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3. Hence we may learn the necessity of Divine influence. That which is in some places imputed to a defect in the busin will, is in other places ascribed to the nonexertion of a Divine power. "No man cometh unto me,” says Christ," except my Father draw him;" and we are sud to be “* born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God:" "for of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

SERMON XXVIII.

THE IMPERCEPTIBLE DIFFUSION OF ERROR AND TRUTH.

LUKE XIII. 21.

It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

THIS is an answer to the question proposed in the foregoing verse" Unto what is the kingdom of heaven like? or whereunto shall I resemble it?" Christ here uses the form of interrogation, to show the importance of the subject, and excite the serious attention of his hearers; and then he replies, "It is like leaven," &c. Leaven may be understood either in a bad or good sense; of that which is hurtful or helpful to the kingdom; by which expression is certainly meant, not the kingdom of glory, but of grace, or the visible church of Christ upon earth.

I. Then, it may be understood of that which is bad in itself, and hurtful in its effects. Thus the word leaven is to be understood in every other place where it is used, (Matt. xvi. 6; 1 Cor. v. 6;) and if it is taken in this sense here, it may refer, or at least be accommodated, to the three following things:

1. Indwelling sin, or internal corruption. This is the bane of mankind, and exceedingly prejudicial to the church. of Christ. We sensibly feel the defiling and destroying

guilt of Adam's sin becomes ours by imputation, and the impurity of it by transmission; so that we are nothing but the deplorable ruin of a once noble and exalted creature. "How is the gold become dim, and the fine gold changed!" Jews and Gentiles are in precisely the same situation: Ichabod may be written upon the whole creation. "The glory is departed" from it, and it is covered with disgrace and shame. Sin also, in every individual, spreads through the whole person; body and soul, every faculty, every member, thought, word, and action, is tinctured with and corrupted by it. The understanding is darkened and depraved, the will is stubborn and perverse, and the affections unruly and tumultuous; and there is no part nor place but what is infected with this dreadful evil. "The whole head

is sick, and the whole heart faint."

2. Evil company. This is indeed like leaven, swiftly spreading, powerfully assimilating, greatly defiling; enfeebling the piety of good men, and stirring up the corruptions of the wicked. The lesson which we learned in our infancy we should not forget in more advanced life.

"One sickly sheep infects the flock,
And poisons all the rest."

"Evil communications corrupt good manners ;" and one sinner, says Solomon, destroys much good, by persuasion and entreaties, authority and example. Those who keep company with angry, proud, sensual, covetous, and profane men, soon learn to be like them; and those who "walk in the counsel of the ungodly," will by and by sit down "in the seat of the scornful."

3. Where the word leaven is understood in a bad sense, it seems to have more immediate reference to error and false doctrine. "Beware," says Christ, "of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees;" the former of whom depended upon their own imperfect services for justification in the sight of God, and the latter denied the being of angels and spirits, a resurrection, and future state of rewards and

punishments. Now, as it was then it is at present. The greatest errors have many advocates, the most erroneous teachers many followers; and there will be Pharisees and Sadducees to the end of the world. Leaven is not only sour and disgusting, but penetrating and diffusive; and so is false doctrine. "It eats," says the apostle," as doth a canker," or, as the word might be rendered, a gangrene; which, beginning in the extremities, soon reaches the vitals, carrying with it inevitable disorganization and destruction. Now, had not this gangrene, this leaven "hid" by Antichrist, and disguised by plausible appearances, or mingled with some important truths, at one time infected and corrupted the whole visible church, till God raised up Huss, Jerome, Wickliffe, Luther, Calvin, and the other reformers? Thus the apostle Peter speaks of persons bringing in "damnable heresies," and adds, "many shall follow their pernicious ways." Thus some apply the words of my text to a general defection from the way of truth and righteousness.

II. The word leaven, if not in any other place, yet may here be understood in a good sense, which seems best to agree with the foregoing parable of the mustard seed; and then our divine Instructor may have a reference,

1. To the gospel of his kingdom, which made a rapid progress in the world, and brought forth fruit wherever it came. It rose superior to all opposition, and, like its glorious author, went forth "conquering and to conquer." Thus was the prophecy accomplished-" And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea; in summer and in winter shall it be and the Lord shall be king over all the earth." How soon did the gospel spread through villages, cities, provinces, kingdoms, camps, and courts, till at length, blessed be God, it reached Great Britain, and a nation of heathens became a nation of Christians! The idolater cast his idols to the moles and bats, the sensualist crucified the flesh and its

and the bitter persecutor built up the faith which once he destroyed; so mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed.

2. To the grace of the kingdom. The day of a sinner's conversion to God is at first a day of small things, but at length it becomes a day of great things; and whatever his beginning might be, his end shall be peace. The cloud, like a man's hand, overspreads the face of the heavens, and sends down a copious, refreshing, and fructifying shower. The incorruptible seed of Divine grace, falling into the good ground of an honest heart, flourishes into a widespreading tree. The babe becomes a strong man, and the young convert upon earth, a glorified saint in heaven. Thus it was promised that the path of the just should be "like the shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day;" that is, the noon-day of eternal glory. Not only the feeble Christian shall not become more feeble, but "he that is feeble shall be as David, and the house of David shall be as the angel of God." Grace, like leaven, communicates its own properties to that to which it is applied, and it is not only of a permanent, but increasing nature; corruption cannot stand before it; Satan and all his host cannot prevail against it. Though invisible in itself, like the leaven hid in three measures of meal, yet it is visible in its fruits and effects. As the corn must be ground to become meal, so the law subdues the heart, and then grace leavens it. There it works and ferments, till the whole is leavened; till soul, body, and spirit, are cast into the mould of the gospel, and changed into the image of God. In a word, this change, like that made by leaven, though gradual and almost insensible, shall at length be perfect. Every corrupt propensity shall be eradicated, divine principles ripened and matured, and the church be presented without spot, blemish, or any such thing. It has some appearance of comeliness in this world, but shall exhibit the perfection of beauty in the next.

3. To himself, the head of this kingdom, or the kingdom

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