3. Faith comforts and encourageth us by the promises of assistance, acceptance, and reward.
[1.] By the promises of assistance. Alas ! in ourselves we are weak and of no strength, and so our hearts are faint, and our hands feeble. Duty can never be done without God's sanctifying grace — ' Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear,' Heb. xii. 28. It must be so, or we are quite discouraged. There must be both habitual grace, which giveth a general readiness and preparation of heart for the actions of the new life : Eph. ii. 10, ' We
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are his workmanship, created in Jesus Christ unto good works;' — a bowl is first made round before it can run round ; we cannot act with- out a principle, without divine qualities infused ; — and also actual grace, by which God doth excite that grace which is infused into us : Heb. xiii. 21, ' The Lord make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight.' God doth continually co-operate and work in us and with us. As providence is a continual creation, so is assisting grace a continuation of God's re- newing work ; he is at the beginning, middle, and end of every good action : Phil, ii. 13, ' He worketh in us both to will and to do.' Now this is a great encouragement to ply the oar, when we have wind and tide with us ; the soul groweth into a confidence, and is much encour- aged to lift up the feeble hands and strengthen the weak knees : Isa. xlv. 24, ' Surely shall one say. In the Lord I have righteousness and strength.' Comfort and spiritual ability increase as God strengthens us in the promise : Phil. iv. 13, ' I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.' Assurance of help encourageth us to work.
[2,] By promises of acceptance. We drive on heavily when we know not whether God will accept of our work, yea or no ; as he that serveth a hard master that is always finding fault, hath no mind to his work. To take ofi" this discouragement, God doth often promise to accept of what we do through the assistance of his Spirit : Pom. xii. 1, ' Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God;' 1 Peter ii. 5, ' Ye are an holy priesthood, to ofi'er up spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ' Our sacrifices are not sin- ofterings, but thank-ofierings ; as the dedication of ourselves to God's service : Eom. xii. 1, ' Present your bodies a living sacrifice ; ' i.e., peni- tent and humble supplications : Ps. Ii. 17, ' The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,' and offering praise to God : Heb. xiii. 15, ' By him therefore let us ofier unto God the sacrifice of praise continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name ; ' so charity to the saints : Phil. iv. 18, ' I have received the things which were sent from you, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God ; ' and all these in testimony of our thankfulness to Christ in offering up himself as a sin-ofi"ering. All spiritual sacrifices must be done in a spiritual man- ner ; these are acceptable to the Lord, not for any worth that is in them or advantage that can be in them, but because they are presented to God by Jesus Christ, who taketh away the iniquity of our holy things: Exod. xxviii. 38, ' And he shall bear the iniquities of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts, that they may be accepted before the Lord ; ' and he perfumeth our services with the incense of his merits : Rev. viii. 3, ' There was given unto him much iucense, that he should ofier it with the prayers of all saints.' Our iniquities are many, yet God's mercy is great, who will accept us and our services that are unfeignedly performed to his glory. He owneth his gracious work in us when what we do is good, and done by a man in Christ, by strength drawn from Christ, and for God's glory, though in itself it be weak : Mai. iii. 4, ' Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years,' viz., when they are pm'ified to be an holy priesthood unto God ; so Isa. Ix. 7, ' They shaU come up with accept-
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ance upon mine altar.' Many such promises as these there are in the word of God everywhere, which is a great encouragement to poor souls to do their utmost.
[3.] By promises of reward. Hope doth excite and whet endeavours. We have no reason to be sluggish in God's service, for in the end it will turn to a good account : 1 Cor. xv, 58, ' Be ye steadfast and un- movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.' He hath interposed his faithfulness, and laid his justice at pawn with us ; Heb. vi. 10, ' God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love.' If God be a just God, we need not doubt; the rewards of religion are to come, but where they are apprehended as certain and evident, they do exceedingly encourage and strengthen the heart. It should be a shame to us that when we have such wages we are no more hard at work. When it is for the everlasting enjoyment of the ever-blessed God, shall we tire and wax faint ?