godliness in the Churches at large, and throughout the world. Nor until the Spirit is poured out from on high will the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be accounted for a forest.

Then I would say, secondly, Labour to put out of the way all those impediments which may tend to obstruct the descent of the Spirit upon our souls and upon our Churches. Guard against trifling with prayer; guard against cold, barren, and inoperative speculations upon the essential verities of the Gospel, guard against formality, and all that tends to hypocrisy in religious worship; guard against those things which are hindrances to closet and to family religion, which are the immediate instruments and opportunities of growth in grace. "Be ye not conformed to this world," says the Apostle, "but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God:" and "this is the will of God, even your sanctification." Take care of trifling with conscience, not only in matters of religion, but even in the management and arrangement of secular affairs. Especially watch against that spirit to which, perhaps, we are tempted by the exciting character of the times-that spirit of strife, and that spirit of disputation, especially in subordinate points, which grieves the Holy Spirit of God. My dear hearers, if we would not impede the exercise of his operations, or the communications of his influences towards us, we must endeavour to breathe the spirit of which he is the author-the spirit of love, the spirit of meekness, the spirit of charity, the spirit of temperance, against which there is no law. Hear the charge which the Apostle gives in the Epistle to the Ephesians on this subject, where he says, "Put away from you all enmity, anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Thirdly: Acknowledge with thankfulness what God has been pleased already by his Spirit to effect in the midst of us. I conceive, my dear hearers, that there is a very wide difference subsisting between a humble and a lowly consciousness of our own imperfections, and a morbid kind of discontent with every thing and almost every body around us. There is a distinction between a murmurer and a revivalist; and one reason why we have not received larger measures of the Spirit of God, is, perhaps, that we have not thankfully and devoutly acknowledged our obligations to him for that supply of the Spirit which we have already received. For think what has been accomplished by divine power, and also by the peculiar and spiritual agency of the Holy Ghost in our land. Think of the deliverance of our country from the darkness of idolatry in which the inhabitants of it long dwelt. Think of our emancipation from the lamentable tyranny of the man of sin. Think of the removal of those oppressive laws which for a long time fettered and impeded us in the proclamation of the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ. Think of the wonderful multiplication of enlightened, talented, and devoted servants of God who are running to and fro that knowledge may be increased in our land. Think of the vast increase, (more than two-thirds) of the places of public worship which have been erected within the last fifty years: and think of the myriads of children who have been subjected, during that period, to religious education: or the billions and trillions of Bibles and tracts which have been freely circulated throughout our borders. Think of the numerous efforts which have been made, and which are still making, to spread the Gospel at home and abroad; to say nothing of the

almost countless minor institutions which are connected with the various Churches in our land, the great object of which is, either to mitigate the woes and sorrows of our race, or, in association with these, to communicate that knowledge that is to make men wise to salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. I must say, that when we put things honestly, and fairly, and truly before the eye of our minds-whilst we must humble ourselves before God that much more has not been effected, there is enough accomplished, to bid us to thank God and take courage, and to renew our zealous exertions, that the savour of Christ's knowledge may be spread abroad in every place.

Fourthly: Consecrate more time to fervent and to importunate prayerful intercession. Now, allow me to say here, that I set a high value upon extraordinary opportunities which are embraced to pour out earnest supplications before God, in our social circles and at our prayer meetings, for an enlarged supply of his Divine Spirit from above. At the same time, I set a higher value upon the stated, and uniform, and habitual maintenance of a spirit of prayer in the closet, at the family altar, and at our regular meetings for worship. And here I think, that you and I, as a congregation and a Church, are lamentably defective for although we have been pointed out by others as having our vestry crowded (and I am now speaking freely, for I wish to speak usefully) when we meet together for the important enjoyment of prayer; yet what are those included within such narrow walls compared with those who are accustomed to attend in the house of God? A very small proportion indeed. Whether it is from timidity, that is wrong; whether it is from a reluctance to the engagement, that is worse; or, without adverting to motives, which may influence individuals—whatever it may be which keeps us back from frequenting the house of God for one hour, or for two hours, in the whole of the week, apart from the Sabbath, to plead with him on topics of the most momentous concern, to call down the plenteous effusion of the Holy Ghost, without which all the preaching and the various ordinances which we attend, and the means which we employ will be little better than useless. Surely we must consider ourselves as guilty in this matter: and I do hope that one of the early symptoms of revival which I venture to calculate upon and anticipate within these walls, one early indication will be, a renewed determination to attend habitually on that minor ordinance, as it is called, only because it is badly attended, which however is closely and vitally connected with the growth and with the permanent prosperity of our religious society.

Now my dear hearers, be it your concern, then, when you enter into your closets to plead powerfully for the effusion of the Spirit of God. Pray, "Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." "Restore unto me the joys of thy salvation, and uphold me by thy free Spirit." For revivals begin in secret. When you bend your knees, with your wives and children, and your families, around the domestic altar, plead importunately for the descent of the Holy Spirit: for revivals progress and advance in the family circle. Then when you come forth into the sanctuary of God, plead fervently that God would pour down richer supplies of his Spirit than was ever known in days that are past. Say," Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?" "Revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known." If earthly parents, being evil, "know how to give good gifts unto their children,” how much more has our heavenly Father promised to give good gifts unto them that ask him. When once, my dear brethren, the ministers

of the Gospel conseorate their energies to devotional engagements; when once our people, members of our churches, and others whose hearts are deeply impressed with the sense of the importance of divine things, but who have not yet come into the midst of us by a more public profession; when once, like so many princes and princesses, they are taking heaven by violence, having power with God, and prevailing, saying, "We cannot let thee go except thou bless us;' then we may hope, that there will be such a rich effusion of the Spirit's influences that the earth shall in due time be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Lastly: Consider that the days are hastening on when there will be a more ample effusion of the Spirit's influences upon the Church than has ever been since the days of the Apostles. If time would permit I should have enlarged upon this point; but I will concentrate all which I should have advanced in this single observation; that if the statements which were made to you in the course of our first sermon to-day, respecting the events which are to transpire in the millenial age were scripturally represented and were correct, then it follows, that that rich and glorious result which we are led to expect from the promises, and predictions, and representations of God's word cannot take place unless we have a larger supply of the Spirit of God than we have yet had. Nevertheless, my dear hearers, let us not suppose for one moment, that our prayers for the descent of his influences, and that our anticipations for the descent of his influences and of his gifts in richer measure, are to set aside other practical works. No; you and I may judge I assure you, of the sincerity of our prayers by the subsequent dispositions that we shew, and the consequent demeanour that we display. Pray to God, in dependence for all your success, for those influences without which Paul may plant and Apollos may water in vain. Never attempt to set aside activity, but ever to brace up, to nerve, to invigorate the principles of that zeal which He discovered who said, "The zeal of my Father's house hath eaten me up." Therefore, while we would press upon you the importance of renewed intercedings for the Spirit of God, and the importance of simple and entire dependence upon his agency for the success for which we long; let me charge it upon your souls to be zealously affected in a good cause, and labour diligently as well as dependently, in the exercise of a holy zeal, wherever you have influence and opportunity, to extend abroad that Gospel which is "the saving health of all nations "

242

THE DOCTRINE OF PROVIDENCE.

REV. S. ROBINS,

PORTMAN CHAPEL, BAKER STREET, FEBRUARY 2, 1834.

"We trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 1 TIM. iv, 10.

But,

A CAREFUL and a pains-taking consideration of this passage, and a comparison of it with other passages of a similar tendency, will, I think, convince us that it has no direct reference to God's dealings in his dominion of grace. It is said that he is "the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." The speciality is to the believer; but, in some sense or other, the term "Saviour" may be applied even to God's dealings with those who are unbelievers. we know there is not one covenant blessing to which they can lay claim; we know there is not one soul-blessing that belongs to them; because belief in God is the one single channel by which every spiritual gift comes to the heart of the people of God. Therefore the unbeliever can have nothing to do with those blessings, the sole ground of which is faith in those that accept it-faith which looks unto Jesus who made the purchase of those blessings with his own blood. We come to the conclusion, then, that the word which in this passage we find rendered "Saviour," simply means "Preserver;" and then we can refer the whole passage to God's dealings in his kingdom of Providence. We know full well that he causes his sun to shine on the evil and on the good, that he causes the rain to descend on the just and on the unjust. It seems as if God were scattering the gifts of Providence with an equal hand upon all, as if there were no discrimination between the one class and the other-between those who render him the requital of thankful hearts, whose very souls gush out in affection for what the Lord hath done, and those who, with a flinty hardness, refuse to acknowledge God as the giver of his own bounties. Now, we know that, in the one case, every gift which the Lord bestows is blessed and sanctified to the soul; and, in the other case, that most fearful, that most tremendous saying is accomplished" God curses their very blessings." The unbeliever, indeed, has God for his Saviour-that is, for his Preserver; he is upheld by him, he is sustained in the midst of an existence surrounded with danger: but every mercy he receives, every blessedness that God pours out upon him, is only another item written out on the page of God's account book; it only adds another item to the long catalogue of his neglected mercies. "God is the Preserver of all men, specially of those that believe.”

This brings before us two points of consideration, and upon them I desire your present undivided attention. I pray also that you ask for me that God may direct me, that I may direct you that he may teach your minister-that he may teach those who hear. First, I would speak of the doctrine of

Providence in its application to the natural and moral government of the world; and secondly, of the doctrine of Providence in its application to the interests and the concerns of God's believing people.

As to the first head of our discourse, THE DOCTRINE OF PROVIDENCE AS APPLIED TO THE NATURAL AND MORAL GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD-it might be a question not altogether devoid of interest, and not altogether without importance, how far it were possible that the unassisted intellect of man could arrive at the knowledge of this doctrine of a special Providence interfering in all our concerns, and directing every event that befalls us. I think it probable, by an attentive consideration of the theology of the Ancients, that we should come to the conclusion that man may work out for himself, by the mere unassisted effort of his own mind, some notion on the point: because we find that among the Ancients who professed some belief in a God, all, I believe, with the single exception of the Epicurean school, believed in the doctrine of Providence: and we can easily see why those who placed their highest earthly delight in pleasure and enjoyment, however intellectual and exalted they might pretend that pleasure was, would form to themselves such a God as would allow them to pass a dreamy existence and would wink at all the impropriety of their doings.

Since, then, we find that the belief of a Providence obtained amongst those who were not absolutely and avowedly atheists, we are compelled to believe that man's unassisted reason would find out and arrive at the knowledge of this doctrine. If he believed that there is a God by the mere deductions of his own mind, he would believe also that God interferes in the affairs of the creation he has formed. Nay, I think I might take the very institution of worship which has obtained so widely over the surface of the globe, as a proof that men believe in a Providence; for if they thought not that their god or gods interfered in the management and control of human affairs, why should they apply to them? why should they lay sacrifices on their altars?

But however we might dispose of this part of the subject, whether human ingenuity could teach or find out the doctrine, of Providence, we are quite sure that every page of the Bible teems with this doctrine and that it is the very key to the understanding all the contents of God's book. Take away the opinion that he has a superintending power-that he directs, and controls, and restrains, and curbs all human events—and I protest it is utterly impossible to understand a single page. If we had no other argument, the very existence of prophecy would be enough-the foretelling of events not only the largest and most palpably important, but even those which appear minute and are apparently most insignificant. This, then, is a plain and irrefragable argument that God possesses a superintendence over human affairs in bringing all these things to their exact and precise accomplishment. Nay, we will take the testimony of David on this head to be enough: he says, “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising, thou understandest my thoughts long before. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." Yes, that God who exerts his Providence in the natural world-He who upholdeth all things by the word of his power, exerts his Providence also in the moral world, in the controlling and the governing of human events.