Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation

V. Well but then in the fifth place, What is there in this preventing love that is so sweet to a gracious soul, to a thankful heart?

1. The more immediately that any mercy doth come out or Gods hand, and the less it runs through ours, the more sweet it is. Water is sweetest out of the Fountain. Now preventing mercy comes immediately out of the hands of God, and runs not through our hand at all, nor through the hand of the second cause at all, therefore must needs be very sweet.

But Secondly, The more costless, or less costly to us, any mercy is, the sweeter it is. Possibly a ⟨p. 493⟩kindness may cost more to keep it, then it is worth. Suppose a man promise me or give me wood; the cutting down of the wood, and bringing it home, may cost me more then the wood is worth: So a kindness may cost one more care then the thing it self doth amount unto. But now preventing mercy cost me nothing, it is cut down to my hand, it is brought into my hand, it is costless mercy, it cost me nothing, surely therefore it is very sweet.