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Except the Lord build the House, they labour in vain. that build it; and except the Lord keep the City, the watchman watcheth but in vain; fo alfo except the Lord through his Word, pour forth the promise of the Spirit, and by that Spirit of his, in and through the Word enlarge and govern the Church, they labour in vain that undertake these things of themfelves. For it is the Spirit alone, that through the faithful miniftry of the Word, makes the increase of the Church, and lays hold on all the Elect, and brings them through Faith, into the Unity of the Son and of the Father, and teaches them, and orders them, and governs them, and preferves them. And therefore you fee here, that the Promife of the Spirit is firft performed, before the Church of God hath any Enlargement, or Government.

And now from thefe General things we proceed ticular to the words more particularly. Ye shall receive handling Power when the Holy Ghoft is come upon you. And here we may note two things.

of the words.

The Dour.

1. What he Promises them, and that is Power, you shall receive Power.

2. How they fhould be made Pertakers of that Power, and that was, by the Holy Spirits coming upon them.

The Point we will infift on from both, is this.

That the receiving of the Spirit, is the receiving of Power; till we receive the Spirit, we are altogether without Power; and when we receive the Spirit, then first of all, do we receive Power; Power from on high.

By Nature, we are all without ftrength, weak, impotent Creatures, utterly unable to do any thing that is truly and fpiritually righteous and good. For by nature, we are nothing but flesh, for that which is born of flesh is flesh, and all flesh is grafs, a fading, withering and decaying thing, together with all the flowers of it, that is, the perfections

and

and excellencies of it. So that by nature, we are all without power, because we are nothing but fleh, of which, weakness is an infeparable adjunct.

Bat when we receive the Spirit, we receive The Spi power; for power is an infeparable adjunct of the rit is PowSpirit, as weakness is of flesh; yea the Spirit it felfer two which is given us, is power, and that both effenti- ways. ally and operatively, in it felf, and in us.

T.

1. The Spirit is power effentially in it felf; for it is one God with the Father and the Son, co-effential, Effentially co-equal, co-eternal; and fo as Chrift is the power in it felf. of God, fo alfo is the fpirit, the power of God; yea the Spirit is the God of power, as well as the power of God. So that the Spirit is power in himfelf effentially, and he that partakes of the power of the Spirit, partakes of that power, which is God, and no creature.

2. The Spirit, is power operatively in us, by being in us.

2.

being in

ledge.

Operative 1. A Spirit of Knowledge, for the Holy Spirit ly in us, by teaches us to know the things that are freely given us. to us of God; yea, he teaches us to know, what I. fin is, and what righteousness; what death is, and Aspirit of what life; what heaven is, and what hell; what nowour felves are, and what God is, and these things he teaches us to know, otherwife than other Men know them. In a word, the Spirit teaches a Chriftian to know all things, that is, to know God, and the Kingdom of God, and all the things of both, all other things being nothing in comparison of these. Thus the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of knowledge in us, and fo of power for knowledge is the ftrength of a Man. Whereas an ignorant Man is a weak Man, you may carry him whether you will; but knowledge renders a Man ftrong and unmoveable. And in all things, wherein the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of knowledge in us, he is also a Spirit of strength. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Power in us, by be- Power

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2.

ASpirit

to

ing in us a Spirit of Truth. And fo the Spirit is, because it doth not only lead us unto the Truth (that is unto the word which is the only Truth, as it is written, Sanctifie them through the Truth, thy Word is Truth, but also the Spirit leads us into the Truth; it leads us into the Truth, and the Truth into us, till we and it, become one by an infeparable Union. The Holy Spirit takes a Believer, and leads him into one Truth after another, till at laft it leads him into all Truth. Now wherein the Spirit, is a Spirit of Truth to us, it is a Spirit of Power; for through the Truth we learn from the Spirit of Truth, we are altogether ftedfaft and unmoveable, among variety of different and contrary winds of Doctrine. And this is the very caufe, that among fo many divifions, and factions, and errors, and herefies, which woefully prevail in these present times of ours, the People of God are not feduced and overcome, wit, because they are all taught of God, of God and not of Men, and have the Spirit of Truth, to lead them into Truth; the Spirit I fay, and not Men ; and fo it is impoffible that they should fully and finally be deceived. For wherein we are taught by the Spirit of God, it is unpoffible we should be perverted by Men. Whereas on the contrary, the true ground why fo many are feduced and overcome by the Errors and Herefies of this Age, is because they have taken up their Religion only from Mans teaching, and have received their Opinions or Doarine from Mex; and fo what one Man hath taught us, another Man can anteach; yea if we be led to the Truth it felf, only by Man, Man can again lead us from it. For all the world cannot lead any Man into the Truth, till the Spirit lead him into it; and when the Spirit doth lead us into the Truth, all the Men in the world cannot lead us out of it; but we are fo fure of thofe things, wherein the Spirit hath been a Teacher to us, that if all

the

the Councels and Churches in the world, yea all the Angels of Heaven fhould teach us contrary, we would hold them accurfed. But a Man that hath not been taught of the Spirit, every day you may win him into new Opinions, by the power and authority of Men, together with the ftrength of other advantages: But he that hath been led into the Truth, by the Spirit of Truth, is unmoveable and invinfible among all Doctrines. And thus also the Holy Spirit by being a Spirit of Truth, is also a Spirit of Power in us.

3.

3. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Power in us, by Aspirit of being in us a Spirit of Wisdom; and fo it is, be- wisdom. caufe it makes us wife with the wisdom of God, wife upon Earth, after the rate of Heaven, wife to Salvation. There is no Man wife without the Spirit of God, for the wifdom of carnal Men is but foolnefs before God, yea before Angels and Saints; but the wisdom of the Spirit is most gracious and Heavenly wisdom. And this wisdom of the Spirit, is the ftrength of a Chriftian; the more he hath of it, the more mighty he is, both in all his doings and indurings. It is faid, Ecclef. 9. 15. That there was a poor wife Man, delivered a small City from the power of a mighty King, and therefore Solomon concludes that wisdom is better than strength, for it can do greater things than strength can. When Da

vid carried himself wifely, Saul a great King was afraid of him; he thought himself too weak to deal with David, and David too mighty to deal with him, because of his wisdom; and Solomon asked Wisdom of God above all things, for the strength of his Government; all Government without this, 2.Cor. 1; being but weak and brittle. Thus wifdam contri- 10. butes ftrength to us, whereas we fay of a Man that wants wisdom, he is a weak Man; and fo the Holy Spirit being a Spirit of wifdem in us, is also a Spirit of Power.

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but because the Father had kept the time and feafon, wherein all this fhould be done, in his own power. Had this been placed in Chrifts power, he had no doubt made it known to them, as well as he did thofe other things, which he had heard from his Father; but the Father had not placed this in his Sons power, but had referved it in his own; and the Apostles were not to pry after, that which was hidden with God, but were to content themfelves with what he had revealed.

But though the Son did not reveal to them what the Father had kept in his own power, yet he tells them, what the Father had promised unto them, and what he had alfo put into his power, and what he would certainly perform e'er long, and that was the gift of the Spirit of power, faying, But ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghoft is come upon you, and you shall be witneffes to me, &c. As if he should have faid, Do not you trouble your felves about fecret things, which fhall not be accomplish'd in the world, till many years after you are fallen afleep; but do you mind your prefent bufiuefs, wherein you are to serve God, in your Generation; your prefent task is to be wineffes unto me, in Jerufalem, and all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the utmost parts of the Earth; to declare and make known, what you have heard, and feen with your eyes, and looked upon, and your hands have handled of the word of Life: You are to teftifie to the World my Incarnation, Doctrine, Miracles, Life, Death, Refurrection, and my Kingdom and Glory, that is to come: You are to make known to the World, the high and deep, the great and glorious mystery of Chrift and of the Gospel; and that you may be fit for this great and weighty work, you fhall receive the power of the Holy Ghoft: You fball receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you, &c.

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