The Handmaid to Private Devotion, Feast 18
The Feast of the comming downe of the Holy-Ghost, or, Whitsun-daye's Deuotion.
The ground of this Feast
In the old Testament
Prophecies.
Types.
In the new, the
Promises,
Performance of sending the holy Spirit.
PARALELL.
Prophecie.
I will powre out of my Spirit vpō all flesh, and your sons & daughters shall prophecie, &c. Ioel 2. 28.
Historie.
These are not drunken as ye suppose, Act. 2. 15. This is that which was spoken by the Prophet, Ioel ver. 16.
And it shal come to passe in the last daies that I wil powre out my Spirit vponupon all flesh, ver. 17.
Type.
He took vp the mantell of Eliah that fell from him, and when the sons of the Prophets saw him, they sayd, The Spirit of Eliah doth rest on Elishah, 2. King. 13. 5.
Accomplishment.
And they were filled with the Holy-Ghost, &c. Acts 2. 4.
God sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your harts, Gal. 4. 6.
Promise.
Ye shall be baptized with the holy Ghost within these few daies. Acts 1. 5.
Performance.
They were filled with the holy Ghost, &c. Acts 2. 4.
He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire. Mat. 3. 11.
There appeared to them clouē tongs like fire and it fate vponupon each of them Acts 2. 3.
These signes shall shall follow them that belieue, They shall speake with new tongues. Mar. 16. 17.
And they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance. Act. 2. 4
THE HYMNE FOR Whitsunday.
Wherein is expressed the holy Ghost's
a 1 Sending.
b 2 Comming downe.
3 Workes.
In generall
c Creation.
d Renouation.
In speciall.
e Inhabitation.
f Inspiring Ministers.
Inclining the minds and wills of the people.
O Lord how manifold are thy workes? In wisedome hast thou made them all, the earth is full of thy riches. Psal. 104. 24.
So is the great and wide sea also, wherein are things creeping innun…erable' both small and great beasts. verse 25.
These waite all vponupon thee, and thou giuest them their meate in due season. verse 27.
a Thou sendest forth thy Spirit: they are c created, and thou d renewest the face of the earth. verse 30.
Thou hast asended vp on high: thou hast led captiuity captiue, and receiued gifts for men: yea euen for the rebellious, that the Lord God might ed well among them. Psal. 68. 18.
Hee bowed the heauens and b came downe. Psalme 18. 9.
Hee rod vponupon the Cherubins and did flie: hee did euen fly vponupon the wings of the b winde. verse. 10.
The Lord gaue the Word: great f was the company of the Preachers or of them that published it Psal. 68. 11.
The people shall come g willingly in the day of thy power (or at the time of thy Assemblies) in the bewty of holinesse from the wombe of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. Psal. 110. 3.
AN EXHORTATION to obey the motions of God's holy Spirit.
THE ANALYSIS.
The motiues to obey the motions of the Spirit are
1 Gods strict Commandement.
2 The Saints continuall practice.
3 The Spirit's excellency, who is the
1 Fountaine of grace.
2 Lord of life.
3 Comforter of the Elect.
4 Teacher of the Church.
4 The benefits of obeying them.
5 The danger of resisting them.
WAlke in the Spirit. Gal. 5. 16. If we liue in the Spirit,Precepts of God. let vsus walke in the Spirit. verse 23.
Grieue not the holy Spirit of God, whereby yee are sealed to the day of redemption. Ephes. 4. 30.
Quench not the Spirit of God. 1 Thes. 5. 19.
Yee stiffnecked and vncircumcised in heart and eares, yee doe alwaies resist the holy Ghost.
There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus, who walke not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom. 8. 1.
That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vsus,2 Practice of Saints. who walke not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. verse 4.
Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwell in you. verse 9.
As many as are led by the spirit of God are the Sonnes of God. Reasons.verse 14.
Declared to be the Sonne of God according to the Spirit of aHolinesse.Holinesse. Rom. 1. 4.
The Law of the Spirit ofbLife. Life in Christ Iesus hath made mee free from the Law of sinne, and of death. Romans 8. 2.
Yee hauehave not receiued the Spirit of bondage againe to feare; but the Spirit ofcLiberty. Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father. verse 15.
They despight the Spirit of dGrace.Grace Heb. 10. 29.
The Spirit makethePrayer. Intercession for vsus with sighs and grones that cannot be expressed. Romans 9. 29.
To one is giuen the Spirit of the Word offWisedome Wisedome; to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12. 8.
All these worketh one and the same Spirit. verse 11.
The Father of Glory giuegive vntounto vsus the Spirit of Wisedome and reuelation in the Knowledge of him. Ephes. 1. 17.
The Spirit ofgGlory. Glory and of GOD resteth in vsus. 1 Peter 4. 14.
When the Spirit ofhTruth. Truth is come, hee will leade you into all Truth. Ioh. 16. 13.
Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 1 Corinthians 3. 17.
He that soweth to the Spirit, Benefits of obeying the Spirit.shall of the Spirit reape life euerlasting. Gal. 6. 8.
Walke in the Spirit and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Gal. 5. 16.
The fruits of the Spirit are louelove, peace, ioy, &c. verse 17.
If yee be led by the Spirit yee are not vnderunder the Law. verse 18.
Whosoeuer speaketh against the holy Ghost, Danger of resisting.it shall not bee forgiuen him neither in this world, nor in the world to come. Mat. 12. 32.
Of how much sorer punishment shall hee bee thought worthy who hath troden vnderunder foot the Sonne of GOD, and hath accounted the blood of the couenant (wherewith hee was sanctified) an vnholy thing, and hath done despight to the Spirit of God. Hebrewes 10. 29.
A Prayer for Whit sunday.
INcomprehēsible Spirit the third Person in the blessed and glorious Trinity, who after the Father had manifested himselfe to the world in the works of Creation, and the Sonne in the works of Redemption, finished in the flesh: diddest manifest thy selfe on this day in a wonderfull manner by the sound of a rushing winde, and the light of fiery tongues. Manifest thy selfe most powerfully and gloriously in the vniuerfall Church, by enlarging her bounds, and making vp her breaches and hallowing her Assemblies, and furnishing her Pastors, and knitting the hearts of all her members in true louelove the bond of perfection. Perfect the work of sanctification in all thine Elect; manifest thy selfe also graciously this day, and declare thy gifts in the tongues of the Preachers, and eares of the hearers, and the hearts of all the Congregation. Direct the mouthes of the Preachers, that they may skilfully sowe the Seede, and open the eares, and mollify the hearts of the hearers, that they may receiue it profitably, and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit abundantly, which are louelove, ioy, peace, long suffering, gentlenesse, goodnesse, faith, meeknesse, temperance, &c. O Eternall and infinite holy Ghost, the louelove of the Father and the Sonne, who diddest descend vponupon our Sauiour in the likenesse of a Doue without gall, purge out of my conscience all gall of malice and bitternesse, and grant that with meeknesse I may receiue the ingraffed Word which is able to saue my soule. O holyest Spirit, eternall breath of the Father and the Son, and former of the Word in the wombe, who camest with a sound, come down vponupon me in the sound of thy Word Preached; though not in the extraordinary gifts of Prophecy, tongues, and healing, yet in the ordinary graces of faith, hope, and charity, the Spirit of supplication and Prayer, of wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding, of power and ghostly comfort. O heauenly Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Sonne, who descendedst from heauen like a mighty rushing winde, throw mee downe to the ground in humility, and prostrate my heart and soule before thee: Beate downe all strong holds of carnall imaginations and worldly thoughts resisting thy grace. Chase away all cloudes of error out of my vnderstanding: cleare my will of all foggs of noysome desires; coole and refresh me in the heate of persecution, fill the sailes of my affections, and driue mee speedily into the faire hauen where I would bee. O diuine fire burning continually in the hearts of the faithfull, and consuming all our spirituall sacrifices, who this day diddest descend and appeare in the likenesse of fiery tongues, bee a fire in my heart and tongue, that I may be feruent in my Meditations and Prayers, and Zealous in the profession and defence of thy Truth. Inlighten the darknesse of my vnderstanding, inflame the coldnesse of my affections, purge out the drosse of my corruptions, direct me in all the affaires of this life, assist mee in all the exercises of Deuotion, strengthen me in al the assaults of temptation, comfort me in all the miseries and afflictions, seale all thy gracious promises of thy Gospell vntounto mee, and seale mee to the day of redemption. So bee it. Amen.
Into my minde descend ô Doue
Purge gall cleane out of me,
With siluer wings raise me aboue
My Sauiour Christ to see.