our wants except we make them known in prayer Phil. 4. 6. All my springs are in thee saith the Psalmist Psal 87 ult i. e. in God conveyed in the way of Ordinances and Duties for he speaks there of the glory of the Church in its Ordinances So Jam. 1. 5. which I have quoted above If any lack wisdom i. e. special wisdom for an afflicted condition let him ask it of God If we be too proud to aske God is too wise to give 6. A man under affliction is lyable to many sinnes more then he is subject to in another condition As 1. Vnbelief Psalm 116. 11. Isai 38. 11. Unbelieving forecasts 2. Impatience as may be seen in Job himselfe the patterne of patience as he is recorded Jam. 5. 11. yet in the third Chapter of his book what a fit of passionate fervency is he in so great that he talks idlely 3. Putting forth our hands to iniquity and indirect means Thus in affliction oftentimes an Abraham shuffles and equivocates Gen. 20 2. A David dissembles 1 Sam. 21. 13. A Peter denies his Master Mat. 26. 69. Now against all these temptations next the word the readiest help is prayer whence the Apostle Ephes 6. after the enumeration of all the pieces of the Armour of God to be put on in a day of tryal that a man may be able to stand v. 13. to 17. will have them buckle on all those armes and handle them by prayer v. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit c. All prayer ejaculations and set duties publick and private alone and in company c. 7 An afflicted Saint hath then special arguments which he may urge in prayer which no other condition yeilds As 1. Gods bowels of fatherly pity and compassion Gods eyes and Gods hand and Gods heart are parts attributed to him in relation to all the ordinary affaires that concerne his people but the bowels of God are peculiar to the suffering and afflicted condition of his people only and mercy and pity affections which are most proper to an afflicted condition are set forth by bowels in the Scripture therefore when the Prophet expresseth great compassion and a grief sutable to it he cryes out O my bowels my bowels Jer. 4. 19. And towards Ephraim in affliction see what part of God is most affected Jer. 31. 20. My bowels are troubled for him Therefore the Church in affliction is expert in this Argument Where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me Isai 63. 15. And God delights exceedingly to shew his pity and his tender mercies to his people in such a time he is a God that delighteth in mercy Micah 7. 18. and therefore delights to be urged with it and to have it pleaded in a time of misery And for this very reason he maketh our greatest misery and most forlorne condition a time of love and mercy Ezek. 16. 4 5 6. Ps 136. 23. Luk. 1. 48. And no wonder he takes such a time seeing hee hath most glory from his people for remembring them in a low estate 2. Adde to this another which indeed is the occasional motive to it our own misery the proper object of mercy and the correlative of it This is a good argument to plead with God Lord now I am a fit object of mercy thou art a God of tender mercies and thy compassions faile not If ever any soul needed tender mercies I am that soul Behold Lord my affliction see Lord and consider behold Lord and consider remember O Lord what is come upon us c. saith the Church often in the Lamentations Lam. 1. 9 20. 2. 20. 3. 1. Thence the people of God in Scripture use to make such large descriptions of their sad condition as Psalm 38. throughout Psalm 41. 5 6 7. 69 throughout Isai 37. 14 15. A beggar that hath a maim a souldier that hath the scarres of his dangerous wounds to shew hath a great advantage in begging above those ordinary beggars that can shew no such arguments and inducements to pity Misery speaks aloud when he that suffers it it may be hath not a tongue to utter it 3. The seasonablenesse of relief in such a time may bee a prevailing motive Gods season of mercy and pity is our depth of want and misery relief in such a condition divers times is double relief When God helps an Abraham upon the mount when he steps in between a man and the very brink of danger this endears a mercy Now when a man can plead with God thus Lord thou hast made me hear much of thy mercy pity and bounty Lord if ever thou wilt give me an experiment of it now is a fit time to do it now I am at a losse every way else now I am at the very brink of despaire O what a season mayest thou now take to engage my heart unto thee As it is prevalent with a friend to urge Sir You have often bid me make use of you you have promised me many times what you would do for me now Sir if you will ever relieve me now is the time when you may do me a most engaging kindnesse Thus David prayes Psalm 69. 13. My prayer is unto thee O Lord in an acceptable time save me now deliverance will be welcome So Psalm 143. 7. 4. The present hindrance that a man finds in the service of God by an affliction is of much importance by way of Argument in such a season For Gods main inducement in all that he doth is his own glory And 't is a great discovery of a gracious spirit when a man desires not his own ease so much as Gods glory nor his own ease but for and in subservience unto Gods glory in such petitions there is much self-denyal and therefore such petitions please God most These kinds of pleas are very usuall in the Saints and servants of God through all the Scripture In death saith David there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks Psalm 6. 5 And what profit is there in my bloud when I go down to the pit shall the dust praise thee Psalm 30. 9. And Heman Psalm 88. 10 11 12. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead c. shall thy wonders bee known in the darke and thy righteousnesse in the land of forgetfulnesse In the same tune is Hezekiah Isai 38. 18 19 The living the living they shall praise thee the grave cannot praise thee Lord say they this sicknesse this danger of life hazards the the losse of many opportunities to do thee service in the World therefore grant life and health When a man can go to God and say in sicknesse Lord thou knowest I would live to glorifie thâ—e I have done thee little service I would fain do thee more ere I go hence and be no more seen cut me not off in the midst of my days c.
their bondage they could not hearken to Moses for anguish of heart Exod. 6. 9. Read over to a Noble man all his pedigree to a great man all his Titles and famous atchievments shew a rich man all his baggs and his writings and tell the Gentleman of all his pleasures how his hawke flies his dogs hunt where are the richest wines the merriest company c. things that would have taken heretofore now the news of them is like unpleasing meat to a nauseating stomack like jarring musick to a judicious ear Or in Solomons language Prov. 25. 20. As he that takes away a garment in cold weather and like vinegar upon nitre so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart This heavinesse is the greatest heavinesse The Spirit of heavinesse Isa 61. 3. bitter bitternesse saith Hezechiah Isa 38. 17. 3. Soul-distracting despair I mean not that which shuts and barres the door of the heart against all reliefe blocks it up and besiegeth it on all hands yea even on the side of Heaven it selfe but that which excludes all possible means on this side the infinite Mercy of God and bloud of Christ when as David Psal 142. 4. a man looks on the right hand to Duties and Ordinances and good deeds and resuge fails they appear vestimenta inquinatorum they have guilt in them as wel as deficiency filthy rags he looks Isai 64. 6 on his left hand at the comforts of this life and at humane means to remove misconceived natural causes and finds that he cannot be ransomed by gold nor silver nor precious 1 Pet. 1. 8 stones that it is in vain to come before God with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers Micah 6. 7 of oyle that his wounds will not be cured by Balsoms nor his Disease be cured by Potions And that there is no name but Christs in heaven or under heaven that can relieve him Acts 4. 12. This is indeed a complete work of the Spirit of Bondage till this a man is never brought low enough to be lifted up all the convictions horrors and anguish of conscience whiles removeable by other means then the blood of Christ are but sleight and superficial wounds and all the power which the Spirit exerciseth till this effects not a through Conquest a man never submits himself entirely to the Spirits handling till this time never accepts of his fetters and wears them without resistancy till now As a Prisoner never quietly submits to his condition till he finds all wayes of escape obstructed and no way to get those fetters off which pinch him but by that hand that put them on And thus these cords that bind a soul under sin may be made use of and twisted with others of a Gospel nature to draw a soul to Jesus Christ For here now properly comes in the discovery of Christ to such a soul ut infrà CHAP. IX A farther explication by assigning the means of its working Quest 2. HOw doth the Spirit work this bondage and fear in the hearts of sinners Answ The meanes is various 1. Occasional So sometimes affliction doth not only fetter a man in his body or estate but soul also Many times God brings down a proud heart as Manasseh by this way Manasseh never became the Spirits Bond-man till he was the King of Babylons captive Then and not till then he bowed himself greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chron. 33. 11 12. Sometimes the death of friends especially if unexpected and the thoughts of mortality occasioned thereby Sometimes seeing the strictness of those we converse with Sometimes a reproof a notorious sin which God leaves a man unto sometimes the soul-troubles of others declaring their cases and complaining are catching c. 2. Instrumental and thus ordinarily God useth the Word as his mighty instrument by which he pulls down strong Holds and casts down imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledg of God and brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. This Word is the instrument of conviction and so of this Bondage arising thence Hebr. 4. 12. Yet is it not the bare word that can work it no though we concur to it and labour by meditation conference and other means to do it for when we have done all We receive it saith the Text. If you ask What word doth the Spirit work this bondage by I answer By the Law generally and principally though some Gospel-considerations may sometimes be admitted to whet and sharpen the edge of the Law I mean the History of the Gospel which aggravates that bondage by exemplifying the misery of being under the curse of the Law the intolerablenesse of lying under the wrath of God in the person of Christ barely suffering for imputed sin by discovering a rich and unvaluable Treasure and spreading all the glory of it before a man who must not lay hands on one farthing token of it c. But the Gospel concurs only per accidens as the sight of Lazarus in heaven increased the hell of Dives and the plenty in the gates of Samaria that Princes misery who was to dye without tasting of it 2 Kings 7. 19. But I say The Law is the proper and ordinary instrument of the Spirit in this work It is the School-master whose lash makes sinners backs smart Gal. 3. 24. which convinceth men as transgressors James 2. 9. Causeth the knowledg of sin Rom. 3. 20. Worketh wrath i. e. manifests it worketh the sense of it into the soule Rom. 4. 15. Maketh the offences of sinners to abound discovers millions of sins more then he dreamed of Rom. 5. 20. Quickens sin in the conscience and puts a weapon into its hand to kill the sinner under its guilt chap. 7. 9. It is therefore called by the Apostle 2 Cor. 15. 56. The strength of sin i. e. that which onely armes sin with terrour and makes its guilt an intolerable guilt The Spirit interprets the Law to a mans conscience and armes it with its curse to pronounce against every sin and this Law thus armed arrests and endites and accuseth and convicteth and condemneth the sinner and when it hath done so it stops there it is fain to do as Felix with Paul to leave him bound without any mitigation Acts 24. 27. or qualification of his misery till the same Spirit whose servant the Law is be pleased to let him free CHAP. X. Evidences of the Spirits usual working in this way before Conversion Quest 3. BUT how appeares it that the Spirit of God ordinarily works first this way Ans 1. Because the Spirit of God as to the order and manner of his working deals not with man as we use to do with stocks and stones We translate them from place to place and condition to condition barely by an act of extrinsecal power As we do raise a stone to the top of a steeple and prop him up there contrary to
dyed in Egypt How often have we longed for quails for our lust bin discontented at Gods allowance and thought all we had even precious manna gracious meltings for sin a tender fear of offending God an holy importunity in following after God c. nothing if we were not presently assured of his love and kissed with the kisses of his mouth Think how much of unbeliefe impatience pride peevishnesse unthankfulnesse despaire hard thoughts against God wearinesse of his service unjust censures against your selves blasphemous murtherous thoughts c. hath God past by and in all these provocations kept you from falling off from your present convictions and the benefit of them and held you in his hand and conducted you through the wild and roaring wildernesse till he hath brought you to Canaan 4. The multitude of those who perish under convictions and notwithstanding them nay perish the deeper for them When a man considers that the same troubles of spirit which drove Judas to the Gallowes and Cain to despair and to many thousands under the means of grace become barely means of hardening the heart and increasing their condemnation prove to him the throws of a new birth the rough passage to a Kingdom of liberty and glory the straight doore to a pallace of spiritual peace and comfort Distinguishing mercy is engaging mercy And distinguishing mercy is greatest when to the persons distinguished every thing is common but that very distinction As if in a common guilt some are pardoned whiles others dye and in a common disease some perish and others are preserved so here in common soul troubles one man despairs and sends himself to hell the sooner another presumes and fends himself thither the surer c. Others are effectually converted and eternally saved Oh what a deep engagement to thankfulnesse is this 4. Pitifulnesse and tendernesse to other persons in that condition Our own experience may tell us what grievous burthens soul troubles are and how much need there is that those that are with young should be gently led Our Saviour was pleased to submit to temptation for that very reason that he might be a mercifull high Priest able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. But I have spoken to this also before CHAP. XXII Several considerations to humble such as have gone through this work ineffectually II. HEnce also let all those be exhorted that have been under these troubles of spirit and have gotten over them without any real work of conversion or saving grace attained by them to 1. Labour seriously to bewail the inefficacy of such hopefull means for their good O friends 't is a sad thing to come out of any trouble muâ—h more such a trouble as this is and get nothing by it What a complaint do the Church make in relation to their temporal afflictions Isay 26. 17 18. We have been with child we have been in pain we have brrught forth wind c. That that comforts a woman in her throws is the hope of a child and this is that that makes her forget it when it is over John 16. 21. But if a woman fall into grievous pains and all proves but a Tympany or an abortive conception or a monster this will not quit the cost of such throws and therefore when shee thinkss on this time she bewails it ever after Much more should such an affection as this possesse a man when he considers how near he was to the Kingdom of God as Christ saith to the Scribe Mar. 12. 34. To perish within sight of the harbour and so to come within a stride of the goale and misse it O how vexing a thought should this be 'T were well if it were so with most men in this World whiles they have time to repaire their losses Hereafter 't will be a trouble to eternity irremediable and that irremediablenesse will be the greatest part of the trouble Here to help this work may be considered that hereby 1. The Spirit of God is disappointed quenched resisted 'T is Gods Spirit that hath contested with thy proud obstinate rebellious heart and 't is that Spirit whom thou hast so often repulsed That Spirit is a free spirit and is not bound to move any more Psal 51. 't is a Spirit of grace and if he move not Zach. 12. 10. thou canst never recover again and when he hath been so repulsed how canst thou expect his farther attempts God doth justly resolve many times concerning such persons as Gen. 6. 3. That his spirit shall strive no more 2. Your hearts are hardened Believe this for a certain truth that the more the heart is melted and softened if it grow hard again it grows the harder for it Thence 't is it may be for I am not certain the sin against the Holy Ghost is there meant that the Apostle saith it is impossible to renew such to repentance when they fall away Heb. 6. 6. impossible that is as to the strength and power of ordinary means that work on other men and if God convert such an one it is by an act of his absolute power besides the ordinary regulated way of his proceedings So is the word taken Mat. 19. 26. that that is impossible with men i. e. which is beyond the reach of men to conceive how it can be done is possible to God Now for such a man to be converted is impossible to men not only in that he hath no power in nature to effect it for so is every mans conversion impossible but in that a man cannot rationally judge him capable of benefit by any of the ordinary supernatural means of conversion The Word of God and whatever other means of conversion will grow so familiar with such a man that all that was affecting in them will through acquaintance grow contemptible and sinnes which at first view and in a mans first convictions appeared fearful and terrible having once or twice affrighted the soul and done no more will afterwards lose their monstrousnesse by a frequent fruitlesse view of them nay hell it selfe as bug hears to children after they begin to find that there is nothing in them but the name will appear but an old wives fable and its fire but a painted flame such as scares more then it hurts and so no wonder if all these restraints removed such an one 's latter end be worse then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. ult Sins before softenings are like weeds in a ground which before plowing and harrowing wee hope to root out thereby but afterwards they are like invincible weeds that no plough or harrow will tear up and therefore such ground is nigh unto cursing 3. Conscience is checked and discouraged That tendernesse which before possessed it upon every sinne is in a great measure lost and whereas it before passed a right censure concerning thy estate now it is grown partial and flattering For there is no man can get out of soul troubles without the leave of his
unto me he hath pulled me in pieces and set me as a mark for the arrow he hath caused the arrow of his quiver to enter into my reins he hath â—illed me with bitternâ—…s and made me drunken with wormwood he hath bâ—oken my teeth with gravel stones he hath covered me with ashes and this hath been of so long continuance upon mee that I have forgotten prosperity I can 17. scarce remember that ever I had a better day And therefore it is no wonder if I conclude that my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Oh saith the Church this was 18. my very case when I remembred my affliction 19. the wormwood and the gall I even said as thou dost But I withall considered that though my case were bad yet it might have been worse sure God hath shewn me some mercy in that I live It is of the mercies 〈◊〉 the Lord 22. c. Therefore have I hope and therefore I 23. c. to 32. conclude that though the Lord cause grief yet he will have compassion c. Read that Chapter ter all over I have given but a draught of it and therein see thy case and thy cure As to thy own experiences urge his preservation of thee and support thus long and plead for its continuance Obj. But how can I hope Hope proceeds from faith and I cannot believe for I am yet you tell me in a state of Nature till by these troubles God converts me Answ 'T is true of the grace of hope that it proceeds from faith in order of nature and is a fruit of conversion 1 Pet. 1. 3. and till conversion we cannot rejoyce in hope of the glory of God But there is another hope that is not always gracious though possibly sometimes grace may be seminally in it and may first appear by it as the first act of faith may appear in such an act of hope as this True I am a condemned creature but there are such and such free offers of Christ and promises of mercy to sinners indefinitely and why not to me yet I say this hope is not always gracious because it is common to presumptuous as well as repenting sinners and is the very ground on which they presume This hope I shall for distinctions sake call a moral or rational hope because it is gathered from the general promises of Scripture in a rational way as also because it is but a general probable hope that is accompanied only with opinion and not faith though it may ground faith as to its act of reliance upon Christ and the promise of mercy in him where the Spirit of God pleaseth to infuse faith in such a rational way as divers times he doth Whereas the hope that flows from faith is a spiritual and infused hope and is not so much the apprehending a possibility as expecting a certainty of fulfilling the promise to me in particular arising I mean in the acts of it not in the habit or seed of it for that is infused in the first vital act of reliance upon Christ which unites to Christ and so justifies arising I say from the particular evidence of my justification by faith and so from an act of assurance and is higher or lower like it Distinguish thus The one is a kind of negative hope the other a positive The one saith I am not excluded the other saith I am included It s language is Why not I Now 't is the former hope that rational moral hope I advise thee to keep alive in thy soul Let no power of corruption no strength of temptation no length or grievousnesse of thy soul troubles no false conclusions from Gods decree of reprobation c. drive thee out of a firm assent to this proposition that though thy case be sad yet it is not desperate God hath invited such as thou art hath offered Christ and grace freely to thee among others and therefore thou art by no positive declared act of Gods excluded more then any other It is a great support that a soul in this case gets by such an argument as this is For although grace do not always attend or accompany this hope yet the Spirit of God doth use it as it doth all other preparatory works to dispose the soul for grace Nay I know not but that if the soul follow this moral hope with a constant use of all means and ordinances and in them resolve to cast himselfe upon Christ to be saved by him in his own way and upon his own terms why this hope may not be the immediate ground if not the vehicle or chariot of the very first act of justifying faith Wherefore 3ly Let this hope produce waiting Think not that thou art presently cast off by God because he doth not presently as to thy sense answer thy desires There is a great deal of impatience usually in troubled spirits And there is reason why such souls should be subject to that failing For the wound of the spirit is an intolerable wound Prov. 18. 14. And nothing is more grievous to a man in intolerable pain and anguish then delays Hear me speedily saith David else shall I be like unto them that goe down into the pit Psalm 143. 7. and when God hides long he apprehends it will be for ever Psalm 13. 1. But we must labour against this corruption and endeavour to bring our souls to a contentednesse to wait for Gods salvation as long as he thinks fit to exercise and discipline us in that condition The Scripture abounds in exhortations promises and examples pressing home this duty upon us The place Lam. 3. 26. requires not only hope but waiting the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siluit a quiet silent waiting free from clamorous complaints against God murmuring at his delays and desperate expressions of despondency of Spirit And we have a great encouragement hereunto if we consider 1. That this time of delay is Gods waiting time as well as ours Is 30. 18. The Lord therefore waits that he may be gracious and indeed he hath waited upon us many years before he could prevail with us to give him the hearing of any his gracious invitations and do we now think it much to wait on him till he hear us Besides 2. Saving grace is a thing worth the waiting for Thou hast heard often and prayed often thou saist and yet seest no fruit of it thou hast obtained neither grace nor peace conversion nor comfort remember what the Apostle saith Jam. 5. 7. though with relation to another fruit i. e. the fruit of external sufferings yet the force of his argument is no lesse herein also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lengthen out the patience into long suffering Behold your husbandman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lengthens out his hope though the seed come not up after the first rain yet he expects another shower it is not ripe as soon as it growes up it may bee a
sense of mercies Thou wantest at least in thy apprehension grace and Christ or it may be but the evidence and assurance of these now thou perpetually art on the complaining hand and when thou comest into Gods presence he hears nothing from thee but these complaints and all that thou conversest with can have nothing else from thee but querulous language and it may be murmuring discourses concerning the sadnesse of thy condition and present wants But here is not a word of acknowledgment of what thou hast Thou never goest to God and acknowledgest that it is a great mercy he hath made thee see the sinfulnesse and misery of thy present condition and affected thy heart with it Now certainly this were a more likely way to speed 8. Labour to keep your hearts warm by keeping those things most fresh upon your spirits by constant meditation which most affect you Thou goest home warm from a Sermon affected it may be deeply with thy own condition by nature or it may be convinced of the exceeding sinfulnesse of some Master sin or other when thou comest home that this may be effectual to thy conversion dwell upon those passages in thy thoughts and when they are ready to dye recover them again by fresh recollection desiring God to fix them upon thy spirit till they have done their work And this puts a special force into the Word which it would utterly lose if these thoughts by worldly diversions should be buryed as soon as thou art gone from the Publick Assembly And at other times whiles this work is upon thee thou maist do well to take up thoughts on these Heads which may be matter for meditation in such a condition 1 The sinfulnesse of sin under all its aggravations and the sad condition of a person under it Here thou maist think what a sad Apostacy from the perfection of mans nature and being sin hath brought into the world how black an image of Satan it hath drawn upon the soul what an holy and righteous Law it is against what a just condemnation it hath subjected thee unto And here thoughts of hel and the eternal wrath of God under all its affecting circumstances may bee considered in relation to thy case 2 Your own particular sins and their heightning circumstances How much more vile thou art then others and thy sins more great then those of others what by means and mercies and judgments and convictions and education and vowes and covenants of forsaking them by Apostacies and backslidings into them after a temporary desertion of them by being accessary or Author to the sinnes of others c. 3 The necessity of returnings to God That therefore in the way thou art in thou art running with all speed to the chambers of death if thou dye the next moment hell must receive thee and heaven be for ever shut against thee That thou hast no way to escape but by a speedy return to God and taking up a new course Matth. 5. 25. 4 The impotency hardnesse deceitfulnesse of your own heart That although thou see so much need of getting into another condition entring into another way yet it is not in thy power so to do and if it were thou hast such an heart as would dissemble with God and thee and put him and thee off with shewes and colours in stead of real fruits of grace or if it could bring forth such yet they cannot justifie and are frail and uncertain 5 The excellency of Christ in his grace and in his righteousnesse That therefore God hath appointed a way in which thy sins may be pardoned and thy nature renewed by the righteousnesse and grace of another That all that thou seest wanting in thy self Christ is abundantly able to supply That there is therefore that in Christ for which he deserves to be valued above all the world for grace and peace 6 The riches and freenesse of Gospel Promises in which Christ is communicated especially those that we call absolute Promises of the first grace That to persons so lost in themselves there is an abundant fountain of Grace opened in Christ That God invites all such persons to come to him and if they want wherewithal to procure Christ that he hath promised that too even the Spirit Zech. 12. 10. Luke 11. 13. Faith Phil. 1. 29. A new heart Ezek 36. 26 CHAP. XXVI Farther Directions of the same kind 9 TAke heed your particular callings prove not a snare to you That may be two wayes 1 By wholly neglecting of them For hereby a soul is exposed to a million of temptations whereunto a moderate prosecution of the affairs of a mans calling might prove a considerable diversion 'T is true I would have every soul upon the first smiting of his heart to set apart some time for a serious meditation upon it till he hath stated his condition and by Gods assistance begged in Prayer gained a clear sight of his estate brought his heart under such fixed impressions as will stick upon him through all his other imployments After which he may go about the works of his calling moderately and take set times out of it to begin where he left last so carrying on that work yet not neglecting the other As a Tradesman takes time to state his Accounts and when so falls to his Imployment again and having brought his Accounts into method he can again find where he left 2 By over eager following them Mat. 13. 22. The cares of the world choak the Word The Divel when a soul sets all its power on work to hunt him out runs like a hare among a flock of sheep and so puzles the pursuing soul and divers it A man in such a condition if his necessary imployments cannot be carryed on by other hands may and must follow them yet he must take heed that his whole heart never be let out in them stil must the impressions of the Spirit of God run as a black thread through the whole web of his businesse that when he hath gained time from his business to think on it more seriously he miss not his heart 10. Avoid all cooling company and choose those whose affections are warmest and their zeal hottest provided they be sound in the faith This I have touched upon before as also most of the rest in a sort and therefore shall be but brief in it When you are convinced possibly your company before conviction was meerly worldly possibly vicious drunken dissolute now fly the very occasions of conversing with them and seek cleave to and esteem only the company of the strictest These will be sure to help you out in the managing of your troubles will give advice pray with and for you c. See Act. 2. 40. 11. Keep no considerable passages of your present condition secret O that I could perswade people when the Word works any impressions upon their consciences presently to let the same or some other but most chiefly the same Minister
satisfied There is as much difference between these two acts of the Spirit as there is between such a plea as diverts a judgment against a man at present and that wherein by an evident deed or writing it is certainly determined on his side And so we may distinguish Comfort and Assurance and Comfort and Peace For though Comfort alwayes follow Assurance so that there can be no assurance but it must comfort yet where ever there is comfort it followes not there must be Assurance For there may be comfort in a lesse evil compared with a greater and a poor soul may take comfort in this that although he be not sure he is included in the Promise yet he is not excluded but Assurance presupposeth an actual perswasion that a man hath a share in the Promise A man may be comforted with this that although it is bad with him now yet it may be better but Assurance supposeth a sense of his good condition at present Now to apply this distinction to the answer of the Question propounded I am not satisfied that any man can draw Assurance as it is thus distinguished from support and comfort from an Absolute Promise because an Absolute Promise is no legal plea for me in particular as to my present Title to God though it be for my future hopes of such a Title And my ground is this That which all are called upon to believe and which is offered to all alike cannot be a grounded plea to put a distinction between me and others but particular Assurance puts a special Mark of distinction between me and others and absolute Promises are offered to all alike and therefore Assurance cannot flow from an Absolute Promise Nay let me add it is the constant guise of Presumption to plead Absolute Promises in point of Evidence as the Promise of giving Christ to dye for sinners and therefore they are confident he is theirs as well as others All that Gods Saints draw from hence is a comfortable ground of applying themselves to Christ with constancy and perseverance because the Spirit testifies to them that they are capable of the mercy that is held forth in such Promises if they so adhere to them and leave not to urge God with them And the case is the same with general offers Gods general Offers and absolute Promises are of the same nature in this case Both may support comfort a man for the present but are no evidences for the future As a Prince proclaimeth an Act of Grace an Act of Pardon and Oblivion to Traitors and invites in general terms all persons to come and receive it upon such and such conditions among the rest one that apprehends himself more guilty then all others doubts whether it shall reach to him or no he comes into such a Market and hears the Proclamation to all Traitors c. whatsoever hereby is the man so far quieted and supported with this newes Now saith he I hear I am not excluded I am not unpardonable But now if this man go no farther but a while after come to tryal of Law for his Treasons and he thinks to plead the general Proclamation and the mercy of the Prince extending it selfe to all Malefactors will this serve for a Legal evidence to a Jury that he is a pardoned man Will it not be asked Sir What Evidence have you that you laid down your Arms and accepted this pardon Here now is required another kind of testimony So here God proclaims mercy in Christ to the greatest sinners and this he declares to proceed from his vast and unspeakable love and therupon invites all sinners to come and accept of it for he is a God merciful and gracious abounding in mercy and truth and Exod. 34. 6. will abundantly pardon returning sinners Now a poor soul doubts whether he be included in this offer Doubt it not saith the Spirit in a Sermon or other Ordinance be of good cheer man the pardon offered concerns all Now if a man rest here and believe hereupon that he is pardoned because in Gods absolute and unconditioned invitation he is not excluded when conscience is awake it will say But might not Judas and Cain c. plead as much as that How can you make it appear that you have accepted that pardon by Faith Here need Marks and conditional Promises I may plead absolute Promises and general offers to God in Prayer but I cannot plead them before God in Court God saith I will give you a new heart I will powre out the spirit of grace and supplication and so in Zech 12. 10 general offers Let whoever will come and drink of the water of life freely I may go to Apoc. 12. 17 God on these Promises and Offers and say Lord give me a new heart Lord give me Christ But if I stand before the Court of Conscience and plead these in way of Evidence That I have a new heart that I have Christ I must not prove it by Gods promising these blessings in general to me with all others but by the Evidences of my acceptance of these Offers and Gods fulfilling of these Promises I must be able to say here Lord thou hast made such offers and my heart hath accepted them Thou hast tendred Christ unto me and I have taken him upon thine own terms Thou hast promised a new heart and I blesse thy name I find my heart renewed Are not these the badges and proper cognizances of thy children and servants May I not conclude a saving interest in thee who have received such saving mercies and bounties from thee Thus have I showen you that although general offers and absolute Promises may support and in a sort comfort yet conditional promises alone properly assure CHAP. IX The maine Proposition applyed A Case concerning Election and that the misapprehension thereof hinders its Evidence NOW comes to hand the application of this point And in the first place this may reconcile the thoughts of many precious ones under bondage to a good opinion of their present condition in that it is not only the Spirits usual method where hee becomes a Spirit of Adoption to become first a spirit of of Bondage as in the former Thesis was declared but that when he hath been such a spirit of bondage hee usually becomes a Spirit of Adoption witnessing our Adoption It is a great encouragement to a sick man though hee be grievously pained at present that his disease is such out of which most recover that though sometimes it be yet seldome it is mortal Object Yea but you tell us the persons to whom it is not mortal and to whom it usually ends in ravishing comforts are the elect of God But I doubt I am none of them and therfore I may and shall die of this disease for any thing you have said and never see the face of God in comfort here or hereafter Answ 1. Observe the policy of Satan in dealing with thy soule Now
said Cornelius do this or that as to say Send for Peter and he shall tell thee what to do Acts 10. 6. But God sends him to Peter and Peter must come and direct him in a set Sermon that God might keep up the credit of his Messengers and his standing Ordinances There are special promises to this purpose to be fulfilled to the people of God in publick Assemblies of the Church Isai 56. 7. I wil make them joyful saith God but where in my House of Prayer which was among the Jews the Temple and among the Gentiles any place of publick Worship Isai 60. 7. I will glorifie the House of my glory And 't is remarkable that in both places the Promises are made to the Gentiles when they should be converted as appears by the Context God would have an house of Prayer places of publick Assemblies in the Gentile Church and in them God hath promised to make his people joyful Come forth here all ye old Disciples experienced Christians and give in evidence from your experience Cannot you say that the banner of love which God hath spread over your souls was lifted up in these Banquetting Houses Hath he not here stayed your souls with flagons and comforted you with apples Cant. 2. 2 Prayer There is an holy Conference and Dialogue between God and the soul in holy Duties This of Prayer is the Duty in which we speak and the Word and Seals are the wayes in which God speaks Wee ask Counsel in Prayer God answers in them We ask strength and peace in this God returnes answers of peace in them and we reply in thanksgiving again God in the Word tells us what he is offended at in us we confesse it in Prayer he assures us we are pardoned in the Word c. We returne thanks in prayer again And indeed this is the way how to know Gods mind as we know mans mind by desiring a conference and proposing our doubts or dissatisfactions and receiving his answers when he gives them or pressing for them when he denyes or estrangeth himself Thus David used to enquire of the Lord. Psal 27. 4. And when he had enquired in prayer then he holds his peace and waits to hear what God will say Psalm 85 8. 1 Neglect not this way of conference with God Especially in the set seasons thereof They have a fancy among the Philosophers of two needles touched with the same Loadstone which being set in two Compasses written round with the letters of the Alphabet will conveigh intelligence from one friend to another at the greatest distance Thus each friend having recourse to his own Compass at fixed times shall find that as his friend at distance moves his needle to any letter his own without any touch of his will turne to the same so that by putting together those letters he may read his friends mind I have not faith enough to believe the conceit but I can make a good use of it in Spirituals wherein I am sure it is true Gods heart and thine are touched with the same Loadstone of love and if thou at seasons of conference shalt have recourse to the needle 1 John 4. 19 of thy heart and by the experience of holy affections in prayer shalt point out to God thy wants and burthens the heart of God by a sacred sympathy will work the same way and copy out thy case in his own bosome and then it cannot be long ere his fatherly compassions set the needle of his affections a turning towards thee again to produce a reciprocal assurance in thy heart by a like secret sympathy This the Scripture holdeth forth clearly See Jer 31 18 19 20. There Ephraims needle first turnes in confession Thou hast chastised me c. Then Gods needle falls to work presently to give him intelligence of Ephraims complaint Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself And when Ephraims story is done then God falls to turning his needle by way of answer to Ephraim My bowels are troubled for him Is Ephraim my dear son Yes that he is and he shall know it too For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Then comes the answer to Ephraims heart I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Thence in the Text the Spirit that is the witnesse from God to us is the Sollicitour within us to God The same Messenger that carries our Letters brings our Answer ver 16. Oh Friends you know not what mischief Satan doth to you by cooling your hearts in prayer nay by prevailing with you onely to neglect a set time of prayer publick or private If you appoint a friend a set time of meeting and conference so often every day and you fail him twice or thrice together especially when he knowes you have none but trifling businesses to hinder you how can you expect but that he should serve you in the same kind True a man may lay bonds upon himself in appointment of times of duty which as he may order the matter that is if he lay them so upon himself as to pronounce it absolutely unlawful upon any occasion to over-slip that very time may prove but snares to entangle his conscience but yet on the other side to set apart appointed hours for this duty as a convenient means to keep our heart from framing petty occasions from hour to hour to put off the duty and that with resolution not to fail at the appointed time but upon very weighty occasions and upon such failing at any time to resolve to make up that defect doubly as soon as the occasion is over sure is a very profitable way for the getting and keeping acquaintance with God And no question if God find as he knowes that very slight occasions divert us from meeting him at fit or set times but he will be out of the way at other times when our leasure will serve us to seek him But this by the way concerning set times of prayer 2. 2. A soul that wants the witnesse of Gods Spirit though he neglect not those yet he will not content himself with them but he must now and then visit the Throne of Grace in extraordinary wayes of duty adding fasting to prayer and spending whole dayes in following hard after God Certainly this duty is much neglected among Christians in these dayes to what it hath been formerly both in private and publick Surely when Gods Saints were more acquainted with it there was far more acquaintance with God then I fear if I may ghess at others condition by mine owne there now is There be some Divels saith our Saviour that wil not be cast out without prayer and fasting Mar. 9. 29. so may I say in this case there be some doubts that will not be cast out of the soul till a man try this way Not that fasting adds any thing to prayer in it selfe or by any proper efficiency of its own but it disposeth a man to
guilt upon his mercy that notwithstanding so deep an Engagement in the way of sin and Satan you are so perswaded of the beauty of his wayes as to come off to his colâ—urs with an heart willing to take up his yoak c. And as for the good which your self may possibly reap by aggravating sins to the losse of your peace I cannot possibly conceive If you think it will humble you more work repentance in you more kindly c. you deceive your selves Those gracious streams never run so full and never over flow their banks so abundantly as when they spring from a fountain of fullest Assurance Zech. 12 10. 4 But what are these sinnes Dost thou not aggravate them beyond measure Before grace the soul useth to diminish and extenuate sins and so deceive it self that way After grace it is as apt to aggravate them beyond measure Such a soul thinks he can scarce sin under a Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and thence affrights it self not only into darkness but despair I have spoken enough before to satisfie in this particular to which I refer you only take notice of it as an usual weaknesse in the Saints that out of a desire to do God right they make little conscience of doing themselves wrong Object But Sir is it possible for a child of God to fall often into the same sin after conversion or comfort soundly wrought Answ Oh friend how shall I answer thee this Question and not put a plea into the mouth of hardned sinners How shall I fortifie against their usurpations and encroachments and yet give thee thy due comfort and encouragement Well the Lord see to it I cannot avoid such Doctrines when they come clearly in my way Sinners if they harden you I cannot help it Only I warn you before hand Gospel Cordials to a fowl heart are the deadliest poison But for Zions sake I cannot hold my peace He may But 1 First He cannot with so full and free a consent as before conversion For before all the stream of nature carryed him that way Good actions went before against the hair with him and though he many times performed them yet it was like swimming against the stream Now the principle is altered and that which then was the condition of good actions now is the condition of sinful ones they go as much against the grain of a renewed spirit as evil ones did before Yet you must know withal that there is not the like violent opposition alwayes against sin in a gracious heart as against good in a natural heart because the stream of corruption in a natural heart is broken by no opposition but is whole and entire Nature is wholly corrupted But on the other side the stream of grace in a gracious heart is much abated by damms of natural corruption We are gracious but in part yet this know a natural heart commits and recommits sin with greedinesse as a Glutton eats at a Feast cuts and cuts again and is not satisfied A godly man may commit and recommit sin but with imperfect consent at the time and regret and displicency afterwards As a sick man tastes of a forbidden dish and so cannot take a full comfort in the sins he acts as he gives not a full consent to them Ob. But so will you say a natural man may from conviction of conscience eat sins delicates with regret and fear and that may hinder him from taking a full content in them may he not Answ Yes but herein is a second and farther difference 2 The regret and displicency that is in a natural heart is a burthen to him and he would fain perswade his conscience to bee quiet and let him feed heartily upon his sinful sweet-meats A godly mans sin displeaseth him as far as he knowes it to be so and his tendernesse and fear is so far from wearying him that he loves it and wishes more of it and cherisheth that which hee hath already 3 As a wicked man sutably to what hath been said is displeased more at the terrors of his conscience for sin so is he angry at the sins for the terrors sake when he is displeased at sin at all But a godly mans displeasure against sin which imbittered such sinful acts to him is against the sin principally which appears in that he is many times displeased at it and never more displeased at it then when he is most assured of freedom from those terrours Object Yea but the Law may be the principle in such a stirring of spirit by which a ful consent to sin is hindered And so it may in a wicked man Answ The Law is either Regula or Judex either a Rule or Judge The ruling power of the Law discovers sin the judging power of the Law condemns sin The wicked man mostly looks on it in the latter act the godly man in the former If the wicked man ever consider the rule of the Law it is to wish it away the godly man to approve it Rom. 7. 16 CHAP. XXXIX The Case of afflictions as it influenceth upon the Doubts of a gracious soul concerning his Estate answered Object BUt I am under sad afflictions and I am haunted with fearful and horrid temptations such afflictions as I am told no child of God can be under and such temptations as never assaulted any Saint Answ 1. What afflictions are those that any child of God may not fall under 1 Is not the rod part of the childs portion whiles under nonage whiles in the School Heb. 12. 6 7 8. And who art thou that wilt argue thy self a bastard from that which is not only the lot but the happinesse of sons Psal 94. 12. 2 Doth God make any bargain with his sons wherein he makes a difference of rods Is there any place in the Word of God that saith I will use this or that rod only to my sons 3 Canst thou name any affliction which God did not lay upon his own natural Son And who art thou who desirest gentler usage from the hands of God then Christ himself Obj. Wilt thou say Christ stood as an enemy under the sins and curses of Gods Elect and his wounds therefore were the wounds of a cruel one and his chastisements the chastisements of our peace But all Gods children are Isai 53. priviledged from all such sufferings as Christ underwent because he underwent them so that it is no Argument that any ones afflictions are not beyond the line of fatherly chastisements that Christ underwent the same It will rather follow that they may be the strokes of an enemy because Gods strokes upon Christ standing in our stead were such Answ Christs sufferings it is true as to the causes were different from those of all Saints But as to the substance of them they are common to all others of Gods children Thence we are said to fill up the sufferings of Christ Col. 1. 24. To be conformable to his death Phil. 3. 10.
special mercy of God and excellency in prayer that we become thereby so far Masters of our selves And so much the greater because it is the greatest misery in the world to be torn to pieces as Actoeon in the Poet by a mans own kennel of unmortified passions to bee condemned to eat up and devour a mans self because he cannot better his own condition or hurt others to gnaw a flint whence a man can get nothing but broken teeth and in a word to adde affliction to a mans affliction by acting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vexing himselfe and tire a mans selfe like a skittish Jade more with flinging then with his burthen 3 It is a comfortable evidence of and help unto the 1 Present Sanctification 2 Future good issue of our afflictions 1 Present sanctification of afflictions is both discovered and promoted by the kindly temper of the soul towards and in the duty of prayer 1 Discovered because it actually fulfils one of those gracious ends which God aims at in affliction the bringing us upon our knees Physick then doth most good when it opens proper passages to vent noxious humours Then the rod doth a child good when it brings down his stubborn heart to his knees Therefore we leave not whipping till a child begs forgiveness And on the other side take this for a certain Rule A prayerlesse affliction is alwaies an unsanctified affliction It was then grievousest charge that Jobs friends gave in against him that in his affliction he restrained prayer Job 15 4. 2 Promoted because it fetcheth a power from heaven to improve the rod. As every other creature of God so the rod is sanctified by the word and prayer But much of this hath been touched upon before Wherefore I passe it here 2. The future good issue of an affliction may be concluded and is promoted by the prayer fulnesse of the Spirit in trouble And this issue is 1. Partly the glory and honour of our graces arising from such a tryal 't is in prayer that a suffering Saint most acts faith patience humility sorrow for sinne c. The honour of our graces as the honour of Knighthood in England is usually received upon the knee And no wonder for Prayer is the paloestra the arena the theatre the artillery-yard of all our graces in which they shew their activity 2. Partly the removal of trouble it selfe God like a good Physician till wee sweat kindly lays on more cloaths and applies more heat but when we do so he withdraws them as fast in such a method and proportion as our necessity will permit I will not saith he contend for ever nor will I be alwayes wroth lest the spirit should faile before me and the soul which I have made Let God march never so much like an enemy towards a poor creature yet he is so generous an enemy that he never puts to the sword a submitting supplicating foe As 't is said of the Lion Satis est prostrasse c. Ira suum finem cum jacet hostis habet That prostration abates his rage and he never preyes upon a man that he finds fallen flat upon the ground Sure the Lord will not be so cruel as to give no quarter to a poor creature begging it at his hands You know how Benhadad escaped by casting himselfe upon the mercy of the King of Israel Coe tâ—ou and do likewise For the Lord delights not to grieve or vex the children of men Lam. 3. 33. He looketh on men and if any say I have finned and perverted that which is right and it profited me not He will deliver his soul from going down into the pit and his life shall see the light Job 33. 27 28. I might adde divers other motives but the reasons may all be revived here as inducements and I hasten Object But here lies the sadnesse of my condition I am under grievous afflictions and when I set my selfe to complain of them to God I cannot pray my tongue is strangely tyed that I have scarce a word to say what shall I thinke of my felf What shall I do in such a case Answ Thou that thus complainest art either 1. An utter stranger to the duty of prayer at other times or 2. One that at other times hast been well acquainted with God and that duty but now art in an unwonted deliquy or swound of spirit that thy wonted spirits faile thee to performe it And according to this difference of persons must my Answer to this Case be different 1 Thou that art a stranger to all acquaintance with God in this way 1. Look on this as a just band of God upon thee and that which is intended by him and should be received by thee as an heavy aggravation of his present judgment upon thy soule that thou who when thou wast free wouldst not pray and didst neglect to get acquaintance with God should'st now be so shut up as not to be able to speak a word for thy selfe in so needfull a time God deals with thee as justly as may be You would not pray saith God and now you shall not pray And 't is a sad symptome that at least for the present God intends little good to such a soul that he leaves at this passe For if when God intends no good to a people he forbids his servants to pray for them and stops the mouths of his Prophets as Jer. 7. 16. 11. 14. 14. 11. Much more when he restrains a man in misery from speaking in his own condition For when God intends to hear he prepareth the heart to pray Psalm 10. 17. 2. Be humbled and afflicted greatly before the Lord for the former neglect of acquaintance with him and know that God intends this straightening of thy spirit in so needfull a time of trouble as thy greatest affliction Take it then as such and account it thy greatest burthen that God should be so farre displeased with thee as that he will not only not hear thee when thou speakest but also shut up thy mouth that thou canst not so much as speak to him As when a Prince bids stop the mouth of a Petitioner As hardening the heart judicially is the greatest judgment that can befall a man on this side Hell because it shuts a double doore on a man to exclude him from mercy both a doore of mercy and admittance on Gods part during that condition and a door of repentance and penitent addresses on his own So doth this judicial shutting up the heart against prayer put a carnal man in the inner prison of judgment and wrath and puts his feet in the stocks so that the soul which ordinarily goes to God on the feet of prayer cannot now stirre so much as one step towards reliefe Now therefore acknowledge and bewayle thy former neglect of calling upon God whiles he was near God is farther off from unconverted sinners in adversity then in prosperity because then it is a
wet seed time but it may be a dry summer and so the hazard is not over therefore having had a wet seede time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he expects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter raine too to perfect the harvest so thou hast sown in teares God hath blest the seed of the word so far to thee expect the perfecting his work in thee it may be thy continued troubles are the latter raine t is well when God followes thee with such showers keeps the ground thy heart tender feare not man this makes for the improvement of it to a joyful harvest They that sow in tears shall though long first yet at last reape in joy Ps 126. 5. And their precious seed will yeild sheaves at the last Obj. But I cannot wait I have such an impatient fretful spirit and I have so long waited to so little purpose that I am even quite wearied Though my spirit be willing yet my flesh is weak Answ 1 T is no lesse a duty because thou canst not do it 2. Pray against this distemper Lord I have an evil impatient overhasty heart that must be relieved presently or it will be gon from thy doore Lord give mee an heart willing to stay thy leisure Indeed the things I would have are precious necessary my endeavors have been frequent my Prayers urgent and importunate and therefore my froward spirit seems to take it ill to be so long disappointed in its expectation Lord give me a waiting depending enduring Spirit 3 Fetch in strength from a promise to this purpose There are abundance of promises made of and to waiting Of it see in special Psa 27. ult Waite on the Lord and be of good courage c. But what if I cannot He shall strengthen thy heart fortifie thy heart against all temptations to wearinesse and impatience See also Isa 40. 29 30 31. T is a very full promise So promises to waiting Isa 30. 18. Blessed all that wait for him Chap. 49. 23. They shall not be ashamed that wait for him 4. Yet wait in the use of means Such as 1. The word God having appointed the word as the means will have us attend it The word must be waited on for grace It is the word of grace Act. 20. 32. and the Apostle saith that there is no grace to be had i. e. ordinarily without it and that not only the word read but the word heard and that not from every one that can talke of Scripture but from a lawfull Preacher Rom. 10. 14. See the connexion between calling and preaching and hearing and faith See Joh. 17. 17. And the promise that Wisdom makes is to those that wait at her gates and the posts of her doors and constantly do so He that waiteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 day by day ie upon all opportunities Pro. 8. 34 35. And the word must be waited on for peace too T is the Gospel of peace too as follows loco dicto Rom. 10. 15. and that in the mouth of Preachers And Eph. 6. 15. And Isa 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips peace 2 Prayer Ezek. 36 37. I will yet be enquired of c. and Acts. 9. 11. The same spirit is a spirit of grace and supplication Jam. 1. 5. Zech. 12. 10. Obj. But why shall I pray My prayers whiles I am out of Christ are an abomination to the Lord and I sin whiles I pray Answ Upon this account the Divel drives off many from grace and Christ But consider 1. It is a greater sin to neglect it It is the worst thing that can be said of any man that he restraineth prayer before the Lord Job 15. 4. T is joyned with casting away the feare of God i. e. with professed Atheisme and prophanenesse See Jer. 10. 25. Heathens and families that call not upon Gods name are put together Prayer is sin to thee but by accident vitio personae but to neglect it is a sin in its selfe 2. The Lord requires even such persons to pray Act. 8. 22. 3. The spirit of grace and supplication is usually powred out in the performance of that duty Luke 11. 13. 3. Conference The great reason why Persons goe heated and warmed from sermons and within a few minutes become key-cold againe is the want of this holy help How did our hearts burne within us say the Disciples Luke 24. 32. when hee talked with us 4. Meditation Beasts that chewed the cud were the only cleane beasts because they best turned their food into nourishment T is a special advantage that a man hath in memory seeing it is that bag whence a man Vid. infrà N. Octava by meditation fetcheth back truths and chewes on them see Psal 40. 3. 5 Seek in them conversion rather then comfort and grace then peace The reason of this advice is that which I have before told you That grace is offered and we are invited to receive it without any qualification but our want of it But peace and comfort presuppose grace Rom. 5. 1. Reall and actual peace by which wee are made of enemies as we were born friends to God and apparent or apprehended peace peace in the conscience the evidence whereof is joy and comfort are the fruits of justification Besides if we desire peace principally and not grace we give a great advantage to Satan to delude us with a false peace without grace as hee doth many a thousand We often fail in this we are earnest for Pardon and peace but not so importunate for Grace 6. Follow those meanes most constantly which 1. Caeteris paribus are appointed to thee I think not that persons are bound absolutely to their own Pastor He may be unable he may be unwilling to imploy his talent to a mans advantage But if godly able and laborious my constant attendance is to be on his labours Certainely my constant meales should be at home 2 If free those that are most scarâ—…h The Word that converts it is described by the Apostle Heb. 4. 12. 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Word that hath life in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Active and full of spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. more cutting beyond a double comparison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 penetrating as Aqua fortis not the ear but the heart joynts and marrow Partes minimas interiores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a critical word they that are Criticks are accurate observers of every tittle Those thou shalt know by the rising of thy carnall heart against them For there is no congruity between the carnal heart of a man that naturally loves its ease a spiritual rowzing Ministry that will search out all its hidden corruptions therefore suspect thy heart here and cross it 7. Observe and take special notice of every step of proficiency which thou makest towards heaven and acknowledg it with thankfulnesse Our sense of wants should not although through our corruption most commonly it do exclude the