from the very meanest of men, but cannot get even this. For Abraham answered him, (that is, his conscience is enlightened by the Word of God to have such feelings,) that this cannot be; because he had his portion of good things in this life, and is now deservedly to be punished; while those whom he, when alive, despised, are to be raised again from the dead. And at last, the conscience has a feeling, as though it heard words saying, that there is a gulph unalterably fixed between it and those that are of faith, so that no one can pass from the one to the other.

These thoughts arise from desperation: that is, from a full knowledge and persuasion in the person, that he is excluded for ever from the Word of God, and that there is no remedy or help whatever to be obtained. Hereupon these thoughts boil up more and more in the heart, and the person wants to have these dying agonies made known to the living, and miserably requires some one to be sent from the dead, to make them known unto them. But here again there is felt a repulse; and the person immediately hears this answer in the ears of his conscience: that they have Moses and the Prophets, in whom they ought to believe, and in whom he himself ought to have believed.

Behold! All these things are what passes between the condemned conscience and the Word of God, when the storms of death come over it. No living man can know what these things are, nor any but those who experience them; and those who do experience them, would have others to be told what they are--but that cannot be.

The third question is. At what time these things took place? and whether or not this rich man continues to be in such torments unto this day, and will continue in them until the last day of the world shall come? This question is very subtle, and very difficult of solution to the minds of the ignorant. For in the consideration of this question, all idea of time is to be kept out of the mind; and we must remember, that, in the next world, there is no such thing as time or hours, but all things are swallowed up in an eternity; as Peter

saith, 2 Epist. iii. Wherefore it appears to me, that under the example of this rich man, is shown us what takes place in all the ungodly when their eyes are opened in the agony of death; and that this remains but for that moment, and then goes off again until the day of judgment; but that, the whole is as God shall please, and that we cannot here set up any certain standard. Wherefore, I would not presume to declare positively, that this rich man is wracked with these torments to this day; nor, on the other hand would I say that he is not; for each of these is as God may will. Suffice it for us to know, that we have here an example, of the certain execution of those torments that are inflicted on the ungodly.

SERMON VI.

ON THE STRENGTH AND GROWTH OF FAITH AND LOVE.

EPHESIANS iii.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named; That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to com-· prehend with all saints what is the breadth and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to

do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us; unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

HITHERTO, the apostle Paul has described in this Epistle, the office of the ministry which the Gospel in the New Testament sets forth. And he presents to our view in the most sublime and exalted language, what an ocean of benefit, of power, of wisdom, yea of all blessings, that office brings unto us: namely, that God by this ministry sheds upon us copiously all wisdom and power, and all that good which he hath in abundance, both in heaven and in earth. For the Gospel proclaims unto us life from death, righteousness and freedom from sin, deliverance from hell and every evil, and translates out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God. Which things are so great, that Paul cannot find words to describe them; and he speaks of them in language so sublime, that expressions more exalted could not be used. And then, to all this he adds, as it were, a certain concluding climax; praying, that all these great things may not be preached and be brought to the external hearing and judgment only, but may reach to the heart also, and may work in the internal recesses of the mind in the same way as their external sound reaches the ear. For, it is of little service that they be taught by the sounding voice only, and be heard by the ear, if they do not enter into the heart and break forth into works. The kingdom of God, as Paul saith, standeth "not in word but in power." For all these things ought internally to be believed in the heart, and that faith ought to excercise itself externally in love, so that the whole may be power and not word, life and not talk! These things were so ordained, that the word might not rest on the tongue and in the ears only, but become power, and that works might proceed from it. In the Old Testament also Moses said many things in words, but no one did the works. But here, we are to say little, and work much. Hence it is, that Paul here prays, that the Gos

pel may not be preached in vain, but may accomplish that for which it is preached. Behold! what a pillar Paul is to Christianity, and what an example and rule he gives, especially to ministers themselves, for the way of building up the church! We rashly commit the matter to the mercy of the winds. For as soon as we have heard the Gospel and have learnt to talk a great deal about it, we think that it is sufficient, nor do we suffer this our coldly conceived knowledge to proceed any farther, so as to go forth into works also. And most certainly our great deficiency is here:-we do not continue instantly in fervent prayer. Whereas, it becomes us to ply continually the ears of God, to groan to him day and night, and to entreat him to give efficacy to his Word, that it might operate on the heart! as David saith, Ps. lxviii., “Lo, God will give power unto his voice, which he sendeth forth.' And this ought to be the great concern, not only of all preachers of the Gospel, but also of all Christians: and for the attainment of this, there should be continual prayer, that God, who has given us the knowledge, would also grant us the power; in order that, his word may not only rest upon our lips, but be brought to "effectual working." For this is now every where the great complaint, that there is a plenty of preachers but no effectual workmen. Nay, on the contrary, the hearers of the word are rendered so frigid, lifeless, and dead, that, to their shame be it spoken, they are less inclined to diligence now than they were before; and that too, when so great and so clear a light has risen upon us, that if we be not blinder than moles, we may all see what is good and what is evil throughout the whole world. Wherefore, we have more than an abundant cause for betaking ourselves to prayer, as Paul does here; where he says, 'You have now an abundance of blessings, and the Word is poured upon you as a flowing torrent; which is so preached to you, that it is set as meat immediately before you. "For this cause, I bow my knees," that God would accompany it with his blessing, and would have respect unto his glory and

honour; and that he would strengthen and confirm you, that the Word may beget in you in due time, as in fruitful trees, fruits meet for Christians.'

And here observe how he prayed. He adapts the gesture of his body to his prayer. And although those gestures which are made outwardly, are mere hypocrisy when they are alone, yet nevertheless where the prayer is true and lit up from the fire within, where necessity is the chief thing that urges, then the gestures of body given unto us are good, and, through the word, make an impression upon the people. By this also, we are ourselves inflamed, and bow our knees and pray for them who have heard the Word. Wherefore, as soon as the word is lit up in the heart, and burns, the body will rightly form itself unto it by the lifting up of the eyes and hands, and the bowing of the knees, and there will be no need of any care to form the gestures. This is how Moses, and David in his psaltery, prayed. When thou hast thus prepared thyself; that is, when thou prayest out of a fervent heart, the external gestures will come of their own accord, for the spirit will press them forth. Wherefore, they are not altogether to be banished from prayer, excepting when they are performed, without the Spirit from mere hypocrisy, as though we thought by them, as a meritorious work, to gain the hearing of God, when the heart is not engaged in them: as the Prophet saith, Isaiah xxvi., "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

Paul saith, moreover, I bow my knees "unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." And thus I have always taught you,-that no one should ever attempt to speak any thing, or pray at all before God, unless he approach him under that name that Paul here does: namely, as "the father of our Lord Jesus Christ." For Christ is our only mediator, and no one can approach, pray to, or be heard by the Father, but he who comes unto him in the name of the Mediator, acknowledging him as his Lord, and as being given unto us of God that he might intercede for us, and might rule both our body and our soul. The prayer that is thus offered up, is ef