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AN EPISTLE

TO THE

TRVLY LOWLY-HEARTED READERS^

Who have learned of their dear Lord so to be, who himself will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. r

Charitable Reader*

CHARITY, which is the bonA of per-fectness, and the greatest rarity now in the world, and in the church too, (the more is the pity) thou must put on, who readest this, the plainest and most unpolished piecfe that ever thou sawest, (for the author never had skill in dressing) if thou meanest to profit any thing by it, which is the only thing, God JJ knows, is aimed at by the author, who always Ql prays and studies to speak and write, rather « to men's hearts than ears. ^ In hope of gaining thy charity, suffer me ■■ to give a short, but true account of the en-B^ suing treatise, viz. I being about three years : since, for some reasons, retired from my family and place of abode, and by sickness, and other things, confined; during which time, many of my dear friends and relations

in Christ were called home to their Father^*: house ; whereupon I thought it my duty to write some lines to their surviving relations, as I was by them desired to do ; and after seeking God for counsel and assistance, I thought on this text spoken to in the following discourse ; (for it was not at the least in my thoughts ev\er to publish this, or any other, knowing my own inability.) I wrote in my homely stile what thou wilt here find, (all except the title-page and the postscript,) calculating it to the capacities of the plainest - Christians, to whom I then sent it, and with whom it lodged, until about six months, when it pleased the only wise God to bring me to a trial of my faith and patience. So deep a stroke it was, that I used all means for my support; and it came into my mind, that such a thing I had written so long before, to help in such cnses, and that several had found benefit by it; I made enquiry after it, and at. last found it; and in reading of it, as the word of God, and begging God's blessing on it, I found much relief and comfort thereby, Call praise and thanks to God*) and thereupon had some small inclination to communicate the same to others ; and after many strugglings and reluctancies in myself,

•2 Cor. 1.4,5.

and with prayers and tears, I besought the Lord to direct me: at last I coiiiidered, I must shortly put off this my earthly tabernacle, and having for many years been laid aside like a broken vessel of no use, and compassed with many bodily infirmities, I was willing to leave behind me a little scrap of my labours to my children and friends, to puc them in mind of what I had taught them for above thirty years together ; that thty might be fortified against all the troubles of this life, and by faith in God and Christ, hold fast, and not lose their crown.

But why so mean a thing as this among the learned labours of so many eminent writers on the like subject ?

I answer, that our Lord took special notice of the widow's mite ;* and he will not despise the day of small things.f . But what can you aim at ? may be said.

Jinsw. Not applause, to be sure, being conscious of my own weakness ; nor profit or gain, ejtpecting but acceptance : but this, God and my conscience bear me witness, this is my aim, my most humble and fervent prayer, that some of Christ's poor little flock, (my children, and others, whose souls are

* Mark xii. 43. 44. t Zech. iv. lOt

" A 2

VI ^ AN EPISTLE

precious to me, and whom I clearly love in the Lord) may receive some advantage; and chiefly, that God may have all the glory, who hath chosen the weak things of the world, he, and who accepts the will for the deed, &c. Such as will not make use of it» let them do better, and I shall be glad.

None may be afraid to buy or read it, for there is not a word of the state or church-matters in it; I daily pray for th© prosperity of both, but think it not my duty to meddle with either, but in subjection.

Two requests I have to thee, loving reader :

1. Pray for a blessing upon as much as you find to be the express will of God.

2. Pray for me, that I may neore and more find and feel the life and power of those, and all the truths of God in mine own heart, and may express more of the life and faith in my whole conversation ; and I will also pray for thee, that thou mayest find as much (and much nvore) benefit in reading this, as I have in composing and perusing it; all praise to the God of all grace. If you find some passages (in your opinion) too often repeated, be not offended, till you find them too powerful on your hearts.

Thus committing this poor essay to the blessing of him who is the Father of mcr-

TO THE READER. Vll

cies, and can teach us to profit by his word and rod, and thyself to his love and favour in Jesus Christ; in him I remain for thy soul's good,

Thy humble Servant,

J. B.

From the House of my Pilgrimage, March, 1690. • '

/ /

CJH ^ '^^

HEARTSEASE

i>r

HEART-TROUBLE.

Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. *yohn xiv. 1, 2, 3.

THESE words are a part of our blessed Saviour's last sermon upon earth, just before his passion, which begins (as is probable) at the 13th verse of the xiiith chapter of this gospel, and ends at the last verse of the xvith chapter; in which verse our Lord tells his disciples, (how dear soever they were to him, yet) in the uoorld they should have persecU' tion, tribulation ; of which he had often told them before in effect ;^ that they should not expect their heaven here, but his cross they must bear if they would wear his crown : tribulations of all kinds, outward and inward you must endure : it is your portion here, you are thereunto appointed.! Man is naturally bom to trouble, as the sparks naturally fly upwards ; and new born to trouble

• Matt, xvi, 24.

11 Thess. iii. 3. Job xiv. 1. Matt. x. 22, 23.

also, and commonly to new and more troubles. All that will live godly in Christ Jc' sus, shall suffer persecution ;^ of hand, or tongue, one way or other. Indeed, such as can be content with a profession of a godliness that may suit with the times ; that can please themselves with any kind of godliness, or with a form, any form of godliness, and that can change their forms when they please, such may avoid persecution : But all that will live godly in Christ Jesiis, in the power and spirit of Christ Jesus, and resolve to live up to the example and rule of Christ Jesus, they shall have persecution, no avoiding of it. No entering into the kingdom of God but by tribulation. But notwithstanding this, our Lord lays this positive command on his disciples ; let not your hearts be . troubled*

These poor disciples were likely shortly to sustain an heavy loss of their dearest Lord ; he was now a going away from them; u greater loss they could not have : and yet, saith Christ, Let not your hearts be troubled; which command is repeated and explaine'il' in verse 27, Let not your heart be troubled^ nor let it be afraid.

What! might they say, must we not be troubled at all? Must nothing trouble us ?

* Acts xiv. 22. 2 Tim. iii. 18.

No, we must not be troubled for any outward loss, for any outward tribulation, for parting with the nearest and dearest relation, we must not be troubled. Yet we are not forbidden to be troubled for Zion ? It is a grievous sin,' not to be grieved for the afflictions of Joseph P* Surely, we must be troubled for God's dishonour, because men break God^s Commandments.^ Trouble of heart, except for sin, is sinful trouble. Where sin lies heavy, affliction lieth light. Thei/ shall not saz/j I am sick; for their iniquities shall be forgiven them.\ Sense of pardon to those souls that felt the burthen of sin, much alleviates and lightens the burthen of affliction. " Strike, Lord, (said Luther) now I am ab- ^ solved from my sin."

We are always too prone to fall into extremes, to sin either in excess or in defect, too much, or too little ; we are faulty both ways. As for sin, which is the worst of evils, we are apt to be troubled too little. How few fail here in the Excess, though it is possible so to do ; and some have, that refuse to be comforted by all the sweet promises of Christ in the gospel: but here there are but few of those ; most of us fail in the defect.

* Amos vi. 6; f Psal. cxfjc. 5o, 135-

I Isa. xxxrii. 24.

We are not troubled for sin as much as we should ; our sins do not lie so hard and heavy upon us as they should ; our hearts do seldom feel the weight of sin pressing us down :^ many sins lie light on us ; our vain thoughts, our omissions, careless performance of holy duties, mis-spending precious time, idle talk, &t. and such-like evils, which should trouble us most, they trQuble us least.

But afflictions, which comparatively are but light,! lie too heavy upon us, and press us down even to the dust. So in respect of afflictions themselves, we are apt to run into extremes, against which the Holy Ghost gives us a caution as to both extremes. 3Iy son^ despise not thou the chastening of the Lord; neither be xveary of his chastisement;% the apostle explains it. Neither faint zvhen thou art corrected of him: Adding a most powerful argument against those extremes, /or whom the Lordloveth he correcteth^ even as a father the son, in xvhom he delighteth ; and therefore despise not his chastisements, and fatherly corrections ; slight them not, for they come from a loving Father, a wise leather, and should not be despised by his

• Psal. xxxviii. 5,4. t ^ Cor iv. 1.

\ Heb. xii. S, 6.

chiMren, they are the fruits of his love : also, you must not be weary of them, nor faint under them, for the same reason, viz. because they shall not hurt you, they flow from your Father's love; from a Father they come, who delighteth in you, and therefore ye ought not to faint under them ; or, as it is in the text, Whatever affictiGii hefals yoUy let not your hearts be troubled.

It is lieart-trouble you see, that is here forbidden ; not a filial sense of God's hanJ, nor a child-like acknowledgment of God's rod: God's rod hath a voice, and its voice must be heard."^ When his hand is lifted upf to strike, to lay on any blows on us, or any of our relations, or earthly comforts, we must observe it, and Him, and acknowledge the same : but, not to acknowledge, and observe the hand of God ; not to consider in the day of adversity,:[; not to humble ourselves tinder his mighty hand^^ not to stoop and yield to God, hut to think, or say, of our affliction, that it cannot be helped, there is no remedy, it is conuuon and ordinary, and the like ; this is to despise the chastening of ^hc Lord ; take heed of this. But yet we must luxe heed too, that under the pretence, of be-

Mich. vi- 9. f Isaiah xxvi. 11,16.

t.ccles vii. 13,14. j James iv. 9,10.

B

\

ing sensible of the hand of God, and of his strokes upon us, that we do not fall into the other extrenie, of heing weary of his chastisements, and of despondency, and fainting under his corrections, we must be careful that we do not let our hearts be troubled,

^lest. But is it possible that we should be afflicted, deprived of liberty, of estate, of Io\ ing relations, of the desire of our eyes,* and of the delight of our hearts,! (for such in a most eminent manner was Jesus Christ to his disciples. He was the desire of all 7iatio7iSy\.) and not be troubled at our very hearts ? Can we behold our Benjamins, our Sarahs, our Rebeccas, our Josepns, &c, taken away, our dear husbands, or loving, faithful, tender wives snatched away from us with a stroke, with a sudden stroke, to l>e in a moment deprived of such comforts, and m such a time too, in an evil time, in a sad and suffering time, when such helpers would sweeten our sufferings, and help to bear oar burthens, would give us sweet counsel, and uphold us in the way to God ? \V|iat, is it possible such knots should be untied, and so suddenly; such flowers cropped off, cut down; such sweet friends removed from us, as lajr

• Ezek. xxiv. 16. t John vi. 6S.

\ HaggaJ. ii. 7.

lo

once in our bosoms, and sent to the chambers of darkness, sealed up in the dust, made silent in the grave, to see their sweet faces no more, till the heavens be no more ? Is it possible, I sa}', in such cases, not to be troubled ? Or, if it be possible, is it necessary, or is it attainable ? May we arrive to such a temper, may we get such a calm, quiet, tranquil, and submissive frame of spirit I It is admirable : but is it attainable ?

I answer, we must not despise the chastening of the Lord, as was noted before ; we must not be as stocks or stones, altogether insensible of the hand of God "upon us : No, we must be sensible ^ve must lav those things to our hearts, and consider the work of God :* such losses, and of such are to be lamented,! they will be found wanting; their relations will find them wanting ; their families will find them wanting; the poor will fmd them wanting; and the church also. David laments the loss of Jonathan ;^ and the disciples the loss of Lazarus. Lawful it is then, to be affected with the deaths and departures of our dear relations and friends, and moderately to mourn for them ; but our care must be, that we suffer not nature to

* Eccles. vli. 2. f Isa Ivii. 1.

t Sam. xix 4.

work alone without grace; for then it will soon go beyond its hounds : nature must be restrained and bounded. It is moderate mourning that is lawful. Mourn we may, But not as those that have no hope^^ for those that sleep in Jesus, they being safe and happy: for, If we believe that Jesus d'ted^ and rose again; even so theij that sleep in Jesus^ will God bring with him. Troubled we cannot chuse but be in such cases, and under such strokes ; but we must not let our hearts be troubled, saith our Lord. And what this imports, you shall see by and bv. It is trouble of heart, that is here forbidden : but, what is it, that will prevent or cure this heart-trouble ? Our Saviour answers in the next words ; Te believe in God^ believe also in me : Jn my Father s house are many mansions^ ^c» In which v/e may observe these parts, viz.

1. An evil disease, or spiritual distemper intimated and prohibited, to which the disciples of Christ are incident and prone in limes of affliction ; and that is, trouble of heart. This may seize you, but take heed of it, labour against it. As if the Lord had said, I know it will be a cutting, a killing thing to you, to part with me, your dear and loving Lord and Master; but part with me you

•XThcss.iv. 13,14.

♦>

must; and talce heed of this indecent distemper of heart-trouble : Let not your hearts be troubled^ saith our Lord Jesus.

2. The best preventive of, or remedy for, this spiritual distemper proposed and enjoin-f'fX : T'e believe in God believe also hi me* As sf our Lord had said, Surely you believe in Cto(1, v/hy then are your hearts troubled ? Cannot your faith iii Gid support you, if you act it upon him ? But if that cannot, theri act yo-ur faith also on me : Believe also in me. Set your faith on work on me. Believe, that I love you, that v/licn I leave you, I v/ill not leave you comfortless: /zvill send the Com-Jorter unto you^ and he shall abide xuith yoic Jot ever.^ Therefore, let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in me; 1 must leave you, and I and you must part; but, believe v/here 1 am going, and let the consideration of that ^uiet you, and comfort you': In ray Father'^ ^j tonse are many mansions, j There is a better, a far better condition lor you above, than that you are in here ; for, here you are toss,-cd up and down. from place to place, and are exposed to many straights. I myself here on earth, have not an house wherein to lay my head ; Iku in 7ny Father^s house are lany mansions. There is an house above,

' John xlv. 16, ir. t Matt, viii.^0.

B 2

not made with hands^ eternal in the heavens.^ When once you come thither, you shall remove no more ; there are mawj mansions, room enough for you all, and for the innumerable company of angels and saints: therefore, Believe in tne; for, these things are most true that I tell you. And believe also, That I go to prepare a place for you : I go to take possession of those celestial mansions, of those everlasting habitations for you, in your name and stead : while you are here on earth, I shall prepare you for those mansions; and when I go from you, I will prepare them for vou: therefore, to prevent those heart-troubles which you are subject to because of my departure fror.i you, and to fortify you against them, (for C am solicitous for you;) this is the remedy that I propose to you, and enjoin you fr> practise ; that, seeing you believe in God^ believe also in ??ie. Act your faith on me.

From which words thus explained, I commend to your Christian consideration tins gospel doctrine, viz.

• 2 Cor, V. 1.

19 DOCTRINE.

iliat the lively acting of true faith upon God and Christ, or upon God in Christ, is the best preventive of, and remedy against heart-trouble, under the greatest loss v/hatscever: or,—Faith acted on God in Christ, is the sovereign cure of heart-trouble.

Our Lord Jesus is very tender over his poor disciples ; and having foretold them of the h»rd usage, and bad entertainment they should meet with in the world, losses and crosses, tribulations and persecutions ; he now leaves with them some antidotes against distempers of mind ; some cordials against those faintings of spirit, and troubles of heart, to which he knew thev, being flesh and blood, were subject: and this in the text, is rhief and principal: Let not i/oitr hrqrts hetronhled; ye believe in God^ believe also in we. This your faith will dc your best remedy, your best cure.

Poor believers are but^princes in disguise here in this world :^ princes thev are, Christ hath made them all so; but while here below, they are in a foreign land, under a veil. It doth not yet appear what they shall be.] They have a large patrimonv, but it lies indeed in a land unknown to the world, it is in

* : P#t. ii, 9. Rev. i. 6. f i J^^-n iii. 2.

I

terra incognita, if the expression can be borne. The holy, the great God himself is their portion, their heritage; God is their sure, their full, their lasting, their everlasting portion."^' They are heirs of a kingdom.\ Heirs of salvation.^ Heirs of God^ co-heirs ■with Chiist,^ Yea, all things of this xvorld are thcirs.^"^ All things are blessed and sanctified to them, and shall conduce tp their spiritual and eternal wclfare.ff Yet notwithstanding all this, and although heaven and earth is the rev/ard of godliness, and through the merits of Christ (as it were) the right of those that profess it, in the power of it; {Godliness having the promise of this i>fi\ and of that xvhich is tocome;)\% and, notwithstanding believers have a true title to all the good of both worUls ; yet may those poor (but blessed) saints be exposed to manifold temptations and tribulations in this world; they may have a dark, and sad, and stormy way of it to their Father's house ; they may be stripped of all their earthly comforts, may be deprived of their libertv, estate, nearest Iriends and relaiions, as we read in Scripture, that such hath been the portion

• Deut, xxxii. 9. t Psal. cxix. 59. Lam. ili. 24.

\ James ii. 5. \ Hcb. ii. 18. *• Kom. viii. 4.

ft 1 Cor. ili. 28. :jt 1 Tim. iv. 8.

:21

of the best saints : and upon this the people of Go<:l have been dejected and disquieted, they have desponded, their hearts have been troubled, and have thereby displeased their heavenly Father, who has declared, that all things shall xvork together for their good.

Now, our Lord, in this text, forbids this distemper of the mind, and would not have his disciples, who had God for their Father, and himself for their Redeemer, and who had a title to such happiness in the other world, to despond, and to be disquieted; therefore he lays this charge on them, Let not your hearts be tro^i.hled: adding the proper means to prevent this sinful malady of heart-trouble, that it might not seize on them; or, if it had, to cure them of it, viz. Te he^ lieve in God^ belie've also in me.

The lively acting of true faith upon God in Christ, is the best preventive of, and remedy against heart-trouble, under the greatest loss whatsoever. Which proposition I shall prosecute, by the assistance of God's spirit, and according to the measure of light and grace I have received, after this manner and method following:

Firsts by way of demonstration.

Secondly^ Of confirmation. And then to apply, and mak(? an improvement of it for our use.

1. Bif zvay of ch'monstratJGU, Endeavouring to shew,

I. That God's choicest saints are in this world subject to all kinds of troubles, losses, and arllictions ; and whence it is, and why so.

II. That under those losses and afflictions, they are subject? to despond, to be dejected, and to be troubled in their hearts.

III. What this heart-trouble is,that Christ forbids here.

IV. How that believing in^God and Christ, is the best means to prevent and cure this heart-trouble. '

I. That God's choicest saints are liable to all kinds of troubles, losses, and afflictions; even "the greatest, heaviest, and sorest; as we read of Job, David, and others.

God had one Son without sin, hut no Son without suffering. His only-begotten Son was a man of sorrows ;'^ and the Holy Ghost assures us, that if yc he luithout chastening^ ivhereof all art partakers^ then ye arc bas' tardsy and not sons, Heb. riii. 12.

God's children are liable to s^iflferings, whether we consider them as men, or as Christians : as men ; Man that is horn of a ivoman, is full of trouble] As our relations

*!<;». lill. tJobxiv. 1.

and comforts increase, so do the occasions of trouble. God never appointed this world to be the place of man's rest,* but of our exercise, and only a passage to another world : and in this our passage we must lo*ok for storms and tempests: if we can through niercl' obtain a tolerable passage through this world, and a comfortable passage out of it, into that better above, we shall have cause to bless the Lord to all eternity.

And much more as Christians must we expect trouliles ; for a man is no sooner brought home to God, but he must expect to be hated by the world,f assaulted by Satan, chastened by the Lord ; our own corrupt hearts will be often vexing us ; the old man, the flesh, thwarting all the motions of, the new nature, lusting- against the spirzt,\ The lusts of the flesh will be as pricks in our eyes, and as thorns in our sides: we shall have enemies in our own houses.

But this truth is so manifest in all the Scriptures, thai I shall insist no longer on it, enly shall add this by way of use ; let all Christians prepare for affliction, by getting an interest in God through Christ.;, .by get-ling sin pardoned and purged; by getting

* Gen. xlvii. 9. f Joha xv. 19. Luke xxii. \2,

peace with God and conscience ; by getting our hearts crucified to the world ; and thtn when troubles come, let us bear them as Christians,* not murmur and repine, but in' patience possess our souls ;f not desponding, nor fainting ; remembering, that our troubles are no more, but infinitely less than we have ;;jttleserved4 He wiU not laif upon ttian more thafi right»^ God perfectly understands our need, and knows our strength. If need be^ ye are in heaviness»^^ He is faithful -who "Will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to bear* It is the wise, just, and gracious God, and our Father that tempers our cup for us. Many earthly parents do not correct their children in measure, being ignorant of their nature and disposition ; and therefore their correction doth them no good. Many physicians mistake the constitutions of their patients, and therefore may do them more hurt than good: but God knows our need, and our strength, and so suits all his remedies accordingly ; therefore let us be patient, bearing our troubles with an equal mind, not suffering as per force, but willingly. It is said, Dan. iii. 28. that they yielded their bodies ; that is, cheerfully, to the

• 1 Pet. iv. 16. t Luke xxi. 19. \ Ezra ix. l^ f Jobxxxiv. 13. ••ICor. X.13.

jire. In our affliction let us search our hearts, and try our ways \^ let us fly to him by prayer,! and resign up ourselves to him, and trust in him, casting our cares and burthens on him.j:

Moreover, it is our wisdom, that while we are at ease, and have our comforts about us, let us look for troubles ; afflictions from God, as well as for God, are part of our cross which we must take up daily. Sickness, death of friends, loss of estate, &c. we must look for them, that we may not be sursprised.

He that buildeth an house, or a ship, doth not make this his chief work and care, that it should not rain upon it; or that it should have no storms or tempests ; for this cannot be prevented by any care of ours, but that the house or ship may be made al>le to endure all without prejudice. So must it be our care, to provide for afflictions ; for to prevent them altogether, we cannot; but prepare for them we may, and must, as was hinted before ; to treasure up God's promises, and store our souls with graces, and spiritual comforts, and firm resolutions in God's strength, to bear up, and hold on :

• Lam. iii. 40. f 1 James v. 13. :lMaU. xvi. 24. Lxrke ix. 23, Psal. Iv. 2?. 1 Pet. y 7.

We had need be well shod xv'ith the prepa' ration of the gospel ofpeace,^

Most Christians are not mortified and crucified to the world, not acquainted with God and the promise, as they ought to be, nor so resolved to follow God fully as they ought, and therefore are so dejected and discontented wheu affliction comes: O ! that we did count the cost, when we first begin to make profession of Christ; and that we had such full persuasion of incomparable worth and excellency of the Lord Jesas, as that we could willingly part with all things for his sake ! O ! that we had such believing apprehensions of the wisdom, faithfulness, righteousness, and mercy of God; such sights of his reconciled face, and such tastes oi his fatherly love to us in Christ, as that we could quietly submit to his holy will, and be well satisfied with all his dispensations towards us. So much for this first particular.

II. The disciples of Christ, under the afflictions which they meet with in this world, are apt to be troubled in their hearts, to be disquieted in their minds, to be dejected and discouraged. It was so with holy David, Psal. xliii. 5. Why art thou cast doivn^ 0

•Eph.vi.l5.

^i

my soul i Why art thou disquieled within me ! He was sensiMc of his afRicttons, and that disquieted him, and cast him down. God's people are subject to disquietments, because they are flesh and blood, subject to the same passions,* made of the same mould, subject to the same impressions from without as other men, and their natures are upheld with-the same supports and refreshments as others, the withdrawing and want of which, affecteth them as well as others. And besides those troubles they suffer in common with others, by reason of their being called out of the world the world hates them,f and are therefore more exposed to tribulation than others, and are apt to be cast down, and discouraged : this our Lord foresaw would befal his disciples after his departure from them; and therefore he counsels them against the same, let not your hearts be troubled'

^uest. But it may be demanded, whence ariseth this heart-trouble, and disquietmtnt of mind, under afflictions ?

Ansxu, There are many causes of it, which is necessary for us to know, that so knowing the causes, we may the better find the curco There are outward and inward causes.

* James v. \7. t Joh'^ ^v. 19.

I'irst, Outward causes. And the fust may be God himself. He s*;metimes withdraws the beams of his countenance; withholds the sense of his love, hideth his face from his children,* (which the saints in scripture so bitterly complain of, and so earnestly pray against) whereupon the souls, even of the strongest Christians are disquieted. This caused trouble to the soul of Jesus Christ himself.! When a poor child of God, together with his affliction, apprehends God to be his enemy, and that his troubles are mixed with God's displeasure ; and it may be his conscience tells him, that God hath a just quarrel against him,:j: because he hath not walked so holily, so humbly, so evenly, and so strictly with God as he might, had he been more watchful, careful, and circum-' spect ; and that he hath not renewed his peace with God as he should and might have done ; and this sense of God's displeasure, puts a sting into all his afflictions, and this causeth trouble of heart, and disquiet-ment of mind, and justly may such a soul be troubled, that hath ever felt the joys of God^a saJvation,<^ the sweet influences of his

• Isa. xlv. 15 Job xxxiv. 29. t John xii. 27. Psal. xiii. 6. Ibid xxxvii. 9. Ibid xxx. 7. Ibid Ixix. 17, &c, 4 Psal. xxxviii. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. J Psal. li. 12.

love, that hath tasted that the Lord is gracious,"^ seeing that in his favour is life^ and his loving'kindness is better than life itself PsaL XXX. 5. ixiii. 3.

Secondly^ The devil is the cause sometimes of the heart-trouble of God's children. For he being a cursed spirit, cast out of heaven, full of disquietment himseli, labours all he can to trouble and disquiet others ; to bring others (as much as in him lies) into the same cursed condition with himself: He being cast out of paradise himself, envies us the paradise of a good and quiet conscience ; lor that is our pai adise until we come to heaven: And this paradise a poor child of God may possess in a prison, in a dungeon, on a dunghill.

Two main designs the devil hath upon men ; the one is, if possibly, by all imaginable sleights, temptations and inticements, he may keep men in a coiuse of nn^dlin'. ss, to binder them from coming- to Christ by faith and repentance, to deter them from his holy ways. And when he cannot prosper in this, but that unsearchable rich and free-grace takes hold of some poor souls, and thcv are snatched out of his hands, their captivity led captive by that mighty Redeemer ; then all

* Psal. xxxiv. 8, C 2

the devil's is, to hinder their comfort, and to irterrupt their peace, and to make their way to heaven as hard and uncomfortable to them as possil)le, pursuing them with all dejecting and heart-troubling temptations.

Th'irdhj^ Wicked men are also active in the troubling of^God's people ; they are, indeed the true troubkrs of God's Israel. They load God's people with reproaches: and there is nothing that the nature of man is more impatient of, than reproaches ; for there is no man so mean, but thinks himself M'orthy of some respect: now a reproachful scorn shews an utter disrespect of a man, ■which flov.'s from the very superfluity of malice. Reprom:h hath broken my hearty saith Dcroid^ Psal. xcvi. 20. And nothing more doth he complain of than r^roach ; and nothing more are (jod's peopleTval.>le to tb.an this. These are the causes from v;ith-out.

Secondhj^ There are also inward causes of heart-trouble and despondency: When God's people are in affliction, most times tl.at black cloud of melancholv also surrounds ibem, and darkness makes men feartul and ^Uj'-cted.

There are manv causes within ourselves; as, ig:iora:ice of Ciod and of Christ, of the

covenant of grace, of the name of God ;'^ They that know God's name, will trust in him, and not he dejected.f Also, forgetful-ness of God, and of what he hath done for us. We forget God, when we are afraid of men.:j: Our over-looking, and passing by the manv comforts we enjov, even while we are under affliction ; taking little notice of our mercies, but let them be all swallowed up in our miseries ; as Abraham, because he had no heir ;^ and Rachel, who said, give me children, or I die:"^* though she had all other earthly comforts, yet the want of this one so troubled her, that all the rest seemed nothing- ...

It is an evil thing for us to be wedded to our own wills. None more subject to dis-content^han those who would have all things after their own way, and are mere stranger? to self-denial. Likewise false apprehensions of things, cause heart-trouble ; to think God hates us, because he eorretts us ; and when he takes from us, that it is all in wrath.

Another common cause is our own watch-lessness and carelessness, our neglect of keeping our heartsjt and consciences pure and clean ; and in time of affliction, tbese former neglects of duty come to our minds ; then

•Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. f Psal. ix. 10 f Tsaia li. 12, 13. »Gen. XV. 2. *• Ibid xx. 1, ft Prov. i .23.

conscience awakes, and tells us our fornner faults, and this brings trouble of heart.*

Moreover, unnecessary scruples cause dis-quietness, solitariness, idleness: when persons will not do what is needful, they are troubled with that which is needless; and idleness tempts the devil to tempt us and trouble us : if we cannot find work for ourselves, the devil will make work for us.

Also when we are guilty of neglecting doing good to others, as to our relations, not reproving, admonishing, or encouraging them as we ought, or have neglected to receive that good from them that we might; but now they are dead and gone, and we can no more do any good to them, nor receive anv from them ; this hath troubled many on their sick and death-beds.|

Inconstancy, wavering in the ways of God, will also breed disquiet. And our inordinate love of creature-comforts, our setting our hearts on friends, estates, and the like, letting out our hearts en husbands, v/ives, children, &c. This is to build castles in the air, expecting contentment in and from those things than cannot yield it.

Also, multitude of worldly business, and too much poring on our afflictions, and fore-

• I Kings xvii. 18. ^ Gal. vi. 10.

casting the events of things. You see wftat a crowd of causes here be within ourselves of disquiet and heart-trouble.

The third particular proposed, is, what is this heart-trouble which Christ here forbids his people, and that he would fortify them against I

Answ, This heart-trouble ' is such a sense of evils felt or feared, as creates to us heart-disquietment, dejection, despondency, depriving us of that tranquillity, peace and comfort which we had in ourselves, or otherwise might have. It is such a disturbance of our passions, such a storm aed tempest in our spirits, as causeth inward motions, emotions and commotions of mind, putting all things in the soul out of order ; and it carries in it several evil things, as follow ;

Firsts Sinful sorrow, worldly sorrow. When Christ had told his disciples that he would leave them ; and that after he was gone they should be exposed to hard and heavy things from the world, bitter persecution for his name-sake ; then sorrow filled their hearts, John xvi. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

God's own servants, Christ's own disciples may have their hearts filled with sorrow ; against this our Lord commands many preservatives in this sermon. The ground of this sorrow is from ourselves, from our own

a-i.

hearts, though Satan will have a hand in it, and it comes not from humility, but from pride ; because we cannot have our wills, therefore we are discontented. We may thank ourselves not only for our troubles, but for our over much troubling of ourselves in our troubles. If we ward and guard against this worldly sorrow, our troubles would not lie so heavy on us as they do ;^ for as the joy of the Lord doth raise and strengthen the soul, so doth sorrow deject and weaken it: sorrow and grief doth lie like lead to the heart, cold and heavy, and sinks it downward still: sorrow contracteth and draweth the soul into itself, from that communion and comfort it might have with God and man ; and it weakeneih the execution of the offices of it, because it drinktrth up the spirits, it melteth the soul,f it causeth it to drop away. Yea, in this kind of heart-trouble, God's own people are many limes more excessive than others.

1. Because many times their burthens are greater, their temptations, desertions, trouble for sin greater; as their joys are unspeakable and glorious, so their sorrows are sometimes above expression. Common natural courygc will carry a man through other

• Nchem, viii. 10. f Psal. cvii. 26.

single afflictions : but sin is a heavier burthen than affliction, and the wrath of God, than the wrath of man.

2. They have a greater sense than others, their hearts being made tender by rehgion; they have also a clearer judgment than others and see more into the nature of things than others : they see a greater eyil in sin, and in the displeasure of God than others : they value God's favour more than others j therefore when he hides his face, they cannot but be troubled. They observe more of the displeasure of God in afflictive providences than others do, and therefore they have more sorrow.

3'. They have more tender affections than others, the new heart is a soft heart: A stamp is sooner set upon wax than upon a stone.* A wicked man hath more cause to be troubled than a godly man ; but he is not a man of that tenderness and sense, and therefore is not so affected, either with God's dealings with him, or with his deaUngs with. God.

Thus we find often in scripture good souls depressed with sorrow. David said, he was like a skin bottle in the smoke^ all wrinkled and dried up. Read FsaL xxxviii. and

* PSJil. cii. 3. Ibid xxxii. 4, Job xxx, 30. Lam. v.

xxxix. 11. IV/ien thou xvith rebukes dost correct man for sin, (that is, by sickness, death of relations, and other losses) thou makest his beauty (that is of his outward man) to consume away like a moth ; whereas the beauty of the soul grows fair by affliction, but that of the body is blasted. Age, sickness, losses will make the beauty of the body to^ fade, but that of the soul to shine, 2 Cor. iv. 14. Though our ouixvard man doth decay and perish, our inward man is retierved day by day. But for worldly sorrow ; that, too often, not only weaken-eth the body, but also causeth heart-trouble. A merry heart doth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bp.nes, Prov. xvii. 22.

^est. But is this worldly sorrow lawful and commendable ?

Anszu. No surely j for there are many evils in it, which we should avoid. As,

First, Impatience and murmuring against God ; that is an effect of immoderate sorrow ; when our wills are crossed, we cannot bear it, for want of self-denial.

Secondly, Quarrelling at instruments.

Thirdly, U>^ing ndirect means for our relict. It 15 better to pine awa\' in our afflictions than to be freed from them by sUining.

Fourthly^ Desponding and distrustful thoughts of God. Is his mercy clean gone ? Will he be favourable no more P Psal. Ixxvii.

r, 8.

Fifthly^ Questioning our interest in God, merely because of the affliction upon us.* Judges vi. 15. If God be with us^ why is all this befallen us f Not considering, how hard soever God dealeth with his people, yet he loveth them, Heb> xii. 6.

Sixthly^ Sometimes atheistical thoughts do arise, as if there were no God, no providence; as if it were in vain to serve the Lord.f

Seventhly^ This worldly sorrow indispo-seth to all good duties ; it makes a man like an instrument out of tune, or a bone out of joint ; which makes the body mxjve both uncomely and painfully : It unfits for duty to God and man.

Eighthly^ It makes a man forget former mercies, and overlook present mercies ; all is nothing under present sufferings. Give me children, or else I die.

Ninthly^ It makes us unfit to receive mercies, and to embrace the best counsels; such plaisters will not stick, they refuse to be comforted, Psah Ixxvii. 2.

• Rev. iU. 19. t Psal. bcxui. 13.

D

;38

Tenthly^ It disposeth us to receive any temptation: Satan hath never more advantage than upon discontent.

Eit'-jentfilyy It hinders beginners from coming into the ways of God.

Tuuelfthiy^ It rcjoiceth and hardeneth the wickeci, ana ii grieves and damps the spirits ot our friends'. All these and many more evils, are in worldly sorrow.

There tore, this evil tempter we must labour against, and not suffer ourselves to be dtjtcted in sickness, contempt in the world, loss of friends and relations, loss of honour, and earthly interest: may we only think to be exempted from chastisements, whereof all God's children are partakers?* And.must pod make a new way to heaven for us ? Or do we think it best for us to live here for ever, in ease and plenty, and honour, and never see a change ? No surely, it is in vain to think so: it becometh us betimes, to prepare ior crosses. None so strong, lively and brisk now, but they shall shordy wither and decay. None hold their heads so high now, but they must shortly lay them down in the dust. We, and our dearest relations must part.

It would be our wisdom, to turn the stream of our sorrow for losses and crosses,

•Heb.xii.lO.

into Godly sorrow for sin, then it will run in its right channel. Let our sins lie heavy upon us, and then our afflictions will lie light: let us grow weary of our sins, not of our sufferings.* God doth not afflict -uoU-lingly^ nor grieve the chiidrefi of men.] Let us consider also, the real spiritual benefit of afflictions : God aims at our profit 4 and in good time, in the best time he will send deliverance. And be sure, those that are not unmindful of their duty, Ged will not be unmindful of their safety.

But that which should mostly affect us, and make us take heed of immoderate worldly sorrow, is, to consider, that this kind of sorrow of heart, is God's curse-, imprecated on God's enemies ; Lam, iii. 65. Give them sorrow of hearty thy curse. As Godly sorrow is God's blessing, a grace of God's spirit, a fruit of the covenant of grace, and a fruit of faith ;§ so worldly sorrow is God's curse, and a bitter fruit of unbelief. They that sorrow for sin shall be comforted :'^* but they that mourn immoderately for outward losses, there shall be none to comfort them. This is the first piece of heart-trouble which

• Matt. xi. 28. f Prov. iii. 11. Lam. iii. 53.

X Heb. xiL 10. J Ezek. xxxvi. 31. Zech. xii. 10. •• Matt. V. 4.

Jesus Christ hath forbidden. Let not your hearts be troubled; that is, not filled, and overcome with worldly sorrow : whatever your losses and crosses I:)e, let not your sorrow go beyond its lawful bounds ; take heed, let not your hearts be troubled.

Stcondly^ Another piece of heart-trouble, is, sinful fear. And against this distemper iilso Christ counselleth his disciples ; Let not your heart be troubled^ nor let it be afraid^ ver. 27. As if he had said, let not that distemper of base slavish fear, seize your hearts.

This fear is a passion, or rather a perturba-. tion of mind, whereby, upon the sense of approaching evils, the mind is discomposed and disordered, and the heart troubled and dejected.

This fear is a tyrant where it comes, and it tyrannizes where it prevails: as Job iv. 14, 15. We read how it prevailed over that famous believer, the father of believers, Abraham, to his prejudice, and to the discredit of his religion ; who, through fear denied his wife once and again. Gen. xii. and Gen. XX. And good Laac was taken in the same fault. Gen. xxvi. This fear troubles mens' peace, and disquiets their minds, that they are said sometimes to be like the leaves of the forest; and this fe^r is often fprbiddei^ ,

to Abraham, GeJi. xv. 1. and to Isaac, Gen/ XXVI' 24. And when Israel was in the greatest dangers that ever men were, they were forbid to fear, Exod. xiv. 13. ha, viii. 12. chap. xli. 10. And in the New Testament, our Lord strongly cautions against this fear, Luke xii. 4, 32. Rei), ii. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Slavish iear troubles the heart more than any thing.

Object. But may we not fear God's judgments ? Did not good Josiah tremble at them ? And did not holy David say, in Fsal, cxix. 120, I am afraid of thy judgments,

Answ, Doubtless, it is our duty so to do *. when we see the same sins abound, for wbiich God hath executed his judgments in former times, we ought to lay them to heart, and to be affected, Jer. vii. 12. chap. iii. 7, 8, 9, 10. LiikeTLwW, 26, &c. Remember Lot's ivife^ said our Lord. So, 1 Cor, x. 2 Pet, ii. 9. Rom. i. 18. Dan, ix. 5. Zeph, iii. 6, T, a remarkable Scripture.

Although it went well with Nehemiah himself, yet he had a sad resentment of the state of Jerusalem, Neh, i.

God's people have tender hearts. Wicked men have hearts of stone ; when God smites them, they are not gi*ieved, fer, v. 3,

But we must distinguish of feare d2.

Firsty There is a natural lav/ful fear, when evUs are approaching to our bodies, or names, or friends, or the like, dangers are apparent, it is natural to fear. This was in the best men in the world ; it was in Christ himself, Mark xii. 14, 15. Also it is said, He feared, and was sore a?7iazed, Mark xiv, 33, yet without sin,

SecQudlij^ There is a lawful, filial fear of God's judgments, which arjseth from the consideration of the evil of sin, and of God's righteousness ; of his hatred of sin, and his wrath against it; which fear produceth repentance, self-examination, a turning to God with our whgle hearts, through reformation, and an endeavour to secure ourselves in God's '•ov-enant, and to hide ourselves, Prov. xxii. 3. A prudent vian foreseeth the evii^ and hideth himself. A striving to get into Christ, and to get clear evidences of God's love to us in Christ: I say, such a fear, that worketh these effects, is a great duty.

Thirdly^ There is a base 3lav7.sh fear of approaching evils, arising fro.m our misapprehensions of God ; producing in us unworr thy thoughts, sinking into despondency, and inciting to murm-iring and impatience, and putting ug upon sinful shifts, the use of unlawful means to prevent or escape dangers j a fear of despondency, a vexatious, distracting fear, that drives from God, and unfits

for service: A tormenting, disquieting fear, that unsettles and discomposeth our minds, disturbs our peace, suspends our acts of faith, and disposeth us to diffidence, distrust, and impatience: this is the fear that Christ would not have his peoples' hearts troubled with.

Foitrthhj^ Another piece of heart-trouble, is care, vexatious, distracting care, which our Lord would not have his disciples trouble themselves with ; and therefore he useth so many powerful arguments to dissuade them from it, Matt, vi. from verse 25, onward."^

\st^ He assures us, it is God that takes care for our bodily life, we trust him with that; how much more should we for food and raiment.

2dly^ Saith he, your Father takes care for the fowls, and provides for them, Are ye not much better than they ?

Zdly^ He clotheth the lilies, and will he not clothe you ? ,

4th!yy^ You cannot, by all your care, make your condition better than God hath appointed it shall be, ver. 27.

Sthly, Your heavenly Father knows you want all these things.

6thiy^ They that are ignorant of God, and of hi^ fatherly care and good providence, that

• Psal. civ. 21, 27, 28.

have no God to care for them, they trouble themselves with those cares ; therefore you should not do so, who have an heavenly Father that dearly loves you, and looks after you.

r//////, You have the promise of the faithful (iod, to have all necessaries provided for you, while you make it your care to serve, please, and trust in him. Ver. 23. All theae thitiq's shall be added unto ijoii.

Si/ill/^ We have no cause to be thoughtful for time to come, because every day brings evil enough with it; ^nd therefore it is no wisdom to perplex ourselves with cares, ver. last.

So again, Luke xxi. 34. Phil. iv. 6. Be careful Jor noth/m;^ :^ Our Lord also shews us how prejudicial such cares are to our profiting by the word.j And expressly commands us, to cast our cares vpon him^for he carethfor us,\

Fifthly^ Despondency of spirit, dejected-ness, distrust, discouragement, are other pieces of heart-trouble. Such as was in David, Psal. cxii. 3, 4, 5. cxliii. 4. xlii. 5. Casting-down breeds disquietment, because it springs from pride, which is a turbulent pas-

• Mark iv. 19. f I-u^e vii. 12. P»al. Iv. 22.

\ 1 l»et. V. 7

sion ; and every thing that crosseth and disappoints it, causeth a combustion in the mind: when a man cannot come down, and stoop to that condition that God casts him into, then he is discontented ; and this comes from his pride.

A Christian should be very careful to keep up his spirits, when his condition in the world falls down. Could we but bring our minds to our conditions, to like and be pleased with our conditions ; as being certainly persuaded, that our present condition is best for us; it would be all as good, all as well, all as comfortable to us, as if we could bring our condition to our minds ; for one of the&e must be done, or else Ve shall never be free from heart-trouble while we live. Either our minds must be brought just even to, and suited and compliant to our conditions, be it sickness, poverty, shame, prison, &c. or, our conditions must be suited just evea to our minds. We have a mind to health, to liberty, &c. we must have them, or we are troubled. Now this latter is wholly and altogether out of our power, we cannot add one cubit to our stature. It is the Lord that appoints all our conditions for us ; we cannot make our conditions happy, honourable, &c.,of ourselves, and without God : but the former is in our power : by the help of God's

spirit of grace, we may bring our minds to our conditions :* it is an holy art, attainable in the use of God's means. Contentment in, and with our condition, is the i)ring-ing of our minds to our conditions, tq lie even, and suitable, and square one with the other; and this is, as I said, an holy art, attainable 'by Christians, Ph'iL iv. 11. St. Paul had learned it,f and so may other Christians. It is the suitableness between our minds and our conditions, that breeds quiet and content: and if we have not quiet in our own minds, all outward comforts will do no more good, than a silken stocking to a scabbed leg ; or a golden slipper to a goaty foot.

Now, it is only God that can, but never will (except in wrath) bring any man's condition to his mind; for then his condition sRould be changed almost every moment; so mutable is man's mind: God will not bring the condition of the wicked to their mind (except in wrath, as was said ;) for, as their outward prosperity doth increase, so do their desires after more : and the wise man tells us. The eye is Jiever satisfied with see-in^.jj. And the more they have, the more

• 1 Tim. vi. 8. Heb. xiii. 5. | 1 Tim. v5. 6,

I Eccles. iv. 8. Ibid. v. 10.

^/

they crave, They can never have enough,*-And for the godly themselves, they are not so free from covetousness as they should be ; but still need to learn this lesson of contentment, and to be learning of it all their days. And most commonly, if not always, God, by his grace, brings their minds to their conditions ; and not their conditions to their minds. And for this wise Agur prays, Prov, XXX. 9. Two dangerous extremes he prays against; the one is poverty, that would breed discontent, in that his mind would be below his condition, debased to vile and sinful practices, as stealing, &c. The other is riches ; that would breed discontent, in that his mind would be above his condition, and that would lift him up to base pride, and for- " getfulness of God: therefore he begs a suitableness and conveniency between his mind and condition : Feed me with food convenient.

Certainly, we shall never be free from heart-trouble, till our mind be brought suitable to pur conditions, and such a frame would prevent casting-down in time of affliction. To like our condition, to be pleased and satisfied with it, and with the holy will of God in it; that is, to be content, content

*Isa,Ivi. 11.

with sickness, poverty, shame, prison, loss of relations and friends, &c. In a word, when our wills lie even with God's will, (as in all reason they should) and our minds lie even with our conditions, then have we inward peace and tranquillity, quietness and contentment, and never till then : then sickness is as good as health ; and poverty as good as riches ; and a prison, &:c. And this is that blessed frame of spirit we must labour for, and we ourselves shall have the sweetness of it: otherwise, it is in a man's mind, as it is with the body, when bones are out of joint,"^ there is nothing but pain and trouble; but this bringing of our minds to our conditions, is the setting of the bone again. Casting down ourselves, despondency, discouragement, which arise from discontent, are great pieces of heart-trouble.

This distrust of God's providence is a grand, evil, when we think we cannot live, \mless we have a greater portion of earthly things ; and this sets us upon carking cares ; we know not how we and ours shall be provided for, Svc. Now this we may cure, by casting ourselves upon God's promises.f 1 I^tt, V. 7. psalm xxxiv. Ixxxiv. 11. Heb. xiii. b. Let us cast ourselves on God's pro-

♦ Psal. xliii. 5. t Ibid Iv. 22.

videncft: will he provide ^or ravens, and clothe lilies, and neglect his own children? It cannot be imagined.

Earthly things are but a vain shew ; they can give us no joy of heart, nor peace of conscience ; they cannot add one cubit to our stature, nor one moment to our lives.

Moreover, this happy state of mind is attainable.=^ Eli had it, 1 Sam, iii. 18, and David, 2 Sam, xv. 25, 26. It is the Lord^ let him do xvhat aeemeth him good. Therefore let us labour for such a spirit; such a contented frame of mind is worth a kingdom : without it godliness itself is not great gain : it must be laboured for ; Paul said, he had learned it; it was a hard lesson, but swert when learned.

Fifthly^ Persecution may cause heart-trouble ; when men are offended. Matt. xiii. 21. When Peter was an offence to Christ, he was a trouble to him. Our Lord did on purpose foretell his disciples what persecutions they should undergo, that they might not be offended ;f forewarned, fore-armed. It is a blessed thing not to be offended at persecution for Christ. He foretold his disciples, the night before his passion, that all of

* Psal. xxxix. 9. Phil. iv. 12, 13. + Matt. xxvi.

.'^1, 56.

.70

Iflem shouid be- oITended at him that night:* which came to pass ; for one of them openly-denied him, and the rest forsook him and fled. To be troubled at persecution for Christ's sake, is to be the cross of Christ; and that he would not have his disciples to be by any means, Mark viii. 38.

Object, But is it not said, PsuL cxix. 165, Great peace have they that love thij law^ and nothing shall offend them ? How then came the people of God to be offended I

1 a?i6wer. They that truly love God's law, because they love God, such shall have peace with God, and with their own consciences ; and that is great peace, and nothing shallc»f-fend them ; that is, much trouble them, since they have peace wifh God, and with their own consciences : outward lossc s and crosses are easily borne, they shall make no breach upon their inward peace. They that have this character ot God's chilchen, will not b^; stumbled at God's dispensations, let them h t never so cross to their desires ;|.because the have a God to fly unto in all their trouble:» and a S4ire covenant to rest upon : thercfori: the reproaches cast on thein, and on th ways of God, do not scandalize them, fr-r tht:y have found God in that very wav whi/'i

• John xvi. 1. ■)• Sam. xxiii. -5.

.11

others speak evil of; they are notso offended by anv thing that attends the way ot God^ as to dislike or forsake that way. Nev( rthe-" less, zve jnust take heed that xve be not offend-td.

Sixthly^ Temptations from Satan may cause heart-trouble and vexation: Satan's-suggestions, his fiery darts, these tormenting thoughts which he casts into the minds of Christ's disciples, create to them much disturbance and heart-trouble. So soon as any man is plucked out of the devil's hands, by the mighty power of Christ's spirit, he tails upon him speedily with all his force, to trouble such a soul and vex it; so that he shall enjov little peace if Satan can hinder it. So long as the devil keeps possession in the soul,* he keeps all in peace, (a sad peace !) But when a stronger than he comes, and casteth out this strong man armed, then Satan rageth to recover his lost captive soul, and vexeth that soul with all his temptations: hut let not this break your peace, nor cause heart-trouble. As Christ hath overcome the world, and therefore bids his discipU s to be of good cheer ^ John xvi. 20, so hath he also overcome the devil ; he hath trodden this serpenf* under his feet already, and this Prince of Peace will tread him under your

• Luke xi. 21, 22.

feet also shortly: therefore, Let not you? hearts be troubled.

Seventhly^ Desertion ; another, (and not the least) piece of heart-trouble ; this may be the case of Christ's disciples. We read of the saints complaining that God had forsaken them J and when he hideth his face, they cannot but'be troubled.

Sometimes God doth but seem to hide his face, Isaiah xlix. 14, 15. When God takes their earthly comforts from them, and suf-fereth sharp and hitter afflictions to befall them ; and though they cry unto him, he doth not remove them, then they think that God hath forsaken therri.

Sometimes God doth really forsake his people, as to the sense of his favour, Isaiah liv. 7, 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a 7noment. And this is cither by withholding comfort from them, which thev cry for, or by withdrawing that comfort from them which they had. Compare Fsal, li. 11, and Ixxvii. 1, 2, 3, 23. Yet hf re God supported and sustained his servant's soul with grace : many times, when God's'people have least comfort, they have most grace, most humility, patience, self-denial, thirstings after God, heavenly-mindedness, Sic* God's

• Psal. Ixxx. 3, 7, 19. Ibid Ixxxiii. 3.

people may lose the sense of his love, but never lose his love, for that is everlasting. But to lose the sense of his love, is a grievous trouble to a gracious soul, that hath tasted and felt the love of God and his favour ; for their great happiness is to have the favour of God: In k'ls favour is life^ and his loving-kindness is better than life: this is the joy of their lives \_PsaI, cxix 135,] which David so earnestly prayed God for. Now such as found this, must needs be troubled when they lose it.

Two things chiefly cause God to hide his face from his people.

1. When their hearts are fco much set upon, and carried out after earthly comforts ; fleshly delight, and confidence in earthly things, provokes God to hide his face : when a man smiles so much on the world, and gives it so much room in his heart, God Srowns, and is offended that the gift should be so much loved, and the giver so neglected and forgotten.

2. When their hearts are let out too little after God, and there grows a strangenCrS between God and them, and they begin'to grow ttold, dull and dead in duty, then God withdraws and hides himself,* compared. But

• Cant. 2i 3, 5, 6. E 2

no affliction like this ; this disquieteth and dejecteth the people of God indeed. And as all the candles in the world cannot make it day when the sun is set: so all the coin-forts in the world cannot rejoice such a soul, nor can there be any day in stich a soul, until the sun of rigliteousncss arise there with healing in his rvings.^-

So much for this third particular, shewing what this heart-troul)le is, which our Lord here forbids his disciples; namely, worldly sorrow, sinful slavish fc;ar, distraat* ing care, desponde»ncy, dejectedness of spirit, distrust, offence at persecution for Christ's sake, Satan's temptati-ons, and spiritual desertions ; all which may either be the causes, or the parts and pieces of heart-trouble^ fvhich must he avoided.

The fourth particular to be opened, is to shew, that believing in G(*d and in Christ, is the best antidote against this sinful heart-trouble : Christ pruposcth it as a special remedy.

^uest. But how is it so ?

Ji\ szo. To answer this, I shall endeavour to shew these three things.

1. What this believing in God is which uur Saviour here grants that they hud ; 2c bcUevj in God,

• MaU iv. p*

2. What it is to believe in Christ: believe also in me.

3. How that this faith acted on God and Christ, is the best remedy to prevent and cure heart trouble, in all those several parts of it I have mentioned,

1. What this faith in God is ? Briefly, the apostle tell us, Heb. xi. 6. It is to believe that God is, that there is a God, an infinite, first, and best being j to believe that God is that all that, which he hath revealed himself in his word to be, viz. that he is an all-sufficient, almighty, only wise God ; a righteous, gracious, merciful God: an holy God, a loving God. He proclaims his name himself, Exod, xxxiv. 6, 7. The Lord, tiie LordGod^ merciful and gracious^ long-sirfering^ and abundant in goodness and truths &c. To believe that he is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working :* that he is the Father of all mercies, the true and faithful God, the God of all grace, and of all consolation :f with many more ad-n)ira!>le attributes of God doth the scripture furnish us, that we may build our faith, and place our trust in him, to prevent heart-trouble, and to cure it when it hath seized on lis. Whatsoever is revealed of God in his word, that true faith believes.

• Isa. xxviii. 29. f 1 John iv. i6. 3 Cor. 1 3.

llel). :iU. 9. James J. 17.

Also, this faith in Qod, is, to believe ^at he is a rewarder of them that diligently ^ek. him.

That he being God all-sufficient, he is able to support, to supply, to deliver his people out of all their troubles ; and that he is willing so to do, as well as able, for he hath promised: and he is a rewarder,* a God that will abundantly, plentifully reward all his suffering ones: Grrat shall he their re-ivard in heaven^ Matt. v. 12. And to believe God to be a rewarder, is to lay hold on his covenant, wherein he promiseth so to be : I will be thy Gody thy shield and thy exceedinp^ great reward^ Gen, xv. 1. The sum of the covenant is, I will be thy God: What is that but this, I will do all that to diee, and for thee. I will be a sun and shield to thee ;\ I will give thee grace and glory, and will withhold no good thing from thee, f that am the infinite, first, and best being of all things, the living fountain of all mercy, the original of all power and goodness ; I will be a God to thee, thy God, thy Father, if thou wilt take me for thy God, and place all thy happiness in me, and wilt become mv servant, and give up thyself sincerely to me,

* 1 Cor. XV. 58. Rom. ii. 6, 7, 10. f 3 Cor. vi.

17, Psal. Ixxxiv. \%

to" serve and obey, to love, fe'ar, and trust me onlv. This is to believe in God, to accept of God for our God, and to yield up ourselves to him to be his people, Isa* Ivi. 46, to choose the things that please him : to give our hearts and become his servants, as Deut. xxvi. 17, 18. And so God proposed himself to Abraham when he called him, Gen. xii. 1, 2, 3, as a rewarder; and more fully. Gen* xv. 1, / am thu shield, and thy exceeding great reuoard; and so Abraham's faith was to acton God, so manifested ; and, Gen. xvii. 1,/ am God all-sufficient ; all-sufficient to support thee in thy way and work, and all-sufficient to reward thee in the end, therefore be thou upright and faithful ;* let not thy heart be troubled, whatever dangers and difficulties thou mtetest with in my way and work, and what losses soever thou sustainest for my sake, believe, Abraham^ lam God all-sufficient ; I will sufficiently reward thee, thou shalt ije no loser by following and serving me. Also INIoses's faith had an eije to the recompense ofrexvardy Heb. xi. 26. And that you mav see that this is not legal and mercenary, our Lord Jesus proposeth this as an encouragement to his people, 3Iatt. v. 12. Great in your reivard in hea'jen. And he himself

* Prov. xi. 18, Psal. Iviii. II.

took encouragement from it, iis IIvb» xii. 1, 2. Fcr the joy tliativas set before him, Sec.

So that this is to btlieve in God, to bt-lieve that God is really and truly, he is all that which ht revealed hinjself to be, and to believe that he is a rewarder, &:c. This faith in Ciod, Christ took for granted that his disciples had; Te believe hi God: Ye believe that God is, and that he is a revvarder of them that diligently seek him. And if ye believe this, let not your hearts be troubled ; be not afraid nor dejected, but act your faith in God, and seriously consider what God that is in whom you believe ; and believing also your interest in that God, that he is your God ; this God all-sufticient is your God, you will have no cause to be troui:)kd : Your acting of faith on God, your God : will prevent and cure your heart-trouble, and that these several ways. •

First more generally.

He that believes in God as his God, believes God is always present with him, according to his promises.* In the worst times God is present with his people. And can there be any cause of heart-trou!>le to such souls as have always the presence oi God with

• Isa. »li. 10. Ibid xliii. 2. Heb. xiii, 5.

them, whose presence makes Jtleaven, and in whose presence is fulness of joyy and at 'whose rig-kt hand are pleasures for evermore P'* Surely, beloved, this will prevent ht art-trouble, when a soul can act his faith, and firmly believe it. God is always pre-s<;nt with his people, and that for gracious purposes,(and not as a bare spectator;) to proportion and measure out iheir alflictions to them, that they may not be above their strength, nor more than need.f Ail the at-flictions of God's people are measured by the hand of a most wise, most merciful, and gracious God: all the malice of men and devils cannot add a drachm to the v/eight, nor a drop to the measure, beyond God's appointment. He is present to order and iix the time of our sufferings,:): it is an hour ot temptation: it is our loving Father that sets up the glnss of the time of our troubles: he appoints their beginning, their duration, their ^■nd ; he holds the glass in his own hand. All the powers on earth caimot bring troubles on us, 'till the hour come, 'till the appointed time, nor continue our troubles longer than i^is time : T^e rod of the ivicked shall not rest on the lot of the riifhteoiis.'^ God is

* Psal. xvi. 11. t 1 ^or- x-15. ^ 1 Pet. i. G.

It;^ XX.V11 o. ; Psal.c-txv. S.

present to mix some comforts* with the cross, thereby to allay the bitterness of it; present to support the soul with inward strength, Psal. cxxxviii. 3. Thou strength-e.nest me with strength in my soul: Present to sanctify afflictions for good, and at length, in his good time, which is the best time, when he hath perfected his own work in his people, he is present for their full deliverance.

A true believer in God hath always a God to go unto. O what a comfort, what an happiness is that! he dwells in the love of God, as well in affliction, as out of it; he may be cast out of his happy condition in the world, but never out of the favour of his God : this, believed by us will cure heart-sorrow, heart-fear, heart-care, all despondency, dtjected-ness, disquietments, and destractions whatever. Faith acted on God, the almight)^ all sufficient God, and our God, always present with us, is the sovereign antidote against, and the best cure of all heart-trouble, Psal. cxlii. 1, 2, 3, 4, there are the Fsalni-isfs troubles ; and verse 5, there is his cure ; / cried unto thee^ 0 Lord; thou art viy refuge and my portion in the land of the iivifig. So Psal. cxiiii. 4, 6, 8, his spirits was over-

• Rev. lit. 10.

whelmed with trouble ; but he cried to God, and trusted in him, and that was his relief. His trusting in God was an high exercise of his faith.* This kept David from sinking under his great distress, 1 Sam. xxx. 6. He encouraged himself 171 the Lord his God. Thus in general.

More particularly, I shall endeavour to shew what there is in God that a believer's faith fetcheth virtue from to cure his heart-trouble in his greatest distress, even under the loss of the personal presence of his best and dearest friends on earth; for such was like to be the case of the disciples in the text.

First, That in God which faith looks unto and fetcheth comfort from, is, his sweet and gracious nature. God is love, the very element of love, 1 John iv. 16, and his gracious name, which discovers his nature, JExod. xxxiv. 6. The Lord gracious and men' cifuL When he gives to his people, he gives in love ; when he takes he takes in love. Now when a soul believes that all is from love, and all in love, he is supported. When a man can believe that all his troubles come to him from the Father of mercies, and his father in Christ, he cannot but bear them

* Ps^l. XXV. 15, 16,17. Ibid xxxK 12, 13.

patiently. Ye believe in God, saitli Christ. Ye bcicive that God loves you, therefore let not your hearts be troubled.

l^est. But how shall I know that God loves me, v/hen he afflicts me.''

I answer^ When we can discern that we have received any spiritual benefit by any affliction, we may certainly conclude, that the love of God was in that affliction.'* Fury is nv'jt in God towards his people,! and he intends nodiing but our profit i all his designs are for our good, to purge away our sins4 to wean us from the world, to draw us nearer to himself, to humble us, to try us, and to conform us to Christ,^ to prepare us ior glory, &c. Now seeing God's designs are so mu'-h for our good, we must conclude, that all our aftiictions proceed from his love ; and when we And any of those designs accomplished in us, and on us, and that we have received real spiritual good by them, we ought to be strengthened in our belief, that God hath corrected us in love ; so that failii ycted on the love of God in our afflictions, will prevent or cure our heart-trouble. Our Lord told his disciples, that the Father had loved iliem^ J'-^hii xvi. 27.

• Heb. xii. 6, 10. f Isaiah xxvi. 4. Dea^ \ Job xxiii. lU. \ 2 Cor. iv. 17.

Sccondlij^ Faith acted upon God's glorious attributes, will fortify against heart-trouble.

Firsts Upon his all-sufficiency. Ye believe that God i£ all-sufficient,'^ in and of himself alone ; every way able to supply all wants, to make up, and repair all losses, to satisfy all desires, to sustain under all burthens, and that without all earthly comforts : for, how else are the saints in heaven happy, who have none of these earthly enjoyments ? Ye believe this, act your faith on it: he must needs be all-sufficient who made the world, and all things in it, and upholds it to this day : he that owns all things, and is possessor of heaven and earth, he it is, that is your God, your Father; act your faith on him, anri be comforted.

Setondly^ He is almighty; you believe this. So Christ hath told his disciples, All things are possible to God, He can break the hardest heart, and can bind up the most broken spirit: he can mrike up the greatest loss, We are kept by the mighty power of God.\ Oh ! how safe is that man, that is in the love and covenant, and that lies in the arms and bosom of the Almighty God4 He

* Gen. xvii. 1. f 1 Pet. i 5. % Deut. xxxiii. ^T, Job ix. 1^.

can bring light out of darkness,, and make the greatest loss to prove the greatest gain.* He hath the keys of the grave. To him belong the issues from death,] All power be-longeth to him ; nothing is too hard for him.

Thirdly^ His absolute sovereignty and supremacy : all souls are his, Ezek, xviii. 4. He gives, he takes, who can hinder him P May he not do with his own what pleaseth him ? Ye helieve this. Hath he not a right in all the works of his hands ? May he not dispose of all as he will ?

f'ourthly^ His unchangeableness. God is in one mind^\ the thoughts of his heart stand to all generations. He sets bounds to the sea, to the life of man, and to all the comforts of life ; the number of his months is with God.<5 Believe this.

Fifthlu^ His wisdom. God is only xvise^ the fountain ofivisdom. He doeth all he do-eth in infinite wisdom. He is wise in heart, and worketh all things according to the counsel of his will. He knows what is best for us ; when to give, when to take, and what will do us most good. Believe this, and 7^^ not your hearts be troubled.

• Matt. xix. 26. f Gen. xviii. 14. \ Job xiv. 5. $ Ibid xxiii. 13. 14.

\}o

Sixthly^ His righteousness. All his way3 are just and equal: yea, when clouds and darkness are round about him, (his providences towards us dark) yet then righteons-?iess and judgment are the habitaiion of hv> throne* God, the Judge of the world, can do no wrong : believe this of God, and it v/ill quiet your minds.

Lastly^ His faithfulness. In very faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.^ saith holy David, PsaL cxix. 75. lie hath promised, he will withhold no good thing from his people :* Now he*- sees and knows that afflictions arc good for them, good for their souls; his daily rod is good for their souls, as his daily bread is good for their bodies. Therefore he brings afflictions on them, and so makes good his promise to them. O ! believe this, and let not your hearts be troubled. Certainly, faith acted on God's attributes will support under the greatest strokes, and most grievous losses.

Thirdly^ Faith acted on the covenant of grace. God's everlasting covenant will help lo support under trouble. 7^e believe in God; that God hath made a covenant with you, to become your God, fer. xxxi. 33. Jrvill be uoifv God^ and ye shall be my people. This is

* Psal. Ixxxiv. 11. r 2

infinitely more, for God to become our God, to give himself to us, than if he had said, I will give you crowns and kingdoms, sons and daughters: when God saith, I will be your God,, he saith, I will be all that to you, and I will flo all that for you, and bestow all that upon vou, which a God can be, or do, and which shall make you most happy for ever. I will give you new hearts, give you my spirit; I will give you grace here, and glory hereafter. This acting of faith in God's covenant, supported David in his greatest troubles; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, a notable text: when the Lord had made breach upon breach in his family, this comforted him, that God had made ivith him an everlasting' covenant. That he was in covenant with God ; that God was his God in covenant: this balanced all his losses, and re])aired all the breaches made in his relations : though his family was wasted and !)h'sted, this answered all, that he was in coV' enant with God.

This is the language of faith : if God be my God, if I be his child, born of him, re-concilt'd to him, pardonf^d, justified, sanctified, in covenant with him, whv am I troubled, thougli he give me neither health, nor wealth, nor friends, nor relations ? Have I not enough, in having God to be my God I Is not God more than all ? But if God b^

not my God, I have cause enough to be trou-; bled then, considering the danger I am in ; and my trouble for this, should swallow up all other trouble. For surely, either God is mine in covenant, or he is not: if he be mine in covenant, then, though he break my family, make breaches upon all my earthly comforts, yet he will not break his covenant, Psalm Ixxxix. 32, and so long I am well enough. If he leave me neither son nor daughter, if he strip me of friends, estate, liberty, healtli. Sec. yet he remains my God still; and so long it is well enough : it cannot be ill with a man so long as God is his : ye believe this.

Fourthly J Faith acted upon the word of God, will support the soul: ye believe God's word, the word of truth. Psalm cxix, 50. This is my comfort in my affiction^ thy word hath quickened me. So verse 93. Had not thy law been my delight.^ I had perished in my affiction.

Firsts Consider the word of precept: as, in the text, it is Christ's command, Let not your hearts be troubled; many such commands we have in Scripture, as, Not to fear^ nor be cast doixxn: sorrow not as those wha have no hope ;* and such-like : now, faith

* 1 Thess. iv. 12,14,

applioB such commands to the soul; I must not be troubled in my heart, God forbids it. AVhy, must we not profane the sabbath, nor swear, nor lie, &c. but because God hath forbidden these evils I So here, God hath forbidden us to be troubled, and hath commanded us to be quiet, patient, contented, submissive to his will in all his dealings ; thus we should urge God^s command on our souls: yea, we are commanded to be so far from trou'?ling ouVselves, when afflictions befall us, as that we must count it all joy 7vhen rue fall into divers temptations ;* and to rejoice in sufferings ; for. Blessed is the 7nan that endiireth temptation^ James i. 12.

Secondly^ Consider the word of promise : many exceeding great and precious promises are in the word of God, which are as a full least for faith to feed upon. God promis-eth to be our God ; to be with us in the fire, and in the water ; to support and sustain us ;t to lay no more upon us, than he will enable us to bear ::j: That all things shall work together for our good^ Rom. viii. 28, and what can we desire more ? There is no trouble that can befall us, but we mav find a promise suitable to it: and faithful is he that hath

* I Pet. iv. 13. t Isa. xli. 10. xlin. 2. 11 Cor. X. 13.

promised^ who also zvill do it/^ And why hath the great God so wonderfully condescended to poor creatures, as to make st> many sweet promises, which are recorded in the holy Scriptures, but for this; that the heirs of promise might have strong consolation ;f and that their hearts might not be troubled ?

Thirdly^ The word of threatning, Matt. X. 37. He that loveth father or mother^ son or daughter^ (so husband or wife) more than 7ne, is not worthy of7ne^ saith Christ. Now, by our immoderate sorrow for the loss of these, we manifest our immoderate love of these: we should consider, that when these are removed, that Christ remains ours still, and with us still: our relation to him is not broken; and Christ will be instead of all, and better than all to us ; and this should keep us from heart trouble.

Fourthly^ The examples of God's saints in the world. We should consider also, what a famous example is Abraham, who was content to part wjth his Isaac at the command of God; his only son, the son of his old age, the son of the promise, in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed ; yea, content to lay his own hands upon him,

• 1 Thess. V. 23. f Heb. vi. 17.

to slay hiin, and burn him : but when he was tried, God spared hira.=^ The way to keep our earthly comforts, is to be willing to part with them, when God calls for them. So Eli, when very sad tidings were told him ; It is the Lord, said he let him do what seemeth him good.] So Aaron, when that heavy stroke fell upon him, that both his sons were struck dead upon the place for their sin, and it may he in their sin too, it is said Aaron held his peace,\ So Job, stripped of all his friends at once, the breath of his wife was strange to him. And David complained, that lover and friend was "put far from him. Now, we should consider these examples and set faith a work on them, and know, that it is our duty to he foUoxvers of them^ who through faith and patience ?^-herit the promises, Heb. \'u 12.

Fifthly, The word of experience. David. tells us his experience, and faith. It was good for hijn that he had been afficted. And many Christians living, can and do bless God for their affliction; and that God, by taking away of their relations from them, he made more room in their hearts for himself, and communicated more of himself to their souls : thus by acting of taith upon the word

• Gen. xxii. 2,12. f 1 Sam. iii. 18. % Levit. ac. 3.

n

of God, we may gain support, and be preserved from heart-trouble.

Sixthly^ Faith acted upon the work of God, will support under heart-trouble, Ec-cles, vii. 13. Consider the zuork of God* Faith looks to the work of God ; who it is that killeth ; who it is that taketh away : who can stop, or mend, or hinder his work ? This quieted David's heart, when the stroke of God was heavy upon him; I opened not mij mouth because thou didst itA It is the Lord, he hath done it. It is he that •doth whatsoever he pleaseth.

Seventhly^ Faith acted on the will of God, Faith resigns up all to the good and holy will of God: so did our Lord himself; Not my will but thine be done;] and so we pray continually, thy ivillhe done;] and therefor* when it is done, our hearts must not be troubled.

Lastly, Faith acted on the gracious ends and designs of God in afflicting us, and removing our earthly comforts from us, will prevent heart trouble. God hath holy and good ends, which faith looks unto: God aims at our profit, as Heb, xii. 10. Such t-ndb as these ;

* jPsal.xxxix. 9. 2 Sam. xii. 23. t Luke xxii. 42. ] Matt. vi. 10.

1. God's end is to discover and purge away our sins, lifa. xxvii. 9. By this shall the imquitij oj Jacob be purged; this is all the

fruit to take aioay his sin,

2. To try and exercise our graces, J^ob. xxiii. 10. 1 Fet. i. 6, 7. jRev. ii. 10.

3. To crucify our liearts unto, and to estrange our affections from the things of this world."^

4. To draw our hearts nearer to himself; therefore many times God takes away our earthly comforts from us, because they had too much of our hearts; and because they lay between God and our hearts, and kept us at a distance from him.

5. To bestow greater, and better mercies upon us. God never takes away any darling comfort from his people, but his design is, to give them a better in the room of it; as in the text, Christ leaves his disciples, in regard of his bodily presence, because he would send the Comforter to them, which should abide with them forever, John xiv. 16.

6. To make them partakers of his holiness. Heb, xii. 10.

7. To fit and prepare them for that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, U Csr. iv. 17. These are God's holy and

• Gal. ii. 20.

good ends in afflicting his people, unto which faith looks, and so supports the heart.

Thus you see, how faith acted on God in these particulars, will prevent or cure all our heart-troubles : faith acted on the sweet and gracious nature of God ; he is love, all love ; on his glorious attributes, his all-sufficiencyj his omnipotency, his absolute sovereignty^ his unchangeableness, his wisdom, his righteousness, his faithfulness; faith acted on God's gracious everlasting covenant, on the word of God, on the word of precept, of promise, of threatening, of example, of experience ; and faith acted on the work of God, on the will of God, and on his holy ends in all his chastisements. I say, faith acted on God will exceedingly support under all trouble. Let 7iot your hearts be troubledi ye be-lieve in God, So much for this first particular: And before I enter upon the second, I shall make some short application of this.

APPLICATION.

Firsty It follows hence, that heart-trouble under the afflicting hand of God, argues the weakness, if not the want of faith. AH these sorts of heart-trouble, and the parts of it which I have mentioned, as heart sorrow, worldly sorrow, immoderate mourning,sinful fear, vexatious care, despondency of spirit,

G

being offended, disturbance of mind, distraction, dejection, discouragement, and the like ; all these flow from the want of faith, or at least, from the weakness of faith in God. We do not believe in God: we see the causes of our troubles ; they are mostly in ourselves, even our unbelief. Whatever we profess, we do not believe irfGod: if we could but believe in God, our hearts would not be troubled. O! our want of faith; let us heartly lament it, and cry to God for pardon through the blood of Christ. If our hearts be troubled, wiiere is our faith in God? What doth God, and all that is in God, signifv to us ? What are we the better for all that Infinite all sufliciency and goodness, that is in God, if we do not act iaith upon it ? Our heart-troubles would be cured, could we act faith on God as we ought to do.

Immoderate sorrow then is very unbecoming believers in God. If we will prove ourselves believers in God, let us discharge ourselves from heart-trouble and let us draw our consolation from our hearts by faith, from all those comfortable considerations of God, and from all those abundant excellencies that are in God : O let us labour for faith, and act it; let us live in the exercise of it, and then surely we shall find comfort*

Secondly^ Let us all labour to get an interest in God by faith in Jesus Christ,* that so we may be able to look upon God as our God ; and then we may claim an interest in all that God is, and all that God hath,f and so shall we have no cause of heart-trouble in any condition. For if God be ours, all his attributes are ours, his gracious covenant is ours, his word and promises are ours.:|: All is ours; therefore should we labour in this above all things, spending all our thoughts, affections and spirits upon this. O let us lay hold on God and his covenant; let us choose him for our portion, and resign up ourselves unfeignedly to him, terminating and centring all our desires, hope, love, delight in him alone, placing all our happiness in him, and then commit all to him. Whom have I in heaven but thee P and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee^ PsaL Ixxiii. 23. The second question.

Secondly^ What is it to believe in Christ ? For saith he in the text. Believe also in me: it is God in Christ that we must believe in ; not in God without Christ, not in God out Christ, but believe in God in Christ,

Now, what this believing in Christ is, I shall endeavour to shew ; looking up to the

• Gal. iy. 26. f 1 Sam. xxx. 6. \ PsaL xxxi. 14.

,6

Father of, and to the Author and Finisher of our faith, for light and assistance.

In gejieral: it is to believe all that which is revealed in the holy Scriptures concerning Christ; to believe the record that God hath given of him in his word, as 1 John v. 10, 11, 12, 13. I'o believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God; that he came out from the Father; was made flesh ;* was born of a virgin ; lived on earth in the form of a servant,! a poor despicable life ; preached the gospel, working miracles, &:c. that he suffered upon the cross,:j: with all the sins of his people upon his soul and body ; that he bore the curse of the law, the wrath of God, which was due to man for sin ;§ that he died a most painful, shameful, and cruel death, dying as a sacrifice, to satisfy God's justice, to atone and pacify his wrath, to make our peace, and to reconcile us to God :*=^ that he rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, to prepare a place there for his people ; that he sitteth at the right hand of God everlasting, to make continual intercession for us ;ff and that he shall come to judge the world at the last day : and while he is absent from us in person here on earth, he promis-

* John i. 18. t Heb. ii. 14. \ 1 Pet ii. 21.

f Isa. liii. •• Col. i. 21, 22, 23. ft Acts i. John xiv. 2, 3. Phil. ii. 7, 8. Heb. vii. 25.

ed to send his spirit, the Comforter, into the world, to convince and convert all those which his Father hath given him ; to call them by his word, to quicken, strengthen, stablish, comfort and confirm ihem until he come again, to take them' to himself^ that where he i*, there they may he also*^ This is the record that God hath given of his Son ; that whosoever believeth in him^ should not perish^ but have everlasting life,] Now, to believe in Christ, is to believe all this testimony of him. And also out of a deep sense of our sin and misery, and sight of Christ's infinite excellency, all-sufficiency, and willingness to save sinners ; and upon his call to us in the gospel, to come unto him "wearu and heavy laden ivith our sins^\ heartily willing to accept of the Lord Jesus upon his own terms ; to take him for our only Lord ; to give up our whole selves, souls and bodies, to his blessed government by his word and spirit in all thingsj^ and unftignedly and unreservedly to enter into covenant with him, to become his, and his alone, and his for ever ; and to rely upon him for life, for grace and salvation ; this is to believe in Christ.*) Thus believe in Christ, and let not your

* John xvi. 1, 2. Ibid xiv. 3. ^\\i\A iii. 16, 36.

\ John vi. 37. Matt. xi. 29. f John i. 12. Col. ii. 6. Cant. iv. 16. Psal. ii. 12.

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hearts be troubled* The acting of this faith on the blessed Jesus, is a singular means to prevent and cure all heart-trouble, all heart-sorrows, cares, fears, vexations, despondencies, dejections and distractions whatsoever, that may arise in our hearts, by reason of any loss, cross, disappointment, distress or aiRic-tion that may befall us. If we can but thus believe in Christ, and rest and rely upon him, and trust in him, our hearts shall not be troubled.

^uest. But what is that in Christ which faith must act upon, to effect this cure of heart-trouble when afflictions come upon us ? Answ. Such-like things (as I shewed before) as are in God tor faith to act upon^ which are these that follow :

Firsts Faith must be acted upon the loving, gracious, sweet nature of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus is of a most loving and sweet nature ; he is love indeed ; the Son of his Father's love, and altogether lovfly.* His thoughts of us who believe in him, were thoughts of love from everlasting.| All his words are sweet, his mouth is most sweet. O what sweet language doth he give hi^ church ! Mij dove^ mij lovc^ my fair one^ my ■\istcrf viy spouae^ &c. He loved us^ andg^ave

• Cant. V. 16. f Jer. xxxi. S,

/9

himself for us ;* loved iis^ and ivashed us in his blood.] He is one of our nature, our kinsnnan, our husband, our Father, our elder brother, &c. So that, if there be any love in the head to the members, if any in the father to the child, if any in the husband to the wife, or in any near and dear relation, then sure there is love, strong love in Jesus Christ to all believers ; for in him is the love of all relations, and therefore he expresseth it under all these relations. He calls us his friends ::[: he is of a most merciful nature, full of bowels of compassion, and of tender mercies.<$ It would be endless to express the loving nature of Jesus Christ to poor believers ; which, when a believer duly considers and ponders upon, it cannot but support him under all heart-trouble.

Act your faith on Christ as yours,** your Jesus, he that di^rd for you, he that sweated great drops of blood for you in the garden, wrestling and grapling with his Father's wrath for you, in your name and stead, there, and upon the cross.ff Consider, that this your dearest Jesus, now in glory, knows your souls in adversity ',\\ he seeth all the troubles of your hearts ; he

•Gal.ii. 20. jRev. i. 6. | Ibid. { Luhe

xii. 4. ** John xv. ft Gal. ii. 20, Luke xxii._,

\\ Psal. XXV. 16. Isa. Ixiii. 9.

sympathizeth with you in all your affiic-tions ; his heart now in heaven, 76- touched •with the feeling of ijour infirmities on earth, Heb. iv. He hath human nature still, though glorified. He feels our losses, crosses, pains, sorrows ; his heart, his most tender heart is affected ; O that we could but believe this ! and thus consider with ourselves : here I sit solitary as a widow, or widower, or childless, or fatherless, or friendless ; my family is broken, I feel pains and sicknesses ; I am deprived of my liberty ; my sweet relations and comlortabie friends are laid in the dust; I h^ve none about me to counsel or comfort mc ; I am brought low in the world, my estate is diminished, my honour and reputation lost, my pleasure gone, my flesh fail-eth me, my strength faileth, lovers and friends fail me, &c. Such complaints we are apt enough to make, and it may be, worse than these : my God hath forsaken me, he hides his lace from me ; I am compassed about with tt mp'tations, sad, dejecting, and distracting thoughts ; I am persecuted, banished irotn house and home, all my outward and inward comforts fail me. These have been tut; cases and conditions of God's dearest servants, as Job, David, &.. But yet let not your hearts be troubled for all this ; Tn ^^tlic-oe in God; act vour faith on God, vea.

and act it on Christ also : believe in Jesus, look up by faith unto Jesus, your dear Lord; whatsoever, whomsoever you have lost, you have not lost your Jesus, your best friend, your heavenly husband ; you have his heart, his bowels towards you still ;"* you have his eye, his tender watchful provident eye upon you still; you have his ear open to your cries still; yea, you have his everlasting arms underneath you, to sustain you still,f or else you would sink. Oh then, act your faith upon the sweet nature of Christ, as your head and husband. Can a mother forget her suckijig child^ that she should not have compassion o?i the son of her womb P Possibly she may: but can Jesus forget those whom he died for, and travailed for ? No, no, he will not hide his face for ever ; he will never forget his people. T'onr Maker is ijour husband; and he is the Father of mercies.

If we read these things, or hear them read, and do not apply them to our own souls by faith ; if we do not meditate on them, and let them sink down into our hearts ; if we do not-pray earnestly that the holy spirit would bring them home, and lay them close to, and fix them upon our hearts, they will do us no good, yield us no comfort j therefore me-

* Job vii. 17. Psal. xxxiv. 15. / f Isa. xl. 11,

ditate on them, apply them, and act faith upon them.

Secondly^ We must act faith upon the many precious attributes of Jesus Christ; all which will afford to faith much matter of support under all our heart troubles whatever. And these are exceeding many; I shall mention only some.

Firsts Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father^ 1 jfohn ii. 1, 2. One that under-taketh for us to plead our cause in that highest court of heaven : If a man be sued in law, or be accused of any crime in any court, it is a great privilege to have a solicitor there for him, that is skilful and faithful, and powerful with the judge in that court: Jesus Christ is such an Advocate or Solicitor, for us in heaven i^ he will plead our cause, and he is wise ; he is the zvisdom of the Father ;] he is a great counsellor, and the only counsellor ; none else can plead in that high court; and he is most faithful, he is a merciful and faithful high-priest in all things pertaining to God.\ He appears for us in heaven, Heb, ix. 24. When a man is indicted in a court, and hath none to appear for him there, he is in a bad case : but all poor believers are in

• Heb. vii. 25. f Prov. xxiii. 11. 1 Cor. i. 14.

Isa. vi.9. |Heb. ii. 17.

a better case ; they have a blessed advocate to appear in the presence of God for then^ : he continually presents his blood, his sacrifice to the Father for them ; and it is his will, to have that sacrifice accepted for our justification and sanctification."^ Christ prevails so with his Father, that he always heareth him, John xi. 40. Now, if we can act.faith on this blessed advocate in heaven, who is there always pleading for us, ever living to make intercession for us,f presenting himself before God as our sacrifice and propitiation ; when men accuse us, and our own consciences, when we are deprived of our near and dear relations, distressed with pains and sicknesses, pinched with wants and necessities ; I say, then for us to act our faith on this precious Advocate at the right hand of God for us, interceding there for us, one who knows and feels all our miserv% it must needs be a great support and relief to us, and the best remedy against our heart-trouMe ; O that we could act faith strongly on this our Advocate !

To have a friend in licaven, and such a friend, so wise, so powerful, so faithful, so merciful, so sensibly affected with all our miseries, so tender, so able, so willing to

• Heb. X. 10. t Ro"^. i»- 25.

hear and help us ; I say, this is infinitely better than all the friends that ever we had, or could have on earth: and this friend ever liveth, and maketh continual intercession for us. And as this is matter of comfort in case of suffering, so in case of sin too. If anij man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and he is the propitiation for our sinsy 1 Johniu 1,2. Faith acted on this blessed Advocate, is the best remedy against heart-trouble, in case both of sin and suffering.

Secondlif, Jesus Christ is bread from heaven ; the true bread for souls, the bread of life, the xvater of life, John vi. 25, 48, 51. Now, when poor saints are fed with the bread of aflliction, and with the water of adversity, let them look up to Christ, and act faith upon him ; he will be living bread, life-giving bread, living waters to their souls, to revive their drooping, and to refresh their fainting spirits. By acting faith on this blessed Jesus, xht fountain of living xvatersy their souls shall be so satisfied, as that they shall never hunger ir'ore, never thirst more,* (that is, inordinately} after the things of tills world. When your souls want strength to bear your burthens, want comfort in your

♦Johniv. 14. Ibid vi. 36.

dfstresses, act faith on this Jesus, this bread of life, this water of life, and you shall be refreshed ; you shall have joy and peace in believing, Rom* xv. 13.

Thii'dly^ Jesus Christ is called the Sun of righteousness^ and the bright Morning Star^ Mai. iv. 3. Rev, xxii. 16. He is the fountain of righteousness and life, as the sun is ©flight; he hath healing in his wings. He luas -woundedJor our transgressions^ that by his stripes xve might be healed."^ He was ap-« pointed to heal the broken hearted, Luke ivJ He zuill heal our backsizdings^ Hos. xiv. 4. He is the great Physician ; he can heal all our spiritual and liodily diseases. His blood is an healing blood ; his spirit an healing spirit ; his promises healing promises.f He hath all healing virtue in him ; he is the true Brazen Serpent ; could we but act faith on this Jesus, we should be healed of all our diseases. He is the bright Morning Star* We are in darkness, clouds and darkness upon our spirits ; many dark providences befall us ; we see not our way many times, and know not what to do : now, let us act faith on Jesus, he will bring light out of darkness : we are under black fears and sorrows,

* Xsa. liii. 4, 5. Ibid Ixi. 1, 2. Fsal. ciii. 3. Ibid cvii. 20. t Ibid. cxii. 4.

and all is dark night sometimes with us : but if we can look up to this bright Morning jS-far^ he will enlighten our darkness,* he will shine upon our hearts, and scatter all those clouds, and give us a joyful morning.

Fourthly^ Jesus Christ is called, tlie captain of the Lord's hosts^ Joshua v. 15, and the captain of our salvation^ Heb. ii. 10. He hath the command of all the creatures ; for he is head over all things,f over men and ^evils: All power in heaven and earth is ■his.\ O ! if we could but act faith on this Almighty Jesus, our hearts would not be troubled for any thing : What can hart us ?§ What should we fear ? Our blessed Jesus, our Saviour, our husband, commands all things :** he rules, and over rules all things : no creature, no man, no devil, can act any thing against us, without oiir Lord's leave: believe in this captain,|t ^^"'d let not your hearts be trouhlecL He will tread Satan under your feet shortly\.\. He will make all his and our enemies his loot stool. Let us look by faith unto our captain, and keep our eye on him, and follow him wheresoever he go-eth: let us make him our leader, and by faith

)<

•Isa. 1.10 tEp^-»21. I Matt, xxviii. 8.

^ Rom. viii. 31. •* Col. i. 16 tf Rom xvi. 26.

X\ Psal. c;;. Kev. xiv 4

sr

in him we shall be more thai> conquerors.''^ He hath overcome the devil and the world for us, and he will overcome all corruptions, fear and sorrow in us, and will shortly set his crown upon our heads. Christ is the captain of our salvation : and in bringing of many sorts to glory^ he was made perfect through suffering.] Act faith in him who hath perfected our salvation for us : that work is done, and it was through suffering,:): to teach us to be willing to suffer also, to walk in his steps ; for in the way of suffering he entered into his glory: and the very same way will he bring all his sons and daughters unto glory: so that while we are suffering for him, or from him, if we be his children,^ (which we may know if we have his spirit) we are in the right and ready way to glory. And then have we any cause to let our hearts be troubled with sinful fears care and sorrows ? Have we any cause to be cast down and discouraged, while we are following our captain, are^ making ourselves conformable to him, travelling the same way to heaventhat he went there, the same way to giory, the way of reproach, shame, grief,

* Rom. viii. 37. f Heb. h. 14. John xvi. 33.

\ 1 Pet. ii. 21. Luke xxiv. 2(3. § Rom. viii. 9.

Gal. iv. 6,

sorrow, fear, poverty, persecution, tribulation, desertion, the same steps that our Lord went to glory ? O ! that we could but still keep our eye on Jesus, and often consider what way he went to heaven ; and he being our captain, we should shew ourselves his good soldiers, and be content to go the same way.

Fifthly^ Jesus Christ is called the consolation of hrady Luke ii. 25. A sweet name indeed. He is the only person that brings true comfort, being the fountain and spring of all consolation : that one of a thousand,* who gave himself a ransom for us. He it is that comforteth hispeopk in all their tribulations,] He it is that speaketh and giveth his peace to his people ; and when he giveth peace, none can cause trouble. And it is his promise, that when he hath brought his people into the wilderness of fears and troubles, that they know not which way to turn, that then he will speak comfortably to them ; will speak to their hearts, as the word in the original signifies, Hos, ii. 14.

I might largely shew here, that Jesus Christ is the consolation of his people many ways ; as, by his coming from his Father into the world, to become our surety, to un-

• Job-xxxiii. 23. fEphes. i. ?. -

dertake for us, to take our sins upon him, and to make his soul an offering for our sins ;* and by his blood to purchase our remission. O how comfortable is a surety to one that is arrested, indicted and arraigned! How comfortable is a redeemer to a poor miserable captive! How comfortable is a pardon to a condemned malefactor ! All this is Jesus to his people, and inhnitely more. He is gold to make us rich, white raiment to cover our nakedness, eye-salve to make us see : he is ligbt,f the light of life, the fountain of life, of spiritual and eternal life ; no life but by him. And he hath assiired us, that ivho-aoever Cometh to him, and bclieveth in him, shall ha\}e everiaathig- lifi^ and shall not come' into c:^7idemnation.\ He ?.v afflicted in all oil/ afflictions.'^ And is not this "a comfortable consideration? All his promises are as so ma-Dv breasts of consolation ; all his ordinances, means qf consolation ; his word a word of consolation ; yea, his rod of affliction, as well as his staff, is blessed for the comfort ol his people.** He hath also promised to send his spirit the Comforter, to his people, to abide with them for ever.]\ Yea Christ himself makes this his own special work, also to

•Rev. iii. ir, 18. f John v. 12. X Ibid iii. 16, 36. i Isa. Ixui. 9. ♦* Psal. xxih. 4. ft John xvi. 7. II 2

comfort them that 7nourn^ Isa» Ixi. 2, and hath blessed those that mourn ;* that is, with Godly sorrow; for saith he, they shall bg comforted*

How greatly then doth it concern us to believe in this Jesus, the consolation of Israel; to look bv faith to this fountain of comfort, look to his office, look to his word and promises; beg him earnestly to send the Spirit, the Comforter, into your hearts: look to Jesus alone for all comfort, and draw from this spring by prayer, faith and meditation, all supplies of comfort ;f and let not your hearts be troubled.

Sixthly^ Jesus Christ is called a counsellor^ Isa, ix. 6. He is most wise ; he is the wi*-dom of the Father: In him are hid all the treasures ofivisdom and knowledge ;\ yea, he is made of God our voisdom^ 1 Cor, i. 30. So that when we are in doubts and darkness, perplexed with temptations, and know not tvhat to do ; when we are under sad and dark providences, and know not how to interpret them ; when we are under various exercises, and know not how to answer God's designs in them, nor how to improve them: when we are in the dark, and know not the

• Matt. V. 4. t RoTn. XV. 4. llCor. i. 14.

Col. ii. 3. , • . .

fneaning of Goers dispensations, nor the design of God in them ; now are our hearts troubled in all such cases ; but here is our remedy, this is the course we must take: act faith now upon Jesus, he is wisdom, he is a most wise and faithful counsellor, we may freely open all our cases and conditions to him ; he will not despise us, nor deceive us; we may safely trust him with all the secrets of our hearts ; and kt us labour by faith to trust him for counsel in all cases ; let us wait for his counsel, trust to it, and let not tjovr hearts he troubled.

Seventhly^ Jesus Christ is a Redeemer, that is his name :* he came into the world on this very liusiness, to redeem his people, to redeem them from all iniquity. Tit. ii. 14, from this present evil xvorlci^ from our vain conversations. He hath shed his precious l^lood to purchase u.s. We are bought with a price.,^ we are none of otir own, we are his, the purchase of his blood ; and we may be confident that he dearly loves us, for he dearly bought us ; and if he had not dearly loved us, he would not have given himself for us, Gal. ii. 20. That was the highest testimony of his love ; He loved us^ and washed us from

* Job xix. 25. Isa. xi?. 25. Ibid Ivi. 20. 1 Vo%. i.l8. flCor. vi. 20. 1 Thess. i. 10.

oro' sins in his blood,^ And he will redeem us from the wrath to come. O then ! let us act our faith on our sweet Redeemer, as Job did in the midst of all his troubles i I know^ saith he, that my Redeemer iiveth, he. So may every believer say ; although my friends and dearest relations die, my credit and estate dies, though my outward comforts all die, this supports me, that f?iy Redeemer liv-eth ;f and this our Redeemer is mighty, mighty to save, able to save to the uttermost, lieb. vii. 25.

Therefore let us act faith on our dear Redeemer, and upon his redemption ;\ that shortly the day of our full redemption will come, when we shall be delivered fully and for ever from sin, Satan, and the world : from all our burthens, fears and sorrows, temptations and tribulations.

I might mention many other sweet names and titles of Jesus Christ, which would be food lor faith to feed upon ; as, that he is the everlasting' Father ;§ he hath pity and compassion for all his poor children, and power to help them, being the Father Almighty, and hath a portion for them too ; he is their

• Rev. i. 6. f Psal. xix. 14. Prov. xxiii. 11. Luke xxi. 8. \ Col. i. 14. Heb. ix. 12. j Isa. Lx. 6.

.9;}

portion/^ and hath provided for them aii m-heritance incorruptible^ iindtjiled^ and tliat fadeth not axvay :] he is the Frince of Peace ; he giveth his peace to his people, even that peace that the world can neither give to them, nor take away from them.:!: When he speaks peace, none can cause trouble.^ He is our peace,*"^ and hath made our peace with God ; and it is he alone that speaketh peace, and creates the fruit of the lips, peace, ha, Ivii. 19. He is also our shepherd: therefore saith David, I shall-want nothings Psal. xxiii. 1. He is a fountain opened; a fountain of light, life, love, grace, and truth. He is the head of his body the church. The husband, the bridegroom, his people are his members, his spouse, he is the heir of all things. In him dzvelieth all fullness. He is the Kin^i' of saints^ the i?oci of ages. Yea, he is All, and in all.ff O beloved ! had we but faith to act on this blessed Jesus, and on these his most sweet names and gracious attributes, our hearts would not be troubled, into what condition sotver we were brought. Could we act faith on Jesus, as our head, husband, and father, who is all fullness, all

• Psal. ciii. 13. Lam. iii. 24. f 11'et. i. 4. if Joha xiv. 37. xvi. 33. nobxxxiv.29. **Eph. ii.U. ft Col. i. 18. Eph. V. 30. Heb. i. 2. Col. i. 19. iii. 11.

in all; could we doubt of having all seasonable supplies from him ? Let our faith but apprehend, apply, and appropriate Jfesus as nur blessed head, our most dear husband, and then consider in earnest who he is, and what he is ; how mighty, how full, how loving, how full of pity, how compassionate, tenderhearted, and kind ; how ready to help, how engaged to us by many promises ; and can we then take up such unworthy thoughts of him, as to think he hath forgotten us ? Will he not timely support and supply us ? Hath he shed his blood for us, and will he forget us, can he forget us ? Are nor all his people as dear to him as the apple of his eye P^ Surely it is our want, or the weakness of our faith, that causeth all our heart-trouble. 0 viijpoor soul! how comfortablij mightest thou live, if thou cotddst live by faith! Lord, I belitve; help, strengthen my faith. Could we but apply and appropriate Christ to our souls, and act faith upon those precious names of Christ, which are not so many empty titles, which are sometimes given to men; but they are real representations of that most dear love and tender affection, of that special care, mercy, and loving-kindness that is in Jesus towards all his poor chil-

•Zech. ii.^

dren» that they might draw out the same foii their strong consolation ;^ and that they might trust in him, and not despond nor be dejected. Thus, if we can believe in Jesus, our hearts shall not be troubled.

Thirdly, Faith acted on the covenant of grace, whereof Christ is the mediator, and upon all his exceeding great and precious promises,! will prevent and cure all heart-trouble. Believe in the blessed Mediator of the new covenant, who hath undertaken, not only on God's part to see that his part be performed to us, but is also become our surety ;:j; undertaken for us, and by himself, to fulfil the whole law of God both actively and passive!}- ; to fulfl all righteoiisness for us, and by his spiiit to fulfil the conditions of the covenant, working in us faith, love, obedience, and all grace.^^

In this sense, God hath given Christ to be a covenant to us. La. xliii. 6. And his blood is the i^lood ot the covenant,'^"^^ by which he rescueth poor souls that were prisoners to sin and Satan, out of the pit of destruction, Ztci). ix. 11, by this covenant, upon Christ's shedding of his blood as a sacrifice for sin,

* Heb. vi. 17. t Heb. viii. 6. xi. 20. :| Heb. vii. 22. § 2 Cor. V. 19, 20. Matt. iii. 15. Rom. ii. 1.

** ilom. iii. 15.

and his performing all the work of mediae tion, and upon our receiving of him, and believing in him, as he is offered to us in the gospel, God is pleased to promise to become our God, our reconciled Father,* to pardon all sins, to give us his spirit, and all grace liere, and glory hereafter.j Now, Christ our blessed Mediator, hath perfectly fulfilled all that God required for us, and in our room and stead ;t that is most certain, for he finished the work that his Father gave him to do ;§ and he hath made many sweet promises to us, that he will send his spirit into our hearts,*'^ to work faith in us to receive him, and to apply the merit of his blood to us, to sanctify, and renew us thereby :|f and hath promised, that xvhosoever comes unto him^ he xvill in no ruise cast out.il And all that shall come unto him, shall find rest to their souls.§5 That zuhosoever believeUi in him shall be saved; that he ivzll keep them^ and noyie shall pluck them out of his hand. That he xvill raise them up at the last day,\. Assuring us, that he is gone to heaven, a3 our fore-runner, to prepare a place for us there ; and that he ivill come u^ain^ and take

* John i. 12. t 2 Cor. ii. 18, 19. ^ Isa. Iv. 3.

Psal. Ixxxiv. 11. J Jer. xxxi. 31. ** John xvii.

tt John XV. 26. \\ John yi 57. vii. 37. 55 >IatU xi. 38. 4 John x. .^8.

us to himself^ that where he is,^ there we may be also. Now, if we can but act faith on this Jesus, and on the covenant whereof he is the Mediator, and on his promises, applying them, and relying on them, our hearts shall Jiot be troubled.

Besides, let us consider, there is not a passage of providence from God to us, but it comes through the hand of this Mediator, 1 Cor, viii. 6. All things are by him : put what you will in the hand of a Mediator, and in his power, it must needs turn to the good of him, for whom he is a Mediator : now, to support and comfort us in all our troubles, let us consider two things.

1. This Mediator steps in between God's wrath and us, >n all our afflictions, that no fury or effects of it may break forth from God on his people, for whom he is the Mediator, that nothing but fatherly love may be in the chastisement; and if love send the affliction, whatever it be, to try and purple, &c. there can be no hurt in that affliction* Again, our Mediator interposeth, either to hold off the smart, or to allay and mitigate it, that it shall not distract, Dan. iii. 25, no, nor hurt.

2. He steps in to uphold us, and to strengthen our weakness, enabling us to endure, Phil, iv, 4, 12,13. It was the Medl-

I

ator that did strengthen Paul; The Lord stood by ??ie, and strengthened me^ said he : faith acted on this blessed Mediator, eyeing him, and believing that our afflictions come through his hands, even through his who loved us, and died for us ; our dearest friend, and who hath all power in heaven and earth, must be a mighty support to us in all our troubles.

Fourthhj^ Let faith be acted on the word of Christ also : ye believe the word of God, believe the word of Christ also : His mouth is most szueet: none but gracious words proceed out of his mouth.* Grace zvas poured into his lips;] and he poured out grace in all his words : his whole gospel is a gospel of grace, words of peace and salvation. Hear him speaking most sweetly, Matt. xi. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy ladeny and I will give you rest, O what sweet words are these ! IIo^ every one thut thirsteth^ come ye to the waters and drink^ "without 7no7^ey and without price,) JsaAv, 1, 2. lam the way^ the truth,, and the life^X Behold^ I stand at the door and knock ; if ami man hear my voice,, and open the door^ I wdl come in and sup with him,, and he with me. This is but a taste ot" those sweet

• Luke iv.22. f Psal xlv. 2. \ John xlv. 6,

clusters of most refreshing grapes which hang upon the boughs of the gospel: let us take frequent view of what lies upon record in the evangelists, and often read over the manifold promises of grace that fell .from the sweet mouth of our blessed Lord, and meditate, and ponder, and Qonsider of them, act our faith upon them, and we shall find comfort in them ; his words drop as an honey comb, his -words are spirit and life. More particularly.

First^ Our faith must be acted upon Christ's word of precept, his word of command in time of trouble : Fear not him that can kill the body^ but him that can cast both soul and body into helL^ Fear none oftho^e things which thou shall suffer.] Let not your heart be troubled.^ nor let it be afraid. Rejoice when men shall persecute you^^ &c. In patience possess ye your sou/s ;§ with many such. Now, Christians must yield up the obedience of faith to such commands, and urge them upon their hearts, charging themselves to obey them, saying, O my soul ! my Lord hath forbidden me to fear, to be troubled, to be thoughtful, to be dejected, &c. he hath commanded me to bf patient, yea,

• Luke xii. 4, 32. f Rev. ii. 10. \ Matt. v. 7. J l^uke xxi. 19.

50198R

to rejoice in my suffering :^ he is my Lord, and I must obey him. I nmst keep his sayings, or else I cannot be his discif)le :f if I keep his commandments, he will manifest himself to my soul, his Father will love me, and he will love me, and they both will make their abode with me ; for it is his promise, ^John xiv. 21, 22. Say thus, O my soul! Jesus Christ is my King and my Lawgiver, I must obey him ,- he is my prophet also, and I must hear him in all things whatsoever he shall saij unto me>\ I have taken him for my Lord as well as my Saviour; for my King to rule me, as well as for my Jesus to save me, for my Prophet to teach me, as well as for my Priest to satisfy for me. O my soul! consider, he is the author of eternal salvation only to those that obey him. Thus applying the commands of Christ to ours-^lves, and urging his authority upon our hearts, it will help us to bear up under our troubles.

Secondly^ Act faith upon the promises ot Christ, of which somewhat was said before. He hath promised to be always with us, to send the Comforter, to manifest himself unto us ; that he will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking- Jlax ;§ that he will

• John xiv. 15. xv. 12. t Matt. vii. 24. \ Acts Hi. 22. ( Matt. xix. 29. I^a. xl. 11.

give us an hundred-fold for all our losses for his sake. That he will gather us with his arm, carry us in his bosom ; that he will hear our prayers ; that he will give us a crown, a kingdom, everlasting life, with many more. O ! could we act our faith upon his precious promises, and lie sucking by faith on those full breasts of consolation, and draw by faith, prayer, and meditation, from these wells of salvation, we should find sweet support under all our trouJ:>les.

Thirdly y Faith acted on the word of threatening, may put a stop to heart-trouble : Jesus Christ hath dreadfully threatened those that love father or mother, son or daughter, more than him, or their own lives ; and those that are ashamed of him, or his word ; and those that fall from him, aiid hear his sayinfis, and do them not; and those that arc fruitless branches, &:c,-^

Foiirthly^ Faith acted omthe examples in the word of Christ, especially his own example, learn of me^ saith he, for I aui meek and lozvly in heart.] He was a Imub dumb hi'fore tfie shearers ;\ and we must follow his steps. We have also a cloud of witnesses, the examples of the primitive Christians, who

• Matt. X. o7. Luke xiv. 26. Mark viii. 38. John XV. 3. t ^^att. xi. 29. \ 1 Pet. i. 31. ^ I 2

here all their troubles with patience and holy ccurage ; and we are expressly commanded to be followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promise.* Thus faith acted on the word of Christ, will help against all heart-troul^le.

Fifthly^ Faith acted on the work of Christ, will either prevent or cure heart-trouble. And that again, if faith be acted upon the work he hath done for us already, and upon the work he is now doing for us in heaven, and upon the work he is now doing in us on earth, and upon the work he will do for us,, and in us, and upon us at the last day: all which v/orks of Christ, if we act our faith on thera, we shall not be much troubled in our hearts. Believe me^ saith he, fo't the xuorks sake^ John xiv. 11.

1. Faith must be acted upon that great and glorious work of Christ for us when he was upon earth, that work which his Father gave him to do, in the days of his flesh,f as our Redeemer, and that in doing, and in suffering ; for he came to do the will of God by his obedience, as well as to suffer it by his satisfaction,! and this in his state of humiliation. He assumed human nature, entered 'I ^j virgin's Vv'omb, and was born of her, yet

• Heb. vi. U. t Heb. x. 9. \ Heb. U. 14, 15,16^

without s'ln*^' He lived on earth a time, doing good, and healing all manner of diseases :f spent most of his time in preaching, and praying, fasting and revealing to men the whole will of God for their salvation, and fulfilling all righteousness. He professed he came not to da his oion -will but the rvill of him that sent him^ John vi. 38, 39. And^ saith he, this is the Father^s -ivill which sent me^ that of all rvhich he hath given w^, / shoidd lose riothing", but should raise it up at the last day, A comfortable consideration indeed, and a cure for heart-trouble : that our Lord Jesus will raise up all our dead, dear relations and friends, now rotting in their graves: all that died in fesus^X tvill God bring with him. And this also is the Father's will, that every one that seetli the Son^ that is, every one that by faith receiveth and belie veth in the Son, shall have everlasting life. Now, to accomplish and finish this will of the Father, was the whole work of Christ upon earth, and to draw poor souls unto him, to work faith in them by his word and spirit, and fulfil the whole law of God for them, even in them, Rom. viii. 4, and to begin and

« Phil. ii. 6, 7. t Matt. iii. 15. \ 1 Thess. iv-

finish the whole work of our redemption.* Faith acted on this work of Christ upon earth for us in the several parts of it, he being partaker ofjiesli arid blood xuith u.s\ to deliver us from him that had the paver ofdeath^ ihat is the devil; arid to free us from the fear of deaths by which we were ahvays subject to bondage.] I say, if we can act faith on these works of Christ for us, we shall have no cause of heart-trouble.

Let us consider, that our blessed Lord denied himself on earth, and was well pleased not to have his own will, nor to do his own will, but referred himself entirelv to his Father's ; Vy'hat reason have we poor worms, to be troubled, when our wills are crossed T Let us in heart and life say as we pray, thy xvill be done on earth as it is in heaven.] And wht-n the will of God is done upon our families and relations,^ let not our hearts be troubled^ but let us imitate Jesus Christ, in our submission to the will of God, making it our work on earth to be doin^ all the good we can, and so to put him 072,^* and walk, as he walked, and not be troubled.

Secondly^ Faith acted on Christ's suffering-work on earth, will greatly contribute to our

•Johnxvii. 4. f Heb. ii. 14, 15. :^ Matt. xvi. 10, $ Acts xxi. 14. •• 1 John ii. 6.

support: he was a man of sorrows ;* so that if we meet with sorrows on earth, we do but drink of our master's own cup, and that should quiet us.

Christ's sufferings on earth were of two kinds, viz, for our imitation, and for satisfaction for our sins.

1. For our imitation. His patient suffering of reproaches, scorns, revilings, contradiction of sinners, temptations, persecutions, bonds, poverty, shame, loss of friends, &c.j Suffering all with invincible patience and meekness, without the least murmuring, repining, disquiet, or discontent, without any retaliation : for wlien he xuas reviled^ he reviled not again ;\ he prayed for his enemies, &c. and all this as our example^ that we should follow his steps, 1 Fet. ii. 21, 22, 23. And if our Lord, the Lord of heaven and earth, suffered such things, what reason or cause have we to be troubled in our hearts when we are persecuted, reviled, forsaken of all our friends, impoverished, exposed to shame and sorrow, seeing our blessed Lord was so exposed, and so exercised upon earth ? Is it not enough for the servant to be as his mas-

* Isa. liii. 1, 2. f Mark x. 39. Matt. xxvi. 39.

I 1 Pet. ii. 22.

ter ? shall we think to fare better than him i His sufferings were to teach us to bear ours with christian patience, and to sanctify ours to us ; yea, in all our sufferings he sympa-thizeth with us.

Let us then act our faith upon Christ's sufferings on earth ; his whole life being a life of suffering, he knew what trouble meant; he was acquainted with grief: he knew what i it was to lose a friend ; for in his greatest trouble, all his disciples (whom he calls his friends) forsook him and fled : and bein^ tempted himself^ he knows how to succour them that are tempted,^ He hath 2l feeling of all our infirmities. Let us labour to act faith on Jesus, and our hearts will not be troubled.

2. But his great suffering-work for us was his work of satifaction. All our sins bfing laid on him, it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to griff and to jnake his soul an offering for sin ;f he poured out his sold unto death, and xvas numbered among transgressors, zvas made sin for us: he hare our sins on his own body on the tree; was made a curse for us ;\ suffered the wrath of God for us, to deliver uS from the wrath

• Heb. ii. 18. iv. 15. flsa. liii. 6, 10, 22. % 2 Cor. V. 20. Gal. iii. 10. 1 Pet. ii. 24. 1 Thess. i. 10.

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to come. The blessed Jesus, when our sins were upon him, he was sore amazed., groaned, ivas exceeding sorrowful even unto death ^"^ he was in a bloody sweat, in a bitter agony in the garden : he was falsely accused, unjustly condemned, and then barbarously crucified, suffering that cursed and cruel, shameful and painful death of the cross : and all as our surety, and as a sacrifice to God for our sins.f Christ our passover rvas sacrificed for us^\ to make atonement and satisfaction to the law and justice of God for us, Rom* iii.-25. -

This was the great work of the transcendent love of Jesus Christ when he was upon earth, when he travailed in soul^ drank of the brook in the way.,^ that black torrent of wrath and curses that lay in the way between our souls and heaven, which stopped up our passage thitherward, and made it utterly impassible for us : but Jesus made a passage by his blogd, that his redeemed might pass thither."** So great were his sufferings in this world for us, that they made him cry out, mif God., my God., why hast thou forsaken me .^fl Offering up strong cries with tears.\%

* Matt. xxvi. 37, 38. Luke xxii. 44. t Rom. iv. 25. \ I Cor. V. 7. ( Gal. ii. 20, Rev. i. 6. Fsal. ex. 7. *• Heb. ix. 12. ft ^Jau. xxvii. 46. \\ Heb.

V. 7.

Now then let us act our faith on the suf-serings of Christ here on earth, and believe that he suffered all those hard and heavy, those bitter and grievous things for us, and in our names; that he bore our sins to satisfy God's justice for them, to purchase and procure our pardon. O! that we could but believe in this Jesus, that he sweated great drops of blood for us, and that, he shed his very heart blood upon the cross for us, and by faith apply and appropriate all this to our own souls, believing that he was wounded for our transgressions^ and smitten for our sins; that the chastisement of our peace was upon him;^ that by the blood of his cross he hath made our peace, and hath purchased for us eternal life. Believe this, and then see what little cause you have to have your hearts troubled for any loss or cross whatsoever. The consideration, in a way of believing of what Christ hath clone for us, and what he hath suffered for us, should make us patiently do or sulFer any thing for him and from him. Believe also in me.

Secondlij. Our faith must be acted upon the work of Christ, which is now doing for us in heaven. He is not idle there, although he he set dozvn on the right hand of the majes-

•Isa.lui.5. Eph. ii. 14.

ty on high;^ but he is at work for his people there: he maketfi continual intercession for us,] He is there as our advocate to plead Dur cause, and manage all our business there ; presenting his blood in the virtue of it to his father for our pardon; presenting our persons and services perfumed with the incense of his own righteousness, and by his spirit applying the virtue of it to all our souls. He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him-t seeing he ever livetfi to make intercession for us.\ Of this I have spoken before. Now if we can act our l^ith upon the intercession of Christ, who knows all our wants, burthens, cares, and fears, and whose office it is to plead and intercede for us in heaven,§ (though we may scarce have any to plead or speak a word for us on earth, yet) we should have no cause to have our hearts troubled: we have a faithful friend, to whom we may commit our cause.

Thirdly^ Christ is doing a work in us on earth, while he himself is in heaven: he is humbling us, purging us, teaching us, mortifying our corruptions, crucifying our inordinate affections, sanctifying us, and so preparing us for heaven ; he is making us mete

* Heb. viii. f Isa. liii. 13. Rom. viii. 34. \ Heb.» yii. 2^5 ( Psal x. 14.

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lor the kingdom: he is fitting us for his Father's house, by all his ordinances, by all his providences, by every loss and cross; by all our afflictions, as 2 Cor* iv. 17. Our light affliciions^ -which are but for a moment^ work for lis (that is, by way of preparation j afar more exceeding and eternal xveight of glory. Jesus Christ is in the word, and in tht rod; he is All in all: he is still forming, squaring, fashioning' and working by his spirit,''^ WQrdand i'od, upon his people, to make them nuore and more conformable to himself, to square them as stones for his building, to make them habitations for himself,] temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in, and that he himself may delight to dwell in them here, and to make tliem fit to dwell with him for ever in glory. Now, let us labour to act our faith on those blessed works of Christ in us, and believe that he is thus working in us, even in and by all our affiictions, and labour to feel and find these gra«:ious works carrying on in us, and we shall have no cause to be troubled.

Moreover, our faith should be acted upon the work that Christ is now doing for us in heaven: besides his intercession for us there, he is preparing a place for us in heaven as he told his disciples, to comfort

• Rom. viii. 28. Eph, ii, 20, 22. f Heb. xiii. 21.

them : In my Father*s house are many mansions : I go to prepare a place for you, A place in heaven is infinitely better, and more to be desired than the best place on earth. A place in the Father's house, in the highest heavens, in that glorious paradise above, that is the-place of all places, where the great and glorious God dwells ; there blessed Jesus dwells : O that New Jerusalem ! the city of the living God^ that is the place indeed : that house not made with hands^ eternal in the heavens*^ Some think that Jesus went locally into helli but we are sure he went locally into heaven ; and we know for what he went there; for he hath told us, it was to prepare a place for us there. Here below, all places are full of darkness, snares, t'^^mp-tations, fears, dangers, persecutions, but that is a place of perfect peace, perfe: t rest, of light, comfort, joy and consolation. Here we are pilgrims and strangers, there is our home, our Father's house. Here we have no continuing city^ no abiding place.j Christ's [people here in this world, many times, have no certain dwelling-place^ but are driven from house and home, are forced to fly from one city to another, from town to country, from one kingdom to another; constrained to wander from place to place; while others

• 2 Cor. V. 1, 2. Acts i. 9,10,11. f 1 Cor.iv. 11.

abide in their habitations, they must seek their quarters where they can find them, awhile under one friend's roof, awhile under another ; which is no small affliction to them that feel it, though others lay it not to heart. Now, what should comfort us in this our pilgrimage and wilderness condition ? What should support us in this our wandering state, but that it was even thus with our blessed Lord himself upon earth, who had not an house to put his head inf And so it was with his disciples, and with many choice saints, as Neb, xi. 37^ 38, What should bear up our spirits, but this comfortable consideration, that our Lord went to heaven on purpose to prepare a place for us there ? If the earth cast us out, heaven will receive us :^ if men say to us, remove, be gone hence, depart away, here is no place, no abiding for you ; our dear Lord will call out of heaven, and say. Come up hither^] come up to me, I have prepared a place for you here. There is room enough. In jny Father''s house there are many mansions, and from thence there shall be no remove for ever, no more any changing houses for ever, when once we are lodged in our Father's house, there is our fore-runner for us enter'

•2Cor. vi. 11. fl^ev. xi. 12.

ed.^ The hope we have through grace oi getting into that blessed place, by that new and living; way^ to rest there after all our weary wanderings here, and never to remove more, is that which comforts us in these our troublesome removes here : O that place, and that blessed state in that place ! To see God^ and to be ever xvith the Lord^ to see our lovely Lord Jesus as he isy and to he made like unto him.j Could we fix our hearts and eyes more steadfastly upon these invisible and eternal things, we should more quietly and comfortably bear our present troubles, yea, and rejoice in them. And when we can act our faich upon that place and state above, and conclude our title to it, by our interest in Christ, then our hearts will not be troubled.

Also this consideration should preserve us from heart-trouble, and sorrow lor the loss of dear relations which died in Jesus, for that they are gone home to their Father's house, they are safely arrived at their harbour, they are safely housed, they are where they would be, they are gone to the place that their beloved Lord went to prepare for them, to that city of Gody to the general as-

* Heb. vi. 20. t ^att. v. 8. 1 Thess. iv. 1 Joha iii. 2, 3.

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sembly of the first-born whose names are rVrit-ten in heaven^ &c.* They would- rtot exchange their place now, for the most stately and most magnificent place in all the world. O ! could we but realize by faith that most happy state and place where our deceased pious friends are gone, our hearts would not be troubled for them.

And this may comfort us also under all our present sufferings and sadnesses, that ere long we also shall go to that ])lace, to that city above, which God bath prepared for us. Our I^ord assures us, that /le will come (igaJn, and take us to himself^ that where lie iSy we mai/ he also.j O ! could we believe this, we should say, Come^ Lord jfesuSy come fjuickhj !

Fonrthlif^ Our faith must be acted upon the w<jrk that Christ iviti do for us^ and in ns^ and upon us in heaven at the last. It is above all our undersi:mdings to conceive what glorious works Christ will do for us^ and in us at the last daij. It doth not yet appear what we shall lje.:|: rl'here shall be a day of the jnanif station of the so?is ofGod,^ The poor despised saints, all black and cloudy here, covered with shame and reproach

♦ Heb. xii. 23. t Heb. xi. 16. ^ John iii. 2.

(j Koni. viii. 22, 23.

now, shall then be manifested to be the Lord's jewels :* that will be a day of their full redemption, both of soul and body, their wedding, and their solemn coronation day.f Then their blessed Redeemer shall publicly own them, and bid them welcome to his Father's house, saying, Corne ye blessed of my Father^\ &.C. Then will Jesus put on the crown of glory, of righteousness, and of life, upon their heads, y Then will Jesus present them to his Father xvithout spot or zvrinkle, or any such thing,*^ Then will he make their now vile bodies, (subject now to vile corruptions, to vile diseases, to vile abuses, and to a vile dissolution at death) li^e unto his ozun glorious body ;^^' and their souls shall be like to his, to their full satisfaction.!! Then the poor disciples of Christ shall have a full end put to all their heart-troubles, sorrows, fears, and cares. Then their hearts shall rejoice^ and their joy no ?««« (nor devil) shalt take Jrom them.\\ Sorrozv and sig'hing shall jlee axvayy and they shall enter into everlasting rest; and into that unspeakable blessed state which was purchased by the precious blood of Jesus, and by him prepared and possess-

•Mal. iii. 17. fSTim, iv.8. :|; Matt. xxv. 34. J Eph. V. 27. ** Phil. iii. 31. ft Psal. xvii. 15. it Johnxvi. 22.

cd, in our names and steads. All our dear relations that died in Jesus, are already entered ; Christ, their dearest Lord, hath wrought this glorious work on their souls already ; they are triumphing, singing hallelujahs in the highest heavens, while we are fighting, sighing and sobbing here below. 'I'hey are with blessed Jesus above, according to his prayer for them, seeing his glory, and participating of it.=^ Thus much for the work of Christ, upon which our faith must act, that our hearts may not be troubled.

Fifthly^ Our faith must act upon the will of Christ, in order to the preventing, and curing our heart-troubles, fears and sorrows. What is the will of Christ? It is his will that his peoples' hearts should 7iot be troubled vcr afraid, as in the text: it is his will, that in the world they should haz'c tribuiatio?!^ but yet, that they should be of ^ood cheer,] It is his will, that in ihnir patieiue they should possess their souls^ and not faint nor be discouraged. It is his will diey should be sanctified, and that all their afflictions should promote their sanctlfication. It is his will, that although he love them, yet to rebuke and ' hasten them; and when he doth so, that

• John xvi. 22, 24. f Jo^n xvi. 33.

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they should be zealous and repent.^^ It is his will, that they should deny themselves^ take up their cross daily^ and follouo him.\ That they should fear none of those things that they should suffer,\ That they should walk in his steps, hold fast to the end, be faithful unto death,^ That they should overcome. It is his will, that they should not love father or mother, son or daughter, more than himself; no, nor their lives, but be willing to part with all for his sake.*"^ Yea, it is his will, his last will, that all his poor disciples, after they have suffered awhile, may he -with him -where he is^ to be^ hold his glory, jj Thus if we act faith upon the will of Christ, and labour to yield to it, and acquiesce in it, we shall procure much freedom from he art-trouble.

Lastly^ Our faith must be acted upon the ends and designs of Christ in all his afflictive providences towards us ; anu. these his ends are all very good and gracious. This argument he himself used, to cure the heart-troubles of his disciples for his departure from them, viz. That he had good ends in his going away from them ; his end was, to

• IThess. iv. 3. Heb. xii. 10. Rev. iii.l9. t Matt, xxi. 24. \ Rev. ii. 10. ( Matt. x. 34. *• Luke xiv. 26. It Jolin xvii. 24.

prepare a better place for them, a better place than any'to be found here ; a place in h^-ven, in the Father's house : and his end was to send the Spirit, the Comforter unto them, which would not come, if he did not go away, John xvi. 6, 7. He had told them of his going away from them, upon which sorrow had filled their hearts^ (and it is even so with us, when our earthly comforts leave us, sorrow fills our hearts ;) but to cure this, our Lord answers them, that it wa.s expedient for them^ (good and necessary for them) that he should go away, shewing them his end in going away, to wit, that he might send to them the Comforter; he would remove from them a great mercy, the greatest earthly mercy that ever they enjoyed, which was his personal presence ; they must part with so dear, so near, so sweet, so loving, so faith- ' ful a friend, as himself was to them : and could there be a greater lossT For this, sorrow had filled their hearts : But he tells them, it was to make way for a greater mercy, which was, to send them the Comforter, in all the saving and miraculous gifts of the y Holy Ghost, by which they should be abl^. toj. do greater works than himself did^ John xiv. 12, which was a greater mercy than his bodily presence with them, and with this he calms and quiets their minds. Now, if we can

act faith upon the blessed ends of Christ in removing our earthly comforts from us, which are, to bestow upon us better mercies, to give us more of his spirit, and of the graces and comforts of it, our hearts would not be troubled: could we believe, that Christ's end in all his chastisements, is, to prepare us for that place in his Father's house, it would comfort and support us. His ends are very good, and that should quiet us. So long as the people of Christ enjoy most of the comforts of this world, (I speak it by sad experience) commonly they enjoy least of God, and of his spirit; and usually, when Christ takes away their earthly comforts, then he manifests most of himself, and of his tender love to them : he brings them into the wilderness, and then speaks comfortahlij to them ; then he speaks to their hearts, and not to their ears only, as in time oF prosperity ; then he gives out most of the graces and comforts of his spirit. Christ never takes away these outward mercies from his people, but with design to bestow better, if our discontent and unbelief do not hinder. When the Lord took away from his servant David the young child begotten in adultery, it was to give him a Solomon.

Thus I have endeavoured to shew what it is also to believe in Christ, that thereby we^ may prevent and cure our heart-trouble.

The last thing I have to do is, to shew how faith acted thus on God and Christ, or on God in Christ, is the best preventive of, and remedy to cure all our heart-troubles, which hath indeed been shewn, partly in the two former particulars, and will serve for the confirmation of the point also.

Two ways principally faith acted on God and Christ, doth effect this great cure of heart-trouble, and procure heart's-ease.

Firsty By way of application and approbation.

Secondly^ By way of holy confidence and reliance.

Firsts By applying and appropriating God and Christ to the soul, and all that God is, and all that Christ is, and all that God hath, and all that Christ hath, and all that God and Christ hath promised : faith applieth and appropriates all this to the soul j faith gives the soul right, title, claim, propriety and interest to, and in God and Christ; faith makes all the believer's own. Believe, and all is thine. This is the language of faith, my God, my Lord, my Christ, my Saviour, my Redeemer ;* and this quiets and satisfies the soul fully, or nothing in heaven or earth ran do it; when it can thus act its faith on

• Psal. xix. 14.

God and Christ. So was David cured of his great troubles, 1 Sam. xxx. 6. He encoura: ged himself in the Lord his Gody his God in Christ; so in that pregnant text, 2 Scun, xxiii, 5. His interest in God's everlasting covenant, (whereby God was become his God in Christ) he acted his faith upon, and that satisfied him.* So Mich, vii. 7. FsaL Ixxiii. 25, 26.

Either Gad is ours, or he is not; either Christ is ours, or he is not: if God and Christ be not ours, we have cause enough to mind our danger, and to be troubled at our very hearts, that we are in such a case ; and should now above all things labour after an interest in God and in Christ ; whatever our losses in the world be, this dangerous state of souls should be most minded, and speedily looked alter above all things.

But if God be ours ; and if Christ be ours; if we have chosen God for our portion in Christ; and if we have rightly and truly received Jesus Christ the Lord, for our only Lord and Saviour, and have unfeignedly given up our whole selves to him ; then may we act our taith upon God, as our God, and upon

* Psal. xxxi. 14.

J.

Jesus Christ as ours,* and may claim our right in God and in Christ, and in all that God and Christ is, and hath, as our own ; and then, what cause of any heart-trouble ? If God be ours, if Christ be ours, all incurs, life is ours, death is ours : what if we want relations and friends, honour, wealth and health ; is not the all-sufficient God enough ? Is not Jesus, in whom dwells all fulness^ enough to supply the want of all ? This God proposed to Abraham, I am thy God; and to Israel, Isa. xli. 10. Jesus Christ is &l\^and in all; and if Christ be yours, all is yours; God is yours ; and all the good of both worlds are yours j and what can you desire more ?

Seco7idly^ Faith exercised in holy confidence in, and reliance upon God, and Christ, and the promise, will prevent or cure all our heart-trouble. ' David was cured both these ways, P^al. xxxi. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, viz. by appropriating God to himself, and by trusting in him, I trusted in thee, 0 Lord^ I said, thou art my God:\ for God is pleased to engage himself to discharge those souls from heart-trouble and sinful fear, who trust

* Psal. cxix. 57. Lam. Hi. 24. John i.12. Col.il. 6. Gen. xvii. 1. Col. iii. 11. 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23. f Psal. xliii. 5.

iti him, Fsal. xxxvii. 40. Trouble doth disorder the heart, and discompose the mind ; but faith in this exercise of it, trusting m the Lord^ doth fix and settle the heart; so that then no evil tidings shall make such a person afraid^ for his heart is Jixed^ trusting in the Lord,'^ God hath promised to keep them in perfect peace^ whose minds are stayed on hi?n, because they trust in hint, Isa* xxvi. 3.

Diffidence is the cause of all disquiet; no true rest can be had, nor quiet to our minds, but by confidence in God, Psal. ii. 12. 0 the blessedness of those that trust in Christ ! God in Christ is the only fit object of our confidence, in all our extremities. A believer hath a God to go to in all his troubles, an Almighty and loving Father in Christ; and this should be our comfort, that we are in covenant with him that rules the world, and hath committed the government of all things to his Son, our dear Redeemer, who hath bought us with his blood ; and we may be sure no hurt shall befall us that he can hinder; and what cannot he hinder, who hath all power in heaven and earth ? \ and that hath the keys of hell and death, unto whom we are so near, that he carries our names on

• Psal. cxii. 7, \ Matt, xxvui. 18.

his heart, apd who will in his due time make all the world know, that his people are as dear to him as the apple of his eye.

Trust then, depend and rely upon God in Christ, and by an holy confidence resign up 3^our wills to his will, to do, what he would have us do ; to be, what he would have us be ; to suffer, what he would have us suflfer ; and then heart-trouble will cease, and sweet peace cometh : when having trusted all with God, we can in henrt say. Lord, if thou wilt have me poor, disgraced, imprisoned, diseased, deprived of my dearest friends, I am content to be so; I trust all my concerns with thee : O the sweet peace and quiet that will be in that soul!

There is the all-mightiness, the wisdom, goodness, love, mercy, and faithfulness of God in Christ for us, to trust in, and to rely upon, a bottom and foundation strong enough to build our confidence upon, in all storms and streights ; God hath also made, many exceeding great and precious promiseSy and not a naked promise, but he hath entered into covenant with us, founded upon full satisfaction by the blood of Jesus, and confirmed it with an oath :* and to this covc-

♦ Heb. vi. 17.

i>*^'' ♦'

nant, sealed by the blood of his Son, he hath ^ added the seals of the sacraments; ^nd all ' this, that the heirs of the promises^ namely, all true believers, might have strong consolation^ and be cured of all their heart-troubles.

Upon this sure foundation then must our faith act in an holy confidence in God, and in Christ; the soul being taken off from all other objects, carried out of self, unto God and Christ; who presently (as soon as trusted in) communicate themselves, and their love, and goodness to the soul, filling it with peace, strength, and settlement. By this trusting in God, we honour God most, and best provide for our own safety.

I'his way then, whereby faith quieteth the soul, and cures it of its troubles, is by raising it above all disquietments, and settling it solely upon God in Christ, and thereby uniting it to God in Christ; from whence it draws vh'tue and strength, to subdue whatever troubleth its peace. For the soul is , .made for God, and never finds rest, till it return unto, and settle and centre itself upon him again. And that we may thus place our confidence in (xod and Christ for all sup-pHcs, we must most certainly, earnestly beg, cr}', and seek to God for grace and strength so to do ; we must trust in God alone for all L 2

things, and at all times ; and thus by appropriating God to us, and Christ to us, and placing our confidence in them, we may be cured of all our heart^troubles.

APPLICATION.

I. For information. These inferences follow.

Firsts If faith acted upon God in Christ l| be such a remedy against heart-trouble, then^ surely, faith is a very precious, a very excellent thing ; a grace of very great worth and value, and of great use and efBcary : it is precious faith indeed, the very trial of it is mdre precious than gold.'* Precious for its author, the Lord Jesiis ;t for its object, precious Jesus, and all the exceeding great and precious promises, the purchased inheritance ::j: lor its offices, it unites us to Christ, gives us title eternal life ;§ it sujjports under all afflictions ; prevents or cures all heart-troubles ; and precious for its end, which is the salvation of our souls.^*

This grace of faith is of a transforming, spiritual nature : and the soul of a beHcver, by acting it on God and Christ, and on divine, heavenly and spiritual things, become^ di*-

* 2 Pet. i. 1. 1 Pet. i. 7. t Heb. xii. 1. \ Joha ; 12. Eph. iii. 17. •* Heb. xi. 1 Pet. i. 9.

\27

vine, beavftmy and spiritual. Faith unfast* I eneth the heart fronci the creature, shewing the soul the vanity of it, and carries the soul 'Unt;o God a»d Christ, shewing it God's all-sufficiency, and Christ's all-fullness : for faith believes what God in his word hath revealed of both. It is the great design of God, in all the troubles he sends upon his people, effectually to teach them the exceeding vanity of the creature, to embitter the things of this vorld to them, to wean their hearts from them, to bring earthly things out of requesit viih thtiu, to make them see, thdt there is no true contentment, nor solid satisfaction for the* «oul, to be found in them, and to make-them see where true happiness and content-nu nt is to be had j even in God and in Christ alone, for whoi^n their souls were created, re/leemed and sanctified.* Now the great work of fjiith, is to take off the soul from the creature, and fix and settle it upon God and Christ, the true foundation. Naturally our hearts hang loose from God, and cleave to the creature, and when the creature fails, r)ur hearts are troubled: but faith takes off the heart from the creature, and settles it upon God in Christ, where it finds rest ; and .bis is the great service it doth us. AU the

• Tbal. iv^ 5. Isa. xliii. 21. Tit. ii. 14.

great and famous things which those worthies did, and all the hard and heavy things they suffered, mentioned in Ilvh» xi. were all done and suffered by the pover of faith, ver. o7y &c. The settling of our hearts upon God in Christ, trusting all there, is the best means to cure our heart-trouble: and this faith doth, and therefore it is precious.

Secondly^ It follows from the premises, that the want of faith in God, and in Christ, is the great cause of all our heart-troubles, despondencies and disquietneiss. Could we but act our faith strongly on God and Christ,' as our God in Christ, our troubles would Ve prevented or. cured : for by faith the^oul looks up to God in Christ, through the promises, looking off from al? other supports, unto God for all supplies, for the remot'mj; of all evil felt or feared, and for the oHtaidiing of all good promised and needed ; and by this exercise of faith, the soul is raised up above all discouragements and ""lltsfiuiet-ments : but where this faitli is wanting ^r the lively exercise of it suspended, there the soul sinks under heart-troubles. But of this something was said before.

Thirdly^ Hence also we may clearly see the absolute necessity of getting faith in Go(-, and in Christ; and of actii^g it, and living

by it: there is no living quietly and comfortably without it, no standing under our burthf ns, no bearing with patience and cheerfulness our losses and crosses without this faith : no joy and peace, but by believing: by faith we stand.*

Fourthly^ Then the things of the world are-not to be trusted to, nor trusted in, for comfort in time of trouble. Nothing but God and Christ to be trusted in, and trusted to ; and there is enough in them to support and comfort us, as hath been shewn : but no confidence to be put in the creature ;f there is a curse upon such confidence, but a blessing upon them that trust in God : no trusting in friends 4^ riches, gifts, or any thing : for so to do, is idolatry, to give that to the creature, which is due to God alone.

-FifUUy^ Hence we see the reason why so^ many faint in the day of adversity, and sink under trouble: and others use unlawful means to prevent trouble, or to get out of it: it is, because they want this faith in God and Christ: and for want of it, too many miscarry under affliction.

The second use is by way of exhortion to all the disciples of Christ, in the words of the

• Rom. XV. 13. f Jcr. ix. 4. \ Mich. vii. 4, 5.

text; Let not your hearts be troubled^ but believe in God^ and believe in Christ: You must get and act faith in God and Christ, this is the only preventative, the only remedy against heart-trouble. Our Lord in this text commands, and commends it :* we must needs get faith, for we cannot have Christ without faith :f go to God for it, is his work, his gift, yea, it is his operation ; yea, the same power that raised up Jesus from the dead must be put forth upon a soul to work faith, Eph, i. 19, 20. The exceeding great and mighty working of the power of God, to raise up the soul to Christ, and to enable it to lay hold on God and Christ: For such is our natural proneness to live by sense and carnal reason, and such is the most transcendent excellency of God and Christ, and of divine things, which faith looks unto : and so great an inclination have we to self-sufficiency, and so much rooted in self-love, and inordinate love of the creature, and so hard to take off the soul from false bottoms; and because we are such strangers to God naturally; and because there is so much guilt of sin still remaining on us, by our renewed provocations, that we are afraid

•Johnvi.29. :^Eph. ii. 8. Col.ii. 21.

to entertain serious thoughts of God: and because of that iniinite distance between God and us, we can never come to believe in him, and rely upon him, until our hearts be renewed .by the power of grace, and this divine grace of faiih infused into them: therefore we must go to God and Chnst, and put up strong cries and prayers to God to work faith in us, and never give over, until it be wrought in us.

And having got faith, we must act and exercise it upon God in Christ; upon God, I say: he only is the object oi iaith, and is worthy of ii: for a man can be in no condition in which Gpd is at a loss, and cannot help him : if comforts and means of deliverance be wanting, God c<in create comforts, and command deliverance, Isa, Ivii. 19. He can bring light out of darkness, Jii*sal. cxii. to him all things are possible. * •■

1. Then faith assents to,^nd is persuaded that there is a God, the infinite, first and best being of all things, and who giveth being to all things, litb, 3ii. 6.

2. That in this blessed being are three persons, Father, Son, and Koiy Ghost,'and ail the object of our faith.

3..Faith must always act on God in Christ, and not otherwise i ior kri Christy God rccon-

cUea the world,* In Christ, God becomes our friend, at peace with us ; by Christ, the enmity between God and us, is taken away ; in Christ, God becomes our Father, John i. 12. GaL iii. 26.

4. Faith is acted by meditating on, considering of, and applying, and appropViating of God in Christ to the soul, laying claim to all that Cod hath, as its own.

5. It must also act upon the promises of God in his word, and Christ in them : God hath opened all his heart to us in his word, making many sweet promises, exceeding great and precious promises :\ and also he hath made a covenant of grace with us, to bestow himself, and all good things upon us, upon which we must live, until promises end in performances4 These promises are our spiritual treasury : promises of pardon of sin, upon repentance and faith; promises of renewing, sanctifying grace ; promises of the spirit, of heaven, of eternal life and glory, of mansions in the Father's house, and of ail things needful in the way to the kingdom, that we shall want no good thing, and that all things shall work together for our good, &c.

• 2 Cor. V. 19. Col. i. 21. f 2 Pet. i. 4. | Jer. xxxi. Heb. viii.

Lastly^ That our hearts may not be troubled, but fully satisfied and comforted, we must by faith lay hold on God,^ take hold of God's strength, which is his mercy in Christ; and most solemnly, most considerately, and most sincerely take God for God in Christ, and actually enter into covenant with him :f this covenant is founded upon Jesus Christ, his satisfaction and righteousness: and therefore we must also believe in Christ, taking him for our only Lord and Saviour, receiving him by faith asjie is offered to us in the gospel, to be all in all to us.

As God offers, so faith receives ; God receives him : God doth, as it were, say in the gospel, O poor lost sinner! come to my son Jesus, take him for thy only Lord and Saviour, and by him come to me, and take me for thy God and Father: and by faith the poor believer echoeth back, My Lord and my God, I humbly and heartily come to thee, accept of thee, close with thee, and sc by faith the believing soul becomes one with God and Christ; and hereupon the soul by faith cleaves to God and Christ, and unfeign-edly, and unreservedly gives up its v/hole self to God in Christ, taking God in Christ

* Isa. Ivi. 5. f Isa. xxvii. 4. Jer, xxxi. 52.

2 Cor. vi. 18.

M

for his, and entirely surrenders up itself to be the Lord's. 3Iij beloved is mine^ and I atn his. Now faith thus acted, will certainly cure all our heart-troubles.

In order then to obtain solid comfort in all our distresses, let us carefully look whether these acts of faith have really passed upon our souls: have we thus actually, under-standuigly, and sincerely believed in God, and in Christ ? Have we unfeignedly entered into covenant with God in Christ, by our being his ? If we be entirely his, he.is ours for certain, 1 Jo/m iv. 19. Cant. ii. 16. If we place all our happiness in him, Pscd, Ixx. ii. 25. If we give him the throne in our hearts, subjecting our whole selves to his government, making God in Christ all our love, our trust, joy, delight, fear, our all; cleaving to him alone and above all, depending upon him as our chief good: contenting ourselves with him as all-sutticient for us, re-siguHig up ourselves to his good will, to be, to do, and sufter what he will: if we can and <lo engage ourselves to sincere obedience, that none of his commandments be grievous to us: if in all things we give Christ the pre-eminence ; it we have received the spirit oi C!:irist, as J^iom. viii. 9- 6"a/. iv. 6. 1 Cor* vu.ir, which joms us to him, and makes us one spirit witli him, and which is the spirit

of adoption, whereby the soul seeing his interest in God as his Father, can freely go to God in all its straights. If we have the graces of the spirit, as love, meekness^ patience, hnmilitij^ &c. If we have a resemblance of our Father in us, a likeness of disposition to God in Christ, the image of God, the life of Christ manifest in us :* If we do own God and his cause, in evil times, so that we are willing to part with any thing, with all things for Christ's sake, and at his call: if it be thus with us in the main bent and constant frame of our hearts, and in the sincerity and integrity of our souls, our consciences in tiie sight of God bearing us witness,! that thus it is with us, then may we upon good grounds conclude, that God the all-sufficient God is ours, and that our hearts should not be troubled ; and to prevent and cure all our heart-trouble we must act faith on all those things, in God and in Christ, which I mentioned before, and which would be too long to repeat again here ; therefore I earnestly desire you to look back, and view over those several particular things considerable in God and in Christ, and believe in God and in Christ, applying and ap-

* 2 Cor. iv. 10/11. Gal. ii. 20. f 1 John iii. 21.

propriating them to ourselves, and we shall see we have no cause of heart-trouble. If the great God be ours, if we have no husbands nor wives, nor sons or daughters, nor health, nor wealth, we have enough to content and satisfy our souls for ever.

But to draw to a conclusion: that there may be an effectual cure of all our heart-trouble, whatever our distress may be, let us labour to act faith on Christ, in considering and believing

1. What he is.

2. Where he is. ^

3. What he hath declared.

4. What he hath promised j and all within the confines of this text, Ver. 2, 3.

Firsty Let Christ's disciples labour to believe what Christ is, and who he is. He himself asked his disciples this question. Matt, xvi. 16. Whotn say ye that I am f Peter answered, thou art Christ the son of the living' God: I kncxv in xvhom I have believed^ saith the apostle.* and that supported him: and for this knowledge of Jesus Christ his Lord, he counted all things but dungi and dross. To believe all things that are written of Christ, is not enough ; but to believe in him, is by faith to receive'him for

• 2 Tim. i, 12. f Phil. iii. 9.

our only Lord and Saviour, jfohji i. 12. Co/, ii. 6, and actually^ iinrcservedlij, wifcig'n-edhj^ and htartily to give up our whole selves unto him, taking him for our absolute Lord, our head, our treasure, and our all; and believing, He is all that to lis that ht is. That he Tvas made sin for iis^ made rutsdom^ righteousness., sanctijication and redemption to us. That he is indeed our husband, our head, our high-priest, our surety, our ransom, our ^ Redeemer. That he hath loved us., and washed us in his blood. That lie was delivered up to death for our offences., and rose again for mir- justification. That he hath made our peace with God by the Hood of his cross; and pure hcificd our pardon^ and an inheritance for us with the saints in light; and that by believing in him^ we shall have everlasting lifcy John iii. 16, 36. I say, this is to believe in Christ; and such as thus believe in him, have no cause of heart-trouble. And thus we must believe in him, 1 fohn iii. 22, and the positive command of Christ himself in the text. Believe also in me. And he that hath this faith, hath Christ, 1 John V. 10, 12, and hath Uf\ eternal life. John vi. 47. Verily^ I say unto you, (saith Christ, the eternal truth himself) he that believeth in me^ hath everlasting life. He M 2

hath it in the price of it, that was punctually paid down upon the cross, therefore called the purchased possession: he hath eternal life in the promises of it; it is promised to every one that believeth ; God that cannot lie, hath promised it, Tit. i. 1, 2, and he hath it in the first-fruits of it, the saving graces of the spirit, which in some measure every true believer hath, 2 Cor. v. 5. £jjh. u 13, 14.

Now, he that thus believes in Christ, Christ is his ; and all that Christ hath done, and suffered, and merited, is his ; he hath right and title to it: for by faith he is become the child of God, Gal. iii. 26. We are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, And if xve be Chrisfs^ then are tve heirs of the promise^ Gal. W'l. 29. Yea, heirs of God^ and joint heirs xvith Christy Rom. viii. 17. Yea, then, all things are ours, 1 Cor. iii. 21, 22, 23. All is ours., if we be Christ's, whether Paul, or ApoUos, or Cephas. All the gifts, graces, labours, prayers, ot all gospel ministers, all gospel ordinances are designed for bur good, £ph. iv. 11, 12, 13, for the gathering of us in, and for the perfecting and building of us up in Christ Jesus, until we all come to heaven. The world is ours ; the good and evil of it, the bitter and the sweet of it, the comforts

and the crosses of it, the gains and the losses of it, the love and the hatred of it, the smiles and the frowns, the friends and foes in it; all is designed for, and shall further and promote our spiritual and eternal welfare. Life is ours. All the troubles, sicknesses, pains, evil tidings, persecutions, disappointments, losses of relations, shame, reproach, or whatever attends this mortal life, shall be sancti-fiedr.and blessed to us for our good. Yea, death is ours, that shall be our advantage', our gain, that shall put a full enfl and period to all our sin and suiTering, and be a door of emrance for us into glory in our Father's house : or things present: our pr-^'sent fears,.^ji| sorrows, miseries, infirmities, Sec. shall be s(0Hf^ ordered and over-ruled by the wisdom and love of our Father, that they shall all help us onward to heaven : and things to come are j| ours: all that glory to be revealed, that saints everlasting rest that is prepared for the people of God, that crown of righteousness, of glory, and of life: that kincjdom of glory, that unspeakable, that inconceivable state of happiness and blessedness which Christ a^r Lord hath purchased by his-blood, all thi^ is ours also. But hqw come we to have a right and tide to all this ? Whv saith the apostle thus ; 2^e are Christ''s^ and Christ is God^s. As sure as Christ is God's, so

sure, if you be Christ's, all is yours : and as I have proved, if we be true believers in Christ, then \ye are Christ's, we are his members, his spouse, his children, and then, what cause have we to be troubled at any thing, or in any condition ? What cause hath such a soul to be dejected, what ever crosses or losses do befall him ? Is there not enough in Christ, in the promises, in the purchase of Christ ? Is there not enough in heavetl, in all that glory to quiet, content, and fully satisfy our souls ? O my beloved, (and O my base and faithless heart!) It is our base unbelief that does all the mischief, that spoils ^> our peace, that hinders our comfort, and makes us walk so heavily. O let us bewail this God-dishonouring sin, this peace-destroying sin : and let us, who have received Jesus for our Lord and Saviour,^ believe that he i^ ours indeed, and then act our faith upon him, and our hearts shall not be troubled.

^iest. But may some say, it is true if Christ be ours, all is ours, we believe that; but how shall we know that Christ is ours ? Answ, Briefly thus : if we be Christ's entirely, and sincerely Christ's, then Christ is ours: Iayn mi/ beloved\s and mij beloved is viine, Cant* ii. 16. chap, vi. 3. Her being

* Col. ii. 6, 7.

Christ's, was a sure evidence to her that Christ was hers. Novi'^, it is not very hard to know whose we are, whether we be Christ's or our own, Christ's or the world's, Christ's or the devil's : let us take a little pains in trying and searching ourselves, the matter requires it: whose we are I Put this question seriously to our heart, in the sight of God : whose am I ? whose image do I bear? By whose spirit am I acted? Who hath ray heart, my chief love and delight ? Have we unfeignedly given up ourselves to Christ ? Have we actually entered into cov-anant with him, and taken him for our head and husband I Have we passed over and surrendered up our whole selves to Christ, our souls, bodies, all our concerns ? Have we given up our hearts, heads, tongues, time, talents, estates, liberties, relations, and all to Christ I Have we done this sincerely I Then we have received Christ upon his terms. If we be Christ's and not our own, and live unto Christ, and not to ourselves, Jiom. xiv. 9. 1 Cor, vi. 20. Gal, ii. 20, and are content that Christ should dispose of us and ours as he pleaseth ; and are always labouring to be more and more like him, and still longing for more and more communion with him, &c. then may w^ up-

on good grounds, conclude Christ is ours i If we be his, he is ours.

Again, if we truly believe in Christ, then he is ours ; for it is by faith that we receive him, and are united to him, and made one with him, John i. 12, 13, and are by his spirit and word regenerated, and made new creatures : and are enabled to walk after the spirit, and not after the flesh, 2 Cor, v, 17. Aoj?i, viii. 1, 2. He that believeth, hath the witness in himself, 1 John v. 10, he need not go far to seek : make sure thy believing in Christ, and thou hast the witness in thyself that he is thine, and thou art his.

^uest. But how shall we know that we have true faith, and that we do truly believe in Christ ?

Answ. Briefly thus : if we have been made sensible of our lost condition by nature, of our misery by sin, of our unbelief; if we have found it an hard work to believe ; if we have been made weary and heavy laden with sin, so as to be truly willing to part with all sin ; if we have been convinced of our absolute need of Christ, and of his incomparable excellency, of his all-sufficiency, and willingness to save us j* if these convictions have

• Jo^n xvi. 8. Eph. i. 17, 18. Rev, Hi. 17. Matt. xi. 28. 1 Pet. ii. 7. Acts xx, 21. John yi. ST. Jo^n vii. 37. Matt. xvi. 34. Col. ii. 6,

been powerful in us to drive us from ourselves, and the creature^ and sin ; if we have hereupon been persuaded and enabled sincerely to come unto Christ upon his call in the gospel, to accept of him upon his terms, and to receive him, as he is offered in the gospel; if our whole hearts have opened to him, and closed with him, and we have given up ourselves entirely to him, and taken him for our only Lord and Saviour, as the only way to God, and do most sincerely resign up ourselves to his government, trusting in him alone, and relying upon him for life and rightecmsness, for grace and glory,^ then we do believe in him, then have we this true faith, which is farther to be known thus: that it worketh in us true sincere love to him, and to ail that is his, his word, his people ; your hearts will run out after him, all your atfcctions will centre in him. This true faith draws virtue Irom Christ to purify the heart, and work sanctification and holiness ; it (.ioth crucity your affections to the world, it works true repentance, and enables you to overcome the world,f and to realize the

• John xiv. 6. Matt. xi. 29. John i. W, 16. John iii. 16, 36. Gal.v. 6^ IJohnv. 1. Psal. cxix. 97. Acts XV. 9. xxvi. 18. Gal. li. 20. f John v. 4. Heb. xi. 1. Eph. i. 13. Ps. i. 6. Rom. xi. 20. 2 Cor. y. r.

glory of heaven, and to bear us up under ail the troubles in our way thither, as in the xiith chapter to the Hebrews, enabling us to trust and betrust our souls and bodies, and all our concernments with Christ: by this faiih we shall stand, by it we walk, by it we live, and hold on, and hold out in following the lamb to the end of our life."^

Now certainly, he that thus believes in Christ, hath no cause of heart-trouble, but quietly submits to the good will and pleasure of his God in Christ, under all the dispensations of his providence, while he is under this vale of tears, until he come to his Father's house in peace, where he shall meet his dearest Lord, and an hearty welcome. O ! this faith, this precious faith in Christ will conquer ail our base fears, moderate all our worldly sorrows, ease our minds perplexed with earthly cares, and quiet our disturbed and distracted thoughts about outward losses and troubles ; by this faith we shall find all our losses made up in God and in Christ : then labour for it, cry mightily to God for this great gift; cry to Jesus for it, he is the Author and Finisher of it ;t and labour to act it upon him continuall}-, and ijour hearts ahall not be troubled,

* Heb X. 38, j Heb. xi. 1.

I dare affirm, that if any thing brings heart's ease in heart-trouble, this will do it. So long as our faith holds up in act and exercise upon Christ, we shall be free from heart-trouble ; but when our faith fails, our heart-troubles prevail: as when Moses lifted up his hands, (and his heart too by faith) Israel prevailed; but when his hands were down Amaleck prevailed. Faith and heart-trouble are like a pair of balances, when oi^ goes up, the other goes down: faith is the counterpoise of trouble of heart: Believe then in Jesus, act faith on him, and that will prevent or cure heart-trouble. Continue in. the faith, and your heart-troubles will cease j believe what Christ is, and what he is to us.

Secondly^ Let us believe in Christ, and believe where he is. As to his essential presence, he is in heaven at the Father's right-hand, making continual intercessio?i for us to the Father.* He is our advocate with the Father^] pleading our cause, presenting all our services, perfumed with his own righteousness, and relenting and feeling our infirmities,! sorrows and sufferings, sympathizing with us; In all our afflictions he is af-Jticted,^ He knows all our troubles, trials,

* Heb. xii. 2, 3. vii. 25. f 1 John ii. 1, 2. % H^.

^ ' "" ?Isa. Ixiji. 9.

N

temptations, sicknesses, losses and miseries. 'Jesus himself knew, when he was on earth, what it was to lose a friend : he wept when his friend Lazarus was dead. He is a most tender-hearted Saviour, a most merciful high-priest ; he sees and feels now in heaven all the miseries of his people upon earth, and pleads for them there : believe this, and let Hot If our hearts be troubled.

And as to his spiritual and providential presence, he is always with his people on earth : he is in his people ; Christ in you the hohe ofglory.^ He is in his word and ordinances by his spirit, to bless them to his people. Christ is aU^ Col, iii. 11, and in alL He is all, that is instead of all, of father, mother, husband, wife : of son and daugh-' ter ; instead of health, wealth, liberty, and all' tu his people ; in hrni dzvellcth all fulness,] And he is also in ail; He JiUeth all in all. In all h>s people, he dwells in their hearts bij Jtiith. All our fresh springs are in him : all the strength, support, and comfort we have, tomes from him ; he is in all providences, be they never so bitter, so afflictive, never so smarting, destructive to our earthly comlorts, Christ is in them all; every cup is ot his preparing; it is Jesus, your best friend,

• Gal. i. 27. t Eph. L 23. 11^17.

(O ye iM)or believers!) who most dearly loves you ; it is he that died for you ; that appoints all those providences, orders the in all, overrules them all, and will sweeten them all; and in his due time will make them all profitable ivito you, that you shall have cause one day to praise and bless his name for thehi all. Oh ! that we could but believe all this, and cbuld by faith look unto our JesLis in all d.ark providences, and by faith behold this blessed Jesus managing of them, and belie\'c his love, wisdom, tenderness, and faithlulness in all; in our sicknesses, losses,, prisons, restraints, he. then surely our hearts should not be troubled.

Tnirdly^ Believe in Christ, believe what he hath told us ; In my Father*s house are many mansions ; if it -were not .90, / xvoiild haiie told you: I go to prepare a place for you.^ Let us act faith upon these true sweet sayings of our dear Lord, who is truth itself; In my Father^s house are many mansions. In my Father's house, iny Father's, and your Father's house, one house, John XX. 7. I ascend to my Father^ andijcur Father; to my God^ and your God ; and it is in that house which is far above all heavens^ all visible elementarv heavens, the thirdhea-ven ; that is the Father's housr, that house

•IJohnxiv. 3. 2 Cor. v. 1, 2.

not made with handsy whose Builder and Maker is God^ and is eternal. This city of the living God» The New Jerusalem; there, saith Christ, are 7nani/ maJisions^ many dwellings, many fixed, abiding, lasting, everlasting habitations :* not tents and tabernacles, siich as we live in here on earth, but mansions, abiding places. Is not this a most comfortable consideration to such poor saints, as have here on earth no certain dwelling-places, not an house of their own wherein to lay their heads, but are forced to remove from place to place, still seeking an habitation, banished from family and friends, from relations and acquaintance ; some cast into prisons, (while others d-well safely in their houses, and none to make them afraid,) and others exposed to much hardship and danger ? I say, this is good news to them, that tn their Father^s house are many viansioris ; there are everlasting liabitations ready to receive them, made leady for them ; from which, when once they are entered, they shall never be cast out jiiore ; from whence there shall be no more any remove for ever. When once their earthly house of this tabernacle is broken down, they shall possess that house not made

• Luke xvi. 6.

ivk7i hands^ eternal in the heavens.^ Let us then by faith often look into the Father's house, and view, and review those luany mansions that are there ; and let us act hope also, that shortly we shall possess that place, and enjoy that blessed state : the believing frequent prospects of that place, will prevent our heart-trouble, or cure it.

If it were not so^ I -would have told you^ saith our Lord : if thv.re were not such a blessed state, and glorious place for you, ni}^ disciples, in the other word, aiter all your sufferings in this, I would tiave told you so ; for I have told you of the many trouijies you must endure in this world ; and for your support and comfort, I am now telliag you, what good things you s(?all siiortly enjoy above in my Father's house, where is ail joy, peace, rest, and consolation : there are many mansions, no prisons, chains, nor fetters, but glorious dwellings, enough to hold all the saints that ever were, and that evc-r shall be in the w^orld, where they shall enjoy full and free communion wiih the blessed trinity, and with one another ; perfect liberty, witn-out any restraint or remove tor ever. Believe this, and let not your hearts be trou-bird.

• Rom. V. 2. 3. h 2

I go to prepare a place for you. I have purchased this most glorious place for you by my blood ; I have promised it to you; now I go away to take possession of it for you, in your name and stead: Oh what an heart-comforting, an heart-easing consideration should this be to us poor believers ! that our Lord went from earth to heaven, on purpose to prepare a place in heaven for us, to possess it in our name and stead ; and in the mean time, he is preparing us by his word and spirit, by afflictions and deliverances for that glorious place : hence he is called owr for e-riinncr^ xvho is for us entered into that within the veil:^ so that, as sure as Christ himself ascended, and went into the" highest heavens, so sure shall all his disciples,, all true believers ascend, and enter into heaven also; because he went thither himself, to prepare heaven for them, by taking possession of it in his human nature for us, as our head and Saviour. God hath pre' pared for them a city.] Heaven and heavenly glory is said to be prepared : A kingdom prepared from the foundaiion of the 7Vorld.\ If we could believe that Christ hath prepared a place in heaven for us, and that heaven will make amends for all our sufferings in the

• Heb. vi. 19, 20. f Heb. xi. 10. \ Matt. xxv. 34.

way thither ;* and if we could keep the ey.e of faith upon that recompense ofrezuard^ that, far more exceeding and eternal rveight of glory^] we should bear iip bravely under all our sufferings, and not have our hearts troubled.

Let us then look more heavenward, more to our Father's house : let us have our conversations more in heaven, and set our affections more vpon things above ; upon that blessed place and state above ; and know, that when Christ^zvho is our life, shall appear^ xve shall appear vjith him in glory.\ Believe this, and be comforted.

Certainly, we are too much taken up with, and too solicitous about our earthly tabernacles, these houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, crushed before the moth: we are always minding the diseases, distempers and dangers of our bodies, those old crazy, tottering houses, the prisons of our souls : we mind earthly places too much, but too little those heavenly places in Christ jfesus^^ where we shall shortly sit vvith him. Were we more heavenly-minded, we should be more free from heart-trouble, and disquiet-ness of mind.

* Heb. xi. 26. t 2 Cor. iv. 16, 17. 18. | Phil. 1.20. Col.iil. 1,2, :. }Enh,ii. 6.

Fourthlif^ and lastly, to prevent and cure all our heart-trouble : let us labour to believe what Christ hath promised here in the text, ve7\ 3. I will come agmii^ and receive you to v.yself^ that xvhere I am^ there ye may be also. Most sweet and comfortabh; promises !

J will come again* So ver, 18. J xvill come again ; I will not leave you comfortless : for when I am absent from you in respect of my hudily presence, I will send the Comforter to you^ that shall abide with you for ever. And I myself will come again unto you ; you shall not long be without my company. Though Christ seems to withdraw and hide his face from his people, it shall be but a little moment, Isa. liv. 7, 8. He will return again, and have mercy, yea, with everlasting kindness will he return. I will come again : I will not stay long from you ; my heart is still toward you, while lam absent ; therefore I will come quickly, J^ev. iii. 11- I will come to you with my messenger, death : though it be the king of terrors in itself, and a grim porter, yet by my coming with it, it shall be to you the king of comforts : I will come with it, by my spirit, to strengthen you to look it in the face, to apply^ to you tlie } virtue of my death, and thereby to take out the sung of it; and I will come to you by

lOvi

my angcis, to secure your souls through the region of devils, into my Father's house. If death did come alone to us, it would be terrible to us indeed ; its ghastly countenance would affright us ,* but here is the comfort, that Christ our dearest Lord, will come with death, to sweeten it to us, and support us under it. This prevented David's fear, PsaL xxiii. 4. IVhen I walk through the val-'leij of the shadow ofdeath^ I-will fear no evil^ for thou art with me. O welcome death, when Christ comes with it! This bitter cup, of which we must all drink, is brought to us by the hand of our dearest Lord : this last stroke is given by the hand of love j it is taking us home to our Father's house ; this last enemy hath Christ conquered for us, because his children are partakers of flesh and bloody he likewise took part of the same^ that through death^ (that is, his own death) he might destroy him that had the poxver of death., that is, the devil, and deliver them, xvho through fear of death, were all their life-time subject to bondage.'* Jesus knew what death was ; he himself had the pangs of death upon him :f sin, the sting of death, was laid upon him ; and the law, which is the strength of sin, the curse of the law was upon him \\ but

• Heb. ii. 14. f Isa. lyi. 6. \ Gal. iii. 13.

now, for us, who believe in Jesus, the sting and strength of death is taken out, and when we die, we shall die in the Lord^ sleep in Je-siis; in union and communion with Jesus j we shall fall asleep in the blessed arms of our dear Redeemer. He will then come to keep us company through tjiat dark entry death, into the Father's house : his angels shall carry our souls into Abraham's bosom, yea. into the Father's bosom. O ! that we would make sure of our union with Christ; and then let us believe, that he will come with death, to translate our souls out of these earthly tabernacles, these prison-houses, these houses of bondage wherem our poor souls have been fettetved and chained, cloyed and clogged with corruptions and temptations, kept at a distance, and absent from the Lord, and in which they have been groaning f6r deliverance, into the glorious liberty of the scJlis of God, in their Father's house, and shall ever be zvith the LordM

Secondly, I xvill receive you to myself: O sweet promise ! This is all the hope, all the desire, all the longing, thirsting, breathing of poor believers, viz. that Christ would take them to himself. This is the sum of all

• Rom. viii. 33. 2 Cor. v. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 1 Th«ss. iv. 17.

their prayers and labours, that they tYiay b« fitted for Christ, and then that Christ would take them to himself. Well, saith Christ, work and wait a little longer ; do and suffer a little more ; act your faith and patience a little longer, and I will come to you, and. take you home to myself, where your souls shall be at rest for ever. The saints while they are here, at home^ in the boclij^ they are absent from the Lord; they see but in part, darkly, and know but in part, very imperfectly, and enjoy but a little, a very little of God and Christ. O how sweet are a few drops, a few glimpses and glances of divine love to a poor soul! The least cast of Christ's eye, the least beam of his loving-kindness, the least intimation of his favour, the least hint of his goodness, how refreshing to a poor believer! But when Christ shall receive them to himself, they shall then see him as he 7.9, and be like him^^ and shall be satisfied •with his likeness.] Then shall they see him, whom their souls love, face to face: and then will Jesus open to them all the treasures of his love and grace, to their everlasting consolation : they shall then be admitted into the glorious presence of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, in whose pre-

* 1 Johniii.2, 3. t Psal. i. 23.

.s'ence is ficlness of joif, mid at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore."^ When the world shall cast them out, and their hahita-tions shall cast them out, and shall know them no more ; yea, when their houses of clay shall be broken down and dissolved, and can hold them no longer, then will Jesus, blessed Jesus, receive them to himself: then shall they be solemnly married to their glorious Bridegroom, the King ot heaven's Son, the Prince of the kiJigs of the eartli; he will receive them to himself, he will take them for his bride, embrace them in his everlasting arms, and lay them in his blessed bosom for ever and ever. I -will receive you to muse If into the nearest union and communion with myself; and therefore be not unwilling to part with your dear relations; bo not afraid to be separated from your bodies, your old friends ; for when these earthly tabernacles are dissolved, immediately I will receive you to myself, ivhich is best of alL\ You shall then enjoy the fruits of all my sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession, and the fruits of all your own labours, prayers, tears, and sufferings ; and shall fmd that I am faithful in making-good all my promises, and that your labour

•Psal. xvi.ll. tl*hil. i.25.

was not in vain in the Lord ; then shall there be no more any distance between, you and me for ever. Comfort yourselves, and comfort one another with these words : Believe i/i2s^ and let not your hearts be troubled*

Tliirdlij^ That luhtre I am^ ije may be aU fiO. And what more can be desired ? Where is Christ, but at the right hand of the Majesty on h?gh^ far above all principalities and powers^ far above all heavens ? There shall you be also. O admirable, astonishing dignity, that blessed Jesus will advance his poor saints to in that dav I This high and wonderful honour shall all his saints have ; thev shall now receive the kingdom prepared for them, and that crown of glory, of-rightccusness, and of life, which Christ has purchased for them, perfectly freed now from all sin artd sorrow, and stated in an unchang-'able state of happiness and blessedness. What cause have we then to grieve for our dear relations, whom Christ hath taken to himself, and placed in the Father's house, who are now sitting at his right hand in glory, and singing hallelujahsi And could we but firmly believe these promises of our Lord, and act our faith in meditating fixedly on them, and on Jesus in them, applying and appropriating them, and Christ in them, to our own souls, con-

o

^

sidering and pondering on them, until our hearts be warmed, and our affections stirred and kindled with them, acting also hope, love, joy, desire, delight, thirst, panting, breathing ; pouring out our hearts in prayer to God tor his spirit, to bring home these promises to our souls in power, fixing them upon our hearts, and helping us to lay hold on them, and upon Christ in them, and resigning up our whole souls to Christ in them, stedtastly relying on his goodness and faithfulness, and trusting in him ; I say, could we but do'so, and in the strength of God be-trust our Avhole selves, and all our concerns thus* with Christ, and live in the lively exercises of faith thus on God, and on Christ, we should find this to be hearths-ease to us in all our heart-trouble. Beholdy I lay iti Sioii a chief Corner-atone^ elect, precious ; and fie that believeth in him^ shall not be confounded, 1 Fet. 2, 6. ^

Let all heart-trouble cease, Let naught disturb your peace. Who faith in God profess, And in \vs Son no less.

For in the Father's house Are many mansions sweet,

Christ hath prepar'd for us,

When we're for them made mete.

THE END.

POSTSCRIPT.

^lest. It-may be demanded, that having heard the excellency and usef idness of this sovereign m.ediciiie to cure heart-trouble, namely,y^yzrA iiiGod andin Christ; can you tell us how we may get this faith ? And what means we shall use to obtain it ?

Antiw. I shall endeavour, by the help of God's spirit, and Scripture-light, to direct you herein, and as briefly as I may.

DIRECTION I,

Firsts You must be convinced of your unbelief, of the greatness of the sin of unbelief, and of your absolute need of faith: of these three things you must be fully convinced.

1. Of your unbelief: for most people think they have faith, and that they never were without it, and therefore labour not for it. Pray earnestly therefore, that the Holy Spirit may be sent into yoifr hearts, to work this conviction in you, for it is his proper work, yoiin xvi. 8, to convince the world of sin^ because they believe not on me^ saith our * Lord: this is the great sin, the damning sin jf the world, their not believing" on Cfiriat^

Now that we may he convuiced, that hy nature we have no taith, let us consider these Scriptures, Eph, ii. 1, 2, 12, and that until we are regenerate and born a^ain, we hav^e no Taith, is evident Iroin yplin i. 12, 13. There, believing in Christ, and regeneration, are inseparably joined together, Acts xv. 9, and xxvi. 18, and xx. :4,\, From which Scriptures it is most evident, that such as are strangers to the heart-purifying, the heart-sanctifying work of faith, have no faith : if we have not truly repented, nor know any saving change v\rrought in us, and upon us, by the spirit of God i for certain, ■whatever we think, we have no true saving faith, it is but a fancy : of this then we must be fully convinced, and must most heartily beg the help of the spirit to convince us.

2. Of the greatness of the sin of unbelief: it binds the guilt of all other sins upon us ; it is disobedience and rebellion against the great God, for he commands us to believe, 1 John iii. 21, and by our unbelief, we make God a liar^ 1 yohn v. 10. O horrible wickedness ! And,

3. We must be convinced also of our absolute need of faith ; we must needs have it, or we must perish. IVithout faith^ it is impossible to please God^ Hch. xi. 6. Without it we cannot be the children of God, JqIiu

i. 12. Gal, iii. 26. Without it we can have no pardon of ain^ Acts x. 43. Rom» iii. 25. John viii. 24. And in what a dangerous case are we, so long as we lie under the guilt of all our sins ? Without faith we are not reconciled to God^ nor justified^ Rom, iii. 22, and Ro7n. vi. 1. Nor can we be sancti-Jied^ Acts xxvi. 18. 2 Thess. ii. 13. No access to God but by faith, Rom. v. 2. Ephes, ii. 18. No living the life of religion, nor bearing up under affliction, nor holding out to the end without faith, Heb, xi. No salvation, nor eternal life, without it, Epfu ii. 18. John iii. 16, 36. Heb, x. 39. Of all these things we must be convinced, if ever we will have faith.

DIRECTION II.

Secondlyy if we would have faith, we must diligtntly search the scriptures, read the gospel, attend on the reading and preachin'^g of the gospel,y^/r this very end^ that \j^ may grt faith by it; 1 say,yi^r this very e)7a\ certainly, that it should be our end in reading and in ht^aring the word, which was God's end in pu!)lishing ot it: now, this was his end in publibhing of it, John xx. 21. Rom. xvi. 25, 26. Rom. x. 17. Acts x. iii. 48. Eph. i. 12. 1 his is the ordinary means appointed by God to wor,k faith in the souls of men, as ap-o 2

pears by Acts ii. 42. chap. iv. 4, and chap. xi. 21, and many more. There are l^;\v that read, and hear the word for this end, and therefore get no faith by it.

Now, that the word read, and heard, may be eifectual to work this precious, this most necessary grace of faith in us, there are some things antecedent, some concoinitant, and some consequent upon our attendance on the word, and our use of it.

Firsts Some things antecedent, are necessary :

1. Preparation: For want or this the word most limes proves ineffectual. It is the empty, hungry soul that relisheth and taketh in this food, James i. 21. 1 Pet. ii. 1. Matt, xiii. 22. Usually our success is according to our preparation ; p^? in prayer, P.sal, X. 17. Compare 2 C/iron. xii. 14, ■with 2 Chron. xix. 3. Make conscience then of preparation.

2. PruLjer: Pour out your hearts to God in prayer for a blessing on the word, that you may read or hear. O ! lift up a cry to God, and say, O, Lord make this wal-u effectual to work faith in my soul, &c.

3. Earnest deslie and expectation of meut-ing God in the word, and of his oiessmg in It: It we expect nothing from it, no wonder if we rscuive nothing. Tiiere is a fiujic^js

ofMts^ing- in the ^or.pel^ Rom. xv. 29. We should hrinc; hungry and thirsty souls after God, the living God, as Psal. Ixiii. 1, 2, 3, and Ixxxiv. 2. God filleth the hungry with good thin^'s^ Luke i. 53.

Secondly^ Some things are concomitant : as,

1. We must read and hear it as the word of.God^ and not an the xvord of man^ 1 Thess, \\. 13. /Vets X. 33, and we nnusc acknowledge God's authority in it.

2. Receive it with meekness, opening our hearts to it, and giving it the most tender entertammtnt, James i. 21.

3. With love, readiness of mind, and gladness of heart, 2 Thess. ii. 10.

4. With faith, givins^ credit to it, believing it to he the v ord of God, Heb. iv. 2.

5. We must be careful to remember it: see what great stress is laid upon our remembering, 1 Cor. XV. 2. Our salvatioTi lies upon it, PaaU cxix. lU Love the word, for love is the act of memory.

6. Prayer must be added again for a bless-

Thirdly^ Some things must be done afterward also. As,

1. Meditation upon what you have heard and read ; for want of this usually ail is lost. I am pciouadtd, this is out gieat reason

why most profit so little !)y the word, because they make no conscience of meditation ; they hear and read, but never think more on it afterwards : so preaching, hearing, reading, and all lost; and souls, and heaven, and ali lost. For God's sake then, whose word you read and hear, and for your own soul's sake, if you are not willing they should perish for want of faith, make conscience of meditation on the word, Psal, u 2, and cxix. 97. If ever you would get good by the word, mediate upon it.

2. Application of it: take it home to yourselves, Job y, 27. Let it sink down into your hearts^ saith Christ: It must be an ingrafted word, you must receive it into your hearts, and not intot your heads only, 2 Cor, iv. 6, your hearts must be joined to it, and mixed with it.

o. Practice: Yielding up ourselves to the government of it, making it the standard and rule of our whole conversation. We must he doers of the xvord^ and not hearers oidy^ lest lue deceive our ownsoids^ James i. 22i Matt. vii. 22,24. And in observing these scripture-rules here laid down, in the careful vtpA conscientious use of God's word after this manner, you may not doubt but the spirit of God will v/ork with the word of God, to tnake it e.T-ctual to work this most precious grace of

faith In us, wKcreby to believe in God and m Christ, to the consolation and eternal salvation of our souls : but if we neglect the means God hath ordained to get faith, and for want of it, die in our sins, and perish eternally, our destruction will be of ourselves.

Thh'dly^ Would we have'faith, let us engage our whole souls in the^eep and serious consideration of the infinite, unspeakable, unconceivable love of God the Father in this,the highest and fuJljList demonstration of it, in giving his son, his only begotten son, to be a sin-offering, a sac^rifice, a ransom for poor sinners, and that fot this very end and purpose, that we poor sinners might believe in him, and by believing might not perish, but have eternal life,/ I pray read and ponder upon the following texts, and let your most serious thoughts fix on them, and meditate on them, Isa* liii. throughout, John iii. 16, 17. Rom, iii. 25, and \'. 8, 10. Prov. viii. 30. Col, i. 12, 13. 2 Cor, v. 19, 20, 21. Rom,\\\\. 3, 32, with many others, which for brevity sake Jf-cai^not transcribe : It we can but believe^is wonderful love of God the Father, in /giving his dear son to be a Sufi'tify a sin~oJ^i'r2h:^-y ta lay all our iniquities

r

en him ; that he was pleased to bruise him^ and put him to grief for us: and consider and meditate upon the heighth and depth, the breadth and length, of this immense, io-';omprehensible love of God, in giving his son, and that on purpose, that we might believe in him, and by believing might have eternal life ; I say, it will greatly help us to believe in his son, to accept of this his unspeakable gift, and to receive him as he is offered to us in the gospel.

Moreover, let us also ccmsider of, and deeply meditate upon the transcendent love of the son of God himself; who though he were the delight of his Father, and lay in the bosom of his Father, even then his delights were with the sons of men,* then was his heart full of love to poor sinners ; and his love brought him down from heaven to assume human nature, and to take upon him all the sins of his people, to bear them on his soul and body, in the garden, there sweating great drops of blood, and on the cross there pouring out his heart-blood, made a curse, enduring the full measure of the wrath of God due for sin, and became the ransom of souls, P/ii/r it, 6, 7, 8. Luke xxii. 44. Gal, ii. 20./ He loved, us, and

• Prov. viiL 30, 31.

gave himself for us : Loved us^ and washed Vj^Jrom our shis in his bloody Rev* i. 6. 1 Pet* i. 18. ii. 24. GaL iii. 13. Tit, ii. 14.

But while I am writing these things, I caiiHot but conceive an indignation against myself, and heartily wish I were filled with shame, sorrow and grief of spirit, that having read and heard so often of the surpassing love of God the Father, in giving his son ; and so often of the unspeakable love of Jesus, and to be no more affected with it, no more sensible of it; to have my affections no more stirred and moved, no more quickened and warmed : alas, my dead heart, my adamantine heart! Lord, sprinkle it with that blood; Lord, shed abroad that love of thine upon my heart abundantly by the Holy Ghost; Lord j esus, manifest thy love to me, that I may love thee. I am ashamed and pained for want of love to God, to Jesus : O ! that I could believe thy love to my soul, then I could not chuse but love thee. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Ihe consideration of this love of God, and of Christ, is a means t» work iaith ; try it, I pray you, and you will find it so.

DIRECTION. IV.

Fourthly^ Improve and act the historical faith you have, on the doctrines, promises.

and threatenings in th0^ gospel, which yo\i profess you do believe. Act the faith you have on the doctrines of the gospel, the promises of rest for your souls, pardon for your sins, life and righteousness, grace and glory made to those that believe in Clirist, and to none else.*" Believe and think what heaven is, that state of infinite blessedness, in the seeing and enjoying the blessed God to all eternity if believe what eternal life is, eternal glory ; and believe also what hell is, separation from God ; Go, ije cursed into ever-lasting fire; lakes of fire and brimstone, everlasting death, the wrath of God, damnation ; and see you profess that believe all this ; then believe also and consider it well, that neither is heaven's inftnite happiness to be attained, nor hell's linspeakable misery to be avoided, but only by believing the Lord Jesus Christ, John iii. 16, 17. viii. 24.

DIRECTION V.

Fifthhjy Would you have faith ? Then seek it diligently ; pray, O pray for it as for your lives, cry mightily to God for it -; pour out your hearts to God in prayer for it; pr.iy continually for faith, pray without cea ^ing, be importunate with God for it; go all da}5 and night panting and breathing af^er it. O

• John vi. o7. vii. 37. Matt. xi. 23, 29. t 2 Th?si. 9, 10.

that God would give me faith ! Go to Jesu«^ also for it ; cry to him, for he is the Author as well as the Object of it, Heb, xii. 1,2. It is the gift of God ; O pray for it.

DIRECTION VI.

Lastly^ Consider seriously, and often, how wonderful willing God is that you should believe in Christ, as you have heard; and how much he is displeased with those that will not believe in him ; and how dreadfully he hath threatened them, as Rev, xxi. 8. Also consider how exceeding willing Jesus Christ himself is, that poor sinners should come to him, and believe in him: how sweetly he calls them, how freely he offers himself, and all he is, to them, be they never so bad, never so vile and wicked ; Ho ! every one that thirstethy Isa. Iv. 1. They that have no worthiness in them, nothing but sin and misery.* O ! set your hearts to the consideration of the incomparable, unparalleled love of Jesus, in dying that cursed death of the cross for sinners : consider and meditate, hold your hearts to it, until your hearts be affected with his love, his love that pass-eth the love of women, love passing under-

*Johnvi.37. chap. vii. 37. Rev. iii. 18. chap. xxi.n. \

standing; and consider how well he deserves, and how much he challengeth your love ! Consider once again, what a most lovely person Jesus is, who is altogether lovely, the brightness of his Father^s glorify in whom dwells allfulness^^ and in whom is all jx)wer in heaven and earth,| and labour to affect your hearts with his most admirable excellencies, and then come unto him weary and heavy laden with your sins, willing to part with them all: give up your whole selves to him, give him your whole hearts, and take him for head and liusband, for your only Lord and Saviour; enter actually into covenant with him, to become his, and his alone, and his for ever.

Thus Work out your salvation and consolation, by believing in Jesus, in blessed, all-sufficient Jesus, trusting to him, and betrust-ing all with him, and the Lord will work in you both to will and to do^ PhiU ii. 12, 13. Use these means in the strength of the Lord, and doubt not, but in the use of them, you shall obtain this precious faith ; which having, and acting, you shall find it to be your heart's ease ia all your heart-trouble.

TIx.aSE BE TO GOD ALONE. \ • Heb. i. 3. \ Matti xxviii. 13.

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

MEDITATIO.y.

MEDITATION is an act by which we consider any thing closely, or wherein the soul is employed in the search or consideration of any truth. In religion it is used to signify the seriows exercise of the understanding, whereby our thoughts are fixed on the observation of spiritual things, in order to practice. Mystic divines make a great difference between meditation and contemplation : the former coasists in discursive acts of the soul, considering methodically and with attention the mysteries of faith, and the precepts of morality ; and is performed b)" reflections and reasonings which leave behind them manifest impressions on the brain. The pure contemplative, they say, have no need of meditation, as seeing all things in God at a glance, and without any reflection.

I. Meditation is a duty which ought to be attended to by all who wkh well to their spiritual interests. It ought to be deliberate-^ close, and perpetual^ Psah cxix. 97. PsaL i. 2.—2. The subjects which ought more 'es-

pecivilly to engage the Christian mind, are the works of creation, PsaL xix. the perfections of God, Deut. xxxii. 4. the excellencies, offices, characters, and works of Christ, Heb, xii. 2, 3. the offices and operations of the Holy Spirit, 15th and 16th ch. of John ; the various dispensations of Providence, PsaL xcvii. 1,2; the precepts, declarations, promises, &c. of God's word, PsaL cxix. the value, powers, and immortality of the soul, Mark viii. 36 ; the noble, beautiful, and benevolent plan of the gospel, 1 Tim, i. 11 ; the necessity of our personal interest in, and experience of its power, yohn iii. 3 ; the depravity of our nature, and the freedom of divine grace in choosing, adopting, justifying, and sanctifying us, 1 Cor, vi. 11 ; the shortness, worth, and swiftness of time, James iv. 14 ; the certainty of death, Heb. ix. 27; the resurrection and judgment to come, 1 Cor. xv. 50, &c. and the future state of eternal rewards and punishments. Matt, XXV. These are some of the most important subjects on which we ^ould meditate.— 3. To perform this duty aright^ we should be much in prayer, Luke xviii. 1 ; avoid a worldly spirit, 1 John ii. 15; beware of sloth, Heb, vi. 11 ; take heed of sensual plea^ sures, James iv. 4 ; watch against the devices of Satan, 1 P{,'^ v. 8 ; be often in re-

tirement, PsaL iv. 4; embrace the most favourable opportunities, the calnHiess of the morning, PsaL v. 1, 3 ; the solemnity of the evening, Gen, xxiv. 63 ; sabbath c%5's, Psal. cxviii. 24; sacramental occasions, &c. 1 Cor* xi. 28.-^4. Th« advantages resulting from this are, improvement of the faculties of the soul, Prov. xvi, 22 ; the affections are raised to God, PsaL xxxix. 1, 4 ; an enjoyment of divine peace and felicity, PhzL iv. 6, 7 ; holiness of life is promoted, PsaL cxix. 59, 60 ; and we thereby experience a?foretast(i of eternal glory, PsaL Ixxiii. 25, 26. 2 Cor, V. 1, &c.

nEVELATIOA'\

Revekitinn^ the act of revealing or making a thing public that was before unknown ; it is also used for the discoveries 'made by God. to his prophets, and by them to the world ; and more particularly for the books of the Old and New i£estaments. A revelation is, in the first ^X^iC^^ossible. God may, for any thing we can certainly tell, think proper to make some discovery to hi"^ creatures which they knew not bfefore. As he is a Being of infinite power, we may be assured he cannot be at a loss for means to \ P 2 '

tV

communicate his will, and that in such a manner as will sufticiently mark his cwi.— 2. It is desirable. For, whatever the light of nature could do for man before reason was depraved, it is evident ihit it has done little for man since. Thou'. h reason be necessary to examine the autnority of divine revelation, yet, in the present state, it is incapable of giving us proper discoveries" of God, the way of salv^ation, or of bringing us into a state of communion with God. it therefore follows,—3. That it is necesaarij. Without it we can attain to no certain knoWf ledge of God, of Christ, of the Holy Ghost, of pardon, of justification, of sanctification, or happiness, of a future state, of rewards and punishments.—4. No revelation, as Mr. Brown observes, relative to the redemption of mankind could answer its respective ends, unless it were sufaciently marked with kn-tt:rnal and external eoidciices* That the Bible hath internal evidence, is evident from the ideas it gives us of God's perfections, of the law of mature, of redemption, of the state of man, Sec. As to iis external evidence, it is easily seen by the characters of the men who composed it, the miracles wrought, its success, the fulfilment of its prediciions, ike. —5. I'he contenta of revelation are agreeable to reason. It is true there are some things

jjk^'

above the reach of reason ; but a revelatioa containing such things is no contradiction, as long as it is not against reason ; for if every" thing be rejected which cannot be exactly comprehended, we must become unbelievers at once of almost every thing around us. The doctrines, the institutions, the threat-enings, the precepts, the promises, of the Bible, are every way reasonable. The matter, form, and exhibition oi revelation are consonant with reason.—6. The revelation contained in oar Bible is perfectly credible. It is an address to the reason, judgment, and affections of men. The Old Testament abounds with the finest specimens of history, sublimity, and interesting scenes of Providence, The facts of the New Testament are supported by undoubted evidence from enemies and friends. The attestations to the early existence of Christianity are numerous trom Ignatius, Polycarp, Iren^us, Justin Martyr, and Tatian, vvho were Christians ; and by Tacitus, Sueton, Serenus, Pliny, &c, who were Heathens.—r. Tiie revelations contained in our Bible wmdivhn;-iij hiHp'ired, The matter, the manner, the scope, the predictions, miracles, preservation, &c. &c. all prove this.—8. Revelation is intended for uHiVf^rscd benefit. It is a commoQ objection to it, that hitherto it haa

been confined to few, and therefore could not come frov? God, who is so benevolent; but this mode of arguing will equally hold against the permission of sin, the inequalities of Providence, the dreadful evils and miseries of mankind which God could have prevented. It must be farther observed, that none deserve a revelation ; that men have despised and abused the early revelations he gave to his people. This revelation, we have reason to believe, shall be made knov;n to mankind. Already it is spreading its genuine influence. In the cold regions of the North, in the burning regions of the South, the Bible begins to be known ; and, fi-om predictions it contains, we believe the glorious sun of revelation shall shine and illuminate the whole globe.—9. The tweets of revelation which have already taken place in the world, have been astonishing. In proportion as the Bible has been known, arts and sciences have been cultivated, peace and liberty have been diffused, civil and moral obligations have been attended to. Nations have emerged from ignorance and barbarity, whole comn-;unities have been morally reformed, unnatural practices abolished, and wise laws instituted. Its spiritual effects have been wonderful. KifTgs and peasants, conquerors and philosophers, the wise and

the ignorant, the rich and thf^ pc^r, have been brought to the foot of tb iross ; yea, millions have been enlightened, improved, reformed, and made happy by its influences. Let any one deny this, and he must be an hardened, ignorant infidel, indeed. Great is the truth, and must prevail.

SABBATH.

Sabbath^ in the Hebrew language, signifies rest, and is the seventh day of the week : a day appointed for religious duties, and a total cessation from work, in commemoration of God's resting on the seventh day ; and likewise in memorial of the redemption of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.

Concerning the time when the sabbath was first instituted there have been different opinions. Some have maintained that the sanctification of the seventh day mentioned in Gen. ii. is only there spoken of by anticipation ; and is to be understood of the sabbath afterwards enjoined in the wilderness ; and that the histgrian, writing after it was instituted, there gives the reason of its institution ; and this is supposed to be the case, as it is never mentioned during the patriarchal age. But against this sentiment it 13

*urged, 1. That it cannot be easily supposed that the inpV^'^d penman would have mentioned the SiRictification of the seventh day amongst the primjeval transactions, if such sanctificatfon had not taken place until 2500 years afterwards.—2. That, considering Adam was restored to favour t -rough a Mediator, and a religious service instituted, which man was required to observe, in testimony not only of his dependence on the Creator, but also of his faith and hope in the promise, it seems reasonable that an institution so grand and solemn, and so necessary to the observance of this service, should be then existent.—3. That it is no proof against its existence because it is not mentioned in the patriarchal age, no more than it is against its existence from Moses to the end of David's reign, which was near 440 years.— 4. That thvj sabbath was mentioned as a well known solemnity before the promulgation ot the law, Exod. xvi. 23. For the manner in which the Jews kept it, and the awful consequences of neglecting it, we refer the reader to the Old Testament, Lev, xxvi. 34, Z5. Neh. xiii. 16, 18. Jcr, xvii. 21. Ezek, xx. 16, ir. Numb. XV. 32 to 36.

Under the Christian dispensation the sabbath is altered from the seventh to the first day of the week. The arguments for the

change are these : 1. As the ^.venth day was observed by the Jewish * <Vch in memory of the rest of God aftei c^'ie works of the creation, and their deliverance from Pharaoh's tyranny, so the first day of the week has alwai/s been observed by the Chris-

j tian church, in memory of Christ's resurrection.— 2, Christ made repeated visits to his disciples on that day.—3. It is called dieyilk Lord's day, I^ev. i. 10.—4. On this day the^^ apostles were assembled, when the Holy Ghost came down so visibly upon them, to qualify them for the conversion of the world.—5. On this day we find St. Paul i preaching at Troas, when the disciples came to break bread.—6. The directions the apos-

{; tie gives to the Christians plainly allude to their religious assemblies on the first day.— 9.—Pliny bears witness of the first day of

" the week being kept as a festival, in honour

' of the resurrection of Christ; and the primitive Christians kept it in the most solemn manner.

These arguments, however, are not satisfactory to some, and it must be confessed that there is no law in the New Testament concerning the first day. However, 1 look upon it as not so much the precise time that

I is universally binding, as that one day out of

• seven is to be regarded.

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As the • abbath is of Divine institution, & It is to be k^i^aoly unto the Lord. Numerous have bitn the days appointed by men for religious sbrvices j but these are not binding because of human institution. Not so the sabbath. Hence the fourth commandment is ushered in with a peculiarjemphasis— ** Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath ay." This institution is xvise as to its ends: That God may be worshipped; man instructed ; nations benefited ; and families devoted to the service of God. It is lasting as to its duration. The abolition of it would be unreasonable J unscriptural, Exod. xxxi. 13 ; and every way disadvantageous to the body, to society, to the soul, and even to the brute creation. It is, however, awfully violated by visiting, feasting, indolence, buying and selling, working, worldly amusements, and travelling.