Sermons Volume 2, Romans 8 · Sermon 19
SERMON XIX.
ROM. VIII.13.
— If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body —
DOCT. That in mortifying of sin, we and the Spirit must concur. Here I shall handle,
1. The manner of this Co-operation.
2. The necessity of it.
1. To state the manner of this Co-operation. First, We must know what is meant by the Spirit; 'tis put either for the Person of the Holy Ghost, or for his Gifts and Graces, the new Creature, or the Divine Nature wrought in us. The Person of the Holy Ghost, Matth. 28.19. Baptize all nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: The new Nature, John 3.6. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. The former is here intended, the uncreated Spirit or Author of Grace, called the Spirit of Christ, v. 11. which leadeth and guideth us in all our ways, v. 14. which witnesseth to us, v. 16. foreign.
2. The Spirit is the Author or principal Agent in this work: For he doth renew and sanctifie us; we are merely passive in the first infusion of Grace, Ezek. 35.25. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness, Eph. 2.1. You that were dead in trespasses and sins; yet now hath he quickned; but afterwards we cleanse our selves, 1 Pet. 1.22. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit. First he worketh upon us as Objects; then by us as Instruments; So that we concur not as co-ordinate causes, but as subordinate Agents; being first purified and sanctified by him, we purge out sin yet more and more.
3. Tho the spirit be the principal Author, yet we must charge our selves with the duty; it is our work; they destroy all humane industry and endeavour, that make mortification to be nothing else but an apprehension that sin is already slain by Christ; no, 'tis charged on us, Col. 3.5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon earth. And 'tis our act, or else we can have no comfort in it, Gal. 5.24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof: and 2 Cor. 7.1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. Under the Law the Leper was first to be cleansed by the Priest, and afterwards to wash himself in running-water, and shave his hair, Levit. 14.8. After being sprinkled with the Priest, the necessary ceremony, he himself was to wash: The Ceremonies which the Priest used are considerable, therefore I shall explain them a little. Two Sparrows were to be taken, and one of them killed in an earthen vessel over running water, and the other after he was dipped in the blood of the sparrow that was to be killed, let loose in the open field, to fly up in the air as it were in the sight of God; there was a notable Mystery couched under this Type; for the bird killed over the running water signified the death of Christ, accompanied with the Sanctification of the Spirit, typed by the running water, the only means to cleanse us from our Leprosie; and the bird that was let go alive having his wings sprinkled with blood, signifieth the Intercession of Christ, who is gone with blood to the Mercy-Seat; and we are told that Christ came not by Water only, but by Water and Blood: No other Bath for spiritual Leprosie, but Water and Blood, the Merit of Christs Sacrifice and Intercession; and the Spirit of Grace to heal our natures; but after all this, the man was to wash himself; which figured the endeavours that Gods people should use to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.
4. It being our duty, we must use the means which tend to mortification; for to dream of a Mortification which shall be wrought in us without our consent or endeavours, as well whilst we are sleeping, as whilst we are waking, is to delude our selves with a vain fancy; no, we must set a careful watch over our Thoughts, Affections, and Works; the Spirits Operation doth license no man to be idle; we must join with him, and obey him in his strivings against the flesh; for the Spirit worketh not on a man as a dead thing, which hath no principle of activity in himself; therefore those that upon the Spirits doing all, will lie idle, abuse the spirit, who both urgeth us to the duty, and quickneth us to the use of means, or stirreth us up to use our endeavours, that the end may be obtained; otherwise we neither obey the Spirit, nor desire the benefit; We do not obey the Spirit, for he doth first sanctifie us, then quicken us to use the means, and blesseth the means so used; and we do not desire the benefit; 'tis but a wish, not a desire, a ve…leity, not a volition, as Prov. 13.4. The soul of the s…uggard desireth, and hath nothing, because his hands refuse to labour. Many a man hath wishes that he could leave his sins, especially when he thinketh of the shame and punishment; as many an incontinent Person, Adulterer, Glutton, or Drunkard, hath a wish to part with his sin, but not a will; for he doth not seriously strive against it, his love to it remaineth unconquered and unbroken. Well then, let us see how far we have gained the point in hand: First, Every Christian must determine that the flesh must be mortified; secondly, mortified it must be by us, every man must mortifie his own flesh; thirdly, that mortified it cannot be by us without the Spirit; the Spirit will not without us, and we cannot without the Spirit, neither when we are first to begin this work, nor can we carry it on without his assistance.
5. The Spirit mortifieth sin in us, as a spirit of Light, Life, and Love.
1. As a Spirie of Light, affecting the soul with a sight and sense of sin, so as we groan under the burden of it; nothing cometh to the heart but by the understanding; conviction maketh way for compunction, and compunction for a detestation and hatred of sin; and detestation and hatred, for the destruction and expulsion of it. Sin is alwayes loathsom, but we have not alwayes eyes to see it. When we look upon it through Satans spectacles, or the cloud of our own passions, and corrupt affections, we make nothing of it; it seemeth lovely, rather than loathsom to us. But when the spirit anointeth our eyes with his eye-salve, it is the most hateful thing to the soul, that can be imagined, Jer. 31.18. After I was instructed, I smote upon the thigh, yea, I was ashamed, and confounded. We see sin to be another manner of thing, than ever we thought it before: Psal. 119.108. Through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. When the heart is thoroughly possessed of the evil of sin, and we dare not dandle and indulge, or pass it over as a thing of nought: fear of punishment may suspend the act of sin, but the sight of the evil of it, doth help to mortify the root.
2. As a spirit of life; for Jesus Christ to all his seed is a quickening spirit, 1 Cor. 15.45. We have life Natural from Adam, but life spiritual and eternal from Christ, and that by the spirit; for we are said to be born again of the spirit, John 3.5. The spirit reneweth us, and maketh us partakers of the life, and likeness of God, Titus 3.5. Now when this life is infused, there is an opposite principle set up in us to subdue the lusts of the flesh, and also to prevent the power of the objects of sense, which serve and feed them; for the flesh doth obstruct the operations of this new life, and cross the tendency of it: The operations of this new life are obstructed by the flesh; for Gal. 5.17. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit. And life is sensible of what annoyeth it, the operations of it are the serving and pleasing of God, Gal. 5.25. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. And we see a weight hanging upon us, and sin doth easily beset us, that we cannot serve God with that liberty, purity, and delight, that we desire. And therefore this is an heavy grievance and burden to the new nature, that we desire to get rid of it by all means, and labour, and strive in it, and that with good effect; a new life also hath a new tendency; as soon as 'tis infused it discovereth its self by its tendency to its end, and rest, which is God and Heaven: so the objects of sense have the less force and power upon us. Well then, the flesh is an enemy to this new life, and this new life an enemy to it, as having contrary operations and tendencies. Now how doth this new life discover its enmity? Partly by complaining of it, as a sore burden and annoyance, Rom. 7.24. Oh wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death? Paul was whipped, scourged, imprisoned, exercised with many vexations, and sorrows: But the relicks of the corruption were his greatest burden; not, when shall I come out of these afflictions? but who shall deliver me from this body of death? 2. By endeavours and striving against it. There may be some dislike of sin in a natural heart, for conscience will sometimes take Gods part, and quarrel against our lusts; otherwise a wicked man could not be self-condemned, and hold the truth in unrighteousness; but checks of conscience are distinct things from the repugnancies of a renewed heart: a wicked mans conscience telleth him he should do otherwise, when his heart inclineth him to do so still. But a renewed heart hateth sin, and therefore there is a constant earnest endeavour to get it subdued; and doth watch, pray, plead for God, use means; dare not rest in sin, or live in sin, Yea, 3. Prevail against it so far, that the heart is never turned away from God to sin, 1 John 3.9. Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin: for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. His heart cannot easily be brought to it, he looketh upon it as a monstrous incongruity, Gen. 39.9. How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God! 2 Cor. 13.8. For we can do nothing against the truth: and Acts 4.20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. There is a natural cannot, and a moral cannot: the natural cannot, is an utter impossibility; the moral cannot is a great absurdity, the new life breedeth such an aversion of heart and mind from sin, such constant rebukes and dislikes of the new nature. A Child of God is never in a right posture, till he doth look upon sin, not only as contrary to his duty, but his nature; they have no satisfaction in themselves, till it be utterly destroyed.
3. As a spirit of love; the great work of the spirit is to reveal the love of God to us, and to recover our love to God; for the spirit cometh to us as the spirit of Christ, by vertue of his redemption; now the infinite goodness and love of God doth shine most brightly to us, in the face of our Redeemer, in the great things which he hath done and purchased for us, and offered to us; we have the fullest expression and demonstration of the love of God, which we are capable of, and which is most apt to kindle love in us to God again, Rom. 5.8. God commendeth his love to us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; and 1 John 2.1, 2. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not: and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world: and Eph. 3.18, 19. That you may be rooted and grounded in love, and comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and may know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledg. Now the spirit attending this dispensation, surely his great work and office is to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, Rom. 5.5. and Gal. 4.6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba Father: That being perswaded of Gods fatherly love, we may love him again, and study to please him. Therefore nothing doth stir us up against sin, so much as the sense of Gods love in Christ: shall sin live, which is so contrary to God? Shall I take delight in that which is a grief to his Holy Spirit? cherish that which Christ came to destroy? Live to my self, who am so many ways oblged to God? displease my father to gratify the flesh? Alas! how many read and hear of this, who are no way moved into an indignation against sin? 'Tis not the love of God called to mind by a few cold thoughts of ours, that worketh so, but the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the spirit, that melts the heart, maketh us a shamed of our unkindness to God, and stirreth up an hatred against sin.
6. After conversion, and the spirits becoming a spirit of light, life, and love to us; after grace is put into our hearts to weaken sin, still we need the help of the spirit; partly, Because habitual grace is a created thing, and the same grace that made us new creatures, is necessary to continue us so: For no creature can be Good independently, without the influence of the prime good: all things depend in esse, conservare, & operari, on him that made them. In him we live, and move, and have our being, Acts 17.28. If God suspend his influence, natural agents cannot work; as the fire cannot burn, as in the case of the three Children, much less voluntary; and if there be this dependance in natural things, much more in supernatural, Phil. 2.12, 13. Will and Deed are from God, first principles of operation, and final accomplishment: Partly, because in the very heart there is great opposition against it, there is flesh still, the warring law, Rom. 7.23. gratia non totaliter satiat. The cure is not total as yet, but partial; therefore they need the spirit to guide, and quicken, and strengthen them. Partly, as it meeteth with much opposition within, so it is exposed to temptations without; Satan watcheth all advantages against us, and the soul is strangely deluded by the treachery of the senses, and the revolt of the passions, and our corrupt inclinations, when temptations assault us; so that unless we have seasonable relief, how soon are we overtaken, or overborn! Adam had habitual Grace, but gave out at the first assault: A City besieged, unless it be relieved, compoundeth and yeildeth; so without the supply of the spirit, we cannot stand out in the hour of trial, Eph. 3.16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man.
Secondly, The necessity of this Concurrence and Co-operation. 1. Of the Spirt with us. 2. We by the Spirit.
1. Of the spirits work: we cannot without the spirit, mortifie the deeds of the body.
1. From the state of the person who is to be renewed and healed. A sinner lying in a state of defection from God, one that hath lost original Righteousness, averse from God, yea an enemy to him, prone to all evil, weak, and dead to all spiritual good, and how can such an one renew and convert himself? There is no sound part left in us to mend the rest: 'Tis true he hath reason left, and some confused notions and apprehensions of good and evil, but the very apprehensions are maimed and imperfect; and we often call evil good, and put good for evil, Isa. 5.20. However to chuse the one and leave the other, that is not in their power. We may have some loose desires of spiritual favours, especially as apprehended under the quality of a felicity or natural good, and as separated from the means, Numb. 23.10. O that I might die the death of the righteous! and my last end might be like theirs. They may long for the death of the Righteous, tho loath to live their life; but these desires are neither truly spiritual, nor serious, nor constant, nor laborious; so that if we consider what man is in his natural estate, blind in his mind, perverse in his will, rebellious in his affections; this work can only be wrought but by the Spirit of God. Will a nature that is wholly carnal, ever resist and overcome the flesh? But so we are by nature, John 3.6. Can flesh destroy its self? Can a man of himself be brought to abhor what he dearly loveth? And he that drinketh in iniquity like water, be brought to loathe sin, and expel, and drive it from him? On the other side, will he be brought to love what he abhorreth? There is enmity to the Law of God in a carnal heart, till grace remove it, Rom. 8.7. Can we that are worldly, and wholly governed by sense, look for all our happiness in an unseen world, till we receive another Spirit? The Scripture will tell you, no, 1 Cor. 2.12, 14. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things that are freely given us of God; but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned; and 2 Pet. 1.9. He that lacketh these things, is blind, and cannot see afar off. What man of his own accord will deny present things, and lay up his hopes in Heaven? Can a stony heart of its self become tender, or a dead heart quicken its self, or a filthy heart cleanse its self; bring a clean thing out of an unclean? it cannot be.
2. The honour of our Redeemer requireth that our whole and intire recovery to God, should be ascribed to him. Not part only, as our freedom from guilt, while the power of sin is subdued, and broken by our selves. Renewing Grace is his gift, as well as reconciling Grace; and we can no more convert our selves to God, than we can reconcile our selves to him; both go together, and both are obtained by the same merit, and both are received from the same hand, Act. 5.31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince, and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins; and 1 Cor. 6.11. And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God. As by the vertue of his blood and sufferings he reconciled us to God; so by the Almighty Power of his Grace, he doth cure and heal our natures, and imprint Gods Image upon our souls. The work of Redemption would have ceased for ever if Christ had not paid our ransom for us, Psal. 49.8. So the work of Renovation, Job 14.4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. Surely Christ hath purchased this grace, and purchased it into his own hands, not into anothers; and sendeth forth his conquering and prevailing spirit to bring back the souls of men to God; this work must not be disparaged nor looked upon as a low, natural, common thing; for this is to lessen the benefit of the new Creation, which is so much magnified in Scripture.
2. The necessity of our Co-operation, if we by the spirit.
1. We may.
2. We must.
1. We may: God hath given us gifts which are not in vain, the new nature or principle of Grace infused into us, all which tend to weaken and mortifie sin, Acts 15.9. Purifying their hearts by faith: Hope, 1 John. 3.3. He that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself as Christ is pure: Love, which looketh backward or forward, teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, Tit. 2.11, 12, 13, 14. So that we may, or ca…, if we be not wanting to our selves, do something to the crucifying of the flesh; certainly after Regeneration, we are or may be active; otherwise there would be no difference between the renewed and the carnal; and some of Gods best gifts would be in vain; you are to improve the death of Christ to imbitter sin to you by his sufferings, to improve the Grace received, pray for the supply of the spirit, to retrench the provisions of the flesh, to walk as in the sight of God, and prepare for a better world, to maintain a constant conflict with sin, and watch over all your ways: There are means of Grace appointed to weaken sin, as the Word, and Sacraments, and many Providences, which might be of great use to you, if you did improve them.
2. We must: For two Reasons,
1. That God may apply himself to us in our way.
2. That we may apply our selves to God, and meet him in his way.
1. That God may apply himself to us in our way. God being our Creator, doth preserve the liberty of his workmanship, he applieth himself to every creature according to the nature of it, so as to improve it, not destroy it; he offereth no violence to our natural faculties, but super-addeth grace; draweth, that we may run, Cant. 1.4. Not hoised up, as dead things by Pulleys and Engines; the will is not compelled, but overcome by the sweet efficacy of Grace; being acted by God, we act under God; that is, by our own voluntary motion, and in a way of operation proper to us: I say, God influenceth all things according to their natural inclination; he inlightneth by and with the Sun, burneth by and with the fire; reasoneth with man, acts necessarily with necessary causes, and freely with free causes, draweth us with the cords of a man, Hos. 11.4. Now we pervert this order, if we lie upon the bed of ease, and cry, Christ must do all; Christ that doth all for you, doth all in you, and by you; he propoundeth reasons which we must consider, and so betake our selves to a godly course; he sheweth us our lost estate, the possibility of Salvation by Christ, sweetly inviting us to accept of Grace, that he may pardon our sins, sanctifie our natures, and lead us in the way of holiness to eternal life.
2. That we may meet with God in his way; He hath appointed certain duties to convey and apply this Grace; we are to lie at the Pool, till the waters be stirred; to continue our attendance upon God with all diligence and seriousness, till he giveth grace, Mar. 4.24. And he said unto them, Take heed what you hear: with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you; and unto you that hear, shall more be given. God will have Believers bestir and put forth themselves, and he will help them in and by their own endeavours: We must not idlely think that Grace will drop to us out of the Clouds; he was an evil and a sloathful servant, that did not improve his Talent: To neglect duty, is to resist Grace, and to run away from our strength: God hath promised to be with us, while we are doing; therefore we are to wait for this power in the use of all holy means, that our corruption may be subdued and mortified.
USE is to exhort, with all diligence, to set about the mortifying the deeds of the body▪ by the Spirit.
Two Things I shall press you to:
1. Improve the death of Christ.
2. A right carriage towa…ds the spirit.
1. Improve the death of Christ; For the term, Mortifie, or Crucifie, often used in this matter, respects Christs death; and every where the Scripture sheweth that the death of Christ is of excellent use for the mortifying of sin; I shall single out a few places, Gal. 2.20. I a am crucified with Christ. Three Propositions included: 1. Christ crucified. 2. Paul crucified. 3. With Christ. It doth not imply any fellowship with him in the acts of his Mediation, there Christ was alone; only that the effects of his death were accomplished in him, a participation of the benefits of his Mediation, so Rom 6.6. knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin may be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Then was there a foundation laid for the destruction of sin, when Christ died; then was the merit interposed, or price paid, and the obligation laid upon us to mortifie it: Something there was to be done on Gods part, the body of sin was to be destroyed, which intimateth the communicating of his spirit of grace to weaken the power and life of sin: and something done on our part, that henceforth we should not serve sin. There was a time when we served sin, but being converted, we must change masters, and betake our selves to another service, which will be more comfortable and profitable to us. One place more, 1 Pet. 4.1. For as much as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh: arm your selves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin. That is, since Christ hath suffered for you, you must follow and imitate him in suffering also, or dying with him, namely, in dying to sin, as he dyed for sin: or mortifying our lusts and passions. For foreign, one that hath suffered in the flesh, or is crucified in his carnal nature, it hath not respect to suffering afflictions, but mortifying sins; for 'tis presently added, He hath ceased from sin, given over that course of life; so that he should no longer live the rest of his life in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but the will of God. He inferreth the obligation of this correspondence and conformity, from Christs dying. From all these places we collect:
1. 'Tis an obligation. This was Christs end, and we must not put our Redeemer to shame, 1 John 3.8. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil. That the interest of the Devil might be destroyed in us, and the interest of God set up with glory and triumph; shall I go about to frustrate his intention? or make void the end of his death? cherish that which Christ came to destroy? tye those cords the faster, which he came to unloose? By professing his name, we bind our selves to die to sin, Rom. 6.2. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? not ab impossibili, but ab incongruo.
2. That the death of Christ was a lively and effectual pattern of our dying to sin. For the Glory of God, and our Salvation, Christ dyed a painful, shameful, accursed death; now we must crucifie sin, Gal. 5.24. Be crucified to the world, Gal. 6.14. That is to say, Christ denied himself for us, and we must deny our selves for him; he suffered pain for us, that we should willingly digest the trouble of Mortification, and suffer in the flesh, in our carnal nature, as he did in the human nature. 1. The death of Christ was an act of self-denyal; he pleased not himself, Rom. 15.3. Minded not the interest of that nature he had assumed; parted with his Life in the Flower of his Age, when most cause to love it: And will you part with nothing, make it your business to please the flesh, and gratify the flesh? he loved you, and gave himself for you, and will not you give up your lusts. 2. The death of Christ was an act of pain and sorrow: of all deaths, crucifixion is the most painful, and shameful. Sinful nature is not extinguished in us without trouble; as sin is rooted in self-love, self-denyal is a check to it; as this self-love is mainly a love of pleasure, or the delight we take in sin, so the pains of Christs death check it: shall we wallow in fleshly delights, when Christ was a man of sorrows? Christs sufferings are the best glass, wherein to view sin; will you take pleasure in that which cost him so dear? he was mocked, spit upon, buffetted, he bare the shame due to our vain conversations. A Malefactor was preferred before him. Therefore when you remember Christs death, you learn how to deal with sin; the Jews would not hear of Christs being King; Away with him, we have no King but Cesar: such an Holy indignation should there be a in a renewed soul, Rom. 6.12. Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Let it not King it, we have no King but Christ. 3. 'Twas a price paid, that we might have grace. Every true Christian is a partaker of the fruits of Christs death; and one fruit is, that we might die unto sin, 1 Pet. 2.24. Who his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead unto sin, should live unto righteousness. This is communicated to us by the spirit: he bought sanctification as well as other priviledges, Eph. 5.25, 26. As Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. And Titus 2.14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, 1 Pet. 1.18. Redeemed us from our vain conversations. We are ready to say, I shall never get rid of this naughty heart, renounce these sensual and worldly affections; our hearts are so wedded to the interests of the flesh: but Matth. 19.26. With God all things are possible.
2. Carry it well to the spirit.
1. Believe that the Holy Ghost is your sanctifyer, and resign up your selves to him as such, that he may recover your souls to God: This is but fulfilling our baptismal vow, Mat. 28.19. Go baptize all nations, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. To God the Father as your Lord and happiness, to Chr…st as your Redemer and Saviour; to the Holy-Ghost as your guide, comforter and sanctifier. We renew this consent in the Lords Supper, that we may bind our selves the faster to him, to submit to his spiritual Discipline, that our cure my be wrought in us.
2. You must obey his sanctifying motions, for otherwise this resignation was in vain; therefore we must faithfully endeavour by the power and help which he giveth us, to mortifie sin: we must strive against sin, and we must strive with them; to strive and resist him, argueth great prophaness, Gen. 6.3. Acts 7.51. Not to strive with him, much neglect and laziness; you must strive with your hearts, when the spirit is striving with you, and take the season of his special help. 'Tis not at our command, for the wind bloweth as it listeth; take it when you have it: 'Tis an offence to the spirit, when the flesh is obeyed before him: men are easily intreated by sin, but deaf to his motions.
3. Use the appointed means by which the spirit worketh: There are means of obtaining the spirit at first, by the Word and Prayer. The spirit is conveyed by some Doctrine; for Gods operative Power is applyed to man as a reasonable creature, not for necessity. For the Word, Gal. 3.2. Received ye the the spirit by the works of the law, or the hearing of faith. So for Prayer If not for friendships sake, &c. Luke 11.8, 13. yet because of his importunity. If ye being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask it? Beg it of God, upon the account of Christ, Titus 3.5.6. But we speak now of another thing, not the gift of the spirit at first, but the supply of the spirit. 'Tis gotten the same way; the spirit joyneth his power and efficacy with the proper instituted means, the Word, which is the sword of the spirit, Eph. 6.17. This sword was made by the spirit. Holy men spake as moved by the Holy Ghost. Used by the spirit to vanquish Satan, 1 John 2.14. And the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. …Tis used for the defence of the better part; the sword of the flesh is the excessive love of pleasures, some carnal bait. And by it the power of the holy ghost came upon us, Acts 10.44. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word. A spirit of sobriety, godliness, meekness, and the fear of the Lord. We cannot make use of this sword, without the spirit; 1 Pet. 1.22. Seeing ye have purified your souls, in obeying the truth through the spirit. So Sacraments, 1 Cor. 12.13. And have been all made to drink into one spirit. Prayer; looking up to God who helpeth us in our conflicts, openeth their ears to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity, Job 36. And breaketh the yokeless disposition and opposition in our hearts.
4. To forbear those wilful sins, which grieve the spirit, Eph. 4.30. Grieve not the spirit. 1 Thes. 5.19. Quench not the spirit; do not provoke him to withdraw his assistance from us; as David was sensible of his misery Psa. 51.10, 11, 12. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me; cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me: restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me by thy free spirit.