The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Comforts against our daily infirmitics.
HItherto of the consolations against the temptations of Satan. There remaine two other distresses of the Spirit; the one arising from the sense of daily infirmities; the other from the feare of falling away, and losing of what we hauehave.
For the first, There are many wayes by which a Christian may fence his heart against the discouragements that arise from the sense of daily infirmities▪
And these promises are of two Two sorts of promisessorts: For they are either such as giuegive vsus arguments of coōsolatin in themselues, or such as withall remoue the obiections are wont to arise in our hearts vponupon some particular consideration of the manner of the infirmities in vsus.
By infirmities, I meane defects, What is meant by infirmities.ignorance, indisposition, feare, discouragements, forgetfulnesse, omissions, distractions, particular falles through frailty, some kindes of euill thoughts, dulnesse, vnchearfulnesse, doubts, and the euil of our good workes.
The Arguments of Consolation The comforts raised from the consideration, 1 Of thy age in Christ.are:
1 There are differences in the degrees of the age of Christ in vsus Some Christians are but weake, young ones, Lambes, Babes, new formed; and God knowes it, and lookes for no more from such, then what agrees to their age. Hee is a compassionate Father, that doth not require the same power of gifts in a weake Christian, which he lookes for in a strong.
2 It should much ease vsus to remember, that wee are not 2 Of thy condition now vnderunder Grace.vnderunder the Law, but vnderunder Grace, Rom. 6. 14. Wee are deliuered from the rigour of the Law, God now doth not expect perfection from vsus, nor accounts vsus as transgressors, because we are imperfect, but hath receiued vsus to the benefit of the new Couenant: In which, perfection is onelyonly required in Christ, and vprightnesse in vsus.
3 Wee may be very weake in strength and power of gifts, and 3 Of the fruitfulnes may b… in a weake Christian.yet verie fruitfull: Wee may doe much good while wee are in the Infancie of Grace, which the cōparis…n of the vine, (to which the godly are resembled) shewes. The Vine is not the strongest of Trees, and yet is more fruitfull in pleasant fruit, then many other Trees, not of the field onelyonly, but of the Garden also. Now the godly are likened to the Vine, Esay …7. 2. to shew, that all their weakenes not withstanding, they may be… aboundant in pleasing fruit.
4 The goodnesse of God… nature should much encourage and 4 Of the goodnesse of Gods nature: For he iscomfort vsus herein: And so if wee consider foure prayses in the nature of God.
First, He is gracious: he stands 1 Gracio…not vponupon desert, we may buy of him without money; he can louelove vsus for his owne sake, though we be able no way to pleade our owne merits, Esay. 55. 1, 2, 3.
Secondly, He is mercifull, yea 2 Mercifulmerciemercy pleaseth him; it is no trouble to him to shew mercy, but he delighteth in it, Mich. 7. 18.
Thirdly, He is slow to anger Infirmities 3 Slow to anger.wil not prouoke him to wrath; hee can d…light in vsus still, though we hauehave many wants and weakeness…s, Ps. …05.
Fourthly, Hee is ready to forgiue. 4 Ready to forgineIf…y our too much careles…sse a…d frequencie in offen…ing he be …eged to d…leasure, yet …e is quickly pacified, a few prayers and teares in the confession of our faults will turne away all his displeas…re, so as he will remember our iniquitie… no more, Psalme ….
…soly The I…l will s…eng then his own worke in vsus by his 5 Of the hope of strength.Spi…it; and though grace bee but in th… bu…, yo… his bl…ssing shall bee upon …r bud…, and … gr… as the will owes planted by the water-courses: The hopes of increase, should stay vsus against the present sense of weakenesse, Esay 44. 2, 3, 4.
6. There are many things comfortable Of many things in Christias,to bee thought vponupon in Christ.
For first, He makes account to 1 His opinion of vsus.find vsus sicke, and sinners, he doth not expect to find vsus righteous altogether: Hee came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, Marke 2. 17.
Secondly, Wee hauehave such an 2 His comdassion.High Priest, as knowes how to hauehave compassion vponupon those that are out of the way: Hee is touched with our infirmities, hee doth rather pitty vsus, then hate vsus for our weakenesses, Hebr. 4. 15.
Thirdly, His intercession couers 3 His Intercession.our infirmities. If any man sinne, wee hauehave an Aduocate, euen Iesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins. He takes an order in Heauen, that God shall not bee turned away from vsus, he makes daily intercess…ō for vsus.
Fourthly, His blood will powerfully 4 His blood.cleanse our conscience from the deadnesse which is in our works, Heb. 9. 14.
Fiftly, Hee is the Lord our 5 The imputation of his righteousnesse.righteousnesse, & that is his name by which hee will bee called, Ier. 23. 6. His perfect righteousnesse is as truly ours, as if we had performed it our selues: So as although we be most vnperfect in our selues, yet in Christ God can find no fault in vsus, nor see any trangression: though our sanctification be spotted, yet our iustification hath no blemish in it.
7 The helpes God hath affoorded The helpe of the Ministerie.vsus in his Ministers, may bee some ease vntounto vsus: though for weakenesse we be but …ambs, yet God hath prouided for vsus; hee hath giuen vsus Shepherds to feede vsus, and giuen them a charge to looke to his Lambes, as well as his Sheepe. The Church is compared to a nurse with brests, and we hauehave a promise to suck out of the brests of her consolations, Ierem. 23. 4. Esay 56. 11, 12, 13. Iohn 23. 19.
8 Wee should especially bee Of diuers particular fauors God hath assu…ed vsus of.refreshed with the consideration of diuers particular fauours God hath assured vsus of in his Word: as,
First, That he will not deale with vsus after our sinnes, nor reward vsus after our iniquities, Psal. 103.
Secondly, That he wil spare vsus, as a man spareth his sonne that serueth him. No father can shew compassion like to that which God will bee bound to shew to his children, Mal. 3. 17.
Thirdly, that the smoking flax shall not be quenched, & the bruised reed shall not bee broken; though grace were in vsus but like the heate in the weeke of the Candle when the light is out, yet God hath taken order that it shall not bee extinguished, Esay 42. 3.
Fourthly, That in all times of need wee shall hauehave accesse vntounto the Throne of Grace, and obtaine a supply of all our wants; so as we may goe boldly to aske what we need in the Name of Christ, and it shall be giuen vsus, Hebrewes 4. vlt.
Fifth, That hee will accept of our desires, and our will to doe his seruice shall be taken for the deed, so as he will reckon of so much good to be done by vsus, as wee desired and endeuoured to doe: our workes are as good as Note.wee desired to hauehave them to be: The preparations of our hearts are reckoned with God as great things, Esay 55. 1. Ierem. 30. 2. 2 Cor. 8. 12.
Sixthly, That in all his dealing with vsus, he will vse vsus in all compassion with a tender respect of our weakenesse. Our weeping and supplication shal be accepted before him, and hee will cause vsus to walke in a straight way, in which we shall not stumble, Ier. 31. 9. In all our afflictions, hee is afflicted. In louelove, in care, in pittie, hee will redeeme vsus, and carry vsus as in the dayes of old, Esay 63. 9. As he hath borne vsus from the wombe, so will hee bee the same still vntounto old age, euen vntounto the gray haires. He will carry vsus in the armes of his compassion: Hee hath made vsus, he will beare, euen he will carry, and will deliuer vsus, Esay 46. 3, 4. He will gather the Lambes with his armes and carrie them in his bosome, and gently leade those that are with young, Esay 40. 11.
Seuenthly, That he will supply all our necessities out of the riches of his glorie, Psa. 4. 19.
Eighthly, That he will passe by our meere frailties, and take no notice of the errours of our liues that arise from meere infirmities; There is no God like vntounto him for passing by transgressions, Mich. 7. 18.
Ninthly, That he will strengthen vsus, and make vsus grow in the gifts bestowed vponupon vsus: The Lord will bee the hope of his people, and the strength of his Children of Israel, Ioel 3. 16. He giueth power to the faint, and to them that hauehave no might, he increaseth strength: they that waite vponupon the Lord, shall renew their strength, Esa. 40. 29, 31 He will be as the dew to his people. They shall grow as the Lilly, and cast forth their rootes as Lebanon. Their branches shall spread, and their beautie bee as the Oliue tree, and their smell as Lebanon. They shall reuiue as the Corne, and grow as the Vine, Hosh. 14. 5, 6, 7.
And to assure all this, God would hauehave vsus to know that hee hath married vsus vntounto himselfe, and holds himselfe tyed in the couenant of marriage with all kindnesse and faithfulnesse, to take the care and charge of vsus for euer, Hosh. 2. 19.
9. To conclude the first sort of Of what God may bring thee to.promises, what knowest thou what God may bring thee vntounto, notwithstanding thy weaknesse? Hee can make thee to multiply as the bud of the field. He can make thee increase and waxe great. He can make thee attaine vntounto excellent ornaments, Ezech. 10. 7. Since thou art the branch of his planting, the worke of his hand, hee may greatly glorifie himselfe in thee, so as thy little one may be as a thousand, and thy small one as a strong Nation. God can performe it in his due time, Esay 60. 21, 22. Though thou hauehave but a little strength, God hath set before thee such an open doore, as no man can shut: and God can make thee stand in the louelove of the truth, without denying his Name when the houre of temptation comes vponupon the World, and many of great vnderstanding fall, Reu. 3. 8, 9, 10.
Hitherto of the principall consolatiōs in the case of infirmities.