156 DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK II.
by the word, our prayers are to be regulated by what God hath en- joined us to ask and what he hath promised to bestow.
5. What was before mentioned may here be called over again and farther improved, yea, it is necessary that so it should be. This is, the solemn liromise of Jesus Christ when he was [about] to leave this world by death, [John xiv. 1 5-1 7.] And whereas he therein made and confirmed his testament, Heb. ix. 15-17, he bequeathed his Spirit as his great legacy unto his disciples ; and this he gave unto them as the great pledge of their future inheritance, 2 Cor. i. 22, which they were to live upon in this world. All other good things he hath, in- deed, bequeathed unto believers, as he speaks of peace with God in particular: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you," John xiv. 27. But he gives particular graces and mercies for par- ticular ends and purposes. The Holy Spirit he bequeaths to supply his own absence, John xvi. 18; that is, for all the ends of spiritual and eternal life. Let us, therefore, consider this gift of the Spirit either formally, under this notion that he was the principal legacy left unto the church by our dying Saviour, or materially, as to the ends and purposes for which he is so bequeathed, and it will be evident what valuation we ought to have of him and his work. How would some rejoice if they could possess any relic of any thing that be- longed unto our Saviour in the days of his flesh, though of no use or benefit unto them ! Yea, how great a part of men called Christians do boast in some pretended parcels of the tree whereon he suffered ! Love abused by superstition lies at the bottom of this vanity; for they would embrace any thing left them by their dying Saviour. But he left them no such things, nor did ever bless and sanctify them imto any holy or sacred ends ; and therefore hath the abuse of them been punished with blindness and idolatry. But this [gift of the Spirit] is openly testified unto in the gospel. Then when his heart was overflowing with love unto his disciples and care for them, when he took a holy prospect of what would be their condition, their work, duty, and temptations in the world, and thereon made provision of all that they could stand in need of, he promiseth to leave and give . unto them his Holy Spirit to abide with them for ever, directing us to look unto him for all our comforts and supplies. According, there- fore, unto our valuation and esteem of him, to our satisfaction and acquiescency in him, is our regard to the love, care, and wisdom of our blessed Saviour to be measured. And, indeed, it is only in his word and Spirit wherein we can either honour or despise him in this world; in his own person he is exalted at the right hand of God, far above all principalities and powers, so that nothing of ours can immediately reach him or affect him. But it is in our regard to these that he makes a trial of our faith, love, and obedience. And
CHAP. II.] WITH RESPECT UNTO THE NEW CREATION. 157
it is a matter of lamentation to consider the contempt and scorn that, on various pretences, is cast upon this Holy Spirit, and the work where- iinto he is sent by God the Father and by Jesus Christ ; for there is included therein a contempt of them also. Nor will a pretence of honouring God in their own way secure such persons as shall con- tract the guilt of this abomination ; for it is an idol, — and not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, — who doth not work effectually in the elect by the Holy Ghost, according to the Scrijrtures. And if we consider this promise of the Spirit to be given unto us, as to the ends of it, then, —
6. He is promised and given as the sole cause and author of all j the good that in this world we are or can be made partakers of ;^ / for, (1.) there is no good communicated unto us from God, but it is bestowed on us or wrought in us by the Holy Ghost. No gift, no grace, no mercy, no privilege, no consolation, do we receive, possess, or use, but it is wrought in us, collated on iis, or manifested unto us, by him alone. Nor, (2.) is there any good in lis towards God, any faith, love, duty, obedience, but what is effectually wrought in us by him, by him alone; for " in us, that is, in our flesh" (and by nature we are but flesh), " there dwelletli no good thing." All these things are from him and by him, as shall, God assisting, be made to appear by instances of all sorts in our ensuing discourse. And these con- siderations I thought meet to premise unto our entrance into that work which now lieth before us.
(1.) The great work whereby God designed to glorify himself ulti-1 mately in this Avorld was that of the new creation, or of the recovery and restoration of all things by Jesus Christ, Heb. i. 1-3; Eph. i. 10.' And as this is in general confessed by all Christians, so I have else- where insisted on the demonstration of it. (2.) That which God ordereth and designeth as the principal means for the manifestation of his glory must contain the most perfect and absolute revelation and declaration of himself, his nature, his being, his existence, and excel- lencies; for from their discovery and manifestation, with the duties which as known they require from rational creatures, doth the glory of God arise, and no otherwise. (3.) This, therefore, was to be done in this great work ; and it was done accordingly. Hence is the Lord Christ, in his work of mediation, said to be " The image of the in- visible God," Col. i. 15 ; " The brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person," Heb. i. 3; in whose face the knowledge of the glory of God shineth forth unto us, 2 Cor. iv. 6 ; — because in and by him, in his work of the new creation, all the glorious pro- perties of the nature of God are manifested and displayed incompa-