave have comfort and consolation. This is the first general consequent of his dispensation and work. Whenever there is mention made of comfort and consolation in the Scripture given to the saints (as there is most frequently), it is the proper consequent of the work of the Holy Ghost towards them. Comfort or consolation in general, is the setting and composing of the soul in rest and contentedness in the midst of or from troubles, by the consideration or presence of some good, wherein it is interested, outweighing the evil, ti'ouble, or per- plexity that it hath to wrestle withal. Where mention is made of com- fort and consolation, properly so called, there is relation to trouble or pei-plexity ; so the apostle, 2 Cor. i. 5, 6, " As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." Suffer- ing and consolation are opposed, the latter being a relief against the former ; so are all the promises of comfort, and all the expressions of it, in the Old and New Testament still proposed as reliefs against troiible.
And, as I said, consolation ariseth from the presence or considera- tion of a greater good, that outbalances the evil or perplexity where- with we are to contend. Now, in the effects or acts of the Holy Ghost before mentioned lie all the springs of our consolation. There is no comfort but from them ; and there is no trouble that we may not have comfort in and against by them. That a man may have con- solation in any condition, nothing is required but the presence of a good, rendering the evil wherewith he is pressed inconsiderable to him. Suppose a man under the gi'eatest calamity that can possibly befall a child of God, or a confluence of all those evils numbered by Paul, Rom. viii. 35, etc. ; let this man have the Holy Ghost perfomi- ing the Avorks mentioned before toAvards him, and, in despite of all his evils, his consolations Avill abound. Suppose him to have a sense of the love of God all the Avhile shed abroad iu his heart, a clear Avitness within that he is a child of God, accepted Avith him, that he is sealed and marked of God for his OAvn, that he is an heir of all the promises of God, and the like; it is impossible that man should not triumph in all his tribulations.