Things be undertaken to be expreffed, without the Spirit guiding and opening the Understanding, it will give too much Occafion for that Proverb to be renewed, That Comparifons are odious.

Secondly, By Allegories, as the Apostle fays, Gal. iv. For it is written, that Abraham had two Sons, the one by a Bond-maid, the other by a Free-woman. But he who was of the Bond-woman was born after the Flesh: But be of the Free-woman was by Promife. Which Things (fays he) are he) are an Allegory; for thefe are the two Covenants. For this

Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and anfwereth to Jerufalem which now is, and is in Bondage with her Children. But Jerufalem which is above, is free, which is the Mother of us all (meaning true Believers) that are become the Sons of God by Faith in Jefus Chrift; for none ever receiv'd him by Faith, but with him they did receive Power to become free-born Children of the new Ferufalem. Another of this Kind is in Hebrews the viith. touching the Priest-kood, and Office of our Saviour as the High Priest of our Profeffion and Miniftry, from whom we are to receive Power for that Work.

There are yet other Ways of the Operations of the Gift to be fpoke to, which to be more intelligible in, I conclude them under the following Heads.

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ift.

ift. By Narration of God's dealing with his People in paft Ages.

2d. By recounting the Goodness of God to ourselves.

3d. By declaring the great Encouragement we have to Virtue, from the Bleffings that others have met with.

4th. By expatiating on fome particular

Text.

5th. And lastly, by fetting forth the fundry Difpenfations of God to Mankind, by opening the Mystery of the Law that came by Mofes, as figurative of the Gospel, and how the Prophets did point at the same Thing.

First then, By Narration of God's dealing with his People in paft Ages. Such was the Sermon of Stephen, Acts the viith, and of Paul, Acts the xiiith, both which have the fame Tendency; for that of Stephen, Acts the viith, the first Part of what he said, was by enumerating God's Dealings with Abraham, with Ifaac, and with Ifrael, to gain the Attention and Notice of his Hearers; and the Hiftorical Part of what he faid, may be compared to the Leaf Gold which Phyficians inclose their Pills in, they being thereby better concealed from the Pallet, that they might go down with the Pati

ent

ent more glibly: For the Subftance of that Sermon was to let them fee, they were acted by the fame Spirit as were their Fore-fathers who stoned the Prophets, and put them to Death. For (fays he) as your Fathers did, fo do ye, always refift the Holy Ghost. This fo prick'd and gaul'd them, that inftantly they made his Words good, ftoning him with Stones until he died: By which we may learn, the Way of the Spirit which sometimes leadeth into, and openeth in our Minds, Matter which only ferveth to gain upon the Affection and Attention of them that hear; for if one fhou'd fall directly upon their present States without a Parable, Comparifon, Allegory, or Hiftorical Relation, as introductory thereto, it might render our Labour useless and ineffectual; but fuch an Introduction, given us by the Spirit, may make Way for a more searching and close Ministry, in setting the States of the Hearers in a true Light before their Eyes. I now come to the fecond Head.

Secondly, By recounting the Goodness of God to ourselves, in his great Mercy vifiting our Souls while in the full Career of Difobedence; and this requires great Care and Caution, that Boafting may be excluded, and the Honour of his Name, whom we preach, exalted in our Miniftry, confirming the fame by Scripture, and the Experience of holy Men recorded therein: Such was that of Paul before Feftus and King Agrippa, Acts

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xxvi.

xxvi. 22. Having therefore (fays he) obtained Help of God, I continue unto this Day/ witneffing both to Small and great, Verf. 23. That Chrift fhou'd Suffer, and that he shoud be the first that should rife from the Dead. So that when Paul appeal'd to the King's Faith, urging, Verf. 27. I know that thou Believeft; and he confefs'd himself, Verf. 28. almost perfwaded to be a Chriftian. Thus Paul magnified the Goodness of God to himself, yet fet forth therein, that Christ is the true and proper Object of Faith.

Thirdly, In declaring the great Encouragement we have to pursue Virtue, from the Bleffings that others have met with thereby, fuch as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jofeph, Samuel, David, &c. The Author to the Hebrews, in the xith Chapter, giving us a large Account of the Faithfulness of the Faithful, both Men and Women, which are enumerated to this very End (as himself declares) that we may be provoked by the strongest Examples and Inducements to follow the fame Steps in our Purfuit of Virtue: For when he fums up the Evidence (as it may be properly termed) in the xiith Chapter, he begins, Wherefore feeing we also are compassed about with fo great a Cloud of Witnesses, let us lay afide every Weight, and the Sin which doth fo easily befet us. And let us run with Patience the Race that is fet before us. I now come to the fourth Head. Fourthly,

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Fourthly, By expatiating on fome certain Texts, in the Openings of Life upon the fame, which is ftill for procuring to them who hear, the fame End, by begetting Faith in Christ the Saviour of the World; for Faith comes by Hearing with a believing Heart: Such therefore was the Preaching of Philip to the Eunuch, Acts viii. For it written, Philip opened his Mouth, and began at the fame Scripture, and preached unto him JESUS. And fomewhat like unto this is that of our Saviour in Luke the ivth, where He went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and food up for to read, and there was delivered unto him the Book of the Prophet Efaias; and when he had opened the Book, he found the Place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, &c. And he clofed the Book, and gave it again to the Minifter, and fat down: And the Eyes of all them that were in the Synagogue were faftened on him. Then he opened his Mouth, expounding the fame, faying, This Day (Verf. 21.) is this Scripture fulfilled in your Ears: Proceeding to the Amazement of them that heard him. I now come to the fifth and last -Head, which I propofe now to intimate ito my Reader.

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Fifthly, And lastly, By fetting forth the fundry Difpenfations of God to Mankind, as to Abraham and Lot; and in opening the Mystery of the Law that came by Moles, as only preparatory to the Gospel, and how the Prophets did point out Chrift, the Subftance,

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which