* Omne honum in summo bono, all good is in tlie chiefcst good.
* Plutarch's reasoning ia good : to. tut ^i\ut tumto. xoimu, friends have all things in com- mon ; but God is our friend. Ergo, . . . This was a raro speech from a heathen. \_Moralia, sub voce. — G.]
^ The wife shares with her husband in all his titles of honour ; so does a Christian with his Christ.
< See 1 Sam. xviii. 17-29 ; Col. ii. 14, 15 ; Eph. ii. 13-16 ; Heb. ii. 14, 16 ; Rom. viii. 37. ii^i^viKufitt, we do overcome-
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 75
heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' Believers are already risen in Christ their head, and they do at this instant sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Christ, as a public person, doth represent all believing souls, and they are set down in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. In E.om. viii. 17, 'If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.' And in John xiv. 2, 3, 'I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and pre- pare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself ; that where I am, there ye may be also.' So in Rev, iii. 21, 'To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.' ^ Now, what would you have more, weak souls ? Christ shares with you, and you share with Christ. You are apt to be discouraged because you do not share with Christ in such measures of grace, comfort, and holiness, as such and such strong saints do. Oh ! but remember in how many weighty things Christ and you are sharers ; and be dejected if you can ! Ah, Christians ! what though you do not share in the honours, profits, pleasures, and advantages of the world ; yet this should be your joy and crown, that Christ and your souls are sharers in those things that are most eminent and excellent, most precious and glorious ; and the serious remembrance hereof should bear up your heads, hopes, and hearts, above all the troubles, temptations, and afflictions that come upon you in this world, &a
III. The third thing propounded, was to sheiv you the duty of weak saints. Who these weak saints are, you have heard ; and what their supports and comforts are, you have heard ; and now I shall shew you their duty in the following particulars.
And the Jirst duty that I shall press upon weak saints is this :
1. To be thankful f 07' that little grace they have.^
Wilt thou be thankful, O Christian, for the least courtesy shewed thee by men ? And wilt thou not be thankful for that little measure of grace that is bestowed upon thee by God ? Dost thou remember, O weak Christian ! that the least measure of grace is more worth than a thousand worlds? that it is more worth than heaven itself? Dost thou remember, O weak Christian ! that the greatest number of men have not tlie least measure or dram of saving grace ? Doth free grace knock at thy door, when it passes by the doors of thousands ? And doth it cast a pearl of price into thy bosom, when others are left to wallow in their blood for ever ? And wilt thou not be thankful ? Oh do but consider, weak souls, how notoriously wicked you would have been if the Lord had not bestowed a little grace upon you ! Thou lookest, O soul, one way, and there thou hearest some a-cursing, ban- ning, and a-blaspheming God to his very face. Had not the Lord given thee a little grace, ten thousand to one but thou hadst been one in wickedness among these monsters of mankind. And thou lookest an- other way, and there thou seest persons dicing, carding, drabbing, and drunkenning, &c. ; why, had not the Lord vouchsafed to thee some tastes and sips of grace, thou mightst have been as vile as the vilest among them. Ah, weak saints ! you do not think what an awakened
* Clirist is the believer's harbinger, to prepare for them the best mansions, &c. '-* The laws of Persia, Macedonia, and Athens, condemned the ungrateful to death ; and certainly unthankfulness may well be styled the epitome of all vices.
76 THE UXSEAECHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
conscience would give for a little of that little grace that the Lord has given you. Were all the world a lump of gold, and in their hand to give, they would give it for the least spark of grace, for the least drop of mercy.
I have read of a man who, being in a burning fever, professed that if he had all the world at his dispose, he would give it all for one draught of beer. So would an awakened conscience for one dram of grace. Oh ! saith such a soul, when I look up and see God frowning, when I look inward and feel conscience ornawincj and accusino- when I look down- ward and see hell open to receive me, and when I look on my right and left hand, and see devils standing ready to accuse me, oh ! had I a thousand worlds I would give them all for a little drop of that grace that such and such souls have, whom I have formerly slighted and de- spised. Oh ! what would not a damned soul, that hath been but an Jiour in hell, give for a drop of that grace that thou hast in thy heart ! Tbink seriously of this and be thankful^
Well ! remember one thing more, and that is this, viz., that there is no such way to get much grace, as to be thankful for a little grace. He who opens his mouth •«'ide in praises, shall have his heart filled with graces. Ingratitude stops the ear of God, and shuts the hand of God, and turns away the heart of the God of grace, and therefore you had need be thankful for a little gi'ace. Unthankfulness is the neatest in- justice that may be ; it is a withholding from the great landlord of heaven and earth his due, his debt.
Philip branded his soldier that begged the land of one that had relieved him, and kindly entertained him, with ingratus hospes, the un- grateful guest.^ O weak saints ! give not God an occasion by your ingratitude to brand you, and to write upon your foreheads, ungrateful children. Had it not been for imthankfulness, Adam had been in para- dise, the lapsed angels in heaven, and the Jews in their own land of promise. The Jews have a saying, that the world stands upon three things, the law, holy worship, and retribution, and if these things fall the world will fall. You know how to apply it, Isa. i. 3, 4.
But [that] I may in good earnest stir up your souls to thankfulness, will you take home with you these things, that haplj^ have never or seldom been thought of by you ?
[1.] First, Consider, that there is more need of iwaises titan there is of prayers.
Two things do with open mouth proclaim this truth.
And the j^rs^ is this, our mercies do out-weigh our wants. This is true in temporals, but infinitely more in spirituals and eternals. Thou wantest this and that outward mercy, and what is thy want, O soul ! of this and that single mercy, to the multitudes of mercies that thou dost enjoy ? And as for spirituals, there is nothing more clear than this, that thy spiritual mercies do infinitely out-weigh thy spiritual wants. Thou wantest this and that spiritual mercy, but what are those wants