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Now, if the Neceffity of the Holy Spirit's Affiftance, as well in this Day as in the Time of the Apoftles fhall be thus acknowledg'd and pleaded for by an Eminent Doctor of the Church of England, *isit

not

See the

Church Catechifm.

*Dr. Samuel

Clarke.
Job. 14. 16.
Mat. 28.20.

Rom. 15.16.
1 Pet. 1.2.
Acts 11.24,

1Theff.5.19. Eph.4.30. Heb. 10. 29.

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'Tis the profess'd and avow'd Doctrine of the Church of England, that a Man is not able of himself to walk in the Commandments of God without his special Grace.* And Lesley, a noted Author fays, The Church of England conftantly teaches, that all the faving Graces are wrought in our Hearts by the Infpiration of the Holy Ghoft, infomuch that of our felves, we are not able fo much as to think a good Thought: And that this Infpiration is as neceffary to our fructifying, or bringing forth good Works, as the Influence ⚫ of the Sun is to the Earth's bringing forth Fruits. That 'whatever may bear the Appearance of good Works in us, and is not wrought by this Inspiration is not good, nor acceptable to Gol; as it is exprefs'd in our 13th Article. And another very celebrated*Author of the fameChurch, in his Expofition of the Church Catechifm fays, One of the Offices which the Scripture afcribes to the Holy Spirit is, to abide with Chrifi's Followers for ever, even unto the End of the World, as the great Sanctifier of the Hearts of good Men. Our Duty with Regard to the Holy Ghoft, is to pray to God our Father continually, for the Affiftance of this his Holy Spirit; whereby we may be enabled to overcome all the Temptations of Sin. We are to receive his • Teftimony as deliver❜d down to us in the Writings of the Apoftles and Prophets. To obey his good Motions; be follicitous to obtain his Gifts and Graces, which are the Ha'bits of Moral and Chriftian Virtues; and be careful, above all Things not to quench, and grieve, and drive him from us, left we be found to do Defpite unto the Spirit of Grace.

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After fuch Conceffions as these, may we not wonder to hear the fame Men fay, that we are to expect now no other Infpirations or Teachings of the Holy Spirit, but what we find already in our Bibles, and that to obey the Spirit now, is to obey his Dictates as deliver'd down to us in the inspired Writings. But,

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If this be the Cafe, we would fain know what they mean, when they tell us of the Neceffity of the Holy Ghoft's Infpiration, and of his Abiding with Chrift's Followers to the End of the World? Why are we to pray for the Holy Spirit's Al

fiftance

not strange, that a People who profefs the fame
Doctrine, and from their own Experience bear
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Testimony

fiftance, and how fhall we obey his good Motions? What are thefe good Motions, do we fee or read them in the inspired Writings? Do we find his Gifts and Graces there? How do we quench or grieve the Holy Spirit, if we neither perceive or hear his Voice in us? How can we drive him from but by oppofing his Dictates in us.

In Oppofition to the Sentiments and Opinions of fuch Quel'Esprit Doctors, the Archbishop of Cambray penn'd, we believe, de Dieu Enwhat follows concerning the inward Teachings of the feigne au Spirit.

I Cor. 6.17

dedans. See Oeuvres SpiIt is certain, fays the Bishop, by the Scripture, that rituelles. the Spirit of God dwells in us, that he acts there; that he Tom. 1. ch. prays there without Ceafing; that he groans there; that he 18. defires there; that he asketh there for us that which we know Rom. ch. 8. and Joh. cla not how to ask for our selves; that he excites and animates 14. us; that he speaks in Silence; that he fuggefts all Truth to us;and that he unites us fo to himself, that we are henceforth but one Spirit with God. This is what the Scripture teaches us: This is what the Doctors who are fartheft off from believing the inward Teachings of the Spirit can but acknowledge. And yet notwithstanding thefe clear Principles, they always incline to believe by their Practice, that 'tis only the outward written Law, or at moft a kind of doctrinal Light and Reflection, which enlightens inwardly, and that then our Reafon acts of it felf by means of this Inftrution: They do not regard enough the inward Teacher, which is the Holy Spirit, and which does all in us. He is the Soul of our Souls. We could not frame a Thought, nor create a Defire without him. Alas! how great then is our Blindness!

You will perhaps fay to me, what then are you infpired? Yes, without Doubt, but not as the Prophets and Apoftles were. Without the actual Inspiration of the Spirit of Grace, we could neither do, will nor believe any Good. We are then always infpir'd, but we continually quench this Infpiration. God never ceafes to speak, but the Noife of outward Things, and of our Paffions within, deafen and hinder us from hearing him.- O! how feldom it is that the Soul is filent enough to let God fpeak. The leaft Referve; the leaft Regard to felf, the leaft Fear, left we should hear too plainly that God requires More than we care to give Him,

grieves

19, 20,

Testimony to the fulfiling the aforefaid gracious Promises in their own Particulars, as well as for all needful Purposes in the Church, fhould for that very Reafon be despis'd and call'd Enthusiasts, and by fuch too as fay the Holy Scripture is their Rule, and the Rule of all Chriftians to walk by? Were not thofe in the Apostles Days who quench'd 1Thefs.5. the Spirit, and despis'd Prophefyings, like unto these in our Day, who confine and limit all Teaching and Preaching in the Church to Men only? And do not they who rely on Academical Learning as the best Qualification for a Minister of the Gospel, and deride such as wait for the Influence, Affiftance and Teaching of the Holy Spirit to enable them to pray and preach, justly incur the Cenfure pafs'd on fome among the Theffalonians, who defpis'd Propbefyings or fpeaking by the Spirit?

By

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grieves this inward Voice. What then need we wonder that 10 many Perfons, even fuch as are pious in their Way, but full of amuting Things, vain Defires, falfe Wisdom, and Confidence in their Virtues, cannot hear it, but look upon this inward Voice as a Chimera of Fanaticks? Alas! what then do they mean by their contemptuous Reasoning? To what Purpose would the outward Words of Paftors serve, or even of the Scriptures themselves, if there were not an inward Word of the Holy Spirit himself, which gives the other all its Efficacy? The outward Word even of the Gospel, without this inward living and fruitful Word, would be but a and 2dChap vain Sound. 'Tis the Letter alone that killeth, and 'tis the ters of the Spirit only that can quicken us. 'Tis not therefore the 3d Book of Outward Law only of the Golpel, which God fhows us inwardly by the Light of Reafon and Scripture, 'tis his Spirit which speaks, which affects us, which operates in us; and which animates us; fo that 'tis bis Spirit which does in us whatsoever we do that is good, as it is our Soul, which animates our Body, and which regulates all its Motions. True then it is, that we are continually inspired, and that we live the Life of Grace but in Proportion as we partake of this inward Inspiration.

Thomas à
Kempis.

By the Caution given the Church of Theffalonica, not to quench the Spirit nor defpife Prophefyings, we may gather, that there were fome at that Time, who through a Conceit of their own Knowledge, defpis'd the Inftruments God was pleas'd fometimes to gift with his Spirit, and enable to prophefie or speak in his Name; and the Apostle knowing that the Church of Chrift is edify'd and built up by the Spirit, and that this causeth the whole Body to increafe and edifie it felf in Love, made him leave that very memorable and weighty Caution, which Godeau Bishop of Vence has thus interpreted, * 6 Quench not the

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*Pool's Annot. That ye may be enabled to pray and give Thanks, quench not the Spirit.But theSpirit himself cannot be quenched, he means it therefore of his Gifts and O. perations, which are either Ordinary or Extraordinary. Many had extraordinary Gifts in the primitive Times, of Healing, Tongues, Government, Prophecy, &c. thofe that had them, without Queftion, fhould have taken Care, not by any Fault of their own to lose them; efpecially that of Prophefie, which the Apoftle prefers before all others. 1 Cor. xiv. 1. and mentions here in the following Verse. And which the Apoftle exhorted Timothy to ftir up in himfelf, 2 Tim. i. 6. As we ftir up the Fire to quicken it, fo the Word ava Tuper imports. Defpife not Prophesyings. Thereby we may quench the Spirit, which ufually works upon Men's Minds and Hearts by it.- -The Apoftle means prize, va lue, and highly efteem it, attend upon it, have great Regard to it. It being an Ordinance of God for Inftruction and Edification, yea, and for Converfion alfo, I Cor. xiv. 24,25. Some defpife it, because of the outward Meanness of the Perfons which prophefie, fome through a proud Conceit of their own Knowledge, fome by a Contempt of Religion it self.

* 1 Epiftre de S. Paul aux Theffaloniciens Chap. v. ver. 19. N'eteignez point l'efprit (de la foy & de la charité qui eft en vous. Ou: Permettez à chacun de fe fervir des dons du Saint Efprit, qu'il a receus pour l'edification de l'Eglife) ver. 20. Ne méprifez pas (la Grace de) la Prophetie, (de l'expofition des Efcritures faintes, qui eft donnée à quelquefuns.) Verfion Expliquée du Nouveau Teftament.

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Spirit of Faith and Charity which is in you, Or, permit Every one to exercife the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which he has receiv'd for the Edification of the Church. Defpife not the Grace of Prophefie, that is, the Expofition of the Holy Scriptures which is given to fome.

WHAT this French Bishop calls the Grace of Prophefie, or Gift of the Holy Spirit, given for the Edification of the Church, is excellently well defcrib'd by John de Labadie, who is much celebrated for his extraordinary Gifts andEndowments for the Reformation of the Church, by the pious and very Learned Anna Maria Schurman. †

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*

He fays, that Frophefy, or the Action of Prophefying, is not without the Spirit of God; that 'tis by him it is perform'd, and from him all Prophecy and prophetick Speaking comes. And not only the extraordinary, but the ordinary, fuch as Preaching by the Spirit.

THE Apoftle Paul fpeaking of Revelation, fays, if any Thing is reveal'd to another that is fitting, let the firft hold his Peace, and this • Exercise or Gift he explains (in the 12th Chap.) under the Term Revelation. Now the Revelation he speaks of is divine, and he means by it no other than the Manifeftation of Truth, and Things which the Spirit of Faith and Wisdom gives. And by taking Notice that this Revelation may happen on a fudden, whilft another is fpeaking, he fhews that it must come from God, whofe Spirit ought to teach and conduct the

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See her Life written in Latin by her own Hand, entitled, A. M. à Schurman Euxanpia feu melioris pirtis Eleatio. * Traité Ecclefiaftique, ou'le Difcernement d'une veritable Eglife fuivant l'Ecriture Sainte. Par Jean de Labadie, Pafteur.

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