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

And this is the great Fundamental Privilege of true Believers, whereby, through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, they are exalted above all other Persons in this World. And this will the more evidently appear, when we shall consider those especial Operations, Acts and Effects whereby Consolation is administered unto them. That the Life of Man is the subject of innumerable Troubles is made evident and uncontrollable by Catholic Experience. That Man is born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upward, has been the constant Acknowledgement of all that have been wise in all Ages. And those who have designed to drown the Sense of them in Security and Sensuality of Life, have been ever looked on as greatly exorbitant ⟨p. 46⟩from the Principles of Nature and Dictates of Reason, voluntarily degenerating into the Condition of Creatures brutish and irrational. Others who will not forego the Privilege of their Being, have always made it a principal Enquiry, How or whence they might take and receive Relief and Comfort for their Supportment against their unavoidable Troubles, Sorrows and Disconsolation. Yea it is natural and necessary unto all men so to do. All men cannot but seek after Rest and Peace, not only out of Choice, but instinct of Nature, Trouble and Sorrow being diametrically contrary unto it in its Being, and tending unto its Dissolution. Wherefore they all naturally seek for Consolation. Hence the best and most useful Part of the Old Philosophy consisted in the Prescription of the Ways and Means of comforting and supporting the Minds of Men against things noxious and grievous to Nature, with the Sorrows which ensue thereon. And the Topics they had found out unto this Purpose, were not to be despised, where men are destitute of spiritual Light and supernatural Revelation. Neither did the Wisdom or Reason of Man ever arise unto any thing more useful in this World, than to discover any rational Considerations that might allay the Sorrows, or relieve the minds of them that are disconsolate. For things that are really grievous unto the Generality of Mankind, do outweigh all the real Satisfaction which this Life and World can afford. And to place either Satisfaction or Relief in the pursuit of sensual Lusts, is brutish. But yet what did all the Spring and Well-Heads of Rational and Philosophical Consolation rise unto? what Refreshment did their ⟨p. 47⟩Streams afford?

And this is the great Fundamental Priviledge of true Believers, whereby, through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, they are exalted above all other Persons in this World. And this will the more evidently appear, when we shall consider those especial Operations, Acts and Effects whereby Consolation is administred unto them. That the Life of Man is the subject of innumerable Troubles is made evident and uncontroulable by Catholick Experience. That Man is born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upward, has been the constant Acknowledgment of all that have been wise in all Ages. And those who have designed to drown the Sense of them in Security and Sensuality of Life, have been ever looked on as greatly exorbitant