4. Counterfeit Graces

BY ſuggeſting to them, that their graces are not true, but counterfeit; ſaith Satan, all is not gold that gliſters, all is not grace that you count grace, that you call grace; that which⁴⁹⁴ you call faith is but a fancy, and that which you call zeal, is but unnaturall heat and paſſion; and that light you have, ‘tis but common, ‘tis ſhort to what many have attained to, that are now in hell, &c. Satan doth not labour more mightily to perſwade hypocrites that their graces are true, when they are counterfeit, then he doth to perſwade precious ſouls that their graces are counterfeit, when indeed they are true, and ſuch as will abide the touch-ſtone of Chriſt, &c.

1. 494. Yet it muſt be granted, that many a fair flower may grow out of a ſtinking root, and many ſweet diſpoſitions, and fair actions may be where there is onely the corrupt root of nature.

THe firſt Remedie againſt this device of Satan, is, ſeriouſly to conſider, that grace is taken two wayes.

Firſt, ‘tis taken for the gracious good will and favour of God, whereby he is pleaſed of his owne free love, to accept of ſome in Chriſt for his owne. This ſome call the firſt grace, becauſe ‘tis the fountaine of all other graces, and the Spring from whence they flow; and it’s therefore called grace, becauſe it makes a man gracious with God, but this is only in God.

Secondly, grace is taken for the gifts of grace, and they are of two ſorts, common, or ſpecial.

Some are common to Beleevers, and hypocrites, as a gift of knowledge, a gift of prayer, &c.⁴⁹⁵

1. 495. Gal. 5. 22, 23.

Some are ſpecial graces, and they are proper, and peculiar to the Saints, as faith, humility, meekneſſe, love, patience, &c.

The ſecond Remedie againſt this device⁴⁹⁶ of Satan, is, wiſely to conſider the p. 219 differences betwixt renuing grace, and⁴⁹⁷ reſtraining grace; betwixt ſanctifyng grace, and temporary grace, and this I ſhall ſhew you in theſe following particulars

1. 496. 2 Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
2. 497. God brings not a paire of ſcales to weigh our graces, but a touch-ſtone to try our graces. Purity, preciouſneſs, & holines is ſtampt upon all ſaving graces. Acts 15. 9. 2 Pet. 1. 1. Iude 20.

1. True grace makes all glorious within and without. The Kings daughter is all glorious within, her raiment is of wrought gold. True grace makes the underaſtanding glorious, the will glorious, the affections glorious, it caſts a generall glory upon all the noble parts of the ſoule; The Kings daughter is all glorious within: And as it makes the inſide glorious, ſo it makes the out-ſide glorious; Her cloathing is of wrought gold; it makes men looke gloriouſly, and ſpeak gloriouſly, and walke, and act gloriouſly: ſo that vaine ſouls ſhall be⁴⁹⁸ forced to ſay, that theſe are they that have ſeen Jeſus; as grace is a fire to burn up, and conſume the droſſe, and filth of the ſoule, ſo it is an ornament to⁴⁹⁹ beautifie and adorn the ſoule. True grace makes all new, the inſide new, and the out-ſide new; If any man be in Chriſt he is a new creature; but temporary grace doth not this. True grace changes the very nature of a man, morall vertue doth only reſtrain, or chain up the outward man; it doth not change the whole man; a Lion in a p. 220 grate is a Lion ſtill, he is reſtrained, but not changed; for he retains his Lion-like nature ſtill: ſo temporary graces reſtraine many men from this and that wickedneſs, but it doth not change and turn their hearts from wickedneſſe; but now true grace, that turnes a Lion into a Lamb, as you may ſee in Paul,⁵⁰⁰ and a notorious ſtrumpet, into a bleſſed and glorious Penitent, as you may ſee in Mary Magdalen, &c.⁵⁰¹

1. 498. Acts 4. verſ. 8. to verſ. 15.
2. 499. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Καινὴ κτίσις, a new creation, new Adam, new Covenant, new Paradiſe, new Creation, new Lord, new Law, new hearts, & new natures go together▪
3. 500. Acts 9.
4. 501. Luke 7.

2. The objects of true grace are ſupernaturall; true grace is converſant about the choiſeſt, and the higheſt objects,⁵⁰² about the moſt ſoul-enobling, and ſoul-greatning objects, as God, Chriſt, precious promiſes, that are more worth then a world; and a Kingdome that ſhakes not, a Crown of glory that withers not, and Heavenly treaſures that ruſt not. The objects of temporary grace are low, and poor, and alwayes within the compaſſe of reaſons reach.

1. 502. 2 Cor. 4. 18. chap. 11. Hebr. 15. Prov. 14. A Saint hath his feet where other mens heads are. Matth. 6.

3. True grace inables a Chriſtian (when he is himſelfe) to do ſpirituall actions with reall pleaſure and delight. To ſouls truly gracious, Chriſts yoke is⁵⁰³ eaſie, and his burden is light, his commandements are not grievous, but joyous; I delight in the law of God after the inward man, ſaith Paul; the bleſſed man is deſcribed by this, that he delights in the law⁵⁰⁴ p. 221 of the Lord; ‘Tis joy to the juſt to doe judgment,⁵⁰⁵ ſaith Solomon; To a gracious ſoul all the wayes of the Lord are pleaſantneſſe, and his paths are peace. But to ſouls that have but temporary grace, but morall vertues, religious ſervices, are a toile, not a pleaſure; a burden, and not a delight: Wherefore have we faſted ſay they,⁵⁰⁶ and thou ſeeſt not? wherefore have wee afflicted⁵⁰⁷ our ſoules, and thou takeſt no knowledg, &c. Yee have ſaid (ſay thoſe in Malachi) it is vaine to ſerve God, and what profit is it that wee have kept his Ordinances, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hoſts? When will the new Moone be gone (ſay thoſe in Amos) that⁵⁰⁸ we may ſell corne? and the Sabbath, that we may ſet forth wheat, making the Epha ſmall, and the ſhekell great, and falſifying the balances by deceit.

1. 503. Mat. 11. 30. 1 John 5. 3. Rom. 7. 22.
2. 504. Pſal. 1. 2.
3. 505. Prov. 21. 15.
4. 506. Iſa. 58. 3.
5. 507. Mal. 3. 14.
6. 508. Amos 8. 5.

Fourthly, True grace makes a man moſt carefull, and moſt fearfull of his owne heart; it makes him moſt ſtudious about his owne heart, informing that, examining that, and⁵⁰⁹ watching over that; but temporary grace, morall vertues, make men more mindfull, and carefull of others to inſtruct them, and counſell them, and ſtir up them, and watch over them, &c. which doth with open mouth demonſtrate, that their graces are not ſaving, p. 222 and peculiar to Saints; but that they are temporary, and no more then what Judus, Demas, and the Phariſees had, &c.

1. 509. Pſa. 51. 10. Pſal. 119. 36. 80. Pſal. 139. 23. Pſal. 86. 11. Matth. 23.

5. Grace will work a mans heart to love, and cleave to the ſtricteſt, and holieſt wayes and things of God, for their purity and ſanctity, in the face of all dangers and hardſhips; Thy word is very⁵¹⁰ pure, therefore thy ſervant loveth it; others love it, and like it, and follow it, for the credit, the honour, the advantage that they get by it; but I love it for the ſpirituall beauty and purity of it. So the Pſalmiſt, All this is come upon us,⁵¹¹ yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falſly in thy Covenant. Our heart is not turned backe, neither have our ſteps declined from thy way. Though thou haſt ſore broken us in the place of Dragons, and covered us with the ſhadowes of death. But temporary grace that will not beare up the ſoule againſt all oppoſitions and diſcouragements in the wayes of God, as is cleare by their apoſtacie in that ſixt⁵¹² of John, and by the ſtony grounds falling away, &c.

1. 510. Pſal. 119. 140.
2. 511. Pſal. 44. 17, 18, 19. Grace is a panoply againſt all troubles, & a paradiſe of all pleaſures.
3. 512. Mat. 13. 20, 21.

6. True grace will inable a man to ſtep over the worlds Crown, to take up Chriſts Croſſe, to preferre the croſſe of Chriſt above the glory and bravery of this world. It inabled Abraham, and p. 223 Moſes, and Daniel, with thoſe other⁵¹³ Worthies in the 11. of the Hebrews to do ſo.

1. 513. Heb. 11.

Godfrey of Bullen, firſt King of Jeruſalem, refuſed to be crowned with a Crown of Gold, ſaying, that it became⁵¹⁴ not a Chriſtian to weare a Crowne of Gold, where Chriſt had wore a Crown of thornes; oh! but temporary grace cannot work the ſoul, to prefer Chriſts croſſe above the worlds Crowne; but when theſe two meet, a temporary Chriſtian ſteps over Chriſts croſſe, to take up, and keep up the worlds crown. Demas hath for ſaken us to embrace this preſent world. So the young man in the Goſpel had many good things in him, he bid fair for Heaven, and came neer to Heaven; but when Chriſt ſet his Croſſe before him, he ſteps over that to enjoy the worlds Crown. When Chriſt bid him goe, and ſell all that he had and give to the poor, &c. He went away ſorrowfull, for he had great poſſeſſions. If Heaven be to be had upon no other terms, Chriſt may keep his Heaven to himſelfe, hee’l have none, &c.

1. 514. Few are of Hieroms mind, that had rather have St. Pauls coate with his heavenly graces, then the purple of Kings with their Kingdoms. 2 Tim. 4. 10. Mat. 19. 20, 21, 22. The King of Navarr told Beza, that in the cauſe of Religion hee would launch no further into the Sea, then he might be ſure to return ſafe to the Haven.

Then in the ſeventh place, conſider this, that ſanctifying grace, renewing grace puts the ſoule upon ſpirituall duties, from ſpirituall and intrinſical motives, as from the ſenſe of divine love, p. 224 that doth conſtrain the ſoul to wait on⁵¹⁵ God, and to act for God, and the ſenſe of the excellency and ſweetneſs of communion with God, and the choiſe and precious diſcoveries that the ſoule hath formerly had of the beauty and glory of God, whilſt it hath been in the ſervice of God. The good looks, the good words, the bleſſed love-letters, the glorious kiſſes, and the ſweet embraces that gracious ſoules have had from Chriſt in his ſervice, do provoke and move them to waite upon him in holy duties; ah but reſtraining grace, temporall grace that puts men upon religious duties, only from externall motives, as the eare of the creature, the eye of the creature, the rewards of the creature, & the keeping up of a name amongſt the creatures, and a thouſand ſuch like conſiderations, as you may ſee in Saul, Jehu, Judas, Demas, and the Scribes and Phariſees, &c.

1. 515. As what I have, if offered to thee, pleaſeth not thee, oh Lord without my ſelfe, ſo the good things we have from thee, though they may refreſh us, yet they ſatisfie us not without thy ſelf. Ber. It is an excellent ſpeech of Bernard (bonus es domine, animae quaerenti; quid invenienti?) Good art thou oh Lord to the ſoule that ſeeks thee, what art thou then to the ſoul that finds thee.

The Abbot in Melancton lived ſtrictly, and walked demurely, and look’d humbly, ſo long as hee was but a Monke; but when by his ſeeming extraordinary ſanctity, he got to be Abbot, hee grew intollerable proud and inſolent; and being asked the reaſon of it, confeſſed, that his former lowly look was, but to ſee, if he could find the keyes of the Abbie. p. 225 Such poore, low, vaine motives work temporary ſoules to all the ſervice they do perform, &c.

8. Saving grace, renewing grace wil cauſe a man to follow the Lord fully in the deſertion of all ſin, and in the obſervation of all Gods precepts. Joſhua and⁵¹⁶ Caleb followed the Lord fully; Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous before God, and walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blameleſſe. The Saints in the Revelation are deſcribed by this, that they follow the Lamb whereſoever he goes; but reſtraining grace, temporary grace cannot enable a man to follow the Lord fully; all that temporary grace can enable a man to do, is to follow the Lord partially, unevenly, and haltingly, as you may ſee in Jehu, Herod, Iudas, and the Scribes and Phariſees, who paid tithe of Mint, and Aniſe, and Cumming, but omittted the weighty matters of the Law, Judgement, Mercy, and faith, &c.

1. 516. Numb. 14. 2. וימלא hath fulfilled after me; a metaphor taken from a ſhip under ſaile, that is ſtrongly carried with the wind, as fearing neither rocks, nor ſands. Luke 1. 5, 6. Rev. 14. 4. Mat. 23. 23.

True grace works the heart to the⁵¹⁷ hatred of all ſin, and to the love of all truth; it works a man to the hatred of thoſe ſins, that for his blood he cannot conquer, and to loath thoſe ſins, that he would give all the world to overcome: So that a ſoule truly gracious can ſay, though there be no one ſinne p. 226 mortified, and ſubdued in mee, as it ſhould, and as I would, yet every ſinne is hated, and loathed by me. So a ſoule truly gracious can ſay, though I doe not obey any one command as I ſhould, and as I would, yet every word is ſweet, every command of God is precious; dearly prize, and greatly love thoſe⁵¹⁸ commands that I cannot obey, though there be many commands that I cannot in a ſtrict ſenſe fulfill, yet there is no command I would not fulfill, that I do not exceedingly love. I love thy commandements above gold, above fine gold. My ſoule hath kept thy teſtimonies, and I love them exceedingly.

1. 517. Pſal. 119. 104. 128. I had rather goe to hell pure from ſin, then to Heaven polluted with that filth, ſaith Anſelm.
2. 518. Da quod jubes & jube quod vis, give what thou commandeſt, and command what thou wilt. Pſal. 119. 119. 127. 167. verſes.

9. True grace leads the ſoule to reſt in Chriſt, as in his (ſummum bonum) chiefeſt good; it works the ſoul to center in Chriſt, as in his higheſt and ultimate end; Whether ſhould we goe, thou haſt⁵¹⁹ the worlds of eternall life. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt of ten thouſand. I found him whom my ſoule loved, I held him and would not let him goe.

1. 519. Iohn 6. 68. Cant. 5. 10. Cant. 3. 4. Grace is that ſtar that leads to Chriſt, ‘tis that cloud & pillar of fire that leads the ſoule to that heavenly Canaan, where Chriſt ſits chiefe.

That wiſdome a Beleever hath from Chriſt, it leads him to center in the wiſdome of Chriſt; and that love the ſoule hath from Chriſt, it leads the ſoule to center in the love of Chriſt; and that Righteouſneſſe the ſoule hath from Chriſt, it leads the ſoule to reſt, and p. 227 center in the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt;⁵²⁰ True grace is a beame of Chriſt, and where it is, it will naturally lead the ſoul to reſt in Chriſt: The ſtreame doth not more naturally lead to the fountain, nor the effect to the cauſe, then true grace leads the ſoule to Chriſt. But reſtraining grace, temporary grace works the ſoule to center, and reſt in things below Chriſt; Sometimes it works the ſoule to center in the prayſes of the creature, ſometimes to reſt in⁵²¹ the rewards of the creature; verily they have their reward ſaith Chriſt, and ſo in a hundred other things, &c.

1. 520. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9.
2. 521. Mat. 6. 1, 2. Zach. 7. 5, 6.

10. True grace will inable a ſoule to ſit down ſatisfied, and contented with the naked enjoyments of Chriſt. The⁵²² enjoyment of Chriſt without honour will ſatisfie the ſoule; the enjoyment of Chriſt without riches, the enjoyments of Chriſt without pleaſures, and without the ſmiles of creatures, will content and ſatisfie the ſoule. ‘Tis enough, Joſeph is alive. So ſaith a gracious ſoule, though honour is not, and riches are not, and health is not, and⁵²³ friends are not, &c. It is enough that Chriſt is, that he reigns, conquers, and triumphs; Chriſt is the pot of Mannah, the cruice of oyle, a bottomleſſe ocean of all comfort, content, and ſatisfaction; p. 228 hee that hath him wants nothing; he that wants him enjoys nothing, having nothing (ſaith Paul) and yet poſſeſſing⁵²⁴ all things. Oh! but a man that hath but temporary grace, that hath but reſtraining grace, cannot ſit downe ſatisfied and contented under the want of outward comforts; Chriſt is good with honours, ſaith ſuch a ſoule; and Chriſt is good with riches, and Chriſt is good with pleaſures, and he is good with ſuch and ſuch outward contents. I muſt have Chriſt, and the world, or elſe with the young man in the Goſpel (in ſoight of my ſoule) I ſhall forſake Chriſt to follow the world. Ah! how many ſhining Profeſſors be there in the world, that cannot ſit down ſatisfied, and contented under the want of this, or that outward comfort and content, but are like Bedlams, fretting and vexing, raging, and madding, as if there were no God, no Heaven, no Hell, nor no Chriſt to make up all ſuch outward wants to ſoules. I but a ſoule truly gracious can⁵²⁵ ſay, In having nothing, I have all things, becauſe I have Chriſt; having therefore all things in him, I ſeek no other reward, for hee is the univerſall reward; ſuch a ſoule can ſay, nothing is ſweet to me without the enjoyment of Chriſt in it; honours, nor riches, p. 229 nor the ſmiles of creatures are not ſweet to me, no further then I ſee Chriſt, and taſt Chriſt in them; the confluence of all outward good cannot make a Heaven of glory in my ſoule, if Chriſt who is the top of my glory be abſent. As Abſolom ſaid, What is all this to mee, ſo long as I cannot ſee the Kings face? ſo ſaith the ſoule, what do you tell me of this, and that outward comfort, when I cannot ſee his face whom my ſoul loves? why, my honour is not my Chriſt, nor riches is not Chriſt, nor the favour of the creature is not Chriſt; let me have him, and let the men of this world take the world & divide it amongſt themſelves, I prize my Chriſt above all; I would injoy my Chriſt before all other things in the world; his preſence will make up the abſence of all other comforts, and his abſence will darken, and embitter all my comforts; ſo that my comforts will neither taſte like comforts, nor look like comforts, nor warm like comforts, &c. when hee that ſhould⁵²⁶ comfort my ſoule ſtands a far off, &c. Chriſt is all, and in all to ſoules truly gracious; we have all things in Chriſt, and Chriſt is all things to a Chriſtian;⁵²⁷ if we be ſick, he is a Phyſician; if wee thirſt, he is a fountaine; if our ſinnes trouble us, he is righteouſneſſe; if wee p. 230 ſtand in need of help, he is mighty to ſave; if we feare death, he is life; if we be in darkneſſe, he is light; if we be weake, he is ſtrength; if we be in poverty, he is plenty; if we deſire Heaven, he is the way. The ſoule cannot ſay, this I would have, and that I would have; but ſaith Chriſt, ‘tis in me, ‘tis in me, eminently, perfectly, eternally.

1. 522. Cui cum paupertate bene convenit, pauper non eſt, ſaith Seneca. A contented man cannot be a poor man.
2. 523. Charles the great his Motto was, Chriſtus regnat, vincit, triumphat. And ſo ‘tis the Saints.
3. 524. 2 Cor. 6. 10. Saint Auſtine upon Pſal. 12. brings in God rebuking a diſcontented Chriſtian thus; what is thy faith? have I promiſed thee theſe things? what, wert thou made a Chriſtian that thou ſhouldſt flouriſh here in this world?
4. 525. Content is the deputy of outward felicity, & ſupplies the place where its abſent. As the Jews throw the book of Heſter to the ground before they read it, becauſe the name of God is not in it, as the Rabbins have obſerved: So do Saints in ſome ſenſe, thoſe mercies wherein they do not read Chriſts name, & ſee Chriſts heart. Luther ſaid, he had rather be in hell with Chriſt, then in heaven without him.
5. 526. Lam. 1. 16.
6. 527. Coloſſ. 3. 11. None but Chriſt, none but Chriſt, ſaid Lambers, liſting up his hands, and his ſingers ends flaming.