True grace, distinguished from the experience of devils; in a sermon, preached before the…

Each of the forementioned Reasons, given to show the Truth of the Doctrine, with Respect to Devils, hold good with Respect to damned Men. Damned Men have no Degree of Holiness: And therefore, those Things, which are nothing beyond what they have, cannot be holy Experiences. So it is true, that the damned Men, are not only absolutely destitute of all true Holiness, but they have not so much as any common Grace. And lastly, 'tis unreasonable to suppose, that a Person's being in any Respect, as the damned in Hell are, should be a certain Sign, that they are very unlike and opposite to them, and hereafter, shall not have their Portion with them.

Each of the forementioned Reasons, given to shew the Truth of the Doctrine, with Respect to Devils, hold good with Respect to damned Men. Damned Men have no Degree of Holiness: And therefore, those Things, which are nothing beyond what they have, cannot be holy Experiences. So it is true, that the damned Men, are not only absolutely destitute of all true Holiness, but they have not so much as any common Grace. And lastly, 'tis unreasonable to suppose, that a Person's being in any Respect, as the damned in Hell are, should be a certain Sign, that they are very unlike and opposite to them, and hereafter, shall not have their Portion with them.

II. We may hence infer, that no Degree of speculative Knowledge of Things, of Religion, is any certain Sign of saving Grace. The Devil, before his Fall, was among those bright and glorious Angels of Heaven, which are represented as Morning Stars, and Flames of Fire, that excel in Strength and Wisdom. And tho' he be now become sinful, yet his Sin has not abolished the Faculties of the angelic Nature; as when Man fell, he did not lose the Faculties of the human Nature. Sin destroys spiritual Principles, but not the natural Faculties. 'Tis true, Sin, when in full Dominion, entirely prevents the Exercise of the natural Faculties, in holy and spiritual Understanding; and lays many Impediments in the Way of their proper Exercise in other Respects: It lays the natural Faculty of Reason, under great Disadvantages, by the many and strong Prejudices, which the Mind is brought under the Power of: And in fallen Men, the Faculties of the Soul, are, doubtless, greatly impeded in their Exercise, through that great Weakness and Disorder of the corporeal Organ, which it is strictly united to; which is the Consequence of Sin. But there seems to be nothing in the Nature of Sin, or moral Corruption, that has any Tendency to destroy the natural Capacity; or even to diminish it, properly speaking. If Sin were of such a Nature, as necessarily to have that Tendency and Effect; then it might be expected, that wicked Men, in a future State, where they are given up entirely to the unrestrained Exercise of their Corruptions and Lusts, and Sin is, in all Respects, brought to its greatest