"Christ crucified was unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks, foolishness ;"* not because they believed it incredible that a wise and good man should have fortitude enough to encounter a torturing death in the cause of truth and virtue, but because the purpose and effects of the Redeemer's death seemed to them degrading to human nature, and therefore repugnant to human reason. The doctrines of the fall of man, of his perpetual proneness to evil, of his inability without divine aid to fulfil the divine all-righteous law, his inability to procure pardon and acceptance from a pure and holy God, except through the atonement and merits of a Redeemer--these are the doctrines which have ever been most unpalatable to human pride; and therefore most strongly opposed by the heathen philosopher, and the modern infidel. While those who have not altogether rejected revelation, but have retained enough of this pride of human nature to believe only so much of the divine word as was not offensive to that pride; the Pelagians first, and the Socinians and Unitarians of the present day, these have always directed their most inveterate attacks against the same doctrines-the fall, the atonement, and the necessity and power of aid from the Spirit of God.

As to the necessity of this divine aid for preparing us for salvation, we have already proved it by abundant scriptural testimony, by which, therefore, the Pelagian self-confidence is clearly overthrown. We may further observe, that to deny the possibility of this assistance, is to deny that God is all-powerful, and allwise; to doubt his promptitude to grant it to those who sincerely implore and are anxious faithfully to improve it, is to question his unbounded mercy and his paternal love. He who "searcheth the heart," who "knoweth every word in our tongue, and understandeth all our thoughts long before,"† who discerns every motive that influences, and every feeling that agitates the soul— it cannot be doubted but that He, the great God, without any resistless force unnaturally controlling the will, any miraculous interference counteracting the moral character, may so adapt the circumstances of every event, suggest or excite such trains of thought, apply such objects to influence, or motives to restrain, as may moderate the force of temptations, invigorate the

* 1 Cor. i. 23.

Psalm cxxxix. 1—5.

weakness of resolution, strengthen the impressions of religion, rouse the feelings of piety, and enlarge the views of faith; still, however, preserving inviolate all the principles and laws of that government, by which free and intelligent agents are trained through the exercise of discipline, to the perfection and the beatitude of mature and established virtue.

And assuredly, if such aid is possible, we cannot doubt the gracious promise of eternal truth, that if we apply for this heavenly assistance, it will be extended to us. Did it suit the divine wisdom and mercy to provide various means for sustaining our present transitory existence, various remedies for healing our wounds and recovering us from our diseases? And is it not unspeakably more adapted to the same goodness and mercy to act as the great physician of the soul, to assuage the tortures of a wounded spirit, purify the pollutions and remove the maladies of guilt, and rouse the soul from the death of sin unto a life of righteousness? Assuredly, then, we may firmly rely on the prompt and gracious mercy of our God to grant us that spiritual assistance, so indispensably necessary to secure our salvation.

But liberal as is the bounty of God, he will not waste his favours on those who, receiving them in cold and thankless hearts, would dishonour the giver and abuse the gift. No; God will offer no irresistible violence to our moral nature; he will not subvert the laws and the honour of his moral government, by forcing his graces on those who proudly despise or obstinately reject them. During the entire of our Saviour's ministry on earth, we find he did not extend the mercies of his miraculous power to those who disregarded his person, and disdained to implore his relief. No, it was to those who cried "Son of David, have mercy upon us;" "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean:"*_it was to such supplications he lent an attentive ear, and extended a saving arm. And on the same principle it is that he dispenses the gifts of his Holy Spirit. We must seek, if we would find; we must, with an earnest and unwearied importunity, knock for admission at the door of the sanctuary of mercy, in order that it may open and receive us to everlasting blessedness.

*Matt. viii, 2, and ix. 27.

And as we may confidently hope to receive God's Holy Spirit, if we acknowledge our dependence on his aid, and with humility and zeal implore his assistance; so, on the other hand, the certainty of this assistance must not induce us, in the smallest degree, to abate our own efforts, or relax our own vigilance; but, on the contrary, animate us to increased activity and more incessant watchfulness. The Spirit of God will not act upon us as mere machines. He saves us, as the Scripture expresses it, by animating us to "abound in every good work ;"* a "new heart does he give us," and "a new spirit does he put within us," to stir us up to be solicitous, to "make ourselves a new heart and a new spirit." Woe, then, be to him who says, I will sit still and attempt nothing for my own recovery, till God irresistibly compels me to it. Such a man will as certainly and as deservedly perish, as the man who, when the flames seize upon his dwelling, should not attempt to escape till he found himself moved by a miracle.

In truth our dependence on God is not less real in the general series of our actions and our lives, than in the similar concerns of religion; though here it is peculiarly necessary to observe, to feel, and to acknowledge it, in order to produce in us that temper of religious humility and pious gratitude, indispensable for the improvement of our nature, and the advancement of our happiness. But we as really depend on God for power to stretch out our hands, as to raise our souls in prayer towards him. Our fields could no more bring forth their fruits without his agency, than our hearts, without his aid, bring forth the fruits of good living. Yet we should deem, and rightly deem him a madman, who should neglect to plough and sow, because he had persuaded himself that no harvest could be expected if God did not produce it; and that if God pleased to produce it, no human labour would be requisite. As absurd is it to neglect the ordinary means of grace, or relax our own efforts, because we acknowledge the reality and necessity of divine co-operation. And if we permit ourselves to reason and act on such principles in religion, as we would scorn and reject in every temporal interest, what can it prove, but that we love this world and disregard the

* 2 Cor. ix. 8.

Compare Ezek. xi. 19. with xviii. 31.

next; and that, in pretending to advance excuses so false and frivolous, we belie our consciences, and act against the clear conviction of our hearts.

Thus, we are not to wait in passive indolence, or careless negligence, until some unsolicited, unnatural, unlooked-for operation of divine resistless power render us pious, in despite of our habitual indifference to God-pure and heavenly-minded, though, as far as depends on ourselves, we continue the slaves of every polluted passion, and every worldly pursuit. If, indeed, God continually holds out the gracious offer of hope whenever we desire to accept it, and of light and wisdom whenever we wish to employ them, what a fearful aggravation of guilt must it constitute, "if we despise such great salvation." Even now is our heavenly Father ready to give his Holy Spirit to every one who will seek it with unfeigned humility and sincere devotion. Melancholy experience must have convinced us of our want of it; the more deeply we feel that want, the more fervent will be our prayers, and by consequence the more certain their acceptance and success. Let us, then, lay it down to ourselves as an unquestionable principle, that no attempt in religion is to be made in dependence on our own unaided strength. "If we forget this, we must be taught by repeated disappointments, to look humbly to God, from whom cometh our sufficiency.' Never shall we cease to be ashamed and wearied of our own schemes and efforts, till we pursue them with a due temper of pious dependence and watchful self-distrust. When a soul is almost afraid to declare in the presence of the Lord, that it will not repeat the sin which so easily besets it; when it is afraid to promise absolutely, that it will perform with vigour and perseverance the duty it has so often neglected; when it is anxiously desirous, and humbly resolved to exert its utmost efforts, but is deeply sensible, that its utmost efforts must be vain without the assisting Spirit of God; then, and not till then, is it duly prepared to overcome temptation, and persevere in duty.

This is the state of mind peculiarly arising from, and fitted to improve the assistance of the Spirit of God. And this Spirit will assuredly act with perpetually increasing

efficacy on the

* Vide Doddridge's Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul, chap. xv. sec. 5 and 6.

66

hearts of all, who thus diligently cherish it; until the divine. image on our souls, which had been impaired by the fall, shall be renewed, and our power for fulfilling the divine law which had been weakened, shall be restored; until our ignorance be enlightened, our frail resolves confirmed, our feeble efforts invigorated, our temptations counteracted or removed, our faith established, our devotion kindled, and our charity enlarged. Thus however weak in ourselves, we shall be "enabled to do all things, through Christ who strengtheneth us.” But in all this, it must not be expected that our moral character will be violently overruled, or our actions and our wills supernaturally and irresistibly controlled. We are warned not to "resist the Spirit of God,"* therefore it may be resisted; not to grieve it ;" therefore it may be grieved; "not to quench the Spirit ;"t therefore it may be quenched; "to do no despite unto the Spirit of grace;" therefore it may be despised; and if despised, it may be lost, it may be withdrawn. But this subject will occupy the next discourse. In the mean time, let us humbly and fervently join in that admirable prayer of our truly apostolic church, which so clearly acknowledges the universal necessity and attainableness of the divine aid, and so fervently implores it. "Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of them that are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

* Acts, vii. 51.

† 1 Thess. v.

19.

+ Heb. x. 29.