of good men; yea, many more with him, concerning whom we are now put out of doubt, because we find tliem canonized for saints by God himself, would have been cast, if a jury of men, and those holy men too, had gone upon them. Elijah himself, because he saw none have such zeal for God and his worship, as to wear their colours openly in a free profession, and hang out a flag of defiance against the idolatry of the times, by a stout opposing it, as he did, which miglit be their sin, makes a sad moan to God, as if the apostasy liad been so general, that the whole species of the godly had been preserved in his single person. But God brings the holy man better news, 1 Kings xix. 18 : 'I have left seven thousand in Israel, all tlie knees which have not bowed down to Baal, and every mouth that hath not kissed him.' As if God had said, Comfort thyself, Elijah ; though my number be not great ; yet neither is there such a dearth of saints as thou fearest in this imgodly age ; it is true their faith is weak ; they dare not jostle with the sins of the age, as thou dost, for which thou shalt not lose thy reward : yet those night-disciples, that for fear carry their light in a dark lantern, having some sincerity which keeps them from polluting themselves with these idolatries, must not, shall not be disowned by me. That God, who bids us l)e most tender of his lambs, is much more tender of them himself. Observable is that place, 1 John ii. 12 — 14. There are three ranks of saints, 'fathers, young men, little children;' and the Spirit of God chiefly shews his tender care of them, as by mentioning them first, ver. 12, so bj' leaving the sweet promise of pardoning mercy in their lap and bosom, rather than either of the other : ' Little children, I write unto you, for your sins are forgiven you for my name's sake.' But are not the fathers' sins, and the young men's also, forgiven? Yes, who doubts it? But he doth not so ^particularly apply it to them, as to these ; because these, from a sense of their own failings, out of which the other were more grown, were more prone to dispute against this promise in their own bosoms : yea, he doth not only in plain terms tell them their sins are forgiven, but meets with the secret objection which comes from their trembling hearts in opposition to this good news, taken from their own vileness and unworthiness, and stops its mouth with this, ' Forgiven for my name's sake ;' a greater name than the name of their biggest sin, which discourageth them from believing.
Thirdly, Sincerity keeps up the soul's credit at the throne of grace, so that no sinfiil infirmity c;ai hinder its welcome v/itli God. It % the ' regarding of iniquity in the heart,' not the having of it, stops God's ear from hearing our prayer. It is a temptation not a few have found some work to get over, whe- ther such as they, who see so many sinful failings in themselves, may take the boldness to pray, or without presuming to expect audience when they have prayed ; and sometimes prevails so far, that because they cannot jiray as they would, therefore they forbear what they should; much like some poor people,' that keep from the congregation, because they have not such clothes to come in as they desire. To meet with such as are turning away from duty upon this fear, the promises, which are our only ground for prayer, and chief plea in prayer, are accommodated, and fitted to the lowest degree of grace ; so that as a picture well drawn faceth all in the room alike that look on it ; so the promises of the gospel covenant smile upon all that sincerely look to God in Christ. It is not said, ' If you have faith like a cedar,' but, ' If you have faith like a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove,' Matt. xvii. 20 : neither is justifying faith beneath miracu- lous faith in its own sphere of activity ; the least faith on Christ, if sincere, as truly removes the mountainous guilt of sin from the sovd, as the strongest ; hence all the saints are said to have 'like precious faith,' 2 Pet. i. 1. Sarah's faith, which in Genesis we can hardly see, as the story presents it wherein it appeared, ob- tains an honourable mention, Ileb. xi., where God owns her for a believer, as well as Abraham, with his stronger faith. What love is it the promise entails the favours of God upon ? Not ' Grace be with them that love our Lord Jesus' with a seraphim's love, but with a 'sincere' love,' Ephes. vi. 24. Not blessed they who are holy to such a measure ; this would have fitted but some saints ; the greatest part would have gone away and said. There is nothing for me, I am not so holy ; but that no saint might lose his portion, it is, * Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness :' and this takes in all the children
2SG HAVING YOUR LOINS