But why hath God left it impossible to man, when he hath offered hopes by the new covenant ?
(1.) That all the glory of the good that is in us may redound unto his grace : Eph. i. 6, ' To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.' That is God's end in the new covenant, that we might ever admire and highly esteem his glorious grace. And therefore it is not only grace that opens the door, that re- moves the flaming sword that is against us, that takes away the curse
VeR. 27.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 77
of God, but in the whole business of salvation all is to be ascribed to i^race : ' It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy,' Eom. ix. 16. The words ivilleth and 7-unneth are considerable. The Lord, that brings us into this state, keejjs us in this state.
(2.) To keep the creature in a constant dependence upon him, and that he might often hear* from us. As long as a man is sufficient to himself, he never comes to God : Jer. ii. 31, ' We are lords, and will no more come unto thee.' If a man had the dominion over his own spirit, and were sufficient to himself, God would never hear from him. The prodigal went away from his father when he had his portion in his own hands and he never thought of returning till he had spent all and began to be in want, Luke xv. 14. Thus should we do with God. Prayer and all trading with heaven would cease if w^e were sufficient of ourselves as to do anythiag ; and therefore with man it is impossible.
Use 1. Take heed that you do not make a wrong use of this impos- sibility, namely, so as to be discouraged and throw off all, as if there were no hope. God hath left it so as that we may despair of our own strength, but not of his help. We should not be discouraged, since he worketh in us what he requireth of us.
1. God can overcome all this difficulty. He that made the heart is above it, and can frame it to himself. EvangeUcal difficulty lies in three things — the corruption of our nature, outward impediments, and Satan's opposition. Now the scripture represents God as able to do all for us. He can change our hearts, sanctify our condition, and help us to vanquish our temptations.
[1.] He can change our hearts by regeneration. Alas ! we cannot change our natures or turn om'selves to God, and therefore we are apt to be cast down when we louk upon God's holy ways and the strength of our own lusts. But God is able to change those hearts of ours, and take away their reluctancy ; not by making a violent impression, as we force a stone upward, but by imprinting in our hearts the habits of grace, whereby we are carried out willingly in the ways of God, and so our business becomes easy : Titus iii. 4, ' According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost ; ' ' No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him,' John vi. 44 ; ' Draw me, and we will run after thee,' Cant. i. 4. He puts forth his mighty power upon the heart, and changeth the bent of our souls, and so we come in.
[2.] God can sanctify our condition, that it shall not be a snare. Christians, whatever you think of it, it is not easy to keep yourselves unspotted from the world, to live in the midst of so many temptations and to carry on an equal, holy, heavenly frame of heart, such as the apostle mentions, 1 Cor. vii. 29-31, 'It remains that they that have wives be as though they had none, and they that weep, as though they wept not ; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not ; and they that buy, as though they possessed not ; and they that use this world, as not abusing it.' This is om- duty ; but how shall we do to get such- a weaned heart ? With man it is impossible but not with God. He can give a rich man such grace as to contemn the world, to lay up treasures in heaven, and upon religious reasons to leave all for Christ's
78 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. XIV.
sake. God taught Paul tliis holy weanedness : Phih iv. 12, ' I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound ; eveiywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.' And he can teach it you if you will wait upon him. Our own natural spirits indeed carrieth us quite another way : James iv. 5, 6, ' The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy, but he giveth more grace.' Our natural spirit is all for temporal things ; it envies the greatness of others, it designs for ourselves ; but when lusts rage, he can bridle them ; the Lord is able to give us a holy weanedness and moderation of our desires in the midst of all those baits and snares that we are compassed about withal.