Grace, Sermon 15
XV. Sermon At Lawrence Jury, London. April 27. 1651. This was the laſt Sermon that ever Mr. Love preached.
2 TIM. 2. 1.
—My ſon, be ſtrong in the grace that is in Chriſt Jeſus.
FRom the laſt clauſe in this text, viz. Grace that is in Chriſt Jeſus, we have gathered this obſervation, that
All thoſe meaſures of grace whereof beli… vers are partakers, they doe receive them in and from Jeſus Chriſt.
That this is ſo, we have proved, not onelyonly by the types of the Old Teſtament, but alſo by the expreſſe teſtimony of the New Teſtament, and have alſo given the grounds and reaſons of this point, with ſome Application, by way of reproofe and confutation of the Arminian and Socinian errours. It remains we make ſome further Application of this point, and ſo conclude the whole diſcourſe.
2. Vſe is by way of exhortation unto theſe duties following.
1. Doſt thou receive all thy grace from Jeſus Chriſt, then labour to be humble in the acknowledgement of this. Let the conſideration and conſcientious application of this doctrine, quell all boaſting in us of any excellency received. Our wiſdom, righteouſneſſe, and ſanctification, 1 Cor. 1. 30 31.and redemption, are all from Chriſt, and therefore he that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord. Conſider, who maketh thee to differ from another? and what haſt thou that thou didſt not receive? now if thou didſt receive it, why didſt thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? 2 Cor 4. 7.Who but a proud foole would magnifie himſelfe in that, which either another giveth him, or another hath done for him. We count it an odious pride and folly in a man to boaſt himſelfe of that which another hath done. And therefore the Apoſtle profeſſeth, that he did not carry himſelfe as thoſe falſe teachers had done, who were crept into the Church of Corinth. ſaith the Apoſtle,2 Cor. 10 15, 16. We doe not boaſt of things beyond our meaſure, that is, of other mens labours, nor boaſt in another mans line of things made ready to our hand. Now all grace is made ready to our hands, and is onelyonly the worke of Jeſus Chriſt in us, who worketh all our works for us. Ammianus Marcellinus tels us of one Lampadius, a great perſon in Rome, who in all parts of the City, where other men had beſtowed coſt in building, he would ſet up his own name, not as a Repairer of the work,Ego & …. but as the chiefe Builder. Such folly are they guilty of, who wil ſet their owne names before Gods, over the work of grace in their own ſouls. Oh remember that boaſting is excluded by the law of faith. Faith is that grace which emptieth the creature of all its conceited excellencies,Rom. 3. 27. and faith is that grace which wil give God the praiſe of the glory of all his grace. Shall the groom of the ſtable boaſt of his maſters horſes? and the Stage-player of his borrowed robes? ſhall the mud wall be proud that the Sun-ſhines upon it? We muſt ſay of all the good that is in us, as the young man ſaid to the Prophet of his hatchet, Alas Maſter, it was borrowed. The Church of God is compared to the Moon. Now all the light which the Moon giveth to the world,2 King. 6…5 ſhe doth but diſtribute what is lent her;Cant. 6. 10. Lucem acceptam refere. all our graces and the ſhining of them, whereby our light is ſeen before men, is but a borrowed light from the Sun of righteouſneſſe. David ſets us an excellent pattern, when he makes that humble acknowledgement: Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael our Father, for ever and ever. Thin… (Oh Lord) is the greatneſs, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, 1 Chron. 29. 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16.and the majeſty, for all that is in heaven or in earth is earth is thine; thine is the Kingdom (Oh Lord) and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reigneſt over all: and in thine hand is power and might, and in thy hand is to make great, and to give ſtrength unto all. Now therefore our God, we thank thee, and praiſe thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we ſhould offer ſo willingly after this ſort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee, Oh Lord our God all this ſtore that we have prepared to build thee an houſe for thine own name, commeth of thine hand, and is all thine own; which is an excellent pattern of humility after inlargement in duty. David and the people had offered both bountifully and willingly towards the houſe of God, the Lord had enlarged both their hearts and their hands. Now all they did for God, is here aſcribed to Gods grace and bounty towards them. It is excellent humility to aſcribe our enlargement of Gods ſervice, to the enlargement of Gods grace towards us; the way to have grace increaſed, is humbly to acknowledge from whence we receive every grace.
2. Aſcribe unto Jeſus Chriſt the glory of all the grace you have been made partakers of. Thus did Paul upon all occaſions,1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me, and by the grace of God I am what I am. I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me, Gal. 2, 20.…and the life which I now live in the fleſh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. It was wel done of that good and faithfull ſervant to ſay, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds; Luk. 19. 16he doth not ſay, Lord, my pains, but thy pound hath gained. When we give God the glory of his grace, God wil give us the comfort and increaſe of our grace. Learn therefore to aſcribe unto Chriſt, the initial, progreſſive, & conſummative work of grace in your ſouls, Jeſus Chriſt only, who hath begun a good work in you, Phil. 1. 6…wil perform it until his own day. Heb. 12. 2.Jeſus Chriſt is the author and finiſ…er of our faith. Rev. 1. 8.He is the Alpha and the Omega. And therefore the Apoſtle prayes, The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jeſus Chriſt, after that ye have ſuffered awhile, make you perfect, ſtabliſh… ſtrengthen, and ſettle you. 1 Pet. 5. 10.Grace is rather like Manna that comes from heaven, then the Corn that grows out of the earth. Grace is inſpired from heaven. Gifts and parts are acquired by induſtry and pains here on earth. What God ſaid by way of compariſon between Canaan and Egypt, is very applicable to this purpoſe. For thus the Lord ſpeaks to Iſrael, Deut. 11. 10, 11, 12.The Land whether thou goeſt in to poſſeſſe it, is not as the Land of Egypt, whence tho… cameſt out, where thou ſoweſt thy ſeed, and watereſt it with thy foot, as a garden of hearbs, but the Land whither ye goe to poſſeſſe it, is a land of hils and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven, a land which the Lord thy God careth for. Thus it is with grace and nature; nature may be, and is improved with induſtry and pains, and is like Egypt, which might be watered by the foot, i.e. with digging gutters and trenches, which is the labour of the foot, to let in the ſtreams of the river of Nilus, when he yeerly overflows his banks, but grace is like the rain from heaven, which onelyonly falleth where God doth appoint,Amos 4. 7. who cauſeth it to rain upon one City, and not upon another, and one piece is rained upon, and the piece whereupon it raineth not, withereth.
3. Diſclaim all merit and ſelf-ſufficiency, for ſo much as we arrogate to our own merit, ſo much as we derogate from the free grace and mercy of God. If with Ephraim God hath enlarged his grace towards thee, that thou art like a green fig-tree, Hoſ. 14. 8.yet let God have the glory of all thy fruitfulneſſe, and let him ſay, from me is thy fruit found. Oh conſider,Rom. 11. 18. that thou beareſt not the root, but the root thee. Say, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name do we give the praiſe. A gracious heart knows his own inability, and his own inſufficiency and imperfection, that he is unable to overcome the leaſt ſin though never ſo ſmall, to exerciſe any grace though never ſo weak, to perform the leaſt duty, though never ſo eaſie: and as we have cauſe to acknowledge our inability, ſo alſo our ſinfull imperfections; if God ſhould enter into judgement with us, he might condemne us, not only for our worſt ſins, but for our beſt duties.
4. Have an eye to Jeſus Chriſt; Look up to him the author and finiſher of our faith. Heb. 12. 2. foreign.The word looking unto, ſignifies in the original, ſuch a looking unto, as that we look off thoſe things which may divert our looking up to Jeſus. Labour (my beloved) to look ſtill unto Chriſt as the author of grace, when you have the greateſt exerciſe, or increaſe, or comfort of your grace. Say when thou haſt the greateſt ſtrength of grace, as Iehoſhaphat did, when he had that great ſtrength of men 500000. Lord, 2 Chro. 20. 1….we know not what to do, only our eyes are upon thee. There are theſe three things which we ſhould eye in Chriſts giving us grace.
1. How voluntarily and freely Jeſus Chriſt doth iſſue out his grace to his people. Never did a mother more willingly give her child ſuck, when her breaſt… did ake and were ready to break, then Jeſus Chriſt doth beſtow grace upon his people. Chriſt doth not like a merchant ſell his grace, but like a King freely beſtow… all: ſee the tenor of the Covenant of grace how free it was,Iſa. 55. 1. Ho, every … that thirſteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eate, yea come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price. Let him that is athirſt come, and whoſoever will, Rev. 22. 17let him take the water of life freely; nothing is ſo free as grace: it is offered and is beſtowed upon the freeſt termes imaginable. All that Chriſt requires,Prov. 8. 31. is but our receiving it. It is the delight of Chriſt to ſhew mercy, and beſtow grace upon his people. It is the meat of Chriſt to do the Will of God that ſent him,Joh. 4. 34. and to finiſh his work. Never was man more willing to eat his meat when he is hungry, then Jeſus Chriſt was to do good and beſtow grace upon them that wanted it. So alſo it is ſaid of Chriſt in Pſal. 72. (which is clearly a prophesie of Jeſus Chriſt) that he ſhould come down like raine upon the mowen graſſe, Pſal. 7…. 6and as ſhowers that water the earth. Now there is nothing comes down more ſweetly and freely, then the rain upon a dry and thirſty ground.
2. Secondly, look unto Jeſus the Author of grace, how irreſiſtibly he doth communicate his grace. I will work, and who can let it? It's true,Iſa. 43. 13. not only of Gods eternal deliverances, but is as true of Gods working grace in the hearts of his people. Who ſhall let?
1. Satan ſhall not, for though he be a ſtrong man, and armed, and hath got poſſeſſion, yet when Chriſt comes, he is foreign, ſtronger then Satan.
2. Sin ſhall not be able to hinder Gods work of grace. Grace ſhall be too hard for the ſtrongeſt oppoſition, that is made againſt it. It is true, a man may and doth reſiſt the grace of God, with a gainſaying and contradicting reſiſtance, but not with an overcoming reſiſtance.
3. Thirdly, look up to Jeſus the beſtower of grace, how proportionably he gives grace ſuitable, and anſwerable to thy temptations and need.1 Cor. 12. 11. God divides to every one his grace …nd gifts, ſeverally as he will, and yet he gives grace that ſhall be enough. My grace is ſufficient for thee, 2 Cor. 12. 9ſaid God to Paul, ſufficient to quell corruptions, ſufficient to repell temptation, ſufficient to make thee wait upon me, …ill I give thee deliverance.
5. Be exhorted to have recourſe to Jeſus Chriſt for ſupply of grace. Go to Jeſus, and by the Prayer of faith approach to the Throne of grace, and beg grace to help thee in time of need. Go unto God by Chriſt, and God through Chriſt will ſupply all your wants.Phil. 4. 19. foreign. My God, ſaith Paul to the Philippians, ſhall ſupply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Ieſus Chriſt. Go to this God, and expreſſe your ſelves before his throne, with ſenſible complaints, and earneſt requeſts, ſay, Lord, ſeeing there is ſo much water in the fountain, why ſhould my ciſterne be empty? ſuch fulneſſe of grace in Chriſt, and ſo little grace in my heart? Lord,Pſal. 58. 18 haſt thou not gifts for men, yea for the rebellious alſo, and that's the worſt that can be ſaid of me, and haſt thou not a bleſſing for me alſo?
3. Vſe of caution, though we ſay that all grace is in and from Chriſt.
1. This ſhould not cut off our endeavours after grace:Cant. 1. we ſhould ſo earneſtly labour to get grace, as if there were no way to have it but by our endeavours, we ſhould ſo ſtrive to get heaven, as if it were to be gotten by by our fingers, by our own pains. Gods promiſes and purpoſes of giving grace ſhould rather quicken, and greaten, then any ways ſlacken our endeavours after grace. See how the apoſtle makes Gods working grace in us, a ground why we ſhould work: Work out your own ſalvation with fear and trembling, Phil. 2. 12, 13.for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleaſure. And again, I know the thoughts that I think towards you (ſaith the Lord,) thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end; but ſee alſo how God joyns their duty with his promiſe, the means unto the end: Jer. 29. 11, 12.Then ſhall ye call upon me, and ye ſhal go, and pray unto me, and I wil hearken unto you. So alſo in the propheſie of Ezekiel, the Lord had promiſed to do great things for them,Ezek. 36. 37. and then addes, Thus ſaith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the houſe of Israel, to do it for them. Gods promiſe to David to build him an houſe, did not at all ſlack his prayer to God for that purpoſe; for thus we finde David praying, Thou, O my God haſt told thy ſervant, 1 Chro 17. 25, 26, 27.that thou wilt build him an houſe, therefore thy ſervant hath found in his heart to pray before thee. And now Lord (thou art God, and haſt promiſed this goodneſſe to thy ſervant) now therefore let it pleaſe thee to bleſſe the houſe of thy ſervant, that it may be before thee for ever, for thou bleſſeſt, O Lord, and it ſhall be bleſſed for ever. 1 Cor. 15, 10.Thus alſo did Paul, By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace which was beſtowed upon me, was not in vaine, but I laboured more abundantly then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me. See how he joyns Gods grace and his own indeavours together. Thou muſt then ſo indeavour after grace, as if it were to be gotten by labour, and not beſtowed by favour, yet when thou haſt done all thou canſt, thou muſt acknowledge grace to be free, as if thou hadſt not laboured at all.
2. Though there be abundance of grace in Chriſt,Cant. 2. yet let all ſuch as have no intereſt in Chriſt, take heed how they flatter themſelvs into a conceit, that they ſhall receive grace frō Chriſt; Intereſt in the Perſon, gives communication of his grace. As it was in Chriſts Perſon, he could not have had thoſe excellencies and attributes which were in God, had not his two natures humane and divine been perſonally united in him. And therefore it is ſaid by vertue of the hypoſtatical union,Col. 2 9. that in him, i. e. in his Perſon, dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the Godhead bodily. So unleſſe there be that myſtical union between Chriſt and us, we could not be Partakers nor grow ſtrong in the grace that is in Chriſt Ieſus. Vnion is the ground of Communion, Joh. 1. 12, 16. compared.and therefore we read firſt of receiving Chriſt, and then afterwards of receiving of his fulneſſe grace for grace. Though thou art near Chriſt by Profeſſion, yet if thou art not one with Chriſt by faith, thou canſt not receive any vertue from him. If a man tie food to any part of his body, it will not nouriſh him, becauſe it is not received, concocted or concorporated; that only nouriſhes, which becomes one and the ſame ſubſtance with us. So we receive ſtrength and increaſe of grace from Chriſt, as we are united unto him by faith Take a graft, and tie it to a tree, and it brings forth no fruit, but let it be united unto a tree by implantation, then the graft growes fruitful: ſo without Chriſt, (or as it is in the Original) ſeparate from Chriſt you can do nothing. John 15. 5▪ foreign. Rom. 6. 5.He that by faith is not planted together in the likeneſſe of Chriſts death, ſhall never receive ſpiritual nouriſhment from him. He that doth not abide in Chriſt, is caſt forth as a Branch, he was never a true Branch,Job 15. 6, foreign. only ſeemed to be one. Chriſt is a fountain of grace, but it is faith that draws out of this fountain, Chriſt is a treaſury of grace, but it is faith that unlocks this treaſury. By our communion with Chriſt we receive grace for grace. We are made by love, meekneſſe and patience like unto Chriſt, but by faith we are made one with Chriſt; and that Union is the cauſe of communion, and therefore Chriſtleſſe perſons are graceleſſe perſons.
3. If men want grace, yet let them know,Caut. 3. that not Chriſt, but themſelves are to blamed. There is fulneſſe in Chriſt, there is grace enough in Chriſt, in him there is fulneſſe of ſufficiency, of efficiency, and of redundancy; but if a veſſel be ſtopt, caſt it into the Sea, and it will receive no water; and the fault is in the veſſel which is ſtopt, there is no want of water in the Sea. They that have the river-water or conduit-water come into their houſes, if no water come, you muſt not conclude there is no water in th… river or fountain, but that the Pipes are either ſtopt or broken; So it is, if ever you are ſtraitened, you are ſtraitned in your own bowels, and not ſtraitened in your God. If a houſe be dark, it is not for any want of light in the Sun, but for want of windowes in the houſe: So if thou wanteſt grace, it is not for want of grace in Chriſt, but for want of faith in thy ſoul, to draw and derive more grace from Chriſt.
4. Envy not the grace of God in others.Caut. 4. Though Chriſt ſhould beſtow more grace on others then on thee, yet thy eye muſt not be evil, Mat. 20 15becauſe he is good. Thou ſhouldſt not have an envious eye, becauſe Chriſt hath a bountiful hand. It is not only a fault in wicked men, to envy the grace that is in good men, as Cain envied Abel, becauſe his ſacrifice was accepted, and his own rejected, but alſo even good men are too apt to envy one another. Ioſephs brethren envied their brother, becauſe he was beloved of his father,John 21. 20, 21. and Peter (it is thought) envied Iohn the beloved diſciple. But take heed of envy, it's diſhonourable to God, and often hinders us from receiving mercy and grace from God. To envy Chriſts diſpenſing of his grace, to whom and in what meaſure he pleaſes, is unbecoming a Chriſtian; to rejoyce in others happineſſe, is to do as the Angels of heaven; to envy others good is like the devils in hell. Would a father take it well that his children fall out about their portions, which their father hath given them. God is abſolutely free, to give one or two, or five talents, as he pleaſes, and if another have more grace then thou, yet be thankful for that grace thou haſt, and envy no man.
Laſtly, Leſſen not thy grace thou haſt received.Caut. 5. As there is no ſin ſmall, becauſe it is an offence againſt the great God: ſo there is no grace little, becauſe it comes from the great God. Unthankfulneſſe hinders this oyl from running. As a man muſt not be contented with the greateſt meaſure of grace, ſo he muſt not be unthankful for the leaſt meaſure of grace. Conſider, it is Jeſus Chriſt that hath begun the work of grace: that there is ſome little good wrought in thee, is the work of Chriſt, and he that hath begun a good work will alſo finiſh it; he that hath given grace a being in thy ſoul, Pſal. 138. … 8.will alſo ſtrengthen thee with ſtrength in thy ſoul, and perfect what concerneth thee. Do not thou thy ſelf quench the flax that begins to ſmoak, nor break the reed that is bruiſed, but be thankful to Chriſt that hath handled this ſmoaking flax,Mat. 12. 20 and wait upon him, who wil ſo accompliſh his work, that he will ſend forth judgement unto victory.