Chapter. VI: The Nature of this Work of Grace, in Which our Habitual Fitness for Suffering Lies
and glory of them. I do not deny but a man that is graceless may suffer many hard things upon the account of his profession, and suffer them all in vain as these scriptures manifest. See 1 Cor.
13:3. Gal. 3:4. And although you may find many sweet promises made to those that suffer for Christ, yet must consider that those pure and spiritual ends and motives by which men ought to be acted in their sufferings, are always supposed and implied in all these promises that are made to the external action. And sometimes it is expressed, 1 Pet. 4:16. To suffer [as a Christian] is to suffer from pure Christian principles, and in a Christian manner, with meekness, patience, self-denial, &c. and this grace only can enable you to do: So that by all this, I hope what I have undertaken in this character, viz. To evince the necessity of a work of grace to pass upon you, before sufferings for religion come, is performed to satisfaction.
Chapter. VI: The Nature of this Work of Grace, in Which our Habitual Fitness for Suffering Lies Wherein the nature of this work of grace, in which our habitual fitness for suffering lies, is briefly opened, and an account given of the great advantage the gracious person hath for any, even the hardest work thereby.
HAVING in the former chapter plainly evinced the necessity of saving grace to fit a man for sufferings; it will be expected now that some account be given you of the nature of the work, and how it advantages a man for the discharge of the hardest
services in religion: Both which I shall open in this chapter by a distinct explication of the parts of this description of it.
This work of grace, of which I am here to speak, consists in the real change of the whole man by the Spirit of God, whereby he is prepared for every, good work: In which brief description I shall open these four things to you, 1. That it is a change; that is palpably evident, both from scripture and experience, 2 Cor. 5:17. "Old things are past away, behold all things are become new;" and it is so sensible a change, that it is called a turning from darkness to light, Acts
26:18 and a new creature formed and brought forth. But to be a little more distinct and particular, there are several other changes that pass upon men, which must not be mistaken for this; and therefore, (1.) It is not a mere change of the judgment from error to truth, from Paganism to Christianity. Such a change Simon Magus had, yet still remained in the gall of bitterness, and fast bound in the bonds of iniquity, Acts 8:23.
(2.) Nor only of a man's practice, from profaneness to civility:
This is common among such as live under the light of the gospel, which breaking into men's consciences, thwarts their lusts, and over-awes them with the fears of hell: Which is no more than what the Gentiles had, Rom. 2:15. (3.) Nor is it a change from mere morality to mere formality in religion. Thus hypocrites are changed by the common gifts of the Spirit, illuminating their minds, and slightly touching their affections, Heb. 6:4, 5. (4.)
Nor is it such a change as justification makes, which is relative, and only alters the state and condition, Rom. 5:1, 2. (5.) Lastly,
It is not a change of the essence of a man; he remains essentially
the same person still. But this change consists in the infusion of new habits of grace into the old faculties; which immediately depose sin from its dominion over the soul, and deliver up the soul into the hands and government of Christ, so that it lives no more to itself, but to Christ. This is that change whereof we speak: And this change (2.) I assert to be real, no fancy, no delusion; not a groundless conceit, but it is really existent, extra mentem, whether you conceit it or not. Indeed the blind world would persuade us it is suppositious and fantastic; and that there is no such real difference betwixt one man and another as we affirm grace makes. And hence it is, that whosoever professeth it, is presently branded for a fanatic; and that scripture, Isa. 56:5. Stand by thyself, I am holier than thou, &c. clapt in their teeth in their absurd and perverse sense of it.
But I shall briefly offer these seven things to your consideration, which will abundantly evince the reality of it, and at once both stop the slanderous mouths of ignorant men, and silence those atheistical surmises, which at any time Satan may inject into the hearts of God's own people touching this matter. And first, let it be considered, that the Spirit of God hath represented to us this work of grace under such names and notions in scripture, as if they had been chosen purposely to obviate this calumny. It is called a creature, Gal. 6:15 a man, 1 Pet. 3:4 a new birth, John
3:3. Christ formed in us, Gal. 4:12. All which express its reality, and that it is not a conceited thing. (2.) It appears to be real by the marvellous effects it hath upon a man, turning him both in judgment, will, affections, and practice, quite counter to what he was before. This is evident in that famous instance of Paul, Gal.
1:23 which is abundantly attested and sealed by the constant
experience of all gracious souls that are witnesses of the truth hereof. (3.) A divine and Almighty power goes forth to produce and work it; and hence faith is said to be of the operation of God,
Col. 2:12. Yea, that the same power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead, goes to the production of it, Eph. 1:19, 20. And if so, how much less than blasphemy is it, to call it a conceit or fancy? Doth God set on work his infinite power to beget a fancy, or raise an imagination? (4.) Conceits and whimsies abound most in men of weak reason: Children, and such as are crackt in their understandings, have most of them: Strength of reason banishes them, as the sun doth mists and vapours: But now the more rational any gracious person is, by so much the more he is fixed, settled, and satisfied in the grounds of religion: Yea, there is the highest and purest reason in religion; and when this change is wrought upon men, it is carried on in a rational way,
Isa. 1:18. John 16:9. The Spirit overpowers the understanding with clear demonstrations, and silences all objections, pleas, and pretences to the contrary. (5.) It is a real thing, and gracious souls know it to be so; else so many thousands of the saints would never have suffered so many cruel torments and miseries, rather than forsake a fancy, and so save all. They have been so well satisfied of the reality of that which the world calls a fancy, that they have chosen rather to embrace the stake than deny it.
The constancy of Christians, in cleaving to religion, was common to a proverb among the heathen; who when they would express the greatest difficulty, would say, 'You may as soon turn a Christian from Christ as do it.' Surely no wise man would sacrifice his liberty, estate, life, and all that is dear, for a conceit.
(6.) Its reality appears in its uniformity in all those in whom it is
wrought: They have all obtained like precious faith, 2 Pet. 1:1.
They are all changed into the same image, 2 Cor. 3:18. Three thousand persons affected in one and the same manner at one sermon, Acts 2:37. Could one and the same conceit possess them altogether? Take two Christians that live a thousand miles distant from each other, that never heard of one another, let these persons be examined, and their reports compared, and see if they do not substantially agree, and whether as face answers face in the water, so their experiences do not answer one to the other? Which could never be, if it were a groundless conceit. (7.)
And lastly, It is manifest it is a reality, and puts a real difference betwixt one and another, because God carries himself so differently towards them after their conversion; now he smiles, before he frowned; now they are under the promises, before they were under the threats and curses; and what a vast difference will he put betwixt the one and the other in that great day? See
Mat. 25. Surely if these nominal Christians did but differ in conceit, not really from others, the righteous Judge of all the earth would not pass such a different judgment and doom upon them.
By all this you evidently see, that grace is a real change, and not a conceited one.
3. We say that this real change passes upon the whole man: he is changed in soul, body, and practice: all things are become new.
(1.) This change appears in his soul: For by it, (1.) His understanding is strangely altered, and receive things in another way than formerly. It did look at Christ and things eternal as uncertain and light matters; the things that are seen and present
do mostly affect, and appeared great and excellent: It admired riches and honour, whilst Christ and glory were overlooked and despised. But now all these temporals are esteemed dung, dross, vanity, Phil. 3:8. 11. Rom. 8:18. And Jesus Christ is now esteemed the wisdom and the power of God, 1 Cor. 1:23, 24. It did look on the saints as despicable persons, but now as the excellent of the earth, Psal. 16:3. Strictness and duty was once esteemed a needless thing, but now the only thing desirable,
Psal. 119:14. "Oh, saith the renewed soul, where were mine eyes, that I could see no more excellency in Christ, his ways and people?" (2.) It stops not there (as it doth in hypocrites) but passes on further, and reduces the will; that strong hold is taken, and delivered up to Christ. It did rebel against God, and could not be subject, but now it submits, Acts 9:6. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? In the day of Christ's power he presents himself in all his drawing glory and loveliness before the will, and cries to that stubborn faculty, Open to me, open to me; with which word there goes forth an opening and subduing power, which the will no sooner feels, but it spontaneously moves towards him, and saith, Stand open ye everlasting gates, that the King of glory may come in. Henceforth it votes for God, subscribes and submits to his will as its only rule and law; and indeed it becomes the principal seat where grace makes its residence; and where, for the most part, it is more visible than in any other faculty. For after a man hath searched for it in all other faculties, and cannot discern it, yet here he ordinarily finds it; to will is present, Rom. 7:18. (3.) The will being thus gained to Christ, love comes in of course; it, feeling the power of grace also, presently changeth its object: It seizeth not so greedily on
earthly objects as before, but is strangely cooled and deadened to them, by the appearance of a far greater glory in Jesus Christ; which hath so captivated the soul, and strongly attracted their affection, that it is now become very remiss in all its actings towards them; and often (especially at first) it is so weaned from all things on earth, that the temptation seems to lie on the other extreme, even in too great neglect of our lawful employments and comforts. Now Jesus Christ, Cant. 1:3 his ordinances, Psal.
119:97 and his saints, 1 John 3:14 are the only delights and sweetest companions; he could sit from morning till night, to hear discourses of Christ his beloved, and could live and die in the company of his people, whose company is now most delightful and sweet, Psal. 119:63. (4.) The desires are altered, they pant no more after the dust of the earth, Psal. 4:6 but pant for God, as the hart after the water-brooks, Psal. 42:1. Yea, so big is the soul with them, that it is sometimes ready to faint, yea, to break with the longing it hath alter him, Psal. 119:20. (5.) The thoughts are changed, Psal. 119:113 and the thoughts of God are now most precious, Psal. 139:17. musing when alone of him; and in its solitudes the soul entertains itself with a delightful feast, which its thoughts of God bring in to refresh it, Psal. 63:5, 6. (6.)
The designs and projects of the soul are changed; all are now swallowed up in one grand design, even to approve himself to God, and be accepted of him, 2 Cor. 5:9 and if he fail not there, it will not much trouble him, if all his other designs should be dashed. It were easy to instance in the rest of the affections, and shew how grace spreads and diffuses itself into them all, as light in the air, or leaven in the lump; but this may suffice, to shew
how it passes upon the whole soul, and enters the several faculties and affections thereof.
And the soul being thus possest for God, the body with all its members is consequently resigned up to him also: For the will hath the empire of the members of the body, as well as of the passions and affections of the soul. These are not any more delivered up to execute the lusts of Satan, but are yielded up to God for his ends and uses, Rom. 6:19. And thus you have the third thing in the description made out also, that it is an universal, as well as a real change. But then,
4. Lastly, You must know that by this change God prepares a man for choice and excellent services; and this indeed is the main thing designed in this chapter, and is the result and issue of all that hath hitherto been said about this work of grace.
Beloved, can you imagine that God could employ his infinite and glorious power to produce this new creature in such an excellent nature, it being the master-piece of all his works of wonder wrought upon man, and not aim at some singular use and excellent end? Every wise agent designs some end; and what
God aims at he hath told us, Isa. 43:21. Eph. 2:20. And accordingly he expects singular things from such persons, Mat.
5:47. If God had not aimed at some new service, he need not have made a new creature: the old creature was fit enough for the old use and service it was employed in. But God hath some choice service to be done wherein he will be glorified. He will have his name glorified, even in this world, by the active and passive obedience of his people. But this being far above all the
power of nature, God therefore brings them forth in a new and heavenly nature, endowed with rare, supernatural, and divine qualities, by which it is fitted and excellently prepared for any service of God, by doing or by suffering, which before he had no fitness or ability for.
The very make and constitution of this new creature speaks its use and end: As now, if a man look upon a sword or knife,
(supposing he had never seen either before) yet, I say, by viewing the shape and properties of it, he will say, this was made to cut. Even so here, this new creature was formed for some glorious and singular service for God, to which it is exceedingly advantaged, whether God put you upon doing or suffering. If you ask wherein this advantage of the new creature to honour
God either way lies; I answer, it principally consists in its heavenly inclination, or natural tendency to God. This is its great advantage; for, by virtue of this, 1. If God call a man to any duty, there is a principle within, closing with the command without, and moving the soul freely and spontaneously to duty, Psal. 27:8. If God say, Seek my face, such an heart echoes to the call, Thy face, Lord, will I seek: And this is it which is called, The writing of God's law in the heart,
Jer. 31:33 and must needs be a mighty advantage; for now its work is its delight and wages, Psal. 19:11. The command to such a soul is not grievous, 1 John 5:3 and by this it is kept from tiring in duty, and being weary of its work. As you see what pains children can take at play, how they will run and sweat, and endure knocks and falls, and take no notice of it; put them upon any manual labour, and they cannot endure half so much: When
our work is our delight, we never faint not tire at it. This inclination to God is to the soul as wings to a bird, or sails to a ship. This carries the soul easily through every duty. O there is a vast difference betwixt a man that works for wages, and one whose work is wages to him. And here you may at once see wherein the principal difference betwixt the hypocrite and real
Christian lies in the performance of duty; and also have a true account of the reason why one perseveres in his work to the end, when the other flags. Why, here is the true account of both; the one is moved to duty from a natural inclination to it, the other is forced upon it by some external motives: For the hypocrite takes not delight in the spiritual and inward part of duty, but is secretly weary of it, Mal. 1:13. only his ambition and self-ends put him upon it is as a task. But now the upright heart goes to God as his joy, Psal. 63:4. And saith, "It is good for me to draw nigh to God," Psal. 73: ult. When the sabbath comes, (that golden spot of the week,) oh how he longs to see the beauty of the Lord in his ordinances! Psal. 27:4. And when engaged in the worship of God, he cannot satisfy himself in bodily service, or to serve God in the oldness of the letter. He knoweth that this persuasion comes not of him that called him, Gal. 5:7, 8. He labours to engage his heart to approach to God, Jer. 30:21. And hence those mountings of heart and violent sallies of the desires heavenward. And thus you see one rare advantage to glorify God actively, flowing from the inclination of this new creature.
2. But then, secondly, hence in like manner hath the soul as great an advantage for sufferings; for this new creature having such a natural tendency to God, will enable the soul in which it is, to break its way to God through all the interposing obstacles