Thirty-One Select Sermons 2, Sermon collection · Sermon 2
Grace is Wiſdom, AND Wiſdom the Principal thing.
Preached at a meeting of the Company of Black-Smiths, Octob. 29. 1647. in Fiſh-ſtreet, London.
PROV. 4.7.
Wiſdom is the principal thing: therefore get wiſdom, &c.
WHen the Lord gave Solomon his option, 1 King. 3.5. Ask what I ſhall give thee: the choice that he himſelf made was wiſdom; Give unto thy ſervant an underſtanding heart: and his requeſt pleaſed God ſo well, that the Lord gave him wiſdom and underſtanding, exceeding much, and largeneſs of heart even as the ſand upon the Seaſhore.
And this Book ſeems to be an Epitome of that large heart that God gave unto the Author of it; the Book of the Canticles indeed ſets forth the knowledge and the myſterie of Chriſt: and Eccleſiaſtes ſets forth the knowledge of the vanity of the creatures; but here en totum Solomonem: that there is not any part of the revealed will of God, or the duty of man for knowledge, or practice, but in this book it is more or leſs touched at: And we have great reaſon to admire the goodneſs of God, that hath not ſuffered this Sun to ſet, but being dead, he yet ſpeaketh; and the Lord having honoured him with wiſdom above all men that ever were (except the Lord Jeſus Chriſt) we ſhould hearken to his advice, concerning wiſdom in the text, wiſdom is the principal thing, &c.
In the words you have theſe two things.
Firſt, a commendation of it.
Secondly, an exhortation to it.
Firſt, the commendation, foreign the word ſignifies either purity, or dignity: and ſo ſome interpreters render it, principium ſapientia, wiſdom is the principal thing: Montanus and others of a purity in order: and ſo Tremelius renders it, quia caput eſt ſapientiae eam acquirere: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wiſdom: this is the chief excellency, therefore let it be gotten in the firſt place: foreign the word ſignifies to get a thing as a mans own poſſeſſion, to have a title to it, and a propriety in it, to make it his own, to have it in his own heart, and to poſſeſs it for himſelf: and whereas there are many waies of gain that men do follow in the world, and many other poſſeſſions that men do ſtrive for, and ſeek after, the wiſe man here ſayes, in the middle of all your other gettings; let this be the principal care of every one of you, it being above all others the principal thing: and though the world flow in upon you, and you waſh your ſteps in butter, and be great gainers otherwiſe, and the earth bring forth her encreaſe to you, yet with all your other gains get underſtanding; whatever you get or loſe make ſure of this above all: But what is meant by wiſdom; By wiſdom in this book is meant two things.
Firſt, Chriſt the wiſdom of God. So Prov. 8.30. I was by him as one brought up with him, &c.
Secondly, Grace which is the only wiſdom in a man, and ſo the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wiſdom: or caput, the chief and the principal part of it: but it is only in the latter of theſe ſenſes that I ſhall ſpeak to at this time.
Doctrine.
Firſt, that grace only is true wiſdom.
Secondly, that this wiſdom is the principal thing: which hath more excellency in it then all things elſe in the world: there is in it a ſuperlative and a tranſcendent excellency above all excellencies in the world.
And that grace only is the true wiſdom, this I ſhall clear to you theſe two wayes.
Firſt, the Lord (who is only wiſe) he counts nothing wiſdom but goldineſs, and this he doth everywhere ſtile wiſdom: there is a great enquiry and ſearch amongſt all the creatures where wiſdom is to be found: men know not the price of it, neither is it to be found in the Land of the living: Iob 28. ult.(that is) amongſt all the creatures, and in all the ſtudies of them; the depth ſaith it is not in me, &c. it cannot be gotten for gold, it cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious Onyx or the Saphyre, &c. and yet the fear of the Lord, that is wiſdom unto men, and to depart from evil, that is underſtanding, Pſal. 90.12. teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wiſdom, &c. (that is) in Conſideration of the ſhortneſs of them, we may get grace to our ſelves, which will be immortal, and ſtand by us when all the creatures both in heaven and earth ſhall fail and forſake us, Luke 7.37. where grace expreſſed in the holy converſation of Chriſt and John, is called wiſdom; wiſdom is juſtified of all her children, and Luk. 1.17. ſouls are ſaid to be converted to the wiſdom of the juſt, &c and therefore a godly man only is called the man of wiſdom, Micha 6.9. therefore in Gods account grace only is wiſdom.
Secondly, in Gods account all things is folly without grace; and therefore Solomon throughout this Book, and ſo David, Pſal. 14.1. the wicked men are the fooliſh men: the fool hath ſaid in his heart there is no God: the wicked man and the fool are Synonoma's, and expreſs the ſame thing: an unholy man, is a marvellous unwiſe man. Take a view of that which hath the greateſt ſhew of wiſdom, and the greateſt name of wiſdom in the world.
Firſt, all humane knowledge without grace it is but folly; the He athen moſt of them were the greateſt Artiſts and Philoſophers in the world, thoſe that moſt enquired into the ſecrets of nature, and had brought all humane learning unto the greateſt height, as in Athens and Corinth, which were Univerſities and places far more famous then any other for knowledge, tongues, and all abilities, 1 Cor. 1.20. God hath made fooliſh the wiſdom of the wiſe (that is) made it manifeſt ſo to be, and, whileſt they profeſt themſelves wiſe, they became fools; Rom. 1.22.but they had not the knowledge of the Scriptures, and therefore their knowledge might well be folly: but for the Jews and their Rabbies, they had great knowledge in the Scripture and in divine myſteries; ſurely their knowledge was wiſdom: Chriſt ſpeaks it to the Phariſees, the moſt learned amongſt them all, Mat. 23.17. ye fools and blind, &c. ſo that if a man had all natural abilities to the higheſt pitch that ever was attained, a ſharp wit, a piercing apprehenſion, a ſolid judgement, a firm and a tenacious memory, and theſe acted and hightened by induſtry, and Art, the help of tongues, and the greateſt improvement of reading, and exerciſe, &c. without a principle of grace put into the heart to enlighten and enliven a man, all this would be but folly; and never be counted wiſdom in the ſight of God.
Secondly, take the greateſt Statiſt and Polititian the world, which hath alſo a great ſhew and name for wiſdom; let a man be acquainted with the Laws of all States, let him be able by experience and obſervation, to judge of the managing of all affairs, let him ſit at the ſtern of the State, and let him with never ſo great dexterity manage all the affairs of it, and let his counſel be as that of Achitophel as an Angel of God, and as an Oracle of God; yet without a principle of grace in the ſoul, the wiſdom of this world is fooliſhneſs with God, and he takes the wiſe in their own craftineſs, 1 Cor. 3.19. and their own policies prove their own ſnares, they are taken in their own nets.
Thirdly, take the greateſt men in the world, and they are wiſe in their own conceits, Prov. 28.11. that they can ſo manage their affairs as to get an eſtate, and ſet themſelves in the face and glory of the times, raiſe their Bayes, and mount up all the ſtairs of authority and honour, and make haſt to be great, but yet without the power of godlineſs, Lu. 12.20. it is but, Thou fool this night ſhall thy ſoul be taken away.
Fourthly, come to the civil men of the world, and they are the worlds Saints, that can ſo order themſelves in the profeſſion of Religion, that they can keep themſelves unſpotted of the world, and be eſteemed Saints in their generation, and yet can with wiſdom avoid thoſe dangerous waies of extremity that godly men do walk in, as ſavouring of too much niceneſs and preciſeneſs, and they can be counted honeſt men and Saints, yet without the power of grace in their hearts, they are but fooliſh Virgins, Mat. 25.1. and all the former blaze that they made with the oyl in their lamps, it was but their folly, and no wiſdom in Gods account.
So that in the Judgement of the great God, only the fear of the Lord, that is wiſdom: and the knowledge of the holy, that is underſtanding: there is nothing wiſdom but godlineſs.
And this will appear by theſe rules of wiſdom.
Firſt, wiſdom acts by the higheſt principles: that is the firſt thing wherein a mans folly in a ſtate of ſin is ſeen, Eph. 4.18. having their underſtanding darkned: which is the ſeat of principles; and according to a mans principles, which are the rules of his actions, ſuch they are: for Eccl. 10.10. Wiſdom is profitable to direct: it gives a man a right rule to vvalk by every man is according to the principles by vvhichwhich he vvalks: lay but theſe two principles in a mans heart. Firſt, that the Church of Rome is the only true Church. Secondly, that this Church cannot err, and he is immediately a Papiſt though he act not many of their fooleries, &c. So lay but theſe principles.
Firſt, that ſin is no ſuch great evil as men are told it is.
Secondly, if it be a great evil, yet men think God is merciful, he is not ſo ſtrict and ſevere as men ſpeak of.
Thirdly, if God be ſo ſtrict, yet it is long before the day of Judgement, and therefore it will be long before a man comes to an account, and this will make a man a prophane man immediately, and to pour out himſelf unto all evil with greedineſs. So lay but theſe two principles;
Firſt, that every man is to love himſelf beſt.
Secondly, I am not my brothers keeper: it is nothing to me what other men do, or what they ſuffer; and this will lay the foundation of all manner of cruelty and injuſtice in the world.
Now the high and excellent principles that godlineſs laies in the ſoul, are ſuch as theſe; Ile name five to you.
Firſt, that the chief beauty of the creature is holineſs, every man is in value as much as his ſoul is worth, and no more; the heart of the wicked is little worth: Prov. beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the Lord ſhe ſhall be praiſed; the Kings daughter is all glorious within, &c. Pſal. 45.
Secondly, the happineſs of the creature conſiſts in communion with God, Pſal. 63.3. if a man had fellowſhip with the wiſeſt men of the world, yet it would not content him; if this be his principle, that his felictty lies in Communion with God, One day in thy houſe, ſaith ſuch a ſoul, is better then a thouſand years elſe-where.
Thirdly, that ſin is the greateſt evil in the world, Rom. 7.13. it is filthineſs it ſelf, the excrement of naughtineſs: ſinful ſin, &c.
Fourthly, that it is better to ſuffer then to ſin, Heb. 11.25. ſuffering is but a light affliction in compariſon of ſin, &c. Heb. 11.25.
Fifthly, the things that are ſeen are but temporal, the things that are not ſeen are eternal, 2 Cor. 4.17. ſuch a man ſees the faſhion of the world ſtill paſsing away, &c.
One of theſe principles now will change the man, Iames 1. it is by the word ingrafted in the heart, that the ſeed of grace appears; the heart brings forth fruit according to the principle that is put into it: all men judge according to the principles that are in themſelves.
Now there are lower principles by which the moſt of men are acted, as the courſe of the world, the example of the multitude, the great ones, the Traditions of the Fathers, and the common principles that go abroad amongſt men, and according unto theſe, men Judge, and walk, and are acted in all their waies: this is the firſt property of a wiſe man, he lives by wiſe and high principles.
Secondly, wiſdom is ſeen in a right Judgement of all things: to conceive of things as they are, and paſſing a right ſentence upon them all.
Firſt, he Judges good things to come, to tranſcend all the good things in this life: better then all the pleaſures of ſin that are preſent, Rom. 8.18. Heb. 11.26. it is ſaid of Moſes, he had reſpect unto the recompence of reward: pleaſures at Gods right hand for evermore, &c.
Secondly, he Judges men miſerable that have all the jollities and excellencies of the world in reſpect of the miſeries to come, which is the portion of all the fools in the world, that do not buy this pearl of great price: Go to now ye rich men, weep and howl, for you have received your conſolation; and, Son, remember that in thy life time thou receivedſt thy good things, &c.
Thirdly, it will make a man to judge aright of all the circumſtances of mens actions, Prov. 10.5. he that gathers in ſummer is a wiſe ſon: Mat. 25.3. the fooliſh Virgins come to buy when it is too late, Luk. 19.42. Eccl. 8.5. a wiſe mans heart diſcerneth both time and Judgement, &c.
Fourthly, he Judges aright of the iſſues and conſequences of all things, Prov. 22.3. a wiſe man fore-ſees the evil, and hideth himſelf, &c. he knows, the wicked are made for the day of wrath: and though they flouriſh now like a green Bay-tree: yet what will they do in the end thereof, Deut. 22.3.
Thirdly, in the eſteem that men have of perſons and things; he ſaies that great men are many times the baſeeſt of men, Dan. 4.17. he ſetteth over Kingdoms the baſeeſt of men: and the worſt condition of a godly man is better then the beſt condition of the men of the world; he is of S. Pauls mind, I would that you were altogether ſuch as I am, except theſe bonds; better be a Door-keeper in the houſe of God, then to dwell with Princes: better never to have known the way of righteouſneſs. Having taſted of the old wine, he cannot deſire new, for he ſaith the old is better: and it was better with me when I was with my former husband then it is now: the rods and frowns of a father, are better then the kiſſes of an enemy, &c.
Fourthly, in a mans election, a wiſe man doth pitch upon a general good before any particular good: it is true, that riches will avail againſt poverty, and honour againſt diſgrace; but theſe are but particular good things, they are not profitable for all things; riches avail not in the day of wrath; honour will not ſupport a man in a ſick bed, &c. but now, godlineſs is profitable for all things, 1 Tim. 4.8. it is great gain, &c.
Secondly, he that is wiſe chuſeth that which is moſt profitable for himſelf, Iob 22.2. Prov. 9.12. If thou be wiſe, thou wilt be wiſe for thy ſelf: Now a man may by other things be wiſe for his eſtate, and be wiſe for his children, but may be a fool for himſelf.
Thirdly, he chuſeth things that are moſt neceſſary in the firſt place; and there is but one thing neceſſary, &c. Mary hath choſen the better part.
Fourthly, he chuſeth the greateſt ſufferings rather then the leaſt ſin, Iob 36.21. and not the greateſt ſin rather then the leaſt affliction; Mallom mundus a peccato Gehennam intrare &c.Anſelm. Anſelm.
Fifthly, in a mans ends: a mans wiſdom is in nothing more ſeen then in a mans ends: now a godly man hath high ends; the glory of God, and the good of his Church, Rom. 14.8,9. None of us lives to himſelf; and no man dyes to himſelf: but whether we live or dye we are the Lords, &c. and whether he doth eat or drink, or whatever he does, he doth all to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10.31. ſo that in the natural and civil actions of a mans life, he hath high ends; whereas another man he hath low and poor ends, even in the moſt religious and higheſt actions; if he pray, it is for himſelf, howl for corn and oyl, &c Hoſ. 7.14. and it is but to tread out the corn, Hoſ. 10. all his profeſſion, ſo much of Religion as will ſerve his turn and no more; if he preach, it is to gather Diſciples after him: and they ſerve not God but their belly: pollute my name for a morſel of bread and a little barly, ſaies God: and if they faſt, did not you faſt unto your ſelves? will the Lord ſay: and if they hear, What went you out to hear, but a reed ſhaken with the wind? theſe are too mean ends for a Chriſtian ſpirit: their ends are more raiſed when they come to perform a duty; they do not care to approve themſelves to men only, but to God: that is true honour which comes from God; not as Saul when he had neglected the glory of God and his own ſalvation, now he takes care for a poor low end, honour me before the people, &c.
Sixthly, wiſdom doth ſet a man upon the nobleſt actions and the higheſt employments, Prov. 15.24. the way of life is above to the wiſe, &c. that is, his converſation is in Heaven, and he ſeeks the things that are above, and is imployed about them, how he may honour God, and edifie the Church, enlarge the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt; how he may get his ſins pardoned, his corruptions ſubdued, his election ſealed: Rev. 12.1. how he may have the moon under his feet, or be an interceſſor in behalf of the Church, to ſtand in the gap and turn away wrath: how he may win ſouls, and be inſtrumental for the publike good; this he endeavours, and he that doth ſo is wiſe: whereas moſt men are buſied about meat and drink, and apparel, building for themſelves and their poſterity, or are taken up with toyes; fine clothes, a pin, a rattle, is the higheſt things that they have in their eye, as Domitian the Emperour ſpent his time in catching flies, for all he had the weighty things of the Kingdom lay upon him, nihil aliud quam muſcas Captare: Sueton.Sueton.
Doctrine 2.
This wiſdom is the principal thing; it hath a preheminence and a ſupereminency above all other things in the world, Prov. 3.14. happy is the man that findeth wiſdom, for the merchandize of it is better then the merchandize of ſilver, and the gain thereof then fine gold, &c. that is, even the trading for grace in the Ordinances is to be preferred before the choiceſt worldly comforts.
But wherein doth the excellency of grace lie? In theſe particulars.
Firſt, the excellency of grace lies in a conformity unto God; the neerer any creature comes unto God, the more glorious it is, and the more happy: herein lies the happineſs of the Angels, yea, and of the humane nature of Chriſt, that is exalted far above all the Angels, in this, that it is more like unto God, and all the glorious Attributes of God did ſhine forth in him; Now by grace a man is renewed and transformed into the Image of God, 2 Cor. 3. ult. he lives the life of God, Eph. 4.18. hath a life from God, in God, and unto God: which is a higher life then any man in the world lives; his life is a moſt excellent life, being made partaker of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. grace doth foreign, and a man hath all the vertues of God ſhining forth in him, 2 Pet. 1.9. a man is holy as he is holy, and merciful as he is merciful: and we do thereby become foreign; imitators of God, Eph. 5.1.
Secondly, from this conformity there ariſeth a communion: for between light and darkneſs there can be no fellowſhip; and if a man ſay that he hath fellowſhip with him, and walks in darkneſs, he doth lye, 1 Ioh. 1.6. they only enjoy the divine preſence, that are made partakers of the divine nature; and ſuitable unto a mans conformity, ſo will his communion be: an unregenerate man that hath no conformity to God, he can have no communion with God: two cannot walk together unleſs they be agreed. Cant. 7.5. the King is held in the Galleries; thou haſt raviſhed me with one of thine eyes, and with the chain about thy neck. Zach. 3.7. if thou walk in my wayes and keep my Ordinances, I will give thee places to walk in amongſt thoſe that ſtand by, &c. and when a mans conformity ſhall be perfect, ſo ſhall his communion be: 1 Iohn 3.2. We ſhall be like him, and we ſhall ſee him as he is: An ungracious man can have no fellowſhip: a man muſt be in a ſtate of communion, Eph. 2.17. he muſt be made neer, before he can draw neer.
Now every man by nature is an enemy to God, and cares not for communion with him, but hates any degre of approach to God: he hath another fellowſhip with the unfruitful works of darkneſs; therefore he can have no communion with God.
Thirdly, grace fits a man for the ſervice of God; for, he hath no pleaſure in fools, that is a wiſe God: every man by nature is droſs and chaff, fit for no honourable employment: if a man were to ſtand before a King, Dan. 1.4. he muſt be learned in all wiſdom, and knowledge, and underſtanding, &c. how much more he that ſhall ſtand before the great God, Pſal. 4.4. the Lord hath ſeparated to himſelf the man that is godly: the Hebrew word is foreign to himſelf for ſervice, and to himſelf for communion. Pſal. 41.1,2. he will ſet them before his face for ever: when the Lord calls men to any ſervice, he doth qualifie them for that ſervice: Saul for government; but for a gracious work a common unction will not ſuffice: and if a man have a new work to do, he muſt have from the ſpirit of God a new ſupply; Phil. 1.19.
The Devil will not imploy inſtruments in his ſervice till they be fitted: and therefore there be ſome ſins that men are not tempted unto at firſt, becauſe their ſpirits are not prepared for them: Satan tempts and prevails with men by ſmaller ſins, and then they make way for greater: But grace enables a man to do and to ſuffer which way ſoever the Lord employs him: be the ſervice never ſo difficult, a gracious heart will ſay, Here I am Lord, ſend me. Phil. 4.13. he knows how to exalt God in a ſtate of proſperity, he knows how to abound: and caſt him into a ſtate of adverſity, and the knows how to want, Phil. 4.13. and grace doth not only fit a man to do Gods work, but alſo to aim at Gods end, for he is foreign: wholly anothers: But other men, non obtemperant dum obſequuntur.
Fourthly, grace turns all things that a godly man enjoyeth into a bleſſing: but unto an ungodly man every thing is become a curſe: he is curſed in his body, curſed in his name, and curſed in his eſtate, and in all his relations, and in all the creatures that he uſeth: his Table becomes a ſnare, Mal. 2.2. I will curſe your bleſſings, nay the Ordinances of God that be unto the Saints the ſavour of life, are unto him the ſavour of death: it is a means to ripen their ſins and haſten their ruine. Tit. 1.15. to the unclean all things are unclean. So that Eſau may have the dew of heaven, the fat of the earth, and yet be hated: and Saul a Kingdom, and yet rejected of God: and Judas may have Apoſtolical gifts, and yet be a Devil, and a ſon of perdition: they may be bleſſings in the thing, but curſes to the man: ſine ſummo bono nil bonum; without the chief good, there is nothing good. But godlineſs brings a bleſſing into every ſtate, 1 Pet. 3.9. the Saints are the heirs of bleſsing unto every ſtate, Rom. 8.28. all things work together for good to them that fear God: all things are yours, and ye are Chriſts: whether it be life or death, things preſent or things to come, 1 Cor. 3.22. mercies or croſſes, Eph. 1.22. Chriſt is made the head over all things to the Church: for the Churches ſake, he doth order all things for their good, and doth as Phyſitians do temper poyſon into a wholſom medicine; Gods people are gainers by their worſt eſtates, and by their afflictions they are made partakers of his holineſs: and when their outward man doth decay, the inward man is renewed: and whatſoever God laies upon them, ſo it works in them the quiet fruit of righteouſneſs, it matters not what befall them in this world: though the rain make the way foul, it is no matter ſo it make the land fruitful: for theſe clouds drop fatneſs: and therefore the ſoul of a godly man bleſſeth the hand, and kiſſeth the rod that ſmites, and ſaies, it was good for me that I was afflicted: maledictionem benedixit, paupertatem ditavit.Luther.
Grace is like the Philoſophers ſtone, it turns all into gold. Prov. 3.18. it is ſaid, wiſdom is a tree of life unto them that lay hold of her: it puts a man into the ſame condition that he was before the fall, it brings a man again into the paradiſe of God, and the Angel with his flaming ſword is removed.
Fifthly, it fills the ſoul with all ſpiritual excellencies, thoſe that will endure everlaſtingly: and the ſoul of man is the darling of a man: if he looſe that, what good wil a world do him? & the excellencie of the man lies in his ſpirit: and the great and eternal difference between man and man lies in their ſpirit; there are two differences here below: one man is a King, and another man is a ſubject: one a maſter, and another a ſervant: but theſe differences are but for the time of this life, and then all theſe relations ſhall ceaſe, Iob 3.19. then the ſervant ſhall be free from his maſter, and the Princes robes and the beggers raggs lie down together.
And here be excellencies alſo that ſome mens ſpirits have beyond others: ſome have knowledge, common gifts, and common graces: but theſe ſhall be alike: for after this life if there be knowledge, that ſhall ceaſe, and tongues they ſhall vaniſh away, 1 Cor. 13. for all this is meat that periſheth, Ioh 6.27. the ſoul may feed upon it a while, but it will periſh, and a mans oyl in his lamp will go out, 1 Pet. 3. ult. all fleſh is graſs, and the glory of it is as the flower: only the word of the Lord turned into grace, the Law written in the heart, that is immortal ſeed, &c. God looks chiefly to the excellency of a mans ſpirit, Numb. 14.24. but my ſervant Caleb had another ſpirit, &c. for God is a ſpirit, and the Father of ſpirits, and his eyes are wholly upon the ſpirits of men, and he hates ſin in the ſoul moſt; and ſo the excellency of the ſoul he is moſt delighted with, is the adorning that is within, Pſal. 45.1. the hidden man of the heart, 1 Pet. 3.4. which is in the ſight of God of great price: and all outward excellencies are but ſhaddows of this; gold and ſilver, pearls and perfumes, &c. to have an enlightned, ſanctified, ſublime ſpirit, walking above the creatures, and the Heart in Heaven, where the Treaſure is; to be brought up to an holy independency towards all things below, and a holy magnanimity and ſelf-ſufficiency, this is a ſpirit with whom God delights to dwell, 2 Cor. 6.16. the word is foreign and they were panes propoſitionis, ſet before the face of God for ever.
Sixthly, grace will preſerve a man from all evil Prov. 2.11,12. diſcretion ſhall preſerve thee, underſtanding ſhall keep thee, to deliver thee from the way of the evil man and to deliver thee from the ſtrange woman: there is in every age a Courſe of the world: for Dan. 7.2. the world is a Sea, and every man is as a drop emptyed thereinto, and ſwims with the tide: and the happineſs of Gods people is to be redeemed from it, Gal. 1.4. In the firſt three hundred years the world proved perſecutors: afterward they turned Hereticks, then Popery roſe, and then all the world wondred after the Beaſt: yet in this time there were ſome that did watch and keep their garments, that did not drink of the wine of her fornication; who though they came out of great tribulation, yet had waſhed their garments and made them white in the blood of the Lamb: we ſee Noah in the worſt times, and Lot in a Sodom of filthyneſs to keep their garments. Seneca ſpeaks of a certain place called Epheſtion, which he ſaith Ignis innocuus circuit, that hurts not thoſe that are within, and yet keeps out all evil from them: truly ſuch a fire is grace whereſoever it is.
Uſe.
Let me exhort you to get wiſdom, get underſtanding: for let me tell you, there be dayes coming wherein a little grace will be more worth then all the gold in the world: Mat. 25 a little of the wiſe Virgins oyl, what would the fooliſh have given for it? men think they can live without God, and without grace here: but when they come to dye, when the channels of all the creatures ſhall be ſtopt: and all things take their leave, and God be all in all to them, and then thou haſt no intereſt in him, then thou wilt wiſh as Cardinal Wolſey once ſaid, If I had ſerved my God as faithfully as I have done the King, he would not have left me, &c. then a man will ſay with Galeaſius, their money periſh with them, that do prefer all the gold in the world before one hours communion with Chriſt.
Oh that I could but bring you in love with grace this day: the firſt ſtep to grace is a high prizing of it, Luke 17.5. Chriſt raiſeth their eſteem of it, and thereby encreaſeth it.
I will give a few rules of trial, &c.
Firſt, try the heart in reſpect of thy darling luſt, thy right hand, Pſal. 18.23. there is no man but hath ſome luſt that is moſt beloved, and indulged to. Now is thy heart moſt ſet againſt that luſt above all other ſins.
Secondly, grace enables a man to diſcern the ſpiritual preſence or abſence of God in Ordinances, Ezek. 10. he ſaw the glory of the Lord to depart when the reſt did not; and the ſoul is drawn out to God in the uſe of Ordinances, and he follows hard after God, and he hath the ſpiritual skil to diſcern when God draws neer, and when the Lord departs; for his communion is not with the duty only, but with God in it: he engageth his heart to draw neer to God, 2 King. 10.13. whereas another man like Jehu, is heedleſs in the ſervice he performs, doth not labour with all his heart to enjoy communion with God, nor obſerves whether God be preſent or abſent: a conſtant heedleſneſs and regardleſneſs in the ſervice of God, is a certain ſign of an hypocrite.
Thirdly, if ſin be caſt in, grace doth never leave till it work it out, Mat. 12.35. the regenerate part in a man will be continually expelling corruption: he doth daily waſh his feet, and is as a bone diſlocated, till he be again reconciled to God, after he hath ſinned againſt him: for he ſaith, It was better with me when I had peace of conſcience then now; when the Lord called me to communion: but ſin hath ſeparated between me and God: and therefore in regard of his daily failings alſo, as well as committing any groſs act of ſin, he looks upon himſelf as Turtullian doth, as nulli rei niſi paenitentiae natus; Tertullian.it is with him as it is with a man in a ſwound, whileſt his ſoul is in him, there is a principle that will bring him to life again: but if a man be dead, it is not ſo: there is no inward working in him, becauſe an inward principle is wanting.
But you will ſay to me, How ſhould a man attain to this?
I will give you theſe three directions at preſent.
Firſt, be very ſenſible that thou art without it by nature, and what a miſerable condition it is for a man to be without grace. I deſire you will conſider: if thou haſt not the Image of God upon thee, thou haſt the Image of the Devil and thou art under the power of the Devil, who is perfectly contrary to God, and an enemy to him: and thou ſhalt be puniſht with him to all eternity, if thou continue like unto him: and then conſider, all the means thou canſt uſe cannot beſtow grace. Chriſt into the world, and Chriſt into the heart, are free gifts: Lumen naturae, nature new dreſſed may make a ſhew, but it can never be a new man: it is a new creation: an act of Almighty power muſt paſs upon thee before thou art in a ſtate of grace, Eph. 1.19. and let thy heart dwell upon this apprehenſion.
Secondly, wait upon God forit to this end in all converting Ordinances: attend at wiſdoms gates, Cant. 1.16. for this is the bed wherein ſouls are begotten to the Lord, even the Miniſtery of the word, Cant. 4.2 every one bears twins. Pſal. 110. it is as the dew that falls from th… womb of the morning: there are abundance of ſouls begotten, for it is a dole of ſpiritual gifts. Rom. 1.12. I have begotten you through the Goſpel; Grace is the Law written in the heart: and God is pleaſed to make uſe of the Miniſtery as his pen to write it there.
Thirdly, do not only wait, but cry for it, Pro. 2.2,3.make it thy great requeſt unto God from day to day, that thou mayſt have experience of a work of Regeneration; that thou mayſt reſt in no grace but true grace: nor be ſatisfied with oyl in thy lamp only, unleſs thou have it in thy Veſſel; that thou mayſt not build upon the ſand, but on a Rock: for this will be the deſtruction of moſt of thoſe that profeſs Religion at the laſt day, that they have thoughts to walk in the narrow way, before ever they entred in at the ſtrait gate: O labour that the ſpirit of God may not only have an influence upon thee in common gifts, but that he may work truth of grace in thee; and that he may not only come unto thee as forma aſsiſtens, to aſſiſt thee in ſome common duties for a time, but as forma informans, ſo as to abide with thee and in thee for ever.