A Discourse Proving Weak Grace Victorious

We need not take our rise higher than verse 18, where the quotation out of Isa. xlii. begins, where you find God, like a herald, proclaiming his Son to the world, under the name of his servant: “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.” It contains, 1. His election of him; God chose, called him to his mediatorial office. 2. The agreeableness of the person to God; he did wholly acquiesce in him, and deposit in his hand the concerns of his glory. 3. The ability and assistance God gave him, “I will put my spirit upon him.” 4. The work he should do: “he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.” His coming is set down, not with pomp, or noise, “he shall not strive, nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets,” ver. 19. Tlke liw.’»sr demess of his carriage,” we ftliaS. xvoX. cx not be contentious with the V o V0o. ‘«i. «s:

Ble LrCiithingB of the spirit with life and vigour; will take pains with them to mend them. §:d reeds, such as are convinced of their own vanity, and emptinesi.. eraoking flax of the wick of a candle, f. is nut only lin profit, hut some trouble ii’. — liiJi llm soul IH uoiaome by I lie “ill not blow out ’ ii up and chtrish it; he l!. ;ii:l tiimw off those that are :i-, and und hope, hut he will heal

2. The act. He shall not break; not quench*; he shall mightily cherish, support the reed, inflame the flax.

3. The continuance of it; till he sends forth judgment unto victory. In Isaiah it is, “Till he bring forth judgment unto truth;” but Matthew, instead of truth, puts victory.

Judgment is taken several ways. For,

1. Wisdom: “The Lord will wait that he may be gracious, for the Lord is a God of judgment,” Isa. XXX. 18. that is, of wisdom to give in the most convenient season.

2. Righteousness: “Judgment is far from us, neither doth justice overtake us,” Isa. lix. 9; that is, there is no holiness in us.

3. OvcrtJirow of a christian’s enemy: “Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out,” John xii. 31; now shall the devil be conquered, “He shall bring forth judgment unto truth:” Isa. xlii. 3. that is, he shall govern in righteousness. Now Christ’s government being chiefly in the souls of men, he shall assist and encourage that which is the better; as governors ought to be encouragers of the good, and discouragers of the bad. Matthew explains this, and shows the consequence of this government; if it be in truth, it will make the better part victorious. Some by judgment understand the gospel, the new evangelical law; “The isles shall wait for his law,” ver. 4 So Christ will not rest till he makes the gospel glorious, and advances it in the world above the lusts and idolatries of men, which then overflowed the world. Some li Y^^^jcaKviX. Nix^2L’^^»s ace, which is the dTali. atA cqyS ^’^ ^^’^ ^’^’^ drawn in the soul; and po-Y )ao^ “we.^’s* “r.”^^^

^1
t, ur evangelical law should be the vi«
of grace and faith. Implanting grac
t is the main design of the gospel; ai
othing else but a moulding the soul
of that law and doctrine of Christ; a
make the gospel glorious, above all th(
mings of men, so he will make grac(
e end of the gospel, victorious above
iptions of men. In this latter sense
handle it, Christ shall make those be§
ace and infused habits, to obtain a perf
:. By his governing of it, he shall n:
jest over corruption perfect.
>CTRiNE. True, though weak graci

LESERVED, AND IN THE END PROVE VICT*

3ds of grace, though mixed with a iption, cannot be overcome by it: i )t be altered in its nature by the di brraed into the nature of the rubbish ii. Grace is surely weakest at the first ir it is newlv landed in thp Vioo-f f — i received but their first wound, and being much unmortified, and grace also as yet but in a strange soil, not naturalized at all; — yet is grace then so strong, that all the legions of hell cannot totally worst it; though it be like a grain of mustard-seed newly sown, yet it springs up into a mighty tree: for as the weakness of God is stronger than men, 80 is the weakness of grace stronger than sin in the event and issue. The meanest grace is above the highest intellectual parts, as the smile of a sun-beam is more powerful to chase away the grim and sour darkness of the night, than the sparkling of a diamond. According to the degrees of its growth, its effects are wonderful; as a small spark, by a breath of wind growing into a flame, may fire and consume a spacious and stately building. The weakest grace by degrees shall have strength: “He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David,” Zech. xii. 8. which is meant of the Jews’ strength at their conversion. David was a mighty man of valour, and when a stripling, laid Goliath in the dust; but in the strength of Christ: for the “House of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before him,” that is, Christ that descended from David. In the text you see God assures us, that Christ shall perform this; therefore let us see what engagements are on God’s part, and what also on Christ’s part to effect this business, which will be sufficient demonstrations of this truth.

In general. Grace hath great allies; the greatest power that ever yet acted upon the stage of the world, had a hand in the birth of it: skould h^ sm all the states of the woM e.iv^^<5t.^ *m^2^Kw^’^ person to a kingdom, an m«:lwVB:lxClxs% ^^^^”^^ in Mb right, we could ivot laXl^Qw

b3 ing him somewhat above the state of Father decrees it, Christ purchaseth it infuseth it; the Father appoints the £ t grace shall be in every soul, Christ force, and the Spirit conducts it. The t a hand in maintaining it; the Father corruption, the Son washes, and the Hoi ;tifies; all this is but the carrying on t ture: ‘’ But after the kindness and love Saviour appeared, not by works of rig,” &c. “but according to his mercy he s; he washing of regeneration, and rene Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abu agh Jesus Christ our Saviour,” Tit. ii: d our Saviour,” that is, God the Fatl ler is the author of salvation from sin, CI baser, the Spirit the conveyer. There is a ion between the Trinity and grace: the lid to beget us, John i. 13; and we {; the seed of Christ, Isa. liii. 10: and

WfiAK GRACE VICTORIOUS. 7

Divine nature, because it is an imitation of one or other of the Divine attributes, and exemplifies the Divine perfections in its operations: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light,” 1 Pet. ii. 9. Show forth the praise of God, iipeTag, the virtues of Grod. Grace in all the parts of it doth glorify one or other attribute of God; humility his power, contentedness his sufficiency, watchfulness his omniscience, prayer his sovereignty, repentance and sorrow for sin his justice, faith his love and truth; a fiduciary reliance on his word, his wisdom, &c.

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