True Grace Is Exceedingly Precious, and Greatly Enriches the Soul Which Has It
Sect. L — The Lord Jesus here chooses the most pure, precious, resplendent, durable, and valuable thing, in all the treasures and magazines of nature, to shadow forth saving grace, which is infinitely more excellent. Certainly that must be the best thing, which the best things in nature can but imperfectly shadow forth. What was the golden oil emptied through the two golden pipes, Zech. iv. 12. but the precious graces of God, flowing through Christ into all his members? Gold is precious, but one dram of saving grace is more precious than all the gold of Ophir. “It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for a price thereof.” Surely gold and silver, sapphires, diamonds, and rubies, are not worth the mentioning, when saving grace is once mentioned.
1. For consider it in its cause and fountain from whence it flows, and you will find it to be the fruit of the Spirit; who, on that account, is called “the Spirit of Grace.” It derives its original from the Most High; it is spirit born of the Spirit. All the rules of morality, all human diligence and industry can never produce one gracious habit or act: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves.” Nay, we speak not becoming the incomparable worth of grace, when we say that it is the fruit and birth of the Spirit; for so are common gifts also. There are several emanations from this sun, divers streams from this fountain; but of all his operations and productions, this of saving grace is the most noble and excellent. Gifts are from the Spirit as well as grace, but grace is more excellent than the best gifts: “Covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.” Hence you read in Phil. i. 10. “of things that are excellent;” or, as the original might be rendered, “things that differ;” namely, in respect of excellency, not as good and evil, but as less good and more good difFer. Gifts have their value and preciousness, but the best gifts difFer as much from grace as brass from gold. Gifts are dead graces, but graces are living gifts. Grace is the most excellent production of the highest and most excellent cause.
2, Consider it in its nature, and you will find it divine. St. Peter speaks of being “partakers of the divine nature,” that is, in our sanctification; not that it gives us the properties of the divine nature; they are incommunicable; but the similitude and resemblance of it is stamped upon our souls in the work of grace.
“The new man is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him.” The schoolmen and some of the fathers place this image or resemblance of God, in the natural faculties of the soul — the understanding, memory, and will; which is a shadow of a trinity in unity: but it rather consists in the renovation of the faculties by grace; for in this we bear the divine image upon our souls, and that image or resemblance of God in holiness is the beauty and honour of our souls.
It is their beauty. “How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!” says Christ of his people. Natural beauty consists in the symmetry and comely proportion of parts, each with the other; spiritual beauty, in the harmony or agreeableness of our souls to God. And as it is our chief beauty, so certainly it is our highest honour; for it gives us access unto God, who is the fountain of honour and glory; and this makes the righteous more excellent than his neighbour: let his neighbour be what he will, though the blood of nobles run in his veins, the righteous is more exalted than he, except saving grace be also diffused in his soul.
3. Consider it in its recipient subject, and you will find its value still to increase; for the precious oil of saving grace is never poured into any other than an elect vessel. Hence faith, one branch of sanctification, is, with respect to its subject, styled “the faith of God’s elect.” Whosoever finds true grace in his soul, may, during the evidence thereof, from it strongly conclude his election, looking backward, and his salvation, looking forward. It marks and seals the person in whom it is, for glory. “God hath set apart him that is godly for himself.”
4. View the precious worth of grace in its excellent effects and influences upon the soul in which it dwells.
1 St, It adorns with incomparable ornaments, which are of great price in the sight of God. Yea, it reflects such beams of glory on the soul where its seat is, that Christ himself, the author, is also the admirer of it. “Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse! Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one of the chains of thy neck!”
2d, It elevates and enobles a man’s spirit beyond all other principles in man. It sets the heart and affections upon heaven, and fixes them on the glory of the invisible world: “But our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour.” Whilst others are trading for corn and wine, for sheep and oxen, for feathers and trifles, the gracious soul is trading with God for pardon and peace, for righteousness and life, for glory and immortality. “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
3d, It not only raises the spirit by conversing with God and things above, but transforms the soul by that converse into the likeness of those heavenly objects it converses with. “It changes them into the same image.” So that though the sanctified man still remains the wJio he was, yet not the “dohat he was before. The very temper of his spirit is altered.
4th, It not only transforms the soul in which it is, but preserves the subject in which it is. It is a singular preservative from sin, so that though sin be in him still, and works in him still, yet it cannot prevail in him still to fulfil the lusts of it, as it was wont to do. Sin conceives, but cannot bring forth fruit unto death.
5th, It not only preserves it from sin, but grace establishes the soul, in which it is, far beyond any other arguments without, or any other principles within a man. “It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace.” This is that which the apostle calls our own steadfastness, or the ballast which we have within ourselves, and which keeps us right and stable. O the excellency of grace’!
6th, It is also the root of all that precious faith which we bring forth to God in this world. It is the root of every gracious word in our lips, and of every gracious work in our hands. Be the matter of our gracious thoughts ever so excellent, the matter of our heavenly discourses and prayers ever so sweet, still grace is the root of the matter. O then, what a precious thing is grace!
5. View it in its properties, and you will soon discover its transcendent excellencies. The richest epithets are no hyperboles here. We go not beyond the value of it, when we call it supernatural grace, for so it is; it comes down from above, from the Father of lights: nature can never be improved to that height, how much soever its admirers boast of it. Nor do we strain too high when we call it immortal grace; for so has God made it. This is that water which springs up in the sanctified soul unto eternal life. It will not die when thou diest, but ascend with the soul, from which it is inseparable, and be received up with it into glory. You may outlive friends, you may outlive gifts, but you cannot outlive your graces.
Shall I say it is the most sweet and comfortable thing that ever the soul was acquainted with in this world, next to Jesus Christ, the author and foundation of it? Surely, if so I speak, I have as many witnesses to attest it as there are gracious souls in the world. Nothing is more comfortable than grace, except Christ; and yet without grace no soul can feel the comforts of Christ in the troubles of life or in the straits of death. This is a spring of comfort.
6. Consider it in its design and scope, and you will still discern more and more of its precious excellency: for what is the aim and end of God in the infusions and improvements of grace, but to attemper and mould our spirits by it into a meetness and fitness for the enjoyment of himself in the world to come i’ “Giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” Compare this with 2 Cor. v. 5. “Now he that hath wrought us for the sehF-same thing is God.” O blessed design! How precious must that work be, which is wrought for so high and glorious a purpose as this? No work more excellent, no end more noble.
7. Consider the means and instruments, both principal and subordinate, employed in this work. Many blessed instruments are set on work to beget, preserve, and improve grace in our souls; and these all show the precious worth of it. No wise man will dig for a base and worthless metal with golden mattocks. The blood of Christ was shed to procure it, Heb. xiii. 12. The Spirit of God is sent forth to form and create it; for it is his own workmanship, Eph. ii. 10.; his fruit, Gal. v. 22. The ordinances and officers of the gospel were at first instituted, and ever since continued in the church, for this works sake, John xvii. 17. Eph. iv. 12. It is the fruit of Christ’s blood; yea, and it has cost the sweat and blood of the dispensers of the gospel too. Nay, all the works of Providence look this way, and aim at this thing, Rom. viii. 28. What is the errand of all God’s rods, but to make us partakers of his holiness? Heb. xii. 10.
8. The high value that the most high God sets upon grace, shows it to be an excellent thing indeed. “It is of great price in his sight.” No service finds acceptance with God, but what is performed by grace. None but sanctified vessels are meet for the Master’s use. “The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart.” The weakest performances of grace find acceptance with him, though clogged with many sinful weaknesses and infirmities. If God so prize it, well may we. He who made the jewel, best understands the value of it.
9. The hypocritical pretences made to it all over the professing world, show what a most precious and desirable thing it is. If there were not some singular glory in it, why does every one desire to be reputed gracious? Nay, the devil himself baits many of his hooks of temptation with a show of grace; for he knows sin has no native beauty of its own to entice, and therefore he borrows the paint and pretence of holiness to cover it: but O to what a dilemma will the hypocrite be brought at last! And how can he answer it when God shall demand. If grace were evil, why didst thou affect the name and reputation of it? And if it were good, why didst thou satisfy thyself with the empty name and shadow of it only?
10. The incomparable esteem that all good men have for it, shows it to be a thing of inestimable price. Grace is the sum of all their prayers, the scope of all their endeavours, the matter of their chief joy, the reward of their afflictions and sufferings; their chief joys and sorrows, hopes and fears in this world, are taken up about it. By all which it appears, that its price is above rubies; and all the gold and silver in the world are but dung and dross in comparison with it.
Sect. II. — Six practical inferences from this precious truth.
1. Is saving grace more precious than gold? Let them who have it bless God for it, and not boast.
Men’s hearts are apt to puff up and swell with spiritual, as with material gold. It is hard to be an owner of much of this gold, and not be lifted up with it. To keep down thy heart, and preserve thine eyes from being dazzled with these thy gracious excellencies, it will be needful for thee. Christian, sometimes to consider, that, although grace be one of the most excellent things that ever God created, yet it is but a creature, a dependent thing. Yea, it is not only a creature, but a very imperfect creature yet in thy soul, labouring under many weaknesses; and sometimes ready to die. Though it can do many things for you, yet it cannot justify you before God. You cannot make a garment of it to cover your guilt, nor plead the dignity of it at God’s bar for your discharge. It is not your inherent, but Christ’s imputed righteousness must do that for you. Nay, remember that, how excellent soever it be, it is not the native growth and product of your hearts; all the grace you have is foreign to your natures, and what you have is received. And remember too, that he who is most proud and conceited of his own graces, will be found to be the owner of least grace, and has most cause to question whether he has any or none. It is the nature of grace to humble, abase, and empty the soul; and it is the strength of our corruptions which thus puffs us up with vain conceits.
2. Is saving grace more excellent than gold? What cause then have the poorest Christians to be well satisfied with their lot!
To others God has given Ishmael’s portion, the fatness of the earth; to you, Isaac’s, the graces of the covenant. Their portion is paid in brass, yours in gold. Many of you are poor in the world, but “rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised.” What is the dust of the earth to the fruits of the Spirit? You are troubled that you have no more of the world; it may be if you had more gold, you would have less grace. You consider not how many are poor and wretched in both worlds, moneyless and Christless too. You do not consider, that you are nearly come to that state in which all your wants will be fully supplied, where you shall not need the treasures of the earth, but have your desires satisfied out of the treasures of grace and glory.
3. Is saving grace gold? yea, infinitely more precious than gold! Then, surely, declining Christians are great losers, and have cause to be mourners. The remission of the least degree of grace, is more to be lamented than the loss of the greatest sum of gold.
Though the habits of grace be not lost, yet the acts of grace may be suspended, 2 Sam. xii. 31.; the degrees of grace may be remitted. Rev. iii. 3.; the evidences of grace may be clouded, and consequently the comforts of grace may be suspended, Isa. 1. 10.; and the least of these is such a loss, as all the treasures of the earth cannot repair. Well therefore may declining Christians challenge the first place among all the mourners in this world.
4. Is grace so invaluably precious? How precious then ought the ordinances of God to be to us, by which grace is first communicated and afterwards improved in our souls! “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver;” and well may it be so, whilst it imparts and improves that to which gold and silver are but dross and dung. None but those who value not grace, will ever slight the means, or despise and injure the instruments thereof. It is a sad sign of a graceless world, when these precious things fall under contempts and slights.
5. If grace be so precious, how watchful should all gracious persons be in the days of temptation!
The design of temptation is to rob you of your treasure. When cut-purses get into the crowd, we are accustomed to say. Friends, look to your purses. How many brave Christians have we read and heard of, who have chosen to part with their lives rather than with their graces, who have “resisted unto blood, striving against sin!” O Christians, you live in a cheating age. Many seeming Christians have lost all, and many real Christians have lost much; so much, that they are likely to see but little comfort in this world, likely to go mourning to the grave with this lamentation, “O that it were with me as in times past!”
6. Is there such precious worth in saving grace? Then bless God for it, and diligently use all means to increase and improve it in your souls.
It is gold for preciousness and for usefulness, and must not be laid up in a napkin. That is a sin condemned by the very scope of that parable in Matt. XXV. 14. All Christians indeed have not the same advantages of improvement; but all must improve it according to the advantages they have, in order to an account. Reserved Christians, who live too abstracted from the society and communion of others, and disperse not their streams abroad to the benefit of others, nor improve the graces of others for their own benefit, are wanting both to their own duty and comfort. See you a man rich in grace? O trade with him if you can, to improve yourselves by him; and the rather, because you know not how soon death may snatch him from you; and with him all his stock of grace is gone from you too, except what you made your own whilst you conversed with him. But, alas! instead of holy, profitable, soul-improving communion, some are sullenly reserved, some are negligent and lazy, some are litigious and wranghng, more apt to draw forth the dross than the gold, the corruptions rather than the graces of others. And it is sad to consider how few there are who carry on a profitable trade for increase of grace.
And as grace is not improved by communion with men, so I fear that most Christians thrive but little in their communion with God. We are too seldom in our closets, too little upon our knees: and when we are there, we gain but little, we come not off such gainers by duty as we might. O Christians, think, when you are hearing and praying, I am now trading with heaven for that which is infinitely better than gold. God is rich to all that call upon him. What a treasure may I get this hour, if the fault be not in mine own heart!