VeR. 23.] SERMONS UPON 1 PETER I. 23. 333
deceive ns they deceive themselves, whose fidelity in other things we have experience of, that are to confirm their message by their practice, yea, with their suffering and their blood if need be.
Use 1. Is to inform and instruct us in the nature of the word's concurrence, that we may keep even between the Pelagians on the one hand, who give all to the word, so that they shut out the Spirit, and the Swenfeldians or familists on the other, that cry up the internal word or Spirit, to shut out the external use of means, and look for rapt motions from the Spirit without the word. Though the word can do nothing without the Spirit ; the word, say they, is a dead letter ; yet it may be called the ' power of God to salvation,' and ' the ministration of the Spirit,' 2 Cor. iii. 8 ; ' Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believe ? ' 1 Cor. iii. 5. Though the pen can do nothing without the hand of the writer, yet it is the instrument of writing ; so is the word the instrument of regeneration, and Christ died that we might be sanctified upon these terms : Eph. V. 26, ' By the washing of water through the word.' These are the prescribed appointed means, without which we cannot look for any such thing as a work of grace upon us. Therefore let us not jostle out external means with the familists. Then, on the other side, we must not idolise the means to shut out the work of the Spirit, without which all ministry is dead and ineffectual. All depends upon that blessing which God hath annexed to a lawful ministry. It is true that all Imman callings and manual arts have their efficacy from God's blessing, without which our toil and labour is in vain, Ps. cxxvii. 1, 2. It is in vain to watch, to build, to labour in ordinary callings. Many labour with- out God, and therefore cannot produce natural and human effects, to which yet they have a certain proportion and natural aptitude. But there is more of God required to bless the ministry, by which, by man's labour and natural discourse, you expect spiritual and supernatural effects ; as the enlightening the eyes, and turning from darkness to light, and turning from the power of Satan to God. This production, though it goeth in concomitancy with man's discourse, yet it is solely from God : 1 Cor. iii. 7, ' It is God giveth the increase,' by an immediate course, though he useth our labour as an external means. The miracles which the apostles did were performed by certain rights and ceremonies, as laying on hands; they were not the natural effect of these cere- monies, though done in concomitancy with them ; so doth God by our ministry.
2. It informeth us what cause we have to bless God for the word, which God hath blessed throughout all generations to the saving of many souls. If there be such great effects accomplished by it, it is a great mercy that he hath given us his word in writing: Hosea viii. 12, ' I have written to them the great things of my law.' It is a great benefit to mankind to have a public standard to confute the objections of every idle conceit upon our faith, and one so exact as this. And then when the word is preached, to have it quickened and actuated by a lively voice for the greater good of mankind, that they might be minded of their duty, and have drop instilled by drop. Surely the ministry of the word should not be looked upon as a burden, but a great favour. In the day of Cinist's royalty he gave his gifts to the
334 SERMONS UPON 1 PETER I. 23, [SeR. IV.
church, Eph. iv. 11, 12 ; and will you count it a burden, and throw it in his face ?
3. It inforraeth us of the woful estate of all such congregations as live without the word of God in the life and power of it. They sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. This is the greater misery, because many people are little sensible of it ; and others that thirst after it cannot have it. Now let us think of this ; partly that we may not be accessory to their guilt, who have cast away and thrown out a lively, savoury ministry, and so brought a famine of the word upon the land. This is to do the devil's work ; for the hindering of the gospel is the work of the devil and his instruments : 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine upon them.' And partly that we may pray for the ledress of this evil : 2 Thes. iii. 1,2,' Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you, that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men ; for all men have not faith.' Pray for God's sake that the word would work mightily for the gathering of souls into the kingdom of God. Pray for Christ's sake, who had compassion over souls, and has bid us pray, ' That the Lord of the harvest would send forth labourers into his harvest,' Mat. ix. 38. There was a visible face of worship kept up then. How many congregations in the kingdom are without a shepherd, or furnished with an idle shepherd, when many of God's faithful servants are thrust into corners ! Pray for souls' sakes that God would ' give them pastors after his own heart, to feed them with knowledge and understanding,' Jer. iii. 15. Pray for the land's sake. Never shall we get rid of those wasting and destroying judgments till God's ark be brought home. God only gives an heart to bring back again his outcasts. Now the physicians of the nation are met together, help by your prayers that they may not prove physicians of no value.