eternal, mutual love of the Father and the Son. And although I know that much wariness is to be used in the declaration of those mysteries, nor are expressions concerning them to be ventured on not warranted by the letter of the Scripture, yet I judge that this notion doth excellently express, if not the distinct manner of subsistence, yet the mutual, internal operation of the persons of the blessed Trinity. For we have no term for, nor notion of, that ineffable complacence and eternal rest which is therein, beyond this of love. Hence it is said that God is love;' 1 John iv. 8. 16. It doth not seem to be an essential property of the nature of God only, that the apostle doth intend. For it is proposed unto us as a motive unto mutual love among ourselves: and this consists not simply in the habit or affection of love, but in the actings of it in all its fruits and duties. For so is God love, as that the internal actings of the holy persons which are in and by the Spirit, are all the ineffable actings of love, wherein the nature of the Holy Spirit is expressed unto us. The apostle prays for the presence of the Spirit with the Corinthians, under the name of the God of love and peace; 2 Epist. xiii. 11. And the communication of the whole love of God unto us is committed unto the Spirit, for the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us;' Rom. v. 5. And hence the same apostle distinctly mentioneth the love of the Spirit, conjoining it with all the effects of the mediation of Christ; Rom. xv. 30. I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit:' I do so on the account of the respect you have unto Christ, and all that he hath done for you, which is a motive irresistible unto believers. I do it also for the love of the Spirit; all that love which he acts, and communicates unto you. Wherefore, in all the actings of the Holy Ghost towards us, and especially in this of his susception of an office in the behalf of the church, which is the foundation of them all, his love is principally to be considered, and that he chooseth this way of acting and working towards us to express his peculiar, personal character, as he is the eternal love of the Father and the Son. And among all his actings towards us, which are all acts of love, this is most conspicuous in those wherein he is a Comforter.

Wherefore, because this is of great use unto us, as that

which ought to have, and which will have, if duly apprehended, a great influence on our faith and obedience, and is, moreover, the spring of all the consolations we receive by and from him, we shall give a little evidence unto it; namely, that the love of the Spirit is principally to be considered in this office, and the discharge of it. For whatever good we receive from any one, whatever benefit or present relief we have thereby, we can receive no comfort or consolation in it, unless we are persuaded that it proceeds from love; and what doth so, be it never so small, hath refreshment and satisfaction in it unto every ingenuous nature. It is love alone that is the salt of every kindness or benefit, and which takes out of it every thing that may be noxious or hurtful. Without an apprehension hereof, and satisfaction herein, multiplied beneficial effects produce no internal satisfaction in them that do receive them, nor put any real engagement on their minds; Prov. xxiii. 6—8. It is therefore of concernment unto us to secure this ground of all our consolation; in the full assurance of faith, that there was infinite love in the susception of this office by the Holy Ghost. And it is evident that so it was,

For the consola

1. From the nature of the work itself. tion or comforting of any who stand in need thereof, is an immediate effect of love, with its inseparable properties of pity and compassion. Especially it must be so where no advantage redounds unto the Comforter, but the whole of what is done respects entirely the good and relief of them that are comforted. For what other affection of mind can be the principle hereof, from whence it may proceed? Persons may be relieved under oppression by justice, under want by bounty; but to comfort and refresh the minds of any, is a peculiar act of sincere love and compassion: so, therefore, must this work of the Holy Ghost be esteemed to be. I do not intend only that his love is eminent and discernible in it, but that it proceeds solely from love. And without a faith hereof, we cannot have the benefit of this divine dispensation, nor will any comforts that we receive be firm or stable. But when this is once graciously fixed in our minds, that there is not one drop of comfort or spiritual refreshment administered by the Holy Ghost, but that it proceeds from his infinite love; then are they disposed into that frame

which is needful to comply with him in his operations. And, in particular, all the acts wherein the discharge of this office doth consist, are all of them acts of the highest love, of that which is infinite, as we shall see in the consideration of them.

2. The manner of the performance of this work is so expressed, as to evince and expressly demonstrate that it is a work of love. So is it declared where he is promised unto the church for this work; Isa. lxvi. 13. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.' He whom his mother comforteth is supposed to be in some kind of distress: nor, indeed, is there any, of any kind, that may befal a child, whose mother is kind and tender, but she will be ready to administer unto him all the consolation that she is able. And how, or in what manner, will such a mother discharge this duty, it is better conceived than it can be expressed. We are not in things natural able to take in a conception of greater love, care, and tenderness, than is in a tender mother, who comforts her children in distress. And hereby doth the prophet graphically represent unto our minds the manner whereby the Holy Ghost dischargeth this office towards us. Neither can a child contract greater guilt, or manifest a more depraved habit of mind, than to be regardless of the affections of a mother endeavouring its consolation. Such children may, indeed, sometimes, through the bitterness of their spirits, by their pains and distempers, be surprised into frowardness, and a present regardlessness of the mother's kindness and compassion, which they know full well how to bear withal. But if they continue to have no sense of it, if it make no impression upon them, they are of a profligate constitution. And so it may be sometimes with believers; they may by surprisals into spiritual frowardness, by weakness, by unaccountable despondencies, be regardless of divine influences of consolation. But all these things the great Comforter will bear with and overcome, See Isa. lvii. 15-20. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spi rit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls

which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him, and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace, to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.' Where persons are under sorrows and disconsolations upon the account of pains and sickness, or the like, in a design of comfort towards them, it will yet be needful sometimes to make use of means and remedies that may be painful and vexatious. And these may be apt to irritate and provoke poor, wayward patients. Yet is not a mother discouraged hereby, but proceeds on in her way, until the cure be effected, and consolation administered. So doth God by his Spirit deal with his church. His design is to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones;' ver. 15. And he gives this reason of it, namely, that if he should not act in infinite love and condescension towards them, but deal with them after their deservings, they would utterly be consumed; the spirit would fail before him, and the souls which he had made; ver. 16. However, in the pursuit of this work, he must use some sharp remedies that were needful for the curing of their distempers, and their spiritual recovery. Because of their iniquity, the iniquity of their covetousness, which was the principal disease they laboured under, he was wroth and smote them, and hid his face from them, because his so doing was necessary to their cure; ver. 17. And how do they behave themselves under this dealing of God with them? They grow peevish and froward under his hand, choosing rather to continue in their disease, than to be thus healed by him; they went on frowardly in the way of their hearts;' ver. 17. How, therefore, doth this Holy Comforter now deal with them? Doth he give them up unto their frowardness? Doth he leave and forsake them under their distemper? No, a tender mother will not so deal with her children. He manageth his work with that infinite love, tenderness, and compassion, as that he will overcome all their frowardness, and cease not until he hath effectually administered consolation unto them; ver. 18. 'I have seen,' saith he, all these 'his ways,' all his frowardness and mis

carriages, and yet, saith he, 'I will heal him;' I will not for all this be diverted from my work and the pursuit of my design; before I have done, I will lead him into a right frame, 'and restore comforts unto him.' And that there may be no failure herein, I will do it by a creating act of power; ver. 19. 'I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace.' This is the method of the Holy Ghost in administering consolation unto the church, openly evidencing that love and compassion from whence it doth proceed. And without this method should no one soul be ever spiritually refreshed under its dejections. For we are apt to behave ourselves frowardly, more or less, under the work of the Holy Ghost towards us. Infinite love and compassion alone, working by patience and long-suffering, can carry it on unto perfection. But if we are not only froward under particular occasions, temptations, and surprisals, clouding our present view of the Holy Spirit in his work, but are also habitually careless and negligent about it, and do never labour to come under satisfaction in it, but always indulge unto the peevishness and frowardness of unbelief, it argues a most depraved unthankful frame of heart, wherein the soul of God cannot be well pleased.

3. It is an evidence that his work proceedeth from, and is wholly managed in, love, in that we are cautioned not to grieve him; Eph. iv. 30. And a double evidence of the greatness of his love herein is tendered unto us in that caution. (1.) In that those alone are subject to be grieved by us, who act in love towards us. If we comply not with the will and rule of others, they may be provoked, vexed, instigated unto wrath against us. But those alone who love us, are grieved at our miscarriages. A severe schoolmaster may be more provoked with the fault of his scholar, than the father is; but the father is grieved with it, when the other is not. Whereas, therefore, the Holy Spirit is not subject or liable unto the affection of grief, as it is a passion in us, we are cautioned not to grieve him, namely, to teach us with what love and compassion, with what tenderness and holy delight, he performs his work in us and towards us. (2.) It is so in that he hath undertaken the work of comforting them who are so apt and prone to grieve him, as for the most part we The great work of the Lord Christ was to die for us. But that which puts an eminence on his love, is, that he

are.