2 Chron. xxviii. 22. The more God humbled him, the worse he was ; and Pharaoh, after ten plagues, was ten times worse than before. Nothing will humble, neither word nor work, but by the power of the Spirit. There- fore as there is power and excellency of God in God's ordinance, so it is all from God, for all operation is from the Holy Ghost. God the Father and the Son work by the Spirit. Power is originally in the Father, and it is conveyed to Christ God-man, mediator, for to be the treasure and fountain of all power, and riches, and goodness. But the Holy Spirit doth take it from the Father and the Son, as the third person being near to us, and
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working in nf. Ami so by the Spirit is meant tbo Holy Ghost, which Cometh from the Father and the Sou.
(Jse 1. Is there such a power, and excellent power, in the ordinance of God, when the Spirit of God accompanieth it ? Then make this use of it, for to depend on the ordinance of God u-'ith iitcekness and Jtwnilihj : and take heed of Naaman's pride. Naaman was sclf-conccited. He being put in mind of wasliing himself in Jordan, what saith he ? What reason is there in this ? Is there not as good rivers in our country as the river Jordan ? 2 Kings v. 1, .swy. But if Naaman had not hearkened to his servant's counsel, he had gone home as leprous as ho came. Saith he, the prophet, he biddeth thee do thus, and therefore do it, or else return a leper as thou camest; and then he hearkened to him. So many [are] of Naaman's conceitcdness. Cannot I read a good book in my chamber ? Cannot I have good lessons out of philosophy and morality ? It is true ; this is Naaman's mind ; are not other rivers as good as Jordan ? But God hath sanctified his word, and the dispensation of his word too. His word is holy, and the ordinance is holy, which holiness is in consideration distinct from the word. The very unfold- ing of the word hath a Spirit with it. God will not set up an ordinance in his church to no end. Therefore, if we will not stoop to it, as we T^c lepers by nature, so we may die as we are born, for anything I know. Therefore humbly depend on God's ordinances, and be thankful that God vouch- safeth to teach men by men. It is the most suitable teaching. We can- not endure the presence of an angel, nor an angel the presence of God. Therefore this is proportionable teaching, when God will teach man by man. If an angel were to administer it, the word would not be entertained for its own sake, but for the messenger's sake : but now God would have it regarded not for the vessel's sake, but for the treasure's sake. Whatso- ever the vessel be, therefore, God will teach man by man. Therefore depend upon it. But if God hath not w'rought this power and efficacy in our hearts, yet wait at the posts of wisdom, wait at the pool of Bethesda till the good hour come. Perhaps the good hour is not yet come, for the ordinance is the grand conduit that conveyeth all Spirit, and all grace, and all comfort in life [and] in death. And therefore, unless we will quarrel with our own comforts and salvation, and the kingdom of heaven, and life, do not despise ' the word of life,' the word of the kingdom,' ' the word of salva- tion,' 'the word of faith,' 'the word of reconcihation.' Despise that, and despise all these, because God is pleased to convey these things no other- wise ordinarily, where he hath established a church ; ordinarily I say, extra- ordinary things we leave. And therefore God styleth his word with these titles, ' the gospel of reconcihation and peace' and the ' word of the kingdom,' to shew there is no way to come to grace, peace, and life, but by the word of grace, the word of peace, the word of reconciliation ; and therefore be stirred up to attend upon it, to make the best use of it, even as we desire the good that is conveyed by it.
Use 2. Again, if the ordinance of God, in unfolding the truths of God, hath such a savour, and power, and relish in it, then ea-amine ourselves vhelher tve hare found such power and efficacy or no. If not, then search what is the cause, what standcth between our souls and divine truth. And finding out the cause, be not more in love with our corruptions than with our souls. This word is able to save our souls, and therefore let us see whether there be stubbornness in our wills resisting the truth of God, withstanding it, rebelling against it. As the chiefest hindrance of divine truths is not so much the veil of ignorance in the glorious times of the
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gospel, as a kind of wilful stubbornness and pride, men will not stoop to God's ordinances, and when truths be revealed, men shake them off, as Stephen telleth them, ' You resisted the Holy Ghost,' Acts vii. 51 ; and as Christ telleth them, ' You would not come to me that you might have life,' John V. 40 ; and as he saith, ' I would have gathered you, as the hon gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not,' Mat. xxiii. S7. We are in love with our corruptions more than with our souls ; and therefore the ■word hath not that power, that efficacy, that excellency of power, that otherwise we should have experience of. And it is a pitiful thing indeed it hath not. We may justly take up lamentations over the times. What power hath the word, when it hath not power to make men leave fruitless sins ? What fruit is in swearing ? Declaring only frothy hearts and rebellious dispositions, that we get nothing, no other good by it, but only publishing our shame ? God saith, ' the plague shall not depart from the house of swearers, and for oaths the land mourneth,' Zech. v. 3, 4 ; Jer. xxiii. 10. There is no good in the woi-ld by it. Every sin hath its audo- ramentuin,* but this hath no end at all in it. The word hath not power to make men leave superfluity, to leave an ugly fashion, that becometh them not, but disgraceth them, serving only to discover that they desire to fashion themselves to the worst deboistf persons.