And, to add this further, the grace of Christ, it is a fruitful grace, it is a rich grace, as the apostle saith here. ' You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who became poor to make us rich by his poverty.' The favour of God and Christ, it is no empty favour. It is not like the winter sun, that casts a goodly countenance when it shines, but gives little comfort and heat. Many men give sweet and comfortable words, but there is nothing follows, it is but a barren favour. It is not so with God's favour, to give only a shining countenance but no warmth. No ; saith the apostle, ' You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he were rich, he became poor.' It was a grace that made him empty himself of himself, to make us full ; it made him poor to make us rich ; he abased himself to make us glorious. As is the man, so is his strength, saith the proverb: BO, as is the person, such is the favour and good-will we expect from him. Now Christ being so potent a person, being God and man, his grace must needs be wondrous rich, suitable to his greatness. If God will free a man,
516 THE church's riches.
ho will free him from all miseries ; if he advance a man, he will advance him to heaven ; if he will punish a man, he will punish him to hell ; his ■wrath shall sei/.c on him for over ; what ho doth, he will do like a God. The grace of Christ, it is a powerful rich grace.
Therefore let us examine ourselves, am I in the favour of God and of Christ ? If I be, surely it is a rich favour, it tends to the best riches ; ho became poor to make mo rich. Where is my faith, my love, my hope, my contcntation, my patience and victory over temptations and lusts ? Is it a dead favour ? Am I in the favour of Christ, and find no fruits of it ? Cer- tainly it is but an illusion : therefore as yet I am not in the compass of Christ's favour. Therefore I must wait in the use of means, and humbling myself; ' he gives grace to the humble,' James iv. G. And with a sense of our spiritual poverty, let us pray to God to shine on us in Christ, that wo may find the fruit of his love enriching us with grace. Oh that my faith, and hope, and grace, were more ! Oh let this evidence that I am in thy favour [be revealed] by the fruits of it, that I may find those riches that thou hast procured by thy poverty. And let us not rest till we find the fruits of this grace, though not alway in the comfort, yet in the strength and ability, that we may perform, in some measure, what is required. Though we havo not much of the comfort that we desire, yet if wo have strength we have that that is better. It is better to have grace than comfort here. God reserves that for another world. But let us always look for one of them, either sensible peace and joy ; or if not that, yet strength against our cor- ruptions, and ability to do God service in some measure ; to do something above nature. Holy desires, and ability, and strength, they come not from nature, but from the favour of Christ. Therefore having these, I know I am in the love of Christ. These are favours that he bestows only upon his own. Favours of the left hand he gives to castaways ; but his special favours, the riches of grace, he gives only to his children. Therefore let us labour to find somewhat wrought in our natures, that may evidence to us that we are in this rich favour of God.
Lastly, This grace of Christ being free, that we neither desired it nor deserved it, why may not Manasseh take hope as well as David, if ho sub- mit himself, though he were so horrible a sinner as he was ? Why may not Paul, a persecutor, find mercy as well as Timothy, that was brought up to goodness from his youth ? It is free. Therefore let no man despair that hath been a wicked liver in former time. The best stand in need of grace, and it is of grace that they are what they are ; as St Paul saith, ' By grace I am that I am,' 1 Cor. xv. 10 ; and the worst, if they come in and submit themselves, and take Christ for their Lord, and submit to his government, and will be ruled by his word and Spirit, and not continue to live in rebellious courses, they may partake of this grace.
But again, let none presume. For though it be free grace, yet we must confess our sins and forsake them, or else we shall find no grace. We must be poor in spirit, and sensible of our misery ; for God enricheth those that are empty and poor, ' the rich he sends empt}' away,' Luke i. 53. We must sue to God for grace by the Spirit of grace, and take heed that we turn not these offers of grace to occasions of wantonness, and so divide Christ ; to take out of Christ what we list, and leave what we list. We must know that Christ, as he is our Jesus to save us, so he is our Lord ; as he saith here, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must submit to him for the time to come, and then we shall find experience of his sweet grace.