Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	according_a	lord_n	mercy_n	2,514	5	6.2304	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93061	The hypocrites ladder, or looking-glasse. Or A discourse of the dangerous and destructive nature of hypocrisie, the reigning and provoking sin of this age. Wherein is shewed how far the hypocrite, or formal professor may go towards heaven, yet utterly perish, by three ladders of sixty steps of his ascending. Together with a looking-glass, clearly discovering that lurking sin of hypocrisie. As also another glass to try sincerity of grace by. / By Jo. Sheffeild minister of the word at Swithins London.	Sheffeild, John, d. 1680.	1657 (1657)	Wing S3063; Thomason E1570_1	172,287	360

Lords prayer 1 Hee separates the Conclusion or Doxology from the Preface hee saith Our Father with all his heart and is willing to take acquaintance of God so far as to have a Father in heaven But when hee should come to the Doxological conclusion hee hath no Praise Kingdome power Glory Majesty Dominion to ascribe to God hee is better in the beginning of his duties worse in the end better at prayer than at praises Now this is the proper work of Saints yea of heavenly Saints and Angels to bee full of praises and to close their duties with highest admiration of God and hearts brim full of his excellencies apprehended The sincere worshipper is best at last hee begins full of self ends full of God His heart the longer hee hath been at duty is like the water that hath been over the fire grows hotter and hotter at length it boyls and runs over the poor narrow vessel cannot hold it while the fire burns so the godly say their heart hath burnt within them and even boyled over Psal 45. 1. Ebullivit cor c. their hearts have been in heaven when in praises and admirations of God 2 Hee separates the Petitions an hypocrite may say the three last Petitions no hypocrite doth say the three first Petitions with his spirit and understanding 1 An hypocrite may with all his heart say Give mee this day my daily bread Give mee Lord health peace plenty give thy blessing to mee my children my labours state stock bless my going out coming in adventures c. Here hee lefts up the voyce and weeps Hast thou no blessing for mee Bless mee even mee Oh my Father 2 Hee may pray with all his heart Forgive mee my trespasses forgive both guilt and punishment restore mee to thy favour as though I had never offended though hee doth but faintly promise to forgive others that trespass against him 3 He may pray with all his heart Deliver mee from evil i. e. from the evil one from Satan from his hands malice mischief Good Lord deliver mee but from tentations of Satan motions to sin occasions of sin departure from God unbeleef hardness of heart hee prayes not against them hee saith but faintly Lead us not into temptation 2 But for the three first Petitions hee cannot pray them at all 1 To pray that Gods Name may bee hallowed and Gods glory may bee exalted in every thing and take the precedence of his own name honour interest peace comfort so that God may bee magnified by his life or death what cares hee this is onely the frame of the truly gracious soul Father save mee from this hour but why should I pray to bee saved from this hour Father glorifie thy Joh. 12. 27 28 Name Let mee rather want my daily bread than thy Name want his glory Let come on mee what will or can so that thy Name may get glory let mee decrease so it may increase here in sincerity 2 No hypocrite doth pray Thy Kingdome come Come Lord Jesus come quickly but rather stay a while noli modo come not yet yet a little sleep and a little more slumber no hypocrite doth pray that the Kingdome of God should come into him in his life it is enough for him to come into the Kingdome of God at his death The hypocrite comes to God as a poor man to his neighbour when hee knows not what in the earth to do Sir I am come of a great errand I pray lend mee such a summe of mony so saith hee Lord lend mee thy helping hand and relieve mee in such a case and hee doth to God as Saul to his Unkle tells of his business his way and his Asses not a word hee speaks of the Kingdome 1 Sam. 10. 16. the childe of God comes and sayes Lord I have a great errand to thee it is about a Kingdome I come and not a Kingdome for my self but thee I have a rebellious untoward heart of my own Lord subdue it Blessed bee the Kingdome Lake 19. 38. that comes in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Let thy Kingdome come let it come to day before to morrow Bee like the Roe and like the Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Hee came Cant. 8. 14. to God of the same great errand Israel came to David with Behold thou art 2 Sam. 5. 1 2 3 our bone and our flesh wee want a good King wee come to offer thee a Kingdome to set up thy Kingdome and to anoint and chuse thee to bee King over us say us not nay make a League and Covenant with us 3 No hypocrite can pray Thy will bee done c. Onely the sincere soul saith that Petition Let thy will bee done not mine what thou commandest let it bee obeyed what thou imposest let it bee born give strength patience peace support rather than deliverance out of affliction It is written of mee that I should do thy will Agreed I would it might bee saith hee to God as Laban to Jacob according Gen. 30. 34. to thy word Lord with all my heart I had rather serve God than reign over men rather have the grace of obedience than the gift of working miracles Thy minde to mee a Kingdome is Da quod Jubes Jube quod vis Command first a Mallem obedire quam si possem miracula operari Luther willing minde then command whatsoever thou wilt I would Lord thy will should bee done in every thing yea I would have it done as well on earth as it is in heaven no grumbling repining questioning gain-saying no halving no halting or imperfect obedience to God no faint cold dead performing of any holy service but let thy will in every part of it bee observed punctually readily cheerfully universally let thy commands bee obeyed continually totally inwardly holily conscientiously and let thy worship bee performed purely spiritually livelily heavenlily Angelically Divinely perfectly with all the heart and minde and soul and strength and joy and delight Thus much for Prayer 2 For hearing I will not say but an hypocrite may hear much and often but hee doth not take heed how hee hears Hee is one of Ezekiels hearers or comers who Ez. 33. 31 32. say Come let us hear what is the word that cometh from the Lord they come and sit and hear as my people but they will not do my words for with their mouths they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness But he is none of Isaiahs hearers or comers who say Come let us go to the house of the Lord and hee will Isa 2. 3 4. teach us of his wayes and wee will walk in his pathes An hypocrite may bee a great Sermon-hearer cannot bee called a Sermon-follower hee hath the ear tipt or the tongue tipt but hath not as the Priests in the day of their Consecration and the Leper in the day of his Purification had their ear and the

power that is they should not know what death was nor feel the stroak of it so it is said Christ tasted of death Heb. 2. 9. Will any say hee had but a smack of it and a little sense of it hee found by woful experience how dreadful it was in all his attendances and circumstances his soul was heavy to death upon the thought Such a kinde of penetrating and heart-amazing experimental knowledge and application may an hypocrite have of those future things Death Heaven Hell Judgement and Eternity Here wee see at present a short Ladder of five steps wee shall shew longer afterwards of twenty rounds a peece whereon hypocrites are climbing up towards heaven but not as Jacobs Ladder whose Gen. 28. 12. top reached to heaven foot stood on earth the top of this is towards heaven the foot in hell there Angels ascended and descended here ascendunt Angeli decidunt Diaboli they ascend as Angels fall as Lucifer ascend as Lights fall down as Lightning you would think at their first appearance you saw the Witches apparition Gods ascending out of the earth but 1 Sam. 28. 13. they prove cursed ghosts and depart with horror they that fall from this fifth Loft are not like Eutichus taken up for dead and after recovered but are like them Act. 20 9. stricken in the fifth rib never recover if they fall away it is impossible to renew and fetch them again unto repentance the Apostle saith vers 6. CHAP. III. Many Reasons of the point SEcondly having cleared this Truth by many sad Instances wee shall come to shew the Reasons of it Reason 1. You may often finde as bad people at Capernaum as in any part of the world worse than at Sodome our Saviour tells us here The Sun that whitens the Cloath tans the Blackmore the Gospel to some the savour of life is to others the savour of death to death As by the Law so by the Gospel in this sense is the knowledge of sin it worketh wrath Law and Gospel enter to some place among Rom. 3 20. Rom. 4. 15. Rom. 5. 20. some persons that the offence might abound There was a Sodome found in Israel in 2 King 23. 7. 2 King 17. 9. Josiahs dayes The children of Israel did secretly the things that were evill There is many an Achan goes out with the Hoasts of Israel many a Satan presents himself before the Lord among the Sons of God Many a cursed Doeg detained before the Lord many a Judas with his hand in the same dish with Christ such as partake of the Lords Table and of the table of Devils Among my people are found wicked men the Lord complains Yea they Over-pass the deeds of the wicked none so bad as they Among great pretenders to extraordinary piety such as devoure widows houses and live in monstrous sins and prodigious lusts They are nigh God in their mouths far off in their reines Jer. 12. 2. They sit before mee as my people but their hearts goeth after their covetousness As once there was not found so great faith no not in Israel as in a heathen Captain so oft Matth. 8. not such unfaithfulness and horrid impieties in a heathen Nation as in Israel 1 Cor. 5. 1. sins not so much as named among the Gentiles were once found to their shame in a Christian Church Reas 2. All at Capernaum are not called The outward and inward Call go not alwayes together mans teaching and Gods Grace and the means of Grace The word of Grace and the work of Grace Ordinance and Obedience are oft great strangers They who are well acquainted with the grace of truth are utter strangers to the truth of Grace All are not called There is no universal Redemption for there is no universal Election no universal Vocation There was many a widow in Israel that Elias never was sent to but to one in Sarepta Many Lepers in Israel not cured by Elisha All among whom the Gospel is sent are not saved by it There are some that hear and do not understand as the high-way ground some that understand that do not beleeve like that blasphemous Pope Leo the Tenth that called the Gospel a profitable fiction many that beleeve that do not obey Now none are called effectually called according to the purpose but such as obey There may bee many in Capernaum who see more mighty works hear more powerfull preaching receive more Sacraments have Sabbaths better spent and joyn in many Fasts who know ●ear profess more than others yet what singular thing do they they repent not beleeve not obey not they are in heaven as to profession but in hell as to conversation as proud worldly prophane sensual brutish as any other therefore after this lifting up to heaven in a vain presumption follows a sad throwing down to hell in desperation 3 All that are called are not chosen as our Saviour often said Many are called few chosen Salvation and Election are of equall latipatency and extent salvation Rom. 8. 30. and effectual calling but not salvation and external calling All that are called are not called and chosen and faithful as Gods people are Rev. 17. 14. All that are among the Israelites are not of Israel as the mixt multitude called outwardly or moved inwardly yet not with right aims and principles all that are of Israel are not the Israel of God There is a Jew outwardly and a Jew inwardly And there is a Jew without who is a Samaritan within sworn enemies to the Church and people of God as those perfidious ones who were in confederacy Neh. 6. 18. with Tobiah against Nehemiah There are such who profess to know God more than others that in their lives deny him more than others Tit. 1. 16. such who have more of the form than many ●ho have less of the power of godliness than any other 2 Tim. 3. 3. Like Judas an Angel in his speech a Devil in his heart his expressions were heavenly his affections hellish 4 The case of such is worse than other mens because the greater mercies offered and means afforded if sleighted the greater Jo. 15. 22 24. is the sin and danger If I had not come amongst them they had had no sin The more light the more love the more strivings the more convictions the more offence what makes the sin against the Holy Ghost the unpardonable sin but because it is committed after so much light and love and conviction and experience committed against Law and Gospel and promises and is a pure despite of the Spirit of grace and a trampling under foot the blood and Covenant of Christ Sodome had no sin at all comparatively none To him that knoweth to do well and doth it not to him it is sin Sodomes brimstone burnt not so extreamly and is not so bad as Gospel dust What made the Angels fall irreparable Adams offence inexcusable Elies sons sin inexpiable The Talent-receivers neglect

extraordinary approaches so an ordinary and habitual preparation to ordinary and daily duties The Laver stood near the Altar in which the Exod. 30. 19 20 21 Priests were ever to wash before they did officiate and they were to wash again when they had done Lev. 16. 24. God requireth holiness before in and after our duties Hence St. James Cleanse your hands you sinners and purifie your hearts yee double-minded and then draw near to God and hee will draw near to you Jam. 4. 8 So also the Apostle alludes to that use Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a tru heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water The Musician spends some time in tuning his instrument before hee playes our hearts should bee tuned before wee pray Gregory notes how the Cock stirs up himself claps his wings to awake himself before hee crows to awake others so should the Preacher saith hee so may I say also when thou prayest say as Deborah Awake Awake utter a song Awake my harp and I will awake saith David Judg. 5. the Harp makes dull musick if the heart be asleep Stir up thy self and the gift of God that is in thee then preach or 2 Tim. 1. 6 then pray Sampson was wont to shake himself and hee found the Spirit and strength of God come upon him so do thou In a word before duties wash in duties watch and after duties wash again Judg. 16 and keep thee clean wash unclean hands before prayer lift up holy hands in prayer 1 Tim. 2. 8 and lift up holy feet after prayer Bee as careful and constant in acting and using grace before duty and grace after duty as thou art in saying Grace before and after meat And tell not mee what thou art in duty but what thou art before and after thy duty As a man is not so well known by what hee is in affliction as what hee is after 2 The second thing wherein the hypocrite fails in that hee comes off heavily in duty comes unwillingly grudgingly and grumblingly to his duty no love of Christ or love of duty constrains him to exercising acts of piety or charity his feet are not like Harts feet his heart like the Chariots of Amminadib or Cant. 6. 12. of a willing people as the Spouse said but every finger is a Thumb with him His Myrrhe is not Myrrha Libera free flowing myrrhe his giving is not with simplicity or liberality his shewing mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 8. Rom. 12. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 5. with chearfulness his spirit makes him not willing Exod. 35. 21. his body is no living sacrifice no nor himself a lively stone but when hee gives hee doth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either with an ill 2 Cor. 9. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 13. 12. look or with an ill like grudgingly or of necessity when hee preacheth or prayeth hee doth it constrainedly not voluntarily or for love of hire not hire of love and of a ready minde as Peter saith and when hee sacrificeth hee forceth himself as Saul said What a weary life is this saith hee and hee snuffes at it again Mal. 1. 13. and 2. 13. Thus have you done saith the Lord covering the Altar with tears with weeping and crying out insomuch that hee regardeth not the offering any more nor receiveth it with good will at your hands But it is otherwise with a godly soul his spirit is a free spirit his love constrains 2 Cor. 5. 14 him hee delights to draw near to God hee is glad when hee goes to the house of the Lord hee thirsts pants and longs after God the living God and this is one remarkable difference between him and the hypocrite in all his duties hee not onely desires Gods gifts and mercies and blessings but his presence acceptance and favour in all his approaches yea Gods face doth hee seek and is not satisfied without it yea God himself is his expectation and his great errand as I said before Now Lord what wait I for Truly my expectation is from thee Psal 39. 7. 62. 5. So hee rests not in presenting God with any service but with his service hee tenders up himself Oh Lord I am thy servant truly I am thy servant and thou hast loosed my bonds Psal 1 16. 16. Alas It is not sacrifice that God calls for but obedience nor duty but love to duty is accepted hee that loveth mee and Exod. 20. 6. keepeth my Commandements not the gift but the giver is looked upon with God and not the full and great giver but the cheerful giver Non est volantis nisi volentis non clamantis sed amantis Gods people are all a willing people It was not Psal 110. 3. offering in Moses dayes towards the Tabernacle as in Davids towards the Temple but offering willingly which was looked upon Nor is it praying or Exod. 35. 21. 1 Chron. 29. 17. preaching but doing it willing which is rewarded 1 Cor. 9. 17. The truth is as one saith well it is as bad or worse to serve God unwillingly as to sin unwillingly When thou sinnest against thy will the sin is less When thou performest a good duty unwillingly the greater the sin Therefore the godly man in his worst is better than the wicked in his best In his worst hee can alway say through Grace to will is present though to perform as I would is not in my power Rom. 7. 18 when the other must say what ever my performance was my will was absent In a word the hypocrite ever comes unwillingly to his duty goes more willingly from it the godly comes more willingly to it with more unwillingness did not other necessary duties also call him off doth hee depart from it 3 The Hypocrite when hee comes to his duty is liveless sleight and negligent in his duty The prophane person is negligent of his duty the hypocrite in it as in seeing hee sees not and in hearing hee hears not so in praying hee prayes not hee doth but read prayer or say prayer or say Service as it was said or say Grace or say or sing Mass as the Papists call it who are all for opus operatum 1 Cor. 14 15 Jam 5. 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one may say a prayer and not pray a prayer I le pray with my spirit and my understanding Elias prayed a Prayer the Greek word is hee prayed in earnest Hannah her heart prayed her words were not heard these their words are heard their heart moves not It is one thing to say Grace a childe may do that another thing gratias agere to act graces or to do thanks otherwise there may bee thanksgiving sine gratiarum actione It is one

error unbeleef spiritual pride hypocrisie security opinion of his own righteousness comes in the room and the last state is worse than the first 24 In a word to conclude as to sin hee is afraid oft watcheth and prayeth against one and all but one especially above all and that is Hypocrisie Job 17. 8. The upright is said to stir up himself against the hypocrite There is such an Antipathy between them much more doth uprightness stir up it selfe against hypocrisie especially in his own heart And hee that feareth this sin indeed need not fear any other sin this one fear of hypocrisie keepeth both that and all other sins under Thus I have in a few short Aphorismes and some of them Paradoxes given you the character of a sincere person Consider what thou readest and the Lord give thee understanding and an heart to reflect on thy selfe as thou goest along CHAP. XVIII Containing an Use of Exhortation with some Directions and Motives NOw to draw towards an end let us adde a few words of Exhortation You have seen all along how far a Capernaitish Professor may go and yet after all perish and fall as Lucifer from his hoped heaven and become worse than Sodome What remains but to warn you of Capernaum Chorazin and Bethsaida all you Professors of whatsoever judgement way and profession to look well to your selves your foundation your rooting your station your growth and proceeding lest yee should begin to build and not come to perfection and leave your name and profession to derision or beginning in the spirit yee should end in the flesh and lose your reward and another take your Crown you that were first becoming last and with the children of the Kingdome bee cast into utter darkness when the last shall be first You have seen the Doctrine proved in Instances confirmed by sundry Arguments Know this for certain that there are many Professors with whom it will go worse than with any others Amos 3. 2. You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you according to your sins Rest not in going in the common road and being in that state to which the highest hypocrite may attain aspire further get into that state whereinto Hypocrites and Reprobates never yet came The new birth the new creature the new heart the new life the new nature the thorough-change an implanting into Christ a conformity unto Christ a living in the Spirit and a walking after the Spirit then hast thou crossed the line shot the gulph of perdition and art passed Act. 12. 10. the first and second Ward and got through the Iron gate yea thou art got over the first great Style and there is but one style more and thou art at thy Fathers house Rest not in performing common duties in the common customary liveless formal manner but perform every duty with life spirit zeal diligence fervency sincerity and acquaint thy self with those discriminating duties to which every hypocrite is a stranger To seach thy heart keep thy heart with all keeping to have thy conversation in heaven c. Rest not again in any shews of grace get those foure kindes wee spoke of preparative radical nutritive and perfective and pray that thy heart may not onely have the good seed but the right ordering the Plough the Root the Raine and the Sun that it may bring forth fruit unto perfection Rest not in going some few steps or some of those Removes and Encampings of Israel towards Canaan but to go thorough and get over Jordan Desire not to go the shortest easiest and pleasantest way to Heaven but the safest and surest Rest not then in civility good nature education common gifts flying common sins restraining grace Rest not in illumination conviction a taste of the good word of God or a taste of the powers of the life to come by legal terrors or unsound hopes rest not in highest knowledge fullest approbation of others in common faith repentance fears joyes going the Rounds of duty But look upon these Ladders and see how high others have gone yet have faln short see if you have gone and are yet going further Look into those Glasses wee have shewed you the Hypocrites Glass first and see if thou findest not thy sel●e there Look also into his Divisions and Contradictions and see if they shew thee not thy self Look and look diligently that thou mayest not deceive thy self and not sport but spoyle thy selfe by thy owne selfe-deceivings 2 Pet. 2 13. Then look into the Sincere mans Glass and look into it till thou finde thy selfe there And let mee after these fore mentioned Glasses leave you one Glass more That Scripture Heb. 12. 15. Looking diligently lest any man faile of the grace of God a suitable and searching Scripture of which a few words by the way Looke and looke diligently saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is Church-worke it is not to bee done hastily but substantially it is the same word that the Scripture-Bishops or Ministers work is set out by Inspection looking over This is thy Dyocess wherein thou must bee the overseer Lest any As if hee should say Too many every where do and to bee sure some of you do and will bee found such if you looke not diligently for there have ever been among the chiefest Professors and in the most select and purest societies some that have miscarried a Cham in Noahs an Ishmael in Abrahams Family a Judas among the Apostles a Saul among the Prophets a Nicholas among the Deacons a Demas among the Ministers a Magus among the Beleevers an ●nanias among the Converts yea a Satan among the Sons of God in every meeting Job 1. 6. 2. 1 Therefore you had need take the more diligent heed lest any of you should miscarry by like example of unsoundness but look well about you that it bee not your own case Lest any faile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lest any come short at last they begin well hold not out well end not well but they fall short when it comes to the upshot and winding up they are found light when they come to be weigh●d They are not such as never ran at al but such as set not out soon enough put not on fast enough hold not out long enough They are not such as want all but such as have not all that should bee had They are not such as have done nothing but have not done every thing One thing is lacking many things they have but the main is wanting There was one Lot in Sodome there wanted nine more then it had not perished Lest any faile of the grace of God Here are two things 1 Grace 2 Grace of God 1 Grace It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Gifts but Grace It is Grace is to be looked after not Gifts Many are inriched in Gifts that are poore in Grace They have the ninety

of God in them Lev. 10. 3. 3 And with a serious self-recollection and examination after Luke 24 32. As the Disciples asked each other If they did not feel their hearts burn within them while Christ opened to them the Scriptures 8 Study to keep down high and swelling thoughts and dwell much in thy own heart to keep thee humble Tecum habita noris quam sit tibi curta supellex Reflect upon former miscarriages or defects and as Schollars that aim at a progress Look back upon former exercises to correct and amend the weaknesses in them Let thy profiting daily bee seen to thy self and others none take hurt that 1 Tim. 4. 15. are looking forward and going on It is the Carters Proverb Cart never overthrows going up hill Fear descents and declinings And study thy present wants and pray Lord make mee to know how fraile I am The horse wee say were a dangerous creature if hee knew his own Psal 39. 4. strength man is a more dangerous no danger in an humble knowing thy own weakness In te st as non st as said holy Austin when thou standest in thy own strength thou staggerest and when thou risest in thy own strength thou risest to take a fall And let the forwardness and higher growth of others lately thy equals or juniors if not shame yet provoke thee to a holy emulation and ambition to out-strip both thy selfe and them as Paul who when time was had profited in the Jewish Religion above all Gal. 1. 19. his equals and after in the Christian Religion 2 Cor. 11. 5. hee came behinde none of the chiefest Apostles but could say in truth 1 Cor. 15. 10. Hee had laboured more than they all 9 Seek to get a heavenly heart and pray much for such a heart that thou mayest even rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and account it thy meat and drinke to bee Phil. 4 4. Jo. 4. 34. doing his work Work never goes on well till wee take delight in our employments neither do men thrive in their Callings till they take a kinde of felicity in them Set thy affections on things above especially get that pitch of spirit as Col. 3. 2. Psal 37. 4. Psal 73. 28. to delight in the Lord to say It is good for mee to draw nigh to God The warme wings of the Hen makes the drooping Chicking to thrive and battle The comfort of Gods presence makes all grace to thrive The joy of the Lord is the Christians Neh. 8. 10. strength it is said it is the strength of his heart of his graces of his duties as well as of his joy and comfort When the poor Israelitish servant saw hee was well used and could not tell where to mend himself for a Master hee would not change but offered his ears to bee bored so will it bee with us Seek to get a love and Exod. 21. 5 6. liking to thy Master and to his work and thou wilt never repent thee of it 10 Lastly to name no more Bee much in Prayer and pray the Lord himself to bee thy keeper to keep thee as the Apple of his eye and to give thee a heart Psal 17. 8. Prov. 7. 2. to keep his Commandements as the Apple of thine eye Beg of him according to his gracious promise to Circumcise thy heart to put his fear in thy heart that thou mayest never depart from him and that hee Deut. 30. 6. Jer. 32. 39 40. will not depart from thee to do thee good While Moses his hands were lifted up Israel prevailed Amalek when they hung Exod. 17. 11. down and if you note you shall finde then have many been intangled and overcome by error worldliness impiety and Apostacy when they have restrained and intermitted prayer before God Urge the Lord with the like Arguments that Joshua and Sampson sometimes used When Israel accustomed to continual victories came to receive a foyl from the men of Ai Joshua falls on Josh 7. 6. 7 8 9. his face cries out Alas Lord What will become of us And what will become of thy great Name Would to God wee had never come over Jordan Wee fear now the Canaanites will gather head and cut off our name from off the earth c. q. d. Wee reckoned our selves now in sight and as good as in possession of Canaan now to meet with such a disaster it amazeth and breaketh our hearts So mayest thou say Lord shall all my profession end and break off thus Would to God I had never gone so far or ever been a Professor at all rather than not to hold out Lord what is become of all my former hopes and thy wonted helps But for thy Name and Honours sake I urge and importune thee I have no greater Argument then to say What wilt thou doe unto thy great Name Lord who shall lose more I or thou Whose Name will have more dishonour Thine or mine If my name were blotted and blotted out from under heaven it were no great matter but I would bee loath to live to see the day when thy Name should receive the least blot or blemish by my means Or with Sampson say Shall I after such a deliverance and victory over the uncircumcised now perish with thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised again hee throws away his Jaw-bone which was the instrument of his victory and falls to prayer and the Lord cleaves a hollow in the Jaw-bone and a spring breaks out whereof hee drinks and recovers himselfe and to make the Well more memorable hee calls it Enhakkore as if hee should say Here is the fruit of prayer Here is the Well of prayer Judg. 15. 18 19. So mayest thou say Lord I have by thy help overcome some of these uncircumcised and now shall I fall under their hand or shall I after such experiences and encouragements dye of a spiritual thirst I shall not in despondence cast away my profession and faith as hee did his Jaw-bone but I will to prayer as he did and I may have an Enhakkore too a Well to quench the thirst of him that called on the Lord. All my fresh springs Psal 87. 7. are in thee and so both digged Wells at first and opened when stopped as the Philistims had stopped the Wells that Abrahams servants digged Gen. 26. 18. Prayer is that which opens them and makes them flow CHAP. XIX The Conclusion with an Use of Comfort HAving now gone through the maine Vses of the point I shall close up with an Vse of Comfort that our Sun may not set in a cloud and our Ark bee left in the deep tossed with the waves of a long continued Deluge but resting on Gen. 8. 6. the mountains and wee will uncover the top to let in a little light of comfort from heaven upon a perplexed soule And if I should bee the shorter herein you need not marvel for the Text hath not