Use 1

USE. I.

This may serve to caution us against carnal confidence on the one hand, and despair on the other. This caution concerns all these whose business it is to endeavour the conversion of sinners to God; these are two dangerous rocks that we must carefully steer between if we would keep a right course in this duty.

1. Beware of carnal confidence. Let us not make too large and positive promises to ourselves with respect of our labor: let us not say and conclude, that because we find our hearts to be mightily carried out for the good of them whom we have to do withal, so as to make us unweariedly industrious with them, and to use all manner of endeavours that we are capable of; that therefore they must needs be converted, as if by our own grace or industry we were able to do it in and for them; or as if by our care we had obliged God to a necessity of doing it for us, upon our laying ourselves out; this is a carnal conclusion, and it flows from ignorance, and pride, and presumption, and it thereupon offers to God no little provocation, to withdraw his blessing, and so to disappoint our expectation lest otherwise we should be lifted up with self-applause, and burn incense to our own net, and so rob him of the honor of his work.

2. And let us avoid despair of doing good — whatever seeming discouragements there may be before us, what though a great deal of the pains which we have taken seems to be lost, and sinners are as far from being fruitful as ever; no, they grow worse, and more rooted in their wicked courses; what though we have tried all the ways that we can think of with them, and all seems to do them no good, but rather hurt; yet let not this make us to cast off our endeavours, to despond and to say it is in vain for us to do any thing more, but let us say as Peter did to Christ (Luke 5:5), we have toiled all the night and taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net. We cannot be sure that the time is past, or that this sinner may not be still turned to God; he is able to do it, and for ought we know he will do it — it may be at the next throwing out the net they will come into the net, and be taken.