Whei'e it doth not convert the heart and conscience of men, or tell them that God was willinger to convert them than they were willing to be con- verted, the fault is in themselves ; but I will always hope well of them that carefully and diligently come within God's reach. The ministry of the gos- pel is said to be the power of God ; and Isa. liii. 1, * the arm of God.' ' To whom is the arm of God revealed ?' that is, the power of God in the ordi- nance. Those that will come within the power and reach of God, never despair of them. They that will meekly subject* to God's dispensation, and not proudly despise the powerful working of God, that attend ' at the posts of wisdom,' Prov. viii. 34, if not at one time, yet at another, there is a blessed hour to come for the angel to stir their waters ; for the Holy Ghost to stir the waters to heal their souls. Therefore I speak to all them that love their own souls, never to weary of God's ordinances. Though the means be weak, yet the glory of God, and pov/er of his Spirit, will be more
* As ante. — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. 7. 387
eminently apparent in the weakness of the means, as the apostle saith here, ' The excellency of the power is of God, and not of man.'
Now, to make some further use of this : Is all the power of God ?
1. Therefore observe another thing, we must not depend on the power of the ministry, and the excellency of the minister his parts and gifts. Why ? The power and excellency is of God. And we may say by experience, that men that think themselves converted by some excellent parts of a rare man, it is usually but a shallow repentance. And they that be hanged by the ears upon men of good parts, they seldom hold out. But where the soul is wrought upon by grounds from the word, and evidence from the Spirit in the teacher . . . .* But conversion wrought only by admiration of the parts of the teacher, it is with them as with them in the gospel : ' They marvelled at him, and stood astonished, but they left him, and went their ways,' Mat. xiii. 54. And therefore take heed of depending on men for the efficacy of the sacraments. Some are to blame that way. Unless they have such a preacher they will not receive it, as if the doing and efficacy of the sacrament depended on that, if they be placed in the office of the ministry and have a calling. Now look. ' to the power of God, and the excellency of that power,' in his own ordinance by whomsoever. We will receive gold out of any hand, we will receive a pearl from a mean person. Do we regard the pardon itself, or the person that bringeth the pardon ? No, we look to the pardon. If that be right, it is no matter who bringeth the pardon, who offers this treasure of life. Look to the excellency of the things themselves, and God, though in the course of means — we must add that, — God doth ordinarily convert by the best men, that can speak from the heart to the heart. He can kindle others best that is kindled in his own heart, begetting, being from a love in the teacher. They that are truly, sanctifiedly aflected, they can beget others sooner than others. And therefore in the course and ways of means, God for the most part useth blessed and holy means for working of the great work of conversion for the most part.
Yet God tieth not himself to the excellency of means. Oftentimes the greatest men of all, God humbleth them, to do others good. As we see Isaiah, that great kingly prophet, saith he, ' We have laboured in vain,' Isa. xlix. 4, scq. I have laboured to subdue the people to God, but to no purpose. * Son of man, go, harden the people's hearts.' So excellent a power, instead of converting, maketh them worse, and so it is, that the most excellent preacher, both for parts and likewise for graces, oftentimes doth harden and make them worse. God will have it so ; it shall be the savour of death to some presumptuous proud persons, and not a savour of life, 2 Cor. ii. 16. And therefore we must not look altogether on the excel- lency of the persons that preach, nor to their meanness, but to the ordi- nance of God.
2. Give me leave farther to add this thing : God sheweth his power, and his excellent power, hy his own ordinance ; and therefore other courses are not sanctified for conversion, nor for spiritual good to the soul. This observe. There is a conceited superstitious generation of men, ill-bred for the most part, not for want of parts, but for superstitious breeding. They have great admiration of a bastardly means of good, what do I call them ? Means they set up themselves, which God never sanctified. Oh, they will have crucifixes, and such and such helps. Who ever sanctified this ? Every workman will work with his own tools and instruments. Did God ever sanctify crucifixes and the like to stir up devotion ? What kind of