The Method of Grace

Inference 3.

How sore and terrible a judgement lies upon the souls of those ¹men to whom no word of God is made powerful enough to convince and awaken them! Yet so stands the case with thousands who constantly sit under the preaching of the word: many Arrows are shot at their Consciences, but none goes home to the mark, all fall short of the end: the Commandment hath come unto them many thousand times, by way of promulgation and ministerial inculcation, but never yet came home to their souls by the spirits effectual application. Oh friends, you have often heard the voice of man, but you never yet heard ⟨p. 366⟩the voice of God: your understandings have been instructed, but your Consciences to this day were never throughly convinced; We have mourned unto you, but ye have not lamented, Mat. 11. 17. Who hath believed our report, and unto whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Alas, we have laboured in vain, we have spent our strength for nought, our word returns unto us empty; but O what a stupendous judgement is here! Heb. 6. 7, 8. The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. What a sore judgement and sign of Gods displeasure would you account it, if your fields were cursed; if you should manure, dress, plough and sow them; but never reap the fruit of your labour, the increase being still blasted? And yet this were nothing compared with the blasting of the word to your souls: that which is a savour of life unto life unto some, becomes the savour of death unto death, to others,