Consider seriously of it, what a joy will this be, that we have led our lives by a rule different from the world, that we have led our lives and courses according to the motion of God's blessed Spirit ! This must needs bring joy and rejoicing with it in what estate soever.
The world join these together, simplicity and sincerity of life, where they see them, that they may slander them, that they may lay imputations upon them. They see they are courses opposite to theirs, and they lay loads on them. But what doth God ? Where there is simplicity and wisdom and a holy conversation, he adds his Spirit, he joins the Spirit of grace, which is a Spirit of joy always. As light and comfort go with the sun, so the Spirit of joy and comfort go alway with the Spirit of grace. St Paul here, in re- gard of the world, was afflicted, ' he received the sentence of death,' he was slandered and misused ; yet to God-ward, saith he, ' Our rejoicing is this, that we have led our conversation according to grace,' according to the motion of God's blessed Spirit, and ' not with fleshly wisdom.'
If this be so, that the joy of God's Spirit goes with the grace of God's Spirit, and that those that lead their conversation by grace have a rejoicing above all imputations and slanders whatsoever, let this be an encourage- ment to us to lead a godly life. We all seek for joy. Every creature seeks for joy. If we would have joy within us, if we would have a spring of joy, let us labour to lead a conversation by this rule, by grace, by the motion of God's Spirit, which is ready to guide us if we commit ourselves to his guidance.
' But by the grace of God.' To come then to make an use of trial, whether we lead our lives by this gracious wisdom or no, and not by carnal wisdom. And then to come to direct us how to lead our lives by the grace of God, which is the ground of all joy and comfort, as St Paul saith here.
Quest. How shall a man know whether he lead his life by this spiritual, gracious wisdom, or no ?
Ans. I answer, mark the opposition here, ' Not with fleshly wisdom, hut b>/ the (/race of God.' He then doth lead his life by the ' grace of God,' that doth renounce carnal and fleshly wisdom. Carnal wisdom is a false rule, and it cannot stand together with grace ; they one expel another. ' A double-minded man,' saith St James, ' is inconstant in all his ways,' James i, 8, that is, he that hath two strings to his bow ; he that will be content to be led by the grace of God, and by the word of God, which is the ' Word of his gi-ace,' and yet notwithstanding he will have carnal policies, he will have shifts too, he is a double-minded man ; he is now under the government of grace, he halteth, as the prophet tells the Israelites, ' Why do you halt?' 1 Kings xviii. 21. So he halteth between carnal and heavenly wisdom. He is loath to renounce carnal wisdom. No, he thinks if he do, he shall be a fool, he shall lose this way of getting, and that way of rising.
But he that is under the Spirit of God ; that is under gi-ace, and is
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guided by it, he will renounce the motions and stirrings of carnal wisdom. Wlieu carnal wisdom, like to Eve, or like Job's wife, or like Peter, shall suggest, Oh, spare yourself, why will you do this ? why will you go on in these courses '? yet notwithstanding he is able to renounce it.
The most of God's judgments in this world, on his children, it is for this halting. They have much carnal wisdom in them ; and God, to work it out of them, is forced to cross them sharply in their projects and courses ; and all to bring them to rely on grace, to rely on his government in the use of good means ; for we must serve God's providence in the use of good means.
A man may know by God's afflicting of his children, that they deal too much in carnal wisdom ; for if it were not for carnal wisdom, if we would submit ourselves to his sweet and easy guidance, and use the lawful means that he hath discovered in a lawful calling ; if we would observe lawful courses ; alas ! we should see a clear light, and an easy passage. We need not to use these shifts. But because we cannot do so, we are loath to trust him. But we are double-minded. We will be ruled by him a little, but we will be politic and subtle. Therefore he sends crosses upon crosses upon our carnal ends and projects ; especially those that are his children, he will not sufler them to prosper in ill courses.
Sifjn 1. That is one sign, those that are led by the grace of God, tJtcij ivill not he led by God's enemy, and the enemy of their mvn souls. Now God and our own souls have not a worse enemy than carnal, fleshly wisdom. That is evident from the opposition.