First, 2'hat God carries his children in this irorld through variety of con- ditions. They sometimes want, and sometimes abound. Their condition is sometimes more comfortable than at others. That is the first point.
2. The second is, Tluxt in this rarietij of conditions, as they know what it is to want and to abound, so in all variety of conditions they know how to carry themselves.
Thirdly, They know in all variety of conditions how to avoid the sins in- cident to that condition. As there are graces belonging to every state, so there are sins incident to every condition. And the child of God hath learned to practise the one, and to avoid the other.
1. First, God's children knoxv ivhat it is to xcant, and to abound by experience. God leads them through variety of conditions, Their estate is not always one and the same.
Quest. What is the reason of this dispensation in God thus to rule his children, to bring them to heaven by variety of conditions ?
Sol. Among many other reasons this is one, that their graces may be tried. Every grace that brings a Christian to heaven must be a tried grace. He must try his patience, his contentment, his humility. How shall these graces be tried but in variety of estates and conditions ? And secondly. How should we have experience of the goodness of God but in variety of estates ? * That is, ' foolishly.'— G.
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When we find the stable, certain, constant love of God in variety of con- ditions, that howsoever our conditions ebb and flow, be up and down, like the spring weather, sometimes fair and sometimes foul, yet notwithstand- ing the love of God is constant always, and we have never so sure experience of it as in the variety of conditions that befall us ; then we know that in God there is 'no shadow of changing,' howsoever the changes of our life be. Is it not a point worth our learning, to know the truth of our grace, and to know the constancy of God's love, with whom w'e are in a gi'acious covenant ? And then again, we learn much wisdom how to manage our life hereby, even in the intercourse of our changes, to be now rich, now poor, now high, now low in estate. Wisdom is gotten by experience in variety of estates. He that Hs carried on in one condition, he hath no wisdom to judge of another's estate, or to carry himself to a Christian in another condition, because he was never abased himself. He looks very big at him. He knows not how to tender* another, that hath not been in another's condition. And therefore to fui'nish us, that we may carry our- selves as Christians, meekly, lovingly, and tenderly to others, God will have us go to heaven in variet}', not in one uniform condition in regard of outward things.
Use. Learn hence 7wt to quarel uith God's rjovernmcnt ; for though he alters our conditions, yet he never alters his love. A Christian is un- moveable in regard of the favour of God to him, and in regard of sanctify- ing grace. In all moveable conditions he hath a fixed condition. Therefore let us not find fliult with God's dispensation, but let him do as he pleases. So he bring us to heaven, it is no matter what way, how rugged it be, so he bring us thither.
2. The second general thing is this, That in this variety of conditions, God's children knoiv how to carry tltonselrcs. As they know what it is to want and to abound, so they know how to abound and be abased as they should do. For there is no condition but a Christian may pick good matter out of it. As a good artsman will make a good piece of work of an ill piece of matter sometimes, to shew his skill, so a Christian can frame matter that is good out of any condition ; he knows how to want, and how to abound, and that with the expression of graces too. He can practise the graces that ought and may be practised in all conditions. For instance, he can abound ; that is, with expressing the graces that should be in abundance, which is, thankfulness to God ; he hath, in abundance, a spirit of thankfulness ; he hath a spirit to be a faithful steward in abundance ; a spirit to honour God with his abundance. He hath a spirit to be humble in abundance, knowing all is as ' grass and the flower of the field.' He can be humble, he can stoop under the mighty hand of God, he can have experience in the abasement of the vanity of worldly favour, and worldly greatness. He learns what it is, and so he can learn patience, and all other graces that are to be practised in a mean estate. It were too long to name particulars ; a Christian can do this. Grace is above all conditions. It can manage and rule all estates of life. It makes them serviceable to its own ends. A gracious man is not dejected over much with abasement ; he is not lifted up over much with abundance, but he carries himself in a uni- form manner, becoming a Christian in all conditions.