Thus we see how the Spirit of God in his Children makes a blessed use of former experience to reason with God for the time to come, and it will afford us arguments in all kinds. We may reason from former spiritual favours to spiritual favours: as for instance, God hath begun a good work in us, therefore He will finish it to the day of the Lord, Phil. 1. His gifts and graces are without repentance. And we may reason from spiritual favours past to all favours to come that are of a lower nature, Rom. 8. He that spared not his own Son, but gave him to death for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things? It is a strong reason, he hath done the great, rtherefor •he may well do the less. We may reason from one favour to another, thus, from temporal to temporal: he hath delivered me, therefore if it be for his glory and my good, he will deliver me. We may reason from once to all of the like, Psal. 23. God is my shepherd, &c. He hath been with me in the valley of death; he hath showed himself to be my shepherd in all my troubles: what doth he build on that for the time to come? Doubtless the loving kindness of the Lord shall follow me all the days of my life. This should teach us then this holy 1practice, to lay up observations of Gods dealing, and to take them as so many pawns and pledges to move God for the time to come to regard us; it is wondrous pleasing to him. It is no argument to prevail if we come to men, to say, you have done this for me, therefore you will: because man hath a finite power which is soon drawn dry: but God is infinite, he is a spring, he can create new: what he hath done he can do, and more too: he is where he was at the first, and will be to the end of the world, he is never at a loss. Therefore it is a strong argument to go to God, and say, Lord, thou art my God from the womb, thou hast delivered me from such a danger, and such an exigence, when I knew not what to do, thou madest open a way. I see by evident signs it was thy goodness, thou art alway like thy self, to be the same God now. Therefore we should treasure up observations of Gods dealing with us. And consider with them the promises, and see 2how God hath made good his promise by experience, and then join both together, and we may wrestle with God: Lord, thou hast promised thus and thus, nay, I have had the performance of this promise in former times.
Thus we see how the Spirit of God in his Children makes a blessed use of former experience to reason with God for the time to come, and it will afford us arguments in all kinds. We may reason from former spiritual favours to spirituall favours: as for instance, God hath begun a good work in us, therefore He will finish it to the day of the Lord, Phil. 1. His gifts and graces are without repentance. And we may reason from spirituall favours past to all favours to come that are of a lower nature, Rom. 8. He that spared not his own Son, but gave him to death for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things? It is a strong reason, he hath done the greate, rtherefor •he may well do the lesse. We may reason from one favour to another, thus, from temporal to temporal: he hath delivered me, therefore if it be for his glory and my good, he will deliver me. We may reason from once to all of the like, Psal. 23. God is my shepherd, &c. He hath been with me in the valley of death; he hath shewed himself to be my shepherd in all my troubles: what doth he build on that for the time to come? Doubtlesse the loving kindnesse of the Lord shall follow me all the dayes of my life. This should teach us then this holy 1practice, to lay up observations of Gods dealing, and to take them as so many pawnes and pledges to move God for the time to come to regard us; it is wondrous pleasing to him. It is no argument to prevail if we come to men, to say, you have done this for me, therefore you will: because man hath a finite power which is soon drawn dry: but God is infinite, he is a spring, he can create new: what he hath done he can do, and more too: he is where he was at the fitst, and will be to the end of the world, he is never at a losse. Therefore it is a strong argument to go to God, and say, Lord, thou art my God from the womb, thou hast delivered me from such a danger, and such an exigence, when I knew not what to do, thou madest open a way. I see by evident signs it was thy goodnesse, thou art alway like thy self, to be the same God now. Therefore we should treasure up observations of Gods dealing with us. And consider with them the promises, and see 2how God hath made good his promise by experience, and then joyn both together, and we may wrastle with God: Lord, thou hast promised thus and thus, nay, I have had the performance of this promise in former times.
- 1Use. To lay up observations of Gods dealing.
- 22. Consider the promises.
