A discourse of regeneration, faith and repentance preached at the Merchants-Lecture in Broad-Street by Thomas Cole ...

Application.

You see your Calling, Brethren, what outward Means God has appointed for your Conversion; Means not put into your hands for you to work by, and to shew your own skill in turning your own hearts,

but a Means that God himself will work by: The reason why so few are converted by the Word, is because they don't put their Conversion upon God, saying with Ephraim, Jer. 31. 18. Turn thou me, and I shall he turned. 'Tis our duty to submit to the use of Means, to place our selves un∣der them, waiting for the coming down of the Spirit to make the Word effectual; did we thus wait upon God in a real De∣pendance upon him, he would be found of us, his Arm would be revealed, we should see more of his Glory in the Sanctuary. Let us come then with raised Expectations of what God only can and may do upon our Hearts, praying that he would give some signal Testimony to the Word of his Grace.

The Word of God is either a certain Truth, or a cunningly devised Fable; if it be a Fable, Why don't you throw away your Bibles, lay aside your Profession, re∣solve never to hear a Sermon more? If it be a Truth, as I doubt not you all believe it to be, Why don't you follow it home, make something of it? 'Tis a Word where∣by you may be saved; give God no rest day nor night, till you attain that Salva∣tion. In our Saviour's time they follow∣ed him for the Miracles they saw done up∣on

the Bodies of men; the Word can do as great Miracles now upon our Souls: When you are going to hear the Word, think with you selves, I am now going to see what further change of Heart God will work in me; what Renovation of Spirit; what further Enlightnings; what fresh Comforts; what further Increase of God I may find in my inward man: Did you come in expectation of these mighty works of God in and upon your Hearts, no place would be large enough to contain the comers to the word, that they might have some experience of his mighty saving Power passing upon their Souls: As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wil∣derness, so we lift up Christ that you may look unto him, and be healed: You look unto men, you judg how much of Mans Wisdom, Reason, and Understanding there is in a Sermon; but there is not that earnest looking for the power of God unto salvation, as there ought to be.—Many come with itching ears to hear some new Notion set off with the enticing words of Man's Wis∣dom, as if the strength of Human Reason, by a Natural Operation upon the minds of men, could lead them into the belief of any thing that is said in the Pulpit, with∣out any inward efficiency of the Spirit;

but if this be all you look for, 'tis not worth your coming hither; we don't pre∣tend to any such Rhetorical Charms, to any such prevailing Influence over you; you may excel us in Acuteness of Wit, Quickness of Apprehension; you may be greater Masters of Reason than we are; but let me tell you, the right understand∣ing of what we preach to you, depends neither upon your Reason nor ours, but up∣on the bare Testimony of God; we tell you, Thus and thus says the Lord; that's Reason enough for you to believe, and 'tis the highest Reason we can give for your be∣lief; when you have once received any Gospel-Truth by Faith, you will easily in the light of that Faith, allow of every thing that may be rationally deduced from that Truth, as included in it, and belonging to it, though not discerned when you first believed; here lies your Edification, to know the extent of those Gospel-Princi∣ples which you first took in by Faith; this Faith is the Gift of God; Ministers per∣swade you to come to Christ, to repent and believe the Gospel, but 'tis God that turns the Heart to what we perswade you to: we call upon blind, dead, dark sinners to look unto Christ, but 'tis God must give them eyes to see him; all the perswasions

in the world, won't cause a blind man to see.

You'l say, To what purpose then is all this moral Suasion in the Pulpit.

Answer, To very good purpose, that whilst we are proposing the Object to you, God may take occasion to open the eyes of your Understanding, that you may, as men, discern the Object through the pro∣per Medium of Scripture-language so plain∣ly representing it to you. Believers do find by daily experience, that the Words of the Holy Ghost in Scripture being so full, so apposite and proper, do mightily help them in understanding the things of God, and to this end has God given all Ministe∣rial Gifts, That Preachers might be apt to teach, gathering up the sum and substance of the Gospel in their Sermons to the peo∣ple; God has appointed this way of In∣struction, has promised to be with us to the end of the world, and to work effe∣ctually upon the hearts of men by these very means; therefore let not any despise them, and count them foolishness; the Preaching of the Gospel is the Power of God to Salvation; these Weapons are mighty through God, as they are in our hands, they signifie little, if God did not fight with them even in our hands; we

hold the Weapons, and manage them as well as we can, but the piercing edge, the overcoming weight and irresistible force of them is from God; 'tis he that gives the blow, and does all the execution by them. God has in Infinite Wisdom made choice of such outward Means as have least of Man in them, that whilst we compare the weakness of the Means in a human Judgment, with the wonderful Ef∣fects of them in our hearts, we may be convinced of a Divine Power accompany∣ing them.

Let us come then into these Assemblies with raised Expectations of some signal Ap∣pearance of God in his Word, for the car∣rying on this Great work of Regeneration in our Souls; we should see the Glory of God, and be convinc'd that he is among us of a truth; you may come in one Spirit, go forth in another; come in one Nature, go forth in another; come in Scoffers, go home Believers; a plain proposal of Christ as Crucified for us, was the means of Con∣version in the Primitive Times, and so I am perswaded it is still: Some may with more Art, Elegancy and Learning, preach the Gospel, yet there is nothing in all this for Faith to take hold of, but the naked Truth; it brings nothing else into the

Conscience, but drops all the rest; What is the Chaff to the Wheat? I see nothing else required to believing, but a serious looking up to God in the use of means, for that anointing that teaches us all things; the Gospel is plain enough in its own terms, He that believes shall be saved; He that believes not shall be damned; Vnless you re∣pent you shall perish: What can be plainer spoken? We do as men know the com∣mon Notion of Faith and Repentance; tho what Faith in Christ Jesus is, what Repentance towards God is, we know not: Here we are at a loss, and ever shall be, till our Heavenly Father reveals these things unto us, giving us a true spiritual discern∣ing of them. You have had a Bible a great while, but it may be have not taken such notice of the Contents of it, as you should; go home and open it once more, and say, This is the word of God to Man, and to me in particular; why should I re∣fuse him who speaks from Heaven? I will sit down, and consider what I have read, what I have often heard; you don't know what hold the Word may take of you, what impressions it may make upon you; it may fill your hearts with such serious thoughts of God and Eternity, as you ne∣ver had before: And let me tell you, if

ever you be born again, it must be under the power of such thoughts, kept up and impregnated in your hearts, whilst you are thus musing the fire will burn, and the work will be done, you'l find a real turn∣ing of the Heart to Christ, which is the Obedience of Faith, that every New-born Soul does yield to the call of Christ in the Gospel.

'Tis a harder matter to Convert Profes∣sors now to the power of the Gospel, than 'twas to convert the Heathen World at first to the Profession of it; then Profession and Power went together; now they are unhappily separated; men hide them∣selves under a National Profession, with∣out any strict inquiries after their Personal Interest in Christ. They came out of Heathenism one by one, into the power of Religion: But now an hereditary pro∣fession of Religion come upon them, they know not well how, they have Abraham to their Father, born of Christian Parents, and Baptized, this is all the account they can give of themselves and their profession: Here Religion sticks, and here I am per∣suaded it will stick; till God by a special dispensation of his Spirit suited to the for∣mality of this professing Age, does send out Ministers by a special mission, to a∣waken

such who have only a name to live, but are indeed dead. When the Gospel was first Preached to the Heathen world, they knew they worshipped gods of their own making, they knew they were unbelievers, and enemies to Christ and the Gospel; but we Preach the Gospel now, to those who profess they worship the true God, pro∣fess Faith in Christ, and love to Christ; they profess themselves to be all that al∣ready which we exhort them to. There∣fore how should we pray that God would pour out more of his Spirit upon his Holy Prophets, and send them forth under a fresh anointing, that they may convince the constant hearers of the Word, that something more is required to the Salva∣tion of their Souls than an outward pro∣fession of Religion: And what that some∣thing else is, we are all concerned to en∣quire after.

We must not flatter those who have lived long under the means of Grace in an unregenerate state; but plainly tell them to their faces, that they have al∣ready outliv'd the most probable means of their own Conversion: There is yet a pos∣sibility of it, God calls some at the Ele∣venth hour; and if it be that time of day with any that hear me this Morning, and

the hour of Conversion not yet come, let them wait upon God with trembling, for that blessed moment wherein his Arm may be revealed upon their hearts, before they have quite done hearing▪ and quite done living in this world; if God do them good, it must be by the Preaching of the Word, which is the power of God unto salvation, to all that believe.

As the Word is the means of Regenera∣tion; so of all after edification, and growth in Grace: If you want comfort, more strength against corruptions, more com∣munion with God, the Word is of excel∣lent use to you in all these Cases;* 1.1 'Tis pro∣fitable for doctrine, for reproof, for corre∣ction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2 Tim. 3. 16, 17.