services ; they will surrender up a portion of their hearts, pro- vided their old friends and allies may be permitted to continue unmolested in the remainder. The terms of the Gospel are too humiliating for them : and rather than they will come like Benhadad, trusting solely on the mercy of the king of Israel^, they will die in the breach, and be buried in the ruins of their citadel.]
5- By desponding thoughts —
[God's entrance into the heart is not unfrequently ob- structed by these, as much as by any other thoughts what- ever. And it is surprising to see with what obstinacy they are defended. Sinners will even bring Scripture itself to support them against God, and to justify their rejection of his proffered mercy. They are as studious to persuade themselves that " there is no hope" for them, as once they were to assure themselves that there was no ground for fear^.]
But impregnable as these " strong-holds" appear, God can '' cast them down." To evince this, we proceed to shew, II. The means by which God overcomes them —
God in this warfare does not make use of " carnal weapons" —
\_The sivord of the civil magistrate is not wanted in it. It may indeed be properly used to suppress any evils which injure society, and to protect the godly in the free enjoyment of religious liberty'': but it must not be put forth to propa- gate the truth'. Let Mahometans bathe their swords in blood, and Papists kindle their fires, to make proselytes to their religion ; but God abhors such measures; and has de- clared, that " they who take the sword shall perish with the sword''."
Neither are his servants to call in artifice to their aid. They are indeed, in some sense, to " become all things to all men, that by all means they may save some':" but they are not to make any sinful compliances : they are to stand upon their own ground : they must " have their conversation in the world, not with fleshly wisdom, but with simplicity and godly since- rity™;" they must not attempt to exercise craft, or to " catch men by guile";" but, " renouncing the hidden things of dishonesty, they must commend themselves to every man's conscience in the siarht of God°."
f 2 Kings XX. 31, 32.
e Ezek. xxxvii.
11.
Jer. ii. 25.
•> Rom. xiii. 3, 4.
' Zech. iv. 6.
k Matt, xxvi, 52,
1 1 Cor. ix. 22.
m 2 Cor. i. 12.
n 2 Cor. xii. 16.
0 2 Cor. iv. 2.