The Excellency of Holy Courage in Evil Times, Chapter 24
CHAP. 24.
Helps to put on Faith in any undertaking. 1. Set before you the example of your great Captain Jeſus Chriſt. 2. Make preparation for the work of Faith by Humiliation. 3. Renew your Faith in the Covenant of Grace. 4. In difficult times, ſet Faith on work to purifie the heart. 5. Take heed of ſhifting waies and dependances. 6. Set looſe from your own ends. 7. Caſt your ſelves upon the word of God. 8. Plead the word with God in prayer. 9. Refuſe no meanes that God puts into your hands. 10. Do nothing with a ſlaviſh ſpirit 11. Be not diſcouraged by miſcarriages that are paſt 12. Take heed of the diſturbance of paſſion in your work. 13. Obſerve the dependances one work hath upon another. 14. Liſſon not to Temptations. 15. Take heed of perverſe reaſonings. 16. Take heed of diſorderly working, in four caſes. 17. Ʋſe reſolution and Courage. 18. Look on your ſelves as Gods Inſtruments. 19. Be conſtant though you find nothing come of it. 20. Encreaſe not the difficulty by your Carriage. 21. Look moſt at your Encouragements. 22. Ʋſe not the difficulty in the way to reaſon againſt the work. 23. Labor to harden your ſelves by faith againſt all difficulties
NOw doth God call you to any ſervice or work that hath any difficulty in it? you ſee what it is that will help. David by Faith in Pſal. 18.29. Says, he could break through a troop and leap over a wall, and break a bow of Steel, and Paul could do all things through Chriſt that ſtrengthened him; As Chriſt ſaid of Miraculous faith, ſo it may be ſaid of Juſtifying Faith. If you had faith but as a graine of muſtard ſeed, you ſhould ſay unto this mountaine be removed hence to yonder place, and unto this Sycamine tree, be thou plucked up by the roots, and be thou planted in the Sea and they ſhall obey you, in Math. 17.20. And in Luke, 17.6. And ſo Faith if it come to a ſin that is rooted, it will be able to pluck it up by the roots, and to remove mountains. There is nothing more weake, and unuſeful then on ordinary conceited faith, that is but a bare opinion, and groundleſs hope, but nothing more ſtrong and uſefull then true Faith, it hath the quinteſſence of all graces, as the root of the herb hath the vertue, and quinteſſence of all the fruite, and branches in it, ſo faith hath the quinteſſence of all grace, and therfore it will do great things. As it was ſaid of Luther that had much faith, he could do whatſoever he would: So it may be ſaid of Faith and the Scripture ſaith ſo of it; Faith can do what it will, it was the ſpeech of Chriſt to the woman: O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee as thou wilt: In Math. 15.28. Thoſe whoſe faith is great it ſhall be to them as they will, but know it muſt be exerciſed, it is not enough to have it in the habit, but the activity, and exerciſe of it: wherefore for the putting on of your Faith.
1. Let us ſet before us the example of our great Captaine the Lord Jeſus Chriſt you know what difficult works Chriſt undertooke for the ſalvation of man, ſuch difficult works as all the Angells in heaven and creatures in the world would have ſunke under: But Chriſt went through them; and there was a work of Faith in Chriſt that carried him through, though it was not ſuch a work of faith as ours, Juſtifying Faith, yet he had a Faith, his truſt in his father that did help to carry him through great and difficult works. In 2 Heb. 12.13. Chriſt is propounded as an example unto us, Saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midſt of the Church will I ſing praiſe unto thee: Chriſt in his own perſon did praiſe God, and he ſung praiſes in the hearts of his people, ſo that by the way, take this as a comfortable note, to encourage us to publique duties, while we are prayſing of God, Chriſt is prayſing of God while we are ſinging of pſalms to God in a gracious manner, Chriſt is prayſing of God the father. And again I will put my truſt in him, it is a ſpeech of Chriſt unto the Father, Chriſt put his truſt in the Father, and the example of the work of Faith in Chriſt to carry him through all the works he had to do, is brought as an incouragement unto Chriſtians, to caſt their relyance on God the Father, to carry them through all the hard works they have to do. And as Chriſt did not only praiſe God in his own perſon, but in the Church, ſo Chriſt did not only in his own perſon truſt in the Father and ſo was carried through the difficult works he had to do, but he truſted in his Father, in the hearts of his people, that they might be carried through the difficult works they have to do.
2. When any difficult work is to be done, labor to make preparation for the work of Faith by humiliation, before you undertake the work and according to the nature of any difficult ſervices there muſt be a proportionable meaſure of humiliation before you undertake that work: therefore when God hath called to extraordinary works, uſually Gods people have made preparation for their faith by extraordinary humiliation, as Nehemiah, Ezra and Eſther, that were to undertake great works, which they were to be carried through by faith, they made preparation by extraordinary humiliation before hand. It is in the putting forth of a new act of faith, as it was in the firſt act of Faith, as eſpecially humiliation was a preparation for faith at firſt, ſo eſpecially humiliation is a preparation for the putting forth of a new act of Faith, after we have it.
3. When any difficult ſervice comes to be performed let there be oft renewing of Faith in the great covenant of Grace: and do not only think to exerciſe faith in this particular work, but let your care be about renewing Faith in the great covenant, let the great Charter be renewed, and inferiour grants wil come in. Thus God dealt with Abraham, when any thing befell Abraham that he was in a great ſtraight, then God renewed his Covenant with him, I am God Alſufficient; God thought this a ſpecial meanes to carry him through; If you have renewed the covenant (in which all the promiſes are included) this is a great help to Faith, Shall not God who hath given us his Son with him alſo give us al things elſe; the ſoul may reaſon ſtrongly thus.
4. Faith muſt be ſet on work when any difficult ſervice is to be done, for the purifying of the heart, though you beleeve God will be with you, and ſtrengthen you in the work, yet unleſs you make uſe of Faith to purifie the heart, as well as beleeve, you may miſcarry in the work, if there be any luſt that lies next the heart, you wil never be able for to do great things; for ſin as it is of a defiling nature, ſo it is of a weakning nature. If you would have a ſpirit of power, you muſt have a ſound mind. In Nehemiah, 13.3. When they were about a great work they ſeparated the mixt company, & when you are about any great work, Exerciſe Faith to purge your hearts from corruption, Saies David, Pſal. 18.32. It is God that girdeth me with ſtrength, and makes my way perfect. The girding of him with ſtrength and making his way perfect went together: therefore: labor that the way with God in your own hearts may be perfect, and clean, and then God will gird you with ſtrength.
5. In difficulties labor to exerciſe faith to get you off from all ſhifting waies, and creature dependances: It is obſervable of thoſe that have to deal with mettals, when they are working of Gold, that they might have it work the eaſier, they will mixe other mettals with it, and upon the mixing of Lead and tinne with Gold, it works the eaſier, but it is a great deal worſe, it were better they would take more pains in the working of it, it would be purer. Juſt ſo do many Chriſtians, that are ill workemen in the waies of God, when they are working of good actions and they find them difficult, and go ſomwhat hard off, they will be mixing their own carnall pollicy, and ſhifting courſes, and to that end the work may go off eaſier, but though it be eaſier to be done yet it is a worſe peece of work after it be done, then it would have been if it had been done with more paines. Labor to exerciſe Faith to get you off from al creature dependances, if the heart by Faith be given up to God alone, it will do mighty things: but if ſo be we would have two ſtrings to our bow, that if ſuch a means do faile we may have ſome other to reſt upon, we ſhall never do any great thing: And therefore when God would uſe any of his people to do great things, he firſt took them off from al creature helps they had before, as I have met with an obſervation that one hath from Moſes about this. In Acts, 17, 22. It is ſaid Moſes was an Eloquent man, a man of mighty words. Yet if you read the Story in Exod. 4.10. you ſhall hear Moſes complaine that he was ſlow of ſpeech, and not eloquent. This is anſwered, Moſes was a man of mighty words, but when God was about this work, and a little before God took away his excellency in words, that he might have further dependance upon God, then before he had: whether there be any reality in this or no I know not, yet certainly it is the way of God, when men have any creature helps, God doth take them off from them that they might have a ſheere work of Faith, for when the creature is uſed, it doth uſually rob God of a great part of his honor: Therfore when Gideon had ſo many thouſand, God ſaid it was too great a multitude for him to deliver his people by.
6. Faith muſt take us off from our own ends too, and ingage God in the buſineſs as much as we can, let God be ſeen in the work though we be not ſeen, let God have the glory, though it be not known who did that difficult work, great things will be done when God is ingaged in the buſineſs. And it is a ſpecial work of Faith to take us off our own ends; when you come to a great work, you think to exerciſe faith and not being taken off from your own ends; Faith looſeth its vertue and power.
7. When we come to any work that is difficult, let us labor to exerciſe Faith, to caſt our ſelves upon the word, to find out ſome promiſe, and to roule upon it to venture our ſelves and the might of our work upon that word, as namely thus: Suppoſe it be a work for the ſubduing of any ſin; that word in Rom. 6.14. Sin ſhal not have dominion over you, look at the word, and make more account of it, then of all your endeavors againſt ſin whatſoever, if it be laboring to get from under that difficulty, the guilt of Conſcience, and delivering your ſelves from the terror of it. That word in Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to thoſe that are in Chriſt Jeſus. If it be for the doing of any work that we are called to, that word that hath vertually a promiſe in it: he worketh all our works in us, and for us; Iſa. 26.12. If it be to ſtand againſt any oppoſition, that word which God gave to Joſhua, Joſhua. 1.5. I will be with thee and will not leave thee: Exerciſe Faith to get a word and to reſt your ſouls upon it.
8. Take this word and plead it with God in prayer when you enter on any difficulty, do as it were ſhew unto God his bond: though God binds him ſelf; yet he wil not come in and help till the creature come and ſhew his bond: and upon the ſight and pleading of the bond with God, God is pleaſed to come in with help, God is much taken, and delighted with this, when any of his ſervants in difficulty ſhall come, and plead his promiſes. The turning of promiſes into praier, and as it were the diſtilling of faith into prayer is a thing mighty prevailing with God: As there are ſome Phyſicall things that have great operations, but unleſs they be diſtilled, or taken in ſuch and ſuch things they will not work; but then they will work: So Faith when it is diſtilled and turned in praier, and mingled with praier, and taken down in that, then it works: If a Phyſitian ſhould come and ſay, how did you take ſuch a thing? and you ſay I ſwallowed it down, he wil ſay you ſhould have taken it in ſuch and ſuch a thing, and then it would have wrought; ſo you beleeve God will help you, but have you diſtilled your Faith into praier? and taken it therein pleading with God to fulfill his word: that is a great means to do great things.
9. Faith muſt refuſe no means, if there be any means that God doth lay in your way, take them thankefully, uſe them faithfully, diligently, carefully as if there were nothing but means: and when you have uſed them depend upon God above means, as if there were no other means: Idleneſs and preſumption are quite contrary to faith: and therefore be faithful in the uſe of means. As it is obſerved, God ſaies he brought the people into Canaan, by his mighty power and outſtretched Arme: yet there was a great many valiant Souldiers and a mighty power of the people; ſo that notwithſtanding all means, Faith knows how to give God the glory of his outſtretched arme, knowing that all ſecond cauſes work by the power of the Firſt.
10. Let us take heed that what we undertake to do, we do it not with a ſlaviſh ſpirit, meerly haled unto it but look upon every duty as a work of the Goſpel; that that people do meerly in a compulſive way, out of a ſlaviſh ſpirit, they will never go through it, but by Faith we are to look upon all duties as works of the Goſpel, not as works of the Covenant of works, but as works of the Covenant of grace, therefore that is obſervable concerning Zerubbabel In Zach, 4. Where God ſaies mountains ſhall be made plaine before Zerubbabel, difficulties ſhall be taken away, how? at verſ. 7. At the laying of the corner ſtones they ſhall crie Grace, Grace, magnifying the Grace of God, looking higher at the Garace of God, then at all the ſtrength that Zerubbabel had, and ſo being carried on in a ſpiritual way, crying Grace, Grace, that was a means to carry them through difficulties, and to make them as plains, for when you go about any great work, when you lay the firſt ſtone in that work crie Grace, Grace, this is a work that I muſt expect the free Grace of God in for aſſiſtance, for acceptance, and for bleſſing and for the carrying me through all: the more you magnify the grace of God in any work, the more you will be enabled to go through that work.
Eleventhly, You muſt not be diſcouraged by miſcarriages that have been before. You have ſet upon a work, and you have carried your ſelfe ſo in it as you have miſcarried, and you think I have ſo miſcarried, and ſinned againſt God, as I muſt never expect Gods help, If I had never miſcarried in that work, I might have had hope, but now having ſo miſcarried in that work, there is little hope: do not reaſon by former miſcarriages: If we now ſet our hearts right to the work, and come and ask wiſdom to be carried through it, though we have miſcarried twenty times before, God will not upbraid us; nor ſay, what doe you come to ask wiſdom to do that work, when as you have ſet upon that work before, and have ſpoiled it, through the pride and ſluggiſhneſs of your hearts? therefore now away; be humbled for miſcarriages before, but be not diſcouraged by any miſcarriages in that work or in any other; yea though we have begun the work and miſcarried at firſt, yet be not diſcouraged, many works have miſcarried at firſt, and yet have come to a glorious iſſue at laſt, eſpecially if miſcarriages be through weakneſs: as Jacob though he was ſtrook lame, and the ſinew of his thigh ſhrunk in wraſtling with the Angel, yet he prevailed; ſo though there may be failings, that our ſinews may be ſhrunk up, and we be lame in our work, yet there may be a prevailing at laſt, and therefore do not hinder your Faith by being diſcouraged with former miſcarriages.
12. Againe take heed of the diſturbance of paſſion in the performance of your work, that which is done in a way of paſſion, and frowardneſs and anger is ſeldom well done, if you have a ſervant, that will allwaies be buſie, and doing of ſomewhat, but do it in an anger, you had better he ſhould do nothing, they are the quiet and meek ſpirits that can carry a work ſweetly and proſperouſly on: So in any work that God ſets us about, let us go about it with quiet ſpirits, your ſtrength ſhall be to ſit ſtil, Iſa. 50.7. Saies the Lord; ſo the great ſtrength of our hearts in the performance of any work, is to ſtand ſtill, and be quiet. Stand ſtill and ſee the ſalvation of the Lord, Exod. 14.13. Not the ſtillneſs that is oppoſed to endeavor, but that ſtilneſs that is oppoſed to diſquietneſs, and tumultuouſneſs of our unruly affections: you would faine have the ſalvation of the Lord, and help in ſuch and ſuch a work, why did you not ſtand ſtil, you are not in caſe to have the ſalvation of the Lord, ſo long as you are in ſuch a diſturbance: many miſcarry in a work this way, as many fooliſhly ignorant people that are in a boat, when the boat toſſes they run up and down in the boat and will not be quiet, and ſo are drowned; whereas if there be any skilful in the boat, they ſay, do but ſit ſtill and you are ſafe enough, but they think they cannot be too haſty to help themſelves, and ſo run up and down and turne the boat over them; ſo are unruly paſſions of men in their hearts, when they are in any work and apprehend any danger, their paſſions are up, and they think there is a neceſſity for them to be ſtirring, and it is in an unruly way, and ſo they overturne themſelves, I beſeech you obſerve it in Moſes. Moſes he was to do the great work in carrying the people from Egypt, and he was of a very quiet ſpirit a great way; but he was to go on in the work, and though he was the weakeſt man upon the earth, yet the very thing that did over throw Moſes in the work at laſt, that made him to miſcarry for his own part, was the diſturbance of his paſſion, when he came to ſtrike the rock, to get water for the people, for not ſanctifying the name of God, but did it in a paſſion, that was the thing that made him miſcarry, as in Pſalm. 106.32.33. They angred him alſo at the waters of ſtrife, ſo that it went ill with Moſes for their ſakes. So you (may be) have done ſome works, ſo as you have found God ſtrengthning of you, at length you come to a work where (may be) there is more difficulty then before, and there being more difficulty your hearts are diſquieted; take heed you miſcarry not now, it is a ſpecial thing to carry on a hard work well; to go on with quietneſs: diſquiet and paſſion do much hinder; as it was the caſe of the people of Iſrael in the beginning of Exodus; When Moſes came they could not harken to him, becauſe of the anguiſh of heart; and the greatneſs of their bondage: So to apply it ſpiritually, you are ſenſible of ſome gri…vous bondage under ſome corruptions, and you have much anguiſh of ſpirit that you cannot overcome ſuch and ſuch corruptions, but take heed you be not ſo diſturbed in your hearts, as your being in anguiſh under that bondage hinder you from hearkning to the Lord in his word, and conceiving the mind and will of God a right and knowing how to order your ſelves in a right way: it was ſo with them, and truly this is juſt the caſe of many people, becauſe they are ſenſible of the bondage they are in under their corruptions, they are ſo troubled, and their hearts are in ſuch a toile, and tumult, that they cannot hearken to any thing that ſhould guide themſelves in this work.
13. Another rule for the ordering of your Faith to help you through difficult works, is to obſerve the dependances that one work hath upon another; many ſee a work God would have them to do, and they preſently ſet upon that, and do not obſerve what dependance, this hath upon ſomwhat elſe and ſo miſcarry. Suppoſe a Mariner or ſome other ſhould have a work to go and pull ſuch a cable, ſuch a rope, he goes to the place that is in view to pull that rope, but may be there is ſome other line; that holdes it in ſome other place, and they may pull their hearts out, and never pull the thing they would. So many are ſtriving and laboring, and tugging in many duties, but there is ſome ſecret holdfaſt that they obſerve not that thoſe duties have dependance upon, and they can never bring their work to paſs. As one complaines of the difficulty of getting a heart to go to God in prayer, God knows I have been in prayer & have ſtriven with my ſoul with al my might, as in the preſence of God for to get up my heart; you ſtrive and tug at this and may be you think of ſome promiſe, and exerciſe faith too, but there is ſome corruption that ſeems to be a great way off from this, that this hath dependance upon, which makes this difficult, and you ſhould ſet your faith on work to deliver your ſelves from that, and then it will come off better, as now (may be) you have been ſtriving to get your hearts up to God in prayer, and if you look well to it, it may be the frowardneſs and petriſhneſs, and paſſion of your hearts in your families, with ſervants, or wife, or husband is that which keeps down your heart, when you come into Gods preſence, you ſhould firſt have ſet your faith on work, to have cured that, and if you had cured that, you might have got up your hearts: many ſlip over many corruptions, and look at duties a great way off and they ſtrive, and take pains, but if they had true Chriſtian wiſdome, they ſhould look what difficulty and hinderance lay between them and that dutie, and they ſhould labor to take away that And ſo for faith, we cannot beleeve in God and in the promiſes, may be there lay a ſluggiſh heart in your particular calling, it may be ſo far off, though you think there be but little dependance of Faith in that And ſo in affliction you would faine have your hearts be patient, may be there laie a dead lumpiſhneſs of heart and drowſineſs of ſpirit: and therefore look narrowly to corruption though never ſo far off, and ſet thy heart in general againſt all, one as well as another.
14 Againe take need of liſtening to temptation: when as you are about any hard work there will come abundance of temptation, what you go through this work? thoſe that have been ſtronger then you have miſcarried, it is a mighty hard work, and you are a poor creature: If it be the work of the Lord, go to it with a naked upright heart, If I miſcarry ſo it is and do not mind temptations: A very obſervable place it is of Nehemiah, in Nehemi. 6.3. When he was about the great work of God, the adverſaries ſent as if they would parly with them, and it was for nothing but to hinder his work, but mark what he ſaies. I am doing a great work, ſo that I cannot come, why ſhould the work ceaſe, whilſt I leave it and come down to you? ſo do you ſay to temptation, temptation would faine have you come, reaſon the caſe, but ſay I am about the worke of the Lord, why ſhould the work ceaſe, and I ſpend my time and ſtrength about reaſoning with you?
15. Another rule for the putting on of your faith may be this: when you are doing any great work God calls you to do. Take heed of perverſe reaſonings, as thus. When God calls me to do any ſervice, I ſhould reaſon; if I were able to do thus and thus I could beleeve but who can beleeve when they have ſuch a heart, ſo unable to do any thing, and ſo unable to overcome any corruption? What a perverſe reaſoning is this? If I could do this I could beleeve, you ſhould reaſon I muſt beleeve, that I may do this: as If one ſhould ſay, if I could do any work I hope I ſhould have ſtrength, you muſt have ſtrength to do your work; or if I were at my journies end I could go; you muſt go to be at your journies end, If I were over Sea I could venture into a Ship, you muſt venture into a Ship that you may come over Sea: And ſo if I could do ſuch a thing I could beleeve how ſhould ſtrength come in but by beleeving? Wilt ſtay beleeving till thou canſt get ſtrength? it is as much as if one ſhould ſay I wil ſtay going into a Ship til I get over Sea, his going into the Ship is a means to get over Sea, and ſo beleeving is the way to get ſtrength: and therefore do not reaſon from thy want of ſtrength to hinder faith but rather reaſon from thy want of ſtrength to further faith.
16. Again when you go about any work that is difficult, take heed of any diſorderly working of your heart about that work. The diſorderly work of the heart may be diſcovered in two or three part…culars.
Firſt, To look at the ſucceſs, it looks at the duty principally, for one to look at the ſucceſs more then at duty, this is a miſcarriage and a hinderance to the work of faith.
Secondly, If you do look at the ſucceſs, yet do not look at the particular ſucceſs, though Faith do aſſure of the general ſucceſs, it doth not alwaies aſſure of the particular ſucceſs.
Thirdly, take heed you do not judg of the final ſucceſs, by ſome hinderances in the work at firſt, as many becauſe they have not ſucceſs at the beginning, they judg of the final iſſue by that.
Fourthly, Above all take heed of determining before hand that you ſhall have no ſucceſs, I may go about the work but it will never go on, it will never thrive: As a ſervant that is froward will ſay, well I may go about the work, but there will never come no good of it, ſo many will go about the work God ſets them to do, but they determine before hand nothing will come of it This is a ſinful boldneſs, who art thou man or woman, ſhal you be ſo bold with God, may you determine, what Gods way ſhall be? you may ſay, I deſerve that nothing ſhould come of that I do, but when it comes to determination, it is boldneſs and ſinfulneſs againſt God what ſhould not I determine I that am thus and thus vild, will God ſucceed any work in my hand? you may ſay I that am thus and thus vild deſerve that God ſhould blaſt all that I do, but do not determine that I ſhall never overcome this hard heart of mine, and I ſhal never get a patient ſpirit. This is that which the prophet ſpeaks againſt. Hoſea, 7.13. Though I have redeemed them yet they ſpeak lies againſt me, So though God have redeemed men, and hath given them mercy, yet they ſpeak lies againſt God, that they ſhall never have ſuch and ſuch a mercy, that they labor for, or when God is in a way of redeeming of you, and ſtirring your hearts for you to ſay there ſhal never be no ſucceſs, nor help, this is to ſpeak lies againſt God; be humbled for that you have been guilty of before, and take heed of determining of the ſucceſs for time to come: for aſſuredly, whatſoever unworthinſs you ſee in your ſelves, yet know it is a temptation of the Devil and a provoking ſin.
17. Againe it muſt be our care, together with our faith to put on that we do with reſolution and courage; As the Pſalmiſt ſaith in Pſal. 310.24. Be of good courage, and he ſhall ſtrengthen your heart. So when you go to any difficult work, put on your faith with all the reſolution you can, natural reſolution helps much againſt difficulty: It is a notable ſpeech of Seneca, the mind of man, gets whatſoever it commands it ſelf, if it will lay a command and charge upon it ſelf it may obtaine it. That he ſaies concerning naural reſolution, natural reſolution is a mighty help to overcome difficulty, a man ſhall be able to do more then he thought he could have done, but if this be added with faith, that we can make uſe of our Faith and then lay a neceſſity on the work; it muſt be done whatſoever I hear, it is the command of God, this is a mighty thing to help forward the work.
18. Another rule is in all ſervices that God calls you to, look upon your ſelves as Gods inſtruments in Gods hand, and look upon the work as Gods work enjoined by him and done for him, and not your own. I am nothing what is an inſtrument, an axe to the building of an houſe? the work is hard and difficult, it is not mine, but Gods, I am not the principal efficient, but the inſtrument and not in mine own hand, but in Gods and ſuch a weak inſtrument in the hand of a skillful workman, in his own work may do great things.
19. Again whatſoever work God calls you to do go a…out i…, continuing in it, though you find nothing come of it, expect God to come in while you are working, and do not ſay, if God did come in I could have incouragment to work, work, expecting God to come in while you are working: and though you have been working theſe many years and found nothing, yet if God do come in it will be while you are working. As David ſaid to Solomon his Son, up and be doing and the Lord be with you. 1. Chron. 22.16. So ſay I to you do not ſay what ſhall I be doing without the Lord, be doing and the Lord wil come in: But I have been doing and the Lord hath not come in. Yet whenſoever the time comes that God wil come in comfortably, it wil be while you are working, therefore be doing and the Lord will be with you.
20. Again let us take heed we do not increaſe the difficulty by our diſorderly carriage, this we are many times guilty of, that when God ſets us about any work and there be ſome hardneſs in it, we make it abundantly more hard by our untoward carriages: As a man that is fettered, by pulling and haling he pulls the skin off his legs, and by that means makes it harder to beare his fetters then before, the people of Iſrael that went out of Egypt, and went to Canaan through the wilderneſs, it was a hard iourney, but they made it abundantly harder, by their carriage. From Egypt unto the borders of Paleſtine was but ſeventy miles, and to Jeruſalem but a hundred miles, and yet by their ill carriage they made it a buſineſe of fourty yeares: ſo though indeed we are to go through a wilderneſs, & a difficult work, yet through our ill carriage we make it more difficult. Let us take heed we do not make it more difficult really, by our complaints of it; we complaine things are difficult when indeed they are not ſo in themſelves, but becauſe of the ſluggiſhneſs of mens ſpirits in making complaints of the difficulty of the work.
21. Againe be not all poring upon the difficulty, and looking at thoſe things that are hard and may diſcourage you in the work that God ſet you about, but look at thoſe things that may encourage you alſo, if there be any hardneſs in a work, men are alwaies looking upon that and they never look upon any ſweet that may incourage them, it is never like that they ſhall goe on; Children if they have a ſore upon the body the finger uſually will be touching of that though it makes the ſore to be worſe, and cauſeth it to be more and more angry, and keeps it from healing: So many if they have any thing that is hard in their work, their thoughts will be upon that. Difficulties in any work are like to bitter pills, that God gives us to take down: But what a childiſh thing were it for any that have pills to take down that are bitter, for them to chew them; no marvel then though they ſpit them out and do not ſwallow them, they ſhould ſwallow them down and not chew them: And ſo when God gives us any bitter pills, we muſt not alwaies be chewing of them in our thoughts but free the command of God, and ſo go on in our work. and labor to ſwallow difficulties as much as we can, we have a notable place for this purpoſe in Pſal 86.4, 5. Rejoyce the ſoul of thy ſervant, for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my ſoul, for thou Lord art good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto al them that cal upon thee. Thus we apply it; the cauſe why many go ſo drooping in their way, and have no joy and comfort in any of their waies, is becauſe they look downward in the dark, if a man were in the bottom of a deep pit, and alwaies looks downward he could never ſee light; if he would ſee light, he muſt look upward to the Sun: ſo mark the way of David. Rejoyce the ſoul of thy ſervant, for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my ſoul. If David had let his heart alwaies fall downward he would never had joy in his way, but when he would have joy he lift up his heart, ſo if there be any work that is difficult and your hearts are troubled, would you have that which ſhould rejoyce you? lift up your ſoules to God in thoſe incouraging waies that he preſents to you. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy. Here is a way to get mercy, he lifts up his ſoul and looked upon God as good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy. I appeale to you when did you lift up your ſoules, and look up to God as plenteous in mercy, you alwaies looked downward in the bottome of the pit and ſee the blackneſs of Gods juſtice ready to ſeize upon you, but you ſhould lift up your ſoul to God, and look to the ſun, we ſhould not alwaies be poring, upon thoſe things that are difficult, but ſee thoſe things that are incouraging.
22. Do not make uſe of difficulties in your way to reaſon againſt your work, or to make you out of love with your work, but to reaſon againſt your hearts: indeed it is an hard work, but it is through my wretched ſluggiſh heart, and becauſe I do not make uſe of the means, and abilities that God affords me, many that have leſs means and helps then I, can go through harder works then I, and ſo labor to reaſon againſt your own hearts, and not the work, many when they feel the work, hard reaſon againſt the work: the Lord knows I ſtrive and do what I can, but I have ſo many letts and hinderances, God does not come in with his Grace, to help me, and I can do nothing without God, How comes it to paſs nothing is done? becauſe the work is hard, or becauſe you do not uſe what power God gives to do it withall: now the ſafeſt way is rather to reaſon againſt your ſelves, that you have not done what you can, but you rather put off al the guilt from your ſelves and juſtify your ſelves, and that is all the reaſon why nothing is done, it is becauſe the work is hard, and you have ſo many hinderances, and that God hath not given you his power: but if you look into your own hearts, you will find another reaſon, it is not ſo much the hardneſs of the work as the ill diſpoſition of your hearts: and that ſhould be your care not to reaſon againſt the work becauſe it is difficult, but againſt your hearts.
And to conclude all, this is all I ſay: we ſhould labor to harden our ſelves by our Faith againſt all difficulties: As unbeleefe is a hardning ſin one way, So faith is a hardning grace another way, unbelief hardens in that which is evil, and faith hardens in that which is good: Acts, 19.9. But when divers were hardned and beleeved not. They were hardned becauſe they did not beleeve, and faith hath the contrary effect, and wil do as much in that which is good, as unbelief can do in that which is evil: As unbelief wil make a man or woman ſo hard, as to be as Iron to that which is good, ſo Faith wil make a man as Iron to that which is evil, and therefore the Prophet Jeremiah is compared to Iron and Steel, Jer. 15.12. Shall Iron break the northern Iron and the Steel? God hath revealed himſelf to him gratiouſly, and he was hardned by it, now of all graces eſpecially Faith doth make the heart as Iron, for God, as unbelief doth make the heart as Iron to ſtand out againſt God: And therefore is the exhortation of the Apoſtle, 2 Peter. 1.5. Ad to your Faith vertue: the word (Virtus) comes from ſtrength becauſe every vertue puts forth ſtrength, ſo it is as much as if he ſhould ſay, ad to your faith ſtrength, put it forth ſtrongly, that it may help you againſt ſtrong difficulties, with a war-like power, vertue hath a power to oppoſe enemies: and ſo ad to your faith vertue. And if we do ſo, know it will be a very honorable thing, it is an honor to God, & honor to us, for us to go through difficult things, it is honor to God: as Davids men that endured ſo much that broke through an hoſt for to get him water, it was an honor to him, and ſo for us to do difficult things for God, it is an honor to God, and it is honorable to us, non ſo honorable as thoſe that have gone through difficult works, it will make them honorable to others, as ſome obſerve from that place, in 8. Cant. 3. If ſhee be a wal we will build upon her, a palace of Silver. If ſhee be a wal to ſtand out againſt oppoſition, and temptation, we wil build upon her a palace of Silver, ſhe ſhal be made honorable and glorious: and ſo every Chriſtian if your heart be as a wall, to ſtand out againſt oppoſition and difficulty, and hinderances in the way of God, you ſhall have a pallace of Silver built upon you, you ſhal be honorable in the eyes of God, and all his Saints. And going through difficulty is a mighty ſtrengthening to grace, and the more difficulty any go through, the more Grace is ſtrengthened. As it is a rule of any thing that oppoſeth another, if it do not overcome it, it ſtrengthens it, as fire and water, if you caſt ſo much water into fire as the fire can overcome it the fire gathernig ſtrength to overcome the water that oppoſes it, burns the better: So in all oppoſitions: So in ſin: If that a man comes to be oppoſed in his ſinful way by the word, if the word do not overcome his luſt, his luſt grows ſtronger: And ſo in grace, if any luſt or ſin, or temptation, or any thing do come and oppoſe grace or any gracious act, and if they do not overcome grace, but grace overcome them, it is the ſtronger, and therefore let us go on in the way of God whatſoever difficulties come of it.