Influences of the Life of Grace, Part 4 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Of the impediments of heavenly influences upon the ſoul in general, and of their cure. 2. There be much uſing of means and no influences. 3. Means would be uſed in much humility. 4. We may marre influences of grace.
IT is not to be thought that influences, being acts of omnipotency, can properly be hindered; but by way of promiſe and judicial threatning, he hath revealed in his word that he will give grace to the humble, and reſiſt the proud, James 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. and that he will guide and teach the meek and lowly, Pſalm 25. 9. he certainly promiſeth influence of grace to the meek. Hence
1. Queſt. Whether God gives ordinarily and always influences of grace, at or in the uſing of means?
2. Whether men can hinder the holy influences of God?
3. What are the impediments in the ſoul in general, and their cures with them.
4. What are the impediments in ſpecial, and their cures.
As to the firſt of theſe four, the following concluſions may be conſidered.
1. Concl. Often God reveals himſelf. 1. To Moſes waiting on his herding, Exod. 3. he appears to him in the buſh: he reveals Chriſt to the Diſciples while they are mending their nets: the Angels declare to the ſhepheards the birth of Chriſt while they attend their flocks, yet is there no neceſſary connexion betweene the one and the other. But could we in conſcience, and in reference to God, while we are yet in the ſtate of unrenewed nature attend our callings, we might lie neerer to the Son of righteouſneſs and his influences of grace: a ſluggard ſpirituall may fear ſpiritual and judicial want of grace.
Aſſ. 2. There is ſomtime much ſeeking of Chriſt,There may be much ſeeking and uſing of m…ans, and no influences. and no finding, Cant. 3. 1, 2. for a time: Magdalen is early up in the morning, and finds for the preſent, in lieu of Chriſt, an empty grave, and grave-cloaths only; There is much crying to God, and for the time no hearing, Pſal. 22. 2. Pſal. 69. 1, 2, 3. It's here as in other means, early up, much labouring, no bread, and the runner getteth not the garland.
The Lord will have 1. free grace to ſhine above our ſweating. 2. He will have us not to ſacrifice to the creature, and created diligence, and to painful ſeeking, and will have us to learn our folly, who place our mercy and will have our Heaven to ſtand in running and willing and not in his free compaſſion. Eſa… runs and hunts, and obtains not the bleſſing; Jacob ſtirs leſs and is bleſſed: I ſpeak it not to cry down means, but to cry up Chriſt and free grace. The Lord ſeems to forbid Jacob to pray, Let me go, for the day dawneth: but he rather encourageth him to pray; but he teacheth that God's hearing and bleſſing is more then my tears and wreſtling.
3. The Lord would have us to examine,Uſing of means would be in humility. whether it be a humble and believing uſing of means that we go about, or not. The repenting Thief, in three hours upon the Croſs runs, and the ſame day gets Paradiſe; and many have a fair wind and ſail ſeventy years in a profeſſion, yea, hear much, and believe not, and the ſhip is broken, and the man periſhes; For Matth. 8. 11. many ſhall come from the Eaſt, and the Weſt, and ſit down at table with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob: and the children of the Kingdome (who were firſt called, and in before them) ſhall be caſt into utter darkneſſe. Do not ſome ſail much and promove nothing to the harbour? Read Rom. 9. 31, 32. Ah, tremble to ſee a man believed to have many thouſands, and a great ſtock in four, in ſeven ſhips, and yet the man goes a begging.
Aſs. 3. Some means are curſed of God, and God ſends judicial influences upon them; Divels believe, and horrour take hold on them; Felix hears, and trembles, and ſhifts influences of believing.
Concl. Influences not entertained breed loath…ng of the Goſpel.4. Where common influences are not entertained, they produce loathing of, and ſtumbling at the word in Capernaum: the day of grace in the Goſpel to Capernaum is the year of vengeance; deſpiſe not, if ye wonder, O dreadful, yea, wonder, and deſpiſe and hate.
Concl. 5. The more ſpiritual the actings of God are, ſuch as are Goſpel-influences leading to, 1. illumination and clear light; 2. to aſtoniſhment and to wondering; 3. to ſtrong conviction, they muſt be more ſpiritual, eſpecially above law-influences, upon Barbarians, and the more direful effects they work: when the excellent element, air or water is made contagious, it is the more peſtilentious and corrupt; how doe diſeaſes, and peſts rage? were the element of water, which is ſo excellent and uſeful, turned into blood, how unpleaſant would it be to drink of it? Who knows what influences of wrath follow the Phariſees hearing and hating of Chriſt and the Goſpel? the diſpoſition of Children new born were good in hearing, and James his word c. 1. 21. is very uſeful, that we receive the engrafted word foreign in meekneſſe; otherwiſe ill ſoyl marrs the ſeed, and renders it unprofitable, and the good ſeed makes the ſoyl worſe.
Concl. 6. We are ſo to uſe means, in godly trembling, in humility, in faith, as to look that the Lord will ſend ſhowrs upon his own husbandry; and malicious hearers are to be affraid, that rain, dew, ſummer ſhowrs ſhall cauſe the bad earth caſt up more abundantly briars, nettles, and the like.
As to the 2. Though the procuring of influences be above our reach,We may ma…e influences of grace. except in the way ſpoken of, yet a ſmall touch of an unskild man may marre the work of an Horologue, that it cannot act; but much art is required to temper it: it's in the power of a child, with little ſtrength to put a ſmall ſtone in the wards of a lock, ſo it can neither open nor ſhut: we can marre our own comfort, and the work of ſalvation, and then complain of God to God, as Matth. 25. 25. and the damned in Hell complain that God gives not ſufficient means, who denyes to ſend Preachers from the dead to them, and gives them a dry and dead book of Moſes and the Prophets to give them warning, Luk. 16. 29, 30. No husband-man can hinder the rain to fall, the corn to grow, nor the Sun to ſend down beams and influences of heat and life upon the earth: nor can Saul in the rage of his perſecution hinder Chriſt to ſhoot his arrowes at him, Acts 9. Such as complain moſt of God, are really moſt naughty, and may ſooner meet with the Lord's wrathful rebuke, then with his ſoftening and pitying mercy.