Of Communion with God, Part 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of Communion with the Holy Ghost.
The foundation of our communion with the Holy Ghost, Joh. 16. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. opened at large. foreign a comforter. who he is. The H. Gh. his own will in his coming to us, sent also by Christ. The spirit sent as a sanctifier, and as a comforter. The adjuncts of his mission considered. The foundation of his mission. Ioh. 15. 26. His procession from the Father. Twofold: as to personallity, or to office. Things considerable in his procession as to office. The manner of his collation. He is given freely: sent, Authoritatively. The sinne against the holy G. whence unpardonable. how we aske the Spirit of the Father. To grieve the spirit, what. powred out. How the holy Ghost is received. By Faith: Faiths actings in receiving the H. G. His abode with us how declared. How we may loose our comfort, whilest the comforter abides with us.
THe foundation of all our Communion with the Holy §. 1 Ghost, consisting in his mission, or sending to be our Comforter by Jesus Christ; the whole matter of that Oeconomy or dispensation is firstly to be proposed and considered, that so we may have a right understanding of the truth enquired after. Now the maine promise hereof, and the chiefe considerations of it, with the good received, and evill prevented thereby, being given and declared in the beginning of the 16. Chap. of Iohn, I shall take a view of the state of it, as there proposed.
Our blessed Saviour being to leave the world, having acquainted his Disciples among other things, what Entertainment §. 2 in generall they were like to find in it, and meet withall, gives the Reason why he now gave them the dolefull tydings of it, considering how sad and disperited they were upon the mention of his departure from them. v. 1. These things have I said unto you that you should not be offended. I have, (saith he, given you an acquaintance with these things (that is the things which will come upon you, which you are to suffer) before hand, least you who (poore soules) have entertained expectations of another state of affaires, should be surprized, so as to be offended at me, and my doctrine, and fall away from me. You are now forewarned, and know what you have to look for. Yea, saith he, v. 2. having acquainted you in generall, that you shall be persecuted, I tell you plainly, that there shall be a combination of all men against you, and all sorts of men will put forth their power for your ruine. They shall cast you out of the Synagogue, and the time shall come, that whosoever killes you, will think that he doth God good service. The Ecclesiasticall power shall Excommunicate you, they shall put you out of their Synagogues; and that you may not expect reliefe from the power of the magistrate against their perversity, they will kill you; and that you may know that they will doe it to the purpose, without check or controle, they will think that in killing you, they doe God good service, which will cause them to act rigorously, and to the utmost.
But this is a shaking triall, might they reply: is our condition §. 3 such, that men in killing us, will think to approve their Consciences to God? Yea they will saith our Saviour; but yet that you be not mistaken, nor trouble your consciences about their confidences, know that their blind and desperate ignorance is the cause of their fury and perswasion, v. 3. These things will they doe unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me.
This then was to be the state with the Disciples; but why did §. 4 our Saviour tell it them at this season, to adde feare and perplexities to their griefe and sorrow? what advantage should they obtain thereby? saith their blessed Master, v. 4. there are weighty reasons why I should tell you these things; chiefly, that as you may be provided for them, so when they do befall you, you may be supported with the consideration of my Deity and Omniscience, who told you all these things before they came to passe, v. 4. but these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, you may remember I told you of them. But if they be so necessary, whence is it, that thou hast not acquainted us with it, all this while? why not in the beginning, at our first calling? Even, saith our Saviour, because there was no need of any such thing; for, whilest I was with you, you had protection and direction at hand. And these things I said not at the beginning, because I was present with you: but now the state of things is altered; I must leave you, v. 5. And for your parts, so are you astonished with sorrow, that you doe not aske me whether I goe, the consideration whereof would certainly relieve you, seeing I goe to take possession of my glory, and to carry on the worke of your salvation: but your hearts are filled with sorrow and feare, and you doe not so much as enquire after reliefe v. 5. 6. whereupon he adjoynes that wonderfull assertion, v. 7. Neverthelesse I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you, that I goe away; for if I goe not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
This verse then, being the peculiar foundation of what shall afterward §. 5 be declared, must particularly be considered as to the words of it, and their interpretation: and that both with respect to the preface of them, and the asseveration in them, with the Reason annexed thereunto.
1. The first word foreign is an adversative, not excepting to any thing of what himselfe had spoken before, but to their apprehension; I know you have sad thoughts of these things, but yet, neverthelesse.
2. foreign I tell you the truth. The words are exceeding Emphaticall, and denote some great thing to be ushered in by them. First foreign I tell it you, this that shall now be spoken; I who love you, who take care of you, who am now about to lay downe my life for you, they are my dying words, that you may believe me; I who am truth it selfe, I tell you: and,
foreign. I tell you the truth: you have in your sad misgiving hearts, many misapprehensions of things; you think, if I would abide with you, all these evills might be prevented; but alasse! you know not what is good for you, nor what is expedient; I tell you the truth; this is truth it selfe, and quiet your hearts in it. There is need of a great deale of evidence of truth; to comfort their soules that are dejected and disconsolate under an apprehension of the absence of Christ from them, be the Apprehension true or false.
And this is the first part of the words of our Saviour, the preface to what he was to deliver to them, by way of a weighty convincing asseveration, to disintangle thereby the thoughts of his Disciples from prejudice, and to prepare them for the receiving of that great Truth which he was to deliver.
2. The Assertion it selfe followes: foreign. §. 6 it is expedient for you, that I goe away.
There are two things in the words. Christs departure, and the usefulnesse of it to his Disciples. For his departure, it is known what is intended by it: The withdrawing his bodily presence from the earth after his Resurrection, the heavens being to receive him, untill the time of the restitution of all things. For in respect Acts 3. 21.of his Diety, and the exercise of Love and care towards them, he promised to be with them to the end of the world, Mat. 28. last. Of this saith he foreign, it conduceth to your good; it is profitable for you, it is for your advantage, it will answer the end that you aime at; that is the sence of the word, which we have translated, expedient: it is for your profit and advantage. This then is that, which our Saviour asserts; and that with the earnestnesse before mentioned, desiring to convince his sorrowfull followers of the truth of it; namely, that his departure which they so much feared, and were troubled to think of, would turne to their profit and advantage.
3. Now although it might be expected that they should acquiesce §. 7 in this asseveration of truth it selfe, yet because they were generally concerned in the ground of the truth of it, he acquaints them with that also; and that we may confesse it to be a great matter, that gives certainty and evidence to that proposition, he expresses it negatively and positively; if I goe not away he will not come, but if I depart I will send him. Concerning the going away of Christ, I have spoken before: of the Comforter his coming and sending, I shall now treat, as being the thing aimed at.
foreign: the word being of sundry significations, §. 8 many Translations have thought fit not to restraine it, but doe retaine the Originall word paracletus, so the Syriak also: and as some think, it was a word before in use among the Jewes: whence the Chaldee Paraphrast makes use of it, Job. 16. 20. and among'st them it signifies one that so taught others, as to delight them also in his teaching; that is to be their Comforter. In Scripture it hath two eminent significations; an Advocate and a Comforter; in the first sence our Saviour is called foreign 1 John 2. 2. whether it be better rendered here an Advocate or a Comforter, may be doubted.
Look into the foregoing occasion of the words which is the Disciples sorrow and trouble, and it seemes to require the Comforter; sorrow hath filled your hearts, but I will send you the Comforter; look into the next words following, which containe his peculiar work for which he is now promised to be sent, and they require he should be an Advocate to plead the cause of Christ, against the world v. 8. I shall choose rather to interpret the promise by the Occasion of it, which was the Sorrow of his Disciples and to retaine the name of the Comforter.
Who this Comforter is our Blessed Saviour had before declared, Chap. 15. 26. he is foreign the Spirit of §. 9 Truth, that is the Holy Ghost, who revealeth all truth to the Sons of men. Now of this Comforter two things are affirmed,
1. That He shall come.
2. That Christ shall send him.
1. That he shall come; The Affirmative of his coming, on the performance of that condition of it, of Christs going away, is included in the negation of his comming, without its accomplishment; If I goe not away, he will not come; if I doe goe, foreign he will come, so that there is not only the mission of Christ but the will of the Spirit in his comming; He will come, his own will is in his worke.
2. foreign, I will send him; the mystery of his sending the §. 10 Spirit, our Saviour instructs his Desciples in by degrees; Ch. 14. 16. he saith I will PRAY THE FATHER, He shall send you another Comforter. In the progresse of his discourse he gets one step more upon their faith, v. 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME: but Chap. 15. 26. he saith I WILL SEND HIM FROM THE FATHER; and here absolutely I WILL SEND HIM. The businesse of sending the Holy Ghost by Christ which argues his personall Procession also from him, the Sonne, was a deep mystery which at once they could not beare; and therefore he thus instructs them in it by degrees.
This is the sum: the presence of the Holy Ghost with Believers as a Comforter sent by Christ for those ends and purposes for which he is promised; is better and more profitable for Believers then any corporeall presence of Christ can be, now he hath fullfilled the one sacrifice for sinne, which he was to offer.
Now the holy Spirit is promised under a twofold consideration §. 11
1. As a Spirit of Sanctification to the Elect, to convert them and make them Believers;
2. As a Spirit of Consolation to Believers,
to give them the priviledges of the death and purchase of Christ: it is in the latter sense onelyonly wherein he is here spoken of; now as to his presence with us in this regard, and the end and purposes for which he is sent, for what is aymed at; observe,
1. The Rise and fountaine of it;
2. The manner of his being given;
3. Our manner of receiving him:
4. His abiding with us;
5. His acting in us;
6. what are the Effects of his working in us And then how we hold Communion with him, will from all these appeare.
What the Scripture speaketh to these particulars, shall briefly be considered.
1. For the fountaine of his coming it is mentioned Joh. 15. 26 foreign, He proceedeth from the Father; this §. 12 is the fountaine of this dispensation; He proceedeth from the Father; now there is a twofold foreign or procession of the Spirit.
1. foreign, in respect of Substance and personality.
2. foreign or dispensatory, in respect of the worke of grace: of the first, in which respect he is the Spirit of the Father and the Sonne, proceeding from both eternally, so receiving his substance and personality; I speake not: It is a businesse of another nature then that, I have now in hand. Therein indeed lyes the first & most remote foundation of all our distinct Communion with him and our worship of him. But because abiding in the naked consideration hereof, we can make no other progresse, then the bare acquiescence of Faith in the mystery revealed with the performance of that which is due to the Person, solely on the account of his Participation of the Essence, I shall not at present dwell upon it.
His foreign or proceeding mentioned in the place insisted on is his oeconomicall or dispensatory proceeding for the carrying §. 13 on of the worke of Grace; It is spoken of him in reference to his being sent by Christ after his Ascention: I will send him which proceedeth, namely then when I send him. As God is said to arise out of his place Isa, 26. 21. not in regard of any mutation in him, but of the new worke which he would effect; so it followes, the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth. And it is in reference to a peculiar work that he is said to proceed, namely to testify of Christ; which cannot be assigned to him in respect of his Eternall procession but of his actuall dispensation; As it is said of Christ, He came forth from God. The single mention of the Father in this place, and not of the Sonne, belongs to the gradation before mentioned, whereby our Saviour discovers this mystery to his Disciples. He speakes as much concerning himselfe Joh. 16. 7. And this Relation ad extra as they call it, of the spirit unto the Father and the Sonne in respect of operation, proves his Relation ad intra, in respect of personall procession whereof I spake before.
Three things are considerable in the foundation of this dispensation, in reference to our Communion with the Holy Ghost. §. 14
1. That the will of the Spirit is in the worke; foreign he comes forth himselfe? frequent mention is made (as we shall see afterwards) of his being sent, his being given and powred out: that it might not be thus apprehended, either that this spirit were altogether an inferiour, created Spirit, a meer servant, as some have blasphemed, nor yet meerly & principally as to his personality the vertue of God as some have fancied; He hath foreign personall properties applyed to him in this worke arguing his personality and liberty; foreign. He of himselfe and of his own accord proceedeth.
2. The Condescention of the Holy Ghost in this order of working this dispensation, to proceed from the Father and the Sonne, as to this worke; to take upon him this worke of a comforter, as the Sonne did the worke of a Redeemer, of which afterwards.
3. The fountaine of the whole is discovered to be the Father, that we may know his workes in the pursuit of electing love which every where is ascribed to the Father. This is the order here intimated. 1. There is the foreign of the Father; or the purpose of his Love the fountaine of all: Then the foreign the asking of the Son Joh 14. 15. which takes in his merit and purchase, whereunto follows foreign, or willing proceeding of the Holy Ghost And this gives testimony also, to the Foundation of this whole discourse, namely our peculiar Communion with the Father in Love, the Son, in Grace, and the Holy Ghost in Consolation. This is the door and entrance of that fellowship of of the Holy Ghost, whereunto we are called. His Gracious and blessed Will, his infinite & ineffable condesension being eyed by Faith, as the foundation of all those Effects, which he workes in us, and Priviledges whereof by him we are made partakers, our soules are peculiarly conversant with him, and their Desires, affections, and thankfullnesse, terminated in him: of which more afterwards. This is the first thing considerable is our Communion with the Holy Ghost.
2. The manner of his collaion, or bestowing; or the manner of his Communication unto us from this fountain is hereinalso §. 15 considerable, and it is variously expressed to denote three things.
1. The freenesse of it: thus he is said to be given Joh. 14. 16. he shall give you another comforter; I need not multiply places to this purpose. The most frequent Adjunct of the Communication Nehem. 9. 20,of the Spirit is this, that he is given, and received as of Gift, he will give his holy Spirit to them that aske him: that Ioh. 14. 16. Ioh. 7. 39. 20. 22. Acts 2. 28. 5. 32. 8. 15. 10. 47. 15. 8. 19. 2. Rom. 5. 5. 1 Cor. 2. 11. 6. 19. 12. 7. 1 Thes. 4. 8. 1 Ioh. 4. 14.which is of gift is free, the Spirit of grace is given of grace: And not only the Spirit of Sanctification, or the Spirit to Sanctifie & convert us, is a gift of free grace, but in the sence whereof we speak in respect of consolation he is of gift also; he is promised to be given unto Believers. Hence the Spirit is said to be received by the Gospell, not by the Law, Gal. 3. 2 that is of meer grace & not of our own procuring. And all his workings are called foreign, free donations. He is freely bestowed and freely workes: and the different measures wherein he is received for those ends and purposes of consolation which we shall consider, by Believers, which are great, various and unexpressable, arise from hence that we have him by donation, or freegift. And this is the Tenor whereby we hold and enjoy him: a Tenor of free donation. So is he to be eyed, so to be asked, so to be received. And this also faith takes in, and closeth withall, in our Communion with the Comforter. The Conjunction and accord of his Will, with the Guift of Father and Sonne: The one respecting the distinct operation of the Deity in the Person of the Holy Ghost; the other the oeconomy of the whole Trinity, in the worke of our Salvation by Jesus Christ. Here the Soul rejoyceth its selfe in the Comforter; that he is willing to come to him, that he is willing to be given him. And seeing all is Will and Gift, Grace is magnifyed on this account.
2. The Authority of it! thence he is said to be SENT; §. 16 Chap. 14. 26. the Father will send him in my name: and Chap. 15. 26. I will send him unto you from the Father, and him will I send to you chap 16. 17. This mission of the holy Ghost by the Father and the Son, as it answers the order of the persons subsistence in the blessed Trinity, and his procession from them both, so the order voluntarily engaged in by them, for the accomplishment, (as was said) of the worke of our Salvation. There is in it, in a most speciall manner the Condescension of the Holy Ghost in his Love to us, to the Authoritative delegation of Father, and Son, in this businesse: which argues not a disparity dissimilitude, or inequality of Essence, but of Office, in this worke: It is the Office of the Holy Ghost to be an Advocate for us, and a Comforter to us; in which respect, not absolutely, he is thus sent Authoritatively by Father and Sonne: It is a known maxime, that Inaequalitas officii non tollit aequalitatem naturae: This subjection (if I may so call it) or inequality in respect of office doth no way's prejudice the equality of nature which he hath with Father and Sonne, no more then the mission of the Son by the Father doth his. And on this Authoritative mission of the Spirit, doth the right Apprehensions of many mysterys in the Gospell, and the ordering of our hearts in Communion with him depend.
Hence is the sinne against the Holy Ghost (what it is I doe §. 17 not now dispute) unpardonable; and hath that Adjunct of Rebellion put upon it, that no other sin hath: namely because he comes not, he acts not in his own name only, though in his own also, but in the name and Authority of the Father & Son, from and by whom he is sent; and therefore to sinne against him, is to sinne against all the Authority of God, all the Love of the Trinity, and the utmost condescension of each person to the worke of our Salvation. It is I say from the Authoritative mission of the Spirit that the sinne against him is peculiarly unpardonable; It is a sin against the recapitulation of the love of the Father, Son, and Spirit. And from this consideration, were that our present businesse, might the true nature of the sin against the Holy Ghost be investigated. Certainely it must consist in the contempt of some operation of his, as acting in the name and Authority of the whole Trinity, and that in their ineffable condescension to the worke of Grace. But this is of another Consideration.
2. On this account, we are to pray the Father and the Son, §. 18 to give the Spirit to us Luk. 11. 13. your Heavenly Father will give his holy Spirit to them that aske him: now the Holy Ghost being God, is no lesse to be invocated, praied to, and called on, then the Father and Son, as elsewhere I have proved; how then doe we aske the Father for him, as we doe in all our Supplications, seeing that we also pray that he himselfe would come to us visite us, and abide with us? In our prayers that are directed to himselfe, we consider him as essentially God over all blessed for evermore; we pray for him from the Father and Sonne, as under this mission and delegation from them. And indeed God having most plentifully revealed himselfe in the order of this dispensation to us, we are (as Christians generally do,) in our Communion to abound in answerable addresses; that is not onelyonly to the Person of the holy Ghost himselfe, but properly to the Father and Son, for him which refers to this dispensation.
3. Hence is that great weight in particular laid upon our §. 19 not grieving the spirit, Eph. 4. 30. because he comes to us in the name, with the Love, and upon the condescension of the whole blessed Trinity. To doe that which might grieve him so sent, on such an account, for that end and purpose which shall afterwards be mentioned, is a great aggravation of sinne. He expects cheerfull entertainment with us, and may do so justly upon his own account; and the account of the work which he comes about: but when this also is added; that he is sent of the Father, and the Son, commissioned with their Love and Grace, to communicate them to their soules, this is that which is, or ought to be of unspeakable esteeme with Believers. And this is that second thing expressed in the manner of his communication, he is sent by Authority.
He is said to be powred out, or shed on us, Titus 3. 6. foreign, §. 20 that holy Ghost which he hath richly powred out upon us, or shed on us abundantly: And this was the chiefe expression of his communication under the old Testament, the mystery of the Father and the Son, and the matter of commission and delegation being then not so clearly discovered, Isaiah 32. 15. untill the spirit be powred on us from on high, and the wildernesse be a fruitfull field, and the fruitfull field be counted for a forrest; that is, 'till the Gentiles be called, and the Jews rejected: and chap. 43 3 I will powre my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring, that eminent place of Zech. 12. 10. is allwaies in our thoughts. Now this expression, as is known, is taken from the allusion of the spirit unto water: and that in relation to all the uses of water both naturall and Typicall: a particular relation of them, I cannot now insist on: perhaps efficacy and plenty are chiefely intended.
Now this threefold expression of giving, sending, and powring §. 21 out of the spirit, gives us the three great properties of the Covenant of grace.
1. That it is free, he is given.
2. That it is orderly, ordered in all things and sure; from the love of the Father, by the procurement of the sonne; and thence is that variety of expression, of the Fathers sending him, and the Son's sending him from the Father; he being the gift of the Father's love, and the purchase of the blood of the sonne;
3. The efficacy of it, as was last observed. And this is the second thing considerable.
3. The third, which is our receiving him, I shall speak more briefly of. That which I first proposed, of the spirit considered §. 22 as a spirit of Sanctification, and a spirit of consolation, is here to be minded. Our receiving of him, as a spirit of sanctification is a meer passive reception, as a vessell receiv's water. He comes as the wind on Ezechiel's dead bones, and makes them live. He comes into dead hearts, and quickens them, by an act of his Allmighty power: but now as he is the spirit of consolation, it is otherwise; in this sense our Saviour tells us that the world cannot receive him, Ioh. 14 17. the world receiveth him not, because it seeth him not, nor knows him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and abideth in you. That it is the spirit of consolation, or the spirit for consolation that here is promised, is evident from the close of the verse where he is said, then to be in them, when he is promised to them. He was in them as a spirit of quickning and sanctification when promised to them, as a spirit of comfort and consolation, to abide with them for that purpose. Now the power, that is here denied to be in the world, with the reason of it, that they cannot receive the spirit, because they know him not, is ascribed to Believers; they can receive him, because they know him. So that there is an active power to be put forth in his reception for consolation, though not in his reception for Regeneration and Sanctification. And this is the power of faith, so Gal. 3. 2. they received the spirit by the hearing of the Faith; the Preaching of the Gospell begetting faith in them, enabled them to receive the Spirit. Hence believing is put as the qualification of all our receiving the holy Ghost, Joh. 7. 39. this he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: it is Believers that thus receive the Spirit; and they receive him by Faith: now there are three speciall acts of Faith, whereby it goes forth in the receiving of the spirit, I shall but name them.
1. It considers the spirit in the Oeconomy before described, as promised. It is Faith alone, that makes profit of the benefit of the §. 23 promises: Heb. 4. 2. now he is called the spirit of that promise, Eph: 2. 13. the spirit that in the covenant is promised, and we receive the promise of the spirit through Faith, Gal. 3. 14. so that the receiving of the Spirit through Faith, is the receiving of him as promised: faith eyes the promise of God, and of Jesus Christ, of sending the spirit for all those ends, that he is desired: thus it depends, waits, mixing the promise with it selfe, untill it receive him.
2. By Prayer: He is given as a spirit of supplication, that we may aske him as a spirit of consolation, Luk. 11. 13. and indeed this asking of the Spirit of God, in the name of Christ, either directly or immediately, or under the name of some fruit and effect of him, is the chiefest work of faith in this World.
3. It cherisheth him, by attending to his motions, improving his actings according to his mind and will: which is all I shall say to this third thing, or our receiving of the Spirit, which is sent of Jesus Christ; we doe it by faith, looking on him as purchased by Jesus Christ, and promised of the Father, we seek him at the hands of God, and doe receive him.
4. The next considerable thing, is his abode with us; now this is two wayes expressed in the Scripture; 1. In generall, as to §. 24 the thing it selfe, it is said he shall abide with us; 2. In particular as to the manner of its abiding, it is by inhabitation or indwelling. Of the inhabitation of the spirit, I have spoken Persev. of Saints ch. 8.fully elsewhere, nor shall I now insist on it: only whereas the spirit, as hath been observed, is considered as a spirit of sanctification , or a spirit of consolation: He is said to dwell in us chiefely or perhaps solely, as he is a spirit of sanctification; which is evident from the work he doth, as indwelling; He quickneth and sanctifieth, Rom. 8. 11. and the manner of his indwelling, as in a Temple, which he makes holy thereby, 2 Cor. 6. and his permanency in his so doing, which, as is evident, relates to sanctification only: but yet the generall notion of it in abiding, is ascribed to him as a Comforter, Joh. 14. 16. he shall abide with you for ever; now all the difficulty of this promise lies in this, that whereas the spirit of sanctification dwells in us allwaies, and it is therefore impossible that we should loose utterly our holinesse; whence is it; that, if the Comforter abide with us for ever, we may yet utterly loose our Comfort? a little to clear this in our passage.
1. He is promised to abide with the Disciples for ever, in opposition to the abode of Christ: Christ in the flesh, had been §. 25 with them for a little while, and now was leaving them, and going to his Father. He had been the comforter immediatly himselfe for a season, but is now upon his departing; wherefore promising them another comforter, they might feare that he would even but visit them for a little season also, and then their condition would be worser then ever. Nay but saith our Saviour feare it not, this is the last dispensation: there is to be no Alteration, when I am gone, the Comforter is to doe all the remaining work: there is not another to be looked for, and I promise you him; nor shall he depart from you, but allwaies abide with you.
2. The Comforter may allwaies abide with us, though not §. 26 alwaies comfort us, He who is the comforter may abide, though he doe not alwaies that work: for other ends and purposes he is alwaies with us, as to sanctify and make us holy So was the case with David, Psalm. 51. 11, 12. take not thy holy spirit from me, the holy spirit of sanctification was still with David, but saith he restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, that is, the spirit of Consolation; that was lost, when the promise was made good in the abode of the other.
3. The comforter may abide as a Comforter, when he doth not actually comfort he soule; in truth as to the Essence of Holinesse, §. 27 he cannot dwell in us, but withall he must make us holy, for the Temple of God is holy; but as to his comforting, his actings therein, are all of his Soveraigne will, so that he may abide, and yet no actually comfort us.
4. The Spirit often works for it, and tenders consolation to §. 28 us, when we doe not receive it; the well is nigh, and we see it not: we refuse to be comforted: I told you that the Spirit as a sanctifier comes with power to conquer an unbelieving heart; the spirit as a comforter comes with sweetnesse, to be received in a believing heart; He speakes & we believe not that it is his voyce; he tenders the things of consolation and we receive them not: my sore ran (saith David,) and my soul refused to be comforted.
5. I deny that ever the Holy Spirit doth absolutely and universally §. 29 leave a believing soule without consolation: a man may be darkned, clouded, refuse comfort, actually find none, feele none, but radically he hath a foundation of Consolation, which in due time will be drawn forth: and therefore when God promises that he will heale sinners & restore comfort to them, as Isa. 57. 17. it is not that they were without any, but that they had not so much as they needed, that that promise is made. To insist on the severall ways whereby men refuse comfort, and come short of the strong consolation, which God is willing that we should receive, is not my purpose at present. Thus then the Spirit being sent, and given, abideth with the soules of Believers: leaves them not, though he variously manifest himselfe in his operations: of which in the next place.