Chapter 5

CHAP. V.

Influences of grace are due to the Saints by promise. 2. Some are plagued with plenty of means. 3. The scope of the place, Deuteronomy 29:3. The great temptations which your eyes have seen, &c. opened. 4. The nature of the Lord's promise of influences. 5. The efficient causes of influences from the Father and from the Son: influences on the Man Christ. 6. Influences from the Father, how they are ours. 7. Influences from the Son Christ which are promised to us, how they are ours.

There is another way of fetching influences of grace, when we carefully use former grace: as our Savior says, to him that has, shall be given. And so grace shall bring more grace: sown wheat brings forth more wheat. Psalm 119:1. Blessed are they that walk in the law of the Lord, they shall do no iniquity; then upon the account of a holy walk, the Lord must bestow influences of grace to preserve men from doing acts of iniquity. And there must be a promise of influences, that such as walk in the Law of the Lord, shall walk more in that Law; (Proverbs 1:5) a wise man will hear and increase more in learning: then to spiritual wisdom there must be a promise of influences to increase spiritual wisdom. Isaiah 40. 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, and walk and not faint. Then waiting on the Lord shall fetch the wind of new quickening influences to wait more upon the Lord, and to run; and they that run, shall run more, and which falls not out in physical running when they are running. Now fresh swiftness and recent vigor of speed shall be given to the runner, and larger breath and spiritness than he had before. None are thriving and growing men as the godly are. Malachi 4:2. But to you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and you shall go forth, and grow as calves in the stall. Proverbs 4:18. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more, to the perfect day.

In which dispensation, 1. Such as are more proud with plenty of means and plague themselves with abundance, occasion the truth of this; that Christ sends the rich empty away, and throws the mighty down from their seats, and their golden and silken chairs (Luke 1:52–53). And the rich and the full (says Hannah, 1 Samuel 2:5) have hired out themselves for bread. And since men will be plagued and poisoned with plenty, let it be so; and that lie upon them as a word of chiding, Deuteronomy 29:3. The great temptations which your eyes have seen, the signs and these great miracles. Ver. 4. Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear to this day. And is the Lord complaining of himself in this place? No; he will not have them to search into the depth of sovereignty, ver. 29, because God gave them not a heart. No, but his scope is to complain of the people's abusing of the plenty of means. I gave you the grace of outward means, but you misgraced (to speak so) your own heart; therefore it is just that you be blind and deaf, since you wickedly wink and stop your ears; though it cannot be denied that God would have them humbled by reflecting on their own wilful winking and blindness, yet so as they should tremble and stoop at him, who can give a new heart and eyes and ears, but of sovereignty denies it to the reprobates; of whom he complains, that the chosen may tremble.

2. We are hence led to consider the nature of God's promises, that they are much unlike to the promises and covenants between man and man: for it comes to this; such as have influences from the Lord to run, through his free grace, the Lord of the same free grace gives new influences to them to run more. The Lord, because he makes some rich in grace, he makes them of rich in grace, yet more rich in grace; and whom he loves freely, he yet more freely loves. And the truth is, the Lord makes himself debtor to his own grace not to our industry. As Augustine, the Lord gave being and milk to my nurse to feed me, you gave me nilling and willing; where is my merit then?

3. Free grace infused the first habit; so by infusion of grace he adds parcels to the first habit; so that the increase of the habit of grace, is as free grace as the first habit; and there is no earning nor hiring of grace, or engaging of the Lord, else grace should not be grace, and works should not be works.

4. By some heinous, old and over years guiltiness, we give place to the Devil, and rotten talking and malice and wrath stealing in; Paul is put to that necessary word (Ephesians 4:26–31): Grieve not the Spirit of God, by which you are sealed to the day of redemption. For such sins bring on withdrawing of influences. Christ knocks and you put a little stone in the key-hole, and the sprent is broken, and the door will neither open nor shut: when the wheels of the horologue are broke, there is no sound of hours heard; when the bones are crushed, the man cannot walk; the spiritual organs, dispositions and powers of David's soul were blunted and out of frame, by his adultery and blood-guiltiness. No wonder then the Spirit was unwilling to dwell and act in his wonted lodging, (Psalm 51:11) Cast me not away from your presence: and take not (says he) your holy Spirit from me. 12. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free Spirit. It is good to keep the wheels whole.

But sin cannot so interdict or lay an arrestment upon influences as to conclude and restrain the free grace of God: nor does the Lord by the Saints falls, fall from his sovereignty and princedom of grace. Yes, rather from the heightening and abounding of sin does the reign and kingly power of grace shine the more; the more tumid the boil is, and the more the flesh about it burns and flames with the swelling of the humor, the more it is ripened for breaking and healing. A fever at the height begins to decline, as the sea full at the outmost point of the shore does reflow and ebb again. See death and sin's reign, and grace and Christ's reign (Romans 5:15, 17, 21). See Ezekiel 20:23, Ezekiel 16:59, 60, Ezekiel 26:21, 22, 23, 1 Timothy 1:13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Make some ripeness for fulness of grace. Though Christ's reign cannot ebb or fall; but no thanks to the sinner, but great praise to him who makes medicine of the rotten and attry blood of our wounds.

5. It's considerable that gracious actings fetch influences for other gracious actings; for grace is nearer of kin to grace than nature can be to grace.

Now as touching the author of influences (that we may come more particularly to the supernaturalness of influences) we know the Father, the Son, the holy Spirit are all in Scripture said to act upon the soul, in a gracious way. It shall not be needful to speak much of the Father's influences upon the man Christ in sending and bestowing the Spirit and the anointing above his fellows upon him: in the influences of the Godhead, in a personal union upon the man Christ in filling him with the holy Ghost from the womb: and especially the Lord was mighty in him in preaching with authority; so that the hearers were astonished, and all wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth, in praying while his countenance shined.

And 2. The Lord's influences were evident in disputing with the doctors in the Temple, when he was but twelve years of age, in silencing the learned enemies in strongly convincing parables.

3. God was mighty in miracles of all sorts, in casting out devils, healing all manner of diseases instantly without medicine, in raising the dead, in rebuking the sea and the winds, multiplying the loaves, blasting the fig-trees (Acts 16:39, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:34, Isaiah 11:1, 2, 3).

4. Influences more than ordinary were seen in his strength against the devils, and justice and wrath of God for our sins, in praying, strong believing, in tears and cries, in preaching and exhorting his disciples, converting the thief that suffered with him.

5. He must have had strong and mighty influences in the course of a holy and sinless conversation, in a mortified walk, refusing a kingdom when it was offered to him (John 6), though he could have borne it out; in being poor for us; in having no hole nor lodging to hide his head; in meek and patient forgiving of his enemies; in being much in prayer, spending whole nights in praying; in praying and fasting forty days; in obeying all laws, fulfilling all righteousness, ceremonial, moral, natural; in all works of mercy, obedience to Caesar, to parents, brethren, to souls of men; in his virtues of faith, lowliness, meekness, patience, love, zeal, hope, delighting in God.

Now though none can be so near to God as the man Christ, who in one person was not near to God only, but was God-man and Emanuel; yet learn we hence, the nearer we are to God, the more are we under the showers of influences of grace. It's good to be holy, and keep close communion with God, and dwell hard by the fountain, and we shall be watered. The tree planted by the river's side has most influences; and the man that lies in a bed of roses, and is near to spikenard, to myrrh, aloes, and cassia, and is daily among the herbs, and haunts in the garden of all fragrant smells, will carry some sweet savour away. The Lord Jesus his out-lettings of free love and grace, must run much upon these who are daily near to him. Keep a distance from God, and be much at cups, at chambering and wantonness, in the company of the whore, of the profane, of the swearer, what hope of showers and waterings of influences of grace upon such a cursed soil?

But 2. The Father's drawing sinners to Christ (John 6:44), the Father's teaching men, and causing them to hear the learning of the Father (John 6:45), holds forth the influences of the Father upon sinners. Christ's word is remarkable (John 15:1): My Father is the husband-man. When Christ's Father ploughs the sinner, and breaks up the fallow ground of the heart, there must be influences there: for then is the Father fitting the soil for Christ (Colossians 1:12), giving thanks to the Father, who has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light. 13. Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us to the kingdom of the Son of his love. That must be a mighty strong influence of the Father that works the man's translation; and the daily work of the care of the Father is much in promoting his work (John 15:2): every branch that bears fruit he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Let then the question be, what talk you to us of predeterminating influences that are above us in the hand of a sovereign God? How shall our short arm reach these influences? We must have influences of the Father that are at our hand, and under the power of our free-will.

Answer 1. The adversaries here deny the freedom and sovereignty of grace in bestowing influences, and submit the actings of grace to the industry of a sovereign man. Bradwardin desired to worship no God who was under man's free-will: I commend him for it.

2. The question is soon answered: the Father of Christ condescends to take on the person, and, as it were, the office of a painful husband-man, who intends to make some noble generous vine-trees to be planted in the higher garden; and shall an earthly husband-man plow, delve, ditch, plant, purge, and do all that becomes his office? So that if the vine-tree had wit and reason, it could not make a question, will the husband-man care for me? Will he delve, and dress, and purge me, that I may bring forth more fruit? Far more may the believer say, Christ's Father and my Father is the good husband-man, and both have begun the good work in me. Faith would say, he will not be wanting in his office of husbandry; he will send showers of blessings and influences upon his mount Sion, and upon me a withered and dry twig.

Christ says (John 15), "I am the Vine-tree, you are the branches." Now look what influences of sap and life the Vine-tree sends to the branches, and the head to the members, so will the Lord for ever make that good (John 14:19), "Because I live, you shall live also."

As King and Prince, Christ must put out his influences for repentance and pardon (Acts 5:31).

He is Prophet of the Church: then opening the heart to understand the Scriptures is his office, and to warm the heart by the word (Luke 24:32, 45).

As High Priest he ascended on high, and contributes his influences for sending down the Spirit (Luke 24:49; John 14:16, 17; John 16:7).

Yes, and predeterminating influences to circumcise the heart to the Lord, are promised by him (Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 18:19; Isaiah 44:1, 2, 3, 4).

When a dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth is promised to him (Psalm 72:8), and that all nations shall serve him (v. 11), and that the heathen shall be his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth his possession (Psalm 2:8), and when the incoming of the Gentiles in their fulness is promised to him (Isaiah 55:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Isaiah 42:8, 9; Isaiah 11:10, 11), there must be promised a power of bowing their hearts, to make them a willing people to follow Christ (Psalm 110:1, 2, 3). Call this bowing of the heart predeterminating grace, or give it another name, I contend not, or call it an impression of strong delectation on the will, so it be invincible, insuperable, and above the power of free will to resist and oppose the call and drawing power of Christ, no matter though it be not irresistible; which includes the will's free consent.

The promises of a seed given to Christ, and that he should see of the travels of his soul, and that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand (Isaiah 53), prove that influences of grace must be promised, by which people should be made the seed of Christ, and willing followers of him, which is Christ's soul-travel, and the good-will and pleasure of God prospering in his hand (Isaiah 59:20, 21, 22; Isaiah 49:5, 6, 7, 8, 9; Psalm 89:27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37).

The promises of the covenant between the Father and the Son prove the same; for if God give many children to Christ, and if Christ undertake for these many children, to bring them to glory, to cast none of them forth, but to raise them up at the last day, and to lose none of them, then must Christ be Master of their free will, and he must have a bar of strong influences on their heart, that it shall not be in the power of Satan, the world or sinful flesh to pluck them out of his hand. Hence against all trepidation of mind, this is removed; what warrant have we, that we can make use of the influences of grace that are in the hands of the Son? These are a fowl flying in the wood, which we cannot command; take these answers.

Whatever mediatory grace is in the Son, they are gracious influences laid by for our good; as what sums of money a rich man is to give out for the profit of minors, he mixes it not with his own, but looks on it as none of his, but to be expended for the good of others; and the minors having assurance of the faithfulness and care of their tutors, look upon it as their own: we are by faith to look upon the treasury of Christ that is begun to be bestowed on us; and that Christ shall not withdraw, (being a most faithful tutor) what is necessary for our best life.

Christ being the best of Kings, the most faithful of Priests, and above all the Prophets, Moses, and whoever they were, by office is to give out influences. If we believe that Christ shall acquit himself as a King, then shall his subjects find the outlettings of grace for repentance and remission (Acts 5:31), for Christ is worthy of his throne and chair of princely state. We are to believe, as our High Priest, he shall, by virtue of his office, apply by the Spirit the blood of atonement and sprinkle the nations therewith; as also, when we sin he gives out influences for believing that our Advocate lives and intercedes for us; and the acts of opening the heart to believe the Scriptures, to be guided in all truth, to be comforted and quickened, come from Christ the great Prophet; and if he be God, what the Governor of Heaven and Earth does by his office, if he feed all living things, the ravens move not the question what they shall eat tomorrow, nor the lilies of the field how they shall be clothed: far more, believers are to rest upon this, Christ shall fully execute all his offices in all parts towards them.

The Vine-tree, by a flux of nature, sends sap to the branches, and the head does not deliberate nor interpose freedom of will to send down life and influences of life to the members; but nature has a strong hand in this: at least love is soon resolved in the husband what shall be the influences of good communicated by him to the Spouse. The great thing Redemption is purchased, and will Christ stand and doubt of influences of grace to complete the Redemption, and to make out the life of glory until it come to the fruition and enjoyment thereof?