iii. 3. God forbid! His faithfulness reaches unto the clouds; he will
keep covenant with thee whose soul hath chosen him, though thou often
question and doubt of him. Indeed, thou shouldst not give indulgence to
thy doubtings and jealousies, but look on them as high provocations. For
what can be more grievous to fervent love than to meet with jealousy?
Jealousy would quench any creature's love, but though it grieve and
provoke him, yet he will not change, he will not diminish his. Only do not
think your disputings and quarrelling innocent and harmless things. No
certainly, they grieve the Spirit--stir up the beloved to go away, as it
were, before he please--and make thee walk without comfort, and without
fruit. Yet he will bear with, and not quench "the smoking flax" of a
believer's desires, though they do not arise to the flame of assurance.

But the wounded spirit hath one or two burdens more. I have abused much
mercy; how can mercy pity me? I have turned grace into wantonness so that
when I look to mercy and grace to comfort me, they do rather challenge me.
The sins of none are like mine,--none of such a heinous and presumptuous
nature. But let us hear what God the Lord speaks. I keep "mercy for
thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin. Thou hast
wasted much mercy, but more is behind, all the treasure is not spent.
Though there were many thousand worlds besides, I could pardon them all,
if they would flee unto my mercy. Thou shalt not be straitened in me."
Mercy will pardon thy abuse of mercy, it will forgive all faults thou dost
against itself. Thou that sinnest against the Son of man, the Redeemer of
the world, and remedy of sin--yet there is pardon for thee, whatever the
quality, condition, or circumstance of thy sin be. Whoever, convinced of
it, and loadened with it, desirest rest to thy soul, thou mayest find it
in Christ, whose former kindness thou hast answered with contempt. Many
sins, many great sins, and these presumptuous sins cannot exclude, nay, no
sin can exclude a willing soul. Unbelief keeps thee unwilling, and so
excludes thee.

Now, as the spider sucks poison out of the sweetest flower, so the most
part of souls suck nothing but delusion and presumption and hardening out
of the gospel. Many souls reason for more liberty to sin from mercy. But
behold, how the Lord backs it with a dreadful word, "who will by no means
clear the guilty." As many as do not condemn themselves before the