Again, if he should send deliverance before thou art fit, it were not in due time, it would come too soon: But assure thy self, when thy heart is humbled and weakened from the world, when thy lusts are mortified, and when thou art made spiritual and heavenly-minded by such afflictions, be sure, GOD will not defer one jot, he will come in the exactness of time, that as it is said, in the fullness of time his Son came, so it is in the fullness of time before he will save thee, in the fittest time. Therefore I would say to thee, whosoever thou art, that suest to GOD for pleasure, for honour, it may be, to be relieved in thy state, for health, for life, or for comfort; I say, GOD hath made a promise, and it is impossible that he should fail in the performance of of it,1 as Solomon saith, Prou. 22.4. Riches, and honour, and life shall he give; but to to whom? to him that is humble, and that feareth the Lord. You must put in both the conditions. Many men fear the LORD, which are not humbled; and some men are humbled, but they have some secret way of wickedness, wherein they are indulgent to themselves; but they must go both together. Let a man be holy, that ⟨p. 199⟩he may have no way of wickedness in himself, and let him be humbled, or else GOD may bestow wealth on thee, but if thy heart be not holy, thou wilt forget GOD in it. And if he give thee health, if thy heart be not humbled, thou wilt be ready to use it intemperately, thou knowest not thine own heart: but be assured, when thou comest to God, he hears the requests that are made by his Spirit, that if thou be prepared, he will not deny thee, the promise is absolute, let the condition be fulfilled: for those are the words, The reward of humility, and the fear of God, is riches, and honour, and life: Except not these, when there is not the precedent preparation: for it is not best for thee.
Againe, if he should send deliuerance before thou art fit, it were not in due time, it would come too soone: But assure thy selfe, when thy heart is humbled and weakned from the world, when thy lusts are mortified, and when thou art made spirituall and heauenly-minded by such afflictions, be sure, GOD will not deferre one iot, he will come in the exactnesse of time, that as it is said, in the fulnesse of time his Sonne came, so it is in the fulnesse of time before he will saue thee, in the fittest time. Therefore I would say to thee, whosoeuer thou art, that suest to GOD for pleasure, for honour, it may be, to be relieued in thy state, for health, for life, or for comfort; I say, GOD hath made a promise, and it is impossible that he should faile in the performance of of it,1 as Salomon saith, Prou. 22.4. Riches, and honour, and life shall he giue; but to to whom? to him that is humble, and that feareth the Lord. You must put in both the conditions. Many men feare the LORD, which are not humbled; and some men are humbled, but they haue some secret way of wickednesse, wherein they are induldent to themselues; but they must goe both together. Let a man be holy, that ⟨p. 199⟩he may haue no way of wickednesse in himselfe, and let him be humbled, or else GOD may bestow wealth on thee, but if thy heart be not holy, thou wilt forget GOD in it. And if he giue thee health, if thy heart be not humbled, thou wilt be ready to vse it intemperately, thou knowest not thine owne heart: but be assured, when thou commest to God, he heares the requests that are made by his Spirit, that if thou be prepared, he will not deny thee, the promise is absolute, let the condition be fulfilled: for those are the words, The reward of humility, and the feare of God, is riches, and honour, and life: Except not these, when there is not the precedent preparation: for it is not best for thee.
- 1Prou. 22.4.
