1st. It is he who enables them to discover the mind of God, and his will concerning his worship, that they may embrace what he hath appointed, and refuse the thing whereof he will say at the last day, "Who hath required this at your hand?" He is promised to "lead them into all truth," as the Spirit of truth, John xvi. 13; and is the
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blessed "unction" that teacheth tliem all things, 1 John ii. 27, — all things for the glory of God, and their own consolation. It is he that speaks the word, which sounds in the ears, "This is the way; walk in it." And when Paul prays for the guidance of the saints, he doth it by praying that God would give them the " Spirit of wisdom and revelation " in Christ, Eph. i. 1 7. Now, this he doth two ways : —
(1st.) By causing them diligently to attend unto the word, the voice of Christ, for their direction, and to that only. This is the great work of the Spirit. So John xvi. 13, it is said, " He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak;" — that is, he shall reveal and declare nothing but what is the mind of Christ manifested in the word ; and that he shall call men to at- tend unto. " To the law and to the testimony" (to the word), — that is his constant voice. If men turn to any other teaching, they go out of the compass of his commission, — that direction which the Father began from heaven, " This is my beloved Son ; hear him." He is the only master and teacher that the Spirit carries all believers unto. He still cries, " Hear him ; attend unto him speaking in the word." It is true, in point of practice, according to the rule for the remedying of scandals and disorders, we are commanded to " hear the church," or obey the wholesome directions of it, and to walk according to the gospel ; but as to the worship of God, both as to the matter and rules in the appointment of it, we are called continually by the Spirit to hear Christ always ;— and that spirit is not of Christ which sends us to any else.
(2dly.) By revealing the mind of Christ unto us in the word. This is his work, which he undertakes and performs. I confess that, not- withstanding the assistance that he is ready to give unto them, there are many mistakes, even amongst the saints themselves, in their apprehensions in and about the worship of God. They are many times careless in attending to his directions; negligent in praying for his assistance ; slight and overly in the use of the means by him ap- pointed for the discovery of truths; regardless of dispossessing their minds of prejudices and temptations, hindering them in the discovery of the mind of God. It is, therefore, no wonder they are left to be corrected under their own mistakes and miscarriages. But this hin- ders not but that the Spirit may be said to give the knowledge of the worship of God in the word unto believers ; and that because it is not, nor can be, profitably and savingly attained any other way. As " no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Spirit," — so no man can know the way of God's house and worship but by the Spirit ; — and we see by experience, that those that despise his assist- ance, rather trust to themselves and other men for the worship of God than to the word. This he does, ordinarily, in the use of means, — at
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least so far, that though in some particulars there may be amongst them mistakes, yet not usually such but that their performances are accepted of God in Christ. And in those things wherein they are at any time " otherwise minded" than according to truth, if they con- tinue waiting, that also shall be revealed unto them from the word by the Spirit. The worship of God is not of man's finding out, but of his designation who is " the wisdom of God." It is not taught by human wisdom, nor is it attainable by human industry ; but by the wisdom and revelation of the Spirit of God. It is every way divine and heavenly in its rise, in its discovery ; and so becoming the great- ness and holiness of God. For what doth please God, God himself is the sole judge. If any thing else set up itself in competition with it, for beauty and glory, it will be found to be engaged in a very unequal contest at the last day.
Idly. Believers have this access by the Spirit, inasmuch as he enables them to approach unto God in a spiritual manner, with grace in their hearts, as he is the Spirit of grace and supplication. This is one special end for which the Spirit is promised unto believers, — namely, that he may be in them " a Spirit of grace and supplication," enabling them to draw nigh unto God in a gracious and acceptable manner, Zech. xii. 10, 11. And this is one part of the work that he doth perform, when he is bestowed on them according to the pro- mise. Rom. viii. 26, 27: Let men do their best and utmost, they know not so much as what they ought to pray for ; but the Spirit of Christ alone enables them to the whole work. If all the men in the world should lay their heads together to compose one prayer for the use of any one saint but for one day, they were not able to do it so as that it should answer his wants and conditions ; nor can any man do it for himself, without the help and assistance of the Spirit, whose proper work this is.