SERMON VII. THE TRUE REASON WHY PEOPLE DO NOT May I ever read and preach thy Word, O God, with the fame fpirit with which it was written. Give me, and all that shall hear me, a lively sense of the Almighty power of a True Faith, to enable us to overcome all the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil: and purify all our hearts by this faith, that we may profit by thy word, be converted and faved, through thy mercy in Jefus Chrift. Amen. HEB. iv. 2. THE WORD PREACHED DID NOT PROFIT THEM, NOT BEING MIXED WITH FAITH IN THEM THAT HEARD IT. A MONGST the great number of Chriftians who every Lord's day hear the word of God read, explained, and preached; how many are there, who by their lives shew plainly that they do not profit, are not bettered by it! This is a melancholy confideration; and therefore it will be neceffary that you fhould know what is the true reason why people do not profit by Sermons. We are told, in the words just read to you, that it was for want of faith. God God had promifed the children of Ifrael the land of Canaan for an inheritance for themfelves and their pofterity. They were told that they would meet with difficulties, and fo they would not go forward; that is, they would not take God's word, that he would deliver them out of all the difficulties and dangers they should meet with. This highly difpleafed God; and for a punishment of their unbelief, they were none of them who thus diftrufted the promife of God, not one, was fuffered to fet a foot in that good land. Now this is the cafe of too many Christians. The bleffed God would have all his creatures enjoy that happinefs for which they were created. As matters now ftand with us, we cannot poffibly be happy, till our natures are mended, and changed for the better. We foresee fome difficulties in doing this; we will not give credit to the word and promife of God, that he will make us able to overcome all difficulties, and fufficiently reward us when we have done fo. What will this end in? Why; juft as it did with the children of Ifrael. They never faw the land of Canaan, by reason of their unbelief. And, as fure as they did not enter into the promised land, fo fure fhall not any Christian see the heavenly Canaan, the kingdom of Heaven, who will not attend to, and give credit to God's word, his promises, and threatenings, and order their lives accordingly. a See Deut. i. 32, &c. Now; Now; this word, and these promises, and threatenings, are read and preached every Lord's day. How then comes it to pass, that the generality of Chriftians are not bettered by it? The answer is, the text juft now read: The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. You fee, Chriftians, how much depends upon a true and faving faith-even no less than your eternal falvation or damnation. It would be an high prefumption for any minister of Chrift to say this, without authority from God's word. Hear then what our Lord Christ faith," Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall be damned: that is, he that believeth the gofpel, which contains God's mercy to man, and man's duty to God, and is baptifed, and promiseth and yieldeth fincere obedience to that gofpel; every fuch perfon, man or woman, fhall certainly be faved. And as certainly, every one, man or woman, who believeth not that gospel, which also containeth God's wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men; whoever receiveth not this gofpel, nor believeth it when preached to him, fhall be damned. Now, if these two concerning truths do not awaken every one who hears them, it must be for want of attending to them; or, in the words of the text, for want of faith in them that hear them. Mark xvi. 15, 16. c Rom. i. 18. But But to awaken, and to cure us of this want of faith, this must be the work of thy grace, O bleffed God! To thee we must apply for grace to hear thy word with seriousness and attention; and for faith to profit by what we hear. We are affured, that without faith it is impoffible to please God. We are affured also, that a faving faith is the gift of God. And this gift and grace will not be denied to any one who begs it of God with a desire to be bettered by it. So that every one is without excuse, who does not hear the word preached, and profit by it. The ministers of God are appointed by him to read to you and to explain the truths of the gofpel. To make Jesus Christ and his gospel known unto men. To endeavour to convince them of the danger they are in without a Redeemer. To fhew men what they must do to be faved. To beg of God to blefs their inftructions. To endeavour to awaken the confciences of the careless, and to make them feel, if poffible, the diseases they labour under, and the wounds which fin hath made in their fouls; that they may more chearfully embrace the means which the mercy of God hath provided for their recovery. For God is fo wonderfully good and merciful to his unhappy creatures, as to promise, that he will pardon the greatest sinners who shall repent and return to their duty, and will make them happy for ever. When When these things are heard and not minded, as if people had no concern in them, no wonder they do not profit by our fermons: for converfion and falvation are not always the effect of fermons, but the grace of God accompanying them, and the difpofition by which they are heard and received; namely, if they are heard with pleasure, and attended to with seriousness. Now, to keep these merciful truths in your minds,-to perfuade you to attend to them,to give credit to them,-not to ruin yourselves by not minding them;-thefe are the end of all our fermons. And may God give his bleffing to them, and to all that hear them with faith and attention! In order to this, you must first know what that faith is, the want of which is the occafion of people's not profiting by Sermons: Why; in few and plain words, faith is the believing, the giving entire credit to, the truths which God has made known to us in his holy word. And this faith is to be attained by bearing, attending to, and dwelling upon, thofe truths; and begging of God fo to open and fet them upon our hearts, that we may not be eafy, till, by God's grace, we live like people who fincerely do believe fuch truths. Perhaps you will fay, we do believe the truths of the gofpel. Pray have a care of deceiving yourselves. Remember the words of the VOL. I. K apostle, |