Chapter 3 — Recipients of the Comforter

We have considered the Promise of Christ to send the Holy Spirit to be the Comforter of the Church, and to that end to abide with them for ever. The nature also of that office and work in general which hereon he undertakes and dischargeth, with the properties of them, have been declared. Our next inquiry is to whom this Promise is made, and towards whom it is infallibly fulfilled. How and to what ends, in what order as to his effects and operations, the Holy Spirit is promised to any persons and received by them, has been already declared in our former discourses, Lib. 4. Chap. 3. We shall therefore here only declare in particular who he is promised to and received by, as a Comforter. And this is to all, and only to believers; those who are actually so. All his operations required to the making of them so to be, are antecedent hereunto. For the Promise of him to this end, where-ever it is recorded, is made directly to them, and to them it is confined. Immediately it was given to the Apostles; but it was not given to them as Apostles, but as believers and disciples of Christ, with a particular respect to the difficulties, and causes of disconsolation which they were under, or should meet withal upon the account of their being so. See the promises to this purpose expressly (John 14:16, 17, 26; chap. 15:26; chap. 16:7, 8). And it is declared withal that the world, which in that place is opposed to them that do believe, cannot receive him (chap. 14:17). Other effectual operations he has upon the world, for their conviction, and the conversion of many of them. But as a Spirit of consolation he is neither promised to them, nor can they receive him, until other gracious acts of his have passed on their souls. Besides, we shall see that all his actings and effects as a Comforter are confined to them that believe, and do all suppose saving faith as antecedent to them.

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 to 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 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 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 from where they might take and receive relief and comfort for their supportment against their unavoidable troubles, sorrows and disconsolation. Yes, it is natural and necessary to 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 to it in its being, and tending to its dissolution. Therefore 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 to 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 to 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 to 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 to? What refreshment did their streams afford? The utmost they attained to, was but to confirm and make obstinate the minds of men, in a fancy, an opinion, or persuasion contrary to what they felt and had experience of. For what they contended for, was but this, that the consideration of the common lot of mankind, the unavoidableness of grieving accidents, the shortness of human life, the true exercise of reason upon more noble objects, with others of the like nature, should satisfy men that the things which they endured were not evil or grievous. But what does all this amount to in comparison of this privilege of believers, of this provision made for them in all their disconsolations, by him in whom they do believe. This is a relief that never entered into the heart of man to think of or conceive. Nor can it be understood by any but those by whom it is enjoyed. For the world, as our Savior testifies, neither knows this Spirit nor can receive him. And therefore what is spoken of him and this work of his is looked on as a fancy or the shadow of a dream. And although the Sun of Righteousness be risen in this matter, and shine on all that dwell in the land of Goshen, yet those that abide still in Egypt make use only of their lanterns. But those who are really partakers of this privilege, do know in some measure, what they do enjoy, although they are not able to comprehend it in its excellency, nor value it in a due manner: for how can the heart of man, or our poor, weak understandings fully conceive this glorious mystery of sending the Holy Ghost to be our Comforter; only they receive it by faith, and have experience of it in its effects. There is in my judgment an unspeakable privilege of those who are believers antecedent to their believing as they are elect; namely that Christ died in their stead alone. But this is like the wells which Isaac's servant dug, that the Philistines strove about, as those which belonged to them, which though fresh useful springs in themselves, caused them to be called Esek and Sitnah. Mighty strivings there are to break down the enclosure of this privilege, and lay it common to all the world, that is indeed waste and useless. For it is contended, that the Lord Christ died equally for all and every one of mankind, for believers and unbelievers, for those that are saved and those that are damned. And to this purpose many pretences are pleaded to show how the most of them for whom Christ died, have no real benefit by his death, nor is any thing required in them to evidence that they have an interest therein. But this privilege we now treat of, is like the well Rehoboth, Isaac kept it to himself, and the Philistines strove not about it. None contend that the Spirit is a Comforter to any but believers: therefore is it by the world despised and reproached, because they have no interest in it, nor have the least pretence to strive about it. Did believers therefore duly consider how they are advanced hereby through the love and care of Jesus Christ into an inexpressible dignity above the residue of mankind, they would more rejoice in it than in all that this world can supply them withal. But we must proceed.

It appears from what has been discoursed, that this is not the first saving work of the Holy Spirit on the souls of men. Regeneration and habitual sanctification do always precede it. He comforts none but those whom he has before sanctified. Nor are any other but such capable of his consolations. There is nothing in them that can discern his acting, or value what he does of this kind. And this is the true reason why the whole work of the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, wherein consists the accomplishment of the most glorious promise that ever Christ made to his Church, and the greatest evidence of his continued care thereof, is so neglected, yes despised among the generality of professed Christians. A great evidence of the apostatized state of Christianity. They can have no concern in any work of his but in its proper order. If men be not first sanctified by him, they can never be comforted by him. And they will themselves prefer in their troubles any natural or rational reliefs, before the best and highest of his consolations. For however they may be proposed to them, however they may be instructed in the nature, ways and means of them, yet they belong not to them, and why should they value that which is not theirs? The world cannot receive him. He works on the world for conviction (John 16:8), and on the elect for conversion (John 3:8). But none can receive him as a Comforter, but believers. Therefore is this whole work of the Holy Spirit little taken notice of by the most, and despised by many. Yet is it never the less glorious in itself, being fully declared in the Scripture, nor the less useful to the Church, being testified to by the experience of them that truly believe.

That which remains for the full declaration of this office and work of the Holy Ghost, is the consideration of those acts of his which belong properly thereunto, and of those privileges whereof believers are made partakers thereby. And whereas many blessed mysteries of evangelical truth are contained herein, they would require much time and diligence in their explanation. But as to the most of them, according to the measure of light and experience which I have attained, I have prevented myself the handling of them in this place. For I have spoken already to most of them in two other discourses, the one concerning the perseverance of true believers, and the other of our communion with God, and of the Holy Spirit in particular. As therefore I shall be sparing in the repetition of what is already in them proposed to public view, so it is not much that I shall add thereunto. Yet what is necessary to our present design, must not be wholly omitted, especially seeing I find that further light and evidence may be added to our former endeavors in this kind.