A Grain of Mustard Seed, Conclusion 6
VI. Conclusion.
The foresaid beginnings of grace are counterfeit, vnlesse they encrease.
The Exposition.
THe wickednesse of mans nature, and the depth of hypocrisie is such, that a man may & can easily transforme himselfe into the counterfeit and resemblance of any grace of God. Therefore I put downe in this last conclusion a certaine note, whereby the gifts of God may be discerned, namely, that they grow vp and increase as the graine of Musterd-seede to a great tree, and beare fruit answerably. The grace in the heart is like the graine of Musterd-seede in two things. First it is small to see to at the beginning: secondly, after it is cast into the ground of the heart, it increaseth speedily, and spreads it selfe. Therefore, if a man at the first hauehave but some litle feeling of his wants, some weake and faint desire, some small obedience, he must not let this sparke of grace goe out, but these motions of the spirit must be increased by the vse of the word, Sacraments, and praier: and they must daily bee stirred vp by meditating, endeauouring, striuing, asking, seeking, knocking. The master deliuering his talents to his seruants, saith vntounto them: Occupie till I come, aud not hide in the earth, Matth. 25. 26, Paul vseth an excellent speech to Timothie: I exhort thee to stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee, namely, as fire is stirred vp by often blowing, and putting to of wood. 2. Tim. 1. 6. As for such motions of the heart that last for a weeke, or a monethmonth, and after vanish away, they are not to bee regarded: & the Lord by the Prophet Ose complaineth of them, saying, O Ephraim, thy righteousnes is like the morning dewe, chap. 6.
Therefore considering, grace vnlesse it be confirmed and exercised, is indeede no grace; I will heere adde certaine rules of direction, that wee may the more easily put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation, faith, and repentance: and thereby also quicken and reuiue the seeds and beginnings of grace.
1. In what place soeuer thou art, whether alone or abroad, by day or by night, and whatsoeuer thou art doing, set thy selfe in the presēce of God: let this perswasion alwaies take place in thy hart that thou are before the liuīg God: and do thy endeauour, that this perswasion may smite thy heart with awe and reuerence, and make thee afraid to sin. This councell the Lord gaue Abraham. Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me and be vpright. This thing also was practised by Enoch, who for this cause is said to walke with God.
2. Esteeme of eueryevery present day as of the day of thy death: and therefore liue as though thou were dying; and doe those good duties eueryevery day, that thou wouldest doe if thou were dying. This is Christian watchfulnesse; and remember it.
3. Make catalogues and bills of thine owne sinnes, specially of those sinnes that hauehave most dishonoured God, and wounded thine owne conscience: set them before thee oftē, specially then, whē thou hast any particular occasion of renewing thy repentance, that thy heart by this dolefull sight may bee further humbled. This was Dauids practise when hee considered his waies, and turned his feet to Gods commandements, Psal. 119. 57. And when he confessed the sinnes of his youth. Psal. 25, This was Iobs practise, when he said he was not able to answer one of a thousand of his sinnes vntounto God. Iob. 9. 1.
4. When thou first openest thine eyes in a morning, pray to God, and giuegive him thankes heartily: God then shall hauehave his honour, and thy heart shall be the better for it the whole day following. For we see in experience, that vessels keepe long the taste of that liquor wherwith they are first seasoned. And when thou liest downe, let that be the last also: for thou knowest not, whether fallen a sleepe, thou shalt euer rise againe aliue. Good therefore it is, that thou shouldest giuegive vp thy selfe into the hands of God, whilst thou art waking.
5. Labour to see and feele thy spirituall pouerty, that is, to see the want of grace in thy selfe, specially those inward corruptions, of vnbeliefe, pride, selfe-louelove, &c. Labour to be displeased with thy self: and labour to feele, that by reason of them, thou standest in neede of eueryevery drop of the blood of Christ to heale and clense thee from those wants: and let this practise take such place with thee, that if thou be demaunded, what in thine estimation is the vilest of the creatures vponupon earth? thine heart and conscience may answer with a loud voice, I, euen I, by reason of mine owne sinnes: and againe, if thou be demaunded, what is the best thing in the world for thee? thy heart and conscience may answer againe with a strong and loud crie, One drop of the blood of Christ to wash away my sinnes.
6. Shew thy selfe to bee a member of Christ, and a seruant of God, not only in the generall calling of a Christian, but also in the particular calling in which thou art placed. It is nothing for a magistrate to be a Christiā man, but he must also be a Christian magistrate: it is not inough for a master of a family to be a Christiā man, or a Christiā in the Church, but the must also be a Christiā in the family & in the trade which he followeth daily. Not eueryevery one that is a common hearer of the word, and a frequenter of the Lords table, is therefore a good Christian, vnlesse his conuersation in his priuate house, and in his priuate affaires, & dealings be sutable: There, is a man to be seene what he is.
7. Search the scriptures, to see what is sinne, and what is not sinne in eueryevery action: this done, carry in thy heart a constant and resolute purpose, not to sin in any thing: for faith and the purpose of sinning can neuer stand together.
8. Let thine endeauour be sutable to thy purpose: and therefore doe nothing at any time against thy conscience, ritely enformed by the word: exercise thy selfe to eschew eueryevery sinne, and to obey God in eueryevery one of his commandements, that pertaine either to the generall calling of a Christian, or thy particular calling. Thus did good Iosias, who turned vntounto God with all his heart, according to all the lawe of Moses. 1. King. 25. 25. and thus did Zacharie and Elizabeth, that walked in all the commandements of God without reproofe, Luk. 1. 6.
9. If at any time against thy purpose and resolution, thou bee ouertaken with any sinne little or great, lie not in it, but speedily recouer thy selfe by repentance: humble thy selfe, confessing thine offence, and by praier intreat the Lord to pardon the same, and that earnestly, till such time as thou findest thy conscience truly pacified, and thy care to eschew the same sinne increased.
10. Consider often of the right and proper ende of thy life in this world, which is not to seeke profit, honour, pleasure, but that in seruing of men, wee might serue God in our callings. God could, if it so pleased him, preserue man without the ministry of man, but his pleasure is to fulfil his worke and will in the preseruation of our bodies, and saluation of our soules, by the imploiment of men in his seruice, eueryevery one according to his vocation. Neither is there so much as a bond slaue, but he must in and by his faithful seruice to his master, serue the Lord. Men therefore doe commonly profane their labours and liues, by aiming at a wrong ende, when all their care consisteth onelyonly in getting sufficient maintenance for them and theirs, for the obtaining of credit, riches, & carnall cōmodities. For thus men serue themselves, & not God, or men: much lesse doe they serue God in seruing of men.
11. GiueGive all diligence to make thy election sure, and to gather manifold tokens thereof. For this cause obserue the worke of Gods prouidence, louelove, and mercy, both in thee and vponupon thee, from time to time: for the serious consideration of them, and the laying of them together when they are many and seuerall, minister much direction, assurance of Gods fauour, and comfort. This was the practise of Dauid, 1. Sam. 17 14. Psal. 23. all.
12. Thinke euermore thy present estate whatsoeuer it bee, to bee the best estate for thee: because whatsoeuer befalls thee, though it bee sicknes, or any other affliction, or death, befals thee of the good prouidence of God. That this may the better bee done, labour to see and acknowledge a prouidence of God, as wel in pouertie as in abundance, as well in disgrace as good report, as well in sickenes, as in health, as well in life as in death.
13. Pray continually, I meane not by solemne & set praier, but by secret and inward eiaculatiōs of the heart, that is, by a continuall eleuation of minde vntounto Christ, sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and that either by prayer or giuing of thankes so often as any occaon shall be offered.
14. Thinke often of the worst and most grieuous things that may befall thee, either in this life or death for the name of Christ: make a reckoning of them, and prepare thy selfe to beare them: that when they come, they may not seeme strange, but be borne the more easily.
15. Make conscience of idle, vaine, vnhonest and vngodly thoughts: for these are the seedes and beginnings of actuall sin in word & in deed. This want of care in ordering and composing of our thoughts, is often punished with a fearefull temptation in the very thought, called of Diuines, Tentatio blasphemiarum, a tentation of blasphemies.
16. When any good motion or affection riseth in the heart, suffer it not passe away, but feede it by reading, meditating. praying.
17. Whatsoeuer good thing thou goest about, whether it be in word or deed, do it not in a conceit of thy selfe, or in the pride of thy heart, but in humility, ascribing the power whereby thou doest thy worke, and the praise thereof to God, otherwise thou shalt finde by experience, God will curse thy best doings.
18. Despise not ciuill honestie: good conscience and good maners must goe togither: therefore remember to make conscience of lying, and of customable swearing in common talke: contend not either in deede or word with any man, be curteous and gentle to all, good and badde: beare with mens wants and frailties, as hastinesse, frowardnesse, selfeliking, curiousnesse, &c. passing by them as being not perceiued: returne not euill for euill, but rather good for euill: vse meate, drinke, and apparell in that manner and measure, that they may further godlinesse; and may be as it were signes in which thou maiest expresse the hidden grace of thy heart: Striue not to goe beyond any, vnlesse it be in good things: goe before thine equals in giuing of honour, rather then in taking of it: make conscience of thy word, and let it bee as a bond: professe no more outwardly thē thou hast inwardly in heart: opresse or defraud no man in bargaining: in all companies either doe good, or take good.
19. Cleaue not by inordinate affection to any creature, but aboue all things quiet & rest thy mind in Christ, aboue all dignitie and honour, aboue all cunning and policie, aboue all glorie and honour, aboue all health and beautie, aboue all wealth and treasure, aboue all ioy and delight, aboue al fame & praise, aboue all mirth and consolation, that mans heart can feele or deuise beside Christ.
With these rules of practise, ioyne rules of meditation; whereof I propound sixe vntounto thee, as I finde them set downe by a learned Diuine, called Victorius Strigelius.
I.
Wee must not fall away from God for any creature.
II.
Infinite eternitie is farre to be preferred before the short race of this mortall life.
III.
We must hold fast the promise of grace, though wee loose all temporall blessings and they also in death must needes be left.
IV.
Let the louelove of God in Christ, and the louelove of the Church for Christ, be strong in thee, and preuaile against all other affections.
V.
It is the principall arte of a Christian, to beleeue things inuisible, to hope for things deferred, to louelove God when hee shewes him to be an enemie, and thus to perseuere vntounto the ende.
VI.
It is a most effectual remedy for any griefe, to quiet our selues in a confidence of the presence and helpe of God: and to aske of him, and withall to waite either for some easement or deliuerance.
VII.
All the works of God are done in contrarie meanes.
FINIS▪
End of the text · William Perkins, A Grain of Mustard Seed (1611)