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as mucli interest in the Lord as the strongest saint hath, though he hath not that skill to improve that interest. And is not this a singular comfort and support ? Verily, were there no more to bear up a poor weak saint from fainting under all their sins, and sorrows, and suffer- ings, yet this alone might do it, &c.
The second support and comfort to weak saints is this :
Supi^ort 2. That God doth vjith an eye of love reflect upon the least good that is in them, or done by them}
And is not this a glorious comfort and support, that the Lord looks with an eye of love upon the least good that is in you, or done by you? You cannot have a good thought, but God looks upon that thouo-ht with an eye of love : Ps. xxxii. 5, ' I said I would confess my sin, and thou forgavest mine iniquity.' I said it in my thoughts, that I would confess my sin, and thou presently meeting me with pardoning mercy, forgavest mine iniquity. So in Mai. iii. 16, 'And there was a book of remembrance written for them that feared the Lord, and that thouo-ht upon his name.' They had but some thoughts of God, and God re- flects upon those thoughts with an eye of love : Isa. xxxviii. 5, ' I have heard thy prayers, I have seen thy tears.' Tears we look upon but as poor things, and yet God looks upon them as pearls, and therefore he puts them into his bottle, as the psalmist speaks.-^ There is not a bit of bread, not a drop of drink thou givest, but God casts an eye of love upon it. Mat. xxv. 35, 36.
There is not a desire that arises in thy soul, but the Lord takes notice of it : Prov. x. 17, 'Thou hast heard the desire of the humble.' Weak saints are full of desires, their whole life is a life of desires, they are stjU a-breathing out holy desires : Lord, pardon such a sin, and give me power against such a sin, and strength, Lord, to withstand such a temptation, and grace, Lord, to uphold me under such an affliction, &c.; and the Lord hears and answers such gracious breathings and longings.
It was holy Jewel's desire, that he might die preaching ; and God looked with an eye of love upon his desire, and he had it.
It was Latimer's desire, that he might shed his heart's blood for Christ ; and God looked with an eye of love upon the breathings of his heart, and he had it.
The Israelites did but groan, and God looked upon their groans with an eye of love ; he comes down, he makes his arm bare, he tramples upon their proud enemies, and by miracles he saved them. O weak Christian ! is not this a singular comfort, that the Lord reflects with an eye of love upon your thoughts, upon your desires, upon your tears, and upon your groanings, &c. What though others slight you ! what though others take no notice of you ! yet the Lord casts an eye of love upon you.
Some think ii very strange that God should set down in Scripture the story of Jacob, a poor countryman. Gen. xxxi., that he had a few ewes and lambs, streaked and spotted, and yet take no notice of the
1 The least star gives light ; the least drop moistens.
* So in Ps. vi. 8, one observes that there are two strong things in tears : [1.] Deor- sum flaunt, et ccelum petunt, they drop downward, and fall to the earth ; yet tliey reach up- wards, and pierce the heavens. [2.] Mutce sunt et loquuntitr, they hold their peace, yet cry very loud.
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great emperors and kings of the earth, nor of their great actions and warlike designs in the world. But this is to shew that tender love and respect that God bears to his children, above what he does to the great ones of this world. God is more taken with Lazarus's patched coat than with Dives's silken robe, &c.
A third thing that I shall propound for the support and comfort of weak saints is this :
Support 3. Consider, the Lord looks iinore upon your graces than he doth upon your tveaknesses.
The Lord will not cast avjay lueak saints, by reason of the weak- nesses that cleaves to their persons or sei'vices.
In 2 Chron. xxx. 18-20, there came a multitude of people to eat the passover, but they were not prepared according to the preparation of the sanctuary ; therefore Hezekiah puts up a prayer for them, and the text saith, that the ' Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the peo- ple.' The Lord looked upon their uprightness, and so passed over all their other weaknesses. He did not cast off Peter for his horrid sins, but rather looks iipon him with an eye of love and pity : Mark xvi. 7, ' But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee ; there shall }'e see him, as he said unto you.' 0 admirable love ! O matchless mercy ! where sin abounds, grace does superabound. This is the glory of Christ, that he carries it sweetly towards his people, when they carry themselves unworthily towards him. Christ looks more upon Peter's sorrow than upon his sin, upon his tears than upon his oaths, &c. The Lord will not cast away weak saints for their great unbelief, because there is a little faith in them. He will not throw them away for that hyj^ocrisy that is in them, because of that little sincerity that is in them. He will not cast away weak saints for that pride that is in them, because of those rays of humility that shine in them. He will not despise his people for their passions, because of those grains of meekness that are in them. We will not throw away a little gold because of a great deal of dross that cleaves to it, nor a little wheat because mixed with much chaff, and will God ? will God ?
We will not cast away our garments because of some spots, nor our books because of some blots, nor our jewels because of some flaws, and do we think that the Lord will cast away his dearest ones, because of their spots, and blots, and flaws ? Surely no. God looks more upon the bright side of the cloud than the dark : James v. 11, ' Remember the patience of Job.' It is not, remember the murmuring of Job, the cursing of Job, the complainings of Job, the impatience of Job ; but, ' Remember the j)CLtience of Job.' God looks upon the pearl, and not upon the spot that is in it. So in Heb. xi. 30, 31, there is mention made of Rahab's faith, love, and peaceable behaviour towards the spies, but no mention made of her lie. The Lord overlooks her weakness, and keeps hi.s eye upon her virtues. Where God sees but a little grace, he doth as it were hide his eyes from those circumstances that might seem to deface the glory of it. So in 1 Pet. iii. G, ' Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calhng him lord.' Mark there was but one good word in Sarah's speech to Abraham, she called her husband lord ; the speech otherwise was a speech of unbelief, yet the Holy Ghost speaking
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of her in reference to that speech, conceals all the evil in it, and men- tions only the reverent title she gave to her husband, commendino- her for it.