The Abuse of Gods Grace, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Containing an uſe of Humiliation.
PErverting of Gods grace, calls for Lamentation: Uſe 2 For Humiliation.if prizing the goſpel, the love of God, the zeal of his name, the honor of Chriſt: Gratitude for the infinite mercy of redemption, are mighty arguments to move ſerious Chriſtians, to magnifie the grace of God in their hearts and lives, and to rejoyce… its exaltation, then ſurely the ſenſe of undervaluing the goſpel: The want of love to, yea, poſitive hatred of God, luke-warmneſs, yea key-coldneſs for his name: The diſhonors of the Mediator of Grace, unthankfulneſs for the coſtly grace of Redemption, ſhould load the heart with deep ſorrow, and draw forth holy mourning and tears, and that for two ſorts of injurious dealers with Gods grace; the beſt and the worſt of perſons under the profeſſion of Gods grace.
SECT. 1.
1. BEwail, O upright, tender hearted Chriſtian! thine own 1. Upright hearted perſons ought to bewail their abuſing of the grace of God.and thy fellows unſuitableneſs and diſhonor to the grace of God: 'Tis too much, the old man hath been too diſſolute within thee; I know thou ſeeſt, and when thou art thy ſelf, canſt not but bewail the neglect of the holy government of grace in thy ſoul, the wanton uproars of thy unruly affections, the ſwarms of undiſciplined, unregarded looſe thoughts; the ſecret filthineſs, which for ſhame thou dareſt not word, but ſhameleſly give way to in thy watchleſs minde, thy back-ſliding in heart, and in ſome things whoring imaginations, fancies, contemplations, affections about falſe loves, it is too much thou haſt a boſome Libertine: But art thou convinced thy ſelf, and thy co-heirs of glory, and liveſt ſhamefully and diſhonorably below the hopes of Heaven, the high, holy, and heavenly profeſſion of propriety in God, an everlaſting Portion? Doth the guilt of abuſing Gods grace viſibly and ſcandalouſly appear againſt that holy principle of immortal life, that is in thee and others? Never leave thinking of this, till thine heart be broken before the Lord: O what reproach is brought to the God and Goſpel of grace, when his precious name is wounded in the houſe of his friends, when he hears ill in the world from the diſhonors of his own Family. As David upon the death of Saul lamented, The ſhield of the mighty is vilely caſt away in Gilboa, as though Saul was not anointed with oyl, 2 Sam. 1. 20. So may it be for a lamentation, The ſhield of the mighty, indowed with grace, is vilely laid aſide, as if he were not the anointed with the Spirit: As Jeremiah lamented, That the precious ſtones of Zion, comparable to fine gold, were eſteemed as earthen Pitch…s, Lam. 4. 2. So it is deplorable, that the precious living ſtones of Zion, darkned by ſome looſe ſcandals, are eſteemed as dirt.
Five things may urge thee, O gracious ſoul! to mourn over thy wrongs to Gods grace.
1. Thou ſinneſt againſt a Principle of life, that ſhould and would, if excited, make thee ſenſible of Gods diſhonor.
2. Thou abuſeth that that ſets thee off from the loſt world, diſtinguiſhing grace.
3. Thy injury againſt ſaving grace, is deepeſt ingratitude, tis walking unwo…thy of that which muſt fit thee for Heaven.
4. Thine offenſive diſcove…ies of wronging grace, tempts carnal obſervers, too prone to be looſe, to turn more bold Libertines.
5. Thy open offences, may be, yea probably have, been prevailing temptations to ſpeed others damnation.
Theſe and ſuch like conſiderations, ſet home by the Spirit of God, on quickned ſenſible ſpirits, will put them in a mourning frame before the Lord.
2. As pious hearts ſhould bewail their own and others diſhonors, who have abuſed the love of God to them, and the grace of God in them; ſo alſo let them lay to heart the looſe, general, carnal profeſſion, of them who in unregeneracy wrong the grace of God, in five things.
SECT. 2.
1. IN his ſparing grace: How ſadly hath the abuſe hereof been 2. Sparing Grace is abuſed.tevenged: God hath not onelyonly ſpared the ſons that ſerve him, but the enemies that rebel againſt him: When this goodneſs hath been anſwered by inſolent provocation, God hath dealt with the darers of his Majeſty, as Abner did to Aſahel: The adventurous man, to his own ruine, would needs be following Abner: The angry man bid him once turn aſide, but he would follow; a ſecond time, Turn thee aſide Aſahell, why ſhould I ſmite thee to the ground; but he followeth ſtill, was ſmitten and killed, 2 Sam. 2. 21, 22, 23. ſo audacious, wanton ſinners, in the ways of ſin, are on… …id to turn aſide, and are ſpared, but following on ſtill in wanton provocations, are ſmitten dead and ſent to hell. The Lord of Hoaſts deals like men of War, that meet with galloping Travellers, charged to ſtand, or elſe they die for it; are ſpared, and bid again to ſtand, or they are dead men; but preſſing on, are ſhot and periſh. Many now in Hell have heard the Lords warning ſtands, but though often ſpared, would ſtill gallop in the road to deſtruction, and their blood is juſtly upon themſelves: Sparing grace abuſed, hath been repaired with unſparing vengeance.
SECT. 3.
2. BEwail the abuſe of Gods long ſuffering grace: Though 3 It is our duty to bewail the abuſe of Gods long ſuffering Grace.Gods patience be laſting, it is not everlaſting; Veſſels of wrath turn it into fury: …ow ſad is it, That which leads a few to ſalvation, accidentally ripens others deſtruction: As they fill up ſin, they fill up wrath. God, that is angry with the wicked every day, ſmites not every day, but hath the reſerves of wrath, which is paid out in whole-ſale vengeance: His ſword is whet, his bow is bent, the arrows are on the ſtring, inſtruments of death are prepared, the un-erring eye and hand of vengeance cannot miſs the mark, when the Decree comes forth to let flie, Pſalm 7. 4. Damnation ſlumbers not: The fierce anger of the Lord ſhall not return, until he have performed the intents of his heart, Jer. 30. 24. Phar…ohs perſonal deſtruction ſpared Plague after Plague, was at length effected in the Red Sea: Viſions of deſtruction, as well as of ſalvation, are for an appointed time, and then terro…s and ſorro…s come, like a Woman in travel: Long proſperious wickedneſs ſhould be pitied, not envied. Fret not at the full Tables, the ſilken Scarlet glory, the gold of Ophir, wherewith ſin is ſerved: How ſad will the …eckoning be, when the tranſitory ſ…eets of ſin, muſt have ete…n…l ſow…e ſ…wce. Habakkuks ſenſe of ſu…e, though long delayed venge…nce on the enemies of God, made his elly tremble, his lips …uiver, and rottenneſs to enter into his bones, Hab. 3. 16. The imagined Idea's of the ſad ends of abuſed long-ſuffe…ing, will make tender Bowels of compaſſion to yearn, hearts to pray, lips to cry out to God for mercy, yea, and eyes to wee… out charitable deſires, that thoſe who are unbettered by large …pace to repent, may return and live.
SECT. 4.
3. BEwail the abuſe of Gods reconciling grace, who almoſt 4 Bewail the abuſe of Gods reconciling Grace.under Goſpel preaching, but believe God, and they are … by Jeſus Chriſt. It is …d to think how this is abuſed. May not the Lord …eſus ſay of his falſe friends, as David of his, they that fed on his bounty lift up their heele againſt him, Pſal. 41. 9. As Job of his Freinds that forgat him, Job 19. 14. How is Chriſt forgotten, when thoſe who pretend intereſt in him, wantonly caſt his Lawes behind their backs, and are malepart in his preſence: …his loving ſtile Friend, the title Chriſt gave to Judas, Matth. 26. 50. was for his reproach, not his honour, that he, who ſhould have been the friend, was the enemy of Chriſt. You know his wofull end who eminently wronged the grace of Chriſt.
SECT. 5.
4. BEwaile the abuſe of Gods freeing grace. How many boaſt of chriſtian Liberty, while they are looſe Libertines. Chriſt 5 Bewail the abuſe of Gods freeing Gracehath bought them to doe his own wil, whom he intends to ſave, not to do their own. This pleaſing miſery is common. Outſides in chriſtianitie vote themſelves f…ee, as the Jews did themſelves, Joh. 8. Chriſts Freemen, …hile they are the ſervants of ſin, the light is as ſorrowful, as to ſee a Priſoner in chains cry out of his civil freedom. Can you believe him free, that cannot ſtir f…om the block he is tyed to. Chriſt hath called men to be free from the reign of ſin, and they think ſinnes ſervice liberty, which is their thraldome: yea, which is lamentable, after (as one complains) by the admirable and ſingular grace of Chriſt, men are delivered from the chains of Papacie, they would alſo be free and looſe Poſteaquam à vinculis papatus ſe liberatos eſſe vident, volunt etiam eſſe liberi & ſoluti ab evangelio & praeceptis Dei. Johan: Spangenburgius in Narrat Benif. Dei. Horrenda Epicures beſtialis vita cernitur—Aeque libere ac impune volunt peccare, ſi…ut Papiſtae in ſua Idololatria-Christiana diſculina apud nos novus I …, n…vuſque Monachiſmus Jacobus Andraas, Conc, 4. ad cap. 21. Luc.from the goſpel and commands of God, and that onelyonly they would account right and juſt that ſeems ſo in their own eyes. May not the complaint of the looſe German Proteſtants be verified of the looſe Engliſh prophaners of Goſpel grace. They are content the Word ſhould be preached …out there is no Reformation of manners, but an horrid Epicurean beſtial life, in their drunken meetings, worldly pomps. Prophanations, yea Blaſphemies of the name of God. They would as freely and impudently ſinne as Papiſts in their Idolatry; God requires ſerious and Chriſtian diſcipline, but this is among us a new Papacie, and a new Monckiſme. The thanks wee mo…ly give to God, for being reſcued from the yoake of Antichriſt is moſtly caſting off the yoak of Chriſt. O God provoking England, that ſo abuſeſt Chriſtian Liberty! Thine ungreatful and wanton throwing off the golden yoak of Chriſt, cries for vengeance to put upon thee again to bear the Iron yoak of Antichriſt. It is, O it is, a ſorrowful conſideration, that men count it their freedom under the goſpel, to ſin freely, and without ſorrow. O the numerous Libertines among us, paſt feeling! and, as the word bears it, paſt ſorrow, Eph. 4. 19. that have given themſelves over to Laſciviouſneſſe. Unſorrowing ſinners are moſt ſad ſpectacles for yearning bowels. O tender hearted chriſtians! in your ſecret Indolentia non ſentiunt naturales conſcientiae morſus. Dickſ.mournings, pitty hardned Libertines that pittie not themſelves; weep for them who neither can, nor care, nor deſire to weep for themſelves. A ſorrowleſs ſtupidity and lethargy, that feels not the check, and laſh of the natural conſcience, and is deaf to the Spirits motions, that is contracted by a benumming liberty and cuſtom in ſin, is a woful judgement.
SECT. 6.
6. BEwaile the abuſe of Pardoning grace. How ſad will be 6 Bewaile the abuſe of pardoning gracetheir account, whoſe Faith, or rather Preſumption of Pardon, adds to their ſinne? Chriſt ſaid to the pardoned woman, ſin no more. Carnall confidence ſayes, Sin more, you ſhall be pardoned; though dayly dear ſinnes are written down in the conſcience, the Spunge of pardoning grace will blot them out. The truly tender conſcience cleared from old guilt, would not willingly, but is afraid to contract new; but the brawny ſeared conſcience makes uſe of Chriſts indulgence, to eaſe his ſpirit, not to heal his luſt. Its a lamentation, M… wallo v… in their pollution becauſe of free remiſſion. The Lord hath ſpoken in that verſe, where he proclaims the glory of his grace, a ſad word, He will not clear ſuch guilty perſons.
To lay the Diſhonors of goſpel grace to heart, three things may be heart-affecting expedients.
1. Such as are grieved for this ſin, write after the copy of Jeſus Chriſt, and the choiceſt Saints, of Chriſt: He beheld Jeruſalem, where the Meſſengers of grace, the Prophets were abuſed and ſlain, where himſelf, the author of grace, was to be condemned and crucified, where the ſweet Meſſages of grace were delivered and deſpiſed, and wept over its ſin and puniſhment, Luke 19. 41. Again, a dolorous ſenſe of the injuries of grace, is like to that mourning frame of ſpirit that was in the pious Jews, who ſighed and cried for all the abominable planings of Gods grace, Ezek. 9. 3, 4. This ſuits with eminently holy Pauls ſpirit, who ſpying looſeneſs among his knowing, but wanton Corinthians, expreſſed thus his jealouſie, I fear leſt when I come to you, my God will humble me, and I ſhall bewaile them that have not repented of their wantonneſs, 2 Cor. 12. 12, 13.
2. Such as are humbled for this ſin, diſcover a child-like in-genuous diſpoſition. A good Son is afflicted for his Fathers diſhonour. If I be a father, where is mine honour, Mal. 1. 6. It ſpeaks us Strangers, not Children, the born of the Fleſh, not the Spirit, if we ſee the reproaches of Gods grace, with contented ſpirits.
3. Such as mourn for this ſin in others, and have ſome taint of the guilt of it in themſelves, ſhall find this a ſoveraign preſervative againſt it for time to come. Godly ſorrow works repentance, and by the real ſadneſs of the ſpirit and countenance for ſin, this great ſin, the heart is made better, Eccleſ, 7. 3. The ingenuous child that feels the ſmart of the rod, will be fearful of falling into the ſinne that brought it. Holy anguiſh of ſoul for abuſing Gods grace, will be a memento, and a Medicine to heal it.