HOSEA XIV. 8.] THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. 405
itself, and brings forth nothing but weeds and thorns. Our hearts are Hke the barren wilderness, full of e^il, noisome lusts and affections. Therefore this serves to abase us, that we be not lifted up with any good in us ; for as that is altogether from God's Spirit, so likewise we of ourselves add nothing to it, but somewhat which may diminish the value thereof.
Use 2. Here, again, for matter of judgment, you have a difference hetireen. the state of nature and the state of grace, I mean of innocent nature, for in Adam we had a standing in ourselves, being tnisted with our ov;n good ; but now under the second covenant, under the second Adam, Christ Jesus, we have many graces to fit us for heaven, and many good works we do, but all the fruit we have and yield is from God. So that now this is a gi-and difference. Adam, as it were, had the keeping of his own happiness locked up in himself ; but we have our happiness, graces, and whatsoever is good for us, shut up in Christ as the spiing and fountain, which is the reason of the perpetual stability and permanent condition of God's children, once his and ever his. And put the case, we want this or that help, yet this pre- judiceth not the perpetuity of the condition of God's children, because those gi'aces which come immediately from God's Spirit, may be conveyed some- times without means, as well as with them. Therefore, whatsoever decay is in the branches that are grafted into this noble Vine, Chi'ist Jesus, in whom we bear all the fruit we bear, yet notwithstanding there is life ever- lasting for us in the root, which is by little and little distilled into us. The leaves may fall, outward things may decay, but there is life alway in the root of a Christian, because he is in Christ, and hath his fruit from him ; he cannot want fi-uit, no more than Christ can want influence and vigour, John XV. 5. Which shews us the excellent state of a Christian under the new covenant of gi'ace, that now we fetch all out of om'selves, and it is happy for us that we do so. For without Christ we can do nothing. As without the soul the body can do nothing, so without the Spirit of Christ we can do nothing ; from him is all. This is the reason why we must not trust to any grace in ourselves, that comes from us, because grace comes fi-om God in Christ. Trust God, the spring whence it comes, whose the fruit is : God the Father in Chiist, from whom all fulness comes, and is derived unto us, or else we make but an idol of grace, if we trust too much to gi'ace. Look to the spring whence all comes to us. * From me is thy fruit found.'
Quest. Again, for ftirther instiTiction, What is the reason that some have more grace than others, and more comfort, some haring grace and comfort in one degree, and some in another ?
Sol. Hence it is : ' From me is thy fruit found.' It comes from the freedom of God in Chi'ist, who according to his good pleasm-e gives the. will and the deed, whence we have grace sometimes in the vigoiu", sometimes in a weaker and lesser degree, the fault being in ourselves too. Yet, notwithstanding, there is a liberty in the Spirit of Christ, to give a more or less measure of gi'ace, to shew that our good we do springs not from ourselves. Which also is the reason of the difference betwixt Christians, because God will shew that he is the disposer and the dispenser of his own graces and com- forts. And that is the reason also why we must perform this duty of wait- ing upon God in the use of means, though we find no sense of gi-ace and comfort from him for the present, ' From him our fruit is found.' Wait his leisure. He suspends grace and comfort until a fit time, in regard of the degree ; but yet there is alway some grace left, though he suspends the increase thereof until a fit time, because he would have us know that it is
406 TEE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON XIII.
of his gi^ang. Christians who are acquainted herewith, they will not tie God to their time, but humbly go on in the use of means, who though they find not their spirits and their comforts enlarged so as at other times, nor so great, nor as other folks are ; yet can say. Lord, thou givest the will and the deed according to thy good pleasure, all comes from thee ; therefore I will use the means and depend upon thee because I have all from thee freely. God gives a spirit of prayer, and then the thing we pray for, all is from him, ' From me is thj^ fruit found.' Do we find the ordinances fraitful, the preaching of the word to open our understandidgs, to kindle our afiections, to enlighten our judgments ? It is the Spirit of God that joins with the means, that are dead of themselves, to make them fruitful. What are the ordinances without God, but empty conduit-pipes of them- selves ? Therefore, ' From me is thy fruit found.'