Vi TO THE as also to forego all thoughts of the necessity of the du- ties of obedience; whereasno other work of bis is pleaded for, but that only, without which no man can either attend unto the rule of the scripture as he ought, or perform any one dutyof obedience unto God in a due manner. And there arenone of this conspiracy so weak or unlearned, but are able to scoff at the mention of him, and to cast the very nameing of him on others as a reproach. Yea, it is well, if some begin not to deal in like manner with the person of Christ himself. For error and profaneness if once countenanced, are at all times fruitful and progressive, and will be so whilst darkness and corruption abiding on the minds of men, the great adversary is able by his subtle malice to make impressions on them. 13ut in these things, not a few do please themselves, despise others, and would count themselves injured if their Christianity should be called in question. But what value is there in that name or title, where the whole mystery of the gospel is excluded out ofour religion? Take away the dispensation of the Spirit, and his effectual operations in all the intercourse that is between God and man, be ashamed to avow or profess the work attributed unto him in the gospel, and Christianity is plucked up by the roots. Yea, this practical contempt of the work of the Holy Spirit, be- ing grown the only plausible defiance of religion, is so also to be the most pernicious, beyond all notional mistakes and errors about the same things, being con- stantly accompanied with profaneness, and commonly issuing in Atheism. The sense I intend is fully expressed in the ensuing complaint of a learned person published many years ago; 4, In serum() hodie tam perverso prorsus immersi vivimus miseri, in quo Spiritus Sanctus omnino ferme u pro ludibrio habetur: imo in quo etiam cunt qui non tantum corde toto eum repudient ut factis negent, 14 sed quoque adeoblasphemi in eum exurgant ut penitus eundem ex orbe expulsum out exulatum cupiant, « quum illi n ullam inoperationibussuis relinquanteffica- ü cium; ac propriis vanorum habituum suorum viribus, ac rationisprofanse libertati carnalitatique sumomnem 4: ascribant sapientiam, et fortitudinem in rebus agendis. Unde tanta malignitas externm protervim apud mor- e tales cernitur. Ideoque pernicies nostra nos jam ante fores expectat," &c. Herein lies the rise and spring of that stated apostasy from the power of evangelical READERS. truth, wherein the world takes its liberty to immerge it- self in all licentiousness of life and conversation, the end whereof many cannot but expect with dread and terror. To obviate these evils in any measure, to vindicate the truth and realityof divine spiritual operations in the church, to avowwhat is believed and taught by them concerning the Holy Spirit and his work, whoare most charged and reflected on for their profession thereof, and thereby to evince the iniquity of those calumnies, under the darkness and shades whereof some seek to countenance themselves in their profane scoffing at his. whole dispensation; to manifest in all instances, that what is ascribed unto him is not only consistent with religion, but also that without which religion cannot con- sist, nor the power of it be preserved, is the principle design of the ensuingdiscourses. Now whereas the effectual operation of the blessed Spirit in the regeneration or conversion of sinners, is of all other parts of his work most violently opposed, and hath of late been virulently traduced, I have the more largely insisted thereon. And because it can nei- ther be well understood, nor duly explained, without the consideration of the state of lapsed or corrupted na- ture, I'have taken in that also at large, as judging it necessary so to do. For whereas the knowledge of it lies at the bottom of all our obedience unto God by Christ, it hath always been the design of some, and yet continueth so to be, either wholly to deny it, or to ex- tenuate it unto the depression and almost annihilation of the grace of the gospel, whereby alone our nature can be repaired. Designing therefore to treat expressly of the reparation ofour nature by grace, it was on all accounts necessary that we should treat of its deprava- tion by sin also. Moreover what is discoursed on these things, is suited unto the edification of them that do believe, and direct- ed unto their furtherance in true spiritual obedienceand holiness, or the obedience of faith. Hence it may be some will judge that our discourses on these subjects are drawn out into a greater length thanwas needful or con- venient, by that continual intermixture of practical ap- plications which runs along in them all. But if they shall be pleased to consider, that my design was not to handle these things in a way of controversy, but declares ing and confirming the truth concerning them, to ac-.
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