CHAP. en'd, and to have Eyes open to perceive the Sense XV. of Scripture, the wonderous things of God's law, and the practical ufe of the Fear of the Lord, the faving benefit of Faith, and of the great Mystery of Godliness, God manifeft in the Flesh. And thus the Governors of our Church (as it is happily at this Day) are affifted with the Spirit of Counsel for giving Advice; of Knowledge for diftinguishing the Ends from the Means of Religion; of Wisdom for applying the Means to the End (the principal Senfe of Wifdom in Scripture;) and of a found Mind for the Regulation of their whole Conduct, in their high Sphere of bringing Minds to Chrift, the great Bishop of Souls. THUS the unconftant defultory Will is more fix'd and steady to that which is good; by the frequent Importunities, urgent Advices, and repeated Suggeftions of this divine Friend, watching the mollia tempora fandi, and then putting into the Heart good Defires. Thus good Defires and Affections are kindled in Prayer; and Comfort fprings up in Trouble; and Chearfulness lightens the burthen of Duty; by his fuggefting and infinuating proper Thoughts and Ideas into the Mind, at thofe times. And fo the whole Man, by degrees, becomes a favourite Subject of the Kingdom of God; which confifts of Righteousnefs, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost; Shedding abroad the love of God upon the Heart, to its great Joy; and in the prefent Satisfaction of being adopted to his Favour, making the Spirit of future Glory rest upon it in all Joy and Peace in believing, that it may abound in Hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. * * 1 Pet. iv. 14. Rom. xv. 33. AND XV. AND is not this an happy Benefit of Chri- CHAP, ftianity, to have our natural Powers aided and affifted imperceptibly, and not the leaft compelling alteration offered to them? Thoughts and Ideas being kindly whisper'd and familiarly imprefs'd, as if they were our own Thoughts and Ideas, our natural Powers must be stronger and better furnish'd by having that fuper-addition, than they are without it. Therefore we are faid to be strengthen'd with Might through the Spirit in the inward Man to do his Will, Eph. iii. 15. and to be able to do all things of Duty through Chrift that strengthens us, Phil. iv. 13. And when the Spirit, which lufteth againft the Flesh, gets the dominion over it, the obfequious Members change their Mafter, and their Work, from Uncleannefs and Iniquity, to Righteoufnefs and Holinefs. BUT what endears it the more to us is, we have that additional fupervening Aid as much in our Power, and as conftantly at our Service, as we have our own natural Powers at our own Service, for our good; and that is by our Prayers for it, and by using that friendly which uses us fo. For tho' it is the common Chriftian Benefit and Effect of God's Government over us in Christ, yet are we as much obliged to depend upon it in Prayer, and be thankful for it, as in the natural courfe of his Providence we are bound to pray for our daily Bread, and be thankful for that. And as there may be extraordinary Providences out of the common courfe in one Cafe, fo there may, fometimes, be in the other an over-ruling Determination; never to be prayed for, or expected by any Man, WHATEVER therefore we can do by our own natural Faculties, we can much better do, and C 3 with CHAP. with more eafe, by the help of another Power mafter and fubdue, we may, this way, be ena- FOR he ftrives with us and for us; and never abandons us as long as there is any hope of our Recovery; nor is any left to a reprobate Mind, paft feeling, till by repeated Refufals of his kindly Affiftance, and obftinate Perfeverance in Wickedness, they let him know there is no hopes of them; and as foon as they are loft to all Perfuafion, they are loft alfo to Heaven, without a Miracle: which will not be beftow'd upon them; for as they came into the World a free Creature, fo they fhall go out of it again to the Place of their own chufing. God refpects every thing as he has made it, guides and governs it according to its Nature. Nor fhall any Grace of his be a Force upon any Man; nor will he move in us contrary to, but in concert Phil, i. 6. with the Movements of our own Powers, nor CHAP. XV. operate inwardly but in Conjunction with our own inward Operations: Notwithstanding he fo. frequently lays the Thoughts, Opportunities, and Impulfes to Good before us, by his Provi dential ordering our outward Circumstances of Life. FOR as a Graff put into a natural Stock accommodates itself to the natural Powers of the Stock, dwells in, and incorporates with it, not to destroy the Stock, or any of its Powers; but gradually mends and improves them to the Production of better Fruit; and by due Culture, and in time, all is converted into the Nature of the Graff, according to the Intention of graffing! So the Spirit of Chrift graffed (fuppofe by Baftifm) into the carnal Mind, the natural Stock of every Man, and afterwards duly cultivated, by degrees, as it grows to Maturity, draws the natural Powers of the carnal Mind to itself; and fo you fee the Fruits of the Spirit, Love, Joy, Peace, Long-Suffering, Gentleness, Faith [that believeth all things, the best of every Body] Meeknefs, Temperance (changing the Name of moral Virtues into Chriftian Graces, and Humanity into Charity) flourishing, where nothing otherwife would have grown but the contrary Fruits of the Flesh. And by this appointed Means and Chriftian Culture, of mortifying the Deeds of the Flesh by the Spirit, wild Fruit is changed into good, fo good as to be pleafing to God. And as one is a Regeneration of natural Fruit in a phyfical Way, fo the other is a Regeneration of moral Fruit, in a moral Way; the moral Pow * Gal. v. 22, 23. C 4 ers CHAP. ers being still the fame by Nature (free to Good, XV. as they were to Evil) whilft they are freely led and directed to better Productions, by the Advantage of being incorporated with Christ their Head. AND a great Change to moral Effects and good Fruits may be wrought by this invifible Origin of being born of the Spirit, as in Nature great Changes are made by the invifible blowing of the Wind where it lifteth. However it is fo neceffary in the Inftitution of God, that there is no entring his Kingdom, without being born of that, and Water. As we are by natural Birth united to Chrift in one Part of our Nature, Flesh and Blood, fo by spiritual Birth the Holy Spirit feems neceffary to unite our Spirit, the other Part of our Nature, to God and Christ by Adoption: He who is thus join'd to the Lord, is one Spirit, as before he was one Flefh. And he that is born of Water and the Spirit, if he is not quite taken out of the old Stock of the first Adam, yet the fecond Adam Chrift is graffed in him, or he graffed into that new Stock, to produce all those Alterations for good, which the old one was deficient in. ร์ THE Branches that depend upon the Vine for Life and Growth, and bearing Fruit and imbibing Juices in order to it, can do nothing as to either, without a vital Abiding in and Communication with it: And Chrift is the true Vine in the fame Sense of imbibing from him, as he is the true Bread, in the digefting Sense of his Doctrine; and his Flefh was as much Bread or Meat indeed, as his Blood was Wine and Drink indeed, for maintaining indeed that vital fpiritual Communion, in imbibing and digefting his Doctrine |