Chapter 2

CHAP. II.

The nature of the habit of grace; that there is 2. Such a habit is clear in the word. 3. It's purchased by Christ's merit. 4. Has supernatural actings flowing from it. 5. Influences without this habit are but delusions. 6. Differences between the habit of grace and other habits, 7. Resolutions must be followed with prayer. 2. Godly trembling. 3. Faith. 8. The stronger the habit of grace is, the stronger and more connatural are the acts flowing from it.

The third particular is, how the Saints may fetch the holy breathings of the Spirit by supernatural habits: And touching this we shall speak to these.

1. What the habit of grace is.

2. How it is the seed of influences of grace.

1. What necessity there is of the connexion between the habit of grace; and how we may fetch breathings of the Spirit from the habit of grace.

As to the first: The habit of grace is a fixed disposition infused in the soul by the Lord, purchased by Christ's merit of his death, by which we perform supernatural duties.

1. A habit is a heavenly disposition or quality gracious, by which the man even sleeping is denominated a convert, a believer, a translated man from darkness to light (Colossians 1:13; Acts 2:44; Acts 4:4; 1 John 3:14).

2. It is a fixed quality different from a spiritual disposition, as (Psalms 57:7) "My heart is fixed or disposed, O God, or prepared"; but his heart was not ever and always fixed and prepared to praise, though he had ever the habit and seed of God in him after his conversion.

3. It is a fixed disposition infused in the soul by the Lord, as a permanent quality; so (Isaiah 44:3) "I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. What is that flood? I will pour my spirit upon your seed." (Zechariah 12:10) "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication." (Ezekiel 11:19) "And I will give them one heart; and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh." (Jeremiah 31:33) "I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." (Ezekiel 36:26) "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you an heart of flesh."

And also that this is an indwelling and permanent quality, infused of God, and an habit not acquired by our industry, by which the Saints are, and really are named anointed, renewed, born again, new creatures, is clear (2 Corinthians 3:3) "Forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart." So this habit is called the seed of God (1 John 3:9), the anointing (says John 1:2, and 20.) which you have received of him, and abides in you. 27. Yes the Father and the Son making their abode in the soul (John 14:13), the well of water springing up to life eternal in the believer (John 4:14), rivers of living waters flowing out of the belly; by which the Saints are said to be denominated quickened (Ephesians 2:1, 4, and 5.), and to be light in the Lord, whereas they were once darkness (Ephesians 5:8), new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17), born of God (1 John 5:1; 1 John 3:2). Now this is infused, and no more an acquired habit than regeneration, conversion, translation is acquired.

4. This new fixed disposition is given through the merit of Christ (Acts 5:30), "Whom you slew and hanged on a tree," v. 31. "Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." Then is Christ the giver of repentance, and of all spiritual habits, not simply, but as crucified and made a meriting Prince.

2. The Father has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; then also with the habit of sanctification.

3. We are sanctified by the willing offering that Christ made, when he gave himself a sacrifice once for all (Hebrews 10:8, 9, 10), and the people sanctified by his blood (Hebrews 13:12). Then in the merit of this blood must we have the habit of sanctification.

4. If the conscience be purged by the blood of sprinkling from dead works (Hebrews 9:14), then is the heart of stone removed, which is nothing but this deadness in us before our conversion and new birth; and if this be done, so that we are sprinkled with clean water, cleansed from all our filthiness and idols, and the heart of stone taken out of us, and a new heart of flesh, even a new heart given us, not for our own doings, but for his own name's sake (Ezekiel 36:22, 25, 26, 32), that is, from the precious and only saving grace of Jesus Christ, as it is expounded in the New Testament (Acts 3:16, 25, 26; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:24, 25; Ephesians 1:17; Colossians 1:13; Acts 10:42, 43). So for David's sake is expounded in the New Testament for the Son of David's sake; and for the Lord's name's sake, is all one with this, for the merits and death of Christ.

5. Christ's blood is a ransom, not to buy us from wrath only, and from the evil of punishment, but also from the evil of iniquity and sin, and so from the bondage of our vain conversation (1 Peter 1:18), from all iniquity (Titus 2:19), from living to sin (1 Peter 2:24), and so to purchase the grace of the new birth, and to make us Kings and Priests to God (Revelation 1:5, 6).

6. The Spirit poured on the thirsty ground (Isaiah 44:3), on the house of David (Zechariah 12:10), is either a gift of nature or a grace. The former can be said by none but Pelagians and Socinians; for if the only principle of the life of God, and the new birth, be a work of our industry, Christ died in vain; if it be a free grace, we must receive it out of Christ's fulness; for out of his fulness we all receive (John 1:16).

By this supernatural habit, we perform supernatural duties, and new acts of life; for Isa. 44. By the Spirit given they shall spring up as among the grass, as (verse 4.) willows by the water course. They shall graciously professe and swear a covenant to the Lord, v. 5. One shall say I am the Lords, and another shall call himselfe by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord, and sirname himself by the name of Israel. And when the Spirit is poured on the house of Jacob, the second acts flowing therefrom are acts of believing, and looking on Christ whom they pierced, and mourning over Christ, and being in bitterness, as if his first-born were dead. So Ezek. 36. the putting in the new heart has walking v. 27. in the Lords statutes, keeping his judgments. The first young motions and life-stirrings of the circumcised heart, are the loving of the Lord (Deuteronomy 30:6), the returning and obeying the voice of the Lord, v. 8.

Then 1. saving influences in spiritual actings, in praying, praising, hearing, are meer delusions without this new habit, not the motions and actings of a living man from influence of life. But some cozeners by the art of Satan have made dead images to speak, but that speaking, or laughing, or weeping was but counterfeit, and from no kindly influence of life in the dead stone. The heavy elements move downward, and that from an inward principle of nature; but the motion of the wheeles in a horse-mill is not from nature within, but from the beasts that draw the wheels; nor is the motion of the several pieces of the horologe from a principle of life, but from art. And the actings of men destitute of such a supernatural habit, suppose they give all their goods to the poor, and give their bodies to be burnt, yet are there no influences of the life of Christ in these actions, they come from composed art and industry of hypocrisie, custome, formality, and vain-glory, and such leave their name in the earth for a curse. Be not satisfied while the wind breaths out of the right air, even from a life of Christ, and from the head Christ. Christ lives in me (Galatians 2), and the actual influences of grace from above are suitable, having Christ living in you. Christ shall furnish wind and sweet breathings of the Spirit to his own life; it's a cursed case of conscience, when the man has peace and so much quietness as to be satisfied with, and to thank God for his formal fasting, and paying of his debts to all (Luke 18:11), and such counterfeit influences please him all his life.

2. How doe they undervalue Christ and his blood, who father all influences of praying and seeking of God upon their own industry and nature; in this the mouth may kisse the hand, we kisse not the Son. It speaks grace when every sincere sigh, and every good word and thought is referred to the price and ransome of blood; when the soule is at this, O I would kiss Jesus Christ for this loosing and melting of heart; and I am the endeared debtor of Jesus Christ for this lively breathing upon the heart. This keeps from murmuring and fretting at other times when the man weeps over his deadness; ah, it's (says the complainer) long since I saw him.

2. The differences between the habit of grace and other habits of arts and sciences would be considered,

1. In the rise; industry and free-wills trading may purchase the habits of sciences and arts; this is infused from heaven. I will pour water on the thirsty ground, says the Lord, for mine own sake do I this (Isa. 44; Ezekiel 36:32). This habit is indeed Christs trading, and the fruit of the travel of his soul, and stands Christ at a high price.

2. Other habits may be forgotten and lost; this is a part of the believers stock, of Christs buying, and so in Christs keeping. Christ keeps his own purchase from wasting in shipwrack. It's the immortal seed, the well that springs up to life eternal (John 4:14), the remaining anointing (1 John 2:20), the imbiding seed of God (1 John 3:9).

3. The lesse excellent the habit is, the more it is under the dominion of free-wil. The Musician may sing when he will, he needs no influences of grace to stir up his habit; the natural man from himself may blow upon the natural habits of arts and sciences, and the remanents of the image of God, and he may do much from common honesty; but the more excellent and spiritual the infused habit is, the further it is from being under the dominion of free-will. Only the North and South-wind of the Spirit can act upon this habit supernatural. Nor can we pray simply at the nod and stirring of free-will, only the Spirit of Jesus is steeresman here; and this is to be holden, that the Spirit so withdrawes, as we are guilty consenters to his withdrawing, and in the sinful omission of calling upon the Lord; and when the Spirit acts upon the free-will, and the habit of grace, we are willing consenters to that blessed breathing, and willing joyners in the work of praying. And some commendation and praise the holy Ghost gives to his Saints in all holy actings (Numbers 14:24; Genesis 22:16; Genesis 32:28; Numbers 12:7; Revelation 2:3, 13, 19; Revelation 2:4, 8, 9, 10).

So we are 1. not to engage in the strength of free-will; and let us know thus much, that when resolutions of relying upon the grace of Christ are taking, and we say this we shall do by the grace of Christ, we but use the name of grace; but there is within 1. A fixedness of relying on nature, and we follow not our resolution with prayer, as David (Psalm 119:106), I have sworn and will perform, that I will keep your righteous judgments. He seconds his vow with prayer, v. 108. Accept, I beseech you, the free-will offering of my mouth, O Lord; and teach me your judgments. In praying for any mercy, as for grace to keep the way of God, which we have vowed to keep, we are to interpose Christ as Surety for the performing of the vow.

2. There is not godly fear and trembling in distrusting our selves. David, after the Lord makes a covenant with him, and David by the Lords grace had accepted and engaged to stand to it, he casts himself down to the dust (2 Samuel 7:18). Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me hitherto? If we did but consider how cozening and unstable as water our hearts are, we should fear our own bentness to backsliding when we so vow. It speaks honest ingenuity after a man has borrowed money, and given word and writ to pay it, when he is anxious how to answer the day, and be acquit of the debt.

3. Faith should rely upon the promise of God for influences of grace, and look away from nature, and cease from the breathings of free-will, especially since they are involved in the promises of perseverance, and in the promises of the covenant (Isaiah 54:10; Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah 31:35; Ezekiel 36:27). For among men he who engages for a good harvest, does also engage to labor, to harrow and sow. He that covenants to bring home to a Prince a ships loading of gold from India, he must also engage to prepare a ship, and sea-men, and provision for them, and to set out to the Sea for sailing, and to take the opportunity of the winds. Now since the Lord has promised to bring many children to glory, this puts on Christ a sort of engagement, especially if we add to this the trust that the Father has put on him (John 17:2; chap. 6:37), to work in them to will and to do, and when they fall, to raise them again: and as faith relies upon the promise of glory, so is faith to rely upon Christ for grace and influences, and new breathings of the Spirit, without which, perseverance promised, even undeclinable attaining to glory, is impossible.

3. The stronger and the more intense the habit is, the more connatural and kindly, and the more signal, bended, and strong are the acts that flow from the habit.

1. Rain and sweet showers poured upon the dry ground, make the growing the more easy and connatural; and when a strong habit of the love of Christ, stronger than death and the grave, which many waters cannot quench, was fixed and rooted in the heart of the Martyrs, the acts of suffering, even the torments of the rack, of burning quick, of the teeth of wild beasts, of exquisite and long-enduring tortures, were exceeding both easy, and rejoicing, and refreshing to themselves and others, and they had answerable strong acts of influences, and a mighty presence of God; as the three children have the fourth man, the Son of man walking in the fiery oven with them, Daniel has the increated Angel to stop the mouths of the lions; and there must have been strong influences of grace, when they refused deliverance, and believed a better resurrection (Hebrews 11:35). 2. When there is a strong habit of love, and of soul-love to Christ, there are strong and painful acts of diligent seeking, as Canticles 3.

There be three acts of seeking and not finding. 1. In the bed. 2. About the streets, and the broad way. 3. At the watchmen; and yet no giving over until she find him whom her soul loves (Canticles 3:1, 2, 3, 4). The habit of love, even going on to love-sickness, produces strong praying, fervent adjuring of the daughters of Jerusalem to tell Christ that she is sick of love for him, and a most pathetic song of praising of Christ in all his excellencies (Canticles 5:10). My beloved is white and ruddy, and the chief among ten thousand. v. 11. His head is as the most gold, his locks are bushy and black as a raven. 12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, &c. And there must be strong love within, when such high expressions came out (Psalm 42:1). As the Hart pants after the water-brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God. v. 2. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 84:2. My soul longs, yea even faints for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh cries (shouts aloud) out for the living God. Now answerable to these must be the actual breathings of God, strong impressions, even until the soul be like the thirsty ground, like the chased hart, dying, swooning, and fainting, and in a fever of love-sickness for Christ: all which argue there must be valid and mighty influences upon the soul. Ah, little of the love of Christ is a feast that soon fills and satisfies us. Dry, faint, and dead acts of praying and seeking, speak weak influences and coldness of indifference, whether we have Christ or want him.