and merit, melt his hardness into contrition. His unbelief yields to evidence. Exercising faith, he with active will unbars the bolted door. The redeemer with every grace now enters; whilst the heart once desolate is now replenished with joys untasted by any but by souls new born.

We now proceed to a view of the secondary mode of internal divine excitement, as consistent with moral freedom and agency. The internal influence hereby intended, is that, which operates in those already regenerated; thereby upholding and accelerating them in their heavenly course; and which, by St. Paul in Phillipians 11, 13, is thus expressed. "It is God "who worketh in you both to will and to do of his "good pleasure." This verse Macknight translates literally thus, "For it is God who inwardly worketh "in you, from benevolence, both to will and work ef"fectually." In his note he thus remarks thereon. "According to the Arminians and moderate Calvinists, "the word translated inwardly worketh, does not in "this passage signify any irresistible operation of the "deity on the minds of men, but a moral influence only." And "they likewise observe, that if God inwardly worketh by any influence which is irresisti"ble, there would be no occasion for exhorting men "strongly to work out their own salvation, since the "whole is done by God himself. "the inward working of God in men, to will and to "work, without impinging on their freedom, may be explained in the following manner. First, by the operation of this spirit God gives them enlightened

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eyes of the understanding, Ephesians 1, 18; whereby they are enabled to discern the truth of the doc"trines and promises of the gospel, and to perceive "the beauty of virtue and deformity (or viciousness) "of vice, and to form just notions of the consequen"ces of the one, and of the other. Secondly. He oc"casions these just views of things to recur frequent"ly, and with such force as to engage their attention : "The consequence of which is, that the love of virtue "and the hatred of vice being gradually inspired, those 'pleasures of the present life, which cannot be enjoy"ed with innocence, are despised by those in whom "God thus worketh. Also such an earnest desire of "the happiness of the life to come, is excited in them, "as leads them to a virtuous conduct. Thirdly. "When men are in danger of falling into sin through "strong temptation, the spirit of God, by rousing their

conscience, restrains them. Or, if they fall into sin, "the spirit of God brings them to repent, by the con"demnations and painful stingings of their own con"science. Fourthly. Every circumstance of men's "lot being ordered by God, he thus suits their trials "to their strength, or he gives them assistance in pro

portion to the greatness of their trials; so that he

never suffers men to be tempted above what they 66 are able to bear." The above observations and reasonings tend strikingly to illustrate how the divine spirit may efficiently operate in christians to will and to do, without at all infringing on their freedom in self exertion; and without the smallest implication of disability in men, to originate their own volitions, inde

pendently of controling excitement. The relation which exists betwixt divine internal agency, and human agency is further exemplified "From what God "hath said concerning the antediluvians. Genesis vi, "3. My spirit shall not always strive with men. "And from the apostles command, not to quench the "spirit, nor to grieve him; for these things imply "that the operations of the spirit of God may be re"sisted." And hence it follows that man has a self determining power in things pertaining to his salvation; unless we admit the impious absurdity of two opposite divine influences, one weak, and the other strong; both operating at the same time.

This correspondency betwixt divine and human coaction, or rather of divine moral excitement, and human ability of moral action, may strikingly be further illustrated by the natural operation of the Microscope, and the Telescope on the human eye: And by the natural ability of man to use, or to reject either, or both of these instruments of vision. Objects hitherto invisible, are rendered visible by either instrument. It is not the microscope that distinctly surveys the nice organization of the animalcule; nor the telescope that discerns Herschel and his satellites, or the broad ring of Saturn. But it is the eye, which through these mediums, conveys knowledge to the human soul. The heart and mind may be affected with wonder, and astonishment, at these discoveries to the self seeing eye, and yet the man remain altogether unnecessitated, to use, or to forbear the use of these mediums of vision. Just so it is with man divinely influenced. It is God

who reveals; it is man who discovers. God imparts power, man exerts, or forbears exerting the power of action imparted. The eye that perceived the hidden wonders of nature, is still but an eye; although the soul therewith connected, hath increased its stock of knowledge: So the divinely illuminated man is still but a man, of like passions with other men; but with this difference, that if unfaithful to the heavenly operation, he is a man far more guilty than before; but if perseveringly faithful to the divine calling, his affections will freely ascend from creatures, in supreme love, to the adorable creator. It may be objected, that the comparison is imperfect because vision through the forementioned instruments, cannot be obstruded upon men; whilst deity has it ever in his power to compel men to see spiritual things, whether they will or not, and that in this very way he actually, graciously constrains all who are saved, to become willing in the day of his power. That the deity, if he pleased, could overwhelm the moral agency of devils and men by such irresistible influence as should fix them forever unalterably obedient to his requirements, no person will deny; but then all this must be done at the expense of their freedom, and accountability. Such an operation as this, if universal, would reduce all descriptions of intelligent beings into the condition of mere cogitating machines. Had this been the divine economy from the beginning, satan had never fallen, angels had never sinned, Adam and Eve had not transgressed, nor any of their posterity rebelled. The unsinning angels would have had no opportunity of

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displaying their constancy of unnecessitated obedience to that God whom they adored. Neither could there have been any place for redemption, in the "sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." But the whole creation whether mental or material, had moved on together in the passiveness of machinery, under the necessitating impetus of Almighty power. If then we may infer the divine government over intelligent be. ings in ages to come, from those which are past, we may safely conclude, that all must commence their existence in a state of probation, that is, in a condition of perilous freedom. And that this is the present real condition of men in this life, (although clearly manifest from preceding trains of reasoning, and observations which are undeniable; yet) will still more fully appear if we but attend further to the agency on man, through divine illumination.

In order to the visual perception of objects, neither an eye nor an optical instrument, nor yet both united, are alone sufficient, it is essential that light should be present. Hence it is, that spiritual light, in order to the right discernment of heavenly things, is so frequently noticed in the holy scriptures. "Walk (saith "Christ) while ye have the light, lest darkness come

upon you; for he that walketh in darkness, knoweth "not whether he goeth. While ye have light, believe "in the light, that ye may be the children of light." John x11, 35, 36. And, saith St. Paul, "Call to re"membrance the former days, in which, after ye were "illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions." Hebrews x, 32. From Christ's words, we here learn