seeks it. He will give his Spirit to his children that ask him, as readily surely as they that are evil will give good gifts to theirs. At all times there is so much of the Spirit to be had, as, though it will not mend the world, will mend us; if it will not better the external state of things, it will better our spirits; and so, if not keep off suffering, yet will prepare and qualify us for it; and that sure is a greater thing, than to have suffering kept off; for that is but an external and natural evil, this internal and spiritual. It would be a great thing, if persons would admit the conviction of this, (and there is not a plainer thing in all the world,) that patience is better than immunity from suffering: that great and noble effect of the Spirit of God upon the soul, whereby it is brought into an entire possession of itself! Is that to be compared with a little advantage that only my flesh and outward man is capable of? Good things are to be estimated by the greatness and nobleness of their subjects. Sure a good of the mind, of the soul, must needs be far better than that which is only a good of the body, of this perishing external frame; and therefore for us, it is as great a thing as we can reasonably wish, that we may have such a portion of the Spirit imparted to us, that will qualify us to pass well and comfortably through any time. And have not we reason to expect this, even upon what is foretold us concerning what shall be done in the world hereafter? May not I look up with a great deal of hope and encouragement, and say, "Lord, that Spirit of thine that shall one day so flow down upon the world, may not I have some portion of it to answer my present necessities? and that Spirit, that can new make the world, that can create new heavens and a new earth, cannot that new make one poor soul? cannot it better one poor heart?" To have a new heart and a right spirit created and renewed in us, is better to us, than all the world: and we have no reason to look up diffidently and with despondency, but with hearts. full of expectation, He will give his Spirit to them that ask

him.

SERMON VI.*

WE have told you, wherein a good state for the church would consist, to wit, in these two things concurring,the flourishing of religion, and-outward peace.-I have said, concurring; for if they should be so severed, as that external prosperity should go unaccompanied with much of the power and life of religion, the case would be much worse with the church of God, rather than better. So true the observation is, that religion brought forth riches, and then the daughter destroyed the mother. We must say in this case somewhat like what they have been wont to say, who would give a favourable representation of Epicurus, and his doctrine concerning the matter of felicity, that would make his notion of it to consist of satisfaction of mind and indolency of the body. There must be a like concurrence of two such things to make up an entire and completely happy state to the church; principally a prosperous state of religion, and then (that which would be very much adjumental and accessory,) a peaceful and sedate external state of things.

This being supposed, and having told you what sort of communication of the Spirit is to be expected, we came to shew the apt and appropriate usefulness of the means to the end.

* Preached June 12, 1678.

For the clearing of this, we proposed to speak-of the efficacy, and, of the necessity of this mean or cause to bring about the end.

We are yet upon the former of these heads, the efficacy of this effusion of the Spirit to work a very happy state of things in the church of God. We have shewn, what it is easily supposable the Spirit may do towards this purpose, both by way of mediate and of immediate influence; both in producing numerous conversions, and then high improvements of converts: and in reference to both have mentioned many scriptures, and might many more, to let you see, what we are taught and encouraged to expect.

We would now use some endeavour, for the facilitating of our belief concerning this matter, and to render it more easily apprehensible and familiar to our own thoughts; that it might not be looked upon as an impossible thing, or as altogether unlikely and improbable to be brought to pass. To this purpose let us consider,-what hath been done in like kind heretofore:-in what way such a thing may be supposed to be brought about; by what steps, and in what method, and by the conspiracy and consent of what subordinate causes such a thing may be effected: and-how suitable and congruous every way it is to the blessed God to do such a thing.

First. We may a little help ourselves in this matter, by taking an estimate from what hath been, unto what may be. Much hath been done in the like kind heretofore. You know, how it was with the Christian church in its beginnings, in its very primordia, when the light of the gospel was but dawning upon the world. How great and unexpected were the changes, that were brought about then all on a sudden! Partly in our Lord's time; and more especially, when the Spirit was more eminently poured forth afterwards in the apostles' days! Insomuch that you find the matter represented by such expressions as these, concerning Christ himself in his own time; "Behold, the whole world is gone after him," John. 12. 19. So the anxious and vexed minds of the rulers amongst the people did suggest to them; "We have lost all, the whole world will be his proselytes at this rate." But especially when the Spirit came to be poured forth after his resurrection and ascension; by that same means, "not by might nor by power, but by Spirit," what strange things were done? and who would have expected such things to have been done then, that had lived at that time; if it should have been foretold, that twelve men should convert so great a part of the world? and with what amused, diffident spirits did they receive their own commissions

and instructions, when that strange thing was said to them, "Go you, and teach all nations?" Suppose twelve persons should be picked out from among us, and such a charge given them, "Go and proselyte the world unto serious religion!" Yet we know what was done. It is said in one place, Acts 19. 26. This Paul hath turned away much people; this one man: and in another, Acts 17. 6. Those that have turned the world upside down, are come hither also. Thousands were converted at a sermon, the sound of the gospel flying to the utmost ends of the earth. And this was but in pursuance of what Christ foretold should be done by his Spirit. These men did not levy armies to carry religion abroad into the world. When their hearts seemed to fail and sink within them, as despairing from the greatness of the enterprize, and the meanness of such agents as themselves were; they were only directed to stay and wait awhile, till they should receive power from on high. Acts 1.4, 8. And when at last it came, with what wonders did these men fill the world! Christ told them therefore, John 17. 7, &c. It is expedient for you, that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you: and when he is come, he will convince the world. We read it, "the Comforter." The word signifies, (and it would be more fitly unto that purpose read,) the advocate, or the pleader; so agaλros more properly im ports. "When that mighty Pleader comes; my Agent, that I intend shall negotiate my affairs for me (when I am gone,) against an infidel world; then let him alone, he shall deal with the world, as infidel and wicked as it is. "He shall convince of sin, and righteousness, and judgment.' Whereas I have been reproached as a blasphemer, and a deceiver of the people, and one that hath designed only to set up for myself, and to acquire a name and reputation among men: he shall urge on my behalf the sin of the world in not believing in me; and my righteousness, both personal and imputable, capable of being applied unto others; and he shall urge efficaciously the business of judgment upon the usurping prince of this world, and dethrone him, and cast him down." And so it did succeed in very great part,

And how lively and vigorous was the religion of the primitive christians at that time, those first owners and professors of the Christian faith! how did heavenliness, spirituality, and the life and power that was from above, sparkle in their profession and conversation! That one might see them walking like so many pieces of immortality, dropped down from heaven, and tending thitherward; all full of God, and full of Christ, and full of heaven, and full of glory: and this world was no

thing to them; trampled upon as a despicable, contemptible thing.

Now we may say with ourselves, Quicquid fieri potuit, potest: that which could have been done, and we see was done, may still be done. "Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? Is his arm shortened ?”

Secondly. It would very much facilitate the belief of such a thing, at least the apprehension of it as very possible, to con Bider, in what easy and apt ways, and by how fit and suitable a method, such a work as this may be carried on. And it will be, I reckon, to good purpose to insist a little here: for when the workings of any extraordinary divine power have been long withheld and restrained, (as was said,) the thoughts and apprehensions of such a thing is very much vanished out of the minds of men; and they expect generally as little from absoJute omnipotency as from mere impotency, because their eyesight is usually the measure of their expectation. Therefore the more easy steps we may suppose to be taken in such a work, so much the more apprehensible the thing will be, and so much the more vivid the apprehension, and the deeper the impression upon our hearts; which is the great thing we should aim at in the hearing of any gospel-truth or doctrine whatso

ever.

Now it must be acknowledged, that a very great and extraordinary exertion of divine power, the power of the blessed Spirit, is necessary in this case. Such an extraordinary effort of absolute omnipotency there was at first to create the world: but when once it was created, there was a settlement of a certain law or course of nature, and a stating of all second causes in their proper stations and subordinations, in which the affairs of the world have ever since been carried on in an equal and very little varied course; which hath given atheists occasion to cavil, "All things are as they were from the beginning, even unto this day." This may assist us to apprehend, how things being once by so wonderful a hand put well onwards towards a good state, the course may be continued, and the great interest of religion improved more and more. Suppose it be somewhat proportionably in this new creation, the making new heavens and a new earth, as it was in the making of the world at first. There must once be an extraordinary effort of omnipotency or an almighty power: but that being once supposed, it is easily apprehensible, how many things may concur and fall in, what a conspiracy of inferior and subservient causes there may be, to promote and help on the reviving of religion in the world. That extraordinary effusion of the Spirit therefore once supposed, we will go on to particulars that will be