36 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 1,
more, it fincletli better entertainment and welcome than the gospel doth. There is no ' hungering and thirsting' after Christ ; they do not see the need of the sweetness of his grace, of the help of his Spirit, going on in a plausible, moral course, without rub or difficulty. Whereas, in the spiritual life, Christ doth all, and every day they see more cause to bless Grod for him, Gal. ii. 20. (3.) Usually there is some great prevailing sin. Civility is but a freer slavery ; one way or another Satan holdeth them captive, and their honesty and fair show to the world is but to serve their carnal interests, to hide a lust or feed a lust, and most commonly this sin is worldliness. Christ's young man, that had ' kept all those things from his youth,' had ' great possessions,' and they were a great snare to his heart, Mat. xix. 22. The sin of the Pharisees was vainglory and ambition. Some morsel there is reserved under the tongue, some sin kept with the greater allowance from con- science, and the less shame from abroad, because otherwise the life is fair and honest. (4.) There is a greater care about actions than lusts. Wrath, and pride, and wanton thoughts, are digested, because there is no violence and uncleanness in the conversation. Civility is all for the carriage, nothing for tempering the affections to such an order and moderation as becometh grace. Paul complaineth of his lusts, and the law of sin within, Rom. vii. ; yea, of such sinful workings as do not fall under the cognisance and discovery of the light of nature, Rom. vii. 7, the first risings and stirrings of sin forbidden in the tenth com- mandment, the least rebellion of nature. Thus for civility.
2. Formality, or pretended grace : you may be deceived in that ; and therefore the apostle speaketh of a ' true holiness,' ev oatorrjTi r?;? aXvy^e/a?, Eph. iv. 24, in opposition to that which is feigned and counterfeit. Now, false grace is always acted by foreign and external considerations ; as pupils^ have not a principle of life within them, but are moved by an external force. The hypocrite's principles of motion are without him, as carnal respects, self-ends, &g. True grace hath an inward propensity to comply with the will of God ; there is a ' law upon their bowels;'^ by-ends work by constraint, and carry the soul contrary to its native inclination ; a man would not do such a thing, were it not for such ends ; therefore the apostle saith, 1 Peter v, 2, ' Feed the flock that is among you, not by constraint, but willingly ; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.' When a man acteth genuinely in a work, his own heart carrieth him to it more than all outward encouragements. Again, false grace is shy of God's presence and sight : pretences are to deceive men ; therefore such persons strive to get God out of their thoughts, they know his eye will find them out. But now truth of grace is ready to draw everything into God's sight ; though they tremble to think what defects God can find in them, yet they appeal to him for the sincerity of their hearts : John xxi. 17, ' Lord, thou knowest all things, and thou knowest that I love thee.' He would not excuse miscarriages ; yet, for the general temper and bent of his heart, he referreth himself to God's omniscieucy. So Job xxxi. 6, ' Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity ; ' and yet elsewhere he saith, Job xlii. 5, 6, ' Mine eye seeth thee, and therefore I abhor myself in dust and ashes.' In the
1 Qu. ' puj)pets ' ? — En. " Ps. xl. 7, marg.— Ed.
VeU. 1.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 37
one place he appealetli to God, for he was confident that his integrity would hold weight ; and yet in the other he could even loathe himself when he thought of God, because of so many defects and failings. So David, Ps. cxxxix. 23, ' Search me, 0 Lord, and know my heart,' &c. No doubt David was sensible that God could find enough in him ; but Lord, search, see if anything be allowed with full leave of conscience. Again, false grace doth not grow, unless it be worse and worse. Pre- tences wither rather than thrive : God complaineth, Jer. vii. 24, that • they went backward rather than forward.' False grace is always declining till it be wholly lost ; like bad salt, that loseth of its acri- mony and smartness every day till it be cast to the dunghill. But now true grace, from a grain it groweth into a tree, Mat. xiii., from a morning glimpse to a perfect noon, Prov. iv. 18, from smoking flax it is blown up into a flame. The least meal in the barrel, and oil in the cruse, when it is fed with a supply from heaven, shall prosper into abundance. Nicodemus, that at first came to Christ by night, after boldly dec.lareth himself for him, John xix. 39. Grace gets ground upon the flesh, and holiness by degrees advanceth into a triumph. Examine, then, whether you increase or decrease : if you go backward from zeal to coldness, from strictness to looseness ; if you lose your care of duty, and choiceness of spirit, and there be no com- plaining, it is a sign grace was never wrought in truth. Once more, false grace is not accompanied with humility. When men, the more they profess, the prouder they grow, and more self-conceited, there is cause of suspicion. With true grace there always goeth along a spiritual povert}^ or a sense of our spiritual wants ; the more know- ledge, the more they discern their ignorance ; compare 1 Cor. viii. 2, with Prov. xxx. 2, 3 ; the more faith, the more they bewail unbelief, and see a need of increase and further growth : Mark ix. 24, ' Lord, I believe, help mine unbelief.' Oh ! I want faith, what shall I do ? still I am haunted with prejudicial and lessening thoughts of God's all-sufificiency and goodness. It is excellent when the soul is thus kept hungry and humble under our enjoyments, and we ' forget the things that are behind,' because ' the things that are before us,' or not yet attained, are much more, Phil. iii. 13.