Use 1. This should teach us then, this holy practice, to lay up observa- tions of OocVs dcaUng, and to take them as so many pawns and pledges to move God for the time to come to regard us. It is wondrous pleasing to him. It is no argument to prevail if we come to men, to say, you have done this for me, therefore you will ; because man hath a finite power which is soon drawn drj'. But God is infinite. He is a spring. He can create new. \Vhat he hath done he can do, and more too. He is where he was at the first, and will be to the end of the world. He is never at a loss. Therefore it is a strong argument to go to God, and say, 'Lord, thou art my God from the womb,' thou hast delivered me from such a danger, and such an exigence. When I knew not what to do, thou madest open a way. I see by evident signs it was thy goodness, thou art alway like thy- self, to be the same God now. Therefore we should treasui'e up observa- tions of God's dealing with us.
Use 2. And consider with tliem thejironiises, and see how God hath made good his promise by experience, and then join both together, and we may wrestle with God. Lord, thou hast promised thus and thus, nay, I have had the performance of this promise in former times. And now I stand in need of the performance of that promise which before I have had experience of.
Use 3. And desire God hi/Jiis Sj)irit to sanctifij our monories, that we may remember fit deliverances, and fit favours, that when the time shall come we may have arguments from experience. What is the reason that we sink in temptation ? that we are to seek when troubles come ? It is from base- ness of heart, that though God have manifested his care and love to us by thousands of experiments,* yet we are ready upon every new trouble to call all into question, as if he had never been a good God to us. This is base infidelity of heart ; and our neglecting to treasure up blessed experi- ments of God's former favour.
It should be the wisdom of every Christian to be well read in the story of his own life, and to return back in his thoughts what God hath done for him, how God hath dealt with him for the time past, what he hath wrought in him by his Holy Spirit. Let us make use of it, both in outward and in inward troubles, in disconsolations of spirit, and in inward desertions ; let * That is, ' experiences,' — G.
174 COMMENTARY ON
US call to mind what good soever hath been wrought in us, by such a means, by such an ordinance, b}' such a book, by such an occasion. -• Let us call to mind how cflbctually God hath wrought in us in former times, and make use of this in the midst of the hour of darkness, when God seems to hide his face from us.
I see not the sun in a cloudy day, yet notwithstanding the sun is in the sky still. At midnight we hope for the morning. The morning will un- doubtedly come, though it be midnight for the present. So David com- forted himself in Ps. Ixxvii. 11, ' I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember thy wonders of old, I will meditate of all thy works, and talk of thy doings,' &c. Bee his infirmity. AVhen he was in trouble of mind, his sins began to upbraid him that God had left him. ' I said in my infirmity, God hath forgotten me, &c., and hath God forgotten to be gi-acious ? hath he shut up his tender mercies in displeasure '? then saith he, this was my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High,' &c. And the same he hath in many other places, as Ps. cxliii. 4, 5.
It argues the great weakness of our nature, which is ready to distrust God upon every temptation of Satan, as if God had never dealt graciously with us, as if God were changeable like ourselves. Let us labour to sup- port ourselves in the time of temptation with the foraier experience of God's gracious goodness, and his blessed work upon our souls. He that delivered us from the power of Satan, and keeps us from him still, that we sink not into despair, he will keep us for the time to come, so that ' neither things present, nor things to come,' as the apostle saith, ' shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ,' Rom. viii. 35. And let us, as it were, make diaries of God's dealing to us. This is to be acquainted with God, as Job speaks. Job xxii. 21 ; this is to walk with God, to observe his steps to us, and ours to him. It is a thing that will wondrously strengthen our faith, especially in old years, in gray hairs. What a com- fortable thing is it when an aged man can look back to the former part of his life, and can reckon how God hath given him his life again and again ! how God hath comforted him in distress ! how God hath raised him up in the midst of perplexity, when he knew not which way to turn him, how God comforted him when he was disconsolate ! All these meeting together, in our last conflict, when all comfort will be little enough, what a comfort will it be !