One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 90
SERMON XC. The Contraries to Growth in Grace. A Comfortable Advertiſement to ſuch as mourn under their Sence of not Growing; With Reaſons of the Neceſſity of Growing in Grace.
JOH. 17.17.
Sanctifie them through thy Truth, thy Word is Truth.
THoſe that are already ſanctified may yet be further ſanctified, and that in ſeveral particulars, as you have heard.
There remain ſome other Inſtances to be added, wherein this encreaſe of Sanctification may appear.
And the firſt which is alſo very remarkable is,5. Efficienter. That our Sanctification is to grow efficienter, by way of inviting, exhorting, and bringing home others to it; For thus we are more ſanctified when we are enlarged to ſanctifie others inſtrumentally; This ſome take to be the meaning, Joh. 15.8. where Chriſt tels his Diſciples, that herein his Father is glorified if they bring forth much fruit; And verſ. 16. I have ordained you that you ſhould go and bring forth much fruit, which is in reſpect of their miniſterial emploiment; So then if thou askeſt how may I be more and more ſanctified? The Anſwer is ready, Be ſanctifying others actively and inſtrumentally: Think it the greateſt honour in the world if thou art a means to make others holy, for though God would uſe no means or Inſtruments in the Creation of the world, yet he will in the Creation of the New Creature: Now Miniſters they are by Office appointed to ſanctifie others: The word or Truth which is the Inſtrument of Sanctification is publiſhed by them; Therefore a ſanctified Miniſter doth deſire nothing more then to have a ſanctified people, he deſireth that it may be a Vineyard, a Garden, not a Wilderneſſe that he is to till and look to, he crieth out with Rachel in a ſpirituall ſence, Give me Children, elſe I die; All his Study and Sermons tend to this, that his Hearers may be ſanctified, and certainly if Chriſt himſelf endured all that reproach and ſhame for Souls, he deſireth to have the ſame minde that was in Chriſt; That as Chriſt is promiſed to ſee his Seed after the Travell of his Soul, So doth he pray, that after all his pains and endeavours he may ſee an holy Seed; So that your Sanctification is that for which we pray and preach, yea, private Chriſtians in their way are to encreaſe in their Sanctification by promoting it in others, Pſalm 51. when David had recovered out of his ſinne, then would he teach tranſgreſſors their waies, When one Diſciple was converted, preſently he goeth and calleth his Brother: Oh the admirable Zeal that Paul ſhewed to his Kinſmen after the Fleſh, that he could wiſh to be an Anathema for them! You that are Parents grow in this active Sanctification, Let not God alone by Praier untill your Children be ſanctified: What a Comfort would it be unto you to be both the Natural and the Spirituall Fathers of your Children: Thus ye that are Maſters grow alſo in Sanctification by Sanctifying Servants, by having a Sanctified Family: Oh it's to be be feared thou knoweſt not the Worth and the Excellency of a ſanctified Eſtate, or the danger of an unſanctified one, that art no more diligent to call others out of it, if rightly apprehenſive herein; Thou wouldſt do as the Angel did to Lot, while he lingered and tarried in Sodome, pull him out by violence as it were, that he might not periſh; Philoſophers ſay, There is this difference between thoſe Creatures that are generated of putrid matter, and ſuch as come of their kinde, that the former though they live and move, yet cannot generate the like, or propagate individuals, becauſe they come of putrid matter, and certainly it's thus here: Thoſe that are indeed born of God, and have that Divine Seed in them, all their Care and Delight is to bring others into the ſame eſtate and condition alſo, but then thoſe who profeſſe holineſſe from carnall and corrupt ends, they care not for this work of Converſion in others, like Adulterers that reſpect not Children but their luſts.
Secondly, We may be more ſanctified in the better improving of the means of Sanctification, For God he hath appointed ſpirituall Ordinances, the good managing whereof will greatly advance the Principles of Sanctification within us: Now the Ordinances are Prayer, Hearing of the Word and Sacraments, and whatſoever holy Inſtitution Chriſt hath appointed and decreed for to make us better; The way therefore to be more Sanctified is to pray better, to hear better, and indeed it would be well if thou didſt ſet upon the Reformation of thy Corruptions, but not only of them but of thy Duties alſo; Not only to reſolve I will be proud no more, and earthly no more, and paſſionate no more, but I will not pray ſo formally, ſo coldly, nor ſo negligently as I have done any more; A man that groweth better in his Health, eats his meat better, and doth digeſt it better; And thus if thou wilt proceed from Holineſſe to Holineſſe, Thou wilt pray with more Zeal and Faith, hear with more attention and fear: It's impoſſible you ſhould ever grow in Sanctification unleſſe you do begin to amend in your duties, As the Diſciples were mending their nets, elſe they could get no fiſh.
Thirdly and Laſtly, We are to be more ſanctified in reſpect of Continuance and Duration; It is not enough that thou wert once made holy and Righteous, but thou art to continue and perſevere therein to the end; For how many did begin in the Spirit, but yet have ended in the Fleſh? You have a terrible Inſtance Hebr. 10.29. where a man ſaid to be Sanctified by the Bloud of Chriſt is yet ſaid at laſt to tread under foot the Bloud of Christ, making no account of it: It is true this man was not truly Sanctified, for then he could not have ſo totally apoſtatized, for he had ſome imperfect and inchoate motions of Sanctification, He was an Embryo and did prove abortive, and thus all the Ages of the Church have given ſundry and ſad Inſtances of ſuch Hypocriſies and Apoſtacies: Therefore the Apoſtle John Revel. 22.12. after the divers Viſions and Revelations he had about the Church, he concludeth, Let him that is holy be holy ſtill, Let him continue and perſiſt in his Holineſſe, So that whatſoever changes and alterations there may be in the Church, yet thou art not to change or to vary in thy Holineſſe,Growth in Sanctification illuſtrated by the contraries unto it, which are theſe, and certainly ſuch is the oppoſition, and ſo great are the Contrarieties to all Sanctification in Heavens way, That it's a wonder of wonders that a man is not deprived, doth not loſe all, or be diſcouraged out of it.
In the next place Let us illuſtrate this Growth in Sanctification by the oppoſites and contraries to it, and they are,
Firſt, Idleneſſe, Negligence, or Security; He that is idle in his outward Calling can never expect to encreaſe in his Wealth, Poverty comes like an armed man upon ſuch, and thus it is with him that is lazy in his ſpiritual Calling: As Solomon obſerveth of the Sluggard, He paſſed by and ſaw his Field full of Thorns and Briars; Thus it is with every one that liveth negligently, his whole life will immediatly be filled with all kinde of vice and folly. Want of Exerciſe doth breed Diſeaſes in the body, and ſo neglect of ſpirituall Exerciſe doth conſume the Soul, Idleneſſe and further Sanctification can be no more conſiſtent then light and darkneſſe together.
Secondly, Barrenneſſe, This is the fruit of Idleneſſe: As the Apoſtle ſaith, He that doth not work let him not eat, Let him ſtarve if he will; This is alſo true here, He that will not labour in a ſpirituall manner, he ſhall not eat, he ſhall neither have more Grace, or more comfort, Barrenneſſe in one that looketh to Heaven is a very hainous ſinne, Heb. 6.7. The Earth which drinketh in much rain, and yet is barren, is nigh to curſing; Did not our Saviour ſay to the Fig-Tree that had no fruit on it, Never fruit grow on thee more, Matth. 21.12. So that God puniſheth barrenneſſe with barrenneſſe: It's thy ſinne to bear no fruit, and it ſhall be thy Curſe; How ſeverely was that unprofitable Servant dealt with, who though he did not imbezill his Maſters Talent, yet becauſe he hid it in a Napkin, and did not improve it, Therefore he is commanded to be caſt into utter darkneſſe, Matth. 25.30. Tremble then under all manner of unfruitfulneſſe and unprofitableneſſe, Say, How doth this agree with Growth in Grace?
Thirdly, Another great oppoſite to further Sanctification is Apoſtacy and declinings in godlineſſe, which are either gradual in the truly godly, or totall in him that appeareth to be ſo only, Rev. 2. Gods great Controverſie with ſome of thoſe Churches, was becauſe they fell from their firſt love, and they are commanded to ſtrengthen the things that are ready to die; This is to be a very Antipodes to encreaſe in grace, when thy Sunne doth not ſtand ſtill, but go backward, and ſtill more backward; Oh fear theſe Conſumptions of the Soul, Thou haſt not the life, the vigour, the zeal of Grace once thou hadſt, thou art not the man thou wert once; Thou art like Sampſon that hath loſt his ſtrength, like old Barzillai that canſt not take thy wonted delight in heavenly things, Oh be afraid of theſe languors, and repent from whence thou art fallen; But the godly Soul may be hereupon dejected, and queſtion whether ever it were truly ſanctified or not, for they finde much decay; They have often dead and cold hearts, yea, they are not as lively as they have been, They are even turned into ſtones, and are like Idols in Chriſtianity, having eyes they ſee not, and hearts they underſtand hot.
1. Art thou thus exerciſed, Deſpiſe not this Chaſtiſement of God, yea, make an advantage of it; To feel the diſeaſe is the way to be cured; Bleſſe God that hath done thus for thee, that though thou doſt not grow in grace, or encreaſe, yet thou ſeeſt this decay, and bewaileſt it; A man that ſees he goes behinde in his Eſtate, and layeth it to his heart, he will be careful to prevent it betimes.
2. Know theſe humiliations and bewailings are a kinde of further Sanctification in thee, For to grow in Grace is to diſcern more and more our Imperfections, to be acquainted with all the need and wants that we are in; As he that groweth in Learning ſeeth how much he is ignorant of, and thus he that groweth in holineſſe, he ſeeth himſelf more unholy then ever, he thinketh he hath leſſe Grace then ever, becauſe he is more tender and diſcerning then he was before; As a man recovering out of a diſeaſe is more ſenſible of pain and his weakneſſe then he was in the height of his ſickneſſe.
3. There may be a growing in gifts and parts, and a growing in Graece; This diſtinction is greatly to be marked, for a Chriſtian through bodily diſtempers and old Age may decay in parts, not have the memory, nor the activity, or the hot affections he had once, and yet be a more mortified and ſolid Chriſtian, for Grace will not cure a man of bodily Diſeaſes or of Old Age, and becauſe the Soul doth work dependantly upon the body, as the body it's Inſtrument doth decay, ſo are the Souls Operations impaired thereby; But be not diſcouraged, this is not a decay in Grace, it's only in parts and gifts, or a bodily conſtitution, which though comfortable mercies, yet are not Eſſentials to grace; On the other ſide there are too many that encreaſe in Knowledge, that are enlarged in parts, but decay in grace, yea, their corruptions and luſts grow with them.
4. Diſtinguiſh between a further Sanctification in reſpect of the ſolidity of it, and the affectionateneſſe of it; Every decay in affection is not preſently an abating in grace, for godlineſſe lyeth chiefly in the minde and will, If theſe be ſolidly eſtabliſhed and really bent for God, Though affections be not paſſionately and ſenſiby put forth, yet thou maiſt grow a more ſound and firm Chriſtian.
5. There is difference between a further Sanctification, and the certainty and evidence of it; Many a Chriſtian groweth in holineſſe, yet he is not ſenſible of his growth as in nature a man groweth, yet doth not perceive it; What our Saviour ſpake of the ſpreading and growing of the Goſpel, is true alſo in reſpect of Sanctification, Mar. 4.27. It's as if a man ſhould caſt Seed in the ground, and ſhould ſleep, and riſe night and day, and the Seed ſpring up and grow he knoweth not how; Thus the godly they ſhoot out in grace, when yet they do not perceive it, yea, ſometimes they are tempted to the clean contrary.
6. Grant it be true, that thou art leſſe ſanctified then before, thou haſt decaied ſadly, Let this then quicken thee up to make the more haſte for the future; Let this ſtumbling make thee get ground, Sometimes a David, a Peter, are left to fall, that they may riſe and go the faſter; After ſome diſeaſes the childe groweth more then ever, The Traveller that hath overſlept himſelf, doubles his pace; Thus let thy very decaies do good to thee.
Reaſons.In the third place Let us Conſider the Reaſons, why that it's not enough to be ſanctified, but we muſt be more and more holy every day.
And 1. We are not ſanctified to ſtand ſtill there, We are yet in the way, we are not yet come to our journeys end; Hence our Chriſtianity whilſt in this Life is compared to running in a Race, We are not come to the term and end of our Sanctification, when we are firſt converted, We are but put into the right way to happineſſe, we are but beginners; We have much work to doe ere we ſhall receive a Crown of Glory: You ſee that glorious Saint Paul, who laboured more then they all, yet Phil. 3.14. I preſſe towards the mark, forgetting the things that are behinde.
2. We are further to be Sanctified, becauſe there remain Reliques of corruption ſtill to be ſubdued, Sanctifying grace doth expell ſinne but by degrees, Even as the heat by degrees doth expell the cold; Now the Apoſtle tels us, Gal. 6. what is in the hearts of all the godly, There are luſts rebelling againſt the Spirit, and there is a law of ſinne in our members, If then Sanctifying grace do not encreaſe, ſin will encreaſe, If we be not further ſanctified, we ſhall be further corrupted; The heart of a man is immediatly ſuſceptible of one of theſe either grace or ſin; If then there be not more grace, there will be more ſin, you cannot ſtand at a ſtay; If you ſwim not againſt the ſtream, the ſtream will bear thee down.
3. This is the end of all thoſe afflictions and chaſtiſements which God laieth upon us, that we ſhould be more ſanctified, John 15. Every branch is purged that it may bring forth more fruit; Theſe are like the compoſt laid on the ground, theſe are the plowing and the harrowing of the ground to make it more fruitful; The fire is to make the gold more pure from droſſe; The winnowing is to ſeparate the Chaff from the Wheat, and thus are all Gods Diſpenſations which come in Severity to thee; They are to ſanctifie thee more, to make thee more Heavenly-minded.
4. This is one great end of the Word, and the Preaching thereof; Sanctifie them by thy Word, and Eph 4. We are to be edified, to a full ſtature in Chriſt, by the Officers in his Church, So that as the Sun and the Clouds help to make the Ground fruitful, as the Winde filling the Sails of the Ship makes it go more ſwiftly, So ſhould the Miniſtry and Ordinances; Oh what knowledge and grace ſhouldeſt thou have attained to by this time, Let thy profiting appear to all, as Paul ſaid to Timothy.
5. The ſweetneſſe and excellency of grace if once taſted of, ſhould make thee inſatiable to have more, Shall the hydropical man the more he drinketh, the more deſire it, and the earthly man, the more wealth he hath, be the more covetous of it? What a ſhame then is it if the more goſtlineſſe thou haſt thou art not the more deſirous ſtill to have more.
6. It's Gods promiſe that ſuch who are godly ſhall grow more holy, Iſa. 40.29, 30, 51. They ſhall renew they ſhall mount up like Eagles; So Hoſ. 14.6, 7. That as it is a curſe upon the wicked to grow worſe and worſe, ſo it's a bleſſing to the godly to grow better, If God will bleſſe their outward ſtore, make their oyl encreaſe, much more their graces.
Ʋſe of Exhortation to ſtir up your ſelves in holineſſe, Endeavour after more grace then thou haſt, yet oh bewail thy leanneſſe, thy barrenneſſe;Ʋſe. In how many things maiſt thou be bettered ſtill? Thou doſt greatly deceive thy ſelf if thou thinkeſt now I may ſit down, I have gone far enough.
Ʋſe 2. to confute corrupt Opinion of moſt men that do not like this forwardneſſe and ſtrictneſſe in the way to Heaven; Can a man be too godly, then he may be too happy as well, and have too much of Heaven: Doth not our Saviour pray here for his Diſciples ſanctified already, yet to be more ſanctified; Do we not daily pray that Gods grace may come more into our hearts, why then are we diſpleaſed to ſee it doth encreaſe.