2. That this increase must be understood of the same talent, not in another kind. It holdeth not, that he that useth the talent in one kind shall thrive in another, for what a man soweth that shall he reap. No ; the meaning is, the thing used is still increased. It is not intended that by employing his talent in riches he should increase in learning, that by improving his learning he should grow in strength and beauty of body. No ; it holdeth good in eodem genere, in the same kind. Use common helps well, and you increase as far as com- mon helps will carry you ; use moral virtue well, and you increase in
486 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeU. XVI.
moral virtue ; use that measure of saving grace you have well, and you shall have a great measure given you by God; set a-work thy know- ledge, faith, zeal, and love, and all these graces will increase in you: ' Wait on the Lord, and be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart,' Ps. xlvi. 14; and Ps. xxxi. 24, and Isa. lviii. 13, 14, 'If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and 1 will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.' So Ps. xci. 1, ' He that dwelleth in the secret places of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.' God, that puuisheth sin with sin, doth reward grace with grace : they that abuse the light of nature are given up to a reprobate sense ; they that improve the grace they have shall have more ; every act maketh an increase of the habit, and who- soever employeth that spiritual wealth that he hath shall have an addition from God, be more strong in faith and love, and more rich in knowledge.
Ohject. But may not we enlarge this a little further ? Arminius gathereth from hence that the works of the unregenerate, done by the mere strength of nature, are so accepted with God that by them he is moved and induced to give them supernatural grace. And many others, that will not speak so grossly, think that if we improve the gifts of nature, we shall have common grace, and if we improve com- mon grace, we shall have special and saving grace. And ought we not, and can we not, use these common gifts and graces to this end and purpose, that we may obtain conversion and faith in Christ ; such as the use of reason, the freeing of the mind from brutish passions and affections, good education, the examples of others, the powerful preaching of the gospel, and common illumination, and the knowledge of the truth gained thereby ?
Ans. 1. Those that have common grace ought and are bound to use it for the obtaining of more grace ; there is no doubt of that, for therefore they are accused that ' They have ears and hear not, eyes and see not;' and God findeth fault with his people that 'they will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord,' Hosea v. 4. So much as put themselves in a posture ; they are threatened that ' it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them;' and that 'the Ninevitea shall rise in judgment against them, and condemn them.' They are reproved for being ' idle and slothful servants, and hiding their talents in a napkin.' Certainly they that are lifted up to heaven in ordinances, that receive so much grace from God, and yet turn it into wantonness, and do not know, nor worship, nor seek after God, they aggravate their own condemnation ; their destruction is of themselves; they shut themselves out of the kingdom of God, reject the counsels of God against themselves. In short, they put away the word of God from them, and judge themselves unworthy of eternal life. The scripture everywhere speaketh at this rate concerning the folly and negligence of men.
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Ans. 2. But if it be asked, whether they that have received common grace not only ought, but also can, use it for the acquiring and getting the special grace of conversion ? this question concerneth the manner liow the will of God and the will of man meet together in the work of conversion. And here we must use great care in answering, to avoid inconveniences on all hands. Certainly merit they cannot, neither de congruo, nor de condigno, nor by any covenant oblige God to give them the grace of regeneration ; neither can Christ be said to have acquired and purchased this grace for them to whom he is not given as a Mediator ; nor by any promise is God bound to give us grace for the good use of our natural abilities. No ; the distribution of con- verting grace is not promised or bound to any works of righteousness that we have or can do, but is reserved and referred to the free dispo- sition, good-will, and pleasure of God : Bom. ix. 16, ' Not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy/ So Titus iii. 5. ' Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.' The first grace is given by God as a sovereign Lord, according to the counsel of his own will. But since the question is propounded, whether a man can by common grace obtain special ? the answer must be prudent and cautelous, that of the one side we may not prejudice the truth, nor of the other side give scandal and offence to the weak. For —