Of Communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Again, it is a thing of most sad consideration, once to call to §. 4 mind, the improvement of that principle of contempt of the Spirit in private men, & their ways. The name of the spirit was grown a term of reproach. To plead for, or pretend to pray by the Spirit, was enough to render a man the object of scorn and reproach, from all sorts of men, from the Pulpit to the stage. What? you are full of the Spirit, you will pray by the spirit, you have the gift, come let us heare your non-sence; And yet perhaps these men would think themselves wronged, not to be accounted Christians. Christians, yea have not some pretending themselves to be leaders of the flock; yea, mounted a story or two above their brethren, and claiming a Rule and government over them, made it their business to scoff at, and reproach the gifts of the spirit of God. And if this were the frame of their Spirit, what might be expected from others of professed profaneness? It is not imaginable to what height of blasphemy, the process in this kind amounted. The Lord grant there be nothing of this cursed leaven still remaining amongst us. Some bleatings of ill importance are sometimes heard. Is this the fellowship of the Holy Ghost that Believers are called unto? Is this the due Entertainment of him whom our Saviour promised to send for the supply of his Bodily absence, so as we might be no losers thereby? Is it not enough that men should be contented with such a stupid blindness, as being ⟨p. 298⟩called Christians, to look no farther for this comfort and consolation, then moral considerations common to Heathens, would lead them, when one infinitely holy and blessed person of the Trinity, hath taken this office upon him to be our Comforter, but they must oppose and despise him also; nothing more discovers how few there are in the world, that have interest in that blessed name whereby we are all called. But this is no place to pursue this discourse. The aim of this discourse is to evince the folly and madness of men in general, who profess to own the Gospel of Christ, and yet contemn and despise his Spirit, in whomsoever he is manifested. Let us be zealous of the gifts of the Spirit, not envious at them.

Again, it is a thing of most sad consideration, once to call to §. 4 mind, the improvement of that principle of contempt of the Spirit in private men, & their ways. The name of the spirit was grown a terme of reproach. To plead for, or pretend to pray by the Spīrit, was enough to render a man the object of scorne and reproach, from all sorts of men, from the Pulpit to the stage. What? you are full of the Spirit, you will pray by the spirit, you have the gift, come let us heare your non-sence; And yet perhaps these men would think themselves wronged, not to be accounted Christians. Christians, yea have not some pretending themselves to be leaders of the flock; yea, mounted a story or two above their brethren, and claiming a Rule and goverment over them, made it their businesse to scoffe at, and reproach the gifts of the spirit of God. And if this were the frame of their Spirit, what might be expected from others of professed prophannesse? It is not imaginable to what height of blasphemy, the processe in this kind amounted. The Lord grant there be nothing of this cursed leaven still remaining amongst us. Some bleatings of ill importance are sometimes heard. Is this the fellowship of the Holy Ghost that Believers are called unto? Is this the due Entertainment of him whom our Saviour promised to send for the supply of his Bodily absence, so as we might be no loosers thereby? Is it not enough that mē should be contented with such a stupid blindnesse, as being