23 G WORKS OF THE HOLY SriRIT [BOOK III.
merely to consider tlie preaching (with the effects which it had to- wards many) of the prophets of old, Isa. xlix. 4, Jer. xv. 20, Ezek. xxxiii. 81, 32; of Jesus Christ himself, John viii. 59; and of the apostles, Acts xiii. 41, 45, 46. Hence to this day, the Jews, who enjoy the letter of the Old Testament, without the administration of the Spirit, are as full of blindness, hardness, and obstinacy, as any in the world who are utterly deprived of it. Many amongst our- selves sit all their days under the preaching of the word, and yet have none of the effects mentioned wrought upon them, when others, their associates in hearing, are really affected, convinced, and con- verted. It is, therefore, the ministration of the Spirit, in and by the word, which produceth all or any of these effects on the minds of men ; he is the fountain of all illumination. Hence, they that are "enlightened" are said to be made " partakers of the Holy Spirit," Heb. vi. 4. And he is promised by our Saviour " to convince the world of sin," John xvi. 8; which, although in that place it respects only one kind of sin, yet it is sufficient to establish a general rule, that all conviction of sin is from and by him. And no wonder if men live securely in their sins, to whom the light which he gives and the convictions which he worketh are a scorn and reproach.
There is, indeed, an objection of some moment against the ascrip- tion of this work unto the energy of the Holy Spirit ; for " whereas it is granted that all these things may be wrought in the minds and souls of men, and yet they may come short of the saving gi'ace of God, how can he be thought to be the author of such a work ? Shall we say that he designs only a weak and imperfect work upon the hearts of men? or that he deserts and gives over the work of grace which he hath undertaken towards them, as not able to accomplish it?"
Ans. 1. In many persons, it may be in the most, who are thus affected, real conversion unto God doth ensue, the Holy Spirit by these preparatory actings making way for the introduction of the new spiritual life into the soul ; so they belong unto a work that is perfect in its kind. 2. Wherever they fail and come short of what in their own nature they have a tendency unto, it is not from any weakness and imperfection in themselves, but from the sins of them in whom they are wrought. For instance, even common illumina- tion and conviction of sin have, in their own nature, a tendency unto sincere conversion. They have so in the same kind as the la-sv hath to bring us unto Christ. Where this end is not attained, it is always from the interposition of an act of wilfulness and stubbornness in those enlightened and convicted. They do not sincerely improve what they have received, and faint not merely for want of strength to proceed, but, by a free act of their own wills, they refuse the grace which is farther tendered unto them in the gospel. This will, and
CHAP. II.] PREPAEATORY UNTO REGENERATION. 237
its actual resistance unto the work of the Spirit, God is pleased in some to take away. It is, therefore, of sovereign grace when and where it is removed. But the sin of men and their guilt is in it where it is continued; for no more is required hereunto but that it be voluntary. It is will, and not power, that gives rectitude or obliquity unto moral actions. 8. As we observed before, the Holy Spirit in his whole work is a voluntary agent. He worketh what, when, and how he pleaseth. No more is required unto his operations, that they may be such as become him, but these two things: — First, That in themselves they be good and holy. Secondly, That they be effectual as unto the ends whereunto by him they are designed. That he should always design them to the utmost length of what they have a moral tendency towards, though no real efficiency for, is not re- quired. And these things are found in these operations of the Holy Spirit. They are in their own nature good and holy. Illumination is so; so is conviction and sorrow for sin, with a subsequent change of affections and amendment of life.
Again : What he worketh in any of these effectually and infallibly accomplisheth the end aimed at ; which is no more but that men be enlightened, convinced, humbled, and reformed, wherein he faileth not. In these things he is pleased to take on him the management of the law, so to bring the soul into bondage thereby, that it may be stirred up to seek after deliverance ; and he is thence actively called the "Spirit of bondage unto fear," Rom. viii. 15. And this work is that which constitutes the third ground in our Saviour's parable of the sower. It receives the seed and springs up hopefully, until, by cares of the world, temptations, and occasions of life, it is choked and lost. Matt. xiii. 22. Now, because it oftentimes maketb a great ap- pearance and resemblance of regeneration itself, or of real conversion to God, so that neither the world nor the church is able to distin- guish between them, it is of great concernment unto all jorofessors of the gospel to inquire diligently whether they have in their own souls been made partakers of any other work of the Spirit of God or no; for although this be a good work, and doth lie in a good subserviency unto regeneration, yet if men attain no more, if they proceed no farther, they will perish, and that eternally. And multitudes do herein actually deceive themselves, speaking peace unto their souls on the effects of this work ; whereby it is not only insufficient to save them, as it is to all persons at all times, but also becomes a means of their present security and future destruction. I shall, therefore, give some few instances of what this work, in the conjunction of all the parts of it, and in its utmost improvement, cannot eifect; whereby men may make a judgment how things stand in their own souls in respect unto it: —