Chapter IV
His operations upon the church, the body of Christ ; and that first as col lectively taken, the whole thereof.
II. Let us now consider the operations of the Holy Ghost in and upon the church, collectively taken, as the body of Christ.
1. He was the first founder of the church of tbe New Testament. The apostle, writing to the Ephesians, who (as you know) had formerly gloried of their temple of Diana as one of the seven wonders of the Gentile world, sets before them, chap, ii., an infinitely far greater and more glorious temple, whereof they themselves, he tells them, were a part, even the church universal of the New Testament, consisting of Jew and Gentile : Eph. ii. 21, A building fitly framed together, that groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord. But then, who is the builder and framer of this fabric, age after age, till all is perfect ? And through whom also is it that this temple, when built, is consecrated unto God for a mansion-house or habitation, who hath the whole world to dwell in ? The 22d verse
ye (Ephesians) are also shews both, In whom (namely, Christ) builded up together for an habitation of God through the Spirit ; which in the coherence with the former, is as if he had said, He that made you, the Ephesians, a church (which was as a particular member of that uni versal body), as members in particular, 1 Cor. xii. 27, the same Spirit was the builder of that great cathedral in which are comprehended all par ticular churches as smaller oratories ; so as he is the great founder of all,
14 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK I. both in the whole, yea, of every member that worships therein. Thus, in ver. 18, Through him (namely Christ) we have both (Jew and Gen
through the Spirit. Yea, he is the soul of tile) access to God (but) this one body; Eph. iv. 4, There is one body and one Spirit. Christ bears the relation of head to this body ; but who is the universal soul, which is in all, and every part of it ? It is the Holy Ghost ; and oh ! how glorious a church and body shall Christ have, when all are met and set to ! Eph. v. 27. At that gether, and filled full of this Spirit at the latter day day it is he will present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Thus spake the husband, the head, of this spouse. But who is the soul that gives this beauty, that formed this symme try of all the members, and adds life to all ? The Holy Ghost. And now, let us think what a mighty and vast work this of forming and building the universal church is, whereof this Holy Spirit is the former and effecter. There was a perfect pattern and platform of the whole and every member thereof in God s breast, an idea also in Christ s (as appears by the lastcited Eph. v.) which this Spirit will bring in the end the whole unto, and frame each living stone in the building to bear a due, suitable, and comely proportion in the whole, and each to other. And this is, and hath been providentially a-doing and a-framing in every part thereof, in all and every age, and hath been wrought from the beginning of the world, in the several parcels apart, even as each piece of tapestry in hangings use to be wrought in little bits and small parcels, which, when finished, are then at last set together. And this Spirit, who is the dedolator, the architectonics! master-workman, hath in his eye every degree of grace he works in every of these members hearts who is a stone in this building, according to the pattern which the Father and Christ have in their idea and model, of every particular, as also of the whole, and exactly frames each and the whole unto their mind, and misseth not the least of the set proportion in the pattern, which, in so long, so various, and multifarious a work to do (as this therefore must be sup posed), what infinite wisdom and power doth it require, and argues him to be God, that is in God, as the spirit of a man within him, and * searcheth the deep things of God.
2. All the means of the church s edification (as the word, ministry, and all gospel ordinances) all which are the goods and chattels, the householdstuff of the church universal ( Paul and Apollos are theirs ), these are all of him, and blessed by him. He wrote the Scriptures, 2 Peter i. 21, gave the prophecies, 1 Peter i. 11, revealed the gospel, Eph. iii. 5, in such a manner and measure, and with such an enlargement as never before, to the sons of men.
The care of all that great affair of the ministry, and the work thereof, is incumbent on him, lies on his hands to manage. In the New Testament we find him once immediately speaking in his own person, and taking on him as a person (as the Father had done afore when he said, This is my well-beloved Son ) ; and the occasion was particular about the execution of * The Holy Ghost said, Sepa rate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. In which effort of his, he speaks as one entered upon an office or work committed to him, and betrusted with him. And it is as if he had said, this is my work proper to me, I am the immediate governor and adminis this work of the ministry, it is in Acts xiii. 2, trator herein ; for all that any way concerns the edification of the church is committed to my management and care. And he says he had designed Paul and Barnabas to one part, as Peter and John to another, Gal. ii.,
CHAP. IV.] IN OUR SALVATION. 15 yea, all their gifts are his, in him, and he as a person that is the sovereign thereof, distributes them as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 4, 7. He makes minis ters, John xx. 22. And that power to declare that sins are forgiven, and so set free men s consciences, is from their having received the Holy Ghost first, Christ breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; and then adds, Whose sins ye remit, are remitted. And as he makes ministers, so he sends out ministers, Acts xiii. 4 ; and in vain it is for them to go until he comes upon them. The apostles are therefore com manded to stay going forth into the world till they should have received the Holy Ghost, Acts i. 8. He appoints the place and people any of them should go unto, and forbids and hinders where they should not be usefully employed. He gives them orders : he bids Philip go to the eunuch, Acts viii. 29 ; and Acts xi. 12, he sends Peter to Cornelius ; and on the other side, he forbids to preach to such or such. Paul and Timothy were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach in Asia, Acts xvi. 6 ; and they
essayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not, ver. 7. And when they preach, it is he prompts them with their sermons, Mark again xiii. 11. The apostles spake as the Spirit gave them utterance, and when they spake, they spake apophthegms, as the word is, weighty sayings
1 Cor. ii. 13, Which things we speak, not in the words which man s wis dom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing spiritual things with spiritual ; that is, suiting expressions to the gravity and weight of the things delivered. He fires their tongues and hearts, that they should not speak mere empty and powerless words, nor shoot powder, but fiery bullets, such as have warmth and life in them. And when they preach, he makes their sermons to be the ministration of the Spirit, to * the power of God unto salvation. All the power of sermons is from the Holy Ghost : convey himself unto their hearts, and to make the gospel
1 Thes. i. 5, Our gospel was not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost ; 1 Peter i. 11, 12, the gospel is said to have been preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, who waiteth and watcheth when ye come to sermons, and at the speaking such a word as will do your : Acts x. 44, Whilst they were speaking hearts good, he falls upon you these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them. I might shew the same in all the ordinances, but of them after.
For a conclusion. It may be truly said (as it hath been by some of the ancients) that as Christ was the fulfiller of the law, and the end of the law (Rom. x.), so that the Spirit is the complement, the fulfiller, and maker good of all the gospel, * otherwise all that Christ did would have profited us nothing, if the Holy Ghost did not come into our hearts and bring all home to us. Christ made his will by his death, Heb. ix ; but the Spirit is his administrator. Christ s blood and purchase gave us, by his redeem ing us, jus ad rem ; but the Holy Ghost, by applying it, only jus in re ; he gives us possession, livery, and seisin. Himself is the Arrha : the earnest and the investiture of all is by him. The promises had been but as blanks else to us ; but it is the Holy Ghost is the sealer of us by them, the verifier of them, 2 Cor. i. 20, 22. Christ also came, and delivered his commands to his apostles, to teach his church to do them, as in Mat. xxviii. 20 ; but withal it is expressly said of him, and that after his being risen again, that he gave those his commands to them by the Holy Ghost, Acts i. 2. And then again, those great truths he uttered only by word of mouth ; but it was the Holy Ghost which recovered them when they were almost lost, * Christus legis, Spiritus evangelii complementum. Tertul.
16 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK I. and in a manner clean gone out of the apostles weak and shallow memories and understandings. And he it was that added a thousand more truths to them, which Christ never uttered ; to whom therefore Christ refers them : John xvi. 12, 13, I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth ; for he shall not speak of himself ; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak.
Only by the way, let ministers and Christians take notice what is the glory of the ministry, even the Holy Ghost. Thus Paul himself, 1 Cor. ii. 4, My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. The phrase, 2 Cor.
He hath made us able ministers of the Spirit. The words in that text are indeed iii. 6, is, * ministers of the New Testament, but it follows in the same verse, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. And this New Testament, or the gospel, says the apostle, ver. 3, is ministered by us with the Spirit of the living God. Our abilities lie in our being made more or less instru ments, by whom the Holy Ghost is pleased to communicate himself. Acts xi. 24 it is said, Barnabas was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, in his own person ; * and much people was added to the Lord. A preacher, in the primitive language, is termed, He that ministereth the Spirit, Gal. iii. 2, 5. And therefore value ministries by this ; and let ministers seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is still prefaced of their preaching, such or such an one was filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake, as Acts iv. 8, and Acts ii. 3, 4.