other by Satan is; he can do as much in another way, as the Holy Ghost So that to work upon the understanding is not a work of an

in this way. almighty power. My brethren, let me tell you this, if a man have never so much knowledge wrought in him by the Holy Ghost in a way of enlightening, when he cometh to turn to God, he findeth all that knowledge new, and it differeth as much from the other as the reason of a man from the fancy of an ape; let me so express it, there is a reality in the proportion that this expression holds forth. It is called the light of life. Take but the poorest soul that hath but the understanding of Jesus Christ given unto him by the Spirit of God, he hath that knowledge which all the learned men in the world have not. The one is a work of an almighty power by creation, the other is but an enlightening. So then, God may work upon the understanding, and not by an almighty power.

Come to the will and affections. In a man, you know, there is love, there is joy, there is fear, there is desire. The Holy Ghost by way of an assistance may stir all these affections in a man, and yet not in a way of an almighty power. You shall find in 1 Sam. xi. 6, it is said there, that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, and he was exceeding angry.' It was upon a just occasion, upon an indignity offered his people by Nahash the Ammonite; he would make a covenant with the people, but the terms were that he might thrust out all their right eyes. Hereupon now the Spirit of the Lord fell upon Saul, and raised up his anger. The Holy Ghost sometimes raiseth the affections of wicked men,-Saul was so,-without creating anything, but merely insinuating himself and joining of himself with their spirits; as the wind joining with the waves of the sea, you see it makes them rise: so doth the Holy Ghost blow upon men's affections sometimes at a sermon, upon their fear, he terrifieth them, upon their love, upon their desires, as he did upon Balaam's: 'Oh that I might die the death of the righteous!' This is not a work of an almighty power. Why? Still, because an angel can do as much to the spirit of a man, an angel can stir a man's affections. There are many

instances in histories how the devil hath raised men's affections to love women, and women's to love men, so long as the enchantment hath lasted. 'Who hath bewitched you?' It was a bewitching, that of the Galatians, chap. iii. 1. In 1 Sam. xvi. 15, you shall read there that an evil spirit from God troubled Saul; it did terrify his spirit.

By this you see, my brethren, that the Holy Ghost can, and doth work upon the affections of men ; yet all this while there is not an almighty power put forth. Here is an elevation of a man's spirits, a stirring of his affections; but yet all this is without an almighty power. Why? Because there is no change wrought in him, there is nothing of a new creation to make him suitable to spiritual things as spiritual wrought in him.

And that is the first head. He works either by way of restraint or outward assistance. Assistance I may call it, but I call it outward assistance, because it is not a vital disposition put into the soul, but only a bringing in of a new light, and a stirring up of the affections. That is the first way whereby I demonstrate that these inferior works of the Holy Ghost have not an almighty power accompanying them.

The second head I propounded is this, and I would have you mark it most of all, if I shall be able to explain myself in it: The Holy Ghost, when he works these inferior works, these strivings with the spirits of men, doth not put in new principles, only works upon the old, and improves them in a supernatural way. It is an eduction, as I may call it, it is not a creation.

I will give you an instance to express it. The sun works upon the principles that are in the mud by its heat, and there are living things begotten in it. The sun, as some think, doth not create a new life. The truth is, a sensitive life is but the spirits of the element, which the sun concocts and boileth up to such a height. But when God made creatures, then indeed there was creation. The sun doth but merely work upon the principles in nature, and boileth them up and concocts them, and there is a creature produced that hath some life. But when God created at first, he made living creatures immediately. This is the difference between eduction, as philosophers call it, out of principles in nature, and putting in of new principles. The work of grace is a work of creation; and why a creation? Because it is ex nihilo. It doth not depend upon any pre-existent matter, but it is a putting in of all new. When Adam's body was made, God did not draw the soul out of the body, as the sun doth these creatures out of the mud, ex putridâ materia, there being some seeds of them in it before. But it is creation, and so the schools say; it is a thing that doth not depend upon matter; God putteth it in of nothing.

This helpeth to express clearly and fully the difference between the work of the Holy Ghost upon corrupt nature in a lower way, and in this higher way; and it differenceth the power, that there goeth not so much power only to work upon the old principles, as doth to put in new. There is almighty power goeth to the one; there doth not go an almighty power to the other.

In James i. 17, he saith, that 'every good and perfect gift cometh from above.' He speaks of the work of grace, of regeneration; that is plain, for it followeth, of his own will begat he us.' I quoted this place in the last discourse, and it is now full for my purpose. I told you then, that the phrase 'from above' is applied to none but Christ, whose birth was altoge ther heavenly, and unto grace, in the whole Scripture. It is applied to Christ, John iii. 31, 'He that cometh from above is above all.' And here he saith, every perfect gift, speaking of grace, is from above. Every perfect gift; why doth he put in the word perfect? My brethren, you must know there are gifts that do come partly from above that are not perfect. Look into Heb. vi. 4. He speaks of men that are enlightened, that have 'tasted of the heavenly gift.' Here is a gift you see from heaven, and yet he plainly saith, that a little love of God is worth all these things he speaks of; for so he saith, ver. 9, We are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation.' Better than what? Better than all these enlightenings; that is his meaning plainly. There are graces, saith he, that the Holy Ghost works, that have salvation in them, so the word signifieth. And what are they? Read ver. 10, ‘God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which you have shewed toward his name.' Men despise signs altogether; you see the Holy Ghost mentioneth love to God, and obedience springing from that love, to be better than all those enlightenings and tastings of the powers of the world to come, which corrupt nature is capable of.

Now then, the one is a heavenly gift as well as the other. Why? Because that corrupt nature could not have any such thing in it, if the Holy Ghost from heaven did not work it; but yet it is not wholly from above, it is partly from heaven and partly from earth. I may say of it, as John saith of himself, comparatively to Christ, John iii. 31, 'He that cometh from above, saith he, speaking of Christ, is above all.' His coming is wholly from above; he is the Lord from heaven, he came not from the earth, as other men; the Spirit of God made his body in the womb of the virgin, and put in his soul; but he that is of the earth is earthy, and speaks of the earth.'

All other men, and he includeth himself too, are partly from heaven; their souls are from thence, but their bodies are made after the ordinary sort of men's bodies. These inferior gifts are partly from above and partly from below; that is, they partly arise from the principles of corrupt nature, improved by the Holy Ghost; hence now they are not perfect, but every perfect gift cometh from above, wholly from above.

But compare with this Luke viii., where he speaks of these inferior workings in the parable of the sower; and he saith of the stony ground, that they did not bring forth fruit to perfection.' These are perfect gifts, and wholly from above; those other works are imperfect, because not wholly from above; only the Holy Ghost takes the same old corrupt heart, and works upon principles already in it.

I could give you many similitudes, which I omit, as that of the chemist. The chemist will fetch salt out of any body, out of a man's arm; give him but leave to use his art, to put fire to it, he will extract and draw spirits out of it. You would think here were a mighty alteration. Here is no great alteration, no alteration like the creation. Why? Because he works but upon what is in it already, only he draws it out.

So it is here. The Holy Ghost falleth upon a carnal heart; he would extract joy in the word, make an affection taste of the powers of the world to come; it is but an elevating, it is but a raising and boiling up principles that are there already.

Now to make this plain unto you. I shall do it by these three things The work of grace, as I told you, is wholly new, all becometh new; it is not a working upon the old. Indeed, there is the old nature, I mean there is the same substance of nature, the understanding, and will, and affections, that were before. A man could not love God if they were not in him; but, I say, here is but a working upon the principles that were in nature, without putting in new.

To make this plain, I will shew you

First, What principles are in corrupt nature capable to be wrought upon by the Holy Ghost.

Secondly, I will shew you that there are things in the word suitable to work upon these principles of nature, if the Holy Ghost setteth them home. Thirdly, That the Holy Ghost doth but improve these principles, by setting home those things in the word suitable to them.

You will say, What are those principles in a man's nature that are capable thus to be wrought upon and improved by the Holy Ghost, without putting in of new, that a man shall seem to have abundance of religion, and be exceedingly affected with spiritual things?

I will go over some. Take a man's understanding; there is a light of conscience in it, whereby a man knoweth there is a God; as you may read, Rom. i. There is the letter of the law written in their hearts,' Rom. ii. 15. Now the Holy Ghost, without putting in of a new eye, can reveal more and further things of the law to their conscience, than nature of itself ever knew, and yet is capable to take in. Here is now but a work upon the old principle, a raising of it up higher, a revealing new objects to it.

There is naturally in a man's heart the knowledge that there is a God. There is naturally in all men's hearts devotion to a deity. The Holy Ghost cometh and works upon this principle, and convinceth a man's heart that the God that made heaven and earth is the true God, and that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world. Now, take a man that is brought up in Turkey; the same principle of natural devotion to a deity carrieth him to worship

Mahomet, that carries another that is brought up in the Church to worship Christ. The principle is one and the same, only here is the difference-the one hath the happiness to live in the Church, and to have the knowledge of the true Messiah. But, I say, the principle is the same in him that is in the heart of a Mahometan. Then the Holy Ghost cometh and works further upon this principle, and convinceth it with more supernatural knowledge concerning this Christ, that through it he escapes the pollutions of the world. This is for knowledge.

There is likewise in a man a natural desire of happiness. All men have a desire of the chiefest good. What is the reason else you go and heap up so many things together, riches and honours, &c. Now, the Holy Ghost cometh and works upon this principle in nature, and convinceth a man that heaven, and to be with God, is the only happiness. And a man out of love to himself listeth after this happiness; and, 'Oh that I might die the death of the righteous!' as Balaam said.

So likewise for the matter of believing that a man is the child of God; there is such a self-fiattery in the heart of a man, that if he hear any good news out of the word that men shall be saved, I am the man, thinks he, that God will honour, as Haman thought himself the only man whom the king would honour; and so every man thinketh; this self-flattery makes out the conclusion presently. The Holy Ghost comes and terrifieth a man's conscience, letteth it see sin as it is; for conscience is to be subject to God, for it is his vicegerent. When the conscience is terrified, he heareth of the gospel and of pardon of sin, the Holy Ghost makes him believe it, and thereupon he is filled with joy. And that very natural principle, which in a man condemned to die, if he hear of a general pardon, makes him believe himself to be in the number of those that shall be pardoned, and so is joyful in believing it; the same will make a man joyful at the hearing of the gospel, as you have it in Matt. i. 31.

And, besides, a man's spirit is capable of a joy by the presence of the Holy Ghost; they are said to taste of the powers of the world to come.' You know naturally a man's conscience, if he do well, hath peace in it; so in the law. So in the work of the gospel too, if a man hears of a pardon, and doth any way reform through the knowledge of Christ, to encourage him he hath a joy in his spirit, which the Holy Ghost works, and yet still the principle is the same, for God doth it to encourage men; men shall not go a step toward him, but he will come a step toward them.

I should shew you, that all this is far from the exceeding greatness of power that goeth to the putting of new principles in the heart, to give a new understanding to see spiritual things as spiritual, to put in that great principle of the love of God; not only stir up old self-love.

Believe it, my brethren, that the same affection that makes men to love worldly things, when conscience is convinced, diverteth a man to spiritual things, though not as spiritual. As for instance, Felix trembled when Paul preached to him of judgment to come; the same affection that made him tremble when Paul arrested his conscience, would have made him tremble if Paul had arrested him with sentence of death from Cæsar. It is but the same affection diverted to a new object.

SERMON XXVII.

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward, who believe, &c. -VER. 19, 20.

FOR the opening of these words, I have despatched two things already. Whereof the first is, that they are meant and intended principally by the Apostle of the power that God putteth forth in the work of conversion, or quickening us when we were dead in sins and trespasses, as himself interpreteth it in the chapter following, from the 1st verse to the 11th.

The second thing that I have already despatched in opening of these words is this, what it is in the work of conversion that draweth forth and requireth the manifestation of so great a power; 'the exceeding greatness of his power.' I shall repeat nothing of these.

In the third place, I entered upon this, to shew you what was the occasion of the mistake, as I apprehend it, why that it is denied by some that so great a power as there is mentioned is not needful to convert men unto God.

The ground of this mistake I resolved much into this: that there are indeed inferior workings of the Holy Ghost, wherein so great a power is not manifested; not such a power as raised up Christ from death to life. There are workings of the Holy Ghost upon corrupt nature, wherein he works but upon the common principles that are in corrupt nature already, and he doth proportion and apply those workings to the liberty of man's will exceeding much, he doth but strive with them, that oftentimes they do resist them, and yet they close with them; yet because he works but upon flesh, it remaineth flesh still. Their turning to God, if I may call it so, is but a fruit of the flesh, and therefore withereth and decayeth as all fruits of the flesh do. There is indeed an under work of the Holy Ghost which men fall from, wherein God doth not put forth, in the manifestation of his power, so great a power as this here mentioned. And, my brethren, although the preservation of man's natural liberty of his will be the great armoury whence all the arguments are fetched to shew that the power of God in conversion is not infallible, yet the groundwork which occasioneth and strengtheneth men in this dispute a real experience, which the most men's hearts that live under the gospel, more or less, can seal to-is this, that there are workings upon their hearts which they oftentimes do resist, which have higher effects in some than in others. Some are so far overcome as to close with them, and yet because flesh is only wrought upon, it remaineth flesh still; hence they fall away; and these workings men take for all the work of conversion, therefore they deny any further power in a further work.

Now, the scope of my undertaking is this. It is not to discourse so much of the work itself, and of the particular differences between a true work and a false, or rather an under inferior work of the Spirit and that which putteth a man into the state of grace; as it is to shew the different make or workmanship, the different woof, or the different power rather, that goeth to these two works. And to handle this I judged not impertinent to the text,