398 The Nature and Influence of the Vol. a 2. ThePromife of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to affift our Obedience. 3. The Promife of Eternal Life to reward it. 1. The Promife of the Pardon and Forgivenefs of our Sins, uponour Faith and Repentance. The Gofpel hath made full and clear Promifes to this Purpofe that if we believe the Gofpel, and will forfake ourSins, and amend our wicked Lives, all that is pall (hall be forgiven us, and that Chrift died for this end, to obtain for us Remiffìon ofSins in his Blood. The light of Nature, upon Con- fideration of the Mercy and Goodnefs ofGod, -gave Men good hopes; that upon their RepentanceGod will forgive their Sins, and turn away his Wrath from them. But Mankind was doubtful of this, and therefore they ufed expiatory Sacrifices to appeafe the offended Deity. The Jewifli Religion allowedofno Ex- piation, but for legal Impurities, and involuntary Tranfgreffions, fuch as pro- ceeded from Ignorance and Inadvertency; but not for Sins of Prefumption, and fuch as were committed with an high hand. If Men finn'd wilfully, there was no Sacrificeappointed by the Law for fuch Sins. But the Grace of the Gofpel' juffifies us from the greateft Sins, upon our Faith and fincere Repentance. So St. Paul tells the Jews, As 13. 38, 39. Be it known unto yea therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenefs offns : And by him all that believe areMiffedfrom all things, from whichye could not be jufb/ed by the Law ofMofes. There was no general Promife of Pardon, nor way of Expiationunder the Law ; perfe& B.emiffion ofSins is clearly revealed, andof certain'd to us only by the Gofpel. 2. Another great Promifeof the Gofpel is the Promife of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to aft our Obedience. Our Bleffed Saviour hath promifed, that our HeavenlyFatherwillgive his Holy Spirit to them that askhim. 'Tis true indeed, there was a peculiar Promife of the Holy Ghofl to the Apoftles and Chrifians of the.firft Ages, which is not now tobe expe&ed ; namely, an extraordinary and miraculous Power, whereby they were qualified to publilh the Gofpel to the World, and to give Confirmation to it. But now that the Chriftian Religion is propagated and fetled in the World, the great End and Ufe of thefe Mira- culous Gifts is ceafed : But yet the Spiritof God doth ftill concur with the Gof- pel, and work upon the Minds of Men, to excite and affift them to that which is good. And tho' this Operation be very ferret, fo as we cannot give an account of the manner of it, yet theeffe&s of it are very fenfible, and this Influence of God's Holy Spirit is common to all Chriflians in all Ages of the World. This Propofition is Univerfally true, and in all Ages and Times; If any Man have not the Spirit of Chrifl, he is none ofhis. It mutt be acknowledged, that the Spirit doth not now work upon Men in that fudden and fenfible manner, as it did in the firft Times of Chriftianity ; be- caufe then Men were ftrongly poffeft with the Prejudices of other Religions, which they had beenbrought up in ; and therefore as more outward means of ConviCtion were then neceffary, fo likewife a more powerful internal Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men, to conquer and bear down thofe Prejudices, and to fubdue.them to the Obedience ofFaith. But now the Princi- ples of Religion and Goodnefs are more gradually inftill'd into the Minds of Men, by thegentle Degrees of Pious Inftruction and Education; and with thefe Means the Spirit ofGod concurs in a more Humane way, which is more fuited and accomodated to our Reafon, and offers lefs Violence to the Nature of Men. So that this PromifeofGod's Holy Spirit is nowmade good to us, as the Necef- fity and Circumftances of our prefent State do require. God does not ufe fuch extraordinaryMeans for the producing of thofe Effelas, which may be arrow- plifh'd in a more ordinary way. The Affittanteof God's Holy Spirit is Hill ne- ceffary toMen, to encline and enable them to that which is good ; but not in that manner and degree that it was neceffary at firft: Becaufe the Prejudices againft Chriflianity are not now fogreat, and many of thofe Advantages which were neceffarily wanting at firft, are now fupplied in an ordinary way; and therefore it is not reafonable now to expect the fame extraordinary OPeration of the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=