Consider all the griefs and complaints that we have, they all arise from hence; there is something we would have, which is not; as it was the complaint of Rachel, she wept for her children, because they were not: now, consider what the Lord saith here, I am that I am: he is the Lord of being; he giveth being to whatsoever pleaseth him: As take your expressions of your ordinary wants, you use to say; oh, if that such a thing were; if an house had such and such a thing, it would be a goodly house; so in an instrument, as a Watch, if it had such and such a being, it were a perfect Watch: so is it in the complaints that we make for our souls, or the souls of others; if you see a man that you would have reclaimed, you say if there were a stability of mind in him, a consideration of death, a right knowledge of things, a sense of sin, if there were grace in his heart to establish him, then he would be thus, and thus. Consider that he who is the Lord of being, is able to make up these wants: so if our complaints be for our selves, they all come from some wants; but know that he who is the Almighty God, that makes all things to be, he can give thee constancy, he can enable thee to do all things, and strengthen the weak hands and feeble knees, Hebr. 22. He that is full of being, as the Sun is of light, and ⟨p. 105⟩the Sea of water, think with thy self that he alone is able to give being to every grace, and to make up every defect, and give that to thee which thou hast not, and to all whom thou hast to do with, as thy wife, children, friends, &c. he can make things that were bad, good and useful, and so make thy friend good also, as he did Onesimus for Paul; think with thy self that the Lord of strength can do it, and he only can do it: here every creature is at a stand to make a being; therefore go to him, and give him the praise and glory of his Name.
Consider all the griefes and complaints that we have, they all arise from hence; there is something we would have, which is not; as it was the complaint of Rachel, shee wept for her children, because they were not: now, consider what the Lord saith here, I am that I am: he is the Lord of being; he giveth being to whatsoever pleaseth him: As take your expressions of your ordinary wants, you use to say; oh, if that such a thing were; if an house had such and such a thing, it would be a goodly house; so in an instrument, as a Watch, if it had such and such a being, it were a perfect Watch: so is it in the complaints that we make for our soules, or the soules of others; if you see a man that you would have reclaimed, you say if there were a stability of minde in him, a consideration of death, a right knowledge of things, a sense of sinne, if there were grace in his heart to establish him, then hee would be thus, and thus. Consider that he who is the Lord of being, is able to make up these wants: so if our complaints be for our selves, they all come from some wants; but know that he who is the Almightie God, that makes all things to be, he can give thee constancie, he can enable thee to do all things, and strengthen the weake hands and feeble knees, Hebr. 22. He that is full of being, as the Sunne is of light, and ⟨p. 105⟩the Sea of water, thinke with thy selfe that hee alone is able to give being to every grace, and to make up every defect, and give that to thee which thou hast not, and to all whom thou hast to doe with, as thy wife, children, friends, &c. he can make things that were bad, good and usefull, and so make thy friend good also, as he did Onesimus for Paul; thinke with thy selfe that the Lord of strength can doe it, and he only can doe it: here every creature is at a stand to make a being; therfore goe to him, and give him the praise and glory of his Name.
