[⁶] Romans viii. 27.
“It is also the office of the Holy Ghost, to assure us of the adoption of sons, to create in us a sense of the paternal love of God towards us, to give us an earnest of our everlasting inheritance. The love of God shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And because we are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. For we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father: the Spirit itself bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.[¹]”
[¹] Verses 15, 16.
“As therefore we are born again by the Spirit, and receive from him our regeneration, so we are also by the same Spirit assured of our adoption. Because being sons we are also heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, by the same Spirit we have the pledge, or rather the earnest of our inheritance. For he which establisheth us in Christ, and hath anointed us is God; who hath also sealed us, and hath given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts: So that we are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance. The Spirit of God, as given unto us in this life, is to be looked upon as an earnest, being part of that reward which is promised, and, upon performance of the covenant which God hath made with us, certainly to be received.”
Your Lordship observed, that “the interpretation of those passages, which relate to the Unction from the Holy One, depends on the sense of those other passages of holy scripture, particularly, those in St. John’s gospel.” Now if so, then these words fix the sense of six out of the seven texts in question: and every one of them, in the judgment of this writer, describes the ordinary gifts bestowed on all Christians.
It now rests with your Lordship, to take your choice; either to condemn or to acquit both. Either your Lordship must condemn Bishop Pearson for an enthusiast, (a man no ways inferior to Bishop Chrysostom:) or you must acquit me: for I have his express authority on my side, concerning every text which I affirm to belong to all Christians.
24. But I have greater authority than his, and such as I reverence, only less than that of the oracles of God. I mean, that of our own church. I shall close this head, by setting down what occurs in her authentic records, concerning either our receiving the Holy Ghost, or his ordinary operations in all true Christians.
In her daily service, she teaches us all to beseech God, to grant us his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life may be pure and holy: To pray for our Sovereign Lord the King, that God would replenish him with the grace of his Holy Spirit; for all the Royal Family, that they may be endued with his Holy Spirit, and enriched with his heavenly grace: for all the clergy and people, that he would send down upon them the healthful Spirit of his grace: for the Catholick Church, that it may be guided and governed by his good Spirit: and for all therein who at any time make their common supplication unto him, that the fellowship or communication of the Holy Ghost may be with them all evermore.
Her collects are full of petitions to the same effect: “Grant that we may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit.[¹]——Grant that in all our sufferings here, for the testimony of thy truth, we may by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed, and being filled with the Holy Ghost, may love and bless our persecutors.[²] Send thy Holy Ghost and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity.[³] 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 are good, and by thy merciful guidance may perform the same.[⁴] Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort.[⁵] (N. B. The church here teaches all Christians to claim the Comforter, in virtue of the promise made John xiv.) Grant us, Lord, we beseech thee, the Spirit, to think and do always such things as be rightful.[⁶] O God, forasmuch as without thee, we are not able to please thee, merciful grant that thy Holy Spirit, may in all things direct and rule our hearts.[⁷] Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name.[⁸]”
[¹] Collect for Christmas-Day.