A SERMON

DELIVERED AT THE INSTALLATION OF THE REV. THOMAS MATHER SMITH, CATSKILL, N. Y., JUNE 15, 1831.

1 Cor. 3: 7.-SO THEN NEITHER IS HE THAT PLANTETH ANYTHING, NEITHER HE THAT WATERETH; BUT GOD THAT GIVETH THE INCREASE.

As the agency of God in the concerns of his spiritual kingdom is so inexpressibly important, and is made so prominent in the instructions of his word; why are we so prone to overlook it? How comes it to pass that we make so low an estimate of the agency of God, while we assign so high a place to the agency of man?

This, I think, may be accounted for in part by the fact, that man's agency is visible, while God's agency is invisible. When a Christian minister is laboring to make known divine truth and bring sinners to repentance, the agent and the agency are both objects of our senses. But God is invisible; and so is the agency he exerts. The effects of his agency come under our observation; but the agency itself lies wholly concealed from our view. When God accomplishes the most conspicuous work, his hand is unseen, and all we can behold is the work accomplished. This circumstance, which weighs much by itself, has an increased influence, by being connected with another, namely, that in the very in

stances in which the invisible agency of God is specially employed, there is, for the most part a visible human agency. In such cases, how natural it is for us, creatures of sense as we are, to fix our eye chiefly upon the dependent, feeble agency of man, because it is visible; while the supreme and almighty agency of God, concerned in the same event, is comparatively unnoticed, because it is invisible.

I might mention it as an additional circumstance, which helps to account for the oversight above mentioned, that the manner of the divine agency is so different from ours. A great difference we could not but expect to find here, considering that the attributes of God are infinitely superior to ours; and that his agency is independent and almighty, while the highest agency which we can exert, is very circumscribed and wholly dependent. But is it not a general fact, that this very perfection of the divine agency turns off our attention from it? Because God has a direct and perfect access to the minds of men, and influences all their thoughts, dispositions and affections according to his own pleasure, and thus makes it manifest that his ways are not our ways, and that no one can be likened to him; we are therefore prone to disregard his agency altogether. We deny the operation of his power for the very reason which should lead us most devoutly to acknowledge it; namely, because it is infinitely superior to ours.

But there is still another reason for the mistake I have mentioned, that is, the pride of the heart. This naturally inclines us to make too much of our own agency, and to say, my hand hath done this. Just so far as we are lifted up with pride and vanity, we shall be disposed to overrate our own influence, and to withhold from God the glory which is due to him for the agency he exerts in the souls of the redeemed. He who would entertain right views on this subject, must mortify all pride and loftiness of heart, and cherish the spirit of humility and self-abasement. Such a spirit would prepare us to honor God, as the supreme cause of all good, and to say with our Apostle, "neither is he that planteth anything, nor he that watereth; but God who giveth the increase."

But my principal object on this occasion is to show, that the doctrine of divine influence, as held forth in the text, presents the only adequate encouragement to the servants of Christ, to labor for the conversion of sinners and the prosperity of the Church.

To convert sinners, to give success to the gospel and prosperity to the church, is a work of immense magnitude and difficulty, and far transcends the power of man. The heart of every human being is inclined to sin; deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. This is the case even with those who are furthest removed from the contagion of vicious example, and least practised in the ways of sin.

But in addition to this general difficulty, there are various other hinderances in the way. The unrenewed not only have hearts which are naturally selfish, and alienated from God; but they are fortified against the motives to repentance by the evil customs of the world, and by the influence of invisible and malignant spirits. And when you look upon men in heathen countries, you find the case still more difficult. For their hearts are shielded against divine truth and hardened in sin, by the forms of superstition and idolatry; by despotic and persecuting governments; by the power of ignorance, and the power of caste. Satan appears to have availed himself of all the principles of our nature, even of conscience, in order to rivet the chains with which he has bound the souls of men, and to hinder them from casting off the miserable bondage of sin.

Now what can we expect from those who are possessed of such a character and placed in such circumstances? Have they any seeds of goodness within them, which may, by human culture, be made to bring forth fruit unto holiness? Is there any ground to hope, that good will ever spring from a will totally enslaved to sin, or a moral agency altogether misguided and perverted? Both the word of God and the history of past ages teach, that holiness can never result from any power, disposition or effort of unrenewed

men.

And in regard to the conversion of sinners, what reliance can we place upon ourselves, as ministers of the gospel? What are

we, that we should think ourselves sufficient for such a work? Had we the knowledge and energy of Paul, the eloquence of Apollos, the sublimity of Isaiah, and the ardor and boldness of Elijah; still what could we effect? We could not bring one sinner to repentance; we could not convert a single child. Ministers and Christians may exert all their power to make known divine truth and induce sinners to obey the gospel; but if left to themselves they will look around them, and with sorrow say, "Who hath believed our report?

It must then be evident, that if we had nothing to rely upon but our own qualifications and efforts, or the dispositions of natural men, we should be in a state of utter despondency. Looking merely at ourselves, and at unrenewed sinners, we could have no resolution to pursue our work, because we could have no prospect of success.

Here we are met by the animating doctrine of our text, that the conversion of sinners is accomplished by the power of God. This is the very doctrine we need. It raises us at once above discouragement. For now we become allied to a power which makes success certain. Yes, brethren, if we have faith in God, we shall take hold on his infinite strength. And then, as to all the purposes of encouragement and success, it will be as though we ourselves were almighty. For it is surely as well, that the omnipotence which is to accomplish the work should reside in God, as in us. Now if we had infinite power, so that we could change the hearts of sinners just when we pleased, and could cause the gospel to spread and the church to flourish just as far as we saw to be best; surely we could not feel any discouragement. For who ever felt any discouragement in regard to a work, for which he believed himself fully qualified, and which he knew he could accomplish whenever he pleased? Behold, then, that infinite power which is engaged in the work of saving sinners. True, the power is God's. But who can think it on that account any the less adequate to the object? The power does indeed belong to God. But we are to act in connection with it; and it will avail to our success, just so far as infinite wisdom sees to be best.

At a certain time, the disciples were in a ship in a violent storm. And what power had they to preserve themselves from the destruction which threatened them? Who of them could say to the winds and waves, peace, be still? Thinking only of themselves, they had then good reason to be filled with fear. But there was one in the ship, whom the winds and the waves obeyed. He therefore rebuked them for being of a fearful heart, because it showed their want of confidence in him. With such a friend near them, they were as safe, and they had as much reason to feel that they were safe, as if they themselves had been able to control the winds and the waves. Brethren, the cause of God is safe; the prospect of the conversion of sinners and the enlargement of the church is certain. Omnipotence is engaged in the work, and we act in alliance with it; so that our weakness, instead of hindering the success of the gospel, will only prove the occasion of making the power of God more conspicuous. Weak and insuffificient as we are, we are employed in this work; and we are employed for this very purpose, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Should we forget the power of God, and look only to ourselves; and then consider what a work is to be done for a single congregation or a single person, especially for a world lying in wickedness; we should be overwhelmed with a sense of insufficiency. But here we learn, that our insufficiency is no obstacle to the salvation of sinners; that they are to be converted by a power which resides in God, not in us; that, while he is pleased to appoint us as agents in this work, and even to make our faithful labors necessary to the salvation of men; the work itself is his; and his the power which accomplishes it.

However disheartening the circumstances in which we may be called to labor for the salvation of men, the doctrine of the text is suited to sustain and animate us. Suppose we should be placed where but few would coöperate with us and help forward the conversion of sinners. Suppose we should be called to a region where the whole multitude around us are enemies to the cross of Christ, and we were obliged to labor and pray alone. O! What