GRACE THE TRUTH and GROWTH AND DIFFERENT DEGREES thereof The summe and substance of XV. SERMONS Preached by that faithful and painful servant of Jesus Christ Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE Late Minister of Lawrence Jury LONDON They being his last SERMONS To which is added a Funerall Sermon being the very last Sermon he ever preached The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of Mustardseed which a man took and sowed in his field which indeed is the least of all seeds but when it is grown it is the greatest amongst herbs and becomes a tree c. Mat. 12. 31. 32. London Printed by E. G. for J. Rothwell at the Sun and Fountain in Pauls Church-yard 1652. To the Christian Reader OUr purpose in publishing this small Treatise is not to make old sores bleed or foment any ones discontent or renew any ones griefe concerning the much lamented death of this godly and Reverend Author nor shall we mention what great losse the Church of God had in the death of so useful and hopeful a Minister But we shall in a few words acquaint thee why this little piece is thus made publique There are many imperfect copies of Mr. Love's Sermons which are likely to be obtruded into the world by some who regard no other end in publishing and printing books then their own private gain To prevent which we have from his own notes published these Sermons and shall desire the Reader to take notice that whatever Sermons of this Author shall be thought fit to be published shall be attested with some of our hands who are intrusted with his Papers and hope none will be so injurious to the Author and others as to presume to print any thing of Mr. Love's without the said Attestation Thou hast here but the marrow and substance of the last Sermons preached by that late faithfull Servant of God Pulpit-repetitions and enlargments are here omitted we having endeavoured to accommodate thee in the price in buying and in thy pains in reading that thou mightst have much fruit though there be not many leaves Those bookes are best that have much worth and weight in a little bulk and such is this if we mistake not The Reverend Author though he had not attained many yeers yet he had gotten much experience about soul-affairs These were his last Meditations and therefore the more desired by and we hope will be the more acceptable to those to whose souls his Ministry was profitable and precious Thou wilt finde here no new uncouth and unscripturall expressions but plain practicall Doctrine old Divinity sound solid and conscience-searching truths The gracious Author preaching and pressing them on the hearts of his hearers from his own experience of them Neither wilt thou meet with any railings or reproachings of the publick and present Governours the usual though the most unjust charge against the Presbyterian Ministers This whole discourse is not about State but Soul-affairs which is another reason why it is published to check the licentiousnesse of this Age which hath surfetted upon absurd and unprofitable Pamphlets The Lord give thee to have thy spiritual senses exercised to discern both good and evil But alas What between State-mutations and Church-dissensions spiritual truths lie by neglected It is much to be feared the Work of Grace goes on but slowly few enquire into their Soul-state But to enquire into our spirituall estate is the best husbandry in the world If we are to be diligent to know the state of our flocks then surely we should give all diligence to know how it is with our precious and immortall souls The benefit and profit of this soul-searching will abundantly recompence our pains and care in performing it There are two great mistakes to which the best Christians are very subject 1. Either to despise and disparage the work of grace if their measures be small 2. Or else if their attainments be somewhat considerable to sit down contented with their acquired measures We beseech you take heed of both these evils which are both alike unthankfulnesse to God and injuriousnesse to your own soul the one despiseth the truth and the other neglects the Growth of Grace 1. If thou art one of the tender Plants in Christs Orchard a weak Lamb in his Flock a Babe in his Family yet Oh despise not the day of small things in thy soule though thy gifts be few thy comforts fewer yet tread not out thy selfe the smoaking flax stay thy selfe upon his name who is a rock of Ages and whose work is perfect and his grace unchangable who will bring forth judgement unto victory Sleight not the least measure of grace though the first and ruder draught be but drawn on thy soule yet be comforted in this that the image of Christ is begun to be renewed there But be sure thy grace be right Temporary faith partial obedience mercenary love pretended zeale legall sorrow feigned humility may make up a lifelesse picture of a professor who hath the form without the power of Godlinesse but it is true Grace that makes a true Christian Common gifts and graces may bring a man neer heaven but they will never bring a man into heaven This Treatise therefore will teach thee to bring thy grace to the true touch-stone It is one of the saddest considerations that can settle on the heart of a Christian to think how high a formall hypocrite may goe towards Heaven with his seeming grace and how low a true child of God may fall by sin towards Hell and yet have real Grace It is a dreadfull thing to think how many Professors in our age rest in duties performed and parts acquired and never examine themselves whether they are in the faith and have attained that true Grace which Reprobates and hypocrites can never have When we finde in Scripture Cain sacrificing Pharaoh confessing his sin Ahab fasting Saul weeping Jehu reforming Judas repenting and restoring Simon Magus believing Herod rejoycing and Felix trembling at the Word and yet not one of these had one dram of Grace How carefull should we then be to examine and prove our selves whether we are in a state of true grace Oh! it is very sad to fall short of them that fall short of Heaven As for the most part of Professors of our times it is much to be feared that their spirituall trading lies more for the increase of gifts and parts in which their Religion consists then for Grace which is the true reason why we have so little truth and peace amongst us for parts puffe up the minde pride begets contention and contention encreaseth errour Former times had lesse gifts but more Grace lesse knowledge and more conscience 1. If thou art one of those that upon good Scripture-grounds canst say thou hast the truth of Grace labour then after growth in Grace Oh labour that whilst others are joyning house to house and laying field to field till
they be placed alone in the midst of the earth that you give all diligence to adde to your faith vertue and to your vertue knowledge and to your knowledge temperance and to your temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly-kindnesse and to brotherly-kindnesse charity that these graces may be in you and abound that you may be neither barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus No Christian should content himselfe with any measures of Grace attained for he is like to make use of all the grace he hath had he a Benjamins portion The time is comming when one dram of true grace will be of more worth then all the world The comforts of grace the joy and peace of believing will be Cordials to you when you are dying and will set up such a light in the soule which the shadow of death shall neither damp nor darken But alas most men are labouring more after wealth then faith more after greatnesse in the world then true grace of whom when they die it may be said They had laid up goods for many yeers but it cannot be said In them was found some good thing towards the Lord. Men doe usually lay up riches for a deare yeere they 'l say they know not what need they may have before they come to die Be then as wise and provident for your precious souls Your temptations and trials may be such that you may have use for all your faith and patience Eate said the Angel to Elijah for the journey is long It is no short way to Heaven nor is the opposition small thou shalt meet withall in thy passage thither Oh then get thy soule well stored with spirituall provision of grace and the comforts of it It is true thy safety is in the being but thy comfort stands in the strength and activity of thy graces Weake Grace is saving but strong Grace is comfortable truth of grace shal be rewarded with heaven growth of Grace doth as it were antedate heaven The least true grace wil bring thee to Heaven but the more Grace thou hast the fitter for and surer thou wilt be of Heaven The Lord make these and all the labours of his servants profitable to his Church Ye therefore beloved seeing you know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastnesse But grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to him be glory both now and for ever Amen Reader we remain Ready to serve thee in thy Soul-affairs EDMUND CALAMY SIMEON ASHE JEREM. WHITAKER WILLIAM TAYLOR London February 13. 1651-52 Sermon I. At Lawrence Jâ—y London March 9. 1650 1. 1. KINGS 14. part of the 13. verse Because in him there is found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam THis Chapter conteins in it Ahijahs Prophesie foretelling what dismall judgements should befal Ieroboam and his posterity for his Idolatry in worship and defection from the Government and house of David For which sins God did destroy him and his posterity and not only the bad but the good were punished for their fathers guilt For so it is intimated in this verse out of which the Text is taken Here was a young man Ieroboam's son that should die for the fathers fault and yet here was a mitigation of the punishment that he should not die after the same manner that the rest did he shall goe to his grave in peace because in him there is found some good c. Behold the goodnesse of God! a little good in him and yet the great God takes notice of the little good in him God found as it were one pearle in a heap of pebbles one good young man in Jeroboams houshold that had some good in him towards the Lord God of Israel In the whole verse three parts I. A lamentation for the death of this son of Jeroboam It is said all Israel shall mourn for him and so they did v. 18. which argued there was goodness in him for if he had not been desired and prized while he lived he would not have been so lamented at his death II. A limitation of his punishment he only of Jeroboams family shall come to the grave the rest of his posterity that died in the City dogs should eat and him that dieth in the field should the fowles of the ayre devoure vers 11. III. The commendation of his life in him was found some good c. of this I am now to treat He is commended by the Holy Ghost for his goodnesse is set forth 1. By the quality of his goodnesse it was a good thing not a good word only or a good purpose or inclination with which too many content themselves but it was a good action 2. By the quantity of it it was but some little good thing that was found in him and yet that little good God did not despise or over-look 3. By the sincerity of his goodnesse there are two notable demonstrations of this young mans goodnesse 1. It was towards the Lord God of Israel 2. It was in Jeroboams house 1. His goodnesse was towards the Lord God of Israel This argued Pauls sincerity that in his speaking writing and actions he could and did appeal to God That Religion saith the Apostle is pure and undefiled that is so before God and the Father Many Hypocrites may be good towards men who are not so towards God to be rich indeed is to be rich towards God True repentance is repentance towards God and he is unblamable indeed that is void of offence towards God as well as towards men 2. He was good in the house of Jeroboam A wicked man may seeme good in a good place but to be good in a bad place argues men to be good indeed To be good in Davids house this was not so much but for this young man to be good in the house of Jeroboam his father whom the Scripture brands for his Idolatry that he made all Jsrael to sin and yet could not make his son to sin this argued he was sincerely good as it did argue Lots sincerity to be righteous in Sodom for Job to be good in Chaldea and to be Saints in Nero's Palace and to feare God in Jeroboams family this is goodnesse indeed There is onely one difficulty in the Text viz. What was that good thing that was found in Abijah For answer to this 't is true the Scripture doth not particularly expresse what that good thing was which was found in him but Tostatus and P. Martyr affirme from the Hebrew Rabbins that when the Jews of the ten Tribes did on their appointed times repair to Ierusalem to worship according to the command of God and Jerboam commanded Souldiers to intercept them this Abijah did hinder the souldiers to kill them and gave
Epistle of John saies he I write unto you yong men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one But when he writes to children he sayes I write to you because your sins are forgiven for his names sake intimating that though weak grace be sufficient to evidence to us the pardon of sin yet it is strong grace which is able to overcome the temptations of the devil The devil shall not overcome the weakest measure of grace but the stronger our grace is the more able we are to rest and overcome that enemy of our salvation The divel is called a roaring lyon whom we must resist stedfast in the faith it is not weak faith which is able to grapple with the devil therefore ought we to be grown and strong Christians 2. If we consider the strong opposition we are like to meet with from the world we may be put upon it as Paul to fight with beasts such manner of unreasonable men we may meet withall and therefore we are commanded to watch and to stand fast in the faith to quit our selves like men and be strong and the reason is given v. 9. There are many Adversaries we are like to meet with and therefore we had need to pray with the Psalmist to be strengthned and saved by the right hand of the Lord. Weak faith it is not fit to be in a crowd of opposition and therefore we should labour to grow strong in the grace of God 3. We have many strong corruptions in our hearts which weak grace wil never be able to mortifie strong passions strong lusts and how shall weak grace be able to grapple with and have a conquest over these If thy graces are weak when thy corruptions are strong thou wilt be miserably foiled by thy corruptions therefore pray for strengthning and assisting grace whereby thou mayst be able not only to resist but to subdue and mortifie the strongest lusts and passions in thy heart Another ground of the doctrine is taken from the danger if you grow not strong in graceâ— As 1. Others that made profession of Religion after you in time wil goe before you in measures and degrees of grace so it is said That many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first Those who were first in the profession of the Gospel shall be last in the degrees and measures of grace because they have not improved grace to a further increase of it 2. If thou dost not grow strong in grace thou wilt be sure to decay and to grow weaker for not to go forward in grace is to go backward Grace may be lost in some degree and to its exercise and comfort though not to its being and therefore sayes the Apostle If these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull Intimating that you will be barren if you doe not adde grace to grace Weake things if they be not watched over and strengthned will be ready to die 3. Though thou canst not lose the being of thy grace yet thou wilt lose the comfort of it and thou mayest be in as much trouble and perplexity as if thou hadst no grace at all It s true weak grace will bring thy soul to heaven but it s onely strong grace which will bring heaven into thy soule Little grace is like a little mote which is not seen because it is little Little grace is as it were no grace as that man in the Gospel he cals his faith unbeliefe Lord sayes he help my unbeliefe Weaknesse of grace makes mens perswasions of Gods love to be presumption their zeale to be lukewarmnesse their grace to be but gifts and as here their faith to be but unbeliefe It is strong grace which gives gladnesse of heart and hope in God therefore saies Jeremy My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. When strength in grace decayes there hope comfort decayes also It is the Apostles prayer in the Inscription of many of his Epistles that grace and peace may be multiplied If therefore you doe not increase your graces you wil neither increase nor keep your comforts He that lacketh these things is blind sayes the Apostle Peter and he cannot see afar off it is not meant of a total lack of grace as hath been shewn for as after is expressed he is purged from his old sins though he forgets it having lost the sense of pardon for want of adding grace to grace 4. Weak grace under great trials wil expose a man to doubts and falls as if he had no grace at all little grace wil keep a man in small trials but not in greater Little grace as to the strait a man may be in may be as good as no grace and therefore when the disciples were at sea and a great tempest arose in so much that they were afraid that which in Matthew is said to be little in Mark is said to be no faith Intimating that as to that particular exigency and strait they were in their little faith did stand them in no more stead then if they had had no faith at all So Peter Christ cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because though he began to walk upon the waves but 〈◊〉 When the wind grew boysterous he was 〈◊〉 began to sink Peter did not sink into the sea before his faith began to sink in his soul He that faints in the day of adversity it argues his strength is small so saith Solomon I should now proceed to a second particular and that is to give some Scripture-notes of that man who is grown in grace bâ—â— let me shut up this Sermon with a sharp and just reproofe of many professors in our time who go from one ordinance to another and yet make little progresse or increase in Religion They may be fitly compared to a company of Ants who are very busie about a mole-hill and run to and fro but never grow great Even so we have many Christians they run from one Church to another from one Preacher to another and it may be from one opinion to another but never grow up in the true grace and in the true knowledge of Jesus Christ But I shall meet with such people hereafter in this discourse VII Sermon at Lawrence Jury London March 30. 1651. 2 TIM 2. 1. My son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus HAving in the former Chapter observed from this Apostolicall injunction to Timothy which is obligatory to all Christians That it is the duty of all believers not to rest satisfied in weak measures of grace which they have received but they are to endeavour to attain unto greater strength of grace This point we have proved both by Scripture-instances as also by severall reasons Now I proceed to answer this
question viz. VVhat are the notes the Scripture layes down of strong and grown Christians We are to know there are marks in Scripture both of the truth of grace as also of the strength of grace and these must not be confounded but distinctly considered Our present question is about marks of growth in grace 1. Such as are grown in grace do ordinarily enjoy a grounded assurance and comfortable manifestation of the love of God in Christ to their souls So St. John saith Perfect love casteth out fear The more perfect love is the lesse of tormenting fear is in the soul and the reason of our fear and doubting is for want of love We cannot comprehend the great love of God in Christ to our souls till we are strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inder man which you will see in the Apostles Prayer for the Ephesians that God would grant unto them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith and that they might be rooted and grounded in love and that they might be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ c. So that the more strength of grace is in the soul the clearer is our comprehension of Christs love to the soul 2. Strong and grown Christians are able experimentally to comfort others with the same comfort wherewith they themselves are comforted of God and when they are converted they are able to strengthen their brethren as Christ speakâ— to Peter By Conversion in that place is not meant the first work of grace wronght in the soul for that was wrought in Peter before his fall but the meaning is Peter when thou art strengthened and recovered from thy fall when thou hast recovered strength again then see that thou be careful to strengthen others who perhaps may fall into the same weakness with thy self If any man be overtaken with a fault saith Paul to the Galatians you that are spiritual restore such a man in the spirit of meeknesse You that are spirituall i.e. you that are grown and experienced Christians see that you do indeavour to recover such a fallen brother Paul prayes for the Philippians that their love may abound yet more and more in all knowledge and judgment that is that they might have knowledge with judgment and experience so as they might use their judicious knowledge in love for the edification of others that were but weak in grace and in the Epistle to the Romanes the same Apostle layes down this Character of a strong Christian I am perswaded of you my Brethren that you are full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another from whence we may gather the Character mentioned that the more perfect any Christian is in knowledge or any other grace the more able he is to admonish others for their edification Grown Christians are such as understand the great and profound mysteries of Religion they are not only such as use milk and understand only the first and plain Principles such as the Apostle calls Babes and unskilful in the Word of Righteousnesse but they are such as are able to digest strong meat i.e. the deep mysteries of the Gospel they doe in some measure understand and have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil that is to judge between true doctrines and false Strong and grown Christians have such an eare as is able to try words as it is in Job even as the mouth tryeth meats It is an observation of the learned Mercer that the same word in Hebrew which signifies an Eare in the duall number signifies a pair of ballances to note thus much that an experienced and judicious Christian will weigh whatsoever he heareth before he believeth it For as the tongue of the ballance standeth as a Judge between the two scales so should the heart of every man weigh what he hears and so will every grown and judicious Christian He will not take up truth upon trust but he considereth first and believeth afterwards Nor will a grown Christian take up with inferiour knowledge but will like a grown Scholler be searching after the deep things of God A grown experienced and strong Christian is most conversant and imployed in the most strict and severe exercises of Religion which tend most to mortification weak Christians are all for easie and ordinary exercises as hearing and reading good books but a strong Christian is much in spirituall watchfulnesse secret prayer frequent fasting self-denyal and heavenly meditation and such like duties as have a special influence upon the mortification of sin and corruption A childe whose parts and strength is weak is not conversant about such arduous and great undertakings as a grown man He can believe the accomplishment of Promises and Scripture Prophesies though Gods Providence seeme to make against them and though there seem no outward probabilities for them Thus it argued Abraham was strong in faith who against hope believed in hope and being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead There were severall things might have staggered Abrahams faith had it not been very strong 1. There were fifteen years at least between the making of the promise of giving him a son and the fulfilling of it 2. Abraham was about an hundred yeares old before he had a son and so unlikely to have children 3. Sarah's womb dead and no ordinary hope of Procreation 4. And after the promised sonne was born God calls upon Abraham to offer him up and yet notwithstanding all this he staggered not at the promise â—of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God and was fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to performe A strong believer can suffer as well as do for the sake os Christ Greater strength of grace is required to suffer for the truth then to professe the truth and therefore our Saviour propounds this to the ambitious suitors the sons of Zebedee Are yee able to drink of the Cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the Baptism wherewith I am baptized withall implying thus much that they did not well understand their own strength that there was more grace required to suffer for the name of Christ then to believe on the name of Christ and accordingly as is our strength of grace so is our courage for the cause of Christ lesse or more Nicodemus when he had but little grace he came to Jesus but yet in the night by stealth he durst not openly appear for Christ but afterwards as he grew in grace and knowledge of Christ so he grew in courage for Christ And when the cause of Christ was
debated in the assembly of the chief Priests and Pharisees there Nicodemus boldly pleads the cause of Christ Doth our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doth Nay we reade afterward of a higher resolution of this once fearful Nicodemus when Christ was crucified and at the lowest We finde that Necodemus which saith the text came at first to Jesus by night brought a hundred pound weight of mixture of Myrrhe and Aloes for the Burial of Christ The like instance we have in Ioseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Christ but secretly for fear of the Jews But afterwards when he had got more strength of grace the Scripture tells us He went in to Pilate boldly and craved the body of Iesus To professe Christ boldly in a time when dangers and difficulties attend that Profession argues a strong faith a weakly Constitution dare not go out unlesse the weather be faire But a strong body can indure the hardest weather A weak and young Convert is fitter to live in the prosperity of the Gospel but an old experienced Christian like an old tried souldier will not shrink in the hardest trials If thou faint in the day of adversity it is because thy strength is small He is one that is able to govern his tongue that though passion be in the heart yet through the strength of his grace he bridles it in and restraines it so as it shall not break into open railings revilings and clamours as others do St. James gives this character of a strong Christian If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man not legally but Evangelically He is a perfect man i.e. He is grown strong in the grace of God He is one that dares trust Gods providence for outward things however he is in straits as it argues littlenesse of faith to distrust Christ for food and raiment so it argues strength of faith that though the vision tarry and no deliverance appear yet then to live by faith as the just are said to do this argues strength of faith He is one that labours for unity in the Church as wel as for purity in the Church He will labour for his power that Christs coat shall be without rent as well as with out spot This character I gather from that exhortation of the Apostle Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Neverthelesse whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same thing It is a note thou art weak when thou makest a stirre in the Church about thy opinions weak children are most froward when children are weak and sickly nothing will please them so it is with some weak ones in the Church their humour is such you know not how to please them but a grown experienced Christian is sober and wise and very earnest to preserve unity in the Church of Christ Before I proceed to speak any more about strength of grace I shall make some application of what I have delivered about the marks and signs of strong grace and the use I shall make shall be to give you some cautions about these foregoing characters and there is need of a twofold Caution 1. Take heed you do not imagine your selves strong in grace when you are weak this is a dangerous mistake 2. Take heed of thinking and judging your selves weak in grace when you are strong in grace this is an uncomfortable mistake There is a man saith Solomon that maketh himself rich and bath nothing and there is a man that maketh himself poor and yet hath great riches I would therefore caution you that you may neither live above nor beneath what you have that you may not proudly fancy you have what you have not nor discouragedly fear you want what you indeed have 2. You are not to measure the strength of grace by the length of your Profession Many who are long standers in the Profession of Religion are but slow walkers in the wayes and practice of Religion the souls Proficiency in grace is not the issue of length of time but the fruit of free grace There were those in the Church for so long a time that they ought to have been teachers of others but they had attained but little growth or strength of grace They that came at the eleventh houre had their penny as well as those that came early into the Vineyard The scope of which Parable is as some interpreters say to shew that those who come late to the Profession of Religion may yet out-go many in gifts and graces who have been long before them in Profession How many amongst us their years speak them eighty but their knowledge and grace not eighteen 2. Measure not the strength of grace by the strength of your affections to some of the wayes of God The love of a newly married Couple may be more found at first afterwards it 's more solid Women who are the weaker vessels are usually more affectionate Weak Christians are usually most affectionate When the Creeple was cured we read that upon his first cure he leaped for joy it 's likely he did not continue to do so the newnesse of the change did much affect him and so it doth young converts 3. Measure not the strength of grace by the abundance of the means of grace which you enjoy Alas Laodicea had a glorious light shining amidst her she was one of the seven Candlesticks And because she had such meanes of grace she mistook her selfe saying I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing But said Christ Theu knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked 4. Measure not the strength of grace by the strength of your gifts There is a new disease amongst children called the Rickets when children grow big in the head but weak in their limbs this disease is spiritually upon the souls of many our of Professors their heads grow in respect of gifts knowledge but they do not grow strong to walk in the wayes of God they are like the Moon increasing in light but not in heat In the dayes of the Schoolmen the gifts of men were very high and yet the power of godlinesse was at a low ebbe in those dayes there were in those times many sublime notions Seraphical speculations curious distinctions subtile objections and elaborate answers to them grave and weighty sentences but alas but a little of the power of grace in the hearts of those men and them they taught 2. Caution is to prevent mistakes of those who are apt to judge themselves weak in grace when indeed they are strong in grace 1. Because thou hast not perfection of grace do not therefore conclude thou hast not strength of grace Truth of grace is one
thing and strength of grace is another so strength of grace is one thing and perfection of grace is another You must stay for perfection till you come to heaven it is there only where the spirits of just men are made perfect It is a witty observation that one hath In Grammar saith he tbe Present tense is accompanied with the Preter-imperfect tense but the Future with the Preter-pluterfect tense Even such is our present state of grace it 's accompanied with imperfections but our future shall be more then perfect There is no Perfection here There is not a just man on earth that doth good and sinneth not saith Solomon Who can say I have made my heart clean If I wash my hands with snow-water saith Iob and make my self never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and my owne clothes shall abhorre me i.e. Though I have by Regeneration some grace yet all my defilements shall never in this life be put away In the Prophesie of Zechariah we have the Lord speaking thus I will refine them as silver and well try them as gold is tryed and yet in the Prophet Isaiah God saith I have refined thee but not with silver to reconcile both places The meaning is that though God begin to refine his people yet they are not perfectly refined 2. Do not judge thy self weak in grace because thou hast not strong affections God doth make up in the experience of old and grown Christians what is wanting of the great affections they had at their first conversion Holy Greenham often prayed that he might keep up his young zeal with his old discretion What is wanting in affections God makes up to thee in solidity of judgement clearnesse of knowledge abundance of experience and stablenesse in the faith 3. Judge not the strength of thy grace by the strength of thy comforts the fruit may grow strong when the blossome is off I have spoken of this before and therefore will adde this that heavenly joyes and raptures are very sparingly found among Gods people They are Gods special indulgences to some of his special children I wil conclude with a Saying of that godly and learned Scotchman Whilst I live saith he I never expect to see perfect Reformation in the Church or feel perfect ravishing joyes in my heart VIII Sermon at Lawrence Jury London April 6. 1651. 2 TIM 2. 1. Be strong in the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus I Proceed now to answer some cases of conscience which may be deduced from the Doctrine I have laid down 1. Whether strong temptations may be consistent with strong grace This is a needful and practical Case because the People of God when tempted by the devil they do not only question the strength but the truth of their grace Before I resolve this Case I shall premise these general positions 1. It is certain where there is truth of grace there may be strong temptations from the devil The devil is like a thiefe which robs not out-houses where there is nothing but dung and straw but the Cabinets that are in the Closet so this great thief of the world he is not so eager to rob and spoil the out-houses wicked and ungodly men but those who have the riches of grace in the cabinets of their hearts these he labours to rob and spoile or as a Pirate who sets not upon an empty vessel but upon a ship laden with rich merchandize those who are fraught with the rich gifts of grace the devil by his temptations will labour to make prize of for himself 2. Let the temptations of the devil be never so strong yet they shall not be above the strength of grace which believers have received from God God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able He will proportion the burden to the back and the stroak to the strength of him who is to bear it if temptations increase our strength shall also increase whereby we may be able to grapple with them 3. It is evident that the temptations of the devil are alwayes ordinarily most strong after Gods people have discharged some extraordinary duties to God or have received most discoveries of grace from God In both these Cases the devils temptations are usually great You finde that immediately after the Celebration of the Lords Supper the devil desired to winnow the disciples after they had performed that extraordinary service to God the devil was desirous presently to set upon them So you finde that after Christ had in an extraordinary manner fasted forty dayes and forty nights he was immediately after tempted of the devil and so also after his baptisme no sooner was he out of the water of Baptisme but he was in the fire of temptation The Israel of God can be no sooner out of Egypt but this hellish Pharoah pursues them And Hezekiah had no sooner kept the solemn Passeover but Senacherib comes up against him All this is to shew us that after we have put forth most grace in a duty then the devil will labour to play his aftergame with us if he misse of his fore-game if Satan cannot keep us from duty and from inlargment in duty he will flie-blow our duties by pride and so marre them And then after we have received the most especial manifestations from Gods love and favour in Christ then may we expect to be assaulted by the devil Thus Paul after he had those heavenly raptures and abundance of Revelations the devil set upon him with vile temptations he had the messenger of Satan to buffet him a thorn in the flesh which is not to be meant of any disease but of some sharp temptation from the devil So you finde that immediately after that voice to Christ This is my well beloved son in whom I am well pleased that then the Tempter came to him Hence you may gather from that connexion between those two Petitions in the Lord Prayer Forgive us our trespasses and lead us not into temptation to note to us that no sooner can we get the evidence of our pardon but we may expect to be tempted of the devil 4. That men who have the greatest strength of grace are like to meet with the fiercest assaults and the strongest temptations from the divel and this brings me to answer the Case That strength of grace may be consistent with strong temptations To clear and confirm this there are these two particulars to be enquired into 1. Wben temptations may be said to be strong 2. How and why such strong temptations may be consistent with strong grace 1. When temptations may be said to be strong 1. Then may temptations be said to be strong when the sollicitations of the devil to sin are urgent with the soule when they are not weak and faint suggestions but violent assaults which wil not
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
gold as well as the whole wedge a drop of water is water as well as the whole Ocean A little grace is true grace 4. The End it hath the same salvation of soul 1 Pet. 1. 9. 5. God will not put your weak grace to tryal beyond your strength God will debate with it in measure he will stay his rough wind in the day of his East-wind Thou shalt not have such boisterous stormes of temptation as a strong Christian God will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able God will take care that the spirit shall not faile 6. Take this for your comfort the least measure of grace is enough to bring you to heaven This is not spoken to make you idle but only to comfort a perplexed conscience Many because their grace is weak they think they have no grace I have set before thee saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia an open door and no man can shut in for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my name It is true our comfort lies much in the comparative degree but our salvation in the positive degree strong grace hath strong comfort much faith will bring thee with much comfort to heaven but a little faith will bring thee safely to heaven Sermon IV. At Lawrence Jury London March 16. 1650 1. 1. KINGS 14. part of the 13. verse Because in him there is found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam BEfore we come to the use of Caution I shall here state a case of conscience which is this That if amongst Gods People there are some found that have but little grace and but small measures found in them Then what is the least measure of geace less then which a man cannot be said to be in the state of grace This is a practical and useful case First this is of great use to Christians who are but of a lower form in Religion and have but little grace yet they may know that little they have and though they have not attained strength of grace yet they may know the truth of grace in themselves and although they come short of strong believers yet they shall hereby know they go beyond the hypocrite for the least measure of grace is better then the greatest measure of gifts Secondly the knowledge of this will quicken the soule unto due indevours after a further increase This will teach them to abound more and more Now that we may discover what is the lowest degree of true grace we shall shew you it in some of these following particulars 1. A light in the soul to see the evill and the mischievous nature of sin though not an ability to mortifie sin The entrance of Gods Word giveth light and giveth understanding to the simple that is the first work of the Word upon the soul the very beginning of converting grace in the heart is light whereby thou seest sin and its sinfulnesse And it was in the first creation the first thing that was created was light so in the second creation the first work is to open the eyes of the blind and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Upon the work of conversion in the souie the first degree of grace is to be inlightned with the light of the living So that where this light is wanting there cannot be a work of grace 2. A setled and fixed purpose of heart to leave sin and to cleave unto God Grace doth not consist so much in an actual mortifying of sin as in an unfeigned and settled purpose of heart to leave every sin The Prodigals resolution to go to his fathers house argued some grace in him I will arise and go to my fathers house that is I will leave my wicked company and courses and it is said His father saw him afar off and ran and met him The Lord did work in him a purpose to leave his sin Gregory on this saith That remission of sin came to his heart before his Confession breake out in his speech to his father So David I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confesse my transgression to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Augustine observes on this place That David doth not say he did confesse but he purposed to confesse hiâ— sin and yet this his purpose was true grace though one of the least measures of grace That holy purpose of David argued grace in him when he said I have purposed and will not transgresse thy law I have sworn and will perform it that I wil keep thy righteous judgements It argues grace when a soul doth cleave unto the Lord with ful purpose of heart 3. Another low measure of grace is this A sensible complaint of the want of grace Thus he that came to Christ and said with teares Lord I believe help thou my unbelief he had grace He doth not say Lord help my faith but Lord help my unbelief His expression about his unbelief did note not onely his want but his sensiblenesse of his want This is that Poverty of Spirit which hath the first place in the Beatitudes this is the lowest round of the ladder The Apostle tels us That the Spirit helps our infirmities in sighs and groans that cannot be uttered Observe here that it 's not said the Spirit helps us with comforts and joyes but with sighs and groans whence we may learn that the Spirits help is as well in sighs and groans and sensible complaints of our wants as in holy ravishments Strength of grace is seen in holy joyes and ravishments of Spirit but truth of grace may be seen discerned in sighs groans and complaints of our wants they are said to be sighes and groans which cannot be uttered not in regard of their greatnesse but as Master Perkins observes in regard of their weaknesse Gods children at first wanting ability to expresse their own thoughts To be sensible of the want of grace is grace for nature cannot make a man duly sensible of the want of grace nor sensibly to complain of that want 4. Earnest desire after more grace argues there is grace in the soul though it be but small I do not place the beginning of grace in an ability to exercise grace but rather in an earnest desire after grace Desire after grace is accounted by God the grace it selfe we desire for so we finde that Nehemiah's desire to fear the Lord is counted for actuall fearing God Desires are the seeds of grace and the graces themselves are the blossomes and sweet fruit that spring from thence grace exercised is the fruit of a holy desire after grace That the desires after grace is in Gods acceptation grace may be thus demonstrated 1.
God hath seldom peace and comfort from the habit of Righteousness but from the exercise of Righteousness He that lacketh these things saith Peter is blinde and cannot see afar off c. This is not spoken of wicked men who have no grace but of such who have grace and because they exercise it not do not discern the comfortable fruits of grace in their souls A little faith unexercised is as to comfort as we have shewed as good as no faith They that adde not to the ftocke of grace will want the comfort of grace So that a weak Christian who is compared by Peter to a puâ—blinde man He cannot see because the eye-sight of his faith is weak afar off he cannot see his name writ in heaven He will want the comfortable evidence of grace in his heart who contents himself with measures of grace The second caution is Take not those things to be evidences of the truth of grace which are evidences onely of the growth and strength of grace Weak Converts do involve themselves in a Labyrinth of misery in judging themselves by those symptomes which are evidences only of the strength of grace Thou must not judge thy self whether thou art in the state of grace by this as whether thou hast ravishing joyes and comforts of the Holy Ghost these are things that God indulgeth to some few and those of a long standing in the school of Christ In a School a scholler must not compare himself with one of the highest Form if thou wouldest judge of the truth of thy grace judge by the lowest measure The reason why hypocrites and low-form Christians do mistake is this hypocrites judge they have grace because they have gifts and weak Christians judge they have no grace because they do not finde such measures of grace in them as are in others We do not use to say it is not day because it is not noon It is unthankfulness to God and uncharitableness to our selves to argue a nullity of grace from the weakness of it therefore if thou canst not say I see my grace yet it 's well if thou canst say Blessed be God I see my sin If thou canst not say that thou leavest sin yet it 's well if thou canst say I have a full purpose of heart to do so if thou canst but cry out for the want of grace yet comfort thy self and do not conclude thou hast no grace Do not conclude you have small measures of grace because you have but smal measures of comfort this is the fault of young converts they take measure of their grace by their comfort which is a false and deceitful rule growth of grace is not to be measured by the working of joy the sweet blossome of joy may fall off when the fruit of grace may come on yea sometimes Christians of the greatest measure of grace may have the least measure of comfort and all to let us know that as the being and exercise so the comforts of our graces comes from free grace Our Lord Jesus Christ who was annointed above his fellows and was full of grace and truth yet in the time of his desertion was without comfort when by reason of the suspension of the favour of God his Father he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And so sometimes Christians that have but little measures of grace may have much comfort and this is the reason of that flash of joy that young converts have it is Gods indulgence towards them to give them great joy at their first conversion and indeed their joy at that time is the more taken notice of because usually such have much trouble of minde when they pass through the pangs of the new birth the change is then specifical which afterwards is but gradual and so though they have afterwards more grace more setled joys and comforts yet at their first conversion they may have more sense of their joyes though afterwards they may find an increase of grace when joy may be as real though not so sensible and therefore do not judge thy grace by thy comfort Do not conclude the measure of thy grace little because thou hast but a little measure of gifts Gifts are the issues of time and experience and the fruits of studies advantaged by the strength of natural parts A man may have a quick and pregnant invention a profound judgement a retentive memory a clear elocution and the like and yet none of these things can be arguments of grace but all are but natural endowments Gifts may be high and grace may be low Thus it was with the Church of Corinth they were inriched with utterance and knowledge and they came behind other Churches in no gift and yet the Apostle speaks of these very Corinthians that they were very low in grace for so he taxeth them 1 Cor. 3 1. that they were not spiritual but carnal men Babes in Christ that by reason of their envying strife and divisions they were carnal and walked as men thus the Church of Laodicea was rich and increased in gifts and grew proud of it too and yet for grace was poor and naked and blinde and miserable It is with some Professors as it is with a well read Schollar who having read many books of Geography and the Description of places can discourse of them very well but if he were to travel those countries of which he hath so often read he would soon be at a loss So gifts may carry men far from matter of discourse about Religion but its only grace that inables a man to practice Religion A childe of God that hath but a little measure of gifts may have for all that much grace Of all the seven Churches of Asia it is said of Philadelphia that she had but a little strength that is but little strength of parts and gifts and yet that Church was very eminent for grace for she with as much if not more faithfulness then the other Churches did keep the word of Christs patience and did not deny his name Judge not therefore they grace by thy gifts It is good to covet earnestly the best gifts but the way of true grace though but weak is a more excellent way I shall conclude this point with some further consolation to the people of God that have but weak measures of grace Though thou art but weak in thy self yet thou hast much strength from without thee or rather it is in thee because of the Spirit of Christ that dwels in their hearts that do believe the devil doth all he can to make a little faith faile but Christ prays that it fail not Great are the confederacies of the world the flesh and the devil against thy little grace but be of good comfort Ye are of God little children saith St. John and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you
One siphorus v. 16. from whence may be observed That the good example of good men should be an argument to us to increase in goodnesse If it referre to the 15. verse This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes and thus Theodoret refers it Then observe That other mens Apostacy from the Profession of grace should make the godly more careful to grow strong in grace But I shall handle the text without any relative consideration Be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus Timothy may be considered in a double capacity either as a Minister or as a private Christian If as a Minister then the force of the exhortation lies in this that he should increase in ministerial gifts and graces whence may be observed That Ministers of all men should grow in the truth and in Ministerial gifts because as they grow so will the people grow under their Ministry Ministers do receive grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith among all Nations Rom. 1. 5. And grace is given unto them that they may preach unto others the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3. 8. 2. If he be considered as a private Christian then he is exhorted not to content himself with grace received but to labour after more strength of grace Be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus Grace may be said to be in Christ two waies either 1. As the subject recipient of grace or 2. As a fountain redundant and overflowing to his people Grace is in Christ in all fulnesse from whence his people receive grace for grace There are two observations which I shall note from the words considering the exhortation without reference to what went before or follows after That believers are not to rest satisfied in weak measures of grace already received but to endeavour to attain greater strength of grace That Christ is the subject in which all grace is and the fountain from which believers must receive all their grace In the opening of the first doctrine the first thing is to make it appeare That believers must not rest satisfied with weak measures of grace received but must labour after more grace And this I shall prove 1. By instances of two sorts 1. That believers have grown from weak grace to strong grace who out of weaknesse were made strong There are expositors who refer this place to Hezekiahs recovery 1 Kin. 20. but it may have a more general extent and application The Psalmist speaking of Gods people saies he They go from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appears before God It is true the proper reference of these words is to the Jewes going up to Jerusalem to worship when the males went thrice a yeere up to Jerusalem to worship according to the law Exod 23. 14 17. yet Ainsworth understands it of our growth in grace so we are said to be changed from glory to glory that is from little degrees of grace to greater grace is but glory begun and glory is but grace perfected true grace is still aspiring unto perfection and therefore sayes Paul if by any means I might attain the Resurrection of the dead his meaning is that I may attain that perfection of holinesse which accompanies the state of the Resurrection a Metonymie of the subject for the adjunct he is still pressing forward that he might attain further degrees of grace and for that end Paul he forgat what was behind and reached forth to those things that were before ver 13. And though Paul Eph. 3. 4. had very great knowledge in the mysterie of Christ yet he stil desired to know more and more of Christ 2 By instances wherein Gods people have prayed for the strength of grace I how my knees sayes Paul unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he would grant unto you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man And speaking of the Romans Rom. 15. 13 14. he sayes I am perswaded you are full of goodnesse and knowledge yet because the best and most learned know but in part and see but darklie through a glasse 1 Cor. 13 12. he prays that God would fill them with all joy and peace in believing that they might abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost So he prayes that their love might abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgement and that they may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spirituall understanding that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing and be fruitfull in every good work increasing in the knowledge of God Thus Gods people have prayed for a further increase in grace Paul after his conversion increased more in strength whereby he was enabled to confound the opposing Jewes at Damascus Acts 9. 22. 2. By Commands Leaving the first principles of the doctrine of Christ we must goe on to perfection we must give diligence to adde grace to grace so we are commanded to be strong in the Lord to stand fast in the faith to quit your selves like men and be strong and to abound more and more Many such commands are scattered up and down the Scripture which shews our duty to grow more and more and to attain unto greater measures of grace 3. By promises that Gods people shall do so The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day that is they shall increase more and more in strength Gods gentlenesse makes his people great and inlargeth their steps under them The feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Pareus in his short notes which he cals his Adversaria saith He that is weak in faith shall be as David strong in faith Why should believers not rest satisfied with the first beginnings of grace but labour to be grown and strong Christians The reasons may be drawn 1. Partly from the necessity of it Why you must doe it And 2. From the danger If you doe it not 1. From the necessity of it there are these reasons 1. If you consider the strong temptations you are like to meet withall from the divel We are therefore commanded to be strong in the Lord to put on the whole Armour of God that we might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers and against the Rulers of the darknesse of this world Now shall the divel be strong and armed and shal we be content to be unarmed and weak Christians it is worth your noting in the
is very remarkable that at a Christians first conversion he is so earnest and eager after holy duties that he will hardly allow time for the duties of his particular calling nay how have men at first tyed themselves to hear so many Sermons make so many Prayers read so many Chapters spend so many houres in holy Meditation by our selves and good conference with other Christians But alas afterward this fervour begins to cool and remit and men pray lesse and hear more seldome and this is from the multitude of their wordly occasions Usually men at their first conversion which as Divines have observed ordinarily doth fall out between the eighteenth and twenty eighth year of their age though God indeed be tyed to no year yet men at that age have usually lesse of the world and so it comes to passe that afterward when the cares and profits and pleasures of the world steal away their affections that they grow much more remisse then they were at the beginning 2. Affections may be judged to be decayed when men have not such ravishing joyes as we were wont to have How many have been at first in Davids frame of heart I was glad when they said to me come let us go into the house of the Lord but afterwards the overeflowing of this flood of joy by dogrees hath abated 3. When sensible profit by Ordinances is abated A man may profit by Ordinances and yet not be sensible of that his profiting A Christian may grow at the root in solidity of grace though it may be not shoot up so much in blossomes of affection 2. In what Cases may a strong Christian want strong affections 1. In case you have lesse sin in duties though lesse affections A weak young convert hath oftentimes much affection in holy duties but much corruption too They are very subject to rashnesse and precipitancy in their Prayers and to be proud of any small measures of grace in duty and too apt to have carnal dependance upon their duties But old experienc't Christians as they have often lesse affection so lesse sin in duties Papists have very much affection in the performance of their devotions but alas they have the leaven of this errour in their best duties that they think they merit by them but grown and knowing Christians though they may not be so affectionate in duty as the weak yet they may exercise much more grace then they do And so also it is after duties are performed Weak Christians are apt to indulge their corruptions afterwards thinking they have made a compensation for their sins by their duties But an experienced grown Christian though not so affectionate in duty yet he is carefull afterwards that he do not by sin spoyle all his duties 2. A strong Christian may want strong affections in case he hath strength of judgement to recompence the want of his affections Young trees are more sappy but old trees are more solid Wherefore the Apostle prayes for the Philippians not only that tbeir love might abound but that their judgement might also abound As a man that is come to his full age though he do not grow in bulke and extension of parts yet he grows intensively and in the consolidation of the parts of the body so old and experienced Christians â—hough they have not so much affection yet they have more solidity and clearnesse of judgement more experimental knowledge in the profound mysteries of the Gospel and more distinct apprehensions of the deep things of Christ A strong believer what he wants in affections he hath compensated to him in a distinct and experimental knowledge of the deceitfulnesse of his heart of the vanity of the world of the sinfulnesse of sin and of the transcendent excellency of Christ New converts are rash inconsiderate injudicious and therefore we have a promise made to new converts that they shall proceed in grace It is a promise made to the Gentiles when the Kingdom of Christ shall come amongst them that though at the first they were rash yet it is said The heart of the rash shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plain Affection without knowledge will be but rashnesse which like metal in a young horse will be apt to precipitate him and make him stumble An experienced Christian though he have not so much seeming metal in his affection yet shall rid more way to heaven by farre then a young Convert and that without fear of stumbling At the first kindling of the fire there may be more smoak though afterward the flame will be clearer So when at first thou hast much affection afterwards thou shalt have a clearer judgment 3. A strong Christian may want strong affections in case it proceed from a natural temper and not from a sinful carelesse distemper There are some persons that are naturally of a soft and tender disposition and these are naturally more affectionate nay the woman who is the weaker vessel commonly her heart holds most affection And so likewise there are some who naturally are more bound up in their affections and are of a reserved temper who naturally do not break out into any great expression either of the passion of joy or grief We read in the Gospel that they that exprest most affection to Christ at his death and made the most passionate lamentation for him were the women who naturally are of a more melting disposition Some mens dispositions are like ice they will easily thaw and melt others like iron it must be a a hot fire that will 〈◊〉 them down So it is some men will be more affectionate upon a small occasion then others upon a greater and this is from naturall disposition Melancthon was not so affectionate as Luther but it is observed that he was more judicious 4. In case of sicknesse and old age and bodily weaknesse He that hath strength of grace may yet want strength of affection The expression of our affection depends much upon the temperature of the body if bodily strength and vigour be impaired our affections must needs flag As the ebbing and flowing of the sea depends upon the motion and influence of the Moon So our affections do ebbe and flow much what as the strength or weaknesse of the body hath an influence upon them As a Musician when he is grown old cannot so dexterously handle an instrument as when he was young though perhaps he hath now more judgement and experience in musick so it is in old age that brings experience in the wayes of God yet may abate affections Old age and sicknesse makes the body like a tyred horse to the active soul an active traveller would faine ride away to his journeys end but his horse is tyred An aged sickly Christian may have as much grace and more then ne had at first and yet not be so able to pray and so a Minister not so able
as in the giving of comfort God many times in wrath lets a man be filled with the ungrounded comfort of supposed grace Oh beloved it is farre better to want comfort then grace Many a man that hath no true grace yet hath seeming comfort but a child of God is often without comfort that he may examine and exercise his grace and so at last enjoy a wel-grounded joy and a wel-bottom'd consolation Grace is the best foundation of spirituall consolation XII Sermon At Lawrence Jury London April 20 1651. 2 TIM 2. 1. Be strong in the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus I Have already handled four cases of conscience concerning strength of grace viz 1. Whether strong temptations may be consistent with strength of grace 2. Whether strong corruptions may consist with the strength of grace 3. Whether a man may be strong in grace and and yet want those strong affections which he had at his first conversion 4. Whether a man may have strength of grace and yet want the comfort of his grace I shall proceed now to a fifth Case of Conscience viz. Whether a man may be said to have strength of grace who hath but weak gifts In the opening of which Case I shall thus proceed 1. I wil premise some propositions 2. I shall positively resolve the Case 3. And then give you some practicall in reference by way of Application I le begin with the first namely the Positions and they are these four following This first Position is this That though all believers they have the same Spirit yet God in his wisdom thinks it fit they shalnot have the same gifts There are saith the Apostle diversities of gifts but the same Spirit As it is with flowers there is not the same smell but different smels to different flowers and yet all their sents have the same influence from above and as it is with instruments of musick there are divers sounds in the Organ but the same breath doth cause the severall sounds So in the Church of God though there is the same influence of the Spirit of God yet not the same measure of gifts in each member of the Church The second Position is this that diversity of gifts is not to be ascribed to mans industry diligence or education but to the free pleasure and dispensation of God It is true much may be ascribed to study and industry and diligence in a way of gifts which was the ground of the Apostles exhortation Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine c. and meditate on these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appeare to all The Apostle speaks there of profiting in ministeriall gifts which gifts diligence and study doe much advantage and promote yet though we were all equall in study and diligence there would be a diversity in our gifts lest men should vaunt of their industry in acquiring gifts and thereby exclude Gods bounty in bestowing them Psal 127. 1. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it saith Hildersaâ—â— Suppose that two men were to read the same books and to study the same matter every day yet the one may be a dunâ—e and a man of low gifts and the other may have rare parts and excellent endowments this is to shew who we are beholding to that is God whose dispensation of gifts are many and variously bestowed Hence it is the Apostle telleth us That all these gifts worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will so that though one man differ from another in gifts yet it is God that maketh him to differ The third Position is this That a man may be excellent in one gift and yet defective in other gifts one man shall not have all this is very observable by instances you have in Scripture The first instance is between Paul and Barnabas if you look unto Paul his gift was the gift of utterance and freedom of speech insomuch that at Lystâ—â— Paul was taken for Mercury the God of Eloquence because he was the chiefe Speaker and though it is said of Paul that he was rude of speech that is not as if it were so indeed but in the opinion and conceit of the Corinthians who being seduced by false teachers hearkned to their disparagements of Paul Paul he was a most eloquent man and had much of the gift of utterance but now Bâ—rnabas did excel Paul in another gift to comfort those who were troubled in conscience he was a son of Consolation to comfort troubled consciences So likewise in the case of Peter and the other Apostles Divines gather from Christs commission to Peter singling him out when he said Peter feed my Lambs Peter lovest thou me The Reason that some Expositors give why Peter was singled out was this because Peter had an excellent gift in preaching and in feeding the Lambs of Christ that is weak Believers Moreover it is said of James and John that they were called Sonnes of Thunder as having a more powerfull gift from God to terrifie and awake a sinners conscience then Peter and other Apostles had So that though some of the Apostles had most excellent gifts yet some of them excelled others in some one gift The fourth Position is That there are Cases wherein men may have great gifts but weak grace God is pleased sometimes to carry mens gifts very high when their graces have not a proportionable elevation and the reason is because gifts are for the good of others for the edification of the Church of God and not for the good of a mans self only They were wanting in no gift and had all knowledge and yet when he mentions their graces he saith I could not speak to you as spirituall but carnal They outstrip other Churches in gifts yet they came short of other Churches in grace Such was the Church of Laodicea she was rich in gifts and poor in grace Now there are foure Cases wherin men may have strong gifts and yet but little grace 1. When mens notions are clear and strong but mens experiences and affections but low and weak to have more expressionâ— then impressions to be like the Moon that though from the waine it grows big and increases to the full yet it increases only in light and not in heat So men when they meerly increase in light of notions and speculations and not in heat of affection towards God and the practical part of Christianity and it is to be feared that much of the Religion of these times is of this stamp it is more in notion then motion more in talking then walking more in parts then grace 2. When thy gifts are not influential upon thy life Look as it is in that disease of the Rickets that children are liable to they may grow big in the head and yet decay in
good serving such a Master who is ready to reward the good we do and is ready to forgive and passe by what is amisse and therefore thou that hast but a little grace yet remember God will have his eye on that little grace He will not quench the smoaking flax nor breake the bruised reed 7. Learn this for thy comfort that though thou hast but a little grace yet that little grace shall not be extinguished by thy strong corruption but at last it shall over-master your corruptions What was said of Esau and Jacob the one shall be stronger then the other and the elder shall serve the younger and so it came afterwards to passe in the time of Jehosaphat when there was no King in Edom That may be fitly applyed to the affairs of the soul the elder shal serve the younger corruption in the soul is elder then grace in the soul and corruption is so opposite to grace that it labours for the extinction of grace but this sparke shall live in the midst of the sea of corruption till at last that great deep shall be made dry and the house of David shall at last quite put down the house of Saul the Name of the Lord will perform this And therefore thou that art but a weak Christian learn to stay thy self on the Name of the Lord till judgement be brought forth into victory 2. Vse of this doctrine is unto strong believers such as have attained unto a higher forme of grace in the school of Christ 2. Though you are strong in grace yet remember it is not the grace of God in you but the free grace of God towards you by which you are justified It is not our inherent righteousnesse but the imputed righteousnesse of Jesus Christ that is our Justification Oh consider you that have most grace what would become of you were it not for free grace Free grace is the surest and only refuge for a soul to flie unto God can finde matter of condemnation against you not only for your worst sins but your best duties The best Christian hath no reason to venture his soul on the best thought that ever he conceived nor on the most holy duty that ever he performed nor on the highest grace that ever he exercised A famous instance hereof we have in Nehemiab who had much grace and did much for God his people his house his cause yet prayes after all this Spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Intimating that God might finde therein matter enough to ruine him if God did not spare him for his mercies sake So Paul in the discharge of his Ministery proceeded with so much uprightnesse that he speaks thus of himself I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified He knew that all the grace and excellency and uprightnesse in him would not make him righteous in the sight of God We read of Iehosaphat that when he had mustered up all his strength which was very great for he had eleven hundred thousand men in his militia yet he goes to God and prayes Lord we have no might or power against these multitudes and we know not what to do only our eyes are up to thee So when a Christian hath mustered up all the strength of his grace and considers the great power of his corruptions which do set themselves against him he had best go to God and say Lord I have no power against these many and great corruptions but my eyes are to thy grace that thou mayst help me As in a pair of Compasses one foot is fixed in the Center whilst the other turns about the circumference so must the soul fix and stay it selfe on Christ whilest it is exercised about holy duties Though Christ as I formerly mentioned commended many parts of the Spouse yet not her hands to teach us that all the Spouse could do could not make her amiable in the eyes of Christ nor the Spouses working for Christ but Christs work in the Spouse made her beautiful Oh it is very hard through strength of grace to abound in the work of the Lord and yet keep the heart humble And therefore 2. Consider they that have most grace yet have great cause to be humbled and that in many respects 1. Thou hast not so much grace and perfection as once thou hadst Once man was beautified and bespangled with many glorious perfections before the fall it might have been said of man that he was perfect as his heavenly father was perfect for God made man upright that is perfect nothing was wanting then to make man both an happy and holy creature but alas the image of God in us is now obliterated and defaced 2. He that hath most grace hath not so much as he shall have in heaven Not that I am perfect already but I forget those things that are behind and I presse forward unto those things that are before yea I presse saith the Apostle toward the mark of the price of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus We read under the law of severall things that were to be a cubit and half high and broad it being an imperfect measure it was to note that no man in this life hath an exactnesse and perfection the uttermost that is attainable by us in this life is but imperfect In this life there is a plus ultra something still to be attained in religion but in heaven men shall be perfect We shall in heaven be like to Jesus Christ whom though we now see but darkly and in a glasse then we shall see him as he is 3. They that have much grace yet should be humbled for there are those that have more grace then you and yet have had lesse time and fewer advantages then you have there are those that have gone before you much for strength of grace and yet have come behind you for means of grace there are those who were the last and are first and before you 4 Be humbled under much grace for ye have not so much grace as you should have had concerning the means of grace you have lived under How many years have you been in the school of Christ and yet what little proportionable progresse have you made in the knowledge of Jesus Christ we may all blush to think what dunces we have been in the school of Christ The trees of the garden should bear nore fruit then the trees of the forrest the Fig-tree therefore which was unfruitful was the more intolerable because it was in the garden in the vineyard What the Apostle complains of the Hebrews we our selves may justly take up the complaint against our selves that For the time we ought to have been teachers and yet have need that one teach us again what are the first Principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of
sleep but we shall be changed therefore at the last day they shall not be buried and the grave not the house of all men but those that are then living shall be suddenly carried up to Heaven To this I answer that at the last day though men shall not come to the grave yet they shall be taken up when the trumpet shall sound and shall goe through the fire and they shall in their translation undergoe something that shall be equivalent to a death and to a buriall 2. Lastly we are tied to this decree of death though God be not tied Rom. 5. 14. and Rom. 9. 27. By those places we are to understand all men doe deserve to die though God may exempt some as those that live to see the end of the world from a death as ours is Death is the end of all men and the grave is the house appointed for all living Death hath passed upon all men because all have sinned All deserve to die and even those that are changed at the last day undergo something equivalent to death it selfe FINIS An Alphabeticall Table A ADmiration of mens persons page 22 Affections rather then actions evidence the truth of grace 54 Strong assurance 26 Strong affections 121 Why we should be carefull to preserve our first affections 126 Holy affections arguments of grace 160 Our All to be ascribed to Christ 189 B BAd company a snare 12 Good in bad places commendable 13 Misery to live in bad places ib. We must shun bad company and places 11 Against boasting of our own merit 189 193 None blameable but our selves if we want grace 197 C GOod company 16 Be not content with measures of grace 25 Communion of Saints 29 Reasons why we must not content our selves with a little grace 33 Complaint of our corruptions 41 Little comfort of much grace 49 God will cherish least measures of grace 57 Comfort of grace may be lost 78 Experienced Christians must comfort others 82 Cases of conscience about temptation 92 About corruptions 104 Strong corruptions cōsistent with strong grace 105 Case of conscience about affections 127 Case of conscience about the comfort of grace 128 A man may have grace and want comfort 131 A godly man hath right to comfort 142 True grace is communicative 155 How grace is said to be in Christ 176 Christ is the author of grace 177 Christ commissionated by God the Father to give grace 197 D. BEst must die 4 Dependance on duty 19 Dependance on divine influxe 27 Why there are different degrees of grace 28 Desires after more grace 43 Desires supernatural and active earnest after grace 44 Devils malice and knowledge in tempting us 98 Devil shal never have his wil on Gods people 101 Devil may mar our comfort 139 Divers Christians have divers gifts 148 Of division in the Church 150 Decay of gifts unexercised 151 152 We must not despise the least grace 199 Diseases should mind us of death 202 We should meditate on death 204 And on our particular death 205 Gods hand must be seen in Death ib. Sin cause of death 206 E. VAine excuse of wickednesse 46 Evidences of the growth and strength of grace differ 49 Good example 72 Exercise grace 139 Former experiences comfortable 146 One may excel in one gift and not in another 148 Eminent for grace in great esteem 175 We must have our eye on Christ 192 F FAlling from First love 19 Precious Faith alike in all Believers 36 Frequency in sinning 103 Men of great gifts may fall away 162 Christ a Fountaine 179 All fulnesse in Christ 178 God the Father and Christ one 179 Against Free-wil 186 G. SAving grace unloseable 12 Smallest measures of grace are cherished by God 16 Some of Gods children have but small measures of grace 18 Different degrees of grace 19 A little grace not so useful nor so evidential 34 True grace wil grow 36 We must grow in grace 74 Commands and promises of growth 75 Not to grow better is to grow worse 78 Glory of Gods Attributes seen in succouring us in great temptation 97 God a free agent in giving grace or comfort of grace 134 Glory of grace due to God 141 Though believers have the same Spirit yet not the same gifts 147 Little grace better then great gifts 156 Difference between gifts and grace 157 None have so much grace as they should 168 Glory in heaven proportioned to our grace here 173 It s of the nature of grace to grow 174 Grave is an house 218 H. COrruptions are to humble us 104 Humiliation suitable to corruptions 102 They that have much grace have much cause to be humbled 167 Christ a head 178 What kind of house the grave is 220 I. INjuries to weak Christians 64 Judgement and spiritual knowledge 119 Holy jealousie 136 Indulgence to any lust marres our spiritual comfort 138 Improvement of grace 163 We are justified by Gods free grace and not by grace inherent in us 166 Joseph a type of Christ 182 Joshua a type of Christ 181 Christ gives grace irresistibly 193 We must endeavour to get grace 195 Interest in Christ and then in his grace 196 K KNowledge of the mysteries of the Gospel 83 Weak in knowledge 23 Practicall knowledge 201 Considerate knowledge of death 204 L. SPiritual light in the soule 40 Love of the Word and of the Saints 46 Little grace shall be lasting and shall not be extinguished 54 165 Losse of first love and first affections 106 128 Spiritual lazinesse 138 M. AGainst Popish merit 35 Of the least measure of grace 39 Ministers must use loving insinuations 71 Ministers should grow in grace 72 Mistakes about measures of grace 86 VVe must not measure our grace by our profession or gifts c. 87 Natural melancholy hinders comfort 135 N. NEglect of our callings 21 Some affectionate by natural temper 121 All things new at first conversion 123 O. OLD-age may make affections flag 9 P. WE are not perfect at once 27 66 Gods power can preserve weak grace 31 Purpose of soul to leave sin 40 Promises made to the desire after grace 43 We must labour after perfection 47 Promises must be believed though Providences seem to crosse them 82 Pride checkt by temptations 98 Strong Christians must not presume 101 Professors sins gratifie Satan 105 106 Spirituall pride 109 Pride in our gifts 153 Pride of Papists and Pelagians 185 Christ gives grace proportionably 194 Preparation for death 206 Q. OF quenching the Spirit 137 R. REigne of lust 115 Christ a Root 178 Reproach rowled away from Christ 182 Socinians enemies to the Righteousnesse of Christ 183 Rest in the grave 212 S A Note of sincerity to be good in bad places 12 Signes of weak grace 20 Spiritual failings and sins 21 A scrupulous conscience ib. God wil not try us beyond our strength 38 Christians have a strong God a strong Saviour strong promises 53 God sees the least sin in believers 62 Satans Sieve
and Gods Fan 68 VVhy Timothy called Pauls son 70 How grace is said to be strong 72 Strong grace because strong temptation and oppositions and strong corruptions 76 Signes of strong Christians 81 Suffering for Christ a duty as wel as doing for Christ 83 Sins of Gods people provoking 99 Superciliousnes towards weak Christians 109 Gods Soveraignty to give or withhold comfort 133 Sleightnesse of Spirit 137 Christ Sun of Righteousnesse 178 Neither Satan nor Sin shall hinder grace 194 Goe to Christ for supply of grace ib. T. MAny dare not Trust God for outward things 25 Government of the Tongue 84 Great and strong Temptations consistent with strong grace 90 Temptations shall not exceed grace 91 Devils tempts best most of which instances 93 95 VVhen temptations strong 93 Reasons why best most tempted 96 God by temptations aims at our good 97 Jesus Christ was tempted 102 Natural temperature disposeth to some sins 104 Types of Christ 180 181 V REligion makes neerest Union 70 Unity in the Church 87 Uncompassionatenesse 138 Ungrounded comfort and joy 143 Christ gives grace voluntarily 192 W WEake easily seduced 23 Weak in knowledge ib. Weak in judgement 24 Weak Christians not bear Reproofe ib. Weak Christians must not be discouraged 25 Gods wisdom seen in the variety of measures of grace 31 More weak then strong Christians 32 How we must carry our selves to weak ones 60 Gods care over weak Christians 68 Of weak gifts 144 Directions to weak Christians 163 Works of the blessed Trinity relative to the creature undivided 181 Y COmmendable to good in Youth 6 Youth subject to temptations ib. Examples of good young men 7 Sins of youth trouble us when old 8 9 Gods indulgence to young convers 125 FINIS Libri rerum non verborum soecundi Heb. 5. 14. Pro. 27. 23 a Gen. 4. 3. b Ex 9. 27 c 1 Kings 21. 27. d 1 Sam. 24. 16. e 2 Kings 10 16. f Mat. 27. 3 g Act. 8. 13 h Mar. 6. 20. i Acts 24. 25. Plus scientiae minuf conscientiae Isa 5. 8. 2 Pet. 1. 6 7 8. Plus valebit conscientia pura quà m marsupia plena Rev. 13. 10 1 Kings 19. 7. 2 Pet. 3 â— 7 18. a 1 Kings 15. 29. b 2 Cor. 12 19. Gal. 1. 20. c Jam. 2. 27 d Luke 12. 21. e As 20. 21. f Act. 24. 16. 1. Observation g 1 Kings 16. 26. 2. Observation 3. Observation 4. Observation Isa 57. 1. 1 5. Observation 6. Observation Rom. 2. 28. 1. Doct. h 1 Kings 18. 12. i 2 Tim. 3. 15. k Joh. 13. l Jer. 2. 2. m 2 Epist John 4. n Mar. 10. 21. o 2 Tim. 2. 22. 1 Vse Ps 71. 9. compared with v. 5. 1 Sam. 16. 11 12. p Gen. 48. 14. q 1 Cor. 7. 33. r Quae fueruâ—â— inania juvenâ—utis gaudia haec sunt acâ—rba senectutis gravamina Job 13. 26. Job 29. 11. 1 Tim. â— 6. Tit. 2. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2. 22 Eccl. 11. 10 Prov. 7. 7. Eph. 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 movit de loco in locum Mat. 19. 22. 2 King 2. 23. Job 30. 1 12. Eccl. 11. 9. Judg. 14. 10. Job 1. 4. Prov. 31. 1. Rev. 2. 13. Phil. 4. 22. Heb. 12. 15 Vse 1. 2. Isa 6. 〈◊〉 Psal 120 5 Gen. 25. 13 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. 3 Phil. 2. 15. 4 Gen. 20. 11 Non ego sâ—m ambitiosus sed nemo Romae aliter vivere potest non ego sum sumptuosus sed urbs ipsa magnas impensas exigit Sen. 5 6 Bonus mali consortio fecilè pejâ—ratur Jude 23. Lev. 15. 4. Deut. 22. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 9 10. Psa 26. 4 5 7. Pro. 13. 20 Doct. Mat. 12. 20 Verba pâ—â—iuâ— ad cor nostrum quà m ad cor Dei accommodata Psal 51. 17 Cant. 2. 13. Cant. 7. 1â— 1. Propsition 1 Quest 1. Answ s Rom. 15. 1 t 1 Cor. 3. 1 1 Joh. 2. 14 u Isa 61. 3. Psal 92. 12 Mat. 12. 20 x Cant. 1. 8. 1 Joh. 21. 15 16 17. y Isa 4. 4. 2 Answ z Gal. 4. 19 1 Pet. 1. 23 c. 2. 2. 1 Joh. 2. 13 ibid. Cant. 2. 14 Brightman 2 Quest Answ 1. Aasw 2. Answ 3. Rom. 14. 1. Rom. 15. 1. * Rom 14. 21. 1 Cor. 8. 7. c. 9. 2. Answ 4. Dr. Sibbs Answ 5 1 Cor. 3. 1 4. Jam. 2. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ 6. Eph. 4. 14. 2 Pet. 3. 17 18. Answ 7. Heb. 5. 12 13. a Luke 9. 45. b Mar. 9. 10. c John 10 16 17. Answ 8. Answ 9. 2 Sam. 12. 7. 2 Chron. 16. 10. Ans 10. Mat. 6. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 16. 8. 1 Vse Mat. 17. 20 2 Vse 3 Quest Answ Heb. 12. 23 Eph. 4. 13. 1 Cor. 12. 21. Pro. 30. 26 Cant. 2. 14. 2 Cor. 12. 9 10. Ver. 10 1 Kings 18 44 45. Ezek. 47. 3 4 5. 1. Posit Jon. 4. 11. Quò perfectâ—â—res â—ò pauciores Jer. 46. 23. 1 Sam. 20. 36. 2. Posit Heb. 5. 12. Mat. 19. 30 3. Posit Miserationes Dei sunt merita nostra Deus coronat non merita nostra sed dona sua Cant. 2. 14 Cant. 1. 15 Cant. 1. 10. Cant. 4. 1 2 3 4 c. Ezek. 16. 14. 4. Posit Mat. 8. 26. compared with Mar. 4. 40. Rom. 14. 1 c. 15. 1. Gal. 6. 1. Luk. 22. 32 Mar. 16. 16 17. Pareus Vers 14. Joh. 16. 12 Joh. 15. 8. 5. Posit Luk. 19. 17 1. Vse Mat. 13. 31 32. Mat. 13. 33 1 Kings 18. 44. Ezek. 47. 3. 4. Arbor procera Cypressuâ— Mat. 12. 20 Phil. 1. 6. 1 Thes 5. 24. Heb. 6. 1. Luke 14. 28 29. Psal 138. 8. 2 Pet. 1. 1. Isa 27. 8. 1 Cor. 10. 13. Isa 57. 16. Rev. 3. 8. A case of conscience resolved 1. Thes 4. 1 Psal 119. Acts 26. 18 Job 33. 30. Luke 15. 17 18. Greg. Psal 32. 5. August Psal 17. 3. Psal 119. 106. Act. 11. 23. Mar. 9. 24. Mat. 5. 3. Rom. 8. 26. Perkins Curae leves loqueuntur ingentes stupent Neh. 1. 11. compared with Neh. 5. Isa 26. 8 9. Mat. 5. 6. Joh. 7. 37. Isa 55. 1. Rev. 21. 6. Psa 145. 19 Psal 10. 17. Psal 4. 6. Numb 23. 10. Veluntatem fiâ—is non mediorum Bern. 2 Cor. 7. 11. 2 Cor. 8. 11. Pro. 21. 25 Conales cupiunt Christum consequi sed non se quinon cu rant quaerere quem desiderant iavenire Bern. Psal 119. 20. Psal 42. 1. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Psal 42. 2. Psal 63. 1. Psa 119. 20 1 Pet. 2. 2. 1 Joh. 3. 14. 1. Caution Heb. 6. 1. Isa 32. 17. 2 Pet. 1. 9 10 11. Mat. 8. 26. compared with Mar. 4. 40. 2 Pet. 1. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Caution 3. Caution 4. Caution 1 Cor. 1. 5. v. 7. 1 Cor. 3. 1 3 Rev. 3. 17. Rev. 3. 8. 1 Cor. 12. 31 1. Comfort Luk. 22 32 1. Joh. 4. 4. 2 Cor. 12 9 Isa 26. 4. Jude 24. 1
Sermon at Lawrence Jury London April 13. 1651. 2 TIM 2. 1. My son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus HAving dispatched three Cases of conscience concerning strength of grace I now proceed to a fourth viz. VVhether a man that hath strength of grace may want the comfort of his grace I shall answer this question affirmatively A man that hath the strength of grace yet may want the comfort of it Strength of grace as you have heard doth not exempt a man from temptations from the divel nor from desertions from God It is an undoubted rule there may be strength of grace where there is not the comfort and evidence of it A child of light may walk in darknesse for a time and though he have the holy Ghost working grace and encreasing grace in his heart yet he may want the oyle of gladnesse though he have received a precious anoynting of grace A child of God as to his spirituall condition may for a time be in the same condition that Paul and the Marriners were in who for many daies had neither sun nor stars appearing being under no small tempest hopes of being saved being taken away So it fares with Gods dearest children they may be in the dark and can see no light they may have the graces of the Spirit and yet want the comforts of the Spirit In the opening of which point I shall thus proceed 1. I wil prove this from Scripture that a child of God may be strong in grace and yet want the comfort of his grace 2 I wil lay down some reasons why it is thus 3. Some directions how those that have grace and yet doe want the comfort of their graces should procure unto themselves the comfort of their graces 4. And then I shall commend some comfortable considerations to such as have grace but want the comfort of it 1. For the first I shall give you instances both in the Old and New Testament that those that have been strong in grace have wanted comfort 1. Job a man eminent for grace a perfect and upright man and one that feared God and eschewed evil and yet you have Job complaining Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy nay God did not onely hide his face but handle him as his enemy for he thus makes his moan He tears me in his wratâ— that is to be referred to God and not unto the divel or to Jobs unmercifull enemies or uncharitable friends He teareth me that is God teareth me Who in my apprehension saith Job hateth me and gnâ—sheth upon me with his teeth and as an enemy sharpneth his eyes upon me And that these sad apprehensions were upon Job that God was his enemy see him further lamenting himself He hath destroyed me on every side and I am gone and mine hope hath he removed as a tree he bath also kindled his wrath against me and counted me unto him as one of his enemies Yea destruction from God was a terrour to him 2. Asaph a holy man yet thus complains Will the Lord east off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies These are the sad expostulations of a troubled spirit cast down under deep dejections and in the dark by reason of the suspension of divine favour 3. David a man after Gods heart whose gracious breathings though the whole book of Psalms shew that he was a man of an excellent spirit and had much grace Yet David wanted the comfort of his grace when his soul was cast down and his spirit was disquieted within him And so 4. Heman a man who for wisdom so eminent that the Holy Ghost useth him as an instance of wisdome As wise as Heman and yet in the 88. Psalme quite through that Psalme was a straine of as sad a complaint as you shall meet withall in the whole book of God Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darknesse in the deep thy wrath lyeth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves So little comfort had these holy men though they were eminent in grace It is true of many dear children of God what was said of the Apostles and disciples of Christ Whither I go saith Christ ye know and the way ye know To which speech of Christ Thomas answers in the next verse Lord we know not whither thou goest and how can we know the way Augustine doth thus reconcile this They did know whither Christ went but they durst not once believe that they had such knowledge they did not know their own knowledge The expressions of Christ were different from those words of Thomas the Lord Jesus spake as it was and Thomas spake as he thought The Apostles had grace and yet wanted the comfort and assurance of it I will not instance here of the Lord Jesus who though he was full of grace and truth yet he wanted comfort when he was in that bitter agony and cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Indeed in the new Testament there are not so many instances of those that wanted the comfort of their graces as we finde in the Old Testament And the reason is this Profession at the first publishing and promulgation of the Gospel met with so many and such sharp afflictions that God did indulge them and made their inward graces to abound as their outward sufferings did abound These instances may suffice to prove that it is truth believers who are strong in grace yet may want the comfort of their graces 2. To give you some grounds of this the reasons may be drawn either 1. From God Or 2. From our selves Or 3. From the devil 1. Reason is from the Lord to with-hold from them to whom he hath given grace the comfort of their grace 1. To manifest his divine authority and absolute soveraignty over his people As the natural light of the day and darknesse of the night are at Gods dispose so also is this spiritual ligh of comfort and the darknesse of a deserted and dejected spirit God gives diviâ—e and spiritual consolations out of the goodnesse of his will and withdraws them to shew the absolutenesse and soveraign liberty of his Will 2. To let his people know that comfort is not essential to holinesse neither inseparably and necessarily belonging to grace Though there cannot be true peace where there is no grace yet there may be true grace where there is no peace 3. God in the dispensation both of grace and comfort shews himself a free and gracious Agent and all our graces which God works in us are meerly from Gods grace to us He will give comfort when and to whom he pleaseth but still as a reward of his own free grace the comfort of a pardon
The comfortable knowledge of our pardon is as well from Gods free grace as the pardon it self and therefore God suspends the comfort of grace to make us looke up to him for it When thou repentest God gives a pardon but therein he rewards his owne work in thee To give a pardon or sense of a pardon is an act of meer liberality in God 4. God doth this to put a difference between heaven and earth Heaven is a place for comfort earth for duty earth is for the getting of grace heaven for the rewarding of grace Our Lord Jesus Christ like the good Master of the Feast reserves the best for last The sons of Nobles when they travel into forraign parts have no more allowances then what will accommodate their travels the inheritance is reserved for them when they come to their fathers house So believers who are strangers and pilgrimes here they have so much grace and comfort as befits their passage to heaven but they have an inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away but is reserved in the heavens God thinks it not sit to give constant comforts in an inconstant world nor full comforts in an empty world nor lasting comforts in a transitory world 2. Reason may be taken from our selves and that in many regards that have much grace yet may have but a little comfort and this may spring from a threefold root in us 1. From something that is meerly natural in us 2. From something that is spiritual and good 3. From something that is evil in us 1. This may arise from the prevalency of a natural melancholy in the body whereby the understanding may be darkned the fancy troubled reason perverted and the soul sadned Melancholy is the mother of discomfort and the nurser of doubting It was as some think depth of melancholy that prevailed upon Nebuchadnezzar that he did not know whilest under the power of that distemper whether he was a man or a beast And in the like manner may this bodily melancholy so far distemper thy soul that thâ—â— who hast grace yet mayest not know whether thou art a childe of God or a childe of the devil It is no more wonder to see a melancholy man doubt and question his spiritual condition then it is to see a childe cry when he is beaten or to heare a sick man groan You may silence a melancholy man when you are not able to comfort him and though you may resolve his doubts and scruples by evident and convincing answers and arguments yet let but such a man retire alone and brood over his melancholy thoughts by the prevalency of this perturbing humour all is forgotten and he is as unsatisfied as if you had said nothing to him And you may perceive that it is the power of melancholy that is the cause of a mans distemper when he is very much troubled and yet can give no distinct account of any particular thing that doth trouble him 2. This discomfort often ariseth from that which is good in us viz. from that holy jealousie and tendernesse of conscience which makes a childe of God suspect and inquire into his condition and though he have true grace and much grace yet he is afraid lest all be but a delusion in such cases the soul doth so pore on sin and infirmities that it cannot see its own evidences A tender conscience is more apt to be dejected in the sight of sinne then to be comforted in the sense of grace and the reason of this is because sin doth more directly fall under the cognizance of our conscience especially a natural conscience The works of the flesh are manifest but the fruits of grace and of the spirit are not so easily discerned 3. This discomfort usually springs from a root of bitternesse even in the best of Gods children and that whereby God doth punish the sins of his people 1. Their quenching the motions of the Spirit If you grieve the Spirit of God it is just with God to grieve your spirits you never send Gods Spirit sad to heaven but God may make sad your spirits on earth 2. Sleightinesse and fearlessenesse of heart towards God When children grow saucy peremptory and malapert before their parents 't is no wonder if a fathers frown correct not their irreverence Most of those who lie uncomfortably under sense of displeasure of God may thank themselves for it they have provoked God by their bearing them selves too much upon his love and growing secure and fearlesse to offend God God loves to have his children come near him in an holy confidence that he is their father but yet to keep their distance by humble reverence 3. Another sin that God punishes in his children by withholding comfort from them that are strong in grace is their superciliousnesse contempt and uncompassionatenesse towards others that are but weak in grace God own people are very much to blame herein in rigour and unmercifulnesse towards those that are weak in the faith despising all that are inferiour to them in gifts and graces whereby they often break the bruised reed and quench the smoaking flax and want bowels of pitty and tendernesse towards their brethren To take down pride God often brings such even his own people to be low in comfort and it is but just that they should want comfort who have neglected to comfort and cherish those that were weak in grace 4. A growing cold and lazy and heedlesse in holy duties If we put off God without true service God may justly put us off without true comfort This rule holds in spiritual affairs He that will not work shall not eat If we abate in the sanctifying work of the Spirit it is but just that God withhold the comforting work of the Spirit The sluggard saith Solomon hath poverty enongh so if we grow lazy and sluggish in holy duties it is just that our stock of comfort do decay Though holy duties do not merit comforts yet comfort usually riseth and falls according to our diligence in duties True grace is never so apparent to and sensible in the soul as when it is in action and therefore want of exercise must needs cause want of comfort As fire in the flint is never seen or felt till it be struck out by the Steel so is grace and the comfort of grace never so sensible as when it is exercised much in holy duties 5. Any one sin indulged by or concealed in the conscience is enough to marre all your comfort Concealed guilt contracts horrour The Candle will never burn clear whilest there is a thief in it Sin in the conscience is like Ionah in the ship which causeth a tempest that the conscience is like a troubled sea whose waters cannot rest or it is like a mote in the eye which causeth a perpetual trouble while it is there or like the winde gathered in the caverns of the earth makes earthquakes and terrible eruptions It is just