should be in him: for the re-inhabiting of it, by virtue, and according to the tenor, of that covenant, now solemnly entered; and which was established and ratified in the blood of that same Sacrifice. Wherein appears the dueness of it to the regenerate; or that they have a real right to it, who are born of the Spirit; and have also seen the large amplitude and vast comprehensiveness of this gift. We therefore proceed to what was, in the next place, promised, and wherein, after what hath been said, there will need little enlargement, i. e.

X. 2. To give an account, (as was proposed in ch. ix sect. vii.) How highly reasonable it was the Holy Spirit of God should not be vouchsafed for these purposes, upon other terms. And this we shall see,

actual communication of the Spirit. Therefore, upon that faith which is our entrance into the gospel-covenant, the curse which withheld the Spirit is removed, and so we receive the promise of the Spirit (or the promised Spirit) by faith; as is plain in that before mentioned, Gal. iii. 13, 14. The same reference of giving (or continuing) the Spirit unto forgiveness of sin, we may observe in that of the Psalmist: "Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right Spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me;" (Ps. li. 9, 10, 11.) which it is plain was dreaded and deprecated as the worst of evils; but which would be kept off, if iniquity were blotted out. And as to this, there was no 1. By mentioning briefly, what we have been showing more difference in the case, than between one whose state all this while-The vast extent and amplitude of this was to be renewed, and one with whom God was first to gift. Let it be remembered that the most considerable begin. And that summary of spiritual blessings promised part of the penalty and curse incurred by the apostacy, in the new covenant, Jer. xxxi. 31, 32, &c. and Heb. viii. was the withholding of the Spirit; from which curse in which all suppose the promised gift of the Spirit itself, as the whole of it Christ was to redeem us, by being made a the root of them all "I will put my law in their inward curse for us. By the same curse, also, our title to many parts, and will write it in their hearts," &c. is all grounded other benefits ceased and was lost, and many other miupon this: "For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will series were inferred upon it. But this one of being deremember their sin no more." When therefore the punish-prived of the Spirit did so far surmount all the rest, that ment of sin is remitted, quoad jus, or a right is granted to nothing else was thought worth the naming with it, when impunity, the Spirit is, de jure, given; or a right is confer- the curse of the law, and Christ's redemption of us from red unto this sacred gift. When actually (upon that right it, are so designedly spoken of together. If only lesser granted) the punishment is taken off, the Spirit is actually penalties were to have been remitted, or favours conferred given; the withholding whereof was the principal punish- of an inferior kind, a recompense to the violated law and ment we were liable to, in this present state. justice of God, and the affronted majesty of his government, had been less necessarily insisted on. But that the greatest thing imaginable should be vouchsafed upon so easy terms; and without a testified resentment of the injury done by ruining his former temple, was never to be expected. Nothing was more becoming or worthy of God, than when man's revolt from him so manifestly implied an insolent conceit of his self-sufficiency, and that he could subsist and be happy alone, he should presently withhold his Spirit, and leave him to sink into that carnality which involved the fulness of death and misery in it. ("To be carnally minded is death.") It belonged to the majesty and grandeur of the Deity, it was a part of Godlike state and greatness, to retire and become reserved, to reclude himself, and shut up his holy cheering influences and communications from a haughty miscreant; that it might try and feel what a sort of god it could be to itself: but to return; the state of the case being unaltered and every way the same as when he withdrew, no reparation being made, no atonement offered, had been, instead of judging his offending creature, to have judged himself, to rescind his own sentence as if it had been unjust; to tear his act and deed as if it had been the product of a rash and hasty passion, not of mature and wise counsel and judgment; the indecency and unbecomingness whereof had been the greater and the more conspicuous, by how much the greater and more peculiar favour it was to restore his gracious presence, or (which is all one) the influences of his Holy Spirit. Further consider,

IX. And as to justification, the case cannot differ, which itself so little differs from pardon, that the same act is pardon, being done by God as a sovereign Ruler acting above law, viz. the law of works; and justification, being done by him as sustaining the person of a judge according to law, viz. the law of grace.

Adoption also imports the privilege conferred of being the sons of God. And what is that privilege? (for it is more than a name;) that such are led by the Spirit of God: (Rom. viii. 14.) which Spirit is therefore, as the peculiar cognizance of the state, called the Spirit of adoption, (v. 15.) and forms theirs suitably thereto: for it was not fit the sons of God should have the spirits of slaves. 'Tis not the spirit of bondage that is given them, as there it is expressed, but a free generous spirit; not of fear, as there, and 2 Tim. i. 7. but of love and power, and of a sound mind. Most express is that parallel text, Gal. iv. Because they are sons, he hath sent the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, that enables them (as also Rom. viii. 16. speaks) to say, Abba, Father, makes them understand their state, whose sons they are, and who is their Father, and really implants in them all filial dispositions and affections. Wherefore it is most evident that the relative grace of the covenant only gives a right to the real grace of it; and that the real grace communicated in this life, is all comprehended in the gift of the Spirit, even that which flows in the external dispensations of Providence, not excepted. For as outward good things, or immunity from outward afflictions, are not promised in this new covenant, further than as they shall be truly and spiritually good for us; but we are, by the tenor of it, left to the suffering of very sharp afflictions, and the loss or want of all worldly comforts, with assurance that will turn to our greater spiritual advantage; so the grace and sanctifying influence, that shall make them do so, is all from the same Fountain, the issue of the same blessed Spirit. We only add, that eternal life in the close of all depends upon it, not only as the many things already mentioned do so, that are necessary to it, but as it signified to be itself the immediate perpetual spring thereof. They that sow to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting, Gal. vi. 8. And how plainly hath our blessed Lord signified the vast extent of this gift, when by good things in general, Matt. vii. 11. he lets us know he means the Holy Spirit, Luke xi. 13.

We therefore see, that this great gift of the Holy Ghost is vouchsafed entirely upon the Redeemer's account, and by the authority of his office, for the building and inhabiting the desolated temple of God with men: for the rebuild ing of it; by that plenipotency, or absolute fulness of power, which, by the sacrifice of himself, he hath obtained

2. That since nothing was more necessary for the restitution of God's temple, it had been strange if, in the constitution of Emmanuel for this purpose, this had been omitted: for it is plain that without it things could never have come to any better state and posture between God and man; God must have let him be at the same distance, without giving him his Spirit. Neither could he honourably converse with man; nor man possibly converse with him. Man would ever have borne towards God an implacable heart. And whereas it is acknowledged, on all hands, his repentance at least was necessary both on God's account and his own, that God might be reconciled to him, who without intolerable diminution to himself, could never otherwise have shown him favour. He had always carried about him the Kapdíav àμerapéλnrov, the heart that could not repent. The "carnal mind," which is "enmity against God," is neither subject to him nor can be, had remained in full power; there had never been any stooping or yielding on man's part. And there had remained, besides, all manner of impurities: fleshly lusts had retained the throne; the soul of man had continued a cage of every noisome and hateful thing, the most unfit in all the world

to have been the temple of the holy blessed God. It had | to his prince, for his daily livelihood and subsistence, now neither stood with his majesty to have favoured an impe- under condemnation for most opprobrious affronts and manitent, nor with his holiness to have favoured so impure, licious attempts against him; he relents not, scorns mercy, a creature. Therefore, without the giving of his Spirit to defies justice; his compassionate prince rushes, notwithmollify and purify the spirits of men, his honour in such a standing, into his embraces, takes him into his cabinet, reconciliation had never been salved. shuts himself up with him in secret: but all this while. though by what he does he debases himself, beyond all expectation of decency; the principal thing is still wanting, he cannot alter his disposition. If he could give him a truly right mind, it were better than all the riches of the Indies. This greatest instance of condescension he cannot reach, if he never so gladly would. It is not in his power, even when he joins bosoms, to mingle spirits with him; and so must leave him as incapable of his most valuable end, as he found him.

And take the case as it must stand on man's part, his happiness had remained impossible. He could never have conversed with God, or taken complacency in him, to whom he had continued everlastingly unsuitable and disaffected. No valuable end could have been attained, that it was either fit God should have designed for himself, or was necessary to have been effected for man. In short, there could have been no temple: God could never have dwelt with man; man would never have received him to dwell.

In the present case, what was in itself so necessary to the intended end, was only possible to Emmanuel; who herein becomes most intimate to us, and in the fullest sense admits to be so called; and was therefore necessary to be done by him: unless his so rich sufficiency, and the end itself, should be lost together.

3. But it is evident this was not omitted in the constitution of Emmanuel. It being provided and procured by his dear expense, that he should have in him a fulness of Spirit: not merely as God; for so in reference to offending creatures it had been enclosed: but as Emmanuel, as a Mediator, a dying Redeemer; for only by such a one, XI. Thus far we have been considering the temple of or by him as such, it could be communicated; so was God individually taken as each man, once become sinthere a sufficiency for this purpose of restoring God's tem-cerely good and pious, renewed, united with Emmanuel, ple. And why was he in this way to become sufficient, i. e. with God in Christ, and animated by the Spirit, may if afterwards he might have been waived, neglected, and be himself a single temple to the most high God. the same work have been done another way?

4. It could only be done this way, in and by Emmanuel. As such, he had both the natural and moral power in conjunction, which were necessary to effect it.

(1.) The natural power of Deity which was in him, was only competent for this purpose. Herein had he the advantage infinitely of all human power and greatness. If an offended secular prince had never so great a mind to save and restore a condemned favourite, who besides that he is of so haughty a pride, and so hardened in his enmity, that he had rather die than supplicate, hath contracted all other vicious inclinations, is become infinitely immoral, debauched, unjust, dishonest, false, and we will suppose stupid, and bereft of the sprightly wit that graced his former conversation; his merciful prince would fain preserve and enjoy him as before; but he cannot change his qualities, and cannot but be ashamed to converse familiarly with him, while they remain unchanged. Now the blessed Emmanuel, as he is God, can, by giving his Spirit, do all his pleasure in such a case. And he hath as such too,

(2.) The moral power of doing it most righteously and becomingly of God, i. e. upon consideration of that great and noble sacrifice, which as such he offered up. He is now enabled to give the Spirit: he might otherwise do any thing for man rather than this: for it imports the greatest intimacy imaginable. All external overtures and expressions of kindness, were nothing in comparison of it. And no previous disposition towards it, nothing of compliance on the sinner's part, no self-purifying, no selfloathing for former impurities, no smiting on the thigh, or saying, "What have I done," could be supposed antecedent to this communication of the Spirit. The universe can afford no like case, between an offending wretch, and an affronted ruler. If the greatest prince on earth_had been never so contumeliously abused by the most abject peasant; the distances are infinitely ess, than between the injured glorious Majesty of heaven, and the guilty sinner; the injury done this majesty incomprehensibly greater.

I might now pass on to treat of the external state of the Christian church, and of the whole community of Christians, who collectively taken, and built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone, in whom fitly framed and builded together, they grow unto an holy temple in the Lord; and are in this compacted state a habitation of God, through the Spirit. Eph. ii. 20. But this larger subject, the outer-court of this temple, is, I find, beset and overspread with scratching briers and thorns. And for the sacred structure itself, though other foundation none can lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. iii. II, &c. yet some are for superstructing one thing, some another; some gold, silver, precious stones; others wood, hay, stubble. I am, for my part, content, that every man's work be made manifest, when the day shall declare it.

Great differences there have long been, and still are, about setting up (the repoyta) the pinnacles, and adjoining certain appendicles, which some have thought may innocently and becomingly belong to it. And very different sentiments there have been about modifying the services of it. Some too are for garnishing and adorning it one way, some another. And too many agitate these little differences, with so contentious heats and angers, as to evaporate the inward spirit and life, and hazard the consumption of the holy fabric itself. Ill-willers look on with pleasure, and do hope the violent convulsions which they behold, will tear the whole frame in pieces, and say in their hearts, "Down with it even to the ground." But it is built on a rock, against which the gates of hell can never prevail!

It ought not to be doubted, but that there yet will be a time of so copious an effusion of the Holy Spirit, as will invigorate it afresh, and make it spring up out of its macilent withered state, into its primitive liveliness and beauty; when it shall, according to the intended spiritual meaning, resemble the external splendour of its ancient figure, Sion, the perfection of beauty; and arise and shine, the And besides all other differences in the two cases, there glory of the Lord being risen upon it. But if before that is this most important one, as may be collected from what time there be a day that shall burn as an oven and hath been so largely discoursed, that the principal thing make the hemisphere as one fiery vault; a day wherein in the sentence and curse upon apostate man, was, That the jealous God shall plead against the Christian church God's Spirit should retire and be withheld, so that he for its lukewarmness and scandalous coldness in the matter should converse with him, by it, no more. The condemn-of serious substantial religion; and no less scandalous ing sentence upon a criminal, doth in secular governments extend to life and estate; such a one might be pardoned as to both, and held ever at a distance. If before he were a favourite, he may still remain discourted. Familiar converse with his prince, was ever a thing to which he could lay no legal claim, but was always a thing of free and arbitrary favour. But suppose, in this case of delinquency, the law and his sentence did forbid it for ever; and suppose we that vile insolent peasant, before under obligation

heats and fervours about trivial formalities, with just indignation, and flames of consuming fire, then will the straw and stubble be burnt up; and such as were sincere, though too intent upon such little trifles, be saved, yet so as through fire.

A twofold effusion we may expect, of the wrath, and of the Spirit of God. The former to vindicate himself; the other to reform us. Then will this temple no more be termed forsaken; it will be actually, and in fact, what in

THE RECONCILEABLENESS OF

GOD'S PRESCIENCE

OF THE SINS OF MEN,

WITH THE

WISDOM AND SINCERITY OF HIS COUNSELS, EXHORTATIONS, AND WHATSOEVER MEANS
HE USES TO PREVENT THEM.

IN A LETTER TO THE HON. ROBERT BOYLE, Esq.

TO WHICH IS ADDED,

A POSTSCRIPT IN DEFENCE OF THE SAID LETTER.

SIR,

THE veneration I have long had for your name, could not permit me to apprehend less obligation than that of a law, in your recommending to me this subject. For within the whole compass of intellectual employment and affairs, none but who are so unhappy as not at all to know you, would dispute your right to prescribe, and give law. And taking a nearer view of the province you have assigned me, I must esteem it alike both disingenuous and undutiful, wholly to have refused it. For the less you could think it possible to me to perform in it, the more I might perceive of kindness allaying the authority of the imposition; and have the apprehension the more obvious to me that you rather designed in it mine own advantage, than that you reckoned the cause could receive any, by my undertaking it. The doubt, I well know, was mentioned by you as other men's, and not your own; whose clear mind, and diligent inquiry, leave you little liable to be encumbered with greater difficulties. Wherefore that I so soon divert from you, and no more allow these papers to express any regard unto you, till the shutting of the discourse, is only a seeming disrespect or indecorum, put in the stead of a real one. For after you have given them the countenance, as to let it be understood you gave the first rise and occasion to the business and design of them; I had little reason to slur that stamp put upon them, by adding to their (enough other) faults, that of making them guilty of so great a misdemeanor and impertinency, as to continue a discourse of this length, to one that hath so little leisure or occasion to attend to any thing can be said by them.

SECT. I. What there is of difficulty in this matter I cannot pretend to set down in those most apt expressions wherein it was represented to me, and must therefore endeavour to supply a bad memory out of a worse invention. So much appears very obvious, that ascribing to the ever blessed God, among the other attributes which we take to belong to an every way perfect Being, a knowledge so perfect as shall admit of no possible accession or increase; and consequently the prescience of all future events, as whereof we doubt him not to have the distinct knowledge when they shall have actually come to pass. Since many of those events are the sinful actions or omissions of men, which he earnestly counsels and warns them against; this matter of doubt cannot but arise hereupon, viz. "How it can stand with the wisdom and sincerity which our own thoughts do by the earliest anticipation challenge to that ever happy Being, to use these (or any other means) with a visible design to prevent that, which in the mean time appears to that all-seeing eye sure to come to pass." So that, by this representation of the case, there seem to be committed together, either, first, God's wisdom with this part of his knowledge, for we judge it not to consist with the wisdom of a man, to design and pursue an end, which he foreknows he shall never attain :-or secondly, the same foreknowledge with his sincerity and uprightness, that he seems intent upon an end, which indeed he intends not.

The matter then comes shortly to this sum. Either the holy God seriously intends the prevention of such foreseen sinful actions and omissions, or he doth not intend it. If he do, his wisdom seems liable to be impleaded, as above. If he do not, his uprightness and truth.

My purpose is not, in treating of this affair, to move a dispute concerning the fitness of the words prescience or foreknowledge, or to trouble this discourse with notions I understand not, of the indivisibili and unsuccessiveness of eternal duration, whence it ollected there can

be no such thing as first or second, o or after, knowledge in that duration; but be contented to speak as I can understand, and be understood. That is, to call that foreknowledge which is the knowledge of somewhat that as yet is not, but that shall sometime come to pass. For it were a mere piece of legerdemain, only to amuse inquirers whom one would pretend to satisfy; or to fly to a cloud for refuge from the force of an argument, and avoid an occurring difficulty by the present reliefless shift of involving oneself in greater. Nor shall I design to myself so large a field as a tractate concerning the Divine prescience: so as to be obliged to discourse particularly whatsoever may be thought to belong to that theological topic. But confine the discourse to my enjoined subject. And offer only such considerations as may some way tend to expedite or alleviate the present difficulty.