Christ the Fountain of Strength to All His Saints

_2 TIM. 2:1_Thou therefore my son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus.

Now that we are met together to receive the Lords supper and to be partakers of that holy Sacrament, we are seriously to consider what we are to do, When we draw near to the Lord in such a holy business: you shall find that there are two things to be done.

One is, that every man is to examine himself, that is, to try whether there be any grace in his heart or no, any beginnings of grace: because if there be no grace, a man eats, and drinks his own damnation, or judgement to himself.

Another thing is, if there be any grace, then the end of the sacrament is for the confirmation, and the strengthening of this grace, and to build him up further: therefore we must consider how we should grow in that grace. This text will help us in both these. For in this inquisition whether there be anygrace in our hearts or no, we must examine it by some characters of grace. Now the principal character is that it makes a man strong, grace give a man power and strength, which is intimated in this. You therefore my son be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus.

And then for the growth of grace, the question is where we shall have it? Surely it is to be drawn out of the fountain, that is in Iesus Christ, be strong in grace, that is, the grace that we receive from Iesus Christ. Now we do not take it immediately from him, we do not come so near to the well-head: but we draw it by certain conconduit-pipes: there are certain veins, and arteries, that convey this grace from Christ to the heart of a Christian, certain duggs by which we suck it from him, and those are the Lords Ordinances, the word, and sacraments. This text will give us opportuuity of both these.

The scope briefly is this: when the Apostle had told Timothy what his own sufferings were, how many difficult cases he had passed through, says he you are my son; you must go in the same steps your father has gone before you, you must also suffer persecution; you have also the ministery of grace committed to you, therefore be strong in the Lords work.

But how shall he be strong?

Says the Apostle, nothing strengtheneth but grace, be strong, through the grace, or in the grace, &c. that is, it is only grace that strengtheneth in the inner man, that makes a man able to do spiritual and holy duties.

But from where shall we have this grace?

Says he, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus; that is, the grace which is received from Christ Jesus: not only that which is received at our first conversion, but which we receive continually. As the Air receives light from the Sun, by a continual influxion; so there is a continual influence of grace from Christ.

Adam had grace originally inherent in him, but it is not so with us; there is not that inherency, (though there be that also, yet it differs from the other) because the grace that we have now, is wholly received from our conjunction with Christ Jesus. We should therefore presently lose all if there were a disjunction between Christ and us. And that is the ground why we cannot fall from grace, because we cannot be divided from Christ.

Now I say, in these words you shall see a character, or property of grace; You my son be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus. This point then you see does first offer it self to us evidently; That

It is the property, or nature of grace to make us strong;to make us able to perform the duties of new obedience.

So that now, when you are to come to the Sacrament, and to consider whether you have grace; that is a business in which you may occupy your minds, to consider whether you have this character of grace, that it make you strong, and able to do the work of the Lord.

For the opening of this point, I will do two things.

First, I will shew you what grace is, what is signified by this word Grace, that we may understand what is meant by it.

Secondly, I will shew you the reason why it makes us strong.

First of all, grace, it is a supernatural peculiar quality, wrought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, whereby we are enabled to please God in all things.

First, I say grace is a quality, for you must know, there is a double grace mentioned in the Scripture: There is the grace of justification, which is a thing in God alone, it is his favour to us, whereby he accepts us in his Son, Romans 6:14. Sin shall have no dominion over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace; that is, you are in the state of grace, or favour with God: so in Rom. 3. Yeare justified freely by his grace, that is, of his meer favour, not of debt, or due, not by works.

But now there is mention made likewise of grace in other places, where you shall see it is taken for an inherent quality, as in Heb. 12. the last verse but one; Seeing we have such a kingdom, let us have grace in our hearts toserve him with godly fear and reverence. Mark it, Let us have grace to serve him; that is, let us labor to have this holy quality of grace wrought in our hearts, that it may strengthen and enable us to serve him, that so we may please him in all things with fear and reverence; so likewise, 2 Pet. 3. ult. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ; growth is properly of that which is a permanent thing, of that which is an inherent thing, as when a thing is said to grow whiter and whiter, &c. so I say, grace is an inherent quality, which is stamped upon the heart, which is begotten in the heart.

But then I add, that it is a supernatural quality, that is, it is such a quality as elevates and raiseth a man, that enableth a man to do more then he is able to do by the strength of nature. As for example, to illustrate it; If you take water of it self, you know it is able to make your hands cold, or any thing that is put into it; but if you will have water do any thing above the nature of it, you must put in a higher quality; if you will have it heat, you must put it to the fire. So it is here, we are able to do the things agreeable to nature, without any special help; but when we are to do the duties of new obedience, to please God, to do things that nature cannot reach to, we must have a higher quality infused into our hearts: therefore I say, grace is a supernatural quality that raiseth nature, that elevates it, that helps it to do more then otherwise it is able to do.

Again, I add, that it is a supernatural peculiar quality, because there are some common supernatural gifts, as those gifts of temperance, knowledge, patience, meekness, and the like; these are the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and these are many times wrought in the hearts of those that are not truly sanctified; and these are supernatural gifts too: but yet they are but common gifts; they are such gifts as the Holy Ghost bestows upon those that are not elected to life. But now saving grace is a gift peculiar to the Elect, peculiar to those that are within the Covenant; therefore to make a distinction, we put them together in the description, and say it is a supernatural peculiar quality.

Again, further I add, that it is wrought in us by theHoly Ghost, because no creature in heaven or earth is able to work grace in any mans heart: for to put grace into the heart, is to put life into the heart; now to put life into the heart, is the property of the Spirit, it is he that makes a man to live another life, that as it is only fire that can beget heat, so it is only the Holy Ghost that can beget life. It is true, other instruments are used; the Word is an instrument, and holy men are instruments, but yet it is the Holy Ghost that works it principally, and all instruments can do nothing without the influence of the Holy Ghost.

I add again, to make it yet more full, that it is wrought by the Holy Ghost, whereby we are enabled to please God; All those other common graces, and all the effects and fruits of them, though the things be good in themselves, and supernatural, because they come from the holy Spirit, yet they do not please God, that is, the Lord is not so well pleased, as to accept the man, that is the Subject and the Agent of them to eternall life. Only by faith a man is able to please God, and faith you know is the principle and root of all other graces, it is only grace that makes a man able to please him, because the Lord delights in that which is like to himself. This grace is the stamp and Image of God; till a man then have such a quality in him, and that all the works that he does proceeds from this Image, he pleaseth not God.

Lastly, I add, it enableth him to please God in all things; for it is the property of grace, that as it has a general being spread through the whole soul, so it has general effects, that is, it has an influence into all a mans life, into all his actions, so that whatever he does, there is some tincture of grace seen in it, some leaven (as I may say) of grace, some taste of grace. Such a grace as is bestowed upon a man as a common gift, it helps a man to do such a particular business; it makes him mek, it makes him temperate, it makes him to understand his profession, it makes him able to rule, &c. but yet this property it has not, to have a general influence into all that a man does, into all his actions; for that is only the property of saving grace, it enableth us to please God in all things. So we see briefly what grace is.

Now I say, this grace strengtheneth us wherever it is, it makes a man strong in the inner man, it makes him able to do the duties of new obedience, he is not only willing and desirous, and purposing to do them, but it gives him power, and strength, and vigor to go through with the work; and the reasons are two.

First, because grace changeth the nature of a man, when a mans nature is changed, that he does naturally, he does it strongly. There is nothing so strong as the course of nature; you see it is hard to turn that: other things that are not natural, their course is easily altered; but to make a man another man, of a Lion to make him a Lamb; this grace can do, and nothing else. Now take all feigned and counterfeit things, they are feigned, and return quickly to their own nature again. You know guilded things last not long, the guilt weareth off; colours that are not wadded, they will not last, because they are but counterfeit, and counterfeit things abide not, they have no strength in them. Now grace, changing a mans nature, it runs strongly, it makes a man able to do the things he is set on work to do, that is the first Reason.

Secondly, Grace is the vigour, or strength, or efficacy of the spirit, the very force, and power of the holy Ghost. As it is said of the Gospel, It is the power of God to salvation: so you may say grace, it is the power of the spirit. All other things in a man do but proceed from the flesh, that is they have a root in the flesh: common graces have a rise in our selves; though there is a help of the holy Ghost in them, yet there is something of the flesh in them. Now whatever comes of the flesh, though it be beautiful, yet it is as a flower that will fade away. There is a weakness in all flesh, as there is a strength in spirit, which is intimated Isaiah 21:3. Fear not the Egyptians for they are flesh, and not spirit. As if he had said, if there be nothing with them but an arm of flesh, they are but weak: for weakness is that that follows the flesh as naturally as the shaddow does the body. Now I say grace is the immediate work of the spirit, the very power of the holy Ghost which is able to out-wrestle all difficulties, and to help us against all spiritual wickednesses, & assist us in all holy obedience.

But it may be objected, I but grace though it do strengthen thus, yet it is but a creature: for though it be a quality that is wrought by the holy Ghost in the heart, if it be so, yet it is but a creature; therefore seeing every creature is subject to weakness, how does grace strengthen a man thus?

To this I answer, First that grace is a quality of that nature, that it empties a man of himself, it is an emptying quality. It is not as other indowments, other qualities, and other habits put into the soul, but it is an emptying quality that takes a man off from his own bottom, it cuts him off from his own root, and ingrafts him into another, it teaches him to depend upon God. For if you look upon faith which is the main grace, and gift, (as it were) the root and foundation to all other graces, is it not an emptying Grace? what is faith but to teach a man to trust in God? Now no man trusts in another fully but he distrusts himself fully; it makes a man nothing in himself, and wholly dependant upon the Lord. Even such is grace, it takes a man quite off from any root of his own, and makes him as ivie that hangs upon and clasps about the tree, receives its being, and sustenance from it. So grace it annihilates the creature as it were, it takes a man off from that sufficiency that every man seeks to have in his own spheare, in his own nature, it teaches a man to know that he is not able to think a good thought, nor to do a good work of himself.

Again I answer, though it be a quality, and that our strength is from God immediately, yet God will have us to use means, and instruments, wherein he himself helps us to do. For it is true, if any man will trust to this habitual grace, which I say is an inherent quality wrought in the heart by the holy Ghost, if any man will grow careless in the strength of this grace, and say, well, I am now a man grown strong, I have now gotten some good measure of grace, therefore now I will venture upon occasions of sin, &c. Here a man makes flesh his arm, though he do trust to grace: for he ought not so to do, he ought to look up to God, for another transient exciting and assisting grace: besides this inherent quality which I speak of to have a dependance upon him; and yet not altogether to rest in that, for then a man should not be bound to increase in grace, and to grow in it, which every man is bound to do, grow in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ. Therefore there is a use of that, you must make account you are so much the stronger by it: for no man will labor for a thing but he will know some end of it. As we see in other things, a man may use the strength of horses, and of men, he may use means and friends; but still it is required that he remember how he useth them, that his eye be still upon the Lord as him that gives the strength. It is he that keeps that grace in being, it is he that must act it, and stir it up to do the works we are to do from time to time.

The chief use we are now to make of it is, to examine and try our selves whether we have grace in our hearts or no, by this property, and character of grace here set down, that it makes a man strong, you my son be strong in the grace, &c. We must I say examine our selves: for there are two special times wherein the Lord himself makes a privy search (as it were) the one is at the time of the Sacrament, the other at the day of death. Therefore when men come to the Lords Table, the Lord (as it were) goes down himself, and takes a view of the guests, and sees whether they be so qualified as men ought to be that come to his Table: therefore look to your selves now you are bidden, examine your selves.

In the Law a man might not come to the passeover but he must be circumcised: those you know were but legal types, and resembled somewhat else. You must not come to the Lords Supper, but there must be this circumcision made without hands, there must be such a fitness in you as you may be accepted: therefore you must examine your selves when you come here.

Again another time wherein the Lord makes this privy search is at our entrance into the wedding chamber, at the day of death, When the Bridegroom goes in, then the Lord searcheth whether we have oyl in our Lams or no: whether those that offer to enter in have any effects, any tincture of his Sons blood upon them. The effect of his Sons blood you shall see Hebrews 9:14. It is to purge the conscience from dead works. If there be no strikes (as it were) of his blood, if there be no dye of it, he gives the destroying Angel power to devour them: because there is not that grace that is the effect of the blood of Christ: they have no oyl in their Lamps, therefore they are shut out.

Therefore I say, when we come to the Lords Table, let us consider what we do: for you must know that the Lord admits none to his Table but friends, such as are of his acquainance; those that are strangers to him may not presume. If you come to the Lords Table, & be a stranger to him: that is, if you want grace in your heart, this quality that we now speak of, you have nothing to do here: for you must know that no man must sit at his Table here in earth, that is not to sit at his Table in Heaven, to sit with Abraham, Isaak and Jacob in his Kingdom. The Lord will take it for a great presumption; therefore take heed of intruding upon this duty.

When the Ark was brought among the Philistines, and the Bethshemites would be so bold as to look into it, the Lord smote fifty thousand of them for it. What was the reason of this? say they who shall stand before this holy Lord God. If the Lord were thus ready to revenge himself on them for prophaning of that which was but a type, what will he do for prophaning the body and blood of his Son? You know that is the comparison, Heb. 12. If any man transgressed against the Law of Moses,he received a recompence and reward: What will he do then to those that contemn the salvation that is brought by his Son? So if the Lord would do this for the prophaning of the Ark that was but a type of Christ Jesus, but a legal rite, that had but a shew of holinesse; what will he do, when we shall neglect, and abuse and prophane those things that are holy indeed?

We do not know what danger we incur when we come negligently to the Lords Supper. You see in 1 Cor. 11. That their negligent coming to the Lords Supper, because they did not discern the Lords Body, that is, because they did not discern the holinesse, the preciousnesse and excellency of his body, because they did not consider the holinesse of that duty; therefore says the Text, the Lord strook many of them with sicknesse, and some with death. It was certainly some contagion, some sicknesse at that time more then ordinary. And if you compare it with that before mentioned of the Bethshemites, you may see plainly that it is the Lords ordinary course to inflict a more then ordinary judgement upon those that are prophaners of holy things: therefore we may well say among other causes, that the unholy coming to the Lords Table is the cause of that great plague that of late has been in this place.

But you will say, I have received it and it may be negligently, but I have felt no such thing as this you speak of.

Perhaps you have not; but there is the spiritual plague and judgement which the Lord has put upon you, as a revenge for your unworthy receiving of the Sacrament. When John Baptist came to preach, the Scripture says he brought the ax with him, not that men were to be cut off from their natural life; but the meaning is, when men abuse these holy Ordinances, and will not receive the offer of the Gospel, and will not profit by the Gospel. When we do but preach the Gospel only to your ears, and no more, the Lord commonly smites such souls with spiritual judgements; he gives up such souls to hardness of heart: therefore when you come here, ask your selves this question, what grace have I in my heart? have I any life, any stomack, any taste to feed upon the Lord in the Sacrament? have I white raiment to cover my nakedness? if not, what do I here? You shall see in 1 Cor. 10. when men offer to come to this Sacrament without grace, what says the Apostle? Do you provoke the Lord to anger? are you stronger then he? that is, the Lord takes it as a provokation to his face, as if you did despight the very spirit of grace: and so afterward says he, e cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils, you cannot partake of the Table of the Lord and the Table of devils; and therefore for a man to come to this holy Sacrament, and not cleanse himself from all pollution and filthiness of flesh and spirit, but will be partaker of the Lords Table, and join with it filthiness which should be abhorred, in so doing he provokes the Lord to anger; and what follows that? The Lord will put his strength against him to destroy him, Are you stronger then he? Therefore if I might but obtain so much, let me intreat you to enter into consideration of this.

To help you to this, we will apply the point, That the property of grace is to make a man strong; Now this power of grace is seen in three things.

First, the power and strength of grace is seen in this, That it heals corrupt nature, and it elevates and helps us to do more then common nature can reach to; for there are two things in every natural man; corrupt nature, which is contrary to grace, and common nature, which is beneath grace. Now when saving and sanctifying grace is come into the heart, it heals corrupt nature, and enableth to do more then common nature can do. Consider therefore whether this grace cure those hereditary diseases which we have received from Adam, those diseases which breed in the heart: Take any thing besides grace, if the Syre, and the Dam trot, it is a hard thing to work the contrary in the off-spring; but grace is able to heal those diseases that are hereditary. If you bring a man to a Physitian, and say such a man has a hereditary disease which he has received from his parents, he will presently give him over as a desperate Patient; but grace can cure those natural and hereditary diseases. Therefore in James 4:5. saih he, The spirit that is in us lusteth after envy, that is, there is this natural disease in every man, that his spirit is lusting; the word there used i [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] it is still boyling, or bubbling forth, it is still lusting after envy; But how shall we do to help it? says he, the Scripture offers more grace, that is, the Scripture gives grace that can do more then nature can do; it is able to heal that very ling whatever it be. That is, you must not think when a man has a strong natural infirmity hanging upon him, that all the vows and resolulutions and purposes in the world can help him, it is beyond natural help, but it is not past the help of grace. When Naaman the Assyrian could not be healed, he inquired what he should do, and when he came to the Prophet, there he was healed: so when the Disciples could not cast the Devil out of the man, they went to Christ, and he was able to do it. When you goest about to cast out any natural infirmity, or to heal any of your hereditary diseases, think with your self, though by nature I cannot do it, yet let me go to Christ, let me go to grace, that is able to do it, though it be past the cure of nature, it is not past Christs cure, it is not past the help of grace.

When Christ was upon the earth, they brought to him those that had old festred diseases, those that were born blind, and deaf, and dumb, and he healed them. The same Christ does now to the souls of men in the world, and that by the vertue and power of grace here spoken of; Therefore consider with your selves what natural infirmities you have, what hereditary diseases you have; if you find that they are not healed in you, that those bloody issues run as fresh as ever they did, you have not this grace: for it is able to heal nature, and to cure it wherever it comes.

But you will say, Is there any man that has these natural infirmities so wholly healed and cured?

I answer, No, I say not that they are altogether healed, but they are cured by grace, that is, grace so far heals them, that it gets the Mastery over them, there is the power of grace seen, therefore it is called a Kingdom, The Kingdom of God is in power, that is, it is such a Kingdom that gets the Mastery wherever it is, it has the dominion over the disease, and as we say, the power of any object it stands in this, that it subdues the faculty: so in this the power of grace is manifested, in that it overcomes those corruptions that are most hereditary.

As for example, take the grace of faith, I do not say that it heals all infidelity and doubting, but it overcomes it, so that it has the mastery and prevalency over it; faith is predominant above infidelity. For it is a rule that the School-men have, and a true one; faith does not exclude all doubting, but faith overcomes doubting: that is the nature of it, though it be assaulted with doubttings, yet it overcomes them; and as it is the nature of faith, so of every saving grace, it is prevalent and powerful. So is the grace of knowledge, it comes with a full evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, and brings every thought into subjection to it: though it suffers ignorance, and some other errors it may be to remain, yet it overcomes ignorance.

And so spiritual love, it brings under, and eats up, and swallows all other loves: and spiritual fear brings under all other fears. True desire subjugates all other inordinate desires; whereas on the contrary, when grace is not true, you shall have a kind of faith, and a kind of knowledge, and some good purposes and desires, and some fear of God: but these, though they be in the heart, they are not commanding and prevailing objects that bring the heart into subjection, they lie there glowing as a coal in the dark, but they do not overcome the darkness, but still their foolish heart is full of darkness, as the Scripture says, Rom. 1. So that you must remember, that it so heals these diseases, that yet still it gets the victory over the disease, though it does not altogether take away the disease: not that it dries up the fountain of these issues, so that they are no more, but the meaning is, that it gets the dominion over them, it masters them, and brings them down, that they have not the prevailing force as formerly; for it is the nature of sincerity that it gets the mastery. Sincerity is of that quality, that though it be the least of all graces in the beginning, yet it grows the strongest of all other. So I say grace heals after that manner; as for example, when a man is recovered out of his sickness, take the least degree of health, this least degree has the victory over the whole disease, it has overcome it. We say it has not overcome it fully and totally, yet that little degree of health runs through the whole man, and it over comes the disease, and at length grows stronger and stronger. So wherever these healing qualities of grace come, they have so much power as to get the mastery over corruption. Though the natural corruptions byass us, and draw us aside, yet I say they are healed. For mark that by the way, there is a great deal of difference between that unevenness and inconstancy that comes from the natural corruption of a man unsanctified, and that that proceeds from the remainder of those corruptions that are left in the soul after saving grace; In the one there is an unevenness of the kind, in the other, the unevennes of degrees. As for example, a man that has not his heart sanctified, he has his corruptions exprest by fits, this we say is an unevenness of kind, when a man sets himself in holy courses, and presently gives over himself to all his lusts. This is that unevenness spoken of, Iam. 1. such a man is unstablein all his wayes; the meaning is, such a man hangs between two objects, that he knows not whether he shall chuse this or that: like a man that has two wayes before him, and knows not whether of them he shall go, either this way, or that, but sometimes he is for God, another time he is for his lusts, his mind hangs in such an aequi librio, that he has nothing to sway him, such an unevenness there is in a natural man. Now this doublemindedness is opposed to singleness of heart, when a man is resolved to chuse one in such a manner, that he subjugates and leaves his choice and leaning to the other. So it is when grace is come into the heart, when it heals corruption, it brings a man to such a pass, that he chuseth the wayes of God, he chuseth to serve God with all his heart, with uprightness, and he chuseth it in a fixed, resolved manner. And though he may be byassed, and drawn aside, through the weakness and sickness that is left yet behind, yet I say he is pitched upon one object, therefore he is not said to have the inconstancy of kind, he is not instable in his wayes: so that though he may be sometimes carried out of his way, yet because he has set himself wholly to serve the Lord, we may say that he has a single heart: for grace does not take away all unevennes. The holiest men that have the most grace, yet that grace is subject to ebbing and flowing, it is sometimes in a greater degree, & somtimes in a less. You see a bowl that is cast out of a mans hand; so far as the strength of the man lasts it carries the bowl along to the place which he aims at notwithstanding the bias be (at it were) contrary; so it is here, the bias of corruption that is left within us, is not quite cut off or taken away; but yet the strength of grace with which the soul is first acted, it keeps us along, and carries us in the wayes of righteousness notwithstanding that biass that is within us that inclines to the contrary.

Hence it is, that sometimes the Saints are carried aside in their wayes with some unevenness, but it is the unevenness of degrees I say, not the unevenness of kind.

This I add that as we should exclude those that have no grace, notwithstanding they have some good intentions towards God; so we must be careful that we discourage not those that have some failing, and some expressions of their corruptions, yet the bent of their soul is set aright. This then is one thing wherein you shall see the evident power of grace when it is in the heart, it heales the hereditary diseases of the heart. Therefore let every man examine himself by that, whether that grace which is in him has so much power in it as to cure those natural diseases whereunto he is subject.

Now I say, it does not only cure the diseases of the soul, but it elevates, and raiseth common nature to do more then that which otherwise it could do. That is, in this the power of grace is seen, that it makes you able to do that which no man else can do, and that which you your self couldest never do before. As for example, for a man to delight in the commandments of God, it is more then any natural man in the world can do: because delight (as we say,) ariseth from a suitableness in the subject to the object. Now unless there be a suitableness between the wayes of God and the heart of a man, there cannot possibly be any delight in the wayes of God. It is one thing to approve the wayes of God, and another thing to delight in them. Other men that are but civil men may approve the wayes of God, but they cannot delight in them; this is more then a natural man can reach to. If therefore you find this in you, be assured the strength of grace is there. So, to love God, we find that peculiar to the Saints, that is more then any hypocrite in the world can do, if any man therefore find that grace so strong in him that it makes his heart cleave to the Lord wholly, and long after him that he loves him, and seekes his face: that he loves him not for other respects, but beholding him in his person, in his attributes, and in all his excellencies he can love him above all things, this no man by nature can attain to. And so to hate sin; no man by nature can hate sin, but by the power of grace, for all hatred ariseth from contrary, and only grace is contrary to sin; it is grace that makes a man a sin hater.

It is possible for another man sometimes to fall out with sin, and to abstain from some particular acts of sin: but to hate sin, no man can do it naturally. For there is no man that hates any thing, but he hates the whole kind of it; as the sheep hates the wolf, therefore it hates every wolf. And again hatred we know is implacable, when a man is angry, he is reconciled again sometimes, but when a man hates a thing, he would have it quite taken away. Now no man is able to do this but by the power of grace, to hate all sin, every where, in himself as well as in others, to hate it so, as to desire to have it utterly destroyed, and to be implacably out with it so as never again to be reconciled to it. This is the property of grace. This you have that you hatest the works of the Nicholaitans. We are deceived in that, when we think we hate sin, because we abstain from some acts of sin: if you didst hate it, you wouldest hate it every where and every kind of sin: You wouldest not only fall out with it when it does you a shrewd turn, but you wouldest be out with it for ever. When a man finds that he can hate sin, that he can love God, and delight in his Commandements, and love the Saints, &c. these are things that no man can do by nature; therefore if you find these things, there is more in you then nature, in this is the strength of grace seen.

Now it is true, there are other things which a man may do, which has not this saving grace; but grace has this efficacy, that it makes you do more then any man will or can do by common nature. As for example, wherever the power of grace is, it makes a man deny himself, whereas another man would not, it will make a man refuse gain, and profit, and advantage to himself, when another man would not; it makes a man able to forgive his enemies, which before he could not do.

But you will say, other men may do this that have no grace.

But they never do it in sincerity, here is the difference; grace makes a man do it ordinarily in his common course, another man may have some fits in these things, but to do it when a man is himself, to do it upon deliberation, this is the strength of grace, therefore you may try your selves by that. Am I able to do more then common nature can do? if you can not, be sure that grace is not there; for is there not an efficacy and power in grace? and why should we say there is a power in it, if we see not the effects of that power? if you do no more then another man can do, you givest just cause to those that are Atheists, to think that this power of grace is but a meer notion, but a fancy. Is it thinkest you for the honour of God, that you shouldest be reckoned a man within the Covenant; and to be such a one as has grace wrought in your heart, and have no power of grace in your life? Therefore examine your self by that, can you do more then a man can do by the strength of natural abilities? or by the accession of moral vertues, or good education, or humane wisdom, &c? This is the first thing wherein the power of grace is seen; I named three to you. We told you one is, that it heals corrupt nature, and raiseth common nature above its own sphear.

Now secondly, that whereby you may examine whether you have this property of grace, whether you have this strength of grace in you or no, it is this: Consider what you are able to do in the acts of new obedience; the power of grace is seen, that it enableth you to do them, when another man cannot do them. In the first we had to do with the nature; and then I told you that grace heals corrupt nature, and puts more into you then common nature: This second thing is distinct from that, and is seen in the actions. And the third is seen in the intententions: In these three the strength of grace is seen. There is scarce any man but has some good intentions, some good purposes; but when they come to the birth, there is no strength to bring forth, men are not able to perform them. Now grace wherever it is, has so much strength, as not only to beget good motions, but it is powerful and effectuall to bring them forth into act. Grace is an effectual Mid-wife to bring purposes and conceptions to performances, enabling us to do them. Therefore by that you may try it, whether grace strengthen you to performance, and practice that which you purpose and desire to do. It is observed, that your fennish and rotten ground suddenly shootes out a broad blade of grass, but we know it is unprofitable to any man, whereas good ground that brings forth good grass, brings it not forth so suddenly, nor so broad; so those that have unsoundness of heart, they may go so far as to have some sudden good purposes, and desires, and motions, and conceptions, but yt they come to nothing, they are but foggy purposes as it wre, they do not last, they vanish away; and what is the reason of that? they want true rooting, they want this grace that should strengthen them, and make the soyl good. There wants that depth of earth, that is, there wants that depth of sincerity, and there wants that sound and convincing knowledge to carry them through all objections, and that is the reason that men have good desires, and yet so little performance. Let his desires be never so good, when he meets with stronger reasons and arguments from the flesh, or the world, or the devil, he gives over, because he has no strength to answer them. So that when we come to perform our desires, it is grace that must give us strength, when we have not that we give over. The power of grace therefore is alwayes seen, in that it enableth us to go through the work, to perform it. Therefore the world is exceedingly deceived in the misapplication of that distinction, the Lord accepts the will for the deed. I say the misapplication of that is the cause why there is so much laziness and dulness in men, that they do not set themselves to go through with holy duties, for say they, we have a desire, and a purpose, and the Lord accepts the will for the deed.

You are exceedingly deceived, the Lord indeed will accept the will for the deed, when there is such an impediment as that you cannot proceed: for what is the occasion of that speech of the Apostle to the Corinthians, when they had liberal minds to supply the necessities of the Churches, and yet they wanted money, in this case says the Apostle, the Lord accepts the will for the deed. Will you say now therefore, because you have a good desire to serve God, to pray, to keep to Gods truth, to keep your heart close to him, and you hopest the Lord will take the desire for the deed, and yet you will be negligent in them? what impediment have you? If you wouldest bestow time in prayer, if you wouldest bestow time in working on your heart to warm it, and to quicken it to duty, you shouldest have the deed as well as the will, what hinders you then? where therefore there is no impediment, the Lord will not accept the will for the deed. Look how much will there is, so much deed there will be: when the will is wrought by the spirit of God, the deed will follow. I am able says Saint Paul (not only to purpose, and intend, but) to do all things. If you have the power of grace in you, as he here exhorts Timothy to be strong, you will go through with the work, I say if you have the power and strength of grace in you, you have strength and ability to do all these things.

Again, as the power of grace is seen in enabling you to do; so further it is seen in this that when you have begun to do, it keeps you from fainting in well-doing. Another man will have some fits in well-doing, but he is uneven, he is unlike himself. Now in this the power of grace is seen that though a man be sometimes transported through the violence of corruption, and passion, and the like, yet grace brings him back again: that is, he is not quite carried away with temptations, as the chaff with the wind, but he is held with a strong anchor, that though he float up and down, and be off and on in degrees, yet he is not carried clean away; Therefore you shall see, 2 Pet. 3. ult. take heed says he, that you be not drawn away from your stedfastness, but grow in grace, &c. As if he should say, this is the power of grace, that it will keep a man, that though he do sin, and forget God, and have some such falls as David had, yet in this is the power of it, that it never lets a man go quite, but still it brings him back again.

This is much for the comfort of those that are upright hearted: for some man might say alas though I do purpose, and have performed, and kept on in a good course yet I am apt to fail back again to my old sins, and am ready to return to my old courses.

It is true, you mayst do so; but yet in this be assured that the strength of grace will be manifested in your heart to kp t[•…]e from falling from your steadfastness, it will keep you along, it will not suffer you to go quite away, you will not depart from the Lord, Ier. 32 40, I will plantmy fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me. As for example, take Saul, and David, Saul was in a good course a great while, and he made many turnings aside, yet the Lord kept him by the common assistance of his spirit, yet at length he went quite away from the Lord. But now David, how many turnings aside had he? how many great infirmities had he? yet he had the sure mercies of David, the strength of grace kept him along that he never departed from the living God, he never went aside, so as he returned no more. Therefore if you find this, that though you fall, yet you are returning again, that your heart is never at rest till you have gotten the Lord again, it is a sign that you have the true touch of the spirit. As the needle we know that is touched with the load-stone, it never is at quiet till it find the north point again.

Lastly, As the strength of grace is seen in enabling us to do, and in keeping us from fainting: so it is seen in the particular things we do, in those good duties that we perform, the hearing of the word, communicating, the partaking of all the holy ordinances, in all the duties belonging to Gods Worship, in this I say the power of grace is seen. For as everything is in its being, so it is in its working: look what being and essence it has, such is the work of it. Now take those that are common, and counterfeit graces, which are not sound and right, they are able to reach the form of good duties, but not the substance: but where there is true lively grace, there a man is able to do the thing indeed, that is, he can do holy duties as he ought to do them. This is the property of grace that it enableth you to do the things you do with a pure heart: for my brethren it is grace that purifieth the heart, it is that which makes the inside clean; other things may cleanse the hands, and the head; Philosophy, education, and parts of morality; but the power of grace is such, as that when you come to do duties, it purifies the heart: because grace makes a man wise. Now a wise man will be sure to look to the foundation, that is, to look to the heart wherewith he performs every duty; the foundation is all in-all; a wise man will see with what heart he performs every duty: the outward performance is but as the top of the building, the foundation is the principal.

Besides grace puts a treasure into a mans heart, and makes him prize that treasure; and where a mans treasure is there his eye will be: he will look therefore to his heart in the performance of duties.

Besides, it teaches a man to exalt God as God in his heart, and when he is so exalted, he is more to him then a thousand witnesses. It enableth him to seek praise with God, and not with men.

Again, it gives a man light, whereby he can discern of the secret failings of his heart. Another man that has not light he cannot see them; he can see grosse enormities, but it is grace only that makes us to see small moats, inward failings; it is grace therefore that makes the inside clean.

And not only so, but it makes us perform duties in a holy and lively manner, it enableth us to do them to purpose. To perform them in a holy manner: for this is to perform duties in a holy manner, when the heart is apprehensive of the presence of God in the businesse only; for holinesse is to sequester a thing, and to appropriate it for the use of God only: so when you comest to perform a good duty, if your heart be altogether looking upon the Lord,, so that nothing without have to do with it, if nothing else come in, and take up your heart; not the sight of men, or the opinion of the creature, or the by-respects of any thing, none of these come and take a part of your heart, and use it (s it were) that is to perform a duty in a holy manner; Otherwise, whatever takes away the heart, or sets it on work, abates this holinesse; for then the heart is not made peculiar to God in the performance of a duty, for it meddles with common things. Grace I say enableth to do this, because grace sanctifies, that is, it makes a man really and in good earnest appropriate, and sequester his heart and minde to the Lord; so that he only looks to him to serve him holily in all duties: so is it when we pray, or preach, or do any publique or private duty, this is the holinesse of the heart, when it is done only to the Lord.

Again I say, it makes us perform duties, not only in a holy, but in a lively manner; for grace is the life of the soul. Where this life is not, we may do duties, but they are but dead works. Vital actions are only proper to grace, because only grace works life: a man never comes to perform a work that is a living work, but so far as it comes from grace; grace is the fire of the holy Ghost. Grace is to the soul as the lively and natural heat is in the body, which only acts it, and makes it to do the works of it. So grace in the soul is that only which begets livelinesse in duties wherewith they are to be performed.

Lastly, I add, it makes us perform them in a holy, lively and substantial manner, that is, to do them to some purpose. Take another man, he does these duties, but to what purpose are they? when we come to pray, and to do these duties, they are then done as they should be, when the end is obtained, then every businesse is done, when the end of it is effected, otherwise it is not done; we do not say a thing is done, because a man has been about it, but because he has obtained that end for which he took the businesse in hand. Consider now what is the end of the duties you do, what is the end of your praying, what is the end of your hearing? is the end of your hearing edification? is the end of your praying to be strengthened in grace? prayer is a lost prayer except the heart be strengthened by prayer, except the heart be made better, and more composed into communion with God, you pray not in the holy Ghost. Now then examine your selves by this; grace only enableth a man so to pray that he shall grow more heavenly in every prayer: whenever any other prayer is made without this power of grace, it is lip-labor, it does the heart no good. And so for keeping of the Sabaoth, The Sabaoth is made for man, that is, it is made for mans use, for mans benefit, for mans advantage. What is the advantage we get by a Sabaoth? That we may be built up and grow in grace and in knowledge and the like. Now a man without saving grace may abstain from all bodily labor, and servile work on the Sabaoth day, and be occupied in holy duties: but to keep it so as to get advantage by it, so as to get growth in knowledge and in grace, so that he shall have a greater stock of grace laid up in his soul by the use of the ordinances upon that day; this grace enableth a man to do. So, when a man comes to hear to purpose, to hear so as to please God in his hearing; to hear so as to get something into his heart by hearing, this only grace enableth to. You know what our Saviour says, Luke 18. Take heed how you hear, for to him that has shall be given. intimating that when you hear aright, you have more given in then you had before. Grace now enableth a man so to do the duty, that there is not only the task, the businesse, the work done and passed over, but it is done to purpose.

So when you come to receive the Sacrament, what is the end of your receiving? only to come, or to come with some outward reverence, or shews of devotion, &c? No; the utmost end of receiving the Sacrament is to get more strength of grace, to get more assurance of Faith, to get more perswasion of the love of God towards you, that your sinfull corruptions may be more healed; that the grace that is in you may be more enlivened. I say grace enableth to do this, and in this the power of it is seen: for without the power of grace you may do all these things, but not to purpose. I cannot enlarge these thing; but to finish this point, I beseech you in a word consider, whether you have the strength of grace in you or no, otherwise you receive the Sacrament in vain.

And let no man think, I will make up this with my absence, and fit my self against another time; that is not the way: Not to sacrifice, as well as to sacrifice amiss, was a sin: he that came not up to the passeover as well as he that came uncircumcised was to be cut off: he that would not come to the feast, as well as he that came not with the wedding garment, they were both lyable to judgement; therefore I say take heed. And if there were no other argument to move men not to defer their conversion, this were enough, that if a man come without grace to the Sacrament, he eats and drinks his own damnation; if he defer to come, he provokes the Lord to anger, and if he come unworthily without grace, he provokes him to anger likewise.