Enlightening: John i. 4. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.' Chap. viii. 12. Then fpake Jefus again unto them, faying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, fhall not walk in darkness, but shall ' have the light of life.' Eph. v. 14. Wherefore 'he faith, Awake. thou that fleepest, and arise 'from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.' Saving Illumination is a quickening Work of the Spirit, inafmuch as it is a renewing of our Minds, by Nature under the Darkness of Death, in point of faving Knowledge: Rom. xii. 2. And be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye tranf'formed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and 'perfect will of God.' 1 John. v. 20. And we 'know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that 'is true.' Matth. iv. 16. The people which fat in ' darkness, saw great light and to them which fat in the region and shadow of death, light is fprung up.' Eph. iv. 18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, 'through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.' 1 Cor. ii. 14. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually 'difcerned.' The Effect of faving Illumination on us, is the Knowledge of Chrift, by way of fpiritual Sight: Eph. i. 17. 18. That the God of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Father of glory, may give un to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your under' ftanding being enlightened.' John vi. 40. And

I 4

this

may

this is the will of him that fent me, that e < one which feeth the Son, and believeth on him, have everlasting life. The Sight we get of Chrift by faving Illumination, is a Sight of him in the tranfcendent Glory of his Perfon and Offices, offered to us in particular 2 Cor. iv. 6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath fhined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jefus Chrift.' John i. 14. And the • Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.' 1 Theff. i. 5. For our gofpel came not unto you in word only, but alfo in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much affurance.' It is in the Word of the Gospel that Chrift is fo feen spiritually 2 Cor. iii. 18. But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glafs the glory of the Lord,' &c. Compared with Rom. x. 6. 7. 8. But the righteouf nefs which is of faith, fpeaketh on this wife, Say not in thine heart, Who fhall afcend into heaven? (that is, to bring Chrift down from above); or, Who fhall defcend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Chrift again from the dead): But what faith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we preach. We come to see Chrift in the Gofpel, in the Work of faving Illumination, because in it the Spirit clears and demonftrates the Gofpel to us, for a Ground of our Believing in particular: Cor. ii. 4. 5. And my fpeech, and my preaching, was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonftration of the Spirit, and of power; that your faith fhould not stand in

the

the wildom of men, but in the power of God.' The Spirit clears and demonftrates unto us, the Gofpel to be the infallible Word of God, and his Word to us in particular: 1 Theff. ii 13. For this caufe alfo thank we God without ceafing, because when ye received, the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. Chap. i, 5. forecip. And that is an internal Atteftation of the Word of the Gospel unto us, diftinct from the cleareft external or mi. nifterial Atteftation of it: John xv. 26. 27. 'When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, ' which proceedeth from the Father, ie fhall teftify of me. And ye alfo fhall bear witness, because ye ' have been with me from the beginning.

The quickening or regenerating Work of the Spirit on our Wills, is the renewing of them : Ezek. xxxvi. 26. A new heart alfo will I give you, 6 and

a new fpirit will I put within you, and I will ( take away the ftony heart out of your flefh, and I will give you an heart of fleth. The Effect of the Spirit's renewing our Wills, is, their being made pliable to the Gofpel-call, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. above cited. Pfal. cx. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. The renewing of our Wills is a quickening Work of the Spirit, inafmuch as our Will is, by Nature, under the Bands of Death, fo as it hath no Power to comply with the Call of the Gospel: John v. 25. Verily verily I fay unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead fhall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear, fhall live."

Chap.

Chap. vi. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath fent me, draw him.' Eph. ii. 1. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trefpaffes and fins.' verf. 5. Even when we were dead in fins, hath he quickened us together. ' with Chrift.'

The Part that faving Illumination, and the renewing of our Wills, have in the perfuading and enabling us to embrace Jefus Chrift, is, that thereby the Perfuafion is perfected, and we are enabled to embrace him accordingly: John vi. 45. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath • heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.' Chap. i. 12. 13. 'As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of. the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' And the Perfuafion being perfected, and we enabled to embrace Chrift, the Spirit infallibly produceth in us actual coming to Christ, and embracing him by Faith, John vi. 45. forecited. Compared with Phil. ii. 13. It is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do ⚫ of his good pleasure.'

And that our coming to Chrift by Faith infallibly iffues in Converfion: I Pet. iii. 18. Chrift hath once fuffered for fins, the juft for the unjuft, that he might bring us to God.' Converfion is a Sinner's turning again unto God, from whom he turned away in Adam: Acts xxvi. 20. That they should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.' It is brought about, through our coming to Chrift by Faith, in that

We

we come unto God by Chrift, and by him only: Heb. vii. 25. Wherefore he is able also to fave ⚫ them to the uttermoft. that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them." John xiv. 6. Jefus faith unto Thomas, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.'

Queft. 32. What Benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this Life?

Anf. They that are effectually called, do, in this Life, partake of Juftification, Adoption, Sanctification, and the feveral Benefits which in this Life do either accompany or flow from them.

EXPLICATION.

They that are effectually called into Union and Communion with Chrift, do, in Communion with him, partake of the reft of the Benefits of his Purchase: Eph. i. 3. Bleffed be the God and Father of four Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath bleffed us with all fpiritual bleffings in heavenly places in Chrift. 'Howbeit, thefe Benefits are not communicate to them in their own Perfons all at once. But they get fome of them in this Life, more at Death, and the whole at the Refurrection. But the Root-benefit from which they all spring unto them, and on which they all depend, 'But of is their Union with Chrift: 1 Cor. i. 3.0. him are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made untò us wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and fancti'fication,