Thuanus reports of Lodovicus Marsacus, a kuight of France, when lie was led with other martyrs that were bound with cords, going to execution, and he for his dignity was not bound, he cried, Give me my chains too, let me be a knight of the same order.^
It should be between a strong saint and a weak, as it is between two lute-strings, that are tuned one to another ; no sooner one is struck, . but the other trembles ; no sooner should a weak saint be struck, but the strong should tremble. ' Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them,' Heb. xiii. 3.
The Romans punished one that was seen looking out at his window with a crowTi of roses on his head, in a time of public calamity ; and will not God punish those that do not sympathize with Joseph in his afflictions ? Surely he will. Amos vi. 1-14.
[11.] Lastly, It is the duty of the strong to give to the weak the honour that is due unto them.
1 Peter iii. 7: They have the same name, the same baptism, the same profession, the same faith, the same hope, the same Christ, the same promises, the same dignity, and the same glory with you ; there- fore speak honourably of them, and carry it honourably towards them. Let not them be under your feet, that Christ has laid near his heart, &c. And so much for this second doctrine.
We come now to the next words.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, <t-c. — Eph. iii. 8.
We shall speak now to the word grace. The Greek word XH'^> that is here rendered grace, hath a twofold signification.
First, Sometimes it is taken for the gracious favour and good-will of God, whereby he is pleased of his own free love to accept and own poor sinners in the Son of his love, for liis own. This is called the first grace, because it is the fountain of all other graces, and the spring from whence they flow. And it is therefore called grace, because it makes a man gracious with God.
' I have known a good old man, said Bernard, who, when lie had heard of any that li;id committod .some notorious offence, wa.s wont to say with himself, J(/e hodie, e' e<jo CI as, he fell to-day ; so may I to-morrow, &c. '■^ Thuanus, Hist, [sub U'jmiiu. — li.J
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Secondly, This word %«f' ?, that is here rendered grace, is taken for the gifts of grace, and they are of two sorts, special or common. Common grace is that which hypocrites may have, and in which they may excel and go beyond the choicest saints, as in a gift of knowledge, a gift of utterance, a gift of prayer, a gift of tongues, &c. A man may have these, and many other excellent gifts, and yet miscarry, yea, fall as low as hell ; Avitness Judas, Demas, the scribes and pharisees, &c.. Mat. vii. 21-25. Secondly, There is special grace, as faith, love, humility, meekness, which the apostle reckons up, Gal. v. 22, 23. Now here by grace you may either understand the gracious favour of God, ' Unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this choice favour given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,' or else you may take it for the gifts of grace, both saving and common, which the apostle had given him, in order to the dis- charge of his ministerial office, which, by the special favour of God, he was advanced to.
The word grace being thus opened, we may from thence observe, first,
, I. That the Lord gives his best gifts to his best beloved ones.
' Unto me,' saith the apostle, ' who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given.'
For the opening and clearing of this point, I shall premise these four things.
I. To shew you what those best gifts are that God bestows upon his best beloved ones.
II. I shall shew you the manner of his giving the best gifts to his beloved ones, or the difference there is between Christ's giving and the world's giving.
III. And then the excellency of those gifts that Christ gives, above all other gifts that the world gives.
IV. And lastly, The reason why Christ gives his best gifts to his best beloved ones.
For the first, What are those best gifts that Christ bestows upon his best beloved ones ?
I shall not instance in those common gifts that they have in common with others, but rather shew unto you those special gifts that he be- stows upon them ; and of those I shall single out them that are most choice, and that carry most in them of the glory, favour, and ' good will of him that dwelt in the bush.'
And the first is this :
[1.] He gives light to his beloved ones; and 'light is a pleasant thing to behold,' as the wise man speaks, Eccles. xi. 7. He gives spiritual light, which is a mercy of mercies. Eph. v. 14, 'Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.'' So John i. 7-9, ' He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, that lighteneth every man that Cometh into the world.'" He gives that light whereby his people are enabled to see sin to be the greatest evil, and himself to be the chiefest
' i-rKpava-ii iroi, shine upon thee. Life without light is hut a lifeless life. 2 Fide Cameron and Augustine on the words.
104) THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
good. He gives that light that melts the soul, that humbles the soul, that warms the soul, that quickens the soul, that quiets the soul, and that glads the soul. Man is not born with heavenly light in his heart, as he is born with a tongue in his mouth. Till Christ comes and sets up a light in the soul, the soul lives in darkness, and lies in darkness, yea, is dark- ness in the very abstract : Eph. v. 8, ' Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.' Saints are always in the sunshine, there- fore they should be like a crystal glass, with a light in the midst, which appeareth in every part.^
A Christian should be like the lamp in the story, that never went out. Were it not for the sun, it would be pei-petual night in the world, notwithstanding all starlight, and torchlight, and moonlight. It is not the torchlight of natural parts and creature-comforts^ nor the starlight of civil honesty and common gifts, nor yet the moonlight of temporary faith and formal profession, that can make day in the soul, till the Sun of righteousness rise and shine upon it. And that is the first thing he gives, light.
Now, the second thing he gives is,