1. God will separate the precious from the vile, the Gold from the dross, he will pick out the best and make much of it, though it be but little: and for what thou judgest thy self, thou shalt not be judged of the Lord, as the Apostle tells his Babes, in 1 Cor. 11.31. in relation to their odd and ill way of attending upon that ⟨p. 148⟩[…] ⟨p. 149⟩[…] ⟨p. 150⟩great Ordinance of the Lords Feast, or Supper, as we tender it. He will put thy tears into his Bottle, he will remember thy thinking on his name, when others said, It is in vain to serve God, and what profit is there that we have kept his Ordinances, Mal. 3.14,—18. Thou hast toiled all day and caught nothing, yet at his command thou hast cast in thy Net again, and hast caught a great draught, but some are good and some are bad; why, though it be so, yet God will separate the good from the bad, he will gather the good into his Vessels, and cast the bad away, that I may allude to the story of Peter's Fishing, joined with what is said, Matth. 13.47, 48. In the story of Sarah, Gen. 18.12,—15. what grace could you find there? and yet God doth, and 'tis recorded, 1 Pet. 3.6. that Sarah called her Husband Lord, which she did at that time, when the Angel chid her both for unbelief and telling a lye too. When the Disciples failed of their duty and promise to Christ, he yet picks out this, that their spirit was willing, Matth. 26.41. He takes it ill that they did not watch, yet takes it well that 'twas in their heart, and they were willing to watch: and though they had often miscarried, yet our Saviour puts a better interpretation upon them, than they (or any body else) could, and tells his Father, They have kept thy Word, Joh. 17.6. When David prayed God to hear his voice, Psal. 130.2. he brings in that which (at first view) seems to be a strange Argument, Vers. 3. If thou shouldst mark iniquities, who shall stand? he ⟨p. 151⟩tells God of his iniquities which might stand as a cloud between God and him, But 'tis an excellent way to confess our sins when we make our Prayer, and then they shall not hinder good things from us, because God will not mark them, when we do, for Vers. 4. there is forgiveness with him that he may be feared: and for this reason and in this way, he doth, Vers. 7. exhort Israel also to hope in God, for with him is mercy, yea plenty of it. And so he says, Psal. 103.8.
1. God will separate the precious from the vile, the Gold from the dross, he will pick out the best and make much of it, though it be but little: and for what thou judgest thy self, thou shalt not be judged of the Lord, as the Apostle tells his Babes, in 1 Cor. 11.31. in relation to their odd and ill way of attending upon that ⟨p. 148⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 149⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 150⟩great Ordinance of the Lords Feast, or Supper, as we tender it. He will put thy tears into his Bottle, he will remember thy thinking on his name, when others said, It is in vain to serve God, and what profit is there that we have kept his Ordinances, Mal. 3.14,—18. Thou hast toil'd all day and caught nothing, yet at his command thou hast cast in thy Net again, and hast caught a great draught, but some are good and some are bad; why, though it be so, yet God will separate the good from the bad, he will gather the good into his Vessels, and cast the bad away, that I may allude to the story of Peter's Fishing, joyned with what is said, Matth. 13.47, 48. In the story of Sarah, Gen. 18.12,—15. what grace could you find there? and yet God doth, and 'tis recorded, 1 Pet. 3.6. that Sarah called her Husband Lord, which she did at that time, when the Angel chid her both for unbelief and telling a lye too. When the Disciples failed of their duty and promise to Christ, he yet picks out this, that their spirit was willing, Matth. 26.41. He takes it ill that they did not watch, yet takes it well that 'twas in their heart, and they were willing to watch: and though they had often miscarried, yet our Saviour puts a better interpretation upon them, than they (or any body else) could, and tells his Father, They have kept thy Word, Joh. 17.6. When David prayed God to hear his voice,
