ING OF THE WORD. We shall thus be led
acknowledge the perfection of the law of God, and the
wretchedness and insolvency of man, and be tr
humbled and contrite before God. This is the spec
work of the Holy Spirit through hearing. Acts,
It is founded on a knowledge of God's holy law req
ing constant and undeviating obedience in thought
well as in word and deed, and of our own innumerab
violations of that law, and utter inability to fulfil
on a view of the unspeakable loving-kindness of th
Lord, and our own vile, ungrateful, hard, and e
hearts. Then our guilt is not extenuated, but confessed
and our natural corruption is not brought forward as a
excuse, but as au aggravation of our many offences
This conviction arises from a cordial reception of
truth. This important effect of the instruction of
isters is independent of their endeavours. There is
unavoidable defect in the teaching of ministers, the
they cannot answer as to the result in particular case
But the Spirit of God, through them, does much mor
He not only presents in the word the truths which k
designs to teach, but he also opens the heart to recei
them-The Lord opened Lydia's heart that she attended
to the things which were spoken of Paul. As soon might
the blind reason themselves into sight; or the deaf in
hearing, as we, by any powers of our own, remove
blindness and hardness of our hearts, and become tru
contrite and penitent. As the mighty works of Christ
were performed by his miraculous and visible interfer-
ence, so it is no less necessary for the Holy Spirit by
his real, though invisible interference, to awaken and
renew the dead souls of men, and convince them of sin.
But though repentance and conviction of sin are thus
the work of the Spirit, yet the preacher is the chief

the

h

IS

P

vi

W

th

an

th

La one

#hs which the Spirit uses; and of the word He ares, It shall accomplish that which I please, and it -' prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Conviction n is one great design of God in sending his minisThus Nineveh was led to repent.* Thus Baruch directed to go and proclaim the words of the Lord er this hope-It may be they will present their supgation before the Lord, and will return every one from evil way. Jer. xxxvi, 7.

Another blessed result of hearing aright is, that IT
GOD'S METHOD OF IMPARTING FAITH TO HIS

OPLE. Faith is undoubtedly God's gift. (John
44; Matt. xvi, 17; Phil. i, 29;) but the way in
ich it pleases him that it should BEGIN, is by hearing
e truth. Rom. x, 17. We look in vain for faith

Tect of thong those who know not divine truth, and never hear

Fender teaching

e word of God. But Paul describes the faith of

De resul

wond tie

opens the

Alluding to the repentance of the people of Nineveh, ugh then Latimer says, Jonah was but one man, and he preached but ne sermon, and it was but a short sermon neither, as touching he number of words, and yet he turned all the whole city, great and small, rich and poor, king and all. We be many

as het Preachers here in England, and we preach many long sermons,

To sight, w

of our

earts,

Is and vis

and

and yet the people will not repent nor convert. This was the Pa fruit, the effect, and the good, that his sermons did, that all the whole city, at his preaching, converted and amended their evil living, and did penance in sackcloth. And yet here in this sermon of Jonah is no great curiousness, no great clerkliness, no great affection of words, nor of painted eloquence; it was none other but Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed! It was no more. This was no great curious sermon; but this was a nipping sermon, a pinching sermon, a biting sermon, it had a fall bite, it was a rough sermon, and a sharp-biting sermon. for the Do you not here marvel that these Ninevites cast not Jonah in prison, that they did not revile him and rebuke him? They did not revile him, nor rebuke him; but God gave them grace to convint hear him, and to convert, aud amend at this preaching. A strange matter, so noble a city to give place to one man's sermou!"-Sermon on Luke xii, 15.

rence, to

tion of s

Teacher !

Christians as following hearing the word of truth
Eph. i, 13. Faith springs from the word, as the living
plant from the root, and as the rays from the Sun.
is impossible for any one to become a believer in Chris
but through some part of revealed truth made know
to him.* The PROGRESS of faith proceeds in the san
way from hearing. At first, we are weak in faith, lik
little children, but the word is as milk to the your
(1 Cor. iii, 1, 2.) and as meat to the strong men, (Hes
v, 14.) by which both are nourished and strengthene
And the PERFECTING of faith is connected also wi
the ministry of the word. St. Paul shews at sor
length that ministers are appointed for this end, eve
the perfecting of the saints. Eph. iv, 11-13. Rig
hearing of the word nourishes till it perfects faith.
will be found true, in general experience, that in pr
portion as the whole truths of God are clearly broug
before the minds of men by the public ministry of the
word, and as they faithfully and constantly attend it
so true Christian faith, with all its blessed effects,
spread and increase.

The reason is, it is promise

* Latimer thus meets the objection made from his admittis? that some of our forefathers might be saved without hearing"But some will say, What need we preachers then? God ca save his elect without preachers. A goodly reason! God Ca save my life without meat and drink, need I none therefore? God can save me from burning if I were in the fire, shall I rat into it therefore? No, no; I must keep the way that God hath ordained, and use the ordinary means that God hath assigned and not seek new ways. This office of preaching is the only ordinary way that God hath appointed to save us all by.” Sermon on Matt. xxii,2).

The Reformers insisted much on this. Cranmer, in b Catechism published in 1548, gives this exhortation-"For much as faith is the work of God and the light of our hearts, which God putteth in us by his word and Holy Spirit, (so that we cannot attain faith and the knowledge of Christ without

expense

at a divine power shall accompany the word-My Ard that goeth forth out of my mouth, shall not return to me void. The word of man, or of angels, has no ch power. Certainly, though men by persuasion can troduce many important changes of sentiment, no voice e word of men can by its native energy impart divine aith, and regenerate and convert the soul. John i, 12, 23; James i, 18. True Christian faith will not spring, br grow under mere human doctrine. Thus saith the Lord, is the only foundation for that faith which overcomes the world, and gives peace to the troubled conscience. St. Paul restricts the gift of faith in ordinary cases to the hearing of the word, as is evident from the

་

poe whole passage. Rom. x, 8-17. All systems of ethics, all mere human philosophy, all the wisdom of this world, are utterly insufficient. In Jeremiah (xxiii, 28, 29.) it is asked, with amazing emphasis and force of f Godar contrast, What is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord? is not my word like as a fire, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? The Holy Scriptures were written for the very purpose of producing faith in those who received them. These things, says St. John,

eason &

ere in the f ep the w of preaching

What God

to save wall

this, Cra

exhortati the light

1 Holy Spi

Age of Cat

God's word and true preachers,) therefore accustom yourselves even from your tender age to hear the word of God, that he by his Holy Spirit may move and stir up your hearts to true faith and knowledge of him." Tindal also, in his Exposition of 1 John i, 3-4, says, "To bring unto the fellowship of God and Christ, and of them that believe in Christ, is the final intent of all the Scripture, why it was given of God unto man, and the only thing which all true preachers seek, and whereby ye shall ever know and discern the true word of God from all false and counterfeited doctrine of vain traditions, and the true preacher from the wily bypocrite. We preach unto you, says John, that everlasting life which we have heard, and in hearing received through faith, and are sure of it, to draw you to us out of that fellowship which we have with the damned Devils in sinful lusts and ignorance of God."

Christians as following hearing the word of trut Eph. i, 13. Faith springs from the word, as the living plant from the root, and as the rays from the Sun. 1 is impossible for any one to become a believer in Ch but through some part of revealed truth made know. to him.* The PROGRESS of faith proceeds in the su way from hearing. At first, we are weak in faith, E little children, but the word is as milk to the your (1 Cor. iii, 1, 2.) and as meat to the strong men, (He v, 14.) by which both are nourished and strengthene And the PERFECTING of faith is connected also w the ministry of the word. St. Paul shews at sur length that ministers are appointed for this end, eva the perfecting of the saints. Eph. iv, 11-13. Rig hearing of the word nourishes till it perfects faith. i will be found true, in general experience, that in pr portion as the whole truths of God are clearly brough before the minds of men by the public ministry of th word, and as they faithfully and constantly attend i so true Christian faith, with all its blessed effects, spread and increase.† The reason is, it is promised

* Latimer thus meets the objection made from his admitting that some of our forefathers might be saved without hearing"But some will say, What need we preachers then? God car save his elect without preachers. A goodly reason! God can save my life without meat and drink, need I none therefore? God can save me from burning if I were in the fire, shall I rat into it therefore? No, no; I must keep the way that God hath ordained, and use the ordinary means that God hatlı assigned, and not seek new ways. This office of preaching is the only ordinary way that God hath appointed to save us all by." Sermon on Matt. xxii, 2.

The Reformers insisted much on this. Cranmer, in his Catechism published in 1548, gives this exhortation-"Fora much as faith is the work of God and the light of our hearts, which God putteth in us by his word and Holy Spirit, (so that we cannot attain faith and the knowledge of Christ without