Of Growth in Grace, Sermon 1
SERM. I.
2 Pet. 3. 18.
But grow in Grace, and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: To him be Glory, both now and for ever, Amen.
WHen the Apostle had cautioned the holy persons that he deals withall concerning their stedfastness, and stability; he subjoyns …in the words that I have read) a further duty, and brings it in with a but; importing that it was not enough for them for to keep their stedfastness; not sufficient to the discharge of them, that they lost no ground, that they did not go back, that there were not a retrograde motion: But they must look onward, saith he, you must be careful that you do not fall from your stedfastness. I but that's not all, you must not only be sted…st, and setled in your condition and state, but you must be upon your advances; you must be careful of this, that you grow; not only that you do not decay, but that you increase: not only that you do not abate, but that you do advance: not only that you hold your own, but that you get more and more of the Grace which you are already partaker of. A great duty, which I would speak something to: and the point is clearly and plainly from the Text this,
Doctr. That they that are called to be partakers of Grace, must be careful of this, that they grow in Grace. They that have Grace (have it in the truth of it) must not rest in that; No, they must not: but their duty is to grow in Grace.
Now will you consider a little this burden of duty: It is properly to be laid upon the shoulder and back of a Saint. It is a duty properly belonging to such as have Grace to perform. It were a vain thing for to perswade a man that hath no life in him, for to look to his health, to the improvement of his strength. It is as vain a thing for to perswade a man that's dead in sins and trespasses, that is a stranger to Grace, to perswade him to abound in Grace, to grow in Grace: There must be Generation, before there can be Augmentation: there must be life before there can be growth. And therefore that which is properly to be urged upon such as have no Grace, is that they would look about them, and so far as may be get in with God. Though it's true, it is impossible for any person that is a stranger to Grace, to perform any act of Grace, in order to the partaking of Grace: but we must wait upon God, using exhortations, and see how the Lord will please to come in, and set them home upon the heart. But such, it's their duty, whether they can do it or no: It's their duty to look out after Grace, to have it, that so having it, they may increase in it. But otherwise, for increase and growth in Grace, that's not a duty so properly to be charged upon persons that are strangers to it: And let such consider with themselves, how sad their condition is: Such as have no Grace at all, how sad their condition is upon this account, That they are not in a capacity for to have such a duty imposed and charged upon them.
But secondly, Consider that this duty of growing in Grace: It is most properly belonging to them to perform, that are already partakers of Grace: That have sparks stricken by God, their duty is that they nourish and cherish their sparks, and do labour to bring it up to a flame. Grace, it is a seed of Gods casting into the soul, and sometimes it is very inconsiderable as to the bulk and magnitude of it, but like a grain of Mustard-seed: I but it …mproveable, and it is a duty incumbent upon them that have this Seed cast into them, to improve it, that it may grow up to a great tree.
It is a duty. It's most true also that it is a priviledg. It is the priviledg of a Saint and Believer, that he shall grow. They that are planted in the house of the Lord (as we had it in the Psalm that we sung), they shall flourish in the Courts of our God: They shall spring, flourish as the Palm-tree, grow as the Cedars in Lebanon. This is the priviledg: this is one branch of the Covenant that God hath made with his people. I but you must know, that these priviledges they are not granted to us, that we should be careless and sloathful, but rather to quicken us up to diligence in duty: And indeed our duties do lye much in priviledges; that which is a priviledg, is also a duty: As to instance,
It's the priviledg of a believer, that he shall be kept through the power of God through Faith unto unto Salvation. But it is withal, the duty of a Believer to keep himself. He that is born of God, he keepeth himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not: And Gods keeping of his Saints, is by the means of their care and diligence for to keep themselves.
It is the priviledg of a Believer, a Covenant priviledg, that he shall not depart from God. I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me: But it is also the duty of a child of God, to do his utmost indeavour, and to use his greatest diligence and care, that he never do depart from God: And by that care of his, not to depart from God, God doth bring over to him the comfort and benefit of the Covenant-priviledg, that he shall not depart from him. And truly we cannot reckon upon the comfort and benefit of …e priviledg, any further than we are careful to answer to our duty. God will be true to his promise; and he discovers his faithfulness in performing his promise of working up the hearts of his people to a care of doing their duty. So far this particular.
It is the priviledg of a Saint, that he shall grow: Shall he? I but its his duty to grow: God hath made it both a priviledg and a duty▪ and if so be that we shall have the comfort of the priviledg, we must make Conscience of performing the duty, and make it our business from day to day to be growing in Grace.
Grow in Grace,] Truly it is a strange kind of Riddle, and I do profess I would be seriously minded in what I speak now, speaking to a point that doth very nearly concern all that do pretend to Grace and holiness. I say, that I am speaking to a point which I think is as misterious, one of them, as mo… that concern practical godliness. And I am apt to think there is as little of judiciousness discovered in the part of Godly persons, of those that are truly godly; as little of judicial observance discovering it self about this thing, as about any one thing that concerns practical Godliness. Growth in Grace; our Consciences are able to witness with us, or against us, whether we study this matter, whether we bestow any serious thoughts about it, yea or no: whether we understand it, and know what belongs to this growth in Grace, and are able to give any good account of it: I doubt there are many who are right in the main, that are at a very great loss conc…rning the right understanding of this matter, and are not able to give any comfortable account; a judicious account concerning themselves, and how far they are responsible to God concerning this thing: Judg in your selves whether this be not the heighth of your godliness, and your utmost reach in your profession. You have solicitous thoughts about Grace about the in-being, indwelling, implantation of Grace in you. You may have, and must have, if you be gracious, such solicitous thoughts. Exercise your selves with serious considerations to such a purpose: My soul, is there any grace of God in thee, or art thou a stranger to it? Is there any saving work upon thee yea or no? I know this, that every one that hath a saving impress upon his Spirit, will be exercising himself to this purpose, and labour to understand himself concerning this matter, whether he have Grace yea or no. But as to this duty in the Text, concerning growth in Grace, alas how few are there that busie their heads about it, or are able judiciously to manage and perform a search into themselves concerning it, or to give a good account about this mat…er. I shall speak more to that afterwards, God assisting: Now I give a hint of it, and do speak this the rather, because it being given us in Commission to preach this Doctrine, and to press this duty. I speak the rather in this sort, that you may come to have more serious thoughts concerning that which I have to assert from this Text, and to press upon you as a duty, that we are to grow in Grace. And to settle this upon your apprehensions, That it is as much a duty for persons to increase in Faith, as it is for to have Faith: 'tis as much a duty for to grow in Grace, as for to press after Grace, though it may be we do not so reckon upon it. But I can tell you, the same God that hath commanded the one, hath commanded the other: We are under as strong an obligation that we may grow in Grace, as to use our diligence that we may come to be made partakers of Grace.
It is a duty for those that have Grace, to grow in it. Whats the meaning of that? Its true, there is a metaphor in the phrase, its taken from living things, that having life, so there is a growth. Dead things cannot grow, straws, sticks, and stubble, these things they are dead things, and they cannot grow. But there must be a supposition of life where there is a growth.
Now to grow, what is it? Why plainly thus; when you hear this is a duty that is incumbent upon you, to grow in Grace; you must not only be good, but very good, be better and better, and endeavour to exceed your selves. Good to day, better to morrow: Gracious this year, far more gracious the next year: Acquainted with God now, more than acquaintance with God in process of time. Grow in Grace, that you may excell your selves: Not only be better than others, better than others that have no Grace; nay, better than others that have Grace, that you may go beyond them: and know, your duty is, that you may go beyond your selves; that you may be more in Faith, more in Repentance, more in Love, more in holiness, more in the fear of God; that you may go from strength to strength: that you may Mutare vires, as the phrase is in the 40. Isai. They that wait upon the Lord, they shall renew their strength: they shall change their strength: they shall go from strength to strength; from one strength to another: this is to grow in Grace. To be as good for God, as good for heaven, as possibly we can; reckoning upon this, we can never be too fit for heaven, we can never be too holy for the enjoyment of the inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away: this is your duty, you that are the subjects of grace. Such of you as God hath bestowed any grace upon, this is your duty, to grow in grace. And that it is a duty, it appears all along in Scripture. How often are we called upon to increase with the increase of God, to increase more and more; to abound, and be upon our advancements. This is that which the Scripture doth press upon us very much.
And it's a duty with respect to Grace: Not only with respect to Gifts: It's true indeed, such as have the gifts of the Spirit, they should endeavour to grow in them; as the Apostle speaks, that they should abound in knowledg, and in utterance, and the like. Not only in gifts, for thats a duty, to grow in gifts, in knowledg, and in utterance: but especially to grow in grace.
And it is a duty that is incumbent upon all that are gracious: They that are Babes, they must grow, that so they may come to be strong men. They that are strong men, they must grow still, that they may come to be stronger and stronger; that the feeble, according to that expression in the 12th of Zechariah, may be as David, and that David may be as the Angel of God: this is that that is required of us. Weak Believers, they must grow, grow strong Believers: Strong Believers must labour to grow still, grow stronger and stronger in their believing. Christians, Professors duty is to grow strong in grace; and not only so, but Ministers, the dispensers of the Mysteries of God, its as much their duty, as the duty of the Professors, to be upon their growth in grace. Give diligence, saith the Apostle to Timothy 1 Ep. 1. 4. Give attendance to Reading, to Exhortation, to Doctrine; that thy profiting may appear to all.
But what are the requisites of this growth? That I shall speak to in a few words, what a growth it must be.
1. It must be a perceivable growth: It should be so. The growth of a Saint in grace, it should be a perceivable growth, a visible growth, a growth that may be perceived and apprehended, a Judgment may be made upon it: Such a growth the Apostle speaks of in that place I mentioned. Give attendance to these and these courses, that thy profiting may appear to all. Why truly the growth or a Believer in grace, we should endeavour that it may be a perceivable growth: As a man by observation can say, I set such a plant in my Garden or Orchard, and I do perceive that within such a time it is grown so much higher, and stronger. And so for children, there is a perceivable growth in them; you may observe how they grow in process of time. Such a growth we should endeavour after, that it may be perceived by others, by our selves; that we may be able to give an account of it, and say, as David speaks, In the day whereon I did call uprn thee, thou didst answer me, and thou didst strengthen me with strength in my soul.
2. As a perceivable growth so it should be a proportionable growth. If we will approve our selves in this matter, our growth in grace, it must be a proportionable growth; proportionable to time which God affords us. What! so long under the Ministry of the Gospel, and in the profession of godliness so long standing; proportionable to the time of our standing, should be our increases. Why then we should be of a greater growth than others that are but of a later Plantation. The Apostle speaks to that purpose in Heb. 5. For the time, saith he, you might have been teachers of others, you might have come to this, to have been fit to feed upon stronger meat. But, saith he, you had need to be taught the very first principles, and to be fed nith milk. And this he speaks to their shame, and in a way of blame.
And then secondly, A proportionable growth there must be in grace, proportionable to the means that God hath been pleased to afford: Such and such large allowances, and not answer them: Why it will turn to the shame and reproach of a Professor, let him be what he will …, if his improvements do not hold some proportion to his enjoyments: If he do not in some measure answer his growth, to the time, and the means, it turns to his dishonour.
And Thirdly, If it be right, it must be a fructifying growth, a growth with fruit: so as still we must grow more and more fruitful; fruitful in all the duties of godliness; that as we get more in saith, more in love, increase more in holiness, and in spiritual strength; so we are the more in spiritual fruitfulness, do more for God. Would it be to the satisfaction of an Orchard Planter, to have a tree, that when it was young, and of lesser growth, bring forth, it may be twenty Apples in a year, and when it comes to be of seven years growth more, to bring forth no more Apples; this-will not be to his satisfaction. So for a Christian that is but of a younger Plantation, to bring forth such and such fruit, and then when he hath been seven and seven years longer in the profession of Christianity, to vi…ld as little, nay it may be less fruit to God then he did in his beginning: Truly this is not well, there must be fruitfulness, and a growth in fruitfulness.
And then it must be a lasting and continuing growth. I tell you Brethren, think of it how we will, the truth is, if it be well with us, we must grow as long as we are on this side Heaven, but that indeed is no place of growth. Mark that; when once a Saint comes to Heaven, he comes to his perfection, he comes to have a consistency: then he shall be as good as God would have him to be, and as good as his heart can desire to be: But while we are on this side Heaven, there must be growing, or else it is not right with us.
You see I have endeavoured with as much plainness as possibly I can to settle this upon your hearts, concerning growth in grace; That it is a duty: Of what interpretation it is: And what a growth it is that God requires. Now for the Reasons of it.
Grow in Grace: Why it must needs be so. Why Brethren how else will God be glorified by us; how can persons that have grace, think that they can glorifie God, if they do not grow in it? I tell you, Believers and Saints, they are Gods children; they are children of Gods begetting; they are begotten of an immortal seed through the Word, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Pet. 1. Why now consider, is it for the honour of a Father, to have a child begotten by him that proves a very dwarf; abides and continues in the same proportion and stature that he was born in: there's no increase, either in understanding, or in stature, or in strength, but a poor creature, a very Babe; so born, and so continues. Is it for the honour of God to have such kind of children? To beget children to himself by Grace, and to have them stand at a stay, and to have no growth. Believers are the planting of the Lord: Observe that place in the 61. of Isai. ver. 3. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, &c. And he hath anointed me, To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes; the Oyl of Joy for mourning; the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called Trees of Righteousness, The Planting of the Lord, that he might be Glorified. Mark here, they are the planting of the Lord, and plants being planted, there is such a course taken with them, that they may come to grow to bulky-trees: That they may be Trees of Righteousness, that God may he glorified: That God may have the honour of his Plantation, and say, This Plant I set in my Vineyard; It was little, and slender, and small, at the first Plantation, but see how its grown, grown up to a bulky Tree. This is his glory, this is the glory of the Planter, to see his Plant growing up, and becoming bulky, a Tree of Righteousness. What honour is it to God, to have a Professor planted, and continuing a poor slender twig, and nothing of strength, or stature.
2. Our Duty is to grow; to grow in Grace. Why Breth…en, Grace is not worthily dealt withal, nor do we answer the purpose of God in bestowing it upon us, if we do not grow in it. Why its given as a stock to Trade withal. Five Talents given to one; to what purpose? That he might imploy them, and improve them; that he might grow in his state; and so two Talants. And it was to the prais. and honour of the servants that they were able to give an account of their Improvement. Grace is given as a stock to trade withall; and it is such a stock as is Improvable to most blessed purposes. Grace hath an aptitude to grow, and we deal unworthily wi…h the Grace of God. Faith is vesy apt to grow; Love, Holiness, every Grace, very apt to grow: And if we keep this Grace, and do not advance in it, we walk most unworthily of it.
3. And then consider further, That this is the very scope and purpose of the Ordinances which God hath appointed in his Church. One of the main Intents and purposes of God in setting up a Ministry in the Church, is, Not only that people might be planted and brought over to Grace, but that they might grow and increase unto a goodly stature. Observe that passage in Ephes. 4. The Apostle gives us a clear account to this purpose: He gave some Apostles some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledg of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. This is the scope of the Ministry. Judg now what a strange apprehension that is which some have had, and it may be have still; That now they are above Ordinances: They are come to such a pitch, as they need give no more attendance to the Ordinances, when as this is the very scope of them, Till we come to the fulness of the stature. So that I say, this is one special end of God in giving the Ordinances, that Grace being wrought, it might be improved, and that there might be an increase, and an advance in it. And Brethren, what shall we think, that God hath provided that there should be Precept upon Precept, Line upon Line, Sermon after Sermon, Sabbath after Sabbath; Ordinance after Ordinance, in the succession of them, and all to this purpose, that his people might hold their own only, and stand at a stay, and not be a jot the better.
4. And then let us consider thus with our selves, Truly the times are such, and it may be will appear to be more and more such, that as touching converting work, truly we see little of that; as if God had upon the matter his number: Nothing to what hath formerly discovered it self in the way of the Gospel, and Gospel Ministry: Alass what should we do with the Ministry, if while there is little or nothing of converting work, there be nothing of increasing work; what should we do Preaching? You will say (it may be) you are converted to God, and brought over to Faith and Grace. Well, if you will rest in this condition, and look no further, and press no higher, and not endeavour after increase, what should we continue Preaching, and for what purpose should God continue his servants and Ministry, and Ordinances to a people, if they will not mind their growth? And what encouragement can we have to attend this service, if we Preach, and Preach, and Preach; and still you continue what you were.
5. And then withal, we have a Head, a glorious Head, our Lord Jesus Christ; and our duty is to grow, that we may come to hold some proportion to the Head; to come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
6. And then consider, That this Life is not the time of perfection. God requires we be perfect, Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Are we come to perfection? then indeed we may discharge our selves of the Duty; but till we come to be perfect, truly we had need be pressing on, and be still upon our growth.