An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in…

The Spirit of God was poured out upon Christ himself, in Answer to Prayer; Luke iii.21, 22. Now when all the People were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the Heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily Shape like a Dove, upon him; and a Voice came from Heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased. The Spirit descends on the Church of Christ, the same Way, in this Respect, that it descended on the Head of the Church. The greatest Effusion of the Spirit that ever yet has been, even that which was in the primitive Times of the christian Church, which began in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, was in answer to extraordinary Prayer. When the Disciples were gathered together to their Lord, a little before his Ascension, he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father, which (saith he) ye have heard of me, i. e. the Promise of the Holy Ghost; Acts i.4. What they had their Hearts upon was the Restoration of the Kingdom to Israel: Lord, (say they) wilt thou, at this Time, restore again the Kingdom to Israel, Ver. 6. And according to Christ's Direction after his Ascension, they returned to Jerusalem, and continued in united fervent Prayer and Supplication. It seems they spent their Time in it from Day to Day, without ceasing; 'till the Spirit came down in a wonderful Manner upon them, and that Work was begun which never ceased, 'till the World was turned up-side down, and all the chief Nations of it were converted to Christianity. And that glorious Deliverance and Advancement of the christian Church, that was in the Days of Constantine ⟨p. 68⟩the Great, followed the extraordinary Cries of the Church to God, as the Matter is represented in Rev. vi. at the opening of the fifth Seal. The Church in her suffering State is represented crying with a loud Voice, How long, Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge, and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth? And the opening of the next Seal brings on that mighty Revolution, in the Days of Constantine, compared to those great Changes that shall be at the End of the World.

The Spirit of God was poured out upon Christ himself, in Answer to Prayer;