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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 Ghoft 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 must 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 Ghost, 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 offerd 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

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fpel to fuch as are perfwaded of the Truth of it, and rendering it to the Will Worthy of all Acceptation, that by the Understanding was before own'd to be a Faithful Saying. Confequent to thefe and depending upon them are all the Other several parts of the Office of the fame Spirit in our Sanctification, which I fhall but briefly touch upon as they are in fundry places of Scripture rather hinted at, than at large describ'd to us. In fhort 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 firft new Birth of Regeneration to their fecond Birth at the Refurrection; for as St Paul tells us, He that raised 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 Heavinefs, joined to Christ our Head, and affur'd of our Adoption and Everlafting Inheritance. In a word feal'd

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

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

But lastly, for the effecting all these and the like particulars, it is the Office 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 interceede between God and His People, to fend up Prayers to God for them, to Bless them in his Name, to teach the Do&rine of the Gospel,and rightly and duely to adminifter the holy Sacraments inftituted by Chrift; in fhort, 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 Ghoft hath made them Overfeers, to feed the Church God, Acts 20. 28. By all these and the like

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means, do's the Spirit of God Sanctify the Sons of Men, and is therefore properly and peculiarly and in diftinction to all other Spirits called the Holy Spirit; and thus I have, as plainly and as briefly as I could, out of the unerring words of Scripture defcrib'd to you both the Nature and Office of the Holy Ghoft; his Nature in that he is the Spirit of God, and truly God, his Office in that he is the Holy, the Sanctifying Spirit.

And of this Spirit it is that St Paul in my Text fo follicitoufly and in the first place enquires of the Difciples that he met at Ephefus, Acts 19. 1. whether they had receiv'd Him or no. Whereby he fhews us the abfolute Neceffity there is for all Chriftians to receive the Holy Ghoft, without whose dwelling within us we cannot be the Temples, without whofe leading us we cannot be the Sons of God. We all of us have receiv'd this Spirit at our Baptifm, wherein the Holy Ghoft, into whofe Name we were baptiz'd, firft regenerated us, and then took up his Dwelling in us, and would ftill abide in us and actuate us, and dire& and assist and comfort us, if we gave but fuitable Reception, any kind Entertainment to fo Divine a Gueft. But Alas! on the contrary by our Deafness to fecret Whisperings and holy Suggeftions have we not rather, as St Paul fpeaks, griev'd the Holy Spirit of God; have

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we not by obftinate Impenitency, as St Stephen fpeaks, refifted the Holy Ghoft, have we not quench'd the Spirit, have we not finally by a continuance in Sin and thofe Pollutions, which it is impoffible that That Spirit of Holiness and Purity can endure to dwell with, driven him, and quite chas'd him away? made him pronounce the fearful Migremus hinc, and leave the Place he had taken up in our Hearts to be fill'd with wicked and impure Spirits, which furely will come and take poffeffion there, whenever he deserts us? Would we know and be affur'd whether yet the Holy Ghoft is abiding in us? Would we be fatisfy'd of this that fo highly concerns us? There is but one fure way to come to this knowledge, As the Tree is known by it's Fruit, fo is the Holy Ghost. Now the Fruits of the Holy Ghoft, as St Paul reckons them up Gal. 5. are thefe, Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fuffering, Gentlenes, Goodness, Faithfulneß, Meekness, Temperance; On the contrary, the Deeds of the Flefb are these, as the fame Apostle there enumerates them, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanneß, Lasciviousnefs, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Herefies, Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings, and fuch like. This is the Glafs wherein we may behold our felves, whether we have the Holy Ghoft within us or the Spirit of the

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