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This, however, would have been in vain, had not the Spirit caused that very seed, which was planted and watered, to grow: so that these ministers should become successful "labourers together with God." The Lord did give the increase, and they were, therefore, persons "by whom," or instruments by which, the Corinthians were brought to the saving belief of the truth. The Spirit created these sinners anew in Christ, but it was through Paul as a spiritual father. God gave it to him and others, to enlighten the eyes of the Gentiles, and bring them to the knowledge of that truth, which is able to make men wise to salvation. 1 Tim. ii 4. and 2 Tim. iii. 15.

Paul calls Timothy his "own son in the faith ;" and concerning Onesimus, a servant, who had fled from his master to Rome, whom the apostle had been the instrument of converting, he says to Philemon, "I beseech thee for my son, whom I have begotten in my bonds" When Paul would persuade the master to receive his servant kindly, he says, "if he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account," and then delicately adds, "I do not say to thee, how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides." Paul had actually begotten, by the gospel, to spiritual life, Timothy, Onesimus and Philemon.

If there are no means of communicating "the grace of faith," why do we read of one sinner's turning another from the error of his ways, to serve the living God? Why is it said, "that he which converteth a sinner shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins?" James v. 20. Why did Paul become "all things to all men," but that he "might by all means save some?" Why do we find such a caution and promise as are contained in these words? "Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." 1 Tim. iv. 16. Paul informs the Romans, that he was ready upon all occasions to preach the gospel, because it was "the power of God unto salvation," and because he desired and expected "some fruit among" his hearers. Rom. i. 13, 16. Why is a "ministry of reconciliation" appointed for the church, and continued in it, by divine appointment? 2 Cor v. 18. We are informed, Eph. iv. 11, 12, that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and

teachers were given "for the perfecting of the saints-for the edifying of the body of Christ;" which is the church. Evidently, then, there are means of grace; there are means by which the vineyard of the Lord is cultivated, and his " "building," his temple, erected.

Many other parts of the holy scriptures might be adduced, to prove that purchased grace is conveyed from Christ, by the operations of the Holy Ghost, through faith; and that the gift of faith is ordinarily communicated through the instrumentality of

truth.

God's people are made willing, in this manner, to embrace Jesus, in the day of his sovereign grace and almighty power. Man is enabled to wield the sword of the spirit, the word of God: and the Lord makes bare the bosom of his foes, directs the attack, and makes the weapons of the spiritual kingdom sharp in the hearts of the King's enemies. Eph. vi. 17. and Ps. xlv. 5. The "word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb. iv. 12.

Having arrived at the conclusion, that divine truth is the medium through which the Spirit communicates faith, and thus effectually calls the heirs of salvation, it remains to be exhibited, by what means THIS TRUTH is brought into operation.

Instead of working without instruments, in teaching the truth, God invariably adapts them to his designs. The knowledge of God, of man, of the law, and of the gospel, is to be conveyed to the human mind. It does not please Jehovah, so far as we can learn, immediately to create ideas, or thoughts, upon these subjects; but he presents objects, and employs both our bodily organs and mental faculties. When God has been pleased to make an immediate revelation of any truth, he has even then done it through the faculties of the being, which were already in existence. When "at sundry times, and in diverse manners," God "spake in time past" to the prophets, and through them to the fathers, the Holy One assumed some visible form, and used the

sounds of a human voice. His revelations were through signs, visions, sounds and dreams.

That all

To perpetuate the knowledge of saving truth, the Father of mercies has given mankind the Holy Bible. From this we derive knowledge, through our organs of sight, or of sound. * We either read or hear it. These scriptures we are to search and meditate upon, with diligence and devotion. Parents are to teach them to their children, masters to their pupils and servants, and the ministers of the gospel to all classes of men. may have access to the truth, the scriptures are to be published in all languages, and spread to all lands. That the people may be constrained, and in some sort compelled to hear the whole truth, public teachers are to expound the scriptures, and the missionaries of the cross are to preach the gospel to every creature. In this manner will be ushered in that glorious day, when effectual calling will be universal, and the knowledge of God. will cover the whole earth.

The means which Jehovah uses to bring those to the knowledge of the truth, who shall be heirs of salvation, are almost as numerous as their peculiarities of character and situation. Ask twenty intelligent Christians by what means God effectually called them out of daukness into his marvellous light, and each will have to exhibit something singular, in the mode of divine operation through the truth. The Lord, who made us, knows every string which reaches the human heart, and his hand can touch ten, or ten thousand of them, so as to produce heavenly melody in that soul, which once resounded only with infernal discords.

All those means, which are blessed by God, for the conveyance of salutary truth to the mind, may be called means of grace, or means of effectual calling; because God makes use, some. times of one, and at other times of another, or of many in union, to work his pleasure in the soul.

FAITH is the primary, and TRUTH the secondary means of be stowing grace. The means of conveying truth constitute a third order; and these may be subdivided into three classes.

He

The first comprehends those in which divine providence is the immediate author of the means, as well as of the gracious influences. God sends affliction, disappointment, tribulation, sickness, adversity generally, or prosperity, or some unusual occurrence, which he causes to promote serious reflection. awakens sensibility, perhaps by the death of a friend, child, or partner; he knocks loudly at the door of the sinner's heart; forces a passage for truth, quickens the conscience, convinces of sin, slays by the law, and then freely gives faith in "one mighty to save." By his unusual providences the Lord often speaks, causes the sinner to hear, and makes the dead soul live.

The second class comprehends those means, which men use by divine appointment, and under the guidance of Providence for the salvation of their fellow men. Of this description are the training of children in the way in which they should go, family worship, the preaching of the word, the other public ordinances of the Lord's house, particularly the administration of the sacraments, gospel discipline, the example of the pious, and friendly admonition. All these may come under the general denomination of planting; and when seed is, in this manner, committed to the soil, God does usually give the increase.

The third class comprehends all those means, in which impenitent sinners, either from the force of conscience, education, habit, or any other cause, are used under Providence as agents, immediately acting upon themselves. It is not pretended, that God requires any thing short of immediate and perfect holiness, or that the unrenewed sinner serves God by the use of these means; for his heart is unsubdued, and there is not found one good thing towards the Lord God of Israel, in any part of him. Still, we affirm that God, who brings good out of evil, through the sovereign grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, often causes sinners, essentially and everlastingly to serve themselves. What they perform from no good motive is often converted, by the Holy Spirit, to their saving benefit.

The second and third classes of subordinate means are not un

frequently caused to co-operate. The parent trains his child, and from filial affection, natural but not holy, the child consents

to be trained; and the Spirit of the Lord operates through this concurrence of means, so that when the child is old, he departs not from the way of wisdom.

A master reads the word of God. In obedience to `command, or from a conviction of decorum, his servant attends, and God sets home to his heart the words of life.

A gay, thoughtless youth, is instigated by advice, curiosity, or the insufferable fatigue of doing nothing, to frequent the house of God. His attention is first gained by the eloquence, logic, zeal, or manifest sincerity of the preacher. Christ is preached, and the doctrine of Christ crucified, induces a spirit of inquiry. The rebel begins to consider his way, (Hag. i 7.) and his latter end. Deut. xxxii. 29. The law performs its appropriate work, and the gospel becomes unto him the power of God unto salvation. The ordinance of baptism is administered, and another sinner, who came to please a pious parent, is taught of God that he needs to be washed in the fountain set open for Judah and Jerusalem. Prayer is offered. An impenitent person makes an attempt to pray; and is for the first time convinced, that his heart is not right with God. The knowledge of this truth is instrumental in preparing the way for the reception of the gift of faith. The Lord's supper is celebrated. An impenitent sinner sees an acquaintance, a father, a mother, a child, a partner, seated at the sacramental table, and is constrained by the Spirit of the Lord to ask, even to the salvation of his soul, "why should not I become a guest ?"

A believer exhibits in his life the excellency of christianity; an unbeliever takes knowledge of him that he has been with Jesus; and looking upon the image of the Son of God, is changed through the knowledge of God, into the same likeness.

One newly converted lisps the praises of Jesus. An unconverted friend listens, and exclaims, "once it was otherwise! I heard blasphemy now I hear ascriptions of glory to Christ. Whence this change? There must be a power in the gospel; a reality in Christianity." Again he listens, catches the tones:

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