Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

avail anything; that in despite of the terrors of divine wrath, and the melting persuasions of divine mercy, sinners would neglect the great salvation. You have learnt by experience that men must be born again, and born of God. There is no other way for sinners to become heirs of heaven. For us to suppose that we can find out a new way, is all delusion. The human heart is essentially the same in all ages; and the power which renews it is the same; and that power is not the power of reason, nor the power of selflove, nor the power of human persuasion; but the mighty power of God; the power which raised Christ from the dead; the power which created the world. Remember this, my dear son, in the encouraging and delightful circumstances in which you are here called to labor. If any in this place have an ear to hear the messages of divine mercy; it is because God has given them an ear. If they have a heart to love the truth; it is because God has given them such a heart. If you overlook this truth; if while the work of conversion and sanctification is prospering, you and your people forget that it is God's work; he will withhold the tokens of his favor. No rain or dew will descend from heaven; and you will soon behold this garden of God, now beginning to cluster with the fruits of the Spirit, left to blasting and barrenness. Remember then, that salvation is of God. And begin and end the labors of your ministry here, with a deep feeling of the blessed truth, that neither he that planteth is anything, nor he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

A SERMON

DELIVERED IN THE CHAPEL OF THE THEOL. SEMINARY, ANDOVER, APRIL 8, 1840.

John 15: 5.-WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.

THESE words were first addressed to the apostles. But it is as true of all believers, as it was of the apostles, that they can do nothing spiritually good without Christ; that in regard to all holiness, whether in heart or in life, they are entirely dependent on him.

Dependence, in a general view, is the condition of all created beings. Their existence, their powers of action, and their means of happiness are all from God. In him they live, and move, and have their being. This condition of dependence belongs to angels in heaven, as well as to men on earth. They owe it to the will and agency of God, that they were created and are continued in a state of moral purity. And they will be indebted to him for their holiness and happiness in all future ages, as much as they were at the beginning of their existence. They will doubtless remain holy, and will grow in the strength of their intellectual and moral faculties and their spiritual affections forever. But the growing strength of their faculties and their affections will be from God. And the higher their improvement in knowledge and in holiness, just so much the more will they be indebted to the goodness of God. It is the unalterable, happy condition of the heavenly hosts, to have a growing fulness of spiritual good, and to receive it all from God.

But Christians are dependent not only in the general sense in which the angels are dependent, but in a peculiar sense, a sense appropriate to them as redeemed sinners. In their natural state they are children of wrath, desperately wicked. And their renewal to holiness is owing to the Spirit of God. It is by the grace of God they are what they are. And without the continuance of that grace, they would sink at once into a state of pollution, guilt and wretchedness. So that it is true in the highest sense, that without Christ they can do nothing.

I propose to show, that the doctrine of our dependence on divine aid is taught by reason, Scripture, and experience; and that it is a doctrine in the highest degree honorable to God, and useful to

man.

In the first place, this doctrine is taught by reason. If there is anything which reason makes known with absolute certainty, it is, that all excellence and happiness in created beings is derived, not self-originated; that we are as much indebted to God for the commencement and continuance of a virtuous character, as for the commencement and continuance of our being. True virtue is far more excellent, than mere existence. And it would be very unreasonable to suppose, that we are dependent on God for that which is less excellent and yet not dependent for that which is more excellent. Certainly it would not be more contrary to reason and truth to think, that created beings originated their own existence, than that Christians of themselves originated their own holiness. And this becomes specially evident, when it is considered how many things there were without them and within them, which stood in opposition to holiness, and which it was necessary should be removed before they could be the subjects of it.

In the second place, the doctrine under consideration is plainly taught by the inspired writers. This is my chief argument. Those who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, cannot mislead us. Let us then carefully consider the various ways in which the sacred writers teach us our weakness and insufficiency, and our dependence for spiritual good on divine grace.

Here we find that the beginning of holiness in the human heart

is familiarly represented as the work of God. "Being born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." This passage excludes all conceivable causes of regeneration, but one, that is, God. The sacred writers tell us that a saving change comes from above; that believers are renewed by the Holy Ghost.

The continuance of holiness is ascribed to the same cause. It is God who worketh in believers both to will and to do. They have spiritual life, because the Spirit of God dwells in them. The same God who began the good work in them, will perform it until the day of Christ. The God of peace will make them perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in them that which is well pleasing in his sight.

Further; the Scriptures teach that Christians are dependent on divine grace not only for holiness in a general sense, but for all the particular forms and branches of it. Thus if we refer to repentance as an important branch of holiness; we find that Christ is exalted to give repentance. If we refer to the faith of Christians; we find it is God who worketh in them the work of faith with power. And love, which is the principal virtue of believers, is shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost. And as to the duty of prayer, we are taught that Christians know not how to pray aright, and that the Holy Spirit helpeth their infirmities, and maketh intercession for them. And in regard to the saving knowledge of divine things; we find that they who have it are taught of God; that the natural man does not know and cannot know the things of the Spirit; and that it is God that causes the light to shine in the heart. The same is true of obedience. It is God who writes his law in the hearts of his people, and inclines them to obey. It is God that gives his people patience and firmness under trials and sufferings. Indeed the whole range of Christian virtues are the fruits of the Spirit.

The prophets and apostles teach the same truth in still another way. They expressly disclaim all spiritual strength and sufficiency of their own, and confide in divine strength. See how clearly their language shows the dependent posture of their minds. "Not

that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." "The Lord is my strength." "God is the strength of my heart." The Apostle Paul does indeed say, "I can do all things." But he at the same time shows his dependence. "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me."

But there is nothing which shows the feelings of good men in regard to their dependence so clearly, as their prayers. When they come to the throne of grace, their delusions vanish, and they have to do with realities. How then were prophets and apostles accustomed to pray? What thoughts and desires did they cherish, and what requests did they make? "Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name." "I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies." Such were the prayers of the saints under the Old Testament dispensation. And they were the same under the New Dispensation. The disciples came to Jesus, and said, "Lord, increase our faith." And Paul said to believers: "The Lord make you to abound in love." Again. "Now our Lord Jesus Christ and God even our Father, stab lish you in every good word and work." And again. "The God of all grace-make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

Such prayers, offered up by the saints under both dispensations, imply a constant sense of their dependence on God for all spiritual good, and an earnest desire that he would bestow it upon them. Prayer to God for what we have, or for what we think we may have of ourselves, would be a mockery. Why should we go to God, and ask him to make us obedient and holy, while we say or think, that we are of ourselves sufficient for the work of obedience and holiness without his aid?

The texts above referred to, and many others of the same import, teach our entire dependence on God for spiritual good very clearly and impressively. They set it forth in a great variety of ways; so that, if there is any room for doubt as to the meaning of this or that text, the doubt may be removed by other texts

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »