January 14

For we are his workmanship.—Ephesians 2:10.

THE great and continued impress of God's power, is that which, together with his wisdom and love, is made and shown in the conversion of men's souls to God by Christ. You may here first consider the numbers which were suddenly converted by the preaching of the apostles at the first. And in how little time there were churches planted abroad in the world. And then, how the Roman empire was brought in, and subdued to Christ, and crowns and sceptres resigned to him; and all this according to his own prediction, that when he was lifted up, he would draw all men to him; and according to the predictions of his prophets. But that which I would especially open is the power which is manifested in the work of the Spirit on the souls of men, both then and to this day.

To observe how God makes men believers, and by believing sanctifies their hearts and lives, is a great motive to further our own believing. Consider the work, 1. As it is in itself; 2. As it is opposed by all its enemies; and you may see that it is the work of God: and that believers are his workmanship.

1. As the goodness, so also the greatness of it, is God's own image. It is the raising up of our stupid faculties to be lively and active to those holy uses, to which they had become as dead by sin. To cause in an unlearned person, a firmer and more distinct belief of the unseen world, than the most learned philosophers can attain to by all their natural contemplations; to bring up a soul to place its happiness on things so high and far from sense! To cause him who naturally is imprisoned in selfishness, to deny himself, and devote himself entirely to God; to love him, to trust him, and to live to him! To raise an earthly mind to heaven, that our business and hope may be daily there! To overcome our pride and sensuality, and bring our senses in subjection unto reason, and to keep a holy government in our thoughts, and over our passions, words, and deeds, and to live in continual preparation for death, as the only time of our true felicity; and to suffer any loss or pain for the safe accomplishment of this! All this is the work of the power of God.

2. Which will the more appear when we consider what is done against it within us and without us; what privative and positive averseness we have to it, till God do send down that life, and light, and love into our souls, which is indeed his image! How violently our fleshly sense and appetite strive against the restraints of God, and would hurry us contrary to the motions of his grace! How importunately Satan joins with his suggestions! What baits the world doth still set before us, to divert us, and pervert us! And how many instruments of its flattery or its cruelty are still at work, to stop us, or to turn us back; to invite our affections down to earth, and insnare them to some deluding vanity, or to distract us in our heavenly design, or to affright or discourage us from the holy way.

And if we think this an easy work, because it is also reasonable, do but observe how hardly it goeth on, till the power of God by grace accomplish it! What a deal of pains may the best and wisest parents take with a graceless child, and all in vain! What labors the worthiest ministers lose on graceless people! and how blind, and dead, and senseless a thing the graceless heart is to any thing that is holy, even when reason itself can not gainsay it!

We are God's workmanship, let us adore the grace that saves us; let us constantly depend on the gracious power that keeps us.

"Omnipotent Redeemer, Our ransom'd souls adore thee; Our Saviour thou, we find it now, And give thee all the glory. We sing thine arm unshorten'd, Brought through our sore temptation: With heart and voice in thee rejoice, The God of our salvation."