may be called extraordinary; as was once seen in the miraculous conversion of three thousand persons at once; and again, more particularly, in the miraculous conversion of St. Paul. Of such cases it is observable, that though the outward means were miraculous, and certainly effectual with all who were fitly disposed; yet even there the inward grace was not absolutely irresistible. Paul was a religious well disposed man before his miraculous conversion, and only wanted new light and a better direction. The outward call, in that case, was miraculous; but the inward grace which went with it was no other than what might have been resisted, and would have been resisted, had it fallen upon a perverse temper and a stubborn heart. St. Paul himself intimates as much, where, speaking of himself, he says, "Whereupon, O "king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision"." He might have been disobedient; but he chose to obey, being, in the main, a person of good natural probity, and not under the dominion of any malicious wickedness or stubborn passions. We do not find that any miracles could convert the hardened Pharisees, or Sadducees, or Simon Magus: and though Elymas the sorcerer was miraculously struck blind, yet it had no saving effect upon his heart. There is a certain degree of obstinacy which the grace of God extends not to, or attempts not to conquer. "My

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Spirit shall not always strive with man," said God, with respect to the old worlds. They were gone too far to be curable by the ordinary methods of grace: and an all-wise God would not send them an irresistible grace (which had been improper) to convert them; but he sent a flood to destroy them: so in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, he attempted not, by any ordinary or extraordinary grace, to reclaim them; but rained down fire and brimstone from heaven to consume them. The reason of all which is, that men, considered as free agents, must be reformed by the gentler measures or none: if they will not be led by the Holy Spirit of God, they shall not be driven; because then their virtue would have nothing of choice in it, and consequently would be no virtue at all, in any proper sense of the word, nor meet for a reward. So much for my second general head. I proceed now, thirdly,

III.

To inquire by what marks or tokens we may discern when the

• Gen. vi. 3.

Acts xxvi. 19.

Holy Spirit operates upon us, and when we are led or conducted by him.

The marks or tokens of the Spirit's operating appear chiefly, either in checks of conscience dissuading us from evil, or in godly motions inciting us to what is right and good. For though what passes within us of that kind is not distinguishable, by the manner of it, from the natural workings of our own minds; yet revelation, in conjunction with our enlightened reason, does abundantly assure us, that every good thought, counsel, and desire cometh from above, and is the work of supernatural grace upon the

heart.

But before we draw such conclusion, with respect to any particular thought which passes within, special care should be taken, that we proceed upon sure grounds in the forming our judgment of it: otherwise we may be apt to ascribe the rovings of fancy, or mere dreams of our own, to the Holy Spirit of God.

Some very good men, but of a melancholy cast, have been observed to make it a rule to themselves, in cases of perplexity, to lean to that side wherein they find most ease to their own minds; concluding that the peace which they experience is itself a symptom of Divine direction. The rule is a good general rule; because, in most cases, a man's own mind is his best casuist, in judging of right and wrong, of good and evil. But yet sometimes it happens, that a person may be under the influence of unperceived prejudices or passions, which warp him to a side, and lay a bias upon him and therefore there is no safe and certain rule to go by, in such cases, but a strict examination into the nature and quality of the action: and if, upon cool reflection, we find that what we are inwardly dissuaded from is really evil, or what we are inwardly prompted to is really good, then may we safely and justly ascribe such motions to the Holy Spirit of God.

As to our judging of our whole conduct, and whether, or how far, we are therein moved or conducted by the Holy Spirit, we have a safe rule to go by; namely, the rule of God's commandments. "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sint;" that is, doth not allow himself in any known sinful habit or practice. "He that keepeth God's commandments," as St. John observes, "dwelleth in God, and God in him "." St. Paul also to the same purpose says, that "if we live in the Spirit," we shall

t

I John iii. 9.

u 1 John iii. 24.

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"walk in the Spirit :" and because such walking is best seen by the fruits, he enumerates the fruits of the Spirit in the same place: "The fruit of the Spirit," says he, "is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temper"ancey." In short, the only sure marks and tokens of our being conducted by the Spirit of God, are a serious and steadfast belief of what the same Spirit hath taught us, and a conscientious obedience to all the laws of the Gospel.

IV.

I pass on to the fourth and last particular, namely, the use and improvement to be made of the whole.

1. One great use is, to be ever mindful of the world of spirits whereunto we belong; and particularly of that blessed Spirit who presides over us, and whose temple we are, while we behave as becomes us. We are used to look upon ourselves as the very lowest order of intelligent beings, and perhaps very justly: but yet I know not what other order of creatures there is which can boast of higher privileges than we; while God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost vouchsafe to make their abode with us, and to accept even of our earthly bodies (while clean and undefiled) as their common temple to dwell in.

This consideration, by the way, may serve to shew us the folly of all those who have thought it below the Divine Majesty to take upon him flesh and blood, and have made that their pretext for disputing the divinity of our blessed Saviour. For if it is not below the Majesty even of God the Father, to abide, in some sense, with flesh and blood; how can it be thought beneath the dignity of God the Son, to take our nature upon him? Besides, true essential Majesty can suffer no detriment, can never be impaired by any gracious condescensions: but the greater the Divine condescension is, the brighter is the glory: therefore all the three Persons of the eternal Godhead have condescended to dwell, in godlike manner, even with mortal man. Should not this consideration move us to set the less value upon things below, and to elevate our affections to things above?

2. Another use to be made of the present meditation is, to be ever mindful of putting up our devout prayers to the throne of grace, that the Spirit of God may alway dwell with us, and never depart from us: but then, to make our prayers the more

x Gal. v. 25.

y Gal. v. 22, 23.

694 The Nature and Tokens of the Spirit's Operation. SERM. XXVI.

effectual, we should take care to avoid all such evil practices as may offend or grieve the Holy Spirit of God, and move him to desert us, or to grow estranged from us.

3. Thirdly and lastly, since the benefit of all depends, at length, upon our own willing compliance and hearty endeavours, let us make it our constant resolution to attend the motions and to obey the suggestions of God's Holy Spirit; and so to "work out "our own salvation with fear and trembling z." While God works in us and for us, we must also work for ourselves; or else his grace is sent in vain. Therefore, though the Psalmist prays to God, to create in him a clean heart and a new spirit; yet elsewhere God himself, speaking to his people, says, “Cast away "from you all your transgressions, make you a new heart and

a new spirit b." So then a good heart and a good life are God's work, and they are our work also: they are a mixture or compound of both. God will never fail to perform his part, provided only that we are not wanting in ours. Use we therefore first the appointed means of grace, (appointed by God,) such as hearing, reading, praying, and receiving the holy Communion; for these are the ordinary instruments of grace, the conduits or channels in and by which God conveys it. Take we care to comply with and obey the grace of God once received, and to bring forth the fruits of it in our lives and conversations.

SERMON XXVII.

The Springs and Motives of false Pretences to the Holy Spirit; with the Rules and Marks of trying and detecting them.

I JOHN iv. 1.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.

UR present festivala is the memorial of the awful coming of God's Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, pursuant to our Lord's promise; and is particularly dedicated to the honour of that Divine Person, the third Person of the adorable Godhead. Him we ought to honour in every way that either sacred Writ or our own enlightened reason hath pointed out to us: more particularly, in guarding with utmost care against all abuses of that high name; against imputing any fond fancies, or follies, or phrensies to the blessed Spirit of God. Simon Magus, disturbed in head and corrupt in heart, was ambitious of the thing, for the sake chiefly of the name; affecting to give it out, that himself was some great one';" or some "great power of God." And when he could not obtain it, being altogether unworthy of it, he endeavoured (as we learn from Church history) to make up with fiction and ostentation what was wanting in fact; pretending that e Acts viii. 10, 18, 19.

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a Whitsunday.

b Acts viii.

9.