Hepieíkeia: or, a treatise of Christian equity and moderation. Delivered publicly in lecturesHepieíkeia: or, a treatise of Christian equitie and moderation. Deliuered publikely in lectures

Now secondly, this moderate & mild dealing of the Lord, is more special to his Church and children: and that also shows it ⟨p. 77⟩self in two actions. First of all, Justice requireth that every man should pay his debt: & common reason tells us, that words & promises cannot pass for payment, but due debt must be satisfied. Now every Christian man is in a great debt to God: that debt is obedience to his law, for Christ came to save us from the rigour of the law, not to free us from obedience to it: but how do we pay that debt? even as he doth, who oweth ten thousand pounds, and craveth to pay it by a penny a year, for so we owing perfect obedience in thought, word, and deed, and also purity of nature, the root of all: we (I mean the best & holiest men of all) have nothing to tender to God, but a few good desires and groans of the heart, and a silly poor endeavour: all which is unto that which the law requireth, like unto one penny to ten thousand pound. Yet behold the mercy of God and his compassion to his children: these our desires, and that our endeavour coming from the truth of our hearts, doth he accept for perfect payment, and that man who hath an heart fearing God, and a care and desire to please god ⟨p. 78⟩in all things, and in his place and calling endeavoureth it accordingly, is the man, whom God loves, and embraceth in the arms of his mercy, though he be far from that, which in debt and duty he oweth to God. Thus doth God testify of himself in Malachi: I will spare you, even as a father spareth his own son that serveth him. Now we know there is no sparing, nor forbearance like unto that. A father bids his little son do this or that, which is far above his strength, the child not considering the difficulty, but looking only at his duty, and desiring not only to please his father, goeth about it, and doth his best, and yet when all is done, he can do nothing to it at all: now the father rejoiceth in this willing obedience of his son, and approveth in his child the will and endeavour, though he cannot do the thing he bids him. Even so doeth the Lord spare his children; he commandeth us to keep his law, and it is no more then out duty, which notwithstanding of our selves we can do no more, then a little child is able to carry a millstone:

Now secondly, this moderate & mild dealing of the Lord, is more speciall to his Church and children: and that also shewes it