You see from hence, likewise, that grace is no enemy to good works, neither the freedom of God's favour, being without any merit on our part ; nor the knowledge and assurance of salvation. It is no enemy to diligence and to good works ; nay, it is the foundation of them. The apostle doth not use it here as an argument to neglect good works. No. He stirs them up by it. If anything in the world will work upon a heart that hath any ingenuity,* it is the love, and favour, and grace of God. ' The love of Christ constraineth,' 2 Cor. v. 14. The love of Christ, as known, it melts the heart. The knowledge of the grace of Christ, it is very efi'ectual to stir us up, as to all duties, so especially to the duty of bounty and mercy ; for experience of grace it will make us gracious, and kind, and loving, and sweet to others. Those that have felt mercy will be ready to shew mercy. Those that have felt grace and love, they will be ready to reflect, and shew that to others that they have felt themselves. Those that are hard-hearted and barren in their lives and conversations, it is a sign that the Sun of righteousness never yet shined on them. There is a power in grace, and grace known, to assimilate the soul to be like unto Christ ; it hath a force to stir us up to that that is good, Titus ii. 11, 12. The apostle enforceth self-denial, a hard lesson; and holiness to God, justice to others, and sobriety to ourselves. What is the argument he useth ? ' The grace of God hath appeared.' The grace of God hath shined, as the word signi- fieth.f He means Christ appeared, but he saith, ' The grace of God hath appeared ;' when Christ appeared, grace appeared. Christ is nothing but pure grace clothed with our nature. What doth this appearing of grace teach us ? ' To deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live holily, and righteously, and soberly,' &c. Holily and religiously in regard of God ; justl}^ in regard of men, and not only justly, but bountifully, for bounty is justice. It is justice to give to the poor. ' Withhold not good from the owners.' Thej have right to that we have. Grace, when it appears in any soul, it is a teacher ; it teachethto deny all that is naught,^ and it teacheth to practise all that is good. It teacheth to live holily and righteously in this present evil world. Many men like the text thus far, ' The grace of God bringeth salvation.' Oh it is a sweet text ! Ay, but what follows ? What doth that grace teach thee ? It teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts ; it doth not teach men to follow and set them- selves upon the works of the devil, but to live soberly and justly and
* That is, ' ingenuousness,' — G. J That is, ' naughty ' = wicked. — G.
t That is, (pahu. — G.
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righteously in this present evil world. It is said of the woman in the gospel, * She loved much, because much was forgiven her,' Luke vii. 47. What made that blessed woman so enlarged in her aflection and love to Christ ? She had experience of the pardon of many sins, and having felt the love of Christ, she loved him again. And what is the reason that those that aro converted from dangerous courses of life, do often prove the most fruitful Christians ? Because they have felt most love and mercy. Who was more zealous than the blessed apostle St Paul ? Oh, he found rich and abundant love ! How large is he in setting forth the mercy of God : ' Oh the height, and breadth, and depth!' liom. xi. 38. Nothing contents him, no expressions, when he speaks of God's mercy ; because he had been a wicked man, and found mercy. Let no man be discouraged, if he have been never so sinful, if ho come in. The more need he hath of mercy, the more abundant God is, as the apostle saith here, ' You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.' And those that have felt most gi'ace will be most wrought on, to shew the fruits of that grace in all good works, in duties towards God and men.
And if we find not our hearts wrought on, by the consideration of the grace of Christ apprehended and known to this end, ' we turn the grace of God into wantonness,' Jude iv. It is a sign of an ill condition. The Scripture speaks nothing but discomfort to such that take occasion from the free grace and infinite and boundless mercy of God, to be loose and careless in their lives and conversations ; that think it is a time of liberty, and we may do what we list. Though the tongues of men say not so, nor they dare not for shame, yet their lives speak it. Would men else live in swearing, and other debauched carriage, that is offensive to God and men ? Do they know that there is a God, a Christ, and mercy ? Doth mercy and grace teach them that lesson ? No. It teacheth us to deny such base lives and lusts, and to live holily, and soberly, and justly in this world. Therefore such men are atheists. Either they must not believe the Scriptures, or else exclude themselves from interest in mercy ; for as yet they are not in the state of grace, in whom the consideration of mercy and grace doth not work better effects than these.