Furthermore : the Holy Ghost sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts, as was declared, and thence fills them with joy, peace, and hope; quieting and refreshing the hearts of them in whom he dwells; giving them liberty and rest, confidence, and the boldness of children. This spirit whereof men now boast is a spiiit of bondage, whose ut- most work is to make men quake ajid tremble ; casting them into an un-son-like frame of spirit, driving them up and down with horror and bondage, and drinking up their very natural spirits, and making their whole man wither away. There is scarce any one thing that more evidently manifesteth the spirit whereby some are now acted not to be the Comforter promised by Christ, than this, — that he is a spirit of bondage and slavery in them in whom he is, and a sj:)iiit of cruelty and reproach towards others ; in a direct opposition to the Holy Ghost in believers, and all the ends and purposes for which, as a spirit of adoption and consolation, he is bestowed on them.
To give one instance more: the Holy Ghost bestowed on believers is a Spirit of prayer and supplication ; as was manifested. The spiiit wherewith we have to do, pretends the caiTying men above such low and contemptible means of communion with God. In a word, it were a very easy and facile task, to pass through all of the eminent effect;? of the Holy Ghost in and towards believers, and to manifest that the pretending spirit of our days comes in a direct opposition and contradiction to every one of them. Thus hath Satan passed from one extreme to another, — from a bitter, wi'etched opposition to the Spirit of Christ, imto a cursed pretending to the SjDirit; still to the same end and purjioso.
I might give sundry other instances of the contempt or abuse of the dispensation of the Spirit. Those mentioned are the extremes whereunto all other are or may be reduced; and I will not fai'ther divert from that which lies dii'ectly in my aim.
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CHAPTER VI.
Of particular communion witli the Holy Ghost — Of preparation thereunto— Va- luation of the benefits we receive by him — What it is he comforts, us in and against; wherewith; how.
The way being thus made plain for us, I come to show how we hold particular communion with the Holy Ghost, as he is promised of Christ to be our comforter, and as working out our consolation by the means formerly insisted on. Now, the first thing I shall do herein, is the proposal of that which may be some preparation to the duty under consideration; and this by leading the souls of believers to a due valuation of this work of his towards us, whence he is called our Comforter.
To raise up our hearts to this frame, and fit us for the duty in- tended, let us consider these tliree things : —
FiEST, What it is he comforts us against.
Secondly, Wherewith he comforts us.
Thirdly, The 'principle of all his actings and operations in us for our consolation.
First. There are but three things in the whole course of our pilgrimage that the consolations of the Holy Ghost are useful and necessary in: —
] . In our afflictions. Affliction is part of the provision that God hath made in his house for his children, Heb. xii. 5, 6. The great variety of its causes, means, uses, and effects, is generally known. There is a measure of them appointed for every one. To be wholly without them is a temptation; and so in some measure an affliction. That which I am to speak unto is, that in all our afflictions we need the consolations of the Holy Ghost. It is the nature of man to relieve himself, when he is entangled, by all ways and means. According as men's natural spirits are, so do they manage themselves under pres- sures. " The spirit of a man will bear his infirmity;" at least, will struggle with it.
There are two great evils, one of which does generally seize on men under their afflictions, and keep them from a due management of them. The apostle mentioneth them both, Heb. xii. 5, Mn oXiywpu 'rraihiidi Kvpiov, i^Y^hi IxXuou, vt' aurov sXsyy^o/Mivog, — " Despise not the chastisement of the Lord; neither faint when thou art reproved." One of these extremes do men usually fall into ; either they despise the Lord's correction, or sink under it
(1.) Men despise it. They account that which befalls them to be a light or common thing; they take no notice of God in it; they can
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shift with it well enough : they look on instruments, second causes ; provide for their own defence and vindication with little regard to God or his hand in their affliction. And the gi-ound of this is, be- cause they take in succours, in their trouble, that God will not mix his gi-ace withal; they fix on other remedies than what he hath ap- pointed, and utterly lose all the benefits and advantage of their afflic- tion. And so shall eveiy man do that reheves himself from any thing but the consolations of the Holy Ghost.