The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. God exceedingly to be praiſed in his works of Grace and Glory.
LEt us meditate on the morning of Gods holy day, upon the works of grace: Now divine grace may be taken in a Rom. 8. 28. Rom. 9. 11. Eph. 1. 11. Eph. 3. 11.double ſenſe:
Firſt, Either for grace the cauſe, which is nothing but the favour and good-will of the Lord, his rich grace and mercy folded up in purpoſes of eternal love, and therefore the Apoſtle, 2 Tim. 1. 9. joyns Gods purpoſe and his grace together, Gratia ab aeterno data in decreto, ſcil. Dei, & praedeſtinatione, et haec donandi voluntas abſoluta eſt et irrevocabilis. Alapto evidence his gracious purpoſes of favour which he had from eternity towards his dear Saints. Theſe methods of grace are various and admirable: The rejection of the Jews, and the calling in of the Gentiles; the different diſpenſations uſed in the Church before the Law, under the Law, and in the time of the Goſpel; theſe are the products of Gods eternal grace and favour. That God ſhould ſubdue ſinners to himſelf, hedge up their way with thorns, lay Hoſ 2. 6. Jer. 2. 24ſtumbling blocks before them in their ſinful carier, that he Tiadam eos in miſeriam, unde ſe nequeant explicare. Riv.ſhould take ſinners in their monethmonth, and diſpoſe of unthought of circumſtances and paſſages of providence, for the turning of tranſgreſſors into the way which leads to everlaſting life; all theſe things ſpeak the eternal grace and favour of Eph. 1. 7.God.
But Secondly, Divine grace may be taken for grace the effect, for the graces of Gods ſpirit, which in eternal love, and grace, and favour, he plants in the ſoul; and this work of grace merits our ſweeteſt meditation. And here we muſt meditate
On the powerfulneſs of the work of grace. Grace is an irreſiſtible principle, a torrent which bears down all before it. Manaſſah was prejudiced againſt the impreſſions of grace by Gratiae Vocabulum tria denotat. 1. Gratuitum actum divinae volun…atis accepton. tis hominem in Chriſto, & peccata miſericorditer condonantis, 2 Eph. 9. 3. Rom. 24. Hic amor gratuitus eſt primum d…num, in quo omnia alia dona dautur. H…nc gratiá acceptationis Aquin. vocat. Secundò ſub gratiae vocabulo complectitur Apoſt. omnia hubitualia dona, quae deus infundit ad animam ſanctificandam. ſ…il. Fides, charitas, &c. at que omnes virtutes, et omni… dona ſalutarta ſunt gratiae, Eph. 4. 7. Hanc gratiam inhaerentem pae…è ſolum agnoſcunt Pontificii, et illam interim acceptantem, quae eſt hujus ſons & ſ…aturigo nimis negligunt. Tertiò Gratia denotat actuale auxilium dei, quo renati poſt acceptam habitualem gratiam corroborantur, ad exercenda bona opera, et ad perſeverandum in fide, et pietate, nam homini per gratiam renovato, et ſanctificato; neceſſarium eſt quotidianum dei adjutorium ad ſingulos octus, et neceſſaria eſt horum omnium connexio. Daven.ſcandalous and prodigious ſins, he was a pattern of impiety, 2 Chron. 33. 5, 6, 7. Mary Magdalen was fortifyed againſt thoſe ſacred impreſſions by ſeven Devils, Luk. 8. 2. Paul was garriſon'd againſt thoſe divine illapſes of grace by an obſtinate antipathy to the Goſpel, and the profeſſion of it; he barbarouſly perſecuted the Church of Chriſt, Acts 9. 2. And Peter turns his back upon grace by denying Chriſt the fountain of it. But yet neither Prophaneneſs, Impurity, Rage, Apoſtacy, or the Devils themſelves can withſtand the powerful influences of grace: But God by his grace humbles Manaſſah, 2 Chron. 33. 12. brings him upon his knees to importune forgiveneſs: Melts Mary Magdalen into tears, Luke 7. 44. and ſhe bedews thoſe checks with her moans, which ſhe had ſo much proſtituted to her luſts; the evil ſpirit muſt give way to the good ſpirit, to carry on his good work on her ſoul. Nay grace ſoftens Paul into ſubmiſſion and indiſputable compliance, Acts 9. 4, 5. And Peter by a look of grace, Luke 22. 61, 62. turns to Chriſt by lamentation, whom he had diſhonoured by deſertion. By grace God breaks the hard heart, Ezek. 36. 26. ſupplies the ſtubborn will, Ezek. 36. 27. brings down the lofty ſpirit, 2 Chron. 32. 26. writes his Law in the inward man, Jer. 31. 33. and raiſeth a ſtately fabrick of holineſs out of the very rubbiſh of nature, Ezek. 11. 19. Ezek 18. 31. and ſo the Convert becomes a new and lovely creature, 2 Cor. 5. 17. Indeed a work of grace may be reproached, but it cannot be reſiſted; we may purſue holineſs with ſcorn, but we cannot withſtand its work and operation by force, or the moſt reſolved might. The ſpirit which worketh grace in the ſoul; plucks down Satans ſtrong holds, plucks up rooted corruptions which have been long ſetled and riveted in the heart; plants holy qualifications and habits in the Saint, creates holy tendencies and inclinations; and the Regenerate perſon becomes paſſive, and ſweetly yields to the force and power of this bleſſed work; Chriſt throws his chain over him, and he ſmiles himſelf into a voluntary and pleaſing Captivity, 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. The work of grace is often compared to a new birth, Joh. 3. 5. Now when the throws and pangs come upon the woman with child, ſhe cannot with-hold her Iſſue, but freely and with joy ſhe brings forth the Man-child into the world, Joh. 16. 21. And ſo when the ſpirit of grace carries on the new-birth, the loynes of the Convert cannot with-hold, but with joy a Saint is born into the world. Grace like a ſun-beam pierces powerfully, though ſweetly, and is alwayes proſperous, though ſometimes ſtrange in its deſigne.
Let us meditate on the Arbitrarineſs of the work of grace. Indeed grace like Chriſt, is a moſt free gift, it knows no entail, Spiritus ſanctus non ſecundum dignitatem et merita, ſed quos et quando vult, ar…anis ſuis afflatibus aſpirat, dividens dona ſua ſingulis, ſicut vult. Ger.nor admits of any claim; It is not in the power of a Holy Father to tranſmit his ſpiritual worth, though he may conveigh his temporal wealth to his beloved Child. The wind bloweth where it liſteth, Joh. 3. 8. And this wind is the ſpirit of grace, as Auguſtine well obſerves, and the words of the Text make it plain. The freeneſs of this glorious work of grace, which God works upon the hearts of his people, may be fully and amply diſcerned
In the nature of Election, which is a voluntary chooſing of ſome out of many; now vocation and ſanctification are 1 Cor. 12. 4. 1 Pet. 1 2. 1 Pet. 5. 13. Jer. 3. 14. 1 Pet. 2 4. Rev. 17. 14. Rom. 11. 5. Rom. 9 11. Jer. 3. 14.onelyonly the fruits of Election, as moſt evidently the Apoſtle, Eph. 1. 4. He hath choſen us to be holy. We are holy, becauſe we are choſen. And ſo, Acts 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. We believe, becauſe we are ordained to eternal life. Nothing is more arbitrary then election, free choyce, God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks. Here it is true, one is taken and another left, as our Saviour ſpeaks in another caſe; There is two of a Tribe, and one of a Family, as the Prophet ſpeaks; It may be one in a P…w is converted by a Sermon, others in the ſame Seat not in the leaſt wrought upon; as the ſame Fides electorum non fides eligendorum, ut clamitant Arminiani.Sun ripens ſome fruits, and rots others. Nothing then is more free then election, which is the ſpring and fountain of grace and ſanctification. Faith is called the faith of the elect, Tit. 1. 1. Paul was converted after an unuſual and Tit. 1. 1.ſtrange manner, becauſe he was a choſen veſſel, Acts 9. 15. There are but few choſen, as our Saviour ſaith, Mat. 20. 16. and therefore but few Saints in the world.
That which ſpeaks the work of grace arbitrary, is the free-agency of God, in ſanctification of the means of grace. The Goſpel of Chriſt is a ſavour of life unto ſome, unto others a 2 Cor. 2. 16. Joh. 6. 67, 68. Acts 13. 48, 50ſavour of death; The Word, it melts and mollifies ſome, others it leaves to hardneſs and incruſtation. When Chriſt preach't, ſome leave him, but his Diſciples adher'd the cloſer to him. When the Apoſtles preached, ſome believed, others perſecute both the Doctrine and the Preacher. The Ordinances of Chriſt are marrow and fatneſs to David, Pſal. Praedicatio crucis, et mortis Chriſti, eſt odor mortis incredulis, et cedit in eorum exitium, qui mortem Chriſti, ut mortem tantummodò conſiderant, ſed credentibus eſt odor ex vitâ, quia ipſi vitam ex ha… morte amplectuntur.63. 5. more then neceſſary food to Job, Job 23. 12. But to others they have no taſt, no ſweetneſs, no power, no reach to affect the heart. When Paul and Barnabas preached at Iconium, their Doctrine onelyonly ſtirs up rage and paſſion, Acts 14. 2. Like a high wind which turns the waves of the Sea into froth. The preaching of the word is a cure to ſome, and a curſe to others; to ſome it ſtrengthens their grace, to others it amplifies their guilt; ſome fall before it, as the word of ſalvation, Acts 16. 29. others reject it, and ſo daſh upon eternal perdition. The word indeed is a light to ſome, and to others onelyonly a ſtumbling block, as God is pleaſed to paſs by, or work by his holy ſpirit. Ordinances they are attended by man, but ſanctified by God. The Word works unnaturally Eph. 4. 16. Joh. 3. 19. Prov. 16. 1. Eph. 3. 7.upon the Jews, Acts 7. 54. pleaſingly upon Herod, Mark 6. 20. moſt powerfully upon Lydia, Acts 16. 14. fully and effectually upon Paul, Acts 9. 5. And thus the Goſpel, which is onelyonly an inſtrument in Gods hand, works variouſly and differently, according to the pleaſure and free agency of his will.
That the work of grace is arbitrary, is evidenced in the impoſſibility of humane merit. We cannot prepare our ſelves Natura corrupta eſt, et lex morbum oſtendit, non ſanat vos autem meritum neſcio quod excogitaſtis, quod mul… …lutem …endam …eat. Whit. Q…i dignitate …i…tationis hereditariae nituntur, multò ſunt verae pietatis ſtudioſiores, quam qui … ſervorum merito riâ virtute dependent. Mort. Epiſ. Dunelm. contra Merita.for the entertainment of this work of the holy ſpirit; there is no meritum ex condigno, or meritum ex congruo, as the Papiſts fondly imagine, and our Proteſtant Divines have fully evinced. When God firſt begins his work of grace upon the ſoul, he finds nothing but ruines and rubbiſh, no remains of beauty. The ſpirit of God meets with a great deal of enmity, Rom. 8. 7. and boyſterous oppoſition, much wrigling and reluctancy of the fleſh; All the powers of man are up in arms againſt this bleſſed work: It is therefore only Gods free and eternal love which prompts him to carry on this powerful work. One obſerving that of the Apoſtle, Our carnal mind is enmity againſt God, Rom. 8. 7. By carnal mind, ſaith he, is not to be underſtood ſenſuality, the dregs, the lees, and the whites of nature, but our natural wiſdom, our moſt refined part, nature in its beſt condition, even Lady reaſon it ſelf unſanctified; and therefore the work of grace muſt needs be arbitrary; there is nothing to allure it, nothing to engage God to effect it: wrinkles will not ſtir up love. The wiſe man ſaith, Prov. 16. 1. The preparations of the heart are of the Lord; Obſerve, preparations in the plural number, to ſhew us, that every little wheel in the work of grace is moved, Prov. 16. 1.and turns by power from God; every good tendency, Vita noſtrae animae maximè beata à deo pendet, et donatur dei amicisevery regular propenſion, every breathing and anhelation after good, is implanted in us by God, who is liberrimum agens, as the ſchool-men ſpeak, moſt free and arbitrary in all his works and diſpenſations.
This further is demonſtrated by the ineffectualneſs of all mans attempts, to arrive at a ſtate of grace and holineſs. There are many things bid fair for this holy work, but they all Tollitur cooperatio liberi arbitrii, interior volentis, exterior currentis, et totum opus bonum eſt dei miſerentis, et gratiae operantis. Calv.bring onelyonly to the birth, they cannot bring forth the leaſt ſemblance of it, all turn into a timpany at laſt: Good Education, holy Patterns, ſweet Ordinances, precious Sabbaths, theſe may contribute ſomething to an outward reſtraint from evil; but they beget not the Saint, without the admirable work of divine grace. The holy ſpirit muſt overſhadow the ſoul, and ſo beget Chriſt in it. That holy thing, the new birth, is the product of the Eternal and Almighty ſpirit; we cannot aſcribe the New creature to any thing in Rom. 9. 16.man, for creature implies a work of creation, which onelyonly is to be attributed to an infinite power: Thus moſt evidently the Apoſtle, Rom. 9. 16. It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who ſheweth mercy. Mans faireſt colours are but paint; they may counterfeit, but are not true beauty.
Let us meditate on the morning of a Sabbath, on the ſecrefie of the work of grace. It is a ſweet, but a ſpiritual work; indeed Vita ſanctorum obſcondita eſt, quia ſancti à mundi cupiditat…bus et mundarâ converſatione ſe abſtrahunt et abſcondunt. Anſelm.it is admirable, but moſt frequently indiſecruable, this bleſſed work is like a river under ground, like a ſtar behind a cloud, the world cannot ſee it; they look upon the Saints, as the onelyonly troublers of Iſrael. Holy Paul was called a ſeditious fellow, Acts 24. 5. The Apoſtles were called intemperate, men filled with new wine, Acts 2. 13. Nay, Chriſt himſelf was called Beelzebub, and a friend of publicans and ſinners, though he had the ſpirit above meaſure, John 3. 34. foreign Epic.The world underſtands not the Saints Shibboleth. Nay, often the Saint himſelf is at a loſs, whether this work be Mundus non agnoſcit aliquid ſpirituale in fil…is dei. Dav.wrought in him or no: He often wants the lively and vivid ſenſe of the ſpirit of God, he many times is ſo clouded with afflictions, battered with temptations, diſturbed Heb. 11. 37, 38.with the hurries of the world, dazled with ſenſual flatteries, Col. 3. 3.and benighted with deſertion, that he can ſcarce ſee any day light of grace, by the leaſt cranny of obſervation, or experience. How doth David cry out, that the ſpirit had taken Cum ſentiant ſancti inſehanc vitam ſpiritualem, tamenillam agnoſcunt valde infirmam, lanquidam, et obſcuratam propter perpetuam illam pugnam, rebellionem carnis. Daven.wing, and was upon the flight from him, Pſal. 51. 11. The Apoſtle ſaith, Col. 3. 3. Our life is hid with Chriſt, both in point of ſecurity, and in point of ſecreſie; with Chriſt, as in the ſpring; with Chriſt, as in the root and principle, and the root we know is under ground, and no eye of the paſſenger obſerves it, with the ſeveral threads of it. Let one thing more come within our view; This work of grace is often under a mask, and faces are not diſcovered under a mask; there is a continual combat between the fleſh and the ſpirit, and the poor Saint ſtands as a ſpectatour, he waits, and cannot tell which of the two combatants will go away with Gal. 5. 17.flying colours.
Let us meditate on the beautifullneſs of the work of Grace. The Scripture beſt depaints this lovely work. Sometimes it Nova creat…ra ſpiritualis effecta, novam gratiae vit…m fortua eſt, ut de… ceps in novitate vitae ambulet.is called Regeneration, Joh. 3. 5. Sometimes it is called a new Creation, Gal. 6. 15. With what flouriſh and glory did the world look when God did firſt create it, and it firſt put on its comly dreſs and attire; how pleaſant was the Earth in its firſt ſpring? Sometimes the work of grace is called Gods workmanſhip, Eph. 2. 10. and this work muſt be good, Gen. 1. 31. foreignbecauſe it is his. All things he made were very good, Gen. 1. 31. Nay, ſometimes this work is called our coming to our ſelves, Luke 15. 17. And when lunatick perſons are reduced to their wits, what a comly and a lovely ſight is it? Indeed holineſs is an attribute of God, it is the lovelineſs of Angels, it is the beauty of Saints; this makes them excellent, Pſal. 16. Pſal. 16. 3. Prov. 12. 26. Prov. 17. 27. Ezek. 16. 7. Phil. 1. 10.3. nay, more excellent then their neighbours, Prov. 12. 26. The habits of grace are excellent ornaments, Ezek. 16. 7. The wayes of grace are excellent wayes, Phil. 1. 10. The work of grace it ſheds light into the underſtanding, makes it day there; the beginnings of grace are day break in the ſoul. Grace it ſhapes the will, and brings it into form, it ſublimates Col. 3. 1, 2.the affections, and raiſes them from the dung-hill, and makes them, as it was ſaid of the Bereans, Acts 17. 11. more noble; it ſoftens the heart, and makes it pliable to the tenders of the Goſpel; it cleanſes the conſcience from its filth and naſtineſs, Acts 15. 9. it compoſes the converſation; 1 Cor. 15, 58, 59it adorns the life, and beſpangles it with good works, thoſe beautiful iſſues of a work of grace.
Let us meditate on the beneficialneſs of the work of grace. Grace is glory initiated, the dawning of future glory, and glory is the noon-tide of grace. There is a connection between grace and glory, Pſal. 84. 11. They are claſped together by an eternal decree. Gods everlaſting purpoſe of love hath eſpouſed grace to glory. The work of grace foreruns Deus dedit nobis pignus futurae haereditatis gratiam, quâ nos unxit, …t ſignavit in filios dei, diſcrevit que à filiis diaboli.the wages of glory. Grace is onelyonly glory in its infancy, and glory is grace in its full growth. Grace and glory differ in degree, not in kind. The ſpirits work is onelyonly the firſt Scene of heaven; here the ſpirit is a refining, above it will be a raviſhing ſpirit. Death blows the bud of grace into the flower of glory, 2 Cor. 1. 22. Eph. 1. 14. Grace onelyonly uſhers in glory, it is onelyonly the greener fruit of heaven, and in Oecum.future bleſſedneſs it comes to its full maturation. In a word, 2 Cor. 1. 22.the work of grace is the beginning of heaven in the ſoul; and Eph. 1. 14.Chriſt in the heart doth fully aſſure us; we ſhall ſee Chriſt Eph. 3. 17.in the Throne.
Let us meditate in the morning of a Sabbath, on the works of glory; How ſhould we contemplate on heavenly things, Pſal. 36. 8. Heb 4. 9. Rev. 3. 21. 2 Tim. 4. 8. 1 Cor. 2. 9. O ineffabile gaudium in ſanctis glorificatis, qui ad dextram Chriſti ſiſtent, ut ſubditi ſereniſſimo ſuo principi, ut filii benigniſſimo ſuo patri, ut regale ſacerdotium gratioſiſſimo ſuo pontifici. Glaſſ.on Gods heavenly day; what thoſe chambers of reſt, what thoſe rivers of pleaſure, what thoſe crowns of righteouſneſs, what thoſe thrones of glory are, which God hath prepared for his believing, and beloved ones, who have rejoyced in his holy day here, and made it their ſeraphical delight. From the mount of meditation, as from mount Nebo, we may take a proſpect of the land of Promiſe, which Chriſt hath taken the poſſeſſion of, in the name of all believers, Heb. 6. 20. Heaven muſt needs be a glorious City, which hath God both for its builder and inhabitant; it muſt needs be the extract and quinteſſence of all bleſſedneſs. On Gods day in the morning, let meditation liſten to the muſicks of the Bride-chamber, take a taſt of our Maſters joy, peep within the vail, and take a glance of the face of God, and make an eſſay, how well a crown of righteouſneſs becomes the believers head; And ſurely we cannot meditate on theſe things, but we Quanta erit illa felicitas, ubi nullum erit malum, nullum latebit bonum, vacabitur dei laudibus, qui erit omnia in omnibus. Aug.muſt rejoyce in hope. What priſoner ſhackled with the chains of temptation, and fettered with the irons of his own corruption, being in the dark priſon of the world, can meditate on the time when all theſe reſtraints ſhall be filed off, and he enjoy the pleaſant light, and glorious liberty of the Sons of God, Rom. 8. 21. but he will be tranſported with joy and exultation? Meditation brings down heaven to us, and we travel in the view of things ſuperlative and ineffable. In Glory we ſhall ſee the King in his beauty, Iſa. 33. 17. There John 14. 2. Pſal. 16. 11.God ſhall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15. 28. There ſhall be beauty Rev. 3. 21.to the eye, muſick to the ear, joy to the heart, light to the mind, perfection to the ſoul, plenary and abſolute ſatisfaction to the Saint. Glory is meditations upper-loft, it is its higheſt gallery to walk in, it is its pleaſing neſt among the ſtars. Meditation may take a view of the pompous Theater 2 Cor. 1. 3. Mat. 1. 21. Heb. 7. 25.of glory, where there are the three perſons in the God-head; The Father of our mercies, Jeſus Chriſt the Saviour of our ſouls, the Holy Ghoſt the Healer of our natures; the Father who hears our prayers, the Son who is our interceſſour above us, and the ſpirit who is our interceſſour within us: And in correſpondence to this bleſſed Trinity, there Rom. 8. 26, 27.are three ſpecies of beings who enjoy glory; the glorious God, the holy Angels, the glorified Saints; and thus meditation may tune the morning of a Sabbath, and the muſick may ſound all the enſuing day.