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Christian church will fall into order: there will need no great hammering in reference to that, the business will even do of itself. All will know, and all will mind their own stations and the business of them; and apprehend their own unfitness for any station, unto which God doth not call; and apprehend their privilege in not being so called, in being exempt from the number and burden of more public stations: as certainly exemption, if it were understood, is a very great privilege; when God doth not lay any farther charge upon me, than only to intend the business of a narrower station and a lesser sphere; when I can be vacant unto God, and for his commerce, and there walk with him undisturbly within my own line; while others are eaten up with cares and solicitudes concerning the common affairs, that they are concerned in, and intrusted with the management of. No doubt the Spirit of God will help every man to make a true judgment of things, when it comes to be generally poured forth: and this, that hath been just spoken of, cannot but be judged; because it is a very great privilege to have freedom and vacancy for the proper business of a christian as such, within his own calling and verge; when God shall, as it were providentially, say unto a man, "I lay no other charge upon thee, but to walk with me in thy own station and within the bounds of thy own calling, to make me the entire object of thy love and delight, and at all times to solace thyself with me; I exempt thee from things, that would disturb and disquiet and divert from the business and delights of such a continued course of walking with me." When this comes to be generally understood, there will be little disposition in the minds of men to break order, by usurping upon what belongs not to them.

Thus far you see, that little else can be thought needful to the bringing about of a very happy time and state of things, be sides the pouring forth of the Spirit.

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SERMON XIV*.

WE

E have been shewing in many discourses, what a good state of things or happy times are to be brought about by the Spirit of God poured forth. And hitherto we have been endeavouring at large to evince the efficacy and sufficiency of this means to the end mentioned; which was the first thing t undertaken to be made evident. We are now to proceed to shew

2. The necessity of this means to reach such an end: that as it is a sufficient means, you may also understand it to be the only means, of bringing such a work about. And for evincing this, two things, clear enough in themselves, seem abundantly sufficient; namely, that nothing can mend the world, but what mends the spirits of men: and,-that nothing can effectually do that but the Spirit of the Lord poured forth. These are things that shine into our minds and understandings with their own light.

(1). As to the former; What else do we think can mend the times, but what mends men's spirits? doth not every thing necessarily act and work just as it is? how can the posture of the world come to be other than at present, if the active principles of men's spirits continue the same?

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• Preached September 18th. 1678. † See page 256.

(2.) And as to the latter; What besides the Spirit of God can effectually mend the spirits of men, so as to make the state of things thoroughly and generally better?

What other cause can be universal enough, and spread its influence far and wide, to make a better world? There wants a cause in this case, that can diffuse and influence a vast way. That a nation should be born in a day, that the earth should be filled with the knowledge of God, that there should be new heavens and a new earth; this needs a cause that can work every where and what else can do this but the Spirit of the Lord? And again,

What other cause is potent enough, of sufficient energy, of virtue piercing and penetrative enough, to do such a work as must be done upon the spirits of men, before the state of things will come to be better? what else can shiver rocks, and melt down mountains, and make rough places plain? what else, do you think, can dissolve adamantine hearts, subdue insolent passions, assuage and mortify furious lusts? what else can change men's natures, transform the very habit of their minds, and make them generally quite other men, other creatures, than they have been? unto what agent inferior to this can we attribute the ability to create? New heavens and a new earth are to be created, İsa. 65. 17. You know how they were created at first: "By faith we understand, that the worlds were created by the word of God." The heavens and the earth were the products of the breath of his mouth, with all that is contained in them so must the spiritual creation be, as much as the natural. What, do we think, can make all the violences and mischiefs to cease out of the earth, that fill it with continual tragedies every where, and more or less at all times? Nothing is more evident, than that the Spirit of the Lord alone is a cause proportionable to such an expected effect.

And the matter will be yet more evident, if you do but consider these two things together.

[1] That the spirits of men are most horribly depraved, and wickedly bent in themselves to such things as tend to nothing but destruction and calamity. It is said of men universally, that destruction and misery are in their ways. Rom. 3. 16.

[2.] That all these wicked inclinations of men's spirits are continually fostered and fomented by another spirit distinct from their's, and over and beside their's. The spirit that worketh in the hearts of the children of disobedience, (Eph. 2. 2.) makes the world and the church miserable, so far as it prevails. Now what can we oppose to that spirit, but the Spirit of the living God? While that spirit is the great tormenter and disturber of the world, that disquiets all things, that sets the spi

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rits of men on work against God and against one another where, that hath deluged the world with an inundation of wickedness what but the Spirit of the Lord can lift up a standard against it?

But that the apprehension of this matter may yet settle and fix more deeply with us; (for it is of great concernment that it should do so, that we may know whither to direct our eye;) let us but enumerate a little all the probable means besides that we can think of, which might make the times good; and think, how inefficacious and altogether to no purpose they would be, without the Spirit of the Lord poured forth and working with mighty efficacy every where upon the spirits of

men.

First, Think, what the preaching of the gospel would do. That, it must be supposed, will be very general, far more general than it is, to bring about such a state of things as we expect and hope for, before time end. But, alas! what would preaching do, if we could suppose it never so general, while the Spirit of the living God restrains and withholds his influences? Indeed it is not to be supposed, that there could be a general preaching of the gospel amongst men, without the mighty work of the Spirit of God to prepare the way but if there were, to how little purpose is our preaching, where that Spirit works not? We may as well attempt to batter strong walls with the breath of our mouths, as to do good upon men's souls without the Spirit of God. If there were preachers every where, that could "speak with the tongues of men and of angels," what would it signify? "Do I persuade men?" saith the apostle. Alas! it is above us to persuade men; it is a matter of very great difficulty in things that are but of common concernment. How hard to alter the mind and will of a man, once set and bent already upon this or that thing of a secular nature, that hath reference only to earthly affairs! The heathens themselves have been taught by that light that hath shone amongst them, to attribute unto a Deity the business of persuading men, to acknowledge it a numen that ever comes to have a persuasive power over men's minds. When the Son of God himself was the preacher, how little was effected, till the time came of the Spirit's being so copiously poured forth? He that spake, his enemies being judges, so as never man spake! into whose lips grace was poured forth! his hearers wondering at the gracious words that proceeded from his mouth! astonished sometimes at his doctrine! for they could distinguish, and see, that he taught with authority, and not as the scribes: 'yet how little was done! Al! ended in the martyrdom of the prercher, and not long after in the destruction of the people for

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the greatest part. When that Spirit was poured forth, then thousands at a sermon were subdued and brought under by the power of the gospel: but it was not yet given in that plentiful measure, while as yet Jesus was not glorified. And if it had not been given upon Jesus's glorification, what could have enough fortified the hearts of these poor disciples, to undertake the converting of the world, the going to teach all nations, to proselyte mankind? How much, how unspeakably too big had such an attempt appeared for their undertaking, if a mighty Spirit had not come forth to raise them above themselves, to make them somewhat beyond men! How could they ever have thought of going about such a thing as that, wherein they were to be and actually were the successful instruments? Without it, what success could have been hoped for, howsoever attempted? Possibly it may be thought, that human endeavours might have done much at least towards the proselyting of mankind to the Christian profession : so much might have been discovered of the reasonableness of that religion, as that it might have been thought fit, somewhat generally, so far as men could be dealt with, to entertain and embrace the Christian name. Truly even that was very unlikely; that it should have been ordinarily in the power of any rhetorick or of any reason, generally to persuade men to forsake a religion, wherein they had been bred and born, and which was delivered down to them from their forefathers, whether Jews or Pagans it was very unlikely, that mere argument should prevail so far on the world. But suppose it did,

Secondly, Consider, what mere nominal Christianity would do to the bettering of the world. What doth it now to the bettering of the state of things, where it obtains? Wherein are the nominal christians better than other men? wherein are they better towards God and Christ? The case is apparent, that though atheism and infidelity be conquered in men's minds and understandings by the strength of reason or of education, yet still the stronger fort in the heart remains inexpungable, till the Spirit of the living God comes to deal effectually with the hearts of men: and so that consequently there is as great enmity against God and Christ, even in the Christian world as out of it. And wherein are men better in Christendom towards one another, than the pagans and mahometans are? wherein better? where is there more deceit and fraud, more enmity and malice, more oppression and cruelty, than amongst the nominal christians? If we take true measures of the Christian religion, and apprehend it to be what indeed it is; if we will say, that it is faith in God through Christ, or devotedness. to God through Christ; or if we will say, that it doth consist,

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