The new covenantThe nevv covenant

Moreover;¹ Consider with thy self, that the Lord many times suffereth us to see changes in §3our lives & conversations,² that by them we may learn to know him better, and our selves also; if we were able to do it by our selves, the Lord would spare us, but who is able to do it? It is ⟨p. 122⟩said in the Psalms, that therefore the wicked fear not God, because they have no changes, and truly, even the godly men, if they had no changes, they would fear him less, so that every change in a mans state, and the falling into sin, and the rising again, leads a man to some new knowledge of God, and of himself also, to a new experimental knowledge, and that knowledge leads him to a new degree of fear: so that still by their sins they get advantage, that they shall find in their spiritual estate: for, even as we see the Sun when it breaks out of a thick Cloud of darkness, it shines the brighter, so grace when it breaks out of a thick cloud of sins, or of temptations, it shines the brighter, we are still gainers by those changes. I say, we learn to know God, and our selves also the better, and for these causes he leaves us to those changes, that we may be gainers by them, and so we are. Therefore, say not with thy self, because I find some defects, and some unevenness in my sanctification, therefore the Lord is not sufficient: for it is for thy advantage, it is not for want of sufficiency in the Lord, nor of willingness in him to communicate it to thee, but it is for thy advantage, that thou shouldst find these changes, and this unevenness in thy ways. Therefore, my Beloved, build upon this that he is All-sufficient. It may be, when thou goest about a work thy self, thou findest it a difficult thing to overcome such a lust, but that which is impossible with men, is easy with God. Those that rowed all night, and did no good, a word ⟨p. 123⟩from his mouth brought them to shore presently. The spirit that is in us lusteth after envy, ³