Sermon XX (continued, part 2)
allitsfin and misery, Heb. vii. 25. Col. i. 19. Mat. xxviii. 18 . This is a great and necessary point, for every believer to learn and hear from the Father ; for unless the foul be satisfied of the fulness of Christ's saving power, it will never move forwardstowardshim: and herein also the goodness of God is most sweetly, and feafonably manifested; for, at this time, it is the great design of Satan, to fill the soul with despairing thoughts ofapar don; but all those black, and heart-finking thoughts, vanish
SERM. XXII. The Method of Grace. 425 before the discovery of Christ's all-fufficiency. Now the fin-sick foul faith with that woman, Mat. ix. 21. " If I may but touch thehem of his garment, I shall be healed:" How deep soever the guilt and stain of fin be, yet the soul which acknowledges the infinite dignity of the blood of Christ, the offering it up to God in our room, and God's declared satisfaction in it, must needs be satisfied that Christ is " able to save, to the uttermost, "all that come unto God by him ;" which is the sixth effon believers are taught of God.
7. Seventhly,Every man that cometh to Christ is taught of God, that it can never reap any benefit by the blood of Christ, except ye have union with the person of Christ, i Johnv. 12. Eph. iv. 16. Time was, when men fondly thought nothing was necessary to their salvation, but the death of Christ'; but now the Lord shews them that their union with Christ by faith, is as necessary in the place of an applying cause, as the death of Christ is, in the place of a meritorious cause : The purchase of salvation is an act of Christ without us, whilst we are yet sinners : the application thereof, is by a work wrought within us, when we are believers, Col. i. 27. In the purchase, all the elect are redeemed together, by way of price : In the application, they are actually redeemed, each person, bywayofpower. Look, as the fin of the first Adam could never hurt us, unless he had been our head, byway of generation; so the righteousness of Christ can never benefit us, unless he be our head, by way of regeneration. In teaching this lesson,the Lord, in mer cy, unteaches and blots out that dangerous principle, by which the greatest part of the Chriftianized world do perish, viz . that the death of Christ is, in itself, effectual to salvation, though a man be never regenerated, or united to him by saving faith.
Lesson 8. Eighthly, God teaches thefou', whom he is bringing to Christ, that whatever is necessary to be wrought in us, or done by us, in order to our union with Christ, is to be obtained from him in the way of prayer, Ezek. xxxvi. 37. And it is observable, that the soul no sooner comes under the effectual teachings of God, but the Spirit of prayer begins to breath in it, Acts ix. 8. " Behold, he prayeth:" Those that were taught to pray by men before, are now taught of the Lord to pray : to pray did I fay ? yea, and toprayfervently too, asmenconcerned for their eternal happiness ; to pray not only with others, but to pour out their souls before the Lord in secret : for their hearts are as bottles full ofnewwine, which must vent or break. Now the soul returns upon its God often in the fame day; now it can
VOL. II. lii
426 The Method of Grace. SERM . XXII, express its burdens, and wants, in words and groans which the Spirit teacheth : They pray, and will not give over praying, till Christ come with complete salvation.
Lesson 9. Ninthly, All that come to Christ, are taught of God, to abandon their former ways,and companions in fin, as ever they expect to be received unto mercy, Ifa. Iv. 7. 2 Cor. v. 17. Sins that were profitable, and pleasant, that were as the right hand, and right eye, must now be cut off. Companions in fin, who were once the delight of their lives must now be cast off. Christ faith to the soul concerning these, as he said in another case, John xviii. 8. " If therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: " And the soul faith unto Christ, as it is, Plal. cxix. 115. " De-
" part from me ye evil-doers, for I will keep the command-
" ments of my God:" And now pleasant fins, and companions in fin, become the very burden, and shame of a man's foul : Objects of delight are become objects of pity and compassion : No endearments, no union of blood, no earthly intereits whatsoever, are found strong enough to hold the soul any longer from Christ : Nothing but the effectual teachings of God, are found sufficient to diffolvesuch bonds of iniquity as these.
10. Tenthly, All that come unto Christ are taught of God, that there is such a beauty and excellency in the ways and people of God, as is not to be equalled in the whole world, Psal. xvi . 3. When the eyes of strangers to Christ begin to be opened, and enlightened in his knowledge, you may fee what a change of judgment is wrought in them, with respect to the people of God : and towards them especially, whom God hath anyway made instrumental for the good of their souls, Cant. v. 9. theythencalled the spouse of Christ, " the faire among women." The convincing holiness of the bride then began to enamour and affect them, with a desire of nearer conjunction and communion : We willfeek him with thee ; with thee, that hast so charged us; that haft taken so much pains for the good of our souls : now, and never before, the righteous appeareth more excellent than his neighbour. Change of heart is always accompanied with change of judgment, with respect to the people of God: thus the jaylor, Acts xvi. 33. wathed the apostle's
to whomhehadbeen so cruel before. The godly now seem to be the glory of the places where they live; and the glory of any place seems to be darkned by their removal ; as one said of holy Mr. Barring ton, " Methinks the town is not at
66 home, when Mr. Barring ton is out of town." They esteem it a choice mercy to be in their company and acquaintance ; Zech. viii. 23. " We will go with you, for we have heard that
SERM . XXII . 427 The Method of Grace. " God is with you." No people like the people of God now ; as one said, when he heard of two faithful friends, Utinam tertius effem ! O that I might make the third ! Whatever vile or low thoughts they had of the people of God before, to be sure now they are the excellent of the earth, in whom is all their delight : the holiness of the saints might have some interest in. their consciences before, but they never had such an interest in their estimations and affections, till this lesson was taught them by the Father .
11. Eleventhly, All that come to Christ are taught of God, that whatever difficulties they apprehend in religion, yet they must not, upon pain of damnation, be discouraged thereby, or return again to fin, Luke ix. 62. " No man having put his " hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom
" of God." Ploughing-work ishardwork ; aftrongand steady hand is required for it: he that ploughs, must keep on, and make no balks of the hardest and toughestgroundhe meets with. Religion also is the running of a race, 1 Cor. ix. 24.; there is no standing still, much less turning back, i fever we hope to wintheprize. The devil, indeed, labours everyway to discourage anddaunt the soul, by representing the insuperable difficulties of religion to it; and young beginners are but too aptto be discouraged, and fall under despondency; but the teachings of the Father are encouraging teachings ; they are carried on from strength to
against all the oppositions they meet with from without them, and the manydiscouragements they find within them. To this conclusion they are brought by the teaching of God, We must have Christ, we must get a pardon, we muststrivefor Salvation, let the difficulties, troubles, and sufferings in the way beneversogreat or many. Ashe said, Neceffe est ut eam, non ut vivam ; it is necessary that I goon, it is not necessary that 1 live : So faith the foul that is taught of God; it is easier for me to dispense with ease, honour, relations, yea, with life itself, than to part with Christ, and the hopes of eternal life.
Lesson 12. Twelfthly, They that come to Christ, are taught of God, that whatever guilt and unworthiness they discover in themselves, and whatever fears and doubts are upon their hearts, as to pardon and acceptance ; yet, as the cafestands, it is their wisdom and great interest, to venture themselves in the way of faith, upon Jesus Christ, whatever the issue thereof be.
Three greatdiscouragments are usuallyfounduponthe hearts of those that come to Christ in the way of faith.
Iii 2
428 SERM . XXI The Method of Grace.
First, The sensible greatness of guilt and fin. How can I go to Christ that am in such a case, that have been so vile a wretch ? And here measuring the grace and mercy of Christ, by what it finds in itself, or in other creatures, I Sam. xxiv. 19. the soul is ready to fink under the weight of its own discouraging, and misgiving thoughts.
Secondly, The sense they have of their own weakness, and inability to do what God requires, and must of neceffitybe done, i fever they be saved. My heart is harder than an adamant, how can I break it ? My will is stubborn, and exceeding obstinate, I am no way able to bow it ; the frame and temper of my spirit is altogether carnal, and earthly; and it is not in the power of my hand to alter and change it; alas ! I cannot subdue any one corruption, nor perform one spiritual duty, nor bear one of those sufferings and burdens, which religion lays upon all that follow Christ : this also proves a great discouragement in the way of faith.
Thirdly, And, which is morethanall, the soul that is coming to Jesus Christ, hath no assurance of acceptance with him, if it
adventure itself upon him : it is a great hazard, a great adventure ; it is much more probable, if I look to myself, that Christ will shut the door of mercy against me.
But under all these discouragements the soul learns this lesson from God, That, as ungodly as it is, nevertheless it is every way its great duty and concernment to go on in the way of faith, and make that great adventure ofitselfuponJesus Christ : and of this the Lord convinceth the soul by two things, viz.
1. From the absolute necessity of coming. 2. From the encouraging probabilities of speeding. First, The soul seeth an absolute necessity of coming: necessity is laid upon it, there isnootherway, Acts iv. 12. God hath shut it up by a blessed necessity to this only door of escape, Gal . iii. 23. Damnation lies in the neglect of Christ, Heb. ii. 3. The soul hath no choice in this case; angels, ministers, duties, repentance, reformation cannot save me; Christ, and none but Christ candelivermefrom present guilt, and the wrath to come. Why do I dispute, demur, delay, when certainruinmust inevitably follow the neglect or refusal of gospel-offers ?
Secondly, The Lord sheweth those that are under his teaching, the probabilities of mercy, for their encouragement in the way of believing. And these probabilities the soul is enabled to gather from the general and free invitations of the gospel, Isa. lv. 1, 7. Rev. xxii. 17. from the conditional promises of the gospel, John vi. 37. Math.xi. 28. Ifa. i. 18. from the vast ex
SERM . XXIII. The Method of Grace. 429 tent of grace, beyond all the thoughts and hopes of the creatures, Ifa. Iv.8, 9. Heb. vii. 25. from the encouraging examplesofother sinners, who have found mercy in as bad a condition as they, 1Tim. i. 13. 2Chron. xxxiii. 3. 2 Cor. vi. 10, 11. from the command of God, which warrants the action, and answers all the objections of unworthiness and presumption in them that come to Christ, I John iii. 23. and lastly, from the sensible changes already made upon the temper and frame of the heart. Time was,when I had no sense of fin, nor sorrow for fin; nodefire after Christ, nor heart to duties. But it is not so with me now; I now fee the evil of sin; so as I never saw it before; my heart is now broken in the sense of that evil; mydefires begin to be enflamed after Jesus Christ ; I am not at rest, norwhere I would be, till I am in secret mourning after the
Lord Jesus; surely these are thedawnings of the day of mercy; letmegoon in this way. It faith, as the lepers at the siege of Samaria, 2Kings vii. 3, 4. " If I stay here, I perish : " If I go to Christ, I can but perith. Hence believers bear up against all objecteddiscouragements, certum exitium commutemus incerto ; it is the dictate of wisdom,the vote of reason, to exchange a certain for an uncertain ruin. And thus you have herewhatthose excellent lessons are, which all that come to Christ are taught by the Father.
5555 SERMON XXIII.
JOHN vi. 45. It is written in the Prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and bath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. IN the former sermon, you have been taught this great truth ; Doct. That the teachings of God are absolutely necessary to everyfoulthat cometh unto Christ, in the way of faith. What the teachings of God import, hath been formerly opened; and what those special lessons are, which all believers hear and learn of the Father, was the last thing discoursed : that which remains to be further cleared about this subject, before I come to the applicationofthewhole, will be toshewyou,
1. What are the properties of divine teachings. 2. What influence they have in bringing fouls to Christ.
430 SERM . XXIIL The Method of Grace. 3. Why it is impossible for any man to come to Christ without these teachings of the Father.
First, What are the properties of divine teachings? Concerning the teachings of God,we affirm in general, that, though they exclude not, yet they vastly differ from all human teach. ings : as the power of God in effecting transcends all human power, so the wisdom of God in teaching,transcends all human wisdom. For, 1.God teacheth powerfully; he speaketh to the soul with a ftronghand; when the word cometh accompanied with the Spirit, it is " mighty through God, to cast down all imaginations," 2Cor. x. 4. Now the gospel " comes not in word only, (as " it was wont to do), but in power," I Thef. i. 4, 5. a power that makes the soul fall down before it, and acknowledge that God is in that word, 1 Cor. xiv. 25 .
2. The teachings of God are sweet teachings. Men never relish the sweetness ofa truth, till they learn it from God, Cant. i. 3. "His name is as ointment poured forth ." Cant. v. 16. " His mouth is most sweet." O how powerfully and how
doth the voice of God slide into the hearts of poor melting sinners! howjejune, dry, and tasteless are the discourses of men, compared with the teachings of the Father !
3.Godteacheth plainly and clearly : He not only opens truths to the understanding, but he openeth the understanding also to perceive them, 2 Cor. iii. 16. In that day the vail is taken away from the heart ; alight shineth into the soul ; a clear beam from heaven is darted into the mind, Luke xxiv. 45. Divine teachings are fully satisfying ; the soul doubts no more, staggers and hesitates no more,butacquiefces in that which God teaches ; it is so satisfied, that it can venture all upon the truth of what i hath learned from God; as that martyr said, I cannot dispute, but Icandiefor Christ. SeeProv. viii. 8, 9 . Fourtbly, The teachings of God are infallible teachings. The wisest and holiest of men may mistake, and lead others into the
mistakes with themselves ; but it is not fo in the teachings of God. If we can be sure that God teacheth us, we may be as fureof the truth of what he teacheth ; for his Spiritguideth us into all truth, John xvi. 13. and into nothing but truth.
Fifthly, The teachings of God are abiding teachings ; they make everlasting impressions upon the soul, Psal. cxix. 98. they "are ever with it : The words of men vanish from us ; but the words of God abide by us : what Godteacheth,he writeth upon the heart, Jer. xxxi. 33. and that will abide ; literafcriptamanet. *Tis ufualwith fouls, whose understandings have been opened
SERM . XXIII. 43 The Method of Grace. by the Lord, many years afterward to say, I shall never forget such a scripture that once convinced, such a promise that once encouraged me.
Sixthly, The teachings of God arefaving teachings ; they make the soul wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. iii. 15. There is a great deal of other knowledge that goes to hell with men : The pavementofhell (as one speaks) is pitched with the skulls of many great scholars, but eternal life is in the teachings of God, John xvii. 3. " This is eternal life, to know thee the only true
66 God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." This is deservedly stiled the light of this life, John viii. 12. " In this light we shall fee light," Psal. xxxvi . 9. 66
Seventhly, The teachings of God make their own way into the dullest, and weakest capacities, Isa. xxxii. 4. " The heart al- " so of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of
" the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly : " Upon this account Christ said, Mat. xi. 25." I thank thee, O Father, Lord " of heaven and earth,because thou hast hid these things from " the wife and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes :" 'Tis admirable to see what clear illuminations some poor illite.
rate Christians have in the mysteries of Christ and salvation,which others, of great abilities, deep and searching heads, can never discover with all their learning and study.
Eightly,To conclude, The teachings of God are transforming teachings, 2 Cor . iii. 18. they change the soul into the fame image : God casts them, whom he teacheth, into the very mould of those truths which they learn from him,Rom. vi. 17. These are the teachings of God, and thus he instructeth those that come to Christ.
Secondly, Next let us fee what influence divine teachings have upon fouls, in bringing them to Christ; and we shall find a three-fold influence in them.
1. They have an influenceuponthe external means, by which they come to Christ .
2. They have an influence upon the mind, to remove what hindred it from Christ .
3. They have an influence upon the will, to allure and draw it to Christ.
First, They have an influence upon the means, by which we come to Christ: the best ordinances are but a dead letter except the Spirit, the teaching and quickening Spirit of God, work in fellowship with them, 2 Cor. iii. 6. The best ministers, like the disciples, cast forth the net, but take nothing,win not one soul to God, till God teach as wellasthey. Paulis nothing, and A
432 The Method of Grace. SERM . XXIII.
pollos nothing, but God that giveththe increase, 1 Cor. iii. 7. Let the most learned, eloquent, and powerful orator be in the pulpit, yet no man's heart is persuaded, till it hears the voice of God; Gathedram in coelis habet, qui cord a docet.
Secondly, They have influence upon the mind, to remove what hindred it from Christ. Except the minds of men be firstuntaught those errors, by which they are prejudiced against Christ, they will never be persuaded to come unto him ; and nothing but the Father's teachings can unteach those errors, and cure those evils of the mind. The natural mind of man flights the truths of God, until God teach them; and then they tremble with an awful reverence of them. Sin is but a trifle, till God shews us the face of it in the glass of the law, and then it appears exceeding sinful, Rom. vii. 13. We think God to be such a one as ourselves, Psal. 1. 21. until he discover himself unto us in his infinite greatness, awful holiness, and severe justice ; and then we cry, who can stand before this great and dreadful God ! We thought it was time enough hereafter, to mind the concernments of another world, until the Lord open our eyes, to see in what danger we stand upon the very brink of eternity; and then nothing alarms us more, than the fears that our time will be finished before the great work of Salvation be finished. We thought ourselves in a converted state before, till God made us to see the necessity of another manner of conversation, upon pain of eternal damnation. We readily caughtholdupon the promises before, when we had no right to them; but the teachings of God make the presumptuous sinner let go his hold, that he may take abetter and furerhold of them in Christ. We once thought that the death of Christ, in itself, had been enough to secure our salvation ; but under the teachings of God, we discern plainly the necessity of a change of heart and state ; or else the blood of Christ can never profit us . Thus the teachings of God remove the errors of the mind, by which men are with-held from Christ.
Thirdly, The teachings of God powerfully attract, and allure the will ofa sinner to Christ, Hos. ii. 14. But of these drawings of the father I have largely spoken before, and therefore shall fay no more of it in this place, but hasten to the lastthing pro pounded, viz.
Thirdly, Why it is impossible for any man to come to Christ, without the Father's teachings ; and the impoffibilities hereof will appear three ways.
1. From the power of fin. 2.From the in disposition of man.
SERM. XXIII. 433 The Method of Grace. 3. From the nature of faith. By all which, the lastpointdesigned to be spokentofromthis scripture, will be fully cleared, and the whole prepared for application.
First, the impossibility of coming to Christ without the teachings of the father, will appear from the power of fin, which hath so strong an holdfast upon the hearts, and affections of allunregenerate men, that no human arguments, or perfuafions whatsoever, can divorce or separate them ; for,
First, Sin is connatural with the soul, 'tis born and bred with am an; Psal . li. 4. Ifa. xlviii. 8. It is as natural for fallen man to fin, as it is to breathe.
Secondly, The power of fin hath been strengtheningitselffrom the beginning, bya long continued custom, which gives it the force of a second nature, and makes regeneration and mortification naturally impossible, Jer. xv. 23. " Can the Ethiopian change " his skin, or the leopard his spots ? Then may he also do good " that is accustomed to do evil ."
Thirdly, Sin is the delight of the sinner: " it is a sport to a " fool to do mischief," Prov. x. 23. Carnal men have no other pleasure in this world, but what arises from their lusts ; to cut off their corruptions by mortification, were at once to deprive them of all the pleasure of their lives .
Fourthly, Sin being connatural, customary, and delightful, doth therefore bewitch their affections, and in chant their hearts, to that degree of madness and fascination, that they rather chuse damnation by God, than separation from sin : " Their hearts
66 are fully set in them to do evil," Ecclef. viii. 11. they rush into fin, as the " horse rusheth into the battle," Jer. viii. 6. And now, what, think you, can separate a man from his beloved lust, except the powerful and effectual teachings of God ? Nothing but a light from heaven can rectify, and reduce the in chanted mind; no power, but that of God, can change and alter the sinful bent, and inclination of the will ; ' tis a task above all the power of the creature .
Secondly, The impossibility of coming to Christ, without the Father's teachings, evidently appears from the indifpofedness of man, the subject of this change : " The natural man receives not " the things which are of God," 1 Cor. ii. 14. Three things must be wrought upon man, before he can come to Christ : his blind understanding must be enlightned; his hard and rocky heart must be broken, and melted; his stiff, fixed, and obstinate will must be conquered and subdued: but all these are effects
VOL . II. Kkk
434 The Method of Grace. SERM . XXIII . ofa supernatural power. The illumination of the mind is the peculiar work of God, 2 Cor. iv. 6. Rev. iii. 17. Eph . v. 8. The breaking and melting of the heart is the Lord's own work ;
'tis he that giveth repentance, Acts v. 31. 'Tis the Lord that " takes away the heart of stone, and giveth an heart of flesh," Ezek . xxxvi . 26. 'Tis he that poureth out the spirit of contritionuponman, Zech. xii . 10. The changing of the natural bent, and inclination of the will, is the Lord's sole prerogative, Phil. ii. 13. All these things are effectually done in the foul of man, when God teacheth it, and never till then.
Thirdly, The nature of faith, by which we come to Christ, plainly shews the impossibility of coming without the Father's teaching. Every thing in faith is supernatural; the implantation of the habit of faith is so, Eph. ii. 8. 'Tis not of ourselves, but the gift of God; 'tis not an habit acquired by industry, but infused by grace, Phil. i. 29. The light of faith, by which spiritual things are discerned, is supernatural ; Heb xi. 1, 27. It feeth things that are invisible. The adventures of faith are supernatural; for " against hope, a man believeth in hope, giving 66 glory to God," Rom. iv. 18. By faith a man goeth unto Christ, against all the dictates, and discouragements of natural sense and reason. The self-denial of faith is supernatural ; the cutting off the right-hand, and plucking out of right-eye-fins, must needs be so, Mat. v. 29. The victories and conquests of faith do all speak it to be supernatural : it overcomes the strongestoppofitions from without,Heb. xi. 33, 34. It fubdueth and purgeth the most obstinate and deep-rooted corruptions within, Acts xv. 9. Itovercometh alltheblandishments, and charming allurements of the bewitching world, I John v. 4. All which considered, how evident is the conclusion, that none can come to Christ without the Father's teachings ? The uses follow.
First use for information. Infer. I. How notoriously false and absurd is that doctrine, which afferteth the possibility of believing without the efficacy offupernaturalgrace ? The desire of self-fufficiency was the ruin of Adam, and the conceit of self-fufficiency is the ruin of multitudes of his posterity. This doctrine is not only contradictory to the current stream of scripture, Phil. ii. 13. 1 John i. 13. with many other scriptures; but it is also contradictory to the common sense and experience of believers : yet the pride of nature will strive to maintain what scripture and experience plainly contradict and overthrow.
Infer. 2. Hence we may also inform ourselves, how it cometh to pass that many rational, wife and learned men, miss Christ ; whilst
SERM . XXIII . The Method of Grace. 435 the simple and illiterate, even babes in natural knowledge, obtain interest in him, and salvation by him. The reason here of is plainly given us by Christ, in Mat. xiii. 11. " To you it is given to " know the mysteries of the kingdomofheaven, but to them it
" is not given." It is the dropping and dews of divine teaching upon one, and not upon another, that dryeth up the green tree, andmaketh the dry tree to flourish. Many natural men have very fine brains, searching wits, solid judgments, nimble fancies, tenacious memories ; they can search out the mysteries of nature, solve the phoenomena, satisfy the enquiries of the most curious ; they can measure the earth, discover the motions of the heavens : but after all take up their place in hell,when, in the mean time, the statutes of the Lord (by the help of his teachings) make wife the simple, Psal. xix. 17. It is no matter how dull and incapable the scholar be, if God undertake to be the teacher. I remember, Austin speaks of one who was commonly reputed a fool, and yet he could not but judge him to be truly godly, and that by two signs of grace which appeared in him ; one was, his seriousness when he heard any discourses of Christ : the other was, his indignation manifested against sin. It was truly faidby those two Cardinals (who, riding to the council of Constance, overheard a poor shepherd in the fields with tears bewailing his fins)
Surgent indocti et rapient coelum ; The unlearned will rise and take heaven, whilst we with all our learning shall descend into hell.
Here Infer. 3. This also informs us of the true reason of the strange and various successes of the gospel upon the souls of men. we fee why the ministry of one man becomes fruitful, and another's barren ; yea, why the labours of the fame man prosper exceedingly at one time, and not at another ; these things are according as the teachings of God do accompany our teachings. We often fee a weaker and plainer discourse blessed with success, whilst that which is more artificial, neat and laboured, comes to nothing. St. Austin hath a pretty fimilitude to illustrate this; Suppose, faith he, two conduits, the on every plain, the other curiously carved and adorned with images of lions, eagles, &c. the water doth not refresh, and nourish, as it cometh from such a curious conduit, but as it is water. Where we find most of man, we frequently find least of God. I speak not this to encourage carelessness and laziness, but to provoke the dispensers of the gospel to more earnestness, and frequent prayer for the assistance, and blessing of the Spirit upon their labours, and to make men less fond of their own gifts and abilities : blear Kkk 2
436 The Method of Grace.. SERM . XXIII. eyed Leah may bear children, when beautiful Rachel proves barren.
Infer. 4. Learn hence the transcendent excellency of saving,spiritual knowledge, above that which is merely literal and natural. One drop of knowledge taught by God, is more excellent, than the whole ocean of human knowledge, and acquired gifts, Phil.
iii. 8. John xvii. 3. 1 Cor. ii. 2. Let no man therefore be dejected at the want of those gifts, with which unfanctified men are adorned. If God have taught thee the evil of fin, the worth of Christ, the necessity of regeneration, the mystery of faith, the way of communion with God in duties ; trouble not thyself because of thine ignorance in natural, or moral things : thou haft that, reader, which will bring thee to heaven ; and he is a truly wife man that knows the way of salvation, though he be ignorant and unskilful in other things : thou knowest those things which all the learned doctors, and libraries in the world could never teach thee, but God hath revealed them to thee : others have more feience, thou hast morefavour and sweetness: bless God, and be notdifcouraged. Second use for examination. If there be no coming to Christ without the teachings of the Father; then it greatly concerns us to examine our own hearts, whether ever we have been under the saving teachings of God, during the many years we have fat under the preaching of the gospel. Let not the question be mistaken, Ido not ask what books you have read, what ministers you have heard, what
of natural, or speculative knowledge you have acquired; but the question is,whether ever God spake to your hearts, and hath effectually taught you suchleffons, as were mentioned in our last discourse ? O there is a vast difference betwixt that notional, speculative, and traditional knowledge which learneth from men, and that spiritual,operative, and transformman ing knowledge which a man learneth from God. If you ask how the teachings of God maybe discerned, from all other mere human teachings ; I answer, they may be discerned, and diftinguishedby these fix signs,
Sign 1. The teachings of God are very humbling to the foul that is taught. Human knowledge puffeth up, 1 Cor. viii. 1. but the teachings of God do greatly abase the soul, Job xlii. 5. " Г " have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine " eye feeth thee ; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust " andasnes :" the fame light which discovers to us the holiness, justice, greatness, and goodness of God, discovereth also the vile.
SERM . XXIII. The Method of Grace. 437 ness, baseness, emptiness, and totalunworthinessofmen; yea, of the best and holiest of men, Ifa. vi. 5.
Sign 2. The teachings of God are deeply affecting, andimprfefive teachings; they fully reach the heart of man, Hos. ii.
14. " I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her :" or, as it is in the Hebrew, I will speak to her heart. When God sheweth unto man the evil off in,he so convinceth the soul, that no creature-comforts have any pleasure, or fsweetness in them; and when he sheweth untoman his righteousness, pardon, and peace in Christ, the so comforteth, and refresheth the heart, that no outward afflictions have any weight, or bitterness in them : one drop of consolation from heaven, sweetens a sea of trouble upon earth, Psal. xciv. 19. " In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul." Sign 3. The teachings of God are fanctifying and renewing teachings ; they reform and change the heart, Eph. iv. 21 , 22, 23. " If so be that you have heard him, and been taught by " him, as the truth is in Jesus; that ye put off concerning " the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt, ac- " cording to the deceitful lusts ; and be renewed in the spirit
" of your mind," &c. See here what holiness, and purity is the effect of divine teaching ! Holiness, both external and internal, negative and positive: holiness of every kind follows the Father's teachings : all the discoveries God makes to us of himself in Christ have an affimilatingquality, and change the soul into their own likeness, 2 Cor. iii. 18.
Sign 4. All God's teachings are practical, producing obedience. Idle notions and useless speculations are not learned from God. As God's creating words, so his teaching words are with effect : as when he said, " Let there be light, and there was light ;" so when he faith to the soul, Be comforted, be humbled; it is effectually comforted, Isa lxvi. 13. it is humbled, Job xl. 4, 5. As God hath in nature made no creature in vain, so he speaks no word in vain: everything which men hear, or learn from the Father, is for use, practice, and benefit to the soul.
Sign 5. All the teachings of God are agreeable with the written word : The Spirit of God, and the word of God do never jar, John xiv . 26. " He shall take of mine, and shew it unto you." When God fpeaketh unto the heart of man, whether in away of conviction, consolation, or instruction in duty, he always either maketh use of the express words of scripture, or speaks to the heart in language every way confentaneous and agreeable to scripture: So that the written word becomes the standard to
438 The Method of Grace. SERM. XXIII/ weigh, and try all divine teachings, Ifa. viii. 20. "To the law,
" and to the testimony : If they speak not according to this
" word, it is because there is no light (or morning) in them." Whatever is disagreeing, or jarringwith the scripture, must not pass for an inspiration of God, but a deluding fophifm, and insinuation of Satan.
Sign 6. The teachings of God are very satisfying teachings to the soul of man : The understanding faculty, like a dial, is en.- lightened with the beams of divine truth shining upon it : this, no man's teachings can do : Men can only teach objectively, by propounding truth to the understanding; but they cannot enlighten the faculty itself, as God doth, 1 Johnv. 20. He giveth man understanding, as well as instructions, to be understood; he opens the eyes of the understanding, as well as propoundeth the object, Eph. i. 18. And thus we may discern and distinguish the teachings of God, from all other teachings.
3. Use ofexhortation. The last use I shall make of this point, shall be a word of exhortation, both to them that never were yet effectually taught of God, and to them also that have heard his voice, and are come to Christ .
First, To those that never yet heard the voice of God speaking to their hearts ; and truly this is the general case of most men and women, in the professingworld: They have heard the found of the gospel, but it hath been a confused, empty, and ineffectual found in their ears : we have heard the voice of man, but have never yet heard the voice of God. The gifts and abilities of preachers have, ina notional and mere human way, improved their understandings, and sometimes slightly touched their affections: All this is but the effect of man upon man. O thatyouwould look for something which is beyond all this : satisfy not yourselves with what is merely natural, and human in ordinances ; come to the word with higher ends and more spiritual designs, than to get some notions of truth which you had not before, or to judge the gifts and abilities of the speaker : If God speak not to your hearts, all the ordinances in the world candoyouno good, I Cor. iii. 7. O remember what a solemn and awful thing it is to come to those ordinances, and attend upon that ministration,in and by which the eternal decrees of heaven are to be executed upon your souls, which must be to you the " favour of life unto life, or of death unto death :" Wrestle with God, by prayer, for a blessing upon the ordinances. Say, 66 Lord, speak thyself to my heart, let me hear thy voice, and " feel thy power in this prayer, or in this sermon : Others have
SERM . XXIII. 439 The Method of Grace.
" heard thy voice, cause me to hear it: It had beenmuchbetter for me if I had never heard the voice of preachers, except " I hear thy voice in them."
Secondly, Let all those that have heard the voice of God, and are come to Christ in the virtue of his teachings, admire the wonderful condescension of God to them. O that God should speak to thy soul,and be silent to others ! There be many thousands living at this day under ordinances, to whom the Lord hath not given anear to hear, or an heart to obey, Deut. xxix.
4. " To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom " of heaven, but to them it is not given," Mat. xiii. 11. And I beseech you walk as men and women that have been taught of God. When Satan and your corruptions tempt you to fin, and , to walk in the ways of the carnal, and careless world ; remember then that scripture, Eph. iv. 20, 21. " But ye have not fo
" learned Christ, if so be that you have heard him, and have " been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus." To con. clude, see that you be exceeding humble, and lowly in spirit . Humility qualifies you for divine teachings, Psal. xxv. 9. " The " meek he will teach;" and the more ye are taught of God, the more humble you will still be.
And thus you fee, that no man can come to Christ without the application of the law, and the teachings of the Father : which being considered, may be very useful to convince us,
(which indeed is the design of it) that among the multitudes of men and women, living under the ordinances of God, and the general profession of religion, there are but few, very few to be found, who have effectually received the Lord Jesus Christ by saving faith .
And now, reader, I suppose by this time thou art desirous to know by what signs and evidences thy union with Christ by faith may be cleared up, and made evident to thee; and how that great question, whether thou hast yet effectually applied Christ to thy soul, or no, may be clearly decided; which brings me to the third general use of the whole, viz.
The examination of our interest in Christ, by 1. The donation of the Spirit, from I John iii. 24. 2. The new creation, from 2 Cor. v. 17. 3. The mortification of fin, from Gal. v. 24. 4.The imitation of Christ, from 1 John ii. 6. Of each of these trials of our interest in Christ I shall speak in their order : And, first, of the donation of the Spirit.
440 SERM. XXIV. The Method of Grace. SERMON XXIV.
Of the Manner, and Importance of the SPIRIT'S
Indwelling.
1 JOHN iii. 24. --And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. THE HE apostle in this chapter is engaged in avery trying discourse; his scope is to difcriminatethe spirits, and states of sincere believers, from merely nominal, and pretended Chri-
; which he attempts not to do by any thing that is external, but by the internal effects and operations of the Spirit of God upon their hearts. His enquiry is not into those things which men profess, or about the duties which they perform, but about the frames,and tempers of their hearts, and the principles by which they are acted in religion. According to this test, he puts believers upon the search and study of their own hearts ; calls them to reflect upon the effects and operations of the Spirit of God, wrought within their own souls, assuring them, that these gracious effects, and fruits of the Spirit in their hearts, will be a solid evidence unto them of their union with Jesus Christ, amounting to much more than a general, conjectural ground of hope, under which it is possible there mayfubeffefalfum, lurk a dangerous and fatal mistake: But the gracious effects of the Spirit of God within them, are a foundation upon which they may build the certainty, and assurance of their union with Christ : Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. In which words we have three things to confider, viz.
1. The thing to be tried, our union with Christ. 2. The trial of it, by the giving of his Spirit to us. 3. The certainty of the trial this way : Hereby we know. First, The thing to be tried; which is indeed the greatest andweightiest matter that can be brought to trial in this world, orinthattocome, namely our union with Christ, expressed here by his abiding in us; a phrase clearly expressing the difference betwixt those that, by profession and common estimation, pass for Christians among men, tho' they have no other union with Christ, but by an external adhesion to him in the external duties of religion, and those whose union with Christ is real, vital and permanent, by the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ in their
SERM . XXIV. The Method of Grace. 44 fouls John xv. 5, 6. opens the force, and importance of this phrase, " I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: If am an abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is " withered." The thing then to be tried, is, whether we
in Christ as dead branches in a living stock, which are only bound to it by external ligatures, or bonds, that hold them fora while together ; or whether our souls have a vital union, and coalition with Christ, by the participation of the living sap of that blessed Root.
Secondly, The trial of this union, which is by the giving of the Spirit to us : The Spirit of Christ is the very bond of union betwixt him and our souls. I mean not that the very person of the Spirit dwelleth in us, imparting his essential properties to us ; it were a rude blasphemy so to speak ; but his saving influences are communicated to us in the way offanctifying operati ons; as the fun is said to come into the house, when hisbeams and comforting influence come there. Nor yet must we think that the graces, or influences of the Spirit abide in us in the self-famemeafure, and manner as they do in Christ ; " for God " giveth not the Spirit to him by measure;" in him all fulness dwells. He is anointed with the Spirit above his fellows ; but there are measures and proportions of grace differently communicated to believers by the same Spirit; and these communicated graces, and real operations of the Spirit of grace in our hearts, doundoubtedlyprove the reality of our union with Christ ; the communication of the self-fame vital juice, or sap of the
to the branch whereby it lives, and brings forth fruit of thefamekind, certainly proves it to be a real part, or a member of the fame tree.
Thirdly, Which brings us to the third thing ; namely, the certainty of the trial this way, εν τότωγνεισκομεν, in this, or by this we know : We so know, that we cannot be deceived. To clear this, let us confider two things in grace, viz,
1. Somewhat conftitutive, } of its being. 2. Somewhat manifeftative, There is something in grace which is essential,and conftitutive of its being; and somewhat that flows from grace, and ismanifeftative of such a being : We cannot immediately, and intuitively discern the essence of grace, as it is in its simple nature. So God only difcerns it, who is the author of it ; but we may discern it mediately andfecondarily, by the effects and operations of it. Could we see the simple essence of grace, or intuiVOL. II.
442 SERM . XXIV. The Method of Grace.
tively discern our union with Christ, our knowledge would be demonstrative, a prior i ad pofterius, by seeing effects, as they are lodged in their cause: But we come to know the being of grace, and the reality of our union with Christ, a pofteriori, as by ascending, in our knowledge, from the effects and operations, to their true cause and being.
And, accordingly, God hath furnished us with a power of self-intuition and reflection; whereby we are able to turn in upon our own hearts, and make a judgment upon ourselves, and upon our own acts. The soul hath not only a power to project, but a power also to reflect upon its own actions, not only to put forth a direct act of faith upon Jesus Christ, but to judge anddifcern that act also, 2 Tim. i. 12. " I know whom I have " believed:" And this is the way in which believers attain their certainty, and knowledge of their union with Christ : from hence the observation will be.
Doct. That interest in Christ may be certainly gathered, and concluded from the gift of the Spirit to us : " No man (faith the " apostle) hath seen God at anytime ; if we love one another,
"Goddwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us : Hereby " know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath
66 given us of his Spirit," I John iv. 12, 13. The being of God is invisible, but the operations of his Spirit in believers, are
and difcernable. The soul's union with Christ is a supernatural mystery, yet it is discoverable by the effects thereof, which are very perceptible in and by believers. Two things require explication, and confirmation in the doc trinal part of this point.
1. What the giving of the Spirit imports and signifies. 2. How it evidences the soul's interest in Jesus Christ. First, As to the import of this phrase, we are to enquire what is meant by the Spirit, and what by the giving of the Spirit. Now the Spirit is taken in scripture two ways, viz.
; or personally. In the first sense it is put for the Godhead, 1 Tim. iii. 16. " Justified in the Spirit," i. e. By the power of his divine nature, which raised him from the dead. In the second sense it denotes the third person, or subsistence in the glorious and blessed Tri nity; and to him this word Spirit is attributed, sometimes pro perlyinthe sense before-mentioned, as denoting his personality: at other times metonymically, and then it is put for the effects, fruits, graces, and gifts of the Spiritcommunicatedby him unto men, Eph. v. II . " Be ye filled with the Spirit." Now the fruits or gifts of the Spirit are either,
SERM . XXIV. 443 The Method of Grace.
1. Common and assisting gifts: Or, 2. Special and sanctifying gifts. In the last sense and signification, it must be taken in this place; for, as to the common, assisting and mini string gifts of the Spirit, they are bestowed promiscuously upon one as well as another; such gifts in an excellent degree and a large measure, are found in the unregenerate, and therefore can never amount toa folidevidence of the soul's union with Christ : but his special fanctifyinggifts, being the proper effect and confequent of that union, must needs strongly prove and confirm it. In this sense therefore we are to understand the Spirit in this place; and by giving the Spirit to us, we are to understand more than the coming of the Spirit upon us : The Spirit of God is said to comeuponmen in a transient way, for their present assistance in some particular service, though in themselves they be unsanctified persons : Thus the Spirit of God came upon Balaam, Numb. xxiv. 2. enabling him to prophesy of things to come : And, although those extraordinary gifts of the Spirit be now ceased, yet the Spirit ceaseth not to give his ordinary assistances unto men, both regenerate and unregenerate, 1 Cor. xii. 8, 9, 10, 31.
compared : But, whatever gifts he gives to others, he is said to be given, to dwell, and to abide only in believers, 1 Cor. iii. 6. " Knowye not that ye are the temple of God,and that the Spi- "ritof God dwelleth in you ?" An expressiondenoting both his special propriety in them,and gracious familiarity with them. There is a great difference betwixt the assisting and the indwel ling of the Spirit ; the one is transient, the other permanent. That is a good rule the schoolmen give us, Ill a tantum dicuntur ineffe, quae infunt per modum quiet is: those things are only said to be in a man, which are in him by way of rest and permanency, and so the Spirit is in believers : Therefore they are said to live in the Spirit, Gal. v. 25. to be led by the Spirit, ver. 18. to be in the Spirit, and the Spirit to dwell in them, Rom. viii. 9. And so much of the first thing to be opened, viz. What we are to understand by the giving of the Spirit. Secondly, In the next place we are to enquire and satisfy ourselves, how this giving of the Spirit evidently proves, and strongly concludes, that foul's interest in Christ unto whom he is given: and this will evidently appear by the consideration of these five particulars.
1. The Spirit of God in believers is the very bond by which they are united unto Christ : If therefore we find in ourselves the bond of union, we maywarrantably conclude, that we have Lil 2
444 The Method of Grace. SERM . XXIV: union with Jesus Christ : This is evidently held forth in those words of Christ, John xvii. 22, 23. " The glory which thou "gavest me, have 1 given them, that they may beone, even as "we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be " made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou "hast sent me, and haft loved them as thou hast loved me." It is the glory of Christ's human nature to be united to the God head: "This (taid Christ) thou gavest me, and the glory thou
" gavest me, I have given them," i. e. By me they are united unto thee. And how this is done,he sheweth us more particu larly, I in them; there is Christ in us, viz.mystically : And, thou in me ; there is God in Christ, viz. hypostatically : So that in Christ,God and believers meet inablessedunion: It is Christ's glory to beone with God; it is our glory to be one with Christ, and with God by him : But how is this done ? Certainly, no other way but by the giving of his Spirit unto us ; for fomuch thatphrafe, I in them, must needs import : Christ isinusbythe
sanctifying Spirit, which is the bond of our union with him.
Secondly, The scripture every where makes this giving, or indwelling of the spirit, the great mark and trial of our interest in Christ ; concluding from the presence of it in us, positively, as in the text; and from the absence of it, negatively, as in Rom.
viii. 9. " Now ifanymanhave not the spirit of Christ, the same " is none of his," Jude ver. 19." Sensual, not having the fpi-
" rit." This mark therefore agreeing to all believers, and to none but believers, and that always, and at all times, it mult needs clearly infer the soul's union with Christ, inwhomfoever it is found.
Thirdly, That which is a certain mark of our freedom from the covenant of works, and our title to the privileges of the co venant of grace, must needs also infer our union with Christ, and special interest in him; but the giving,or indwelling of the
in us, isa certain mark of our freedom from the first covenant, under which all Christless persons still stand, and our title to the special privileges ofthefecond covenant, in which none but the members are interested ; and,consequently, it fully proves our union with the Lord Jesus. This is plain from the apostle's reasoning, Gal. iv, 6, 7. " And because ye are " sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your " hearts, crying, Abba Father: Wherefore thou art no more " afervant, but afon; and if a son, then heir of God, through " Christ." The spirit of the first covenant was a servile spirit, a spirit of fear and bondage, and they that were under that covenant were not fans, butfervants; but the spirit of the new
SERM. XXIV. The Method of Grace. 445 covenant is a free, ingenuous spirit, acting in the strength of God, and those that do so, are the children of God ; and children inherit the blessed privileges, and royal immunities contained in that great charter, the covenant of grace : they are heirs of God, and the evidence of this their inheritance, by virtue of the second covenant, and of freedom from the servitude, and bondage of the first covenant, is the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, crying, Abba Father ; So Gal. v. 18. " If ye be led by " the Spirit, ye are not under the law." : Fourthly, If the eternal decree of God's electing love be executed, and the virtues and benefits of the death of Christ applied by the Spirit, unto every foul in whom he dwelleth, as a
Ipirit of fanctification; then such a giving of the spirit unto us, must needs be a certain mark and proof of our fspecial interest in
; but the decree of God's electing love is executed, and the benefits of the blood of Christ are applied unto every foul in whom he dwelleth, as a Spirit of sanctification. This is plain from 1Pet. i. 2. " Elect according to the foreknowledge of God
" the Father, through sanctificationofthe Spirituntoobedience,
" and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:" Where you fee both God's election executed and the blood of Jesus sprinkled, or applied unto us by the Spirit, which is given to us as a Spirit of sanctification. There is a blessed order of working observed as proper to each person in the Godhead; the Father electeth, the Son redeemeth, the Spirit sanctifieth, The Spirit is the last efficient in the work of our salvation ; what the Father decreed, and the Son purchased, that the Spirit applieth ; and so puts the last hand to the compleat salvation of believers, And this some divines give as the reason why the fin against the Spirit is unpardonable, becausehebeing the last agent, in order of working, if the heart ofa man be filled with enmity against the Spirit, therecanbe no remedy for such a fin; there is no looking back to the death of Christ, or to the love of God, for remedy. This fin against the Spirit is that obex infernal is, the deadly stop and bar to the whole work of salvation; oppofitely, where the Spirit is received, obeyed, and dwelleth in the way of fanctification; into that foul the eternal love of God, the inestimable benefits of the blood of Christ run freely, without any interruption; and, consequently, the interest offuch afoul in Jesus Christ is beyond all dispute. * Fifthly, The giving of the Spirit to us, or his residing in us, as a fanctifying Spirit, is every where in scripture made the pledgeandearnest of eternal salvation, and, consequently, must abundantly confirm, and prove the foul's interest in Christ, Eph.
446 The Method of Grace. SERM . XXIV.
i. 13, 14. " In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed " with that holy Spirit of promise; which is the earnest of our " inheritance," &c. So, 2 Cor. i. 22. " who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." And thus you have the point opened and confirmed. The use of all followeth :
Use. Nowtheonlyuse I makeofthispoint, shall be that which liethdirectly, both in the view of the text, and of the design for which it was chosen ; namely, by it to try and examine the truth of our interest, and the validity of our claim to Jesus Christ. In pursuance of which design, I shall first lay down some general rules, and then propose some particular trials.
First, I shall lay down some general rules for the due information of our minds in this point, upon which somuchdepends.
Rule 1. Though the Spirit of God be given to us, andworketh in us, yet he worketh not as a natural, and necessary, but as a free and arbitrary agent : He neither assists, nor fanctifies, as the fire burneth, ad ultimumfui posse, as inuch as he can assist or sanctify, but as much as he pleaseth ; " dividing to every " man severally as he will," I Cor. xii. 11. Bestowing greater measures of gifts and graces upon some, than upon others ; and assisting the same person, more at one season than another : and all this variety of operation floweth from his own good pleasure: His grace is his own, he may give it as he pleaseth. Rule 2. There is a great difference in the manner of the Spirit's working before, and after the work of regeneration. Whilst we are unregenerate, he works upon us, as upon dead creatures that work not at all with him; and what motion there is in our souls, is a counter-motion to the Spirit; but after regeneration it is not so, he then works upon a complying, and willing mind : we work, and he assists, Rom. viii. 26. Our conscience witnesseth, and he beareth witness with it, Rom. viii. 16. It is therefore an error of dangerous consequence to think that fanctifiedpersons are not bound to stir, or strive in the way of duty, without a sensible impulse, or perverting motion of the Spirit,
Ifa. Ixiv. 7.
Rule 3. Though the Spirit of God be given to believers, and worketh in them,yet believers themselves may do or omitfuchthings as may obstruct the working, and obscure the very being of the Spirit of God in them : ita nos tractat, ut a nobis tractatur : He dealeth with us in his evidencing, and comforting-work, as we dealwithhiminpointoftenderness and obedience to his dictates: there is a grieving, yea, there is aquenching of the Spirit by the
SERM . XXIV. 447 The Method of Grace.
and corruptions of those hearts in which he dwelleth; and though he will not forsake his habitation, as a spirit of sanctification, yet he may for a time desert it is as a spirit of consolation, Psal. li. 11 .
Rule 4. Those things which discover the indwelling of the Spirit in believers are not so much the matter of their duties, or substance of their actions, as the morefecret springs, holy aims, and spiritual manner of their doing, or performing of them. It is not so much the matter of a prayer, the neat and orderly expressions in which it is uttered, as the inward sense and spiritual design of the soul : it is not the choice of elegant words, whereby our conceptions are cloathed, or the copiousness of the matter with which we are furnished; for even a poor stammering tongue, and broken language, may have more of the Spirit of God in it. This made Luther say, he saw more excellency in the duty ofa plain rustic Christian, than in all the triumphs of Cefar and Alexander. The beauty and excellency of spiritua duties is an inward hidden thing.
Rule 5. All the motions and operations of the Spirit are always harmonious, and suitable to the written word, Isa. viii. 20. " To the " law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this " word, it is because there is no light in them." The scriptures are by the inspiration of the Spirit, therefore his inspiration into the hearts of believers, must either substantially agree with the
or the inspiration of the Spirit be self-repugnant, and contradictory to one another. It is very observable, that the works ofgracewrought by the Spirit in the hearts of believers, are represented to us in scripture, as a transcript, or copy of the written word, Jer. xxxi. 33. " I will write my law in their
" hearts." Now, as a true copy answers the original, word for word, letter for letter, point for point ; so do the works of the Spirit in our souls, harmonize with the dictates of the Spirit in the scriptures : whatsoever motion therefore shall be found repugnant thereto, must not be fathered upon the SpiritofGod, but laid at the door of its proper parents, the spirit of error and corrupt nature .
Rule 6. Although the works of the Spirit, in all fanctifiedper. sons, dofubftantially agree, both with the written word, and with one another, (as ten thousand copies, penned from one original, must needs agree within themselves); yet as to the manner of infufionandoperation, there arefoundmany circumstantial differences. The Spirit of God doth not hold one and the fame method of working upon all hearts : the work of grace is introduced intofome fouls with more terror and trouble for fin, than it is in
448 The Method of Grace. SERM . XXIV. others: hewroughtupon Pauloneway, upon Lydia in another way: he holds tome much longer under terrors and troubles thanhedothothers : inveterate and more prophane sinners find
troubles for fin, and are held longer under them, than those are, into whose hearts grace is more early and insensibly infused by the Spirit's blessing upon religious education: but as these have less trouble than the other at first, socommonlythey have less clearness, and more doubts and fears about the work of the Spirit afterwards.
Rule 7. There is a great difference found betwixt thefanctifying, and the comforting influences of the Spirit upon believers, in respect ofconstancy andpermanency. His sanctifying influences abide for ever in the soul, they never depart ; but his comforting influences come and go, and abide not long upon the hearts of believers. Sanctification belongs to the being ofa Christian, confolationonly to his well-being: the first therefore is fixing and abiding, the latter various and inconstant. Sanctificationbrings us to heaven hereafter, consolation brings heaven into us here: Ourfafety lies in the former, our cheerfulness onJy in the latter. There are times and seasons, in the lives of be Jievers, wherein the Spirit of God doth more signally and eminently seal their spirits, and ravish their hearts with joy unspeak.
able: But what Bernard speaketh is certainly true in the experience of Christians : " * It is a sweet hour, and it is but an hour; "a thing of thort continuance: the relish of it is exceeding sweet, "but it is not often that Christians taste it." And so much may suffice for the general rules about the inbeing, and workings of the Spirit in believers, for the better information of our under-
and prevention of mistakes in this matter : I hall next, according to promise, lay down the particular marks and trials, by which we maydifcern whether God hath given us his Spirit or no ; by which grown Christians, when they are ina due composed frame,may,by the assistance of the Spirit of God, (for which therefore they are bound to pray), discern his indwelling and working in themselves . Evidence 1. In whomsoever the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit offanctification, to thatman or woman he hath been, more or less, a Spirit of conviction and humiliation. This is the order which the Spirit constantly observes in adult, or grown converts, John xvi. 8, 9. " And when he is come, he willreprove the world of
" fin, and of righteousness, and of judgment : offinbecause
Rara hora, brevis mora ; fapit quidem fuavissime, fedgustatur rariffime. Bern.
SERM . XXIV. 449 The Method of Grace. " they believed not on me." This, you fee, is the method he observes all the world over ; he shall reprove, or convince the world of fin . Conviction of fin hath the fame respect unto fanctification, as the blossoms of trees have to the fruits that follow them : A blosson is butfructus imperfect us, et ordinabilis ; an imperfect fruit in itself, and in order to a more perfect and noble fruit. Where there are no blossoms, we can expect no fruit; and where we fee no conviction of fin, we can expect no conversion to Christ. Hath then the SpiritofGod been a Spirit of conviction to thee ? Hath he more particularly convinced thee of fin, " because thou hast not believed on him?" i. e. hath he shewn thee thy fin and misery, as an unbeliever ? Not only terrified and affrighted thy conscience with this or that more notorious act of fin, but fully convinced thee of the state of fin that thou art in by reason of thy unbelief; which holding thee from Christ, must needs also hold thee under, the guilt of all thy other sins. This gives, at least, a strong probability that God hath given thee his Spirit, especially, when this conviction remains day and night upon thy soul, so that nothing but Christ can give it rest, and consequently the great enquiry of thy soul is after Christ, and none but Christ.
66 Evidence 2. As the Spirit of God hath been a convincing, so he is a quickening Spirit, to all those to whom he is given ; Rom. viii. 2. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of fin and death:" He is the Spirit of life, (i. e.) the principle of spiritual life in the souls whom he inhabiteth; for, uniting them to Christ,he unites them to the fountain of life; and this spiritual life, in believers,manifests itself as the natural life doth in vital actions and operations. When the Spirit of God comes into the soul ofa man that was dead and senseless under fin, " O (faith he) now I begin to feel " the weight and load of fin, Rom. vii. 24. now I begin to hunger and thirst after Christ, and his ordinances, 1 Pet, ii. 2. now I begin to breathe after God in spiritual prayer," Acts ix . 11. Spiritual life hath its spiritual senses, and suitable operations. O think upon this, you that cannot feel anyburthen in fin, you that have no hungerings or thirstings after Christ ;. how can the Spirit of God be in you ? Ido not deny but there. may,at some times, be much deadness and senselessnessupon the hearts of Christians, but this is their disease, not their nature ;.
it is but at sometimes, not always, and when it is so with them, they are burdened with it, and complain of it, as their greatest affliction in this world; their spirits are not easy and at rest, in VOL. II. Mmm
450 The Method of Grace. SERM. XXIV. such a condition as yours are; their spirits are as a bone out of joint, an arm dislocated, which cannot move any way without pain.
Evidence 3. Those to whom Godgiveth his Spirit have a tender sympathy with all the interests andconcernments of Christ. This must needs be so, if the fame Spirit which is in Christ dwelleth altointhyheart ; if thou be a partaker of his Spirit, then what he loves, thou lovest, and whathehateth, thou hatest. This is avery plain case; even in nature itself, we find that the many members of the same naturalbody being animated by one and the same spirit of life, " whether one member suffer, all the " members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the " members rejoice with it: now ye are the body of Christ, " and members in particular," I Cor. xii. 26, 27. For look, as Christ, the head of thatbody is touched with a tender sense and feeling of the miseries, and troubles of his people, he is persecuted, when they are persecuted, Acts ix. 4. so they that have the Spirit of Christ in them, cannot be without a deep, and tender sense of the reproach, anddishonours that are done to Christ : this is " as it were a sword in their bones," Psal. xlii. 3. If his public worship cease, or the assemblies of his people are scattered; itcannotbutgo to the hearts of all, in whom the Spirit of Christ is : " They will be sorrowful for " the solemn assemblies; the reproach of them will be a bur-
" den," Zeph. iii. 18. Those that have the Spirit of Christ do not more earnestly long after any one thing in this world, than the advancement of Christ's interest, by conversion, and reformation in the kingdoms of the earth, Psal. xlv. 3, 4. Paul could rejoice that Christ was preached, though his own afflictionswere increased, Phil. i. 16, 18. and John could rejoice that Christ increased, though he himself decreased ; yet therein was his joy fulfilled, John iii. 29. So, certainly, the concernments of Christ must, and will touch that heart which is the habitation of his Spirit. I cannot deny, but even a good Baruch maybe under a temptation to seek great things for himself, and betoomuch swallowed up in his ownconcernments,when God is plucking up and breaking down, Jer. xlv. 4, 5. But this is only the influence of a temptation: the true temper and spirit ofa believer inclines him to sorrow and mourning,when things are in this sad posture : Ezek. ix. 4. "Go through the midst of " the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark up- "on the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the " abominations that be done in the midst thereof." O reader, lay thine hand upon thine heart: Is it thus with
SERM . XXIV. The Method of Grace. 451 thee ? Dost thou sympathize with the affairs andconcernments of Christ in the world ? or, careft thou not which way things gowith the people of God, and gospel of Christ, so long as thine own affairs prosper, and all things are well with thee ?
Evidence 4. Wherever the Spirit of God dwelleth, he doth, in Some degree, mortify and subdue the evils and corruptions of the soul in which he resides. This spirit lusteth against the flesh, Gal. v. 7. and believers, " through the Spirit, do mortify,the " deeds of the body," Rom. viii. 13. This is one special part of his fanctifying work. I do not say he so kills, and fubdues fin in believers, as that it shall never trouble, or defile the many more : No, no, that freedom belongs to the perfect state in heaven, but its dominion is taken away, though its life be prolonged for a season: It lives in believers still, but not upon the provision they willingly make to fulfil the lust of it, Rom. xiii. 27. The design of every true believer, is co-incident with the design of the Spirit, to destroy, and mortify corruption : They long after the extirpation of it, and are daily in the use of all fanctifiedmeans and instruments, to subdue and destroy it; the workings of their corruption, are the afflictions of their souls, Rom. vii . 24. " O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver " me from the body of this death ?" And there isnoone thing that sweetens the thoughts of death to believers (except the fight, and full enjoyment of God) more than their expected deliverance from fin doth .
Evidence 5. Wherever the Spirit of God dwelleth in the way offanctification, in allfuchhe is the Spirit of prayer andfupplication, Rom. viii. 26. " Likwise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered:" Wherever he is poured out as the Spirit of grace, he is also poured out as the Spirit of fupplication, Zech. xii. 10. His praying, and his fanctifying in Auences are undivided. There is a threefold assistance that the Spirit gives unto sanctified persons in prayer. He helps them before they pray,by setting an edge upon their desires and affec-