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and by the extraordinary Operations of the Holy Spirit, enabled them to speak with Tongues, to prophefy, to work Miracles: But his Goodness extends to every one of his Subjects; the ordinary Operations of God's Holy Spirit are Benefits which He is continually pouring down upon every Member of his Church; and whatever Advances are made by any one of them in Holiness, whatever Virtues we bring to Perfection, whatever Progress we make towards Eternal Happiness, they are entirely the Effects of Chrift's Merits: He departed that He might fend the Comforter unto us, for 'till Jefus was exalted, the Holy Ghoft was not given; thefe Gifts and Graces were the Purchase of his most precious Blood, the Attainments of his Victories, and were therefore made the neceffary and immediate Confequences of his triumphant Afcenfion into Heaven.

I PROCEED now, in the fecond Place, to confider what our Duty is with refpect both to the Reception and Application of thefe Gifts; with refpect to the Reception of them, we muft feek them by L 4 fervent

fervent Prayer, and by the Ufe of outward Ordinances, If ye, being Evil, know how to give good Gifts to your Children ; how much more fall your Heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that afk Him. God's Grace is the referv'd Portion of God's Children; and Devotion alone it is which evidences fuch a Dependance upon the Almighty as becomes the Relation of Children to their Parents; Devotion bears Teftimony to our own great Infufficiency, and the extreme Neceffity we lie under of Affiftance from on High. Prayer is intended not to bring God acquainted with our Neceffities, for He knows them long before we ask, but that we ourselves fhould be duly fenfible of our own Wants and Infirmities, and of God's Power and Goodness to relieve and affift them; yet we may be engaged to give the Lord the Honour due unto his Name ; and that we may make Him all in all, as with respect to our Happiness, fo likewise with respect to our Love and Adoration. What we call the Gifts of Nature and Fortune come indeed alike to all, but the good and perfect Gift of God's

God's Grace, which is from above, falleth not down like the Rain upon the Just and the Unjust; it is the promised Reward of true Devotion, because true Devotion alone it is whereby the Soul rifes up to God in Dependance and Gratitude, and which will engage us to apply those Portions of Grace to the Purposes of Chriftian Holiness for which they were given. Again, We must feek after God's Grace by the Ufe of outward Ordinances; viz. the Ministry of God's Word, frequenting the Publick Service of the Church, the Ufe of the Bleffed Sacraments, &c. It hath ever pleafed the Almighty to annex the Communication of his Holy Spirit to fome outward Inftances of Worship, and that for many wife and gracious Purpofes, because thereby we are the better enabled to worship both in Body and Soul, the Face of Religion is much better kept up in the World, the fubftantial Service of Spiritual Devotion will become more fenfibly our Duty, and will not be fo likely to fuffer through ungrate ful Forgetfulness.

THUS

THUS far with respect to the Reception of God's Grace: As to the Application of it; First, We ought to have our Souls fill'd with all Thankfulness to that adorable Being from whom we receive it. Secondly, We ought to make it the Means of our improving in all Chriftian Virtue and Holiness.

1. IT feems to fare with God's Difpenfations in the Moral and Divine, as in the Natural World; in both Cafes his extraordinary Operations fix our Thoughts fo intenfly upon Him, that in his Ordinary Operations we are apt to overlook and neglect Him. When we confider, ex. gr. the miraculous Encreafe of five Barley-Loaves and two fmall Fishes, whereby five Thousand were fed, and twelve Baskets full were taken up, our Thoughts bear immediate Teftimony to that God by whofe Power and Goodness this Miracle was wrought; but how rarely doth the much greater Indulgence of our Heavenly Father engage our Adoration towards that Providence whereby Millions of Millions are daily fed by his continual Bounty?

2. IN like Manner, when the Gift of the Holy Ghoft was attended with extraordinary Demonftrations of outward Power, the Influences of God's Holy Spirit were readily acknowledged and thankfully receiv'd; but fince thefe Demonstrations have ceased, Men have been apt to difregard these Influences in general to a Degree almost of Disbelief; but let us confider, that the former Circumftances were neceffary only for the Infant State of Chrift's Church; but the latter will always be neceffary; and therefore from the Nature of the Thing, but much more from the Proinife of God himself, we may be affured they will be always largely supply'd, and if fupply'd, certainly by the fame Means now whereby they were supply'd formerly: The Power of working Miracles and fuch-like in the Apostles Days, was not imparted to all those who might truly be faid to receive the Holy Ghoft; the Power of inward Holiness, the Graces of Gofpel-Righteousness, the Bleffings of an enlightened Mind and purified Heart, were the much more general and much more beneficial Influences

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