3. The next thing is restrcmiing grace,^ which is nothing else but an awe upon the conscience, inclining men to forbear sin, though they do not hate it. Now you may discern it, partly because love is of little use and force with such kind of spirits ; they are chained up by their own fears. The great evangelic motive is mercy : Rom. xii, 1, ' I beseech j-ou by the mercies of God.' The heart is most ingenuous when it yieldeth to such entreaties. It is good to serve God with reverence, but a servile awe hath little of grace in it. It is true, in- deed, it is better to have a slavish fear than none at all ; therefore David saith to them that would be held in with no other restraints, Ps. iv. 4, ' Stand in awe, and sin not. To cool and charm their fury he maketh use of the argument of God's vengeance ; though this is also the fault of slavish spirits, that carnal respects and thoughts of outward inconvenience do equally sway them, as a servile fear of God's judgments. Again, you may know it, because it doth not destroy sin,
* See Mr Lyford's Catechism, last edition, pp. 308, 309.
38 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [YeR. 1.
but only prohibit the exercise of it. Abimelech's lust was not quenched, yet God withheld him from sinning against Sarah, Gen. xx. 6. The heart is not renewed, though the action be checked ; as Israel had an adulterous heart towards God, when ' her way was hedged up with thorns,' Hosea ii. 6. Again, it is their trouble that they are held in the stocks of conscience ; they would fain be enlarged and find out their own paths.
4. The next thing that looketh like sanctification, but is not, is common grace. Ihis is a distinct thing from all the rest, yet I call it common grace, because it may be in them that fall away and depart from God. It differeth from civility, because it is more Christian and evangelical ; from formality, because that is only in pretence and show, whereas this is a real work upon the soul ; from restraining grace, because that is only conversant about sins and duties out of a servile awe of God, but this seemeth to carry out the soul with some affection to Christ. It is a common work, good in itself, which God ordaineth in some to be a preparation and beginning of the work of grace. Of this the apostle speaketh, Heb. vi. 4, 5, where he calleth it ' an enlighten- ing,' ' a taste of Christ and of the powers of the world to come,' and a ' partaking of the Holy Ghost ; ' meaning the gifts of the Spirit, abilities for holy duties, &c. , of all which elsewhere ; only now let me note three things: — (1.) That the light there spoken of is not humbling; (2.) The taste is not ravisliing, and drawing out the soul after more of Christ ; (3.) Their gifts are not renewing and sanctifying.
[1.] That light is not humbling. He saith, they are ' enlightened,' but he doth not say they are humbled. Foundations totter that are not laid deep enough. The more true light a man hath, the more cause of self-abasement will he find in himself. You can never magnify Christ enough, and you can never debase self enough ; and certainly Christ is most exalted when you are most abased, Isa. ii. 19. Dagon must fall upon his face if you mean to set up the ark ; and if Christ shall be precious to you, you must be vile in your own eyes ; none have such true revivings as the humble, Isa. Ivii. 15, 16. True humiliation is far from weakening your comforts, it maketh them more full and sure ; therefore a main thing that was wanting in those spoken of in Heb. vi., was humiliation, and their fault was a rash closing with Christ in the pride of their hearts.
[2.] Their taste was not ravishing and affecting the heart so as to engage it to seek after Christ ; they had but loose and slight desires of happiness, glances upon the glory of heaven and the comforts of the gospel, which possibly might stir up a wish, 'Oh! that I might die the death of the righteous,' &c. They were not serious and holy desires after Christ, after grace and strength to serve him. The saints, that have a taste, groan after a fuller communion in his graces as well as comforts, Kom. vii. 24, Ps. cxix, 5 ; that experience which they have had of Christ maketh them long for more. But now in tem- poraries there is a loose assent and slight affection, a taste enough to prevail with them to make some profession for a while, a rejoicing for a season, &c.
[3.] Their gifts are not renewing and sanctifying ; such possibly as may make them useful to the church, but do not change the heart.
VeR. 1.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 39
The apostle saith, they were made 'partakers of the Holy Ghost;' that is, had some share — it may be a plentiful share, — of church gifts, 80 as to be able to carry on duties to the edification and comfort of others. But, alas ! what is a man the better, if the heart be oppressed with sins in the meantime, and be not upright with God ? 1 Cor. xiii. 1, 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become but as a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.' Though you can speak of the things of God with much enlargement and affection, pray sweetly, all is but as tinkling with God, if tliere be not saving grace. It is a great evidence that we are such as the apostle speaketh of, when the affection doth not answer the expression of a duty, nor the life our knowledge, and gifts have not a proportionable influence upon practice. So much for that point. *