Whatever a Christian does or ought to know for his Soul's Health are the gracious Influences of his Communications with us. The Arts indeed which the Holy Ghost makes use of to fill our Souls with such saving Truths, are various and unaccountable; yet since our Souls are naturally full of Darkness, and over-run with Ignorance, every Glimpse of Light, every Dawning of wholesome Instruction must be derived from that Fountain of all-illuminating Grace, which can alone shew us the true Path of Life, and guide us therein with his Counsel. But the Second Operation of the Holy Ghost is that of Sanctification; for in vain would the Blessed Spirit instruct us in our Duty, if He did not likewise enable us to perform it: We have Instances too frequent and flagrant to convince us that the Corruption of fall'n Man will act against Knowledge; and to his Divine Inspirations alone it is owing that we will and do, as well as know, the Things that make for our Peace. The Effects which are wrought upon the Soul by his gracious Influences, are in the Holy

Scripture call'd Regeneration, or a Second Birth; when all the Faculties of the inner Man have left their free and natural Power of acting through Sin; then does the enlivening Spirit of God, as it breathed into Man's Noftrils the Principles of Natural Life, likewise inspire his Soul with those of a Spiritual Life; quite different Sentiments are here infufed, and all our Thoughts and Actions turn upon new Principles: He gives a Check to those Seeds of Corruption, which grow up in our polluted Soul, and warms us with virtuous Suggestions; these Suggestions He cherishes and improves into pious Resolutions, and those Resolutions into godly Habits: He melts down the Hardness of our Hearts, and rectifies the Perverseness of our Will: He reduces the Wildness of our Affections to a peculiar Compliance with the Will of God, and turns the Fierceness of our Appetites into the Mildness of a virtuous Subjection : He fubdues every Inclination to Vice, and kindles every Defire of Virtue : He enforces all the Motives to Godliness in

the Fulness of their Strength, and difL3 pofes

poses us to perform the Means of it in the Sincerity of a pious Zeal: He gives a spiritual Difcernment of the whole Gofpel-Covenant, and powerfully engages our fulfilling the Terms of it : He spiritualizes all our Thoughts, and sanctifies all our Actions; in every Circumstance He renews a right Spirit within us, and purifies our Souls, even as our Father which is in Heaven is also pure.

THESE are the Blessed Effects of the Holy Spirit's operating upon our Souls ; and what a comfortable Change is thereby made? We pass from the disconsolate Gloominess of uncertain Wandrings, to the Brightness of fettled Principles of acting; from the Extravagancies and Mifery of a finful and corrupted Nature, to the Regularity and Comfort of Piety and Virtue ; from the Melancholy of Despair, and the dreadful Apprehenfions of eternal Vengeance, to the glorious Prospect of an happy Eternity.

THESE then are the Gifts which the Bleffed Jefus gave unto Men: He endued his Apostles with Power from on High for the Eftablishment of his Church,

and

and by the extraordinary Operations of the Holy Spirit, enabled them to speak with Tongues, to prophesy, to work Miracles: But his Goodness extends to every one of his Subjects; the ordinary Operations of God's Holy Spirit are Benefits which He is continually pouring down upon every Member of his Church; and whatever Advances are made by any one of them in Holiness, whatever Virtues we bring to Perfection, whatever Progress we make towards Eternal Happiness, they are entirely the Effects of Christ's Merits : He departed that He might send the Comforter unto us, for 'till Jesus was exalted, the Holy Ghost was not given; these Gifts and Graces were the Purchase of his most precious Blood, the Attainments of his Victories, and were therefore made the necessary and immediate Consequences of his triumphant Afcenfion into Heaven.

I PROCEED Now, in the second Place, to confider what our Duty is with respect both to the Reception and Application of these Gifts; with respect to the Reception of them, we must seek them by L4 fervent

fervent Prayer, and by the Use of outward Ordinances. If ye, being Evil, know how to give good Gifts to your Children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. God's Grace is the referv'd Portion of God's Children; and Devotion alone it is which evidences such a Dependance upon the Almighty as becomes the Relation of Children to their Parents; Devotion bears Testimony to our own great Insufficiency, and the extreme Necessity we lie under of Afsistance from on High. Prayer is intended not to bring God acquainted with our Necessities, for He knows them long before we ask, but that we ourselves should be duly sensible of our own Wants and Infirmities, and of God's Power and Goodness to relieve and assist them; yet we may be engaged to give the Lord the Honour due unto bis Name ; and that we may make Him all in all, as with respect to our Happiness, so likewife with respect to our Love and Adoration. What we call the Gifts of Nature and Fortune come indeed alike to all, but the good and perfect Gift of

God's