Treatise of the Divine Promises, Book 3 · Chapter 11 – Chapter 12
CHAP. XI. 2. The Degrees of Graces.
Promises. Of growth and increase in Grace.
GOD hath promised to give grace abundantly, not onelyonly to drop it, but to powre it.
I will powre water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the drie ground: I will powre my Spirit upon thy seed, &c. Esay 44.3, 4.
Their soule shall be as a watered garden, Esay 58.11. and Jer. 31.12.
GOD promiseth to make his people fruitfull; He is compared to a Husbandman, the Church to an Orchard, the faithfull to young plants, whose nature is to spread, and shoot out their branches and bring forth fruit, Iohn 15.2.
The godly man shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in his season, Psal. 1.3. Jer. 17.8.
The righteous shall flourish like the Palme-tree, ver. 12. The Palme-tree never, looseth his leafe or fruit saith Plinie. Quentumun veveres non v…terascent. …unius.Those that be planted in the house of the LORD, shall flourish in the courts of our GOD. They shall bring forth fruit in old age: they shall be fat and flourishing, Psal. 92.13, 14. An old man being once asked if hee grew in goodnesse, said, yea doubtlesse, I beleeve it to be so, for GOD hath said it.
The righteous shall flourish as the branch, Pro. 11.28. Yee shall goe forth and grow up as the calves of the stall, Mal. 4.2.
The LORD likewise as a good Shepheard saith, Hee will feede his people, that they may be fat, that is, abounding in grace, as Psal. 23. Ezek. 34.13, 14, 15. Psal. 36.8. Pro. 13.4.
He saith, Hee will give strength to his people, to walke in the waies of the LORD, Esay 45.24. Esay 40.29, 31. Psal. 29.11. Esay 26.4, 12. Esay 41.10. Zach. 10.12. Phil. 4.13.
They go from strength to strength, Psal. 84.7.
The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath cleane hands shall be stronger and stronger, Ezek. 47.…2Job 17.9.
But the path of the iust is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, Pro. 4.18.
Whosoever hath (that is, useth well what he hath received) to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance, Matth. 13.12. Luke 19.26. Mar. 4 24.The Apostle proveth that the … and migh… … and p…a…s…d God … T…ess…lonians, that the… d…d gr…w. 2 …hess. …
Nathaniel beleeved at the first, yet he is promised that hee shall see greater things.
See Hos 14.5, 6, 7.
Promises to severall degrees of true grace or growth in grace. 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 8, 10, 11.
Growth in grace will procure growth in glory; the more holinesse we have here,The more we proceed in holinesse, our salvation is still the nearer to us. Rom 13.11. the more happinesse wee shall have hereafter. If we be rich in the worke of the LORD, our labour shall not be in vaine in the LORD, 1 Cor. 15.58. Hee that sowes liberally, shall reape liberally, wee shall receive a full reward, Iohn Epist. 2.8.
CHAP. XII. 2. Spirituall Duties.
THe LORD hath promised to assist us in them by his Spirit, and they being done by the operation and assistance of the Spirit shall be accepted and rewarded of the Father.
1. GOD hath promised to helpe us by his Spirit in holy duties.
Therefore wee must not onelyonly looke to the Commandement injoyning duty, but to the promise shewing GODS mercy in helping us.
For GOD in the New Covenant gives what he requires.
In one place the LORD commandeth, Ezek. 18 31Cast away from you all your transgressions, and make you a new heart, and a new Spirit. In another place hee promiseth, Ezek. 36.25, 26.I will sprinkle cleane water upon you, and you shall be cleane from all your filthinesse; A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. So GOD commandeth them to circumcise the foreskinne of their hearts, Deut. 10.16. and after he saith, hee will circumcise their hearts, &c. Deut. 30.6. He commands us to keepe his Commandements, Eccles. 12.13. and promiseth to cause us to walke in his statutes, Ezek. 36, 27. Hee commandeth us to feare Him, Eccles. 12.13. and promiseth to put his feare into our hearts, Ier. 32.40. Hee commandeth us to have a new soft heart, and promiseth to make it so, Ezek. 36.26. Hee commands us to pray and make knowne our wants to him, and promiseth to powre upon us the Spirit of grace and Supplication, Zach. 12.10.
GODS promises are the foundation of all our performances; For we by working doe not cause him to fulfill his promises, but he by promising doth enable us to performe our workes.
2. GOD promiseth to accept the services of his children.
All our sacrifices shall be accepted.
The LORD by Moses did often tell his people, God acce…s …is in their serv…ces.that their sacrifices should be accepted, Levit. 1.3, 4. & 22.21. & 23.11. Exod. 28.36, 38. See Esay 60.7. Ezek. 43.27. & 20.40, 41. Mal. 3, 4.
If thou doest well, shalt not thou be accepted, Gen. 4.7.Exod. 19 5, 6. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousnesse, Psal. 51.19. Yee are a holy Priesthood, to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to GOD by JESUS CHRIST, 1 Pet. 2.5.
If there be first a willing minde, it is …c…epted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not, 2 Cor. 8.12.
I will make them ioyfull in mine house of prayer; their burnt offerings, and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar, Esay 56.7.
3. GOD will reward the services of his children.God rewards his children for the good they doe, even in this I for the least teare shed, and wo…d spoken in a good cause goes not without a re…ard. Mat. 10.…2. Iob 34.11.
To him that soweth righteousnesse, shall be a sure reward, Pro. 11.18.
Every man shall receive his owne reward according to his labour, 1 Cor. 3.8.
Whatsoever good thing any man doth, the same shall hee receive of the LORD, whether he be bond or free, Ephes. 6.8.
Behold his reward is with him, Esay 40.10.
Verily there is a reward for the Righteous, Psal. 58.11.
I the LORD search the heart, I trie the reines,Ier. 32.18. Psal. 111.5. Ps. 105 42. Mal. 3.16. even to give every man according to his waies, and according to the fruit of his doings, Jer. 17.10.
Let us not be weary of well-doing, for in due season wee shall reape if wee faint not, Galat. 6.9.
2 Chron. 15.7.He shall reward every man according to his workes, Mat. 16.27.