whereof is to accept of sincerity in stead of perfection desires for deeds purposes for performances pence for pounds and mites for millions and therefore God will accept and reward the least measure of grace that is in truth and sincerity God requires of Abraham when he renewed with him the Covenant of grace Be thou perfect i.e. upright and walk so before me and I will be thy exceeding great reward To make some Application of this truth We may from hence deduce these inferences following If God doth cherish and will reward the smallest measures of grace Then it will follow That God takes notice of the smallest sins to punish them He that graciously eyes the very buddings of grace will also justly eye the buddings of corruption in his own people That he was ready to have slaine Moses for his neglecting of circumcising his son and thus the Lord made a breach upon Vzzah when he put forth his hand and stayed the shaking of the Ark You have I known saith God of his people only of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities It is true it is said The Lord beholds not iniquity in Jacob neither sees perversnesse in Israel but this is not as the Antinomians glosse upon it as if God did not see sin in his people and is never displeased with their sins But the meaning is that God sees not sin in his people so as eternally to punish it And moreover the most proper sense of that place is this That whereas Balak hired Balaam to eurse the People of Israel and that false Prophet for the wages of unrighteousnesse was ready enough to have taken all occasions of cursing them yet he could not fasten any curse upon them at that time because there was no provoking sin amongst them and therefore he gave Balak counsel to tempt them to sin and so by the stumbling-block of the Midianitish women he drew Israel to idolatry and adultery and so made them fall But God doth see sin in his own people yea the least sin yea he eyes their failings though not to damne them for them yet to chastise them for them God sees the purposes of sin as well as the purposes of grace It is said of Balak that he arose and warred against Israel Now we doe not read that ever Baalak did actually wage warre against Israel onely he did intend and purpose it and for that end sent and called Balaam the son of Be or to curse them and yet the Holy Ghost reckons upon his wicked purpose as if he had accomplish't it Learn from hence That the same minde should be in Christians of greater growth to the weak as was in Christ Jesus who though he be higher then the highest yet he looks upon the poor and lowly without disdain and so should we The heaven is the throne and the earth is the footstoole of the Lord and yet this great God will not despise the weakest Saint but will look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at his word He will look on the poor weak trembling soule and shall we look off from such with pride and disdain and set such at our footstoole shall Christ give the Lambe iâ— his Scutchion and wilt thou give the Lion shall he like a Lambe be meek and gentle and thou like the Lion be stout haughty and stately that contemns all the beasts of the Forrest Oh be not you supercilious and contemptuous towards weak Christians who are injured and discouraged by strong Christians 1. When they are put upon such austerities of Religion as are far beyond their strength and growth When these poor torn tottered and rent bottles are put upon to hold new wine alas poor souls they are discouraged wherefore Christ proportions his doctrine to their capacities and will not say that to them which they cannot at present hear and so proportions out their duties to their abilities and will not out match their strength with his commands Fasting and suffering was a hard duty and therfore he will excuse them till they have had more time and more experience in the wayes of God till the Holy Ghost come down upon them and they have more grace which is a good rule for us not to discourage young beginners in the schoole of Christ not to put them to read such Authors as are above their capacities 2. When strong Christians are too sharp and rigorous in bitter reproofs for the failings and infirmities of weak Christians Young converts like young twigges must be gently handled else you will break them you must excuse their failings hide their wants commend their performances cherish their forwardnesse resolve their doubts bear their burdens and by this gentlenesse bring them into a love of Religion that they may not distaste it as soon as they know it 3. By setting light by their gifts Alas how soon is the smoaking flax quenched by the too much superciliousnesse of those that think themselves bright torches how easily is the poor spark of grace trod out by the foat of pride 4. By puzling them with doubtful disputes contrary to that of the Apostle Him that is weake in the faith receive but not unto doubtfull disput ations 5. By giving them ill example Weak Christians are more apt to be led by example then by Precept When Peter who was a Pillar in the Church and a strong Christian for fear of Persecution for sook the Gentiles and separated and withdrew himselfe then others of the Jewes which in all likelihood were weak Christians dissembled also Thus Paul argues to abstain from giving ill example about the eating the Idolothyta If any man see thee which hast knowledge i.e. who art a strong Christian sit at meas in the Idols Temple shall not the conscience of him that is weak he imboldened to eat those things that are offered to idols And therefore let Christians learn from God to cherish the weak beginnings of grace in the people of God Look not on me saith the Church because I am black because the Sun hath looked upon me i.e. look not on me with a lofty and disdainful look and with a coy countenance and then the Church addes My mothers children were angry with me that is other Congregations and People did disesteem and disdain me for my infirmity But this should not be amongst Christians but the strong should cherish the weak Angels despise not the poorest Christians but do minister unto them Learn from hence how God doth by leasure and degrees carry on in the hearts of his people the work of grace unto further perfection Mushromes and such like worthlesse things like Jonas his gourd may spring up in one night but things of most moment are of longest growth before they come to perfection The Elephant amongst the Beasts and the Oake amongst the Trees
strong meat 5. They that have much grace and are strong in grace yet have cause to be humble because its likely they had more grace and did more good heretofore then now and who is there almost that is not decayed that hath not in some degree or other left their first love have you not had I speak to grown and experienced Christians more love and zeal to God more hatred of sin more griefe for sinne more feare of offending God then now you have are there not many that have and do expresse lesse desire after duty lesse fervency lesse frequency lesse delight in holy duties then formerly Alas how many through pride and spiritual improvidence through neglect of Ordinances and worldly mindednesse have much abated in their spiritual estate 6. Be humbled that though you be strong in grace yet you have many corruptions in you more strong then many graces More are our vain thoughts then our meditations and more are the things we are ignorant of then the things we know Corruption is strong enough to keep grace low but in the best grace is not strong enough to bring corruption under When we would do good evil is persent and powerful with us to hinder us from doing of good but when we are doing of evil good is not present to hinder us from that evil we are more in sinning then in obeying Our corruptions are like Goliath our grace as David We exercise more kinds of sins then graces as in a sield there are more briats and thorns then usefull trees and in a garden more unprofitable weeds then roses and lilies so in the souls of the best there are whole swarmes of vain earthly and sinful thoughts when there are but very few holy and heavenly thoughts 7. Another argument why strong Christians should be humble is this that though they may have grace yet they are subject to fall into that sin which is most contrary to that grace wherein they are most eminent Abraham was most eminent for faith he is said to be strong in faith he is called the father of the faithfull They which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham and yet for all this Abraham fell into distrust of Gods providence and power when he spake untruly and denied his wife So Job was renowned for his patience You have heard of the patience of Job saith St. James and yet we read in the story of Jobs trials that his impatiency did break out in many rash speeches and wishes So Moses was eminently meek it was said of him The man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth And yet it is said of him that his spirit was provoked so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips and you shall finde meek Moses thus expostulating with God himself I am not able to bear all the people alone because it is too heavy for me and if thou deal thus with me kill me I pray thee out of hand and if I have found fovour in thine eyes let me not see my wretchednesse 8. This further consideration may also humble us that in the highest and greatest exercise of grace there is much mixture of sin We may observe that even those good actions for which many of the People of God are recorded in Scripture are yet blemish't with some notable defect Râ—hab's faith in entertaining the Spies was blemish't with this failing in telling a lie concerning them It was also good the Midwives did when they refused to obey that bloody decree of the King of Egypt and would not kill the male-children of the Hebrews and yet they miscarried as some observe in their answer to the King when they made their excuse Wee are apt to mingle sin with the best action we do and so apt to plough with an Oxe and an Asse and our corruptions are apt to discover themselves even while we are upon the exercise our grace 3. Let the strong labour to be more strong that so they may be strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse And therefore it is that the Apostle prayes for the Romones that they may be filled by the God of hâ—pe with all joy and peace in believing that they might abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost and yet in the next verse he told them I my self am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye are full of goodnesse and that ye are filled with all knowledge And as he prayes for the Romanes upon the same termes he presseth the Thessaionians of whom he thus speakes Now as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another And indeed you do it towards all the Brethren which are in all Macedonia but we beseech you Brethren that ye increase more and more The righteous saith Job shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger To quicken you hereunto consider 1. The more grace we have on Earth the more glory we shall have in Heaven As God doth unequally dispense his gifts in this life so accordingly he crowns There are degrees of torments in hell the hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisees who devoured widows houses and for a pretence made long prayers are doomed by Christ himselfe to receive greater damnation and that servant who knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his wil shall be beaten with many stripes Now if there are different degrees of torments in hell then surely there are different degrees of glory in Heaven and those according to different degrees of grace here on earth 2. It is of the nature of grace to grow and increase and therefore if thou hadst grace either in truth of it or in strength of it it wil certainly grow Grace in Scripture is compared to a grain of mustard-seed the least of seeds which afterwards sprouts and springs so aâ— that it becomes the largest of plants In the same chapter grace is compared unto leaven which being put into the heap of meale leaveneth the whole so grace as I touched before in the heart is of a spreading nature and wil diffuse it selfe into all the parts powers and faculties of soule and body Christians are therefore compared to the branches of a Vine which of all trees grows most and brings forth most fruit A Picture doth not grow but a living child wil grow 3. Such as are strong Christians should yet grow more and more because in this world there is not stint and measure set for spiritual growth the maximum quod sic of a Christian is this he must grow in grace til his head reach up to heaven til grace be perfected in glory 4. Shall worldlings set no bounds to their desires after
knew but little of the mystery of our Redemption at first and were ignorant concerning the Passsion of Christ of the Resurrection as also of the Ascension of Christ till the Holy Ghost came and taught them these things and brought those things to remembrance that Christ had taught them 8. Weak Christians are strong in affections and not in judgment they have usually more heat then light young Christians are like young horses they have much metal but are not so fit for a journey because they are not so through paced there are many Christians that have much zeal and affection but are not so solid in their judgments but this argues much weakenesse in grace 9. A weak Christian is one that cannot bear reproof Sharp weather will discover whether thou art of a weak or sound body so a sharp reproof will discover whether thou art of a weak spiritual temper constitution When Nathan came to David he could bear the reproof though the Prophet told him to his face He was the man that had sinned but Asa though a good man could not endure the faithfull reproof of a Prophet But was wroth with the Seer and put him in the prison-house 10. A weak Believer is one that can trust God for his soul but not for his body So Jesus Christ argues that those had little faith who did expect heaven and happinesse from God their Father and durst trust him with their souls and eternal concerments yet durst not trust him for food raiment There are those that dare trust God for heaven and yet not trust him for earth but these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of little faith The Disciples when they wanted bread began to reason amongst themselves how they should be supplyed Oh ye of little faith saith Christ Why do you thus reason Can you trust me for the bread of eternal life and dare you not trust me for the bread of this life Be not then discouraged you that discern in your selves but small measures of grace look on your wants and imperfections so as to grow in grace and not to be content with any measure But look not on the small beginnings in grace as discouragement to you When you see in a field a great Oake you may say this great tree was once but a small acorne Those Christians who are now but small spriggs may hereafter be tall Cedars say to thy soul though I am but weak yet I shall be strong grace where it is true will be growing the smoking flax may be a burning and shining lampe in Gods Candlestick and therefore as you must not be content with the greatest measure of grace so neither be discouraged with the least measure of Grace A grain of mustard seed may grow a great tree Content not your selves with small measures of grace a little of the world will not content you In the womb a foot contents us three foot in the Cradle and seven foot in the grave but betwixt the Cradle and the grave a whole world will not content us and shall a little grace content us For wealth and desire of it thou art as the Horse-leech which cries give and as the grave that never saith it is enough and for grace wilt thou be content with a little Sermon III. At Lawrence Jury London March 16. 1650 1. 1. KINGS 14. part of the 13. verse Because in him there is found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam WE have given some Scripture Characters of those that have a little grace now we proceed to resolve a third question 3. Quest Why doth God so order and ordain it that among his own people all shall not be of an equal stature in Christ but there are of them some in whom there shall be but the beginnings of grace found Answ It is true it is not with Regeneration as it was in the Creation it is not with the Trees of Righteousnesse as it was with the Trees of Paradise which were created all perfect at the first but it is not so in the Work of Grace we are not perfectly sanctified nor at once but we perfect holinesse in the fear of God and that by degrees and God hath given to some of his people but small beginnings and measures of grace and that for these Reasons 1. To put a difference between our estate on earth and our being in heaven In heaven we shall all have an equal stature in grace though it be disputed that there are different degrees of glory But in heaven the spirits of just men shall all be made perfect and there we shall all come unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ All believers here are justified by God alike God doth not acquit the strong and hold guilty the weak but justification is alike to all but our sanctification is not alike but when we come to heaven our sanctification shall be then as our Justification is now that is perfect and equal we shall have not only a perfection of parts but of degrees 2. This is to make men live in a continual dependance upon divine influxe and supplies from the Spirit of God If children should be born perfect men as Adam was created we should not then see that continual need of dependance on our Parents We are bred in the womb and afterward born in the world and then by degrees grow up from stature to stature and so it is in grace God deals thus Converting grace doth not make us so perfect as we shall be afterward At the first Creation he made the trees all fruitful and at their full growth but now 't is otherwise they are first kernels or seeds then plants before they are grown trees and they have dependance on the influences of heaven so we are first babes then young men and then strong men in Christ to keep our souls in a dependance on Gods grace 3. For the greater ornament of the mystical body of Christ In a natural body if every member should be of an equal bignesse the body would be monstrous but the body is so proportioned in its different members that the lesser become serviceable to the greater and so they all orderly discharge their mutual operations As in Musick there would be no harmony if the strings were all of an equal bignesse but one string being the base and the other the treble that makes the Musick to be more melodious so it is in grace the different degrees of grace makes the body of Christ more harmonious It is here as in some curious piece of needle work if all the silkes were of one colour it would not set out the work with so much lustre and amiablenesse as the variety of colours will do 4. To make Gods people see a necessity of maintaining fellowship and communion together to edifie and build
up each other There would be no need of Christian discourse and holy fellowship did not our weaknesse require it As among the members of the body God hath so ordered them that each member is serviceable to another the eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee so among the people of God some being weak others strong there is a necessity of maintaining Communion together There is an instinct in nature that things weak in themselves cleave to those things which are stronger then they The Conies are but a feeble flock yet make they their houses in the rocks among birds the Dove the silliest and most shiftlesse creature yet she hides her self in the clefts of the rock the Vine among the trees the weakest yet it clings to the wall the Hopps among the plants yet it twines about the pole So God hath ordered it in his infinite wisdom that some Christians should be stronger and some weaker in grace that the strong may help the weake and each be serviceable to one another 5. To set out the glory of God in all his glorious attributes 1. This different size of grace in Christians doth glorifie the mercy of God and the free grace of God who when there are some Christians that have but a little grace yet God rewards those small measures of grace with great measures of glory 1. This magnifies the power of God who when we are weak yet the great God manifests his power in our weaknesse yea his strength is made perfect in weaknesse And therefore Paul addes vers 10. For when I am weak then am I strong that is in Christ Is it not a demonstration of great power to keep a small sparke of fire that it shall not be quenched in a flood of water yet behold that little spark of grace in thee shall not be quenched in thee by the flood and torrent of thy corruptions It is by Gods power that the least measure of grace shall be preserved There is not so much of Gods power seen in preserving the Angels as a weak Believer for the Angels though mutable yet are perfect creatures they have no weights of sins and corruptions to pull them down But alas we have such a bias and inclination to sin that we are apt to be turned aside from God every moment The Power of God is more seen in preserving a poor believer in the state of grace then in preserving the Angels in the state of innocency And as Gods power is seen in preserving of a little grace so it 's also seen in the increasing of small grace Grace is like to that cloud which the Prophets servants saw which at first was but like a mans hand but afterwards it overspread the whole heavens True grace is of a spreading and increasing nature and therfore the increase of our graces may be shadowed out in the vision of the waters of the Sanctuary which at first were but to the ankles after that to the knees then to the loynes and at last so deep that they could not be passed over 3. God doth hereby glorifie his wisdome As Gods wisdome is demonstrated in the world by the variety of creatures which are not all of the same bulk and bignesse but some bigger and some lesser so in the Church of God his wisdom appears that some Christians are of greater and some of a lesser measure of grace Search the whole Creation and you shall find the wisdome of God in the variety of Creatures In the heavens there are the greater and lesser lights and so starres of different magnitude doe beautifie and bespangle the heavens so in the sea there are greater and lesser fishes in the air the great Eagle and little Sparrow on the earth the Elephant and little Dog amongst the creeping things there 's the great Serpent and the little Pismire amongst the vegetables the tall Cedar and the Hysop on the wall And also amongst the rationall Creatures there is a Gyant and a Dwarfe a grown man of a tall stature and a childe but of a span long So is Gods wisdome greatly illustrated that as there is variety of natural proportions in the world so there are various proportions of grace in his Church amongst his children Before I come to apply this point which is of very great use to Gods children for their comfort I shall lay down some general Positions about small measures of grace That in the Church there are found more weak Christians then strong more young Converts then old and grown Christians As in a Forrest there are more young sprouts then old trees in a garden more young slips then old roots in the world more young children then old men In Niniveh there were 120000 Infants but there was not such a number of old men By how much things are perfect by so much they are the fewer Look amongst other creatures those that are of a bigger bulk are of a lesser number as in the sea there are more young and little fish then great whales on the earth the smallest things are innumerable in the aire there are more swarms of flies then flocks of birds so in the Church of God there are more that are young and weak Converts then old Christians It is with most Christians as it was with Jonathans signal arrows which he shot to warn David by of which two fel short and but one beyond the mark So where one Christian shoots home to the mark of the price of the high calling in Christ Jesus there are many fall short That there are many that have but weak measures and small beginnings of grace who have been a long time under the Profession of Religion and under the means of grace such were the Hebrews who for the time that they ought to be teachers yet had need that one should teach them again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat and I may accommodate to this purpose that speech of Christ Many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first There are many who went out early and took as it were the first step in Profession of Religion and yet others have over-gone them who went out after them Many who have but weak measures of grace have been of long standing under the meanes of grace And therefore Christians are not to judge the strength of grace by their Profession but by their Proficiency It is not how many yeares you have been Professors but what experience and judgment have you gotten under Ordinances That the smallest measures of grace cannot merit eternal life and glory because great measures cannot In merit there ought to be a proportion but between grace and glory there is none our services are imperfect our salvation is perfect our services but momentary our glory is eternal
to preach affectionately as before and this from the indisposition of the body 3. Whence it is that those that have strength of grace may yet want those strong affections which they had at their first conversion 1. Because at first conversion grace was but particularly imployed which afterwards was more diffused and generally imployed When much water runs in one Channel it makes the stream the stronger but when there are many rivulets cut out though there is as much and more water yet there is not the same strength of stream So it is at our first conversion all our affections made but up one stream and so our affections seemed the stronger A new convert hath not so many duties to performe as a grown Christian hath because he doth not know so many duties It may be at first all his affections run out to pray and hear the Word and read good books and whilest all the affections run in this one channel they seem to be very strong whereas a grown Christian he hath not only these generall duties but many particular duties of his calling and relations to follow he hath many duties to perform to God and men which a new convert knowes not and therefore it is that though his affections may seem weaker yet his grace is as strong as before stronger 2. This is from the newness of the condition Naturally we are much affected with any new thing as for example for a man that hath been many years in a dark dungeon to be suddenly brought into the light the suddennesse of the change would much affect a man This is the state of our souls at our first conversion we are therefore brought from darknesse into light and from the power of Satan unto God By the grace of conversion God calls us out of darknesse into his marvellous light and because it is so marvellous therefore it doth so much affect The change at first conversion is very great a man be comes another man and man is so affected that he is put into a kinde of astonishment Yet in this case we must distinguish between solid affections and floting and transient passions which do wear off presently and vanish suddenly The affections of some Christians especially young ones are like those colours which are not in grain they will soon fade It is with a young Convert as with a man going to execution while he is upon the ladder a pardon is unexpectedly brought how will this man be transported with joy he will leap for joy he will in that case be all joy exultation for the present and it may be afterward the flush torrent of his joy is abated though his life be as dear to him as ever So when the soul hath been brought by the Law of God to a sight of its lost condition then the Gospel hath proclaimed a pardon the Spirit of God hath set on the comfort of that pardon upon his heart Oh what ravishments hath that soule for the present which perhaps he shall not long retain the violence of his joy is abated but the solidity of it remains The soule is much affected with its first meeting with Christ and though the flush of that joy be over yet the souls love to Christ is as much and its prizing Communion with Christ the same The Creeple when he was restored to strength went leaping and praising God because the unexpectednesse of the cure did mightily affect his heart and this is a second reason why those who are grown and solid Christians yet perhaps may not retain the same measure of affections they had at their first conversion 3. A third Reason may be taken from Gods indulgence to young Converts who usually gives in comfort according to the necessity of his people It is with God our heavenly Father as with naturall Parents they are most tender over their new-born children That parable of the returning Prodigall is very full to this purpose his father did not onely receive him mercifully but bountifully too he gave him more then was for necessity not onely shoâ—s but a ring not only clothes but the best robe not only bread but the fatted calfe and musick at this Feast and all this was for this newly converted and repenting son though his father did not entertain him so every day So our God at our first conversion expresseth much of his bounty and indulgence to his children though afterward we may have the same love of God the same love to God though the expressions may not be the same now as formerly in those daies of Gods bounty Let us from hence learn that though we have lost those affections which we had yet we must 1. Labour to be sensible of and humbled for those decayes A decayed condition is an uncomfortable condition though thou hast so much grace as will bring thee to heaven yet by thy decayes thou wilt be very uncomtable here on earth 2. Labour to get those decays repaired If thou hast left thy first love repent and doe thy first works 3. Make up the want of former affections in solidity of knowledge and judgement and if the candle give not so great a blaze let it give a more clear and constant light 4 Labour to keep up the primitive vigour of your affections 1. Remember you may lose that in a short time which you may be a long time in recovering A man may lose more strength in one weeks sicknesse then many months will make reparation A wound may be quickly made but not so soon cured Philosophers wil tel us that the way from the habit to the privation is far easier then from the privation to the habit it is far easier to make a seeing man blind then to make a blind man see so it is far easier to lose our holy affections then it is to recover them 2. Labour to keep up your holy affections for the truth of grace is more discerned by our affections then our actions Acts of grace may be easier dissembled then gracious affections A Painter may paint the colour but not the heat of the fire 3. Labour to keep up affections as they were at first because it is very hard to retain them it is hard to keep them wound up to any height Flush of spirituall joy is like the sea the tide doth not so flow but the ebbe doth fall as low Bernard said of these strong gusts and great flush of these spirituall joyes and gracious affections They come but seldom and stay but a short time As in nature there is a spring and then the fall of the leafe and one day is clear and another is cloudy so it is with the best Christian his affections are not alwaies at the same pitch at the same height but it should be our endeavour to cherish and maintain in our soules our first flourishing affections in and towards the waies of God XI
The comfortable knowledge of our pardon is as well from Gods free grace as the pardon it self and therefore God suspends the comfort of grace to make us looke up to him for it When thou repentest God gives a pardon but therein he rewards his owne work in thee To give a pardon or sense of a pardon is an act of meer liberality in God 4. God doth this to put a difference between heaven and earth Heaven is a place for comfort earth for duty earth is for the getting of grace heaven for the rewarding of grace Our Lord Jesus Christ like the good Master of the Feast reserves the best for last The sons of Nobles when they travel into forraign parts have no more allowances then what will accommodate their travels the inheritance is reserved for them when they come to their fathers house So believers who are strangers and pilgrimes here they have so much grace and comfort as befits their passage to heaven but they have an inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away but is reserved in the heavens God thinks it not sit to give constant comforts in an inconstant world nor full comforts in an empty world nor lasting comforts in a transitory world 2. Reason may be taken from our selves and that in many regards that have much grace yet may have but a little comfort and this may spring from a threefold root in us 1. From something that is meerly natural in us 2. From something that is spiritual and good 3. From something that is evil in us 1. This may arise from the prevalency of a natural melancholy in the body whereby the understanding may be darkned the fancy troubled reason perverted and the soul sadned Melancholy is the mother of discomfort and the nurser of doubting It was as some think depth of melancholy that prevailed upon Nebuchadnezzar that he did not know whilest under the power of that distemper whether he was a man or a beast And in the like manner may this bodily melancholy so far distemper thy soul that thâ—â— who hast grace yet mayest not know whether thou art a childe of God or a childe of the devil It is no more wonder to see a melancholy man doubt and question his spiritual condition then it is to see a childe cry when he is beaten or to heare a sick man groan You may silence a melancholy man when you are not able to comfort him and though you may resolve his doubts and scruples by evident and convincing answers and arguments yet let but such a man retire alone and brood over his melancholy thoughts by the prevalency of this perturbing humour all is forgotten and he is as unsatisfied as if you had said nothing to him And you may perceive that it is the power of melancholy that is the cause of a mans distemper when he is very much troubled and yet can give no distinct account of any particular thing that doth trouble him 2. This discomfort often ariseth from that which is good in us viz. from that holy jealousie and tendernesse of conscience which makes a childe of God suspect and inquire into his condition and though he have true grace and much grace yet he is afraid lest all be but a delusion in such cases the soul doth so pore on sin and infirmities that it cannot see its own evidences A tender conscience is more apt to be dejected in the sight of sinne then to be comforted in the sense of grace and the reason of this is because sin doth more directly fall under the cognizance of our conscience especially a natural conscience The works of the flesh are manifest but the fruits of grace and of the spirit are not so easily discerned 3. This discomfort usually springs from a root of bitternesse even in the best of Gods children and that whereby God doth punish the sins of his people 1. Their quenching the motions of the Spirit If you grieve the Spirit of God it is just with God to grieve your spirits you never send Gods Spirit sad to heaven but God may make sad your spirits on earth 2. Sleightinesse and fearlessenesse of heart towards God When children grow saucy peremptory and malapert before their parents 't is no wonder if a fathers frown correct not their irreverence Most of those who lie uncomfortably under sense of displeasure of God may thank themselves for it they have provoked God by their bearing them selves too much upon his love and growing secure and fearlesse to offend God God loves to have his children come near him in an holy confidence that he is their father but yet to keep their distance by humble reverence 3. Another sin that God punishes in his children by withholding comfort from them that are strong in grace is their superciliousnesse contempt and uncompassionatenesse towards others that are but weak in grace God own people are very much to blame herein in rigour and unmercifulnesse towards those that are weak in the faith despising all that are inferiour to them in gifts and graces whereby they often break the bruised reed and quench the smoaking flax and want bowels of pitty and tendernesse towards their brethren To take down pride God often brings such even his own people to be low in comfort and it is but just that they should want comfort who have neglected to comfort and cherish those that were weak in grace 4. A growing cold and lazy and heedlesse in holy duties If we put off God without true service God may justly put us off without true comfort This rule holds in spiritual affairs He that will not work shall not eat If we abate in the sanctifying work of the Spirit it is but just that God withhold the comforting work of the Spirit The sluggard saith Solomon hath poverty enongh so if we grow lazy and sluggish in holy duties it is just that our stock of comfort do decay Though holy duties do not merit comforts yet comfort usually riseth and falls according to our diligence in duties True grace is never so apparent to and sensible in the soul as when it is in action and therefore want of exercise must needs cause want of comfort As fire in the flint is never seen or felt till it be struck out by the Steel so is grace and the comfort of grace never so sensible as when it is exercised much in holy duties 5. Any one sin indulged by or concealed in the conscience is enough to marre all your comfort Concealed guilt contracts horrour The Candle will never burn clear whilest there is a thief in it Sin in the conscience is like Ionah in the ship which causeth a tempest that the conscience is like a troubled sea whose waters cannot rest or it is like a mote in the eye which causeth a perpetual trouble while it is there or like the winde gathered in the caverns of the earth makes earthquakes and terrible eruptions It is just
and the victory and the majesty for all that is in heaven or in earth is earth is thine thine is the Kingdom Oh Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thy hand is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name But who am I and what is my people that we should offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee Oh Lord our God all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine own name commeth of thine hand and is all thine own which is an excellent pattern of humility after inlargement in duty David and the people had offered both bountifully and willingly towards the house of God the Lord had enlarged both their hearts and their hands Now all they did for God is here ascribed to Gods grace and bounty towards them It is excellent humility to ascribe our enlargement of Gods service to the enlargement of Gods grace towards us the way to have grace increased is humbly to acknowledge from whence we receive every grace 2. Ascribe unto Jesus Christ the glory of all the grace you have been made partakers of Thus did Paul upon all occasions I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was in me and by the grace of God I am what I am I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God It was wel done of that good and faithfull servant to say Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds he doth not say Lord my pains but thy pound hath gained When we give God the glory of his grace God wil give us the comfort and increase of our grace Learn therefore to ascribe unto Christ the initial progressive consummative work of grace in your souls Jesus Christ only who hath begun a good work in you wil perform it until his own day Jesus Christ is the author and finisâ—er of our faith He is the Alpha and the Omega And therefore the Apostle prayes The God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ after that ye have suffered awhile make you perfect stablishâ— strengthen and settle you Grace is rather like Manna that comes from heaven then the Corn that grows out of the earth Grace is inspired from heaven Gifts and parts are acquired by industry and pains here on earth What God said by way of comparison between Canaan and Egypt is very applicable to this purpose For thus the Lord speaks to Israel The Land whether thou goest in to possesse it is not as the Land of Egypt whence thoâ— camest out where thou sowest thy seed and waterest it with thy foot as a garden of hearbs but the Land whither ye goe to possesse it is a land of hils and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of heaven a land which the Lord thy God careth for Thus it is with grace and nature nature may be and is improved with industry and pains and is like Egypt which might be watered by the foot i.e. with digging gutters and trenches which is the labour of the foot to let in the streams of the river of Nilus when he yeerly overflows his banks but grace is like the rain from heaven which onely falleth where God doth appoint who causeth it to rain upon one City and not upon another and one piece is rained upon and the piece whereupon it raineth not withereth 3. Disclaim all merit and self-sufficiency for so much as we arrogate to our own merit so much as we derogate from the free grace and mercy of God If with Ephraim God hath enlarged his grace towards thee that thou art like a green fig-tree yet let God have the glory of all thy fruitfulnesse and let him say from me is thy fruit found Oh consider that thou bearest not the root but the root thee Say Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name do we give the praise A gracious heart knows his own inability and his own insufficiency and imperfection that he is unable to overcome the least sin though never so small to exercise any grace though never so weak to perform the least duty though never so easie and as we have cause to acknowledge our inability so also our sinfull imperfections if God should enter into judgement with us he might condemne us not only for our worst sins but for our best duties 4. Have an eye to Jesus Christ Look up to him the author and finisher of our faith The word looking unto signifies in the original such a looking unto as that we look off those things which may divert our looking up to Jesus Labour my beloved to look still unto Christ as the author of grace when you have the greatest exercise or increase or comfort of your grace Say when thou hast the greatest strength of grace as Iehoshaphat did when he had that great strength of men 500000. Lord we know not what to do only our eyes are upon thee There are these three things which we should eye in Christs giving us grace 1. How voluntarily and freely Jesus Christ doth issue out his grace to his people Never did a mother more willingly give her child suck when her breastâ— did ake and were ready to break then Jesus Christ doth bestow grace upon his people Christ doth not like a merchant sell his grace but like a King freely bestowâ— all see the tenor of the Covenant of grace how free it was Ho every 〈◊〉 that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eate yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely nothing is so free as grace it is offered and is bestowed upon the freest termes imaginable All that Christ requires is but our receiving it It is the delight of Christ to shew mercy and bestow grace upon his people It is the meat of Christ to do the Will of God that sent him and to finish his work Never was man more willing to eat his meat when he is hungry then Jesus Christ was to do good and bestow grace upon them that wanted it So also it is said of Christ in Psal 72. which is clearly a prophesie of Jesus Christ that he should come down like raine upon the mowen grasse and as showers that water the earth Now there is nothing comes down more sweetly and freely then the rain upon a dry and thirsty ground 2. Secondly look unto Jesus
full of grace and truth but this fulnesse is in order to the filling of his members As in the natural body there are some special parts that do stand as officers unto all the rest the stomack receives much meat not for it self but that it might communicate it to all the members the head hath the senses seated in it not for it self but for the whole body So it is in the mystical body whereof Christ is the head the abundance of grace which is treasured up in Christ is in order to supply every member with grace For their sakes saith Christ himself of his elect I sanctifie my selfe that they also might be sanctified through the truth Some do refer this to Christ being set apart to the office of Mediatour that it was not for his own sake but for the sake of his members and though there be grace enough in Christ to qualifie his person yet also there is grace enough in him to justifie our persons too and sanctifie our natures 2. This also reproves the errour pride and folly of the Pelagians Papists and Arminians who derogate from God and arrogate to themselves These people like Sampson have lost their spiritual strength but do not will not know that it is departed from them They are poor and yet are proud and while they are setting up the praeise of nature they do prove themselves the enemies of grace Alas while they boast of a liberum arbitrium they have cause to bewail a servum arbitrium aâ— Luther calls it It is true man by the fall did not lose the faculty it self but he hath lost the rectitude of it And yet proud man will be like the spider spinning out a thread of his own and thinking to climbe up to heaven by threads spun out of his own bowels but let such who rejoyce in this Mihi soli debeo take heed at last that his hope be not cut off and that his trust become like a spiders web Alas poor proud wretch who made thee to differ Grevincovius the Arminian makes this proud answer to the Apostles question I my self made my self to differ This is Divinity much like that of the Heathens Seneca said That we live this is of God but that we live well that 's of our selves And Cicero hath also this saying and he tells us it is the judgment of all men That prosperity and sccesse is from God and must be sought of God but wisdom that is gotten by our selves which gave Augustine occasion to passe this censure upon him â—icero in endeavouring to make men free he made them sacrilegious But let us take heed of this proud leaven of Arminianisme and learn from hence to be convinced of the emptinesse and insufficiency of our nature to any supernaturall good For alas We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God We have no grace but what we receive from Christ And grace is no way grace unlesse it be every way free We have little reason to boast of the freedome of our will to any thing that is spiritually good because our wil is not free til it be by grace made free We have no power to become the sons of God till it be given us to believe on his name and such are born not of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God XV. Sermon At Lawrence Jury London April 27. 1651. This was the last Sermon that ever Mr. Love preached 2 TIM 2. 1. My son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus FRom the last clause in this text viz. Grace that is in Christ Jesus we have gathered this observation that All those measures of grace whereof beliâ—vers are partakers they doe receive them in and from Jesus Christ That this is so we have proved not onely by the types of the Old Testament but also by the expresse testimony of the New Testament and have also given the grounds and reasons of this point with some Application by way of reproofe and confutation of the Arminian and Socinian errours It remains we make some further Application of this point and so conclude the whole discourse 2. Vse is by way of exhortation unto these duties following 1. Dost thou receive all thy grace from Jesus Christ then labour to be humble in the acknowledgement of this Let the consideration and conscientious application of this doctrine quell all boasting in us of any excellency received Our wisdom righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption are all from Christ and therefore he that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord. Consider who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why didst thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Who but a proud foole would magnifie himselfe in that which either another giveth him or another hath done for him We count it an odious pride and folly in a man to boast himselfe of that which another hath done And therefore the Apostle professeth that he did not carry himselfe as those false teachers had done who were crept into the Church of Corinth saith the Apostle We doe not boast of things beyond our measure that is of other mens labours nor boast in another mans line of things made ready to our hand Now all grace is made ready to our hands and is onely the worke of Jesus Christ in us who worketh all our works for us Ammianus Marcellinus tels us of one Lampadius a great person in Rome who in all parts of the City where other men had bestowed cost in building he would set up his own name not as a Repairer of the work but as the chiefe Builder Such folly are they guilty of who wil set their owne names before Gods over the work of grace in their own souls Oh remember that boasting is excluded by the law of faith Faith is that grace which emptieth the creature of all its conceited excellencies and faith is that grace which wil give God the praise of the glory of all his grace Shall the groom of the stable boast of his masters horses and the Stage-player of his borrowed robes shall the mud wall be proud that the Sun-shines upon it We must say of all the good that is in us as the young man said to the Prophet of his hatchet Alas Master it was borrowed The Church of God is compared to the Moon Now all the light which the Moon giveth to the world she doth but distribute what is lent her all our graces and the shining of them whereby our light is seen before men is but a borrowed light from the Sun of righteousnesse David sets us an excellent pattern when he makes that humble acknowledgement Blessed be the Lord God of Israel our Father for ever and ever Thinâ— Oh Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory