DISCOURSE XLIV.

JAMES iii. 17.

The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and eafy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify.

THE gifts of the Holy Spirit are diftinguishable

into two kinds, being either extraordinary, and peculiar to fome times and perfons; and given, not for the fanctification of the men on whom they are bestowed, but for the edification of the church, which is the body of Chrift: or they are common to all times of the Gofpel, and neceffary to perfect the man of God in every good work; and therefore tendered to all who undertake the conditions of Chriftianity, according to the promife of God made through Chrift Jefus. Of the first fort were those wonderful gifts bestowed on the Apoftles, and firft planters of Christianity, by which they were enabled to convey the knowledge of the falvation of God to men of all languages, and to convince the world by figns, and wonders, and mighty works, of the truth of their miffion; and that the word by them spoken was the word of life, proceeding from

him, whofe power was made ufe of in confirmation of it.

That the gifts of this fort conveyed no fanctifying grace to the receiver, is evident from what St. Paul has taught us, 1 Cor. xiii. Though 1 fpeak with the tongue of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as founding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all myfteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing. The fuppofition here made, that the exercise of these gifts may confift with a want of charity, i. e. with the want of the moral qualifications of a Christian, warrants the conclufion, that these gifts do not convey the fanctifying grace of the Gospel; and that they are given, not for the fake of the receivers, but for the fake of others, who through their ministry are to be converted to the knowledge of the truth. For this reason they were given, and for fome time continued in the primitive church, to make way for the acknowledgment of Chrift, and for the conviction of unbelievers; and may be again renewed, whenever God fhall think fit vifibly to interpofe in the farther propagation of his Gospel in the heathen world.

It is manifeft then, that the Scripture afcribes to the Spirit of God a twofold operation in the work of the Gospel. The firft is that already mentioned, and is the fupplying and furnishing motives of credibility, and proper means to establish the doctrine and faith. The fecond is that now to be confidered in explaining the words of the text, to wit, the affording affiftance and ftrength to all, who undertake

the conditions of the Gofpel, to perform them, and to render a fervice worthy of the Gospel, and acceptable to our God and Saviour.

The wisdom mentioned in the text is described to be the wisdom that is from above, that is, which is given or communicated from above. And in the first chapter the Apostle inftructs us how to obtain it: If ́any of you lack wisdom, let him afk of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him: but let him afk in faith. And foon after he fhews us upon what grounds his advice ftands: Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variablenefs, neither shadow of turning.

The inftruction given, that we fhould afk this wifdom in faith; the reafon affigned to fupport this faith, that with God is no variableness, neither fhadow of turning; do fufficiently fhew, that the wifdom which we are encouraged to afk for is no other than the grace promised under the Gofpel: for the declaration of God's purpose to give this wisdom, which is no where declared but in the Gospel, must be fuppofed, before the immutability of his purpose can be alleged as a ground of hope and affurance to obtain the good gift by the prayer of faith.

By the word wisdom then in the text we must underftand the grace of God promifed in the Gofpel, and confidered in Scripture as the ruling and governing principle in the difciples of Chrift: that principle of holiness by which they are enabled to mortify the deeds of the flesh; by which they do no fin, and are alive to righteoufnefs: elfewhere fpoken of as the Spirit of Chrift dwelling in them, and by which

their mortal bodies are quickened; and described as fo neceffary to a Chriftian, that the Apostle to the Romans has affirmed, If any man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his.

This grace is called wisdom upon the fame account that the fear of the Lord is faid to be the beginning of wisdom; because the wifdom of man confifteth in the obedience of God, in whose hand are the iffues of life and death, and not upon the account of any degrees of knowledge, either facred or civil, which it is fuppofed to convey. The fruits afcribed to this wifdom in the text are all moral qualifications: it is pure, and peaceable, and gentle, full of mercy, and the like; of the learning and knowledge which proceed from it, we read nothing. The knowledge of myfteries, and things facred, may be reckoned among the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, and are mentioned as fuch by St. Paul in the paffage of his Epiftle to the Corinthians already alleged but he speaks of them as not neceffarily inferring charity, and confequently as diftinct gifts from that grace, or wisdom, which is pure, and peaceable, and full of mercy.

The gifts of the Spirit, confidered with respect to the Author of them, and the motives inducing him to bestow them, are properly ftyled the grace of God; for of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, and of his own will it is that he enableth us to run the course that is fet us: fo that our confidence is, to use the language of St. Paul, that he which hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift. But, confidered with respect to their influence on the receiver, they are, by St.