Two discourses concerning the Holy Spirit, and His work the one, Of the Spirit…

These were the Weapons of Warfare which he furnished his Disciples withal, when he gave them Commission to go forth and subdue the World unto the Obedience of the Gospel, Acts 1. 4, 8. And mighty were they through God unto that purpose, 2 Cor. 10. 3, 4, 5, 6. In the Use and Exercise of them did the Gospel run, and was glorified, to the Ruin of the Kingdom of Satan and Darkness in the World. And that he was ever able to erect it again under another Form than that of Gentilism, as he hath done in the Antichristian Apostasy of the Church Visible, it was from a Neglect and Contempt of these Gifts, with their due Use and Improvement. When Men began to neglect the attaining of these Spiritual Gifts, and the Exercise of them, in praying, in preaching, in Interpretation of the Scripture, in all the Administrations and whole Worship of the Church, betaking themselves wholly to their own Abilities and Inventions, accommodated unto their Ease and Secular Interests, it was an easy thing for Satan to erect again his Kingdom, though not in the old manner, because of the Light of the Scripture which had made Impression on the Minds of Men, which he could not obliterate. Wherefore he never attempted openly any more to set up Heathenism or Paganism, with the Gods of the Old World and their Worship; but he insensibly raised another Kingdom, which pretended some likeness unto and compliance with the Letter of the Word, though it came at last to be in all things expressly contrary thereunto. This was his Kingdom of Apostasy and Darkness under the Papal Antichristianism, and woeful Degeneracy of other Christians in ⟨p. 117⟩the World. For when Men who pretend themselves entrusted with the Preservation of the Kingdom of Christ, did wilfully cast away those Weapons of their Warfare whereby the World was subdued unto him, and ought to have been kept in Subjection by them, what else could ensue?

These were the Weapons of Warfare which he furnished his Disciples withall, when he gave them Commission to go forth and subdue the World unto the Obedience of the Gospel, Acts 1. 4, 8. And mighty were they through God unto that purpose,