'animate them in their aspirings after the greatest heights of grace and goodness. Some, who were once "the chief of sinners," blasphemers, persecutors, and injurious, yet by the grace of God, mounted up to the first rank of saints on earth: shone in every excellence, and laboured for God more abundantly than all about them: And others by the same grace, may arrive at a like conspicuous change. Some, though but few old sinners, and late converts, have far outstripped those that were in Christ before them: therefore those who are `called in late, should not despair of high advances. Some of very mean capacities in other respects, and of low circumstances in the world, yet have had their faces made to shine by eminent holiness, have made a yisible proficiency in divine knowledge and in every virtue, and greatly adorned the doctrine of God their Saviour: Therefore the weakest and the meanest Christians should not despair of eminent improvements and usefulness, if they put themselves under divine culture.

(7.) From the beginnings of his saving work in themselves, good men may conclude the greatest heights attainable by them, if they be not wanting to themselves. They may "be confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in them, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ," Phil. i. 6. The change made in conversion may truly be said to be a greater instance of the power of the divine Spirit, than the finishing of such beginnings afterward. And it was a more illustrious proof of his grace, to undertake the cleansing of their impure souls, when sin had the dominion in them, than to proceed in carrying on his work, when he hath already made them partakers of a divine nature.

The third particular implied in the exhortation, viz: That something is incumbent upon us in order to our being filled with the Spirit; must be reserved to another dis

course.

At present we may see, by way of reflection,

1. The inexcusableness of sinners, if they still persist in their sins. If we had been condemned for our first apostacy, we must have been speechless; but we shall have far less excuse to make for ourselves, when the merits of a Saviour, and the grace of the Spirit are revealed and offered to us.

2. That good men have constant reason, highly to blame

themselves for their small proficience and low attainments. When they have such a monitor, such a guide, such a fountain of all grace, not only revealed in general as attainable; but actually present with them, and dwelling in them. They should be deeply grieved themselves, if they so grieve the good Spirit of God.

SERMON XV.

BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

EPH. v. 18.

-Be filled with the Spirit.

last discourse on these words to consider,

I Charmain my made

exhortation to us, that we should be filled with the Spirit. It plainly intimates,

I. The desirableness of it.

II. The attainableness of it.

I now proceed to a third thing implied,

III. That something is incumbent upon us as our duty, in order to our being filled with the Spirit. That it is a blessing attainable, but ordinarily in the use of means. God requires some things on our part; without which we have no reason to expect such a participation of the Spirit; but upon which we are encouraged to hope for it. When the apostle speaks in the form of an exhortation, it evidently supposes this: and an exhortation to the end, is the same thing as an exhortation to use some means in order to that end.

This may be illustrated by some cautions, which are given by the same apostle. One is to the Romans, Rom. xiv. 16. "Let not your good be evil spoken of.” And another is to

Timothy, 1 Tim. iv. 12. "Let no man despise thy youth.' It might be said in either case; the tongues or contempt of other people are not things in our power; how then come such exhortations to be addressed to us? The context in both places shews the meaning to be this: take heed of giving occasion to

have your good evil spoken of, or your youth despised: and on the other hand, do all you can toward securing the reputation of your profession, and a just respect. So here, Be ye filled with the Spirit, that is, use the means proper on your part, in order to be so.

Now the persons, who hear this exhortation, may be of two sorts; either such, who are not yet partakers of the regenerating influences of the Holy Spirit: or such, in whom a good work is begun. And I reckon it proper to consider these cases distinctly; and to shew, I. That there are duties incumbent even upon unconverted sinners, in order to their participation of the saving influences of the Spirit. II. That something farther is incumbent upon real Christians, in order to their being filled with the Spirit.

The present discourse shall be on the former head, That there are duties required by God even of those, who are not yet in a state of grace, in order to their partaking of the saving influences of the Spirit.

Though the words are directly addressed to those who are supposed to be Christians, and are a call to them to aim at higher degrees of participation; yet sinners who enjoy the gospel, are not free from the obligation of them. It is not indeed their first and immediate duty to be filled with the Spirit; but to seek after his first sanctifying operations, and so to proceed on to greater advances.

But a difficulty may immediately arise in the minds of many upon this occasion. It may be said, How is this consistent with the freeness of the grace of the Spirit? Is he not a free and voluntary agent? Can men do any thing that shall render them worthy of the Spirit, or procure his grace? And how can a fallen creature, before he is renewed make use of any means to a good purpose? How then can any thing done by us be considered as a means of obtaining the Spirit ?'

may

This difficulty, unless it be removed out of the way, I doubt, hinder many from attending to proper directions, or from setting themselves in earnest, as they might, to put them in practice. I shall therefore, 1st, Offer some things for stating this point. And then, 2dly, Propose the duties incumbent

upon you.

I. It will be proper to offer some things for the stating

of this point. Three observations may suffice for that purpose.

1. Nothing. which sinners can do, can in the least deserve the communications of the divine Spirit: but as far as any duties to be performed by them are means of grace, it is merely owing to God's free and gracious constitution.

There is no such intrinsic worth and goodness in any endeavours that sinners can use, or in any steps that they can take, as to lay an obligation upon the blessed God, in a way of merit to give his Holy Spirit. Far be such an arrogant, presumptuous thought from the minds of us all. The utmost that sinners can do, is so very little, and mixed with so much imperfection, and they who do it have sin so predominant as yet in their hearts; that on supposition they did it to their utmost, they could not merit the grace of God. If they should apply seriously to read and hear the word of God, if they should bethink themselves, and walk softly, restraining themselves from open enormities, if they should cry ever so loud for mercy; this could not of itself give them the least right to God's help for bringing them out of their miserable case. He might justly if he had not been pleased in free grace to give better hope, reject their prayers, and still leave them in the state of impotence and distance from him, into which sin had cast them. It is little less presumption to think, that the grace of the Spirit can be purchased by any of our endeavours, than that of Simon Magus was, when he thought that his gifts might be purchased with money, Acts viii. 20. Indeed the better and more lively endeavours of real Christians to obtain a fuller participation of him, deserve not the blessing.

And as there is not such intrinsic value in any thing sinners can do, so there is no natural connection between it and the grace of the Spirit. If there be any connection between them, it must be made by the free mercy and goodness of God. For the influences of the Spirit are entirely a supernatural gift, a provision of sovereign grace for lost sinners: a blessing which the light of nature could not have descried; and made known to us only by divine revelation. When we had destroyed ourselves, and were reduced to an utter inability to help and relieve ourselves; supposing we should have come to a sense of this, and that it was out of the power of any but