The strongest Christians are most desirous of strength. Who have you that doth most hunger after the means of salvation ? Surely those that have the greatest measure of grace, because with gi-ace the capacity of the soul is enlarged to receive more. The soul is so framed by God that the more it hath, the more it hungers after ; and ' blessed are those that hunger, they shall be satisfied.' Who care least for the means ? De- bauched, shallow creatures, those that are popishly conceited, such as are ill bred, such as take scandal at all things in the communion of saints, at holy exercises, the frequenting of public and private duties, the making conscience of calling upon God. A Christian that knows what it is, he thinks all the means little enough, he will not omit one of them that may be a means of his growth and strength ; he thinks if he neglect one means, he decays in all. Therefore, he joins to all means, private duties, and then public, of hearing the word; and he hears out of season when he finds himself indisposed. As the ministers are to ' preach in season and out of season,' 2 Tim. iv, 2, so he hears in season and out of season. And there- fore, of all men, he that is the most careful of his growth is the great, the strong Christian. The better he is, the more he hungers after it.
Use 2, Take this as a trial, if you do not desire to he strengthened in good
things more and more, you have no goodness at all. I will press the point
no further at this time, but go on, Saith St Paul, ' I was minded to come
to you, that you might have a second benefit, a second grace,' that is, a
* That is, = seeks.— G.
384 COMMENTAUY ON
confirming, strengthening grace. We all need, then, a second grace, a confirming grace. Hero I might make some use to ministers ; 1 will hut touch it, to shew what their duty is to those that are under them. Every man is, as it were, a minister in his place to strengthen another, and to exhort one another, and to hcstow grace upon one another. But ministers should do it especially. They are like those that repair the sea hanks. The sea gets over ofttimes, and cats out the hanks ; they must be repaired con- tinually, they will impair else. The minister's pains, it is like the labour of the husbandman. When he hath sown, he must weed; and w'hen ho hath weeded, he must fence, to keep it from the birds of prey and the vio- lence of beasts, &c., and he must live by faith till the grain be ready. So the minister, after he hath planted, he must water, and weed, and fence, and all little enough ; he must look to the banks, and many times that which he gctteth in one day he loseth in another; nay, ofttimes the pitiful condition of a minister is this, that at the week's end he hath all to do again. Another man sees an end of his work, but in this the devil and corruption hath undone all again. We enforce good things on people on the Lord's day ; but within one day, ill company and employment in worldly business overthrows all. The sea banks are down ; they must be new repaired. Therefore, there is a necessity laid on us of the ordinances to our lives' end, till our souls be in heaven ; there is a necessity of re- pairing them. We cannot be too diligent in our places. And those that liave the oversight of others, let them make conscience of it ; it is needful. And mark here, in the next point,
Doct. The laiif/iiage of Canaan, the language of the Spirit of God, that he puts the name of grace upon every benefit, esjoecialbj those that concern a better life. Grace usually we take to be nothing but a gracious frame of heart, the new ci-eature, as we call it ; but indeed, in the language of the Holy Ghost, every free gift of God that concerns our souls any way is a grace. The very ministry is a grace. It is the grace and free love of God to give us the ministry. The very heart to embrace it, and to hear it, is a grace. The very heart to give alms is a grace. Saith St Paul, ' Thanks be to God for this unspeakable gift,' 2 Cor. ix. 15, for this unspeakable grace that you had a heart to give ; so that everything that is good, it is a grace, a gift of God.
St Paul conceived of his coming to them as a grace. Indeed the grace of God moved and directed St Paul to come to them. It is grace that God directs the preacher to speak to the people. It is a grace that the minister speaks gracious things. It is a greater grace when you close with and entertain that which is spoken, — all is of grace. Your ready minds to do good, it comes of God, it is a grace ; your acceptance of God, as well as eternal life, all is of free grace.