2. This brokenness of heart is marvellous necessary, Reas. 2 because by this means faith is preserved. For when the heart is truly broken, there follows this thing; The soul prizeth faith and Christ, and is thankful for the least mercy God giveth. He that stands ⟨p. 14⟩in need, will be thankful for any mercy or favour: as in Psal. 35.10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee? Me thinks I see David in his distress, besieged with many miseries: and when the Lord had eased him, and freed him, see how he reasons with himself: O Lord, the heart that thou hast healed, this broken spirit that thou hast bound up; nay, all these bones which were once shattered all to pieces, thou hast set them again, and they shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee? As if he had said, Here is mercy indeed, for mine heart hath found it, and mine eye hath seen it, and mine hands, and all my bones can say, Lord, who is like unto thee? Before he was burdened with his sins, and now he prizeth mercy wonderfully. One dram of faith is worth a hundred thousand worlds to a weary burdened soul. As it was with the Jews, they had a year of Jubilee, wherein every servant was set free, and every bondman, and every debtor set at liberty: this is nothing else but the year of the Gospel,1 and the glad tidings of Salvation that is offered to all in the same. The Master, or he that lent the money, cared not for this ere; but the servant and the borrowers, they only longed for that year, and for that day, that they might be delivered. So it is here with a poor soul: he that never felt the burden, nor the ⟨p. 15⟩bondage of sin, cares not for the glad tidings of the Gospel; but the poor oppressed creature, that hath been in the house of bondage by Satan tempting, and his own sinful heart plaguing him, when the day of salvation is offered, he receives it thankfully. And, as the soul prizeth grace, so it will hardly part with it, when it hath it, because it was got with so much difficulty. We use to say, Lightly come, lightly go: but when the soul hath gotten faith with so much difficulty, and had many troubles of soul, before ever God gave an assured evidence of his love and favour, he will not suffer sin or Satan to pluck it away.
2. This brokennesse of heart is marvellous necessary, Reas. 2 because by this meanes faith is preserved. For when the heart is truly broken, there followes this thing; The soule prizeth faith and Christ, and is thankfull for the least mercy God giveth. Hee that stands ⟨p. 14⟩in need, will be thankfull for any mercy or favour: as in Psal. 35.10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee? Me thinkes I see David in his distresse, besieged with many miseries: and when the Lord had eased him, and freed him, see how hee reasons with himselfe: O Lord, the heart that thou hast healed, this broken spirit that thou hast bound up; nay, all these bones which were once shattered all to pieces, thou hast set them againe, and they shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee? As if hee had said, Here is mercy indeed, for mine heart hath found it, and mine eye hath seene it, and mine hands, and all my bones can say, Lord, who is like unto thee? Before he was burthened with his sins, and now he prizeth mercy wonderfully. One dramme of faith is worth a hundred thousand worlds to a weary burthened soule. As it was with the Iewes, they had a yeare of Iubilee, wherein every servant was set free, and every bondman, and every debtour set at libertie: this is nothing else but the yeare of the Gospell,1 and the glad tydings of Salvation that is offered to all in the same. The Master, or hee that lent the money, cared not for this yerre; but the servant and the borrowers, they only longed for that yeare, and for that day, that they might be delivered. So it is here with a poore soule: he that never felt the burthen, nor the ⟨p. 15⟩bondage of sinne, cares not for the glad tydings of the Gospell; but the poore oppressed creature, that hath beene in the house of bondage by Satan tempting, and his owne sinfull heart plaguing him, when the day of salvation is offered, he receives it thankfully. And, as the soule prizeth grace, so it will hardly part with it, when it hath it, because it was got with so much difficulty. We use to say, Lightly come, lightly goe: but when the soule hath gotten faith with so much difficulty, and had many troubles of soule, before ever God gave an assured evidence of his love and favour, hee will not suffer sinne or Satan to plucke it away.
- 1The acceptable year of the Lord, Esa. 91:2.The acceptable yeare of the Lord, Esa. 91:2.
