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1. The manner of the Spirit's operation is fecret and nyfterious. It is difficult, if not impoffible, fully to xplain it. We cannot in many cafes diftinguish beween the motions of the Spirit, and thofe of our own ninds, between the immediate fuggeftions of the Holy Ghoft, and the dictates of our own reafon. For this eafon, our Saviour ufes a figure of fpecch expreffive of ndeterminate and incomprehenfible operation: "The "wind," fays he, "bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: fo is every one "that is born of the Spirit." But we must not therefore deny the reality of this operation. We must not deny that God acts powerfully upon the mind, becaufe we are unable fully to comprehend the manner of his operation. Are there not many things in the world which we know to be certain facts, and which no man in his fenfes will pretend to difpute, of which however we cannot give any tolerable account? Are we not all of us fenfible that our fouls are united to our bodies? Do we not feel the mutual influence which they have on each other? and yet, Which of us can pretend to fay in what this union confifts? We are affured, both from reason and revelation, that God works through all in the natural world, that his prefence fupports and animates the whole creation; and yet we are strangers to the manner of his agency; or, in the language of Solomon, "As we know not "the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow "in the womb of her that is with child; even fo we "know not the works of God who maketh all."

2. The manner of this operation, is likewise various and different. God is not confined to one uniform method in difpenfing his grace; he is an infinitely wife and free agent, who has perfect knowledge of the heart of man, and divides to every one feverally as he wills. Many indeed, and various, are the means he is pleafed to employ. Sometimes he awakens the confcience with awful convictions of guilt; fometimes

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he melts the heart with the deepest anguish and forrow; fometimes, again, he captivates the affections with delightful views of the love of God; and at other times, he carries on this work in fuch a filent and infenfible manner, that it may be almoft impoffible to fay when it was begun, or how carried on. But whatever method he is pleased to employ, the effect is invariably the fame: an unfeigned love to God, a cordial truft in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and a fincere affection to our brethren, are the genuine fruits of the Holy Spirit, in whatever manner they may be produced by him.

3. The manner of the Spirit's operation, is always perfectly fuitable to the operations of our own minds. It is a most dangerous mistake in religion, to think, that the Spirit of God offers violence to the will; for this would be to deftroy that liberty, which is the diftinguishing glory of our nature, and renders us accountable for all our actions. No; whatever fome may have falfely infinuated, nothing is more rational, nothing more confiftent with the liberty of man, than the operation of the Holy Spirit. This Bleffed Agent acts really and powerfully upon the mind, but he ufes no force or compulfion; his influence is always confiftent with the operations of our faculties, infomuch that it is often difficult to diftinguish it from the rational exercise of our own thoughts; nor could we of ourselves difcover the fource from which they proceeded, if we were not affured by Divine revelation, that the Holy Spirit is the author of them.

4. He enlightens the darkened mind, and makes it fee the things of religion in their reality and importance. Formerly the mind was involved in thick darkness, being, as the apoftle emphatically expreffes it, "alienated from the life of God, through the igno

rance that was in it, becaufe of the blindness of the "heart." But now, God fays, Let there be light; and immediately the clouds are difperfed, the day begins to dawn, and the day-ftar to arife; then the mind is fixed in attention, its powers are awakened,

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and the man is brought to ferious reflection. Things now appear to him in a different light from what they did before; he fees the native deformity of fin, and is fully convinced of its fearful confequences. Once he entertained a fond opinion of his own merit and abilities; he imagined himself rich and increased in goods, and ftanding in need of nothing; but now he difcerns the lurking corruption of his heart, that he is poor, and miferable, and wretched, and naked, and blind. In a word, he has jufter ideas of God, of Chrift, and of the method of falvation which the gofpel difplays.

5. The Holy Spirit influences the mind to give a lively and fteady affent to the truths of religion. Thefe truths feem no longer to be vain conceits, but things. of which the mind is firmly perfuaded. It has obtained the knowledge of them by divine illumination, and they appear to it real and substantial, and worthy of its principal attention. Formerly, the finner could not perhaps but affent to the evil of fin, and the vanity of the world, in his hours of retirement and ferious reflection; but this affent was then wavering and inconftant, like the morning cloud, and the early dew which paffeth away: whereas now,, his confcience is deeply impreffed with a permanent and lively fenfe of fin; he feels its bitterness, and nothing can fatisfy his mind, but pardon and forgivenefs. Formerly, he esteemed himfelf for his own. fancied excellencies, and prefumptuoufly defpifed the method of falvation prefented to him in the gospel; but now, his mind being come to the knowledge of itfelf, he values a Saviour above every thing elfe; or,. in the language of the holy apoftle," what things 66 were gain to him, now he counteth lofs for Chrift; yea, doubtlefs, he counteth all things but lofs for "the excellency of the knowledge of his Lord and. "Saviour."

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6. The Holy Spirit likewife fets the mind at liberty from the prevailing influence of luft and vicious inclinations. Evil paflions formerly reigned in the heart; the will was difaffected to God and religion, while it was strongly attached to fin. Hence, reafon had not its proper influence; the best inftructions were altogether ineffectual; and the motions of the Spirit were ftifled in the foul. This deplorable state is emphatically reprefented in fcripture, under the image of a ftony heart, and a carnal mind.

"The

carnal mind," fays the apoftle, " is enmity against "is "God; it is not fubject to the law of God, neither "indeed can be." But now, Almighty grace interpofing, this enmity of the heart is fubdued, and the will difarmed of its prejudice and oppofition. Thus the mountains melt like wax at the prefence of the Lord, who turns the hard rock into a standing water, and the flinty rock into a fpringing well.

7. God, by his powerful renewing grace, gives a new direction to the will, and renders it obedient to the will of God. Having thus delivered the foul from the bondage of corruption, he reftores it to the glorious liberty of the children of God; he excites in the mind thofe holy difpofitions, and implants thofe divine qualities by which it is inwardly renewed and difpofed to walk with God. This is expreffed in fcripture, by giving men a new heart, and putting a new fpirit within them; the accomplishment of which, God claims as his own prerogative. Formerly, the Spirit met with the keeneft oppofition in the foul; all his ftrivings with it were ineffectual, and the finner remained inflexibly wicked. But now, a mighty arm is revealed, the fceptre of his kingdom, and rod of his ftrength. All obftructions are removed; every high imagination is brought down; and finners are made a willing people in the day of his power.

But further, God not only works in his people to will, but likewife to do, by affording them all necef

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fary affiftance for performing the various duties of the Chriftian life.

Having begun the good work in the foul, he does not accomplish it all at once, but carries it on by a gradual progrefs. The Spirit not only implants the feed of grace in the heart, but he waters it by his fpecial influence, and makes it grow up to a ripeness for glory. Having lighted the divine flame in the foul, he does not leave it to faint and die away, but is continually difpenfing new fupplies for its nourishment and strength. He excites fuch gracious difpofitions as he has implanted in the heart; he communicates light and affistance suitable to the various wants of the Chriftian, and thus enables him to improve in virtue, to refift the strongest temptations; while he at the fame time enlivens every period of his life with joy and comfort. In a word, this Blessed Spirit refides in the pious foul, and leads it on from ftrength to ftrength, till at last it appear before God in Zion.. We proposed,

III. To offer fome reflections for illuftrating the reafon in the text, "Of his own good pleasure."

1. God is under no constraint or neceffity to conçern himself for our happiness. He is infinitely great and glorious, independently happy in himself, and therefore can have no inducement, from fear or advantage, to entertain any affection for the fons of men. Juftly indeed may we adopt the language of Eliphaz," Can a man be profitable unto God, as he "that is wife may be profitable to himself? Is it any "pleasure to the Almighty, that we are righteous, "or is it any gain to him, that we make our ways "perfect (a)?" Our righteousness may indeed profit men like ourselves, but our goodness cannot extend to God, whofe happiness is unalterably fecured in the enjoyment of his own perfections.

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2. As God is under no obligation on his own part, to work in us any thing spiritually good; fo neither 2 D

(«) Job, xxii. 2, 3.

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