in which he is not indebted to his divine Lord, for all the spiritual vigour that he exercises, and for all the spiritual comfort that he enjoys. The more elevated his attainments in piety, the lowlier will he lie before the throne of heaven's Majesty, and with deeper sincerity will he utter the humble acknowledgment, "By the grace of God, I am what I am." He arrogates no merit to himself. All his honours he lays down at the foot of his Immanuel's cross. He is fully aware, that he has nothing which he did not receive from above. He knows, that his heart, instead of being a fountain, from which original streams of moral purity flow, is rather a reservoir, out of which no good current can ever issue, but such as arises from a far higher and a heavenly source. The truth, dear hearers, ou which we are now insisting, is one that lies at the very foundation of practical piety. There can be no genuine religion, which does not rest on a conviction of our own native weakness and helplessness-our utter incompetency, except so far as we are aided by Christ, to perform acts and render services acceptable to God. We enter into no scholastic discussion as to the nature of human inability. We shall not, at present, put on the professor's gown, and proceed to inquire, whether such inability should be called natural, or moral. But we take upon us to sayand reason, experience and the divine word will amply sustain the position, that the incipient step, the first movement of the sinner, in the process of his conversion from the error of his ways to the wisdom of the just, is a firm and devout persuasion, that without Christ he can do nothing. To the doctrine which asserts the sovereignty of divine grace in the entire matter of our salvation, it has been objected, that this doctrine is calculated to destroy the moral agency of man, to paralyze all human effort, and to encourage licentiousness of heart and life. This is, indeed, a serious arraignment of the truth for which we contend, and it were not proper to let such charges pass without some notice. We do not propose this morning to enter very deeply into the much litigated question of moral agency, or, as it is sometimes called, the freedom of the will-a question concerning which there has been more nonsense spoken and written, than even the celebrated controversy between the Nominalists and the Realists of the dark ages, was the occasion of producing. Some metaphysicians have strangely imagined, that while matter is entirely subject to the control of Deity, there is something in mind, that is completely independent of his influence; or, at any rate, if this be not their meaning, and if such be not the position which they are anxious to establish, they have certainly speculated to very little purpose respecting human liberty. Now, we are persuaded, that matter and mind are alike subject to the dominion of the great Creatorthat all the phenomena of the one and of the other are modified and regulated by the good pleasure of that Being who presides over the destinies of the universe. By this language we do not mean to say, that God controls matter and mind in precisely the same manner. The former he governs by physical laws, and the latter by moral. He sways the conduct and the hearts of men, not by absolute and positive coercion, but through the instrumentality of motives. These are the means by which Jehovah effectuates his own purposes in all our voluntary actions. It is in this way that he exercises his sovereignty, without at all impairing our accountability. We admit, that there is some difficulty connected with this as with every other subject, and every other thing, that we attempt to explain. Let us be contented with a knowledge of the fact, that the influence of the Deity on our minds does not abridge, in the least, our freedom of volition and of action. Of this there can be no doubt. The renewed individual is just as conscious, that he is a free-agent, as the man who loves sin, and lives in the habitual practice of it. The operation of the divine Spirit on the souls of believers, so far from being inimical to their liberty, has the specific effect of rendering them willing in the day of God's almighty power. The change which they experience is not the subversion, but only the alteration of their will. Their desires are not exterminated, but merely diverted from an old into a new channel. And this important revolution is effected, as we have said, through the agency of motives. Nor is there any real force in the objection so often and so strenuously urged by superficial thinkers, that the doctrine which asserts the sovereignty of divine grace has a tendency to discourage and counteract human exertion. In fact, the doctrine has precisely the opposite tendency. It is calculated, when rightly understood, to incite us to diligent and zealous efforts for the advancement of our spiritual and eternal interests. The practical receiver of it will be, of all men, least likely to become slothful in the business of religion. He will regard the promise of heavenly aid implied in the doctrine in question, as the most cogent reason why he should sedulously task all his energy in the service of his Maker. The point to which we are now directing your attention, will be seen in a clearer and more satisfactory light, if you bear in mind what has been already observed with regard to the instrumentality of motives in the moral government of God. We have distinctly stated, that it is through the medium of these that the Deity operates upon the human mind. Accordingly, the revelation with which he has been pleased to favour us, must be viewed as a system of motives designed to influence our conduct, and form our character, as religious beings. Hence every doctrine of this revelation is to be contemplated as a motive fitted to produce its appropriate moral effect. Let it, then, be understood, that the necessity of the Spirit's influences is revealed, in the sacred Scriptures, for no other purpose, than to stimulate us to an active and unremitting discharge of our religious duties. It is exhibited as a motive, not to repress, but to call forth human exertion. Thus the command to us, to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling," is enforced expressly and formally by this consideration, that "it is God who worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Had we no ground to expect divine assistance in the matter of our salvation, we might well forbear all effort, and sit down in despair. But when we are assured, that such assistance can always be obtained, the effect certainly must be very different. There is not the smallest danger, then, that the indivi dual who really feels, that without Christ he can do nothing, will abandon or relax his endeavours to perform the will, and enjoy the favour of Jehovah. The conviction of our own weakness can have no other effect, than to induce us to seek the strength which we know, that divine grace is ever ready to communicate. On the other hand, a confident reliance on ourselves, begets a false and fatal feeling of security. He who thinketh he standeth, is in the greatest danger of falling. To this truth David and Peter, were they with us to day, would bear ample testimony. In the remarks which have now been made, we have, in a good degree, anticipated an answer to the objection, that the doctrine which asserts the sovereignty of divine grace, in the entire matter of our salvation, tends to promote licentiousness of heart and life. We shall not here enter into any speculation on this point. It is properly a question of fact, and by facts it ought to be decided. We know that the oppugners of our doctrine are not peculiarly fond of the issue which we now tender to them. But why should we take up time with reasoning against an objection, which may be fairly disposed of in a far more summary way. We affirm, then, that this objection is conclusively refuted by facts. And as we cannot pretend to enter into much detail, on a topic of this nature, we would merely remark, in general terms, that the practical receivers of the truth for which we contend, have been, as all experience shows, the most virtuous and pious of men. Look, for instance, at Scotland, where the tenets which, for want of any other equally distinctive and convenient name, we are compelled to call Calvinistic, have long and triumphantly prevailed. No one competent to decide, will hesitate to admit, that the inhabitants of that country are, to say the least, by no means inferior, on the score of private and public morals, to the inhabitants of any other country in Christendom. The belief, that without Christ they could do nothing-a truth deeply impressed on their minds by the instructions of pious mothers, zealous schoolmasters, and faithful preachers, has certainly done them no harm as individual or social beings. We shall mention only one circumstance more. It must be confessed, we presume, on all sides, that the only really valuable and useful writers on practical religion, are those who have dwelt with emphasis on the truth, that without Christ we can do nothing. The Henrys, the Edwards, the Doddridges, the Newtons, and the Scotts, of the Christian church, were all the champions of this truth. Upon the whole, we mean - |