Grace, Sermon 11
XI. Sermon at Lawrence Jury London. April 13. 1651.
2 TIM. 2. 1.
—My ſon, be ſtrong in the grace that is in Chriſt Jeſus.
HAving diſpatched three Caſes of conſcience concerning ſtrength of grace; I now proceed to a fourth, viz.
VVhether a man that hath ſtrength of grace,Caſe 4. may want the comfort of his grace?
I ſhall anſwer this queſtion affirmatively;Anſw. A man that hath the ſtrength of grace yet may want the comfort of it: Strength of grace (as you have heard) doth not exempt a man from temptations from the divel, nor from deſertions from God. It is an undoubted rule, there may be ſtrength of grace, where there is not the comfort and evidence of it. A child of light may walk in darkneſſe for a time; and though he have the holy Ghoſt working grace, and encreaſing grace in his heart, yet he may want the oyle of gladneſſe, though he have received a precious anoynting of grace.1 Joh. 2. 27 A child of God, as to his ſpirituall condition, may for a time be in the ſame condition that Paul and the Marriners were in, who for many daies had neither ſun nor ſtars appearing, Act. 27. 20being under no ſmall tempest, hopes of being ſaved being taken away: So it fares with Gods deareſt children, they may be in the dark and can ſee no light, they may have the graces of the Spirit, and yet want the comforts of the Spirit.
In the opening of which point I ſhall thus proceed.
1. I wil prove this from Scripture, that a child of God may be ſtrong in grace, and yet want the comfort of his grace.
2 I wil lay down ſome reaſons, why it is thus.
3. Some directions, how thoſe that have grace, and yet doe want the comfort of their graces, ſhould procure unto themſelves the comfort of their graces.
4. And then I ſhall commend ſome comfortable conſiderations to ſuch as have grace, but want the comfort of it.
1. For the firſt, I ſhall give you inſtances both in the Old and New Teſtament, that thoſe that have been ſtrong in grace have wanted comfort.
1. Job a man eminent for grace, a perfect and upright man, and one that feared God and eſchewed evil: and yet you have Job complaining, Wherefore hidest thou thy face, Job 13. 24.and holdeſt me for thine enemy? nay, God did not onelyonly hide his face, but handle him as his enemy; for he thus makes his moan,Job 16. 9. He tears me in his wrat…, that is to be referred to God, and not unto the divel, or to Jobs unmercifull enemies, or uncharitable friends. He teareth me, that is, God teareth me. Who in my apprehenſion (ſaith Job) hateth me, and gn…ſheth upon me with his teeth, and as an enemy, ſharpneth his eyes upon me. And that theſe ſad apprehenſions were upon Job, that God was his enemy, ſee him further lamenting himſelf, He hath deſtroyed me on every ſide, Job 19. 10, 11.and I am gone, and mine hope hath he removed as a tree, he bath alſo kindled his wrath againſt me, and counted me unto him as one of his enemies. Yea, deſtruction from God was a terrour to him.Job 31. 23.
2. Aſaph, a holy man, yet thus complains, Will the Lord eaſt off for ever, and will he be favourable no more? is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promiſe faile for evermore? hath God forgotten to be gracious?Pſal. 77. 7, hath he in anger ſhut up his tender mercies? Theſe are the ſad expoſtulations of a troubled ſpirit caſt down under deep dejections, and in the dark, by reaſon of the ſuſpenſion of divine favour.
3. David, a man after Gods heart, whoſe gracious breathings though the whole book of Pſalms, ſhew that he was a man of an excellent ſpirit, and had much grace. Yet David wanted the comfort of his grace, when his ſoul was caſt down, and his ſpirit was diſquieted within him. And ſo
4. Heman, a man who for wiſdom ſo eminent, that the Holy Ghoſt uſeth him as an inſtance of wiſdome,Pſal. 42. 5. As wiſe as Heman, and yet in the 88. Pſalme, quite through that Pſalme,Pſal. 88. was a ſtraine of as ſad a complaint as you ſhall meet withall in the whole book of God. Thou haſt laid me in the loweſt pit, in darkneſſe, in the deep, thy wrath lyeth hard upon me, and thou haſt afflicted me with all thy waves. So little comfort had theſe holy men though they were eminent in grace. It is true of many dear children of God, what was ſaid of the Apoſtles and diſciples of Chriſt; Whither I go (ſaith Chriſt) ye know, and the way ye know: John 14. 4, 5. expounded and reconciled. Aug.To which ſpeech of Chriſt, Thomas anſwers in the next verſe, Lord, we know not whither thou goeſt, and how can we know the way? Auguſtine doth thus reconcile this, They did know whither Chriſt went, but they durſt not once believe that they had ſuch knowledge, they did not know their own knowledge: The expreſſions of Chriſt were different from thoſe words of Thomas, the Lord Jeſus ſpake as it was; and Thomas ſpake as he thought. The Apoſtles had grace, and yet wanted the comfort and aſſurance of it. I will not inſtance here of the Lord Jeſus, who though he was full of grace and truth, yet he wanted comfort when he was in that bitter agony, and cryed out, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Indeed in the new Teſtament there are not ſo many inſtances of thoſe that wanted the comfort of their graces, as we finde in the Old Teſtament. And the reaſon is this, Profeſſion at the firſt publiſhing and promulgation of the Goſpel, met with ſo many and ſuch ſharp afflictions, that God did indulge them, and made their inward graces to abound, as their outward ſufferings did abound. 2 Cor. 1. 4.Theſe inſtances may ſuffice to prove that it is truth, believers who are ſtrong in grace, yet may want the comfort of their graces.
2. To give you ſome grounds of this, the reaſons may be drawn, either 1. From God, Or 2. From our ſelves. Or 3. From the devil.
1. Reaſon is from the Lord, to with-hold from them to whom he hath given grace the comfort of their grace.
1. To manifeſt his divine authority and abſolute ſoveraignty over his people. As the natural light of the day, and darkneſſe of the night are at Gods diſpoſe; ſo alſo is this ſpiritual ligh of comfort, and the darkneſſe of a deſerted and dejected ſpirit. God gives divi…e and ſpiritual conſolations out of the goodneſſe of his will, and withdraws them, to ſhew the abſoluteneſſe and ſoveraign liberty of his Will.
2. To let his people know, that comfort is not eſſential to holineſſe, neither inſeparably and neceſſarily belonging to grace. Though there cannot be true peace, where there is no grace; yet there may be true grace, where there is no peace.
3. God in the diſpenſation both of grace and comfort, ſhews himſelf a free and gracious Agent; and all our graces which God works in us, are meerly from Gods grace to us. He will give comfort when and to whom he pleaſeth, but ſtill as a reward of his own free grace, the comfort of a pardon. The comfortable knowledge of our pardon is as well from Gods free grace as the pardon it ſelf; and therefore God ſuſpends the comfort of grace to make us looke up to him for it. When thou repenteſt, God gives a pardon, but therein he rewards his owne work in thee. To give a pardon or ſenſe of a pardon is an act of meer liberality in God.
4. God doth this to put a difference between heaven and earth. Heaven is a place for comfort, earth for duty: earth is for the getting of grace, heaven for the rewarding of grace. Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, like the good Maſter of the Feaſt, reſerves the beſt for laſt. The ſons of Nobles, when they travel into forraign parts, have no more allowances then what will accommodate their travels, the inheritance is reſerved for them, when they come to their fathers houſe: So believers, who are ſtrangers and pilgrimes here, they have ſo much grace and comfort as befits their paſſage to heaven; but they have an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away, but is reſerved in the heavens. God thinks it not ſit to give conſtant comforts in an inconſtant world, nor full comforts in an empty world, nor laſting comforts in a tranſitory world.
2. Reaſon may be taken from our ſelves, and that in many regards, that have much grace, yet may have but a little comfort; and this may ſpring from a threefold root in us;
1. From ſomething that is meerly natural in us.
2. From ſomething that is ſpiritual and good.
3. From ſomething that is evil in us.
1. This may ariſe from the prevalency of a natural melancholy in the body, whereby the underſtanding may be darkned, the fancy troubled, reaſon perverted, and the ſoul ſadned. Melancholy is the mother of diſcomfort, and the nurſer of doubting. It was (as ſome think) depth of melancholy that prevailed upon Nebuchadnezzar, that he did not know, whileſt under the power of that diſtemper whether he was a man or a beaſt: And in the like manner may this bodily melancholy ſo far diſtemper thy ſoul, that th… who haſt grace, yet mayeſt not know whether thou art a childe of God, or a childe of the devil. It is no more wonder to ſee a melancholy man doubt and queſtion his ſpiritual condition, then it is to ſee a childe cry when he is beaten, or to heare a ſick man groan. You may ſilence a melancholy man when you are not able to comfort him, and though you may reſolve his doubts and ſcruples by evident and convincing anſwers and arguments, yet let but ſuch a man retire alone, and brood over his melancholy thoughts, by the prevalency of this perturbing humour, all is forgotten, and he is as unſatisfied, as if you had ſaid nothing to him. And you may perceive, that it is the power of melancholy, that is the cauſe of a mans diſtemper, when he is very much troubled, and yet can give no diſtinct account of any particular thing that doth trouble him.
2. This diſcomfort often ariſeth from that which is good in us, viz. from that holy jealouſie and tenderneſſe of conſcience, which makes a childe of God ſuſpect and inquire into his condition: and though he have true grace, and much grace, yet he is afraid leſt all be but a deluſion; in ſuch caſes the ſoul doth ſo pore on ſin and infirmities, that it cannot ſee its own evidences. A tender conſcience is more apt to be dejected in the ſight of ſinne, then to be comforted in the ſenſe of grace, and the reaſon of this is, becauſe ſin doth more directly fall under the cognizance of our conſcience, eſpecially a natural conſcience.Gal. 5. 17. The works of the fleſh are manifeſt, but the fruits of grace and of the ſpirit are not ſo eaſily diſcerned.
3. This diſcomfort uſually ſprings from a root of bitterneſſe, even in the beſt of Gods children, and that whereby God doth puniſh the ſins of his people.
1. Their quenching the motions of the Spirit. Res delicata eſt, ſpiritus Dei ità nos tractat, ſicut tractatur,If you grieve the Spirit of God, it is juſt with God to grieve your ſpirits: you never ſend Gods Spirit ſad to heaven, but God may make ſad your ſpirits on earth.
2. Sleightineſſe and fearleſſeneſſe of heart towards God. When children grow ſaucy, peremptory and malapert before their parents, 'tis no wonder if a fathers frown correct not their irreverence. Moſt of thoſe who lie uncomfortably under ſenſe of diſpleaſure of God, may thank themſelves for it, they have provoked God by their bearing them ſelves too much upon his love, and growing ſecure and fearleſſe to offend God. God loves to have his children come near him in an holy confidence that he is their father, but yet to keep their diſtance by humble reverence.
3. Another ſin that God puniſhes in his children, by withholding comfort from them that are ſtrong in grace, is their ſuperciliouſneſſe, contempt and uncompaſſionateneſſe towards others that are but weak in grace. God own people are very much to blame herein, in rigour and unmercifulneſſe towards thoſe that are weak in the faith, deſpiſing all that are inferiour to them in gifts and graces, whereby they often break the bruiſed reed, and quench the ſmoaking flax, and want bowels of pitty and tenderneſſe towards their brethren. To take down pride, God often brings ſuch, even his own people, to be low in comfort; and it is but juſt that they ſhould want comfort, who have neglected to comfort and cheriſh thoſe that were weak in grace.
4. A growing cold and lazy, and heedleſſe in holy duties. If we put off God without true ſervice, God may juſtly put us off without true comfort. This rule holds in ſpiritual affairs, He that will not work ſhall not eat. If we abate in the ſanctifying work of the Spirit, it is but juſt that God withhold the comforting work of the Spirit. The ſluggard ſaith Solomon, hath poverty enongh, ſo if we grow lazy and ſluggiſh in holy duties, it is juſt that our ſtock of comfort do decay. Though holy duties do not merit comforts, yet comfort uſually riſeth and falls according to our diligence in duties. True grace is never ſo apparent to, and ſenſible in the ſoul, as when it is in action; and therefore want of exerciſe muſt needs cauſe want of comfort. As fire in the flint is never ſeen or felt, till it be ſtruck out by the Steel: ſo is grace and the comfort of grace, never ſo ſenſible as when it is exerciſed much in holy duties.
5. Any one ſin indulged by, or concealed in the conſcience, is enough to marre all your comfort. Concealed guilt contracts horrour. The Candle will never burn clear whileſt there is a thief in it. Sin in the conſcience is like Ionah in the ſhip, which cauſeth a tempeſt, that the conſcience is like a troubled ſea whoſe waters cannot reſt: or it is like a mote in the eye, which cauſeth a perpetual trouble while it is there: or like the winde gathered in the caverns of the earth, makes earthquakes and terrible eruptions. It is juſt with God,Jer. 2. 19. that a mans own iniquities ſhould correct him, and his back-ſliding ſhould reprove him. Concealed guilt, though it may not bring a childe of God to hell, yet for a time it may bring hell into his conſcience. So that by all theſe particulars we may ſee,Pro. 14. 14. that if our comforts be abated, we may thank our ſelves for it.
3 Reaſon is taken from the reſtleſſe rage and malice of Satan, who when he cannot do the greater, will do the leſſe: and if he cannot damn thy ſoul, he will labour all he can to diſquiet thy conſcience. The devill aim… principally to make us walk ſinfully, and if not ſo, then uncomfortably: if he cannot make us live without God and Chriſt, and grace in the world, then he indeavours to make us live beſide the comfort of our grace. And hence it is, that many dear children to God, who have truth and ſtrength of grace in them, yet heark'ning too much to Satan, live beſide the comfort of their grace.
3. But what ſhall I do,Queſt. 3. that want the comfort of my grace, to procure it, that ſo I may have comfort anſwerable to grace?
1. Live more in the exerciſe of grace;Anſw. 1. and and that is the ready way, not only to increaſe grace, but to obtain the comfort of grace. It was the Apoſtolical ſalutation, Grace and Peace be multiplied. If grace be multiplied, (and that it will by the exerciſe of it) then peace will alſo be multiplied.Iſa. 32. 17. The work of Righteouſneſſe ſhall be peace, and the effect of Righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 119. 165.quietneſſe and aſſurance for ever. Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing ſhall offend them.
2. Leave no ſin unrepented of;Anſw. 2 take heed of guilt of ſin lying on the conſcience; take away the thief out of the candle, and it will burn clear. If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far from thee, Job 11. 14, 15.and let not wickedneſſe dwell in thy tabernaoles; for thou ſhalt then life up thy face without ſpot, yea thou ſhalt be ſtedfaſt, and ſhalt not feare. Job 13. 18.Behold now (ſaith Iob) I have ordered my couſe, I know that I ſhall be juſtified; the more ordered our wayes are, the more ſteddy and full are our comforts, the more ſin in the ſoul, the leſſe comfort in that ſoul.
3. Call to minde former experiences that thy ſoul hath had of God.Anſw. 3. Thus did David, when by reaſon of the diſcomfort of this ſoul, he cried out, Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul, and why art thou diſquieted in me? Oh my God, my ſoul is caſt down within me, therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan,Pſal. 42, 5, 6 and of the Hermonites, that is, I will remember thee, and what thou didſt at Jordan, when thou didſt dry up the river, and thy people paſſed on dry land into Canaan. And I will remember the land of the Hermonites, that is, what thou didſt unto Og King of Baſhan, and to Sihon King of the Amor…tes, for Hermon was part of the Countrey of thoſe Kings.Joſh. 12. 1. So the Pſalmiſt was under great diſcomfort, when he cried, Will the Lord caſt me off for ever? Is his mercy clean gone from me, &c. But he recovers himſelf out of that ſad caſe by remembring former experiences, for ſo he addes,Pſ. 77. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12. verſ. 12. I will remember the works of the Lord; ſurely I will remember thy wonders of old, I will meditate of all thy works, and talk of thy doings. Paſt experience ſhould be preſent incouragements.
4. Attribute to God the glory of his own grace,Anſw. 4. and this is the way to enjoy the comfort of our grace. Say with the Church, Not unto us O Lord, Pſ. 115. 1.not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory. It will be juſt with God to deny you the comfort of grace, if you deny him the glory of his grace. Want of comfort is Gods Phyſick, to cure our ſouls of ſpiritual pride: and humble thankfulneſſe for the leaſt grace, is the way to enjoy the comfort of all our graces.
5. Spend more time in cheriſhing thy comforts then in queſtioning of them.Anſw. 5. It is the fault of ſome Chriſtians, to ſpend more time in fruitleſſe complaints of the want of comfort, then in faithful indeavours after comfort in Gods way. There are thoſe who are more inquiſitive how they loſt their comforts, then careful how to recover them; and ſo indeed they weaken their own hands, but do ſtrengthen the hands of Satan.
A fourth general propounded in the ſolution of this Caſe, was this: What may be the comfortable conſiderations which may be gathered from the truth delivered, viz. That ſtrong Chriſtians may be but weak in comfort? Now the handling of this laſt, wil be an application of the other three particulars, by way of conſolation to thoſe that may perhaps now have ſtrong grace, but weak comfort.
1. The godly are never without the ground of comfort,Conſolat. though they may be without the ſenſe of comfort. Though they may be without preſent feeling, yet they do not want real cauſe of conſolation. They have an undoubted right to comfort, though not a clear ſight of comfort. A childe may have right to an inheritance, though he be not able to demonſtrate and prove his right. Perhaps a man cannot read his evidences for his land, and yet thoſe evidences give him a right to his lands: So it is with a childe of God, he hath comfort ſowen, though perhaps he cannot preſently reap it. Light is ſowen for the righteous, and joy for the upright of heart. As it was with Hagar in the wilderneſſe of Beer-ſheba, her water was ſpent in the bottle, and ſhe caſt her childe away from her, becauſe ſhe could not endure to ſee him die; ſhe lift up her voice and wept that ſhe and her child ſhould both miſerably periſh by thirſt, and yet there was a Well of water hard by her,Gen. 12. 16 17. but ſhe ſaw it not: ſo it is with many a poor ſoule, who are athirſt for comfort, and (as they think) ready to periſh, and yet there is a Well of water of life and comfort faſt by, but they want the eye of faith to ſee it. And this is a great comfort, that a child of God, though he may want comfort, yet he hath right unto comfort, in that he hath truth of grace in him.
2. At that time when God withholds comfort from thee, yet he doth really love thee. Jeſus Chriſt doth ſometimes ſerve his children, as Joſeph ſerved his brethren. He ſpake roughly to them, and he put them in priſon, and yet Joſeph did dearly love his brethren, and his bowels did yern towards them. Thus Jeſus Chriſt, his real love is the ſame to his children at all times, though the manifeſtation of it may not be alwaies alike; Joſeph knew his brethren, though his brethren did not know him. The Lord knows who are his, though thoſe that are his perhaps do not know that they are ſo. Jeſus knew Mary, though ſhe did not know him.Joh. 20. 15.
There may be as much mercy to us in withdrawing of comfort, as in the giving of comfort. God many times in wrath lets a man be filled with the ungrounded comfort of ſuppoſed grace. Oh (beloved) it is farre better to want comfort then grace. Many a man that hath no true grace, yet hath ſeeming comfort; but a child of God is often without comfort, that he may examine and exerciſe his grace, and ſo at laſt enjoy a wel-grounded joy, and a wel-bottom'd conſolation. Grace is the beſt foundation of ſpirituall conſolation.