Sermon 7 - I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily - Hosea 14:5,6
but especially makes this good, 'I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him.'
THE SEVENTH SERMON
I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his root as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.—HOSEA 14:5, 6.
THE church, as we heard, had been humbled, and therefore is comforted. It is usual in the Scriptures, especially in the prophetical parts thereof, after terrible threatenings to come with sweet promises; because God in all ages hath a church.* Therefore God in this chapter takes this course. He makes gracious promises to this people, grounded upon the former part of the chapter, wherein God had dictated unto them a form of prayer, repentance, and reformation. 'Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously,' &c.
Whereupon a reformation is promised, 'Asshur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses,' &c. Which was a reformation of that national sin which they were guilty of, false confidence. Now, as we have heard, God answers them to every particular. He makes a gracious promise, 'that he will heal their backsliding,' according to their prayer, 'Take away all iniquity.' And to that, 'receive us graciously,' he answers, 'I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him.'
Now, it cannot be but that God should regard the desires of his own Spirit, when both the words and Spirit proceed from him. Therefore he goes on more fully to answer their desire of 'doing good to them,' saying, 'I will be as the dew to Israel,' &c.
In which words the holy prophet doth first, by a metaphor and borrowed speech, set down the ground of all happiness. So that there is here given a more full satisfaction to the desires of the church.
1. The cause of all—'I will be as the dew,' &c.
2. The particular persons to whom—'to Israel.'
3. The fruit of this follows—'he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his root as Lebanon.'
Now the words read are a fuller satisfaction to the desires of God's people, which were stirred up by his own Spirit. 'I will be as dew unto
Israel.' Where, 1. You have set down the cause of all, which follows. God by his gracious Spirit will be 'as the dew unto Israel.'
2. And then upon that, the prosperous success this dew of God's Spirit hath in them, 'They shall grow as the lily.'
Obj. 1. Aye, but the lily grows, but hath no stability. Everything that grows is not well rooted. Therefore he adds, in the second place,
'They shall cast out their roots as Lebanon;' that is, with growth they shall have stability; not only grow in height speedily, but also grow fast in the root with firmness.
Obj. 2. And likewise, as everything that grows in root and firmness, doth not spread itself, he says, he shall not only grow upward, and take root downwards, 'but his branches shall spread;' whereby he shall be more fruitful and comfortable to others.
Obj. 3. Oh! but everything that grows, is rooted and spread, is not for all that fruitful; therefore, he saith, they shall be as the olive tree, 'His beauty shall be as the olive tree for fruitfulness.'
Obj. 4. Yet, though the olive be fruitful, it hath no pleasant smell nor good taste. Therefore he adds another blessing to that. They shall, in regard of their pleasantness to God and man, that shall delight in them, be 'as the smell of Lebanon;' which was a wondrous pleasant, delightful place, which yielded a pleasant savour round about. So we see what a complete kind of growth this is, wherein blessing upon blessing is promised. The Holy Ghost cannot enough satisfy himself in variety of comfortable expressions. Nothing is left unsatisfied that the heart can propound. He will make them grow, be stedfast, fruitful, delightful, and pleasant. So that we have here to consider:
1. The favour and blessing that he promiseth, to be 'as the dew to Israel.'
2. The excellency of it in divers particulars.
3. The order wherein it is promised.
Before we come to the words themselves, if we remember and read over the former part of the prophecy, we shall find it full of terrible curses, all opposite unto that here promised: to shew,
We can never be in so disconsolate a state, but God can alter all.
He hath a right hand as well as a left; blessings as well as curses; mercy as well as justice; which is more proper to his nature than that. Therefore let Christian souls never be discouraged with their condition and state whatsoever it is.
Reason. For, as there are many maladies, so there are many remedies opposite to them. As Solomon saith, 'This is set over against that,'
&c., Eccles. 7:14. If there be a thousand kinds of ills, there are many thousand kinds of remedies. For God is larger in his helps than we can be in our diseases and distresses, whatsoever they are, Zech. 1:19,
20, 21. Therefore it is good to make this use of it, to be so conceited of God, as may draw us nearer unto him upon all occasions.
Again, we see here how large the Spirit of God is in expressions of the particulars. 'I will be as the dew unto Israel: and he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty be large,' &c. Whereunto tends all this largeness of expression? God doth it in mercy unto us, who especially need it, being in a distressed, disconsolate estate. Therefore they are not words wastefully spent. We may marvel sometimes, in Isaiah, and so in some other prophets, to see the same things in substance so often repeated, though with variety of lively expressions, as it is, for the most part, the manner of every prophet. Surely, because it is useful and profitable, the people of God need it. There is, nor never was any man in a drooping, sinking condition, but he desires line upon line, word upon word, promise upon promise, expression upon expression.
Obj. One would think, is not a word of God sufficient?
Ans. Yes, for him, but not for us. We have doubting and drooping hearts, and therefore God adds sacraments and seals; not only one sacrament, but two; and in the sacrament not only bread, but wine also; to shew that Christ is all in all. What large expressions are here, thinks a profane heart, what needs this? As if God knew us not better than we know ourselves. Whensoever thou art touched in conscience with the sense of thy sins, and knowest how great, how powerful, how holy a God thou hast to deal with, who can endure no impure thing, thou wilt never find fault with his large expressions in his word and sacraments; and with the variety of his promises, when he translates out of the book of nature into his own book, all expressions of excellent things to spread forth his mercy and love. Is this needless? No; we need all. He that made us, redeemed us, preserves us, knows us better than we know ourselves. He who is infinite in wisdom and love takes this course.
And mark again, in the next place, how the Holy Ghost fetcheth here this comfort from things that are most excellent in their kind. 'They shall grow as the lily,' that grows fairly and speedily; 'and they shall
take root as Lebanon.' To shew that a Christian should be the excellent in his kind, he compares him in his right temper and state, to the most excellent things in nature; to the sun, to lions, trees of Lebanon, cedars, and olive trees for fruitfulness; and all to shew that a Christian should not be an ordinary man. All the excellencies of nature are little enough to set out the excellency of a Christian. He must be an extraordinary singular man. Saith Christ, 'What singular thing do ye?' Mat. 5:47. He must not be a common man. Therefore, when God would raise his people, he tells them, they should not be common men, but grow as lilies, be rooted as trees, fruitful as olives, and pleasant, beautiful, as the goodly, sweet-smelling trees of Libanus. How graciously doth God condescend unto us, to teach us by outward things, how to help our souls by our senses, that when we see the growth, fruitfulness, and sweetness of other things, we should call to mind what we should be, and what God hath promised we shall be, if we take this course and order formerly prescribed. Indeed, a wise Christian, endowed with the Spirit of God, extracts a quintessence out of everything, especially from those that God singles out to teach him his duty by. When he looks upon any plant, fruit, or tree that is pleasant, delightful, and fruitful, it should put him in mind of his duty.
'I will be as the dew to Israel,' &c.
These sweet promises in their order follow immediately upon this, that God would freely love them, and cease to be angry with them.
Then he adds the fruits of his love to their souls, and the effects of those fruits in many particulars; whence first of all we observe,
God's love is a fruitful love.
Wheresoever he loves, he makes the things lovely. We see things lovely, and then we love them; but God so loves us that in loving us he makes us lovely. So saith God by the prophet, 'I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners,' Isa. 57:18. And from this experience
of the fruitfulness of God's love, the church is brought in rejoicing, 'I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels,' Isa.
61:10. Thus he makes us such as may be amiable objects of his love that he may delight in.
Reason. For his love is the love, as of a gracious, so of a powerful, God, that can alter all things to us, and us to all things. He can bring us good out of everything, and do us good at all times, according to the church's prayer, 'Do good unto us.'
Use. Wherefore, seeing God can do us good, and since his love is not only a pardoning love, to take away his anger, but also so complete and fruitful a love, so full of spiritual favours, 'I will be as the dew unto Israel, and he shall grow up as the lily,' &c., let us stand more upon God's love than we have formerly done, and strive to have our hearts inflamed with love towards God again, as the prophet David doth, 'I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications,' Ps. 116:1. It may be for outward condition that even where God loves they may go backwards so and so; but for their best part, their souls, God will be as the 'dew to them,' and 'they shall grow as Lebanon.' God will be good to them in the best things; and a Christian, when he begins to know what the best things are, concerning a better life, he then learneth to value spiritual blessings and favours above all other whatsoever. Therefore God suits his promises to the desires of his children, that he would water their dry souls, that he would be as the dew unto them. God's love is a fruitful love, and fruitful in the best things. As we know what David saith,
'There be many who say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased,' Ps. 4:6, 7. So God fits his gracious promise, answerable to the desires of a gracious heart,
'I will be as the dew to Israel.'
2. To come to the words, in particular, for this is the ground of all that follows, 'I will be as the dew unto Israel.'
Quest. How will God be as the dew to Israel?
Ans. This is especially meant of, and performed to, the church under the New Testament, especially next unto Christ's time, when the dew of grace fell in greatest abundance upon the church. The comfortable, sanctifying, fruitful grace of God is compared to dew in many respects.
First, the dew doth come from above. God sends it, it drops from above, and cannot be commanded by the creature. So all other gifts, and especially this perfect gift, the grace of God, comes from above, from the Father of lights. There is no principle of grace naturally within a man. It is as childish to think that grace comes from any principle within us, as to think that the dew which falls upon a stone is the sweat of the stone, as children think that the stone sweats, when it is the dew that has fallen upon it. Certainly our hearts, in regard of themselves, are barren and dry. Wherefore, God's grace, in regard of the original, is compared to dew, which should teach us to go to God, as the church doth here, and pray him to deal graciously with us, to do good to us, for this cause laying open our souls unto him, to shed his grace into them.
Secondly, the dew doth fall insensibly and invisibly. So the grace of God. We feel the comfort, sweetness, and operation of it, but it falls insensibly without observation. Inferior things here feel the sweet and comfortable influence of the heavens, but who sees the active influence upon them? which, how it is derived from superior bodies to the inferior, is not observable. As our Saviour speaks of the beginnings of grace and workings of it, 'The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the
Spirit,' John 3:8. It works we know not how. We feel the work, but the manner of working is unknown to us. Grace, therefore, is wrought undiscernibly. No man can see the conversion of another; nay, no man almost can discern his own conversion at first.
Therefore, this question should not much trouble you, Shew us the first hour, the first time of your conversion and entrance into the state of grace. Grace, to many, falls like the dew, by little and little, drop and drop, line upon line. It falls sweetly and undiscernibly upon them at the first. Therefore, it is hard to set down the first time, seeing, as our blessed Saviour speaks, grace at the first is wondrous little, likened to a grain of mustard-seed; but though it be small at first, yet nothing is more glorious and beautiful afterwards, for from a small seed it grows to overspread and be great, shooting out branches, Mark 4:31, 32. And as the root of Jesse was a despised stock, and in show a dead root, yet thence Christ rose, a branch as high as heaven; so the beginning of a Christian is despised and little, like a dead stock, as it were; but they grow upward and upward still, till they come to heaven itself, Prov. 4:18. Thus we see there is nothing in the world more undiscernible in the beginning than the work of grace, which must make us not over-curious to examine exactly the first beginnings thereof, because it is as the falling of the dew, or 'the blowing of the wind.'
Thirdly, Again, as it falls undiscernibly and invisibly, so very sweetly and mildly, not violating the nature or course of anything, but rather helping and cherishing the same; or if it make any change in anything, it doth it mildly and gently. So usually, unless it be in some extraordinary case, God works upon the soul by his grace mildly and sweetly. Grace works sweetly upon the soul, preserving its freedom; so as man, when he begins to be good, shall be freely good, from inward principles wrought in him. His judgment shall like the course he takes, and be clean opposite to others that are contrary, from an inward principle; as free now in altering his course, as formerly he was in following the other. There is no violence, but in regard of corruption. God works strongly and mildly: strongly, for he changeth a stone into a fleshly heart; and yet sweetly: he breaks not any power
of nature, but advanceth it. For grace doth not take away or imprison nature, but lifts it up, and sets it at liberty. For it makes the will stronger and freer, the judgment sounder, the understanding clearer, the affections more orderly. It makes all things better, so that no violence is offered to nature.
Fourthly, Again, grace is compared to dew, in regard of the operations of dew. For, what effects hath dew upon the earth?
(1.) It cools the air when it falls, and then with coolness it hath a fructifying virtue; for falling especially on tender herbs and plants, it soaks into the root of them, and makes them fruitful. So it is with the grace of God's Spirit. It cools the soul, scorched with the sense of God's anger; as indeed all our souls will be, when we have to deal with God, who is 'a consuming fire,' Heb. 12:29, till we take that course to look upon him in Christ for the pardon of sin; after which his grace and the sense of it cooleth, assuageth, and speaks peace to an uncomfortable, disconsolate heart. This voice, 'Son, be of good comfort, thy sins are forgiven thee.' Oh, this hath a cooling in it! and this also, 'This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' Oh, how it cooled and cheered the good thief, and comforted him! And so when
God says unto the soul, 'I am thy salvation;' Oh, when the soul feels this, how is it cooled and refreshed!
(2.) And the soul is not only cooled and refreshed, but it is also sweetened and made fruitful with comfort to the soul. If we were to see a man in the pangs of conscience, stung with fiery temptations, as with so many fiery serpents and poisoned darts, which drink up the spirits, and presents God a consuming fire; and hell beneath, full of insupportable torments, set on by the insupportable wrath of God: then we should know what it were to have grace in this efficacious manner, cooling and refreshing the soul, that hath these fiery darts stuck into it of violent strong temptations, which to the present sense are the flashes and beginnings of hell. Oh, it is an excellent thing to have the grace of God in such a case to assuage and cool the maladies of a distressed soul, which for the present seems to burn in a flame of
wrath! As it cools, so also it makes the heart fruitful, our hearts of themselves being as the barren wilderness and wild desert. Now God by his grace turns 'the wilderness into water-springs,' as it appeareth in many places of the prophets. Saith God, 'For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed,' &c., Isa. 44:3; 45:8. So grace, it turns the barren wilderness, the heart, dry of itself, and makes it fruitful. We know what Paul said of Onesimus, a fruitless servant, nay, a fugitive thief. He is unfruitful no longer, saith he, now that he is become a convert, another, a new man, now he will do good service, Phil. 16. A man is no sooner altered by the dew of grace, but howsoever formerly he were a naughty, hurtful person, of whom every man was afraid because of his wickedness, yet now he is a fruitful person, and strives to bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life, Mat. 3:8.
Fifthly, And we may add one more, in the next place, in regard of the unresistibleness thereof; for as nothing can hinder the dew from falling from the sweet influence of heaven unto us, or hinder the working of those superior bodies upon the inferior, or hinder the wind from blowing; so who can hinder God's grace? Job 38:37. They may, out of malice, hinder the means of it, and hinder the gracious working of the Spirit, by discouragements in others; which is a sign of a devilish spirit, when yet God hath a hand in that too after a sort.
For it raineth in one city, and not in another, by God's appointment; but nothing can hinder, where God will have the dew and water, and shine of the influence of grace, work. Nothing in the world can stop it. So it is said in that excellent prophecy of Christ and his kingdom,
'He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth,' which as they cool and fructify, so come they unresistibly, Ps. 72:6.
Use. Let none, therefore, be discouraged with the deadness, dryness, and barrenness of their own hearts; but let them know that God doth graciously promise, if they will take the course formerly set down, to be 'as the dew unto them.' Therefore let them come unto the ordinances of God, with wondrous hope, confidence, and faith, that
he will be as dew unto them; that, seeing he hath appointed variety of ordinances, the word and sacraments, he will bless those means of his own ordaining and appointing, for his own ends. He that hath graciously appointed such means of grace, will he not bless them? especially having promised, 'I will be as the dew unto Israel.'
Therefore let us attend upon the ordinances, and not keep away, though our hearts be barren, dry, and unfruitful. God is above the heart, and able to turn the wilderness into a fruitful place. He can make the heart a fit habitation for himself to dwell in. Let us by faith attend upon the ordinances. If we find not comfort in one ordinance, let us go unto another, and another. Comfort and help shall come, especially if, with the church, we 'go a little further,' Cant. 3:4; for the promise is, 'I will be as the dew unto Israel.'
But mark the order wherein he makes this promise.
First, He gives grace to pray to him. 'Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously;' 'Do good to us.'
Then, second, he gives a spirit of reformation, promising amendment; whereupon this followeth, 'that he will forgive their sins, love them freely,' &c., and be 'as the dew unto Israel.' He will be as the dew unto Israel; but he will give them grace first to be humbled, confess sin, and pray to God for grace and forgiveness.
There is an order of working in the soul. God giveth justification before sanctification; and before he freeth from the guilt of sin, he gives grace to confess sin. 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from them,' saith St John, 1 John 1:9. Where these go before, grace will follow; and where they do not, there will be no sanctification. Therefore let us consider the order; for wheresoever God 'takes away iniquity,' and heals their souls, in regard of the guilt of their sins, unto those he will be as dew.
Therefore, if we have still barren souls, without desires or strength to goodness, certainly our sins are still upon the file;* for justification is never without holiness of life. 'Whosoever is in Christ, he is a new creature,' 2 Cor. 5:17. When this is done, God will be 'as the dew;'
because he doth pardon our sins for this cause, that he may thereby fit us to be entertained in the covenant; and are we fit to be in covenant with him, until our natures be altered? Therefore, whensoever he enters into covenant with any, he changeth their natures, that they may be friends, and have communion with him.
Then the same soul which crieth, 'Take away all iniquity,' desireth also the dew of grace to make it better. This order is not only necessary on God's part, but in regard of the soul also. For was there ever any soul, from the beginning of the world, that truly desired forgiveness of sins, which did not also therewith desire grace? Such a soul were but a hypocritical soul. For if it be rightly touched with sorrow, it desires as well ability to subdue sin, as forgiveness of sin; holiness and righteousness, with forgiveness, Luke 1:75.
Use 1. Therefore, lest we deceive ourselves, let this be an use of trial from the order, that if we find not grace wrought in our natures to restrain sin, and alter our former lewd courses, our sins are not yet forgiven. For, wheresoever God takes away sin, and 'loves freely,' there also he gives the best fruits of his love, bestows the dew of his grace, to work upon and alter our natures. Christ came not by blood alone, to die for us; but by water also, to sanctify us, 1 John 5:6. He will not only 'love freely,' but he will be 'as the dew,' where he loves freely. Therefore, if we have not sanctifying grace, we have not as yet pardoning grace. For we know the prophet joins them both together.
'Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile,' Ps. 32:1, 2. If we retain a guileful, false spirit, our sins are not forgiven. We see both these are put together.
Use 2. And seeing all these good things come from God, it is necessary to take notice of what hath been said of God's goodness, that we do not rob God of his due glory, nor ourselves of the due comfort that we may draw thence. The Egyptians had the river Nylus, that overflowed the land every year, caused by anniversary winds, which so blew into the mouth of the river, that it could not discharge itself into the sea; whereupon it overflowed the banks, and left a
fruitful slime upon the ground, so that they needed not rain as other countries, because it was watered with Nylus. Hereupon they did not depend upon God's blessing, nor were so holy as they should; but were proud of their river, as is intimated by Moses unto the people.
'But the land whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowest thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: but the land whither ye go to possess it is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: a land which the Lord thy God careth for,' &c.,
Deut. 11:10, 11. They having more immediately rain from heaven, saw God's hand in watering it, whereas the Egyptians did not. And what makes a papist to be so unthankful? He thinks he can with his own industry water his own ground with somewhat in himself. What makes another man thankful, on the other side? Because he knoweth he hath all things by dependence from the first Cause: for as in nature, 'In God we live, move, and have our being,' Acts 17:28, much more in grace. We have all our nourishment, spiritual being, moving, and life from the dew of heaven. All our heat is from the Sun of righteousness,' Mal. 4:2, which makes a Christian life to be nothing else but a gracious dependence. 'I can do all things,' saith St Paul,'
Philip. 4:13. Big and great words! Oh, but it is 'through Christ that strengthens me.' These things must not be forgotten. For a child of the church is a child of grace. By grace he is what he is; he hath all from heaven. Suitable to the former place is that in Ezekiel. 'And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the Lord; because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it,' Ezek. 29:9. He shall be desolate, because he boasts and brags of his river, and depends not upon God for the sweet showers of the former and the latter rain. They boasted because it was a fat, fruitful country, which the Romans called their granary. But we must look for all from heaven. God by his Spirit will be as the dew.
You know in paradise there were four rivers that watered the garden of God, that sweet place, and made it fruitful; but the heads of all these rivers were out of paradise, Gen. 2:10. So it is with the church of God, 'There is a river, the streams whereof makes glad the city of
God,' as the Psalmist speaks, Ps. 46:4: many precious comfortable graces, the particulars whereof follow. But where is the head-spring of the river? It is in heaven. We have all from God, through Christ the Mediator. So, though we have of the water and dew, yet notwithstanding the head and spring of all is from without the church; in heaven, in Christ, in the Mediator. And, therefore, in all the excellent things we enjoy in the church, let us look to the original first cause, Christ by his Spirit. He is 'as the dew' to his church.
Use 3. This affords likewise an use of direction, how to come to have grace to sanctify and alter our natures.
Ans. Do as the church doth here; desire it of God. Lord, teach me to see and know my sins: Lord, 'Take away all iniquity, and receive me graciously;' Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee. O love me freely. Turn away thy angry face from my sins, and be as the dew unto my barren soul; my dead soul, O quicken it; make good thy promise, come swiftly, come speedily, come unresistibly, 'like rain upon the mown grass,' Ps. 72:6; as showers, to water with the dew of grace, and fructify my dry, parched soul. Thus we should be earnest with God for grace for ourselves, and for the churches abroad, for our church and state at home. Therefore, let such an use be made of it generally, as God, and not other foreign helps, may especially be trusted in: for it is the only way to destruction, to let God alone, and to trust to this body and that body. For in this case, many times, God makes those we trust in our destruction, as the Assyrians and Babylonians were the ruin of the ten tribes. But begin always first in heaven: set that great wheel a-working, and he will make all things comfortable, especially for our souls. Then we shall not only find him to make good this promise, 'I will be as the dew unto Israel;' but the residue which follow after.
'He shall grow as the lily,' &c.
Those unto whom God is dew, [he gives] a double blessing. He will make them grow, and so grow as they shall grow up as the lily.
Thistles, and nettles, and ill weeds grow apace also, but not as lilies.
But God's children are lilies, and then they grow as lilies.
Quest. How do Christians grow like lilies?
Ans. First, for beauty and glory. There is such a kind of glory and beauty in that plant, that it is said by our Saviour, that Solomon 'in all his royalty was not arrayed like one of these,' Mat. 6:29. Because his was a borrowed glory from the creature, but the lily hath a native beauty of its own.
2. Again, the lily hath a sweet and fragrant smell. So have Christians a sweetness and shining expressed in their conversation; as we have it a little after, 'His smell shall be as Lebanon,' &c.
3. And then again, in regard of purity and whiteness. So, Christians are pure and unspotted in their conversation, and their aim is purity and unspottedness. Whiteness betokens an unstained conversation.
So the people and children of God, they are lilies, beautiful and glorious in the eyes of God, and of all those who have spiritual eyes, to discern what spiritual excellency is; howsoever in regard of the world, their life be hidden. Their excellency is veiled with infirmities, afflictions, and disgraces by the malignant church; yet in God's esteem, and in the esteem of his children, they are lilies. All the dirt in the world cast upon a pearl cannot alter the nature of it. So, though the world go about to besmear these lilies with false imputations, yet they are lilies still, and have a glory upon them. For they have a better spirit and nature than the world hath. And they are sweeter in their conversation than the world; for when they have begun to be Christians, they sweeten their speeches and discourses.
There is no Christian who is not of a sweet conversation. So far as grace hath altered him, he is beautiful, lovely, and sweet, and hath the whiteness of sincerity.
4. Now as God's children are lilies, and then grow as lilies for sweetness, glory, and beauty; so they are like lilies, especially in
regard of sudden growth. When God gives a blessing, there is a strange growth on a sudden, as it is observed of this plant, that it grows very much in a night. So God's children, when his blessing is upon them, they thrive marvellously in a short space. To make this clear. When the dew of grace fell in our Saviour's time upon the Christian world, what a world of lilies grew suddenly! Three thousand in one day, at one sermon, converted by Peter, Acts 2:41.
The kingdom of heaven suffered violence in John Baptist's time, that is, the people thronged after the means of grace, and offered a holy violence to the things of God, Mat. 11:12. So when this dew of grace fell, it was prophesied of it, 'The youth of thy womb,' saith he, 'shall be as the morning dew,' Ps. 110:3. The dew comes out of the womb of the morning, for the morning begets it: 'Thy youth shall be as the dew of the morning,' that is, they shall come in great abundance, as we see it fell out in the first spring of the gospel. In the space of forty years, by the preaching of the apostles, what a deal of good was done through a great part of the world! How did the gospel then break out like lightning, by means of that blessed apostle Paul, who himself carried it through a great part of the world!
And now, in the second spring of the gospel, when Luther began to preach, in the period of a few years, how many countries were converted and turned to the gospel! England, Scotland, Swethland,*
Denmark, the Palatinate, a great part of France, Bohemia, and of the Netherlands. How many lilies grew up here on a sudden! Sudden growths are suspected, and well they may be. But when God will bless, in a short space a great deal of work shall be done. For God is not tied to length of time. He makes water to be wine every year in tract of time; for he turns the water of heaven into the juice of the grape. So there is water turned into wine; that done in tract of time, which he can do in a shorter time, as he did in the gospel, John 2:1,
&c. Where is the difference? That he did that miraculously in a short time, which he usually effects in continuance of time. So now many times he doth great matters in a short time, that his power may be known and seen the more, as we see now in these wars of Germany
(g) how quickly God hath turned his hand to help his church, and
hiss for a despised, forgotten nation to trample down the insulting, afflicting, menacing power of the proud enemy. And he can do so still, if our sins hinder him not. Surely if we stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord, we shall see great matters effected in a little time. 'They shall grow as the lily.' The accomplishment of this promise is not wholly yet come, for there be blessed times approaching, wherein, when the Jews are converted, 'they shall grow as the lily' in those glorious times there spoken of, at the conversion of the Jews and 'fulness of the Gentiles' coming in, Rom. 11:12, the accomplishment whereof we expect, to the rejoicing of our hearts, that they should at length prove indeed with us the true children of Abraham.
Use 1. Therefore, we should make this use of all. Labour that the dew of God may prove the dew of grace, that God would make us lilies. If we would be beautiful and glorious, have a lustre upon us, and be as much beyond others as pearls are beyond common stones, and as lilies are better than thorns and briers, let us labour to have the grace of God, so to be accounted lilies, whatsoever the world accounts of us.
Use 2. Again, if the work be wrought upon us, though the imputations of the world be otherwise, let us comfort ourselves, God accounts me a lily. Set this against the base esteem of the world, considering how God judgeth, and those who are led by his Spirit, who judge better of us. And in all association, combination, and linking in acquaintance, labour to join with those that are lilies, who cast a good and a sweet savour. For we shall gain by their acquaintance whom Solomon affirmeth to be better and more excellent than their brethren, Prov. 12:26. What are other people then? They are but thorns. Therefore, let not those which are lilies have too much or near acquaintance with thorns, lest they prick us, and, as our blessed Savour saith, turning again all to be-rent us, Mat.
7:6. It is said of our blessed Saviour in the Canticles, 'He feedeth among the lilies,' 2:16. And, indeed, where is there any true delight to be had under heaven but in their company who are gracious? What
can a man receive from profane spirits in regard of comfort of soul?
Nothing. They are as the barren wilderness that can yield nothing.
Their hearts are empty. Therefore, their tongues are worth nothing.
But let our delight be with David, toward the most excellent of the land, Ps. 101:6, and then we shall not only 'grow as the lily,' but, as it followeth, 'we shall cast forth our roots as Lebanon.'
'And cast forth his roots as Lebanon.'
Because we have spoken of growth, and shall have occasion to touch it hereafter, we will not be large in the point. God here promiseth a growth not only to the church, but to every particular Christian; and it is very necessary it should be so. For without growth neither can we give God his due honour, nor he receive the smell of a sweet sacrifice from us, as is fit. Nor can we without it withstand our enemies, or bear our crosses that God may call us to. Again, without growth and strength we cannot perform those great duties that God requires at our hands, of thankfulness; nor do things so cheerfully and sweetly as may be comfortable to us. In some* without growth we can do nothing acceptably either to God or his people. The more grace, the more acceptance, which is spoken that we may value the promises, this especially, that we shall grow up in grace and knowledge 'as the lily, and cast forth our roots as Lebanon.'
Quest. But how shall we come to grow?
Ans. 1. Go to God, that we may continually have from him the sanctifying dew of his grace. Go first for pardon of sin, then for a heart to reform our ways, to enter in a new covenant for the time to come, that we will not 'trust in Asshur,' but will renounce our particular personal sins; after which we shall find sanctifying grace, so as the dew of God's Spirit will make us grow. Therefore take this order to improve the promises. Go to God for his love in Christ, for the pardoning of sin, and accepting of us in him, that we may find a sense of his love in accepting of our persons, in the pardoning of our sin, which is the ground of love; for then this sense of his love will
kindle our love towards him again, feeling that we are in the state of grace. Then go to God for his promise in this order: Lord, thou hast promised that thou wilt be as the dew, and that we shall grow as lilies. Make good thy promise then, that I may find the effectual power of it transforming my soul into the blessed image of thy dear
Son!
2. And know that we must use all the means of growth, together with the promise; for, in the things of this life, if a man were assured that the next year would be a very plentiful year, would men therefore, because they were thus forewarned, hang up their ploughs, and not prepare their ground? No; but they would the rather be encouraged to take pains, because they know that howsoever God be pleased to vouchsafe plenty, yet he will do it in the use of means, observing and depending on his providence. So when he hath made gracious promises of the dew of his grace, and of growth as lilies, &c., this implieth a subordinate serving of his gracious providence. Therefore it is a way to stir us up unto the use of all means rather, and not to take us off from them. Even as God, when he told the Israelites, 'I will give you the land of Canaan,' Gen. 17:8, did only promise it, leaving the remainder to their conquest in the use of means. Should this have made them cast away their swords? No; but it was that they might fight, and fight the more courageously. So when God hath promised growth in grace, should this make us careless? Oh no; it should make us more diligent and careful, and comfort us in the use of means, knowing that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord, 1
Cor. 15:58. Now, Lord, I know I shall not lose my labour in hearing, in receiving of the sacrament, in the communion of saints, and use of sanctified means, for thou hast made a gracious promise that 'I shall grow as the lily,' and that thou wilt be 'as the dew unto me.'
Therefore make thy good work begun, effectual unto my poor soul, that it may flourish and be refreshed as a watered garden. But there are several sorts of growth formerly touched, either
1. A growing upward; or
2. A growing in the root; or 3. A spreading and growing in the fruit, and sweetness.
Therefore Christians must not always look to have their growth in one and the same place, but must wisely consider of God's prudent dealing with his children in this kind, as will be further seen hereafter in the particulars.
'He shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon.'
That is, he shall cast and spread, and so put forth his roots as Lebanon. He shall grow upward and downward. In regard of firmness, he shall be more rooted. In what proportion? Trees grow upwards, in that proportion they take root downwards, because otherwise they may be top-heavy and overturn, a blast of wind taking advantage of their tallness and weakness, to root them out the sooner. Therefore, proportionable to their spreading above, there must be a rooting in the ground. As the prophet speaks to Hezekiah of God's people, 'And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward,' 2
Kings 19:30. There must be firmness in the root, as well as growth in the branches, for which cause God here promiseth to the church and every Christian stability and fixedness, that as he groweth upward like the lily, so he should grow downward, firm and strong.
Quest. Now, whence comes this rootedness and firm stability of God's children?
Ans. Especially from this, that they are now in the covenant of grace, rooted in Christ, who is God-man, in whom they are firmly rooted. In Adam we had a root of our own, but now our root is in Christ. All grace is first poured into Christ's blessed nature, John 1:16, and then at a second hand, 'out of his fulness we all receive grace for grace.'
Being rooted in Christ we become firm, for there is in him an everlasting marriage and union. 'The root beareth us, we bear not the root,' Rom. 11:18. Christ beareth us, we bear not him. So now, in the
covenant of grace, all the firmness is out of us. Even as salvation itself was wrought out of us by a mediator, so it is kept by a mediator out of us. All goodness, grace, and favour of God to us is not in us, but in Christ; but it is so out of us, as Christ and we are one. But now we only speak of the cause of our firmness and stability, that because we are in the state of grace we have an everlasting firmness, as we are in Christ Jesus, God now making a second covenant, he will not have it disannulled as the first was, for his second works are better than his first. His first covenant was, 'Do this and live,' Lev. 18:5; but his second is, 'Believe this and live,' Rom. 10:9. So as howsoever our state in grace be but little, yet it is of a blessed, growing, spreading, firm nature, so sure as what is begun in grace will end in glory.
Where God gives the first fruits he will give tenths, yea, the full harvest and all, because by the covenant of grace we are one with Christ, who is an everlasting head that never dies. Subservient to this now we have promised in the covenant of grace that we shall never depart from him, and that he will never depart from us to do us good.
He puts an awe-band into our hearts, that we shall never depart from him. But this point being often touched, leaving it, we will come to answer some objections.
Obj. 1. It may seem that these things are not so. God's children do not always grow and spread themselves, but they are often overturned and fall.
Ans 1. This is nothing. They are moved, but not removed. They are as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever, Ps.
125:1, which, though it may be shaken with earthquakes, yet is not removed thereby. The gates of hell and sorrows of death may set sore upon them, but not prevail against them, Mat. 16:18. They may fall, but not fall away. They may be as a weather-beaten tree, but not as a tree pulled up by the roots. Therefore they are compared here to a tree whose root stands fast still. Thus much the church, after a sore trial and endurance of much affliction, confesseth, 'All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant; our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps
declined from thy way, though thou hast broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death,' &c., Ps. 44:17, 18,
19.
And again, though they fall, yet they learn to stand fast by their falls, are gainers by their losses, and become stronger by their weaknesses.
As tall cedars, the more they are shaken by the winds, the more deeply they take rooting; so Christians, the more storms and blasts they have, the more they are fastly rooted. That which we think to be the overthrow of God's children, doth but root them deeper. As Peter after his fall took deeper rooting, and David, &c., so after all outward storms and declinings, here is the fruit of all. They take deeper rooting, whilst their sins are purged away by their fiery afflictions,
Isa. 30:15.
Qbject. 2. But why then are they not more comfortable in their lives, in feeling and seeing of God's wise ordering of things?
Ans. 1. First, Because though God work strongly and surely in them, yet he doth it for the most part slowly, as the wise man speaks, 'all his works being beautiful in time,' Eccl. 3:11. Therefore they apprehend not their comforts as they ought, and so go mourning the longer: the time of knitting divine experiences together not being yet come.
Secondly, Because the anguish of the cross, if it be quick and sharp, many times takes away the apprehensions of God's excellent ends in the same; as the children of Israel could not hearken unto Moses, for anguish and vexation of spirit, Exod. 6:9. 'No affliction,' saith the apostle, 'for the present is joyous,' though afterwards it brings forth the quiet fruit of righteousness, Heb. 12:11.
Thirdly, Then again, Satan's malice, who casts in floods of temptations, is great. So that the soul cannot enjoy that sweet tranquillity and peace it otherwise might, casting in doubts and numbers of what-ifs into the soul. So that for a time, he causes a
strong diversion in them, whence after that, there followeth peace again, when those temptations are seen and overcome.
Fourthly, It is long also of ourselves, who are not armed for crosses and afflictions, until we are suddenly surprised by them. And then leaving our watchfulness, and forgetting our consolation, we are struck down for the present by them, and cannot support ourselves against them.
Fifthly, and lastly, It comes also from God's wise ordering and disposing providence, who will not do all at once. Our comforts must come by degrees, now a little and then a little. Our experience, and so our comforts, come together, after we have honoured God in dependence upon his will and pleasure. And yet this hinders not, but a Christian grows still, though he be for the present insensible of it, as a man is alive and grows whilst he sleeps, though he be not sensible of it. Other objections have been formerly touched.
'He shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon.'
We see then that the state of God's children is a firm and a stable condition, whence we may observe the difference betwixt God's people and others. God's people are rooted, and spread their root; but the other have rottenness in their root, being cursed, without any foundation. For take a man who is not a good Christian, where is his foundation? Only in the things of this world. Now all here is vanity, and we ourselves by trusting vanity become vain, 'Every man in his best estate is altogether vanity,' Ps. 62:9, vanity in himself, and trusts in vanity. What stableness can there be in vanity? Can a man, stare non stante, stand in a thing that stands not in itself? Will a picture continue that is drawn upon the ice? Will it not fail and melt away, when the ice upon which it is drawn thaws? So all these who have not the dew of God's grace, they are as a picture upon the water, have no foundation, and stand upon that which cannot stand itself. Therefore the Scripture compareth them to the worst of grass, which hath no good root; grass upon the housetop, which hath no blessing of those
that come by, but there stands perking up above others, Ps. 129:6. So it is with men that have no grace, they can perk up above others; but as they have no stable root, nor the blessing of God's people, stability with the Spirit of God inwardly, and the prayers of God's people to water and bless them, so they perish and wither quickly. Nay, whole nations, if wicked, have no foundation. What is become of the great monarchies of the world, the Assyrian, Persian, Grecian and Roman monarchies? And for cities themselves, they have died like men, and had their periods. Only a Christian hath a kingdom, a stable condition which cannot be shaken, Heb. 12:28. He takes his root strongly, and grows stronger and stronger till he grows to heaven, nay, indeed, while he lives, he is rooted in heaven before his time; for though we be in earth, we are rooted in heaven. Christ our root is in heaven, and his faith which is wrought from heaven, carrieth us to Christ in heaven; and love, that grace of union, following the union of faith, carrieth us to Christ also. Even before our time, we are there in faith, love, and joy. Therefore a poor Christian is firm and stable even in this life, having union with Christ. Though he creep upon the earth, and seem a despised person, yet his root is heaven, where he hath union with Christ. 'His life is hid with God in Christ,' who 'when he shall appear,' he shall appear with him likewise in glory, Col. 3:3,
4. Therefore, if Christ be firm, the estate of a Christian must needs be firm, for he is a cedar. Another man is as grass or corn upon the house-top. 'All flesh is grass,' saith the prophet, Isa. 40:6.
Obj. Aye, but they have wit, and memory, and parts, &c. Yet they are but as the flower of the grass, perhaps better than ordinary grass,
'but the grass withereth, and the flower fadeth.' What continueth then? Oh, the word of the Lord, and comfort and grace by that word,
'endures for ever,' 1 Pet. 1:25, and makes us endure for ever. This is excellently set down by the prophet David. We see there, the righteous man is compared to a tree planted by the water side, his leaf fails not, Ps. 1:3. So a Christian is planted in Christ, he is still on the growing hand, and his leaf shall not wither: 'Those who are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our
God, they shall still bring fruit in their old age, they shall be fat and flourishing, they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon,' Ps. 92:13.
Use 1. This clear difference should stir us up to be comforted in our condition, which is firm and stable. Why do we value crystal above glass? Because it is brighter, and of more continuance. Why do we value continuing things? inheritance above annuities? Because they continue. If by the strength of our discourse, we value things answerable to their lasting, why should we not value the best things?
Our estate in grace, this is a lasting condition: for a Christian is like a cedar that is rooted, and takes deeper and deeper root, and never leaves growing till he grow to heaven. 'He shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon.'
Use 2. Again, let all them make use of it, that find not the work of grace upon their hearts. Oh! let them consider what a fading condition they are in. They think they can do great matters. Perhaps they have a destructive power. They labour to do mischief, to crush whom they will in this world. But what is all this? We see what the psalmist saith of a Doeg, a cursed man, who had a destroying power.
'Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually,' Ps. 52:1. Why boastest thou thyself, that thou canst do mischief and overturn God's people? &c. Know this, that the good will of God continues. Boast not thyself; thy tongue deviseth mischief, as a sharp razor; God shall destroy thee for ever. He shall cast thee away and pull thee out of thy dwelling, and root thee out of the land of the living. Those men that rejoice in a destructive power, in their ability to do mischief, and exercising of that ability all they can, they shall be plucked out of their place, and rooted out of the land of the living. And as it is in Job, they shall be hurled away as a man hurls a stone out of a sling, Job. 27:21. Then what shall the righteous say? They shall see and fear, and say, 'Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in wickedness,'
Ps. 52:7. He thought to root himself so fast, that he should never be removed; but at the last it shall come to pass, that all that see him
shall say, 'Lo, see what is become of him! this is the man that trusted in his riches, and made not God his strength.' What is become of him? Saith David of himself, 'I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever,' Ps. 52:8. Let them trust, if they will, in riches, power, strength, and favour with Saul and great men; yet notwithstanding, be Doeg what he will, 'I shall be a green olive planted in the house of God,' &c.
So here is a double use the Scripture makes of these things. 1. The godly man rejoiceth in his condition; and 2, Other men fear and grow wise, not to trust to their fading condition. They are, as the prophet speaks, 'as a bay tree,' Ps. 37:35, that flourishes for a time, and then after come to nothing, 'their place is nowhere found.' They keep a great deal of do in the world for a time, but afterwards, where is such an one? Their place is nowhere found, nowhere comfortably. They have a place in hell, but comfortably a place nowhere. This is the estate of all those who have not a good root. For, saith Christ, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up,'
Mat. 15:13. It is true of every condition, and of every man, if God have not planted him in that excellent state, or do not in time, he shall be rooted up. For the time will come that the earth will hold him no longer. He roots himself now in the earth, which then shall cast him out. He cannot stay here long. Heaven will not receive him, then hell must. What a miserable thing is this, when we place and bottom ourselves upon things that will not last! when ourselves shall outlast our foundation! when a man shall live for ever, and that which he builds on is fading! What extremity of folly is this, to build on riches, favour, greatness, power, inheritance, which either must be taken from him, or he from them, he knoweth not how soon!
What makes a man miserable, but the disappointing of his hopes and crossing of his affections? Now when a man pitcheth his soul too much upon his worldly things, from which there must be a parting, this is, as it were, the rending of the skin from the flesh, and the flesh from the bones. When a man's soul is rent from that he pitcheth his happiness on, this maketh a man miserable; for misery is in
disappointing the hopes, and crossing the affections. Now only a Christian plants his heart and affections on that which is everlasting, of equal continuance with his soul. As he shall live for ever, so he is rooted for ever in that which must make him everlastingly happy.
These things we hear, and they are undeniably true. But how few make use of them, to desist from going on in a plodding, swelling desire of an earthly condition, to overtop other men. Such labour to grow in tallness and height, but strive not to be rooted. Now that which grows perking up in height, overtopping other things, yet without root, what will become of it? It will be turned up by the roots.
Now, how shall we grow to be rooted? For to attain hereunto, it is not only necessary to apply the promises, and challenge God with them, but to consider also what ways he will make them good.
First, Labour to know God and his free grace in Jesus Christ. 'Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,' 2 Pet. 3:18.
They go both together. The more we grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the grace of God in him, the more grace and rootedness we shall have. For that which the soul doth clearly apprehend, it fastens upon in that measure it apprehendeth it.
Clearness in the understanding breeds earnestness in the affections, and fastness too. So the more we grow in knowledge, the more we root ourselves in that we know. And therefore the apostle prays for the Ephesians, that they might have the Spirit of revelation, &c., that they might know the height, breadth, depth, and length of God's love that passeth knowledge. 'For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family of heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,' in the sense of God's love to us, and so of our love to him again (for we are not rooted in love to God, till we be rooted in the sense of God's love to us), 'that you may be able to comprehend with all saints the height and breadth,' &c., Ephes. 3:14.
Second, And withal, labour to know the gracious promises of Christ.
For we are knit to him by virtue of his word and promises, which like himself are 'yea and amen.' 'Jehovah, yesterday, to-day, and the same for ever,' 2 Cor. 1:20. So all his promises made in him, they are
'yea and amen,' in themselves firm, and firm to us in him. They are 'yea and amen;' that is, they are made and performed in Christ, in whom they are sure to be performed; and thereupon they are firm too. God made them, who is Jehovah, and they are made in Christ that is Jehovah. So God the Father Jehovah, he promiseth, and he makes them good in Christ Jehovah, who is unchangeable.
Thirdly, But this is not enough. We must labour to have our hearts stablished, that they may rely firmly on that which is firm. For if a thing be never so firm, except we rely firmly on it, there is no stability or strength from it. Now, when there is strength in the thing, and strength in the soul, that strength is impregnable and unconquerable strength. In Christ they are 'yea and amen;' in whom he stablisheth us, anoints us, seals us, and gives us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
How doth God stablish us upon the promises? The rest which followeth is an explication of this. When he gives us the 'earnest of the Spirit,' 2 Cor. 1:22, and seals us to be his, in token he means to make good the bargain, then we are established. But we are never firmly established till we get the assurance of salvation. Then, as the promises are yea and amen in themselves, so we are stablished upon them when we are sealed and have earnest of the Spirit. Let us labour therefore to grow in the knowledge of God's love in Christ, to know the height, breadth, depth, and length of it, and to grow in all the gracious promises which are made in Christ, who is Amen himself, as his promises are; and then, when we are sealed and anointed by the Spirit, we shall be so stablished that nothing shall move us.
Therefore let us use all means for the establishing of growth in us, the word and sacraments especially. For as baptism admits us into the house of God, so by the sacrament of the Lord's supper, the blessed food of the soul, we are strengthened. In the use of these
means, let us make suit unto God to make good his gracious promise unto us, that we shall 'grow as lilies, and take root as the cedars in Lebanon.'
Let us know, that we ought every day to labour to be more and more rooted. Do we know what times may befall us? We have need to grow every day, to grow upward, and in breadth and in depth. If we considered what times we may live to, it should force us to grow every way, especially in humility, that root and mother of graces, to grow downward in that; to grow in knowledge and faith, until we be filled with the fulness of God.
Obj. A poor Christian ofttimes makes this objection, Oh! I do not grow! Therefore I fear my state; I am oft shaken! Therefore this promise is not fulfilled to me!
Ans. To this I answer, Christians may be deceived; for they do grow ofttimes in firmness, strength, and stability, though they do not spread out. They may grow in refinedness, that that which comes from them may be more pure, and less mixed with natural corruption, pride, self-love, and the like. This is a temptation that old men are subject to especially, in whom the heat of nature decays, who think withal that grace decays. But it is not so; for ofttimes when grace is carried with the heat of nature, it makes a greater show, being helped by nature. The demonstration, but not the truth, of grace is thus helped. Therefore this clause of the promise is made good in old Christians. They are every day more and more rooted, firm, stable, and judicious, and more able in those graces which belong to their place and condition. Therefore they should not be discouraged though they be not carried with the stream and tide of nature, helped with that vigour that sometime was in them. They grow in judiciousness, mortifiedness, in heavenly-mindedness, and in ability to give good counsel to others. This is well, for we grow not in grace one way, but divers ways; not only when we grow in outward demonstration, and in many fruits and actions, but when we grow in
refinedness and judiciousness, as was said, then we are said to grow likewise.
Yet notwithstanding it should be the endeavour of all to grow what they can in grace. When, if they grow not so fast as others, let them know that there are several ages in Christ. A young Christian cannot be so planted and so deeply rooted as another that is of a greater standing. This should not discourage any, seeing there are 'babes in Christ,' 1 Cor. 3:1, as well as 'strong men,' Rom. 15:1. Therefore where there is truth of heart, with endeavour to grow better and better, and to use all means, let no man be discouraged. Remember alway this for a truth, that we may grow, and we ought to grow, and the children of God ordinarily have grown more and more, both in fruitfulness and stedfastness every way, but not with a like growth in measure or time. Therefore labour to make use of these promises, and not to favour ourselves in an ungrowing estate, for grace is of a growing nature. If it grow not in fruitfulness, yet it grows in the root; as a plant sometimes grows in fruitfulness, sometimes in the root.
There is more virtue in winter time in the root than in the fruit which is gone. So a Christian groweth one way if not another; though not in outward demonstration, yet in humiliation. God sometimes sees it necessary that our branches should not spread for a while, but that we should grow in humility; by some faults and sins we fall and slip into, that we may see our own weakness and look up.
Let us labour therefore, who have so long enjoyed such store of blessed means, under the dew of God's grace and the influence of his
Spirit, in the paradise of God, his house and church. Having so long lived in this Eden, let us labour now to spread and grow in fruitfulness, that so we may be filled with the fulness of God. It is the chief thing of all, to be rooted and grow in grace. You see, God when he would single out a blessing, he tells them not that they shall grow rich, that they shall spread out and grow rich in the world. No! But, you whom I love freely, take this as a fruit of it, 'you shall grow as the lily,' you shall grow fruitful 'as the olive,' &c. This is the comfort of a Christian. Though he grows downward oft in the world, and things of
this natural life, yet he grows upward in another condition: as lilies and cedars, they grow downwards one way, but they grow upwards another. Perhaps they may decay in their state and favour, and in their practice and cunning in this life; but a Christian, if he be in the use of right means, and put in suit the gracious promises, he is sure still to grow in grace, in faith, in love, and in the inner man.
Is not this a comfort, that a Christian hath a comfortable meditation of the time to come in all his crosses? that it is for better and better still; that as in time he is nearer heaven, so he shall be fitter and fitter, and nearer and nearer still, with a disposition suitable to the place; that the time to come is the best time; and that he shall grow every way, in height, in breadth, in depth and length, and apprehension of God's love, and that the more he grows in knowledge of these things, the more he shall grow in all dimensions, being as sure of things to come as of things past, and that neither things present nor to come shall ever separate him from the love of God in Christ? Rom. 8:35. What a comfortable state is a Christian in, who is always on the mending hand, that is such a child of hope, when the hope of the wicked shall perish! Let us labour, therefore, that we may be in such a case and state of soul as that thoughts of the time to come may be comfortable, that when we think we must be transplanted hence out of the paradise and Eden of God's church into a heavenly paradise, that all our changes shall be for the better. What a fearful thing is it to be in the state of nature! What foundation hath a man in that estate, who hath no root here, and that root he hath will fail him ere long? How fearful is it for such a man to think of a change, when it is not a change for the better?
Here is wisdom. If we will be wise to purpose, let us be wise this way.
Labour, in the first place, to prize God's favours, and to know how to come by them in the use of all means. Look to God for the performance of these gracious promises. For they are not of what we shall do in ourselves, but what God will do in the covenant of grace.
And if a Christian should not be rooted and grow stronger and stronger, we should not fail, but God and Christ should fail, who is
our root and bears us up. Therefore, God hath taken upon him the performance of all these things. What remaineth for us but a careful using of all means? and in the use of all, a going out of ourselves to God, that he would be 'as the dew to us,' and cause us, by the dew of his Spirit, to grow more and more rooted in grace as long as we live in this world? And then our rooting and stability lies upon God, not upon us. He fails if we fail, who hath undertaken that 'we shall grow as the lily, and cast forth our roots as Lebanon.'