The Admirable Convert, Part 7
VERSE 42.
And he ſaid vntounto Ieſus,Text. Lord remember me when thou comeſt into thy kingdome.
FRom his ſpeech to his fellow, rebuking him, and iuſtifying the Lord Ieſus, he comes now to direct his ſuite to Chriſt, Lord remember me, &c.
It was a temporall deliuerance and corporall life the blaſphemous Thiefe deſired, Saue thy ſelf and vsus: and becauſe hee iudged Chriſt to be Man onelyonly, and not God, and ſo not able to giuegive this, therefore he blaſphemed him.
But the Penitent Thiefe that liues by faith, and not by ſence, beholds Chriſts glorious power, euen in this low degree of his humiliation, and through faith raiſeth vp himſelfe to the hope of a better life. Not regarding ſo much a temporall life, or corporall deliuerance, ſo that it might go well with his ſoule in death; and therefore prayeth, Lord remember me, &c.
And herein, as before, he manifeſteth likewiſe the admirable fruite of his faith and repentance; whether wee conſider the condition of the perſon of this Supplicant, or petitioner, or of Chriſt himſelfe, to whom hee ſues for mercy.
Firſt, if we conſider the Supplicant, or petitioner himſelfe, a man not trained vp in the Schoole of Chriſt, but rather in a denne of Theeues, a man giuen vntounto all manner of Rapine, like a rauenous beaſt vponupon the prey, liuing by cutting of throats, theft, and the bloud of men: for ſuch a wretched creature as this, to be brought at laſt to ſee his ſinnes, and to repentance for the ſame, and to ſeek ſo earneſtly for mercy for his ſoule, this muſt needs declare the almightie power of God.
Secondly, if we conſider withall the condition of Chriſt himſelfe at this time, to whom he directeth his ſute, euen crucified Chriſt; Betrayed by Iudas, condemned by Pilate, mocked of Prieſt and people, denied by Peter, forſaken at this time of all his Diſciples, for the Text ſaith, They all forſooke him and fled. At this time, I ſay, to acknowledge Chriſts Deitie, to performe diuine honour vntounto him, by praying vntounto him, was wonderfull indeed.
Had hee in times paſt heard Chriſt preach, and beene familiar with Chriſt, or his diſciples, had he heard his heauenly word, or ſeene thoſe glorious miracles that hee had wrought. Haply there might hauehave beene wrought ſome grace in the heart, which howſoeuer it might be kept in for a time as fire raked vp in the aſhes, yet now at laſt, at the time of his death might reuiue. As it was the caſe of Peter, who had forgot Chriſts words,Mat. 26. which ſaid, Before the Cocke crow thou ſhalt deny mee thrice. Yet afterwards the Text ſaith, He remembred the words of Chriſt: then had not this beene ſo much to bee wondred at. But this being the firſt meeting and greeting, the firſt ſight he got of Chriſt, who ſuffered now the ſame curſed, ſhamefull, and ignominious death, together with him, this could not but make greatly for the commendations of his admirable faith.
Before wee come to the particular handling of the words, wee hauehave a two-fold inſtruction to bee handled in generall.
Firſt then wee may note, what a happy progreſſe this Penitent maketh in the wayes of godlineſſe, and in the worke of repentance. He groweth vp ſtill in Chriſt, and goeth on from vertue to vertue, and from one meaſure and degree of grace vntounto another, as it were by ſteps and ſtayers aſcending vp into Gods kingdome: firſt, hee rebuketh is fellow: ſecondly, confeſſeth their ſinnes: thirdly, cleareth Chriſts innocency: And now againe maketh earneſt ſupplication vntounto him, and herein will teach vsus. Doct. 1
That a daily growth and increaſe in grace is neceſſary vntounto ſaluation.True grace is known by the growth in grace. True grace will ſhew it ſelfe by the daily growth in the meaſure and degrees thereof. Where grace is well vſed, it will increaſe. It is not with grace, as it is with the materiall things of this life, the more they are vſed, the more they decay; but grace is of a generatiue nature, one grace well vſed, and rightly improued, brings forth another: We glory in tribulation (ſaith the Apoſtle) knowing that tribulation worketh patience, Rom. 5.3.4.and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not aſhamed. This duty of daily growth and increaſe in grace, is often vrged and preſſed in the Scriptures: We beſeech you brethren, 1 Theſ. 4.4and exhort you in the Lord Ieſus, that ye increaſe more and more: 2 Pet. 3.18So Peter, grow in grace; and againe,Heb. 6.1. Pro. 1.5. Let vsus be led forward towards perfection. A wiſe man will heare and increaſe in learning, ſaith Salomon. Gods Church in the Scripture is compared to an Orchard or a Garden, the Miniſters of the Word are Planters and Waterers, and all the faithfull are trees of righteouſneſſe, and ſuch as are thus planted in the Courts of the Lords houſe, they bring forth much fruit in their age, and are fat and well liking. Pſal. 92.14The bleſſing vponupon the Creatures was increaſe and multiply. Gen. 1.22.Euen ſo the bleſſing on the new Creatures is, Grow in grace, 2 Pet. 3.18and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt.
This is excellently ſhadowed out vntounto vsus by Ezechiels viſion of waters,Eze. 47.12. which increaſed more and more, which ſhadoweth out vntounto vsus the power of the Word in the hearts of beleeuers in the time of the Goſpell. And whereſoeuer theſe waters ſhould come, they ſhould cauſe admirable fruitfulneſſe. And this is that which our Sauiour noteth, that his Father is the Husband-man, himſelfe the Vine, eueryevery true beleeuer, a branch of this Vine. And ſuch (ſaith he) my Father purgeth, Ioh. 15.1.that they may bring forth more fruit. Salomon cō pareth the righteous to the Sun that ſhineth more and more vntounto the perfect day. Pro. 4 18.The poynt is clear, neither is there any duty whereunto a Chriſtian is more vrged and preſſed in the Scripture then this. And the reaſons are,
Reaſ. 1 Firſt, in regard that the greateſt meaſure of grace that the faithfull in this life can poſſibly attaine vntounto, is not more then needfull to ſaluation. As the leaſt meaſure of ſanctifying grace, truely wrought, ſhall be auaileable vntounto ſaluation; ſo the greateſt meaſure that any hauehave, will but ſerue the turne: It is with grace, as with the Manna the Iſraelites gathered, none had to ſpare of that they gathered. So the time will come, when he that hath the greateſt meaſure of knowledge, faith, repentance, &c. ſhall finde the ſame little enough to keepe the head aboue the water, when a man ſhall come to combate with death, The king of feares, and to wreſtle with Sathans temptations.
Secondly, ſuch as improue Reaſ. 2 their graces receiued, the Lord is pleaſed daily to adde to the ſtocke of grace, making them more and more to abound therein, as faith our Sauiour,Luk. 8.18. To him that hath, ſhall be giuen, whereas wicked and vngodly men, which hauehave but the out-ſide of religion onelyonly, the Lord will take from ſuch that they ſeemed to hauehave.
Thirdly, the great coſt the Reaſ. 3 Lord is daily at with vsus, may prouoke vntounto this duty. Firſt, hee bought vsus at a deare rate, from our ſinfull, vile, and vaine conuerſations, to the end we might ſerue him in righteouſneſſe and holineſſe all our dayes. Againe, hee hath planted vsus by the riuers of waters, euen his ſacred Word, with the dayly dewes, and ſpirituall moyſture flowing from the ſame, he daily watereth our ſoules. Beſides all this, hee hath come vntounto vsus with the pruning knife of his iudgements, and corrections of all ſorts, both nationall and perſonall, to ſhred off ſinne and corruption, and ſo many ſuperfluous and luxurious branches, that hinder fruitfulneſſe; ſo as the Lord may plead with vsus as with his people of old,Eſay 5. What ſhould I hauehave done more that I hauehave not done? All which may prouoke vntounto this duty.
Reaſ. 4 And laſt of all, the Scripture compareth a Chriſtian to new borne Babes. As new borne Babes, 1 Pet. 2.2.deſire yee the ſincere milke of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. Now infancy and childhood of all other ages, is an age of growing. It were a wonder in nature, to hauehave an infant liue, and not grow: the Word truely heard and receiued, breeds no ſuch ſtaruelings.
Againe, the Scripture compares a Chriſtian to a building. Now what is it to lay a foundation of a worke, and not to build vponupon it? If it bee not followed, wee ſee it comes to nothing. Thus is it with the building vp of the inward man.
Is this daily increaſe & growth Vſe 1 in grace ſo neceſſary, as that without it we can hauehave no ſound comfort of the truth of grace? Miſerable then and fearefull is the ſtate and condition of thoſe, that hauehave loſt their firſt louelove, and hauehave fallen away from that meaſure of louelove, zeale, and other graces, that appeared in them in times paſt? Surely the eſtate of ſuch men is lamentable and fearefull, If they (ſaith Peter) after they hauehave eſcaped from the filthineſſe of the world, 2 Pet. 2… 20, 21, 22.through the acknowledging of the Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, are yet tangled againe therin, and ouercome, the latter end is worſe with them, then the beginning; for it had beene better for them not to hauehave acknowledged the way of righteouſneſſe, then after they hauehave knowledged it, to turne away from the holy Commandement giuen vntounto them, but it is come vntounto them according to the Prouerbe, The dog is turned vntounto his owne vomit, and the Sow that was waſhed, to the wallowing in the mire. This was the caſe of Demas, Hymeneus, and Philetus, mentioned by Paul to Timothy; 1 Tim. 1 20 2 Tim. 2.they were counted famous in their times, yet at laſt fell away. But woe bee vntounto Sathan for his malice, and woe bee vntounto ſuch men for their backſliding, the eſtate of ſuch is fearefull.
Secondly, this ſerues to condemne Vſe 2 the common ſecuritie of men in theſe dayes and times wherein wee liue, who are ſtrongly perſwaded in themſelues, that they hauehave attayned to a ſufficiency in religion for knowledge and grace, they hauehave plyed it hitherto, and now they may ſit ſtill, as if they had as much as they needed, or God could require at their hands. Lamentable is their eſtate, and wofull is their condition. Of all the diſeaſes of the Aſian Churches, this was the moſt dangerous that the Church of Laodicea was ſick withall, who thought themſelues rich, and increaſed in wealth, and needed nothing, no more knowledge, no more grace: whereas indeed they were miſerable, poore, and blinde, and naked, the very opinion of ſufficiency ſhewes our penury.
Doſt thou put forth thy childe to Nurſe, thou deſireſt that it ſhould thriue and proſper, and not ſtand at a ſtay; if it proſper not, eueryevery one will ſay, the childe will not continue long. Thus is it with vsus, when the Lord ſhall feede vsus with the wholſome milke of the Word, and we daily lugge the breaſts of our Mother the Church, and yet profit not, but ſtand rather at a ſtay, as ignorant as before, as dull, heauy, and vntoward in holy performances as before. O this is a fearefull ſigne of a ſpirituall conſumption: and this wee may feare will follow in the end, that God at laſt will bee prouoked to giuegive ſuch a one ouer to hardneſſe of heart, and to reprobate ſence, that hauehave made no better a vſe of the grace that hath beene offered vntounto them.
And laſt of all, it may ſerue for Vſe 3 matter of comfort and conſolation vntounto the godly, that are on the mending hand, though they finde many defects and imperfections in them, and be often drawn aſide through their owne corruptions, yet the increaſe in knowledge, zeale, louelove, and the like graces, proues the truth thereof in the heart.
Bur how ſhall I know whether I increaſe in grace yea or no? Queſt.
Thou mayeſt know it by theſe ſignes. Anſw.
Firſt, by thy daily increaſe in humility, for God reſiſteth the proud, but giueth grace to the humble. Humility is a Mother-grace, as we thriue in it, we proſper in all other graces. Whereas on the contrary, where pride groweth, it is like a noyſome weede in a garden, true grace doth there wither, and the beſt plants can neuer proſper.
Secondly, it is diſcerned by the conſcionable vſe of the meanes, by the which grace is daily more and more nouriſhed and increaſed in vsus. Such as are the hearing of the Word, the conſcionable vſe of the Sacraments, prayer, with the conſcionable performance of theſe and the like holy duties, both publike and priuate, with a delight therein: this being thy caſe, thou needeſt no more queſtion the ſtate of thy ſoule all this while, then the ſtate of that body that hath a good appetite to meate, and withall a good digeſtion.
Thirdly, it may bee diſcerned in vsus by the taſte and reliſh wee hauehave in heauenly things, with the delight in Gods people, for the body of Chriſt increaſeth in the edification of it ſelf, through louelove; and as this louelove increaſeth or decayeth, ſo doth grace.