God is not in word but in power:" it has its seat in the heart, which it purifies from all filthiness in the flesh and in the Spirit, and its power is manifest in the whole of the life and conversation.

6. The Word may be likened to rain, inasmuch as its efficacy depends entirely upon the divine blessing. The rain, as already observed, is but an instrument which God is pleased to use, in order to answer a certain end. It is He-as David has said "that visiteth the earth and watereth it, that greatly enricheth it with the river of God, which is full of water, and maketh it soft with showers, and blesseth the springing of the earth;" and without his blessing the fruitful land would become a wilderness; without his blessing, the tree planted by the rivers of water, would be as "the heath in the wilderness, that doth not see when good cometh :" so would the Word be without the influence of the Spirit. The epistles of the Apostles are most explicit on this subject. Even in their days the disciples had begun to form themselves into different parties, under different teachers, which conduct, so far from being evidence of their religion, proved them to be carnal; "for while one saith, I am of Paul, and another of Apollos, are ye not carnal? who then is Paul, and who Apollos, but ministers, by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man: I have planted, Apollos hath watered, but God gave the increase; so neither is he that planteth anything, nor he that watereth anything, but God that gave the increase."

Without admitting the doctrine of divine influences,

it is impossible to account for the different effects produced by the same Word, preached by the same person, upon different hearers. Who is it but God that maketh the difference? He acts in a free and sovereign manner, but according to his unerring wisdom. In the distribution of his favours, both in the kingdoms of providence and of grace, he often giveth none account of his conduct to any: and what should this doctrine teach us, but to be earnest in prayer, for that blessing that maketh the means profitable for the intended end. It should teach us also, not to place means, or ministers, or ordinances, in the place of him whose instruments these are: and if this doctrine of divine influence had been more regarded, there is reason to believe, that much of the late division in our Church would never have existed to disturb its peace. God often acts quite contrary to our expectations, "he maketh the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in his presence."

If the Word of God will not profit us without the Spirit of God-if no man can call Jesus Lord but by the Spirit; and if the working of the Spirit is irresistible; then in the reading or hearing of the Word, we should place ourselves in the position of suppliants at the footstool of his throne, accounting his blessing as the one thing needful, and desirous that in the whole of our salvation he may have all the glory. The in

fluence of the Spirit is to be tried by the fruits of the Spirit; these fruits are specified in the Word of God; and if the Spirit is styled the spirit of holiness, the spirit of truth, and the author of regeneration, then “if these graces are in us and abound, they make us to be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ; "the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

7. The Word may be likened to rain, inasmuch as while the efficacy in both cases depends upon the blessing of God, in neither case is this blessing to be expected to the exclusion of our endeavours. We must labour the ground and sow it with proper seed, and use every mean in our power to ensure a plentiful crop, while, at the same time, we must look up to God for the early and the latter rain. So is it with regard to the Word: and so we find, that after the Apostle had taught the necessity of divine influences to give efficacy to his labours, he adds, "For we are labourers together with God, and ye are God's husbandry." As it were vain to use the means without imploring the blessing, so it would be found equally vain to look for the end without employing the means through which the end is to be expected. The promise of divine aid is given us not to encourage presumption or sloth, but to quicken our exertions. "It is God," saith the Apostle," who

worketh in us both to will and to do; therefore we are enjoined to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." The great object we should propose to ourselves in the reading or hearing of the Word is our sanctification. The servant who knew his lord's

will and prepared not himself to do it, was commanded to be beaten with many stripes. It is not the hearers of the law that are just before God, but the doers of the law that are justified. This Word is now given to be the rule of our conduct, and it is that standard by which we will be tried in the great and terrible day of the Lord. Thy word," says the Psalmist, "have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee;" and then he prays, "Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes; open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."

66

SERMON VIII.

WORLDLINESS THE SIN OF LOST SOULS

UNDER THE GOSPEL.

BY THE

REV. ROBERT PAISLEY,

MINISTER OF ST. NINIANS.

2 COR. iv. 3, 4.

"But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

After all then, Brethren, you perceive from this text, after all, there will be lost souls. It cannot be otherwise. Under this decided impression, horrible, revolting, tremendous as is the thought, to every man who