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with much terror.

and mixt more rare and fparing than afterwards, and mixed with much terror. The legal economy was then in its vigour as the covenant of grace was revealed more obfcurely, and in much enigmatical darkness, fo likewife it was not intimated to the confcience with fuch evidence of demonftration: a hand-writing, in the mean time, was alfo required to be renewed by the blood of daily facrifices, as by fo many fubfcriptions; a thirst after better promifes was railed, tho not yet to be quenched: by thefe means, thofe noble operations of the fpirit were fo clouded in moft, that, in comparison of the joyful abundance under the the Spirit New Teftament, the fpirit is faid, John 7. 39, not to have been under the Old. This is not to be unto have been un- derstood in fuch a reftricted fenfe, as to make us ima der the O. gine, that the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, pour

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ed out on the day of Pentecoft, are here only intend ed. For, fomething is promifed, which is common to all believers in Chrift, and which is faid not to have been, before Chrift was glorified. But what is that? It is the full and illuftrious exhibition of the Spirit, which Chrift deferred, till he took folemn poffeffion of his kingdom, and which appeared in those vifible gifts, as in fo many mirrors, which is alfo to be extended to the gracious fruits of Adoption: aş Calvin has well obferved on this place.

And at XI. And indeed, we often find in Scripture, that 1.ngth the Holy Spirit is fo promised to the New Testament, promifed as if there was no fuch thing under the Old, Ifa. 35uder the 6, 7; and 44. 3. Ezek. 34. 26, 27. Joel 2 28. Zecb.

New.

14. 8, compared with Ezek. 47. 1----All which things belong to the times of the Meffiah's kingdom, now manifefted in the world. To this alfo we are to refer, what Jehn the Baptift faid of Chrift, Mat. 3. 11, that be would baptize the children of Abraham with the Holy Ghoft and with fire. For, feeing the Baptift fpeaks this not to the Apoftles, but to the Jews, that flocked to hear him; that miraculous effufion of the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the Apoftles, which our Lord

himself

himself calls a baptifm, feems not to be denoted, only but also that fanctifying grace of the Spirit, which had, and exerted a fiery efficacy on the hearts of believers, by penetrating, illuminating, fetting on fire, purging, feparating the drofs from the pure gold, or the precious from the evil and by elevating and transforming the object enflamed into its own nature: and with this paffage it feems we should by all means compare what is faid, Ifa. 4 4, when the Lord fhall have washed away the fith of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Ferufalem from the midft thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the Spirit of burning. Moreover, that extraordinary work, which was wrought in the Apostles, contained the first fruits and earnest of the fulfilment of the general promifes concerning theSpirit, as appears from the application of the prophesy of Foel, and Peter's explication of it, Acts 2: 28, 39. Chryfoftom therefore obferves well, Homil. 11, that John, by this expeffion, fignified the abundance, the vebemence and the irreftibleness of grace.

XII. As thefe things were promised, fo they were To which alfo fulfilled under the New Teftament. For, the a larger Spirit of God then produced a clearer manifeftation of share was the covenant of grace, a higher fenfe of divine love, granted. a more delightful freedom of the kingdom of God, a more confident boldnefs, more abundant confolations, a stronger affurance, more fpiritual holiness, and who can pretend to recite all? This will appear, if we make a juft comparison of heroes with heroes, and of more ordinary believers with others of the fame kind; according to the prophefy of Zech. 12. 8. See Tit. 3. 5, 6.

+ I confefs this does not come up to the full force of the author's words, which are feperando beterogenea ab homogeneis, tho' they exprefs his general meaning.

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XIII. Mean

And at

er than

now.

XIII. Mean while, we are to obferve, that, in the firft great- beginning of the New Teftament, God diftributed much more plentifully to believers, than frequently afterwards. Certainly, nothing can be spoken with greater pomp of language, than what Paul often declared concerning himself, and other believers in his day. For, as to confolation and tranquillity of foul, I. As to what can be more excellent, than what he affured confola- the Philippians, even peace which paffeth all understanding, Phil. 4.7. Agreeable to this is what Peter writes; that they who love Chrift and believe in him, rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, full of glory. 1 Pet. 1. 8. And what John alfo fays, that perfect love, fuch as is produced by the Gospel, cafteth out all fear, 1 John 4. 18. And really it feems evident, that, in a peace fo noble and ferene, in a joy almoft fo incredible, there can be no room for any unruly paffion, fear or trembling.

tion.

2. As to holiness.

3. As to

XIV. And then, the Apoftle gives fuch excellent encomiums of their holiness, as may be judged very far to tranfcendent the measure of our days: when he thus declares concerning himself, that he was crucified with Chrift, that he did no longer live, but Chrift lived in him; as if his fpirit and life, like that of an inferior order, were swallowed up in the more illuftrious spirit and life of Chrift, as the fun in the heavens extinguishes the light of the stars; and all the life, he lived, flowed from no other principle, but the faith and love of the Son of God, Gel. 2. 20. Nay, he openly declares his contempt of all the things, which other men fo highly value, and that he prizes Chrift alone, and that, forgetting the things which are behind, he preffes forwards with a large pace, and a moft fpeedy courfe to perfection, Phil. 3. 7, 8, 14. Who of us will deny, that he does not come far fhort of thefe high attainments?

XV. The Apostle every where openly profeffed an hope and incredible hope and affurance of the future inheritance: afurance. and he undoubtedly defcribes his affurance, towards the clofe of the eighth chapter to the Romans, in fuch magnificent language, that nothing more emphati

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cally strong can be conceived. Let that animated gloriation in the Lord be attentively read, and we shall fee, that it sets forth, in an extraordinary pomp of words, the immenfe abundance of the Spirit inhabiting his noble breaft, and the fparkling flames of the love of God kindled in his heart. He also clearly difplays his hope, 2 Cor. 5. 1, 2. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Phil. 1. 23, whereby he was fo far from fearing death, at the mention of which most people are ready to tremble for fear, that, on the contrary, he embraced it with open arms, and longed to be diffolved, that he might have the more full enjoyment of Chrift.

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XVI. Indeed, if any one fhall compare thefe mag- God difnificent expreffions, with what is obferved among be- penfing lievers at this day, he will be obliged to own, that thefe they come far fhort of that eminence and excellence; freely. they are fo mean, poor and fading, in comparison of these unparallelled expreffions, which, with aftonishment we admire in the Apostle. But doubtlefs the Spirit bloweth when, how, and where he lifteth: it does not become us, to set bounds to him. In the beginning of the Gofpel God fhewed, what he can do, and what on the other hand, he will do, when he fhall restore life, as it were, from the dead, Rom. 11. 15.”"Ešex” isex Aw pia es arife, arife, thou charming friendly fun! ནཱ ༔

XVII. To this Spirit the Apostle principally The more efpecial afcribes two effects, Rom. 8. 15, 16, the former of effects of which is, the making us cry, Abba, father; the latter, the Spirit. that together with our Spirit, itself beareth witness, that we are the children of God: and as thefe two things contain the highest confolation, it will not be improper to explain them with all the accuracy, we are able.

XVIII. The Holy Spirit is never idle, where he is; It makes there the heart w brings forth a good speech, us speak. Pf. 45. 1. The Spirit is that mystical new wine, which makes the virgins chearful (eloquent), Zech. 9. 7; and caufeth the lips of those, that are asleep, to

Speak

And cry.

Abba father.

tion.

Speak, Cant. 7. 9. They who have the Spirit of faith, as they believe, fo they speak, 2. Cor. 4. 13.

XIX. Nor do they only fpeak, muttering like the ventriloquifts, who fpeak from the belly, or, like thofe, who scarce fpeak out what they have conceived in their mind, fear having reftrained their faultering tongue; but they confidently cry out with a loud voice. Nor is it in vain, that the Apoftle both here and Gal. 4. 6, ufes the term crying. It denotes that boldness, freedom, and courage, with which we are commanded to approach the throne of grace, Heb. 4. 16, and prefént our requests there.

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XX. But what does he principally teach us to cry Abba father. Servants and hand-maids, of old were not suffered to call their masters by the name of Father, as the very learned Selden, de Succeffionibus c. 4. has fhewn from the law of the Hebrews. But the fervants and hand-maids of God, both under the Old and New Testament, are allowed this privilege; as was fhewn above from Ifa. 63. 26. Job. 34. 36: To which I now add, Ifa. 64. 8, and Jer. 3. 4. When Christ commanded his difciples to pray, Our father, which art in heaven, he used an expreffion well known to, and very common among the Jews. Thus Maimonides in Tephilloth way w, our father, who art in heaven, fo deal with us, as thou haft promised by the prophets.

Emphafis XXI. And the doubling of words, Abba father, of that in- both here and in the Epistle to the Galatians, is very gemina- emphatical. The former being of Hebrew, and the latter of a Greek original. Did not the Apostle, by this, intend to teach us, that, under the influence of the Spirit, God was now to be called Father, by believers of whatever nation, or in whatever language? For, the reafon of this repetition, feems here to be different from that in Mark chap. 14. 36; where we have a fummary of Chrift's prayers, and the latter may be imagined to be added by Mark, as an explanation of the former. For, Chrift fpoke not in

Greek,

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