IV.

Ezek. xi.

Heb. viii.

11.

temptations, oppofitions, and difcouragements we are s ER M. to encounter with, he hath given us a wife and powerful spirit, to guide and advise us, to excite and encourage us, to relieve and fuccour us in all our reli gious practice and spiritual warfare. So that all deliverance from the prevalency of temptation and fin we owe to his grace and affiftance. That to these purposes the Holy Spirit is plentifully conferred upon all the vifible members of the Chriftian Church, we have plainly declared in Scripture; it was a promise Joel ii. 28. concerning the evangelical times, that God would Acts ii. 28. pour forth his Spirit upon all flesh; the collation thereof is a main part of the evangelical covenant, Jer. xxxi. (into a participation of which every Chriftian is ad-33. mitted,) it being the finger of God, whereby God's 19. law is impreffed upon their inward parts, and engraven in their hearts, (as the prophets defcribe the 2 Cor. iii. 3. effects of this covenant.) And the end of our Saviour's paffion is by St. Paul declared to be, that the Gal. iii. 14. bleffing of Abraham might come unto the Gentiles, through Jefus Chrift, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit by faith; that is, that becoming Chriftians we might partake thereof. And the apoftolical miniftry (that is, preaching the Gofpel, and difpenfing the privileges thereof) is therefore ftyled, danovía 2 Cor. iii. TEATOS, the miniftry of the Spirit. And the tafting of. the heavenly gift, and partaking the Holy Ghoft, is (according to the Apoftle to the Hebrews) part of the Heb. vi. 4, character of a vifible Chriftian, (such a Christian, who 5. might aparece, fall away, as he fuppofeth, and recrucify the Lord, and expofe him to fhame :) and St. Peter makes reception of the Holy Ghoft to be a concomitant or confequent of baptifm; Repent, faith he, A&ts ii. 38, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jefus 39 Chrift, for the remiffion of fins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promife (or that promife of the Spirit, which is called the Spirit of promife Eph. i. 13. peculiar to the Gospel) is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the

F 4

Lord

1 Cor. iii.

16.

13.

SER M. Lord our God fhall call: (that is, the Holy Spirit is IV. promised to all, how far diftant foever in time or place, who fhall be invited unto, and fhall embrace Chriftianity;) and accordingly, St. Paul faith of Tit. iii. 5. Chriftians, that God according to his mercy hath faved us, by the laver of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft. And, Know ye not (faith he to the Corinthians) that ye are the temple of God; and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (that is, Do ye not understand this to be a common property and privilege of Chriftians, such as ye profefs yourselves to be?) And the union of all Chriftians into one body doth, I Cor. xii. according to St. Paul, refult from this one Spirit, as a common foul imparted to them all, in animating and actuating the whole body, and every member thereof. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free, and have been all made to drink of one Spirit. And it hath been the doctrine conftantly with general confent delivered in and by the Catholick Church, that to all perfons, by the holy mystery of baptifm duly initiated into Christianity, and admitted into the communion of Chrift's body, the grace of the Holy Spirit is communicated, enabling them to perform the conditions of piety and virtue which they undertake; and continually watching over them for accomplishment of Eph. iv. 30. thofe purposes; which Spirit they are admonished not to refift, to abufe, to grieve, to quench; but to Phil. ii. 13. use it well, and improve its grace to the working out their falvation. Thus much concerning the refult of our Saviour's performances, in this kind, in refpect to the community of Chriftians, we learn from the Holy Scripture and ecclefiaftical tradition interpreting it; whence we may difcern, that the communications of grace do not always flow from any fpecial love or abfolute decree concerning men, but do commonly proceed from the general kindness and mercy of God, by our Lord procured for mankind; and consequently we may thence collect, that fomewhat

1 Cor. xii.

7.

of

IV.

Gal. v. 22.

Luke xxiv.

Matt. xvi.

17.

12.

of this nature is to the fame purpose, from the fame S ER M. fource, and upon the fame account, alfo granted and difpenfed to others. Unto Chriftians indeed this great benefit (for the reward, the encouragement, the fupport of their faith; and for promoting their obedience, who are in a nearer capacity and more immediate tendency to falvation) is in a more plentiful measure, and a more confpicuous manner dispensed; but that, befides that difpenfation, there have been other (not fo plainly fignified, or exprefsly promised, yet really imparted) communications of grace, in virtue of our Saviour's merits, there are (befide the Eph. ii. 8. main reafon alledged, inferring it from our Lord's being the Saviour of all men) divers good induce- 45. ments to believe. For even those Chriftians, to whom upon their faith the Holy Spirit is promifed and be-John xvi. ftowed, are by previous operations of God's grace, Cor. xii. 3. (opening their minds, inclining their heart, and tempering their affections) induced to embrace Chriftianity, faith itself being a gift of God, and a fruit of the Holy Spirit. And before our Saviour's coming all good men have thereby been inftructed and enabled to do well. And before any special revelation made, or any particular covenant enacted, (before the enclosure of a particular people or church, the confinement of God's extraordinary presence and providence to one place,) divine grace appears diffused over feveral nations, being watchful in guiding and moving men to good, and withdrawing them from evil; neither is there reason why fuch an appropriation of special graces and bleffings (upon fpecial reasons) unto fome fhould be conceived to limit or contract God's general favour, or to withdraw his ordinary graces from others. God furely (who is λosos y Eph. ii. 4,

1 Ex quo perfpicuum fit natura omnibus ineffe Dei notitiam, nec quemquam fine Chrifto nafci, et non habere femina in fe fapientiæ, juftitiæ, reliquarumque virtutum. Unde multi absque fide, et Evangelio Chrifti vel fapienter faciunt aliqua vel fancte, &c. Hier. in Galat. i.

ἐλέει,

7.

Ifa. 1. 2.

lix. 1.

SER M. ixía, rich in mercy; yea, hath mg¤άλλolα λtov xágilos, IV. exceffive riches of grace) is not fo poor or parfimonious, that being liberal to fome fhould render him fparing towards others m; his grace is not like the sea, which if it overflow upon one fhore, must therefore retire from another; if it grow deep in one place, muft become shallower in another. Is the SpiMic. ii. 7. rit of the Lord ftraitened? It is a queftion in Micah; And, Is my hand fhortened at all, that it cannot redeem? is another question in Ifaiah: No; The Lord's hand is not fhortened, that it cannot fave; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear; at any time, in any place; he is no less able, no less ready than he ever was, to afford help to his poor creatures, wherever it is needful or Gen. xx. 3. opportune. As there was of old an Abimelech among the Philiftines, whom God by fpecial warning deterred from commiffion of fin; a divine Melchifedeck among the Canaanites; a difcreet and hoExod. xviii. neft Jethro in Midian; a very religious and virtuous Job in Arabia; who, by complying with God's grace, did evidence the communication thereof in feveral nations; fo it is not unreasonable to suppose the like cause now, although we cannot by like atteftation Kad ir certify concerning the particular effects thereof. We ἰδικαίε ποτὲ may at least difcern and fhew very confpicuous footpia Toùs - fteps of divine grace, working in part, and producing Clem. Alex. no defpicable fruits of moral virtue, of juftice and

xxvi. 8.

καὶ ἡ φιλοσο

honefty, temperance and fobriety, benignity and bounty, courage and conftancy in worthy enterprises, meekness, patience, modefty, prudence, and difcretion, yea, of piety and devotion in some manner even among Pagans, which if we do not allow to have been in all refpects fo complete, as to inftate the perfons endowed with them, or practifers of them, in

Secundum Scripturam credimus et piiffime confitemur, quod nunquam univerfitati hominum divinæ providentiæ cura defuerit. Quem licet exceptum fibi populum fpecialibus ad pietatem direxerit inftitutis, nulli tamen nationi hominum bonitatis fuæ dona fubtraxit, &c. De Vocat. Gen. I. 5.

God's

τα

IV.

God's favour, or to bring them to falvation"; yet SER M. thofe qualities and actions (in degree, or in matter at leaft, fo good and fo conformable to God's law) we can hardly deny to have been the gifts of God, and the effects of divine grace; they at leaft themfelves acknowledged fo much; for Nulla fine Deo mens bona eft, No mind is good without God, faid Seneca°; and, Θεία μοίρα φαίνεται παραγιγνομένη ἡ ἀρετὴ, οἷς Taрayiverαι, Virtue appears to proceed from a divine difpenfation to them who partake of it, faid SocratesP: and, Αἱ ἄρισαι φύσεις, αμφισβητήσιμοι ἐν μετρίῳ τῆς ἄκρας ἀρετῆς πρὸς τὴν ἐσχάτην μοχθηρίαν καθωρμισμέναι, δέονται ξυνα γωνίς: Θεᾶ καὶ ξυλλήπθορος τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ θάτερα τὰ κρείττω ροpoπῆς καὶ χειραγωγίας. The beft natured fouls being conftituted in the middle between the highest virtue and extreme wickedness, do need God to be their fuccourer and affiftant in the inclining and leading them to the better fide; faith Max. Tyr. xxii. St. Auftin himself, who seems the leaft favourable in his judgment concerning their actions and ftate, who calls their virtues but images and fhadows of virtue (non veras, fed verifimiles) fplendid fins; acknowledges thofe virtuous difpofitions and deeds to be the gifts of God, to be laudable to pro--Dei docure fome reward, to avail fo far, that they, because na, Epift. of them, fhall receive a more tolerable and mild treatment from divine juftice; which things confidered, such persons do at least, by virtue of grace imparted to them, obtain fome part of falvation, or an imper

"Mortalem vitam honeftare poffunt, æternam conferre non posfunt. Profper in Collat. cap. 26.

Prodeffe ad falutem. Aug. Profper, Fulgent. Sc.

Nemo vir magnus fine aliquo afflatu divino unquam fuit. Cic. de Nat. Deorum ii. fub fin.

• Sen. Ep. 73.

-Quæ fecundum juftitiæ regulam non folum vituperare non poffumus, verum etiam merito recteque laudamus. Aug. de Spir. et Lit. cap. 27.

P Plat. Menon. ad finem.

Tolerabilius puniuntur. Minus Fabricius quam Catilina punietur, &c.—non veras virtutes habendo, fed a veris virtutibus non plurimum deviando. Aug.

130. Aug.

fect