Characters of a Sincere Heart, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Where the Heart is ſincere, there will be a preſſing forward towards Perfection.
Sect. 1 I Proceed to a ſeventh Character of a Charact. 7. A preſsing forward towards Perfection.ſincere Heart; and this both an Apoſtolical Character, and an Apoſtolical Practice; viz. A preſſing forward towards Perfection. St. Paul propounds his own Example as a Pattern for our imitation, and what he had experimented, and known to be good experimentally, he communicates to us, and exhorts to reduce into practice. Not as (ſaith he) though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, that I may apprehend that for which alſo I am apprehended of Christ. Brethren, I count not my ſelf to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting thoſe things which are behind, and reaching forth unto thoſe things which are before; I preſs toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jeſus: Let us therefore, as many as be perfect be thus minded, Phil. 3. 12, 13, 14, 15. This progreſſive motion David laies dowor is a ſign of ſuch who are bleſſed, Pſal. 84. 6, 7. Who paſſing through the valley of Baca make it a well, the rain alſo filleth the pool: They go from ſtrength to ſtrength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. Their indeavors are indefatigable, and their motions are continued and progreſſive in the ſervice of God. Hence judicious Calvin obſerves upon the place; That the faithful recollect Ae ſi dicerunt fideles collectis ſubiade viribus aſcendere ad moatem Zion nec laſſitudiae ullâ tardari, donec conſpicia at Dei faciem. Calv in Pſal. 84. verſ. 7.their ſtrength, and aſcend unto the mount of Zion, and are not hindred by any wearineſs till they behold the face of God. Our grand indeavor ſhould be to get grace, and truth of grace; and to be diligent in ſearching whether we have got ſpecial and more than common grace; and whether we miſtake not parts for graces. We muſt ſtill be ſitting, examining, and trying whether our grace be true and genuine, ſincere and ſaving grace: And our indeavor muſt be continued to get growth in grace, and more acceſſions thereunto. If we would be preſerved from apoſtacy and back-ſliding, we muſt grow in grace; for growth in grace is a ſpecial preſervative to keep us from falling from our ſtedfaſtneſs. For ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Pet. 3. 17, 18. Ye therefore, beloved, ſeeing ye know theſe things before, beware, leſt ye alſo being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own ſtedfaſtneſs. A ſovereign remedy to prevent the danger of Apoſtacy, is preſcribed in the following words, verſ. 18. But grow in grace, and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. A growing Believer is a new born Chriſtian. As new born babes deſire the ſincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, 1 Pet. 2. 2. Likewiſe augmentation of every particular grace is required: We muſt labour for true grace as to the quality of it; and as to the quantity of it we muſt ſtill be adding thereunto. So ſaith the ſame Apoſtle, 2 Pet. 1. 5, 6, 7, 8. Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue Eſt inſignis hic locus, ſi quis alius verae Chriſtianae vitae ſummam, deſcriptis illius veris tum cruſis tum effectis ſpectandam praebens. Beza.knowledg, and to knowledg temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godlineſs, and to godlineſs brotherly kindneſs, and to brotherly kindneſs charity: For if thoſe things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye ſhall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the the knowledg of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. We have need of every grace; and the more we have of any grace in ſincerity and in truth, the more we ſhall value it, and the more we ſhall beg ſupplies of God, and increaſe from him. The Apoſtles pray'd, Lord, increaſe our Faith. If we have any grace already really wrought in us, we ſhall be ſenſible what need we have of, and ſhall pray for, a continual augmentation.
Sect. 2 To inſtance in particulars: Have we faith? let's fift narrowly, and examine thorowly, whether our faith be a ſaving faith; whether it be a juſtifying faith, Rom. 5. 1. ſuch as works by love, Gal. 5. 6. and purifies the heart, Acts 15. 9. (for this only is of the right ſtamp:) or whether our faith be only hiſtorical, dogmatical, and only temporary. If we ſearch exactly, upon mature and deliberate reflections upon our ſelves, we ſhall find ſome failings and deficiencies in our faith: For though (queſtionleſs) the Theſſalonians had true faith, yet they had ſomething lacking in their faith. And yet they were ſuch for whom the Apoſtle gave thanks to God in an eſpecial foreign (i. e.) omnibus … ris fidem veſtram aa huc imperfectam abſolvamus. Beze in Loc.manner, 1 Theſ. 3. 9, 10. For (ſaith he) what thanks can we render again to God for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your ſakes before our God night and and day, praying exceedingly that we might ſee your face, and perfect that which is lacking in your faith? And as we ſhould labour for more faith, ſo ſhould we labour for more love, more meekneſs, more humility, and more ſelf-denial. If then through the pride of our own hearts we ſhould flatter our ſelves as if we had grace enough already, it's evident that we never had any grace at all in ſincerity and in truth; for whereever true grace is planted in the heart, it fructifies in the life and converſation. Grace is no withered dead plant, but a living and growing plant; where the ſeed of grace is ſound in the heart, it takes root downward, and brings forth fruit upward throughout the practice of our whole lives. He then who labours Qui deſinit proſicere, incipit deficere. Bern.not to grow better, begins to grow worſe, as a Father ſaith. Though covetouſneſs, and a greedy carking care after the World are unlawful, yet here is a lawful covetouſneſs; for to deſire more grace is a holy covetouſneſs. To be rapax & tenax, i. e. to get get and graſp all that one get, and not to be willing to part with any thing, are characters of covetous Earth-worms; but to be eager foreign Stadium exigit & majorem quandam in compara…dis ſoiritualibus cupiditale. Theoph.and greedy after increaſe of every grace, and when we have got grace, to be careful to the utmoſt to keep it, this is the only lawful kind of covetouſneſs, recommended by the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 12. 13. Covet earneſtly the beſt gifts. And grace is the beſt gift, Chriſt himſelf only excepted: Gifts of Tongues, and gifts of Wiſdom and Underſtanding, &c. are highly to be valued, but this gift of Grace is of far greater value. Grace is Quid conſtitutivum; i. e. that which conſtitutes a true Chriſtian. Though Tongues, and Arts and Sciences are precious in their kind, yet many bad men may have them, and many good men may want them; but Grace is of abſolute neceſſity, for without it we cannot come to Heaven; and without holineſs we ſhall never ſee the Lord. Wherefore let us cry out for Grace, as Solomon makes mention of the Horſleeches two Daughters, Give, give, Prov. 30. 15. Wherefore we ſhould not reſt ſatisfied & contented with theſe meaſures of Grace whereunto we have at preſent attained, but we ſhould make it our great buſineſs, ſtudy, and indeavor to grow from one degree of grace unto another: We muſt no… only follow holineſs, Heb. 12. 14. but perfect holineſs in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7. 1. We muſt ſtrive after perfection of grace; though we are incompaſſed with many imperfections in this World, yet we muſt not allow our ſelves in them, but mourn for them; and ſtill go on in adding grace to grace here, till at length grace be ſwallowed up in glory; and we then ſhall attain to the end of our hope, the ſalvation of our immortal Souls.