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

I will lead him also, and restore Comforts unto him, and to his Mourners. I create the Fruit of the Lips; Peace, Peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him. Where Persons are under Sorrows and Disconsolations upon the Account of Pains and Sickness, or the like, in a Design of ⟨p. 32⟩Comfort towards them, it will yet be needful sometimes to make use of Means and Remedies that may be painful and vexatious. And these may be apt to irritate and provoke poor, wayward Patients. Yet is not a Mother discouraged hereby, but proceeds on in her way until the Cure be effected and Consolation administered. So doth God by his Spirit deal with his Church. His Design is to revive the Spirit of the humble, and to revive the Heart of the contrite ones, Ver. 15. And he gives this Reason of it, namely, That if he should not act in infinite Love and Condescension towards them, but deal with them after their Deservings, they would utterly be consumed, the Spirit would fail before him, and the Souls which he had made, Ver. 16. However, in the pursuit of this Work he must use some sharp Remedies that were needful for the curing of their Distempers, and their Spiritual Discovery. Because of their Iniquity, the Iniquity of their Covetousness, which was the principal Disease they laboured under, he was wroth, and smote them, and hid his Face from them, because his so doing was necessary to their Cure, Ver. 17. And how do they behave themselves under this Dealing of God with them? They grow peevish and froward under his Hand, choosing rather to continue in their Disease, than to be thus healed by him, they went on frowardly in the way of their Hearts, Ver. 17. How therefore doth this Holy Comforter now deal with them? Doth he give them up unto their Frowardness? Doth he leave and forsake them under their Distemper? No, a tender Mother will not so deal with her Children. He manageth his Work with that infinite Love, Tenderness and Compassion, as that he will ⟨p. 33⟩overcome all their frowardness, and cease not until he hath effectually administered Consolation unto them; Ver. 18. I have seen, saith he, all these his ways, all his frowardness and miscarriages, and yet saith he, I will heal him; I will not for all this be diverted from my Work and the pursuit of my design;

I will lead him also, and restore Comforts unto him, and to his Mourners. I create the Fruit of the Lips; Peace, Peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him. Where Persons are under Sorrows and Disconsolations upon the Account of Pains and Sickness, or the like, in a Design of