The Soul's Preparation for Christ

I apply this in particular: there is never a soul here present, there is never a man in the basest estate, and lowest condition, but hath had experience of Gods goodness, and marvellous loving kindness this way. Were you ever in want, but God supplied you? were you ever in weakness, but God strengthened you? in sickness, who cured you? in misery, who succoured you? in poverty who relieved you? hath not God been a gracious God unto you? every poor soul can say, never a poor sinner hath had a more gracious God then my soul, all my bones can say, Lord who is like unto thee? this heart hath been heavy and thou hast cheered it, this soul hath been heavy and thou hast relieved it, many troubles have befallen me and thou hast given a gracious issue out of them all.

I applie this in particular: there is never a soule here present, there is never a man in the basest estate, and lowest condition, but hath had experience of Gods goodnesse, and mavelous loving kindnesse this way. Were you ever in want, but God supplied you? were you ever in weakenesse, but God strengthened you? in sicknesse, who cured you? in misery, who succoured you? in povertie who relieved you? hath not God been a gratious God unto you? every poore soule can say, never a poore sinner hath had a more gratious God then my soule, all my bones can say, Lord who is like unto thee? this heart hath been heavy and thou hast cheared it, this soule hath beene heavy and thou hast relieved it, many troubles have befallen me and thou hast given a gratious issue out of them all.

And shall I thus reward the Lord? shall I sin against his goodness and this kindness? Then what shall I say, hear O heaven, and hearken O earth, the Ox knoweth his owner, and the Ass his masters crib, and Israel knoweth not Gods kindness, nor acknowledgeth his goodness towards them, the consideration hereof one would ⟨p. 103⟩think should break the hardest heart under heaven: if men be but ingenious men, if they have received any great kindness from a friend, they were never in want but he relieved them, he took them into his house, and they might freely go to his purse or any thing he had. If a man should deal thus kindly with another, and this man should deny him an ordinary favour, he will be ashamed to come into his presence, he will say his house was mine, and his purse was mine, and to deal thus unkindly, nature would have taught me otherwise: what are your hearts to God that hath been gracious to us all, he hath created us, & doth preserve and keep and afford many blessings unto us; he gives us our houses that cover us: it is God that affords us all this, and shall we sin against such mercy? therefore go to the beasts of the field, and they will tell you, and to the birds of the air, and they will discover unto you Gods mercy: go to your beds and tables; who gives these, and continues these? doth not the Lord? & yet sin against this God? O foolish people and unwise, all love on Gods part, and all negligence on ours? God exceeds in goodness towards us, & we do exceed in unkindness, and unthankfulness towards him; this is the first ground upon which meditation must be raised.