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suppose an ability to "bring forth out of our treasure things new and old," for daily as well as Sabbath Ministrations.1 Oh! how do we need the spirit of prayer, and the active habit of faith, to maintain our watchfulness in "neglecting not," and our diligence in "stirring up," for daily use, " the gift of God, that is in us by the putting on of hands!" Every fresh exercise links us to our people with "a cord" of reciprocal feeling, that "is not quickly broken:" and opens their hearts to the reception, and the more established enjoyment, of the truth. Every sphere of parochial labour thus becomes an overspreading "shadow," inviting our people to "dwell under it;"3 so that, in the recollection of its enlivening refreshment, they are ready to adopt Philip Henry's exclamation at the close of the Sabbath—'Well; if this be not the way to heaven, I do not know what is.'4

CHAPTER X.

WANT OF FAITH.

THE Baptist Missionary Society was raised upon two simple ideas, suggested by Dr. Carey, in a sermon upon Isaiah liv. 2, 3, shortly before his embarkation for India-' Expect great things; attempt great things.' This expectation is the life of faith-the vitality of the Ministry-that which honours God, and is honoured by God. All our failures may be ultimately traced to a defect of faith. We ask but for little, we expect but little, we are satisfied with little; and therefore we gain and do but little. Our Saviour called this principle into exercise in almost all his miracles, and his almighty power appeared (so to speak) to be fettered by the influence of unbelief. This power of faith in outward miracles seems intended to encourage its exercise with respect to the greatest of all miracles-the conversion of the soul. Indeed no limit, except the

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11 Tim. iii. 2. Matt. xiii. 52. An American divine encouraged his son to these familiar exercises with the assurance, that he had found as much advantage by them as by most of his other studies in divinity: adding, that he looked upon it as the Lord's gracious accomplishment of that word-" Shall I hide any thing from Abraham? For I know Abraham, that he will command," &c. Mather's New England, iii. 150.

2 1 Tim. iv. 14. 2 Tim. i. 6.

4 Philip Henry's Life, p. 192.

3 Alluding to Hos. xiv. 7.

5 Mr. Scott remarks, in a letter to his son-'I must be allowed to think, that we have not success, because we ask not, and do not stir up others to expect and ask the blessing from God only.' Life, p. 393.

6 Comp. Matt. viii. 2, 3. ix. 2.

Mark xi. 22, 23, with Matt. xiii. 58. Mark vi. 5, 6.

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sovereign will of God, bounds the warranted expectation of believing prayer. The dispensations of grace are established upon this rule-" According to your faith be it unto you."2 The life of faith, therefore, is the life of the Minister's work, and the spring of his success.

A confidence, indeed, that has no foundation in the Divine promise, is not faith, but fancy. But the ground of Ministerial faith is the engagement, purpose, and promise of God-" The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform this." Much would be expected from this determined and fervid principle in human hearts, though so often misguided, disproportionate, and uncertain. But how overwhelming is the thought of this affection possessing the heart of God-of the deep interest of his infinite mind in the progress of the kingdom of his dear Son-his thoughts engaged in it-his unsearchable plans embracing it, and controlling all the mighty movements of the world to subserve this main design! How solid therefore is the rock, on which the Christian Ministry rests as the grand engine for the accomplishment of the purposes and promises of God !4

The extreme difficulty of the exercise of faith is not however readily apprehended. Sometimes we see a faint and sinking heart, where better things might have been expected. Jeremiah's case is most instructive to young Ministers-bold in public, but giving way in secret; full of compassionate weepings over the misery of his people, but "pressed above measure" under the power of his unbelief.s

Self-dependence is the grand hindrance to our efficiency. Our glorious Head "hath the residue of the Spirit," as the fountain and grand repository for his Ministers. But, apart from the constant supply from his fulness, who are we, to call the dead to arise to a new and spiritual life? Where is the quickening virtue innate in our agency? To lean upon human instrumentality, instead of the Almighty power-is like Elisha trusting in his staff, instead of his Master-presumption, which will bring us under the humbling rebuke of our jealous God. Again, a lack of godlý simplicity shews itself in a trust to hopeful appearances, rather than to the full and faithful promises of our God. We are ready to say of some bright momentary prospect-"This same shall 1 Comp. Matt. xxi. 22. 1 John v. 14, 15.

2 Ibid. ix. 29.

3 Isaiah ix. 7.

4 Calvin remarks on this ground, that Ministers should go up into the pulpit to preach the word of God in his name, with that strength of faith as to be assured, that their doctrine can no more be overthrown than God himself. Comment on 2 Cor. iii.

5 Compare Jer. ix. with xx. &c.

* Mal. ii. 15. Compare Col. i. 19, with John i. 14, 16. iii. 34.

7 See 2 Kings iv. 31.

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comfort us concerning our work :" so that, when "we see not our signs:" or when, "as the morning cloud and the early dew," they have "gone away," we are on the verge of despondency. Now if the promises were the ground, and favourable appearances only the encouragements of our hope, our minds would be preserved in an equipoise of faith; dependent and sustained under every variation of circumstance: "rejoicing in hope" amid the withering blasts of disappointment; and even "against hope believing in hope, strong in faith, giving glory to God." But the want of a due recollection makes it more easy to exercise a personal than a Ministerial faith, though the warrant in both cases is the same; though the principle of faith is of equal power of application to every exigency; and though the training for the discipline of the Ministerial warfare is the fruitful result of our personal trials.

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The main difficulty, therefore, is not in our work, but in ourselves; in the conflict with our own unbelief, in the form either of indolence or of self-dependence. When faith is really brought into action, the extent and aggravation of the difficulty (even were it increased an hundred-fold) is a matter of little comparative moment. Difficulties heaped upon difficulties can never rise to the level of the promise of God. To meet the trembling apprehensions "Who is sufficient for these things?" the answer is ready "Our sufficiency is of God." There is a link in the chain of moral causes and effects, which connects the helplessness of the creature with the Omnipotence of God, and encourages the creature to attempt every thing in the conscious inability to do any thing: and thus "in weakness" thoroughly felt, Divine "strength is made perfect." It is equally important to feel our abasement, and to maintain it with a corresponding and proportionate exercise of faith. Let us lie low, but let us look high; let us realize our weakness and strength at the same moment; let there be a remembrance, as well as a present exercise of faith. The Apostle supported his mind under the pressure of his responsibilities, not merely by his general interest in his Master's all-sufficiency, but by the recollection of what it had wrought in him. This recollection will assure us of the sufficiency of Almighty grace; and that, though the work immensely exceeds all human resources, the power and promise of God are fully equal, and faithfully pledged, to the exigency. No difficulty is therefore insurmountable. Our Lord has

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32 Cor. ii. 16. iii. 4. 5 Ibid. iii. 5, 6—"who also hath made us,” &c.

invested the principle of faith with his own Omnipotence. The least grain will remove a mountain from its place. What then would not a large grain-what would not many grains-do? If the weakest exercise is so mighty, what might not be expected from the habit of faith? May we be always sending up the disciples' prayer—“Increase our faith !"

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But to apply its operations to the different departments of our work—If the Ministry be a spiritual employment, it must be conducted on spiritual principles. Faith, therefore, belongs to every part of it. It is the mainspring and the regulator: it enters into every wheel and pivot of the machine. The power or the want of it is felt at every single point, enlivening or paralyzing the work. Thus in preaching-how encouraging are the recollections, that we are nothing, but we hold the rod of God's power in our hand— that his presence is pledged to bless our word-and that our poor Ministrations of his all-powerful Gospel are the appointed means of gathering and edifying his Church! It is faith also, that gives a tone of boldness to our public addresses. We cease to fear the face of man, when we realize the power and presence of God. Men of faith are the most successful preachers. Whitfield is said to have seldom preached without the seal of conversion to his message-Such is the effect of a simple reliance on the power of God! On the other hand, a formal preaching of Evangelical truth, being without faith, is wholly unproductive. And may we not also trace the barrenness even of an earnest Ministry to the same source—a want of practical conviction that the work is of God? Does not sometimes a dependence upon our accurate expositions, forcible illustrations, or powerful and persuasive arguments, lead us to forget, "that the excellency of the power is of God, and not of us?" Do we never feel as if our light must open our people's eyes as if they must see, be convinced, and persuaded? The use of means honours the work of the Spirit. But depend-· ance upon means obscures his glory, and therefore issues in unprofitableness. Again-in our parochial visitation-how much more natural is it to speak from our own mouth than from God's! How hard to maintain the habitual simplicity of faith-looking for the "wisdom that is profitable to direct;" for the word of seasonable doctrine, reproof, or consolation to the several cases of our

1 Mark ix. 23.

2 Compare Matt. xvii. 20. 'There are perhaps, but few Ministers of Christ,' (observes Quesnel on this verse) 'to whom, on their addresses to him in prayer, he might not answer: that the weakness of their faith is an hindrance to the conversion and improvement of souls.' 3. Luke xvii. 5. 4 See 1 Cor. i. 21. 6 2 Cor. iv. 7.

5 Compare 2 Peter ü. 5. with Heb. xi. 27. Acts iv. 24, 31.

of our faith-discouragements properly sustained, proved the channels of spiritual strength to ourselves, and of abundant spiritual blessings to our people.

It is most important habitually to contemplate our work in its proper character as a "work of faith." As such, it can only be sustained by the active and persevering exercise of this principle. This it is that makes it a means of grace to our own souls, as well as a grand medium of exalting our Divine Master.

It is faith that enlivens our work with perpetual cheerfulness. It commits every part of it to God, in the hope, that even mistakes shall be overruled for his glory; and thus relieves us from an oppressive anxiety, often attendant upon a deep sense of our responsibility. The shortest way to peace will be found in casting ourselves upon God for daily pardon of deficiencies and supplies of grace, without looking too eagerly for present fruit. Hence our course of effort is unvarying, but more tranquil. It is peace-not slumber, rest in the work—not from it. Faith also supports us under the trials of our Ministerial warfare with the clear view of the faithfulness of the covenant, and the stability of the church. And indeed, as all the promises are made to faith, or to the grace springing from it, this is the only spring of Christian courage, and Christian hope. Unbelief looks at the difficulty. Faith regards the promise. Unbelief therefore makes our work a service of bondage. Faith realizes it as a "labour of love." Unbelief drags on in sullen despondency. Faith makes the patience, with which it is content to wait for success, "the patience of hope." As every difficulty (as we have hinted,) is the fruit of unbelief; so will they all ultimately be overcome by the perseverance of faith. To gain therefore an active and powerful spring of renewed exertion, we must strike our roots deeper into the soil of faith. For the work will ever prosper or decline, as we depend upon an Almighty arm, or an arm of flesh. Few, probably, even of the most devoted servants of God, had duly counted the cost before they put their hand to the plough; and from the want of these preparatory exercises of faith, arises that oppressive faintness which gives the enemy

1 1 Thess. i. 3.

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2 Many of us can feelingly enter into Brainerd's experience, both in his depressions and subsequent elevations.-Oh! how heavy' (says he) 'is my work, when faith cannot take hold of an Almighty arm for the performance of it! Many times have I been ready to sink in this case. Blessed be God, that I may repair to a full fountain.' 'I stagger along under the burden'-writes another exercised Minister-like the poor travellers cast away in the desert, ready every step to sink under it. But when it seems as if I could not take another step, but must lie down and die, some spring opens to my view, and I get strength and courage to drag on a little further.' Memoir of Dr. Payson of America.

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