But when it falleth in your way to talk of your human
nature, of the dictates of the first principles of morals within
you, and of your generous mind to follow it, Oh what need there is
now of amplifying, enlarging, and pressing it on men's consciences,
as if that poor heathenish pagan principle was the very Spirit of
God within us, and as if righteousness done by that was that and
that only that would or could fling heaven's gates off the hinges.
Yea, a little after you tell us that "the doctrine of sending the
Holy Ghost was to move and excite us to our duty, and to assist,
cheer, and comfort us in the performance of it;" still meaning our
close adhering, by the purity of our human nature, to the dictates
of the law as written in our hearts as men; which is as false as God
is true.
For the Holy Ghost is sent into our hearts, not to excite us to a
compliance with our old and wind-shaken excellencies that came into
the world with us, but to write new laws in our hearts, even the law
of faith, the word of faith and of grace, and the doctrine of
remission of sins through the blood of the Lamb of God, that
holiness might flow from thence.
CHRIST A TEACHER.
At this time I sat under the ministry of holy Mr. Gifford. whose
doctrine, by God's grace, was much for my stability.
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