2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 15. 331
spiritual life is wrought in us by the word ; therefore the word preached, it is a special grace and favour of God.
St Paul here calls his coming to them to strengthen and confirm them, ' a grace.' For all means come under the same decree of God's eternal love with the decree itself. "WTien God out of gi-ace resolves and sets down that he will bring such a one to heaven, of his free love, he doth out of the same grace fit him with opportunities of persons and means ; he accommodates him with all means ; for he intends in such a way to bring him to heaven.
And therefore St Austin doth well define predestination ; it is an ordain- ing to salvation, and a preparing of all means tending thereto (ece). There- fore ail fall in the compass of grace, both the free favour of God, setting a man down to make him happy ; and likewise by sending men that have an outward calling, and inwardly furnishing them with gifts, and whatsoever, — all is of gi-ace. The preaching of the word is a grace.
Use. It concerns us therefore so to esteem it. Do not many sit in dark- ness, and in the shadow of death ? Is it not a grace therefore that we pai-take of the means of salvation ? What is in us by nature better than in Tm-ks and Pagans ? or than many other people under Satan, and under popish teachers, and so rot away in their ignorance ? Nothing. We difi'er only by the grace of God. Therefore let us esteem it as a grace.
How shall we esteem it as a grace ?
Keceive it thankfully, as a largess and bounty, and free grace of God ; receive it as a bounty with thankful hearts. Grace begets grace, it begets thankfulness. So to receive it as a grace, is to receive it with thankful minds, to be more thankful for the means of salvation, than for any out- ward thing.
How shall we come to be thankful ?
Never, unless we find some grace wrought by the word of grace. There- fore to receive it as a grace, is to receive it as a free, loving gift of God, and to yield to it ; when by it holy motions are stirred in our hearts, not to suppress and quench holy motions, but to yield to theni ; not to quench and resist the Spirit, but to yield ourselves pliable to the word. This is to acknowledge it a grace, to be thankful for it, because you find your hearts wrought to holy obedience by it. Give it way in your souls, that it may be an ingrafted word ; that all the inward and outward man may be seasoned with it, and relish of it ; that the word may season your thoughts, and speeches, and desires, and season your course of life ; that what you think may be in the relish and strength of the word, in the strength of some divine truth, and the guide of your actions may be divine truth, or some motives from it. Then you will give thanks for what is w-rought on you, when it is an ingrafi'ed word in your souls, and all relish of it, your speeches and actions, and your whole course ; when a man may know by your car- riage that there is something invested and ingraffed in your souls, that gives a blessed relish to all the expressions of the outward man. Such a one indeed will account the word a special grace, by a sweet experience wrought in his heart. I will not press that point any further.
Again, whereas St Paul saith, he w^ould come to bestow a second grace on them, we see here that —
Doct. Those that are i)i the state of grace alreachj, they need a second grace.
Those that have initial grace to be set in a good course, they need con- firming and strengthening grace. St Paul had planted them before. Aye, but he must come to water them. There is alway somewhat left for the
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minister to do, till he see tlieir souls safe in heaven. He hath alway some- what to do to the Christian souls under him. For he must not only get them out of Satan's kingdom into a good estate, but ho must lal)onr to build them up. He must water them, and fence them, and strengthen them against all discouragements.
A man is never safe till he be in heaven. Therefore he saith, ' I will come to you,' but I will come 'to bestow a second grace on you;' you have need of it, and my love is such to you, that you shall have it. To enforce this a little : because we set terms to our growth, and go on plod- ding in a course, and many years after we are no better than we were at the first ; and some out of a profane fulness, out of a Laodicean temper, they think they have enough, they are rich, when indeed they are empty, and miserable, and wretched, and poor ; and if temptations set upon them, they have nothing in them, Kev. iii. 17.