The Revival of Grace, Part 2 · Chapter 3
CAP. III. Chriſt's Teſtament Influenceth our Graces.
I Am now to treat my Reader with the entertainment of his thoughts on the third propoſal which pretends to make it appear, that due conſiderations of Chriſt's dying a Teſtator, making his will, and compriſing all his friends in it, may improve the growth of grace; ſuch reflections on this kind of death do well comport to the communion; they do alſo well advance the graces of the communicant; they do befit the ſolemnity; they benefit the ſolemnizer, which I ſhall attempt to illuſtrate and prove in the genetal by theſe following arguments.
Sect. 1.
1. Firſt. 1 ArgumentThat which awakens the ſoul to a diligent ſearch and enquiry into the word, and into its own ſtate, will advance the growth of grace. Grace is of ſuch a nature, it growes beſt when moſt ſearcht, as health by medicines which penetrate the ſecreteſt places of the diſeaſe, and expel the moſt hidden, hurtful humours: our ſpiritual Balm healeth beſt when ſelf-examination openeth our wounds and maketh way that the Balm may ſink and ſoak to the bottom. Now the conſideration of Chriſt dying a Teſtator, and making his Will or Teſtament, will awaken us to ſuch a ſearch & enquiry. It is almoſt natural to us when our rich friends dye to enquire what Will they made, and who are remembred, and what they are remembred in, eſpecialy when they hear that all the kindred and all the friends are remembered in the Will, and have ſomewhat given them; upon this the conſiderate Chriſtian begins his ſearch of theſe two things at leaſt.
1. The laſt Will of Chriſt which is contained in, and to be gathered out of his word. And next, He
2. Searcheth his own Pretences to the Friendſhip and Kindred of Chriſt; for the word aſſures him that the Lord Chriſt hath bequeath'd all to his Brethern and Friends, Hence
3. A Third thing is concluded by the conſiderate Chriſtian viz. The ſtrengthning his alliance to Chriſt, and making it more firm and ſure, which is moſt effectually, and only done by adding grace to grace, and bringing forth fruits of grace; thus will this ſearch occaſioned by this Death of Chriſt improve grace.
Sect. 2.
2. That which anſwers the doubts, and which removes the diſquieting fears of the gracious ſoul doth improve grace in the ſoul. Doubts are the ſouls earth-quakes, which ſhake the foundations, and weaken the ſuperſtructure; theſe doubts once well removed, and theſe fears once well blown over; the ſoul reſteth on a good, ſtrong, ſolid foundation; and all that is laid upon it ſtandeth the faſter and ſteadier. Theſe diſquieting fears are Languores animae, The conſumptive decaies of weak grace, let theſe be taken away, and grace recovers to a healthful vigorous and ſtrong habit; they are part of that ſpirit of bondage which attends a weaker, and leſs grown grace; and as theſe fears are diſpelled, and the prevalence of the ſpirit of bondage abateth, ſo (the Pharrheſia) that boldneſs and child-like confidence of grown grace increaſeth with an increaſing meaſure of the ſpirit of Adoption, from which ſpringeth an univerſal increaſe of grace: At que adoptionis illius vim ſenſerunt in Spiritu Sanctificante, PP. Salmur. de Sp. Adop. Sect. 12.ſo they who are ſealed with the ſpirit of Adoption, have ſtill found the power of that Adoption by the ſpirit of Sanctification. Now, I ſay, Chriſt Dying a Teſtator, and leaving us his laſt Will or Teſtament to meditate upon, hath left us a good anſwer to our doubts, and the due meditations of the ſoul on the laſt Will of Chriſt, will much diſpel our fears, and quiet the ſoul. For whereas there are two ſorts of fears which afflict a gracious ſoul.
1. A fear it ſhall miſs of Glory. And
2. A fear it doth want truth of grace. Chriſt by his laſt Will hath ſecured the believing ſoul againſt both theſe fears; againſt the firſt by giving a Kingdom and Glory to ſuch by Will; he appointed them unto a Kingdom, to a Glorious Crown. Againſt the ſecond by bequeathing the ſpirit of Truth and Grace unto them, to lead them in holineſs unto the end; and this Will of our beſt Friend who Died to confirm it, is a very ſure Title on the ſacred reverence & authority of laſt Wills and Teſtaments, — Legum ſervanda fides, ſuprema voluntas Quod mandat, fieri que ſubet parere neceſſe eſt. Aug. Imper. de vol. Virg.which muſt be ſacred and inviolate when the man is dead; Command of Laws muſt duly be fulfill'd And ſo muſt that our dying friend laſt will'd,how much more when he who died once, hath for ever conquered death, and lives for ever to ſee his own Legacies both beſtowed and enjoyed, which peculiar to Chriſt our dying friend, gives greateſt encouragement againſt ſuch doubts, and might very well eaſe us of all ſuch fears, and ſo be an excellent defence and prop to weak grace; whence will ſoon follow a conſiderable growth in grace.
Sect. 3.
3. That which confirms the truth, certainty and immutability of the promiſes, improveth Grace. I need not give long Proofs of ſo known a Truth, Praecipuum & maximè proprium objectum Fidei ſitum eſt in promiſſionibus. PP. Salm. de Fide. ſect. 7.the promiſies are the objects of our faith, the good things contained in the promiſes are the object of our hope, the grace and mercy making the promiſes is the Load-ſtone of our love. In one word, we are made partakers of the Divine Nature, we do purify our ſelves, and perfect holineſs through theſe promiſes. Grace is as the vine, the promiſes are the frame which beareth up and carrieth the vine which thriveth beſt when it reſteth on the ſureſt and ſtedfaſteſt frame. Grace is a ſpiritual building which needeth a ſure Foundation. foreign.Such is the promiſe which, as the word of God, is in it ſelf ſure and ſtedfaſt, for it is impoſſible that God ſhould lie, Tit. 1.2. & Heb. 6.18. Yet to this the Lord hath ſuperadded the confirmation and certainty of a Teſtamentary diſpoſition, or laſt Will, making, all the promiſes in Chriſt, and making them all ſure, and unchangeable by the death of Chriſt, whereby they become to us (foreign) yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20.that we might have ſuch aſſurance as ſhould render it next to a moral impoſſibility for us ſoberly and deliberately to doubt them. Now all this is excellently effected by reſolving and moulding the promiſes into a laſt Will or Teſtamentary diſpoſition, which is of ſuch a nature, that it becomes unalterable on the Death of the Teſtator; Heb. 9.17.for a Teſtament is of force after men are dead, and ſo the law maxim enſureth us, In publicis Lex, in privatis Teſtamentum firmiſſimum habetur.that what the law is in publick concerns, that a laſt Will in private concerns is for enſurance and firmneſs. In brief therefore, the laſt Will of Chriſt Dying confirms the Promiſes to us, what confirms the promiſes confirms our faith and hope with other graces, faith and hope confirmed do greatly tend to purifying and ſanctifying our hearts, and making our life fruitful: in theſe things lieth the growth and improvement of grace; ſo that due reflections and right manage of our thoughts on Chriſt dying a Teſtator do as is ſaid, improve the communicants Graces.
Sect. 4.
4. That improves grace which doth ſoften the heart, and as it were ripen it unto a mellow temper, as the ſhowers which ſoak into the earth in the ſpring time, which ſoften the earth do both prepare the way that tender roots of trees and plants may ſpread abroad and root deeper; and alſo do afford nouriſhing moiſture and ſap whence the verdure, bloſſom and the fruit it ſelf; ſo it is here a hard and rocky heart is as unkind, a ſoil for grace as ſtony ground is for Corn; neither can take root to any good purpoſe. Trees of righteouſneſs are planted by the rivers of waters, which is a tender ſoil, foreignwhere the water courſes divide themſelves and run out into many branches, gently and kindly ſoftening the ground. And though ſome vines of the Lord are planted in high Mountaines naturally hard and barren, in proud and hard hearts, yet theſe hearts are like plowed ground, laid a fallowing and mellowing, and ſo prepared for the ſeed time every high Mountain is laid low before Chriſt. In one word, the pleaſant Lillies do grow in the Valleys, low and ſoftned grounds; ſo grace thrives beſt in the humble and tender ſoul. Now there are in the laſt Will of Chriſt many, both common and ordinary, as alſo Singular and extraordinary motives and inducements to tendereſt affections towards Chriſt. Whatſoever cauſe any true friend, any kind Brother, any dutiful Child can ſee in the care, love and bounty of his Dying Friend, Brother or Father, expreſſed and contained in the porviſion made by ſuch one for him, that, all that, and more, may the meditating and conſiderate ſoul ſee in the laſt Will of Chriſt to melt him into affections for Chriſt, in whoſe Death he may ſee love living, and growing ſtrong when life fainted and grew weak. And as his veines, and heart grew empty of blood, both grew full of love to you and me. So he loved his own to the end. What in particular theſe common and ſpeciall motives are, I ſhall not now ſpecify, but reſerve them to another more fit place, thus you have the ſum of this fourth argument before you in the next place.
Sect. 5.
5. That improves our graces which endeareth the Lord Jeſus to us; what increaſeth our love to Chriſt doth increaſe our holineſs, and addeth to our graces; love will long for a more cloſe union; love will ſtudy the moſt intire complyance; it will ambitiouſly ſtrive to advance, and honour; it will without ceaſing endeavour to pleaſe. That ſoul is moſt endeared to holineſs and moſt ſtudious of holineſs, which is moſt endeared to Chriſt, and moſt in love with him; ſuch a ſoul keeps his Commandments.
Now the view and conſideration of Chriſt▪s laſt Will and Teſtament will ſurely endear Chriſt unto the ſoul; there the ſoul ſeeth the real Teſtimonys of his Saviour's love. Laſt Wills or Teſtaments are thoſe in which we profeſs all our affection. Quibus affectum omnem fatemur. Briſſon. de Form.After this men can do no more, at this time therefore they will do what they can for their beloved Friends. This love is an immortal love attempting to fill the ciſtern & to leave it full when the ſpring head dryes up; it is a love ſurviving Death, when the lover cannot, a peice of Friendſhip reſcued from the hand and power which kills thy Friend. When Jacob could live no longer to love his Joſeph, his love could not die but fleeteth from his feeble dying heart, and repoſeth it ſelf in the ſacred and unviolate treaſury of Jacobs laſt Will, where it doth, and ſhall ſtill ſurvive both the Lover, and the Beloved, foreign Gen. 48.22. 1 King. 1.in this you diſcover Joſeph had a double ſhare in Jacobs love. When David was to make his laſt will you may ſee which of all his Sons had moſt of David's heart; ſo true is it that laſt Wills are open windows of the heart through which we may ſee the living affection of our Dying Friend. This is undeniably true of the laſt Will of Chriſt, who looks into it ſhall ſee the deareſt love, the tendereſt affection, the faithfulleſt friendſhip, the ſeaſonableſt care, and the fulleſt proviſion, and who ſeeth this can do no leſs than wiſh he had a more dear affection to return for that which is ſo incomparably grater than all other.
Sect. 6.
6. That improves Grace which ſhakes off ſecurity and awakeneth out of ſloth; ſecurity is the lethargy of the ſoul; and it muſt be cured or the ſoul Dyeth, ſloth is that ſcorbutick diſeaſe of the ſoul which weakens all its graces, and takes off the edge of them, and this muſt be removed by a vigorous exerciſe of that ſtrength and life which yet remaineth in Grace, or Grace will decay, wither, and dye; rid the ſoul of theſe two, and Grace will ſuddenly recover it ſelf and grow. Now it is unqueſtionable that the laſt Will of Chriſt carrieth in it ſufficient conſiderations to awaken the ſoul out of pernicious ſecurity and to quicken it unto vigorous diligence. For all the legacies of Chriſt are conditional, requiring either precedent conditions, or enjoining ſubſequent conditions of love and obedience; and this love with obedience will be found ſuch as will take up all thy time and ſtrength; ſet to it ſo ſoon as thou wilt, here will be work enough for thy Chriſtian care. Thou wilt find life ſhort, love long, work weighty, ſtrength weak. The Philoſopher rowſed himſelf with this, Vita brevis ars longa, life is ſhort, Art is long. Chriſtian, look over Chriſt's expectation expreſſed in his Will and Teſtament, and write this preſently as thy monitory, Vita brevis, Fides longa, The time of Life is ſhort, the work of Faith is long; and rowſe up thy ſelf both from ſecurity and ſloth; make haſte to do thy Lord's will, that thou mayeſt have large ſhare in the laſt Will of thy Lord. When a very rich giſt is given by Will upon conditions and reſervations, and all revoked from every claimer who performeth not thoſe conditions, and diſpoſed to others who will do, and have done and performed the conditions; how great care and diligence doth this awaken? how ſpeedy is the conſidering Legatee! what haſte doth he make to perform! leſt non-performance of his duty ſhould diſappoint his hope, and cut off his claim. Chriſtian, thou haſt the Inheritance given by Will, and that Will preſcribes thee thy duty; and if ever thou intendeſt to put in claim for it, look thou put thy hand ſpeedily to the doing of what is there enjoyned thee. For I tell thee, thy Lord who made the Will, who preſcribed the terms, who enjoyned thy performance, and before whom thou muſt make thy claim, is not now dead, but liveth; is not far off, but near to thee, ſeeth and obſerveth all thy ſloth and lazineſs, and will reject thy ſuit, and daſh thy pretences, and confound thy hopes, unleſs ſight of his Will quicken thee to do his will.