§ 12. To quicken our diligence in our work, we should also consider, what assistances we have, what principles we profess, and our certainty that we can never do too much. For our assistance in the service of God, all the world are our servants. The sun, moon, and stars, attend us with their light and influence. The earth, with all its furniture of plants and flowers, fruits, birds, and beasts; the sea, with its inhabitants; the air, the wind, the frost and snow, the heat and fire, the clouds and rain, all wait upon us while we do our work. Yea, _the angels are all our ministering spirits_.[266] Nay more, the patience of God doth wait upon us; the Lord Jesus Christ waiteth, in the offers of his blood; the Holy Spirit waiteth, by striving with our backward hearts; besides the ministers of the gospel, who study and wait, preach and wait, pray and wait, upon careless sinners. And is it not an intolerable crime for us to trifle, while angels and men; yea, the Lord himself, stand by, and look on, and, as it were, hold us the candle while we do nothing? I beseech you, Christians, whenever you are praying, or reproving transgressors, or upon any duty, remember what assistances you have for your work, and then judge how you ought to perform it. The principles we profess, are, that God is the chief good; that all our happiness consists in his love, and therefore it should be valued and sought above all things; that he is our only Lord, and therefore chiefly to be served; that we must love him with all our heart, and soul, and strength; that our great business in the world is to glorify God, and obtain salvation. Are these doctrines seen in our practice? Or rather do not our works deny what our words confess? But however our assistances and principles excite us to our work, we are sure we can never do too much. Could we _do all, we are unprofitable servants_;[267] much more when we are sure to fail in all. No man can obey, or serve God too much. Though all superstition, or service of our own devising, may be called a _being righteous overmuch_; yet as long as we keep to the rule of the word, we can never be righteous too much. The world is mad with malice, when they think, that faithful diligence in the service of Christ is foolish singularity. The time is near when they will easily confess, that God could not be loved, or served too much, and that no man can be too busy to save his soul. We may easily do too much for the world, but we cannot for God.
[Footnote 266] Hebrews i, 14.
[Footnote 267] Luke xvii, 10.