ture, and a fit difpofition of the several parts and organical powers given us,-that the contrary is true;-namely,-that the ftream of our affections and appetites but too naturally carry us the other way.-For this, let any man lay his hand upon his heart, and reflect what has past within him, in the feveral conflicts of meeknefs, temperance,-chaftity, and other felf-denials, and he will need no better argument for his conviction.

This hint leads to the true anfwer to the above mifinterpretation of the text,―That we depend upon God in no other sense for our virtues, than we neceffarily do for every thing else; and that the fruits of the spirit are merely the determinations and efforts of our own reafon, and as much our own accomplishments, as any other improvements are the effect of our own diligence and industry.

This account, by the way, is oppofite to the apostle's;-who tells us,-It is God that worketh in us both to do and will, of his good pleasure. It is true, though we are born ignorant,—we can make ourselves skillful;— -we can acquire arts and fciences by our own ap

plication and study.-But the cafe is not the fame in respect of goodness.-We can acquire arts and sciences, because we lay under no natural indifpofition or backwardness to that acquirement. For nature though it be corrupt, yet ftill it is curious and bufy after knowlege. -But it does not appear, that to goodness and fanctity of manners we have the fame natural propenfity.-Lufts within, and temptations without, fet up fo ftrong a confederacy against it, as we are never able to furmount by our own ftrength.-However firmly we may think we stand,-the beft of us are but upheld, and graciously kept upright; and whenever this divine affiftance is withdrawn,-or fufpended, all hiftory, especially the facred, is full of melancholy inftances of what man is, when God leaves him to himself,-that he is even a thing of nought.

Whether it was from a conscious experience of this truth in themselves,- -or fome traditions handed from the Scripture account of it; -or that it was, in fome measure deducible from the principles of reafon,-in the writings of fome of the wifeft of the heathen philofo

be

phers, we find the strongest traces of the perfuafion of God's affifting men to virtue and probity of manners.-One of the greatest mafters of reafoning amongst the ancients acknowleges, that nothing great and exalted can be atchieved, fine divino afflatu:-and Seneca, to the fame purpose, nulla mens bona fine deo;—that no foul can be good without divine affiftance. Now whatever comments may put upon fuch paffages in their writings,—it is certain thofe in Scripture can receive no other, to be confiftent with themselves, than what has been given.-And though, in vindication of hmuan liberty, it is as certain on the other hand, that education, precepts, examples, pious inclinations, and practical diligence, are great and meritorious advances towards a religious ftate;-yet the ftate itfelf is got and finished by God's grace; and the concurrence of his fpirit upon tempers thus happily predifpofed, and honestly making use of such fit means and unless thus much is understood from them, the feveral expreffions in Scripture, where the offices of the Holy Ghoft conducive to this end, are ennumerated;-fuch

as cleanfing, guiding, renewing, comforting, ftrengthening and establishing us,—are a set of unintelligible words, which may amuse, but can convey little light to the understanding.

This is all I have time left to say at present upon the first error of those, who, by too loofe an interpretation of the gifts and fruits. of the Spirit, explain away the whole fenfe and meaning of them, and thereby render not only the promises, but the comforts of them too, of none effect.-Concerning which error, I have only to add this by way of extenuation of it, that I believe the great and unedifying rout made about fanctification and regeneration in the middle of the last century,and the enthusiastic extravagancies into which the communications of the Spirit have been carried by fo many deluded or deluding people in this, are two of the greatest causes which have driven many a fober man into the fite extreme, against which I have argued.— Now if the dread of favouring too much of religion in their interpretations has done this ill fervice, let us enquire, on the other hand, whether the affectation of too much religion in

oppo

the other extreme, has not mifled others full as far from truth, and further from the reafon and fobriety of the gofpel, than the first.

I have already proved by Scripture arguments, that the influence of the holy spirit of God is necessary to render the imperfect facrifice of our obedience pleafing to our Maker.— He hath promised to perfect his strength in our weakness. With this affurance we ought to be fatisfied;-efpecially fince our Saviour hath thought proper to mortify all fcrupulous enquiries into operations of this kind, by comparing them to the wind, which bloweth where it lifteth; and thou heareft the found thereof, but canft not tell whence it cometh, or whither it goeth-fo is every one that is born of the Spirit.-Let humble gratitude acknowlege the effect, unprompted by an idle curiofity to explain the cause.

We are told, without this affistance, we can do nothing; we are told, from the fame authority, we can do all through Christ that ftrengthens us. We are commanded to work out our own falvation with fear and trembling. The reafon immediately follows; for it is God