deliberately do a Thing that we know to be Evil. It is not to be told how much by any fuch Actions as these we wound our own Souls, and what Misery we bring upon our felves. This is the certain way to drive away the Holy Spirit from us, and if ever he do return again, it must be upon a very fevere and particular Repentance.

The

3. Thirdly, Tho' all Sins do grieve the Holy Spirit, and wilful Sins moft; yet there are fome Sins that have a Mark fet upon them in the Scripture, as being of fuch a Nature as to grieve the Holy Spirit in a more particular Manner than others. And these are the Sins that are more immediately committed against our Bodies. Such are all Sorts of Uncleannefs and Intemperance. Spirit of God is a Spirit of Purity; and therefore nothing fo oppofite to him as all fleshly Pollutions and Senfuality. Indeed the very Notion of his being a Gueft and Lodger with us fuppofeth that we are obliged in a more particular manner to take care that our Hearts, where he is to dwell, fhould be thoroughly purg'd from every thing that is filthy and unclean. And this is the very Argument that St Paul ufes to the Corinthians, to make them efpecially careful to avoid Fornication, and other Uncleanness; namely, because their Bodies were the Temples of the Holy Ghost. The 13. Body, fays he, is not for Fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the Body.

I Cor. 6.

Know

v. 15.

v. 19′′

Know ye not that your Bodies are the Members of Chrift! Shall I then take the Members of Chrift, and make them the Members of an Harlot? God forbid! Flee Fornication. Every Sin that a Man doth, is with- v. 18. out the Body: But he that committed Fornication, finneth against his own Body. And ye know that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoft, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own. And in the Text we are now upon, when St. Paul bids us not to grieve the Spirit, he feems to have an efpecial Regard to the grieving him by Wantonnefs and Uncleannefs, by lewd and fcurrilous Difcourfes. This the Context plainly intimates. For in the Verfe before, he gives them this Caution; Let no corrupt Communication, Eph.4.29. says he, proceed out of your Mouth, but that which is good, to the Ufe of edifying, that

it

may minifter Grace to the Hearers. And then it follows in the Text, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. And what we say of Luft and Uncleannefs, the fame is to be faid of Gluttony and Drunkenness: for these are as noifome and offenfive to the Holy Spirit as the other, and render the Man who is guilty of them every whit as incapable of his divine Infpirations. Indeed the Spirit of God cannot lodge in a Soul that is impure and fenfual in any kind. And therefore, if ever we expect to be fealed to the Day of Redemption, it will infinitely

VOL. V.

G

concern

I Theff.

4.4.

concern us all to keep our Bodies pure and undefiled, to poffefs them in Sanctification A Man that is given to Luft or Drunkenness, is no more capable of receiving or lodging the Holy Spirit, than a Stye is fit to be made a Temple.

and Honour.

4. But fourthly and laftly, As there are fome particular Sins, fo there are fome particular Circumftances of Sins, that do likewife grieve him in a more efpecial manner than others. Now of thefe Circumftances, this I cannot but take Notice of, as a chief one; viz. our continuing to pursue a finful Courfe of Life after we have often engaged ourselves by folemn Vows and Refolutions to forfake it. There is nothing more hated by God or Man, than the Sin of Unfaithfulness and Ingratitude. The best Friend in the World, if Time after Time we abuse his Kindneffes, if upon every Turn when we have need of him we folemnly engage to him to do this or the other Thing that he would have us, and yet when that Turn is ferved, we forget all our Promifes and Engagements, and fall again to that Practice that we know will above all things in the World disoblige him: I fay, in fnch a Cafe as this, the best Friend in the World will, without Scruple, shake off all Thoughts of Friendship with us, and have nothing to do more with Perfons who are fo ungrateful and perfidious. It is a matter of great Comfort to us, that the

f

the Patience and Kindnefs of God doth fo infinitely exceed that of the best Friends npou Earth. But yet our Baseness, and Treachery, and Inconftancy, in a customary Breach of Vows and Promifes, I fay these Things will (if any thing in the World can) provoke God Almighty to abandon us, and leave us to ourselves. The Holy Spirit of God will ftrive with us for a long Time; but God hath told us, that his Gen. 6. 3. Spirit fhall not always firive with us. We

Jer. 15. 6.

may, by our frequent Back-flidings, after our folemn Engagements to the contrary, fo weary him (if I may speak in Scripture Ifa. 7. 13. Language) that he may think fit to give us Mal. 2.17. up. However, it is certain, that every Man that is thus falfe and treacherous, takes the most ready Courfe in the World to bring this Judgment upon himself.

And fo much it may fuffice to have spoken upon the Precept itfelf, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.

I come now to the other Part of my Text, viz. The Argument wherewith St. Paul enforces this Precept; and that is the Confideration that it is the Spirit that fealeth us unto the Day of Redemption. In fpeaking to which Words, I must first enquire what is meant by the Day of Redemption.

Secondly, What is meant by being fealed unto the Day of Redemption. And

14.

Thirdly, How, or in what Senfe the Holy Spirit doth thus feal Chriftians. From all which it will appear what a mighty Argument the Confideration of this ought to be to us, not to grieve the Spirit.

1. And firft let us enquire what is meant by the Day of Redemption. The Writers of the New Teftament fpeak of a four-fold Redemption which Chrift hath wrought for us; viz. A Redemption from the Law: A Redemption from the Guilt and Punishment of Sin: A Redemption from the Dominion and Power of Sin: And a Redemption from the Grave.

1. I fhall speak a Word or two upon each of thefe Particulars. The Scriptures fpeak of a Redemption from the Law. Gal. 3. 13, Chrift hath redeemed us from the Curfe of the Law, being made a Curfe for us, that the Bleffing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles thro' Jefus Chrift, that we might receive the Promife of the Spirit thro' Faith. Gal.4.4, 5. And again, When the Fulness of Time was come, God fent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons. The Jews were properly and immediately concerned in this Redemption from the Law; for none were under the Law (viz. obliged to Obedience to it, or obnoxious to the Curfes of it,) but they to whom it was given.

And