You think, because of the weakness of your grace, you must be bonie with in this, and that, and what not. But remember, it is your duty to live up to the light and grace you have; and nothing below this will effectually stop the mouths of graceless wretches from barking against the ways of God, the truths of God, and the people of God. Vain men will be often a-reasoning thus : though such and such men and women have not such great knowledge, such clear light, such strong love, and such burning zeal as David, Paul, and other worthies, yet they have so much light and knowledge as tells them that they should not carry themselves thus and thus as they do. Their light and knowledge tells them that they should be just and righteous in their dealings, and in all their ways and designs, &c. Though they have not such great mea- sures of spiritual enjoyments as such and such, yet that little grace they have should lead them by the hand to do things Avorthy of that Christ and the gospel they profess, &c.
Let me a little expostulate the point with you, weak saints ; you know that you should not be stirred and heated by every straw that is in your way. Why do not you in this, then, live up to your light ? You know that you should not 'be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good,' Rom. xii. 21. And why do not you in this live up to your light ? You know that you should ' do good to those that do hurt to you,' Mat. v. 44-48. Why do not you in this live up to your light ? You know that you should do your duties to others, though they neglect their duties to you. It is not the neglect of a husband's duty that frees the wife from the discharge of hers, nor the neglect of a wife's duty that frees the husband from the discharge of his. You know this, don't you ? Yes. Why don't you then live up to your light ? Why do you by your contrary actings open the mouths of others against God and his ways ? You know that you should be exemplary in your relations, in your genera- ations, and in your conversations ; you know that you should be ex- amples of holiness, meekness, sweetness, patience, and contentedness, and why then don't you live up to your knowledge in these things ? You know that you should do to others as you would have others to do to you ; and why in this don't you live up to your knowledge ? Ah ! that you that are weak did not cause the mouths of wicked men to be opened against God, his truths and ways, by your living below that light and knowledge that God hath given you ! I beseech you, as you tender the honour of God, and as j^ou would stop the mouths of vain men, live up to those measures of grace that the Lord hath given \o\\. No way to comfort like this, no way to the crown like this. He will not be long a babe in grace, who lives out that little grace he hath.
[4.] Fourthly, Living ujy to your light is the readiest and the only way to fetch up and to recover cdl that hath been lost by your living below your light.
' 1 Peter ii. 15, ye may put to silence. The Greek word ^luovv signifies to muzzle, to halter up, or button up their mouths, as we say. Oli ! there is nothing that will so muzzle and button up the mouths of vain men as Christians living up to that light and grace they have. [Cf. Glossary under ' button ' for other references. — G.]
84- THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
By your living below your light, God, your own souls, and the gospel liave lost much, yea, and others also have lost much light, comfort, strength, and quickness, «Sz;c., that they might have had, had you but lived up to that little grace you had. Now, there is no way on earth to re- cover and to fetch up these losses, but by living up to that grace you have. Ah, Christians ! it is not your running from sermon to sermon, — not that I speak against frequent hearing of the word, — nor your crying up this man and that man, or this notion and that, or this A\ay or that, that Avill recover and fetch up the honour that God hath lost by j'^our living Ijelow your graces.' It is only your living up to your graces that will make up all the breaches that ha.ve been made upon his honour and the gospel, and upon the comfort and peace of your own souls and others'. Well, remember this, all the honour that God hath from you in this life, is from your living up to that light, knowledge, love, fear, and faith that he hath given you. There is nothing that will make up all losses but this; therefore I beg of you, upon the knees of my soul, that you Avould take this one thing home with you, and go into your closets, and lay your hands upon your hearts, and say, Well, the Lord hath lost much, and my own soul hath lost n\uch, and others have lost much, by my living below that little grace I have ; and therefore I will now make it my l)usiness, by assisting grace, to live up to those measures of grace that I have received, more than yet I have done all my days. I will, by the strength of Christ, make it more my duty and my work to live out what God hath given in than ever yet I have done, that so the Lord and the gospel may be no further losers but gainers by me.
[5.] The fifth and last motive is this, the readiest and the surest vmy to get more grace, is to live up to that little grace you have.
He that lives up to a little light shall have more light ; he that lives up to a little knowledge shall have more knowledge ; he that lives up to a little faith shall have more faith ; and he that lives up to a little love shall have more love, &c.^ There is no such way to attain to greater measures of grace as for a man to live up to that little grace he hath. Verily, the main reason why many are such babes and shrubs in grace, is because they do not live up to their attainments. He that Avont improve two talents, shall never have the honour to be trusted Avith five ; but he that improves a little, shall be trusted with much : ' The diligent hand maketh rich,' Prov. x. 4. He that is active and a^j^ile, that works as well as wishes, that adds endeavours to his desires, will quickly be a cedar in grace. Ah, Christians ! 3'ou have a God that is great, a God that is good, a God that is gracious, and a God that is rich, that loves not to see liis children to be always weaklings and striplings in grace. The very babe, by drawing the breasts, gets strength and nourishment. Oh you babes in grace, put out that little strength you
' Berniird [Serm. on Canticles, as Iff ore.— G."] para|ilirasing on that of Solomon, 'A lily amongst thorua,' saitli, The manners, or lives of men, as lilies, liavo their coloura and crlours ; that wliich corner from a pure heart and a good conscience hath the colour (if a lily, if a good name follow. It is more truly a lily when n<ather candour nor odour of the lily is wanting. I\'on enim pissihus ad Denm sed affectibus cunivins.