miffion of fins. It is certain therefore that CHRIST hath made an end of fin, and brought in everlasting righteousness, for the relief and justification of poor loft finners; which righteousness is unto all, and upon all them that believe*. Thus the Holy Spirit convinceth of righteousness :- Having fhewn us that we have no righteousness in ourselves, but are guilty, hell-deferving finners; by leading us to CHRIST, he fhews us complete and perfect righte ousness in him, for all that believe; and at the fame time regenerates, and works faith in the hearts of God's people that they may believe it. Thus the foul being truly humbled by a thorough conviction of his guilty and lost estate by nature, renounces his natural principles of felfrighteousness, felf-ability, and felf-conceit, which are born with every man; and whereby it is as natural for all men to seek to fave themselves, as to bear the image of the first Adam, and to exift inthe world. But those natural and deceitful props being discovered and taken away, the foul trembling finks within itself, and would utterly defpair, if not seasonably relieved, and prevented by the better hope of the Gospel; which is made manifeft in the heart and confcience, and favingly applied to the foul by the Holy Spirit only; to whom the T 4. • Rom. iii, 22. work work of regeneration, and converfion to God, as properly belongs, as that of redemption to JESUS CHRIST Our Lord. Therefore by the difcovery of this grace in the finner's heart, as a certain and glorious truth, he is inftantly united unto Chrift, converted unto God, and favingly regenerated by the HOLY GHOST; from whom alfo, at the very fame time, the foul receives fuch a right apprehenfion of CHRIST, and disposition towards him, that he believes, and cannot but believe on his name: He then beholds affuredly that Chrift is the way, the only way to God; and with purpose of heart, cleaves unto the Lord.—— By the fame Spirit he is taught, and enabled to rejoice in JESUS CHRIST only, without any mixture of felf-confidence in the flefh: But the ftrength of his faith, and the measure of his joy, is according to the fovereign will of the HOLY GHOST, who worketh all these things; but be in it little or much, he is favingly converted, if with the heart be believeth in the Lord JESUS.-- The heart by this faith in the blood of CHRIST is purified, and the confcience purged from dead works, whereby he is freely difpofed, and fincerely ready to ferve the living GOD: We love him, because he firft loved us. But not the leaft jot or tittle of this true knowledge, and love of GOD in CHRIST, is from any any will or work in the creature; but from the Spirit of God only, who worketh in him both to will and to do whereby alfo he leads the foul to CHRIST for all things, fhewing him that all fulness dwells in Chrift: From whom, by the Spirit, we thro' faith receive grace continually, for the fupply of all our need.-And this is what CHRIST himself before fpake and teftified; the Holy Spirit, faith he, fhall lead you into all truth: he shall not speak of bimfelf; but whatfoever he shall hear, that fhall be Speak: He fall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and fhall fhew it unto you *, Thus the finner purifies his foul, in obeying the truth, thro' the Spirit†; whose fruit is love, joy, goodness, &c. Under this head is comprehended the foul's being turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God‡.—All men in their natural state, before they come to CHRIST, are in darkness ||, and walk in darkness; neither know they where they are going, whether to heaven or hell, because that darkness bath blinded their eyes. And When xxvi. 18. John xvi. 13, 14, 15. + 1 Pet. i. 22. Acts When they are made fenfible of the darkness of their state, yet they cannot find their way out of it, nor deliver their own foul: Nay more, they cannot fo much as will, and heartily defire their deliverance, in the way that God hath appointed, (which is the only right way) until they are regenerated, and believe the Gofpel: For he teftifieth, except a man be born again be cannot fee the kingdom of God: And again, he that believeth not the SON fhall not fee life, but the wrath of GOD abideth on him. Thus, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishnefs unto him: neither can be know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned +. -CHRIST indeed is the true light, the light of life: But no finner can fee, or know that he is fo, and defire him; neither can he behold his glory, except the Holy Spirit open the eyes of his mind, for that purpose; and at the same time, taking of the things of CHRIST, fhew them unto him. But when the grace of GoD towards man, as perishing finners, is by the Spirit revealed in their hearts, according to the Gofpel; they are then regenerated, or fpiritually begotten by the word of truth; and, by the light of the glory of CHRIST, their. John iii. 3. + 1 Cor. ii. 4. Jam. i. 18. their fouls, in believing, are turned from darkness to light, and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son And now they fee clearly, by the power of the HOLY GHOST, that CHRIST is the true light, and rejoice in him as the LORD their righteousness, and only Saviour.-Thus are we made willing, thro' the Spirit, to turn to GOD, by JESUS CHRIST, in the day of his power †. By him alfo Satan's strong holds are ftormed. and taken; that God's chofen, and CHRIST's ranfomed ones may be made free, and fet at liberty from his lies and oppreffions: whereby, in time past, he deceived them with divers lufts and pleasures, and tormented them with the continual flavish fear of death. Which leads me, Thirdly, To fhew how the Spirit convinces of judgment. Satan the prince of this world is judged. -This was manifeft when the Apostles, in the name of JESUS, caft devils out of many, by the power of the Spirit of GOD.-Satan had long kept Poffeffion of the fouls and bodies of men; but, when the Stronger than he came, even Jefus Chrift, he was difpoffeffed, and all his armour, wherein he trufted, + Pfal. cx. 3. was |