These things are observable in the office of the Holy Ghost, in general, as he is the comforter of the church, and [in] the manner of his discharge thereof. What is farther considerable unto the guid- ance of our faith, and the participation of consolation with respect hereunto, will be evident in the declaration of the particulars that belong thereunto.
CHAPTER III.
Unto whom the Holy Spirit is promised and given as a comforter, or the object of his acting in this office.
We have considered the promise of Christ to send the Holy Spirit to be the comforter of the church, and unto that end to abide with them for ever. The nature also of that office and work, in general, which hereon he undertakes and dischargeth, with the properties of
SSO THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A COMFORTER. [BOOK VIII.
them, have been declared. Our next inquiry is, unto whom this pro- mise is made, and towards whom it is infallibly fulfilled. How and unto what ends, in what order, as unto his effects and operations, the Holy Spirit is promised unto any persons and received by them, hath been already declared in our former discourses, book iv. chap. iii.x We shall, therefore, here only declare in particular whom he is pro- mised unto and received by as a comforter; and this is to all, and only unto, believers, — those who are actually so. All his operations required unto the making of them so to be are antecedent here- unto ; for the promise of him unto this end, wherever it is recorded, is made directly unto them, and unto them it is confined. Immedi- ately it was given unto the apostles, but it was not given unto them as apostles, but as believers and disciples of Christ, with a particular respect unto the difficulties and causes of disconsolation which they were under or should meet withal upon the account of their being so. See the promises unto this purpose expressly, John xiv. 16, 17, 26, xv. 26, xvi. 7, 8. And it is declared withal that the world, which in that place is opposed unto them that do believe, cannot receive him, chap. xiv. 17. Other effectual operations he hath upon the world, for their conviction and the conversion of many of them ; but as a Spirit of consolation he is neither promised unto them nor can they receive him, until other gracious acts of his have passed on their souls. Besides, we shall see that all his actings and effects as a comforter are confined unto them that believe, and do all suppose saving faith as antecedent unto them.
And this is the great fundamental privilege of true believers, whereby, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, they are exalted above all other persons in this world. And this will the more evi- dently appear when we shall consider those especial operations, acts, and effects, whereby consolation is administered unto them. That the life of man is the subject of innumerable troubles is made evident and uncontrollable by catholic experience. That " man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward/' has been the constant acknowledgment of all that have been wise in all ages. And those who have designed to drown the sense of them in security and sensuality of life have been ever looked on as greatly exorbitant from the principles of nature and dictates of reason, voluntarily degenerating into the con- dition of creatures brutish and irrational. Others, who will not fore- go the privilege of their being, have always made it a principal in- quiry how or whence they might take and receive relief and comfort for their supportment against their unavoidable troubles, sorrows, and disconsolation; yea, it is natural and necessary unto all men so to do. All men cannot but seek after rest and peace, not only 1 See the previous volume of his works. — Ed.
CHAP. III.] THE OBJECT OF HIS ACTING IN THIS OFFICE. 381
out of choice but instinct of nature, trouble and sorrow being dia- metrically contrary unto it in its being, and tending unto its dissolu- tion. Wherefore, they all naturally seek for consolation. Hence the best and most useful part of the old philosophy consisted in the prescription of the ways and means of comforting and supporting the minds of men against things noxious and grievous to nature, with the sorrows which ensue thereon; and the topics they had found out unto this purpose were not to be despised where men are destitute of spiritual light and supernatural revelation. Neither did the wisdom or reason of man ever arise unto any thing more useful in this world than to discover any rational considerations that might aljay the sorrows or relieve the minds of them that are disconsolate : for things that are really grievous unto the generality of mankind do outweigh all the real satisfaction which this life and world can afford; and to place either satisfaction or relief in the pursuit of sensual lusts is brutish. But yet what did all the spring and well- heads of rational and philosophical consolation rise unto? what re- freshment did their streams afford? The utmost they attained unto was but to confirm and make obstinate the minds of men in a fancy, an opinion, or persuasion, contrary unto what they felt and had ex- perience of; for what they contended for was but this, that the con- sideration of the common lot of mankind, the unavoidableness of arriev- ing accidents, the shortness of human life, the true exercise of reason upon more noble objects, with others of the like nature, should satisfy men that the things which they endured were not evil or grievous.