I will shew you this in particular.
1. The power of the ordinance of God is first seen in that it discovers to men their natural conditions, sheweth what they are by nature ; for which end it useth the law, to shew that we be dead men, carnal men, under a fearful bondage, and the Spirit going along with it, convinceth the soul that we are dead, and thereupon the soul is amazed and cast down with fear and terror.
2. And then the word hath a power likewise to shew and discover tlie mercies of God in Christ Jesus, to pull us out of Satan's kingdom, to drive the strong man out of our hearts by higher reasons, by higher comforts, Mat. xii. 29.
3. And then the word, together with the ministry of the Spirit, hath a converting 2)oiver, a changing power, to alter the very frame of the soul. All the words in the world, all philosophy, all education, all the best helps that can be given, cannot stamp the image of God upon the soul, or frame holiness in the soul, but only the blessed truth of God, especially in the dispensation of it. So that the image of Christ in the ' second Adam' is stamped upon the soul, by the Spirit accompanying the ordinance.
And when the Spirit of God in the ordinance hath set a stamp of holiness in the soul, and made it like to Christ, it worketh in the soul, and by the Boul. When the soul is altered and changed, it is a fit instrument of the * Misprinted Paul. — G. t That is, scion = graff. — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. 7. 3C9
Spirit, together with tho ordinance, to pray, to do any service, to trust in God, to love God.
4. And to shew more particularly wherein the power of God's word is seen after conversion, I will shew it in four or five particulars.
(1.) First of all, when it hath altered and changed men's frame, and pulled them out of Satan's kingdom, it is seen in. enahluKj them to perform dut)j ill a rifiht manner, which a natural man cannot reach unto; as the soul altered by the power of the word and Spirit, can love God, can deny itself, can hate that it formerly loved, can pray — which no carnal man can do — can have communion with God, can perform spiritual duties and actions above the rank of nature. This the Spirit of God, together with the ordinance, raiseth the soul to do. A man may do many things that a Christian man doth, a common Christian may do many things that a sincere Christian doth, but self-respect* enters into all he doth. He doth it either of slavish fear and terror, or to be thought well of, or to redeem some in- ward quiet to his tormented conscience ; but he hath not the Spirit of God altering the relish of his soul, to love divine truths, and out of love and obedience to do what he doth. An holy man, if there were no enforcement out of God's word, he loveth the truth because it is truth, and hath a suitableness to his sense. If there were no hell, no torment at all, yet there is that excellency in divine truths, his soul being altered and changed suitable to divine truths, that he obeyeth heavenly truths out of love to heavenly truths, and obeyeth God out of love to God, because it is best in his judgment to do so, and not only out of fear, though that is a useful way too.
(2.) Again, as there is a power enabling a man to do, so there is a power in the word enabling a man to resist temptation ; for the word breedeth fiiith, and faith knitteth the soul to Christ, and draweth virtue from him to resist Satan. By faith we overcome the world, temptations of honours, pleasures, temptations from within and from without. The Spirit of God working faith to lay hold on better things, enableth us to resist all temptations on the right and on the left hand. ' This is your victory, even your faith,' 1 John V. 4. ' Faith cometh by hearing,' Kom. x. 11. Faith presenteth to the soul such excellent good things, such terrible evil things, that it ovei-powereth the soul to embrace better good, and to avoid greater evil, notwithstanding all temptations from the world. The good the world affordeth is nothing so good, and for the evil there is nothing so evil. Now faith apprehending this by divine light, it overcometh the world.
(3.) And as the power is seen in enabling to do duties above another man, and enabling to resist temptations, so likewise it is seen in shewing our corruptions titat we he naturalhj prone to. A man by the power of grace is so altered that he falleth out with his most beloved sins, and laboureth to get strength against that above all other sins. The word makcth division between his Spirit and siu. Jordan is driven back with him. That stream of nature that was carried amain one way, now is carried another way. Though he hath con-uptions which sometimes foil him, 3'et fliith getteth spiritual strength, whereby he at last not only subdueth them, but at last expelleth them ; and therefore the Scripture cahs it self-denial. He hath a self that dcnieth itself, he hath a self wrought by the Spirit and word, by which he denieth himself, that is, his carnal self, Titus ii. 12. When his corruptions would have such a thing, his other self saith no, it shall not be ; when it stirreth him up to revenge, no, it shall not be. I owe no * That is, respect to self. — G.