The Saints Temptations, Sermons · Sermon 12
SERMON XII.
2 Cor. 12.9.
And he ſaid unto me, My grace is ſufficient for thee: for my ſtrength is made perfect in weakneſs.
I Come now to ſome other particulars to ſhew us the excellency of Divine grace. The laſt conſideration mentioned to ſet forth the excellency of grace, was taken from the ſweetneſs that is in Divine grace, and that was the third particular; we now come to a fourth.
4. The Excellency of Divine grace appears in this, That Divine grace,The fourth Particular to ſhew the excellency of Divine grace. it is ſome kind of participation of God himſelf. Grace is that which cauſeth us in a meaſure to participate of the Divine Life, and of the Divine perfection. Hence is that expreſſion of the Apoſtle Peter, 2 Pet. 1.4. That we are made partakers of the Divine nature. By the help of Divine grace we are brought to the neareſt ſimilitude to the Divine Life. For wherein doth the will of God conſiſt? It is the perfection of God to will himſelf as the laſt end, and to will all things relating to the creature in the moſt holy manner. This is the Divine perfection. Now by Divine grace it is that we are able to will God as our laſt end, and to will all other things regularly and conformably to the Divine will. It is the happineſs of Heaven that we ſhall be like to God, 1 John 3.2. We ſhall be like him, that is, we ſhall be holy as he is holy, happy as he is happy, according to the capacity of the creature. Now by grace we are aſſimilated to God here on earth. None ſo like to God here on earth as he that is moſt acted by Divine grace.
5. Another thing wherein the excellency of Divine grace appears is this,Partic. 5. Divine grace is that which cauſeth a man to deny his own wiſdom, his own will, his own inclinations and affections, and to refer himſelf wholly to the Divine wiſdom and will, and to acquieſce therein. Thus did the power of Divine grace exert it ſelf, and ſhew it ſelf forth in our Saviour, and if we would look for grace, and ſee where grace is to be found in perfection, we muſt look to Chriſt, for he is the higheſt pattern of grace, in him grace acted it ſelf in perfection. The power of Divine grace in the heart of our Saviour ſhewed it ſelf in this, to make him deny his own will and acquieſce in the Divine will, Matth. 26.37, 39. Father if it be poſſible let this cup paſs from me: Nevertheleſs not as I will, but as thou wilt. Here we ſee our Saviour denies his own will, and refers himſelf to the fathers will; the natural deſire and inclination of the humane will in our Saviour was to be kept from ſuffering. But now herein did the power of Divine grace appear in the heart of our Saviour, that he denied his own will and referred himſelf to his Fathers will, Not as I will, but as thou wilt. As much as if he had ſaid, not that which I deſire, not that which nature would think beſt, but that which thou in thy infinite wiſdom thinkeſt beſt, and which thy will determines. Much of the power and efficacy of Divine grace appears in this, in helping a man to conquer his own private will, his natural deſires and Inclinations. When the Impetus and bent of nature lies this way, nature is carryed with a ſtrong current to ſuch a thing, then comes the power of Divine grace and helps a man to deny this ſtrong bent and inclination of nature, and carries him a quite contrary way, this ſhews the efficacy of Divine grace. And they that do not know what this means, know little of the power of grace. But thoſe that have felt the power of the grace of God upon their hearts, they know what theſe things mean.
6.Partic. 6. The Excellency of Divine grace appears in this, that it will cauſe a man to be ſatisfied in God, and with God, without other things. I have ſhewed formerly how grace cauſeth a man to live upon God in the midſt of other things. Now I muſt ſhew how grace will cauſe a man to be ſatisfied with God when he denies him other things. So much as a man is acted by Divine grace, he will adhere to God, live upon God and be ſatisfied with God when he wants other things. Not that a Godly man deſpiſeth and refuſeth the gifts of God which he beſtows upon him; he knows he may lawfully deſire and uſe the gifts of God in their proper places. But when God denies thoſe comforts to him that others have, or he himſelf hath a mind to, ſo far as a man is acted by Divine grace, he will retire to God himſelf and adhere to him, accounting God to be his happineſs when he hath nothing elſe, Pſal. 16.5, 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou maintaineſt my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleaſant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. It is as much as if he had ſaid, though I have nothing left but God, yet I have enough in him, I am ſatisfied in him,Divitiae noſtrae, Deus noſter. Aug. God is our riches ſaid that holy man. O let us pray for more Divine grace, and then we ſhall have more experience of this frame.
7. The Excellency of Divine grace agpears in this,Partic. 7. that it elevates the ſoul to the deſire of the Heavenly Country. It is by the power of Divine grace that we come to breath much after the future life. It is ſaid of the antient Saints, Now they deſire a better country, that is an Heavenly, Heb. 11.16. It was grace that elevated them unto this, for it is proper to nature to ſtick in preſent things. The natural deſires and affections that are in men cauſe them to deſire to live always here on earth. They know not another life, are not acquainted with it, and therefore they do not deſire it. It is Divine grace only that doth diſcover to men another life, and cauſeth them to ſuſpire and breath after that life, 2 Cor. 5.8. We are conſident, and willing rather to be abſent from the body, and to be preſent with the Lord. Paul knew there was another life, a more excellent life after this, he knew he ſhould be preſent with the Lord, and live with him, and this made him ſuſpire and breathe after this life. It is only the grace of God can make a man breathe after the future life, for the generality of men that are not acted by Divine grace, ſtick in theſe things, and would always live here on earth.
8.Partic. 8. The Excellency of Divine grace appears in this, that it cauſeth a man to perſevere to the end. It is by the power of Divine grace that we are kept on in a way of faith and obedience to the end. Did not Divine grace ſupport us, our faith would fail; and though we have overcome many difficulties already, yet our faith would flag at laſt, and we ſhould be ready to give up all our hopes. Therefore doth Chriſt tell Peter that he had prayed for him that his faith might not fail. This plainly intimates that if Peter had not had aſſiſtance from Divine grace, his faith would have failed. So likewiſe we ſhould ſaint in the courſe of our obedience did not Divine grace ſupport and uphold us, Pſal. 73.13. Verily, I have cleanſed my heart in vain, and waſhed my hands in innocency, ſaith that holy man. When he was under the power of temptation, he was ready to give off his obedience, to give up the courſe of his walking with God, he began to repent he had been religious and walked with God. But now it is by the help of Divine grace that we are kept from fainting in the courſe of our obedience. The Lord hath promiſed that he will put his fear in our hearts that we ſhall not depart from him, Jer. 32.40. Did not God put his fear into our hearts, we ſhould be ready to depart from him. He alſo leadeth us in the paths of righteouſneſs for his names ſake, Pſal. 23.3. It is grace cauſeth us to perſevere. It is Auſtins obſervation, That grace is neceſſary for the elect, when they are converted firſt of all,Sive cum convert…ntur, ſive cum praeliantur, ſive cum coro…antur. It is neceſſary for them when they war and combat, and it is neceſſary for them when they are crowned at laſt. It is Divine grace that converts and turns our hearts to God firſt of all. It is grace upholds us in the ſpiritual conflict, and enables us to ſight the good fight of faith, otherwiſe we thould be weary and faint in our minds, and we ſhould be ready to give up the field. And then it is grace that crowns us at laſt, ſo that all is of grace. And it is another memorable ſpeech of Auſtin, After mans fall, God would have it appertain to nothing but his grace, that man ſhould come to him at firſt, and it doth alſo appertain to the ſame grace only, to keep him that he ſhould not depart from him. So that after mans fall it is Divine grace that firſt brings man back to God, and it is the ſame grace that holds man cloſe to him in the courſe of obedience, ſo that he never depart from God again, but goes on to perſevere in the way of faith and obedience to the end.
9.Partic. 9. The Excellency of Divine grace appears in this, that it carries a man above the ſears of death. It is grace only that carries a man above the fears of death, and makes him willing to lay down this life, and cau…eth him ſweetly and placidly to reſign up his ſoul into Gods hands. Father, into thy hands, ſaith Chriſt, I commit my ſpirit. Act. 7 59.Lord Jeſus, ſaith Stephen, receive my ſpirit, Nature abhors the thoughts of diſſolution, nature cannot indure to think of parting with this life, Not that we would be uncloathed, ſaith Paul, but that mortality might be ſwallowed up of life, 2 Cor. 5.4. Paul himſelf found in himſelf an abhorrence in nature as to diſſolution. O but then the power of Divine grace in him made him to ſpeak otherwiſe, I deſire to be diſſolved, and to be with Chriſt. Here we ſee the different language of nature and grace in the ſame perſon. Nature makes him ſay, not that I would be uncloathed, but grace makes him ſay, I deſire to be diſſolved, ſo that grace overcomes nature. When nature abhors nothing more than death, and diſſolution, yet ſuch is the power of Divine grace, that it makes a man freely to lay down his life, and to ſurrender up his ſoul ſweetly into the hands of God.
Laſtly, Partic. 10.The laſt particular I ſhall mention to ſhew the excellency of Divine grace is this, It is the happineſs of Heaven to be always acted by Divine grace; to think, to love, to deſire, to will, to ſpeak, to act nothing but as Divine grace would teach and incline us to do, this is the perfection of Heaven it ſelf. What is the perfection of Heaven, but that we ſhall be full of grace and of the ſpirit of God? The perfection of Heaven conſiſts in this, that grace and the ſpirit of God ſhall act us univerſally, always, and in all things. The happineſs of Heaven is deſcribed by this, that God ſhall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15. And one way by which God is all in all is this, that in Heaven, we ſhall be full of the ſpirit of God, and that we ſhall be purely, and perfectly, and eternally acted by the ſpirit of God. Here nature and ſelf ſway us very much, but the perfection of Heaven is this, that we ſhall be purely and ſolely acted by the ſpirit of God, and fleſh and nature ſhall no more have the ſway in us, but we ſhall do every thing as the ſpirit of God acts us. How excellent is a Saint here on earth? What a beauty and majeſty doth there appear in him here on earth, ſo far as he is acted by the ſpirit of God and by Divine grace? That which makes any thing uncomely in a Chriſtian, is that nature, and corruption, and ſelf appears in him. But ſo far as grace and the ſpirit of God acts him, there is nothing but beauty, lovelineſs and comelineſs that appears in him. How excellent I ſay, is a Saint ſo far as he is acted by the grace of God here on earth? Oh but there are many mixtures of corruption, and imperfections in the beſt of the Saints here on earth, there is none of the Saints ſo perfectly acted by Divine grace, but ſomething of ſelf and corruption interpoſeth. O but in Heaven he ſhall be purely, and perfectly, and eternally acted by the ſpirit of God, nothing ſhall come from him then but what ſavours of the ſpirit of God. Now if the perfection of grace, be the perfection of Heaven it ſelf, how excellent then is Divine grace that brings us near to the life of Heaven?
Thus have I ſhewn the excellency of Divine grace in ſeveral particulars.
And what ſhould all that that we have heard concerning the Doctrine of grace, and the excellency of it teach us?
1. It ſhould cauſe us to love Divine grace, to prize it, and long after it more, to covet it, and pray for it more than we do for temporal things. Had we ſpiritual eyes to ſee the beauty and excellency of Divine grace, we ſhould not be ſo fond of other things, and neglect grace, our main deſires would run out after grace.
2. We ſhould make this Uſe from what we have heard of the Doctrine of Divine grace, we ſhould pray that we may feel the operations and effects of Divine grace put forth in our ſouls. We have heard how that grace cauſeth a man to deny his own wiſdom, will, affections, inclinations, and to reſign himſelf wholly to Gods will. We have heard how grace cauſeth a man to be ſatisfied in God and with God in the want of other things: We have heard how grace elevates the ſoul to the deſire of the Heavenly Country; how it cauſeth a man to perſevere in faith and obedience to the end, to lay down this life when God calls him thereunto. Now we ſhould pray to ſeel and find that preſence of Divine grace in our ſouls that we may be carried forth to all theſe things; then and never till then ſhall we know the ſweetneſs of Divine grace and the excellency of it, when we find theſe ſweet operations, and powerful effects of Divine grace upon our hearts. He that hath found theſe operations and workings of Divine grace in his ſoul, cannot but love Divine grace above all other things whatſoever.
Having ſhewed the Excellency of Divine grace, it remains only that I ſhould propound ſome means in order to the obtaining of grace. God promiſeth to give a ſufficiency of grace to his people, My grace ſhall be ſufficient for thee. What are the moſt proper means for us to obtain ſufficiency of grace from God according to all our neceſſities?
1. Let us labour to be deeply ſenſible of the need of Divine grace.Direct. 1. Our Saviour telleth us, That without him we can do nothing, John 5. Although we have the habits of grace, yet we need actual grace to enable us to do any thing that is good. Paul ſaith, that to will was preſent, but how to perform that which was good he knew not: we need actual aſſiſting grace, to carry us through every duty. Now we ought to be deeply ſenſible of the need we have of Divine grace.1 Pet. 5.5. God gives grace to the humble, the humble ſoul is the ſoul that God ſingles out to give grace unto, and when are we humble? Truly then are we humble when we are poor in ſpirit, when we are ſenſible of our own impotency and inability to do any thing that is ſpiritually good without Divine grace. It is a ſpeech of the wiſe man, He that truſts in his own heart is a fool. There is nothing that hinders us more from the reception of Divine grace, than when we are ſelf-confident, and preſume upon our own ſufficiency. The promiſe is, my grace ſhall be ſufficient for thee. If we have a ſelf-fulneſs, a ſelf-ſufficiency we are not like to have a ſufficiency of Divine grace. What need hath he of a ſufficiency of grace from God that thinks he hath a ſufficiency of ſtrength in himſelf? Paul ſaith that he had not ſufficiency of himſelf to think any thing. We ought to be deeply ſenſible of our abſolute dependence upon Divine grace, and that without Divine grace we are nothing. One great reaſon why God ſuſpends and withholds grace and aſſiſtance from us, is, becauſe we think that we have ſtrength and ſufficiency at our own command, and becauſe we have been carried out ſo and ſo formerly, and have been acted by Divine grace ſo and ſo, therefore we are ready to think it is in our own power to act as we have done. Therefore is it that God leaves us to our ſelves, to ſhew us what we are without the aſſiſtance of his grace. God will have us to ſee that all is of grace, and if he ſuſpend and withhold his grace never ſo little, we cannot do what we have done.
2. If we would obtain Divine grace,Direct. 2. let us prize grace above temporal things. Our deſires are apt to run out after other things, but the main of our deſires ſhould run out after Divine grace. Let me ſay (But O how few Chriſtians believe it, or live as if they did believe it?) That God doth more for us, in communicating the leaſt grace to us, than in beſtowing on us the greateſt temporal bleſſing. And the reaſon is plain, becauſe grace is in order to a ſupernatural good. Grace lies in a tendency to our communion with God here, and our injoyment of him hereafter. Now grace being ſuch a gift as is of a higher rank and order than any temporal good, we ought to prize it as ſuch. I have often thought, ſo the Lord keep us from ſin, and give us a ſufficiency of grace to act us throughout our whole lives, we need not be greatly ſolicitous about any thing elſe. It is the greateſt happineſs in this world to be kept from ſin and to have a ſufficiency of grace to act us. Whatever temporal thing God denies us, if we have but a ſufficiency of grace to act us, and to help us to do that which is pleaſing in his ſight, it is enough. It was Pauls great option and wiſh, that whether preſent or abſent he might be acceptable to God, 2 Cor. 5.9. Now as long as we are acted by Divine grace we ſhall have a teſtimony in our ſelves that we are accepted of God. Not that the fundamental acceptation of our perſons depends upon our grace and obedience, this depends upon the perfect obedience and righteouſneſs of Chriſt. But ſo far as we are acted by Divine grace, we ſhall have a teſtimony in our ſelves, that what we do is pleaſing to God. And canſt thou deſire a greater happineſs O Chriſtian than this, to have ſuch a teſtimony as Enoch had, that thou haſt pleaſed God? So far as thou art acted by Divine grace thou ſhalt have this teſtimony given thee that thou haſt pleaſed God, 1 John 3.22. Whatſoever we ask we receive of him, becauſe we keep his commandments, and do thoſe things that are pleaſing in his ſight.
3. Let us thirſt after grace,Direct. 3. Matth. 5.6. the promiſes are made to thirſting, Bleſſed are they that hunger, and thirſt, after righteouſneſs, they ſhall be filled. And it is a great Text, John 7.37. If any man thirſt, let him come to me and drink, he that believes on me, out of his belly ſhall flow rivers of living water. Chriſt promiſeth a liberal effuſion of grace and the ſpirit to them that thirſt and come to him for grace. The living water here ſpoken of, is grace and the ſpirit; ſo it follows, This ſpake he of the ſpirit, which they that believe on him ſhould receive. Here then is the living water, namely the ſpirit, and the grace of the ſpirit: well! But here are rivers of living water. He that believes on me, out of his belly ſhall flow rivers of living waters. Ye is not drops of living water, but rivers of living water. This ſets forth the copiouſneſs and abundance, of that grace that Chriſt will communicate, and then theſe rivers ſhall flow too; out of his belly ſhall flow rivers of living water, that is, there ſhall be a free paſſage of Divine grace unto the believing ſoul, nothing ſhall impede and hinder the current of Divine grace to a believing ſoul, and then it is ſaid, Out of his belly, (for I take it that there is weight in every word) that is, grace ſhall be a living ſpring within him. Out of his belly, grace comes primarily from Chriſt the head of the Church, but a believer, by union with Chriſt, and dependance upon Chriſt, ſhall have grace as a living ſpring in him; that I take to be the meaning, compare this with John 4.14. But whoſoever drinketh of the water, that I ſhall give him, ſhall never thirſt; But the water that I ſhall give him, ſhall be in him a well of water, ſpringing up into everlaſting life. A believers grace comes all from Chriſt the head of the Church. O but his ſupplies of grace by living upon Chriſt the head of the Church ſhall be ſo conſtant, as if ſo be he had a ſpring of grace in himſelf. It ſhall be in him a well of water, ſpringing up into everlaſting life, it notes the conſtancy of ſupply that ſhall be to every believing ſoul that lives upon Chriſt as his head.
4.Direct. 4. Let us pray for the ſpirit and Divine grace much. Ask, and ye ſhall have, ſeek, and you ſhall find, Mat. 7. God hath promiſed to give the ſpirit to them that ask him. When Paul would obtain ſtrength againſt his temptations, what was the courſe that he took, For this thing I beſought the Lord thrice. We may pray for temporal things, and not always have what we would have, becauſe God doth not always ſee temporal things to be good for us. But if we pray for Divine grace, the Lord will be ſure to hear us as to that: and though we have not ſuch meaſures of grace as we would have, yet we ſhall have a ſufficiency of grace, ſuch a meaſure of grace as God in his infinite wiſdom thinks fit for us; ſo the promiſe runs, My grace ſhall be ſufficient. We may not have as much grace as we would, but we ſhall have ſuch a meaſure of grace as God ſees beſt for us, we ſhall have a ſufficiency of grace.
5. If we would obtain Divine grace,Direct. 5. let us labour for that holy skill of deriving grace from Chriſt the head of the Church, Epheſ. 1. latter end, God hath given him to be head over all things to his body the Church. This is a myſterie, though few Chriſtians I am afraid, underſtand it, as they ought, that Chriſt is appointed of God, as head of the Church to diſpenſe and give forth all grace to the Church, and every member of it. God hath given him to be head over all things, that is a great expreſſion, over all things, that is, to all intents and purpoſes. Chriſt is appointed head of the Church as to all ends, and uſes whatſoever, that whatever grace we need, we muſt receive it from Chriſt as our head, and he is appointed of the Father to give it out. Therefore here lies our great concernment, to labour after a holy skill to derive grace from Chriſt as head of the Church. I am afraid, we are greatly defective here. The greateſt part of Chriſtians I am apt to believe are more acquainted with living upon the righteouſneſs of Chriſt for juſtification, than they are acquainted with the way of deriving grace, and ſpiritual influence from Chriſt the head of the Church for ſanctification. It is not enough that we know how to have recourſe to Chriſt for pardon and juſtification, but we ſhould be acquainted with Chriſt as the head of the Church, and live upon him for actual grace and ſpiritual influence. John 15.4. Abide in me, and I in you. We muſt learn that skill to abide in Chriſt by the attractive acts of faith, or we ſhall make little of ſanctification.
Here it may be ſaid,Queſtion. wherein doth this skill conſiſt of deriving actual grace from Chriſt the head of the Church?Anſwer.
If we would be skilled in this myſtery of drawing vertue from Chriſt the head of the Church, we muſt attend to theſe two things.
1. We muſt look to the humanity of Chriſt as the firſt receptacle of grace, John 1.14. The word was made fleſh full of grace and truth. The word, the ſecond perſon in Trinity aſſuming our nature, the humane nature in Chriſt, by means of the perſonal union comes to be filled with all grace. The humane nature I ſay, by its perſonal conjunction with the word, is filled with grace, and therefore that immediately follows, the word was made fleſh, full of grace and truth. No ſooner was our nature united to the ſecond perſon in Trinity, but by means of this union, it comes to be filled with all grace. So that the humane nature in Chriſt is the firſt receptacle of grace, that is the firſt thing we are to attend unto.
2. We muſt look to the divinity in Chriſt as repleniſhing his humanity with all grace, and in the humane nature aſſumed, becoming the fountain of grace to us, Col. 2.9. For in him dwelleth all the fulneſs of the God-head bodily. The fulneſs of the God-head by means of the perſonal union dwells in Chriſt, and mark it, by means of the perſonal union it becomes the fountain of grace to us. Firſt, it fills the humanity of Chriſt. The God-head fills the humanity, and by the humanity, and through the humanity it conveys grace to us. So that faith in having recourſe to Chriſt for actual grace, hath to do with both natures in Chriſt, the humane nature, and the divine nature. Firſt, Faith hath to do with the humane nature, faith is to eye the humane nature as the firſt receptacle of grace, and as the organ by which grace is conveyed to us. Secondly, Faith hath to do with the Divine nature as the principle efficient of all grace, Joh. 1.16. Of his fulneſs we receive grace for grace. This fulneſs here ſpoken of, is primarily and originally in the God-head, and then ſecondly, this fulneſs is derivatively in the humane nature of Chriſt, and that in theſe two reſpects.
1. In that the humane nature in Chriſt hath all the habits and effects of grace impreſt upon it that nature is capable of.
2. That the humane nature is the organ of the Divinity, in and by which all grace is diffuſed, and communicated unto us. Of his fulneſs we receive grace for grace. Now we ſhould ſtudy more the way of having recourſe to Chriſt, and drawing actual grace from him; the more we can eye the Divinity in Chriſt as filling him with all Grace, and lean upon him as our Head for all grace, the more grace we ſhall receive from him.
6. If we would obtain Divine grace, Direct. 6.let us be greatly thankful for what grace we have already received, To him that hath ſhall more be given. As we ſhould be thankful for all the gifts of God, ſo eſpecially for the gift of grace, becauſe it is one of the choiſeſt and beſt of all the gifts of God. If we are bound to bleſs God for temporal mercies and favours, much more for Divine grace. Nothing will cauſe God ſooner to ſuſpend grace from us, than unthankfulneſs for what grace we have received. God would have us to know that grace is no ſmall gift, therefore when we are not deeply ſenſible of what mercy God hath ſhewn us in giving us what grace we have already received, nothing is ſo likely to deprive us more of grace. God ſets a high price on his grace, and he would have us do ſo too, therefore if God have given us any grace, we ſhould be more thankful for that, than for any temporal bleſſing; And to him that hath ſhall more be given.
The end of the Twelfth Sermon.