though they have no faving efficacy upon the perfon in whom they dwell, yet God, in his holy wisdom, makes use of them for the good of his church in general, as we read, Eph. iv. And another thing that I would tell you likewife, concerning these common influences, is, that they are of an exceedirg dangerous nature, when they are not accompa nied with faving grace; the man that has them, is like a hip having large fails, and but little or no ballaft at all, in the midst of the ocean, and therefore in danger of being fplit in pieces against every rock. Matth. vii. 22. we read of fome, who had extraordinary common gifts, they prophefied in Chrift's name, wrought miracles, and caft out devils in his name, and did many wonderful works, and yet Chrift utterly difowns them; I do not speak of thefe common influences now, but of fuch as are faving, and therefore, A fecond propofition is, that the holy Spirit of God, confidered in his particular oeconomy in the work of redemption, as the applier of the Redeemer's purchase, is the author and efficient cause of all faving influences; it is he, I fay, that prepares and difpofes the foul of man for the entertainment of the things of God, which are not received nor difcerned by the natural mind; it is he that plows up the fallow ground of the heart, and brings in the wilderness, and turns it into a fruitful field; it is he that garnishes the face of the foul with the faving graces of the Spirit, these are flowers of the upper paradife, therefore called the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22. It is he that preferves, cherishes, and maintains them by renewed influences; he cherishes the fmoking flax, and at laft turns it into a lamp of glory in heaven, for he brings forth judgment unta victory. 3. Again, 3. Again, ye are to understand, that the elect of God are the fubject recipient of all faving influences of the Spirit of God; I fay, they are peculiar only unto the elect of God, and to them only, upon their converfion, when they come to be united unto Christ as members of his myftical body. We must be ingrafted into this true olive, otherwife we can never partake of his fap, and receive out of his fulness grace for grace. That these influences are peculiar unto the elect of God, is plain from Tit. i. 1. where we read of the faith of God's elect. 4. These influences of the Spirit are given for various ends unto the elect of God. The judicious Dr. Owen, in his difcourfes on the Spirit, obferves, that these faving influences are given unto the elect of God for regeneration, unto the regenerate for fanctification, unto the fanctified for confolation, and unto the comforted Chriftian for further building up, and edification and establishment until they arrive at perfection in glory: But the nature of thefe influences will further appear from The fecond thing propofed, which was to speak a little to the variety of thefe influences of the Spirit. You fee they are diverfified here, while they are called four winds. Come from the four winds, O breath. The apostle tells us, that there are diverfities of gifts and operations, but the fame fpirit, 1 Cor. xii. 4. And we read, as I was telling you, of feven fpirits that are before the throne, Rev. i. Here, if time would allow me to enlarge, I might tell you that the faving influences and breathings of the Spirit are either primary, fundamental, and absolutely neceffary to falvation, or they are accumulative, additional, neceffary only for the believer's comfort and well-being. Some of thefe influences are are antecedent or preparative unto converfion; fome of them are regenerating, and others are fubfequent and posterior unto regeneration: But I fhall not ftand upon such nice distinctions: You may take a few of them in the order following. 1. There are the convincing influences of the Spirit, John xvi. 8. When he is come, he will convince the world of fin. This is what I conceive, we are to understand by the north wind, Cant. iv. 6. which is commonly boisterous, cold, chill, and nipping. The elect of God, by nature, lie faft afleep within the fea-mark of God's wrath, upon the very brink of everlasting ruin, crying peace, peace to themselves the Spirit of the Lord comes like a ftormy northwind, blows hard upon the finner's face, and awakens him, breaks his carnal peace and fecurity, brings him to himself, lets him fee his danger, and fills him with remorfe and terror. Hence Ifai. xxviii. 17. the hail is faid to sweep down the refuge of lyes before the finner come to settle upon the foundation that God hath laid in Zion. Acts ii. 37. 'tis faid they were pricked in their hearts, and then they cried out, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 2. There are the enlightening influences of the breathings of the Spirit. Hence he is compared unto eye-falve, Rev. iii. Ye have received an unction from the Holy One, whereby ye know all things, 1 John ii. We read Ifai. xxv. 7. of a vail and face of a covering that is fpread over all nations. The wind of the Holy Ghost must blow off this vail of ignorance and unbelief; and then the poor finner comes to fee a new world of wonders that he never faw before, wonderful great God, a wonderful Redeemer, a wonderful covenant, and a wonderful holy holy law: Hence we are faid to be tranflated out of darkness into a marvellous light. The Spirit Searcheth all things, yea even the deep things of God. And I Cor. ii. 12. By the Spirit we know the things that are freely given us of God. 3. There are the renewing influences of the Spirit. We are faid to be faved by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. iii. 5. Hence he is called a new Spirit: He renews the will, and makes old things to pass away, and all things to become new. 4. There are the comforting influences of the Spirit. This is the fouth wind, as it were, gentle and eafy, and refreshing; and therefore he is called the Comforter; and indeed his confolations are ftrong confolations, they put more gladness into the heart, than corn, wine and oil in abundance, and fill the foul with a joy that is unfpeakable and full of glory. And then 5. There are the corroborating and strengthning influences of the Spirit. By the breathings of the Spirit, the feeble are made like David, and as the angel of God before him: it is he that gives power to the faint, and increases ftrength to them that have no might; 'tis by him that worm Jacob is made to thresh the mountains, and to beat them fmall, and to make the bills as chaff. And then 6. There are the drawing and enlarging influences of the Spirit. Draw me, fays the spouse, we will run after thee. The poor believer lies many times, as it were wind-bound, that he is not able to move one step in the way of the Lord; but O! when the Spirit of the Lord comes, then comes liberty and enlargement: I will run the way of thy command ments, ments, fays David, when thou hast enlarged my heart, to wit, by the influences of thy Spirit. He is like oil to their chariot-wheels, and, when he comes, they are as the chariots of Aminadab, or a willing people. 7. There are the fin-mortifying and fin-killing influences of the Spirit: We, through the Spirit, are faid to mortify the deeds of the body, that fo we may live. When this wind of the Holy Ghost blows upon the foul, he not only makes the spices to revive, but he kills the weeds of fin and corruption, making them to wither and decay; fo that the poor believer, who was crying Wretched man, what shall I do to be delivered from this body of death? Is made fometimes to tread upon the neck of these enemies, as a pledge of his compleat victory at last. And then, 8. There are the interceding influences of the Spirit, Rom. viii. 26. The Spirit maketh interceffion for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. He intercedes in a physical and efficient way: He makes us to wrestle and pray; therefore he is called the Spirit of grace and fupplication, Zech. xii. 10. He fills the believer's heart and mouth with such a heavenly rhetorick, that God is not able to withftand it: Hence Jacob had power with the angel, and prevailed, for he wept and made fupplication to And then, him. 9. There are the fealing and witneffing influencs of the Spirit; he witnesseth with our spirits that we are the fons of God; he bears witness of the glorious fulness and fuitableness of Chrift to the foul; the Spirit fhall testify of me, faid to feal believers to the day feal is the earneft of glory, And he is John xv. and his Ye are fealed |