which Jesus Christ doth shed upon believers 4. Christ is compared to a fountain even a fountaine opened to the house of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleannesse So that as water doth stream forth in the river from the fountain so grace flowes down from Jesus Christ upon believers who is a fountain where all fulnesse of grace for ever dwels and from whence all grace is drawn and derived and this is the first proof 2. This truth may be demonstrated by the many types of Christ in the old Testament which did shadow out unto us this that all grace is from Jesus Christ I shall mention some 1. Aaron the High Priest was to lay his bands on the People and to blesse them And herein he was a type of Christ our great and heavenly High Priest through whom we are blessed with all grace God having blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Christ is sent by God to blesse his people and to turn every one of them from their iniquities And therefore it is recorded by St. Luke that a little before the Ascension of our blessed Saviour he laid his hands upon his disciples and blessed them and so he doth still blesse all true believers with the spiritual blessing of grace 2. Another type of Christ was Joseph who in many things was a type of Christ Joseph was the best beloved of his fathers children so was Jesus Christ the son of his fathers love Joseph was hated of his brethren and sold for twenty pieces of silver so was Jesus Christ he came unto his own and his own received him not he was rejected by them and sold for thirty pieces of silver Joseph was carryed into Egypt and so persection drove Christ into Egypt presently after he was born Joseph was falsly accused and condemned so was Christ Josephs troubles ended in his advancement so all the troubles of Christ wrought for him a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory God having therefore highly exalted him and given him a name above every name for now Christ is sate down at the right hand of the Father But especially in this Joseph did type out Jesus Christ that in that dreadfull lasting famine in Egypt Joseph had the custody of all the corne in the land and he had the issuing out of all the Provision for bread in all the land of Egypt So the Lord Jesus is the Lord Keeper of all that store of grace with which believers are furnished which grace is given to help them in time of need Jesus Christ hath the Key of David he hath the Key of the treasury of grace 3. Another type of Jesus Christ was Ioshua who gave unto Israel entrance and possession of the good land of Canaan He will give grace and glory and no good thing will be withhold from them that walk uprightly Our Jesus gives his people a better rest then ever Ioshua brought Israel unto 4. Another type of Christ was the Candlestick of the tabernacle the seven lamps whereof did give light unto the whole tabernacle Now these seven lamps what did they type out but the graces of the Spirit of Christ for so it is said that there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God The Holy Ghost and the graces of it being so described by seven spirits in this regard because of the variety and protection of that grace which is in the Lord Jesus and by his Spirit communicated to all his members 3. The third proof of this doctrine may be drawn from the consideration of those clear testimonies of this truth in the New Testament St. John speaks thus of Christ that of his fulnesse we have received and grace for grace In Christ there is not only plenty but bounty not only an abundance of all grace but a redundance of grace Christians have the fulnesse of a vessel but Christ hath the fulnesse of a fountain Take a drop of water out of a vessel and it is not so full as before but draw as much water as you please out of the Well of the water of life and there is no want of water From Christ we receive grace for grace that is say some the grace of the New Testament added to that grace which was revealed under the Old Testament Or grace for grace that is say others a perfection of grace according to the Perfection that is in Christ As in a natural generation the childe doth receive from his Father limme for limme and part for part so in this spiritual regeneration Jesus Christ the everlasting Father doth give grace for grace Or you may understand this expression grace for grace that Jesus Christ is not only the Author of grace but gives grace for grace that is one grace after another grace upon grace the being of grace and the increase of grace are both from Christ This also appears that Christ is the Author and bestower of all grace by that ordinary prayer wherewith the Apostle doth usually close up his Epistles The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all The like Prayer we have to the Romans to the Galatians brethren The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit So also in the close of the Epistles to the Philippians Thessalonians and to Timothy Grace be with thee Amen All this is to note that Jesus Christ is the fountain from whence and the Conduit by whom all grace is conveyed unto believers As in the vision that the Prophet Zechary saw There were two Olive Branches which through the two golden Pipes did empty the golden oyle out of themselves So Jesus Christ that true Olive tree doth drop and distil grace upon his Church whereby they receive from his fulnesse grace for grace But in giving this honour unto Christ do you not derogate from God the Father when you say that all grace is from Christ 1. It is no derogation to God the Father to ascribe this unto Christ because it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell 2. And beside Christ and the Father are one In saying all grace is from Christ we also say all is from the Father too and in saying it is from the Father we say it is from Christ too And therefore it is an ordinary prayer prefixed in the beginning of most of the Epistles Grace be unto you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ So that in the subscription and in the inscription of each Epistle grace is ascribed to God the Son but so as not excluding God the Father and to God the Father not excluding the Son 3. And then again Jesus Christ is commissionated
there is no comparison between our light duties and eternal weight of glory The Church in the Canticles is described according to the several parts of her body Her voice is sweet her Countenance comely and her Doves eyes are btautifull Behold thou art fair my Love saith Christ thou hast Doves eyes thy Cheekes are comely with rowes of Jewels and thy neck with chains of Gold Now it is very observable that though Christ commends the Churches Eyes her Hair her Teeth her Lips and Speech her Temples her Breasts her Neck c. yet he doth not commend her hands to shew that though she be adorned with many graces as with so many beautiful ornaments and cōmely lineaments yet she merits nothing at the hands of Christ by all her doings The Churches beauty is perfect through the comelinesse of Christ That believers ought not to rest satisfied with the small measures of grace they have received though a little grace may bring you to heaven yet you are not to take up therewith but if you have got a little grace labour for more and to quicken you hereunto Consider 1. Small measures of grace are not so sensible and evidential to your selves little things because they are little are not seen There may be a little dust hovering up and down in the aire yet because it is small we see it not this i◠the reason why Christians doubt grace is little and therefore it is not discern'd Compare Mat. 8. 28. with Mar. 4. 40. and we shal finde that in Matthew Christ saith in his reproof to his disciples O ye of little faith And in Mark How is it that ye have no faith You may from the variety of these expressions gather this that a little faith unexercised as to comfort is as good as no faith it was so little it was as good as none in that particular exigence they were in you may have a little grace and yet as to comfort that little and weak grace may not further thee in a way of strong consolation Not but that a weak Christian is accepted that the weaker Christian may lie in his Fathers bosome yet it is the strength of grace that gives us strong consolation 2. Consider that small measures of grace though they may bring you to heaven yet they are not so usefull to others a weak Christian cannot do much good in Christian converse because they want judgement and experience in the wayes of God and therfore such are not to be received to doubtfull disputations but are to be born withal Spiritual and strong Christians are most useful Young converts are not fit for some exercises about Religion they are not fit to strengthen others When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren It is not to be understood of his first conversion but of his Progresse in Religion as if Christ had said when thou art strengthned thy self strengthen thy brethren There are some duties which young converts are not fit for A piece of new cloth is not fit for an old garment neither old bottles fit for new wine Pareus and most Expositors refer that place to that case of conscience Why Christs disciples did not fast often They were like old and weak bottles and so were not fit for that strong duty which was as new wine and would be apt to break them Christ said to his disciples That he had many things to say unto them which in regard of their weaknesse they were not then able to hear 3 Nor are small measures of grace so honourable to God God is glorified when his people bear much fruit Much meanes and paines and little fruit is a shame to the Vine dresser and therefore believers must not rest satisfied with smal measures of grace It is our duty to improve those smal measures of grace which God hath given us And consider As he that is faithfull in a little God will make him ruler over much Use of grace will increase it yet if thy grace be increased ascribe all to God it is Gods pound and not thy pains hath gained 1. Vse is of comfort to weak Christians to those young Abijahs in whom there is found but some little good Let such know to their comfort 1. Though thy grace be but little in quantity yet it is much in value A pearle though but litle in substance yet it is of great worth so a little grace is of great value The heart of a wicked man is nothing worth you may have much knowledge and seeming grace but no true worth A shop full of barrels will not make a man rich unlesse those vessels be full of commodities gifts as to heaven are but the lumber of a Christian it is grace that makes him rich towards God 2. Though thy grace be little for the present yet it will grow for the future to a greater measure The little grain of Mustard-seed the least of seeds will in time grow up to a tree Grace is fitly compared to leaven which is of a spreading nature to the cloud which the Prophets servant saw and to the waters of the Sanctuary which did all increase An Infant of dayes shall proceed by degrees till he become like the Ancient of dayes perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect Naturalists observe that the seeds of the Cypresse-tree are very small and yet of them proceeds a very high tree Such is the birth and growth of grace 3. The little measure of grace once begun in the soul shall be perfected God wil not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax until judgment be perfected in victory By judgment is meant there the work of Sanctification till that comes to be prevalent over corruption Paul was confident That the that bad begun a good work in them would finish it unto the day of Jesus Christ The Lord is faithful and will doe it God hath commanded us to go on to perfection and he doth not command impossibilities God blames men of folly in not proceeding to finish when they have begun to build God will never begin to reare up a structure of grace and never finish it Besides God hath promised to perfect that which concerns his servants 4. The weakest Christian hath grace alike for quality though not for quantity though thy grace be not so much yet it is as true as others though but a convert of yesterday yet grace as true as of an old Stander in Religion Faith is alike precious in all believers for quality though not for quantity Faith in all believers is alike 1. In respect of the Author God 2. The Object it holds upon the same Christ 3. The Means of working it are the same viz. the Word and Spirit A little grace is true grace Fire in the sparke is as well fire as the flame the filings of gold are
up each other There would be no need of Christian discourse and holy fellowship did not our weaknesse require it As among the members of the body God hath so ordered them that each member is serviceable to another the eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee so among the people of God some being weak others strong there is a necessity of maintaining Communion together There is an instinct in nature that things weak in themselves cleave to those things which are stronger then they The Conies are but a feeble flock yet make they their houses in the rocks among birds the Dove the silliest and most shiftlesse creature yet she hides her self in the clefts of the rock the Vine among the trees the weakest yet it clings to the wall the Hopps among the plants yet it twines about the pole So God hath ordered it in his infinite wisdom that some Christians should be stronger and some weaker in grace that the strong may help the weake and each be serviceable to one another 5. To set out the glory of God in all his glorious attributes 1. This different size of grace in Christians doth glorifie the mercy of God and the free grace of God who when there are some Christians that have but a little grace yet God rewards those small measures of grace with great measures of glory 1. This magnifies the power of God who when we are weak yet the great God manifests his power in our weaknesse yea his strength is made perfect in weaknesse And therefore Paul addes vers 10. For when I am weak then am I strong that is in Christ Is it not a demonstration of great power to keep a small sparke of fire that it shall not be quenched in a flood of water yet behold that little spark of grace in thee shall not be quenched in thee by the flood and torrent of thy corruptions It is by Gods power that the least measure of grace shall be preserved There is not so much of Gods power seen in preserving the Angels as a weak Believer for the Angels though mutable yet are perfect creatures they have no weights of sins and corruptions to pull them down But alas we have such a bias and inclination to sin that we are apt to be turned aside from God every moment The Power of God is more seen in preserving a poor believer in the state of grace then in preserving the Angels in the state of innocency And as Gods power is seen in preserving of a little grace so it 's also seen in the increasing of small grace Grace is like to that cloud which the Prophets servants saw which at first was but like a mans hand but afterwards it overspread the whole heavens True grace is of a spreading and increasing nature and therfore the increase of our graces may be shadowed out in the vision of the waters of the Sanctuary which at first were but to the ankles after that to the knees then to the loynes and at last so deep that they could not be passed over 3. God doth hereby glorifie his wisdome As Gods wisdome is demonstrated in the world by the variety of creatures which are not all of the same bulk and bignesse but some bigger and some lesser so in the Church of God his wisdom appears that some Christians are of greater and some of a lesser measure of grace Search the whole Creation and you shall find the wisdome of God in the variety of Creatures In the heavens there are the greater and lesser lights and so starres of different magnitude doe beautifie and bespangle the heavens so in the sea there are greater and lesser fishes in the air the great Eagle and little Sparrow on the earth the Elephant and little Dog amongst the creeping things there 's the great Serpent and the little Pismire amongst the vegetables the tall Cedar and the Hysop on the wall And also amongst the rationall Creatures there is a Gyant and a Dwarfe a grown man of a tall stature and a childe but of a span long So is Gods wisdome greatly illustrated that as there is variety of natural proportions in the world so there are various proportions of grace in his Church amongst his children Before I come to apply this point which is of very great use to Gods children for their comfort I shall lay down some general Positions about small measures of grace That in the Church there are found more weak Christians then strong more young Converts then old and grown Christians As in a Forrest there are more young sprouts then old trees in a garden more young slips then old roots in the world more young children then old men In Niniveh there were 120000 Infants but there was not such a number of old men By how much things are perfect by so much they are the fewer Look amongst other creatures those that are of a bigger bulk are of a lesser number as in the sea there are more young and little fish then great whales on the earth the smallest things are innumerable in the aire there are more swarms of flies then flocks of birds so in the Church of God there are more that are young and weak Converts then old Christians It is with most Christians as it was with Jonathans signal arrows which he shot to warn David by of which two fel short and but one beyond the mark So where one Christian shoots home to the mark of the price of the high calling in Christ Jesus there are many fall short That there are many that have but weak measures and small beginnings of grace who have been a long time under the Profession of Religion and under the means of grace such were the Hebrews who for the time that they ought to be teachers yet had need that one should teach them again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat and I may accommodate to this purpose that speech of Christ Many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first There are many who went out early and took as it were the first step in Profession of Religion and yet others have over-gone them who went out after them Many who have but weak measures of grace have been of long standing under the meanes of grace And therefore Christians are not to judge the strength of grace by their Profession but by their Proficiency It is not how many yeares you have been Professors but what experience and judgment have you gotten under Ordinances That the smallest measures of grace cannot merit eternal life and glory because great measures cannot In merit there ought to be a proportion but between grace and glory there is none our services are imperfect our salvation is perfect our services but momentary our glory is eternal
wealth and land and yet wilt thou take up with poore measures of grace for Religion The ordinary answer of ignorant people is What must we be wiser then our forefathers and yet those people would be richer then their forefathers were and those that have great wealth left them by their forefathers yet are not satisfied with it unlesse they increase their estate let this shame that slothfulnesse and supine negligence of many who content themselves with measures of grace 5. And lastly consider that those who were eminent for grace in what esteem were they in the Church of God and with what honourable mention are they recorded in the Word of God such are remembred to be of note in the Church of God See what an Eulogium the Holy Ghost gives Job that there was none like him in the earth God loves those that are singularly and excellently good and ordinary pitch doth not so please him What do ye more then others Solomon was so renowned for wisdome that it is said That amongst many Nations there was no King like him that is for wisdom So Hezekiah was eminent for trusting in God Who feared not to break in pieces the broken serpent but trusted in God none like him of all the Kings â—f Judah And so eminent was the zeale of good Josiah after a thorough reformation that he is also crowned with this commendation And like him was there no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule and with all his might By all which instances it is cleare of what honourable esteem have the eminent particular graces of Gods servants been in the sight of the Lord. XIII Sermon at Lawrence Jury London April 20. 1651. 2 TIM 2. 1. My son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus HAving in the last foregoing Sermons treated of grace in its strength and growth I am come to speak to this additional clause in the text viz That is in Christ Jesus which passage is here inserted by the Apostle that he might let Timothy know to whom he was beholding for all the grace he had received even unto Jesus Christ In the tenth verse he speaks of salvation that is in Christ Jesus and here of grace that is in Christ Jesus so note 1. That Jesus Christ is the fountaine and foundation both of grace and glory Jesus Christ gives grace and Jesus Christ gives also salvation with eternall glory Ver. 10. 2. That those who receive grace from Christ Jesus shall also receive salvation by him for there is an inseparable union between grace and glory The grace of God that is in Christ Jesus Grace may be said to be in Christ 1. As a subject recipient and so Christ is said to be full of grace and truth he had the Spirit without measure it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwel 2. In Christ Jesus as a fountain redundant over-flowing ever-flowing to his people for of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace Again when it is said that grace is in Christ Jesus we must consider Christ 1. As God co-essential with the Father and he is the Author and giver of grace and of every good and perfect gift 2. Consider him as Mediatour God-man and so he is the purchaser and procurer of grace and of all the blessings of the New Convenant for the blessing of Abraham commeth upon the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through Christ Jesus So that by this phrase In Christ Jesus there are three things implied 1. That Jesus Christ is the Author and Giver of grace he onely is the Author and Finisher of faith and every grace in his people 2. That Christ is the purchase of grace so that all the grace that is bestowed upon us by God it is through Christ and for his sake Grace is from Christ as a fountain and by Christ as a Conduit 3. That Christ is the preserver of grace all the grace that is in us is in Christ Jesus he keeps all our graces for us As the beams of the Sun may be said to be the Sun because they are preserved by their union with the Sun Our life is bid with Christ in God hid as the life of a tree is hid in the root and the being of a stream is hid in the fountain And herein is the comfort of believers that their condition is more stable and immutable and safe then ever Adam was in innocency for he had all perfections of a creature but they were in their own keeping but now all the grace that is in a believer is in Christ Jesus by whom and in whom grace is safely preserved so as it shall never perish The point of doctrine I observe from these words is this That all those measures of grace whereof believers are partakers they receive them in and from Jesus Christ In the handling of which point I will thus proceed 1. Shew you the truth of it 2. Give you the reasons and grounds of it Now to prove that all grace is received in and through Christ 1. I will shew the truth of this by many resemblances to which Christ is compared in the Scripture 2. By many types of Christ in the Old Testament 3. By many expresse testimonies in the New Testament concerning this turth â— There are many resemblances in Scripture which do illustrate this that all grace is from Christ Jesus 1. He is compared to a root He is called the root of Jesse not only because he came of the stock of David but that he gives grace to Jew and Gentile that do believe for to him shall the Gentiles seek as it followes in the next words Now that the Prophet there speaks of Christ is plain by the Apostles expresse application of that prophesie unto Christ calling him the root of Jesse in whom the Gentiles should trust And Christ speaks of himselfe I am the Vine As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me the life sap nourishment growth and fruitfulnesse of a branch is altogether from the root with which the branches have union and communion 2. Christ is called the Head of his people He is the Head of the body of the Church Now as sense and motion is derived from the head to the members of the body so also is grace derived from Jesus Christ to every true believer every living member of his body 3. Christ is called the Sun of Righteousnesse because as heat and light are communicated by the Sun to things here below so there is a sweet influence of grace from Christ upon believers As by vertue of the Sunnes influence the vegetable and sensible creatures live move and grow so also the life and growth of grace in the soul is from that divine influence
and the victory and the majesty for all that is in heaven or in earth is earth is thine thine is the Kingdom Oh Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thy hand is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name But who am I and what is my people that we should offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee Oh Lord our God all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine own name commeth of thine hand and is all thine own which is an excellent pattern of humility after inlargement in duty David and the people had offered both bountifully and willingly towards the house of God the Lord had enlarged both their hearts and their hands Now all they did for God is here ascribed to Gods grace and bounty towards them It is excellent humility to ascribe our enlargement of Gods service to the enlargement of Gods grace towards us the way to have grace increased is humbly to acknowledge from whence we receive every grace 2. Ascribe unto Jesus Christ the glory of all the grace you have been made partakers of Thus did Paul upon all occasions I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was in me and by the grace of God I am what I am I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God It was wel done of that good and faithfull servant to say Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds he doth not say Lord my pains but thy pound hath gained When we give God the glory of his grace God wil give us the comfort and increase of our grace Learn therefore to ascribe unto Christ the initial progressive consummative work of grace in your souls Jesus Christ only who hath begun a good work in you wil perform it until his own day Jesus Christ is the author and finisâ—er of our faith He is the Alpha and the Omega And therefore the Apostle prayes The God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ after that ye have suffered awhile make you perfect stablishâ— strengthen and settle you Grace is rather like Manna that comes from heaven then the Corn that grows out of the earth Grace is inspired from heaven Gifts and parts are acquired by industry and pains here on earth What God said by way of comparison between Canaan and Egypt is very applicable to this purpose For thus the Lord speaks to Israel The Land whether thou goest in to possesse it is not as the Land of Egypt whence thoâ— camest out where thou sowest thy seed and waterest it with thy foot as a garden of hearbs but the Land whither ye goe to possesse it is a land of hils and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of heaven a land which the Lord thy God careth for Thus it is with grace and nature nature may be and is improved with industry and pains and is like Egypt which might be watered by the foot i.e. with digging gutters and trenches which is the labour of the foot to let in the streams of the river of Nilus when he yeerly overflows his banks but grace is like the rain from heaven which onely falleth where God doth appoint who causeth it to rain upon one City and not upon another and one piece is rained upon and the piece whereupon it raineth not withereth 3. Disclaim all merit and self-sufficiency for so much as we arrogate to our own merit so much as we derogate from the free grace and mercy of God If with Ephraim God hath enlarged his grace towards thee that thou art like a green fig-tree yet let God have the glory of all thy fruitfulnesse and let him say from me is thy fruit found Oh consider that thou bearest not the root but the root thee Say Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name do we give the praise A gracious heart knows his own inability and his own insufficiency and imperfection that he is unable to overcome the least sin though never so small to exercise any grace though never so weak to perform the least duty though never so easie and as we have cause to acknowledge our inability so also our sinfull imperfections if God should enter into judgement with us he might condemne us not only for our worst sins but for our best duties 4. Have an eye to Jesus Christ Look up to him the author and finisher of our faith The word looking unto signifies in the original such a looking unto as that we look off those things which may divert our looking up to Jesus Labour my beloved to look still unto Christ as the author of grace when you have the greatest exercise or increase or comfort of your grace Say when thou hast the greatest strength of grace as Iehoshaphat did when he had that great strength of men 500000. Lord we know not what to do only our eyes are upon thee There are these three things which we should eye in Christs giving us grace 1. How voluntarily and freely Jesus Christ doth issue out his grace to his people Never did a mother more willingly give her child suck when her breastâ— did ake and were ready to break then Jesus Christ doth bestow grace upon his people Christ doth not like a merchant sell his grace but like a King freely bestowâ— all see the tenor of the Covenant of grace how free it was Ho every 〈◊〉 that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eate yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely nothing is so free as grace it is offered and is bestowed upon the freest termes imaginable All that Christ requires is but our receiving it It is the delight of Christ to shew mercy and bestow grace upon his people It is the meat of Christ to do the Will of God that sent him and to finish his work Never was man more willing to eat his meat when he is hungry then Jesus Christ was to do good and bestow grace upon them that wanted it So also it is said of Christ in Psal 72. which is clearly a prophesie of Jesus Christ that he should come down like raine upon the mowen grasse and as showers that water the earth Now there is nothing comes down more sweetly and freely then the rain upon a dry and thirsty ground 2. Secondly look unto Jesus