reftraining evil practices, and in working good difpofitions and heavenly tempers, as they are called. But a perfon may have much ferioufnefs about him, be very decent in his carriage among men, have a number of what he may think good and heavenly difpofitions, and yet all this be nothing more than the effects of that principle, common to mankind, which teaches poor finners to fancy themselves better than others, and that they are approaching very near in likeness to God, and fo leads them to establish their own righteoufnefs. Whatever teaches a poor finner to do this, is not of God, but is that fpirit which now worketh in the children of difobedience.

Further it is thought that terrors of conícience, fearful fights of God, and defpair in the foul, proceed from the operation of the Spirit of truth. But this arifes from a miftaken notion, and wrong application of what Chrift fays, John xvi. 8, He fall convince the world of fin, &c. He explains himself v. 9 (to take up his words, and put a conftruction of our own upon them, therefore, when the great Prophet condefcends to explain, is, to fay the best of it, very difingenuous indeed !) He informs us that his Spirit would act as the Comforter in this operation, v. 7, by fhowing the world their fin in not believing in him; which could not poffibly be done, without giving them an understanding to know him that is true; and the knowledge of him would keep them from tormenting defpair on the on hand, and from felf-righteous confidence, on the other. But many things which are not fins, because not a breachof any divine law, are fometimes attributed to the work of the Spirit; fuch as the remorfe which feizes the confcience of the P pift for eating flesh on a fast day, or a confcioufnefs of guilt tormenting the mind of a Proteftant Diffenter, as the confequence of having broken one or other of the laws of his particular church-covenant, &c. and this concern of mind can readily be removed without the atoning blood

of

of Chrift. It will be inquired, perhaps, how people come to be convinced of fin? And the fcripture teaches us to reply, that convictions of fin, followed with torment and tending to defpair, arife from the natural confcience, and the holy law; Rom. ii. 14, 15, ch. iii. 20; the one revives and enforces the genuine dictates of the other, and conviction arifing from this quarter, will not fuffer a perfon to think himfel in a fair way of deliverance from the threatned wrath; any more than a felon's being apprehended would be to him a hopeful fign of is being acquitted. Neither will this kind of conviction prevailing in the mind fuffer the leaft attempt to deliver himtelf out of the hands of his offended Sovereign; but will rather fhow him that nothing but death and deftruction are his just portion. Nor will he (I mean, while natural confcience is permitted to fpeak its genuine language) imagine that God will affift him to make his efcape. But, as it hath been already hinted, many terrors may poffefs the mind, where the perfon has never been convinced of the evil of fin, fuch as frightful views of hell, impreffions upon the imagination that the flames of hell are kindling about him, &c. by which he might be drove into actual defpair, as thinking he is reprobated that his day of grace is paffed, or that he has committed the fin against the Holy Ghoft. For perfons to be encouraged therefore to extract any degree of hope, peace, or encouragement from their convictions, is but drawing off their hope from a profane to a felf-righteous foundation; is only changing from an obvious delufion, to a more fubtle and fecret one, which makes their situation the more dangerous.

And as the nature of the Spirit's work has been grofsly mistaken; fo alfo has the manner of it been fadly mifunderstood. It has been generally thought that his manner of working is by fome fecret while per, impreffion, or operation, without the written

word;

word; whereby finners are taught to believe that a work of grace is begun in them, and from which they are inftructed to conclude that they are the dear children of God. But without tranfgreffing the bounds of fcripture charity, it may be observed, that whatever fpirit impreffes, influences, or comforts a finner, by any thing afide from what is written in the word of God, is fitly denominated, and juftly characterized by the following epithets, the spirit of the world-the fpirit of disobedience-the spirit of error

-the fpirit of antichrift—the spirit of flumber, &c.. The direct tendency of whofe teachings are, to promote that work of felf-dependance which he began, in our first parents; and one juftly obferyes on this head, that" This Jelf-dependance may be ranked among the most dangerous of the infernal politics, because the fatal poifon lies deep, and is too often undifcerned."

I fhall now proceed to give fome account of the Spirit of grace and his work, by which alone we know the things which are freely given us of God. The pirit of whom we now speak, is diftinguished from every other, under the titles of the holy Spirit -the fpirit of God-the fpirit of truth-the good fpirit-the fpirit of judgment-the spirit of knowledgethe fpirit of wisdom-the fpirit of faith-the spirit of grace-and the spirit of glory. Thefe facred epithets plainly fet forth the nature of his work; and that we may speak of it with all becoming reverence, let us remember that the fpirit is GOD; which should caufe us to tremble, left we afcribe any work to him, unworthy of his wisdom, justice, holinefs, or truth. The work of this facred agent is to testify of Christ→ to glorify him to lead into truth, and to comfort the difciples of Jefus. But our fafest way of proceeding, will be to hear the faithful and true witness speak upon the fubject, John xvi, 13-15, When he, the fpirit of truth is come, be will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he fhall hear, that shall he speak he shall glorify me:

E

for

From hence we

for he fhall take of mine, and fhow it unto you. All that the father hath are mine, therefore jaid I, that he shall take of mine, and fhow it unto you. learn, that the fole work of the promised Spirit is to glorify Chrift, by teftifying of him and left we fhould fancy that the Father would be difhonored thereby, we are informed, that all things that the Father hath are Christ's; even every divine excellency, perfection and glory. Mofes and the Prophets, who wrote under the influence, and by the direction of the Spirit of grace, had Chrift for their theme; many fubordinate fubjects it is true were introduced by them, to illuftrate and confirm this one grand defign; but to teftify of Jefus in his perfon and fufferings, and to fpeak of the glory that fhould follow, was their primary defign in writing, 1 Peter i. 11. Rev. xix. 10. Acts x. 43. And as it was the prophets delightful employ, to teftify of Chrift through the Spirit; fo alfo was it in the one grand theme of the apostles of our Lord, on whom this Spirit in his rich effufions refted. Paul in giving a fummary of the doctrine which himself and fellow apoftles advanced, fays we preach Chrift crucified. Hence it is plain, that the whole Bible is a teftimony of Jefus ; even as himself faith, fearch the fcriptures-for they teflify of ME. The Spirit of grace, therefore, through the whole of his work, of enlightening, quickening, edifying, and comforting finners; speaks not of any thing diftinct from, much lefs oppofed to, the glory and compaffion of Jefus. He fhall not fpeak of himself; but whatfoever he fhall hear, that fhall he fpeak. If then the Spirit of truth does not fpeak of himself, it cannot be fuppofed that he will lead any whom he inftructs to speak of any work of his feparate from Chrift, who is the alone fubject of his teftimony. Whatever influence then, men are led by, to talk of a work of grace, that is not wrought by the Spirit's teftimony of the things of Chrift; we may with certainty conclude that it is not of God. Much lefs then can we fuppofe that this glorious

glorious agent, leads any to fpeak_great, things of themselves of their own fuppofed efforts, pious exertions, humble breathings, holy ftrivings, &c. and to call them his regenerating influences. Far otherwife; his work ftains the pride of man, by laying his fancied honor in the duft; and prefenting a fource of glorying in the Lord alone. But this doctrine deferves a more particular illuftration. Firft as the employment of the bleffed Spirit is to lead into TRUTH, even the whole truth as it is in Jefus, of confequence he has no hand in teaching any thing inconfiftent with, or unworthy of the truth. He fpeaks and communicates, only the things of Chrift, and of the Father whom Christ reveals; which things are written: there can, therefore, be no divine operation, but what is wrought by the concurring influence of the word and fpirit of truth Is it the Spirit's work to regenerate the foul? We are alfo faid to be begotten by the word of truth, and through the gospel. Are his regenerating influences compared to the old creation? It was by the word of the Lord that the heavens were made. He fpake and it was done; he commanded, and it ftood faft. Is his work compared to the refurrection? That will take place by the dead hearing Chrift's voice, John v. 24, 25. In one word, the beginning, and his future operations upon the fouls of his difciples, in nourishing, comforting, eftablishing, and fanctifying them; are performed by the word of grace. It is by the babes partaking of the fincere milk of the word, that they grow into a more advanced ftate in Chrift; and it was only by being nourished up in the words of faith, and of good doctrine that Timothy could be fitted for the work of the miniftry. And as the work of fanctification is carried on in the foul, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, fo our Lord informs us, that it is the truth, even the word of truth, that fanctifies, John xvii. 17, and ye are clean through the word which I have