we are to leave both to his gracious wifdom; using the means, in which he has promised to manifeft himself to those who diligently feek

him.

VII. What those means are is what I come in the laft place to confider. The agent or author of every divine manifeftation is the eternal God, one in three, and three in one. . The Father reveals the Son freely, the Son freely difcovers himfelf, and the Holy Ghoft freely teftifies of him. Neverthelefs, the fcriptures, in general, attribute this wonder of grace to the bleffed Spirit. "No man can" experimentally, "fay, that Jefus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghoft." It is his peculiar office to convince the world of righteousness, by giving us to know favingly the Lord our righteoufnels. "He fhall glorify me," fays Chrift, "for he fhall take of mine, and fhew it unto you." And this he does, without any merit of ours, in the means, which God hath appointed, and which he enables us to use aright.

These means are both outward and inward. The outward are what our Church calls "the means of grace;" particularly hearing or reading the word, partaking of the facraments, and praying together with one accord for the manifeftation of the Spirit, as the primitive Chriftians did.* Thefe means are to be used with the greateft diligence, but not to be trufted to; the only proper object of our confidence is God, who works all in all. It was not Mofes's rod, which parted the red fea, but that almighty arm, which once divided the water from the water without

*A&s ii I.

without a rod. Nevertheless, as Mofes was not to throw his rod away, under pretence of trusting in God alone, neither was he to rely on the weak inftrument, as if the divine power refided

in it.

Though the Lord in general works by means, he ties himself to none, and fometimes works without any. The fame Spirit, which fell upon Cornelius, while Peter preached, fell upon Peter on the day of Pentecoft without any preaching. And the fame Lord, who opened Lydia's heart by the miniftry of St. Paul, opened the heart of St. Paul by the fole exertion of his power. We hence learn, that as on the one hand, we ought not with the profane and enthusiasts to tempt the Lord, by neglecting the use of any of the means he hath appointed; fo on the other hand, we muft beware of confining God to particular means, times, and places, as the bigotted and fuperftitious do; remembering, that when we are cut off from all outward means, it is our privilege to wait for the immediate display of God's arm, in the use of the inward means.

Of these, the 1ft is a believing, there will be a performance of the Lord's promise, and that he is willing and able to manifeft himself to us as he does not to the world: this is the very root of prayer, fervency, hope, and expectation. Without the actings of this preparatory faith, the foul droops, and becomes an eafy prey to defpondency, vanity, or floth. Where this talent is buried, the Lord feldom works. Believeft thou, that I am able to do this for thee? is generally the firft queftion, that he puts to the feeker's heart. If it is anfwered in the negative,

he

he can do no great miracle, because of this unbelief. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged, that St. Paul was bleffed with the revelation of the Son of God, without any previous defire or expectation of it. In him, and others was this fcripture fulfilled, "I was found of them that fought me not, I was manifefted to them that afked not after me." But, in general, where the gospel is preached, the Lord will be enquired of by the house of Ifrael to do this; and if he vifits any with conviction, as he did St. Paul, it is only to make them pray, as that apoftle did, until he manifefts himself, by the Holy Ghoft, in a way of confolation and love.

The 2nd inward means of the manifestation of Chrift is refignation, as to the particular manner, time, and place of it. Through patience, as well as faith and prayer, we inherit this promifed bleffing. Some, according to their carnal wifdom and forward imagination, mark out the way in which falvation is to come to their hearts; but the Lord, generally, difappoints thofe unhumbled feekers, though, as in the cafe of Gideon, he may gratify one in a thoufand: for believers are "not born of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." The Jews expected the Meffiah, and there they were right: but they expected him in their own way, and there they ftumbled and fell. While they looked for a mighty conqueror, another Alexander, to make them great, they overlooked the lowly Prince of peace, who came to make them good; and, at laft, they crucified him as a base impoftor. This Jewith difpofition is in all by nature. Hence Chrift is commonly rejected

Gg

rejected in the Spirit by Chriftians, as he was in the flesh by the Jews. We would have him come to give us an idle reft, but he appears to teach us to deny ungodlinefs, and fight the good fight of faith: this we do not like. Our nature wants to ftep at once into a throne; but he offers first to nail us to the tree, and to crucify our flesh with its affections and lufts: and from this we fhrink as from the grave. We expect to be carried at once to the top of mount Tabor, to fee unutterable glory; but he leads us to Gethfemane to watch and pray, or to Calvary to fuffer and die with him: here we recoil, and do not chufe to know him. Our forward impatience dictates, that he fhall inftantaneously turn our midnight into noonday; but instead of manifefting himself at once as the meridian fun, he will, perhaps, appear only as the morning ftar, that our light may fhine more and more unto the perfect day. This defeats our counsel, we defpife the day of small things, and do not think fo low an appearance worth our notice and thanks. If you, Sir, ever feek the faving knowledge of Jefus, never ftop till you can witness fun down no more; but, in the mean your goes time, never flight the least ray of heavenly light. The leaft may open into the broad day of eter nity. Ceafe from your own falfe wifdom, and become as a little child, or you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, and see the King in his beauty.

The 3rd and laft inward means, I would recommend to mourners in Sion, is a tender regard for the reproofs of the Spirit, a conftant attention to the drawings of the Father, obedi

ence

ence to the calls they have to fecret prayer, and a fear of depending upon their duties, and not folely upon the faithfulness of Jefus. Whoever follows thefe directions, according to the grace given him, will of courfe ceafe from outward evil, and do, as he can, the little good his hand finds to do. This is a better way of waiting for the revelation of Chrift, than to lie down in dejection and hopeless unbelief. All thofe, who fullenly bury their one talent, and wilfully retain the accurfed thing, complain in vain that their Lord makes long tarrying. They obftinately grieve his convincing Spirit, and then abfurdly clamour, because he does not reward them for it, by the comforts of his heavenly prefence. Let us not be fo unreasonable. Let us "ftrive to enter in at the ftrait gate," remembering, that "many fhall feek to enter in, and fhall not be able.' But let us strive lawfully, not making ourselves a righteousness of our own feeking, knocking, and ftriving. The fun fhines not because we deserve it, by undrawing our curtains, but because it is its na ture. Jefus vifits us, not because of any merit in our prayers &c, but for his own fake, because his truth and compaffion fail not. Free grace opens the door of mercy, not to works and merit, but to want and mifery. That you and I may knock and prefs in, with all needy, penitent, believing finners, is the earneft wifh of a heart, which prompts me to fubscribe myself,,

Sir, Yours &c.