Whatever a Chriftian does or ought to know for his Soul's Health are the gracious Influences of his Communications

with us. The Arts indeed which the Holy Ghoft makes use of to fill our Souls with fuch faving Truths, are various and unaccountable; yet since our Souls are naturally full of Darkness, and over-run with Ignorance, every Glimpfe of Light, every Dawning of wholefome Inftruction must be derived from that Fountain of all-illuminating Grace, which can alone fhew us the true Path of Life, and guide us therein with his Counsel. But the Second Operation of the Holy Ghost is that of Sanctification; for in vain would the Bleffed Spirit instruct us in our Duty, if He did not likewise enable us to perform it: We have Inftances too frequent and flagrant to convince us that the Corruption of fall'n Man will act against Knowledge; and to his Divine Inspirations alone it is owing that we will and do, as well as know, the Things that make for our Peace. The Effects which are wrought upon the Soul by his gracious Influences, are in the Holy

Scripture call'd Regeneration, or a Second Birth; when all the Faculties of the inner Man have left their free and natural Power of acting through Sin; then does the enlivening Spirit of God, as it breathed into Man's Noftrils the Principles of Natural Life, likewise inspire his Soul with those of a Spiritual Life; quite different Sentiments are here infufed, and all our Thoughts and Actions turn upon new Principles: He gives a Check to those Seeds of Corruption, which grow up in our polluted Soul, and warms us with virtuous Suggeftions; thefe Suggestions He cherishes and improves into pious Refolutions, and those Refolutions into godly Habits: He melts down the Hardnefs of our Hearts, and rectifies the Perverfenefs of our Will: He reduces the Wildness of our Affections to a peculiar. Compliance with the Will of God, and turns the Fiercenefs of our Appetites into the Mildness of a virtuous Subjection He fubdues every Inclination to Vice, and kindles every Defire of Virtue: He enforces all the Motives to Godliness in the Fulness of their Strength, and dif

pofes us to perform the Means of it in the Sincerity of a pious Zeal: He gives a fpiritual Difcernment of the whole Gofpel-Covenant, and powerfully engages our fulfilling the Terms of it: He fpiritualizes all our Thoughts, and fanctifies all our Actions; in every Circumstance He renews a right Spirit within us, and purifies our Souls, even as our Father which is in Heaven is also pure.

THESE are the Bleffed Effects of the Holy Spirit's operating upon our Souls; and what a comfortable Change is thereby made? We pafs from the difconfolate Gloominefs of uncertain Wandrings, to the Brightness of fettled Principles of afting; from the Extravagancies and Mifery of a finful and corrupted Nature, to the Regularity and Comfort of Piety and Virtue; from the Melancholy of Defpair, and the dreadful Apprehenfions of eternal Vengeance, to the glorious Profpect of an happy Eternity.

THESE then are the Gifts which the Bleffed Jefus gave unto Men: He endued his Apoftles with Power from on High for the Establishment of his Church,

and

and by the extraordinary Operations of the Holy Spirit, enabled them to speak with Tongues, to prophefy, to work Miracles: But his Goodness extends to every one of his Subjects; the ordinary Operations of God's Holy Spirit are Benefits which He is continually pouring down upon every Member of his Church; and whatever Advances are made by any one of them in Holiness, whatever Virtues we bring to Perfection, whatever Progrefs we make towards Eternal Happiness, they are entirely the Effects of Chrift's Merits : He departed that He might fend the Comforter unto us, for 'till Jefus was exalted, the Holy Ghoft was not given; thefe Gifts and Graces were the Purchase of his moft precious Blood, the Attainments of his Victories, and were therefore made the neceffary and immediate Confequences of his triumphant Afcenfion into Heaven.

I PROCEED now, in the fecond Place, to confider what our Duty is with refpect both to the Reception and Application of thefe Gifts; with refpect to the Reception of them, we must feek them by fervent

L 4

fervent Prayer, and by the Ufe of outward Ordinances. If ye, being Evil, know how to give good Gifts to your Children how much more fhall your Heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. God's Grace is the referv'd Portion of God's Children ; and Devotion alone it is which evidences fuch a Dependance upon the Almighty as becomes the Relation of Children to their Parents; Devotion bears Teftimony to our own great Infufficiency, and the extreme Neceffity we lie under of Affiftance from on High. Prayer is intended not to bring God acquainted with our Neceffities, for He knows them long before we ask, but that we ourselves fhould be duly fenfible of our own Wants and Infirmities, and of God's Power and Goodness to relieve

and affift them; yet we may be engaged to give the Lord the Honour due unto his Name; and that we may make Him all in all, as with refpect to our Happiness, fo likewise with respect to our Love and Adoration. What we call the Gifts of Nature and Fortune come indeed alike to all, but the good and perfect Gift of God's