Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation

4. If you have tasted of Gods preventing mercy, and God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness, why then should ye not all labour to be like unto God in your dealings with men, preventing them with your loving ⟨p. 499⟩kindness. You think it a great matter to forgive a man that hath injured you, upon acknowledging of his fault; but God prevents us with his forgiveness, before we acknowledge, and be humbled; therefore why should you not labour to be like to God therein? If a man hath done you a wrong, or injury, do not stand upon it to have his acknowledgement, but say, I will be like to God, God prevents me with his love before my acknowledgement, therefore through Grace I will prevent this man with my kindness before his acknowledgement, I will forgive him. Thus labour to be like unto God in all your dealings with men.

5. But Fifthly and Lastly, If you have tasted of this preventing love, and God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness, why then, why should ye not trust in the Lord for ever? Whatsoever your condition be, trust in the Lord, and believe for ever now, for your souls, for your bodies. Some there are that doubt of their Salvation, of the salvation of their Souls: Ah, says one, I am afraid I shall not be saved, because my prayer cannot be accepted; But will the Lord be found of those that seek him not, and will he not be found of you that seek him? Though your prayers are poor prayers. Ah says another, I am afraid the Lord will not receive me when I come to him, he will not receive me, No, But if the Lord comes to us first, and makes a tender and offer of his Grace to us, if he seeks us, will he not receive them (think you) that seek him? Surely he will. Some there are that doubt ⟨p. 500⟩in reference to their outward condition, and say, they shall want Provision, shall want Estates to maintain them; but hath the Lord prevented you with his mercy in the great turns of your life, why then should you not trust in the Lord though you see no means at all how you should be supplied? Heretofore God hath prevented you with his mercies; and why should you not say, God hath prevented me heretofore, therefore now I'll trust in him, though I see no means of supply? Whatsoever your condition be, trust in the Lord now upon this account, and believe, believe. Let me say this to you, Would you believe? Do you desire to believe? Yes, I desire to believe; do ye? Then let your eye be fixed upon Gods preventing love. What is the reason that men do not believe, but because their eyes are fixed no more steadily upon preventing love? The more you know God is willing to help you, the more you will believe; I believe that, you will say. Now I pray then tell me, Suppose a man comes to a Beggar, and before the Beggar asks, the man gives him money; will not the Beggar conclude that this man was willing to relieve him? Yes. Thus now it is, we beg and we beg, but it is as no begging, then comes the Lord and prevents us with his mercy; will you not say, the Lord is willing to show mercy? Surely he is: Now therefore, seeing God is thus willing to show mercy, O then believe you that have gone doubting, and fearing, and trembling all your days, for shame now believe.