Imprimatur.  
Geo. Thorp, River. in Christo P. & D. D ne. Gulielmo Archiep. Cant. à Sacr. Dom.  
Febr. 18. 1678/ 9   

A DISCOURSE OF Divine Assistance, AND THE METHOD thereof: Showing what Assistance Men receive from God in performing the Condition of the Promise of pardon of Sin and Eternal Life.  
By W. A.  
Phil. 2.12, 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.  
Mat. 13.12. Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance.  
LONDON, Printed by M. C. for Walter Kettilby, at the Bishops-head in S. Paul's Churchyard. 1679.   

THE PREFACE TO THE READER.  
Much indeed hath been written of the Divine Assistance in parts, and upon occasion of handling other doctrines, such as Repentance, Faith, Regeneration, etc. But yet I cannot say that much hath been done by any entire and set Discourse upon this Subject, especially not upon God's preventing grace and preparatory assistance; which yet is one branch of the whole, and hugely necessary to be well understood and considered. Upon which account I cannot but think that something further of this nature, though but vulgarly done, may be of good use to Vulgar capacities, who can better understand this great Doctrine when they see the parts put together, and how they relate to, and depend one upon another, than otherwise they can.  
And therefore the better to prepare the Reader for the ensuing Discourse, I shall instance in some few things, to show the usefulness of a clear and distinct understanding of the Nature and Method of Divine Assistance, and the terms on which it may be expected.  
And first touching the Method of God's assistance. It is endeavoured in the following Discourse to show, that God by his preventing grace usually gins with men, in assisting them towards performance of the condition of the promise, by raising in them a sense of their guilt and danger, and by awakening their fear; and all to stir them up to apply themselves to the remedy. For Fear being a most powerful principle and spring of Action, when any thing strong, will, if any thing will, put them upon endeavours to provide for their own safety. But if men be ignorant and unacquainted with this Method of God's assistance, they will be in much danger of taking these first operations of God upon their minds, to be but like other thoughts which come and go there, without being much taken notice of: or else but for a fit of Melancholy, to be withstood and striven against; and so unawares they may quench the Spirit under the notion of removing Melancholy thoughts. Whereas if they were made sensible of the Nature of God's Preparatory Assistance, they would probably be more afraid to slight such working of their thoughts, lest in doing so they should slight the warning of God himself, and the safety of their own souls.  
The knowledge of this Method of God's Assistance, serves also to direct those who labour the conversion of souls, and to help on the Work of Repentance in men, frequently to inculcate upon the minds of Vnreformed Sinners, such arguments and considerations as are apt and proper to make them sensible of their guilt and danger, and to awaken their fears. For when by their doing so, these applications from without by the Word, meet with God's applications to the mind by his Spirit within, the operation will be so much the more powerful, and the more likely to prevail.  
And because men are too apt to discharge themselves of such fears as much as they can, by some vain and delusive reasonings in their minds: and because a resolution to become new men hereafter, though they delay it for the present, is one of them; therefore to prevent this, the greatness of the folly, and the greatness of the danger of such a delay, should be strenuously urged upon them, as a Folly so great, that the folly of those that see their whole Estates, or their Lives in apparent danger, and yet do not make all the haste they can to secure them, is no folly in comparison of this. For they are not only in danger thereby of being eternally lost, by being snatched away under such a delay, but also of being deprived of all Divine Assistance for the future, although they should live never so long. For from him that hath not (i. e. hath not used that which he first had) shall be taken away that which he hath, saith our Saviour.  
Bad men are apt to flatter and deceive themselves with this opinion also, viz. that they have no power to be better, or to perform the condition of the promise, nor never had, and that they cannot be better till God give them of his grace to be so, by giving them more power to that end, than ever yet he gave them: and that it is not consistent with his Mercy, nor with his Justice, neither to destroy men for not doing that which he never gave them power to do: from both which together, they are apt to conclude themselves in a safe condition, especially considering that Christ died for them, though otherwise they are apparently vicious in their lives.  
But if they would but understand the Method and Order of Divine Assistance, and the Nature and Terms of it, they would find themselves under a great and dangerous mistake. For the very Reason which they urge as part of the ground of their confidence of the safeness of their condition, viz. that it is not consistent with the Mercy, nor with the Justice of God to destroy men for not doing that which he never gave them power to do, is a strong Argument to prove that he doth give such men whom he destroys before he destroys them, power to do that for the not doing of which he doth destroy them; and consequently that he hath given such bad men, as reason, as aforesaid, power to have been better, and that therefore the mercifulness of God can be no security to them of not being destroyed, until they become better. If this were not so, it would follow, that either none should perish, or that it is inconsistent with the Mercy and Justice of God that they do, according to the tenor of these men's reasoning. Both which are equally false, and the latter blasphemous also. And therefore it is a deceitful and absurd way of reasoning, for such men to conclude that the reason why they are no better, is, because God hath not given them power to be so.  
It is true indeed God hath not given power unto men that are bad, to have been better necessarily and unavoidably; for if he had, they could not have been so bad as now they are. Nor do I say that God hath given such men an immediate power to do all that which belongs unto a complete performance of the condition of the promise, but he gives them a remote power to do it, by giving them an immediate power to begin it. And if they do but make use of this power by an actual beginning to perform this condition, as they may, God will then give them so much more of it, as whereby they may finish it, unless they refuse to make use of it. So that if men do not perform the condition of the promise, it is not for want of power, but for want of making use of that power which God hath already given them by his preventing grace; otherwise their destruction would not be of themselves, which yet it is, as all grant.  
There are none but upon that awakening which they have had from God one way, and one time or other, might out of a dread of him, and of his wrath revealed from Heaven against all Ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, have begun to reform and to become less sinful by leaving off some ill practices; and they would have found they could have done so, in case they had been sure they should have lost their Lives or Estates presently if they had not. Though they had not power all on a sudden to become good, yet they had power through Gods preventing grace not to have been so bad. The worst of men doubtless had power before such time as by their obstinacy and opposition against God and his dealing with them they sinned it away, to have reform in part: which to have done out of a dread of God, would have been a beginning to repent, and so a beginning to perform the condition of the promise of pardon. The men of Nineveh by the awakening of their fears by the preaching of Jonah, could we see turn from their evil ways, and in particular, from the violence that was in their hands, Jonah 3.8, 10. And by the same assistance and power by which men may become less bad, they may be able also to make more use than they have done of the means of Grace, and to become positively better thereby to a degree. Which if they do, and do not by seeking out vain reasonings and evasions, obliterate that sense by which they began to be better, God will supply them with more power to proceed in the Work of Reformation, until it come to a Work of Renovation of the whole man, both in heart and life, and therein unto a performance of the condition of the promise.  
And as it is we see, matter of great moment that the people be made to understand the Method of Divine Assistance, so is it of no less concernment for them to understand upon what terms it may be expected; as whether upon previous conditions or without. For if it be not to be expected but upon conditions to be performed on our part, and yet we think otherwise, we shall be in extreme great danger of depriving ourselves of that assistance, by neglecting what belongs to us, to make ourselves capable of it.  
And therefore for a right understanding of this matter, we must distinguish between such an assistance as is only preparatory to a farther assistance, and that by means of which, the condition of the Promise is completely performed. And if we do, we shall find that the preparatory assistance is indeed afforded unto men without any condition at all, save what our Saviour hath performed by his Mediatorial obedience to obtain it for us. And this Preparatory Assistance is that which we call Gods Preventing Grace, because by it he prevents all endeavours on our part to make ourselves capable of it. For he is aforehand with us in giving us the Gospel, and the Ministry of it, who live where it is; and so he is by his secret operations upon our minds to make us sensible of our danger, thereby to stir us up to bethink ourselves how we may escape it: and all this before we do any thing ourselves with an intent to raise such a sense or consideration in ourselves.  
But although God's Preparatory Assistance and Preventing Grace is vouchsafed unto men without any condition, yet his farther Assistance is promised but upon condition of making use of his former. When God hath been at work in men's minds to make them sensible of the danger of their sinful state and bad tendency of their evil ways, and hath laid before them how they may escape it; if yet they will not make so much use of all this, as thereupon to concern themselves more than they had done about the affairs of their Souls and another World, they can have no reason to promise themselves any further assistance from God; nor can they be sure to have any repetition of the first. For our Saviour hath told us, saying, What measure ye meet, it shall be measured unto you: and to you that hear more shall be given. Mark 4.24. According to what measure we meet in the attendance, or non-attendance of our minds to make use of those aids and assistances which God affords us, it will be measured to us in affording, or not affording us more And when he says, that unto you than hear, more shall be given, we cannot understand more thereby, than that the promise of more assistance is made, but only to such as do attend to what God hath already admonished them of, and who have so far taken into consideration what he hath said or done to them by his Word, and by his Works of Providence without, and by the awakening operations of his Spirit within, as not to slight them, but to be inclined thereby to be more mindful and solicitous about their Salvation, than ever they were before.  
And that our Saviour's words aforesaid, To you that hear, more shall be given, are to be understood in a conditional sense; that is, that more shall be given upon condition of attending to what had been done before, is evident by his next words, verse 25. For he that hath, to him more shall be given, and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath: that is, (as will be showed in the following Discourse) from him that hath not used and improved that which was first given him, shall be taken away that which he already had, rather than have any more given him. By which assertion of our Saviour, it appears that this is a Law of Heaven, a rule which Almighty God is resolved ordinarily to observe in dispensing his assistances unto men, that those who do not make some good use of his preventing grace, his former assistance, shall after some time of trial have that suspended, and the current of it stopped. As on the other hand they that do, shall have more of it given them. And if they make a good use of that more also, they shall have more added to that other more, a second degree of assistance added to the first, and a third to the second, and so on. For God is and will be leading the way, he will be aforehand with us in his assistances; and if we do but follow him in our endeavours to make use of them, he will still afford us more and more, until he hath carried us up to a good degree towards perfection. He is still working in us to will and to do; that is, to will better and to do better by assisting us so to do: and if we do but work too, as he expects we should, by making use of his assistances to work out our own salvation, the great business of of our Salvation will go on prosperously.  
This, I doubt not, is the truth which lies in the middle way, between the two contrary extremes of Pelagianism on the one hand, and the opinion of Irresistible Grace on the other; into one of which, men will be in great danger to fall, if they do not understand the Nature and Terms of Divine Assistance.  
The right understanding and due consideration of this Doctrine of Divine Assistance, is very necessary also to make us all thoroughly sensible how much the work of grace from the beginning to its greatest growth and perfection, depends upon the Divine aids. Though it is not God's Method to convert men without their own endeavours and use of the means appointed and vouchsafed by him, yet the success of such endeavours depends upon the concurrent operation and influence of the Spirit of God. Paul may plant, and Apollo's water, and We likewise use our endeavours, but yet it is God that gives the increase, and causes them to prosper. Nay it is God, who by his Preventing Grace does first excite in us that, from which all our endeavours of this nature do spring: for it is God that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2.13.  
Whatever therefore our endeavours may be, and how excellent soever the External means are which are vouchsafed us for the begetting or increasing of Grace, yet it is not safe to depend upon these for either (otherwise than as they are means by which God conveys his Grace to us) but upon the gracious and powerful operation of God by those means. And that is the reason why in the use of all means, we are to seek unto God by Prayer, for somewhat beyond what he hath put into the means or instruments of Grace only as such. Hence building up ourselves in our most Holy Faith, and praying in the Holy Ghost, are joined together, Judas 20. What made the Gospel to make so strange an alteration in the World on a sudden as it did in the minds and manners of men upon its first setting forth after our Saviour's ascension? but that mighty presence of the Spirit that accompanied it unto the minds of men. We cannot say it was only because of the Miracles that kept pace with it, which yet were wrought by the power of the Spirit. For how little did the numerous and marvellous Miracles of our Saviour prevail, (though he spoke also as never man spoke) until the time came that the Spirit was poured out in greater abundance as well on the Hearers as on the Preachers of the Gospel. The Apostles in their spiritual Warfare did indeed pluck down strong holds, cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God; but it was because the Weapons of their Warfare were mighty through God; that is, through the mightiness of his operation that went along with them, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5.  
And as the sense of how much the Work of Grace depends upon the Divine Assistance, proceeds from the knowledge and consideration of the nature of it; so our Application to God, and Dependence upon him for it, depends upon the same knowledge and sense also. For unless men have some knowledge and sense, as of their need of Grace, and of the necessity of their performing the condition of the Promise in order to their obtaining the benefits promised, so unless they have some sense also of the necessity of Divine Assistance to perform that condition, and of the terms on which they may have it, they will neither desire these things, nor use Gods appointed means to obtain them, nor depend upon him for them in the use of means. But by how much the more sense they have of their need of these things, and of God's willingness to assist them in the use of means for the obtaining them, and of his willingness to confer them upon such terms, by so much will they apply themselves to God for them, and to the use of the means by which he conveys them, and in doing so depend upon him for them. And by how much they do thus, by so much they are likely to be filled with the Spirit, and to be taken out of the spirit of the World, and to be acted by another Spirit, and to have their hearts lifted up in the way of the Lord. For the Holy Spirit will most certainly be given unto such who out of a sense of their great need of it, and of its excellency and usefulness, do earnestly, beg it of God, and depend upon him for it, in a conscientious use of that assistance they have already received. For our blessed Saviour hath assured us that the Heavenly Father will much more, and much sooner give the Holy Spirit to those that ask it, than earthly parents will give good gifts unto their children, Luke 11.13. I love them that love me, and they that seek me early shall find me, saith the Wisdom of God, and is truly applicable unto the Spirit of God, Prov. 8.17.  
And by how much we are made sensible that all our Christian performances depend upon the Divine Assistance, by so much the less we are in danger of trusting in our own strength, or of attributing them to ourselves: and by so much we are likely also to ascribe them all to God, and to say with David, of thine own we have given thee, and with the other Prophet, Thou Lord hast wrought all our works in us; and accordingly to love and to praise him for all his aids.  
And lastly, The knowledge of the Doctrine of Divine Assistance, is of great use likewise to animate and hearten us in the way of our duty, against the discouragements we meet with in it, from the difficulties of performing it, and oppositions against us in it. For by the Doctrine of the Scriptures concerning Divine Assistance, we are assured, that if we do but in good earnest set about our duty in performing the condition of the Promise, our ability to perform it will increase upon our hands, They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; and to him that hath more shall be given, and he shall have abundance. And by how much our strength doth increase through the Divine Assistance, by so much the work will grow more and more easy, and the difficulty wear off. That which is with difficulty done by one, while he hath but the strength of a child, will be done with ease and pleasure when he grows towards the strength of a man. And although we meet with opposition and temptation to turn us back again after we have set out, (and usually the greatest difficulty is found in our entrance upon the work, while we are unaccustomed to it, while our corruptions are yet strong, and our strength but little) yet if we do but hold on our way, and rally again as oft as we we receive any foils, we shall be sure to overcome at last, and come off with complete Victory; Because, as S. John saith, greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the World. And though our beginning be but small, yet our latter end shall greatly increase. It is said of our blessed Saviour, that a bruised Reed he shall not break, and smoking Flax he shall not quench, until he send forth judgement unto victory.  
And thus we see how very much depends upon the due knowledge and understanding of the nature and method of Divine Assistance, and of the terms on which we may expect it.  
The better understanding, and practical use of all which by such whose abilities do not set them above it, is the design of the following Discourse.   

THE CONTENTS.  
CHAP. I. 
HOw God prepares men towards performing the Condition of the Promise, by causing Principles of Natural Religion to operate on the mind. pag. 1.  CHAP. II. 
How God by adding Revealed Religion to that which is Natural, prepared the Jews for the performance of the Condition of the Promise. p. 36.  CHAP. III. 
Of the necessity of those effects on the Mind, which God sometimes works by Principles of Natural Religion, to prepare all those for the performance of the Condition of the Promise, which do at all perform it, p. 54.  CHAP. IU. 
How by the very nature of the Gospel, God does assist men in performing the Condition of the Promise. p. 71.  CHAP. V. 
How by the Holy Spirits operation upon the Mind and Will, men are assisted in performing the Condition of the Promise. p. 91.  CHAP. VI 
Of God's assisting those that perish, towards their performing the Condition of the Promise of Salvation: and of their refusing to make use of that assistance; and of their perishing for that reason. Of Gods not hindering men from refusing his assistance, and of the reason why. p. 130.  CHAP. VII. 
Of the After-Assistance of the Holy Spirit which those receive, who have been assisted already to perform the Condition of the Promise, as new beginners in doing so. p. 177.  CHAP. VIII. 
Cautions against men's depriving themselves of Divine Assistance, by running into two contrary extremes. p. 206.  CHAP. IX. 
Something of the grounds of encouragement which such have to expect assistance fully to perform the Condition of the Promise, as have not refused to make use of God's preparatory assistance towards it. p. 225.    

ERRATA.  
Pag. 101. l. 17. for stony ground, r. highway side.   

A DISCOURSE OF Divine Assistance.  

CHAP. I. How God prepares men towards performing the condition of the Promise, by causing Principles of Natural Religion to operate on the Mind.  
ALmighty God and our Saviour have thus far prevented all endeavours of ours towards the bringing about our Salvation: The Father hath given his Son to be the Saviour of the World, and the Son hath given himself a Ransom for all, and tasted Death for every man: and upon account of his Death and Passion, a Promise is made to all men of pardon of Sin and eternal Life, upon condition of Repentance, Faith, and sincere Obedience. And God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are not only ready, willing and desirous to assist us to perform this condition, but do actually assist even those towards it to a degree, and until that assistance is refused, opposed, and rejected, who yet perish for want only of performing that condition.  
Now this Divine Assistance which men receive in performing the condition on which Pardon and Life are promised, is intended to be the subject matter of this Discourse. In the entrance upon which I shall suppose and take for granted, that the promise of the pardon of Sin and eternal Life, is conditional; and that Faith, Repentance, and sincere Obedience, make up the whole of this condition.  
And that we may the better come to understand the nature, manner, and method of this Divine Assistance, I shall endeavour two things.  
1. To show what is done by God by way of Preparation, to prepare and dispose the minds of men to perform the condition of the Promise, in Repenting, Believing, and in sincerely obeying the Gospel.  
2. To show what is done by God to assist them in that performance being so prepared.  
That something is done by God by way of Preparation, without which no man does savingly believe in Christ, I gather from our Saviour's own words in John 6.44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. And again, Ver. 65. Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come to me, except it were given unto him of my Father. And in Verse 45. thus, Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father, cometh unto me. These say of our Saviour show that something must be done upon men by God the Father, before they can repair to Christ, as to the great Master that hath the words of eternal life, as resolving to be ruled and governed by his Doctrine and Precepts in seeking Salvation; or which is the same, before they can become his real and true Disciples or Scholars in learning practically of him the way to eternal life: for that is it I understand by coming to Christ. And this, according to our Saviour's doctrine, no man can do, that is not first prepared for it by the Father, by hearing and learning of him, and by being drawn by him.  
Now what effect upon the Soul that is, or what temper of mind it is which is caused by the Father's teaching, and which does prepare men so as that they come to Christ thereupon, is not here said in the forecited words of our Saviour. But we may be able to make some judgement of it, after two or three things are considered, which our Saviour's words direct us to.  
1. It is not Faith itself, as having Christ for its object. For coming to Christ, or believing in him, is the effect of that temper of mind which is wrought by the Father's teaching and drawing here spoken of, or at least is consequent to it.  
2. This temper of mind wrought by the Father's teaching or operation, is such in the nature of it, as does incline and dispose men to come to Christ, and to believe in him, though it be not that coming to him itself, nor that believing in him. For every man that hath heard and learned of the Father, does come to the Son.  
3. This temper of mind is such an effect, and that by which it is wrought such an act, as is most properly attributed unto God the Father. It is that which comes by men's learning of the Father, it is that by which the Father draws them.  
These things considered, that temper of mind then which does most incline and dispose men to come to Christ and to believe in him, to embrace the grace offered through him and by him, and to submit to the terms on which it is offered, must needs be that effect upon the Soul which our Saviour here speaks of, without which no man can come to him.  
And this I conceive we shall find to be a strong sense upon the mind of the guilt of sin, and of a liableness to God's wrath thereby, accompanied with a fear of it, and with anxiety of mind, about ones future state after death, and likewise a sense of the different tendency of moral righteousness and goodness, and a teachable frame of spirit as the effect and consequence of such a sense.  
For that uneasiness of mind which the foresaid sense causeth, begets a teachable frame of Spirit, makes men willing to hearken to those terms which are offered in the Gospel, to free them from the foresaid fears, pain, and anxiety of mind. The sense I speak of, and the pain caused thereby, prevails against those prejudices by outweighing them, which men before and till then, had against those terms, without submitting to which, Pardon and Salvation are not to be had, and makes them willing to accept of them. Though while they are but in the way of preparation to perform the condition of the Promise, they are not come so far as to choose to submit to that condition out of love to those things of which it does consist, yet their sense of danger, and the pain of fear of falling under it, may incline them to think their submitting to the condition of the Promise much more tolerable and supportable than their sense of danger, and pain of fear is, which is upon them; and that will dispose them to take such things into consideration, as will in a little time reconcile their minds and wills to those things in which the condition of the Promise doth consist: and if it do but that, yet it is preparatory to that performance.  
Now this sense of guilt and danger, and of the better tendency of moral righteousness and goodness, may be raised in the mind by the operation of principles of natural religion, when God is pleased to set them home, and to make the force and power of them to be felt, as I shall after show. And that may be the reason why all this preparatory work upon the mind, is ascribed unto God the Father, as we see it is by our Saviour. For natural Religion and the effects of it upon the mind, are most properly ascribed unto God the Father; and the reason is, because natural Religion was planted by him in the nature of man before the Fall, while supernatural Religion by the Mediator had not yet any being in men. And preparation for Religion supernaturally revealed (as the Religion of believing in Christ is) may well be ascribed unto our being taught by natural Religion, because Religion supernatural, is founded in that which is natural. Men must first believe the Being of God and his Attributes, before they can believe supernatural revelations to be from him, and so to be undoubtedly true. He that comes to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb. 11.6.  
Men may indeed be prepared by the Father to come to Christ, by some of the same doctrines which our Saviour himself taught, when powerfully impressed upon the mind, and yet this be done by principles of natural Religion, because a great part of his doctrine is the same with natural Religion; only natural religion is more perceptible by his doctrine, than while only in the dark minds of men. He came, as he himself says, not to destroy, but to fill up the Law; to make a more complete discovery of the latitude and spirituality of the natural Law, than Moses and all the Prophets had done, Mat. 5.17. But the Father's teaching and drawing, mentioned by our Saviour, being but to prepare men to receive principles purely evangelical, it cannot reasonably be thought to be done by such, but by those which are natural.  
To believe then the being of God and his Attributes, the Immortality of the Soul, and a future state, the different tendency of moral good and evil, and the Rewards and Punishments in another World, are principles of natural Religion. And a powerful impression of these Principles upon the minds of guilty persons by Almighty God, hath a great tendency in it to prepare and dispose them for a belief of the Gospel, when made known to them with the evidence of its divinity; and that in a double respect.  
1. As they come to be convinced thereby of the guilt of sin and of their obnoxiousness by that to the wrath of Almighty God, and to be anxiously concerned in their own minds about their future state after death.  
2. As they come thereby to a sensible discerning of the nature and tendency of moral righteousness and goodness.  
1. Such a powerful impression upon the mind, of principles of natural Religion as I have said, prepares men for a belief in Christ, as they come thereby to be convinced of their guiltiness and of their obnoxiousness by that unto the wrath of Almighty God, and to be anxiously concerned in their own minds about their future state after death.  
The natural operation of natural conscience, doth something to make men sensible of the guilt of sin and of their liableness to divine displeasure thereby. St. Paul speaking of the Heathen that had not the Law, saith that their thoughts did accuse them, when sin was committed against the dictates of the light and law of Nature; and that their conscience did bear them witness that such accusations were true, they knew the judgement of God that those who did such things were worthy of death, Rom. 2.15. and 1.32. The consequence of all which, when set home upon the mind by God by a vigorous operation, must needs be disquietness, fear, and anxiety of mind, and doubtful apprehensions touching God's displeasure and the future state.  
And that the very Heathen were upon this account in an uneasy condition, and under disquieting apprehensions of the divine displeasure, appears by the many sacrifices which they offered to atone God, and to appease the clamour of their own consciences. And well might their condition be very uneasy to their minds, while they were certain of their liableness to the divine displeasure, but ignorant and uncertain of any remedy against it. S. Paul describes their condition to be such as that they were without hope, Eph. 2.12. that they were darkness, not knowing whither they were going, or what would become of them at last. They had nothing of revealed Religion whereby to know with any certainty that God would pardon them upon repentance. And therefore their future state must needs have hung in doubt before them, and have caused fear day and night.  
From this fear and doubtfulness of mind doubtless it was, that besides their Sacrifices, they ran into so many other superstitions as they did, as hoping by them to appease the displeasure of God, and to make some compensation for their offences against him, as by punishing themselves for them by severities which they exercised upon their own bodies, and sometimes upon their own children.  
I mention these things, to show in what anxiety of mind the very Heathen were, by reason of the operation of natural conscience under the sense of their guilt of sin, and of their obnoxiousness to God thereby. And this sense, and these fears, as the effect of natural conscience, were increased and heightened, as it pleased God by his secret operation upon the mind, to give weight unto them; as we may easily conceive by what befell Cain and Judas in that case, when they were so unable as they were, to bear the lashings of their own consciences.  
Nor could their Sacrifices give that case to their guilty consciences which they sought for by them, unless they could have discerned more of proportion in them to the nature of the Immortal God which made Heaven and Earth, than they could with any great confidence fancy there was, to make compensation to him for their offences. Those Sacrifices which the Jews offered from time to time, though by Gods own appointment, could never make those for whom they were offered perfect as pertaining to the conscience, as the Apostle speaks Heb. 10. They could not purge the conscience from those fears and troublesome apprehensions which the sense of the guilt of sin raised in them. For which cause they, and not only sinners of the Gentiles, were through fear of death, all their life time subject unto bondage, as not knowing for all those Sacrifices, what the event and consequence of death might be unto guilty persons obnoxious to God, Heb. 2.15.  
It is true indeed, these impressions of natural Religion, are not made by God on all men alike, and consequently all are not alike awakened by them: though none I presume are without fears and doubts more or less, about their future state, until they are cured of them, by living up to principles of revealed religion, or else by a desperate course of sinning, have sinned themselves into a kind of reprobate mind, and become past feeling. And then indeed they may through searedness of conscience, come to have little or no feeling of those disquieting effects of the guilt of sin, where of I speak.  
But men do not come to this until they have greatly neglected, and not attended to this teaching of the Father by impressions of natural Religion; not until they have been labouring to put all thoughts about their future state, and their liableness to God's displeasure out of their minds, that they might be no more troubled with them.  
But when men will needs deal thus from time to time with God and themselves, and bid God himself and all serious thoughts about another World, depart from them; then indeed God many times withdraws his secret way of working upon their minds by powerful impressions of natural Religion, (yea and of revealed Religion too in like case) and leaves them to fall into that spiritual slumber or sleep St. Paul speaks of, Rom. 11.8. By which sleep the inward senses of their souls are bound up, as the bodily senses in bodily sleep are; so that they no more hear, see feel or perceive in a spiritual sense what God says or does to them, than a man in a natural sleep does perceive, what is spoken or done to him.  
But this is not the case of those whom the Father by his teaching draws to Christ: he keeps their conscience waking, and makes sin uneasy to them by the fears it raises in their minds, of what may be the event of all at last.  
Now such an operation of God upon the mind, as I have been speaking of, hath certainly a tendency in it to draw men to Christ, when sufficiently revealed, and to make them willing to receive the Gospel, and to become his Disciples.  
And the reason hereof is taken from the suilableness that is between the minds of men so affected, and the Gospel. Men so prepared by the Father's teaching, are sensible of the troublesome and dangerous condition into which Sin hath brought them. And nothing can be more acceptable to such than a discovery and offer of that which will give ease unto their troubled thoughts and doubtful minds; and this the Gospel of Christ is exactly fitted and provided to do.  
This Gospel discovers unto them that the guilt of sin, as to the penal part, is taken away by the Son of God, and by his suffering for them. This Gospel contains a Proclamation from Heaven, publishing and declaring God's willingness upon the account of his Sons suffering for them, to be reconciled to, and to pardon all sinners whatsoever, that will but cease from their wilful rebellion against him, and come under his Sons most gentle and gracious government, his easy yoke, and light burden.  
Such good news as this, was a suitable good to such as were before under doubts and fears whether God would not prove an enemy to them at last, who had carried it as enemies to him all along, and avenge himself on them for their opposition against him. This is a good so suitable to such, that nothing could give ease to their minds like it. All the things this World affords, can no more do it, than silver and gold can ease the pain of hunger and thirst, when food is denied. It is the suitableness of the Gospel, and a mind so prepared as I have showed, that draws men to Christ, when the Gospel reveals him for such a Saviour as he is.  
This is that which makes the very Messengers which bring the glad tidings of the Gospel, acceptable to such for their message sake. How beautiful, saith St. Paul, are thee feet of them which preach the Gospel of Peace, and bring glad tidings of good things? Rom. 10.15. And how beautiful were his feet in the eyes of the Galatian Gentiles, when he first brought the Gospel among them? who before were in fear and doubt about their future state and without hope: I say, how beautiful were his feet upon this account, when they received him as an Angel of God, yea as Christ Jesus, as he himself saith, and counted the blessedness so great, that as he says, they could, if it had been possible, have plucked out their own eyes and have given them unto him, Gal. 4.14, 15.  
The news of such a Saviour as the Gospel declares him to be, is to such as are in darkness and anxiety of mind concerning their future state after death, like the Daystar and Rising Sun to such as have been in the uncomfortableness of a gloomy and dark night. Hence he is styled the bright and morning Star, the Dayspring from on high, the Sun of Righteousness that does arise with healing in his wings.  
The Angel which first published the Birth of Christ to the Shepherds, said, Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all People, Luke 2.10. And so the Gospel hath proved to be, especially to those who have been prepared to receive it, by being concerned in their own minds how they should do to be saved. Thus when our Saviour preached the Gospel first in Galilee, it is said that then the People saw a great light, and to them who sat in the region of the shadow of death, light was sprung up, Mat. 4. So such as were pricked in their hearts through a sense of guilt and danger, gladly received the Word, which brought them tidings of remission of sin through Christ upon Repentance, Act. 2.37, 42. Thus again, when the Gospel was first preached in Samaria, it is said there was great joy in that City, Act. 8. The Gentiles also when they had the Gospel first preached unto them at Antioch, they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord, Act. 13.47.  
The Gospel was not so welcome to all where it came; and what was the reason it was not as well as to others? The reason was, because they had not learned by the Father's teaching, as some had done, but stifled the operations of natural light in their minds, and had laboured to lay their Consciences asleep again, after at any time they had been awakened by God. They laboured to put thoughts about their future state out of their minds because they found them troublesome unto them. They closed their eyes and stopped their ears against any thing that tended to awaken them.  
But all did not so, but remained thoughtful about their future state after death, when God once had awakened them by strong impressions of natural Religion to be concerned in their own minds about it. And they were such as these who were wont to receive the Gospel, and believe it when it came among them. As we see for instance in those Gentiles to whom Paul and Barnabas preached, Acts 13.48. For it is said of them, As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. Or, as others from the Greek read it, As many as were disposed to, or for eternal life, believed: that is, as I, after others, understand it, As many as were ordered, or whose thoughts were ordered, and minds disposed for eternal life; that is, to look after eternal life, these were the People that believed.  
And indeed the Gospel was designed in chief, as it should seem, for those whose hearts and minds are bruised or broken with fears and cares about their Salvation. For thus run the words of that Prophecy which was fulfilled in the Publication of the Gospel by Christ. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, Luke 4.18, 19 Which is true, not only in respect of those that are bruised and broken in heart with godly sorrow for sin, but also in respect of such whose hearts and minds are bruised and battered with fears and terrors, in reference to that misery to which they stand exposed for sin.  
And it is further considerable to our purpose, that those which our Saviour invites to come to him, and promiseth them rest if they do, are such as labour and are heavy laden; that labour under, and are laden with anxious thoughts and cares about their future state; for they are a wearisome burden to the mind, Mat. 11.28. And again, If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink, saith our Saviour, John 7.37. and let him that is athirst come, Rev. 22.17. to wit, such as lack and long for some cooling and refreshing to their minds and spirits which are heated and inflamed with anxious thoughts and cares about the condition of their souls for the future, when they shall leave the body. For this Invitation is made to such as were not yet come to Christ, had not yet truly believed in him: For a true belief in him quencheth this kind of thirst. And therefore our Saviour saith, he that believeth in me, shall never thirst, John 6.35. And again, Whosoever drinketh of the water which I shall give him, shall never thirst, John 4.14. This water when once well drunk of, quencheth that flame which before burnt up the spirits.  
Again, to show what preparation of mind is necessary to make us prise Christ when offered, and willing to be governed by him in order to our cure and ease, consider that saying of our Saviour, Mat. 9.12. The Whole need not the Physician, but the Sick; to wit, such as are ill at ease in their own minds, for that is the meaning of the Metaphor, I conceive. Other than such have not a sense of their need of a Physician, nor will care to be governed by his Methods of Physic. Which was the reason why our Saviour chose rather to be among Publicans and Sinners than Pharisees: for those being more sensible of their obnoxiousness to God's displeasure than the Pharisees were, who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, were better prepared to receive the Gospel than the Pharisees were. Which appears by that saying of Christ to them, Mat. 21.31. Verily I say unto you, that the Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdom of Heaven before you.  
Thus we see how the teaching of the Father by impressions of natural Religion upon the mind, prepares men for a belief in Christ, and a receiving his Gospel, as they come thereby to be convinced of their guiltiness, and of their obnoxiousness to the displeasure of God thereby, and to be concerned in their own minds about their future state after death.  
2. I am now in the second place to show how the teaching of the Father by natural Religion prepares Men for a belief of the Gospel, as they come thereby to a sensible discerning of the nature and tendency of moral righteousness and goodness. Men are taught by natural Religion, that it is a thing good in itself, and well becoming them to adore and worship God the author of their Being, and to seek unto him in all their needs; to be just and faithful, and kind one to another. And they know and find by experience that when they most observe to do so, they have most ease in their own minds. Their Consciences never trouble them for any thing of this nature: these things when they do them, do not make them afraid of God, as things of a contrary nature do. Such as these are things about which men's thoughts do excuse them, as the Apostles phrase is, Rom. 2.15. And men find a vast difference between excusing and accusing thoughts. These do not draw men before the Judgement Seat of God before the Judgement Day does come, as accusing thoughts do.  
Now the stronger sense men have of the excellent nature of moral righteousness and goodness, and of its peaceable and comfortable effects upon the mind, the better prepared they must needs be to put on the yoke of Christ, and to submit to his government and precepts of life; because those precepts of his, are almost, and in a manner all of them of a moral nature. The things which he enjoins his Disciples, are generally good in themselves, and rather to be chosen than their contrary, in case there were no other reward attending them, but only their suitableness to humane nature. The minds of men are better apaid and satisfied in doing those things which Christ enjoins, whether they know he enjoins them or no, than they would or can be in doing the contrary. To do to all men as we would they should do to us under like circumstances, brings more satisfaction to the mind than the contrary. Humility brings more ease to the mind than Pride; and so does Love than Envy and Malice: and so does Meekness than Wrath and Rage; and so does Mercy than Cruelty, and so do moderate desires to the accommodations of this life, than those which are excessive. And Temperance and Chastity contribute more to the ease and health of the body than Intemperance; and so of the rest.  
The consequence of all which is, That the more men are by powerful impressions of natural Religion upon the mind, made sensible of the excellency of moral righteousness and goodness, and of the peaceable and comfortable effects of the practice of it, the sooner and the more easily they will be induced to embrace the doctrine of our Saviour, which in reference to practice, consisteth mostly of matters of that nature.  
For we must know that here the matter sticks most with men. They are well enough content to hear of Christ's having expiated sin by the sacrifice of his death, and that forgiveness is preached in his name. But to men that are wedded to their several Lusts of immorality, the Precepts of Christ which are quite contrary to those Lusts, are to them so many hard say, and they say within themselves, Who can hear them?  
But by how much men are taught by natural Religion to discern the difference between Morality and Immorality, both in the nature and effects of them, as to the peace of the mind on the one hand, and to the disquiet thereof on the other, as to the honour of their nature and name on the one hand, and to the shame thereof on the other; as to the ease and health of their bodies on the one hand, and to the contrary on the other; by so much are they in a fit preparation of mind to receive the Laws of Christ, which enjoin morality with promise of great reward, but prohibit and condemn all immorality under the severest penalties.  
The condition on which the pardon of fin and eternal life were promised through Christ, consists mostly in a sincere performance of moral duties towards God and men: it consisteth of such a Faith as worketh by love to God and men; which love is an evangelical fulfilling of the Moral Law, as we are taught, Mat. 22.40. Rom. 13.8, 10. Gal. 5.14. From which it still follows, that by how much men are improved in morality by the teaching of God, by so much is their belief of the doctrine of Christ, and the fulfilling of his great and precious promises facilitated.  
And the reason hereof is, because his rules and precepts of living, agree with those sentiments and notions of righteousness and goodness, which are planted in the nature of man; and therefore the consent of their minds to them as just, reasonable, and good, and fit to be observed, must needs be the more easily obtained. And not only so, but by means of this congruity between the Precepts of Christ without, and the notions of moral righteousness within us, planted in the nature of man, way is made also to gain belief of the other doctrines of Christ, which depend wholly upon supernatural revelation; such as are his being the Son of God, and the forgiveness of sin, and the like. For when they find our Saviour in his doctrine pressing and inculcating upon the minds of men such precepts of moral righteousness and goodness, as they by their own natural light know to be good, and therefore from God, but never any thing to the contrary, they will be the more easily induced to believe him to be no Impostor, but one sent from God, as he affirmed he was, and consequently to believe all his other doctrines.  
Now as concerning the manner how Almighty God doth raise such a sense in men of the true nature and effects of moral righteousness and goodness, as by which they are prepared to believe the Gospel, I do not think he doth it only by assisting their faculties to act according to their natural liberty, for so he does assist them when they abuse their liberty in acting sinfully: but God does it by engaging their minds more to consider their ways than they had done before; to consider the nature and tendency of those good ways which they had refused to walk in, and the like concerning those evil ways which they had chosen. And by a frequent representation of these things to their thoughts, and by drawing their minds to look more narrowly into them, they come better to discern the nature and tendency both of the one and of the other, and so to make a better judgement of them. And by that means their former aversation from that which is good, and strong and violent inclination to that which is evil, comes to be weakened and something broken. And this prepares them to be quite overcome by the powerful motives of the Gospel, when they come to be considered, and to be turned quite about. This we see in David for an instance, Psal. 119.59. I thought on my ways and I turned my feet unto thy testimonies. And again, Ezek. 18.28. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions which he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. In these Scriptures we see consideration takes place first with men before they turn, and by that means they are brought to turn: that which is consequent upon consideration of ones ways, is turning from transgression and to God's testimonies.  
Now God can and does when he pleaseth, pitch men's minds and thoughts upon such things as he would have seriously considered, and in some sort terminate and hold them to them. David knew this when he prayed thus unto God: Keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of thy People, and prepare their heart unto thee, 1 Chron. 29.18.  
To exemplify this whole matter of Gods preparing men for the belief of the Gospel; let it be considered how it came to pass that those few uncircumcised Proselytes from among the multitude of those of the Nations of the Gentiles, at first came to be such. How came such as the Aethiopian Eunuch and Cornelius to be such devout persons as they and other such Proselytes are described to be, when the generality of those Nations remained still in gross Gentilism? Doubtless it came to pass by the awakening of their minds by God, to consider things more than their Neighbours did, to consider the nature and tendency of morality and immorality, and what was like to be the issue of both at last, in respect of rewards and punishments in another World. And the innate light and reason of their minds would dictate to them, that Vice could not possibly tend to their happiness, nor Virtue to their infelicity in the next World. And this made them, before they were Proselytes, so far as the light of nature assisted by God did lead them, to choose to do what was most likely to end in happiness, and to avoid what was most likely to make them miserable at last. This no doubt made them betake themselves to the worship of the true God only, when others of their Neighbours did not; and in this to join with the People of Israel, though not entirely in the same Institutions of Worship, because they were not given them in command as they were to the Jews. This difference between them and other of their Countrymen, did first spring, as I say from their taking important things more into consideration than others did. And by this they came to be prepared to receive the Gospel, so that they fell in with it readily when it was preached unto them, sometimes at the first hearing. Those Proselytes we read of Acts 13.48. were such as were ordered and disposed in their own minds towards eternal life, to wit, to look after it, and to be thoughtful about it; and as many as were so, did as we there see, believe.  
Such as these Proselytes, were those other sheep (I doubt not) of which our Saviour spoke, John 10.16. which as he said, are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice. They were made tractable aforehand, ready to follow the Shepherd when they should hear his voice. Such also we may well suppose the good Ground hearers to be, who were of good and honest hearts, as they are described, Luke 8.15. of honest minds, not willing to represent things to themselves better than they are, nor to put a cheat upon themselves and their own souls, by flattering them into a better opinion of themselves, and of their good condition Godward than there is cause. Like him of whom the Psalmist speaks, Who flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful, Psal. 36.2. They are not of such partial and dishonest minds as to be thoughtful and careful about the outward Man, and things of this present World, and to be altogether regardless and careless of their souls the better part, and of the concerns for Eternity, nor treacherously to betray them.  
Thus far to show how God hath prepared men for the belief of the Gospel, only by making principles and notions of natural religion operative in them by a powerful impression of them upon their minds.   

CHAP. II. How God by adding Revealed Religion to that which is Natural, prepared the Jews for the performance of the condition of the Promise.  
IN times under the Law, and before the appearance of Christ in the World, Almighty God prepared the People of the Jews for the Faith in Christ, by adding Revealed Religion to that which is Natural, and by making that which was Natural, more powerful and operative to such an end, by that which was revealed.  
After the Original Law which is implanted in the Nature of all men, became much blurred and defaced in the minds of men, a fair Copy of it was delivered to that People by God, written in two Tables of Stone. And this was done, as for other ends, so for this, to wit, to awaken in them a greater sense of the guilt of sin, and their liableness thereby to the wrath of Almighty God, and to condemnation. The Law worketh wrath, saith S. Paul, Rom. 4.15. that is, it maketh the Transgressor of it the more punishable, and exposeth him the more to wrath. For the strength of sin is the Law, as the same Apostle saith in another place, 1 Cor. 15.56. it is that which armeth those actions against a man, which would not have been punishable if there had been no Law against them. For where there is no Law, there is no transgression, as he saith in the former Text. And where there is no transgression, there can be no punishment due. And by parity of reason, where the Law is more obscure and less discernible, the transgression of it must be the less punishable: and the more manifest and express the Law is, by which men are left without all excuse of ignorance touching the evil prohibited, the greater and more criminal must the offence needs be, as when committed against a Law promulgate and fully known. This is that which stops the mouths of men against all excuse and plea of ignorance, and lays them naked and open to the penalty of the Law. What the Law saith, it saith to them that are under the Law, that every mouth might be stopped, and all the World found guilty before God, or subject to his judgement, Rom. 3.19. And as the offence against the Law is aggravated and enhansed, by how much the more the Law is known to be expressly against it, by so much may the punishment be expected to be increased by that means. He that knew his Masters will and yet did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, above what he shall suffer, whose opportunity of knowing his duty hath been less.  
Now this was the case with the Jews: they were under the natural Law before it was promulgated to them, as well as all other Nations. But that Law of Nature was grown so blurred and illegible through the pravity and degeneracy of men, that they could hardly discern that to be sin in many cases, which was sin by the Law of Nature. As for instance, I had not known Lust to be sin, saith S. Paul, unless the Law had said, thou shalt not covet. They could hardly discern inward concupiscence in this or that particular to be sin, unless it broke out into open act. But now by the promulgation of the natural Law, this came to be known to be sin, which indeed was so before, but not so certainly known to be so; and the like in other cases. But when this and other things were by a promulgate Law more clearly known to be sin, it was then at their greater peril, if they fell into them: and consequently they must needs be the more apprehensive of their danger, and their fear the greater in case they did. S. Paul personating a Jew both before and after the promulgation of the Law, saith, I once was alive without the Law, but when the commandment came, then sin revived, and I died. He did not know himself to be in so ill a case, as the Law when it came discovered him to be. And therefore he saith again, that sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived him, and by it slew him, Rom. 7. By all this we may understand what S. Paul meant, when he said, that the Law entered, that the offence might abound, Rom. 5.20. that is, that the offence in the evil nature and mischievous effects of it, might be more abundantly known, and men made more sensible of their sad condition by reason of it: and that for this reason among others, that grace might so much the more abound in the sight of men, when the way and means of escaping that condition should be made known to them. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. This state of theirs under the Law, was that state of the spirit of bondage to fear, whereof S. Paul speaks, Rom. 8.15.  
But then this prepared the way of the Gospel, by making that which tended to remove those fears the more acceptable. To you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings, saith the Lord, speaking of his sending Christ among them, Mal. 4.2. he came with healing to those souls which had been bruised and made sore before by fears and terrors that did arise in their minds out of that darker state of the Church, wherein the way of salvation by Christ, was more obscurely revealed.  
But besides this, by the promise they had of the Messiah, and by the types and shadows of him in the Law, and by the many predictions of the Prophets concerning him, the Lord prepared them for the reception of him when he was come. The Law in these respects, was a Schoolmaster to bring them to Christ, as the Apostle speaks, Gal. 3.24.  
The many precepts of moral righteousness and goodness also wherein they were instructed out of the Law and the Prophets, prepared them likewise to receive Christ for the true Messiah when he was come indeed, for this reason, viz. because of that harmony and good agreement that was between our Saviour's precepts of living, and what they had been taught before, both by natural light, and by revealed Religion superadded to it. By this former teaching of the Father, some of them became such Sheep as our Saviour said his Father had given him, John 10.27, 29. It was by virtue of this preparatory teaching of the Father that they knew the Shepherd's voice when they heard it. By this they could distinguish between the voice of the true Shepherd or Messiah, and the voice of Strangers, the voice of hirelings. Because the doctrine of our Saviour agreed with that way of righteousness which they had learned by the teaching of the Father, as none others did that were but pretenders. It was this that made such of them as had heard and learned of the Father, to come to Christ, to follow this Shepherd when they heard his voice, that is, to become his Disciples.  
And yet more particularly, John the Baptist was sent by the Almighty Father, to prepare them by his Ministry for their reception of Christ, and believing in him. It was foretold by the Angel before his birth, that he should make ready a People prepared for the Lord, Luke 1.17. and by a spirit of Prophecy at his birth, that he should go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way, Verse. 76. which he did by two things especially; by awakening them to repentance, and by giving them notice of the near approach and appearance of the Messiah. He came into all the Country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, Luke 3.3.  
The People of the Jews were in great part become such a generation as Solomon speaks of, that were pure in their own eyes, and yet not washed from their filthiness, Prov. 30.12. strict observers of the Ritual part of the Law, but very immoral in their temper and in their lives: full of a self-chosen righteousness, their fear towards God, taught by the precepts of men, to wit, the tradidition their Elders. They were not sensible of the badness of their state, their obnoxiousness to the wrath of God, nor of their need of repentance in amending their lives. And under these circumstances a Christ that should come to save them from their sins, was not like to be very welcome unto them, nor to answer their expectation who looked to be saved from the Roman Yoke by the Messiah, but not from their sins.  
Now that our Saviour might not lose the end of his coming amongst them, John the Baptist was sent before him to convince them of their bad condition, of their guilt of sin before God, and of their liableness to his wrath. That whereas thitherto the judgements upon their Nation, even the worst that had befallen them, had been but like the lopping of branches from off the trees that would grow again. But now the Axe was laid to the root of the trees, to cut them quite down, never to grow again; that the utter ruin of their State, Nation, and Temple was not far off, if not prevented. And that nothing could prevent it but confession of sin, and bringing forth fruit meet for repentance.  
Now this raised a spirit of fear in them of the wrath of Almighty God which hung over them for their sins; which made such multitudes to come to his Baptism, to confess their sins, and by his Baptism to list themselves as Penitents. And by this teaching of the Father, they were the better prepared to receive Christ when he came, especially when pointing to him, he told them, this is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World, that sin of theirs which exposed them to such danger, and that put them in such fear as aforesaid.  
And who were the Ring leaders in opposing Christ when he was come, but the Pharisees, Lawyers, and Scribes, such as rejected the counsel of God against themselves, and would not be baptised of John? They were such as were never prepared by a sense of their sin, and of the danger they were in thereby, but trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. They were such as thought themselves so whole as to need no such soul-physician as Christ. They did not believe as the Publicans and Harlots did, that they were in any such danger by reason of sin as John told them they were; and that was the reason why they kept themselves out of the Kingdom of God, whilst the others entered in, as our Saviour told them, Mat. 21.31, 32. Verily I say unto you, that the Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you. And he gives the reason of it in the next words; For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the Publicans and the Harlots believed him. Those who did believe John, and were awakened with a sense of their danger because of sin, they crowded, as it were, into the Kingdom of God while that impression lasted. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force, saith our Saviour, Mat. 11.12.  
If enquiry be here made, that since some of the Jews in our Saviour's time, were by the Father's teaching in those several ways before mentioned, so prepared as that they followed Christ the good Shepherd when they heard his voice, and so became his Disciples. Then how came it to pass that all of them did not do the like, who had the same means of learning and of being prepared?  
To satisfy us in this enquiry, it is necessary in the first place to take notice that there is a great difference between God the Father's teaching of men, and their learning of him: he teaches all, when yet but few learn of him. Our Saviour saith, every man that hath heard and learned of the Father, cometh unto me, John 6.45. Not every one that hath heard him, but every man that hath heard him so, as to learn of him, by receiving instruction from him in a way of preparation. For these are two things, and the one alas, too frequently found without the other. Though I taught them rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not harkened to receive instruction, saith the Lord by his Prophet, Jer. 32, 33. there is a Teaching without a Learning.  
Now the reason why they did not learn when they had the same teaching as others had; and so the reason why it was not afterwards given to them, as it was to the Disciples of Christ, to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, is given by our Saviour, Mat. 13. Because they seeing see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. This people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing; and they have closed their eyes; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Which words signify their refusing, and more than a bare refusing of that assistance which God for some time vouchsafed them to prepare them for that farther grace and mercy which comes by Jesus Christ: they signify opposition and striving against their being helped and healed, their endeavouring to throw off, and to defend themselves against the means used by God to awaken them, and to bring them to consider things in order to their cure and amendment of manners. When God called they refused, when he stretched out his hands to them they regarded not, they set at nought all his counsel, and despised all his reproof, and hated knowledge, as Solomon expresseth the ill carriage of such as would not in the least be prevailed with, or wrought upon by such applications as God made to them, with promise of further assistance of his Spirit and his Word if they would. Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Prov. 1.23, and following Verses.  
Our Saviour by the foresaid words in Mat. 13. does not, I conceive, so much intent to set forth the then present ill carriage of the Unbelieving Jews in not entertaining the Gospel, as their obstinacy and untractableness under God's former applications to them in a lower way of teaching, than that of the Gospel. For their carriage signified by those words of our Saviour, is alleged by him as the reason why it was not given to them to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, as it was to his Disciples. For they had opposed and withstood those lower beginnings of God with them, by which he would have prepared them for higher vouchsafements. And accordingly our Saviour applies that saying to their case, Whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away, even that which he hath.  
God had been representing to them by his Prophets, and by the Ministry of John the Baptist, besides his secret operations upon their minds, the danger they were in by reason of their immorality, notwithstanding their outward Church-priviledges, and notwithstanding their numerous Sacrifices, and other ceremonial observances. But they laboured to silence the clamour of their consciences, when God had any whit awakened them, and to lay their souls asleep, and to persuade themselves there was no such danger did attend them, since they were a People with whom God had entered into Covenant to be their God, that they had Abraham to their Father, to whom God had said, I will be thy God, and the God of thy Seed. Though they were proud and covetous, unjust, unfaithful, cruel, envious, and malicious, Yet they leaned upon the Lord, saying, Is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us, as the Prophet speaks, Micah 3.11.  
These things considered, the reason appears plainly why all the Jews, who at first enjoyed much-what the same means, the same assistance from God to prepare them for a belief of the Gospel, yet were not prepared for it as others of them were. They refused, nay they resisted God's first assisting grace, whereby he would have prepared them to receive farther assistance from him. And when men do so, and continue to do so, God after some time of striving with them, suspends that application which he formerly made to their minds to prepare them for farther assistance. After which, though they may see the Works of God, and hear his Word, and be found in the use of some external acts of Religion for fashion sake, and to do as others do, yet than they do not perceive, understand, or consider to any good effect upon themselves, the end and design of them, and so are not one jot the better for them, but rather more stupid and senseless, which the Scripture calls Gods hardening or blinding of men. Not that I suppose the holy and good God infuseth any malignant or obstinate quality into their minds or wills; for God does not tempt any man to evil, James 1.13. but his hardening of them, is either his withholding that assistance by which his Spirit did strive with them to make them better, Gen. 6.3. or permitting the evil Spirit more freely to tempt them, the consequence of which is their growing worse and worse. And thus he dealt with such like untractable and obstinate Jews in Ages long before the coming of our Saviour, Psal. 81.11, 12. My People would not hearken to my voice, Israel would none of me. So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts; not restraining them as sometime he had done. And again, Ezek. 24.13. Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, Isa. 6.9, 10.   

CHAP. III. Of the necessity of those effects on the mind, which God sometimes works by Principles of Natural Religion, to prepare all those for the performance of the condition of the promise, which do at all perform it.  
AFter all this which hath past, you will say perhaps, What does all this discourse concern us, who live after Christ is come, or any who call themselves Christians, and which do own Christ to be the true Messiah and Savior of the World? The Jews indeed they were prepared for their receiving of Christ against he should come, by principles of natural and revealed Religion, and some of the Gentiles by principles of natural Religion only. But how can this concern us Christians who have prevented the need of any such preparation for receiving Christ, by having received him already, as having been taught by our Parents from our Childhood to do so, when they taught us all the Articles of the Christian Faith?  
Yet we who live now after Christ is come, are as much concerned to be prepared for a saving reception of Christ, by the same temper of mind, as they were who lived before his coming. Our Saviour hath said it, That no man can come to me, except it be given unto him of my Father, John 6.65. And again, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, ver. 44. And if this be true with respect to all men, then of us who live in these days, as well as of those who lived when Christ first appeared in the World. For our Saviour's words, we see, contain an universal proposition; No man to whom it is not given of my Father; No man whom the Father which hath sent me draweth not, can come unto me. He does no more limit his assertion to those who did precede, than to those who do succeed his coming.  
There is no doubt but a sense of our obnoxiousness to the displeasure of God, and the sad effects of it in another World, upon the account of sin, is as necessary now as ever it was, to prepare and dispose men hearty to receive Christ: because it is by this sense on our minds, that Christ is looked upon as the most suitable good, and consequently as the most  good, as I shown before. It is by means of this sense when any thing strong and affecting, that Christ becomes precious unto men, as he is to every one that believes. To you that believe he is precious, saith S. Peter, 1 Pet. 2.7. A true sense of the danger we are in, by having provoked the great God against us, gives great disquietness to the mind, until we come to know that that displeasure is taken off, and the danger we were in thereby removed. And it is the sense of this danger that makes Christ precious to us, when we come to understand that we cannot escape this danger but by him; and when we find that pain removed by believing in him, which the sense of danger before put us to.  
And it is this sense that prepares the soul to receive Christ as Lord as well as Saviour, by that time the Gospel is well opened to men. And the reason is, because they understand thereby, that none can have the benefit of that Atonement and satisfaction made by his death, but such as are content to be governed by him in their lives, and to yield obedience to his precepts: that none can be saved by him, that refuse to become sincere Disciples to him. And they will find it no unreasonable thing for them to obey his Precepts and to imitate his Example, when they understand that to do so, is in effect but to abandon those sins which created so much trouble in their mind before, by making them liable to and by putting them in fear of the eternal wrath of Almighty God. The sense of that danger their sins had exposed them to, and of that anxiety of mind they were brought into thereby, will prepare the mind and dispose the will to receive Christ as Lord, and to obey him in forsaking those sins, so long as they are well assured, that then and not till then they shall be pardoned through his blood, and so be discharged from those fears of the wrath of God which had given them such uneasiness of mind before.  
And when they have found the difference between the ease of mind and peace in the Spirit which they have by their knowledge of Christ so long as they obey him; and the sad thoughts, dark and doubtful apprehensions, misgivings of mind and storms in the spirit, which sin had wrought and raised in the soul before, it will then make them out of love with sin, and afraid to have any more to do with it.  
And thus you see according to the reason and nature of the thing, how useful and necessary such a sense is, as I have oft mentioned, to prepare and dispose men to go to, or to receive Christ, when he is made known to them by the Gospel, and that as well now under the Gospel, as before; if by receiving Christ we understand such a receiving as is saving. But otherwise men may, and doubtless do, without any such sense as is effectual to its end, not only profess belief in Christ, but also really believe in him with an inoperative, ineffectual and dead Faith.  
And to the end we may yet farther see how necessary such a sense in men of their danger, as I have been speaking of is, to prepare and dispose them to come to Christ in good earnest, and to believe in him with all their heart, I shall show it you by the method which our Saviour and his Apostles used in their preaching. Both he and they insisted mainly in the first place in order to men's conversion, upon such doctrines as tended to beget in them a great sense of their danger by reason of guilt upon them. And this they did by preaching Repentance; by which as I shall presently show, they laboured to beget such a sense in men.  
Our Saviour began his Preaching with this, Mat. 4.17. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And so did his twelve Apostles when he sent them out by two and two: They went out and preached that men should repent, saith S. Mark 6.12. When the Author to the Hebrews gives a summary account of the first Principles or beginning Doctrines of Christ, Repentance from Dead Works is not only one of them, but is the first of all in order, Heb. 6.1. S. Paul gave this account to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus, both of the method and substance of his preaching publicly and from house to house, when he told them that he had testified both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ: First Repentance, than Faith: Repentance for sin, and from sin; and then Remission of it through faith in Christ.  
Now in thus preaching Repentance in the first place they laboured to possess men with a strong sense of the danger they were in until they did repent. For that was the great Argument or motive by which they persuaded them to it. We knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 5.11. Thus our Saviour taught the People, that so long as they did not repent and reform, though it should cost them the cutting off their right hand, and plucknig out their right eye to do it, they were in danger of being cast into Hell, where their Worm dieth not, and the Fire is not quenched, Mark 9.43. That they were condemned already, and that the wrath of God did abide on them, so long as they continued in unbelief, John 3.18, 36. When S. Paul preached Repentance at Athens, his argument to persuade to it was, because God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in righteousness, Acts 17.30, 31. And no greater argument can be used to awaken men's fears, and to hasten them out of an impenitent state, than to set before them the terror of that day, and the danger they are in every hour of falling under it, so long as they remain unreformed. The consideration of which, while the impression was upon him, made Felix the Roman Governor on the Bench to tremble, when Paul at the Bar reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and the judgement to come, Acts 24.25.  
And generally mens Repentance takes its first rise from their fears of falling under the wrath of Almighty God. Which doth very well accord with what was said by David in the Psalms, and twice by Solomon in his Proverbs: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, Psal. 111.10. Prov. 1.7. and 9.10. The beginning of Wisdom, that is, of becoming truly wise, as men are when they become truly religious, and never till then. And this usually gins as I say, in those fears which are raised in men, out of a sense of their obnoxiousness to the wrath and displeasure of God for sin past. And from thence indeed it proceeds to a fear of displeasing him any farther for time to come, in hope of obtaining pardon for what is past: and this is wisdom indeed (there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be seared, Psal. 130.4.) But fear in this latter sense, hath its rise and beginning from fear in the former.  
The principle of Self-preservation, which is deeply rooted in every man's nature, does naturally cause a fear of God, as armed with Almighty power to destroy them that have provoked him. But in man's degenerate state, we cannot say it is so natural to fear displeasing him, nor is attained to without some hope of pardon for what is past. Fear in the former sense goes before fear in the latter, as the needle does before the thread. It hath indeed as godly sorrow hath, a tendency in it to work Repentance, though neither of them amount to saving repentance itself. Fear of wrath hath torment in it, and that prepares a man to hearken to that which will give him ease, to wit, the doctrine of pardon through Christ, and to the doctrine of Repentance as the condition of obtaining it. As rain and moisture are to the ground on which Weeds or Thorns grow, to prepare the way of tearing them up by the root, so is the fear of God's wrath to make way for the plucking up men's lusts by the root: it makes the heart more soft and tender. For by how much sin hath disquieted and perplexed the mind with fears of the wrath of God (provided it be not to excess, as in case of despair) by so much the less grievous it will be to part with it, in hope of obtaining both ease and pardon thereby.  
But here to prevent all mis use of this Doctrine touching the necessity of a sense in each sinner of his obnoxiousness to the wrath of God, to prepare him for such a Repentance, Faith, and Obedience as is saving; let this be observed and remembered by way of caution, to wit, That no greater a sense hereof is necessary to this end, than that which issues and ends in such a Repentance, Faith, and Obedience. We must not measure the truth and sincerity of our Repentance, Faith, and Obedience, by the measure or degree of the sense we have of our liableness to God's wrath, or our fears of it; but on the contrary, the dueness or sufficiency of such a sense to prepare us, by the truth and sincerity of our Repentance, Faith, and Obedience. It is not unlikely but that Cain and Judas might have a greater sense of their obnoxiousness to the wrath and displeasure of God, than most of those who through a due sense of their liableness to wrath, have been prepared for a saving Repentance, Faith, and Obedience: but yet we cannot judge by that, that they had any such Repentance or Faith.  
So much sense therefore of men's danger by reason of their guilt of sin is sufficient, be it more or less, as does prevail with them sincerely to repent of sin past, to receive Christ Jesus as Saviour, Lord, and Governor for time to come, to save them from sin by his death and to be governed by his precepts and example for all times to come, whether peaceful and prosperous, or however adverse or hazardous they may be. And the reason why such a sense is sufficient, be it more or less, is because it reacheth its end, it hath done its work for which it was raised by God, when once it hath thus drawn men to Christ to become his true Disciples, to believe in him, and to learn of him the Christian life. All means whatsoever are sufficient in their kind, when they attain their end for which they were appointed, and so this of which we now speak. This is a truth seen by its own light.  
By this the great mistake of some good people appears, who have been afraid to apply Christ unto themselves as a Saviour, and to lay hold of the gracious promises of the Gospel, as being in doubt with themselves, whether they had been sufficiently humbled, broken, and prepared by legal terrors; when yet they have been zealously desirous and industrious to approve themselves to him in a good life. When once men are made willing to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, and to walk in him as they have received him, there is no place left to question whether their humiliation hath been sufficient or no. For our Saviour's invitation of coming to him, is made to him that is athirst, and his promise to him that does come in good earnest, is, that he will by no means cast him out. The promise of being received if they do come to Christ, is not made upon condition of being thus or thus humbled, but upon condition of their coming to him. Nor does any degree of that humiliation which consisteth in fear or terror, avail any man further than it is an occasion of his applying himself to the remedy prepared by God against his danger.  
By what hath been said to show what sense of ones spiritual danger is sufficient in its kind, and for the end for which it serves, it may appear also, That such persons as have by the advantage of a pious education, drunk in operative principles of godliness in the early days of their lives, so that like Ohadiah they have feared God from their youth; or as Timothy, have known the holy Scriptures from a child, need not be in doubt of their own good estate Godward, though they have not found in themselves so tormenting a sense of their spiritual danger as some others have done, to prepare and dispose them to repent and believe the Gospel, if they can but find and feel in themselves Repentance and Faith in the true nature and genuine effects of them. No man need much to be concerned about the nature of the means, as whether it be proportionate to the end, after he once sees the end effected in himself. His sense of danger is sufficient, which causeth him to fly in due time to the place of refuge.  
There needs a greater sense of danger, and more affecting fears, to make one willing to part with those sins and evil ways he hath been long accustomed to, and hath had a strong affection for, than there is to make another willing to forego those evils he never had much to do with, nor much affection for. An ordinary blast may throw down a Plant before it hath taken rooting, when no less than a great tempest and strong blast will tear up a Tree of long standing and deep rooting.  
Yet I must say, that the greater sense men have of the greatness of the danger they were in, and the more that sense hath afflicted their soul with fear and grief, by so much the more they are likely to value and prize, to love and honour that Saviour by whom they find themselves delivered from it. Hence it is that such as have been greater sinners than others before conversion, have many times proved more eminent Saints than others after; fuller of love to Christ, and zeal for him. Thus it was with Mary Magdalen, who loved much because much was forgiven her, as our Saviour said. Whereas, as he observes likewise, that he to whom but little is forgiven, the same loveth but little, Luke 27.47.  
And thus I have dispatched the first of the two things I proposed to insist on, and to explain, to wit, what is done by God by way of preparation to dispose the minds of men to perform the condition of the promise. I shall now proceed to the second, which is to show what is done by God to assist men in the actual performance of that condition on which pardon of sin and eternal life are promised.   

CHAP. IU. How by the very Nature of the Gospel, God does assist men in performing the condition of the Promise.  
IN showing what God does in assisting men in the performance of the condition of the promise of Pardon and Life, two things will come under consideration;  
I. What assistance is given by God, by his very giving us the Gospel to this end; and  
II. What by the influence and operation of his Spirit.  
1. That men are assisted by the Gospel in their performing the condition of the promise of pardon and life, is very evident. S. Paul saith, it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth, Rom. 1.16. That he had begotten the Christian Corinthians through the Gospel, 1 Cor. 4.15. And S. James, that God of his own will begat the Christians by the word of truth, Jam. 1.18. And S. Peter, that they were born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever, 1 Pet. 1.23.  
Supposing men to be prepared by such teaching of God the Father, as hath been before described, the Gospel itself is of such a nature as makes it very apt to attract and draw such men to the belief of it, and obedience to it, when attended to, in which the performance of the condition of the promise doth consist: and this in a double respect.  
I. In respect of the subject matter of it, or things contained in it.  
II. In respect of the evidence by which it is confirmed to be from God and undoubtedly true.  
1. In respect of the subject matter of it, or things contained in it. As for instance; it contains a Declaration, who, and what an one Jesus Christ is, viz. the Son of God and Saviour of the World, and what he hath suffered to make atonement for the sin of the World, and to obtain reconciliation between God and men, after their rebellion against him. And the Gospel as such, cannot but facilitate its own way into the minds of such men as are burdened and pained with the sense of their own guilt, and liableness to God's displeasure. It being suited to their case, and contrived on purpose to give to such ease and relief, it cannot but render itself acceptable to them.  
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners, saith S. Paul, 1 Tim. 1.15. It is indeed a saying, a doctrine worthy of acceptation, if any thing is so which the World ever knew, yea worthy of all acceptation to the highest degree. And its being so, makes sinners which are sensible of their very great need of a Saviour, the more ready and willing to believe it, and to hearken to any thing that tends to strengthen their belief of it. We have a saying which is found true upon common observation, That men are willing to believe that to be true, which they would fain have to prove so, and are inquisitive after the evidence of its truth, that they may confidently believe it, and rejoice in it. I have showed before with what joy the Gospel was entertained at its first going forth into the World, by such as were to any considerable degree made sensible of the danger they were in by reason of sin, and therefore I do not need to enlarge upon it farther here.  
Again, the Gospel contains great and precious promises of pardon of sin and eternal life, upon condition of Repentance, Faith, and new Obedience, and most dreadful threaten against such as reject those terms. Now the Gospel in these respects, is of a persuasive nature, and hath an aptness and fitness in it to prevail with men to use their endeavours of performing the condition of escaping the damnation of Hell, and of obtaining the glory of Heaven.  
First, the terrible threaten denounced against such as continue unreformed in their lives, when these fall into minds already disquieted with fears for what is past, are very apt to alienate men's minds from sin, and so to help on the performance of that part of the condition of the promise, which consisteth in Repentance or amendment of life. The stronger sense men have of their danger by reason of sin formerly committed, and also of running into greater danger, if they continue in sin, after pardon is offered upon condition of amendment, the more easily will they be persuaded and prevailed upon to accept of the condition of pardon, and to put forth their endeavour to perform it. The sense of danger which divine threaten do awake in men when any thing strong, will cause them to inquire how they may escape it, to the end they may speedily fall upon the use of such means by which such an escape may be obtained.  
Thus those pricked in their hearts, Acts 2. cried out, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And the Gaoler when once in a trembling posture, Sirs, what shall I do to be saved? Acts 16.30. These affectionate inquiries caused by a sense of their danger, argued their willingness to do any thing they could to escape it; of which they gave proof by setting immediately, and without any delay, upon what they were directed to do to that end.  
This sense of danger awakened by divine threaten, so long as it lasteth, will take off that pleasure which men before were wont to find in ways of sin and wickedness, and make the taste of them bitter, and by that means estrange their minds from them. What is it that makes men at any time to fall out with their sins and turn them off, but an awakened sense in themselves, by which thy feel they have been betrayed by them into the snare of death, into such danger as that the very sense and fear of it, quite swallows up that pleasure which they were wont to take in those sins. And under these circumstances, it will be a matter of far less difficulty for men to perform the condition of the promise, so far as that stands in forsaking of sin, than it would be to continue in it. For in this case they find the fear and trouble which still is at the heels of sin, is far greater than any pleasure they can then find in it. In vain is the Net spread in the sight of any Bird, saith Solomon, Prov. 1.17. Even so, while men have their eye upon the present fear and future danger sin exposeth them to, it disarms the temptation to it of its power, and renders it too weak to prevail with them to run themselves into the torments of present fears, and into eternal destruction for the future. A Dog will forbear his otherwise desired morsel, while his eye is upon the Cudgel which is held over him.  
Secondly, the promise through Christ of such inestimable benefits as the pardon of sin, and the eternal glory of Heaven are, upon condition as of Faith, so of sincere Obedience, hath a great tendency in it to reconcile our minds to our duty in particular acts of obedience. It is inseparable from the nature of men to desire the happiness of their own Being, in the general notion of it, and for perpetuity also. And the more desirable any object is, and the more there is in it to make our happiness great, the more powerfully are we drawn thereby to comply with the condition, and to use the means of obtaining it, when we hope it to be attainable. The greater and more attractive the object of desire is, by so much will the difficulty of the condition and means of obtaining it, seem the less. jacob's serving seven years for Rachel, seemed to him but a few days, for the love wherewith he loved her.  
All which shows that the immense greatness of the benefits promised in the Gospel, does tend greatly to reconcile our minds to the condition of obtaining them, notwithstanding some present difficulties do attend it. Just as we see in other things: Men would not cark and care, moil and toil as they do, nor undertake such wearisome journeys and hazardous voyages as men commonly do, were it not that the benefit they expect to obtain thereby, does reconcile their minds to these difficulties. What enabled Moses to forsake the treasures of Egypt, and the honours of Pharaohs Court, and to unite himself with an oppressed People, when he could not otherwise avoid sin and serve his God as he had a mind to do? Why, it was the eye, the respect he had therein unto the recompense of the reward, Heb. 11.25, 26. The hope of the recompense of reward, made the difficulties of God's service, the reproach of Christ, and suffering with the People of God, more eligible and desirable than the pleasures of sin, which were but for a season.  
Hope of benefit we see then is a great and powerful principle of action in men: and if the promise of the great things of the Gospel does but affect, stir up and quicken our hope, this will be enough to put those endeavours into motion, by which the condition of obtaining them will be performed. It is by the exceeding great and precious promises of the Gospel that men are made partakers of a divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. And the reason is, because these promises do affect their hope; this hope changeth the thoughts and purposes of men, in order to the obtaining of the things promised and hoped for; by all which they become new men, restored to the image of God which had been lost by sin, which is the divine nature.  
The difficult part of performing the condition of the promise of pardon and life, lies in men's forsaking the sins to which they had been accustomed, and in practising the contrary Virtues from which they have been estranged. But the Gospel we see enables men to do both by working upon their fears and hopes. For when two such powerful principles of action concur and conspire together to promote the same end, to produce the same effect, as they do in this, though in different respects, the operation must needs be very great, powerful, and prevalent, and the work like to go on with good success. Fear and hope are the two handles of the Soul, by which it is taken hold of and drawn.  
2. Having thus showed, how apt and fit the Gospel is in respect of the subject matter of it, to draw men to such a belief of it, and obedience to it, as in which the performance of the condition of the promise of pardon and life doth consist: I am now to show in the next place its farther aptitude this way, in respect of that evidence it hath of its Divinity, Truth, and Infallibility.  
For indeed all the power it hath to work upon men's fears and hopes by its menaces and promises, to the producing of their effects in men's lives and actions, depends wholly upon the supposition of its truth and certainty. Men would not be moved neither by the threaten nor promises of the Gospel, how great soever they be, did they believe the Gospel to be but fabulous. And therefore the Alwise God hath as much concerned himself to give sufficient attestation to the truth of the Gospel, as he hath, to acquaint men with the things reported in it.  
To this end the Almighty Father hath by a voice from Heaven testified that Jesus Christ is his beloved Son, and that his doctrine is to be attended to, as to one whom he had sent into the World to declare his whole mind touching men's salvation, Mat. 3.17. and 17.5. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. To the same purpose also served those numerous miracles which he wrought. For these were signs to assure us that he was what he affirmed himself to be, viz. the Son of God, and consequently that his doctrine is of divine authority. Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his Disciples, which are not written in this Book. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name, John 29.30, 31.  
These miracles in conjunction with the nature of our Saviour's doctrine in nothing contrary to natural Religion, had certainly a very great tendency in them to beget a belief in him and of his doctrine, or else he would never have marvelled as he did at the unbelief of those which saw them and heard him, Mark. 6.6. He marvelled at their unbelief. Their unbelief under such circumstances, is mentioned again as matter of wonder, John 12.37. But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him. But this would have been no matter of marvel to our Saviour, or wonder to his Disciples, if there had not been a mighty power in those miracles to convirce men and to persuade them to believe. To this end also served the resurrection of Christ from the dead: for by that he was mightily declared to be the Son of God, Rom. 1.4.  
And when the Apostles of our Lord were after his Resurrection sent forth to convert the World to Christianity by preaching the Gospel to them; as a means to make it efficacious to this end, and to procure it credit and authority in the minds of men, they were endued by the Lord with a power of working miracles, and of speaking with new tongues, Mark 16.20. They went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following, Heb. 2.4. God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will.  
And it was in respect of these powerful confirmations of the Gospel, I doubt not, that S. Paul says his preaching was in demonstration of the spirit and of power, and not with enticing or persuasible words of man's wisdom, 1 Cor. 2.4. It was by reason of this kind of demonstration of the Gospel to be from God, which was made by the miraculous operation of the Spirit by the Apostles, that the Gospel was received as the Word of God, and not as the Word of Man; as all those Discourses of Philosophers were, which had no other confirmation, than what the Wit and Oratory of men could derive from principles of natural and humane Wisdom. But the Apostles doctrine, as it was in the nature of it above humane pitch to find out, so their way of confirming of it was above all humane power and wisdom also. As their doctrine was known only by the Holy Spirits revealing, so the arguments, motives, and reasons by which they persuaded men to believe it to be from God, were fetched from the Spirits own mighty operations, which were visible to men, as well those that did not, as those which did believe. They compared and suited spiritual things with spiritual, ver. 13. The nature of their arguments by which they persuaded men to believe their doctrine, were suited to the nature of their doctrine; both being from the Holy Spirit. The one by the Spirits revelation to the Apostles, the other by the Spirits miraculous operations by the Apostles. They proved their doctrine was revealed to them by God, by the testimony which he gave, that he had sent them to preach what they did preach, by enabling them to do such things which none could do but by virtue of a divine power, which put forth itself in them. God (as was said) did bear them witness by signs, wonders, and by divers miracles which he enabled them to do and to show.  
And being the Gospel was upon the account of this confirmation, received as the Word of God, and not of Man, as the Author of it; therefore it was that it did operate so powerfully as it did in the hearts and lives of them that received it, to the transforming them in their minds and spirits, and in the tenor of their lives and actions, into other manner of men than they were before. By reason of which transformation, the Scripture styles them New Creatures, and the man thus altered, the New Man. When ye received the Word of God, which ye heard of us, saith S. Paul, ye received it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe, 1 Thess. 2.13.  
The Gospel then thus confirmed, as hath been represented, was and is so glorious an object of Faith, and so every way sitted and prepared to command men's belief of it, that S. Paul supposeth it impossible but that men should believe it, unless the Devil hath strangely blinded their minds. And therefore he saith, 2 Cor. 4.3, 4. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  
And thus we see what great assistance God hath vouchsafed us for our performing the condition of the promise, by giving us his Gospel.  
The Lord by his Prophet, speaking of how much he had done for his People of old, to enable them to be what he expected they should be, in order to the happiness he designed them, saith, Isa. 5.4. What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it? that is, What in reason could they expect he should have done more to make them become obedient and fruitful, than he had done? And yet he hath done much more for us who live under the Gospel than he did for them. For he hath sent his own Son to reconcile us to himself, and himself to us by his death. He hath sent his own Son to persuade men, which is more than all the Prophets which he sent before. And as he is greater himself, so he persuades by greater arguments than the Prophets were wont to do, both in respect of what hath been done for us already to oblige us, and in respect of what he will do, in rewarding if obedient, and in punishing if disobedient. And all this lies fair before us in the Gospel, by which life and immortality is brought to light; and which comes to us more gloriously attested also, than the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets did to them. And therefore the Lord may much more appeal to us than he did to them, and say, What could have been done more to engage you to believe and obey the Gospel, and so to perform the condition of the promise, which I have not done? And if so, How then shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? And yet behold he hath done and does more for us in another respect under the Gospel, than he did in times passed for his own peculiar People. For according to the various predictions of the Prophets of old, we under the Gospel have a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit to enable us to perform the condition of the promise of pardon and life, than ever they ordinarily had. Which brings me to the second thing I proposed to insist on, which is, to show what assistance men receive in performing the condition of the promise by the influence and operation of the Spirit of God.   

CHAP. V How by the Holy Spirits operation upon the Mind and Will, men are assisted in performing the condition of the Promise.  
BUt before I proceed to show this, to prevent misunderstanding in this matter, I must premise thus much by way of caution, to wit, That when I propose the influence and operation of the Holy Spirit to be considered as an aid distinct from that which is vouchsafed by the Gospel itself, I would not be understood thereby to deny that assistance which we receive by the Gospel itself in performing the condition of the promise, to be the aid and assistance of the Spirit, at least in some respect. I only suppose that there is an influence and operation of the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of men by which they are enabled to perform the condition of the promise, over and above what the Gospel in its own nature abstractedly considered, does contribute thereunto. Otherwise, as I have been now showing, the operations of the Gospel itself is of, and from the Holy Spirit, both in respect of its revelation and consirmation. So that what is said and done by the Gospel, is in a sense said and done by the Holy Spirit. And they are led by the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, that make the Gospel their Guide.  
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 2 Tim. 3.16. and holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. 1.21. And the things spoken by the Prophets in the Old-Testament, are said in the New to be spoken by the Holy Ghost, Acts 1.16. and 28.25. Heb. 3.7. and 10.15. And it's seven times said in Revel. c. 2, & 3. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; meaning what he said to them in and by those Epistles which S. John sent to the seven Churches in Asia. And God is said to have testified against the People of the Jews by his Spirit in his Prophets, Neh. 9.30. And S. Stephen said to those in his time for opposing the Gospel; Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your Fathers did, so do ye. And S. Paul said touching such as should despise their doctrine and commands, He that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who also hath given unto us his Holy Spirit, 1 Thess. 48. By all this it appears, that what is done by the doctrine of men divinely inspired, is done by the Spirit of God; and what is done against it, or against them for the sake of it, is done against the Spirit of God. He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; saith our Saviour also, Luke 10.16.  
But yet though the assistance men receive by the Gospel in performing the condition of the promise, be the assistance of the Holy Spirit, yet it is not all the assistance they receive from the Holy Spirit therein. For when the holy Scripture speaks of the Gospel's coming unto men, not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, 1 Thess. 1.5. of their being born of the Spirit, John 1.13. and 3.5. of the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. 3.5. of their obeying the truth through the Spirit, 1 Pet. 1.22. of a being built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit, Ephes. 2.22. of the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and of Gods working in them to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2.13. and the like, there is no reason to restrain the sense of such say, unto the alone operation of the doctrine of the Gospel, as having God or the Spirit of God for its Author, and no more. The Prayers which our Saviour made and taught his Disciples to make for the success of the Gospel, and which the Apostles made and taught the Christians to make for the like; do all of them imply likewise something more to be done by God for the renewing of men unto himself, than only by his bare sending his Gospel among them.  
Although men can consider matters discovered by the Gospel when they hear them, as well as they can any other things set forth by Discourses of another nature; (and indeed God expects they should do so, at the peril of their own destruction, if they do not) yet such is the zeal of the Lord to promote and set forward the business of our salvation, that he is not willing to trust the work only in our hands, though he hath brought it to our hands by such preparations wherein he hath prevented all endeavours of ours. He doth not only bring the Gospel and our minds together, and then leave them to operate upon each other in the strength of their own nature only; but is graciously pleased to accompany his word more or less, as he sees good, with a secret operation of his spirit upon our minds, both to incline and dispose the internal faculties to exercise and employ themselves about matters of this high nature, and likewise to assist them in it.  
There is doubtless a secret power and efficacy of the divine Spirit goes along with the Gospel into the mind and will, by means whereof the Gospel does the more readily and effectually work upon the mind and will, to the renewing of them. When the Disciples scattered by occasion of the Persecution by Saul, preached the Gospel to the Grecians, it is said, The hand of the Lord was with them, and that a great number believed and turned to the Lord, Acts 11.21. Their believing and turning to the Lord, was the effect of the Lords hand being with them in preaching, as well as it was the effect of what was preached. The Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth, Rom. 1.16. Believing and Salvation are the effects of God's power going along with the Gospel, as well as of the Gospel itself. By that the Gospel becomes more quick and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword. It is the sword of the Spirit, as it is called, as well in respect of its being managed by the Spirit, as it is by being provided by the Spirit for Christians to manage. The whole success of the Gospel in producing those happy effects in men, by which they become other manner of men than they were before, is ascribed unto the grace and blessing of God that goes along with the Gospel. I have planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase, saith S. Paul. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase, 1 Cor. 3.6, 7. Upon this account all that appearance of the Virtues of Christ which is in true Christians, by which they give some good account unto the World what an one Christ is, and what manner of thing his Gospel is, is ascribed unto the operation of his holy Spirit upon their hearts, in that metaphorical way, used by S. Paul when he told the Christians at Corinth, That they were the Epistle of Christ written by the Spirit of the living God, upon the fleshly Tables of their hearts, 2 Cor. 3.3.  
Thus much in general to show that there is an assistance by the operation of God's Spirit vouchsafed unto men in performing the condition of the promise, over and besides what assistance they receive therein from the nature of the Gospel. I shall now proceed to show a little more particularly how men are assisted by the operation and influence of the Holy Spirit in performing the condition of the promise of pardon and life. Not to undertake to describe all those ways by which God communicates his aids unto men in performing the condition of the promise, but only so much of those divine methods as may give some light in the thing, and some satisfaction to our minds touching this great affair of our souls.  
1. One of the first things is a procuring from men, or Gods working in them a fixedness of thoughts upon the things which concern their salvation or damnation, a keeping their minds upon them. Before this is done, men may have many fluctuating thoughts about God and Christ, Heaven and Hell, and about the way of escaping the one, and of obtaining the other, and yet be little or nothing the better for them. For these being things out of sight, and remote from the senses, there are a multitude of other thoughts which throng into the mind, from external objects that lie open to the senses, which scatter and divide, yea, and which in a great measure exclude and thrust out of the mind, those other more necessary thoughts. The thoughts and cares about the Farm, the Merchandise, the Oxen, and the marrying of a Wife, spoken of in the Parable; yea, and worse than these, about unlawful pleasures and undue seeking of honours; these so entertain and take up men's minds, that thoughts of God and another World, and the great concerns of Religion, which have not the advantage of making their way into the mind by the senses, have little or no room there. Hence comes the sin of forgetting God, so much spoken of in Scripture, which carries in it a forgetting our accountableness to him, and consequently a forgetfulness of all those things which depend upon ourminding of these.  
Now while thoughts of this nature rule and bear sway in the mind, and other thoughts are only now and then floating there without any settled abode, these latter can have no powerful influence to alter the standing temper of the mind, or to change the motions and operations of the will, which yet are necessary to the performing of the condition of the Promise. And therefore one of the first things, as I say, which God does in assisting men in the performance of the condition of the promise, is to stay and six their thoughts upon the things which concern their salvation. Though their thoughts are and must be exercised about the things of this present life; yet their thoughts about their souls and another World, are so fixed by God in their minds, when thus assisted by him, that they are continually intermingling themselves with their other thoughts, and correcting their extravagancy, and exercising a power over them. Here now they dwell; though they must give some place to other necessary thoughts, yet so as that they are never long absent, but still return into the mind. Thus the good Ground hearers which bring forth fruit with patience, are said to be such as having heard the Word, keep it, (Luke 8.15.) that is, they keep it on their minds, so as that it is not stolen out of their hearts by the evil one, by filling the mind with other things, as it befalls the Stony ground hearers: nor choked, or stifled in its operation by an overpowering multitude of other thoughts about things grateful to the flesh, as about riches and pleasures, and lusts of other things, as it is in the Thorny ground hearers. Not as if where God thus fixeth the thoughts upon their principal objects, that there he gives memories to retain all they hear, that is not meant by their keeping the word, but that such keep upon their minds the scope and substance of those points of the Christian Religion as are necessary to their salvation, as the fruit of all their Hearing. It is the engrafted Word which is able to save the soul, Jam●● 〈…〉. 21. that is, as it is engrafted upon the mind by settled thoughts and fised consideration, without which men may hear all the days of their life, and yet be but as the silly women S. Paul speaks of, laden with sins, and led away with divers lusts, who were always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, 2 Tim. 3.6, 7. The Lord made David wise through his Word, but it was by keeping it and his mind together. Thou, saith he, through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my Teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation, Psal. 119.98, 99 Thus when the Lord assisted Lydia in the business of her believing, he opened her heart so that she attended to the things which were spoken by Paul. She held herself to them; so the Dutch Translators render it: she kept her mind stayed upon them by serious consideration. And this we see was the effect of God's operation upon her mind; he opened her heart so that sheattended, Acts 16.14. It is God that thus puts his Law into men's minds, that pitcheth and terminateth their thoughts upon the things contained in it, according to the tenor of the New Covenant, Heb. 8.10. This is one thing wherein the Divine Assistance doth consist.  
2. Another thing is, the Holy Spirits operation upon the mind, enabling it by the light of the Gospel, to discern the nature, tendency, and usefulness of the things discovered and revealed by the Gospel. By man's Apostasy from God, and customary sinning, the mind is darkened, the eye of the understanding corrupted, and thereby to a great degree rendered impotent, and unable to discern things discovered by the Gospel to be what they are, though set before it. Like the man in the Gospel, who while imperfectly cured of his blindness, saw men walking as Trees: they have and can have in that state but confused and indistinct notions of spiritual things: if the eye be evil, the whole body is full of darkness. This being man's case, there is need of a Divine Power to work some cure upon the Eye of the mind to discern aright concerning the things of the Gospel. David had some sense of this upon his mind when he prayed thus unto God: Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold the wondrous things of thy Law, Psal. 119.18. The Disciples had not right notions of things revealed by the Scriptures concerning Christ, until our Saviour opened their understandings to understand the Scriptures, Luke 24.45. When the Veil is taken away, so that men with open face behold the glorious things of the Lord in the Gospel, it is by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3.18. Though the hope of the Christians calling, and the riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the Saints are revealed in the Gospel, yet S. Paul knew for all that, that there was need of having the eyes of the understanding enlightened, to know and discern what those are; and therefore prayed unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for it, in the behalf of the Ephesians, c. 1.17, 18. And if these Christians after they believed, stood in need to have the eyes of their understanding further enlightened by God, in order to a more clear and full prospect of the gloriousness of the Hope set before them, for the strengthening and encouraging them to persevere and hold out in their obedience to the Gospel, then doubtless they much more stood in need of some enlightening by God in this kind to enable them at first to begin to be sincerely obedient.  
In the dark men are apt to mistake one thing for another; so before this illumination of the mind by the Spirit of God, they are apt to call evil good, and good evil; to put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter; to choose evil under the notion of good, and to refuse good under the notion of evil. But when the light of the Law and Gospel are let into the mind, by which every thing is discovered and discerned in its true shape and colour, than Sin and Virtue appear to be what they are in their own nature, sin to be sin indeed, and virtue and goodness to be virtue and goodness indeed. Then sin appears in the turpitude, deformity and malignity of its nature, and in its tendency to the ruin of the subject in which it dwells: and righteousness, virtue, and goodness appear in their beauty and usefulness, and in their tendency to the happiness of such in whom they dwell. For instance; Before this illumination, men are apt to mistake the doctrine of the grace of God which brings salvation, and to think they shall be saved because Christ died for sinners, and because they believe he did so; especially if they be but now and then troubled in their minds, and sorry for their sins, and do pray God to pardon them, though they still continue in them. But when the eyes of their understanding are opened to see things as they are, and are represented in the Gospel; then they perceive none shall be saved by the death of Christ, what ever their belief may be, but such as shall be persuaded by the great motives of the Gospel, to be reconciled to God by being reconciled to their Duty, throwing down the weapons of their rebellion, and becoming universally sincerely obedient to his government, according to the Laws of Jesus Christ.  
This illumination of the mind by God, contributes so much towards men's performing the condition of the promise, that the whole of their conversion is sometimes meant in Scripture, when but this only is mentioned, Heb. 10.32.  
3. Another part of the Divine Assistance afforded unto men in performing the condition of the promise, is the Holy Spirits operation upon the will to assist it in what is proper to it in performing of the condition of the promise. For what ever sense there is begot in men of the danger they are in by reason of sin: or whatever illumination is wrought in the mind touching the way and method laid down by God of escaping that danger; yet until the will be changed and wrought to a firm resotion of complying with the terms on which the promise of pardon and life through Christ is made, the work is not done, the person is not regenerate, nor in a regular capacity of enjoying what is conditionally obtained by Christ, and conditionally promised through him. Men are not begotten of God, nor born of God, as the Scripture speaks of some that are; they are not begotten by the word of truth, nor born again of the immortal seed of the Word, until the change be made in the will as well as in the understanding: and when ever it is made, it is the effect of a divine operation. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2.13.  
Now in that assistance which is vouchsafed unto men in renewing them in their wills, in working in them to will, several things are to be considered.  
1. The Holy Spirit disposeth the Will to be passive, in reference to those notices given by the enlightened mind and understanding touching those things which have been discovered to it, by the Gospel through the illuminating operation of the Spirit upon it. The Will having been accustomed to busy and exercise itself about other objects, such as the senses have presented to it, things that concern only this present world and life, it will hardly suffer any passage for heavenly and divine things which are strangers to it, without some divine operation of the Spirit to incline the will thereto, or to open a passage for them. Which is done (I conceive) by suspending the evil influence which the will had upon the understanding, in keeping or withholding it from considering with any seriousness and frequency, the things that concern the soul and another life. And if the understanding be but at liberty seriously and frequently to consider such things as well as those that concern only this present life, the will then cannot but see and taste them to be better, because the mind and judgement in such case, cannot but represent them to the will as much better, and as things wherein the happiness of our nature is much more concerned, than in any, than in all the things of this world.  
God in taking off the will from the foresaid bad influence it had upon the considerative faculty, takes away the heart of stone the Scripture speaks of. For the heart of stone which God said he would take away, signifies the inflexible temper of the will, and the resistance it makes against the understandings taking those things into serious consideration which tend to persuade the will to alter its purposes, and to alter its choice of objects.  
men's not considering things that concern their souls and another life, when yet they can and do consider things that relate to the animal life, is justly imputed to the faultiness of their wills; they do not consider them, because they will not, not because they cannot; it is because they have no propension of will to engage their considerative faculties about those things. They turn back from God, and why? but because they will not consider any of his ways, John 34.27. So that until God do take off this strong Bias which is upon men's will, they will not consider those things, which if they did seriously consider, would certainly change the bent and motion of their wills.  
Now how Almighty God does take off this strong influence which the will hath upon the mind to keep it from considering things of greatest importance, I have showed, at least, in great part in Chap. 1. of this Discourse; to wit, by raising in the mind such sense of guilt and danger in reference to the soul, as does counterpoise the prejudices which proceed from the will against such consideration. For when the will cannot give ease to the mind by putting it upon the consideration of any thing else than those which concern the soul and a future state, then in reference to the man's own relief, it becomes content that the mind should seek its ease, by considerations of another nature than what it had been before accustomed to. And thus the will becomes at the least passive as to those considerations and notices which proceed from an awakened and enlightened mind.  
2. By the wills being made thus passive, it comes, together with the understanding, to taste and feel the goodness and sweetness of those things whereof the great motives of the Gospel are made, the usefulness of them to make a man happy, beyond any thing it ever tasted before. The ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat, as Elihu speaks, Job 34.3. The outward sense of the body being put for the internal sense of the mind touching those things that come into it by the ear. The mind by considering what a man hears, tasteth whether it be good or bad, as he doth his meat by his palate. Thus the superlative goodness of the great things of the Gospel come to be tasted both by the understanding and the will, by a diligent and due consideration of them, which is the minds chewing them. We read of men's tasting the heavenly gift, their tasting the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come, Heb. 6.4, 5. of the tasting that the Lord is gracious, 1 Pet. 2.3. of holy David's saying, that God's Word was sweeter to his taste than honey to his mouth; and of Jobs saying how he esteemed it more than his necessary food; and of the Prophet Jeremiahs' eating of it, and of his finding it thereupon the joy, and the rejoicing of his heart. However these, or some of these say may be meant of a higher degree of this taste, than men meet with upon the first change that is made upon their mind and will, yet doubtless, something of this spiritual relish is found upon the mind and will of every true Convert, upon his first effectual turning, and does contribute to the forming of those good resolutions which are taken hereupon; which brings me to the next thing:  
3. The will by having received some taste of the superlative goodness of the great and precious promises of the Gospel touching pardon of sin and eternal life, comes thereby to be reconciled to the terms or condition on which those great benefits are promised, and to take up a resolution of endeavouring to perform those terms or that condition. Though it be a great thing for a man to resolve upon such a thing as to turn his back upon his formerly beloved vanities, and to betake himself to the study and practice of other kind of things, from which he hath been willingly and wilfully estranged, yet the sense of the danger of refusing to do so, and the hope of the greatness of the benefits he shall receive if he does, prevails with the will to resolve upon it against all that which would draw it another way, God also strengthening him thereunto, with might by his Spirit in the inner man. And this he does, at least in great part, by making the great motives of the Gospel present to his mind, and by keeping them under his consideration, and drawing his thoughts frequently upon them.  
4. That which is yet more difficult, and wherein the Divine Assistance is greatly needful, is to do as well as to will, and to put in execution those good purposes when they have been raised and form in the will. To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not, Rom 7.18. The Spirit indeed is willing, but the Flesh is weak, Mat. 26.41. Such say as these show it to be a harder matter to do indeed, than it is to purpose to do.  
There are many good purposes in men which stick in the birth, prove abortive, and never come into act for want of strength in the will [in which they were conceived] to bring them forth. Few are so bad but that at some times and in some good mood they resolve to amend and become better, when the Spirit of God is at work on their minds and consciences to awaken them: but these purposes wear off and die within most men, and never come to effect for want of strength and firmness. Many would be better that yet remain bad, if they could be so with wishing and desiring, without resolving to put themselves to the trouble of crossing their own corrupt humour, and of denying the unreasonable cravings of the flesh. And those that do resolve upon those labours and endeavours which are necessary to thorough conversion of soul, yet many times find a great strife within themselves, between the taking up of such resolutions, and the putting them in execution; they meet with great and strong solicitations from the flesh from the sensitive appetites, to let fall such resolutions, and great discouragements set before them also to hedge up the way with thorns. The Flesh lusieth against the Spirit, and the Devil assisteth the Flesh all he can with his suggestions: so that it becomes a matter of great difficulty for men's purposes and resolutions in this kind, to hold out, and to make their way thorough all this opposition. And when ever this difficulty is overcome, and men's resolutions become so strong as to carry them through all this opposition, it is to be attributed to God, it is because God worketh in them to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2.13.  
The Spirit of God than we see worketh in men to do, by working in them strength of resolution in willing to do, thereby drawing that out into actual performance which had been resolved on. But I do not say that the Spirit of God doth enable such men's performance to answer their resolutions to the height presently, and at the first. That which the Spirit of God does enable men at first to do in this case, is honestly, really, and sincerely to set upon the work resolved on; that is, sincerely to endeavour to reform, amend, and to become new men; to strive against all known sin, and to endeavour to do all known duty as well as they can; but the victory is got but by degrees.  
There is a great difference between a man's getting the victory over those oppositions of Flesh, World, and Devil, which withstood him in his beginning, when he was setting upon the work of amendment of life, and his destroying those enemies of his soul so as that they shall no more annoy him, or endanger his falling short of the happiness he seeks: (which to be sure they will, notwithstanding his first victory, unless he pursue that victory by seeking the utter ruin and destruction of them, by keeping up a continual war against them. The former victory I reckon is perfectly obtained when men are not prevailed upon by any opposition whatsoever, but that they will and do seriously, and sincerely, and actually engage in a conscientious observation of the several duties of Christianity, enjoined by our Saviour both in abstaining from evil, and in doing good.  
But the latter victory is obtained but by degrees, as the new man grows stronger and stronger, and the old man weaker and weaker, like the house of Saul and David. A man I conceive does commence sincere Christian and real Disciple of Christ when he has obtained the first victory, but cannot approve himself to God and his own conscience to be and to continue such, farther than he follows his enterprise, and pursues that victory by endeavouring the destruction of the whole body of sin, and by aspiring after a standing complete in all the will of God.  
When our Saviour said (Luke 12.47, That servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes: we see the least that will secure a man from this threatening of our Lord, is a man's preparing himself to do according to his Lords will. And if by preparing himself be meant a putting himself in the best posture he can to do it, by using the best means and helps he can in order to it, and then doing it as well as he can, though not so well as he would; then it seems very probable that for a man thus to prepare himself to do his Lords will, will not only secure him from being beaten as a disobedient servant, but also render him acceptable to his Lord in such his preparation to please him.  
And I think the Apostles rule will hold in reference to this, though mentioned but upon a particular occasion; that of , 2 Cor. 8.12. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. So long as a man's doing his Lords will as well as his alms, does but answer his ability and capacity, and proceeds from a willing mind, a mind inclined and bend to do better, as he to give a better alms if he could; this man's endeavour and service will be no more rejected because it is so mean, than the poor widows two mites were, but be accepted because it holds some proportion with his ability, and proceeds from a mind and will, that would have put the man upon doing more if he could have done it. And this indeed is in a favourable sense, a man's serving his Lord and Master with all his might, with all that little strength which he hath.  
And yet in this, Almighty God does not, I conceive, weigh men in reference to their performance or endeavours to perform, by grains and scruples. For he knows whereof we are made, and how we are but dust, as the Psalmist speaks. He considers the composition of our nature, Flesh as well as Spirit, and the constitution and complexion thereof, and how the motions and activity of the Spirit are limited and straightened by the body to which it is united. He considers all the disadvantages we are under from without us, as of times and places where the providence of God hath cast us, and of education, company, and acquaintance, and the like; he considers all a man's circumstances, and then according to the goodness and benignity of his nature, makes allowances in estimating a man according to his endeavours and performances. He is not extreme in marking what is done amiss. He pities us as a Father pities his children, and spares us as a man spares his own Son that serves him, if the Bias of our will and constant endeavours do but stand right towards him, and if our endeavours do but hold some good proportion to that assistance we receive from him. An instance of all which we have in the character which the Scripture gives of David, when it saith, He turned not aside from any thing commanded by God, all his days except in the matter of Vriah, 1 Kings 15.5.  
These things I note by the way, to the end we might be the better able to make some judgement not only of what assistance men receive from God when he worketh in them both to will and to do, but also what that willing and doing is, which we may hope will through grace, be accepted for a performance of that condition, to which the promise of pardon and life is made.  
And thus we have seen in some measure, how Almighty God by the assistance of his grace, brings about that change both in the mind and manners of men, by which the condition of his promise of pardon and life is performed. He awakens men's fears by making them sensible of their danger by reason of sin. And these fears, especially when they grow any thing strong, prevail against those prejudices which make men unwilling to consider the concernments of their souls and things relating to another life. And by considering, men come through God's further assistance to have new apprehensions of things, to see and to judge of things as they are, and then to choose or refuse them according to that judgement.  
God does not give men new faculties of understanding and will: he only assists those faculties to throw off that burden which oppressed them, to break those fetters by which they were bound, and so to restore them by degrees to their native liberty of acting regularly. Hence the Scripture calls this work of God upon the soul, a being renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him, Col. 3.10. that is, to a right judgement of things wherein the soul of man resembled its Maker. It is termed a being renewed in the Spirit of the mind, Ephes. 4.23. a being transformed by the renewing of the mind, Rom. 12.2. and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. 3.5.  
That which is most connatural to the will in man, is to choose his happiness. It is not in man's power to choose to be miserable under that notion, but whenever he does so, it's under the notion of good. And this is the corruption that cleaves to man in his degenerate state, to choose that which is evil under the notion of good; and likewise to choose an inferior good with a greater degree of volition than a good that is superior. As when a temporal good, and the good of the body, is chosen with a greater strength and power of willing, than an eternal good, and the good of the soul.  
Now that which God does in regenerating man, is the vouchsafing him such assistance, as by which his mind is restored to a power and liberty of making right judgement of things, to judge that to be good which is so, and that to be evil which is so. And then to make a right judgement between an inferior and a superior good, which the Apostle calls a proving or trying things that differ, and the approving of things that are excellent, Phil. 1.9. That which he does therein in reference to the will, is to enable it in its election and rejection of things, to be governed by the rectified judgement of the mind, to be no longer imposed upon by the irregularity of the sensitive appetites unto which it had been in bondage, while they usurped the Throne, the place and office of the understanding and judgement in giving laws to the will what it should choose and what it should refuse. For so far as the will is renewed, it chooses and refuses, according to the laws and dictates of an enlightened mind and rectified judgement, and no longer by the blind appetites and propensions of sense. When ever an inferior and superior good come in competition, the will so far as renewed, will still choose that which is superior. And when two evils come in competition, a greater and a less, the evil of sinning, and the evil of suffering, the will as renewed chooses the less.  
But in all this change made in the mind and will, there is no unnatural force put upon the faculties, but on the contrary, they are thereby relieved against an unnatural force which had been put upon them. They had by an unnatural force been turned aside from acting regularly to the making of wrong judgement of things, and wrong elections of them. It was an unnatural force which put the sensual appetites and passions into the place of governing the will in her resolutions and elections. And God's work in transforming and renewing the soul, is but his relieving and freeing it from these tyrannical impositions, and restoring the faculties in their several operations to their pristine liberty and order: the mind to judge of things as they are, and the will to submit herself in her resolutions and elections, to the government of the judgement now rectified: and the appetites and passions to conform themselves to the elections and resolutions of the will under the conduct of such a rectified judgement. And when things are thus right in the soul, which is the fountain and spring of external actions, the life and conversation cannot in the main and in the general course of it, but be regular also.  
The doing of all this, the working so great a change in the soul, will indeed require not only the operation of God's word, but the operation of the hand of his power also, to bring every thing into its right place, and each faculty to do its own work. For the faculties of the soul, mind, and will, are enfeebled by sin, which is the sickness of the soul, as men's limbs are by sickness of the body, so that they cannot do that which otherwise would be natural, easy, and pleasant to them, until God himself is pleased to convey strength into them, to strengthen men with strength in their souls, as the Psalmist speaks.  
Yet it must be confessed that God does not to effect this cure, give this strength in so miraculous a manner as strength and perfect soundness was given to the Cripple, Acts 3. which was done in an instant, but in a more leisurely and gradual way; the seed which he sows in the soul, comes to perfection by degrees, first the blade, than the ear, after that, the full corn in the ear, Mark 4. the work of thorow-conversion is not begun and finished all in an instant ordinarily, but is usually carried on in such a slow and regular process, as if it were wholly contrived and wrought by the power of our own reason, as a late judicious Author well expresseth it.   

CHAP. VI Of Gods assisting those that perish, towards their performing the condition of the promise of Salvation: and of their refusing to make use of that assistance; and of their perishing for that reason. Of Gods not hindering men from refusing his assistance, and of the reason why.  
IT is of no small concernment to satisfy our minds in this, to wit, that it is not for want of mercy and goodness in God towards those that perish, that yet they do perish. And if we consider how that God does assist even those that perish, towards their performing the condition on which salvation is promised, until that assistance is rejected, and that their perishing proceeds from their refusing to use that assistance, and the reason why God does not hinder them by the irresistibleness of his grace from refusing that assistance, it will go far toward such a satisfaction.  
1. I shall begin with the first of these, and show that God does assist those that perish, towards their performing the condition on which salvation is promised. This I suppose will appear more than probable when these things following shall be considered.  
1. The holy Scriptures acquaint us, that God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth, 1 Tim. 2.4. That he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Pet. 3.9. Now since neither of these can be attained without God's assistance, how can it be said that he would have all men to come to repentance, if he did not afford them his assistance towards it? How can his willingness on this behalf be known or discerned, if he should withhold that assistance from any of them, without which that cannot be done, which yet he says he would have done?  
2. The same mercy and grace which inclined God the Father to give his Son, and the Son to give himself a ransom for all, cannot as we may well conceive, but incline him to afford unto all his preparatory assistance towards performing that condition, without which his giving of Christ for all, would be ineffectual to their salvation. His giving his Son for all, which is the greater gift, infers his willingness to vouchsafe to all the less also, so long as his end in giving the greater will be lost, unless he give the lesser also.  
3. If God did not begin to assist even those that perish, to perform the condition of the promise, until that assistance has been refused and opposed, I would fain know how they can be left without excuse when they come to be condemned for not repenting, unless we could suppose them able of themselves to repent without Divine Assistance, which yet the Scriptures will not suffer us to suppose. For if they could as well plead that Divine Assistance had never been afforded them, but always withheld from them, as they may plead the impossibility of their performing the condition of the promise without Divine Assistance, it would be an excuse, why they did not repent and believe, and a great one too.  
4. How can it be said, which yet is usually and generally affirmed, that under the New Covenant, salvation is granted to all men that do not wilfully refuse it, if assistance to perform the condition, were not afforded unto all, as well as the promise of it is on that condition; until they wilfully refuse to make use of that assistance? For men can no more perform the condition on which salvation is promised, without Divine Assistance, than they can be saved without performing that condition: and consequently Salvation cannot be said to be offered to all, unless Divine Assistance be afforded to all likewise.  
5. It is no wise probable that God should require and expect repentance from all men, which yet he does, Acts 17.30. or that he should account them culpable if they do not repent, if he did not afford unto all, such means and assistance as by which they may be able to repent. No wise or good man will require such work to be done by his Servants, without furnishing them with such Tools, without which it cannot be done: much less will God require repentance from all men, unless he had vouchsafed such assistance unto all, as by which repentance might be no impossible thing to them.  
6. It is no wise likely that since Christ died for all, but that it was that all might have the benefit of his death upon one condition or other: Nor is it any whit more probable that God should promise this benefit upon an impossible condition. For men to promise any thing to men upon impossible conditions, is but trifling, and who dare fasten any thing like it on God? And yet for God to promise the benefit of Christ's death unto all, upon condition of repentance, would be to promise it upon an impossible condition, unless he did afford unto all his assistance towards it.  
7. In the days of the Old World the Spirit of God by the preaching of Noah, by his long suffering, and by his operations on men's minds, did strive with the then whole World to bring them to repentance, and even with the spirits which afterward were in prison for their disobedience, Gen. 6.3. compared with 1 Pet. 3.19, 20. which striving with them by the Spirit of God, was his assisting of them towards their repentance. And if God did afford his assistance unto all before the Flood to bring them to repentance, it is no wise likely but that he hath done, and does so to all likewise after the flood.  
8. Our Saviour in his Discourse wherein he shown that no man could come to him, except he were prepared by the Father, said, It is written in the Prophets, and they shall be all taught of God, John 6.45. And it no ways follows that all are not taught of God, because all do not learn, as is showed in another place. Many are taught when but few learn, as many are called when but few are chosen. And if all are taught of God, than all have a preparatory assistance from him.  
9 We cannot reasonably think but that God who is the lover of Souls, is more ready to apply himself to the minds of all men, to dispose them to what tends to their salvation, till by their often opposition they provoke him to leave them as incurable, than the Devil the Evil Spirit is to dispose them to what tends to their destruction; and yet this evil Spirit which works in the children of disobedience, is as we have reason to believe, busy with the minds of all men for their hurt.  
10. When it is said by St. Stephen concerning the disobedient Jews, Ye have always resisted the Holy Ghost, as your Fathers did, so do ye, Acts 7.51. it is evident that the Holy Ghost had been attempting and making many Essays upon their minds, as bad as they were, in order to the reclaiming them; otherwise the Holy Ghost could not be said to have been resisted by them. The Holy Ghost doubtless did often suggest to them that the way in which they walked, was evil in the nature of it, and destructive in its tendency, such as was altogether unsafe for them, and tending to their ruin. For so much is signified in reference to their Fathers, by that in Nehem. 9.30. Many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by the Spirit in thy Prophets. Thou testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy Law, as it is in Verse 29. and so escape the misery they were otherwise bringing upon themselves. And this the Spirit of God did out of compassion to them: He sent to them by his Messengers, rising up betimes and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place. 2 Chron. 36.15:  
11. The goodness and long-suffering of God, which he exerciseth towards the worst of men, carries in it the nature of Divine Assistance towards their repenting. It leads to repentance, according to that of S. Paul, Rom. 2.4. And Gods leading men to repentance, is certainly his assisting them towards it. By his long suffering he gives them opportunity to bethink themselves, and upon second thoughts to repent; and not only so, but by it he invites them to repent: for that is the language of God's forbearance, if men would but consider that they might understand it.  
For, for what other end can men think that God forbears to cut them off after they have once deserved it? Surely, it is not that they might sin the more, and that so their punishment might be the greater; I believe hardly any wicked men can think so. And if not for that, for what else can they think it to be, but that they might have time to repent? But whether they apprehend it and consider it or no, it is so, he spares them for that very reason. He is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Pet. 3.9. And is it likely that God who spares them that they may repent, will deny them his grace, without which he knows they cannot? To what purpose should he spare them to repent, when he knows they cannot, if he were resolved not to enable them to it?  
And as the forbearance, so the goodness of God leadeth to repentance. For when sinners obnoxious to God, are not only spared by him, but also made partakers of the effects of his goodness and kindness (according to that of our Saviour, he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil, Luke 6.35.) they must needs conclude, if they consider it, that he does not delight in their misery as such, though they have deserved evil and not good at his hands, but that by his kindness he would gain upon them and draw them to better thoughts of him, and to a better behaviour towards him. He left not himself without witness (viz. of his seeking to draw all Nations from walking in their own ways) in that he did good, and gave them rain from Heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness, Acts 14.17.  
If any conclude from God's forbearance and goodness to wicked men, that he is not displeased with their evil ways, no more than they themselves are; like those, Psal. 50.20. These things thou hast done, and I kept silence, saith God, thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: I say, if any can persuade themselves thus to conclude, it must be only profligate wretches, sinners of no ordinary rank. For very Heathens, and such as the Apostle brands with a very black character, thought otherwise. Their thoughts did not only accuse them, but they knew the judgement of God, as he says, that they which commit such things are worthy of death; and therefore sought to appease God by their sacrifices. And this is evidence enough, that such as they, as bad as they were, did not think God was not displeased with their evil ways, or that he did forbear them upon that account.  
Now this long-suffering and this goodness of God, is a piece of Divine Assistance toward repentance, which God vouchsafeth even to the Heathen and barbarous Nations. And however this assistance may be much inferior to what is vouchsafed them who have the Oracles of God among them; yet this, with the secret operation of God by impressing principles of natural Religion upon the minds of such, have, as I have showed, so far prevailed upon many of them, as that they have been thereby prepared to receive and believe the Gospel, as soon as it hath been sufficiently revealed and made known to them: and so far also as in the mean time to become morally religious in devotion towards God, and in justice and charity towards men.  
This seems very evident in those uncircumcised Gentiles, which are styled Religious Proselytes, Act. 13.43. men fearing God, ver. 16.26. devout men, Act. 10.7. as Dr. Hammond hath observed in his Notes upon Acts 10.2. Of which sort were Cornelius and the Eunuch. And when the Lord said to S. Paul in a Vision at Corinth, I have much people in this City, as a reason why he would have him continue preaching there, notwithstanding the Jews in that place opposed themselves and blasphemed, Acts 18.10. I question not but he meant it of such Gentiles as were in the first degree morally religiously disposed, and so were prepared to receive the Faith of the Gospel, as other such so prepared had done before them. And of such as these, only further improved in morality, I suppose S. Paul speaks, Rom. 2.26. when he saith, If the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And in reference to such it was that S. Peter also said, I perceive of a truth that God is no respecter of persons, but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him, Acts 10.34, 35.  
These several considerations tend, you see, to evince, that God does not deny his preparatory assistance to any of those that perish: and that therefore their perishing is not for want of so much mercy in God towards them, as by which their perishing might have been prevented, had they not refused and opposed the mercy of God itself towards them, in that way and method of saving, in which he saves others that are saved. God hath concluded all under unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all, Rom. 11.32. And those who will not be saved by the mercy of God in that way and method of his mercy in which he saves those that are saved; nor unless they can be saved by God's mercy in a way of their own choosing, in opposition to Gods, must sit down with their own choice, and go without that salvation which they might have had if they would, and which God of his compassion, did more than barely offer them, while his Spirit did strive with them, as it did with them of the Old World. These are they that receive the grace of God in vain, against whose folly S. Paul does with great seriousness and earnestness beseech and admonish men, 2 Cor. 6.1. And truly they are men of a strange presumption, that can promise themselves that which God never promised them; as if God should for their sakes, altar his ordinary method of his mercy in saving men, to save them, when he hath many and many times peremptorily declared the contrary in the Scriptures of truth. They doubtless that can do thus, are the men the Scripture speaks of, that despise their own souls, that set little by them, and concern themselves little about them.  
By the reasons given to induce a persuasion that God affords his preparatory assistance unto all, I do not say, nor mean, that he does vouchsafe it to all equally and alike. For the scope of our Saviour's Parable, I conceive, doth intimate the contrary, when he said, To one is delivered one talon, to another two, and to another five, Mat. 25. But then if he which hath but the least, doth but use that for the end for which he received it, he seems by parity of reason to be capable of being dealt with as a faithful servant in opposition to him who is doomed as slothful, though he does not do so much as he does who hath received more. He that gained but two talents by using the two which he had received, was pronounced a faithful servant, and dealt with as such, as well as he who gained five with using the five which were delivered him. So that we see a man's faithfulness and unfaithfulness is estimated by his using or not using what is afforded him, for the end for which it is vouchsafed him. If he that hath but one talon, gain though it be but one, with using that one he hath received, he, we may suppose, will be dealt with as a faithful servant, as well as he that gains two with two, or five with five. If a man's repentance, faith, and usefulness in the World, do but hold some good proportion to the measure and degree of assistance he hath from God in means and helps external and internal, though both the one and the other be but of the lesser size, yet we cannot deny such to be capable of better usage from God than such as are, and will be sentenced for impenitent, unfaithful, and unprofitable. We cannot say that so little will make a man which hath more means and helps, capable of the reward of a faithful servant, as will another which hath not so much. For to whom much is given, much will be required, and to whom men commit much, of him they ask the more, saith our Saviour, Luke 12.48. That probably will not be sufficient to save a man who enjoys the Gospel, which may be sufficient to save such a one as Cornelius was before the Gospel was made known to him. God is a God of knowledge and judgement, by him actions are weighed, and all circumstances of a man's case considered. And doubtless, God makes larger allowances in estimating the goodness of a man's performances that hath less assistance, than he doth in estimating his for good that hath more.  
This I have here noted the rather, to the end we who have the Gospel, may have the more charitable opinion concerning the state and condition of some of them which have it not: and likewise to put them in mind who enjoy more means, and therein more assistance from God than others, how absolutely necessary it is for them to do more than others, to the obtaining from God, the approbation of good and saithful servants, and such as have performed the condition of the promise.  
2. Having now made out the first of the things proposed, viz. That God doth assist even those that perish, towards their performing the condition on which pardon and life are promised, until that assistance is rejected; I proceed now to the second. Which is to show that the reason why men are deprived of the pardon and salvation purchased by our Saviour, is founded in their refusing to make use of Gods assisting grace, through which otherwise they might have been enabled to have performed the condition, on which pardon and life are promised.  
Whatever means God useth, tending to awaken, direct, or persuade men to repent, reform, and amend, are his aids and assistances vouchsafed them to that end. And such are his reproofs, instructions, commands, counsels, threaten, and promises, when applied by his Spirit unto the minds of men.  
Now then, mens refusing to hearken to, and to consider these things, or to comply with them, and their endeavouring not to be affected with them, or moved by them, is their refusing to be assisted by God to perform the condition of the promise.  
And upon this very thing is both the wickedness of men and their destruction charged in Scripture, and that under a great variety of expression. Sometimes it is termed a not inclining the ear to hear, a not harkening, a refusing to hear, a refusing to return, a stopping the ears that they might not hear, a closing the eyes that they may not see, a rejecting of the word of the Lord, and of the counsel of God against themselves.  
These things which are spoken of the outward senses, do signify and represent the posture of bad men's minds, when they refuse to set their hearts to what God says or does to them. They seeing see not, and hearing they hear not, as our Saviour expresseth it, Mat. 13.13. as men are said to do, when their minds are not at all busied or concerned with the things they hear or see. And when it is so with them, they are no more moved or affected with the things they see or hear, than as if they had not seen nor heard them at all.  
And when the Scripture saith that they stop their ears that they may not hear, this signifies somewhat more, to wit, the arming themselves against what is said, so that the things spoken may not enter their souls, nor at all affect them, and is much what the same thing which the Scripture means by men's hardening themselves and stiffening their necks. These are so far from endeavouring to comply with God's applications to them, for the altering their way and course of life, that they are afraid of being affected with or converted by any thing that may be spoken or done to them. Their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them, saith our Lord concerning them, Matt. 13.15.  
It is true indeed, No man can come to the Son, except it be given him of the Father, and except the Father draw him, John 6.44, 65. But then the reason why men are not drawn so, as to be prepared to come to the Son so soon as he is sufficiently revealed to them, is because they refuse to be so. The Wisdom of God speaks after this manner. I have called and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded, they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof; the turning away of the simple shall slay them, Prov. 1.24. God we see, calls and stretcheth out his hands to sinners; he reproves, he counsels and persuades; and this is his drawing. But many of those whom he thus draws, they we see refuse, they regard not, they despise, they turn away: and this is their refusing and rejecting God's assistance, it is their refusing to be drawn; and it is this their refusing and turning away that slays them. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. Heb. 12.25. How oft would I have gathered you, and ye would not, saith our Saviour, Mat. 23.37. And again, Ye will not come to me that ye might have life, John 5.40.  
3. We may perceive by all this, that God's method of drawing men, is not to work upon them in an irresistible manner; for if it were, there would be no place left to draw back or to refuse: which yet by the Scriptures and experimental observation, we see there is.  
But this will further appear when we consider that the same preparatory grace and assistance from God, which will dispose some to repentance, proves ineffectual to others, which could not be, if repentance were wrought in an irresistible manner and way. Our Saviour hath told us for instance, that if Tyre and Sidon had but had the same means of repentance vouchsafed unto them, which Corazin and Bethsaida had, they would have repent, when yet Corazin and Bethsaida did not. Mat. 11.21. woe unto thee Corazin, woe unto thee Bethsaida: for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repent long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nay a less degree and proportion of means will work repentance in some, when a greater will not in others. Which is an evident proof that repentance may be wrought by a less proportion of means than that which is irresistible; otherwise that which is irresistible in its operation, may be resisted, which is a contradiction in terms. The men of Nineveh repent at the preaching of Ionas, when the obstinate Jews did not repent, though they had more powerful means vouchsafed them to bring them to it than the men of Nineveh had, to wit, the preaching and many mighty miracles of our Saviour; which was the reason why our Saviour said, the men of Nineveh should rise in judgement against them, and condemn them, Mat. 12.41. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they repent at the preaching of Ionas, and behold a greater than Ionas is here. That which is or may be made ineffectual to its end, is not irresistible in its operation: but the means of repentance vouchsafed the unbelieving Jews, was made ineffectual by them as to their repentance, though more and greater than the men of Nineveh had, by which repentance was wrought in them. By which it is manifest that the repentance of the Ninevites was not wrought by an irresistible operation; because the means used to bring the unbelieving Jews to repentance, was greater than that the Ninevites had, and yet was resisted.  
Though I do not say or think that God doth always give the same degree of assistance to all persons in like cases, (he doth what he will with his own) it is enough he gives sufficient to all; yet the reason of the different event of the same means of grace vouchsafed to those that do not repent, and to those that do, ordinarily so far as we can judge, lies in the greater degree of untractableness and unteachableness which is found in the one, than is found in the other, by means whereof the same applications and assistances from God, are rendered ineffectual to the one, which are not so to the other. But if the method and manner of God's operation in working repentance and faith, were irresistible, no degree of obstinacy in men, could withstand it, or render it ineffectual.  
There is an opinion indeed much different from this, and which hath obtained even among many good and worthy men, which does suppose the reason of the different event of God's applications to men, to lie in the different manner of his applying himself to them. As when we are invited by it to conceive, that the reason why some repent and others do not, is because God works it irresistibly in the one, when he refuses to do so in the other. The ill consequents of which opinion we may well suppose they were no whit ware of who were the first promoters of it, and were far enough from owning them, though they held fast the opinion which does infer them. But yet if the things necessarily consequent upon this opinion prove it to be bad, it can be no breach of any rule of charity or modesty to mention them upon so fair an occasion as this now before us, but rather the contrary if I should not, and may consist well enough with that veneration I have for the memory of many of those who have embraced it.  
This opinion renders the damnation of such as perish impossible for them ever to have escaped after they had once sinned. For if nothing less than God's irresistible operation be sufficient to bring sinners to repentance, then would it have been impossible for any that perish to have prevented it, because no such means of repentance was ever vouchsafed them; for if it had, they could not but have repent as well as any. This opinion therefore tends to lessen the grace and mercy of God in that provision which he hath made for the redemption of the World, as if it were not sufficient for the salvation of any, but such as are, and shall be actually and eventually saved. It implies and supposes that the reason why such as perish are not saved by the death of Christ as well as others, is for want of so much compassion in God towards them, as to assist them to perform the condition on which such salvation is purchased and promised. Whereas Almighty God hath not only given his Son to be a propitiation for the sin of the whole World, but hath also afforded such assistance unto all, as by which they might have come to perform that condition upon which the promise of salvation is made, as I have before endeavoured to show. It does not consist with the plain and obvious sense of such Scriptures as tell us, that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. For how can we conceive any such willingness in God concerning those who yet do perish, if he should wholly have refused them that assistance without which it was impossible they should repent and escape perishing?  
An opinion it seems to be, if it were true, which would render all God's applications to those that perish, to have prevented their perishing, useless and insignificant. For to what end should other means be used to bring those to repentance who in the issue do not repent, if no other means be sufficient to effect it in them, but such an irresistible operation of God as he never intended them? And how ill a representation would it make of God, if he according to the tenor of this opinion, should at last condemn men for not repenting, and for not believing and obeying the Gospel, when it was impossible they should, so long as God refused to work these graces irresistibly in them.  
And truly if those that perish had so much to plead in excuse for themselves, why they did not repent under all the mighty motives they had to persuade them to it, and other means to assist them in it, it would abate or rather quite take away a great part of the torments of the damned, which do arise from a sense of their gross, wilful and obstinate neglect to hearken to those powerful motives they once had to persuade them to repent, and to make use of those helps and means they once had to assist them in it. If they could but plead the impossibility of their repenting upon the account of Gods not vouchsafing them the irresistible operations of his grace and Spirit, which was granted to all others that escape perishing, it would in a great measure at least, abate the tormenting gnawing of the worm that never dieth. For than it would leave no place for those gripes of conscience, fierce self-accusations, and intolerable self-reflections, which proceed from the remembrance and consideration of the loss of the opportunity they once had given them from God, of escaping the misery they have brought upon themselves, wherewith they are perpetually racked. For if they could believe that all they could have done here in this life towards the escaping of that miserable state, would have availed them nothing, but that it depended wholly upon the irresistible operation of God upon them, which was altogether out of their power, they might perhaps turn their rage against Almighty God, for not affording them the same means of escaping, as he had done others that were sinners as well as themselves; but would hardly reflect upon themselves for not doing that which was impossible for them to have done. This ill consequence alone of the opinion under consideration, if there were no other, were enough one would think, to detect the crookedness and deformity of it, which yet, as I have said, hath obtained so long as it hath done among many good men as well as others. And indeed should this opinion generally obtain among bad men, it would in all probability, be a dangerous temptation upon them, to neglect doing what they might do to flee from the wrath to come, and to expect that if God intends to save them, that one time or other he should come with such power upon them to convert them, as that they should not be able to withstand it.  
4. But if this should run in the mind of any, that God could, if he would, hinder men from refusing his assistance, and prevent the perishing of any by working repentance in all by the irresistible operations of his grace: I shall answer such a thought thus: That it is possible for God to do, whatever it is possible for him to will should be done. God's power hath no other bounds set to it, but his own Will. Whatever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places, Psal. 135.6. But than it is impossible for him to will any thing, or to do any thing which is not perfectly agreeable to his own infinite wisdom, by which he regulates his will and all the exertions of his power. For he worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will, Ephes. 1.11. Not according to the prerogative or absoluteness of his will simply considered, but according to his will regulated and governed by infinite wisdom and counsel. The King's strength loveth judgement, saith the Psalmist, speaking of God, Psal. 99.4.  
So that we may truly say that God can no more do that which doth not agree with his wisdom, than he can that which doth not agree with his truth, or with his righteousness. As it is impossible for God to lie, so it is impossible for him to do any thing that does not become his wisdom.  
Why could not God have done more for his Vineyard than he had done? Isa. 5.4. It was not doubtless because he had already acted therein to the utmost extent of his power simply and absolutely considered, but because he had done as much, all things considered, as became a wise God to do toward such a People to make them good, as there he means by his Vineyard.  
S. Mark ch. 6.5. speaking of our Saviour, saith, that he could do no mighty work there, to wit, in his own Country, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. But why could he not do as mighty works, and as many of them in his own Country as he did in other places? Doubtless it was not for want of power, but considering the ill temper of the people there, and the vehement prejudice they had against him, he did not think it fit for him, meet or convenient to do so many, and so mighty works there, as he did elsewhere. S. Matthew saith, he did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief, chap. 13.58. Lo here we see the wisdom of our Saviour restraining the acting of his power in things tending to work faith and repentance in men.  
Every one knows that it is matter of wisdom in a Governor to try men by committing to them lesser trusts at first. And if they quit themselves well under those, then to commit greater trusts to them, and so to prefer them by degrees. But if they miscarry under those lesser trusts, they do not only forbear committing to them greater, but also withdraw from them those lesser trusts which had been committed to them. And this they do upon that rational principle mentioned by our Saviour, Luke 16.10. He that is faithful in that which is least, will be faithful also in much; and he which is unfaithful in the least, will be unfaithful in much.  
And according to this rule of wisdom, God himself proceeds ordinarily, in vouchsafing his assistances unto men, in order to their performing the condition of the promise, as our Saviour hath told us, Mat. 13.12. and repeated the same, chap. 25.29. in that saying; To every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; and from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. God gins with men by awakening their natural principles of Religion, in causing thoughts to arise in their minds about their future state, and what may become of their souls when this life is over, and about the tendency of good and evil ways. And when this operation of God upon their minds is not slighted but attended to, and thoughts of this nature revolved in their minds, so that they do but incline to amend their lives, and to take some care of their souls, than God comes in with more and further assistance, and so on, if that be attended to also, until he hath wrought those first inclinations into resolutions, and then those resolutions into actual endeavours, till at last he brings them up to a performance of the condition of the promise.  
But if men make no use of these lesser beginnings of God with them in those preparatory assistances, to the ends aforesaid, but neglect and slight them, and at last oppose them, and harden themselves against them, so that they grow worse rather than better under them; then Almighty God, after he hath thus striven with them as long as he thinks fit, at last leaves them to themselves, by withdrawing those assistances which he had before afforded them; and so takes away from them that which they had, because they did not make any use of it to the end for which it was given them.  
Now this method of Gods proceeding with men, is represented in Scripture as a thing which is meet and worthy; that is, which becomes the wisdom and righteousness of God as Governor of the World. Thus for instance in the lowest kind; when God had begun with the Gentiles to operate upon their minds by principles of natural religion, and to work in them so much knowledge and sense of himself by his works and otherwise, as to leave them without excuse, and yet they did not retain God in acknowledgement, nor glorify him as God, nor were thankful for his undeserved favours; made no good use of these lower beginnings of God with them; then God gave them up to a reprobate mind, and to vile affections, took off and withdrew that restraint which his beginning assistances put upon them. And this dealing of God with them, S. Paul calls a recompense which was meet, such as was fit and becoming the wisdom, the righteousness and goodness of God the Governor of the World, and such as was unexceptionable upon all accounts whatsoever, Rom. 1.27.  
Those in the Parable of our Saviour who were invited to the Wedding Feast, and yet would not come, but slighted it, though they were told what preparations were made for their entertainment, are said to be unworthy, Matt. 22.8. There would have been no decorum or comeliness in forcing the Wedding Feast upon such, whether they would or no. The invitation signifies God's application to the minds of men, to draw them to do that by which they might become partakers of the blessings by Christ held forth in the Gospel. Their obstinate refusing to do which, is that which makes them unworthy of those benefits, and of God's further applications to them to make them capable of them. Thus the contumacious Jews, when they put the Gospel away from them, when it brought a tender of salvation to them, they thereby judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life, and unworthy also of God's further applications to them: for thereupon the Apostles left them, Acts 13.46.  
It is remarkable that our blessed Saviour himself gives thanks unto his Father for hiding those things from the wise and prudent, which he revealed unto Babes: which is an argument of the wisdom and comeliness of Gods proceeding thus with men, in denying them the after-assistances of his grace, that have hardened themselves against his first: and our Saviour's words imply so much when he says, Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight, Mat. 11.25, 26.  
But besides these testimonies from Scripture, the nature and reason of the thing shows it to be seemly and a becoming thing in God, and agreeable to the highest wisdom, for him as Governor of the World, not irresistibly to work grace in those that oppose it to the uttermost in all other applications which God makes to them. It becomes the wisdom of God to govern his Creatures according to the frame and constitution of those natures he hath given them. Man then being made an intelligent and free agent, endued with reason and judgement, and liberty of will to choose or refuse according to the dictates of his mind and judgement, it must needs be most congruous and becoming the wisdom of God, in governing this kind of Creature, to give him such Laws as by which he might know what is fit for him to choose and what to refuse. And God having given him such a nature, and such laws as are suitable to it, it is most congruous to leave him to the freedom of his own choice, and finally to determine him to the end of the way he makes choice of, whether it be life or death. And it is so more especially when death is not awarded unto any, until they have first slighted and withstood those applications which God hath made to them to warn them of their danger, and to take them off from proceeding in such ways as inevitably tend to their destruction. Now when God hath many and many a time overdone thus with men, and yet they will take no warning, nor be persuaded to concern themselves for their souls, what can be done to give such men grace, and to save them? unless God should departed from his own rules of government, and the terms he hath fixed of giving and withholding grace, of rewarding and punishing men. And this in wisdom he cannot do, since they were established by himself in wisdom and counsel at the first.  
When our Saviour hath said it as the Law of Heaven, and the will of the Almighty, that from him that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath, meaning that which he had, but did not use; how can such men as have had assistance from God afforded them, but have made no use of it, ever hope that God should give them grace & save them? unless they could promise themselves that he is so fond of them, as for their sakes to wave his own established laws and rules, and to do it for them in a way of prerogative above his own law? A thing which they can never with any colour of reason expect, unless they could suppose their case compassionable: for none else but a compassionable case is so much as an object of mercy. But for such as these who harden themselves against all terms of mercy, when such terms have often and long been afforded them, together with great motives to persuade them to accept of them, and assistance to enable them to do so; how can it possibly be imagined that their case can be compassionable? May they not as well think the case of the Devils themselves compassionable? yea, much better, who never had such tenders of mercy and recovery made them, nor rejected such terms as themselves have done.  
Besides the administration of Justice in punishing obstinate criminals, becomes a good and wise Governor as well as Mercy, towards those whose case is truly compassionable; and so it doth God in the administration of his Government. And if such criminals as those I have now mentioned, be not the objects of God's severity, I think there will none be found throughout the whole race of Mankind.  
These things I have noted to show for what reason we may conceive God in his wisdom doth not [though we should suppose that he could] cause the mighty motives of Religion to operate effectually upon the most refractory sinners, in a way of persuasion, without destroying that liberty which is essential to the will, so as thereby to bring them to repentance.  
But though I need not such an argument, nor to lay any stress upon it, yet it is thought by some impossible in the nature of the thing, for that liberty which is essential to the will as such, to be preserved, and at the same time for the will to be irresistibly constrained; these being things inconsistent. And if so, than the will cannot be irresistibly forced, without altering the humane species by that very act. And if this should be true (and I cannot see how it can fairly be denied) it would be reason enough of itself to satisfy any man, why God hath not thought fit to work grace in men by an irresistible operation.  
For if God should deprive man of all liberty of will to choose or refuse in things of a moral nature, and govern him merely by his power, he would thereby take him from under his Government by laws, and then there would be no place left either for virtue or vice, future rewards or punishments, as there is not among irrational Creatures, who are under no such laws as man is, having no such nature as as man hath. It is the spontaneousness, the voluntariness of an action as referring to a law, that makes it virtuous or vicious, and so rewardable or punishable in another world. If I do it willingly, I have a reward, saith S. Paul: Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed, saith S. James. It was no virtue in Balaam to bless Israel, so long as he did it only by constraint, no more than it was in his Ass to reprove him. If you can suppose a man to do any thing merely by virtue of an  power without him, without the least consent of his own will, that in a moral sense is not the act of the man, but is wholly owing to that power, by which it was necessitated to be done.  
Men are too too apt to presume unduly upon the goodness and mercy of God to their own hurt, and to think it inconsistent with his natural goodness being infinite, not to save them if he can. And therefore to undeceive men in this matter, I have insisted the more on these things, and to show how agreeable it is to the Divine Wisdom, for God to withdraw his assistance from men, after they have obstinatery persisted in refusing and opposing it in its design upon them. And if it be agreeable to his wisdom, it cannot be disagreeable to his goodness: for it is as well goodness in God to control Vice, as it is for him to encourage Virtue, in what way, and by what methods seems best unto him.  
There is a great deal of difference between true love and goodness, and fondness. Men by fondness love many times without reason, and bestow their favours more than becomes them. But true and generous goodness governs itself by wisdom and prudence, and so it doth in God. The wisdom of God will not suffer his goodness to throw away his saving benefits upon those who by incapacitating themselves to enjoy them, have rendered themselves altogether unworthy of them. For it would disparage the wisdom, and so the goodness of God the donor, in case he should confer them upon such, because his different affection to evil and good, would be thereby in a great measure obscured, and the sinews of his Government weakened. Honour is not seemly for a Fool, saith the Wiseman, Prov. 26.1. As it will not become the Fool himself, so neither will it become the wisdom of him that confers it, to place it on one so uncapable of it as a Fool is.   

CHAP. VII. Of the after-assistance of the Holy Spirit, which those receive, who have been assisted already to perform the condition of the promise, as new beginners in doing so.  
THose who have been assisted by God to repent, believe, and obey, and therein to begin their performance of the condition of the promise of pardon and life, do still stand in need of his further assistance to persevere, and to continue to do so to their lives end, and to do it more and more excellently. For as Believers hold their title in the benefits promised no longer than they continue to perform the condition on which the promise of them is made, so neither do they continue in the performance of that condition longer than they are assisted by God to do so. Now to persevere in performing the condition of the promise, is as necessary for men to continue their title to the benefits promised, as their performance of that condition at the first was to begin it.  
For the promise runs thus: He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved, Mat. 24.13. And to him that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, will I give power over the Nations, Rev. 2.26. But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, all the righteousness which he hath done shall not be mentioned: in the trespass which he hath trespassed, and in the sin which he hath sinned, in them he shall die, Ezek. 18.24.  
And as this perseverance is necessary for the reason and end aforesaid, so is a constant and continual assistance from God to enable the Disciples of Christ so to persevere. As the same power is necessary to continue the natural life, which first gave being to it, so is it in the spiritual life and state also. Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, Phil. 1.6.  
And that which is very remarkable touching this After-assistance of which I speak, is, That a greater presence and more constant assistance of the Spirit of God is promised and vouchsafed unto men after they believe, than they had before. This appears by having the Holy Spirit given them after, in such a degree which they had not before; and by God's dwelling, and the Spirits abiding in them after, who did not do so before.  
First, those who have believed the Gospel and sincerely delivered up themselves to the conduct of it in their lives, do thereby come under that special privilege of having the Holy Spirit given them, to assist, influence, and quicken them, and to carry on the work of sanctification in them. This our Saviour promised, John 7.38, 39 Jesus cried, saying, he that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water: this, saith the Evangelist, he spoke of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. Acts 2.38. Repent and be baptised for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Which promises we find made good afterwards in several instances. Of the Believers it is said, Acts 4.31. that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. And Acts 5.32. We, saith S. Peter, are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. And S. Paul to the Ephesians saith, After ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise, chap. 1.13. that is, they were marked for his, and distinguished from those that were not, by his giving them the Spirit. For if any man have not the Spirit of Chhist, he is none of his, Rom. 8.9. Sensual not having the Spirit, Judas 19  
It is true indeed, those first Christians, and others after for some time, did receive the Holy Spirit in a sense that was peculiar to those times, for the confirmation and propagation of the Christian Religion, until it was well settled, and had taken some rooting in the World. As when they were in an extraordinary way enabled by the Spirit to speak with other tongues, and to perform other miraculous operations, as our Saviour had foretold they should. For these signs, said he, shall follow them that believe in my name; in my name they shall cast out Devils, they shall speak with new tongues, etc. Mark 16.17. A more full and particular enumeration of which extraordinary gifts of the Spirit scattered among the Believers of those times, we have in 1 Cor. 12.  
But besides these, the Believers then received in receiving the Holy Spirit, an increase of gracious qualifications, called the fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, as the Apostle reckons them up, Gal. 5.22. And in this sense the Holy Spirit hath been given to all true Believers ever since, and is now. For if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, he is no true Christian, Rom. 8.9.  
By men's having the Spirit then, and by the Spirits being given them after they believe, is meant, I conceive, a more constant and a more plentiful influence and effusion of the Spirit to change and renew them, to restore them to the likeness of God, to the spirit and temper of Jesus Christ, than ever was vouchsafed them towards their believing, or by enabling them to believe at first. Before men repent, believe, or begin to obey, they have the Spirit at work in their minds indeed, to suggest to their thoughts and considerations, things of highest concernment to them, and to incline them to look after them in time, and before the day of grace and salvation is over and gone. He then at times stands at the door and knocks, and strives with every man, and vouchsafes to such more and more of his assistance, until they are enabled to believe, who do not make fast the door against him, but rather open to him and refuse not to be led on by degrees. The more they attended to the teaching of the Father by his Spirit, and the nearer they came to believe indeed, the more frequent visits they had from him, and the more assistance. But after they have followed on so far, and become so teachable as to believe indeed and sincerely, to give up themselves to his conduct, than he communicates himself more freely and more constantly to them than ever before, in divine influence and assistance to root and establish them in the Christian Faith and Life, and to carry them on further and further towards perfection.  
This, secondly, is set out to us in another vein of Scriptures, viz. such as speak of Gods dwelling in true Believers, and sincere Christians, and of their being the temple of the Holy Ghost, of which nature are many texts, Rom. 8.11. 1 Cor. 3.16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Cor. 6.19. 2 Cor. 6.16. Eph. 2.22. 1 John 3.24. and 4.13, 16. By all which is signified the more constant residence of the Holy Spirit in and with men after they believe and become true Christians, to assist them in their great affairs for their souls and another World, as one that is never long absent from them, but ready at hand at all times to help them in doing their duty, and to overcome temptations, unless by grieving him, they cause him to withdraw himself. If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him, John 14.23.  
This giving of the Holy Spirit to sincere Christians to be always with them as his dwelling in them implies, is not only to help and assist them to persevere in doing only so much as will entitle them to pardon and life barely, as their performing the condition of the promise, though but in the lowest sense of performance will do: But God's design in giving his Spirit to them after they have performed the condition in the lowest sense, is to fit and prepare them for greater degrees of blessedness and glory, for a higher and more glorious exaltation therein, than a bare performance of the condition of the promise in simple consideration, and in the lowest degree of performance will well bear.  
Our Saviour came, as he says, that we might have life, and that we might have it in abundance, John 10.10. not barely to save us, but to exalt us to such a height of glory, that the glory and blessedness of his Body, the Church, might hold some good proportion with his own glory and blessedness, as Head of it. And to encourage true Christians to endeavour to excel in holiness and goodness, in order to this, there are other conditional promises made, besides that of pardon and life upon condition of faith and repentance simply considered. To such as give all diligence in adding to their Faith Virtue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, Godliness, Brotherly kindness and Charity, so that these things be in them and abound, the promise is of an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 1. And he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully, 2 Cor. 9.6. And he that humbleth himself as a little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of heaven, Mat. 18.4.  
Besides, the Vessels of Mercy will hold more or less glory, according to their different capacities in grace and service, as they are made larger or lesser. By how much the more near Christians come to Christ in goodness, by so much they are qualified to be the more near to him in happiness and glory. But still, as I say, this greater and more constant presence of the Spirit is given to true Christians after they believe, to carry on this great and glorious design of grace towards them, to take them out of the spirit of this World, and to lift them up in holiness and goodness, thereby to make them capable of the greater glory and happiness.  
To make this plain and familiar to our thoughts, let it be considered, that upon men's unfeigned believing, follows immediately their adoption. As many as received him, to them he gave power, right, or privilege to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, John 1.12. This is a very great advancement indeed, and holds some proportion to that deep humiliation our Saviour underwent to prepare our way to it. Now those whom God adopts to be sons, those he adopts to be heirs also to his great inheritance and glorious estate: so saith the Apostle, if children than heirs, heirs of God, yea joint-heirs with Christ, Rom. 8.17.  
This being their happy case; the blessed God and Father, who hath adopted the Believers for his children and heirs, gives them his Holy Spirit to be always with them, puts his Spirit within them to tutor and discipline them, and to give them thereby such breeding as may sit and prepare them for so high a relation, and for so glorious an inheritance as that is which he intends to settle upon them. Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, saith the Apostle, Gal. 4.6. Saint Paul having spoken of the happy state which he, with other the Believers, expect and long for after the dissolution of this earthly tabernacle in which the soul now dwells, 2 Cor. 5. saith in verse 5. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing, is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. His giving them his Spirit to sit them for that inheritance, is an earnest or pledge that he does really intent to bestow it upon them. When he saith, He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, we hereby see that it is the work of God by his Spirit to frame frame and fashion the Believers for that magnificent estate in the next World which is prepared for them, and to which they are adopted. This work of God upon them, is to make them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, Gal. 1.12. These Believers are those Vessels of Mercy whom he thus afore prepares unto glory, Rom. 9.23. It is the benevolent work and business of our Lord and Saviour by his Spirit, so to sanctify and cleanse the whole Society of Believers, that he may present them to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, and to beautify and adorn them as a Bride for such a Husband as Jesus Christ is, and will appear to be in the day of the manifestation of all his glory, that he may not be ashamed to own them for such.  
And thus we see another of the ends for which Christians receive a greater and more constant presence and assistance of the Holy Spirit after they believe than they did before, is to fit and prepare them for greater glory and happiness than the lowest degree of performing the condition of the promise as at the first will make them capable of. We will now a little consider in what, or wherein the Holy Spirit doth assist the Believers, when they grow up thereby unto more perfection in the Christian life.  
One of the first things I conceive he does is, to stir them up to, and to assist them in making prayers, and supplications unto Almighty God, for the working in them that which is wellpleasing in his sight. For although God be ready to bless them with all spiritual blessings in Christ, yet not without being sought unto to do it for them. And accordingly they are promised but upon that condition; Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, Matth. 7.7. Otherwise it will far with them as it did with those S. James speaks to, James 4.2. Ye have not because ye ask not.  
Now to the end therefore that Believers may receive such an increase and growth in all divine Virtues, as by means whereof they may live as becomes the Gospel, and be made meet for the celestial glory, the Holy Spirit doth assist them to make requests according to the will of God, and helpeth their infirmities, when otherwise they know not how to pray as they ought, Rom. 8.26, 27. Almighty God poureth on them the Spirit of grace and supplication, as the Prophet speaks, Zech. 12.10. He helps them not only to pray for such things as they ought, but also in such a manner as they should, to wit, with a great sense of their own wants and of their own unworthiness to obtain, and of the worth and excellency, and defireableness of those spiritual blessings they pray for. He helps them to pray with seriousness and devotion of soul, and with an humble fervency accompanied with sighs and groans, which cannot well be uttered by them many times. He helps them also to pray in faith concerning the goodness of the nature of God, and his readiness to give and to forgive; and concerning the prevailing intercession of Jesus Christ our blessed Advocate. God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts crying, Abba Father, enabling them in their Addresses to God, to depend upon him as their Father, and humbly to expect to be used and dealt with by him in all respects as a Father, while they resolve and endeavour to carry it toward him as his children.  
And when the Holy Spirit enables them to pray thus, they may be said to pray in the Holy Ghost, as Judas 20. to make prayers and supplications in the Spirit, as Ephes. 6.18.  
And when the Holy Spirit hath thus helped the Believers to seek those things of God which pertain to life and godliness, grace, strength, and ability to overcome corruptions and temptations, and to live a sober, righteous, and a godly life; then the Holy Spirit in way of return to such prayers, doth assist them in their endeavours in the use of means, to attain those things they have begged of God. This we are well assured of by our Saviour himself, when we compare his saying as related by S. Matthew, with the same as related by S. Luke. In Mat. 7.11. he saith, If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Or how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him? saith S. Luke 11.13. From both which compared, we learn, that God is most ready and willing to give those that seriously ask them out of a sense of their want of them, all graces or gracious qualifications and dispositions of soul, necessary to their pleasing of God, by giving them his Holy Spirit to work them in them: Or that by giving them his Holy Spirit, he gives them all those good things; because when the Spirit is given unto men, it is to work those good things in them, by way of assistance.  
This might be showed in particular instances; I shall mention some. When we crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts, when weeleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, when we mortify the deeds of the body, it is still by the help and assisistance of God's Spirit that it is done, Rom. 8.13. If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. God's Spirit in his Servants lusteth against the flesh, as the flesh doth against the Spirit: it draws a contrary way, and therein prevails against the flesh. The flesh calls upon men to be gratified in this and that, in things either unlawful in themselves, or in that degree which is unlawful. But the Spirit calls upon us, by exciting thoughts in us, to mind and regard our souls, and by no means to wrong them by disturbing their peace, or hazarding their safety, to gratify the flesh with momentary pleasures, which will leave guilt and trouble upon the mind, when they are vanished and gone themselves. And the Spirit by frequent prevailing herein, comes at last to kill this itch in the flesh.  
Again, when the Believers minds and wills become more and more reconciled to their duty, and to be in love with it, in all the instances of it both towards God and towards men, it is still through the help of the Holy Spirit that they are so, 1 Pet. 2.22. Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit. That they obey the truth in what it requires, it is through the Spirit, strengthening and quickening them thereto, by making the motives thereto, present to their thoughts. In 2 Chron. 30.12. it is said, that in Juda the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the King and of the Princes by the word of the Lord. The hand of God upon the heart, as well as the word of the Lord by the ministry of men, is that by which men's wills are bowed and inclined to what God commands. He that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him, saith the Apostle, 1 John 3.24. Our keeping the commandments is an eviderce of Gods dwelling in us, because it is the effect of his presence with us to assist us therein; he argues from the effect to the cause.  
Again, it is the effect of the Holy Spirits presence with Believers, and of his operation in them, when their minds and spirits become purified and refined from inordinateness of affection and unruliness of passion, until by degrees they are brought in some good measure unto a likeness and conformity to the spirit and temper of Jesus Christ, whose Scholars they are. They that are joined to the Lord are one spirit. They mind, love, hate, and design the same things which our Saviour doth. They participate of that love, gentleness, benignity and goodness which was so eminent in him (the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, Ephes. 5.9.) by which means they come to be in the world as he was in the world, as S. John's phrase is. Hereby, saith S. John, we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, Joh. 3.24. It is so like him, that it must needs come from him, and if it be in us, it is because he dwells in us. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us, 1 John 4.12. When we love one another as Christ hath loved us, when we are merciful as our heavenly Father is mercciful, his love and goodness is so resembled by us, as that it is perfectly discernible in us.  
Moreover the Holy Spirit is given to the Believers, to be with them, to strengthen them with resolution and courage to hold on their course of holy living, and cleaving faithfully to Christ, notwithstanding all opposition and discouragement they may meet with from the World in doing so. To this end they are strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, Ephes. 3.16. For God hath not given them the spirit of fear, but of power and love, and of a sound mind, 2 Tim. 1.7.  
And not only so, but the Holy Spirit is given to the Believers to be always with them, to maintain and uphold in them a comfortable and cheerful frame of spirit, and so to keep them from fainting, when they are called to suffer for the sake of our Saviour, or his truth or doctrine. And it is doubtless from this effect among others, of the Spirits abiding with the Believers, that he is styled the Comforter. And for the same reason principally, the joy which they have amidst their sufferings for righteousness sake, is called the joy of the Holy Ghost, 1 Thess. 1.6. having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. And well may it be called the joy of the Holy Ghost, because solid joy under such circumstances, can proceed from no other cause but the Holy Spirits operation. It is not the manner of the World as it is with Believers, to rejoice in affliction, in wrongs and injuries, and hard usage from men, but the contrary; because they have no principle in them, out of which such a thing should proceed. And therefore our Saviour saith to his Disciples, My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you, Joh. 14.27. The Holy Spirit can raise joy, yea great joy in the souls of the followers of Christ when they suffer never so hard measure from the hands of men, so long as they know it is for their faithfulness to their blessed Lord and Master, who hath suffered and done so much for them as he hath done. The Spirit of God can so order their thoughts within them, that they shall not look upon themselves as disgraced thereby, but as highly honoured by their Master, by giving them both opportunity and courage to do him that honour when his adversaries would cast reproach and shame upon him and his Cause, and all that appear for it. And thus the Apostles when they had been beaten, departed from the Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus their Lord, Acts 5.41. The Holy Ghost can suggest to them also, that a great deal of good by such sufferings may be done to others in causing them to think the more and the better of the Christian Religion, when they see with what cheerfulness the Professors of it can suffer for its sake. When the Thessalonians received the Word in much affliction, and yet with joy of the Holy Ghost, they became thereby ensamples to all that believed in Macedonia and Achaia, and from them and their deportment in suffering for the Gospel, the word of the Lord sounded out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place their faith was spread abroad and talked of. 1 Thess. 1.6, 7, 8. It was this joyous deportment of the primitive Martyrs in their sufferings that tended so greatly to the increase and enlargement of the Church, as History relates it did.  
The Christians than were enabled to glory in tribulation of this kind, in as much as they were guided to consider that this patiented enduring without repining, would give them experience of their sincerity and fidelity in cleaving to Christ; and then this experience would give them hope, such as should not make them ashamed through any disappointment, but great confidence towards God of being accepted, Rom. 5.3, 4.  
And not only so, but also touching the greatness of the reward which is laid up in heaven for such; a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Upon account whereof our Saviour bids them to rejoice and to be exceeding glad, yea to leap for joy in that day, when they should be persecuted for righteousness sake, and have their name cast out as evil, and the like. When the Christians were enabled to suffer the spoiling of their goods, yea and of their lives too, not only with patience, but also with joyfulness: when they were as sorrowing, and yet always rejoicing; whence was this? And how can it be imagined that they should ever be able to do, and to be so, but that they were strengthened with all might according to God's glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, as S. Paul speaks, Col. 1.11. The Spirit of God and of glory, then rested upon them as the other Apostle saith, 1 Pet. 4.14. How came S. Stephen to stand with such an undaunted courage before the Council, as if his face had been the face of an Angel? Why it was because he was full of the Holy Ghost, he had a mighty presence of the Spirit with him to enable him thereunto.  
S. Paul learned by experience, that as his sufferings did abound for Christ, so his consolations by Christ did abound also, (2 Cor. 1.5.) that when he was weak, than he was strong; that he had a mightier presence, a more powerful and comfortable influence of the Holy Spirit in times of great trials and sufferings for Christ, than he had at other times. And this experience of his made him so far from being afraid of suffering, that for the sake of that wonderful comfort which was wont to come along with suffering, he was rather glad when suffering came, than any way dejected and cast down for it, 2 Cor. 12.9, 10. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. Their hope that God would make good to them his exceeding great and precious promises, was at such time raised very high, made lively, vigorous and strong, by the Spirit of God. Rejoicing in hope, saith S. Paul in one place, abounding in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost; in another, Rom. 12.12. and 15.13. When the Holy Ghost did put forth himself, did exert his power in raising the Christians hope, it is no marvel then if they did abound therein; that is, that their expectations risen very high, were vigorous and strong, and very affecting, filling them with such joy as overtopped, and in a great measure swallowed up the sense of their sufferings.  
And thus I have endeavoured to show how the Spirit of God doth assist the Believers to do more than merely to persevere and hold out in performing the condition of the promise under the sorest trials and greatest temptations to the contrary; for it enables them to glory and rejoice under them, and so to be more than conquerors, to fight the good fight of Faith, to finish their course, to keep the Faith, and all in order to their laying hold of eternal life.  
To conclude then this matter: all these and other like assistances, influences and consolations of the good Spirit of God, by which the Believers are prepared for glory, are, I conceive, the things meant by S. Paul by that Communion, or rather Communication of the Holy Ghost, which he in his Apostolical benediction seriously desired and invoked in the behalf of the Christians when he dismissed them thus; The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion or communication of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Cor. 13.14. For as he wished them the comfort and benefit that flows from the grace or charity of our Lord Jesus Christ, expressed in his Mediatorial performance, and from the love of God, from which that did proceed: So he did likewise the communication of those assistances and graces of the Holy Spirit, by which they might be enabled to do their part in performing what was required of themselves in order thereunto.   

CHAP. VIII. Cautions against men's depriving themselves of Divine Assistance, by running into two contrary extremes.  
HAving thus far showed, as well as I could, what assistance men receive from God in performing the condition of the promise of pardon and life: it will be necessary now to add something by way of Caution.  
1. To take heed not to deprive ourselves of those benefits for the attaining of which these assistances are granted, nor of those assistances themselves, by neglecting to do what God expects we should do towards the working out our own salvation (as we shall if we neglect to fall in with these assistances) by endeavouring to do those things for the accomplishing of which, these assistances are afforded us.  
The very notion of assistance implies in it that those who are assisted by God, are not merely passive in performing the condition of the promise, for the performance whereof these assistances are vouchsafed us, but some way active in that performance.  
God doubtless does expect when he hath awakened in men a sense of their danger by reason of sin; and hath set before them what he hath done, and Christ hath done to rescue and deliver them from it; and what must be done by themselves to make them capable of the blessed effects of our Saviour's performance in obtaining pardon and life; and what assistance they shall have to that end, if they will but truly endeavour to do what they can do towards it: I say when God hath set all this before them, he expects that they should put forth themselves in endeavours tending towards the performance of the condition of the promise. He expects they should think on, and consider those things which he sets before them, and at least out of regard to their own safety to be moved thereby to make use of the means tending to enable them to perform the condition of obtaining pardon and life, and to be doing what they well can do towards that performance.  
Doubtless such expressions in Scripture, as I shall now set before you, cannot signify less than this. Ezek. 14.6. Thus saith the Lord God, repent and turn yourselves from your Idols. Ezek. 18.30. Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Vers. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ver. 32. I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves and live. Can all these expressions, can men's repenting and turning themselves, and their making them a new heart, possibly signify less than real endeavours to do so? Again, Jer. 4.4. Circumcise yourselves unto the Lord, and take away the foreskin of your hearts. Acts 2.40. Save yourselves from this untoward generation. And all the precepts, exhortations and persuasions in Scripture to repent, to believe, to obey, are of the same signification. Such for instance, as Acts 17.30. But now God commandeth all men every where to repent. Chap. 2.38. Repent and be baptised. Chap. 3.19. Repent ye therefore and be converted; and the like. These Scriptures imply, and suppose that men can do something towards repenting, towards turning themselves and making them a new heart, or else we must suppose that God commandeth, presseth, and persuadeth men to do that, towards which he knows they can do nothing. The latter of which to suppose, would be to suppose the Scriptures to make the same bad representation of God with the slothful servant in the Parable, viz. that he is a hard Master, expecting to reap where he hath not sown, and to gather where he hath not scattered. And who would not abhor to fasten that upon God, which is not consistent with the goodness of a man? We know what it signified in Pharaoh to require the full tale of Brick, when he did not give the people Straw wherewith to make them. And God forbidden we should represent the good God to ourselves in the likeness of Pharaoh.  
Besides, for any to say that men are wholly passive in performing the condition of the promise, is to lay a temptation upon themselves and others, not to endeavour to perform it, nor to do any thing towards it. For who will attempt to do, or endeavour to do that which they believe impossible to be done by them? And for men not to endeavour to do what they can towards the performance of that condition, is the directest course they can take to deprive themselves of that assistance from God by which they might have performed it. For from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath, saith our Saviour, Mat. 13.12. Him that hath not; that is, him that hath not used what he had; as we may see by him that had the one talon, and had it taken away, because he did not use it. And that this is the meaning of those words, From him that hath not, shall be taken away that which he hath, appears by our Saviour's next words, Verse 13. by which he explains that saying of his: Therefore speak I to them in Parables, because they seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not: Meaning that they had as it were eyes, but did not see with them, and ears, but did not hear with them: that is, they had means by which they might have seen and heard, and understood so much as would have made them capable of further discoveries and assistances, but did not make use of them, and therefore those farther discoveries and assistances, were withheld from them, which yet were granted to the Disciples.  
What our Saviour here said in this matter, was in answer to a question of the Disciples, who asked him, saying, Why speakest thou to them in Parables? Verse 10. And his answer was, Because it was not given unto them (the disobedient Jews) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, as it was to the Disciples. And the reason why it was not given, was as he shows, because they seeing saw not, and hearing heard not. They had eyes and ears to see and hear with, but did not use them for the ends for which they received them. They had not heard and learned of the Father by attending to, or regarding his methods of preparing men for the Faith of the Gospel. They had not attended unto those things which natural Religion itself would have taught them, and which they might have seen by the natural light of their minds, as well as they saw external objects with the eyes of their bodies, if they had not shut them: Nor had they learned by his teaching them by Moses and the Prophets. And because they did not use what they had before, therefore it was that more assistance was not given them to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. That this was the reason of it, is yet further confirmed by what our Saviour said on the other hand, John 7.17. If any man will do his will (i.e. the Father's will) he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. For by this we see, that if these Jews to whom it was not given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom, had been inclined and disposed in their own minds by former motives, to have done the will of God which they already knew, as others of them were, it would have been given unto them as well as it was to the Disciples, to have known those mysteries. The reason therefore why this further knowledge was not given them, was because they had no mind to do what they had been taught by God; by a teaching antecedent to his teaching them by Christ.  
By all which we may see that men cannot take a more direct course, as I say, to deprive themselves of that assistance from God, by which they might perform the condition of the promise, than by neglecting to do what they may and can do through Gods preventing grace towards that performance. And if so, than that opinion must needs be of a very dangerous nature that does incline men to such a neglect: And yet such is the opinion that men are wholly passive in performing the condition of the promise. For what can be a greater check (as I have said) to men's endeavours to effect any thing, than an opinion that they can do nothing towards it. Men are very prone to govern themselves in acting or forbearing to act, by their principles and the notions they have of things: if these be corrupt, that which is the consequence of them cannot be sound. men's error in practice, is very much owing to the error of their minds, and wrong notions of things; They do always err in their heart, for they have not known my ways, saith the Holy Ghost, Heb. 3.10. there the error in life and practice gins. If men have wrong notions in their minds of God's ways and methods of proceeding with men in reference to their salvation, it can hardly be avoided but they will more or less err in point of such practice also, as is any way influenced by those notions. If the light which is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness! Mat. 6.23.  
Almighty God gives to every man from whom he requires repentance and faith, ability to do something towards it, though not completely to repent and believe without further assistance than that which he gives at the first. When men therefore do but improve that little which they have, in doing that little which they can do towards their repenting and believing, God will vouchsafe them further assistance and ability to do yet more towards it; and if they do but improve that additional ability to the doing yet more towards the same end, God will doubtless vouchsafe to such, further and further assistance, until they acquire thereby that true faith and repentance, on which pardon and life are promised. For so saith our Saviour, Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance, Mat. 13.12. And to you that have, more shall be given. And again, With what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you, Mark 4.24. All which sayings seem to signify, that according to God's ordinary method of proceeding with men, they shall have more or less assistance from him, as they do with more or less care and diligence use what they have received already.  
And as there is need for men to be cautioned against neglecting to use what power they have towards performing the condition of the promise in repenting and believing before they do repent and believe; so there is need likewise of cautioning others against neglecting to improve their repentance, faith, and obedience, from a lower to a higher degree, from the state of Babes to a manly stature in Christianity. For there is a danger of abusing this comfortable doctrine of Divine Assistance, to a spiritual sloth, idleness, and negligence, and that under pretence of honouring God, and glorifying Freegrace; as by leaving all to be done by him, that he may have the honour of all. As if men were not in confidence of God's assistance, and so in the strength of the Lord to run the race set before them, but to be taken up into arms and carried all the way to Heaven without their running or going.  
Whereas when men truly enter into the Christian state, and seriously set their faces for heaven, they then enter into a spiritual warfare against the Flesh, World, and Devil; and they, as the Israelites, must fight for the promised Land before they enter it, though they receive it by promise as they did: they must first fight the good sight of faith, and then lay hold of eternal life. It is he that overcometh, that shall inherit all things, Rev. 21.7. For men not to stir up themselves, not to gird up the loins of their minds to sight their way through to Heaven, but to resolve to be only passive, under pretence that the Captain of our salvation might have all the honour of the Victory, would be much what as ridiculous as it would be for Soldiers in an Army to say they would leave it wholly to their Captain General to fight for them while they sit still, that he might have all the honour of the Victory. The ability of God and our Saviour to save, hath no other limits save what his will directed by his infinite wisdom hath put upon it: but the divine will hath so limited this power, that the promise of Crowning is not made but to such as through striving overcome.  
All the promises and assurances we have of Divine Assistance, are to encourage our diligence and industry in working out and carrying quite through the business of our salvation, and to overcome all that doth oppose us, or which any way tends to hinder us in it. Of this nature is that of S. Paul, Phil. 2.12, 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure. God's working in us, his readiness to assist us, is given as the motive and argument to persuade us to work out our own salvation. If we do but put forth ourselves to do what we can in doing our duty, though it be with fear and trembling, when we consider our own weakness and the strength of the enemies we are to encounter and overcome in doing so, we are assured of this for our encouragement, that if we do so, we shall find an inward and secret assistance from God to fortify our resolutions, and to bring the same to good effect, so that all our spiritual enemies shall not be able to hinder us, but that we shall still hold on our way and grow stronger and stronger, as Job speaks of the righteous, and he that hath clean hands. God will not fail to add more strength to our willing and doing, in carrying on the work of grace, and so of salvation, to a greater height and more perfection, if we are but faithful in endeavouring it ourselves. Be of good courage and God shall strengthen thine heart, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 27.14. The motive wherewith to persuade men to be of good courage and firm resolution in the way of their duty, is we see, because than God will strengthen their hearts; that is, will yield them more and further assistance, and by that means make their duty more and more easy to them, as it must needs be, to the same degree their strength is increased, by which it is to be done.  
The Lord is so ready, nay so certain to assist his servants in their faithful endeavours to do their duty, that they may be as sure of it, and as much depend upon it as if they had it in their own power. And therefore St. Paul exhorted the Christians to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Ephes. 6.10. As if they might reckon themselves armed with his strength, while they depend upon him for it in doing their duty. Which made S. Paul speak so confidently, I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me, Phil. 4.13. And again, If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. He accounted that if they had any mind to mortify the deeds of the body, they might be sure of help from the Spirit wherewith to do it, whenever in good earnest they went about it.  
But when men think themselves so sure of being kept by the power of God as that they grow careless and remiss as to their own endeavours of doing their duty, and standing upon their guard against temptations, they many times slip into such ways and do by which the Spirit of God is grieved and withdraws from them, and withholds his quickening influences, and then they grow dry and flat, and unsavoury too, and fall even then when they thought they stood sure.  
2. And the like may be said touching the danger on the other hand also. For when men have such an opinion of their own power and ability to perform the condition of the promise, as that they are not mindful of the Holy Spirits assistance, nor sensible of their need of it, but are negligent in addressing to God for it, and in their dependence upon him for the supplies of it, it cannot be expected that the Holy Spirit should take any such pleasure in such men, as to take up his residence and make his abode with them. And if not, the communication of his assistance to such men must needs be more rare and more sparing, and his visits less frequent. And when they are so, it will be visible in the dulness, dead-heartedness, and barrenness of such Christians, though then they may retain a form of godliness.  
For the Holy Spirit will not vouchsafe to such his special presence and assistance, who do not know their need of it, nor how to prise it. And accordingly our Saviour speaking of the Spirit of truth, saith, whom the World cannot receive, because it seethe him not, neither knoweth him, John 14.17. So that it seems men's receiving the Spirit depends very much upon their knowing him in the usefulness and benefit of his communications, and valuing him accordingly.  
So that we see there is danger of running into extremes on both hands; either in men's pretending so much dependence upon divine Assistance, as to neglect to do what they can do towards performing the condition of the promise: or else in having such an opinion of their own power and ability to perform it, as to overlook and neglect the Divine Assistance, as if they had little or no need of it.  
Such as this latter sort are far from the mind of S. Paul, who was still careful to attribute his after, as well as his first Christian performances to Divine Assistance. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, Gal. 2.20. I laboured more than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me, 1 Cor. 15.10. And again. I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, Rom. 15.18. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. 3.5. And our Saviour taught his Disciples to be of the same mind, when he said, Without me ye can do nothing; John 15.5.  
And where Christians are full of the sense of their need of Divine Assistance, and accordingly highly prise it, seek it, and depend on God for it, and yet are withal as careful and diligent in their own endeavours, as if all the work lay wholly on their hands. These are they the Holy Spirit delights in, and delights to spiritualise, to influence, quicken, and strengthen, and to lift them up near unto Heaven, in preparing them for it. For thus saith our Saviour to his Disciples, speaking to them of the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive, because it doth not know him; but ye know him, (saith he) therefore he abideth with you and shall be among you: for so Dr. Hammond reads the place, John 14.17. As if he had said, because ye know how to value his presence and assistance, therefore you shall have it.   

CHAP. IX. Something of the grounds of encouragement which such have to expect assistance fully to perform the condition of the promise, as have not refused to make use of God's preparatory assistance towards it.  
THat God doth prevent all endeavours on our part of returning to him, by his applications to us to make us sensible of the badness and danger of our sinful state, to dispose us thereby to hearken to his merciful terms of being delivered from it, before we ourselves make any one step towards it; I have showed before. Now those who have made so much use of God's preparatory assistance as thereupon to become inquisitive what they should do to be saved, and desirous to be taught. These I reckon have encouragement to expect and hope to be further and further assisted, until they are enabled fully to perform the condition of the promise.  
1. For first our Saviour hath positively asserted, and that more than once, that to him that hath, more shall be given, and he shall have abundance, Mat. 13.12. and 25.29. Which can be understood, I conceive, of nothing more properly than of Divine Assistance: and so he, whosoever he be, that hath had assistance from God towards performing the condition of the Gospel-Covenant, and hath made use of it by using endeavours towards such a performance, to him more shall be given, to wit, more assistance, until he have abundance of it, and of grace proportionably.  
2. Those who have made use of God's preparatory assistance, are given by the Father to his Son Christ Jesus, to be assisted by him fully to perform the condition of the promise in believing and obeying the Gospel. And those that are given by the Father to the Son to be thus assisted, have great reason to be confidently persuaded they shall. For our Saviour hath said of such, that he will in no wise cast them out, but receive them as Disciples, and treat them as becomes such a Master.  
That those who are given by the Father to the Son, are such as have made use of God's preparatory assistance, appears by comparing our Saviour's words in John 6.37. with those in the 44 and 45 verses. All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me, saith he verse 37. And in verse 44. he saith, No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him: and verse 45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Now if those, and only those come to Christ, whom the Father giveth him, than those must needs be the persons which are given to Christ, which are prepared by the Father; because all these, and none but these come to Christ, according to our Saviour's words expressly.  
Now that the Father gives these to the Son for that end that they may be assisted by him to perform the condition of the promise, will (I conceive) appear by what will follow by and by. The Father's giving these to the Son, doth not suppose them to have believed in the Son, when he gives them to him, but the contrary. For the Father's giving them to the Son, is antecedent to their coming to him: for Christ saith all that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me, not are come unto me. And to what end do they come to him, but to learn of him, and be taught by him how to be saved? i.e. to perform the condition on which salvation is promised.  
For that I take to be the meaning of the Father's giving these to the Son, viz. his committing them to him to be made Disciples by him, to be taught and enabled to do that on which salvation is promised.  
Not that the Fathers thus giving these to the Son to be assisted by him, is so to be understood, as if the Father did wholly remit them to the Son, and did not still continue to assist them by the same Spirit by which he prepared them for him at the first. For that faith by which they perform the condition of the promise, is the gift of God, and those who are regenerated, are born of God; and it is God that worketh in them both to will and to do, even when they perform the condition of the promise in the best manner that ever it is performed. And accordingly we are to direct our prayers to the Father for the Holy Spirit, and for all the assistances and fruits of it. But those prepared by the Father, are said to be given to the Son, in order to their being brought by him to believe the Gospel; because the dispensing of all Evangelical assistances, and of all Gospel-grace, is committed to the Son; but yet so as that the Father gives this by the Son, as the Son also does by the Holy Ghost.  
For the better understanding of this matter we must know, that after our Saviour's humiliation, came his exaltation by the Father, who gave unto him as Mediator God-man, a Kingdom glory and greatness, all power in Heaven and Earth, he gave all things into his hands, Joh. 3.35. committed all judgement to the Son, Joh. 5.22. The Father committed to the Son the whole Evangelical Oeconomy, the power of managing all affairs belonging to the being and well-being of the Church which he had purchased with his own blood, over which he made him head; yea, head also over all things to the Church; for he made him Prince of the Kings of the Earth, the only Potentate, as the Scripture speaks.  
This authority and power is said to be given to Christ, because he is the Son of man; John 5.27. that is, I conceive, because he is the Messiah, to whom such a Kingdom and Regal power was promised and foretold in the Prophets, under that denomination of the Son of Man. Thus Daniel saw in a Vision one like the Son of man, to whom the ancient of days gave dominion, glory, and a Kingdom, that all People, Nations, and Languages might serve him, Dan. 7.13, 14. And Son of Man is the appellation which our Saviour as the Messiah, doth frequently give unto himself, as is recorded in the Evangelical History, and which S. John in his Book of Revelations, doth also more than once give him. And Isaias foretold concerning a child that should be born, that the Government should be upon his shoulders, upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order and establish it for ever, chap. 9.6, 7. To which agrees that of the Angel to the Mother of our Lord, Luke 1.33, 34. The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no end. All agreeing that this Kingdom, Government and Power, should be administered by the Son of God in humane nature, and because he is the Son of Man.  
Now in this gift of the Father, the giving such to his Son as he had prepared to become his Disciples, and to be made so by him, is included; they are part of the all things which the Father hath put into his hand. In giving him a Kingdom, he gives him a people to be his Subjects, whose good behaviour, and whose happiness he is to provide for, and to promote by his spiritual Government. When the Prophet had spoken of Gods setting his Son upon his holy hill of Zion, Psal. 2.6. in verse 8. he brings in God speaking thus to him; Ask of me, and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. These are prepared by the Father to become Subjects to the Son then when he gives them to him; but are actually made subject to his Spiritual Government by the Son himself, by his going forth conquering and to conquer by his Gospel; it is by his arrows the people fall under him.  
Now the Fathers thus committing to his Son the power of managing all matters that concern the forming and perfecting one Christian Church throughout the World, and so of dispensing all aids and assistances to that end, doth not imply or suppose the Father's relinquishing this power, but his doing all by his Son, as designing to interess the Man Christ Jesus in all these great affairs. And thus when the Father sends the Holy Spirit, by whose influences we receive our assistances, he than sends him in the name of the Son, as being concerned with him in such sending; John 14.26. The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name, saith our Saviour. And on the other hand, the Son when he sends the Holy Spirit, he sends him as from the Father who is always concerned also in such sending, John 15.26. When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.  
But as I say, the Father dispenseth the influences and assistances of the Spirit by the Son, as God-man, now in the time of this Kingdom of his which the Father hath given him. S. Paul speaking of Gods saving us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which saith he, he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Tit. 3.6. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, 1 Cor. 1.4, 5. And because these aids are thus dispensed by the Son, though from the Father, and by the Holy Ghost, they are called the supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, Phil. 1.19. And it is God that supplies all our need, according to his riches in glory, but it is by Jesus Christ, Phil. 4.19. And the Holy Spirit is styled the Spirit of the Son, even then when he is sent into our hearts by the Father, for the reason aforesaid, Gal. 4.6. And so for the gifts and graces of the Spirit, they are all dispensed by Jesus Christ. To every one of us (saith S. Paul) is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Ephes. 4.7.  
All this I have noted, that we might the better understand for what reason and in what respect those prepared to receive the Faith of the Gospel, are said to be given by the Father to the Son to work that faith in them: and it is because in giving him the Mediatory Kingdom, he gives him the power of dispensing all those aids and assistances, by which men are made true and sincere Christians.  
But to proceed yet a little further in this matter, the use of which, as to the principal scope of this Chapter, will be better discerned afterward: the reason why the Father confers this Regal dignity and authority upon the Son, and the power of sending the Spirit, and of dispensing aids and gifts, is not only that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father, which yet is one reason of it, John 5.23. Nor yet only as a reward of his deep humiliation, suffering, and obedience unto death, which is another, Phil. 2.9, 10. but also that Gods great design of reforming the World by sending his Son into it, and of converting sinners to the faith and obedience of the Gospel, might by that means be facilitated, as tending to render Christ the more glorious, and the more attractive an object of Faith. It is by his being thus exalted, that men are more especially brought to believe in him. It is by him that we do believe in God that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory that our faith and hope might be in God, 1 Pet. 1.21. So that we see this glorious advancement of Christ, hath the nature of an aid in it to help us to believe.  
The meanness of our Saviour's appearance in the World while he was in it, and his crucifixion at the last, was that which prejudiced men against both him and his doctrine; it was their stumbling block, and that at which they were offended, and all through a mistake of the nature of Christ's Kingdom and Government; so that he had but very few Disciples at last, notwithstanding all his mighty miracles and gracious words. But when he was raised from the dead, and exalted in his kingdom and glory, and had given a powerful demonstration of it by sending the Holy Ghost, as he had promised he would, to enable those that preached in his name, and those that believed in his name, to do so many wonderful things in his name as they did: this proof of his exaltation, in a short time filled a great part of the World with Disciples to him, and made men flock by multitudes into his Church and Kingdom.  
This effect of his glorious exaltation, was foretold by the Prophets. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, more than the womb of the morning, according to the marginal reading, Psal. 110.3. These words, more than the womb of the morning, seem to be hyperbolical, to show the vast numbers of Disciples and Subjects, the day of Christ's power and glorious exaltation, should procure him, even like the drops of the morning-dew for multitude. The Prophet Isaiah speaking as it were to the Messiah, of whom he prophesied, said, Nations that knew thee not shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee, Isa. 55.5. That is the reason we see of the Nations running in unto him; it is because Almighty God hath glorified him, exalted, extolled, and made him very high, as the same Prophet speaks, chap. 52.13.  
When men perceived that the God of Heaven so far approved of what Christ had taught, done, and suffered in the World, as to reward him for it with such power and glory, this procured from them a belief of his doctrine, and put a great reputation upon it: it raised in men also a great expectation from him as from one that was very well able to prefer and reward his friends and followers, as he had promised he would.  
We find that the sending of the Holy Ghost, the pouring out of the Spirit in those greater measures foretold by the Prophets, was deferred unto this time of the glorious exaltation of Christ. So saith the Evangelist S. John 7.39. The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. And the reason hereof was, that he might have the honour of sending him, and of dispensing the assistances and manifold gifts of the Spirit, and thereby convince men that he was the same which he always declared himself to be, the Son of God sent down from Heaven. If I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he shall convince the World of righteousness, because I go to the Father and ye see me no more. John 16.7, 8, 10. Convince the World of righteousness, that is, he should convince them that Christ was no deceiver, as they accused him to be here on Earth, but the true Messiah, Son of God and Saviour of the World, as he had declared himself to be while he was here in the World. And this our Saviour says the Holy Ghost should convince the World of, because of his going to the Father: that is, by the Father's receiving him up into glory after his resurrection and placing him there in royal Majesty. This our Saviour says the Spirit should convince the World of when he was come from him; and the event plainly declares how.  
For within a few days after our Saviour's ascension into Heaven, and his enthronation there, he sends down the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles that preached in his name and were his witness, and upon others also that believed in his name, enabling them by the Holy Ghost to speak and do such things, as by hearing and seeing of which, great multitudes were presently convinced that Jesus was the Christ, the true Messiah and Saviour of the World, about three thousand of them being baptised into this Faith the very same day in which the Holy Ghost was thus sent by Christ.  
For S. Peter discoursed to them of this wonderful event thus, Acts 2.32, 33. This Jesus (of whom he had been speaking) hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear. The end and design of all which, was to convince men that Jesus is the Christ of God; which was done by convincing them that God had thus exalted him and given this power of doing these wonders by the Spirit he had sent. For that is the use S. Peter drew it to, Verse 36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.  
Now this sending of the Holy Ghost was so necessary to qualify the Apostles for the great work of converting the World by preaching Christ and his doctrine, and for the procuring credit to be given to it, that our Saviour would not have them so much as set upon it, or go about it, but commanded them to tarry at Jerusalem until they were endued with this power from on high, Luke 24.49. And the preaching of the Gospel under this qualification, was doubtless the preaching it in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, which S. Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 2.4.  
Now by this we see how those assistances which men receive in believing, and so in performing the condition of the promise, do depend upon the Father's giving all things into the hands of the Son: and how for that reason the Father gives such as have been preparatively assisted by him, unto the Son to be completely assisted to perform the condition of the promise. And indeed the reason why so many turned to God in so little a time after Christ's exaltation, than ever was known before, was because those assistances then dispensed by him, were more and greater than ever were vouchsafed the World before.  
And lest any should be discouraged, or think their condition worse than indeed it is, for that we have no such external assistances by the sending of the Holy Ghost, as men in those primitive times had, let this one thing be considered; That the Christians now are as really assisted by that sending of the Holy Ghost which was in those times, as those were who lived then; supposing the truth of the History of it, of which there is no cause to doubt. For we have the same Gospel as they had, and that under the same evidence by which it was demonstrated to them to be from Heaven, and that the then glorified Jesus was the author of it. And we may as truly be said to have Christ and his Apostles now in respect of external assistance, as the Jews in those times were to have Moses and the Prophets. For we have the same doctrine which Christ and his Apostles preached, and many of the same miracles which they wrought to confirm it, transmitted down to us by their writings and unquestionable tradition; and the Jews had Moses and the Prophets not otherwise in our Saviour's time, when he said they had Moses and the Prophets. The miracles of the Apostles then, wrought the same effect, procured the same belief of their doctrine, in many that only heard of them by credible testimony, as they did in them that saw them done. We see our Saviour upbraided his Disciples for not believing matter of Fact, when testified to them by credible eye-witnesses. Mark 16.14. And he said to Thomas, blessed are they which have not seen, and yet have believed. And when S. John had written a History of some of the signs or miracles which our Saviour did, he says, these are written that men might believe, John 20.30, 31. By this he supposed his written testimony of what he had seen and heard, to be a competent ground of faith in others. and S. Paul saith, Hold fast the tradition which ye have been taught, whether by word or our Epistle, 2 Thess. 2.15.  
But although it is not necessary that the same miraculous operations of the Holy Spirit, should be repeated in every Age, to convince men that Christ, who was first crucified, is now advanced to the throne of his glory, and hath the power of sending the Holy Ghost to confirm the doctrine which was preached in his name by them who proved their mission from him by signs and wonders, and mighty deeds which were done in his name: though, as I say, the repetition of these be not necessary in every Age, this having been done once for all in one Age, as S. Judas speaks of the Faith once delivered to the Saints; yet the inward assistance by the Spirit, to cause the external assistances to operate the more effectually upon the mind, is still necessary, and is still continued in the Church. For in this respect our Saviour by his Spirit as well as by his word, is with his people always to the end of the World, as he promised he would, and as he promised his Spirit likewise should. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth. John 14.16. It was this presence of Christ, I conceive, which S. Paul desired might be and continue with Timothy's Spirit, 2 Tim. 4.22. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy Spirit.  
In this part of my Discourse concerning Divine Assistance, I have endeavoured to show, that our Lord and Saviour hath the power of dispensing Evangelical and Spiritual Assistances committed to him by the Father, and that that is the reason why the Father is said to give such to the Son as have heard and learned of the Father. And now this high advancement of the Son, and his having all power in Heaven and Earth given to him, leaves no place for us to doubt of his ability to assist those to the uttermost, who do not make themselves uncapable of it, by refusing to make use of it, and of the Father's preparatory assistance. And truly all such have no more reason neither to doubt of our Saviour's willingness to assist them, than they have of his power, if these few things following be but duly considered.  
1. That Kingdom, Glory, and Greatness forementioned, and the power of dispensing aids and assistances is given by the Father to the Son for this very end among others, that he might use and manage all for the bringing men, such as the Father hath given him, to perform the condition of the promise, in repenting, in believing, and obeying the Gospel, Acts 5.31. Him hath God exalted with his own right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins. The father advanced him to that high honour and dignity, that he might be a public good to mankind, in assisting them to perform the condition of the promise, as he had been before by his humiliation for the obtaining of the promise upon that condition, that so he might be a complete Saviour in saving us as well from sin in the power and pollution of it, as from the guilt of it. He ascended far above all Heavens, that he might fill or fulfil all things, Ephes. 4.10. That he might fully dispense and bestow whatever is necessary to the perfecting of the Saints and edification of the body of Christ. The Apostle having said in chap. 1.20, 21. that God having raised Christ from the dead, set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power, might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this World, but also in that which is to come; and having put all things under his feet; then in Verse 22, and 23. he says, he gave him to be head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. He did not only give him to be the Head of his Church, but to be Head over all things to the Church, to the use and benefit of the Church; for the fullness of this power of his in the issue and benefit of it, runs in to his Church for whom he received it, and in respect whereof, the Church is his fullness in a passive sense: for it is he that filleth all in all, as S. John saith, of his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace, John 1.16. such a fullness as holds some proportion with the fullness of such a head: all the fullness wherewith all and every one of his Church are filled, is derived from him, it is all of his shilling, and that as he is Head of the Church, and Head over all things to the Church.  
For he is not only a political Head to the Church to govern it by Laws, but such a Head also as resembles a natural head by way of influence, conveying by his Spirit a vital and quickening power unto all the members, to enable them to obey those Laws. The whole body hath from this head nourishment ministered, as S. Paul shows Col. 2.19. Upon which account S. Paul could say, I am able to do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. But without him (as our Saviour told his Disciples) ye can do nothing.  
Now if all this fullness, all this power we have been speaking of, was given to the Son, was put into his hands for that end that he should use it, and manage it in aiding and assisting those whom the Father hath given him, to perform the condition on which pardon and eternal life are promised, there is no question to be made of his willingness to use it to that end, especially when we further consider that which follows.  
2. For in the second place, he is as faithful as he is able, faithful to use the fullness of his sufficiency for the ends and uses for which he received it. He is faithful to him that appointed him, in all his house, Heb. 3.2. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it, 1 Thess. 5.24. All, saith our Saviour, that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out, John 6.37. When he was leaving the World, he could with all confidence say unto his Father, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, Joh. 17. And if he did thus in the day of his humiliation and temptation, it cannot be thought but that he will likewise finish what the Father hath given him to do now in the day of his exaltation and power. Why do the holy Angels sing, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength? but because he faithfully useth them for those noble and worthy ends for which he received them. Rev. 5. When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 68.18. he than gave gifts unto men, saith the Apostle, Ephes. 4.10. When upon his glorious exaltation he had received the promise of the Father, to wit, the power of sending the Holy Ghost, he presently pours it out upon his Disciples, Acts 2.33. what he receives for us, he will be sure to communicate to us. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth, saith the Wise man, Eccles. 11.3. for that is the end of their being so filled, to supply the necessities of the inhabitants of the earth. They indeed do thus by a natural necessity; but our Saviour out of his fullness supplies the spiritual wants of men spontaneously. Never was the kindest Mother more willing that her full breasts should be drawn by her tender Infant, than our blessed Saviour is that we should draw and derive from his fullness to the relief and supply of all our spiritual wants to make us good and happy.  
To think or to suspect that our Saviour should withhold any of that aid from men which he hath received for them, and which is necessary to enable them to perform the condition of the promise, supposing them capable of it, would be highly to dishonour him. It is a grievous thing among men, to withhold from the people, that which their extreme necessity calls for, when it is in ones power to relieve them without injury to himself or to his, or to the public. He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him, saith Solomon, Prov. 11.26. The reverence which we own to our blessed Saviour, and the assurance we have of his goodness and good will towards men, will not suffer us once to think there is in him any thing of like nature. And if he himself threatened that unprofitable servant in the Gospel as he did, for not using the talon committed to him, to the end and purpose for which he received it, we may be sure he himself will be very far from not discharging the trust he hath received from his Father.  
3. We have no reason to fear or to doubt but that that compassion and love towards us, and the longing desire our Saviour had after our salvation, which made him willing to suffer so much as he hath, to obtain a conditional pardon for us, and a conditional promise of it, doth and will make him willing to assist all those in the performance of that condition, who have not, or do not make themselves uncapable of it, by not using, but opposing such preparatory aids as have been afforded them. He who hath laid so costly a foundation in his own blood, to make us good and happy, cannot, as we may well think, be wanting to build upon that foundation what is necessary on his part to complete his design of grace and favour towards us. We cannot think he will be willing to lose all the cost he hath already expended towards the procuring of pardon and life for us, for want of doing that further for us, which he can with far more ease do, (if we have not made ourselves uncapable of it) than what he hath done already.  
Hath our blessed Saviour any thing to give us which is better than himself, or more dear to him? And if not, as doubtless he hath not, than we may confidently conclude, that that which put him upon giving himself for us, will not suffer him to keep back from us that which he can give us without any detriment to himself, or disparagement to his wisdom, unless we have made ourselves uncapable of it. As S. Paul saith of God the Father, he that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? so we may say of God the Son; he that spared not himself when we stood in need of a Saviour, but gave himself to death for us; how shall he not give us that also, which though it be less for him to give, yet is such which in some sort we stand in as much need of as we did of a Saviour, his assistance I mean. If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life, as the Apostle infers, Rom. 5.10. If merely by Christ's dying for our sins, we were thus far restored to God's favour, as that he was pleased to propose to us free and easy conditions of mercy and pardon; much more easy will it be, and most agreeable to that former essay of his goodness, now he hath gone so far with us, to bestow on us also ability to perform those conditions (unless we have made ourselves uncapable of it) since without such assistance, all the rest would signify no more to us, than as if Christ had never died for us, nor than as if such conditions had never been obtained for us, or proposed to us.  
4. That plenitude of power and sufficiency lodged in our Saviour, to answer and to supply all the spiritual wants and necessities of men, on whose behalf our Saviour took on him the great office of Mediator, will never turn to such an account of glory, honour, and praise to God the Father of all mercies, while it is restrained and kept back only within himself, as it will when communicated and given forth in the effects of it, to them for whose benefit he received it: nor will it till then neither redound so much to his own honour as God the Father designed it should. And if not, how can we possibly think there should be any thing of unwillingness in him to afford all those his assistance to perform the condition of the promise, who do not refuse to make use of it?  
For as it was the design of our Saviour in all the good he did to men while he was in the World, to gain glory thereby unto his Father, so it was a great inducement to him to do that good, when he knew it would turn to such an account. Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son, John 14.13. It was matter of great satisfaction to our Saviour when he was upon leaving the World, that he could say to his Father, I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. John 17.4. he took pleasure in doing that work for that reason, because he glorified the Father thereby. And we cannot think he is less zealous for the honour of his Father now he is so highly exalted by him, than he was in the day of his humiliation and temptation.  
Considering then that our Saviour's assisting us to perform the condition of the promise, will in several respects bring in a great revenue of glory to God, as well as it will of good to men, we may be confident that he will rather be grieved for that men are no more forward to make use of his assistance, than any way backward to afford it them.  
S. Paul thought it a prevailing argument to obtain a liberal contribution for the relief of fellow-Christians, when he could say, it would both supply the necessities of the Saints, and cause many thanksgivings unto God, 2 Cor. 9.12. Now our Saviour's assisting men to perform the condition of the promise, will not only make them happy, but will also fill their hearts and mouths with many and many thanksgivings unto God, for his grace bestowed on them by Jesus Christ. And if so, we cannot doubt of our Saviour's willingness to assist all those who are any whit willing to be assisted. Charity in good men will make them willing to engage in such an action as will both relieve men, and procure many thanksgivings unto God, though they do thereby to a degree empty themselves, and diminish of their own store. How much more than will that goodness in our Saviour, which is infinitely greater, dispose him to yield us his assistance to become good in performing the condition of the promise, when he shall thereby both glorify his Father, and make us happy, and procure to himself the satisfaction of doing all this good, and everlasting love and praise from those that are made happy by it; and all this too without any more diminishing of his own riches, than when by a word of his mouth he healed the diseased bodies of men.  
5. The pleasure which our Saviour takes in men's becoming good, as they do by performing the condition of the promise, is a ground of great assurance, that nothing shall be wanting on his part, fully to assist them to perform that condition, that will consist with his wisdom and with the terms on which the Father will have men to be so assisted. The Prophet speaking of the Messiah, saith, He shall see his seed, and he shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied. Isa. 53. To see the fruit of his Mediatory performance in men's being recovered from being bad to become good, from Rebels to become obedient Subject's, yea dutiful children to his Father, and so heirs of salvation, is and needs must be matter of great satisfaction to the soul of our Saviour, because it is the very prize for which he ran, the design of his whole undertaking, as Mediator. And therefore he cannot possibly be wanting in any thing that is but fit for him to do to help men to become good, or to perform the condition of the promise, which is the same. We see by his weeping over Jerusalem, how he is grieved when men refuse to make use of those helps and means of deliverance which he hath obtained for them at a costly rate; when they refuse to be helped out of the pit of destruction, when help is offered them. By which we may easily judge how acceptable it is to him to help and assist them to get out of a sinful state, who have any mind to be so assisted by him.  
These considerations are enough and sufficient, I conceive, to satisfy us touching our Saviour's willingness to assist those to perform the condition of the promise, who do not remain unwilling to be so assisted by him, after what God has been doing in their souls to make them willing: and greatly tend likewise to strengthen their faith in Christ, and to encourage their dependence upon him for all necessary supplies of assistance and grace, who have any mind to become good, or to increase in goodness, and to put forth their endeavours to that end.   
THE END.   

Books sold by Walter Kettilby, at the Bishops-head in S. Paul's Churchyard.  
sherlock's Discourse of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ, and our Union and Communion with him, etc. To which is annexed a Defence and Continuation; with a particular respect to the Doctrine of the Church of England, and the Charge of Socinianism and Pelagianism, in Oct.  
Hotchkis 's Discourse concerning the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to us, and our Sins to him, etc. in two Parts, in Oct.  
Allens Answer to Fergusson, about Justification, in Octau.  
— His Mystery of Iniquity unfolded, etc. in Oct.  
— His Christian Justification stated, in Oct.  
— His Friendly Advice to the Non-Conformists, beginning with the Anabaptists, in Oct.  
Hallywels Account of Familism against the Quakers, in Oct.  
— His Discourse of the Excellency of Christianity, in Oct.  
— His Sacred Method of saving Humane Souls by Jesus Christ, in Oct.  
needham's Six Sermons most of them preached at St. Mary's in Cambridge. in Oct.  
Worthingtons' Discourse of Self-Resignation, in Oct.