fpoken unto you, fee alfo Eph. v. 25, 26. To what has been obferved it may be added, that the Spirit of grace never leads any to mifapply the word; never comforts by the word in any other way, than by giving a true understanding of it, and applying the true fenfe of the paffage to the foul. He does not speak a jot more than is contained in the written word; or lead to perceive any thing in one part of fcripture, that is contrary to, or inconfiftent with, the general scope of revelation.-Here I fhall take the liberty to introduce the fentiment of Calvin upon this doctrine; that they who call themselves by his name, and yet plead for a work of the spirit feparate from the word, may fee how improperly they bear the name of Calvinifls. He enquires of thofe who hold the fpirit's operation without the word, "Whether they have tafted of any other Spirit than that which the Loid promifed to his difciples ?-But what manner of fpirit did he fpeak of in the promife? Even that Spirit which fhould not fpeak of himself, but fhould minifter, and infpire into their minds, thofe things which he, the Lord himself, had taught by his word.-It is not therefore the office of the Spirit which is promised to us, to feign new and unheard of revelations, or to coin a new doctrine, whereby we fhould be led from the received doctrine of the gofpel; but to feal in our minds the felffame doctrine that is commended to us by the gospel. If any fpirit, leaving the wisdom of the word of God, doth thrust unto us another doctrine, that fame fpirit ought rightfully to be fufpected of vanity and lying. But left under his (the Spirit of God's) name, the fpirit of Satan fhould creep in, he will have us to know him by that image of himfelf, which he hath printed in the fcripture.-The Holy Ghoft doth fo tick faft in his truth, which he hath expreffed in the fcripture, that then only he putteth forth and difplays his force, when the fcripture has its due reverence and dignity.The faithful know none other other fpirit, but that which dwelt and fpake in the apoftles, by whofe oracles we are continually called to the hearing of the word." Calvin's Inftitu. B. 1. Chap. 9. Having thus briefly noticed the manner of the divine Spirit's operations, let us now attend a little to the nature of them. In general it may be obferved, that when any one is inftructed by him, he learns fome precious truth of the word, which previously he was ignorant of or fome truth which he had been before taught, is feafonably revived in his mind, and his foul confirmed in the true understanding thereof; of which, comfort, direction, or fupport will be the confequence. But more particularly, his work is to convince of unbelief to reconcile those who are at enmity against the truth, to it— and to further enlighten, quicken, comfort, and confirm the fouls of the difciples.. To fasten a conviction of UNBELIEF, even in the hearts of the wife, the learned, the devout, &c. as well as the profane, is the peculiar work of God, the fovereign of the confcience; it is what no man can do for himself, or work in another. This will plainly appear if we advert to the days when, what our Lord fays of the Spirit was eminently confirmed. The apostles went forth, not in the wifdom of the scribes, or the difputers of this world, or with the charms of human eloquence; but preaching Jefus and the refurrection, declaring the teftimony that God had given of his Son, that he was well pleafed in him. By this teftimony they commended themselves to every man's confcience in the fight of God, declaring with all boldness, He that believeth and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall · be damned. And though the gates of hell were moved against their teftimony-though the god of this world exerted every artifice to blind the minds of men, and pervert the truth-though the lords of the gentiles, and the tyrants of the earth opposed it- E 3 though the men, who were in the highest repute for philofophy and univerfal literature, and were believed to be the most pious and devout upon the face of the earth, did all they could to prevent the name of Jefus from being mentioned; yet the Spirit of truth bore done, with irrefiftible evidence, the prejudices which men of all ranks had imbibed-convinced them that the whole world was guilty and in unbelief-emboldened many to receive the teftimony-openly to confefs falvation and eternal life through it, and made them willing to fuffer the lofs of all things for it, yea, encouraged them rather to give up their lives, than let go the truth. But ftill it will be inquired, How does the Spirit convince of unbelief? In reply to which I would inquire, how do we come to know that we have been in error, about things in general which we have heard, and either denied to be true, or received under fome mistaken notion, but by receiving a true understanding of the matter? Even fo it is in the question under confideration. Man, previous to divine teaching, either wholly rejects the teftimony of God, or receives it in a natural, carnal fenfe. But when the Spirit of grace enlightens the understanding, to know the truth as it is in Jefus ; when he fets before any one the true grace of God, and gives him to behold the authority of God in his word, the foul readily difcovers its former error; perceives its dangerous fituation while in a state of ignorance; forfakes its former oppofitions to the truth, or falfe notions about it; is afhamed of its evil ways, repents of them, and turns unto the Lord. The Spirit, therefore, convinces of unbelief, in giving an understanding to know him that is true. : Again his work confifts in reconciling enemies to God. It is a maxim that has not yet been refuted, that the determination of the will, muft evermore follow the illumination, conviction, and notice of the underStanding. Without ftaying to illuftrate this at large, it may be observed, that scripture and matter of fact clearly fhow, that, when a finner beholds the beauty and excellency of God in Chrift, as difplayed in the gofpel, he immediately chooses that most lovely manifestation of the true God as his chief good. It is contrary to fcripture to maintain, that the Holy Spirit, in his operation upon the minds of men, exerts any power that does the leaft injury to the higheft, the most rational fense of human liberty, which confifts in chufing what we like beft; and yet every part of his work is founded in pure fovereignty, di rected by infinite wisdom, juftice, mercy, and faithfulness. This bleffed agent does not drag the fin.ner unwillingly, or against his will; but by bringing near to his view, the infinite loveliness of Jefus, and the preciousness, freeness and glory of the gofpel; and thus by filling the understanding with the light of truth, the man's will becomes effectually determined. The foul finds the charms of Chrift fo irrefiftibly ftrong, that every power thereof is drawn out after him; so that now, should any other object propofe itself as the fupreme good; the happy finner would without hefitation fay, God forbid that I fhould glory, fave in the cross of our Lord Jefus Chrift. He is now reconciled to the one way of falvation by free grace and fovereign mercy. It appears, therefore, that the effential difference between a real work of the Spirit of God, and every counterfeit thereof, is this, that to the one it is given to know the myfteries of the kingdom of heaven; he has heard the word of God and understood it; while the natural man, whatever notions he has obtained of the gospel, knoweth not the things of the Spirit of God, &c. It may be added, that when a finner is reconciled to God by the Spirit, he will not be led thereby, to talk of a certain previous round of feelings which he has had, or ferious acts which he has exerted; but will frankly confefs, that all his ftrivings, and earnest and laborious exertions, in feeking, fafting, pray ing, refolving, &c. before he knew the truth in which he now rejoices, only tended to fear his conscience, and draw off his attention from the hope of the golpel; fo that in all, he was doing that abominable thing that God hated ;-that now his only refuge is divine grace-his only hope, that fovereign mercy which the gospel makes manifeft, and which the most profane have an equal right to with himfelf. Further Chrift promifed not to leave his people comfortless; but to fend the promife of his Father upon them, even the Comforter, who fhould bring all thofe things to their remembrance, that he he had spoken unto them, and thereby comfort their hearts with peace and joy, while in the world they had tribulation. This he does by leading them into the grand, fublime, and inexhauftible fulness of the myftery which lay hid in God; by gradually opening their understanding, and caufing them thereby to grow up into all riches of the full affurance of underftanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Chrift; filling them. with all the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and fpiritual understanding; ftrengthening them thereby, with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-fuffering with joyfulness. . We may now collect a fummary of what has been faid upon this matter: All men by nature are in error, ignorance, and unbelief-going on in a course of deception, deceiving and being deceived-no one but the Spirit of grace can spiritually enlighten, and comfortably undeceive them this he does, not by the exertion of power without inftruction, nor yet by teaching any doctrine about himself separate from Chrift, but by taking of the word of the truth of the gofpel, and caufing that to enter into the foul, he thereby communicates the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jefus Chrift that, as in the first beginning of his work on the |