malicious or revengeful, in the sense in which that word is commonly used among men, is granted; but that the damnation of a sinner implies malice or a revengeful spirit, is not granted. It no more implies such a spirit than those dispensations of providence, by which the yellow fever, or any pestilence, or death in any form is brought on men. We might just as well argue, that because God is good and not disposed to malice and revenge, therefore it is absurd to suppose that he sends the yellow fever, or any how kills men. It must be granted by all who believe the existence and perfection of God, that whenever he sends on his creatures any calamity, sickness or death, he does it from the purest goodness and benevolence, to the system of intelligences. On the same principles we have a right to argue, that whenever he inflicts damnation on any creature, he is actuated by the same goodness and benevolence.

Is it to be supposed that when a judge of established justice and goodness condemns a murderer to the gibbet, he is actuated by malice and revenge? It will be granted that he may be actuated by the most entire benevolence to his country and the citizens in general. Therefore, certainly the judge of all the earth, who will do right, may, in condemning a creature to any just punishment, be actuated by an entire benevolence to his creatures in general.

PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

An answer to the Question, "What is that Asking for the Holy Spirit, to which the Communication of it is promised ?"

The text referred to in this question is Luke 9: 13, "If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

Nothing is more discouraging to sinners, than the idea, that though they be disposed to a return and reconciliation to God, yet he on his part will not be reconciled to them. This is the idea of many; and on this ground they justify themselves in their impenitence and final perdition. They plead that they are willing to be reconciled to God, yet cannot obtain his grace and faBut how contrary to the text just quoted is this idea? We all know the power of natural affection in parents, and how readily they give good things to their children. They very often do it unasked, but especially when their children dutifully

vor.

ask them. Yet this text assures us, that God is much more ready to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him, than the most affectionate earthly parent is to give good things to his children when they, in a proper manner, ask him.

But the object of our inquiry is, that asking or praying for the Holy Spirit, to which the promise of the communication of it is made.

The object of this asking is the Holy Spirit; and to have this Spirit is to be sanctified, to be made holy, to be delivered from the dominion and from the love of sin, and to become the subject of the love of holiness and true virtue. Let us descend to particulars, and consider several classes of sinners, and what is necessarily implied in their asking for the Holy Spirit.

The drunkard, in asking for this Spirit, asks to be delivered from his inordinate love of strong drink, and to be preserved from the gratification of that appetite. He who is addicted to carnal desires, in praying for the Holy Spirit, prays that all inordinate desires of that kind in him may be prevented or extinguished. The malicious prays that he may be preserved from the exercise of malice; the avaricious, that he may be preserved from avarice; the proud, that he may be preserved from pride; the man of the world, that he may be preserved from the love of the world; the unconverted, that he may be converted, and delivered from the influence of sinful principles in general; and the true christian, that he may be edified in faith and holiness.

Now, for these characters respectively really to ask or pray for the Holy Spirit, is sincerely to desire or wish for the several things just mentioned; and in general, to ask for the Spirit, is to desire and wish to be preserved from the commission of sin, to be delivered from the principles of sin, and to be made the subject of the principles of holiness.

Doubtless, the asking intended in the text is a sincere and not a hypocritical asking. And what is a sincere asking but that which is attended with a real desire of the thing asked? It is illustrated in the text by a child's asking bread of his parent. When the child is hungry, he asks for bread sincerely and heartily; i. e. he really desires the bread for which he asks. Now if we ask for the Holy Spirit, and its effects with the same sincerity and real desire, with which a hungry child asks bread of his parent, we shall undoubtedly obtain it.

A hungry child asks bread from appetite and direct desire; not because it is useful and necessary for the preservation of its life or health, but because it is pleasant and agreeable in itself. In this manner must we desire the Holy Spirit, and the sanctify

ing effects of it; we must desire them not merely because they are necessary to our safety and escape from misery, but because they are in themselves agreeable to us. This is loving holiness for holiness sake, and with a love which would be the same if no punishment were to be the consequence of the neglect of holiness and indulgence of sin, or if holiness were not necessary to escape punishment.

Such a love and desire of holiness as this, is very different from a desire of it merely because it is a mean of safety; as a desire of knowledge or natural wisdom, for the pleasure of it, is very different from the desire of it for the advantages which it affords to increase our property or to succeed our ambitious views; as the desire of a neighbor's prosperity, from real benevolence and friendship, is very different from the desire of the same object, because it affords a prospect of gain to ourselves; and as a desire of food for appetite is very different from the desire of a tasteless and nauseous medicine, because it is necessary to our life or health.

That asking, in the text under consideration, does not and cannot mean less than we have represented, seems plain from bare attention to the subject. Any desire of holiness short of this is a mere hypocritical desire, a mere selfish desire, such as the most undutiful and unnatural child may have of the prosperity of his father, merely that he may share in that prosperity. Such a temper and such a desire as this is consistent with prevailing and governing selfishness, nay, with the most depraved principles of which human nature is susceptible. And can it be supposed, that the promises of the Holy Spirit, of sanctification and salvation, which are connected with it, are made to such desires and such principles as these? This, it is presumed, will not be pretended.

That such asking as has been supposed to be implied in the text under consideration, will secure the communication of the Holy Spirit, appears from this, that it implies all those graces, to which the promises of the gospel, in general, are made.

1. It implies sincere love to God. He who asks in the manner described, the Holy Spirit to sanctify him, desires holiness as such, and rejoices in it. Of course he will rejoice in the perfect and infinite holiness of God, and in God himself. But this implies reconciliation and true love to God. And the promises are made to those who love God. Prov. 8: 17, "I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me." John 14: 21," He that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." Verse 23, "If a man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

2. It implies true repentance. He who loves holiness hates sin, and therefore repents of it, and his repentance will be just as true, sincere and genuine, as his love of holiness. But the promises of the gospel are made to repentance: "Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." Acts 3: 19," Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13: 3, "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy."

3. It implies faith in Christ. This is a cordial receiving of Christ as our Savior. But they who love God. love Christ; and they who love Christ, will cordially and gladly receive him as their Savior; which is faith in him. But to faith all the promises are made, as is well known; and God fulfils his promises more readily than any earthly parent gives bread or other good things to his children.

If these observations concerning praying for the Spirit be just, we see the reason why so many who pray for it, receive it not. The reason is, that their prayers are insincere. They desire not the Spirit itself, and the sanctifying effects of it, but merely the advantages, the safety, peace and honor which are connected with the communication of the Spirit.

Hence also we see, that if any receive not the Holy Spirit, in his sanctifying influences, and be not saved, they ought to take the whole blame to themselves; for if they sincerely asked for this Holy Spirit, they would receive it and be saved.

We further see the unreasonableness of those who complain that they have been long asking, seeking and praying for the Spirit, but have not obtained it; that they have been long waiting at the throne of grace, lying at the pool, all the while desiring and wishing for the Spirit to sanctify them; but all in vain ; with all their prayers and strivings they have not been able to obtain it. Now, the unreasonableness of this complaint appears from this, that in truth they have never once sincerely asked for the Holy Spirit; and the only proper object of their prayers, desires and strivings has been their own safety and happiness. But so long as they do not sincerely and directly ask or desire the Holy Spirit, it is perfectly unreasonable for them to complain that they do not receive it.

THE PROOF OF THE MORAL PERFECTIONS OF GOD, FROM THE LIGHT OF NATURE.

It is a principal argument to prove, from the light of nature, and without revelation, the moral perfection of God, that there is

more happiness in the world than misery, more good than evil. On this I observe, 1. That there is no certain evidence that this is a fact. It has been long disputed by philosophers, and the voice of scripture seems to be against it. Says the wise man, "I praised the dead that are already dead, more than the living that are yet alive. Yea, better than they both is he that hath not been, who hath not seen all the evil that is done under the sun." 2. If it were ever so true and manifest, that there is more happiness in the world than misery, how does it hence follow, that God is a being of entire perfect and infinite goodness? Would a parent, who needlessly torments his child one day, and gratifies him in every thing for the two preceding days, and so on through life, be entitled to the character of a perfectly good parent? Or, is a man who observes the rules of justice two thirds of his time, and practices fraud and injustice the other third, a perfectly just man?

Therefore, of all arguments to prove the moral perfections of God, this is perhaps the weakest; though it is much insisted on by Clarke, Price, Priestley, Chauncey, and most other writers on this subject.

If, indeed, the evil which is in the world be finally made subservient to greater good than could otherwise be obtained, the difficulty vanishes. But in this case we need not insist that there is less evil in the world than good. Let the evil be ever so predominant, it is no ground of objection to the perfect and infinite goodness of God, provided it all be finally made subservient to greater good than could have been accomplished in any other way. But how shall we, without the aid of revelation, obtain knowledge, that the evil which is in the world, whether it be more or less than the good, shall be made subservient to greater good than could have been accomplished in any other way? If the light of nature afford evidence of this, it affords evidence of the perfect goodness of God. Otherwise what evidence of this does it afford, from the consideration of the good which is in the world?

Another argument to prove the moral perfection of God is deduced from his omniscience and omnipotence. It is said, that as God perfectly knows everything, he knows the nature, the relations, and fitnesses of things; he knows the nature, fitness, and beauty, of virtue, and therefore must choose and love it; and the choice and love of virtue is virtue or moral goodness. As to this I observe, if by the knowledge of the fitness and beauty of virtue be meant more than a mere intellectual, or as it is commonly called, speculative knowledge of it, more is taken into the divine omniscience than is granted to be contained in it, and the