351 us, to the glory of God. God receives such a one into his communion; and shall not I receive him into mine? Christ receives such a one, even unto the glory of the Father; and shall not I receive him into my fellowship? when once the spirits of men come to be awed into a subjection unto the divine authority in this thing, so as to reckon it profane to prescribe bounds and terms unto Christian communion, other than Go₫ and Christ have prescribed themselves; then no doubt will this blessed effect obtain and take place in the Christian church, then will it become an entire united thing, one thing within itself, and never till then. As long as we must have terms of Christian communion of men's own devising, according to the different humours of men, they will still vary, and so we shall never know where to be.

Thus we have considered that first effect to be expected from the Spirit generally poured forth, in order to promote the peaceful state of the church, namely, the union of christians amongst themselves. I would add something concerning another particular mentioned, as conducive also to the same peaceful state.

(i.) Order is another blessed effect to be looked for from the pouring out of the Spirit, and that belongs unto the Christiani community as a community, and is most necessary unto the making up of that happy time and state of things, whereof we have been speaking. It is very plain, that this superadds somewhat unto union. It is a bad union, where there is not order. Union speaks the compactiveness of parts; order the due situation of them, that every one be in that place which duly belongs to it. Suppose there were never so much union in the parts of the natural body, but the eyes were placed where the ears should be, and the hands where the feet should be; notwithstanding all the union of parts, the lack of order would make this thing uncomfortable to itself, and deformed and monstrous in the view of others. There are many members in one and the same body; and these members have all their distinct place and use and purpose that they serve for, as the apostle at large discourses, 1 Cor. 12. Now the Spirit of God cannot be poured forth, but it will infer a comely order in the Christian church: by the same operation by which it gives it life, it will give it shape and comeliness, and a due figure and disposition of parts within itself. It was well said concerning this matter by a worthy person; "God will certainly not be wanting in point of shape and comely order to a church, that hath a principle of life within itself." He that clothes lilies, and gives life unto the sensitive creatures, and gives them their

* See page 321.

own proper shape also; will no doubt do so unto the lively body of his own Son: he will never be wanting to it in point of shape and comely order, when it comes to be a lively vigorous thing by how much the fuller of life, so much certainly thẹ order will be the more comely and pleasant, by its own choice, and much more as directed by his rules. To evince this, consider these several things.

[i.] The Spirit poured forth comes to be, in them that receive it, as a certain kind of nature; it is called the divine nature. Nature, you know, acts uniformly and orderly in all its operations. How regular are the courses of nature? how constant the returns of days and nights, of summer and winter? how strictly do all the species and kinds of things keep all their own kind, retain their properties, colours, virtues, ways and methods of operation? The Spirit of God, working (as it is received in the hearts of christians,) even as a certain kind of nature, must needs work uniformly; and so have a steady tendency to the begetting and keeping up of order in the whole community, that shall be aggregated by it.

[ii.] It cannot be, but that, by how much the Spirit doth more obtain and shall be generally poured forth amongst men, each one will be more peculiarly adapted and fitted to the business of his own station, so as that he will thereupon choose that as fittest for him.

[iii.] It cannot be, but that all men will be more debased and humbled, and equal estimators of themselves and therefore apprehend not themselves fit for a station, unto which they are not called.

[iv.] The Spirit poured forth will no doubt make men more generally apprehensive of, and reverentially subject to the authority of God himself, in all his own ordinances and appointments: and therefore, where one is to teach, and others to be taught; some to govern, others to be governed; the authority, that doth design men unto more public stations and capacities, will be considered as divine. We notionally know so much already; but it will be another thing, when that impression is made upon the hearts of christians; "He that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God."

[v.] The Spirit poured forth cannot be without making men generally very tender of the community, unto which they belong; and of the whole Christian community in general as every one can easily apprehend, how this would be prejudiced, if order be broken, and men commonly allow themselves the liberty to step out of their own ranks and stations, to be and do what they are not called to be or do.

The concurrence of these things cannot but infer, that whenever the Spirit of God shall be generally poured forth, the

Christian church will fall into order: there will need no great hammering in reference to that, the business will even do of itself. All will know, and all will mind their own stations and the business of them; and apprehend their own unfitness for any station, unto which God doth not call; and apprehend their privilege in not being so called, in being exempt from the number and burden of more public stations: as certainly exemption, if it were understood, is a very great privilege; when God doth not lay any farther charge upon me, than only to intend the business of a narrower station and a lesser sphere; when I can be vacant unto God, and for his commerce, and there walk with him undisturbly within my own line; while others are eaten up with cares and solicitudes concerning the common affairs, that they are concerned in, and intrusted with the management of. No doubt the Spirit of God will help every man to make a true judgment of things, when it comes to be generally poured forth: and this, that hath been just spoken of, cannot but be judged; because it is a very great privilege to have freedom and vacancy for the proper business of a christian as such, within his own calling and verge; when God shall, as it were providentially, say unto a man, "I lay no other charge upon thee, but to walk with me in thy own station and within the bounds of thy own calling, to make me the entire object of thy love and delight, and at all times to solace thyself with me; I exempt thee from things, that would disturb and disquiet and divert from the business and delights of such a continued course of walking with me." When this comes to be generally understood, there will be little disposition in the minds of men to break order, by usurping upon what belongs not to them.

Thus far you see, that little else can be thought needful to the bringing about of a very happy time and state of things, bee sides the pouring forth of the Spirit.

SERMON XIV*.

WE

E have been shewing in many discourses, what a good state of things or happy times are to be brought about by the Spirit of God poured forth. And hitherto we have been endeavouring at large to evince the efficacy and sufficiency of this means to the end mentioned; undertaken to be made evident. shew

which was the first thing + We are now to proceed to

2. The necessity of this means to reach such an end: that as it is a sufficient means, you may also understand it to be the only means, of bringing such a work about. And for evincing this, two things, clear enough in themselves, seem abundantly sufficient; namely, that nothing can mend the world, but what mends the spirits of men: and, that nothing can effectually do that but the Spirit of the Lord poured forth. These are things that shine into our minds and understandings with their own light.

(1). As to the former; What else do we think can mend the times, but what mends men's spirits? doth not every thing necessarily act and work just as it is? how can the posture of the world come to be other than at present, if the active principles of men's spirits continue the same?

Preached September 18th, 1678. † See page 256.

(2.) And as to the latter; What besides the Spirit of God can effectually mend the spirits of men, so as to make the state of things thoroughly and generally better?

What other cause can be universal enough, and spread its influence far and wide, to make a better world? There wants a cause in this case, that can diffuse and influence a vast way. That a nation should be born in a day, that the earth should be filled with the knowledge of God, that there should be new heavens and a new earth; this needs a cause that can work every where and what else can do this but the Spirit of the Lord? And again,

What other cause is potent enough, of sufficient energy, of virtue piercing and penetrative enough, to do such a work as must be done upon the spirits of men, before the state of things will come to be better? what else can shiver rocks, and melt down mountains, and make rough places plain? what else, do you think, can dissolve adamantine hearts, subdue insolent passions, assuage and mortify furious lusts? what else can change men's natures, transform the very habit of their minds, and make them generally quite other men, other creatures, than they have been? unto what agent inferior to this can we attribute the ability to create? New heavens and a new earth are to be created, İsa. 65. 17. You know how they were created at first: "By faith we understand, that the worlds were created by the word of God." The heavens and the earth were the products of the breath of his mouth, with all that is contained in them so must the spiritual creation be, as much as the natural. What, do we think, can make all the violences and mischiefs to cease out of the earth, that fill it with continual tragedies every where, and more or less at all times? Nothing is more evident, than that the Spirit of the Lord alone is a cause proportionable to such an expected effect.

And the matter will be yet more evident, if you do but consider these two things together.

[1.] That the spirits of men are most horribly depraved, and wickedly bent in themselves to such things as tend to nothing but destruction and calamity. It is said of men universally, that destruction and misery are in their ways. Rom. 3. 16.

[2.] That all these wicked inclinations of men's spirits are continually fostered and fomented by another spirit distinct from their's, and over and beside their's. The spirit that worketh in the hearts of the children of disobedience, (Eph. 2. 2.) makes the world and the church miserable, so far as it prevails. Now what can we oppose to that spirit, but the Spirit of the living God? While that spirit is the great tormenter and disturber of the world, that disquiets all things, that sets the spi