(1.) There are a-scribed to the indwelling Spirit, in his indwelling, personal appellations, 1 John iv. 4, "He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world," — /is/^cuv lariv 6 h u/.t,/v. "He that is in you" is a personal denomination, which cannot be used of any grace or gi'acious habit whatsoever. So John xiv. 16, 17, "He shall abide with you,
VIII.] THE INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT. 385
he dwelleth with yon, and shall be in you," — 'T/xsT'^ y/Kwffxsrs avrh (rh Ilviv/xa rrjg aXrj6iiag) xai sv vfiTv 'icrai. John xvi. 13, "But when the Sphit of truth is come," — "Orav ds sX6p exsTvog, rh HvixJiJ.a. His person is here as signally designed and expressed as in any place of Scripture, to what intent or purpose soever mentioned. Neither is it possible to apprehend that the Scripture would so often, so expressly, affirm the same thing in plain, proper words, if they were not to be taken in the sense which they hold out. The main emphasis of the expres- sion lies upon the terms that are of a personal designation, and to evade the force of them by the forementioned distinction, which they seem signally to obviate and prevent, is to say wdiat we please, so we may oppose what pleases us not.
(2.) Personal operations, such acts and actings as are proper to a person only, are ascribed to the Spirit in his indwelling. That place mentioned before, Rom. viii. 11, is clear hereunto, "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you," or " by his indwelling Spirit," bia roj Ivoixovvrog avrou Ilvsvfx,a,rog iv b/xTv. "To quicken our mortal bodies" is a personal acting, and such as cannot be wrought but by an almighty agent; and this is ascribed to the Spirit as inhabiting, which is in order of nature antecedent to his quickening of us, as was manifested. And the same is asserted, verse 1 6, " The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." That Spirit that dw^ells in us, Ijears witness in us, a distinct witness by himself, distinguished from the testimony of our own spirits here mentioned, is either an act of our natural spirits, or gracious fruit of the Spirit of God in our hearts. If the first, what makes it in the things of God ? Is any testimony of our natural spirits of any value to assure us that we are the chil- dren of God? If the latter, then is there iiere an immediate opera- tion of the Spirit dwelling in our hearts, in witness-bearing, distinct from all the fruits of grace whatever. And on this account it is, that whereas, 1 John v. 7, 8, the Father, Son, and Spirit are said to bear witness in heaven, the Spirit is moreover peculiarly said to bear witness in the earth, together with the blood and water.
(3.) There are such circutnstances ascribed to him in his indwell- ing as are proper only to that which is a person. I will instance only in one, — his dwelling in the saints as in a temple: 1 Cor. iii. 16, "Ye are the temple of God, the Spirit of God dwelleth in you;" that is, as in a temple. So plainly, chap. vi. 19, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God : " giving us both the distinction of the person of the Spirit from the other per- sons, "he is given us of God;" and his residence with us, being so given, "he is in us;" as also the manner of his in-being, "as in a temple." Nothing can make a place a temple but the relation it hath
336 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCK [CHAP.
uuto a deity. Graces, that are but qualifications of and qualities in a subject, cannot be said to dwell in a temple. This the Spirit doth, and therefore as a voluntary agent in a habitation, not as a neces- sary or natural principle in a subject. And though every act of his be omnipotent intensively, being the act of an omnipotent agent, yet he worketh not in the acts extensively to the utmost of his om- nipotency. He exerteth and puts forth his power, and brings forth his grace, in the hearts of them with whom he dwells, as he pleaseth. To one he communicates more grace, to another less; yea, he gives more strength to one and the same person at one time and in one con- dition than at another, dividing to every one as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 11. And if this peculiar manner of his personal presence with his saints, distinct from his ubiquity or omnipresence, may not be believed, because not well by reason conceived, we shall lay a foundation for the questioning principles of faith which as yet we are not fallen out withal.
And this is our first manifestation of the truth concerning the indwelling of the Spirit in the saints, from the Scripture. The second will be from the signal issues and benefits which are asserted to arise from this indwelling of the Spuit in them ; of which I shall give sundry instances.