6.

one, Ifa. xi. 4. 2 Theff. ii. 8. The order of operation among the adorable Three, follows that of fubfiftence. Hence the Son worketh from the Father, and the Holy Ghoft from both. This order is intimated, Ifa. xlviii. 16. which, according to the original runs thus, The Lord God hath fent me, and his Spirit; i. e. me, his Son; and the Holy Ghoft, his Spirit. The Father fent forth his Son, made of a woman; and he fends forth the Spirit of his Son into the hearts of his people, Gal. iv. 4, He is the great promise of the new covenant; and, in virtue thereof, he remains among the people of God. They have no reason to fear, for ftill he is the standard-bearer among them, Hag. ii.. 5. It was but a little, a very little, that the Word made flesb was to dwell among them on earth. To him indeed, as a standard-bearer, the gathering of the people was; but foon it was expedient for them, that he should go away, John xvi 7.: and thus, he is present with the new-teftament church, much in the fame fenfe as he was with the old, viz. by his Spirit; tho' in a far higher degree. It is the felffame holy Spirit, who ftill, as of old, carries on the great work of God, maugre all the attempts of the enemy. Still that word is founding in the ears of the church, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, faith the Lord of hofts, Zech. iv. 6.

3dly, It is to be observed, that the Spirit lifts up a ftandard by the hands of men. It was the Holy Ghost whom the penman of my text heard faying, Whom fhall I fend, and who will go for us? That is, whom fhall I, the Holy Ghoft, fend; and who will go for us, the Triune God? Compare Ifa. vi. 8. with

As

Acts xxviii. 25,-27. and John xii. 40, 41. the arch-enemy, Satan, works in the children of dif obedience, called therefore the feed of the ferpent; so the Spirit worketh in the hearts of God's people, who on that account are faid to be born of God, born of the Spirit, John i. 13. iii. 6. As the enemy comes in like a flood in his feed, fo the Spirit lifteth up a ftandard in the hands of the children of God.The war is not carried on immediately between God and the enemy only; no: but by two parties adhering to them refpectively: The enemy and his children, on the one fide; the Spirit and the children of God, on the other. The ferpent and his feed, make war with the woman and her feed: and it is in the hands of the believing feed, as animated by him, that the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a ftandard against the enemy. Therefore, while in my text it is faid, The Spirit of the Lord hall lift up Standard; in the verfe immediately following but one, it is promifed, that the fame Spirit fhall never depart from the Redeemer's feed. And as the Spirit and the word are joined in the promise; fo the remnant of the woman's feed, with whom the dragon went to make war, are characterized as having the teftimony of Jefus, Rev. xii. 17. Whatever the worthies did of old, is afcribed to the Spirit of the Lord: The Spirit of the Lord was upon the feventy elders of Ifrael, Numb. xi. 25,-29. The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon Samfon, Judg. xiv. 6, 19. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David, from the day that he was anointed, 1 Sam. xvi. 13. The hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab, to the entrance of

Jezreel, 1 Kings xviii. 46. As no prophecy of the fcripture, fo no deliverance wrought for the church, was of private impulse: but holy men of God fpake, and acted, as they Holy Ghost, 2 Pet. i. 20, 21. Teftament, fo under the New.

were moved by the As under the Old

It is not ye that

Speak, but the Holy Ghoft, faid Chrift to his disciples, when diffuading them from finful folicitude, concerning what they should fay, when brought before rulers and kings for his fake, Mark xiii. 9, 10, 11.

From all this it appears, with the most convincing evidence, that the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a ftandard by his people, Who fight the good fight of faith, as good foldiers of Jefus Chrift, 1 Tim. vi. 11. 2 Tim. ii. 3.-But in further illuftration of this important point, I would lead your attention to the following particulars.

SECT. I.

The Spirit lifts up a Standard, when he fends forth a faithful Ministry.

TH

HE Spirit of the Lord lifteth up a standard against the enemy in the preaching of the everlasting gospel. As it pleafeth God, by the foolishnefs of preaching, to fave them that believe, 1 Cor. i. 21. fo to deftroy the enemy. For, in whatever proportion finners believe, in the fame is Satan's kingdom deftroyed; every convert, being one recovered from his power. Accordingly, when Paul,

that great herald of the gospel, was fent on the important embaffy, his commiffion runs in these terms, I make thee a minifter;-unto the Gentiles I fend thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darknefs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, Acts xxvi. 16, 17, 18. To men is the miniftry of reconciliation committed; and in the faithful exercise of that office, they are ambassadors for Chrift, 2 Cor. iv. 7. and v. 19, 20. 2 Tim. ii. 2.

The first object of their miniftry being finners, enemies to God, they pray them in Chrift's ftead, to be reconciled to God, by the death of his Son, Rom. v. 10. 2 Cor. v. 20. Lifting up their voice, as in Chrift's name, they cry, Who is on my fide? Who? They call upon finners to exchange the drudgery of Satan, for the glorious liberty of the fons of God. Getting them as on the evangelic eminence, they open their commiffion, and cry, Ho, every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters; and be that hath no money; come ye, buy and cat: yea, come; buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Loth to lose their errand, they expoftulate the cafe with Chriftless finners, Wherefore do ye fpend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which fatisfieth not? Ifa. lv. 1, 2. As in the written word, fo in it's faithful ministration, The Spirit and the bride fay, Come ;—and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely, Rev. xxii. 17. What a bleffed device this, and every way worthy of heaven! Juftly is it called, The glorious gofpel of the bleffed God, 1 Tim. i. 11. How full, how free the offer of a Saviour! clogged with no conditions, properly fo called. Come and take

freely, is the genuine voice of the gofpel. Nothing here cometh betwixt, but faith only, apprehending Chrift in the promise.' Nothing is required of finners for their juftification, but faith *.

Now, faith is juft to receive and rest upon Christ alone for falvation. With refpect to the gofpel-offer, it matters not what men have done, or not donet. It is clogged with no exclufive claufe. Whosoever will, may come. And what though all holy obedience be the indifpenfible duty of every one, yet not in order to union with Chrift. Faith only has the honour to tie the marriage-knot, betwixt him and the finner. True holiness, new obedience, is not the condition of union with Chrift; but it's native, it's neceffary confequence.

This gofpel preached in it's freenefs, fulness, and fimplicity, has in itself the strongest tendency to remove ftumbling-blocks out of the finner's way, and to gain his heart to Chrift. Neceffary as the fiery law is for other purposes, in the gospel

Larger Catechism, Queft. 71.

+ Some are greater finners than others, and confequently their confcience burdened with greater guilt. Some have finned against greater light, have continued longer in rebellion. Some are covered with Corinthian crimes, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, 11. Others more chargeable with omillions, than with enormous outbreakings; yet with relation to the gospel-offer, they are all on a level. The bafe vices of the one, do not keep them at a greater diftance, nor the comparative virtue of the other, bring them one hair's breadth nearer. Both are without Chrift, and to both he is equally offered. How calculated this doctrine to fupport the dejected, and to beat down the haughty in heart! The one has no better right to Chrift than the other. In the fea of his all-atoning blood, fins of every fize are equally lost.

T