Part 3 -Our Armour or Grace Must Be Kept In Exercise

             

Objection.  O but, may some say, this is hard work indeed, our armour never off, our grace always in exercise.  Did God ever mean religion should be such a toilsome business as this world make it?

             Answer First.  Thou speakest like one of the foolish world, and showest thyself a mere stranger to the Christian's life that speakest thus.  A burden to exercise grace!  Why, it is no burden to exercise the acts of nature, to eat, to drink, to walk, all are delightful to us in our right temper.  [But] if any of these be otherwise, nature is oppressed, as, if stuffed, then [it is] difficult to breathe; if sick, then the meat [is] offensive we eat.  So take a saint in his right temper, [and] it is his joy to be employed in the exercise of his grace in this or that duty: ‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord,’ Ps. 122:1.  His heart leaped at the motion.  When any occasion diverts him from communion with God, though he likes it never so well, yet it is unwelcome and unpleasing to him.  As [for] you, who are used to be in your shops from morning to night, how tedious is it to be abroad some days, though among good friends, because you are not where your work and calling lies!  A Christian in duty is one in his calling—as it were in his shop, where he should be, and therefore far from being tedious.  Religion is [so] burdensome to none, as to those who are infrequent in the exercise of it.  Use makes heavy things light.  We hardly feel the weight of our clothes, because fitted to us, and worn daily by us, whereas the same weight on our shoulder troubles us.  Thus the grievousness of religious duties to carnal ones, is taken away in the saints, partly by the fitness of them to the saints’ principles, as also by their daily exercise in them.  The disciples, when newly entered into the ways of Christ, could not pray much or fast long; the bottles were new, and that wine too strong, but by the time they had walked a few years, they grew mighty in both.  Dost thou complain that [the] heaven-way is rugged?  Be the oftener walking in it, and that will make it smooth.

             Answer Second.  Were this constant exercise of grace more troublesome to the flesh, which is the only complainer, the sweet advantage that accrues by this to the Christian, will abundantly recompense all his labour and pains.

1. The exercise of thy grace will increase thy grace.  ‘The hand of the diligent maketh rich.’  The provident man counts that lost which might have been got; not only when his money is stole out of his chest, but when it lies there unimproved.  Such a commodity, saith the tradesman, if I had bought with that money in my bags, would have brought me in so much gain, which is now lost.  So the Christian may say, My dawning knowledge, had I followed on to know the Lord, might have spread to broad day.  ‘I have more understanding,’ saith David, ‘than all my teachers.’  How came he by it?  He will tell you in the next words—‘for thy testimonies are my meditation,’ Ps. 119:99.  He was more in the exercise of duty and grace.  The best wits are not always the greatest schol­ars, because their study is not suitable to their parts; neither always proves he the richest man that sets up with the greatest stock.  A little grace well husbanded by daily exercise will increase, when greater [grace] neglected shall decay.
2. As exercise increaseth, so it evidenceth grace. Would a man know whether he be lame or no, let him rise; he will sooner be satisfied by one turn in a room, than by a long dispute, and he sitting still. Wouldst thou know whether thou lovest God?  Be frequent in exhorting acts of love; the more the fire is blown up, the sooner it is seen, and so of all other graces.  Sometimes the soul is questioning whether it hath any patience, any faith, till God comes and puts him into an afflicted estate, where he must either exercise this grace or perish.  Then it [the soul] appears like one that thinks he cannot swim, yet be­ing thrown into the river, then uniting all his strength, he makes a shift to swim to land, and sees what he can do.  How oft have we heard Christians say, I thought I could never have endured such a pain, trusted God in such a strait?  But now God hath taught me what he can do for me, what he hath wrought in me.  And this thou mightest have known before, if thou wouldst have oftener stirred up and exercised thy grace.
3. Exercise of grace doth invite God to communicate himself to such a soul.  God sets the Christian at work, and then meets him in it.  Up and doing, and the Lord be with you.  He sets a soul reading as the eunuch, and then joins to his chariot a praying, and then comes the messenger from heaven—‘O Daniel, greatly beloved.’  The spouse, who lost her beloved on her bed, finds him as she comes from the sermon. ‘It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth,’ Song 3:4.