Of Communion with God, Part 3 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Actings of the Holy Ghost in us being bestowed on us. He worketh effectually, distributeth, giveth.
HAving thus declared, from whence, and how the Holy Ghost is given unto us as a spirit of Consolation §. 1; I come in the next place to declare what are his actings in us, and towards us, being so bestowed on us, and received by us Now here are two generall Heads to be considered; 1. The manner and kind of his actings in us, which are variously expressed: and 2. The particular products of his actings in our soules, wherein we have Communion with him. The first is variously expressed: I shall passe through them briefly.
1. He is said foreign to worke effectually, 1 Cor. 12. 11. §. 2 all these worketh or effecteth that one and selfe same spirit: it is spoken there indeed in respect of his distribution of gifts: but the way is the same for the Communication of Graces, and priviledges: he doth it by working, which as it convinces his personality, especially as considered with the words following, dividing to every man according to his will, (for to worke according to will is the the inseparable property of a person, and is spoken expressely of God, Eph. 1. 11.) so in relation to v. 6. foregoing, it makes no lesse evident his Deity. What he is here said to doe as the Spirit bestowed on us, and given unto us; there is he said as God himselfe to doe: there are diversity of operations but it is one God that worketh all in all; which here in other words is; all these worketh the selfe same spirit dividing to every man as he will; What we have then from him, we have by the way of his energeticall working; It is not by proposing this or that Argument to us, perswading us by these or those morall motives or inducements alone, leaving us to make use of them as we can; But he workes effectually himselfe, what he communicates of Grace, or consolation to us.
2. In the same verse as to the manner of his operation, He is §. 3 said foreign, he divideth or distributeth to every one as he will. This of distribution adds to that of operation, choise, judgement, and freedome. He that distributes variously doth it with choise and judgement, and freedome of will: such are the proceedings of the Spirit in his dispensations: to one he giveth one thing eminently to another another. To one in one degree, to another in another; Thus are the Saints in his soveraginty kept in a constant dependance on him; He distributs as he will; who should not be content with his portion? what claime can any lay to that which he distributeth as he will? which is farther manifested,
3. By his being said to give, when and what he bestows; §. 4 they speake with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance, Act. 2. 4. he gave them to them, that is freely; whatever he bestows npō us, is of his gift. And hence it is to be observed that in the Oeconomy of our Salvation, the acting of no one person doth prejudice the frreedome and liberty of any other; so the Love of the Father in sending the Sonne is free, and his sending doth no ways prejudice the liberty and Love of the Son, but that he lays down his life freely also. So the Sati-faction and purchase made by the Sonne doth no way prejudice the freedome of the Fathers Grace in pardoning & accepting us thereupon: so the Father's and Sonne's sending of the Spirit doth not derogate from his freedome in his workings, but he gives freely what he givts. And the reason of this is, because the will of the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost is essentially the same; so that in the acting of one there is the Counsell of all, and each freely therein.
Thus in Generall is the manner and kind of his working in §. 5 us and towards us, being bestowed upon us, described. Power, choyse, freedome, are evidently denoted in theexpressions insisted on. It is not any peculiar worke of his towards us, that is hereby declared, but the manner how he doth produce the Effects, that shall be insisted on.
That which remaines in the last place for the explanation of §. 6 the things proposed to be explained as the foundation of the Communion which we have with the Holy Ghost, is the Effects that being thus sent & thus working he doth produce; which I shall do, not casting them into any artificiall method, but taking them up as I find them lying scattered up and down in the Scripture, only descending from those which are more generall, to those which are more particular, neither aiming nor desiring to gather all the severalls, but insisting on those which do most obviously occurre.
Only as formerly, so now you must observe, that I speake of the spirit, principally, if not only as a comforter, and not as a sanctifier: §. 7 and therefore the great work of the spirit towards us all our daies, in the constant and continuall supplies of new light, power, vigor, as to our receivings of grace from him, belonging to that head of sanctification, must be omitted.
Nor 2dly shall I insist on those things which the comforter doth in Believers, effect towards others, in his testifying of them, and convincing of the world which are promised, Ioh. 15. 26. 16. 8, 9. wherein he is properly their Advocate, but only on those which as a Comforter he works in, and towards them on whom he is bestowed.