Means to make Grace victorious

FOR the second, that is, directions.

We must know, though Christ hath undertaken this victory, yet he accomplisheth it by training us up to fight his battles; he overcometh in us, by making us wise to salvation, 2 Tim. iii. 15: and in what degree we believe Christ will conquer, in that degree we will endeavour by his grace that we may conquer; for faith is an obedient and a wise grace: Christ maketh us wise to ponder and weigh things, and thereupon to rank and order them so as we may make the fitter choice of what is best. Some rules to help us in judging are these ;

To judge of things as they help or hinder the main : as they further or hinder our reckoning: as they make us more or less spiritual, and so bring us nearer to the fountain of goodness, God himself: as they bring us peace or sorrow at the last, as they commend us more or less to God, and wherein we shall approve ourselves to him most: likewise to judge of things now, as we shall do hereafter when the soul shall be best able to judge, as when we are under any public calamity, or at the hour of death, when the soul gathereth itself from all other things to itself. Look back to former experience, see what is most agreeable unto it, what was best in our worst times. If grace is or was. best then, it is best now. And labour to judge of things as he doth who must judge us, and as holy men judge, who are led by the Spirit ; more particularly, what those judge, that have no interest in any benefit that may come by the thing which is in question : for outward things blind the eyes even of the wise; we see papists are most corrupt in those things where their honour, ease, or profit is engaged ; but in the doctrine of the Trinity, which doth not touch upon these things, they are sound. But it is not sufficient that judgment be right, but likewise ready and strong.

Where Christ establisheth his government, he inspireth care to keep the judgment clear and fresh, for whilst the judgment standeth straight and firm, the whole frame of the soul continueth strong and impregnable. True judgment in us advanceth Christ, and Christ will advance it. All sin is either from false principles, or ignorance, or mindlessness,. or ‘unbelief of true. By inconsideration and weakness of assent, Eve lost her hold at first, Gen. iii. It is I good, therefore, to store up true principles in our hearts, and to refresh them often, that in virtue of them our affections and actions may be more vigorous. When judgment is fortified, evil finds no entrance, but good things have a side within us, to entertain them. Whilst true convincing light continueth, we will not do the least ill of sin for the greatest ill of punishment. In vain is the net spread in the eyes of that which hath wings, Prov. i. 17. Whilst the soul is kept aloft, there is little danger of snares below; we lose our high estimation of things before we can be drawn to any sin.

And because knowledge and affection mutually help one another, it is good to keep up our affections of love and delight, by all sweet inducements and divine encouragements ; for what the heart liketh best, the mind studieth most. Those that can bring their hearts to delight in Christ know most of his ways. Wisdom loveth him that loves her. Love is the best entertainer of truth; and when it is not entertained in the love of it, 2 Thess. ii. 10, being so lovely as it is, it leaveth the heart, and will stay no longer. It hath been a prevailing way to begin by withdrawing the love to corrupt the judgment; because as we love, so we use to judge: and therefore it is hard to be affectionate and wise in earthly things; but in heavenly things, where there hath been a right information of the judgment before, the more our affections grow, the better and clearer our judgments will b , because our affections, though strong, can never rise high enough to the excellency of the things. We see in the martyrs, when the sweet doctrine of Christ had once gotten their hearts, it could not be gotten out again by all the torments the wit of cruelty could a devise. If Christ hath once possessed the affections, ‘there is no dispossessing of him again. A fire in the heart overcometh all fires without.

3. Wisdom likewise teacheth us wherein our weakness lieth, and our enemy’s strength, whereby a jealous fear is stirred up in us, whereby we are preserved : for out of this godly jealousy we keep those provocations which are active and working, from that which is passive and catching in us, as we keep fire from powder. They that will hinder the generation of noisome creatures, will hinder the conception first, by keeping male and female asunder. This jealousy will be much furthered by observing strictly what hath helped or hindered a gracious temper in us: and it will make us take heed that we consult mot with flesh and blood in ourselves or others. How else can we think that Christ will lead us out to victory, when we take counsel of his and our enemies.

4. Christ maketh us likewise careful to attend all means whereby fresh thoughts and affections may be ‘stirred up and preserved in us ; Christ so honoureth the use of means, and the care he putteth into us, that the ascribeth both preservation and victory unto our care of keeping ourselves. He that is begotten of God, keepeth himself, 1 John v. 18; but not by himself, but by the Lord, in dependance on him on the use of means. We are no longer safe than wise to present “ourselves to all good advantages of acquaintance, &c. By going out of God’s walks we go out of his government, and so lose our frame, and find ourselves overspread quickly with a contrary disposition. When we draw near to Christ, James iv. 8, in his ordinances the draws near unto us.

5. Keep grace in exercise : it is not sleepy habits, .

but grace in exercise that preserveth us. Whilst the soul is in some civil or sacred employment, corruptions within us are much suppressed, and Satan’s passages stopped, and the Spirit hath a way open to enlarge itself in us, and likewise the guard of angels then most nearly attends us ; which course often prevails more against our spiritual enemies than direct opposition. It stands upon Christ’s honour to maintain those that are in his work.

Sixthly, in all directions we must look up to Christ the quickening spirit, and resolve in his strength : though we are exhorted to cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart, Acts xi. 23, yet we must pray with David, Lord, for ever keep it in the thoughts of our hearts, and prepare our hearts unto thee, 1 Chron. xxix. 13: our hearts are of themselves very loose and unsettled, Lord, unite our hearts unto thee to fear thy name, Psalm Ixxxvi. 11; or else without him our best purposes will fall to the ground. It is a pleasing request, out of love to God, to beg such a frame of soul from him, wherein he may take delight; and therefore in the use of all the means, we must send up our desires and complaints to heaven, to him for strength and help, and then we may be sure that he will bring forth judgment unto victory.

Lastly, it furthers the state of the soul, to know what frame it should be in, that so we may order our souls accordingly ; we should always be fit for communion with God, and be heavenly-minded in earthly business, and be willing to be taken off from them, to redeem time for better things ; we should be ready at all times to depart hence, and to live in such a condition as we would be content to die in: we should have hearts prepared for every good duty, open to all good l,occasions, and shut to all temptations, keeping our watch, and being always ready armed : so far as we ‘come short of these things, so far we have just cause to be humbled, and yet press forward that we may / gain more upon ourselves, and make these things more familiar and lovely unto us; and when we find our souls any ways falling downwards, it is best to raise ‘them up presently by some waking meditations ; as of the presence of God, of the strict reckoning we ‘are to make, of the infinite love of God in Christ, and ‘the fruits of it, of the excellency of a Christian’s calling, of the short and uncertain time of this life: how little good all those things that steal away our hearts will do us ere long ; and how it shall be for ever with us thereafter, as we spend this little time well or ill, &c. the more we give way for such considerations to ‘sink into our hearts, the more we shall rise nearer to that state of soul which we shall enjoy in heaven. When we grow regardless of keeping our souls, then God recovers our taste of good things again by sharp crosses; thus David, Solomon, Samson, &c. were recovered : it is much easier kept than recovered.

But notwithstanding my striving, I seem to stand at a stay.

Grace, as the seed in the parable, grows, we know not how, yet at length when God seeth fittest, we shall see that all our endeavour hath not been in vain ; the tree falleth upon the last stroke, yet all the former strokes help it forward.

Sometimes victory is suspended because some Achan is not found out, Judges xx. 26; or because we are not humble enough, as Israel had the worst against the Benjamites till they fasted and prayed ; or because we betray our helps, and stand not upon our guard, and yield not presently to the motions of the Spirit, which mindeth us always of the best things, if we would regard it. Our own consciences will tell us, if we give them leave to speak, that some sinful favouring of ourselves is the cause. The way in this case to prevail is, 1. To get the victory over the pride of our own nature, by taking shame to ourselves, in humble confession to God ; and then, 2. To overcome the unbelief of our hearts, by yielding to the promise of pardon ; and then, 3. In confidence of Christ’s assistance to set ourselves against those sins which have prevailed over us ; and then prevailing over ourselves we shall easily prevail over all our enemies ; and conquer all conditions we shall be brought into.