A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. The freeneſs of the Salvation that we have by Chriſt.
THe Diſpenſation of Grace and Eternal Life in Chriſt Jeſus, is every way free to us; the Lord hath ſhewn the greateſt kindneſs when there was not the leaſt deſert, that every one that is ſaved by this Grace may ſay, O that ever ſuch an ugly creature as I ſhould have the beſt Robe put upon me; ſuch a Prodigal as I have been, find ſuch unexpected kindneſs; ſuch a Blackamore as I am, that ever I ſhould have the kiſſes of the faireſt of ten thouſand: this is wonderful indeed!
That God ſhould chuſe us to eternal Life, when he might have appointed us unto wrath, this can never be requited; that ſuch a perſon as Chriſt the eternal Son of God ſhould undertake to bring us to glory, this is free indeed; and that the Lord ſhould do this without the leaſt deſire or engagement on the creatures part: and that the Lord Chriſt ſhould not ſhun the greateſt ſufferings in order to our Salvation, but be wounded, bruiſed, bear the curſe of the Law and the wrath of God: can this ever be requited? And that the Lord ſhould do this after we had ſpent ſo fair an eſtate as we had in Innocency, and we had waſted it as the Prodigal did, what manner of love is this!
And that the Lord Jeſus went through the work of our Redemption without grudging; did he ever ſay, Shall I die for ſuch baſe wretches as theſe are? but when Peter would not have had him died, he took him up ſharpely and ſaid, Get thee behind me Sathan, Mat. 16.21,22,23. we read not that he took him up ſo when he denied him: can this ever be requited for ever?
And that the Lord Jeſus ſhould think of every thing, and purchaſe every thing that was requiſite to make us happy in his Death; he purchaſed all Grace, he gave himſelf for us to deliver us from this preſent evil world, Gal. 1.4. He knew that was a great enemy, and he purchaſed Grace to keep us from the evil of that; and if we mind Chriſts Prayer, John 17. we may ſee how Chriſt thought of every thing for us. And that Chriſt after his bloody Sacrifice ſhould make interceſſion for us and bear our Names before Jehovah, and that he ſhould take ſuch care to ſend the Comforter in his abſence to abide with us for ever: this is not after the manner of mens love: O Lord our God, free! free! every way free! O let us ſay that believe in Chriſt, we muſt take this as free love; we never deſerved it, and we can never requite it: O I will love thee for ever and praiſe thee for ever.
And what are we for whom the Lord hath done all this, all the while before we are converted? We hate God and are Rebels againſt him; and after we are converted, we perform but little Duty: we are but little in prayer, little in praiſes, little in heavenly meditation: ſometimes we have a holy thought, and then abundance of vain thoughts for it: ſometimes we have a ſavoury word, and then abundance of vain diſcourſe for it; and thoſe few duties we do have a great deal of weakneſs and ſin in them: our prayers full of deadneſs, formality, unbelief: we are proud when we have enlargements, ſo ſinful in our beſt performances that all Saints will confeſs, their Righteouſneſs is as menſtruous raggs.
O let this diſcovery of the freeneſs of Gods Grace in Chriſt draw the worſt of ſinners that are yet in their Natural eſtate to come to Chriſt: if Chriſt and Grace were not free, how ſhould Paul, Mary Magdalen, Zacheus and ſuch have ever been converted?
Object. 1. But the ſinner will ſay, I have been a ſinner of a thouſand; may I be welcome to Chriſt, I have ſcoffed at the Saints and railed at them?
Anſw. So was Paul before his converſion; I (ſaith he) was a Perſecutor, a Blaſphemer and injurious to the people of God, where ever he came; yet he obtained mercy, 1 Tim. 1.12,13. yea, he confeſſes to King Agrippa, that before his Converſion, he was mad againſt the Church; and yet the Lord turns this man in his full ſpeed, and there was no qualification to move the Lord to it; he was going to perſecute the Saints when the Lord met him and converted him.
Object. 2. But I have no good in me to commend me to Chriſt.
Anſw. Chriſt expects none untill you be in him by faith; Chriſt doth not look for Grapes of thorns: how ſhould you be holy until you be in Chriſt?
Object. 3. Ay, but whereas others though they be not converted, yet they have parts and underſtanding, and can ſpeak of Religion, but I have no parts nor knowledge.
Anſw. The Lord hath promiſed to make the ignorant underſtand Doctrine; if God convert thee…, he can make thee underſtand the things of Religion preſently.
Object. 4. Ay, But I am a poor man or woman that live in obſcurity & the Lord ſurely will never convert me; for of what uſe can I be to God? he will call Scholars and great men that may be more ſerviceable then ever I can be.
Anſw. The Lord knows how to make uſe of the pooreſt child or ſervant that he converts: ſometimes he converts a child or ſervant, and ſo brings Religion into a Family; his Love is not grounded upon our ſerviceableneſs; we bring glory to Gods Grace by our coming to Chriſt; and the poorer creatures we are, the more glory redounds to the free Grace of God in ſaving us. Beſides, The weakeſt Saint when he comes to Heaven, ſhall be able to ſing Praiſes and Halleluiahs to God as well as the moſt eminent: and if God had only looked at ſerviceablneſs, he had made choice of the fallen Angles before us, who could have done more ſervice then any of us. God can make the pooreſt Creature an eminent Saint; and though it may be you may not have ſuch gifts and opportunities of ſervice in an outward way, yet you may do God much ſervice in an inward way, fearing him, loving him, truſting in him, admiring of his Love.
And let thoſe that are in Chriſt, and juſtified freely by Grace, watch againſt any thoughts that may ariſe in their hearts of any worthineſs in themſelves, as if they had any form or comlineſs for which they ſhould be deſired, but only that God hath been gracious becauſe he would be gracious; and this is certain, that the more a man grows in Goſpel-grace the more wonderfull will the Love of God in Chriſt be to him, that the ſouls of Believers are oftentimes aſtoniſhed at the free Grace of God to them, and cry out in the warmth of their Spirits: Never love like to this Love, let all the Angels in Heaven wonder at it to eternity.