was an instituted sign of the communication of the gifts of the Holy Ghost for government unto them. See Isa. xlv. 1-4; and other instances of the like kind might be given.

Thus, when the church was to have a blessed restoration of the worship of God, after the return of the people from their captivity, Zerubbabel is, in an especial manner, called to begin and carry on this work in the building of the temple. But the difficulties he had to conflict withal were great, and appeared insuperable. The people were few and poor, and the oppositions made unto them and their work great and many, especially what arose from the power of the Persian monarchy, under whose rule and oppression they were; for although they had permission and encouragement from Cyrus for their work, yet immediately upon his death they were oppressed again, and their "work caused to cease." This power they could no way conflict withal; yet God tells them that all this opposition shall be removed and conquered. "Who art thou," saith he, “O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain," Zech. iv. 7; -"All the hinderance that arose from that great mountain of the Persian empire shall be removed out of the way, and the progress of Zerubbabel in his work shall be made smooth, plain, and easy." But how shall this be effected and brought about? "Not by an army or by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts,"" verse 6;-"You would suppose that it must be done by armies and open force, which you are altogether insufficient for; but this is not the way I will take in this matter. My Spirit shall work in their hearts, minds, and counsels, that, contrary to your fears, they shall themselves further that work which hitherto they have impeded; and he shall work in the minds and counsels of others, to oppose them and entangle them where they would hinder it, until they are destroyed, and that great mountain be fully removed;"—as in the event it came to pass. So that the providential alterations that are wrought in the world are effects of his power and efficacy also.

And thus have we taken a short view of the dispensation and works of the Spirit of God in the first creation. But the effect hereof being a state of things that quickly passed away, and being of no advantage to the church after the entrance of sin, what belonged unto it is but sparingly delivered in the Scriptures, the true sense of what is so delivered depending much on the analogy of the following works of God in man's renovation and recovery. But as to the ner creation (which falls under our consideration in the next place, as that alone which is directly intended by us), the foundation, building up, and finishing the church of God therein, being the things whereon depends the principal manifestation of the glory of God, and wherein the great concerns of all the elect do lie, they are more

CHAP. V.] WAY AND MANNER OF DIVINE DISPENSATION, ETC. 105

fully and directly declared in the Scripture; and in reference unto them we shall find a full, distinct declaration of the whole dispensation and work of the Spirit of God.

CHAPTER V.

WAY AND MANNER OF THE DIVINE DISPENSATION OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT.

Dispensation of the Spirit to be learned from the Scripture only-General adjuncts thereof―The administration of the Spirit and his own application of himself to his work, how expressed-The Spirit, how and in what sense given and received-What is included in the giving of the Spirit-What in receiving of him-Privilege and advantage in receiving the Spirit-How God is said to send the Spirit-What is included in sending-How God ministers the Spirit -How God is said to put his Spirit on us- What is included in that expression-The Spirit, how poured out-What is included and intended herein— The ways of the Spirit's application of himself unto his work-His proceeding from Father and Son explained-How he cometh unto us—) -His fulling on men-His resting-How and in what sense he is said to depart from any person of the distributions of the Holy Ghost, Heb. ii. 4-Exposition of them vindicated.

BEFORE we treat of the especial operations, works, and effects of the Holy Ghost in and on the new creation, the order of things requires that we should first speak somewhat of the general nature of God's dispensation of him, and of his own application of himself unto his actings and workings in this matter; for this is the foundation of all that he doth, and this, for our edification, we are instructed in by the Scriptures. Unto them in this whole discourse we must diligently attend; for we are exercised in such a subject as wherein we have no rule, nor guide, nor any thing to give us assistance but pure revelation. And what I have to offer concerning these things consists upon the matter solely in the explication of those places of Scripture wherein they are revealed. We must, therefore, consider,-I. What we are taught on the part of God the Father with respect unto the Holy Spirit and his work; and, II. What relates immediately unto himself.

I. God's disposal of the Spirit unto his work is five ways expressed in the Scripture: for he is said,—1. To give or bestow him; 2. To send him; 3. To minister him; 4. To pour him out; 5. To put him on us. And his own application of himself unto his work is likewise five ways expressed: for he is said,-1. To proceed; 2. To come, or come upon; 3. To fall on men; 4. To rest; and, 5. To depart. These

things, containing the general manner of his administration and dispensation, must be first spoken unto.

First, He is said to be given of God; that is, of God the Father, who is said to give him in an especial manner: Luke xi. 13, “Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him;' John iii. 34. 1 John iii. 24, "He hath given the Spirit unto us." John xiv. 16, "The Father shall give you another Comforter;" "which is the Holy Ghost," verse 26. And in answer unto this act of God, those on whom he is bestowed are said to receive him: John vii. 39, "This he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive." 1 Cor. ii. 12, "We have received the Spirit which is of God." 2 Cor. xi. 4, "If ye receive another Spirit, which ye have not received;" where the receiving of the Spirit is made a matter common unto all believers. So Gal. iii. 2; Acts viii. 15, 19; John xiv. 17, xx. 22. For these two, giving and receiving, are related, the one supposing the other. And this expression of the dispensation of the Holy Ghost is irreconcilable unto the opinion before rejected, —namely, that he is nothing but a transient accident, or an occasional emanation of the power of God; for how or in what sense can an act of the power of God be given by him or be received by us? It can, indeed, in no sense be either the object of God's giving or of our receiving, especially as this is explained in those other expressions of the same thing before laid down, and afterward considered. It must be somewhat that hath a subsistence of its own that is thus given and received. So the Lord Christ is frequently said to be given of God and received by us. It is true, we may be said, in another sense, to "receive the grace of God;" which is the exception of the Socinians unto this consideration, and the constant practice they use to evade plain testimonies of the Scripture: for if they can find any words in them used elsewhere in another sense, they suppose it sufficient to contradict their plain design and proper meaning in another place. Thus we are exhorted "not to receive the grace of God in vain," 2 Cor. vi. 1. I answer, The grace of God may be considered two ways:-1. Objectively, for the revelation or doctrine of grace; as Tit. ii. 11, 12. So we are said to receive it when we believe and profess it, in opposition unto them by whom it is opposed and rejected. And this is the same with our receiving the word preached, so often mentioned in the Scripture, Acts ii. 41, James i. 21; which is by faith to give it entertainment in our hearts: which is the meaning of the word in this place, 2 Cor. vi. 1. Having taken the profession of the doctrine of grace, that is, of the gospel, upon us, we ought to express its power in holiness and suitable obedience, without which it will be of no use or benefit unto us. And the grace of God is sometimes,-2. Taken subjectively, for the grace which God

is pleased to communicate unto us, or gracious qualities that he works in our souls by his Spirit. In this sense, also, we are sometimes said to receive it: 1 Cor. iv. 7, " Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" where the apostle speaketh both of the gifts and graces of the Spirit. And the reason hereof is, because in the communication of internal grace unto us, we contribute nothing to the procurement of it, but are merely capable recipient subjects. And this grace is a quality or spiritual habit, permanent and abiding in the soul. But in neither of these senses can we be said to receive the Spirit of God, nor God to give him, if he be only the power of God making an impression on our minds and spirits,--no more than a man can be said to receive the sunbeams, which cause heat in him by their natural efficacy, falling on him: much less can the giving and receiving of the Spirit be so interpreted, considering what is said of his being sent and his own coming, with the like declarations of God's dispensation of him; whereof afterward.

Now, this giving of the Spirit, as it is the act of him by whom he is given, denotes authority, freedom, and bounty; and, on the part of them that receive him, privilege and advantage.

1. Authority. He that gives any thing hath authority to dispose of it. None can give but of his own, and that which in some sense he hath in his power. Now, the Father is said to give the Spirit, and that upon our request, as Luke xi. 13. This, I acknowledge, wants not some difficulty in its explication; for if the Holy Ghost be God himself, as hath been declared, how can he be said to be given by the Father, as it were in a way of authority? But keeping ourselves to the sacred rule of truth, we may solve this difficulty without curiosity or danger. Wherefore,-(1.) The order of the subsistence of the three persons in the divine nature is regarded herein; for the Father, as hath been showed, is the fountain and original of the Trinity, the Son being of him, and the Spirit of them both. Hence, he is to be considered as the principal author and cause of all those works which are immediately wrought by either of them; for of whom the Son and Spirit have their essence, as to their personality, from him have they life and power of operation, John v. 19, 26. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit comes unto any, the Father is said to give him, for he is the Spirit of the Father. And this authority of the Father doth immediately respect the work itself, and not the person working; but the person is said to be given for the work's sake. (2.) The economy of the blessed Trinity in the work of our redemption and salvation is respected in this order of things. The fountain hereof lies in the love, wisdom, grace, and counsel of the Father. Whatever is done in the pursuit hereof is originally the

gift of the Father, because it is designed unto no other end but to make his grace effectual. Hence is he said to send and give his Son also. And the whole work of the Holy Ghost, as our sanctifier, guide, comforter, and advocate, is to make the love of the Father effectual unto us, John xvi. 13, 14. As this, out of his own love and care, he hath condescended unto, so the fountain of it being in the love and purpose of the Father, and that also, or the making them effectual, being their end, he is rightly said to be given of him. (3.) In the whole communication of the Spirit, respect is had unto his effects, or the ends for which he is given. What they are shall be afterward declared. Now, the authority of this giving respects principally his gifts and graces, which depend on the authority of the Father.

2. This expression denotes freedom. What is given might be withheld. This is the "gift of God" (as he is called, John iv. 10), not the purchase of our endeavours, nor the reward of our desert. Some men delight to talk of their purchasing grace and glory; but the one and the other are to be "bought without money and without price." Even "eternal life" itself, the end of all our obedience, is the "gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord," Rom. vi. 23. The Scripture knows of no earnings that men can make of themselves but death; for as Austin says, "Quicquid tuum est peccatum est:" and the wages of sin is death. To what end or purpose soever the Spirit is bestowed upon us, whether it be for the communication of grace or the distribution of gifts, or for consolation and refreshment, it is of the mere gift of God, from his absolute and sovereign freedom.

In answer hereunto they are said to receive him, on whom as a gift he is bestowed; as in the testimonies before mentioned. And in receiving, two things are implied:-1. That we contribute nothing thereunto which should take off from the thing received as a gift. Receiving answers giving, and that implies freedom in the giver. 2. That it is their privilege and advantage; for what a man receives, he doth it for his own good. First, then, we have him freely as a gift of God; for to receive him in general is to be made partaker of him, as unto those ends for which he is given of God. Be those ends what they will, in respect of them they are said to receive him who are made partakers of him. Two things may be pleaded to take off the freedom of this gift and of our reception, and to cast it on something necessary and required on our part; for,—(1.) Our Saviour tells us "that the world cannot receive him, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him," John xiv. 17. Now, if the

1 ̓Αποστέλλεται μὲν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οἰκονομικῶς, ἐνεργεῖ δὲ αὐτεξουσίως.—Basil. Hom. XV. de Fide.