Sermons Concerning Grace and Temptations, Sermon 1 (4 of 4)

Sermons Concerning Grace and Temptations · Sermon 1 (4 of 4)

p. 108Beloved, This is Heavens work, Oh! learn this ſong before you go thither, which none learn but the redeemed and ſealed Rev. 14. 3.Rev 14:3of the Lord.

The Lord in all his dealings with his people, ſeeks laſtly to bring about the glory of his grace.

1. He leaves them a long time in their graves of ſin, before he gives them the reſurrection of grace: that they live like other men, wallow in ſin as other men; which is ſtrange, that he that loved them ſo long, ſhould leave them ſo long to be as bad as any; yet this he doth, becauſe it makes for the praiſe of his grace, Eph. 2. 2, 4, 7, 8 verſes.

And this doth ſo confound Gods People, that they wiſh not only Heaven, but Earth and Ages to come, may record this love.

2. Out of men fallen he picks out uſually the pooreſt and the vileſt: The younger Brother, moſt deſpiſed, and leaſt reſpected in a Family, and leaves the elder: Jacob have I loved, Rom. 9. 11, 13. 1. Cor. 1. 26.Rom 9:11Rom 9:131 Cor 1:26Eſau have I hated.

This is ſtrange that the Lord ſhould chuſe thus; but this he doth to blur the Glory of all the World.

3. The Lord leaves many wants in his People, under which they ſit ſighing, and ſometime very long: Sometimes he takes away thoſe feelings, thoſe enlargements they had, hides his face from them; that if ever he returns in love, his grace may be the ſweeter, and laſt the longer,

4. Sometimes he refuſeth to hear their Prayers, that when he doth anſwer them; at laſt his free-grace may be adored and cryed up.

5. Sometimes he humbleth them with vexing ſins, and pricking diſtempers, and it is to advance grace.2. Cor. 12. 7, 9.2 Cor 12:72 Cor 12:9

6. In a word, you ſhall find the Lord ſo ſtrangely carrying on matters (as if he did not love, nor care for his people) againſt the hair and grain of their deſires; and when all comes to winding up, 'tis to advance grace.

All a mans good days, and bad days; all Gods frowns and ſmiles; all the Lords food and phyſick; all God cares for, works, and plots for, 'tis to do his people no more hurt than p. 109this, To advance his grace in them, and by them.

All his hewings and hammerings of you, his knocking you a pieces, and new melting, and new caſting of you 'tis that you may be veſſels of his glorious grace, that you may be able to live in the Air of Gods grace, to ſuck in, and breathe out grace; and let all the powers of Hell ſeek to blur it, yet grace ſhall conquer: Who would not be under grace! Oh poor creature! Satan is tempting, ſin vexing, yet grace muſt reign.

2. Act for Jeſus Chriſt: Do the work of Chriſt, and finiſh it: Chriſt gives grace, becauſe he hath given work for grace to do: Chriſt ſets up a work in you, that he may do work by you for himſelf: every Principle is for Operation: The eye for ſeeing, and the ear for hearing: ſo grace is for work.

Now, I ſay, Chriſt hath begun a good work in you; be you then at his work daily, and finiſh it.

As it was with Chriſt the Head, ſo ſhould it be with all his members; I have finiſhed the work which thou gaveſt me Joh. 17. 4.John 17:4to do.

The Apoſtle ſpeaking to the Saints that had grace begun in them, ſaith he, As you have yielded your members ſervants Rom. 6. 19.Rom 6:19to uncleanneſs, and to iniquity—Even ſo now yield your members ſervants to righteouſneſs, unto holineſs.

Peter writing to them, ſaith, The time paſt of our life may 1 Pet. 4. 3.1 Pet 4:3ſuffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles.

Sirs, before you had grace, you ſerved ſin; and having grace, will you not ſtir up your ſelves to ſerve Jeſus Chriſt? Your ſo long ſervice to ſin, ſhould ſet a keen edg upon you to ſerve Jeſus Chriſt.

You live in Times and Places wherein men have ſo much work of their own to do, that Chriſt is neglected; and few men walk with God, or act for God.

Some take mens Examples for patterns and copies, and content themſelves to do as others do.

Others are apt to put off Chriſt with deſires, but ſerve Satan indeed: Others are catching at comforts and promiſes, but neglect Precepts; the Commands of God are tedious and burthenſom to them: Surely then, you in whom the work of grace is begun, it ſtands you upon to be at work for God: p. 110whilſt others ſhut up ſhop, and are Bankrupts, you ſhould drive on a Trade for him.

1. For he hath ſet you up again: he hath underlaid and ſtockt you with Principles of Action; he hath put you into a way of doing, and given you wheels to move upon; he hath made you Wings to fly.

Object. Many excuſe their negligence by pretending inability: How often do Saints put a fine dreſs upon their lazineſs! Alas I am nothing of my ſelf: except God give me an heart and ſtrength, what can I do? Without me (ſaith Chriſt) ye canJohn 15. 5.John 15:5 do nothing.

Anſw. Do not deceive your ſelves, God will not be mocked.

1. The words of Chriſt have this meaning, without me, that is, ſeparate from me, ye can do nothing; that is, till you are planted in me: Now you ſay, you are planted in Chriſt, and therefore your excuſe is but a lye: This expreſſion of Chriſt ſpeaks no more but this, that till you be knit to Chriſt, you are but dead and barren Branches, as Chriſt explains himſelf; As the branch cannot bring forth fruit of it ſelf, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Verſ. 4.me.

Now you ſay, you are knit and united to Chriſt; and therefore away with theſe couzening vizors and palliations: If you are not yet in Chriſt, then confeſs it; if you ſay you are in Chriſt, then ſay not, you can do nothing.

2. The regenerate have a power to Act for God, and to do work for Chriſt.

Firſt, Elſe there is no ſpecifical difference between a man regenerate, and unregenerate, if both were without ſtrength.

Secondly, We ſhould not have as much benefit by the ſecond Adam, as we had by the firſt Adam: The firſt would have communicated his Power to do good, and being corrupted, doth communicate Power to do evil: Therefore much more by Chriſt have we a Power to act for God in our meaſure.

Thirdly, If you are in Chriſt, you are living Branches, p. 111vital Members, and all life is a Power to act.

Fourthly, What is grace but a repairing of that Holineſs and Image of God, which we loſt in Adam? But that was a Power to do what God required, therefore ſo far as that Image is renewed, ſo far there is a Power.

And therefore Saints, Act for Jeſus Chriſt: I ſay, you have wings, and therefore fly upon action, ſoar up a loſt in Service for Jeſus Chriſt: God hath given you feet, and therefore run the way of his Commandments.

God hath ſaid to you, as Peter did to the man that wasAct 3.Acts 3 lame from his mothers Womb, In the name of Jeſus Chriſt riſe up and walk, and your feet and ancle-bones received ſtrength: And therefore God expects that you ſhould be upon employment for him.

If you ſay, It is true, we have habitual grace, a new frame of heart; but we muſt have aſſiſting grace and influence, elſe we can do nothing; the work is hard, and we cannot act without new breathings.

I ſay, Let the duty be to nature impoſſible, yet the Lord is at hand to help, even when there is no ſtrength: He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might, he Iſa. 40. 29.Isa 40:29increaſeth ſtrength.

You know how the Iſraelites pleaded impoſſibilities, and then the Lords anger roſe when they were ready to enter Canaan.

If you had no Chriſt, no Spirit, no Promiſe to aſſure you to help, you might then let fall Duties, and ceaſe to action, and ſay 'tis impoſſible I ſhould ever overcome ſuch ſins, or attain ſuch a meaſure of grace; or bear the Croſs, or do any thing

But when Promiſes to aſſure you, and Chriſt and Spirit to breathe upon you, are at hand; now to plead impoſſibility, is to reproach the Lord: If you were under the Law, you might plead this; but under Grace 'tis horrible to make this excuſe: Remember therefore Gideon, and Sampſon, and David, who went out in the Name and Spirit of the Lord, and they were helped.

3. Know this, that the more difficult any work or duty is, the more ſweetneſs ſhall you find in it, if you break through it: He that overcomes, ſhall eat of the hidden Manna: Have you not found your ſelves dead to Prayer? yet you fell to p. 112it, and then would not but have took the ſeaſon for a world: The husbandman that hath laboured, eats afterward of his 2 Tim. 2. 6.2 Tim 2:6fruit.

You plead the difficulty of a Chriſtian life, and therefore taſte not the ſweetneſs of it: If you can do no more than what is eaſie, and pleaſeth ſelf, the Lord will never let you taſte the ſweetneſs of pleaſing him.

4. What do you mean to be? Like whom? Chriſt teacheth you to breathe out this Prayer, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven: Do you look for Heaven, and will you not act as they do in Heaven? whom do you make your patterns? If you are not like Heaven, you are Baſtards, not Sons: I am ſure Angels are content to come out of Heaven to do the work of God; nay the Lord Chriſt himſelf came down from Heaven, and was made lower than the Angels to do the Work of God; and ſhall your hands ſhrink at it? or will you think your ſelves too good to do it? You have here the nobleſt patterns, and moſt unparallel'd Copies to write after: Like whom then do you mean to be? Will you draw back from Angels work? from the work the Son of God was at? If you mean to ſhine as Angels, do the Work of God with Angels; if you would be where Chriſt is, be at the work that Chriſt was.

And let me tell you, your time is but ſhort, and you have done but little work, none at all to purpoſe; and 'tis not long till your Crown ſhall be put upon your head; and will you not be aſhamed then to wear ſo rich a Crown for ſo poor a Service? To have God pay you ſo great wages for ſo little work done. Certainly, if ever it come to your ſhare to be ſaved, you will (when the Crown is putting upon your head) bluſh for ſhame to think of your cowardiſe, and your lazineſs, that you ſhould wear a Crown, that have done ſo little work.

Fifthly, The Lord will do thy work: do thou but his work, and he will do thine: The Lord will take the care and charge of thee, to bring about thy ends for thee: many of you are ſparing in Chriſts work, becauſe of ſo many diſtractions of your own; others of you wave Chriſts work out of love to your own, I mean the World; What will become of my Family, Wife and Children? Oh unbelieving wretches! ſet your hearts p. 113to do Gods Work, and he'l take the care of your Families and Children upon himſelf: ſet thy face to the Sun, and theſe ſhadows will follow you: The Lord is a ſun and a ſhield, the Pſal. 84. 11.Ps 84:11Lord will give grace and glory, [the Lord will give grace, i. e. honour and eſteem among men, the favour of men, and glory too in the World], No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly: Set thy face then toward this glorious Sun, ſerve him, and theſe ſhadows will follow thee.

Solomon, you know, askt for Wiſdom, that he might diſcern between good and bad, and judg the people; and God tells him, becauſe thou haſt asked this thing, and haſt not asked riohes and honours, therefore I will give thee riches and honours.

Solomon, his great care and work was to rule a State well, and the Lord gave him all the reſt; he ſet his face to the Sun, and the ſhadows followed him: Oh then, Sirs, Act for God, up and be doing, do his work, and he'l do yours.

There are theſe three Things attend the man that gives himſelf to do work for God.

1. There ſhall not any evil hurt thee: The three children were in the fire, and yet the fire did not, could not hurt them: In the fire, and in the water (ſaith God) I will be with thee, there ſhall not any evil hurt thee: Whereas, if thou doſt not, thy good things ſhall, they ſhall hurt thee: Thy riches, and thine honours, they ſhall lift thee up, and there make thy head giddy upon the top of thy glory, and then thou comeſt tumbling down, like a drunken fool, into ſhame and hell it ſelf: Tolluntur in altum, ut lapſa graviore ruant.

2. All creatures in Heaven and Earth ſhall ſerve the man that ſerves his God: The Whale ſhall ſerve Jonah to carry him to the ſhore; Indeed the poor man at that time ran from Gods work, yet becauſe he was his Servant, the fiſh ſhall ſwallow him, that it might ſave him: The Ravens ſhall feed Elijah: I will hear the heavens, (ſaith God) and they ſhall Hoſ. 2. 21. 22:Hos 2:21Hos 2:22hear the earth: and the earth ſhall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oyl, and they ſhall hear Jezreel.

Thus all creatures in Heaven and Earth ſhall ſerve that man that ſerves his God: Whereas elſe, they all groan under thee, p. 114and above thee: The Heavens above groan over the ſinner, and cry out, How long, Lord, how long ſhall we beſtow our influence upon this Enemy of thine? The Earth groans under the unprofitable ſervant, and crys out, How long, Lord, how long ſhall I bear this uſeleſs burden? Nay Chriſt himſelf is weary of this fruitleſs Tree; how long ſhall we ſtand? Cut it down, why cumbers it the ground?

3. Thou that art at thy Lords work, the Angels ſhall come out of Heaven to guard thee: thou art a greater man than the greateſt General under the Sun: thou haſt the Angels to be thy Life-guard: Are they not all ministring ſpirits Heb. 1. 14.Heb 1:14ſent forth to minister for them, who ſhall be heirs of ſalvation?

And therefore let's ſee who dare touch thee? Take heed Matth. 18. 10.Matt 18:10(ſaith Chriſt) that ye deſpiſe [or hurt] not one of theſe little ones: For I ſay unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Jacob ſaw a ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven, and Angels deſcending and aſcending.

Ʋſe 10. The laſt Ʋſe ſhall ſhew you, how God makes Additions to his Saints graces: And herein his Methods are various, if not unſearchable: yet by fathoming we may ſound ſome of them, though not the bottom.

As grace it ſelf is a Myſtery, ſo the increaſe of grace, eſpecially being carried on by ſuch Myſteries.

And therefore the contrivement whereby God increaſeth grace is excellent, worth the knowing; that we may know what he is doing with us in his Providences, and may read the Mind of God in many of his proceedings; In a word, how ſhall we help on the work, if we know not Gods Method in working?

1. The Lord increaſeth grace in his People by their Faith: Faith is one of the Graces, and therefore needs ſupport her ſelf; but ſhe is the mouth of all the reſt, that ſpeaks for them to God in Prayer, and ſucks nutriment for them out of the Breaſts of the Promiſes.

Sirs, The caſe is this; Faith lives upon Chriſt, and all the Graces live upon Faith: When there is a famine in the Land of the ſoul, Faith goeth up to our Brother Joſeph in Egypt, and p. 115brngs home Corn: Faith is the Mother-grace, and as the old bird, the Dam flyeth abroad, and fetcheth in food to her young ones, and diſtributes it to them all in the neſt: So Faith takes Wing (when the graces ſit hungry, and in want at home) I ſay, then Faith takes Wing and flyeth to Chriſt in the promiſe; ſhe comes home with her mouth full, and ſerves all the graces, they are fed by her; And therefore the Scripture ſaith, That the juſt lives by faith.

Which expreſſion the Apoſtle Paul makes uſe of in two of his Epiſtles. Firſt in Rom. 1. 17, The juſt ſhall live by faith; that is in reſpect of forgiveneſs of ſin, and in reſpect of Righteouſneſs or Juſtification before God.

But in Heb. 10. 38, where he uſeth this ſame phraſe, The juſt ſhall live by faith; The Apoſtle ſpeaks of the Saints perſeverance, and ſtanding faſt in all their troubles and temptations.

Now Faith is the prime grace, that helps and ſuccours all the reſt: Hope lives upon Faith; for the hope of a Chriſtian is but poor in fruition; we can hope no longer than we believe: He that hopes and expects the things promiſed, muſt by Faith live upon the certainty of the promiſe, and the power and goodneſs of the promiſer.

Love lives upon Faith: we can love God no longer than we believe: When the imaginary Faith of wicked men (like a candle) dyeth within them, their ſuppoſed love to God goeth out with it alſo: They hate him in Hell, and can do no other: we love God no longer than we have a good opinion of his love to us; 'tis Faith that ſeeds this Lamp with Oyl: We love him, becauſe he firſt loved us: And therefore when the ſpring of Faith is low, the ſtream of Love is very ebb.

Prayer lives upon Faith; we pray no longer than we believe Prayer ſhall be heard: We knock no longer at Gods door, than Faith ſeeth we are welcom.

When a man feels guilt of ſin, yet Faith ſeeth the Lord will pardon it for his own name-ſake: Who is a God like unto Mica 7. 18.thee, that pardons iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſions of the remnant of his heritage?—He will turn again, he will have compaſſion on us, he will ſubdue [i. e. pardon] our iniquities [ſo the word ſignifies], and thou wilt caſt all their ſins into the depths of the ſea.

When a man feels the ſtrength of ſin, yet Faith ſeeth that p. 116the Lord will waſte and ſubdue it; and doth not this bear up grace from ſinking? With what courage doth grace fight againſt ſin, when Faith tells her, God is on your ſide, and you ſhall overcome?

Faith finds and feels reſt in trouble; Ʋnto the upright there Pſal. 112. 4.Ps 112:4ariſeth light in the darkneſs: The life of a Chriſtian, is a life of Faith, which is a life contrary to ſenſe and reaſon: when the Lord kills, what, Doth he intend then to ſave me? yes that he doth; ſaith Faith; and therefore, Though he kill me, yet will I truſt in him; and thus is grace inlivened.

When the Lord binds me in Cords of miſery, doth he intend me any good? Yes, ſaith Faith, he intends to teach thee, and instruct thee; Bleſſed is he whom thou chaſteneſt, O Lord: Pſal. 94. 12. Verſ. 13.Ps 94:12and teachest him out of thy law: that thou mayeſt give him reſt from the days of adverſity: WHILE the pit is digged for the wicked.

Faith informs the Soul, that God is upon a good work, whilſt he is binding and breaking his people: Oh! he is teaching them ſome high and holy leſſon, his corrections are their inſtructions: He is preparing them for a day of proſperity; As 'tis in the next verſe, That thou mayst give him rest from the days of adverſity, while the pit is digged for the wicked.

Where take notice of theſe two Things:

1. While God is chaſtiſing his People, he is preparing them for a day of ſmiles and felicities: When he was breaking Job upon the wheel of Affliction, he was but preparing him for a greater day of Honour and Proſperity.

2. While God by chaſtiſements is preparing his people for ſome greater happineſs, at that very time he is preparing a Gallows for the wicked, he is digging their pit to bury them in [That thou mayſt give him reſt from the day of adverſity: while the pit is digged for the wicked].

While the Jews were under a Cloud, and God preparing deliverance for them, he was at that very time preparing Hamans Gallows: The wicked (like condemned men) are ſuffered to live, till their Gallows and Grave be made ready.

Now Faith is well read in Divine Myſteries, in Gods proceedings; ſhe acquaints the ſoul, that God by chaſtiſing and touching the Body, is teaching her, that his ſtrokes are not huntful; Nocumenta ſunt Documenta.

p. 117Secondly, The Lord increaſeth grace in his People, by preſerving a tenderneſs upon their Conſciences; 'tis grace that makes the Conſcience tender, and that tenderneſs nurſeth up grace with exquiſite care in the ſoul: The moſt tender hearted nurſe is not more chary of her dear Babe, to give it ſuck, keep it clean, preſerve it from harms, and ſee it come on and proſper, than the tender Conſcience is of her grace, the ſweet Babe of the Holy Ghoſt within her: Bleſſed, yea thrice bleſſed are they, to whom God hath given a tender conſcience: As grace withers and ſhrinks up by an hardneſs coming upon the heart; ſo grace improves mightily in a ſoft and tender ſoyl.

1. The tender Conſcience ſtartles at ſecret ſins, as well as open ſins; to ſin in the dark as well as in the light; his Memento (or if you pleaſe his Motto) is, Shall not God ſearch this out? Pſal. 44. 21.Ps 44:21He fears Gods Eye more than all the Worlds eye.

The tender Conſcience trembleth at your cunning arts and ways of ſinning, whereby in your bargains you can bring about your covetous deſires under hand, and no man diſcern you.

You call only thoſe ſins ſecret, that are done in a corner; but if in your publick dealings, you can by your ſubtilties come over another; Are not theſe ſecret ſins too? Tender conſcience cannot ſwallow them: And is not grace growing now?

2. Tender conſcience is quick and ſenſitive of ſmall ſins, vain thoughts, idle words, leſſer oaths, wanton glances, wiſhes and motions to ſin: He knows no duty ſmall, becauſe there's no Commandment ſmall; he calls no ſin little, becauſe there's no poyſon little, no death little, no hell little; and doth not this give ſtrength to grace?

3. The tender conſcience ſmites the Saint after he hath ſinned, as oft as he ſinneth: After ſin committed, his heart gives him no reſt, till he hath made his peace with God: If corrupt nature cannot but ſin, yet renewed conſcience cannot but repent of ſin; it cannot but riſe again, if God be offended; it cannot but meet him with humiliation: if Man be wronged, it cannot but make reſtitution, or ſatisfaction, as Zacheus did: When David had ſinned in numbring the people, his heart ſmote him, I have ſinned greatly in that I have done. Surely 2Sam. 24. 10. grace gets ground by this.

p. 1184. Tender conſcience trembles at the appearance of evil, as ſome eyes cannot abide to look on the Picture or Image of a Toad; that which looks like ſin, he abhors it: it ſcares a holy ſoul from any enterprize, if it be but male coloratum, an ill aſpect.

Every thing that might any way redound to the wounding of Religion, or at which any offence might be taken, he entertains it not; and doth not this give nutriment to grace?

5. Tender conſcience is jealous of the appearance of good: as it hates the appearance of evil, ſo it dares not always truſt every appearance of good: The tender conſcience (as far as it hath light) will try all things, and hold faſt only what is good, not what ſeems ſo: Satan deceives more eaſily, and deſtroys more dangerouſly, when he aſſumes the ſhape of an Angel of light: That which is highly eſteemed among men, is abomination Luk. 16. 15.Luke 16:15in the ſight of God.

6. Tender conſcience takes heed of what he knows lawful: He doth not only fly what appears evil, and try what appears good, but is coy of what he knows lawful.

You will ſay, this is pure niceneſs, nee lleſs preciſeneſs.

I tell you, you know not the Scriptures: All things are lawful, but all things are not expedient: All things are lawful for 1 Cor. 6. 12. 1 Cor. 10. 23.1 Cor 6:121 Cor 10:23me, but all things edifie not.

The judicious, tender conſcience, asks Bernards three Queſtions, An Liceat? An Deceat? An Expediat? Is it lawful? May I do it and not ſin? But ſuppoſe it be lawful, Is it comely? Is it becoming me a Chriſtian? May I do it, and not reflect upon my Profeſſion? Is it expedient? May I do it, and not offend my weak Brother? There are ſome things we muſt deny our ſelves for others ſakes: Things that are evil, we muſt deny them for our own ſakes; and many lawful things we muſt deny for others ſakes: If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no 1 Cor. 8 13.1 Cor 8:13fleſh while the world ſtands, leſt I make my brother to offend.

7. The tender conſcience obſerves as well what he hoth not, as what he doth; regards omiſſions, as well as commiſſions. Our Lord Chriſt was as much diſpleaſed with Peters diſſwaſion of him from ſuffering, as with Satans perſwaſion to fall down and worſhip him; his anſwer was the ſame to both, Get thee behind me, Satan.

Thou muſt as well obſerve what thou doeſt not, as what p. 119thou doeſt: The tender conſcience takes notice of every opportunity he hath to do good, trembleth to neglect duty, as much as to act ſin.

Thirdly, God advanceth grace in his People, by preſerving their appetite to Ordinances: They that are not hungry, cannot feed: It is uncomfortable to come with a full ſtomack to a full Table: They look upon the diſhes, while others eat of them: Theſe may talk of Chriſt and Religion, but the others feed on them: A mans graces cannot grow ſtrong, unleſs he feed; and he cannot feed, unleſs he is hungry: And therefore God adds ſtrength to his Saints graces, by preſerving appetite in them to his Ordinances.

When Peter was hungry, he heard a voice, ſaying, Riſe and Act. 10. 13.Acts 10:13eat. It is Gods delight to fill the hungry with good things: Luk. 1. 53. Matth. 5. 6.Luke 1:53Matt 5:6And this it is, that Chriſt ſtiles them Bleſſed: Bleſſed are they which hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs, for they ſhall be filled.

Hunger, though it ſpeaks want, yet there's a bleſſedneſs attends it, They ſhall be filled.

'Tis a ſtrange promiſe, that a man ſhould be filled for no other reaſon, but becauſe he is hungry: Among men it is not ſo: In the Goſpel the poor mans hunger is his Bleſſing: In the World the poor mans hunger is his miſery, becauſe men are not willing to feed him as oft as he is hungry; and therefore the poor man of the world could wiſh he might be never a hungry: But in the Goſpel (through Gods free-grace and bounty), Bleſſed are the hungry, for they ſhall be filled.

Their appetite makes them eat Chriſt, and eat promiſes, and eat pardon of ſin, and eating makes them ſtrong.

Their hunger makes them prize Ordinances, and the Goſpel proviſions; when they are called, they come to the marriage; they do not make excuſes, but come to the ſupper; and theſe gueſts God himſelf bids them welcom, and carves unto them; and therefore their graces muſt needs thrive.

God accepts our appetite as much as if we paid ready money for his graces; Ho, every one that thirſteth, come ye to the Iſa. 55. 1.Isa 55:1waters, buy and eat: Their hunger is inſtead of a price, their thirſt pleaſeth him as much as payment; and therefore, Bleſſed are the hungry, for they ſhall be filled.

What made Davids graces thrive ſo well, but his appetite p. 120to the Ordinances? One thing have I deſired of the Lord—that I may dwell in the houſe of the Lord, and to enquire in his Pſal. 27. 4.Ps 27:4temple:—O God, thou art my God,—My ſoul thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee—To ſee thy power and thy Pſal. 63. 1, 2.Ps 63:1Ps 63:2glory, ſo as I have ſeen thee in thy ſanctuary.

David had a keen-appetite after the Ordinances, and his appetite made his graces ſtrong: I ſay, his appetite made him reliſh the word; How ſweet are thy words unto my taſte! Pſal. 119. 103.Ps 119:103yea, ſweeter than honey to my mouth.

And this made him feed ſo heartily when he came; My ſoul ſhall be ſatisfied as with marrow and fatneſs.Pſal. 63. 5.Ps 63:5

And now grace muſt needs grow, becauſe their palate is qualified for ſuch delicates; they taſte them with a tranſporting delight, and feed upon them with extream pleaſure.

Thus God animates and ſtrengthens his Saints graces by preſerving a freſh appetite in them to Ordinances.

And how doth he preſerve their appetite to Ordinances? Becauſe this is ſo neceſſary to keep grace alive and vigorous in the ſoul, therefore you ſhall find God runs various Methods to accompliſh it.

1. He keeps their ſins in their eye, or ſome ſpecial ſin upon their Conſcience: My ſin (ſaith David) is ever before Pſal. 51. 3.Ps 51:3me.

Quietneſs within, no trouble upon the Conſcience, will in time dull the appetite: Men ſurfeit upon their peace within: As a long peace corrupts a State, and breeds ſins and vices in it; a ſtill and ſtanding pool is full of mud, ſo a continued peace in the ſoul begets much vanity, and many diſeaſes in her.

Quietneſs takes away her ſtomach: And therefore God repreſents ſome ſin that we have done to the ſoul, and ſtings the conſcience with it; and then the ſoul runs, and looks up to the brazen Serpent: God will not ſuffer your conſciences to be quiet, his deſign is to maintain an appetite in you to Ordinances.

2. He hides their graces from them; they think they have no grace at all, or not true grace; they have it, there it is, but God ſends it to hide it ſelf behind the curtain; they cannot find it; and then they cry, and their ſpirits are ſtirred up, now their appetite is rowſed; they find an appetite to Prayer, an appetite to Self-examination, an appetite to Chriſt, p. 121and to Ordinances; God is fain to deal thus with them, to hide their graces from them, and then when they think they are loſt, they go from place to place to find them, and at laſt they come (as Joſeph and Mary did) to the Temple, and there they find Chriſt: This God doth to preſerve and keep up your appetite.

3. The growth of grace is hidden and concealed from them: and here they make heavy complaints, and conclude ſadly againſt themſelves: Surely my graces are not of the true blood, of the royal deſcent, becauſe they do not grow in me; were they vital, they would grow; or elſe God hath forſaken me, and I am under his ſore and ſad diſſertion: Thus they lye under the black Cloud; their graces (being true) without queſtion do grow, and yet their growth of grace is hid from them: And why doth the Lord carry things thus with them, but to quicken and ſtir up their appetite, that they may have an edg upon their ſpirits to the Ordinances?

And thus (though under many fears, and much doubting, yet) grace increaſeth in them; for as a lively and quick appetite to the Ordinances is a ſign of growth, ſo it is a means of the growth of grace.

4. The Lord increaſeth grace in his people by the communion of Saints: It is not good (ſaith God) for man to be alone: As man is a ſociable creature, ſo grace loves company; nay grace needs company and ſociety: Exhort one another daily (ſaith the Apoſtle) while it is called to day. Travellers are ſenſible how dangerous it is to ride alone: Who knows what or whom they may meet with in the way?

Communion of Saints is a Divine Ordinance: Grace cannot thrive well without it, and we muſt not think to grow in grace, when we will live without an Ordinance.

In Communion, there is Communication; in the Communion of Saints, there is a Communication of Graces, and Experiences, and Influences: There cannot be a building, unleſs there be a meeting of ſtones, Saints, together.

In the Communion of Saints, there is a bearing up of one another: As in a Fabrick, one ſtone holds and bears up another; Bear you one anothers burdens, and ſo fulfil the law of Gal. 6. 2.Gal 6:2Chriſt.

In the Communion of Saints there is a praying for one another: p. 122Pray one for another: And what an help is this to theJam. 5. 16.Jas 5:16 growth of grace?

In the Communion of Saints there is a telling of one another their faults; an opening of the wound, that it may let outMatth. 18. 15.Matt 18:15 the corrupt matter; a friendly conviction to nip the ſin in its bud, that it may go on no further; and doth not this contribute much to the growth of grace?

In the Communion of Saints there is a mutual mourning over2 Cor. 12. 21.2 Cor 12:21 one another, a ſhedding of tears for one another, which falling like dew, cannot but moiſten and molliſie the withering herb, and repair decaying grace; Tell me, Doth not this advance the work?

In the Communion of Saints, there is a reſtoring of one another, a ſetting of bones that are out, into joynt again, like curious and tender Chyrurgeons, with gentle handling of the diſeaſed party, not roughly, but by putting him to as little pain as may be (for ſo foreign ſignifies), If any be overtaken Gal. 6. 1.Gal 6:1in a fault—Reſtore him with the ſpirit of meekneſs: And doth not this help to perfect grace wonderfully?

In the Communion of Saints, there is a conſolation of repenting ſinners, a providing of Cordials for lapſed ſouls, that faint under the ſenſe of their ſins; an Application of comforts to them under their grief and ſhame: Forgive him (ſaith the2 Cor. 2. 7, 8.2 Cor 2:72 Cor 2:8 Apoſtle) and comfort him, leſt perhaps ſuch an one ſhould be ſwallowed up with over much ſorrow—confirm your love toward him.

And tell me how, Doth not this cheer up grace exceedingly?

This is another means whereby God furthers grace in his People; the Communion of Saints: And are ye not now aſhamed of your ſelves, that you uſe this Ordinance no more among you? Do you not find your graces to wither in you for want of it?

There are ſtrong Saints, and there are weak Saints, and the weak ones ſhould receive quicknings from the Benign influence of the ſtronger. As Pliny tells us of a Territory in Africk, Nat. Hiſtor. l. 18. c. 22.in which a City called Tacape is ſituate; I ſay, in this Territory (as he tells us in his time), there ſtood a mighty great Datetree, having under it growing an. Olive, under which there is a Fig-tree, and that over-ſpreads a Pomgranate-tree, under the p. 123ſhade whereof there is a Vine—Every one of theſe (ſaith he) live, joy, and thrive under the ſhade of each other: Such is the Communion of Saints rightly planted; a company of precious Trees, where the Olive grows under the Date-tree, the Fig-tree under the Olive, the Pomgranate under the Figtree, and the Vine under the Pomgranate, the weak Saints under the ſhadow of the ſtronger.

5. By want of aſſurance: I ſay, the Lord quickens his peoples graces, by withdrawings of his Preſence, and interpoſitions of black darkneſs: They lye out in a night of ſad fears and wants of aſſurance: Not that God delights in theſe Methods, but he is fain to do ſo, the neceſſities of his Saints call for it; otherwiſe they would be ſtark naught: They would forſake God, if God did not forſake them for a while. For,

1. Did they always enjoy Gods ſmiles, they would grow fearleſs of God: Fear of God is a great preſervative of grace, and antidote againſt ſin: Now fearleſneſs of God is a diſtemper which the Saints are apt to grow into: As children are wont to grow ſawcy and irreverent, when their Father dandles them too much upon the lap of familiarity; and therefore he is fain ſometimes by his frowns and diſtance to take down their ſpirits: So though God be a Father, yet he will be feared: Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoyce with trembling: Pſal. 2. 11.Ps 2:11And therefore to correct the ſinful boldneſs of his Children, and cauſe them to ſtand in awe of him, he ſometimes ſhuts in his favour, and takes ſtate by concealing himſelf; as the Perſian Kings ſhunned familiarity, and were ſeldom ſeen, that they might be the more honoured.

The fear of God is one of the main pillars of his Throne; and ſo far as he is not our fear, he is not our God: And therefore to advance his fear in the hearts of his people, he withdraws his face; and where fear grows, grace grows: For the fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wiſdom, i. e. the chief or principal part of our wiſdom: The Saints fear of God keeps them from Apoſtacy, I will put my fear in their hearts, that they ſhall never depart from me: and to quicken their fear, they ſhall ſometimes feel his abſence.

2. The Lord leaves his people in wants of aſſurance, to cure them of ſlightneſs of heart: There is a trifling diſpoſition in the hearts of Saints, they are apt to be ſuperficial in their ways, and this God viſits upon them.

p. 124They dally with duties, do them as if they did them not; without heart, in a lazy and liveleſs manner: you are in an evil frame of heart, when you can do the weighty things of God with ſlightneſs.

There are three evils in a ſlight and formal Commnnion with God.

1. Ʋnfaithfulneſs: A ſlothful ſervant is an unfaithful ſervant: He that is faithful, doth his maſters work with all his might: And certainly a ſlight communion with God, ſpeaks a ſlight love to God: Where then, there is idleneſs, and indiſpoſedneſs, God comes in a way of anger to whip up the ſlothful and unfaithful ſpirit: and this ſtirs up grace: Negligence and dallying with duties would kill grace; and therefore it is a mighty mercy of God to ſhadow himſelf from his Saints, that they may be more ſerious in their duties.

2. The other evil in a ſlight and formal Communion with God in Duties, is unthankfulneſs: Duties of godlineſs are not only a debt to God, but a reward to us: Therefore in ſlightneſs, there is not only unfaithfulneſs, but unthankfulneſs: Both the Majeſty and Mercy of God is deſpiſed: and can God be well pleaſed with ſuch things?

3. There is a third evil in a ſlight Communion with God in Duties, and that is unfruitfulneſs; we get nothing from God in duties, we pray ſlightly, and therefore get nothing by Prayer; we hear the word ſlightly, and therefore profit not by it. Now that the Lord may cure his people of this ſlightneſs of heart, and make their graces grow, he uſeth this diſpenſation, to leave them in want of aſſurance.

6. God increaſeth his Saints graces by terrors within: he not only ſuſpends their comforts, but afflicts their ſouls, he writes bitter things againſt them.

1. Theſe rowſe them up to ſeek God: They that ſee themſelves loſt, will find a way to God: They that have Hell-fire burning in them, will value Heaven, and pardon, and the leaſt drop of Gods love: Oh! now promiſes are precious, and Gods love neglected, is now ſweeter than the honey and the honey-comb: Now they cry, Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly.

2. Theſe fright them out of their dreams, and carnal ſlumbers; as the cry made at midnight; that the Bridegroom cometh, awoke the virgins out of their ſleep.

p. 125Among the other diſeaſes of the ſoul, Divine deſertions cure deadneſs and dulneſs of heart: Sometimes living men are in a lifeleſs ſtate, their hearts are ſo benummed, that they ſeem to lye among the dead: They can hear the word careleſly, and ſleep out whole Sermons; there is no vigour nor activity in their graces at home, and therefore the Lord hangs their ſouls over the mouth of Hell, and makes them drink of that red wine, the dregs whereof the wicked of the earth ſhall Pſal. 75. 8.Ps 75:8wring out and drink them, that by this ſtrong potion he may rowſe them up, and quicken their dull and drowſy ſpirits.

3. Theſe terrors work them more cloſely to Chriſt: And for this cauſe God gives his People ſad viſions of ſin and wrath, he ſhakes the ſoul with Earth-quakes, that ſhe may ſtand faſter upon her true Baſis and Foundation: Theſe ſtorms make their hearts gather in to Chriſt: That I may be found in him, ſaith Paul: The ſoul muſt have ſome dry land to ſtand upon; and when the flood of Gods terrors overflow the ſoul, then ſhe flyeth to Chriſt, as Noah's Dove to the ark.

7thly, The Lord increaſeth grace in his Saints by afflictions: he makes them by marring them: Divine Wiſdom works by contraries: he makes them ſhine brighter by their Eclipſes, and clears up their light by darkneſs, Schola crucis, Schola lucis.

And truly, It is the property of true-born grace to grow the greater by the croſs: As the laurel tree is not ſmittenPlin. Nat. Hiſt. l. 2. c. 55. nor blaſted with lightning; no more is heaven-born grace hurt by any afflictions, but much bettered by them.

1. God increaſeth his Saints graces by ſharp ſickneſſes, by diſeaſes unto death, i. e. this ſtartles mightily: Oh Lord! thou didſt ſurprize me unprovided; and if thy hand had cut me off with that diſeaſe, my ſoul had been cut off from heaven for ever: This enters deep upon the ſoul, and ſtrikes terrour upon the heart; the Lord (I hope) ſhall never find me ſo again: This ſtirs up thankfulneſs to the Lord, that hath not only (in this tryal) ſaved me from the grave, but alſo from Hell.

2. Sickneſſes deaden the Saints to the world: They that in ſickneſſes, are always leaving the world, learn to dye unto the world: They have death always in their eye: They ſee themſelves ſtill upon the borders of the grave: They are ever p. 126and anon lanching in eternity: and this makes grace grow.

3. Sickneſſes are ſearchers: Thou enquireſt after mine iniquity Job 10. 6.Job 10:6(ſaith Job) and ſearcheſt after my ſin: When God ſmites our bodies, he ſearcheth our hearts, and makes enquiry in our lives; and now (ſaith the ſoul) Let us ſearch and try Lam. 3. 40.Lam 3:40our ways: When God is ſearching ƲS, it is high time for ƲS to ſearch our ſelves; and this alſo makes grace to grow.

4. Sickneſſes dig Wells of godly ſorrows in the heart: They are (as it were) Gods Mattocks and Spades, whereby he delves deep into the center of the heart, and digs Wells of repentance, which ſend forth ſtreams of confeſſion of ſin, which before would not run, becauſe they had no vent, being covered and ſtopt with the earth of luſt, and hardneſs, and worldlineſs upon them; but now they find a paſſage: When I kept ſilence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the Pſal. 32. 3. 4. 5.Ps 32:3Ps 32:4Ps 32:5day long: for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me, and my moyſture is turned into the drought of ſummer: I acknowledged my ſin unto thee—and thou forgaveſt the iniquity of my ſin.

2. By poverty and narrowneſs of eſtate: Many men muſt Aquilone maxime gaudent, denſiores ab afflatucjus, laetioreſque, & materiae firmioris, Plin. Nat. Hiſt. l. 17. c. 2. Jer. 6. 22.Jer 6:22be kept ſhort and bare, that they may thrive in grace. Pliny ſaith, That trees generally like beſt, that ſtand to the Northwind: It cauſeth them, to ſpread thick, and more flouriſhing, and makes the Timber more ſtrong and ſolid.

The Lord threatneth the Jews with a people from the North-Countrey, the Chaldean Army, which ſhould carry them captive into Babylon: The North wind winnowed them, and fanned all their Idolatry: They flouriſhed gallantly in Religion, after the North wind had blown upon them.

1. The cold blaſts of poverty correct pride, and moderate high thoughts: Make a man poor, and you make him humble: Pride is an abſolute enemy to grace, and proſperity is the ſeminary of pride.

The North-wind of poverty cools the courage, and tames the ſpirits of men; and now they know God and themſelves: Their Plumes fall, and now they will digeſt a reproof, and ſit upon even ground with the lower Saints: When the world frowns upon them, they ſeek the ſmiles of God; before they were too high for him.

p. 1272. Poverty teacheth them to pray: they can now fall upon their knees: thoſe that never called upon God, learn now to viſit the Throne of grace; and cry, Lord, Give us this day our daily bread: Nay, they long for the ſpirit of Adoption, crying, Abba, Father.

Nay thoſe that have prayed in their fulneſs, now pray feelingly: They can go to God in ſenſe of wants: before they did not hear nor feel their own Prayers: In their proſperity, they did not care what Prayers they put off God with: Now they ſet the higheſt rate upon Prayer, for they are fain to live upon Prayer.

An hungry belly makes a Saint hungry after Ordinances, and after Gods Preſence: When a mans debts and poverty make him ſay, I know not what to do, then his ſoul ſaith, Mine eyes are up unto thee, O Lord.

3. When a man ſeeth, that God blaſts all his projects and endeavours, and that he ſhall not be rich in this world; then he looks after grace, and ſo a poor eſtate makes a rich ſoul.

A man for a while aſcribes his poverty to his great charge and family, or to his careleſneſs and improvidence, or to his ſuperfluous expences; and therefore brings himſelf into a narrower room, and ſaith, I will try this and that way; and he riſeth up early, and goeth to bed late; And now, ſaith he, I ſhall be rich: But when he ſeeth all will not do, his good husbandry and pains do not enrich him; let him improve his utmoſt diligence, yet all his care cannot add one cubit to his ſtature; then he looks upward, and ſaith, Now I ſee, it is God alone that gives wealth, riches are only in Gods hands; I perceive now, that God will not have me rich in this world; And therefore, Lord, Lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me; give me grace inſtead of greatneſs, humbleneſs of heart inſtead of Honour, God inſtead of gold.

8. God increaſeth grace in his Saints, by awakening ſin in the ſoul: As long as ſin lyeth a ſleep, the Saint thinks it is not there: He conceives of himſelf better than he is: A diſeaſe lying hid and dormant in the body, is ſuppoſed to be out of doors; we think we have not, what we feel not, and therefore God awakens ſin in the ſoul: For,

1. Thereby it is diſcovered.

2. Thereby the War is maintained againſt corruption, till p. 128it be rooted out: God increaſeth grace in the Saints by their continual War and conflict with ſin: The enemy is deſtroyed by riſing: their riſing is their ruin: had they lain ſtill, they had lain ſafe.

What made Zedekiah and his people to be carried captive,2 Chron. 36. 13.2 Chr 36:13 but becauſe they rebelled and roſe up againſt Nebuchadnezzar? When ſin riſeth, the Saint riſeth and gathers forces againſt it; and therefore God awakens ſin in the Saints that they may raiſe Armies, and get new Victories over it: Were there no War, there would be no Conqueſts; did not ſin riſe, there would be no War againſt it; and therefore Sirs, God awakens pride, luſts, and ſins in his Saints, that they may hew them down; ſuch a ſin aſſaults them, and takes the field againſt them, that in a pitcht Battel they may tread it under foot, and make an end of it for ever.

And therefore I would adviſe you to two Things:

1. Do not think thou art under the Power of thy ſin, when thou art at War with thy ſin, and it with thee: When the ſoul many times hath had ſweet reſt in God, then to break his joy again in pieces; Satan hath ſtirred up a ſin to aſſault him, and now he cryeth out, That all his ſweet joys were but deluſions; were my ſtate right, ſhould I be thus aſſaulted again? And he thinks he is under the power of ſin, becauſe there is a new riſing of ſin againſt him.

To anſwer thee, thou muſt know, that there is difference between time of War, and time of Victory, between the day of conflict, and the day of conqueſt: Now is our day of conflict; and that of ſin which remains in thee, muſt riſe again in thee, that it may be ſubdued: When Rebeccah had twins in her, ſhe was troubled, and marvelled at it, and went to the Lord, who told her, The elder ſhall ſerve the younger: So there is fleſh and ſpirit in the Saints, and theſe two are contrary, ſo that you cannot do the things that you would, and ſometimes cannot will: yet ſomething oppoſeth this; well, know it, that the elder and ſtronger, ſhall ſerve the younger: Lord, it ſhall be ſo, becauſe thou haſt ſaid it.

A man that is at War with another, and is able to raiſe Forces againſt him, hath received power againſt him, but Victory is not gotten preſently: 'Tis ſo here: The bruiſed reed ſhall he not break, till he bring forth judgment unto victory; Though p. 129Thou art bruiſed in the conflict, yet there's no fear of breaking; if God will not do it, none ſhall do it: Now, Chriſt will not break thee, [The bruiſed reed ſhall he not break], and therefore thou ſhalt get the Victory: only know, for the preſent thou haſt power: Thou goeſt to all Ordinances, to ordinary duties, thou prayeſt daily, and ſtriveſt daily; and when thou meeteſt no help there, thou goeſt to extraordinary duties, thou doſt faſt, and lye in ſack-cloth againſt thy ſin, and raiſeſt the powers of heaven, Oh Lord, awake! Awake, thou arm of the Lord! here's a continual and hot War now againſt ſin: And this is the firſt thing I would have you conſider; Do not think thou art under the power of thy ſin, when thou art at war with thy ſin, and it with thee.

2. The thing I would adviſe you to, is this, Be ſure to improve your utmoſt ſtrength, and riſe with all your might againſt the Lords Enemies; I mean your ſins: do not the work of God negligently, which is an accurſed thing, [Curſed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently]; And for this cauſe God caſteth you into ſore ſtraits.

The Iſraelites ſhould have done the work perfectly, when they were commanded to root out the Canaanites; but becauſe they were ſlack, and did it unfaithfully; therefore God left them as Briars and Thorns, to be always an affliction to them: And this is the reaſon why God leaves ſuch a luſt or ſin in you to be a perpetual ſcourge to you in your boſoms; when you are preſſed to take up Arms for Chriſt againſt the ſins of your hearts, if you fight not with all your ſtrength, and purſue not the Victory to the utmoſt, till you find your Enemies dead before you, God may give you into their hands, to lead you into captivity, and to hold you in chains, that will eat into your ſouls, and may in this diſtreſs ſtand afar of, as one that knows you not.

9thly, God increaſeth his Saints graces by the work of humbling.

Many within a while forget that they have been humbled: Time wears out all thoſe Characters of humiliation, that were at firſt engraven upon them; their wounds and bruiſes they had at their firſt Converſion, are healed up again, and upon this they have decayed in grace, and at laſt become Apoſtates, and the greateſt enemies to the Saints.

p. 130And therefore God (to preſerve his Saints graces, and to increaſe them), keeps up ſtill the life of humiliation in them: As the radical moyſture in the body is the pabulum caloris naturalis, the nutriment of the natural heat, and the Oyl is the food of the Lamb, which its light lives upon; ſo humiliation is the humidum radicale, the radical moyſture, the fundamental ſap, that keeps Faith and Prayer, and the other graces alive: They that humble themſelves will pray, and ſeek the 2 Chr. 7. 14.2 Chr 7:14Lords face, and turn from their wicked ways: When they hear the words of the Lords threatnings, they will rend their clothes, 2 Chr. 34. 27.2 Chr 34:27and weep before the Lord: They that are humble, they will accept of the puniſhment of their iniquity; they will kiſs Lev. 26. 41.Lev 26:41the Rod of their correction, glorifie his Juſtice, and implore his Mercy: The proud man thinks his little, much; the humble man thinks his much is too little: The proud man thinks he hath grace enough, the humble man thinks he can never have enough: The proud man hath high conceits of himſelf, the humble man hath high conceits of God: The proud man ſeeks himſelf, the humble man ſeeks Gods Glory, and therefore his deſires of grace are infinite, becauſe no meaſures are ſufficient to ſerve Gods Glory: The proud man reflects upon what he is, the humble man reflects upon what he was, that he was unprofitable, he did ſerve ſin a long time, too long: Many years were ſpent before he was called, and all that while God loſt by him, and therefore now he muſt Row hard, and ply his Oars with quickeſt diligence; he did God much wrong, and therefore now he muſt work and labour hard for him; As Paul did, I am the leaſt of the Apoſtles, that am not meet to 1 Cor. 15. 9, 10.1 Cor 15:91 Cor 15:10be called an Apoſtle: becauſe I perſecuted the Church of God, I laboured more abundantly than they all.

The proud man reflects upon his attainments, and what he hath done; the humble man forgets thoſe things which are behind, Phil. 3. 13. Ad humilitatem pertinet, ut Homo defectus proprios conſiderans, ſeipſum non extollat: Aquin. 22ae. q. 35. ad. 3.Phil 3:13and reacheth forth unto thoſe things which are before: Is it poſſible that grace ſhould not thrive here? Oh! now it goes on amain: The proud man caſts his eye upon his Beauties; the humble man turns his eye upon his Deformities; the proud man looks upon his graces, the humble man looks upon his ſins, and then crys out, Oh! how much dirt and droſs have I yet within me, that muſt be purged out! My ſins out-weigh my graces; ſo much levity of heart in me yet to be mortified: p. 131ſo much ſelf will to be expunged, and ſelf ends to be dethroned, and carnal wiſdom to be diſmounted; ſo much want of love to God and his Saints, which muſt be heightned; ſo much ſlaviſh fear in me, which muſt be turned into filial fear; ſo much ſtudying mine own preſervation, more than the Honour and Intereſt of the Lord; ſtudying my ſafety, more than my duty; asking how I may be ſaved, oftner than how I may ſerve God; how little I rejoyce at the proſperity of the Goſpel, if my ſelf be in adverſity; and how little I grieve in the adverſity of the Church, if I my ſelf be in proſperity: Thus the humble Saint, by conſidering his imperfections, advanceth on to perfection; by adviſing with his own wants, is ſtill drawing more water out of Chriſts fulneſs.

10thly, God increaſeth his Saints graces, by making themſelves to improve and increaſe them: God increaſeth their ſtock by their own good husbandry.

When the noble man (in the Parable) called his Servants,Luk. 19. 12.Luke 19:12 and gave a ſtock of money among them, to traffick with in his abſence; he charged them to improve it to his beſt advantage; and one of them ſaid, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds; and another came and ſaid, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds: So when the Lord Chriſt gives a ſtock of grace, and ſets up a ſoul, he looks that your own care ſhould come in, and that by your own good husbandry you ſhould add to it: You ſuppoſe the work of increaſing grace lyeth in Chriſt alone:

This is, and is not true.

1. It is true in this ſenſe, that the increaſe flows only from Chriſt, the increaſe is his bleſſing: As Paul ſaid in another caſe, Paul planteth; and Apollo watereth, but God giveth the increaſe: 'Tis he alone that adds to the firſt ſtock wherewith he ſet you up: None can create grace in the ſoul but Jeſus Chriſt: Every addition is a new creation; When David (after his great fall) prayed for increaſe of grace; He ſaith, Create in me a clean heart, O God: When Paul ſtirreth themPſal. 51. 10. Eph. 4. 23, 24.Ps 51:10Eph 4:23Eph 4:24 up to be renewed in the ſpirit of their mind, he adds, which is created: As the firſt platform of the new man is created, ſo is every degree of it.

This is the difference between the growth of nature, and of grace: In natural growth there ariſeth out of nature a p. 132new addition, but in the growth of grace there is a new creation. Thus far, that all your increaſe of grace lyeth in Chriſt alone, is true.

2. But in another ſenſe it is not true, that is, without the endeavour: For you muſt act, that Chriſt may give the increaſe: You muſt work out your ſalvation with fear and trembling, though God muſt work in you both to will and to do: And therefore 'tis ſaid to you, Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledg, and to knowledg temperance: The Diſciples came to Chriſt, and ſaid Lord increaſe our faith; And Paul prays for the Theſſalonians, The Lord make you to increaſe: and yet he ſaith to them, We beſeech YOƲ, brethren, that ye increaſe more and more.

11thly, God increaſeth grace in his Saints, by keeping them awake: The ſluggard, and the ſleeper goeth behindhand, it is impoſſible he ſhould thrive, or keep cart on wheels.

And therefore God to increaſe their graces, keeps his Saints awake.

Sleep is [Ligatio ſenſuum] the binding of the ſenſes; and therefore to be awake, is when the ſenſes are free, and at their liberty.

1. Sleep ſhuts up the eye; the man that ſleeps, ſeeth no more than the man that's blind: And therefore God keeps his Saints eyes open to ſee Temptations, and ſpiritual dangers, to ſee the ſnares that are laid for them at their feet; to ſee things inviſible, to ſee Judgment at hand, to ſee the Tribunal ſet, and the Books opened, and the Judg ſitting with innumerable Angels round about him; and now repentance thrives, and ſelf-examination is at work, and making your calling and election ſure, goeth on, and ſpinning of fine linnen, and waſhing of our robes white in the blood of the lamb, and preparation for the nuptials with the Bridegroom: While the eye of Hope is1 Joh. 3. 3.1 John 3:3 kept open, the man purifieth himſelf as Chriſt is pure.

2. Sleep locks up the ear: As long as a man is drown'd in a dead and deep ſleep, he hears no noiſe about him; and therefore the Lord (to increaſe his Saints graces) keeps their ear open; they hear the word of the Lord: they hear and believe, they believe and tremble, they tremble and obey, they obey, and ſet upon action; they read, they run, they pray, they conſult with the Saints, they enquire how did the Lord p. 133work upon you? What ſigns and evidences of grace can you produce as fruits of your Election, and firſt fruits of your Salvation? When you paſſed through the new birth, what were your pangs? How were your throws?

3. Sleep takes away ſenſe and feeling: The man that is lockt up in ſleep, as he hears not, when you call him, not ſeeth you, though you ſtand before him, ſo he feels not, though you jog him by the elbow: And therefore God (to increaſe his Saints graces) keeps their feeling awake and lively: their ſenſe of ſin is ſtill freſh in them upon their Conſciences; God keeps open their wounds of godly ſorrow, that they bleed afreſh upon every good occaſion: they feel their wants, and ſpiritual defects, their ſpiritual poverty; they feel how little they grow in grace, they feel how weak their ſpiritual life is, how feeble their ſtrength, how faint their faith, how languid their Communion with God, how cold their affections are to Chriſt; and are therefore very ſedulous to ſupply what is lacking to their graces, and to be found in an acceptable ſtate at their Lords coming.

1. They feel the knocks of the ſpirit, and are ready to open unto, and receive him.

2. They feel Gods retreat, and abſence from their ſouls.

3. They feel when they work by the ſpirit, or by their own ſtrength: When they pray in the ſpirit, or by their own gifts and parts.

12thly, God increaſeth his Saints graces, by their exerciſe of their graces: Herein do I exerciſe my ſelf (ſaith Paul) to Act. 24. 16.Acts 24:16have always a conſcience void of offence towards God and towards man. Paul by exerciſing a pure Conſcience, kept a pure Conſcience: ſo muſt every Saint, that would be skilful at his weapons, be training and exerciſing himſelf in his poſtures.

1. There's no grace the Chriſtian hath, but the Lord calls for its daily exerciſe: Pray, but how? continually: Continue in Col. 4. 2.Col 4:2prayer.

Rejoyce: But when? Alway: Rejoyce in the Lord alway. Phil. 4. 4.Phil 4:4Give thanks, for what? In every thing.

2. What makes garments breed moths, but lying in the1 Theſ. 5. 18.1 Thess 5:18 Cheſt or Coffer? And Iron to ruſt, and the ſtone to gather Moſs, but to lye ſtill? What makes water in a pond to gather Mud, but becauſe 'tis ſtanding water?

p. 1343. This makes God to exerciſe our graces: It may be, YOƲ will not exerciſe grace your ſelves, and therefore God ſteps in, and doth it for you: he provides ſervice and work for your graces: And truly, though (when God comes to exerciſe your graces) it is ſharp for the time, and tedious, yet it is gainful to you, and very advantageous: Graces do never increaſe and thrive ſo much, as when God himſelf doth exerciſe them, and find employment for them.

Oh ye Saints! God ſeeth your graces would decline and go behind-hand in you, did he not cut out work for them: He brings thee into a Labyrinth of ſtraits to exerciſe thy Faith: In thy proſperity and fulneſs, Faith in God is laid aſide as uſeleſs; and thou relyeſt upon thine own props, and therefore God plungeth thee into ſtraits, that thou mayſt exerciſe thy Faith on him: He loads thee with reproaches, to exerciſe thy humility; he encounters thee with the other affliction, to exerciſe thy patience: Poor occurrences, and trifles not worth the naming, that meet thee every day in thy way, theſe diſtemper thee, and make thee peeviſh, and then God ſends ſome weighty load of affliction on thee, to exerciſe thy humility and patience to purpoſe; ſaith he, I will make thee cry out for ſomething.

Oh ye ſecure Saints! that have laid down your Watch, and are grown remiſs in your walkings, I do aſſure you, God hath ſome ſharp ſcourges and ſeverities to exerciſe you with.

There are ſome of you, whom I know God hath a ſharp ſcourge for.

4. Exerciſe of grace keeps Satan out of us, at a diſtance from us, from being able to cloſe in with us: What keeps an Enemy from coming in to a man, but by acting his weapon, and holding him ſtill at the ſwords point? What is it that keeps an Army at diſtance, but the playing of the Ordinance? elſe they would come up to the City, and ſcale the walls. So my Beloved, 'Tis the exerciſe of your graces, that ſtand between Satan and your graces: The exerciſe of Divine Meditation, keeps Satan out of your Thoughts and Meditations.

5. Either exerciſe thy grace, or Satan will act thy corruption: As one Bucket goeth down, the other riſeth: There is a principle of ſin within, which (like a malignant party) watcheth for ſuch a time to ſtep into the ſaddle; and it is eaſier to keep it down, than to pull it down.

p. 13513. God keeps up, and improves the graces of his people, by giving them diſcontents in the creature: he affords them no eaſe nor reſt in any condition: The Lord croſſeth them of what they look for in this world.

They deſire ſuch and ſuch a comfort; and if they might have it, oh! they promiſe themſelves much happineſs and reſt in it: Will ye ſee now, how the Lord deals with them, if they belong to him?

Either he flatly denieth them the comfort they deſire, they ſhall not have it: or elſe he gives it them, but with an hundred croſſes and diſcontents with it: He imbitters the happineſs and ſweetneſs they promiſed themſelves in it; and then they cry out, Now we ſee that all is vanity and vexation.

See ye it not by experience, That what outward comfort a Saint delights in moſt, in that God croſſeth him moſt? When they ſit down to feed upon, and enjoy it, the Lord mingleth ſome tart ſauce or other with it, that their expectation is broken, and find it not what they promiſed it would be to them; like Beer, it hath a tang with it, ſomething that doth diſpleaſe them with it.

Thus (I ſay) doth the Lord deal with his Saints that belong to him; their deareſt comfort, he pours ſome or other unpleaſing ingredient into it, they ſhall not have their full pleaſure in it, that he may wean them from it to himſelf: Saints, if God hath a mind to ſave you, he'l let nothing go away with your love from him; and therefore he will put into every worldly comfort ſome correctives to abate your delight in it, and that you may not take up your reſt in it.

If ſuch an outward comfort be ſweet, it ſhall be a ſweetbryar to thee, and ſcratch thee.

If another comfort be a Roſe to thee, which thou delighteſt to ſmell at, it ſhall be a Roſe with prickles to thee; God will make it ſo, that thy heart may be indifferent to it.

I ſay thou ſhalt have diſcontent in every thing, in every comfort thou enjoyeſt, in every kind of life thou liveſt; the ſingle ſtate, and the married ſtate, ſhall have their thorns and burdens: If thou haſt an Husband, or a Wife, thou ſhalt have them with prickles, thou ſhalt have riches and wealth with adhering croſſes and vexations; thou ſhalt have credit with envy and biting emulations; thou ſhalt have content in nothing; p. 136and now grace thrives exceedingly; when the ſoul ſaith, All the world, all my deareſt comforts in the world are but vanity and vexation; now the Lord is magnified, and his comforts are prized, and his preſence is deſired: Oh, ſaith the ſoul! none but Chriſt, none but Chriſt: It is good for me to draw nigh to God: And therefore,

14. In the next place: You ſhall find God increaſing his peoples graces, by taking away comforts from them: It may be their diſcontents and croſſes in their creature-comforts is too weak phyſick for them; they can digeſt the croſs, if they may enjoy the comfort ſtill? and therefore God is fain to part them and their comforts: Nothing will divorce their heart, but the death of the comfort: Their heart is wrapt up in ſuch a comfort, and their delights and deſires go out from God to it; now the comfort muſt be gone, that the ſoul be not loſt; their affections which God ſhould have, they put them into ſuch a creature-comfort, ſuch a glaſs bottle; now the Veſſels muſt be broken, that all thoſe affections may be ſpilt; the object muſt be removed, that their affections may again be recalled home to God; and now when nothing is left them to love, but God, oh! the ſoul ſeeth, and repents of its folly, looks upward, and ſpies a beauty in Heaven worth all.

15. God increaſeth his peoples graces, by denying them peace in the world: This alienates the Saints from the world, and makes them weary of it; and now grace thrives and gets upward: Did the world entertain us with ſmiles, and bid us weclcome; how fond would we be of it? How would it bewitch us? Our houſes would be our Heaven, and our poſſeſſions would be our paradiſe.

The worſe the world uſeth us, the leſs we love the world: Saints, you that complain that your conditions are no more quiet in the world, Do you not remember that of Paul? The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Truly, wellGal. 6. 14.Gal 6:14 met: The world cares not a pin for me (ſaith Paul) and I care as little for the world.

Sirs, This is that which crucifieth you to the world; the worlds unkindneſs to you.

The Lord hedgeth up his peoples way with thorns, that while they are ſaluting theſe worldly Dalilah's, being pricked and wounded, they may fall back again into the embraces, p. 137of their firſt Husband: They go away with a thorn ſticking in their ſides, and then they cry out, I will return to my Hoſ. 2. 7.Hos 2:7firſt husband, for then was it better with me than now.

Oh happy prickings, now grace is revived and increaſed: They cry, Oh ſomething hurts me, the world will not let me alone; and O happy Oh! now is Chriſt prized, and his embraces valued, Kiſs thou me (ſaith the ſoul) with the kiſſes of Cant. 1.Song 1thy mouth: I went to kiſs the world, I wooed it, and went to kiſs it, and it pricked my lips; Oh Lord Jeſus, kiſs thou me, there are no thorns in thy kiſſes, thy lips hath honey, not thorns in them: When the Saint finds no reſt in the world, then he cryeth out, Return unto thy reſt, O my ſoul: The Billows and Toſſings of the Sea makes men deſire dry land; the reſtleſneſs of the Waves makes them love the ſtableneſs of the ſhore.

1. Sirs, your want of peace in the world, doth it not make you keep peace within? Let me have ſome peace (ſaith the ſoul); If I cannot have peace abroad, let me have peace at home; if I cannot have peace without, let me have peace within; if not in the world, yet in my conſcience: Oh, this makes the upright Saint nouriſh a tender Conſcience in himſelf, that having no reſt nor quiet in the world, he may yet enjoy a ſweet ſerenity in his own ſoul.

2. Want of peace in the world, doth it not make you prize your peace with God? Would you ever have prized your peace with God ſo much, had you had no diſtractions and interruptions in the world? I doubt of it.

Sixteenthly, Another method whereby God advances grace in his people, is by reproaches from men: Oh! this is a great Mercy of God to his People, that men revile them, and wicked men hate them: Did wicked men hug you in their arms, you would catch the plague of them; Their affection would be your infection.

The more the Tares embrace the Corn, the more they kill it: Necat & hedera vinciens (ſaith Pliny), the Ivy by clippingLib. 17. c. 24. and claſping the Trees, binds them too hard, and haſtens their death: The hiſſing of the Adder prevents your being ſtung by her: When wicked men hiſs at you, and ſpit their enmity upon you, the more you run from them: And now grace grows, the Saints ſhun their company, and thereby their corruption.

p. 138The hatred of the wicked makes the Saints flock together; it increaſeth their love to one another: There would not be ſuch Communion among the Saints, did not the hatred of the world drive them cloſer together; and now they grow ſtronger: their love to one another, and their prayers for one another grow ſtronger.

Aelian tells us that the Chii had a great Sedition among them,Var. Hiſt. l. 14. c. 25. foreign. ſome of the one ſide would have had their Adverſaries wholly expelled out of the City; no, ſaith a wiſe man, foreign, by no means; but when we have got the victory (ſaith he) let us leave ſome among us, leaſt having no adverſaries, we war among our ſelves: So God in his Wiſdom leaves wicked men among us, leaſt the Saints ſhould fall out among themſelves.

But the miſery is, you know not how to improve the reproaches of men to the advantage of your graces: They ſlander you to be hypocrites, and proud, and covetous, and ſelf-conceited, and that you are ſecretly as bad as others.

You will ſay, How ſhould we improve grace upon this?

If they judg you to be Hypocrites, and baſe, do you judg your ſelves: It may be there is ſome ſpecial cauſe that you ſhould judg your ſelves: God ſuffers other men to judg you, to awake you to ſelf-judging; however make this uſe of it, and you are ſure to be no loſers by the reproach: If they ſay, I am an hypocrite, I will try my ſelf whether I am an hypocrite: If they call me covetous, or proud, I will call my ſelf to an account: Would you not be gainers by this?

Oh! then get within your hearts, and ſearch them throughly before the Lord, and ſee if there be any way of wickedneſs in you which you have not yet diſcovered; and never be quiet, till you have found out your ſin, or be ſure that you are clear: And would not this be an exceeding gain to you?

2. And then when you have upon deep ſearch clear'd up your Conſciences, then conſider, that though you are not what they cenſure you to be; yet you are ſinners, I ſay, Sinners before God: You know your ſins in other kinds are ſo many, and ſo great, that you ſhould bear the more patiently to be hardly thought of, when you know you are ſo bad.

If you are in truth godly, you have ſeen a ſink of uncleanneſs in your ſelves, and have loathed and condemned your ſelves often; and do you think much then to be condemned by the world?

p. 139If you judg your ſelves to be ſo bad, ſhould you be troubled that you are thought by others to be bad? If you condemn your ſelves, is it ſuitable for ſuch a ſpirit that hath been condemning himſelf, to be vexed in that he is condemned by others? Conclude therefore, it is no great matter to be condemned by the world, ſo long as we are not condemned with the world.

Seventeenthly, Again, yet God goeth higher with his Saints, he aſſaults them with the reproaches of Saints: Oh! the godly wound me, and ſpeak ill of me: If 'twere others, I could paſs it by; but thoſe that are godly are upon me, and whet their tongues againſt me: What ſhall I do now? Is God doing me good by this? Yes, by this, if thou knoweſt how to make uſe of it: How? now judg thy ſelf moſt of all: when the Servants of God think hardly of you, and above all, if it be wiſe and impartial men that are acquainted with you; it is then your duty to be very jealous of your hearts and ways, to fear leaſt you are guilty, and to ſearch the more diligently.

Eighteenthly, Yet further, God increaſeth his Saints graces by Temptations, by all ſorts and varieties of Temptations: And therefore if you would look to grow in grace, you muſt expect and make account of all Temptations whatſoever; I ſay, you muſt look to dwell in the air of perpetual temptations; and ſo have the four cardinal winds of temptations to be always (nay, ſometimes at once) blowing on you, and bluſtering about your ears: You muſt never think to be free: you would fain have it always a calm and ſerene air; but be not miſtaken, look for an air full of windy exhalations; for the end and uſe of the winds, is to open the pores of the earth for fructification, to ventilate and fan the air, thereby to purge it, and keep it from putrefaction, to gather the Clouds together, and then diſſolve them to water the Earth, and nouriſh the fruits of ſeeds, plants, and trees; ſo that as the end for which God made the Winds, is for life and growth; ſo doth he in his Wiſdom make uſe of Temptations to ſerve the growth of your graces.

For to be tempted, is the Way and Conduct of God over his Church, and over all ſouls, and was a part of the life of the Son of God: It muſt be alſo part of the life of a devout ſoul, p. 140and we muſt not doubt but God hath great deſigns upon them whom he puts into this ſtate: For as Gods Power, ſo2 Cor. 12. 9.2 Cor 12:9 our grace alſo is made perfect by weakneſs; thence ſhe receiveth luſtre; God purifies us by contradictions and ſubverſions; he confirms and aſſures us by temptations.

You ſhall need to take great notice of what hath been ſaid, becauſe there are Chriſtians that are of two different Judgments about this point.

1. Some expect the way of Religion ſhould be very facile and eaſie to them; and that as ſoon as ever they are Saints, they ſhould ſail always with a ſecûnd or proſperous wind.

But they are far deceived, who think Piety grows among Lillies; that the way toward perfection of grace is ſtrew'd with flowers; who imagine nothing but ſweetneſs; and that devotion is a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, and conſequently, that there is or ſhould be nothing that is difficult: Which yet they are the ſooner perſwaded to, in that they only ſeek a certain ſatisfaction, and eaſe to their own fleſh, uſing no violence, but faſtning only upon this, That it is ſufficient for a man to do what he can.

2. There are others on the contrary, that look upon the exerciſes of Religion, as ſo rigorous, ſtrict, and painful, that they ſay of it, as the ſenſual Jews did of the Land of promiſe, It is an ill Countrey, poſſeſſed of Gyants, and that eateth up the inhabitants.

Here are two different ſentiments, lying in extreams, and conſequently faulty: both deceive themſelves.

To remedy this, the truth we are to ſay, is, That godlineſs is indeed a lilly, but growing among thorns: Religion hath its thorns, they prick, it may be hurt us, but theſe thorns are laden with Roſes.

As Moſes found God in the burning buſh of thorns; ſo a Chriſtian finds God, and Grace, and Comfort, in a Bryarbuſh of Conflicts and Temptations.

And as temptation was the life of Jeſus, ſo it is the life of our ſouls; to believe otherwiſe, were to flatter our ſelves.

And yet 'tis certain, there is much content in this warfare; for the grace and help of God is always preſent, which will never fail us as long as we diſpoſe our ſelves to receive it; in this reſpect it is that Religion is all ſweetneſs, in that we are p. 141able to do all in him who ſtrengthens us, in him who comforts us.

But laſtly, God tempts his Saints by Satan, by the Devil himſelf; and thence I argue, that God increaſeth his Saints graces by the very temptations of the Devil: God ſets the Devil upon his own Saints, unlooſeth the chain, and lets him out upon them, as a Maſtive, and there leaves them fighting hand to hand: Satan is a Maſtive in Gods Chain, and therefore could not come out at all to bait us, unleſs God looſe him, and ſet him on us: Was not Satan fain to get leave of God, before he could aſſault Job? Yes, ſurely, Satan had his Commiſſion from God to deal with Job: The power the Devil had, God puts it into his hands. That part of the conference between God and Satan, is worthy your notice; ſaith Satan to God, Put forth thine hand now—Job 1. 11.Job 1:11 and he will curſe thee to thy face: Saith God to Satan, Behold, Verſ. 12.all that he hath is in thy power: Satan moved, that God would put forth his hand againſt Job, and God puts Job into Satans hand.

Was not our Lord Chriſt led by the Spirit into the wilderneſs, to be tempted of the Devil?

Paul had a meſſenger of Satan, ſent by God himſelf to buffet2 Cor. 12. 7.2 Cor 12:7 him.

Why then ſhould you think much, that God in his Sovereignty, uſeth this diſcipline to exerciſe and increaſe his peoples graces, as though ſome ſtrange thing happened unto you? 1 Pet. 4. 12.1 Pet 4:12And what (I pray you) will the iſſue hereof be, but that you may be found unto praiſe, and honour, and glory, at the appearing 1 Pet. 1. 7.1 Pet 1:7of Jeſus Chriſt?

Deo ſoli Honor & Gloria.