ly to your infpection and difpo | of righteousness and of judgment. fal. This is effected in the awaken

trine.

But it may be profitable to purfue the matter further. And here may be noticed what St. Paul fays, No man fpeaking by the Spirit calleth Jefus accurfed. But if all men have the Spirit they speak by it, and yet Jews and Deifts are daily calling Jefus accurfed; furely they have not the Spirit.

It is admitted that all men haveing, renewing and fanctifying of natural powers, fufficient to accept the foul. Hence, unless all are of Chrift, and to lead a holy and awakened, renewed or fanctified, religious life; and that all men all have not the spirit, and those have the Spirit of God, as he is a who are awakened, &c. are the Spirit, and every where prefent. fubjects of its extraordinary operaNor will I fay that all men, in a tions. This confideration, in Christian land, have not fome par- conjunction with what has been ticular awakening influences of the faid above on depravity, is, if canHoly Spirit at one time or another. didly viewed, fufficient to refute What I aim at is to oppofe the af- all that is objected against the docfertions before mentioned, and to fay fomething in fupport of the doctrine of the extraordinary operations of the Spirit in forming the hearts of men to true religion; and in producing all the real holiness there is in any of the fons of men. And here it may be premifed, that the moral depravity of every man, evinces the abfolute need of fuch operations, and proves that if ever Our Saviour once, in a holy reGod faves a fingle foul, he muft joicing, faid, I thank thee, O Fath exert fome extraordinary powerofer, Lord of Heaven and earth, his Spirit. The renovation of the foul to the love of that holiness which it naturally hates, in all its exercises, is indeed a new creation, and can be accomplished only by that power which raifed up fefus Chrift from the dead. And it is obfervable, that all the circumftances attending the beginning, prog-fays, The natural man receiveth not refs, and permanent effects of the the things of the Spirit of God, late Revival, teftify to the fame for they are foolishness unto him; purpofe. neither can be know them because they are fpiritually difcerned. If they are ever received, it is not through the powers of the natural man, but through the uncommon operation of the Spirit on the heart." But our Saviour exprefsly declares, that fome wife and prudent men have not thefe operations, for thefe things are hidden from them, they difcern not the things of the Spirit of God, and hence it is certain that they have not the Spir it.

In fupport of my defign, let me call the attention of the reader to the nature of the fin againft the Holy Ghoft, which fhall never be forgiven. As all fins that are against God are against the Holy Spirit as he is one perfon in the faered Trinity, and yet all fuch fins may be forgiven; it muft follow that the fin here spoken of is against he Holy Spirit in his diftinct office er operations. It is the office of the Holy Spirit to convince of fin,

that thou haft hid these things from the wife and prudent and haft revealed them unto babes. When the things of the Spirit of God are hid from any, it feems to be abfurd to fuppofe that they have the Spirit of God. And the Apoftte intimates the fame thing when he

In the fixth chapter of John, it appears, that the Jews, who were ready to believe that Jefus was an extraordinary perfon, were not-afk him; and of his giving a spirit withstanding deftitute of the peculiar teachings of the Spirit. For not only many things which he preached unto them in righteouf nefs, were confidered as hard fayings, but he exprefsly declares verfe 63d, that it is the Spirit that quickeneth Had they the Spirit that quickeneth, they never would have thought that the words which were Spirit and were life were hard Jayings. Therefore they had not the Spirit.

Chriftians as born of the fpirit; of God's pouring out his spirit; of his giving the holy Spirit to them that

of grace and fupplication, which leads any to look on him they have pierced and mourn : if any do not look on him and mourn, they have not the fpirit. St. Paul fays walk in the spirit and ye fhall not fulfil the lufts of the flefb: Thofe therefore who fulfil the lufts of the flesh, have not the fpirit. He fays alfo Rom. viii. 1, 2. that those who are freed from condemnation, walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, and the law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus has made them free from the law of fin and death. Where this Spirit is, there is true religion. If all men then have this Spirit, all men are truly religious; but this is difficult to believe.

We read of being led by the Spirit; that the Spirit witneffes with our Spirits, that we are the chil dren of God; that thro' the Spirit we mortify the deeds of the body, and that the Spirit is life, and yet men are naturally dead in trefpaffes and fins, and many remain fo to the end of life. We read alfo of the

In the first chapter of John we are told, that the Lord Jefus came to bis own and his own received bim not, but as many as received bim to them gave he power to betome the Sons of God, even to them that believed on his name; Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the fefb, nor of the will of man but of God. His own did not in general receive him, all that did receive him were born of God. How they were born of God is told us in a difcourfe with Nicodemus, in which Jefus declares that except a man be born again, of wa-earneft of the Spirit given of God ter and of the Spirit he cannot fee to Chriftians, that thro' this they the kingdom of God. Baptifm it look not at the things which are temfelf, if baptifm is meant by being poral but at those which are eterborn of water, does not fuperfede nal: This however is not the the neceflity of being born of the cafe of all men. Spirit. Confequently, even baptized perfons, though furrounded with the prefence of God fo as to be able to fay with the Pfalmift, whither fhall I go from thy Spirit, yet may be deftitute of it, in its peculiar operations towards a holy life, and in need of being born again by it. Here then we find conclufive teftimony that all men have not the Spirit..

The fame thing is confirmed by all thofe paffages which speak of

The Apoftle tells us, of fanaifuation of the Spirit, of the gofpel's coming to believers in demonAtration of the Spirit, and in fuch a manner as that others may notice it; for the manifeftation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. This laft text has been frequently quoted in proof that every man has the Spirit. But if the word manifeftation be not omitted, it will no more prove that all men have the Spirit,than my hold

not by almighty power alter their inclinations?

But it is faid that "finners are willing to exert themselves to "the uttermoft, and that they "fincerely wish to use all their ad.

we act rationally to fuppofe that he is deluded, when we have not tafted it ourselves? It feems to be much more rational to compare it with fome other thing, the taste of which we had experienced to be fweet. And yet, even then, we" vantages aright;" that is, in oth might not have the right idea, as we should foon discover by tasting it oarfelves. When a man tells us of the operations of the Spirit of God on his heart, we frequent ly are ready to disbelieve what he Lays, or to form fome idea of it according to our preconceived notions: Like the man that has never tailed honey, he difbelieves or does not receive what is told him about it, or compares it with fome other tafte which is fweet. But as in tasting of honey itfelf he would find a peculiar difference, fo in

er words, from a felfish difpofition without any regard to God as God (which is the temper of all the impenitent) the finner wishes to exert himself without felfishness and in regard to God as God; or plainer ftill, he felfishly wishes not to be felfifh. This is the amount of the objection. But can God who knows the whole truth be impofed on, or fhall we (as alas! finners commonly do) impofe upon ourselves fo far as to believe that in our felfish withes

feeling the operations of the Spiro be felff, we are not selfish?

it of God which are faving, we fhall perceive fomething different from any that we had before. This is teftified by our Lord, when he fays, if any man will do his will,he fhall know of the doc

trine.

The finner knows not that God truly, whom he thinks he is willing to ferve with uprightnefs. His understanding is darkened and is alienated from the life of God, through the blindness of the heart. The way of finners is darkness, they know not at what they fumble; a deceived heart has turned them afide.

But fill it is replied, "if God bestows his fpirit in a peculiar "and diftinguifhing manner on "fome, and not on others, he is "partial."

It is frequently objected, that "if every man has not the Spirit "of God which is neceffary for "his conversion or a religious life," "then he is not to blame for re"maining impenitent." To this it may be replied, that the objection fappofes that God is obligated to In anfwering this, it may be afkgive his Spirit in its uncommon in-ed was it partial in the hufbandman, fluences. This would be making God what all finners with him to be, their fervant. But it must be confidered that the object of these operations of the Spirit, is not to give new natural powers to the mind, but to alter the depraved dif. pofition of the heart. God has given natural powers enough, but finners will not ufe them aright. And is it reafonable that blame fhould lie on him because he does

Matt. xx, to give out of his own ftores as much to thofe who labored only one hour-as to thofe who had borne the heat and burden of the day? Were not the claims of every one anfwered? Is it partial to give fome an opportunity for a religious education and not to others? Partiality does not confift in beftowing greater favors on one than on another, but in anfwering the claims of one more

thofe who are left fhow their claims, and they may reft affured that God will not utterly leave them. But if they have no claims upon him, it is very wicked to upbraid him with partiality because he is good, and does what he will with his own. Rather ought every finner to admire the riches of that grace, which while it paffes over and leaves him to the juft confequences of his rebellion, makes another

than of another. If there be no | claims there can be no partiality in heftowing favors. If a man, in Lettling an account with his neighbour, fhould felf-moved throw up the fum of one hundred dollars juftly due to him, would he be partial if he did not the fame to the next? If this can be fuppofed, then a man never can remit a debt or beflow a favor without being partial, unless he does the fame to every one in fimilar circumftances.infinitely bleffed. His eye ought He may not do what he will with his own: And if he have not enough for every claimlefs perfon, he must bestow a favor on none, left he be guilty of the din of partiality.

not to be evil, because God is good. 'Tis a great favor beftowed on them that are reclaimed, but it is arrogance to find fault because he does not beftow the fame unmerited favors on all.

The foregoing obfervations lead to a few remarks.

Again, God actually does give fome children a better opportunity to fecure eternal life than others. 1. When men have not experi In the courfe of his Providence, enced fomething extraordinary or fome are favored with examples uncommon in their minds, in ref. and inftructions of piety continual-pect of their finfulness and the fally-while others hear fcarcelyvation offered in the gospel, they any thing about God and religion, have great caufe to fear that they unlefs in profanity and contempt; are not partakers of the faving inbut God is not partial. fluences of God's fpirit; and the

Further it is important to confid-fame applies to the cafe of all thofe er, that all men are naturally in all who walk in ways of sensual indultheir exercises and volitions, war-gence-they have not the spirit ring against Heaven. They can and are none of Chrift's. lay no claim to mercy, they reject 2. There is great reafon to bethe Saviour, they have nothing to lieve the doctrine of awakening to plead. God may exact the bun-religion, by the special operations dred talents of them: He may al- of the Spirit of God; and to adfo for Chrift's fake remit them in mit fuch extraordinary things the way of effectually calling them. as are contained in the narratives He repeatedly calls upon them to of a revival of religion. They fubmit, to own his fovereignty and exhibit the marvellous grace of to ferve him only, but no one re- the Moft High. It does not turns, none will come unto him become fhort-fighted and rebellious that they might have life. There- creatures to follow their own confore in the day of his power, not jectures on fo important a subject; for their fakes, but his own, he but in the fear of Jehovah to remakes one and another wil-ceive the inftructions of fcripture, Eng, by the operation of his Holy and not fhut their eyes againft Sprit. How can he be partial if truth which is of everlafting importance.

leaves othersequally guilty? He hada jit right to leave all. Let

3. It is dangerous and criminal