1. It is promised, by him that gives it, as help. Isa. xli. 10. Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Alas! who hath faith enough to draw at this deep well of salvation? Every word hath rich food for faith. Whenever God would engage the heart of a poor creature to a dependence on him, he doth it, by promising to be that to them, and to do that for them, that none besides himself can be or do. No man can truly act faith on God, for that he thinks a creature can do for him. You never believe soundly, but when you look to, and wait on God, for that is impossible utterly to the whole creation to give to you, or to do for 2. Again, we find the saints beg God's help. Whenever they come to God in earnest, they come to this, Lord, help; for all other help is vain. There is no more common prayer in the Old and New Testament, and to this day, than prayer for the Lord's helping grace. All our prayers, in their greatest variety, centre in this, Help us by thy grace. The great believer, Matth. xv. 25. came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. A short prayer, but mighty, and full of faith. A weaker man in faith than this woman, Mark ix. 22. Have compassion on us, and help us, praying for himself and his son; ver. 24. he prays for himself alone, Lord, help my unbelief. There is no believer on earth who may not daily pray this prayer.

you.

3. All the people of God find the helpfulness of his grace: All that seek it, find it; and all that find it, find the helpfulness of his grace.

First, I would in a few things shew the helpfulness of grace. 1. The grace of God helps always to purpose, and effectually. This grace helped Paul to labour more abundantly than all the apostles, 2 Cor. xv. 10. I say not, that this is always sensible to the receiver; but only that grace given is always really effectual for the end for which it is given. It is not given in vain.

2. The grace of God helps universally. There is no case wherein it is not helpful. As without Christ we can do nothing, John xv. 5.; so, through him strengthening, we may do all things, or any thing, Phil. iv. 13. A Christian can imagine, can fore

see no condition, no trial, no difficulty, wherein the Lord's So the text runs, that we may find Let the time be what it will, and

grace cannot help him.
grace to help in time of need.
the need what it will, grace can help in it.
weakness of faith for any Christian to say, I
dition, that the grace of God cannot help me in.
omnipotent,

It were a sad

am in that con

His grace is

3. Grace helps sweetly. I mean, that it doth not help as an external help, but as an internal. As for a familiar similitude: A weak and weary, or lame person, may be helped by the strength of another, or by being carried; but this is but external help. This weak or lame person is helped far better, when his infirmity is removed, and new strength given to him, so that he can pleasantly walk and run: Psal. cxxxviii. 3. In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me; and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. It is true, the grace of God, wherein our strength consists, is without us, and in him; but it is inwardly applied to us, when strength is found and felt. Therefore is it that believers not only find, by the dispensings of his helping grace, an effectual strength for their work and duty; but a great deal of sweetness and easiness in the exerting of that gracious help. So Psal. cxix. 32. I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. When he draws, we run, Song i. 4. When such helping influences of grace come on believers, holy obedience becomes in a manner as sweet, easy, and natural to them, as it is to a man that hath bodily strength, to use it in speaking, walking, or working: Isa. xl. 31. They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew (or change) their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. Psal. ciii. 5. Thy youth is renewed like the eagles, is one of the notes in the Psalmist's sweet song. No saint is ignorant of this in his own experience. Who knows not, that at some times their work is heavy, and is a burden too heavy for them; at other times it is as light as a feather; and as pleasant and easy to them, as for a bird that hath wings to fly ?

4. Lastly, The grace of God helps very mysteriously. Sometimes its help is very secret; and at other times it is very plain to be discovered. Its help is sometimes so secret, that

the saints cannot know or discern it at present, but they are made to know it afterwards: Psal. lxxiii. 2. But as for me, my feet were almost gone: my steps had well-nigh slipt. Ver. 22. So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. This is the account he gives of the power of the temptation he was under, and of the bad frame it had brought upon him. Ver. 23. Nevertheless, I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. He did not know this, till he was brought out of the darkness of the temptation: but then he did discern, that there had been a secret support given him, otherwise he had fallen utterly.

Secondly, What encouragement have we to come to the throne of grace for this helping grace ?

1. The proposal and revelation made to us of this grace as helpful, is an encouragement to come for it. Hath the Lord revealed his grace, as only helpful to his people; and should they not come for that help? Your faith is not very strong and active, unless you can catch at the grace of God, without a plain particular promise. I say not, but there are promises many and great of this helping grace, and that faith must build upon them, and doth: but I only mean, that the bare revelation of the treasures of grace that are with the Lord, should, when an interest in the promises is dark, encourage a poor soul to come for a share of this grace of God: But there is forgiveness with thee. He saith not, giveness for me; but, There is forgiveness with thee. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. Wherefore is this forgiveness, this mercy, this redemption, with the Lord; and why is it revealed; but that the guilty should come for this forgiveness, the miserable for this mercy, the many-ways captives for this plenteous redemption? The Lord's fulness of grace is an argument for our faith, as well as his goodness and faithfulness in making and performing promises of grace.

Psal. cxxx. 4.

There is for-
So verse 7.

2. But we have promises also for our encouragement. Promises imply God's fulness of grace; but do express his good will to dispense it, and do bind and engage his truth to fulfil them, to all that take God at his word, and trust him on his word. It is a pity, that ever the exceeding great and pre

cious promises, and precious faith, 2 Pet. i. 1, 4. should be parted. Mark x. 49. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called: and they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. They had no promise; but they understood Christ's calling of the blind man, was an act of mercy, and on a design of shewing more mercy. But we have many promises of grace.

3. We have all the experience of the communication of his grace, according to his promises, for our encouragement in coming for grace. Every supplicant for grace should encourage his heart, by all the Lord's dispensings of his grace. How many of these are revealed in the word! and many like them daily are to be seen in the church of Christ. If you have such experiences of your own, build upon them, praise for them, and beg more. If you have none of your own, behold the showers of grace, that have fallen upon many as bad as yourselves, and which have changed them into that same blessed state that you desire to be in.

APPLICATION. 1. Is the grace of God thus helpful? and should we come to the throne of grace for the help of grace? Then we see, that weak Christians should pray most. Such as can do least for themselves, have most need of grace to help them, and should seek it most. Is any man under a clear conviction, by the light of the word, and his own sensible experience, that he is extremely weak, and utterly unable for any good word or work? This man, of all men, should pray most. Manage your sense of weakness, as a call to ask much of this helping grace of God.

2. Surely, then, coming to the throne of grace for grace to help, must be hopeful work. If at any time Satan, or an ungodly world, should tempt you, or your own heart fail you, in fears of the unprofitableness of seeking God, have this as a ready answer: "I am fit for nothing, his grace can help me "in every thing. Whither should I go but to the throne of "grace? what can I beg there but his grace?" Say with David, Psal. lvii. 2, 3. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. And will not these save any man?

Exhortation. I would give you a few directions in the practice of this duty of coming to the throne of grace for helping grace.

1. Come to seek this helping grace.

2. When you seek it, expect it.
3. When you expect it, receive it,
4. When you receive it, guide it,

Exhort. 1. Come to the throne of grace to seek helping grace. Seeking (as is already remarked) is not expressed in the text; yet it is plainly implied, both in the duty of coming, and in the blessings of obtaining and finding. You must seek grace to help you. Grace will not help to sin, but helps against it; yet, blessed be God, grace can, and will help sinners, otherwise we were in a forlorn state indeed. Grace will not help to laziness, (that were an hinderance, and no help); but grace will help lazy people, and help them out of it. To engage your diligence in seeking helping grace, I would shew you what help grace gives.

save.

1. Grace helps to save you. If people come to the throne of grace, if men pray, and have not salvation in their eye, they come not aright, they pray not, We are saved by grace, Eph. ii. 5. Nothing but grace can save a sinner; and if it were not the grace of God, and therefore omnipotent, it could not Is not it a great help, to be helped to salvation? Is not that a great lift, to be delivered from the power of darkness, and to be translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son: Col. i. 13. Who would not prize and desire a saving lift of God's grace? All that have found it, value it: and they that never found it, should (but will not) beg it earnestly. The grace of God brings salvation, Tit. ii. 11. It brings it near to men in the gospel. This is all that it doth to many. But to some this grace brings salvation, and gives it; plants it in their hearts, and waters it, and makes it grow with the increases of God, till it be ripe, full-grown salvation. Would you be helped to heayen? Imploy and implore the grace of God. It only can do it. And must not they perish, and do they not perish justly, that will not accept of saving grace, nor beg it, when they must perish without it?

2. Grace helps to grace. All the grace that is given to us,