Thirdly, Because after diligent actual preparation, you have rested in your foregoing duties, and expected that for your preparations sake, which you must only receive for Christs sake. It is hard to make diligent preparations, and then deny them when we have done, and expect all through Christ, and after our most serious preparations, to acknowledge them as nothing, and that it will be Free Grace if God discover himself unto us at his Table. Sometimes you may observe, that after greatest enlargements in secret preparation, you have been most strai•ned in the duty; Not that God is displeased with your diligence in preparation, but that you lay too great a stress upon your previous duties; and mounted them up above their place, and would have made a Christ of your duties, and would have detracted from the merits of Christ, in hoping that from God, because you had prepared, which you must only hope for, because Christ hath dyed: Not but that you may and ought to look after your Prayers which you make, and see what returns the Lord doth give you; but there is a difference between an expectation of good things from God according to your prayers and preparations; and between an expectation of good things from God for your prayers and ⟨p. 143⟩preparations; and yet you may disclaim this in word, and in your heart secretly too much rely upon them.
Thirdly, Because after diligent actual preparation, you have rested in your foregoing duties, and expected that for your preparations sake, which you must only receive for Christs sake. It is hard to make diligent preparations, and then deny them when we have done, and expect all through Christ, and after our most serious preparations, to acknowledge them as nothing, and that it will be Free Grace if God discover himself unto us at his Table. Sometimes you may observe, that after greatest enlargements in secret preparation, you have been most strai•ned in the duty; Not that God is displeased with your diligence in preparation, but that you lay too great a stress upon your previous duties; and mounted them up above their place, and would have made a Christ of your duties, and would have de••acted from the merits of Christ, in hoping that from God, because you had prepared, which you must only hope for, because Christ hath dyed: Not but that you may and ought to look after your Prayers which you make, and see what returns the Lord doth give you; but there is a diff•rence between an expectation of good things from God according to your prayers and preparations; and between an expectation of good things from God for your prayers and ⟨p. 143⟩preparations; and yet you may disclaim this in word, and in your heart secretly too much rely upon them.
