used the appointed means ; and the other is, that
were used. This is twice noticed by the prophet in the verses following my text : " So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, the bones came together:'" and again, " So I prophesied as he com- manded me ; and the breath came into them, and they lived1." Let this, I pray you, sink down into your ears : only let this be understood and felt, and acted upon ; and I shall have gained a point of the utmost importance to the Jewish cause : for, however inade- quate to the end our efforts be, God requires us to put them forth ; and when they are put forth in humility and faith, he will bless them to the desired end. To
EXPECT THE BLESSING WITHOUT USING THE MEANS, OR TO DESPAIR OF SUCCESS IN THE USE OF THEM, IS EQUALLY
wrong. What he has commanded, we must do : and what he has promised, we must expect. Be the difficulties ever so great, we must not stagger at the promises through unbelief, but be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Our blessed Lord, when Mary imagined that her brother was gone beyond a possi- bility of recovery, said to her, " Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" so to you I say, Be not discouraged by thinking how long our brother has been dead, or how corrupt he is ; but expect assuredly, that at the sound of Jesus' voice he shall rise out of his grave and come forth to life.
Permit me now to address myself to you in a more particular manner : and,
1. To those zchose exertions are paralyzed by des- pondency.
I object not to a full consideration of all the diffi- culties that obstruct the conversion of the Jews. I wish them to be viewed in their utmost extent : but then they should be viewed, not as grounds for relax- ing our efforts, but as motives to the most strenuous exertion. With the generality, these desponding
1 ver. 7, 10.