The doctrine of God's total inaction, in the moral and intellectual world, is irreligious and unphilofophical. The wifeft heathens exploded it. Fortunately it is refuted in the ftrongest language of fcripture. For after our Saviour's afcenfion, the Holy Spirit was exprefsly promised, and the MINISTRATION of the Spirit, co-operating on the heart of man with the written word, is to continue its energy, as it does at this hour, to the end of time.

*

The spirit of God is every where prefent, like the air which we inhale. It is no lefs neceffary to intellectual life, than the air to animal. There is a remarkable paffage, appofite to the prefent fubject, in the meditations of Antoninus, which I fhall give in the tranflation of Collier, and as it is quoted by Delany.

"Let your foul," fays the philofopher, " re"ceive the Deity, as your blood does the air; for "the influences of the one are no less vital than "the other. This correfpondence is very practi

cable; for there is an ambient OMNIPRESENT "fpirit, which lies as open and pervious to your "mind, as the air you breathe does to your lungs. "But then you must remember to be disposed to ❝ draw it.

"If," continues Dr. Delany, "this gracious "gift of Heaven fhould be denied, because it is "not found to dwell with the wicked, I anfwer,

̓Απλῶν τῇ ουσία, ποικιλιν ταις δυνάμεσιν. ὅλον ἕκαστω παρὸν καὶ ὅλον απανταχου ὄν, ἀπαθῶς μεριζόμενον, καὶ ὁλοσχερῶς μετεχόμενον Simple in its effence, various in its powers, prefent in each individual in its entire ftate, yet in a ftate equally entire univerfally diffused. Divided without fuffering feparation, and imparted without destroying its integrity. BASIL de Spiritu Santo. Τό πνευμα τὸ ἅγιον ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πανταχου The Holy Spirit is ONE and is every where without lofing its identity. CL. ALEX. Pap. Lib. 1. "that

"that men may as well deny the existence of the DEW, because it is not often found upon clods " and filth, nor even upon grafs, trampled with "polluted feet.

"Let the grace of God be confidered as having "fome analogy, fome refemblance to the DEW OF "HEAVEN; the dew of Heaven, which falls alike upon all objects below it, as the grace of God "doth upon all mankind, but refteth not upon "things defiled. Purity abideth not with pollution."

The argument from analogy has ever been deemed powerful in the support of Chriftian doctrines. In fupport of this doctrine, let it have a place.

There is an elemental fire, the electrical fluid, diffused through all nature. Though unfeen, its energy is mighty. So alfo, without doubt, the Divine Spirit actuates the intellectual world, omniprefent, though invifible, all-powerful, though gentle as the vernal breeze.

SECTION XXIX.

The Want of Faith could not be criminal, if it depended only on the Understanding; but Faith is a Virtue, because it originates from virtuous Dispositions favoured by the Holy Spirit.

AITH is always required and gofpel as a moral virtue *. blishes the doctrine of this book,

represented in the This alone estathat faith, or the evidence

*All faith may be deemed voluntary, no less than intellectual; "and Christian faith is, especially fuch as requiring thereto more ap"plication of foul, managed by choice, than any other.

"Infidelity doth arife from corruption of mind by any kind of bru "tifh luft; any irregular paffion, any bad inclination or habit, any

fuch

evidence of the Chriftian religion, arises from obedience to its laws. There could be no virtue in faith, if it were produced in the mind by demonArative proofs, such as many apologists for Christianity have endeavoured to difplay. But there is great virtue in OBEDIENCE to the moral precepts of the gospel. The heart must be well inclined that endeavours to learn and perform its duty from the dictates of the gofpel, notwithstanding the doubts or disbelief which may occafionally arise in the understanding concerning the divine original of fo excellent a rule of morality. Such an inclination draws down upon it the favour of God, and confequently the illumination of the Holy Ghoft. The doubts and disbelief are gradually removed. A life of piety and good morals is the never-failing refult. And thus faith both begins and ends in virtue.

"The reason," fays Dr. Clarke, "why faith "(which is generally looked upon as an act of "understanding, and fo not in our power) in the "New Teftament is always infifted upon as a "moral virtue, is, because faith, in the fcripture "fenfe, is not barely an act of the understanding, "but a mixed act of the will also, confisting very

"fuch evil difpofition of foul as doth obftruct the entertainment of "the doctrine which doth prohibit and check it, doth condemn it and "brand it with infamy, doth denounce punishment and fire to it, "whence men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith

(2 Tim. iii. 8.), and men of corrupt minds, deftitute of the truth, ❝are attributes well conjoined by St. Paul (1 Tim. vi. 5.)

"Infidelity, in its nature, doth involve an affected blindness and "ignorance of the noblest and most useful truths; a bad use of reason, "a difregard of God's providence, a defpight thereto, abuse of his "grace, bad opinions of him, and bad affections towards him." ISAAC BARROW.

"St. Auftin fays, non ideo currit rota ut fit rotunda, &c.-As a "wheel runs not that it may be round, but because it is round, fo "the will believes not that it may be regenerate, but because it is "regenerate."

PEMBLE.

"much

"much in that fimplicity and unprejudicedness of "mind, which our Saviour calls receiving the "kingdom of God, as a little child, in that free"dom from guile and deceit, which was the cha"racter of Nathaniel, an Ifraelite indeed; and "in that teachable difpofition, and desire to know "the will of God, for which the Bereans were "fo highly commended, who fearched the fcriptures "daily, whether these things were true."

This fimple, teachable, unprejudiced state of mind is in itself amiable. It is pleafing both to God and good men. It is esteemed even by the wicked. It is precifely the ftate in which the Holy Spirit delights, and with which he will make his abode, bringing with him comfort and illumination. To use the poet's words:

He must delight in virtue;

"And that which he delights in must be happy."

If indeed it were a moral virtue merely to believe a narrative on the credibility of the narrators, or the probability of the circumstances, then would it be a moral virtue to believe a well-authenticated news-paper. But to believe the gofpel requires purity and piety of heart, thofe lovely qualities which the imagination conceives characteristic of the angelic nature. It implies a difpofition which delights in devotion to God, and beneficence to man; a difpofition cheerful, tranquil, and which enjoys every innocent fatisfaction of this life, fweetened with the hope, that when the fun fets, it will rife in new and additional fplendor. Faith, accompanied with hope and charity, conftitutes the true Christian; a living image of virtue, and forming that beautiful model which the philofopher wished, but defpaired to fee; TRUTH EMBODIED,

BODIED, VIRTUE PERSONIFIED, walking forth among the fons of men, and exciting, by its confpicuous loveliness, an univerfal defire of imitation.

SECTION XXX.

Of the fcriptural word "UNCTION ;" its high myfterious Meaning.

THE

HE very title of our Saviour (and XPIETON) is the ANOINTED; and the operation of the Holy Ghoft is called in the facred fcriptures (XPIZMA) UNCTION. This idea of the CHRISMA pervades the whole doctrine of grace.

"The anointing with oil," fays Hammond, "denoted, among the Jews, the preferring one "before another, (and the Targum generally ren"ders it by a word which fignifies preferring or "advancing,) and fo became the ceremony of

CONSECRATING to any special office, and was "ufed in the inftalling men to places of any emi"nence."

The word Chrifma, or unction, was hence affumed to fignify the act of the Holy Ghost, in CONSECRATING those who are favoured by divine grace. The confequence of this UNCTION is illumination; for St. John fays, " Ye have an UNC"TION from the Holy One, (the Holy Ghoft,) "and ye (in confequence) KNOW ALL THINGS *; that is, all things that concern the nature and EVIDENCE of CHRIST'S religion. Again he fays, "The anointing which ye have received of HIM