Sermon XX
The great usefulness of the Law or Word of God, in order to the Application of CHRIST.
Rom . vii . 9. For I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, fin revived, and I died. THE scope of the apostle inthisepistle,andmoreparticu Parly in this chapter, is to state the due use and excellency of the law, which he doth accordingly.
First, By denying to ita power to justify us, which is the peculiar honour of Christ.
398 SERM . XX. The Method of Grace. Secondly, By afcribing to it a power to convince us, and so prepare us for Christ.
Neither attributing to it more honour than belongeth to it, nor yet detracting from it that honour and usefulness which God hath given it. It cannot make us righteous, but it can convince us that we are unrighteous; it cannot heal, but it can open and discover the wounds that finhath given us ; which he proves in this place by an argument drawn from his own experience, confirmed also by the general experience of believers, in whoseperfonsand names we must here understand him to speak ; " For I was alive without the law once; but when the com- " mandment came, fin revived, and I died." Wherein three particulars are very observable.
First, The opinion Paul had, and all unregenerate men have of themselves before conversion: I was alive once. By life, understand here liveliness, chearfulness, and confidence of his good estate and condition : he was full of vain hope, false joy, and presumptuous confidence, avery brisk and jovial man.
Secondly, The sense and opinion he had, and all others will have of themselves, if ever they come under the regenerating work of the Spirit in his ordinary method of working : I died. The death he here speaks of, stands opposed to that life before mentioned; and signifies the sorrows, fears, and tremblings thatfeized upon his soul, when his state and temper were upon the change: the apprehenfions he then had of his condition struck him home to the heart, anddamped all his carnal mirth : I died.
Thirdly, The ground and reason of this wonderful alteration and change of his judgment, and apprehension of his own condition ; the commandment came, and fin revived : The commandment came, i. e. it came home to myconfcience, it was fixed with a divine and mighty efficacy upon my heart : the commandment was come before by way of promulgation, and the literal knowledge of it: but it never came, till now, in the spiritual sense, and convincing power to his soul: though he had often read, and heard the law before, yet he never clearly under-
the meaning and extent, he never felt the mighty efficacy thereof upon his heart before; it so came at this time, as it never came before. From hence the observations are, Doct. 1. That unregenerateperfons aregenerallyfull of groundless confidence, and chearfulness, though their condition be fadandmiferable. Doct. 2. That there is a mighty efficacy in the wordorlaw of God, to kill vain confidence, and quench carnalmirth in the hearts of men, when Godfets it home upon their consciences.
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1 We shall take both these points under consideration, and improve them to the design in hand.
Doct. 1. That unregenerate persons are generally full of groundless confidence, and chearfulness, though their conditionbefad and miserable ; Rev. iii. 17. Because thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing ; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked : This is the very life that unregenerate men do live. In opening whereof, I shall shew you,
1. What is the life of the unregenerate. 2. What maintains that life. 3. How it appears that this is the life the generality of the world do live.
4. the danger of living such a life as this: and then apply it. First, What is the life of the unregenerate, and wherein it consists ? Now there being, among others, three things in which the life of the unregenerate doth principally consist, viz.
Carnal security, Presumptuous hope, and False joy, Of these briefly in their order.
First, There is in unregeneratemenagreatdealofcarnal security; they dread no danger; Luke xi. 21. " When a strong
" man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are at peace :" There is generally a great stillness and silence in the consciences offuchmen : when others, in a better condition, are watching and trembling, they sleep securely; so they live, and so of times they die, Psal. Ixxiii. 4. " They have no bonds in their death," [Hebrew, no knots], no difficulties that puzzle them. It is true, the consciences of few men are so perfectly stupified, but that,
time or other, they twing and gird them; but it seldom works to that height, or continues with them so long, as to give anyconfiderable interruption to their carnal peace andquietness.
Secondly, The life of the unregenerate consisteth inpresumptuoushope : this is the very foundation of their carnal security. So Christ tells the Jews, John viii. 54, 45. " Of whom ye fay " that he is your God, and yetyehave not known him." The world is full of hope without a pronise, which is but as a spider's web, when a stress comes to be laid upon it, Job xxvii. 8.
Unregenerate men are said indeed to be without hope, Ephef.
ii. 12. but the meaning is, they are without any solid, well grounded hope; for in scripture-account, vain hope is no hope, except it be a lively hope, 1 Pet. i. 3. A hope flowing fromu
The Method of Grace. 300 SERM . XX. nionwith Christ, Col. i. 27. A hope nourished by experience,
Rom. v. 4. A hope for which a man can give a reason, 1 Pet, iii. 15. A hope that puts men upon heart-purifying endeavours, 1 John iii. 3. It is in the account of God a cypher, a vanity, not deserving the name of hope; and yet such a groundless, dead, Christless, irrational, idle hope is that which the unregenerate live upon.
Thirdly, The life of the unregenerate consisteth in false joy, the immediate offspring of ungrounded hope, Mat. xiii. 20. The stony ground receive the word with joy.
There are two forts of joy upon which the unregenerate live, viz.
1. A sensitive joy in things carnal. 2. A delusivejoy in things spiritual . They rejoice in corn, wine, and oil, in their estates and children, in the pleasant fruitions of the creature; yea, and they rejoice also in Christ and the promises, in heaven and in glory: with all which they have just such a kind of communion, as a man hath in a dream with a full feast, and curious music; and just so their joy will vanish when they awake. Now these three, security,hope, and joy, make up the livelihood of the carnal world.
Secondly, Next it concerns us to enquire what are the things that maintain and support this security, hope and joy in the hearts of unregenerate men; and if we consider duly, we shall find church-privileges, natural ignorance, false evidences of the love of God, flight workings of the gospel, self-love, comparing themselves with the more profane, and Satan's policy managing all these in order to their eternal ruin, are so many springs to feed and maintain this life of delusion in the unregenerate.
1. First, Church privileges lay the foundation to this strong delusion. Thus the Jews deceived themselves, saying in their hearts, " We have Abraham for our father," Mat. iii. 9. This proptup the vain hopes that Abraham's blood ran in their veins, though Abraham's faith and obedience never wrought in their hearts.
2. Secondly, Natural ignorance; this keeps all in peace: they that fee not, fear not. There are but two ways to quiet the hearts of men about their spiritual and eternal concernments, viz. the way of assurance and faith, or, the way of ignorance and self-deceit : by the one we are put beyond danger, by the other beyond fear, though the danger be greater. Satan could never quiet men, if he did not first blind them.
3. Thirdly, False evidences of the love of God is another spring feeding this security, vain hope and false joy in the hearts of men: fee the power of it to hush and still the conscience,
SERM . XX . The Method of Grace. 401 Mat. vii. 22. " Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, " have we not prophesied in thy name ?" &c. The things upon which they built their evidence and confidence, were external things in religion ; yet they had a quieting power upon them, as if they had been the best evidences in the world.
4. Fourthly, Slight workings of the gospel; such are transient motions of the affections under the word, Heb. vi. 8. the working of their desires about spiritual objects, John vi. 34. Mat. xxv. 8. the external change, and reformation of their ways, Mat. xii. 43. all which serve to nourish the vain hopes of the unregenerate.
Fifthly, Self-love is an apparent reason and ground of security and false hope, Mat. vii. 3. It makes a man to overlook great evils in himself, whilst he is sharp-sighted to discover and censure lesser evils in others: self-love takes away the fight of fin, by bringing it too near the eye.
6. Sixthly, Mens comparing themselves with those that are more profane and grosly wicked than themselves, serves notably to quiet and hush the conscience asleep; " God, I thank thee, 66 (taid the Pharifee), I am not as other men, or as this publi- " can." O what a faint did he seem to himself, when he stood by those that were more externally wicked.
7. Seventhly, and lastly, The policy of Satan to manage all these things to the blinding and ruining of the souls of men, is another great reason they live so securely and pleasantly as they do, in a state of so much danger and misery, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. " The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that " believe not ."
Thirdly, You have seen what the life of the unregenerate is, and what maintains that life. In the next place, I shall give you evidence that this is the life the generality of the world do live; a life of carnal security, vain hope, and false joy : this will evidently appear, if we confider,
First, The activity and liveliness of mens spirits in pursuit of the world. Ohow lively and vigorous are their hearts in the the management of earthly designs ! Psal. vi. 4. "Who will " shew us any good ? " The world eats up their hearts, time, and strength. Now this could never be, if their eyes were but opened to fee the danger, and misery their souls are in. How few designs for the world run in the thoughts ofa condemned man ? O if God had ever made the light of conviction to shine into their consciences, certainly the temptations would lie the quitecontraryway, even in too great a neglect of things of this VOL . II . Fff
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life! But thisbriskness and liveliness plainly shew the great security which is upon most men.
Secondly, The marvellous quietnessand stillness that is in the thoughts and consciences of men, about their everlasting concernments, plainly shews this to be the life of the unregenerate : How few scruples, doubts, or fears shall you hear from them ? How many years may a man live in carnal families, before he
hear such a question as this seriously propounded, What " shall Ido to be saved ?" There are no questions in their lips, because no fear or sense of danger in their hearts.
Thirdly, The general contentedness, and profest willingness of carnal men to die, give clear evidence that such a life of security, and vain hope is the life they live ; " Like sheep they are laid in the grave, Psal. xlix. 14. O how quiet and still are their consciences, when there are but a few breaths more between them and everlasting burnings ! Had God opened their eyes to apprehend the consequences of death, and what follows the pale horse, Rev. vi. 8. it were impossible but that every unregenerateman should makethatbed on which he dies, shake and tremble under him .
Fourthly, and Lastly, The low esteem men have for Christ, and the total neglect of, at least the mere triffing with, those duties in which he is to be found, plainly discover this stupid, secure life to be the life that the generalityof the world do live : for were men sensible of the disease of fin, there could be no quieting them without " Christ the physician," Phil. iii. 8. All the business they have to do in this world could never keep them from their knees, or make them strangers to their closets : all which, and much more that might be taidof like nature, gives too full and clear proof to this sad assertion, that this is the life theunregenerate world generally lives.
Fourthly, In the last place, I would speak a few words to dis. coverthedanger of such a life, as hath been described ; to which purpose, let the following brief hints be seriously minded.
First, By these things fouls are inevitably betrayed into hell, and eternal ruin; this blinding is in order to damning, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. " If our gospel be hid, it is hidtothem that are loft; "whose eyes thegodofthisworldhath blinded." Those that are turned over into eternal death, are thus generallyhoodwinkedandblinded in order thereunto, Ifa. vi. 9, 10. " And he said goand tell this people, hearye indeed, but understand not : " and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the hearts of this " people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes ; " left they fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
SERM . XX. The Method of Grace. 403 " understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed."
Secondly, As damning is the event of blinding, so nothing makes hell a more terrible surprize to the soul than this doth : By this means the wrath of God is felt before its danger be apprehended; am an is past all hope, before he begins to have any fear: his eternal ruin, like a breach ready to fall, swelling out in ahighwall, cometh fuddenlyat an instant, Isa. xxx. 13. and as it damns surely, and surprizingly, fo,
Thirdly, Nothing more aggravates a man's damnation than to fink suddenly into it, from amidst so many hopes, and high confidence of safety : For a man to find himself in hell, when he thought and concluded himself within a step of heaven, Owhat a hell will it be to such men ! The higher vain hopes lifted them up, the more dreadful must their fall be, Mat. vii. 22. And as itdamns surely, surprizingly, and with highest aggravations, so,
Fourthly, This life of security, and vain hope, frustrates all the means of recovery, and salvation in the only season wherein they can be useful and beneficial to us : Byreasonofthese things the word hath no power to convince mens consciences, nothing can bring them to a fight and sense of their condition : Therefore Christ told the self-confident, and blind Jews, Mat. xxi. 21.
" That the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God " before them:" And the reason is, because their hearts lie more open, and fair to the strokes of conviction, and compunction for fin than those do, who are blinded by vain hopes, and confidences.
Infer. 1. Is this the life that the unregenerate world lives? Then it is not to be wondered at, that the preaching of the gospel hathfo littlefuccefs : " Who hath believed our report? (faith the " prophet) and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ?" la. liii . 1. Ministers study for truths apt to awaken, and convince the consciences of them that hear them, but their words return again to them: They turn to God,and mourn over the matter; we have laboured in vain, and spent our strength for nought : And this security is the cause of all ; vain hopes bar fast the doors ofmens hearts against all the convictions and perfuafions of the word. The greater cause have they to admire the grace of God, who have found, or shall find the convictions of the word sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit; to whose hearts God brings home the commandment, by an effectual application.
Infer. 2. If this be the life of the unregenerate world ; what Fff2
404 SERM. XX. The Method of Grace. deadly enemies are they that nourish, and strengthen the groundless confidences, and vain hopes offalvation in men ? This the
calls the healing of the hurt offouls slightly, by crying " Peace, peace, when there is no peace," Jer. vi. 14. The sewing of pillows under their arm-holes, Ezek. xiii. 18. That they may lie soft and easy under the ministry : And this is the doctrine which the people love ; but oh, what will the end of these things be! And what an account have those men to give to God for the blood of those souls by them betrayed to the everlasting burnings ! Such flattery is the greatest cruelty : Those whom you bless upon earth, will curse you in hell, and the day in which they trusted their souls to your conduct .
Infer. 3. How great a mercy is it to be awakened out of that generalfleep, and security which is fallen upon the world!
You cannot estimate the value of that mercy, for it is a peculiar mercy. O that ever the Spirit of the Lord should touch thy soul under the ministry of the word, startle, and rouse thy conscience, whilst others are left in the dead sleep of security round about thee ! When the Lord dealt with thy soul much after the fame manner he did with Paul in the way to Damafcus, who not only saw a light shining from heaven,which those that travelled with him saw as well as he, but heard that voice from heaven which did the work upon his heart, though his companions heard it not. Besides, it is not onlyapeculiar mercy, but it isa leading, introductive mercy, to all other spiritual mercies that follow it to all eternity. If God had not done this for thee, thou hadst never been brought to faith, to Christ, or heaven : from this act of the spirit all other saving acts take their rife. So that you have cause for ever to admire the goodness of God, in in such a favour as this is .
Infer. 4. Lastly, Hence it follows, that thegenerality of the world are in the direct way to eternal ruin ; and whatever their vain confidences are, they cannot be saved : "Narrow is the
" way, and strait is the gate that leadeth unto life, and few " there be that find it." Hear me all you that live this dangerous life ofcarnalsecurity, and vain hope, whatever yourperfuafions and confidences are, except you give them up, and get better grounds for your hope, you cannot be saved. For, First, Such hopes and confidences, as yours, are directly contradictory to the established order of the gospel, which requires repentance, Acts v. 31. Faith, Acts xiii. 39. and regeneration, John iii. 3. in all that shall be saved: And this order shall never be altered for any man's fake.
Secondly, Iffuch as you be saved, all the threatnings in scrip
SERM . XXI. The Method of Grace. 405 ture must be reversed,which lie in full opposition to your vain hopes, Mark xvi. 16. John iii. 16. Rom. iii. 8, 9. Either the truth of God, in these threatnings, must fail, or your vain hopes must fail .
Thirdly, I fever such as you be saved,new conditions must be set to all the promises : For there is no condition of any special promise found in any unregenerate person. Compare your hearts with these scriptures, Mat. v. 3, 4, 5, 6. Psal. xxiv. 4. Plal. lxxxiv. 11. Gen. xvii. I , 2.
Fourthly, If ever such a hope as yours bring you to heaven, then the saving hope of God's elect is not rightly described to us in the scriptures. Scripture hope is the effect of regeneration, 1 Pet. i . 3. And purity of heart is the effect of that hope, I John iii . 3. Nay, Fifthly, The very nature of heaven is mistaken in scripture, if such as you be fsubjects qualified for its enjoyment : For assimilation, or the conformity of the soul to God in holiness, is, in thefcripture account, a principal ingredient of that blessedness : By all which, it manifestly appears that the hopes of most men are in vain, and will never bring them to heaven.
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Rom . vii. 9. For I was alive without the law once : But when the commandment came, fin revived, and I died.
Doct . 2 .THAT there is a mighty efficacy in the word or law of God, to kill vain confidence, and quench carnal mirth in the hearts of men, when God sets it home upon their consciences. " The weapons of the word are not carnal, " but mighty through God ; to the pulling down of strong " holds, casting down imaginations, and every thing that ex- " alteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into " captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.
In the opening of this point I shall,
1. Demonstrate the efficacy of the word or law of God. 2. Shew wherein the efficacy thereof lies. 3. From whence it hath all this mighty power and efficacy. First, I shall give you some demonstrations of the mighty power, and efficacy that there are in the word or law of God: which will appear with the fullest evidence.
First, From the various subjects upon whom it works : The
400 The Method of Grace. SERM. XXI, heartsandconfciences of men of all orders and qualities, have been reached, and wounded to the quick, by the two-edged sword of God's law. Some, among the great and honourable of the earth, (though indeed the fewest of that rank) have been made to stoop, and tremble under the word, Acts xxiv. 16. Mark vi. 20. Sam. xv. 24. The wife and learned of the world have felt its power, and been brought over to embrace the humbling, and self-denying ways of Christ, Acts xvii. 34. Thus Origen, Hierom, Tertullian, Bradwardine, and many more, came into Canaan laden with the Egyptian gold, as one speaks,
(i. e) they came into the church of God abundantly enriched, and furnished with the learned arts and sciences, devoting them all to the service of Christ : Yea, and which is as strange, the moftfimple, weak, and illiterate, have been wonderfully changed, andwroughtuponby the power of the word : " The testimonies " of the Lord make wife the simple: " Men ofweakunderstandings, in all other matters, havebeenmade wise to salvation by the power of the word, Mat. xi. 25. 1 Cor. i. 27. Nay, the most malicious and obstinate enemies of Christ have been wounded, and converted by the word, 1 Tim. i. 13. Acts xvi. 25.
that have been under the prejudice of the worst and most idolatrous education,have been the subjects of its mighty power, Acts xix. 26. To conclude, men of the most profligate, and debauched lives havebeenwonderfully changed, and altered by the power of the word, 1 Cor. vi . 10, 11 . Secondly, The mighty efficacy of the law of God appears in the manner of its operation ; it works suddenly; strikes like a dartthrough the hearts and consciences of men, Acts ii . 37. A wonderful change is made in a short time : And as it works quickly, and suddenly, so it works irresistibly, with an uncontrouled power upon the spirits of men, I Thef. i. 5. Rom. i. 16. Let the soul be armed against conviction with the thickest ignorance, strongest prejudice, or most obstinate resolution, the word of God will wound the breast even of such am an, when Godsends it forth in his authority and power.
Thirdly, The wonderful power of the law, or word of God is evidently seen, in the strange effects which are produced by it in the hearts and lives of men. For, First, It changes and alters the frameandtemper of the mind: It moulds a man into a quite contrary temper, Gal . i. 23. " He "which persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the faith, " which once he destroyed :" Thus a tyger is transformed into a lamb, by the power of the word of God.
Secondly, It makes the soul, upon which it works, to forego,
SERM. XXI. The Method of Grace. 407 and quit the dearest interest it hath inthisworldfor Jesus Christ, Phil. iii . 7, 8, 9. Riches, honours, self-righteousness, dearest relations, are denied and forsaken: Reproach, poverty, and death itself, are willingly embraced for Christ's fake, when once the efficacy of the word hath been upon the hearts of men, 1 Thel. i. 6. Those that were their companions in fin, are declined, renounced, and cast off with abhorrence, I Pet. iv. 3, 4. In such things as these the mighty power of the word discovers itself.
Secondly, Next, let us fee wherein the efficacy of the word, upon the souls of men, principally consisteth: and we find in scripture itexerteth its power, in five distinct acts upon the soul; by all which it strikes at the life, and kills the very heart of vain hopes. For, First, It hath an awakening efficacy upon secure and sleepy sinners: It rouzes the conscience, and brings am an toa sense, and feeling apprehension, Eph. v. 13, 14. The first effectual touchoftheword ftartles the drowsy conscience. A poor sinner lies in his fins, as Peterdid in his chains, fast asleep, though a warrant was signed for his executionthenextday: but the Spirit in the word awakens him, as the angel did Peter: And this awakening power of the word is in order, bothoftime, and nature, antecedent to all its operations, and effects.
Secondly, The law of God hath an enlightening efficacy upon the minds of men : It is eye-salve to the blinded eye, Rev. iii.
18. A light shining in a dark place, 2 Pet. i. 19. A light shining into the very heart of man, 2 Cor iv. 6. When the word comes in power, all things appear with another face: The fins that were hid from our eyes, and the danger which was concealed by the policy of Satan from our souls, now lie clear and open before us, Eph. v. 8 .
Thirdly, The word of God hath a convincing efficacy : It sets fin in order before the soul, Psal. 1. 21. As an army is drawn up in an exact order, so are the fins of nature and practice, the fins of youth and age, even a great and terrible army is drawn up before the eye of the conscience; the convictions of the word are clear and full, 1 Cor. xiv. 24, 25. The very secrets ofa sinner's heart are made manifest : his mouth is stopped; his pleas are silenced; his conscience yields to the charge of guilt, and to the equity of the sentence of the law. So that the soul stands mute, and self-condemned, at the bar of conscience : It hath got nothing to say why the wrath of God should not come upon it to the uttermoft, Rom. iii . 19.
Fourthly, The law of God hath a soul-wounding, anheartcutting efficacy : It pierces intotheveryfoul and spirit of man,
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Acts ii . 37. " When they heard this, they were pricked at their hearts, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles ; men and brethren, what shall we do ?" A dreadful found is in the sinner's ears; his soul is in deep distress ; he knows not which way to turn for ease; no plaisterbut the blood of Christ can heal these wounds which the word makes : No outward trouble, afflic. tion, disgrace, or loss, ever touched the quick as the word of God doth.
Fifthly, The word hath a heart-turning, a soul-converting efficacy in it: It is a regenerating, as well as convincing word,
1 Pet. i. 32. 1 Thef. i. 9. The law wounds, the gospel cures ; the law discovers the evil that is in fin, and the misery that follows it; and the Spirit of God, working in fellowship with the word, effectually turns the heart from fin. And thus we fee in what glorious acts the efficacy of the word discovers itself upon the hearts of men ; and all these acts lie in order to each other : nor until the soul be awakened, it cannot be enlightned, Eph. v. 14. Till it be enlightned, it cannot be convinced, Eph . v. 13. Conviction being nothing else, but the application of the light that shines in the mind to the conscience ofa sinner; till it be convinced, it cannot be wounded for fin, Acts ii. 37. And until it be wounded for fin, it will never be converted from fin, and brought effectually to Jesus Christ. And thus you fee what the power of the word is.
Thirdly,In the last place,it will concern us to enquire, whence the word of God hath all this power: And it is most certain, that it is not a power inherent in itself, nor derived from the instrument by which it is managed; but from the Spirit of the Lord, who communicates to it all that power, and efficacy which it hath upon our souls.
1. Its power is not in, or from itself: It works not in a phy. ficalway, as natural agents do; for then the effect would always follow, except it were miraculously hindered : But this
efficacy is in the word, as the healing virtue was in the waters of Bethesda, John v. 4. "An angel went down at a cer " tain season into the pool, and troubled the water : Whosoever then first after the troubling of the water ftept in, was " made whole of whatsoever disease he had." It is not a power naturally inherent in it at all times, but communicated to it at some special seasons. How often is the word preached, and no man awaked or convinced by it !
2. The power of the word is not communicated to it by the instrument that manageth it, I Cor. iii. 7. " Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth." Ministers are "
SERM . XXI . The Method of Grace. 409 nothing to such an effect and purpose as this is; he doth not mean that they are useless and altogether unnecessary, but insufficient of themselves to produce such mighty effects : It works not as it is the word of man, 1 Theff. ii. 13. Ministers may say of the ordinary, as Peter said of the extraordinary effects of the Spirit, Acts iii . 12. " Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this ? " or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own pow- " er or holiness we had made this man to walk ?" If the effects of the word were in the power, and at the command of him that preacheth it, then the blood of all the souls that perish under our ministry must lie at our door, as was formerly noted.
3. If you say, whence then hath the word all this power? Our answer is, It derives it all from the Spirit of God, * 1 Thef.
ii. 13. " For this cause thank we God without ceasing, because " when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye " received it not as the word of man, but (as it is in truth) the
" word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that be- " lieve." It is a successful instrument, only, when it is in the hand of the Spirit, without whose influence it never did, nor can convince, convert, or save any foul. Now, the SpiritofGod hath a sovereignty over three things in order to the conversion offinners.
1. Over the word which works. 2. Over the soul wrought upon. 3. Over the time and season of working. First, The Spirit hath a glorious sovereignty over the word itself, whose instrument it is, to make it successful or not ; as itpleaseth him, Ifa. lv. 10, 11. " For as the rain cometh down, " and the snow from heaven, &c. so shall my word be thatgo- " eth out of my mouth:" as the clouds, so the word is carried and directed by divine pleasure. It is the Lord that makes them both give down their blessings, or to pass away fruitless and empty : yea, it is from the Spirit that this part of the word works, and not another. Those things upon which ministers bestow greatest labour in their preparation, and from which accordingly they have the greatest expectation;thesedonothing, when, mean time, something that dropped occasionally from them, like a chosen shaft, strikes the mark, and doth the work.
Secondly, The Spirit of the Lord hath a glorious sovereignty over the souls wrought upon: it is his peculiar work " to take
What is commanded by the word, is given by the Spirit. Aug. Ep. 157.
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66 away the stony heart out of our flesh, and to give us an heart " of flesh," Ezek. xxxvi. 26. We may reason, exhort, and reprove, but nothing will abide till the Lord set it home. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia under Paul's ministry : he opens every heart that is effectually opened to receive Christ in the word: if the word can get no entrance, if your hearts remain dead under it still, we may say concerning such fouls, as Martha did concerning her brother Lazarus ; " Lord, if thou " hadst been here, my brother had not died.", So, Lord, if thou hadst been in this sermon, in this prayer, or in that counsel, these fouls had not remained dead under them.
Thirdly, The Spirit hath dominion over the times and seasons of conviction and conversion. Therefore the day in which fouls are wrought upon is called " the day of his power," Psal. cx. 3. That shall work at one time, which had no efficacy at all at another time; because this, and not that, was the time appointed. And thus you fee whence the word derives that mighty power it hath .
Now this word of God, when it is set home by the Spirit, is mighty to convince, humble, and break the hearts of sinners,
John xvi . 9. " The Spirit when it cometh shall convince the " world of fin." The word signifies conviction by such clear demonstration as compelleth affent : it not only convinces men in general that they are sinners, but it convinceth men parricu Jarly of their own fins, and the aggravations of them. So in the text, Sin revived, that is, the Lord revived his fins, the very circumstances and aggravations with which they were committed: and fo it will be with us when the commandment comes; fins that we had forgotten, committed so far back as our youth or childhood; fins that lay flighted in our consciences, shall now be rouzed up as so many sleepy lions to affright and terrify us : for now the soul hears the voice of God in the word, as Adam heard it in the cool of the day, and was afraid, and hides itself : but all will not do; for the Lord is come in the word: fin is held up before the eyes of the conscience in its dreadful aggravations, and fearful consequences, as committed against the holy law, clear light, warnings of conscience, manifold mercies, God's long-suffering, Christ's precious blood, many warnings of judgments, the wages anddemeritwhereof,by the verdict ofa man's own conscience, is death, eternal death, Rom. vi. 23. Rom. i, 32. Rom. ii. 9. Thus the commandment comes, sin revives, and vain hopes gives up the ghost .
Infer. I. Is therefuch a mighty power in the word? then certainly the word is of divine authority. There cannot be a more
SERM. XXI. 411 The Method of Grace.
clear, andfatisfyingproofthat it is no human invention, than the commonsense that all believers have of the Almighty Power in which it works upon their hearts. So speaks the apostle, 1 Thef. ii . 13. " When ye received the word of God which ye heard " of us, ye received it not as the word of man, but (as it is in " truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in " you that believe." Can the power of any creature, the word of a mere man, so convince the conscience, so terrify the heart, so discover the very secret thoughts of the soul, as to put a man into such tremblings ? No, no, a greater than man must needs be here : none but a God can so open the eyes of the blind, fo open the graves of the dead, so quicken and enliven the conscience that was feared, so bind over the soul ofa sinner to the judgment to come, fo change and alter the frame and temper of am an's Spirit, or so powerfully raise, refresh and comfort a drooping dying foul : certainly the power of God is in all this ; and, if there were no more, yet this alone were sufficient to make full proof of the divine authority of the scriptures. -Infer. 2. Judge from hence what an invaluable mercy the preaching of the word is to the world: It is a blessing far above - our estimation of it: little do we know what a treasure God committeth to us in the ordinances, Acts xiii. 25. " To you is " the word of this salvation sent." It is the very power of God to salvation, Rom. i. 16. And salvation is ordinarily denied to whom the preaching of the word is denied, Rom. x. 14. It is called the word of life, Phil. ii. 16. and deserves to be valued by everyone of us as our life: the eternal decree of God's election is executed by it upon our souls : as many as he ordained to eternal life shall believe by the preaching of it. Great is the ingratitude of this generation, which so flights, and undervalues this invaluable treasure: which isafad presage of the most terrible judgment, even in the removing our candlestick out of its place, except we repent.
Infer. 3. Howfore and terribleajudgment lies upon thefouls of those men to whom no word of God is made powerful enough to convince and awaken them ! Yet so stands the case with thousands, who constantly fit under the preaching of the word; many arrows are shot at their consciences, but none goes home to the mark, all fall short of the end: the commandment hath come unto them many thousand times, by way ofpromulgation, and ministerial inculcation, but yet never came home to their souls by the Spirit's effectual application . O friends ! you have often heard the voice of man, but you never yet heard the voice of God :
Ggg 2
412 The Method of Grace. SERM. XXI. your understandings have been instructed, but your consciences to this day were never thoroughly convinced. "We have " mourned unto you, but ye have not lamented," Mat, xi. 17. " Who hath believed our report ? And unto whom is the arm " of the Lord revealed ? " Alas ! we have laboured in vain, we have spent our strength for nought, our word return unto us empty: butO what astupendousjudgment is here! Heb. vi. 7, 8. " The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon " it, andbringth forth herbs meet for them by whom it isdref. " sed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth " thorns and briars is rejected, and isnigh unto cursing, whose " end is to be burned." Whatsorejudgment,and sign of God's displeasure would you account it, if your fields were cursed ; if you should manure, dress, plough, and sow them ; but never reap the fruit of your labour ; the increase being still blasted ? And yet this were nothing, compared with the blasting of the word to your souls : that which is afavour of life unto life, unto some, becomes the savour of death unto death, to others, 2 Cor. ii . 16. The Lord affect our hearts with the terrible strokes of God upon the souls of men !
Secand use ofexhortation. I shall conclude this point with a few words of exhortation to three forts of men, viz.
1. To those that never felt the power of the word, 2. To those that have only felt some flight and common effects thereof, 3.Tothoseuntowhoseveryhearts the commandment is come, in its effectual aud saving power, First, You that never felt any power in the word at all, I beg you inthenameofhim that made you, and by alltheregardand value you have for those precious souls within you, that now at
considerations asthesemay find place inyo your souls, and that you will bethink yourselves.
Consideration I Whose word is that which cannot gain entrance into your hearts ? Is it not the ward of God which you despise and flight ? " Thou castest my word behind thy back," Psal. 1. 17. Owhat an affront and provocation to God is this ! You despise notman, but God; the great and terrible God, in whase hand your breath and foul is ; this contempt runs higher than you imagine,
Consideration 2. Confider, that however the word hath no power upon you, the commandment cannot come home to your hearts ; yet it doth work, and comes home with power to the hearts of others a
SERM. XXI. The Method of Grace. 413. whilst you are hardned, others are melted under it; whilst you
Deep, others tremble ; whilst your hearts are fast locked up, others are opened., How can you choose but reflect with fear and trembling uponthesecontrary effects of the word; especially when you consider that the eternal decrees, both of election and reprobation are now executed upon the souls men, by the preaching of the word? Some believe, and others are hardned.
Consideration 3. That no judgment of God, on this side hell, is greater than a hard heart, and stupid conscience under the word : it were much better that the providence of God should blast thy estate, take away thy children, or destroy thy health, than harden thy heart, and fear thy conscience under the word: fo much as thy soul is better than thy body, fo much as eternity is more valuable than time, so much is this spiritual judgment more dreadful than all temporal ones. God doth not inflict a more terrible
than this upon any man in this world. O therefore as you love your own souls, and are loth to ruin them to all eternity, attend upon every opportunity that God atfords you ; for you know not in which of them the Lord may work upon your hearts. Lay aside your prejudices against the word or the weaknesses and infirmities of them that preach it; for the word works not as it is the word of man, as it is thus neat and elegant, but as it is the word of God. Pray for the blessing of God upon the word; for except his word of blessing go forth with it, it can never come home to thy soul. Meditateuponwhatyou hear ; for, without meditation, it is not like to have any effectual operationuponyou. Search your souls by it, and consider whether that be not your very case and state which it describes : your very danger whereof it gives warning.
Take heed left after you have heard it, the cares of the world chokewhatyou have heard, and cause those budding convictions which begin to put forth, to blast and wither. Carefully attend to all those items, and memorandums your consciences give you under the word, and conclude that the Lord is then come nigh unto you,
Secondly, Let this be matter of serious consideration, and caution to all such as have only felt some flight, transient, and ineffectual operations of the gospel upon their souls : The Lord hath come nigh to some of our souls; we have felt a strange power in the ordinances, sometimes terrifying, and sometimes transporting our hearts ; but, alas ! it proves but a morningdew, or an early cloud, Hos. vi. 4. We rejoice in the word, but it is but for a season, John iii. 25. Gal. iv. 14, 15. They
414 The Method of Grace. SERM . XXI.
arevanithing motions, and come to nothing. Look, as in nature there are many abortives, as well as perfect children, so it is in religion ; yea, where the new creature is perfectly formed in one soul, there be many abortives and miscarriages in others : and there may be three reasons assigned for it, viz.
First, The fubtilty and deep policy of Satan, who never more effectuallydeceives and destroys the souls of men, than in such a method, and by such an artifice as this: for when men have once felt their consciences terrified under the word, and their hearts at other times ravished with the joys and comforts of it, theynowseem to have attained all that is necessary to conversion, and conftitutive of the new creature : these things look fo well like the regenerating effects of the Spirit, that many are easily deceivedbythem. The devilbeguiles the hearts of the unwary by such false appearances ; for it is noteveryman that can distinguish betwixt the natural, and spiritual motions of the affections under the word : it is very frequently seen that even carnal, and unrenewed hearts have their meltings and transports, as well as spiritual hearts . The subject-matteruponwhich the word treats, are the weighty things of the world to come heaven and hell are very awful and affecting things, and an unrenewed heart is apt tothaw and melt at them: now here is the cheat of Satan, to persuade a man that these must needs be spiritual affections, because the objects about which they are converfant are spiritual : whereas it is certain, the object of the affections may be very spiritual and heavenly, and yet the workings of am an's affections about them, may be in a mere natural way.
Secondly, The dampening efficacy of the world is a true and proper cause of these abortions and miscarriages under the word,
Luke viii. 12, 13 , 14. There are hopeful and promising beginnings and buddings of affections in some persons, especially in their youth; but when once they come to be engaged in the world, how soon are they damp'd and quenched ! As the cares of a family grow on, so does the care of salvation wear off. 'Tis not as it was wont to be, what shall Ido to be saved ? How
I get interest in Christ ? But what shall I eat, and drink, and wherewithal shall I, and mine, be maintained ? Thus earth justles out heaven, and the present world drowns all thoughts of that to come. Good had it been for many men, they had never been engaged so deep in the world as they are; their life is but a constant hurry of business, and a perpetual diversion from Christ, and things that are eternal,
Thirdly, and lastly, The deceitfulness, and treachery of the heart,which too easily giveswayto the designs of Satan, suffers
SERM. XXI. 415 The Method of Grace.
to be imposed upon by him, is not the least causewhyfo many hopeful beginnings come to nothing, and the effects of the word vanish. Pride,and self-love are very apt to over-rule every little good,and flight, or under-value every evil that is in us ; and so quickly choke those convictions that begin to work in our souls.
But oh ! that such men would confider that the dying away of their convictions, is that which threatens the life of their souls for ever ; now is the bud withered, the blossom blasted : and what expectation is thereof fruit after this, except the Lord revive them again ? The Lord open men's eyes, to discern the danger of such things as these are ! Jude 12. Heb. x. 58. Yet I deny not, but there are many stands, and pauses in the work of conversion; it seems to die away, and then revives again ; and revive it must, or we are lost. But how many are there who never recover it more ! This is a fore judgment of a most terrible consequence to the souls of men.
Thirdly, In the last place, let it be a word of counsel, and advice to them, upon whom the word works effectually, and powerfully ; to whose hearts the commandment is come home, to revive sin, and kill their vain hopes; and these are of two forts.
1. Embryo's, under the first workings of the spirit. 2. Compleat births of the spirit, regenerated fouls. First , Embryo's that are under the first workings of the spirit in the word. O let it not seem a misery, or unhappiness to you, that the commandment is come, and fin revived, and your former hopes overthrown. It must be thus, if ever God intend mercy for you. Had you gone on in that dangerous security you were in before, you had certainly been loft forever: God hath stopt you in that path that leads down to hell, and none that go in there do ever return again, or take hold of the paths of life. O it is better to weep, tremble, and be distressed now, than to mourn without hope for ever. Let it not trouble you that fin hath found you out; you could never have found out the remedy in Christ, if you had not found out the disease and danger, by the coming of the commandment. And I beseech you carefully to observe, whether the effects, and operations of the word upon your hearts be deeper, and more powerful, than they are found to be in such fouls as mifcarryunder it : the commandment comes to them, and shews them this or that more gross and starthng fin. Doth it come to you, and shew you not only this, or that particular fin, but all the evils of your heart and life; the corruption of your natures, as well as the transgressions of your lives ? Iffo, it promises
416 The Method of Grace. SERM. XXI. well, and looks hopefully, and comfortably to you. The commandment comes to others, and startles them with the fears of damnation for their fin: it puts them into a grievous fright at hell, and the everlasting burnings: but doth it come to thee and discover the infinite evil that is in thy fin, as it is committed against the great, holy, righteous, and good God, and fo melts thy heart into tears for the wrong that thou hast done him, as well as the danger into which thou hast brought thyself? This is a hopeful work, and may encourage thee. It comes to others, and greatly shakes, but never destroys and razes the foundation of their vain hopes : if it so revive sin, as to kill all vain hopes in thee, and send thee to Christ alone, as thy only door of hope, fear not; these troubles will prove the greatest mercies that ever befel thee in this world, if thus they work, and continue to work upon thy soul.
Secondly, Others there are upon whom the word hath had its full effect as to conversion. O bless God for ever for this mercy ; you cannot sufficiently value it! God hath not only made it a convincing, and wounding, but a converting, and healing word to your souls; he hath not only revived your fins, and killed your vain hopes, but begotten you again to a lively hope; fee that you be thankful for this mercy. How many have fate under the fame word, but never felt such effects of it ? As Christ said in another case, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, but unto none of them was the prophet sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, to a certain widow there, Luke iv. 46. So I may say, in this case, there were many fouls in the fame congregation, at the fame time ; but unto none of them was the word sent with a commission to convince and save, but such a one as thyself; one as improbable to be wrought upon as any foul there. O let this beget thankfulness in your souls; and let it make you love the word as long as you live : " I will never forget thy precepts, førby them " thou haft quickened me," Psal. cxix. 93 .
But above all I beseech you make it appear that the commandment hath come home to your hearts, with power to convince you of the evil off in,by your tenderness and care to thun it as long as you live. If ever you have seen the face off in, in the glass of the law of God; if your hearts have been humbled and broken for it in the days of your trouble and distress, certainly you will choose the worst affliction rather than fin : It would be the greatest folly in the world to return again to iniquity, Psal. lxxxv. 8. You that have seen so much of the evil that is in it, and the danger that follows it; you that have had
SERM . XXII. The Method of Grace. 417 such inward terrors and fears of spirit about it, when that terrible representation was made you, will be loth to feel those gripes, and distresses of conscience again, for the best enjoyment in this world.
BleffedbeGodifany word has been brought home to our hearts, which hath been instrumental to bring us to Christ!
SERMON
ΧΧΙΙ .
The Teachings of God opened, in their Nature and
Necessity.
JOHN vi. 45. It is written in the Prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. HOW necessary to our union with Jesus Christ, the application of the law, or coming home of the commandment to the heart of a sinner is, we have heard in the last discourse; and how impossible it is, either for the commandment to come to us, or for us to come to Christ, without illumination, and instruction from above, you shall hear in this .
This scripture hath much of the mind of God in it ; and he that is to open it, had need himself to be taught of God.
In the foregoing verses, Christ offers himself as the bread of life unto the fouls of men : against this doctrine they oppose their carnal reason, ver. 41, 42. Christ strikes at the root of all their cavils and objections in his reply, ver. 43, 44. " Murmur not " among yourselves : no man can come to me, except the Fa- " therwhichhath sent me draw him ;" q. d. you flightmebecause you do not know me ; you do not know me, because you are not taught of God ; of these divine teachings, the prophets of old have spoken, and what they foretold is at this day fulfilled in our fight ; so many as are taught of God, and no more, come unto me inthewayoffaith: it is impossible tocomewithout the teachings of God, ver. 44. It is as impossible not to come, or to mifcarry in their coming unto me, under the influence of these divine teachings, ver. 45 . The words read, consist of two parts, viz.
1. An allegation out of the prophets. 2. The application thereofmadeby Christ. VOL. II . Hhh
418 SERM . XXII . The Method of Grace.
First, An allegation out of the prophets : "It is written in " the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God." The places in the prophets to which Christ seems here to refer, are, Isa. liv. 13. " And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord ;" and, Jer. xxxi. 34. " And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and everyman his brother, saying, know the
Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, faith the Lord." These promises contain the great blessings of the new covenant, viz. Divine instruction, and heavenly illumination, without which, no man can be brought up to the terms of the new covenant.
Secondly,We have here the application of these testimonies,out of the prophets, made by Christ himself ; " Every man therefore " that hath heard, and learned of the Father, cometh unto me."
In which words, we have, both the necessity, and the efficacy of these divine teachings ; without them no man can come, and under them no mancanmiscarry. The words being fitly rendred, and the sense obvious,
The notes are, Doct. 1. That the teachings of God are absolutely necessary to every man that cometh unto Christ, in the way of faith. Doct. 2. No man can miss of Christ, or miscarry in the way of faith, that is under the special instructions, and teachings of the Father .
Doct. 1. That the teachings of God are absolutely necessary to e very man that cometh unto Christ, in the way of faith. of the necessity of divine teaching, in order to believing, the apostle speaks, in Eph. iv. 20, 21. " But ye have not so learned " Christ, if so be that you have heard him, and been taught by
" him, as the truth is in Jesus ;" (i. e.) Your faith must needs be effectual, both to the reformation of your lives, and your perseverance in the ways of holiness, if it be such a faith as is begotten, and introduced into your hearts by divine teachings *. Now, in the explication of this point, I shall speak distinctly to the following enquiries.
1. How doth God teach men, or what is imported in our being taught of God ?
2. What those special lessons are, which all believers do hear, and are taught of God ?
They who believe,by means of the preacher speaking to them outwardly, hear and learn inwardly of the Father ; they who believe not, hear outwardly, but not inwardly. Aug. on Predeft. chap.8.
SERM . XXII. 419 The Method of Grace.
3. In what manner doth God teach these things to men, in the day of their conversion to Christ ?
4. What influence God's teaching hath upon our believing ? 5. Why it is impossible for any man to believe, or come to Christ, without the Father's teachings.
First, How doth God teach men, or what is imported in our being taught of God ? To this I will speak, both negatively and positively, for your clearer apprehension of the sense and meaning of the Spirit of God in this phrase.
First, The teaching of God, and our hearing and learning of him, is not to be understood of any extraordinary, visional appearances, ororaculousand immediate voice of Godtomen:God indeed hath so appeared unto some, Numb. xii. 8. Such voices have been heard from heaven ; but now these extraordinary ways are ceased, Heb. i. 1, 2. and we are no more to expect them ; we may sooner meet with fatanical delusions, than divine illumination, in this way. I remember, the learned Gerson tells us that the devil once appeared to an holy man in prayer, personating Christ, and saying, I am come in person to visit thee, for thou art worthy. But he with both hands shut his eyes, saying, Nolohic Christum videre,fat is eft ipfum in gloria videre ; (i. e.) I will not see Christ here; it is enough for me to fee him in glory. We are now to attend only to the voice of the Spirit in the scriptures: this is a more sure word than any voice from heaven, 2Pet. i. 19. Secondly, The teachings of God are not to be understood as opposite unto, or exclusive of the teachings of men. Divine teachings do not render ministerial teachings in vain, or useless. Paulwas taught of God, Gal. i. 12. and his conversion had
extraordinary in it, yet the ministry of Ananias was used, and honoured in that work, Acts ix. 4, 17. compared. Divine teachings do indeed excel, but not exclude human teachings. I know that scripture, Jer. xxxi. 24. to which Christ here refers, is objected against the necessity of a standing ministry in the church, " They shall teach no more every man his " neighbour, and every man his brother," &c. But if those words should be understood absolutely, they would not only overthrow all public ordinances of God's own istitution, 1 Cor. xii. 28. and deprive us of a principal fruit of Christ's ascension, Eph. iv. 11 , 12. but, for the fame reason, would destroy all private instructions, and fraternal admonitions also. Such a sense would make the prophet to contradict the apostle, and spoil the consent,and harmony of the scriptures : the sense thereof cannot
Hhh 2
420 The Method of Grace. SERM . XXII . be negative, but comparative; it shews theexcellencyofdivine, but doth not destroy the usefulness ofhumanteachings, Subordinata non pugnant. The teachings of men are made effectual 'by the teachings of the Spirit; and the Spirit in his teachings will use and honour the ministry of man,
Thirdly, But to speak positively, the teachings of God are nothing else, but that spiritual, and heavenly light, by which the Spirit of God shineth into the hearts of men, to give them " the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
" Jesus Christ," as the apostle speaks, 2Cor. iv. 6. And though this be the proper work of the Spirit, yet it is called the teachings of the Father,because the Spirit who enlightens us iscommiffioned, and sent by the Father to to do, John xiv. 26. Now these teachings of the Spirit of God, consist in two things, viz. in his,
1. Sanctifying impressions. 2. Gracious assistances . First, In his fanctifying impressions, or regenerating works upon the soul, by virtue whereof it receives marvellous light and insight into spiritual things; and that not only as illumination is the first act of the Spirit in our conversion, Col. iii. 10. but as his whole work offanctification is illuminative, and in-
to the converted foul, 1 John ii. 27. "The anointing " which you have received of him abideth in you, and ye need " not that any man teach you, but as the fame anointing teach- " eth you." The meaning is, that fanctificationgives the soul experience of those mysterious things, which are contained in the scriptures, and that experience is the most excellent key to unlock, and open those deep scripture-mysteries; no knowledge is so distinct, so clear, so sweet, as that which the heart com. municates to the head, John vii. 17. " Ifanymando his will, " he shall know the doctrine." A man that never read the nature of love in books of philosophy,nor the transports and ecstafies thereof in history, may yet truly describe and express it by the sensible motions of that passion in his own foul; yea, he that hath felt, much better understands, than he that hath only readorheard. O what a light doth spiritual sense, and expe rience, cast upon a great part of the scriptures! for indeed fanctification is the very copy or transcript of the word of God upon the heart of man; Jer. xxxi. 33, " I will write my law in " their hearts:" so that the scriptures, and the experiences of believers, by this means, answer to each other, as the lines and letters in the press, answer to the impressions made upon the paper; or the figures in the wax, to the engravings in the feal.
SERM. XXII. The Method of Grace. 421 When a sanctified man reads David's Plalms, or Paul's episiles, how is he surprized with wonder to find the very workings of his own heart, so exactly decyphered, and fully expressed there ! O, faith he, this is myverycafe; theseholymen speak what my heart hath felt.
Secondly, The Spirit of God teacheth us, as by his sanctifying impressions, so by his gracious assistances, which he gives us pro re nata, as our need requires, Mat. x. 19. " It shall be " given you in that same hour what ye shall speak," John xiv. 26. " He shall bring all things to your remembrance :" he afsisteth, both the understanding indue apprehenfions of truth, and the heart in the spiritual improvements of truth. And fo much briefly of the first particular.
Secondly, In the next place, we are to enquire what those special truths are which believers hear, and learn of the Father, when they come to Christ .
And there are divers great, and necessary truths, wherein the Spirit enlightens men in that day. I cannot say they are all taught every believer in the same degree and order ; but it is certain they are taught of God such lessons as these are, which they never so understood before.
Lesson 1. First, They are taught of God that there is abundantly more evil intheirfinfulnatures, and actions, than ever they discerned, or understood before : " the Spirit when he " cometh shall convince the world of fin," Johnxvi. 8, 9. Men have a general notion off in before; fo had Paul, when a Pharifee: but how vastly different were his apprehenfions of fin, from all that ever he had in his natural state,when God brought home the commandment to his very heart ! There isa threefold knowledge of fin, viz. traditional, discussive, and intuitive. The first is in the more rude, and illiterate multitude. The second in more rational and knowing men. The third is only found in those that are enlightened, and taught of God. And there is as great a difference betwixt this intuitive knowledge of fin, whereby God makes a soul todifcernthenature, and evil of it, ina spiritual light, and the two former, as there is betwixt the fight of a painted lion upon the wall, and the fight of a living lion that meets us roaring in the way. The intuitive fight of fin is another thing thanmen imagine it to be: 'tis such a fight as wounds am an to the very heart, Acts ii. 37. for God doth not only shew am an this, or that particular fin, but, in the day of convictions, he sets all his fins in order before him. Psal. 1. 21. yea, the Lord shews him the sinfulnessofhis nature, as well as practice. Conviction digs to the root, shews, and lays open
422 The Method of Grace. SERM. XXII. that original corruption, from whence the innumerable evils of the life do spring, James i. 14, 15. and, which is yet more, the Lord shews the man, whom he is bringing to Christ, the sinful and miserable estate which he is in by reason of both, John xvi. 9. And now all excuses, pleas, and defences of fin are gone, he shews them " how their iniquities have exceeded," Job xxxvi. 8, 9. exceeded in number, and in aggravation of finfulness ; exceeding many, and exceeding vile ; no such sinner in the world as 1 : can such fins as mine be pardon'd? The greatness of God greatens my fin; the holiness of God makes it beyond measure vile; the goodness of God puts unconceivable weight into my guilt. O can there be mercy for such a wretch as 1 ! If there be, then there will not be a greater example of the riches of free grace in all the world than I am. Thus God teacheth the evil of fin.
2. Secondly, God teacheth the soul, whom he is bringing to Christ, what that wrath, and misery are which hang over it in the threatnings, because off in. Scripture-threatnings were formerly flighted; now the soul trembles at them : They once apprehended themselves safe enough, Isa. xxviii. 15. Psal. 1. 21 . They thought, because they heard no more of their fins, after the commision of them, that therefore they should never hear more ; that the effect had been as transient athing as the act of fin was; or if trouble must follow fin, they should speed no worse than others, the generality of the world being in the
and besides, they hoped to find God more merciful, than fowre and precise preachers represented him. But when a light from God enters into the soul, to discover the nature of God, and of fin, then it fees, that whatever wrath is treasured up for sinners, in the dreadfulthreatnings of the law, is but the just demerit of fin, therecompence that is meet : " The wages
" of fin is death," Rom. vi. 23. The penal evil of damnation is but equal to the moral evil of fin : So that in the whole ocean of God's eternal wrath, there is not one drop of injustice ; yea, the foul doth not only fee the justice of God in its eternal damnation, but the wonderful mercy of God in the suspensionthereofso long. O what is it that hath with-held God from damning me all this while ! How is it that I am not in hell! Now do the fears and awful apprehenfions of eternity seize the soul, and the worst of sensitive creatures is supposed to be in a better condition than such a soul. Never do men tremble at the threatnings of God, nor rightly apprehend the danger of their condi tion, until fin, and wrath, and the wages of sin be discovered to them by a light from heaven.
SERM . XXII . 423 The Method of Grace. Lesson 3. Thirdly,God teaches thefoulwhomhebrings to Christ, that deliverance fromfin, and wrath to come, is the greatest and most important business it hath to do in this world. Acts xvi. 30. " What must I do to be saved ? " q. d. O direct me to some effectual way (if there be any) to secure my poor wretched soul from the wrath of God. Sin, and the wrath that follows it, are things that swallow up the souls, and drink up the very spirits of men : Their thoughts never conversed with things of more confessed truth and awful solemnity : these things float not upon their fancies as matters of mere speculation, but fettleupon their hearts day and night, as the deepest concernment in all the world : They now know much better than any mere scholar, the deep sense of that text, Mat. xvi. 26. " What is a man " profited, if he should gain the whole world, and losehisown " foul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Five things thew how weighty the thoughts and cares of falvationareupon their hearts.
First, Their continual thoughtfulness, and follicitude about these things; if earthly affairs divert them for awhile, yet they a still returning again to this solemn business. Secondly, Their careful redeeming of time, and saving the very moments thereof to employ about this work : Those that were prodigal of hours, and days before, look upon every momentoftime as a precious and valuable thing now.
Thirdly, Their fears, and tremblings, left they should miscarry, and come short at last, shew how much their hearts are set uponthiswork.
Fourthly, Their inquisitiveness, and readiness to embrace all the help and assistance that they can get from others, evidently discovers this to be their great design .
Fifthly, and lastly, The little notice they take of all other troubles, and afflictions, tells you, their hearts are taken up about greater things. This is the third lesson they are taught of God. Lesson 4. Fourthly, The Lord teaches the soul that is coming to Christ, that though it be their duty to fstrive to the uttermostfor salvation ; yet allstrivings, in their own strength, are insufficient to obtain it. This work is quite above the power of nature : " It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of " God that sheweth mercy." The soul is brought to a full conviction of this, by the discovery of the heinous nature off in, and of the rig our and severity of the law of God. No repentance, nor reformation, can possibly amount unto a just satisfaction, nor are they within the compass and power of our will. It was asayingthatDr.Hill often used to his friends, speaking
424 The Method of Grace. SERM. XXII.
about the power of man's will ; he would lay his hand upon his breast, and say, " Every man hath something here to confute " the Arminian doctrine :" This fully takes off the soul from all expectations of deliverance that way; it cannot but firive, that is its duty; but to expect deliverance, as the purchase of its own strivings, that would be its fin.
Lesson 5. Fifthly, The foul that is coming to Christ by faith, is taught of God, that though the case it is in befad, yet it is not defperateand remediless : There is a door of hope, a way of escape for poor sinners, how black and fearful soever their own thoughts and apprehenfions are : there is usually at this time, a dawning light of hope in the soul that is under the Father's teachings : and this commonly arises from the general, and indefinite encouragements, and promises of the gospel, which though they do not presently secure the foul from danger, yet they prop, and mightily support it against despair : For though they be not certain that deliverance shall be the event of their trouble; yet the possibilities, and much more the probabilities of deliverance are a great stay to the sinking foul : The troubled foul cannot but acknowledge itself to be in a far better case than the damned are, whose hopes are perished from the Lord, and a death-pang of despair hath seized their consciences. And herein the merciful and compassionate nature of God is eminently discovered, in hasting to open the door of hope, almost as soon as the evil of sin is opened. It was not long, after Adam's eyes were opened to fee his misery, that God opened Christ, his remedy, in that first promise, Gen. iii. 15. And the same method of grace is still continued to his elect offspring, Gal.iii. 21 , 22. Rom. iii. 21 , 22. These supporting hopes, the Lord fees necessary to encourage industry in the use of means : it is hope that sets all the world a work : if all hope were cut off, every foul would fit down ina fullendespair, yielding itself for hell.
Lesson 6. Sixthly, The Lord teaches those that come to Christ, that there is a fulness of saving power in him, whereby any foul, that duly receives him, may be perfectly delivered from