The sovereign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain itThe soveraign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain it

Both these acts of the Spirit are requisite, that the Love of God, as our chief Felicity, may be the regent Principle of our Hearts and Lives.

1. For this end the Holy Spirit convinces Men thoroughly of the reality and greatness of an invisible Happiness. Indeed the Heathens saw something of this as it were in a Dream, they had some transient Glances, and volatile Wishes, concerning it, but miserably weak and ineffectual. And in the most of Christians the convictions of a future State are not so clear and strong as to govern their Hearts and Lives. How many of eminent intellectual Faculties are stupid as to their great Interest, and spend themselves about Trifles, and are equally tractable to Eternal Ruin, as the Ox to the Slaughter? He that is destitute of ⟨p. 267⟩the illuminating Grace of the Spirit, is blind and cannot see afar off. Now by the Analogy between the corporal and the intellectual Faculties, we may understand in some measure how the Mind is illuminated by the Spirit of God. For as to the act of Seeing, two things are requisite, 1. External Light in the Air, without which the Colours, Figures and Beauties of Objects are not visible to the sharpest Eye, but lie obscured under impenetrable Darkness. 2. Internal Light in the Eye in which the visive Power consists: if this be extinguished the clearest Light of Heaven is of no use for the discovery of Things. Thus the Understanding is enabled to see Spiritual Things. 1. By the revelation of the Object: in this respect Life and Immortality are brought to Light by the Gospel. Till that bright discovery was made of Eternal Blessedness, it was above the desires and hopes of sinful Man. Coelum, homo nec optare poterat ex ignorantia, nec sperare ex propriae miseriae conscientia. 2. By the inward enlightening from the Spirit of Wisdom, that removes the Ignorance, Prejudice and Inadvertency of the Mind, which as Scales darkened its Sight, and disposes it to perceive the ⟨p. 268⟩verity and excellency of spiritual and future Things, though not with comprehensive evidence, yet with that assurance, that no doubtfulness or suspense remains concerning them. 'Tis observable that Faith is expressed in Scripture, by Prudence, Wisdom, and Knowledge, whereby a Man knows the grounds and motives of his Judgment and Actions. And Sin is called Folly.