But they speak they know not what For when we affirme that by the power of grace mans wil becomes willing to obey this is not to take away or destroy but rather to rectifie the liberty of our will which consists not in an vnstable changeablenesse to bend euery way but in a settled and firme resolutiō in al things to doe that which God requireth When the will by the power of grace doth pitch vpon Gods wil adheres vnto it with a resolution not to swarue frō it is the will then compelled or the libertie thereof violated No wise man dares so say I suppose When Dauid said I will keepe thy Statutes Psal 119. 8. And againe I will delight in thy Word vers 16. And againe I haue chosen the way of thy truth ver 30. And againe I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart vers 32. was heere any violence or compulsion offered vnto Dauids will Or was Dauids will moued vnwillingly when hee intreated the Lord to knit his heart vnto him that he might feare his Name No no this desire and holy resolutiō of Dauid proceeded from the truth of grace infused into his hart after which infusion the will inclines it selfe most willingly and cheerefully to obey the will of God Doe wee not pray daily Thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen Those heauenly spirits obey willingly cheerefully constantly hauing neither will nor power to disobey How so are their wills manacled and fettered or is it a wrong vnto them that they can doe no other Surely no for the power and strength of grace in them will giue them no leaue to doe otherwise This obeying and seruing God is perfect liberty and freedome and it is the LORD by the worke of grace in our hearts which must make vs thus free Now because an hypocrite wanting grace may goe far in outward obedience it will be very requisite to lay downe some differences betwixt that obedience which is performed by the powerfull worke of grace and that which is done vpon outward by-respects For you must know that an hypocrite may goe far in outward obedience Did not Cain offer sacrifice as well as Abel Did not Ahab humble himselfe at the hearing of threatnings as well as Hezekiah in some particulars Ahab out-stripped Hezekiah for he rent his cloaths he fasted and lay in sack-cloth which acts of humiliation are not reported of Hezekiah Did not Iehu bestir himselfe in fulfilling the commandements of God Did not Iudas preach Was not Simon Magus baptized Did not Ananias and Saphira sell their possessions and lay them downe at the Apostles feet Act. 5. 1 2. And many other instances there may be brought to proue how far hypocrites may wade in outward obedience therefore outward obedience and conformity is no infallible euidence of true grace Wherein then lyeth the difference In these particulars First true grace aymes at the whole will of God it teacheth a man to walke in all Gods Commandements As it is said of Zachary and Elizabeth Luke 1. 6. They walked in all the Commādements of God without reproofe Psa 119. 5 6. O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy Statutes then should I not be confounded when I haue respect vnto all thy Commandements For he that is bound to one is bound vnto all and he that offendeth in one is guiltie of all Iam. 2. 10. Whereas counterfeit grace picks and culls out heere and there such precepts as stand with ease or profit It will boast with Saul and say I haue fulfilled all the Commandements of God yet Agag must liue and the fattest of the cattell must be spared Wherupon Samuel told him that hee had not obeyed the voyce of the Lord 1 Sam. 15. 19. For to say truth he that wilfully and of purpose breakes any one of Gods Lawes cannot bee said to keepe any of them because he keeps them not of conscience for if hee made conscience of one he would make conscience of all If Iehu his obedience and zeale had beene sound it would haue beene manifested in the pulling downe of Ieroboams calues as well as Ahabs Baal but his suffering of the one discouered his obedience and zeale to bee vnsound and counterfeit in the other Againe a gracious heart labors to obey at all times in all places in all company Hee will not for feare or flattery go against Gods precepts It is not profit or pleasure that shall draw him vnto euill for he resolues and labours to doe righteousnesse at all times Psalm 106. 3. Gods Commandements are not grieuous but delightfull vnto him and therefore as it is said of Hezekiah 2 King 18. 6. He cleaues to the Commandements of God and departeth not from them Whereas the obedience of the hypocrite is like vnto Ephraims Hosea 7. 8. As a cake on the hearth not turned halfe baked His goodnes is as the morning dew quickly dryed vp for he sets not his delight on the Almighty Iob. 27. 10. neither seeketh he to God at all times But doe not the best of Gods children sometimes halt in their obedience Yes for in many things we sin al Iam. 3. 2. Grace is but imperfect in the best of Gods children and corruption in the vnregenerate part keeps downe too often hinders the work of grace not that corruption is of it selfe stronger than grace if God will put to his strength for this were to make God weaker than man and the flesh stronger than the spirit but because if God at any time leaue vs to our selues or neuer so little withdrawes the power of his Spirit we are more inclined to follow the sinfull motions of our corrupt flesh than the holy and gracious inclinations of the Spirit of God For if Adam in his innocencie when he knew no euill being left but a while vnto himselfe and wanting the efficacious presence assistance of Gods grace was so quickly so easily drawne to sin much more the corrupted children of sinful parents who are but in part sanctified and haue too much affinity with sin are easily brought to disobey God if he help vs not with his Spirit against the motions of sin and back vs against all tentations and prouocations to disobedience For you must know that God is not alwayes alike present with his children but in great wisdome withdraws from them sometimes that effectuall presence of his grace which at other times he affords them and that for these and some other causes First of all to shew vs our owne instability and weaknesse how vnable we are of our selues to stand any longer than we are vpheld of him If hee takes from vs his Spirit as sometimes he took the wheeles from Pharaohs charrets downe wee fall presently How quickly did Peter fal being left vnto himselfe Secondly the Lord doth this to humble and abase vs to cut our combes and to coole our courage who are ready
comming wishing it might neuer be or euer be deferred A third difference is in the failings and falling of those that bee endowed with true grace and those that are hypocrites For we may not say that grace is perfect in the best of Gods children because in this life so long as wee abide in this earthly tabernacle wee must looke for no perfection in many things we sin all nay the childe of God may haue many relapses into the same sinne though he haue a sound heart and labour to walk vprightly towards God and men yet there is a great deale of difference betwixt his relapses and the falls of those whose hearts are not sound First of all a gracious heart alloweth not of the committing of any sinne Rom. 7. 15. I allow not that which I doe If he be preuented and ouertaken with any euill he approues not of it his heart is not delighted or affected with the doing of it When Dauid had numbred the people the Text sayes that his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24. 10. Which shewes that though hee were ouertaken yet hee did not allow of the euill hee had done Whereas an hypocrite howsoeuer hee may seeme outwardly to quarrell with himselfe or to be angry with his sinne yet al is well betwixt his heart his sin as the Ferry-man in the Boat he lookes one way though moues another He wants that principle Grace which alone opposeth sinne and makes not only the iudgement to mislike it but checkes the conscience and grieues the heart for it whereas a wicked hart wanting this principle may haply resolue against sinne and promise better things as Pharaoh told Moses that he would let the people of Israel go but presently returnes to his old hardnesse and stubbornnesse Secondly a gracious heart is bettred by his fals He grows more and more as was said euen now into acquaintance with his own heart he sees his own frailtie he is more fearefull of falling as the old saying is The burnt childe dreads the fire He is more carefull of his wayes and watchfull ouer himselfe as one that is climbing vp into a tree if one foot hath slipt or the bough broke on which hee stood how doth hee tremble how carefull is he of sure footing lest hee fall So the childe of God being by occasion fallen into any fault takes heed vnto his steps c. gathers his wits together to keepe himselfe vpright from falling againe vvhereas the hypocrite is no whit at all bettered by any sin something he may be terrified there may be some pause some forbearance but no bettering some say a leg once broken and vvell set againe is stronger than before it is true in grace for this growes more strong after a fall than before As appeares by Peter vvho though at first he vvas shaken by the breath of a maiden yet like a Cedar in Lebanon grew so strong after that death it selfe could not shake or ouerturne him Thirdly the falls of the righteous driue them closer vnto God by prayer and godly sorrow How vvas Dauids heart broken after his fall What heart-broken petitions did he put vp vnto the Lord to vvash him thorowly from his iniquitie to cleanse him from his sin to create in him a cleane heart to restore vnto him the ioy of his saluation and to stablish him vvith his free Spirit Whereas a gracelesse heart is either senselesse of his danger and GODS displeasure and therefore seeks not to God by prayer that so he may make his peace againe with God or else if he be griped or stung a little he seekes to allay his griefe by Musicke as Saul did or with merry company or pastimes to put it from him Fourthly the falls of the godly make them to complaine of themselues and cry-out vpon their sinne as Paul Rom. 7. 24. O wretched c. So Dauid Psal 51. 3 5. whereas a gracelesse heart is ready to extenuate his sin would none did worse than this I hope this is not such an hainous matter or else excuses himselfe and ready to lay it vpon others But the childe of God with a kind of indignation aggrauates his sinne abhorres it vvith a detestation intreats the Lord for mercy in the pardon of that is past and for aid to helpe him in time to come Last of all a gracious heart by his falls hath his heart knit more strongly vnto the Lord. O how much doth he thinke himselfe bound vnto God for sparing and not confounding him What shall he render vnto the Lord for bringing his soule out of the snares of the Deuill and deliuering him from the danger into vvhich sin had plunged him He confesseth that it vvas Gods mercy that he vvas not cōsumed And because God hath spared him his soule is knit more strongly vnto the Lord than euer before I haue read how true it is I know not of a great kindnesse that a Lion did shew vnto a man who had formerly pulled a thorne out of his foot and will not grace teach a man thinke you to loue the Lord for doing greater things for him Nature teacheth a man to loue those that preserue our bodily liues or rescued vs in extreme danger and shall not grace doe this much more So that you see a wonderful great difference betwixt the falls of those that partake of grace and such as want it Howsoeuer sometimes a strong corruption a violent tentation may shoulder out or keepe downe the worke of grace in Gods children yet he is not pleased with this condition of his for these relapses and preuarications of his doe cost him hot water and the setting on he hath many a gripe and sting many a heart-breaking groane by them vvhereas those that yeeld any voluntary subiection to their lusts and giue their euill affections the reines though somtime they may feele and expresse some gripes and horrors of conscience yet by that vvhich hath beene spoken it is euident that they are far from any euidence of true grace A fourth and last difference 'twixt sound and counterfeit Grace lyes in perseuerance Counterfeit grace is but temporary it lookes fresh and seemes to flourish for a season but euery little frost of aduersitie or blast of trouble nippes it in the head and makes it giue in If he perceiues that hee is like to misse of his hopes proiects or some rubs vvill be in his vvay or that his profession bring trouble or persecution then he giues in he thinks it is good sleeping in a vvhole skin and therefore falls off whatsoeuer profession hee hath formerly made And that because hee wants a sound bottome hee is not built vpon the Rock Christ his principles were from Nature education or the world and not from vnion and communion vvith Christ his holy profession was taken vp vpon carnall and fleshly termes not out of loue to pietie but out of selfe-loue and by-respects vvhich vvhensoeuer they faile his pietie quailes
not thou more strength vnto them by yeelding vnto them When thy knowledge telleth thee that these and these things must not be ioyne issue with thy knowledge and say as Ioseph did How can I doe this euill and sinne against God Gen. 39. 9. I tell thee it is a grieuous euill to sin against knowledge when a mans knowledge within cryes out to the contrary this will make bloudy wounds and strike deepe gashes one day into thy conscience In the mean time thou art in a fearefull condition if thou allowest thy selfe in the practice of any one sinne condemned by thy knowledge for thou lyest open vnto any kind of impiety yea to any error euen vnto Popery for that person which denyeth the power of godlinesse will easily be brought to forsake the profession thereof if one sinne loued and delighted in be enough to pull a man from God to the Deuill yea into hell may it not then pull a man into Popery A wicked gracelesse person is a fit piece of stuffe to make a Papist of He that will not bee perswaded nor brought to leaue his sinne for the truth sake will easily be perswaded to leaue the truth for his sinnes sake How much better had it been for such a one neuer to haue known the way of righteousnesse than to turne away from that holy commandement giuen vnto him 2 Pet. 2. 21. Thirdly be instant and earnest with the Lord in prayer that he would manifest his power in thy weaknesse that he by his holy Spirit would conuey some life and power into thy knowledge that by the practice therof thou maist manifest the life of thy knowledge in al obedience and good conscience To this purpose Dauid makes many petitions to the Lord Psal 119. 88. Quicken me according to thy louing kindnesse so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth The Scribes and Pharisees knew the letter of the Law and were perfect in the Scriptures but the Lord by his Spirit had not taught them and therfore there was no spirituall life nor power in their knowledge Howsoeuer they boasted of their knowledge and thought scorne to be taught of others yet their knowledge being but a dead knowledge did increase their iudgement as appeares by those words of Christ Ioh. 9. 41. If yee were blind ye should not haue sinne but now yee say We see therefore your sinne remaineth A second Euidence of Grace THe next Euidence of Grace is Faith which followeth Knowledge as the frame doth the foundation for vntil such time as the minde be inlightned with the truth no man can beleeue There must be knowledge or else there can be no faith Wee haue knowne and beleeued saith Iohn No man can beleeue in Christ without the knowledge of him For how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10. 14. Faith must needs be an euidence of grace because it is a speciall and a principal part and member therof not the fountaine of all other graces as some doe hold nor the root out of which all fruits of sanctitie doe spring For the soule must first be endued with the life of grace before it can beleeue vnlesse we wil say that faith may be in a gracelesse heart which cannot bee because being regenerate and sanctified by the Spirit we come to beleeue and to rest vpon the promise for the remission of sinnes and saluation by Iesus Christ Saint Paul calls Faith a fruit of the Spirit by whom we are sanctified therefore it cannot be the efficient cause of our sanctification It is true that Paul hath a passage tending that way Act. 26. 18. That they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith but by the Word sanctified we are to vnderstand the fruit not the grace of sanctification we are dead in sinnes vntill such time as wee come to be quickned by the Spirit Ioh. 6. 3. It is the Spirit which infuseth all diuine qualities into the soule The Apostle calleth them the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22 23. Amongst which fruits Faith is one of the principall as that which puts a kinde of liuelihood into all other graces and therefore after a certaine manner may bee said to sanctifie vs For according to the strength of faith will be the power of other graces hope loue c. If faith be weak hope and loue cannot be strong little faith little hope little loue no faith no hope no loue at all So that faith must needs be a sound euidence of grace for vntill such time as the heart bee purified and washed in the lauer of regeneration it is either Atheisticall to depraue the Word of God by doubting of diuine truths if not denying thē or else it is Sophisticall to peruert and wrest the Word so as oft-times bloud commeth out of it to choak strangle Gods people in stead of milke to feed and nourish them But if the heart be once sanctified by the Spirit then is faith wrought in vs which doth further and more effectually cleanse and purifie vs through the Word Ioh. 15. 3. Now because as in the former euidence of grace so in this also many a man and woman is mistaken the heart being so infinitely deceitfull it will bee no lost labour to examine the truth of our faith For you must know that it is possible for a wicked and gracelesse person to beleeue that Christ died for him yea to die in a strong perswasiō of Gods loue and fauour and so of his owne saluation Hath not experience taught vs thus much Who so confident who so full of faith if you will beleeue them as many vile wretches and gracelesse persons They wonder what people mean to doubt of Gods loue for their part they neuer as yet called it into question They thanke God they haue euer had as strong a faith as the best so they hope to continue This is euident by examples in the Scripture The Lord by the Prophet Ieremie speaks to the wicked Iews which had polluted the Land with their whoredomes and malice which had a vvhores fore-head and would not bee ashamed saying Did'st thou not still crie vnto mee Thou art my Father and the guide of my youth So in Mica 3. 11. The Lord speaking of corrupt Iudges of mercenary Priests merchandizing Prophets which set the Word to sale and prophecie for money saith that yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among vs no euill can come vpon vs. By which it appeares that wicked and gracelesse people may bee confident of Gods fauour How then may wee distinguish the faith of Gods children from the presumption of vnbeleeuers There lyes a great difference betwixt them The first difference is in the ground out of which true faith springs or the meanes by vvhich it is wrought in beleeuers True faith is wrought in all Gods children by the ministery of
grace to bewaile the want of grace and to be earnest with the Lord for a supply thereof If thou wert in any bodily want or necessity Towne and Countrey peraduenture should heare if not ring of it Thou canst heartily pray for and earnestly seeke out for outward necessaries food clothing fire c. But to whom dost thou make thy complaint of the want of grace Whereas grace being the most excellēt thing should in the first place be desired for thy selfe thy wife thy husband thy children c. If thou hast grace thou hast gotten a rich portion a great possession thy line is falne in a faire ground If thou seest grace wrought in the hearts of thy children thou mayest be freed from carefulnesse or seeking great things for them they haue a great a rich portion The Heathen could say that Vertue was a sufficient Dowrie And the Scripture saith The Lord wil not famish the soule of the righteous But how hard a thing is it for a Minister of Christ to beat this into the heads of people especially the poorer sort who most neglect grace and therefore they can rise early lye downe late and eat the bread of carefulnesse they can call and crie for these outward things for themselues and theirs but how few will stirre one foot or wet a finger for the obtaining of grace How many poore soules neuer had any one thought tending that way not so much as once dreame of the necessitie of grace and therfore trouble not themselues about it Let all such beware lest as a Captaine who finding one of his watchmen which kept sentinell asleepe cut off his head saying Dead I found thee and dead I leaue thee so the Lord cut off these with the sword of his wrath and vengeance leauing them for euer dead in sinne as he found them Thirdly if Grace be the most excellent thing why should wee not labour and striue to grow in grace as we are exhorted 2 Pet. 3. 18 An honest and good heart is neuer weary of increasing its stock of grace as worldlings are vnwearied in heaping vp transitory riches and lading thēselues with clay though sometimes it falls out that outward things haue their satiety and wee may bee cloyed with them whereas in grace there is no nimiety a mans heart cannot be cloyed nor clog'd with it Our life is a wayfare a walke no time of standing we must still forwards on and on as those that haue a great iourney to goe As the Lord said to Elias when hee found him sitting and sleeping vnder a Iuniper tree Vp eat thou hast a great iourney to goe 1 King 19. 7. So we haue a long way a short day to finish it in and therfore had need bestirre our selues to purpose Therefore as Paul said to the Thessalonians 1 Thess 4. 1. so I to you Now I beseech you brethren and exhort you in the Lord Iesus that ye increase more and more Grace in the heart of Gods child should be like the waters flowing from the Sanctuarie Ezek. 47. 3 4. which were at the first to the ancles and after to the knees and so to the loynes and at last to a great deep that could not be passed ouer Though grace below and shallow at the first in vs we should so nourish and cherish it that it may grow to ripenesse and full holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. Which that wee may the better doe obserue these directions First we must be careful to remoue away all euil hindring grace and secondly set vpon the practice of that good which will further it First of all we must be carefull to plucke vp root and rinde of al such weeds as may ouer-grow choak and hinder the prospering of grace One maine and ranke weed is spirituall pride and selfe-conceitednesse which growes too fast in the best soile being watered and cherished by the Deuill who when he cannot procure the childe of God to stoope to his lure and bite at his bait of impietie and profanenesse then labours he to poison him with his owne venome to puffe him vp and make him swel with pride of his gifts He will make him proud of his knowledge proud of his preaching praying c. yea rather than faile hee will make him proud of his humility proud that he is not proud Pluck vp this weed therefore for it much hinders grace God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble He fills the hungrie with good things and sends away the full emptie Luk. 1. 53. Humble your selues therfore and the Lord will exalt you The more humble and lowly thou art the freer thou art from shaking and ouer-turning for wee see low houses stand fast when many loftie and high buildings are blowne downe fall The higher any hill or mountaine is the more barren it is for the dew and raine which waters the earth to make it fruitfull tarries not vpon high hils but fals down into the valleyes makes them fruitfull euen so the meanes of grace lighting vpon an high and lofty spirit do fall from him without soaking or entring into him whereas lighting vpon the humble and lowly they make him fertile for the humble he will teach his way Psal 25. 9. Another weede which must bee pluckt vp is selfe-confidence or securitie When Christians begin to beare thēselues vpon their own strength and to grow presumptuous the Lord oft withdrawes from them the strength of his grace and then downe they fall Dauid was too selfe-confident when he said I shall neuer be moued therefore God soone hides away his face and Dauid was as quickly troubled But of all other examples there is none for our purpose more remarkable than that of Peter who took it in foule scorne to be thought to be such a dastard and white-liuerd souldier yea such a false-hearted seruant as to forsake his Lord Master in greatest extremitie and therefore if you will take his word he will neuer flinch hee will die for Christ before he will deny him But when Christ fore-told his Apostles of their flinching from him if Peter had thus replied Lord it may be thou seest more into me and know'st my heart better than I know my selfe we are of our selues weake and fraile ready to pull in our heads vpon euery storme but Lord the spirit is willing though the flesh be fraile of our selues we can do nothing any further than thou wilt assist vs strengthen vs therefore with thy grace and then we will neuer flie from thee If thus Peter had answered Christ all had been well but being foole-hardy and selfe-confident the Lord sets him vpon his owne legs leaues him vnto himselfe and what became of this boaster at the word of a Maiden he denyes and forsweares Christ curses and damnes himself if euer he knew him Thus when Gods children grow carelesse too confident or are ouer-takē with a dead sleep