Page images
PDF
EPUB

shew that there is no disposition or conduct, truly suitable to the nature of things, but that for which the Scripture directs us to apply for the sanctifying grace of God.

On the other hand, there cannot be a more unnatural confusion and disproportion in the world, than what takes place in the prevalent affections of intelligent creatures, when instead of loving God above all things, they give the preference to infinitely inferior objects. There cannot be a more unnatural abuse of God's creatures, than to make those effects of his goodness, whose native tendency is to make us love and honour him, occasions of alienation from him and rebellion against him. There cannot be a more unnatural stupidity than that which makes the hearts of sinners so insensible of all the motives to love God: when infinite excellency, in a special manner infinite goodness and all-sufficiency, do not excite the highest esteem, gratitude and desire. Such perverseness of heart has in it the greatest incongruity and contrariety in the world, to the most important natural differences and relations of things; namely, the differences between God himself and his creatures, the relations they stand in to him, and the relations we stand in to him ourselves, as our Creator, Preserver, our chief and in a manner our only Benefactor (other causes of good being but instruments of good in his hands) the Father of spirits and Fountain of life, in whom we live, move and have our being.

These things shew, that that depravity which is opposite to true holiness, is a disposition which has in it the greatest unsuitableness to the nature and natural relations of things; and is so contrary to the true perfection of our nature, that it has a direct tendency to the destruction of it. Whereas some people appear prejudiced against supernatural operations of grace as interfering with the order of

nature, it should be considered, that the design of such operations is to remove the most unnatural disorder in the world. They rescue our faculties from the most unnatural abuse and perversion of them. By subduing depravity, they restore the primitive and original rectitude of our nature. They re-establish a blessed order and harmony in the inward principles of action, namely the inward inclinations and affections of the heart. They render them suitable to the nature of things, proportioned in the main to the worth of their objects, (the heart being chiefly attached to the chief good), and subservient to the true perfection of our nature and the end of our being.

:

It may be said in a very proper sense, that it is the supernatural efficacy of grace that re-establishes and promotes the most important efficacy of natural causes. The most important and most excellent use of natural causes, is their subserviency to the knowledge and love of God in the hearts of rational creatures. It is prevalent depravity and hardness of heart that hinders their efficacy that way. According to the common and natural way of speaking on moral subjects, the motives to love and obey God, are called just causes of love and obedience and transgressions of God's righteous laws are said to be without cause and unaccountable. Such expressions indeed must be understood in a limited and moral sense; there being that in the heart of a sinner which can account for his transgressions, and is the natural cause of them. But such natural ways of speaking on this subject, are a confirmation of what was observed above, that that depravity which is opposite to true holiness, is, in the sense formerly explained, the most unnatural thing in the world; and that divine grace, in subduing it, removes the main hindrance of the chief use and efficacy of natural causes, which is their efficacy on the minds and hearts of

[graphic][subsumed]

nature, it should be considered, that the design of such operations is to remove the most unnatural disorder in the world. They rescue our faculties from the most unnatural abuse and perversion of them. By subduing depravity, they restore the primitive and original rectitude of our nature. They re-establish a blessed order and harmony in the inward principles of action, namely the inward inclinations and affections of the heart. They render them suitable to the nature of things, proportioned in the main to the worth of their objects, (the heart being chiefly attached to the chief good), and subservient to the true perfection of our nature and the end of our being.

It may be said in a very proper sense, that it is the supernatural efficacy of grace that re-establishes and promotes the most important efficacy of natural causes. The most important and most excellent use of natural causes, is their subserviency to the knowledge and love of God in the hearts of rational creatures. It is prevalent depravity and hardness of heart that hinders their efficacy that way. According to the common and natural way

speaking on moral subjects, the motives to love and obey God, are called just causes of love and bedience: and transgressions of God's righteous ws are said to be without cause and unaccounta

[graphic]

expressions indeed must be understood and moral sense; there being that in a siner which can account for his

[ocr errors]

the natural cause of them. of speaking on this subject, what was observed above, ch is opposite to true holimerly explained, the most world; and that divine moves the main hindrance ficacy of natural causes, the minds and hearts of

reasonable creatures, directing them to the First Cause, the source of all good. But this will be still more evident if we consider, not only the effects of divine grace, but also the Scripture account of the manner in which it produces them.

:

It is evident from Scripture, that the operations of grace are suited to the frame of our natures, and to those laws of nature which relate to the fittest means of producing the best effects on the minds and hearts of reasonable creatures. The proper means or causes of producing belief or persuasion, with suitable affections, are such things as these light or evidence, arguments and motives, serious proposal of them, mature consideration, earnest exhortation and entreaty, warnings of danger, and the like. As several of these things were considered in the former section, it was observed, that though our need of divine grace supposes the insufficiency of these means in themselves, yet the efficacy of grace does not take away the usefulness and necessity of them. It is evident from Scripture, that these and the like means, are ordinarily made use of in subserviency to the operations of grace, both in the first production of its blessed effects, and in advancing them towards perfection.

According to Scripture, as divine grace excites men to good actions by producing good affections, so it produces good affections and inclinations in their hearts, by informing their judgments and enlightening their minds. As divine love must be founded on the belief of divine truths, that is, on the belief of the most just motives of love in the world; so faith working by love is represented as the whole of true religion. So much the more unnatural is some people's way of reasoning, in opposing the importance of faith on pretence of magnifying the importance of good inclinations. As God affords abundant evidence for the divine ori

.

« PreviousContinue »