Comforting Afflicted Consciences, Text (8 of 11)

Comforting Afflicted Consciences · Text (8 of 11)

p. 35912. That pretious Parable, Luk. 15. wherein all those Sicuti in adolescente decoctore depinxit Lucas imaginem primùm peccatoris luxu perditi, deindè peccatoris resipiscentis: ita nunc in parente eius imaginem immensae clementiae & misericordiae Dei exprimit. Brentius in loc.loving passages of the Father unto his prodigall Son; to wit, His beholding him, when hee was yet a great way off; his compassion, running towards him, falling upon his necke, kissing him, putting on him the best Robe, and the Ring, killing the fatted Calfe, &c. doe shadow that immeasurable, incomprehensible love of God the Father to every one, that is willing to come out of the Divels cursed service, into the good way. But come as farre ooNon comparatur Deus homini simplicitèr: sed ut intelligamus centuplo maiorem esse b… nitatem Dei erga nor, & misericordiam. Non igitur dubium est, simulatque poenitentiá tacti sumus, quin Deus in gratiam suam recipiat. Non dubium est, quin sub hac imagine immensa Dei bonitas, & incomparabilis indulgentia nobis pingatur▪ ne ulla scelèrumatrocitas à spe impetrandae veniae nos deterreat. Calv.short of expressing it to the life, as the infinite greatnesse of Almighty God, surpasseth the finite frailty of a weake man, and worme of the earth.

2. In a second place, Let us take a view of some of those most delicious, and sweetest streames of dearest comfort, which spring abundantly out of that fruitfull Fountaine of compassion and love, Psal. 103.13. Like as a Father pittieth his Children: so the Lord pittieth them that feare him. See also, Deut…r. 8.5. Malac. 3.17.

Hence may wee draw refreshing enough to our thirstie soules, in many passages of heavy thoughts, and grievous complaints about our spirituall state.

1. In the distempers and damps of prayer, thus:

Suppose the dearest Sonne of the loving'st Father to lie grievously sicke; and out of the extremity of angvish, to cry out and complaine unto him, that hee is so full of paine in every part, that hee knowes not which way to turne himselfe, or what to doe; and thereupon intreats him of all loves, to touch him tenderly, to lay p. 360him softly, to mollifie all hee may his painefull misery, and give him ease. How ready, thinke you, would such a father bee, with all tendernesse and care, to put to his helping hand, in such a ruefull case! But yet if hee should grow sicker, and weaker, so that hee could not speake at all; but onelyonly looke his Father in the face with watery eies; and moane himselfe unto him with sighes and groanes, and other dumbe expressions of his increased paine, and desire to speake: Would not this yet strike deeper into the Fathers tender heart; pierce and melt it with more feeling pangs of compassion; and make his bowells yerne within him▪ with an addition of extraordinary dearenesse, and care to doe him good? Even just so will thy heavenly Father bee affected, and deale with thee in hearing, helping, and shewing mercy; when all thy strength of praier is gone, but onelyonly **Eò se redactum dicit Ez… …as, …t vocem art…latam edere non posset, sed consuso quodam modo s…epere, ut i…q…t …nimam fere exhal…nt. Hunc tamen obs…ri… vo…s so…um à Deo … exa… … …ertum est: tame… …sensus omne… no sir… dolore… c…pat… sint, & prae m…stit…a si…t prae… s… …ces, Dominus …amen con…a nosira praecedet & piasusp… ex…t. In… pl…s essi…ent qu…m e… pre…sae, … d…rtae voces, …o…ò Spiritus adsit, qui excitet in nobis gemitus illos inenarrabiles, de…qu… … Paulus 8. ad. Roman, At nemo piorum est, qui non experiatur, ubi maior aliqua … const…git, se inter orandu vel halbutire vel propemodium obmutescere. Calv. in captr. 38. Isai. Homo interior, in quo c…pit habitare Christus per fidem, voce suâ, non … affectu cordis cla…at ad dominum. Non vbi bo…o audit, ibi Deus … onum, & laterum & linguae clames, homo te non audit. Cogitatio tua, …. August. in Psal. 141. Plerumque hoc negotium pl…gemitibus, …, plus fletu, quàm affatu. Idem. Epist. 121. Valentiores voces apud … Pet non faciunt verba nostra, sed desideria? Aeternam etenim vitam si o…e… imus, nec…amen corde desideramus, clamantes tacemus. Si verò desideramus excorde, tiam cum ore conticescimus, tacentes clamantus. Gregor. in 31. cap. Iob, cap. 13.Ps 141groanes and sighes. Nay, with incomparably more affectionatenesse For looke how farre God is higher then Man in Majestie, and greatnesse, which is by an infinite distance and disproportion; so far doth he passe him in tender-heartednesse and love. See Isai. 55. 8.9.

Or be it so, That thou art able to speak unto God, and in some measure to utter thy mind; yet in thy conceit, it is so weakly, coldly, and confusedly, that thou thinkes; As well never a whit, as never the better, &c. Take notice here; that Gods Child is able, First, sometimes to poure out his soule unto his God with life and power: p. 361Secondly, sometimes to say something, but with much coldnesse, deadnesse of heart, and distractednesse (as he aaThe most righteous persons, are their own greatest accusers. Greenh. p. 133. Edit 3.complaines), without his woonted feeling, and freedome of spirit: Thirdly, At other times, he can say just nothing, but groane, and sigh, and only desire hee could pray. For this last, looke upon the last passage. For the second; to wit, when the Christian is troubled, that hee can say something, and speake words unto God; yet it is without that order, efficacy, fit phrase and comming-off so comfortably, as he thinks is to bee found in other Professours, &c. I say, in this Case, consider, that as a Father is more delighted with the stammering & stuttering, as it were; with the in-articulate, and imperfect talke of his owne little Childe, when it first begins to speake; then with the exactest eloquence of the most famous Oratour upon earth: so bbVideas quantoperè placeat Deo, vel pauxillum sidei, & quantoperè delectetur precibus ex quantulacunque fide prosectis, etiamsi coniunctam habeant multiplicem imperfectionem. Videmus vulgò parentes magis delectari balbutienti infantiâ infantium, quàm universâ eloquentiâ hominum eloquentissimorum. Nos omnes quod ad coelestia attinet, insantes sumus, & ut in…antes sentimus, ut infantes loquimur. Pater autem noster coelestis magis oblectatur ruditate, ac infantiâ nostrâ, qui sumus eius …ilij, &c. Rolloc. in Iohan. cap. 4.assuredly, our heavenly Father is infinitely better pleased with the broken, interrupted passages, and periods of prayer in an upright heart, heartily grieved, that hee can doe no better, nor offer up a more lively, hearty, and orderly sacrifice; then with the excellently-composed, fine-phrased and most methodicall petitions of the learned'st Pharisee. Nay, his soule extremely loathes the one, and graciously accepts the other in Iesus Christ. As concerning the complaint of coldnesse; bee assured, that tho thy prayers proceede out of thy mouth, faint and feeble, cold and uncomfortable; yet springing from a syncere heart, purified by Faith, truly humbled under Gods mighty hand for sinne; seconded with groanes and griefe, with an holy anger, and selfe-indignation, that they be not more fervent and piercing, and offered in obedience unto God; are most certainely, as it were, by the way fortified, and enlived with the pacifying perfections, and intercessory spirit of Iesus Christ; sweetly perfumed with the precious Odours of his fresh-bleeding Merits, and blessed Mediation; so that they strike the eares of the Almighty with farre greater p. 362strength, and irresistable importunity, then is ordinarily imagined: And are as sweet-smelling sacrifices in his nostrils; The very sight of whose crucified Sonne at his right hand tendering the suite, can calme his most angry countenance; and convert by a sacred meritorious attonement, his displeasures and wrath, into compassions and peace. Now blessed bee God, that the weake prayers, and broken sighes of tempted and troubled spirits, have this happy promise and prerogative: That before they presse, as it were, into the presence of God the Father, they are mingled in the meane time, with the soveraigne and satisfactory incense in the golden censer; whence evaporating out of the Angels hand, (I meane the Angel of the Covenant, for so the truest Interpreters understand the place) they ascend into the sight of our gracious Father, incorporated and enwoven, as it were, into that pretious and pleasing fume: And that it pleaseth the blessed Spirit, in the needefull time of spirituall extremities, to draw the petitions of our sometimes speechlesse, heavy and distracted hearts: Iesus Christ, the great Angell of the Covenant, to perfect, perfume and present them: Hee that by an excellency, and title of highest honour, is stiled the Hearer of praiers, to receive them into his mercifull hand, and bosome of compassionate acceptation! Goe on then poore soule; Thou that sorely …roopes under the sensible waight of thy manifold weakenesses, and unworthinesse this way; and thereupon sometimes sinfully drawes back, with some thoughts of giving-over quite; which is that, the Divel desires, and would utterly undoe thee forever; presse forward in the name of Christ unto the Throne of Grace, with a lighter heart, then thou art wont. Shall the Lord Iesus call and cry for a Pardon for those, who put him to death; who were so farre from seeking unto him, that like so may Evening Wolves, they sought and suckt his blood? and will hee shut his eares, thinkes thou, from thy complaints and p. 363groanes, who values one drop of his blood to quench thy spirituall thirst, at an higher price, then the worth of many Worlds? Comfort thy selfe invincibly: It cannot bee.

2. In the faintnesse of Faith, and want of feeling.

Thou beholdest sometimes, a Father holding a little Childe in his armes: now whether, dost thou thinke, is the Child safe by it's owne, or by the Fathers hold? It claspes about the Father with it's little weake hands, as well as it can; but the strength of it's safety, is in the Fathers arme. Nay and the Father holds the faster, when at any time hee perceives the Child to have left it's hold. Thou art ccNos à Christo separari non possumus semel illi vere insiti. Est autem coniunctio haec spiritualis. Spiritualem dico, quīa spirituali modo fit, per vincula nimirùm spiritualia, non per nervos & ligamenta, per quae fit coniunctio ista corporalis: sed per Spiritum & fidem. Christus prior dimittit è coelo spiritum suum sanctum ad nos: Nos deinde vicissim fidem nostram ipsius Spiritu excitatam, adeum sursum versus mittimus. Dico per Spiritum simul & fidem: quia coniunctio haec oportet sit mutua, nósque vicissim eum amplectamur. Rolloc. in Iohan. cap. 15.tied, as it were, unto Christ by a double bond: first, of the Spirit, and secondly, of Faith. Thou layest hold on Christ by Faith; and hee holds thee by his Spirit. Now thy Infant, Faith, or after some good standing in Christianity, weakened and sorely wounded in thy present feeling, hath lost it's hold-fast: And therefore thou thinkes, all is gone; and walkes dejectedly, and uncomfortably, as tho not any promise in Gods Booke, or drop of Christs Blood were thine, &c. But assure thy selfe, being sound at the heart roote, and walking in the light, as God is in the light, thy heavenly Father in this Case ddIam cognito eo, quòd Iesus Christus idem Deus sit, deinde sentimus nos teneri eius manu, sentimus nos pariter apprehendi manu patris, ac Dei. Cumautem sentimus nos prehendi manu patris, ac Dei, tum quidem videmur nobis firmi esse, & extra omne periculum positi, etiam mediâ morte. —Nota fundamentum, in quo f…ndata est vita aeterna; est autem manus illa Dei apprehendens nos; non…tam manus nostra apprehendens Deum, quàm Dei manus apprehendens nos. Idem. Ibid. cap. 10.holds thee so fast by his Spirit; that no Man or Divell, not all the powers of darkenesse or gates of hell, can possibly plucke thee out of his hand. Nay, the excellency of his power is most gloriously improoved, and made more illustrious in thy greatest extremities, and extremest spirituall weakenesse. And hee holds it his highest honour, to hold thee the fastest, p. 364when thy hold is gone. Heere then and upon this ground, thou hast a Calling; and ma…st comfortably, for hee is ever most loving and tender hearted, in times of temptation, to all that are true of heart, exercise that most excellent act of faith; To beleeve without feeling. To beleeve, when the face of God doth shine upon thee with sensible refreshing, and when thou enjoyest plentifull, and pregnant proofes of his favour, is no great matter, no such maistery. But then to beleeue, when all sense of Gods love is gone, and the light of his countenance hid from thee; when all goe quite crosse and contrary in the apprehension of carnall reason; then is the highest praise; this is the perfection of faith. The very dull, senselesse and soulelesse earth, upon which wee tread, may teach us to rest and depend upon God in such a Case. It is a mighty, and massy body, planted in the middest of the thinne aire; and hangs upon just nothing in the world, but only upon Gods Word; By that alone it is there established unmooveably, keepes his place most steadily, never stirs an ynch from it. It hath no props or pillars to uphold it: no barres or beames to fasten it; nothing to stay and support it, but the bare Word of God alone. Hee upholdeth all things by the Word of his power, saith the Apostle, Heb. 1.3. And yet not all the creatures in the world can shake it, or make it tremble. Bee it so then, that thy Faith hath lost it's hold-fast; that for the present, thou findest no feeling; no encouragements of joy, and peace in beleeving; no sensible pawnes, and pledges of Gods wonted favour, &c. Yet for all this, cast thy selfe upon the sure Word of that mighty God, who hath established all the ends of the earth; and reared such a great and goodly building, where there was no foundation: and questionlesse, thou shalt bee more then infinitely, everlastingly safe, and setled like mount Zion, which cannot bee removed, but abideth for ever.

3. In failings of new-obedience.

p. 365Thou puts thy sonne into imploiment, sets him about thy businesses; He improves the utmost of his skil, strength and indeavour, to doe thee the best service hee can, and please thee, if it were possible, to perfection: But yet comes short of what thou desires, and failes in many particulars; and therefore he weepes and takes-on; and is much troubled that hee can give no better contentment. Now tell mee, thou, whose heart is warmed with the tendernesse of a Fathers affection, whether thou wouldest not bee most ready, and willing to pardon and passe-by all defects and failings in this kinde? Nay I know thou wouldest rejoyce, and blesse God, that hee had given thee a Child so obedient, willing and affectionate. Proportionably, thy heavenly Father sets thee on worke, To beleeve, repent, pray, read the Scriptures, heare the Word, conferre, meditate, love the Brethren, sanctifie his Sabbaths, humble thy selfe in daies of fasting and praier, poure out thy soule, day and night (as the times require) in compassion, fellow-feeling, and strong cries for the Afflictions of Ioseph; the destruction of the Churches and those Bretheren of thine, which have so long laine in blood and teares; to bee industrious and serious in all workes of justice, mercy, & truth, &c. And thou goest about these blessed businesses, with an upright heart, and in obedience unto God; but the several performances comes far short of what his Word requires, and thy heart desires; and thereupon thou mournes and grieves, and afflicts thy soule in secret, because thou canst not come-off with more power and life; nor bring that glory unto God in thy Christian walking, which so many mercies, meanes, and such a ministery may exact at thy hands. In this case now of these involuntary failings, and humble disposition of thy heart, therefore bee most assured, thy All-sufficient Father will spare thee, Mal. 3.17.Mal 3:17as a man spareth his owne sonne, that serveth him. Nay, and with so much more kindnesse and love;Isai. 55.9.Isa 55:9 as the heavens are higher then p. 366the earth, and God greater then man.

4. In case of a spirituall Desertion.

A Father solacing himselfe with his little Child, and delighting in it's pretty, and pleasing behaviour, is woont sometimes to step aside into a corner, or behind a dore, upon purpose to quicken yet more, it's love, and longing after him, and try the impatiency and eagernesse of it's affection. In the meane time, hee heares it cry, run about, and call upon him; and yet hee stirres not, but forbeares to appeare; not for want of compassion and kindnesse, which the more it takes-on, the more abounds; but, that it may dearelier prize the Fathers presence; that they may meete more merrily, and rejoyce in the enjoyment of each other more heartily. Conceive then, and consider to thine owne exceeding comfort, that thy heavenly Father deales just so with thee in a spiritual desertion. He sometimes hides his face from thee, and withdrawes his quickning, and refreshing presence for a time, not for eeDeus bonos non negligit cum negligit. Nec obliviscitur, sed quasi obliviscitur. Ruff. in Psal. Non deserit etiam si des…rat, in Psal. 90. Abscondit se sponsus cum quaeritur, ut non inventus ardentiùs quaeratur: & differtur quaerens sponsa, ne inveniat: ut tarditate suâ capacior reddita, multipliciùs quandoquè inveniat, quod quaerebat. Greg. Mor. lib. in 5. cap. 4. Non est reversus Sponsus ad vocem, & votum revocantis. Quare? ut desiderium crescat, ut probetur affectus, ut exerceatur amoris negotium. Sanè ergò dissimulatio est, non indignatio. Bern. in Caut. Serm 75. Non deserit, ut descratur. Simon. Cass. in Evang. lib. 8. cap. 37. Deserit potius, ne descratur. Ideo videtur deserere, quia non vult deseri. Hos. 14 4. Ier 31.3. Ioh. 17.26. Nam dilectio quâ nos persequitur Deus, propriè loquendo, non alia est quàm quâ filium suum ab initi… dilexit, ut in eo nos quoque gratos sibi & …mabiles redderet. Calv. in Loc. Ioh. 15.9. Significat non vulgarem dilectionem suam erga ipsos, neque plan… talem, qualis esse solet dilectio à creaturâ promanans, sed talem esse, qualis est creatoris ipsius, & Dei ancor. — Hoc est infinitus, & incomprehensibilis, cuius longitudinem, latitudinem, profunditatem & altitudinem, …emo potest comprehendere, et qui superat omnem cognitionem. Rolloc. in loc.Ps 90Hos 14:4Jer 31John 15:9want of louelove, for hee loves thee freely; He loves thee with an everlasting love; hee loves thee with the very same love, with which He loves Iesus Christ; And that deare Son of his, loves thee with the same love, his Father loves him: But to put more heate and life into thine affections towards him, and heavenly things; To cause thee to relish communion with Iesus Christ, when thou enjoyest it, more sweetely; to preserve it more carefully; to joy in it p. 367more thankefully; and to shunne more watchfully, whatsoever might rob thee of it: To stirre up all the powers of thy soule, and all the graces of God in thee; to seeke his face and favour againe with more extraordinary, and universall seriousnesse, and industry: For we finde with pleasure, possesse with singular contentment, and keepe with speciall care, what we have sought with paine. Wee may see this in the Spouse: Cantic. 3.1, &c. under the pressure of a grievous Desertion: Ponder every particular. By night on my bed I sought him, whom my soule loveth; I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and goe about the Citty in the streetes, and in the broad wayes; I will seeke him whom my soule loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. The Watchmen that goe about the city, found mee: to whom I said; Saw yee him whom my soule loveth? It was but a little, that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soule loveth: I held him, and would not let him goe, untill I had brought him to my mothers house; and into the chamber of her that conceived mee. I charge yee, O yee daughters of Ierusalem, by the Roes, and by the Hindes of the field, that yee stirre not up, nor awake my Love, till hee please. And lastly, that, when the comfortable beames of Gods lightsome countenance shall break out againe upon thy soule, and thy Beloved is returned; thou maist sing, that triumphant song of Faith most joyfully; I am my Beloveds, & my Beloved is mine. Desertions then, & delaies of this nature, are fruites of thy heavenly Fathers love; and ought to bee no discouragements unto thee at all, holding thy integrity. His love thereby is intended towards thee, by the restraint of the influence, as it were, and sense of it from thy soule, as a Brooke growes big, by damming it up for a while: And thy love is more enflamed towards him, when thou now feeles by the want of it, what an heaven upon earth it is, to have his face shine upon thee, with it's quickning refreshing presence; and that a sensible embracement of Iesus p. 368Christ in the armes of thy Faith, is the very life of the soule, as the Soule is the life of the Body; the Crowne of all sweet contentment in this vale of teares, and a piece, as it were, of everlasting pleasures.

5. In times of triall.

Thou seest sometimes a Father setting downe his little One upon it's feet, to trie it's strength, and whether it bee yet able to stand by it selfe or no; But withall▪ hee holds his armes on both sides, to uphold, it if he see it incline either way, and to preserve it from hurt. Assure thy selfe, thy heavenly Father takes care of thee with infinitely more tendernesse, in all thy trials, either by outward Afflictions, or inward temptations. The thou shouldest fall, yet shalt thou not bee utterly cast downe, for the Lord upholdeth thee with his hand: Psal. 37.24▪ Never did Gold-smith attend so curiously, and punctually upon those pretious mettalls hee casts into the fire, to observe the very first season, and bee sure, that they tarry no longer in the furnace, then the drosse b… wasted; they thorowly purified, and fitted for some excellent use; as our gratious God lovingly waits, to take thee out of trouble and temptation; when the rust … removed from thy spirituall armour; thy graces shi… out, and thou heartily humbled, and happily fitted, to doe him more glorious service for the time to come; I meane, when hee hath attained the end, which hee mercifully intended in love, and for thy good.

6. In conceits of our unworthinesse.

David commanded Ioab, and the other Captaines, to entreat the young man Absolom gently for his sake. 2. Sam. 18.5. A rebellious traiterous Sonne, up in armes against his owne Father, gracelesly, and unnaturally thirsting out of a furious ambitious humour, to w…ing the Regall Scepter out of his hand, and to set the Imperiall Crowne upon his owne head: How dearely and tenderly then, will the Father of mercies deale with a poore humbled soule, that sighes, and seekes for his favour, p. 369infinitely more, then any earthly treasure, or the glory of a thousand worlds?

7. I will suppose, thou hast broke some speciall vow, (which were a grievous thing) made before the Sacrament, upon some day of humiliation, or such other occasion; and so forfeited thy selfe, as it were, and thy soule, into the hands of Gods justice, to bee disposed of to the dungeon of utter darkenesse, if thou we…t served, as thy sinne hath deserved. And thereupon, thou art much afflicted, and sore troubled in minde, to have suffered thy selfe to be so sottishly ensnared againe in such a dis-avowed sin, against so strong a purpose. But here consider, whether thou, being a Father, would'st take the forfeiture of a bond, and advantage of breaking day, especially full sore against his will, from thy dearest Childe, intreating thee to intreat him kindely; Much, nay infinitely lesse, will thy heavenly Father deale hardly with thee in such a Case, if thou complaine at the Throne of Grace with a grieved spirit; renew thy covenant, and tell him truly, that thou wilt, by the help of the holy Ghost, guard thy heart with a narrower watch, and stronger resolution for the time to come. If wee confesse our sinnes, hee is faithfull and iust to forgive us our sinnes: 1. Iohn 1.9. And in such a Case, wee have ever a blessed Advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the righteous: Cap. 2.1.

8. A Father sometimes holds his Child over a Pond▪ River, or Well, to fright him from it, lest at some time or other he fall into it. But the Child, especially, if of riper conceit, and wiser thoughts, laughes, perhaps, in the Fathers face, dreads no danger, dreames not of drowning. And what's the reason, thinke yee? Only because hee knowes, hee that holds him, is his Father: So thy heavenly Father holdes thee, as it were, over Hell in some strong temptation, upon purpose to terrifie thee from tampering so much with the Divels baites; so that thou sees nothing about thee for the present, but p. 370darknesse and discomforts, & the very horrors of eternall death ready to take hold on thee: yet for all this, upon the ground of this loving gracious resemblance thou maist be comforted; and cry confidently with Iob, Tho he slay me, Iob 13.15. Psal. 23.4.Job 13:15Ps 23:4yet will I trust in him; With David, Tho I walke through the valley of the shadow of death, I will feare no evill. Isai. 50.10.Isa 50:10Who is among you, saith the Prophet, that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkenesse, and hath no light? Let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

9. A Son by the seducement of some dissolute and drunken Belials, is drawne into lewd and licentious company; and so plunges presently over head and eares into pestilent courses; Falls unhappily, to swaggering, drinking, gaming, the mirth and madnesse of wine and pleasures; And at length to expresse to the life, an exact conformity, to that compleat character of the professours of Good-fellowship, as they call it, and Epicurisme; both for pursuite of sensuall delights, and persecution of true professours; Wisd. 2.6, &c. 12, &c. Whereby he wasts his Patrimony, cuts the heart of his Parents, wounds his conscience, &c. His Father mournes and grieves, consults and casts about with all love and longing for his recovery, and returne: At length out of sense and conscience of his base, and debosht behaviour, vile company, dishonouring God, banishing good motions, &c. Hee comes to himselfe, intreats his father upon his knees with many teares, that hee would bee pleased to pardon what is past, receive him into favour againe; and hee will faithfully endeavour to displease him no more, but redeeme the losse of the former, with the improovement of the time to come. How willingly and welcomely, thinke you, would such a Father receive such a son, into the bosome of his fatherly affection, and armes of dearest embracement. And yet so, and infinitely more is our heavenly Father mercifull, and melting towards any of his relapsed children, returning p. 371unto his gracious Throne, with true remorse and hearty griefe, for so going astray. Which is an incomparable comfort in case of backe-sliding; which yet God forbid.

10. A Father indeede, will lay heavier burdens upon his son, now growne into yeares and strength, and puts him to sorer labour, and harder taskes; But while hee is very young, hee is woont to forbeare him with much tendernesse and compassion; because he knowes, hee is scarce able to carry himselfe out of the mire: Even so, but with infinite more affectionatenesse and care, watchfullnesse and love, doth our heavenly Father beare in his armes, and forbeare, a Babe in Christ. See Isai. 40.11. This may bee a very sweet and pretious cordiall to weake consciences ar their first conversion: Who when they cast their eie upon the hainousnesse and number of their sinnes, the fiery and furious darts of the Divell, the frownes and angry foreheads of their carnall friends, the worlds lowring and enmity, the rebelliousnesse and untowardnesse of their own hearts, pressing upon them all at once; and so considering, that refraining from evill, they make themselves a prey, are ready to sinke, and faint; and feare that they shall never hold out. For they may hence ground upon it; being upright-hearted, and believing, that God, who knowes their weakenesse full well, will not suffer them to bee tempted above that they are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that they may bee able to beare it. So that over all these adversaries, and ungodly oppositions, they shall most certainely bee more then conquerours.

11. When thou art dejected in spirit▪ and walkes more heavily, because thou comes short of stronger Christians in all performances, services, duties and fruitfull walking▪ and thereupon suffers slavish doubtes and distrusts, least thy ground worke bee not well laid, to beate back, and barre out, all spirituall joy, and expected p. 372contentment in thy Christian course; I say then, and in such a Case, Suppose a Father should call unto him in haste, two of his children; One of three yeares old, the other of thirteene: they both make all the hast they can, but the elder makes much more speede; and yet the little one comes on wadling, as fast as it can; and if it had more strength, it would have macht the other: Now would not the Father accept of the youngers utmost endeavour according to it's strength, as well as of the elders faster gate, being stronger? I am sure hee would; and that with more tendernesse too, and taking it in his armes to encourage it. And so certainely will thy heavenly Father deale with thee in the like Case, about thy spirituall state, being true-hearted, and heartily grieving, praying, and indeavouring to do better.

12. Suppose a Child to fall sicke in a family; The Father presently sets the whole house on worke for the recovery of it's welfare. Some runne for the Physitio… ▪ others for friends and neighbours; Some tend it, others watch with it; All contribute their severall abilities, endeavours, and diligence to doe it good; And thus they continue in motion, affection, and extraordinary imploiment about it; farre more then about all the rest that are well, untill it recover. With the very same but incomparably more tender care, and compassion▪ will thy heavenly Father visite thee in all thy spirituall maladies and sicknesses of Soule. The whole blessed Trinity is stirred, as it were, extraordinarily, and takes to heart thy troubles at such a time; Even as a Shepeheard takes more paines, and exercises more pittie and tendernesse about his sheepe, when they are out of tune. See Isa. 40.11. Ezech. 34.16. upon which places▪ heare the Paraphrase of a blessed **Doct. P.Divine, The Lord will not bee unfaithfull to thee, if thy heart bee uprigh… with him, tho thou bee weake in thy carriage to him; fo… hee keepes his Covenant forever. And therefore in … p. 37340. the Lord expresseth it thus; you shall know mee; as sheepe know their Shepheard, and I will make a covenant with you, and thus, and thus I will deale with you: And how is that? Why the covenant is not thus only; as long as you keep within the boundes, and keepe within the fo…ld; as long, as you go along the pathes of righteousnesse, and walke in them: but this is the Covenant that I will make; I will drive you according to that you are able to beare: If any be great with young▪ I will drive them softly▪ If they bee lame, that they are not able to goe (saith hee), I will take them up in my armes, and carry them in my bosome. If you compare this with Ezech. 34. You shall finde there, Hee puts downe all the slips wee are subject unto; (speaking of the time of the Gospell, when Christ should bee the Shepheard) hee shewes the Covenant that hee will make with those that are his; Saith hee, if any thing bee lost, if a sheepe loose it selfe, this is my Covenant, I will finde it: If it be driven away by any violence of temptation, I will bring it backe againe: If there bee a breach made into their hearts, by … occasion through sinne and lust, I will heale them, and binde them up. This the Lord will doe; this is the Covenant that hee makes. But I was telling you, the whole blessed Trinity takes on, (if I may so speake) after a speciall manner, in all the spirituall troubles; especially, of all those, who are true of heart. God the Fathers bowells of mercy yerne compassionately over thee, when hee sees thee spiritually sicke. The distressed and disconsolate state of thy soule, puts him into such melting and affectionate pangs,Isai 54.11.Isa 54:11 as these: Oh thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted; behold, I will lay thy stones with faire colours, and lay thy foundations with Saphires, &c. Comfort yee, & 40….comfort yee my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Ierusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accōplished that her iniquity is pardoned; &c. Iesus Christ, out of his owne experience, knoweth full well, what it is to be grievously tempted: what it is to p. 374have the most hideous thoughts, and horrible injections throwne into the minde, that can bee possibly imagined; Nay, that the Divell himselfe can devise: See Mat. 4.6.9. What an hell it is, to want the comfortable influence of the Fathers pleased face and favour. See Mat. 27.46. And therefore hee cannot chuse but bee afflicted in our afflictions; and very sensibly and sweetly tender-hearted in all our spirituall troubles. They pitty us most in our sicknesses, who have felt the same themselves. In that hee himselfe suffered, and was tempted, hee is able to succour them that are tempted. Heb. 2.18. As for the blessed Spirit, it is his proper worke, as it were, To comfort them that mourne in Zion; To give unto them beauty for ashes, the oyle of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse. And yet besides all this thy heavenly Father, in the distresse of thy soule, sets also on worke the Church of God about thee: Faithfull Ministers to pray for, and prepare seasonable and sound arguments, reasons, counsels, and comforts out of Gods blessed Booke; to support, quicken, revive, and recover thee all they can: Private Christians, to commend thy Case unto the Throne of grace, and mercy; and that extraordinarily with mightinesse of prayer upon their more solemne daies of humiliation.

Vi…git mater se …, quenum …, in terram deicituram, ut ipse …. Simon. Cass. in Evang. ib. 14.13. A Father sometimes threatens, and offers to throw his little-one out of his armes: But upon purpose only to make him cling closer unto him. Our heavenly Father may seeme to cast off his Childe, and leave him for a while in the hands of Satan, for inward temptation; or to the rage of his bloody agents for outward persecution; But it is onelyonly, to draw him nearer to himselfe, by more serious seeking, and sure dependance in the time of trouble; and that with the hand of his faith, hee may lay surer hold upon his All-sufficiency.

Thus, and in the like manner, peruse all the compassionate p. 375passages of the most tender-hearted parents, to their best beloved children, in all cases of danger and distresse: And so, and infinitely more tenderly will our heavenly Father deale withal, that are upright-hearted, in all their troubles, trials, and temptations. For the dearest love of the most affectionate Father or Mother to their Childe, is ffSi nos qui secundùm nostram fil…os diligimus, satis tamen profectò cos diligimus: multò magis ille diligit, qui diligit ultra naturam. Sed etsi obliviscatur mulier infantem, inquit, uteri sui, ego tamen non obliviscar tui, dicit Dominus Omnipotens. Chrysost. in Mat. Hom. 23.nothing to that, which hee beares to those that feare him. Isa. 49.15. Psal. 103.13. Deut. 8.5.

3. Thirdly, there is a pretious Principle in the mysterie of salvation; which, as a comforting Cordiall-water, serves to quicken and revive in the sownings and faintings of the Body, defection of the spirits, and sinking of the heart; So it may bee soveraigne, to support and succour in afflictions and dejections of Soule, and weakenesses of our spirituall state: It is thus delivered by Divines.

ggPerkins in his Graine of Musterseed. Concl. 3.A constant and earnest desire to bee reconciled to God, to believe, and to repent, if it bee in a touched heart, is in acceptation with God, as reconciliation, Faith, repentance it selfe.

hhIdem in his Exposition of the Creed, p. 127.A weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God, namely, an unfained desire, not onelyonly of salvation, (for that the wicked and gracelesse man may have); But of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of Faith in every touched and humbled heart, and it is peculiar to the elect.

iiIdem upon the Sermon in the Mount, pag. 11.Those are blessed, who are displeased with their owne doubting and unbeliefe; if they have a true earnest desire to bee purged from this distrust, and to believe in God through Christ.

kkDownam in his Christian Warfare, cap. 42.Our desire of grace, faith and repentance, are the graces themselves, which wee desire; at least in Gods acceptation▪ who accepteth of the will for the deede, and of our affections for the actions.

llDyke of Repentance, cap. 15.Hungring and thirsting desires are evidences of a repenting heart.

mmT.T. upon Psal. 32. pag. 38.Ps 32True desire argues the presence of things desired, p. 376and yet argues not the feeling of it.

nn… in his Exposition upon the Epistle to the Colossians, cap. 1. vers. 4.It may not bee dissembled, that there are in the world many definitions, or descriptions of faith, such as doe not comprehend in them that onelyonly thing, which is the chiefe stay of thousands of the deare servants of God; and that is, desires, which may not bee denyed to bee of the nature of Faith. I expresse my meaning thus: That when a Man, or woman is so farre exercis…d in the spirituall seeking of the Lord his God; That hee would bee willing to part with the world▪ and all things thereof, if hee had them in his owne possession, so that by the Spirit and Promises of God hee might bee assured, that the sinnes of his former life, and such as presently doe burthen his Soule, were forgiven him; and that hee might believe that God were now become his God in Christ: I would not doubt to pronounce, that this Person (thus prising remission of sinnes at this rate, that hee would sell all to buy this pearle) did undoubtedly believe: Not onelyonly because it is a truth (though a Paradoxe) that the Desire to believe is Faith. But also because our Saviour Christ doth not doubt to affirme that they are blessed, Matth. 5.6.Matt 5:6that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, because they shall bee satisfied. And to him that is a thirst I will give to drinke of the water of life freely.Revel 21.6. Psal. 10.17.Rev 21:6Ps 10:17 And David doubted not to say, The Lord heareth the desire of the humble.

ooRogers of Dedham in his Doctrine of Faith, cap. 2. pag. 128.I thinke, whensoever the humbled sinner sees an infinite excellency in Christ, and the savour of God by him, that it is more worth then all the world; and so sets his heart upon it, that hee is resolved to seeke it without ceasing, and to part withall for the obtaining it, now I take it, is Faith begun.

What graces thou unfainedly desirest; and constantly vsest the meanes to attaine; Thou hast.

ppCrooke, Serm. 3.There is no rocke more sure then this truth of God; That the heart▪ that complaineth of the want of grace, desireth above all things the supply of that want, useth all holy meanes for the procurement of that supply, cannot be p. 377destitute of saving grace.

qqGreenham, pag. 144.Such are wee by imputation, as wee bee in affection. And he is now no sinner, who for the love he beareth to righteousnesse, would bee no sinner. Such as we be in desire, and purpose; such we be in reckoning, and account with God; who giveth that true desire, and holy purpose, to none but to his Children, whom hee justifieth.

rrDyke of Selfe-deceiving, cap. 19.We must remember, that God accepts affecting for effecting; willing for working; desires for deedes; purposes, for performances; pence, for pounds; and unto such as doe their endeavour, hath promised His grace enabling them every day to doe more and more.

ssPerkins upon Galat. pag. 296.If there be in thee a sorrow for thine unbeliefe; a will and desire to believe; and a care to increase in Faith by the use of good meanes; there is a measure of true Faith in thee; and by it thou maist assure thy selfe, that thou art the Child of God.

ttBroade▪ pag. 88.It is a great grace of God to feele the want of Gods graces in thy selfe; and to hunger and thirst after them.

uuWilson Faith, p. 138.If you desire healing of your nature; groane in desire to grace; perceive your foulenesse unto a loathing of your selfe; feare not, sinne hath no dominion over you.

xxIbid. pag. 184.Sense of Want of grace, complaint and mourning from that sense, desire setled and earnest with such mourning to have the want supplyed▪ vse of good meanes, with attending upon Him therein for this supply, is surely of grace.

What graces thou unfainedly desirest, and constantly usest the meanes to attaine; Thou hast.

Take it in short from mee thus:

A true desire of grace argues a saving and comfortable estate.

The truth of which appeares clearely, By Scriptures, Reasons, Both ancient and moderne Deuines.

Proofes. Mat. 5.6. Blessed are they, which doe hunger and thirst after righteousn…sse, for they shall bee filled. Here to a desire of grace is annexed a Promise of Blessednesse, p. 378which comprehends all the glory and pleasures of Christs Kingdome here, and all heavenly joyes and everlasting blisse hereafter. Ioh. 7.37. If any man thirst, let him come unto mee, and drinke. Psal. 10.17. The Lord heareth the desire of the humble. Psal. 145.19. Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare Him. Luk. 1.53. The Lord filleth the hungry with good things. Reu. 22.17. Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let Him take the water of life freely. Isa. 55.1. H…, every one that thirsteth, come yee to the waters, &c. And Cap. 44. vers. 3. I will poure water upon Him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.

O Lord, I beseech thee, saith Nehemiah, let now thine eare bee attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to feare thy Name. Here, those who desire to feare the Lord, are stiled His servants; and proposed as men qualified, and in a fit disposition to have their praiers heard, their petitions granted, their distresses relieved, their affaires blessed with successe. And no doubt, th…s Man of God would make speciall choise of such Attributes and affections; which might proove powerfull, and pleasing Arguments, to draw from God compassion, favour, and protection. And therefore a true-hearted desire to feare the Lord, is a signe of His servant.

Abraham, as you know, Gen. 22. did not indeede, when it came to the Point, sacrifice his Son: An Angell from Heaven stayed his hand. OnelyOnly Hee had a will, purpose, and resolution, if the Lord would so have it, even to shed the blood of his onelyonly Childe. Now this desire to please God, was graciously accepted at his hands, as tho the thing had been done; and thereupon crowned with as many blessings, as there are starres in Heaven, and sands upon the Sea-shore.

By my selfe have I sworne, saith the Lord, because Thou hast done this thing, and hast not spared thine onelyonly Sonne; (and yet Hee spilt not a drop of his blood, save p. 379onelyonly in purpose and preparednesse to doe Gods will) Therefore will I surely blesse thee, and greatly multiply thy seede, as the starres of the Heaven, and as the sand which is upon the Sea-shore. vers. 16.17.

Rich men, Marke 12. cast into the Treasury large Doles, and royall offerings, no doubt. For it is there said: Many that were rich, cast in much, vers. 41. And yet the poore Widowes two mites, receiving worth and waight from her holy and hearty affection, in Christs esteeme, did out-valew, and over-weigh them all. Verely, saith Christ, I say unto you, that this poore widow hath cast more in, then all they which have cast into the Treasury.

Reasons. 1. One argument may bee taken from the blessed noblenesse of Gods nature, and the incomparable sweetnesse of his divine disposition: Which by infinite distance, without all degree of comparison, and measure of proportion, doth surpasse, and transcend the ingenuousnesse of the noblest spirit upon earth. Now, men of ingenuous breeding, and generous dispositions, are wont to receive sweetest contentment, and rest best satisfied, in prevailing over, and winning the hearts, good wills, and affections of those, who attend, or depend upon them. Outward performances, gratifications, and visible effects, are often beyond our strength and meanes; many times mingled, and quite mard, with Hypocrisies, disguisements, famed accommodations, and flatteries; with selfe-advantages, by-respects, and private ends: But inward reverence, and love, kind and affectionate stirrings of the heart, are ever, and alone in our power; and ever, by an uncontrole-able freedome, exempted from enforcement, dissembling, and formality. No marvaile then, tho the most royall, and Heroicall spirits, prize most, and bee best pleased with possession of Mens hearts; and beeing assured of them, can more easily pardon the want of those outward Acts of sufficiency, and service (most minded by basest men) which they see to be above the reach of their ability p. 380and power. Now if it be so, that even ingenuous, and noble natures accept with speciall respect and esteeme the affectionatenesse, and hearty well-willing of their followers and Favourits; tho th…y want dexterity, and meanes, to expresse i… actually in visible effects, and executions answerable to their affection: How much more are spirituall longings, holy affections, thirsty desires, graciously accepted of that God; in respect of whose compassions, the bowels of the most mercifull man upon earth are cruelty; In respect of whose immeasurably amiable, melting sweetest disposition, the ingenuousnesse of the noblest spirit is doggednesse and disdaine. Especially sith Mens good Turnes, and Offices of love, turne many times to our good and benefit, to our advancement, profit, preferment: But our well-doing extendeth not unto God. Psal. ….2.That infinite essentiall glory, with which the highest Lord, alone to bee blessed, adored, and honoured by all for ever; was, is, and shall bee everlastingly crowned; can neither bee empaired by the most desperate rebellions; or enlarged by the most glorious good deeds. Can a man (saith Eliphaz to Iob) bee profitable unto God; Iob 22.2….Job 22:2As Hee that is wise, may bee profitable unto himselfe? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Or is it gaine to Him▪ that thou makest thy waies perfit? And Cap. 35.6, 7 8. If thou sinnest, what doest thou against Him? Or if thy transgressions bee multiplyed, what doest thou unto Him? If thou bee righteous, what givest thou to Him? Or what receiveth he of thine hand? Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righ…eousnesse may profit the Sonne of Man. Were all the wicked men upon earth turned into humane beasts, desperate Belials; nay, incarnate Divels; and the whole world full of those out-ragious Giants of Babell; and, those also of the o… World; And all with combined force and fury, should bend, and band themselves against Heaven; yet they could not hurt God. The p. 381Lord is King, be the people never so impatient; Hee sitteth between the Cherubins, be the earth never so unquiet. Or, Were all the Sonnes of men Abrahams, or Angels; and as many in number, as the **Quicunque universum stellarum numerum comprehandisse & conscripsisse iactantur, sicut Aratus vel Eudoxus, vel si qui alij sunt, eos Libri hutus contemnit authoritas. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 16. cap. 23. Isai. 40.17.Isa 40:17Starres in Heaven; and as shining both with inward graces, and outward good deeds, as they are in visible glory; yet could they make no addition unto that incomprehensible Majesty above: They could not conferre so much as one drop to that boundlesse and bottomlesse Sea of goodnesse, or the least glimpse unto that Almighty Sunne of glory. All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted to Him lesse then nothing, and vanity. Our sinnes hurt Him not: Our holinesse helpes Him not: yyBut what doe I say? Hee getteth nothing by us of all that wee doe. All is for our selves. Our acknowledgement of Him maketh Him no stronger, wiser, juster, better, &c. then Hee is. But in glorifying him, we glorifie our selves, &c. Hee was as glorious, powerfull, wise, just, happy, and good before this World was made, as now. D.V. Sinne and righteousnesse, are the two Paths that wee walke in; Those are all that trouble us; the sinnes that we commit, and defects of our righteousnesse. Saith Hee, If thou sinne, what is that to Him? It doth Him no hurt. Againe, if thou faile in thy righteousnesse, or in thy performances, it is all one, that way: For it reacheth not to Him. Because hee is blessed for ever; Hee hath all-sufficiency in Himselfe, &c. Doctor Preston in his Sermons of Gods All-sufficiency, Serm. 4. Deus quaerit gloriam suam non propterse, sed propter nos. Aquin. 22. q. 132.1.It is onelyonly for our good, that God would have us good. No good, no gaine accrewes unto Him by our goodnesse. For what good can come by our imperfect goodnesse, to that, which is already infinitely good? What glory can bee added by our dimnesse to Him, which is already incomprehensibly glorious? Every infinite Thing is naturally, and necessarily uncapable of addition: Possibility of which suppos'd, implies contradiction, and destroyes the nature of Infinity. If it bee so then, that good turnes doe good unto Men; and yet out of their ingenuousnesse, they most esteeme good wills, true heartednesse, kind affections: And can well find in their hearts, to passe-by failings, where there is heart and good will, as they say; To pardon easily want of exactnesse in performance, where there are unfained purposes. How much more will our gracious God, who gaines nothing by all the good workes in the world, out of the depth of His dearest compassions, kindly interpret, and accept in good part, the holy p. 382longings, and hungry desires of a panting, and bleeding Soule? How dearely will Hee love, the love of a true-hearted Nathanael? How willingly will Hee take the will for the deede; the groanings of the Heart, before the greatest Sacrifice?

But lest you mistake, take notice here of a two-fold Glory:

zzGloria Dei & Glorificatio Dei differunt. Gloria Dei. aeterna est, semper eadem fuit ab aeterno, & …emper ead…m manet in aeternum, cique nec accedere quicquam, nec decedere potest, Deusque perpetuò gloriam suam habuisset, licet nulla res suisset condita. Hae gloria Deo à nemine da…, nec minui augeriue potest, sed eadem in ipso fuit, & manet semper. Glorificatio verò sit in tempore à Creaturis, & est extra Deum & sandamentum suum habet in cognitione gloriae Dei. Polan. Syntag. Theolog. lib. 2. cap. 3.1. Essentiall, infinite, everlasting. It is impossible that this should either receive disparagement, and diminution; or addition and encreasement by any created power. And this I meant in the precedent Passage.

2. The other I may call, Accidentall, finite, temporary. This ebbs or slowes, shines or is over-shadowed, as Goodnesse or Gracelesnesse prevailes in the world: As the kingdom of Christ, or powers of darknes get the upper hand amonst the Sonnes of Men. In this regard indeede, Rebellious wretches dishonour God upon Earth, I confesse: And Godly men by their holy Duties, good workes, and gracious behaviour, make his Name more illustrious in the world. But what is this, to that essentiall, infinite, everlasting glory, which was as great and full in all that former eternity, before the world was; When God, blessed for ever, enjoyed onelyonly His glorious Selfe, Angels, Men, and this great Vniverse lying all hid, as yet, in the darke, abhorred Dungeon of Nothing; as now it is, or ere shall bee?

2. A second reason may bee taken from Gods proportionable proceeding in his courses of justice and mercy. In his executions of Iustice, and inflictions of punishment; He interprets, and censures aaAssuredly, betwixt the unfained desire of the heart to have, and the habituall having of the grace desired, there is no great difference in Gods reckoning: No, no more then betwixt the evill desire of a lusting heart, and the reall accomplishment of the carnall act, the former of which, by Christs ungame-say-able testimony, maketh guilty of the latter: Mat. 5 28. By the Rule therefore of proportion; He that groaneth under the burden of his sinne, and hateth the same. He that desireth, and to his desire addeth endeavour not to sin, — is with God reputed what, He would be in his desire, and may in this regard cheare his heart, &c. Speght in his briefe Demonstration, &c. pag. 27. Vertues in Wil… and Act are the same in kinde, differing onelyonly in degree, as in vice, lusting after a woman in heart unlawfully, is adultery in Him that lusts, tho it come not into Act: coveting another mans goods inordinately, is theft, tho He bee hindred from taking them, Wil… in his Helpes to Faith, pag. 82.83.Matt 5:28desires for the p. 383deeds, affections for Actions, Thoughts for the things done. Whosoever, saith Christ, looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. In Gods interpretation, in the search and censure of divine justice, Hee that lusts after a Woman in his heart, is an adulterer; and without true and timely repentance in the meane time, shall bee so taken, and proceeded against at that great and last Day. Whosoever hateth his Brother, saith Iohn, is a man-slayer. An hateful thought of our Brother, murthers Him, and spils his blood,bbMat. 5.28.Matt 5:28 by the verdict of the blessed Spirit: And a malicious man,cc1. Ioh. 3.15.1 John 3:15 at the Barre of God, goes for a Man-slaier. If this then bee Gods property, and proceeding in justice, wee may much more confidently expect: Nay, with reverent humility challenge, way beeing made by the mediation of Christ, the same proportionable measure in those His most sweet, and lovely inclinations, and expressions of mercy. Shall a lewde desire after a woman fall under the Axe of Gods justice, as if it were the grosse Act… of lust? And shall not a longing desire after grace, bee graciously embraced in the armes of mercy, as the grace it selfe? Shall an angry thought invisible, immaterial, hurtfull only to the heart which harbours it, be charged with actuall bloodshed? And shall not a panting thirst of a broken, and bleeding Soule after Christs saving and sanctifying blood, bee bath'd and refresht in his pretious blood? Yes certainely, and much rather. For Gods tender mercies are over all his workes: Psal. 145.9. And mercy with an holy exultation triumpheth, and reioyceth against iudgement: Iam. 2.13. His mercy is great unto the Heavens: Psal. 57.10. Hee doth with much sweet contentment, and as it were, naturall propension, encline to the gracious effusions of mercy. Hee delighteth in mercy, saith Micah, Cap. 7.18. Hee is passingly plea…ed and exalted most gloriously, when Hee is pardoning of sinnes, purging of Soules, pulling out of the Divels Paw, pouring in of p. 384grace, shining into sad and uncomfortable hearts, saving from Hell, &c. This makes Him so passionate in an holy sense, when Hee hath no Passage for his love. Deus. 5.29. Psal. 81.13. Isa. 48.18. Mat. 23.37. Luk. 19.41.42. But now on the other side, Hee is hardly drawne, not without much reluctancy, delaies, forbearance, and, as it were, some kinde of violence offered, by excesse of multiplyed rebellious provocations, to exercise His justice, and to punish for sinne. See 2. Chron. 36.16. Hos. 6.4, &c. It appeares, Zeph. 2.2. by the emphasis of the **foreign or foreign P…p…rit.Original, that in this respect, in a right and sober sense, God is like a woman with Childe. When the cry of our sinnes comes first to Heaven, Hee doth not presently poure upon our heads fire and Brimstone, according to our desert: But, as loth to enter into judgement with us, Hee then but begins to conceive, as it were, wrath, which Hee beares, or rather forbeares full many and many a monethmonth; still waiting, when upon our repentance, Hee might bee gracious unto us; untill it come to that ripenesse by the fullnesse and intolerable waight of our sinnes, that Hee can possibly beare no longer. And then also, when Hee is about to bee delivered of his justly conceived, and long-forborne vengeance; Marke how Hee goes about it: Ah! saies Hee, &c. Isa. 1.24. ****foreign E…eu: Humanitùs dictum. Iun. Vt ostendat Deus se quodaminodò invitum cogi ad poenas de populo suo exigendas, cum gemitu quodam minatur. Quia enim nihil ei magis proprium est quàm benefacere: quoties nob…s irascitur, ac severiùs not tractat, certum est pravitate nostrâ huc adigi, quia eius beneficentiae liberum cursum non permittimus: praesert…m verò propensus est ad suos humanitèr tractandos, & dum videt indulgentiae suae non esse ampliùs locum, quasi tristis ad puniendum accingitur.—Mihi magis probatur hoc loco dolentis esse vocem: Quia Deus soederis sui memor, libentèr electo populo parceret, nisiomnem veniam excluderet obstinatio. Calv. in loc. Vnde colligimus, quanta sit eius …sericordia & benignitas, quùm sententiam serens ingemiscat, & singultis testetur quàm nolit poe…am & mortem peccatoris, sed ut magis convertatur & vivat. Ezek. 18.23. O…olamp. in loc.Ezek 18:23This aspiration argues a compassionate Pang of griefe, speaking after the manner of men, to proceede against His owne people, tho they had provoked Him as enemies. How shall I give thee up, Ephr…im? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeb…im? p. 385Mine heart is turned within mee, my repentings are kindled together: Hos. 11.9. When Hee came against Sodome and Gomorrah, the most prodigiously wicked people, that ever the Earth bore; What a miracle of mercy was it, that He should be brought so low, as to say; I will not destroy it for tennes sake: Gen. 18.32. So it is then, that mercy flowes naturally and easily from God, and he is most forward, and free-hearted in granting Pardons, and receiving into grace and favour: But justice is ever, as it were, violently with cart-ropes of iniquity, pul'd from Him. He is pressed with our sinnes, ffOptimè sluet contextus, si dicamus, Ecce ego constringor sub vobis, quemadmodum si essetis plaustrum plenum manipulis, hoc est, estis mihi intolerabiles. Calvin. in loc.as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues; before wee wring from Him the vials of just wrath, and wrest out of His hands, the Arrowes of deserved indignation. That you erre not in this Point, conceive, that both Gods mercy and iustice are originally and fundamentally, as God Himselfe, infinite, Both of the same length, height, bredth, and depth; that is equally endlesse, boundlesse, botomlesse, unsearchable. Yet, if wee consider the exercise and execution of them amongst the creatures, and abroad in the world; Mercy, that sweetest Attribute, and most pretious baulme to all bruised hearts, doth farre surpasse and out-shine the other, tho incomparable excellencies of His divine nature, and all the perfections, which accompany the greatnesse of God: As appeares, Exod. 20.5.6. Gen. 18.32. Ioel. 2.43. Ionah. 4.2. Psal. 36. and 103. 2. Chron. 21.13. His influences and beames of mercy are fairely and plentifully shed into the bosome of every Creature, and shine gloriously over all the earth, even from one end of Heaven to the other. The whole world is thicke set, and richly embroidered, as it were, with wonderfull variety of impressions, and Passages of his goodnesse and bounty. In this great Volume of Nature, round about us, wee may runne and reade, the deepe Prints and large Characters of kindnesse and love, which His mercifull and munificent hand hath left in all Places, in every p. 386leafe, and Page, and line of it. If mercy then bee so graciously magnified over ggQui lu…m rei est in mund… …ui Deus non …dsit suá providentiâ e… misericordtá, &c. Nemo est hominum vel etia… dia…olorum, qui dicere … non esse particip…a …isericordiae Dei. Z…nch. de Naturâ Dei lib. 4. cap. 4. q. 3.all his workes, we may more strongly build upon it; That if the hand of Iustice seize upon an hatefull thought, as a murtherer, and stained with blood; and arraigne a lustfull conceite, as guilty of adultery, and actuall pollution; His armes of mercy will most certainely embrace, and accept of a syncere desire for the deed done; of hearty affections for the Actions; and of a grieved spirit for the grace it groanes for.

Obiect.Yea, but may some say: If mercy bee so faire a flower in the garland of Gods incomprehensible greatnesse; if it so farre excell his other Attributes in amiablenesse amongst His creatures; How comes it to passe, That the number of His Elect is so small; and the sway of the multitude sinke downe under the burden of their iniquities, transgressions and sinnes into the Pit of endlesse Perdition? How comes it to passe, that out of the great heape, and masse of all man-kinde, there are made but so few vessells of mercy; and that so many vessels of wrath are justly for their sinnes, filled brim-full with the vialls of everlasting vengeance. See Matth. 7.13.14. and 20.16.

Answ.Some matter of Answer to this Point, would yee thinke it! may bee taken even from the hhAquin. p. 1. q. 23. art. 7. Ad tertium.Schoolemen.

If we consider, first, The unconceiveable eminency, and unvalewable worth of the Crowne of glory;Videre Deum per essentiam est supra naturam, non soli…m hominis, sed etiam omnis … …aturae. 12 ^a q. 5. art. 5 Heare also that in cōparable Confounder of all Popery; whō not all the Iesuites in Christendome shall bee ever able to confute, either in this World, or the World to come. Et si omnes homines Deus damitar…t…uno excepto: tamen adhuc maior esset misericordia, quàm iudicium. Nimirùm, quia nullum sit iudicij divini es…ellum nisi propter merita eorum, qui damnantur: at misericordia nulla invenit merita. Chamier. tom 3. lib. 7. cap. 8. which doth so far, and disproportionably surpasse & transcend the common state, and condition of our nature. Secondly, The pretiousnesse of the effusion of the blood of the deare and only Son of God, for the purchasing of that so p. 387glorious a Crowne. Thirdly, **Deus non potuit producere creaturam non defectibilem: quia ex nihilo creavit, quia non creatorem: At homines inquis saltem, & spiritus im…abiles creâsset. Sic hominem, hominem; Angelum, Angelum non condidisset. Si enim aliter creati essent, velsi immobiles, & immutabiles essent facti; vel trunco, aut lapidi similes essent facti, vel creatori suo Deo: Illud fieri non debuit, Hoc fieri neque potuit neque debuit: Si enim in homine vel Angelo immutabile bonum esset, aeternum illud esset; si aeternum infinitum, si infinitum, non homo, Angelus, aut creatura esset, sed Deus. Deus autem si solus, unus, bonus, infinitus non est, Deus non est; Cum de alio, quàm de Deo, & uno, infinitum intelligi non possit. Nec diminuitur omnipotentia eius, sed astruitur. Quî enim ille esset omnipotens, qui sibi aliquid simile, & aequale habere aut sacere posset? Quî autem infinitus, si extra se, non solùm aliquid, sed alia infinita innumera haberet? Immò quinam ille infinitus, qui infinitum faciendo, nihil ulteriùs facere posset, cùm in infinito sintomnia? Et nunquid Omnipotens Deus in aliud Omnipotens, quod potentiâ sibi aequale foret, omnipotentiam suam exercere possit? In Thesi meâ Oxon. confirmatâ. Peccatum provisum non est causa reprobationis.The necessary, and inevitable defectibility of the Creature. Fourthly, The most free, and wilfull Apostacy of Adam, and in Him, of all his Posterity. Fifthly, The abominable and villanous nature, and staine of sinne, &c. Why should wee not rather wonder at the unsearcheablenesse of Gods mercy, for advancing one Soule to that endlesse blisse in Heaven; then to repine at the equity of His justice, if He should have hhAd executionem decreti, quod ita factum in aeternâ praedestinatione, in utramque partem concurrunt me…ia, quae ipsa non possunt, non subijci praedestinationi. Hîc ergò vera, & iusta est damnationis causa peccatum: nempè quia nemo, aut damnatus sit unquam, aut damnetur, aut damnandus sit, nisi propter peccatum: ac proinde, re, actúque, praecedente peccato: quod invasit omne genus humanum: ita ut, si libêret, possèt Deus absque ullâ, iniustitiae notâ, omnes homines nullo penitùs excepto in aeternum ignem praecipitare. Quo iure egisse manifestum in omnes Angelos malos. Chamier. Tom. 3. lib. 8. cap. 1. Dicit ei Iudas, non ille Iscariotes]. Miratur quodammodò, quòd cùm tanta sit gratia Domini, is non extendat eam ad universum mundum, sed ad paucos duntaxàt aliquos. Sic mirantur homines quotidiè, cùm hoc admiratione sit dignum potiùs, quòd Dominus vel unius alicuius mis…reatur, cùmomnes in eodem sint reatu. Ipsi Angeli admirantur tantam Dei misericordiam, dum intu…ntur mysterium salutis humanae; & pij omnes magis ad id obstupescunt, quòd videant Deum ergase misericordem, quam quòd videant & sciant reiectos essè alios complures. Rolloc. in Iohan. cap. 14. vers. 22.suffered all the polluted and sinnefull sonnes of Adam, to passe from the Masse of corruption, into which they freely fell, on their owne accord and cursed choise, thorow a rebellious life, into the endlesse miseries of their deserved confusion? Would it not have been a greater marvaile, to have seene any one, clearely convinced, and found guilty of that most horrible villany, that ever was bred in Hell, or heard-of in the World; I meane, the Popish Powder-Treason, pardoned; then all those desperate Assasins to have justly perished in their so abhorred and execrable rebellion? p. 388And it is utterly un-imaginable either by Man or Angell, what a deale of mercy doth flow out of the Bowels of Gods dearest compassions, thorow the hearts-blood of his onelyonly Sonne, to the washing and salvation, but of one Soule!

3. A third Reason may bee taken from it's part, and interest in the Fountaine of salvation, and Rivers of living water. Hee that thirsts after grace, is already enrighted to the Well of life, and fullnesse of heavenly blisse, by a promise and protestation from Gods owne mouth: Revel. 21.6. I will give to Him, that is athirst, of the Fountaine of the Water life, freely. In that Place, after God himselfe had confirmed, and crowned the truth and certainty of the gloriousnesse of the holy City, and the happinesse of the Inhabitants thereof, with a solemne asseveration of his owne immutability and everlastingnesse; It is done: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, He then notifies, and describes the persons, to whom the promise, and possession of so great and excellent glory, doth appertaine; and those also which shall bee eternally abandoned from the presence of God, and burned in the Lake of fire and brimstone for ever.

Inhabitants of Heaven Elect, are,

1. Humble Soules thirsting after grace, Gods favour, and that blessed Fountaine opened to all broken hearts for sinne, and for uncleannesse.

I will give to him that is athirst, of the Well of the water of life freely. vers. 6.

2. Christs champions here upon earth against the powers of darkenesse, and conquerers of their owne corruptions,

Hee that overcommeth, shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and hee shall bee my sonne: vers. 7.

But the fearefull, &c. are mark't out for Hell: verse 8. For all that cursed crue, and slaves of sinne, are overcome of Satan and their owne lusts, and so carried away p. 389captives into everlasting misery and woe.

Cast not away thy confidence then, Poore heart! No, not in the lowest langvishings of thy afflicted soule; If thou bee able to say syncerely with David, Psal. 143. My Soule thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty Land. If thou feele in thy affections an hearty hunger after rightousnesse, both infused, and imputed; as well after power against, as pardon of sinne; Bee assured, the Well of life stands already wide open unto thee, and in due time Thou shalt drinke thy fill. Thy soule shall bee fully satisfyed with the excellencies of Iesus Christ, Evangelicall joyes, as with marrow, and fatnesse; and Thou shalt bee abundantly refreshed out of the river of his pleasures.

4. That which Paul tells us in the Point of communicating to the necessities of the Saints; to wit, If there bee first a willing minde, it is accepted according to that a Man hath, and not according to that Hee hath not: 2. Cor. 8.12. holds true also, in all other services, and divine duties: So that wee are accepted with the Lord, according as wee are inwardly affected, altho our actions be not answerable to our desires. Hee that hath a ready, and resolved minde, to doe what Hee may; would undoubtedly doe a great deale more, if ability were ministred. God,Philip. 2.13.Phil 2:13 saith Paul, worketh both to will, and to doe. If both bee His owne workes; the desire, as well as the deede; Hee must needs love, and like both the one, and the other, both in respect of acceptation and reward. David did but conceive a purpose to build God an house; and Hee rewarded it with the building, and establishing of his owne House: 2. Sam. 7.16. Hee did but conceive a iiI said, or thought▪ That is, I purposed, I resolved. Taylor in his Way to true Happinesse. Pag. 117. Pronunciabo adversum me injustitias meas Domine, & tu remisisti impietatem cordis mei]. Non iam pronunciat; sed promittit se pronunciaturum, & ille iam dimittit. Attendite fratres, magna res: dixi pronunciabo, non dixi, pronunciavi, & tu dimisisti. Dixi pronunciabo, & tu dimisisti: quia eo ipso quod dixit, Pronunciabo, ostendit quòd nondùm pronunciaverat, sed corde pronunciaverat. Hoc ipsum dicere pronunciabo, Pronunciare est, ideò & tu remisisti impietatem cordis moi. Confessio verò mea ad os nondùm venerat. Dixeram enim pronunciabo adversum me, ver untamen Deus aud…t vocem cordis mei. Vox mea in ore nondum erat, sed auris Dei iam in corde erat. August. in loc. Remisisti impietatem peccati mei]. Attende quanta sit indulgentiae vitalis velocitas, quanta miseri…ordiae Dei commendatio, ut confit…ut … des…lerium comit…tur ve…, — a…tè remissio ad e…r per veniat, quàm confe…sio in vocem crumpat. Greg. Ibid.purpose to confesse His sinne; and Gods eare was in his p. 390heart, before Davids confession could bee in His tongue; Ps. 32.5. To the poore Begge…s, that wanted food for themselves, Christ shall say at the last day; Yee have fed me, whē I was hungry, only in regard of their strong affections, if they had had meanes. The Prodigall Child, when He was but conceiving a purpose of returning, was prevented by His Father, first comming to Him, Nay, running towards Him, Luk. 15.20. God will answer us, before wee call: Isa. 65 24. That is, in our purpose of praier, &c.

Besides Scripture and reasons, I add ancient and moderne authority; not for any further confirmation, but onelyonly to shew consent.

To desire the helpe of grace, is the beginning of grace; saith kkDesiderare auxil…um gratie est initium grati…. Lib. de correptione & gratiâ. cap. 1. Nihil tam …acile est bon…e voluntati, quàm ipsa sibi, & haec sufficit Deo. De te …p Serm. 48 Coronat Deus totus honam voluntatem, ubi non invenit facultatem. In Psal. 104.Ps 104Austin.

OnelyOnly thou must will, and God will come of his owne accord; saith llforeign. Tantummodò voles. … Deus ul…rò …. Serm. de Poe…tentiâ.Basil.

Hee that thirsts, let him thirst more: and hee that desires, let him yet desire more abundantly: Because so much as Hee can desire, so much He shall receive. mmBeati qui esuriunt & sitiunt justitiam, &c.… Qui esurit, esuri…t ampliùs: & qui desi lerat, abundantius adhuc desideret: quo niam quantum…mque desiderare pot…erit, tantum est accepturus. Imò verò non secundum imperfectionem modúve desiderij, &c. De Lectione Evangelicâ. Serm. 1.Bernard.

Christ, saith nnTom. 4. pag. 124.Luther, is then truly omnipotent, and then truly raignes in us, when wee are so weake, that wee can scarce give any groane.

ooIbid. fol 300.Againe; The more wee finde our unworthinesse; and the lesse wee finde the promises to belong unto us; the more wee must desire them: beeing assured, that this desire doth greatly please God; who desireth, and willeth, that His grace should bee earnestly desired.

When I have a good desire, saith ppLoc. Com. par. 1.Kemnicius, tho it doth scarcely shew it selfe in some little and slender sigh, I must bee assured, that the Spirit of God is present, and worketh His good worke.

Faith ▪ saith **Catechis.… sin, in the most holy men in this life, is imperfect and weake: yet neverthelesse, whosoever feeles p. 391in his heart an earnest desire, and a striving against his naturall doubtings, both can, and must assure Himselfe, that Hee is indued with true Faith.

If thou shalt feele thy selfe, saith **Si senseris iam te credere in Christum, etiam propter Christum, aut saltèm si non poteris id statim assequi, (ut omnes naturâ nobis ipsis sumus addicti) si senseris velle te credere in Christum propter Christum, velle te omnia sacere Dei gratiâ, & ex animo, habes profectò egregium imprimis argumentum perseverantiae in fide, & fidei quae perpetua sit futura. In Iohan. cap. 5.Rolloc, to beleeve in Christ, and that for Christ; or at l…ast, if thou canst not forthwith attaine that; — If thou feele thy selfe willing to beleeve in Christ, for Christ; and willing to doe al things for Gods sake, and syncerely; Thou hast certainely a very excellent argument, both of perseverance in Faith, and of that faith, which shall last for ever.

Our faith may bee so small and weake, saith qqIn His Markes of Gods Children.Tassin, as it doth not yet bring forth fruits, that may bee lively felt in us; but if they which feele themselves in such estate, desire to have these feelings [namely, of Gods favour and love]; if they aske them at Gods hands by prayer; this desire and prayer are testimonies, that the spirit of God is in them, and that they have Faith already: For is such a desire a fruit of the flesh, or of the spirit? It is of the holy Spirit, who bringeth it forth onelyonly in such, as He dwells in, &c.

Is it possible, saith rrLib. 5. Sect. 60.Hooker, speaking of Valentinian the Emperour, out of Ambrose, that He which had purposely the Spirit given Him to desire grace, should not receive the grace, which that spirit did desire?

ssIbid.Where wee cannot doe what is inioyned us, God accepteth our Will to doe, in stead of the Deede it selfe.

I am troubled with feare, that my sinnes are not pardoned, saith Careles. They are, answered ttActs and Monum. in Bradsords letter to Careles. In the Story of Careles, pag. 2105.Bradford: For God hath given thee a penitent, and beleeving Heart: that is, an heart, which desireth to repent, and beleeve. For such an One is taken of Him, (Hee accepting the Will for the Deede) for a penitent and beleeving heart.

Before I come to the vse of this comfortable Point, lest any coozen themselves by any mis-conceites about it; As the notorious Sinner, the meere Civill Man, and the formall Professour, may all doe very easily; take notice of some Markes of this saving Desire. It is:

p. 3921. Supernaturall. For it followes an effectuall conviction of sinne, and co-operation of the spirit of bondage, with the preaching and power of the Law, for a thorow casting a Man downe in the sight of the Lord, shewing and convincing Him to bee a Sinke of sinne, abomination and curse; to bee quite undone, lost and damned in Himselfe. (Which preparative worke, precedent to the desire, I speake of, is it selfe above nature). Whereupon the Soule thus illightened, convinced, and terrified, being happily lead unto, and looking upon the glorious mystery of the Gospell, the excellency and offer of Iesus Christ, the sweetnesse and freenesse of the Promises, the heavenly splendour, and riches of the Pearle of great price, &c. doth conceive by the helpe of the holy Ghost, this desire, and vehement longing. Which you may then know to bee saving, when it is joyned with an hearty willingnesse, and unfained resolution to sell all; to part with all sinne; to bid adiew for ever to our darling-delight, &c. It is not then an effect onelyonly of selfe-love; not an ordinary wish of naturall appetite, like Baalams, Numb. 23.10. Of those who desire to bee happy, but are unwilling to bee holy; who would gladly bee saved, but are loth to bee sanctified.

2. It ever springs from an humble, meeke, and bruised spirit; very sensible, both of the horrour of sin, and happinesse of pardon; both of it's owne emptinesse, and of the fulnesse in Christ: Never to bee found in the affections of a Self-ignorant, Selfe-confident, unhumbled Pharisie.

3. It must be constant, importunately greedy after supply and satisfaction. Not out of a Pang, or passion onelyonly; or begot by the tempest of some present aaIn a twinge of conscience, or in a fit, when Hee is told of Heaven, Hee could be content to leape out of his skin to get Heaven, and to get out of Hell: But after this is over, Hee cannot away with this confessing of his sinnes in secret; with this rending of his Soule; with this earnest contending with God; and with this crossing of his owne nature, and fighting against the lusts of His flesh, even with this labouring for the righteousnesse of God above all things. Whately▪ Gods Husb. cap. 15.extremity, p. 393like a flash of lightning, and then quite vanishing away, when the storme of terrour and temptation is over. For if a syncere thirst after Christ, be once on foote, and takes roote in an heart truly humbled, it never bbLongè aberit à siti satietas, longè à satietate fastidium; quia sitientes saturabimur, & satiati sitiemus. August. de Sper. cap. 29.determines, or expires, in this life, or the life to come.

4. It is ever enlinckt, and enlived with a continued, and conscionable use, and exercise of the meanes; and drawes from them by little and little spirituall strength, and vigour; much vitall efficacy and increase: Not idle, ignorant, un-exercised. It were very vaine and absurd, to heare a Man talke of His desire to live; and yet would neither eate nor drinke, nor sleepe, nor exercise, nor take Physicke, nor use those meanes which are ordinary and necessary for the maintenance of life. It is as fruitlesse and foolish for any one to pretend a desire of grace; after Christ; and to bee saved; and yet will not prize, and ply the faithfull Ministry, the Word preached and read, prayer, meditation, conference, vowes, dayes of humiliation, the use of good company, and good bookes, and all divine Ordinances, and blessed meanes appointed, and sanctified by God, for the procuring and preserving a good spirituall state.

5. It is not a lazy, cold, heartlesse, indifferent desire; but earnest, eager, vehement▪ extremely thirsting, as the parched earth for refreshing shewers; or the hunted Hart for the Water-brookes. Never was Ahab more sicke for a Vine-yard; Rachel more ready to die for children; Sisera, or Samson for thirst; then a truly humbled Soule after Iesus Christ, after bathing in His blood, and hiding it selfe in His blessed righteousnesse. This desire deads the heart to all other desires after earthly things, gold, good-fellow-ship, pleasures, fashions, even the delights of the bosome-sinne, &c. All other things are but drosse and dung vanity and vile, in respect of that object it hath now ccThen will Hee say, I have discerned mine owne misery, my poverty and nakednes, and I have found a Treasure, Christ Iesus and his righteousness…: It shall goe hard but I will get it. Yea, but there is a price put upon it. It must cost thee deare; a great deale of sorrow, trouble, and other crosses. Tush, tell mee not of any price, speake not of that: wha…soever I have shall goe for it. I will doe any thing for it. Why, wilt thou curbe thine affections? Wilt thou give up thy life? Wi…t thou bee content to sell all that thou hast? &c. I will doe it with all my heart. I am content to sell all that I have. Nothing is so deare unto mee, but I will part with it; my right hand, my right eye; Nay, if Hell it selfe should stand between Mee and Christ; yet would I passe thorow the same unto Him. This is that violent affection, that God puts into the hearts of those, who seek Him in truth, that they will have Christ, whatsoever it cost them. D.V.found out, and affects. As Aarons Rod, managed miraculously by the p. 394hand of divine power, swallowed up all the other Rods of Pharaohs Sorcerers: So this spirituall desire, planted in the heart by the holy Ghost, eates up, and devoures, as it were, all other desires, and over-eager affections after worldly contentments, as worthlesse, vaine, transitory; as empty Clouds, Welles without water, Comforters of no valew. Wee that deale with afflicted consciences, heare many times some expressions of this impatient violent desire in troubled minds. I have borne nine children, said One, with as great paine, I thinke, as other women: I would with all my heart, beare them all over againe, and passe againe thorow the same intolerable pangs every day, as long as I live, to bee assured of my part in Iesus Christ. Complaining another time, that shee had no hold of Christ, it was said unto Her: But doth not your heart desire, and long after Him? Oh! sayes she, I have an Husband and Children, and many other comforts; I would give them all, and all the good I shall ever see in this World, or in the World to come, to have my poore thirsty Soule refresht with that pretious blood of His, &c.

6. It is growing, from appetite to ddIt is not a poore, faint wishing and woulding, —But a mighty and effectuall desire, that doth bring forth an endeavour. It makes a Man put forth Himselfe, to effect the thing desired. Hee wisheth to obey, as a resolute Souldier wisheth victory, so as He will fight for it, and draw his weapon, and meet his enemy in the face, and hazard limme and life, and give and receive blowes, and leave nothing undone, that his wit serves him to thinke of, for the atchievement of victory. Whately, Gods Husb. cap. 15.endeavour; from endeavour to action; from action to habite; from habite to some comfortable perfection and tallnesse in Christ. If it bee quite quencht and extingvished, when the spirituall angvish and agony is over, or stand at a stay, never transcending the nature of a naked wish, it is to bee reputed rootelesse, heartlesse, gracelesse. There are Christians that lie as yet, as it were, strugling in the wombe of the Church; who for a time at the least, live spiritually, onelyonly by grievings and groanes, by hearty desires, eager longings, & affectionate stirrings of spirit, p. 395&c. There are also Babes in Christ; young men in Christ, strong men in Christ, eePsal 92.12.13.14. Acts 21.16.Ps 92:12Ps 92:13Ps 92:14Acts 21:16old Christians. A perpetuall infancy argues a nullity of sound and saving Christianity. The Childe that never passeth the stature and state of an Infant, will proove a Monster: Hee that growes not by the syncere milke of the Word is a true Changeling, not truly changed. Hee that rests with contentment, upon a desire onelyonly of good things, never desired them savingly. But here, lest any tender conscience bee unnecessarily troubled, I must confesse; It is not so growing, as I have said, or not so sensibly at certaine times; as while the pangs of the New-birth are upon us, in times of desertion, temptation, &c. Tho even then, it growes in an holy impatiency, restlesnesse, longing, &c. Which is well-pleasing unto the Father of mercies in the meane time; and which Hee accepts graciously, untill Hee give more strength.

The Point thus cleared, is very sweet and soveraigne; but so, that no carnall Man must come neere it, no stranger meddle with it; much lesse, Swine trample upon it. It is a Iewell for the true-hearted Nathanaels wearing alone. Nay, the Christian himselfe, in the time of his Soules health, height of feeling, and flourishing of His Faith, must hold off His hand: OnelyOnly, let Him keepe it fresh and orient in the Cabinet of His memory, as a very rich Pearle against the Day of spirituall distresse. As pretious and cordiall waters are to bee given onelyonly in swounings, faintings and defection of the spirits: so this delicious Manna is to bee ministred specially, and to bee made use of, in the straits and extremities of the Soule. At such times, and in such Cases as these: In,

1. The strugglings of the New-birth.

2. Spirituall Desertions.

3. Strong temptations.

4. Extraordinary troubles upon our last Bed.

1. For the first. When thou art once come so farre, p. 396as I intimated before: To wit, that after a thorow conviction of sinne, and sound humiliation under Gods mighty hand, upon a timely and seasonable revelation of the glorious Mystery of Christ, His excellencies, invitations, His truth, tender-heartednesse, &c. (For the desire, I speake of, is an effect and affection wrought ever immediately by the Gospell alone); I say, when in this Case thine heart is filled with vehement longings after the Lord of life: If thou bee able to say with David; Psal. 143.6.Ps 143:6My soule thirsteth after thee, as a thirstie Land: If thou feele in thy selfe an hearty hunger and thirst after the favour of God, that Fountaine opened for sinne, and for uncleannesse, and fellow-ship with Christ; Assuredly then the Well of life is already opened unto thee, by the hand of thy faithfull Redeemer, and in due time thou shalt drink thy fill. He that is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End; the eternall and unchangeable God hath promised it. And amid the sorrowes of thy trembling heart, and longings of thy thirsty soule, thou mayst even challenge it at His hands, with an humble, sober and zealous confidence. As did that ffSee the Preface written by G. Abbot, Doctor of Divinitie; before the Examinations, Arraignement, and conviction of George Sprot, Notary in Ayemouth, pag. 23.Scottish Penitent, a little before his Execution: Hee freely confessed his fault, to the shame, as Hee said, of Himselfe, and to the shame of the Divell, but to the glory of God. Hee acknowledged it to bee so hainous and horrible, that had hee a thousand lives, and could he die ten thousand deaths, Hee could not make satisfaction. Notwithstanding, said hee, Lord, thou hast left mee this comfort in thy Word, that thou hast said; Come unto mee all ye, that are weary and laden, and I will refresh you. Lord, I am weary; Lord, I am heavily laden with my sinnes, which are innumerable. I am ready to sinke, Lord, even to Hell, without thou in thy mercy put to thine hand, and deliver mee. Lord, thou hast promised by thine owne word, out of thine owne mouth, that thou wilt refresh the weary soule. And with that, Hee thrusts out one of his hands; and reaching, as high as Hee could, with a louder p. 397voyce, and a strained, cryed; I challenge thee, Lord, by that Word, and by that Promise which thou hast made, that thou performe, and make it good unto mee, that call for ease and mercy at thine hands, &c. Proportionably, when heavy-heartednesse for sinne hath so dryed up thy bones; and the angry countenance of God so parched thine heart, that thy poore soule begins to gaspe for grace, as the thirsty Land for drops of raine; thou mayst, tho dust and ashes, with an holy humility thus speake unto thy gracious God: O mercifull Lord God, thou art Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Thou sayest; It is done, of things that are yet to come; so faithfull and true are thy decrees and promises. And thou hast promised by thine owne word, out of thine owne mouth;Revel. 21.6.Rev 21:6 that unto Him that is athirst, thou wilt give of the Fountaine of the water of life, freely. O Lord, I thirst, I faint, I langvish, I long for one drop of mercy. As the Hart panteth for the water brookes, so panteth my soule after thee, O God, and after the yerning bowels of thy woonted compassions. Had I now in possession the glory, the wealth, and the pleasures of the whole World; Nay, had I ten thousand lives, ioyfully would I lay them all downe, and part with them, to have this poore trembling soule of mine received into the bleeding armes of my blessed Redeemer. O Lord, and thou onelyonly knowest it, my spirit within me is melted into teares of blood, my heart is shivered into peeces: Out of the very place of Dragons, and shaddow of death, doe I lift up my thoughts, heavy and sad, before Thee: the remembrance of my former vanities, and pollutions, is a very vomite to my soule; and it is full sorely wounded with the grievous representation thereof. The very flames of Hell, Lord! the fury of thy just wrath; the scorchings of mine owne conscience, have so wasted, and parched mine heart, that my thirst is insatiable. My bowels are hot within mee; my desire after Iesus Christ, pardon and grace, is greedy as the grave, p. 398the coles thereof are coles of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. And Lord, in thy blessed Booke thou calls and cries:Isai. 55.1.Isa 55:1 Ho, every One that thirsteth! come yee to the waters, &c. In that great day of the Feast, Thou stood'st, and cryed'st with thine owne mouth,Iohn 7.37.John 7:37 saying; If any man thirst, Let Him come unto mee, and drinke. And these are thine owne words;Matth. 5.6.Matt 5:6 Those who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, shall be filled. I challenge thee Lord, in this my extremest thirst after thine owne blessed Selfe, and spirituall life in Thee, by that Word, and by that Promise, which thou hast made, that thou performe, and make it good unto mee, that lies groveling in the dust, and trembling at thy feet. Oh! Open now that promised Well of life; For I must drinke, or els I die.

Heare then, and in a word, is thy comfort; In these hungrings and thirstings of the soule, there is, as it were, the spawne of Faith, semen fidei, there is aliquid fidei in them; as excellent Divines, both for learning and holinesse, doe affirme: Howsoever, or in what phrase soever it bee exprest, sure I am, such desires so qualified, as before, shall bee fulfilled, satisfied, accomplished, possessed of the Well of life, and that is abundant, to put the thirsting Partie into a comfortable and saving-state, as I said at first. The words of Scripture are punctuall, and down-right, for this which I say: Blessed are they, which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, for they shall bee filled: Mat. 5.6. If any man thirst, let him come unto mee, and drinke. Ioh. 7.37. The Lord heareth the desire of the humble. Psal. 10.17. Hee will fullfill the desire of them that feare Him. Psal. 145.19. The Lord filleth the hungry with good things. Luk. 1.53. Let Him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely: Rev. 22.17. H…, every One that thirsteth, come yee to the waters, &c. Isa. 55.1. I will poure water upon him that is thirsty, & flouds upon the dry ground; Cap. 44.3. These longings and p. 399desires, this hunger and thirst, before a sensible apprehension, and enjoyment of Christ, arise from a sense of the necessity and want of His blessed Person, and pretious bloodshed; which the afflicted Soule now prizeth before tenne thousand Worlds; and for whose sake, is most willing to sell all, and to abandon wholly the Devils service for ever: Those, after a full entrance into the holy Path, and joyfull grasping of the Lord Iesus in the armes of our Faith, arise partly from the former taste of unutterable sweetnesse we found in Him; partly from the want of a more full, and further fruition of Him, especially when He is departed, in respect of present feeling; as in times of desertion, extraordinary temptation, &c. In the Passage that is past, I understand the former; in those that follow, the latter.

2. Secondly, Concerning desertions I intend a larger, and more particular discourse; and therefore I passe by them, here.

3. Thirdly, Wee may have recourse for comfort to this pretious Point, in some speciall temptations of doubtfullnesse, and feare about our spirituall state; When spirituall life is runne, as it were, into the roote, in some particulars; and actuall abilities to exercise some graces, and discharge some duties, are returned to nothing for the present, but groanes, desires, and longings to doe, as God would have us.

For instance:

Thou art much afflicted, because thou feeles the spirit of prayer not to stirre and worke in Thee with that life and vigour, as it was woont; but beginnes to langvish in the inward man, for lacke of that vitall heate and feeling, in the mutuall entercourse, and commerce betweene God and thine owne Soule; which heretofore hath many times warmed thine heart with many sweet refreshings, springing from a comfortable correspondence between thy holy eiaculations, and his heavenly inspirations; betweene thine humble complaints p. 400at the Throne of Grace, and his gracious answers: Nay, it may bee, thou throwes downe thy selfe before His Seate of mercy, in much bitternesse of spirit; and for the time, can say little, or nothing; the present dullnesse, and indisposition of thine heart, stopping all passage to thy woonted prayers, and damming up, as it were, the ordinary course of thy most blessed heart-ravishing conference with thy God in secret. But tell mee true, poore Soule; Tho at such a time, and in such an uncomfortable Damqe, and spiritual deadnesse, thou feeles not thine heart enabled, and enlarged for the present, to poure out it selfe with accustomed fervency and freedome; yet doth not that heart of thine, with an unutterable thirst and desire, long to offer up unto his Throne of Grace, thy suites and Sacrifices of prayers, and praises, with that heartinesse and feeling, with al those broken, and bleeding affections, which a grieved sense of sinne, that hangs so fast on, and an holy greedinesse after pardon, grace and nearer communion with his heavenly Highnesse, are won… to beget in truly-humbled Soules? If so; Assure thy sel… this very desire is a prayer ofuuTamet si sensus omnes nostri dolore occupati sint, et prae moestitiâ sint praclusae fauces, Dominus tamen corda nostra pervidet, & pia suspiria exaudit. Imò plus efficient, quàm expressae & diserta voces, modò spiritus adsit, qui excitet in nobis gemitus illos inenarrabiles, de quibus loquitur Paulus ad Rom. cap. 8. Ac nemo piorum est, qui non experiatur, ubi maior aliqua tristitia animum constringit, se inter orandum, vel balbutire, vel propemodum obmutescere. Calv. in Isai. cap. 38. Plerunque hoc negotium plus gemitibus, quàm sermonibus agitur, plus stetu, quàm affatu. Aug. Epist. 121. Cogitatio tua clamorest ad Dominum. Idem in Psal. 141. Psal. 103.13.Rom 8Isa 38Ps 141Ps 103:13 extraordinary strength, dearenesse and acceptation with thy God. I say; with that, thy mercifull Lord God, who is as farre more compassionately, and lovingly affected to his Childe, then the kindest Father to his dearliest beloved Sonne▪ as the infinite love of a tender-hearted God, doth surpasse the faint affection of a fraile, and mortall man. Suppose thy dearest Childe were in great extremity, and should at last grow so low and weake, that it were not able to speake, but onelyonly groane, and sigh, and cast it's eye upon Thee; as One from whom alone, it look't for helpe: Would not thine heart melt over thy Child a great deale more in that misery, then ever before, when it was able to expresse it's minde? I am sure it would. It is just so, in the present Point. For, like as a Father pittieth his children: so the Lord pittieth them p. 401that feare Him. Nay, and much xxSi nos qui secundum naturam diligimus filios, satis tamen profectò eos diligimus: multò magis ille diligit, qui diligit ultra naturam. Chrysost. in Matth. Hom. 23.more, if wee consider the muchnesse and quantity. For looke how farre God is higher then man in Majesty and greatnesse; which is with an infinite distance, and disproportion; so farre doth Hee passe him in tender-heartednesse and mercy. See Isa. 55.8.9.

Thou mayst sometimes upon the awakening, illumination, and search of thy conscience, after some drouzy repose, and deeper sleep upon the bed of security; some fouler ens…arement, and longer abode in some knowne scandalo…s sinne; after the Canker of earthly cares, and teeth of worldly-mindednesse have, ere thou bee well-aware, with an insensible pleasing consumption, eaten too farre into the heart of thy Zeale, and other graces: In the apprehension of some present terrour, arising from a more serious, and sensible survay of the now abhorred villanies, and abominations of thine unregenerate time; or from the grieved remembrance of thy falls, and failings; of thy sins, and unservice-ablenes since thy conversion (which I am perswaded, trouble the Christian most, and goe nearest to his heart), &c. I say, in such Cases, as these, Thou maist feele such a fearefulnesse and faintnesse to have surprised the hand of thy Faith, that it cannot so presently and easily recover it's former hold; nor claspe about the glorious justice, and meritorious blood of Christ, with that fastnesse and firmenesse of assent, with that comfort and confidence, as it was woont. So that for a time, Thou mayst lie under the torture of an heavy heart, uncheerfullnesse in all thy waies, and some degree of horrour; because thou canst get no better hold-fast. (But more is thy fault: For never did dearest Father so lovingly entertaine into His greedy armes, a penitent Sonne, returning from going astray: then our mercifull God, upon thy renewed humiliation, is willing to shine upon thee againe, with the refreshing beames, and blessings of his woonted favour). Yet tell mee true, deare Heart, Tho for the p. 402present, that precious and happy prayer of Paul for the Romanes, Rom. 15.13.Rom 15:13The God of hope fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeving, be not fulfilled upon thy Soule; Tho thy former joyfull feelings bee turned into distrustfull feares: yet doth not that heavy heart of thine desire farre more to bee re-comforted with the presence, and pleased, face of thy Beloved; then crowned with the glory and pleasures of many worlds? Wouldest thou not much rather, feele the hand of thy Faith fastned againe with peace, and full perswasion upon the Person, Passion and promises of the Lord Iesus; then graspe in thy bodily hand, the richest Imperiall Crowne, that ever sate upon any Caesars head? If Satans spitefull craft, taking a cruell advantage of thy present dejection of spirit, doe not hinder thy trembling heart from telling the truth; I know, thou canst not deny this. And then I must tell Thee; These hearty longings, and longing desires in the meane time, untill God give more strength, be right deare to that tender-hearted Father of thine; which doth infinitely more esteeme one groane or sigh from a broken spirit, then a thousand rammes, or tenne thousand rivers of oyle; and are most pretious and piercing to that compassionate heart, that poured out it's warmest and dearest blood to purchase the salvation, and refresh the sadnesse of every truly-humbled Soule. Ground upon it then, and bee of good cheere: If thy troubled spirit fild with the sense of the want of it's former, sweet, and joyfull feelings, finde in it selfe a true and hearty longing after the supply of that want; a constant, and conscionable pursuite of all holy meanes for the procurement of that supply; I can assure Thee in the Word of life, and truth, in Gods season, Thou shalt bee satisfyed.Psal. 145.19.Ps 145:19 Hee will fullfill the desires of them that feare Him: Hee also will heare their cry, and will save them. And this blessed promise, for the accomplishment of thy desire, is as surely thine, as the breath in thy Body. Hee must sooner cease to bee God, and deny Himselfe▪ p. 403which is more then infinitely impossible, and prodigious blasphemy to imagine; then faile in the least circumstance, or syllable of all His love, and promises of life to any One, that heartily loves Him. All the sacred Sayings in His holy Booke, and all those promises of salvation, are signed with the hand of Truth it selfe, and sealed with the blood of His beloved Sonne; And so are farre surer, then the Pillars of the Earth, or Poles of Heaven: For Heaven and Earth must passe away, before any title of His Word fall unto the ground. And therefore, as Hee will most certainly poure upon the hairy Pate of every One, which hates to bee reformed, all the plagues and curses threatned there, even to the least sparke of the flames of Hell; and the last drop of the full vials of His infinite, endlesse, unquenchable wrath: so will Hee abundantly make good to every upright Soule, syncerely thirsting after Iesus Christ, in the best time, all the promised good in His blessed Booke, and that aboue all expectation, expression, conceit.

4. Fourthly, Thou mayst bee diversly distressed upon thy Bed of death.

1. Casting thine eye backe upon thy whole life, all thy sinnes from Adam to that houre; and willing, as thou must now take thy farewell, so to take thy fill of repentance; They appeare to the eie of thy conscience farre moe in number, and more ougly, then ever before. And no marvaile; for beeing now sequestred for ever from all worldly comforts, and company; distractions, and diversions, and the cloudes of naturall feare, raised by the dreadfull circumstances of approaching dissolution; uniting, as it were, and collecting the sight of thy Soule, which imploiments in the world, commerce amongst men, and Sunne-shine of outward prosperity, did before too much disperse, dazle, and divert; they are represented farre more to the life, and in their true colours. Whereupon, comparing the poore weake nothingnesse, p. 404as thou now apprehends, of thy godly sorrow, hatred, and opposition against them, with thy present apprehension of their hainousnesse, hatefulnesse, and horrible number; Thou begins to bee dejected, and knowest not well what to thinke of thy Selfe. I say then, for thy comfort, consult with thy sanctified heart; and thou shalt finde, and feele an infinite hearty desire, that thy repentance for them, detestatiō of them, and heart-rising against them, had been, and now were as thorow, sound, and resolute, as ever was in any penitent Soule, that breathed the life of grace upon earth.

2. Secondly, Revising now, thy whole Christian conversation; spending of Sabbaths, pouring out prayers, reading Scriptures, hearing the Word, love of the Brethren, dayes of humiliation, workes of mercy, receiving the Sacrament, godly conference, living by Faith in all estates, &c. Thou mayst see them in this last, impartiall, cleare, retired examination of thy conscience, to have been pestered with so many failings, imperfections, deadnesse of spirit, distractions, distempers; that thou begins to feare and conceive; As well never a whit, as never the better, as they say, &c. In this case also, reflect upon the holy habituall disposition of thy heart; and thou shalt feele it thirsting, and longing unfainedly, that all the holy duties, and good deeds, that ever passed thorow thy heart and hands, had been done in answerable exactnesse to the rules of divine Truth; and if it had so pleased God, with absolute freedome from all infirmities.

3. Thirdly, Thou mayst bee troubled at that time; because, beeing perhaps, as yet, but of little standing in Profession, thou hast done God so little service; and in that short time, hast not stood on Gods side with that courage and life, nor walked in his holy wayes, with that watchfulnesse and Zeale, as thou mightest. And it cuts thy heart the more; because thou spent so much of thy time, in serving thy selfe and Satan; and expectest p. 405now, to enjoy immortall joyes and a Crowne of endlesse blisse. But here is thy comfort. It is the unfained desire, and resolution of thine heart; If the Lord would bee pleased to allow Thee a longer time in this life, and adde many moe yeeres unto it; Thou wouldest double thy diligence, and improove all oportunities, to doe thy God every way farre more glorious service, then heretofore all the daies of thine appointed time; Oh! then thou wouldest doe so, and so, &c.

Assure now thy selfe, in these three cases, and troubles upon thy last Bed; this syncere desire of thine upright Soule, wilbe graciously accepted of our mercifull God, in the Name of Iesus Christ: As tho, first, Thy repentance had been to the full: Secondly, Thy obedience to the height: Thirdly, Thy present promises, vowes and resolutions, for future forwardnesse and fruitfulnesse performed to the vtmost. For when all is done, Iesus Christ is All in All: Hee alone is the onelyonly Sanctuary, and Tower of everlasting safty, for every truly humbled Soule to fly unto, both in life and death: Hee is made unto us wisedome, 1. Cor. 1.30.1 Cor 1:30righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption.

I come now, as I promised, to some speciall Cures, and particular application of comfortable Antidotes, to divers spirituall Maladies; of which, Christians specially complaine; to those terrours and temptations, which are woont most to afflict sin-troubled, and truly-humbled Soules.

1. I will suppose, Thou art effectually and savingly wrought-upon, by the Preaching and power of the Word; illightned, and convinced to acknowledge, and feele thy selfe to bee a most sinnefull and cursed wretch by nature; lost and forlorne, damned and utterly undone in thy selfe, &c. And upon the opening of the glorious Mysterie of the Gospell, and offer therein of the Person, and pretious merits of Iesus Christ, for the present binding-up of thy broken heart, and endlesse blessednesse, p. 406Thou art ravisht with extraordinary admiration and affection, after that hidden Treasure and Pearle of great price; holding thy selfe happy, that ever thou wast borne; and made for ever, if thou canst get possession of it; but a gone-man, if thou canst not get it, and an everlasting Cast-away. Most willing therefore art Thou to sell all that thou hast; prizing it infinitely before the riches, glory, and pleasures of the whole earth, &c. In which state, thou hast a strong, direct, and speciall Calling, to fill thine hungry Soule with Iesus Christ; to lay hold upon his Person, Sufferings, promises, and all the rich purchases of his dearest blood, as thine owne for ever;1. Cor. 1.30. 1. Pet. 1.8. Philip. 4.7.1 Cor 1:301 Pet 1:8Phil 4:7 To take Him, as thy wisedome, and righteousnesse, and sanctification, and redemption; that so unspeakeable ioy, and full of glory, peace which passeth all understanding, Evangelicall pleasures, which neither eye hath seene,1. Cor. 2.9.1 Cor 2:9 nor eare heard, neither have entred into the heart of Man, might abundantly flow into thine heart, from the Fountaine of all comfort. aaThough it bee a Truth clearer then the Sunne-beames, that a broken-hearted sinner ought to embrace mercy so strongly enforced: yet there is no Truth, that the heart shutteth it selfe more against, then this, especially in sense of misery, &c. Doctor Sibbes, in his Preface to the B.K.But yet so it is; alledging, that thou art the unworthiest upon earth; the vilest of Men; No heart so hard as thine; thy sinnes farre above ordinary; of an abominable and most abhorred streine; of a scarlet and crimson die: for thou hast done so and so; sinned many and many a time against that Divine, nay, and even naturall light; which stood in thy Conscience, like an armed Man; persecuted the Saints; liued in Sodom, &c. And that which troubles thee most of all, for all these sinnes, thy sorrow is very poore and scant, in no proportion to thy former hainous provocations. I say, upon these, and the like mistaken grounds, Thou very unadvisedly professes, but against thine own Soule, That as yet, Thou canst not, thou dares not, Thou wilt not, meddle with any mercy, apply any promise, or bee perswaded, that Iesus Christ belongs unto Thee. What? Such a vile, unworthy, abominable wretch at thou! to expect such glorious things; to come neare so pure a God; to lay violent hands upon the Lord of p. 407life, and looke for everlasting blisse! Alas! Say what you will, saist thou, as yet I cannot, I dare not, I will not. Whereupon Thou willfully, as it were, lies still upon the Racke of much spirituall terrour, and trouble of minde; And which is a miserable addition and mischiefe, for which Thou maist thanke thy selfe; art all the while farre more liable, and lies much more open to Satans most horrible injections, and cruellest temptations to selfe destruction, despaire, plunging againe into former pleasures of Good-fellowship, and the like.

It grieves mee to consider, how fearefully and falsly thou deceives thine own heart, in a point of so great importance, to thy much spiritual hurt, and further horror. Why, therefore art thou most welcome to Iesus Christ; because thou art so sensible of thybbVt quisque abiectissimus erit, tantum abest quin desperationis causa sit suae paupertas, ut inde potiùs debeat animum colligere ad Christum quaerendum. Sed meminerîmus non alios censeri pauperes, nisi qui sibi ipsis tales sunt: hoc est, qui suae inopiae sensu oppressi iacent. Musc. in Mat. cap. 11.Matt 11 spirituall misery, and beggery; because thou art so vile, so abominable, so unworthy and wretched in thine own conceit.**Mat. 9.12.13.Matt 9:12Matt 9:13 Those that bee whole, need not a Physician; but they that are sicke. Christ came not to call the ccforeign, id est, eos, qui sibi iusti videntur, sive qui se iustos esse somniant, quod fait Pharisaeorum dogma: quibus opponuntur peccatores, id est, Qui suorum pectatorum sensu vulnerati ad unam Dei misericordiam confugiunt. Beza in Loc.righteous, but sinners. And in this respect, He is said to ddRom. 4.5.Rom 4:5iustifie the ungodly; and to die for the ee1. Pet. 3.18.1 Pet 3:18uniust; And to seeke those that finde themselves lost. ffFor our encouragement to a thorow worke of bruising, and patience under Gods bruising of us, let us all know, that none are fitter for comfort, then those that thinke themselves furthest off. Men, for the most part, are not lost enough in their owne feeling, for a Saviour. A holy despaire in our selves, is the ground of true hope. Doctor Sibbes Bruised R. pag. 43.And therefore, that which thou makes thy greatest discouragement to come unto Christ, should bee, and in truth is, the greatest encouragement, to cast thy selfe with confidence into the bosome of His love.

But before I come to speake more fully to the Point, Let mee premise this Principle:

When a Man is once syncerely humbled under Gods mighty hand, with sight of sinne, and sense of divine wrath; so that now all his former wicked wayes, pollutions, p. 408and provocations of Gods pure eye, lie so heavy upon His heart; that Hee is truly weary, willing to bee rid of them all, unfainedly thirsting after the blood and holinesse of Christ: And therefore as well content to take upon him His sweet and easy yoke, for to please Him in New-obedience for the time to come; as to partake of the merit of His Passion, for the present pardon of His sinnes; I say, then Hee must conceive, that Hee hath a sound, seasonable, and comfortable Calling, to lay fast hold upon Iesus Christ; and to bee undoubtedly perswaded, that Hee hath his part and portion in Him. And besides, that Gods blessed Word determines it, Hee may the rather assent unto the season, and the more boldly believe; Because Hee hath now found, and feeles by his owne experience, the practise of that double policy of the Divell, so often discovered unto Him heretofore by Gods faithfull Messengers, to wit; That whereas Hee was a long time most industrious to …eepe His heart resolutely stubborne, and unstird against the might and piercing of the most powerfull Ministry; and when at any time Hee once perceived it to begin to worke upon Him, raised all possible oppotion against His yeelding: So now, when Hee is truly toucht indeed, and resolute to abandon His Hellish slavery for ever; Hee labours might and maine, with all restlesse cruelty and malice, to keepe His conscience continually upon the Racke. To this purpose, He objects and urgeth to the utmost, the hainousnesse of his former sinnes, the fiercenesse of Gods wrath, which Hee cunningly concealed before; the littlenesse of His sorrow; His unworthinesse to meddle with any promise, and the like. And what's the reason, thinke you, that Hee, who was so dawbing before, is now so downeright; Hee, that was so indulgent before, is now so desperately bloody, and for nothing but despaire, and damnation? It is easie to tell; For that foule Fiend knowes full well, if a poore Soule in the supposed case, p. 409and such a truly-humbled state, shall but come now, when Christ calls Him, and set to His seale, that God is true; which not to doe, shall ever bee an unmannerly madnesse, and willfull cruelty to a mans owne conscience, Hee is then quite gone out of His kingdome of darkenesse; and an immortall Soule is pulld out of His Hellish Paw for ever. This is the true reason, why Hee so rageth, when Hee sees a weary Soule make towards Iesus Christ for rest. I have often foretold you of Satans methode, and malice, in managing His temptations in this kinde; that beeing fore-warned, yee may be fore-armed. He plots first, and prevailes with most amongst us, to keepe them from terrour and trouble for sinne. But if they bee once happily wounded that way, then His next plot, is to allay, and take away the smart by outward mirth; or dawbe, and draw over a skinne onelyonly with unsound and superficiall comfort. But if Hee find, that it bleeds still, and will not bee stanched, but onelyonly by the blood of Christ; and that no earthly pleasure can any whit asswage the paine; then in a third Place doth Hee cast about, and contend with all cruelty, to keepe the poore Soule in a perpetuall sad slavish trembling▪ that it may not dare to meddle with any comfort, or apply the promises; but cherishing the bruise, against the counsell of the Prophets, bleede inwardly still. And this Point Hee plies with more eagernesse and fury, because the very next step, to wit, but even reaching out of this spirituall Gulfe and griefe for sinne, towards the mercifull hand of Christ, holden out to helpe Him up, is the next and immediate Act, by which a man is quite, and for ever puld out of His power, and put into the Paradise of grace.