The Application of Redemption, Book 2 · Section 4
The Third Proposition.
We have heard, 1 That God himself is the Principal Cause of Application: and 2 That the Power which he puts forth in this Work is an Almighty Power.
Now Thirdly, Those means which the Lord is pleased to appoint, and to use, are the instrumental causes of Application: This meets directly with that vain conceit of the Familists, Doth the Lord do all the Work? it seems then a man may sit still and do nothing, nothing is required of us, there is nothing for us to do. It was a wise speech of one of the Antients, He that created thee without thy self, will not save thee without thy self; know therefore we must, God by his Almighty Power, is the Principal Cause, and those means that he hath appointed are the Instrumental Causes. These are:
First, The Word accompanied by the presence and operation of the Spirit: Isa. 59. 21. My Word and my Spirit shall never depart away from thee: The word he hath sanctified and promised to accompany for this great Work, and it is the Word of the Gospel mainly which makes this Application for our good; He hath left an Impression of his own … upon it: It is called the Ministration of the Spirit … of Life, 2 Cor. 3. 6, 7, 8. but the Law is a killing Letter, it shews a man what he is, and what he …, but the Gospel shews the means which the Lord … appointed for the revelation and communication … all Spiritual Good. Again remember this, The Word is but an Instrument or means, and therefore it … no further than the Lord Christ works with it … the operation of his Spirit: hence it's called the … of the Spirit, Eph. 6. 17. and Rom. 1. 16. The Gospel is the Power of God unto Salvation, as … Lord puts forth his Power in and by the Gospel.
Secondly, It is the Word in the 'Ministry of it, the … published and preached, the Word rightly … as the Apostle speaks, 2 Tim. 2. 15. that is, … the Word is rightly opened, and rightly applied, works then more powerfully, because … … to the Will of the Principal Agent, and according to the weakness of them to whom it is delivered, as the chewing of meat fits it for the Stomach, and therfore it nourisheth more, the pounding of … makes it smel more: so it is with the Word when opened and applied according to the mind of God, it … the savor of Life unto Life, 2 Cor. 2. 16. so … Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by hearing of the Word of God: it is not meant that faith comes by hearing of the Word read, for that kind of preaching is … meant for which a man is sent (…. 15. How can they preach, except they be sent?) but for bare reading no man had need to be sent. 2 Cor. 5. 17, 18. God … in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation; that is, the Lord hath delegated the dispensation of his Word (in a way of Explication and Application of it) to … faithful Ministers. Only here observe Gods Order.
1 The Power resideth first in Christ and his Spirit.
2 From Christ and his Spirit, it comes to the Word.
3 From the Word to the Administration thereof by the Dispensers; where you find most of the Word, and most evidence of the Spirit, there you shall find the work to go on powerfully and successfully for the bringing home of souls to God; It is not all Eloquence, … humane Excellency in the world, but where a man walketh with God in the use of his Ordinances, as when Paul was preaching, God opened the heart of Lydia, Acts, 16. 14. The Word is like a BurningGlass; that which burns and heats is not the Glass, but the beams of the Sun that pierceth through the Glass; so it is the Power of Christ in a Promise, in a Command, that makes it pierce to the heart, Gal. 2. 8. He that wrought effectually in Peter to the Ministry of the Circumcision was mighty in me towards the Gentils: alas what is Paul, or Peter, or Apollo (as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 2. 5.) but Ministers by whom you beleeve as the Lord gives to every man, … are … Instruments which stir no further than the … will move by them, nor can do no more than the … will work by them.
Word, Prayer, Preaching, Sacraments; these are … weak in themselves, yet are they mighty through God, to bring in the souls of men in obedience to the Lord. Thus I have done with the Explication of this general Conclusion (together with the particular Propositions contained in it) that God himself (the Father through Christ by his Spirit) by an Almighty Power is the Principal Cause, and the Ministry of the Word the Instrumental Cause of the Application of all saving good. Let me ad some Uses that flow from ….
Information, in Two things. First, Hence weUse 1. learn, That the … of the work of Gods Grace upon the souls of his Servants is not done by moral perswasion, that's Pelagianism, and Arminianism; they require no more to the conversion of a sinner, but meer perswasion, the Promises of Grace must be pressed, the excellency and glory of Christ discovered, and that say they is all that is needful, lay but these before a man, and he hath power to embrace and receive them if he will. It is a false conceit; If that Power that raised up Christ from the dead, must be put forth for the bringing home of a soul to God, then there must be more than moral perswasion, which only stirs up, and draws out that ability that is within us. Men may come dead, and sit so, and return so and be never the better for all the Ordinances and means of Grace, if they have no more than them, Isa. 57. 19. I create the fruit of the Lips peace peace, to him that is neer, and to him that is far off: it is a creating Power that must be put forth, Ministers do speak in vain else.
Hence again, it's certain the work of God in Application is irresistible: This is the main … from whence that Error is confuted: That Power … raised Christ from the dead was irresistible, notwithstanding all sins, and all Devils, notwithstanding … hour and power of darkness, yet he … up himself from the dead, and by the same Almighty … Power he works faith in our hearts, and quickens … with Spiritual Life, when we were dead in sins and trespasses, Eph. 2. 1, 2.
It's true, there is nothing but Nature and corruption in a man, and by vertue of that, a man opposeth and resisteth the work of Grace: yet so to resist as to frustrate the work of God, it is impossible: God were not Almighty, if sin and Satan could hinder his Work.
Tryal of our Conversion: Observe whether theUse 2. work of Application come from Heaven or no, if so, it leaves the … of an Almighty Power upon the soul: as Christ said, The Baptism of John, … it from Heaven, or from man? So I say of Application, Is it from Heaven, or from your self? … is certain, if it be not from the Almighty Power of God it will never bring thee to God neither in this world, nor the world to come: If the soul can say, it was not the power of Men, or Means, or Ordinances; I had all these, I understood all these, and yet was the same man still, I had the old pride and lusts still, they lodged in my bosom, and came out as occasion served as a dog returning to his vomit, till the Lord came from Heaven and broke in mightily upon my heart, and there was no resisting of him.
If you say, Must every one see the working of thisQuest. Almighty Power in his own soul?
This Work may be really and savingly wroughtAnsw. though the Saints do not generally see and … …, and how there is an impression made upon the … the Almighty Power of God; even as … are grown, though it be not observed how.
We see the Power of God in other things.Object.
They are Natural and outward, this inward andAnsw. Spiritual: Take the influences of the Heavens, and … Minerals and wonderful things that are wrought …, yet there is not one of a thousand that are … to discern, and discover these: But this Influence of the … Power of God in the conversion of a …, is far more secret and Spiritual, such as we are … able to reach. It is the prayer of the Apostle for the Ephesians, Chap. 1. 17, 18. that they might know the working of his mighty Power in working Faith; it is the most mysterious of all the works of God, it shakes the … of the ablest Divines upon Earth.
Comfort to releeve the hearts of sinners against desperateUse 3. discouragements, when the floods of iniquity … in amain upon the soul, the sinner looks to his …, to Gods Ordinances and Providences, and … the Work of God that should be wrought in him, and … what ods and disproportion there is between his Soul and that blessed Work that should be in him; why truly this is the only help to a soul in such a case: with man it is impossible, but not with God, for with him all things are possible, Matth. 19. 26. Though there be such a vast disproportion between thy own ability and this Work, that thou shouldest never attain … if thou wert left to thy self; yet know, that Christ by the Almighty Power of his Spirit is able to do it for thee.
But the soul will say, the truth is, there is not so much disproportion, but there is as much opposition in my soul to the work of Grace; why should God ever give me that mercy which I would not have, and that Grace which my soul hath so much opposed this is another depth: Why yet know thou, that Gol can overwork all these, and will do so for thee if thou seek unto him; But know this to thy ever lasting terror, That if thou do … thus in the hardness and opposition of thy heart against Christ and his Grace, that this Power of the Lord that would convert thee, will put forth it self to confound thee to thine eternal ruine.
Exhortation: Not to defer the time … Grace, butUse 4. every soul of us with trembling hearts to attend upon the Lord in the use of means that he may be pleased to work his own good Work in us: It's that the Apostle exhorts unto, Phil. 2. 12. Workout your … with fear and trembling; and he gives the reason of it, For (saies he) it's God that worketh in you to … and to do of his own good pleasure; that is, it is in Gods hand to help us, or to forsake us, either … make the means effectual for our saving good, or else to withdraw his presence and blessing from them, while we do enjoy them.
…, Be … fearful not to slight any Ordinance God hath appointed, as Naamans … said to him, Go and try it, he that now counsels you to it, may bless it, and work by it if it please him.
Secondly, Tremblingly fear to fall short of Gods Power in an Ordinance, for a man may fall short of God and Christ and Grace, and all good even while he doth enjoy the Ordinances of God, and live under them, therefore say as Elisha did, Where is the Lord God of Eliah? Here is the Word, and here is the Ordinance, but where is the Lord God of this Word? the God of Preaching and Praying? It is not in the Minister, or the means to do good to my soul, but Lord speak thou the word, and it shall work upon my soul, as he said 2 Kings, 4. 29, 30. As the Lord lives, … will not leave thee till thou go with me; do thou so, when the Lord gives thee means, say, I will not leave the Lord until he make this Counsel, this Word, this Ordinance effectual for my saving good.
Be also tremblingly fearful when the Lord works by any Ordinance, lest you should go out from, or with draw your self from the power of it when you find and feel somthing more than Man, and Means, and Ordinances, Oh let it not slip away, the Lord was in that word, do not suffer that stroke to go away, because God is there; now the Lord is working, be you sure to follow the blow, and give not over wrastiing … striving with the Lord until he bless you with the … working of his Word and Spirit, and so apply unto thy soul all Spiritual Good in Jesus Christ.