2. The ministry of the gospel, whereby we are begotten again, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures unto God, is from his promised presence with it and work in it, called the ministry of the Spirit, even of the Spirit that giveth life, 2 Cor. iii. 8; and it is so in opposition to the " ministration of the laAv," wherein yet there were a multitude of ordinances ot worshi]! and glorious cere- monies. And he who knows no more of the ministry of the gospel but what consists in an attendance unto the letter of institutions and the manner of their performance knows nothing of it. Nor yet
154 DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK XL
is there any extraordinary afflatus or inspiration now intended or attended unto, as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we pretend; but there is that presence of the Spirit of God with the ministry of the gospel, in his authority, assistance, commu- nication of gifts and abilities, guidance, and direction, as without which it will be useless and unprofitable in and unto all that take the work thereof upon them. This will be more fully declared after- ward; for, —
/ 3. The promise and gift of the Spirit under the gospel is not ,'made nor granted unto any peculiar sort of persons only, but unto all V believers, as their conditions and occasions do require. They are not, therefore, the especial interest of a few, but the common concern of all Christians. The Papists grant that this promise is continued; but they would confine it to their pope or their councils, things no- where mentioned in the Scripture, nor the object of any one gospel promise whatever. It is all believers in their places and stations, churches in their order, and ministers in their office, unto whom the promise of him is made, and towards whom it is accomplished, as shall be shown. Others, also, grant the continuance of this gift, but understand no more by it but an ordinary blessing upon men's rational endeavours, common and exposed unto all alike. This is no less than to overthrow liis whole work, to take his sovereignty out of his hand, and to deprive the church of all especial interest in the promise of Christ concerning him. In this inquiry, therefore, we look after what at present belongs unto ourselves, if so be we are dis- ciples of Christ, and do expect the fulfilling of his promises; for whatever men may pretend, unto this day, " if they have not the Spirit of Christ, they are none of his,"' Rom. viii. 9 : for our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised him as a comforter, to abide with his disciples for ever, John xiv. 16, and by him it is that he is present with them and among them to the end of the world. Matt, xxviii. 20, xviii. 20 ; — that we speak not as yet of his sanctifying work, whereby we are enabled to believe, and are made partakers of that holiness without which no man shall see God. Wherefore, without him all religion is but a body without a soul, a carcase without an animating spirit. It is true, in the continuation of his work he ceaseth from putting forth those extraordinary effects of his power which were needful for the laying the foundation of the church in the world; but the whole work of his grace, according to the promise of the covenant, is no less truly and really carried on at this day, in and towards all the elect of God, than it was on the day of Pentecost and onwards; and so is his communication of gifts necessary for the edi- fication of the church, Eph. iv. 11-13. The owning, therefore, and avowing the work of the Holy Ghost in the hearts and on the minds
CHAP. II.] WITH RESPECT UNTO THE NEW CREATION. 155
of men, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace, is the prin- cipal part of that profession which at this day all believers are called unto.
4. We are taught in an especial manner to pray that God would give his Holy Spirit unto us, that thi'ough his aid and assistance \ we may live unto God in that holy obedience which he requires at our hands, Luke xi. 9-13. Our Saviour, enjoining an importunity in our supplications, verses 9, 10, and giving us encouragement that we shall succeed in our requests, verses 11, 12, makes the subject- matter of them to be the Holy Spirit : " Your heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him," verse 18; which in the other evangelist is "good things," Matt. vii. 11, because he is the author of them all in us and to us, nor doth God bestow any good thing on us but by his Spirit. Hence, the promise of bestowing the Sj^irit is accompanied with a prescription of duty unto us, that we should ask him or pray for him; which is included in every promise where his sending, giving, or bestowing is mentioned. He, therefore, / is the great subject-matter of all our prayers. And that signal pro- ' mise of our blessed Saviour, to send him as a comforter, to abide with us for ever, is a directory for the jjrayers of the church in all gene- rations. Nor is there any church in the world fallen under such a total degeneracy but that, in their public offices, there are testimo- nies of their ancient faith and practice, in praying for the coming of the Spirit unto them, according to this promise of Christ. And therefore our apostle, in all his most solemn prayers for the churches in his days, makes this the chief petition of them, that God would give unto them, and increase in them, the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, with the Spirit himself, for sundry especial effects and operations whereof they stood in need, Eph. i. 17, iii. 16; Col. ii. 2. And this is a full conviction of what importance the consideration of the Spirit of God and his work is unto us. We must deal in this matter with that confidence which the truth instructs us unto, and therefore say, tliat he who prayeth not constantly and diligently for the Spirit of God, that he may be made partaker of him for the ends for which he is promised, is a stranger from Christ and his gos- pel. This we are to attend unto, as that whereon our eternal hap- piness doth depend. God knows our state and condition, and we may better learn our wants from his prescription of what we ought to pray for than from our sense and experience; for we are in the dark unto our own spiritual concerns, through the power of our cor- ruptions and temptations, and " know not what we should pray for as we ought," Rom. viii. 26. But our- heavenly Father knows per- fectly what we stand in need of; and, therefore, whatever be our present apprehensions concerning ourselves, which are to be examined