from the book by Jeremiah Burroughs - The Saint's Treasury

.....by the liberty thou hast now by Christ, this is thy condition, that whatever thou doest, though there be so many numerous imperfections in it, yet if God can spy out but the least good thing in thee, he will take notice of that, and cast away all the evil:  if God sees any thing of his own spirit in thee, he will be sure to take notice of that. If there be but one dust of gold, though it be mixed with abundance of dross, God will not lose it, but will find it out: God he is not strict to mark what is done amiss by his children, but he is strict to mark what is done well by them. Indeed the law tells us, nay a moral man will tell us, that to make an action good, all circumstances must concur: but the liberty of the Gospel tells us, that where there is any good, any grace in an action, God observes and takes notice of it. To give but one influence for this, and it is an excellent one for this purpose, I Peter 3:6 the apostle propounds Sarah as a pattern for good women, Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. She never calls him Lord; but then when she did it unbelievingly, and yet God takes notice of that word, and never mentions her unbelief. Now Sarah was a free woman, and this is the gracious dealing of God with the free woman; and if thou be a child of the free women, this is thy privilege, that God will take notice of every good action thou doest. Isaiah 42:3, A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. The word signifies as soon as ever the flax begins to be black, God will not reject it: so that if there be but the least degree of good, it is accepted.