CONFERENCE II. 441 is the Spirit of God that helpethour infirmities, and teaches us to Garay; and the aids of this Spirit are promised to themwho seek at. Luke xi. 13. Your heavenly Father cosh give the Holy Spirit: to them that ask him. Loe. But why this long bead-roll of your scriptures cited tome, who doubt of the truth of them, and cannot yet believe any thing so sacred and divine in them as you imagine? Pica, I hope, Sir, you will permit the first preachers and teachers of our religion to know what their own doctrine is, with- out determining whether it be divine or not : and I cite them for no other purpose but to shew you, that they themselves acknow- ledgethat the glorious sufficiency, which even the blessed gospel of Christ has to conduct and bring souls to heaven, in a way of religion, does not arise only from the strength that its motives have, as powerful as they are, to persuade the heart of man to practise true religion, in opposition to all manner of temptations, but it arises alsofrom the promised aids of.grace, or supernatural influences of the blessed Spirit, concurring with the moral influ- ence od thése motives. Loe. I see we are now running into enthusiasm apace. T hoped we should have none of this kind of discoursehere. Pray tell us, Pithander, what does this divine Spirit do to make men religious, more than give them this gospel, orbonfirm the truth of it, as you suppose, bygifts and wonders? PITH. Ifit would not lead us too far from our present sub- ject, perhaps I could set this matter in a very rational light. At present, I shall only say, that in some unknown way and man- . ner, it may either give further light to the understanding, or a secret bias and propensity to the will, or, at least, it may set these motives, both of reason and revelation before the soul in a stronger and more persuasive view, and by this means effectually prevail with the man to become thoroughly religious. LOG. But may not the poor heathens in the dark regions of the earth, who are left to the mere instructions of nature and reason, and have fewer advantages than the christians pretend to ; I say, may not these poor wretches be favoured by a merci--- ful God with some such assistances from heaven, to help them in their enquiries after religion and happiness, and to assistthem in their endeavours to practise the one, and obtain the other ? Will a merciful God bestow such inward assistances on those who have so much outward light, and yet give none at all of it to those who sit in darkness. PITa. I drank. you, Logisto, that youfeel yourself reduced so far as to make this enquiry; to which I shall offer these two plain replies. First, I will by no means deny, that ever God favours the heathens with this blessing. And, doubtless, such is the beneficent and compassionate nature of the blessed God,
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