A Cordial for a Fainting Soul, Sermon 13
The Thirtheenth SERMON.
LUKE 17. v. 5.
Lord, increaſe our faith.
CHAP. XIII.
How to comfort that ſoule that thinks it hath not true Faith, becauſe it doth not feele God ſtrengthning it to thoſe acts of Grace which it ought to act.
I Will take leave here (apprehending it a ſeaſonable place) to bring it in, to ſpeak ſomething to one ſcruple of conſcience, which doth often perplex many a good Chriſtian; and that is want of feeling of Gods love &c. Ah! (ſaith many a poore ſoule) did I but indeed know that God and Chriſt were my Redeemer and portion, then I think I ſhould not need be mu…h intreated to caſt away this ſadneſſe and dejection of ſpirit, but I cannot feele any ſuch thing. And this makes a Chriſtian think that it neither doth nor may believe.
Now there is a double feeling, for the want of which, many good ſoules often complaine, and upon the want of which they raiſe to themſelves concluſions againſt believing. For want of a diſtinction I will preſume for once to coyne one, There is a feeling of peace, and a feeling of ſtrength.
1. The feeling of peace, is, when a poor Christian apprehends God appeaſed to its ſoule, and feels him ſaying, I am thy God, the God of thy ſalvation; this is that perſwaſion which is that higheſt reflex act of Faith of which I ſpake the laſt time, and ſhewed you what degrees and abatements it might meet with in a true Believer: Now this a true Chriſtian may want, though he doth feel Gods ſpirit carrying him on to acts of mortification and vivification &c. Of this I ſhall not ſpeak, having ſpoken the laſt time, how farre it may be wanted, weakened, or abated, or diſcontinued, even in Gods true and dear children.
2. But there is another feeling which for diſtinction ſake, I call a feeling of ſtrength; when a Chriſtian, though he doth not feele Gods peace ſealed up and aſſured unto his ſoule, yet he cannot deny but hee feels his ſoul carryed out by God unto duties, to love him, to deſire him, to delight in him &c. Now this latter feeling ought to ſatisfie the ſoul, when, though God doth not pleaſe as yet to apply the promiſe to his ſoule; yet he feels God enabling him to apply himſelfe to the promiſe, when he feels God changing and renewing his heart and affections &c. But here is that which many poore Chriſtians want, and complaine for the want of; they will confeſſe, that could they but feel God ſtrengthening them againſt their corruptions, and carrying out their hearts in acts of love, and deſire towards him &c they would quiet themſelves, and bee very thankfull to him, if he would but give them ſo much of the morſels of Free-grace as would keep ſpirituall life in them, and keep their hearts from dying for want of mouth-fuls, although God would not yet pleaſe to let them ſit down at the banquetting table of aſſurance, and eat of the ſweet meats of that peace which paſſeth all underſtanding. If God would pleaſe to give them but ſuch ſips of his flaggons as might ſtay them, though they wanted ſuch diſhes of apples as to comfort them, it would ſuffice; but alas! this they want, and how can they believe? &c.
Now all that I ſhall ſpeak to a Chriſtian in this perplexity I will reduce to theſe two heads.
1. Something by way of Conſolation: And
2. Something by way of direction.
Firſt, By way of Conſolation, I ſhould propound theſe few things, as conſiderations which may tend through the bleſſing of God to the comforting of ſuch ſouls in ſuch ſtreights.
Conſid. 1. That not feeling, doth not argue a not being: A thing may be though it be not felt; it is no Logick to inferre a negative concluſion from ou… ſenſe. Sometimes wee ſee not the beames of the Sun; the interpoſition of the Moone doth hinder us in an eclypſe from beholding its light; yea, dark clouds we ſee ordinarily will doe it; what ſhall we therefore conclude that the Sun doth not ſhine? or that the Sunne doth not caſt an influence upon the creatures? this we ſhould call ridiculous. In like manner thou ſayeſt, I doe not feele God caſting his influence of grace upon my ſoul, ſtrengthening me againſt my corruptions, nor ſo ſhining upon me with beames of enlivening quickning grace, my heart is not quick in his ſervice, it is dead unto duties, and dull in them, I doe nor feel the heat of the Son of Righteouſneſſe warming my ſoule with beames of love &c. therefore wilt thou conclude God doth not doe it? The Pſalmiſt cryes out for want of feeling,Pſal. 22. v. 1. Pſal. 22. v. 1. My God, my God, why hast thou forſaken me, and art ſo farre from my health, and from t…e words of my roaring? and ſo hee goes on, v. 2. O my God, I cry by day time and thou heareſt not, and in the night, and have no audience. Mark Chriſtian! holy men may ſometimes want feeling; did not God think you heare David? had he indeed no audience according to his ſad thoughts? Ah! (ſaith a Chriſtian) but there was ſome comfort, though he did not feele peace, yet hee did feele ſtrengh; he felt God enabling him to pray, and cry, and ſeek him; but I cannot feele this. Heark yet once againe to Aſaph, Pſal. 77. v 4. I am ſo troubled that I cannot ſpeak, David, Pſal. 51. v. 10. 11, 12. He prayes to God, to create a clean heart, and renew a right ſpirit within him, and v. 14. to confirm him with a free ſpirit. And yet ſhall we think that at this time David had not the ſweet influences of Gods holy Spirit? if ſo, we are confuted from the foregoing verſe, Cast me not away from thy preſence, take not thy holy ſpirit from me. By all which it may eaſily appeare that it is one thing not to feel God ſtrengthening and quickning us, and another thing for him not to doe it: The working of Gods Spirit within us is very ſecret, according to the nature of the Spirit; we doe not feele the ſtarres influence upon us, nor yet the actings of our ſoules within us, and yet it is certaine, they have an influence upon us: and that our ſoules do ſubtilly and ſecretly act in all, in every part of our bodies: and therefore ſecondly,
Conſid. 2. That the truth of Gods love to thee in his acting in thee, is not ſo eaſily to bee diſcerned in the acting and working of God, as in the effect of ſuch acts and operations; ſecret acts of ſpirituall ſubſtances are not to be diſcerned and underſtood in agendo, but in affecto, not in the doing but when they are done; we cannot feel the ſoules conveying of its influence and power of working through every part of the body, wee cannot underſtand or ſee or feele the time when it doth it, nor the manner how it doth it &c. yet we know it is done, and that is enough for us; thou canſt not ſee nor feel the acting of the vegetative ſoule in the plant, thou canſt not feel how it growes, or ſee when it growes or underſtand the moment of its ſhooting out, yet thou ſayeſt it doth act▪ the plant is grown, and the vegetative ſoule in it hath queſtionleſſe been the internall principle of its growth. You may poſſibly ſee a man in ſome lethargick diſeaſe or in a trance, that you ſhall not ſee or diſcern that his ſoule is yet in his body; you ſhall not diſcerne his pulſe to beat, nor diſcern him to breath, but all poſſibly in the room may judge him dead: yet his body keepes ſtill warme, doth not ſtiffen, or grow cold, his eyes are not ſet, nor his chap fallen, and poſſibly by applying a glaſſe to his mouth you may diſcern he yet breathes, and lives, and conſequently you may gather the mans ſoule hath not yet taken its leave of the body, for then you know hee would grow ſtiff and cold: and ſo you conclude that his pulſe doth ſtill beat, though ſo obſcurely that you cannot feele or diſcerne it; ſo it may bee with thy ſoule (Chriſtian); the inviſible worke of God in acting his grace in thee, quickning, ſtrengthning thee, moving thee to ſpirituall duties, if thou lookeſt to ſee it and feele it acting, as thou mayeſt feel the beating of thy pulſe upon thy wriſt, thou mayſt be deceived, it may beat darkly and ſecretly, it is a ſecret work of a ſpirituall ſubſtance; and yet thou mayeſt be comforted in it, if thou wilt but look to the effects; if thy ſoul and body do not grow ſtiffe and cold & ſtinking with old ſins and luſts and baſe corruptions: there is ſome ſpirituall life that keeps thy ſoule warm; though thou canſt not feele Gods ſecret and ſpirituall working in thy ſoule in the very act of warming and quickning thee, and enabling thy ſoule to love him, and deſire after him; yet ſpeake truth, does not thy ſoule love him? doeſt thou not delight in him? doeſt thou not deſire after him? come, let us put a glaſſe to the mouth of thy ſoule; here's a baſe luſt and corruption, which if thou acteſt, thou ſhalt bewray the hatred of thy God to all the World; dareſt thou doe it wilfully and knowingly? here is a prophane company that would be glad of thy company; and at the ſame time here's an Ordinance of God, at which if thou wilt be, thou mayeſt poſſibly ſuck a great deale of ſweetneſſe, and taſte much of thy God: where wilt thou be? wilt thou baulk thy communion with God, rather then with prophane and ungodly men? If thou dareſt ſo, it is ſomething; but on the contrary, doth no communion, no company pleaſe thee ſo as the company of the Saints of God? and doth no communion like thee ſo as the communion thou haſt with thy God in his Ordinances? If ſo, thou haſt ſome ſpirituall life in thee; for the dead man hath no ſuch judicious pallat; and if thou liveſt a ſpirituall life, it is not thou that liveſt, but Chriſt that liveth in thee, and thou liveſt by Faith in the Son of God; thus thou mayeſt eaſily diſcern that in the effects, which thou couldſt not in the working of the cauſe. But Alas! (ſaith a poore Chriſtian) my willing and deſiring is nothing; for though to will bee preſent with me, yet I have no ſtrength to performe. And what will you make a deſire to beleeve and pray Faith and Prayer? I anſwer, raw deſires and wiſhes are no more beleeving, then Eſaus weeping for the bleſſing was the bleſſing, or Balaams wiſh to dye the death of the righteous was the happy end of ſuch as dye in the Lord. But the ſincere deſires and good will of juſtified perſons are accepted of the Lord for the deed; and when Chriſt pronounceth ſuch bleſt as hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſſe, we ſay in that ſenſe a ſincere deſire to pray and believe,Ruth. p. 14…. is materially and by concomitancy a neighbour, and neere a kin to beleeving and praying. A verball or ſemina… intention to pray, beleeve, love Chriſt, do his will, is in the ſeed of praying, beleeving &c. when the intention is ſupernaturall, and of the ſame kind with the act, as the ſeed is the tree: we ſay not ſo of naturall intentions or deſires; As Abrahams ſincere intentions to offer up his ſonne, was the offring of his ſon &c. But I go to a third conſideration.
Thirdly therefore conſider that feeling at the beſt is but a deceivable and diſputable evidence; ofttimes concluſions grounded upon ſenſe are falſe and ſink in time. If thou judgeſt thy condition by feeling, thou mayeſt ofttimes think God doth nothing for thee, though he be at that inſtant fully enlivening thee &c. and againe think that God is at peace with thee, and that hee carrieth thee out to duties &c. when there is no ſuch matter, and it is nothing but the ſtrength of natuarall parts that carrieth thee out &c. Saul thought he had a great deal of feeling, 1 Sam. 15. 13. when he came to meet Gods meſſenger, he cryes out, Bleſſed be thou of the Lord; I have kept the Commandments of the Lord; But yet the following part of that ſtory will tell you that Saul was far enough off from any true feeling of peace and comfort: So without queſtion thoſe in Mat. 7. 22. judged themſelves to have a great deale of feeling of Gods ſtrength, when they had propheſied in Gods name, and in his name caſt out Devils, and in his name done many wonderfull workes; yet Chriſt profeſſeth he would ſay to many ſuch, I never knew you, depart from me yee workers of iniquity; thou cryeſt, thou doſt not feele God carrying thee out in duties as many other Chriſtians are, and that which thou calleſt Gods ſpirit in them, or in thy ſelfe, may be no ſuch matter; it is not the courting of God with elegant e…eſſions that argues the ſtrength of God aſſiſting; there is many a ſtammering non-ſence prayer that hath more of the ſweet ſpirit of God in it: there may be a full heart, though it runs not out of the lips ſo faſt, yea oftentimes the fulneſſe of the heart cauſeth the ſtraitneſſe of the lips, juſt as the fulneſſe of the veſſell may occaſion the water to run ſlowly out of the hole for want of vent or wind.
The Apoſtle ſayes, that the Spirit of God helpeth our infirmities, with cryes and groanes which cannot be uttered; it doth not ſay it helpeth our infirmities with courtly expreſsions that cannot be pa…alleled: thou mayeſt when thou thinkeſt that God carrryes thee out with more ſtrength and enlargement to duties, call and miſconſtrue that to be the ſtrength and aſſiſtance of the ſpirit of God which is occaſioned meerly from thy owne cleareneſſe of naturall ſpirit, when thou art in a little better vein of Rhetorick then thou wert. Miſtake not, there is a diſtinction betwixt Praying gifts, and Praying graces; I obſerve it is ſaid Iacob wreſtled with God, (by vertue of ſtrength from him ſubintellige.) This is the ſtrength of the ſpirit: the ſpirits worke is not to carry out our tongue in expreſſions, but our heart in zeale and importunity. It is not ſaid that Iacob ſcraped leggs with God; no; he wreſtled; wee are but ill ludges of feeling commonly, which makes feeling but a deceivable and diſputable evidence.
Fourthly, conſider that No Christian feeleth alwayes alike, yea, perhaps, hath no cauſe to feele alwayes ali…e. God to the beſt of his deareſt ſervants doth ſometimes meaſure but an Ephah, and ſometimes but an Omer; diſtinguiſh alwayes betwixt the truth of Gods love to his deare children, and the actings, I meane the viſible actings of his love; that of God which is not ſeene, is alwayes full and certain to Chriſtians, I meane his elective love, the yernings of his heart towards his deare children; there is of God alſo that may be ſeen, Pſal. 68. 24. They have ſeen thy goings O God, even the goings of my God in the Sanctuary; Gods goings in a poor ſoule are ſometimes very viſible to a gracious ſoule, but ſometimes his goings are more ſecret and inviſible, yet he is alwaies going in acts of love and grace to his poore fervants, only his goings are more myſterious and dark; God ſometimes goes a meere foot pace, juſt ſets one foot before another in them and towards them, ſometimes hee goes faſter and more ſtrongly in them▪ and apparently towards them.
Firſt, Gods ſoft going in the ſoule may ſometimes bee a cauſe why the ſoule cannot feel. Peter had no reaſon to feel the ſtrength of God alike, when he ſhamefully denied his Maſter in the high Prieſts Hall, as when hee durſt venture to walke on the Sea towards him.
Secondly, God withdrawes ſome degrees of his ſtrength ſometimes to try whether a Chriſtian can ſtand upon the true legs of Faith, as well as upon the wooden legs of ſenſe; the mother withdrawes her hand ſometimes to ſee how the child can goe without truſting to the feeling of her hand guiding and ſupporting it.
Thirdly, another cauſe may be in the Chriſtian why he cannot feele God carrying him out to acts of his grace in his ſtrength alwayes alike; The ſoule may poſsibly have lost its feeling; the benummed member doth not feele; In ſickneſſes and deſeaſes of the body, Nature may ſometimes bee ſo much infeebled, that ſometimes the party affected falls into a dead ſwound▪ wherein he is deiprved for a time, not only of the uſe of his underſtanding, reaſon and memory, but alſo of his ſenſe, motion, and vitall functions. So it may be with a Chriſtian; ſin or the violence of ſome temptations of Sathan may bee ſuch, that the Chriſtian cannot feele any thing; the ſoule caſt into a ſwound, and deprived of all the ſpirituall faculties of it, faith love, life &c. no wonder the ſoule for the preſent doth not feele: the leg of the ſoule is aſleep, the whole ſoule is benummed, how ſhould it feel? but let it alone a little: as ſuch body (if not quite dead) will quickly returne to its ſenſe again and live, and feele, and move &c. ſo likewiſe will the gracious ſoule quickly come to recover its life, and ſenſe, and motion againe; though the ſoule ſeemes (to the judgement of ſenſe) to have no ſap or principle of life in it; yet conſider it is winter-time with the ſoule, ſtay but till the ſpring and ſummer, while the froſt hath done nipping and diſcolouring, and the ſoule will have its ſap viſible, and recover i…s beauty againe: there is fire in the ſoule, though it be caked up in the night; wait but till the morning that the aſhes be blown away, you ſhall ſee the fire of Gods ſpirit is not extinguiſhed in the ſoule. I ſleepe, (ſaith the Spouſe) but my heart waketh: there is a waking heart, though there be no waking eye, the ſoule (as well as the body) in ſleep is bereaved of ſenſe: wait but till the morning, and the ſoule will confeſſe it ſeeth, and hath recovered its ſenſes again. Thus for thy comfort know Chriſtian, that thou couldſt not juſtly expect to feele alwayes alike: for firſt God doth not diſpenſe alwayes alike: and ſecondly if he did diſpenſe alwayes alike, yet a benummed, aſhy, winter-ſleepy ſoule hath not that beauty …or that ſenſe which a lively, healthy, well-tempered, clear-ſpring-awakened ſoule hath.
Fifthly, conſider That Gods ſtrength may be then ſeen in thee, when it is not ſeen and felt by thee. The gracious ſoule is not alwayes, nay, is very ſeldome a competent Judge of it ſelf; the high Chriſtian may often have a very low, yea, too low an opinion of himſelfe; the Chriſtian is his own worſt conſtruing Book, and eſpecially too at ſome times: if Paul may be judge of himſelf, ſometimes he is the leaſt of Saints, and the chiefeſt of ſinners, and unworthy to bee called an Apoſtle. If David may be judge of himſelfe, Pſal. 22 v. 6. He is a worm and no man, yea, the very reproach of men. So if many Chriſtians may be judges of themſelves: Alas! they cannot pray, they cannot love God, they cannot beleeve, they feel nothing of the rength of God carrying them out; when (if ſtanders by may be judges) there is a great deale of the ſtrength of God manifeſted in their hearts and carriages of their lives, and God is gloriouſly diſcovered in carrying out their hearts ſo gloriouſly, and ſweetly, and firmely for him as he doth: take a true Chriſtian, and this is a ſure rule, that God and Gods people have far better opinions of him, then he hath of himſelfe; now this may comfort thee, when other better and more experienced Chriſtians (by thy own confeſſion) then thy ſelf, can ſee more in thee, then thou canſt feele; the body in a dead ſwound feels no life in it ſelfe, but all its vitall motions and functions are hindred: now therefore at ſuch a time, others in the roome are Iudges of its life or death, they by obſerving the warmth of the body, the motions of the pulſe, or applying a glaſſe to the mouth of the ſwounding perſon, do perceive life in the man that to his owne ſenſe, and perhaps to the ſenſe of ſome others is a dead carkaſſe.
Sixthly and laſtly, conſider that it is no Argument to warrant thee not to beleeve, becauſe thou doest not feele God carrying thee out by his armes of ſtrength in ſuch a manner to ſpirituall duties, and the acts of ſpirituall and ſaving graces as thou deſireſt, or perhaps expecteſt; the reaſon of this is plain, becauſe it is my duty as well to beleeve for ſtrength, as for any thing elſe; Sure I am, Gods promiſes are as much for ſtrength to act grace as for any thing elſe: and the promiſes of God are the object of my Faith; it is my duty to beleeve the promiſes, I will ſtrengthen thee (ſaith God,) I will help thee and uphold thee with the hand of my righteouſneſſe: thou ſayeſt this cannot I believe. Why? becauſe God doth not ſtrengthen me and help me carry out my heart in an act of Faith: Thus thou beggeſt the queſtion; the queſtion is not whither thou oughteſt to believe when thou feeleſt God carrying thee on to believing &c. But whither thou oughteſt not to believe that God will ſtrengthen thee, and carry thee out to acts of believing and loving &c. But ſome may ſay, What doth this differ from Free-will doctrine? Can I believe unleſſe God doth ſtrengthen me to believe? Why, doe you call upon a man to lay hold when he complaineth that he wants hands▪ or upon a man to walk, when he tells you he cannot find that he hath any legs? Miſtake not Chriſtian; God hath ſaid, I will ſtrengthen thee, I will help thee, and uphold thee with the hand of my righteouſneſſe: Now I ſay it is thy duty to believe this promiſe of ſtrength & help, and I confeſſe that it is not in thy power to believe this promiſe, but God muſt ſtrengthen thee and help thee before thou canſt believe this promiſe that he will ſtrengthen thee and help thee; but yet I doe not call upon one that hath no hands to lay hold, nor upon one that hath no legs to walk, but upon one that ſaith he doth not feele his legs, I call upon him to walk, and I call upon one that doth not know and feele that hee hath hands to lay hold &c. And this is ſenſe, and warrantable Divinity; Faith is not ſenſible and viſible to a Chriſtian in the habit, but only in the acts; I call to thee to ſhew forth the habit of faith. Now it ſhall not excuſe thee from this duty, that thou canſt not feele thou haſt any habite of Faith; the habite of this pretious grace is inviſible. Thus have I given thee ſome conſiderations, which duly weighed and conſidered, may comfort thy ſoule under this perplexity. I have only one thing more to doe, and that is to ſpeak a word or two of direction to ſuch ſoules to ſhew them what to doe, that they may be comforted, in which I will be briefe.
Firſt, then by way of direction, Finde out the cauſe and remove it; the cauſes may bee various; I cannot name them all; but the great and ordinary cauſes may be, firſt Gods will; ſecondly, thy own temper.
1. Gods will; he will not pleaſe perhaps to lead thee with ſo ſtrong an arm at one time as at another; hee will try how thou wilt live by faith; ſenſe is bread; he will have thee not to live by bread only, but by every word that commeth out of the mouth of God. Now ſence and feeling, that is bread; if this be the cauſe (as it was in Peter) thou muſt not diſpute but ſubmit to it.
2. The cauſe may be in thy ſelf; it may be thou art under ſome violent temptations of Sathan, or under the clouds and darkneſſes of ſome ſinnes or corruptions, or thy expectation of feeling or ſenſe may be too high, or thou mayeſt be wilfull, and not feel when thou mayeſt. Theſe cauſes muſt bee removed by faith, repentance, endeavour, obedience &c. Hath ſin benummed thee? be humbled for this ſinne, and thou ſhalt feele: Art thou in deſertion? believe and hope, and thou ſhalt feele again. It is a known maxime, Take away the cauſe, and the effect will ceaſe. But
Secondly, Wait for feeling; this is is a part of thy duty in relation to this want, eſpecially cauſed by Gods will, Iſ. 40. 31. They that wait upon the Lord, ſhall renew their ſtrength like the Eagle. Pſal. 27. 14. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he ſhall ſtrengthen thine heart; wait I ſay on the Lord: wait with faith and hope, and patience.
Thirdly, Learn to live upon Gods Word: Man ſhall not live by bread only, but upon every Word that commeth out of the mouth of God: We are not to live by faith upon the incertainty of ſenſe: All that that ſpeakes is not Goſpel; but we have a more ſure and certain livelihood, even the unchangeable goodneſſe, and infallible goodneſſe of a God that cannot lie nor repent. Senſe is deceiving, truth is infallible; doth ſenſe ſay God doth not ſtrengthen me? and doth Gods word ſay, theſe things I could not doe if God did not ſtrengthen me? whither it be now better to believe God, or deceivable ſenſe, judge thou.
Fourthly, Learn to acknowledged Gods little finger? thou doeſt not finde God lending his whole hand, perhaps not ſtrengthening thee in ſuch a meaſure to act grace in ſuch a degree; but know the leaſt ſtirring of the ſoul in a ſpirituall manner to a ſpirituall action is from God; fleſh and blood could not doe it; find ou… out Gods little ſecret workings, look for theſe, thou wilt finde ſome of them in thy ſoule.
Fifthly and laſtly, Act contrary to thy minde: we bid the ſick man eat againſt his ſtomack; thou ſayeſt I cannot pray, I cannot believe: why? I doe not find God giving me an heart to it; doe it againſt thy minde; thou ſhalt finde ſtrength to doe it, and comfort from doing of it.
This learned Mr Rutherford gives great Reaſon for; as 1. Becauſe it is ordinarily ſeen that a Chriſtian may begin to pray with ſad and fleſhly complaints of unbeliefe, yet going on, the breathing of the holy Ghoſt will fill the ſailes &c. if we be doing, the Lord will be with us. 2. Our indiſpoſition is a ſinne, and doth not free us from our duty. 3.Ruth. We are to pray againſt weakneſſe and indiſpoſition,Chriſt dying. and for ſtrength, and freedome of ſpirit. 4. We are commanded in the day of trouble and temptation to pray, Pſal. 50. 15. Math. 6. 13. … 5. It is a ſinfull omiſsion in us not to pray and act, not to doe what we can, though we feele a weakneſſe &c. and ſeverall other Reaſons he gives, p. 486. 487. &c. Now doeſt thou not feele the ſtrengthening influence of Gods Spirit carrying thee on to thy duty? yet doe it, that is the way to come to have a feeling; ſtirre up the grace of God that is in thee, 2. Tim. 1. 6. God complained, Eſay 64. v 7. That there was none that cal'd upon his name, or ſtirred up himſelf to lay hold upon him. It is the ordinary practice of Free-grace, to ſend in ſenſe and ſtrength upon thy endeavours, yet freely, not as merited by them. And thus I have ſhortly diſpatcht all that I have to ſay to this ſcruple of conſcience, where the ſoule complaines for want of feeling &c.