be understood of those extraordinary mira-. culous Effufions of the Spirit, which were vouchfafed to the Chriftians of the Apostles Time, for the quicker fpreading, and the greater Confirmation of the Chriftian Religion; all which Gifts of the Spirit are ceafed in our Days. Now, according to this Notion of the Spirit, the Sense of the Text is this, that the Spirit of God, which was in this Manner poured forth upon the Apoftles and the other Chriftians in their Days, was a Seal and an Evidence to them and to all the World, that the Chriftians. were the Children of God, that he owned their Cause, that he acknowledged them for his People, and would reward them at the Day of the general Retribution: Nay, thefe Works of the Spirit were not only a Seal to the Christians of thofe Days, but to us at this Time, and will be fo to the End of the World. For the Works that were then done, are a Confirmation to us at this Day, of the Truth of Chriftianity, and a Seal that God hath fet to the Evangelical Covenant, that he will make good the Promifes of the Gospel to the whole Succeffion of Believers for ever. This now, it cannot be denied, is a very true Sense of the Spirit's fealing, and ought by no means to be refused or excluded; but yet I conceive it is not the full Senfe of the Words, nor the Senfe principally intended by them. And my Reafon is this, because it appears pretty pretty clear from the Context, and alfo from the Text itself, that the Spirit is here confidered as a Lodger and a Guest in the Heart of Chriftians, and under that Notion they are bound not to grieve him; and every Christian is concerned in that Advice or Precept; and he is therefore concerned, because the Holy Spirit is to feal to him a Title to his eternal Inheritance. But now if the Sptrit's fealing to the Day of Redemp tion be only his Confirmation of Christianity by the extraordinary Works which were wrought in the primitive Times, then either all Perfons are not concerned in the Prohibition of not grieving him (but only those in whom he vouchfafed his extraordinary Prefence in order to the working Miracles): Or, if all Perfons be concerned in it, then the Argument, whereby the Apostle would enforce it, is either none at all, or but a very dry one. It is therefore reasonable to believe, 3. In the third Place, that these Words are spoken, not with relation to the extraordinary Works of the Spirit, but to his constant Affiftances to all Chriftians ; and the true Senfe and Meaning of our being fealed by the Holy Spirit to the Day of Redemption will be this; That the Holy Spirit dwelling in our Hearts, and enabling us to mortify our Lufts, and to live a Life of Purity and Holiness, is that Seal that God hath fet upon us to distinguish us from H 4 the the rest of the World, and to make us his own Children. For any Man to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, is a certain Argument that he belongs to God, and that he fhall be raised up among the Happy at the last Day. On the contrary, whofoever hath not the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, cannot plead any Right to the Promises of everlasting Life made by our Saviour. Which St. Paul does more fully make out in his eighth Chapter of the Ro mans. This then is the Sum of the Text, That we had need be very careful how we grieve or offend the Holy Spirit, because our everlafting Happinefs or Mifery depends upon his dwelling, or not dwelling within us. If we fo carry ourselves as not to grieve him, he will dwell within us; and that Indwelling of his, is our certain Evidence and Security that we fhall be made Partakers of everlasting Life. If by a careless and wicked Courfe, we fo provoke him, that he quits his Habitation, and leaves us to ourselves, then we have no Seal of God upon us, we can challenge no Right or Property to the Rewards of God's Children at the laft Day, but are left in the Crowd of the Miferable, to receive our Portion with apoftate Angels, and with Hypocrites and Unbelievers. Of the various Callings in Life: And the Inferences from thence. That Christianity makes no Change in Human Callings, or in the Civil Relations of Life: And the Inferences from thence. Of the Requifites of a lawful Calling, and how it is to be diftinguifh'd from one that is unlawful. Of Gaming. [Deliver❜d in Two Sermons.] I COR. vii. 17. But as God hath diftributed to every Man, as the Lord hath called every one, fo let him walk: And fo ordain I in all the Churches. A T the firft reading of these Words one would think that God's Dif tribution to every Man, here spoken of, was meant of the Charifmata, or thofe Spiritual Gifts which were were in the Times of the Apoftles plentifully bestowed upon all Sorts of Chriftians in an extraordinary and miraculous Way, for the Edification of the Church, as indeed the Phrafe is fometimes ufed in thefe Epiftles. But the Relation which this Text hath to what goes before doth neceffarily determine us to understand the Words, as God hath diftributed to every Man, in another Way. The Apostle, in this Epiftle, has frequent Occafion to discourse about the Notion and Limits of Chriftian Liberty; and in this Chapter he refolves a Cafe or two ex professo which were put to him about one great Point, wherein it was pretended Chriftian Liberty was mightily concerned, and that was in the Business of Matrimony. The Cafe was this, whether a Christian who was married to an Unbeliever, (that is, either to an Infidel, Few, or Heathen) might not, by virtue of his Chriftian Liberty, depart from the unbelieving Party, and dispose of himself as he thought fit. Of this, St. Paul's Refolution is, that if any, who hath taken v. 12. upon him Chrift's Religion, have an unbelieving Woman to his Wife, and she is willing to dwell with him, notwithstanding his new Religion, he should not put her away: And, v. 13. on the contrary, if a Chriftian Woman had an Infidel for her Husband, fhe should not depart from him fo long as he was willing to cohabit with her. This is the Effect of what he has faid in the Verfes immediately before |