V. there be no neceffity of afferting, that God doth always ftrengthen and ele- Sermon vate the understanding of those who believe; yet there is no reafon to deny, but that God may do this when he pleaseth, and poffibly he often doth it. God is faid in Scripture to enlighten the eyes of our understandings, which we may, if we pleafe, understand in this fenfe; altho' that may be done by propounding fuch truths to us as we were ignorant of before, and could not have discovered, unless they had been revealed. Secondly, The Second way whereby the Spirit of God may be conceived to work Faith in us, is by enlightning and discovering the Object, or thing to be believed. In the case we are fpeaking of, the Object, or thing to be believed, is the Gofpel: now we may imagine the Spirit of God may work a Faith or Perfwafion of this in us, by revealing or discovering to us this Propofition, that the Gospel is true. But this I need not speak much to, because I do not know any that pretend K 3 pretend to have a particular and imVolume mediate revelation from God, that XII. the Gospel is true. So that tho' God may do this when he pleafeth, yet I do not know any who affert this to be the way whereby Faith is wrought in men. Thirdly, The Spirit of God may be conceived to work Faith in us, by propounding and offering to us fuch Arguments and Evidence, as are apt to perfwade us of the truth of the Gofpel. And this the Spirit of God, which infpired the Writers of the Scripture, doth mediately by the Scriptures, and thofe Characters of Divinity which are in the Doctrines contained in them; and by thofe Miracles, which are there credibly related to be wrought by the Spirit of God, for the confirmation of that Doctrine. And befides this, the Spirit of God may, when he pleafeth, and probably often doth, immediately fuggeft thofe Arguments to our minds, and bring them to our remembrance. 4. The be Sermon Fourthly, The Spirit of God may conceived to work Faith in us,by holding our minds intent upon this Evidence, till it hath wrought its Effect upon us. And this I do not doubt, but the Spirit of God, out of his abundant Grace and Goodness to men,often doth; and I believe many men have found their minds kept intent upon fuch confiderations, as have mightily pre vailed upon them, and been effectual to perfwade them to entertain and obey the Gospel; and must acknowledge that their minds were awakened by fuch confiderations, and made attentive to them, beyond their own inclinations to think upon fuch things; and in such a strange and unaccountable manner, as they cannot in reafon but attribute to fome fuperiour influence, viz. to the Holy Spirit of God. Fifthly, By removing the Impedi ments which hinder our effectual affent to the Gospel. And in this and the laft particular, I conceive, the work of the Spirit of God in the producing of Faith, principally to confift; I fay : in these principally, not abfolutely exVolume cluding the former. The great impe XII. diment to the belief and entertainment of the Gofpel, is the prejudice which the minds of men are apt to conceive against 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 these are as fo many bars upon the understandings of men, to keep out the truth from entering into them. The prejudice of a contrary Education, is a monftrous obftacle to Religion. When men have believed otherwife from their Youth, and have had contrary Principles implanted in them in their tender years, and have all their lives been poffeft with contrary apprehenfions of things; the clearest truths that can be offer'd to them, come upon infinite difadvantage; their understandings are tinctur'd, and put falfe colours upon every thing that is represented to them. And this was the cafe of the Jews, when the Meffias came; they were poffeft with prejudices against his mean appearance, and had fashion'd to themfelves another kind of of Meffias, that fhould be a glorious temporal Prince; and had been Sermon brought up in this apprehenfion; and and V. this made them fo invincibly obftinate against the reception of him; tho' the whole Nation, when he came, were in expectation of him. And this was alfo the cafe of the Gentiles, when the Gospel was firft Preached to them, they had been Educated in a contrary Religion, and were poffeft with quite other apprehenfions, which made the paffage of the Gospel infinitely difficult. And I doubt not but that in the first Publishing of the Gospel, the Spirit did remarkably work upon the minds of men, for the removing of these prejudices, and thereby making way for the entertainment of the Gofpel. And tho' this prejudice be not now upon us in thefe parts of the World, who are brought up in the Christian Religion; yet the Lufts and Interefts of men are now great obftacles to the effectual entertainment of the Gospel; and the Spirit of God doth many times eminently appear in the reftraining and conquering the Lufts of men, and removing thofe o ther |