Thirdly, That the Spirit is grieved with the sins of believers, and their walking unworthily of, or not answerably to, the grace they have received, is clear, Eph. iv. 30 : the apostle admonisheth believers to abstain from the sins he there enumerates, and consequently [from] others of the like import, [and] having put on and learned Christ unto sanctification, that they do not grieve the Spirit, from whom they have received that great mercy and privilege of being "sealed to the day of redemption." But that therefore the subsequent and more effectual motions of the Spirit are not free as the first, but sus- pended on our performance of that which he first moves unto, and so, consequently, that there is neither first nor second motion of the Spirit but may be rendered useless and fruitless, or be for ever per- verted, is an argument not unlike that of the Papists, " Peter, feed my sheep ; therefore the pope is head of the church."
522 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' rERSEVERANCE. [cHAP.
The ensuing discourse also is not to be passed without a Httle animadversion. Thus, then, he proceeds: " Behevers," saith he, " do then mortify the deeds of the body by the Spirit, when they join their wills unto his in his preventing motions of grace, and so draw and obtain farther strength and assistance from him in order to the great and diiSScult work of mortification; in respect of which con- currence also with the Spirit, in his first and more gentle applica- tions of himself to them, they are said to be ' led by the Spirit,' as in their comportment with him, in his higher and farther applications, they become filled with the Spirit, according to the expression of the apostle, 'Be ye filled with the Spirit;' that is, 'Follow the Spirit close in his present motions and suggestions within you, and you shall be filled with him;' that is, 'Ye shall find him moving and assisting you upon all occasions at a higher and more glorious rate/ "
Ans. I. What this "joining of our wills to the will of the Spirit'* is was in part manifested before. The " will of the Spirit" is that we be mortified. His motions hereunto are his persuasions that we be so. To join our wills to his, is in our will to answer the will of the Spirit; that is, upon the Spirit's motions, we mortify ourselves. By this also, he tells us, we draw or obtain farther strength or assist- ance from the Spirit for that work which we have done already. But how so? Why, he tells you afterward that this is the " law of the Spirit." It seems, then, that by doing one thing, we obtain or procure the assistance of the Spirit for another, and that by a law. I ask, By what law? by the law of works? By that law the apostle tells you that we do not at all receive the Spirit ; therefore, by a parity of rea- son, we obtain not any farther supplies from him by that law. By the law of faith or grace? That law knows nothing of such terms as that we should by any acting of ours procure the Holy Spirit of God, which he freely bestows according to the main tenor of that law. Farther; how is this second grace obtained, and what is the law of the Spirit therein? Is it obtained ex congruo or ex condigno? Pro- duce the rule of God's proceeding with his saints, or any of the sons of men, in the matter of any gracious behovement of his, and you will outdo whatever your predecessors, whether Pelagians, Papists, Arminians, or Socinians, could yet attain unto. Our Lord hath told us that " without him we can do nothing; yea, that all our sufficiency is of God, and without him we cannot think a good thought; that he works in us to will and to do, — not only beginning, but perfecting eveiy good work, fulfilling in us all the good pleasure of his good- ness, and the work of faith with power ; " ascribing the whole of the great work of salvation to himself and his Holy Spirit, working freely and graciously as he wills and pleaseth. Of this order of his dealing with men, that his first or preventing grace should be free, but his subsequent grace procured by us and bestowed on us according to
XV.] THE SINS OF BELIEVERS CONSIDERED. 523
our working and co-operation with his first grace, invented by Pe- lagius, Julianus, and Celestinus, and here introduced anew by Mr Goodwin, he informs us nothing at all. In brief, this whole discourse is the mere Pelagian figment, wrapped up in general, cloudy expres- sions, with allusions to some Scripture phrases (which profane as well as erring spirits are prone to) concerning the bestowing of the grace of God according to the differing deportments and deservings of men, differencing themselves from others, and, in comparison of them, holding out what they have not received. But, —
2. " To answer the first and gentle motions of the Spirit is to be led by him, and then we shall be filled with the Spirit." But how doth Mr Goodwin prove that to be " led by the Spirit" is to " answer his first gentle motions," and thereby to obtain his farther and more glorious actings and persuasions? Is it safe thus to make bold with the word of God? or is not this to wrest it, as ignorant and unstable men do, unto perdition? Saints being "led by the Spirit of God," and " walking after the Spirit," are, in Rom. viii., expres- sions of that effectual sanctification, exerting itself in their conversa- tion and walking with God, which the Spirit of God worketh in them, and which it is their duty to come up unto, in opposition to " living or walking after the flesh." If this now be attained, and the saints come up unto it, antecedently to the subsequent grace of the Spirit, what is that subsequent grace which is so gloriously expressed, and wherein doth it consist? Neither doth that expression of " Led by the Spirit" hold out the concurrence or "comportment" of their wills, as it is phrased, with the gentle motion of the Spirit, but the powerful and effectual operation of the Spii'it, as to their holiness and walking with God. Uvs{j/j,ari Qsov ayovrat is not, " They comport or concur with the Spirit in his motions ; " but, " By the Spirit they are acted and carried out to the things of God." Neither hath this any relation to or coherence with that of the Ephesians, v. 18, " Be filled with the Spirit." Neither is there any such intendment in the ex- pression as is here intimated, of a promise of receiving more of the Spirit, on condition of that compliance, concurrence, and comport- ance with his motions, as is intimated. That the Spirit is sometimes taken for his graces, sometimes for his gifts habitually, sometimes for his actual operations, is known. The apostle in that place, dis- suading the Ephesians from turning aside to such carnal, sinful re- freshments as men of the world went out unto, bids them " not be drunk with wine, wherein is excess," but to be "filled with the Spirit;" to take their refreshment in the joys of the Spirit, " speaking to themselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs," verses 18, 19. Could I once imagine that Mr Goodwin had the least thought that indeed there was any thing in the Scripture looking towards his in- tendment in the producing of it, I should farther manifest the mis-