Beg therefore of God, with earnest importunity, at the entrance of every Ordinance, for his holy Spirit; and he hath said, Luk. 11.13. He will give his Spirit to them that ask him. Say, Lord, if thy Spirit go not with me, let me go no further. For as the Intercession of Christ is absolutely necessary for your acceptance, so the ⟨p. 177⟩Intercession of the Holy Ghost, is necessary for your assistance. The Spirit it self also making intercession for us with sighs, that cannot be uttered. Promise your heavenly Father, that you will never willingly disoblige or grieve away his Spirit again. Art thou dead? cry, Quicken me, and I will call upon thy Name. Is thy heart roving? cry, Unite my heart to fear thy Name. Humbly plead his promise, that he will put his Spirit and fear into your hearts, that you shall never (and if never, then not in his solemn Ordinance) depart from him; and observe the gracious gales of the Spirit, and when they clash not with the Rules of his holy Word, lay hold on them, and fall to duty. It's best rowing below, when the wind blows fair above. When thy heart is warm and in ure, then do the business throughly. And beware of grieving him between times; let there be a coherence between prayer and practice: let your whole life be of a piece, lest he withdraw when you have most need of him. And remember that to grief the Spirit oft, is the way to quench the Spirit, and to quench the Spirit oft, is the way to do despite to the Spirit. That is a rare expression, Gal. 5.25. If ye live in ⟨p. 178⟩the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit: how far is this phrase from vulgar apprehension or feeling! To live and walk by the conduct and quickening of the Holy Ghost, this is the life of a Saint. And then he that walks in the Spirit, prays also in the Spirit, and watches thereunto, Ephes. 6.18. Whereby those airy darts of the Devil, that would conquer the strength of a man, are crushed and chased away by the strength of a God.
Beg therefore of God, with earnest importunity, at the entrance of every Ordinance, for his holy Spirit; and he hath said, Luk. 11.13. He will give his Spirit to them that ask him. Say, Lord, if thy Spirit go not with me, let me go no further. For as the Intercession of Christ is absolutely necessary for your acceptance, so the ⟨p. 177⟩Intercession of the Holy Ghost, is necessary for your assistance. The Spirit it self also making intercession for us with sighs, that cannot be uttered. Promise your heavenly Father, that you will never willingly disoblige or grieve away his Spirit again. Art thou dead? cry, Quicken me, and I will call upon thy Name. Is thy heart roving? cry, Unite my heart to fear thy Name. Humbly plead his promise, that he will put his Spirit and fear into your hearts, that you shall never (and if never, then not in his solemn Ordinance) depart from him; and observe the gracious gales of the Spirit, and when they clash not with the Rules of his holy Word, lay hold on them, and fall to duty. It's best rowing below, when the wind blows fair above. When thy heart is warm and in ure, then do the business throughly. And beware of grieving him between times; let there be a coherence between prayer and practice: let your whole life be of a piece, lest he withdraw when you have most need of him. And remember that to grief the Spirit oft, is the way to quench the Spirit, and to quench the Spirit oft, is the way to do despite to the Spirit. That is a rare expression, Gal. 5.25. If ye live in ⟨p. 178⟩the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit: how far is this phrase from vulgar apprehension or feeling! To live and walk by the conduct and quickening of the Holy Ghost, this is the life of a Saint. And then he that walks in the Spirit, prays also in the Spirit, and watches thereunto, Ephes. 6.18. Whereby those airy darts of the Devil, that would conquer the strength of a man, are crush'd and chas'd away by the strength of a God.
