CLXIX. to the Í ruth of the qfpel. 417 conceive againft it, either upon account of their Education in a contrary Religion, or upon account of their Lufts, or fome Worldly Intereft, to which the Gofpel is oppofite. Now thefe are as fo many Bars upon the Underftandingsof Men, to keep out the Truth from entering into them. The Prejudice of a contrary Edu- cation, is a monftrous Obftacle toReligion. When Men have believed otherwif from their Youth, and have had contrary Principles implanted in them in their tender Years, and have all their Lives been poffeft with contrary Apprchenfions Of things 5 the cleareft Truths that can be offer'd to them, come upon infinite Difadvantage 5 their Underftandingsare tindur'd, and put falle Colours upon every thing that is reprefented to them. And this was the Cafe of the Jews, when the Mefas came ; they were poffeft with Prejudices againft his mean Appearance, and had fafhion'd to themfelves another kind of Mefias, that fhould be a Glorious Temporal Prince 5 and had been brought up` in this Apprehenfron ; and this made them fo invincibly obftinate againft the reception of him 5 tho' the whole Nation, when he came, were in expectation of him. And this was alto the cafe of the Gentiles, when the Gofpel was first Preached to them, they had been Educated in a contrary Religion, and were poffeft with quite other Apprehen- fions, which made the paffage of the Gofpel infinitely difficult. And I doubt not but that in the firft Publifhing of the Gofpel, the Spirit did remarkably work up- on the Minds of Men, for the removing of thefe Prejudices, and thereby making way for the entertainment of the Gofpel. And tho' this Prejudice be not now upon us in tilde parts of the World, who are brought up in the Chriftian Rel gion ; yet the Lufts and Interefts of Men are now great Obltacles to the effettuaj entertainment of the Gofpel; and the Spirit of God doth many times eminently appear in the reftraining and conquering the Lufts of Men, and removing thole other Prejudices which hinder them from embracing the Truth. Sixthly, The Taft way whereby the Spirit of God may be Paid ro work in us an effectual belief of the Gofpel, is by farthering and helping forward the Efficacy of this Perfwafion upon our Heartsand Lives, in the first work of Converfion and Regeneration, and in the progreffrve work of San tificationafterward ; both which the Scripture doth every where attribute to the Spirit of God, as the Author and Efficient Caufe. The Faith which purifies the heart, and conquers the world, and works by Love, hath this EffeF.t from the Spirit ofGod. Hence we are Paid to be fanti red by the renewing of the Holy Ghofi, and the belief of the truth, and to be kept by the mighty power of God through Faith unto Salvation. Thus Ihave (hewn you, as briefly and clearly as I could, how the Spirit of God doth concur to the begetting of this Divine Faith and Perfwafion in us, and con fequently in what refpeas Faith may be Paid to be the gift of God. I fhall only draw two or three Inferences from this Difcourfe. L We may learn from hence to attribute all the good that is in us, or that we do inany kind, to God, Every good thing is from God ; fo Sr. games tells us, that every good and perfell work comes down even from the Father of lights. Much more are we to afcribe to the free grace of God all the Revelationof fupernatural Truth, which we cannot pofìîbly come to the knowledge of, unlefs God ofhis free Grace and Goodnefs be pleated to difcover it to us. And fo likewife are we to afcribe to God, and the Operation of his Holy Spirit uponour Hearts, our belief of thofe Truths, and affent to them. Confidering the Corruption and Degene- racy of human Nature, and the oppofition of the Lulls and Prejudices of Men to Divine Truth, we fiend in need of the Grace of God, and the Operation of his Spirit upon our Hearts, to bring us to a firm aflenr to the Gofpel : for as Flefh and Blood couldnot reveal thefe Truths to us, fo neither is it very apt to agent to them when they are revealed. In the Phrafe of Scripture, all Good is attributed to Gód 5 and all Spiritual Good to the Holy Spirit of God working in us, and affifting us to the doing of it. As on the other hand, the Scripture attributes all thofe Sins that are com- mitted in the World, to the influence of Evil Spirits, He that committeth Sin is of the Devil. And tho' we do not know many times, how the Spirit of God N n n worketh
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