Influences of the Life of Grace, Part 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Hence to deſcend more particularly to enquire 1. What influences are. 2. Whenc… they come. 3. The neceſſity of influences. 4. How they are above us, and of the Soveraignty of him who beſt ows them. 5. What we may doe to fetch them.
INfluences are acts of God concurring with created cauſes under him,What influences are. and a ſort of continued Creation; as God of nothing makes all things, ſo in his providence he gives a day to all borrowed beings, in their being preſerved by him, and they are the Lords debtors, in being acted by him, or then they could not ſtir nor move.
2. The ſame free goodneſſe (which is a ſort of grace) which moved God to create the Sun and give it being, ſo alſo …ts him to give influences to the motions and actings of the Sun; the end that moves the Man to make the Plough and the Cart, moves him to draw the Plough and driv… the Cart by Beaſts; ſo that in reference to the end, there is deb…tum quoddam connaturale, ſome connatural dueneſs of influences: all Creatures are dead Cyphers which ſig…ifie nothing,Influences of God are ſuitable to Gods end. except the influence of God add a figure to them; and they lie dead, if he ſtir them not; Some Cows let not down their Milk but to their own Calves; and the Creatures are as Pictures and Idols who let out no Efficacy, no Vertue, except the Lord act upon them; Sometimes the Sea ebbs not, the Wind blows not, the Sun ſhines not, the Fire burns not, becauſe this influence is (as it were) the Charm that is a wanting, and he hath a ſort of a checklock upon all ſecond cauſes.
3. Though God move and muſt act in all, in cauſes natural and free, ſo as, in ſome ſenſe, he muſt concur in willing and nilling;Influences of God for nilling and willing moſt rare and excellent. yet he out of Soveraignty of grace, ſtands more aloofe in beſtowing influences to gracious and ſupernatural nilling and willing, (for Predeſtination and free Election to glory here hath place;) for that he prepared in his eternal decree; ſo many outlettings and emanations of free acts of grace to carry to glory ſo many ſelected Angels and Men, and denyed theſe outgoings of free love to others, he intending they ſhould be to Angels and Men, both their grace and ſong of praiſe; he hath not given out ſuch refined influences of free love to other Creatures, to the motions of Sun and Moon to the Seas ebbing and flowing.
4. Q. What then is the fountain cauſe of gracious influences and breathings of the Spirit?
Anſ. How Chriſt and the promiſed Spirit muſt be the cauſes of gracious influences.Sure, Jeſus Chriſt muſt be the meritorious and fountain cauſe of ſuch influences;
For 1. We ſuppoſe that Chriſt is the head of the elect Angels: God having purpoſed to ſave man of grace, he gave this mighty ſeparating influence diſtinguiſhing the Standing and Elect Angels from the falling and reprobate Angels, elſe it cannot be ſaid they are Elect Angels, as 1 Tim. 5. 21. nor can their ſtanding be of free grace (for they could not ſtand, except the Lord had choſen them to ſtand as the means; as he choſe them to glory as to the end) except the Lord had joyned his predeterminating acting to cauſe them to ſtand, and reconciled them Coloſ. 1. 20. to himſelf, giving to them medicinal confirming grace that they never ſhould be ſick. Now the Elect Angels are the ſpecial Meſſengers, and New Covenant Officers, mini…tring Spirits ſent forth to miniſter for them who ſhall be heirs of ſalvation, Heb. 1. 14. And the Angels Ezek. 1. are acted in all their motions by that Jehovah, whoſe glory Iſaiah ſaw, Iſa. 6. 1, 2, 3. John 12. 37. of which Jehovah alſo Ezekiel 1. v. 28. as v. 12. And the four living creatures went, every one ſtraight forward: whither the Spirit was to go they went, and they turned not when they went. And alſo verſe 20. They are then rightly called the Angels of the Lord Jeſus, 2 Theſ. 1. 7. for they cover their faces (it is no… bluſhing for ſin) and their feet with wings, Iſa. 6. while they ſtand before and ſee the face of their Soveraign and high Maſter; and ſo its clear that the actings of ſpecial and ſupernatural providence toward and about the redeemed Church come from Chriſt, as head of Angels, and as the heir of all things, who makes all things new, Heb. 1. 2, 3. Rev. 21. 5. and who works with the father, Joh. 5. 17. in a newcovenant providence to make new Heavens and new Earth, and to act all for the elects ſake, Coloſ. 1. 16. 17. yea and this Spirit at whoſe direction, the living creatures move and reſt, come and go, Zech. 1. 12, 20. is the ſame ſpirit promiſed and ſent by Chriſt, John 16. 7, 13, 14. of which Chriſt, he ſhall receive of mine and give it to you: by the influences of this Spirit ſent by Chriſt, are the Redeemed led, Rom. 8. 14. directed Acts 16. 6, 9, 10, 14. ſealed and confirmed Eph. 4. 30. having received the earneſt of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 1. 22. taught, guided, & the Word made effectual, John 16. 13. convinced of ſin, and throughly rebuked, verſ. 7, 8, 9. comforted, Joh. 14. 16. and the memory ſanctified and quickned to remember neceſſary truths, Joh. 14. 26. and the whole man made able by the anointing for all things, 1 John 2. 20, 27. Hence theſe influences of grace are from the ſpirit, not as from the third perſon of the bleſſed Trinity ſimply; for ſo the ſpirit is the power of God, ſometimes as Judge ſitting, and by a Judicial power, making tormenting convictions dreadfully effectual upon the conſciences of Divels, Matth. 8. 29. Luke 4. 34, 35. of which the chains of darkneſſe may be a part, 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jude v. 6. as alſo neither from the ſpirit, as the power of God Creator, Job 26. 13. Job 32. 8. in making and governing all, Pſal. 104. 30. but from the Spirit, as the fruit and purchaſe of Chriſts death and merits; and as ſaving grace is from Chriſt the fountain, ſo alſo the ſaving influences of Chriſt as Mediator, and of ſtirring us up to will and do, Phil. 2. 13. and to ſtand and perſevere in the ſtate of grace, muſt be diſpenſed covenant ways, Jerem. 32. 3, 37, 38, 39, 40. Iſa. 59. 20, 21. Iſa. 54. 10, 11, 12. by his bloud. So Chriſt ſpeaketh to the ſpirit, Cant. 4. 16. Stir up thou North wind, come forth thou South, blow upon my garden, that the ſpice thereof may flow out. Where Chriſt commands influences of the ſpirit of the North and South wind, though of contrary qualities, of cold and heat, moiſt and dry; both in ſharp rebukes, and ſweet conſolations, to fall upon his Church and garden; and it is his deſire, as Spouſe and Mediator, that the Spirit breath upon, and make efficacious the word, otherwiſe there is but deadneſſe, Ezech. 37. 9. Come from the four winds, O wind, How upon theſe ſlain, that they may live. John 3. 8. And the flowing of the ſpices, is the ſouls being quickned, revived, comforted, and the graces increaſed by the breathings of the ſpirit.
Hence 1. the fear that Chriſt ſhall be wanting in beſtowing influences,We are to believe that he who purchaſed by his merit the habit of grace, ſhall give ſuitable influences, and to fear alſo our propenſion to fall. (ſo do many weak ones) is a broken half faith, looking upon Chriſt as half a Saviour; what? he that died to purchaſe the ſpirit, ſhall he not carry on the work of redemption, by applying it, and carrying on of what he hath begun? Indeed among men, he who made the Ship by art, hath neither art nor power to command wind and tide for ſailing, for they are done by diverſe powers, the one by a created, the other by an uncreated power; but here the ſame merit of bloud which purchaſed grace habitual, did alſo make due and connatural (in its own kind) actual influences of ſaving grace to carry on the work; hence a caſe of Chriſtian and ſupernatural prudence, it is ſo to fear our own ſinful weakneſſe, and to be humbled and caſt down for our propenſion to fall away, as to believe that conſtant and everlaſting love ſhall work to will and to do to the end: Then 1. tormenting Popiſh fear, Ah I ſhall, I may fall away. (2.) And the weak practical doubting of this, it may be, I ſhall periſh, I cannot ſtand out. And 3. the law, ſpirit of bondage, I cannot be ſaved, who am ſo ſinfully weak and wicked, have all three this, in commune; an undervaluing of the power of the free love, and an overvaluing of the ſtrength of corruption; as if wickedneſſe, and he that in the world, were greater then he that is in theſe who are born of God, 1 John 4. 4. and ſtronger then grace; for its natural to be of that opinion, that grace worketh not irreſiſtibly, prevailingly, and with all might, according to his glorious power. Colloſ. 1. 11. and according to that foreign exceeding great power, by which he raiſed Christ from the dead, Epheſ. 1: 18, 19. and ſo while legally we diſtruſt and fear our own weakneſſe, we do unbelievingly doubt of the mighty power of grace, though we ſee it not; for to ſee unbelief, (it is ſo ſpiritual a ſin) is almoſt to overcome it; among all ſins it is moſt inviſible, and beſt ſeen with the light of the Spirit; faith ſees well unbelief, but unbelief can neither ſee faith nor it ſelf. 2. There is required of believers the exerciſe of faith, in laying hold on the promiſes of actual influences from Chriſt the Mediator.The promiſe of influences in Chriſt. John 15. 2. Every branch that leareth fruit (in me, for that muſt be repeated) the Father purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the ſame bringeth forth much fruit. Epheſ. 1. 3. Bleſſed be God, who hath bleſſed us with all ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly places, in Chri…t; but to cauſe us will, and do, is a ſpiritual bleſſing. Epheſ. 2. 13. But now in Chriſt Jeſus, ye who ſometimes were far off, are made neer (not by Redemption only, but actual believing) in the bloud of Christ.
2. Epheſ. 6. 18. Praying always with all prayer and ſupplication in the ſpirit. By the influences of that ſpirit, whom Chriſt ſent in his own name, John 14. 26.
3. If the ſpirit glorifie Chriſt by receiving of Chriſt, and ſhewing it to Chriſts own Diſciples, John 16. 14. then all the influences of the ſpirit in acts gracious, when the ſpirit teacheth, and bringeth to remembrance all things, John 14. 26. convinceth of ſin, John 16. 8. guideth and leadeth, John 16. 13. Rom. 8. 14. mortifieth, Rom. 8. 13. quickneth, Rom. 8. 10, 11. comforteth, and ſealeth, and confirmeth. John 14. 16. Epheſ. 4. 30. 2 Cor. 1. 22. muſt be done by influences of the ſpirit, received from Chriſt. For (ſaith Chriſt) He ſhall receive of mine. Heb. 13. 13. By Chriſt therefore let us offer to God the ſacrifice of praiſe continually.
4. Alſo what we ſuit from God in the name of Chriſt, that we ſuit from Chriſts merits and death. But we ask all which we ask in Chriſts name, John 14. 14. John 15. 17. And therefore do obtain from God, for Chriſts ſake and the merits of his death, the inclining of the heart to his teſtimonies, to be led in his way, not to be led into temptations; to perſevere to the end, to be taught his way, and if there were any grace, ſuch as all gracious influences are, which comes not from Chriſt, in whom it is, and from whoſe fulneſſe it is, it muſt be referred to another cauſe then to Chriſt.
5. All the promiſes are yea and amen in Chriſt, 2 Cor. 1. and ſo muſt the promiſe of perſeverance be, Jer. 31. 39, 40. Iſa. 54. 10. Iſa. 59. 21. and ſo the promiſe of influences of grace to perſevere.
6. Chriſts undertaking as High Prieſt, Advocate, and Interceſſor, is to carry on, and perfect as Mediator, all that are given to him of the Father, and to loſe none, but to raiſe them up at the laſt day, and to give them life eternal, John 17. 1, 2. & 11. 12. John 6. 37, 38, 39, 40. 1 Cor. 1. 7, 8. 1 John 2. 1, 2. Heb. 7. 22, 23, 24, 25. Heb. 9. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. Heb. 10. 10. John 14. 16. Luke 22. 31, 32. Rev. 8. 3, 4, 5.
7. Chriſt as head by the influence of life and ſaving grace, acts upon all the members, by quickening them to will and to doe, Epheſ. 4. 16. Eph. 2. 21, 22. Eph. 1. 21. & 22. Eph. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
8. Chriſt as King gives repentance and remiſſion, Acts 5. 31, 32. Then muſt he by that power royal give influences to acts of repentance and of faith.
9. As Prophet he opens the heart to underſtand the Scriptures, Luke 24. 45. Act. 9. 17. and ſo muſt give influences for that effect.
Hence are we to look for the watering of the garden of red wine every moment, from Chriſt the fountain of life, and to know that we ſhould wither from the root, if Chriſt, withdraw his influence; and ſo grace puts us under a neceſſity of grace, to carry on the work of ſalvation. 2. Yea it is to believe Chriſt is but an imperfect and half a Saviour, and wanting in his Office, if we doubt he ſhall give influences to perfect to the end what he hath begun; then branches out of Chriſt, and cut off from him, muſt wither. 1. Make ſure union with the Vine-tree, if you would be ſure of growing to the end. 2. Know the way to the well of life, be much with Chriſt, and lie, and be neer to the well, if you would have influences every moment. 3. The moſt glorious and ſhining Profeſſors that are not in Chriſt, ſhall turn Apoſtates; a plant above the earth, with borrowed earth on the top of an houſe, may grow for a ſhort ſpace, but ſhall wither. 4. Heathen influences from a Creator without Chriſt ſhall not bear you out; the vertues of Tully, of Seneca, Regulus, are of that nature that they may dry up. 5. Yea, weak Believers, doubting that Chriſt ſhall give influences to work in you to will and to doe, is 1. To queſtion whether Chriſt ſhall faithfully acquit himſelf in the duty of his Office; for by office he conferrs influences. 2. Its to queſtion his nature, whether the Head ſhall inlive its members.