12G. Christians are like to many men of great means, that know not how to make use of them. We live not like ourselves. Bring large faith, and we shall have large grace and comfort. We are scanted in our own bowels, therefore labour to have a large faith, answerable to our large riches. And though Christians be low enough in outward things, and oftentimes poorer than other men, yet they are rich ; for Christ is rich unto them, in their crosses and abasements. That which they want in this world shall be made up in grace and glory hereafter,
127. We ought daily to imitate Christ in our places, to be good to all; as the apostle saith, ' Be abundant always in the works of the Lord,' 1 Cor. XV. 58. Let us labour to have large hearts, that we may do it seasonably, and abundantly, and unweariedly. The love of Christ will breed in us the same impression that was in him.
128. None come to God without Christ; none come to Christ withont faith ; none come to faith without the means ; none enjoy the means but where God bath sent it. Therefore where there was no means of salva- tion before the coming of Christ, there was no visible intendment* of God ordinarily to save them.
129. Preventing mercy is the greatest. How many favours doth God prevent us with ! We never asked for our being, nor for that tender love which our parents bore towards us in our tender years. We never asked for our baptism and engrafting into Christ. What a motive there- fore is that to stir us up, that when we come to years, we may plead with the Lord, and say, ' Thou hadst a care of me before I had a being; and therefore much more wilt thou now have a care of me, whom thou hast reconciled unto thyself, and remember me in mercy for time to come.'
130. If God's mercy might be overcome with our sins, we should over- come it every day. It must be a rich mercy that must satisfy ; and there- fore the apostle never speaks of it without the extensions of love, * the height and depth.' We want words, we want thoughts, to conceive of it. We should therefore labour to frame our souls to have rich and large con- ceits and apprehensions of so large mercy.
131. God is rich in mercy, not only to our souls, but in providing all we stand in need of. He keep us from ill, and so he is called a ' buckler;' he gives all good things, and so he is called a ' sun.' He keeps us in good estate, and advanceth us higher, so far as our nature shall be capable.
* That is, ' deaigii,' or ' intention.' — G.
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132. The sun sliines on the moon and stars, and they shine upon the earth ; so doth God shine in goodness upon us, that we might shine in our extensions of goodness unto others, especially unto them of the household of faith.
133. We are styled in Scripture to be good and righteous, because our understandings, our wills, and affections are our own ; but so far as they are holy, they are the Holy Ghost's. We are the principal in our actions, as they are actions; but the Holy Ghost is principal of the holiness of the action. The gracious government of the new creature is from the Spirit. If the Holy Ghost take away his government, and do not guide and assist us in every holy action, we are at a stand, and can go no further.
134. Every man naturally is a god unto himself, not only in reflecting all upon himself, but in setting upon divine things in his own strength, as if he were principal in his own actions, coming to them in the strength of his own wit and in the strength of his own reason. This seed is in all men by nature, uutil God have turned a man out of himself, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
135. Those that care not for the word, they are strangers from the Spirit ; and those that care not for the Spirit, never make right use of the word. The word is nothing without the Spirit; it is animated and quick- ened by the Spirit. The Spirit and the word are like the veins and arteries in the body, that give quickening and life to the whole body ; and therefore where the word is most revealed, there is most Spirit; but where Christ is not opened in the gospel, there the Spirit is not at all visible.
136. When Christ comes into the soul by the Spirit, then he carries himself familiarly, discovering the secrets of God the Father, and shewing what love there is in God toward us. It teacheth us how to carry ourselves in all neglects, and when we are at a loss it opens a way for us ; it resolves our doubts, it comforts us in our discouragements, and makes us go boldly to God in all our wants.
137. As we may know who dwells in a house by observing who goes in and them that come out, so we may know that the Spirit dwells in us by observing what sanctified speeches he sends forth, and what delight he hath wrought in us to things that are special, and what price we set upon them. Whereas a carnal man pulls down the price of spiritual things, because his soul cleaves to something that he joys in more; and this is the cause why he slights the directions and comforts of the word. But those in whom the Spirit dwells, they will consult with it, and not regard what flesh and blood saith, but will follow the directions of the word and Spirit.