accounted for without afcribing the distinction to the peculiar concurrence of divine grace; for if it depended upon the inftruments, it would be quite the reverfe. Sometimes a clear, convictive, and withal folemn and warm difcourfe has no effect; while at another time the fame doctrines, delivered in a weak, incoherent manner, have strange efficacy, and reach the heart. Sometimes the reading of a fermon has been the means of awakening careless finners, when at other times the most folemn and argumentative preaching has been in vain. Sometimes we have seen a number of finners thoroughly awakened, and brought to feek the Lord in earneft; while another number under the very fame fermon, and who seemed as open to conviction as the former, or perhaps more fo, have remained fecure and thoughtless, as ufual. And whence could this difference arife but from special grace? We have feen perfons ftruck to the heart with those doctrines which they had heard an hundred times without any effect. And indeed there is fomething in the manner of perfons being affected with the word, which fhews that the impreffion is not made by the word itfelf, or by any other power than divine. The truths that make fuch deep impreflions upon their hearts are no new difcoveries; they are the old common repeated truths of the gofpel, which they had heard before a thousand times; and the manner in which they are reprefented by the minifter may not be clearer than ufual. But, to their furprise, these familiar doctrines flash upon them as new difcoveries; they appear to them in a quite different light, as though they had never heard them before and they reach the confcience, and pierce the heart with fuch amazing energy, that the finner is caft into a confternation at his own ftupidity, that he never had fuch apprehenfions of things before. He was wont to regard the word as a fpeculation, or a pleafing fong, but now he finds it living and powerful, &c. the fecrets of his heart are laid open by it,

and

and he is obliged to own that God is with it of a truth. Thus a believer alfo difcerns the doctrines of the gospel in a quite different light at one time than at another: he fees new glories in them. Hence one 1ermon leaves him cold and hard-hearted, while another, no better in itself, fets him all on fire. Hence alfo one receives advantage from a discourse which had no effect upon another: and from this proceeds the difference in judgment about the excellency of fermons, which we may obferve among Chriftians. Every one forms a judgment according to his own fenfations, and not according to the difcourfe in itself. And indeed when we hear an exercifed Chriftian expatiate in praise of a difcourfe, it is a happy fign that it was made of fpecial service to him.

Many fuch inftances as thefe familiarly occur in the fphere of our obfervation; which prove, by matters of fact, that the fuccefs of the gofpel depends upon the influence of divine grace. But we need not look about us to obferve others. Turn your eyes ward upon what has paffed in your own minds, and you fhall find, that

in

Your own experience proves the fame thing.Have you not found that the very fame things have very different effects upon you at different times? Those truths, which at one time leave you dull and fleepy, at other times quicken all your powers to the moft vigorous exercife. Sinners, do you not return from the house of God in very different frames, though the fervice there has been fubftantially the fame? At one time you fweat and agonize under a fense of guilt and make many refolutions to change your courfe of life; and at another time there is a stupid calm within, and you matter not all the concerns of eternity. Some indeed have lain fo long under the rays of the Sun of Righteoufnefs, that they are hardened, like clay, and hardly fufceptive of any deep impreffions at any time, after they have murdered their confcience, and filenced all its first remonftrances.

ftrances. These may go on ferene and placid, till the flames of hell give them fenfation; and this is most likely to be their doom; though it is not impoffible but that this gofpel, this ftale, neglected gofpel, which now makes no impreffion on their ftony hearts, may yet be endowed with almighty power to break them into the tendereft contrition: and I pray God this may be the happy event. I pray God, O finner, that thou mayeft yet fall under the refiftlefs energy of thofe important things which now appear but trifles to thee. But till perfons are thus become proof against the gofpel, they generally feel a variety of difpofitions under the miniftry of it; and this variety is to be principally afcribed to the various degrees of divine influence upon them at different feafons. And you faints, you also experience a like viciffitude. Sometimes, Ó how divinely fweet, O how nourishing is the fincere milk of the word! How does the word enlighten, quicken, and comfort you! How exactly it fuits your very cafe! At other times it is taftelefs; it is a dead letter, and has no effect upon you. At times a sentence feems almighty, and carries all before it; and you feel it to be the word of God; at other times, you perceive only your feeble fellow-mortal speaking to you, and all his words are but feeble breath; as different from the former as chaff from wheat. See Jer. xxiii. 28, 29. Your own memories can fupply my deficiency under this head, by recollecting fuch inftances as these perhaps during your whole life; and the time urges me to make fome remarks upon what has been faid. These are fo numerous and copious, that though I had them principally in view, and chose this fubject for the fake of them, yet I can but fuperficially touch upon them. Hence we learn,

1. How effential and important the doctrine of divine influence is to the church of God. The very life, and the whole fuccefs of the gofpel depend upon it. And fince this neceffarily fuppofes the utter de

pravity

pravity and spiritual impotence of human nature in its fallen ftate, that doctrine also must be frequently and plainly inculcated.

Alas! the great defect of the fyftem of divinity too fashionable in our days, and one great caufe of the languishing state of religion in our age, and of the prevalency of vice and impiety! Since it has been the mode to compliment mankind as able to do fomething very confiderable in religion, religion has died away. Since it has been the fashion to prefs a reformation of mens lives, without inculcating the absolute neceffity of divine grace to renew their nature, there is hardly fuch a thing as a thorough reformation to be feen; but mankind are evidently growing worfe and worse. Since men think they can do fomething, and fcorn to be wholly dependant on divine grace, the Lord, as it were, looks on and fuffers them to make the experiment; and, alas! it is like to be a coftly experiment to multitudes. God withholds his influence in juft difpleafure, and lets them try what mighty things the boafted powers of degenerate nature can do without it; and hence, alas! they lie all fecure and afleep in fin together. Sermons are preached; the houfe of God is frequented; the ordinances of the gospel administered; yet vice is triumphant; carnal fecurity almost universal; and fo few are earnestly seeking after religion, that one would hardly fufpect, from the fuccefs, that these are intended as means to bring them to this. Thus, alas ! it is around us if we believe our senses: and thus it will continue to be, till minifters and people are brought to the duft before God, to acknowledge their own weakness, and entire dependance upon him.— Therefore, hence we learn,

2. That when we enjoy the miniftrations of the gofpel in the greateft purity and plenty, we should not place our truft upon them, but wholly depend on the influence of divine grace for the fuccefs. We are apt to think, if we had but fuch a minifter among

us,

us, how much good would be done! It is true, that faithful and accomplished minifters are fingular bleffings to the places where they labour, because it is by their inftrumentality that the Lord is wont to work: but still let us remember, that even a Paul or an Apollos is nothing, unless the Lord give the increase. One text of scripture, one fentence will do more execution, when enforced by divine energy, than all the labours of the ableft minifters upon earth without it. For this divine energy therefore let us look; for this let us cry, curfed be the man that trufteth in man, &c. When we depend upon the inftruments, we provoke the Spirit of God to leave us. If we are fond of taking minifters in his ftead, we shall make the trial, till they and we wither away for want of divine influences. This provokes the bleffed Spirit to blast the gifts of his minifters, to fuffer them to fall, or to remove them out of the way, when they are fet up as his rivals, that their idolaters may fee they are but men. This provokes him to leave the hearers fruitless under the best cultivations, till experience fadly convinces them that they can do nothing without him. Therefore let not minifters truft in their own abilities, nor people in their labours; but all in the Lord.

That we should ascribe all the fuccefs of the gospel to God alone, and not facrilegiously divide the honour of it between him and the inftruments of it, or between him and ourselves, the minifters of Chrift are ready to answer you, in the language of Peter, If we be examined of the good deed done to impotent finners, by what means they are made whole; be it known unto you, that by the name of Jefus do they ftand whole before you. Acts iv. 9, 10. Why do ye look fo earnestly upon us, as if by our own power or holinefs we had done this! chap. iii. 12. It is a very fhocking compliment to them to be accounted the authors of your faith. Good minifters love to be humble, to lie in their proper fphere, and would have God to have all the glory, as the great efficient; and when VOL. III.

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