Practical Directions
How to Grow in
Grace and Make Progress in Piety
by Archibald Alexander (1772—1851)
When there is no growth, there is no life. We have taken it for granted that
among the regenerate, at the moment of their conversion, there is a
difference in the vigor of the principle of spiritual life, analogous to
what we observe in the natural world; and no doubt the analogy holds as it
relates to growth. As some children who were weak and sickly in the first
days of their existence become healthy and strong, and greatly outgrow
others who commenced life with far greater advantages, so it is with the
‘new man’. Some who enter on the spiritual life with a weak and wavering
faith, by the blessing of God on a diligent use of means, far outstrip
others who in the beginning were greatly before them.
It is often observed that there are professors who never appear to grow, but
rather decline perpetually, until they become in spirit and conduct entirely
conformed to the world, from whence they professed to come out. The result
in regard to them is one of two things; they either retain their standing in
the Church and become dead formalists, ‘having a name to live while they are
dead’—‘a form of godliness, while they deny the power thereof’—or they
renounce their profession and abandon their connection with the Church, and
openly take their stand with the enemies of Christ, and not infrequently go
beyond them all in daring impiety. Of all such we may confidently say, ‘They
were not of us, or undoubtedly they would have continued with us.’ But of
such I mean not now to speak further, as the case of back-sliders will be
considered hereafter.
That growth in grace is gradual and progressive is very evident from
Scripture; as in all those passages where believers are exhorted to mortify
sin and crucify the flesh, and to increase and abound in all the exercises
of piety and good works. One text on this subject will be sufficient: ‘Grow
in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’ And this
passage furnishes us with information as to the origin and nature of this
growth. It is knowledge, even the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Just so far as any soul increases in spiritual knowledge, in the
same degree it grows in grace. Persons may advance rapidly in other kinds of
knowledge, and yet make no advances in piety, but the contrary. They may
even have their minds filled with correct theoretical knowledge of divine
truth, and yet its effect may not be to humble, but to ‘puff up’. Many an
accurate and profound theologian has lived and died without a ray of saving
light. The natural man, however gifted with talent or enriched with
speculative knowledge, has no spiritual discernment. After all his
acquisitions, he is destitute of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. But it
should not be forgotten that divine illumination is not independent of the
Word, but accompanies it. Those Christians, therefore, who are most diligent
in attending upon the Word in public and private, will be most likely to
make progress in piety.
Young converts are prone to depend too much on joyful frames, and love high
excitement in their devotional exercises; but their heavenly Father cures
them of this folly, by leaving them for a season to walk in darkness and
struggle with their own corruptions. When most sorely pressed and
discouraged, however, He strengthens them with might in the inner man. He
enables them to stand firmly against temptation; or, if they slide, he
quickly restores them, and by such exercises they become much more sensible
of their entire dependence than they were at first. They learn to be in the
fear of the Lord all the day long, and to distrust entirely their own wisdom
and strength, and to rely for all needed aid on the grace of Jesus Christ.
Such a soul will not readily believe that it is growing in grace. But to be
emptied of self-dependence, and to know that we need aid for every duty, and
even for every good thought, is an important step in our progress in piety.
The flowers may have disappeared from the plant of grace, and even the
leaves may have fallen off, and wintry blasts may have shaken it, but now it
is striking its roots deeper, and becoming every day stronger to endure the
rugged storm.
One circumstance attends the growth in grace of a real Christian which
renders it exceedingly difficult for him to know the fact, upon a
superficial view of his case, and that is, the clearer and deeper insight
which he obtains into the evils of his own heart. Now this is one of the
best evidences of growth; but the first conclusion is apt to be, ‘I am
growing worse every day; I see innumerable evils springing up within me
which I never saw before.’ This person may be compared to one shut up in a
dark room where he is surrounded by many loathsome objects. If a single ray
of light be let into the room, he sees the more prominent objects; but if
the light gradually increases, he sees more and more of the filth by which
he has been surrounded. It was there before, but he did not perceive it. His
increased knowledge of the fact is a sure evidence of increasing light.
Hypocrites often learn to talk by rote of the wickedness of their hearts;
but go to them and seriously accuse them of indulging secret pride or envy
or covetousness or any other heart sins, and they will be offended. Their
confessions of sin are only intended to raise them in the opinion of others,
as truly humble persons; and not that any should believe that corruption
abounds within them.
Growth in grace is evinced by a more habitual vigilance against besetting
sins and temptations, and by greater self-denial in regard to personal
indulgence. A growing conscientiousness in regard to what may be called
minor duties is also a good sign. The counterfeit of this is a scrupulous
conscience, which sometimes haggles at the most innocent gratifications, and
has led some to hesitate about taking their daily food.
Increasing spiritual mindedness is a sure evidence of progress in piety; and
this will always be accompanied by deadness to the world. Continued
aspirations to God, in the house and by the way, in lying down and rising
up, in company and in solitude, indicate the indwelling of the Holy Spirit,
by whose agency all progress in sanctification is made.
A victory over besetting sins by which the person was frequently led away,
shows an increased vigor in the renewed principle.
Increasing solicitude for the salvation of men, sorrow on account of their
sinful and miserable condition, and a disposition tenderly to warn sinners
of their danger, evince a growing state of piety.
It is also a strong evidence of growth in grace when you can bear injuries
and provocations with meekness and when you can from the heart desire the
temporal and eternal welfare of your bitterest enemies.
An entire and confident reliance on the promises and providence of God,
however dark may be your horizon, or however many difficulties environ you,
is a sign that you have learned to live by faith; and humble contentment
with your condition, though it be one of poverty and obscurity, shows that
you have profited by sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Diligence in the duties of our calling, with a view to the glory of God, is
an evidence not to be despised.
Indeed there is no surer standard of spiritual growth than a habit of aiming
at the glory of God in everything. That mind which is steady to the main end
gives as good evidence of being touched by divine grace as the tendency of
the needle to the pole proves that it has been touched by the magnet.
Increasing love to the brethren is a sure sign of growth; for as brotherly
love is a proof of the existence of grace, so is the exercise of such love a
proof of vigor in the divine life. This love, when pure, is not confined
within those limits which party spirit circumscribes, but overleaping all
the barriers of sects and denominations, it embraces the disciples of Christ
wherever it finds them.
A healthy state of piety is always a growing state; that child which grows
not at all must be sickly. If we would enjoy spiritual comfort, we must be
in a thriving condition. None enjoy the pleasures of bodily health, but they
who are in health. If we would be useful to the Church and the world we must
be growing Christians. If we would live in daily preparation for our change,
we must endeavor to grow in grace daily.
The aged saint, laden with the fruits of righteousness, is like a shock of
corn fully ripe, which is ready for the garner; or like a mature fruit which
gradually loosens its hold of the tree until at last it gently falls off.
Thus the aged, mature Christian departs in peace.
As growth in grace is gradual, and the progress from day to day
imperceptible, we should aim to do something in this work every day. We
should die daily unto sin and live unto righteousness. Sometimes the
children of God grow faster when in the fiery furnace than elsewhere. As
metals are purified by being cast into the fire, so saints have their dross
consumed and their evidences brightened, by being cast into the furnace of
affliction. ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which
shall try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you’, but rejoice,
because ‘the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perishes, though it be tried with fire, shall be found unto praise, and
honor, and glory’.
We shall here present some PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS HOW TO GROW IN GRACE AND
MAKE PROGRESS IN PIETY.
1. Set it down as a certainty that this object will never be attained
without vigorous continued effort; and it must not only be desired and
sought, but must be considered more important than all other pursuits, and
be pursued in preference to everything else which claims your attention.
2. While you determine to be assiduous in the use of the appointed means of
sanctification, you must have it deeply fixed in your mind that nothing can
be effected in this work without the aid of the Divine Spirit. ‘Paul may
plant and Apollos water, but it is God that gives the increase.’ The
direction of the old divines is good: ‘use the means as vigorously as if you
were to be saved by your own efforts, and yet trust as entirely to the grace
of God as if you made use of no means whatsoever’.
3. Be much in the perusal of the Holy Scriptures, and strive to obtain clear
and consistent views of the plan of redemption. Learn to contemplate the
truth in its true nature, simply, devoutly, and long at a time, that you may
receive on your soul the impression which it is calculated to make. Avoid
curious and abstruse speculations respecting things unrevealed, and do not
indulge a spirit of controversy. Many lose the benefit of the good
impression which the truth is calculated to make, because they do not view
it simply in its own nature, but as related to some dispute, or as bearing
on some other point. As when a man would receive the genuine impression
which a beautiful landscape is adapted to make, he must not be turned aside
by minute inquiries respecting the botanical character of the plants, the
value of the timber, or the fertility of the soil; but he must place his
mind in the attitude of receiving the impression which the combined view of
the objects before him will naturally produce on the taste. In such cases
the effect is not produced by any exertion of the intellect; all such active
striving is unfavorable, except in bringing the mind to its proper state.
When the impression is most perfect, we feel as if we were mere passive
recipients of the effect. To this there is a striking analogy in the way in
which the mind is impressed with divine truth. It is not the critic, the
speculative or polemic theologian, who is most likely to receive the right
impression, but the humble, simple-hearted, contemplative Christian. It is
necessary to study the Scriptures critically, and to defend the truth
against opposers; but the most learned critic and the most profound
theologian must learn to sit at the feet of Jesus in the spirit of a child,
or they are not likely to be edified by their studies.
4. Pray constantly and fervently for the influences of the Holy Spirit. No
blessing is so particularly and emphatically promised in answer to prayer as
this; and if you would receive this divine gift, to be in you as a well of
water springing up to everlasting life, you must not only pray, but you must
watch against everything in your heart or life which has a tendency to
grieve the Spirit of God. Of what use is it to pray, if you indulge evil
thoughts and imaginations almost without control? or if you give way to the
evil passions of anger, pride and avarice, or bridle not your tongue from
evil speaking? Learn to be conscientious; that is, obey the dictates of your
conscience uniformly. Many are conscientious in some things and not in
others; they listen to the monitor within when it directs to important
duties; but in smaller matters they often disregard the voice of conscience,
and follow present inclination. Such cannot grow in grace.
5. Take more time for praying to ‘the Father who is in secret’, and for
looking into the state of your soul. Redeem an hour daily from sleep if you
cannot obtain it otherwise; and as the soul’s concerns are apt to get out of
order, and more time is needed for thorough self-examination than an hour a
day, set apart, not periodically but as your necessities require, days of
fasting and humiliation before God. On these occasions, deal faithfully with
yourself. Be in earnest to search out all your secret sins and to repent of
them. Renew your covenant with God, and form holy resolutions of amendment
in the strength of divine grace. If you find, upon examination, that you
have been living in any sinful indulgence, probe the festering wound to the
core; confess your fault before God, and do not rest until you have had an
application of the blood of sprinkling. You need not ask why you do not
grow, while there is such an ulcer within you. Here, it is to be feared, is
the root of the evil. Sins indulged are not thoroughly repented of and
forsaken; or the conscience has not been purged effectually, and the wound
still festers. Come to ‘the fountain opened for the washing away of sin and
uncleanness’. Bring your case to the great Physician.
6. Cultivate and exercise brotherly love more than you have been accustomed
to do. Christ is displeased with many of His professed followers, because
they are so cold and indifferent to His members on earth, and because they
do so little to comfort and encourage them; and with some, because they are
a stumbling block to the weak of the flock, their conversation and conduct
not being edifying, but the contrary. Perhaps these disciples are poor and
in the lower walks of life, and therefore you overlook them as beneath you.
And thus would you have treated Christ Himself, had you lived in His time;
for He took His station among the poor and afflicted; and He will resent a
neglect of His poor saints with more displeasure than He would of the rich.
Perhaps they do not belong to your party or sect, and you are only concerned
to build up your own denomination. Remember how Christ condescended to treat
the sinful woman of Samaria, and the poor woman of Canaan, and remember what
account He has given of the last judgment, when He will assume to Himself
all that has been done, or neglected to be done, to His humble followers.
There should be more Christian conversation and friendly intercourse between
the followers of Christ. In former days, ‘They that feared the Lord spoke
often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of
remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his
name.’
7. If you are in good earnest to make greater progress in piety, you must do
more than you have done for the promotion of God’s glory and of Christ’s
kingdom on earth. You must enter with livelier, deeper feeling into all the
plans which the Church has adopted to advance these objects. You must give
more than you have done. It is a shame to think how small a portion of their
gains some professors devote to the Lord. Instead of being a tithe, it is
hardly equal to the single sheaf of first-fruits. If you have nothing to
give, labor to get something. Sit up at night and try to make something, for
Christ has need of it. Sell a corner of your land and throw the money into
the treasury of the Lord. In primitive times many sold houses and lands and
laid the whole at the apostles’ feet. Do not be afraid of making yourself
poor by giving to the Lord or to His poor. His word is better than any bond,
and He says, ‘I will repay it.’ Cast your bread on the waters, and after
many days you will find it again. Send the Bible—send missionaries—send
tracts to the perishing heathen.
8. Practice self-denial every day. Lay a wholesome restraint upon your
appetites. Be not conformed to this world. Let your dress, your house, your
furniture, be plain and simple, as becomes a Christian. Avoid vain parade
and show in everything. Govern your family with discretion. Forgive and pray
for your enemies. Have little to do with party politics. Carry on your
business on sober, judicious principles. Keep clear of speculation and
surety-ships. Live peaceably with all men as much as in you lies. Be much in
ejaculatory prayer. Keep your heart with all diligence. Try to turn to
spiritual profit every event which occurs, and be fervently thankful for all
mercies.
9. For your more rapid growth in grace, some of you will be cast into the
furnace of affliction. Sickness, bereavement, bad conduct of children and
relatives, loss of property or of reputation, may come upon you unexpectedly
and press heavily on you. In these trying circumstances, exercise patience
and fortitude. Be more solicitous to have the affliction sanctified than
removed. Glorify God while in the fire of adversity. That faith which is
most tried is commonly most pure and precious. Learn from Christ how you
ought to suffer. Let perfect submission to the will of God be aimed at.
Never indulge a murmuring or discontented spirit. Repose with confidence on
the promises. Commit all your cares to God. Make known your requests to Him
by prayer and supplication. Let go your too eager grasp of the world. Become
familiar with death and the grave. Wait patiently until your change comes;
but desire not to live a day longer than may be for the glory of God.
If we are on the watch we may often find good things when they were least
expected. It is seldom that I consult an almanac for any purpose, but
wishing the other day to see when the moon would change, I opened the
calendar at the current month, and the first thing which struck my eye was
the heading of a paragraph in the very words which I had selected as the
subject of this essay—’Hindrances to Growth in Grace’. Of course I perused
the short paragraph, and I was so well pleased with what I read that I
resolved to take it for my text—and here it is, word for word:
The influence of worldly relatives and companions;
embarking too deeply in business;
approximations to fraud for the sake of gain devoting too much time to
amusements;
immoderate attachment to a worldly object;
attendance on an unbelieving or unfaithful ministry;
languid and formal observance of religious duties;
shunning the society and religious converse of Christian friends;
relapse into known sin;
non-improvement of graces already attained.
Now all this is very good and very true. The only objection is that several
of the particulars mentioned should rather be considered as the effects of a
real declension in religion than merely as hindrances to growth; although it
is true that nothing so effectually hinders our progress as an actual state
of backsliding.
It seems desirable to ascertain, as precisely as we can, the reasons why
Christians commonly are of so diminutive a stature and of such feeble
strength in their religion. When people are truly converted they always are
sincerely desirous to make rapid progress in piety; and there are not
lacking exceeding great and gracious promises of aid to encourage them to go
forward with alacrity. Why then is so little advancement made? Are there not
some practical mistakes very commonly entertained, which are the cause of
this slowness of growth? I think there are, and will endeavor to specify
some of them.
First, there is a defect in our belief in the freeness of divine grace. To
exercise unshaken confidence in the doctrine of gratuitous pardon is one of
the most difficult things in the world; and to preach this doctrine fully
without verging towards antinomianism is no easy task, and is therefore
seldom done. But Christians cannot but be lean and feeble when deprived of
their proper nutriment. It is by faith that the spiritual life is made to
grow; and the doctrine of free grace, without any mixture of human merit, is
the only true object of faith. Christians are too much inclined to depend on
themselves, and not to derive their life entirely from Christ. There is a
spurious legal religion, which may flourish without the practical belief in
the absolute freeness of divine grace, but it possesses none of the
characteristics of the Christian’s life. It is found to exist in the rankest
growth, in systems of religion which are utterly false. But even when the
true doctrine is acknowledged in theory, often it is not practically felt
and acted on.
The new convert lives upon his frames rather than on Christ, while the older
Christian is still found struggling in his own strength and, failing in his
expectations of success, he becomes discouraged first, and then he sinks
into a gloomy despondency, or becomes in a measure careless. At that point
the spirit of the world comes in with resistless force. Here, I am
persuaded, is the root of the evil; and until religious teachers inculcate
clearly, fully, and practically, the grace of God as manifested in the
Gospel, we shall have no vigorous growth of piety among professing
Christians. We must be, as it were, identified with Christ—crucified with
Him, and living by Him, and in Him by faith, or rather, have Christ living
in us. The covenant of grace must be more clearly and repeatedly expounded
in all its rich plenitude of mercy, and in all its absolute freeness.
Another thing which prevents growth in grace is that Christians do not make
their obedience to Christ comprehend every other object of pursuit. Their
religion is too much a separate thing, and they pursue their worldly
business in another spirit. They try to unite the service of God and Mammon.
Their minds are divided, and often distracted with earthly cares and desires
which interfere with the service of God; whereas they should have but one
object of pursuit, and all that they do and seek should be in subordination
to this. Everything should be done for God and to God. Whether they eat or
drink they should do all to His glory. As the ploughing and sowing of the
wicked is sin, because done without regard to God and His glory, so the
secular employments and pursuits of the pious should all be consecrated, and
become a part of their religion. Thus they would serve God in the field and
in the shop, in buying and selling and getting gain—all would be for God.
Thus their earthly labors would prove no hindrance to their progress in
piety; and possessing an undivided mind, having a single object of pursuit,
they could not but grow in grace daily. He whose eye is single shall have
his whole body full of light.
Another powerful cause of hindrance in the growth of the life of God in the
soul is that we make general resolutions of improvement, but neglect to
extend our efforts to particulars. We promise ourselves that in the
indefinite future we will do much in the way of reformation, but are found
doing nothing each day in cultivating piety. We begin and end a day without
aiming or expecting to make any particular advance on that day. Thus our
best resolutions evaporate without effect. We merely run the round of
prescribed duty, satisfied if we do nothing amiss and neglect no external
service which we feel to be obligatory. We resemble the man who purposes to
go to a certain place, and often resolves with earnestness that he will some
day perform the journey, but never takes a step towards the place. Is it at
all strange that that person who on no day makes it his distinct object to
advance in the divine life, at the end of months and years is found
stationary? The natural body will grow without our thinking about it, even
when we are asleep, but not the life of piety, which only increases by and
through the exercises of the mind, aiming at higher measures of grace.
And as every day we should do something in this good work, so we should
direct our attention to the growth of particular graces, especially of those
in which we know ourselves to be defective. Are we weak in faith? let us
give attention to the proper means of strengthening our faith and, above
all, apply to the Lord to increase our faith. Is our love to God cold and
hardly perceptible, and greatly interrupted by long intervals in which God
and Christ are not in all our thoughts? let us have this for a daily
lamentation at the throne of grace—let us resolve to meditate more on the
excellency of the divine attributes, and especially on the love of God to
us—let us be much in reading the account of Christ’s sufferings and death,
and be importunate in prayer, until we receive more copious effusions of the
Holy Spirit; for the fruit of the Spirit is love, and the love of God is
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given unto us. And so we
should directly aim at cultivating and increasing every grace; for the
divine life, or ‘new man’, consists of these graces, and the whole cannot be
in health and vigor while the constituent parts are feeble and in a state of
decay.
The same remarks are applicable to the mortification of sin. We are prone to
view our depravity too much in the general, and under this view to repent of
it, and humble ourselves on account of it; whereas, in order to make any
considerable progress in this part of sanctification, we must deal with our
sins in detail. We must have it as a special object to eradicate pride and
vain glory, covetousness, indolence, envy, discontent, anger, etc. There
should be appropriate means used, suited to the extirpation of each
particular vice of the mind.
It is true, indeed, that if we water the root we may expect the branches to
flourish; if we invigorate the principle of piety, the several Christian
virtues will flourish. But a skilful gardener will pay due attention both to
the root and the branches; and, in fact, these graces of the heart are parts
of the root, and it is by strengthening these that we invigorate the root.
The same is true as it relates to the remaining principle of sin. We must
strike our blows chiefly at the root of the evil tree; but those inherent
vices which were mentioned, and others, should be considered as belonging to
the root, and when we aim at their destruction particularly and in detail,
our strokes will be most effectual.
I shall mention at present but one other cause of the slow growth of
believers in piety, and that is the neglect of improving in the knowledge of
divine things. As spiritual knowledge is the foundation of all genuine
exercises of religion, so growth in religion is intimately connected with
divine knowledge. Men may possess unsanctified knowledge and be nothing the
better for it; but they cannot grow in grace without increasing in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ‘Being,’ says Paul, ‘fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.’ ‘Grow in grace,’ says
Peter, ‘and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Jonathan Edwards
remarks that the more faithful he was in studying the Bible, the more he
prospered in spiritual things. The reason is plain, and other Christians
will find the same to be true.