TO 'Mt IEADERB. things, 1 thought meet to ptnsne my former method and design, and principally to respect the reducing of the doctrines insisted on unto the practice and improve. ment of holiness, which alsobath occasioned the length- ening of these discourses. I doubt not but all these things will be by some despised; they are so in them- selves, and their declaration by me will not recommend them unto a better acceptation. But let them please Themselves whilst they see good in their own imagina- tions, whilst the scripture is admitted to be an infallible declaration of the will of God and the nature of spiritual things, and there are Christians remaining in the world who endeavour to live to God, and to come to the en- joyment of hint by Jesus Christ, there will not Want sufficient testimony against that putid figment of moral virtue being all our gospel holiness, or that the repara- tion of our natures and life unto God do consist therein alone, In the last placesucceeds a discourse concerning the Necessity of Holiness and Obedience; some regard, I confess, I had therein, though not much, unto the ridi- culous clamours of malevolent and ignorant persons, charging those who plead for the efficacy of the grace of God, and the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, as though thereby they took away the necessity of an holy life. For who would much trouble himself about an accusation which is laden with as many con- victions of its forgery, as there are persons who sin- cerely believe those doctrines; and which common light gives testimony against in the conversations of them by whom they are received, and by whom they are de- spised? It was the importance of the thing itself, made peculiarly seasonable by the manifold temptations of the days wherein we live, which occasioned that addi- tion unto what was delivered about the nature of evan- gelical holiness; seeing, if we know these things, happy are we if we do them. But yet the principal argu- ments and demonstrations of that necessity being drawn from those doctrines of thegospel which some traduceas casting no good aspect thereon, the calumnies mentioned are therein also obviated. And thus far have we pro- ceeded in the declaration and vindicationof the despised work of the Spirit of God under the New Testament, referring the remaining instances above-mentioned unto another occasion. The oppositions unto all that we believe and main- tain herein are of two sorts; Tirst, Such as consist in particular exceptions against, and objections unto each particular work of the Spirit, whether in the communi- cation of gifts, or the operation of grace. Secondly, Such as consist in reflections cast on the whole work ascribed unto him in general. Those of the first sort, will all of them fall under consideration in their proper places, where we treat of those especial wings of the Spirit whereunto they ,are opposed. The other sort, at least the principal of them, wherewith some make the greatest noise in the world, may be here briefly spoken unto, The first and chief pretence of this nature is, that al those who plead for the effectual operations of the Holy Spirit, in the illumination of the minds of men, the reparation of theirnatures, the sanctification of their persons, and their endowment with spiritual gifts, are therein and thereby enemies to reason, and impugn the use of it in religion, or at least allow it not that place and exercise therein which is its due. Hence some of those who are otherwise minded, affirm that it is caston them as a reproach that they are rational divines; al= though, so far as I can discern, if it be so, it is as Hierom was beaten by an angel for being a Ciceroniatt- (in thejudgment of some) very undeservedly. But the grounds whereon this charge should be made good, have not as yet been made to appear ; neither bath it been evinced that any thing is ascribed byus unto theeffi. cacy of God's grace, in the least derogatory unto rea.. son, its use, or any duty of mart depending thereon. I suppose we are agreed herein, that the reason of man in the statewherein we are, is not sufficient of itself to find out or frame a religion whereby we may please God, and be accepted with him. Or, if we are not agreed herein, yet I shall not admit' it as a part of our present controversy, wherein wesuppose a religion pro- ceeding from, and resolved into supernatural revelation. Neither is it, that I know of, as yet pleaded by any, that reason is able to comprehend all the things in their nature and being, or to search them out unto perfection, which are revealed unto us; for we do not directly deal. with them by whom the principal mysteries of the gos- pel are rejected, becausethey cannot comprehend them, under a pretence, that what is above reason, is against it And it may be, it will be granted, moreover, that natural reason cannot enable the mind of a man unto a
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