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482 mak's impotency to help himself [Rom. V. 6.
Ohj. 2. If man be so altogether without strength, why do ye press him to the use of means ?
Aiis. I answer — Though man cannot change himseh', yet he is to use the means ; and that for several reasons : —
1. That we may practically see our own weakness. Men think the work of grace is easy, till they put themselves upon a trial : the lame- ness of the arm is found in exercise : ' Apply thy heart to understand- ing,' then ' cry for knowledge/ Prov. ii. 2, 3. Whosoever sets himself in good earnest to get any grace, will be forced to cry for it before he hath done. We never seek strength at God's hands in so feeling a manner, till our experience convince us of our weakness. When a man goes to lift up a piece of timber heavy above his strength, he is forced to call in help.
2. The use of the means we owe to God, as well as the change of the heart. We lie under a moral obligation to use them. God, that hath required faith and conversion, hath required prayer, hearing, reading, meditating ; and we are bound to obey, though we know not what good will come of it : as Abraham obeyed God, ' not knowing whither he went,' Heb. xi. 8 ; and Peter, when there was little hope, saith, * Howbeit, at thy command,' &c., Luke v. 5. Our great rule is, we are to do what he commandeth, and let God do what he will.
3. To lessen our guilt. For when men do not use the means, they have no excuse : it is plain laziness and want of will, not want of power, when we will not so much as try to come out of our condi- tion ; we love our bondage, and shut the door upon ourselves ; or, as that phrase, 'judge ourselves unworthy of eternal life,' Acts xiii. 46 ; pass sentence upon our own souls. It is a sign we care not whether God show us mercy, yea, or no ; for you will not so much as bestow a thought upon it ; you come under the censure of wicked and slothful servants, Mat. xxv. 26.
4. There is encouragement in the use of means many ways.
[1.] If we do not something, we shall grow worse. Standing pools are apt to putrefy. Man is of an active nature, either growing better or worse : when we do not improve nature, we deprave it : ' They corrupt themselves in what they know naturally,' Jude 10. Volun- tary neglects draw on penal hardness ; and so your impotency is in- creased. There is this benefit of using means — it prevents much sin and hardness of heart : it is like the embalming of a dead body ; it keeps it from stinking, though it does not restore life.
[2.] Without the , use of means they can never hope for anything: * How shall they believe without a preacher ?' Pom. x. 14, If ever I meet with God, with Christ, it must be in this way ; it is good to lie at the pool, as the poor man did who was unable to get in when the angel stirred the waters, John v. 3-5. Marriage is instituted for the propagation of mankind, yet the soul is of God only. No man ab- staineth from marriage because he cannot beget a reasonable soul. So grace is of God ; but hearing, reading, praying, are the instituted means ; and we must not abstain from these means because grace is not of ourselves, but God.
[3.] It may be God will meet with us. It is the ordinary practice of his free grace so to do ; and it is good to make trial upon a com-
KOM. V. G.] OUT OF HIS MISERY. 483
mon hope : * Pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee/ Acts viii, 22. There is a great uncertainty, yet pray ; it is God's usual way to meet with them that seek him : ' I say unto you, Tliough he will not rise and give liim because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth,' Luke xi. 8 : ' for his importunity's sake,' Bia tt)v uvaiheLav, for his impudence.' ^ God is not engaged ; but who knows what im})ortunity may do ? He may, and he may not, give grace ; but usually he doth. It is God's usual way to bless man's industry ; and yet all they that labour have not an absolute certainty of success. Who would forbear ploughing, because in one year of ten there may happen a dearth or a lean harvest ? Act ; God may come in (for usually he doth) with his influence and blessing.
Let me now give you some reasons why God permits this weakness and want of strength to lie upon the fallen creature.
1. To exalt the freeness and power of his grace. First, The freeness of his grace ; for God hath shut up all under the curse, that there may be no way of escape but by his mercy ; their eternal ruin and damnation is else certain and inevitable : ' God hath concluded them all under unblief, that he might have mercy upon all,' Rom.xi. 32. XweKkeiae^ that is the word : the state of unbelief is there compared to a prison, made sure and fast with iron bars and bolts ; and by God's permission man hath ' shut up' himself in such a prison that mercy alone might open the door to him. Jew and Gentile lie fast bound with a chain that can be loosened by no hand but God's. So, Gal. iii. 22 : ' The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe :' it is the same word and notion : we may mourn and sigh through the grates of the flaming prison, but can never get out till God look upon us in mercy through Christ. And so also the power of his grace in rescuing us out of this misery : it is a mighty power that works in them that believe, Eph. i. 19. When we consider it, we may wonder at it that ever such a change should be wrought in us that are so carnal, so obstinate : ' Who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light,' 1 Peter ii. 9. It is indeed marvellous that ever we should get out of the prison of sin ; more miraculous than Peter's getting out of prison, having so many chains, and doors, and keepers upon him, Acts xii.