A Supplement to Knowledge and Practice, Part 1 · Chapter 4 · Section 1
SECT. I. Concerning the Holy Ghoſt.I believe in the Holy Ghoſt.
IN ſpeaking to this Article, it will be requiſite that I 1. premiſe this, viz. that each Perſon in the ſacred Trinity is to be believed in by us, and we are thankfully to accept the mercies that are conferred by each Perſon, and to labour to perform the duties we owe to each of them diſtinctly. For as to take God for our God is more than barely to believe that there is a God; and to take Chriſt for our Saviour, is more than barely to believe that he is the Meſſiah: ſo to believe in the Holy Ghoſt, is not barely to believe that he is the third Perſon in the Trinity, and truly God, but to take him for our Guide, Sanctifier, Helper, Advocate and; Comforter. 2. We are to know that he is called the holy Spirit, becauſe of all the three Perſons his peculiar office is, to Sanctifie and make Holy the Church and people of God. And therefore the Apoſtle tells the Theſſalonians, 2 Theſ. 2.13. that God had choſen them to Salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. There are ſome that ſay, they believe in the Holy Ghoſt and that he Sanctifies them, and all the elect people of God, and yet reject all his Sanctifying motions, and hate all thoſe that are Sanctified by him, making them the objects of their ſcorn. There are others of another ſtrain who enthuſiaſtically plead the authority of the Spirit in themſelves againſt the authority of the Spirit ſpeaking in the Holy Scriptures. But let us take heed of both theſe. That therefore I may ſpeak pertinently to this Article, I ſhall ſhew that we muſt labour 1. Rightly to underſtand the Doctrine of the holy Spirit. 2. Our duty towards him. The Doctrine concerning the Holy Ghoſt (which is to be believed by us) we have in part already explained in the Section concerning the Trinity, viz. Sect. 2. of Chap. 1. Wherein we have ſhewed
1. That the Holy Ghoſt is a Perſon, not a meer quality, energy or operation.
2. That he is a Divine Perſon, and has one and the ſame divine nature with the Father and the Son, and ſo is God truly, and properly.
3. That he is a Perſon diſtinct from the Father and the Son.
4. That he is a Perſon proceeding both from the Father and the Son. We ſhall now in ſome more particulars ſhew what is further to be known and believed concerning this bleſſed Spirit.
1. This holy Spirit infallibly inſpired both the Prophets of old, and alſo the Holy Apoſtles and Evangeliſts firſt to preach, and and then to write the Doctrine of Chriſt, which is contained in the holy Scriptures.
2. This ſame bleſſed Spirit ſetled this holy Doctrine, and the teſtimony of thoſe holy men, by many miracles and wonderful works, which he enabled them to work, by which they did convince the unbelieving World, and plant the Goſpel.
3. This ſame bleſſed Spirit having conſtituted the Offices and Officers of the Church, he doth qualifie and fit men with requiſite gifts for their ſtated ordinary miniſterial work (which is to explain and apply the foreſaid Scriptures, and adminiſter the Sacraments, and guide and govern the Flock) and doth aſſiſt them in a diſcharge of their Office.
4. This ſame bleſſed Spirit is Chriſts advocate with men, and does by the word illuminate their minds, and ſanctifie and renew their wills, and draws them to Chriſt, to reſt on his great propitiation.
5. This ſame holy Spirit alſo aſſiſteth the Sanctified in the exerciſe of Grace given them, as in the exerciſe of Repentance, Faith, Obedience, and Selfdenial. He alſo directs and governs their converſation, inabling them to walk watchfully, that they may not diſhonour God nor their holy profeſſion. For if we live in the Spirit (being quickned by his renovation) we muſt alſo walk in the Spirit, following his directions; and if we walk in the Spirit we ſhall not fulfill the luſts of the Fleſh. And as many as are thus led by the Spirit, they are the Children of God, Gal. 5.25.
6. He teacheth us to pray, and guides us, and directs us in our prayers and devotions, Zach. 12.10. Rom. 8.26, 27. and ſo is ſaid to make interceſſion for us, by teaching us how to pray and intercede for our ſelves. For which interceſſion, among other things, he hath the name of a Paraclete given him by Chriſt, Joh. 14.16.*foreign ſive Advocati officium eſt Clienti ſuggerere utilia, ad ea hortari, eum animare atque confi…mare coram judice, ejus cauſam agere, pro eo intercedere.
7. We are ſaid to be ſealed by this holy Spirit. As a mans Seal does ſignifie the thing ſealed to be his own, ſo the Spirit of Holineſs in us, is God's Seal upon us, ſignifying that we are His, Eph. 4.30. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby you are ſealed unto the day of Redemption.
8. This holy Spirit is the earneſt, or firſt fruits to us of eternal life. The Spirit is given to us by God as the earneſt of the glory which he will give us. To whomſoever he giveth the Spirit of Faith, Love, Holineſs, he gives the earneſt of eternal life.
9. This Spirit doth alſo witneſs or evidence to true Converts that they are the Children of God, and ſo is called the ſpirit of Adoption, Rom. 8.15, 16. Ye have not received the ſpirit of bondage again to fear, but the ſpirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father. The Spirit it ſelf beareth witneſs with our ſpirit that we are the children of God. And this he doth evidence to us ſeveral wayes. 1. By ſhewing or manifeſting to us the Grace which he hath given us. 2. By ſhewing the certainty of the Promiſe made to all thoſe who have ſuch Grace. 3. By helping us from thoſe Graces and thoſe Promiſes to conclude with confidence that we are the Children of God. And then he comforts us, and helps us to rejoyce in what we do or ſuffer for Chriſt, in the hope of the glory that we ſhall be partakers of.
Thus much concerning the Doctrine of the Spirit; we come now to conſider the duties which we owe to him. Which are theſe.
1. We ought to obey and follow his bleſſed motions. Yet here we muſt take heed that we do not miſtake the Spirit of God and his motions, and inſtead of them follow the motions of Satan or of our own Paſſions or Pride, or fleſhly wiſdom. By theſe marks the Spirit of God may be known. 1. The Spirit of God infuſes into us Heavenly wiſdom to mind the ſecuring our peace with God and our title to the Kingdom of Heaven in the 1. place. 2. He is a Spirit of Love, his motions are for love and doing good. 3. He is a Spirit of Concord and moves Believers to unity, and diſſwades them from diviſions among themſelves, or to joyn in carnal confederacies with the wicked, ſee 1 Cor. 12.25. Eph. 4.3, 4, 5. 4. He is a Spirit that teaches Humility and Self-denial making us little in our own eyes. 5. He is a Spirit that teaches Meekneſs, Patience and Forbearance; not Boiſterouſneſs, Contention Reviling, or Revenge. 6. He is a Spirit that teacheth zeal for God; not a furious deſtroying zeal, but a zeal againſt known ſin, and for known truth and known duty. 7. He is a Spirit that teacheth mortification and crucifying of our luſts, and ſubduing of ſenſuality. 8. He is a Spirit that doth not contradict the Doctrine of Chriſt delivered in the holy Scripture, but moveth us to endevour to conform our ſelves thereunto, Iſa. 8.20. 9. The motions of this bleſſed Spirit do alwayes tend to our good, and to drive us to God, and to obey his holy Will and Commandments, and never to tranſgreſs any of his precepts.
2. We muſt take heed of quenching the Spirit, 1 Theſ. 5.19. (that is, the gifts and graces of the Spirit in our ſelves) but muſt labour to ſtir them up by prayer and the due exerciſe of them.
3. We muſt take heed of grieving this bleſſed Spirit. Eph. 4.30. Not that he can properly be grieved; but he is ſaid to be grieved when we do that which in it ſelf is apt to grieve him, if he were capable thereof; and which provokes him to do that which grieved perſons uſe to do, namely to withdraw his gracious and comforting preſence.
4. We muſt not neglect the means the Spirit hath appointed us to uſe for our improvement in Sanctification. We muſt attend upon him and expect him in his own ways, and not in wayes wherein he uſeth not to go.
5. We muſt do moſt when this bleſſed Spirit helps us moſt. If he extraordinarily help us at any time in prayer, we ſhould not break off ſo ſoon as at other times.
6. We muſt be very thankful for the aſſiſtances he is pleaſed at any time to afford us. And above all, if he hath convinced us of the evil and danger of our ſins, hath wrought in our hearts true Godly ſorrow and contrition for them, and a real hatred and loathing of them, and hath drawn our hearts to Chriſt Jeſus, to ſeek pardon and reconciliation with God in and through his merits and Interceſſion, and hath begun a work of Sanctification in us, then we ought to admire and to be for ever thankful for the free and efficacious grace of this Holy Spirit.