being fully deliver'd by such Miraculous Testimony as cannot reasonably be deny'd so that those who will not be induc'd in the exercise of their Freedom to study this Revelation which God be thanked he has given us in Writing and observe or practice the Terms of their Happiness it proposes can never certainly be prevail'd upon by any other Courses that Heaven can design nor do I mean that this Spirit should dictate words to People which perhaps he never did either to Prophets or Apostles only presenting a Scheme of Divine Truths to their Minds but leaving the Language to themselves to be express'd according to their different ways of Education and the prevailing Temper in them as we may observe their Figures and Stile ever answer'd these I say I do not mean that the Spirit should dictate words to People enable them to speak even the known Doctrines or Rules of the Gospel after an Extempore manner which would supersede their own Faculties and probably be an occasion of their Neglects in Heavenly Knowledge as it would greatly administer to Spiritual Pride and Contempt of others both which we may see the example of in a sort of Men among us that only conceit these things of themselves But my meaning is that the Spirit communicates such Light and Grace such clearer Informations of all saving Truths with respect to the Understanding such stronger Motives towards the rectifying of the Will upon our compliance with the means afforded us our due perusal of the Sacred Volumes the Dictates of this Spirit our honest Endeavours in the ways of Godliness according to the Precepts deliver'd in those Volumes as will secure us from any dangerous Error in point of Doctrine and enable us against all our evil Affections for every Vertue of a Christian Life we ever obediently following his Guidance and comporting with him This I mean by the larger Gifts of the holy Spirit in a Gospel-state that being dispens'd on our due Concourse with his first Motions a Vertuous Temper by that means after some measure obtain'd in our Minds they are only in order to our farther attainment of that Temper to afford our infirm lapsed Natures proper Assistances for that end not to operate in fluent Discourses or particular Revelations when we already have a complete Book given forth by this Spirit of our Faith and Practice that is of our whole Duty what God enjoyns us or is requir'd of us in the nature of Things with regard to our eternal Bliss and especially we cannot suppose this holy Inspirer thus to operate after this manner where Men imploy not their main Industry do not diligently Meditate in this Heavenly Book which Moses with respect to the Old Testament commanded his Charge the Israelites to do Night and Day Deut. 6.7.11.19 nor prepare their Minds by a more eminent degree of Gospel-Morals or Holiness of Life as some People who must be Conscious of their Defects in both these Instances unreasonably maintain of themselves and others that they are enabl'd whether to Preach or to Pray and I am apt to think as much without Fore-thought or Study too as the Apostles were And then as to this Doctrine of Habits the establishing the Spiritual Life the Heavenly Felicities and Joys upon them which I all-along here do as I do likewise the more liberal Gifts of the blessed Comforter in our Souls tho' this may not possibly be admitted by all but a pure Obedience not as it any ways disposes us for them accounted the Term of those great Rewards yet this Doctrine I think however it may be rejected plainly appears to be the Import of the Gospel-Law as this is not satisfy'd with outward Performances Opus operatum bare Acts of Obedience but every where condemns such giving them their deserv'd Stile of Hypocrisie when they are alone and requiring a compliance of the reasonable part a reconcilement of the Heart to its several Precepts that these be observ'd or conform'd withal in our very Thoughts which would be quite a needless Discipline unless an inward frame thus attainable were necessary for the Graces our Lord purchased the Joys he proposes And besides our blessed Saviour expresly says he repeats it to us that we must be born again or else we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 1.13.3.3 5. that is as he explains it we are to obtain a new Nature quite in opposition to the Desires of Flesh have another Temper advanc'd in our Spirits according to the Mind and Will of God so as that we may be capable of his Heavenly Bliss And the Apostles frequently tell us in Emblematical Phrases with reference to Christ that we must put off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh be altogether dead to them buried with our blessed Redeemer in Baptism when taking upon us his holy Profession we are to renounce those abominable Practices and likewise thro' the Faith of the operation of God his Almighty Power declaring it self in our honest Endeavours We must be raised with him to righteousness of Life Col. 2.12 Rom. 6.3 That we must crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts whatever proceeds from that evil Principle Gal. 5.24 that we being Dead as Christians should be to these Worldly Enjoyments and our true Life hid with Christ in God we must mortifie the Members of our Unregenerate Man which are set upon the Earth Earthly Interests or Pleasures there recounted by that Apostle Col. 3.3 5. This old Man we are injoyn'd again to put off which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and to put on the new Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 24. Col. 3.9 10. we must be transform'd by the renewing of our Minds Rom. 12.2 All which places being so many Testimonies of the holy Spirit besides the plain Assertion of our Saviour evidently set forth that 't is something beyond a mere Obedience which duly distinguishing may be accounted the Effect thereof where sincerely perform'd from just Motives viz. a Habit of Piety as our Minds are recover'd from the Affections of Body a Spiritualiz'd Temper with such sort of Appetites or Desires in it that disposes Men for their eternal Bliss not the pure Instances of Obedience only which may possibly be perform'd even habitually too thro' a kind of Mechanism or for sinister Purposes without any amendment of Spirit or reformation in the Soul the sensual Nature with its proper Offspring still being the reigning Principle in such Persons And the Apostle expresly confirms this that it must be a Habit of Christian Purity a Triumph or Mastery over the Desires of Flesh that founds the Disposition for our true Happiness declaring likewise that an Indulgence of these lower Appetites is the Genuine Cause of our eternal Sufferings the fruitful Parent or Seed-plot of our Miseries whence they naturally spring To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and Peace And again if ye live
the Deity whatsoever his sufferings may at any time be who has such dark Apprehensions thereof no grounds of a sure Faith in God so as to enjoy the mighty supports that even the notion of an infinite Being of such Moral Perfections affords Mankind and who is also under such opposite Habits so quite contrarily dispos'd to him that he can no ways partake of him in his blisful Emanations that so freely descend on every Individual of the reasonable World where they are not repuls'd or where a right temper and frame of Spirit can receive them These are the Miseries that accompany an Unregenerate State if they were not rather to be felt than describ'd even in this World But the dismal Scene commences after here are some intervals of a pleasurable Entertainment such as the sensual Faculties afford and compensate Men withal in this state where their alluring Objects are and they can exert their proper Acts tho' these Pleasures be of an inferiour kind below the great Enjoyments belonging to Men and engage such Fatigues in the purchase of them and ever defeat our Promises from them and are so short liv'd at the best But when we come into the spiritual World where the Objects are of a refined Nature and require such Faculties and tasts in us the sensitive Scene being over and finish'd with its whole delights we must then be capable of enjoying God and living upon him in the pure Exercises that refer to him or else we must needs be miserable for ever But it must be by a habit of rectify'd Reason thro' the privileges of the Gospel a spiritual Sensation advanc'd in our Minds by a due Observance of all the parts of a Christian Vertue that these viz. our Minds can be able to exert their own Powers and follow the Tendences that are born in them perceive and relish abstractedly and freely from the infection of Body 't is this alone that can render us qualify'd and truly prepare us for that great Imployment our utmost felicity of Conversing with God and his dwelling in us or we in him 1 John 3.24.4.12 13. But this Principle is dead in profligate Sinners the contrary temper a sensual Habit not slain in the opportunity allow'd for that purpose possessing their Souls and therefore unless this can be mortify'd and the other reviv'd in our after Mansions which the Scriptures afford us no hopes of they being only alive to the things of sense and this World as they went off hence must ever be coveting quite unattainable Satisfactions there with bitter Resentments eager Remorses among vain Desires and shall be able to partake of no blisful Entertainments even when they are in the proper Region where these chiefly are This is the spiritual Death or Death of Sin when the first Propension of the Soul towards God is diverted and lost thro' Foreign Desires promoted in it from its Commerce with this gross Body its habitual pursuance of the Delights of Sense and its Communion intercepted with that only true beatifying Object that it cannot imploy it self upon him in a pure Contemplation of his boundless Attributes which is one part of the great Happiness of Intelligent Creatures nor admit his gracious Influences into it but standing quite in another Inclination to a sensual State now dismiss'd and gone that only had its Reason for our Probation a little while it will ever be hankering after these poor Vanities like the Israelites when they were remov'd from Egypt except as was intimated before its present habit can be chang'd even here in this second Life which is a Dependance altogether groundless nay which has the greatest Argument against it when People have neglected the accepted Time the Day of Salvation graciously offer'd them or except God in the effect of his infinite Goodness would render us happy as it were forcibly without our selves which is impossible the nature of Happiness being such that it must ever proceed from a voluntary Spring and free Actions in a reasonable Being tho' God declaring even his infinite Goodness in other particulars all with relation to this World and our attainment of Holiness here we may be well satisfy'd that such a forcible change of Mens Tempers if it could be would be no proper Instance of his goodness and that no Reserves thereof are to be expected afterwards This is the sad dismal State with the Infelicities that attend Mankind in both Worlds without the Benefits of a Redeemer and being Born again or Renew'd in the Spirit of their Minds thro' him What positive Punishment and to what degree may be poured forth on such Rebels to their Maker nay who have not only contemn'd his Authority but insulted his Mercy in Christ Jesus trodden under foot the Son of God and the Ransom he purchas'd with his own Blood we cannot define however we may be certain from the Expressions of Scripture whether literally taken or to denote Sufferings by Metaphorical Language that these shall be very grievous ones tho' if they should be our own Portion we must confess such Offenders deserve Let us now see how our Redeemer has deliver'd us out of this State and what we must contribute towards our complete our entire Deliverance from our selves as likewise how the Redeemed viz. true Christians will behave themselves and what their Happiness redounding thence must be And as to the Benefits we partake of from Christ we are fully assur'd that he Mediated for us who were in a State of Enmity with God by his own Blood offer'd himself a Propitiation and Sacrifice on our behalf the Dignity of whose Person he being as far exalted above all the Orders or Degrees of Angels as the Creator of them is and the voluntariness of the Oblation entring into the Atonement and adding an infinite Merit to it he not only procur'd us the Favour of God Remission our Pardon of all our Offences on the only possible Term of our Happiness a true Repentance but likewise obtain'd such Communications of the Spirit to be even a preventing Influence and conferr'd upon us without any Preparedness in our Tempers for them as the first Graces are so conferred according to the manifold Testimonies of Scripture Phil. 2.13 Eph. 2.3 4. 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 3.5 John 15.16 or else we could never be partakers of them in our fallen State And we may even demonstrate these from Experience we often find such workings in our Minds as could not probably proceed from them in the use of their own Faculties as Checks of Conscience then pursuing us while we are just about engaging in any unwarrantable Act and the Animal Affections being afloat overcome Consideration and will not admit of any sober Thought as likewise immediate Instantaneous Enlightnings sudden Admonitions cast into us concerning some important Duty or Behaviour whereas the progress of Reason is in a Chain of Things by Deductions or Inferences and the Lessons it teaches in the just and due Exercise of it self not as
be all with regard to God and Vertue which may be a sign to our selves that we are in this bless'd State as our Saviour speaks concerning a truly Regenerate Person That which is born of the spirit is spirit John 3.6 We shall then be intimately united to God partake of a blessed Communion with him in all the Bounties of his diffusive Nature as we attain to be true Christians or are created again in Christ Jesus after his Image Eph. 4.23 we shall thus be those Sheep of our Saviour that are safe in his Father's hand whom none can be able to pluck away from him John 10.28 29. being kept by the Power of God thro' Faith unto Salvation James 1.5 These are the great Enjoyments and Happiness that a Christian Temper possesses one of an enliven'd Soul a Person quickned by the Spirit of God enjoys even in this Life among all the Perplexities and Troubles of it But when we come into the Heavenly part of this bless'd state these grosly constituted these refractory Bodies to the motions of our Minds being chang'd into Celestial Spiritualiz'd ones compliant in all things and the Pious Habits the Propensions we have gain'd from a Life of Vertue and towards God exerting themselves freely with the Influences of Grace that now informing such dispos'd Subjects are under no restraints what bright displays of Divine Truth shall we perceive in our Minds what farther discoveries of the Mysteries of the Deity shall we be ever replenish'd withal how will the deep contrivances of the wisdom of God and his infinite Love not only in the Creation but more signally in the manner of his Redemption of the lapsed World and his Goverment of it his several Dispensations with regard to the untoward dispositions of his free Creatures whom he bestow'd so much of his own Prerogative upon or made them such Images of himself how will these great Subjects that we so little attain at present the knowledge whereof must most entertain our pure Minds and unite them to God with an inseparable Affection that nothing can remove how will these still more appear and be manifested to us which will ever afford our Minds thus without all Impediments thus in their utmost preparation fresh Scenes unperceiv'd Instances both of Wisdom and Goodness till they can arrive at Omniscience or comprehend Infinity that is throughout endless Ages Being with St. Paul and even in a more purify'd Habit than he then was literally and really in Body and Spirit rapt up into the third Heaven we shall see and discern unutterable Things that our narrow Languages answering our scant Knowledge here can no ways express nor we now apprehend if a charitable Angel should be induc'd to declare them to us the Glories of the Spiritual World and the Divine Actings with respect to the Souls of Men far transcending the wonders of this material one New Faculties shall be then afforded us or which are now hindred thro' the disadvantages of this State open'd in our Minds whence we shall discern naked Spirit the substance of immaterial Natures even the great Omnipresent Creator of all by as evident a sight as we now do Body To see God which is the Promise to the Pure in Heart Matt. 5.8 those that follow Holiness Heb. 12.14 not thro' a Glass darkly that is thro' the gross Instruments of our outward Senses which reason for the most takes its first hints from and works or exercises it self upon tho' they cannot admit or at all acquaint us even with the contexture of Earthly Bodies to see God not by means of these from the Characters we gather of his infinite Perfections in this visible Universe but face to face know even as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 to see him as he is 1 John 3.2 plainly distinguishes between the knowledge of this and the other World and one would think sets forth another mode of Apprehension of the now unperceivable Objects there answerable to the present Conviction of our Senses and corporeal Sight Indeed we may be satisfy'd of the Being of Spirit as assuredly as we can be of Matter but then this is by long Deductions laborious Demonstration not immediate Intuition or a present glance which seems to explain the foremention'd Phrases the one kind of these ways of Knowledge as affording sufficient Evidence of the greatest Truths if we duly imploy our Faculties about them being proper for our Probation or the Trial of our Honesty and the other for the Reward thereof Now this Apprehension or Knowledge of God after an Intuitive manner as it must be larger and more comprehensive what a rapturous Love of him will it kindle in our Breasts that Passion that founds our utmost Happiness when thus rightly plac'd How will this command all our Appetites towards him and still create new ones as the former are answer'd and have drunk their fill Ecclus 24.21 Eager Desires that can never be satisfy'd are a true cause of our Felicity here by means whereof as our Thirst is more we shall continually more Communicate with him and be always drawing down fresh Supplies from that only inexhaustible Spring which will send forth Rivers of Pleasure for evermore This is the Christian Habit or Principle a Revival from the dead State of Nature when thro' a Course of Gospel-Obedience we have well master'd the Affections of Sense the lower Gratifications that the Soul perceives and enjoys from thence and so partake of larger Communications of Grace or the Divine Nature 't is this that makes us capable of our true Felicity the Kingdom of our Saviour which is within us as he tells us Luke 17.21 both here and hereafter And thus having given an account of the freer Influences of the holy Spirit in the Souls of Men as they have more prepar'd themselves by a Gospel-Virtue I would not be understood concerning Revelation properly speaking as if I meant that he should discover some farther Instances of the Mind of God to us-ward than is declar'd in the New Testament a higher state of Holiness now requir'd as some fondly talk of the Kingdom of the Spirit some more particulars to be believ'd or practis'd not to mention some Doctrines and Explications of certain Places repugnant to the Tenour of the rest of the Scriptures which must proceed from another Author or that he should repeat by some new Teachers and such Gifts in them as he bestow'd on the Apostles even their very Doctrines only perhaps in variety of Expressions which so mainly delight some People especially if deliver'd in a Canting Stile conceited Phrases that more strike the Phansie than inform the Understanding such as our now pretended Prophets commonly use whereas in truth there is no need of all this which if once requisite must be done over again in every Age but there is no need of this the whole Counsel of God for the recovery of the lapsed World to his Grace or Favour and the Methods he us'd to that purpose