Who Can Tell?
When Jonah cried against Nineveh saying “yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” Mark here how the king resolves — Jonah 4: 19, Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger that we perish not?” Therefore the devil tells you and says “God appointed a way of salvation and you have had the means, and did not profit by them, therefore God will never show you mercy or give you grace.” How can the devil tell that? Surely all the devils in Hell cannot tell it. Say to yourself — “let me walk in that course which God commands, and do that which I ought, and then I may say, and with comfort say it” — “who knows but God may break the heart of a proud, rebellious, contrary sinner, such as I am.” None verily knows but God whether or no.
Court Of Conscience
It should be with a poor sinner as with a wise man when he would make his lands sure unto him and his posterity by evidence and writings sealed. He is not content here only to have his evidence in his own keeping, but will have them enrolled in chancery on such a date, that if he should lose his deeds, he might be sure where to find them. So it should be with the distressed soul; it should not only be willing to have all objections to the contrary of it answered, but it should further get them recorded in the court of conscience, as in chancery; that when sense and feeling are lost, yet it may readily go to the high court of conscience, and there find the day and the year when God’s love was made sure unto it.
Satan Deals With The Soul As The Enemies In War
When Joshua defeated the men of Ai, he got them out of the city; then they lay in ambush, went and took it and burnt it with fire. So the devil doth. Our castle or city is the premises, the word and ordinances of God. Now if the devil can but get you out of this castle, he has you where he would. If you will listen after every word of carnal reason and temptation that comes you are gone. If he can get you from the sure hold of the promise, he will entangle you in the snare of unbelief, and so prevail against you.
Judge Thy Soul By The Word
and look upon that sacred piece in the glass of itself, and let it bear witness for thee and what the Word of God doth evidence to thee, do thou maintain, and hear nothing against it. This is the way to receive comfort and go on cheerfully in thy Christian course.
The Poor Woman
in the gospel had spent all her goods upon physicians. If she had but a little means left (for any thing that I know) she would never have gone to Christ. But when all failed then she was forced to seek to Christ, who was ready and willing to do that for her.
Swimming
As in the art of swimming, he that will swim, must pluck his feet from the bottom, and commit himself to the stream to bear him up; so in this, our purpose to Heaven, we must draw our hearts from the vain things below, and though we have honour and preferments, we must put no confidence in them, but loose our affections from them, and learn, by our believing to commit ourselves wholly to the power of the promise, to receive comfort.
Jacob And Joseph
Jacob would not believe that Joseph was alive; or if he was alive, he had but little means and was poor, Gen. 45: 26-28. But when he saw the chariots that Joseph had sent him, then he believed and said “It is enough, Joseph my son is yet alive.” The wagons sent from Joseph to Jacob brought Jacob to Joseph. So every believing soul is poor and feeble, and not able to go to God, and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, look into the chariots of Israel first and that will convey you to the promise. As it is with the miller, first he prepares the mill fitly, and orders all, and when the stones are fit and laid to go, yet it will not, till the sluice be pulled up, and the water runs which drives the mill. So the soul is humbled and lies before the Lord and His truth and is content to yield to His conditions. Now the soul of itself and in itself cannot go, till He let down the sluice of the promise. Let that come to your heart — it will bring it to the Lord.
Assurance
Another Christian labours much for the assurance of God’s love, and cannot obtain it. He seeks to God in the use of the promises, and yet he cannot find it settled. Well God will give comfort and consolation in His own order. Commonly the Lord never debars the soul of comfort, but He sees the heart not fit for it. The heart would be proud and careless, and thy sail would overturn the boat. Therefore when God has abased your heart, and made you content to want what He denies, then He will give assurance, but it must be in His own order.
Feed Me With Food Convenient For Me — Proverbs 30: V.8.
There was faith; he wholly refers himself to God. When a man comes to the tailor to have a garment made, he does not cut out the garment himself, but leaves it to the judgment of the workman. So must we refer ourselves to God. God promises nothing but as He sees fit for one’s good. As it is with a potter to make so many vessels of honour, so if the Lord will make of you a vessel of honour go away contented, it is enough that thou art elected to eternal happiness.
This Day Is Salvation Come To This House, Luke 19: V.9;
not to the walls of the house but to those in it. They did not come to salvation but salvation came to them. The Lord sent salvation to salute the house of little Zacchaeus.
(Taken from Hooker’s Doubting Christian)