239. He is a vahant man that can command himself to be miserable ; and he that cannot command himself to endure some bondage and disgrace in the world, it argues weakness. Christ could have come down from the cross, but he shewed his strength and power by enduring their reproaches and torments.
240. The reason why many Christians stagger, and are so full of doubts, is because they are idle, and labour not to grow in grace. There-
212 DIVINE MEDITATIONS
fore we shoald labour to grow in knowledge and mortification, for in that way we come to assurance.
241. Whatsoever good is in a natural man, is depraved* by a self-end. Self-love rules all his actions. He keeps within himself, and makes for himself: he is a god to himself: God is but his idol. This is true of all natural men in the world. They make themselves their last end ; and where the end is depraved, the whole course is corrupted.
242. The sense of assured hope cannot be maintained without a great deal of pains, diligence, and watchfulness : 2 Pet. i. 10, ' Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure,' insinuating that it will not be had without it. It is the diligent and watchful Christian that hath this assu- rance ; otherwise the Holy Ghost will sufter us to be in a damp,t and under a cloud, if we stir not up the graces of the Spirit. It is grace in the exer- cise, and love in the exercise, that is an earnest, and so faith and hope in the exercise is an earnest. If grace be asleep, you may have grace, and not know it. Therefore we should labour to put our graces into exercise.
243. Those that have assurance of their salvation have oftentimes trouble- some distractions, because they do not always stand upon their guard. Sometimes they are lifted up to heaven, and sometimes cast down even to hell ; yet always in the worst condition there is something left in the soul, that suggests to it that it is not utterly cast off.
244. He to whom this pilgrimage is over-sweet, loves not his country ; yet tbe pleasures of this life are so suitable to our nature, that we should sit by them, but that God follows us with several crosses. Therefore let us take in good part any cross, because it is out of heavenly love that we are exercised, lest we should surfeit upon things here below.
245. In melancholy distempers, especially Vv-hen there goes guilt of spirit with it, we can see nothing but darkness in wife, children, friends, estate, &c. Here is a pitiful darkness, when body, and soul, and conscience, and all are distempered. Now let a Christian see God in his nature and pro- mises, and though he cannot live by sight in such a distemper, yet let him then live by faith.
246. Though God do personate an enemy, yet faith sees a fatherly nature in him. It apprehends some beams of comfort. Though there be no sense and feeling, yet the Spirit works a power in the heart, whereby the soul is able to clasp with God, and to allege his word and nature against himself.
247. The reason why the world seeth not the happy condition of God's children is, because their bodies are subject to the same infirmities with the worst of men ; nor are they exempted from troubles. They are also subject to fall into gross sins, and therefore worldly men think. Are these the men that are happier than we ? They see their crosses, but not their crowns ; they see their infirmities, but not their graces ; they see their miseries, but not their inward joy and peace of conscience.
248. To walk by faith is to be active in our walking, not to do as we list, but it is a stirring by rule. Since the fall, we have lost our hold of God, and we must be brought again to God by the same way we fell from him. We fell by infidelity, and we must be brought again by faith, and lead our lives upon such grounds as faith afi"ords. We must walk by faith, looking upon God's promise, and God's call, and God's commandments, and not live by opinion, example, and reason.
249. In the exercise of our callings, when we think we shall do no good,
* That is, ' vitiated.'— G. f Qu- ' dump ' ?— G.
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but all things seem contrary, yet faith saith, God hath set me here ; I will cast in my net at thy commandment, Luke v. 5. Let us look upon God, and see what he commands, and then cast ourselves upon him.
250. A Christian hath sense and experience of God's love, together with his faith. It is not a naked faith without any relish, but that sense and experience we have here is given to strengthen faith for time to come ; and therefore when we have any sweet feelings, we must not rest in them, but remember they are given to encourage us in our way, and to look for ful- ness in another world.
251. There is a double act of faith : first, the direct act, whereby I cast myself upon Christ, and there is a reflect act, whereby I know that I am in an estate of grace by the fruits of the Spirit. It is by the first act that we are saved. Feelings are oftentimes divided from the first act ; for God may enable a man to cast himself upon Chi-ist, and yet for some ends he shall not know it, because he will humble him. God gives the reflect act, which is assured hope, as a reward of exact walking, but we must trust to that closing act of faith as to that which saveth us. We ought to live by this direct act of faith till we come to heaven, but add this, that there is no man walks by faith that wants comfort.