Rom. 7:2 The woman which hath an husband, is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then, if while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

1 Cor. 7: 10 Unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

MEANS OF GRACE.

428. Means and instruments of grace appointed.

Pr. 6:23 The commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.

Ec. 11: 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Mat. 20: 1 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.

Mk. 4: 14 The sower soweth the word.

Lk. 10: 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.

Jn. 4: 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, may rejoice together.

1 Cor. 3: 8 He that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labor. 9 For we are laborers together with God.

[See 47.]

429. Use of means required as indispensable.

Ezk. 33: 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked

Preaching the principal — Use of encouraged.

from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand. - 36: 37 Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.

Ac. 27: 31 Paul said to the centurion, and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

Rom. 10: 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. [See 257.]

430. Preaching, the principal means of grace.

1 Cor. 1: 17 Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 The preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. 21 After that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Ep. 4: 11 He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers: 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

2 Tim. 4: 1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. [See 458.]

431. Use of means encouraged by promises and predictions.

Ps. 126: 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall

Successfully used - Superiority of the true.

doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.'

Pr. 11: 18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Is. 66: 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Dan. 12: 3 They that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever.

Mk. 1: 17 Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

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Lk. 1: 16 Many of the children of Israel shall he [John] turn to the Lord their God.

Jn. 17: 20 Neither pray I for these alone; but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.

Jam. 5: 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. [See 1, 258, 545.]

432. Means, successfully used.

Ac. 14: 1 It came to pass in Iconium, that they [Paul and Barnabas] went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude, both of the Jews, and also of the Greeks believed.

Gal. 4: 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you.

1 Cor. 4: 15 Though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

Philemon 10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds. [See 468, 545.]

433. Superiority of the true means of grace.

Jer. 23 28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. 29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Lk. 16: 31 He said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Depend upon divine power - Different effects.

2 Cor. 10: 4 (The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Heb. 4: 12 The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. [See 47.]

434. Use of means made effectual by divine power.

Ps. 51: 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Zec. 4: 6 He answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

2 Tim. 2: 25 In meekness. instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. [See 594-6.]

435. The means of grace have different and sometimes destructive effects. Is. 6: 9 He said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said I, LORD, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate; 12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. 28: 13 The word of the LORD was unto them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept: line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Jer. 5: 14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Mk. 4: 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow. 4 And it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Discouraging cases-Meekness required.

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up, and increased, and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

2 Cor. 2: 15 We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

Heb. 4: 2 Unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. [Mic. 2: 7.]

[See 242.]

436. Cases of discouragement in using means.

Pr. 9: 7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himself a blot. 8 Reprove not a scorner; lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee-13: 1 A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. 14: 7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.—23: 9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Mat. 7: 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

1 Jn. 5: 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. [See 256, 562.]

MEEKNESS.

437. Meekness required.

Zep. 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S

anger.

Mat. 10: 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Gal. 6: 1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which