-- BOOK IV: Though faith be a difficult work above our power, yet God commands us to use our utmost
soul that is in dependence upon God to work the will and the deed in salvation, hath as much to do, if not more, with the mercy of God as with the power of God, for it is mercy sets that power on work.
Suppose thou sinnest against him, and provokest him, yet be not discouraged, remember that in willing and in doing thou hast to deal with God that sheweth mercy. In waiting on his power thou wilt sin against him again and again, therefore, still remember, 'it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.' So here in the text it is intimated too, 'It is God that works according to his good pleasure;' that is, the good pleasure of his everlasting will, as it is in Eph. 1:5. Now the apostle doth not use this speech to take men off from running, but to put them in mind, that if in running they do backslide, and do contrary to God's pleasure, and provoke that God upon whose power they depend, they should yet remember that he hath mercy as well as power. His mercy then should encourage thee still to depend upon that power though thou sinnest against that power, and still thou shouldst have mercy and power in thine eye. The psalmist puts them both together in Ps.
62:11, 12, 'God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God; also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy.'
Therefore, now, if you will go to work out faith with God, and to work out your own salvation in a way of believing, as you are to have recourse to the power of God, so you must have recourse to his mercy; and, though you fail in these directions, yet remember that 'it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercy,' 'out of the good pleasure of his will.'
BOOK IV: Though faith be a difficult work above our power, yet God commands us to use our utmost endeavours to believe.