2. To humble the creature thoroughly by a sense of his own guilt, unworthiness, and nothingness. In our natural state we are ' ungodly' and ' without strength.' Why has God permitted it ? ' That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God,' vTr66iKo<i TO) 0ew, Rom. iii. 19, liable to the process of his re- venging justice ; and so to humble us for our inability and obstinacy, that we may go complaininoly to God, sayinj;, ' Lord, I am as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke,' Jer. xxxi. 18. Whosoever hath passed this trial, doth sensibly find it.
Use of all.
1. To the unconverted, — to be sensible of their condition, and mourn over it to God, Acknowledge the debt ; confess your impotency ; ^ And so fitly expresjiiug our restleesiiess in the use of means.
484 man's DIPOTENCY TO HELP HIMSELF, ETC. [EuM. V. 6.
beg pardon and grace ; and, in a bnmble sense of your misery, endea- vour earnestly to come out of it. By such doctrines as these men are either ' cut at heart/ Acts vii. 54, or ' pricked at heart,' Acts ii. 37, which is the far more kindly work. Some men's hearts and lusts are exasperated ; and they rage and storm when they are warned of their danger by a closer application. Oh ! it is better to bemoan yourselves, than fret against the Lord, and yield to a sottish despair. There is some hope when conviction ends in groaning rather than murmuring ; and you do not fret against the Lord's sovereignty, but complain to him of the naughtiness of your hearts, begging his grace for Christ's sake. Therefore go and lie at his feet, and say, Lord, I have a blind mind, a froward heart ; none more. I shall never of myself fly the evil forbidden, perform the good commanded, renounce these bewitch- ing lusts, take up such a course of service to thy blessed majesty. Oh ! take away this stony, untractable heart ! &c. You are in prison, but you are ' prisoners of hope/ if you do so.
2. To press the converted to thankfulness. ^Ve were once in such a pitiful case, till God plucked us as brands out of the burning ; we were utterly miserable and destitute of all good. Oh ! blessed be God, that opened the prison-door, and proclaimed deliverance by Christ to poor captives ; and not only proclaimed it, but wrought it for us : none but an Almighty arm could loosen the bolts, and shoot back the many locks that were upon us. Peter, when the angel made his chains fall off, ' considered' the matter, Acts xii. 12, and went to give thanks among the saints. Oh ! when there were so many doors and bolts upon you, such difficulties and disadvantages in the way of your conversion, consider it, and bless God for your escape : ' Blessed be the Lord, that gave me counsel in my reins,' Ps. xvi, 7.
3. Let us compassionate others that are in this estate. Poor souls ! in what a sad condition are they ! We have not usually such a deep sense of their misery as we should have. Israel was to pity strangers, because they were once strangers in the land of Egypt : we ourselves have been in the house of bondage. Oh ! pity poor captive souls. Espe- cially doth tliis concern the ministry ; they that do induere personam CJiristi, that ' stand in the stead of Christ,' should induere viscera Christi, ' put on the bowels of Christ : ' ' God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Christ Jesus,' Phil, i. 8. When we were ' ungodly,' and ' without strength, Christ died for' sinners ; and wilt not thou labour for them, and employ thy talent to edification ? Oh ! if we had more weighty thoughts about the worth and danger of souls, we would not do the Lord's work so sleepily as usually we do ; but as ' co-workers with God,' we would beseech you with all earnestness ' not to receive the grace of God in vain/ 2 Cor. vi. 1. Every advantage should be taken hold of: as a sinking, perish- ing man, if it be but a bough in the waters, catcheth at it, so should we press you to improve all closer applications and ministerial helps, and that with compassion and tenderness, as having ourselves been acquainted with the heart of a poor, impotent, captive sinner.
THE SCRIPTURE SUFFICIENT WITHOUT UNWRITTEN TRADITIONS.
THE SCRIPTURE SUFFICIENT WITHOUT UNWRITTEN TRADITIONS.
PROPOSITION. — THE SCRIPTURE IS A SUFFICIENT RULE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH, OR A RECORD OF ALL NECESSARY CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES, WITHOUT ANY SUPPLEMENT OF UNWRITTEN TRADITIONS, AS CON- TAINING ANY NECESSARY MATTER OF FAITH, AND IS THUS FAR SUF- FICIFJ^^T FOR THE DECISION OF ALL CONTROVERSIES.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions lohich ye have been taught, whether by loord or our epistle. — 2 Thes. II. 15.
The apostle, after he had comforted the Thessalonians, he exhorteth them to constancy in the truth, whatever temptations they had to the contrary. The comforts he propoundeth to them were taken — (1.) From their election, ver. 13 ; (2.) From their vocation, ver. 14. His exhortation is to perseverance, therefore, brethren, &c. In the words observe : —