- That is, ' beside.'- G. f That is, * trifles.'— G.
AND HOLY CONTEMPLATIONS, 221
tliat cannot make a right choice of things ? and how do carnal men make their choice, when they embrace perishing things for the best ? Secondly, a carnal man hath not parts to apprehend spiritual things aright. He can- not see things invisible. Thirdly, in his heart he accounts it a vain thing to serve the Lord, Fourthly, he judges his enemies to be his best friends, and his best friends to be his worst enemies. Fifthly, the principles of all his actions are rotten, because they are not directed to the right object ; therefore all his afiections are mad, as his joy, his love, his delight. His love is but lust, his anger vexation ; for his confidence he calls (iod's lovo into question ; but if a false suggestion comes from the devil, that he em- braces, and therefore is he not now a madman ? And this is the condition of all natural men in the world.
300. True freedom is when the heart is enlarged, and made subordinate to God in Christ, A man is then in a sweet frame of soul when his heart is made subject to God ; for he, being larger than the soul, sets it at liberty. God will have us make his glory our aim, that he may bestow himself upon us.
301. When the love of Christ is manifested to me, and my love again to Christ is wrought by the Spirit, this causes an admiration to the soul, •when it considers what wonderful love is in Christ ; and the Spirit shall witness that this love of Christ is set upon me ; from hence it begins to admire,* ' Lord, wherefore wilt thou shew thyself to us, and not to the world ?' John xiv. 22. What is the reason thou lovestme, and not others? When the soul hath been with God in the mount, and when it is turned from earthly things, then it sees nothing but love and mercy, and this con- strains us to do all things out of love to God and men.
302. When Joshua cursed the man that should build the walls of Jericho, he was not in commotion and fury, but in a peaceable temper, Joshua vi.
A 26. So that, when cursing comes from such a one, he is a declaratory instrument, and the conveyer of God's curse. Therefore every man must not take upon him to curse, for men oftentimes curse where they should bless, which is an arrow shot upright, that falls down upon his own head ; but those that come in the name of the Lord, and are qualified for that purpose, their cursings or blessings are to be esteemed, for they are a means oftentimes to convey God's blessings or his cursings upon us.
303. It is over-curious to exact the first beginnings of grace, because it falls by degrees, like the dew, undiscernibly ; and further, there is a great deal of wisdom as well as power in the working of grace. God oflers no violence to the soul, but works sweetly yet strongly, and strongly yet sweetly. He goes so far with our nature, that we shall freely delight in grace. So that now he sees great reason why he should alter his course, God doth not overthrow nature. The stream is but changed, the man is the same.
304. When the soul desires the forgiveness of sin, and not grace to lead a new life, that desire is hypocritical ; for a true Christian desires power against sin as well as pardon for it. If we have not sanctifying grace, we have not pardoning grace. Christ came as well by water to regenerate as by blood to justify. It should therefore be our continual care and endea- vour to grow and increase in grace, because without it we shall never come to heaven. Without this endeavour our sacrifices are not accepted ; with- out this we cannot withstand our enemies, or bear any cross ; without it we cannot go on comfortably in our course ; without this we cannot do any- thing acceptable and pleasing to God.
* That is, ' wonder.' — Gr.
222 DIVINE MEDITATIONS
305. God will bo ' as the dew unto Israel, and he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon,' Hos. xiv. 5. These are not words wastefully spent ; for we have great need of such promises, especially in a distressed state, for then our spirits are apt to sink and our hearts to faint, and therefore we have need to have the same comforts often repeated. Profane hearts think, what need all this ? but if ever thou beest touched in conscieuce for thy sins, thou wilt then be far from finding fault, when God uscth all the secrets in the book of nature, aud translates them, to assure us of his mercy and love.
306. God's children are strengthened by their falls. They learn to stand by their falls. Like tall cedars, the more they are blown, the deeper they are rooted. That which men think is the overthrow of God's children, doth but root them deeper ; so that, after all outward storms and inward declinings, this is the issue, ' They take root downward, and bring forth fruit upwards.'