PROP. 1. It is God, who fends his word, to fuch as enjoy it. Thus the apoftle tells thofe to whom he preached the gospel, A. xiii. 26. To you is the word of this falvation fent. He does not fay, it is brought unto you by me, but, it is fent unto you by me. It was God, who fent it to them, by him as the inftrument to difpenfe it to them. Hereby he gives them to underftand, that there was a fpecial providence of God to be taken notice of, in the preaching the word of falvation to them. As all the motions of the pillar of cloud in the wilderness, were ordered by God; fo are all the motions of the gofpel. It goes to no place without a divine commiffion. It was by a fingular providence of God, that Gofben enjoyed light, while Egypt was covered with thick darknefs. So it is by a remarkable providence of God, that fome enjoy the light of the gofpel, while others fit in darkness and fee no gofpel-light. In this refpect the people of Ifracl were diftinguished from, and favoured beyond, all other nations. (Pfal. cxlvii. 19, 20.) God committed his boly oracles to them, and left others deftitute thereof. Whoever then are partakers of the word of God, have it fent to them by a peculiar hand of God.

PROP. 2. God aims at fome end, in fending his word to any people. God does nothing but for fome end. He propounds an end to himself, in all his difpenfati ons of providence. And efpecially does he fo, in fend. ing his gofpel to any place. There are various ends, which God has, in fending his word. His intention therein is not always one and the fame, but divers. Particularly bere,

1. Sometimes God fends his word in mercy, to hum ble and convert finners. This is the primary intention of God in fending his word to any people. The genuine tendency and effect of the word of falvation, is the falvation of finners. And this is what God many times has an especial eye unto, in fending his word to any people. Upon fuch a gracious errand Paul was fent to preach

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preach the gospel to the Gentile nations. A&t. xxvi. 17, 18. I now fend thee unto the Gentiles, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of fatan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and inheritance among them which are fanctified by faith that is in me. Chrift fent him to preach the gospel, with a promife of fuccefs, unto the converfion and falvation of many of them to whom he was fent.. And in truth, God never fends his word to any people, but to the falvation of fome among them.

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2. Sometimes God fends his word, in judgment, to hardened, obftinate finners. Indeed it is not the natu ral effect of the word of God, to blind and harden men's hearts. But this comes to pass, accidentally, through the obftinacy of finners; on the account whereof, God in his juft wrath, fuffers his word to be an occafion of their being more hardned in fin, unto Their deftruction. Because they refused to be better'd by his word, and ftopt their ears against it, therefore his word fhould do them no good, but prove an occa fion of their waxing worfe and worse. God will grant them his word, but withold his bleffing from it, as a juft punishment of their wilful ftubbornnefs. the prophet Ifaiah was fent on this dreadful errand, to` preach to the perverfe Jews, Ifai. vi. 9, 10. And be faid, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but underStand not; and fee ye indeed, but perceive not. the beart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and but their eyes left they fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed. God in holy indignation fent this prophet to them, that fo his preaching fhould make them more blind and fottifh, more hard-hearted and ftubborn, than they were before. This is a most awful difpenfation of God, and yet more ufual, than is commonly obferved.

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PROP. 3. God's end in fending his word to a penple, fhall most certainly be accomplished and attained. It shall not return void, nor mifs of its defigned end.

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God never lofeth, but always attains his end, in fending his word, whether it be to foften, or harden, the hearts of finners. This appears,

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1. From the almighty power of God, which accom panies his word. That God, who fends his word, and in whofe hand it is, is the Lord omnipotent, and fo is able to make his word powerful and fuccefsful. Men many times defign a thing, but fail of accomplishing it, by reafon of impotency. And hence many attempts of men for doing a thing, prove in vain, and come to nothing. They are not able to go thorough with them, and bring them to pass. But it is not thus with God. Omnipotency belongs to him; and therefore he cannot intend any thing which is beyond the reach of his power to effect. There is nothing too hard for Almightiness. Omnipotency was never yet put to a ftand. Pfal. cxv. 3. Our God is in the heavens, he hath done what foever he pleafeth. Whatever end therefore God intends in the fending his word, his power is fufficient to attain it. If he fend his word to convince, humble, convert, and fave finners, his almighty power can and will make it effectual unto that end. Act. xi. 21. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.The band of the Lord, i e. the power of the Lord, wrought with the word preached; and that made it effectual, to the converfion of them that heard it. Were the word of God unaccompanied with the power of God, it would fail of fuccefs, though in the hands of the most likely and able inftruments. 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7. I have planted, and Apollos watered; but God gave the increafe. So then neither is be that planteth, any thing, neither be that war tereth; but God that giveth the increafe. All depends upon the divine co-operation; and that gives efficacy to the word.

2. This appears alfo, from the infufficiency of any creatures to disappoint God of his end, in fending his word. God can at any time fruftrate men in their intentions. Though they be ever fo fully refolved upon

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doing a thing, and make use of means ever fo proper for executing their refolutions; yet God with the greatest ease can put a stop to them, and defeat them. Yea, many times, one may hinder another, from bringing about a matter which he has projected. But now, as for God, none can obftruct him from doing his will, and accomplishing all his defigns. 2 Chron. xx. 6. In thine hand is not there power and might, fo that none is able to withstand thee? If God therefore fend his word to bring home finners favingly to himfelf, it shall be effectual thereunto, in fpight of all oppofition. The Devil will, to the utmost of his power, do all that he can, to prevent the fuccefs of God's word; but he fhall not be able to hinder it. Yea, in the hearts of finners themselves, there is a world of corruption, which rifes up in oppofition to the word of God. The carnal mind is full of enmity against God and his holy law, and fo is averfe to a giving entertainment to the word of God. But when God will have his word to become effectual, all the oppofition of Satan, and indwelling fin, shall not be able to hinder it. All oppofition shall fall before the power of God's word. 2 Cor. x. 4.. For the weapons of our warfare, i. e. the means which we ufe in the discharge of our miniftry, are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong bolds. The strongest holds, that are raised up to fortify the foul against the word of God, fhall be pulled down, that the word may have entrance into the foul. The word, when God pleafes, thall foften the hardest heart, and fubdue the most obftinate finner. Paul was a furious, violent perfecutor of the church of Chrift; yet the word of Chrift conquered him in the height of his rage, and turned him into a moft zealous preacher of the gospel. Let the mind be ever fo dark, God by his word can enlighten it. Let the heart be ever fo fet upon fin, God by his word can turn it from fin. Let the heart be ever fo fad, and forrowful, and funk down into defpair, God by his word can revive and comfort it, and establish is in hope. No difficulties

in the way, can poffibly hinder fuch effects, when God will have them produced by his word.

APPLICATION.

USE I. Of Exhortation: Let us be concerned, that the word of God may have a good effect, and attain a gracious end, upon us. This fhould be the great concern: of every one of us, that the word of God fent unto us, may prove a good word unto our fouls, a word whereby our fouls may be faved. For Motive here,

1. Confider, God expects, that his word should have a good effect upon us. We that live under the difpenfation of the gospel, are planted in God's vineyard, and fo do enjoy all proper means for bringing forth good fruits and God looks for fuch good fruits, from us. Ifai. v. 1, 2. My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful bill. And he fenced it, and gathered out the ftones thereof, and planted it with the choiceft vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and made a wine prefs therein; and be looked that it should bring forth grapes. God expected, that the people of the Jews, who enjoy'd fuch fingular means and advantages, fhould have been a good people, fruitful in all good works. To this purpose alfo our Lord uttered a Parable, in Luk. xiii. 6. A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard and he came and fought fruit thereon. When God places any perfons under the means of fruitfulness, he justly expects that they should bring forth the fruits of holiness and righteoufnefs. That ground, which has the rain often falling upon it, fhould bring forth fruits meet for them by whom it is dreffed. Heb. vi. 7. O then let us be care ful to answer, and not to disappoint, God's reasonable expectations.

2. Confider, if the word of God has not a good ef fect upon us, it will most certainly have a bad effect spon us. The word of God fhall always have one effect, or other, upon the hearts of thofe that do hear it. It fhall either harden or foften them; either open

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