A Touch-Stone of Grace, Treatise
A TOVCHSTONE of Grace.
HEBR. 13. 25.
Grace be with you all.
IT is not my purpoſe to ſpend many words about the Author, or authority of this Epiſtle, which are queſtioned by ſome, and controuerted by others. Leſt I ſhould ſeeme to trifle out the time with matter of no great importance.
Although the Author cannot ſpeake for himſelfe to claime his right, or to vindicate that wrong which hee hath ſuſtained; yet the matter of the Epiſtle ſpeakes ſufficiently for its Author, and authority. Why ſhould any queſtion the Author, when it beares Saint Pauls Enſigne, and marke, though not his name? Great wiſdome there was in concealing of his name; the want whereof is no ſound argument to proue it was not Pauls, for then (by the ſame reaſon) we may ſay, that it had no Author, becauſe it hath no Owner, no name put vntounto it. And as for its authoritie, me thinkes it ſhould be out of queſtion, the matter thereof being ſo heauenly, ſo liuely ſetting out the offices of Chriſt, ſo ſoundly prouing him to be the promiſed Meſsias, the only Prophet, and Archbiſhop of his Church.
The words which I hauehave read vntounto you, are the ordinary ſalutation, and farewell which Saint Paul vſeth in all other his Generall Epiſtles, the ſenſe and meaning whereof I will giuegive you in a few words.
Grace in Scripture hath well-nigh twentie ſeuerall acceptations:Grace how taken in Scripture. I will acquaint you with ſome of the principall.
Sometimes it is taken for the free, and vndeſerued louelove, and fauor of God electing, and calling of vsus, 2 Tim. 1. 9. Hee hath ſaued vsus, and called vsus with an holy calling, not according to our workes, but according to his purpoſe and grace.
Somtimes it is taken for the imputation of Chriſt his righteouſneſſe, Rom. 5. 17. Much more ſhall they which receiue the abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteouſneſſe, &c. Heere grace ſtandeth in oppoſition vntounto the guilt of Adams ſinne, and ſo is taken for Iuſtification.
Sometimes grace is taken for the guidance, direction, and operation of Gods Spirit in vsus; as Rom. 6. 14. Sinne ſhall not hauehave dominion ouer you, for yee are not vnderunder the Law, but vnderunder Grace, where it may be taken for Sanctification.
Sometimes Grace is taken for the bleſſed eſtate of Gods children after they be iuſtified, and ſanctified, Rom. 5. 2. By whom we hauehave acceſſe through Faith vntounto this grace wherein we ſtand.
Sometimes grace is taken for the practice of piety, 2 Pet. 3. 18. Grow in Grace.
And ſometimes it is taken for glory, the perfection of grace, 1 Pet. 1. 13. Hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought vntounto you at the reuelation of Ieſus Chriſt.
Here grace cannot well bee vnderſtood of any thing elſe but glory. And glory may very well bee termed grace in two reſpects.
Firſt, becauſe it comes through grace, Epheſ. 2. 8.
And ſecondly, becauſe by grace we come to hauehave ſome aſſurance of glory, 2 Theſſ. 2. 16. Who hath giuen vsus euerlaſting conſolation, and good hope through grace.
But grace in this place is taken for the free louelove and fauour of God to manwards, together with all thoſe benefits ſpirituall & eternall, which doe flow from thence; as Adoption, Regeneration, Remiſsion of ſinnes, Iuſtification and Sanctification; all which doe properly come vnderunder this terme Grace.
From whence we may lay this foundation, vponupon which we intend (God aſſiſting) to build our enſuing diſcourſe, to wit, that (ſeeing Paul wiſht grace vntounto the Hebrewes, and all others vntounto whom hee wrote, aboue, and before all other things) The chiefeſt good which we can wiſh one to another, or can receiue, and be made partakers of, is Grace. No doubt, if any thing could hauehave beene more beneficiall, or neceſſary vntounto the Hebrewes, he would hauehave wiſhed it vntounto them: but ſeeing he begins and ends this, and other his Epiſtles with this prayer, Grace be with you: we may ſafely conclude, that Paul eſteemed Grace to be the beſt good which he could wiſh them, or they par take of.
Long and large diſputes hauehave been amongſt Naturaliſts cōcerning the chiefe good; ſeuerall verdicts, and iudgements hauehave beene giuen of it; ſome calling pleaſures, ſome eſteeming profits, and ſome accounting honours the chiefe good; ſome this thing, and otherſome that, as their ſeuerall humors & affections hauehave ſwayed them: but we hauehave not ſo learned Chriſt, and therefore (from a better principle) beyond the reach or pitch of all Naturaliſts, we conclude, that the prime good, the beſt thing we can partake of, is Grace: for I may truly ſay of it, as Dauid ſpeakes of Goliahs ſword, 1 Sam. 21. 9. None to that. All earthly comforts, yea the greateſt prefermēts, the largeſt poſſeſſions, the moſt excellent endowments either of bodie or minde, in reſpect of Grace, are but as dung and droſſe. The excellencie of Grace will appeare the better, if we acquaint our ſelues with the truth and worth thereof: which that we may the better do, obſerue wee theſe particulars.
Firſt of all, I will lay downe the differences betwixt true and counterfeit Grace.
Secondly, I will giuegive you ſome euidences and markes of true Grace.
Thirdly, I will ſhew the reaſons of the doctrine.
And then in the fourth and laſt place I will come to make ſome profitable vſe and application of the point.