217. God takes nothing away from his children, but instead thereof, he gives them that which is better. Happy is that self-denial that is made up with joy in God. Happy is that poverty that is made up with grace and comfort. Therefore let us not fear anything that God shall call us unto in this world. It is hard to persuade flesh and blood hereunto ; but those that find the experience of this as Christians, do find withal particular com- forts flowing from the presence of Christ's Spirit. St Paul would not have wanted his whippings to have missed his comforts.
218. Christ doth chiefly manifest himself unto the Christian soul in times of afiiiction, because then the soul unites itself most to Christ ; for the soul in time of prosperity scatters and loseth itself in the creature, but there is an uniting po\Yer in afflictions to make the soul gather itself to God.
219. Christ took upon him our nature, and in that nature suffered hunger, and was subject to all infirmities. Therefore, when we are put to pains in our callings, to troubles for a good conscience, or to any hardship in the world, we must labour for contentment, because we are hardly* made conformable imto Christ.
220. There is not any thing or any condition that befalls a Christian in this life but there is a general rule in the Scripture for it, and this rule is quickened by example, because it is a practical knowledge. God doth not only write his law in naked commandments, but he enlivens these with the practice of some one or other of his servants. Who can read David's Psalms but he shall read himself in them ? He cannot be in any trouble but David is in the same, &c.
221. As children in the womb have eyes and ears, not for that place, but for a civil life afterwards among men, where they shall have use of all members, even so our life here is not for this world only, but for another. We have large capacities, large memories, large aflections, large expecta- tions. God doth not give us large capacities and large aflections for this world, but for heaven and heavenly things.
222. Take a Christian that hath studied mortification, you shall see the life of Jesus in his sickness, in a great deal of patience and heavenly-mindedness, when his condition is above his power, his strength above his condition.
223. As men do cherish young plants at first, and do fence them about with hedges and other things to keep them from hurt, but when they are grown, they remove them, and then leave them to the wind and weather, so God, he besets his children first with props of inward comforts, but afterwards he exposes them to storms and winds, because they are better able to bear it. Therefore let no man think himself the better because he is free from troubles. It is because God sees him not fit to bear greater.
* That is, ' with difficulty.'— G. VOL. VII. O
210 DmNE MEDITATIONS
224. T\Tien we read tlie Scriptures, we should read to take out some- tliing for ourselves ; as when we read any promise, This is mine ; when we read any prerogative, This is mine, it was written for me ; as the apostle saith, 'Whatsoever was written aforetime was written for our learning,' &c., Rom. XV. 4.
225. As the Spnit is necessary to work faith at the first, so is it necessary also to every act of faith ; for faith cannot act upon occasion but by the Spirit; and therefore we should not attempt to do or to suffer anything rashly, but beg the Spirit of God, and wait for the assistance, because according to the increase of our troubles must our faith be increased ; for the life of a Christian is not only to have the Spirit work faith at first, but upon all occasions to raise up our former graces. For faith stirs up all other graces, and holds every grace to the word; and so long as faith con- tinues, we keep all other graces in exercise.
226. There is no true Christian but hath a public spirit to seek the good of others, because as soon as he is a Christian, he labours for self-denial. He knows he must give up himself and all to God, so that his spirit is en- larged in measure unto God and to the church ; and therefore the greater por- tion a man hath of the Spirit of Christ, the more he seeks the good of others.
227. If we would have hearts to praise God, we must labour to see every- thing we receive from God to be of grace, and abundance of grace answer- able to the degrees of good. Whatsoever we have more than nature is abundant grace. Whatsoever we have as Christians, though poor and distressed in our passage to heaven, is abundant grace.
228. There are three main parts of our salvation : first, a true knowledge of our misery ; and secondly, the knowledge of our deliverance ; and then, to live a life answerable. The Holy Ghost can only work these. He only convinceth of sin ; and where he truly convinceth of sin, there also of righteousness, and then of judgments.