Commentary on 2 Corinthians 1, Commentary · Commentary on verse 15
VERSE XV.
And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that you might have a second benefit, or Grace.
IN this confidence,] In this assurance, in this perswasion, I was minded to come to you.
[That you might have a second benefit,] saith the last translation; it doth diminish the strength of the word: therefore go from the Text to the margin: you have oft-times a fitter word in the margin.
Charis, The word is pregnant in the Original, it signifieth Grace: if it signifie a benefit at all, it signifies a benefit that issues from grace and favour; benefit is a weaker word. Grace, though it be not so common, is a fit word, and reaches to the strength of the word in the Original, to the meaning of the Apostle; so it is better to read it so, That you might have a second Grace.
Saint Paul in this Verse sets down what intention he had to come to them.
And likewise the end of his intention.
In the next Verse he sets down the manner how he would come to them.
Fourthly, he shewes why he came not to them, it was to spare them, as he faith afterward.
Here in this Verse he shewes what his intention was: My intention was to come to you. In this confidence I was minded to come to you.
To what end? That you might have a second benefit.
His intention is set down by the inward moving cause, his confidence; In this confidence I was minded to come to you.
I will speak of his intention, and purpose of coming: And of the end of it. And in his purpose of coming, of the moving cause, his confidence.
In this confidence.
What is that? In this confidence, because I am assured that you are my rejoycing, and I yours in the day of the Lord Jesus; in this confidence that you will be so to me, and I to you. In this confidence.
Saint Paul had a good opinion of them: The inward moving cause of S. Paul to come, it was a good conceit of them.
It is good as far as possibly we can to cherish a good judgment, and conceit of Observ. Good as far as may be to cherish a good opinion of others.others.
Let others have as good place in our affections as possibly may be.
Why?
If they be good, we wrong them else even in our conceit. We do not Reason 1.onelyonly wrong men in our speeches and actions, but in our sinister judgments, in the censures of our minds: therefore we should have as good conceit of men as possibly we can in that regard.
And likewise, because confidence, and assurance that they have something Reason 2.in them that is good, and it will be better with them after in the day of the Lord, this will be a means to stir us up to deserve well of them. Hope stirs up Will; we have no mind to a thing that we have not hope of. And likewise Hope stirs up endeavour: And Hope keeps in endeavour. What makes a man so long in endeavouring the good of others? he hath some hope, they are good, and will be better. So it stirres up our will, the bent of it, it stirres; it stirres up endeavour upon will; and it keeps us in endeavour when we hope for good at mens hands.
And therefore we ought not to cast off men (especially those that are Not to cast off men for infirmities.young,) for imperfections. The Corinthians were weak, and carnal, as you may see in the former Epistle, yet in this confidence that they had repented of their ill usage of S. Paul, he was minded to come to them. Persons that are the subjects of hope, are not free from infirmities. Novices cannot have that perfection that grown Christians have at the first. Consider further what is of passion, and what is of the poyson of nature: consider what is of infirmity, and what is of malice. Consider what sins they have been longer accustomed to, and how hardly such sins are suddenly broken off. These considerations would mitigate something where we see any degree of goodnesse.
Oh, this pleaseth now some vicious-disposed persons: they think this makes for them.
Not at all: what I speak is, where there is any ground to hope well of. S. Paul had some ground, for he wrote a sharp Epistle to them, and he saw they were amended on it: he saw they yielded, they acknowledged, that is, they reformed by his Ministery, and by his Epistle. So where we discern reformation, that there is a willingnesse of amendment, we must hope of such, though they be sometimes overtaken. And if they be overtaken we must construe it to the best: the temptation perhaps was great, and they were not watchful at that time: the subtilty of the opposition, and the malice of men was great, and their caution was not so great; thus we may construe to bear with them, if upon the discovery of their fault, they become pliable: but otherwise, if they arm themselves with malice and bitter poyson, and resolve to be so still, there is no hope, no confidence of such. Saint Paul's confidence here, was with evidence from their carriage; they gave him some cause to be so confident.
Therefore it is in vain to think that we are too censorious when we tell you of your faults: that very conceit that you think bitterly, and arm your selves with resolutions, rather to vex those that inform you, then to amend that which is amisse, that is as ill a disposition, as ill a state as can be. We can hope for no good of such: yet notwithstanding we ought so far to hope of them, as nor to give them over; as S. Paul saith, 2 Tim. 2. To prove if at any time God will shew mercy to them, to deliver them out of the snare of the devil. They are in the Devils snare, yet we ought still to take pains with them: for we know not whether it will please God, at that time, or at any time, to have mercy on them, and deliver them out of the snare of Satan.
If God bear with them, we ought to bear with them as well as teach them: but to have a good conceit of them, when we see them maliciously bent against those that tell them of their faults, we cannot.
If this be so; It should be an encouragement for all those that are under Use. Encouragement to inferiours to give occasion of good hope.others that inform and instruct them, to give them some good occasion and ground to hope well of them. You would have us hope well of you, what ground do you give? what is your company? Shall we think you are good, because you converse with those that are swearers? with vicious, and carnal company? would you have us blind? Charity indeed interprets the best, but it is not blind. What shall we judge of you by your outward demeanour and carriage, that is oft-times scandalous and offensive? when your speeches are filthy, and corrupt, joyned with blasphemies, and oathes; daring God (as it were) whether he will suffer you to carry it away unrevenged, and unpunished, or not. Where this abominable corruption of heart discovers it self outwardly in the tongue, how can we entertain good conceits of you? You think we wrong you, by not conceiving thus, and thus of you: what ground have we? what hold have we from any thing that is in you, or from you so to conceit? Resolve on this, there cannot be grievance offered to the Minister, but you must reward ill to your own soules; if you be not his joy, it will be your sorrow; you will have the worst of it. And therefore study as much as may be to have the good hope, and confidence of others. This will stirre up willingnesse, and stirre up endeavour, as it did in S. Paul; the good hope he had of them by their repentance, and reformation, and pliablenesse, it stirred up his diligence; they gained by it: but I mean not to stand on that.
In this confidence, that you will be my joy, and I yours in the day of the Lord.
I was minded to come unto you:
Saint Paul was minded to come unto them. You see then, That
Personal presence hath a special power and efficacy.Observ. Personal presence hath a special power.
Personal presence hath more efficacy then writing: For there the holy things that are delivered, they are (as it were) acted to the life. Men are wondrously affected when they see gracious things delivered with life, and feeling: it hath a wondrous lively working. Therefore S. Paul tells the Romanes, Rom. 1. 15. that beside his learned, and worthy Epistle he wrote to them, he was desirous also to preach the Gospel to them.
But some object; Reading is preaching, say they: Some kind of preaching. But not that which the Apostle meant: for then Saint Paul's Epistle was preaching, some kind of preaching. But I speak not to Sophisters: but, saith Saint Paul, I desire to preach the Word to you by vocall teaching; it hath a special efficacy. It is wondrous good praying for others, and writing to others: but presence, when the Minister is the mouth of God with them, and to them: their mouth to God, to pray together with them; and Gods mouth, to speak to them: this presence is of a wondrous efficacy; therefore S. Paul saith, I purposed to come to you.
It should stirre up in our hearts an esteem of the Ordinance of God, of Use. To esteem Gods Ordinance.Preaching: or else we sleight it with the prejudice of our our soules: For doth God appoint it for any thing but for our own good? There is a common Objection, which (because it is raised out of this Epistle, and may be answered out of this Epistle,) I will answer.
Oh, say some, a lively voice hath not alway that Energy, that operation, Object.that writing and reading have: for we see S. Paul's Epistle was more terrible then his presence. It is the Objection of men that content themselves in their own idlenesse, wresting of such places as this. Among the rest, 2 Cor. 10. 10. say they, His bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible, but his letters seem terrible. Therefore this is not alway true, That bodily presence hath more efficacy then writing.
I answer briefly, Saint Paul compares not here his bodily presence with Answ.his letters, as if his letters were more efficacious then his bodily presence: but he compares his mild dealing, being present, with his sharp dealing, being absent: his letters indeed were sharper then his presence: But to take away such Cavils, he tells them after that they shall know (if they reform not,) that his presence shall be as sharp as his writings. Let such a one think this, Such as we are in word being absent, such will we be when we are present. We will be as sharp (if you reform not) in our presence, as we were absent. So he compares the sharpnesse of his letter with the sweetnesse of his presence. It is not to be taken in that sense that his letters were more effectual of themselves then his presence: for he saith the contrary, You shall know that my presence shall be as sharp as my letter was. Therefore it is but a Cavil to think there is more efficacy in Reading, then in Preaching.
That you might have a second Grace.Saint Paul's end in coming to Corinth.
I come now to S. Paul's end: His intention and purpose was to come. The end of his coming was to bestow a grace on them by his presence. In general Observe here, That
Holy men are fel on work from holy moving causes, and holy aimes.Observ. Holy men work from holy ends.
Holy aimes are the winds that carry them to their businesse, and they are the water that drive their Mill. I come with a holy confidence that you will be my joy: here is my moving cause. What is my aime in coming? It is this, to bestow a grace on you. Holy men have holy aimes for holy actions; they have holy grounds, and holy moving causes.
When two men do the same thing, yet it is not the same thing: perhaps their aimes differ, their moving causes differ. Saint Paul comes here to do a good thing from a good end, from a good moving cause: In this confidence I was minded to come, to bestow a grace on you.
Let us look in all our actions therefore to our moving cause, and to our Use. To look to our aimes in our actions.aimes. And especially Ministers, their aime it should not be for the fleece, it should not be to gain respect, or any advantage to themselves, but to bestow some spiritual good thing. As the Apostle saith, Rom. 1. To bestow some good thing upon you, some grace, as he calls it. This should be their aime, not to receive good from them so much as to do them good. Ministers are fathers, they should have that tender disposition. Parents do not think of receiving much: (they look to that in the second place, that must be maintained) but specially they look to their Childrens good. I come to bestow a grace on you. How this is observed, I list not to speak, therefore I leave it; and come to that which concerns us all. I was minded to come to you:
To bestow a grace on you. We see then, That
The Preaching of the Gospel is a special Grace.Doctr. The preaching of the Gospel a special grace.
It is a free and bountiful benefit of God. Gracce implies freedome, and mercy, and bounty. It is a free mercy of God to have the Gospel:
Why?
Because this is the means to work all that is savingly good in us. This Reason. It is the means to work all good in us.is a means to open to us Gods love in Christ; and to work in us a disposition answerable to his love: therefore it must needs be a grace. Heaven is a grace, life is a grace, reconciliation a grace, and such like: therefore the Word must needs be a grace, by which all these are communicated. Therefore the Word hath the name of these things; It is the Word of the Kingdome of heaven. It is called the Kingdome of heaven, the preaching of the Gospel: because it puts us into the state of the Kingdome of heaven: and the Word of reconciliation, because by it we know our reconciliation with God: it is offered, and wrought in our hearts; and faith to apply it by this Word. It is the Word of life, Act. 20. the life of grace, and the life of glory all come by this Word. I commend you to God, and the Word of his Grace, saith the Apostle: All grace, and spiritual life is wrought in us by the Word: therefore the Word preached, it is a special grace, and favour of God.
Saint Paul here calls his coming to them to strengthen, and confirm them, a grace: For all means come under the same decree of Gods eternal love with the decree it self. When God out of grace resolves, and sets down, that he will bring such a one to heaven, of his free love; he doth out of the same grace fit him with opportunities of persons, and means: he accommodates him with all means; for he intends in such a way to bring him to heaven.
And therefore S. Austin doth well define Predestination: it is an ordaining to salvation, and a preparing of all means tending thereto. Therefore all fall in the compasse of grace, both the free favour of God, setting a man down to make him happy; and likewise by sending men that have an outward calling, and inwardly furnishing them with gifts, and whatsoever, all is of Grace. The preaching of the Word is a grace.
It concerns us therefore so to esteem it: Do not many sit in darknesse, and in the shadow of death? Is it not a grace therefore that we partake of Use. To esteem the Word as a Grace.the means of salvation? What is in us by nature better then in Turks, and Pagans? or then many other people under Satan, and under Popish Teachers, and so rot away in their Ignorance? nothing; we differ onelyonly by the grace of God: therefore let us esteem it as a grace.
How shall we esteem it as a grace?
Receive it thankfully, as a largesse, and bounty, and free grace of God: receive it as a bounty with thankful hearts: Grace begets grace, it begets thankfulnesse: so to receive it as a grace, is to receive it with thankful minds, to be more thankfull for the means of salvation, then for any outward thing.
How shall we come to be thankful?How to come to be thankful.
Never, unlesse we find some grace wrought by the Word of Grace. Therefore to receive it as a grace, is to receive it as a free, loving gift of God, and to yield to it: when by it holy motions are stirred in our hearts, not to suppresse, and quench holy motions, but to yield to them. Not to quench and resist the Spirit, but to yield our selves pliable to the Word. This is to acknowledge it a grace; to be thankfull for it, because you find your hearts wrought to holy obedience by it. Give it way in your soules, that it may be an ingraffed Word, that all the inward and outward man may be seasoned with it, and relish of it: that the Word may season your thoughts and speeches, and desires, and season your course of life, that what you think may be in the relish and strength of the Word, in the strength of some Divine truth, and the guide of your actions may be Divine truth, or some motives from it. Then you will give thanks for what is wrought on you, when it is an ingraffed Word in your soules, and all relish of it, your speeches, and actions, and your whole course: when a man may know by your carriage that there is something invested, and ingraffed in your soules, that gives a blessed relish to all the expressions of the outward man. Such a one indeed will account the Word a special grace by a sweet experience wrought in his heart. I will not presse that Point any further.
Again, whereas S. Paul saith, he would come to bestow a second grace on them; we see here, That
Those that are in the state of Grace already, they need a second grace.Doctr. Those that are in the state of Grace, need a second grace.
Those that have initial grace to be set in a good course, they need confirming and strengthening Grace. S. Paul had planted them before. I but he must come to water them; there is alway somewhat left for the Minister to do, till he see their soules safe in heaven, he hath alway somewhat to do to the Christian soules under him: For he must not onelyonly get them out of Satans Kingdome, into a good estate, but he must labour to build them up; he must water them, and fence them, and strengthen them against all discouragements.
A man is never safe till he be in heaven: therefore he saith, I will come to you, but I will come to bestow a second Grace on you, you have need of it, and my love is such to you, that you shall have it. To enforce this a little, because we set termes to our growth, and go on plodding in a course, and many years after we are no better then we were at the first: and some out of a prophane fulnesse; out of a Laodicean temper, they think they have enough, they are rich; when indeed they are empty, and miserable, and wretched, and poor: and if temptations set upon them, they have nothing in them.
To let you see that we stand in need of a second grace, and of a third grace, and a fourth grace, that we need continual building up.
First, look within, what opposition there is to saving goodnesse within, Reason 1. From inward opposition.what rebellion of lusts, what Ignorance, and blindnesse, and darknesse, and indisposition: what head the flesh makes in us against the Word of God. Let a man a little continue out of the means, and he shall see what growth of corruptions there will be, a distasting of all means, that a man shall be ready to begin anew with them almost: having a double principle in them, of grace, and corruption, there needs continually strengthening, and stablishing Grace.
Consider outwardly what discouragements from the ill examples, and Reas. 2. From without.allurements, and seducing of others, from the disgrace that is put on good things; what discouragements, and scandals from without?
Again, are there not oft-times new, and great temptations, that a man Reas. 3. From new temptations.must have a new measure of grace to resist? There is continual occasion of new spiritual strength to oppose new temptations, and new spiritual strength to endure new crosses, and to enjoy new benefits. In all the passages of our life, there is a necessity of more grace, of further supply of grace. A man with that proportion of strength which he had before he cannot encounter with new temptations; and therefore there must be new grace, and fresh attending upon the means while we live here.
Again, unavoidable times will come, when there must be strength of Reason 4. From the time to come.Grace: sicknesse will come, Temptations to despair will come; conflicts with Satan will come: we need not say, put the case, such and such: but it is an unavoidable case; they will come, wherein a great strength of Grace will be necessary: therefore we cannot be too much careful, in attending upon the means of salvation to be confirmed and strengthened.
Again, do we not need a great measure of strengthening Grace continually? doth not the Devil envy goodnesse, and good actions? when we go Reason 5. From Satan.about to pray: when the best men are about the best actions, what a deal of distraction is there? how doth Satan confound them with distractions? what a deal of confirming Grace need we to every good work? when a Christian is taken out of the Kingdome of Satan, he is the Butt, the object of his malice, and the malice of those that are his instruments. We must pull every good work (as it were) out of the fire: we must use violence to nature, to temptations in every good duty, to perform them strongly: we need a second, and a third Grace; many degrees of Grace.
Then again, we are capable of more Grace: for our understanding is such, Reason 6. From the capacity of the soul.that we may know more still; and our will is such, that it affects more still: and the more holy truths are made known to us, the more the will is enlarged to cleave to them: the more we know, the more we may know. Our understandings are wondrous large, there is a great capacity in them, and our adhesion and cleaving to truths is more and more; the more we know, the more the Will cleaves to it: as it is, Act. 11. 23. they exhorted them, that with full purpose they would cleave fast to God: we must cleave and adhere fast to the truth, and to God; every day go deeper: get nearer and closer to God, and labour to be established in good things. Saint Paul prayes that they might be established more and more. And David prayes that he might be established in good thoughts, and desires, and resolutions, in good purposes: to be stablished in every thing that is good. Grace is a state that we may grow in, and our soules are fit to be enlarged: for there is a great capacity in the soul, till we come to heaven it is not full: we may grow in every Grace stronger and stronger. As in the examples of holy men in Scripture, it was never well with them but when they were growing: there is a necessity of growing.
If this be true; Let us set no pitch to our selves: and abhor, abhor even Use. Not to set a period to our growth in Grace.as the temptation of the Devil, the conceit of fulnesse, and of self-sufficiency, to think, I know enough, what should I know more for? or perhaps, I could read at home: (as I said before.) It is Gods Ordinance, and cursed is all private study, when it is done in contempt of the Ordinance of God. Take heed of such suggestions of fulnesse, and standing at a stay: No, we need a second, we need many degrees of confirmation, and strength; and all little enough. There was never any that repented of the carefull use of the means: strengthening, and proficiency, and growth in this kind is a pledge of perfection; that God will perfect more and more that that he hath graciously begun. I beseech you take it to heart, that we alway need a further degree of strengthening Grace while we live in this world.
The strongest Christians are most desirous of strength: who have you that doth most hunger after the means of salvation? Surely those that have the greatest measure of grace: because with grace, the capacity of the soul is enlarged to receive more. The soul is so framed by God, that the more it hath, the more it hungers after: and Blessed are those that hunger, they shall be satisfied. Who care least for the means? debauched, shallow creatures, those that are Popishly conceited, such as are ill bred: such as take scandal at all things in the communion of Saints, at holy exercises, the frequenting of publick and private duties, the making conscience of calling upon God. A Christian that knowes what it is, he thinks all the meanes little enough, he will not omit one of them, that may be a meanes of his growth and strength: he thinks if he neglect one means, he decayes in all. Therefore he joyns to all means, private duties: and then publike, of hearing the Word; and he hears out of season, when he finds himself indisposed. As the Ministers are to preach in season, and out of season; so he heares in season, and out of season. And therefore of all men, he that is the most careful of his growth, is the great, the strong Christian: the better he is, the more he hungers after it.
Take this as a tryal: If you do not desire to be strengthened in good Triall of our estate by desire to grow.things more and more, you have no goodnesse at all. I will presse the Point no further at this time, but go on. Saith Saint Paul, I was minded to come to you, that you might have a second benefit, a second Grace, that is, a confirming, strengthening grace. We all need then a second grace, a confirming grace. Here I might make some Use to Ministers, (I will but touch it) to shew what their duty is to those that are under them: every man is (as it were) a Minister in his place, to strengthen another, and to exhort one another, and to bestow grace one upon another: but Ministers should do it especially. They are like those that repair the Sea-banks, the Sea gets over oft-times Simile.and eats out the banks, they must be repaire continually, they will impair else. The Ministers pains it is like the labour of the husband-man: when he hath sowen, he must weed; and when he hath weeded, he must fence, to keep it from the birds of prey, and the violence of beasts, &c. and he must live by faith till the grain be ready. So the Minister after he hath planted, he must water, and weed, and fence, and all little enough: he must look to the banks, and many times that which he getteth in one day, he loseth in another: nay, oft-times the pitiful condition of a Minister is this, that at the weeks end he hath all to do again. Another man sees an end of his work, but in this the Devil and corruption hath undone all again. We enforce good things on people on the Lords day: but within one day, ill company, and imployment in worldly businesse overthrowes all: the Sea banks are down, they must be new repaired; Therefore there is a necessity laid on us of the Ordinances to our lives end, till our soules be in heaven; there is a necessity of repairing them. We cannot be too diligent in our places. And those that have the oversight of others, let them make conscience of it; it is needful.
And mark here in the next Point, the language of Canaan, the language Doctr. Every blessing a Grace.of the Spirit of God, that he puts the name of Grace upon every benefit, especially those that concern a better life. Grace usually we take to be nothing but a gracious frame of heart, the new creature, as we call it: but indeed in the language of the Holy Ghost, every free gift of God that concerns our soules any way, is a grace. The very Ministery is a grace. It is the grace and free love of God to give us the Ministery. The very heart to imbrace it, and to hear it, is a grace. The very heart to give almes is a grace: saith S. Paul, 2 Cor. 9. Thanks be to God for this unspeakable gift: for this unspeakable grace, that you had a heart to give: so that every thing that is good, it is a Grace, a gift of God.
Saint Paul conceived of his coming to them as a grace. Indeed the Grace of God moved and directed S. Paul to come to them. It is Grace, that God directs the Preacher to speak to the people. It is a grace, that the Minister speaks gracious things. It is a greater grace when you close with; and entertain that which is spoken, all is of Grace. Your ready minds to do good it comes of God, it is a grace: your acceptance of God, as well as eternal life, all is of free grace.
The ground of it is this, as Austin (as I said) defines Predestination well, It is a destinating, and ordaining to a supernatural end, to everlasting salvation in the world to come, and a preparing of all means to that end. Why now as it is a grace that God pulls oft some men to an eternal estate of salvation in heaven, to a supernatural estate, that they could never attain without his especial Grace: so the preparing of all means to that end, it falls within the compasse of Predestination, within the grace.
So when we have any means prepared to bring us to that end, the offer of the Word, and the Spirit of God disposing us to imbrace the Word; this preparing of the means to that end, it falls within the compasse of Predestination, we may gather our Election by it: when we see the Word sent in favour, and have gracious hearts to receive it; this is a preparation wrought to bring us to heaven, a man may know his Election by it: all is of grace that falls within the decree of grace. When God decrees to bring a man to heaven, all that helps to the main must needs be grace. The Minister is a grace, the Word a grace, opportunities to do good, a grace; the communion of Saints a grace, all that helps a man forward is a grace. A gracious heart sees God in every thing, it sees Gods love in every thing: it considers of every thing that befalls it as a Grace. Why? From this disposition especially, because with the grace, there is grace to make a blessed use of, and to improve every thing.
If this be so, let us look upon every benefit that concerns salvation, (though it be remote) even the very direction of good speeches to us, account Use. To look on every b…nefit as a Grace.it a grace. It is the grace of God that I have this opportunity, especially the publick Ministery. Saint Paul calls it a grace: let us think of it as a grace. And as we do in Clocks, we go from the hammer that strikes, to the wheeles, and from one wheel to another, and so to the weights that make it strike; we go to the first weight, the first wheel that moves all, and leads all. So when we see good done, look not to the good done onelyonly, but go to the wheeles, to the weights, what moves it, and makes it strike? what sets all a going? The grace, and free love of God: when good things are spoken, when any good is done, go higher to the first wheel that sets all a going, to the grace, and free love of God. This is the language of the Scripture, and of the Spirit of God: thus we must speak and think, to the end that God may have the glory of his grace in whatsoever good is done, or offered.
When Abigail met David, and diverted him from his bloody intention to kill Nabal, and gave him counsel another way; O blessed be God, and blessed be thou, and blessed be thy counsell. So when opportunities are offered to do good, and to hinder us from evil intentions, O blessed be thou, and blessed be thy counsel. When a benefit is done, if it be a benefit of this life, take it as a grace, coming freely from God. So, a poor man, his almes is a grace, Thanks be unto God for this unspeakable gift, saith S. Paul. It is grace in him that hath it, that God should respect him so much as to relieve him. It is grace in the party that gives it, that he hath a heart enlarged to do it. So when any thing outward, or spiritual is done that is good, look on it as a grace, put that respect on it, and that will make you holy-minded to give God his own.
Our life should be a praising, and blessing of God: we should begin the Thankfulnesse.employment of heaven while we are on earth. How should we do that? In all things give thanks. Every good thing from God take it as a grace, as a largesse; not as due, not as coming by chance, but as a grace: and this will make us improve it as a grace for the best; it will make us to give God the glory, and improve it to our own good, when we are thankful for grace, that we may have cause to account it a grace. Our hearts would not be so full of Atheisme, and our tongues so full of blasphemies, if we had learned this lesson, our lives would be a praising of God.
And that we may not want matter to feed a thankful spirit, alway consider, what good things we have, are of grace: we deserve not so much as a crumb of bread; therefore we pray, Give us this doy our daily bread. Every thing is a Grace, especially the things of a better life.
How shall I know that the Minister is a grace, or a good speech from a Minister to be a grace, as S. Paul saith here, I intended you a second grace, that is, to speak gracious thing to you?
I shall know it, if by that gracious means, by those gracious speeches, God distill into me a spirit to improve them to gracious purposes. As indeed, God turns all to a gracious end to his children: he gives them a principle of grace to work good out of every thing; they see grace in every thing: in affliction they see the love of God. In the worst things, Grace will pick out somewhat, and make use of it. As God by his providence intends all to good: so his Spirit by a provident eye to the Word works good out of every thing: but those that have not grace, they are not grace to them, but tend to their further hardening.
To end this point: when you come to the Communion, come to it as a Application … the Sacrament.grace. It is the Grace of God that he hath ordained us to salvation; it is the grace of God that he hath sent his Word; it is the grace of God that he hath sent his Sacrament to seal that Word, and all little enough: he knowes us better then we know our selves; he knowes we have need of all, to confirm and help us, the Word and the Sacraments, even to the end of our dayes. As the Apostle saith, Ephes. 4. To build us up. The means of grace are not onelyonly necessary for the planting, but for the building up of the Church. And therefore come with this purpose, to have Grace confirmed, and receive it as a grace of God with thankfulness; that God will condescend to our infirmity, to give us helps, to support our weak faith. It is a true proverb, Grace begets grace; it begets thankfulnesse, where it is apprehended as a grace: therefore come with a thankful disposition to the Sacrament; imbrace every Ord…ce of God with thankfulnesse. Alas, do not thousands sit in darknesse, and in the shadow of death? they do: and therefore those that find the benefit of Gods Ordinances, they are disposed by the same Spirit that works any good in them, to return thankfulnesse to God again.
That you might have a second Grace.
Saint Paul's purpose was to come to them, to bestow a grace, not to take from them: to bestow good, and gracious speeches on them, which he knew the Spirit of God would make effectual, to work some good in them.
A gracious man is a vessel of grace, and he should take all occasions to vent that Observ. A good man must take all occasions to do good.which is good.
When S. Paul saith, he intended to bestow a second grace; his meaning is, that he would utter things that were gracious, that the Spirit of God should seal to the soules of them that heard him, and make them effectuall.
Therefore every Christian should have this disposition: Saint Paul did it as a holy man, as well as a Minister. Do we think our selves vessels of grace, (as the Scripture calls the Elect, Children of God,) or no? Yes, God forbid else. Now Gods Children, God hath appointed some to be vessels of Gold, some of Silver, (as the Apostle saith to Timothy,) some for this use, and some for that: all for good use. A vessel is to be filled with something, and to be used for something: therefore set abroach some good thing when you have the advantage of it, when you are called to it; not unnecessarily to thrust forward your selves. Let the desire of your hearts be to do good upon all occasions. A vessel of Grace must not be an empty vessel. A Christian he is a member of Christ, and he hath a part in the communion of Saints, and he hath gifts for that end: there is no Christian, but he can comfort, or instruct, or disswade from ill when it is moved. There is no Christian, but he is furnished as a member ought to be, in some competent measure. There is no man that hath benefit by the communion of Saints, but he hath grace to fit him for that blessed communion: He is fitted to comfort, upon occasion; and he hath some grace, some knowledge to correct: he that hath not is a dead member, not fit for that communion. Therefore we should bestow Grace where we come; and not leave an ill sent behind us, to infect others with filthy speeches, and blasphemous oaths, to open the rottennesse of our own hearts in their presence, and so be conscious of that which is ill in them, because we strengthen it by our example, and by our words. S. Paul was a good man. I come to bestow a second grace, that is, to speak that which is gracious, that Gods gracious providence shall direct to do you special good. For Gods Word is inspired by the Spirit; and the same Spirit that breathed the Word of God into the Penmen of it, the same Spirit is with the Word in the uttering of it: when it is done by a gracious heart, to a gracious man, it works graciously, it hath a blessed operation with it.
Therefore we should upon all good occasions speak gracious things; Divine truths, they will have a wondrous efficacy. If men would set on it, and be more fruitful in this kind, they should have occasion to blesse God. But alas, the life of a Christian is little known in the world; we have but naked, shallow conceits of the glory of heaven, and of the state of a Christian, and how he lives in this world; and that makes men live such stained, such base lives, that will not stand with comfort in his world, or glory in the world to come. But a Christian should be such a one as frames his disposition to do good wheresoever he comes: and he hath ability if he be a sound Christian. How graciously did God blesse Abigails word to David? yet she was a mean woman. How dost thou know, but that by uttering gracious words in company, in season (as discretion must guide all our actions, all our words, how doest thou know) but that thou mayest divert another man from sin, by a word in season?
I beseech you carry this disposition about you, as you desire to be thought vessels of Grace here, and of glory hereafter, to be thought vessels of gold and silver, for the use of God, labour to be imployed by the Spirit of God to good purposes, that you may leave a good savour where you come: that others that are acquainted with you in the time of their visitation, they may blesse God, that ever they were acquainted with such a friend: Blessed be God that I knew him: As it will be our joy at that day, so it will be one anothers joy here; for God blesseth the exhortations, and comforts of friends one to another, as well as the Ministerial oft-times. So I come to the 16. Verse; how he meant to come to them to Corinth: saith he, I was minded to come to you.