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II.

SERM.make ready a people prepared for the Lord. These are the particular Observations I thought useful to draw from the History in the Text: It remains that we confider in the next place the general Doctrine concerning the Nature and Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which was the Foundation and Occasion of the particular Incidents referred to in the Text.

SERMON

[55]

SERMON III.
Of receiving the Holy Ghost.

[ Preached on Whitsunday.]

Acts xix. 2, 3.

He said unto them, Have ye received the
Holy Ghost fince ye believed? And they
faid unto him, We have not so much as
beard whether there be any Holy Ghoft.
And he said unto them, Unto what then
were ye baptized ?

Na former Discourse upon SERM.
these Words, I have indea- III.
voured briefly to explain the
meaning, of the several par-
ticular expressions here made

use of by the Apostle, and by the new

E 4

Converts

SERM. Converts with whom he discoursed. It re

III. mains at this time, according to the Method proposed, that I proceed in the next place to confider the general Doctrine, concerning the Nature and Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which was the Foundation and Occafion of the particular Incidents referred to in the Text. And

I. WHEN John the Baptist came preaching and baptizing with Water; with whose Baptifm only, the Disciples in the Text have been baptized, had neither received the Gift of the Holy Ghost themselves, nor so much as heard of its miraculous Gifts being bestowed on others; he modeftly and plainly confessed, Matt. iii. 11; I indeed baptize you with Water unto Repentance; but He that cometh after me, is mightier than I, whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire. According to This Declaration of John the Baptist, our Saviour, a little before his Afcenfion, promised his Disciples, Acts. i. 5; John truly baptized with Water, but ye Shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days bence. And This his Promife

was III.

was effectually made good to them, in that SERM. miraculous Effusion of the Holy Spirit at Pentecoft, which we this day commemorate, and which is particularly described in the second chapter of the Acts. Where that Circumstance of there appearing unto the Apostles cloven tongues, like as of Fire, ver. 3; explains the meaning of that prophetical Phrase used by John the Baptist concerning our Lord, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, descending at first visibly in the appearance of Fire; and continuing with you afterwards, in pursuance of what That Emblem represented, by an Assistance as much more powerful and efficacious than what John Baptist pretended to, as Fire is more powerful and more purifying than Water. To the Apostles and first Disciples, who were to spread the Gospel over the World, this their being baptized with the Holy Ghost, was accompained with miraculous Gifts and Powers; such as speaking with tongues, healing diseases, and the like: But when the reason of these miraculous Operations ceafed, yet still every Chriftian

SERM.is baptized with the Holy Ghost as well as III. with Water, and his internal sanctifying Gifts and Graces, are to continue with us always even unto the end of the World. If any one has not received these Gifts of the Holy Ghost, it may still be asked him with the same propriety as in the Text, Unto what then was ye baptized? If any man has not in him the Spirit of Chrift; if he does not show forth in his Life the Fruits of the Spirit, by Works of Righteousness and true Piety; if his Heart be not sanctified by this Spirit of Holiness; if his Mind approves not, and delights not in things spiritual; if his Will obeys not the good Motions of this Divine Assister; if the Actions of his Life are not guided by the Commands of God, revealed to us in Scripture by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost; to what purpose then was such a Perfon baptized?

Іт may here perhaps be inquired, Does not the Spirit of God distribute to every man feverally as he himself willeth? Does not the wind blow where it lifteth, and fo (faith our Saviour) is every one that is born of the Spirit? Are we not justified freely

by

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