upon SERM. the great ends of preaching, that the meditaXXXII. tions of our hearts, and the words of our mouths, may be firft acceptable to God, fuch as are truly meet and proper for his own divine purposes; and then his Spirit goes along with them, giving them virtue and influence the hearts and confciences of our hearers. There is fo great a variety in the frame of mens hearts, in the inward make and difpofitions of their minds; and the conditions of mens fouls are so very different, that nothing less than infinite knowledge can contrive what shall be of greatest efficacy. He only who is the fearcher of the heart, and knows all its times and feafons; who fees perfectly how the difpofitions of men differ from one another, and the fame man from himself; and withal the fecret and infenfible degrees of our fpiritual growth and improvement in holiness: He it is that can direct and lead the mind into what fhall be most for his own glory, and for fupplying the various wants and neceffities of those particular fouls that are to hear us. It doth not fall within the compafs of human understanding and fagacity to fee all this, and provide for it: It is truc, found doctrine is good at all times, but the fecret is in the due difpenfation of it, and in the proper application of it to the present condition of mens fouls; to think and fpeak, not only what is in itself good and commendable, but what will be of real benefit and advantage, which lies far out of our fight, and for the moft part to be difcerned only by the all-fee 1 ing eye of God. Perfons who fpoke formerly SE RM. by immediate infpiration, often knew not the XXXII. main importance and full extent of what they faid; the very fame is in fome degree true of those who are acted by the ordinary operations of his Spirit, that they know not what power and efficacy their words may have, nor how far they are adapted to the purpose by the fecret infenfible direction and conduct of the holy Spirit. But as this grace of God is neceffary to lead us into all feasonable truths, fo must it go along with our words, and prepare the hearts of our hearers to be wrought upon, that they may not fall to the ground, but leave a lafting impreffion in their minds, fo as to have a real effect in making them more virtuous and holy. By good natural endowments and acquired abilities we may answer all other ends of preaching, but this only can answer that of edification. And this is one great advantage that facred oratory hath beyond prophane, the effects of which, and the whole drift and fcope, were known and felt; whereas the effect of preaching, that, I mean, which is peculiar to it, is as infenfible as the growth and nourishment of our bodies; and yet at the fame time it carries with it a perfuafion above the ftrength of any thing in nature, and a force beyond the power of words. Though miracles are ceafed, yet the power of faith remains ftrong and mighty, in order to the great and glorious ends of religion: And to this day thus much is fure, that the greater dependance Bb 2 a man SER M. a man hath upon the Spirit for the illumina- hath in God for the neceffary concurrence of greater It is a very uncertain way of judging of the fuccefs of preaching, by the opinion of men; they are indeed, many of them, proper judges of what is good in itself, and how far it is agreeable to them; but how far it hath a real efficacy and fuccefs in the minds of men, for their reformation and improvement, is no eafy matter to diftinguifh even in a man's felf, and much lefs in others. The effect of preaching in the confciences of men, and the true influence it hath upon their fouls to make them truly virtuous and holy, is not to be known in this life; its operations are as fecret, as thofe of the Spirit that goes along with it: So that many who might have been in much eiteem, may find that all the while they fowed but chaff; and others, whofe inceffant prayers and lively faith in God bring` down the dew of Heaven upon what they fow and plant, fhall be furprized with a plentiful harvest. This confideration fhould make us poffefs our minds with a firm belief, that whatever may appear to ourselves or others, yet that no endowments or qualifications whatsoever will give our words that unfeen energy which none but God can give; we may indeed dazzle our admirers, but there may be ftill wanting that useful useful light, and neceffary warmth, which can SER M. come no way but from the Father of lights. As Chrift had this holy Spirit in himself, so we must have it by emanation from him. What we have to do then is, to put our minds into a posture to receive it, to give ourselves up to it, to confecrate our fouls by due preparation for the defcent of the Holy Ghost upon us; and to be earnest and inceffant in our prayers to God for his bleffed communication of his Spirit. There is not any thing in Scripture fo particularly and exprefly faid to be the immediate reward of prayer, as this; our beavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to them that afk it: And again, James i. 5. If any of you lack wifdom, let him afk of God, that giveth to all men liberally. If God gives liberally, why should we not afk it frequently and importunately? and ever pray that God would fanctify our conceptions, and form them all to virtue and holiness; that by a fecret conduct he would lead us infenfibly into what shall have the greatest fitnefs and tendency to promote the falvation of fouls; and then give it life and power in the confciences of men. Let us ufe the best of our endeavours to plant and water, and when that is done, let us hope for the increafe, not as we preach, but as we pray. If we take care to perform this with that fervour and conftancy that becomes us, then let us leave the event to God, who knows how to make all things work together fo as to promote his own ends; Bb 3 who XXXII. SER M. Who doth not judge of means as they appear to XXXII. us; who loves to make foolish the wisdom of this world; and delights to bring about the greateft effects by the finalleft inftruments. 4. Another great advantage beyond all men living which our bleffed Saviour was endued with towards fpeaking was, that infight he had into the hearts of men. As to that excellent fpirit of knowledge that was in him in general, I have formerly spoke to it: This is but a part of it, and a more immediate qualification for divine eloquence and perfuafion. St. John tells us, that He knew all men, and needed not that any fhould teftify of man, for he knew what was in man. He was that Aoyos, that eternal Word of God by whom all things were made. He fpoke us into being. He faw our fubftance yet being imperfect, and in bis book, the book of Nature, were all our members written. And therefore, when this Word was made flesh, he needed not to come at the heart of man by any fearch or conjecture; for he difcerned the parts of this fearful contexture and wonderful frame of human body; he could traverfe over all this labyrinth, and faw perfectly that numerous train of fubtle complicated lines, the nearest instruments of the foul, which lie far out of the reach of all fenfe and human obfervation: He faw to the end of them all; where they receive the first impreffion from the mind, the common fource of all our reafonings, of all our paffions and affections. He knew where to touch upon them with most advantage, and could unfold |