Look to the promises.
1. Seek after them more, and mind them more. Sure your neglect saith you do not count them true : 1 John v. 10, ' He that belie veth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself ; he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.' If one should proffer you a hundred pounds, and you should go away and never heed it, it is a sign that you do not believe him.
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2. Venture more on the promises ; they are Grod's bills of exchange, whereby you have treasures in heaven. Deny interests ; God will make it up.
3. Rejoice in them more. You have blessings by the root: Hcb. xi. 13, ' These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them ;' tliey hugged the promises. Do you ever refresh yourselves with the remembrance of them ? Do you ever bless God for your hopes, and say, I will rejoice in God because of his word ?
4. Wait for the accomplishment of them. The word of the Lord is a tried word. The saints are tried, and the word is tried : Ps. xii. 6, ' The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.' It is enough for faith that we have the promise.
Fourthly, God hath owned the word, by associating the operation of his grace and powerful Spirit with it, and with no other doctrine. Things of a powerful operation do evidence themselves, as fire by heat, the wind by its noise and strength, salt by its savour, the sun by light and heat, and the like. Moral principles that are effectually operative manifest themselves also. Let us see how the case standeth with the scripture. It is called, Rom. i. 16, ' The power of God unto salvation ;' and the ' preaching of the cross is to them which are saved the power of God,' 1 Cor. i. 18 ; ' and 1 Cor. ii. 4, ' My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power ; ' and 1 Thes. i. 5, ' Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.' It giveth a persuasion of itself by its being the power of God, and the rod of his strength : Ps. ex. 2, ' The Lord shall send the rod of his strength out of Sion.' When the Egyptians saw the mira- cles that Moses wrought, they confessed the power of God, that God was with him : Exod. viii. 19, ' Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of God.' And when the scripture evidenceth so great a power, it shows itself to be of God, as in judging the hearts of men : Heb. iv. 12, ' The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a dis- cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.' In convincing them of their evil estate : 1 Cor. xiv. 25, ' And thus are the secrets of the heart made manifest ; and so falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.' In converting sinners to God : James i. 18, 'Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.' In building up them that are sanctified : Acts xx. 32, ' And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, w^hicli is able to built you up, and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified.' This is no sluggish idle power, that may be hid and obscured, but manifests itself by sensible effects ; it is lively and operative, not only to change men's lives, but hearts : Ps. xix. 7, 8, ' The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul ; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple ; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart ; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.' This the apostle makes to be a sensible proof
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of Christ speaking ia him : 2 Cor. xiii. 3, ' Since ye seek a proof of Clirist speaking in me, which to you-warcl is not weak, but is mighty in you.'
Object. But this is an argument to those that have felt it ; how will it persuade others ?
Ans. 1. It is an argument to others also, for this mighty operation is sensible to others ; they may see the change wrought in them, and wonder at it : 1 Peter iv. 4, ' Wlierein they think it strange, that you run not with them to all excess of riot.'
2. There are public effects of the power of the word, besides private instances. Wherever the word hath been, Satan vanished where for- merly he tyrannised, and his deceits are of no more force ; oracles ceased at Delphos, the devils howled. Where the gospel is preached, there are less witchcrafts and diabolical delusions ; they are not so frequent where the gospel has had a free passage.