imaginations of their own brains for the dictates of the Spirit: nevertheless, their false notions of the Spirit ought not to discountenance our apprehensions of the true ones, no more than we should allow that there is no sound principle of law or physic, because of so many pretenders or quacks in both.

The true mark, whereby we may distinguish our own vain imaginations, or the suggestions of the devil, from the dictates of the Holy Spirit, (in which we are to be careful,) is the tendency of the motion or suggestion in our minds, viz. that it does not clash with any ordinance or appointment prescribed in the holy Scriptures, which has been revealed by the same Spirit; but is exactly conformable thereunto, both as to our profession and practice, and prompts and encourages us to the promoting of God's glory, and the discharge of our duties, or upbraids us with the contrary; and also, at the same time, works in our hearts humility in respect to ourselves, and charity for others; that in lowliness of mind, we may esteem others better than ourselves; and checks all spiritual pride, self-conceit, and disobedience to government in church or state; making us endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. By these marks we may prove our inward motions: but without such examination and proof, too many wofully mistake the foolish and impious suggestions in their own minds, (too often the work of the devil,) for the true light and guiding of the Spirit of God.

The secret and gracious motions of the Holy Spirit in our minds are to be diligently attended to; being sometimes vouchsafed for the enlightening our understanding of the holy Scriptures, and our Christian privileges and duties, and for our encouragement therein"; at other times, for supporting

h Eph. i. 17, 18. 1 Cor. ii. 14.

and filling our hearts with contentment, and cheerfulness in trouble. One while checking us for any vice or neglect*; at another time, creating in us a secret pleasure and satisfaction on our performance of an holy duty', raising more or less inward fervour, and spiritual joy in prayer, and frequently solacing the soul with a sense of God's favour, and with a lively hope of future salvation". And as we are to observe, and rejoice in those happy operations of the Holy Spirit, (as knowing, that the soul can no more live the life of righteousness without them, than the body can live naturally without food and clothing,) so we are to be on our parts careful that we may continue to enjoy them: but that we are not like to do, if we suffer the love of this world to seize our affections; for then we shall either be so drawn away with alluring sinful pleasures, or hurried with earthly affairs, that we shall forfeit those divine comforts and succours, and drive the Spirit from us: but the person, whom God takes into his special care, is he who keeps himself disentangled from the snares of the world, and burns with desire after the love of the Lord; and with a stedfast faith, and lively hope, lives in expectance of the heavenly treasures. To this purpose, the ancient author cited in the margin, and lately translated into our own language, is worth the perusal of every pious person; by the frequent reading of, and meditation thereon, he will soon find himself to be of that devout father's mind; viz. (in his own words,) "The promises made to us Christians are great, and beyond expression; insomuch, that all the glory and beauty of heaven and earth, with all the remaining furniture and variety, riches, splendour, and delight, of the visible

i 2 Cor. i. 3, 4, 5. k Gal. v. 16. 1 Psal. xl. 8. vi. 18. n Rom. v. 5. and viii. 16, 17. Psal. li. 12. Spiritual Homilies of Macarius the Egyptian.

m Eph.

• The

creation, bear no proportion to the faith and treasure of one single soul." And therefore, since our heavenly Father has graciously promised the sanctifying gifts of the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, we shall do well to ask the same, by the frequent use of that excellent Collect of our church; O Lord, from whom all good things do come, grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guidance may perform the same, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Ninthly, That severe sentence, that the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven, was occasioned by the blasphemy of the Pha risees, affirming, that Christ wrought his miracles by the prince of the devils". Whereupon Christ. declared, that although their blasphemous words against him might be forgiven, yet whosoever should blaspheme the Holy Ghost, (whose power now appeared by the works they saw, and who was to be sent down amongst them in a more ample manner afterward,) which was the last dispensation that God would vouchsafe for their conviction, and affirm the wonderful operations, to be wrought by the apostles and others, through the assistance of the divine Spirit, in testimony of Christ, to be the work of an evil spirit, thereby opposing and reproaching the goodness and power of the Spirit of God in effecting them, this sin should not be forgiven so that no one who believes in Jesus Christ can be guilty of this sin, but he who blasphemously affirms, that the miraculous effusion of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, after Christ's ascension into heaven, and the wonderful works wrought in testimony of Christ's being the Messiah and Saviour, were the work of the devil; and thereupon rejects the Christian religion, and the evidence thereof in

Fifth Sunday after Easter. 1 Matt. xii. 24,

Ver. 31

the holy Scriptures; such resist their last remedy, and oppose the best and utmost means of their conviction; because such miraculous works are the utmost evidence that can be given to the truth of any religion, and, as hath been said, is the last dispensation which God vouchsafes for conviction.

Tenthly, As it is the common right of all societies to censure and exclude any disorderly member from the common privileges, without which fundamental power they cannot subsist; and as in the Jewish church there was the exercise of spiritual censures, to terrify evil-doers, prevent infection by evil examples, and to bring offenders to amendment; and thereby to maintain the credit and power of religion, by excommunication, or exclusion from sacred offices; so it was the universal sense of the ancients", agreeable to their constant practice, from the beginning of Christianity, that Christ cominitted unto the apostles, and in them to the bishops and pastors of the church, to the end of the world, an authority to establish a church; and for the government thereof, a power of exercising church-discipline, or of binding and loosing, of excommunication and absolution, for the ends and purposes above mentioned, (there being like to be always the same reason for discipline ;) and also, that Christ. assured the same to them, by that sacred symbol from his own mouth; He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

s Camero inter criticos sacros ad loc. Alloquitur dominus Pharisæos, qui patris œconomiam, quæ ante Christi adventum vigebat, insuper habuerunt; suam item blasphemantes spreverant. Ait ergo, licet œconomias illas, quamdiu duravere, contempserint; esse tamen spem veniæ, sub tertiam, quæ spiritui sancto tribuitur; sancti vero spiritus economiam si prosequantur odio, sublatam esse omnem veniæ spem, quia quarta œconomia minime expectari debeat. t John ix. 22. u Hammond's Power of the Keys, chap. 4. Cave's Primitive Christianity, part iii. chap. 5. * John xx. 22, 23.

whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained; and that on this principle, that as Godhimself is the Author of reconciliation, so he hath appointed his ministers to confirm the same as stewards commissioned by him; "as when a king sends governors over provinces, he gives them power of imprisoning and releasing;" according to the similitude of one of the ancients'. We may add here the remark of an eminent prelate of our Church to this purpose; "That act of ministry is not ineffectual, which God hath promised shall be ratified in heaven, and that authority is not contemptible, which the holy Jesus conveyed by breathing upon his church the Holy Ghost"."

Eleventhly, The pretence of the Papists, that the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, as being the successor of St. Peter, is the visible head of the whole Christian church on earth, and that whatsoever body of Christians do not submit to him as such, are no members of the Catholic church, is ill founded on Matt. xvi. 18, 19. Thou art Peter, that is, a stone or rock, (for so the name signifies,) and upon this rock will I build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it: and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, &c.a

For this text does not give to Peter any peculiar authority over the rest of the apostles, because they were all of them rocks and foundations of the church, and had all the same commission given them, and the same power of feeding, or teaching

Chrysost. in Joh. xx. 23. 2 Bishop Taylor's Life of Christ, part iii. and §. 16. Compare Dr. Wells's Paraphrase on 1 Cor. v. And it ought not to be pleaded, that the power of remission of sins in the apostles was extraordinary, and for a time, as was that of miracles; because the church stands as much in need of it now, as in their days. * Catech, ad Parochos, pars i. in Artic, Symbol. 9.