The Method of Grace

But upon his coming to Christ all things are marvellously altered: a quite contrary face of things appears to him: every thing gives him hope and comfort which way soever he looks: so speaks the Apostle, 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23. All things are yours (saith he) whether life, or death; or things present, or things to come, all is yours, and ye are Christs, and Christ is Gods: they are ours (i. e.) for our advantage, benefit and comfort; more particularly upon our coming to Christ▪

First, Things past are ours, they conduce to our advantage and comfort. Now the soul can begin to read the gracious end and design of God, in all its preservations and deliverances; ⟨p. 210⟩whereby it hath been reserved for such a day as this. O! it melts his heart to consider, his Companions in sin and Vanity are cut off, and he spared; and that for a day of such mercy as the day of his espousals with Christ is. Now all his past sorrows and deep troubles of spirit which God hath exercised him with, begin to appear the greatest mercies that ever he received; being all necessary, and introductive to this blessed union with Christ.

Secondly, Things present are ours, though it be not yet with us as we would have it; Christ is not sure enough, the heart is not pure enough; sin is too strong, and grace is too weak; many things are yet out of order; yet can the soul bless God for this with tears of joy, and praise him for this brimful of admiration, and holy astonishment; that it is, as it is; that he is where he is, though he be not yet where he would be. O 'tis a blessed life to live as a poor recumbent, by acts of trust and affiance, though as yet it have but little evidence: that it is resolved to trust all with Christ, though it be not yet certain of the issue. O this is a comfortable station, a sweet condition to what it was, either when it wallowed in sin in the days before conviction, or was swallowed up in fears and troubles for sin after conviction: now it hath hope though it want assurance; and hope is sweet to a soul coming out of such deep distresses: now it sees the remedy, and is applying it, whereas before the wound seemed desperate: now all hesitations and debates are at an end in the Soul, 'tis no longer bivious and unresolved what to do; all things have been deeply considered, and after consideration, issued into this resolve or decree of the will. I will go to Christ; I will venture all upon his Command and Call; I will embark my eternal interests in that Bottom: here I fix; and upon this ground I resolve to live and dye. O how much better is this, than that floating life it lived before, rolling upon the billows of inward fears and troubles, not able to drop Anchor any where, nor knowing where to find an Harbour.