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give an exact account of the outgoings of this mighty gathering grace: many feel it, who cannot tell the particular manner thereof; "For the wind bloweth where it lifteth, and we hear the found thereof, but know not whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth," John iii. 8.*

2dly, ACTIVELY, viewed; the qualities of this gathering, that is, of the peoples gathering to Shiloh; or the way how faith is exercifed, or how the foul acts,' when it is prevailed upon to come to the Lord Jefus, and fo to be gathered unto Shiloh. In general, it is by FAITH that they gather to him; and hence this gathering to Shiloh is fo frequently called a coming to him, and believing on him, trufting and ftaying ourfelves upon him. In this gathering unto Shiloh, the foul acts believingly; and all the other qualities of this gathering are reducible to this, and are fo many ways, wherein faith acts, in coming and gathering to Chrift; or how, being acted they act and here is matter for trial; particularly then,

1. In this active gathering unto Shiloh, people are made to act spiritually; for, it is a fpiritual gathering, under the conduct of the Spirit of God, as a Spirit of faith, making the foul to gather under the wings of Chrift the Meffias. It is not by natural might, but by the power of the divine Spirit, that finners gather to a Saviour: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, faith the Lord; even the exceeding greatnefs of his almighty power," Eph. i. 19. There is a fpiritual, internal principle, from which the man acts, in his gathering to Shiloh, even the Spirit of God as the main, and the new heart as the fubordinate principle of faith in the man. It is not the Spirit's working extrinfically upon the man; hypocrites may have the Spirit working on them extrinfically, to the production of great affections and enlargements, while they are not favingly gathered; but this fpiritual act is from a spiritual principle, whereof the Spirit of God within is the fpring. The former is but a natural acting by fome

* What follows, to the beginning of the fixth general head of the method, was delivered at Airth, June 19th, 20th, and 21ft, 1725. in three difcourfes.

external

external objects, it is like a pool fed by water from the clouds; the other is like a well fed by a fpring within.

But here a queftion may be propounded, How fhall I know the difference betwixt these two, viz. the Spirit's working on me by his common motions, and his working in me as a living principle?

To which we might reply, Why, the common motions of the Spirit, externally moving the affections, differ from the faving operations of the Spirit, internally elevating the foul to a God in Chrift, as a landflood differs from a living fpring; the land-flood is maintained externally by the clouds; the living fountain is maintained internally by its own fpring; thus the hypocrites frames and affections are maintained only by external means and objects, fuch as the tuneable voice of the minifter; fo Ezekiel was to his hearers as a very lovely fong of one that hath a pleafant voice, and can play well on an inftrument, Ezek. xxxiii. 32.; and when the external object or excitement is over, then their frame and affection falls, because the only thing that maintained it is gone: whereas, in the fpiritual acting of the foul that is gathering to Shiloh, thro' faith comes by hearing externally, yet the Spirit of God being received by the hearing of faith, this internal principle of fpiritual life does many times animate the foul to fpiritual work, when all external objects and operations fail; and this may be known, juft as a fpring-well is known by the bubbling up of the water. Thus is the Spirit's inhabitation known by the actings of the graces of the Spirit, fuch as faith, love, repentance, joy in the Lord, and the like.

2. In gathering to Shiloh, people are made to act knowingly and judiciously, under the influences of the Spirit, as a Spirit of light; and to act as in a matter of the greateft concern, with judgment and underflanding, faying, as John vi. 68. To whom shall we go? thou haft the words of eternal life. We believe and are fure that thou art Chrift, the Son of the living God. Many gather together in a confufed way, and know not wherefore they meet together; but this gathering includes know

ledge,

ledge, and faving fpiritual illumination; They that know thy name, will put their truft in thee," Pf. ix. 10. They that know him, will gather to him: there must be a feeing of the Son, before there can be a believing in him, or gathering to him. Many, instead of gathering to Chrift, they gather to an idol of their own fancy; when they hear of Chrift, their idolatrous, carnal mind repre. fents a carnal image of Chrift in their own brain as thofe, Hof. xiii. 2. that are faid to have made idols according to their own understanding; fo, many in their own imagination, form an idea of Chrift; and this idea. or image of Chrift, that they have in their own mind, is all that they have for Chrift. But, O Sirs, when Chrift is externally revealed in the gofpel, there muft be a marvellous light difcovering him in himself, making him known, though not perfectly, yet really and truly as he is; not only as he is man, but as God-man, having all the fulness of the Godhead in him, and all the glory of God appearing in his face, 2 Cor. iv. 6. fo as the foul cannot but cleave and adhere to him. A painted fun will neither give light nor heat, but the real fun gives both fo a painted image and reprefentation of Christ, in the imagination, gives no fpiritual light, heat, nor communicates any transforming virtue; but the true Sun of righteoufnefs arifeth with healing under his wings. It is true, this light is not without mifts and fmoke, fent forth from the bottomlefs pit, to darken all; but yet there is fuch a clear difcovery of the man's inability, of God's gracious offer, and Chrift's good-will, and mind to the bargain, as determines the foul to its duty.

:

3. In gathering to Shiloh, people are made to act fiducially this is connected with the former; "They that know thy name, will put their truft in thee," Pfal. ix. 10. This I call an acting fiducially; that is, with a believing perfuafion and particular application. The good news, that Shiloh is come, that Jefus Chrift is come to fave finners, even the chief of finners, is received as a faithful faying, and fo with believing perfuafion; and as worthy of all acceptation,

and

and fo with particular application.--Perfuafion with application must be in the nature of faith, according to the measure, and degree of faith. If it be weak faith, it is a weak perfuafion; if strong faith, a strong perfuafion; and it is not a natural perfuafion, a man perfuading himself that all fhall be well with him, and fo no more of it; nay, it is fupernatural, and comes of God, which natural, carnal perfuafion does not, Gal. v. 8. "This perfuafion comes not of him that calleth you;" intimating, that right perfuafion comes of God; like that of Abraham, Rom: iv. 20, 21. "He ftaggered not at the promife of God through unbelief, but was ftrong in the faith, giving glory to God; being fully perfuaded that he that had promised was able to perform." And like that of the Old-teftament believers, Heb. xi. 13. who received not the promifes by feeling, but by faith. But how why, they were perfuaded of them, and embraced

them.

But here there is a twofold perfuafion that ought to be carefully diftinguifhed, and the confounding whereof, occafions many mistakes and mifreprefentations: namely, a fiducial perfuafion, and an evidential perfuafion. The former is the affurance of faith, and in the nature of it; the other is the afsurance of sense, and confequential to faith; and is not properly faith at all, but fenfe. Now, this fiducial perfuafion differs from evidential, in four refpects.

(1.) They differ in their acts: by fiducial perfuafion, the man receives and refts upon Chrift, and trufts in him for falvation to himfelf, believing and expecting this falvation according to the promise of the gofpel, and as Chrift is offered and exhibite to him therein: but by evidential perfuafion, the man knows and feels that he hath received Chrift. The former every believer hath, when he acts faith; the latter many bevers want even when they act faith, because, though they may be confcious that they are acting upon Chrift for falvation, yet they may not be confcious of the quality of the act, if it is faving or not.

(2.) They differ in their order: we firft believe, by a fiducial perfuafion; before we can be fure, by an e

vidential

vidential perfuafion: the one is the caufe, and the other the effect. The perfuafion, that is in faith, is like the heat in the fire; the perfuafion, that is after faith, is like heat in the room, that is the effect of the former and becaufe affurance (that is commonly fo called, namely, the affurance) is the effect of faith: this will not prove, that there is no affurance in faith, no more than heat in the room will prove, that there is no heat in the fire; for the contrary is rather evident.

(3.) They differ in their objects and grounds: the object and ground of fiducial perfuafion, or of the af furance of faith, is without the man, and looks to the word and promife of God, the blood and righteoufnefs of Chrift, the truth and faithfulness of God: but the object and foundation of evidential perfuafion, or of the affurance of fenfe, is within the man, and looks to the work of God within; fuch as, graces, attainments, and experiences. As there is a great difference betwixt a man's being perfuaded, that he hath fuch a fum of money, because he hath it upon bond, or good ́ fecurity; and his being perfuaded thereof, because he hath it in his hand, in his cheft or coffers; fo here, by the perfuafion of faith, the man is perfuaded of falvation thro' Chrift, because he hath it upon bond, namely, God's promife fealed with Chrift's blood, which is good fecurity; but the ground of the perfuafion of fenfe, is the man's having it in his hand, or fo much of it, which is not faith, but fenfe.

(4.) They differ in their effects: the effect of faith, or fiducial perfuafion, is justification; the effect of fense, or evidential perfuafion, is confolation: a man is not juftified by his evidential perfuafion, or by knowing and feeling that Chrift is his but he is juftified by his fiducial perfuafion, by his fiducial knowledge, whereby he receives and refts upon Chrift as his, and trufts in him for falvation to himfelf: by this fiducial knowledge, I fay, is juftification; "By his knowledge fhall my righteous Servant justify many," Ifa. liii. 11.*

See this point likewife treated of, Vol. III. page 31,-36.

Now,

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