Use 1. Therefore, we should make this use of all. Labour that the dew of God may prove the dew of grace, that God would make us lilies. If we would be beautiful and glorious, have a lustre upon us, and be as much be- yond others as pearls are beyond common stones, and as lilies are better than thorns and briers, let us labour to have the grace of God, so to be accounted lilies, whatsoever the world accounts of us.
Use 2. Again, if the work be wrought upon us, though the imputations of the world be otherwise, let us comfort ourselves, God accounts me a lily. Set this against the base esteem of the world, considering how God judgeth, and those who are led by his Spirit, who judge better of us. And in all association, combination, and linking in acquaintance, labom* to join with those that are lilies, who cast a good and a sweet savom*. For we shall gain by their acquaintance whom Solomon affinneth to be better and more excellent than their brethren, Prov. xii. 26. What are other people then ? They are but thorns. Therefore, let not those which are Ulies have too much or near acquaintance with thorns, lest they prick us, and, as our blessed Savour saith, turning again all to be-rentf us. Mat. ■sii. 6. It is said of our blessed Saviour in the Canticles, ' He feedeth among the lilies,' ii. 16. And, indeed, where is there any true delight to be had imder * That is, ' Sweden.' — G. t That is, ' reud.' — G.
VOL. U. Y
338 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON YII.
heaven but in their company who are gracious ? Wliat can a man receive from profane spirits in regard of comfort of soul ? Nothing. They are as the barren wilderness that can yield nothing. Their hearts are empty. Therefore, their tongues are worth nothing. But let our delight be with David, toward the most excellent of the land, Ps. ci. 6, and then we shall not only ' grow as the lily,' but, as it foUoweth, ' we shall cast forth our roots as Lebanon.'
' And cast forth his roots as Lebanon.'
Because we have spoken of growth, and shall have occasion to touch it hereafter, we will not be large in the point. God here promiseth a growth not only to the church, but to every particular Christian ; and it is very necessary it should be so. For without growth neither can we give God his due honour, nor he receive the smell of a sweet sacrifice fi'om us, as is fit. Nor can we without it withstand our enemies, or bear our crosses that God may call us to. Again, without growth and strength we cannot per- form those great duties that God requires at our hands, of thankfulness ; nor do things so cheerfully and sweetly as may be comfortable to us. In some"!= without growth we can do nothing acceptably either to God or his people. The more gi'ace, the more acceptance, which is spoken that we may value the promises, this especially, that we shall grow up in grace and knowledge ' as the lily, and cast forth our roots as Lebanon.'
Quest. But how shall we come to grow ?
Ans. 1. Go to God, that we may continuaUy have from him the sanctify- ing dew of his grace. Go first for pardon of sin, then for a heart to reform our ways, to enter in a new covenant for the time to come, that we will not ' trust in Asshur,' but will renounce our particular personal sins ; aftt^r which we shall find sanctifying grace, so as the dew of God's Spirit will make us grow. Therefore take this order to improve the promises. Go to God for his love in Christ, for the pardoning of sin, and accepting of us in him, that we may find a sense of his love in accepting of our persons, in the pardoning of our sin, which is the ground of love ; for then this sense of his love will kindle our love towards him again, feeling that we are in the state of grace. Then go to God for his promise in this order: Lord, thou hast promised that thou wait be as the dew, and that we shall grow as lilies. Make good thy promise then, that I may find the eftectual power of it transforming my soul into the blessed image of thy dear Son !
2. And know that we must use all the means of growth, together with the promise ; for, in the things of this life, if a man were assured that the next year would be a very plentiful year, would men therefore, because they were thus forewarned, hang up their ploughs, and not prepare their ground? No ; but they would the rather be encouraged to take pains, because they know that howsoever God be pleased to vouchsafe plenty, yet he will do it in the use of means, observing and depending on his providence. So when he hath made gracious promises of the dew of his grace, and of growth as liUes, &c., this implieth a subordinate serving of his gracious providence. Therefore it is a way to stir us up unto the use of all means rather, and not to take us off from them. Even as God, when he told the Israelites, ' I will give you the land of Canaan,' Gen. xvii. 8, did only promise it, leaving the remainder to their conquest in the use of means. Should this have made them cast away their swords ? No ; but it was that they might fight, and fight the more courageously. So when God hath promised growth in grace, should this make us careless ? Oh no ; it should make us * Qu. ' in sum ? ' — Ed.