Three lived to ninety five and upwards, giving one in one hundred and thirty two, that continued to this advanced period; and one lived to be one hundred and two years old, wanting about six weeks."

The sermon from which this paragraph was taken, was

1

preached at Weston, Jan. 12, 1813, "on the termination of a century, since the incorporation of the town." It is chiefly historical, and must be interesting to the people of that place, and may be entertaining and useful

to others.

Ir is an unquestionable truth, that the conversion and salvation of sinners is, in the gospel, ascribed to the spirit, the agency, and free grace of God. Nor have we the least desire to abate in the minds of men a sense of their dependence on God, or a sense of the freeness or the riches of his grace in the conversion and salvation of sinners. But if there be any views prevalent, relating to this subjest, which are incorrect, and which operate to defeat the gracious design of the gospel, it may be important to eradicate these impressions by a clear exhibition of the truth.

The views, which we apprehend many entertain, that are of a tendency to defeat the very design of the gospel, are thesethat such is the nature of the sinner's dependence on God, that nothing which he may, or can possibly do, will be of any avail to secure the divine favor, or have any tendency to bring him into a state of obedience to the gospel; and consequently, that he is just as likely to be converted in a course of neglecting the means of grace, as in a course of the most constant attention to them. It is

believed, that very few preachers would say all this in plain terms, yet it may be, that the manner, in which some of them treat the subject, has a tendency to make all these impressions on the minds of their hearers. Whatever may be the intention of the preacher, if such impressions be made, do they not tend to counteract the design of the gospel, and of the ministry of reconciliation? Such impressions naturally lead those, who view themselves in a state of impenitency, to feel in a measure justified in neglecting the duties which God has enjoined, in neglecting to attend on the ministry of the word and other means of salvation; or to feel, while they attend, as though little or nothing were depending on the manner in which they hear, read, or pray? And whether the prevailing neglect of the bible, of family worship, and even of publie worship, has not originated from such unfortunate impressions, is a question, which demands the serious attention of the clergy, and of christians of every

sect.

The dependence of mankind on God is not limited to the af

fairs of the soul. We are in all respects dependent beings. The sacred penmen were in the habit of ascribing all events, all afflictions, and all mercies, whether temporal or spiritual, to the divine hand. Nor do they more explicitly ascribe the conversion and salvation of a sinner to the agency and goodness of God, than they do the growth of corn, the blessing of food, and every other blessing which we obtain through the instrumentality of human exertions. If favors were bestowed on some persons by others, these also were ascribed to the ageney of God-God gave them favor in the eyes of such a person, or such a people. Now this constant reference of all things to the agency and disposal of God was never designed to lead men to a course of negligence in respect to the means, by which he produces effects and bestows his blessings; but to lead them to a sense of their dependence on God for every good and perfect gift, that in all their ways they might acknowledge him by prayer, and make suitable returns of gratitude for his goodness in every favor they receive.

The conversion and salvation of sinners are ascribed to the agency of God, to the agency of ministers, to the influence of the gospel, and to the agency of the returning sinner; just as we are taught to ascribe the blessing of our daily bread to the agency of God, to the influence of the sun and rain, to the fertility of the earth, and to the agency of the husbandman.

The benefits we receive by food or medicine are all to be ascribed

to God's goodness, and his blessing on the means we use, or which others use in our behalf; and all this in as strict a sense, as we should ascribe it to the grace of God, if the word preached prove effectual to the conversion of a sinner. We may be the subjects of natural diseases, whish would prove fatal, if no means were used for our recovery; we may use means, or the physician may use means, that prove effectual to remove or abate the malady, and of course to preserve life. But when these good effects follow the use of means, God's hand is as really to be acknowledged, as in any spiritual blessing we receive. Nor is there the least intimation in the scriptures, that men are more dependent on God in the one case, than in the other. Nor is there any reason for such an intimation; for in all things we are absolutely dependent. But our dependence is not of a nature to interfere with free agency and the efficacy of means.

As sinners, we are subjects of a moral disease; a disease, which will prove fatal, if no remedy be applied. This disease is of a blinding, as well as a criminal nature. Christ is our Physician. "The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." The Son has not only opened the door of salvation by the sacrifice of himself, but he has instituted means for our recovery. To carry into effect his great design he instituted the ministry of reconciliation. Accordingly we are told, that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God;" and that "whosoever call

eth on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Now as certain means are, by the grace of God, adapted to the purpose of healing bodily mala dies, so by the same grace, means are adapted to healing the malady of the soul. As food will not nourish our bodies, unless it be received; as medicine will have no effect to heal our natural maladies, if the patient reject it, or if he counteract its natural tendency, by taking other things, or by adopting any, course of conduet, inconsistent with the natural operation of the medicine; so neither will the instructions of the gospel have any saving effect, if they be rejected by the sinner, or if he suffer the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the love of other things, to choke the word. But where is the evidence from the seriptures, that the truths of the gospel are not as really adapted to the purpose of healing the diseases of the mind, as any medicine is adapted for healing the diseases of the body? What evidence is to be found, that the various means instituted in the gospel are not as really means of conversion and salvation, as any thing we do is a means of supporting or healing our bodies. It is strictly the grace and blessing of God, which connects the use of medicine with healing effects. It is the same in respect to the appointed means of salvation. And these different effects are equally the fruitof divine foreordination. As the conversion and salvation of a sinner is a greater favor than any thing of a temporal nature, so we should naturally expect, that it would be

spoken of in the scriptures, as an extraordinary display of the free, sovereign grace of God.

When our Saviour was on earth, he healed bodily maladies "by the spirit of God" in a miraculous manner; but that does not prove that ordinary means and medicines are of no efficacy or utility. The spirit, or divine power and agency, may be as really concerned in giving effect to the medicines and means used by a skilful physician, as they were in giving effect to the words spoken, or the means used by our our Saviour. In a similar manner, and by the same spirit, he could instantaneously change the moral state of a person, his feelings, his views and opinions; as in the case of Zacheus, Paul, and others. But these occurrences afford no evidence against the efficacy and utility of the instructions of the gospel, as means of conversion and salvation. The same spirit which accompanied the words of Christ, and connected them with the conversion of Zacheus and Paul, may give efficacy to the ordinary means, which the same Lord has instituted for the conversion of sinners. And those who, by the ministry of the word, are brought to repent and obey the gospel, are as really and as greatly indebted to the grace of God, as though the same effects had resulted from miraculous interposition. So men who obtain their daily bread by the sweat of their brows, or by the liberality of their friends, are as really indebted to the grace of God, as were the Israelites, who received manna immediately from heaven.

When God redeemed the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, he, by his providence and spirit, excited them to the use of those means which his purpose had connected with their deliverance. But their emancipation was as strictly to be ascribed to the agency and grace of God, as though he had by a miracle taken them all up into the air, transported them, and set them down again in the land of Canaan.

If these views of the subject could be suitably impressed on the minds of people in general, it is believed the consequences would be unspeakably important. Men would renounce their delusive hopes of being saved in the way of neglecting or abusing the means of salvation. A sense of their dependence on God would make them tremble at the thought of despising, or neglecting the means his grace has appointed. Bibles would be in demand; seeret and family worship would be revived; parents would be engaged to impress on the minds of their children the truths and duties of religion; and the houses of public worship would be thronged with persons, inquiring, "what shall we do to be saved?" It would then appear as inconsistent for men, to hope to be saved in the neglect of the means of salvation, as it now appears, to hope that our lives would be prolonged without eating or drink ing, or that the sick will be recovered without medicine means, or that corn will grow in uncultivated ground without even the ceremony of planting.

or

Let the minds of husbandmen in general be fully impressed

with the delusive idea, that such is the nature of divine sovereignty, and the dependence of mankind, that they are as likely to have a competency of bread, without cultivating the ground, as with the utmost care and labor; and what would be the natural 'consequences, but indifference, negligence, famine, and death?

It behoves us all to remember, that to be "born of God," to be "born of the Spirit," to be "begotten through the gospel," to be

born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God," are passages of similar import. "The sword of the spirit is the word of God;" and our Saviour said to the Jews, "It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life."

Nothing can be more groundless than the supposition, that this view of the subject diminishes the grace of God in the salvation of sinners. Does it not give him the glory of opening the way of life by the blood of his Son; of instituting means wisely adapted to our benefit; of presenting the most weighty motives to induce us to attend upon them; and, after all, of accompanying the means by his spirit, and blessing them for our salvation? If the means be not adapted to their end, why were they instituted? And if ministers do not view them as thus adapted, why do they preach the gospel? This view of the subject will rationally account for the many in. stances to be found of the most pious, humble, and persevering