[Where shall we find one from the beginning of the world to this hour, who ever served God but by a power derived immediately from God"? If any one think he have a power in himself to do good works, let him consult the tenth Article of our Church, which says, " The grace of God by Christ pre- vents us, that we may have a good will; and worketh with us when we have that good will." Or let him rather try what he can effect by any power of his own. Go, and get your soul filled with love to God ; or with hatred of sin ; or with a contempt for this present evil world and all that is in it: go, determine to do these things; and then carry them into effect: and then we will confess that what our Saviour has affirmed is not true. There is not any one, I apprehend, who will not acknow- ledge three things necessary to the salvation of his soul ; namely, repentance, faith, and obedience. Go then, and repent with real contrition, and unfeigned self-lothing and self-abhorrence. Go, and work up your soul also to faith in Christ, so as to flee to him, and rely upon him, and cleave to him, and glory in him as all your salvation and all your desire. Go too, and get your whole soul cast into the mould of the Gospel, so as to delight in every part of God's revealed will, and to find all your happi- ness in the performance of it. Do any one of these things, and we will confess, either that the word of God is altogether false, or at least that it is so expressed, as to mislead every person who endeavours to understand it. But I will not require so much at your hands. Only go home from this place, and fall upon your knees in your secret chamber before God, and for one half hour pour out your soul before him in fervent supplica- tions for mercy, and in devout thanksgivings for all the blessings of redemption as set before you in the Gospel. Put this matter to a trial : see whether you can effect even this small matter by any power of your own. I am not afraid to abide the test of this experiment, and to constitute this whole assembly judges in their own cause. If then not so much as one amongst you is able to do this small thing, know every one of you that the declaration in my text is true.]
Address —
1. Those who are yet without Christ — [Truly, whilst you are " without Christ," you are " without any scriptural hope" of salvation k. Renounce therefore, I pray you, brethren, all confidence in yourselves. That you have brought forth fruit, I confess ; but it has been " only wild grapes1." But it is a far different fruit that God looks for: and in order to bring forth that, you must be cut off from the stock on which you have hitherto grown, and be graffed into
' Hos. xiv. 8. k Eph. ii. 12. l Isai. v. 2 — 4.