And in the Power ofhis might. Thou halt have it at fight, and this may fatisfie a Chtiflian, fpecially if he confiders, though he doth not carry fo much of heavens joy about him to heaven as others, yet he (hall meet it as loon as he comes to his Fathers houfe, where it is referve,4 for him. In a worcl,Chriflian, relic upon thy God, and make thy daily applications to the throne of grace, for continual lupplies of flrength : you little think how kindly he takes it, that you will ma'ke rife of him, the oftner the better, and the more you come for, the more welcome ; die why would Chrift have told his di fciples, Hitherto ye have ask't nothing ; but to expreffe his large heart in giving, loath to put his hand to his purfe for a little, and therefore by a familiar kind ofRhetorick puts them to rife higher in asking, as Naaman whin Gehazi asks one talent, entreats him to take two ; fuch a bountiful heart thy God bath, while thou art asking a little peace and joy, he bids thee open thy mouth wide, and heel fill it. Go and ranfack thy heart, Chriftian, from one end to the other, finde out thy wants, ac- quaint thy feife with all thy weakneffes, and fet them before the Almighty, as the Widow her empty veffels before the Prophet, hadfl thou more then thou calif} bring, thou rnayeft have them all fill'd. God bath ftrength enough to give, but he bath no ftrength to deny, here the Almighty himfelfe (with reverence be it fpoken) is weak; even a childe, the weakeft in grace of his family, that can but fay Father, is able to overcome him; and therefore let not the weakneffe of thy faith courage thee. No greater motive to the bowels ofmercy to flitup Almighty power to relieve thee, then thy weakneffe, when pleaded in the fenfe of it. The pale face and thin cheeks (I hope) move more with us, then the canting language of a flout flurdy beggar. Thus that foule that comes laden in the fenfe of his weak faith, love, patience, the very weakneffe of them carries an argument along with them for fuccoui. CHAP..
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