Ana. It is true we cannot, no more than we can obey the law ; nay, it is harder to obey the gospel than to obey the law in a man's own strength ; for there are the seeds of the law in our nature, but there are none of the gospel. That is merely f supernatural. The promises are above nature to apprehend them ; therefore a supernatural strength is required to plant the excellent grace of faith in our hearts. But though we be as unable to believe and obey the gospel as the law, yet here is the difference ; toge- ther with the unfolding of our miseries by the gospel, the Spirit of God goes along to sustain us. The law finds us dead, and gives us no strength, but leaves a man cursed stiU ; the gospel hkewise finds us dead, but it leaves us not so, and therefore it is called ' the ministry of the Spirit,' Gal. iii. 5. ' Re- ceived you the Spirit by the law, or by the gospel ?' Gal. iii. 2. God's blessed Spirit goes together with the sweet message of salvation and eternal life, and this Spirit doth not only open our understandings, but incline and bend our wills and affections to embrace the truth that is offered. Seeing, there- fore, the Spii'it which accompanieth the gospel is mighty and powerful in operation, let none pretend impossibility. For though they find not the sweet blaze of the Spirit at the first or second hearing, yet let them stiU attend upon grace, ' waiting at wisdom's gate,' Prov. viii. 34, and the angel will come at length and stir the waters. God will make the means effectual first or last, to those that in truth of heart seek unto him ; for the gospel is the chariot of the Spmt, and the golden conduit through which the Spirit runs, and is conveyed to us. Therefore if thou wouldst not disobey the gospel, withstand not the Spirit of God working by the same.
How the Spirit works tcith the gospel. Now the Spirit works with the gospel by degrees. 1. It bringeth some to be willing to hear the gospel, who yet presently neglect and disregard the same. 2. Others are more obedient for a time, * as the stony ground,' Mat. xiii. 5, but because they
* That is, as ' submissive.' Seo page 390, line 7 froaa bottom. — Q. t That is, 'wholly.'— G.
892 THE ungodly' S MISEEY.
opened not their hearts to the working of the Spirit only, but will be ruled . partly by carnal wisdom, and partly by the Spirit, it leaves them at last altogether. 3. But some there are who give up themselves wholly to the government of Christ, to be ruled in all things by his blessed Spirit, highly esteeming the treasures of heaven, and comforts of a better life, above all the fading outward felicities which this world can afford ; who would not gain any earthly thing, hurt their consciences, or once defile themselves with unfi-uitful works of darlcness ; fearing lest they should in anything dis- honour Christ, or grieve his good Spirit ; and to such only hath the gospel come in power.
Therefore, I beseech you, seriously consider of this truth. If you would not disobey the gospel, disobey not the Spirit accompanying the same ; deal faithfuUy with your own souls. "Which of you all hath not some time or other had hia heart warmed with the sweet motions of God's Spirit ? Ob, do not resist these holy stiiiings within you ; give way to the motions of the blessed Spirit of God ; second them mth holy resolutions to practise the same ; let them sink deep into yom' hearts, root them there, and never give over the holy meditation of them, till you make them your own, till you come to see grace and the state of Christianity, to be the most amiable and excellent thing in the world, and sin and carnal courses to be the most accursed thing in the world, worse than any misery, than any beggary, torment, or disgi'ace whatsoever. Beloved, till we have our spirits wrought upon to this high esteem of good things, and to a base undei-valuing of all things else, we shall rebel against Christ first or last ; for until such time as the heart of man is ovei'powered with grace, he cannot but disobey the gospel, either by shutting it out altogether, or by making an evil use of what he knoweth, thereby turning the ' gi-ace of God into wantonness,' Jude 4, or else by revolting from the truth received altogether. When times of temp- tation come, unsound Christians will do one of these three, either despise, refuse, or revolt from the truth. Therefore I beseech you, let your hearts be cast into the mould and fashion of the gospel of Chi'ist, let it be soundly bottomed and engrafted in you, that so you may grow more and more obe- dient to the truth revealed, and so your end shall not be theirs here, which obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Quest. But how may I come to obey the gospel ?
Ans. Beg earnestly of God, in the use of the means (else prayer is but a tempt- ing of God), that thy soul may be convinced what evil is in thee, and ivhat evil is towards thee, unless thou rejoent. Labour for sound conviction; for you shall not need to stir up a man that is condemned to seek out for a pardon, or a man that feels the smart of his wound to get balm to cm-e it. Oh, no ; when our hearts are once truly humbled and pierced with a sight of our sins, then Christ will be Christ indeed unto us. Now mercy is sweet at such a time ; anything for a Saviour then, and not before. Therefore labour eveiy day to see more and more into the venomous and filthy natm-e of sin ; make it as odious to thy soul as possibly thou canst ; hearken to the voice of con- science ; give it full scope to speak what it can, that so thou mayest fly to Christ. Consider how God plagueth us in this world for sin ; how it fills us with fears and horrors, causing our consciences to torment us, and fly in our faces ; consider what threatenings are denounced against sin and sin- ners, for the time to come ; consider the fearful judgments of God upon others for sin, how it cast Adam out of paradise, the angels out of heaven, being so offensive to God, that it could no otherwise be expiated than by the death and bloodshedding of the Lord Jesus. I beseech you, let your