he enables a person to believe and realize, whether he works a faith of the law, or a joyful belief of the gospel; I shall now dismiss this branch of my subject with one single observation, concerning the manner wherein the Holy Ghost accomplishes this important office: namely, That his agency is so powerful and efficacious in working faith, that it produces " a new creature;" and yet so secret and hidden, that it operates like the blowing of the wind. There is a universal, constant divine agency in the natural world, and yet the manner of divine operations, influencing second causes and their respective effects, is secret, wonderful, and inexplicable: why, then, should it be thought incredible or strange, that the effectual operation of the Spirit of truth upon the soul of man is secret, and neither capable of admitting a clear explication, nor even a distinct apprehension, of his almighty and gracious agency? "O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor ?"

SECT. III.-Objections against the necessity of the Divine Energy to produce an unfeigned belief of the Scriptures, and against the Spirit working this Faith by means of the word of God, answered.

1. It is objected against the necessity of divine energy, that "human nature is certainly possessed of sufficient powers in itself to believe the word of Gods both because all that hear it are commanded to

believe it, and because such as hear it, and do not believe it, will be condemned for their unbelief." Answ.. It is evident, from the whole scope of the Scriptures, that God commandeth all mankind that enjoy the benefit of divine revelation, to credit his word, and receive his testimony: and it is most certain, that all who reject the counsel of God by unbelief, will be held criminal, and condemned for their disobedience; but it does not follow from these indisputable facts, that human nature, in its present state, is possessed of sufficient powers in itself to believe the word of God. Man was originally endowed with a capacity to understand, to believe, and do the will of his Creator; but all the bias of our corrupt nature since the fall, is so entirely averse to the will of God, that we can neither know, nor approve, nor do, what is pleasing in his sight. This depravity that has debased our whole nature, and vitiated all its powers, depriving it of original righteousness, has rendered us altogether impotent to every thing that is good, and has brought us wholly under the dominion of sin; but it would be most unreasonable to suppose that it has impaired the obligation of the divine law, which prescribes nothing but what is holy, and just, and good-nothing but what is our reasonable service-nothing but what man was once able to perform-nothing but what the Spirit of grace enables the saints to approve and delight in-nothing that can be offensive and disrelishing, except to a carnal mind that indulges its enmity against God-and nothing but what is a wisely-chosen mean of promoting our salvation.

The commands to believe on the Son of God are

not adapted to the abilities of men as sinners; but they are calculated to serve many valuable purposes notwithstanding. For, (1.) They direct our views to Jesus Christ, as the salvation of God for eternal life, and shut us up to seek and expect it only through faith in his name. Divine authority is therein interposed to hedge up our way, that we may neither turn to the right hand nor to the left. (2.) They are quickening truths to "the heirs of promise," through the powerful demonstration of the Holy Ghost bringing them home upon the conscience. When Paul and Silas said to the jailor," Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," the Spirit of God accompanied his word with light and life, so that "he believed in God, with all his house." (3.) Unbelievers are justly condemned for rejecting the counsel of God, because they despise, they hate, they detest the will of God concerning their salvation by Jesus Christ; and therefore they are without excuse. They make God a liar," even while he is giving them the highest proofs of his veracity; and they despise the riches of his goodness, even while he is showing the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards them through Christ Jesus. Surely such commands are proper to be published unto sinners, who cannot believe them, because they direct them to Christ for salvation, and because they are made spirit and life unto as many as are ordained to eternal life. Surely unbelievers, who hate Christ without a cause, and yet cannot believe on him, are deservedly punished with the greatest destruction from the presence of the Lord, because they hate both the Father and the Son, and

because they willingly gratify their enmity against both the authority of the divine law, and the sovereignty of divine grace.

2. It is objected against the necessity of divine energy in working faith, that "the supposition of such an agency as has been explained, being absolutely necessary to produce an unfeigned belief of the gospel, is inconsistent with the use of any means of believing." Answ. If this reasoning should be admitted, it is impossible to fix any limits to the consequences that arise out of it. Who will choose to dissent from the poet's maxim, "In God we live, and move, and have our being," except an avowed atheist? But who could ever imagine, that this position will operate to make men careless and indolent about the business of life, except a bedlamite ? Yet this reasoning is founded on the same principle with that in the objection; and one answer will serve both. The great God may certainly establish what order he pleases, in bestowing undeserved favours upon mankind. Had it seemed good in his sight to do so, he could have conferred them by a continued miracle, without the use of any means; but the order he has settled is of a different kind. He will do all things freely, and yet he will be inquired of to perform his promises. On this head I may adopt the words of the famous Dr. Owen,* with a little variation : "The command of God is the measure and rule of our industry and diligence in a way of duty; and why any one should be discouraged from the exercise of that industry which God requires of

* Preface to the Discourse concerning the Holy Spirit.

him, by the consideration of the aid and assistance which he hath promised to him, I cannot understand. Believing on Christ is difficult, and of the highest importance; so that if any one can be negligent therein because it is the operation and gift of God, it is because he hates it, he likes it not. Let others do what they please, I shall endeavour to comply with the apostle's advice upon the enforcement which he gives unto it: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure.""To use the means of grace, that is, the word and ordinances of God, whereby he is pleased to communicate the benefits of redemption unto sinners, is our unquestionable duty; but to suppose that our using these means will ever produce faith in Jesus Christ, without the energy of the Holy Spirit to render them effectual for that purpose, is contrary both to scripture, and observation, and experience. The Spirit is received "by the hearing of faith;" he giveth "testimony unto the word of his grace ;" and, what is altogether decisive on this point, the apostle says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The manner of the Spirit's work is so far from discouraging men in using the means of faith and holiness, that it is a most powerful motive to excite them to abound therein more and more.

3. It is objected against this agency of the Holy Ghost in producing an unfeigned belief of the gospel, that "such an energy could not be resisted; whereas many reject the counsel of God against themselves, and will not be gathered by the gospel." Answ. It is most certain, that many hearers of the word do