The Spirits Touchstone, Part 2
The various acceptations of the word Spirit in Scripture.
I. The Spirit is put in oppoſition to the body, Luke 24.39. A ſpirit hath not fleſh and bones, &c. ſo the groſs foul of a beaſt is called a ſpirit. The ſpirit of a man goeth upward, Eccl. 3.21.and the ſpirit of a beaſt goeth downward.
II. It is applied to any tenuious, nimble or ſubtile ſubſtance. So the winde may be called a Spirit, Job 4. A ſpirit paſſed before my face, i.e. a nimble ſubſtance reſembling the gliding motion of a ſpirit. So we commonly ſay the ſpirits of wines, becauſe of the refinedneſs of them,
III. Any ſtrong impetous or violent inclination,Burroughs upon this place in his Comment upon Hoſea. or full purpoſe to do a thing, may be called a ſpirit, Hoſea 4. 12. The ſpirit of whoredoms hath cauſed them to erre, i. e. a ſtrong inclination, and full bent of will to go a whoring from God, hath cauſed them to erre.
IV. For the heart of man, wherein listh the affections, in oppoſition to the will, and the underſtanding, and the memory, according to the intellectuall part of it: 1 Theſ. 5.23. I pray God that your whole ſoul, ſpirit and body may be kept blameleſs till the coming of Jeſes Chriſt. By the ſoul is meant the underſtanding and the will, and by the ſpirit the heart,foreign. wherein lieth the affections; Rem. 1 9. God whom I ſerve with my ſpirit: Luke 8.55. You know not of what ſpirit ye are of, i. e. of what affections Though ſome have another interpretation of it, as you may ſee hereafter.
V. It is taken,Quo plus materiae, co plus potentiae, quo plus formae, co plus actus. Quo plus potentiae viz. paſſivae, co plus corruptibilitatis, quo plus actus, co plus ſubſtantia. …ic Philoſophi aiuns. 1. For ſtrength and courage. 2. For incorruptibility, Iſa. 31.3. Their horſes are fleſh and not ſpirit, i.e. ſubject to corruption, and not abiding, weak, and not ſtrong. What is weaker than fleſh? all fleſh is as graſs. What is ſtronger than a ſpirit? ſpirits are of vaſt ſtrength and operation. What is more corruptible than fleſh? the word fleſh notes corruption. What is more abiding than a ſpirit? a ſpirit is of a durable nature in reſpect of it ſelf, though God can ſuddenly deſtroy it, Luke 1.17. It is ſaid of Jeſus Chriſt, that he ſhall come in the Spirit, and in the power of Elias, i. e. in the courage, ſtrength, and power of Elias. The Scripture uſually puts one word for the further explanation of the other.
VI. It is taken for the ſoul of man: Luke 23.40. Father, into thy hands I commit my ſpirit. Zech. 13.1. The Lord formeth the ſpirit of man, i.e. the ſoul of man; ſo ſaith Stephen, Act. 7.59.Lord Jeſus receive my ſpirit.
VII. For life; Iſa. 57.16. I will not contend for ever, neither will I be allwaies wroth, for the ſpirit would fail before me, i.e. the life and the ſouls which I have made. When God comes to contend with ſinners for their ſins, there is no ſtanding before him, unleſs Jeſus Chriſt intercedes, and makes up the difference.
VIII. We reade of a ſpirit of infirmity: Luke 13.11. There was a woman which had a ſpirit of infirmity eighteen years, i. e. ſhe had a vehement and a great infirmity lying upon her.
IX. We reade of a ſpirit of judgement, and of a ſpirit of burning: Iſa 4.4. When the Lord ſhall have waſhed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, by the ſpirit of judgement, and by the ſpirit of burning, i. e. by great judgements, and by burning afflictions. That Gods judgments are compared to fire, appears by that place in the Prophet Ezekiel, where God ſaith of wicked men,Ezek. 21.32. I will bring them into the fire, and there I will leave them. You ſee the ſad condition of wicked men, God brings them into the fire of affliction, and never takes them our again. When God comes to deal with wicked men for their ſinnes, when he begins he makes an end. Afflictions ſhall not riſe up the ſecond time, ſaith the Prophet Nahum. Nah. 1.9.But though God may bring ſore judgements upon his own people, and bring them into the fire of affliction, he takes them out of the fire again, and doth not leave them in it, as he doth wicked men, but when he hath accompliſht his own work upon them, and they are fit veſſels for his uſe, he takes them out of the fire. It is a ſign thou art not reprobate ſilver, but tried ſilver, and a true Saint, if thou canſt patiently and beleevingly undergo the ſiery triall. And though thou maieſt be ready for the preſent to faint under the afflicting hand of God, thinking that God hath forgotten thee, and that he will be gracious to thee no more, yet when Gods time is fully come, and thy filth is throughly done away, God will take thee out of the ſire, and thou ſhalt be a glorious Saint in the ſight of God. Indeed Gods people may be ſorely ſmutted and beſmeared with the fire of affliction (as we ſee by experieuce that fire commonly blacks things before it makes them clear) but yet they ſhall not be conſumed, as the wicked ſhall be, but ſhall be delivered.Pſ. 34 17. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the righteous out of all their afflictions. Well may Gods judgements be compared to fire, to the ſpirit of judgement, and to the ſpirit of burning, for theſe reaſons: 1. Fire purifies, it ſeparates the droſs from the pure metall: ſo afflictions they purifie the ſoul. Gods children are afflicted, that they might be made partakers of his holineſs.Heb. 12.10. Before affliction came upon us, we were unclean, we were worldly, earthly minded, we forgot our God, we were impure, inſtruments fit only for the devils ſervice. But by afflictions we are cleanſed, we are more ſpirituall, and have learnt to minde heavenly things, more watchfull, more induſtrious to pump out ſinne as faſt as it comes into the ſoul, and to be more diligent in Gods ſervice; afflictions are Gods files, whereby he takes away that ruſt that defiles the ſoul. How many hath a fit of ſickneſs, an outward croſs in their eſtates, relations, good names, the miſſing of their expectations, the unfaithfulneſs of friends, the deceit that is in the world, or ſome grief which hath been as a continuall dropping upon their ſouls, as the Stone, Wind-cholick, Falling ſickneſs, &c. driven home from the houſe of their ſpirituall bondage, and from this myſticall Egypt, where there is nothing but pollution, to bethink themſelves of the houſe of their heavenly Father? Before, ſaies David, Pſal. 119.67.I was afflicted, I went aſtray, but now have I learned thy righteous judgements. Affliction it is Gods pruning knife, whereby he lops off the ſuperfluous branches; it is Gods Razor, whereby he ſhaves off the excreſcencies of ſinne; it is Gods niter, whereby he cleanſeth our defiled garments. They are Gods meſſengers ſent to call us forth our of Sodom, the ſpirituall Sodom, where there is nothing but filthineſs and wallowing in the mire of ſinne, to prepare our hearts to meet Jeſus Chriſt our Bridegroom in the beavenly Canaan. As the ſhepherd ſets his dog at the ſheep to fetch it out of the mire and dirt wherein it is plunged: ſo afflictions are as it were Gods dogs, to bark and hunt us out of the pollutions of the world, that we may be made meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light.
2. Fire melts ſome things and conſumes others: Afflictions melt the heart of Gods people, but they conſume the ungodly. Joſias heart melted when he heard the Law of the Lord read,2 King. 22.19. though he did but hear what threatnings God had made againſt the breach of his Law, his heart melted within him. Manaſſes heart melted under Gods offliction. Poverty of ſpirit comes often from poverty of purſe in a childe of God. But the afflictions of the wicked they do but perboyl them for hell, they are but heralds of everlaſting vengeance, Gods pledges that he will never do them good, they do but eat out their ſpirits, their comforts, their common graces, againſt the eternall conſumption of their ſpirits, by that ever gnawing worm.
3. Fire it ſoftens ſome things, and it hardens others: So afflictions they ſoften the godly, but harden the wicked; the more God afflicted Ahaz. the more he ſinned, and the more his heart was hardened, therefore God hath put this brand of infamy upon him never to be wiped off again,2 Chron. 28.22. This is that King Ahaz. So Pharachs heart was hardened by Gods judgements. It is a moſt dreadfull ſign God intends to make thee a brand of hell fire, if thy heart is hardened under the afflicting hand of God.How afflictions may be ſaid to harden. Fire it ſoftens the wax, but hardens the clay; afflictions do not harden as conſidered abſolutely in themſelves, but accidentally, as they meet with the corruptions of mens wicked hearts. A wicked man is like the Smiths Anvill, the more he is ſmitten, the more rebellious and ſtout hearted he is.☜ Affliction it is ſo farre from driving a wicked man to God, that it drives him farther from him, making him deſperate in his wicked courſes, and like Julian the Apoſtate, when the dart of Gods vengeance hath been upon them, they have blaſphemed and curſed the holy Name of God. It is a moſt dreadfull thing, and a great aggravation of our condemnation, when we adde ſinne to ſinne under the afflicting hand of God: As in Ames 4. ſaies the Lord, I have brought ſuch and ſuch judgements upon you, yet have you not returned unto me ſaith the Lord. But Gods people are of another diſpoſition, of a flexible and of a pliable nature, ready to receive whatſoever God ſhall impart unto them; they conſider that God is their Father, and that all their afflictions ſhall be for their good. That God corrects them but in meaſure,Enaſhim, of a weak, ſickly, crazy man. and with the rods of a man, and that it is either to make them humble for their ſinnes, or to prevent the breaking forth of the boyls of ſin for the future. They know that God looks more to the frame of their hearts, and how their ſpirits are under Gods hand, whether perverſe and peeviſh, or patient and ſubmiſſive, than at any thing elſe. Beſides, they conſider that theſe afflictions are but to drive them to their Fathers houſe, and when they are ſufficiently broken, and ſufficiently humbled under his afflicting hand, he will take them up in his arms and kiſs them (as a loving mother doth a weak ſickly childe) and reſtore unto them the joy of his ſalvation. There are two extreams we are apt to runne into under afflictions, either to deſpiſe the chaſtning of the Lord,Heb. 12.5. or to faint under his diſpleaſure: Wicked men they deſpiſe the hand of God, and Chriſtians are ready often to faint, but that Jeſus Chriſt ſtands by, as he did by that bleſſed Martyr, and wipes the ſweat off from their faces, when they are nigh to ſwound, and gives them ſome comfortable ſun-ſhines of his loving preſence.
X. The Spirit is taken for the motions of the Spirit upon our hearts: 1 Theſ. 5.19. Quench not the Spirit, i. e. the motions and impreſſions of the holy Spirit of God upon thy heart. Beleeve it Chriſtian for a truth, that though thou canſt not blot out the teachings of the Spirit, yet thou maieſt ſhift off and extinguiſh the motions of the Spirit. Have a care of this great ſinne, leſt by thy impenitency, ingratitude, and willfull rebellion thou ſtifleſt the glowings of the Spirit. Have a care that when God ſtrives with thee thou doeſt not ſtrive with God again. It is hard for thee to kick againſt the pricks.Act. 9.5. Have a care thou beeft not found a fighter againſt God. Saith Stephen of the rebellious Jews, Ye ſtiff-necked,Act. 7.51. ye do alwaies reſiſt the holy Ghoſt, i. e. you turn the deaf adder, you ſtop your ears againſt the bleſſed Spirit warning you of that deſtruction which you have brought upon your ſelves in betraying the Lord of life. Wicked men when they quench the Spirit are ſaid to provoke the Spirit. They ſtirre up a holy anger and revenge in the Spirit againſt their ſins.Mark 3.5. As Jeſus Chriſt looked upon the Phariſees with a holy anger, being grieved for the hardneſs of their hearts, ſo the Spirit is angry at the hardneſs of the hearts of ſtubborn hearted ſinners.Eph. 4.30. But you who are the people of God, you grieve the Spirit of God by your unkindneſs, when ye ſeek to put out the light of the Spirit within you. Walk in the light while you have the light, for though God will never leave you wholly in the dark, and utterly deprive you of his Spirit, yet he may bring a cloud of temptation over you, which may eclipſe the glory of it for a time. I beſeech you grieve not the Spirit of God, whereby ye are ſealed unto the day of redemption. As you would not be ſaid to kick againſt the bowels of a bleeding Saviour by your ſinnes, ſo neither do you kick againſt the bowels of a moſt gracious Spirit, or of the Spirit of grace ſtriving with your hearts to the obedience of the truth. As wicked men by their often ſinning againſt the Spirit, do quite ſinne away the Spirit (for by ſinning ſo often againſt conviction, they ſinne ſo long till they have no light to ſinne again, having ſinned it all away) ſo the godly by ſinning againſt the Spirit, do cauſe it to withdraw its gracious influences for the preſent. O that troubled conſciences mourning under the loſs of the comfortable preſence of God in Jeſus Chriſt, would conſider this; Thou that complaineſt of the Spirits abſence, Haſt thou not ſinned away the Spirit by quenching its motions, and reſiſting its impreſſions? Thou that complaineſt of the want of aſſurance, and of the Spirits not witneſſing with thy Spirit, Haſt thou not ſinned away thy aſſurance by committing ſome ſinne, or omitting ſome duty againſt the light of the Spirit? What a wicked thing is it that Chriſtians ſhould complain of the Spirit, and murmur againſt God for the light of his countenance, when God and his Spirit have more reaſon to complain of them? Chriſtians are ſaid to quench the Spirit two waies:
1. When they withdraw the fuell which ſhould maintain the Spirit: as fire is put out when you withdraw the fuell which ſhould maintain the fire; ſo you quench the Spirit, when you withdraw the fuell by which the Spirit is cheriſhed. When you will not hear the Word, when you will not pray, when you neglect the Sacraments (the Sacrament often received is a great confirmation of our faith, and a great cheriſher of the work of the Spirit upon our hearts) when you will not be much in meditation (the Spirit loves to meet with a ſolitary ſoul disburdened of the world, and ſeeking to have communion with God) when you will not conferre and often ſpeak of the things of God, when you forſake the aſſembling of the Saints together. As one coal kindles another, and one candle enlightens another, ſo the light of the Spirit in the heart of another, may in time kindle and flame thy heart.2 Tim. 1.6. When men fail to ſtirre up the gift of God which is in them,foreign, iguem rineribus abſconditum reſuſcitare. and to excite their graces, and to bring them forth into action, but let them ſleep and lie dead and buried in their ſouls, by theſe means they ſubſtract the fuell of the Spirit. Chriſtians ſhould be men of activity, alwaies doing and never idle in the work of the Lord. As the fountain is ſtill purging forth that filth which lies nigh it: ſo Chriſtians ſhould be ſtill purging forth the remainders of that originall corruption which is in them; ſtill reſiſting temptations, continually treaſuring up the whole armour of God againſt the fiery triall; daily weaning themſelves from the world, and preparing to meet Jeſus Chriſt the Bridegroom of their ſouls. As an idle man is the devils ſhop, wherein he forgeth what he pleaſeth, ſo an active Chriſtian is the Spirits ſhop. If we do what we are able, beleeve it Chriſtians, the Spirit will not be behind hand, but will further the work of grace in our hearts. It is becauſe we are ſo backward in our duty, that the Spirit is ſo backward upon our ſouls. If thou wouldſt have the continuall flowings in of the Spirit, I beſeech thee Chriſtian, for the good and for the comfort of thy ſoul, for I ſpeak what all true Chriſtians do generally finde good, pray more,1 Theſ. 5. pray continually, that is, loſe no opportunity, let no time paſs when thou oughteſt to pray, or when thy occaſions require it (for there are many emergencies which fall out, which require this duty, and of ſome Chriſtians more than others) but be ſure to pray, hear the word at all occaſions; let not a Sermon paſs if you can hear it; let not your ſouls be famiſhed for want of nouriſhment. As you would not be ſaid to murder your bodies, ſo do not you murder your precious ſouls. Many do quench the Spirit when they do not know it. Some will hear a conſciencious Miniſter a long while, and highly commend him, as moſt of our profane Eſau's do, but when once this Miniſter ſhall touch their beloved ſinnes, they preſently fall off and hear him no more.Mar. 6.20. Herod heard John gladly for a time, and reformed many things, but when once he touched his Herodias, and toucht the apple of his eye, he preſently diſtates him, and cuts off his head. What a ſad thing is it, that men ſhould ſhift off ſuch an impreſſion, and wipe off the ſweet and heavenly dew? If you will not wait at the pool, you are never like to have the Spirit deſcend upon you, and if you will not mark the time of the Spirits coming down, and comply with the Spirit at ſuch a time, you are never like to have any feeling effect wrought upon your ſouls: Have a care therefore of withdrawing the Spirits fuell.
2. When men caſt their luſts in the Spirits face, and damp the breathings of the Spirit by their luſts, then they may be ſaid to quench the Spirit. As water quencheth fire, ſo luſts they quench the Spirit. Luſt is the great quench coal of the Spirits motions. As mud and filth doth damp up the courſe of the water: ſo every luſt doth dam up the courſe of the Spirit. Yea every particular ſinne which is committed with a high hand to the reproach of godlineſs, and to the diſhonour of God, quencheth the Spirit for a time. When David had committed thoſe two great evils, murder and adultery in the matter of Ʋriah, upon the commiſſion of theſe ſinnes God withdraws his Spirit, and the comfortable preſence of his countenance. Hence he complains of brokenneſs of bones, and of wounds in his ſoul,Pſal. 5.8. My wounds ſtink and are corrupt, becauſe of. my fooliſhneſs. And he prayeth God to uphold him with his free Spirit,ver. 12. Reſtore unto me the joy of thy ſalvation, and uphold me with thy free ſpirit. As the water free-zeth when the ſun goeth down, ſo your, ſpiries wilk freeze when the ſpirit goes away from you.What do you think will become of you when the Spirit departs from you? You are in a dull lumpiſh condition, you cannot pray nor hear the word, nor do any ſpirituall duty with that rejoycing and freeneſs of ſpirit and alacrity of minde, as formerly you did, you are left in a ſottiſh condition for a time. Your ſpirits will be as heavy as lead, very unapt and contrary to the ſervice of God; and if thoſe ſparks of grace which God hath put into your hearts did not inable you to do ſomewhat more than thoſe who never knew what the ſaving work of the Spirit meant, you would (as wicked men do when the Spirit leaves them) never ſeek to God for his Spirit any more. As luſts choak the Word, ſo they choak the Spirit. Whence is it that many Chriſtians do complain of the Spirits abſence, and of the departure of God from them, as Saul did,1 Sam. 28.15. Wo is me for God is departed from me? Why? As Saul by his diſobedience and rebellion cauſed God to depart from him. ſo you by your diſobedience and reſiſting of his motions, have cauſed the Spirit to depart from you. Search your hearts diligently, and ſee whether there be not ſome abominable thing which the Spirit would pluck forth of thy heart. Is there not a hankering after thy old beloved luſts? Haſt thou not an itching after paſt delights, when thou wert in the fleſh? The Spirit doth not all its work upon a ſoul at the firſt work of converſion, but ſtill afterwards is imployed to purge out every abominable thing out of thy heart (a child of God after converſion may fall into the ſame ſinnes he committed before converſion, yea the very ſame beloved ſins) the venomous humour is not throughly purged out in converſion, and the Spirit by its good will would not leave a hoof or any root of bitterneſs in the heart, but becauſe we are in the body of this fleſh, we muſt grow by degrees, and make progreſs daily.
Search I beſeech you and examine your hearts, whether there be not ſome luſt, the Spirit would give a deaths wound to, and throughly mortifie and extinguiſh, and you will not yield to the Spirit that you may be mortified. I beſeech you Chriſtians to ſet about it: The Spirit will never be quiet and let you alone, if you belong to God, till this root of hemlock and wormwood be rooted out, i. e. whenſoever it comes to thy ſoul, the controverſie ſhall be about thy luſt, whether thou wilt yet leave it or no, whether thou wilt be throughly purged from thy old lees, whether you would have this body of fleſh throughly crucified. It will never come with its comforting preſence, till thou cloſeſt with the Spirit in this great work. Examine your hearts, I beleeve if the buſineſs were throughly fifted, there is ſome luſt at the bottom, ſome filth that lies below which keeps out the Spirit from coming into thy heart.Sic ut fumus apes, & fater columbot, ſic Spiritum ſanctum expellit grave oleus peccatum. Baſilius, As ſmoke driveth away bees, and an ill ſent the doves: ſo a noyſom luſt driveth away the Spirit. As loth as thou art to go into a dungeon full of toads and ſerpents, and venomous creatures, ſo loth, yea more loth is the Spirit to come into thy heart, if there be a luſt or an abominable thing at the bottom. Yea, I ſay, the Spirit cannot come into thy heart, while thy luſt ſtandeth out againſt him. There is an oppoſition in reſpect of the things themſelves; What communion hath light with darkneſs, God with Belial, the pure Spirit with thy filthy luſt? The Spirit may come and knock long enough, and Chriſt may knock long enough, and to no purpoſe, if thou art not willing that the Spirit ſhould accompliſh the work upon thy heart. I beſeech you examine your hearts in this matter.Note this well. A man may live a Profeſſor all his daies, and be as conſcientious in the waies of God,☞ as any Chriſtian in the world, and think himſelf as fair for heaven as the beſt, and yet at laſt periſh for ſome unknown luſt in his heart, which if he had examined and found out, it might have been mortified, and his ſoul ſaved in the day of the Lord Jeſus. Beſides conſider, you have not the influences of the Spirit at command. The Spirit will not blow upon thy heart when thou wouldeſt have it, but when it lifteth. The Spirit comes down but upon certain times, and thoſe times are uncertain to thee; how therefore doth it behoove thee, Chriſtian, to take the Spirits time, and to joyn with the work of the Spirit upon thee? Beſides, doſt thou know how long the Spirit will move upon thy heart; how long the proſperous gales will laft, which if thou hadſt ſailed along with, would have brought thee to heaven? Doſt thou know how long the Spirit will ſtrive with thy heart, crying out, Why ſinner, how long ſhall it be ere Chriſt ſhall be thy Lord and Saviour? Beloved Chriſtian, though there be hope as long as the pool is open, and thou art alive, and liveſt under the Ordinances of grace, that the Spirit may deſcend again upon thee, yet ſeeing thou haſt ſinned ſo often againſt the pleadings of the Spirit, and haſt quenched the Spirit ſo long, who can tell whether ever he will come down in mercy again upon thy ſoul for ever? For God hath a time in this life to bid his Spirit to let ſinners alone, and never to ſtrive with them more, but let them be filthy if they will be filthy. Though this time God hath reſerved in his own wiſdom ſecret from men that they ſhould not know it. The black book of reprobation is known only to God, and none may ſay poſitively God hath rejected him, unleſs he is certain he hath ſinned againſt the holy Ghoſt (as too many weak Chriſtians under deſertion are apt to ſay) and how knoweſt thou, thou haſt ſinned the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt? if thou haſt a deſire to repent for thy ſinnes, if thou art willing to receive Jeſus Chriſt for thy Lord and Saviour, never fear it Chriſtian, all is well, thou art in a good condition: yet I beſeech thee do not quench the motions of the Spirit upon thy heart.
XI. The Spirit is put for a ſtate or a condition, or a calling, as ſome interpret. We have not received the ſpirit of bondage;Rom. S. but the ſpirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father, i. e. not a ſtate or condition of bondage, but a ſtate of adoption: ſo Ravanellus. Likewiſe when Chriſt ſaid to his Diſciples, You know not of what ſpirit ye are of,Luk. 9.55. i. e. of what ſtate, of what calling, of what condition ye are of. It is not ſuitable to men of your profeſſion, of your coat to be ſo fiery and ſo impatient: ſo Aretius. Yet I rather follow the judgement of a judicious Divine in our daies, who in the forementioned place in the Romans, means by ſpirit, not a ſtate there, but a perſon, i. e. the third perſon in the bleſſed Trinity, very judiciouſly explaining the words after this manner; Shewing that when once the Spirit hath been the Spirit of adoption, that Spirit is never after the ſpirit of bondage again unto us; this in no waies hindering, but that a childe of God after the Spirit of adoption, may have the fears of bondage again, for though the Spirit doth not contradict his teſtunony, yet he may withdraw his reſt mony for a time, and leave us in the dark, yea the devil may trouble and affright us, and our own conſciences may condemn us.
XII. By Spirit may be meant a pretence and opinion of ſome revelationDr. Goodwin in his excellent Book called, A childe of light walking in darknels. concerning ſomething which a mans own private conceit or imagination inclined him ſo to think. 2 Theſſ. 2.1. Be not troubled, neither by ſpirit nor by word, to think the day of judgement is at hand. By ſpirit, i. e. if any pretend a revelation that the day of judgement is at hand do not beleeve him. 1 John 4.1. Try the ſpirits, i. e. thoſe pretended revelations which men feign, and ſee whether they are of God or no. Beleeve not every ſpirit, becauſe that many falſe Prophets are gone out into the world.
XIII. The Spirit is taken for the graces of the Spirit in you.foreign. Revel. 1. To the ſeven Spirits of the ſeven Churches, i. e. to that Spirit which is ſeven-fold in reſpect of its graces to the ſeven Churches. The Spirit of God dwelleth within you; that is, according to ſome, not the Spirit it ſelf, but the graces of the Spirit. Gal. 5. Theſe are the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace; meekneſs, temperance, patience, &c.
XIV. The Spirit is taken for thoſe unclean luſts which the devil brings along with him in the hearts of thoſe in whom he lodgeth. Matth. 12.45. When the unclean ſpirit returneth, he bringeth with him ſeven other ſpirits worſe than the former, i. e. many other filthy luſts more abominable than the former.
XV.Conſule Pareum in Geneſin & na hunc locum interpretatur, viz. Spiritum illic accipi pro vi ſeu officacia divina. Cap. 1. Geneſeos. The Spirit is taken for Divine force and efficacy. Judg. 14.19. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, i. e. a Divine force from on high came upon Sampſons ſpirit, whereby he ſet upon the enterprize of killing the Aſhkelonites.
XVI. The word Spirit fignifieth a new quality of holineſs created and wrought in all the Elect by the Spirit of God, whereby all the powers and faculties of the ſoul and body are renewed according to the Image of God, in wiſdom, holineſs and righteouſneſs, otherwiſe called the Regenerate part: Rom. 8. The fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit.
XVII. Spirit is taken for the chief and excellent faculties of the ſoul, called reaſon and underſtanding, 1 Cor. 2.11.
XVIII. The Spirit is taken for the vigour, and efficacy of the underſtanding: Be ye renewed in the ſpirit of your minde.
More particularly.
Firſt, The Angels are called ſpirits:
1. Good: Who maketh his Angels ſpirits, and his Miniſters a flame of fire, Heb. 1.
2. Evil: Mark 5.4. We reade of a man poſſeſſed with an unclean ſpirit, and ſaith Chriſt, What is thy name? ſaith the unclean ſpirit again, My name is Legion, for we are many. A Legion of devils in one poor man.
Secondly, By way of eminency God is called a Spirit: John 4.24. God is a Spirit, and they that worſhip him muſt worſhip him in ſpirit and in truth. God is a Spirit, if you take God eſſentially for the Deity,foreign. or perſonally for the three perſons, Father, Sonne and holy Ghoſt.
Thirdly, More particularly the third Perſon in the bleſſed Trinity, diſtinguiſhed from the Father and the Sonne, is called a Spirit. Often times in Scripture he is called by the Name of the holy Ghoſt: Matth. 3.16. I ſaw the holy Ghoſt deſcend upon him like a Dove.
Having done with the ambiguity of the word Spirit, I come to ſhew what are the teachings of the Spirit upon the hearts of Beleevers.
In handling of this I ſhall premiſe, That it is a very difficult thing to know what the teachings of the Spirit are. As thou canſt not tell how the bones grow in her that is with child, or what properly be the influences of the ſtarres,Eccl. 11.5. or how-one ſpirit communicates its minde to another, or the cauſes of naturall ſympathy or antipathy, as thou canſt not tell whence the winde cometh,John 3. or whither it goeth, ſo is every one that is born after the Spirit.