Neither shall it rest here; whatever dark parenthesis may intervene, we are assured, that being still watered by the same divine hand, it shall take deeper and deeper root downward, and bear more and more fruit upward, till the whole earth be filled with the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Who shall live when GOD doth this? Hasten O LORD that blessed time! O let this thy kingdom come! Come, not only by the external preaching of the gospel in the world, but by its renovating, heart-renewing, soul-transforming power, to awakened sinners! For want of this, alas! alas! though we understood all mysteries, could speak with the tongues of men and angels, we should be only like sounding brass, or so many tinkling cymbals.
And yet, what a “day of small things” is the first implantation of the seed of divine life in the soul of man? Well might our LORD, who alone is the author and finisher of our faith, compare it to a little leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Low similies, mean comparisons these, in the eyes of those, who having eyes, see not; who having ears, hear not; whose heart, being waxed gross, cannot, will not understand! To such, it is despicable, mysterious, and unintelligible in its description; and, if possible, infinitely more so, when made effectual by the power of GOD, to the salvation of any individual soul. For the wisdom of GOD will always be foolishness to natural men. As it was formerly, so it is now; they who are born after the flesh, will persecute those that are born after the spirit: the disciple must be as his master: they that will live godly in him; they that live _most godly_ in him, must, shall suffer persecution. This is so interwoven in the very nature and existence of the gospel, that our LORD makes it one part of the beatitudes, in that blessed sermon which he preached, when, to use the words of my old familiar friend the seraphic _Hervey_, a mount was his pulpit, and the heavens his sounding board. A part, which, like others of the same nature, I believe, will be little relished by such who are always clamouring against those few highly favoured souls, who dare stand up and preach the doctrine of _justification by faith alone_ in the imputed righteousness of JESUS CHRIST, and are reproached with not preaching, like their master, _Morality_, as they term it, in his glorious sermon on the mount: for did we more preach, and more live it, we should soon find all manner of evil would be spoken against us for CHRIST’s sake.
But shall this hinder the progress, the growth, and consummation? and shall the christian therefore be dismayed and discouraged? GOD forbid! On the contrary, the weakest believer may, and ought, to rejoice and be exceeding glad. And why? for a very good reason; because, he that hath begun the good work, hath engaged also to finish it; though CHRIST found him as black as hell, he shall present him, and every individual purchased with his blood, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, before the Divine Presence. O glorious prospect! how will the saints triumph, and the sons of GOD then shout for joy? If they shouted when GOD said, “Let there be light, and there was light;” and if there is joy in heaven over one sinner only that repenteth, how will the heavenly arches echo and rebound with praise, when all the redeemed of the LORD shall appear together, and the Son of GOD shall say, “of all these that thou hast given to me, have I lost nothing.” On the contrary, what weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth will there be, not only amongst the devil and his angels, but amongst the fearful and unbelieving, when they see that all the hellish temptations and devices, instead of destroying, were over-ruled to the furtherance of the gospel in general, and to the increase and growth of grace in every individual believer in particular. And how will despisers then behold and wonder and perish, when they shall be obliged to say, “we fools counted their lives madness, and their end to be without honour; but how are they numbered among the children of GOD, and how happy is their lot among the saints!”