(1.) He doth it immediately hy\\\VLise\i; without the consideration of any other acts or works of his, or the interposition of any reason- ings, or deductions and conclusions. As in sanctification he is a well of water springing up in the soul, immediately exerting his effi- cacy and refreshment; so in consolation, he immediately works the
OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST 253
soul and minds of men to a joyful, rejoicing, and spiritual frame, filling them with exultation and gladness; — not that this arises from our reflex consideration of the love of God, but rather gives occasion thereunto. When he so sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts, and so fills them with gladness by an immediate act and operation (as he caused John Baptist to leap for joy in the womb upon the approach of the mother of Jesus), — then doth the soul, even from hence, raise itself to a consideration of the love of God, whence joy and rejoicing doth also flow. Of this joy there is no account to be given, but that the Spirit worketh it wiien and how he will. He secretly infuseth and distils it into the soul, prevailing against all fears and sorrows, filling it with gladness, exultations ; and sometimes with imspeakable raptures of mind.
(2.) Mediately. By his other works towards us, he gives a sense of the love of God, with our adoption and acceptation with him; and on the consideration thereof enables us to receive it Let what hath been spoken of his operations towards us be considered, — what assur- ance he gives us of the love of God ; what life, power, and security ; what pledge of our eternal welfare, — and it will be easily perceived that he lays a sufficient foundation of this joy and gladness. Not that we are able, upon any rational consideration, deduction, or conclusion, that we can make from the things mentioned, to afl"ect our hearts Avith the joy and gladness intended ; it is left no less the proper work of the Spirit to do it from hence, and by the intervenience of these considerations, than to do it immediately without them. This pro- cess of producing joy in the heart, we have, Ps. xxiii. 5, 6, " Thou anointest my head with oil." Hence is the conclusion, as in the way of exultation, " Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me." Of this effect of the Comforter, see Isa. xxxv. throughout.
4. Hoj^e, also, is an effect of those workings of the Holy Ghost in us and towards us, Rom. xv. 13. These, I say, are the general conse- quents of the effects of the Holy Ghost upon the hearts of believers ; which, if we might consider them in their offspring, with all the branches that shoot out from them, in exultation, assurance, boldness, confidence, expectation, glorying, and the like, it would appear how far our whole communion with God is influenced by them. But I only name the heads of things, and hasten to what remains. It is the general and particular way of our communion with the Holy Ghost that should nextly ensue, but that some other considerations neces- sarily do here interpose themselves.
254 OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
CHAPTER V.
tSomo observations and infei-ences from discourses foregoing concerning the Spirit — The contempt of the whole administration of the Spirit by some — The vain pretence of the Spirit by others — The false spirit discovered.
This process being made, I should now show immediately, how we hold the communion proposed with the Holy Ghost, in the things laid down and manifested to contain his peculiar work towards us; but there are some miscan'iages in the world in reference unto this dispensation of the Holy Ghost, both on the one hand and the other, in contempt of his true work and pretence of that which is not, that I cannot but remark in my passage : which to do shall be the busi- ness of this chapter.
Take a view, then, of the state and condition of them who, pro- fessing to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, do yet contemn and despise his Spirit, as to all its operations, gifts, gTaces, and dispensa- tions to his churches and saints. Whilst Christ was iii the world with his disciples, he made them no greater promise, neither in respect of their own good nor of caiTying on the work Avhich he had committed to them, than this of giving them the Holy Ghost. Him he instruct- eth them to pray for of the Father, as that which is needful for them, as bread for children, Luke xi. 13. Him he promiseth them, as a well of water springing up in them, for their refreshment, strength- ening, and consolation unto everlasting life, John vii. 37-39; as also to carry on and accomplish the whole work of the ministry to them committed, John xvi. 8-11 ; Avith all those eminent works and privi- leges before mentioned. And upon his ascension, this is laid as the bottom of that glorious communication of gifts and gxaces in his plen- tiful efiiision mentioned, Eph. iv. 8, 11, 12, — namely, that he had received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, Act ii. 33; and that in such an eminent manner as thereby to make the gTeatest and most o-]orious difference between the administration of the new covenant and old. Esjiecially doth the whole work of tlie ministry relate to the Holy Ghost; though that be not my present business to evince. He calls men to that work, and they are separated unto him, Acts xiii. 2 ; he funiisheth them with gifts and abilities for that em- ployment, 1 Cor. xii. 7-10. So that the whole rehgion we profess, without this administration of the Spirit, is nothing ; nor is there any fruit without it of the resurrection of Christ from the dead.