Section 9: The bowels of tender mercy sealed in the everlasting… by Obadiah Sedgwick | AskReformation

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:565p. 61–62¶4

4. The good Spirit by Spirit is good, •sa. 143 10 Thou gavest them of thy good Spirit, ¹Neh. 9. 20. The Spirit is essentially good, and counsels good: he is indeed a good Spirit ⟨p. 62⟩unto us; All the good thoughts in us, and all the good desires in us, and all the good we have or shall receive from God in Christ, is handed to us by this good Spirit, yea and all the sweet sights of God himself that ever we enjoyed, and all the tastes that ever we have had of Jesus Christ, and all the joys and contentments in our souls, we are beholding unto this good Spirit for every one of them; though in some respect you are not beholding unto the Spirit for dying, and suffering, and satisfying, and reconciling, and purchasing for you, yet this I may safely affirm, that for all the enjoyments of all the sweet comforts depending on the sufferings of Christ, you are singularly beholding to the good spirit for them; you never could have partook of Christ, nor of any one good purchased by Christ, had it not been for this good Spirit.

4. The good Spirit by Spirit is good, •sa. 143 10 Thou gavest them of thy good Spirit, ¹Neh. 9. 20. The Spirit is essentially good, and counsels good: he is indeed a good Spirit ⟨p. 62⟩unto us; All the good thoughts in us, and all the good desires in us, and all the good we have or shall receive from God in Christ, is handed to us by this good Spirit, yea and all the sweet sights of God himself that ever we enjoyed, and all the tasts that ever we have had of Jesus Christ, and all the joyes and contentments in our souls, we are beholding unto this good Spirit for every one of them; though in some respect you are not beholding unto the Spirit for dying, and suffering, and satisfying, and reconciling, and purchasing for you, yet this I may safely affirme, that for all the enjoyments of all the sweet comforts depending on the sufferings of Christ, you are singularly beholding to the good spirit for them; you never could have partaked of Christ, nor of any one good purchased by Christ, had it not been for this good Spirit.

1The good Spirit▪

:566p. 62¶5

5. The powerful or mighty Spirit: The Spirit of the Lord is called the Spirit of ¹might, Isa. 11. 2. The power of the holy Ghost, Rom. 15. 13. the power of the Spirit of God, verse 19. the power of the Highest, Luke 1. 35. It was the power of this Spirit which did convince you of your sins, and which did break your heard harts, and did rescue and deliver you from the power of darkness; which doth subdue your iniquities, and pull down your strong bolds: It was, and is this powerful Spirit by whom the Ministrations, or Ordinances of the Gospel have been, and still are of power with you. The Word is called the sword of the Spirit, Ephes. 6. 17. The Ministrations of them selves are weak, it is the concomitant presence of the Spirit which makes them powerful and lively for your conversion, comfort, and salvation; you had lain in the same condition, and darkness, and bondage, and death with other men, had not the powerful and mighty Spirit of God put forth the greatness of his own strength to the alteration of your hearts by his own grace.

5. The powerfull or mighty Spirit: The Spirit of the Lord is called the Spirit of ¹might, Isa. 11. 2. The power of the holy Ghost, Rom. 15. 13. the power of the Spirit of God, verse 19. the power of the Highest, Luke 1. 35. It was the power of this Spirit which did convince you of your sins, and which did break your heard harts, and did rescue and deliver you from the power of darknesse; which doth subdue your iniquities, and pull down your strong bolds: It was, and is this powerfull Spirit by whom the Ministrations, or Ordinances of the Gospel have been, and still are of power with you. The Word is called the sword of the Spirit, Ephes. 6. 17. The Ministrations of them selves are weak, it is the concomitant presence of the Spirit which makes them powerful and lively for your conversion, comfort, and salvation; you had laine in the same condition, and darknesse, and bondage, and death with other men, had not the powerful and mighty Spirit of God put forth the greatnesse of his own strength to the alteration of your hearts by his own grace.

1The powerful Spirit.