ther prejudices which hinder them Volume from embracing the Truth. XIĮ.

Sixthly, The laft way whereby the Spirit of God may be faid to work in us an effectual belief of the Gofpel, is by farthering, and helping forward the Efficacy of this perfwafion upon our hearts and lives, in the firft work of Converfion and Regeneration, and in the progreffive work of Sanctification afterward; both which the Scripture doth every where attribute to the Spirit of God, as the Author and Efficient Caufe. The Faith which purifies the heart, and conquers the world, and works by love, hath this Effect from the Spirit of God. Hence we are faid to be fanctified by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, and the belief of the truth, and to be kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto falvation.

Thus I have fhewn you, as briefly and clearly as I could, how the Spirit of God doth concur to the begetting of this Divine Faith and Perfwafion in us, and confequently in what refpects Faith may be faid to be the gift of God.

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I

I fhall only draw two or three Inferences from this Difcourfe,

Sermon V.

I. we may learn from hence to attribute all the good that is in us, or that we do in any kind, to God. Every good thing is from God; fo St. James tells us, that every good and perfect work comes down even from the father of lights, Much more are we to afcribe to the free grace of God all the revelation of fupernatural Truth, which we cannot poffibly come to the knowledge of, unless God of his free grace and goodnefs be pleased to discover it to us. And fo likewise are we to afcribe to God, and the Operation of his Holy Spirit upon our Hearts, our belief of those truths,and affent to them. Confidering the corruption and degeneracy of human Nature, and the oppofition of the Lufts and Prejudices of men to Divine Truth, we ftand in need of the grace of God, and the Operation of his Spirit upon our hearts, to bring us to a firm affent to the Gofpel: for as fleft and blood could not reveal thefe truths to us, fo neither is it very apt to affent to them when they are revealed.

In

Volume In the Phrase of Scripture, all good XII. is attributed to God; and all fpiritual good to the Holy Spirit of God working in us, and affifting us to the doing of it. As on the other hand, the Scripture attributes all those fins that are committed in the World, to the influence of evil Spirits. He that committeth fin is of the Devil. And tho' we do not know many times, how the Spirit of God worketh a good inclination in us, yet it is fafe to follow the Phrase of Scripture, and to afcribe all good to God, as in fome way or other the Author of it.

II. This doth not excufe the Infidelity of men, that Faith is the gift of God. For tho' no man doth believe without fome influence of the Divine Spirit upon his heart, yet this does by no means excufe those who believe not, any more than it is an excufe to the infidelity of men, that the Scripture attributes it to the Devil, as in fome fort the cause of it. He is faid to blind the eyes of them that believe not, left the light of the glorious Gofpel of Chrift fhould fbine into them. But

the

Sermon

the unbelief of men is a fault for all this; because the Devil cannot blind our minds, unless we consent to it: he V. can only fuggeft falfe Principles to us; but we may chufe whether we will entertain them or not: he can only tempt us to reject the truth; but we may chufe whether we will do fo or not. In this we are faulty, because we may refift the Devil, and quench or repel those fiery darts which he cafts into our minds: but if we will confent to his temptations, and fuffer our felves to be blinded by him, the fault of our unbelief is our own, as well as his; and we are guilty of the infidelity which we fuffer him to tempt us to.

So on the other hand tho' Faith be the gift of God; yet those that believe not are faulty upon this account, that they quench and resist the blessed motions of God's Spirit, and the influence and Operation of the Spirit of God, which accompany the Truth of the Gospel to the minds of men, and produce their Effect wherever they are not opposed and rejected by the prejudice and perverfeness of men.

III. Let

Volume III. Let us depend upon God for XII. every good gift; and earnestly beg the affiftance and influence of his holy Spirit, which is fo neceffary to us to beget Faith in us, and to preserve, and to make it effectual upon our hearts and lives. Bread is not more neceffary to the fupport of our natural life, than the holy Spirit of God to our spiritual life.

For our encouragement to ask this gift of God's Holy Spirit, our Saviour hath told us, that God is very ready to bestow him upon us. No Father upon Eearth is more ready to give bread to his Children that cry after him, than God is to give his Spirit to thofe that heartily and earnestly beg it of him. So our Saviour affures us, Luke 11. 11, 12, 13. If a fon ball ask bread of any of you that is a father, will be give him a stone? or if he ask a fifb, will be for a fifb give him a ferpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a fcorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them

that ask him?

And