CHAPTER IV: An exceeding greatness of God's power apparent in our regeneration
who is this sheep? Ver. 7, it is a sinner that repents. And who are those friends God calls together thus to rejoice? Ver. 10, 'There is joy in the presence of the angels of God.' The higher house of heaven is called together on purpose to rejoice, though the lower house regards not such a poor soul.
Well, but it will be said, it may be thus at so great a shoal of converts as in the conversion of the Jews shall fall out, or when three thousand in a day are converted, as Acts 2. Nay, but this is at the conversion of one sinner. And as Abraham made a feast at Isaac's weaning, so God feasts the angels with the conversion of each and every sinner. And it is emphatically said, 'the angels of God,' even those that have God to rejoice in, have their joy yet more full by the addition. But it carries with it this reason, that it is because they are friends. The account is, ver. 6, God and Christ are so well pleased with it, as the angels know and perceive full well their nearness and oneness with God, and ingratiate themselves by joyful acclamations at their conversion.
CHAPTER IV
That there is an exceeding greatness of God's power apparent in our regeneration.—This is demonstrated from the nature of the work in general.
There is not only infinite mercy, but the almighty power of God manifested in our regeneration. It is exceeding greatness of God's power, no less than that which raised Christ up to glory, which is necessary to work faith and grace in the heart of every true believer. I desire that all those who in their opinions and expressions do lessen and extenuate God's work herein, as Arminians do; or others who, in the secret sayings of their hearts, and practice in their lives, make the work of grace very easy, and in their own power, and therefore refer their repentance to their own leisure; would but come and consider what the Spirit of God tells us: Eph. 1:19, 20, 'And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,' ver. 20, 'which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.' Whatsoever low, and mean, and slight conceit we, not knowing the power of God's grace, may have of it, yet let us but consider, 1. Who it is that let fall these words; it was not only Paul (who had the deepest experience and insight into a work of grace, more than all the discoursers in the world), whose authority were enough in the case; but it is the Spirit of God in Paul from whom they dropped, 2
Pet. 1:10, compared with the chap. 3, ver. 15, 16. Now it is this Spirit of God that gave out these words, who is the great agent in the business, and employed in it, Luke 1:35. It is the power of the Highest (as it is called, Luke 1:35), who works it; who hath been the converter of the apostle Paul, and of many millions of souls, that expressly says there is thus much power goes to it. If at any time God will convert any soul, he must put forth the exceeding greatness of
his power. If we would know how much force goes to the effecting of anything, the surest way is to hear the agent himself speak. The standers by, nay, nor the patient itself, doth not so fully discern it often: when Christ healed the woman of the bloody flux, and that but by the touch of the garment, the standers by, the disciples, they discerned nothing; but hear Christ himself speak, δύναμις, power or virtue (says he) is gone out from me. He could tell, and best might, what pains went to effect that miracle; because it went from him. So now also for the work of grace, because it is despatched often and done in a trice, as we see in Paul and the thief, and done as it were by the touch or striking of the words of a weak man at the ears of another, therefore the standers by think there is no great power goes to all this; but ask him whose work it is, and he tells you, it is the exceeding greatness of his power, &c. If a strong man lift up a great weight, and doth it slightly, the standers by are not competent judges what force goes to it, but only the man himself that felt the stress put to it. So it is here. Indeed the Spirit of God clothes and hides this exceeding greatness of power working in believers' hearts, by using such sweet persuasive motives, and gentle, rational inducements, as cords to draw men's hearts, as the word of God hath in it; which is the reason why some bring down all this great power spoken of to moral persuasion, making the working power of the Spirit of God in drawing men's hearts but as an engineer that draws and winds up some heavy weight by ropes fastened to it; as in cranes and the like artifices: so as the ropes bear the stress, and all is done by their force; and if the weight be too heavy, it cracks them, and down falls all again; and so the Spirit works not but by those moral persuasions in the word, by enlightening, fastening them to the heart; and if the poise of the will, and weight of sin (which so presseth down, Heb.
12:1), if it breaks those bands asunder, all the Spirit's work is lost; the heart falls down and settles again in the same estate it was. Which, if it were true, wherein should this exceeding greatness of God's power be spent? Doth the Spirit make more of it than it is? If the Spirit effected but by his power concurring with the force of such twine threads only in themselves, why should such big words be used about it? You see, in such kind of working, the power of a child is able to
wind up great weights, if the cords hold. But the truth is, my brethren, that the Spirit, willing to hide the greatness of his power, immediately working, and having hold on the heart (the work of grace being the only standing miracle in the church), useth these instruments in the working of it, yet doth it not according to the strength and force of these, but according to the exceeding greatness of his power alone. As when the angel stirred the water of the pool, it was not the angel's stirring that healed, but the immediate power of God then extended, and by that means. So nor is it the stirring of God's Spirit of the heart by good motions, or moral persuasions, though these be used, that work grace; but the exceeding greatness of God's power extended in and by these, working beyond the sphere of their power and activity. And that this is so, will be evident if you consider, 2. Secondly, the instance given. It is said to be the same power that wrought in Jesus Christ, in raising him from the dead. Now to raise any one from the dead, is an act of the immediate power of God.
Christ, in raising up Lazarus, said indeed, 'Lazarus, come forth,' John 11:45. But was it the word, think we, or the power of God that went with this word, raised him? And so the Spirit useth persuasions to the heart, but there is a farther power goes with them; but yet if you observe the words of the text, the working of God's power here in believers' hearts, is not simply paralleled with the power of raising
Christ from death to life, but from death even to that glorious estate he now in the heavens enjoys, which is a work of further power than the raising up of Lazarus and any dead man. For there is a great distance between death and life, so as it must be a great power to raise one from the one to the other; but between glory and life, there is yet a hundred times a vaster difference. So that now to raise Jesus
Christ, so low laid in the grave, and subdued by death, not to life only, but far above principalities, &c., to that top of glory in heaven: this is the exceeding greatness of God's power indeed. Therefore,
Rom. 1:4, this work of raising himself thus up is made the greatest that ever God did by his power, and which, of all other manifested, to the utmost, that Christ was the Son of God; put that out of the
question, more than all his miracles: he was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead;' such was the power shewn in that work above all else. And therefore the Holy
Ghost singles out that, to express his power in raising men from sin to grace; a greater distance being between them, than simply the natural death and life; even as much as between the estate of Christ humbled 'in the grave, and glorified in heaven; and the like exceeding greatness of power worketh in the one and other.
Again, 3. Consider the great superlative expressions the Holy Ghost useth, besides the paralleling it with the instance given. It is not only great power, but greatness of power, and that exceeding greatness.
Now such superlative expressions are never used concerning any attribute, but when it is manifested in some work of God to the utmost, and more than in other former works of his; in comparison of which, these superlative expressions are used and taken up. And indeed you shall find them only used in the expressing his works of grace; which being as it were nova scena et ultima representatio, the last stage whereon his attributes are to shew themselves, and act their parts; therefore every attribute that appears on this stage in any act doth its utmost, most superlatively, beyond what was done in former works of creation, providence, &c., and therefore every attribute that bears a part herein, hath superlative expressions of it.
Take any attribute, viz., his mercy, which he shews in other works; when he speaks of them as shewn in other works, it is in the positive degree, simply thus, 'His mercy is over all his works;' that is, shewed in, and to them all. But when he comes to speak of the mercy and love shewn in the work of grace, he contents not simply so to express it, but he tells us of 'the riches of his glory,' and 'the height, breadth,
&c., of his love, which passeth knowledge,' Eph. 3:16, 18, 19. And he speaks of 'God who is rich in mercy, according to the great love whereby he hath loved us,' Eph. 2:4. See what superlative terms he here useth, that are in no work of common mercy, because indeed more mercy is shewn to one poor redeemed soul, than to all the world besides. The like is of his power here, expressed in other works of creation, it is expressed in the positive degree, Rom. 1:20, 'They'
(says the apostle) 'express his power and Godhead.' But when he comes to speak of the power shewn in the working of grace and second creation, then nothing serves to express it, you see, but 'the exceeding greatness of his power.' For it being a new creation, his last work and way of manifesting his attributes, so every attribute must exceed in it; for that is God's manner, that his last works, if he do any, should be greater, and clean put down the former. He observes it in deliverances, Jer. 23:7, and so in all other works. So as if he shewed power in creating at first; if he come to create again, he will have it be such a work wherein much more power shall be shewn, even 'the exceeding greatness of his power;' for every wise agent, if he doth a thing over again, will be sure to exceed; he reserves the greatest to the last. Now, therefore, will you set the work of creation by this work, and equal God's power in that with this here, see how it equals it. Creation is a making something out of nothing. Why, this work is a creation also; it is called, 2 Cor. 5:17, 'a creature,' and we are said, Eph. 2:10, to be 'created to good works.'
But yet there is something more, for it is said to be 'a new creature.'
Now as in the case of the covenants, Heb. 8:13, speaking of the new covenant, he hath made the first old, so this phrase, the new creature, implies, that there was an abolishing of some old thing first; and so the next words do certify us, 2 Cor. 5:17, 'Old things are passed away, all are become new.' Behold, here is a greater work than was at the first creation, in that there was but a making something out of nothing; here are old things first to be destroyed, to pass away, that is, come to nothing; which to do, requires as much power as to create; and then new to be made. There is a great building, old things pulled down, and abundance of rubbish to be pulled down and carried away, and then a new erected; yea, all old things must be done away, and all must be made new; not a stick or stud that goes to old building, will serve in the new. And yet this is not all; for in the first creation, only nothing was before, and nothing that opposed it; though all made of nothing, yet nothing against it; but now in this work, these old things do mightily oppose it, 2 Cor. 10:4, 5, Rom. 8:7:
God hath much more therefore to do, not only to destroy old things before he make new, but old things that are enmity.
There is not only a changing of water into wine, which is done daily in the grape, as John 2, but of contrary into contrary; of hearts of stone into flesh, and wolves into lambs, Ezek. 36:26, Isa. 11:6. This is greater than any miracle Christ shewed, and therefore he tells his apostles, that were workers with God, as it were, in this work, that greater works than he did, they should do; even as great as the greatest and last work Christ ever did, in raising himself from death to glory.
Use. Is there such an exceeding greatness of power in the saving work of God's grace, which interests us in the rich inheritance of glory? Why, methinks, this should begin to rouse and startle many of us, and make every one of us, that look for a part and portion in that inheritance, to consider with himself whether there is such a work of grace in his heart as bears proportion, correspondency, and in the working of it answers to such an exceeding greatness of power, so as necessarily it should draw forth so much power from God to work it.
For we cannot imagine God doth overdo anything without imputation of folly: no wise agent will put more strength to the working and effecting of a business than will necessarily work it, for there would be so much strength as is overplus spent in vain, as the prophet complains. A king will not stretch out his prerogative royal, or send an absolute mandate, use his extraordinary power, when the bare intimation of his pleasure will do it; and therefore certainly
God, who is said to do all things in weight and measure, and who doth always proportion his power to the work, will never exert such an exceeding greatness of power, if less would serve the turn.
Conclude therefore we must, that the true work of grace hath all this power spoken of necessarily drawn out to work it; and therefore we should all do well to examine whether we have had such a working on our hearts as bears proportion with such a power, so as we can conclude and say, I feel such a work wrought in me, which no power but the power of God, thus mightily unbared and manifested, could ever have wrought; and the prints of such a work we may safely build on, as a note of election, as the apostle makes it: 1 Thess. 1:4, 5,
'Knowing your election, for that the word came to you in power,' &c.
And, indeed, I know no better way to distinguish the common workings of the Spirit, which so many falsely take for notes of election, than by this truth now in hand; for though they be all works of the Holy Ghost, and works of power also, yet not such as the exceeding greatness of power here spoken of, and no less, should be engaged in them; and therefore now, to lay aside such as have had no working on the hearts by the Spirit more than nature, who as those,
Acts 19:2, cannot tell by any working that they have felt of the word and Spirit, whether there be any Holy Ghost, yea or no; and who are resembled unto the highway side, to let them pass as those in Jude
10, 'who as brute beasts' know no more than nature: let us examine you that think you have some work of grace to shew for heaven.
First, Some will say, I am no adulterer, no drunkard, no unjust person, but sober, chaste, &c.; and is not this a work of God's power in me, and of his grace, being more than nature?
For answer, 1. I grant it is a work of God more than nature, man's nature being as fully prone to these sins as any other, and the Scriptures telling expressly that God restrains such dispositions in men; God kept
Abimelech from adultery, Gen. 20:2, and Laban from hurting Jacob, Gen. 31:34, &c.
Yea, and 2. I grant it to be a work of power, as great as to say to the proud waves of the sea, Stay here your waves, and overflow not; or as it was to chain up the power of the fire from singeing the garments of the three children; so to say effectually to the pride, malice, and envy,
&c., of a wicked man, Boil not over, requires as great power; and not only so, but to work and stamp light impressions and tinctures of moral virtues, is a work of great power. Yet,
3. It is not comparable to that power which wrought in Jesus Christ, in raising him from the dead.
(1.) Because the instance of restraining grace alleged, is but keeping the dead body from stinking, and putrefying so much as else it would, and causing it to retain some of the colours a living body hath, though wan and lifeless, which embalming of a dead body will do for many a year. And so indeed that men are kept from stinking, and retain some colours of justice, chastity, &c., is from an answerable embalming power of the Spirit; but this is far from that power which puts a new principle of life into a dead man, and raiseth him up to life.
(2.) Restraining grace is but keeping in and restraining sin in men, yet so as still there is not the less of it in a man's heart, as there is not the less water in the sea, for bridling the foaming and raging waves of it; whereas in the work of grace there is an abolition or annihilation in part begun of old things, so as they pass away and cease to be; now that is a power equal to creating.
And 2. There is an alteration of corrupt nature, inasmuch as a new creature, and contrary workmanship wrought, so as the dross is turned into pure gold throughout; but those tinctures of moral virtues are not a new creature in nature, changing it throughout, but a slight and superficiary gilding of the dross, corrupt nature remaining so still; which impressions also are wrought and maintained, even by the help of what is left in corrupt nature, namely, the natural conscience, in which stamps of law are written, and natural wisdom improved, both which stirred up, and actuated by these apprehensions that vice is evil, virtue good, and that in wisdom it is best, in a man's carriage here, to shun the one and follow the other; and that it is of profit and good report amongst men; by means of these thoughts, I say, such restraint, and the impressions of virtues are easily wrought, even by the help of what is left in nature itself. Whereas now, in the work of grace, the Spirit doth create anew by his immediate power, and therefore it is called a new creature, and this made out of nothing that was in the heart before to further the work.
To conclude: This stirring up of moral virtues, &c., is but as a new dressing of an old garment, which though it may deceive some, and make them think it is a new creature, yet there is nothing added to it that was not, or might not be in it before; only by the help of conscience and natural wisdom some tufts of good are stirred up; but in the work of grace there is not only a new dressing of corrupt nature, but a putting it off, and then a new man created, and that put on, Eph. 4:22, 24, not a gilding only, but a renewing throughout, changing us in the spirit of the mind, turning the metal into gold to the bottom, ver. 23. But as for the superficiary tincture in such civil men, if not in time worn off, as gilding is, and though it appears in their ordinary carriages of their lives, as set in such and such a condition, yet let them be melted a little, and tried, put upon some new temptation, cast into another fashion, then the base metal, the corruption and naughtiness of their hearts, appear. Whereas a godly man, whose heart is throughout changed, try him how you will, cast him into what mould you will, yet the grace appears. I therefore earnestly desire those that find no further work of power on their hearts than restraint from evil, and slight dispositions to moral virtues, to consider of their estates.
I come to a second sort of men, and to a further work. For some will now plead, I find not only my heart thus embalmed, as you call it, by the Spirit, and the corrupt lusts of the old and dead man, as they are called, Eph. 4:22, kept from stinking and putrefying, together with some additions of moral virtues; but I find some lively warmth wrought in my heart and affections by the word and Spirit, even to such things, and by such motives as the word delivers. In hearing and praying, &c., my eyes are enlightened to understand and assent to those spiritual truths in the word, my heart so far wrought on, and such stirrage of affections upon the consideration of the truths delivered therein, as I can sorrow for my sin, tremble at the threatenings, joy in the promises, and flickerings also of good purposes, desires to obey, and some endeavours; and I hope you will say, that it is impossible, but that such a work as this should be only from the exceeding greatness of God's power, a mere supernatural
work of the Spirit of Christ, above the power of nature in itself, as it is for a dead man to have warmth, or move, or speak; and one now that hath such a work of power will presently say, as the magicians did, Exod. 8:19, 'This surely is the finger of God;' a work of the greatness of God's power; such as this no wicked man can have, that is dead in trespasses and sins.
1. I grant it is a work of the Spirit, and above the sphere of nature, and its activity in itself alone, for it is a sure rule the apostle gives, 1
Cor. 12:3, that no man says Jesus is the Lord without the Spirit; that is, no man can have his understanding brought to assent to, and profess Christ to be the Lord and Saviour, or any other truth preached in the gospel, unless the Spirit persuade his judgment of it; much more to have the heart wrought upon, and stirred up to good by such truths, is a work above nature, and therefore of the Spirit.
Why, but yet this is little for a man's comfort, for the apostle in that place, as the rest of the chapter, speaks of common gifts of the Spirit, communicable to reprobates, as that of healing, &c.; and besides the insurance* shews, that many wicked in the church, even such as sin against the Holy Ghost, have had a supernatural working of the Spirit, for they are convinced of the truth of religion and ways of grace, which by nature they could never be, but by the Holy Ghost, which therefore they are said to sin against; so that a man, you see, may have a supernatural working of the Spirit in him and upon him, and yet not a work of saving grace; the very insensible creatures have workings of the Spirit on them: Gen. 1:2, it is said, 'The Spirit of God moved upon the waters;' and suppose he moves upon the surface of thy heart, and hath some supernatural working upon it, doth it presently follow then that thou art in the estate of grace? No more than it doth that the waters are.
2. I grant that it is the work of power, and that more extended and greater than the former. For the former was but a power restraining corrupt nature, but this is an elevating, raising it to such acts as are simply, and of itself, above its reach and own pitch; and therefore,
Heb. 6:4, it is so expressed and called, 'a tasting of the power of the
world to come;' that is, the apprehensions of the world to come: as heaven, hell, the day of judgment, of things belonging to another world, have powerful workings on men's affections, being enlightened by the Spirit to apprehend them in some measure and sort; insomuch as in Felix, Acts 24:26, the discourse of judgment to come made him tremble, so powerfully it wrought on him, it shook his heart as a mighty wind doth an aspen leaf; so King Agrippa's heart, at the hearing of Paul's conversion and of Christ's sufferings and rising from the dead, Acts 26, began to be stirred to have provocations to become a Christian. I forbear instances any more, and yet it doth not follow that such a work as this holds proportion with the exceeding greatness of God's power.
(1.) For though it be a work of the Spirit, yet it doth not follow it is saving grace. Indeed, if the Spirit of God were a mere natural agent in working, and always did work ad ultimum potentiæ suæ, to the utmost of his power, as fire, which when it burns must needs burn as much as in it can; and the sun when it shines shineth according to the fulness of its strength; then indeed every man that had any working of the Spirit of God upon his heart might certainly conclude that he wrought it by the exceeding greatness of his power; but the Spirit of God is a free and voluntary agent, who therefore may and doth moderate his power in his works; puts more or less to according to the working of his good pleasure, and hence now it comes to pass that every man, who is yet partaker of the Holy Ghost and of his workings, hath not yet a saving work wrought in him, such an one as draws forth the exceeding greatness of his power; for though it is the same Spirit that is in the regenerate, and works thus mightily, yet you must learn to know from the apostle, 1 Cor. 12:6, that there may be 'diversities of operations,' though the same God which worketh all in all; 'and all these worketh the selfsame Spirit, according as he will,' ver. 10, 11. And that you may see the truth of this, viz., that you may be partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have your judgments thus wrought on by enlightenings and affections stirred by supernatural objects, and yet all this not be a saving work, take only one instance, which is that of Balaam, that remained a wizard, a wretch, a devil,
who went after the wages of unrighteousness, 2 Pet. 2:15, Num. 24.
First, the Spirit of the Lord came on him; secondly, marvellously enlightened his eyes to see some glimmerings of the true God, ver. 3,
4, and of the blessed estate of God's people; witness his expression, ver. 5, 6, to the 9th, and that so also as his heart was wrought upon and stirred to desire that condition: chap. 23:10, 'Let me die the death of the righteous,' &c., and yet who will say his heart was changed?
There may be such a work upon a man's heart, and yet not the exceeding greatness of God's power go to work it.
(1.) As in the former instance of restraining power, so here in the Spirit's elevating power, as I may so call it. Let us suppose a dead body lay before you; it is in the power of a man bringing it to a fire, or by rubbing, to stir up warmth in it. Let an angel come, he can take it up, inform it, act it, so as it shall serve to move, speak, and perform the like actions of life. And yet this body is not all this while raised up from death to life, nor can all the sole-rubbing, or all simple moving it so by all the power of angels, ever do it. So now, my brethren, is it in the point in hand; besides the enabling or restraining men's corrupt lusts, there is a farther working on corrupt nature to perform acts of life in show, and as it were the Spirit enlightening, warming, rubbing on men's affections by the word, and the things revealed therein, moving them and carrying them on to good purposes, endeavours; and yet still this heart may be in itself dead, no new principle of life put in, besides the present actings of the Spirit; no new breath of life as was breathed into Adam, who, 1 Cor. 15:45, 'was made a living soul;' and therefore now when the Spirit ceaseth to move on this heart, as the angel sometimes did on the waters of the pool, all symptoms of life vanish, warmth is gone, and the heart is as dead as a log, as ever it was; as Balaam's also was out of that good mood; so that you see this is far short of the working of his power, which wrought on Jesus Christ when he was raised from the dead; a less power than this goes to the working of it. For such a raising of dead bodies the devil hath often practised, carrying dead bodies out
of their graves. There is no such exceeding greatness of power goes to such a work.
(2.) In reason also it may appear, that to the effecting such a work as this in man's heart, there needed not such an exceeding greatness of power be drawn forth. For there need not any new principle, any new soul or life, be created or infused into man's heart to make it capable of such a work as this is. For there are principles remaining in corrupt nature, which if but stirred, acted, elevated by the Spirit of God, are capable of all this; and simply to stir those principles up, and propound objects to them, and so to act and affect them, is not a work of the exceeding greatness of God's power.
First, I will shew this in the work of enlightening; and secondly, in the work of being affected with the things that the word delivers.
First, For the work of enlightening, there is in every man an eye of understanding and conscience, which, though sin-shot (that I may allude to the phrase of blood-shot in the eye) and defiled, Tit. 1:15, by reason of which defilement it cannot indeed see the spiritual goodness as it is in spiritual things themselves, 1 Cor. 2:14; yet even this blood-shot eye being able truly and really to apprehend the fearfulness of God's wrath, and the torments in hell which come by sin, is therefore by consequence capable to see an accidental goodness in Christ and the ways of God, viz., that by them this misery may be escaped. And this defiled understanding is capable to apprehend that the estate of the righteous after this life is glorious and blessed (as Balaam did), though indeed and in truth, if once they came to partake of it in heaven, the presence of God would be hell to them. Man's understanding being naturally in the dark, to make it apprehensive of the goodness of spiritual things thus far, there must be not only a propounding these objects to it, but also a new light brought into it, which may make manifest this accidental goodness, this goodness of them in the general spoken; for we are darkness, and it is light makes all things manifest; and therefore those that taste of the powers of the world to come (Heb. 6) are said to be
enlightened; that is, there is a new light brought in which did not shine about their minds before. But now to bring barely a new light into the mind is not a work of the exceeding greatness of God's power on the mind itself; for it is but extrinsecal and outward, no more than to bring a candle into a room to a man that hath some sight already, whereby he sees new things, which being in the dark before, he saw not; but there is thereby no intrinsecal principle put into the eye of the man, no alteration wrought in it by this, as in a new creation and in a resurrection (to which this work of grace is paralleled) there must be supposed to be; and yet in some degree or other God vouchsafes to every man that comes into the world (John 1:9) some light wherewith their minds are enlightened.
But you will say, What is there further wrought on the understanding of a regenerate man, which will hold proportion with the power manifested in creation, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
I answer, That besides shining upon the mind with a new supernatural light, there is a new principle, a new eye, as I may call it; a new power of discerning put into and created in the understanding of a man, whereby he is further enabled to see the intrinsecal spiritual goodness which is in Christ and grace; to see the beauty, the goodness of holiness of God's face and presence, which never entered into the heart of any carnal man. Therefore to this enlightening there is not only the Spirit of revelation given (Eph.
1:18); that is, the Holy Ghost coming with a new external light, making them manifest; but there is also given an inward Spirit of wisdom created in the mind itself, a new habit and principle of spiritual discerning and of the wisdom of the just (for so Spirit is taken often in Scripture), whereas the other are barely said to be enlightened. There is a new eye created ἐις ἐπίγνωσιν, on purpose to know them (Col. 3:10), so it is in the original; there is a new principle of life put in, as in a resurrection there useth to be. For so Christ expresseth it, John 8:12, calling it the light of life, that is, such a light as hath a new principle of light* joined with it, and enableth a man to see spiritual things as a living, spiritual man should see them, which
is spiritually, 1 Cor. 2:14; so that such a work as this holds, you see, in Scripture expressions, proportion with the creation and resurrection of Christ, to annihilate and bring to nothing flesh and corruption in the judgment, &c.; and in the room a new spirit of judging things aright is created, a new principle of discerning spiritual things spiritually (Eph. 1:17), called a 'Spirit of wisdom.' Spirit is taken for a new habit or principle of judging wisely of things, and herein now the exceeding greatness of God's power is manifested in a work in and upon the judgment itself, in taking away that sin which covering it made it as a dead eye, in regard of a right discerning of spiritual things, and then putting a new principle of seeing things as a living man sees them, called therefore by Christ, as distinguishing it from the light of wicked men, John 8:12, 'the light of life.' Here now is a work holds proportion with the power spoken of, raising up a dead man to life; whereas in the enlightening of a wicked man there is no renewing of the judgment, but barely a light brought in, actuating and elevating it to see and discern, so far as sin and that veil which covers it will suffer it; and to that no such greatness of power is required, for there is not a new living eye put in, but only a new light, there being a principle of seeing and understanding in a man by nature, already able, by the help of the Spirit shining upon it, to have some glimmerings of spiritual things.
And Secondly, For the work of good motions of joy, fear, and good purposes in the will and affections, there is a principle already also in the will and affections of a carnal heart, which, if it be but awakened by such enlightenings, stirs up such good motions and purposes in carnal men. If you ask what this principle is? I answer, it is self-love, which is the general that commands the will and affections, and rouseth them; but it and all the affections are set afloat and raised up only to those objects which a man by self-love apprehends to be hurtful or good for him. Nay, then, when by such common enlightenings a man's carnal understanding apprehends hell to be a dangerous condition, and that sin is the way to it; that heaven is an excellent condition, and that to leave sin and do good, &c., is the way to it; and by those moral persuasions are in the word, self-love is
once awakened, as easily it is; a man's affections are set a-work to fear hell as an evil, to sorrow for sin, that will bring him to it; to rejoice in the news of heaven as attainable, and to desire and begin to endeavour to take such courses as will bring a man to it; and so that affection of joy, sorrow, fear, desire, may be elevated, lifted up, to be conversant about spiritual objects, such as are sin and good duties, heaven and hell; and yet not the exceeding greatness of God's power go to work it, because there is already a principle even in a carnal heart which may be stirred with the apprehension of these, and so set all these a-work, namely, self-love. So as the Spirit, to work such good motions, shall not need to stretch forth the greatness of his power to change the heart, and to create anything anew in it, as he doth in a regenerate man; but the old heart remaining carnal still, may by persuasions, such as are in the word, and such considerations of being damned and saved and the like, be stirred to all this, and to move only by such persuasions and considerations, and to propound them in such a manner as they should move, is no such great work of power. A good orator will do as much in another case. So as the Spirit doth no more upon the heart, in this case, than the light and heat of the sun doth upon a dunghill, shining upon it and heating of it, by the power of both which it elevates and raises up vapours in it, which yet were in it before; to a higher place indeed than of themselves they would ascend, namely, into the air; yet these vapours are not changed, they are as stinking as before. So now is it in the working of the Spirit. John the Baptist preaching the kingdom of heaven was at hand, the Spirit of God went with this news to men's hearts; both darted in beams of light to understand some goodness in that kingdom preached, and also warmed men's hearts and affections with the apprehensions of it; there went both light and heat with it,
John 5:35, both which raised up and elevated their understandings with the light to some glimmering apprehensions of heaven's goodness, and their affections,, yea, and wills also (for it is said they rejoiced willingly, &c.) with the warmth to desire, and joy in the news of so great a happiness. Here indeed both were elevated to a higher object than ever of themselves, without the concurrence and existence of this light and heat from the Spirit, they would have
ascended, yet without any powerful change wrought in men's hearts themselves, or any new principle put into the heart, only the carnal heart, still so remaining,, by self-love stirred up; for in the 43d verse he says, that though they rejoiced, thus in John's ministry, yet they would not believe in him, and in ver. 42, that though they did thus, out of love to themselves, rejoice in the news of heaven as good for them, yet they had not the love of God in them to seek his honour only and principally, and not their own, ver. 44; and certain it is that their affections of joy and desire, which out of self-love were stirred to desire honour from men rather than from God, the same affections out of the same principle of self-love were stirred then to desire and rejoice in that kingdom of heaven offered; and yet still the heart was as carnal, as unchanged, as empty of the law of God as before, it being self-love only that set afloat both the one and the other. And so in Felix (Acts 24:20) the same principle of self-love that would have made his carnal heart have trembled at the news of being brought to Cæsar's judgment-seat, made his heart, remaining still as carnal, tremble at Paul's preaching of Christ's judgment to come. And so in Esau, Heb. 12:17, the self-same carnal affection of sorrow, which self-love would have stirred up in him for the loss of any outward thing, was stirred up in him to sorrow and weep for the loss of his birthright and blessing, types to him of heaven; and all in vain, for want of true repentance, as some interpret, which he found no place for, though he sought it with tears. And therefore thus to stir men's affections is not simply in itself a work which argues the exceeding greatness of God's power, seeing there needs no new principle be created in the heart which was not there before, only the old ones stirred up and elevated and acted to a higher pitch; neither is there any true and intrinsecal change and alteration wrought on men's hearts, or the affections themselves, only a setting them afloat about new propounded objects, such as heaven and hell, they remaining still the same. There is indeed a new working upon the heart which was not on it before. You will ask then what is it that is wrought beyond this, which is an effect of this great power?
I answer, first, by paralleling it with the power shewn in the creation; Eph. 2:10, it is a workmanship created, as it were, a-purpose to good works; the difference of which from the former, I express by this similitude. An old clock that is out of frame, and set wrong, may be brought to move about without any new workmanship bestowed upon it, merely by new weights hung on it; and so may the old man, the carnal, remaining so; and the wheels, affections thereof, be stirred by the moral persuasions and considerations of heaven and hell, hung on by the Spirit; and this is but an artificial kind of working, which argues no great power in the agent, but a skill rather that knows how to apply things will move it. But now when the exceeding greatness of God's power comes to work, he takes the old frame in pieces, and creates and sets up a new frame, a new piece of workmanship, created on purpose for good works, by changing the heart intrinsecally, putting new principles of life and motion to what is good; and though indeed those weights and considerations which move the carnal heart, make it move the faster to what is good, yet this in itself is a frame made on purpose, 'created to good works;' which phrase implies and imports a principle of motion inclining the heart that way of itself; for when God is said to create things to such and such an action, as the heaven to move, the fire to burn, the ground to bring forth herbs, the meaning is, he hath put such principles into it as tend to produce such actions; and so to create a workmanship to good works, is to endow the heart with such abilities, and actus primi, as they are called, as should enliven the heart to good works, as actus secundi. And therefore this difference will evidently appear between the work of good motions on a carnal heart only, and a work of the greatness of God's power creating a new workmanship, namely by this, that when such considerations are taken off, then the heart stands still, hath no inclinations towards what is good in it; when the Spirit ceaseth thus sensibly to move and act the dead heart, it lies as a log, without any principle or symptom of life in it; whereas now a changed heart, even in the greatest desertions, hath still a new workmanship in it, the bent whereof is contrary to what is evil; and if the weights of sin wring it to what is evil, Heb. 12:1, yet it is as winding the frame of a watch the wrong
way; and the inward frame and constitution whereof still is for what is good and holy, and God and the law commands. And why?
Because this workmanship, though not stirred about, yet was created for good works. And it is against the inward framing of it to be moved the other way.
In the second place, I answer, by paralleling it with the power shewn in raising up Christ from death to glory, which is the instance in the text, and which I mean principally to prosecute and insist on; only I take the other also for further confirmation sake, and because the Scripture instanceth in that also, as an expression of the power which worketh in this work of grace, calling it a creation. For now, if it be asked what new principle it is which is thus created and brought into the soul, I answer, it is a principle of new life, which, as another soul, raiseth it. For the satisfaction of such I will therefore add this, before I come to what I have further to deliver; and it is a difference answering to, and serving further to discover in what this exceeding greatness of power consists, for no other must here be handled; and in brief it is this. If thou findest another and a further principle than self-love stirring in, and raising up these thy affections; namely, godliness and respect to God; then the exceeding greatness of his power hath been, and doth work in thy heart. First mark the reason and ground of this, for the thing in hand. He tells you the exceeding greatness of God's power is seen in this, in putting in and creating a new principle and soul of spiritual life into the heart, and not simply in stirring up the old one of self-love; now what think you is this new principle of life which this great power puts in besides that of selflove? Look into 2 Peter 1:4, 'According as his divine power hath given' (mark here, he speaks of a work of the exceeding greatness of his power) 'us all things to life;' that is, all the exceeding greatness of his power, all things to life; and what is that? It is energetically explained in the next words, 'godliness.' Herein then consists the working of such a power as raised Christ to life and glory; giving or putting certain powers and abilities of a new life, namely, godliness, into the soul; and indeed to work this there must be stretched forth such a power, for though there be a principle of selfness, as I may so
call it, which makes the carnal heart respect the good of itself, and to be affected with joy or sorrow about that which tends to the hurt or happiness of a man's self, yet in that vast ocean of man's heart, by nature, there is not the least drop or disposition of godliness to be found, which should stir a man's affections and raise them so high as to be answerably affected with those things which touch simply upon God, have relation purely to him. And therefore now, though the heart of a carnal man may be stirred at the consideration of such things out of the word as are suitable to, and apt, and fitted to stir self-love; and thus it may be more violently and turbulently than one who is sincere, yet in regard of godliness his heart is dead; such considerations wherein God is involved, and his glory and cause is the principal ingredient, these lie in their hearts and affections, like pills in a dead man's body; they stir not the humours, nor these the affections; or if they work, yet no further than their own heart or happiness is enwrapped up with the other; for why, there is no suitable principle of life and godliness to work upon. Wouldst thou therefore now distinguish thy affections of sorrow or joy at the hearing of the word, or at other times, in thy own meditations, from those in a carnal heart? Mark if there be any drops or strains and dispositions of pure godliness mingled with a great deal of flesh and corruption in the affections; for as oil, a few drops of it, keep themselves severed from the water, though jumbled with them, so will small drops of godliness, and the having respect to God, keep themselves pure in a sea of corruption, in thy affections. There is a meaning in every affection; as of the good, Rom. 8:27, so also of bad; when thou art stirred to sorrow or joy in meditating or hearing of the word, observe the full meaning of those affections, upon what kind of considerations they are thus set afloat. And that you may see this difference between carnal affections and sincere renewed ones, under this very notion grounded upon Scripture, and so may more distinctly know how to apply it: 2 Cor. 7:9, Paul had sent a letter, wherein he had sharply reproved the Corinthians for a sin committed and suffered amongst them; by which this affection of sorrow for sin was much stirred in them; now mark how Paul, in this second epistle, speaks of this their sorrow: 'Now I rejoice' (says he), 'not that
you were made sorry' (not simply that their affection of sorrow was stirred for the sin; that it might have been, and they never the better), 'but that ye were made sorry after a godly manner.' Mark it, here comes in this very distinction, even to this very purpose in hand; if, when a man sorrows for sin, it be the consideration of God's dishonour that is wounded by it, that is thus laid to heart; and if such motives as lay open God's interest and relation in it that wounded the heart, that raised up this sorrow in any measure in truth to God; so as it is not for that misery only which sin would bring on a man, that makes him sorrow; but that it is done against his God, whose favour he accounts more than his life, and whom to displease is as death to him;—as they, Zech. 12:10, that are not said to mourn so much for sin, or themselves, as for God, whom they had offended, and Christ, whom they had pierced;—then thy sorrow is after a godly sort. Which sorrow being for thy offence against God, so much the more increaseth by how much thou apprehendest he is pacified towards thee (as they, Ezek. 16:63); and though thy heart should not apprehend so much, yet there are some relentings in it for offending him whom thy soul loves; so as, if now the sentence of death were passed against thee, as at the latter day, and thou wert out of hope, yet at thy doleful farewell from him, thou couldst find in thy heart to down on thy knees and ask him forgiveness first for all the wrongs thou hast done him. Is there any such whisperings of such a meaning in thy sorrow? This is from a new principle of life and godliness infused into it, which nothing but the exceeding greatness of his power could have infused; so also for thy joys, dost not only rejoice in the hopes of glory, which thou conceivedst as good for thyself (as it is
Rom. 5:2), but also (mark the gradation, ver. 11 of that chapter), not only so, but also thou rejoicest in God, apprehending thy heaven to consist in him, and communion with him, as one who is suitable to thy inward man, with whom therefore thou shouldst find in thy heart to live and die; and this barely for those excellencies of holiness, wisdom, goodness, and lovingkindness that is in him; this being the top of thy joy, that he is such a God, so holy, &c., and that he is a God to whom thou hast a relation and a reference, and in whom thou hast an interest. If there be the least drop of such dispositions running in
thy joys, and discovering themselves in them, then is there something pertaining to life and godliness wrought in thee by his divine power; for there is no principle at all left in corrupt nature which could ever elevate thy joys so high, but it ariseth from a divine nature infused, which in the same place, 2 Pet. 1:4, he says the same power of God makes us partakers of; for only simile gaudet simili.
And so, lastly, for thy good purposes and designs to fear and obey his commandments: are they stirred up in thee only because sin is the way to death, and good duties the way to life? Or is there some further meaning in thy desires, so as hypocrite or not hypocrite, heaven or not heaven in the end, thou desirest and purposest to obey him; and though in the end thy labour should be lost to thyself, yet if God be a gainer by thee, thou shouldst not altogether be sorry; but yet sorry truly for this, thou canst do no more; are there any the least part of such dispositions covered and taken up in thy desires and purposes? There then hath been the exceeding greatness of God's power dealing and tampering with thy heart, putting in a new principle of godliness and life, to which thy nature is as truly dead as Christ's body was in the grave. Such small drops and sparks as these cost the Lord more power than creating the whole frame of heaven and earth; and sooner shall they be dissolved than the least iota of these shall utterly perish, if all the power that is in God can preserve them to salvation. Believe it, and build upon it; such dispositions and such tangs of godliness seasoning thy sorrows, joys, and desires shall never go to hell with thee, nor thou with them. Therefore now, to conclude this, as Paul speaks of the Corinthians' sorrow, so do I of all affections and good motions, rejoice not simply in this, that you feel such affections stirred in you when you hear sermons, &c., but if you find them stirring in the least measure according to God, that he be aimed at in them, then rejoice; by which principle of godliness also a man sets up God in his heart above himself, is willing to deny himself, so God may be exalted.
If, then, thou hast found a work of God in thee, which hath took thee off from, and hath prevented thee in all thy natural designs, purposes, and intents of thy heart, which thou hadst for thyself; and
hath wrought thee another way, hath disposed thee to another end, set all that is in thee a-work for God and his glory; this is godliness, this is a mighty power, as much as bringing in a new soul into a body, for a new end, is a new form. Thus Paul was prevented of all his natural aims taken off from him, and he makes it an evidence of his conversion, Gal. 1, when he was most hot in the pursuit of eminency in learning, credit among his nation, ver. 13, then did God (says he), who had separated me, ver. 15, that is, appointed and destined me to another end, 'call me by his grace.' 'And the life I now lead is not my own,' chap. 2:20; 'it is not I, but Christ lives in me.' As when he sins, he says, 'It is not I, but sin;' so here, 'It is not I, but Christ,' when any good is done; that is, I am not guided by the principles and ends of my former life, when I did all for myself; but all is from Christ, and for Christ; he is the beginning and the end. That whereas all were dead, 2 Cor. 5:14, 15, he quickens them with a new principle of life and godliness, whereby they live not to themselves; that is, they make not themselves their end, but they 'live to him that died and rose again for them;' and this life is godliness. Whereas every man that is born into the world begins, as Paul did, to trade for himself, and is bound some whither, where he thinks happiness is to be had; and he takes in loading accordingly, with thick clay or pleasures, &c., fills himself with a thousand vanities; but when thou art converted to God, a contrary wind takes thee, as it did Paul, and defeateth thee utterly of all thine own purposes, carries thee strongly to another haven, to have another loadstar in thy eye; a new principle sets thee a-work to be a factor as much for God as ever thou wert for thyself; and to that end thou throwest out all those vanities which will tend no way to his advantage, as being bound for a port where thou canst vend none of those thy former wares; and this not as merchants do their lading, in a storm, because they may sink thee into the bottomless lake, but because they are unprofitable for God; and as willingly as ever thou tookest them in, thou throwest them out. Thy heart can know what wares will be most for God's advantage, using thy wisdom to see what will bring him in most glory, and thou dealest accordingly in such things as may increase his revenue; and though thou losest, yet art sure he shall be no loser, being made as
faithful to God as once thou wert for thyself. This is godliness, this is a new life, a new principle, and as great a power must go to this as to raise up Christ from the grave to glory; for this raiseth thy soul from earth to heaven, out of thyself to God; and is as much as to turn the sun in its course, or to invert the order of nature. Thus nothing but an almighty power can thus advance a man's aims out of himself, and make all in a man subordinate to another. There is no principle in nature, if not informed by godliness, can reach thus high, much less in corrupt nature. Only let me add this, that the principle of self-love still remains in the heart of a godly man, sets his affections afloat, and is a weight makes the wheels move, and acts him in his actions also, and it ought to do; yet so as there is a farther principle of godliness, which elevates self-love higher, and makes it subordinate.
For as, when the reasonable soul is infused and annexed to the sensitive, the acts of reason do not extinguish the acts of sense; nay, the senses are helped and perfected much by them, and they subordinately concur and join together in most; yet still so as the acts of reason reach higher, and do guide and moderate the other: so this new created principle, and fountain of life and godliness, infused into the soul by God's power, doth not destroy the acts of self-love, only winds up the will and affections to have higher reaches, even as high as God, in whose glory our happiness lies, and so guides and moderates this other. But now, it may be said, that though indeed to put in and to create in the soul such a new principle of life and godliness argues great power indeed, and as much as was spent in the creation of the world, but yet no more, if this were all; for simply to infuse and introduce into the soul this new life, is no more than the breathing the breath of life into Adam, whereby he was made a living soul. But this is not simply a creation, as I said before, but a new creation, wherein not only a new life is put in, but old things, which resist the bringing in of this life, are to be destroyed also. Yea, further, it is paralleled, we see, with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, wherein there was more than ordinary power spent, more than in the resurrection of others we read of; for, Rom. 1:4, he was thereby with power mightily declared to be the Son of God. Wherein, then, was this exceeding greatness of power spent? Was it simply in bringing
his soul into, or joining it unto his dead body again? This much power must and did go to the raising again of Lazarus, of him also who was raised by the prophet's bones. There was something else, therefore, which in his rising drew forth this exceeding greatness of power spoken of, for which I refer you to Acts 2:24, where Peter, proving to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God, he argues it from the power manifested in his rising again, and that power not simply shewn in bringing his soul into his body, or raising him up, but principally in rescuing his soul first, and 'loosing it from the pains of death,' which, if it had been possible, would have held him, but it was impossible they should. There were certain pains then which hindered, and with much power would have detained, had not the exceeding greatness of his power broken their power, and in breaking this their power lay the miracle. 'God raised him up,' says the text, 'having (first) loosed the pains of death,' &c. Now, what pains of death means he? Bodily death only? Those the soul is rescued from in dying, and from these also were they rescued who were raised before Christ. The word is ὠδῖνας, the throes and pangs of a woman in travail, which, Isa. 53:11, are called the travail of his soul, he in his soul bearing that wrath which was due to us, verse 5 of that 53d chapter, which pangs, because they tended unto death, and would have carried his soul to hell with them, would have stabbed him outright, and sped it for ever rising again; therefore they are called the pains of death; which pains, had they seized upon any of our souls, would have for ever killed them and detained them, for they had the power of death in them; for if it had been possible, they would have held him, but that they were encountered by the power of his Godhead. They light upon one who was more than a creature, who was backed by the almighty power of God, by which power he was rescued from them, they and his soul were loosened, their power being first subdued; and therefore Peter, out of the Psalms, at the 27th verse, speaks of a resurrection of his soul out of hell, and then a resurrection of his body from corruption in the grave. These pains encountered his soul whilst it was in his body, but God left it not to their power, but raised it up to paradise, and then put it into his body again, and therein principally was this great transcendent power
seen, which was declared by the rising of his body; and therefore he says, 'Death is swallowed up in victory;' now there is never a victory gotten but where there is a contrary power opposing, and that power subdued, crushed, swallowed up; so says that text, 'If it had been possible, they would have held him.'
Answerably now, in this great work of grace, that which draws forth this exceeding greatness of God's power here spoken of, is not merely putting in a new principle of life and godliness into the soul, but it lies in dissolving the works of the devil, 1 John 3:8, as in the other the pains of death were loosened. For there are certain strong potent detainers, allurers of the soul, to keep it in the estate of death, answerable to the pains of death, which have a mighty power, oversway, and interest in the heart of man, which nothing but the like power to that wrought in Christ could dissolve and subdue, which, when God doth begin to work effectually, do put forth their power, and if possible would hold him, but that a stronger comes and subdues, conquers, and destroys that power, and so loosens them and the soul, and rescues the soul from them. This you shall find expressed Col. 1:13, where the apostle, with thanks, ascribes it to the power of God the Father, that 'we are translated into the kingdom of his Son, and delivered from the powers of darkness.' For all lies not in bare translating us into the kingdom of his Son. There must first be a delivering out of the powers of darkness; which words tell us, first, that sin is nothing but darkness, and Satan the prince of darkness hath a power over, and a kingdom in a man, and such a power as will not easily give up and yield up a man's heart to God, but will strive to hold a man as long as they have any power left; for so, secondly, the word delivering implies, namely, signifying a forcible snatching out and rescuing from the enemies' hands; it must be by a greater power encountering that power. Sin will not part with a man without blows, and stronger than the strong man must come and bind him, yea, disarm him, kill, subdue, and destroy this power, or it will never yield.
For it is with this delivering out of the power of darkness as it was in delivering Israel out of Egypt (which was a type of this), God is said to have brought them out of Egypt 'with a strong hand, and a stretched-out arm;' that is, with power drawn forth. Now, what was it drew out his power? Not barely carrying them out, but that he did it maugre the opposition of Pharaoh, and all the power of Egypt, which withstood it to the utmost; therefore it is said, Rom. 9:17, 'Even for this same purpose have I raised thee (O Pharaoh) up, that I might shew my power on thee.' That he rescued them out of Pharaoh's hands by destroying his power, therein was the stretching out of his arm seen. Answerably is it in the work of conversion; the power of darkness is set up to draw forth the exceeding greatness of his power in destroying it. For as God sent messages to Pharaoh by Moses to let his people go, so God deals first with the heart, by his word and Spirit, striving and persuading to let the soul go free, and to turn to him, but the power of sin denies it, and will not let the heart to turn;
God then sends judgment after judgment, and what? Will you yet let the soul go? The pleasures of sin say no, and though some slight flitting resolutions are often wrought, and purposes to turn, yet as Pharaoh still returned to hardness, and Israel was undelivered, so do those purposes vanish, and still the heart is kept under the power of darkness; and if it were possible to hold the heart, sin and Satan would. Well, but in the end God comes with his almighty power, and kills and subdues the firstborn, that is, the strength of sin (for so the first-born is called, Gen. 49:3), snatcheth a man out; and yet when the heart is a-going once in good earnest, Satan and sin in the heart muster up all the power and forces that Egypt can make, to stop the heart and detain it, and bring it back again, as Pharaoh did. Then all the strength sin hath begins to bestir itself and make out after it. And then is that great and main battle fought (even at the first conversion), and the main and famous victory gotten, and great overthrow given to the power of hell and darkness in a man. By this exceeding greatness of God's power, subduing, killing, and giving it a deadly wound, and destroying it, as he did the Egyptians in the Red
Sea, the soul is rescued and delivered from the dominion of them.
This we may note in the general, to help us to discern a true work of
grace, wherein the exceeding greatness of God's power is drawn, from those inferior works of the Spirit formerly spoken of, namely, that the true work of grace is such a work as wherein there was and is the utmost opposition that sin can make shewn, and yet a foil given, a victory, a conquest gotten, which is not so in those inferior works of the Spirit. There is not a delivering out of the power of darkness in them; that is, sin doth not shew its utmost opposition against the inferior works of the Spirit, and so is not foiled, having that power broken, as in this great work it is; for otherwise, this exceeding greatness of power would not be seen, for the power of the conqueror is not drawn forth but by bringing forth the strength of the adversary and subduing it.
Now in those other lesser works of the Spirit, whether of restraining, enlightening, and enlarging grace, it is not so. For those works are not directly contrary to corrupt nature, though indeed above it, and elevating it higher than of itself it could reach, yet not changing it by destroying corruption. It is supra, not contra; for it works upon those principles that are left in it, namely, of conscience and self-love, and so insinuates itself, and therefore is not contrary to it, as heat and fire is to cold and water, which, when they meet, do fight to the utmost to destroy each other, and shew their utmost power in opposing the conquest of the other; but they are in corrupt nature rather as those qualities the philosophers call symbolical, namely, as moisture stands with cold in water; and therefore a form of godliness stands with the power of sin, and often of some particular masterlust. However, though the work of enlightening may procure a combat in the conscience against the power of sin, in other faculties, yet not such as raiseth the utmost of the power of sin, and then foils it; neither doth it fight against corrupt nature, but acts with motives suitable to self-love in corrupt nature, drawn from such inconveniences as self-love in corrupt nature is sensible of, as shame, and hell, &c., so as it sets but self-love against itself, by raising carnal desires after heaven, and to avoid hell, or desires of the world. So as there is not stirred up a full, a direct, and high opposition in summo gradu; corrupt nature is not provoked to bring forth its utmost