To let you see that wo stand in need of a second grace, and of a third grace, and of a fourth grace, that we need continual building up.
Reason 1. First, look vithi)i, ivhat opposition iJicre is to saving goodness uitldn ! Avhat rebellion of lusts ! what ignorance, and blindness, and dark- ness, and indisposition ! what head the flesh makes in us against the word of God. Let a man a little continue out of the means, and he shall see what growth of corruptions there will be ; a distasting of all means, that a man shall be ready to begin anew w'ith them almost. Having a double principle in them, of grace and corruption, there needs continually strength- ening and stablishing grace.
Reason 2. Consider outwaidJi/ what discouragements from the ill examples, and allurements, and seducing of others, from the disgrace that is pmt on good things ; ivhat discouragements and scandals from, vithout!
Reason 3. Again, are there not qfttimes new and great temptations, that a man must have a new measure of grace to resist ? There is continual occasion of new spiritual strength to oppose new temptations, and new spiritual strength to endure new crosses, and to enjoy new benefits. In all the passages of our life, there is a necessity of more grace, of further supply of grace. A man with that proportion of strength which he had before, he cannot encounter with new temptations ; and therefore there must be new gi-ace, and fresh attending upon the means while we live here.
Reason 4."^ Again, unavoidable times will come, when there must be strength of grace : sickness will come, temptations to despair vdll come, conflicts with Satan will come. We need not say, put the case such and such ; but it is an unavoidable case. They will come, w'herein a great strength of grace will be necessary. Therefore we cannot be too much careful in attending upon the means of salvation, to be confirmed and strengthened.
Reason 5. Again, do we not need a great measure of strengthening grace continually? Doth not the devil envg goodness and good actions? When we go about to pray, when the best men are about the best actions, what a deal of distraction is there ! how doth Satan confound them with distrac- tions ! What a deal of confii'ming grace need we to every good work ! When a Christian is taken out of the kingdom of Satan, he is the butt, the object of his malice, and the malice of those that are his instruments. We must pull every good work, as it were, out of the fire. We must use violence to nature, to temptations in every good duty, to perform them strongly. We need a second and a third grace, many degrees of grace.
Reason G. Then again, we are capable of more grace ; for our under-
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 15, 338
standing is such that we may know more still, and our will is such that it atiects -'•= more still, and the more holy truths are made known to us, the more the will is enlarged to cleave to them ; the more we know, the more we may know. Our understandings are wondrous large. There is a great capacity in them, and our adhesion and cleaving to truths is more and more. The more we know, the more the will cleaves to it ; as it is. Acts xi. 23, * They exliorted them, that with full purpose they would cleave fast to God.' We must cleave and adhere fast to the truth and to God ; every day go deeper, get nearer and closer to God, and labour to be established in good things. St Paul prays that they might be established more and more ; and David prays that he might be established in good thoughts, and desires, and resolutions in good pm-poses, to be stablished in everything that is good. Grace is a stale that we may grow in, and our souls are fit to be enlarged ; for there is a great capacity in the soul. Till we come to heaven, it is not full. We may gx'ow in every grace stronger and stronger. As in the examples of holy men in Scripture, it was never well with them but when they were growing. There is a necessity of gi"Owing.
Use 1. If this be true, let us set no pitch to ourselves, and aJihor, abhor even as the temptation of the devil, the conceit of fulness and of self-sufficie)icy ; to think, I know enough, what should I know more for ? or, perhaps, I could read at home, as I said before. It is God's ordinance, and cursed is all private study when it is done in contempt of the ordinance of God. Take heed of such suggestions of fulness and standing at a stay. No ; we need a second, we need many degi-ees of confu-mation and strength, and all little enough. There was never any that repented of the careful use of the means. Strengthening, and proficiency, and growth in this kind is a pledge of perfection, that God will perfect more and more that that he hath graciously begun. I beseech you, take it to heart, that we may alway need a further degree of strengthening grace while we live in this world.