1 'Airo^-rsXXsrai jKev cixovofcixa;, Ivifyii Se avn^ovfia;, — Basil. Homil. XV. clc Fide.
CHAP. I.] THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS WORK. 23
First, then, we may consider, That tlie doctrine of the Spirit of God, his work and grace, is the second great head or principle of those gospel trutlis wherein the glory of God and the good of the souls of men are most eminently concerned. And such also it is, that without it, — without the knowledge of it in its truth, and the improvement of it in its power, — the other will be useless unto those ends. For when God designed the great and glorious work of re- covering fallen man and the saving of sinners, to the praise of the glory of his gxace, he appointed, in his infinite wisdom, two great means thereof. The one was the giving of his Son for them, and the other was the giving of his Spirit unto them. And hereby was way made for the manifestation of the glory of the whole blessed Trinity; which is the utmost end of all the works of God. Hereby were the love, grace, and wisdom of the Father, in the design and projection of the whole; the love, grace, and condescension of the Son, in the execution, purchase, and procurement of grace and sal- vation for sinners; with the love, grace, and power of the Holy Spirit, in the effectual application of all unto the souls of men, — made gloriously conspicuous. Hence, from the first entrance of sin, there were two general heads of the promise of God unto men, concerning the means of their recover}^ and salvation. The one was that concern- ing the sending of his Son to be incarnate, to take our nature upon him, and to suffer for us therein ; the other, concerning the giving of his Spirit, to make the effects and fruits of the incarnation, obedi- ence, and suffering of his Son, effectual in us and towards us. To these heads may all the promises of God be reduced. Now, because the former was to be the foundation of the latter, that was first to be laid down and most insisted on until it was actually accomplished. Hence, the great promise of the Old Testament, the principal object of the faith, hope, and expectation of believers, was that concerning the coming of the Son of God in the flesh, and the work which he was to perform. Yet was this also, as we shall see in our progress, accompanied with a great intermixture of promises concerning the Holy Spirit, to render his coming and work effectual unto us. But when once that first work was fully accomplished, when the Son of God was come, and had destroyed the works of the devil, the prin- cipal remaining promise of the New Testament, the spring of all the rest, concern eth the sending of the Holy Spirit unto the accomplish- ment of his part of that great work which God had designed. Hence, the Holy Ghost, the doctrine concerning his person, his work, his grace, is the most peculiar and principal subject of the Scriptures of the New Testament, and a most eminent immediate object of the faith of them that do believe ; and this must be farther cleared, seeing we have to deal with some who will scarce allow him to be of any
24 GENERAL PRINCIPLES CONCERNING [BOOK I.
consideration in these matters at all. But I shall be brief in these j)revious testimonies hereunto, because the whole ensuing discourse is designed to the demonstration of the truth of this assertion.
1. It is of great moment, and sufficient of itself to maintain the cause as proposed, that when our Lord Jesus Christ was to leave the world, he promised to send his Holy Spirit unto his disciples to supply his absence. Of what use the presence of Christ was unto his disciples we may in some measure conceive. They knew full Avell whose hearts were filled with sorrow upon the mention of his leaving of them, John xvi. 5, 6. Designing to relieve them in this great distress, — which drew out the highest expressions of love, ten- derness, compassion, and care towards them, — he doth it principally by this promise ; which he assures them shall be to their greater ad- vantage than any they could receive by the continuance of his bodily presence amongst them. And to secure them hereof, as also to in- form them of its great importance, he repeats it frequently unto them, and inculcates it upon them. Consider somewhat of what he says to this purpose in his last discourse with them: John xiv. 16-18, " I will pray the Father, and. he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoAveth him : but ye know him ; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless : I will come to you ; " that is, in and by this Holy Spirit. And verses 25-27, " These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Com- forter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your re- membrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you," etc. And chap. xv. 26, " But when the Comforter is come, Avhom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." And chap. xvi. 5-15, "Now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Never- theless I tell you the truth ; It is expedient for you that I go away : for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me ; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak :