SERM. guided and assisted in all that we do, by this blessed principle, which does as it were act and animate all good men; and we are said " to be kept by the mighty

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power of Gop," that is, by the powerful operation of God's HOLY SPIRIT, "through faith " unto salvation."

3. All particular graces and virtues are likewise faid to be "the fruit of the SPIRIT," Gal. v. 22. "The fruit of the SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, " long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (or ra"ther-fidelity) meekness, temperance." And Ephef. v. 9. "The fruit of the SPIRIT is in all goodness, " and righteousness, and truth." And charity, which is the sum almost of all other graces and virtues, is said to be planted and wrought in us by the SPIRIT, I Pet. i. 22. " Seeing ye have purified

your fouls in obeying the truth, through the SPIRIT, unto charity, or unfeigned love of the bre

"thren."

4. By the fame SPIRIT we are said to be made partakers of that great and glorious privilege of " adoption," and are advanced to that high ho nour and dignity of being " called the fons of "GOD," Rom. viii. 14. "As many as are led by "the SPIRIT of God, are the fons of God," and consequently heirs of a blessed refurrection to eternal life. For the apostle reasons, ver. 16. 17. " The SPIRIT itself beareth witness with our fpi" rit," that is, is a teftimony within us, " that we " are the children of God. And if children, then " heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with CHRIST " if fo be that suffer with him, that we may be also "glorified together." So that the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, which is conferr'd upon all fincere christians,

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christians, and does refide in them, is a "mark or SERM. " feal of their being the children of God," and a " pledge or earnest of the blessed inheritance" of eternal life, as the scripture very plainly and fre quently declares, 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. "Now he which " establisheth us with you in CHRIST, and hath " anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us," or set his fignature to mark upon us; and what this is, he explains in the next words; " and hath given us " the earnest or pledge of the SPIRIT in our " hearts." Ephef. i. 13, 14. " In whom also after " that ye believed, ye were sealed with that HOLY "SPIRIT of promise, which is the earnest of our " inheritance, until the redemption of the purcha" fed poffeffion." And chap. iv. 30. " And grieve " not the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD, whereby ye " are fealed unto the day of redemption."

5. By this SPIRIT we have free access to God in prayer, in confidence that we shall have our petitions granted, Ephef. ii. 18. "For through him,"

: that is through JESUS CHRIST, "we both have " an access by one SPIRIT unto the FATHER." By the fame SPIRIT likewise we are assisted in our prayers to GOD, and direct what to ask of him. So St. Paul tells us, Rom. viii. 26. that " we do not know what to pray for as we ought; " but the SPIRIT helpeth our infirmities, and in

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tercedeth for us;" that is, suggests to us such petitions and requests as are fit for us to put up to GOD.

6. By the fame SPIRIT "joy and peace in be" lieving," and from the teftimony of a good conscience, "great confolation and good hope through " grace," are frequently inftill'd into us, and " shed " abroad

SERM." abroad in our hearts." Hence are those expref

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sions so frequent in scripture, of " the confolations " of the SPIRIT, of peace and joy in the HOLY "GHOST," which, as it is the natural fruit of righteousness, so it is likewise produced and increased in us, by the secret operation and influence of GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT.

7. And lastly, by the same SPIRIT christians are supported and born up, cheared and comforted in all their troubles and afflictions, and that in a very extraordinary and supernatural manner, when they fall under great tribulations and fufferings for righteousness fake. And this influence and assistance of the divine SPIRIT, was very visible and remarkable among the primitive christians, who were fo terribly exposed to the most fierce and cruel perfecutions; and may proportionably be expected in all cases of extraordinary suffering for the testimony of GOD's truth.

And though this influence and assistance, this conduct and guidance of the divine SPIRIT, be commonly very gentle and secret, and do usually work upon us in so imperceptible a manner, that it is very hard, if not impossible, particularly to diftinguish beteween the motions of GOD'S SPIRIT, and those of our own minds, between the immediate suggestions of the HOLY GHOST, and the dictates of our own reason; yet we are in general sufficiently assured of it, partly from the effects themselves, but principally from the express promise and declarations from scripture, that christians are acted by a supernatural principle, and secretly assisted by the influence of a spirit above our own: and therefore we have reason, as the scripture conftantly does,

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does, to afcribe all the good that is in us, or that SERM. is done by us, to this gracious assistance and powerful influence of the HOLY SPIRIT of God upon our minds, and thankfully to acknowledge that " in us, that is, in our flesh," in our carnal minds confidered as destitute of the SPIRIT of GOD, " there dwells nothing that is good;" and that "by "the grace of God we are what we are," and are enabled to do all the good we do, " through "CHRIST strengthning of us by his SPIRIT " in the inner man." I proceed to the

Fourth and last thing I proposed to confider, viz. the extent of this gift of the HOLY SPIRIT of God, as to persons and times. And in short, this gift is bestowed upon every particular christian, every fincere believer; for " we receive the promise of "the SPIRIT by faith:" and, " if any man, " says the apostle, Rom. viii. 9. have not the SPI

RIT OF CHRIST, he is none of his; " that is, he does not belong to him, he is no true christian. And 1 Cor. iii. 16. "Know ye not," says the fame apostle, speaking of all christians in general, " know ye not that ye are the temple of "God, and that the SPIRIT of GOD dwelleth in "you?"

And that this gift extends to all persons, in all times and ages of the church, to all that sincerely embrace the christian profession, and are admitted into it by baptifm, is plain from that discourse of St. Peter, which I had occasion to mention before, Acts ii. 38. " Repent and be baptized every one of

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you, in the name of JESUS CHRIST, for the " remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of "the HOLY GHOST." And that this was not a

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SERM. favour and privilege peculiar to the first ages of chriftianity, but common to all fucceeding times, is evident from what follows, ver. 39. " but the promise," that is, the great promise of the HOLY GHOST, " is unto you, and to your children, and to all that " are afar off, even as many as the LORD our GoD " shall call." That is, this promise of the SPIRIT extends to all those who shall hereafter embrace the christian profession.

And in this sense, our SAVIOUR makes good that promise which he made to his apostles, " to be with " them always in the work of making disciples, and " baptizing them, to the end of the world;" that is, he would accompany the labours of the paftors and teachers of his church in all ages, with fuch a prefence and influence of his SPIRIT upon those that were taught and baptized, as should be suitable to the occafions and neceffities of the church, both the paftors and the members of it, "" unto the end of the " world." In a word, this gift of God's HODY SPIRIT is bestowed upon all those who by baptism are admitted into CHRIST's religion, and if it be cherifh'd and complied with, and the blessed motions of it be not resisted and quenched by us, it will abide and continue with us, and produce thofe bleffed fruits and effects which I have before mentioned.

Having thus explain'd the several particulars contain'd in the text, all that now remains, is to make fome useful inferences from the whole; and they shall be thefe following, and I shall be very brief in them.

1. What an encouragement is here to our duty, that we have fuch a mighty aid and assistance pro