Charity divine.

Ahithophel was eloquent and wise, almost as the oracle of God; 2 Sam. xvi. 23. Saul, as well as Balaam, was among the prophets; 1 Sam. xix. 24. Solomon understood all mysteries and knowledge, but found them vain and insufficient to keep him from falling. Judas preached, and wrought miracles; but, at the same time, had a devil; Luke ix. 1, 2. The Pharisees gave great alms; but were a generation of vipers. Even heathens them-. selves, and amongst them poor Indian women, have surrendered up their bodies to torture and to death; but none of them, certainly, either with any sense of the love of God, or for his glory. The apostle's argument is, that these outward gifts. ALONE cannot possibly profit to eternity, because they cease or vanish in time: Even the believer's holy knowledge, as it is possessed here, shall be done away, because it is partial, and he sees through the medium of corruptible sense, as through a glass darkly, or enigmatically; which will not be the case in the soul's future perfect and pure vision of God: But charity, or the divine love, arising from the divine essence, and essential also to the very being of a true Christian, can never fail, nor cease, nor be extinguished.

All this proves the assertion, that grace and gifts are two separable things, even in the profession of the truest religion. Grace is peculiar to the children of God; gifts may be possessed by men, as such, whether heathen or Christian. The former is essential to the divine life; the latter, at best only ornamental or subordinate. A man may go to heaven without gifts; but, if he had all the fine parts and all the advantages of religious life and professsion in the world, without grace,

Grace and talents.

they would in the end profit him nothing. Many, it is to be feared, have written and spoken well concerning salvation, who never inwardly experienced or enjoyed it. They knew the theory, but not the thing.

By their fruits, such ever were and ever will be known. They have called Christ, Lord, Lord; and this was easy enough: But to do the things which he said, to take up his cross, and to follow him truly in the regeneration; this was above flesh and blood, and impossible to be done by those who have nothing else. This observation applies to professors at large: But the Redeemer himself carries it farther to persons in a higher class: Many, many will say to me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied (or preached) in thy name? and in thy name done many wonderful works (perhaps been made the means of converting souls, as Judas probably was)? and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from me, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY. Thus it appears, the devils may be subject to a man through Christ; and yet (what is of infinitely more consequence to himself) his name may not be written in heaven.

Where grace and talents are indeed united, they capacitate the possessor not only to be useful, but to shine: And to shine thus (like a diamond upon sable), reflecting purely the Redeemer's glory, and foiled (as it were) with meekness and humility, is a blessing to be wished for on account of others, rather than for any man's own concern, and therefore not to be envied. He that envies another's abilities, forgets the giver, and hath not learned the proper use of any, not even of his own. Great faculties require propor

Self-deception.

tionally the greater grace to manage them; or the corruption of the heart will pervert them to private ends, as it hath but too evidently done in a thousand cases. To colour the deception, there may be a shadow of zeal and abundance of activity with these talents, which may seem well laid out, and be very successful too among men, in the most serious and divine concerns: And yet, after all, SELF, that secret and subtle SELF, may be the main-spring, or final object, of the whole. Come see MY zeal for the Lord, said Jehu: while his great purpose was earthly splendor and dominion for himself. Herod preserved John (as the word means) and did many things by his suggestion, and heard him gladly; but, through pride and lust, he murdered him at the last. And so Judas (as was mentioned before) prayed and preached, and undoubtedly wrought miracles, as fairly and clearly as the other apostles; or certainly he must have been suspected by them for the traitor at the Lord's Supper, without any further occasion of troubling Christ with their repeated question, Is it I? Is it I? Had he been noticed for the least outward deficiency among those, to whom even the devils were obedient through the name of Jesus; John could have wanted no other sign. John xiii. 21, 26. An old writer gives another remarkable instance. An eloquent and distinguished orator maintained in a set discourse the truth of the Christian religion, with so much force and clearness, as to excite the admiration and astonishment of all that heard him. His friends warmly congratulated him on his success. He was alive to their praise; it was the very thing that he wanted. But to secure the honour (as he thought) more entirely to himself, he vaunted,

Devout prayer.

that, in taking the other side of the argument, he could as easily pull down all he had raised, and establish the contrary upon its ruins. Divine justice, we are told, was not slow to vindicate the divine glory; for he, who, notwithstanding his great abilities, was before a spiritual fool, became soon afterwards a natural driveller and an incurable ideot. His eminent powers, which at first seemed to be in employment for God, turned: out, upon trial, to be devoted to himself and his own own vain glory. These and such like things should ever occasion great searchings of heart.

Help me, O my God, to search mine! For this. end, do thou thyself examine me; and try my reins. and my heart. Leave no corner unexplored; but discover the whole, as it is, to the eye of my mind; let, O let me never be deceived about myself, nor fatally be a stranger to my own spirit, or to the principles of action within me. Let these be all simple, all pure; give me the single eye and the single heart, that no double views or intentions, no corrupt motives or desires, nothing, no, nothing but what proceedeth from thee, and leadeth to thee again, may direct and animate my soul. Let me cautiously regard all my faculties, and jealously watch over the application of all my powers, that every thing in me may proceed in the exactest conformity to thy will and word. It is my wish indeed, and this thou knowest, to act much for thee, but in no case and . at no time without thee; and, when thou callest me not to action, but to suffering and waiting, which is yet more difficult to man, O help me, like Abraham and Moses, to stand in patient submission as they stood, though my trial be drawn

All grace.

out, like theirs, through a dull and unpromising length of years. Be thou with me, and all shall be well, whether I bear or do. If I am to be silent or passive, support me, for I cannot remain thus by myself: if I am called to act, work in me to will and to do of thy good pleasure; for all thy truth, and my own experience, prove, that, in the business of spiritual life especially, without thee I can do nothing.

CHAP. XXXVII.

IT IS THROUGH GRACE THAT ALL ORDINANCES ARE RIGHTLY USED AND BECOME

BENEFICIAL.

As there is a talent of speaking with grace the things that are true and profitable; so there is a talent of hearing with grace, that those things may be received with edification. We may too often see and bewail a customary slight mode of hearing, which, instead of enlivening, deadens; instead of warming, fixes the cold; instead of promoting the life of God within, only confirmsthe life of the flesh throughout. This is sharply reprehended in Ezek. xxxiii. 30-32.

Some are for hearing a variety of preachers, others a multitude of sermons; not for profit but for pleasure, not to digest and turn the discourses into spiritual nourishment, but to satisfy the hurry and bustle of nature, which doth not love patient reflection nor the meditating labour of the soul. To hear only and commend this, and that,