and fill our souls with the communication of that grace, in our use of these means.

3. Grace is considered as it is in the vessels that receive it, in men that partake of it. And here it will be needful to distinguish. The grace of God as received, comes under a very notable distinction of common grace, and saving grace, or special. Somewhat hath been hinted of the same distinction, betwixt common and special saving mercy. But of this distinction, as to grace received, I would speak more fully.

First, Common grace is so called, not because it is ordinary and usual, (for in bad times it is rare enough), but because it is not saving. It is most likely, that in such happy times (which we cannot now boast of, but only hope for) when saving grace is bestowed on many, common grace is dispensed more frequently also. That there is such a thing as common grace, is as certain, as it is that there is such a creature (if I may so call him) as a hypocrite in the church, or in the world. For an hypocrite is nothing else but an unrenewed sinner, painted over with more or less common grace. And to men that see the outside of others only, he may appear like a true Christian,

I would give some particular instances of this common grace. 1. There is a common enlightening grace, a common illumination, Heb. vi. 4. and x. 26. The apostle supposeth, that there is an enlightening, and a receiving a knowledge of the truth, that may be where a fatal apostasy may follow. The Lord may give the light of his word; and, in and by that light, may dart in some clear beams of gospel-truth on such that are led no farther. It is far from being true, that all knowing heads have sound hearts. There may be, and often is, much clear light in the mind about points of saving truth, when there is no sense, no savour, no faith in the heart. Acts xxvi. we find Paul speaking in the most noble assembly that it is like he ever spoke in; a King and a Queen, and a Roman Governor greater than both. In this august assembly, Paul, though a prisoner in bonds, remembers his being an apostle, and preacheth Christ, and takes Christ's grace in converting him for his text: ver. 24. When he is thus speaking, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul thou art beside thyself

much learning doth make thee mad. At the same time, ver. 28. Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. This was a great deal better than Festus's word, yet a poor word in itself. It spoke some glancing of ineffectual light on his mind. An almost Christian, and no more, is but a sinner almost saved, and no more; or one that is no Christian, and never saved at all.

2. There is common awakening grace. The Lord sometimes alarms the consciences of the ungodly, and may raise a great sense of sin în such as are never forgiven; and fears of hell, yea, a foretaste of hell, in some that never escape it. I have sinned, saith Pharaoh; I have sinned saith Saul: I have sinned (saith Judas), in betraying innocent blood. Alas, poor wretch! it had been better to have confessed his sin against his master, to his master, than to his murderers. Felix trembled when Paul preached. It was grace in God to come so near to him, and great power was put forth. What else could make such a great prince as Felix was, to tremble at the words of a poor prisoner standing before him in his chains? Awakening grace is but common grace. The law wounds many a conscience that the gospel doth not heal, because not applied to. No wound can the law make, which the gospel cannot heal. Boast not of your wounds by the law, unless you can tell how you were healed. There is no cure for a conscience wounded by sin and by the law, but the blood of Jesus shed for sin. Did ye come to it? Heb. xii. 24. Did he apply it to you? Were you cured of your wounds before ye went to him, and before he came to you? Woful is that cure, and worse than the wound. Many poor creatures are wounded by the law, and to the law they go for healing. But God never appointed the law to heal a wounded conscience; and it never did, nor can, nor will, to the end of the world, nor to eternity. It is Christ's name, and property, and glory, to be the only physician of souls; and all must die of the disease of sin, that are not his happy patients.

3. There is common restraining grace; an act of God's grace and wisdom, which he often puts forth in his ruling of this wicked world. How quickly would this earth become a hell, were it not for this restraining grace? if all unrenewed

may see many things amiss in their way, who are loth to look into their heart. And if light shine in, to discover inward heart-faults, they are still backward to own that all is naught, and that there is no good in their hearts. If the light pursue them yet closer, and make them see that all is stark naught within, they are still more backward to own the true spring of their disease, and the true remedy for it; that all this do minion of sin over them, flows from the natural state of their persons, as standing still in and under the first sinful Adam; and can never be altered and mended, but by grace putting them into Christ, as the root of their new life.

3. Saving grace respects and works on the new nature. Special grace not only changeth a man's state, nor his old corrupt nature only but it works on this new nature wrought by grace. The special operation of the grace of God, in and from the fountain, is upon his own new creation in the hearts of his children. We cannot conceive it fully; our minds are not able to take in these depths of God. We hear from, and read in the word, of the intimate correspondence the Lord entertains with them in whom he dwells. Christ dwells in the heart by faith, Eph. iii. 17. His Spirit dwells in his people, Rom. viii. 9, 10, 11.. But what is it in their hearts that he dwells in? He dwells in his own workmanship in their hearts, in his own new creation, in his own garden that he hath planted in them. There his presence is, and there his eye is, on that his hand is; this is that he waters, and carefully looks after. When a believer comes to the throne of grace, for this grace, he comes to beg that the new creation in him may be visited, refreshed, and strengthened, and brought to perfection. They that have no planting of Christ in them, want this errand to the throne of grace, that believers daily come upon.

So much for the first thing, What this grace is?

II. What is the finding of this grace? Why the apostle useth this phrase, different from the former, about mercy? That was obtaining of mercy, this is finding of grace. Meren and grace are near a-kin; and so is obtaining and finding

the Hebrew phrase, remarked already, the

note in it :

1. I conceive, that this phrase of finding grace, doth imply the duty of seeking it; according to our Lord's own direction, Matth. vii. 7. Ask, and it will be given you: seek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Where, and in ver. 8. our Lord gives three commands to one duty of prayer, under three several names; and six promises for encouragement, under three different names also, redoubled.

2. This form of speaking, points forth the giving and bestowing of grace. His grace and favour is what is given to, bestowed on, and enjoyed by them; that come to the throne of grace. When the old world was exceeding bad, all stark naught, and but one good man in it, (you must needs think that it was a bad world then), and that was Noah, Gen. vi. 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This word we should regard the more, that it is the first place where the grace of God is mentioned in scripture. Thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation, saith the Lord to him, Gen. vii. 1. And how this man came by his righteousness, see in Heb. xi. 7. By faith, Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Who but the Spirit of God by Paul (who, I think, was the penman of this epistle) would have found the righteousness of faith in Noah's building of the ark? Many, nay, most of men, called Christians, cannot see this righteousness that is by faith, in the gospel itself. There was a brave inheritance, and estate in this righteousness of faith, secured and revealed in the first gospel, Gen. iii. 15. Of this estate Abel and Enoch were possessed; and Noah became (that is, declared himself) an heir of it, by his faith, and the fruits of it. The whole world had the warning; Noah from God, the world by Noah. All were equally concerned in the danger. Noah preached it to them; and God's Spirit was with him, striving with them a hundred and twenty years. But not one man found grace, but he alone. A prodigious depth of judgment and mercy! such a man as Noah preached so long to the world of the ungodly, as 2 Pet. ii. 5. and not one single man or woman believed. He only found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Jer. xxxi. 2. Thus saith the Lord, The people

that were left of the sword, found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. It is a great blessing to find grace any where; but to find grace in the wilderness, to find grace where and when the sword of God's anger and justice is destroying multitudes, is heightened grace. Grace falls still on remnants. Justice and wrath seizeth on the bulk and whole piece: Rom. xi. 5. A remnant according to the election of grace. Ver. 7. The election obtained it, (that is, grace): and the rest were blinded and hardened. The more be left, and the fewer be savingly taken, the greater is the grace shewed to those few, and the more happy are they that find it.

3. In this phrase of finding grace, there may this be conceived, if you will understand it rightly, the casualty of the getting of grace. There is no such thing as casualty to God: he always knows when, and where, and on whom to bestow his grace. But the bestowing of his grace is a mere casualty to all men; both to them that receive it, and to others that look on. My meaning is, grace comes unlooked for, undeserved, undesired, unexpected, in its first visit especially. So that all receivers of it may say as Hagar, the only good word we have of that bond-woman, Gen. xvi. 13. And she called the name of the Lord that spake to her, Thou God seest me; (Happy are they that can name God from his grace and mercy to them. David calls him, the God of my mercy, Psal. lix. 10, 17.); for she said, Have I also here locked after him that seeth me? «The "Lord hath had his eye on me for good, when I was not "thinking on him." Grace always comes at first by surprise. How many are there that attend diligently on all the means of grace, and never find grace? when some that come but by accident, (as we think,) grace finds them, and they find it. This is the treasure hid in the field of the gospel; blessed is he that finds it, Matt. xiii. 44. Many díg in this field, and never find the means, Prov. viii. 33, 34.;

treasure in it.

Men should use

ministers should design wisely to catch souls, and labour painfully in it: but the Lord, in his application of his grace, passeth by many that we would fainest have saved, and lights on others we never thought on.

let him do with his own grace as seemeth him good. Little thought little Zaccheus of salvation, when he climbed the