A Godly Man Has the Spirit of God Residing in Him

10. A godly man hath the Spirit of God residing in him,¹ 2 Tim. 1. 14. The Holy Ghost which dwelleth in (Gal. 4. 6) us. The Schoolmen move the question, whether a man receive the Holy Ghost himself or no? Montanus held that the godly have so Gods Spirit in them, that they partake of his Essence, and are become one person with himself; but this amounts to no less than blasphemy; then it would follow, that every Saint were to be worshipped.

I conceive the spirit is in the godly per modum influxus, they have the presence, and receive the sacred influences of it: When the Sun comes into a room, not the body of the Sun is there, but the beams that sparkle from it: Indeed, some Divines have thought, that the godly have more than the influx of the spirit, though to say how it is more, is ineffable, and is fitter for some Seraphique Pen to describe than mine. The Spirit of God discovers its self in a gracious soul two wayes.

1. By its motions: These are some of that sweet perfume the spirit breaths upon the heart, whereby it is raised into a kind of Angelical frame.

Quest. 1. But how may we know the motions of the Spirit from a delusion?

Answ. The motions of the Spirit are always consonant to the word; the word is the Chariot wherein the Spirit of God² rides; which way the tyde of the word runs, that way the wind of the spirit blows.

Quest. 2. How may the motions of the Spirit in the godly, be distinguished from the impulses of a Natural Conscience?

Answ. 1. A Natural Conscience may provoke sometimes to the same thing that the spirit doth, but not from the same principle. Natural Conscience is a spu[…] to duty, but it puts a man upon doing duties for fear of hell; as the Gally tugs at the Oar for fear of being beaten: whereas the spirit moves a Childe of God from a more Noble Principle; it makes him serve God out of choice, and esteem duty his priviledge.

2. The impulses of a Natural Conscience, put men only upon more facil duties of Religion, wherein the heart is less exercised; as perfunctory reading, or praying; but the motions of the spirit in the godly go further, causing them to set upon the most irksome duties, as self-reflection, self-humbling; yea perillous duties, as confessing Christs Name in times of danger: Divine motions are in the heart like new wine which will have vent: When Gods Spirit possesseth a man, it carries him full-sail through all difficulties.

3. The Spirit discovers it self in the godly by its³ virtues. These are various.

4. Gods Spirit hath a teaching virtue, the spirit teacheth convincingly·⁴ Ioh. 16. 8. It doth so teach, as it doth perswade.

5. Gods Spirit hath a sanctifying⁵ virtue, the heart naturally is polluted, but when the spirit comes into it, it works sin out, and grace in: The Spirit of God was represented by the Dove· Embleme of Purity; the spirit makes the heart a Temple for pureness, and a Paradise for pleasantness: The holy Oyl of⁶ Consecration, was nothing else but a prefiguring of the⁷ spirit: The spirit sanctifies a mans fancy, causing it to mint holy meditations; it sanctifies his will, byassing it to good: so that now it shall be as delightful to serve God, as before it was to sin against him: sweet powders perfume linnen; so Gods Spirit in a man, perfumes him with holiness, and makes his heart a Map of Heaven.

6. Gods Spirit hath a vivifying virtue 2 Cor. 3. 6. The Spirit giveth⁸ life: As the blowing in an Organ makes it sound, so the breathing of the spirit causeth life and molon: When the Prophet Elijah stretche[…] himself upon the dead Childe it revived 1 Kin. 17. 22. so Gods Spirit stretching self upon the soul infuseth life into it.

As our life, so our liveliness is from the spirits operation, Ezek. 3. 14. The Spirit lifted me up. When the heart is bowed down and is listless to duty, the Spirit of God lift it up, it puts a sharp edge upon the affections it makes love ardent, hope lively; the spirit takes off the weights of the soul, and gives wings, Cant. 6. 12. Or ever I was aware, […] Soul made me like the Chariots of Ammin[…]i· The wheels of the soul were before pulled off, and it did drive on heavily, but when the spirit of the Almighty possesseth a ma[…] now he runs swiftly in the ways of God, and his soul is as the Chariots of Amminadib.

4. Gods Spirit hath a Jurisdictive virtue it rules and governs; Gods Spirit sits paramount in the⁹ soul, it gives check to the violence of corruption, it will not suffer man to be vain and loose as others: The Spirit of God will not be put out of office, exerciseth its authority over the heart, bringing every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5.

5. The spirit hath a mollifying virtue; therefore it is compared to (Act. 2. 3) fire, which softens the wax: The spirit turns flint into flesh, Ezek. 36. 26. I will give you an heart of flesh. How shall this be effected? Ver. 27. I will put my spirit within you. While the heart is hard, it lies like a log, and is not wrought upon either with judgements or mercies, but when Gods Spirit comes in, it makes a mans heart as tender as his eye, and now it is made yielding to Divine Impressions.

6. The spirit of God hath a corroborating¹⁰virtue, it infuseth strength and assistance for work, it is […], a spirit of Power, 2 Tim. 1. 7. Gods spirit carries a man above himself, Eph. 3. 16. Strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man: The spirit confirms faith, animates courage, it lifts at one end of the Cross, and makes it lighter to be¹¹ born: The spirit gives not only a sufficiency of strength, but a redundancy.

Quest. How shall we know whether we act in the strength of Gods Spirit, or in the strength of our own abilities?

Answ. 1. When we do humbly cast our selves upon God for assistance; as David going out against Goliah, did cast himself upon God for help, 1 Sam. 17. 45. I come to thee in the Name of the Lord. 2. When our duties are divinely qualified, we do them with pure aims. 3. When we have found God going along with us, we give him the glory of all, 1 Cor. 15. 10. This doth clearly evince, that the duty was carried on by the strength of Gods Spirit, more than by any innate abilities of our own.

7. Gods Spirit hath a comforting¹² virtue; disconsolacy may arise in a gracious¹³ heart; as the Heaven, though it be a bright lucid body, yet hath interposition of Clouds; this sadness is caused usually through the malice of Satan, who if he cannot destroy us, he will disturb us, but Gods Spirit within us doth sweetly chear and revive; he is called […], the Comforter, Ioh. 14. 16. These comforts are real and infallible: Hence it is called the Seal of the Spirit, Eph. 1. 13. When a Deed is sealed, it is firm and unquestionable: so when a Christian hath the seal of the spirit, his comforts are confirmed; every godly man hath these revivings of the spirit in some degree, he hath the seminals and initials of joy, though the flower be not fully ripe and blown.

Quest. How doth the Spirit give comfort?

Answ. 1. By showing us that we are in a state of Grace: A Christian cannot always see his riches; the work of Grace may be written in the heart like short-hand, which a Christian cannot read; the spirit gives him a Key to open these dark Characters, and spell out his Adoption, whereupon he hath joy and peace, 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God.

2. The spirit comforts, by giving us some ravishing apprehensions of Gods love, Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. Gods love is a box of precious oyntment, and it is only the spirit can break open this box, and fill us with the sweet perfume of it.

3. The spirit comforts, by carrying us to the Bloud of Christ; as when a man is weary and ready to faint, carry him to the water, and he is refreshed: so when we are fainting under the burden of sin, the spirit carries us to the Fountain of Christs Bloud, Zac. 12. 1. In that day there shall be a Fountain opened, &c. The spirit inables us to drink the waters of Justification which run out of Christs sides: The spirit applyes whatever Christ hath purchased, it shows us that our sins are done away in Christ, and though we are spotted in our selves, we are undefiled in our head.

4. The spirit comforts, by inabling Conscience to comfort; the Childe must be taught before it can speak: The spirit opens the mouth of Conscience, and helps it to speak, and witness to a man that his estate is good, whereupon he begins to receive comfort, Rom. 9. 2. My Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. Conscience draws up a Certificate for a man, then the Holy Ghost comes and sets his hand to the Certificate.

5. The spirit conveys the Oyl of Joy through two Golden Pipes.

6. The Ordinances.

7. The Promises.

8. The Ordinances: As Christ in prayer had his countenance changed, Luk 9. 29. There was a glorious lustre upon his face; so often in the use of Holy Ordinances, the godly have such raptures of joy, and soul-transfigurations, that they have been carried above the world, and despised all things below.

9. The Promises: The Promises are comfortable: 1. For their sureness, Rom. 4. 16. God in the Promises hath laid his truth to (Chrysost) pawn. 2. For their suitableness, being calculated for every Christians condition. The Promises are like a Physick-garden, there is no disease but some herb may be found there to cure it; but the Promises of themselves cannot comfort, only the spirit inables us to suck these Honey-combs: The Promises are like a Limbeck full of herbs, but this Limbeck will not drop, unless the fire be put under: So when the spirit of God (which is compared to fire) is put to the Limbeck of the Promises, then they distil Consolation into the soul. Thus we see how the spirit is in the godly by its virtues.

Object. But is this the sign of a godly man to be filled with the Spirit? Are not the wicked said to partake of the Holy Ghost? Heb. 6. 4.

Answ. Wicked men may partake of the spirits working, but not of its in-dwelling; they may have Gods spirit move upon them, the godly have it enter into them, Ezek. 3. 24.

Object. But the unregenerate taste of the Heavenly Gift? Heb. 6.

Answ. It is with them as Cooks, who may have a smack and taste of the meat they¹⁴dress, but they are not nourished by it: Tasting there, is opposed to eating: The godly have not only a drop or taste of the spirit, but it is in them as river of living water, Iohn 7. 38.

Use 1.¹⁵ It brands them for ungodly, who have none of Gods spirit,¹⁶ Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his: And if he be none of Christs, then whose is he? to what Regiment doth he belong? ‘Tis the misery of a sinner he hath none of Gods spirit: Me thinks ‘tis very offensive to hear men say, Take not thy holy spirit from us, who never had Gods spirit: will they say they have Gods spirit in them, who are drunkards and swearers? Have they Gods spirit who are malicious and unclean? It were blasphemy to say these have the spirit: Will the blessed spirit leave his Caelestial Palace, to come and live in a prison? A sinners heart is a Gaol, both for darkness and noysomness, and will Gods free spirit (Psal. 51. 52) be confined to a prison? A sinners heart is the Embleme of Hell, what should Gods spirit do there? Wicked hearts are not a Temple, but an Hog[…]sty, where the unclean spirit makes his abode, Ephes. 2. 2. The Prince of the power of the Ayr, the spirit that now worketh in the children of¹⁷ disobedience. We would be loath to live in an house haunted with evil spirits; a sinners heart is haunted, Ioh. 13· 27. After the sop Satan entred. Satan venter upon the godly, but enters into the wicked when the Devils went into the herd of swine they ran violently down a steep place into the Sea, Mat. 8. 32. Whence is it men run so greedily to the Commission of sin, but because the Devil hath entred into these¹⁸ Swine.

2. This cuts them off from being godly, who not only want the spirit, but deride it: Like those Iews, Acts 2. 13. These men are full of new wine: And indeed so the Apostles were, they were full of the wine of the spirit: How is Gods spirit scoffed at by the sons of Belial? These (say they) are men of the Spirit. O wretches, to make those tongues which should be Organs of Gods praise, instruments to blaspheme: Have you none to throw your squibs at but the spirit? Deriding of the spirit comes very neer to the despighting of it: How can men be sanctified but by the spirit? therefore to reproach that, is to make merry with their own damnation.

Use 2.¹⁹ As you would be listed in the number of the godly, labour for the blessed indwelling of the spirit; pray with Melancthon, Lord inflame my soul with thy holy²⁰ spirit; and with the Spouse, Awake O Northwind, aad come thou South, blow upon my garden, Cant. 4. 16. As a Mariner would desire a wind to carry him to Sea, so beg the prosperous gales of the spirit; and the Promise may add wings to prayer, Luke 11. 13. If ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Spirit to them that ask him? Gods spirit is a rich Jewel, go to him for it, Lord give me thy spirit, where is the Jewel thou didst promise me? When shall my soul be as Gideons Fleece, wet with the dew of heaven?

Motive. Consider how needful the spirit is, without it we can do nothing acceptably to God.

1 VVe cannot pray without it; ‘tis a spirit of Supplication, Zac. 12. 10. It both helps the invention, and the affection, Rom. 8. 26. The spirit helps us with sighs and²¹ groans.

2. We cannot resist temptation without it, Act. 1. 8. Ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: He who hath the tyde of corrupt nature, and the wind of temptation, must needs be carried down the stream of sin, if the contrary wind of the spirit doth not blow.

3. VVe cannot be fruitful without the spirit. —Aureus imber sitientia caelo corda rigans.—

VVhy is the spirit compared to dew and²²rain, but to show us how unable we are to bring forth a Crop of Grace, unless the dew of God fall upon us?

4. VVithout the spirit no Ordinance is effectual to us; Ordinances are the Conduit-Pipes of Grace, but the spirit is the Spring: Some content themselves that they have a Levite to their Priest, but never look any further; as if a Merchant should content himself that his ship hath good tackling, and is well manned, though it never have a gale of wind: The Ship of Ordinances will not carry us to heaven, though an Angel were the Pylot, unless the wind of Gods Spirit blow: The Spirit is the Soul of the Word, without which it is but a dead letter: Ministers may prescribe Physick, but it is Gods spirit must make it work: Our hearts are like Davids body, when it grew old, they covered him with cloathes, but he gat no heat, 1 King. 1. 1. So though the Minister of God ply us with prayers and counsels as with hot cloathes, yet we are cold and chill till Gods spirit comes, and then we say as the Disciples, Luke 24. 32. Did not our hearts burn within us? Oh therefore, what need have we of the spirit?

5. You who have the blessed spirit manifested by its energy and vital operations:²³ 1. Acknowledge Gods distinguishing love; the spirit is an ear-mark of Election, 1 Iohn 3. 4. Christ gave the bag to Iudas, but not his spirit: The spirit is a Love-token; where God gives his spirit for a pawn, he gives himself for a portion: The spirit is an Epitomizing blessing, it is put for all good things, Mat. 7. 11. What were you without the spirit, but as so many carkasses? Without this Christ would not profit you; the Bloud of God is not enough without the Breath of God: Oh then, be thankful for the spirit; this Loadstone will never leave drawing you, till it hath drawn you up to heaven.

6. If you have this spirit do not grieve it, Eph. 4. 30. Shall we grieve our Comforter?

Quest. How do we grieve the Spirit?

Answ. 1. When we unkindly repel the motions of it: The spirit sometimes whispers in our ears, and calls to us as God did to Iacob, Gen. 35. 1. Arise, go to Bethel. So saith the spirit, Arise, go to prayer, retire thy self to meet thy God: Now when we stifle these motions, and entertain temptations to vanity, this is a grieving of the spirit; if we check the motions of the spirit, we shall lose the comforts of the spirit.

2. We grieve the spirit, when we deny the work of the spirit in our hearts; if one gives another a token, and he should deny it, and say he never received it, this were to abuse the love of his friend: So Christian, when God hath given thee his spirit, witnessed by those meltings of heart, and passionate breathings after heaven, yet thou deniest that thou ever hadst any renewing work of the spirit in thee; this is high ingratitude, and is a grieving the good spirit; renounce the sinful works of the flesh, but do not deny the gracious work of the spirit.

Footnotes

1. 10 Character. ↩

2. Verbum est vehiculum spiritus. ↩

3. Spiritus Dei opulens virtutibus suamque […] impertiens Ambros. de Spir. ↩

4. […]. ↩

5. Omne agens producit sibi simile. ↩

6. Exod. 30. […]5. ↩

7. […] · Chry. ↩

8. […]. ↩

9. Spiritus Dei habitat in nobis quia regit, & gubernat. Paraeus. ↩

10. Spirits praeeunte nullus fit obex. ↩

11. […] ↩

12. Spiritus super mel dulcis, qui vel ipsam mortem suavem reddit. Bern. ↩

13. Psa. 43. ↩

14. Mr. Perkins. ↩

15. Vse 1. ↩

16. 1 Bran. ↩

17. […] Theophilact. ↩

18. Diabolus ab […] impios propellit, donec in aeternum ignem ruant Praecipites. Glassius. ↩

19. Use 3. Exhort. ↩

20. Domine accende animam meam spiritu tu[…]. ↩

21. Suspiria haec & gemitus, à caelesti columba didicerunt sancti. Aug. ↩

22. Si fluvius riparum editis superfusus exu[…]dat, quanto magis spiritus superveniens animam, […]ffusiore quadam […] ubertate laetificat. Ambr. de Spir. ↩

23. Vse 3. ↩