Two Discourses Concerning the Holy Spirit, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Unto whom the Holy Spirit is promised and given as a Comforter; or the Object of his Acting in this Office.
WE have considered the Promise of Christ to send the Holy Spirit to be the Comforter of the Church, and unto that end to abide with them for ever. The Nature also of that Office and Work in general which hereon he undertakes and dischargeth, with the Properties of them, have been declared. Our next Enquiry is unto whom this Promise is made, and towards whom it is infallibly fulfilled. How and unto what Ends, in what Order as unto his Effects and Operations, the Holy Spirit is promised unto any Persons and received by them, hath been already declared in our former Discourses, Lib. 4. Chap. 3. We shall therefore here only declare in particular who he is promised unto and received by, as a Comforter. And this is to all, and only unto Believers; those who are actually so. All his Operations required unto the making of them so to be, are antecedent hereunto. For the Promise of him unto this End, where-ever it is recorded, is made directly unto them, and unto them it is confined. Immediately it was given unto the Apostles; but it was not given unto them as Apostles, but as Believers and Disciples of Christ, with a particular respect unto the Difficulties, and Causes of Disconsolation which they were under, or should meet withall upon the Account of their being so. See the Promises unto this purpose expresly, John 14. 16, 17, 26. Chap. 15. 26. Chap. 16. 7, 8. And it is declared withal that the World, which in that Place is opposed unto them that do believe, cannot receive him, Chap. 14. 17. Other effectual Operations he hath upon the World, for their Conviction, and the Conversion of many of them. But as a Spirit of Consolation He is neither promised unto them, nor can they receive him, until other gracious Acts of his have passed on their Souls. Besides, we shall see that all his Actings and Effects as a Comforter are confined unto them that believe, and do all suppose Saving Faith as antecedent unto them.
And this is the great Fundamental Priviledge of true Believers, whereby, through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, they are exalted above all other Persons in this World. And this will the more evidently appear, when we shall consider those especial Operations, Acts and Effects whereby Consolation is administred unto them. That the Life of Man is the subject of innumerable Troubles is made evident and uncontroulable by Catholick Experience. That Man is born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upward, has been the constant Acknowledgment of all that have been wise in all Ages. And those who have designed to drown the Sense of them in Security and Sensuality of Life, have been ever looked on as greatly exorbitant from the Principles of Nature and Dictates of Reason, voluntarily degenerating into the Condition of Creatures bruitish and irrational. Others who will not forego the Priviledge of their Being, have alwayes made it a principal Enquiry, How or whence they might take and receive Relief and Comfort for their Supportment against their unavoidable Troubles, Sorrows and Disconsolation. Yea it is natural and necessary unto all men so to doe. All men cannot but seek after Rest and Peace, not only out of Choice, but instinct of Nature, Trouble and Sorrow being diametrically contrary unto it in its Being, and tending unto its Dissolution. Wherefore they all naturally seek for Consolation. Hence the best and most usefull Part of the Old Philosophy consisted in the Prescription of the Wayes and Means of comforting and supporting the Minds of Men against things noxious and grievous to Nature, with the Sorrowes which ensue thereon. And the Topicks they had found out unto this Purpose, were not to be despised, where men are destitute of spiritual Light and supernatural Revelation. Neither did the Wisdom or Reason of Man ever arise unto any thing more usefull in this World, than to discover any rational Considerations that might allay the Sorrowes, or relieve the minds of them that are disconsolate. For things that are really grievous unto the Generality of Mankind, do outweigh all the real Satisfaction which this Life and World can afford. And to place either Satisfaction or Relief in the pursuit of sensual Lusts, is bruitish. But yet what did all the Spring and Well-Heads of Rational and Philosophical Consolation rise unto? what Refreshment did their Streams afford? The utmost they attained unto, was but to confirm and make obstinate the Minds of men, in a Fancy, an Opinion, or Perswasion contrary unto what they felt and had Experience of. For what they contended for, was but this, that the Consideration of the common Lot of Mankind, the unavoidableness of grieving accidents, the shortness of humane Life, the true Exercise of Reason upon more noble Objects, with others of the like nature, should satisfie men that the things which they endured were not evil or grievous. But what doth all this amount unto in comparison of this Priviledge of Believers, of this Provision made for them in all their Disconsolations, by him in whom they do believe. This is a Relief that never entred into the Heart of man to think of or conceive. Nor can it be understood by any but those by whom it is enjoyed. For the World, as our Saviour testifies, neither knoweth this Spirit nor can receive him. And therefore what is spoken of him and this Work of his is looked on as a Fancy or the Shadow of a Dream. And although the Sun of Righteousness be risen in this matter, and shine on all that dwell in the Land of Goshen, yet those that abide still in Egypt make use only of their Lanthorns. But those who are really Partakers of this Priviledge, do know in some measure, what they do enjoy, although they are not able to comprehend it in its Excellency, nor value it in a due manner: For how can the Heart of Man, or our poor, weak Understandings fully conceive this glorious Mystery of sending the Holy Ghost to be our Comforter; Only they receive it by Faith, and have Experience of it in its Effects. There is in my Judgment an unspeakable Priviledge of those who are Believers antecedent unto their believing as they are Elect; namely that Christ dyed in their stead alone. But this is like the Wells which Isaac's Servant digged, that the Philistines strove about, as those which belonged unto them, which though fresh usefull Springs in themselves, caused them to be called Esek and Sitna. Mighty strivings there are to break down the Inclosure of this Priviledge, and lay it common unto all the World, that is indeed Waste and useless. For it is contended, that the Lord Christ dyed equally for all and every one of Mankind, for Believers and Unbelievers, for those that are saved and those that are damned. And to this purpose many pretences are pleaded to shew how the most of them for whom Christ dyed, have no real Benefit by his Death, nor is any thing required in them to evidence that they have an Interest therein. But this Priviledge we now treat of, is like the Well Rehoboth, Isaac kept it unto himself, and the Philistines strove not about it. None contend that the Spirit is a Comforter unto any but Believers: Therefore is it by the World despised and reproached, because they have no Interest in it, nor have the least Pretence to strive about it. Did Believers therefore duely consider how they are advanced hereby through the Love and Care of Jesus Christ into an inexpressible Dignity above the residue of Mankind, they would more rejoyce in it than in all that this World can supply them withall. But we must proceed.
It appears from what hath been discoursed, that this is not the first saving Work of the Holy Spirit on the Souls of Men. Regeneration and habitual Sanctification do always precede it. He comforteth none but those whom he hath before sanctified. Nor are any other but such capable of his Consolations. There is nothing in them that can discern his acting, or value what he doth of this kind. And this is the true Reason why the whole Work of the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, wherein consists the Accomplishment of the most glorious Promise that ever Christ made to his Church, and the greatest Evidence of his continued Care thereof, is so neglected, yea despised amongst the generality of professed Christians. A great Evidence of the apostatized State of Christianity. They can have no concern in any Work of his but in its proper Order. If men be not first sanctified by him, they can never be comforted by him. And they will themselves prefer in their Troubles any natural or rational Reliefs, before the best and highest of his Consolations. For however they may be proposed unto them, however they may be instructed in the Nature, Wayes and Means of them, yet they belong not unto them, and why should they value that which is not theirs? The World cannot receive him. He worketh on the World for Conviction, Joh. 16. 8. and on the Elect for Conversion, Joh. 3. 8. But none can receive him as a Comforter, but Believers. Therefore is this whole Work of the Holy Spirit little taken notice of by the most, and despised by many. Yet is it never the less glorious in it self, being fully declared in the Scripture, nor the less usefull to the Church, being testified unto by the Experience of them that truely believe.
THAT which remaineth for the full Declaration of this Office and Work of the Holy Ghost, is the Consideration of those Acts of his which belong properly thereunto, and of those Priviledges whereof Believers are made Partakers thereby. And whereas many blessed Mysteries of Evangelical Truth are contained herein, they would require much Time and Diligence in their Explanation. But as to the most of them, according unto the Measure of Light and Experience which I have attained, I have prevented my self the handling of them in this place. For I have spoken already unto most of them in two other Discourses, the one concerning the Perseverance of True Believers, and the other of our Communion with God, and of the Holy Spirit in particular. As therefore I shall be sparing in the Repetition of what is already in them proposed unto publick View, so it is not much that I shall add thereunto. Yet what is necessary unto our present Design, must not be wholly omitted, especially seeing I find that further Light and Evidence may be added unto our former Endeavours in this kind.