646 The Efficacy of Prayer, Vol II But becaufe this would have fignified little to us, if we be íh11 unable to per. formour duty, and to obey that Law which God hath given us, and to the obe- dience whereof he bath promifed fo great a reward ; therefore that nothing might be wanting to excite and encourage our obedience, our bleffed Saviour, after he had made our duty as flrift as is poffible, left we fhould faint, and be difcouraged un- der an apprehenfion of the impoffibility, or extreme difficulty of performing what he requires ofus, is pleafed to protnife an aílìftance equal to the difficulty of our du- ty, and our inability of our felves to perform it; knowing that we are without ftrength, and that nothing is a greater difcouragement to Men from attempting any thing, than an apprehenfion that they have not fufficient ftrength to go thro' with it, not being able of themfelves alone to do it, and defpairing of afliflance from any other. And this is the great difcouragement that moft Men lie under, as to the 'bufinefs of Religion, they are confcious to themfelves of their own weaknefs, and not fufficiently perfuaded of the divine affiflance ; like the lame Man in the Gofpel; that lay at the pool of Bethefda to be healed; he was not able to go inhimfelf, and none took that pity of him as to help him in. Hence it comes to pats, that a great many are difheartned from engaging in the ways of.Religion, becaufe force fpies, thofe who have only taken a fuperficial view of Religion, have brought up an evil report upon that good Land, which they pre- tend tohave fearched, faying, as they ofold did, when they returned from fearch- ing the Land of Canaan, Num. t 3. 31, 32, 33. We be not able to go up again/{ the people, for they are llranger thanwe : Andthey brought up an evil report of the land which badfearched, unto thechildrenof Ifrael,faying, The landthorowwhich we have gone to fearch it, is :a land that eatetb'up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that welaw in it, are men of agreatflature. And there welaw the Giants, -thefops ofAnak, which come of the Giants: andwewere in our own fight, as Grafhop- pers, and fo we were in their fight. Tuft thus we are apt to mifreprefent Religion to our felves, as if thedifficulties of it were unfupportable, and the enemieswhich we are to encounter were infinitely too ftrong for us; not confidering that the Lord is with mes`,...and notwithftanding our own impotency and weaknefs-, yet byhis ftrength, we may be (as St.Paul expreffeth it) more than Conquerours. Therefore to remove this difcouragement, and to put life, into the Endeavours of Men, our bleffed Saviour allures us that God is ready to alfift us, and to fupply our weaknefs and want of ftrength by a power from above, even by giving us his Holy Spirit, which is afpirit of might, and ofpower, andof thefear of the Lord, a$ he is called by the Prophet ; and he is ready to bellow fò great a gift upon us on the eafieft terms and conditions imaginable ; if we will but a/k this bleffing of him, How much more (hallyour heavenly Father give the holyfpirit to them that afk him? . How much more? Which words are an argument from the lets to the greater, by which our Saviour, from the confidence which children naturally have in the goodnefs of their earthly.Parents, that they will not deny them, things neceffary and convenient for them, if they earneftly beg them at their hands, argues Chri- ftians into a great confidence of the. good will of their heavenlyFather, and of his readintfs to give his holyfpirit to them that afk him. The forceof which argumentdepends upon a double comparifon, of the quality of the perlons giving ; and of the nature of the gift. s. The quality of the perfons giving, Fathers upon earth, and our heavenly Fa- ther. If earthlyFathers be naturally difpofed to give good things to their children, howmuch more may we believe this of ourheavenlyFather; if they who are but Men have fo much goodnefs; how much more confidently may we prefume it of God, who excels in all perfeftions, and whofe goodnefs excels all his other per- fe&ions ? If they who are evil, that is, many times envious, and ill natur'd, and at the belt, but imperfeftly good ; how much more God, who is infinitely good, and even goodnefs it felf? If they who are many times indigent, or but meanly provided of the good things they beftow, and if they give them to their children, muff *ant them themfelves; howmuch more God, who is not the lefs rich and 4 full
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