Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

O stay my soul; and be not faithless, but believing, I'll take thy argument in pieces: As,¹ 1. Thou sayest, hath God any thoughts of me? Yes: saith God, I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil; and before the World was, my thoughts,² and my delights were with the Sons of men. 2. Thou sayest, I have no thoughts, no care of my fellow-creatures, ³as of the dust, or sand, or atoms? and what then? my thoughts are not as your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord; for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. What if thou hast no thoughts or care of the smaller creatures? yet God extends his thoughts, and care, and providence not only to thee, but even to them: neither can a Sparrow fall to the ground, nor an hair from thy head, nor a leaf from the tree, without the providence of our heavenly Father? 3. Thou sayest, I dare not believe, I am astonished at,⁴ confounded in these thoughts of Gods eternal love; it is too high for me, I cannot believe it. I answer, herein thou sayest something: I know it is an hard thing to believe these great things in reference to thy self: But see now how God and Christ stoop and condescend to make thee believe: God stands much upon this, that the hearts of Saints should confide in him: he accounts not himself honoured, except they believe, and therefore mark O my Soul, how Christ suits himself to thy weakness; what is it that may beget this Faith, this confidence in thy Son? what is it (saith God) that you poor creatures do one to another, when you would make things sure between your selves? why, thus; —

O stay my soul; and be not faithless, but believing, I'le take thy argument in pieces: As,¹ 1. Thou sayst, hath God any thoughts of me? Yes: saith God, I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil; and before the World was, my thoughts,²