Little at First (2)

Christ would not have us despise little things. The glorious angels disdain not attendance on little ones. It is Christ that raises the worth of little and wretched places and persons. Bethlehem was the least (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6), and yet not the least; the least in itself, not the least in respect that Christ was born there. The second temple (Hag. 2:9) came short of the outward magnificence of the former; yet it was more glorious than the first because Christ came into it. A pearl, though little, yet is of much esteem. Nothing in the world is of so good use as the least grain of grace.
But grace is not only little but mingled with corruption. So, we see that grace does not do away with corruption all at once, but some is left for believers to fight with. The purest actions of the purest men need Christ to perfume them; and this is his office. The reason for this mixture is that we carry about us a double principle: grace and nature. The end of it is to preserve us from those two dangerous rocks which our natures are prone to dash upon—security and pride—and to force us to pitch our rest on justification, not sanctification, which, besides imperfection, has some stains. Our spiritual fire is like our ordinary fire here below, that is, mixed. Fire is most pure in its own element above; so will all our graces be when we are where we would be, in heaven, which is our proper element. From this mixture arises the fact that the people of God have so different judgments of themselves, looking sometimes at the work of grace, sometimes at the remainder of corruption, and when they look upon that, then they think they have no grace. Though they love Christ in his ordinances and his children, yet they dare not claim so near acquaintance as to be his. Even as a candle sometimes shows its light, and sometimes the show of light is lost; so sometimes they are well persuaded of themselves, sometimes at a loss.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
The Bruised Reed, pp. 17-19 [18-21]
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.