XL. Ps. 103. 14. SERM. whatsoever it be, His grace is sufficient to bring it, and to keep it under; "for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are but dust." He considers the several distempers and indispositions that every one is subject to, or labours under, and is ready upon all occasions to apply suitable remedies to every one of them; and doth it for all those that are in His grace and favour; as all are, who do not Rom. 6. 14. trust in their own works, but in Him for it; "Sin shall not have dominion over them, because they are not under the law, but under grace," even the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is sufficient also against all the temptations and 1 Pet. 5. 8. assaults of our adversary the Devil, "who as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." He is prying in every corner, and observing what temper people are of, and what they are most inclined to, and accordingly he lays proper baits before them, wherewith to catch and draw them into his net, and the same wretched state with himself: he hath a thousand tricks and devices, more than we can imagine, to cheat men of their souls, by alluring them insensibly into this or the other mortal sin, according to their several inclinations: if that fails, he employs his agents to attack their faith, or draw them into some damnable heresy, which he knows will destroy them as effectually as any sin whatsoever his power also is as great as his subtlety; so great, that the strongest man in the world is no more able to stand before him upon his own legs, than the weakest. But howsoever, they who are in the favour of Christ, need never fear him, for His grace is always sufficient for them; 1 Cor. 10.13. He will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that they may be able to bear it." As we see notably exemplified in St. Peter: to whom our Lord said; "Simon, Luke 22.31, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Satan, it seems, had a mind to shew the utmost of his power and skill upon St. Peter, to cast him, if it was possible, down from that happy state in which he was; and God was pleased to give him leave to do all he could; but 32. rist having a kindness for him, prayed that his faith might not fail; by which means, though the Apostle had as great a fall as ever man had, yet he soon got up again, and grew stronger afterwards, so as to be able to strengthen others also; whereby we plainly see how sufficient the grace of Christ is for those who live under it, against all the malice and power of Hell; and therefore it is no wonder, that St. Paul had a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him. Christ had no sooner said, "My grace is sufficient for thee," but he immediately defied the Devil and all his messengers, and was so far from being troubled at his temptations, that he rejoiced in them, in that they afforded him matter of triumph, and glorying in the grace and power of Christ. His grace is sufficient also in all states and conditions of life, whether a man be a prince or a subject, a master or a servant, rich or poor, high or low in the world; of this, or that, or the other lawful calling, office or employment whatsoever it is, if he hath but the grace and favour of Christ, he needs no more to direct him what to do, to assist and strengthen him in the doing it, and to carry him safely through all the prosperity and success, as well as through all the crosses, troubles and disappointments that he can ever meet with in it for Christ" having all things put [Eph.1.22.] under His feet, and being given to be head over all things to His Church" and people, He "makes all things in the [Rom. 8. 28.] world work together for their good," and enables them by His grace and Holy Spirit to make some good use or other of every thing that happens, so as to turn it to their own advantage; for He never leaves them, but is always present with them wheresoever they are, and ready to assist them upon all occurrences, especially when they are in any great danger or necessity, He then makes haste to help them; as when St. Paul was brought to his trial at Rome, at his first answer no man stood with him, but all men forsook him; but as he himself observed, "The Lord stood with him, and 2 Tim. 4.17. strengthened him, and delivered him out of the mouth of the lion." Neither was that the only instance he had of it, for he found the same Divine grace and assistance going along with him through the whole course of his life, and all the changes of it, which were as many and as various as ever man went through: "I know," saith he, "both how to be abased, and I 13. Phil. 4. 12, XL. SERM. know how to abound; every where, and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need; I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Which may serve for a comment upon the words of my text, shewing how the grace of Christ was sufficient for him, in whatsoever state he was; he was no sooner in it, but he was enabled by Christ to bear it with that evenness and composure of mind, that he was neither exalted with prosperity, nor dejected at the troubles which befel him nothing could move him one way or other; honour and disgrace, abundance and want, fulness and hunger was the same thing to him, because the grace of Christ was with him, and endued him with so much strength as was suitable and proportionable to his present circumstances, be they what they would. But here we must farther observe, that the Apostle speaking of his being able by the grace of Christ to bear whatsoever was laid upon him, he takes occasion from thence to assert upon his own experience, that it was sufficient also to enable him to perform whatsoever was required of him, saying, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me:" whatsoever he was bound to do by the Law of God, he was able to do it by the grace of Christ. He excepts nothing; "I can do all things," saith He, and so may all say who truly believe in Christ, as well as he; whatsoever is required of them in their several places and callings, whether in relation to God, their neighbours or themselves, they are able to perform it, though not by their own strength, yet by Christ that strengtheneth them; though they have no strength in themselves, they have enough in Him to carry them through their whole duty, so as to do all such good works as God hath set them. Let us hear what He Himself saith to this purpose: "I," John 15. 5. saith He to His Disciples, "I am the Vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye' can do nothing." This Christ, this Truth itself saith: what then if there be some proud and self-conceited people in the world, who flatter themselves and others with an high, but groundless opinion of their own natural parts and power to do good, as if they were able to do mighty things with it? What then? Is not Christ to be believed before all the men in the world? All men are liars, and they most of all, who so plainly and directly contradict the Truth itself: He hath said, "That without Him we can do nothing;" and therefore I am sure that we cannot do any one good thing without Him; and I am as sure, that if we abide in Him, and He abides in us, we shall bring forth much fruit, or do much good in the world, even all that is required of us, because He Himself hath also said it; and seeing He hath said it, we may be confident that He will make it good, so that His grace should be sufficient to work in us both to will and to do all manner of virtuous and good works, which are required of us in order to our obtaining Eternal Salvation by Him; and though as they are done by us in this our imperfect state, there may be many failures and imperfections in them, yet His grace is also sufficient to make up all their defects, and to render them as acceptable to God in Him, as if they were absolutely perfect in themselves; for as His Apostle tells us by direction," All these our spiritual sacrifices are 1 Pet. 2. 5. acceptable to God (though not in themselves yet) by Jesus Christ." And verily it is well for us, that we have it from Christ's own mouth, that His grace is thus sufficient for us; otherwise considering the frailty of our human nature, we could never have thought it possible for us, by any means whatsoever, always to stand upright, much less to "walk in all the com- [Luke 1.6.] mandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless," but now we cannot doubt of it, seeing Christ Himself hath said it; and not only said it, but for the greater confirmation of our faith in it, hath likewise given us the reason of it; such a reason as must needs convince us, that notwithstanding all our weakness and infirmities, His grace is sufficient for us; "For," saith He, "My strength is made perfect in weakness." Where by weakness, as it is opposed to the strength of Christ, we can understand nothing else but our natural infirmities, our impotence and inability to do, or suffer the will of God as we ought, which in those who are unregenerate, and therefore not interested in the grace of Christ, is SERM. 2 Cor. 3. 5. so great, "That they can neither do, nor speak, nor so much as think any thing aright." They may be wise to do evil, ingenious and subtle in the management of their worldly Jer. 4. 22. affairs; "But to do good they have no knowledge," much less any power at all. And they who are born again, and made the children of God, and therefore are led by His Holy Spirit; they also are still subject to so many infirmities by reason of their original corruption, that they cannot make any one true step in the ways of God, any farther than as they are led by the same Spirit. This our Lord Himself took notice of in His own Disciples, when they could not so much as keep themselves awake while He was in His agony, Matt.26.41. saying, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." The flesh, or that part which we derive from our first parents, is weak, so weak, that it is not able of itself to execute the will of the spirit that is in us; but is rather apt to put us upon acting just contrary to it, as St. Paul observes; Rom. 7. 19. "The good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do." The same all men may see in themselves, if they will but look impartially into their own hearts and ways; but none are more sensible of it, than they who set themselves in good earnest upon performing sincere obedience to the whole will of God. They often find their heads cloudy, their hearts cold and careless, their memories unfaithful, their passions turbulent, their thoughts scattered and wandering from what they are about; their whole man so feeble, and out of tune, that do what they can, they cannot do what they would, at least not so as they would, and ought to do it; which is a great trouble to them, so great, that it is sometimes ready to sink them down into despair, and to Rom. 7. 24. make them cry out with the Apostle, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" ver. 25. But what doth the Apostle do in this wretched case? He immediately lifts up his heart to Heaven, and cries out with the same breath, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Implying that God had hitherto delivered him, for which he heartily thanks Him, not doubting but that He would still deliver him, though not for his own sake, yet through Jesus Christ our Lord. There was all his hope and confidence; there was all his joy and comfort; it was all |