1 would, till I come to heaven ; but this I can say in much uprightness, that ' Thy law is in my heart, and I delight to do thy will, O Father.' And so Paul, ' With my mind I serve the law of God, though with my flesh the law of sin,' Rom. vii. 25.
And we have many promises concerning divine assistance, and if we did but stir up the grace of God that is in us, we should find the assist- ance of God, and the glorious breakings forth of his power and love, according to his promise, and the work that he requires of us, Isa. xxvi. 12 ; Ixiv. 5, &c. Though no believer doth what he should do, yet doubtless every believer might do more than he doth do, in order to God's glory, and his own and others' internal and eternal good, Isa. xli. 10 ; Heb. xiii. 5, 6, &c. Affection without endeavour is like Rachel, beautiful but
^ Omission of diet breeds diseases, so doth omission of duty, and makes work either for repentance, hell, or the physician of souls.
* Ipse unus ertt tibi omnia, quia in ipso uno bono, bona sunt omnia. — Augustine.
136 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
barren. They are blessed that do what they can, though they cannot but underdo.^
When Demosthenes was asked what was the first part of an orator, what the second, what the third, he answered. Action; the same may I say, if any should ask me what is the first, the second, the third part of a Christian, I must answer, jlc/io?i. Luther saith, 'He had rather obey than work miracles.' * Obedience is better than sacrifice.'
But, sir, you will say, what is the meaning of that text, that is so often in the mouths of professors, ' Without me you can do nothing' ? John XV. o.
I answer. All that that text holds forth is this, that if a man hath not union with Christ, if he be not implanted into Christ, he can do no- thing. ' Without me,' that is, separate from me, or apart from me, as the words may be read, ' you can do nothing.'^ If you are not implanted into me, if by the Spirit and faitli you are not united unto me, you can do nothing. The arm may do much ; it may offend an enemy, and it may defend a man's life, by virtue of its union with the head ; but if you separate the arm from the head, from the body, what can it do ? Certainly the soul, by virtue of its union with Christ, may do much, though such as are separated from Christ can do nothing, at least as they should. Ah, Christians ! if you would but put out yourselves to the utmost, you would find the Lord both ready and willing to assist you, to meet with you, and to do for you above what you are able to ask or think.^
Caesar, by continual employment, overcame two constant diseases, the headache and the falling sickness. Oh the spiritual diseases that the active Christian overcomes! Among the Egj^tians, idleness was a capital crime. Among the Lucani,* he that lent money to an idle per- son was to lose it. Among the Corinthians, the slothful were delivered to the carnifex, saith Diphilus. Oh ! the deadly sins, the deadly temp- tations, the deadly judgments, that idle and slothful Christians are given up to. Therefore be active, be diligent, be abundant in the work of the Lord. Idleness is the very source of sin. Standing pools gather mud, and nourish and breed venomous creatures ; and so do the hearts of idle and slothful Christians, &c.
2. Now the second thing that we are to do for the farther opening of this point is, to shew you
The special ends that the gifts and graces that God hath bestowed upon believers should be exercised and improved to.
And they are these that follow :
[].] First, They are to be improved and exercised to the honour of God, to the lifting up of God, and to the heeinng up of his name and glory in the world, 1 Cor. x. 31.
He that improves not his gifts and graces to this end, crosses the grand end of God's bestowing such royal favours on him. Graces and gifts are talents that God hath given you to trade with, and not to hide in a napkin, Mat. xxv. The idle servant, in Christ's account, was an
^ Beati sunt qui prcecepta faciunt, etinmsi non perficiunt. — AuguBtine. ' Xi^iif if^oti is seorshn a me. Vide Beza, Cameron, and Piscator. ' Union with Christ is that wherein the strenpjth, comfort, and happiness of the soul does consist. * As before, ' Lucaniani.' — G.
EpH. III. 8.] EICHES OF CHRIST. 1 37
evil servant. The idle soul, in Christ's account, is an evil soul, and accordingly Christ will deal with him.
Seneca calls sloth ' the nurse of beggary, the mother of misery ;'^ and slothful Christians find it so. Christians, God hath given you grace, that you should give him glory. His honour should be dearer to you than your jewels, than your crowns, than your lives, ay, than your very souls. Thou livest no longer than thou livest to bis praise.
It is recorded of Epaminondas, ^the commander-in-chief of the The- bans, that be did not glory in anything but this, 'That bis father, whom be dearly loved and honoured, was living when be won three famous battles against the Lacedsaemonians,'^ that were then held for their valour to be invincible ; regarding more the honour and content his father should receive of it, than his own. Shall a heathen tbus strive to honour bis earthly father ? And sball not Christians strive more to honour their heavenly Father with all the gifts and graces that he hath conferred upon them.
But you will say, How should we honour the Lord ?