296 S E R MO NS upon Serm.XXXVd[T expect to gather grapes from thorns, aid figs from thiftles, as that man of his own ac- cord tbould become good and holy ; and that we (hould be able to bring our own hearts to love God', and delight in God, ph 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Well then, fince ad are not good, but tome are, whence cpmeth the difference ? Is it from a better temper and conftitution of body ? That is a benefit and gift of God, but this is not the whole caufe; many befot bravewits, and fpoil an excellent temper and con(litution of body, by their intemperance and incontinency; and on the other fide, many of crabbed and depraved tempers, matter their natural in- clination by grace ; and God doth often chufe beams and rafters for the Sanauary, of the moli crooked timber. Is it education, and letting their inclinations right from their infancy ?'Tis, I confefs,a great advantage,tobe brought up in the nurture and informati- on of the Lord, in a courfe of vertue and religion, Prov. 22. 6. Train up a child in the way that he fbbould go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. The fitft infutions flick by us, and conduce, if not to converfion, yet to conviction; but many wreft themfclves out of the arms of the belt education, and turn the back upon all thole godly counfels and iu(trultions which are inflilled into them. Is it the ordinances and means of grace? there certainly have great force and efficacy this way ; God knoweth what keys will fit - the wards of the lock ; if any thing, the Doctrine of the Gofpel will do it. But they have not all believed, Rom. to. t6. For Ifaiah faith, Who hath believed our report? We fee the fame feed that thriveth in the good and honed heart, is loft in high -way, Bony, thorny ground ; the difference is not in feed, but flail, whatever means and helps you can imagine, all is nothing, till God puts a new heart into us. Is it a good temper and dif- pofition of mind, fo that grace is reprefented to us congruently, fo that it tindeth us fitly prepared? Certainly feafons Ibould not be over - flipped; but yet this is not the ade- quate caufe of convection, that fome believe, others not, becaufe we are fo happy to find them in a difpofition of mind to obey the word; we fee that many that come with an ill difpofition and temper of foul to hear the word of God, yet God taketh them by the heart ; people ( hould bring a prepared mind, free from dilirattions and preju- dices-3 but that is not all that is neceffary: we are to ufe the means, but the fuccefs is from God, who will take his own time; Chriftíans when they think themfclves belt prepared, find not that efficacy in the word they could defire. 2. Allgood is of God, t Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to d r? And what haft thou, that thou haft not received? And Jet. 24. 7. I willgive them a heart to know me. 'Tis his grace maketh the difference, Ivlatth. 13. t I. 'DJ given you to know the myfiery of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given. 'The caufe of putting a difference between the one and the other, is in the will of God the giver : The advantages in the means, of better temper, better miniftry; fomewhat there is in that, Ads 14. 1. They fo fpake, that a great multitude of Jews and Greeks believed; all this is to be imputed to Gods ex- ternal providence; one way of preaching may be mole apt to convert fouls than ano- ther; a dart headed, and feathered, and fent out of a ttrong bow, will pierce deeper, than falling of its own weight; pure folid Doctrine, rationally enforced, is more likely to do the deed : But yet the thorough caufe of the difference is internal grace, chang- ing the heart, and powerfully inclining it to God, A &s tt. 21. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord. 'Tis Gods mighty power maketh the difference. 3. Whatever God doth in time, he purpofed to do before all time; for God doth nothing rattily, and by chance, but all by counfel and predeflination, 'tis according to his put- pole, efpecially in mans falvation ; nothing is done, but what he decreed to be done, even the lead circumttance, time, means, and occafion, 'cis all according to purpofe, not of yeflerday, but from all eternity. APIs 9. t t. Gods fending Ananias to Paul; and was not that foreknown and determined ? VS E. Is to prep us to admire grace.Nothing moved God to let out his love upon us, but his free,eternal,diftingui(hing love; nothing keepeth the heart fo right with God,as a due fenfe of his free grace and love ; for the glory of his grace was the great thing God aim- ed at, in all his dealings with us, Eph. t. 6,12. To the praife of the glory of his grace,where- an he bath made us accepted in the beloved ; That we fhould be to the praife ,of his glory, who Çtrfl trutled in Chrifi. Rom. 9. 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the veld' of mercy, which he had afore prepared nato glory. This is the (Cindy of the faints, Eph.3. t8, tg. May be able with all faints, to comprehend what is the breadth,and length,and depth, and height, and to know the love of Chrii fi, which pa /eh knowledge. f'is the great excite-
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