The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By…

The Father hath a World to appear in, the Son hath Flesh to tabernacle in, but possibly the holy Spirit can get never an Heart to inhabit in, never a Temple to fill with his Glory; the holy Spirit would tabernacle with Men, but what if the Iron-sinew in the Will will not come out? What if the Stone in the heart will not break? Then the holy Spirit is robbed of his Glory. But is this so strange a thing (will you say?) What saith holy Stephen? Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised ⟨p. 492⟩in heart and ears, you do always resist the holy Ghost, as your fathers did, so do ye, Acts 7. 51. To which I answer, That the Spirit may be said to be resisted two ways; either as it is in the external Ministry, or as it comes in the internal Operations: It may be said to be resisted in the external Ministry; He that despiseth you, despiseth me, saith Christ, Luk. 10. 16. He that despiseth, despiseth not man but God, saith the Apostle, 1 Thess. 4. 8. When therefore it is said, that they resisted the holy Ghost, the meaning is not that they resisted him as to his internal Operations, but that they resisted him as to the external Ministry: This appears by the Context, for they resisted him as their fathers did, ver. 51. and how was that? The next Verse tells us, Which of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted, Ver. 52? Their resistance of the Spirit was in persecution of the Prophets. But you'll say, Might they not also resist him as to his internal Operations? I answer; so much doth not appear in the Text; but however the internal Operations of the Spirit are twofold; some are for the production of common Graces, some for the production of saving Graces, such as the new Heart and new Spirit. Now if the ⟨p. 493⟩holy Ghost may be resisted as to the former Operations, yet it cannot as to the latter; for in these it takes away the heart of Stone, the resisting Principle, and gives an Heart of Flesh capable of divine Impressions.

The Father hath a World to appear in, the Son hath Flesh to tabernacle in, but possibly the holy Spirit can get never an Heart to inhabit in, never a Temple to fill with his Glory; the holy Spirit would tabernacle with Men, but what if the Iron-sinew in the Will will not come out? What if the Stone in the heart will not break? Then the holy Spirit is robbed of his Glory. But is this so strange a thing (will you say?) What saith holy Stephen? Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised