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 instru- ment 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, physical 7cay, as natural agents do ; for then the effect would always follow, except it were miraculously hindered : But this spiritual efficacy is in the word, as the healing virtue was in the waters of Bethesda, John v. 4. " An angel went down at a certain season into the pool, " and troubled the water : Whosoever then first, after the troub- " ling of the water, stept in, was made whole of whatsoever disease u he had.11 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 in- strument that manageth it, 1 Cor. iii. 7. "Neither is he that. " planteth any thing, neither he that wateredi." Ministers are 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, 9. Thess. ii. 13. Ministers may say of the ordi- nary, 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 power 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 Thes. 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 believe.11 It is a suc- cessful instrument only when it is in the hand of the Spirit, with- out whose influence it never did, nor can convince, convert, or save
* What is commanded by the word, is given by the Spirit. Aug. Ep. 157.
SERM. XXI. THE METHOD OF GRACE. 299
any soul. Now, the Spirit of God hath a sovereignty over three things in order to the conversion of sinners.
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 it pleaseth him, Isa. lv. 10, 11. " For as the rain cometh down, and the snow " from heaven, &c. so shall my word be that goeth 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 ; these do nothing, 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 away the " stony heart out of our flesh, and to give us an heart of flesh,,, JEzek. xxxvi. 26. We may reason, exhort, and reprove, but no- thing 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 souls, as Martha did concerning her brother Lazarus ; " Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not " died.11 So, Lord, if thou hadst been in this sermon, in this prayer, or in that counsel, these souls 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 souls are wrought upon is called " the day of his power,11 Psal. ex. 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 see 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 " sin.11 The word signifies conviction by such clear demonstration as compelleth assent : it not only convinces men in general that they ue sinners, but it convinceth men particularly of their own sins, and the aggravations of them. So in the text, Sin revived, that is, the Lord revived his sins, the very circumstances and ag- gravations with which they were committed i and so it will be
300 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SERM. XXT.
with us when the commandment comes; sins that we had for- gotten, committed so far back as our youth or childhood ; sins that lay slighted in our consciences, shall now be roused 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 ; sin 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 judgment, the wages and demerit whereof, by the verdict of a 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 hope gives up the ghost.