more easily leave them Secondly let him be careful to be well employed and to be conversant in good Company and the like Attend upon the Ordinances frequent the Communion of Saints be diligent in his lawful Employments These will take off his Rellish from sin and make him to dislike it Thirdly And especially to labour to get into Christ and to close with him in the Covenant of Grace whereby his Spirit may be communicated to him There is no Mortification of sin to any purpose but such as flows from our Union with Christ who is a powerful Head to this purpose and does enable more or less in all his Members to express it in themselves In Rom. 8.23 it is said If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Mark If by the spirit ye mortifie Mortification is a Work of the Spirit and this Spirit is the Spirit of Christ And this flows from our Union to Christ and Conjunction with him by Faith which does mystically knit us to him We must therefore first of all labour to find this Union to be in us and then make use of it and improve it to such a purpose as this is which we now speak of And this if we do we shall accordingly find mercy at the hands of God as is here expressed And so much of the Promise in the first Branch to wit The Simple or Absolute Preposition in these words And he shall have mercy upon him The Second is The Additional Amplification in these words For he will abundantly pardon Wherein again we have two Particulars more First The Word of Promise or Encouragement He will abundantly pardon Secondly The Word of Motive or Enforcement For he will abundantly pardon Because he will do this therefore Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon First Of the Word of Promise or Encouragement He will abundantly pardon Here is set forth unto us the Fulness and Largeness of God's Mercy according to those Expressions which are made of it in Scripture Full of Goodness Rich in Mercy Abundant in Compassion and the like The words here in the Original Text are very Emphatical Jarbeh Lisloach And we may reduce them to a threefold Intimation First To the Pardon of great sins Secondly To the Pardon of many sins Thirdly To the Pardon of sins reiterated and committed again First This Abundant Pardon in God it extends it self to great sins He is Magnus and remittendum The great God will forgive great Offences sins of an high nature of a deep die of an heinous aggravation Thus Isa 2.18 Come and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool See here scarlet sins and crimson sins and sins of such a stain as these are God tells his People that upon their Repentance he will pardon them and forgive them unto them And we have divers Instances to this purpose in Scripture take the Apostle Paul for all the rest who styles himself The Chief of Sinners 2 Tim. 1.15 says of himself that he was a Blasphemer and Persecutor and injurious and yet even he obtained Mercy and the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus Was exceeding abundant upon which occasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See here Abundant Grace The very Expression which is here used in the Text. Secondly It extends to many sins He is Multus and remittendum Here is the abundance of Pardon in this also that God does not only forgive sin in one kind but in more as he has occasion for it Thus Manasses who knew how many sins were layed to his charge that he was an Idolater a Sorcerer a Murderer one that made his own Sons to pass through the fire and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood It is said He wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord. And yet when in his Affliction he sought the Lord and humbled himself greatly and prayed unto him the Lord was entreated of him and forgave him Mary Magdalen she was one who had seven Devils cast out of her and it is said expresly concerncerning her that Her sins which were many were forgiven her for she loved much in Luk. 7.47 God forgives not only one or two or a few but even many Offences Thirdly To sins reiterated and committed again and again This Abundant Pardon reacheth to these and God has Mercy and Forgiveness for them For Relapses and Fallings back into sin and the Repetitions of them he is Frequens and remittendum He will multiply to pardon as the Marginal Translation carries it He that has commanded us to forgive others again and again he will certainly do it himself out of all question Hence is that Gracious and Evangelical Imitation of the Prophet Jeremy's in Jer. 3.1 They say if a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another man's shall he turn unto her again shall not that land be greatly polluted but thou hast stayed the harlot with many lovers yet return again to me saith the Lord. So again in Hos 14.4 God says I will heal their back-slidings and will love them freely God heals Back-slidings and Apostatisings and Relapses and Recidivations sins committed again and again Thus we see how in all particulars it holds true that God will abundantly pardon The Ground and Foundation of this Truth is twofold First The Greatness and Infiniteness of God's own Nature considered in himself Secondly The Greatness and Infiniteness and Fulness of the satisfaction of Christ First The Greatness and Infiniteness of God's own Nature God is a great and infinite God of whose Perfection there is no end Therefore every Attribute in him is of Infinite Extent and his Mercy amongst the rest Thus it is said expresly of him His mercies are great or many in 2 Sam. 24.14 Mercy in us it is no more than a Drop but in God it is an Ocean In us no more than a little Stream but in God it is a Spring and full Fountain A Spring continually runs an Ocean is never drawn dry What is a little sparkle of Fire if it fall into the main Sea The same are the sins of a penitent person being propounded to the mercy of God Thus Micah 7.18 19. Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity an passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy He will return again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and he will cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea But Secondly and Efpecially This is founded upon the Fulness and Infiniteness
those who are best acquainted with Him and that in a way of special favour and indulgence and respect unto them This is that which we shall meet with in Scripture Thus of David Psal 21.4 He asked life and thou gavest it him even length of dayes for ever and ever Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not with-held the request of his lips There 's his hearts desire in regard of the efficacy of the blessing and there 's the request of his lips in regard of the Determination of the Blessing and both were granted to David So in Job 22.27 28. It is said of a Godly man that is carefull to be acquainted with the Almighty that he shall make his prayer and God will hear him He shall decree a thing and it shall be establish'd unto him Decree it that is pitch upon it for the particular thing which he shall desire and this shall be confirm'd unto him The Lord does two things in this business out of favour to his people First he stirs up in their hearts such desires to come from them He puts it into their minds to ask such things of Him and then He comes off to grant them those things which in particular they desire as he did here in this place to Jabez according to that place of the Psalmist in Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Prepare their heart by suggesting such petitions to them and cause thine ear to hear by granting their petitions which doe occasionally come from them This is such a favour and mercy as there 's no man almost of all the servants of God but it is likely has had experience of it some time or other in his own particular and can witness hereunto This sometimes may be discern'd in part aforehand that it will be before it is That God will grant us that which we have requested before He grants it in very deed in the thing it self I say it may be in part foreseen and pre-apprehended according to the frame of spirit which is upon us God's manner of working in us and his beginnings of it and leading us to it in his providence and doings for us already God grants us what we request in the heart preparatory to his granting of it in the performance The best improvement which we may make of this to our selves is accordingly to do in like manner with God if we would have Him to grant us our requests let us do likewise not to deny him his yea because he is so willing to grant them let us be as willing to doe so likewise else we shall deal very unequally and unreasonably with him If wee 'l be on the begging hand we must be on the giving hand to or else all is in vain we must hearken to that which God commands and injoyns unto us as it is in Mic. 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord doth require of thee even to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God These and the like are the things that God does require of us and to be practised by us But here by the way it may be pertinently demanded How may it appear unto us when God at any time grants our requests in the very particular thing which he desired that He does it out of favour towards us rather then upon any of those principles and considerations which we mentioned before I answer threefold ye may know it thus First By the disposition of our minds as to the things themselves which we ask and pray for For here our desires are very sober and modest and subordinate still to the good will and pleasure of God referring our selves wholly to his providence and wisdom for us and not absolutely and peremptorily causing and bringing him to ours Secondly By the satisfaction of spirit which we find upon our prayers made and that resting and relying upon Him which we find in our selves As Hannah when she had prayed to God for a son and God intended to give her one her mind was no more solicitous about it but she did in a manner certainly expect it and make account to have it given unto her Thirdly By the efficacy which it has upon us after it is granted and we come to enjoy it That which is granted in love to us has a gracious impression upon us and makes us the better for the granting of it Forasmuch as God loves and delights to perfect and accomplish His works in us and towards us By these and the like discoveries may we clear it whether God grants us those things in love and favour to us yea or no. And thus now I have done with those words in the common and general notion of them as they doe include in them God's manner of dealing in His answer of Prayer at large The second is in their restrained and particular notion as they doe point out to us God's answer of prayer in those particulars which are here mentioned before us and which Jabez beg'd of God to do And this we may take notice of in al the three particulars themselves God granted him that which he requested in inlarging his Coast in lending him His hand in keeping him from evil God granted him subsistance in his Estate God granted him assistance for his work God granted him preservation for his person First Subsistance for his Estate Upon his request he inlarged his Coast God is not altogether deaf to such prayers as are made unto him to such a purpose as this When his children beg their daily bread of him and those things which are necessary for them and convenient for their supportment in this life He is ready to hear them herein and to grant them those things which they ask of him This he does as so many Incouragements of them in his Service and to make them so much the more willing thereunto that he may shew that they do not serve him for nought but that he is ready to give them a very large and plentiful reward and that even here in this Life Therefore let us take courage from hence to go to God upon such suites as these are and to beg them confidently and chearfully at his hands with a Submission and resignation to his wisdom He will not stick to enlarge our Coasts so far forth as may be fitting for us but will give us what we request in this particular Secondly As to Assistance of him in this work God granted him what he requested here also for his hand to be with him This is that which he is wise ready to do with the rest of his Servants Those which beg inablement from God to those Services which he calls them to shall find him ready and willing thereto He will stretch forth his hand unto them and assist them in that which is at any time
knowest that I love thee so of any thing else In our sighings and groanings and lispings out of Prayer unto him that he searcheth the hearts and knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit as the Apostle signifies Rom. 8.26 All my desire is before thee says David and my groaning is not hid from thee Psal 38.9 What a great comfort was this to David and so when he had a mind to build God a Temple God saw that it was in his heart and commended and recorded him for it as if it had been actually accomplished by him 1 King 2 18. Whereas it was in thine heart to build an House unto my Name thou didst well that it was in thine heart God judgeth of his Actions by his Affections and so he will do of any others where they are real and sincere accept of the will for the deed and that which we would do in the uprightness and integrity of our spirits to account as done by us And so likewise as to the thing it self so to the manner Though there may be failings in some particular circumstances yet the Lord tryeth the hearts and judgeth of his Servants according to the Habitual Frame and Disposstion of Spirit which is in them There is much comfort in this And so much may be spoken of the First Notion in which Trying may be taken namely in a way of Discovery and Manifestation The Lord tryeth the heart namely So. The Second is in a way of Purification He tries them that is he purges them and removes their Corruptions from them This is another thing which is observeable in him and exhibited also in Scripture thus Mal. 3.2 3. He shall sit as a refiner and purifyer of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver And this not excluding the former seems principally to be here intended in this Text as may appear by the force of the Comparison which is used for the Illustration of it The Lord undertakes the purging of the hearts of those which belong unto him and removing of their Corruptions from them Thus also Zach. 13.9 I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed they shall call on my name This the Lord delights to do upon sundry consisiderations First Out of love to themselves that he may make them Vessels of Honour God has a special regard to their betterment and amendment in it as the Gold-Smith has to his Gold which we shewed out of the former words Secondly In reference to their Works That they may bring forth more fruit Joh. 18.2 And that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness Mal. 2.3 An untryed that is an unpurified heart cannot present any thing acceptable to God nor do any thing which is well pleasing in his sight Vnto the pure all things are pure all things are pure but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled as it is in Tit. 1.18 And then Thirdly For the sake of others also there is much good which comes likewise to them The Tryals of some of God's Servants make very much for the Improvement of the rest As we may see indivers examples of the Saints if we look into the Book of God This is first Matter of due Thank fulness and Acknowledgment from us We have great cause to bless God who is pleased to take such courses with us not to suffer our Rust to eat into us or our Dross to adhere and stick close to us over-long without some purging of it away from us Where we learn also to submit to his Skill and Wisdom in this particular The Clay may not say to the Potter What dost thou nor yet the Gold and Silver his Refiner If God will please at any time to try us and purge away our Iniquities from us we must leave it to his Holy Providence by what ways to do it for us as he shall judge most fitting and expedient whether by his Word or by his Rod by Mercies or Crosses by the fire or any other way It is enough for us that God will purifie us but which way he should do it whether in this or in that this we must freely commit to himself to determine for us Therefore we may farther here add for this purpose That as there is an indefiniteness in the Object so likewise in the Act As it is Hearts indefinitely so it is Try indefinitely also neither limiting it to the Fining Pot or to the Furnace not to one more than to another Secondly As this is matter of Thank fulness so it is moreover matter of Enquiry We should try how far forth this Tryal hath past upon us and hath had effect in us that we may be pure Metal to Christ and he may take some delight in us which otherwise he will not do And more especially after those means of Tryal which God hath been pleased to use towards us and as I mentioned before let us see what we are after these when we have been in the Fining Pot and in the Furnace how much better we are for them It is an Examination which may well become us whether our hearts or no for our particular have come under these meltings of God here implyed If they have they will run out so much the more in obedience to him as in the place before cited Zach. 13.9 I will try them as Gold is tryed and they shall call upon my Name Where there is Liquatio Metalli as we may so speak the melting and overflowing of the Metal This Gold being tryed it does run out in calling upon God and owning him for theirs And so much for this But in the first sense as it has an Emphasis of Proportion The Second is an Emphasis of Exception But the Lord tryeth the hearts As restraining the skill of the Refiner in this particular he may be able to refine his Silver and Gold and try and discover those Metals Oh! but he cannot try the heart This is so deep a bottom as there is no Creature can dive into it nay not even the Devil himself unless there where we open the door unto him There is no outward means whatsoever which in the simple use of them can better the Inward Man As not the Refinings so neither the Offerings of Gold and Silver will better the heart in any measure In matters of the World men can sometimes extend their skill inwardly as Physicians now and then to the detecting and likewise curing of inward Diseases But in spiritual things here we are at a loss and are mistaken if we expect any thing from them where by the way we have condemned the Superstitious Conceits of Papists and such like in this matter Thirdly This does further carry in it an Emphasis of Appropriation But the Lord tryeth the hearts that is the
Civility and Moral Principles This was the strength which was in Paul before his Conversion He seem'd to have much strength in him and so in a sense he had for we see what a strict man he was and how unblameably as himself sayes he liv'd and profited in the Jewes Religion above many of his equals in his own Nation But what was the reason of it and how came it to be thus with him why it was because he had taken it by Tradition from his Fathers He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees one that was brought up amongst them that sate at the feet of Gamaliel a great Rabbi and Doctor of the Law and from hence came to do so many things which belong'd thereunto Thus this strength in all these wayes as I have shewen is incident to a man before Grace and Conversion wrought in his heart but this is not that which will serve the turn They that wait upon the Lord shall change that is they shall have another bestowed upon them and such as will be more usefull to them In stead of this more Natural and Moral and Customary strength They shall have a super-natural and spiritual given unto them This is different and surpassing the other First In regard of it's Original as comming from the Holy Ghost which is the worker of it He strengthens with might by his Spirit Eph. 3.16 And by his Spirit not onely in his common works but also in his special and peculiar This strength it proceeds from the Spirit of God as Sanctifying Then Secondly It differs in the Subject for the former strength is onely in the outward this is in the inward man and the inwards of that inward I pray God sanctify your whole Soul and Spirit 1. Thes 5.23 Thirdly It differs in the Effects for this Spiritual and Supernatural strength it is able to do greater matters then the other can do helping a man to deny himself to overcome the world to mortify Lusts and Corruptions c. So much for the change in Quality The Second is a change in quantity and degree this is further the priveledge of good Christians that they shall through Gods Grace grow stronger and stronger If by some mischance they do abate in their Spiritual strength yet they shall recover and repair it again They shall renew their strength This for the better illustrating of it to us may be laid open in two particulars First In the Cases wherein And Secondly In the means whereby each of these are Considerable to this purpose for a Christians renewing of his strength First The cases wherein There are some cases and conditions especially wherein a Christian has most need of having his strength renew'd unto him and in such cases as these does God graciously renew them here As First Against a new Service which is to be done by him Every new performance it does in a manner call for a new strength to the Effecting of it which it is not easily done without Especially if it be of any Consequence or Importance Now therefore does the Lord of his Goodness herein give us some proportionable strength as the Apostles when Christ sent them abroad into the work of the Ministry it was not a common strength which would serve their turn and therefore he tells them that they shall have strength from above Tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem untill ye he indewed with power from on High Luke 24.49 The like strength does God vouchsafe to his servants in a measure and degree proportionable in any service which he designs them where he renews their work he does also renew their strength Secondly Against some new Temptation and Conflict with Satan The Lord does here renew their strength and they passively renew it to themselves God does in some manner fit and inable them to enter the Lists and Combate with so potent an Enemy Thus we see in the Example of Job how mightily did God renew his strength when as Satan opposed him and set upon Him And so in the Example of Peter Luke 22.32 Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you and to winnow you as Wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren So again also in the Example of Paul when he prayed so earnestly to God to be delivered from the buffetings of Satan God told him this that his Grace was sufficient for Him and his strength was made perfect in his weakness As he increased his Temptations so proportionably he renewed his strength Thirdly Against some new Tryal and affliction from God himself As the Affliction abounds so does the Consolation and as the suffering so the strength God lays no more upon his servants then he inables them to indure but gives them strength inabling them to bear it As we see in the Martyrs and Holy men of old what great things they suffered This it was not from strength innate or inbred but from strength given and renewed Thus we see what Case and Conditions this Priviledge does hold good to Gods Servants which wait upon him Now Secondly For the means or wayes whereby we may take them thus Christians they do renew their Spiritual strength in these observations First In the renewing of their Repentance as Sin it weakens us so Repentance it recovers our strength it puts us in statu quo brings us back to our former Condition By true and unfained Humiliation for any strength which has been lost by us through any defect we do get up that strength again in us which accordingly is a very good course in such a case to be taken by us when we find our Spiritual strength to be decayed bewaile it and lament it before God with sadness and bitterness of Spirit while Christians do thus they do hence very much profit and benefit themselves in this particular Secondly In renewing of their Covenant as by bewayling what is past so by Solemn purposes and ingagement of themselves for time to come as long as men are at an indifferency whether they should leave their lusts or no so long their Iusts prevaile upon them and as long as men hang off from good purposes and are not fully resolved about them so long do they contract more impotency and indisposition to them But now Absoluteness and Peremptoriness of Ingagement this does convey some strength unto them while we are strong in our Resolutions we come from hence to be strong in our Performances and to be more fitted and inabled for them Thirdly In the renewing of their Obedience Look by what we lose our strength by the contrary to that we recover it and get it again now we lose it many times by the doing of that which is Evil and by the omission of that which is good therefore by that which is opposite and contrary hereunto we must restore it Hence 't is Christs counsel to the Church of Ephesus which had lost her first love and
shall it trouble his Spirit and shall it not trouble ours What an inconsistent thing is this Surely if there were nothing in it but this that it is a dishonour and grief to God we had great cause to be troubled with it and for it But then Secondly In reference to our selves there 's great matter of trouble in it so as a wounding of our consciences and a breaking of our peace and a darkening of our assurance and an hazarding of our salvation and a great interruption of our converse and communion with God When we shall but sit down and consider with our selves the sad effects and consequents of sin in all particulars which it does create and produce to those who make bold with it and that take scope and liberty in it we have very great reason to be very much troubled for it Thirdly In reference to our Brethren who sometimes suffer from it and are the worse for it The sins of Christians are not only terminated in themselves and rest in those who are the immediate subjects of them but extend themselves also to others who are infected with them And this is also a matter of trouble to those who are guilty in this respect when men shall consider that they make others the Children of Hell as well as themselves and sometimes more according to the improvement which may be made of it this should go very near unto them and affect them and be very irksom to them in the reflexions upon it especially as they may stand in nearer Relation to them as Children or Brethren or Servants or Friends c. Thus may and ought Christians to be troubled for their own sins and miscarriages And so likewise which is here pertinent hereunto with the sins of others a gracious heart will be much troubled for these when it takes notice of them As just Lot he was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked Sodomites That Righteons man dwelling amongst them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds As the Apostle Peter records it of him 2 Pet. 2.7 8. Though he was clear himself he was troubled for them And so Paul when he came to Athens Act. 17.16 His spirit was stirred in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put into a paroxysm when he saw the City there to be wholly given to Idolatry David Psal 119.158 I beheld the Transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word And v. 136. of the same Psalm Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Laws Sin it is very just cause and ground and occasion of trouble to us whether our own or other mens Secondly As sin so also misery and affliction and calamity This is an occasion of it likewise Our strength is not the strength of stones nor our flesh of brass as Job says of himself in Job 6.12 We have sense and feeling in us as men and so accordingly may be very well troubled with that which is offensive thereunto There is no chastening of it self which is joyous but grievous Heb. 12.11 neither did our Saviour here expect that his Disciples should be altogether unsensible of their present condition which was now exceeding sad in regard that himself was departing and going away from them I might very well take occasion from hence to speak of afflictions at large how far forth they may be just grounds of trouble to Christians But I will confine my self only to the Text and that which is implyed in that as an occasion of present trouble to the Disciples to wit the taking away of Christ from them It was that which they not only might but ought to be troubled for And that in three respects especially which we may here take notice of First as it was the loss of a good Man Secondly as it was the loss of a good Friend Thirdly as it was the loss of a good Master First As it was the loss of a good Man They had great cause to be affected with that and in a sort troubled at it that they were likely to lose such a man as Christ was The loss of good men in the world is a thing which should very much affect us when it falls out to us Help Lord for the godly man ceases for the faithful fail among the children of men It was the complaint of the Prophet David Psal 12.1 And the Prophet Isaiah complains of it that there is no more trouble of mind for it Isa 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart And merciful men are taken away none considering that c. There 's a Stake out of the Hedge a Stone out of the Building a Pearl out of the Chain For godly men and righteous men to be removed and taken away whatever the world may think of it and may sometimes rejoyce at it through the madness of it yet it is a great affliction and misery to it and such as it has cause to be much grieved and troubled at For such as these they are fences and hedges and pillars and bulwarks to the places where they are Secondly As a good Friend there was another notion of Christ to them As one whom they had special acquaintance and converse withal and interest in Goodness at a distance and in some remoteness it is not so much observed or regarded but when it comes nearer us in a companion and associate here we are commonly more sensible of it both in the enjoyment as also the deprivation As there 's no need of losing godly men so there 's no need of losing friendly men especially in a world of ungodliness and an unfriendly age and generation The loss of such it was ever troublesome and still is so even to this present day Thirdly As the loss of a good Master and Teacher and Instructer of them That dropt very sweetly upon them upon all occasions A resolver of their doubts a remover of their scruples an informer of their ignorance a comforter of their dejections to lose and let go and part with such a one as this was as Christ was now unto them It was matter of trouble indeed it was the loss and departure of Christ signanter emphatice which had the stang and grievousness and aggravation of this same trouble in it And here I might now very seasonably take an occasion to speak of desertions and the withdrawings of Christ from a Peliever what a sad condition it is and how just a ground and occasion of trouble and disquiet unto him in the thing it self simply considered In Joh. 20.13 When the Angels at the Sepulcher said to Mary Magdalen Woman why weepest thou She saith unto them Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him As who should say Have I not think ye cause to weep when-as Christ himself is taken away from me yes indeed and so she had and so hath
these and the disposing of them to do all things Spirtually it is not ours but Christ's As a Trumpet that gives a sound but it is from the breath of the Man that blows through it so it is with us in this particular we perform such and such Duties materially and as to the outward substance of the action but it is Christ that chiefly and principally works in us and by us as the Apostle Paul most fully expresses it to this purpose 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me The third thing considerable to this purpose is a Spiritual Activity or Operation which is likewise conveyed to us by Christ and by him alone he does not onely give us the life of Grace and a Power issuing from this life but he likewise gives us the very Act and Deed it self for such a particular performance There is not the best man that is and who has most of the sanctifying Grace of the Spirit of Christ in him but he needs the present and actual assistance of the same Spirit as immediately concurring to such particular good actions that is to be done by him he needs not onely preventing and operating grace but assisting and co-operating grace to be bestowed upon him and to be joyn'd with it And this is that which is here intended by our Blessed Saviour speaking to his Disciples and in them to all other Christians whiles he sa◠〈◊〉 without me ye can do nothing not onely without me as who must give the general activity but also without me as who must give the particular accomplishment If Christ does not give the actual performance as well as the general qualification there is nothing which will be done by us to any purpose This can be no wonder to us if we do but consider how it is with us even in other matters of inferiour consideration take 〈◊〉 but in common business and the transactions of our ordinary Callings and we shall find it to be so even here That we have need not onely of common and general inablement but also of special and particular assistance In the Ministery for example it is not enough to have some general qualifications and abilities for the work but there is need moreover of Gods particular assistance and immediate concurrence with us in every particular Sermon and Exercise that is undertaken by us In the Souldiery it is not enough to beat large qualified for the Wars but they need Gods assistance of them and standing by them in every Battel and Encounter And so in Physick it is not enough to have skill in general but an application of it to his particular Disease and Patient and Condition certain hints and suggestions from God himself answering to the present occasion As it is said of our Blessed Saviour himself when people came to him to be cured of their several infirmities that the power of the Lord was present with him to heal them Luke 5.17 Such a presence of Power as this is whereof we now speak is requisite for any other besides Now as it is thus in Temporals and Corporals so it holds in Spirituals and Supernaturals especially that there is required not onely Grace in the Habit and Principle but also in the very Act and Performance This is suitable and agreeable to divers other places of Scripture as Hos 14.8 it is the speech of God to Ephraim From me is thy fruit found and Isa 26 12. it is the speech of the Church to God Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works for us or in us And so Ezek. 36.27 I will cause you to walk in my statutes c. To open this Point a little further to us and speak more distinctly of it we must know that there are three things which God does work and which it is requisite for him that he should work in us in order to any Spiritual performance which is to be done by us even after the first work of Conversion and saving Grace wrought in our hearts First he strengthens and confirms the habit of them whereby he fits us and qualifies us for such a duty which he requires of us Secondly he excited and nourishes this Habit whereby he inclines us and makes us disposed to the performance of this duty Thirdly He assists and concurs with this Habit as to the act and performance it self Each of these does God do for us and it is requisite and necessary that he should do so or else otherwise there could be no good action expected from us He strengthens the Habit he inclines to the Duty and he assists the Act. First I say he strengthens the Habit whether of Faith or Love or Patience or any other Grace which might be named by us This is the spring and source of all good actions in us which therefore had need to be preserved and confirmed in us all that may be and the ' rather because it is subject to so much weakness and shaking as it is There are so many corruptions and temptations which the Servants of God are exercised withall as that they have need of daily confirmation of the Graces of the Spirit of God in them which would otherwise languish and decay and for this purpose does God do it for them This was that which the Apostle pray'd for in behalf of the Ephesians Ephes 3.16 17. That God would grant unto them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith c. And so likewise in behalf of the Colossians that they might be strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness strengthned with all might And this accordingly is that which the Apostle Paul professes of himself that he can do all things through Christ that strengthens him Phil. 4.13 Which words that we may rightly understand them are to be taken by us in their latitude and emphasis both Positively and also Exclusively that through Christ strengthning him he can do all things and without Christ strengthning him he was able to do nothing That 's the first thing here considerable in this business of Christ's concurrence with us in the doing of good he strengthens the Habit. Secondly As he strengthens the Habit so he likewise inclines the mind to the particular duty to be performed For though we have such and such Principles and Habits of grace conferr'd and bestowed upon us as qualifying us for such and such Duties yet we have not always and continually in us a readiness and promptness of mind for the exercise and improvement of them but we have a great deal of sluggishness and awkness upon us in this