But pray tell me, Will a little Grace enable a man to live up to this Principle? To do his duty, and to leave issues and events to him to whom they belong? Surely no. Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest. Mark, he does not say, what thy hand finds to do, for that may find a thousand things; nor what thy heart finds to do, for that may find ten thousand things; but what thy hand finds to do, that is, look what work God cuts out to thy hand to do, that do with all thy might, for there is no working in the grave. We are to do much good in a little time, we are made here, and set to be a doing something that may do us good a thousand years hence, yea, that may stand us in stead to eternity; our time is short, our task is great. The Devil knows that his time is but short, and that's the reason why he is so active and stirring, why he doth outwork the Children of light, in a quick dispatch of the deeds of darkness. Christians, don't deceive your selves, 'tis not shows of grace, nor little measures of grace, that will enable a man to live up to this Principle, but great measures of grace will, as you may see in the 3 Children, We are not careful to answer thee O King in this matter, if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hands, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy Gods, nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up. We know our Duty, and that we will keep to, what ever the issue and event be. So those Worthies, Ps. 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant. Here was much of Christ & grace within. So in Acts 21. when Paul was to go up to Jerusalem to suffer, his friends by many tears and Arguments ⟨p. 233⟩laboured to dissuade him, for fear of some sad issue and event that would follow: But Paul rich in grace, answered, What mean ye to weep, and break my heart, for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to dye at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus: I must go up to Jerusalem, and I am willing to go up, though I dye for it.
But pray tell me, Will a little Grace inable a man to live up to this Principle? To do his duty, and to leave issues and events to him to whom they belong? Surely no. Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe, doe it with all thy might, for there is no worke, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisedome in the grave whither thou goest. Mark, he does not say, what thy hand finds to doe, for that may find a thousand things; nor what thy heart finds to doe, for that may find ten thousand things; but what thy hand finds to doe, that is, look what work God cuts out to thy hand to doe, that doe with all thy might, for there is no working in the grave. We are to doe much good in a little time, we are made here, and set to be a doing something that may doe us good a thousand years hence, yea, that may stand us in stead to eternity; our time is short, our task is great. The Devil knowes that his time is but short, and that's the reason why he is so active and stirring, why he doth outwork the Children of light, in a quick dispatch of the deeds of darknesse. Christians, don't deceive your selves, 'tis not shewes of grace, nor little measures of grace, that will inable a man to live up to this Principle, but great measures of grace will, as you may see in the 3 Children, We are not carefull to answer thee O King in this matter, if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hands, O King. But if not, be it knowne unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy Gods, nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up. We know our Duty, and that we will keep to, what ever the issue and event be. So those Worthies, Ps. 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant. Here was much of Christ & grace within. So in Acts 21. when Paul was to goe up to Jerusalem to suffer, his friends by many teares and Arguments ⟨p. 233⟩laboured to disswade him, for feare of some sad issue and event that would follow: But Paul rich in grace, answered, What mean ye to weep, and breake my heart, for I am ready not to be bound onely, but also to dye at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus: I must goe up to Jerusalem, and I am willing to goe up, though I dye for it.
