SERMON V.

ON THE INABILITY OF MAN.

John xv. 5.

Without me ye can do nothing.

THAT we can do nothing really excellent without Divine assistance, is a doctrine which is held by different persons for very different purposes. While the real Christian is led by it to implore with earnestness the Divine aid, and to depend upon the grace of God in Christ, the sinner, who is acting against the conviction of his own conscience, has recourse to the same doctrine to justify his continuance in sin. "I feel," he says, "the power of a corrupt nature; I acknowledge my guilt and my wretchedness; I desire to be in a better state; but I can do nothing of myself. If I attempt to break my fetters, I find it impossible: if I strive to repent, I perceive I cannot; if I endeavour to reform myself, I too soon relapse again into sin. I resolve: but it is only to break my resolutions: and all my efforts serve only to give me a clearer conviction of my own inability. It is my desire that God would give me his grace: but till he is pleased to do this, I find that I

can no more reform myself, than the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the leopard his spots." The conclusion to which such reasoning leads, is not a determination to use a greater degree of constancy and earnestness in imploring the help of God, but rather an acquiescence in a state of sin, a continuance in it upon principle, a tacit justification of ourselves, and an indirect imputation of our guilt to our Creator, either for his having formed us in a state of such weakness, or for his neglecting to grant us the grace we need.

But it is not only the open sinner who reasons in this manner. There are some who possess better aims and desires, who argue in a more refined way to nearly the same effect; and who, if they do not abandon all exertion, at least submit without resistance to the dominion of sin. Conscious of the helplessness of man, and fearing to invade the province of God, who alone can give salvation, they look upon their endeavours to become partakers of the grace of God with a jealous eye, and are almost afraid to employ the very means of grace which God has provided, and required us to use, lest they should derogate from his grace, or appear to be fitting themselves for it.

To obviate these most dangerous perversions, it may be laid down as a maxim in divinity-That it is necessary not only to hold the doctrines of the Bible, but also to view those doctrines in the same light in which the inspired writers viewed them, and to make only the same inferences from them which they did. For there is scarcely any truth which may not be held in a partial manner, or seen through a distorting medium: so that we then only believe as the Apostles did, when we receive their tenets in the same full and comprehensive manner in which they delivered them, dwell upon them in the same proportion to other truths, and draw the same conclusions from them. Let us, therefore, examine by this rule what the sacred writers have said concerning the inability of man. Let us inquire, whether they use it in order to discourage our attempts

and prevent our exertions: or, on the contrary, with the very opposite intention, that of encouraging us to persevere in a Christian course.

To begin with the discourse of our Saviour, of which my text makes a part-"As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me." "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing." Here the inability of man, and the necessity of the Divine agency of Christ, are set forth in very strong terms: but what is the inference which our Saviour himself deduces from it? It is this: "Abide in me, and I" will abide "in you." That is, Let the knowledge of your own weakness shew you the necessity of obtaining strength from me, and therefore receive my words, cleave closely to me by prayer and faith; and I will hear your prayer, and will be with you to strengthen you: or, as it is expressed in the 7th verse, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.'

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In the Epistle to the Philippians, St. Paul declares, that it is "God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Here it is asserted, that God not only strengthens us in action, but that it is He who must give even the will to do any thing acceptable to himself. What then, is the Apostle's inference? That we are to sit down and wait with patience, till God more fully inclines our wills and works upon our hearts? No. Therefore, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," lest, by neglecting it, you should slight and grieve that Divine Spirit who carries on the work of grace in the soul.

In the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, we meet with this expression, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." The Apostle is speaking of the success of his ministry amongst the people whom he was then addressing "Ye," says he, "are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us,

written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart." The Apostles had thus written upon these tables of the heart the characters of Christ. But as it would have been arrogating too much to attribute this work to their own agency, St. Paul adds, that, "the power was of God." Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, by any power of our own persuasion or reasoning, without the help of God, to convert you; but our sufficiency is of God only. The efficacy of the Apostles' preaching was therefore ascribed by them exclusively to the Divine power. But what line of conduct did they pursue in consequence of their conviction of this truth? Did they relax in their endeavours, in the hope that God would act without their agency? No; they acted as if all the interest of Christ depended upon their exertions: they went about every where preaching the Word. They were "instant in season and out of season;" being defamed, they entreated; being reviled they blessed; being persecuted, they suffered it; they hungered and thirsted, and were buffeted; and they became all things to all men, if by any means they might save some. Their conviction of the power of God did not for an instant, suspend their endeavours or labours.

In these passages, therefore, and I think in every other part of Scripture in which the inability of man is stated, the obvious intention is to animate, and not to discourage our exertions; to teach us our own weakness, that we may be led to implore the aid which is freely offered to all who ask it in the name of Christ. If the necessity of Divine help would preclude our prayers and our exertions, it would also, for the same reason, supersede the necessity of preaching or the interpretation of the word of God; the endeavour to procure our food, and all the necessary labours of life. If the opposite inferences could be justly derived from this doctrine, we should be compelled by similar reasoning, to adopt conclusions evidently absurd.

Let us therefore consider this great truth in an encouraging light. The language of God, when he speaks on this subject, is that of a tender Father, who, seeing his children endeavouring to accomplish a labour too arduous for their infant strength, offers them his assistance, and reminds them of their weakness, only that they may have recourse to that help which pride and self ignorance would induce them to refuse. Let us, then, more exactly consider, first, what is the Scripture doctrine respecting the inability of man; and, secondly, the grounds we have to hope that the strength of Christ will be made perfect in our weakness.

1. Without Christ, then, we can do nothing; that is, nothing effectual to the salvation of our souls.-We may use a prayer, we may attend the ordinances of Divine grace; but without him we can do nothing, proceeding from right motives, and continued with steady perseverance; nothing to the effective mortification of the body of sin; nothing to the cleansing our souls from the guilt of our transgressions. The language of our Saviour does not suppose that we are unable to use any endeavours, that we are unable to do any thing effectual to our salvation, without the help and grace of Christ. Let us enter more minutely into the consideration of the several particulars of which this general view of my subject is composed.

We cannot, then, without Christ, obtain forgiveness of the sins which we have committed. It is the whole tendency of the Gospel to point out Christ as the Saviour of the world, the great sacrifice for our offences, through the shedding of whose most precious blood alone, we can obtain remission of sins. Now, in order to be partakers of the benefits of his death, we must "be found in him;" that is, we must be united to him by faith; for none but those who truly believe in him, are interested in his meditation. Without him, therefore, we can do nothing to satisfy the justice of a holy and justly incensed God; nothing to cancel the guilt of our many transgressions of the Divine Law;