Christs School, Class 1 · Part 5
V. Of their taſting that the Lord is gracious, and their deſiring the ſincere Milk of the Word to grow thereby, From 1 Pet. 2.1,—3.
THE Apoſtle Peter had to do with Babes, as well as Paul (for ſuch were the Jewiſh Converts generally) and having told them, Chap. 1.23. that they were born again, he doth in this Text exhort them to lay aſide all malice, and all guile, and hypocriſies, and envies, and all evil ſpeaking (to which they being yet as carnal, were too prone, as was noted before) and as new born Babes to deſire the ſincere Milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby, if ſo be (or ſeeing and becauſe) they have taſted that the Lord is gracious. This taſting is their coming to Chriſt and believing in him as the chief corner-ſtone, v. 4.6. and their growth is their being built up on him a ſpiritual Houſe, &c. Verſ. 5. which notes both the nature and inclination of theſe Babes, viz. to come to and believe in Chriſt, and withal to grow up in and to be built on him; that as he is precious or an honour to them, Verſ. 7. ſo they may be precious or an honour to him, and ſhew forth the vertues (and thereby the praiſes of him) who hath called them out of their darkneſs into his marvellous light, Verſ. 9.
But of their Faith I have ſpoken before; I ſhall now ſpeak of ſome of their experience, which I conceive is coucht in this word of taſting: The perfect Chriſtian hath many ſenſes exerciſed, he is full of many and rich experiences, Heb. 5.14. But the Babe hath the exerciſe of this one Senſe (Taſting) eſpecially: which begets in him a deſire and longing after the Word for growth, that he may ſuck and be ſatisfied with the breaſts of Conſolations, that he may milk out and be ſatisfied with the abundance of glory. To allude to Iſa. 66.11. The Babe hath a taſte as ſoon as he is born, and hath Milk given him to eat, in which he taſtes a ſweetneſs, and from which he finds ſo much nouriſhment and ſtrength as holds his ſonl in life: If he were not alive he could not taſte, and if he did not taſte, he could not live. Experience is often expreſt by taſting, which is a thing beyond Hearing, and is joyn'd with Seeing, Pſal. 34.8. Oh Taſte and See that the Lord is good; Now, as Seeing, ſo Taſting affects the heart, and quickens the Appetite, and therefore, ſaith he, deſire the Milk; which doth not only expreſs the duty, but the nature and inclination of Babes, and that grounded on Taſting, Seeing or becauſe they have Taſted that the Lord is gracious: ſeveral experiences (as Taſtes) they have had of this. As,
1. That the Lord will admit them to Repentance, this is of his grace: when man had ſinned the Law was inexorable, a mans Repentance could find no place there for re-acceptance though it had been ſought with tears. God might have choſen whether he would have admitted man to repent; but now he hath, it favours of grace: and by this the Babes Taſte that he is gracious.
2. They Taſte that the Lord is gracious in that he hath provided a new and living way wherein to come to him, that they may be ſaved at anothers coſt and charges: that he ſent his Son into the world to ſave ſinners, that through him they might believe in God, and that thence they might have hope in God, 1 Pet. 1.21.
3. They Taſte grace in this, That God calls for no greater things at their hand than to eat Milk, Pro. 28.14.to Repent and Believe the Goſpel, and doth not put them to do penance in Hell for thouſands of years, or do ſome extraordinary tasks of duty in this world: and weeping out their eyes, wearing out their knees, &c.
4. They Taſte his grace in that he not only commands, but invites and intreats them to come, to Repent and Believe that they may live; That God ſhould condeſcend ſo far as to beſeech and go a begging to them (as the word is) that they would be reconciled, gives them a Taſte that the Lord is gracious, 2 Cor. 5.19, 20.
5. They Taſte it in this, That God incourageth them to come by many great and precious promiſes, Iſa. 55.1, 2, 3. Matth. 11.28,—30, &c. Yea he ſwears to them as he lives that he delights not in the death of a ſinner, but that he ſhould return and live.
6. That God hath knockt ſo often and waited ſo long to lead them by his goodneſs, patience, and long ſuffering to Repentance, that though they have not anſwered unleſs it were ſurlily and ſinfully, we will not come; that though they have put his patience to it, yet that he ſhould knock and wait, this gives them a further Taſte, that the Lord is gracious.
7. That they have been at laſt convinced of the neceſſity of Repentance toward God, and Faith in our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that they are come to themſelves to ſee their dead, loſt and undone condition, 'tis of grace; for who could have opened their eyes and wrought on their hearts, or would have done it but a gracious God? and in this they Taſte his gr… ▪
8. That they have been enabled (with the Prodigal) to proſecute this conviction, to ariſe and go, to repent from dead works, and to make toward God by Faith, they Taſte his grace in it, for Repentance and Faith are both the gifts of a gracious God to them, Act. 5.31. Epheſ. 2.1,—8.
9. They Taſte that the Lord is gracious in giving them a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication, that they can bow their knees and beg not only the pardon of their ſins, but the ſanctifying of their Souls. In this they Taſte his grace.
10. They have a Taſte of his being gracious in that they are bid welcom when they come, and that not only his Saints receive them into the brotherhood and fellowſhip to be free of then company, but that now and then God ſmiles on them too, and is pleaſed to kiſs them with the kiſſes of his mouth, and to vouchſafe them ſome fellowſhip with himſelf.
11. They Taſte that the Lord is gracious in that he ſits on a Throne of grace and gives them leave to come with boldneſs for more mercy and grace, for their ſeaſonable relief: and that he doth allow them ſincere Milk to grow thereby.
12. They Taſte his grace in this alſo, that they can diſcern the difference between their former and preſent ſtate, how deſperate and damnable that was, but how hopeful this is: that they had rather die than be dead in ſins again.
13. What preſent peace they have, and what ever hopes of more, even to everlaſting Conſolation, 'tis from the grace of God; and in it they Taſte that he is gracious, 2 Theſ. 2.16.
Theſe are ſome (among others) of the experiences that Babes have, or Taſtes of the Lords being gracious; I have not ſet them out at large, becauſe I would give you them (as they have them) viz. for Taſtes: and though they are but ſuch, yet theſe Taſtes beget deſires and longings after the ſincere Milk that they may grow thereby. By this Taſte of theirs they can a little diſtinguiſh between ſincere and falſified Milk, between pure and impure Milk, between good and evil doctrine, though not ſo well as grown Saints: Their car tryeth words, whether it be a form of ſound words; and their Taſte trieth milkmeat, whether it be wholſome and nouriſhing or not, to allude to that in Job 12.11. and 34.3. and therefore though they be full of appetite and deſire, yet 'tis to ſincere milk, for they cannot thrive nor live by any other. Now though their deſires after higher attainments be (at preſent) their (almoſt) higheſt attainment, yet deſires are not deſpicable things, but of value. The deſire of a man is his kindneſs, and a poor man is better than a Lyar, Prov. 19.22. though they be but poor as to attainments, yet they are rich in deſires, and God takes this kindneſs kindly at their hands, that 'tis in their hearts to do greater things and to grow: this poor man is better than a Lyar, than an Hypocrite that pretends to, makes profeſſions and promiſes of great things without a real deſire and kindneſs to the things which he make a fair ſhew of in a complement and in the fleſh. If there be firſt a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not, 2 Cor. 8.12. 'Tis not a little to be able to ſay as Nehemiab did, Chap. 1.11. O'Lord, I beſeech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the Prayer of thy Servant, and to the Prayer of thy Servants who deſire to fear thy Name. And as the Author of the Epiſtle to the Hebrews, Chap. 13.18. Pray for us, for we truſt that we have a good Conſcience in all things willing to live honeſtly. This Babe is a man of deſires (in both ſenſes) i. e. he is loving and beloved, he is deſiring and deſired, Cant. 7.10. Iſa. 26.8 9.2 2 Cor. 7 7. Thus you have ſeen the Taſts and deſires of Babes to grow: which is an attainment not to be undervalued by them, nor are they to be undervalued by others. For a cloſe to all their former attainments and characters I ſhall add one more, which is much taken notice of in Scripture.