Influences of the Life of Grace, Part 3 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
A ſupernatural habit is a ſeed of influences. 2. We are to improve the habit of grace. 3. The habit of grace in order to the three perſons brings a neceſſitie of gracious influences. 4. The Lord is under divers neceſſities to confer influences. 5. Chriſt intercedes for the non-converted. 6. Chriſts Office. 7. The Spirits office, put both under a neceſſity of conferring of influences. 8. Divers uſes reſult from the neceſſity that the Lord hath brought himſelf under to confer influences. 9. How the habit of grace is acted upon, how it ceaſeth not.
AS to natural powers, the God of nature hath prepared influences to ſeeds and plants apt to grow. There are prepared of God alſo influences for their actual growing: So to the Sun, fire, clouds, he hath in readineſſe ſuch influences, though he freely let them out; ſo to ſupernatural powers and habits he muſt let out and prepare ſupernatural influences.
The habit of grace is a ſort of new nature, a heavenly power, a kind of ſeed of ſpiritual actings, and a weight that inclines the ſoul to acting, and by a ſort of a pleaſantly refreſhing diſpoſition ſwayes and drawes habitually the man to ſupernatural acting. In nature ſuitable influences are due to the powers;Actions ſupernatural, and influences ſuitable, are ſome way due to the habit of grace. as the habit of muſick inclines the man to ſinging, and a natural inſtinct draws the bird to build its neſt; and the Lord hath ordained ſuitable influences for this inſtinct: ſo this habit of grace as a weight inclines the ſoul to act, not by any neceſſity of exerciſe, but by neceſſity of ſpecification; it inclines not by determining to the act, but only habitually. Therefore influences ſuitable to this habit muſt be ſome way due; as in nature, ſo alſo in grace. A habit of grace in the renewed man, does not determine him continually to pray, believe, praiſe God, while the habit is in him. Hence
1. Becauſe corruption is in David, though as a broken and ſubdued habit, he ſins in numbring the people, he is violently carried to be avenged on Nabal, he commits adultery and murther, which doe weaken the habit of grace.
2. If the habit of grace be ſtrong, and much of the fulneſs of God in Steven, in John Baptiſt, in Paul, they act in the way of God accordingly.
3.Sometimes the habit of grace is qualified with heavenly diſpoſitions. If the habit of grace be qualified with a ſuper-added diſpoſition, heavenly and ſpiritual, there are boylings and ſtirrings in the heart; as in Paul to pray, Acts 20. after the ſpirit in him hath been graciouſly and heavenly exhorting the Church of Epheſus, he kneels down and prayes; and Acts 17. 16. while he is waiting for Silas and Timothy, there is upon his mind a burning fever, when he ſaw the city wholly given to idolatry. And there will be ſome ſweet akings and gnawings of the heart preſſing the man to pray, praiſe, and ſing, Pſal. 57. 7. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed, I will ſing and give praiſe.
2. What are we to doe in ſuch a caſe then?
Anſw. We are to purſue theſe warmings and flamings of the habits of grace with new ſpiritual actings and exerciſes of grace,We ſhould purſue the diſpoſitions of grace, when they are added to the habit, with ſpiritual actings. as David verſe 8. Awake up my glory, awake Pſaltery and Harp, I my ſelf will awake early: And therefore know,
2. That a kindled habit of grace qualified with an heavenly diſpoſition of grace, is a fire near the flaming, and the call of God to you to pray hic & nunc. Beſides the command of God for praying continually, ſmite the iron while it is hot; throw the rod while it is green; ſail while the Lords wind and tide doth call; ſtir up and blow upon the grace of God in you: happily we blow upon the gift of praying, when we ſhould ſtir up the grace of praying.
Yea 3.We are to ſtir up the habit of grace, though… deadned. Suppoſe the habit of grace were not kindled, or in any near diſpoſition to flame, but there were deadneſs on the ſoul, and the habit of grace lying deadned and covered with aſhes; yet is there warrant to blow aſide the aſhes, to ſtir the fire, and to ſmite upon the flint ſeven times until it caſt fire. David Pſal. 42. and Pſal. 43. three times, Pſ. 42. 11. and Pſ. 43. 5. chides his caſten down and unbelieving ſoul, and wakens up, and puts upon the habit of faith; and Pſal. 103. and Pſal. 104. four times he wakens up his ſoul to bleſs the Lord, and all that is within him to praiſe the Lord; Pſal. 1…6. 7. he charges his ſoul to return to its reſt. It is dreadful to ſmother and bear down theſe births of God, and to blaſt and wither ſuch buddings of the Spirit, and alſo to yield to carnal deadneſs, and to lie down under it; but let us await at the pool, and when the Angel comes down and troubles the water, ſtep in and be healed. As the Martyr condemned to die was under great deadneſs of ſpirit when he was in the priſon, and going to the place of execution; yet coming to the place, a gale of the wind of the Spirit blew fair, and he cryed out to his Chriſtian friends, to whom he made known his former deadneſs, now he is come, he is come, and he rejoycingly triumphed over death. In a moment there may come in a carnal diſpoſition, and drown and quench the ſmoaking and flaming of an heavenly kindling. We might draw down rich influences and ſweet actual breathings, which are connatural and ſuitable to ſpiritual and ſupernatural influences; the Lord (though his liberty in breathing when and where he will be admirable) yet ſhould we more vigorouſly improve ordinances, and ſpecially promiſes: for ordinarily the Lord would let out more of his breathings, did we more improve the habits of grace; and ſure he that trades not at all with his ſtock, may become poorer: and we might make influences more near to us; for the habit of grace is neareſt of kindred of any thing elſe to the actual breathings of the Lord, and the only culpable cauſe of our not growing in grace, and augmenting of the habit of grace, is our own ſinful ſluggiſhneſs.