CHAP. I.] THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS WOEK. 25
and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you."^ This was the great legacy which our Lord Jesus Christ, departing out of this world, be- queathed unto his sorrowful disciples. This he promiseth unto them as a sufficient relief against all their troubles, and a faithful guide in all their ways. And because of the importance of it unto them, he frequently repeats it, and eulargeth upon the benefits that they should receive thereby, giving them a particular account why it would be more advantageous unto them than his own bodily presence; and, therefore, after his resuiTection he minds them again of this promise, commanding them to act nothing towards the building of the church until it was accomplished towards them. Acts i. 4, 5, 8. They would have been again embracing his human nature, and rejoicing in it; but as he said unto Mary, " Touch me not," John xx. 1 7, to wean her from any carnal consideration of him, so he instructs them all now to look after and trust unto the promise of the Holy Ghost. Hence is that of our apostle, " Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more," 2 Cor. v. 16; for although it was a great privilege to have known Christ in this world after the flesh, yet it was much greater to enjoy him in the dispensation of the Spirit. And this was spoken by the apostle, as the ancients judge, to rebuke the boasting of some about their seeing the Lord in the flesh, who were thereon called SftfToVui/o;, whom he directs unto a more excellent knowledge of him. It is in vain pretended that it was the apostles only, and it may be some of the primitive Christians, who were concerned in this promise, for although the Holy Ghost was bestowed on them in a peculiar manner and for especial ends, yet the promise in general belongs unto all believers unto the end of the world ;^ for as to what concerns his gracious operations, wliat-
1 " Spiritus S<anctus ad hoc missus a Christo, ad hoc postulatus de Patre ut esset doctor veritatis, Christi vicarius." — Tertul. advers. Hseret. cap. xxviii.
" Quoniam Dominus in cselos esset abiturus, raracletum discipulis necessario dabat, ne illos quodaramodo pupillos, quod minime decebat, relinqueret ; et sine advocato et quo- dam tutore desereret. Hie est enim qui ipsorum animos mentesque firmavit, qui in ipsis illuminator rerum divinarum fuit ; quo confirmati, pro nomine Domini nee carceres nee vlncula timucrunt : quin imo ipsas seculi potestates et tormenta calcaverunt, armati jam scilicet per ipsum atque firmati, habentes in se dona qufe hie idem Spiritus ecclesioe Christi sponsse, quasi qusedam ornamenta distribuit et dirigit." — Novat. de Trinitat.
" Totum ex Spiritus Sancti constat ducotu, quod devii diriguntur, quod impii con- vertuntur, quod debiles confirmantur. Spiritus rectus, Spiritus Sanctus, Spiritiis prin- cipalis regit, componit, consummat et perficit, nostras inhabitat mentes, et corda quoe possidet; nee errare patitar, nee corrumpi, nee vinci quos docuerit, quos possederit, quos gladio potentissimas veritatis accinxerit." — Cypr. de Spir. Sane.
3 " Prsescntia spii-ituali cum eis erat ubique futurus post ascensionem suam, et cum tota ecclesia sua in hoe mundo usque in consummationem seculi : neque enim de solis apostolis potest intelligi, 'sicut dedisti ei potestatem omnis camis, ut omne quod dedisti
26 GENERAL PRINCIPLES CONCERNING [BOOK L
ever the Lord Christ prayed for for them, and so promised unto them (as the Spirit was procured for them on his prayer, John xiv. 16, 1 7), he " prayed uot for it for them alone, but for them also which should believe on him through their word," chap. xvii. 20. And his promise is, to be " with his alway, even unto the end of the world/' Matt, xxviii. 20; as also, that "-wherever two or three are gathered together in his name, there he would be in the midst of them," chap, xviii. 20 ; — which he is no otherv/ise but by his Spirit ; for as for his human nature, " the heaven must receive him until the times of res- titution of all things," Acts iii. 21. And this one consideration is sufficient to evince the importance of the doctrine and things which concern the Holy Spirit ; for is it possible that any Christian should be so supinely negligent and careless, so unconcerned in the things whereon his present comforts and future happiness do absolutely de- pend, as not to think it his duty to inquire with the greatest care and diligence into what our Lord Jesus Christ hath left unto us, to supply his absence, and at length to bring us unto himself? He by whom these things are despised hath neither part nor lot in Christ himself; for " if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," Eom. viii. 9.
2. The great work of the Holy Ghost in the dispensation and ininistration of the gospel, unto all the ends of it, is another evidence unto the same purpose.^ Hence, the gospel itself is called " The mi- ; nistration of the Spirit," 2 Cor. iii. 8, in opposition to that of the law, which is called the ministration of the letter and of condemna- tion. Aiaxovia rov Uviv/Marog, the " ministry of the Spirit," is either that ministry which the Spirit makes effectual, or that ministry whereby the Spirit in his gifts and graces is communicated unto men. And this is that which gives unto the ministry of the gospel both its glory and its efficacy. Take av/ay the Spirit from the gospel and you render it a dead letter, and leave the New Testament of no more use unto Christians than the Old Testament is of unto the Jews. It is therefore a mischievous imagination, proceeding from ignorance, blindness, and unbelief, that there is no more in the gospel but what is contained under any other doctrine or declaration of truth, — that it is nothing but a book for men to exercise their reason