Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

Answ. For that briefly thus, Though it is true, that God could presently take all our Corruptions; as soon as ever we come to Jesus Christ, God could deliver us from our Corruptions, but the Lord will not, he hath many holy ends why he doth suffer his own people to be under this burden while they live here in the flesh, As.

Answ. For that breifly thus, Though it is true, that God could presently take all our Corruptions; as soon as ever we come to Jesus Christ, God could deliver us from our Corruptions, but the Lord wil not, he hath many holy ends why he doth suffer his own people to be under this burden while they live here in the flesh, As.

First, That hereby he may show forth his own power, the power of Jesus Christ is exceeding magnified in this, that it can uphold little sparks of Grace in the midst of an Ocean of Corruption, that it can uphold poor weak Creatures under such burdens, and carry them on notwithstanding, and bring them to eternal Life; the power and Grace of Jesus Christ, and the power of God, is as much manifested in this thing, as it is in keeping Heaven and Earth upon the Frame, or keeping it in being; the Lord doth not appear more to be an almighty God, in keeping Heaven and Earth in being, then he ⟨p. 106⟩doth appear to be an Almighty God in keeping grace alive in the heart notwithstanding all the remainder of Corruption, so that in this God hath Glory in another way then he hath from the Angels in heaven; the power of God appears in upholding of the Angels, for if he did not uphold them, they would fall into evil, as Adam and the other Angels did, but therein appears Gods glorious power to uphold the Angels: but the glorious power in upholding the Angels, doth not so much appear, as the glorious power of God in upholding the hearts of the Saints in the midst of their corruptions; this shall be a special argument that the Saints shall praise God for, to all eternity, when they shall look back, and see what a condition they were in before their conversion, yea, in their conversion, that though God granted them some grace, yet what abundance of Corruption was in their hearts all that time, and what a deal of stir they had to maintain that little grace; they will stand and admire to consider, that it should be kept alive in the midst of sin, that a little spark should be kept alive in the midst of the Sea, not only in the midst of the Sea, but when the sea is tempestuous, you you'll say it is no great wonder that the fire be kept burning when the sea is calm; but when all is in a storm, and yet a spark of fire shall be kept alive in the midst of all the tossings of the waves, you will grant here is a mighty power: now the keeping alive of grace in thy heart in the midst of so much corruption: doth argue as mighty a power in God.