* Cum omnium incertus sit evenlus, ad ea accedimus de quibus bone sperandum esse credimus. — Senleca].
THE soul's conflict. 279
God is so ready to mercy, that he delighteth in it, and delight eth in Christ, through whom he may shew mercy, notwithstanding his justice, as being fully satisfied in Christ. Mercy is his name that he will be known by. It is his gloiy which we behold in the face of Chiist, who is nothing but gi'ace and mercy itself. Nay, he pleads reasons for mercy, even from the sinfulness and misery of his creatui'e, and maintains his own mercy against aU the wrangUng cavils of flesh and blood, that would put mercy from them ; and hearken more wiUingly to Satan's objections, than God's arguments, till at length God subdues then* spirits so far, as they become ashamed for standing out so long against him. How ready will God be to shew mercy to us when we seek it, that thus presseth upon us, when we seem to refuse it ! If God should take advantage of our waywardness, what would become of us ? Satan's com'se is to discom-age those that God would have encouraged, and to encourage those whom God never speaks peace unto ; and he thinks to gain both ways. Our care therefore should be, when we resolve upon God's ways, to labour that no discouragement fasten upon us, seeing God and his word speak all comfort to us. .
And because the best of a Christian is to come, we should raise up our spirits to wait upon God, for that mercy which is yet to come. All inferior waitings for good things here, do but train us up in the comfortable expec- tation of the main.
This waiting on God requires a great strength of grace, by reason not only, 1, of the excellency of the things waited for, which are far beyond anything we can hope for in the world ; but, 2, in regard of the long day which God takes before he performeth his promise ; and, 3, fi'om thence the tediousness of delay ; 4, the many troubles of hfe in om* way ; 5, the gi'eat opposition we meet with in the world ; 6, and scandals * ofttimes even fi'om them that are in great esteem for religion ; 7, together with the untowardness of our nature in being ready to be put off by the least dis- coui-agement. In these respects there must be more than a human spirit to hold up the soul, and cany it along to the end of that which we wait for.
But if God be our God, that love which engaged him to bind himself to ns in precious promises, will furnish us hkewise with grace needful, till we be possessed of them. He will give us leave to depend upon him both for happiness, and all sanctifying and quieting graces, which may support the soul, till it come to its perfect rest in God. For God so quiets the hearts of his children, as withal he makes them better and fitter for that which he provides for them. Grace and peace together. Our God is the God of grace and peace, of such graces as breed peace.
1. As he is a God of love, nay, love itself to us, so a taste of his love, raising up om* love, is better than wine, full of nothing but encouragement. It will fetch up a soul from the deepest discouragement. This grace quick- eneth all other gi-aces. It hath so much spirits in it as will sweeten all conditions. Love enables to wait, as Jacob for Leah, seven years, Gen. xxxix. Nothing is hard to love ; it carries all the powers of the soul with it.
2. As he is a God of hope, so by this grace, as an anchor fiisteued in heaven within the vail, he stayeth the soul ; that though as a ship at anchor it may be tossed and moved, yet not removed fi'om its station. This hope, as cork, will keep the soul, though in some heaviness, from sinking, and, as a helmet, bear oft' the blows, that they endanger not om* life, Eph. ^i. 17.
3. As God is a God of hope, so by hope, of jmdciice, which is a gi-ace whereby the soul resigneth up itself to God in humble submission to his
* That is, 'stumbling-blocks.' — G.
280 THE soul's conflict.
will, because he is our God, as David in extremity comforted himself * in the Lord his God,' Ps. Ixxxvi. 17. Patience breeds comfort, because it brings experience with it of God's owning of us to be his, Rom. v. 4. The soul, shod and fenced with this, is prepared against all rubs and thorns in our way, so as we are kept from taking offence. All troubles we sufl'er, do but help patience to its perfect work, Eom. v. 3 ; by subdumg the unbroken sturdiness of our spirits, when we feel by experience, we get but more blows, by standing out against God.
4. The Spirit of God, likewise, is a spirit of meehwss, whereby, though the soul be sensible of evil, yet it moderates such distempers, as would otherwise rob a man of himself ; and together with patience, keepeth the soul in possession of itself. It stays munnurings and frettings against God or man. It sets and keeps the soul in tune. It is that which God, as he works, so he much delights in, and sets a price upon it, as the chief orna- ment of the soul. The ' meek of the earth seek God, and are hid in the day of his wrath,' Zeph. ii. 3 ; whereas, high spirits that compass themselves with pride as with a chain, Ps. Ixxiii. 6, thinking to set out themselves by that which is their shame, are looked upon by God afar off. Meek persons will bow when others break ; they are raised when others are plucked down, and stand when others that mount upon the wings of vanity, fall. Mat. v. 5 ; these prevail by yielding, and are lords of them- selves, and other things else, more than other unquiet- spirited men : the blessings of heaven and earth attend on these.