AND HOLY CONTEMPLATIONS. 225
we give way to wrath, and revenge, and covetousness, in that degree Satan hath advantage against us. Seventhly, when a man will not believe and submit to truths revealed, though but a natural truth ; therefore God gave them up to vile afi'ections, Rom. i. 26, because they would not cherish the light of nature, much more»when we do not cherish the light of grace.
321. As Christ wrought our salvation in an estate of baseness, so in our way to glory we must be conformable to our Head, and pass through an estate of baseness. We are chosen to a portion of afflictions, as well as to grace and glory. God sees it needful also, because we cannot easily digest a flourishing condition. We are naturally given to affect* outward excel- lencies. When we are trusted with great matters, we are apt to forget God and our duty to others. This should therefore teach us to justify God when we are any ways abased in the world.
322. There are a world of poor, who yet are exceeding proud ; but God sanctifies outward poverty unto his children, so as it makes way for poverty of spirit ; that as they are poor, so they have a mean esteem of themselves. It makes them inwardly more humble and more tractable. Therefore when we are under any cross, observe how it works ; see whether we join with God or no. When he afflicts us outwardly, whether inwardly we be more humble ; when he humbles us and makes us poor, whether we be also poor in spirit ; when God goes about to take us down, we should labour to take down ourselves.
323. Poverty of spirit should accompany us all our life long, to let us see that we have no righteousness of our own to sanctification ; that all the grace we have is out of ourselves, even for the performance of every holy duty. For though we have grace, yet we cannot bring that grace into act without new grace ; even as there is a fitness in trees to bear fruit, but without the influence of heaven they cannot. That which oftentimes makes us miscarry in the actions of our calling, is because we think we have strength and wisdom enough ; and then what is begun in self- confidence, is ended in shame. We set upon duties in our own pride and strength of parts, and find success accordingly. Therefore it is a sign that God will bless our endeavours, when out of the sense of our own weakness we water our business with prayer and tears.
324. It is not sufficient for a Christian to have habitual grace. There is no vine can bring forth fruit without the influence of heaven, though it be rooted ; so we cannot bring forth fruit unless God blow upon us. Our former strength will not serve when a new temptation comes. It is not enough to have grace, but we must use it. We must exercise our faith, love, patience, humility; and for this purpose God hath furnished us with the Spirit of all grace. Let us therefore remember, when we have any duty to do, to pray unto Christ to blow upon us with his Spirit.
325. God doth not so much look at our infirmities as at our upright- ness and sincerity; and therefore when we are out of temptations, we should consider and examine what God hath wrought in us. And then though there be infirmities and failings, yet if our hearts be upright, God will pardon them ; as we find that David and others were accounted upright, and yet had many imperfections.
326. Watching is an exercising of all the graces of the soul, and these are given to keep our souls awake. We have enemies about us that are not asleep, and our worst enemy is within us; and so much the worse,
* That is, ' love,' choose. — G.
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226 DIVINE MEDITATIONS
because so near. We live also in a world full of temptations, and wicked men are full of malice. Wo are passing through our enemy's country, and therefore had need to have our wits about us. The devil also is at one end of every good action, and therefore we had need to keep all our graces in perpetual exorcise. We should watch in fear of jealousy, taking heed of a spirit of drowsiness; labouring also to keep ourselves un- spotted of the world.
327. It may be asked, how we shall know the Scripture to be the word of God ? For answer, do but grant, first, that there is a God, it will follow then that he must be worshipped and served; and that this service must be discovered to us, that we may know what he doth require ; and then let it be compared what the word of God can come near to be the same with this. Besides, God hath blessed the superstition of the Jews, who were very strict this way, to preserve it for us ; and the heretics, since the primitive church, have so observed one another, that there can be no other to this word. But now we must further know, that we must have some- thing in our souls suitable to the truths contained in it, before we can truly and savingly believe it to be the word of God, as that we find it to have a power in working upon our hearts and afi'ections: Luke xxiv. 32, 'Did not our hearts burn within us, when he opened to us the scriptures ? ' Again, it hath a divine operation to warm and pacify the soul, and a power to make a Felix tremble. It hath a searching quality, to divide between the marrow and the bone. AVe do not therefore only believe the Scrip- tures to be the word of God because any man saith so, or because the church saith so ; but also and principally because I find it by experience working the same eifects in me that it speaks of itself. And therefore let us never rest, till, when we hear a promise, we may have something in us by the sanctifying Spirit that may be suitable to it; and so assuring of us that it is that word alone that informs us of the good pleasure of God to us, and our duty to him.