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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78903	The godly mans ark or, City of refuge, in the day of his distresse. Discovered in divers sermons, the first of which was preached at the funerall of Mistresse Elizabeth Moore. The other four were afterwards preached, and are all of them now made publick, for the supportation and consolation of the saints of God in the hour of tribulation. Hereunto are annexed Mris. Moores evidences for Heaven, composed and collected by her in the time of her health, for her comfort in the time of sickness. / By Ed. Calamy, B.D. and pastor of the church at Aldermanbury.	Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.; Moore, Elizabeth, d. 1656?	1657 (1657)	Wing C247; Thomason E1616_1; ESTC R209627	96,958	299

better than the riches of many wicked Psal 37. 16. And the reason is 1 Because blessings given by vertue of a Promise are signes of Gods special love and come flowing to us from the same love with which God gives us Christ they are the fruit of Covenant-love 2 Because wee have them as blessings A man may have a blessing and yet not have it as a blessing The Israelites had Quails sent them immediately from God which was a blessing in it self but was not sent to them as a blessing For while the meat was in their mouthes the wrath of God came Psal 78. 30 31. upon them The wicked have blessings but not as blessings but as the cup in Benjamins sack which proved a snare to him rather than a mercy But the godly have blessings as blessings They have grace with them to improve them for Gods glory they have not only the blessings but a thankful heart for them and a fruitful heart under them which is a certain sign that they have them as blessings 3 Because they are pledges to them of better mercies and beginnings of better They are not merces but arrha not their wages but an earnest of Heaven Now a farthing given as an earnest of a thousand a year is more worth than many pounds given as a reward A wicked man hath outward blessings as his portion his Heaven his All but a godly man that hath them by vertue of a Promise hath them as a pledge of Heaven and as a beginning of eternal mercies 5 The Promises are precious because they produce great and precious effects They are not only excellent in themselves but are also very powerful and operative upon all beleevers The Promises as one saith sealed by the blood of Christ ratified by the Oath of God testified by the spirit of truth delivered by the hand of mercy and received by the hand of Faith are operative words and produce rare effects in the soul They have 1 A Sanctifying Power 2 A Comforting Power 1 A Soul-sanctifying Power Therefore they are said to make us partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. I say of the divine nature not by the communication of the divine essence but by participation of divine graces Not in a Familistical sense as if wee were Godded into God and Christed into Christ but in a spiritual sense wee are by the Promises made partakers of the divine nature that is of the divine graces by which wee are made like to God in holiness The Apostle tells us that they have a power to cleanse us from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit and to inable us to perfect holiness in his fear 2 Cor. 7. 1. 2 A Comforting Power They are able to comfort us in the worst of daies and dangers O how precious is a Promise to a distressed Christian in the hour of extreamity The Sun is not more comfortable to a man in a dark dungeon or food to a man ready to starve or water to a man ready to die for thirst The Promises of God are alwaies precious but never more precious than in times of misery and calamity and therefore let us in such times especially meditate upon the preciousness of them 3 You must meditate upon the Freeness of the Promises The Promises The third Meditation meditate on the freeness of the Promises are the outward discoveries of Gods eternal love to his people Now nothing moved God to enter into Covenant with them and to ingage himself to them by Promise and thereby to become their debtor but his free love and mercy and therefore they are said to bee given us of God 2 Pet. 1. 4. whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises God promiseth in his Word not only to love us but to love us freely Hos 14. 4. I will heal their backsliding and love them freely The reason why God makes us his people is not from any worth in us but only because it pleaseth him so to do 1 Sam. 12. 22. The Lord will not forsake his people for his great names sake because it pleased the Lord to make you his people The Lord Jesus Christ who is the great and fundamental Promise the root of the other Promises is freely tendred in the Gospel and freely given Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the World that hee gave his only begotten Son c. Rev. The fourth Meditation Meditate on the stability of the Promises 22. 17. Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely 4 You must meditate on the firmness faithfulness unchangeableness and immutability of the Promises they are the Promises of that God who cannot deny himself Promissa haec tua sunt Domine saith Austin quis falli timet cum promittit ipsa veritas Heaven and earth shall pass away but one jot or tittle of the Word shall not pass There Mat. 5. 18 is no Promise which God hath made though never so improbable and impossible to flesh and blood but it shall come to pass in due time whatsoever hee hath promised in his goodness hee will perform by his power God is not a man that hee should lye neither the Son of man that hee should repent Hath hee said and shall hee not do it or hath hee spoken and shall hee not make it good Numb 23. 19. God hath promised that the same bodies that dye shall rise again at the last day This is incredible to natural reason The Stoicks and Epicures derided it when it was preached by Paul Act. 17. 32. But hath God said it and shall hee not do it Is the Lords hand shortned Therefore Christ tells the Sadduces Matth. 22. 27. You erre not knowing the Scriptures and the power of God God is omnipotent and therefore able to do above what wee can ask or think God hath promised at the Resurrection to make our vile bodies like unto the glorious body of Christ This is impossible to natural reason but mark what the Apostle saith Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himself God hath promised that before the end of the world there shall bee a national conversion of the Jews that the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and Saviour And that Babylon shall fall These are the Promises of God who cannot Rom. 11. 25 26. Rev. 11. 15 Rev. 18.2 lye Faithful is hee who hath said it who also will do it 1 Thes 5. 24. though the things promised seem impossible to men yet with God all things are Mat. 19. 26 possible Therefore the Apostle proves the future conversion of the Jews by an Argument drawn from the power of God Rom. 11. 23. God is able to graft them in again The like is brought to prove the ruine of Antichrist Rev. 18. 8. Her plagues shall

example of holy David set down in the Text. Let us make the Law of God our joyes and our delights Let mee speak to you in the words of the Apostle Col. 3. 16. Let the VVord of God dwell richly in you c. not only with you but in you And in the Words of Christ John 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for therein you hope to finde eternal life The Greek word signifieth to search as men do under ground for treasures or to search as men who dive under water for something that is at the bottom Let us with Job 23. 12. Esteem the VVord of God above our necessary food Let us love it above gold yea above fine gold let it bee dearer to us than thousands of gold and silver sweeter than the hony and the hony-comb You that are Gentlemen remember what Hierom reports of Nepotianus a young Gentleman of Rome qui long â assiduâ meditatione scripturarum pectus suum fecerat bibliothecam Christi who by often and assiduous meditation of the Scriptures made his breast the library of Christ Remember what is said of King Alphonsus that hee read over the Bible fourteen times together with such Commentaries as those times afforded You that are Schollars remember Cranmor and Ridley the former learnt the New Testament by heart in his journey to Rome the latter in Pembrook-hall walks in Cambridge Remember what is said of Thomas a Kempis that he found rest no where nisi in angulo cum libello but in a corner with this book in his hand And what is said of Beza that when hee was above fourscore years old hee could say perfectly by heart any Greek Chapter in Pauls Epistles You that are women consider what Hierom saith of Paula Eustochiam and other Ladies who were singularly vers't in the holy Scriptures Let all men consider that hyperbollical speech of Luther That hee would not live in Paradise without the VVord and with it hee could live well enough in Hell This speech of Luthers must bee understood cum grano salis Qu. May not a wicked man delight in the VVord of God is it not said of Herod Mark 6. 20. that hee heard John Baptist gladly and of the stony ground Luk. 8. 13. that it received the Word with joy Is it not said of the Israelites remaining wicked that they delighted to know Gods waies and took delight in approaching to God Isa 58. 2. and of the Jews Joh. 5. 35. that they were willing for a season to rejoyce in the Light held forth by the preaching of John Baptist Answ There is a wide and vast difference between the joy and delight which a true Saint takes in Gods Word and that which may bee found in an hypocrite 1 The delight of a godly man is orderly and seasonable It is the consequent of conviction and humiliation For though Joy bee the great work of the Spirit yet it is not the first work First The Spirit by the Word convinceth and humbleth and then comforteth therefore Christ saith Mat. 5. 4. Blessed are those that mourn for they shall bee comforted and David saith Psal 126. 5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy But the joy of an hypocrite is unseasonable and disorderly It is his first work It is said of the stony ground that when they heard the Word they received it immediately with gladnesse Mark 4. 16. It is not said they received it first with sorrow and then with gladnesse Here is mention of joy without any antecedent humiliation Nay the Text saith expresly Luk. 8. 6. it lacked moisture and therefore it withered away There are many Professors in our daies that skip from sin to joy at first that all in an instant are in the highest form of sin and in the highest form of comfort that skip out of the lap of the Devil into the lap of joy These are as the stony ground These are wanton Christians They sow before they plough they know not the bitternesse of sin and therefore in time of temptation fall away 2 The delight that a godly man takes in the Word is a well-rooted delight It is rooted in an humble good and honest heart as is said of the good ground Luk. 8. 15. But the delight of an hypocrite is shallow and superficial as his graces are sleight and formal so are his delights Therefore it is said of the seed that fell upon the stony ground that it had no root Luk. 8. 13. and Matth. 13. 5. it wanted depth of earth and therefore when the Sun arose it was scorched The Apostle hints this Heb. 6. 4. and have tasted the good Word of God The delight of a wicked man in the Word is but a tasting and sipping no soaking a floating aloft in the river of Christs blood no diving down to the bottom A man may taste a thing and not like it taste and like it and yet not come up to the price of it as the young man Matth. 19. 22. Hee was very desirous to injoy eternal life but hee would not part with his possessions for the obtaining of it A Cook tasteth of the meat hee dresseth but they only that are invited eate of it Tasting doth not imply habitual grace A man may taste that which hee never digesteth nor concocteth The Israelites tasted of the first fruits of the Land of Canaan and yet did not enter into Canaan Such is the joy of the hypocrite It is outward and superficial But the delight of a true Saint is inward solid and substantial Jeremy saith that the Word of God was the joy and rejoycing of his heart and that hee did eat it Jer. 15. 16. hee did not only taste it but eate it And Paul saith Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man His delights had depth of earth they were well digested and concocted 3 It is superlative and overtopping A godly man delighteth more in God and his Word than in any worldly thing whatsoever Lord lift thou up saith David Psal 4. 6 7. The light of thy countenance upon us thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine encreased So also Psal 43. 4. unto God my exceeding Joy Psa 137.6 If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief Joy And Psal 119.72.127 The delight of a Saint in Gods Word overtoppeth all his creature delights and injoyments and for the joy he findes in it he will fell all hee hath to purchase it Matth. 13. 44. But the joy of a wicked man is of an inferior nature hee rejoyceth more in Corn Wine and Oil c. And when it comes into competition hee will leave his spiritual and heavenly rather than lose his creature and carnal pleasures Thus Herod rejoyced in the word that John Baptist preached but hee rejoyced more in his Herodias and when it came to the tryal hee chose to behead John Baptist rather than to part with Herod●as 1

the promise of Jesus Christ Of God being our God and of the holy Ghost Others are derivative depending and rivolet-promises as the promises of all outward comforts here and of eternal life hereafter Now it is our duty to take notice of every ray of gold to meditate upon all the Promises both spiritual temporal and eternal both conditional and absolute both of grace and to grace both general and particular but especially of the Original and fundamental Promises the Fountain-promises from whence all others as so many streams and rivolets are deduced and derived 8 You must meditate on the usefulness and profitableness of the promimises The eight Meditation meditate on the usefulness of the Promises I have already shewed you that they are the conduits of grace and comfort that they have a soul-sanctifying and a soul-comforting-power Give mee leave to adde That the Promises are 1 The breathings of divine love and affection 2 The life and soul of Faith 3 The Anchor of Hope 4 The Wings of Prayer 5 The Foundation of Industry 6 The Raies and Beams of the Sun of Righteousness and upon all those accounts are very useful and advantageous 1 They are the breathings of divine The Promises are the breathings of divine love love and affection It is an Argument of Gods wonderful love to his children that hee is pleased to enter into a Promise and Covenant to bee their God and to give them Christ and in Christ all blessings here and hereafter Wee read Gen. 17. 2 3. when God told Abraham that hee would make a Covenant with him hee fell on his face as astonished at so great a mercy and as thankfully acknowledging the goodness of God towards him The like wee read of David When God by Nathan made a promise to him hee 2 Sam. 7. 11 18 19. goes into Gods house and prayes Who am I O Lord and what is my house that the Lord my God should do this c. The Promises are the Cabinets of the tender bowels of God they contain the dear and tender love of God towards his elect children God by promising makes himself a debtor to them Now that God who is bound to none no not to the Angels of Heaven should enter into bonds and binde himself to give grace and glory to his elect children this is love above expression And there is nothing moved God to do this but as I have said his free grace and mercy For though God bee now bound out of justice and faithfulness to fulfil his Promises yet nothing moved him to make these promises but his love and mercy as David saith of what God had promised to him 2 Sam. 7. 21. According to thine own heart ex mero motu voluntatis and according to thy Word not for any thing in mee For what am I O Lord c. Thus you see how the promises are the breathings of divine love and affection and upon this account are very useful and profitable For love is loves loadstone therefore the Apostle saith Wee love him because Magnes amoris amor 1 Joh. 4. 19. hee loved us first The sense of Gods love to us will kindle a love in us to God Even as the beams of the Sun reflecting upon a Wall heats those that walk by the Wall So the beams of Gods love shining into our souls warms our hearts with the love of God The love of God constrains us as saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 14. There is a compulsive and constraining power in love What did not Jacob do for the love of Rachel How was Mephibosheth affected with the love of David 2 Sam. 9. 8. It is our duty to love those that hate us but not to love those that love us is more than heathenish and brutish 2 They are the life and soul of The Promises are the life and soul of Faith Faith Faith without a Promise to act upon is as a body without a soul as a dead flower which hath no beauty or sweetness in it But faith grounded upon the Promises will inable a Christian to advance in all manner of holiness What made Abraham forsake his Country and his Fathers house and go hee knew not whither Nothing moved him to this but because God had promised to make him a great Nation and hee beleeved it Of all graces none so causal of holiness as the grace of Faith It is a world-over-comming heart-purifying life-sanctifying wonder-working grace and therefore the Promises must needs bee very useful because they are the life and foul of Faith 3 They are the Anchor of Hope The Promises are the anchor of Hope Heb. 6. 9. Hope is called an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast But the Promises are the Anchor of Hope All Hope of Heaven which is not founded upon a Promise is presumption and not Hope Presumption is when a man hopes to go to Heaven upon no ground or upon an insufficient ground But true Hope is a Hope grounded upon a Scripture-Promise And Hope bottomed upon divine Promises will mightily avail unto purity and holiness Abraham Isaac and Jacob lived as pilgrims and strangers upon earth because they looked and hoped for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God The Old Heb. 11. 9. 10. Heb. 11.35 Testament Saints would not accept deliverance upon sinful termes because they hoped for a better resurrection The Papists and Arminians are much mistaken in teaching that the assurance of salvation is an enemy to godlinesse The Scripture saith the quite contrary 1 Joh. 3. 3. Hee that hath this Hope purifieth himself even as hee is pure The true Hope of Heaven will make us live heavenly 4 They are the Wings of Prayer The Promises are the wings of Prayer Prayer is a divine cordial to convey grace from Heaven into our souls It is a key to unlock the bowels of mercy which are in God The best way to obtain holiness is upon our knees the best posture to fight against the Devil is upon our knees and therefore Prayer is not put as a part of our spiritual armour but added as that which must bee an ingredient in every part Ephes 6. 18. and which will make every part effectual But now The Promises are the Wings of Prayer Prayer without a Promise is as a Bird without Wings And therefore wee read both of Jacob Gen. 32. 12. and Jehoshaphat how they urged 2 Chron. 20. 8 9. God in their prayers with his Promises And certainly the prayers of the Saints winged with divine promises will quickly flye up to Heaven and draw down grace and comfort into their souls And upon this account it is that the Promises are so useful to a Christian because they are so helpful in prayer When wee pray wee must urge God with his Promises and say Lord hast not thou said Thou wilt circumcise our hearts to love thee thou wilt subdue our sins Thou wilt give the

the Promises if hee hath no share in it There are three sorts of professors of Religion 1 Some lay claim to the Promises when they have no right to them such are your presumptuous sinners who take it for granted that the Promises belong to them who presume themselves into Hell by a false hope in the Promises who make a Feather-bed of the Promises upon which they sleep securely in sin As Thrasilaus a mad Athenian laid claim to every Ship that came to Athens though hee had right to none So a presumptuous sinner laies claim to every Promise though hee hath right to none he inlargeth them beyond their bounds and maketh the conditional Promises to bee absolute and such as belong only to those that are in Christ to belong to him though hee bee not in Christ Hee sucks the poison of sin and security out of the sweet flower of the Promises 2 Some have an interest in the Promises and know their interest These live in Heaven while they are upon earth these rejoyce in tribulation and are more than conquerors over the greatest afflictions These are secure from perishing in the day of distresse That man who taking the Bible into his hand can say upon right grounds All the Promises in this Book are my portion and I have a right and title to them this man is happy above expression 3 Some have an interest in the Promises but do not know their interest and therefore dare not in the hour of trouble apply them for their supportation and consolation Such are your broken-hearted wounded distressed and deserted Christians Such can receive no comfort from the Promises in the day of affliction When they begin to apply them for their support the Devil suggesteth to them and their own doubting hearts tells them that they mis-apply them and that they belong not to them When a godly Minister whose office is to speak a word in season to those that are weary Isa 50. 4. indeavours by the Application of the Promises to comfort them their souls refuse to bee comforted they exclude themselves from having a right to Christ and his Promises though Christ would not have them excluded They groundlesly contest that their names are written in the black book of reprobation and that all the curses of the Law are their portion hence it is that they live so uncomfortably and disconsolately in the time of affliction Now then for the help of such persons who have a true title to the promises but know it not who walk in darkness and see no light who beleeve they are Hypocrites when they are not and that they are not in Christ when they are that I may bee Gods instrument to inable such to make Application of the precious promises unto their own souls in particular in the hour of trouble for their everlasting supportation and consolation I shall lay down these ensuing Rules and Directions Rule 1. 1 Whosoever in a Gospel-sense doth obey the commanding word of God hath The first Rule for the right Application of the Promises a real interest in the Promising word of God Though thou canst not perfectly obey the will of God yet if thou dost truly desire and industriously indeavour to obey it in all things If God hath written his Law in thy heart and given thee a Gospel-frame inclining thee to the obedience of all his commandements sincerely though not perfectly this is an infallible evidence that thou hast a right and portion in all the Promises This is that which God saith Exod. 19. 5. If you will obey my voice indeed then yee shall bee a peculiar treasure c. If yee will obey my voice indeed not only in word and in shew but in deed and in truth Thus Jer. 7. 5 7. If yee thoroughly amend your waies if yee thoroughly execute judgement c. then will I cause you to dwell in this place c. If yee thoroughly amend c. not only in some things but in all things not only outwardly but inwardly also This Rule is expresly delivered by the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse hath the Promise of the life that now is and that which is to come If thou beest a godly man in a Gospel-sense that is one who truly and sincerely indeavoureth to bee godly If thou makest Gods will thy Rule to live by and not thine own Gods glory thy end and not thy own carnal interest Gods love thy Principle If thy Rules Aims and Principles bee godly all the Promises of this life and of the life to come belong to thee It is worth observing that all the Promises of life and salvation are conditional Happiness is entailed upon Holiness Glory upon Grace You shall read in Scripture of the blessings of the Covenant and of the bond of the Covenant of the blessings of the Promises and of the condition Ezek. 20. 37. of the Promises If ever you would assure your selves of your interest in the blessings of the Covenant you must try your selves by your sincere performance of the condition Thus Christ is promised to none but such as beleeve pardon of sin to none but such as repent and Heaven to none but such as persevere in well doing Tell mee then Canst thou say as in Gods presence that thou hast respect to all Gods Commandements though thou failest in all yet thou hast respect to all that thou obeyest God in deed and in truth and that thou sincerely labourest to bee godly This is a certain sign that all the Promises are thy portion but you that are ungodly and do not thoroughly amend your waies you that sleight undervalue and despise the commanding Word you have no part no portion in the promising word But it may bee a distressed Christian though without just cause will say that hee is afraid that hee doth not sincerely obey the commanding word and therefore dares not apply to himself the promising word wherefore I adde Rule 2. 2 The more thou art afraid lest thou The second Rule for the right Application of the Promises shouldest have no right to the Promises the more right thou hast in all probability to them This I speak only to the distressed Christian not that I commend his fear But this I say This fear which thou art possessed withall is a probable sign that thou hast an interest in the Promises For a presumptuous sinner never doubts of his right to them but takes it as a Maxime not to bee denied that they belong to him It is a comfortable saying of Mr. Greenhams When thou hearest the Promises and art in a cold sweat and hast a fear and trembling seizing upon thee lest they should not belong to thee doubt not but that they do belong to thee For Christ hath said Come unto mee Mat. 11.28 all yee that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest And the Prophet Isaiah calls upon those who are of a fearful heart to bee

to himself and rule over mee as to bee my High-Priest to make atonement by offering up of himself for mee and washing mee in his blood by which I must bee justified 6 The Lord brought mee to see a soul-satisfaction in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and I think I should bee as fully satisfied with Christ alone as my heart can desire If I know my heart it panteth after Christ and Christ alone None but Christ none but Christ The whole world in comparison or competition with Christ is nothing to mee But in him I see full contentment To see and know my interest in him and to injoy communion with him is that which if the Lord would bestow upon mee I should with Jacob say it is enough and with old Simeon Now let thy servant depart in peace for my eyes have seen thy salvation Now I desire to set down some other Scripture Evidences that I finde upon search and examination of my heart by laying it to the Rule The Word of God My Second Scripture Evidence is Evidence Second taken from Mark 2. 17. Where Christ saith They that are whole have no need of the Physitian but they that are sick and hee came not to call the Righteous but sinners to repentance Now through Gods mercy I can say that I am a sin-sick-sinner the Lord make me more sick I am not righteous in mine own eyes but a Sinner and see my self undone for ever without the righteousness of Christ bee imputed to mee and therefore I hope I am amongst the number of those whom Christ was commissionated by his Father to come to save From Matth. 11. 28 29. I am weary Evidence Third and heavy laden now Christ hath promised to give ease to such And I am willing to take his yoak upon mee and would fain learn of him the lesson of meeknesse and lowlinesse and therefore am invited to come unto him I can say with David that my sins Evidence Fourth are a heavy burden to mee they are too heavy for mee Psal 38. 4. and I can say that I mourn because I cannot mourn no more for my sins now Christ saith Blessed are they that mourn for they shall bee comforted Matth. 5.4 From Matth. 5. 3. I think if my Evidence Fifth heart do not deceive mee I am poor in spirit now theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven saith Christ From Matth. 12 20. I am a bruised reed and smoaking flax and therefore Evidence Sixth Christ hath promised hee will not break such a reed nor quench the smoak of grace if it bee true grace but hee will increase it more and more as hee saith until judgement break forth into victory And hee came to set at liberty them that are bruised Luk. 4. 18. Therefore I hope I am such a one as hee came to binde up and set at liberty yea and that hee was anointed and sent by his Father to mee and such as I am Isa 61. 1. From 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful Evidence Seventh saying and worthy of all acceptation saith Paul That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners And so say I too it 's worthy all acceptation that Christ should come from the bosome of his Father who was infinitely glorious and happy that hee should come into the world to save mee mee a sinner mee the chief of sinners mee that if saved I do verily beleeve there is none in Heaven nor any that ever shall come thither that hath or will have the cause to magnifie and adore free grace as I shall have And herein doth God commend his love towards mee For if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled wee shall bee saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. I can say with Paul that I delight in Evidence Eighth the Law of God after the inward man and I am grieved that I cannot keep it I finde that spiritual war in mee between flesh and spirit which Paul complaineth of and I can say that Paul doth confess over my heart in his confessions Rom. 7. And I can go along with him there from vers 9. to the end of the chapter and from hence I gather that there is some spiritual life in my soul and an indeavour to walk after the spirit and therefore I hope and desire to conclude with him that there shall bee no condemnation to mee but that the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus shall make mee free from the law of sin and death I finde Rom. 8. 1 2. an earnest desire wrought in my soul to bee made like unto Jesus Christ and that it may bee my meat and drink to do and suffer his will as hee would have mee I can say that the Lord hath in Evidence Ninth some measure put his fear into my heart that I fear to offend him out of love to him and I love to fear him I can say with the Church to Christ Evidence Tenth Cant. 1. 7. O thou whom my soul loveth and if I know any thing at all of mine own heart Christ is altogether lovely and most desirable to my soul I think I can truly say with David that I have none in Heaven but thee and there is nothing on earth that I desire besides thee in comparison of thee in competition with thee Though all that is dearest to mee in the world should forsake mee yet if God whom I have chosen for my portion will not forsake mee I have enough 'T is my desire and indeavour more and more to account all things but loss and dung that I may win Christ I can with Peter make my appeal to him and say Lord thou who knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee and that it is the desire of my soul to love thee more and to love thee for thy self because thou art holy and good and gracious and the chiefest amongst ten thousand Yea God in Christ alone is worthy to be beloved and it is my highest priviledge that hee will give mee leave to love him who only can satisfie my soul and redeem it from death eternal who hath justified mee by his blood and sanctified mee by his spirit whom therefore I love with all my heart and all my soul and all my might and all my strength Finding therefore that God hath drawn out my heart to love him and make choice of him alone I from hence gather and ground my hope that God loveth mee according to that Scripture 1 Joh. 4. 19. Wee love him because hee first loved us I finde my heart much inflamed Evidence Eleventh with love to all the children of God because they are Gods children and the more I see or finde or hear of God in them the more I finde my heart cleaving to them and I think I can truly say with David that my delight is in the Saints and those that excel in grace not because they are friends to