uls to wonder more at his divine wisdom and power; to despair
less in time coming, when cases would seem hard; to acknowledge his
great and wonderful grace, and his infinite power and wisdom, that can
bring life out of death; and also to be more sensible of the mercy, and
thankful for it.

O believer, what manner of joy is here! how happy art thou that hath
given up thyself to him! Thy worst condition can turn to thy advantage.
He can make thy ignorance, vented with a mixture of corruption, turn to
the increase of thy knowledge. Bless him for this; and, with joy and
satisfaction, abide thou under his tutory and at his school. And withal,
be not discouraged, be thy case of ignorance and corruption what it
will, lay it before him with sincerity and singleness of heart, and then
"thou mayest glory in thine infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest on thee," 2 Cor. xii. 9; for thou shalt see, in due time, what
advantage infinite love and wisdom can bring to thy soul thereby.

May not this be a strong motive to induce strangers to give up
themselves to him, who will sweetly take occasion, at their failings and
shortcomings, to help them forward in the way? And what excuse can they
have who sit the call of the gospel, and say, in effect, they will not
go to Christ because their case is not good. And O that believers were
not sometimes led away with this error of scaring at Christ, because of
infirmities seen and discovered!

V. It is remarkable, that, as the disciples did ofttimes vent much of
their carnal conceptions of the kingdom of Christ, as apprehending it to
be some carnal, outward, pompous, stately, and, upon that account,
desirable condition; so there might be much of this carnal apprehension
lurking under this acknowledgment and question of Thomas; and the Lord,
who knew their thoughts, doth here wisely draw them off those notions,
and sets them about another study, to tell us, that it is best and most
useful and profitable for us, to be much taken up in the study and
search of necessary fundamental truths, and, particularly, of the way to
the Father. For, 1. Here is the substantial food of the soul; other
notions are but vain, and oftentimes they make the case of the soul
worse; but the study of this is always edifying. 2. The right
understanding of this and other fundamental truths will not puff up, but
keep the soul humble, and will make the soul active and diligent in
duty. 3. The fruit of this study is p