Divine considerations treating of those things which are most profitable, most necessary and most perfect in our Christian profession by John Valdesso.

CONSID. LXXX.

What Gods intent is, demanding of men that which of themselves alone they cannot give him: And why he gives them not at once all that which he will give them.

UNderstanding that it is true in effect, that men who see with the eyes of humane wis∣dome, hold it for injustice and cruelty in God that he demands of men things which they of themselves alone cannot give him, such as are, The love with all the heart, in the time of the law, and the Faith of the heart, in the time of the Gospel; which are two things which a man is of himself as able to give unto God, as he is able to touch heaven with his hand. And un∣derstanding likewise as it is in effect true, that the men who see with the eyes of the holy spirit, do in and through the same, demand, know mercy, and piety in God; and they should have known altogether the contrary in him, if

so be he should demand things that men could give unto him with ease. And considering whence these two so contrary judgements pro∣ceed, which humane wisdome and Gods holy Spirit make concerning this demand of God; I understand that the judgement which humane wisdome makes, proceeds from the not know∣ing the being of God, and the not knowing the being of man; and that the judgement which the holy Spirit makes, proceeds from the know∣ledge of Gods being, and the being of man. And it is certain, that because humane wisdome knows not the being of God, it comes to passe that seeing he demands of men that which they cannot give, it judgeth that he doth this to con∣demne them, as it would of one of the Princes of this world, who should require of his sub∣jects, that they should not sleep for a whole yeare, setting a penalty if they did sleep. And because humane wisdome knows not the being of a man, it comes to passe that it would hold it for a better and more profitable thing for a man, that God should require of him that which he can give, rather then that which he cannot give; even as it holds for better, that a Prince of the world should demand of his vassals rather that which they can give him with ease, then that which they cannot give him, though with difficulty. And it is also true, that from the knowledge which the Spirit of God hath of

Gods being, it comes to passe that not judging of him as of one of the Princes of the world, it knows, that he demanding of men that which they cannot give him, he doth it not to con∣demn them, but to save them: and that from the knowledge which the holy Spirit hath of the being of man, it proceeds, that knowing that man in himself is so arrogant, that if God should demand of him for his salvation things that he could easily give of himself, he would enter into such pride when he had given them, that by the self same way whereby he thought to obtain salvation, he would get condemnation; by this he comes to know, that the intent with which God demands of men that which of themselves they cannot give him, is not to con∣demn them, as humane wisdome judgeth; nei∣ther is it to hinder their salvation, as humane wisdome judgeth, which hereupon holds God for unjust, and for cruell: but it is to save them, and to further their salvation: God doing this to the intent that men assaying and trying to love God with all their heart, and to believe in him; and finding themselves altogether unable thus to love and believe, they should have re∣course unto God, and beg those graces of him, and by those gifts and graces of his, they may obtain that felicity which they desire, not for that which they are of themselves, but for that which they are through God. In such manner,

that with much reason, not humane, but divine, men that see with the holy Spirit, know mercie and piety in God, considering that he de∣mands from men that which they cannot give him of themselves, and they would know cruel∣ty in God, when he should demand of them that which they could give of themselves. Even as a man that hath discretion, when he saw that a father should put the government of his estate upon an ignorant and unwise sonne of his, holding the father for wise, he would judge that he had not intent to make his sonne the heir, but to cause him to loose the estate: So much different is the judgement which the Spirit of God makes in the judgement of God, from that which humane wisdome knows in the same things. And here I understand, that for the cau∣ses for which God demands of men that which they cannot of themselves give him, it comes to passe that to them to whom he begins to give love, and faith, and increase and growth in them, through some acknowledgements and feelings, and some tasts of spirituall and divine things, he doth not give so much evidence, and and so much clearnesse in them, as they them∣selves would, and as much as might serve to make that they should fully comprehend him with their understandings. I would say, that as he demands of them that which they cannot give him, to the intent they should not grow

proud, as they would if he should demand of them that which they could give him, and so their salvation would be hindred; so he doth not let them intirely comprehend spirituall things, which he sometimes makes them feel, to the end they should not pride themselves, and so hinder their salvation. God knows our evil lump, and desiring our salvation he deals with us, as he sees it convenient we should be dealt with: herein doing that with us, which we do with a child, when we would have him to love us, and depend on us. I would say, that as we give not the child at one time all that which he would have from us, and which we mean to give him; nay rather some things we give him altogether, others in part, and others we onely shew unto him, so much as to breed in him a desire to them, and to enamour him of them, to the end he may go en∣amouring himself of us, may follow, and depend on us; knowing that if we gave him at once all that which we have to give him, he would grow proud, and would not love us, nor depend on us: so God giveth not unto us at once all that which we would have from him, nor all that which he will give us, but some things he gives altogether, and others in part, and others he lets us see so much as sufficeth to breed a longing in us for them, and to enamour us of them; to the intent we may follow him, love him, and depend on him. This he doth, because he knows us to

be such, that if he should give at once all that which he hath to give us, we should become proud, and so he should not have from us what he would, that is, that we should love him with all our heart, and that for the obtaining of eter∣nall life, firmly believing we may make ours the justice of his onely begotten sonne Jesus Christ our Lord.