to dispel all the doubts and misgivings of a troubled conscience, insomuch that the man has felt as if on a sudden his eyes had been opened on the light of day, or as if his conscience were relieved from a heavy burden, or as if his whole soul were at once enlarged, -liberated from bondage, and introduced into the glorious liberty wherewith Christ maketh his people free.

And what is very remarkable, the very same truths may have been presented to his mind in former times without producing any effect. The truth is the same, but it appears to him in a new light. He has no occasion to alter a single article in his former creed, yet he feels as if he could say,-"One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." He knew Christ before, as those knew him of whom it is said, that he was to them " as a root out of a dry ground, having no form nor comeliness, nor any beauty wherefore they should desire him." But now every word respecting Christ is sweet,-every aspect of his character, and office, and work, awakens interest,—every thing in Christ is precious, when, under the teaching of the Spirit, he is seen to be " the fairest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely." And most sweetly and seasonably does this part of the Spirit's work follow on the conviction of sin. Nor is it unnecessary even in the case of a convinced sinner; for all experience shows, that when overwhelmed with the thought of his own sinfulness, he is prone to doubt or disbelieve the truth as it is in Jesus, or to put a legal construction on the Gospel, or to sink into utter dejection and despair, as if he at least could have no interest in

the Gospel, and were too great a sinner to be saved. It belongs to the office of the Spirit to dispel these dark suspicions, and to correct these fatal misapprehensions; and this he does, not by imparting any new information not contained in the Bible, but by unfolding the truth which the Bible contains, and by simply enlightening the mind in the knowledge of Christ.” Another step remains. It is quite possible that a man may be, to a certain extent, convinced of his sin and misery, and that he may have acquired a considerable degree of knowledge concerning Christ, and yet fall short of conversion. We read that "Felix trembled," and of some "who were once enlightened," and yet fell away. Indeed, most men in a Christian country have their occasional convictions and fears, and have also some notional acquaintance with the doctrine of salvation; nay, they may seem to "receive that doctrine with joy," and yet refuse to undergo the great, the decisive, the saving change. The reason of this is the inveterate depravity of the human heart, and its native aversion or enmity to God. The heart must be renewed, and its enmity slain, before a thorough conversion is accomplished; and the previous process of conviction and instruction is only a means to this end

-a means suitable in itself, and sufficient, through the Spirit's grace-but without it utterly ineffectual. Accordingly, the concluding part of the Spirit's work in conversion, is, to "renew our wills," or to make us willing to be saved by Christ on Gospel terms. It is not enough to convince a man of his sin and misery ;-conviction is not conversion. Nor is it

enough to instruct him in the doctrine of the Gospel, -that doctrine might only inflame his enmity, and exasperate his pride. Conversion implies a change of heart. It may seem that the direct agency of the Spirit cannot be necessary here, since all men must be willing to be saved. But it is far, very far from being true, that men are willing to be saved, in the Gospel sense of that expression. They are willing to escape from misery, simply considered as such, and to secure what they regard as happiness; but they are not anxious-on the contrary, they are averse— to be saved as the Gospel proposes to save them. They have no desire to be delivered from sin, and no relish for the spiritual happiness which Christ offers to bestow. Had the Gospel simply proclaimed impunity for sin, or exemption from suffering, and that, live as they might, men should enjoy an eternal happiness suited to their own tastes,—then, doubtless, it would have been hailed with one universal acclamation of gratitude and joy: but it makes no such overture. It speaks of a salvation from sin, as well as from suffering, and proposes a heaven into which nothing that is unclean or impure shall ever enter; and to say that all men are willing to be saved in that sense, and in this way, were to deny the depravity of human nature, and to affirm that all men are willing to be holy. The great difficulty, then, is, to make them willing to be saved, in the Bible sense of that expression, and in the way of God's appointment; and this is effected by the Spirit's grace-" They are a willing people in the day of his power."

It is important to mark, that this is the last stage. in the process, and the completion of the Spirit's work, in converting a sinner. So soon as he is made willing, there remains no barrier betwixt him and the Saviour: he is at perfect liberty, on God's own warrant and invitation, nay, by God's express command, to "embrace Jesus Christ as he is freely offered to him in the Gospel." Of every man who reads or hears the Gospel, it may be affirmed that there is nothing betwixt him and salvation, except his own unwillingness to be saved. "Ye are not willing to come to me, that ye might have life,”—that is the Saviour's charge and complaint. "Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely,”—that is the Saviour's call and invitation. The warrant of every sinner to believe in Christ to the saving of the soul is clear; it is written as with a sunbeam in Scripture; it lies wholly in the Word, which is the Spirit's message, and not at all in the Spirit's witness in the heart. The warrant of the Word is ample; but if any feel that, even with this warrant in his hand, there is something within which keeps him back-a depraved heart, a rebellious will, a reluctant spirit, oh! let him acknowledge his own helplessness, and cast himself, with the simplicity of a little child, on the grace of the Spirit of God !

CHAPTER IV.

THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN ENLIGHTENING THE MIND.

HAVING considered the general design of the gift of the Spirit, in reference both to the World and the Church, and described the course or process by which a soul is translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son; I propose to illustrate, separately, the various parts of the Spirit's work, or his successive operations on the soul, from the time when it is first taken under his teaching, till it is made "meet for the inheritance of the saints in light."

One of his most necessary operations is that by which he conveys spiritual light into the understanding; and to this part of his work-which is indeed so important, that it is often put for the whole-the apostle refers, when, speaking of the Holy Ghost as "the Spirit of wisdom and revelation," he prays that by the Spirit" the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened" (Eph. i. 17, 18), and when he describes true converts as having had their eyes opened, and having been turned from darkness to light; nay, translated out of darkness into God's marvellous light.