by the Spirit, ye shall live, Rom. viii. 13. The flesh will never mortify its own deeds but the spirit must mortify the deeds of the flesh; and this will mortify them, according to the whole latitude of them.

2. Again, as the power of the spirit subdues the whole body of sin, so also it overpowers each particular strong corruption, and keeps a Christian straight and upright in the ways of God. Every man hath some one corruption, to which, by nature, he is more inclined than to another, and this is the bias of a man; but the strength of the spirit will overpower this. A bowl, if it be thrown with strength, knows not its bias, but is carried on straight, as if it had no bias at all. So the godly have still some flesh in them, which is their bias, and carries them from God to themselves and the world, but the strength of the Spirit takes away this bias, and makes us take straight steps to God.

4. All Christians stand in need of the power of the spirit, to enable them to perform duties, to perform them aright, that is, spiritually. For spiritual duties may be performed, for the outward work carnally; and in such duties there is no strength, but weakness, because there is none of the Spirit in them. For there is no power in any duty, except there be something of the spirit in the duty. There is no more power in praying, nor in preaching, nor in hearing, nor in meditation, nor in reading, nor in resisting evil, nor in doing good, nor in any duty of sanctification, or of mortification, than there is of the spirit in them.

And according to the measure of the spirit in each duty, is the measure of power in the duty. If there be none of the Spirit in a man's duties, there is no power at all in them, but only weakness and deadness, and coldness, and unprofitableness. If a little of the spirit, there is a little power; if abundance of the spirit, there is great power; and that duty that is most spiritual, is the most powerful.

And therefore saith Paul, I will pray with the Spirit, and I will sing with the Spirit; and all the worship of the faithful is in the spirit. Philip iii. 3. We are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, and have no confidence in the flesh. So that there is no more power in any duty, than there is of the spirit in it; and there is no more acceptance of any duty with God, than there is of power in it.

Fifthly: All Christians stand in need of the power of the spirit, to enable them to the use of the word, and that both in private, and in public, as occasion serves.

1. In private; for no man can say, that Jesus is the Christ, but by the Holy Spirit. No man can speak of Christ spiritually, but by the spirit; and without this spirit, which searches the deep things of God, and reveals them to us, Christians are unable to give the sense of the word of God in their families, and among their friends, and acquaintance, and are also ashamed to do it. Whereas, the Spirit of God gives us both ability and boldness: as Aquila and Priscilla his wife, did not only speak the word in their family, but also took Apollos, a minister, home, when they perceived him somewhat ignorant in the mystery of Christ, and instructed him in the way of God more perfectly.

2. They have need of the power of the Spirit, to enable them to speak the word of God in public, as every Christian may do, if he come where people are ignorant of God's word, and there are no ministers to do it. This I say, in such a case, we may do by virtue of his anointing with the Spirit; and for this you may see the practice of Stephen and Philip, who were but deacons, and not elders or ministers, and yet published the word, where the people were ignorant; yea, you may see, Acts viii, how all the disciples, except the apostles, were, by reason of a great persecution, scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, and they that were so scattered, went every where, preaching the word, because the people among which they

were, were ignorant, and there was no body else to do it. And God, having made known Christ unto them, they could not but declare him unto others: the love, both of Christ, and of their brethren, constraining them. But this is in case of necessity, and where other faithful Christians are absent: otherwise, when Christians are present, no man can take that to himself, without the consent of all, which belongs to all.

Sixthly: All Christians stand in need of this power of the Spirit, to enable them to confess the word, before kings, and rulers, and magistrates, when they are called thereunto. Whereas, without this power, they would tremble, and bite in the truth. In Matt. x. Christ tells his disciples, that they shall be brought before governors and kings, for his name's sake. But, saith he, verse 19. When they shall deliver you up, take no thought, how, or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour, what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. Here Christ tells his disciples that they should be brought before great men, yea, before the greatest in the world, to give testimony to his truth. And surely, it is a very hard thing, for a man not to be daunted then, but to be unmoveable, before all worldly power and glory, and all the terrible frowns and threats of mighty men. Now, saith Christ, at such a time, when you are to speak before the armed power of the world, be not troubled beforehand, how, or what to say. For if you have Christ and his spirit in your hearts, you cannot want words in your mouths. And the truth which you profess is most glorious when it is most naked, and destitute of the garnishings of human eloquence and wisdom. And therefore be not fearful beforehand, no, nor yet careful, touching what you shall say; for it shall be given you in that same hour, in that same moment; you shall have most present help.

How so? for it is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your Father that dwells in you. The spirit of truth that dwells in you, shall enable you to speak the words of truth, when you are called to it. And though you, it may be, are plain and mean men, and your lips would tremble, and be quite closed up before such an assembly of power and majesty: yet God's spirit shall give you a mouth to speak even then. And because, if you were only supplied with a mouth to speak at such a time, you would be ready to speak rashly, and foolishly, to the great prejudice and disadvantage of the truth, therefore he will give you not only a mouth, but wisdom too: and he himself will manage his own cause with your mouths. And you shall so speak, as all your adversaries shall not be able to resist the truth that you speak; but shall be so convinced in their consciences, that their tongues shall not know what to say. You shall have a mouth and wisdom, and they shall want both.

And thus have many poor, mean, simple Christians, when brought before rulers and magistrates, been able to carry out the truth in that strength, that all their adversaries have been put to silence and shame, as you may see in a multitude of examples in the Book of Martyrs. And all this they did, by the power of the Spirit coming upon them.

Seventhly and lastly: All Christians stand in need of the power of the Spirit, to overcome afflictions and persecu. tions, from which it is impossible they should be free in this world, they being contrary to the world, and the whole world to them. A natural man who hath no strength in himself, but his own strength, faints and fails under affliction and persecution: but the faithful have in them strength above natural strength, strength above the strength of men, even the strength of the Spirit coming on them, and so they endure and overcome. Our

spirits are weak spirits, and are conquered by every evil; but when they are strengthened by the power of God's Spirit, they are, over all evils, more than conquerors. And this is one thing observable, between natural and spiritual strength, in the overcoming of evil. Natural strength seeks always to throw off the evil, and so it prevails; but spiritual strength never seeks the removing of the evil, but let the evil be what it will, it stands to it, and overcomes it. For the strength of the Spirit is able, easily to overcome all evils that can happen to flesh and blood, whether they arise from earth or hell. And thus those blessed Martyrs mentioned, Hebr. xi. and thousands and ten thousands of their consorts since, have overcome cruel mockings and scourgings, and bonds, and imprisonment, and stoning, and sawing in sunder, and slaying with the sword, and all the woes of poverty and want, and banishment, and of living in wildernesses and caves, and dens of the earth; these and all other evils, they have mightily overcome, by this only power of the Spirit coming upon them. Thus we stand in need of the power of the Spirit, to overcome affliction and persecution; and how much power we have, in affliction and persecution, to endure them, and overcome them, just so much of the power of the Spirit we have, and no more.

And thus also have I declared unto you what necessity all Christians have of the power of the Spirit coming upon them, as well as ministers. And this was to strengthen the use of exhortation.

The second use is for information and instruction, after this manner. If the receiving of the Spirit be the receiving of power, then it clearly informs us, that the way to partake of this power, is to obtain this spirit; and the way to increase this power, is to increase this spirit. I shall endeavour to speak to both these things, and so shall conclude.