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and the less ready to receive it without fufficient evidence, that is, without reason.

In the fecond chapter of the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, St. Paul treats of the method by which we arrive to the knowledge of spiritual truths: They are, he fays, fpiritually difcerned, and the natural man cannot receive them, they are foolishness to him; and, upon this authority, even the use of reafon has been rejected in inquiries of religion, and men fent to the Spirit for proof. But what the Apoftle fays here will be found confiftent with what has been already said upon this head. In the third verse he tells the Corinthians, that his preaching was not with the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the demonftration of the Spirit and of power; that is, he did not preach from natural topics, but preached the things which the Spirit had revealed to him; and gave the works of the Spirit, that is, figns and miracles, for proof of his doctrine. But this was a reasonable proof ftill, and fuch an one as reafon could judge of. Verfe the fourteenth he fays, The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God: which is very true; for how fhould natural reason furnish arguments to prove the revelations of God, which have no connection with natural principles of reason? But then he adds, Thefe things are fpiritually difcerned; or, as he words it in the eighteenth verse, they are difcerned by comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual; that is, by comparing the proofs of the Spirit and the revelations of the Spirit together. This comparifon is the work of reafon; for reafon difcerns the agreement between these spiritual things, and, by confidering the works

and wonders of the Spirit, fubmits to the revelation of the Spirit. So what the Apoftle affirms here is only this, that the revelations of God are not to be examined or known by principles or proofs of natural reason, but must be manifefted by the proofs of the Spirit; for we have no proofs from reafon for the revelations of the Gofpel, but we have the works of the Spirit, by which they are attefted. And here it is plain what the work of the Spirit is: it brings proofs to the reafon of man, but does not bring the reason of man to the proofs: fo that reafon and faith, or reafon and the gift of the Spirit, are confiftent.

Secondly, as to the measure in which the Spirit is given, the Scripture is not express: this we are fure of, that all to whom the Spirit is given do not obey the Spirit; for we read of fome who refift the Spirit of God, who do defpite to the Holy Spirit: from whence it is evident, that all who are loft, are not loft for want of due affiftance from God; fince they had the offer of the Spirit, but refused and withstood his holy motions. God has engaged in Chrift to give us all things neceffary to our falvation; and therefore, as far as the Spirit is neceffary, so far we are fure of his affiftance. As men improve in virtue and holiness, they contract a greater familiarity with the Holy Spirit; with fuch he is faid to dwell, to abide with them: which answers to what our Saviour fays, To him that hath, it fhall be given; and from him that hath not, even that which he hath fhall be taken away. The plain confequence of which is, that we should, according to the Apostle's advice, work out our falvation with

fear and trembling; for God worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. If therefore we cease to work whilst we have time and opportunity, God will withdraw his grace from us; even that which we have, fhall be taken from us. We cannot work without God: therefore fhould we work with fear and trembling, left, if we neglect the appointed time, we should be left deftitute of help, without hope or remedy.

Laftly, We may collect what are the figns and marks of grace in the regenerate; even this, that we keep the will of God. I before observed, that to be drawn of God, and to be willing to do his will, are one and the fame thing: if so, then all who do the will of God, are drawn of God; and all who are effectually drawn of God, do his will. From whence it follows, that all who live virtuously and holily have the Spirit of God, and all who do wickedly are of their father the devil. From whence it follows, that it is a vain and ill grounded confidence that fome men have in their spiritual attainments, whilst they work the works of darkness: for he only that doth the works of the Spirit hath the Spirit of God; and hereby do we know that we love him, if we keep his commandments.

DISCOURSE XVIII.

PHILIPPIANS ii. 12, 13.

Work out your own falvation with fear and trembling. For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleafure.

THERE have not, perhaps, been any more unhappy disputes in the Christian church than those relating to the natural powers of man to work out his own falvation, and those relating to the nature and measure of the grace and affistance promised in the Gospel of Chrift. On one fide it is infifted, that virtue and vice owe their being to the freedom and choice of the agent, and lose their name when they are the effect of force and conftraint; and, confequently, that to fuppofe men to be made righteous by any influence from any other being than themselves, is contrary to reafon. And hence it is that fome of the advocates for mere human reafon, as fufficient to all the purposes of falvation, despise the promises, made in the Gospel, of grace and spiritual affiftance; and others of them fo explain them, as to leave them no meaning at all. On the other fide, fome zealous afferters of the doc

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trine of grace, in order to magnify this free gift of God, allow nothing to reafon or the natural powers of men; but think it the highest presumption, and the greatest affront offered to the grace of God, to suppose that men can do any thing for themselves. It is, in their own way of expreffion, to make the power of God attendant on the weakness of man, and to make the grace of God the fervant and handmaid of human reafon. And thus it is agreed on both fides, by those who carry their respective opinions to the greatest length, that either the power of man to work righteousness muft exclude the grace of God, or the grace of God muft exclude all the effects and endeavours of human reason.

But as inconfiftent as they may think these things to be, St. Paul, who was better inftructed in the principles of the Gospel of Chrift than the ancient or the modern teachers of thefe doctrines can pretend to be, has thought fit to join them together, and has called upon all Chriftians to work out their own falvation, for this very reafon, because God works in them both to will and to do. If St. Paul be in the right, God's working with us by his grace is fo far from being a reason against working for ourfelves, that it is the greatest inducement to it, and lays us under the highest obligation to give all diligence to make our calling and election fure.

Let us then confider St. Paul's doctrine, and fee what are the natural confequences for a Chriftian to draw from it.

The words of the text evidently confift of two parts; an exhortation, and an argument by which that exhortation is enforced. The exhortation you

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