fore is very willing to shew mercy to the greatest rebels, to the worst of sinners. Witness Manasseh, Mary Magdalene, the thief, Paul, and others.' The greatness of man's sins do but set off the riches of free grace. Sins are debts, and God can as easily blot out a debt of many thousands as he can a lesser debt ; therefore let not the greatest rebel despair but believe, and he shall find that ' where sin hath abounded, there grace shall superabound,' &c.
And thus much for this observation. "We shall now proceed to the next words, viz.,
' That I should preach amang tlie Gentiles the unsearchable riches of ChrisC — Eph. iii. 8.
A little to open the words.
' That I should preach.'
That is, declare good news, or the glad tidings of salvation that is brought by Jesus Christ to sinners. The Greek word Enay^sX/ov, in the New Testament, answers to the Hebrew word Bessorah in the Old Testament, both signifying good news, glad tidings, or a joyful message.^
' That I should preach among the Gentiles!
The word 'ihiciv^ that is here rendered Gentiles, is sometimes \ised generally for all men, or all nations. So it is used in Mat. xxv. 32, and xxviii. 19. Sometimes this Greek word is used more especially for the people of the Jews ; so in John xi. 48, 50-52, and Acts x. 22 ; and sometimes it is used for the Gentiles, distinguished from the Jews ; so in Mat. vi. 82.
By the Gentiles here you are to understand those poor heathens that were without God in the world, that never had heard of Christ, nor those unsearchable riches that be in him ; as you may clearly see by compar- ing this text with that. Gal. i. 15, 16, 'But wdien it pleased God, who separated me from my mother s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach among the heathen,' saith he, ' immediately I consulted not with flesh and blood.'
1. The first observation that I shall speak to, from these words thus opened, is this :
That the gifts and graces that God bestows %tpon his people should be iniproved, employed, and exercised by his jjeople.
The Greek word %«»'?, that is here rendered gn^ace, we shewed you, hath a three-fold signification in the Scripture. Sometimes it denotes the favour of God, sometimes the common gifts of the Spirit, and some- times the saving graces of the Spirit. Now, sa.ys Paul, that singular favour that God hath conferred tipon me, and all those common gifts and special graces with which he has enriched me, they are all to be em- ployed and exercised. ' Unto me is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
So that there is nothing more clear than this, viz. : That the gifts and graces that God bestows upon his people, should be employed, im- proved, and exercised by his people.
' To me is this grace given.' Not that I should be idle, but active ;
' Rom. V. 10; Col. i. 21 ; Rom. vi. 13, 16, 19, 20.
■* EiayyiXiffaff^ai, from KvayyiXi^ai.
EPH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 12-5
not that I should be negligent, but diligent ; not that I should hide my talents, but improve them.
I shall touch upon a few scriptures that speak out this truth, and then open it to you. 2 Tim. i. 6, ' Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God that is in thee.' As the fire is in- creased and preserved by blowing, so are our graces. Some think that it is a metaphor taken from a spark kept in ashes, which, by gentle blowing, is stirred up, till it take a flame. Others say, it is an allusion to the tire in the temple, which was always to be kept burning.^ We get nothing by dead and useless habits. Talents hid in a napkin gather rust. The noblest faculties ai'e imbased, when not improved, when not exercised. Phihp. ii. 12, ' Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.' The Greek is, xarggya^sir^g, ' Work till you get the work through.' The reason why many mens hearts tremble, and are so full of fears and doubts, is because their salvation is not wrought out ; they do not make th£)rough work in their souls, they put not that cjuestion home. Whether they have grace or no ? an interest in Christ or no ? They do not rise with all their strength against sin, nor with all their power to serve the Lord ; and therefore fears and doubts do compass them round about. So in 1 Cor. xv. 58, 'Be sted- fast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, foras- much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the liOrd.'
' Be stedfast.' It is a metaphor taken from a foundation, on which a thing stands firmly ; or a seat or chair, wherein one sits fast.
' Unmoveable' signifies one that will not easily move his place or opinion.
'Abounding,' or excelUng 'in the work of the Lord.'
' Knowing that your labour is not in vain.' The Greek is * labours unto weariness.' The apostle would have them labour unto weariness; ' For,' saith he, ' it is not in vain." It will turn to a good account ; it will yield you much of heaven here, and make you high in heaven hereafter.^
There are only two things that I shall endeavour to do, for the open- ing of the point.
I. To shew you why persons must improve, employ, and exercise the graces and gifts that God hath bestowed upon them. And then,
II. The end to which they are to exercise those graces and gifts.
I. For the first, There are these twelve reasons why gracious souls should exercise and improve their gifts and graces. Friends, this point is a point of as singular use and of as great concernment to you, as any that I know the Scripture speaks of, and therefore I desii'e j^ou to lend your most serious and solemn attentions.
[1.] First, They must exercise and improve their graces,
Because the exercise and improvement of their graces is the ready way to he rich in grace.
As sin is increased in the soul by the frequent actings of it, so grace is nourished and strengthened in the soul by its frequent actings. The exercise of grace is always attended with the increase of graca Prov.
^ Grace is bettered and made more perfect by acting. Neglect of our graces is the ground of their decrease aaid decay. Wells are the sweeter for drawing.
126 THE UNSEAKCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
X. 4, ' The diligent hand maketh rich ;' or, the nimble hand ; the hand that is active and agile, that will see nothing lost for looking after, that hand maketh rich. Ruth ii., how did Boaz follow the business himself! his eyes were in every corner, on the servants and on th< reapers, yea, on the gleaners too.^
It is recorded of Severus, that his care was not to look what men said of him, or how they censured him, but to look what Avas to be done bv hitn. He will rise in judgment against those professors that look more what this man and the other man saith of them, than what is to be done by them. The heart of a Christian is to be taken up with what is to be done by him, and not with what this man thinks, or the other judges of him.