nableness of our Duty. Grace of Sentiment, is that operation of the Spirit which makes our Duty pleasant and delectable to us, or which gives us a sense of pleasure in the doing of it, making us to tafte as it were, as well as to fee it. But the precife manner how either of these are done, I pretend not to Explain.

itis&Remifione. Lib. 2. Cap. 17.

4. However as to the substance of the Notion, I think we cannot well conceive otherwife of it; and that it may not appear Novel, 'tis to be obferv'd, that though it has received great Imbellishment and Improvement from a Modern Pen, yet the ground of it is in St. Austin, as is plain from these remarkable words of his, which the forementioned Author alío produces. De Peccatorum me- Nolunt homines facere quod juftum eft, five quia latet an justum fit, five quia non delectat. Tanto enim quidq; vehementius volumus, quanto certius quam bonum fit novimus, eoq; delectamur ardentius.... Ut autem innotefcat quod latebat, & fuave fiat, quod non delectabat, gratia Dei eft, &c. Men fays he, will not do what is Juft, either because it is not known to them whether it be Just or no, or else because it does not delight them. For we will every thing by fo much the more vehemently, by how much the more certainly we know how good it is, and by how much

the

Cap. 19.

the more ardently we are delighted with it. But that it may be made known to us what lay hid, and may become fweet, what did not delight us, is of the Grace of God. To the fame purpose a little after in the fame Book he points out these two sorts of Grace under the diftingui fhing Characters of Certa Scientia, and Delectatio Victrix, certain Knowledge, and Victorious Delectation. Where he alfo further tells us, that when we implore God's help to do and to fulfil Righteoufnefs, what else do we ask, but that he fhould open to us what lay hid from us, and make that sweet and pleasant to us which did not delight us. Cum autem ab illo illius adjutorium deprecamur ad faciendam perficiendamq; juftitiam, quid aliud deprecamur quàm ut aperiat quod latebat, & Suave faciat quod non delectabat. So that according to the Doctrine of St. Austin, the Grace of God is Knowledge and Pleasure, which are but other words for Light and Sentiment, the former informing the Understanding, and the latter preventing, moving and attracting the Will,by giving it a kind of Natu ral Love and Inclination to that which is good, and which indeed as fuch ought to be chofen by us

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becaufe indeed it is Supernatural *I fay a kind of Natural Love,

as to the Principle, and Natural only as that fignifies a Love of Inclination, whereby we are carried to the doing of a thing, for the Pleasure or Delight which we find in it, and not for Extrinfic

Reasons or Motives.

tipon

upon a mere Intellectual View, or fole conviction of the Mind, but we have an evil concupifcence in us, and 'tis fit there fhould be a contrary weight to counterballance it. Pleasure to attract, as well as light to convince.

5. For I look upon Grace as the Suppletory of corrupt Nature,and a Remedy against Original Sin, and a Counterpoife to the weight of that evil Concupifcence which dwells in us, and fo to bear date fince the fall, as being the Purchase and Procurement of the Mediatour. And accordingly it is called the Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift,who being the Head of the Church and the great Steward of God's Houfhold, that gives them their Meat in due Seafon, ought I fuppofe to be acknowledged as the Diffenfer of this Grace, fince of his fullness as St. John fays, we have all received, John 1. 16. And there is no doubt, but that it being difpens'd by him who is the Wisdom of the Father, there is a most wise Order and an excellent Oeconomy in the distribution of this Grace. For an infinitely perfect Mind can do nothing arbitrarily and without reafon. But what that order is, though 'tis what I fhould be glad to learn if I knew who could teach me, yet not knowing where to find that Inftructor, I must be content to leave it as one of those fecret things which belong to God, and to wait the Revelation of it in another State. 6. In

6. In the mean while that which is of a nearer concern to our purpose at prefent, is this. That fince the Grace of God is the great Inftrument of our Regeneration and Sanctifi cation, the Seed of the new Birth, the Medicine of fick Nature, and the step whereby we afcend to Glory, it plainly and neceffarily follows, that whatever ferves to difpofe us for the reception of Grace, a thing fo useful and neceffary both to Goodness and Happi nefs, muft needs be allowed to have a very eminent degree of Excellence. For the goodnefs of the means always takes its measure from, and bears proportion to the goodness of the end. But now that Humility difpofes those that have it for the reception of Grace, we are affured by St. James in these words, God refifteth the Proud, but giveth Grace unto the Humble, James 4. 6. Which words feem to refer to that Parallel Text in the Proverbs, Surely he fcorneth the Scorners, but he giveth Grace unto the Lowly, Prov. 3. 34. Grace in all fenfes, both as it fignifies favour, and as it fignifies the inward Operation of the Holy Spirit affiting our Infirmities, which is (next to Glory) the greatest favour. And becaufe it is fo, I know not why it should not be comprehended, and that though the word in the ftrict and primary fense of it should be allowed to fignifie favour. That it fignifics fo very often, especially in the Old Testament

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cannot

cannot be denied. But that it fignifies fo throughout the Scripture (as a Learned Man will have it) I cannot fo readily admit. That one place of St. Paul (not to alledge any more inftances at prefent) feems a juft Exception to the contrary. My Grace is fufficient for thee, 2 Cor. 12. 9. Where both the circumftance of the Cafe, and the coherence of the Text feem to concur in making it neceffary by Grace here to understand the Affiftance of God's Spirit. St. Paul had been under fome violent Temptation, and had prayed three times that it might be removed from him. To which the Anfwer was, my Grace is fufficient for thee, as much as to fay, to uphold and fupport thee under this Temptation, tho' I do not fee fit to remove it yet. Which fenfe as it beft agrees to the Cafe, fo is it not a little confirm'd from what immediately follows, for my strength is made perfect in weakness, as much as to fay, that my Divine Power in upholding and fupporting is then most eminent and manifeft, when Men are in a state of Natural impotence and difability, unable to help themselves. And to this I further add, that this place of St. Paul feems parallel to another place of the fame Apostle, viz. there hath no temptation you but fuch as is common to Man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with

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