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regeneration, and progressive sanctification; but it will be completely so in our glorification. Then, and not till then, all the purposes of grace will be fulfilled; but I rather apprehend that by grace here we are to understand,

2. That grace which comes from Christ, which is derived out of his fulness, and proportioned by his infinite wisdom to our wants and exigences, the sphere in which we move, and the labours to which we are called. "Unto every one of us," says the apostle, "is grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ." More to some than others, but a sufficiency to all. The former is grace communicating, the latter is grace communicated; and is no other than that vital principle of holiness and religion, which distinguishes the true believer from the hypocrite and formal professor. And O what an excellent principle is this! it forms the christian temper and character, makes a man upright and sincere, meek and humble, happy himself, and useful to others. Grace, in general, is like a fountain; and the various graces of the Spirit-faith, hope, love, fear, joy, and the like, are the streams flowing from that fountain. To say that a man is gracious, is to say that he is truly good. This also is that principle that continually militates against sin.

"The Spirit," saith the apostle, "lusteth against the flesh;" it curbs and restrains it in this world, and will utterly subdue and destroy it in the next. These are two contrary powers; the one of which, like the house of Saul, shall wax weaker and weaker; and the other, like the house of David, stronger and stronger: nor should we forget that it is necessary to all acceptable obedience. There must be a holy heart, in order to a holy practice. It is also an abiding persevering principle, an incorruptible seed," a well of water that springeth up unto everlasting life;"-in a word, it is the noblest of all God's gifts and works. It is so if we consider its necessity, its nature, and, above all, its blessed effects. It is the image, the very life of God, in the soul. It is this that sanctifies

and doubles our blessings; is glory begun, and an earnest of eternal blessedness. With it we cannot but be happy; without it we must be extremely miserable. Let the king enjoy his crown unenvied, the nobleman his dignities, the rich man his large estates and ample revenues; but do you, my brethren, seek to be a partaker of divine grace. This will guide you in difficulty, protect you in danger, arm you against temptation, excite you to duty, support you in death, and bring you safe to heaven; which leads me to the last thing observed from my text.

III. That this grace of our Lord Jesus Christ should be with our spirits, is a blessing of all others the most to be desired; and that both for ourselves and others. The apostle had a great love to Philemon, and he could not discover it better than by the solemn wish in my text. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with not only thy, but your spirit; including his children, servants, and the church in his house. May you be partakers of it, blessed with an increase of it, and experience its continual influence. May you be filled with the comforts, and bring forth the fruits of it; so that others, by your example, may be excited to seek after it. Now, as the heart or spirit is the proper seat and residence of grace, the place of its abode and operation, he particularly prays that it might be with their spirit: and this he might do for the following reasons :—

1. Without it they could not have the knowledge of their spirits, discern their true disposition, or be acquainted with their real state. Now, as a knowledge of ourselves is of great importance, that without which this cannot be attained must needs be so. It may sometimes be said. to good, and much more to bad men, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." This is owing to a defect of grace in the one, to a total want of it in the other. Hence Christ counsels the deluded Laodiceans to buy of him eye-salve, that they might see themselves to be what they really were; and, as they were hypocritical professors, know themselves to be so. Grace is that light which

makes manifest the hidden recesses in which sin delights to dwell.

2. Without it they could not maintain the rule and government of their spirits, but would be like a city broken down and without walls; exposed to all manner of temptation, lying open to every spiritual corruption, and a prey to every enemy. If grace does not rule in the heart, sin will rule there. He that is not possessed of grace, cannot properly possess himself, but shall be in a state of destruction, and disorder, and slavery; hurried hither and thither, at the call of every lust, in compliance with every growing appetite and inclination.

3. Without it the man would be destitute of spiritual affections :-no humble fear of God, fervent love to him, or holy trust in him. A wretched stupor possesses the graceless soul. It is in a state of insensibility; it has no spiritual appetites and desires; no pantings after God; no hungerings and thirstings after righteousness; and this is too much the case with good men, when the influence and exercise of grace are suspended, or fresh supplies of it withheld.

4. Without it they would be incapacited for performing duties in a spiritual manner; as when there is no grace there is no evangelical obedience; so where grace is at a low ebb, the wheels of obedience drag on heavily, and those motions are heavy and languid, which were before lively and vigorous. The excellency of any duty consists in the engagement of our spirits in it, and our spirits are more or less engaged, according to the influence that divine grace has upon them. "The lame man shall leap as an hart," says God, by the prophet Isaiah, “and the tongue of the dumb sing:"-why? because in "the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." Every good man should pray with the spirit, and sing with the spirit; but he can do neither, unless the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with his spirit. The apostle

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SERMON XXXIII.

CHARACTER TRIED BY THE WORD AND PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

MATTHEW III. 10.

The axe is laid to the root of the tree.

No Scripture is of private interpretation; so that what John the Baptist said to the carnal and unbelieving, hypocritical and self-justifying Jews, may be said to all of similar character. Several questions arise from these words. What are we to understand by the axe? By whom is it laid? and what is the import of the phrase? To each of which I shall return a short, may it be a satisfactory, and instructive

answer.

Question I. What are we to understand by the axe?

1. The axe may denote temporal judgments; those numerous miseries and distresses which are consequent upon the fall, and though not the full, yet the just punishment of sin; and to these the inspired preacher might have a particular reference in my text, for many calamities. were at this time coming upon the Jewish nation, for their crying abominations, and especially the rejection of the Messiah, which seemed to be the filling up the measure of their iniquities. Lo-ammi was now about to be written. upon them; the staff both of beauty and of bands to be cut asunder; their temple ruined; their city levelled with

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