FREE GRACE Exalted and thence Deduced EVANGELICAL RULES FOR EVANGELICAL SUFFERINGS In two Discourses made 29. March and 10. May 1670. From Rom. 5.21 LONDON Printed in the Year 1670. TO THE READER RUth reaped a bountifull blessing with her humble gleaning in the field of her near kinsman Boaz to become the Mother of her Lord and Saviour the same benediction is perpetually to be found in the field of the Gospel whereof the former field is the figure a poor creature having had the opportunity of a turn or two in that field and finding much heavenly consolation there pick'd up with his Pen a few scatterings of what was lately presented before the God of the whole harvest in two Discourses of the Free Grace of and Suffering for the Gospel and being willing they should extend to a standing benefit of a few more than the Auditors out of love to the truth and souls hath transcribed them for the Press and if out of them any poor soul shall press the wine of the kingdome to comfort and establish him by the assistance of the spirit of Grace let him bless the Master of the Vineyard who refreshes every weary soul that comes to him I confess the world is well replenished with treatises of both subjects Free Grace and Sufferings all I wish is they were better studied and practised this is only the casting two Mites into the Treasury which it is hoped some will reap the benefit of nay these in themselves contain the whole Treasury if sanctified to an humble soul. There is only this note to be made whereas there is a necessary caution laid down against sourness of spirit wrath desire of revenge or the like to be allowed by any in their sufferings that yet this doth not tend to invalidate the true and faithfull sayings of God that he will in his time appointed pour out his fierce wrath and indignation against all implacable enemies as Babylon and her Confederates in order to the setting up the kingdome of the Lord Jesus universally in the earth in truth and righteousness here is the faith and patience of the Saints and hence it is they cry Come Lord Jesus come quickly Free Grace Exalted and thence Deduced In a Discourse March 29. 1670. Rom. 5.21 As Sin So might Grace reign through righteousness to Eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. ST Paul in this Epistle doth establish on heavenly grounds and heavenly pillars of divine truths and divine arguments The doctrine of free Grace as a rock as a rock of Eternity on which the rock himself Jesus Christ as he is the Mediator of the Covenant is founded against which all the gates of hell shall not be able to prevail he establisheth it against all assaults by which the powers of darkness do invade it he sets it before us as the◠〈◊〉 out of which all the most precious and pleasant mysteries of the Gospel do spring and as the head which is chief of them all on which they all depend from which they all have the life strength beauty and sweetness In these two last verses of this Chapter you have the treasure of the whole Epistle and whole Gospel comprised with a divine skill in a little compass he gives a distinct view of the whole In these two verses is a comparison between the Law and the Gospel or the Covenant of Works and Covenant of Grace the mystery of the Law and Covenant of works with its design end and effect represented the Law entred that the offence might abound Sin reigns to death that 's the design of the Law It never entred into the heart of God that righteousness or life should be by the Law or the Covenant of works no the design of the Law is that Sin might find a way into the world and be heightned that the offence might abound and that Sin may bring in death upon all but is this in the eye of God simply thus to determine his Councels no but the Gospel follows and is the sweet Riddle Out of the Eater came Meat and out of the Strong came Sweetness the Law is as a foile for a Diamond 't is the design of God that the Covenant of Grace that everlasting love might come down from Heaven with a greater pomp and glory with a greater train of sweetness and joy bringing everlasting righteousness and everlasting life along with it so you see the 20th verse The law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace doth much more abound a great heap of fuel is laid to this end that the fire taking hold of it might consume it and spread it self and rise to Heaven with a glorious flame that as sin hath reigned unto death even so might Grace reign to Eternal life through righteousness by Jesus Christ our Lord. My design is to speak to the last part of this verse So might Grace c. where you have all the treasures of the Gospel richly pointed at in the compass of two lines First you have here a King Grace this King is on the Throne grace reigns it reigns over sin and death 2ly you have the Scepter of this King righteousness grace reigns through righteousness he reigns to righteousness or by righteousness righteousness is the Scepter of the kingdome of grace 3ly you have the effect or end of this reign how blessed is it to be Subjects to this King how good and blessed is this Kings reign to all his Subjects for 't is to eternal life a life of grace and of glory a life that is begun here in earth and flesh by grace that is perfected in the spirit and in heaven by glory then 4ly here is the great Minister of this great King by Jesus Christ our Lord grace reigns by Jesus Christ as great Kings First they make their Ministers of State they first raise them then use them and reign by them as Pharaoh by Joseph so Jesus Christ is both the gift of this grace and the Minister of this grace free grace raised Jesus Christ up to be a Mediator in the Covenant of grace to be a Minister in this kingdome of grace and then reigns by him to eternal life Jesus Christ is the Minister of grace by both righteousnesses the righteousness of justification which is the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ resting as a Crown on the head of a Soul to justifie him and he is the righteousness of Sanctification the righteousness of God by Jesus Christ as a root of holiness in the heart of a Saint springing up into all holiness and spirituality there how full is this blessedness how full is the Covenant of grace so many words as be here so many heavens open themselves in fulness of grace and glory Grace Righteousness Eternal life Jesus Christ our Lord every one comprehends all Divines distinguish between two sorts of grace one is grace-making-grace the other is grace-made-grace the one is Eternal love in the heart of
the Father to the Soul the other is a Spiritual loveliness in the heart of a Believer which is this love from the heart of the Father first shining into the Soul and so kindling it self to a holy love there which love at once carries the Soul out of it self to the bosome of God and changes the Soul to the likeness of God fills it with the grace joy glory of God The grace mentioned here in the Text is the first of these that which Divines rightly call free grace for you see 't is a grace that is antecedent to and transcendent over eternal life and Jesus Christ himself in his mediatory office for 't is a grace that reigns by all these as the Scepter Minister and effect of his reign The Doctrine which I intend to prosecute from these words is this the free grace of God is the Supream and Soveraign good in covenant of grace and in the Gospel 't is that from which all the good things of the Gospel flow on which they all depend and by which they are all dispens'd we see it lies plain in the Text 't is the great King that reigns the glorified person of our Lord Jesus Christ is but the Throne of this grace where it sits from which it reigns righteousness is the golden Scepter of this grace eternal life the fruit of this grace this free grace reigns to eternal life this grace must of necessity be Soveraignly supreamly absolutely every way infinitely free and full when 't is before eternal life it being the beautiful cause that produces this blessed effect eternal life which comprehends the life of grace and of glory in the whole compass of it Zach. 4.7 the Lord speak thus Who art thou O great Mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a a Plain and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings crying grace grace unto it Zerubbabel is the figure of Jesus Christ the scatterer of Babel that spirit of heavenly beauty and order that takes away all confusion which saith O death I will be thy death so he calls himself Zerubbabel the confusion of all confusion 〈◊〉 brings out the head stone he brings out himself the head stone of the spiritual building with shouting and what doth he teach them to cry to it in the shouting Jesus Jesus no no they cry to Jesus himself as he brings out himself the head stone grace grace free grace love from eternity supream love soveraign love the most beautiful womb out of which Jesus Christ together with all his heavenly treasure and sweetness springs cry grace grace to it My beloved you know that the material Temple was but a figure of the spiritual and living Temple which is the Temple of the Lord Jesus and of every Saint O that your spiritual senses were awaked what melody should we hear at this building of grace of the spiritual Temple in every soul as begun in laying the head stone the foundation as carried on in rearing the walls as finish'd in laying on the roof of glory we should hear the heavenly company the blessed Angels and Spirits shouting with ravishing harmony crying to it grace grace free love supream soveraign love eternal love 't is this 't is this which layes it self as the foundation and head stone in the person of Christ this carries on the building in the walls and flores and layes it self the top stone in glory O my beloved that have this building though imperfect in you you that lye in the rubbish that have any sence of the beauty of this building of the glorious company that inhabit it there is no such way to have it begun carried on and finish'd as to cry continually to it grace grace as with a shout of ravishing affections from a sence of love love infinitely free transcending all your expectations with a shout of admiration cry continually with the language of all within you of all your parts powers senses grace grace O the infinite freedom of grace O the soveraignty and supremacy of grace of eternal love reigning through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord reigning over sin and death and even out of them from the blackest darkness raising the more beautifully the Temple of divine light and divine love I design to speak somewhat largely of Free Grace In the Porch of the Temple were two great Pillars Boaz and Jachin one signifying in strength the other he shall establish or he shall prepare O my beloved blessed are they whose heart whose hope whose grace whose glory doth go up as a heavenly Temple resting on these two Pillars which meet both in one free grace here 's the strength of the God-head his love God is love here 's the preparation and establishment the preparation from eternity free grace from eternity and the establishment is through all changes and storms of times to eternity There be three things in which in general I would open and confirm the nature of free grace First The grace of God free grace is the highest love Secondly 'T is the highest loveliness and Thirdly It is the highest joy First The grace of God is the highest love grace in the Hebrew tongue Kene from Kana signifies most properly a love condescending stooping from the greatest height with the greatest complacency bowing it self down so making it self one with the lowest object in its lowest estate and that to this end that it may raise this object and carry it to its own height to be one with its self in its own beauty and triumphant blessedness the force of the word according to some enforces thus much this is express'd by another word Psalm 63.3 Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee 't is Keses here 's the grace of God express'd as the highest love better than life there be three excellent things light life and love life is an excellency of a higher kind than light is life is light in a transcendent perfection therefore called light of life and so is love above life 't is a higher kind of excellency than life 't is the perfection of life as life is better than single light because 't is light in a perfection in which it transcends it self so is love better than life because 't is life in a perfection in which it transcends it self the highest love is the love of God free grace what purity power pleasantness and glory is there in light what strength virtue sweetness and joy is there in life all these be comprehended in the love of God all these be comprehended in free grace with an eminency surmounting themselves The effect is in the cause after a more excellent manner love is the Fountain of life and so the Crown of life every thing that is desirable in light and life is more desirable in love as the cause exceeds the effect thus the loving kindness of God is better than life This love
't is a Dove as the eyes of the Spouse a spirit composed of the purity of a spiritual and heavenly loveliness and in the simplicity of this loveliness it flows out in love to all without regard to this party or the other party without quarrelling and so in its life it sows the fruit of righteousness in peace in the purity love peacebleness and gentleness of this spirit and so makes peace and springs up into peace Oh that our Lord Jesus were ever in our eye and heart as a pattern when he was Crucified he died to be a Sacrifice of Love to those that Crucified him when his blood was poured out with the greatest malice he shed it to wash away their sins that spilt it to make his blood a heavenly wine in the kingdome of his Father for those very sinners to drink of and receive a new life to have fellowship with him in his life his last-breath was spent in a Dove-like breathing and giving a kiss of love to those souls that Crucified him in these words Father forgive them for they know not what they do what a kiss of kindness was this to those souls that were with the greatest rage Crucifying him Oh suffer ye in like manner 'T is said the blood of the Saints is the seed of the Church when you suffer let your loss and suffering be with this spirit to sow a pretious seed of grace and love of peace and righteousness to spring up in the souls of those by whom you suffer by your heavenly love and meekness in suffering If you dye suffering on account of the grace of God let the breathings of your soul to the last be an offering of prayers in the behalf of those that cause your sufferings that God may pardon them and delight in them to do them good and bring them to the same rest of God with you My fourth Rule is Let grace be in your outward behaviour when you suffer It is said of the Spouse that milk and honey are under her tongue so in your deportments carriage looks or words let there appear nothing of the venome of the Serpent nothing of the fierceness of the Wolf let all be Lamb-like let your eyes be Doves-eyes let every action and word be milk and honey pure true wise healing nourishing gentle softning sweetning as spices when they are thrown into a fire send out a sweet perfume to recreate the sences of those that threw them into the fire such should the suffering of a Saint breathing out the sweetness of heavenly joy and love to those that cast them into the fire to allure them into the fellowship of this grace and so heap coals of fire upon their heads according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.12 Being reviled we bless A fifth Rule is this Let the Grace of God be your onely solace in all your sufferings I shall only gloss a little on two Scriptures and so conclude the first is in Rom. 8.35 Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation distress or persecution famine or nakedness peril or sword nay in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any creature shall be able to seperate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The grace of God that we have been speaking of and the love of God here in the Text are all one how sweet and full of consolation is this grace in suffering the love and grace of God which shines out and lives in the glorified person of Jesus Christ is the same that he communicates to his Saints and lives in them And now whatever suffering comes to a Saint no part of it shall ever come between you O Saint and this bosome of love nothing shall seperate from this love A cloud of suffering may surround you and be black without to those that look on it but this cloud within shall like the Tabernacle with Badgers skins without all glorious within shall be full of divine love to you this cloud shall not come between you and this love of God the grace of God shall be between you and every cloud They say of the Romans of old that they had a sort of linnen that would not be burnt in the fire and after they had burned the dead as was their custome they took up the bones and wrapt them in that linnen and therein burnt them to ashes to keep the ashes unmixt from the common ashes Let what suffering will come let what fire will be kindled upon you you are wrapt in the bosome of the Lord Jesus and whatever operation the fire may have upon you it 〈◊〉 do you no hurt for you are safe wrapt up in that love which the fire cannot hurt The houses of great persons have naked bare dead damp walls in them when the owners family is from thence but when they come to their houses they furnish them with rich hangings which are beautiful to the eye and keep the rooms warm and serve for recreation to entertain the indwellers with some pleasant stories which are described in them O my beloved every state of suffering into which a Saint comes is a distinct room of the Pallace of the great King of Glory and his Bridegroom and though that condition be like bare walls damp melancholy and naked yet when you come into it having this grace of God accompanying you in every state now it is furnisht richly for you with love as for an heire of glory with the grace of God which is the light of Divine love beauty and joy all in one God in Christ shining in the simplicity of all his love doth as with hangings of glory furnish thy room now the deformity of the walls is covered with divine beauty now the damp of the walls is taken away with the warmth of divine love now the melancholy is taken away and you are entertained with pleasant stories of this love and its glory all in this furniture in this love of God which comes between thee and sufferings and present themselves to thee according to all wisdome and prudence My last Scripture is 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye are reproacht for the name of Christ happy are yo◠for the spirit of God and of glory rests on you Let me give you a few considerations from this word of grace First when you suffer as a Saint God is with you he presents himself and appears to thee in grace and love So it was with Jacob he was by Esau's ill will cast out of his Fathers house sent away poor and alone with my staff I went over saith he he wanders in a large field and meets with a dark night and a hard bed having a cold stone for his sorrowful head to sleep upon but behold there he met with that presence of God that spirit of God and of glory in such eminency as he never saw
grace of God to be acquainted with it and that their acquaintance may encrease seek acquaintance with the free grace of God with all your heart let all the desires of your heart be wrapt up in the search of free grace Psalm 27.8 My heart saith seek my face thy face will I seek free grace eternal love this is the naked face of God Oh seek let your heart with all within you say to you continually by day and by night seek the face of God the grace of God and let your heart answer again in the truth of your practice thy grace O God we will seek all good things of time and eternity are wrapt up in the grace of God wisdome is a tree of life to those that take hold of it 't is the Gospel is the Tree of life 't is grace is the Gospel the glad tydings from Heaven take hold of this grace of God by faith 't is a tree of life God is the root of this tree in thy spirit when you take hold of the grace of God you shall have the Father the Fountain of this grace the Son the Channel full of this grace the holy Spirit as the living Streams living Water and Floud of this grace pouring out it self into thee you shall have the new nature the spiritual man the budds of this tree springing out of this root and every spiritual grace as the branches of it and all joy and glory of the spirit as the fruit of free grace on which your soul shall feed as on the fruit of his own tree O then follow free grace wait for it seek acquaintance with it with all your understanding might and power My next Use is to warn all that profess the name of God to take heed of living under the law of abiding in a legal spirit you shall see how I come to this admonition from this doctrine if you consider that Text which loudly alarums us to hast from Sinai to Sion 6 Rom. 14. For Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace O behold and tremble to see that the law and grace are inconsistent in their reign if you be under the law you cannot be under grace if you be under grace you are no more under the law if you be under the law sin domineers over you grace is no King to you O then be fearful to build Tabernacles on Mount Sinai in clouds and earth-quakes under the administration of the law but you will say how shall we know if we be under the law or no I shall at this time give you one character to know it by art thou still in thy natural estate of unregeneracy of unbelief then you are under the law and not under grace the Lord Jesus tells John 3.3 Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdome of God and again Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God art then acquainted but with a natural birth art thou a stranger to the new birth the second birth that from above where grace is a King whose Kingdome is righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost art not thou born of water and of the spirit of that spirit the spirit of grace of that water which is above the Firmament the grace of this spirit which flows for ever then you cannot see or enter into the Kingdome of grace there is a Cherub with a flaming sword the Ministry of the law that keeps the entrance that you cannot tast the sweetness joy and glory of this grace the law hath dominion over thee and sin death the devil and eternal wrath have dominion over thee according to thy present state Oh that you would lament this with tears of blood that your hearts would break with longings till grace according to its freedome translate from this Kingdome of the law to its own Kingdome and Dominion a Kingdome of Heaven upon Earth Alas while under the law in vain do you strive to break the chains of corruption and lust guilt and fear sin reigns powerfully and will reign to death to a first death a dark and melancholly state to the second death a long and endless night without any glimps of light or the least refreshment where you lye in torments unexpressible beyond that of the highest fear in unquenchable burnings where evil spirits and devils in this Kingdome of the law and wrath pour continually oyl to the fire and cry out where be the pleasures of sin the riches of the world where is your pomp happiness and joy now in all the things that were seen and be now vanished and be as fuel to heighten your flame O come to the Lord Jesus and be councelled by him we read when an Army of the Philistines lay between David and Bethlehem he cryed out Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the Well of Bethlehem which is by the gate and three mighty men brake through the Host and brought water to David but he poured it out unto the Lord and said far be it from me is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives Hear all you that are under the law the bosome of the Father is the true Bethlehem the house of bread Jesus Christ the bread of God is there in the gate of this Bethlehem is a fountain of grace O long day and night cry and say in the ear of the Lord Jesus who will give to drink of that Fountain in the gate of Bethlehem in the fountain of grace then I shall not be parch'd with the burning heat of lust of guilt of grief of pain then shall I thirst no more after the poysons of this world the least drop of that water would be an eternal solace to my soul Oh hear and see thou that thus longest and faintest to drink but cryest alass there be Armies between thee and this fountain Armies of corruptions of guilt of sin and wrath Armies of devils Oh who now shall give me to drink of this fountain Be not cast down look up behold and see and rejoyce to see Jesus Christ the mighty Worthy of God hath broke through all these Armies and in despight of all he brings of the living water of grace from the fountain of grace for thee to drink nay he brings thee to the fountain in the bosome of the Father Oh now in this moment thou that hast hitherto been in thy natural estate under the dominion of the law hear his voyce that by the Ministry brings thee to the fountain of grace that calls thee to come freely without money and without price to drink deep of this fountain this shall spring up to all righteousness holiness and joy in thee this shall spring up as streams to make thee flourish like the garden of God Oh that the Lord Jesus would be present with thee now to a new
birth to give thee a new heart a believing heart do not as hitherto pour out the precious water of this grace from this fountain on the ground by contempt of it but say now Shall I spill the water of this grace which is the blood of my Jesus the life of my Jesus that not only hazarded but poured out his blood to bring me to this fountain Oh drink then the spirit of grace give thee a new nature a new heart to drink deep to drink abundantly by day and by night of this free grace which reigns through righteousness by Jesus Christ our Lord. EVANGELICAL RULES CONCERNING SUFFERING In a Discourse May 10. 1670. Romans 5.21 the latter part So might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. I Have raised this Doctrine from these words That the Grace of God is the Supream good in the Gospel in the Covenant of Grace there is no good above it there is no good before it all the good of the Gospel comes from it all good depends on it and is dispens'd by it I have shewed that this Grace is sovereignly infinitely free sweet and irresistable I demonstrated this by three Arguments First That the grace of God is the highest love Secondly The grace of God is the highest loveliness and beauty Thirdly It is the highest joy This is the grace of God the love of the Father the loveliness of the Son God in all the three Persons at once shining out in each of them in the light of divine love heavenly beauty and incomprehensible joy and breaking out from God in the spirit of a Saint as a spiritual flame of divine love heavenly beauty and infinite joy inlightning inlivening the soul of a Saint teaching it and transforming it to one spiritual flame of the same love beauty and joy with it self My last Use was an Exhortation to glorifie the grace of God and thereby the God of grace First in our lives by living to this grace Secondly by suffering for this grace by this grace I spake of the first and shall by the assistance of God spend this time on this last part to glorifie the grace of God in your sufferings Here I began by the grace of God to deliver those things to you which I my self have sometimes received from Jesus Christ when I have seen his face and tasted his love by a spirit of faith and so do I hope and desire in the simplicity of my heart to lead you by the same anointing of the spirit of this grace of God shining in the face of Christ with this heavenly love beauty and joy as I hope I my self am led and taught to live upon them There be five Rules I would lay before you in the pursuit of this Exhortation First See that you suffer from the grace of God calling you to suffer Secondly Suffer only for the grace of God Thirdly Suffer with grace in your spirits Fourthly Suffer with grace in your outward behaviour Fifthly Let grace alone this grace of God be all your solace in all your sufferings First Suffer from the grace of God calling you to it Heb. 5.4 the Holy Ghost tells us No man takes this honour to himself as a Priest to God but he that is called of God as Aaron was when you suffer as Saints then you will by Jesus Christ become like him and be both the Priest and the Sacrifice but take heed you take not this honour to your selves to be Priests and Sacrifices to God except he call you to it as he did Aaron St. Paul layes this as the ground of all that spiritual light that flowed from him in his Epistle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.1 Paul called to an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God then have you a sweetness and strength in your sufferings when you can say of your selves such an one is called to be a Sufferer when the grace of God calls you to be a Sufferer then the title of a Sufferer and the triumph will be great Paul when he stood before the Roman Governour makes this the ground of his confidence and consolation O King Agrippa I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision what a spring of fresh life will this be to say I have not been disobedient to the heavenly vision I have not been disobedient to the heavenly call the grace of God shining without me in his providences of grace and shining before me in his word of grace and shining within me from the spirit of that grace on my spirit O ye the Flock of Jesus Christ O ye little Flock keep your eye on your Shepheard the Lord Jesus especially when he leads you into the Wildernes and into the Storm see him going before you and hear his voyce calling to suffer and know his voyce then shall you go in and out and find pasture then in the valley of death you shall meet with green pastures then in the time of great tempests when the Sea roars you shall feed by the still water-brooks and rivers then in the hot noon of Persecution your Shepheard shall lay you in a shady grove under his own shadow in the tender grass in his own bosome and there and then your Conscience together with the spirit of grace the holy Angels all blessed Spirits shall be as so many Birds singing about you and you shall appear as a continual Spring God shall spring up in the beauty of his appearance in the manifestation of his love while you are obedient to the heavenly vision and follow the heavenly call of his grace in his Providences his Word and Spirit This is the first Rule See that you suffer only from grace calling you to it Second Rule is See that you suffer for the grace of God only but before I fall on the affirmative part of this Rule I have cautions to give to take heed of these things for which you are not to suffer First Suffer not for the favour of man to please any party or perswasion Saint Paul saith Do I perswade men or God or do I seek to please men for if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1.10 Oh suffer not to approve your selves to men the Scripture saith Judg. 9.13 That Wine cheareth the heart of God and man A learned Interpreter applies this to Christ and his Saints Christ the Vine and Saints the Branches the blood of Christ in his Saints poured out in sufferings makes glad the heart of God and man Oh pour not out this blood to make glad the heart of man alone how foolish be we to seek to please men with a false fleshly spirit Oh let this Wine be poured out to this end to make glad the heart of God and all that partake of the same divine joy with him A great King when he met with a great Philosopher said Oh what a Theatre have I lost by thy not seeing