The greater probability is justly inferred, agreeably to the promises of scripture, from the prayer's being accepted and heard. But a great deal of caution and circumspection must be used in drawing inferences of this nature. Persons may in many ways be deluded. The ground on which some expect that they shall receive the thing they have asked for, is rather a strong imagination than any humble faith in the divine sufficiency. They have a strong persuasion that the thing asked will be granted, (which they can give no reason for) without any remarkable discovery of the glory and fulness of God and Christ, that is the ground of faith. Sometimes the confidence which persons have, that their prayers shall be answered, is only a self-righteous confidence and no true faith. They have a high conceit of themselves as eminent saints and special favourites of

God, and have also a high conceit of the prayers they have made, because they were much enlarged and affected in them, and hence they are positive in it, that the thing will come to pass. And sometimes when once they have conceived such a notion, they grow stronger and stronger in it, and this they think is from a divine hand upon their minds to strengthen their confidence; whereas it is only by their dwelling on their own excellencies and high experiences. In order to our drawing a just inference from the supposed assistance we have had in prayer for a particular mercy, and judging of the probability of the bestowment of that individual mercy, many things must be considered. We must consider the importance of the mercy sought, and the principle whence we so earnestly desire it, how far it is good and agreeable to the mind and will of God; the degree of love to God that we exercised in our prayer, the degree of discovery that is made of the divine sufficiency, and the degree in which our assistance is manifestly distinguishing with respect to that mercy. And there is nothing of greater importance in the argument, than the degree of humility, poverty of spirit, and resignation to the holy will of God, which God gives us the exercise of, in our seeking that mercy. Prayer for a particular mercy with much of these things I have often seen blessed with a remarkable bestowment of the particular thing asked for."

These thoughts on a subject which has engaged no inconsiderable attention in our own day commend themselves to those who would rest their faith on the word of God, as its exclusive foundation. They justify the general conclusion that in regard to the most important blessings, if we receive not, it is because we ask not; or do not ask with that degree of humility and simplicity of faith which becomes us. But they do not justify the unqualified assertion so often made, that if any person, or body of men, receive not a particular blessing which is not specifically promised to believers, it is because they have no faith. The highest degree of faith in the judgment of Edwards, is connected with only the proba ble experience of such a blessing, though particularly implored. The withholding of it therefore does not certainly prove that those who seek it have not faith even in its highest exercise; and much less that they have no evangelical faith.

Errors in conduct had arisen also, the author remarks from the "principle that whatever is found to be of present and immediate benefit, may and ought to be practised, without looking forward to future consequences. In opposition to this principle, he insists that, in regard to measures not particularly enjoined in the Scriptures, we are to be governed by discretion, and that sound discretion requires us to look not only at the immediate effect, but also at the probable remoter consequences-particularly that ministers should be cautious of unnecessarily ruffling the minds, and exciting the opposition of those whom they consider unconverted,

of introducing things new and strange which have a tendency to surprise and shock men--and generally, of hasty zeal and violent measures. What he would have said concerning the practice of persual ding the unconverted to enter into

engagements respecting their repentance, we cannot certainly decide; but that he would not have adopted it, merely because it might prove in many instances successful, his general principle decides; and the only remark which I would make respecting it, is, that in a eoncern of this moment, whatever is done, should be clearly defined and well understood. If it be intended only to persuade impenitent sinners to promise that they immediately begin to carry into effect those general purposes of seeking God at some undefined period, which most impenitent sinners under the gospel adopt, they should understand that this is all that is meant. Or if the design be to induce them to promise that within a specified time, they will turn to God, in evangelical repentance, this also should be understood: and they should also be taught the nature of that repentance which they engage to perform, and be made to perceive that at the moment of their making the promise, they have no intention of fulfilling it, and no reasonable ground for the belief that they will fulfil it, but their fulfilment of it depends entirely upon the sovereign pleasure of God, without respect to any previous wishes, intentions or promises of their own. Paul appealed to his brethren that his ministrations had been without guile. Every semblance of duplicity, or artifice is most abhorrent to the work of winning souls, and when suspected can hardly fail of confirming the obduracy of those whom it is employed to gain. No instances of its apparent success can justify it. It is in itself odious to the God of truth, totally uncongenial to the gospel, and, in its general tendency, favourable only to the kingdom of darkness. If therefore any choose to gain promises from the impenitent, (and there are few faithful ministers it is believed, who never endeavour to VOL. I.--No. VI.

39

gain them in some form) let there be a fair and full understanding of the nature of the promise sought.

Under the head of "things to be corrected or avoided," the practice of "lay-exhorting," has an important place; and amidst the disputes which had arisen on that subject, the author supposes that all were agreed to as to these two things-that all exhortation of one another by laymen is not improper, but on the contrary some kind of exhorting is a Christian duty,--and that there is also some kind or way of exhorting and teaching others, that belongs only to the office of teach

ers.

These two ways of teaching and exhorting may be expressed by the two names of preaching and Christian conversation. But then a great deal of difficulty and controversy arises,to determine what is preaching and what is Christian conversation. His thoughts, on this view of the subject, are expressed under two general remarks.

horting one another ought not to clothe "First, the common people in exthemselves with the like authority with that which is proper for ministers. In order to a man's preaching, special authority must be committed to him. How shall they preach except they be sent? Ministers, in this work of teaching and exhorting, are clothed with authority as Christ's messengers, as representing him, and so speaking in his name and in his stead. And it seems to be the most honourable thing that belongs to the office of a minister of the Gospel, that to him is committed the word of reconciliation, and that he has power to preach the gospel as Christ's messenger."

This rule, however, he observes, is violated not by the circumstance of "the numbers in whose hearing a layman speaks;" or "of his loud and earnest voice;" or "of the public place in which he happens to be;" but by "his setting himself up as a public teacher;" or "the authoritative language and manner which he assumes."

"And then may a man be said to set up himself as a public teacher when in a set speech, of design, he directs himself to a multitude, as looking that they should compose themselves to attend to what he has to say; and much more when this is a contrived and premedi tated thing, without any thing like a constraint by any extraordinary affection that he is then under; and more still, when meetings are appointed on purpose to hear lay persons exhort and they take it as their business to be speakers, while they expect that others will come and attend as hearers. When private Christians take it upon them in private meetings, to act as the masters or presidents of the assembly, and accordingly, from time to time, to teach and exhort the rest, this has the appearance of authoritative teaching." -Secondly, no man but only a minister that is duly appointed to that sacred calling ought to follow teaching and exhorting as a calling. If a layman does not assume authority in his teaching, yet if he forsakes his proper calling, or doth so at least in a great measure, and spends his time in going about from house to house, to counsel and exhort, he goes beyond his line and violates Christian rules. Those that have the office of teachers or exhorters, have it for their calling, and should make it their business as a business proper to their office; and none should make it their business but such. Rom. xii. For I say through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the proportion of faith. For as we have many members, in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we being many are one body in Christ. He that teacheth let him wait on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortation. 1 Cor. xii. 29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? 1 Cor. vii. 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. It will be a very dangerous thing for laymen, in either of these respects, to invade the

office of a minister. If this be common among us we shall be in danger of having a stop put to the work, and the ark's turning aside from us, before it comes to Mount Zion, and of God's making a breach upon us; as of old

there was an unhappy stop put to the joy of the congregation of Israel, in bringing up the ark of God because others carried it besides the Levites. And therefore David, when the error was found out, says, None ought to

:

carry the ark of God but the Levites only for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God and to minister unto him for ever." And because one presumed to touch the ark, that was not of the sons of Aaron, the Lord made a breach upon them and covered their day of rejoicing with a cloud in his anger."

Never was there a time, it should be remarked, when there was a greater demand for Christian instruction and exhortation, than that in which these thoughts were published; and never were complaints of the negligence, blindness and unfaithfulness of constituted teachers more common. Whatever circumstances can be supposed to justify a departure from the order of the gospel on this subject, then existed. In the view of many the existing circumstances did justify such departure; and the disunion, error and misrule which resulted, the lapse of eighty years has not been sufficient to remove. Happy if we are effectually warned by experience so painful!

To these remarks already extended beyond my original design, I shall subjoin only a single selection from the "Thoughts" of Edwards concerning the importance of pastoral zeal. There is perhaps no part of the work which so much as this deserves the frequent contemplation of the ministers of Christ. It is far easier to descant upon the extravagances of the favoured instruments of divine grace in winning souls, than to summon one's self to a decided and patient zeal in prosecuting his work. It is possible that the greater part of the prejudices which are felt and uttered against those whom God honours, will be found to have originated in a spirit of indifference to the object of their toil. It is scarcely

to be doubted that if the sweeping violence of ignorance and misguided zeal is deplorable, the dead calm of a timid, self-indulgent, worldly-wise, luke-warmness is far more so. Too many of the ministers of the gospel, it is to be feared, are satisfied with the soundness of their doctrine, and the regularity of their ministrations; and when their people are still slumbering in death, with the convenient reference of the event to Him who "will have mercy on whom he will have mercy." Without controversy salvation is of the Lord. No human power can convert a soul. But neither the freeness of divine grace, nor the sovereignty of divine operations, supersedes the necessity, nor affords a reasonable discouragement, in the application, of the appointed means of salvation. When a minister of the gospel has sought a revival of religion among the people of his charge; when he has made the awakening and conversion of sinners a distinct object of persevering prayer and strenuous effort; when he has prosecuted this object by a patient application of all divinely appointed means "both publicly and from house to house;" and when for a series of years, his zeal for it has been a principle of action, paramount to his love of ease, of esteem, of worldly convenience, and literary gratification, if at last he have entirely failed of success, then he may take up the lamentation "I have laboured in vain-I have spent my strength for nought and in vain." It would be presumptuous to say that the case supposed has never even in this favoured period of the most favoured dispensation of God, been realized; but of all matters which experience has sanctioned, nothing is better established than the principle, that the man who, by the use of divinely appointed means seeks the conversion of souls, may proceed with as cheering hope of success,

as he who by a wise selection of means, devotes himself to the or dinary objects of human pursuit.

“Two things,” says Edwards in the passage to which I referred, "that are exceeding needful in ministers, as they would do any great matters, to advance the kingdom of Christ, are zeal and resolution. The influence and power of these things, to bring to pass great effects, is greater than can well be imagined: A man of but an ordinary capacity, will do more with them, than one of ten times the parts and learning without them: More may be done with them, in a few days, or at least wecks, than can be done without them, in many years. Those that are possessed of these qualities, commonly carry the day, in almost all affairs. Most of the great things that have been done in the world of mankind, the great revolutions that have been accomplished in the kingdoms and empires of the earth, have been chiefly owing to these things. oughly engaged spirit, together with The very sight or appearance of a thorfearless courage and unyielding resoluthe managing any affair amongst mantion, in any person, that has undertaken kind, goes a great way towards accomplishing the effect aimed at. It is evident that the appearance of these things in Alexander, did three times as much towards his conquering the world, as all the blows that he struck. Oliver Cromwell did, owing to these how much were the great things that things? And the great things that Mr. Whitefield has done, every where, as he has run through the British dominions, (so far as they are owing to means) are very much owing to the appearance of these things, which he is eminently possessed of. When the people see these things apparently in a person, and to a great degree, it awes them, and has a commanding influence upon their minds; it seems to them that they must yield; they naturally fall before them, without standing to contest or dispute the matter; they are conquered as it were by surprize. But while we are cold and heartless, and only go on in a dull manner, in an old formal

And

round, we shall never do any great matters. Our attempts, the appearance of such coldness and irresolution, will not so much as make persons think of yield

ing: They will hardly be sufficient to put it into their minds; and if it be put into their minds, the appearance of such indifference and cowardice, does as it were call for, and provoke opposition. Our misery is want of zeal and courage; for not only through want of them, does all fail that we seem to attempt, but it prevents our attempting any thing very remarkable, for the kingdom of Christ. Hence, oftentimes it has been, that when any thing very considerable, that is new, is proposed to be done, for the advancement of religion, or the public good, many difficulties are found out, that are in the way, and a great many objections are started, and it may be, it is put off from one to another; but nobody does any thing. And after this manner good designs or proposals have oftentimes failed, and have sunk as soon as proposed. Whereas if we had but Mr. Whitefield's zeal and courage, what could not we do, with such a blessing as we might expect?

"Zeal and courage will do much in persons of but an ordinary capacity; but especially would they do great things, if joined with great abilities. If some great men, that have appeared in our nation, had been as eminent in divinity, as they were in philosophy, and had engaged in the Christian cause, with as much zeal and fervor as some others have done, and with a proportional blessing of heaven, they would have conquered all Christendom, and turned the world upside down. We have many ministers in the land that do not want for abilities, they are persons of bright parts and learning; they should consider how much is expected, and will be required of them, by their Lord and master, and how much they might do for Christ, and what great honour, and how glorious a reward they might receive, if they had in their hearts an heavenly warmth, and divine heat, proportionable to their light."

A FRIEND TO REVIVALS..

The Death of Christ; being the Substance of several Sermons delivered in Park Street Church, Boston, in the month of January, 1826. By S. EDWARDS DWIGHT. Boston Crocker & Brewster.

(Continued from page 277.)

11. His death was voluntary. Under this head, the circumstances are brought together, which go to prove, that Jesus might at the time of his final apprehension, have escaped the hands of his enemies, as he had often done before. But the appointed hour was now come; the hour too when he was voluntarily to deliver himself up to death. This he did. The whole is appropriate ly and forcibly illustrated.

12. His death took place early after he entered upon his public ministry. Under this head, Mr. D. shows how little at the time of his