Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

1040

OF THE VARIOUS METHODS OF THE DIVINE OPE RATION IN THE PRODUCTION OF THIS SAVING CHANGE.

I COR. XII. 6.

There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God, which worketh all in all.

WHATEVER the orginal sense of these words was, and how peculiarly soever they may relate to the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, the whole tenor of the Discourse now intended will shew, with how much propriety they may, at least, be accommodated to the operations of his grace. I have proved to you in the last of these Lectures, that wherever regeneration is produced, it is ultimately to be ascribed to a Divine agency; and though I cannot say it is equally important, yet I apprehend it may be both agreeable and useful to proceed,

Fifthly, To survey the variety of those methods, which God is pleased to take in producing this happy change: or, to borrow the language of the text, to consider the diversity of operations, by which the same God, who worketh all in all, i. e. who produces all the virtues and graces of the Christian character, in some degree, in all his people, is pleased, according to his own wise and gracious purposes, to proceed in his agency, on those whom he regenerates and saves.

And this survey will not be matter of mere curi osity, but may probably revive the hearts of some amongst you by the recollection of your own expe

rience and it may be a caution to others, who, for want of due compass and extent of thought and knowledge, are ready to argue, as if God had but one way to work on the human heart, and that one the particular manner by which he recovered them. Of this I shall speak more largely hereafter. In the mean time, I judged it necessary to premise this hint, to direct us as to the temper with which this discourse should be heard, as well as to the purpose to which it is to be improved.

Now what I have to offer on this subject will be ranged under these three heads. There is a diver ́sity and variety observable-in the time-the occasion-and the manner, of the Divine operations on the soul.

I. There is an observable variety, "as to the time of God's gracious operations on different per. sons."

Some are called in their infancy:-others, and these perhaps the greatest part, are wrought upon in youth:-and some very few in the advance, and even in the decline of life..

1. Some are wrought upon by Divine grace "in their infancy."

This is often the case; and I doubt not, but if par ents were to do their duty, it would much more frequently be so. And it is an honor which God is pleased, in some instances, remarkably to confer on a good education; which is indeed so important a duty on one side, and so great a privilege on the other, that it is the less to be wondered at, that he so mercifully encourages Christian parents in the discharge of it; thus granting, as it were, an immedi

ate reward for this labor of love. And I must here take the freedom, on my own observation, to say, that God seems especially to own the faithful endeavors of pious mothers in this respect. He has wisely and graciously given that sex a peculiar ter derness of address, and an easy and insinuating manner, which is admirably adapted to this great end, for which, no doubt, he especially intended it, that of conveying knowledge to children, and making tender impressions on their minds: and there is hardby any view in which the importance of the sex more evidently appears.

We have encouragement to believe, there are a considerable number who are, as it were, sanctified from the womb, and in whom the seeds of Divine grace are sown, before they grow up to a capacity of understanding the public preaching of the word :: a remark, which Mr. Baxter carries so far as to say, "that he believes, if the duties of religious education were conscientously discharged, preaching would not be God's ordinary method of converting souls: but the greater part would be wrought upon before they were capable of entering into the design of a sermon." And indeed it seems to me, that children may early come to have some apprehensions of what is most important in religion. They may have a reverence for God, and a love for him, as that great Father who made them, and that kind Friend who gives them every thing that they have: they may have a fear of doing any thing that would displease: him; and though it it not so easy for them to understand the doctrines peculiar to a Redeemr, yet when they hear of Christ as the Son of God, who came

down from heaven to teach men and children the way thither; who loved them, and did them good every day, and at last died to deliver them from death and hell; their little hearts may well be im--pressed with such thoughts as these, and they may find a growing desire to be instructed in what Christ: is, and what he taught and did, and to do what shall appear to be his will. And wherever this is the prevailing disposition, it seems to me that the seeds of holiness are sown in that soul, though but small proficiency may be made in knowledge, and though the capacities for service may be very low.

I will add, that some remarkably pertinent and solid things, which little children have said concerning religion, seem to me plainly to evidence, that: they have been, in many instances, under some uncommon teachings of the Divine Spirit: and it. seems perfectly suitable to the genius of Christianity, that in this sense God should ordain strength out of the mouth of babes and sucklings (1), and should reveal to them what he has suffered to be hidden from the wise and prudent (2). Nor can I suppose it hard for any, who have been for a considerable time ac-quainted with the state of religion in Christian societies, to recollect various instances, in which persons thus early taught of God, who have heard, and known, and loved the Scriptures, and delighted in ordinances and serious discourse from their childhood, have been, in some measure, like Samuel, 0badiah, Jeremiah, Josiah and Timothy, honored with eminent usefulness in the church, and have hap-(1) Psal. viii. 2. (2) Matt. xi. 25

pily filled some of its most important stations of service. Almost every age has afforded instances of this; and I am persuaded, many are now growing up amongst us, who will be instances of it in ages yet to

come.

2. Others, and these perhaps the greatest part of real Christians, are wrought upon "in their youthful days.".

Many parents are very deficient in a due care to cultivate the infant minds of their little ones; or the feeble and general impressions then made are, per harps, worn out and lost, in the growing vanitics of childhood and youth. They begin to be drawn away by evil inclinations and examples, and by the delusions of a flattering world, which then puts on its most attractive charms, to gain upon their inexperienced minds: and hereupon they follow after vanity, and become vain (1): of the rock which begat them, they grow unmindful, and forget the God that formed them (2). But by one method or another, God often stops them in this dangerous career; and awakening ordinances, or more awakening providences, bring them to a stand, and turn them the contrary way. The terrors of the Lord set themselves in array against them (3); or his mercy melts their souls, and they yield themselves its willing captives. They consecrate their hearts, warm as they are with youthful vigor, to be the sacrifices of Divine love, and enter, it may be, very early into the bonds of God's covenant: and so prove such a seed to serve him, as is accounted to the Lord for a most honora

(1) 2 Kings xvii. 15. (2) Deut. axxii. 18. - (3) Job vi. 4.

« AnteriorContinuar »