An Offer of Farther Help to Suffering Saints, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Wherein is ſhewed the neceſſity of going out of our ſelves, even when our habitual and actual Preparations are at the greateſt height; and depending as conſtantly and intirely upon the Spirit, who is Lord of all gracious Influences, as if we had done nothing: Together with the means of working the Heart to ſuch a frame.
THus you have ſeen your habitual and actuall readineſs for Sufferings, and bleſſed is the Soul that gives diligence to this work: But now, leaſt all that I have ſaid, and you have wrought, ſhould be in vain, I muſt let you know, that all this will not ſecure you, unleſs you can by Humility, Faith, and Self-denial, go out of your ſelves to Chriſt, and live upon him daily for ſupplies of Grace, as much as if you had none of all this Furniture and Proviſion for Sufferings. I confeſs, Grace is a very beautiful and lovely Creature, and it's hard for a man to look upon his own Graces, and not doat upon them. But yet know, that if you had all theſe excellent preparations that have been mentioned, yea, and all Angelical Perfections ſuperadded, yet are you not compleat without this dependance upon Chriſt, Col. 2.10. When ever you go forth to ſuffer for Chriſt, you ſhould ſay in the Head of all your excellent Graces, Duties, and Preparations, as Jehoſaphat did, when in the head of a puiſſant and mighty Army, 2 Chron. 20.12. O Lord, I have no might nor ſtrength, but my Eyes are unto thee. This was one thing in which Paul excelled, and was a ſpecial part of his readineſs. See 1 Cor. 15.10. What a poor Creature is, the eminenteſt Saint left to himſelf in in hour of trial; the Hop, the Ivey, and the Woodlind, are taught by Nature to cling about ſtronger Props and Supporters: What they do by Nature, we ſhould do by Grace.
The neceſſity and great advantage of this, will appear upon divers Conſiderations.
1. The Chriſtians own imbecility and inſufficiency, even in the ſtrength and beight of all his Acquirements and Preparations: what are you, to grapple with ſuch an Adverſary? Certainly, you are no Match for him that conquered Adam hand to hand in his ſtate of integrity. It is not your in…erent ſtrength that enables you to ſtand, but what …ou receive, and daily derive from Jeſus Chriſt, Joh. 15.5. Without me, or never ſo little ſeparated from me, ye can do nothing, all our ſufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. 3.5. Upon this very conſideration it was, that the Apoſtle exhorts the Epheſians, to be ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, (i.e.) not to de…end upon their own ſtock and furniture, but Di…ine Aſſiſtances and daily Communications; for we weſtle not with fleſh and bloud, but Principalities and Powers, Epheſ. 6.10, 12. in his own ſtrength ſhall …o man prevail.
2. It is the great deſign of God in the Goſpel, to exalt his Son, and to have all glory attributed and aſcribed to him, That in all things be might have the preheminence, Col. 1.13. That Chriſt might be all in all, Col. 3.11. Hence, no Saint muſt have a ſelfſufficiency, or be truſted with a ſtock as Adam was; but Chriſt being filled with all the fulneſs of God, and made the foreign, or firſt Receptacle of all Grace: For it pleaſed the Father, that in him all fulneſs ſhould dwell; all the Saints are therefore to go to him for Supplies, and of his fulneſs to receive, John 1.16. This fulneſs being a Miniſterial fulneſs, like that of the Sun, or of a Fountain, intended to ſupply all our wants. And hence is it that Faith, a ſelf-emptying and denying Grace, is appointed to be the Inſtrument of fetching our Supplies from Chriſt. All muſt be derived from him, that all the praiſe and glory may be aſcribed to him, Phil. 4.14. And this is a moſt wiſe and congruous Ordination of God; for hereby not onelyonly are his People the better ſecured, but by this alſo the reproach that lay upon Chriſt is rolled away: He was reproached on Earth, as barren, empty, weak. Can any good come out of Nazareth? He was looked upon as a Root ſpringing out of a dry ground; but by this ſhall his Reproach be wiped away: So that unleſs you will go about to croſs the great deſign of God, in the exaltation of his Chriſt, you muſt go out of your ſelves, and humbly, and conſtantly rely upon ſupplies from Chriſt, and his grace to help in the times of need.
3. A Chriſtian is conſtantly to depend upon Chriſt, notwithſtanding all his own preparations, and inherent qualifications; becauſe the activity even of inherent Grace depends upon him: Inherent Grace is beholden to exciting and aſſiſting Grace for all it is enabled to do. You cannot act a Grace without his Spirit, *1 Cor. 15.10. 2 Cor. 3.5.John 15.5. It may be ſaid of Grace in us, as it was of the Land of Canaan, Deut. 11.10, 11, 12. It is not as the Land of Egypt whence ye come out, where thou ſowedſt thy ſeed, and wateredſt it with thy foot, as a Garden of Herbs: But a Land of Hills and Vallies, drinking water of the Rain of Heaven, a Land which the Lord thy God careth for: his Eyes are always upon it, from the beginning of the year, even to the end of the year. As the life and fragrancy of Vegetables, depends on the Influences of Heaven, ſo do our Graces upon Chriſt. And hence, he is called, (1) a Root, Iſa. 11.10. (2) An Head, Col. 1.18. (3) A Sun, Mal. 4.2. (4) A Fountain, Zech. 13.1. all which Compariſons do fully carry this Truth in them.
4. Laſtly, In this life of dependance lies your ſecurity: And indeed, this is the great difference, betwixt the two Covenants: In the firſt, Adam's ſtock was in his own hands, and ſo his ſecurity or miſery depended upon the unconſtrained choice of his own mutable and ſelf-determining Will: But now in the New Covenant, all are to go to Chriſt, to depend upon him for ſupplies, and ſo are ſecured againſt all deſtructive dangers, Jude 1.1 Pet. 1.5. Should you go forth in your own ſtrength againſt a Temptation, either your Grace would fail, and you fall in the Conflict: Or if you obtain any Victory over it by your own ſtrength, yet it's a thouſand to one but your Pride would conquer you, when you had conquered it: Like him that ſlew an Elephant, but was himſelf ſlain by the fall of that Elephant which he ſlew. But now, by this way, as God hath ſecured you againſt the Dangers without; ſo alſo the frame and conſtitution of this New Covenant is ſuch, as prevents the danger ariſing from our own Pride too. Not, Ego, & Deus meus; I and my God did this: as was once ſaid by a prophane Mouth; But Self is abaſed, and the Lord lifted up in his own ſtrength, 1 Cor. 4.7. And thus I have briefly evinced the neceſſity of this daily dependance.
But next it concerns you to know, what this dependance we ſpeak of is: This alſo I ſhall briefly open to you, laying down ſomewhat negatively, and ſomewhat poſitively about it.
It is not to deny the Grace wrought in us by the Spirit; Neg. 1 this were both injuſtice and ingratitude: We may know our own Graces ſo, as to be thankfull for them, though not ſo as to be proud of them, 1 Cor. 15.10.
It is not a la… excuſe from our duty: Neg. 2 You do not depend, but rather diſhonour Chriſt by ſo doing. You muſt not ſay, Becauſe Chriſt muſt do all, therefore I muſt do nothing: but rather work out your ſalvation, becauſe it's he that worketh both to will and do, Phil. 2.12, 13. Theſe are noi oppoſed, but ſubordinated.
But then poſitively, it lies in three things.
In ſeeing and acknowledging the infinite ſufficiency and fulneſs that is in Chriſt: Poſit. 1 To acknowledge him to be all in all; not onelyonly by way of Impetration procuring all, Heb. 9.12. but alſo by way of Application, bringing home to the Soul all the bleſſings purchaſed by his blood, and ſetling us in the poſſeſſion of it, John 14.3. and ſo from firſt to laſt to eye him as the Authour and Finiſher of our Faith.
2. In ſeeing the neceſſary dependance that all our Graces have upon him. That look as you ſee the Stream depending on the Fountain, the Beam upon the Sun, the Branch upon the Root, the Building upon the Foundation, even ſo do our Graces upon Chriſt: On him they live, and cut off from him they die. Our life is hid with Chriſt in God, Col. 3.3. When you ſee this, and alſo ſee that all your activity and ſtriving is but as the hoyſting up of the Sails, in order to the motion of the Ship, which can do nothing till there come a Gale: When you look upon your Grace as a Creature that muſt be upheld, fed, acted, and preſerved by Chriſt, Col. 2.19. Then you are prepared for this act of dependance: As for inſtance; You can never depend upon Chriſt for the acting of that Grace of Hope, untill you ſee Chriſt to be the prop and foundation of it, and that it depends upon him, as upon its cauſe, 1 Pet. 1.3. as upon its object, Hebr. 6.19. and as upon its foundation and ground-work, Col. 1.27.
You can never depend upon Chriſt for your joy and comfort, untill you ſee what a neceſſary dependance this alſo hath upon him, Phil. 3.3. and that both as to its being and acting, John 16.22.
You can never depend upon him for ſtrength in any duty, untill you ſee how your duties depend upon Chriſt, not onelyonly for the ſtrength by which they are performed, John 15.4, 5. but alſo for accettation when they are performed, 1 Pet. 2.5. It were eaſie to inſtance in any other Grace.
3. It lies in foreign, Looking off to the Authour of our Faith.looking off from your own Grace, whenever you are put upon the acting off it, (I mean in regard of any dependence upon it) and looking by an eye of Faith and acceptation to Chriſt, Heb. 12.2. To the putting forth of which acts of dependance upon Chriſt, holy ejaculations in our on-ſets upon duty, or thoſe quick and vigerous lifting up of our ſouls to God that way are of ſpecial uſe, it being a duty fitted for the purpoſe, when there is no room for ſet and ſolemn Prayer. And thus briefly of its nature.
And to urge you to this duty, I ſhall offer theſe ſeaven Conſiderations; which oh that they might prevail upon your hearts, and make you for ever to claſp and cling about Chriſt more then ever you have done.
You have little reaſon to rely upon the ſtrength Conſid. 1 of your own Graces; for you may be eaſily deceived in that matter, and think you have much more Grace then you have. How often are the common Gifts of the Spirit miſtaken for his ſpecial Graces! The ſixth Chapter to the Hebrews is able to make a man tremble in this thing.
Suppoſe you have much Grace, Conſid. 2 yet have you not ſtrong Corruptions, and may you not meet with ſtrong temptations alſo? He that hath leſs of other Graces then you, may have more humility and ſelfden…al then you, and ſo may ſtand when you fall. Great Enlargements are often attended with great temptations of Pride, &c.
Whatever meaſures of Grace you have arrived at, Conſid. 3 yet all is not able to ſecure you from falling, if God withhold or withdraw his aids and influences. Abraham had more Faith then you, and yet he fell into a ſin contrary to that very Grace wherein he ſo excelled others, Gen. 20.2. Job had more patience then you: which of you could behave your ſelves as he did, had you been in the like circumſtances as he was, Chap. 1.2. He is renowned for it in Scripture, Jam. 5.11. yet he fell into that ſin which was contrary to this Grace alſo, Chap. 3. Moſes had more meekneſs then you: Now the man Moſes was the meekeſt man upan the Earth. If you be but reproved, and that juſtly for your faults, how Waſpiſh are you? Yet ſee how this Grace failed even in him, in an eminent triall of it, Numb. 11.13.14, 15. Adam was much more advantaged in this reſpect, then you, being made upright, and no corruption inherent in him, yet he fell: The Angels more again, yet they fell. Oh when will you learn the vanity of ſelf-dependance!
Nothing more provoketh the Lord to withdraw his Spirit, Conſid. 4 and let you fall, then this ſin of ſelfconfidence doth, Luke 14.29, 30, 31. God will teach you by ſad experience your own weakneſs, and what frail and vain things you be, if you will learn it by no other means.
If God permit you to fall (as doubtleſs he will if you be ſelf-conceited) then the more eminent you have been, Conſid. 5 or are for Grace, the more will the Name of God be reproached by your fall. This will furniſh the triumphs of the uncircumciſed, and the lamentations of your Brethren, and make them ſay, How are the mighty fallen! What diſmal conſequents will attend your fall!
Have you not ſad experience of your own weakneſs from day to day in your leſſer trials? Conſid. 6 Have you not ſaid in ſome ſmaller conflicts, as David once did? My feet were well nigh ſlipt. O my thinks this ſhould teach you to look more to God, and leſs to Self. If you have run with foot-men, and they have wearied you in the Land of peace; think ſadly, how you ſhall contend with Horſes in the ſwellings of Jordan. Do not you ſee that you are but Feathers in the wind of Temptation? Conſult your former experiences.
Laſtly, hath Chriſt given you more Grace then others, Conſid. 7 then how much more hath he obliged you to honour him thereby? And is this your requital of his love? What! to take the Crown from his head, and put it upon your own! Certainly a greater injury cannot be done to Chriſt then this.
Well then, by all this be perſwaded to ceaſe from your ſelves, yea from your religious ſelves; and to all other your preparations, adde this as a choice one: If you do theſe things, you ſhall never fall. And thus you ſee the compleat Chriſtian in his equipage for ſufferings.