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things which belong to his peace, and which are revealed in the gospel only. Let him make the experiment and persevere. The result will be full conviction that Christianity is true. The sanctifying Spirit will precede, and illumination follow in con

sequence.

I take it for granted, that God has given all men the means of knowing that which it imports all men to know (and the means of grace are those means); but if, on the contrary, in order to gain the knowledge requisite to become a Christian, it were necessary to read such authors as Grotius, Clarke, Lardner, Locke, or Warburton, how few, in the great mass of mankind, could possibly acquire that knowledge and consequent faith which are thus supposed necessary to their salvation?

Every human being is capable of the evidence which arises from the divine illumination of grace. It is offered in the gospel to all. And they who reject it, and seek only the evidence which human means afford, shut out the sun, and content themselves either with total darkness or the feeble light of a taper.

"There is," says the excellent Bishop Sanderson, "to the outward tender of grace in the ministry of the gospel, annexed an inward offer of the same to the heart, by the spirit of God going along with his word, which some of the schoolmen call auxilium gratiæ generale, sufficient of itself to convert the soul of the hearer, if he do not resist the Holy Ghost, and reject the grace offered; which, as it is grounded on these words, 'Behold I stand at the door and knock,' and upon very many passages of Scripture beside, so it standeth with reason that the offer, if accepted, should be sufficient, ex parte sua, to do the work, which, if not accepted, is sufficient to

leave the person, not accepting the same, inexcusable."

The outward testimony to the truth of the gospel, is certainly a very strong one; but yet it is found insufficient without the inward testimony; for the truth of which assertion, I appeal to facts and experience. The best understandings (if the most celebrated authors and philosophers possessed the best understandings) have remained unconvinced by the outward testimony; while the meanest have been fully persuaded by the cooperation of the inward, the divine irradiation of the Holy Ghost shining upon and giving lustre to the letter of revelation.

But because the doctrine of divine influence on the human mind is obnoxious to obloquy,* I think it necessary to support it by the authority of some of the best men and soundest divines of this nation. Such are the prejudices entertained by many against the doctrine of divine influence and the witness of the Spirit, that I cannot proceed one step farther, with hope of success, till I have laid before my reader many passages in confirmation of it, from the writings of men who were the ornaments of their times, and who are at this day esteemed no less for their orthodoxy and powers of reasoning than their eloquence. I make no apology to my reader for the

* During the greater part of this century the philosophers on the Continent, and their imitators in our own island, have been explaining away every thing mysterious in Christianity, and branding all those who maintain the pure doctrine of the gospel with the stigma of fanaticism. And of late, men pretending to sincerity in religious matters have adopted the title of rational Christians, and as a proof of their rationality, denied the divinity of the second and third persons in the Holy Trinity. By some strange neglect, these men have been permitted for many years to direct the public in the choice of books, not only in science and polite literature, but also in Christian theology.

length of the quotations from them, because I am sure he will be a gainer, if I keep silence that they may be heard in the interval. My object is to reestablish a declining opinion, which I think not only true, but of prime importance. I therefore withdraw myself occasionally, that I may introduce those advocates for it, whose very names must command attention. If I can but be instrumental in reviving the true Spirit of Christianity, by citing their authority, theirs be the praise, and mine the humble office of recommending and extending their salutary doctrine.

“And if it shall be asked (to express myself nearly in the words of Archbishop Wake) why in this volume I so often choose the drudgery of a transcriber,* the reason is shortly this: I hoped that quotations from departed writers of great and deserved fame would find a more general and unprejudiced acceptance with all sorts of men, than any thing that could be written by any one now living, who, if esteemed by some, is yet in danger of being despised by more; whose prejudice to his person will not suffer them to reap any benefit by any thing, however useful, that can come from him; while such passages as these which I quote must excite respect and attention, unmixed (as the authors are dead) with any malignant sentiment or prepossession against their persons, such as might close the eyes of the understanding against the radiance of truth."

My object in this work was not the acquisition or the increase of literary fame, but solely the promotion of Faith, Hope, and Charity.

"This was the motive (to proceed with the words

* The Archbishop is apologizing for undertaking the work of translation instead of original composition.

of Wake) that first induced me to set about this work; in the execution of which, should I chance to be mistaken, yet I cannot but persuade myself that the honesty of my intentions will excuse me to all indifferent persons. Let others, then, to whom God has given better opportunities and greater abilities, serve the church in better and higher performances. It shall suffice me in my way to minister to the souls of men; and if by this present undertaking I shall but in any measure have contributed to the reviving a true sense of piety and devotion among us, I shall heartily bless God, both that he first prompted me to undertake this invidious task, and has since enabled me, though amidst many infirmities, to go through with it."*

The following text may, I think, confirm the opinion advanced in this Section, that the best evidence will arise from obedience : "And we are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." Acts,

v. 32.

“If a man will love me and keep my words, my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him." John, xiv. 23.

Preventing grace or common grace, as the theologists express themselves, will, if sufficiently attended to, lead to such obedience as will cause special grace.

"Common grace, which is not suspended upon the performance of any condition required in the covenant, is given to all those that live under the ministration of the gospel. My meaning is, they are all prevented, with that grace, which makes it possible for them to begin well." CLAGETT.

Such a degree of obedience, therefore, as secures in future special grace, is practicable by those who are but very imperfect Christians. Prayer added, as a branch of obedience, will produce special grace.

SECTION III.

On the Prejudices entertained against this sort of Evidence, and against all divine and supernatural Influence on the Mind of Man.

SINCE the time of Archbishop Laud, the most celebrated defenders of Christianity have thought it proper to expatiate, with peculiar zeal, on the excellence of natural religion. They probably had, what they thought, prudential reasons for their conduct; but it must not be dissembled, that in extolling natural religion they have appeared to depreciate or supersede revelation. The doctrine of supernatural assistance, the great privilege and glory of Christianity, has been very little enforced by them, and indeed rather discountenanced, as favouring of enthusiasm, and claiming, if true, a decided superiority over their favourite religion of nature.

Upon this subject, a very sensible writer thus expresses his opinion:

"Towards making and forming a Christian, if supernatural assistance of the divine Spirit was necessary at the beginning of the gospel, I do not see what should render it less necessary at any time since, nor why it may not be expected Now. Human learning and human wisdom have rashly and vainly usurped the place of it.

"It is observable that these old principles "are still to be found among dissenters, in a good measure, which is the reason why their opponents have dropped the use of them.

"As these doctrines were the principles and language of the dissenters, and others, who followed the standard of the Parliament against King Charles the First, though they were not the particular motives