Object. Answ. I ning the times of the Gospel. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers. Here are Ordinances, here are Teachers. Well now, but where is the Spirit? Verfe the 21. And thine ears fall kear a word bebind thee, faying, This is the way, walk in it. Thine cars fhall hear a word behind thee; Who speaks that word? Look into the 1. chapter of the Revelation,& there you fhall find, it is the Spirit that speaks the word behind one, at the 10 verle. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day, and heard behind me a great voice. So that this voice behind, is that of the Spirit: When we do not expect the Spirit, the Spirit cometh and fpeaketh to us. So that, thus now ye fee, Teaching, and Ordinances, and the Spirit of Chrift in us, and living in us, may and do ftand together. But yet will fome fay, What need of these things? If Chrift liveth in each Beleever really by his Spirit, what need of Comman dements, or Teaching without? for it is not faid, Ye fhall be all taught of God? and ye fhall no longer teach your neighbor? it is not fo faid in Scripture? No, no juft fo: for if you look into that 31. of Jeremy, from whence the place is fetched and the 8, chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews; ye fhall find, that the words run thus: This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Ifrael, (verfe the 10) after those daies, faith the Lord: 1 will put my Laws into their mind, and write them in their bearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they Shall not teach every man bis neighbor, and every man bis brother, Saying, Know the Lord: For all fall know me from the least to the greateft. Mark how the words run: It is not barely faid thus: They shall not teach every man his neighbor, and eve ry man his brother; but that claufe is added to it, Saying, Know the Lord: They fhall not teach every man his neigh bour, and every man his brother, Saying, Know the Lord. As if he had faid, I will now make a Covenant of grace, and mercy with you; I will write my Laws in your hearts, hearts, and ye shall all know me, and though you have been caught heretofore, as Ignorant people, that have not known the Lord, yet now, because I will write my Laws in your hearts, and my Laws fhall be there; ye shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, Saying, Know the Lord, as if ye were ignorant, but my Law fhall be within your hearts, and you fhall be taught as a knowing people. Secondly. Ye must know, that although the Spirit of Chrift live in every Chriftian, and to God, Yet the Spirit is the free gift of God, and therefore it as, and works no further than it pleafeth God to give it. Now look into the Scripture, and you fhall find, that the Lord was never pleased to give the Spirit for this end, that it should be the only Rule of a mans life, but for this end,that it should be an help to a man to know the Rule, and to keep the Rule Look into the Word, and you fhall find, that the Spirit of the Lord was never given, to be the only Rule for a man to live by, but it was given to be an help to understand, keep, and fulfil the Rule. And therefore Chryfoftome doth well obferve, It is with Christ in us, (faith he) as with Chrift without us. In the times of the old Teftament, the great Promife was of giving Chrift: in the times of the New Teftament, the great Promise is, the giving of the Spiric. Now therefore, look as it was with Chrift when he came into the world,fo with the Spirit when he cometh into the heart, Chrift with us. Now when Chrift came into the World, he came not to destroy the Law,but he came to fulfill the Law: So when the Spirit cometh into the heart, the Spirit cometh not to deftroy the Gofpel, or the Ordi nances of the Golpel; but he comes to fulfill the Gospel. Cbriftus impletio leg, Spiritus impletio Evangelii. Chrift the fulfilling of the Law, the Spirit the fulfilling of the Gospel. Quæcunque funt in Legi &c. Whatfoever things are in the Law, Chrift tulfilleth: whatsoever things are in the Do arine of the Gospel, the Spirit fulfilleth. And as when Chrift came, he came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil 2, Mat. 5. it; (for he faith himfelt, I came to fulfil the Law) lo when 17 the Spirit comes onto any foul, faith the Spirit alfo,I come not to destroy the Gospel, or the Commandements of the Gofpel; but I come into this poor foul, to help it to fulfil the Commandements of the Golpel. Now when I do take away the Commandements and make the Commandements no Commandements to me, (I mean, the Commandements without) then I deftroy the Commandements as to me: When I do make the Ordinances of Christ, as no Ordinances to me; then I do deAtroy them, as to me: And when I make the Rule without, to be no Rule,as to me,then I deftroy it,as to me: and when I that am a Beleever fay thus, I have the Spirit, and therefore I have no need of any Commandement from without, for the Spirit is Rule enough; here I take away the Commandement,as to me; I take away the Ordinances,as to me, I take away the Role,as to me,and therefore Ideftroy them. Certainly,Chrift within us, is not contrary to Chrift without us: Chrift without us,did not deftroy the Law; Christ within us, doth not deftroy the Gofpel. Therefore, for any now to throw up Ordinances upon this account, be cause they have the Spirit to lead, and guide them; this is to walk contrary to all the Scriptures,both of the Old, and New Teftament. Oh! that people would think of this one thing, The Spirit was never given to be the only Rule of a mans life; but it was given to help us to understand, and to inable us to keep the Rule. Thus you fee, Ordinances, and Chrift living in a Chriftian, can ftand together. And fo you have the First thing cleared,and proved, Chrift livab in all Beleevers. Quest, 2 Answ. I Secondly. Whereby may it appear,That the Lord Jefus Chrift doth fo live in a Beleever, as that he bath a greater band, and firoke in all the actions of bis Spiritual life than a Belcever hab bim Self? that Jefus Chrift doth live more in a beleever than himself doth? The Scripture is very plain. If ye look into the 1. chap. of Paul to the Ephefians, and the laft verfe, there you find thefe these words, ((peaking of Chrift and his Church) Which is bis bodie,the funeß of bim that filleth all in all. Our underftan. dings, our Wille, our Affections, our Ducies, they are but empty veffels till Chrift doth fill them, he filleth all, he filleth all in all. If ye have any Sails fpread in any Duty, it is Chrift that filleth them. Look into the 3. chap. of that Epiftle to the Coloffians,ye fhal find at the 11. ver. it is faid of Chrift, He is all in all. The words are, but Chrift is all, and in all. He is all in all men ; fo it may be read: Or,he is all in all things. Either way it may be read, and it fignifies both, He is all in al men, and He is all in al things. Take the first All,for all men; and fo he is all in all them. Take the laft All, for all things; and fo he is all in all them, in al things. Now if the Lord Jefus Chrift be all in al things, and in al men; then certainly, he hath a greater hand and troke in the actions, the spiritual actions of Beleevers, than themselves have. Secondly. To make this clear to you by inftances, thus: If the Lord Jefus Chrift have a greater hand and ftroke in our Converfion, in our Performance of Duties, in our Obedience, in the grace of our fufferings, in our Affurance, than we, or beleevers have themselves, then certainly, this part of the Doctrine muft ftand cleer and firm. Firft. As for our Converfion: Ye know what our Savior faies, None comes unto the Son, but whom the Father draws: and none knows the Father, but be unto whom the Son reveals him. Convert me (faith the turning foul) and I fhall be converted. As for our Performances, or Duties; Prayer, or whatever it is. Look into the 8. Chaprer to the Romans, and the 26. verfe, Likewife the Spirit alfo belpeth our infirmities. But how doth this prove, that the Spirit hath a greater hand and stroke in our Prayers than our felves have? Mark what follows, For, we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it felf maketh interceffion for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered. As for the matter of our Obedience. You know what the 4. 5. Reaf. the Apostle faith, both unto the Romans, and unto the Ga latians, That we are led by the Spirit: Beleevers are led by the Spirit. Plus eft agi, quam regi He doth not fay, We are ruled by the Spirit, bat he faith, a Belcever is led by the Spirit; not ruled, but led. It is more to be led, than to be ruled for when a man is ruled by another, he a&s himself, and his own actions are feen: but when a man is led, and carried away by another, though he may a&t himfelf, the others action is more feen than his. We (faith he) are led by the Spirit. As for our grace in fuffering; the deportment, and demeanour of a gracious foul in the time of Suffering. Set what our Savior Chrift faies for that, in the 10. of Matthew the 19, and 20. verfes. But when they deliver you up, take no thought, kow or what you shall speak for it shall be given you in that fame bour what ye shall freak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. So that he hath a greater ftroke in the grace, and carriage of a foul under his fufferings, than himself bath. As for the matter of our Affurance. You know also, what the Apofle Paul faith, in tharfame 8. of the Romani, Te have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear; buty have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, fr ther: the Spirit it self bearing winess with our spirits, that st are the children of God. So that now all thefe Five things are clear. And if the Spirit and Chrift in a Beleever, the Spirit of Chrift, have a greater ftroke in a mans Convert on, in his Performance, in his Obedience, in the Grace of his Suffering, and in his Affurance, than himself hath: then forely, the Lord Jefus Chrift hath a greater hand and flroke in fpiritual actions of Beleevers, than themfelves have; now that is proved. To give you one Reafon for it. If a Beleever had agre ter band and stroke in his fpiritual a&tions, than the Spirit of Christ; then had he whereon to boat: for he might fay thus: I have now been at Duty; I confefs I have had fome help from Chrift,and from the Spirit; but I had the greate hand |