my God I have slighted Ay Christian thou mayest say so but it is Blasphemy for thee to say or think that ever Christ could say so in truth he never provoked his God he never dishonoured his God he never did any thing that might disoblige his God Christ never did He in whom thou art blessed it is God as the God of Christ that hath blessed thee and therefore Christian great encouragement there is unto thy Soul Secondly As he is Christs God all the promises were not only summed up in him that were made to Christians but the Blessedness of all the promises have a primary respect and relation unto him My meaning plainly is this God hath promised thee peace Ay but this peace hath reference unto the honouring and glorifying of the man Jesus Whose God hath Blessed thee with this peace in him Jesus hath the glory of all and God eyes the glory of Jesus in all the promises he makes to us and so my friends all the promises were not only designedly given for the advancement of him but all the promises were summed up in him When God made the promise of a seed to Abraham Abraham had enough he was under some discontent before but now says God I will not only give thee a Child one to be thine Heir but I will give thee a Son and that Son that I will give thee shall be my Heir One in whom all the Nations of the Earth shall be Blessed Now Abraham had enough you never find Abraham seeking any more Children at the hands of God no having an Isaac a seed in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Now Abraham is satisfyed and therefore the Lord in the prophesy of the Prophet Isaiah doth thus explain himself when he promiseth the Lord Jesus Christ Isa 55.4 Behold I have given him for a witness or a Covenant to the people I will give him Who I will give my Son Jesus for a Covenant to the people That is as much as if God should say I will give him for All he is as it were the Sums and Substance of all say but Christ and you say All. When God gives Christ to a poor Creature he gives all the Promises all the Covenants and all the Blessings of Earth and all the Blessings of Heaven all the Blessings of providence and all the Blessings that are reserved in the everlasting Mansions And thus now you see in these respects upon what account it is that the Apostle seems to lay the Emphasis upon this word Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings c. I shall give you but 3 or 4 inferences USE 1 Is it so my friends that God as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath Blessed Christians with all Spiritual Blessings Then In the first place Vain are the attempts of any of the enemies of Christians to interpose between them and their Blessings Though they may sometimes interpose between them and some of the means of their Blessings yet I say vain are the attempts of their enemies against their Blessings Why Because that God as the God and Father of Jesus Christ hath blessed them with all Blessings Now you may observe that the Devil hath been all along at it and he makes it his design business from time to time from age to age and from dispensation to dispensation to interpose between the Lords people and their Blessings but still in vain and therefore the Psalmist eyeing the Lord Jesus and eying by faith this blessedness wherewith the God of the man Jesus should bless Christians he cryes out in the 2 Psal 1. Why do the heathen Rage and the people imagine a vain thing Their great design was to keep the people of God from those Blessings that God had designed by promise to give to them There they were imagining and consulting and there they were designing well but observe it that very thing that they thought would be the compleatment of all their designes tending to this purpose was the greatest in-let to all these Blessings Certainly they were in great Joy and had much satisfaction upon their Spirits when they got Christ nailed upon the Cross but their very nailing and crucifying of him made way for all these Blessings It opened as it were all the treasures of grace it opened all the Relations that were discovered and the Blessings upon the death of the Lord Jesus Christ came flowing out of the promises and flowing out of Relations and the World was filled with these Blessings So that I say whatsoever devises the World hath to interpose between Christians and their Blessings they will be in vain if they take up one conduit God will lay many more And if they give an obstruction one way he will proceed other waies and manage it It is the God of Jesus Christ that hath blessed Christians and therefore Christians have their Blessings sure USE 2 Secondly Then methinks Christians you should look unto God as the God and Father of Christ under all the discouragements that arise upon your own Spirits from your own violations of the obligations of his Relation to you My meaning is this when you cannot comfortably go to God as your God for a blessing you may comfortably go to God as Christs God for any Blessing Why my friends here lay the case O saies thy conscience thou never comest to the word of God but thou despisest the God of the word and thy heart is shut against the word even from thy Child-hood and in thy Child-hood the Devil shuts up thy heart and the World shuts up thy heart and thy corruptions shut up thy heart but whatsoever it is that shuts up thy heart or whatsoever it is that gives being to any disobligement thou art guilty of be not discouraged though thou canst not go to him for a Blessing as thy God because thy conscience tell thee that thou hast sinned against thy God yet thou mayst go to him at that time as Christs God for God as the God of Christ Jesus hath Blessed thee with all Spiritual Blessings Therefore Christians under all your discouragements that arise from the sense of your own unworthiness let this be your way to look upon God as the God of Christ and go to God for Blessings as the God of Christ VSE 3 Doth God bless us with all Spiritual Blessings as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Then my friends you may here take occasion to magnify the Mystery of the Gospel And you may see great reason why you should glorify these persons that are principally concerned in the mysteries of the Gospel No wonder the Apostle breaks out Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus-Christ And can your hearts hold from breaking out in the praises of God O Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with
me feed my lambs O Christians the great care and the great provision that is made in both Testaments and the great injunctions that are laid upon those that are concerned in the administration of both Testaments is to look after the meanest Christians which must needs discover this great truth that the meanest Christian that is a Christian indeed shall not miscarry but I shall open this further to you in two branches 1. That the least grace in the least Christian is the product of the greatest grace that works in the Blessed Trinity There is nothing in the least Christian but the great and infinite grace of the Blessed Trinity concurred to the producing of it This I would only illustrate to you by a passage of our Lord in Matth. 13. v. 31. where he compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a grain of mustard seed why what is the Kingdom of Heaven but the Administration of the Gospel according to the Eternal Counsels of God that are past in Heaven Now saies he The Kingdom of Heaven is as a grain of mustard seed Why but Lord might they say here is a grain that hath brought forth and spread abundantly this is like the Kingdom of Heaven indeed ay but saies he the little grain though it be the least of all grains is a fit similitude and comparison for the Kingdom of Heaven To what shall I liken the Kingdom of Heaven The Kingdom of Heaven saies he is like a grain of mustardseed which a man took and sowed in his field So that there is the whole resemblance of the Kingdom of Heaven even in a little grain as soon as ever it is sown as much as when it is in its greatest flourish after its full growth there is a real and a comprehensive resemblance of it in the least seed of grace that is sown in thy heart there is the Grace of the Kingdom manifested in thee the Righteousness of the Kingdom is manifested in thee The offices of all persons concerned in the Kingdom they are all manifested in thee Jesus Christs mediation and the Spirits Sanctification and the Fathers Justification these are all manifested upon the least work of grace that is wrought in thee I tell you there is a substantial manifestation of all the blessednesses of the Kingdom of Heaven in the least work of grace that is wrought upon any Heart 2. The least work of grace upon the Heart of the least Christian is a manifestation not only of the Kingdom of Heaven but a real demonstration of the Kingdom of Glory A demonstration á priori as they call it a demonstration of that which is antecedent or anantecedent demonstration of the Kingdom of Glory as well as the greatest flourishes of grace I pray Christians consider you that are young in grace you have a demonstration in you an antecedent demonstration of the Kingdom of Glory I pray what is the Kingdom of Glory but the flourish of that love that I have now wrought in me in the Kingdom of grace It is the increase of my likeness to God and to Jesus Christ in Heaven that is now begun in me this is the Kingdom of Glory Now this little work of grace is an antecedent demonstration of an incomprehensible weight of Glory that is to be put upon the People of God when they come in Heaven and this you may see evidenced in the parable that I last mentioned and in the other parables that our Lord Jesus Christ doth make use of 3. A Third Proposition is this That the greatest and dreadfullest threatnings are denounced against discouraging carriages towards those that have least grace as well as towards those that have greatest Nay let me also tell you this that although they themselves be under the tokens of Gods displeasure yet their Relation to God doth heightenthem as aggravations of their enemies carriage towards them I find not a greater threatning ever came out of the mouth of Christ Jesus when he was on Earth then this It were better say's he for that man that he had a Milstone hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea then he should offend one of these little ones that believeth on me he speaks not of little ones as to nature but of little ones as to grace The design of the Jews was to lay stumbling blocks before the little ones that is those that had a little love to Christ those that had a little Faith on Christ those whose hearts were engaged by that little fire of grace that was in them to follow the Lord Jesus Christ Says Christ If any man doth offend one of these little ones it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea But I shall open this likewise in these two branches 1. Gods severest execution of threatnings takes its rise from the adversaries carriage towards the least of those that belong to him As for instance you know God threatned that he would have perpetual War with Amaleck and why with Ameleck more then with Moab or with Edom or the other Nations that gave disturbance to his People you shall find the reason to be because they watched their opportunity and smote the hinmost of the People they did not march upon the front of the People but they watched their advantage and they smote the hinmost and feeblest of the People therefore says God I will have perpetual War with Amaleck and this lay as it were reserved in the Bosom of God till the first King that ever appeared upon the Throne of Israel Saul was not commanded to rally his Forces and go against Egypt that Old Enemy that Old Oppressor nor against Moab and those that inveigled them and inticed them in the matter of Baal Peor but go says God to Saul and utterly destroy Amalek 1 Sam. 15. from off the face of the Earth And Saul he did spare none but poor King Agag and God was so incensed against him that he sent Samuel his Prophet to him to tell him that God had rent the Kingdom of Israel from him at the 28. v. because he did not execute the fierceness of his wrath against Amalek for smiting the hindmost of the People and those that were feeble amongst them as they came out of Egypt And truly Friends this is the design and hath been all along the design of your spiritual adversaries they seldom march upon the Front but in the Spirit of Amalek they wait for their advantage upon those that are weak and feeble And for my part I do think that this will be one of the greatest aggravations of the sin of the Devils that they have Tempted the little ones that have followed Jesus Christ I pray take notice of another passage concerning the poor and weak condition the people of Israel were in the time of Obadiah you shall find in that Prophecy that the Assyrians came upon them and makes a
A DISCOURSE OF Spiritual Blessings Or a Discovery I. That every Christian is blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ In four Sermons II. That God hath a high account of the least Grace in the Saints In three Sermons By Mr. John Cromwell late Pastor of a Church of Christ in the City of Norwich Col. 3.11 But Christ is all and in all LONDON Printed by T. S. for Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-place 1685. TO THE Christian Reader IT is the unspeakable unhappiness of all the Children of Men whilst in a natural condition that they are favoured only with Temporal Blessings and as an aggravation of their misery their Spirit standeth primarily and chiefly towards those Earthly Enjoyments they are minding Earthly things Phil. 3.19 their highest pursuits are after these they estimate and value themselves according to the measures of these which they have enrichment with they are carnally minded which is death Rom. 8.6 They are dead to the things of God which are of highest concernment to their Souls On the other hand all even the lowest Christians are Priviledged not only with some but with all Spiritual Blessings Eph. 1.3 So as they are rightly denominated Spiritual Men 1 Cor. 2.15 Gal. 6.1 They are so in their principles Indeed by a non-improvement thereof although the standing frame of their heart is to Spiritual things yet many if not most come exceedingly short in point of practice that it may be said to them as 1 Cor. 3.1 Are ye not carnal and walk as men They are apt to Divisions and so are Carnal v. 3. To build hay and stubble that which will not abide the fire and is of little value upon the true foundation and so are carnal too worldly and do not exercise Grace in its due height upon all occasions and so are carnal To reduce or advance Christians unto their proper frame and temper of spirituality this eminent and judicious Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. John Cromwell the Author of the ensuing Sermons hath discovered what Spiritual Blessings they are intrusted with It is a matter of lamentation that such a labourer in the Lords Vineyard should so early be transplanted to eternity and that when so many other eminent Ministers have lately been removed from that place by death These Sermons were taken from his mouth by the Pen of a ready Writer they would have come forth in a better dress and with much more advantage if they had been polished with his own hand but as they are here presented to view they may be exceedingly useful to those whose Citizenship is in heaven their affections in Heaven their conversations in Heaven whilst they are on Earth Indeed they evidence that he himself had arrived at a more than ordinary strain of Spirituality which is a great excellency because Spiritual Blessings are most excellent the best of Blessings They have the best Original they have the best Father even him who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 1.3 They come from the best place not from Earth but Heaven in heavenly places from Gods Throne thence he giveth forth all these of the best nature it may be rendred in heavenlies i.e. Not only in heavenly places but in heavenly things Yea Spiritual Blessings have a tendency to the imbellishing and adorning the noblest part the immortal Soul a man may be enriched with temporal Blessings and his Spirit may be the worse for these but ever is the better for these Spiritual Blessings They furnish for the best operations and actings Earthly things may indispose for the highest Services and most glorious imployments they may be clogs and heavy weights pressing down which must be cast off in running the Christian race Heb. 12.1 But Spiritual Blessings capacitate for the choicest actings they give the best discerning of matters which are of highest concernment and greatest moment 1 Cor. 2.15 The Spiritual man judgeth all things i. e. Spiritual men are enabled to pass right Judgment upon Divine matters and what concern themselves their own conditions their own Salvation and what is conducible to it and this far beyond what a natural man one in a natural condition by the greatest parts can attain unto They capacitate to be Spiritually helpful unto others who are fallen by temptation Gal. 6.1 If a man be overtaken with a fault ye which are Spiritual restore such a one put him in joint again They help to descry the ways and methods of Satan in tempting and of Jesus Christ in succouring They qualify to encounter and conflict with Spiritual enemies and resist Spiritual evils which there is the greatest difficulty in the withstanding of Eph. 6.12 The grace of humility helpeth to expell Spiritual pride and the grace of love helpeth against self-love Spiritual Blessings will enable to make improvement of all occurrences towards the highest advantage he that is carnal maketh an ill use of all that is before him he turneth all to sin to himself he setteth corruption or sin on work by all Enjoyments Riches Pleasures Relations yea even by the gracious actings of the Saints but he that is Spiritual maketh use not only of enjoyments but even of the worst befalments as Tryals and afflictions towards Raising heightning and mounting his Soul more towards God he by a Spiritual Chymistry can extract good out of the worst that betideth him Spiritual Blessings will advance to a choosing the highest and best ends When others have inferiour base and low ends of their actings such as are priviledged with these will make God their ultimate and chiefest end they have a frame for doing all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Yea Spiritual Blessings are discriminating differencing of Christians from others 1 Cor. 2. v. 14 15. And so they are evidences of the special favour and love of God v. 10. Whereas a man may have other enjoyments and yet be an object of the highest wrath and indignation of the Almighty And once more Spiritual blessings they are eternal Blessings other things are of no continuance a man may soon be stripped and dispossessed of them but Spiritual Blessings will never be lost they will abide for ever all which sufficiently argue that they have a transcendent excellency far above other things And all these are dispensed out in Jesus Christ Eph. 1.3 They may have a large measure of temporal things and yet be out of Christ but these are all vouchsafed in him they are the fruit of his purchase obtained by a union with him He is the great repository the store house where all Spiritual Blessings are treasured up Col. 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell that we might have recourse to him for all supplies evermore Those in a Christless condition are destitute thereof whatever their attainments be and the great reason why Christians are no more replenished therewith is because they repair no more to him that they may have supplies None are to
are blessed with this in Christ Jesus 6. Another Spiritual Blessing is this A reserved Inheritance of all full and Spiritual and comprehensive blessednesses My friends here we have to allude to the people of Israel in the wilderness it may be some few Cottages or Tabernacles that are transitory as those People had some moving resting-places Here is a little grace planted a little faith and a little love and this grows up pretty likelily and pretty promisingly but what is this to the inheritance where that which is in part shall be done way where there is no such thing as grace in part no such thing as love in part no such thing as joy in part no such thing as communion in part for that which is in part shall be done away I think the Apostle speaks fully to our purpose where he tells us of an inheritance reserved 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ You see the Apostle mentions the same Relations that are here in the Text why what is the matter Blessed Peter Why says he the matter is this The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you verse 4. Why friends what is this inheritance Why there I shall inherit the Covenant in its fulness I shall not say that either I want any Law in my heart or in my Head in my inward or in my outward man I shall have no reason to complain that I want the least blessing of the least promise Why Christians this is your inheritance and are not here Spiritual Blessings that are the proper matter of this Inheritance Now the Apostle tells us that he hath blessed us with this in Christ verse 11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to â—he purpose of him that worketh all things after the Counsel of his own will How far Christ is concerned in this Spiritual blessing â—ou may easily observe if so be that you â—ither consider the type or the antitype as â—o the type which was Joshua or Jesus Moâ—â—s must not bring the people into their Inheritance indeed in Moses's Time they might have some Bunches of the Grapes of the good land but Moses must not bring them in it must be Joshua that must bring them in So I say my Friends it is not this or that or the other but the Lord Jesus alone that must bring his people into the possession of this reserved inheritance here is indeed a Cluster of Spiritual Blessings infinitely exceeding all the capacities of the Sons and Daughters of men though most of all inlightned by the Spirit to comprehend in whom says he we have obtained an Inheritance who is this whom It is the Lord Jesus Christ to gather together in one all things in Christ in whom we have obtained an Inheritance As much as if the Apostle had said as the Apostle doth in Christs own case we see not yet all thingâ— put under him So I may say you have noâ— yet obtained the Inheritance no more had Paul no more had these Ephesians but yeâ— he speaks as one having full assurance in whom we have obtained answerable to that of our Lord in Joh. 14.2 I go to preparâ— a place for you And the Apostle takeâ— it up and otherwise phrases it Heb. 6 2â— Whither the forerunner is for us entred speaking of the Inheritance that is above whither cur forerunner is for us entered so that this another Spiritual Blessing wherewith we are blessed in Christ Jesus 7. But another spiritual blessing wherewith we are blessed in Christ Jesus is this The Seal and Earnest of what is to come and the very Spirit is made the very matter of this Blessing wherewith he hath blessed us in Christ Jesus I pray do but cast your eyes upon verse 13. In whom ye also trusted still he continues his discourse and fixes Christ at the bottom of all in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise verse 14. which is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory Here is a comprehensive spiritual blessing indeed which is the Seal of the eternal Inheritance and the Earnest of it as if the Lord should say when he sends forth his Spirit go my holy Spirit go and seize upon such a heart and seal up such a Soul for the eternal Inheritance and as if he should say to his Son Lo my Son I have given my Spirit to such a one whom thou hast shed thy blood for and lo I send him as the Earnest of the Inheritance that thou hast purchased as the Earnest of my eternal love to thee as the Earnest of my eternal Communion with thee as the earnest of my answering of thy prayer and the import of all thy blood Lo I have sent him and lo he is to them an Earnest Now Sirs this is a great blessing a very glorious blessing indeed God might have designed and kept the design in his own breast or he might have divulged it yet have given us no earnest or pledge of it what needed all that between God and us Christ might have taken his word and we had good reason to rest upon any report that the Lord Christ makes of his confidence in the Father but the Lord Christ and the Father did concur together in this that we should have the Blessing notwithstanding all notwithstandings and that it should be sure to all the seed Yet for our further satisfaction says the Lord behold I give my promise and I give the promised Spirit and that Spirit shall be my Seal upon their hearts and my seal upon their understandings so that look into your hearts and into your understandings and upon this inquiry whose are you Do but make a reflection whose Seal whose Image whose Superscription is this You shall find that the Spirit of the Lord is as it were Gods assuring Seal Ay but it may be you will say this is a great while to come It may be Ten or Twenty or Thirty or Forty years to come Well if those do not satisfy you that you are sealed the Spirit also shall be an Earnest of the Inheritance an Earnest of the future personal blessedness and glory which God hath blessed you with in Christ It is not only Heaven but the personal condition and state of Saints in Heaven that is the glory of their Inheritance and this is another thing 8. But then in the 8th place another Spiritual blessing wherewith the God and Father of Jesus Christ does bless Christians is this Practical experiences of the power of Gods grace
and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Now Christian I pray what is the discouragement that lieth upon thee thou sayest thou art feeble and thou art weak and thou art poor thou art empty thy heart is empty thy head empty and thy affections empty thy prayers are empty thy conversation empty all this is true God knows it is true whence comes all this O thou art fallen in the streets by reason of the feebleness of thy grace and the weakness that doth attend thy duties thou canst hardly set a step but thou fallest thou goest stumbling and stambling on to Heaven and thou hast not strength enough scarce to go through any discouragement Well friend though it be thus with thee yet consider here is the word of the Lord for thy encouragement The feeble amongst them shall be as David And I pray in whose hand is the custody or keeping of the Blessing that is wrapt up in this promise Is it not in the hand of Christ All this courage and all this strength and all these parts and all this grace that must make thee like David A man after Gods own heart to fulfil actually all his will all this is in the hands of Christ And the feeble shall be as David And therefore I pray Sirs though you see but little in your own hearts yet be not discouraged you do not see all that is in the heart and hand of Christ for you That is the first 2. You complain of your feebleness and littleness alas you are as Corn that is dwindled up as we say the least of grains Ay but consider there is the seminal vertue of more in you That little grace that is in you hath a seminal vertue in it God knoweth saith the Apostle who are his Those that are born of God that have the seed of God in them God knows them So that though thou doest not know by reason of thy littleness what thou art yet God knows notwithstanding thy littleness what thou art he knows that there is a seed of grace in thee and therefore I say be not discouraged 2. Secondly Is it so that the Lord Jesus Christ will look after his little ones and will not suffer the least grain to fall upon the Earth Then be you putting forth a little though it be but a little Thou complainest thou art but little truly I am affraid that many mens complaints are attended with as much formality as ever the Scribes and Pharisees Religion was Now I say if it be but a little thou hast reason the more to be putting forth that little And let me tell you Jesus Christ doth expect that you should be putting forth your little that it may appear that you are wheat indeed that you are Christians indeed And though you cannot do so much as another doth yet I beseech you consider if you be but a grain you may do more than others that are behind you that have not the least grain of grace wrought in them you may do more than they do I will urge this with two considerations 1. The first is this A little improvement made by us goeth a great way with God A little Gospel improvement made of a little on Earth goes a great way in Heaven And let me tell you this also further that there are no bounds that can possibly be supposed to be prescribed to the acceptance and to the reward of the improvment of a little grace You know not my friends but a weak one may become a Nation and a feeble one may be multiplyed by the Blessing of God into many Nations you know not how God may bless a little improvement Therefore my exhortation to you is to stir up your selves to be putting forth something if you have but a little faith let it appear that you have a little and if you haue but a little love to the Lord Jesus Christ to his person and Offices let that little appear Sirs and though it do appear but little on earth yet let me tell you it will go a great way in Heaven You may observe this by that poor Woman that had but one poor mite to cast into the treasury and Jesus Christ sat at the door observing how rich men came and cast into the treasury of the House of the Lord a great deal and this poor Woman comes that had but one mite she cast in all that she had I pray observe how far this goes with Christ Christ could not forbear but calls his disciples to him saith Verily I say unto you this Woman hath cast in more than they all Why my friends if you have but a mite cast it in though you can but sigh or groan though you can do but little yet do a little for the Lord Jesus Christ do a little for him in your hearts do a little for him in your families amongst yours Children and Servants It may be you have but little to be doing withal I pray be doing something with your little It is for the Lord Christ you know not how far in Heaven a little that is done on Earth may go 2. Hath the Lord taken such cae to preserve his little ones though they be the least grains and that in all the Commontions and Revolutions of affairs when God is sifting his people in the sieve of the Nations that he knows do hate them wh … perfect hatred then methinks This should speak encouragement unto the little ones not only to put forth a little for Christ but this also should lay an engagment upon them to be willing to suffer any thing rather than to part with the care and protection of God and Christ You have a little Sirs well here stands the case will you part with and for go that God and that Christ that have the care and the charge of your little grace or will you stick to him Methings you should be willing to suffer a little for Christ rather than to part with that great security that is betrusted with Christ for you The apostle had but little of the world yet he met with great sufferings it may be you have but little grace in the world and God calls you to little sufferings in comparison with those thut are truly and formally great sufferings Why now Sirs I pray be willing to part with something for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ suffer the loss of something I do not speak as to temporalls but I speak as to those things that your hearts are most addicted too suffer the loss of something You see a little grace hath a deal of care taken about it I pray Christians if there be any thing in you that is sinful do you part with it do not only suffer the loss of a little but suffer the loss of your All that is offensive to the Lord Jesus Christ because the Lord Jesus Christ hath said
that have tendered the grace of Jesus Christ and Christ with all his fulness to you all our Sermons and we shall be brought in as evidences against you Can you bear this You that have heard us with delight and have seemed to take pleasure in what we have spoken and preached to you what think you now to have us one after another with all the Sermons that have been preached in your hearing to be brought in as an evidence against you And not only so but for God to come in against you and say I offered you grace and for Christ to say I offered you my blood and the Spirit to say I strove with you to work a work oâ— grace in you I beseech you sirs consider 〈◊〉 do not speak these things to spend time buâ— this is that my Soul longs after that I might perswade every sinner to become a saint thatevery one that hath gotten a littlegrace might make it his business to get more grace For sinners you can never have grace too soon and Saints you can never have grace too much I shall only urge all that I have said with these 2 things First If sinners you will now come in and close with Christ to day while it is called to day Be you young or old I value it not be you what you will be whatsoever your condition be As soon as ever you come in and get the least grace all the Trinity that is concerned in the promise will according to their respective Relations pursue the design and intendment of the promise upon you and for you in all the succeeding circumstances of your lives Why is not this a thing that is desirable It may be a wicked man may make a promise to thee thou art his Child and he a wicked Father if thou wilt not do so and so he will not do this and that for thee Why I pray now is it not better for you to have the promise of one God for good and to be in the reach of one of the promises of the blessed Trinity than to be incompassed and invironed with all the promises of them that are enemies to God and also to you for Gods sake Here now is a promise yet shall not the least Grain fall to the Earth when God sifts the Nations I pray ballance this with all the promises of the Word when God comes a sifting either by Temptation or Persecution or afflictions when God comes a sifting I pray who can keep you in the Sieve Who can keep you out of Hell can all your rich friends and great friends can all the powers of the World keep you out of everlasting burnings No It is only God can do it yet shall not the least Grain fall upon the Earth For my part I think that one promise made by the Blessed God is better then to have a thousand promises though they were in a capacity to fulfil them made by the greatest Powers in the the World 2. The last thing that I shall leave upon you is this That the sooner you close with Christ the sooner you will be safe The sooner you get grace the sooner you will have the security of grace Great are the distractions of the minds of men under various apprehensions of approaching dangers and my friends in a time and hour wherein the Lord says come Christ says come and the Spirit says come and the Gospel says come and Ministers say come why do not you come Sirs to day while it is called to day For my part I think it is never too soon for a Soul to be safe for ever from everlasting burnings and therefore if you do believe the things that I have delivered you that are Saints of a little attainment carry it as becomes you You that are Saints of a greater attainment carry it as becomes you and you that have attained no grace at all carry it as becomes you And this is that that becomes you To come unto Jesus Christ and be restless till the Lord make you one of his graines though never so little A Catalogue of Books printed for and are to be sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market Place SEveral Discourses concerning Actual Providence A Word in Season Defensive Armour against four of Satans most Fiery Darts Sermon upon the whole first and second Chapters of the Canticles 13 Sermons upon several useful Subjects all published by John Collings D. D. The way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ The Glory of Christ sett forth with the necessity of Faith in several Sermons both by Mr. Thomas Allen late pastor of a Church at Norwich Enochs walk with God and Christ a Christians gain by Mr. Timothy Armitage late Minister in Norwich A Discourse of the preciousness of Precious promiseâ—s the portion of overcomers Faith and of the preciousness of Christ both by Mr. John Lougher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ebenezer by Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich Directions to spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saint speaking being a Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcome The English Presbyterian The ordinary matter of prayers drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises The first of rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all cases and Conditions The second of a Christians hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ both by Mr. Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended by Jonathan Clapham Rector of Wramplingham Norfolk A Present for youth and Example for the Aged FINIS
Lord doth not proceed according to the observation that you make of yours selves but according to the observation that he makes of you If God can spy a little grace in any heart God will look after that heart It is the least grain that God observes that is the matter of this promise Yet says he shall not the least grain fall upon the Earth In the opening of this observation I shall only give you some few reasons of it and then make some improvement Quest You will say to me then Why or whence is it that such special care is taken of such inconsiderable Christians One whom ministers it may be make nothing of one whom private Christians disregard yet God spys a little grace in him We it may be are ready to think it would be no great matter to lose such a little grain as this no great matter if the Devil should hurry such a one into such sins no great matter if that afflictions sweep away and such a Professour from the Ordinances and from communion fellowship with God in his own appointments But my Friends here is the Case The Lord he observeth what there is within and the Lord doth not act nor carry it either under general or particular judgments according to our observation or sense but according to his own observation and the truth of the thing If there be grace though it be in the least degree if there be grace though under very great disadvantages and under great discouragements yet an all-searching Eye can espy a grain of Corn in a heap of Chaff It may be there is a great deal of Chaff a great deal of vanity a great deal of earthliness which do not commend thee before men but rather discommend thee before God and man but little grace in thy life little in thy prayers little in thy heart little in thy understanding Ay But if God espy a little grace under all this Rubbish a little grain a grain of the least size under all this Heap of Chaff and Rubbish The Lord will take care of this Yet saies he shall not the least grain fall to the ground But whence is all this kindness Ans I shall give you an account of this in these following Propositions Reas 1 A little grace though never so little is distinguishing grace as well as the greatest though never so much When the Lord did at first work the work of grace upon thy heart then he made a personal difference between thee and others and it is not the muchness of thy grace that gives the essential distinction but it is the truth of thy grace that distinguisheth thee from others I will open this in these 2 Branches 1. First The least degree or the least grain of grace is the Issue of Gods eternal distinguishing kindness God from all eternity before the foundations of the world were laid did elect and choose thee to receive such a measure of grace in such a little proportion as well as another in a large measure and in a greater proportion ye are chosen in him says the Apostle 1. Eph. 4. before the Foundation of the World was laid that ye should be Holy God did not only choose those that were inriched with more then ordinary Grace those that are full of the Holy-Ghost were not the only Persons that were in the Eye upon the Heart of God from all Eternity but those that have received though but their measures by scantling These are the Persons that God did from all Eternity design by this little grace to make a personal difference between them and others Let me tell you all the moralists in the World and all the great ones of the World have not so much as this little grace amounts to Thousands and ten thousands of hearts will appear before the Throne and not a grain of grace in them therefore my Friends if so then this must needs be clear that either God must look after this little grace or must lose the resolve of his Eternal Love 2. That this little hath the nature of the whole Jesus Christ compares the Kingdom of Heaven in hearts unto a grain of must and Seed which is the least of all grains Why though it be so little yet there is a prolifick or a seminal vertue and power in that little The least grain of Corn is wheat it hath the Nature of wheat as well as the fullest so the least Christian he that hath the least grace hath the whole nature of Christianity as well as he that hath most who despiseth the day of small things Though you do yet God will not it may be you take little notice and say it is but a little but yet in this little is the nature of the whole If there be true faith though it be little yet here is all the truth of faith in a little faith and there is all the Truth of love the whole nature of love in a little love and there is the whole nature of humility though it be shut up as it were in a little compass if it be so then this little must be and is the care of God because the least grain hath the nature of the whole and so here is the whole nature of grace even in the least grace Therefore says God the house of Israel this perverse this rebelliuos house this is a frothy and chaffy house of Israel yet I will not lose the least grain yet not the least grain shall fall upon the Earth 3. That the least grace is under designments of grace as well as the greatest Nay let me tell you Sirs There are many Christians that have most at first considering the proportion there are on the other hand many Christians who have least at first and yet afterwards do attain to a great deal more then those that had most at first God doth not always do as we do or as man doth Many times to him that hath most at first there is many times most given afterwards but God doth not always do so but he gives sometimes the greatest encrease an encrease like the encreases of God even unto those in whom at first he did Create but little One could hardly perceive the flax smoaking the other day and now it is all on a flame and take another Christian as soon as ever the fire is put into the flax the flax fell all into a smoak There was a great appearance a great heat at first but take him three or four or five years after behold a damp again the man had great incomes at first but afterwards there was as great an abatement he that had least now hath most so that I say considering the greatness of the designment the unlimited designment that relate to those that have little may give a reason why the Lord will look after the least grace why special grace will be charged with the preservation security of the