But pray, tell me, what will carry a Christian out to this principle ? ^Will a little grace carry a man out to pursue after grace, for the beauty, holiness, excellency, and spirituality that is in it ? Alas ! we see by daily experience that it will not do it. All other considerations put together, are little enough to draw men on to pursue after gi-ace for its native beauty and excellency. Many seek Christ, but it is for loaves more than for love, John vi. 26 ; and they pursue after the means of grace, not for the beauty, excellency, and glory that is stamped upon the means, but one to maintain his honour, and another to keep up his name, and another to bring in credit or custom, and another to please his friends, and another to silence his conscience, &c., but few there be, if any, but those that are rich in grace, that are true to this principle, that pursue after grace for its own beauty and excellency. It was a notable expression of David, who was a man rich in grace, Ps. cxix. 140, ' Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it.' Oh ! for a soul to love grace, and the word of grace, for its own interest, for the holiness, purity, and glory of it. This speaks out the soul to be rich in grace. So Paul, a man rich in grace, pursues after grace for its own interest, for the beauty and excellency of it. He forgets ' what is be- hind, and pres.ses forward after the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, that if by any means he might attain to the resurrection of the dead,' Philip, iii. 13, 14. That is, to that perfec- tion that the dead shall reach to in the morning of the resurrection, &c. The young philosophers were very forward to get the precepts of their sect, and the rules of severity, that they might discourse with kings and nobles, not that they might reform their own manners. Many professors in this age are like those philosophers; they are very industrious to get knowledge, that they may be able to discourse, and that they may be eyed, owned, and honoured among others, for their knowledge and understanding.^ But now souls that are rich in grace, they labour after greater measures of grace, out of love to grace, and because of an excellency that they see in grace. Grace is a very spark- ling jewel, and he that loves it, and pursues after it for its own native beauty, hath much of it within him, &c.
(3.) Thirdly, It is your principle, that men must subject themselves, and square all their actions by the word of God.
^ Of the very same spirit were the primitive Christians; they chose rather to be thrown to lions without than left to lusts within. Ad leonem mac/is quam lenonem, saith Ter- tulliun. * There may be malum opus in bona materia, as iu Jehu's zeal, &c.
166 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EpH. III. 8.
Now, what will make a man live up to this principle ? Will a little grace? Surely no, Isa. viii. 10. But great measures of grace will. Zacharias and Elizabeth were rich in grace, and they lived up to this principle: Luke.i. 5, ' They walked in all the commandments of the Lord blameless.' The apostles were rich in gx-ace, and they lived up to this principle : 2 Cor. i. 12, 'This is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation in the world.' So in 1 Thes. ii. 10, 'Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, justly, and unblameably, we have behaved our- selves among you that believe.' Oh ! here are souls that live up to their principles. A Christian that is rich in grace is excellent all over.
George, prince of Anhalt his family is said to have been ecclesia, (wademia, curia, a church, a university, and a court. A Christian that^ is rich in gTace hath a heart as large as his head, yea, a heart that is as large as the whole will of God : Acts xiii. 22, ' I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.* In the Greek it is, all my tvills, ^sXrtiMara, to note the universality and sincerity of his obedience. Souls rich in grace practise that themselves which they prescribe to others. Lessons of music and copies must not be read only, but acted also. Souls rich in grace are good at this, and they w^ill be good in all places and cases. They are as good at the particular duties of religion, as at those that are more general ; they are good fathers, and good masters, and good husbands, as well a« good Christians, in a more general sense. But now souls that have but a little grace, they are much in the general duties of religion, but very defective in the particular duties of religion, as sad experience doth abundantly evidence. Those that have a blemish in their eye, think the sky to be ever cloudy ; and nothing is more common to weak spirits, than to be criticising and contending about other duties, and to neglect their own. But such that are rich in grace, make it their gloiy to subject them- selves to the rule of righteousness ; as Baldasser, a German minister, cried out, Let the word of the Lord come, let it come, saith he, and we will submit to it, if we had many hundred necks to put under. It must be much grace that must enable a man freely, fully, and sweetly to subject himself and his actions to the word of the Lord.
(4.) FouHhly, It is your principle, that you must deny yourselves, your own x>roJit, ease, pleasure, &c., for a public good.
And this the Scripture requires. It is your principle to deny your- selves, your own honour, pleasure, profit, &c., for a public advantage, wlien your particular advantages stand in competition with the public. Now self must be laid by, and the public must carry tiie day. Oh, but will a little grace enable a man to live up to this princijde ! Woful experience shews the contrary. Ay, but now, take me a man that is rich in grace, and he will live up to this golden principle, as you may see in Nehem. v, 14-18. Nehemiah was a man eminent in grace, and he chose rather to live upon his own purse than upon the public purse : ' Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread uf the governor. Behold the
EpH. III. 8.] EICHES OF CHRIST. 1G7