[3.] Christ's manner of governing should not be disliked by those that have faith, though sense despise it. His manner is not to subdue the world by the visible force of a strong hand, as an earthly con- queror, but by his word and Spirit, and the secret conduct of his pro-
VeR. 30.] SERMOXS UFOX HEBREWS XI. 27
vidence : Zech. \v. 6, ' Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.' The workl dotes upon might and power, because that is the next visible means ; but God will do his business another way. A little key will open a door sooner than an iron bar. His holy and invisible means will do it better than all those ways which carnal wisdom suggests.
[4.] Considering the groundwork laid in his death and mtercession, surely these means should not be contemptible. (1.) His word is a powerful instrument : Ps. ex. 3, ' The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion ; rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.' The word of the Lord is the rod of his strength ; and it is called the ' arm of the Lord,' Isa. liii, 1. and 'the power of God unto salvation,' Eom. i. 16. A mighty word it is, and doth mighty things in the hearts of God's people and in the world. Satan's kingdom is demolished, and so is antichi'ist destroyed by his word : 2 Thes. ii. 8, ' Then shall the wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth.' (2.) Then for the other branch, what can stand before the all-conquering Spirit of Christ ? You see it in that servant of God, Stephen: Acts vi. 10, ' They could not resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake.' There is a spirit dispensed by the gospel that can turn a lion into a lamb • Isa. xi. 6, ' Tlie wolf sliall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; ' bring ns to love what we hate ; ' to delight in the law of God,' Rom. vii. 22. Whereas before, our carnal mind was ' enmity against God;' Rom. viii. 7, that can change us, that bore the image of Satan and the earthly one, into the image and likeness of God : "2 Cor. iii. 18, ' We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.' He can turn a ' thorn into a fir-tree, and the briar into a myrtle-tree,' Isa. Iv. 13. All these expressions the scripture useth to set forth the mighty things and changes which the Spirit of God can make. Thus consider what may be done.
2. Let us consider what is past, and how the gospel was planted at first. When the Lord Jesus first came to set up the kingdom of light, life, and love, what did he do? The gospel was planted at first not by force or human power, but only by the heavenly divine power of the Lord's grace. It was not the power of the long sword, but the demonstration of the Spirit, which converted the world. The apostles, when they were sent abroad, had no temporal interests to lean to, no worldly powers that were friendly to back them ; yet the gospel pre- vailed and got up in the world' These things were remarkable in the first spreading of the gospel —
[1 .] The doctrine itself is contrary to corrupt nature ; it doth not court the senses nor woo the flesh by the offers of pleasure, or profit, or splendour of life ; but teaches us to deny all these things, and to expect persecutions, and to be contented with spiritual comforts, and the recompenses of the other world: Mat. xvi. 24, 'If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take np his cross, and follow me.' Christ did not allure his followers, as Mahomet, with fair pro- mises of security and carnal pleasure, but tells us of mortification and the cross. It teaches us to row against the stream of flesh and blood
28 SERMONS UFON HEBREWS XT. [Ser. LXIV.
and to bear out sail against all the blasts and furious winds of oppo- sition. The stream runs smoothly when wind and tide go together, where a carnal doctrine is set afoot araoug carnal men. But in Christ's doctrine there is nothing lovely to move a carnal eye ; this doctrine taught the proud world humility ; the uncharitable world, love to all men, even to their enemies ; tbe unchaste world, that a lustful glance is adultery ; the revengeful world, to turn the other cheek to the smiter ; the covetous world, to be liberal, not to cark and take thought for worldly things, but to lay up our treasure in heaven ; the dissolute world, to walk circumspectly in all godliness and honesty. This was the doctrine that prevailed.
[2.] Who were the persons and instruments that were made use of to promote this doctrine ? They were contemptible persons, a few fishermen, destitute of all worldly props and aids, of no power, and wealth, and authority, and other such advantages as are apt to beget a repute in the world ; yet they preached, and converted many nations, though they had no public interest to countenance them, though they were not backed with the power of princes or the countenance of worldly potentates. We are told, Prov. xxix. 26, ' Many seek the ruler's favour.' But the gospel had a firm footing in the world long ei-e there was a prince to countenance it, and many to persecute it. And as the instruments were poor, so the first professors of the chris- tian religion were generally poor also : James ii. 5, ' God hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith ; ' and 1 Cor. i. 26, ' Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.' And therefore it is much, being so destitute of worldly succour and support, that the gospel should be able to hold up its head in the world ; but it did.