no, for except thou have the holy Ghost to dwell in thy heart, it is impossible that
there should be any match.”^121 He continues by stating the Spirit’s presence is critical
because when we have the same Spirit of Christ we will have the same will, desires,
love and hate the same things.^122 Sibbes remarks that the “Spirit of God in the hearts
of his children is effectual in stirring up holy desires.”^123 Goodwin reinforces the
same reality when he reminds his readers that the Spirit is in our hearts, preaching and
persuading us of Christ’s love.^124 Therefore, the Holy Spirit is not only necessary for
taking God’s gracious initiative in the formation of spiritual marriage, but also
responsible for deepening the experiential nature of it. John Owen devotes a major
portion of his Trinitarian work on spiritual marriage to the Holy Spirit.^125 According
to Owen the Spirit is actively involved by being the sanctifier and comforter and
bringing to remembrance what Jesus spoke. Owen recognized that spiritual marriage
included the important soteriological emphasis that was so prominent in Calvin;
however, both of them realized that this did not exhaust the understanding of this.
Owen writes, “[a]s a means of retaining communion with God, whereby we sweetly
ease our hearts in the bosom of the Father, and receive in refreshing tastes his love.
The soul is never more raised with the love of God than when by the Spirit taken into
intimate communion with him in the discharge of this duty.”^126
Significantly, while the Puritans continued to employ the language of union
with Christ they expanded Calvin’s understanding of communion with Christ. Union
was the necessary foundation for communion and Preston reminds us that this
(^121) Preston, Churches Marriage (^) , 17, cf. 11-2.
(^122) Preston, Churches Marriage, 17.
(^123) Sibbes, Breathing After God, 219.
(^124) Goodwin, Christ Set Forth, 107.
(^125126) Owen, Communion with God, 222-74.
Owen, Communion with God, 249.