3. Whereas some may say, "It cannot be denied but that the Spirit dwells in believers, but yet this is not personally, but only by his grace;" I might reply that this indeed, and upon the matter, is not to distinguish but to deny what is positively affirmed. To say the Spirit dwells in us, but not the person of the Spirit, is not to distinguish de modo, but to deny the thing itself To say, " The graces, indeed, of the Spirit are in us" (not " dwell in us," for an acci- dent is not properly said to divell in its subject), " but the Spirit itself doth not dwell in us," is expressly to cast down what the word sets up. If such distinctions ought to be of force, to evade so many posi- tive and plain texts of Scripture as have been produced, it may well be questioned whether any truth be capable of proof from Scripture or no. Yet I say farther, to obviate such objections, and to prevent all quarrellings for the future, the Scripture itself, as to this business of the Spirit's indwelling, plainly distinguisheth between the Spirit itself and his graces. He is, I say, distinguished from them, and that in respect to his indwelling: Rom. v. 5, "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." The Holy Ghost is given to us to dwell in us, as hath been abundantly declared, and shall yet farther be demonstrated. Here he is men- tioned together with the love of God, and his shedding thereof abroad in our hearts, — that is, with his graces; and is as clearly distinguished and differenced from them as cause and effect. Take the love of God in either sense that is controverted about this place, — for our love to God or a sense of his love to us, — and it is an eminent grace of the Holy Spirit. If, then, by " The Holy Ghost given unto us," ye understand only the grace of the Holy Ghost, he being said to be given because that is given, then this must be the sense of the place, " The grace of the Holy Ghost is shed abroad in our hearts by the grace of the Holy Ghost that is given to us." Farther; if by " The
334 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
Holy Ghost" be meant only his grace, I inquire what grace it is [that is] here, by the expression intended ? Is it the same with that ex- pressed, "The love of God?" This were to confound the efficient cause with its effect. Is it any other grace that doth produce the great work mentioned? Let us know what that grace is that hath this power and energy in its hand of shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts. So Rom. viii. 11, "He shall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." This quickening of our mortal bodies is generally confessed to be (and the scope of the place en- forceth that sense) our spiritual quickening in our mortal bodies, mention being made of our bodies in analogy to the body of Christ; by his death we have life and quickening. Doubtless, then, it is a grace of the Spirit that is intended ; yea, the habitual principle of all graces. And this is wrought in us by the Spirit that dwelleth in us. There is not any grace of the Spirit whereby he may dwell in men antecedent to his quickening of them. Spiritual graces have not their residence in dead souls. So that this must be the Spirit himself dwelling in us that is here intended, and that personally; or the sense of the words must be, " The grace of quickening our mortal bodies is wrought in us by the grace of quickening our mortal bodies that dwelleth in us;" which is plainly to confound the cause and effect. Besides, it is the same Spirit that raised up Jesus fi'om the dead that is intended; which, doubtless, was not any inherent grace, but the Spirit of God himself, working by the exceeding greatness of his power. Thus much is hence cleared : Antecedent in order of nature to our quickening, there is a Spirit given to us to dwell in us. Every efficient cause hath at least the precedency of its effect. No graces of the Spirit are bestowed on us before our quickening; which is the preparation and fitting of the subject for the receiving of them, the planting of the root that contains them virtually, and biings them forth actually in their order. Gal. v. 22, 23, all graces whatsoever come under the name of the "fruit of the Spirit;" that is, which the Spirit in us brings forth, as the root doth the fruit, which in its so doing is distinct therefrom. Many other instances might be given; bjit these may suffice.
4. There is a ijersonality ascribed to the Holy Ghost in his dwelling in us, and that in such a way as cannot be ascribed to any created grace, which is but a quality in a subject; and this the Scripture doth three ways: — (1.) In personal appellations; (2.) In jyersonal operations ; and (3.) In personal circumstances.