congruities, as justice doth of right and wrong. Where they stood. For as the one sort were apostates from God, indeed, among the objects of mercy, there is an absolute so the others were from Christ, denying the Lord that parity, there (as to them) mere sovereignty determines; bought them, 2 Pet. ii. 1. And again, "turning the grace as it may be ordinarily, in God's electing among men the of God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord objects of his free favour. Where there is no objective God, and our Lord Jesus Christ,” Jude 4. Whereupon, reason of eligibility in one more than another, especially this example of God's vengeance upon the angels that fell if there be such as would rather persuade the contrary is subjoined in both places. Besides what was common way, wisdom hath no proper exercise. But occasions are to them with the apostate angels, there were some things of greater latitude, and comprehend all considerable cir- peculiar to these wilful refusers of the grace of the gospel, cumstances and consequences; and many things lie open and violaters of the gospel-covenant. As, to the Divine eye, that are hid to ours. profaning the blood of the covenant, wherewith they were sanctified, as an unholy thing, and doing despite unto the Spirit of grace, Heb. x. 29. And, 1. That the guilt of wilful sinners under the gospel adBut now, whereas we cannot doubt, that besides such mits of this aggravation above that of the rebelling angels, considerations as occur to us, the blessed God saw super- that they offend against the grace of the remedy, never abundant ground of not making such provision for the re-offered to the other; treading underfoot the Son of God, covery of fallen angels, as of lost men; we can have none, whereupon to imagine the former partake not of the benefit with the latter, for want of value in the sacrifice of Emmanuel. For when the blood of his cross is intimated 2. That the offer itself, made to them, carried in it a to extend to all things both in heaven and earth; (Col. i. manifest signification of their (remote) claimable right to 20.) to diffuse an influence through the universe; to be the benefits of the gospel-covenant, on supposition of their the cement of the creation, in what part and for what time compliance with the terms of it, (unto which the fallen it shall continue, subordinately to the Creator's pleasure angels could have no pretence,) barred only by their nonand purposes; and that by Him, who shed it even as such, acceptance or refusal, which appears in the general tenor all things are said to consist: and that besides his natural of the gospel-covenant itself: "Ho, every one that thirsts" right, he hath acquired by the superabundant value of this "Whosoever will, let him come, and take of the waters sacrifice, (the odours whereof are spread through all of life freely"-" God so loved the world, that he gave his worlds,) a universal dominion; and particularly, to be only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should Head of all principalities and powers; to establish the not perish."—And it is here to be noted, that a secret infaithful and loyal, to judge and punish the disloyal, over tention gives not a claimable right, but some overt-act or whom he so gloriously triumphed on the cross; (Col. ii. deed; and it must be claimable, before it ought to be 15.) to have every knee bow to him, &c. (Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8, claimed or accepted. This is the case then with the wil9, 10, 11.) it cannot be, doubtless, but the value of the fully impenitent and rebellious under the gospel, that it same sacrifice had sufficed to obtain a power as well as to may be truly said of them, "You might have had pardon govern and judge all, to establish and reward the good, to and eternal life, if you had not rejected the kindest offers." punish the bad; to have obtained that, upon terms, par- It is not therefore want of value in this sacrifice, but their don and mercy might have reached down into the infernal rejection, whence it is unavailable to them. As for them regions, if they that inhabit them could upon other accounts that could never have the gospel, or infants incapable of have been thought a pardonable or tractable sort of delin-receiving it, we must consider the Holy Scriptures were quents. And if we cannot apprehend this great Sacrifice written for those that could use them, not for those that to want value even to make atonement for devils, we can could not; therefore to have inserted into them an account as little think it should want value to save. of God's methods of dispensation towards such, had only served to gratify the curious and unconcerned, not to instruct or benefit such as were concerned. And it well became hereupon the accurate wisdom of God, not herein to indulge the vanity and folly of man. VIII. 2. The impenitent and unbelieving among men, under the gospel; and that it must therefore also be for some other reason, that such perish. As, (1.) If there be any thing of reason in what hath been discoursed concerning the state of the lapsed angels, their continuance in wilful impenitency and infidelity partly supposes, partly makes, the state of things with them the same. 1. Partly supposes it so. For it implies they have been applied to and treated with personally, upon the terms of the second covenant; i. e. the covenant of God in Christ, as the apostate angels were upon the first. And if the guilt of the former apostates was so horridly great upon this account, the guilt of the latter must be proportionably so on the same account. 2. Partly makes it the same. For hereby, as they were violators first and immediately in their own persons of the first covenant, so are these of the second. For, generally, they that live under the gospel are professed covenanters; and if they were not, they could not but have become obliged to have been so, by the very proposal and tender thereof unto them; or, as soon as the mind of Him who made them, concerning this matter, was known. They were not obliged by their own consent, but they were obliged to it; and by an incomparably greater and deeper obligation; not by their own act and deed, but by His who gave them breath. What is their authority over themselves, compared with that of the Supreme Lawgiver? A mere borrowed subordinate thing, without and apart from him, without whom their being itself were mere nothing! An argument ad hominem, is convictive, in disputation, between one man and another; but how much more overpowering means of conviction will there be in the judgment of the great day! And the parity of cases between the angels that fell, and insolent sinners under the gospel, is intimated as monitory to the latter, in those texts of Scripture that speak of God's most just and terrible severity to the former; viz. the sin of both was apostacy, according to the different covenants or laws under which IX. 2. Now let it hereupon be considered, in what way was this to be done; not otherwise than by enacting and publishing a universal law, that whosoever should comply with such and such terms, expressed in that law, (as, for instance, repentance towards God, and faith in Jesus Christ,) should be actually and finally pardoned and saved. And this being now the plain state of the case, let any sober unprejudiced mind make a judgment of it, what this matter would come to, if there had not been a compensation made, as a foundation to this law, and the publication of it. They that exalt one Divine perfection, to the diminution of several others; that, for instance, so plead for the absoluteness and sovereignty of God's mercy, as not to adjust therewith the determinations of his wisdom, purity, righteousness, forget that they hereby make any satisfaction by a Redeemer unnecessary, (and by consequence make Christ, whom they cannot deny to have suffered and died, being innocent, to have died in vain,) nor do allow in their own thoughts its just weight to this state of the case, that the method in which God was to exercise his pardoning mercy, was by publishing an edict for that purpose, that was to extend all the world over, and through all the successions of time. They know this is the course the wisdom of God hath pitched upon, and yet, taking the case as it is, would have this large, universal tenor of the gospel to proceed upon no foregoing compensation. The great God requires it should be proclaimed to all the world, "Ho, every one that thirsts, come to the waters"-" Whosoever believes shall not perish, but have life everlasting"-"If the wicked turn from all the sins he hath committed, he shall not die: all his transgressions shall not be mentioned"—" Repent, so your iniquities shall not be your ruin"-" Come to me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest"-" Go preach the gospel to every creature; whose ever believes shall be saved." This is the known tenor of the gospel, directed without limitation to all the ends of the earth; "Look to me, and be saved; all sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men." That gospel which determines whosoever believes shall be saved, is directed to be preached to all nations. He did first, by his angels from heaven, indefinitely proclaim, "Peace on earth, and good-will towards men:" and pursuant hereto was the commission given by our ascending Lord to his apostles and ministers that should succeed to the end of the world. Now suppose that without reference to, or mention any where made of, this compensation to the justice of God, there must be an offer made of such mercy, not to present delinquents only, but to all, in all future times and ages! X. With what methods of government would such a course as this agree? I the rather insist upon this, both as apprehending it to have its own great weight, and that perhaps it hath escaped the consideration of the most, in treating of this important subject; yet, what is more obvious? It is one thing for a prince, by a private act of grace, to pardon a particular person that hath offended him without insisting upon any recompense; another thing to do it to a multitude, not only that had now transgressed, but that should do so in any future time. Lighter minds may perhaps at first sight reckon this would only so much the more magnify the mercy of God above that of man, "whose ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts." And so indeed doth the way he hath taken for the pardoning of sin infinitely exceed all human thought, Isa. lv. 6, 7, 8. But we must take heed of being so inconsiderately officious, as to prescribe him ways of exalting one attribute, to the depressing of another; and so to set him above men in one respect, as to throw him in another below himself, yea, and below men too: i. e. not more to set him above them in point of mercy, than beneath them in point of governing wisdom and righteousness. And if any would be so insolent to prescribe to him, they might have thought the inconvenience of such a universal edict might have been avoided, by his sending an angel, or affording some particular revelation, to every man he would have turn to him, and repent. But were it dutiful so to correct his way of dispensation? And consider how this way he hath chosen would square with the ordinary measures of government, without the foundation laid which we are asserting. That prince would certainly never be so much magnified for his clemency and mercy, as he would be despised by all the world for most remarkable defects of government, that should not only pardon whosoever of his subjects had offended him, upon their being sorry for it, but go about to provide a law that should obtain in his dominions, through all after-time, that whosoever should offend against the government, with whatsoever insolency, malignity, and frequency, if they repented, they should never be punished, but be taken forthwith into highest favour. Admit that it had been congruous to the wisdom and righteousness of God, as well as his goodness, to have pardoned a particular sinner, upon repentance, without satisfaction; yet nothing could have been more apparently unbecoming him, than to settle a universal law, for all future time, to that purpose; that let as many as would in any age, to the world's end, affront him never so highly, invade his rights, trample his authority, tear the constitution of his government, they should, upon their repentance, be forgiven, and not only not be punished, but be most highly advanced and dignified. They can never, after this, have pretence to think it a light matter to offend God, or to think that he looks with indifferency upon sin, or counts it a small matter, And suppose it possible a single delinquent might have been pardoned, without such atonement made for his offence; the design of God's unbounded mercy not being so narrow, but so vastly comprehensive as to require the settling of a stated course for the reducing and saving of lost souls, in all times and ages; since a Redeemer of so high dignity was to be constituted for this purpose: it had been an unexpressible injury to him, a detraction from the kindness of his undertaking and the authority of his office, that any thing of mercy should be shown in this kind, but in him and by him alone. But that it may be further understood how requisite it was such atonement should be made, such a sacrifice of fered, for the sins of men, in order to God's settling his temple and presence with them; we were to consider, not only what was to be remitted, which we have done, but also what was to be communicated, viz. his blessed Spirit, in pursuance of the same gracious purpose; which remains to be done in what follows. CHAPTER IX. Concerning the gift or communication of the Spirit. The gospel the means of it The inseparable connexion hereof with the former, the imparting of righteousness, for removing the guilt of sin. In what sense the Holy Spirit of God is said to be given, or communicated. What personal union signifies. How personal presence, vital union, communicated influences, concern the inquiry. In what respect the necessity asserted of this communication. Since such fulness of Spirit in Emmanuel, purposely for communication how comes it to pass he, thereby, raises no more such temples? The necessity of this communication, for this purpose, represented two ways; by showing, 1. That the Holy Scripture teaches that God doth give his Spirit, though under distinct notions, only through Christ. 2. That it was most reasonable, and therefore necessary it should be so. The doctrine of Scripture herein proposed under six heads. 1. WHEREAS there could be no restoration of this temple of God with men (as hath been shown) without the concurrence of these two things: remission of sinemission of the Holy Spirit-and that it was undertaken to show, that these were so great things, as that the wisdom of God judged it not meet to vouchsafe them in another way, than by constituting the Emmanuel invested with a full power, by his own acquisition, in an unexceptionable, legal way, to dispense, and effect both of them; whereupon, as we have seen, this constitution was abundantly sufficient, so it now also must appear necessary, for this purpose. Having endeavoured to evince this necessity concerning the former of these, remission of sin, upon consideration of the vast amplitude and the peculiar way of this remission; we are now to show it concerning the latter, viz. the emission or communication of the Holy Spirit. The rich sufficiency of Emmanuel, so constituted, as to be furnished with this power of giving the Spirit, hath been already seen, and that in a two-fold respect; viz. both in respect of the end of its communication, that the indisposed, unwilling heart of man might be prepared and made willing again to receive the Divine presence; and in respect of the way wherein it was to be communicated; viz. in a way suitable to man's intelligent nature, by representation of the glorious object by which his soul was to be impressed. Emmanuel himself, represented as the original, exemplary temple; and also represented as made a sacrifice: as was discoursed chap. v. Whereby the two purposes are answered, mentioned chap. vi. s. 1. For which it was requisite this constitution of Emmanuel should be, and should be declared and made known to us: that the blessed God might, upon terms not injurious to himself, give his own consent; and might, in a way not unsuitable to us, gain ours. Both which he is graciously pleased to assume to himself, for his part, in his transactions with us about this matter; leaving it for our part, being so assisted, to consider what is represented to us: and thereupon, actually to give our own consent. XI. And though he hath, upon the recompense made him by his Son for all this injury, declared he will do all this; they accepting their Redeemer and Saviour for their Ruler and Lord, and returning to their state of subjection and duty to himself, in him; yet it were enough to make the world tremble and fall astonished at his foot-stool, to have peace and reconciliation offered them only upon such terms; and to behold God's own Son made a sacrifice to his justice, and a public spectacle to angels and men, for the expiation of the wrong done; and enough to make all men despair of ever finding such another sacrifice, if Whereupon we are not to look upon the gospel of the they should reject the terms upon which only the value Son of God as a useless or unnecessary thing. It is the and meritoriousness of this can be available for them.ministration of spirit and life, (2 Cor. iii. 6.) and the power of God to salvation to every one that believes; (Rom. i. 16.) an apt instrument of such impressions upon the spirits of men as are necessary to their being formed into living temples; the sword of the Spirit. Not that any good work is wrought by the inanimate gospel: the letter kills; but it is the Spirit that gives life, 2 Cor. iii. An instrument comes under the general notion of means, which signify somewhat middle between the efficient and the effect. And suppose an agent able effectually to use them; a sword is a fit instrument for its proper use, supposing a hand able to wield it. The communication therefore of the Spirit, is that we are principally now to consider. And as the constitution of Emmanuel was sufficient, in its own kind, and for its own proper purpose, in this restoration; so we are to show the necessity of it, for this same purpose. There ought to be a concurrence of these two, in the Cause, the Restorer, of this temple; viz. A fulness of righteousness, to be so imparted as that it may be a ground upon which sin may be forgiven: and, A fulness of Spirit, from whence vital influence may be communicated and transfused. Inasmuch, as it is most evident, there cannot but be a connexion of what is correspondent thereto in the effect, viz. the temple itself restored, it must be full of life, 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. For can it be thought the righteousness of the Son of God should ever be the clothing of a carcass ? Without union with Christ, no man can have either: neither his righteousness nor his indwelling Spirit. Nor can they be separable, with reference to the designed end. It is an unsupposable thing, that one should be God's temple enlivened, and animated by his own Spirit, and yet be under remaining guilt, and liable every moment to his consuming wrath; or that he could be any whit the better, to have all his former guilt taken off, and be still "dead in trespasses and sins!" Wherefore this latter is of equal necessity. Hither therefore we have reserved the larger discourse we intended of the gift or communication of the Spirit, as the most proper place for it. And by way of preparation hereto, two things are not unfit to be briefly opened. 1. How or in what sense the Spirit is said to be given at all, or communicated. 2. In what respect we assert a necessity in reference to this communication. II. 1. It will not be inconvenient to say somewhat of the true import of the phrase giving the Spirit. It is evident, that whereas giving imports some sort of communication, there is yet a sense wherein that blessed Spirit is, to any creature, simply incommunicable. There is a TEDxwpnos, or mutual in-being, of the sacred Persons in the Godhead, which is most peculiar to themselves, not communicable to creatures with them; and which is natural and necessary, not gratuitous, and whereto therefore the notion of gift no way agrees. We cannot yet be ignorant, that because the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Spirit of God, sometimes the Spirit of Christ, some bold, assuming enthusiasts, upon pretence of being possessed of this Spirit, have taken the liberty of uttering "great swelling words of vanity," and to talk of being godded with God, and christed with Christ. Yet, because the expressions of giving the Spirit, of receiving, of having the Spirit, of our being in the Spirit, and of his being and dwelling or abiding in us, are phrases of known and frequent use in Scripture; whether in relation to extraordinary purposes and operations, peculiar to some, or to ordinary, common to all that are sincere in the Christian church: such expressions are therefore by no means to be rejected or disused; but cautiously used, and understood in a sound and sober sense. We find no difficulty in apprehending how God is said to give any thing diverse or distinct from himself; as houses, lands, riches, &c. when in the meantime we will confess it not so easy to conceive of his giving what is within the verge of Deity, or that is of and belonging to himself. Some have thought, that by the Spirit given, we are to understand the operations and effects of the Spirit, extraordinary, as of prophecy, working miracles, &c. and ordinary, (which concern our present purpose,) the graces, habits, acts, and influences of the Spirit. Others, finding it so expressly said of the Spirit himself, spoken of as a person, that he shall be given, he | shall abide with, and shall or doth dwell with or in you; (John xiv. 15, 16. Rom. viii. in divers verses of those chapters ;) have thought it too diminishing, and beneath the sense of those places, to understand them of any thing less than the very person of the Spirit. And some, reckoning the particle in to import union, have therefore incogitantly spoken of a personal union between the Holy Spirit and believers. Others, more cautiously, of his indwelling, personal presence in them: as a greater thing, and more answerable to the letter of such texts, than their only having in them his graces or gracious influences. III. If one may adventure to give a censure and judgment upon all this, I conceive, 1. That if any will make use of metaphysical terms, they should take them in the sense wherein metaphysicians use them; which they do not, who speak of a personal union between Christ, or the Spirit of Christ, and believers. For by personal union is never wont to be meant a union of one person with another, but a union of the singular nature with this peculiar manner of subsistence, whereby is constituted one person; i. e. that by personal union is meant, not the subjects of union, as if it only signified that several persons remaining distinct were yet some way or other united with one another; which, so taken, were a very lax expression, and which, according to various capacities persons may admit of, would be of vast extent, and may reach to domestical, political, and I know not how many more unions; which cannot but be much beneath what such men must be understood to intend: but that expression, personal union, means the result of union, whereby the mentioned two become one person. And therefore they that speak in this stricter and more proper sense of personal union of the Spirit and believers, do most unwarily assert a nearer union between the Spirit and believers than that of the sacred persons in the Godhead with each other. For they who acknowledge them one in Godhead, do yet as commonly deny them to be one person, and assert them to be ever three distinct persons: and this must be as much above what such men will avow and stand by. Therefore that expression can, in this case, admit no tolerable sense at all, distinctly expressive of any thing that can be truly meant by it. 2. That, of a personal indwelling presence, can by no mears be denied. The plain import of many texts of Seripture is so full to this purpose, that to take them otherwise, exclusively of this, is not to interpret Scripture, but deny it. 3. Yet this expression of a personal indwelling presence, taken alone, doth not signify any peculiar distinguishing privilege of believers from others; but what is common to all men and creatures. For can we acknowledge God to be omnipresent, and deny it of any person of the Godhead? Therefore, the Spirit's personal presence alone doth not distinguish believers from others, even though we suppose that presence to be never so intimate: God is all, and in all, more inward or intimate to us than we are to ourselves; an assertion carrying its own evidence so fully in itself, as easily to be transferred from the pagan academy to the Christian church, so as generally to obtain in it. 4. That therefore such as speak of the Spirit's being present, by his gracious influences, operations, and effects, suppose his personal presence, from which they can no more be severed, than the beams from the body of the sun. The way of Divine operation being also by an immediateness both virtutis et suppositi, of both power and person, as it is commonly, and fitly enough, wont to be spoken. If any therefore should speak of the Spirit's personal presence, as secluding gracious effects wrought thereby, they do not herein say a greater thing than the others, but much less. For though there can't be any gracious effects without the present person of the Spirit, yet we all know he may be personally present where he produces no such effects: it is therefore his being so present, as to be the productive cause of such blessed effects, that is any one's peculiar advantage. It is very possible to have the personal presence of some great and munificent personage, and be nothing the better for it, if his favour be shut up towards me. It is only his communicative presence that I can be the better for, which depends upon free good-will. 5. It is therefore only the free, gracious presence of the Spirit, that can be the matter of gift and of promise; not (1.) Somewhat real, when he vouchsafes to be in us, as the spring and fountain of gracious communications, influences, and effects, which are most distinct from himself. For the cause is uncreated: the effect is the new creature, with whatsoever was requisite to produce, sustain, improve, and perfect it; though so like its cause, in nature, as to bear its name. "That which is born of the Spirit, is spirit," John iii. 6. And because he is said to be in Christians, who are truly such, and they in him; which are words very expressive of union; that union is most properly vital, as whereof holy life is the immediate result: "I live, yet not I, but Christ" (i. e. by his Spirit) "liveth in me." Nor, otherwise, could such be living temples, animated from Emmanuel. (2.) Somewhat relative, the collation of a right to such a presence, for such purposes; which hath no difficulty. We easily conceive how the meanest persons may, by vouchsafement, have relation to, and interest in, the greatest; so God gives Himself, his Son, his Spirit, to them that covenant with him, as we also take the Father, Son, and Spirit, to be our God; as the baptismal form signifies. And when we so covenant, then hath this giving its full and complete sense. And now, having thus far seen in what sense the blessed Spirit of God may be said to be given or communicated, we come next briefly to show, as the other intended premise, IV. 2. In what respect we are here, pursuantly to the drift and design of the present discourse, to affirm a necessity, in reference to this communication. It may admit a twofold reference: backward, to the constitution of Emmanuel, on which it depends;-forward, to the restoration of God's temple, which depends on it. There was a consequent, moral necessity of this communication; upon what the Emmanuel was, did, suffered, and acquired. There was an antecedent, natural necessity of it, in order to what was to be effected, and done by it. In the former respect, it was necessary in point of right, as it stood related to its meriting cause. In the latter respect, it was necessity in fact, as it stood related to its proper designed effect, which could only be brought about by it. In short; the communication of the Spirit was necessary to the restoring of this temple. The constitution of Emmanuel was necessary to the communication of the Spirit. This former necessity hath, in great part, been evinced already, in representing the ruinous state of God's temple among men, when Emmanuel undertook the reparation of it; and in treating of his abundant rich sufficiency for this undertaking. Yet, there will be further occasion to say more of it in the progress of the following discourse; the other will more directly come under our consideration in what follows; wherein, however, we must have reference to both promiscuously, pursuant to what hath been said. For as we have shown, that the immense fulness of both righteousness and Spirit, treasured up in Emmanuel, could not but be abundantly sufficient for the purpose of restoring God's temple; and have also shown, that his fulness of righteousness was in order to the remission of sin, as well necessary, as sufficient, to the same purpose; so it remains further to be shown, that his fulness of Spirit, as it was sufficient, so is the emission or immission of it also necessary, for that part it was to have in this restoration. And that the whole course of Divine dispensation, in restoring of this temple, imports a steady comportment with this necessity in both the mentioned kinds of it. Therefore, the Emmanuel being the procurer of this restoration, as this may fitly be styled the temple of Christ, or of God in him; so the Spirit being the immediate actor herein, is also styled the temple of the Holy Ghost, as we find in many texts of Scripture, Eph. ii. 20, 21. 1 Cor. iii. 16. and vi. 19. 2 Cor. vi. 18, 19. 1 Peter ii. 4, 5. which the reader may consult at leisure. And they all show, how η ενεργούντος, important and necessary a part the blessed Spirit hath in this merciful and glorious work. As withal, it being considered what relation the Spirit bears to Christ, as he is Emmanuel and Mediator between God and man; it evidently shows the necessity of his being constituted and made such, in order to the Spirit's part herein. V. God's own judgment is the surest measure to direct ours of what was necessary, in this case. And so far as the ground of his judgment is, by himself, made visible to us, we are neither to put out our own eyes, nor turn them away from beholding it. We are to reckon it always safe and modest to follow him, by an obsequious, ductile judgment of things apparent, and which he offers to our view, or appeals to us about them. To go before him by a preventive judgment of the secret things that belong to him, or pretend to give reasons, or an account of his matters, where he gives none himself, argues rashness, arrogance, and self-confidence, whereof we can give no account. But our judgment may be truly said to follow his, when he having in his word declared his choice of such a course, which he steadily pursues in his consequent dispensations; we thereupon conclude that course to be most fit, and that what he judged most fit, was to him (as formerly we have insisted) necessary. Therefore may we with just confidence undertake to show, That his declared, chosen, constant course of giving the Spirit, for restoring his temple with men, is to do it in and by Christ, or Emmanuel, the constituted Mediator between God and man. And that it was apparently reasonable and becoming of himself so to do. Whereby the necessity will appear, both of his giving the Spirit, for the restoring of his temple; and of his settling the constitution of Emmanuel, or such a Mediator in order to the giving his Spirit. Only, before we proceed more distinctly to discourse these things, it seems requisite to consider and discuss a difficulty, which may give great amusement to the minds of many, viz. That since, by the drift and tendency of this discourse, it would appear, that the Son of God, Emmanuel, God with us, hath by his own dear purchase, a fulness of Spirit in him for this blessed work; and now hath it in his power to raise temples every where at his pleasure, That yet so great a part of the world is still desolate, full of idols' temples: yea, the visible temple of God full of idols, destitute of the Divine Spirit, under the poisonous influence of the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the hearts of the children of disobedience, Eph. ii. 2. and by an efficacious energy, as the word there used emphatically signifies. For what hath that accursed spirit more power to destroy, than the Son of God manifested to dissolve and destroy the works of the devil, and his blessed Spirit hath to save? Some considerations tending to disamuse men's minds about this matter, may make way for our clearer and less interrupted progress in the following discourse. Therefore consider, VI. 1. That the raising up of temples to God in the souls of men, with the dispossessing of that wicked one, must by no means be understood to be the work of mere power; as if no other excellency of the Divine Being were concerned in it. Nor is it fit to say (as elsewhere is insisted) that God can do every thing that almighty power can do. Almighty power gives us not an adequate notion of God. He is every other excellency as well as power; and can do nothing but what agrees with every other perfection of his nature, wisdom, justice, holiness, truth, &c. as well as his power. 2. The Son of God, Emmanuel, having obtained an infinite fulness of power to reside in himself, cannot be expected to exert it to the utmost, as natural, unintelligent agents do; but so far as is suitable to the proper ends of his undertaking, and the office which he bears. 3. It ought to be deeply considered, as a truth both of clearest evidence and great importance, (though perhaps it may have escaped the thoughts of many,) that the principal end of our Lord's undertaking and office, was not the salvation of men, but the glory of God. This is that whereupon his design did ultimately terminate. The other he could only intend secondarily, and as a means to yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of this; otherwise he should make the creature his chief our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. While we conend, and place upon it a most appropriate Divine prero- verse with the ever Blessed One, within the region of his gative, to be the last, as he is the first, to all things; which own love and goodness, imbibing and taking in his free is said of the great God, in reference to this very case, the and gracious communications, and still craving and exsaving of some, and rejecting of others. In contempla-pecting more, we keep within the sacred vital circle and tion whereof, the apostle, crying out, O the depth! asserts enclosure; without which, is darkness and the shadow of God's absolute liberty, as debtor to no man, (Rom. x1. 33, death. We breathe in the element of life, by grateful 34, 35.) and subjoins the true reason hereof, That of him, aspirations, and respirations, that cannot be unpleasant to and by him, and to him, are all things, that to him might ourselves, but must be infinitely more pleasant to him; be glory, &c. This is the avowed design of our Lord who reckons it a more blessed thing to give than to reChrist's office, in both his lowest humiliation, and highest ceive. We are always to remember, that our state is that exaltation. The desire of being saved from the (approach- of expectants: that we keep ourselves in the love of God, ing) hour and power of darkness vanishes, and gives looking, waiting, always onward, till we attain eternal place to this,-Father, glorify thy name, John xii. 27, 28. life. Our waiting hath the annexed promise of blessedWhen, for his obedience to death, that of the cross, he is ness, as above, Isa. xxx. 18. and Prov. viii. 34. And is highly exalted-all are to confess him Lord, to the praise most becomingly required, as a just homage unto sove and glory of God, Phil. ii. 8, 11. He, who is the most reign goodness. competent and most rightful Judge, determines when it will be more for the glory of God, to dispossess the strong man armed, being himself the stronger, and erect that house into a temple: and when it will most serve this his great end, to leave the strong man armed still in his possession, and finally to doom the possessor and the possessed to take their lot together. In the former case, there are vessels unto honour, framed by his own hand, to the praise of the glory of grace, Eph. i. 6. In the latter, vessels unto dishonour, to glorify his power, by making known his wrath and just resentments. For that honourable purpose, none are of themselves fit; but he makes them meet for that glorious state, Col. i. 12. before he makes them partakers of it; but none serve the dishonourable use, but who are, of themselves, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, Rom. ix. 22. Our Lord was faithful as a Son; and was therefore content to die upon a cross, that he might, in a way against which the strictest justice should not reclaim, obtain to himself a power of giving an apostate world a time of trial; and as men should acquit themselves, by complying or not complying with his methods, glorify the Father, whose glory he sought as being sent by him, and vindicate the rights of the Divine government, both in them that are "saved, and in them that perish." VII. 4. But it may gain us further advantage, to consider the great God doth not pursue ends, as we are wont to do, who commonly apprehend ourselves to stand in need of the things we pursue as our ends. But he acts agreeably to his self-sufficient fulness, who dwells not in temples made with hands, nor in any human temple, " as if he needed any thing, seeing he gives to all life and breath, and all things;" Acts xvii. 25. and expects hereupon, men should seek after him:-as nothing is more fit, than that indigency and necessity should crave and supplicate unto rich and abounding fulness. Princes glory in their acquisitions, and the increased multitude of their subjects, from whom they have an increase of power, and the ampler revenues; they glory in receiving; He in giving, in making diffusive goodness flow among his creatures. Nor hath he any cause to be anxious about the event, or how his communications are received; beholding always, with infinitely higher complacency, the perfect rectitude of his own dispensations, than their felicity, though he take a secondary pleasure in that too, when it is the result of the former. He glories, as he requires us to do, (Jer. ix. 24.) that he exerciseth loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, because in those he delighteth. 5. Though the goodness and loving-kindness of God be immense, and without limit; yet, the exercise of it is within certain limits, which annexed judgment or the most exquisite wisdom prescribes to it. He waits to be gracious --and because he is the God of judgment, they are blessed that wait for him, Isa. xxx. 18. There is a critical season and nick of time, which men are concerned to wait for; and because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore is the misery of men great, Eccl. viii. 6. For man also knows not his time, ch. ix. 12. The most perfect wisdom hath drawn out a certain verge, within which the most special goodness confines, ordinarily, its communications: otherwise, what means that,-if thou continue in his goodness? Rom. xi. 22. with that of Jude 21. Keep b η οικοδομη ου του τεχνιτου, αλλα του δεσποτου. 6. That admirable goodness of God, which shows itself in raising up temples in this vile world by the Spirit of Emmanuel, claims our subordinate co-operation as underbuilders in this structure; We are to work, because he works, of his good pleasure, Phil. ii. 12, 13. Which signifies both his liberty and delight in working. It is said, 1 Cor. iii. 9. Ye are God's building; yet, it is also said, v. 14. If any man's work abide, which he hath built, &c. One of great note in the ancient Christian church, discoursing of this passage, says, The building is not the artist's, or workman's, but the Lord's, that owns it; and who is to be, (as a little after he speaks,) the inhabitant of it. And inasmuch as we are to be living, intelligent temples, we are also to be ourselves labourers and workmen (as well as they who are to be so by special office) in this building. But if our work be pulling down, stifling convictions, suppressing desires, fear, &c. do we provoke the Lord to jealousy, by keeping up the service of the idols' temple, and profaning his own, 1 Cor. x. 22? or have we forgot who hath said, Vengeance is mine, even for treading under-foot the Son Emmanuel, and despiting his Spirit of grace, Heb. x. 29, 30? The high pleasure the blessed God takes in his own gracious communications, gratefully received, and his just resentment and displeasure for the contemptuous refusal of them, may be understood some way to measure one another. Both may be conjectured from this text of Scripture, after such sort, as the great things of God can be conceived of, by such mean mortals. The Spirit of grace, of all kindness, love, goodness, benignity, sweetness; O the ineffable delight that blessed Spirit must take in its own effusions, tending to the recovery, the healing and saving, of a lost soul, when there is an agreeable comportment therewith! But the despiting of such a Spirit, who can conceive or apprehend, deeply enough, the horror of this crime! the thwarting the design of so compassionate goodness! Or of severity, or soreness of punishment, it shall be thought worthy of! The whole work of faith, i. e. that entire work, neces sary to be wrought upon the soul of a man in order to his future felicity, and that by God's own power is called the fulfilling, or satisfying, the good pleasure of his goodness, 2 Thess. i. 11. O the plentitude of satisfaction which our blessed Lord takes in the fulfilling the good pleasure of his goodness, when the methods are complied with, according whereto he puts forth his power for effecting such a work! But if we can apprehend what it is to cross a man of power in his pleasures; what is it to withstand the great God in his pleasures! even the pleasures of his goodness! his most connatural, delightful pleasures! Some estimate we can make, by supposing a wealthy, potent, wise, and good man, intent upon reclaiming a poor, wretched, undone, perverse neighbour; if his supplies and counsels be gratefully received, how pleasant is it to his benefactor! if often repeated, they are scornfully rejected, how vexing is the disappointment! 7. We must know, there are vincible operations of that Spirit, leading on to those that are victorious, being complied with; otherwise, to the most terrible vengeance. When it was charged upon the Jews, Acts vii. 51. that they did always resist the Holy Ghost, as their fathers did; ο ναός ήκεις, αυτός ένοικος. Chrysost. in 2 ad Cor. |