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I Cor. 6.

Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any Man defile the Temple of God, him will God deftroy: for the Temple of God is holy, which Temple ye are. And again; Know ye not that your Bodies are the Members of Chrift? Which he exV. 19. plains presently after thus; Know ye not that your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghoft, which is in you; which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? And the v. 9, 10, fame St. Paul in the eighth to the Romans,

15.

11, &c.

lays the Foundation of our Relation to Chrift, and our Hopes of eternal Life, in this very Thing, viz. the Spirit of God his dwelling in us; as may be there feen more at large.

This then being the Privilege of all Chriftians, that by their being confecrated to Chrift, they have a Right to the continual Prefence of the Holy Ghost in their Souls; or if you will, God hath fo great a Right and Property in them, that he fends down his Holy Spirit to take Poffeffion of them, in order to the fecuring and fealing them for his own in the other World; we may eafily from hence gather what it is to grieve the Holy Spirit, (which is the thing we are now enquiring into) viz. We then grieve him, when, being already Christians in Profeffion, we either will not vouchsafe him a Lodging in our Hearts, which he doth defire; and in order to the obtaining it, makes frequent Applications to our Souls by his

holy

holy Motions: Or when we have already given him Entertainment, we carry our felves fo unbecomingly towards him, as to tempt him to forfake us. We then grieve the Holy Spirit, when, having taken upon our felves the Covenant of Baptifm, and thereby confecrated and configned our felves to God, we either refuse to admit the Spirit to take Poffeffion of us, or having admitted him, do not fhew that Refpect, nor obferve that Decency, nor exprefs that Kindness that is due to fo worthy a Gueft; but by our rude and unmannerly and ill-natured Behaviour towards him, put fuch Affronts upon him, as highly provoke him to quit his Habitation.

Having thus explained the Meaning of the Precept, and fhewn you the Foundation upon which it is built; I cannot but make a Reflection or two upon what hath been faid, before I pass any further.

1. And firft, How ought the Confideration of this to affect us! What are we, poor Creatures, that God fhould deign to take up his Habitation in our Souls! And yet we see he is pleased to do fo. God doth more really inhabit in every pious Soul, and vouchsafe his Presence there, than he doth in any Temples or Churches dedicated to his Service. Oh, what a mighty Honour and Happiness is hereby conferred upon. our Natures! The highest Angels of Heayen cannot boaft of greater Privileges than

we

we enjoy. Oh, what an Argument is here to make us infinitely careful, and follicitous, and jealous over our felves! What a Shame and Difdain fhould the Sense of this infuse in us, to mingle and communicate with any impure Thing! With what an ardent Defire, and Zeal, and Refolution, fhould this infpire us to perform all noble, and brave, and extraordinary Actions for the Caufe of God! The Holy Spirit is pleased to take up his Refidence within us. How pure and spotlefs; how untainted with worldly Lufts and fenfual Affections, ought we to preserve our Hearts! How fhall we dare to let any unclean Thing approach fo facred a Place, unlefs we could fuppofe that Light can have Fellowship with Darknefs, or that God can have Communion with Belial. The Holy Spirit is pleased to dwell with us, and to dwell with us for ever, if we banish him not. How ought this to refresh us under all Afflictions, fupport us under all Temptations, animate and encourage us in the most dangerous Adventures that we are called out unto! How can we defpair of Victory in all our Contests against the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, when we have one fo mighty to fave, ready at hand upon all Occafions! How can we want Relief in the greate ftExtremities, when the Fountain of Joy and Confolation has taken up his Lodging in our Souls !

2. But fecondly, Let us take Occafion from hence to admire the infinite Love, and Affection, and Tenderness that the Holy Spirit of God bears towards us. Grieve not the Holy Spirit. The Words intimate a

Senfe of Grief and Trouble in him, when we fhew any Unkindness to him. He feems to be afflicted and made fad when we behave our felves frowardly and perverfly towards him. It is true, there are no Paffions, properly speaking, in the divine Nature; nor can the Holy Spirit be capable either of Joy or Grief, or any other human Affection: But all these Things are attributed to God by way of Compliance with our Infirmities, who are not wont to be fo deeply affected with Things, unless they be conveyed to us in fuch a way as we our felves have Experience of. But this is certain, that as from the Terms of God's Fury and Indignation, and the like, we may fafely conclude the infinite Averfion that is in his Nature to all Sin and Wickedness; fo from fuch Phrases, as these of his repenting of the Evil, of his pitying and having Compaffion on his Creatures, of his being grieved and made fad by the Injuries that are done to him, we may conclude the infinite Love and Good-will he bears to Mankind. If therefore the Confideration of the Infiniteness of his Majefty who dwelleth within us, will not prevail upon us to treat him with Refpect and Reverence; yet, one would

think, if we had any Ingenuity, that the Senfe of the Unkindness that he takes when he is ill-treated by us, fhould work upon

us.

Will the Holy Bleffed God vouchsafe to be grieved for fuch a Worm as I am, when I refufe his Kindness, and will not comply with his Love? And shall not I be grieved for my own Ingratitude? Can I be fo Impudent as to live in a daily Course of Forgetfulness of God, and tranfgreffing his Laws, when by fo doing I do not only affront his Sovereignty and Greatness, but alfo fin against the greatest Kindness and Tenderness, that ever was conceived in any Breast? A Kindness so great, that it cannot be expreffed? The beft Words to fet it out are borrowed from our Paffions and tendereft Senfe of Things that we have: But, alas! they fall infinitely fhort of truly expreffing the Love that God bears to us. Oh! therefore let us think upon this. Let us confider what it is only to grieve or afflict by our Unkindness any one that is our Friend, and who hath by all Inftances of Goodness endeavoured to deferve well of us. Human Nature cannot bear the Thoughts of having difobliged fuch an one without a fenfible Trouble. Oh then! How can we with Patience endure to think of grieving the Holy Spirit, who, as he is, without Comparison, the best Friend we are capable of having, (as he hath done more for us, and is ready to do more for us, than

We

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