The persuasion of this will free us from all pusillanimity, lowliness, and narrowness of spirit, when we shall think that nothing can hurt us, but it must break through God first. If God give quietness, who shall ' make trouble ? ' Job xxxiv. 29. If God be with us, who can be against us ? This is that which puts comfort into all other comforts, that maketh any burden light ; this is always ready for all purposes. Our God is a present and a seasonable help. All evils are at his command to be gone, and all comforts at his command to come. It is but, go comfort, go peace, to such a man's heart : cheer him, raise him ; go salvation, rescue such and such a soul in distress. So said and so done presently. Nay, with reverence be it spoken, so far doth God pass over himself unto us, that he is content him- self to be commanded by us. ' Concerning the work of my hands command you me,' Isa. xlv. 11 ; lay the care and charge of that upon me. He is content to be out-wrestled and overpowered by a spirit of faith, as in Jacob, and the woman of Canaan, to be as it were at our service. He would not have us want anything wherein he is able to help us. And what is there wherein God cannot help us ? If Chi'istians knew the power they have in heaven and earth, what were able to stand against them ? What wonder is it if faith overcome the world, if it overcomes him that made the world ? that faith should be almighty, that hath the Almighty himself ready to use all his power for the good of them to whom he hath given the power of himself unto ? Having therefore such a living fountain to draw from, such a centre to rest in, having all in one, and that one ours, why should we knock at any other door ? We may go boldly to God now, as made ' ours,
286 THK soul's conflict.
being bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh.' We may go more comfort- ably to God, than to any angel or samt. God in the second person hath vouchsafed to take our nature upon him, but not that of angels. Our God and our man, our God-man is ascended unto the high court of heaven, to his and our God, clothed with oui* nature. Is there any more able and willing to plead our cause, or to whom we may trust business with, than he, who is in ' heaven for all things for us, appertaining to God ?' Heb. v. !.••=
It should therefore be the chief care of a Christian, upon knowledge of what he stands in need of, to know where to supply all. It should raise up a holy shame and indignation in us, that there should be so much in God, who is so near unto us in Christ, and we make so little use of him. What good can any thing do us if we use it not ? God is om-s to use, and yet men will rather use shifts and unhallowed policies, than be beholden to God, who thinks himself never more honoured by us than when we make use of him. If we believe anything will do us good, we naturally make out for the obtaining of it. If we believe anythuig will hurt us, we study to decline it. And certain it is, if we believed that so much good were in God, we would then apply om'selves to him, and him to ourselves. What- soever virtue is in anything, it is conveyed by application and touching of it ; that whereby we touch God, is our faith, which never toucheth him, but it draws virtue from him. Upon the fii'st touch of faith, spmtual life is begun. It is a bastard in nature, to believe anjiihing can work upon another without spiritual or bodily touch. And it is a monster in religion to believe that any savmg good will issue from God, if we turn from him, and shut him out, and our hearts be unwilling. Where unbelief is, it binds up his power. Where faith is, there it is between the soul and God, as betwixt the iron and the loadstone, a present closing and dravving of one to the other. This is the beginning of eternal life, so to ' know God the Father and his Son Chiist,' John xvii. 4, as thereby to embrace him vrith the arms of faith and love as ours, by the best title he can make us, who is truth itself.
Since then our happiness lies, out of om-selves, in God, we should go out of ourselves for it, and first get into Christ, and so unto God in him ; and then labour, by the Spirit of the Father and the Son, to maintain acquaint- ance with both, that so God may be oiu'S, not only in covenant, but in communion, hearkening what he will say to us, and opening our spu'its, disclosing our wants, consulting and advising in aU our distresses with him. By keeping this acquaintance vath God, ' peace and all good is con- veyed to us,' Job xxii. 21.