The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 1
The fyrste Chapter. That those thinges which are spoken of Christ, do profite vsus by secret working of the holy Ghoste.
NOwe it is to be seen howe those good thinges doe come vntounto vsus, whiche the Father hathe geuen to his only begotten Sonne, not for his own priuate vse, but to enriche them that were without them & needed them. And fyrste this is to be learned, that so longe as Christe is oute of vsus, and we be seuered from him, whatsoeuer he suffered or dyd for the saluation of mankinde, is vnprofitable and nothinge auayleth for vsus. Therefore that he maye enterparten wyth vsus those thinges that he hathe receiued of hys Father, it behoueth that he become oures,Ephe. iiii.xv. Rom. viii.xxix Ro. xi.xvii Ga. iii.xvi and dwell in vsus. And for that cause he is called our heade, and the fyrste begotten amonge many brethren: and on the other side it is saide, that we are graffed into him, and did putte on hym. For (as I hauehave before saide) all that euer he possesseth belongeth nothinge to vsus, vntyll we growe together into one with hym. But although it be true that wee obteyne thys by faythe: yet forasmuche as we see that not al without dyfference do embrace this enterpartening of Christe, whyche is offered by the Gospel, therefore very reason teacheth vsus to clymbe vp hyer, and to enquire of the secret effectuall workinge of the Spirite, by whyche it is brought to passe, that we enioye Christe and all his good thynges. I hauehave before entreated of the eternall godhede and essence of the Spirit, at thys present let vsus be content wyth thys one speciall article, that Christe so came in water and bloode that the Spirite shoulde testifie of hym, leaste the saluation that he hathe purchaced, shold slippe awaie from vsus. For as there are alleged three witnesses in heauen,i. Io. v.vii the Father, the Worde and the Spirit, so are there also three in earth, Water, Bloode & ye Spirit. And not without cause is the testimonie of the Spirite twise repeted, whiche we feele to bee engrauen in oure heartes in steede of a seale: whereby commeth to passe, that it sealeth the washinge and sacrifice of Christ. After whiche meaninge Peter also saith, that the faythfull are chosen in santification of the spirit vntounto obedience and sprynkling of ye blood of Christ.i. Pe. i.ii. By whiche woordes he telleth vsus, that to the entent the shedinge of that holy bloode shoulde not become voyde, oure soules are cleansed wyth it by the secrete wateringe of the holy Spirite. According whervnto Paule also speakinge of cleansinge and iustification, saieth that we are made partakers of them bothe in the name of Iesus Christe and in the Spirite of oure God. Finally thys is the summe, that the holy Spyrite is the bonde wherewyth Christe effectually byndeth vsus vntounto hym. For proofe whereof also do serue all that wee hauehave taughte in the laste booke before thys, concernynge hys anoyntynge.
But that this, being a matter specially worthy to be knowen, may be made more certainly euident, we must holde this in minde, that Christ came furnished with the holy Spirit after a certaine peculiar manner, to the ende that he might seuer vsus from the worlde, and gather vsus together into the hope of an eternal inheritance. For this cause he is called the Spirit of sanctification, bicause he doth not onelyonly quicken and nourish vsus with that general power which appeareth as wel in mankinde as in all other liuinge creatures, but also is in vsus the roote and feede of heauenly life. Therefore the Prophetes do principally cōmend the kingdome of Christe by this title of prerogatiue, that then shoulde florishe more plentifull aboundance of the Spirit. And notable aboue all the rest is that place of Ioel:Ioel. ii.xxviii. In that day I will poure of my Spirit vponupon al fleshe. For though the Prophet there seeme to restraine the giftes of the Spirit to the office of prophecieng, yet vnderunder a figure he meaneth, that God by the enlightning of his Spirite will make those his scholers whyche before were vnskilfull and voyde of all heauenly doctrine. Nowe forasmuche as God the Father dothe for his Sonnes sake geue vsus his holy Spirit, & yet hathe left with him the whole fulnesse thereof, to the ende that he shoulde be a minister and distributer of his liberalitie: he is sometime called the Spirite of the Father, and sometime the Spirite of the Sonne.Rom. viii ix. Ye are not (saith Paule) in the fleshe, but in the Spirit, for the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any hauehave not the spirit of Christe, he is not his. And herevpon he putteth vsus in hope of ful renuing, for that he which raised vp Christ from the deade, shall quicken our mortall bodies bicause of his Spirit dwelling in vsus.Ro. viii.xi. For it is not absurditie, that to the Father bee ascribed the praise of his owne giftes, whereof he is the author: & yet that the same be ascribed to Christe, with whome the giftes of the Spirite are lefte, that he maie geue them to those that be his.Ihon. vii, xxxvii. Eph. iiii.vii. Therefore he calleth all them that thirste, to come to him to drynke. And Paule teacheth that the Spirit is distributed to eueryevery one, according to the measure of the gifte of Christ. And it is to be knowen, that he is called the Spirite of Christ, not onelyonly in respect that the eternall Worde of God is with the same Spirit ioyned with the Father, but also according to his person of mediator, bicause if he had not had that power, he had come to vsus in vaine.i. Cor. xv.xlv. After whiche meaning he is called the seconde Adam geuen frō heauen, to be a quickning Spirit: whereby Paule compareth ye singular life yt the sonne of God breatheth into them yt be his yt thei may be alone with hym, with the natural life that is also common to ye reprobate. Likewise where he wissheth to the faithful the fauoure of Christ and the louelove of God, he ioyneth withall the common partaking of the Spirit, without which no man can tast neither of the fatherly fauoure of God,Ro. v.v. nor of the bountifulnesse of Christe. As also he saith in an other place: The louelove of God is poured out into oure heartes by the holy Spirite that is geuen vsus.
And here it shalbe profitable to note, wyth what titles the Scripture setteth out the holy Spirite, where it entreateth of beginninge and whole restoring of oure saluation. Fyrste he is a called the Spirit of adoption, bicause he is a wytnesse vntounto vsus of the free goodwil of God, wherewyth God the Father hathe embraced vsus in hys beloued onelyonly begotten Sonne, that he might be a father vntounto vsus, and doth encourage vsus to praie boldly, yea and dothe minister vsus wordes to crie with oute feare Abba,Gal. iiii.vi ij. Cor. i.xxi Father: by the same reason hee is called the earnest pledge, and seale of our inheritance, bicause he so geueth life from heauen to vsus wandringe in the worlde, and being like to deade men, that we maie be assured that oure soule is in safegarde vnderunder the faithefull keping of God: for which cause he is also called life, by reasō for righteousnesse. And forasmuch as by his secret watering he maketh vsus frutfull to brynge forth the buddes of righteousnesse,Ro. viiij.x. he is oftentimes called water,Esa. lv.i. Esa. xliiii.ii. Iohn. vii.xvii. Eze. xxxvi.xxv. as in Esaie: All ye that thyrste come to the waters. Againe: I will poure out my spirit vponupon the thyrsty, and stoodes vponupon the drie land: wherewith agreeth that sayeng of Christ, which I did euen now allege: If any thyrste, let him come to me. Albeit sometime he is so called, by reason of his power to purge and cleanse, as in Ezechiell where the Lord promiseth cleane waters wherwith he wil washe his people from fylthinesse. And forasmuch as herestoreth & norisheth into liuely quicknes, them vpō whom he hath poured the liquore of hys grace, he is therefore called by the name of oyle and anoyntement.i. Io. ii.xx. Lu. iii.xvi. Agayne bycause in continually seethynge oute and burninge vp the vices of oure luste, hee setteth oure heartes on fyre wyth the louelove of God and zeele of godlynesse,Iohn. iiii.xiiii. Act. i.xxi. he is also for thys effect worthyly called fyre. Finally he is described vntounto vsus as a fountaine, from whense do flowe vntounto vsus all heauenly rychesse, or the hande of God, wherewyth he vseth hys power: bycause by the breathe of hys power he so breatheth diuine lyfe into vsus, that wee are not nowe styrred by oure selues, but ruled by hys styrringe and mouynge: so that yf there bee any good thynges in vsus, they bee the frutes of hys grace: but oure owne gyftes wythout hym, bee darkenesse of mynde and pereuersnesse of hearte. Thys poynte ys sette oute playnely enoughe, that tyll oure myndes bee bente vponupon the holy ghoste, Christe lyeth in a manner idle, bycause we coldely espye wythout vsus, yea and farre awaye from vsus. But wee knowe that hee profyteth none other but them whose heade hee ys, and the fyrste begotten amonge brethren,Ephe. iiij.xv. Rom. viii.xxix. Gala. iij.xxvii Eph. v.xxx and them whyche hauehave putte on Hym. Thys conioynynge onelyonly maketh that, as concernyng vsus, he is come not vnprofytably wyth the name of sauioure. And for proofe hereof serueth that holy mariage whereby we are made fleshe of hys fleshe, and bones of hys bones, yea and all one wyth hym. but by the Spirite onelyonly hee maketh hym selfe one wyth vsus: by the grace and power of the same Spirite wee are made hys membres, so that hee conteyneth vsus vnderunder hym, and wee agayne possesse hym.
But forasmuche as faithe is his principall woorke, to it are for the moste parte referred all those thynges, that we commonly finde spoken to expresse his force and working: bicause he bryngeth vsus into the light of ye Gospel by nothyng but by faith: as Ihon baptiste teacheth, yt this prerogatiue is geuen to them ye beleue in Christ,Io. i.xiii. yt thei be ye childrē of God which ar borne not of flesh & blood, but of God: wher setting God againste fleshe and bloode, he affirmeth it to be a supernaturall gift that thei receiue Christe by faith, whoe otherwise shoulde remaine subiect to their owne infidelitie. Like where vntounto is that answer of Christe:Mat. xvi.xvii. Fleshe and bloode hathe not reueled it to thee, but my Father whiche is in heauen. These thinges I do nowe but shortly touche, bycause I hauehave already entreated of them at large. And lyke also is that saieng of Paule,Eph. i.xiii. that the Ephesians were sealed vp with the holy spirit of promisse. For Paule sheweth that he is an inwarde teacher, by whose workynge the promyse of saluation pearceth into oure mindes, whiche otherwise shoulde but beate the ayre or oure eares. Likewyse when he saith,ii. The. xiii. that the Thessalonians were chosen of God in the sanctification of the spirit and beleuing of the truth: by whiche ioyning of them together, he brefely admonisheth that faythe it selfe proceedeth from nothing els but from the holy spirit:i. Ioh. iii.xxiiij. & iiii. Ioh. xiiij.xvij. whych thyng Ihon setteth out more plainely, saieng: We knowe that there abideth in vsus of the spirit whiche he hathe geuen vsus. Againe. By this we knowe that we dwel in him, and he in vsus, bicause he hath geuen vsus of his spirit. Therfore Christ promised to his Disciples the Spirit of truthe whiche the worlde canne not receiue, that thei might bee able to receiue the heauenly wisedome. And he assigneth to the same spirit this propre office, to put them in mynde of those thynges that he hadde taught them by mouthe. Bicause in vaine shoulde the light shewe it selfe to the blinde, vnlesse the same spirit of vnderstanding shoulde open the eyes of their minde: so as a man may rightly call the holy spirit, the keye by which the treasures of the heauenly kingdome are opened vntounto vsus: and may call his enlightning,ij. Cor. iij.vi. the eyesight of oure minde to see. Therefore doth Saint Paule so muche commend the ministerie of the spirit: bycause teachers shoulde crie without profiting, vnlesse Christ himselfe the inwarde maister shoulde drawe them with his spirit that are geuen him by his Father. Therefore as we hauehave sayde, that persecte saluation is founde in the person of Christ: so that we may be made partakers therof, he doth baptize vsus in the holy spirit and fyre,Lu. iii.xvi. lightning vsus into the faith of his Gospell, and so newe begetting vsus, that we maie be newe creatures: and purging vsus from vnholy fylthynesse, doth dedicate vsus to be holy temples to God.