in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest ; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth a." It then appeared, and frequently does also at this hour, that a preacher may be led to touch on some points so forcibly and circumstantially, as to seem as if he had been actually made acquainted with the secret history of one or other of his hearers, and were intentionally developing to his audience the history of that particular indi- vidual. Now, whence is this? I think it may be well accounted for, by considering what the Spirit of God effects, when he applies any single word with power to the soul.
1. He " opens the eyes of the understanding13" —
[A man that is blind cannot see any thing: but when his eyes are opened, he sees all the things that are before him, and within the reach of his visual organs. Thus it is when God is pleased to give us a spiritual discernment : we do not see this or that particular sin only, but our entire defection from God, and our whole life, as one continued course of rebellion against him.]
2. He discloses to us the inmost recesses of the soul —
[The soul of man may fitly be compared to the chambers of imagery in Ezekiel's vision. All is transacting there in secret; and nothing is known but to God himself; till God directs his servant to a hole in the wall, by which a variety of things may be discerned. Now, thus it is that the Spirit of God opens sometimes a hole, and sometimes even a window or a door, by means of which the interior of the soul is made manifest, and the sinner is enabled to see things of which he had before a very indistinct idea. We may conceive a painted sepulchre, beautiful to behold by those who see only its exte- rior. But, when it is laid open, and all its foul contents are exposed to view, it is too lothesome an object to look upon without the utmost disgust and abhorrence. It would not be necessary to take an accurate survey of the offensive object in all its parts : a person would readily say, ' I have seen it all.' And so, when God gives to a man a sight of his chief corrup- tions, it appears as if every transaction of his life had been made to pass before him.]
a 1 Cor. xiv. 24, 25. b Luke xxiv, 45. Eph. i. IS.