Grace, Sermon 7
VII. Sermon at Lawrence Jury London. March 30. 1651.
2 TIM. 2. 1.
—My ſon, be ſtrong in the grace that is in Chriſt Jeſus.
HAving in the former Chapter obſerved from this Apoſtolicall injunction to Timothy, Wch is obligatory to all Chriſtians:
That it is the duty of all believers not to reſt ſatisfied in weak meaſures of grace which they have received,Doct. but they are to endeavour to attain unto greater ſtrength of grace.—
This point we have proved both by Scripture-inſtances, as alſo by ſeverall reaſons. Now I proceed to anſwer this queſtion, viz.
VVhat are the notes the Scripture layes down of ſtrong and grown Chriſtians?Queſt.
We are to know there are marks in Scripture, both of the truth of grace, as alſo of the ſtrength of grace, and theſe muſt not be confounded but diſtinctly conſidered. Our preſent queſtion is about marks of growth in grace.
1. Such as are grown in grace,1 Anſw. do ordinarily enjoy a grounded aſſurance,1 Joh. 4. 18 N…n ità pellitur timor quin animo… neſtros ſollicitet, ſed it à pellitur ut non turbet, nequ… impediat pacem noſtr…m. Calvin. and comfortable manifeſtation of the love of God in Chriſt to their ſouls. So St. John ſaith, Perfect love caſteth out fear; The more perfect love is, the leſſe of tormenting fear is in the ſoul, and the reaſon of our fear and doubting is for want of love. We cannot comprehend the great love of God in Chriſt to our ſouls, till we are ſtrengthened with might by his Spirit in the inder man; which you will ſee in the Apoſtles Prayer for the Epheſians, Eph. 3. 16, 17, 18.that God would grant unto them according to the riches of his glory, to be ſtrengthened with might by his Spirit: that Chriſt might dwell in their hearts by faith, and that they might be rooted and grounded in love: and that they might be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Chriſt, &c. So that the more ſtrength of grace is in the ſoul, the clearer is our comprehenſion of Chriſts love to the ſoul.
2. Strong and grown Chriſtians are able2 Anſw. experimentally to comfort others with the ſame comfort, 2 Cor. 1. 4.wherewith they themſelves are comforted of God; and when they are converted they are able to ſtrengthen their brethren, Luke 22. 33. expounded.as Chriſt ſpeak… to Peter. By Converſion in that place, is not meant the firſt work of grace wronght in the ſoul; for that was wrought in Peter before his fall, but the meaning is, Peter, when thou art ſtrengthened and recovered from thy fall, when thou haſt recovered strength again, then ſee that thou be careful to ſtrengthen others, who perhaps may fall into the ſame weakneſs with thy ſelf.—If any man be overtaken with a fault, Gal 6. 1. expounded.(ſaith Paul to the Galatians) you that are ſpiritual reſtore ſuch a man in the ſpirit of meekneſſe. You that are ſpirituall, i.e. you that are grown and experienced Chriſtians, ſee that you do indeavour to recover ſuch a fallen brother. Paul prayes for the Philippians, that their love may abound yet more and more in all knowledge and judgment; Phil. 1. 9. expouuded.that is, that they might have knowledge with judgment and experience, ſo as they might uſe their judicious knowledge in love for the edification of others, that were but weak in grace: and in the Epiſtle to the Romanes, the ſame Apoſtle layes down this Character of a ſtrong Chriſtian,Rom. 15. 14.—I am perſwaded of you my Brethren, that you are full of goodneſſe, filled with all knowledge, able alſo to admoniſh one another: from whence we may gather the Character mentioned, that the more perfect any Chriſtian is in knowledge, or any other grace, the more able he is to admoniſh others for their edification.
Grown Chriſtians are ſuch as underſtand3. Anſw. the great and profound myſteries of Religion; they are not only ſuch as uſe milk, Heb. 5. 13.and underſtand only the firſt and plain Principles,Verſ. 14. ſuch as the Apoſtle calls Babes and unskilful in the Word of Righteouſneſſe:—but they are ſuch as are able to digeſt ſtrong meat, i.e. the deep myſteries of the Goſpel, they doe in ſome meaſure underſtand, and have their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern both good and evil, that is, to judge between true doctrines and falſe. Strong and grown Chriſtians have ſuch an eare, as is able to try words, (as it is in Job) even as the mouth tryeth meats. —It is an obſervation of the learned Mercer, Job 34. 3.that the ſame word in Hebrew which ſignifiesJob 12. 11. an Eare, foreign Aurtum & ſtaterae idē … eſt nom…n in Hebraeo, du… enim aures ſunt quaſi bilances quib… expenduntur quae audimus. Mercer.in the duall number ſignifies a pair of ballances,—to note thus much, that an experienced and judicious Chriſtian will weigh whatſoever he heareth, before he believeth it. For as the tongue of the ballance ſtandeth as a Judge between the two ſcales, ſo ſhould the heart of every man weigh what he hears, and ſo will every grown and judicious Chriſtian. He will not take up truth upon truſt, but he conſidereth firſt, and believeth afterwards.—Nor will a grown Chriſtian take up with inferiour knowledge but will like a grown Scholler,foreign & foreign, ut … ci…um, ſic mens verba. be ſearching after the deep things of God.Chryſoſt. 4. Anſw.
A grown, experienced and ſtrong Chriſtian, is moſt converſant and imployed in the moſt ſtrict and ſevere exerciſes of Religion which tend moſt to mortification: weak Chriſtians are all for eaſie and ordinary exerciſes, as hearing and reading good books; but a ſtrong Chriſtian is much in ſpirituall watchfulneſſe, ſecret prayer, frequent faſting, ſelf-denyal, and heavenly meditation, and ſuch like duties as have a ſpecial influence upon the mortification of ſin and corruption. A childe whoſe parts and ſtrength is weak,Luk. 5. 33, 34, 35, &c. 5. Anſw. is not converſant about ſuch arduous and great undertakings as a grown man.
He can believe the accompliſhment of Promiſes and Scripture Propheſies, though Gods Providence ſeeme to make againſt them, and though there ſeem no outward probabilities for them. Thus it argued Abraham was ſtrong in faith,Rom. 4. 18, 19. 20. expounded. who againſt hope believed in hope; and being not weak in faith, he conſidered not his own body now dead.—There were ſeverall things might have ſtaggered Abrahams faith, had it not been very ſtrong.
1. There were fifteen years at leaſt between the making of the promiſe of giving him a ſon, and the fulfilling of it.Compare Gen. 15. 4. with Gen. 16. 16. & with Gen. 21. 5.
2. Abraham was about an hundred yeares old before he had a ſon, and ſo unlikely to have children.
3. Sarah's womb dead, and no ordinary hope of Procreation.
4. And after the promiſed ſonne was born, God calls upon Abraham to offer him up, and yet notwithſtanding all this, he ſtaggered not at the promiſe …of God through unbeliefe, Rom 4. 20, 21.but was ſtrong in faith, giving glory to God, and was fully perſwaded, that what he had promiſed, he was able alſo to performe.
A ſtrong believer can ſuffer as well as do for the ſake oſ Chriſt.6. Anſw. Greater ſtrength of grace is required to ſuffer for the truth, then to profeſſe the truth; and therefore our Saviour propounds this to the ambitious ſuitors, the ſons of Zebedee; Are yee able to drink of the Cup that I ſhall drink of? Mar. 20. 22 23.and to be baptized with the Baptiſm wherewith I am baptized withall? implying thus much, that they did not well underſtand their own ſtrength, that there was more grace required to ſuffer for the name of Chriſt, then to believe on the name of Chriſt, and accordingly as is our ſtrength of grace, ſo is our courage for the cauſe of Chriſt, leſſe or more. Nicodemus when he had but little grace, he came to Jeſus, but yet in the night, John 3. 2.by ſtealth; he durſt not openly appear for Chriſt, but afterwards as he grew in grace and knowledge of Chriſt, ſo he grew in courage for Chriſt, And when the cauſe of Chriſt was debated in the aſſembly of the chief Prieſts and Phariſees, there Nicodemus boldly pleads the cauſe of Chriſt.John 7. 50.—Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doth? Nay we reade afterward of a higher reſolution of this once fearful Nicodemus, when Chriſt was crucified and at the loweſt.— We finde that Necodemus, which (ſaith the text) came at firſt to Jeſus by night, Joh. 19. 39.brought a hundred pound weight of mixture of Myrrhe and Aloes for the Burial of Chriſt. Ver. 38.The like inſtance we have in Ioſeph of Arimathea, who was a diſciple of Chriſt, but ſecretly for fear of the Jews.—But afterwards, when he had got more ſtrength of grace, the Scripture tells us, He went in to Pilate boldly, and craved the body of Ieſus. Mar. 15. 43To profeſſe Chriſt boldly, in a time when dangers and difficulties attend that Profeſſion, argues a ſtrong faith; a weakly Conſtitution dare not go out, unleſſe the weather be faire; But a ſtrong body can indure the hardeſt weather. A weak and young Convert is fitter to live in the proſperity of the Goſpel; but an old experienced Chriſtian like an old tried ſouldier, will not ſhrink in the hardeſt trials.—If thou faint in the day of adverſity; Prov. 24. 10.it is becauſe thy ſtrength is ſmall.
He is one that is able to govern his tongue,7. Anſw. that though paſſion be in the heart, yet through the ſtrength of his grace he bridles it in, and reſtraines it, ſo as it ſhall not break into open railings, revilings and clamours as others do. St. James gives this character of a ſtrong Chriſtian;Jam. 3. 2. If any man offend not in word, the ſame is a perfect man; not legally but Evangelically; He is a perfect man. i.e. He is grown ſtrong in the grace of God.
He is one that dares truſt Gods providence for outward things,8. Anſw. however he is in ſtraits;Mat. 6. 25, 30. as it argues littleneſſe of faith, to diſtruſt Chriſt for food and raiment: ſo it argues ſtrength of faith, that though the viſion tarry, and no deliverance appear, yet then to live by faith,Hab. 2. 4. as the juſt are ſaid to do, this argues ſtrength of faith.
He is one that labours for unity in the Church,Anſw. 9. as wel as for purity in the Church. He will labour for his power that Chriſts coat ſhall be without rent, as well as with out ſpot. This character I gather from that exhortation of the Apoſtle,Phil. 3. 15. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded, and if in any thing ye be otherwiſe minded, God ſhall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheleſſe, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the ſame thing. It is a note thou art weak, when thou makeſt a ſtirre in the Church about thy opinions; weak children are moſt froward; when children are weak and ſickly, nothing will pleaſe them: ſo it is with ſome weak ones in the Church, their humour is ſuch; you know not how to pleaſe them; but a grown experienced Chriſtian is ſober and wiſe, and very earneſt to preſerve unity in the Church of Chriſt.
Before I proceed to ſpeak any more about ſtrength of grace;Vſe 1. I ſhall make ſome application of what I have delivered about the marks and ſigns of ſtrong grace, and the uſe I ſhall make, ſhall be to give you ſome cautions about theſe foregoing characters, and there is need of a twofold Caution.
1. Take heed you do not imagine your ſelves ſtrong in grace, when you are weak; this is a dangerous miſtake.
2. Take heed of thinking and judging your ſelves weak in grace, when you are ſtrong in grace; this is an uncomfortable miſtake. There is a man (ſaith Solomon) that maketh himſelf rich, Prov. 13. 7.and bath nothing; and there is a man that maketh himſelf poor, and yet hath great riches. I would therefore caution you that you may neither live above nor beneath what you have, that you may not proudly fancy you have what you have not, nor diſcouragedly fear you want what you indeed have.
2. You are not to meaſure the ſtrength of grace by the length of your Profeſſion.1 Vſe of Caution. Many who are long ſtanders in the Profeſſion of Religion, are but ſlow walkers in the wayes and practice of Religion; the ſouls Proficiency in grace, is not the iſſue of length of time, but the fruit of free grace. There were thoſe in the Church for ſo long a time, that they ought to have been teachers of others, Heb. 5. 12.but they had attained but little growth or ſtrength of grace. They that came at the eleventh houre had their penny, as well as thoſe that came early into the Vineyard. The ſcope of which Parable is (as ſome interpreters ſay) to ſhew that thoſe who come late to the Profeſſion of Religion,Mat. 20. 16 expounded. may yet out-go many in gifts and graces, who have been long before them in Profeſſion. How many amongſt us, their years ſpeak them eighty, but their knowledge and grace not eighteen.
2. Meaſure not the ſtrength of grace, by the ſtrength of your affections to ſome of the wayes of God. The love of a newly married Couple may be more found at firſt, afterwards it's more ſolid. Women who are the weaker veſſels are uſually more affectionate. Weak Chriſtians are uſually moſt affectionate. When the Creeple was cured, we read that upon his firſt cure he leaped for joy;Acts 14. 10 it's likely he did not continue to do ſo: the newneſſe of the change did much affect him, and ſo it doth young converts.
3. Meaſure not the ſtrength of grace, by the abundance of the means of grace which you enjoy. Alas, Laodicea had a glorious light ſhining amidſt her; ſhe was one of the ſeven Candleſticks. And becauſe ſhe had ſuch meanes of grace, ſhe miſtook her ſelfe, ſaying,Rev. 3. 17. I am rich, and increaſed with goods, and have need of nothing. But ſaid Chriſt, Theu knoweſt not that thou art wretched, and miſerable, and poor, and blinde, and naked.
4. Meaſure not the ſtrength of grace by the ſtrength of your gifts. There is a new diſeaſe amongſt children called the Rickets, when children grow big in the head, but weak in their limbs: this diſeaſe is ſpiritually upon the ſouls of many our of Profeſſors; their heads grow in reſpect of gifts & knowledge, but they do not grow ſtrong to walk in the wayes of God; they are like the Moon, increaſing in light, but not in heat. In the dayes of the Schoolmen the gifts of men were very high, and yet the power of godlineſſe was at a low ebbe in thoſe dayes; there were in thoſe times many ſublime notions, Seraphical ſpeculations, curious diſtinctions, ſubtile objections, and elaborate anſwers to them, grave and weighty ſentences; but alas, but a little of the power of grace in the hearts of thoſe men and them they taught.
2. Caution is,2. Caution. to prevent miſtakes of thoſe who are apt to judge themſelves weak in grace, when indeed they are ſtrong in grace.
1. Becauſe thou haſt not perfection of grace, do not therefore conclude thou haſt not ſtrength of grace. Truth of grace is one thing, and ſtrength of grace is another; ſo ſtrength of grace is one thing, and perfection of grace is another. You muſt ſtay for perfection till you come to heaven; it is there only, where the ſpirits of juſt men are made perfect. Heb. 12 23It is a witty obſervation that one hath; In Grammar (ſaith he) tbe Preſent tenſe is accompanied with the Preter-imperfect tenſe, but the Future with the Preter-pluterfect tenſe. Even ſuch is our preſent ſtate of grace, it's accompanied with imperfections;—but our future ſhall be more then perfect;Ecel. 7. 20. There is no Perfection here. There is not a juſt man on earth that doth good, Pro. 20. 9.and ſinneth not, (ſaith Solomon) Who can ſay, I have made my heart clean? If I waſh my hands with ſnow-water, (ſaith Iob) and make my ſelf never ſo clean; yet ſhalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and my owne clothes ſhall abhorre me. i.e. Though I have by Regeneration ſome grace, yet all my defilements ſhall never in this life be put away. In the Propheſie of Zechariah we have the Lord ſpeaking thus: I will refine them as ſilver, and well try them as gold is tryed; and yet in the Prophet Isaiah God ſaith,Zech. 13. 9. I have refined thee, but not with ſilver; Iſa. 48. 10.to reconcile both places, The meaning is, that though God begin to refine his people, yet they are not perfectly refined.
2. Do not judge thy ſelf weak in grace, becauſe thou haſt not ſtrong affections. God doth make up in the experience of old and grown Chriſtians, what is wanting of the great affections they had at their firſt converſion.Mr. Greenham. Holy Greenham often prayed that he might keep up his young zeal with his old diſcretion. What is wanting in affections God makes up to thee in ſolidity of judgement, clearneſſe of knowledge, abundance of experience, and ſtableneſſe in the faith.
3. Judge not the ſtrength of thy grace by the ſtrength of thy comforts, the fruit may grow ſtrong, when the bloſſome is off. I have ſpoken of this before; and therefore will adde this, that heavenly joyes and raptures are very ſparingly found among Gods people. They are Gods ſpecial indulgences to ſome of his ſpecial children. I wil conclude with a Saying of that godly and learned Scotchman,Mr. Rollock. Whilſt I live (ſaith he) I never expect to ſee perfect Reformation in the Church, or feel perfect raviſhing joyes in my heart