lufts and corruptions of thofe hearts in which he dwelleth; and though he will not forfake his habitation, as a spirit of fanctification, yet he may for a time defert it is as a fpirit of confolation, Pfal. li. II.

Rule 4. Those things which discover the indwelling of the Spirit in believers are not fo much the matter of their duties, or fubftance of their actions, as the more fecret springs, holy aims, and spiritual manner of their doing, or performing of them. It is not fo much the matter of a prayer, the neat and orderly expreffions in which it is uttered, as the inward fenfe and fpiritual defign of the foul: it is not the choice of elegant words, whereby our conceptions are cloathed, or the copioufnefs of the matter with which we are furnished; for even a poor ftammering tongue, and broken language, may have more of the Spirit of God in it. This made Luther fay, he faw more excellency in the duty of a plain ruftic Christian, than in all the triumphs of Cefar and Alexander. The beauty and excellency of fpiritua duties is an inward hidden thing.

Rule 5. All the motions and operations of the Spirit are always harmonious, and fuitable to the written word, Ifa. viii. 20. " To the “law and to the teftimony, if they speak not according to this "word, it is because there is no light in them." The scriptures are by the infpiration of the Spirit, therefore his infpiration into the hearts of believers, muft either fubftantially agree with the fcriptures, or the infpiration of the Spirit be felf-repugnant, and contradictory to one another. It is very obfervable, that the works of grace wrought by the Spirit in the hearts of believers, are represented to us in fcripture, as a tranfcript, or copy of the written word, Jer. xxxi. 33. "I will write my law in their "hearts." Now, as a true copy anfwers the original, word for word, letter for letter, point for point; fo do the works of the Spirit in our fouls, harmonize with the dictates of the Spirit in the fcriptures: whatfoever motion therefore fhall be found repugnant thereto, muft not be fathered upon the Spirit of God, but laid at the door of its proper parents, the fpirit of error and corrupt nature.

Rule 6. Although the works of the Spirit, in all fanctified per fons, do fubftantially agree, both with the written word, and with one another, (as ten thousand copies, penned from one original, muft needs agree within themselves); yet as to the manner of infufion and operation, there are found many circumftantial differen ces. The Spirit of God doth not hold one and the fame method of working upon all hearts: the work of grace is introduced into fome fouls with more terror and trouble for fin, than it is in

:

SERM. XXIV. others: he wrought upon Paul one way, upon Lydia in another way he holds fome much longer under terrors and troubles than he doth others: inveterate and more prophane finners find stronger troubles for fin, and are held longer under them, than thofe are, into whofe hearts grace is more early and infenfibly infufed by the Spirit's bleffing upon religious education: but as these have lefs trouble than the other at firft, fo commonly they have lefs clearnefs, and more doubts and fears about the work of the Spirit afterwards.

Rule 7There is a great difference found betwixt the fanctifying, and the comforting influences of the Spirit upon believers, in refpect of conftancy and permanency. His fanctifying influen ces abide for ever in the foul, they never depart; but his com forting influences come and go, and abide not long upon the hearts of believers. Sanctification belongs to the being of a Chriftian, confolation only to his well-being: the first therefore is fixing and abiding, the latter various and inconftant. Sanctifi cation brings us to heaven hereafter, confolation brings heaven into us here: Our fafety lies in the former, our cheerfulness onJy in the latter. There are times and feafons, in the lives of be lievers, wherein the Spirit of God doth more signally and eminently feal their fpirits, and ravish their hearts with joy unspeak. able: But what Bernard fpeaketh is certainly true in the experience of Chriftians: "It is a fweet hour, and it is but an hour; "a thing of fhort continuance: the relifh of it is exceeding fweet, "but it is not often that Christians tafte it." And so much may fuffice for the general rules about the inbeing, and workings of the Spirit in believers, for the better information of our underftandings, and prevention of mistakes in this matter: I shall next, according to promife, lay down the particular marks and trials, by which we may difcern whether God hath given us his Spirit or no; by which grown Chriflians, when they are in a due compofed frame, may, by the affiftance of the Spirit of God, (for which therefore they are bound to pray), discern his indwelling and working in themfelves.

Evidence 1. In whomsoever the Spirit of Chrift is a Spirit of fanctification, to that man or woman he hath been, more or less, a Spirit of conviction and humiliation. This is the order which the Spirit conftantly obferves in adult, or grown converts, John xvi. 8, 9. "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of "fin, and of righteouinefs, and of judgment: of fin because

* Rara hora, brevis mora ; fapit quidem fuaviffime, fed gufta tur rariffime. Bern,

"they believed not on me." This, you fee, is the method he obferves all the world over; he shall reprove, or convince the world of fin. Conviction of fin hath the fame respect unto fanctification, as the bloffoms of trees have to the fruits that fol low them: A bloffom is but fructus imperfectus, et ordinabilis an imperfect fruit in itself, and in order to a more perfect and noble fruit. Where there are no bloffoms, we can expect no fruit; and where we fee no conviction of fin, we can expect no converfion to Chrift. Hath then the Spirit of God been a Spirit of conviction to thee? Hath he more particularly convinced thee of fin," because thou haft not believed on him?" i. e. hath he shewn thee thy fin and misery, as an unbeliever? Not only terrified and affrighted thy confcience with this or that more notorious act of fin, but fully convinced thee of the state of fin that thou art in by reafon of thy unbelief; which holding thee from Chrift, muft needs alfo hold thee under, the guilt of all thy other fins. This gives, at leaft, a ftrong probability that God hath given thee his Spirit, efpecially, when this conviction remains day and night upon thy foul, fo that nothing but Chrift can give it reft, and confequently the great enquiry of thy foul is after Christ, and none but Christ.

viii. 2.

Evidence 2. As the Spirit of God hath been a convincing, so he is a quickening Spirit, to all thofe to whom he is given; Rom.. "The law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus bath made me free from the law of fin and death :" He is the Spirit of life, (i. e.) the principle of fpiritual life in the fouls whom he inhabiteth; for, uniting them to Chrift, he unites them to the fountain of life; and this fpiritual life, in believers, manifefts itself as the natural life doth in vital actions and operations. When the Spirit of God comes into the foul of a man that was dead and fenfelefs under fin, "O (faith he) now I begin to feel "the weight and load of fin, Rom. vii. 24. now I begin to hunger and thirst after Chrift, and his ordinances, 1 Pet. ii. 2. "now I begin to breathe after God in fpiritual prayer," Acts ix. 11. Spiritual life hath its spiritual fenfes, and fuitable operations. O think upon this, you that cannot feel any burthen in fin, you that have no hungerings or thirstings after Chrift; how can the Spirit of God be in you? I do not deny but there. may, at fome times, be much deadnefs and fenfelessness upon the hearts of Chriftians, but this is their difeafe, not their nature; it is but at fome times, not always, and when it is fo with them, they are burdened with it, and complain of it, as their greatest affliction in this world; their fpirits are not eafy and at reft, in VOL. II. M m m

SERM. XXIV. fuch a condition as yours are; their fpirits are as a bone out of joint, an arm dislocated, which cannot move any way without pain.

Evidence 3. Thofe to whom God giveth his Spirit have a tender fympathy with all the interests and concernments of Chrift. This muft needs be fo, if the fame Spirit which is in Chrift dwelleth alio in thy heart; if thou be a partaker of his Spirit, then what he loves, thou lovest, and what he hateth, thou hateft. This is a very plain case; even in nature itself, we find that the many members of the fame natural body being animated by one and the fame spirit of life," whether one member fuffer, all the "members fuffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the "members rejoice with it: now ye are the body of Christ,

and members in particular," I Cor. xii. 26, 27. For look, as Chrift, the head of that body is touched with a tender fenfe and feeling of the miferies, and troubles of his people, he is perfecuted, when they are perfecuted, Acts ix. 4. fo they that have the Spirit of Chrift in them, cannot be without a deep, and tender fenfe of the reproach, and difhonours that are done to Chrift: this is "as it were a fword in their bones," Pfal. xlii. 3. If his public worship ceafe, or the affemblies of his people are fcattered; it cannot but go to the hearts of all, in whom the Spirit of Chrift is: "They will be forrowful for "the folemn affemblies; the reproach of them will be a bur"den," Zeph. iii. 18. Those that have the Spirit of Christ do not more earnestly long after any one thing in this world, than the advancement of Chrift's intereft, by converfion, and reformation in the kingdoms of the earth, Pfal. xlv. 3, 4. Paul could rejoice that Chrift was preached, though his own afflictions were increased, Phil. i. 16, 18. and John could rejoice that Christ increased, though he himself decreased; yet therein was his joy fulfilled, John iii. 29. So, certainly, the concernments of Christ must, and will touch that heart which is the habitation of his Spirit. I cannot deny, but even a good Baruch may be under a temptation to feek great things for himself, and be too much swallowed up in his own concernments, when God is plucking up and breaking down, Jer. xlv. 4, 5. But this is only the influence of a temptation: the true temper and fpirit of a believer inclines him to forrow and mourning, when things are in this fad pofture: Ezek. ix. 4. "Go through the midst of "the city, through the midst of Jerufalem, and fet a mark upon the foreheads of the men that figh, and that cry for all the " abominations that be done in the midst thereof."

O reader, lay thine hand upon thine heart: Is it thus with

thee? Doft thou sympathize with the affairs and concernments of Chrift in the world? or, careft thou not which way things go with the people of God, and gofpel of Chrift, fo long as thine own affairs profper, and all things are well with thee?

Evidence 4. Wherever the Spirit of God dwelleth, he doth, in fome degree, mortify and fubdue the evils and corruptions of the foul in which he refides. This fpirit lufteth against the flesh, Gal. v. 7. and believers, "through the Spirit, do mortify, the "deeds of the body," Rom. viii. 13. This is one fpecial part of his fanctifying work. I do not fay he fo kills, and fubdues fin in believers, as that it shall never trouble, or defile them any more: No, no, that freedom belongs to the perfect ftate in heaven, but its dominion is taken away, though its life be prolonged for a feafon: It lives in believers ftill, but not upon the provifion they willingly make to fulfil the luft of it, Rom. xiii 27. The defign of every true believer, is co-incident with the defign of the Spirit, to destroy, and mortify corruption: They long after the extirpation of it, and are daily in the use of all fanctified means and inftruments, to fubdue and destroy it; the workings of their corruption, are the afflictions of their fouls, Rom. vii. 24. "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" And there is no one thing that sweetens the thoughts of death to believers (except the fight, and full enjoyment of God) more than their expected deliverance from fin doth.

Evidence 5. Wherever the Spirit of God dwelleth in the way of fanctification, in all fuch he is the Spirit of prayer and supplication, Rom. viii. 26. “ Likwise the Spirit also helpeth our in"firmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we "ought, but the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us, with

groanings which cannot be uttered:" Wherever he is poured out as the Spirit of grace, he is also poured out as the Spirit of fupplication, Zech. xii. 1o. His praying, and his fanctifying inAuences are undivided. There is a threefold affiftance that the Spirit gives unto fanctified perfons in prayer. He helps them before they pray, by fetting an edge upon their defires and affections: He helps them in prayer, by fupplying matters of requeft to them, teaching them what they should ask of God: He affifteth them in the manner of prayer, fupplying them with fuitable affections, and helping them to be fincere in all their defires to God. It is he that humbles the pride of their hearts, diffolves, and breaks the hardness of their hearts: Out of deadnefs makes them lively; out of weakness makes them ftrong.