Sermons, Volume 3

1 COR. m. 7. — So then neither is he that plant eth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

THE design of God in all his works of creation, providence, and grace, is to advance and secure the glory of his own name; and, therefore, though he makes use of secondary causes as the instruments of his operations, yet their efficacy depends upon his superintending influence. It is his hand that sustains the great chain of causes and effects, and his agency pervades and animates the worlds of nature and of grace.

In the natural world, he makes use of the instrumentality of the husbandman to till the ground, to sow the seed, and water it. But it is he that commands the clouds to drop down fatness upon it, and the sun to diffuse its

* Dated Hanover, November 19, 1757. VOL. III. — 2 9 vital influence. It is he that continues to the earth, and the other principles of vegetation, their respective virtues; and without this influence of his the husbandman’s planting and watering would be in vain; and after all his labour, he must acknowledge, that it is God that giveth the increase.

So, in the world of grace, God uses a variety of suitable means to form degenerate sinners into his image, and fit them for a happy eternity. All the institutions of the gospel are intended for this purpose, and particularly the ministry of it. Ministers are sowers sent out into the wild field of the world, with the precious seed of the word. It is the grand business of their life to cultivate this barren soil, to plant trees of righteousness, and water them that they may bring forth the fruits of holiness. It is by the use of painful industry, that they can expect to improve this wilderness into a fruitful field; and the Lord is pleased to pour out his Spirit from on high, at times, to render their labours successful; so that they who went forth bearing precious seed with sorrow and tears, return, bringing their sheaves with joy. But alas, they meet with disappointments enough to convince them that all their labours will be in vain, if a sovereign God deny the influence of his grace. The agency of his holy Spirit is as necessary to fructify the word, and make it the seed of conversion, as the influences of heaven are to fructify the earth and promote vegetation. A zealous Paul may plant the word, and an eloquent Apollos may water it; one may attempt to convert sinners to Christianity, and the other to build them up in faith, but they are both nothing, as to the success of their labours, unless God gives the increase: that is, unless he affords the influence of his grace to render their attempts successful in begetting and cherishing living religion in the hearts of men. This is the sreat truth contained in my text: “Neither is he that planteth anything, nor he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”

The Corinthians had been blest with the labours of several ministers, particularly of the Apostle Paul, who had been the happy instrument of turning them from their native heathenism, and planting the gospel among them, and of Apollos, who succeeded him, and watered the good seed he had planted among them. But the Corinthians, instead of peacably and thankfully improving the different gifts of different ministers for their spiritual and everlasting benefit, fell into factions, through a partial admiration of the one, in opposition to the other. Some of them were for Paul, as an universal scholar, and a strong reasoner; others were all for Apollos, as an accomplished orator. And thus they considered these ministers of Christ, rather as the ringleaders of factions than as unanimous promoters of the same catholic Christianity. To suppress this party spirit, the apostle asks them, “Who, then, is Paul, or who is Apollos 1” “What mighty beings would you make us in your idolatrous attachment to us? Alas! what are we more than feeble ministers of Christ, by whom ye believed 1 We were not the authors of your faith, but the humble instruments of it in the divine hand; and the success that either of us has had has not been from our own power, but just as God hath been pleased to give to every man, (verse 5.) I first planted the gospel among you; Apollos afterwards watered it: this was all we could do: but we could not make it bear the fruits of holiness in one soul. It was God alone that gave the increase, and made our respective labours successful, (verse 6.) Therefore turn your regard to him alone: — Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of? Isai. ii. 22. Do not idolatrously share the honour of your conversion between God the efficient, and us, the humble instruments of it; but ascribe it to him alone: for neither is he that planteth anything, nor he that watereth; but God that gave the increase; he is all in all.”

When we see a people enjoy the frequent cultivations of the gospel, and the means of spiritual fruitfulness, and yet few new trees of righteousness planted, and those that have been planted seemingly withering and unfruitful, we cannot but conclude that something is wanting: without which all the means they enjoy will be of no service. We should naturally turn our thoughts to an inquiry, what was wanting, had we tilled our lands from year to year without a crop. And since we find at present, that notwithstanding all the labours bestowed upon us, we lie in a deep sleep, and hardly know what it is of late to be animated with the news of some careless sinner here and there awakened to serious concern about his eternal state, it is high time to inquire what is wanting? There is certainly something wanting, which is of greater consequence than anything we have. Here are the gospel, and its ordinances, which at times have done great things, and sinners have yielded to their resistless energy; here is a minister, who, however weak, has sometimes been the happy instrument of giving a sinner an alarm, and speaking a word in season to those that were weary; here are hearers that crowd our sanctuary, hearers of the same kind with those whom we have seen ere now fall under the power of the word. And what, then, is wanting? Why God, that alone can give the increase, is not here by the influences of his grace: and in his absence, “neither he that planteth is anything, nor he that watereth:” they are all nothing together; and may labour till dooms-day, and never convert one soul. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” Where is he that can do more execution with one feeble sentence, than we can with a thousand of our most powerful sermons? Why, he hath hid his face; and hence there is none that calleth upon his name, and stirreth up himself to take hold of him. Isai. lxiv. 7. And till the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, nothing but briers and thorns will come up among us. Chap, xxxii. 13, 15.

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