A hundred times, and a hundred when I
have been upon my knees before God, I have desired, were it the will
of God, that I might be in their condition?"
5. How art thou, when thou thinkest that thou thyself hast grace?
"Oh, then," says the soul, "I am as if I could leap out of myself;
joy, joy, joy then is in my heart. It is, methinks, the greatest
mercy under heaven to be made a gracious man."
And is it thus with thy soul indeed? Happy man! It is grace that has
thy soul, though sin at present works in thy flesh. Yea, all those
breathings are the very actings of grace, even of the grace of
desire, of love, of humility, and of the fear of God within thee. Be
of good courage; thou art on the right side.
"I find," says the doubting Christian, "weakness and faintness as to
my graces; my faith, my hope, my love and desires to these and all
other Christian duties, are weak: I am like the man in the dream,
that would have run, but could not; that would have fought, but
could not, and that would have fled, but could not."
ANSWER. Weak graces are graces--weak graces may grow stronger; but
if the iron be blunt, put to the more strength. Eccles. 10:10.
Christ seems to be most tender of the weak: "He shall gather lambs
with his arm, shall carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead
them that are with young.
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