A Child of Light Walking in Darkness, Part 2

A Child of Light Walking in Darkness · Part 2

p. 1A CHILDE OF LIGHT WALKING in DARKNESSE.

ISAI. 50. 10.

10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his ſervant, that walketh in darkneſſe and hath no light?—

USE 1.

IF thoſe that feare God and obey him are expoſed to ſuch a condition as hath beene deſcribed:To thoſe that feare not God, nor obey him. What darkneſſe reſerved for ſuch! Then, Who is amōg you that feareth [not] the Lord, nor obeyes the voice of his ſervante? You that live in knowen ſins, & in omiſſiō of known duties, which Gods ſervants your Miniſters tell you, you ought to perform; that pray not withyour families, p. 2who make not conſcience of your ſpeeches, nor … be thus ſcarcely ſaved; if they, whom God hath loved with a love as great & unchange able as himſelfe, yet ſuffer his terrors here; what ſhall you d…e whom hee hath ſet himſelfe to hate, and to ſhew the power of his wrath upon without repentance? If theſe things be done to the greene tree, Luke 23 31.Luke 23:31what ſhall be done to the dry? which is fitted for wrath, and the fire,Nahum 1. 10.Nah 1:10 even as ſtubble fully dry, as the Prophet ſpeaketh: If ſuch an eſtate of darkneſſe and horrour befall them that are children of light, whoſe inheritance is light; Col. 1. 12.Col 1:12then what is reſerved for you that are darkneſſe, and love darkneſſe more then light? And if this befalls them for not ſtirring up the grace, which they already have; what to you that are utterly devoid of it? and not onelyonly ſo, but deſpiſe and ſcoffe it. If this befalls them for not humbling themſelves for old ſinnes, though long ſince committed; what will be fall you for going on to adde new to the olde with greedineſſe? If to them for neglecting the opportunities of drawing nigher to God; what to you for neglecting the offer of grace, and trampling under foot the blood of Chriſt? All you that thinke there is no hell; or if there be, that it is not ſo darke as it is uſually painted, looke upon Heman ready to runne diſtracted through terrours, and to give up the ghoſt every moment, Pſal. 88. when yet his body was ſtrong, and outward eſtate whole: looke upon David lying upon the wheels, and the ſpirit of God breaking his bones, Pſal. 51.Ps 51when as otherwiſe, hee being a King, had all outward things at will. Look upon holy Jo…, Chap. 6. Oh that my griefe p. 3were weighted, it is heavier then the ſand; and my words are ſwallowed up, (that is) I am not able to expreſſe and utter my griefe: The arrowes of the Almighty are within me, the poiſon thereof drinketh up my ſpirit, the terrours of God doe ſet themſelves in battle array againſt me. ver. 4. Inſomuch, that at the 8. verſe, he wiſheth God would cut him off, and, Is my ſtrēgth the ſtrēgth of ſtones (ſayes he) or, my fleſh braſſe as he complaines, that he ſhould be able to hold out againſt ſuch fierce encounters. (My brethren) Gods people finde paines beyond thoſe of the Stone, or gout, and toothake; the falling of Gods wrath on the conſcience is more then the dropping a little ſcalding rheume on a tooth; and yet theſe, which Iob and David felt, are but a taſt of that cup, which you that obey not muſt drinke off to the bottome; and it is eternity to the bottome, Pſal. 75. 8. There is a cup in the hand of the Lord, and it is full of mixture: that is, all the bitter ingredients in the world are in it, the quinteſſence of evils are ſtrained into it; and here indeed God poures out of the ſame, as it followes there; that is, in this life ſome few ſprinklings of it fall from the top of the cup; which his owne doe taſte and drinke of: but, the bottome, the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth ſhall drinke, and wring them out; that is, leave none behinde; but the Vialls of it, which will never be emptied ſhall be poured forth, even to the utmoſt drop. And if Gods people doe begin to taſte of it, as Chriſt himſelfe did, it could not paſſe him, and Zebedees ſonnes were to pledge him, as was obſerved, then as God ſayes by Ieremiah, chap. 25. 27, 28, 29. If my people have drunke of it, and p. 4begun to you, and I have brought evill upon the City that is called by my name; then certainely you ſhall drink of it and be drunke, and ſpue, and fall, and never riſe againe. If Gods people be thus ſhut up in darkneſſe, what darkneſſe is reſerved for you? even as Iude ſayes, ver. 13. Blackneſſe of darkneſſe. Darkneſſe where is weeping, and wa…ing, and gnaſhing of teeth, Mat. 22. 13. Blackneſſe of darkneſſe, becauſe there is not a cranny of light, nor one beame of comfort that ſhines in to all eternity. And this is not for a moment, or a few yeares, but for ever. You that … dayes in pleaſure here, and rejoyce in them all; Remembers the dayes of darkneſſe, for they are many ſayes Solomon, Eccleſ. 11. 8. many indeed; dayes… … eternall night that ſhall know no end, which no day ſhall follow.

USE. 2.

WHo is among you that feares the Lord, To thoſe that are tranſlated from darkneſſe into light, and yet never thūs walkt in darkneſſe.and is tranſlated out of the ſtate of darkneſſe, and yet never was in this darkneſſe of deſertion, which I have deſcribed unto you? You that have beene free from thoſe terrours of conſcience, which are beyond all the miſeries the world hath, (for as the jay of the Holy Ghoſt is unſpeakable and glorious, ſo theſe terrours are unutterable, and unſupportably grievous) which yet ſoules that feare God, and have obeyed him more then you, have been made the anvills of: You that have beene dandled, and cockered, and fed with ſweet meates, had into the wine ſeller,Iohn 14. 23.John 14:23 and have had all the Trinity to … with … others have eaten gall and wormewood, Rev. 3. 20.Rev 3:20as p. 5it is Lament. 3. 19. And likewiſe you, who though you enjoy not much raviſhing joy,Rom. 5. 1.Rom 5:1 and peace which paſſeth underſtanding, yet being juſtified by faith, you have (a ſolid) peace with God; and ſo walke in freedome of ſpirit, in the uſe of Gods ordinances, and the performance of holy duties: Let me out of this doctrine give all ſuch this great inſtruction. To take notice that ſuch kinde of troubles there are that doe befall Gods people,To take notice ſuch a condition there is, beyond what they have experience of; many there are that thinke not ſo;which is uſefull Iobs friends did not, and therefore cenſured him. And this is a neceſſary inſtruction.

1.1. To prepare them againſt it if it ſhould afterwards befall them. For this very knowledge of it doth prepare men for ſuch a condition, if it ſhould befall them; and therefore aforehand to prepare them he wrote too, for afflictions, the Apoſtle bids them not thinke it ſtrange concerning the fiery tryall, 1 Pet. 4. 12. For if they be ſtrange to any, then if they befall them at any time, they are the more grievous. As if ſome ſtrange diſeaſe befall a man, which hee had never heard of afore, no Phyſitian hath ſkill in, it a mazeth a man, & makes him deſperate: but if he hath heard that ſuch and ſuch have had it, as well as himſelfe, and have been recovered; this ſome thing helps to aſſwage the bitterneſſe of it to him. Iobs triall was a ſtrange triall to his friends, and therefore you ſee how unſkilfully they goe about to heale it, and ſo left the ſoare worſe then they found it. So that to prepare you for it, it is good to take notice that ſuch a condition there is. In like maner alſo in 1 Cor. 13. 10. for the ſame end the Apoſtle ſayes of other kind of trials, that nothing had be fallen them but what is cōmon to man, there is a great reliefe in that, that it p. 6is common, and others have beene in the like.

Secondly alſo,2. To be kept more in dependance upon God. take notice of it, that you may be kept more in dependance upon God, and that you may feare him more, whilſt you live in this world, men that know not any afflictions in this life beyōd what they ſee with their eies, & feel in the outward man; nothing beyōd loſſe of friends & credit, theſe doe often feare God leſſe, (though truly) and when they come to part with any of theſe for God, are leſſe willing; as when they muſt endure a croſſe rather then ſinne, are apter to chooſe affliction rather then ſinne, as Iob ſayes: but when they ſhall heare and know that Gods wrath is beyond Pharaohs wrath as Moſes knew it; who yet in the vaſt apprehenſion of the greatneſſe of it, cryes out, Pſal. 90. Who hath knowne the power of thy wrath? then they will obey God and feare him more then they would all the Kings of the earth, as Moſes did, not fearing the wrath of Pharaoh. Heb. 11. 27. When men enjoy a confluence of all carnall worldly comforts, and thinke their mountaine ſtrong, well built with wife, children about them, and riches, health, and honours, they thinke they are then more out of Gods danger then other men, and are apt to ſay Soule, thou haſt goods for many yeares: but know that God without taking either thy goods away, or thy ſoul away, can in this life put thy ſpirit into ſuch a condition of darkneſſe, as thou wouldſt give all the world to have a moments eaſe; when all other comforts ſhall be to thee, but as the white of an egge as Iob ſayes. As he hath joyes the world gives not, ſo he hath afflictions the world inflicts not. Therefore feare him more then the loſſe of all; obey him p. 7rather then to keepe all: for God can meet with thee in the middeſt of all: ſo he met with David though a King, and then all his wives & kingdome could not comfort him, till God would heale the bones that he had broken.

Thirdly,3. To learn not to cenſure others. take notice there are ſuch troubles, and learne not to cenſure others when they are in this condition; thou walkeſt in the light, and thou ſeeſt another in the dungeon, he may be dearer to God then thou. It was Iobs friends fault, who having not had experience of ſuch a condition in themſelves, concluded he was an hypocrite; if you thus judge then (as Aſaph ſayes) You condemne the generation of the Iuſt. Pſal. 73. 13, 14.Ps 73:13Ps 73:14And herein Satan alſo is gratified, the ſtrict wayes of grace ſcandalized: If God uſe his children thus, Curſe God and die, ſayes Iobs wife, and ſo the fooliſh men and women of the world.

Fourthly,4. To feare God the more. paſſe your ſoiourning here in feare, and ſerve him with feare, 1 Pet. 1. 17. For even our God is a conſuming fire, Heb. 12. ult. Keepe thy heart in awe with the knowledge of ſuch an eſtate; this kept Iob in awe, and made him ſo ſtrict a man al his dayes: reade the thirty firſt Chapter throughout, and you ſhall ſee what a righteous man he was, and then ſee the reaſon of all, ver. 23. Deſtruction from the Lord was a terrour to me; and to the ſame purpoſe alſo Chapter 4. ver. ult. he ſayes, that he had alwayes feared that which now had befallen him, wherof the diſtreſſe of his Spirit was the greateſt evill, this he feared might befall him when he had moſt aſſurance.

Laſtly,5. Be thankfull God hath ſpared thee. be thankfull that God ſpares thee, haply thy body is weake, and he knowes thou art but fleſh; p. 8and ſo ſtirres not up all his wrath; if he ſhould fall on thee as on others, it would deſtroy thee. But conſider that thou hadſt a ſtone in thy heart as well as any other: hath God cured it by gentle …, and ſo diſſolved it, and caried it away, when as he hath cut others, and bound them, and put them to much paine in taking of it out? Oh be thankfull. You that are healthfull and have ſtrong bodies, are you not thankfull when you ſee others ſick, and … bedrid, roaring of the Stone, Toothach, Gout, whereof you are free? & ought you not to be much more for the healthfulneſſe of your ſpirits (cheerefulneſſe being the marrow of them) when as others are ſicke, (as the expreſſion is Eſay 33. ult.) for want of aſſurance that their ſins are forgiven, others … all day as on a rack, and are diſtracted, almoſt out of their wits, and even themſelves are a burthen to themſelves. Oh be thankfull that it is not ſo with you!

USE. 3.

WHo is among you that fearth the Lord, To thoſe that have beene in darkneſſe, and are now recovered out of it.and hath been in darkneſſe, but now is out of that eclipſe and walkes in the light againe, you who have beene in the dungeon, and have beene ſet free againe; who have had the wounds of your ſpirit healed, your ſoules raiſed from the nether moſt hell, when they drew nigh to the grave, and have found a ranſome, Iob 33.Job 33learne you duty alſo.

1Firſt, to be thankfull to God and Ieſus Chriſt, and to love the more;To be thankfull to God and Chriſt. for you know and have taſted what he did for you; you know how bitter a few ſippes of the cup was, which he dranke off and took p. 9down, and therefore muſt needs love him more. You alſo have more experience of Gods power and faithfulneſſe, and what a miracle God hath wrought in raiſing you up againe, He hath ſhewne you wonders among the dead, as Heman ſpeakes: Bee thankfull. Thus David in Pſal. 116. ver. 3, 4. compared with the firſt verſe, I love the Lord, and why? The ſorrows of death compaſſed mee, the paines of hell got hold upon mee. I found trouble and ſorow, I was brought low and he helped me.

Secondly,2. To pitty others in that condition. learne to pitty others in that condition. Who can doe it better then you, that have experience of the like? If you heare of any ſoule in diſtreſſe, it is expected of you to pray for him more then of another.Heb. 2. ult.Heb 2 Chriſt learnt to pitty us in all our infirmities the more, by bearing out infirmities himſelfe: to that end God raiſed you up, that you might be able to comfort others with the comforts you have received; 2 Cor. 1. 4.2 Cor 1:4and might pray for them. Therefore Iſay 57. 17. when any poore ſoule is ſmitten, God, as is there ſaid, is moved to reſtore him againe, for his mourners ſakes as well as his owne.

Thirdly,3. Declare what God hath done for you. declare what God hath done for you, you have beene in hell: give warning to others from comming there;1 Cor. 5. 11.1 Cor 5:11 We knowing the terrour of the Lord, perſwade men. If the rich man had come from hell, what ſtories would he have told to have ſcared all his brethren? tell you the like: You have ſeene the wonders of God in the Deeps, And give warning unto others.now you are a ſhore, tell men of the rocks, and ſhelves, and ſtormes they are like to meet with in ſuch and ſuch courſes: of uncleanneſſe, worldlineſſe, &c. David ſayes, when he ſhould have once his bones that were broken p. 10healed againe;Pſal 51.Ps 51 that then he would teach ſinners Gods wayes.

Fourthly,4. Take heed of ſuch ſinnes as may bring you into ſuch a condition againe. take heed of what may prove the … of ſuch a condition. The devill may come and caſt you into your old fits if he finde the ſame materials to work upon, ſuch as groſſe ſinnes, acts of uncleanneſſe, lying; unjuſt dealing, &c. You know what brought David to his broken bones, and likewiſe take heed of performing duties formally, coldly, and in hypocriſie, and of reſting in them, which are but as a hollow tooth, …s Solomon ſpeaken, that is, broken, Prov. 25. 19.Prov 25:19better out of the head then in, theſe any cauſe the tooth ach againe. Take heed of ſinning againſt light; if the devill found no ſuch things in you, he ſhould not trouble you. So alſo, get … ſtraggling doubts anſwered, … them not lie neglected, they may come in together one day and make an army; though ſeverall, and apart, as they now riſe in your conſciences ſcattered, you can deſpiſe and neglect them.

USE. 4.

The fourth and maine uſe, to ſuch as feare God and walke in Darkneſſe.

THen 4. … p. 11fortleſſe, their ſpirits dead and hard; doe call Gods love and their owne eſtates into queſtion: Eſpecially if they were in the Sunſhine afore, but now ſit in the valley of the ſhadow of death: If dandled in Gods lap afore and kiſt, now to bee laſht with terrours, and his ſharpeſt rods, and on the tendreſt place, the conſcience; to have their ſongs in the night, turned into writing bitter things againſt them; how bitter is it to them! Once they ſay they could never come to the throne of grace but their hearts were welcomed, their heads ſtroakt, and they went ſeldome away without a white ſtone, an earneſt penny put into their hands: But now God is a terrour to them, and when they ariſe from prayer or the like duty, their hearts condemne them more then when they began. Once they never lookt to heaven but they had a ſmile; now they may cry day and night and not get a good look from him: once (ſay they) they never hoiſt up ſaile to any duty, but they had a faire and good wind; God went along with them: but now they have both winde and tide, God and the deadneſſe of their own hearts againſt them. In a word, God is gone, light is gone: God anſwers them neither by viſion nor by Prophets; neither in praying nor in hearing; and therefore hath forſaken them, caſt them off, Yea, will never be mercifull; Oh woe to us (ſay they) we are undone.

You erre (poore ſoules) not knowing the Scriptures, and the maner of your God, and of his dealings with his people: to thinke that his minde is changed, when his countenance is; and ſo to run away from him; as Iacob did from Laban: to thinke hee hath caſt you off, when he is but returned to his place, that duplicate page p. 10duplicate page p. 11p. 12you may ſeeke him more earneſtly. Hoſea 5.Hos 5Like children, when their mother is gone aſide a little, you fall a crying, as if you were undone. So it … that you are alwayes in the extreames; if he … on you, then your mountaine ſhall never be removed, if he hides his face, then he will never be mercifull. … as it is a fond and a childiſh fault, ſo it is beaſtly and brutiſh alſo, thus to judge. I tearme it ſo, becauſe ye are led therein by ſenſe▪ and like beaſts, beleeve nothing but what you feele and ſee; and meaſure Gods love by his lookes and outward cariage which when Aſaph did in other afflictions, as you in this; he cryes out he was ignorant, and as a beaſt, Pſal. 73. 22. What will you truſt God no further then you ſee him? It will ſhame you one day, to think what a great deale of trouble your childiſhneſſe put the Spirit of God unto. As what a trouble is it to a wiſe man, to have a fond and fooliſh wife, who if he be but abroad, and about neceſſary buſineſſe, haply for her maintenance; yet then ſhe complains he regards her not, but leaves her; if he chides her for any fault, then ſhe ſayes he hates her; and is ſo much diſtempered by it, as a whole dayes kindneſſe cannot quiet her againe: Thus deale you with God, and though he hath given you never ſo many faire, and cleare evidences of his love, and theſe never ſo often reiterated and renewed; yet ſtill you are jealous, never quiet, alwayes doubting, queſtioning all upon the leaſt frowne: that either God muſt undoe you, by letting you goe on in your ſinfull diſpoſitions, without ever rebuking of you; or elſe loſe the acknowledgement of all his love formerly ſhewne, and have it called in queſtion by p. 13your peeviſh, jealous miſconſtructions, upon every ſmall expreſſion of his anger towards you.Two ſorts of ſuch; ſome more lightly troubled, ſome more deeply. Some of you that are leſſe troubled, and thus wanton againſt Chriſt, I would chide out of it.

But you that are more deeply and laſtingly diſtreſſed, I pitty you, I blame you not for being troubled; for when he hides his face, the creatures all are troubled, Pſal. 104. 29. God would have you lay it to heart when he is angry, Iſa. 57. 17. God there tooke it ill, that when he ſmote him, he went on ſtubbornly: if you ſhould not thus lay it to heart, it were a ſigne you had no grace, that you made not him your portion, if you could beare his abſence and not mourne. Carnall men having other comforts, can beare the want and abſence of him well enough, but not you, that have made him your portion, and your exceeding great reward. But yet though you are to lay it to heart, ſo as to mourn under it; yet not to be diſcouraged, to call all into queſtion.Mal. 3. 6.Mal 3:6 For though you change, yet not God:Iames 1. 7.Jas 1:7 nor his love; for his love is himſelfe, 1 Iohn 4. 8, 9, 10. We may change in our apprehenſions, and opinions; and Gods outward cariages and diſpenſations may bee changed towards us, but not his rooted love: Wee are not the ſame to day,Heb. 13.Heb 13 that yeſterday we were: but Chriſt is the ſame to day, yeſterday, and for ever. To ſay that he hath caſt you off becauſe he hath hid his face, is a fallacy fetcht out of the devils Topicks, and injurious to him: For Iſay 54. 8. In a little wrath have I hid my face, for a moment; but with everlaſting kindneſſe will I remember thee. Firſt, I have but hid my face, not caſt thee out of minde; and 2 though in anger, p. 14yet but a little anger: and … a moment: And all that while 4 I am nor … full of thee, I remember thee, &c. 5 And this with kindneſſe from everlaſting to everlaſting. When the Sunne is eclipſed, (which eclipſe is rather of the earth then of the Sunne, which ſhines as …) fooliſh people thinke it will never recover light, but wiſe men know it will.

But you will ſay, Object. if this deſertion were but … moment, it were ſomething: but … for many yeares.

How many yeares? Anſw. This life is but a moment, and God hath eternity of time to ſhew his love … time enough to make amends for a few from that Everlaſting kindneſſes. Remember the Text ſayes, One than feares God may [walke] in darkneſſe▪ … a ſteppe or two, but many weariſome turnes in it Heman was afflicted from his youth, David ſo long that Pſal. 77. he thought God had forgotten … And doth his promiſe faile for ever? Remember wh… is ſaid in another caſe, Luke 18. 8. that though Hee beares long, yet he comes ſpeedily; (that is) though long in our eyes, yet ſpeedily in his owne; … hath all time afore him, and knowes how much time is behinde to be ſpent in embraces with you▪

Yea but you will ſay, Object. it is not onelyonly hiding his face; but I ſuffer terrours; hee is wroth; hee is turned enemy; he fights againſt me; and therefore … veſſell of wrath ſitted to deſtruction.

So it was with Iob, Anſw. Chap. 13. 24. Wherefore … thou thy face, and holdeſt me for thine enemy) So Eſay 63. 10. Pſal. 88. 16. All thoſe are but the effects of a temporall wrath. There is a wide difference p. 15betweene a child under wrath, and a child of wrath. Thou maiſt be a child under wrath, when not a child of wrath: God as he may afflict you in your eſtates and bodies, ſo your ſpirits, as a Father, for Heb. 12. 9. He is the Father of ſpirits.

Ten Directions for thoſe who are more deeply troubled and means to be uſed how to recover light and comfort.

FOr their ſakes who are thus more deepely troubled, I will preſcribe ſome directions how they are to behave themſelves in ſuch a cōdition, ſo as to come more comfortably & the more ſpeedily out of it. For it is in theſe long and great ſickneſſes of the ſoule, as in thoſe of the body; men are kept the longer in them, and under them, for want of right directions and preſcriptions, as wee ſee in long agues and fevers, and the like diſeaſes.

Direction 1.

FIrſt,To take heed of raſh, impatient, and unbeleeving ſpeeches & wiſhes. take heed of raſh, deſperate, impatient, and unbeleeving ſpeeches and wiſhes: ſuch you wil be forced to recall again with ſorow. As David, when hee was in feares, uttered a deſperate ſpeech, namely, that Samuels prophecy cōcerning him, and meſſage to him from God, that he ſhould bee King, would prove falſe; and he ſayes not onelyonly, that one day he ſhould periſh by the hand of Saul, 1 Sam. 27. 1. (The ground of which ſpeech was, that he … himſelfe every day in ſome danger or other of his life; and ſo, though God had preſerved him againe p. 16and againe, yet he thought that ſome of thoſe many arrowes which were ſhot againſt him ſo continually, and which ſtill ſo narrowly miſt him, might at one time or other hit and ſpeed him, it were a wonder elſe:) but he ſayes further I ſaid in my haſt, Pſal. 116. 11. that all men are lyars, the Prophet Samuel and all; that it was but a promiſe of a vaine man; but he ſoone recalls himſelfe and addes, I ſaid this in my haſt. So likewiſe Pſ. 31. 22. I ſaid in my haſt, I am cut off; they were raſh ſpeeches (as he confeſſes) ſpoken in haſt. Even ſo doth many a poore … breake forth and ſay, after they have had ſtrong hopes at firſt converſion, that a Kingdome is theirs, that heaven is theirs, and that it is reſerved for them, and they kept for it alſo through the power of God: Yet the devill being let looſe to … them as Saul did him, and God hiding his face, and the arrowes of the Almighty flying thick about their eares, the ſorowes of hell encompaſſing them, and well nigh every moment cutting them off; they (although upheld againe and againe, yet) are apt to ſay, that one day or other, they ſhall in all likelihood be cut off by Gods hand, ſwallowed up of Satan and everlaſtingly deſtroyed. And when they are told of the hopes they had at their firſt converſion, and the promiſes that are made to them, they are apt to ſay, that their grace by which they ſhould now claime thoſe promiſes are all a lie, falſe and counterfeit, and but in hypocriſie; this they ſay in their haſt, too often. So at another time; … David was in doubt about that other pro…ſſe of an eternall Kingdome, made to him … he ſayes God will never be mercifull; … p. 17rate weake ſpeech was this? that what a man ſees not at preſent, he ſhould conclude would never be: but he acknowledgeth his errour in it, It was my infirmity, ver. 10. thus to ſpeake. So the Church, Lament. 3. 17, 18, 19. I ſaid, my hope is periſhed from the Lord: What a deſperate ſpeech was this? but ſhee eates her words againe with griefe, ver. 21. This I recall to minde, therefore have I hope. Iob, though for a while, at the beginning of the ſtorme he was ſomewhat calme and quiet in his ſpirit, and it was his commendation; and therefore in the firſt Chap. ver. 22. it is ſaid, that in all this, that is, ſo long and thitherto, he had not charged God fooliſhly; but this held but to the firſt and ſecond Chapter, for when he begunne to bee wet to the ſkin once, and the drops of Gods wrath began to ſoake into his ſoule, then he falls a roaring, Chap. 3. and Curſeth the day of his birth; and Chap. 6. ver. 8, 9. wiſheth God would cut him off; and Chap. 7. 15. ſayes his ſoule did chooſe ſtrangling, rather then life. For which ſpeeches God in the end ſteps out (as it were) from behinde the hangings, over-hearing him, taking him up for them: Chap. 38. 2. Who is this ſayes he that talkes thus; How now?

But (good ſoules) you that are in trouble; oh take heed of ſuch impatient wiſhes or ſpeeches; as theſe or the like, that all which you have had is but in hypocriſie; and oh that God would cut me off! that I were in hell and knew the worſt! take heed I ſay: When a man is ſicke, and raves, whereas otherwiſe the Phyſitian and thoſe that ſtand about him would in pitty uſe him gently, they are forced to hold and binde him; Impatiens agrotus crudelem p. 18medicum facit, an impatient patient makes a Phyſitian more cruell, then otherwiſe he would bee: So God would deale more gently with thee, but for ſuch impatiencies. And know that this is taking Gods name in vaine in a high degree. You muſt know that the graces of God written in your hearts are a part of Gods name, as whereby his love is manifeſted to you; now for you to call the truth of theſe in queſtion, and ſay they are counterfeit; is as if you ſhould ſay of the Kings hand and ſeale, when it comes downe to you, that it were counterfeit, and deny it; which is crimen laſae Majeſtatis. So if a ſpeciall friend, or your father had given you ſome old precious pieces of gold or jewels, &c. as tokens of their love and remembrances of them, for you to ſay in a diſtempered fit of jealouſie, all theſe are but counters & but Alchymie, you ſhould exceedingly wrong and abuſe their love. Thus is it if you deny Gods hand-writing in your owne hearts, when he hath written therein by his Spirit, joy, feare, love, zeale, &c. and ſhould ſay, It is not like his hand: So if you deny the ſeale of the Spirit, after he hath ſealed you up unto the day of redemption; and ſay that all the earneſt-penies of heaven, are but counters, and alchymie, & nothing worth; in ſo doing, you take his name, his love, his mercy, and all in vaine; yea you lye againſt the holy Ghoſt, as the Apoſtle ſaid in another caſe. Thus though God give you full leave to try and examine all his graces in you, and dealings with you; yet not deſperately at the firſt bluſh and view, upon the leaſt miſtake or flaw, to ſay they are no graces; and that hee will never bee mercifull. You abuſe him when you do ſo: Take heed of it.

p. 19Direction 2.

SEcondly let the troubled ſoule make diligent ſearch. To make a diligent ſearch, and examination.Let an inquiſition be ſet up in thy heart. So, Pſ. 77. ver. 6. David in caſe of deſertion is ſaid to do: I communed with mine owne heart, and made diligent ſearch.

Now in this ſearch make inquiry into two things.

Firſt,2. Things to be ſearcht into. what might be the true cauſe which provokes God thus to leave thee, and hide himſelfe from thee.

Secondly, what, in thine owne heart is the main doubt, and objection, reaſoning and apprehenſion, which cauſeth thee to feare and thus to call all into queſtion?

Theſe are two diſtinct things. For though God hath juſt cauſe and reaſon to leave us to this trouble; yet often the thing that troubles and diſquiets us, is a meere miſtake, a miſapprehenſion: even as a father ſees good reaſon often to ſcare the childe; but yet the thing he ſuffers him to be affrighted with, is but a meere bugbeare. It is neceſſary to enquire into both.

Firſt,1. What is the true cauſe which provoketh God to leave thee to this diſtreſſe. examine what might be the true cauſe that provokes God thus to leave thee. So Lament. 3. 40. Let us ſearch and try our wayes, it was ſpoken by the Church in deſertion, as appeares by the former part of the Chapter. And to helpe your ſelves in this, goe over all the Caſes which have beene propounded: haſt thou not been carnally confident p. 20in falſe ſigns? or reſted too much on true, to the neglect of Chriſt, and Gods free grace? Didſt thou not afore neglect to ſtir up thy own graces? &c. go over all thoſe caſes mentioned: ſomething or other will bee found to be the cauſe. This is neceſſary, for all the cauſe be known, the heart ſubmits not; neither will it ſanctifie Gods name; nor will the trouble ceaſe, till that which provokes God to lay it on bee confeſſed and forſaken. And if it bee a particular ſinne that God aimes at, then uſually, God uſeth the horrour for, and the guilt of that very ſinne to afflict thee with; and then that ſin it ſelfe is made the cauſe of thy trouble in thy owne apprehenſion. So as then it is eaſily found out; thou wilt finde thy ſinne to be the thorne in thy foot, the ſtone in thy ſhoo, that did grate, gal, and vexe thee. David … knew in Pſal. 51. what it was for which God broke his bones: for his very ſin was it was the iron Mace, the inſtrumentall cauſe it ſelfe of Gods executing it upon him; the horrour of that murther God uſed as the hammer to breake him withall, and as the rod to whip him with, ver. 3. My ſinne (ſayes he) is ever before me; it was ever in his eye. Indeed; in outward afflictions it is more difficult to finde out the cauſe why God afflicts a man; (unleſſe ſometimes you may through Gods wiſe-diſpoſing hand finde and reade the ſinne in the puniſhment, they ſo reſemble one another, ſo as a man may ſay, this croſſe lay in the wombe of ſuch a ſinne, they are ſo like: in quo peccamus, in eodem plectimur,) but in thoſe inward diſtreſſes of conſcience, that ſin which is the true cauſe, and that moveth God to afflict, God often uſeth even the guilt of that very p. 21ſinne to terrifie thee; to caſt a man into the diſtreſſe and to keepe him in it, it is both the procatarticall cauſe, and executioner alſo.

But in caſe thou canſt not finde out the cauſe, as Iob (it ſeemes) did not; and Elihu did ſuppoſe hee might not; therefore gives him this counſell (which doe thou alſo follow, till God ſhew thee the cauſe) Job 34. 31, 32. to ſay unto God (as hee adviſeth there) That which I ſee not, teach thou me, and I will not offend any more; and if thou findeſt it, ſay alſo, as ver. 31. I have borne chaſtiſement for ſuch a ſinne, I will never offend any more: Till then God will not let thee downe.

The ſecond thing to be ſearched into is;2. What is the maine reaſoning in thy heart, that cauſeth this queſtion of thy eſtate What is the chiefe and maine reaſoning in thy heart, which makes thee call all into queſtion, whether God bee thy God. What is the reaſon why thou thinkeſt ſo, what makes thee conclude ſo?

For this you muſt conſider, that although God for ſome ſinne committed doth hide himſelfe from thee, terrifies, and laſheth thy conſcience, yet that which cauſeth in thee, and worketh in thee this apprehenſion [that God hath caſt thee off,] is uſually ſome falſe reaſoning or miſapprehenſion, ſome meere miſtake, ſome deviſe and ſophiſtry of Satan. When the Corinthian was excommunicated for his ſinne, Satan had leave to terrifie his conſcience for it, but Satan went further, he would have ſwallowed him up of ſorow, by perſwading him that ſuch a ſinne was unpardonable, and that God would never owne him againe: now the reaſoning Satan uſed to bring this upon him was a falſe one, ſome tricke and deviſe, 2 Cor. 2. 7. compared with the p. 22eleventh verſe, whereof if a man bee ignorant, hee may goe mourning a long while, as a caſt-away. Therefore take thy ſoule aſide, and ſeriouſly aſke it, and examine it Why it is thus troubled? What reaſon, what ground thou haſt to thinke that God is not thy God? and then examine it whether it be a true ground yea, or no? As the Apoſtle bid… us,1 Pet. 3. 15.1 Pet 3:15 Give a reaſon of our faith: ſo aſke thou of thy ſoule, the reaſon of its doubting.

Thus David, Pſal. 42. ver. 5. Why art thou caſt downe oh my ſoule? and becauſe doubts ariſe againe and againe, therefore he aſketh the reaſon againe, ver. 11. Why art thou caſt downe? David knew, the way to diſſolve them, was to ſearch into and examine the reaſon of them: for ſtill when he had throughly examined thē, he found them needleſſe, & cauſeleſſe, to put him into ſuch deſperate feares. The childe of God is often caſt into priſon, … feares and bondage, and after hee hath layen long in them, and begins to reade over the …, and Mittimus, hee findes it to bee falſe impriſonment, a meere trick of Satan his Jaylour. For as carnall men, when they thinke their eſtate good, and that they are in the favour of God, it is ſome deluſion, ſome falſe reaſoning that is ſtill the ground of ſuch their opinion; as becauſe they proſper in the world therefore God loves them, becauſe they performe ſome duties, have ſome good motions, which grounds they cannot endure to have examined: … contrarily, one that feares God, the ground of his apprehenſion that he is out of the favour of God, is likewiſe ſome falſe reaſoning, which when examined appeares to be ſuch, and when it appear… p. 23the ſoule is freed out of its feares and doubts. Heman thought,Pſal. 88. 14.Ps 88:14 and ſaid that God had caſt him off; and what was the reaſon perſwaded him to thinke ſo, ver 14. Becauſe God had hidden his face: It doth not follow Heman; a Father may hide his face from his ſonne, and yet not caſt him off. So David alſo reaſoneth, Pſal. 77. ver. 2, 3. I have ſought God, prayed, and uſed the meanes, and yet I am troubled; and yet God reveales not himſelfe: and what doth he conclude from this? ver. 7. Will the Lord caſt off for ever? He thought, [if God had loved me, he would preſently have heard me;] he thought his ſoule would not have beene worſe after praying: This was a falſe reaſoning, for Pſal. 70. 4. ſometimes God ſhuts out his peoples prayers. A father may ſometimes ſeeme ſo angry, that hee may throw away his childes petition, and yet reſolve to bee his father ſtill. It were infinite to reckon up all the falſe reaſonings, that ſoules in diſtreſſe have: ſometimes from a place of Scripture miſunderſtood, and miſapplyed; ſome who being annoyed with blaſphemous thoughts againſt God and Chriſt, and his Spirit, though they be their greateſt affliction, yet have thought they have ſinned againſt the Holy Ghoſt, upon the miſapplying that place Mat. 12. 31. That blaſphemy againſt the holy Ghoſt ſhall never bee forgiven; whereas that place is meant onelyonly but of ſome one kinde of blaſphemy, which indeed is wilfull blaſpheming of God and the worke of his Spirit, out of revenge, Heb. 10. 29. So ſome becauſe they have ſinned after enlightning and taſting, and fallen into ſome groſſe ſin, thinke they ſhall never be renewed; by reaſon of that place, p. 24Heb. 6. 4. whereas he ſpeaks of a wilfull and revengeful falling away, with ſuch a revēge as they would, if they could, crucifie Chriſt againe, ver. 6. For otherwiſe David had not beene renewed, for hee ſinned preſumptuouſly,1 Sam. 12. 9.1 Sam 12:9 and deſpiſed the commandement. So ſome if they heare but of ſome fearefull example, and of Gods ſevere dealing with others, how hee caſt them off upon ſuch a ſinne, as he did Saul, they thinke and conclude that upon the commiſſion of the like, that God hath caſt them off alſo: But there is no certaine ground for ſuch a thought, for ſecret things belong to God. So becauſe ſome heare that there is a time, after which, God ſometimes offers grace no more, but ſweares againſt ſome men; therefore, that their time is alſo paſt; which they can have no ground for: for though it bee true, God doth ſo with many that heare the Goſpell, yet the word gives us no certaine rules to judge he hath done ſo by any of us. It is good to feare leaſt thou ſhouldſt provoke him to it, but thou haſt no ſigne to feare hee hath done ſo with thee. And indeed herein lyes the maine and firſt buſineſſe to be done in raiſing up a troubled ſoule, even to finde out the ground of their doubting, and to examine the truth of it and confute it. If a man be falſely impriſoned or caſt in a ſuit at Law, what doth he to remedy it? he ſeekes to finde out the errour in the writ: ſo doe thou ſearch out the ground of thy trouble: goe to ſome ſpirituall Lawyer ſkilled in Soule-worke; keepe not the devils councell: he oppoſeth nothing more then making your doubts knowen.

p. 25Direction 3.

THe third direction I give to ſuch is,3. To conſider as indifferently what may make for them, as againſt them that they keepe and lend one eare as well to heare and conſider what makes for their comfort, as unto what may make againſt them.

This direction meetes with a great infirmity of ſuch as are in diſtreſſe, who through Satans temptations have their hearts ſo deeply poſſeſſed with prejudiciall conceits of the miſery of their eſtates, that as the people of God in Exod. 6. 9. through the anguiſh of their hearts were ſo far diſtempered, that they liſtned not to the good meſſage which Moſes brought them, nor beleeved that ſo good newes could be true of them: So are the ſoules of many that are in diſtreſſe, ſo filled with anguiſh and ſenſe of miſery, and ſo ſtrongly prepoſſeſſed with deſperate opinions, and ſo farre put out of hopes, that they reject all that is ſpoken for their comfort; ſo as they will not ſo much as bee brought to caſt an eye or a thought upon any thing that may be an occaſion of comfort to them: Like ſome priſoners at the barre, through extremity of feare they cannot read that in their hearts and in the word which might ſave them. Tell them of what God hath wrought for them and in them, as evidences of his love, and as they cannot, ſo often they will not reade them over; or if they do they reade them over but as a man doth a book he meanes to confute, they picke quarrells, and make objections at every thing that is ſaid: as if they were hired as Lawyers to pleade againſt themſelves, and to finde flawes in p. 26their evidences. I have obſerved ſome who have ſet all their wits awork to ſtrengthen all arguments and objections againſt themſelves, & who have bin glad if they could object any thing which might puzzle thoſe who have come to comfort them; if they could hold argument againſt themſelves: as if they were diſputing for the victory onelyonly. And thus through much poring upon, and conſidering onelyonly what might make againſt them, they have had the bolts of their hearts ſo farre ſhot into deſpaire, and fixed in deſperate ſorow, and the true wards of ſound evidences ſo farre wrung and wreſted by falſe keyes, that when the ſkilfulleſt and ſtrongeſt comforters have come with true keyes, to ſhoot back the bolt, they would not turn about, nay could ſcarce get entrance.

This was Davids infirmity, as at the 10. verſe of the 77. Pſalme compared with the ſecond verſe, My ſoule refuſeth to be comforted, he ſpilt all the cordialls and phyſicke that were brought him: hee was not onelyonly voide of comfort but refuſed it. What? bring mee promiſes to comfort me, (will ſuch an one ſay) you may as well cary them to one in hell; or give phyſicke to a man paſt recovery; and ſo will take downe nothing that is given them. So alſo the Church, in the third of the Lamentations ver. 17, 18. her heart was deeply poſſeſſed with a deſperate apprehenſion, My hope (ſayes ſhee) is periſhed from the Lord. And what was it that ſhot her ſoule into ſo fixed deſpaire? ver. 17. Shee forgot all good: ſhe forgat, that is, ſhe would not ſo much as take into conſideration & remembrance, any thing that had beene comfortable to her. All p. 27good (ſo the originall) that is, all Gods former good and gracious dealings with her, all the good things wrought in her, and for her, whence ſhee might have comfort: and inſtead thereof, what did her thoughts feed and chew upon? onelyonly wormwood and gall, her bitterneſſe and diſtreſſe, poring onelyonly on what might make againſt her, I ſaid my hope was periſhed from the Lord, calling to minde my affliction, and my miſery, my wormwood and gall. Theſe ſhee could revolve and rowle up and down in her mind though they were bitter, and would entertaine thoughts of nothing elſe. But when on the contrary, ſhee began to take into conſideration, Gods gracious & faithfull ſupporting her in that very deſertion, in faithfulneſſe renewing his mercies every morning, ver. 22, 23. and that ſtill he maintained in her heart a longing and lingring after him, and a ſecret cleaving to him, and that God did enable her to chooſe him as her portion, ver. 24. [This] I recall to minde, (ſayes ſhee) ver. 21. (which ſpeech hath reference to thoſe words fore recited, which follow there;) therefore have I hope; ſhe ſpits out her wormwood, and eares her owne words. And now that her heart began to liſten to what might comfort her, preſently ſhe began to have hope. This ſullen peeviſh deſperate obſtinacy is a thing you ought to take heed of; for hereby you take Satans part, and that againſt thoſe you ought to love ſo deerely, even your owne ſoules: But as they ſaid, Let Baal plead for himſelfe, So let Satan plead his owne cauſe, doe not you. Hereby alſo you forſake your owne mercies, (as it is ſaid) Ionah 2. 8. you give up your owne right, and are ſo farre befooled as to p. 28plead againſt your owne title, your owne intereſt in the beſt things you can have intereſt in, Gods mercies, made yours by an everlaſting covenant; you give up your portion bequeathed you in your fathers will, which you ought to maintaine, and you truſt to lying vanities, the ſooth-ſayings, and fortune-tellings (as I may call them) of Satan and of your owne hearts. Hereby alſo yee become judges of evill thoughts: Iames 2.Jas 2For hee is an ill hearer of a cauſe, who will heare but one party ſpeake.

Direction 4.

THe fourth direction is, to make diligent ſearch into, and to call to remembrance what formerly hath beene between God and you: The remembrance of former things doth often uphold, when preſent ſenſe failes. This David practiſed, in the like caſe Pſal. 77. ver. 5, 6. when his ſoule had refuſed comfort, (as I told you) v. 2. yet in the end he began not onelyonly to bee willing to liſten to what might make for him, but ſet himſelfe aworke to recall to minde, to conſider the dayes of old, to make diligent ſearch, namely into the records and regiſter of Gods dealings, ver. 11. to ſee if there were never a record extant which might help him, now the devill pleaded againſt his title: even as if your houſes and lands were called into queſtion, you would ſearch over old writings & deeds; ſo do you in this: I conſidered (ſayes he) the ſongs in the night, (that is) that joyfull communion he had enjoyed with God when God and he ſang ſongs together, and I communed with mine owne heart, and made diligent ſearch p. 29I toſſed and tumbled over my heart, to ſee if no grace formerly had beene there, and if no grace at preſent were there; he ſearched into what might comfort him, as well as into the cauſes might provoke God thus to deale with him, for I take it both may be meant.

And ſo Iob did, when he was thus ſtricken, and forſaken of God, he viewes over every part of his life; he ſeekes what dry land he could finde to get footing upon in the midſt of ſeas of temptations, recounts what an holy life he had lived, with what feare and ſtrictneſſe he had ſerved God. Chap. 29. and Chap. 30. and Chap. 31. throughout, and tells them plainely, Chap. 27. ver. 5, 6. That let them pleade and argue what they could againſt him, and goe about to prove him an hypocrite, till I die (ſayes he) I will not remove mine integrity from mee, nor let goe my righteouſneſſe: I will never give up mine intereſt in Gods mercies, nor the evidences I have to ſhew for them, and ſayes he Chap. 19. 27, 28. Though my reines be at preſent conſumed, yet the root of the matter is in me; (that is) though God deales thus hardly with me, as you ſee, yea though the exerciſe of grace is much obſcured, the Sun-ſhine of Gods favour withdrawne, his face hidden from me, and the joyfull fruits of righteouſneſſe, and comfortable freſh greene ſpeeches, and leaves you have knowne to grow upon this now withered ſtocke fallen off; yet there is the root of the matter ſtill …; a root of faith that decayes not, a conſtant frame of grace, that ſtill remaines, which hareth ſinne, loveth God, and you ſhall all never beare me from it. And canſt thou call nothing to remembrance p. 30betwixt God and thee, which argues infallibly his love? what nothing? Looke againe, Did God never ſpeake peace to thy heart, and ſhed his love abroad in it? Haſt thou at no time found in thine heart pure ſtraines of true love and good will to him? ſome pure drops of godly ſorow for offending him, and found ſome diſpoſitions of pure ſelfe-deniall, wherein thou didſt ſimply ayme at his glory more then thine owne good? Haſt thou never an olde tryed evidence which hath beene acknowledged and confirmed againe and againe in open court? what not one? And if thou … now call to minde but one, if in truth, it may ſupport thee. For if one promiſe doth belong to thee, then all doe: for every one conveyes whole Chriſt, in whom all the promiſes are made, and who is the matter of them: as in the Sacraments, the bread conveyes whole Chriſt, and the wine alſo whole Chriſt: ſo in the word, every promiſe conveyes whole Chriſt. And if thou canſt ſay as the Church of Epheſus, Rev. …. 6. This thing I have, that I hate ſinne, and every ſinne as God hates it, and becauſe he hates it: as Chriſt owned them for this one grace, and though they had many ſinnes and many failings, yet (ſayes he) this thou haſt, &c. If Chriſt will acknowledge thee to be his for one eare-mark; or if he ſees but one ſpot of his child upon thee,Deut. 32. 5.Deut 32:5 thou maiſt well pleade it, even any one to him; Yea though it be but in a leſſer degree, if in truth and ſincerity. For God brings not a paire of ſcales to weigh your graces, and if they be too light refuſeth them; but he brings a touchſtone to try them; and if they be true gold, though never ſo little of it, it p. 31will paſſe currant with him; though it be but ſmoak not flame, Mat. 12. 20.Matt 12:20though it be but as a week in the ſocket, as it is there in the originall, likelier to dye & go out then to continue, which we uſe to throw away; yet he will not quench it, but accept it. Yea and though at preſent thou findeſt in thy ſenſe no grace ſtirring in thee, nothing but hardneſſe, deadneſſe, &c. yet if thou canſt remember, [yea but this once I had;] as a woman with childe, though after her firſt quickning, ſhe doth not alwayes finde the childe to ſtir, yet becauſe ſhe did feele it ſtir, ſhe ſtill conceives hopes and thinkes ſhee is with childe; So thinke thou of the new creature formed within thee.

Theſe things you are to recall and conſider in time of diſtreſſe: to remember former graces, and ſpirituall diſpoſitions in you, and Gods gracious dealings with you; God remembers them to have mercy on you; and why ſhould not you remember them to comfort you? Therefore Heb. 6. 9, 10. We hope (ſayes he) better things of you, for God is not unrighteous to forget your labour of love, namely, to reward you; and therefore hee calls upon them in like maner, Heb. 10. ver. 31. To call to remembrance the former dayes to comfort them; how they held out when their hearts were tryed to the bottome; when ſhipwrack was made of their goods, good names, and all for Chriſt; yet they made not ſhipwrack of a good conſcience. And if thou doſt thus call to remembrance things of old, and yet canſt finde no comfort at firſt from them, (as often yee may not, as was Davids caſe Pſal. 77. for after his remembrance of his ſongs in the night, ſtill his ſoule was left in doubt, and he goes on to ſay, Will God p. 32ever be mercifull?) yet have recourſe to … againe, and then againe; for though they … not at one time, they may at another: that it may be ſeene that God comforts by them, and not they alone of themſelves. Haſt thou found a … (which is a breaſt of conſolation) milkleſſe▪ Iſay 66. 11.Isa 66:11yet againe ſuck comfort may come in the end. … thou haſt empanelled a Jury and grand Inqueſt to ſearch, and their firſt verdict condemnes thee, of they bring in an …; yet doe as wiſe Judges often doe, ſend them about it againe, they may finde it the next time. Ionah lookt once it …, and found no comfort, Jonah 2. 4. For he ſaid, I will looke againe towards thine holy Temple. A … heart is like thoſe two faced pictures, if you looke one way towards one ſide of them, you ſhall ſee nothing but ſome horrid ſhape of a devill, or the like; but goe to the other ſide, and looke again, and you ſhall ſee the picture of an Angell, or of ſome beautifull woman, &c. So ſome have lookt over their hearts by ſignes at one time, and have to their thinking found nothing but hypocriſie, unbeliefe, hardneſſe, ſelfe-ſeeking; but not long after examining their hearts againe by the ſame ſignes, they have eſpied the image of God drawne fairely upon the table of their hearts.

p. 33Direction 5.

BUt now if former ſignes remembred,5. To renew a mans faith and repentance. bring thee no comfort in, but the waves that come over thy ſoule prove ſo deep, that thou canſt finde no bottome to caſt anchor on, the ſtorme and ſtreſſe ſo great that no cable will hold, but they ſnap all aſunder, as is often the caſe of many a poore ſoule:

Then 5. take and put in practice this fifth direction, renew thy faith and repentance, ſet thy heart aworke, to beleeve and repent afreſh as if thou hadſt never yet begun. Leave off and ceaſe awhile to reaſon about the goodneſſe of thy former faith and repentance, and ſet upon the worke of beleeving and repenting anew; ſpend not all the time in caſting out of anchors, but fall apumping. Say, well, ſuppoſe I have not hitherto beene in the ſtate of grace, yet I am not uncapable of it for time to come, I may obtaine grace yet. Suppoſe my faith and repentance hath not beene true hitherto, I will therefore now begin to endeavour after ſuch as is true; and to that end make this uſe of whatſoever flawes the devill findes in either, to direct thee what to mend and rectifie for time to come; begin to make up the breaches and unſoundneſſe which is diſcovered, endeavour after a ſupply of all thoſe wants hee objects to bee in either, to mend all the holes hee pickes. Say, Lord I caſt my ſelfe upon thy mercies afreſh, I deſire now to make my heart perfect with thee for time to come, to part with every ſinne, to ſubmit to every duty, to curſe every by-end to hell, and to ſet up p. 34God & Chriſt as my mark, pole-ſtar, and aim in all; and when thou haſt done this, let the devill ſay his worſt. This of all the former directions I commend to you, as a ſpeciall meanes to diſſolve and put theſe temptations about aſſurance to an end. I ſet a probatum eſt upon it, take it, practiſe it, it is a tryed one; & it is that which at the laſt the Church in deſertion comes to: Lam. 3. 40. Come let … try our wayes, and turne to the Lord, that is the laſt way and courſe ſhee takes. Now when the water is at the loweſt, and the tide of aſſurance ebbed, … up your bankes as you uſe to doe at low waters. Now when nothing but hypocriſie, and unbeliefe, and faiſeneſſe of heart appeare to thee, to be in thy heart, doe thou groane, ſigh, endeavour after the contrary ſincerity, & let Satan ſay his worſt: & this direction I now in the next place preſcribe you, becauſe in time of tēptation about aſſurance, it is the uſuall courſe of ſome troubled ſoules to ſpend … their thoughts upon what formerly they have had, as if they muſt have comfort onelyonly from the former worke or no way: laying out all their time and coſt in new ſuites & new trials about their former title, and when they have beene caſt againe and againe, yet ſtill to doe nothing but reade over olde evidences againe and againe, and bring in and ſtudy new proofes.

But know, that though this is to bee done, and not to be neglected, and is found often comfortable, therefore in the former direction I exhorted to it: yet you are not onelyonly to take that courſe, nor to look back, ſo much to your former faith and repentance, as to forget to practiſe new. But begin to p. 35practiſe new acts of faith and repentance, this is the righteſt way, the ſhorteſt cut, and requires as little paines: thou maiſt with as little charge get a new Leaſe renewed, as prove good the old one; it will require many termes to examine over all thy evidences againe and againe, which alſo haply are blotted and blurred; thou maiſt cut the knot and diſſolve the temptations ſooner by new faith, then untie it by reaſonings and diſputings: And the truth is, in the end thou muſt come to this, for Gods great end in deſerting, is to put you upon renewing your faith & repētance: Except ye he cōverted, (as Chriſt ſayes to his Apoſtles) Converted as it were anew. He will not deliver thee out of the dungeon, till thou entreſt into new bonds and baile for thy good behaviour. Therfore begin to do it ſoon. And whereas thou thinkſt that by this thou maiſt prejudice thy former title, that is not my meaning, as if thou ſhouldſt utterly give up thy old faith and repentance as counterfeit; I will keep my integrity (ſayes Iob:) only my advice is to forbeare, and to ceaſe pleading of it for a time, and to begin to renew it rather, that is it I exhort unto: And then the comfort of thy old repentance will come in: As the Apoſtle ſayes of the Law, ſo I of thy former title, it is not deſtroyed, but eſtabliſhed rather by this. And as Chriſt ſayes Iohn 7. 17. If any man will do his will, he ſhall know of the doctrine that it is of God: So as often the beſt way to know the truth is not to ſpend all the time in diſputing about it, but to practiſe it, which puts an end to controverſies in mens hearts: ſo ſay I, to know the truth of, and ſo to come to have the comfort of former grace, is to adde to theſe reaſonings p. 36about it, the practice of beleeving and repenting anew: This baffles the devill exceedingly, and gets the advantage of him: for by this the ſuite is removed, all his old pleas daſht, this puts him upon a new reply, diverts the war, and indeed non-pluſſeth him, for what can he ſay to it? he muſt now prove thou art uncapable of grace, that thou ſhalt never repent, which all the world and devills in hell cannot prove. And yet if in this caſe he tells thee (as uſually he doth) that all will be in vaine for time to come, as well as it hath been for time paſt:

Direction 6.

THen ſixthly, ſtand not now diſputing it, but be peremptory & reſolute in thy faith & turning to God,6. To be reſolute and peremptory in beleeving and turning to God whatever may be the iſſue. let the iſſue be what it will be. Faith is never nonpluſt, it is a moſt deſperate thing; Iob vowes he will truſt him though he kills him, Job 13. 15. So doe thou, whether he will damne or ſave thee, do what he will with thee, leave not to caſt thy ſelfe upon him for mercy, nor to ſerve and love him. Goe thou on to uſe the meanes diligently and conſtantly; and be ſo much the more diligent, feare and hate ſinne ſtill, pray day and night as Heman did when he thought himſelfe cut off, Pſal. 88. ver. 1. I have cryed day and night, though I be as one thou remembreſt no more, ver. 4, 5. and ſo at the ninth verſe I have called daily, though ver. 10, 11, 12. he thought himſelfe in hell, and thought it a miracle ever to be raiſed up againe, yet ſayes he ver. 13. But I have cryed to thee, that [But] ſeems to come in as an expreſſion of his reſolution, that though theſe were his p. 37apprehenſions of his condition, yet howſoever, he had, & would goe on to ſeeke the Lord. Suppoſe thou findeſt no relliſh in the ordinances, yet uſe them; though thou art deſperately ſick, yet eate ſtill, take all is brought thee, ſome ſtrength comes of it: Say, be I damned or ſaved, hypocrite or not hypocrite, I reſolve to goe on. And there is good reaſon for it: for if thou ſhouldeſt leave off to ſerve the Lord, and reſolve never to looke after him more, then thou art ſure to be damned; if there bee an evill heart in thee to depart from the living God, thou art undone, but this other way of ſeeking him thou maiſt in the end prevaile, Who knowes but God may be mercifull? in the third of the Lament. 29. this counſell is given to a ſoule being yoked and deſerted, to put his mouth in the duſt; and it waiteth, ſayes he, ſuffers, and doth any thing, not onelyonly if he hath hope, but if there may be hope, if there be but ſuch a thought it may prove ſo, hee will make a venture, and ſo doe thou. See what Eſter did in the like deſperate caſe; thought ſhee, if I hold my tongue (and ſo Mordecay told her) God will deſtroy me: and better it was to make a venture upon the King to ſpeake, and ſo to cary her life in her hand; and therefore ſhe ſayes, if I periſh I periſh. And ſo the Lepers, ſee how they reaſoned in a deſperate caſe, 2 Kings 7. 3, 4. If we goe into the City we are ſure to die, for the famine is there; if we ſit ſtill, we die alſo: Come let us fall into the hands of the Aſsyrians, if they ſave us alive, ſo; if they kill us, we ſhall (however) but dye; and there were many ſtrong arguments to move them to thinke they would kill them, for they were Iewes, & ſo of the enemies p. 38ſide, and might be ſuſpected for ſpies; if not, they were Lepers that might infect the campe, who were fit for no ſervice, for nothing but to be knock… ith head: yet in this deſperate caſe they tooke the ſurer and more probable part, ventured to fall to the Aſſyrians ſide, and the ſucceſſe is knowne to you all. So reaſon thou; if I give over my beleeving, humbling my ſelfe, praying, attending on the meanes, I ſhall certainly periſh, there is no help for it; I will therefore rather goe on to doe all theſe as ſincerely as I can to the utmoſt and if God ſaves me a ſinner, a leper, an enemie, ſo; if not, I can be but damned.

But let me tell thee ſuch a reſolution can never goe to hell with thee; yea, if any have a roome in heaven, ſuch a ſoule ſhall: for this puts not the devill onelyonly to it, (for in this caſe, what can the devill himſelfe ſay to thee? for if thou wilt venture thy ſoul, ſervice, and all upon God, let the iſſue be what it will, in this reſolute, yet ſafe way: if thou wilt in a pure truſt referre it unto God with contentedneſſe and ſubmiſſion, what is that to him?) but it puts God to it alſo, who cannot finde in his heart to damne ſuch an one who ſhall goe on to do thus: when thou thus freely ſerveſt him, chooſeſt him, ventureſt and leaveſt thy ſelf and all the iſſue of thy wayes to him; thou by this one act in ſuch a caſe ſhalt winne more upon him and his love, then haply by all thy obedience all thy life afore. Thy ſalvation, and the aſſurance of it, that is Gods worke, leave it to him, try his faithfulneſſe, it is ſelfe love makes us ſo much troubled about it. Goe thou on to beleeve, repent, mourne for ſinne, hate, forſake p. 39it, to uſe the meanes, &c. that is thy worke; and ſo doing, thou canſt not be damned.

Direction 7.

—Let him truſt in the Name of the Lord—

IF you aſke what ground a ſoule in this caſe may have to venture thus upon—

I anſwer His Name; which will make up a ſeventh direction.

Being thus reſolved to turn to God, and to go on to feare and obey him, thou maieſt ſafely and confidently truſt in & ſtay upon the Name of God when thou haſt nothing elſe to reſt upon. This you ſee is the direction which the text gives, and I had thought therefore to have made a diſtinct point of it, but I will ſomewhat more largely open and explaine it, onelyonly as it is a direction, and meanes of ſupport and comfort in this diſtreſſe; and ſo take it as it riſeth out of the text. Thus,

That to one who reſolves to feare God and obey him, the Name of God is an al ſufficient prop and ſtay for his faith to reſt on when he ſees nothing in himſelfe, or in any promiſe in the word belonging unto him.

The Name of God alone is here oppoſed to all other meanes and props which faith hath to reſt on. It is oppoſed to all comfortable ſenſe of Gods love, to all ſight of any grace in a mans ſelfe to which any promiſe is made: So that when the ſoule ſhall looke into its ſelfe with one eye, and glaunce over p. 40all the word of God with another; and yet ſhall ſee not any one grace in the one, nor promiſe in the other made to any grace in it ſelfe which it may reſt upon; yet the ſoule then looking upon God, and conſidering what a God he is, and what he ſayes of himſelfe, of his mercy and kindneſſe, and free grace towards ſinfull men. The conſideration of what meerely it knowes to be in God as he is revealed in the covenant of grace, may ſupport him. This it is to ſtay upon his name.

Now to explaine this further to you: By the name of God two things are meant.

Firſt, thoſe glorious attributes, eſpecially of grace and mercy, whereby God hath expreſſed himſelfe, and made himſelfe knowne to us.

Secondly, Jeſus Chriſt, as hee is made and ſet forth to be righteouſneſſe to the ſons of men.

For the firſt, in the 24. of Exod. ver. 4, 5, 6, 7. The Lord proclaimed his name; The Lord God, mercifull, gracious, long-ſuffering, aboundant in goodneſſe and truth, keeping mercy for thouſands, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſsion, and ſinne, and will by no meanes cleare the impenitent.

For the ſecond, I referre to that place, Ier. 23. 6. ſpeaking of Chriſt; This is the name wherewith hee ſhall be called, or made knowne to us; THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE, (that is,) that Jeſus Chriſt who is God, hath righteouſneſſe in him for us, which may be made ours.

So that when a poore ſoule in diſtreſſe is not able to ſay, I ſee ſuch or ſuch ſignes, or any evidence in my ſelfe, whereby I can ſay God is my God, or that Chriſt is mine; yet becauſe I ſee free grace p. 41enough in God, and righteouſneſſe in Chriſt, which I being a ſinfull man, and not a devill, may therefore bee capable of, and may come to have an intereſt in them, though I know nothing in my ſelfe whereby I can challenge any preſent intereſt: and becauſe grace and mercy is his Name, and Our Righteouſneſſe his Sonnes Name; therefore I doe caſt my ſelfe upon both, for pardon and favour, and thereupon my ſoule leanes, ſtaies, and abides, and from theſe it will not bee driven. So that theſe two apprehenſions meeting in the heart in truth, help to make up this reſting upon his Name here ſpoken of; namely, Firſt, [that there is ſuch free grace, good will, and mercy, &c. in God, and that Jeſus Chriſt is appointed and made to be our Righteouſnes.] And ſecondly, [that I am capable of, and may come to have an intereſt in both theſe,] and that though there be nothing in me which may challenge an intereſt in them, yet there is nothing that excludes mee; whereupon I caſt my ſelfe upon God for both, and there reſt: yea though I cannot yet ſay that ever I ſhall obtaine them. And this where it is in truth, and accompanied with that firme reſolution of turning to God in all things aforementioned, is as good faith as any of you have in your hearts.

And ſo I come to the proofe of this: namely, That when the name of God and Chriſt are thus ſimply and alone apprehended, they may bee ſufficient ground for faith to reſt upon; then which nothing can be more comfortable to a poore diſtreſſed beleever. Num. 14. When Gods wrath waxed hot againſt his people, (as ſometimes in like p. 42maner it doth againſt a poore ſoule) that God began to ſay, how long ſhall they provoke me? ver. 11. and ſpeakes of deſtroying them, and of making Moſes a great Nation: what hath Moſes his faith recourſe unto, but to that proclamation of his Name you heard of before? and urgeth that, ver. 17, 18. Let the power of my Lord bee great according as thou haſt ſpoken: The Lord is long ſuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquitie, tranſgreſsion, and ſin, and he deſires him to ſhew his power in pardoning, becauſe as much power is ſeen in overcomming his wrath, as in making a world. Let thy power be great; it was his name you ſee that was alledged by Moſes and prevailed with God for mercy. So alſo for his Sonnes ſake, The Lord our Righteouſneſſe, Elihu ſayes Job 33. when a mans ſoule is in deepeſt diſtreſſe, as in the 19, 20, 21, 22. ver. he deſcribes it, yet ſayes he ver. 23. If there be a meſſenger to ſhew a man his uprightneſſe, that is, that righteouſneſſe, that is laid up for men in the Lord Ieſus: then God is gracious to him, and ſayes, deliver him, and he reſting thereupon, his fleſh returnes to him againe; it is a meanes to ſtay him and reſtore him. I mention theſe places of the olde Teſtament rather then of the new; out of which you ſee Gods name and his Sonnes name are al-ſufficient to uphold and ſupport a ſoule. So the pen-man of that Pſalme, whether David or whoever, Pſal. 130. when hee was in his depths, as ver. 1, 2. plunged over head and eares in ſorrow and diſcomfiture, what hath his faith recourſe unto …. 4. to Gods name, to nothing that was in himſelfe, but ſimply to what his faith apprehended to be in God. Mercy it with thee; hee ſayes p. 43no more; in him, and with him, it is to be had: and he confirmes his faith in that, by this argument, becauſe elſe none would feare him: and If thou wert extreame to marke what were amiſſe, no man could ſtand, or would be ſaved: therefore ſurely (ſayes he) mercy is with thee, and therefore let Iſrael hope in the Lord, ver. 7. And why? what, becauſe Iſrael ſees he hath grace in himſelf? no, but becauſe mercy is with him & plenteous redēption: v. ult. which word redēption hath relation to his Sons name. There is enough in him, elſe he will have none, and Iſrael is mentioned in his will, as capable of it: & therefore ſayes he, I will waite and hope in the Lord. ver. 5. and though hee could not ſay that God had forgiven him, yet forgiveneſſe was with him: and there hee pitcheth and reſteth his ſoule; as a beggar at a great mans doore, when there is none elſe in the country able or willing to relieve him, there he lyes; though hee knowes not whether he ſhall have any thing or no. In my fathers houſe there is bread enough, (ſayes the Prodigall) there it is to be had; and no where elſe, and there is enough; and crummes will ſerve me, ſayes the woman of Canaan; thou art the Mediator thought ſhe, and it is thy buſineſſe to ſave, and though I am a dogge, yet I am capable of having crummes; Woman ſayes Chriſt, great is thy faith; not ſuch faith among all my diſciples. Theſe truſted in his name, and nothing in themſelves. So Pſal. 62. David ſayes at the 5. ver. He truſted in God for ſalvation and mercy, and exhorts throughout the whole: Truſt in God fully and at all times, & in no creature. ver. 8. 9. And what was it he reſted upon? ſimply two attributes of his, viz. Mercy and Power. God p. 44hath ſpoken once, (that is, irrevocably: as Pſal. 89. 35. Once have I ſworne, &c.) and twice I have heard this, that is, often met with it in the word, and thought of it, (ſayes he) that with God is power, v. 11. ſo as he is able to ſave in the greateſt diſtreſſe; and I have heard that to him belongeth mercy alſo, v. 12. & therefore he may bee willing to help, and becauſe theſe are in him, though I have nothing in my ſelf, yet theſe I reſt upon, and theſe alone. Many ſuch inſtances more might be brought.

The reaſons why the name of God, Reaſons and what is in God, is prop ſufficient for faith to reſt upon: are

1Firſt, becauſe the name of God, that is, Gods attributes, and Chriſts righteouſneſſe, doe ſufficiently, and adequately, and fully anſwer all wants, and doubts; all objections, and diſtreſſes we can have, or can be in; whatſoever our wants or temptations be, he hath a Name to make ſupply: For example, take that his Name in pieces, mentioned Exod. 34. 5, 6. conſider every letter in that his Name, and every letter anſwers to ſome temptation may be made by us.

Firſt, art thou in miſery and great diſtreſſe, he is mercifull, The Lord mercifull, the Lord therefore able to help thee, and mercifull, therefore wiling.

Yea but ſecondly, thou will ſay I am unworthy, I have nothing in me to move him to it, well therfore, hee is gracious, now grace is to ſhew mercy freely. Yea, but I have ſinned againſt him long, for many yeares, if I had come in when I was yong, mercy might have been ſhewne me: To this he ſayes, I am long ſuffering. Yea, but my ſinnes every way abound in number, and it is impoſſible to reckon p. 45them up, & they abound in hainouſneſſe, I have committed the ſame ſins again & again; I have bin falſe to him, broke promiſe with him againe and againe: his Name alſo anſwers this objection, hee is aboundant in goodneſſe; hee abounds more in grace, then thou in ſinning; and though thou haſt beene falſe againe and againe to him, and broke all covenants, yet hee is abundant in truth, alſo better then his word, for he cannot to our capacities expreſſe all that mercy that is in him for us. Yea, but I have committed great ſinnes, aggravated with many and great circumſtances, againſt knowledge, wilfully, &c. hee forgives iniquity, tranſgreſsion, and ſinne; ſinnes of all ſorts. Yea, but there is mercy thus in him but for a few, and I may be none of the number: yes, there is mercy for thouſands, and hee keepes it, treaſures of it lyes by him, and are kept, if men would come in and take them.

Object what thou canſt, his Name will anſwer thee: Needeſt thou comfort as well as pardon? hee is both Father of mercies, and God of all comforts, that is his Name, 2 Cor. 1. 3. Needeſt thou peace of conſcience being filled with terrours? he is the God of peace, 1 Theſſ. 5. 23. Yea, but I have an heart empty of grace and holineſſe, & full of corruptions; He is the God of all grace to heal thee, as wel as of peace to pardon thee? Needeſt thou wiſdome & direction? he is the Father of lights, as the Apoſtle ſayes. Is thy heart inconſtant, and full of double mindedneſſe? he is unchangeable alſo, as hee ſpeakes there: Iames 1. Thus all objections that can be made, may be anſwered out of his Name: Therefore it is al-ſufficient for faith to reſt upon.

p. 46The like may be as fully ſhewed in his Sonnes name; in whom God hath made himſelfe ſtrong to ſhew mercy and beſtow all good things. Whoſe Name is adequate to Gods Name, that is, is of as large extent in worth and merit, as Gods heart is in his purpoſes of ſhewing and beſtowing mercies, to purchaſe all that God meant to beſtow. Whoſe Name hath likewiſe an al-ſufficiency in it to ſupply all our wants, and deſires, and ſatisfie all ſcruples. For example, that his Name mentioned by the Prophet Eſay, chap. 9. 6. (which he here directs to:) compared with 1 Cor. 1. ult. For, would we have peace of conſcience, and the guilt of ſinnes removed? He is the Prince of peace, and is made Righteouſneſſe to us. Are we in depths of diſtreſſe, terrours within, terrours without, out of which wee ſee no redemption? he is the Mighty God, able to ſave to the utmoſt, being made redemption to us. Want we grace, and his image to bee renewed and increaſed in us? He is the Everlaſting father, a Father to beget his likeneſſe in us, and everlaſting, to maintaine it ever, when it is begun once, he is made ſanctification to us. Want we wiſdome to guide us? He is the counſellor, and is made wiſdome to us. All wee want he hath; even as all he hath we want: and further, although we not onelyonly want all theſe, but never ſo much of all theſe, his Name is alſo Wonderfull. For ſuch he is in all theſe; able to doe beyond all our expectations, to wonderment.

Or if the ſoule deſires more diſtinct and particular ſatisfaction in point of juſtification, which conſiſts in the pardon of ſins, & acceptation to the favour of God, it being the point which in this ſtate p. 47of deſertion is queſtioned, and wherein the ſoule deſires ſatisfaction; That other name of his The Lord our righteouſneſſe, Jer. 23. 6. will anſwer all objections and doubts that our hearts can make, if we had but ſkill to ſpell all the letters in it. For if that righteouſneſſe of his ſatisfied God, who in condemning us,1 Iohn 3. 20.1 John 3:20 is greater then our hearts; then it may ſatisfie our hearts much more. The righteouſneſſe of his life and death, is not onelyonly foreign an adequate ſufficient ranſome, 1 Tim. 2. 6. But there is plenteous redemption in it, Pſal. 130. Yea to ſuperfluity as the Apoſtles phraſe implies; foreign 1 Tim. 1. 14. that is, overfull, more then would ſerve the turn; and that to pardon his ſins, who v. 15. was the chiefe of ſinners. Hee elſewhere challengeth all the wit and powers of ſin and hell and darkneſſe to appeare in this diſpute, and undertakes to anſwer them all out of this one poſition, which he layes as a bottome truth. [Chriſt hath dyed,] Rom. 8. 34. which is in effect the ſame with this, The Lord our righteouſneſſe: Who therefore (ſayes he) ſhall condemne? What can be alledged either in the hainouſneſſe of ſinne in the generall, or in any of thy ſinnes in particular, unto which an anſwer may not hence be fetcht? from the righteouſneſſe of his death and life. Is it that ſin is an offēce againſt the great God: Againſt thee, againſt thee, &c. as David ſpeaks: and is not this his righteouſnes, the righteouſnes of Jehovah, Iehovah our righteouſnes, who is the mighty God? Is the glory of this great God, and all his excellencies debaſed by us in ſinning▪ and will not the emptying of his glory,Phil. 2. 7.Phil 2:7 whoſe name is the brightnes of his fathers glory, Heb. 1. 2.Heb 1:2in performing this righteouſnes for p. 48us, ſatisfie and make amends? Are our ſinnes the tranſgreſſion of the holy and righteous Law in every part of it? and did not Jehovah who gave and made that Law, to make himſelfe our righteouſneſſe, make himſelfe under the law? Gal. 4. 4. and to make up a full righteouſneſſe, fulfill every part of it? Rom. 8. 3, 4. Is it thy continuance in ſinne, and the number, and iteration of them that amazeth thee? All fulneſſe dwells in him who is our righteouſneſſe, Col. 1. 19. and hath dwelt in him longer then ſinne in thee; and the righteouſneſſe of our Meſſiah is everlaſting righteouſneſſe, Dan. 9. 24. The merit of which, an eternity of ſinning could not expend, or make void. And is all this righteouſneſſe laid up for himſelfe onelyonly, or for any other, ſo as thou mighteſt never come to have intereſt in it? No: the top of our comfort is, that [Our] righteouſneſſe is one letter of his Name; and that our names are put into his. For us it is, and Ours it is ordained to be: as much ours to ſave us truſting upon it, as his owne to glorifie him. Ours; not for himſelfe: he had no need of it, being God bleſſed for ever. Ours, not the Angells: neither the good, for they are juſtified by their owne: nor the bad, they are put out of Gods will for ever. But ours, who are the ſonnes of men; and among them, theirs eſpecially, who are broken, loſt, whoſe ſoules draw neere to the grave, and their lives to the deſtroyers; & that come & pray unto God, and ſtay themſelves upon it; unto them God cannot deny it, for it is theirs▪ For he will render to man [His] righteouſneſſe. Job 33. 22, 26. So as his Sonnes Name alſo is al-ſufficient to anſwer all objections for faith p. 49to reſt upon: So as they that know his name will truſt in him, Pſal. 9. 10.

A ſecond reaſon why his name is ſufficient, Reaſon 2 though you have and ſee nothing in you, nor any promiſe made to any grace in you to reſt upon is, becauſe even all thoſe promiſes made to cōditions in us, which we ordinarily looke unto, are Yea and Amen onelyonly in this his Name, and his Sonnes Name. That is the originall of them all; the root, the ſeed of them all; his Name is the materia prima the firſt matter of all thoſe ſecondary promiſes, ex quo fiunt, & in quod reſolvuntur, his Name gives being to them all; if it were not for the mercy, grace, truth, kindneſſe in him, and the righteouſneſſe which is in his Sonne all the promiſes which are made, what were they worth? As the worth of bonds depends upon the ſufficiency of the man who makes them, ſo all theſe promiſes upon his Name.

Therefore now, when you relye upon his Name having as yet no promiſe made to any thing in you to relye upon, you then relye upon that which is the foundation of all thoſe promiſes, you then have recourſe to the originall, which is more authenticall then extract copies; you relye on that which all thoſe other are reſolved into, and therefore is ſufficient, though all the reſt faile you in your apprehenſion.

Thirdly, Reaſon 3 his meere Name is ſupport enough for faith, and may bee ſo, becauſe it is for his Names ſake, and his Sons Names ſake, hee doth all he doth; and for nothing in us, but meerely for what is in himſelfe, ſo Eſay 48. 9, 10. For my Names ſake, &c. So p. 50alſo Ezek. 36. 22, 32. For my Names ſake, and not your ſake: and Eſay 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſsion for my owne ſake, and will not remember thy ſinnes. For it he blotteth out tranſgreſsion, and pardoneth. And if it be for his Names ſake he doth all he doth, and fulfilleth all promiſes made to us, and to what is in us: Then when thou ſeeſt nothing in thy ſelfe to which any promiſe is made, nothing which may appeare to be any argument or motive that he will pardon thee, then truſt thou in that his Name; that becauſe he is God, and hath mercy in him, that therefore he will doe it. For that thing which is the onelyonly or maine motive to God himſelfe to doe any thing for us, muſt needs be (when apprehended and beleeved) the ſtrongeſt and ſureſt ground for our faith alſo, to perſwade the heart that he will doe it. As it is in knowledge, the knowledge of the cauſes of things cauſeth the ſureſt knowledge: So in faith, the knowledge of the maine motive to God the cauſe of all, cauſeth the greateſt certainty of perſwaſion.

This then may direct poore ſoules in diſtreſſe, what to venture all upon, upon what ground to hazard ſoules, labours, endeavours, faith, repentance, obedience and all, upon his Name, when they ſee nothing in themſelves to which any promiſe belongs: as David ſayes, Pſal. 73. 26. My heart may faile, and my fleſh may faile, but God will never faile: So I may ſay, your comforts in prayers, in hearing, your joyes, your earneſt-penies you have laid up, may be all ſpent in a dearth, your owne graces and all promiſes made to them: your owne hearts may faile, and being creatures they uſe to faile againe p. 51and againe, but Gods Name and his Sonnes Name reſted on, will never faile you: Leane on theſe, not by halves [in diſtreſſe,]1 Pet. 1. 13.1 Pet 1:13 but truſt perfectly (as the Apoſtle ſayes) on that mercy you heare is in God, upon that grace revealed: That is, throw, and caſt your whole ſoules, your whole weight upon it. he onelyonly hath perfect peace, Iſa. 26. 3.Isa 26:3whoſe minde is ſtaid on thee; Pſal. 61. 2.Ps 61:2have not halfe thy ſoule upon that rock which is higher then thee, but creep up, and get all upon it, and when all faile, renew thy faith on his Name. Thereon reſt, there die. To this purpoſe may that of Solomon ſerve, Prov. 18. 10. His Name (ſayes he) is a ſtrong Tower, and the righteous flye to it and are ſafe. Now what end is there, and uſe of a Tower in a City? but that when all outworkes are taken, the walls ſcaled, all fortifications forſaken, houſes left, then a Tower holds out laſt, and is a refuge to flye to. So alſo when the devill and Gods wrath beleaguers thee round, and encompaſſeth thy ſoul, and the comfort of every grace in thee is taken from thee, and thou art driven from, and art forced to forſake all other thy holds and grounds of comfort, then flye to the Name of the Lord, as thy City of refuge: as Heb. 6. 18. it is compared; Say, there is mercy in thee, Lord, and that is thy Name: and there is righteouſneſſe in thy Son, and that is his Name: and I am directed to truſt in thy Name in time of need: and here reſt and catch hold as on the hornes of the Altar, and if thou dyeſt, dye there.

p. 52Direction 8.

THe eighth direction is,To waite in the uſe of all meanes. to Waite upon God, thus truſting in his Name, in the conſtant uſe of all ordinances and meanes of comfort: Waiting is indeed but an act of faith further ſtretched out. As an Allegory is but a continued Metaphor, ſo waiting is but a continuing to beleeve on God, and to look for help from him, with ſubmiſſion, though hee ſtayes long ere he comes. Waiting is an act of faith reſting on God; and an act of hope expecting help from him; an act of patience, the minde quietly contenting it ſelfe till God doth come, and of ſubmiſſion if he ſhould not come. Therefore ſayes the Church being in this very caſe: It is good (ſayes ſhe) to hope, Lament. 3. 26.Lam 3:26and quietly to waite for the ſalvation of the Lord. It is good indeed to doe ſo; for God will afflict the leſſe, caſe you the ſooner, comfort you the more when he doth come; and in the meane while it makes you to poſſeſſe your ſoules, and to bee your ſelves, and upholds them: and to doe otherwiſe, to be impatient, and to give over looking for the Lord, as Abaz did, is the greateſt folly that can be; for as Iob ſayes Chap. 12. ver. 14. If hee ſhut up, there is no opening; all the world cannot let you out, he keepes the keyes of the dungeon, and you muſt ſtay his leiſure, and he ſtayes but for a fit time to let you out, Eſay 30. 18. Hee will waite to be grati… to you, for he is a God of judgement, a wiſe and judicious God, and knowes the fitteſt times and ſeaſons; and that he ſtayes ſo long, is not out of want of mercy, for he waits, and longs to be gracious; but p. 53he doth it out of Iudgement, and his wiſdome ſees not a fit time; he is grieved as well as you, that you are not yet fit for mercy, that his mercy would not yet be exalted if he ſhould ſhew it, till you further ſee your miſery; and therefore ſayes he, Bleſſed are all they that waite for him. And as he now waiteth but to be the more gracious to thee, ſo he did heretofore, a long while waite for thee, that thou ſhouldeſt begin to turne to him, and ſaid, When will it once be; Ier. 13. ult. Thou madeſt him ſtay thy leiſure in turning from thy ſinne, why may he not make thee ſtay his for the pardon of it? And indeed the eſcaping hell in the end is ſo great a mercy, that it is worth the waiting for all thy daies, though thou endure an hell here, and getteſt not a good looke till the very laſt gaſpe and moment of living; therefore put thy mouth in the duſt, Lament. 3 29.Lam 3:29and waite quietly, if there may be hope at laſt.

And waiting thus, goe on to uſe all the meanes of grace more diligently, more conſtantly, though thou findeſt a long while no good by them: omit no ordinance God hath appointed for thy comfort and recovery: As in a long ſickneſſe, you ſtill uſe meanes though many have failed, as the woman who had the bloody iſſue, ſpent all upon Phyſitians, in the uſe of meanes for her recovery. That trouble of minde doth onelyonly hurt you, that drives you from the meanes: that trouble of minde that drives you to the meanes can never hurt you. Therefore the devill endeavours nothing more then to keep ſuch ſoules from the word, from good company, from the Sacraments, from prayer, by objecting their unprofitablenes unto them, & that p. 54all is in vaine, and that you doe but increaſe your condemnation.

But firſt, if thou learneſt no other leſſon in the uſe of the meanes, but that thou art of thy ſelf moſt unprofitable; and that unleſſe God teacheth thee to profit, no good is done, and ſo learneſt to depend upon God in the ordinance; This is a great degree of profiting.

But ſecondly, as when men are ſick and eate, and caſt up againe, you uſe to ſay, yet take ſomething downe, for ſome ſtrength is gotten, ſomething remaines in the ſtomack which keepes life and ſoule together: So I ſay here, though thou ſhouldeſt forget in a maner all thou heareſt, ſeemeſt to reape no benefit by it: yet heare, for ſome ſecret ſtrength is gotten by it. And for encreaſing thy condemnation know, that utterly to neglect and deſpiſe the meanes is greater condemnation: and know that if thou ſhouldſt uſe them in a way of dependance, & obedience to God, it would leſſen thy condemnation. Therefore reade, pray, meditate, heare, conferre, receive the Sacraments, forbeare not theſe your appointed meales. Indeed when the body is ſick ye uſe to forbeare your appointed foode, but when the ſoule is ſick there is more need of them then ever. All theſe are both meate and medicine, foode, phyſick, cordials, and all. Uſe reading the word; The Scriptures were written for our conſolation, therefore reade them much: attend on preaching, for God creates the fruits of the lippes peace, Iſa. 57. So receive the Sacrament often, thoſe dayes are ſealing dayes; goe thou and confeſſe thy ſinnes, write over thy pardon, put in all thou knoweſt by p. 55thy ſelfe, bring it to Chriſt to ſet his ſeale to it.

OnelyOnly take this caution, that thou truſt not to the uſe of the meanes, but unto God in the meanes: To think, oh I ſhall have comfort by ſuch a man, or at ſuch a time, in ſuch an ordinance; this often daſheth all. So beleeve in God as if you uſed no means, and yet as diligently uſe the meanes, even as if your confidence were to be in them.

Direction 9.

To Pray; Pleas to be uſed to God in Prayer for recovery out of this condition.

ANd ninthly, above all things Pray, and get others alſo to pray for thee, for God often reſtores comfort unto ſuch, at the requeſt of Mourners for them, Iſa. 57. 18. But yet eſpecially be earneſt and fervent in pouring forth thy complaint thy ſelfe; for though the ſpeaking of friends may ſomewhat further thy ſuite, yet (as between two wooers, ſo) it muſt be wrought out betweene God and thee alone in private; and his good will muſt bee obtained by wooing him in ſecret. This counſell the Apoſtle gives you, James 5. 13. Is any man afflicted? let him pray. And becauſe of all afflictions elſe, this of darkneſſe in a mans ſpirit needeth praier the moſt: therefore David pens a Pſalme on purpoſe, not for his owne private uſe onelyonly, but for the benefit and uſe of all other in the like diſtreſſe; as by the title of it doth appeare. Pſal. 102. A prayer p. 56for the afflicted, when he it … and … out his complaint before the Lord. And this (ſayes David) is my conſtant practice when my ſoule …, I poure out my prayer unto thee: Pſal. 61. 3. And it was Chriſts alſo, for in his agony he prayed yet more earneſtly, Luke 22. 44.

When at any time therefore, thy ſinnes and Gods wrath meeting in thy conſcience, make thee deadly ſicke, as Iſay ſpeakes, then poure forth thy ſoul, lay open and confeſſe thy ſin; and as it will eaſe thee, (as vomiting uſeth to do) ſo alſo it will move God to pitty, and to give thee cordials, & comforts to reſtore thee againe. Thus David, Pſal. 38. ver. 18. being in great diſtreſſe, ver. 2, 3, 4, 5. I will declare mine iniquity, and be ſorry for my ſinne: and hee makes it an argument to God to pardon him, When his bones were broken, Pſal. 51. Cleanſe me from my ſin, ver. 2. for I acknowledge my tranſgreſsions, ver. 3. and when he had confeſſed, ver. 4, 5, 6. then hee cryes, Make me to heare of joy and gladneſſe, ver. 8. and reſtore unto me the joy of thy ſalvation, ver. 12. and what was the chiefe ingredient, the maine and principall motive, which wrought moſt kindly with him to confeſſe, and mourne, and brought up all? Againſt thee: thee onelyonly, he puts in twice, as much of the conſideration thereof, as of any other ingredient, to make his heart mourne: that chiefly if not onelyonly, melted, diſſolved him. And in theſe thy confeſſions, let the ſame alſo mainely worke with thee. Againſt thee, thee, have I ſinned, thus oft, thus grievouſly, thus preſumptuouſly, Againſt thee, a God ſo great, and yet withall ſo good, ſo kinde, ſo willing to receive and pardon, if my heart (ſay) p. 57were but as willing to turne unto thee; and when thy caſe is as Iobs was, Iob 10. 15, 16, 17. That thou art full of confuſion (as he ſpeaks there;) ſo full as thou thinkeſt thy heart could hold no more; and yet it encreaſeth (as it is there,) & he fills thee fuller yet; then doe thou poure out thy complaints to him, as he poures in confuſion into thee; and when he hunts thee, as Iob there complaines, like a fierce Lion, fall thou downe and humble thy ſelfe like a poore and ſilly Lambe; if thou dyeſt, dye at his feete, mourning, bleeding out thy ſoule in teares: and when he hunts thee up and downe, and purſues thee with blow after blow, follow thou hard after him where ever he goes,Pſal. 63. 8.Ps 63:8 with complaint after complaint: And when yet he leaves thee not, but again and again returns, (as ſome reade it) after ſome intermiſſion, and ſhewes himſelfe terrible to thee day after day, night after night, yet doe thou look in like manner againe and againe towards his holy Temple, Ionah 2. 4.Jonah 2:4as Ionah did: And when he begins to bring in new ſins, new inditements againſt thee, (as it is in the 16. verſe:) Thou reneweſt thy witneſſes: and when thou thoughteſt he had done with thee, hee fetcheth new rods forth, and enters into new quarrells, and reckonings long ſince paſt and forgotten, (as it is in the ſame verſe) Changes and warre are againſt me, viciſſitudes and armies of diſquietments; and when one army is overcome, new appeare in the field. Then fall thou down upon thy knees, and ſay as Iob at laſt doth;Iob 7. 20.Job 7:20 I have ſinned, I have ſinned, what ſhall I doe unto thee? what ſhall I do unto thee? oh thou preſerver (and not the deſtroyer) of men: theſe and theſe abominations I have done, and I p. 58cannot now undo them; & what ſhall I do to obtain thy favour? Alas, nothing that can ſatisfie him: onelyonly confeſſe thy ſinne, Lev. 26. 41.Lev 26:41accept thy puniſhment. Go and ſtrip thy ſelfe therefore, and with all ſubmiſſion preſent a naked back to him, and though every ſtroke fetcheth not blood onelyonly, but well nigh thy ſoule away, yet complaine thou not one whit of him; put thy mouth in the duſt, Lam. 3. 29, 30. Be ſtill, not a word; but only ſuch as whereby thou uttereſt thy complaints, and doeſt acknowledge thine own deſervedneſſe of ten thouſands times more. And ſay as Micah 7. 9. I will beare thine indignation patiently, for I have ſinned againſt thee: beare witneſſe ſtill to every ſtroke, that it is not onelyonly juſt, but alſo leſſe then thou haſt deſerved, Neh. 9. 13.Neh 9:13and that it is his mercy thou art not conſumed, Lament. 3.Lam 3and cut off by every blow: and the heavier hee layes on, ſtruggle thou not, he will let thee downe the ſooner: the higher he lifes up his hand to ſtrike, the lower let thy ſoule fall downe;1 Pet. 5. 6.1 Pet 5:6 Humble your ſelves under his mighty hand: And ſtill kiſſe the rod when hee hath done.Hoſea 14. 2.Hos 14:2 And then take up words of pleading for thy ſelfe; It is for thy life, deſiring him to remember what hee hath beene ever thinking of even from everlaſting, thoughts of peace, and mercy to us-ward, and the number of them cannot be told (as David ſayes Pſal. 40. 5.) which he hath been ever thinking of, and with the greateſt of delights, (as one that was in his beſome and was his councellor, his Son tells us, Prov. 8. 31.) and plead thou as David and other Saints of God have done: What are now become of all theſe thy thoughts of mercy?Iſay 63. 15.Isa 63:15 are they reſtrained? what,Pſal. 77. 9.Ps 77:9 are all now on the ſudden forgotten? p. 59laid aſide? which thou haſt been thinking on ſo long? haſt thou forgotten thine olde and ancient delights? aſke him if he hath forgotten his owne Name; to be gracious and abundant in kindneſſe, it is his Name. (Say,) did the very intent of ſhewing mercy ſo infinitely before-hand poſſeſſe thee with delights, and now when thou ſhouldeſt come to put it in execution, and haſt ſo faire an opportunity of doing it, to a ſoule as full of miſery (the object of mercy) as ever, haſt thou now no heart, no minde to it? And withall, (Say) that thou haſt notice given thee of an infinite and alſufficient righteouſneſſe in his Son, laid up in him, and that by his own procurement, whereof his Son never had, nor can have any need himſelfe, (being God bleſſed for ever) and for whom was it then appointed? but for the ſons of men; thoſe who are weary, wounded, ſick, broken, Heb. 9. 16.Heb 9:16loſt; theſe his Son hath put into his Will, who ſtill lives to be his own Executor. And ſay further alſo to him, that it is come to thine cares, that his Spirit is the Comforter; a God of comforts, and that his Son hath bought them all, his whole ſhop and all his cordialls,Iſay 61. 1, 2, 3.Isa 61:1Isa 61:2Isa 61:3 and all his ſkill, and is annointed with this Spirit on purpoſe to poure him forth into the hearts of thoſe that are wounded, and ſick, and broken: and the whole they have no need of them. If it bee ſaid unto thee; yea, but thou art moſt unworthy: Anſwer,Hoſea 14. 4.Hos 14:4 but he profeſſeth to love freely. If the greatneſſe of thy ſins bee objected againſt thee, pleade thou again,Pſal. 130. 7.Ps 130:7 that Plenteous redemption is with him; and if thou haſt not enough to pardon me, (ſay,) I am content to goe without. If that thou art ungodly, (Say) That thou beleeveſt on him that juſtifieth the ungodly. p. 60Rom. 4. 15.Rom 4:15If hee puts thee off (as Chriſt a while did the woman of Canaan) and ſayes he hath no need of thee▪ (ſay,) that thou haſt need of him, and canſt no longer live without him; for, In his favour is thy life, and that without it thou art undone. If he ſeemes to rebuke thee, that how dareſt thou preſſe thus to him who is the high and lofty One; a ſinfull man to him, whoſe Name is holy? (Say,) thou haſt heard himſelfe ſay; Thus faith that high and lofty One, whoſe Name is holy; that he dwells with him that is of a contrite ſpirit, to revive the ſpirit of the humble: Iſa. 57. 15. And bee further bold to tell him that there are but a few in the world that do ſeek him, and if he ſhould turne any away that doe, he would have fewer, for who would feare him, Pſal. 130. 4.Ps 130:4if there were not mercy in him, and plentenus redemption?

If ſtill he doth purſue thee, & his wrath lyes heavy on thee, aſk him what it is he aimes at? Is it to have the victory, and overcome when he judgeth; (as Rom. 3. 4. which David alſo knew when he humbled himſelf, Pſ. 51. 4.) Freely tell him that thou art willing to give it him, to yeeld to him, to ſtand out with him in nothing; but art content to ſubmit to his cō manding will in all things, & to his condemning will alſo, if ſo he pleaſeth; and that it ſhall be juſt (as David there acknowledgeth) if hee doth condemne thee: and juſtifie thou him, whilſt he is condemning thee; and ſay that at the latter day, he ſhall need no other judge againſt thee then thy ſelfe. Only beſeech him to conſider what honour it will be to him to purſue dry ſtubble, Iob 13. 25.Job 13:25& to break a poore dryed leafe, that crumbleth under his fingers if he doth but touch it; (as Iob pleads) to break a reed that is broken already.Mat. …2. 20.Matt 2:20

p. 61(Say,) thou art not a fit match for him, and he hath ſaid, He will not contend for ever, Iſa. 57. 19. eſpecially when he ſees any to lay downe the weapons, as thou art content to doe.

Or is it, (aſke him,) that he aimes to have glory out of thy eternall condemnation in hell? tell him it is true, he may; and that this is ſome comfort to thee that he may have glory out of thy death and deſtruction, who never yet had it out of thy life: but yet deſire him to conſider this before he thruſts his ſword into thee,Zach. 13. 7.Zech 13:7 that hee did firſt ſheath it in his Sonnes bowels; and that he may ſhew as much power in overcomming his wrath, as in venting of it; yea and have alſo greater glory thereby: for (plead that) thou art never able to ſatisfie him, though he ſhould throw thee downe to hell: he may caſt thee into priſon, but thou canſt never pay the debt: and what profit therefore will be in my blood:Pſal. 30. 9.Ps 30:9 and therefore if ſatisfaction to his juſtice be his end, he might better accept that which his Son made him, and ſo he ſhall be ſure to be no loſer by thee: and thereby not onelyonly receive the glory of his juſtice, but ſhew the riches of his grace and mercy alſo, and ſo double the revenew of his glory in thee.

Or is it (Lord) that thou aimeſt to have more obedience from me then heretofore thou haſt had? plead, that this is the way at preſent to diſable thee for ſervice, for that while thou ſuffereſt his terrors, thou art as one among the dead, liſtleſſe not to his buſineſſe onelyonly, but to all things elſe; Diſtracted with terrours, (as Heman pleads, Pſal. 88. 15.) ſo as the powers and forces of thy ſoule are ſcattered, and diſſolved, and cannot intend and attend upon their p. 62duty; and beſides this diſtraction in thy ſpirit, plead, that it conſumes thy ſtrength alſo, … (as David alſo often complaineth, and makes an argument of it, as Pſal. 39. 10, 11, 12, 13.) Remove thy ſtroke away from me, I am conſumed by the blow of thine hand: When thou rebukeſt man for ſinne, thou makeſt his beauty to conſume away as a …oth: Oh therefore ſpare me, that I may … ſtrength, before I goe hence and be no more ſeene. And withall, put him in minde, that if he ſhould go on thus to deale with thee, as thou ſhouldeſt not be able to doe him much ſervice, ſo nor to doe it long. For it will cut ſhort my dayes (Say) this David pleadeth, Pſal. 89. 46, 47. compared with the 39. Pſalme ver. 12.) How long Lord wilt thou hide thy ſelfe? for ever? Shall thy wrath burne like fire? remember how ſhort my time is. As if he ſhould have ſaid, I have but a little time here allotted me in the world, though none of it bee ſhortned,) And further tell him, that for that little time thou haſt to live, the more joy thou haſt, the more ſervice thou ſhalt be able for to doe him; and to goe about his worke more lively, and more ſtrongly: (For the joy of the Lord is our ſtrength: Nehem. 8. 10.) and more acceptably alſo,2 Cor. 9. 7.2 Cor 9:7 for thou loveſt a cheerefull giver. And therefore intreate him to reſtore thee to the joy of his ſalvation, ſo ſhalt thou bee able to do him more ſervice in a week, then in a year now, (long trouble of minde being as long ſickneſſes which make all thy performances weake) and it is for his diſadvantage to have his ſervants lye long ſicke upon his hands.

And if it bee objected againſt thee, that if thou p. 63ſhouldeſt bee truſted with much aſſurance, thou wouldeſt abuſe it, and turne it into wantonneſſe; Reply, that if he pleaſeth, he can prevent it, by preparing thy heart aforehand for theſe cordials, ſo as they ſhall worke moſt kindly on thee; by writing a law of love towards him in thy heart, which when his love ſhed abroad ſhall joyne with, will worke moſt ſtrongly; and one graine of it have more force to purge out ſinne, to conſtraine, and ſtrengthen to obedience, then a pound of terrors. And (ſay,) that though thou haſt indeed a ſtubborn and ſelfe-loving heart, yet he can make his loving kindneſſe overcome it,Cant. 8. 6.Song 8:6 for it is ſtronger then death: (ſay) thou haſt love in thee (which runs out enough to other things) if he would be pleaſed to winne it to himſelfe: Suggeſt how that that ſoule mentioned, Iſa. 57. had as ſtout and ſtubborne an heart as thou, and went on frowardly, notwithſtanding all thy terrours: and yet (oh Lord) thou tookeſt mother courſe with him, and didſt heale him againe, and that by comforts (I will heale him (ſayes God there,) and reſtore comforts to him, ver. 17, 18.) and that ſo if hee pleaſe, he may deale with thee.

And if light and mercy yet comes not, but ſtill God ſeemes as it were to caſt thee off; then call to minde if ever thou haſt had any true communion with him, and thereupon begin to challenge him: (ſo doth the Church Iſa. 63. 16. when in thy caſe, when his mercies were reſtrained to her, ſhe ſaies yet, Doubtleſſe thou art my father; ſhee ſaw God was angry, her heart hard, ver. 17. yet ſhee thought ſhee ſhould know him: Doubtleſſe he is my Father, and where is thy zeale, the ſounding of thy bowels? ſo) p. 64challenge him thou, upon that old acquaintance thou haſt had and held with him in former times: (Say,) Doubtleſſe thou art my farther and my husband, how ſtrange ſoever thou carieſt thy ſelfe now towards me: for doſt thou not remember what hath been betweene mee and thee in prayer, in ſuch a chamber, at ſuch a time? Haſt thou never a piece of a broken ring betweene him and thee, no love paſſage, no love-token, that could not paſſe betweene him & any, whom he had not betrothed himſelf unto in kindneſſe? Hoſea 2. 19.Hos 2:19produce it at ſuch a time as this. And if thou ſhouldeſt diſcerne no grace in thee thy ſelf, yet deſire him to look into thy heart; & be bold to enquire of him, if he can ſee nothing there which himſelfe wrote, never to be blotted out, if there be not ſome ſpark of love to him, and his feare, which himſelfe put there; and aſke him if hee knowes his owne hand. And for thy comfort know, that when thou canſt not reade it, (thy graces being much blurred) yet hee can reade his owne hand at any time, and will not deny it.

Thou maiſt be yet bolder. Yea deſire him to look into his own heart, and therein to view the Idea he had of thee, & thoſe ſecret ancient thoughts he bore towards thee, frō all eternity. And if at firſt he ſeems yet ſilent at it; then deſire him to look upon thee again, & aſk him if he doth not know thee, and if he hath not knowne and taken thee for his from everlaſting, and engraven thee in the palmes of his hands, and table of his heart, with ſuch deep and laſting letters of loving kindneſſe, as are not as yet, yea which will not for ever bee blotted out. (Tell him) thou dareſt referre thy ſelfe wholly to p. 65what paſt between him and his Sonne concerning thee, and let his owne heart caſt it. Appeale to Chriſt as thy ſurety and a witneſſe thereof for thee, who was privy to all his counſell, whether thou art not one of thoſe he gave unto him with a charge to redeem and ſave. And deſire him to look into Chriſts heart alſo, if thy name bee not written there with his own hand; and if that Chriſt did not beare thy name written up in his heart (as the high Prieſt did the names of all the Tribes,) when he hung upon the Croſſe, and when he aſcended into the Holy of holies. Thus Habakkuk putting up a prayer in the name of the Church, hath taught us to plead, Hab. 1. 12. Oh Lord, Art not thou from everlaſting my God, and mine holy One? It was a bold queſtion, yet God diſlikes it not, but approves it, and preſently aſſents to it in a gracious anſwer to their hearts ere they went any further: for their next words, and thoſe abruptly ſpoken, by reaſon of a ſuddain anſwer, are an aſſurance of this, Wee ſhall not die. God being put thus to it, and his own thoughts being ſpoken, could not deny it; he acknowledgeth it was true. And thus whileſt thou maiſt bee a ſpeaking blindfold as it were, caſting anchor in the dark, yet ſpeaking his very heart, he haply may owne thee, and fall upon thy neck and kiſſe thee.

And if yet after continuall praying thus, thou findeſt ſtill no comfort, no anſwer from him, but hee ſeemes rather even to ſhut thy very prayers out, (as Pſal. 22. 2, 3.) then expoſtulate (as David doth Pſal. 70. 4.) Why ſhutteſt thou out our prayers, and wilt not heare us pray? for alas (thought he) we have nothing elſe to helpe us in the time of need but p. 66prayer. And if prayer will doe no good, I am undone, ſay.

And if through all theſe diſcouragements, thy condition prove worſe and worſe, ſo as thou canſt not pray; but art ſtruck dumb when thou commeſt into his preſence; (as David Pſal. 77. 4. I am ſo troubled I cannot ſpeake:) then fall a making ſignes, when thou canſt not ſpeake; groane, ſigh, ſob, Chatter as Hezekiah did, bemoane thy ſelfe for thine owne unworthineſſe; and deſire Chriſt to ſpeak thy requeſts for thee, and God to heare him for thee.1 Iohn 2. 3.1 John 2:3 Chriſt he is an advocate with the Father, and pleads no bad caſe, nor was ever caſt in any ſuit he pleaded.

And if ſtill (haply) after many yeares he ownes thee not, but is growes darker and darker, ſuppoſe even till thy death approacheth, or to ſuch extremities that he ſeems to thee, to caſt thee off for ever, ſo as thy diſtreſſe boils up to ſuch thoughts as theſe, That there is no other remedy, but thou & he muſt part: then in the middeſt and depths of ſuch ſad feares and apprehenſions, downe upon thy knees once more: and notwithſtanding fall thou a bleſſing him for all thoſe glorious excellencies of holineſſe, kindneſſe, grace, wiſdome, &c. which are in him, the beauty of which firſt tooke thy heart and made thee enamoured with him; though thou ſhouldeſt bee never like to bee the better for them. Bleſſe him for all the mercy hee ſhews to others, by which they have occaſion to magnifie him, though thou ſhouldeſt be found unworthy: Bleſſe him, and thoſe who ſhall for ever live with him, who doe ſtand about him, and ſee his face, p. 67and enjoy him ever. What ſinnes thou thinkeſt thou ſhalt be condemned for by him, condemne thy ſelfe for firſt, and ſtill aſk forgiveneſſe of them: what ſervice thou haſt any way done him, which he had any glory by, get thy heart to ſay thou repenteſt not of it, but art glad of all done for him, and wiſheſt it had been better. What mercies thou haſt taſted of, from him, confeſſe thy ſelfe unworthy of, and thanke him though thou ſhouldeſt never partake of any more; (ſuch diſpoſitions as theſe in ſuch extremities doe often appeare in the hearts of Gods children) and deſire him that hee would but preſerve good thoughts of him in thee, that thou maiſt not blaſpheme him. And when thou art agoing, aſinking into hell in thy owne apprehenſions, ſee if hee calls thee not back againe.

See what himſelfe ſaith, Ier. 31. 18, 19, 20. Ephraim is my ſonne, his deare ſonne, my pleaſant ſonne (as hee ſayes there) and yet hee beganne to ſpeake againſt him, as bitter ſharpe words as ever hee hath done againſt thee, and tooke him up ſeverely, and lookt ſternly on him, as if he had meant never to have had mercy on him: upon which Ephraim falls a crying being thus ſnibd, and a bemoaning himſelfe, as I have taught thee to doe, and being yoked as thou art, to tame him; he acknowledgeth it was juſtly done, having beene a bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoke; and Ephraim began to be aſhamed, confounded, not able to looke up, for ſinning againſt him, and ſeekes after repentance, and that from him, without whoſe help hee was not able to turne to him, Turne thou me, and I ſhall be turned: and to challenge him and his eternall love, Thou art p. 68the Lord my God. Well ſayes God, though it bee long ſince I ſpake againſt him, and I have ſuffered him long to lie thus plunged in miſery, yet I remember him ſtill; his teares, his ſighes will never out of my minde; and though he thinks that I had forgotten him, yet I remember him, and my bowels are troubled for him, as much and more then hee is for himſelfe; and I can forbeare no longer, I will ſurely have mercy on him. And ſhould he have damned him, his bowels would have been troubled for him indeed, all his dayes.

Direction 10.

THe tenth and laſt direction is,Reſt not in eaſe, but healing. that having done all this, you would not reſt in eaſe, but healing: not in eaſe of conſcience, but in healing of conſcience. This I ground upon, Iſa. 57. 17, 18. What was the true iſſue of that his trouble there, whom God contended with? It was healing and guiding. I will guide him, and I will heale him.

You that are troubled in minde, thinke not your eſtates to bee good, ſimply becauſe you begin to ceaſe to be troubled, but onelyonly then when the iſſue of your trouble is healing your ſpirits, by ſome ſound ground of comfort; and when guidance in Gods wayes, and more cloſe walking with God is the iſſue of it. For God may ſlack the cords and take you off the rack, when yet hee hath not pardoned you. A traitour who was caſt into the dungeon, and had many irons on him, may be let out of the dungeon, and have his irons taken off, and have the liberty of the Tower, and walke abroad p. 69againe, with his keeper with him, and yet not have his pardon: nay uſually before execution they uſe to take their irons off, and let them have more freedome. Thus it is with many. I thanke God (ſayes one) I have had much trouble of minde, diſtreſſe of conſcience, ſuch and ſuch ſinnes terrified me, and I could not ſleep for them: but now I am well again, and now they do not trouble me. Yea, but is this all? Thou haſt cauſe to feare that thy irons are but taken off againſt execution. It is with men in point of trouble of minde in the guilt of ſinne, as in the power of it; in juſtification, as in ſanctification: A man who hath had a ſtrong luſt ſtirring in him, if he hath gone a yeare or two, and findeth it not to ſtirre, he therefore thinkes hee is utterly freed from it, which yet may be but a reſtraint of it, not killing of it; a ceſſation, not mortification: So it is often in this trouble of minde, which ariſeth from the guilt of ſinne, becauſe a man findes not thoſe doubts, and feares, and terrours in his heart which he had wont, therefore preſently he thinkes all is well: when as it may be but meerly a truce, not a peace; a laying downe of armes onelyonly for a while, to make greater preparation againſt the ſoule afterwards; a reprivall and a little enlargement in priſon, not a pardon, if this be all the iſſue of it.

That you may further conceive the meaning of this, in one that is Gods child, and in a wicked man (though both may be, and are troubled in minde and conſcience, yet) there is a maine difference, both in the maine cauſe of their trouble, and alſo in the iſſue and removall of their trouble. A wicked p. 70mans trouble is for the anguiſh and preſent ſmart he feeles in ſinne, and in Gods wrath laſhing his conſcience, and out of feares that his ſinne will not be pardoned, but that he ſhal endure theſe tortures for ever in hell: So it was in Iudas, Cain, and many others: but a godly mans trouble (though it hath often all this in it, yet the chiefeſt of his trouble is a further thing) it is not onelyonly the ſmart, the ſting of ſinne; but alſo the filth, the fowlneſſe, the offence of it done to God, that wounds him: for he hath an heart after Gods heart, and therefore lookes on ſin with the ſame kinde of eye that God doth; and as God accounts the offence done to him the greateſt evill in ſinne, ſo doth a godly heart alſo. It is not the ſting of this ſerpent only, but the poiſon of it that diſquiets him; neither is it onelyonly the want of pardon of ſinne, and the feare of Gods everlaſting wrath which mainly troubleth him, but the want of Gods favour, the parting with him, whom he ſees ſo excellent and glorious; the want of ſeeing his face, his deſire is to live in his ſight, and to have God to be his God. Now ſuch as the woūd is, ſuch alſo is the remedy. Therfore the one being but troubled with the ſting, the ſmart of ſin; pull but that ſting out, take that loade off, and he is well enough, as jocund, as pleaſant as ever: it being preſent eaſe that he ſeekes, and to that end confeſſeth his ſinne, and doth any thing for the preſent to come out of it; As Pharaoh, Exod. 10. 17. Take away this death onelyonly: or at the utmoſt, his aime is but pardon of ſinne, and peace with God, that hee may be freed from the feares of undergoing that for ever, the earneſt whereof he feeles in his conſcience p. 71now. And hence therfore the remedies they often have recourſe unto are ſuitable; they are but like rattles to ſtill childrē with: they run to merry company, and to muſick, &c. as Cain fell a building Cities; and ſo they put off the terrours of their conſciences. It is eaſe they ſeeke and no more: or they runne to a formall performance of duties: even as poore ſoules under Popery, when they were ſtung by the Friars Sermons, they ſet them penances and good deeds to be done, which ſtilled them awhile, & for them they thought they ſhould have pardon: So men run now to holy duties, but with the ſame opinion that they did then, as bribes for a pardon, what ſhall I give (ſayes he in Micah) for the ſinne of my ſoule?Micah 6. 7.Mic 6:7

But now the wound of Gods childe being deeper, not the ſting of ſinne onelyonly, but the poiſon of it; not the ſmart, but the offence done to God; nor the feare of his wrath, but want of his favour: therfore accordingly eaſe from thoſe terrours pacifie not him; no not ſimply peace with God will content him, or a pardon. He ſayes not onelyonly, Oh miſerable man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this death onelyonly; but, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death. If newes were brought him that God would pardon him, and not call him to reckoning for any ſinne, and no more were ſpoken to his conſcience, he would ſtill be troubled, till hee had aſſurance of his good will alſo: if it were ſaid, God will indeed pardon thee, but he will never love thee as hee did, he will not looke on thee, thou muſt not come into his ſight: This would grieve the ſoule more then the other would content it, and he would be p. 72everlaſtingly troubled. I may allude to that which Abſolom ſaid in cōplement of his Father, when he was baniſhed from him, to expreſſe the true deſire & greateſt trouble of a ſoul in this caſe, as you have it 2 Sam. 14. 32. Abſolom was pardoned the fault, but it contented him not: Let mee ſee his face, or let him kill me: So it is with a poore ſoule; eaſe, pardon, knocking off his bolts content him not, till he enjoyes communion with God, till he ſees his face in his ordinances: Pſal. 24. 6. This is the generation of them that ſeek him, that ſeek thy face. (that is) this is the marke, the genius, the diſpoſition of that generation. This you may ſee in David, when his conſcience was wounded for that great ſinne; what was it troubled him? Not the want of pardon of ſin, for the Prophet told him God had pardoned him; not the meere ſtings of conſcience, and ach of his broken bones, but that againſt thee, thee, have I ſinned, ſo as eaſe could not ſatisfie him; but further ver. 10. Create in me a cleane ſpirit, which hee ſpeakes becauſe he having chewed the cud of that unclean act, it had left a ſoile in his fancy: and renew a right ſpirit within me; oh give me grace and truth of heart to thee, and oh let mee live in thy preſence, and ſee thee, and have acquaintance with thee, ver. 11. the want of this was it that troubled him, which till he had obtained, he could never be at quiet: for hee ſought not eaſe, or pardon onelyonly, but healing of his conſcience by the favour of God, and his love ſhed abroad. So as take heed of reſting in eaſe, (as if your hearts be right you will not, you will waite till the Sunne of righteouſneſſe ariſe with healing in his wings,)Mal. 4. 2.Mal 4:2 Are you now in darkneſſe, full of terrours and Gods p. 73wrath? you will not reſt till that darkneſſe be diſpelled by the ariſing of the light of the Sun of righteouſneſſe on you, and revealing Gods face in the face of Ieſus Chriſt, till his righteouſneſſe be conveyed to your hearts by ſome of his wings, by ſome promiſe, by ſome ordinance of his; for the wound being the unrighteouſnes of ſin, nothing but Chriſts righteouſnes will heal it: the wound being the want of Gods favour, and of the evidence of his being your God, the want of his face and good will, nothing but the revealing and ariſing of this in your hearts will heale you: for looke what the wound is, ſuch is the plaiſter: and indeed this onelyonly heales; for though by other meanes the ſore may be skinned over, and eaſe gotten; yet it will break … againe. So Iſa. 57. 17, 18. I will heale him, and how? by reſtoring comforts to him. Reſtore to mee the joy of thy ſalvation, ſayes David, that the bones that thou haſt broken may rejoyce: and how heals he him? I create of the fruit of the lips, peace. Hee doth it by ſome promiſe or other: if the want of the ſenſe of communion with God, and abſence from him diſquiets a man, then the heart reſts not till it hath found its Welbeloved, Cant. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If doubts that no grace is in the heart, then the heart reſts not till ſome grace in truth be evidenced, and ſome ſuch promiſe made to ſome grace brought home: ſtill look what the trouble is, ſuch alſo muſt the plaiſter be, and then it is healing. Wert ever in the Dungeon? what was it freed thee? was it p. 74Chriſts righteouſneſſe laid hold on, Gods face revealed, thine owne grace with ſome promiſe brought home to thy heart, that came with a commiſſion to deliver thee? then it is right; otherwiſe thy bolts may be knockt off, and this but againſt thy execution.