Quest. What is this real work of Grace?

Answ. It consists in two things.

1. It lies in an heart-humbling work: The thorn of sin pricked Pauls Conscience, Rom. 7. 9. Sin revived, and I died. Though some are less humbled than others, as some bring forth Children with less pangs, yet all have pangs.

2 Grace lies in an heart-changing work, 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified; A man is so changed, as if another soul did live in the same body; if ever you would hold out in the waies of God, get this vital principle of grace; why do men change their religion, but because their hearts were never changed? they do not fall away from grace, but for want of grace.

2 If you would hold on in godliness, be deliberate and judicious, weigh things well in the ballance, Luke 14. 28. Which of you intending to build a Tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost: Think with your selves, what it will cost you to be godly, you must expect the hatred of the world, Ioh. 15. 19. the wicked hate the godly for their piety· ‘tis strange they should do so; do we hate a flower because it is sweet? the godly are hated for the perfume of their graces; is a Virgin hated for her beauty? the wicked hate the godly for the beauty of holiness, which shines in them; and secret hatred will break forth into open violence, 2 Tim. 3. 12. Christians must count the cost before they build; why are people so hasty in laying down Religion, but because they were so hasty in taking it up?

3 If you would hold fast your profession, get a clear distinct knowledge of God, know the love of the Father, the merit of the Son, the efficacy of the Holy Ghost: Such as know not God aright, will by degrees renounce their profession: The Samaritans sometimes sided with the Iews, when they were in favour, afterwards they disclaimed all kindred with the Iews, when they were persecuted by (Josephus) Antiochus; and no wonder they did shuffle so in their religion, if you consider what Christ saith of the Samaritans, Ioh. 4. 22. Ye worship ye know not what; they were inveloped with ignorance; blinde men are apt to fall, so are they who are blinded in their mindes.

4 If you would persist in godliness, enter upon it purely, out of choice, Psa. 119. 30. I have chosen the way of truth: espouse godliness for its own worth; he that would persevere, must rather choose godliness with reproach, than sin with all its worldly pomp; he who takes up religion for fear, will lay it down again for fear; he who imbraceth godliness for gain, will desert it when the jewels of preferment are pulled off; be not godly out of a wordly design, but a religious choice.

5 If you would persevere in godliness, labour after integrity; this will be a golden pillar to support you; a tree that is hollow, must needs be blown down; the hypocrite sets up in the trade of religion, but he will soon break, Psa. 78. 37. Their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast: Iudas was first a sly hypocrite, and then a Traitor; if a peece of copper be guilded, the guilding will wash off, nothing will hold out but sincerity, Psa. 25. 21. Let integrity preserve me: How many storms was Iob in? not only Satan, but God himself set against him, Iob 7. 20. which was enough to have made him desist from being godly, yet Iob stood fast, because he stood upright, Iob 27. 6. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go, my heart shall not reproach me, so long as I live: those colours hold best, which are laid in oyle; if we would have our profession hold its colour, it must be laid in the oyl of sincerity.

6 If you would hold out in godliness, hold up the life and fervour of duty, Rom. 12. 1. 1. Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord: We put coals to the fire to keep it from going out, when Christians grow into a dull formality, they begin to be dis-spirited, and by degrees abate in their godliness; none so fit to make an Apostate, as a lukewarm professour.

7 If you would persevere in godliness, be much in the exercise of self-denial, Mat. 16. 24. let him deny himself, self-ease,⁶ self-ends; whatever comes in competition with, or stands in opposition to Christs glory and interest, must be denied; Self is the great snare, self-love undermines the power of godliness. The young man in the Gospel, might have followed Christ, but that something of self⁷hindered, Mat. 19. 20, 22. Self-love, is self hatred, he will never get to heaven, that cannot get beyond himself.

8 If you would hold on in godliness, preserve an holy jealousie over your hearts, Rom. 11. 20. Be not high-minded, but fear: he that hath Gun powder in his house, fears lest it should catch fire; sin in the heart is like Gun-powder, it may make us fear, lest a sparkle of temptation falling upon us, should blow us up: There are two things may make us alwaies jealous of our hearts; the deceits of our hearts, and the lusts of our hearts: When Peter was afraid hee should sink, and cried to Christ, Lord save me, then Christ took him by the hand and helped him, Mat. 14. 31. but when Peter grew confident, and thought he could stand alone, then Christ suffered him to fall. Oh let us be suspitious of our selves, and in an holy sense, cloathe our selves with trembling, Eze. 26. 16.

9 If you would continue your progress in godliness, labour for assurance, 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure: He who is sure God is his God, is like a Castle built upon a rock, all the powers of Hell cannot shake him: How can he be constant in religion, who is at a loss about his spiritual estate, and knows not whether he hath grace or no? it will be a difficult matter for him to dye for Christ, who doth not know that Christ hath died for him; assurance establisheth a Christian in shaking times; he is the likeliest to bear witness to the truth, who hath the spirit of God bearing witness to his heart, Rom. 8. 16. Oh give diligence! be much in prayer, reading, holy conference; these are the oyle, without which the lamp of assurance will not shine.

10 If you would hold out in godliness, lay hold of Gods strength; God is called the strength of Israel, 1 Sam. 15. 29. It is in his strength we stand, more than our own; the childe is safest in the Nurses hands; it is not our holding God, but his holding us, preserves us; a little pinnace tyed fast to a rock, is safe, so are we, when we are tyed to the rock of ages.

Footnotes

1. Vse 2. ↩

2. Non cepisse sed perfecisse virtutis est ↩

3. Religionem Ephemeram habuit. ↩

4. Hos cum hyaena meritò comparaveris, de quâ Plinius lib. 7. cap. 2. Hyaena sicut & ichneumon, nunc mas est nunc faemina, it a quidem sui dissimiles, nunc Deo serviunt, nunc carni, ab uno ad aliud transferuntur, tipula leviores. ↩

5. Ignat. ↩

6. Nemo do displicet nisi qui sibi placet. Bernard ↩

7. Nemo laeditur nisi a se ipso. ↩