Sermon 13

Isaiah 53:1 — And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

There are many mistakes in the way of religion, with which the most part are possessed, and among the rest there is one, that generally the hearers of the Gospel think it so easy to believe, that there is no difficulty in that by any thing; they think it hard to pray, to keep the Sabbath, to be holy, but the most part think there is no difficulty in believing, and yet unbelief is so rife, and faith so rare and difficult, that the Prophet Isaiah here in his own name, and in name of all the ministers of the Gospel cries out, Lord who has believed our report? He complains that he could get but very few to take the Word off his hand; and because it weighed him to find it so, and because he would gladly have it to take impression on his hearers, he doubles expressions to the same purpose, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Which in sum is, there is much preaching and many hearers of the Gospel, but little believing of it, few in whose heart the work of faith is wrought; it is but here one and there one that this Gospel has efficacy upon, for uniting of them to Jesus Christ, and for working a work of saving grace in them; the effectual working of God's grace reaches the hearts but of a few.

For opening the words, we shall speak a little to these three. 1. To what is meant by the arm of the Lord. 2. To what is meant by the revealing of the arm of the Lord. 3. To the scope and dependence of these words on the former.

For the first, in general know, the arm of the Lord is not to be understood properly; the Lord being a Spirit, has no arms, hands, or feet as men have; but it is to be understood figuratively, as holding out some property or attribute of God. By the arm of the Lord then we understand in general the power of God, the arm of man being that whereby he exercises his power, performs exploits, or does any work: so the arm of the Lord is his power whereby he produces his mighty acts; as it is said in the Psalms, The right hand of the Lord has done valiantly, his hand and his arm has gotten him the victory. And because the power of God is taken either more generally for that which is exercised in the works of common providence, or more particularly for that which is put forth in the work of saving grace; we take it here in short to be the grace of God exercising its power in and by the Gospel, for the converting of souls, and causing them savingly to believe, so Romans 1:16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes; not simply as it consists in speaking of good, sweet, and seasonable words, but as it comes backed by the irresistible power of the grace of God, as the word is, 1 Corinthians 1:23-24. We preach Christ to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness but to them who are called both Jews and Greeks, the power of God and the wisdom of God; and that it is so to be taken here, the [reconstructed: connection] of these words with the former will make it clear, for sure he is not speaking of the power of God in the works of common providence, but of his power in the conversion of souls to Christ, even of that power which works saving faith in the elect.

For the second, the revealing of the arm of the Lord, by this we do not understand the revealing of it objectively as it is brought to light by the preaching of the Gospel, for thus it is revealed to all the hearers of the Gospel, it is in this respect not kept hidden, but brought forth clearly to them in the Word. And therefore secondly, the revealing of this arm or power of the Lord, is to be understood of the subjective inward manifesting of it, with efficacy and life to the heart, by the effectual operation of the Spirit of the Lord; as it is said of the great things prepared for them that love God, 1 Corinthians 2:10. But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit; it is that which is called 1 Corinthians 2, the demonstration of the spirit and of power, which makes plain and powerful to the spirit of the hearer inwardly that which the Word preaches outwardly to the ear, which without this would strike only on the ear, and yet remain still a hidden mystery. This is the revealing of the Lord's arm that is here spoken of, because it is that on which believing depends and of the lack of which the Prophet sadly complains, even where there was much preaching.

For the third, to wit, the scope, dependence, and connection of these words with the former, we conceive they come in, both for confirmation and for explication of the former words. 1. For confirmation, there are (as has been said) but few that believe, for there are but few that have this saving and effectual work of God's grace reaching their heart; though they have the word preached to them, yet they have not the arm of the power of God's grace manifested to them, and so He confirms His former doctrine concerning the paucity of believers under the preaching of the gospel. First, by asserting the fewness of them that are brought to believe, to be converted, and effectually called by the gospel; which comes to pass through their own unbelief: and secondly, by asserting their fewness in respect of God's sovereign applying of His grace in the gospel, which is but to few; it's but few that believe, for it's but few that He makes effectual application of His grace to. 2. We say it comes in to clear and explicate the former words, whether we take it by way of a reason, or of an answer to an objection; for if it be said, how can it be that Isaiah, Paul, indeed, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself, should preach so powerfully, and yet that so few should believe? He answers, it's not to be marveled at, in respect of God as if he were frustrated of his design, no such matter; it's because the power of Jesus Christ is revealed but to few; and we take this the rather to be the meaning of these words, because when Christ is preaching and many take offence and stumble (John 6:43-44), he says, Murmur not among yourselves, no man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me, draw him; there must be an effectual work of the grace of God put forth on the heart, else none will believe on me. So it's said (John 12:37-38), that they believed not on Him, that the saying of Isaiah might be fulfilled which he spoke, Lord who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He has blinded their eyes, etc. He speaks not so, to apologize for, or to excuse their unbelief, but to show the connection that is between these two, the not revealing of the arm of the Lord, and their not believing; even so here, the Lord shows the connection that is between the efficacy of the work of grace, and believing or turning to God, that where the powerful and effectual work of His grace goes not forth with the preached gospel, there will be then no believing nor conversion, no saving change of the person from nature to grace.

That which we would say from these words, may be drawn to three doctrines, which I shall first propose, and then clear and apply them for use. The first is, that in the work of conversion and begetting of saving faith, there is requisite and necessary, beside the preaching of the word, a distinct, inward, peculiar, real, immediate, efficacious, and powerful work of the Spirit of the Lord on the hearts of as many hearers as are converted by this gospel. 2. That it is but few of many hearers in whom the Lord thus efficaciously and effectually works by His Spirit and the power of His grace, it's but here one and there one, a very few who are thus wrought upon and converted. 3. That there is a necessary and inseparable connection between this inward and efficacious work of the Spirit, and faith or conversion; where this work of grace is not, there cannot be faith, and where it is, faith necessarily must be, otherwise these two could not be commensurable of equal extent and reciprocal, Who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? He is not, neither can be a believer to whom it is not revealed, and he is, and cannot but be a believer to whom it is revealed.

For the first, we say there is in the work of conversion, and begetting of faith, beside the preaching of the gospel, a distinct, inward, peculiar, real, immediate, efficacious, and powerful work of the Spirit of the Lord requisite and necessary for conversion and begetting of faith, to convince of sin, and to humble for it, to enlighten the mind in the knowledge of Christ, to renew the will and affections, and to persuade and enable the soul of the sinner to embrace and receive Jesus Christ as He is offered in the gospel. We shall first take notice of, and clear some words in the doctrine, and then confirm it.

First, for clearing of some words in the doctrine, we say, 1. It is a distinct work of the Spirit, distinguished and separable from the word; though it goes along as He pleases with the word, yet it is not as if there were some power infused into the word, and went always and necessarily along with the word, which is the foolish and groundless conceit of some, for albeit it accompany the word, yet it's from a distinct agent, working, and a distinct work, and is separable (as I said) from the word, though it be wrought on the heart of the same sinner to whose ear the word is preached. 2. It's an inward work of the Spirit, for beside the outward and external preaching and calling by the word, there is an inward, powerful, effectual work and calling of the Spirit in the conversion of a sinner, which speaks to the heart, as well as the word speaks to the ear; so that this work of the Spirit that goes along in conversion, is much more than any external persuasion of the preached word can produce. 3. We say it's a peculiar work, to difference it from what is common to the hearers of the gospel, for it's a work that is peculiar to them whom the Lord converts, and is applied to none other, but to those in whom He works faith, and whom He effectually calls by His grace; it's a peculiar work then and not common, for if it were common to all the hearers of the gospel, and not peculiar to some, these two could not go together and be commensurable (as we said) Who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 4. We say it's a real work as well as powerful; a real work of the Spirit, that is not only able and powerful to produce the effect, and to convert the sinner, but real and powerful in producing and bringing of it about, and to pass by a real influence of the Spirit, actually renewing the will, infusing and creating the habits of grace, and particularly the very habit of faith among others in the soul; which is quite another thing than the supposing and saying that a man has power to believe and be converted, that there is no more requisite to his conversion, but to persuade him to put forth that power or strength which he has into exercise or practice; it's a real work of the Spirit, and a powerful bringing about of the conversion of the sinner in a physical way, as they say in the school. 5. We say it is an immediate work of the Spirit on the heart, to difference it from a mediate persuasion, or moral suasion (as it's called) as if there were no more requisite in conversion but God's enlightening of the mind, and by that persuading the will to close with Jesus Christ, without any immediate work of the Spirit on the will itself; in this doctrine, we take in all these according to the Scripture, in opposition to the several errors vented by men of corrupt minds, concerning the work of conversion and of saving faith; God's arm and hand must be revealed, the work and power of His efficacious grace must be put forth, for moving and inclining the heart and affections, and for determining the will itself.

We might further clear and confirm all these from that famous instance of Lydia (Acts 16:14), where Paul preaching to some women, it's said of her, Whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul, where we find these things differenced. 1. The Lord's powerful work on her heart from Paul's preaching to her ear, the Lord opened her heart. 2. It's an inward work, for it's on the heart. 3. It's a peculiar work, it's not all who hear Paul preach whose hearts are opened, but it's the heart of one Lydia. 4. It's in the nature of it a real work, that makes a real inward change on her. 5. It's an immediate work, for the Lord not only enlightens her judgment, but goes down to the heart and opens it, and works a change in it immediately; Paul indeed by his preaching opens the way of salvation to all that heard him, from which, though many go away with their hearts unopened, yet the Lord has a secret, mysterious, real, inward work on her heart, which is evidenced by the effect, for He not only enlightens her mind, but makes her willingly yield to the call of the gospel, by opening of her heart.

In the second place, to speak a little for confirmation of the doctrine, we would consider these four or five grounds or reasons, to show that there is such a work of the Spirit wherever faith is begotten, and that most intelligibly in them that are at age. 1. It's clear from these places of Scripture, where there is an express distinction and difference put between the outward ministry of the word, and this inward, powerful, efficacious work of grace on the heart, and wherein the great weight of conversion is laid on this inward work and not on the outward ministry of the word; as Deuteronomy 29:4, where the Lord by Moses tells the people how many things they had seen and heard, and yet says he, The Lord has not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day; they had the outward means in plenty, when they wanted in the mean time the inward power; the gift of a spiritual life, and the making them spiritually active to exercise it, was withheld, and therefore they did not savingly perceive, see, nor hear; (John 6:44) Murmur not among yourselves, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draw him; It's written in the Prophets, and they shall be all taught of God, every man therefore that has heard and learned of the Father comes to me; where there is very clearly a distinction put between the outward teaching and the Father's drawing, between the minister's teaching and God's teaching; it was one thing to be taught outwardly by Christ as the Prophet of His church, and another thing to be drawn and taught inwardly of the Father; this inward teaching is called drawing, to show that it is not external oratory or eloquence consisting in words, to persuade, that can effect the business, but a powerful draught of the arm of the Lord reaching the heart: there are several other Scriptures full and clear to this purpose, as Psalm 110:3 and Acts 11:21. A second ground, of kin to the former, is from the many and various expressions that are used in the Scriptures for holding forth this work of the Spirit of God in conversion, that point out, not only a hand working, and a work wrought; but an inward powerful way of working and bringing about the work, as Jeremiah 31:34, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts: Ezekiel 11:19, I will give them one heart, I will put a new spirit within them, and will take away the stony heart out of their flesh: Ezekiel 36:26-27, A new heart will I give to you, and a new spirit will I put within you, etc. Jeremiah 32:40, I will put my fear in their heart, that they shall not depart from me; it's called the Father's drawing (John 6:44) as I show. In the saints' prayers (as Psalm 51) it's called even as to further degrees of this work, or restoring of lost degrees, creating of a clean heart, and renewing a right spirit within; and many more the like expressions there are, which show not only man's impotency and inability to convert or savingly to change himself; but also that to his conversion there is necessary, an inward, real, peculiar, efficacious, powerful work of the Spirit of grace. 3. It's clear, and may be confirmed from the power of God which He puts forth and applies in the begetting of faith and in working conversion; it's not a mediate work whereby He only persuades congruously, as some love to speak, but an immediate and efficacious work, whereby with mighty power He works conversion, it is God (says the Apostle, Philippians 2:13) that works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure; and as he not only persuades but effectually works, so he not only works on the judgment to the enlightening of it, but on the will, to incline and determine it, by curing it of its crookedness and perverseness, backwardness, obstinacy, and rebellion; and the power whereby He works this great work is said (Ephesians 1:19) to be that same mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, that you may know says the Apostle, what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand, etc. It is such a power that works faith, and so exercised in the working of faith, as it was in the raising of Christ from the dead; now, could there be use for such a power, if there were no more requisite to conversion but an objective suasion, or a bare proposal of the object with external persuasion to embrace it, wherein the soul is left to itself to choose or refuse as it pleases? Certainly if there were no more, considering our natural enmity at God and His grace, the Devil and corruption would have much more influence, and a far greater stroke upon the heart to closing up of the same in unbelief, than any outward persuasion would have as to the opening of the heart, and the begetting of faith; therefore His power is necessarily called for, and the Lord adds it in converting sinners, else the work would forever lie behind; and if men be spiritually dead in sins and trespasses, (as all men by nature are) as real a power must be exercised in raising and quickening of them, as there is exercised in raising and quickening of the dead. 4. It may also be cleared from some in whom this power is exercised, as some children, some deaf persons, and others, whom we cannot deny to be reached by the grace of God, and yet there can be no other way how they are reached but by this effectual, efficacious, and immediate powerful work of the Spirit, they not being capable of reasoning or persuasion by force of argument.

We shall only add two reasons further, to confirm and some-way to clear why it is that the Lord works, and must work thus distinctly, inwardly, really, powerfully, and immediately in working faith and converting of sinners: The first is drawn from the exceeding great deadness, indisposition, averseness, perverseness, impotency, inability, and impossibility that is in us naturally for the exercising of faith in Christ; If men naturally be dead in sins and trespasses, if the mind be blind, if the affections be quite disordered, and if the will be utterly corrupted and perverted; then that which converts, and changes and renews them, must be a real inward, peculiar, immediate, powerful work of the Spirit of God; there being no inward seed of the grace of God in them to be quickened, that seed must be communicated to them, and sown in them before they can believe, which can be done by no less nor lower power than this power of God's grace; It's not oratory as I said, nor excellency of speech that will do it; it's such a work as begets the man again, and actually renews him. The second is drawn from God's end in the way of giving grace, communicating it to some and not to others; If God's end in being gracious to some one and not to others, be to commend His grace solely, and to make them alone in grace common or debt, then the work of grace in conversion must be peculiar and immediate, and wrought by the power of the Spirit of God, leaving nothing to man's free will to difference himself from another, or on which such an effect should depend; But if we look to Scripture, we will find, that it's God's end in the whole way and conduct of His grace, in election, redemption, calling, justification, etc. to commend His grace solely, and to stop all mouths, and to cut off all ground of boasting in the creature, as it is (2 Corinthians 4:7). Who makes you to differ from another? and what do you have that you have not received? Now if you did receive it, why do you glory as if you did not receive? This being certain, that if the work of grace in conversion, were not a distinct, inward, peculiar, real, immediate work, and did not produce the effect of itself by its own strength, and not by virtue of anything in man; the man would still be supposed to have had some power for the work in himself, and some way to have differenced himself from another; but the Lord has designed the contrary, and therefore the work of grace in conversion must be suitable to his design.

Use 1. The first use is for the refutation of several errors, and for the confirmation of a great truth of the Gospel which we profess.

It serves, I say, first, for the refutation of errors, which in such an auditory we love not to insist on; yet we cannot here, the ground being so clear, and the call so cogent, forbear to say somewhat briefly this way, and the rather that the Devil has taken many ways, and driven many designs, to weaken the estimation of God's grace among men, and to exalt proud nature, and that there is here a collection and concatenation of these designs and ways against the truth which this doctrine holds forth, vented by corrupt men. As 1. They will have nothing to be necessarily applied for the working of conversion, but the preaching of the Word; taking it for granted, that all men have universal or common grace, which God by His sovereignty, say they, was obliged to give, else he could not reasonably require faith of them; and upon this comes in the pleaded-for power of free will, and man's ability to turn himself to God; others by pleading for this notion of a light within men, become patrons of proud and petulant corrupt nature, as if there were need of nothing to beget saving faith but that common grace within, and suasion or persuasion of mouth from without; and hence they came to maintain the foulest errors, which have not only been condemned by the Church of God in all ages, but have even by some Papists been abominated; and many of these same errors are creeping in even in these times wherein we live, the design of which is to tempt folk to turn loose, vain, and proud, and to turn the grace of God into wantonness, as if they needed not at all to depend on God and His grace, having a sufficient stock within themselves on which they can live well enough: and it's not only the errors of Papists, Pelagians, Socinians, Arminians, or errors in the judgment that we have to do with; but of such as overturn the very foundation of the work of man's salvation, and who though pretending to higher notions, do yet go beyond all these. But if it be true, that in the work of conversion, beside the preaching of the Word, there is a distinct, real, inward, peculiar, immediate, efficacious work of the Spirit, necessary for bringing about such an effect; then there is no common and universal grace that all the hearers of the gospel have, nor is there any power or ability in man to believe of himself; otherwise there were no necessity of such a work as this for the converting of a sinner, the prophet needed not to cry, Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? And Christ needed not say, No man can come to me except the Father draw him; for men might come without drawing, and believe without the revelation of God's arm: but in opposition to that, we say and have made it clear, that the work of conversion is brought about by a distinct, peculiar, powerful, real, and immediate work of the Spirit on the heart, whereby he not only enlightens the mind, but renews the will and rectifies the affections. 2. There is another error that this refutes, which seems to be more subtle, for some will grant a necessary connection between the effect, and the grace of God, who yet say that it is suasion or persuasion (for here we take these for the same,) so and so arranged to prevail with some, that brings about the effect or work of conversion in them, and not in others where that persuasion is not so arranged; but this opinion lays not the weight of conversion on the arm of the Lord, but on some circumstances accompanying the work, and leaves still some ground of boasting in the creature. 3. A third error which this doctrine refutes, is that of some others, who will have grace necessarily to go along with the Word in the working of faith, but so as it reaches not the will, but that the will necessarily determines itself; as if the will were not corrupt, or as if that corruption that is in the will were indeed no corruption, as if that corruption that is in the will could be any more removed from the will without the immediate work of the Spirit upon it, than darkness can be removed from the judgment without the Spirit's immediate work on it: but seeing the will is the prime seat of man's perverseness while in nature, and the principal part to be renewed; it's a strange thing to say, that in the work of conversion, other faculties and powers of the soul must be renewed, and yet that this which comes nearest to the life of the soul should be neglected, or not stand in need of renovation: but from this text it is clear, that in conversion the arm of the Lord must be revealed, and that there is a powerful work of grace that not only presents reasons from the Word to move the will, but really regenerates and renews the will: now what is for the refutation of these errors serves also to confirm us in the truth of the doctrine opposite to these errors.

2. It serves to refute something in people's practice, and that is, their little sense of the need of grace; most part come and hear preaching as if they had the habit of faith, and as if it were natural to them, and pretend to the exercise of faith, never once suspecting their want of faith, nor thinking that they stand in need of such a work of grace to work it in them, as if it were impossible for them not to believe; hence many think that they have grace enough, and if they pray, it's that they may do well, never minding the corruption of nature that is in them, and indeed it is no wonder that such persons fall readily into error, when their practice says plainly they think they have grace enough already.

The second doctrine is, That this distinct, real, inward, efficacious, powerful work of the grace of God in conversion, is not common to all the hearers of the Gospel, but is a rare thing applied but to few, it's even as rare as faith is; and what we touched on to evidence the rarity of faith, will serve also to evidence the rarity of this work of grace in conversion; it's on as many as are believers, and are saved, that the work of grace is revealed, and no more (Jeremiah 3:14). I will take one of a city, and two of a family, and bring you to Zion, says the Lord; it's two or three in the corner of a parish, or in the end of a town, to speak so, who are converted, and the rest are suffered to lie in black nature. If the reason thereof be inquired after, this might be sufficient to stop all mouths, which the Lord gives (Matthew 11:28): Even so Father, for so it seems good in your sight; it is of the Lord, who is debtor to none, and who as it is (Romans 9:15): shows mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardens; and here we must be silent and lay our hand on our mouth and answer no more, all being found guilty, He is just in what He does, in calling or not calling, effectually, as He pleases. And yet secondly, the Lord has thought good to call few of many, for holy and wise ends: As 1. To hold forth His own sovereignty, and that He is free, and will walk freely in the dispensing of His own grace; hence, He not only takes few, but ordinarily these that are the most mean, contemptible, silly, and in a manner foolish, of the multitude of hearers; it is not many noble, not many wise, according to the flesh, not many rich, not many learned, that He chooses and converts, very ordinarily He hides His grace from these; it's but seldom that He calls and takes the stout and valiant man, and the learned scholar, but it's this and that poor mean man, the weaver, the shoemaker, the simple ploughman, etc. whom most ordinarily He calls, when He suffers others to continue in their sin. 2. That He may make all the hearers of the Gospel walk in holy fear and awe of Him, He reveals His grace in few; it's not the multitude that believes, but here one and there one, that all that have the offer of grace may fear lest they miss it and receive it in vain, and may be careful to entertain and make right use of the means of grace, and may also cherish the Spirit in His motions, and not grieve Him. O! if you knew and believed what a rare thing the work of the Spirit of grace is, you would be afraid to quench, extinguish, or put out any of His motions. 3. As to the godly, He does thus, to make them admire, adore, and praise His grace, and the power of it so much the more.

The uses are three. 1. It serves to move all to reverence, adore, and admire the grace of God, and His sovereign way in it; presume not to debate or dispute with Him, because there are few that believe, and few that He has determined His grace for, it's an evidence of His dread, a proof of His sovereignty, in which he should be silently stooped to, and reverently adored, and not disputed with; we ought to bound all our reasoning within His good pleasure, who might have taken many and left few, or taken none as pleased Him; and we should not think strange, nor fret that the Gospel is powerful but on few, here is the reason of it that may quiet us, the Lord has determined effectually to call but few, and yet he will not lack one of His own; all that the Father has given to Christ, shall come to Him, though none come but as they are drawn in. A thing that we should be sensible of, but yet calm and quiet our spirits, rather wondering that He has chosen and calls one, than fret because he has passed by many.

Use 2. The second use is to exhort you that are hearers of the gospel, and have not had this distinct and powerful work of grace begetting faith in you, to be persuaded of this truth, that faith and the work of grace is no common thing. The most part, alas, think that they have grace, and that it is not one of many that want it; they will readily say, it's true I cannot believe of myself, but God has given me the grace. But I would ask you this question: do you think that grace is so common a thing that it comes to you and you never know how, or so common that never a body wants it? If not, how comes it then to pass that you think and speak of grace as you do? We would think it a great length, if many of you could be persuaded of your gracelessness. It's not our part to point particularly at the man and woman, though the deeds of many of you say within our heart that there is no fear of God before your eyes, and that many of you think you have grace who never had it. And therefore we would say these three or four words to you. 1. Begin and suspect yourselves that matters are not right between God and you; we bid none of you despair, but we bid the most part of you be suspicious of your condition. Suspect, nay be assured, that hypocrisy is not grace, and that your presumption is not faith, for if but few get grace, then many should suspect themselves, and seeing grace is so rare a thing, do not you think it common. 2. Neglect no means that may bring you through grace to believe, but be diligent in the use of them all, of the word, prayer, sacraments, meditation, etc. It's by these that the Lord begets grace, and by neglecting of them you may make yourselves guilty of destroying your own souls. 3. Beware of quenching the Spirit in any of His operations or motions, of smothering or putting out any challenges or convictions. If the conscience be at any time touched, or the affections tickled, go not away as the temporary believer does, sitting down there without going any further. Fear to strangle the beginnings of the life of grace, for grace may begin at little; and if you quench any motion, conviction, or challenge, you know not if ever you shall meet with the like again, because when He knocked hard at your heart you held Him out and kept Him at the door. And you may be in hazard of that terrible charge (Acts 7:31): You uncircumcised in heart and ears, you have always resisted the Holy Ghost, as your fathers did so do you. 4. Seeing this work is not common to all the hearers of the gospel, but peculiar to some, labor to have it made sure to yourselves, by putting it to proof and trial in good earnest.

Use 3. The third use is for you that are believers, (and would God there were many such,) to whom I would also speak three or four words. 1. Learn from this to be humble: what have you, man, but what you have received? And if you have received it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? Oh, but it's unsuitable to believers who are free-grace-debtors and beggars (of which yet none need to think shame) to be proud and forget themselves. You have nothing, believer, to boast of, but that He has shamed you with His grace, and should you be proud of that as if you had made yourself thus? Therefore guard watchfully against all puffing up, self-conceit, and high-mindedness, and study to be humble, and to carry a low sail, else you may break out into some scandalous offense, and may become a shame and reproach to the gospel. We commend humility to you above many things, for we think that in these days folks' pride is like to break their necks. For when once conceit creeps in, they begin to think they are so far advanced in holiness, that they must not keep company with others, nor join in worship with them, and from that they go to another thing, and from that to a third, that it is hard to tell where they will halt or end. They grow so giddy that they are scarcely like to leave so much ground as themselves may stand upon. Oh, think shame of pride; it's a most intolerable thing to be proud of that which God has given, in which you have no more hand, and of which you can no more boast, than they who never had it. 2. Be thankful and give God the praise of what you have gotten. It becomes the upright to be thankful. It's no little matter to have God's power manifested in the working of faith and conferring grace. The temporal throne and kingdom, and great things in the world, are nothing to this; it's peculiar to the Lord's own, and not common. Many get their fill of the world, who never get nor will get this. The world is of so little value with the Lord, that to speak so, He does not much regard who gets it, though it be exactly distributed by His providence, but converting and upbuilding grace is peculiarized to His favorites. Being therefore clear that He has bestowed grace on you, oh how should you exult in blessing God (as David did) for giving you counsel to make choice of such a portion, and for His powerful determining of your heart by His grace to embrace it, for which you have not yourselves to thank but God. 3. Be compassionate and tender towards others, considering that it is only grace that has made the difference between you and them, and not any good nature in you which was not in them as some foolishly fancy. Be not puffed up at the faults and falls of any, but rather mourn for them as well as for your own, and be the more humble when you think of the difference that grace has made, lest you fall. And since your standing is by grace, be not high-minded, but fear. Of all persons it worse becomes you to look lightly on, let alone to mock at the falls of others, considering who, and what has made the difference. 4. If it be so peculiar a privilege to be partakers of this powerful and special grace of God that is put forth in the great work of conversion, then sure there is something peculiar called for in your conversation, even that it may in all things be as it becomes the gospel, and answerable to this grace bestowed on you. Oh, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness?