(2.) It is harsh, men think, to answer for Adam's fault, to which they were not conscious and consenting. But every man will find au Adam in his own heart : the old man is there wasting away the relics of natural light and strength ; and shall not God challenge the debt of obedience from a proud prodigal debtor ? We are found naked, yet we think ourselves clothed ; poor, yet we think ourselves rich, and to have need of nothing : therefore God may admonish us of our duty, demand his right to convince us of our impotency, and that we may not pretend we were not called upon for what we owe him. Man is prodigal ; we spend what is left, lose those relics of conscience and moral inclinations which escaped out of the ruins of the fall.
(3.) God requireth it that we may acknowledge the debt and con- fess our impotency, being practically convinced thereof, and so humbly implore his grace.
(4.) God is still offering recovering mercy, and never forsaketh any but those that forsake him first : 1 Chron. xxviii. 9, ' If thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever ; ' 2 Chron. xv. 2, ' If you forsake him, he will forsake you.' Did you improve yourselves, and beg God's grace, and carry on the common work as far as you can, then it were another matter. He that useth God's means as well as he can, he lieth nearer to the blessing of them than the wilful despiser and neglecter of them. Unsanctified men may do less evil and more good than they do : therefore if they neglect the means, they are left inexcusable ; not only as originally disabled, but as wilfully graceless : so that no such prejudice can lie against God; he offereth grace and power, and men will not have it.
[3.] The third prejudice is, that he is hard to please, and easily offended ; as if he did watch advantages to ruin and destroy the creature. Oh, no ! This cannot be thought of God. He that rewarded the picture and shadow of duty, as in Ahab, ] Kings xxi. 29, the first offers of it in his servants, Isa. xxxii. 5 ; that regarded the returning prodigal, Luke xv. 20 ; Isa. lxv. 24 ; whose bowels relent presently ; who hath promised to reward a cup of cold water given for Christ's sake, Mat. x. 42, and that our slender services should receive so great a reward ; that beareth with his people's weakness ; that ' spareth them as a man spareth his only son,' by their failing, surely he is not harsh and severe.
Vers. 24, 25.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 469
[4.] These prejudices are very natural to us, and therefore should he regarded by all. This appeareth partly by the first fall of man. Pre- judice against God was the fiery dart that wounded our first parents to death. The first battery that Satan made was against the persuasion of God's goodness and kindness to man ; he endeavoured to make them doubt of it by casting jealousies into their minds, as if God were harsh, severe, and envious in restraining them from the tree of knowledge, and the fruit that was so fair to see to, Gen. iii. If once he could bring them to question God's goodness, he knew other things would succeed more easily ; for the sense of the Creator's goodness was the strongest bond by which the heart was kept to God. And partly because still the devil seeketh to possess us with this conceit, that God is harsh and severe, and delighteth in our ruin ; and casteth jealousies into our heads, as if God did infringe our just liberties by the restraints of his law. And we have the same impatiency of restraints which they had ; and the flesh being importunate to be pleased, we are apt to find out excuses ; and as the naughty servant condemneth his master when he should beg pardon, so such is the perverse disposition of man, when we should confess our fault, we will abuse God himself ; as Adam, Gen. iii. 12, ' The woman thou gavest me, gave me, and I did eat.' This monstrous conceit of God we further by observing his injuries (as we count them), rather than his benefits. We take notice of afflictions, but not of daily mercies. David had much ado to hold his principle : Ps. lxxiii. 1, 2, ' Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart : but as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well-nigh slipped.' These thoughts are very incident to us.
Use. Oh ! then, when we set our hearts to religion, let us take heed of slavish fear ; and if so, take heed with what thoughts of God you are leavened, and that you do not draw a monstrous and horrid picture of him in your minds. Oh ! look upon him as full of grace and mercy, ten thousand times more inclined to do good than any friend you have in the world. The devil governeth the dark parts of ,the world by slavish fear, but God governeth by love. To this end consider —