be thus an earnest until, or unto the redemption of the purchased possession. For after that a man hath a good and firm title unto an inheritance settled in him, it may be a long time before he can be admitted into an actual possession of it, and many difficulties he may have in the mean time to conflict withal. And it is so in this case. The earnest of the Spirit given unto us, whereby we become coheirs with Christ, whose Spirit we are made partakers of, secures the title of the inheritance in and unto our whole persons. But before we can come unto the full possession of it, not only have we many spiritual trials and temptations to conflict withal in our souls, but our bodies also are liable unto death and corruption. Wherefore, whatever first fruits we may enjoy, yet can we not enter into the actual possession of the whole inheritance, until not only our souls are delivered from all sins and temptations, but our bodies also are rescued out of the dust of the grave. This is the full redemption of the purchased possession, whence it is signally called the 'redemption of the body;' Rom. viii. 23.

Thus as the Lord Christ himself was made heir of all things by that communication of the Spirit unto him, whereby he was anointed unto his office; so the participation of the same Spirit from him and by him, makes us co-heirs with him, and so he is an earnest given us of God of the future inheritance. It belongs not unto my present purpose to declare the nature of that inheritance, whereof the Holy Spirit is the earnest. In brief, it is the highest participation with Christ in that glory and honour that our natures are capable of.

And in like manner we are said to receive ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ TVεÚμаTOS; Rom. viii. 23. That is, the Spirit himself as the first fruits of our spiritual and eternal redemption. God had appointed that the first fruits, which are called ' and

-an offering unto himself. Here ,תרומה should be a בכורים

unto ȧrapy answereth, and is taken generally for that which is first in any kind; Rom. xvi. 5. 1 Cor. xv. 20. James i. 18. Rev. xiv. 4. And the first fruits of the Spirit must be either what he first worketh in us, or all his fruits in us with respect unto the full harvest that is to come; or the Spirit himself, as the beginning and pledge of future glory. And the latter of these is intended in this place. For the apostle

discourseth about the liberty of the whole creation from that state of bondage whereunto all things were subjected by sin. With respect hereunto, he saith, that believers themselves having not as yet obtained a full deliverance, as he had expressed it, chap. vii. 24. do groan after its perfect accomplishment. But yet, saith he, we have the beginning of it, the first fruits of it, in the communication of the Spirit unto us: For where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty;' 2 Cor. iii. 17. For, although, we are not capable of the full and perfect estate of the liberty provided for the children of God, whilst we are in this world, conflicting with the remainders of sin, pressed and exercised with temptations, our bodies also being subject unto death and corruption, yet where the Spirit of God is, where we have that first fruit of the fulness of our redemption, there is liberty in the real beginning of it, and assured consolation, because it shall be consummated in the appointed season.

These are some of the spiritual benefits and privileges which believers enjoy by a participation of the Holy Ghost, as the promised Comforter of the church: these things he is unto them, and as unto all other things belonging unto their consolation, he works them in them, which we must in the next place inquire into. Only something we may take notice of from what we have already insisted on. As, 1. That all evangelical privileges whereof believers are made partakers in this world, do centre in the person of the Holy Spirit. He is the great promise that Christ hath made unto his disciples, the great legacy which he hath bequeathed unto them. The grant made unto him by the Father, when he had done all his will, and fulfilled all righteousness, and exalted the glory of his holiness, wisdom, and grace, was this of the Holy Spirit to be communicated by him unto the church. This he received of the Father as the complement of his reward, wherein he saw of the travail of his soul and was satisfied.' This Spirit he now gives unto believers, and no tongue can express the benefits which they receive thereby. Therein are they anointed and sealed, therein do they receive the earnest and first fruits of immortality and glory. In a word, therein are they taken into a participation with Christ himself in all his honour and glory. Hereby is their condition rendered honourable, safe, comfortable, and the

whole inheritance is unchangeably secured unto them. In this one privilege, therefore, of receiving the Spirit, are all others inwrapped. For, 2. no one way, or thing, or similitude, can express or represent the greatness of this privilege. It is anointing, it is sealing, it is an earnest and first fruit, every thing whereby the love of God, and the blessed security of our condition may be expressed or intimated unto us. For what greater pledge can we have of the love and favour of God? What greater dignities can we be made partakers of? What greater assurance of a future, blessed condition, than that God hath given us of his Holy Spirit? And, 3. hence also is it manifest how abundantly willing he is, that the heirs of promise should receive strong consolation in all their distresses, when they fly for refuge unto the hope that is set before them.

THE

APPLICATION

OF THE

FOREGOING DISCOURSE.

WITH respect unto the dispensation of the Spirit towards believers, and his holy operations in them and upon them, there are sundry particular duties, whereof he is the immediate object, prescribed unto them. And they are those whereby on our part we comply with him in his work of grace, whereby it is carried on, and rendered useful unto us. Now, whereas this Holy Spirit is a divine person, and he acts in all things towards us as a free agent, according unto his own will, the things enjoined us with respect unto him, are those whereby we may carry ourselves aright towards such a one, namely, as he is a holy, divine, intelligent person, working freely in and towards us for our good. And they are of two sorts; the first whereof are expressed in prohibitions of those things which are unsuited unto him, and his dealings

with us; the latter in commands for our attendance unto such duties as are peculiarly suited unto a compliance with him in his operations; in both which our obedience is to be exercised with a peculiar regard unto him. I shall begin with the first sort, and go over them in the instances given us in the Scripture.

6

I. We have a negative precept to this purpose, Eph. iv. 30. μὴ λυπεῖτε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, Grieve not the Holy Spirit.' Consider who he is, what he hath done for you, how great your concern is in his continuance with you; and withal, that he is a free, infinitely wise, and holy agent in all that he doth, who came freely unto you, and can withdraw from you, and grieve him not. It is the person of the Holy Spirit that is intended in the words, as appears, 1. From the manner of the expression, тò πνɛõμa тò äyɩov, that' Holy Spirit.' 2. By the work assigned unto him; for by him we are 'sealed unto the day of redemption;' him we are not to grieve. The expression seems to be borrowed from Isa. Ixiii. 10. where mention is made of the sin and evil here prohi

but they rebelled, and * והמה מרו ועצבו את רוח קדשו,bited

vexed his Holy Spirit.' is to trouble' and to 'grieve,' and it is used when it is done unto a great degree. The LXX render it here by Tapočúvw, which is so to grieve, as also to irritate and provoke to anger and indignation, because it hath respect unto the rebellions of the people in the wilderness, which our apostle expresseth by Tapaniκçaívw and waражιкρаσμòç, words of the same signification. To vex, therefore, is the heightening of grieving by a provocation unto anger and indignation; which sense is suited to the place and matter treated of, though the word signify no more but to 'grieve,' and so it is rendered by Avπtw; Gen. xlv. 5. -1 Kings xix. 2.

Now grief is here ascribed unto the Holy Spirit as it is elsewhere unto God absolutely, Gen. vi. 6. 'It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.' Such affections and perturbations of mind are not ascribed unto God or the Spirit but metaphorically. That intended in such ascriptions is to give us an apprehension of things as we are able to receive it. And the measure we take of them is their nature and effects in ourselves. What may justly grieve a good man, and what he will do

when he is unjustly or undeservedly grieved, represent unto us what we are to understand of our own condition with respect unto the Holy Ghost when he is said to be grieved by us. And grief in the sense here intended, is a trouble of mind arising from an apprehension of unkindness not deserved, of disappointments not expected, on the account of a near concernment in those by whom we are grieved. We may, therefore, see hence, what it is we are warned of, when we are enjoined not to grieve the Holy Spirit. As,

1. There must be unkindness in what we do. Sin hath various respects towards God, of guilt, and filth, and the like. These several considerations of it, have several effects. But that which is denoted when it is said to 'grieve him,' is unkindness, or that defect of an answerable love unto the fruits and testimonies of his love which we have received, that it is accompanied withal. He is the Spirit of love, he is love. All his actings towards us and in us, are fruits of love, and they all of them leave an impression of love upon our souls. All the joys and consolation we are made partakers of in this world, arise from a sense of the love of God, communicated in an endearing way of love unto our souls. This requires a return of love and delight in all duties of obedience on our part. When instead hereof, by our negligence and carelessness, or otherwise, we fall into those things or ways which he most abhors, he greatly respects the unkindness and ingratitude which is therein, and is therefore said to be grieved by us.

2. Disappointment in expectation. It is known that no disappointment properly can befal the Spirit of God. It is utterly inconsistent with his prescience and omnicience. But we are disappointed, when things fall not out according as we justly expected they would, in answer unto the means used by us for their accomplishment. And when the means that God useth towards us, do not, by reason of our sin, produce the effect they are suited unto, God proposeth himself as under a disappointment. So he speaks of his vineyard, I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes;' Isa. v. 2. Now disappointment causeth grief. As when a father hath used all means for the education of a child in any honest way or course, and expended much of his estate therein, if he through dissolute