The Saints Temptations, Sermons · Sermon 14
SERMON XIV.
2 Cor. 12.9.
And he ſaid unto me, My grace is ſufficient for thee: for my ſtrength is made perfect in weakneſs.
THE Doctrine propounded from theſe words was,
Doct. Chriſts ſtrength is perfected in our infirmity.
I come now to the grounds and reaſons of the Doctrine which I ſhall briefly ſpeak to, and then come to the Application.
Firſt, For the grounds of the point, Why is it that God takes this courſe?
1. To let us ſee our infirmity.
And then, 2. To perfect his ſtrength or power in our infirmity.
There are two grounds of this.
1. Becauſe Gods deſign is to humble us.Reaſon 1. Now the ſenſe of our infirmity is the proper means to humble us. It is a true ſaying, and a ſaying we can never think of too often, The foundation of humility is the knowledge of ſome defect, or imperfection in our ſelves. Whilſt we have a ſelf-fulneſs, a ſelf-ſufficiency, whilſt we apprehend nothing but wiſdom, ſtrength, ability, and excellency in our ſelves, this lifts us up. For Pride, what is it, but a vehement or ſtrong opinion of a mans own proper excellency? Now whilſt we apprehend nothing but excellency in our ſelves, this lifts us up, therefore God in his infinite wiſdom diſcovers to us our weakneſs, impotency, infirmity and imperfection, and the ſight of our own infirmity and imperfection is a means to take down our plumes, and to depreſs and humble us. Now our humiliation makes way for Gods exaltation. The more the creature is humbled and debaſed, the more is God exalted. This is certain, when any excellency of the creature is ſeen and admired too much, the excellency of God is ſo much the more unſeen; the admiration of the creatures excellency is a means to darken the glory of God, and therefore God draws a Vail upon our glory, that ſo God may be the more ſeen, Iſa. 2.17. The loftineſs of man ſhall be bowed down, and the haughtineſs of man ſhall be made low, and the Lord alone ſhall be exalted in that day. When all created excellency is laid low, then is Gods excellency the more advanced.
The 2.Reaſon 2. Reaſon is this, Gods ſtrength is perfected in our infirmity, becauſe the ſenſe of our infirmity makes us to ſee that all is of grace. When God hath reduced us to nothingneſs in our ſelves, when God hath made us to ſee that we are nothing, that we can do nothing, then we clearly ſee, that all that we are, and all that we have, is of grace. It is natural to us to arrogate too much to our ſelves, to aſcribe things to our own ſtrength, ſufficiency and wiſdom, and therefore the Lord ſhews us our own folly, how unable we are to ſatisfie our ſelves in difficult caſes. How often do we meet with ſuch difficulties and perplexities in our lives that are beyond all our own wiſdom to know how to reſolve our ſelves in them, and to extricate our ſelves out of them? And God in his infinite wiſdom leads us into theſe difficulties to make us ſee that it is beyond our own wiſdom to help us out of them. And he alſo ſheweth us our own weakneſs and impotency, to withſtand ſuch temptations as we meet with in our courſe, and then we clearly ſee that all is of grace; if we have any wiſdom ſtrength and ſufficiency to help us in our difficulties and temptations, it is all of Divine grace. So that God firſt reduceth us to nothingneſs, and then helps us, to ſhew us that all is of grace, and that we may ſet the Crown upon the head of grace, and attribute nothing to our ſelves.
I come to the Uſe and Application of the Doctrine.
Is it ſo, that Chriſts ſtrength is perfected in mans infirmity?
The firſt Uſe ſhall be,
1.Uſe 1. By way of information, This ſhews us, nothing doth more obſtruct Divine grace, and ſhut the door againſt it than ſelf-fulneſs, and preſumption of our own ſtrength, and ſufficiency. In the Text it is ſaid, My ſtrength is made perfect in infirmity, that is, the ſenſe of our infirmities makes way for the manifeſtation of Divine grace. Elſewhere it is ſaid, God gives grace to the humble, 1 Pet. 5.5. and in the ſame place, where it is ſaid, God gives grace to the humble, it is ſaid, He reſiſts the proud. Look as humility prepares us for the reception of Divine grace: ſo on the contrary, pride obſtructs, and ſtops the current of Divine grace. The low valleys are watered and receive the bleſſing of the ſhowers from Heaven, whereas the tops of the high mountains remain dry and barren. Thus God delights to refreſh low and humble ſouls with the dews of Divine and Heavenly grace, whereas ſuch as are proud and lifted up with the conceit of their own excellencies and perfections, receive none of thoſe Divine dews and ſhowers of grace. God fills the hungry with good things, the rich he ſends empty away. Therefore of all ſins, it concerns us to watch moſt againſt ſpiritual pride. There is no ſin that is a greater enemy to the reception of Divine grace than pride. Gods deſign is to ſhew us our own emptineſs, and then to fill us with his fulneſs; but till we are emptied of ſelf, we can never expect to be filled with Gods fulneſs.
The 2. Uſe is this, Is it ſo,Uſe 2. that Chriſts ſtrength is perfected in our infirmity? Be exhorted from hence to labour to get, and retain a deep ſenſe of our own infirmity; the more we retain a ſenſe of our own infirmity, the more do we prepare the way to the grace of Chriſt, for Chriſts ſtrength is perfected in our infirmity. Truly humility is the principal grace in a Chriſtian. It is a memorable paſſage of Calvin in his Inſtitutions. The Foundation of our philoſophie is humility, As he that being asked, what was the firſt vertue in an Orator, ſaid pronunciation, and being askt what was the ſecond vertue in an Orator, ſaid pronunciation, and being askt what was the third vertue in an Orator, ſaid pronunciation: ſo ſaith he, If any man ſhould ask of me what is the firſt vertue of a Chriſtian, I would ſay humility, if any one ſhould as what was the ſecond vertue of a Chriſtian, I would ſay humility, if any ſhould ask what was the third virtue of a Chriſtian, I would ſay humility, and always humility. The foundation of Chriſtianity is humility. What is the whole Goſpel? The whole Goſpel lies mainly in theſe two things, that our righteouſneſs lies out of our ſelves, and that our ſtrength lies out of our ſelves. The Goſpel therefore is a Doctrine of humility. Now humility ariſeth from the ſenſe of our own infirmity, nothing ſo proper a means to get and preſerve humility in us as the ſenſe of our own infirmity.
But here it may be ſaid,
Queſ. Queſtion.What is that ſenſe of our own infirmity that we ſhould keep up in our ſelves; My ſtrength is made perfect in infirmity. It is the deſign of God to make us ſenſible of our own infirmity. How ought we to be ſenſible of our own infirmity?
Anſw. 1.Anſwer. We ought to keep up a great ſenſe of our great defects in ſpiritual wiſdom and knowledge, 1 Cor. 8.2. If any man thinketh that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing as he ought to know. We think we are wiſe, we need to be taught no more; Oh but we are very ignorant in many things. How ignorant are we of God and Chriſt, of the will of God, and our own duty in many points? Jer. 10.14. Every man is bruitiſh in his knowledge; the more humility there is in us, the more ſenſible ſhall we be of our own bruitiſhneſs as to the knowledge of God. O let us conſider that Text, Prov. 30.2, 3. Surely I am more bruitiſh than any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man. I neither learned wiſdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. Why ſo? What is the matter? This was the caſe, this holy man was deeply ſenſible how defective he was in the knowledge of God. He was ſenſible how defective he was as to the knowledge of God in his greatneſs and immenſity, and as to the knowledge of God in the myſterie of the Trinity, ſo it appears in the following verſe, verſ. 4. who hath aſcended up into Heaven, or deſcended, who hath gathered the wind in his fiſt, who hath bound the waters in a garment, who hath eſtabliſhed all the ends of the earth? Here he complains of his ignorance, of the greatneſs and immenſity of God. He had not ſuch becoming thoughts of Gods greatneſs and immenſity as he ought to have; and in the next words he complains of his ignorance in the myſterie of the Trinity, What is his name, and what is his ſons name, if thou canſt tell? O do any of us know God in his attributes, or do we know him in the myſterie of the Trinity as he ought to be known, and may be known? O let us be ſenſible of our great infirmity and defects as to ſpiritual wiſdom and knowledge, that that which we do know is but the leaſt part of that which we are ignorant of; therefore let us not think that we have known all that is to be known of God, for believe it, we are but babes in knowledge in compariſon of what may be known of the myſterie of God, of the Father and of Chriſt. It was not for nothing that the Apoſtle prays for them that they might underſtand the myſterie of God, and of the Father, and of Chriſt: Coloſſ. 2.2.the myſtery of God, of the Father, and of Chriſt is a great myſterie. To know God in the unity and ſimplicity of his eſſence, to know God in the Trinity of perſons, is ſo great a myſterie as we ſhall never be fully able to underſtand in this life.
2. We ought to be ſenſible of our impotency to reſiſt temptations. We think we are ſtrong and can reſiſt any temptation; but when ſome great and prevailing temptation comes and bears us down, then we ſee how weak we are. Peter ſaid, though all denied Chriſt yet he would not, but yet by ſad experience he found the temptation too ſtrong for him; we ought to be ſenſible that the many temptations we meet with in our courſe, will be too ſtrong, and too hard for us, if we be left to our ſelves.
3. We ought to be ſenſible of the great corruption of our natures, and of that great proneneſs and proclivity that is in us unto evil,Rom. 7. In me, that is in my fleſh, there dwells no good thing, ſaith Paul. Nay, it may be ſaid in our fleſh, there dwells every evil thing. The ſpirit that is in us luſteth to envy, James 4.5. If we obſerve our own hearts, we may ſee in them the ſeeds and principles of all evil; out of the heart, Matth. 15.19.ſaith our Saviour, proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, there is the root of all ſin to be found in our hearts. This ſenſe of the corruption of our own hearts, and proclivity that is in them to evil, will be of great uſe to us.
1. This will be a means to make us ſo much the more jealous over our own hearts. He that truſts in his own heart is a fool, ſaith Solomon; and the heart is deceitful above all things and deſperately wicked, Jerem. 17.9.who can know it? So deceitful, and wicked are our hearts that they will ſoon betray us to ſin, if we be left to our ſelves.
2. As this ſenſe of the corruption of our nature will make us ſo much the more jealous over our own hearts, ſo this will make us ſee the daily need we have of Divine grace; the more experience we have of our own corruption, the more we ſee our need of Divine grace to keep us; for whither would our corruptions hurry us, if Divine grace did not keep us?
4. We ought to be ſenſible of our inability to perform difficult ſervices, yea our utter inſufficiency to do the leaſt thing that is good, without Divine grace. Without me, ſaith our Saviour, ye can do nothing, John 15.5. Our Saviour doth not ſay without me ye can do no great thing, but he ſaith without me you can do nothing; juſt nothing, not the leaſt thing, we have not ſufficiency of our ſelves, ſaith the Apoſtle, to think any thing. What is leſs than a thought? O what ſhould humble us more than this, to think that we cannot command a good thought? We muſt be beholding to Divine grace for every holy thought. This ſenſe of our infirmity is that which makes way for the illuſtration of Chriſts ſtrength, My ſtrength is perfected in infirmity. It was the ſpeech of one,Perſici non poteſt home qui ſe non ſatcatur infirmum. that man cannot be perfected, who doth not confeſs himſelf to be infirm. Our higheſt perfection in this life, it is to be ſenſible of our imperfection. It is another ſpeech of one of the antients, if I miſremember not it was Jeroms, Hancunam praeſentis vitae perſectionem eſſe, ut te imo rſectum agnoſcas.This is the only perfection attainable in this life, that thou acknowledge thy ſelf to be imperfect.
5. Laſtly, We ought to keep up a ſenſe of the many trials, afflictions, changes and viciſſitudes that we muſt expect to paſs through in our preſent ſtate, and our own inability to ſtand up under them, without Divine grace, without Divine help and aid. If we be now in proſperity, and think it ſhall be always thus, and never otherwiſe with us, this is a means to lift us up: whereas if we be ſtill in expectation of affliction, and alſo are ſenſible of our own inability to undergo the leaſt affliction without Divine help and aſſiſtance, this will be a means to humble us. It was the ſpeech of a wiſe and experienced Chriſtian, When I riſe in the morning I expect what God will exerciſe me with before night. It is good to be under the expectation of ſome new trials and exerciſes, this will be a means to keep us humble, and this will be a means to preſerve in us a ſenſe of our infirmity, and make us ſee our conſtant need of Divine grace. If we think to live without afflictions we ſhall but deceive our ſelves ſo much the more, for afflictions will come whether we think of them or no. But if we be in a conſtant expectation of afflictions, this will be a means to humble us, and to bring us to a ſenſe of our own infirmity, and when we are moſt humble and have the greateſt ſenſe of our own infirmity, then are we moſt prepared to receive Divine grace, for Chriſts ſtrength is perfected in our infirmity, that is, in the ſenſe of our infirmity; the more ſenſible therefore we are of our infirmity, the more are we prepared to receive Divine grace.
The 3. and Laſt Uſe is this,Uſe 3. Is it ſo that Chriſts ſtrength is perfected in our infirmity?
This ſhould teach us to pray much, that we may have more experience of Chriſts power reſting upon us in our infirmity. This was Pauls ambition, here in the Text, My ſtrength is made perfect in infirmity, what follows? The next words are, moſt gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmity, that the power of Chriſt may reſt upon me. The words in the original, foreign.are very ſignificant, that the vertue of Chriſt may inhabit in me, or that the ſtrength of Chriſt may pitch it ſelf upon me, or as the word ſignifies, that the ſtrength of Chriſt may tabernacle upon me, ut tanquam in tabernaculo inbab tet in me potentia Chriſti.therefore Beza renders it, that the power of Chriſt may inhabit in me as in a Tent or Tabernacle. To open this expreſſion, two things ſeem to be intimated in it.
1. That we are poor weak frail veſſels; that our bodies are like to Tents or Tabernacles, the body is often compared to a Tabernacle, 2 Cor. 5.1. For we know that if our earthly houſe of this Tabernacle, were diſſolved, we have a building of God, a houſe not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. Here the body is compared to a tabernacle, and ſo the Apoſtle Peter uſeth the ſame expreſſion, As long as I am in this my tabernacle; and in the very next verſe, knowing ſhortly that I muſt put off this my Tabernacle, 2 Pet. 1.13, 14. The body is like a poor Tent or Tabernacle, the ſtakes of it are not ſo ſtrong, and deeply fixt, but it may ſoon be taken down, ſoon removed.
2. The expreſſion intimates the need we have of Divine power and ſtrength to ſupport us, that the power of Chriſt may Tabernacle upon me, it is as much as if the Apoſtle ſhould ſay, this poor Tabernacle of mine would be ſoon blown down, did not a Divine hand keep it up, and ſupport it, therefore Pauls ambition was that Chriſts power might reſt upon him.
But here it may be askt,
When may Chriſts power be ſaid to reſt upon us?
1. When we have a preſent ſenſe of Chriſts power in our extremities; thus Paul a little after, in the Text, When I am weak, then am I ſtrong, verſ. 10. How ſo? When I am weak, then am I ſtrong; this ſeems to be a contradiction! But the plain meaning is, when he had the greateſt ſenſe of his own infirmity, then he had the moſt experience of Chriſts power put forth in him, mans extremity is Gods opportunity.
2. Then do we find the power of Chriſt reſt upon us, when we find the power of Chriſt ſtrengthning of us to bear afflictions, 1 Col. 11. Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience, and long-ſuffering with joyfulneſs. It is the power of Chriſt in the Saints that ſtrengthens them to all patience, and then doth the power of Chriſt reſt upon them, when by the power of Chriſt they are inabled to bear afflictions with joyfulneſs, Phil. 4.13. I can do all things through Chriſt ſtrengthning me, I am able to do all things, or I have power to do all things, ſo the word ſignifies, I have power and ſtrength to do all things,foreign. and what were theſe things, that Paul had a power to do? He could want, he could abound, he could be full, he could be hungry, he could bear all conditions with an equal mind. He had learned in whatſoever ſtate he was, therewith to be content. Now it was the power of Chriſt reſting on him that inabled him to do this. Nature cannot bear ſuch viciſſitudes, changes and variety of conditions with an equal mind. Nature frets and ſtorms when it meets with variety of troubles. O but the power of Chriſt reſting upon Paul made him bear all changes with an equal mind. Nothing but the power of Chriſt reſting on us will make us bear all conditions, afflictions and changes with an equal mind. And then doth the power of Chriſt reſt upon us, when by the ſtrength of his grace we are inabled to bear up under all the afflictions that we meet with in the courſe of our pilgrimage.
3. Then may the power of Chriſt be ſaid to reſt upon us, when the power of Chriſt acts us and carries us forth in difficult duties and ſervices. Chriſt hath promiſed, that his Spirit ſhall be in the heart of his people, John 14.16. I will pray the Father, and he ſhall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; and in the latter end of the next verſe, it is ſaid, He dwelleth with you, and ſhall be in you. How ſhall it be in them? It ſhall be in them, to act them. When we find the preſence of the ſpirit of Chriſt to act us in a ſenſible manner, then is the power of Chriſt ſaid to reſt upon us.
But here it may be ſaid,Queſt. how may we do to attain to this? to have the power of Chriſt to reſt upon us? for this is a deſirable thing to feel the power of Chriſt to reſt upon us. This was ſo deſirable a thing to Paul, that he could glory in reproaches, neceſſities and perſecutions, becauſe by this means he had more experience of Chriſts power reſting upon him. Paul was contented to undergo the greateſt difficulties, afflictions and hardſhips, ſo that he might have experience of Chriſts power reſting on him. And why is it ſo deſirable a thing to feel Chriſts power reſting upon us? The reaſon is, becauſe every approach of God, and every manifeſtation of the Divine preſence is moſt precious to the Saints. Now when the Saints have experience of Chriſts power reſting on them, they are moſt ſenſible of Gods approaches to them; when Chriſts power reſts upon them, it is a manifeſtation of Gods preſence in them, and what can be more deſirable to a holy ſoul, than to have ſome experience that God and Chriſt dwell in them?
How then may we attain to this, that the power of Chriſt may reſt upon us?
1. We muſt carry a deep ſenſe of our infirmitie,Anſw. the ſenſe of our infirmity makes way for the manifeſtation of Chriſts power, this we have heard already, when we are weak in our ſelves then have we moſt experience of Chriſts ſtrength, When I am weak, then am I ſtrong, ſaith the Apoſtle, he that would have experience of Chriſts ſtrength muſt be reduced to nothingneſs in himſelf.
2. We muſt ſubject our ſelves to Chriſt as our head, it is a great expreſſion, Eph. 5.24. Therefore as the Church is ſubject unto Chriſt, what is the import of that expreſſiom? What is it for the Church to be ſubject unto Chriſt? I conceive that the meaning is, That the Church and every member of it ought to own the Authority and Supremacy of Chriſt as its head, it ought to acknowledge him as the fountain and ſpring of all its ſupplies, and depend on him for all things, this is the Churches ſubjection to Chriſt, an owning and acknowledging Chriſt to be her head, owning and acknowledging his power and authority over her to ſupply all her wants, and to depend on him for all, this is for the Church to be ſubject to Chriſt, to ſubject her ſelf to him in a way of dependance. John. 15.4.Abide in me, and I in you; the promiſe of Chriſts abiding in us, is made upon our abiding in him, we cannot expect Chriſt ſhould abide in us by way of gracious influence, unleſs we abide in him in a way of dependance.
3. And Laſtly, We muſt long for, and wait for the power of Chriſt to be exerted and put forth in us. If we would have the power of Chriſt reſting on us, we muſt look for power without our ſelves to ſtrengthen us in ſuffering, and act us in duty. Phil. 4.13. I can do all things through Chriſts ſtrengthning me, foreign.through Chriſt in ſtrengthning of me. We muſt pray that we may ſeel the power of Chriſt operating and working inwardly in our hearts. Epheſ. 3.20. We read of his power manifeſted in the Saints, Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. We ſhould pray that we may feel and experiment more of this power that works in the Saints. The more experience we have of this power, the more ſhall we find that we are ſupported and born up under our afflictions and infirmities, the more we ſhall find we are inlarged and carried forth in all our ſervices; whatever our infirmities, afflictions, neceſſities and diſtreſſes are, the power of Chriſt reſting on us will carry us up above them all, For his ſtrength is made perfect in our infirmitie.
The End of the Fourteenth Sermon.