Second, Christian, candidly interpret God's dealings with thee. Suppose it be as thou sayest, thou hast pleaded the promise, and waited on the means, and yet findest no strength from all these receipts, either in thy grace or comfort ; now take heed of charging God foolishly, as if God were not what he promised ; this were to give that to Satan which he is all this while gaping for. It is more becoming the dutifid disposition of a child, when he hath not presently what he writes for to his father, to say. My father is wiser than I ; his wisdom will prompt him what and when to send to me, and his fatherly afl'ections to me his child will neither sutfer him to deny anything that is good, nor slip the time that is seasonable. Christian, thy heavenly Father hath gracious ends that hold his hands at present, or else thou hadst ere this heard from him.
First, God may deny further degrees of strength, to put thee on the exercise of that thou hast more carefully. As a mother doth by her child that is learning to go, she sets it down, and stands some distance from it, and bids it come to lier; the child feels its legs weak, and cries for the mother's help, but the mother steps back on purpose that the child should put forth all its little strength in making after her. When a poor soul conies and prays against such a sin, God seems to step back and stand at a distance ; the temptation in- creaseth, and no visible succour appears, on purpose that the Christian, though weak, should exercise that strength he hath. Indeed we shall find the sense of a soid's weakness is an especial means to excite it into a further care and dili- gence : one that knows his weakness, how prone he is in company to forget himself, in passion how apt he is to fly out ; if there be a principle of true grace, this will excite him to be more fearful and watchful than another that hath obtained greater strength against such great temptations. As a child that writes for money to his father ; none comes presently ; that makes him husband that little he hath the better; not a penny now shall be laid out idly. Thus, when a Christian hath prayed against such a sin again and again, and yet finds himself weak, prone to be worsted ; O how careful will this, should this make such a one of every company, of every occasion ! Such a one had not need give his enemy any advantage.
Second, God may deny the Christian such assisting strength in duty, or mortifying strength of corruption, as he desires, pin-ely on a gracious design, that he may thereby have an advantage of expressing his love in such a way as shall most kindly work on the ingenuity of the soul to love God again. Perhaps, Christian, thou prayest for a mercy thou wantest, or for deliverance out of some great affliction, and in the duty thou findest not more assistance than ordinary, yea, many distractions of spirit in it, and misgiving thoughts with unbelieving fears after it : well, notwithstanding those defects in thy duty, yet God hears thy pra3fer, and sends in the mercy on purpose that he may greaten his love in thine eye, and make it more luscious and sweet to thy taste, from his accepting thy weak services, and passing by the distempers of thy spirit. Here is less strength for the duty, that thou mayest have more love in the mercy ; nothing will affect a gracious heart more than such a considera- tion. See it in David, Psal. cxvi. 11, 12 : 'I said in my haste, All men are liars. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me !' As if David had said, ' Notwithstanding all the comfortable messages I had from God by his prophets concerning this matter, my own prayers, and those re- markable providences, which carried in them a partial answer to thcTn, and performance of what was promised, yet I betrayed much unbelief, questioning the truth of the one, and the return of the other; and hath God notwithstand- ing all my infirmities fulfilled my desire, and performed his ])r()mise ? O what shall I render unto the Lord?' Thus David reads God's mercy through the spectacles of his own weakness and infirmity, and it appears great; whereas if a mercy should come in, as an answer to a duty managed with such strength of faith, and height of other graces, as might free him and his duty from visual infirmities, this miglit prove a snare, and occasion some self-applauding, rather than mercy-admiring thoughts in the creature.
Third, God may communicate the less of his assisting strength, that he may
g4 AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT.