Accordingly we read, that soon after _Adam_ had fallen, he complained that he was naked; naked, not only as to his body, but naked and destitute of those divine graces which before decked and beautified his soul. The unhappy mutiny and disorder which the visible creation fell into, the briars and thorns which now sprung up and overspread the earth, were but poor emblems, lifeless representations of that confusion and rebellion, and those divers lusts and passions which sprung up in, and quite overwhelmed the soul of man immediately after the fall. Alas! he was now no longer the image of the invisible GOD; but as he had imitated the devil’s sin, he became as it were a partaker of the devil’s nature, and from an union with, sunk into a state of direct enmity against GOD.
Now in this dreadful disordered condition, are all of us brought into the world; for as the root is, such must the branches be. Accordingly we are told, “That _Adam_ begat a son in his own likeness;” or, with the same corrupt nature which he himself had, after he had eaten the forbidden fruit. And experience as well as scripture proves, that we also are altogether born in sin and corruption; and therefore incapable, whilst in such a state, to hold communion with GOD. For as light cannot have communion with darkness, so GOD can have no communion with such polluted sons of _Belial_.
Here then appears the end and design why CHRIST was manifest in the flesh; to put an end to these disorders, and to restore us to that primitive dignity in which we were at first created. Accordingly he shed his precious blood to satisfy his Father’s justice for our sins; and thereby also he procured for us the Holy Ghost, who should once more re-instamp the divine image upon our hearts, and make us capable of living with and enjoying the blessed GOD.
This was the great end of our LORD’s coming into the world; nay, this is the only end why the world itself is now kept in being. For as soon as a sufficient number are sanctified out of it, the heavens shall be wrapped up like a scroll, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth, and all that therein is, shall be burnt up.
This sanctification of the Spirit, is that new birth mentioned by our blessed LORD to _Nicodemus_, “without which we cannot see the kingdom of GOD.” This is what St. _Paul_ calls being “renewed in the spirit of our minds;” and it is the spring of that holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD.
Thus then, it is undeniably certain, we must receive the Holy Ghost ere we can be stiled true members of CHRIST’s mystical body. I come in the
_Second_ place to lay down some scriptural marks, whereby we may easily judge, whether we have thus received the Holy Ghost or not. And the
_First_ I shall mention, is, our having received a spirit of prayer and supplication; for that always accompanies the spirit of grace. No sooner was _Paul_ converted, but “behold he prayeth.” And this was urged as an argument, to convince _Ananias_ that he was converted. And GOD’s elect are also said to “cry to him day and night.”
And since one great work of the Holy Spirit is to convince us of sin, and to set us upon seeking pardon and renewing grace, through the all-sufficient merits of a crucified Redeemer, whosoever has felt the power of the world to come, awakening him from his spiritual lethargy, cannot but be always crying out, “LORD, what wouldst thou have me to do?” Or, in the language of the importunate blind _Bartimeus_, “JESUS, thou Son of _David_, have mercy upon me.”
The blessed JESUS, as he received the Holy Ghost without measure, so he evidenced it by nothing more, than his frequent addresses at the throne of grace. Accordingly we read, that he was often alone on the mountain praying; that he rose a great while before day to pray: nay, that he spent whole nights in prayer. And whosoever is made partaker of the same Spirit with the holy JESUS, will be of the same mind, and delight in nothing so much, as to “draw nigh unto GOD,” and lift up holy hands and hearts in frequent and devout prayer.
It must be confessed, indeed, that this spirit of supplication is often as it were sensibly lost, and decays, for some time, even in those who have actually received the Holy Ghost. Through spiritual dryness and barrenness of soul, they find in themselves a listlesness and backwardness to this duty of prayer; but then they esteem it as their cross, and still persevere in seeking JESUS, though it be sorrowing: and their hearts, notwithstanding, are fixed upon GOD, though they cannot exert their affections so strongly as usual, on account of that spiritual deadness, which GOD, for wise reasons, has suffered to benumb their souls.