Fifthly, The equal confideration that we meet with at the hands of God, in refpect of our present weakness, fhews that God is ready and willing to do us good. And to make this out, I fay, that if any man fuffer difficulty in the discharge of his duty, (as I must confess several tempers do, more or lefs, as to particular virtues; to fome tempers, fuch acts of virtue are very eafy, that to others are more hard and difficult. Now in this difparity, if by confideration, reafon and argument a man bring himself to that which is to be done, God accepts it. the rather as an act of bigh virtue, and true goodness. And the more of difficulty a man finds in himself, God looks upon it as done with more refolution; and he will not reject it; because the man fuffered difficulty; but look upon it as the more eminently virtuous; notwithstanding fuch indisposition and avocation. Now this is the fairefst measure imaginable God doth make allowance for our temper, complexion, and conftitution; for our prejudices from our education, and fuppofitions upon mistakes, and for our former converfe and acquaintance, which many times doth occafion fome difficulty in the difcharge of our duty. For he confiders our frame and as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth thofe that fear him, Pfal. ciii. 13. And this is a great encouragement to us, that we shall meet with all fair conftruction and that we are upon good terms with God. And as this is for our encouragement, fo doth it declare God's gracious intentions. towards us, and that he is in good earneft defirous to do us good, and that he will not be fevere with ; us us. That he will neither neglect nor refuse any good in us; for he will not destroy any thing that partakes of his own nature; but will fofter and cherish any thing that is God-like. And for our mistakes, fo our hearts be right, God will mend them, by his own candid conftruction, and gracious. interpretation. And this measure Abimelech found, Gen. xx. 6. I know that thou didst it in the integrity of thy heart. Though he was to blame in the_mat-: ter, yet because he was right in the main, God overlooks his fault. For, if we do not confent, the action is not reckoned as ours. As on the one hand, it is no virtue to do well without an intenti on: fo on the other, 'tis not reckoned as our fin, if we fall through mistake. I add to this, that there is great congruity between our own being and the nature of things enjoyned by religion. The apoftle faith, Rom. vii. 15. I confent to the law that it is good: here is the congruity of the agent and the object. And David faith, Pfal. cxix. 142. Thy law is truth that is, it is fuch as it should be. David was reconciled in temper, to the law of God. To the fame degree that we are endued with holiness, to the fame degree we are poffeft of happiness. The mind is the man in refpect of the excellency of the part for mind is ten thousand to one above body and alfo, in refpect of the act that is performed; what is done with the confent of the mind is beft done. What men do against their minds, is of no value, though the thing done be good in itself; nor of any deep malignity, if done with a good mind, though through mistake. Not only the gracious God God, but all good men go by this rule; they đơ not value things as they are materially confidered, but by the mind and intention of the party; not that which is done, but what was meant and intended. If it prove an injury, a good man will accept of the good intention; and that is the fifth particular. Sixthly, Though God begin with lefs, he will go on with more. For this I dare fay, if a man be serious in his religion, and duly fenfible of his own vanity and infufficiency; and of the many avocations, and temptations from abroad; the grace of God will not be short. Though God doth not give all at firft, yet that which God begins withal, is fufficient for fomething, in the way of converfion and thereby man is enabled to do that for which that affistance is given. And that being made use of, God, of his own grace and good will, will give more. And this we are well affured of by those words of our Saviour, Mark iv. 25. To him that hath fhall be given, (that is, that hath by ufe and improvement, but from him that hath not (that is, that doth not make use of what God hath given him) shall be taken away, even that which he hath. But this is most certain that God doth never forfake us first. That good will of God which did incline him to begin with us, when we were in a way of fin, will move him to go on after he hath begun. For we find in fcripture, that God often makes himself, an argument to himSelf, Ezek. xxxvi. 22. For my own name fake I will do this. So Ifa. xliii. 25. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy tranfgreffions för my own name fake. God here proposeth himself, for an argument to himself, and brings this as an argument for a farther act because of his own grace and goodness he had begun. For he will not begin, and leave off upon the fame terms he did begin, when we were in a state of fin, and when we were enemies to him by wicked works. He did begin then, when he found us in our blood. It is eafy for us to believe that God, who of his own accord did begin, when he found us in a state of fin, will not give over and leave us, when he finds us in the motion of repentance. And that is the fixth particular, tho' God begin with lefs, he will go on with more. And this is a great encouragement for any man to fet about the work of religion, and to make application to God; because he does not know how far God will enable him in time to come. Juft as our Saviour faid to his disciples,when you shall be brought before princes and governors, confider not before hand, what ye shall answer; for it shall be given you in that hour, what ye fhall fay, Mat. x. 18, 19. So that, let no man be discouraged, though that which he now hath, be not fufficient for to carry him through that which he hath before him; for as his work fhall increase and grow greater, God will furnish him with that affiftance that shall be fuitable, and fufficient for what he calls himself unto. Seventhly, God fpeaketh abfolutely, pofitively, and without any refervation, that when a finner turneth away from his wickedness, he fhall fave his foul alive. When we have but half a mind, we speak with caution, reservation, and upon fuppofition : but here God fpeaketh abfolutely, clearly and fully, without without if's or and's, that fo we may fee his mind, and know what to truft to. We ufe to doubt of mens performance of their words, if they fpeak waveringly, and as it were, unwillingly; but thus it is not with God, he fpeaks freely, and without refervation. And to affure us hereof, we have first of all, the excellency of his nature, and fecondly, his truth and faithfulness. Also, God loseth nothing by the finner's return to him. When his creature is gained, he accounts it as gain to himfelf; fo that nothing obftructs but our own obftinacy, and unworthy refusal, and for that we must blame ourselves. Prov. i. 24. God faith, Because I have ftretched out my hand, and ye refused; therefore I will laugh at your deftruction. It is God-like, to take pleasure in the good of others. We know whose nature it is, to take pleasure in the ruin of others, and who it is that goeth about, seeking whom he may devour; even the devil, whose nature is most deformed and degenerate. Eightly, The repentance of a finner, and his turning to God, is a thing fo acceptable and wellpleafing to God, that he will greatly reward those that have any hand in it, Dan. xii. 3. They that be wife, fhall fhine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteoufnefs, as the stars for ever and ever. And our Saviour faith, there is joy in heaven, at the conversion of a finner, Luke xv. 7. And if this may be said to be done by us, which are but inftruments, much more by him that is the principal and chief agent. God himself doth so much favour and delight in this work of a finner's converfion |