Give me Leave to ftay here a little to represent to you the Oeconomy of God in the Gospel Dispensation, which the Apostle, in the Text, has fhut up in few Words; We have Access to God, through Chrift, by the Spirit. To give you a diftinct Conception of this, and of the different Offices of the Son and of the Spirit, you must conceive the Spirit of God as always prefent with us; the Son, as always in the Prefence of the Father. The Spirit dwells with the Faithful, to guide and to direct them, to fecond and encourage all their good Defires, to help them in overcoming their Infirmities; in a word, to labour together with them in the Work of their Salvation, to make their Calling and Election fure. The Son of God is at the right Hand of the Majefty on High; there he is our Advocate, he intercedes for us, he receives and offers up our Prayers, he obtains for us the Remiffion of our Sins in Virtue of the one Oblation which he once made of himself upon the Crofs, the Memorial of which is ever in the Sight of God. This will teach us what it is, to have Access by the Spirit, through Christ. For the Spirit abideth with us, he

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is at our right Hand, and by his happy Influence it is, that we draw near to Chrift, and by him approach to the Father. The Son is our High-Prieft, clothed with Majefty and Power, and feated at the right Hand of God, able to fave all who will come to him; through whofe powerful and always prevailing Mediation and Interceffion the Way is opened to Pardon and Reconciliation. The Spirit is our Comforter, given us to dwell and to abide with us, to be a Principle of new Life within us, to quicken our mortal Bodies, that, dying to Sin, we may live unto God through Holinefs. To draw Men to God is the Work of the Spirit, who therefore refides and dwells with Men: To reconcile God to Man is the Work of our High-Prieft, who lives in the Glory of God, making continual Interceffion for us.

And now, confider the calamitous Condition of Mankind under what View you please, you will always find a proper Remedy provided by the Mercy of God. If you reflect upon the Holiness of God, and his Hatred of Sin and Iniquity, and begin to fear that he can never be recon-. ciled to Sinners; take Courage, the Work

is difficult, but the Son of God has undertaken it, and how great foever the Diftance between God and you is, yet through the Son you may have Access untò him. If ftill you fear for yourself, that all may again be loft through your own Weaknefs, and Inability to do good; even here Help is at hand, the Spirit of God is your Support, he is the Pledge and Earneft of your Redemption. But,

Secondly, Thefe being the necessary Means of Salvation, it was likewife neceffary to reveal to the World the Doctrines concerning the Son, and the Holy Spirit: And the Belief of these Doctrines is neceffary to every Chriftian, as far as the right Ufe of the Means depends upon the right Faith and Belief of the Doctrines.

He that hath the Son, fays St. John, hath Life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not Life: And again, Whosoever denieth the Son, hath not the Father. For fince we can only come to the Father through the Son, to deny the Son, is to cut off all Communication between us and the Father. The fame may be faid of the Bleffed Spirit, through whom we are in Chrift: If any Man, fays St. Paul, have not the Spirit D 2

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of Chrift, he is none of his: Our bleffed Lord has himself told us, That this is eternal Life, to know the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom he has fent.

When we were to be put under the Conduct of the Spirit, and all our Hopes depended upon our Obedience to, and Compliance with, his holy Motions; was it not necessary to inform us who this Spirit is to let us know, that he is fufficient to the Office allotted him; that, knowing perfectly the Mind of God, even as the Spirit of a Man knoweth the Things of a Man, he is able fully to inftruct us and to direct us in the Ways of God; that, being infinite, and unconfined in Time or Place, he is equal to the extenfive Charge committed to his Care, and can be ready at all Times, and in all Places, to fuccour the faithful Servants of God; that, being the Spirit of Power and of Might, he is able to rescue us out of all Dangers, and protect us against all the Powers and Principalities of the Kingdom of Darknefs. It may be hard perhaps to human Reafon to conceive, that this Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God, and fo intimately united with God, as to know the

Mind of God as perfectly, as the Spirit
of a.
Man which is in him knoweth the
Mind of Man; but it would be harder

ftill to believe, that the Spirit could do what is afcribed to him in Scripture, without believing him to be this great and glorious Perfon. It is a more rational Act of Faith, to expect from the eternal Spirit of God the Sanctification of our Souls and Bodies, fpiritual Aid and Affistance in all our Trials and Temptations, and whatever else is neceffary to our Salvation; than it would be to expect the fame Things from any other Spirit, of whofe Power and Attributes we knew nothing. The Power and Mightinefs of the Spirit, made known to us by God, is a reasonable, a juft Foundation for the Hope and Confidence we have in him; but, were we ignorant of his Power, our Truft in him would be without Ground; and we should lofe this Boafting, which is now the Glory of our Faith, That we know in whom we have believed. Since therefore, by the determinate Counsel of God, the Redemption of the World was to be the Work of his Son; and the Sanctification of it, the Work of his Spirit; he has dealt with us more like reasonable Creatures,

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