Divine efficacy without humane power. Opened in a sermon preached at St. Margarets Church…

When the soul of a man is in such straights and perplexities, that all the world is not able to comfort him, one sentence out of the word wisely managed by the hand of faith, is able to bear up the heart, and to make it victorious, above all the powers of darkness. Wit, wealth, power, policy, youth, strength, security, sensuality, worldly employments, will peradventure serve a while to fence against fear and discouragement; but these are but like a bush in a storm, which shelters a while, and after annoys with its own dropping. Nothing will minister durable and final comfort against all doubts and fears, but a word from God seasonably brought unto the conscience, this alone can hold up the heart against the roarings of Satan, and all the powers of darkness. You may haply have before you many knotty and difficult debates, and be at a stand which way to steer your judgement, and to dispose your suffrage; men may, like Carneades, dispute plausibly & probably on either side, ⟨p. 21⟩and the substantial merits of a question may lie hidden under the Oratory which hath pro & con been spent upon upon it. In such cases attend not only to what you have heard spoken, but with David, make the word of God your Counsellors, Psal. 119. 24. Let not frowns dismay you, let not interests bias you, let not paralogisms dazzle you, but seriously weigh what is most consonant to the Will of God, what is most likely to promote the great Ends which that calls for, the Glory of God, the Salvation of men, the Cause of Religion, the Simplicity of the Gospel, the Spirituality of worship, the peace, unity and integrity of the Church, the healing and setting in joint the dislocated and divided affections of men, the impartial settling of judgement and righteousness in the Land. And when you hear a word behind you, saying, this is the way, then walk in it, turn not to the right hand or to the left, Isa. 30. 21.

When the soul of a man is in such straights and perplexities, that all the world is not able to comfort him, one sentence out of the word wisely managed by the hand of faith, is able to bear up the heart, and to make it victorious, above all the powers of darkness. Wit, wealth, power, policy, youth, strength, security, sensuality, worldly imployments, will peradventure serve a while to fence against fear and discouragement; but these are but like a bush in a storme, which shelters a while, and after annoys with its own dropping. Nothing will minister durable and final comfort against all doubts and fears, but a word from God seasonably brought unto the conscience, this alone can hold up the heart against the roarings of Satan, and all the powers of darkness. You may haply have before you many knotty and difficult debates, and be at a stand which way to steere your judgement, and to dispose your suffrage; men may, like Carneades, dispute plausibly & probably on either side,