us temporal things when temporal things are good for us and when they are not good for us he denies us those things But we may take this for a certain rule If we pray as we ought to pray we shall have an answer of our prayers one way or other either we shall have what we ask or something better and this is certain spiritual grace is far better than any temporal thing that we can ask And it is a sign that we have carnal souls if we do not think so Paul had not his temptation removed but he had spiritual grace given him and that was far better than if the temptation had been removed 2. In the second place Use 2. This should exhort us whenever we are tempted to pray and the more we are tempted the more we should pray Here lies the skill of a Christian when ever any particular temptation comes upon him then to deal with God much about that temptation What we should pray for and how we should pray I have already intimated We should pray to know the end of God in temptation pray for supporting grace under temptation pray to be kept from the sin of the temptation and pray for the sanctification of temptation and with submission pray for deliverance from the temptation And we ought to pray with a sense of our own infirmity and we ought to pray frequently fervently and unweariedly This is the proper course to be taken when we are under temptations The Devil is afraid of prayer when Satan seeth that temptation puts us upon prayer and makes us more servent in prayer this will cause him to desist from tempting or to change his temptation As when an enemy makes an attempt at one fort and finds strong opposition and resistance there he leaves that and begins his assault some where else where he may be less suspected and thinks to meet with less resistance If the Devil find himself strongly opposed in his temptation he will retire Resist the Devil and he will flee from you And if we can pray we shall be sure always to have some relief For thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Psal 9.10 God never forsakes praying souls Lam. 3.29 The Lord is good to them that wait for him to the soul that seeks him It is a memorable expression of one of the Antients God is so good to his people Bonus Dominus saepe non trib it quod volumus ut tribuat quod mallâ—mus that he doth not always give them that which they would have that so he might give them that which they would rather have God is able to do for us abundantly above all we can ask or think God doth not always give us what we do desire that so he might let us see at last that that which he doth give us is better than what we do desire An eminent instance we have of this in our Apostle in the Text. Paul had not the temptation removed from him but he had that given him which was far better he had Divine grace given to him My grace shall be sufficient for thee This was a far greater mercy than the bare removal of the temptation and this is that which leads us to the next point which is this Doct. That praying souls shall have a sufficiency of grace to carry them through all their trials and temptations Paul had not an answer given to him that the temptation should be removed but he had this answer given him My grace shall be sufficient for thee The end of the Seventh Sermon SERMON VIII 2 Cor. 12.9 And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness IT remains now that I should speak to the fourth particular in the Text and that is the gracious answer or return that was made to Paul upon his prayer and that is in these words And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee The Observation or Doctrine which doth naturally arise from hence is this Doct. Doct. That praying souls shall have a sufficiency of grace to carry them through all their trials conflicts and temptations When Paul had been dealing with God about his temptation he obtained this answer My grace shall be sufficient for thee In treating of this observation there are these things that do naturally fall under our consideration 1. What grace is And he said my grace what we are to understand by grace 2. To shew how grace is said to be sufficient for us how God makes grace to be sufficient for us My grace shall be sufficient for thee And 3. What that grace is that God is wont to afford and communicate to his people under their trials and Temptations And afterwards there will be way made to the Reasons of the point 1. What grace is what are we to understand by grace My grace shall be sufficient c. This Text doth naturally lead me to speak of the Doctrine of grace and truly the Doctrine of grace is one of the most weighty and material points in Divinity Alvarez in his Preface to his Book de Auxiliis observes that the Doctrine of Grace is one of the chiefest points in Divinity and that which hath an influence upon all the rest And as it is a weighty Doctrine so it is the most sweet Doctrine and it is to none so sweet as to holy souls and to those that have most grace they that have most grace will prize the Doctrine of grace most The nature of grace in general is something of an abstruse consideration but I shall indeavour to make it as plain as I may therefore to understand the nature of grace we may take it thus Grace may be considered either in the cause or in the effect 1. Grace in the cause is nothing else but the love the favour the good will of God towards man 2 Tim. 1.1 Grace mercy and peace from God the Father c. The general notion of grace is nothing else but the love and 〈◊〉 and benevolence of God towards men This is the general notion of the word grace and indeed the love and favour of God the good will of God is the cause of all other grace that which we call grace in the effect in a strict and proper sense I say the love and good will of God is the cause of all this grace Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us The Apostle there speaks of one special effect of Divine grace he speaks of regeneration Now he saith this grace the grace of Regeneration is the fruit of Gods good will of his own will that is of his good will begat he us so Phil. 2.13 It is God that works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure The good will of God the good pleasure of God is the cause of all that grace that is bestowed on the creature But then 2. There is grace in the effect
and after these things have cost us dear this shews us the great corruption of our nature and the constant need we have of the grace of God for if we be so prone to fall and so ready to be intangled and overcome with Temptation upon every occasion though we have mourned over and prayed against the sin we have been overtaken with this shews us our constant need of divine grace 3. To help us to see the need of divine grace let us Consider That the least suspension of divine grace makes a present decay or withering in our souls Let the Sun withdraw and absent it self darkness and cold presently succeeds cut off the beam from the Sun the beam cannot maintain it self the beam is maintained by a constant influx and supply of light from the Sun the fountain of light so is it in this case If divine grace withdraw it self our souls grow dark and dead immediately Let the influences of divine grace be but suspended that activity and vigour of grace that was in our souls before doth presently vanish Joh. 15.4 As the branch cannot bring forth fruit unless it abide in the Vine no more can ye unless ye abide in me In the same moment that the branch is severed from the stock it begins to wither and die immediately No sooner do we sever our selves as it were from Christ by neglecting our dependance on Christ but we lose our grecnness and freshness immediately It is true the radical union if I may so call it which is between Christ and a soul that alwaies remains for once in Christ and ever in Christ the radical and fundamental union that is between Christ and a true Believer is indissoluble but if we do not maintain and keep up the life and spirit of this union if I may so express it by actual dependance on Christ present decays and witherings will certainly ensue Observe it in your selves and you will find it true when you neglect to have recourse to Christ and have not that intimate dependance upon him for grace you shall find that your fouls are not solively and vigorous in the waies of God as when you dependance upon him is kept up high and strong The least suspension of actual grace from Christ laies us under present witherings and decaies The end of the Sixteenth Sermon SERMON XVII Solomon's Song 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee THat which we were last treating of was to shew what Means we ought to use that we may keep up the constant sense of the need of Divine grace Two or three have been already mentioned 1. We should be much versed in the study of our own hearts 2. If we would keep up the sense of our need of divine grace we ought to consider our frequent returns and relapses into the same sins even after repentance for them 3. Consider that the least suspension of divine grace makes a present decay and withering in our spirits We now proceed to a fourth Means or Help 4. To make us sensible of the need of divine grace Consider We cannot live upon grace already received all our former attainments in grace are not sufficient to carry us out to act spiritually without new supplies of grace 1 Phil. 1.9 This shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ the Greek word properly signifies an additional supply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There must be an additional supply of grace and strength to all the former grace which we have received to make us to act spiritually It is not enough that we have habitual grace but we must have actual grace to excite and draw forth the habits of grace to act in us Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my gar den that the spices thereof may flow forth Though we have habits of grace in us which are here compared to Spices yet we must have actual grace fresh gales and influences of the Spirit to draw forth the habits of grace into exercise otherwise our Graces will be like unbeaten Spices which send forth no savour And it is not enough that we have actual grace at one time but we must have fresh gales of the Spirit upon all occasions to carry us forth with new vigour in the waies of God A Ship that hath a fair gale of wind for the present to fill its Sails makes way amain but it can run its course no longer than that gust of wind lasts when the gust is gone the Ship soon flags and slackens in its course Thus it is with us when we are under fresh gales of the Spirit we can make some speed and good progress in the ways of God but when the gale gust is gone we are soon becalmed we many times trust in our own affections we trust in our own inlargements in duty and because we have found such affections at one time we think we can command the same affections again and because we have found such and such inlargements in duty we think we can do so still But we ought to know and consider that all these affections and inlargements are but the effects of divine grace It is the grace of God that quickens our affections and inlargeth our hearts Now if we trust in the effect and not in the cause we shall soon find our selves greatly deceived When Sampsons locks were shorn he thought to go out and shake himself as at other times but he wist not that the Spirit of the Lord was departed from him Judg. 16.20 Thus it is with us because we have such quickenings and inlargements at one time we think we can go forth in the strength of these things and do as formerly we have done but we do not consider that unless we have the same presence of divine grace to act us now as acted us heretofore we cannot act as then we did 5. To make us sensible of the need of divine grace let us consider We cannot live upon our former comforts and the former experiences we have had of Gods love Although we have had some assurance of Gods love although we have had some experience of spiritual comforts although there hath been such things passed between God and our souls as that we would think we should never lose the comfort of them yet without fresh incomes of divine grace we cannot bear up in a time of extremity I would not be mistaken here I know a Christian lawfully may and ought to make use of all the experiences he hath had of Gods love but if he trust in these and if he think he need not present actual grace to help and support him in a time of extremity all his experiences may fail him and the reason is plain because God may suffer a veil to be drawn over all a mans former comforts and experiences that he shall have little use of them for the present Our Saviour himself which
the Apostle to the things which are seen for they are temporal but we look unto the things which are not seen for they are eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 When a man by the eye of Faith hath a little prospect of the Heavenly Country and and when he beholds the perfect serenity the tranquillity the unchangeableness the blessedness the joy the satisfaction the delights that are in that Country this must needs attract and allure the soul to the desire and love of these things because these things do far excel any thing that is to be found in this world Who would not prefer an unchangeable state before a changeable perfect serenity and tranquillity before constant trouble perfect joy and satisfaction before a state of grief and sorrow Therefore when the soul hath a little prospect by Faith of that blessed life and state that is above this must needs attract the desires of the soul to desire the happiness and blessedness of this state infinitely above all other things In his presence is fulness of joy at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 This is certain the clearer apprehensions we have of the excellency of the divine presence the more shall we thirst and long after it this is evident from the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 5.8 We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord we delight most to be present with the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as if he should say we are at the present confined to the body we are as prisoners in the body But that we could take most delight in Gratius est no◠his Beza that which would be most acceptable to us is to be absent from the body and present with the Lord the thoughts and apprehensions we have of the divine presence makes it most delightful to us to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Thus God by letting down something of the glory of the heavenly Country and giving the soul a little apprehension what the excellency and ravishing sweetness of the divine presence is like to be doth attract the souls of his people to himself The end of the Seventeenth Sermon SERMON XVIII Solomon's Song 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee THere are as we have heard several waies and means by which God is wont to draw the hearts of his people to himself I have mentioned five already There is one thing more which indeed is one of the principal means by which God draws the hearts of his people to himself I shall speak to that and then come to the Use and Application of the Point 6. The sixth means therefore is this God draws his people by the secret touches of his Spirit and by the impression of divine power upon their hearts Cant. 5.4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door that is he gave me a secret touch by the finger of his Spirit The Spirit of God is sometimes called the finger of God and that plainly appears if we compare two Scriptures together Luke 11.20 with Matth. 12.28 in one place it is said If I by the finger of God cast out Devils In the other place it is said If I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God The Spirit of God then is called the finger of God So likewise the hand of God denotes the power of God Exod. 15.11 Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power And this expression the hand of God is sometimes used to set forth the cause of mens conversion together with the effect of it the saving work of the Spirit of God upon the hearts of men Acts 11.21 And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. So that this is the plain meaning Christ put forth his hand by the hole of the door that is he gave the Church a secret touch by the finger of his Spirit What followed upon this what was the effect of this that which followed was this My bowels were moved for him the Churches affections were presently quickened and raised by this touch though she was dead listless and indisposed before one touch of the Spirit quickened and raised her affections Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes The Lord had promised to give a new heart and a new spirit before this in the Verse before it is said Verse 26. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and yet over and above this the Lord promiseth I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes When God promiseth to give a new Heart and a new Spirit that which is intended by it is the work of the Spirit upon the heart framing the New creature in us Joh. 3.5 Unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God and yet although there be a new heart and a new spirit given to us and formed in us by the Spirit of God yet over and above this God must put his Spirit into us and cause us to walk in his Statutes and this plainly shews that the habits of Grace are not sufficient of themselves without actual grace to carry us forth to any act of obedience for what need is there that God should promise to put his Spirit into us and cause us to walk in his Statutes after he had before promised the new heart and new spirit if the habits of grace of themselves had been sufficient to carry us out to all spiritual actions But now the Lord promiseth to put his Spirit within us and cause us to walk in his Statutes and that we shall keep his Judgements and doe them and what doth he intend by all this Certainly thus much that he will not only give us the habits of grace but he will put his Spirit into us as a constant Spring to seed and maintain his own grace in us and that he will act us by his Spirit He will give us that actual grace by his Spirit that shall help us to make use of those habits of grace that he hath planted in us Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Children of God The Children of God then are led by the Spirit of God the Spirit of God is no stranger in the hearts of the Children of God No as many as are the Children of God are guided led and acted by the Spirit of God Hence is it that we read of the power that worketh in us Ephes 3.20 according to the power that worketh in us There is a power that is continually working in the heart of the Saints and by this power it is that they are drawn to God