Influences of the life of grace

Now with hope, which looks to good to come and hardly attained, we must take in faith, one of the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 5. 22. Sometimes one affection in its carnality will counterwork another, Luke 24. 41. The disciples believe not for joy and wondering. But the special ground is unbelief: the wide desire of unbelief thinks God cannot be so abundantly good as to restore to them Christ from the dead, and the carnal reasoning of wondering contradicts a possibility of the resurrection; over-acting of one affection, to wit, of joy, when it's literal, counter-works the actings of the Spirit in the faith of the promises. Hence must Christ soften the heart with swasory actings, before the man believe and consider what Christ does morally, Luke 24.¹ He opens the Scriptures to the two disciples, Luke 24. 27. He rebukes their unbelief, v. 25. and as to his own disciples, he sent them word with eye-witnesses who saw him, that he was risen again, but their words seem idle tales to them, Luke 24. 11. And he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, Mark 16. 14. 3. He appeared ⟨p. 420⟩and spake to them. 4. He made their senses witnesses, by causing them see and touch his hands and feet. 5. He did eat with them, which was an action of life. 6. He wrought a miracle, of bringing multitudes of fish to their net, but all is to little purpose until he take a real and effectual way, by the working of the Spirit, Luke 24. 45. Then opened he their understanding, ²that they might understand the Scriptures. Then the opening of the Scriptures, though in the mouth of Christ, avail little to faith, except the Spirit of Christ open another lock, even the heart. This is one of the first works of the Spirit, to convinceth conscience of unbelief,