SERM. XXIV. tively difcern our union with Chrift, our knowledge would be demonftrative, a priori ad pofterius, by feeing effects, as they are lodged in their caufe: But we come to know the being of grace, and the reality of our union with Chrift, a pofteriori, as by afcending, in our knowledge, from the effects and operations, to their true cause and being.

And, accordingly, God hath furnished us with a power of felf-intuition and reflection; whereby we are able to turn in up. on our own hearts, and make a judgment upon ourselves, and upon our own acts. The foul hath not only a power to project, but a power alfo to reflect upon its own actions, not only to put forth a direct act of faith upon Jefus Christ, but to judge and difcern that act also, 2 Tim. i. 12. “ I know whom I have "believed:" And this is the way in which believers attain their certainty, and knowledge of their union with Chrift: from hence the observation will be.

Doct. That intereft in Chrift may be certainly gathered, and concluded from the gift of the Spirit to us: "No man (faith the apostle) hath feen God at any time; if we love one another, "God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us: Hereby "know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath "given us of his Spirit," John iv. 12, 13. The being of God is invifible, but the operations of his Spirit in believers, are fenfible, and difcernable. The foul's union with Chrift is a fu pernatural mystery, yet it is difcoverable by the effects thereof, which are very perceptible in and by believers.

Two things require explication, and confirmation in the doc trinal part of this point.

1. What the giving of the Spirit imports and fignifies. 2. How it evidences the foul's interest in Jefus Christ. First, As to the import of this phrafe, we are to enquire what is meant by the Spirit, and what by the giving of the Spirit. Now the Spirit is taken in fcripture two ways, viz. Effentially; or personally.

In the first fenfe it is put for the Godhead, 1 Tim. iii. 16. "Juftified in the Spirit," i. e. By the power of his divine nature, which raised him from the dead. In the fecond fenfe it denotes the third perfon, or fubfiftence in the glorious and blessed Trinity; and to him this word Spirit is attributed, fometimes pro perly in the fenfe before-mentioned, as denoting his perfonality; at other times metonymically, and then it is put for the effects, fruits, graces, and gifts of the Spirit communicated by him unto men, Eph. v. 11. Be ye filled with the Spirit." Now the fruits or gifts of the Spirit are either,

1. Common and affifting gifts: Or, 2. Special and fanctifying gifts.

In the laft fenfe and fignification, it must be taken in this place; for, as to the common, affifting and miniftring gifts of the Spirit, they are bestowed promifcuously upon one as well as another; fuch gifts in an excellent degree and a large measure, are found in the unregenerate, and therefore can never amount to a folid evidence of the foul's union with Chrift: but his fpecial fanctifying gifts, being the proper effect and confequent of that union, muft needs ftrongly prove and confirm it. In this fenfe therefore we are to understand the Spirit in this place; and by giving the Spirit to us, we are to understand more than the coming of the Spirit upon us: The Spirit of God is faid to come upon men in a tranfient way, for their prefent affistance in fome particular fervice, though in themselves they be unfanctified perfons: Thus the Spirit of God came upon Balaam, Numb. xxiv. 2. enabling him to prophesy of things to come: And, although those extraordinary gifts of the Spirit be now ceased, yet the Spirit ceaseth not to give his ordinary affiftances unto men, both regenerate and unregenerate, 1 Cor. xii. E, 9, 10, 31. compared: But, whatever gifts he gives to others, he is faid to be given, to dwell, and to abide only in believers, 1 Cor. iii. 6. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spi"rit of God dwelleth in you?" An expreffion denoting both his fpecial propriety in them, and gracious familiarity with them. There is a great difference betwixt the assisting and the indwel ling of the Spirit; the one is tranfient, the other permanent. That is a good rule the schoolmen give us, Illa tantum dicuntur ineffe, quae infunt per modum quietis: thofe things are only faid to be in a man, which are in him by way of reft and permanency, and fo the Spirit is in believers: Therefore they are faid to live in the Spirit, Gal. v. 25. to be led by the Spirit, ver. 18. to be in the Spirit, and the Spirit to dwell in them, Rom. viii. 9, And fo much of the first thing to be opened, viz. What we are to understand by the giving of the Spirit.

Secondly, In the next place we are to enquire and fatisfy ourfelves, how this giving of the Spirit evidently proves, and strongly concludes, that foul's interest in Chrift unto whom he is given and this will evidently appear by the confideration of these five particulars.

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1. The Spirit of God in believers is the very bond by which they are united unto Chrift: If therefore we find in ourselves the bond of union, we may warrantably conclude, that we have

union with Jefus Chrift: This is evidently held forth in those words of Chrift, John xvii. 22, 23. "The glory which thou "gaveft me, have I given them, that they may be one, even as

we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be "made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou haft fent me, and haft loved them as thou haft loved me.”olt is the glory of Christ's human nature to be united to the Godhead: "This (laid Chrift) thou gavest me, and the glory that

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gaveft me, I have given them," i. e. By me they are united unto thee. And how this is done, he fheweth us more particu larly, I in them; there is Chrift in us, viz. myftically: And, thou in me; there is God in Christ, viz. hypoftatically: So that in Chrift, God and believers meet in a blessed union: It is Chrift's glory to be one with God; it is our glory to be one with Chrift, and with God by him: But how is this done? Certainly, no other way but by the giving of his Spirit unto us; for so much that phrase, I in them, muft needs import: Chrift is in us by the fanctifying Spirit, which is the bond of our union with him.

Secondly, The fcripture every where makes this giving, or indwelling of the fpirit, the great mark and trial of our interest in Chrift; concluding from the prefence of it in us, pofitively, as in the text; and from the abfence of it, negatively, as in Rom. viii. 9. “Now if any man have not the fpirit of Christ, the fame

is none of his," Jude ver. 19. “Sensual, not having the fpi"rit." This mark therefore agreeing to all believers, and to none but believers, and that always, and at all times, it must needs clearly infer the foul's union with Chrift, in whomfoever it is found.

Thirdly, That which is a certain mark of our freedom from the covenant of works, and our title to the privileges of the covenant of grace, muft needs also infer our union with Chrift, and special intereft in him; but the giving, or indwelling of the fanctifying spirit in us, is a certain mark of our freedom from the first covenant, under which all Chriftless perfons still stand, and our title to the fpecial privileges of the Jecond covenant, in which none but the members are interefted; and, confequently, it fully proves our union with the Lord Jefus. This is plain from the apoftle's reafoning, Gal. iv. 6, 7. " And because ye are "Yons, God hath fent forth the fpirit of his fon into your "hearts, crying, Abba Father: Wherefore thou art no more a fervant, but a fon; and if a fon, then heir of God, through "Chrift." The fpirit of the first covenant was a fervile spirit, a fpirit of fear and bondage, and they that were under that covenant were not fons, but fervants; but the spirit of the new

Covenant is a free, ingenuous fpirit, acting in the ftrength of God, and thofe that do so, are the children of God; and chil dren inherit the bleffed privileges, and royal immunities contained in that great charter, the covenant of grace: they are heirs of God, and the evidence of this their inheritance, by vir tue of the fecond covenant, and of freedom from the fervitude, and bondage of the first covenant, is the Spirit of Chrift in their hearts, crying, Abba Father; So Gal. v. 18. "If ye be led by "the Spirit, ye are not under the law."

Fourthly, If the eternal decree of God's electing love be executed, and the virtues and benefits of the death of Chrift applied by the Spirit, unto every foul in whom he dwelleth, as a Ipirit of fanctification; then fuch a giving of the fpirit unto us, must needs be a certain mark and proof of our special intereft in Chrift; but the decree of God's electing love is executed, and the benefits of the blood of Christ are applied unto every foul in whom he dwelleth, as a Spirit of fanctification. This is plain from 1 Pet. i. 2." Elect according to the foreknowledge of God "the Father, through fanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and fprinkling of the blood of Jefus Chrift:" Where you fee both God's election executed and the blood of Jefus fprinkled, or applied unto us by the Spirit, which is given to us as a Spirit of fanctification. There is a blessed order of working obferved as proper to each perfon in the Godhead; the Father electeth, the Son redeemeth, the Spirit fanctifieth, The Spirit is the last efficient in the work of our falvation; what the Father decreed, and the Son purchafed, that the Spirit applieth; and fo puts the laft hand to the compleat falvation of believers, And this fome divines give as the reason why the fin against the Spirit is unpardonable, because he being the last agent, in order of working, if the heart of a man be filled with enmity against the Spirit, there can be no remedy for fuch a fin; there is no looking back to the death of Chrift, or to the love of God, for remedy. This fin against the Spirit is that obex infernalis, the deadly ftop and bar to the whole work of falvation; oppofitely, where the Spirit is received, obeyed, and dwelleth in the way of fanctification; into that foul the eternal love of God, the ineftimable benefits of the blood of Chrift run freely, without any interruption; and, confequently, the interest of such a foul in Jefus Chrift is beyond all difpute.

Fifthly, The giving of the Spirit to us, or his refiding in us, as a fanctifying Spirit, is every where in fcripture made the pledge and earneft of eternal falvation, and, confequently, muft abundantly confirm, and prove the foul's intereft in Chrift, Eph.

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i. 13, 14. "In whom alfo after that ye believed, ye were fealed "with that holy Spirit of promife; which is the earnest of our "inheritance," &c. So, 2 Cor. i. 22. "who hath also sealed 66 us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." And thus you have the point opened and confirmed. The use of all followeth :

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Ufe. Now the only use I make of this point, fhall be that which lieth directly, both in the view of the text, and of the defign for which it was chofen; namely, by it to try and examine the truth of our intereft, and the validity of our claim to Jefus Christ. In pursuance of which defign, I fhall first lay down fome general rules, and then propose some particular trials.

First, I fhall lay down fome general rules for the due information of our minds in this point, upon which so much depends.

Rule 1. Though the Spirit of God be given to us, and worketh in us, yet he worketh not as a natural, and necessary, but as a free and arbitrary agent: He neither affifts, nor fanctifies, as the fire burneth, ad ultimum fui poffe, as much as he can af fift or fanctify, but as much as he pleaseth; " dividing to every "man feverally as he will," I Cor. xii. 11. Beftowing greater measures of gifts and graces upon fome, than upon others; and affifting the fame perfon, more at one season than another: and all this variety of operation floweth from his own good pleasure: His grace is his own, he may give it as he pleaseth.

Rule 2. There is a great difference in the manner of the Spirit's working before, and after the work of regeneration. Whilst we are unregenerate, he works upon us, as upon dead creatures that work not at all with him; and what motion there is in our fouls, is a counter-motion to the Spirit; but after regeneration it is not fo, he then works upon a complying, and willing mind we work, and he affifts, Rom. viii. 26. Our conscience witnesseth, and he beareth witness with it, Rom. viii. 16. It is therefore an error of dangerous confequence to think that fanctified perfons are not bound to ftir, or ftrive in the way of duty, without a fenfible impulfe, or perverting motion of the Spirit, Ifa. Ixiv. 7.

Rule 3. Though the Spirit of God be given to believers, and worketh in them, yet believers themfelves may do or omit fuch things as may obftruct the working, and obfcure the very being of the Spirit of God in them: ita nos tractat, ut a nobis tractatur: He dealeth with us in his evidencing, and comforting-work, as we deal with him in point of tendernefs and obedience to his dictates: there is a grieving, yea, there is a quenching of the Spirit by the