God, every ones Converfion is truly attributed to the Power of the Holy Ghost, in that he works the mentioned Difpofition in the Soul, by caufing it to give due Attendance to the means of Salvation offered, as may be clearly collected from the Inftance of Lydia's Converfion, whofe Heart the Lord opened, that She attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul, Acts 16. 14. For through that her attention, the Word of God delivered by St. Paul took effect and converted her. There is then no Scruple at all to be made, but that every man's Converfion is the Work of Gods Spirit in the heart, both in refpect of the Application of the Means of Grace, and of giving due Attendance thereunto. The only difficulty lies in this, how the Attention to the Dorine of Salvation requifite on Man's part to his Converfion is wrought, whether by fome phyfical Influence or real Emanation iffuing from God, and penetrating the Heart of Man, (as Fire warms by fending forth Heat into the thing warmed by it) or by the fole force of the Divine Will, without any fuch, either Influence or any intermediate Caufe whatfoever; or laftly, that through the Almighties Government of the World in ordering fecond Canfes (which are all in his difpofing) man's mind becomes P 4

ine

inclined, to give due heed to Inftruction and Exhortation,by Motives offered feveral ways (fuch as are pain of Body, lofs of Eftate or Friends, Plagues, Defolation, fudden and violent Deaths, great and unexpected Mercies and Deliverances, with divers other things feen, heard, or read of.) The first of the three rehearfed ways the abfolute Perfection of the Divine Nature makes impoffible; for how should any Phyfical Influ ence, or real Emanation proceed 'out of him, whofe Being is Immutable, one effential Act, and entirely simple? (Sect. 1. Par. 8, 9, 10. The Second Way would be as miraculous, as the creating of all things out of nothing; and the Attention given to the Means of Grace would be irrefiftible in all Men. The third Way therefore I take to be truth, and' am confirm'd therein from St. Paul's Conver jien; (which, though ftrange and unufual, yet was it not effected by the immediate Will of God without all intermediate Means) from his becoming all things to all men, over and above his zealous preaching of Chrift; and indeed from the conftant manner and method of God's dealing with Mankind fince the very Creation. If it be replied that I feem to place the fole and whole inmediateCaufe of Man's Converfion

in the Means, and only the remote Caufe thereof in the Spirit of God, which yet is held by Divines actually to reach and work by its immediate Inspiration the Effect; I answer, that the Divine Will, which inftituted and orders the Means as well for Converfion, as for the Preparation of the Heart, goes ftill along therewith to make them effectual; not unlike to a mans Mind, which after he hath made a Pen to write with, and prepared Ink and Paper, continually goes along with the Pen to effect the intended Writing; fo that I plainly maintain what answers to that which others call the immediate Operation or Infpiration of the Holy Ghoft, or Divine Influx or Con, courfe with the Means of Grace, whilft I hold that as the Pen cannot write without the continued affiftance of the Hand moved by the Will, fo neither can the Means of Grace convert a Sinner, or caufe any other holy Act, without the perpetual Aid of the Divine Will or Power of the Holy Ghoft enabling them thereunto. If it be faid, that albeit Man's Mind guide and go along with the Hand and Fen, yet the Pen alone immediately touches the Paper, and makes the Impreffion in it; my Anfwer is, that both the Mind, and the vis impreffa conveyed by

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the

the Hand to the Pen, reach as far as the Pen it felf, otherwife the Pen could not write what it doth, either as to the Character, or the Matter, (for what knows it of the diffe

rence of any Figure or Subject whatsoever ?) and even fo doth the Spirit of God, no lefs than the Means of Man's Salvation, reach the Heart, both to prepare it, and convert it unto God but with this difference, that the Writing on the Paper is an Impreffion neceffarily received by it; but the preparative Difpofition and Converfion of the Heart, are Effects wrought therein, by a voluntary Compliance and Concurrence of the Will of Man with the Author and Means of Grace.

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SECT.

SECT. XVI.

Praise and Thanksgiving to God are proper and efficacions Means for procuring and augmenting Charity. Vocal Prayer, Mufick and Gestures of Body betokening Humility. and Reverence towards the Divine Majesty, are useful and advantageous for begetting inward Devotion and Affection towards God.

1.

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S Prayer hath been fhewn to have its proper effect in procuring the Moral and Theological Virtues in order to the uniting the Soul to God by Charity; and by causing the frequent exercife of it and them, when they are acquired, by which Charity is confirmed, enlivened, and augmented in us; (Sect. 15.) fo likewife will it appear that the virtue and good of Praifing and Landing God for the Excellency of his Effence, Power and Wifdom, and of his great and noble Acts in creating and governing the World, is terminated in fetling and confirming the Love of God in Mens Souls; for whofe Caufe, and not for his own, as he commands Prayer to be made unto him

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