Seven Treatises, Treatise 6 · Chapter 12
CHAP. 12. Of the eighth priuiledge: Of growing in grace.
NOw as it cannot be denied but that theſe forementioned graces are ſingular priuiledges: ſo (to paſſe the next) we are not to be ignorant of this, that whatſoeuer good things Gods people already hauehave and inioy; yet God hath more in ſtore for them,Eph. 3.19. The 1 point. God giueth to his, greater grace then they could aske: and will giuegive more grace and greater meaſure of his heauenly gifts, then they before they had them, could either aske or thinke. And this is woorthy to be conſidered with the former, as a further increaſe and higher degree of the fruits of his louelove, that he doth ſo largely and bountifully reach out his hand vntounto them, that thereby they may be inriched as farre beyond the beginnings of their true happines, as their beginnings were beyond their firſt condition before it in the iudgement of all men.
For cleerer proofe heereof, we are to know,As in particular may be ſeene. that he maketh them to grow in ſounder vnderſtanding of his wil, in more aſſurance of faith and ſtrength of hope, in more patience vnderunder the croſſe, more moderation in the vſe of their lawfull liberties and benefits of this life, he giueth them better rule ouer their hearts and affections, and that in more things then at the firſt,Note. and ofter & eaſilier; and ſo ouer their liues and actions, their tongues, their hands, their eies, their eares. The Lord giueth them farre more inlargement in praier, then in times paſt, and conſtantly to beſtow more time in all the helpes to godlineſſe, and to ſcoure off much ruſt and rubbiſh of the rebellious old man and their euill qualities, as they hauehave and ſee greater reaſon why they ſhould doe ſo: yea, he worketh more ſound comfort by the holy Ghoſt, and more conſtant continuance thereof in them, then they were wont to be acquainted with. And (to comprehend much in few words) the whole courſe of their life is much better gouerned then it was wont to be, and the image of God more liuely and cleerely reſtored. And are not theſe (thinke we) priuiledges farre aboue their expectation, and greater then they could looke for?
All which the Apoſtle, knowing that they were dainties prepared for the Lords beloued ones, and a great treaſure, (although hidden from the world) did daily wiſh and pray for, that they might be giuen to the church of Coloſſa, as he ſheweth in theſe words: After that I heard of your faith in Christ Ieſus, and louelove towards all the Saints, I ceaſed not to pray for you, Col. 1.9. &c.that you might be filled with all knowledge of his will in all wiſdome and ſpirituall vnderunder ſtanding; that you might walke worthy the Lord and pleaſe him in all things, bringing foorth fruit in eueryevery good worke, & increaſing in the acknowledging of God, ſtrengthened with all might (according to his glorious power) vntounto all long ſuffering, and lenity of mind with ioy. What hauehave I ſaid concerning this priuilege, which the Apoſtle hath not fully conteined in theſe words? And yet what people are there (being but lately turned to God as the Coloſſians were) which might not thinke, that the graces which he put them in hope of,Ioh. 16.13. and incouraged them to looke for, were not more and farre greater then they might poſſibly be partakers of?
Examples.Which thing may liuely be ſeene in Moſes example, if we compare the time wherein God did firſt call him to goe to Pharao to bring away his people from the bondage and ſlauerie in the which he held them in Egypt, with the daies which came after, when he brought them from thence. For when he ſhould firſt goe, he ſhewed great weakneſſe to be in him; himſelfe an vnmeet perſon to go before a king;Exod. 4.11. and the burthen too great for him to go vnderunder; as by his owne words may appere when he ſaith: Who am I, that thou ſhouldeſt ſend me vntounto Pharao, and that I ſhould bring the children of Iſraell out of Egypt? But afterwards, how boldly did he his meſſage vntounto the king, neither fearing his threats nor countenance:Exod. 10.17. but rather (as it plainly appeareth) Pharao was ſore afraid of him; as in that he confeſſed to him (in great anguiſh of heart) his ſin, and deſired that he would ſue vntounto the Lord for him (acknowledging that he could much preuaile with him) that his plagues might ceaſe. Behold heerein one of the greateſt matters (as is the feare and face of princes:) he which was afraid to looke Pharao in the face at the firſt; was afterward, through ſtrength of faith by cleauing to the Lords commandement and promiſe, able to do his meſſage to him with exceeding courage & boldneſſe. And if in this one grace and gift of God he ſo increaſed, (which of all other ſeemeth the hardeſt) thereby ouercomming that timorouſneſſe and faint heartedneſſe which would (if it had not beene by ſpirituall manhood and courage expelled) hauehave made him vtterly vnfit for the diſcharging of ſo weighty a duty; what doubt is there, but that in other graces of God he increaſed alſo proporcionably? Which doth further confirme that which I hauehave taken in hand to ſhew: that is, that the Lord giueth that grace vntounto his beloued, from which they were moſt far off both in their owne ſight and in the iudgement of others, and therefore (as I hauehave ſaid) more then they ſometime could aske or looke for.
And no other thing did our Sauiour Chriſt meane, when Nathaniell acknowledging him to be very God for that he ſaw a token thereof in him, he ſaid: Nathaniell, becauſe I ſaid: [I ſaw thee vnderunder a figge tree] beleeueſt thou? Behold, Iohn. 1.52.thou ſhalt ſee greater things then theſe. For thou ſhalt ſee the Angels of God aſcending and deſcending vponupon the ſonne of man: that is to ſay, thou ſhalt ſee farre more cleere ſignes of my Godhead; thou ſhalt ſee my father from heauen, vponupon earth to witneſſe and teſtifie the ſame in moſt familiar manner: ſo that the light which now thou haſt thereof, and the faith by meanes of it, and thy louelove to me, and the comfort which thy ſoule hath thereby with other graces, are in compariſon nothing to that they ſhall be; euen as a graine of muſtard ſeed is vntounto a tree that hath boughes and branches.Math. 13.31. And what other thing would the Lord hauehave vsus to learne but this, by theſe ſpeeches, that the prodigall ſonne deſiring but to be receiued of his father into his houſe as one of his hired ſeruants,Luc. 15.17. Mat. 15.27. was taken againe as his naturall ſonne? and the woman of Canaan, which deſired but with the whelps to be refreſhed with the crums which fell from their maſters table, had graunted her, for her great faith, all that ſhe would, euen the childrens dainties? Euen ſo hath the Lord prouided wonderfull things for them that feare him; as it is ſaid in the Pſalme: Very glorious things are reported of thee, ô thou citty of God. And as it is written: Who would hauehave ſaid, that Sarah ſhould giuegive ſucke? and that the barren ſhould be fruitfull? ſo who would ſay, that they which had in a manner nothing,Numb. 11.28. ſhould abound in many graces? What was Ioſua before he was choſen in the roome of Moſes his maſter, to be gouernor of ſuch a mighty people? but after he beleeued him which ſaid, Euen as I hauehave beene with Moſes, ſo will I be with thee; he found that faith, courage, wiſdome, experience and neare acquaintance with God,Ioſ. 1.5. Ioſ. 24.15. &c. which he in no ſort was like before to hauehave beene partaker of. What was there in Salomon to diſcharge ſo great a prouince as he entred vponupon in his father Dauids ſtead? but after that the Lord had granted him his wiſh and choiſe,1. King. 3.12. he obtained the gracious wiſdome which was maruelled at throughout the world.
The Apoſtles themſelues the firſt three yeeres after they were called to follow Chriſt, had no great matter in them aboue other Chriſtians: but after that our Sauiour had ſent them greater meaſure of heauenly grace from aboue, who doth not ſee by the hiſtory of their actes, how vnlike they were vntounto ſuch as they had beene? I doe not meane, in the viſible gifts of the holy Ghoſt which were extraordinary; but in faith, in ioy, in duties of their callings: as he told all the eleuen at his departure from them:Iohn 16.12. I hauehave many things to ſay to you, but you cannot receiue them now; yea rather, you hardly vnderſtand me: but the day is at hand, when yee ſhall not need to aske any queſtions. ver. 23.24.25.And Peter, after he feared God, yet was diſmaied at the words of a ſeely damſell:Luc. 22.57. but after greater grace receiued, was not afraid of the mighty, no not the high prieſt. So were ſundry of the churches: as that of Theſſalonica, Act. 5.29.who for all that their beginnings were famous (as appeareth in the firſt epiſtle of Saint Paule, which he wrote to them) yet did they increaſe mightily,1. Theſſ. 3.7. as may be ſeene in the ſecond: for thus he writeth to them:2. Theſſ. 1.3.4. We ought to giuegive thankes to God alwaies for you (brethren) foraſmuch as your faith increaſeth exceedingly, and the louelove of eueryevery one of you each to other, aboundeth: ſo that we reioice yea we boaſt of you to other churches, becauſe of your patience and faith in all your perſecutions and tribulations that yee ſuffer.
And therefore from ſo many teſtimonies (which in this matter ſo hardly beleeued, hauehave beene alledged) I thinke I may boldly affirme: that this is another, yea and that a moſt worthie priuiledge, which the Lord granteth out vntounto his children (and he that is wiſe wil regard it:) That they may grow and multiplie daily in the graces of his ſpirit; yea, that they may excell themſelues by manie degrees: except we will ſay,Eſay 59.1. that Gods hand is ſhortened in theſe latter daies more than in former times; or his promiſe vntrue.
But I confeſſe I am glad to know this priuiledge for mine owne comfort,This priuiledge cauſeth much comfort, if it be duely conſidered. and to ſpeake of it to the ſtirring vp of many my good brethren in this colde and frozen age: that we may take ſome triall of our ſelues, what part we hauehave in this ſo great a prerogatiue, which we may inioy aſwell as any other. And as well for their iuſt rebuke I ſpeake it, who thinke it madneſſe for men to contend and ſtriue to goe before others in godlineſſe, faith and the fruits thereof, (though we are commanded to excell one another:Epheſ. 4.1.) as alſo to awaken them who hauing made good and commendable beginnings long agone, yet hauehave taken diſcouragement from making anſwerable proceedings, although it be written:1. Tim. 4.15. Let thy profiting be ſeene of all. And I denie not, but that the deuill raiſeth occaſions enough of fainting, ſlouth, deadneſſe of ſpirit, of earthlie mindedneſſe, neglecting of meanes, &c. in ſuch as hauehave well begun in a Chriſtian life:Though there be many things to hinder it, yet there is alſo much to helpe to greater grace. but (God be thanked) they are not leaſt vnfurniſhed, nor vnprouided of all helps againſt the ſame, if they were acquainted with the will of God but as they might be. Such therefore as ſee themſelues faultie and weake this way, let them learne of them which hauehave better experience in the waies of God than themſelues, and which doe more chearefully go before them: that they by their example may more ſoundly and conſtantly goe forward. For why ſhould it not be with the Lords plants in his orchard, as it is in an huſbandmans? that as grafts and plants being ſet in good ground doe ſpread their branches and ſhoot foorth their boughes apparently in a few yeeres: ſo might the Lords plants doe?
Moreouer, we ſee in all ſocieties one commeth awke and vntoward to an occupation, learning or any trade; yet in few yeeres is able to guide others: which plainly ſheweth how he hath profited himſelfe. And can any thing be truly ſaid, why he which is but a yong Chriſtian only, ſuch an one as is a liuely member of Chriſt, though as yet he be to be thorowly grounded in the principles of religion; yet can any thing (I ſay) be truly alledged, why he ſhould not in a few yeeres be well growen and increaſed himſelfe, and able alſo in thoſe matters to inſtruct and guide others?Heb. 5.12.14. that as he was inexpert in the word of righteouſneſſe when he was a babe: ſo after experience he may be ſtabliſhed?
For to what end are all thoſe goodly things reuealed in the Scriptures: How we may grow from faith to faith,Rom. 1.17. Pſ. 103.5. and from grace to grace; and that ſuch as are aged and well growen, ſhould hauehave their inward ſenſes of their minds exerciſed to diſcerne good and euill; and that we ſhould, whatſoeuer we hauehave attained vntounto more than others,Pſ. 119.11.12. Rom. 15.4. yet ſeeke to increaſe daily more and more? To what end (I ſay) are ſuch Scriptures and many other of like ſort? Are they not written for our inſtruction and edifying?The Scriptures are plentifull in prouing this. Or els, do we thinke that they ſhould lie by vsus vnknowen, and we not to meddle with them? Which if we will not affirme, (as indeed no wiſe or well aduiſed perſon will) why ſhould we not looke to thriue and proſper in our ſpirituall husbandrie, and that with much more aſſurance than in the earthly (wherein yet many thouſands doe exceedingly increaſe;Note.) and the rather, for that our gaine and the bleſſing of God is farre more certeine in that, than in the other? Why (I ſay) ſhould not we of the miniſterie firſt and principally; and then the ſeuerall congregations and people which are taught and guided by vsus,Prou. 4.1…. not only ſhine as lights in the darke world, but daily more and more, as the morning light doth vntounto the perfect day? And to be ſo farre beyond our firſt beginnings in louing and obeying that which we know, that as we were then readie and forward in a little (when we knew no more:) ſo we may now giuegive occaſion to many to praiſe God for vsus, whiles they ſee the ſame readineſſe and forwardneſſe to continue in vsus, as our knowledge is increaſed? And as we were then carefull ouer other for the good of their ſoules: ſo why ſhould we not be ſtill of the ſame minde, exhorting one another daily with comfort, & prouoking to louelove & to good works, and not neglect that dutie for the care of our bodies and wealth? The which I heartily wiſh were done but with that alacritie and cheerefulneſſe, which I my ſelfe hauehave ſeene many yeeres agone.
But alas, how rare a thing is this to finde either in the one or in the other? which cauſeth this and ſuch other worthie prerogatiues of the faithfull, as are ſpoken of in the Scripture to be in ſmall account, ſeeing few examples are found of this practiſe. And by this it may be ſeene what is to be vnderſtood by growing, and what this priuiledge is, in the laying forth of the which I am now occupied: namely, that a true Chriſtian may be able to ſee and in trueth to affirme, that he inioieth farre better liking, greater freedome, much more eaſe and ſweetneſſe in ſeruing God, and in the Chriſtian courſe, then ſometime he was able to doe or euer looked for. That he ſeeth farre greater light in the will and word of God, and bewty in the Godly life; and hath much more conqueſt ouer his rebellious heart in ſubduing the affections thereof, then euer he thought had beene poſſible for him; which who ſo inioieth not, is vniuſtly depriued of ſo great a commodity, as beſide the ſaluation of his ſoule, hath none like it vponupon the earth: and yet cannot be ſeparated from that neither.
And yet as great as it is,The Lord thinketh it not to great for his. I hauehave ſhewed that the Lord thinketh it neither too great nor too good for his children, but hath bequeathed it vntounto them, and giuen them free graunt of it; and ſo they may hauehave their part in it, although the greater the benefit is, the more ſtrongly the diuill keepeth men backe from poſſeſſing it, yea euen many of Gods deare children themſelues, whom he holdeth in the cordes of ſinne and baites of vanity: ſo that thereby they loſe and forgoe a great part in this heauenly priuiledge and liberty. But how he and they doe ſtop their proceedings in grace and Godlineſſe, may be ſeene in the former treatiſe of the lets. Yet I cannot omit here to put them in remembrance of this one let againe, that without great heed taking they ſhall weaken their louelove to their brethren through conceites and taking of pritches one againſt an other, and that oft times without any iuſt cauſe: ſo that they ſhall be much feebled therby from duties of louelove, which (if it were well conſidered) had little need to be ſo, being ſufficient to hinder eueryevery good enterpriſe, then the which their need be no greater.
But if theſe and ſuch like be not their ſtops and ſtaies, let not any obiect and ſay: that they deſire with their hearts to be partakers of this priuiledge and benefit, if they knew how: for if they were willing to be perſwaded, to vſe thoſe meanes with that free and ready heart, conſtantly and daily, which they ſometimes are willing to doe, their deſire ſhould quickely be accompliſhed, and they made partakers of that which they wiſh; and that is, alwaies to make reckoning of that to be their chiefeſt treaſure, To grow in grace and in the knowledge of Chriſt: and therefore without ceaſing to keepe their hearts vntounto it,Note. and to thinke there is nothing more to be regarded, nor of greater weight and neceſſity, then to beſtow the day and the ſeuerall parts of it as they are directed, and as many of them alſo hauehave done ſometime, that they may ſee themſelues to goe forward.
I appoint to them no new or ſtrange way; but faithfulneſſe and conſtancy in keeping of that which already hath beene ſhewed them; and the ſame or like direction for the daily gouerning of themſelues, which hath already bene ſet downe to them; aſſuring themſelues, that God will not be wanting from time to time in bleſſing the ſame, vntounto them. Then as the corne rooted in good ground, through the bleſſing of God by ſeaſonable weather, becommeth farre vnlike that in few moneths, which it was at the new comming vp and appearing aboue the ground: ſo ſhall they by the ſame meanes daily continued reuerently and in faith, become farre vnlike themſelues, which they were at their firſt beginning; and they ſhall finde (as I hauehave ſaid) through the ſame ſhine and dew of Gods bleſſing, that increaſe, which before they neuer looked for.
But ſeeing there are many of Gods deere ſeruants, who being by the malice of the diuill either altogether depriued of teaching, or ſeldome taught, or not ſo taught that they may grow; heere I am inforced to bewaile their eſtate, and mourne with them, exorting all ſuch, that as they ſee any further light and liberty then in times paſt:All muſt be ready to grow to that grace which they may attaine to. ſo they indeauour to goe forward, though they cannot attaine to that which others may. And withall I ſay vntounto the other which may profit better, as hauing greater helpes, that they forſlow not the time, nor neglect to reape the benefit daily which thereby is offered them. For as in the glory of the kingdome of heauen the higheſt degree of happines ſhall be inioied, becauſe men ſhall then be wholly ſubiect vntounto God, and obey him willingly in all things: ſo the next is, to be more ſubiect to his will, and in more things and vponupon better ground; and to be better acquainted with the minde of God and his ſecrets, then in times paſt: which may make them more forward, then when they firſt beleeued.
As for them, which thinke there is no nearer fellowſhip to be inioied with God, while they are heere on earth, then they themſelues hauehave attained vntounto; nor any greater meaſure of grace then they are partakers of: let them inioy their opinion alone, till they be aſhamed of it: let vsus rather hope (to the further glorifying of God) to ſee that to be our ordinary diet,Note. which hath beene ſometimes our banquetting cheere; I meane, to be able better and better to reioice in all things that we goe about through the day, whereas ſometime we could ſcarſely doe it at any time in the day; and in nothing be diſcouraged whiles we hauehave the Lord both in precept and promiſe to goe before vsus. Little perſwaſion ſhould need heereunto, if mens hearts were ſet vponupon this Chriſtian courſe, as they are vponupon deceitfull vanities. It is not ſeene with bodily eie, and therefore ſlender credit is giuen to it. It is almoſt vnknowen, what bewty and contentation the beleeuing ſoule findeth in it, and therefore in ſmall requeſt, no not with many of the better ſort: and therefore few grow vp to that which they might. But ô earthly peace and proſperity! (an eſpeciall occaſion of this through the deceitfulneſſe of the heart) how haſt thou wounded many with thy outward and flattering looke, by meanes whereof they cannot louelove that which ſhould be their greateſt glory? And of this priuiledge thus much.