able to conceive the Diftinet Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Godhead, without fome Diftinction of their Offices and Operations; in reference to Us therefore does the Scripture condefcend fo far to our Capacities, as to attribute by way of Ap propriation, as Divines call it, fome of thofe Great Works to One Perfon, and fome to Another, after a more special Manner than to the Reft. Thus Power and Creation is commonly afcrib'd to the Father, Wisdom and Redemption to 'the Son, and Goodness and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost. According as we are taught in the excellent Catechism of our Church, where the Queftion after the Creed being put, What doft thou chiefly learn in thefe Articles of thy Be. lief? The Anfwer is, Firft, Ilearn to believe in God the Father who hath made me and all the World; Secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeem'd me and all Mankind; Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who fanctifieth me and all the Elect People of God. Sanctification then being the chief and peculiar Office of the Bleffed Spirit, we shall endeavour to fhew out of Holy Writ, by what Method he proceeds in this great Work, in which his feveral Operations may more diftinctly be confider'd.

And the firft Operation of this Holy Spirit in the Work of our Sanctification is the producing of Faith in us. For we being

by

by Nature totally void of all faving Truth, and under an impoffibility of knowing of ourselves the Will of God, fince as the Apostle fays, 1 Cor. 2. 10, 11. None knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God, This Spirit that fearcheth all things, yea even the deep things of God, revealeth them to the Sons of Men; nor is that all, he does not only propound to us outwardly and generally all Saving Truths in the Holy Books written as they were Infpir'd by him, but inwardly and particularly Illuminates the Understanding of all that Believe, that they may fee and embrace the Truth. He is therefore call'd by the Apoftle, Ephef. 1. 17. The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. Not of Revelation only, in propounding the Object to be Believ'd, but of Wisdom, in enlightening the Subject that is to Believe. So that not Only the outward Revelation of the Word of God, but the internal Illumination of the Soul of Man, is altogether both in its first Original and all its further Growth and Encrease, the Gift of the Holy Ghoft. But as the Things of God are Foolishness to the Natural Man's Understanding, fo they are Enmity to his Will: the Second Part therefore of this great Work of Sanctification is the renewing of Man's Will by the fame Spirit, and making it inclinable and obfequious to the Will of God, which is

properly.

properly called Regeneration. According to his Mercy he faveth us by the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft, Tit. 3. 5. The Holy Gholt makes the New Creature, and is the firft Principle of the Spiritual Life. By the fame Spirit that Chrift himself was Conceiv'd, by the fame Spirit alfo muft the Chriftian be. The fame way that the Old World was made in the beginning, by the Spirit moving upon the Waters of the deep, the very fame way is the World made New by the fame Spirit moving on the Waters of Baptifm. For as our Saviour told Nicodemus, except a Man be born again of Water and the Holy Ghoft, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

These are the two Principal Parts of the Office of the Holy Ghoft, namely, the renewing of Man in the two commanding Faculties of the Soul, the Understanding and the Will; without the Renovation of both which, it is impoffible to have a Sanctifying or Saving Faith. For after having offer'd Outward Motives of Credibility, fufficient to create a Rational Affent in the Mind, out of this Rational Affent to form in the Heart a Chriftian Faith, which includes, befides a bare Belief, a Complacency alfo and Delight in the Doctrine that it receives, is a further Effect of the good Spirit of God, evincing the Goodness of the Gospel

fpel to fuch as are perfwaded of the Truth of it, and rendring it to the Will Worthy of all Acceptation, that by the Understanding was before own'd to be a Faithful Saying. Confequent to these and depending upon them are all the Other several parts of the Office of the fame Spirit in our San&ification, which I shall but briefly touch upon, as they are in fundry places of Scripture rather hinted at, than at large defcrib❜d to us. In short then, this bleffed Spirit by a Secret and Unconceivable, but a Powerful and Effectual Operation fanctifies all the Elect People of God, abiding in 'em, and quickening and actuating them from their first new Birth of Regeneration to their fecond Birth at the Refurrection; for as St. Paul tells us, He that raifed up Chrift from the dead, fball alfo quicken your mortal Bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you, Rom. 8. 11. By Him we are regenerate at the first in our Baptifm, By Him after confirm'd by the Impofition of hands, By Him after renew'd to Repentance when we fall away, By Him taught all our Life long what we knew not, put in mind of what we forget, ftirr'd up in what we are dull, helped in our Prayers, relieved in our Infirmities, comforted in our Heaviness, joined to Chrift our Head, and affur'd of our Adoption and Everlasting Inheritance. In a word feal'd

to

to the Day of Redemption, and rais'd up again at the Laft Day.

Thus doth the Holy Spirit Direct, Sanctifie, and Govern every particular Member of the Myftical Body of Christ..

But laftly, for the effecting all thefe and the like particulars, it is theOffice of the fame Spirit, to take a general care of the whole Church, in fetting apart and Sanctifying Perfons for the Duty of the Miniftry, ordaining them to intercede between God and His People, to fend up Prayers to God for them, to Bless them in his Name, to teach the DoEtrine of the Gospel, and rightly and duly to adminifter the holy Sacraments inftituted by Chrift; in short, to perform all things neceffary for the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Miniftry, for the Edifying of the Body of Chrift. Ephef. 4. 12. He who in the beginning, and at the firft Foundation of the Church, enlighten'd the Apostles as at this time, and endu'd them with Power from above, to perform Perfonally their Apoftolical Function, fitted them alfo for the Ordination of others and the committing of a standing Power unto a Succeffive Miniftry to the end of the World, who are thereby oblig'd to take heed unto themselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overfeers, to feed the Church of God, Acts 20. 28. By all thefe and the like

P

means,