Gods Call from Heaven Echoed, Part 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. VI. The Degrees, and Steps, whereby effectual calling ariſeth to perfection, and is compleated.
NOw in the next place let us conſider thoſe degrees, whereby God carryeth on this choice work: The rounds of that Ladder, whereby he raiſeth the Soul from Earth to Heaven, from its ſelf to himſelf: Let us track the footing of the Spirit in its ordinary goings. For be it from me to confine the Spirit; for as it bloweth where it liſteth, ſo alſo how it liſteth: but this order ſeems to me probable from the nature of effectual calling, and from the experience of converts.
1. Cognition: Or a knowledge of the Law; S. 1 It uſually learneth this Horn-book, before it get into an higher Forme: How can he be what he would be, that knoweth not what he is? And how can he know what he is, that knoweth not what he ſhould be? Rom. 7. 7. I had not known ſin, but by the Law: And had he Lex eſt index peccati. Ambr.been ignorant of the Law, he might have been ignorant of his ſin too: It is the hand that doth indigitate and point at ſin: The Law is a looking-glaſſe, but if we have not eyes to make uſe of this Glaſſe, what will it avail us? Sin is 1 John 3. 1, 4, 8.the tranſgreſſion of a Law; and where no Law is, there can be no tranſgreſſion: and if there Rom. 4. 15.be Law, and no knowledge of this Law, there can be no knowledge of ſin: The pages then of the Book of the moral Law (or of that we are ſpeaking) muſt be turned over; the Soul muſt meditate upon that: God opens the eye now to ſee his mind in Precepts, and Prohibitions in his Law: Hath not the darkneſſe of ignorance kept many an one a ſleep ſtill in the Devils Lap? Unſeen danger maketh no Impreſſion upon the Spirit; Doth not the Law ſpeak of guilt, danger, &c.? It is true, a man may have knowledge of the Law, and yet (through inconſiderateneſſe, or the ſtrong tide of corruption bearing down all before it,) (till God ſtop and damme it up with the workings of his ſpecial grace) may go on in ſin, and purſue the fooliſh imaginations of his own Heart: but where there is effectual calling, this was an Attendant to uſher it in; in this new Creation Light is one of the firſt things that is made: Gods gracious Works upon the Soul begin with light, and his way is from the eye to the Heart. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkneſſe Acts 26. 18.to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God: And how can they know, that they are under the power of Satans Kingdom, if they know not the Laws of Gods Monarchy? I mention not the Law to derogate from, or Eclipſe the Splendour of the Goſpel.
2. Comparation: The next thing is the uſe, S. 2 that the Soul makes of the knowledge of the Law; namely to compare it's wayes with the Law: Now it layes it's Life to the Line; it's Wayes to the Word: Now it brings it's ſelf to the Trial, the Touch-ſtone, the Square: The Commandements are Holy, and juſt, and good: Rom. 7. 12. Rectum eſt regula ſui, & obliqui.And therefore fit to be a meaſure; for every ſtraight thing doth beſt diſcover that which is crooked: There are the Ballances of the Sanctuary, wherein the Soul weigheth it ſelf: now it brings it's face to this Glaſſe, and there tells it's Spots not of Beauty, but Deformity: As 2 Kings 4. 34.Eliſha ſtretched himſelf upon the Child part to part; ſo doth the Soul bring the Law to it ſelf, and it's ſelf to the Law, in thought, word, and deed.
Doth not the Apoſtle compare himſelf, and his wayes with the Law: in Rom. 7. 14. Where he ſaith, we know that the Law is Spiritual; but I am Carnal, ſold under Sin: A Spiritual Law, but a Carnal Paul: This alſo was Davids courſe. Pſ. 119. 59. I thought on my wayes, and turned my feet unto thy Teſtimonies: And how could he think on his wayes, if he knew not the Law, and compared them together. The Soul now ſaith to it's ſelf, as Jehu 2 Kings 10. 15.to Jehonadah, with a little alteration of the Words, Is my Heart Right as the Law is? Before the Soul did compare it ſelf with it ſelf, with others, which were falſe Rules; but now with the unerring word of God, which is the juſteſt meaſure: God hates falſe Ballances, and meaſures in Spirituals, as well as temporals.
1. Apprehenſion. Of the evil of it's ways.
2. Apprehenſion. Of it's loſt condition. S. 3
The next ſtaire, or ſtep that the Soul takes, is apprehenſion, or ſence; and that, 1. of ſin & the evil of its wayes; now it ſeeth it ſelf ſick; and having looked into the Law, it diſcernes the paleneſſe of it's countenance, the Symptome of it's hearts diſtemper. It may ſay to the Law, as the 1 Kings 17. 18.Widow to Elijah: O thou Law of God, thou art come to call my ſin to remembrance: Before all was well, now all is ill; all whole before, now all is naught: Now it knoweth it ſelf to be a ſinner; to be black, defiled, and polluted all over.
All the wayes of a Man or Woman are clean in their own eys before, but the Lord weigheth Prov. 16. 2.the Spirits: He that is firſt in his own cauſe ſeemeth juſt; but his Neghbour cometh and ſearcheth Prov. 18. 17.him: We are too ready to be partial in our own cauſe: but the Law as our Neighbour, (for it is written in the Heart in ſome meaſure,) cometh and ſearcheth us: The Lord promiſeth in his new Covenant, that people ſhall remember their own evil wayes, and their doings that were not good, and ſhall loath themſelves in their own ſight, for their Iniquities, and for their abominations. Ezek. 36. 31. Now doth the Soul call to remembrance it's former evil Practices; and ſaith, I was in the dark before, and thought nothing; now I am in the light, I perceive my ſelf all ſtained, and mired.
2. Of it's loſt condition: Now it ſeeth the S. 4 Sword of Gods indignation hang over its head by a twine thred; now it ſeeth the Vials of wrath unſtopped, and ready to empty themſelves upon its head in a curſe to its Eternal deſtruction: Now it ſeeth it ſelf by the Brink of the lake that burneth with Fire and Brimſtone; and ſaith as you have it in Pſal. 88. 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou haſt afflicted me with all thy Waves.
Now it knoweth it can claim no other portion, and challenge no other Inheritance, but that of wo and miſery. As by the former it feeles its ſins, ſo by this it feares Gods wrath. It knows that it deſerves to be the everliving object of never-dying diſpleaſure.
It now ſeeth that it hath run into a Premunire, and is intangled in the ſnare. It heareth nothing but a dreadful voice, and thundring comminations from Mount Ebal. Curſed, curſed be thou that haſt done thus, and thus; becauſe Deut. 27. 21.thou haſt forſaken God, and followed thy luſts: This is called the Spirit of bondage to fear, which the Apoſtle mentioneth. Rom. 8. 15. Now the threatnings of God in his Word, (to which before it turned the deaf ear) are heard. They beſet and hemme the Soul round about on every ſide, that it ſees no way of eſcape, no door of hope to run out at: Now ſad thoughts, amazement of Spirit, dolorous complaints; and nothing but Alarums of Gods anger: Now it's light ſins ſit heavy upon its skirts: Though theſe could darken not every Face, and theſe angry ſurges ariſe not to the ſame height in every Soul; for the Lord is various in his dealings: In ſome more of this, in ſome leſſe, but in all uſually ſome: It is ſaid of good Maſter Bolton, that in his converſion the Lord came upon him like an Armed Man, or Lion, as if he would have torne him in pieces: but over ſome God doth rather ſhake the Rod then Strike, and deal blowes. The alwiſe Jehovah is various in his diſpenſations; yet this is his more ordinary path.
4. Lamentation: The fourth Step is ſorrow S. 5 and mourning: Now the clouds gather and cover the Face of the Soul; Showres come down, and it is a rainy ſeaſon: A deluge of ſin, and deluge of ſorrow; what the eye ſeeth, the Heart rueth: The heart is melted and diſſolved, the deepes are broken up, and ſend forth their ſtreames by the Channel of the eyes: If you lay your eare, you ſhall hear nothing but complaints; if you liſten, nothing but heartbreaking ſighs. As Jeremy ſaid in the third of the Lament. v. 51. ſo may the Soul now ſay; Mine eye affecteth mine heart, becauſe of all the Daughters of my City; becauſe of all the tranſgreſſions and Iniquities of my diſobedient Heart: Formerly the poor Creature was all upon the merry Pin; now it is as full of ſorrow; ſeeing what it hath done, and what it hath deſerved; when ſin, and wrath, and ſence of both are in conjunction; they melt and thaw the Heart, that before was frozen and hard: And this we may call legal ſorrow, Legal ſorrow.ariſing from ſin, and wrath diſcovered, and denounced by the Law, without the Ingredients of other conſiderations; it is ſaid of Jacobs Children, that when they came to the Gen. 50. 10.threſhing floor of Atad, which ſignifieth a bramble, there they mourned with a very great and ſore Lamentation: So when the Soul hath been threſhed with the apprehenſions of Gods anger, and ſcratched with the brambles of dreadful Gemitus, & geminatus luctus.threatnings, then do the Waters of ſorrow flow, and riſe very high; and it's mourning is great.
5. Perſwaſion: The next is a belief, or perſwaſion, S. 6 hatched in it's boſome, that it's ſins are pardonable, and may be pardoned; and here comes in the knowledge of the Goſpel, Knowledg of the Goſpel.and the grace of God: It heares of a Brazen Serpent, that can heal thoſe that are ſtung; of a Phyſitian, that can cure all Diſeaſes; of Balme in Gilead good for Every ſore; it takes notice of a white flagge hung out: and therefore it ſaith with the Jaylour, Act. 16. 30. What muſt I do to be ſaved? It hath heard of a Saviour, a Redeemer: There is hopes then, ſaith it, that my captivity may be turned into Liberty, my bondage into Freedom: Here is now a little crevice, whereat light comes into the Soul, and the early dawning of the day appeareth; it hath ſome inklings and general Notions of Salvation.
It ſeeth Chriſt as afar of; as the Eunuch ſaid Acts 8. 36.in the Acts; See here is Water, what doth hinder me to be Baptized? So ſaith the Soul in this caſe; Lo the Lamb of God that taketh away the ſins of the World: and I am a ſinner of the World, and have a world of ſins in me; what hindreth but that I may be ſaved? great, yea very great ſins have been pardoned, and why may not mine? It hath heard of the promiſes, and heard of abundance of grace, and perfect meritorious righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, and all this in order to the taking away of ſin; and hence it comes to conceive ſome likelyhood, ſome probability, or at leaſt ſome poſſibility, that it's condition may be mended, that it's Eſtate may be bettered: And thus far I conceive a Man or Woman may go and proceed, and yet never be effectually called.
6. Anhelation: Hereupon the Soul in the S. 7 next place pants, and breaths, and longs for Jeſus Chriſt: Oh that this Treaſure, this Jewel, this Saviour were mine. It's wiſhes, deſires and Gen. 30. 1.cares are now for Chriſt: The Soul with Rachel ſaith, Give me Chriſt, or I die: nothing in the world will ſatisfy me, but him: Gold, Silver, Friends, Relations, Health, Proſperity; what are all theſe to me? None but Chriſt, none but Chriſt for my poor Soul: He would be better to me than ten Sons, yea than ten thouſand worlds: How pathetically did David expreſſe his deſire of temporal Water? Oh that one would give me drink of the Water of the Well of Bethlehem, which is by the Gate: So ſaith the Soul, Oh that I had ſome of the Water of Life; this healing Water, cooling Water, cleanſing Water; as David again in Pſal. 42. 1, 2. So ſaith the Soul, I pant after God, thirſt for God, for Chriſt: Now the heart is ſick of Love, of longings: And as before there have been heart-breakings for ſin, ſo now heart-breathings after a Saviour: You that have been, or are Child-bearing Women, know the height of natural longings: Alas this Spiritual longing after Chriſt is more ſtrong, more fervent than thoſe by far; nothing will pacify, quiet, and ſtill the Soul, but onelyonly this breaſt; nothing can ſlake it's thirſt, but onelyonly this Fountain water: Nothing anſweres it's wiſh, but this; becauſe nothing anſweres it's want, but this: A poor Begger, when he ſeeth fair Houſes, rich Clothes, dainty Fare, to which he is a Stranger, is ready to wiſh, Oh that this Houſe, this Food, theſe Clothes were mine! So ſaith the Soul, I am miſerable, Oh that the mercy of God in Chriſt were mine! I am naked, Oh that the Robes of his righteouſneſſe were mine to hide my ſhame! I am an hungry, Oh that this bread of life were mine! How fit were theſe things for me, and how ſuitable to my condition!
7. Application: The next Step that the Soul S. 8 takes, as led by the hand of the Spirit, is to the boſome of Jeſus Chriſt. It caſteth it ſelf by relying Faith upon the Son of God. Now doth the Soul conclude like the Leprous Men in 2 Kings c. 7. begin. that if it ſtand upon it's own bottom, it muſt needs periſh; it's deſtruction then is without the leaſt uncertainty; If it go to Chriſt, it is ſure it cannot hinder it ſelf; it may further it's ſelf: and therefore reſolutely throwes it ſelf at his door; graſps him, hangs about him, and will not let him go; and ſaith with Job, Job 13. 15. Though he ſlay me, yet will I truſt in him: And with the Woman of Canaan will not be beaten off from him. Now the Soul goeth to the Horns of the Altar, and there will it hold: It runs to Chriſt, makes him it's Aſylum, it's ſtrong Tower of ſafety; and Chriſti vulnera civitates refugii.takes Sanctuary in his Wounds, which are it's Cities of refuge, to keep it from the fury of the Law. It hath been hunted, and worried, and now runneth to this burrow for ſhelter. It ſaith to Chriſt, as Ruth to her Mother in Law: Ruth 1. 16, 17.Intreat me not to leave thee: for whither thou goeſt, O Jeſus, I will go; where thou lodgeſt, I will lodge, thy God ſhall be my God; yea and nothing, no not death it ſelf ſhall part thee and me. Here it leans and ſtayes it ſelf, even upon the merits, righteouſneſſe, perfect obedience, ſufferings, death, Reſurrection of an Almighty, and moſt gracious Saviour, and Redeemer. And this is the firſt direct Act of Faith, and that which is true juſtifying and ſaving Faith. And this proceeds from the Work of God upon the Soul, in the Implantation of grace, whereof we ſpake before.
8. Humiliation: The next degree I conceive S. 9 is a mourning frame of Spirit; differing from that, which we called the fourth Step, to wit, Lamentation; for that was legal: but there is a Goſpel repentance, and ſorrow which is the Fruit and Companion of Faith; which though it may eye wrath and miſery; yet not thoſe alone; but now mourneth from Faith, from a ſight of Chriſt: and I alſo conceive, (yet with ſubmiſſion to better Judgements;) (for I deſire to remember the Apoſtles Rule. 1 Corinth. 14. 32. The Spirits of the Prophets are ſubject to the Prophets) I ſay, I conceive that this Goſpel repentance hath two parts, or degrees: The firſt being the concomitant of the firſt, and direct Act of Fath, viz. Faith of adherence, of which we ſpake in the laſt head: and the ſecond of the ſecond and reflex Act of Faith, viz. the Faith of evidence; Ameſ. lib. 1. Med. 26. cap. 31. Theſ.before it mourned and repented from ſence, and that did precede juſtifying Faith; now from Faith, and this follows juſtifying Faith: Now the Soul ingenuouſly comes to the knee of Chriſt, cryeth Peccavi, and makes it's moan; and this repentance is very pleaſing to the Lord. Pſ. 51. 17. A broken Heart thou wilt not deſpiſe. This is that Godly ſorrow which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of. 2 Cor. 7. 10. This ſorrow divideth between the Heart, and it's ſin. That now a Man or Woman give up themſelves to God in Holy engagements, which though it go along with repentance, and be part of it, yet for diſtinction ſake we will look upon it by it ſelf, and it ſhall make the ninth Step.
9. Reſolution: Now it giveth up it ſelf in S. 10 Soul and Body to the Lord: The Head and Heart as Commanders being wrought upon, all the reſt, Faculties, and parts, as common Souldiers will follow; it ſaith now as David, Pſal. 119. 106. I have ſworn, and I will performe it, that I wil keep thy righteous Judgments. Friends and dear Relations, if ever the Lord bring your Hearts to this which I earneſtly deſire and long for, you will then enter into a ſolemn covenant with the Lord againſt your ſins and wickedneſſe: you will lie low at the feet of God, and ſay with Saul. Act. 9. 6. Lord, what 1 Kings 20. 7.wilt thou have me to do? You will deny God nothing now, as he ſaid in another caſe; neither Wife, nor Husband, nor Children, nor gold, nor Silver; all that is dear to you ſhall be parted with for his ſake. You will now no longer make proviſion for the Fleſh to fulfil the luſts thereof: Now Holy purpoſes and reſolutions do abound in the Soul, It ſaith to the Lord, as Juſtine to Tiberius, Si tu vis, ego volo; ſi non vis, nolo: So ſaith the Soul, Lord, I am thy Clay, and thy Wax: I have been hitherto ſtiffe-necked, ſtubborn, diſobedient: but now do with me what thou wilt; I deſire & purpoſe through thy grace to be wholy at thy Command, and diſpoſe. Now through the grace of Jeſus Chriſt, it ſhall not be with me as it hath been, but I will ſet my ſelf againſt every known evil and way of ſin; I will be moſt careful to pleaſe, and moſt fearful to diſpleaſe; for this ſorrow worketh carefulneſſe: Now I deſire to yeeld my members Servants to Righteouſneſſe 1 Cor. 7. 11. Rom. 6. 19.unto Holineſſe: Upon all the roomes, I mean Powers of the Soul, and upon all the parts of the Body there is written, For God, for 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20.Chriſt, for Grace: I will not be mine own ſaith the Soul, but God ſhall be mine owner: O precious workings, O bleſſed reſolutions! Say, and hold; the Lord helpe thee to hold what thou ſayeſt.
10. Manifeſtation: In the next place God S. 11 let's the Soul read ſo far in it's evidence, that it can apprehend its ſins are Pardoned; and ſheweth ſo much of his Face, that it perceives a Fathers countenance, and hath ſome gueſſe at the thoughts of his Heart: The Dove-like Spirit brings an Olive Branch of Peace in it's Mouth, and perſwades the Soul of Gods favour. Iſai. 40. 1, 2. Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, ſaith your God; ſpeak ye comfortably to Jeruſalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accompliſhed, that her Iniquity is pardoned: Now it hears a ſweet, warbling, melodious voice from Mount Gerizim, the Mount of bleſſing, ſaying, Bleſſed are the Poor in Spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven: Bleſſed are they that mourn; for Mat. 5. 3, 4, 6.they ſhall be comforted. Bleſſed are they which hunger and thirſt after Righteouſneſſe; for they ſhall be filled: This gentle aire ſweetly fans, and cooles the Soul: Now Chriſt hath bidden the winds and waves be ſtill, there is a ſweet calme: Now frownes are turned into ſmiles, a funeral day into a feſtival: The Soul can with comfort ſay as Hezekiah did, Iſai. 38. 17. For Peace I had great bitterneſſe: but thou haſt in Love to my Soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou haſt caſt all my ſins behind thy Back: It's former feares are now ſet in Peace, it's objections ſilenced, it's doubts anſwered: The Lord Jeſus hath kiſſed it with the Kiſſes of his mouth, and ſo given it information of his good liking, intimation of his great love; that now the Soul beginneth to hold up it's Head, and to walk with ſome Heart refreſhing confidence: It ſaith now as the Philoſopher; foreign: I have found, I have found Jeſus Chriſt, the Pardon of my ſins, that I have long ſought, deſired, Prayed, and been careful for: O welcome day, and warming ſeaſon, now the Sun of Righteouſneſs ariſeth upon me with healing under his Wings; and this is the ſecond, or reflect Act of Faith, the Faith of evidence; which God uſually giveth in the Work of Effectual Calling, and firſt converſion, to ſome more, to ſome leſſe; with ſome he wholly undraweth the Curtain, and letteth in the light fully upon them, and granteth them ſuch diſcoveries, that Acts 7. 56.with Stephen they can ſay, They ſee the Heavens opened, and Jeſus as Interceſſour ſtanding on the Right hand of God; and with David; Pſ. 30. 6.In my Proſperity, I ſaid, I ſhall never be moved: To others the Lord ſheweth but his Back parts, as it were in compariſon of what ſome have; before the Soul had Wormwood and Gall, mingled with it's Drink: But now it hath Nectar and Ambroſia; the ſweet Hony-dewes of grace diſtilled to refreſh it; and ſome but ſip, others have large draughts; ſome but kiſſe the Cup of conſolation; others are permitted to drink more freely of the River of Pſa. 36. 8.theſe pleaſures; and are abundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſſe of Gods Houſe: Some have more, and ſome have leſſe of theſe Apples, theſe Flagons; and with ſome this Sun-ſhiny day is longer, with others ſhorter.
11. Contrition: Upon this there followeth S. 12 a further melting and diſſolving of the Heart; which ariſeth from a more clear apprehenſion of Gods Love to the Soul in Chriſt, Pardoning, and forgiving it's many and mighty ſins: whence is it, ſaith the Soul, that the Lord ſhould come thus to ſuch an one as I am? and then it's Heart is affected with ſorrow for it's ſins againſt that God, who it ſeeth, did intend ſo great good to it; ſence of love drawes forth the Heart in a melting way for miſcarriages: Oh ſaith the Soul, It is a lovely, ſweet, precious, gracious, redeeming, ſaving Chriſt, that I have ſinned againſt. It is ſorely troubled to conſider, and think that all it's ſins have been againſt that God, that Chriſt, whoſe rich grace it hath ſo ſweetly experienced in inviting, drawing, prevailing with it, and forgiving it's ſins: This is a ſweet ſhowre, a kindly lamenting, an ingenuous mourning: And converted Soules can ſay that this is as ſtrong as any kind of mourning whatſoever; though not ſo deſperate, yet as affectionate: The Lord promiſeth. Zech. 12. 10. That they ſhall look upon him, whom they have pierced, and ſhall mourn for him, and be in bitterneſſe, as for ones firſt Born: And there ſhall be a great mourning, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo. Alluding to the great mourning, that was for the loſſe of good King Joſiah; ſo when the Soul conſidereth that it is Chriſt that it hath pierced by it's ſins, it's vain thoughts, it's wretched words, ſinful communication and graceleſſe converſation; then are the Floudgates of ſorrow ſet open; and it's heart-ſtings are turned to doleful Lacrymae in the higheſt pitch; we have an inſtance of this nature, Luke 7. 38. that poor Woman ſhed ſo many Teares that ſhe waſhed Chriſts Feet with them, and it is ſaid ſhe was a ſinner, and that in no mean degree. Now it is judged and ſuppoſed that this Woman Burg. of juſtification. pag. 269. 270.had already ſome ſence of Pardon, and comes to Chriſt for the increaſe of it; and out of that ſence of Pardon, weeps, and laments thus at Chriſts Feet for her many ſins; (for many they were, as Chriſt ſaith. Verſ. 47.) the goodneſſe of the Lord leading her to Repentance; ſo David in Pſalm 51. ſweetly expreſſeth his ſorrow and repentance; and this was after the Prophet Nathan had told him that his ſins were Pardoned. This I conceive to be the ſecond part of Goſpel repentance accompanying the Faith of evidence, of which we ſpake before; this ſorrow is of great account with the Father, theſe Teares are precious in his eyes, he put's them in his Bottel, or rather Cabinet, for Jewels.
12. Converſation: Laſtly, the ſoul Acts for S. 13 God, walketh in the way of Holineſſe, path of ſanctity, and it's Face is ſet for Heaven; now it begins to go upon it's Legs; now all that it is and hath, is ſet on work for God: Now that it's Heart is enlarged by the grace of God, it runs the way of his Commandements: Now Pſ. 119. 32.it's love Acts towards God; The Virgins love thee. Cantic. 1. 3. It's deſire is after him, it's memory converſant about him: The deſire of our Soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee: With my Soul have I deſired thee in the night. Iſai. 26. 8, 9. We will remember thy love more than wine. Cantic. 1. 4. It's thoughts and Meditations are of the beſt things. The gracious Soul delights, and Meditates in the Law Pſ. 1. 2.of the Lord day and night: It's Tongue ſpeaks for God: The mouth of the Righteous ſpeaketh wiſedom, and his Tongue talketh of Judgement. Pſal. 37. 30. It's eares hearken to Gods counſels: Thine eares ſhall hear a word behind thee, ſaying, this is the way, walk ye in it. Iſai. 30. 21. It's eyes look off from evil, and look on that which is good. Turn away mine eyes from beholding Vanity. Pſa. 119. 37. It's hands Act for Gods glory. It ſtretcheth not out it's hands to Pſ. 44. 20.a ſtrange God: In a word as before, It yeelded its members Servants to uncleanneſſe, and to Iniquity, unto Iniquity: even ſo now it yeelds its members Rom. 6. 19.Servants to righteouſneſs unto Holineſs: Theſe are the Fruits of the former workings of God upon the Soul; the ſtreames of that Fountain; the Branches growing upon that Root; aſſoon as the Soul is changed, it changeth it's wayes, it's works, it's courſes: aſſoon as the Soul is thus hatched and fledged, it gets upon the wing, and away it flieth towards Heaven; ſo it was with Paul, aſſoon as ever he was converted, and effectually called, he is up and doing; he Prayes, is Baptized, Preacheth, and proveth Chriſt. Act. 9. 11, 20. Act. 22. 16. A Man or Woman, when theſe workings have paſſed upon them, manifeſt a change outwardly to Man as wel as inwardly to God: Now are they running in the heavenly race, labouring in the Spiritual Vineyard, fighting the Chriſtians fight; doing the will of God, keeping the ſayings of Jeſus Chriſt, working out their Salvation with fear and trembling; many pretend to have a good Heart, when they have a bad hand; a right inſide, though a wrong outſide; to be fair within, though foul without; to have great Faith in the inward Man, though groſſe faults in the outward Man: but grace cannot be hid, it will diſcover it's ſelf; if fire be within, heat will be without; if the Heart live, the Pulſe will beat: Theſe are the Steps of the Jacobs Ladder, whereby God deſcendeth into the Heart from the height of Predeſtination, and cauſeth the Heart to aſcend to himſelf from the depth of a natural and ſinful condition; and moſt bleſſed are the Soules that by the hand of grace are led thus far towards glory: But I would not Soules ſhould be troubled, if their capacities cannot apprehend theſe workings in themſelves in this order, that is laid down: but if they can find them in their own Hearts in truth, though they cannot diſcern this order, let them bleſſe God, who hath thus bleſſed them with Spiritual bleſſings. Nor do I lay down theſe things peremptorily, as if there could not be a better and righter diſpoſing them by tranſpoſition, addition, or ſubtraction: but onelyonly I humbly conceive according to that meaſure of light, the Lord hath vouchſafed me, who am leſſe than the leaſt of all his mercies; that the will of God in his word, the way of God in his works, I mean of effectual calling and experience of precious Saints, and choſen Veſſels will own, and ſay Amen to theſe things; and now O bleſſed Spirit, come down into the Hearts of the Readers of theſe lines, and work theſe things in the Hearts of ſuch of them, as are ſtrangers from the Covenants of promiſe.