The Touchstone of Sincerity, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Containing the Proof and Improvement of …ct. 2 That true Grace is exceeding precious, and greatly enricheth the Soul that hath it: it's Christs Gold.
…CT. I.
THE Lord Iesus here chooseth the most pure, precious, re…endent, durable, and valuable thing, in … the Treasuries, and magazines of Nature, … shadow forth saving Grace, which is …nitely more excellent: certainly that …ft be the best thing, which the best …ngs in Nature can but imperfectly sha…w forth. What was the golden Oyl emp…d through the two golden pipes, Zech. 4. but the precious Graces of God, flowing …ough Christ, into all his Members! Gold …recious, but one drachm of saving grace more precious than all the Gold of Oph…r. …annot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver …weighed for the price thereof, Job 28. 15. …ely Gold and Silver, Saphires, Diamonds … Rubies are not worth the mentioning, …en saving Grace is once mentioned. For …sider it,
First, In its cause, and fountain from …ence it flows; and you shall find it to be … fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5. 22. who upon … accompt is called the Spirit of Grace, Heb. 10. 29. It derives its original from the … high; it is Spirit born of Spirit, Io…. 3. 6. … the rules of Morality, all humane dilige… and industry can never produce one gr… ous habit or act alone, 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not … we are sufficient of our selves, &c.
Nay, we speak not becoming the inco… parable worth of grace, when we say, it is … fruit and birth of the Spirit; for so are co… mon gifts also. There are several emanati… from this Sun, divers streams from this fo… tain; but of all his operations and produ… ons, this of saving grace is the most noble … excellent. Gifts are from the spirit as we… grace, but grace is more excellent than … best gifts, 1 Cor. 12. 31. covet earnestly the … gifts, and yet shew I unto you a more exce… way. Hence you read in Phil. 1. 10. of th… that are excellent, or as the original, foreign might be rendred, things that … Namely, in respect of excellency; no… good and evil, but as less good, and … good differ. Gifts have their value and … ciousness, but the best gifts differ as … from grace, as brass from gold; though … be generated by the influence of same … Gifts (as one saith) are dead graces, but … are living gifts: it is the most excel… production of the highest and most ex… lent cause.
2. Secondly, Consider it in its nature, … …u will find it Divine▪ 2 Pet. 1. 4. partakers … the Divine Nature, viz. in our Sanctificati… not that it gives us the Properties of the …ivine nature, they are incommunicable; …t the similitude, and resemblance of it is …amped upon our souls, in the work of grace.
The new man is renewed in knowledge, after …e image of him that created him, Col. 3. 10. The Schoolmen and some of the Fathers place …is image or resemblance of God, in the …atural faculties of the soul, viz. the under…anding, memory and will; which is an …brage of a Trinity in Unity: but it rather …onsists in the renovation of the Faculties by …race; for in this we bear the Divine Image …pon our Souls, and that Image or Resem…ance of God in Holiness, is the beauty …d honour of our Souls.
It is their beauty, How fair, and how plea…nt art thou O love for delights! saith Christ of …is People, Cant. 7. 6. Natural beauty con…sts in the Symmetry, and comely proportion …f parts each with other; Spiritual beauty … the harmony or agreeableness of our souls …o God: and as it is our chiefest beauty, so …ertainly it is our highest honour; for it gives …s access unto God, who is the Fountain of Honour and Glory; and this makes the righte…us more excellent than his neighbour; let his Neighbour be what he will, tho' the blood …f Nobles run in his Veins, the righteous is more excellent than he; except saving gra… be also diffused into his soul.
3. Thirdly, Consider it in its receipient su… ject, & you will find its value still to increase for the precious oyl of Saving Grace is neve… poured into any other than an elect vessel.
Hence faith, one branch of sanctification is with respect to its subject, stiled the Faith … Gods Elect, Tit. 1. 1. Whosoever finds tru… grace in his Soul, may (during the eviden… thereof) from it strongly conclude his E… lection, looking backward, and his Salvatio… looking forward, Rom. 8. 30. it marks an… seals the Person in whom it is for glory. Go… hath set apart him that is godly for himself. Ps. 4. 3▪
4. Fourthly, View the precious worth o… grace in its excellent effects and influences up… on the soul, in which it inheres.
(1.) It adorns it with incomparable Orna… ments, which are of great price in the sigh… of God, 1 Pet. 3. 4. yea it reflects such beam… of Glory in the soul where its seat is, Tha… Christ himself the Author, is also the Admire… of it, Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart, wit… one of thine eyes, with one of th… chains of the neck. And as one overcome with its excelling beauty, he saith, Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me, Cant. 6. 5.
(2.) It Elevates and ennobles a Mans Spiri… beyond all other principles in Man. It se… … heart and affections upon Heaven, and … them up with the glory of the invisible …rld, Phil. 3. 20. But our conversation is in …ven, from whence we look for a Saviour. …il'st others are trading for Corn, & Wine; … Sheep and Oxen; for Feathers & Trifles; … gracious Soul is trading with God for par… and peace; for Righteousness and Life; … Glory and Immortality. Truly our fellow… is with the Father, and with his Son Christ …, 1 John 1. 3.
(3.) It doth not only raise the Spirit by …versing with God, and things above; but …sforms the soul, by that converse, into … likeness of those heavenly Objects it con… seth with. It changeth them into the same …ge, 2 Cor. 3. 18. so that though the san…ed Man still remains, the who he was, … not the what he was before, the very …per of his spirit is altered.
(4.) It doth not only transform the soul in …ich it is, but preserves the subject in which …: it is a singular preservative from sin; …hat though sin be in …hem still, and works them still; yet it cannot prevail in them … to fulfil the lusts of it, as it was want to … Gal. 5. 17. Sin conceives, but cannot … fo…h fruit unto death; this gives it a … carrying womb.
(5.) It doth not only preserve it from sin, … Grace establisheth the soul in whom it is, far beyond any other Arguments without; or any other principles within a Man. It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, Heb. 13. 9. This is that which the Apostle calls our own stedfastness; or that ballast we have within our selves; which keeps us tite and stable. O the excellencies of Grace!
(6) To conclude, it is the root of all that precious fruit which we bring forth to God in this World. It is the root of every gracious word in our lips, and of every gracious work in our hands: be the matter of our gracious thoughts never so excellent, the matter of our heavenly discourses and prayers never so sweet; still grace is the root of the matter; Iob 19. 28. O then what a precious thing is grace!
5. Fifthly, View it in its properties, and you will soon discover its transcendent excellencies: the richest Epithets are no Hyperboles here, we speak not beyond the value of it, when we call it Supernatural Grace, for so it is. It comes down from above, from the Father of Lights, Iam. 1. 17. nature can never be improved to that height, how much soever its Admirers boast of it: nor do we strain too high, when we call it immortal grace; for so God hath made it: this is that water which springs up in the sanctified soul into eternal life, Iohn 4. 14. It will not dye when thou diest, but ascend with the soul from which it is inseparable; and be swallowed up with it into glory, Rom. 8. 10. you may out live your friends, you may outlive your Estates, you may out-live your Gifts; but you can't out-live your Graces.
Shall I say it is the most sweet and comfortable thing that ever the soul was acquainted with in this World, next Iesus Christ, the Author and Fountain of it? Sure if I so speak, I have as many witnesses to attest it, as there be gracious souls in the World: nothing is more comfortable than grace, except Christ, and yet without grace no soul can feel the comforts of Christ, in the troubles of life, or in the straits of death: this is a spring of comfort.
6. Sixthly, Consider it in its design & scope; and you will still discern more and more of its precious excellency: for what is the aim and end of God in the infusions and improvements of Grace, but to attemper and mould our Spirits by it, into a meetness and fitness for the enjoyment of himself in the world to come? Col. 1. 12. giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light▪ compare this with 2 Cor. 5. 5. now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God.
O blessed design! how precious must that work be, which is wrought for so high and glorious a purpose as this is! no work mor… excellent, no end more noble.
7. Seventhly, Consider the means and … struments both principal, and subordinate, i… ployed in this work: many blessed instr …ments are set on work to beget, conserv… and improve it in our souls: and these … speak the precious worth of it: no wise ma… will dig for a base and worthless metal, wit… golden mattocks. The blood of Christ w… shed to procure it, Heb. 13. 12.
The Spirit of God is sent forth to form an… create it; for it is his own workmanship Ephes. 2. 10. his fruit, Gal. 5. 22.
The Ordinances and Officers of the Gosp… were at first instituted, and ever since continued in the Church, for this works sake Iohn 17. 17. and Eph. 4. 12. it's the fruit … Christs blood; yea, and it hath cost the swea… and blood of the dispensers of the Gospel too▪
Nay, all the works of Providence look this way; and aim at this thing, Rom. 8. 28. What is the errand of all Gods rods, but to make us partakers of his holiness? Heb. 12. 10▪
8. Eightly, The high value that the most high God sets upon grace, shews it to be an excellent thing indeed: it is of great price in his sight, 1 Pet. 3. 4. no service finds acceptation with God, but what is performed by grace: none but sanctified vessels, are meet for the Masters use. The end of the Commandment is Charity, out of a pure heart, 1 Tim▪ 1. 5.
The weakest performances of grace find acceptance with him, though clog'd with many sinful weaknesses and infirmities, Heb. 11. 31, 32. if God so prize it, well may we: he that made the Iewel, best understands the value of it.
9. Ninthly, The Hypocritical pretences made to it all over the professing world, shew what a most precious and desirable thing it is: if there were not some singular glory in it, why doth every one covet to be reputed gracious? nay the Devil himself baits many of his hooks of temptation with a shew of grace: for he knows sin hath no native beauty of its own to entice; and therefore he borrows the paint and pretence of holiness, to cover it: but O what a dilemma will the Hypocrite be posed with at last? and how can he answer it when God shall demand.
If grace were evil, why didst thou so affect the name and reputation of it? And if it were good, why didst thou satisfie thy self with the empty name and shadow of it only?
10. Tenthly, To conclude; The incomperable esteem that all good men have for it, shews it to be a thing of inestimable price.
Grace is the sum of all their prayers, the scope of all their endeavours, the matter of their chief Ioy, the reward of their afflictions and sufferings. Their chief Ioys and sorrows, hopes and fears in this World, are taken up about it: by all which it appears that its price is above Rubies; and all the Gold and Silver in the World are but dung and dross in comparison with it.
SECT. II.
Containing six practical inferences from this Precious Truth.
Infer. 1. Is saving grace more precious than Gold? Let them that have it bless God for it, & not boast: Mens hearts are as apt to puff up and swell with spiritual, as with material gold: it's hard to be an owner of much of this gold, and not be lifted up with it. To keep down thy heart, and preserve thine eyes from being▪ dazled with these their gracious excellencies; it will be needful for thee Christian sometime to consider,
That altho' Grace be one of the most excellent things that ever God created, yet it is but a Creature, a dependent thing, 1 Cor. 5. 17.
Yea, it is not only a Creature, but a very imperfect creature yet in thy soul; labouring under many weaknesses, Phil. 3. 12. and sometimes ready to die, Rev. 3. 2.
Though it can do many things for you, yet it cannot Justifie you before God: you cannot make a garment of to cover your guilt, not plead the dignity of it at Gods bar for your discharge; 'tis not your inherent, but Christs imputed righteousness must do that for you; though in other respects it be very necessary.
Nay, remember; how excellent soever it be, it's not the native growth and product of your hearts; all the grace you have is foraign to your Natures; and what you have, is received, 1 Cor. 4. 7.
And Lastly, remember he that is most proud and conceited of his own graces, will be found to be the owner of least grace, and hath most cause to question, whether he have any or no. It's the nature of grace to humble, abase and empty the Soul; and it's the strength of our Corruptions which thus puffs us up with vain conceits.
Infer. 2. Is Saving Grace more excellent than gold? what cause then have the poorest Christians to be well satisfied with their lot? To others God hath given Ishmael's portion the fatness of the Earth; to you Isaac's, the graces of their Covenant: the portion is paid in brass, yours in gold: many of you are poor in the World, but rich in faith; and heirs of the Kingdom which God hath promised, Jam. 2. 5. what is the dust of the Earth, to the fruits of the Spirit? you are troubled that you have no more of the World; it may be if you had more gold, you would have less grace: you consider not how many are poor & wretched in both worlds; moneyless, and Christless too: you don't consider you are near come to that state, in which all your wants will be fully supply'd; where you shall not need the treasures of the Earth, and have your desires satisfied out of the treasures of grace and glory.
Infer. 3. Is Saving Grace Gold, yea infinitely more precious than Gold? then surely declining Christians are great losers, and have cause to be great mourners. The remission of the least degree of Grace, is more to be lamented than the loss of the greatest sum of Gold.
Though the habits of Grace be not lost; yet the Acts of Grace may be suspended, 2 Sam 12. 31. The degrees of grace may be remitted, Rev. 3. 3. The evidences of grace may be clouded, and consequently the Comforts of grace may be suspended, Isa. 50. 10. and the least of these is such a loss, as all the treasures of the Earth cannot repair: well therefore may declined Christians challenge the first place among all the mourners in the world.
Infer. 4. Is grace so invaluably precious? How precious then ought the ordinances of God to be to our souls, by which grace is first communicated, and afterwards improved in our souls! The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver, Psal. 119. 72. and good reason, whilest it imparts and improves that to which Gold and Silver is but d…oss and dung.
None but those that value not Grace, will ever slight the means, or despite and injure the instruments thereof. It's a sad sign of a graceless world, when these precious things fall under contempts and slights.
Infer. 5. If Grace be so precious how watchful should all gracious persons be in the dates of temptation! the design of temptation is to rob you of your treasure: when Cut-purses get into the croud, we use to say; Friends, look to your purses. How many brave Christians have we read and heard of, that have rather chosen to part with their lives, than with their graces, who have resisted unto blood, striving against sin? Heb. 12. 4.
O Christians, you live in a cheating Age, many seeming Christians have lost all, and many real Christians have lost much so much, that they are like to see but little comfort in this World: who are like to go mourning to the Grave with that Lamentation, Iob. 29. 2, 3. O that it were with me as in times past!
Infer. 6. To Conclude. Is there such precious worth in saving Grace? then bless God for, and diligently use all means to increase and improve it in your souls. It's Gold for preciousness, and for usefulness; and must not be laid up in a Napkin: that's a sin condemned by the very scope of that Parable, Mat. 25. 14, 15, &c.
All Christians indeed have not the same advantages of improvement, but all must improve it according to the advantages they have in order to an account. Reserved Christians who live too abstracted from the Society and Communion of others, and disperse not their streams abroad to the benefit of others; nor improve the graces of others for their own benefit, are wanting both to their own duty and comfort. See you a Man rich in grace; O trade with him if you can, to improve your selves by him; and the rather, because you know not how soon death may snatch him from you, and with him all his stock of Grace is gone from you too, except what you made your own whilst you conversed with him: but alas, alas! instead of holy profitable soul-improving communion, some are sullenly reserved; some are negligent and lazy; some are litigious and wrangling; more apt to draw forth the dross, than the Gold; I mean the Corruptions, than Graces of others. And how few there be that drive a profitable trade for increase of grace, is sad to consider.
And as grace is not improved by communion with men, so I doubt most Christians thrive but little in their communion with God: we are too seldom in our Closets, too little upon our knees, and when we are there, we gain but little, we come not off such gainers by duty as we might. O Christians, think when you are hearing, and praying, I am now trading with Heaven for that which is infinitely better than Gold. God is rich to all that call upon him, what a treasure may I get this hour, if the fault be not in my one heart? And thus of the second observation.