fpiritual, than a man ought to be denominated fenfual from the bare knowledge of the things of fenfe. But farther, the heart and will have more power over the understanding than many are apt to be aware of. A man, it is true, cannot withhold the affent of his reafon from things fufficiently proved to him ; but he may refuse to examine the proofs: just as a man with his eyes open cannot refuse admittance to external objects, but he may however fhut his eyes and exclude them: and this is too frequently the cafe: unless the will be concurring, we are apt ftudiously to avoid the light, we neglect to dwell upon the proof of truths difagreeable to our inclinations, suffer them not to fink deep into our minds, but divert the exertion of our reafon into fome other channel, and at leaft fo far weaken and invalidate the evidence, as to leave it no manner of influence over the heart. In the fight of faith, on the one fide combat the fenfes and appetites, and all the pleasures of this world; on the other, reason and religion, and the hopes and expectations of a better: but to whichfoever party the heart inclines, that party is fure of the victory. Now the heart being originally corrupt and evil, always hankering after the things of the flesh, fond

of the follies and vanities of this life, and very little difpofed in itself to the things that are not seen, faith must constantly be vanquished, and all the hopes of immortality fruftrated, did not God's holy spirit minifter fresh aid, renew the combat, bring over the heart to the fide of virtue, and fo defeat the hopes of fin and death. Herein then lie the inestimable riches of God's grace: the Holy Ghoft corrects the wrong bias of our wills, inftructs and enlightens our hearts, difpofes them to faith and obedience, and yet farther ftrengthens them against the force of temptations, and carries all these purposes into execution by co-operating with our prayers, and interceding for their acceptance at the throne of grace. And without this farther aid, Christ had died for us in vain: for although, by this means, we were no longer confidered as the children of wrath, but were re-admitted to God's favour, yet of what fervice would even this have been to us, unless we were at the fame time enabled to preferve that favour?

Nor yet does this grace deftroy the freedom of man's will: for though it is always efficacious, yet do we no where read that it is irrefiftible; though it is always at hand to work

with us, yet do we no where read that it will work without us. On the contrary, St. Paul, with whofe merits, I fuppofe, there are few people vain enough to put their own in competition, expreffes a fear, left that by any means, when he had preached to others, he himself should be a caft away; and exhorts his converts to work out their falvation with fear and trembling, for this very reafon, "because it was God that worked in them to will and to do of his good "pleasure." St. Peter too, cautions the elect to 66 give diligence to make their calling and election fure ;" and declares, that if, after they had efcaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ, they were again entangled therein and overcome, then the latter end would be worse with them than the beginning. As to what the advocates of irresistible grace affert, that grace, being the gift of God, cannot be imperfect, they mistake the notion of perfection. The perfection of a mean does not confift in its power and force, but in its being well adapted to obtain the end. Thus the perfection of a machine does not depend upon its bulk or ftrength, but upon the excellency of the conL 4 trivance

trivance to perform the fervice required of it. The obedience of man, required by the deity, is a free and rational obedience: now to fuppofe Grace irresistible, is to fuppose that he makes use of fuch a mean to enforce that obedience, as is fo far from promoting, that it must neceffarily defeat that end. So groundless and unwarrantable is their opinion, who vainly perfuade themselves, that they are certainly the favourites of heaven, and destined to falvation, even whether they will or no! True faith includes a full confidence on God, on these terms only, that we approve ourselves in his fight: true grace can only be known by the spirit of God bearing witness with our fpirit, that we have a confcience void of offence towards God and towards

man.

The third thing I propofed to fhew was, that our works have no merit in themselves, and confequently all confidence in them, abfolutely confidered, is vain and prefump

tuous.

But this I fhall make the fubject of a future discourse.

SER

1

SERMON XXXI.

EPHESIANS ii. 8, 9.

By grace are ye faved, through faith; and that not of yourfelves; it is the gift of God: not of works, left any man fhould boaft.

my. former difcourfe

upon

I there wordin

Ι endeavoured to shew, first, that faith in Christ is the only mean through which we can hope for falvation; and fecondly, that true Chriftian faith cannot be attained without the affiftance of God's holy fpirit.

Το prove the former of these two heads, I fhewed you from the Holy Scriptures, that by the fall of Adam fin entered into the world, and corruption overfpread the face of the whole earth; that this corruption called loudly upon the juftice of God for fatisfaction

;