Christ. They sink back, as it were, into an easy chairthey ask no more-they wish no more. This must not be. If you are thirsty believers, you will seek salvation as much after conversion as before it. 66 Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

To thirsty souls. Dear children, I look for the first drops of grace among you, in answer to your prayers, to fill your panting mouths. Oh, yes, he will pour. vineyard of red wine, I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day."-Isa. xxvii. 2, 3. "With joy shall ye draw water

out of the wells of salvation."-Isa. xii. 3.

III. God pours floods on the dry ground. The dry ground represents those who are dead in trespasses and sins. Just as you have seen the ground, in a dry summer, all parched and dry, cracking and open-yet it speaks not— it asks not the clouds to fall; so is it with most in our parishes. They are all dead and dry-parched and withered -without a prayer for grace-without even a desire for it. Yet what says God? "I will pour floods upon them." Marks:

1. They do not pray. I believe there are many in our parishes who do not make a habit of secret prayer-who, neither in their closet nor in the embowering shade, ever pour out their heart to God. I believe there are many who are dropping into hell who never so much as said: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Ah! these are the dry ground. Oh! it is sad to think that the souls that are nearest to hell are the souls that pray least to be delivered from it.

2. They do not wish a work of grace in their souls. I believe many of you came to the house of God to-day who would rather lose house, and home, and friends, than have a work of grace done in your heart. Nothing would terrify you so much as the idea that God might make you a praying Christian. Ah! you are the dry ground; you love death.

3. Those who do not attend to the preached Word. I have heard anxious persons declare that they never heard a sermon in all their life till they were awakened-that they regularly thought about something else all the time. I be

lieve this is the

of you.

way with many You are the dry ground. What will God pour out on you? Floodsfloods of wrath? No; floods of grace-floods of the Spirit -floods of blessing. Oh! the mercy of God-it passes all understanding. You deserve the flood that came on the world of the ungodly; but he offers floods of blessing. You deserve the rain of Sodom; but, behold, he offers floods of his Spirit.

First Lesson-Learn how much you are interested that there should be a work of grace in our day. You are the very persons who do not care about lively preaching—who ridicule prayer-meetings, and put a mock on secret prayer; and yet you are the very persons that are most concerned. Ah! poor dry ground souls, you should be the first to cry out for lively ministers-you should go round the Christians, and, on your bended knees, entreat them to come out to our prayer-meeting. You, more than all the rest, should wait for the fulfilment of this word; for if it come not, oh! what will come of you? Poor dead, dead souls, you cannot pray for yourselves! One by one, you will drop into a sad eternity. Second Lesson.-Learn, Christians, to pray for floods. It is God's word he puts it into your mouth. Oh! do not ask for drops, when God offers floods. Open thy mouth

and I will fill it."

IV. Effects.

66

1. Saved souls will be like grass. They shall spring up as grass. So, in Ps. lxxii.: "They of the city shall be like grass of the earth." Many will be awakenedmany saved. At present, Christ's people are like a single lily amongst many thorns; but in a time of grace they shall be like grass. Count the blades of grass that spring in the clear shining after rain; so many shall Christ's people be. Count the drops of dew that come from the womb of the morning, shining like diamonds in the morning sun; so shall Christ's people be in a day of his power. Count the stars that sparkle in night's black mantle; so shall Abraham's seed be. Count the dust of the earth; so shall Israel be in the day of an outpoured Spirit. Oh! pray for an outpoured Spirit, ye men of prayer, that there may be many raised up in our day to call him blessed. 2. Believers shall grow like willows. There is nothing more distressing in our day than the want of growth among the children of God. They do not seem to press forward—

is poured out! They shall be like willows. Yo the willow, how it grows-ceases not day or growing-ever shooting out new branches. Cu it springs again. Ah! so would you be, dear ( there were a flood-time of the Spirit-a day o (1.) Then there would be less care about your your workshop-more love of prayer and of s (2.) There would be more change in your heartthe world, the devil, and the flesh. You wou and be separate. (3.) In affliction, you would g submission-humility-meekness. There was a land when Sabbath-days were growing days. I came to the Word, and went away filled with They came like Martha, and went away like M came like Samson, when his locks were shor away like Samson when his locks were grown.

3. Self-dedication. "One shall say, I am Oh! there is no greater joy than for a believing himself all to God. This has always been the of refreshing. It was so at Pentecost. First th ownselves unto the Lord. It was so with Doddridge, and Edwards, and all the holy men have this day been before God," says Edwards, given myself—all that I am and have-to God; in no respect my own. I can challenge no righ -in this understanding, this will, these affection have I right to this body, or any of its member to this tongue, these hands, these feet, these ears. I have given myself clean away." Oh! you knew the joy of giving yourself away. keep yourself. Oh! this day try and give all t in his hand. Little children, O that you wo like him who said: "I am God's boy altogethe Write on your hand: "I am the Lord's."

St Peter's, July 1, 1838.

SERMON X.

GOD LET NONE OF HIS WORDS FALL TO THE GROUND.

"Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground."-1 ŠAM. iii. 19.

It has long been a matter of sad and solemn inquiry to me, what is the cause of the little success that attends the preaching of the Gospel in our day, and, in particular, in my own parish. Many reasons have risen up before me.

1. There are reasons in ministers. (1.) The flocks are too large to be cared for by the shepherd. My own flock is just four times the size a flock used to be in the days of our fathers; so that I am called upon to do the work of four ministers, and am left like Issachar, couching down between two burdens. (2.) Again, there is little union in prayer amongst ministers. Heartburnings, and jealousies, and cold suspicions, seem to put a sad bar in the way to this so necessary union. (3.) Again, comparing ministers now with ministers long ago, it is to be feared there is not that longing for the conversion of their people which there used to be little weeping between the porch and the altar-little wrestling with God in secret for a blessing on the Wordlittle travailing in birth till Christ be formed in their people the hope of glory. It is said of the excellent Alleine, that he was "infinitely, insatiably greedy of the conversion of souls." It is to be feared there is little of this greediness now. Matthew Henry used to say: "I would think it a greater happiness to gain one soul to Christ, than mountains of silver and gold to myself." We have few Matthew Henrys now. Samuel Rutherford used to say to his flock: แ "My witness is above, that your heaven would be two heavens to me; and the salvation of you all as two salvations to me."* O that God would give us something of this Spirit

now!

2. There are reasons in Christians. (1.) There seems little appetite for the Word among Christians. I do not mean that there is little hearing-oh, no—this is an age for

*Robert Bruce-John Welsh.-Revivalist, No. 74.

hearing sermons; but there is little hearing the Word for all that. "One says: I am of Paul; and another, I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." You come to hear the word of man, but not the word of God. You go away judging and criticising, instead of laying it to heart. Oh, for the time when Christians, like new born babes, would desire the sincere milk of the Word, that they might grow thereby! (2.) Little prayer. Two farmers possessed two fields that lay next each other. The one had rich crops― the other very scanty ones. "How comes it," said the one to the other, "that your field bears so well, and mine so poorly, when my land is as good as yours?" Why, neighbour,' said the other, "the reason is this-you only sow your field, but I both sow mine and harrow in the seed." Just so, my dear friends, there is little fruit among Christians, because there is little harrowing in by prayer. I think I could name many Christians among you who do not know one another, and never pray one with another. What wonder that there is little fruit!

66

3. Reasons in unconverted. (1.) There is much keeping away from the house of God. I suppose there are at least a thousand persons in my parish who never enter the house of God. Ah! how shall we catch these souls, when they keep so far from the net? (2.) Again, many come only in the afternoons. The very souls that have most need to hear are those who come but once. How do you expect a work of God, when you cast such open contempt upon his ordinance? (3.) Again, how many keep out of the way when we visit in your houses, lest some word should strike upon your conscience, and you should convert and be healed! How often, when I preach in your houses, do I find ten women for every man! Have the men no souls, that they keep away from God's holy ordinance? (4.) Again, there is an awful profaning of the two sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper. The whole Bible declares that they are intended only for those who have been born again; yet, how many rush forward to them with mad and daring hand, drawing down the curse of a seared conscience and a stony heart! These are painful truths-enough to break the heart of any Christian man that labours among you. Ah! where is the wonder that God should be a stranger in the land, and like a wayfaring man, that turns aside to tarry for a night? And yet this word comes like a beam of sunshine in a storm -God be praised for it!" Samuel grew, and the Lord was