and it would be useful for all of us, when we read the volume of God's book, to obferve it. Speaking of the power of God as the power of his grace toward them that believe, Eph. i. 17. he prays for the Ephefians, that they may know the exceeding greatnefs of God's power. He is not fpeaking of miracles; he is speaking to ordinary Christians, for whom he puts up his prayer, that God might give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Chrift; and is fpeaking of the exceeding greatnefs of God's power toward them that believe. To the fame purpofe, 1 Cor. i. 18. "The preaching of the crofs is to them that perifh, foolishnefs; but to them that are faved, it is the power of God." Miracles were wrought in the prefence of them that perished, as well as of them that were faved.

3. Another evidence may be drawn from those fcriptures that fpeak, not only of the power, but of the enlightening grace of God; as that remarkable prayer, Eph. iii. which Paul put up for the Ephefians, which we ought daily to put up for ourselves, that the Lord would ftrengthen them with might, in order to know the love of Chrift that paffeth knowledge; and that Chrift might dwell in their hearts by faith. It is the fame as if he had prayed, that the hand of the Lord might be upon them, that they might obtain precious faith. There is a great deal of force in the apostle's expreffions. He gives, in a folemn manner, an account of his bowing his knee for them, that God would grant them according to the riches of his glory, to be ftrengthened with might. Some might have been ready to think, that feeing the apoftle is feeking knowledge for them, he would have prayed, that the Lord would enlighten them to know the love of Chrift. But it is not fo. He expreffes it, that God would ftrengthen them to know it; which puts us in mind of a divine power that is effectual for falvation. When

When he fays, "ftrengthened by his Spirit," and "ftrengthened in the inner man," this fhows us, that we ought not to think, that God is the author of fpiritual knowledge only as he is the author of the outward revelation. In that refpect he is the author of every fpecies of knowledge. It is he that has made us know more than the beafts that perish. It is he that by his providence gives the means of natural knowledge, as well as fpiritual. But that we may fee plainly there is fomething more than this meant in the fcriptures that make God the author of fpiritual knowledge, let us confider, that thofe men for whom the apoftle prays here, were men that had the outward revelation already. Now, if God gave fpiritual knowledge no other way than by his providence, affording outward means, men ought not to pray for light from God. after once they get the gofpel; for the prayer in that cafe would be for new revelations of truths not contained in the word of God, the fcope of which is enthusiasm and delufion. The Spirit of God is offered, and we are to pray for it; not to give us a new Bible, not to reveal truths that are not contained in it, but for that end spoken of, Luke xxiv. that he may open our eyes to understand the fcriptures, take the veil off our hearts, fhine into our hearts, by the knowledge of the glory of God in Chrift Jefus. A man may have the outward teaching of the word, and yet fee no beauty in Chrift wherefore he fhould defire him. He may underftand, in a natural way, the meaning of thofe fcriptures, and, yet not fee the evil of fin, and the glory of the mystery of redemption.

There are different evidences under this head in fcripture, that may ferve to convince our judgement, and strengthen our faith, about it, through God's grace. 1. Scripture-affertions, that show God to be the author of fpiritual light and knowledge, that knowledge which hath faith included in

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it, and is neceffary to turning to the Lord, over and above the outward means that he gives; as in 2 Cor. iv. "God, who commanded light to fhine ic out of darkness, hath fhined into our hearts, to

give us the light of the knowledge of the glory "of God in the face of Jefus Chrift." 2. Scriptureprayers put up by men already favoured with the outward revelation. 3. Promifes in fcripture of fpiritual light and direction, made to people having certain particular qualifications, in order to recommend and encourage thofe qualifications. Thus, Pfal. xxv. 9. it is faid, "The Lord will teach the "meek his way ;" and Prov. iii. 6. "Acknowledge "God in all thy ways, and he fhall direct thy "paths." Now, the mere outward teaching and direction of the word is granted to men, whether they be meek and humble or not, whether they acknowledge God or not: fo that the teaching here promised must be different from that which is common to all men.

4. Another general evidence arifes from scriptures where we are taught not to afcribe the efficacy of the word of God to men. John i. 12. 13. "They that received Chrift, were born, not of fleth, "nor of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God.” 1 Cor. iii. 7. "lle that watereth and he that plant"eth are nothing, but God that giveth the in"crease." God's giving the increase is plainly fomething different from his giving the outward means of knowledge. Giving increase is making the good feed to bring forth fruit, making it take root, and bring forth; for otherwife Paul and Apollos, and other teachers, could not have been faid to be nothing; because it is certain men may give further fpeculative knowledge of the word of God, as well as of other things.

5. Another evidence may be drawn from those fcriptures that fpeak more particularly of the caufe of faith. It is true indeed thofe fcriptures that

speak

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fpeak of the cause of regeneration and fanctification, in effect fhow us the caufe of faith likewife; but it is useful for us to have the word of Chrift, and the fubjects of it richly dwelling in us, both for further ftrengthening of our faith, and furnishing us with matter of the most delightful meditation upon those gracious declarations concerning the almighty power of God, working all the good pleasure of his goodnefs on the hearts of finners. And on this head it is ufeful to obferve, there are two ways of fpeaking the fcripture has about the cause of faith; in fome places afcribing it to a pure undeferved act of God's fovereign good pleasure, and in other places to a special exercife of his power. 1. To his fovereign good pleasure, 2 Theff. i. 11. " fulfilling in you all the "good pleasure of his goodnefs, and the work of "faith." Sometimes, when we have account of the cause of faith, we are warned not to ascribe it to ourselves: Eph. ii. 8. "We are faved by faith; "and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God: "not of works, left any man fhould boaft; for we

are God's workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus "unto good works, which God hath appointed "that we fhould walk in them." So that both faith and good works are God's workmanship; both are neceflary; but the one the fruit of the other, At other times, it is confidered, not only as a gift of God, but an unfpeakable precious gift. It is afcribed alfo to the fovereign good pleafure of God, that fome have a greater measure of it than others, Rom. xii. 3. according as he hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Philip. i. 29. the apofle tells us, it was given them to believe, and not only to believe, but to fuffer for his name. We fee therefore how ordinary a thing it is to fpeak of it as a gift of God. It is a rule obferved by the apoftles, when they fpeak of the caufe of faith, to Speak of it, either as a gift of God's goodness, or the effect of his almighty power, and outstretched 3 L2

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When it is confidered as an effect of his power, fometimes it is expreffed by the Father's drawing us to the Son; and at the fame time indeed there is light goes along with the power. Every one that hath learned of the Father cometh to the Son, John vi. 45.; and it is called "an exceed"ing great power towards them that believe," Eph. i. 19. The effects of God's power are not equal. It is an exceeding precious faith produced by this power; becaufe, when the foul and heart of a guilty condemned rebel is enabled to receive the Son of God, and his righteoufnefs, to all eternity, he can receive no gift equal to this; and he receives in effect an equivalent to all the eternal joys of heaven. Thus we fee, that there are manifold and clear evidences to fhow, that God's power is the cause of faith; and this is a great encouragement to all that would fain have their faith increased, to confider how frequently the Lord put us in mind of his power and his fufficiency to do it. We have many fcripture-warrants to pray, that the Lord would help our unbelief, and increafe our faith.

6. We may add thofe fcriptures that afcribe to the powerful hand of God the feveral other graces that are either included in faith, or joined with it. Knowledge is one of the chief things included in it. We heard already how frequently we are taught, that it is God that fhines into the heart to give the light of that knowledge. In faith there is a willingness to receive the Son of God: "Whofoever "will, let him take of the waters of life freely." And it is God that works in us to will and to do, and makes us willing by his power. In faith there is an approaching to God; for it is an evil heart of unbelief that caufes to depart from him, and it is God that caufeth our fouls to approach unto him, Pfal. Ixv. 4. In faith there is a hope in God's word: Pfal. cxix. 49. tells us, that it is God that caufeth us to hope in his word: "Remember to thy fervant

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