Doct. For the former, we shall put them both together, that there is an excellent poicer in the ordinances of God, as it is disjtenscd inider the yospel. The Word itself, what power hath it ? Are not all things by the Word in creation ? Nay, is not the vigour and strength that every creature hath from the same Word ? Is not the being and efficacy of all things, and the continuance of things, from the Word ? As Heb. i. 3, (pi^ojv n ra 'xuvra ruj ^rj/xari rrjg dvvd/jyiojg aiiroiJ, He upholds all things by his mighty power and word. Whence comes the support and continuance of the vigour of every creature, but from God ? Who doth cause the sun to shine, and to give light to inferior things, that they may bring forth fruit, for the use of every creature ?
And why is the sea, that vast and unruly creature, kept within its bounds that it cannot go an inch farther ; is it not God's commanding words ? At first God created it, and God made bounds that it cannot go beyond its due compass. Is not an eternal law set upon every creature by the word ? This you are, this is your virtue, this is the extent of it, thus far you shall go, and no farther. ' God sent forth his word,' saith the psalmist, ' and they were created,' Ps. cxlviii. 8. I speak it but by way of illustration of the point in hand. And so the excellency of the power in the great work of redemption and salvation of man is from the word, as it will appear in particulars.
(1.) What a large jiower is put forth, in the conversion of a man. For is it not the bringing a man out of Satan's kingdom into the kingdom of Christ ? Col. i. 13. And will Satan let a man go willingly? Is not con- version a world of miracles ? How many miracles hath that one work of conversion ? It was a miracle when the blind man saw, and the deaf man had his hearing restored, when the dumb man began to speak, he that had his feet together so that he could not enlarge himself, to be able to run. But to give life to a dead man is a miracle indeed.
Now in the conversion of a sinner by the ordinance of God and the Spirit accompanying it, all these are in one ; for what is conversion but the open- ing of the sight of the soul to see its misery by nature, and a better condi- tion in Christ than ever ; and the opening of the ear to hear and to taste heavenly discourse in another manner than before ? W^hat is it but restor- ing feet to run [in] God's commandments, to delight in the ways that were tedious before, and that the mouth that was used to swear and to curse, in the language'of hell before, now do set forth the praises of God. Is there not a world of wonders in one work ? Therefore there is a power, and an excellent power, put forth in conversion. Whatsoever Christ did in the gospel to the body, that he doth to the soul in conversion, and there is greater power put forth in the one than in the other.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. 7. 301
To enter into the heart of man, that fenceth itself againsfall goodness, ' to pull down strongholds, high imaginations,' 2 Cor. x. 4, rebellious oppositions against God and goodness — do not you see daily such spirits under the gospel ? Do but guess therefore what is in the whole mankind. What was it when Christ sent his apostles into the world ? He sent his word accompanied with his Spirit, and that word should enter into the hearts of men, and cast all the proud, high, lofty imaginations, and lay all flat before Christ. ' Men and brethren, what shall we do ? ' Acts ii. 37. We have been vile wretches, and now we are convinced of it. Is not the word powerful to turn a man out of himself, clean to dash him to pieces, and then to make him up new again better than ever he was ? This is power indeed.
There is an excellent power in the word. First, in the ministers them- selves ; and secondly, by them to the people.
[1.] There is an exceUcnaj of poirer to make them Jit for the work, and then to go alonc) with them in the workintj others' conversion. A great power wrought on Paul, and Peter, and the rest, and a great power wrought by them on all the rest. But because I speak not to ministers, but as it con- cerneth all, we will speak of the power in general.
[2.] I might be very large in shewing the power of the ministry //-o^/i the success of it. Look into the history of the church, mark Christ's time, the apostles' time, that strange fishermen,- and men of low conditions, being furnished with commissions from heaven, and carried these treasures in earthen vessels ; see what wonders they wrought in the world by spreading the sweet savour of the gospel. The fishermen cast their great nets into the great world, as Austin saith, and got in whole nations (A-). And there- fore Saint Paul magnificently speaks for himself and the rest of the apostles. ' I am not ashamed of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation,' Rom. i. 16. As Isa. liii. 1, ' To whom is the Lord revealed and made bare ? ' as the word signifieth. That is, to whom is the power of the word in the ministry made bare ? The ministry is the arm of God, whereby he pulleth man out of Satan's kingdom. Now God the Father draweth them to Christ in spite of corruption, in spite of sin and Satan, into his own kingdom. The cross was then set above princes' crowns, the greatest emperors that wei'e, submitted themselves to the sceptre of Jesus Christ, and laid down their crowns at his feet. In the ten persecutions,* was there not mighty power of the gospel, that when it had catched the hearts of women, young men, old men, or children, all conditions, all the fire, all the torments that tyrants could devise, could not get Christ out of their hearts, but they were willing to sacrifice their lives, and found more comfort in the blessed gospel of Jesus Christ, that all the discouragements in the world could not make them forsake him. Such a fire was rooted in their hearts by the fu'e of God's word, that made them not care for all other fires whatsoever. Where this excellency of the power of the word appears in any, it armeth them against all oppositions what- soever.