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tion which shall be comfortable to thee, though many like beasts go on, and look for no fruit from God.
Use 1 . And let this also be an encouragement, to icalk uith God sincereli/ and %tpi-i()htlij in all times, not fearing any creature, or danger from the creature, because our fi'uit is from God. What if we lose this or that? We know what was said to Amaziah by the prophet. But what shall become of the hundred talents ? saith he. God is able to give thee much more. 2 Chron. xxv. 9. So in the loss of friends, having this and that took* from us, let us comfort ourselves. Aye, but God is not taken from us. He who derives f comfort by this or that friend, can supply it better by his ovra Spirit. And whatsoever we part with in a good cause, let us remember what Christ saith. ' He that parts with father or mother, with house or land for my sake, shall have a hundredfold in this world, and afterwards life everlasting, Mat. xix. 29. He shall have all made up in grace, which is a hundred times better than anything that is here. He shall have con- tentment, which is better than the things themselves. Sometimes he shall, missing one worldly comfort, have more friends stii-red up ; but howsoever, in want of one, he shall be supplied in another comfort that he never dreamt of in this world. So that God is abundant to them that stick close to him in sincerity ; he shall find him abimdant in the things of this life, in one comfort or other.
Therefore, by these mercies of God here mentioned, let us be entreated to be in love with the condition of a Christian life, and say, as Ephraim here, ' What have I any more to do with my former corrupt courses, or idols ? ' Give a peremptory answer to all sinful courses and suggestions, either from others or from our own corrupt nature. ' What have I any more to do with you ? ' No ; God shall be my God : for if I can resign myself wholly to God, and renounce the creature and all things else, G(^d will be as a ' green fir-tree,' and hear me. I shall lose nothing by it. Be then in love with a Christian course ; for it is the sweetest and the safest course, and never wants comforts from heaven : and it is the most honour- able course that can be, for it will hold our communion and peace with the great God of heaven and earth ; for though we break with others, we shall be sure of him. In which case take heed of that base suggestion which the devil himself was ashamed to own, ' that we serve God for nought," Job i. 9. "Wliat ! shall we renounce idolatry and wicked courses, and think that God will not have fruit for us ? Shall I thmk, if I leave my sinful gain, that I or my posterity shall beg or starve for it ? Do we serve a God that hath no fruit, that is a dead tree, or a barren wilderness ? No ; we serve a God that had all in himself before he made the world, and hath all the excellency in himself contained in the creatures. It is not in vain to serve him. ' Doth Job serve God for nothing ? ' said the de\'il. Therefore it is a suggestion worse than Satanical, to think we serve God for nothing, or to think, like those hypocrites mentioned by the prophet, that God regards not our fasting or our devotion, Isa. Iviii. 3. No ; wc shall not lose a good word for God. Not a tear, but he hath a bottle for it, Ps. Ivi. 8 ; not a sigh, or a groan, or a farthing, not a minute's time well spent shall be lost. He will pay us for every ill word we endure for his sake, for every disgrace, loss, or cross. Do we serve that God there is no fruit in ? 'From me is thy fruit found.'
Whatsoever our condition be in the world, let us comfort ourselves with these things, and think that it is not in vain to serve the Lord ; for we * That is, ' taken.' — G. -j That is, ' conveys.' — G.
410 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeESION XIV.
cannot serve a riclier, nor a more kind master and Lord. First of all, lie gives us opportunity and means whereby fruit may be wrought in us, and then he works the fruit of grace and comfort in us, and afterwards rewards and crowns his own fruit. But we add imperfections and inventions of our own, and so mar or stain all. But we deal with a gracious God in covenant, who pities us as a father doth his childi-en, accepts and rewards what is his, and pardons what is our own. Therefore let thus much be effectual for the guiding of our lives, and comforting of us in a good course. If we take ill courses, we must look for no fniit from God, but fruits of his displeasure ; if we eat of the forbidden tree, we shall eat and reap ' the fruits of our own ways,' bitter fruits. For in this case, Jesus Christ, who is a sweet Saviour, will be a judge to us ; and he who is ' the Lamb of God,' will be angry, so as we shall reap the fruit of his indignation. In the Kevelation, divers are brought in desiring ' the hills and mountains to laU upon them, to cover them from the presence of the Lamb,' Rev. vi. 16. Let us not, therefore, turn a sweet Saviour to a rigorous Judge, by adven- turing upon courses wherein we cannot look for fruit ; but let us commend ' our souls in well-doing unto him, as unto a faithful Creator and Redeemer,' 1 Pet. iv. 19. And as it is, ' Let us acknowledge him in all our ways,' Prov. iii. 6 ; for it is good to acknowledge and look to him, that is, look to him for strength, quickening, success, grace, and light to direct us : acknowledge him in all our ways, and treasure up this comfort, that ' all fruit is found from God.' If we take good courses, we shall ever be fruit- ful, and have fruit from him, ' out of his fulness ; for, saith he, ' From me is thy fruit found.'