The Gales of Grace, Tract · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIII The ſecond and laſt poynt from the laſt part of the Text.
Sect. 1.TO draw to a concluſion, the laſt thing which I hauehave to handle is page missing ctrine, to encounter with that dangerous opinion of perfection in this life, firſt broched by thoſe ancient heretiks called Cathari, & ſince maintained by the Family of LoueLove; as alſo with that groſſe abſurdity of the monkiſh order, which makes cloiſtering and contemplation the perfection of a man: as if a man when he were got into a Cloiſter, had attained to know that, which this point is againſt, euen the height and top of his gifts and graces, not onelyonly what they are, but alſo what they ſhall be. Theſe errors I might ſtand to confute, but that I had rather leaue that to the Schooles, and deale with thee (good Reader) about certaine duties whereunto I hauehave a deſire to perſwade thee, with words of exhortation.
Sect. 3. Vſe 1. Exhortation to a two-folde duty: firſt imitation of the Saints.And firſt, that thou wouldſt endeuor to imitate, and follow the beſt of the ſaints in the tradings of grace. For if no Chriſtian knoweth what meaſure of grace he ſhall attaine vntounto, then what knowſt thou but that thou maiſt com neere (if not ouer take) Abraham in Faith, Ioſuah in ſpirirual corage, Moſes in meeknes, Dauid in holines, Ioſiah in vprightnes, Mary Magdalen in repentance, Paul in zeale, &c. only if thou wilt but imitate theſe holy Worthies in thoſe worthy ſteps which they hauehave trod before thee. Thou wiſheſt, Oh that I could come neere ſuch an one, I would I could do as he doth; he is ful, and I am barren: O how may I attain to ſome of that fulnes which he hath! Imitate thou, but emulate not. Take heed that thou doſt not enuy him, but endeuour to follow him: thou knowſt not what degrees thou mayeſt attaine vntounto in time, thou mayeſt peraduenture ouertake him. And though haply thou canſt not be AS hee is for the meaſure of piety, yet thou mayeſt be like him (for the maner of ſanctitie) if thou ſetteſt his godly example before thee for a patterne, following him as Paul wiſhed hisu1. Cor. 12.1. Corinths to follow himſelfe, euen ſo farre forth as he was a follower of Chriſt Ieſus. And not only muſt one Chriſtian learne thus to imitate an other, that they may ouertake one another;The ſecond duty exhorted vntounto in the 2. vſe, growth in grace. but alſo all Chriſtians muſt learne to thriue and grow in grace (vponupon the meditation of this principle) not to goe backeward; for that is dangerous and fearefull: not to ſtand ſtil or lie down as Balaams xNumb.aſſe did; for that is neither cōmodious nor gainful; but to be ſtill running, and haſtening toward the mark (with Paul yPhilip. 3 14) for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Ieſus. The Lord doth of purpoſe keepe ſecret to himſelfe, and hidden from his ſeruants, the meaſure of their graces, that they may dayly bee growing, and continually endeauouring to hauehave their ſpirituall poſſeſſions euer mended, neuer payred; that they may get ſtrength by degrees, vntill they come to perfection: as the Sunne from the firſt riſing doth eueryevery minute encreaſe, vntill it commeth to the mid heauen. Why doe men of the world, from their firſt entring into worldly dealings, ſtriue by all manner of waies to increaſe in wealth and riches, but becauſe they will ſet no bounds to their eſtate, no period, which they reſolue not to paſſe; neyther will they learne to know any meaſure, beyond which they purpoſe not to goe? And ſhall not men of the Spirit, from the firſt time of their conuerſion ſeeke to thriue in thoſe ſpirituall riches no limits whereunto the Lord hath ſet, vntill their earthly tabernacle bee diſſolued, and death maketh a ſeparation betwixt the ſoule and the body? How doe they looke for the Garland, except they runne forward? What hope can they hauehave of the Crowne of life, except they bee faithfull vntounto the death? If I had but a perſwading faculty, I would vehemently vrge this ſpiritual growth in the practice of piety, in the life of Chriſtianitie in theſe declining times, in this decaying barren age of the world. But Peter ſhall ſpeake in ſtead of me;z2. Pet 3.18 Grow in grace: And ſo ſhall Saint Paul; aEpheſ 4 15.In all things grow vp into him which is the head, that is, Chriſt, &c. Whoſe counſell I would entreate thee to follow, to hold faſt and to encreaſe what thou haſt already receiued.Queſt. But will ſome ſay, It is eaſier to ſay, Grow. then to ſhew how to grow: bare exhortation page missing berall Arts, that there was neuer a day paſſed ouer his head, wherein he did not either reade ſomething, or write ſomething, or declaime; and out of doubt hee was no loſer by it: So if men and women would be more diligent ſtudents in the Oracles of God, the book of the Scriptures, they ſhould be great gainers in the trade of godlineſſe; and their dayly incomes of heauens blaſts would be larger then now they are. VntoUnto God therefore (my brethren) I commend you,eActs 20.32. and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you vp, and to giuegive you an inheritance amongſt all them that are ſanctified; fPhil. 1.9.praying that you may more and more abound in knowledge and in all iudgement.
Helpe. 2 Secondly, prayer vntounto God, that hee would leade vsus forward by his holy ſpirit, wil be a means to raiſe higher the gales and guſts of this ſpirituall winde. In this practice we hauehave the Apoſtles to goe before vsus, who prayed and ſaid,gLu. 17.5 Lord encreaſe our faith. And if their faith, then all the other graces which are ioyned with faith, and attend vponupon her. Thus prayed Paul on the behalfe of the Philippians, thathPhil. 1.9. their louelove might abound. Thus prayed hee alſo for the Epheſians, when he ſayd;iEpheſ 3.14.16 For this cauſe doe I bow my knees vntounto the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that hee would graunt you according to the riches of his glory, to be ſtrengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. And thus muſt thou pray alſo that art a partner in the poſſeſſions of grace; and then thou ſhalt find that that God which hath begunne the good worke, will perfect it: for the more frequent and feruent thy ſutes are for the augmentations of Grace, the better thou art ſure to thriue in thy ſpirituall and holy courſes.
Thirdly, to louelove the communion Helpe. 3 and frequent the company of the Saints, is a way to bee gayners, and a meane to encreaſe the ſtocke of true holineſſe. The more vapours are together, the longer and ſtronger are the windes like to bee: and the moe holy hearts are vnited together by the bond of holy ſocietie, the more occaſion page missing their times about things that tend not to edification, neglecting faith, repentance, & ſuch neceſſary & neuer to be knowne-enough principles, they com at length to call their mother, whoore, like impudent children: though they firſt receiued the graces they make profeſſion to hauehave, in her; yet they will not ſticke to ſlaunder her as a limme of the Romiſh Synagogue. And therfore I ſay I perſwade not to ſuch meetings; but I perſwade to that which the Apoſtle doth:Hebr. 10.24 25 Brethren, forſake not the aſſembling your ſelues together as ſome doe; that ye may conſider one another to prouoke vntounto louelove and good workes, and to exhort one another, in aſmuch as yee ſee the day approching. Children ſeaſon themſelues in profaneneſſe, by their playing together. Profane men ſtrengthen themſelues in wickedneſſe, by conuerſing together in Ale-houſes, Tauerns, Brothell-houſes, Theatres, &c. Papiſts in hereſies, by mutuall ſociety: and ſhall Chriſtians depriue themſelues of this means to thriue and grow vp in grace, by neglecting the ſociety and communion of one another? God forbid. If they doe, that which the Prophet ſpeaketh of the materiall temple, may bee verified of them;kHag. 2.3 Who is left amongst you that ſawe this houſe in her firſt glory? And how do you ſee it now? Is it not now in compariſon of it (that is, of what it was before) as nothing?
Fourthly, it muſt bee our care, not Helpe. 4 onelyonly to walke wiſely and circumſpectly, redeeming the time, as the Apoſtle aduiſethlEpheſ. 5.15.16; but alſo to bee daily weeding our corruptions out of the ground of our hearts, with the weeding-hooks of Examination, and renued Repentance; ſearching diligently what thiſtles grow at the bottome, what euills are moſt prone to pleaſe our ſelues, in that wee may daily grow into hatred with them, and cleanſe our ſelues from all filthines of the fleſh and ſpirit, perfecting holineſſe in the feare of God, as the Apoſtle his counſell ism2. Cor. 7.1.. For if day by day paſſe ouer our heads, and we ſeldome, or neuer ſearch out our hidden ſinnes, and ſummon our ſelues for them before Gods Tribunall, wee may bee ſo ouer-growne with ſecurity, lacke of care, that our growth in ſanctitie will be hindered, our gifts of grace (to our ſenſe at leaſt) much impaired: euen as land when it is ſowne, & corne when it is ſprung vp, for want of looking to and weeding, may bee ouer-growne with noyſome weedes, and vnprofitable plants, to the great hinderance and grieuance of the poore husbandman.
Helpe. 5 Laſtly, it will much auaile vsus in this ſpirituall growth to keepe our graces in exerciſe, and to put them to vſe. One good way for a Merchant or Tradeſ-man to thriue in the world,Simile. is (if his markets be good, & the winds ſerue) to be continually in trading, and ſtill to hauehave the maine ſtocke going; Whereas, he which alwayes ſpends of the ſtocke, and tradeth not withall, may goe downe the winde, and ſoone prooue a bankrupt. So for a man to hauehave good gifts, good graces, and not occupy with them, nor keepe them in exerciſe, ſhall be ſo farre from encreaſing his ſpirituall ſtore, that hee ſhall rather diminiſh and wrong it. Vſe limbes and hauehave limbes, ſaith the olde Adage. Vſe knowledge and hauehave knowledge, vſe faith and hauehave faith, vſe louelove and hauehave louelove, vſe humilitie and hauehave humilitie, &c.
1. Haſt thou the grace of knowledge? practiſe the things which thou knoweſt: that onelyonly will make thee an happy man, as Chriſt intimatesnIohn 13 17.: put thy knowledge to vſe, to glorifie God withal, to informe thy ſelfe withall, to inſtruct, reſolue, comfort, direct, perſwade and edifie thy neighbours withall. So ſhalt thou grow vp in knowledge, beyond Papiſts, whoſe knowledge is all in contemplation; beyond hypocrites, whoſe knowledge is onelyonly in ſpeculation; beyond heretiques, whoſe knowledge is onelyonly in broaching dangerous opinions; beyond Sectaries and Schiſmatiques, whoſe knowledge is all in raiſing contentions.
2. Haſt thou faith? Let not her be idle, but let her do her perfect worke by louelove; firſt, by meditating ſolitarily and ſeriouſly on Gods louelove in Chriſt Ieſus, on the priuiledges of Iuſtification, ſanctification, freedom from the bondage of corruption, from the puniſhment of ſinne, from the hurt of affliction, from the euill of temptation, ſhare in the adoption and ſpirituall Son-ſhip, and eternall inheritance of the weight of glory: ſecondly, by ſtudying how to ſhew thy ſelfe thankfull to Gods Maieſtie, obedient to his holy will, and ſeruiceable to his people, and how to growe eueryevery day a more victorious conquerour ouer thy luſts.
3 Againe; haſt thou any ſparke of humility? put it to vſe alſo: how? firſt, by meditating on Gods holines, thine owne vileneſſe, another Chriſtians goodneſſe, whom it ſhall be good for thee (whatſoeuer thy gifts be) to think thy ſelfe inferiour vntounto: ſecondly, by carrying thy ſelfe diligently in thy vocation, conſidering the Sluggard is wiſer in his owne eyes, then tenne men that can render a reaſon: by behauing thy ſelfe lowlily in proſperity, patiently in aduerſity, when loſſes, and croſſes, and indignities are offered vntounto thee, and doe light vponupon thee.
4. Haſt thou receiued any meaſure of zeale? ſet it on worke; firſt, by being moſt ſeuere againſt thy ſelfe, and ſtrict againſt thine owne ſinnes, laying an heauier burden vponupon thy ſelfe then vponupon others, beeing moſt cenſorious and Eagle-eied at home: ſecondly, by diſliking ſinne in thy deareſt friend, making Cockneys of neuer an Abſolon and Adoniah of them all; hating euill in wife, in husband, in children, in brethren, kinsfolkes and neereſt acquaintance that thou haſt: thirdly, by oppoſing (if thy place, Gods honour, do call thee to it) the ſins of the mightie: fourthly, by ſeaſoning thy tarte admonitions with the ſpirit of compaſſion; that when thou doſt reproue, thou mayeſt rather fall-cut with the ſinne in an holy indignation, then with the perſon in a furious and vnbridled paſſion.
5. Againe, is it the grace of louelove which thou haſt? Let it bee operatiue as well as her fellows: ſet it a working, to the profit of thy brother, in body, in ſoule, in goodes and good name, ſhewing moſt kindneſſe where there is moſt goodneſſe; euen for Gods Image ſake, for the Lord Ieſus Chriſt his ſake. In a word (to ſhut vp all) whatſoeuer the talent be which thou haſt, hide it not in a napkin, as the vnprofitable ſeruant did: but occupy withall vntil thy Maiſter come to Iudgement; and thou ſhalt finde that this holy Vſury ſhall bring thee daily a greater income of perfecting grace, then the Vſurers hundreds (lent out vnlawfully, and ſent abroade ſo theeuingly) can bring in to him yeerely of periſhing traſh. Theſe rules hauehave I layd downe for thy direction how to thriue and grow in grace; which is a duty that this poynt doth vrge vponupon thee. No Saint militant vponupon earth can certainly tell what degrees of grace hee ſhall attaine vntounto, then which neither more nor leſſe he ſhall hauehave. Which rules if thou wilt improue, and carefully follow, thou ſhalt (I aſſure thee) be no loſer. And though thou canſt not follow them without ſometime, ſome paines, ſome coſt, ſome ſtruggling with thy corruption, ſome denyalls of thy ſelfe in things very pleaſing and contenting to Nature: Yet the wages will recompence the worke; the gaine will counteruayle, yea exceede the coſt. For, by this meanes thou ſhalt (in deſpite of all the powers of darkeneſſe) ſtill be thriuing and growing to perfection, vntill thou commeſt to that fulneſſe of meaſure which the Lord hath layd out for thee; ſo as at the time of thy diſſolution thou ſhalt bee able with the Apoſtle (that worthy Proficient in the Schoole of CHRIST) confidently to ſay with a comfortable heart;o2. Tim. 4 7.8. I hauehave fought a good fight, I hauehave finiſhed my courſe, I hauehave kept the Faith. Hence-forth there is layed vp for mee a Crowne of Righteouſneſſe, which the Lord the righteous Iudge ſhall giuegive mee at that day: and not to mee onelyonly, but to them alſo that louelove his appearing.
To Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt the Fountaine, Mediatour and Inſpirer of Grace, be all honor, glorie, and thankes for euer, Amen.
End of the text · Thomas Barnes, The Gales of Grace (1622)