Sin itself never wanted a reason, such as it is, but we call it unreason- able, because it hath no good reason for it ; for reason being a beam of God, cannot strengthen any work of darkness. God having made man an under- standing creatm'e, guides him by a way suitable to such a condition, and that is the reason why God in mercy yields so far to us in his word, as to give us so many reasons of our affiance in him. What is encouragement and comfort but a demonstration to us of greater reasons to raise us up, than there are to cast us down ?
David's reasons here, are drawn partly from some promise of deliverance, and partly from God's natm-e and cleaHng with him, whom, as he had for- merly found a healing and a saving God, so he expects to find him still; and partly from the covenant of gi'ace. He is vvj God.
The chief of his reasons are fetched from God, what he is in himself, and what he is and xnR be to his children, and what to him in particular. Though godly men have reasons for their trust, yet those reasons be divine and spiritual, as faith itself is ; for as naturally as beams come from the sun, and branches from the root, even so by divine discourse one truth issueth from another. And as the beams and the sun, as the root and branches are all of one natm'e, so the grounds of comfortable truths, and reasons taken from those grounds, are both of the same divinity and authority, though in time of temptation discourse is oft so troubled, that it cannot see how one truth riseth from another. This is one privilege of heaven, that our knowledge there shall not be so much discoursive, proving one thing by another, as definitive, seeing things in their grounds with a more present view ; the soul being then raised and enlarged to a present conceiving of things, and there being no flesh and blood in us to raise objections that must be satisfied with reasoning.
Sometimes in a clearer state of the soitI, faith hath not so much use of reasons, but upon near and sweet communion with God, and by reason of some likeness between the soul that hath a divine natufc stamped upon it, and God, it presently, without any long discourse, runneth to God, as it were, by a supernatural instinct, as by a natm-al instinct a child runneth to
246: THE soul's conflict.
his father in any distress. Yea, and from that common light of nature^ which discovereth there is a God, even natural men in extremities will run to God, and God as the author of nature will sometimes hear them, as he doth the young ravens that cry unto him ; but comfortably, and with assur- ance, only those have a familiar recourse unto him, that have a sanctified suitable disposition unto God, as being well acquainted with him.
Sometimes again faith is put to it to use reasons to strengthen itself, and therefore the soul studieth arguments to help itself by, either from inward store laid up in the soul, or else it hearkeneth and yields to reasons sug- gested by others ; and there is no gracious heart but hath a frame suitable and agreeable to any holy and comfortable truth that shall be brought and enforced upon it. There is something in his spirit that answers whatever comes from the Spirit of God. Though perhaps it never heard of it before, yet it presently claims kindred of it, as coming from the same blessed spring, the Holy Spirit ; and, therefore, a gracious heart sooner takes com- fort than another, as being prepared to close with it.
The reasons here brought by David, are not so much arguments to con- vince his judgment, as motives and inducements to incline his will to trast in God ; for trusting being a holy relying upon God, carrieth especially the will to him. Now the will is led with the goodness of things, as the un- derstanding is led with truth. The heart must be sweetened with consi- deration of love and mercy in him whom we trust, as well as convinced of his ability to do us good. The cords that draw the heart to trust are the cords of love, and the cords of love are especially the love of him to us whom we love ; and, therefore the most prevailing reasons that cany the whole heart, are such as are drawn from the sweetness of God, whereby the heart is opened and enlarged to expect all good, and nothing but good from him.
But we must remember that neither reasons from the truth and power of God, nor inducements or allurements from the goodness of God, will fur- ther prevail with the soul, than it hath a fresh light and relish brought into it by the Spirit of God, to discern of those reasons, and answer the contraiy.
I shall yet praise him,* or I will yet praise him, I shall because I will, and I will praise him because I shall have occasion to praise him. When God by grace enlarges the will, he intends to give the deed. God's chil- dren, wherein their wills are conformable to God's will, shall have their wills fulfilled. God intends his own glory in every mercy, and he that praises him glorifies him, Ps. 1. 23. When our wills, therefore, carryus to that which God wills above all, we may well expect he will grant us what we will.