The Greatest Sinners Exhorted and Encouraged, Part 5
I proceed to make some Aplication of this Doctrine. 1st. By way of Instruction or Information.
Instr. 1. Hence fruitful Christians are dear to God. His Glory is dear to him, and therefore they that are active instruments in glorifying his Name, must needs be dear to him. They abide in his love, as Christ here speaks. and thence it is that their prayers can do much with God. Whatever they ask, he is ready to grant them. They no sooner speak, but speed. It is because God has a special delight in the persons of such as love to glorifie his Name, and so in their prayers. The Lord Jesus Christ said, Therefore doth my Father love mee, because I laid down my life. Joh. 10. 17. So God does therefore love some Christians above others, because they are more fruitful, and He has more glory to his Name by them than he has by others. Not that God's love of Good-will does at all depend upon the works or goodness of men: Nor was He at all moved from the fore-sight of any fruit or gracious Qualifications in them, to set his heart upon them; but because He has loved them, therefore they become fruitful. Only His love of delight in them, is more or less according to the measure of the fruit which they bring forth to his praise and glory. Men if they have Vines or Trees in their Orchards which are very fruitful, they take a peculiar delight in them. So does the Lord doe. Job was the most fruitful Saint in the world in his time; and how was the Lord taken with him! Cap. 1. 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth! The Lord seems to glory in having such a good and useful servant as Job was. Moses was a most fruitful man, and brought more glory to God than any one in the world in the Age wherein he lived, and God delighted in him: yea, he was so dear to God as that He could not bear to have any one speak an ill word of him, Numb. 12. 7, 8, 9. But especially when Young men are abundantly fruitful, the Lord does exceedingly delight in them: As we see in that instance of the Apostle John, of whom Ecclesiastical Story reports that he was the youngest of all the Disciples, but one and twenty years old when he began his public Ministry and Apostleship: and he was the disciple whom Jesus loved. To see a man so young so set upon glorifying God, was very pleasing. If a man has in his Orchard a young tree loaden with fruit, he takes delight in looking upon it: A young man that is alwayes doing good, the Great God never looketh upon him but with delight.
Instr. 2. Hence it is a very great mercy to have an oportunity of being fruitful. there is no creature capable of a greater happiness than to be an active instrument of glorifying God. Therefore opportunities that way are singular mercies. I remember an eminent Divine that was wont to say, My opportunities are my greatest riches. To be improved in publique Service for God amongst his people is a wonwonderful favour; and it is a very evil thing to decline all such advantages for Service to the Name of God. Not that a man is alwaies bound to make use of every opportunity: For God may be so gracious to him, as to put many great opportunities into his hands, more than he can make use of. And then he must consider with himself, In which of these shall I be like to bring the greatest and most lasting glory to the Name of God? and let him be sure to doe that. But when men shall out of passion or discontent, or for any carnal ends, decline all publique Service for Christ and for his People, it is certain that their hearts are not set upon glorifying God as they ought to be, and that they don't act grace but corruption. Moreover, It is a great happiness to be call'd to Suffer for God's Name and Truth. Phil. 1. 29. Ʋnto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but to suffer for his sake. Not that Sufferings are in themselves desireable, only as then and thereby we have an opportunity to glorifie God. In that respect if you be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are you, for on your part He is glorified. Its then a great mercy to have an opportunity to be either doing or suffering for Christ.
Instr. 3. Hence they that call themselves Christians, and yet bear litle or no fruit, are a dishonour to the blessed Name of God. And yet alas how many such are their! Christians who are barren fig-trees, or barren Vines in the Lord's garden, that have the leaves of Profession growing on them, but not the Fruits of practise: That when the Lord cometh to them looking for fruit, He findeth nothing but leaves, a meer formal profession, of whom He may justly say cut them down, why cumber they the ground? There are others that have blossoms only. Convictions of sin and Duty, and beginnings of Reformation are Blossoms. Many have had these who never brought forth the fruit of true Repentance, and Faith, and Holinass. Oh how have they dishonoured God, and what a deadly case are their souls in! Naturalists observe that if a tree blossome, and yet does not bear fruit, it is many times a sign that it will dye; So when persons have Convictions, and Troubles of Conscience, and begin to set upon the practice of holy Duties, but notwithstanding these illuminations are not throughly converted, it is a sad sign that their souls shall dye forever. The Apostle speaks of trees whose fruit withered, without fruit, twice dead, Jude. 12. They that have had convictons, and some external Reformations; and after that return to their former evil waies again, are twice dead. And don't we see some withered professors of Religion! The time was when they made a fair show, a glorious profession, but all is wither'd away into sapless Formality. Such may well fear that they were never truly implanted into Christ, and therefore are they cast forth and withered.
And there are many true Believers, which tho' they bear fruit, yet but little fruit comparatively to what they should and might do. What barren hearts have they! Not so many holy thoughts therein as ought to be! what barren lips, that are not filled up with profitable discourse! This, verily is the great sin of many professors: They spend whole hours in Company with one another, and yet not one edifying word all that time. Nay, it may be their Comunications such, as they would be ashamed to say what they had bin speaking, if the holy Lord Jesus should suddenly break in upon them and demand what their discourses were about. As he did when his Disciples were in a house at Capernaum, the Lord asked them, what was it that you disputed among your selvs by the way? And they held their peace, for they had been disputing who should be the greatest. Mark. 9. 33. 34. They were asham'd to tell what discourses had pass'd amongst them. Is there not a great deal of unfruitful Discourse amongst Christians when they meet occasionally? On a time there happ'ned to be a number of Christians together, and their Discourse being frothy and fruitless, a young man in the room who was of a more serious and holy temper than the rest, took his pen and ink and for a while in Short-hand wrote down what every man said, and having so done, he pray'd them to tell him what every man of them had spoken since they came together, but if you cannot (said he) I'le read to you what has passed in discourse: You (said he) spoke these words, and you (said he to another) utterd these words, and you (said he) to a third, had these Expressions: and when they heard over again what foolish talk had been among them, they were all ashamed. Certainly many good people are not so mindful as they should be, that of every idle word they must give an account to Christ in another world. Such dishonour God by their unfruitfulness.
And are men duly careful to glorify God with their outward Estates? Do they bear much fruit in that respect? Some that have considerable estates, how little good do they do with them! They can lavish out of the bag to serve an Idol, to gratifie a Lust: would they with a sincere heart do as much for God who has given them all they enjoy, what blessed Acknowledgments should they have from Jesus Christ at the great Day! But if they be put upon a good Work, how little have they to spare! Such Christians dishonour God.