he proceeds with ease and dexterity, his labor becomes an entertainment, he feels himself carried along by an impulse almost whether he will or no. All this in times of ignorance and darkness was described to the heavenly powers: Apollo, or Hercules, or Mercury were invoked upon every important occasion to lend their present aid according to the nature of the enterprize to be gone upon.

And we still figuratively, though not superstitiously, speak of inspirations almost as currently as the Ancients: the hero is inspired with ardor in battle, the politician with schemes of public utility, the orator with eloquence, and the poet with enthusiasm ; nor do we want to be taught the expedience of Horace's precept; Thou shalt do and say nothing against the good will of Minerva.

This particular aptitude for the work in hand we may reckon the genus, whereof grace, considered as an effect, is the species. We may sometimes find our understandings clear to discern the subjects of divinity, to look forward into futurity, perceiving things there with the lively colors of present objects, having an unconfused though incomplete conception of Goodness, of Equity of universal Providence, rejoicing in its protection, satisfied with its proceedings, earnest to perform laudable actions, going through our duties with taste and pleasure: these I take to be the seasons of grace. Then again we become cold and heavy, or dragged along forcibly by appetite and worldly pursuits, immersed in temporal engagements, scarce able to raise a thought of anything superior to natural causes, backward to practise what we know, tempted to murmur, to despond, to doubt of the divine goodness, or think it of little avail to ourselves: whenever this happens, we may look upon grace as withdrawn.

Thus the reality of the fact is certain beyond all denial: continual experience testifies that there are such variations as above mentioned in the state of our understanding and alertness of our activity, which if anybody shall choose to express by some other term than grace, this makes no alteration in the case; for names cannot alter the nature of things, but they will be still the same, whatever denomination you rank them under. Therefore the effects meant by those who employ the word grace, and its efficacy, cannot be controverted; nor that we shall proceed to very little purpose in any exercises of Religion or morality, when we have it not in some measure upon us; so it remains to inquire what are the causes to which this effect may be owing.

We shall find nothing in experience or human reason to hinder, but that it may spring from the same sources with the other effects of similar kind taken notice of above; for we have the

same lucid seasons of comprehension, and energy of action come upon us to carry us through the functions of our profession, our investigations of science, and even our amusements: the enthusiasm of the poet differs nothing from the pious ardor of the saint in essence and quality, though it does greatly in value and importance. Yet those are never now ascribed to divine interposition, but deemed to proceed from the present state of the brain, condition of the bodily humors, external encouragements, converse with persons of similar turn, sight of inviting examples, or other natural causes. Nevertheless, the greater importance of religious inspiration above all others makes a very considerable difference, and justifies us in ascribing it, though remotely, through a long chain of second causes, to the act and purpose of God as a providential event. For we have seen in CHAP. VI. that although all things fall out by the divine provision, yet those only wherein we can find some apparent benefit and visible mark of goodness are to be esteemed providential, and more so according to the greatness of the benefit discerned. Therefore we may deservedly give this inspiration the name of Grace, as a signal and inestimahle favor to the receiver, the word being derived from a Latin term signifying Favor.

3. But though our almighty Governor wants neither power nor skill to complete all his purposes, and effectually confer all his favors, by the wise disposition of second causes on their first establishment, so as that both the natural and moral world may run on its destined course in every minute particular, without needing the further touch of his hand, yet on the other hand we have seen in the Chapter on Providence, there is nothing inconsistent with our ideas of the Attributes in supposing him purposely to have left room in the plan for his own interpositions at such times as he judged proper: whence the effusion of grace by supernatural operation, carries no greater weight of improbability to be drawn up by positive evidence in the opposite scale, than what hangs to every fact whereof experience and reason can give us no assurance. So the field lies open to divines to produce what proofs they have in store in support of their allegation as of a credible point to which reason has no repugnance.

We may remember further as was remarked in the same Chapter, it is reasonable to think that God has adapted his courses of Providence to the condition and occasions of his intelligent creatures, making the natural, the moral, and the supernatural systems, harmonize and mutually correspond with one another: therefore the generality of mankind being so circumstanced as that the thought of his dominion and superintending Providence might be

lost without an opinion of his being present and directly operating among them, affords a degree of probability that he does so operate.

If the divines think this argument of any weight, they are heartily welcome to it: the point it tends to confirm being of so great consequence, that a prudent man would be glad to give any helps, which may be of service. What though he can himself apprehend the moral world administered by a long complicated tissue of natural causes, reaching from the first establishment of nature, he must be sensible that many cannot follow him in his thought: but it is of the utmost moment that they shall have a lively sense of a Providence presiding over their thoughts and actions, especially those relating to their spiritual concerns. Therefore the grand important point to inculcate is this, that grace comes from God, the manner how it comes is rather matter of speculation, unless so far as necessary to satisfy of the other: then let every man believe it to come in such manner as he can comprehend, lest if you disturb him in this circumstance, he should not believe it to come from God at all.

4. Yet as the best things corrupted become the worst, and the most salutary opinion may, by a little perversion or extravagance, turn into a poisonous notion, therefore it is of most dangerous tendency for a man to persuade himself he perceives the divine interposition actually operating upon him. There are those who fancy themselves too cunning for the Spirit of God; he means to give his influences secretly, but they can find him out; they can see the flashes of illumination and feel the floods of inspiration poured upon them immediately from the divine hand; they can give an exact history of all his motions from the very day and hour when he first touched their hearts, converting them from obdurate sinners into the children of heaven. It were scarce credible, had we not examples among our cotemporaries, to what wild lengths of superstition and enthusiasm these fancies will carry men: debasing the Majesty of God, creating spiritual pride, and a superlative contempt of their fellow-creatures.

For though we know God is omnipresent, alike powerful everywhere, and wants not largeness of intelligence to act in any one particular place without disregarding all others, yet this is by much too vast an idea for our comprehension: if we conceive him familiarly present and immediately operating upon ourselves, we shall unavoidably fall into an apprehension of his being absent or regardless elsewhere, and insensibly nourish a conceit of being peculiar favorites, but all others in a manner outlawed from his providence, to be regarded as aliens rather than compatriots. But

there are degrees of extravagance, and I am apt to suspect that many pious Christians, especially of the female sex, though not running those lengths, yet do a little surpass the bounds of moderation therefore they can never be too much upon their guard against the notion of perceiving the immediate operations of the holy Ghost, whereinto they are unwarily drawn by a common. figure of speech, the Metonyme, of taking a cause for the ef

fect.

In extraordinary events affecting the state of kingdoms, or Religion, or private families, or particular persons, we may be said. with propriety to see the Finger of Heaven, because the natural causes which brought them about receive their disposition from the touch of that finger. We are very properly said to receive our daily bread from the Hand of Heaven, because, the fertility of soils and industry of man, supplying plenty of bread to be found in every baker's shop, derived originally from that hand. So with the same propriety we may speak of feeling the grace of of God in our understandings and hearts, because our Church instructs us to ascribe it to his interposing among second causes, yet without idea of an immediate operation at the instant time of feeling; for I apprehend the orthodox doctrine of grace carries

no such sense.

We are taught upon a higher authority that the wind bloweth where it listeth, thou hearest the sound thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit:that is, if I may be admitted to offer an interpretation, in the pangs of a spiritual birth the patient sensibly feels the effects, but knows nothing of when, or in what part the touch was given. Or if I may presume to illustrate further, I would compare the effusion of grace to a plentiful shower in a dry summer if you go out immediately you will see the turfs still russet, the leaves hanging lank, and the fruits wrinkled; but look again a day or two after, and everything appears lively, vigorous, and flourishing. Therefore, if a man, after long confinement to his bed by sickness, should, upon looking out at window, discover an unusual verdure, he may conclude that it has rained, not that it actually does rain: so if, after a season of thoughtlessness, you perceive your understanding on a sudden lively to discern, and your will vigorous to pursue heavenly things, you may orthodoxly conclude there has been an effusion, not that there is one

now.

One way of grace coming is, we are told, by hearing; but when you are touched with a sermon, the influence is transmitted to you through the natural channel of human eloquence: so the ef

fusion was never poured upon you at all, but upon the preacher some time before he composed the discourse, which it may be was done a year ago. Well, but you have heard the same sermon before without being affected by it in like manner, so the difference must be owing to some alteration in yourself: this I can easily believe, for I have myself read treatises of divinity, of metaphysics, of mathematics, orations, histories, tales, Homer, Virgil, and Milton, with very different degrees of emolument, taste, and emotion. But if we are instructed to believe the particular affectingness of a religious discourse proceeds from the workings of the spirit, why must the operation exciting those workings be instantaneous and immediate? The spirit is the same God with him who established the courses of nature, and accomplishes distant purposes surely by their mechanical motions: has he then in his person of the spirit so little command over second causes that he cannot prepare them in a manner to excite grace in the heart long after his operation ceases, but to have the work well done, must do it himself? Since then we cannot pretend to limit the power nor wisdom of the Spirit, and have found such mischief spring from an opinion of his immediate operations being discernible by the senses, it were much safer to entertain no such opinion.

5. The thought of a present Deity working upon us is an intoxicating thought; how much soever it may soothe the young beginner at first, the indulgence of it is extremely dangerous: it is like a fatigued, thirsty man putting his mouth to the brandy bottle: he may design only a moderate cordial, but never be sure how much more than is good for him will not slip down his throat. Therefore as I did before in the Chapter on Providence, I shall now again recommend to every man to remove the finger of God from him, as far as he can without letting it go beyond the reach of his comprehension: if he believes the grace in his heart owing to a supernatural interposition of the Spirit, still he may place a line of second causes between the act of God and the effect he feels. By practice in any science or way of performance we strengthen our faculties, so as clearer to discern and readier to execute new matters of similar kind after a considerable intermission; and expertness, though gradually acquired, commonly shows itself complete at some particular time: nor is it inconceivable that the divine interposition may work a like alteration in the faculties, giving them a clearness and vigor not to be attained by natural means, but to lie dormant until the occasion offers for using them. Therefore if any man must frame some particular imagination concerning the manner of the Spirit's working, which yet he might more prudent