Doct. That perseverance is from God. He gives to will and to do. 'He that hath begun will finish the good work,' saith the apostle in the first of this epistle, and the sixth verse. It is not in our strength to hold out ; for after we are once changed, God gives grace sufficient to restrain us and to hold us up. God deals not with us as the husbandman does, sows the ground and leaves it. No. God watches and weeds us, and continues his labour upon us, till he brings us to the end of his promise. If he uphold us not, we are ready to return to our first principles again.
Use. This enforces a particular and resolute dependence on God, in full assurance that what he hath promised, he will perform. He will put his fear into our hearts, so as we shall not depart from him.
Doct. And tJtis is done freely of Jiis onii (/ood pleas^tre : and thus he doth all things. Not of necessity ; he is not forced to this or that, either by any foreign power, or internal ; he is not bound to this or that, as fire burns necessarily : as the school saith, necessitate naturtr. Indeed, he is good necessarily, for it is his nature ; but in his acts he is free from all manner of compulsion, for none can compel him, neither is he drawn to this or that by any merit in us, for we merit nothing but destruction. It was his own will that he made any creature at all ; that he ranked them into angels and men ; that he passed by the angels, and redeemed man ; to give means of salvation to some and not to others ; to make the means effectual to some and not to others ; that some are called sooner, some later ; some have more strength, some less ; to some more comfort, some less; and to those that have more, to give more at some time and less at other times, as is his free will. What meritorious disposition can there be in a dead person, as the apostle saith we are? Oh, but it will be objected that one grace deserves another ; and God giving us, for example, the Spirit of prayer, we deserve the thing we prayed for. I answer, nothing less. God indeed uses this order, but hereby do we not deserve anything. God saj^s, ' Ask, and it shall be given,' Mat. vii. 7. But how? Not by desert in praying ; but he hath established this order, that men shall ask before we have.
Uses. (1.) Hence have ive a ground of thankfulness to God.
(2.) Secondly, take not offence though thou seest thou hast less grace than others have. All are not strong ; some are babes ; and it is God's will it should be so, even as there are divers degrees in ages. If thou beest in any esteem with Christ, thank God for that thou art. I speak the rather, being* many are vexed because they are not so holy and pure as such are
* = 'because.' — G,
THE CIIKISTIAN WORK. 17
to whom God hath given a hirge portion of the grace of his Spirit. No. God gives according to his good pleasure.
(3.) Despair not therefore. If thou wantest grace, go to God for more. He gives according to his own good pleasure. Many complain they are sinners, dead, dull, indisposed. Go to God. He gives sharpness of wit to the dull, but according to his good pleasure. More hurt and hindrance comes ordinarily from the abundance of God's gifts of this sort than good. For it may be God sees thou wilt be hereby lifted up and extolled, as Paul was ; and therefore for thy good he withholds it from thee. Vex not thy- self therefore for the want of that which, if thou hadst it, would turn to thine own bane.
Take heed how thou insultest over others, that as yet ai'e not wrought upon. It may be their hour is not yet come ; and therefore use thou all means to do good to such as stand in need. God appoints times and seasons, when and what means he will bless. Thou mayest be the instrument to convert thy brother.
And above all take heed of self-conceit. God gives thee all, and if it be not of or from thyself, why shouldst thou boast, or be lifted up ? Be therefore content, and repose thyself on God. What though perchance thou wantest outward means and worldly riches ? Pass- not for them. Thank God that he hath wrought a spiritual change in thee. He hath given thee the main. I am sure thou wouldst not change thy estate for all the riches in the world, nor pomp and pride thereof. And if thou findest a decay of the sense of God's love and favour towards thee, seek it of him, but with submission. What if thou findest an ebb of goodness in thee? and that it is not with thee now as formerly it hath been, that thou art more easily overcome with temptation, and that thou canst not wrestle as once thou couldst against thy corruptions ? Know, God he gives his power to work and fight, as his pleasure is. God by suffering thee thus to be foiled, tells thee that the work is not thine own, but his, and that he gives and bestows increase as he pleases. Take notice therefore of these things. Thus far have we spoken of the words simply considered.