The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

And from hence we may observe that the Sanctifying Grace of the Spirit is only the concomitant of the Evangelical Mercy. The Gospel and the Spirit are the Wings by which the Sun of Righteousness brings healing and life to the World. The declaration of the Law from Mount Sinai was Divine, but not accompanied with the efficacy of Grace: Therefore 'tis called the ministration of Death. ¹It conveyed no Spiritual strength as delivered by the hands of Moses, considering him precisely in the quality of the legal Mediator, but threatened a Curse to the breakers of it. All the promises of Mercy scattered in the Books of Moses belong to the Covenant of Grace. The Gospel is called the Law of the Spirit of Life, and the Ministration of the Spirit; that is, ⟨p. 374⟩the Spirit of Holiness and Comfort from whom true and Eternal Life proceeds, […] is solely communicated by it. The discovery of the Divine Goodness in the Works of Creation and Providence, is natural, and without the renewing power of the Spirit: There is a correspondence between the external Revelation of Mercy, and the internal Grace of the Spirit in their Original: as the one is supernatural, so is the other. Not but that the Heathens had some fainter beams of the Sun of Righteousness, for he enlightens every man that comes into the World, and some lower operations of the Spirit, whereby they were reduced from Intemperance, Incontinency and other gross Vices; to the practice of several Virtues that respect the Civil Life. And of this we have an eminent instance recorded by Diogenes Laertius. That Polemo half-drunk, crowned with Roses, and in the dress of a Harlot rather than of a Man, coming into the School of the severe Zenocrates, hearing him discourse of Temperance, as by a Charm was so perfectly changed, that casting away the Garland from his Head, and the lascivious Ornaments that were about him, and which was more considerable, his vicious Habits from his Soul; he that entered in a Reveller come forth a Philosopher, so corrected and composed in his manners, that he was called the Doric tone, which of all others was the most solemn and majestical in the Music of those times. Now this alteration was wrought by the force of natural Reason, which prevailed on him to renounce those sensual and base lusts, that were inconsistent with the Honour and Peace of a Man in this present Life.

And from hence we may observe that the Sanctifying Grace of the Spirit is only the concomitant of the Evangelical Mercy. The Gospel and the Spirit are the Wings by which the Sun of Righteousness brings healing and life to the World. The declaration of the Law from Mount Sinai was Divine, but not accompanied with the efficacy of Grace: Therefore 'tis called the ministration of Death.