magnified indeed, because it was more than God did owe the creature ; but lie had not been glorified as now, when, not only the Christian's first strength to close with Christ is from God ; but he is beholden still to God for the exercise of that strength, in every action of his Christian coiu-se. As a child that travels in his father's company, all is paid for, but his father carries the purse, not himself; so the Christian's shot is discharged in every condition, but he cannot say, This I did, or that I sutl'ered ; but, God wrought all in me, and for me. The very comb of pride is cut here, no room for any self-exalting thoughts. The Christian cannot say. That 1 am a saint is mercy ; but being a saint, that my faith is strong, this is the child of my own care and watchfulness. Alas, poor Christian ! Who kept thine eye waking, and stirred up thy care? Was not this the otl'spring of God, as well as thy faith at first? No saint shall say of heaven M-hen he comes there, This is heaven, which I have built by the power of my might. No, ' Jerusalem above is a city, whose builder and maker is God ! ' Every grace, yea, degree of grace, is a stcme in that building, the top-stone whereof is laid in glory, where saints shall more plainly see, how (jod was not only foimder to begin, but benefactor also to finish the same. The glory of the work shall not be crumbed, and piece-mealed out, some to God, and some to creature ; but all entirely paid in to God, and he acknow- ledged all in all.
Section II. — Ufte 1. Is the Christian's strength in the Lord, not in himself? Surely, then, the Christless person must needs be a poor impotent creature, void of all strength and ability of doing anything of itself towards its own salvation. If the ship, launched, rigged, and with her sails spread, cannot stir till the wind come fair, and fills them, much less can the timber that lies in the carpenter's yard hew and frame itself into a ship. If the living tree cannot grow, except the root communicates its sap, much less can a dead, rot- ten stake in the hedge, which has no root, live of its own accord. In a word, if a Christian, that hath his s])iritual life of grace, cannot exercise this life without strength from above ; then surely, one void of this new life, dead in sins and tres])asses, can never be able to beget this in himself, or concur to the production of it. The state of unregcneracy is a state of impotency ; ' when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly,' Rom. v. 6. And as Christ found the lump of mankind covered with the ruins of their lapsed estate, (no more able to raise themselves from under the weight of God's wrath, which lay u})on them, than one biu'ied imder the rubbish of a fallen house, is to free himself of that weight without help,) so the Spirit finds sinners in as helpless a condition, as unable to repent, or believe on Christ for salvation, as they were of themselves to purchase it. Confounded therefore for ever be the language of those sons of pride, who cry up the j^ower of nature, as if man, with his own brick and slime of natural abilities, were able to rear up such a building, whose top may reach heaven itself. ' It is not of him that willeth or runneth, but God that sheweth mercy,' Rom. ix. 16. God himself hath scattered such Babel-builders in the imaginations of their hearts, who raiseth this spiritual temple in the souls of men, not by might, nor by a power of their own, but by his Spirit ; that so grace, grace, might be proclaimed before it for ever. And therefore if any, yet in their natural estate, would become wise to salvation, let them first become fools in their own eyes, and renounce their carnal wisdom, which ])erceives not the things of God ; and beg wisdom of God, who givetli, and upbraideth not. If any man would have strength to believe, let them become weak, and die to their own ; for ' by strength shall no man prevail,' 1 Sam. ii. 9.
U.se 2. Secondly, Doth the Christian's strength lie in God, not in himself? This may for ever keep the Christian humble, when most enlarged in duty, most assisted in his Christian course. Remember, Christian, when thou hast thy best suit on, who made it, who paid for it : thy grace, thy comfort, is neither the work of thy own hands, nor the price of thy own desert ; be not for shame proud of another's cost. That assistance will not long stay, which becomes a nurse to thy pride ; thou art not Lord of that assistance thou hast. Thy Father is wise, who, when he alloweth thee most for thy spiritual maintenance, even then keeps the law in his own hands, and can soon curb thee, if thou growest wanton
J 2 BE STRONG IN THE LORD.