But the goodness of God would not leave man in this condition; a redemption from it was immediately granted, and a bruiser of the serpent to bring the light and Spirit of heaven once more into the human nature. This light and Spirit of God is called _grace_, _free grace_, or the _supernatural_ gift, or power of God in the soul, because it is something, that the natural powers of the soul can no more obtain. Hence it is that every stirring of the soul, every tendency of the heart towards God and goodness, is justly ascribed to the Holy Spirit, or the grace of God. It is because this first seed of life, which is sown into the soul, is itself the light of God, and that every stirring, or opening of this seed of life, every awakening thought or desire that arises from it, must be called the moving, or the quickening of the Spirit of God. Hence also we have a plain declaration of the certain truth, of all those scriptures, which speak of the inspiration of God, the operation of the Holy Spirit, the power of the divine light, as the necessary agents in the renewal and sanctification of our souls. Hence also it is, that all men are exhorted not to quench, or resist, or grieve the Spirit, that is, this _seed of the Spirit and light of_ God that is in all men, as the only source of good. Again, _the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh_. By the flesh and its lustings, are meant the _mere human nature_, or the _natural man_, as he is by the fall; by the Spirit is meant the bruiser of the serpent, that seed of the light and Spirit of God, which lieth as a treasure hid in the soul, in order to bring forth the life, that was lost in _Adam_. Now as the flesh hath its life, its lustings, whence all sorts of evil are truly said to be inspired, quickened, and stirred up in us; so the Spirit being a living principle within us, has its inspiration, its breathing, its moving, its quickening, from which alone the divine life, or the angel that died in _Adam_, can be born in us.
When this Spirit is not resisted, grieved, and quenched, but its inspirations and motions suffered to grow and increase in us, to unite with God, and get power over all the lusts of the flesh, then the nature, Spirit, and tempers of Jesus Christ are opened in our souls. On the other hand, when the flesh, hath resisted and quenched this Spirit; then the works of the flesh, adultery, fornication, murders, lying, hatred, envy, wrath, pride, foolishness, worldly wisdom, carnal prudence, false religion, hypocritical holiness, and serpentine subtilty, set up their kingdom within us.
_Secondly_, This pearl of eternity is the wisdom and love of God within thee. In this pearl, all the holy nature, spirit, tempers, and inclinations of Christ lie, and divine wisdom and heavenly love will grow up in thee, if thou givest but true attention to God. On the other hand, There is hidden also in the depth of thy nature the root, or possibility of all the hellish nature, spirit and tempers of the fallen angels. For heaven and hell have each of them their foundation within us, and spring up in us, according as our heart is turned, either to the light of God or the kingdom of darkness. But when this life, which is in the midst of these two eternities, is at an end, either an angel or a devil will be found to have a birth in us.