washed my hands in innocency saith that holy man When he was under the power of temptation he was ready to give off his obedience to give up the course of his walking with God he began to repent he had been religious and walked with God But now it is by the help of Divine grace that we are kept from fainting in the course of our obedience The Lord hath promised that he will put his fear in our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 Did not God put his fear into our hearts we should be ready to depart from him He also leadeth us in the paths of righteousness for his names sake Psal 23.3 It is grace causeth us to persevere It is Austins observation That grace is necessary for the elect when they are converted first of all Sive cum convertâ—ntur sive cum praeliantur sive cum coroâ—antur It is necessary for them when they war and combat and it is necessary for them when they are crowned at last It is Divine grace that converts and turns our hearts to God first of all It is grace upholds us in the spiritual conflict and enables us to sight the good fight of faith otherwise we thould be weary and faint in our minds and we should be ready to give up the field And then it is grace that crowns us at last so that all is of grace And it is another memorable speech of Austin After mans fall God would have it appertain to nothing but his grace that man should come to him at first and it doth also appertain to the same grace only to keep him that he should not depart from him So that after mans fall it is Divine grace that first brings man back to God and it is the same grace that holds man close to him in the course of obedience so that he never depart from God again but goes on to persevere in the way of faith and obedience to the end 9. Partic. 9. The Excellency of Divine grace appears in this that it carries a man above the sears of death It is grace only that carries a man above the fears of death and makes him willing to lay down this life and cauâ—eth him sweetly and placidly to resign up his soul into Gods hands Father into thy hands saith Christ I commit my spirit Act. 7 59. Lord Jesus saith Stephen receive my spirit Nature abhors the thoughts of dissolution nature cannot indure to think of parting with this life Not that we would be uncloathed saith Paul but that mortality might be swallowed up of life 2 Cor. 5.4 Paul himself found in himself an abhorrence in nature as to dissolution O but then the power of Divine grace in him made him to speak otherwise I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Here we see the different language of nature and grace in the same person Nature makes him say not that I would be uncloathed but grace makes him say I desire to be dissolved so that grace overcomes nature When nature abhors nothing more than death and dissolution yet such is the power of Divine grace that it makes a man freely to lay down his life and to surrender up his soul sweetly into the hands of God Lastly Partic. 10. The last particular I shall mention to shew the excellency of Divine grace is this It is the happiness of Heaven to be always acted by Divine grace to think to love to desire to will to speak to act nothing but as Divine grace would teach and incline us to do this is the perfection of Heaven it self What is the perfection of Heaven but that we shall be full of grace and of the spirit of God The perfection of Heaven consists in this that grace and the spirit of God shall act us universally always and in all things The happiness of Heaven is described by this that God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15. And one way by which God is all in all is this that in Heaven we shall be full of the spirit of God and that we shall be purely and perfectly and eternally acted by the spirit of God Here nature and self sway us very much but the perfection of Heaven is this that we shall be purely and solely acted by the spirit of God and flesh and nature shall no more have the sway in us but we shall do every thing as the spirit of God acts us How excellent is a Saint here on earth What a beauty and majesty doth there appear in him here on earth so far as he is acted by the spirit of God and by Divine grace That which makes any thing uncomely in a Christian is that nature and corruption and self appears in him But so far as grace and the spirit of God acts him there is nothing but beauty loveliness and comeliness that appears in him How excellent I say is a Saint so far as he is acted by the grace of God here on earth Oh but there are many mixtures of corruption and imperfections in the best of the Saints here on earth there is none of the Saints so perfectly acted by Divine grace but something of self and corruption interposeth O but in Heaven he shall be purely and perfectly and eternally acted by the spirit of God nothing shall come from him then but what savours of the spirit of God Now if the perfection of grace be the perfection of Heaven it self how excellent then is Divine grace that brings us near to the life of Heaven Thus have I shewn the excellency of Divine grace in several particulars And what should all that that we have heard concerning the Doctrine of grace and the excellency of it teach us 1. It should cause us to love Divine grace to prize it and long after it more to covet it and pray for it more than we do for temporal things Had we spiritual eyes to see the beauty and excellency of Divine grace we should not be so fond of other things and neglect grace our main desires would run out after grace 2. We should make this Use from what we have heard of the Doctrine of Divine grace we should pray that we may feel the operations and effects of Divine grace put forth in our souls We have heard how that grace causeth a man to deny his own wisdom will affections inclinations and to resign himself wholly to Gods will We have heard how grace causeth a man to be satisfied in God and with God in the want of other things We have heard how grace elevates the soul to the desire of the Heavenly Country how it causeth a man to persevere in faith and obedience to the end to lay down this life when God calls him thereunto Now we should pray to seel and find that presence of Divine grace in our souls that we may be carried forth to all these things then and never till then shall we know the
going backward he is declining Now a Christian ought to run that is he ought to make a farther progress Add to your Faith vertue and to your vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance Pet. 2.15 and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity So likewise Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before Phil. 3.13 Nothing hinders our spiritual growth more than a vain conceit in us that we know as much already as need to be known and that we have attained already as much as we need to attain unto Paul was of another temper when he saies Not as if I had already attained either were already perfect but I press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.12 14. To run therefore is to make a progress not to take up with any measures of grace already received but to press forwards to that which we have not attained unto 3. Running notes diligence and activity in the waies of God 1 Cor. 9.24 So run that ye may obtain that is run with care and diligence put forth your utmost vigour and activity in the waies of God Psal 119.32 I will run the waies of thy Commandments when thou shalt inlarge my heart that is I shall be diligent and active in thy waies when I have derived grace from thee 4. Running notes strength and courage in him that runs Dan. 8.6 The He-goat is said to run to the Ram in the fury of his power Running therefore notes strength and courage so the Saints running in the waies of God notes their strength and courage in the waies of God Isa 40.31 They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint 5. And lastly Running notes perseverance in our Christian course to the end Heb. 12.1 Let us run with patience the race that is set before us The second thing to be spoken to is this How it is that the Saints have their hearts carryed out after God The end why they desire divine grace is That they may run in a spiritual manner and that their hearts may be carryed after God Now how is it that the Saints have their hearts carryed out after God 1. The Saints have their hearts carryed out after God by desires and longings after him Psal 63.1 My soul thirsteth after thee my flesh longeth for thee Isa 26.8 9. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee and in the next Verse With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Whilest other men do mainly and principally thirst and cover after the creature holy souls do mainly and principally thirst after God himself Psal 42.1 As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God The Hart is a thirsty creature by nature and when it is hunted its thirst is greater such is the thirst of holy souls after God But it may be said What is that thirst that holy souls have after God It lies eminently in two things and it will be good for us to observe them because we may know much what the measure of our grace is by these two things Holy souls thirst after Gods gracious presence here on earth and they thirst after Gods glorious presence in Heaven 1. Holy souls thirst after Gods gracious presence here on earth Psal 42.2 My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God When shall I come and appear before God that is when shall I see the face of God in his Ordinances Psal 101.2 When wilt thou come unto me Nothing more proper to grace than this to carry out the soul in longings after communion with God If you feel nothing of this in your selves if you do not find ardent strong breathings and longings in your souls after God you have reason to suspect your selves that all is not well with you Unless the soul be under Temptation or under the prevalency of some corruption at the present or under the withdrawings of the influences of the Spirit of God in some time of Desertion I say unless it be in such cases as these the pulse of the soul will beat this way viz. in ardent breathings after God and communion with him and if we do not find it to be thus with us we have reason to fear the state of our own souls for thus it will be if grace act like it self in our hearts 2. The Saints have great longings after the sight of God and the glorious presence of God in Heaven Come come is the language of the Church in general The Spirit and the Bride say come Revel 22.17 Being confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Come Lord Jesus come quickly is the language of particular Saints Certainly the pulse of grace if I may so express it beats mainly these two waies In longing after a sense of Gods presence in our souls here on earth and in longing after the perfect injoyment of God in Heaven 2. The Saints have their hearts carryed out to God by Love Love is the motion of the soul to the thing beloved The soul naturally moves towards that it loves Love is the weight or ballance of the soul Amor meus est pondus meum eò feror quò amo the soul is carryed where it loves Now the souls of the Saints are carryed towards God by Love Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee And I will love thee O Lord my strength Psal 18.1 God himself is the great thing in the eye of holy souls though friends be dear relations dear yet God himself is most dear O Lord saith Austin thou art not only dearer to me than this earth and all things that are in it but thou art more acceptable to me than Heaven it self and all the things that are in it Hence is that of David in Psal 43.4 I will go to God my exceeding joy The joy of my joy Laetitia â—etitiarum that is the top of my joy Though other things may be amiable to a godly man in their place yet God himself is most amiable to an holy soul 3. The Saints have their hearts carryed out to God by Admiration that which we call admiration is the fixing or staying of the mind upon some excellent object the minds fixing or staying it self with delight upon some object which it is pleased with Admiration takes in a double act of the soul 1. It takes in an act of the mind or understanding what we admire the mind fixeth and dwells upon admiration detains and holds the mind fixt in the contemplation of a thing what we
goodness gives some few intervals of rest and peace to his people that they may not be quite worried by their temptations But when they have rested a while they must expect new conflicts new assaults Thus we read of our Saviour when the Devil had ended his Temptations he departed from him for a season Luke 4.13 The Devil had not so ended his temptations but he had a mind to begin again and though he had left him for a season it was but for a season and it was to try him with fresh assaults We must look for new assaults of the enemy To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my father in his throne Revel 3.21 We must first overcome before we can expect the Crown Now there must be a fighting before there can be an overcoming No man can expect the reward till he have gotten the victory and no victory can be gotten without fighting Our Life in this our Pilgrimage cannot be without temptations because our proficiency in grace is known by temptations No man knows himself but by temptations It is a speech of Austin No man can be crowned unless he overcome and no man can overcome unless he war and fight neither can he war and fight unless he have enemies and temptations Wherefore we should not be weary of fighting weary of striving since this is the condition of our present state Our present state is a warring conflicting state And by how much the more fiercely we are tempted and assaulted by so much the more gloriously shall we be Crowned at last if so be we overcome The end of the First Sermon SERMON II. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure For this thing I be sought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness WE come now to give some Directions how we may keep up the spiritual conflict 1. If we would keep up this spiritual conflict take heed of security let us never think our selves out of danger when we are out of the danger of one temptation we may be in danger of another so that there is never any time or place for security 1 Pet 5.8 Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour If we watch not the Devil may surprize us before we are aware you know it is our Saviours counsel Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation without continual watchfulness we shall be soon overtaken with some temptation or other 2. If we would keep up this spiritual conflict Let us study and consider which way our temptation lies whether to pride or to passion or to love of the world or to unbelief or to some other thing It is one great piece of a Christians skill to know which way his corruptions and temptations lie most For unless we know wherein our weakness and our enemies strength lies most how can we watch or arm and fortifie our selves against them Some have their temptations lying more outwardly some more inwardly some are more affected with outward things with sensible things with riches pleasures sensual delights and the like Some have their temptations more inward and are affected with envy pride unbelief diffidence distrust of the providence of God These are their temptations Now it concerns us wisely to consider where the strength of our temptations lies for usually every man hath some peculiar Temptation something or other that is more than other a temptation to him 3. If we would keep up the spiritual conflict let us be sure to oppose our watch and the utmost of our diligence there where the strength of our temptations lies As he said in that case Fight not against great or small but against the King of Israel So we should set the main strength of the battle against our peculiar temptations we should fight against constitution sins and corruptions I was upright Psal 18.23 saith David and kept my self from my iniquity He set himself against every sin but especially he set himself to keep himself from his own iniquity 4. If we would keep up the spiritual conflict let us be sure not to go forth to fight and conflict with temptations in our own strength By strength shall no man prevail 1 Sam. 2.9 That is no man ever did or shall prevail by his own strength We think to do great things by the strength of our resolution and truly resolution is good if it be subordinate to our dependance on Christ But if when we have had experience that such a temptation hath been strong upon us and we think we will fortifie our resolutions against it and we shall bear it down another time by our own strength truly when temptation comes we shall feel our own weakness and fall very shamefully I remember a notable expression Austin hath Why dost thou stand in thy self and yet art not able to stand cast thy self securely on God Quid in te stas non stas c. fear not that God will fail thee or suffer thee to fall to the ground he will receive and heal thee The best way in all temptations is to cast our selves on Divine grace wo to him that thinks to stand by himself 5. If we would keep up the spiritual conflict let us keep the eye of the mind fixt and intent upon God Mine eyes are ever towards thee saith David in the twenty seventh Psalm The best way to overcome our temptations is to have our minds elevated and lifted up to God Whilst the mind hath a clear apprehension of God and the affections carried out in strength after God it is not possible that Temptations should prevail I remember the reason the Schoolmen give of the confirmation of grace in the Saints in Heaven and that they cannot fall it is the beatifical vision because they always see the face of God The Saints in Heaven having always the sight of God adhere to him inseparably they having the sight of God and knowing that they have the fruition of the chief good that there is not a better nor higher good to be injoyed nothing can be a temptation to them to draw them off from such a good We should labour for a clear and more perfect knowledge of God here on earth the more we know God experimentally the less power will temptations have over us If we have tasted that the Lord is gracious if we have had but a little glimpse of the Divine Excellency and perfection all that the flesh and the Devil and the world can offer to us will seem little to what we see and
has from another a creature came out of nothing it is of it self and by it self nothing and in it self it tends to nothing This is the very notion of a creature if we understand what the nature of it is that it is all that it is from another Now a creature by pride magnifies it self and makes it self to be something yea makes it self to be all Take the creature abstract from its dependance upon God Toâ—um essi creature est essi dependeâ—s Aquinas and it is nothing The being of the creature is a dependant thing and the operations of the creature are dependant things So that take a creature and abstract it from God and it is nothing Now a creature that is indeed nothing of it self magnifies it self and makes it self all by pride The creature by pride lifts up it self and arrogates that to it self which is not its own but hath it all from another What an absurd thing is it that poor dust should lift up it self and give out it self as if it were some great excellent thing That man that is made of the dust of the earth should yet lift up himself against his Maker 2. Consider that no sin is so contrary to the glory of God as pride 1. It is the glory of God that he is the most excellent being he is therefore called the holy one of Israel The holy one that is the most excellent one the most incomparable one there is none like him there is none to be compared with him he is infinitely distinguished from the creatures He is the peerless matchless one Now a proud person lifts up himself and makes himself to be most excellent A proud person would seem to be the most excellent one Grace teaches us that it is fit that God only should be seen and admired and that the creature should be unseen and reduced to nothing Psal 57.5 Be thou exalted O God above the heavens let thy glory be above all the earth Now pride causeth a man to desire that he only may be seen and admired So that pride is such a sin as is most injurious to the Divine Majesty A proud person affects an equality to God we do not think of it but it is certainly so a proud man would seem to be that which God is 2. It is the glory of God to be the first cause 〈◊〉 all things are of him and by him In him we live and move and have our being It is the glory of God to communicate to the creature whatever the creature hath Now a proud person robs God of this glory a proud person attributes all to himself as if he were the cause of all why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it 1 Cor. 4.7 Daniel 4 30. Is not this great Babylon that I have built 3. It is the glory of God to be the last end to refer all things to himself hence is it said that he is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last The original of all creatures the last end of all creatures All things are of him and by him and to him Now a proud man makes himself his last end he refers all things to himself It is the property of pride for a man to affect a greatness to himself A proud person so he be great he cares not who is little Grace teaches us to pray that God may be great Hallowed be thy name what is the meaning of that petition In that petition we pray that the name of God may be sacred amongst men that his name may be great and admired amongst men Grace teaches us to pray that God may be great amongst men and pride makes a man desire that he himself may be great So that pride is injurious to God as he is the most excellent Majesty the first cause and the last end 3. To shew the evil of pride consider that as pride is a sin most contrary to God so God is most contrary to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence is that expression that God resists the proud sets himself in battle array against them 1 Pet. 5.5 God is a professed enemy to proud persons you can find very few instances of persons that have been eminent for pride but God hath made them examples of his Judgements Pharaoh Senacherib Nebuchadnezzar Herod are all monuments of Gods severity against Pride God is a professed enemy to proud persons Isa 2.11 12. The day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up so vers 17. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the haughtiness of men shall be made low and the Lord alone shall be exalted A proud person would dethrone God and set himself in the place of God and therefore it is no wonder if God ruine him 4. Consider that pride was the first sin and the original of all sin The original of mans sin and the Angels first sin was that they would not be subject to God Iaitium omnis peccati seperbia c. Aug. Austin observes the beginning of all sin is pride and the beginning of pride was to apostatize from God for the creature to refuse to be subject to God 5. Pride is such a sin as makes men most like to the Devil Pride turned the Angels into Devils 1 Tim. 3.6 Not a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil That clearly intimates that pride was the Devils first sin When we would set forth a proud person we are wont to say such a person is as proud as Lucifer as proud as the Devil Oh how black a sin is pride that carries the image of the Devil in it 6. The sixth Consideration and that which ought to be matter of trembling is Pride is such a sin as that it oft-times causeth God to suffer men to fall into other sins to heal and cure it Oh how great is the venom and poyson of pride that can be cured by nothing thing else but by poyson A wise Physician permits his patient to fall into a lesser infirmity to prevent a mortal disease The infinitely wise God when he seeth his children inclined to pride permits them to fall into other sins that so the shame of those sins may be a means to humble them and suppress their pride It is a speech of Austin Audeo dicer sâ—perbis essi utile cadâ—re in aliguod apertum manifestam peccatâ—m unde sibi displiceant qui jam sibi place do cecederant August I am bold to say That it is sometimes prositable and advantageous to proud persons to fall into some open and manifest sin that so they may be displeasing to themselves who had already fallen by too much pleasing of themselves I confess this speech may seem a little harsh unless it be qualified we must remember that no sin is Eligible
and understanding the spirit of counsel and of might the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord Isa 11.2 O consider it Christ was humble when he knew he had all that grace that it was possible for his humanity to be filled with and when he knew that he had not the least sin in him and shall we be proud who have so little grace and so much sin If Christ was humble when he had perfection of grace and no sin doth it become us to be proud who have so little grace and so much sin 2. Christ knew that his humane nature was personally united to the Divine And this he knew was such a dignity that no creature was or should be admitted to besides his humanity Now when Christ knew that he had attained that honour the grace of union which no creature was ever honoured with or ever shall be but his humanity yet he was most humble under this dignity 3. Christ knew that his humanity was to be used as a conjunct organ of the Divinity in the work of mediatorship It was by him as man that the Law was perfectly to be obeyed and fulfilled It was by him that the penalty of the Law was to be undergon he also as man was to make intercession for us This also was such an honour that no creature was admitted unto No creature was ever interested in the work of mediation with God but that humanity of his There is one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 He knew no creature should ever be interested in the work of mediatorship with God as his humane nature was and yet he was humble under this honour 4. He knew that after his humiliation after the work he had to do for the Father was finished he should be in the state of his exaltation be advanced above all creatures Ephes 1.20 He set him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come It was Christ-man that was thus to be exalted As he was the eternal Son of God so he needed no exaltation For being in the form of God he was equal with God But he that was thus to be exalted was he that was raised from the dead so we have it at vers 20. Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand c. Now according to his humanity was he raised and therefore according to his humanity was he exalted Now consider it He that knew he should be exalted above all creatures not only in this world but in that which is to come he was most humble though he foresaw his exaltation and that the dignity he should be advanced unto was such a dignity that no creature should be advanced unto yet no creature more humble than he Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Oh let us study Christ much let us study the humility of God incarnate there is no means so effectual to humble us as this 3. Remedy 3. Let us study the greatness and majesty of God As the humility and condescension of God on the one hand so the majesty and greatness of God on the other hand may be a means to humble us Hâ—wilitas homiais allitude Deitatis Lâ—o. Now in Christ both of these met The humility of man and height of the Deity Therefore as his humility as man so the consideration of his highness and excellency as God may be a means to humble us All creatures compared to God are as nothing you know what the Prophet saith Isa 40.17 All nations before him are as the drop of the bucket less than nothing and vanity What do we account of a poor bubble that is blown up Truly all the creatures are but as so many bubbles blown up The same omnipotency which made all the creatures which we see and behold could make many more if he pleased We compare our selves with our selves we compare our selves with others but O if we did compare our selves with the Divine majesty then we should see all our wisdom was but folly our strength but weakness our utmost perfection but imperfection It is a known passage that of Job Job 42.56 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes This is a certain truth nothing so much humbles the soul as clear sights of God When Daniel had a sight of Christ in his majesty and glory what doth he say O saith he There remained no more strength in me â—aâ—iel 10.8 for my comeliness in me was turned into corruption and I retained no strength Had we right thoughts of Gods immensity it would reduce us to nothing it would certainly do so Take all the creatures and put them all together they are all as nothing in comparison of God Therefore there is little reason that one poor single dust as each one of us is should be proud Let us study therefore the greatness and majesty of God 4. Remedy 4. Consider whatever good or excellency there is in us it is the gift of God Have we wisdom parts grace estate dignity honour All these are the gists of God And is it reason that we should be proud of that which is anothers What hast thou O man that thou hast not received and if thou hast received it why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not received it again who made thee to differ Thou wert made of the same clay with other men and if God hath cast more honour upon thee than he hath upon others thou hast no reason to be proud who wast taken out of the common mass but to admire soveraign grace who hath bestowed that upon thee that he hath not upon others 5. As a Remedie against Pride Remedy 5. Consider pride is the perversion of the end of our being The creature as it was from another so it was made for another No creature was made for it self that is certain Rom. 11.36 All things were of him and by him and to him The creature was made for the glory of the Creator Therefore when the creature exalts it self and refers all things to it self it forgets the end of its creation In Heaven God shall be all in all this is the perfection of the next world that the glory of God shall shine forth through all creatures and by all creatures and we ought to account it our greatest perfection here on earth to be subordinate to God and to be used by him for his glory Now pride makes us distinct and separate from God who should be referred to the glory of God so that pride is the perversion of the end of our being 6. Let us mourn over the ebullitions
other hand a great affliction will not be able to bear us down if Divine grace do but support us If a man have a great presence and assistance of Divine grace it will help him to bear a long course and tract and series of affliction If one affliction come upon the neck of another yet if he have Divine grace continued to him Divine grace will enable him to bear all Job had one affliction come upon the neck of another and yet he faith The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. Indeed when he was left to himself then he cursed the day of his birth but as long as Divine grace was with him he bare one affliction after another When the Lord leaves us to our selves then we shall find secret murmurings and repinings in our hearts against the providence of God and God leaves us sometimes on purpose to our selves to shew us what is in our own hearts If Divine grace be withdrawn then we have experience how apt our hearts are to repine and to be impatient under affliction but when Divine grace is present with us then we can lie down sweetly under the hand of God and acquiesce in his wisdom and will believing that every thing that comes upon us is best for us as he said I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou dist it 10. I shall only mention one particular more at the present Consid 10. although there is more to be spoken concerning this argument of Divine grace Divine grace will teach us to think honourably of all the works and providences of God of all that he doth abroad in the world The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Psal 145.17 A man that is acted by carnal reason and fleshly wisdom is offended and displeased with the works of God that do not suit with his reason and agree with his apprehension But now Divine grace teaches us to adore those providences of God that we cannot comprehend and attain to the reason of How unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out Rom. 11.33 Divine grace will teach a man to allow that prerogative to God as to know how to carry things beyond the line of humane understanding Grace will teach a man to allow God that wisdom as to be able to see the reason of things that we do not see the reason of Job 12.23 He increaseth the nations and destroyeth them he inlargeth the nations and streightneth them again Grace will teach us to adore the providence of God in all these things God hath cast us upon an age of wonders he is doing strange and wonderful things in the earth and what is our duty under all these things these strange and wonderful actings of providence Truly 1. To justifie God not to accuse him of unrighteousness in any of his dispensations but to allow him that soveraign wisdom that he knows the reason of those providences we do not see a reason of 2. We ought to learn more effectually the vanity of the world and all earthly things 3. We ought to learn this by the great changes and revolutions that come upon the earth to fix our heart upon things that are firm and stable and cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 We receiving a Kingdom that cannot be moved We see by experience that the states and nations of this world may be shaken O but there is a Kingdom that cannot be shaken We receiving saith the Apostle a Kingdom which cannot be moved and what is that Kingdom that cannot be shaken Truly the Kingdom of Christ in the hearts of men The visible Kingdom of Christ may meet with visible stops and interruptions that is to say the Gospel that was preached in some places may be removed and taken from those places where it was preached the Ordinances may be removed from one place and carried to another this I call the visible Kingdom of Christ this I say may meet with visible stops and interruptions yet this we may say concerning this visible Kingdom of Christ that look what the visible Kingdom of Christ loseth in one time and in one place it shall certainly gain at another time and in another place But though the visible Kingdom of Christ may meet with some stops and interruptions yet the spiritual Kingdom of Christ that is set up in the souls of men abides constant in the midst of all outward shakings The Kingdom of God saith our Saviour is within you O there is a Kingdom within and what doth that Kingdom consist of It consists in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost This Kingdom abides in the midst of all changes in the world Pardon of sin is still the same the love and favour of God is still the same Salvation is still the same and we may live in the hope and comfort of these things in the midst of all the changes vicissitudes and revolutions that come upon the world And if we place our happiness in anything besides what is in these things our happiness is liable to be shaken There is nothing in this world we can be certain of the greatest highest and best things of this world are subject to change But if we know that our sins are pardoned if we know that we have an interest in the love and favour of God if we know that our souls shall be saved at last here we have something that is certain to quiet and comfort us And let me be bold to say it will never be well with us till we are brought to this to resolve all our happiness into the salvation of our souls at last I say till we do this we shall never be at rest 1 Pet. 1.10 Receiving the end of your hope the Salvation of your soul Until the thoughts of salvation preponderate the sufferings of this life till we are able in some measure to relieve our selves with this one thought whatever my afflictions are I hope I shall be saved at last salvation is mine and I hope I shall live with God for ever it will never be well with us for afflictions and trials will come whether we expect them yea or no and if one affliction be blown over we must expect another When therefore afflictions and trials come upon us if we have nothing to stay ballance and quiet the heart we must needs sink under them Now nothing will bear up our hearts but the hope of salvation let us therefore live upon the hope of Salvation there is nothing like to the solid assurance and hope of salvation in the next life that will bear us up under the various changes of this life Oh let us be making sure of salvation that will be our greatest comfort and support amidst all the changes we may meet with here beneath The end of the Tenth Sermon SERMON XI 2 Cor. 12.9 And he said unto me My grace is sufficient
in this That Divine grace The fourth Particular to shew the excellency of Divine grace it is some kind of participation of God himself Grace is that which causeth us in a measure to participate of the Divine Life and of the Divine perfection Hence is that expression of the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.4 That we are made partakers of the Divine nature By the help of Divine grace we are brought to the nearest similitude to the Divine Life For wherein doth the will of God consist It is the perfection of God to will himself as the last end and to will all things relating to the creature in the most holy manner This is the Divine perfection Now by Divine grace it is that we are able to will God as our last end and to will all other things regularly and conformably to the Divine will It is the happiness of Heaven that we shall be like to God 1 John 3.2 We shall be like him that is we shall be holy as he is holy happy as he is happy according to the capacity of the creature Now by grace we are assimilated to God here on earth None so like to God here on earth as he that is most acted by Divine grace 5. Another thing wherein the excellency of Divine grace appears is this Partic. 5. Divine grace is that which causeth a man to deny his own wisdom his own will his own inclinations and affections and to refer himself wholly to the Divine wisdom and will and to acquiesce therein Thus did the power of Divine grace exert it self and shew it self forth in our Saviour and if we would look for grace and see where grace is to be found in perfection we must look to Christ for he is the highest pattern of grace in him grace acted it self in perfection The power of Divine grace in the heart of our Saviour shewed it self in this to make him deny his own will and acquiesce in the Divine will Matth. 26.37 39. Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me Nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Here we see our Saviour denies his own will and refers himself to the fathers will the natural desire and inclination of the humane will in our Saviour was to be kept from suffering But now herein did the power of Divine grace appear in the heart of our Saviour that he denied his own will and referred himself to his Fathers will Not as I will but as thou wilt As much as if he had said not that which I desire not that which nature would think best but that which thou in thy infinite wisdom thinkest best and which thy will determines Much of the power and efficacy of Divine grace appears in this in helping a man to conquer his own private will his natural desires and Inclinations When the Impetus and bent of nature lies this way nature is carryed with a strong current to such a thing then comes the power of Divine grace and helps a man to deny this strong bent and inclination of nature and carries him a quite contrary way this shews the efficacy of Divine grace And they that do not know what this means know little of the power of grace But those that have felt the power of the grace of God upon their hearts they know what these things mean 6. Partic. 6. The Excellency of Divine grace appears in this that it will cause a man to be satisfied in God and with God without other things I have shewed formerly how grace causeth a man to live upon God in the midst of other things Now I must shew how grace will cause a man to be satisfied with God when he denies him other things So much as a man is acted by Divine grace he will adhere to God live upon God and be satisfied with God when he wants other things Not that a Godly man despiseth and refuseth the gifts of God which he bestows upon him he knows he may lawfully desire and use the gifts of God in their proper places But when God denies those comforts to him that others have or he himself hath a mind to so far as a man is acted by Divine grace he will retire to God himself and adhere to him accounting God to be his happiness when he hath nothing else Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage It is as much as if he had said though I have nothing left but God yet I have enough in him I am satisfied in him Divitiae nostrae Deus noster Aug. God is our riches said that holy man O let us pray for more Divine grace and then we shall have more experience of this frame 7. The Excellency of Divine grace agpears in this Partic. 7. that it elevates the soul to the desire of the Heavenly Country It is by the power of Divine grace that we come to breath much after the future life It is said of the antient Saints Now they desire a better country that is an Heavenly Heb. 11.16 It was grace that elevated them unto this for it is proper to nature to stick in present things The natural desires and affections that are in men cause them to desire to live always here on earth They know not another life are not acquainted with it and therefore they do not desire it It is Divine grace only that doth discover to men another life and causeth them to suspire and breath after that life 2 Cor. 5.8 We are consident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Paul knew there was another life a more excellent life after this he knew he should be present with the Lord and live with him and this made him suspire and breathe after this life It is only the grace of God can make a man breathe after the future life for the generality of men that are not acted by Divine grace stick in these things and would always live here on earth 8. Partic. 8. The Excellency of Divine grace appears in this that it causeth a man to persevere to the end It is by the power of Divine grace that we are kept on in a way of faith and obedience to the end Did not Divine grace support us our faith would fail and though we have overcome many difficulties already yet our faith would flag at last and we should be ready to give up all our hopes Therefore doth Christ tell Peter that he had prayed for him that his faith might not fail This plainly intimates that if Peter had not had assistance from Divine grace his faith would have failed So likewise we should saint in the course of our obedience did not Divine grace support and uphold us Psal 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and
strength sufficiency and wisdom and therefore the Lord shews us our own folly how unable we are to satisfie our selves in difficult cases How often do we meet with such difficulties and perplexities in our lives that are beyond all our own wisdom to know how to resolve our selves in them and to extricate our selves out of them And God in his infinite wisdom leads us into these difficulties to make us see that it is beyond our own wisdom to help us out of them And he also sheweth us our own weakness and impotency to withstand such temptations as we meet with in our course and then we clearly see that all is of grace if we have any wisdom strength and sufficiency to help us in our difficulties and temptations it is all of Divine grace So that God first reduceth us to nothingness and then helps us to shew us that all is of grace and that we may set the Crown upon the head of grace and attribute nothing to our selves I come to the Use and Application of the Doctrine Is it so that Christs strength is perfected in mans infirmity The first Use shall be 1. Use 1. By way of information This shews us nothing doth more obstruct Divine grace and shut the door against it than self-fulness and presumption of our own strength and sufficiency In the Text it is said My strength is made perfect in infirmity that is the sense of our infirmities makes way for the manifestation of Divine grace Elsewhere it is said God gives grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 and in the same place where it is said God gives grace to the humble it is said He resists the proud Look as humility prepares us for the reception of Divine grace so on the contrary pride obstructs and stops the current of Divine grace The low valleys are watered and receive the blessing of the showers from Heaven whereas the tops of the high mountains remain dry and barren Thus God delights to refresh low and humble souls with the dews of Divine and Heavenly grace whereas such as are proud and lifted up with the conceit of their own excellencies and perfections receive none of those Divine dews and showers of grace God fills the hungry with good things the rich he sends empty away Therefore of all sins it concerns us to watch most against spiritual pride There is no sin that is a greater enemy to the reception of Divine grace than pride Gods design is to shew us our own emptiness and then to fill us with his fulness but till we are emptied of self we can never expect to be filled with Gods fulness The 2. Use is this Is it so Use 2. that Christs strength is perfected in our infirmity Be exhorted from hence to labour to get and retain a deep sense of our own infirmity the more we retain a sense of our own infirmity the more do we prepare the way to the grace of Christ for Christs strength is perfected in our infirmity Truly humility is the principal grace in a Christian It is a memorable passage of Calvin in his Institutions The Foundation of our philosophie is humility As he that being asked what was the first vertue in an Orator said pronunciation and being askt what was the second vertue in an Orator said pronunciation and being askt what was the third vertue in an Orator said pronunciation so saith he If any man should ask of me what is the first vertue of a Christian I would say humility if any one should as what was the second vertue of a Christian I would say humility if any should ask what was the third virtue of a Christian I would say humility and always humility The foundation of Christianity is humility What is the whole Gospel The whole Gospel lies mainly in these two things that our righteousness lies out of our selves and that our strength lies out of our selves The Gospel therefore is a Doctrine of humility Now humility ariseth from the sense of our own infirmity nothing so proper a means to get and preserve humility in us as the sense of our own infirmity But here it may be said Ques Question What is that sense of our own infirmity that we should keep up in our selves My strength is made perfect in infirmity It is the design of God to make us sensible of our own infirmity How ought we to be sensible of our own infirmity Answ 1. Answer We ought to keep up a great sense of our great defects in spiritual wisdom and knowledge 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man thinketh that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing as he ought to know We think we are wise we need to be taught no more Oh but we are very ignorant in many things How ignorant are we of God and Christ of the will of God and our own duty in many points Jer. 10.14 Every man is bruitish in his knowledge the more humility there is in us the more sensible shall we be of our own bruitishness as to the knowledge of God O let us consider that Text Prov. 30.2 3. Surely I am more bruitish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy Why so What is the matter This was the case this holy man was deeply sensible how defective he was in the knowledge of God He was sensible how defective he was as to the knowledge of God in his greatness and immensity and as to the knowledge of God in the mysterie of the Trinity so it appears in the following verse vers 4. who hath ascended up into Heaven or descended who hath gathered the wind in his fist who hath bound the waters in a garment who hath established all the ends of the earth Here he complains of his ignorance of the greatness and immensity of God He had not such becoming thoughts of Gods greatness and immensity as he ought to have and in the next words he complains of his ignorance in the mysterie of the Trinity What is his name and what is his sons name if thou canst tell O do any of us know God in his attributes or do we know him in the mysterie of the Trinity as he ought to be known and may be known O let us be sensible of our great infirmity and defects as to spiritual wisdom and knowledge that that which we do know is but the least part of that which we are ignorant of therefore let us not think that we have known all that is to be known of God for believe it we are but babes in knowledge in comparison of what may be known of the mysterie of God of the Father and of Christ It was not for nothing that the Apostle prays for them that they might understand the mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ Coloss 2.2 the mystery of God of the Father and of Christ is a great mysterie