THE fifth Encouragement is,1 That our God can gather some sense out of a distracted duty, and do us some good by it*, Rom. 8.27. He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, 'tis true of our spirit as well as of God's. The great searcher of hearts knows what you came pregnant with, what you meant, though you mist it in the delivery. He can tell what was written in the Letter, ⟨p. 214⟩though it did miscarry, and will answer your godly meaning, and over-look your unwilling failing, Psal. 103.13. As a Father pitieth his Children, so the Lord — Why, the child comes sometimes full of a suit to the Father, and he is quite out in his tale, has forgotten what he would have; but the Father knoweth what he wants, and what he would have said, and grants the whole. And so, provided thou be a child, and art heartily sensible of thy wants, and comest panting to the Throne of Grace; thy heavenly Father will accept thy meaning, and grant thy petition, though thy heart did unwillingly give thee the slip, while thou mournest for it, and resolvest to mend it the next time*. The industrious Scholar comes sometimes full and clear in his lesson, but when he is delivering it, he is out: put him in his way; he is out again: Now, if his Master know, he had it perfect ere he came, he pities and helps him, and concludes, that fear or care made him miss it, and that his want is only in utterance, strokes him on the head, and bids him labour to do better next time. So the serious ⟨p. 215⟩Christian, he is deeply sensible of his spiritual wants, and knows and feels well what he must ask, and down he kneels, but yet when he comes to open his case, alas! he's drawn away utterly against his mind, and his heart runs at random*. Why now your heavenly Master knows your preparation, your intention, your endeavour, your grief, your resolution, he will not turn off such a Scholar. He is a Father, and will make the best of his child's faults, especially seeing him fallen out with himself for them.
THE fifth Incouragement is,1 That our God can gather some sense out of a distracted duty, and do us some good by it*, Rom. 8.27. He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, 'tis true of our spirit as well as of God's. The great searcher of hearts knows what you came pregnant with, what you meant, though you mist it in the delivery. He can tell what was written in the Letter, ⟨p. 214⟩though it did miscarry, and will answer your godly meaning, and over-look your unwilling failing, Psal. 103.13. As a Father pitieth his Children, so the Lord — Why, the child comes sometimes full of a suit to the Father, and he is quite out in his tale, has forgotten what he would have; but the Father knoweth what he wants, and what he would have said, and grants the whole. And so, provided thou be a child, and art heartily sensible of thy wants, and comest panting to the Throne of Grace; thy heavenly Father will accept thy meaning, and grant thy petition, though thy heart did unwillingly give thee the slip, while thou mournest for it, and resolvest to mend it the next time*. The industrious Scholar comes sometimes full and clear in his lesson, but when he is delivering it, he is out: put him in his way; he is out again: Now, if his Master know, he had it perfect ere he came, he pities and helps him, and concludes, that fear or care made him miss it, and that his want is only in utterance, strokes him on the head, and bids him labour to do better next time. So the serious ⟨p. 215⟩Christian, he is deeply sensible of his spiritual wants, and knows and feels well what he must ask, and down he kneels, but yet when he comes to open his case, alas! he's drawn away utterly against his mind, and his heart runs at random*. Why now your heavenly Master knows your preparation, your intention, your indeavour, your grief, your resolution, he will not turn off such a Scholar. He is a Father, and will make the best of his child's faults, especially seeing him fallen out with himself for them.
- 1§. 5. V. Encouragement from Gods gracious acceptation.§. 5. V. Incouragement from Gods gracious acceptation.
- *Evagatio verò mentis quae sit praeter propositum, orationis fructum non tollit. Aquin. 22 ae. q. 83. a. 13.
- *A man that hath the Palsy, his hand shakes, but we cannot say, he shakes his hand: so we may say, it is not they, but sin in them, as it is not he, but the Palsy distemper in him that shakes his hand. Mr. White of vai• Thoughts. p. 68.A man that hath the Palsie, his hand shakes, but we cannot say, he shakes his hand: so we may say, it is not they, but sin in them, as it is not he, but the Palsie distemper in him that shakes his hand. Mr. White of vai• Thoughts. p. 68.
- *Non imputantur cùm violenter importantur. Gilb. in suppl. Bern. in Cant. Serm. 1.
