Thus as the Lord Christ himself was made " heir of all things" by that communication of the Spirit unto him whereby he was anointed unto his office, so the participation of the same Spirit from bim and by him makes us co-heirs with him ; and so he is an earnest given us of God of the future inheritance. It belongs not unto my present purpose to declare the nature of that inheritance whereof the Holy Spirit is the earnest; in brief, it is the highest participation with Christ in that glory and honour that our natures are capable of.
And in like manner we are said to receive avupyj\v rov Hvsuparog, Bom. viii. 23 ; that is, the Spirit himself as the first-fruits of our spiritual and eternal redemption. God had appointed that the first- fruits, which are called Tfmn, and &y®2, should be a n»ruji} an of- fering unto himself. Hereunto a-ra^jj answereth, and is taken gene- rally for that which is first in any kind, Rom. xvi. 5 ; 1 Cor. xv. 20 ; James i. 18 ; Rev. xiv. 4. And the "first-fruits of the Spirit" must be either what he first worketh in us, or all his fruits in us with respect unto the full harvest that is to come, or the Spirit himself as the beginning and pledge of future gloiy. And the latter of these is intended in this place ; for the apostle discourseth about the liberty of the whole creation from that state of bondage whereunto all things were subjected by sin. With respect hereunto, he saitb that believers themselves having not as yet obtained a full deliverance, as he had expressed it, Rom. vii. 24, do groan after its perfect ac- complishment. But yet, saith he, we have the beginning of it, the
412 THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A COMFORTER. [BOOK VIII.
first-fruits of it, in the communication of the Spirit unto us; for "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," 2 Cor. iii. 17: for although we are not capable of the full and perfect estate of the liberty provided for the children of God whilst we are in this world, conflicting with the remainders of sin, pressed and exercised with temptations, our bodies also being subject unto death and corruption, yet where the Spirit of the Lord is, where we have that first-fruit of the fulness of our redemption, there is liberty in the real beginning of it, and assured consolation, because it shall be consummated in the appointed season.
These are some of the spiritual benefits and privileges which be- lievers enjoy by a participation of the Holy Ghost as the promised comforter of the church. These things he is unto them ; and as unto all other things belonging unto their consolation, he works them in them ; which we must in the next place inquire into. Only, some- thing we may take notice of from what we have already insisted on ; as, — 1. That all evangelical privileges whereof believers are made partakers in this world do centre in the person of the Holy Sjmit. He is the great promise that Christ hath made unto his disciples, the great legacy which he hath bequeathed unto them. The grant made unto him by the Father, when he had done all his will, and fulfilled all righteousness, and exalted the glory of his holiness, wisdom, and grace, was this of the Holy Spirit, to be communicated by him unto the church. This he received of the Father as the com- plement of his reward ; wherein he " saw of the travail of his soul, and was satisfied." This Spirit he now gives unto believers, and no tongue can express the benefits which they receive thereby. Therein are they anointed and sealed; therein do they receive the earnest and first-fruits of immortality and glory ; in a word, therein are they taken into a participation with Christ himself in all his honour and glory. Hereby is their condition rendered honourable, safe, comfort- able, and the whole inheritance is unchangeably secured unto them. In this one privilege, therefore, of receiving the Spirit, are all others in wrapped ; for, — 2. No one way, or thing, or similitude, can express or represent the greatness of this privilege. It is anointing, it is sealing, it is an earnest and first-fruit, — every thing whereby the love of God and the blessed security of our condition may be expressed or intimated unto us; for what greater pledge can we have of the love and favour of God, what greater dignities can we be made partakers of, what greater assurance of a future blessed condition, than that God hath given us of his Holy Spirit? And, 3. Hence also is it manifest how abundantly willing he is that the heirs of promise should receive strong consolation in all their distresses, when they flee for refuge unto the hope that is set before them.
CHAP. VII.] APPLICATION OF THE DISCOURSE. ' 413
THE APPLICATION OF THE FOREGOING DISCOURSE.
With respect unto the dispensation of the Spirit towards believers, and his holy operations in them and upon them, there are sundry particular duties, whereof he is the immediate object, prescribed unto them; and they are those whereby on our part we comply with him in his work of grace, whereby it is carried on and rendered useful unto us. Now, whereas this Holy Spirit is a divine person, and he acts in all things towards us as a/ree agent, according unto his own will, the things enjoined us with respect unto him are those whereby we may carry ourselves aright towards such an one, namely, as he is a holy, divine, intelligent person, working freely in and to- wards us for our good. And they are of two sorts, the first whereof are expressed in prohibitions of those things which are unsuited unto him and his dealings with us, the latter in commands for our attend- ance unto such duties as are peculiarly suited unto a compliance with him in his operations; in both which our obedience is to be exercised with a peculiar regard unto him. I shall begin with the first sort, and go over them in the instances given us in the Scripture : —