Influences of the Life of Grace, Part 3 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of enlargedneſs of heart, Pſal. 119. 32. I will runne the way of thy commandements, when thou ſhalt enlarge my heart.
THe words have no great difficulty. Running imports a cheerful, nimble, willing activeneſs, in giving obedience to Gods commandements. Enlarging is a widening of the heart, and the Lords giving of a wider capacity to run, by beſtowing influences on David, in heavenly diſpoſitions and actings for God. Hence the Text ſhall be caſt into theſe queſtions.
Q. 1. Whether David was now under ſtraitning, that he ſo ſpeaks?
Q. 2. What the ſtraitning is?
Q. 3. Whether David might promiſe and undertake to run, upon the ſuppoſal of an enlarged heart granted him of God?
Q. 4. Is there no running except the Lord give enlargement and new influences, and what we may here doe?
Q. 2. What enlargedneſs of heart is, and the branches thereof?
To the firſt. The frequent complaints of David in the Pſalm, ſeem to ſay ſome ſtraitning was on him.
1. He complaines of his ſoul cleaving to the duſt, of his ſoul dropping away for heavineſs.
2. He frequently ſeeks from God teaching, quickening, enlightning; which ſaith that ſome deadneſs, darkneſs, and narrowneſs of heart was on.David was Pſ. 119. and a believer may be under ſome ſtraitning. He who is neareſt heaven, and is (as it were) all prayer, miſſes many things. Pſal. 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I may not ſin againſt thee. He muſt then be well inſtructed, when the word is hid in his heart; yet ſaith he v. 12. Teach me thy ſtatutes. v. 14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy teſtimonies, as much as in all riches. 24. Thy teſtimonies alſo are my delight and my counſellors. 30. I have choſen the way of truth; thy judgments have I laid before me. 31. I have ſtuck unto thy testimonies. What wants David then that a glorified and perfected man hath? yes, he wants more enlargedneſs of heart, v. 32. he wants more of Gods teaching, v. 33. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy ſtatues. He wants a bowed heart to the Law, 36. Incline my heart unto thy teſtimonies. He wants more life and ſpiritual vigorouſneſſe, 37. Quicken thou me in thy way. Begging and ſuiting ſuppoſeth need and want, at leaſt a want of the degrees of grace. How ſweet is it to be rich in miſſing and feeling of wants! and that is the dangerous ſtate of Laodicea, Rev. 3. 17. I am rich, and encreaſed with goods, and have need of nothing.
2.A true and a falſe miſſing. Where there is much ſinful complaining, and onelyonly complaining, there is leſſe praying and praiſing. Satan can make uſe of baſtard ſenſe of unworthineſs, and counterfeit letters from the Law to lay a man in priſon, and weaken praying. David doth not ſo complain, but he miſſes, and alſo is rich in praying and praiſing.
To the ſecond.What ſtraitning is, and whence it is. Straitning is a ſort of narrowneſs and ſcarcity of heartineſs in the ways of God. It comes ſometime from hainous ſins; the runaway child bluſhes, and is ſtraitned to ſpeak to his father. Adultery and bloodſhed brings on David ſealed lips and a cloſed heart in praiſing, Pſal. 51. 15. while God enlarge both. Lord may I have leave to pray, to believe, to apply the promiſes, Pſal. 51. 12. Pſal. 119. 45. I will walk at liberty; for I ſeek thy precepts. Then caſting aſide the precepts brings ſtraitning, reſtraint, and bands on the Chriſtian in his walk, and in praying, praiſing, hearing, loving, running in the way of Gods precepts. A fettered man can act little; hence drought of ſoul, and the rain of influences are withholden.
2. Heavineſs of deſertion brings on ſtraitning, Pſal. 77. 4. Thou holdeſt mine eyes waking, I am ſo troubled that I cannot ſpeak. Poſſibly from this Hezekiah is locked up in chattering like a crane in ſtead of praying.
3.Divers ſorts of ſtraitnings. Satan may have leave as a faingied Purſevant to impriſon where he hath no Law. What haſt thou to doe to pray? Is not Joſhua ragged, and cloathed with filthy garments? And Satan ſtands before the Angel at his right hand to reſiſt him in praying for Jeruſalem; for he is not worthy to pray for himſelf. But the Lord that hath choſen Jeruſalem rebukes him, Zech. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4.
4. There is a narrowneſs that comes from ignorance, until God give ſpiritual wiſedome and largeneſs of heart, ſee 1 Kings 4. 29. when we miſtake God, and unbelief repreſents God as a lyon or a bear, Lam. 3. 10. Iſa. 38. 13, and Chriſt is repreſented as a terrifying Spirit, not as Chriſt, Matth. 14. 26. Luke 4. 37. How can the poor man pray to a lyon, or a terrifying ſpirit? What weak influences are there in ſpeaking to God covered with a cloud of anger.
5. The Lord out of the depth of holy ſoveraignty withdrawes the breathings of the Spirit, and ſtraitens the man, that he cannot ſpeak with lively liberty, that he may depend upon the free out-goings of the Spirit: He who waters the garden, waters every plant of the garden every moment, Iſa. 2. 7. and when he waters not, there is a drying up.
6. Neglect of praying and fetching enlargement from the fountain may ſtraiten, as appears from Pauls ſuiting of the prayers of the Lords people, that God would grant him a door of utterance with holy liberty to preach the myſtery of the Goſpel, Eph. 6. 19. Col. 4. 3. For much of the anointing there is in the man Chriſt, that draws wondering at the gracious word ſpoken by Chriſt, Luke 4. 18, 22. See alſo the Churches prayer, Acts 4. 29. For it is a grant of grace to ſpeak with enlargement.
7. If fear and diſmayment be on the heart, Jer. 1. 17. and Ezekiel may not ſpeak at all, Ezek. 2. 6. Self muſt be denied, and ſhamefaſtneſs before Kings, Pſal. 119. 46. ſee Pſal. 39. 1, 2. laid aſide.
Q. Rules to be free of ſtraitning and to get enlargement of ſpirit.What then ſhall be done to be free of the indiſpoſition of ſtraitning, and ſo to get influences of enlargement of heart?
Anſw. 1. Get and entertain large apprehenſion of God. Who is a rock ſave our God? Pſal. 18. 30, 31. Be principled in the broad apprehenſions of Chriſt, he is altogether lovely, all loves. Cant. 5. 16. A touch of him can ſave.
2. Rid marches betwixt the Law and grace: ſome renewed ones muſt have their by paſt life and the ſtrict law reconciled; otherwiſe they but walk in the fleſh, and ſo live (as they imagine) in Law bondage, and are ſick of the old diſeaſes, and ſo weaken their faith. Hence ſtraitning. Thou art under the Law, and having made a bargain with the Law to keep it, thou art in the fleſh, thou canſt not ſpeak to a ſtrange King in another land, a King of grace, ſince thou haſt fled back again to the old priſon; and if thou ſpeak, it is with much ſtraitning and doubting; thou art the Lawes man, and not Chriſts.
3. Keep near communion with God; keep the veſſel free of leaking, and of under water; ſin weakens faith, and ſaddens the ſpirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty, 2 Cor. 3.
4. Improve much faith. Frequent believing ſhall come up to full aſſurance, and that makes ſtrong and bold knocking: for a Son who hath right to come where his own fleſh is within the vail, is vigorous; the ſervants knock is weak; unbelief knocks faintly. Yet miſtake not heavineſs, as if it were unbelief; Chriſt had much heavineſs, even to death,Every heavineſs is not weakneſs of faith. in his ſuffering, but no weakneſſe of faith. But Matth. 26. theſe, O my Father, O my Father; as that alſo, my God, my God, ſpeak ſtrong faith, much enlargement in his heavieſt caſe. Theſe four being obſerved, influences are near.
5. Grow in ſonly love, as a child to cry Abba Father, a word of a child learning to ſpeak, Rom. 8. 26.
6. Get and cheriſh the inward witneſſing of the Spirit, Rom. 8. 16, 17. and the confirmed aſſurance of juſtification by faith: hence acceſs and boldneſs, Rom. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4. Eph. 3. 16, 17, 18, 19.
The third queſtion, How far we may undertake obedience upon ſuppoſal of grace.How far David, or a child of God, may undertake to run, upon the ſuppoſal of an enlarged heart? Hence theſe.
Aſſert. 1. There is an undertaking, as if the child of God had influences at his hand. Of this nature in Scripture, Pſal. 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart. 11. Caſt me not away from thy preſence. 12. Reſtore unto me the joy of thy ſalvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit. 13. Then will I teach ſinners thy ways. So v. 15. O Lord open thou my lips, and my mouth ſhall ſhew forth thy praiſe. Pſal. 119. 27. Make me to underſtand the way of thy precepts, ſo ſhall I talk of thy wondrous works. 88. Quicken me after thy loving kindneſs, ſo ſhall I keep the teſtimonies of thy mouth. In which he lays it for a ground,How diſpoſitions neceſſarily fetch influences. if God graciouſly give a new heart, he will graciouſly give influences of grace to teach ſinners. If the Lord of free grace open the lips, he will alſo give influences to make him ſhew forth the praiſes of God; not that diſpoſitions of grace doe neceſſarily determine us to gracious acts, or can determine the Lord to beſtow influences of grace, but the Lords free promiſe determines him. Where he opens one door, he opens a ſecond, and then a third, until his child be in his boſome: when he gives one grace, he gives another; yea becauſe he gives grace, he layes holy bands on himſelf to give more grace; the Lord of grace chooſes ſome to ſavation, and gives them to his ſon; and becauſe he chooſes them, he gives his Son to death for them; and becauſe the Lord redeems them by his Son, therefore he gives to them ſtrong faith; and becauſe he gives to them ſaving faith, therefore he gives to them perſeverance and glory, and ſo gives influences of graces in a golden link and chain, Rom. 8. 29, 30. 2 Theſſ. 2. 13. Acts 13. 48. Eph. 1. 4, 5. 1 Pet. 1. 2, 3.
Aſſert. 2. A believer under the ſenſe of mercy and deliverance, is to engage his ſoul to praiſe. David delivered in the cave, Pſal. 58. 7. I will ſing and praiſe. Pſal. 30. Thou haſt turned from me my mourning into dancing. v. 12. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever. Pſal. 116. 8. Thou haſt delivered my ſoul from death. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living, out of the ſenſe of the Lords goodneſs to all. Pſa. 104. 33. I ſhall ſing unto the Lord in my lives, or as long as I live. Pſal. 63. 3. Becauſe thy loving kindneſs is better then life, my lips ſhall praiſe thee, thus will I bleſs thee while I live. Heb. in my lives.
Aſſert. We have not aſſurance to be delivered from ſin hic & nunc.3. The man Chriſt may abſolutely undertake, Pſal. 22. 22. I will declare thy name unto thy brethren, I will praiſe thee in the midſt of the congregation. For he knows perfectly, he neither can ſin, or come ſhort of his vow; nor can the Lord withdraw influences of grace from the man Chriſt; but Peter had no aſſurance that under that particular temptation the Lord ſhould not forſake him. The general, all the renewed have, that the Lord will not ſuffer his own to be tempted above their ſtrength: Peter was obliged to watch and pray under all the particular temptations that could occur, and eſpecially under the trial of his ſuffering Saviour, of which he was fore-warned by the mouth of Chriſt, from that Prophecie Zech. 13. 7. I will ſmite the ſhepherd, and the ſheep of the flock ſhall be ſcattered.
Obj. How we are to rely on God for influences.The faith of believers is to rely upon the promiſed help of Chriſt in every temptation. Then may the believer pray to be delivered, not in the general, but in every particular not to be tempted above his ſtrength.
Anſw. The promiſe of preſerving the elect, and of giving promiſed perſeverance Iſa. 54. 10. Jer. 31. 25. & 32. 40. to them now converted is abſolute, that the Lord will put his fear in their hearts that they ſhall never depart from him.
2. That his grace ſhall fortifie them againſt attrocious ſins committed with the full ſtrength of conſent and inconſiſtent with the ſeed of God, and the inbiding of that ſeed in them with the holy anointing, 1 Joh. 2. 20, 27. c. 3. v. 9. But there is not any promiſe in the New Covenant that David and Peter ſhall be delivered from particular ſins, hic & nunc, ſuch as may conſiſt with the habit of grace and the ſeed of God. There faith is to relie upon God and his grace that he ſhall not lead them into temptation, hic & nunc, in ſuch particular ſins, not abſolutely, but conditionally; ſo the Lord in his wiſedom and holy ſoveraignty ſhall judge it fit for their humiliation and the promoting of the work of their ſalvation, and eſpecially for the glory of holy Soveraignty: they are to believe that the Lord ſhall abſolutely confer upon them fundamental, and amply neceſſary influences of grace, but not that he ſhall beſtow on them abſolutely non-fundamental influences.
Aſſert. 4. Its not lawful to engage to run the ways of the Lords commandments, leaning to the habit of grace, and the ſtock within the Believer; Peter relied on this, I am ready (foreign) nothing habitual grace and faith) to go with thee to priſon and to death, Luke 22. 33. and John 13. 37. Peter is angry becauſe Chriſt leſſeneth his ſtock and habit of grace and ſtrength of faith; Lord, why can I not follow thee now? foreign. This habit of grace is not Chriſt, neither the Spirit; and therefore the enlarging of the heart, upon the ſuppoſal whereof David engageth to run the way of the Lords commandments,What enlarging of heart David ſpeaks of Pſal. 119. 32. is not the only habitual enlarging of the heart, but he ſuppoſeth alſo that the Lord muſt add his actual breathings and influences of grace, elſe he cannot run nor move at all in the way of God, John 15. 5. 1. Cor. 12. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 3.
Aſſert. 5. Far leſs can we engage to run the way of the Lord upon our own ſtrength. For
1. The Apoſtle James rebukes ſuch as ſay they ſhall go to ſuch a City and buy and ſell, We cannot engage in our ſtrength or habitual grace, to run in the ways of the Lord.and ſay not if God will, James 4. 10, 11. far leſs can we engage to ſpiritual duties on our own ſtrength.
2. This is carnal preſumption for men to lay wagers on their own ſtrength, and to ſay with Peter and the Diſciples, they'l do wonders.
3. Men believe not the wickedneſs of their own hearts, nor ſee they to the bottome of ſoveraignty, the depth of ſin original.
4. Its contrary to godly watchfulneſs, and an hardning of the heart; as Prov. 28. 14. Bleſſed is the man who fears always, but he that hardeneth his heart ſhall fall into miſchiefe.
5. Its atheiſm to ſuppoſe that influences of ſaving grace are as due and connatural to men now fallen in ſin as influences natural are ſome way due to the falling of rain, the riſing and going down of the Sun, the growing of trees, the ebbing and flowing of the ſea, and that we have dominion of free-will over the ſaving breathings of the holy Ghoſt.
Whereas 6. The Goſpel bids us pray, and by faith rely on the Lord for influences of grace, and give the glory and praiſe of the breathings of the Spirit to God.
7. Its againſt that humble ſelf-denial, and godly trembling, and humble deſpairing of our own ſtrength that ſhould be in us in our undertakings of obedience.
So an huge deal of pride; 2. want of mortification to ſelf muſt be lurking in our undertakings.
Aſſert. 6. Its not lawful to blame the Lord for our ſinful omiſſions,Iſa. 63. 17. O Lord, why haſt thou made us to erre, &c. opened. for that is to father our ſin upon the holy Lord; nor is that Iſa. 63. 17. O Lord, why haſt thou made us to erre from thy ways, and hardened our hearts from thy fear? a complaining againſt God.
Its 1. a tacit complaining of themſelves, that they are groſſe matter, and the dunghil on which the Sun with his beams ſtirs up a ſtinking ſmell, which is not the Suns fault.
2. As Gods active hardning of us is a puniſhment of ſin, the Church may lawfully complain of it to God, and deprecate that and all the like ſad evils of puniſhment; yet it ſhall never follow that God is the author or the cauſe of the ſins of our being paſſively hardned of God, or of active hardening of our ſelves.
3. Its a prayer for ſoftning and grace not to erre, return for thy ſervants ſake. v. 16. thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer, thy Name is from everlaſting.
2. None of the Saints yielding to temptations do blame the Lords withdrawing, but blame themſelves and clear the Lord. Pſalm 51. Againſt thee, thee only have I ſinned; thou haſt taught me wiſedom in the inward parts: here is a clearing of the Lord. Iſa. 64. 6. We are all as an unclean thing; v. 4. ſince the beginning of the world—men have not perceived a God beſide thee, 5, 8. So Lam. 3. 34.
Aſſert. 7. A Believer may undertake in the ſtrength of God, Pſalm. 119. 33. Cant. 14. Draw me, we will run. Grace and the Spirit in his ſweet breathings being undertakers, one may undertake for a journey, when Chriſt engages for ſuch a chariot, the midſt whereof is paved with love. O be humble, and lay not great wagers upon ſelf; ye know not ſin original as a ſin, but ye know it as a meer puniſhment. What? we are ſinners by nature, and we can do no otherwiſe; Pharaoh and Judas knew it ſo.