1. For anxious inquhy —
[To which of these widely-different vessels may you be compared ? Which of them do you resemble, in theu* essen- tial qualities, or in their habitual use? Are you of gold or silver, or of the baser materials of wood or earth ? Are you altogether consecrated to God ? or are you occupied solely about the things of time and sense? To assist you in this inquiry, I must observe, that no man possesses, by nature, those higher qualities : they are all the fruits of grace : by nature we are earthly, sensual, devilish : it is by grace alone that we become heavenly, spiritual, divine. And, to judge whether this change have been wrought in us, we must not look to our outward conduct merely, but to that inward purification from erroneous principles and corrupt affections.
See, then, whether you have yet been brought to humble yourselves before God, as guilty and undone sinners: see whether you are living altogether by faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, as your only source, either of righteousness or strength; and see whether you are devoting yourselves, unreservedly, to God in all holy obedience : this is the proper test of con- version : all other conversions are of no value : you may go the whole round, from one Church to another, espousing every one of them in succession, and zealously maintaining every distinction, whether in principle or practice, and yet be vessels in which God can take no pleasure, and which shall finally be hid from his eyes as objects of shame only and dishonour. Let this then be, as in truth it ought to be, a matter of anxious inquiry amongst you all : for I must again declare, that they only shall be approved of their God who correspond with the character drawn of them in our text.]
2. For necessary distinction —
[Here, you perceive, are " vessels of gold and of silver, as also of wood and of earth ;" and, though all of one common oi'igin, and alike of base materials, yet destined, some to honour, and others to dishonour. You perceive, also, that it is God alone who makes the difference between them ; changing the nature and end of some, whilst others are left to their original worthlessness and debasement. Against this our proud hearts would be ready to rise; just as that of the objector did, when St. Paul declared, that " God had mercy on whom he would have mercy ; and whom he would he hardened." Hear the Apostle's statement of the objector's argument; and his reply to it: " Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will ? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-sufFei'ing the vessels of wrath fitted to de- struction ; and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto gloi'y*^?" This is the answer which I also must make to any one who shall object to the statement which has been before made. I grant, yea, I assert, that all, as born into this world, are base in their nature, their use, and their end : and it is grace alone, even the sovereign grace of God, that changes them so that they become vessels of honour for his use. I
^ Rom. ix. 18 — 23.