This book made available by the Internet Archive.

JDISCOimSESj ^c. OF BAPTISM.

Matth. xxviii. 19.

Go ye therefore and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoji: Teaching them.-

WE are ftill upon that queflion in the catechifm, " What are the outward means whereby Chrift com-*' municatelh to us the benefits of redemption ?

*• Anf. They are his ordinances, efpecialiy the word facra-** ments, and prayer."

1 have fpoken to the firfl, ' The word read and preached :* 1 now proceed to the fecond. ,

11. The way whereby Chrifl communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, is, in the life of the facrameiits.

Qu. 1. What are facraments in general?

Anf. They are viiible iigns of invifible grace.

Qu. 2. Is not the word of Godfufflcient tofalvation ? What need then is there of facraments f

Anf. We muft not be wife above what is written : this may fatisfy, it is God's will, that his church fliould have lacranionty; and it is God's goodnefs, thus by facraments to condefcend to our w'eak capacities, John iv. 48. * Except ye fee iigns, ye will not believe.' God to firengthen our faith, confirms the covenant of grace, not only by proinifes, but by facramental iigns.

Qu. 3. What are the facraments of the New Tejiament ?

Anf. Two : baptifm, and the Lord's fupper.

Qu. 4. But are there no more ? the papifts tell off ve more, \\z» confrmation, penance, matrimony, orders, and the extreme unciion*

Anf. 1. There were but two facraments under the law, therefore there are no more now, 1 Cor. x. 2, 3, 4.

2, Thefe two facraments are fufificient: the one fignifying our entrance into Chrift, and the other our growth and perfe-verance in him.

(I.) 1 begin with the firfl; facrament, Baptifm. * Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of

A 2

the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoftk teaching them—' Go teach all nations :' the Greek word is *' Make dif-ciples of all ualions." If it be afl<ed, how fhould v\\ make theai dilciples? It follows, Baptizing them and teaching them. In a heathen nation, Fird teach them, and then baptize them ; but in a Chrillian Church, Firll baptize them, and then te^ch them.

Qu. 5. What is baptifm? .

Anf. In general, it is a matriculation, or vifible admiffion of children into the congregation of Chrift's flock: more particularly, ' Baptifm is a iltcrameiit, wherein the wafhing, or IprMikliug with water, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghoil, dolh fignify and feal our ingrafting into Chrift, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord's.*

Qu. (5. What is the meaning of the parent in prefenting his child lo be baptized '^

Anf. The parent, in prefenting his child to be baptized, doth, (1.) Make a public acknowledgment of original fin; that the foul of his child is polluted, therefore needs walhing away of lin by Chriii's blood and fpirit; both which wafiiingsare fignified by the fprinkling of water in baptifm. (^.) The parent by bringing his child to be baptized, doth folemnly devote his child to the Lord, and enrol him in God's family ; and truly this maybe a great iatibfaCtion to a religious parent, that he hath given up his child to the Lord in baptifm. How can a parent look viith comfort on that child, who was never yet dedicated to God ?

Qu. 7. What then is the benefit ofbapitfm?

Anf. The party baptized hath, (1.) An entrance into the vihble body of the church. {^.) The party baptized hath a right fealed to the ordinances, which is a privilege full of gloiy, Rom. ix. 4. (3.) The child baptized is under a more fpecial providential care of Chrift, who appoints the tutelage of angels to be the infant's Uie-guard.

Qu. 8. Is this all the benefit?

Anf. No : to fuch as belong to the eledion, baptifm is a * feal of the righteoulhefs of faith,' Rom. iv. 11. a laver of regeneration, and a badge of adoption.

Qu. y. blow doth it appear that children have a right of hap-tij'm ?

Anf. Children are parties of the covenant of grace. Tlie covenant was made with them. Gen. xvii. 7. * I vvill eftablifli my covenant between me and thee, and thy feed after thee for an everlalling covenant, to be a God unto thee, and thy feed after thee.' And Acts ii. 39. * The promife is to you and to your children.' The covenant of grace may be coufidered

OF nAi?TISM.

cither, (!.) More ftriftly, as an abfolute promife to give {living grace ; and fo none but the elect are in covenant willi God. Or, (9.) More largely as a covenant containing in it many outward glorious privileges, in whicii re (pedis the children of believers do belong to the covenant of grace : the promife is to you and to your feed. The infant iced of believers may as well lay a claim to the covenant of grace as their parents ; and having a right to the covenant, they cantlot Jufily be denied baptifm, which is the leal. 1 would alk this queftion of them who deny infant baptifm, It is certain the children of believers were once vifibly in covenant with God, and did receive the feal of their admiifion into the church ; now, where do we find this covenant-inter eft, or church-memberihipof infants was ever repealed or made void ? Certainly Jel'us Chrili did not come to put believers and their children into a worfe condition than they were in before. If tl*e children of believers (hould not be baptized, and they are in a worfe condition now, than they were in before Chrift's coming. Before I come to prove the baptizing of infants 1 fliall anfvver the obje6tions made againit it.

Obj. 1- The J'criptiire is Jileyit herein, and doth not mention inj'ant-baptijin.

Anf. Though there is not the word infant baptifm in fcrip-ture, yet there is the thing ; there is not mention made in fcrip-ture of women's receiving the facrament ; but who doubts but the command, * Take eat, this is my body,' concerns them ? doth not their faith need ftrengtheuing as well as others? So the word Trinity is not to be found in fcripture, but there is that which is equivalent, 1 John v. 7. * There are Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghod ; and thefe Three are One.' So, tho' the word infant-baplifm is not mentioned in fcriptin-e, yet the practice of baptizing infants, may be drawn out of fcripture by undeniable confequence.

Qu. How is that proved ?

Anf. The fcripture mentions whole families baptized* as the houfeholdof Lydia, Crifpus, and the jailor, Ads-xvi. 34. ' He was baptized, he and all his houfe.' Wherein we mult rationally imagine that there were fome little children. If it be faid, there is no mention there made of children : I anfvver, neither are fervants iiiimed : yet it cannot be fuppofed but that, in fo great a family there were fome fervants.

Obj. 2. But infants are not capable of the end of baptifni; for baptifm Jlgnifies the icafiiing aica ij of Jin bij tiie blood ofChriJi. Now infants cannot underftand this ; therefore what benefit can baptifm be to them ?

Anf Whereas it is faid infants cannot underftand the myftery of baptifm, neither could the child that was to be circumcifed underftand circumcifion ; yet the ordinance of circumcilion was

OF BAPTISM.

not to be omitted or deferred. An infant, though it underftand not the meaning of baptifm, yet it may partake of the bleffing of baptifm. The little children that Chrift took in his arms, underllood not Chrifi's meaning, but they had Chrift's blefling, Mark X. 16. ' He put his hands upon them and bleUed them.'

Qu. But what benefit can the Qh'ild have of baptifm if it under" Jiand not the nature of baptifm ?

Anf. It may have a right to the promife fealed up, which it ihall have an a6lual interell in when it comes to have faith. A legacy may be of ufe to the child in the cradle; though it now underftand not the legacy, yet when it is grown up to years, it is fully potlefied of it. But it may be further objeded ;

Obj. 1. Tlie party to be baptized is to be engaged to God ; hut how can the child engage ?

^nf. The parents can engage for it, which God is pleafed to accept as equivalent to the child's perlonal engaging. -j

Obj. 2. If Baptifm comes in the room of circumcijion, only the males loere circumcifed, Gen. xvii. 30. Then, lohat warrant is there for baptizing females f

Anf. The females were included, and were virtually circumcifed in the males. What is done to the head is done to the body; the man therefore being the head of the woman, 1 Cor. xi. 3. What was done to the male fex was interpretatively done ' to the female. Having anfwer'd thefe objedtions, I come now to prove by argument infant-baptifm.

yi. Argument. If children during their infancy are capable of grace, then they arecapable of baptifm : but children in their infancy are capable of grace, therefore they are capable of baptifm. I prove the minor, that they are capable of grace, thus ; if children in their infancy may be faved, then they are capable of grace ; but children in their infancy may be faved ; which is proved thus: if the kingdom of heaven may belong to them, then they may be faved, but the kingdom of heaven may belong to thenr, as it is clear from Mark x. 14. • Of fuch is the kingdom of God.' Who then can forbid that the feal of baptifm fliould be applied to ihem.^

2</, Arg. if infants may be among the number of God's fervants, then there is no reafon why they (hould be fhut out of God's family ; but infants may be in the number of God's fervants, that is evident, becaule God calls them his fervants, L,ev. xxv. 4. * He fhall depart from thee, and hischildren with him, for they are my fervants.' Therefore children in their infancy being God's fervants, why fhould they not have baptifm, which is the tej/era, the mark or feal which God lets upon his fervants ?

od, Arg. Is from 1 Cor. vii. 14. * But now are your children lioly,' Children are not called lioly, as if they were free from

ongUial fin; but in the judgment of Charity they arc to be efteemed holy and true members of the church of God, becaufe their parents are believers. Hence that excellent divine Mr. Helderfam faith, *' that the children of the faithful, as foon as they are born, have a covenant-hoiinefs, and fo a right and title to baptifm, which is the token of the covenant."

4th, Arg. From the opinion of the fathers and the practice of the church. (1.) The ancient fathers were llrong alferters of infant-baptifm, Irenaeus, Bafil, La6lantius, Cyprian and Au-llin. (2.) It was the practice of the Greek church to baptize her infants. Erafmus faith, that infant baptilm hath been ufed in the church of God, for above fourteen hundred yeari^. And St. Auftin, in his book againft Pelagius, affirms, that it hath been the cuftom of the church in all ages to baptize infants. Yea, it was an apoftolical practice ; St. Paul affirms, that he baptized the whole houi'e of Stephanus, I Cor. i. 16.

And as you havefeen fcripture-argumentsfor infant-baptifm, fo let us confider whether the pra6lice of thofe who delay the

baptizing of children till riper years, be warrantable. For my

part, I cannot gather it from fcripture : For though we read of perfons adult and grown up to years of difcretion, in the apol^ ties' times, baptized, yet thoie were fuch as were converted from heathenifh idolatry to the true oxthodox faith : but that in a Chriftian church the children of believers ffiould be kept un-baptized feveral years, I know neither precept nor example for it in fcripture, but it is wholly apocryphal. The baptizing of perfons grown up to maturity, we may argue againfl ab effeclu, from the ill confequence of it : they dip the peribns they baptize over head and cars in cold water, and naked ; which as it is indecent, fo it is dangerous, and hath been often-times the occafion of chronical dileales, yea, death itfelf; and fo it is a plain breach of the fixth commandment. And how far God hath given up many perfons, who are for the deferring of bap-tifm, to other vile opinions and vicious practices, is evident, if we confult with hiftory : efpecially if we read over the a6ling of the anabaptifts in Germany.

Ufe. 1. See the riches of God's goodnefs, who will not only be the God of believers, but takes their feed into covenant. Gen. xvii. 7. * 1 will eftabliffi my covenant between me and thee, and thy feed after thee, to be a God unto thee and thy feed.' A father counts it a great privilege, not only to have his own name, but his child's name put in a will.

Ufe 2. It blames thofe parents who forbid little children to be brought to Chrift : they withhold the ordinance. By denying their infants baptifm, they exclude them from having a memberfhip in the vifible church, and fo their infants are fucking pagans. Such ag deny their children baptifm, make God's

ihflitiitions under the law more full of kindiicfs and grace to children, than they are now under the gofpel ; svhich, how itrange a paradox it is, I leave you to judge.

Uj'e 3. Of exhortation. Branch 1. We that are baptized, let us labour to find the blefled fruits of baptifm in our own. Ibuls : let us labour not only to have the fign of the covenant, but the grace of the covenant. Many glory in this, that they are baptized. The Jews gloried in their circumcifion, bccaufe of their royal privileges ; to them belonged the adoption, and the glory, and the covenant, Rom. ix. 4. But many of them were a fliame and reproach to their circumcifion, Rom. ii. 24. • For the name of God is blafphemed among the Gentiles iho* God is blafjjhemed among the Gentiles through you.* The i'candalous Jews (tho' circumcifed) were, in God's account, as heathens, Amos ix. 7- ' Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians to me ? faith the Lord.' Alas ! what is it to have the name of Chrift, and want his image ? what is bapfifm of water, without the baptifm of the Spirit ? many baptized Chriftiansare no belter than heattiens. O labour to find the fruits of baptifm, that Chrill is formed in us. Gal. iv. 19. that our nature is changed, we are made holy and heavenly : this is to be baptized into Jefus, Rom. vi. 3. Such as live unfuitable to their baptifm, may go with baptifmal water on their faces, and facra-inental bread in their mouths, to hell.

Branch 2. Let us labour to make a right ufe of our baptifm.

Firji life of baptifm. Let us ufe it as a (hield againft temptations. Satan, 1 have given up myfelf to God by a facred vow in baptifm ; 1 am not my own, I am Chrift's : therefore I cannot yield to thy temptations, but I break my oath of allegiance which I made to God in baptifm. Luther tells us of a pious woman, who when the devil tempted her to fin, fhe anfvvered, Satan, BoptizataJ'um, " I am baptized :" and lb beat back the tempter.

Second vfe of baptifm. Let us ufe it as a fpur to holinefs. By remembering our baptifm, let us be ilirred up to make good our bapiilmal engagements: renoimcing the world, flelh, and devil, let us devote ourfelves to God and his fervice. To be baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, implies a Iblemn dedication of ourfelves to the fervice of all the three Perfons in the Trinity. It is not enough that our parents dedicate us to God in baptifm, but we mull dedicate ourfelves to liim : this is called a ' living to the Lord,' Rom. xiv, 8. Our life fhould be fpent in worihipping God, in loving God, in exalting God : we (hould walk as becomes the gofpel, Phil, i, 27. Shine as (lars in the world, and live as earthly angels.

Third uji of baptifm. Let us ufe it as an argument to courage. We Ihould be ready to confefs that holy Trinity, into

OF THE lord's SUPPER. ^

whofe name we were baptifed. With the converfion of the heart, mull go the cont'eflion of the tongue, Luke xii. 8. * Whofoever (hall confels me before men, him n);ili the Son of man alio confels before the angels of God :' Peter openly con-felTed Chrift crucified, Ads iv. 10. Cyprian, a man of a brave fpirit was like a rock, whom no waves could (hake ; like an adamant, whom 1)0 iword could cut: he confelfed Chrift before the procoiiful, and fuffcred hind'elf to be prol'cribed ; yea, chule death, rather than he would betray the truths of Chrift. He that dares not confefs the holy Trinity, fhames his baptifm, aud God will be afhamed to own him at I he day of judgment.

U/t. life. Seethe fearfulnef^ of the fin of apoftacy! 'Tisa renouncing of our baptifm, 'Tis damnable perjury to go away from God after a folemn vow, 2 Tim. iv. 10. ' Demas hath for-faken rae.' He turned renegado, and afterwards became a prieft in an idol-temple, faith Dorolheus. Julian the apoftate iGregory Nazianzen ohferves) bathed himfelf in the blood of beafts otfered in lacrifice to heathen-gods ; and fo, as much as in him lay, wafhed oft"his former baptifm. The cafe offuch as fall away after baptifm, is dreadful, Heb. x. 38. ' If any man draw back.' The Greek word, to draw back, alludes to a fbldier that fteals away from his colours; fo, if any man fteal away from Chrift, and run over to the devil's fide, * my foul ihall have no pleafure in him ;' that is, 1 will be feverely avenged on him ; I will make my arrows drunk with his blood. If all the plagues in the Bible can make that man miferable, he Ihall be fo.

II. Thefecond facrament wherein Jefus Chrift communicates to us the benefits of redemption, is the Lord's fupper.

OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

Mark xiv. 22. And as they did eaty Jefits took Bread, &c,

II. Having fpoken to the Hicrament of baptifin, I come now to the facrament of the Lord's fupper. The Lord's fupper is the moftfpiritual and fweet ordinance that ever was infti-luted : here we have to do more immediately with the perfon of Chrift. In prayer, we draw nigh to God ; in the facrament we become one with him. In prayer we look up to Chrift ; ia the facrament, by faith, we touch him. In the word preached, we hear Chrift's voice : in the facrament we feed on him.

Qu. 1. What 7iames and titles in fcripture are given to the fiicrament ?

Vol.. ir. No. 12, B

Jnf, 1. It is called, (1.) Men/a Domini, * The Lord's fa* ble,' I Cor. X. 21. The papills call it an altar, not a table. The reafon is, becaufe they turn the facrament into a facrince, and pretend to otler up Chrilt corporally in the mats. It being the Lord's table, fliews with what reverence and folemn devotion we fliould approach to thefe holy niyileries : the Lord takes notice of tlie hame ofom* hearts when we come to his table, Matth. xxii. 11. * the king came in t'o fee the guefts.* We diels ourlelves when we come to the table of fome great monarch; we fliould think with ourlelves, we are going to the table of the Lord, therefore ftiould drefsourfelves by holy meditation and heart-conlideration. Many think it is enough to come to the facraments, but mind not whether they come in * due order,' i Chron. xv. 13. Perhaps they had fcarce a ferious thought before, whether they were going: all their dreflT-ing was by the glafs, not by the Bible. Chryfoftom calls it, *' The dreadful table of the Lord :" fo it is to fuch as come unworthily. (2.) The lacrament is called, Ccejia Domini, the Lord's fupper, 1 Cor. xi. 20. to import it is a ipiritual feaft. It is indeed a royal feaft; God is in this cfjeer: Chriil, in both natures, God and man, is the matter of this fupper. (3.) The facraraent is called a * communion,' 1 Cor. x. 16. * The bread which we break, is it not: the communion of the body of Chrifl ?' The facrament being called a communion, ftiews,

yi. That this ordinance is only for believers, becaufe none elfe can have coinmunvon wnth Chrilt in thefe holy mylleries.

Coiiniuinio fundatnr in iinione: faith only gives us union

with Cluift, and by virtue ofthis we have communion with him in his body and blood. None but the fpoufe communicates with her hulband ; a Granger may drink of his cup, but (he only hath his heart, and communicates with him in a conjugal manner; fo ftrangers may have the lign, drink of the cup, but only believers drink of Chrift's blood, and have communion with him in his privileges.

2c////, The facrament being a communion, fliews, that it is fymhohim amoris, a bond of that unity and charity which Ihould be among Chrillians, I Cor. x. 17. * VVe being many are one body.' As mai:iy grains make one bread, lb many Chrillians are'one body. A facratrient is a love-feall. .The primitive Chrillians (as Jidlin Martyr notes) had their holy falutations at the blelied fupper, in token of that dearnels of atl'edtion which they did bear to each other. It is a communion, therefore there mult be love and union. The Ifraelites did eat the paflbver with bitter herbs; fo muft we eat the facrament with bitter herbs of repentance, but not with bitter hearts of wrath and malice. The hearts of the conin»unicants l])ould be knit together with the bond of love. '* Thou braggeft of tliy faith (faith

AuRin) but (hew me thy faith by thy love to the faints." For, as in the fun, light and heat are inlep-drable; fo faith and love are twilled together infeparably. Where there are divifions, the Lord'sfupper is not properly a communion, but a difunion. Qu. '2. What is the Lord's fupper ? , ^ ,

Anf. It is a vifible lermon, whereui Chrift crucified is fet before us ; or, it is a facrament of the New Teltament, wherein, by receiving the holy elements of bread and wine, our communion with Chrift is fignihed and (ealed up to us. Or thus, it is a facrament divinely inftituted ; wherein by giving and receiving bread 5nd wine, Chrilt's death is Ihewed forth, and the worthy receivers are, by faith made partakers of his body and blood, and all the benefits flowing from thence.

For the further explaining of the nature pf the Lord's fupper, I (hall look back to the inftitulion.

1. * jefus] took bread.' Here is the mafter of the feaft, or the inftituter of the facrament. The Lord Jefus he took bread. He only is fit to inllitute a facrament, who is able to give virtue and blefluig to it. ^ . . ,

2. * He took bread.'] Chrift's taking of the bread was one part of his confecration of the elements, and fetting them apart for an holy ufe. And as Chrift did confecrate the elements, fo we muft labour to have our hearts confecrated before we receive thefe holy myfteries in the Lord's fupper. How unfeemly a. fight is it to fee any come to thefe holy elements, having hearts leavened with pride, covetoul'nefs, envy ! Thefe do, with Ja-das, receive the devi4 in the fop, and are no better than cruci-fiers of the Lord of glory.

3. 'And bleifed it.'] This is another part of the confecration of the element, Chrift bleifed it ; he bleifeth, and it (hall be bleffed, viz. he looked up to heaven for a benedidion upon this ordinance newly founded.

4. • And brake it.'] The bread broken, and the wine poured out, was to fignify to us the agony and ignominy of Chrift's futferings, the rending of Chrift's body on the crofs, and that efltufion of blood which was diftilled from his bleifed fides.

5. * And gave it] to them.' Chrift's giving the bread, denotes Chrift's givingof himfelf and all his benefits to us freely. Tho' Chrift was ibid, yet given : Judas did fell Chrift, but Chrift gave himitlf to ut.

6. * He gave it to them.'] viz. The difciples. This is the children's bread ; Chriitdoth not caft thefe pearls before fwine. Whether Judas was prefent at the fupper, is controverted : I rather incline to think he was not ; for Chrift faid to the difciples, ' This is my blood, which is (hed for you,' Luke xxii. 20. Chrift knew his blood was never (hed etfe6tually and in-tentioivdlly for Judas. In eating the palfover, Chrift gave Ju-

B 2

das a fop, vcliich was a bit of unleavened bread dipt in a fauce made with bitter herbs ; Judas l)aving received the fop, went imnieHiaftly out, John xiii. But, fuppofe Judas were there, though he received the elements, yet not the blelTing.

7. * Take, eat.'] Thi.sexpreffinn of eating denotes lour things : (1.) The near niyilical union between Chrill and his faints. As the meat which is eaten incorporates with the body, and becomes one with it : fo, by eating Chrift's tlefh, and drinking his blood Cpiritually, we partake of his merits and graces, and are myftically * One with him,' John xvii. 2o. * 1 in them.* (2.) ' Take, eat.' Eating (Lews the infinite delight the believing foul hath in Chrift. Eating is greatful and pleafing to the palate : fo feeding on Chriit by a lively faith is delicious, Nul' las animce jmvioT cibi/s, Lc>nctaniius. No fuch fweet feeding as on Chriit crucified. This is a ' feaftof fat things, and wines on the lees well refined.' (3.) ' Take, eat.* Eating denotes nou-riflunent. Meat, as it is delicious to the palate, fo it is nou-rifhing to the body: fo eating Chrif^'b* flefh, and driukmghia blood, is nutritive to the foul. The new creature is nourillied atthe lableof the Lord, toeverlaflinglife, John vi. 54. * Whofo eateih my fiefh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life.* (4.) * Take, eat,' fliews the wildom of God, who reftores us by the fame means by which we fell. We fell by taking and eating the forbidden fruit, and we are recovered again by taking and eating of ChrifVs flefh : we died by eating the tree of knowledge, and we live by eating the tree of life.

S. * This is my body.' '] Thefe words, Hoc eji corpus meian, have been much controverted between us and the papifis. * This is my body :' that is, by a metonomy : it is afignand figure of my body. The papifts hold traniiibllantiation, that the bread is, after confecration, turned into the very fubflance of Chrill's body. We lay, we receive Chrill's body fpiritually : they fay, they receive Chrill's body carnally ; w-hich is contrary to fcrip-ture. The fcnpture affirms, that the * heavens mufl receive Chrifl's body, mail the times of the reflitution of all things,* A(ils iii. 21. Chrill's body cannot be at the fame time in heaven and in the holl. Aqumas faith, *' It is not poffible by any miracle, that a body fhould be locally in two places at once." Belldes, it is abl'urd to in.agine, that the bread in the lacrament fliouid be turned into Chrifl's flefh, and that his body, which was hung before, fhould be made again of bread. So that, • This is my body,' is, as if Chrift had faid. This is a figii and ycprefentation of my body.

i^. * And he took the cup.'] The cup is put by metonomy of the fubjr^l for the adjunct, for the wine in the cup ; it fignifies the blood of Chriit fhed for our fins. The taking of the cup denotes the redundancy of merit in Chrifl, and the fulnefs of our redemption by hhu. He not only took the bread, but the cup.

10, * And when he had given thanks.'] Chrift gave thanks that God had given thefe elements ot bread and wine to be figns and feals of man's redemption by Chriil:. Chriii's giving of thanks, ihevvs his philanthrophy, or love to mankind, who did lb rtjoice and biels God, that loll man was now in a way of recoveiy, and that he fhould be railed higher in Chrill than ever he was in innocency.

11. • He gave the cup to them.'] Why then dare any withhold thecnp ? this is to pollute and curtail the ordinance, and alter it from its primitive inllitution. Chrill; and his apoRles adminillred the lacrament in both kinds, the bread and the cup, 1 Cor. xi. 24, 55. And the cup was received in the ancient church for the fpace of 1400 years, as isconfelTed by two popilh councils. Chrill faith exprefsly, * Drink ye all of this.' He doth not fay, eat ye all of this ; but, * Drink ye all ;* as fore-feeing the i'acrilegious impiety of the church of Rome in keeping back the cup from the people. The popilli counfel of Con-fiance ipeaks plainly hut impudently, ** That although Chrill inftituted and adminillred the lacrament in both kinds, the bread and the wine ; yet the authority of tlie holy canons, and the cuftom of the mother-church, think good to deny the cup to the laity.'* Thus, as the popilh priefts make Chrill but half a Saviour, fo they adminifter to the people but half a lacrament. The facrament is Chrilt's laft-will and tellament: in the text * This is my blood of the new teflament.' Now to alter or take away any thing from a man's will and teftament, is a great impiety : What is it to alter and mangle Chriii's lall will and teltament ? Sure it is an high affront to Chrift.

Qu. 3. What are the ends of the Lord'sjupper ?

Anf. It is an ordinance appointed to confirm our faith, Joha iv. 48. ' Except ye fee figns ye will not believe.' Chrill lets the elements before us, that by thefe figns our faith may be ftrengthened. As faith Cometh by hearing, fo it is confirmed by feeing Chrill crucified. The facrament is not only a fign to reprefent Chrill, but a feal to confirm our interell in him.

Qu. But it is the Sprit conjirms faith, therefore not thefacra-ment.

Anf. I. This is not good logic. The Spirit confirms faith, therefore not the facrament, is, as if one Ihould fay, God feeds our bodies, therefore bread doth not feed us ; whereas God feeds us by bread ; lb the Spirit confirms our faith by the ufe of the facrament.

2. The end of the facrament is, to keep up the, * memory of Chriii's death.' 1 Cor. xi. 25. ' This do ye in remembrance of me.* If a friend give us a ring at his death, we wear it to keep up the memory of our friend ; much more then ought we

to keep Up the memorial of <'hrift's death in the facrament: Chrill's death lays a toundatioii for all the magnificent bledings which we receive fion) Chrift. The covenant of grace was agreed on in heaven, but lealed upon the crofs. Chrift. hath lealed all the arncles of peace in his blood. Remiftion of fin Hows from Chrill's death, Matth. xxvi. 28. ' This is my blood of'he new teliainent (hed for njany, for the remiffion of fins.*' Conl'criition or making us holy, m the fruit of Chrift's death, Heb. ix. 14. * How nnicti more fhall the blood of Chrift, purge your confcience !' Chrill's interceftion is made available to us by virtue of his death ; Chrift could not have been admitted an advocate, if he had not been firll a facrifice. Our entering into heaven is the fruit of Chrift's blood, Heb. X. IJ). Chrift could not have prepared manfions for us, if he had not firft purchaled tliem by his death : fo that we have a great deal of caufe to commemorate Chrift's death in the facra-Kient.

Qu. hi what manner are we to remember the Lord's death in the facrament ?

Anj'. It is not only an hiftorical remembrance of Chrift's death and paftion ; thus Judas remembers Chrift's death, and how he betrayed him ; and Pilate remembers Chrift's death, and how he crucified him : but our remembring Chrift's death hi the facrament muft be,

(1,) A mournful remembrance. We muft not be able to look on Chrift crucified with dry eyes, Zech. xii. 10. * They fliall look on him whom they have pierced and mourn over him.' O Chriftian, when thou lookeft on Chrill in the facrament, remember how oft thou haft crucified him! The Jews did it but once, thou often. Every oath is a nail with which thou pierceft his hands : every unjult, linful a6lion is a fpear with which thou woundeil his heart. O remember Chrift with for-row, to think thou ihouldeft make his wounds bleed afrelh!

Mark xiv. 22, 23, 24. Jefus took Bread.

(2.) It rnuft be a ' joyful remembrance,* John viii. 55. • Abraham faw my day, and rejoiced.' When a Chriftian fees a facran)ent-day a|)proach, he Ihould rejoice. This ordinance of the lupper is an earneft of heaven ; 'tis the glals, in which we fee him whom onr fouls love; it is the chariot by which we are carried up to Chrift : ' When Jacob faw the waggons and the chariots which were to carry hmi to his Ion Joleph, his (Spirit revived,' Gen. xlv. 27. Cod hath appointed the facra-taent, on purpoi'e to cheer and revive a lad heart. When we

look on our fins, we have caiiTe to mourn ; but when we fee Chrift's blood flied for our fins, this nriay make us rejoice. In the facrameiit our wants are lupplied, our ltren<:th is renewed : here we meet with Chrill, and doUi not this call i'orjoy ? A woman that hath been long debarred from the Ibciety of her hufband, how glad is flie of his prefence ! At the facrament the believing fpoufe meets with Chrill; he faith to her, All I liave is thine ; my love is thine to pity thee ; my mercy is thine, to fave thee. How can we think in the facrament on Chrili's blood fhed, and not rejoice ; Sanguis Chrijil ciaois paradi^; Chrift's blood is the key which opens heaven, elfe we had been all (hut out.

3. End of the facrament is, to work in us an endeared love to Chrifl. When Chrift bleeds over us, well may we lay, Behold how he loved us ! Who cm\ fee Chrill die, and not be ♦ fickof love?* This is an heart of Hone, whom Chrift's love will not melt.

4. End of the facrament, the mortifying of corruption. To fee Chrill crucified for us, is a means to crucify fin in us. Chrift's death (like the water of jealouly) makes the * thigh of (in to rot,' Numb. v. 27- How can a wife endure to fee that fpear which killed her hnfband ? how can we endure thole fins which made Chrift veil his glory, and lofe his blood ? When the people of RomefawCaefar's bloody robe, they wereincenled againll them that (lew him. Sin hath rent the white robe of Chrift's flelh, and dy'd it of a crimfon colour : the thoughts of this will make usTeek to be avenged on our fins.

5. End, the auj^mentation and increafe of all the graces, hope, zeal, patience. The word preached begets grace, the Lord'^s (upper nouri(heth it : the body by feeding increaleth (irength ; lb doth the foul by feeding on Chrill facramentally. Cum clefe-cerit virtus mea calicem faltarem accipiam, Bern. " When my fpiritual ftrength begins to fail, I know a remedy (faith Bernard) I will go to the table of the Lord ; there will 1 drink and recover my decayed ftrength." There isdift'erence between dead Hones and living plants. The wicked, who are (tones, receive no fpiritual increafe ; but the godly, who are |)Iants of righte-oulnefs, being watered with Chrift's blood, grow more fruitful m grace.

Qu. 4. Why are ice to receive this holy/upper?

Anf. Becaule it is a duty incumbent. * Take, Eat.' And obferve, it is a command of love. If Chrift had commanded us fome great matter would not we have done it V 2 Kings v. 13. * If the prophet had bid thee do fome great thing wouldft thou not have done it ?' If Chrift had enjoined us to have given him thoulands of rams, or to have parted with the fruit of our bodies, Vvould we not have done it } Much more when he only faith.

* Take,* and * Eat :' Let my broken body feed yon, let my blocd poured out, fave you. * Take and Eat.' This is a com* mand of love, and fliall we not readily obey ?

2. We are to celebrate the Lord's (upper, becaufe it is a provoking of Clirift, to ftay away, Prov. ix. 9. * Wifdom hath fur-nifhed her table.' So Chrift hath furnifhed his table, fet bread and wine (reprefenting his body and blood) before his guefts, and when ihey wilfully turn their backs upon the ordinance, Chrift looks upon it as a flighting of his love, and that makes the fury rife up in hij^ face, Luke xiv. 24. * For I fay unto you, that none of thof'e that were bidden fiiall tafte of ihy fupper.' I will fliut Ihem out of my kingdom, I will provide them a black banquet, where weeping lliall be the firll courfe, and gnalhing of teeth the fecond.

Qu. 5. Whether the Lord's fupper he oft to he adminijired f

Anf. Fes : 1 Cor. xi. 2(). * As oft as ye eat of this bread.* The ordinance is not to be celebrated once in a year, or once in our hves, but often. A Chriftian's own neceflities may make him come often hither. His corruptions are ftrong, therefore he had need come often hither for an antidote to expel the poi-fonoffin; and his graces are v.'eak. Grace is like a lamp. Rev. iii. 2. if it be not often fed with oil, it is apt to go out. How therefore do they fin againil God, who come but very fel-dom to this ordinance ! Can they thrive, who for a long time forbear their food : and others there are who do wholly forbear : this is a great contempt offered to ChriIVs ordinance. Men do as it were tacitly faid, let Chrift keep his feaft to him-lelf. What a crofs-grained "piece is man ! he will eat when he fliould not, and he will not eat when he ftiould. When God faid, * Eat not of this forbidden fruit;' then he will be fure to cat: when God faith, * Eat of this bread, and drink of this cup ;' then he reful'eih to eat.

Qu. 6. Are all to come promfcuouflij to this holy ordinance?

Anf. No; that were to make the Lord's table an ordinary. Chrift forbids to ' caft pearls before fwine,* Mat. vii. (5. The lacramental bread is children's bread, and it is not to be caft to the profane. As, at the giving of the law, God fet bounds about the mount that none might touch it, Exod. ;Jix. 12. So God's table (hould be guarded, that the profane fhould not come near. In the primitive times, after fermon done, and they were going to celebrate the Loid's fupper, an officer ftood up and cried, " Holy things for holy men ;" and then feveral of the congregation were to depart. " I would havt my hand cut ofJ' (faith Chry(oftom) rather than 1 would givt Chrill's body and blood to the profine." The wicked do not eai ChriJi's flefn, but tear it; they do not drink hit> blood, but fpill it. Thefe boly myfteries iu the lacrameuts are iremenda myfieria, royfteries

that the foul is to tremble at. Sinners defile the holy things of God, they poifon the facramentdl cup : We read that the wicked are to be fet at Chrift's feet, Pf. ex. not at his table.

Qu. 7. Hoto may ice receive the flipper of the Lord worthily, that Jo it may become effectual to us ?

Anf. That we may receive it worthily, and it may become efficacious.

{\.) We mud foleninly prepare ourfelves before we come : We mufl not rulh upon the ordinance rudely and irreverently, but come in due order. There was a great deal of preparation to the paflbver, SChron. xxx. IS, 19. and the facraraent comes in the room of it.

Qu. Wherein doth this folemn preparing for the ordinance con-

Anf. (l.) In examining ourfelves. (9.) In dreffing our foyls before we come, which is by wafhing in the water of repentance. (3.) By exciting the habit of grace into exercife. (4.) In begging a blelVmg upon the ordinance.

(1.) Sofemn preparing for the facrament confifts in felf-examining, I Cor. xi. 28. * But let a man examine himfelf, and fo let him eat.* It is not only a counfel, but a charge: * Let him examine himfelf.' As if a king fliould fay, '* Let it be enacted." Jefus Chrift having by his inilitution confecrated thefe elements in the fupper to an high myftery, they reprelent his • body and blood :' therefore there mud be preparation ; and if preparation, then there muflbetirft examining ourfelves, >vithout which there can be no preparation. Let us be ferious in this examining ourfelves, our I'alvation depends upon it. We are curious in examining other things; we will not take gold, till we examine it by the touch ftone; we will not take land, but we will examine the title : and (hall not we be as exacl and curious in examining the (late of our fouls ?

Qu. 1. What is required to thisfelf-pxamining ?

Anf, There muft be a (blemn retiring of the foul. We muft Jet ourfelves apart, and retire for foiue time from all fecular employment, that we may be more (erious in this work. There is no cafting up of accounts in a crowd ; nor can we examine ourfelves when we are in a crowd of worldly bufinefs. We read, a man that was in a 'journey might not come to the palfover,' Numb. ix. 13. becaufe his mind was full of fecular cares, and his thoughts were taken up about his journey. When we are upon felf-examining work, we had not need to be in hurry, or have any diftratting thoughts, but to retire and lock;, ourfelves up in our clofet, that we may be more intent in the work.

Qu. 2. What is felf-examination ?

Anf. It is a fettmg up a court of confcisnce, and keeping si

Vol. XL No. 12. C

regifter there, that by a ftri6t fcrtitiny a man may fee how matters (land between God and his ioul. Self-examination is a fpiritual inquilkion, an heart-anatomy, whereby a man takes his heart as a watch, all in pieces, and fees what is defe6live there. It is a dialogue with one's felf, Pf. Ixxvii. 7- ' I com-mune with my own heart.' David called himlelf to account, and put interrogatories to his own heart. Self-examining is a critical delcant or fearch : as the woman in the parable did light a candle, and ' fearch for her loft groat,' Luke xv. S. lb coiilcience is the candle of the Lorn ; fearch with this candle what thou Cruift find wrought by the Spirit in thee.

Qu. 3 fVhat is the rule hy id hie h ire are to examine oiirfelves?

Anf. The rule or rneafure we mull examine ourlelves by, is, the holy fcripture. We muft not make fancy, or the good opinion which others have of us, the rule of vvbich we judge of ourlelves. But as the i=roldfmilh brinsfs his nold to the touch-

O O

itone, fo muft we bring our hearts to a Icripture touch-ftone; * To the law, to the tellimony,' Ifa. viii. '20. What faith the word? Are we divorced from fin? are we renewed by the Spirit? Let the word decide whether we are fit communicants or not. We judge of colours by the fun, fo we muft judge of the ftate of our Ibuls by the (un light of fcripture.

Qn. 4. What are the cogent reafons ivhy we mnft examine our-felves before ice approach to the Lord's /upper ?

A)if. 1. It is a duty impofed ; Met him examine himfelf.* The paflbver was not to be eaten raw, Exod. xii. 19. To come to fuch an ordinance fligiitly, without examination, is to come in an undue manner, and is like eating the paflbver raw.

9. We nuift examine ourlelves before we come, becaufe it is not only a duty impofed, but oppofed. There is nothing the heart naturally is more averfe from, than felf-examination : we may know that duty is good which the heart' oppofeth. But why doth the heart fo oppofe it? Becaufe it doth crofs the tide of corrupt nature; 'tis contrary to flelli and blood. The heart is guilty ; and doth a guilty perfon love to be examined ? The heart oppofeth it, therefore the rather fet upon it: that duty is good which tlie heart oppofeth.

3. Becaule felf-examining is fo needful a work ; as appears, (I.) Without felf-exan)ination, a m.an can never tell how it is with him, whether he hath grace or not; and this muft needs be very uncomfortable. He knows not if he Ihould die prefent-iy, what will become of him, or to whatcoaft he (hall fail, whether to hell or heaven ; as Socrates faid, " I am about to die, and the gods know whether I fhall be happy or miferable." How needful therefore is felf-examination, that a man by (earch may come to know the t^ue ftate of his foul, and may guefs how it will go with him to eternity ?

^S.) Self-examination is needful, in refpedlof the excellency of the facrament. Let him ea.t de illo patie^ ' of that bread,' 1 Cor. xi. <^S. that excellent bread, that confecrated bread, that bread which is not only the bread of the Lord, but the bread the Lord. Let him drink de illo poculo, ' of that cup ;' that precious cup which is perfumed and ipiced with Chrill's love; that cup which holds the blood of God facramentally. Cleopatra put a jewel in a cup, which contained the price of a kingdom : this facred cup we are to drinli of, enriched with the blood of God, is above the price of a kingdom ; it is more worth than heaven : Therefore coming to I'uch a royal feaft, having whole Chrift, his divine and human nature to feed on, how ihould we examine ourfelves before hand, that we may be fit guefts for fuch a magnificent banquet.

(3.) Self-examining is needful, becaufe God will examine us. That was a fad queilion, Matth. xxii. 12. ''Friend, how camefl; thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment ?' Men are lothe to afk themfelves the queilion, " O Jiiy foul, are thou a fit gueft for the Lord's table ? are there not fome fins thou hall; to bewail ? are there not lome evidences for heaven that thou haft to get?" Now, when peribns will not afk themielves the quel-tion, then God will bring luch a queftion as this to them, how came ye in hither to my table not prepared ? how came ye in hither with an unbelieving or profane heart? It fhall be fuch a queftion as will caufe an heart-trembling. God will examine a man as the chief captain did Paul, with fcourging, Acls xxii. 25. 'Tis true, the belt faint, if God (hould weigh him in the balance, would be found defe6live : but, when a Chrillian hath made an impartial fearch, and hath laboured to deal uprightly between God and his own foul, Chrift's merits will caft in Ibme grains, of allowance into the fcales. '

(4.) Self-examining is needful, becaufe of that fecret (Corruption in the heart, which will not be found out without fearchinsf. ■There are in the heart plangendce tenebrae, Aug- hidden pollutions. It is with a Chriftian, as with Joieph's brethren, when the fteward accufed them of having the cup, they were ready to fwear they had not the cup in their fack, but upon fearch it was found there ; little doth a Chrillian think what pride, athe-ifm, uncleannefs is in his heart till he learcheth. Therefore, if there be fuch hiddeii wickednefs, like a fpring that runs under ground, we had need examine ourfelves, that finding out our lecret fin, we may be humbled and repent. Hidden fins, if not fearched out, defile the foul. If corn lie^long in the chatf, the chaff defiles the corn ; hidden fins lain long in, defile our duties. Needful therefore it is, before we come to the holy fupper, to fearch out thefe hidden fins, as llVael fearched for leaven before they cume to the palibver.

CL>

fd OF THE lord's SUPPER.

(5.) S.elf-examining is needful, becaufe without it we may eafily have a cheat put upon us, Jer. xvii. y. * The heart ia deceitful above all things.' Many a man's heart will tell him, he is fit for the Lord's table. As when Chritl afked the Ions of Zebedee, Mat. xx. 22. * Are ye able to drink of the cu|j I Oiall drink of?' can ye drink ilich a bloody cup of luff'ering? * they fay unto him, we are able.' So the heart will luggelt to a man, he is fit to drink of the facramental cup, he hath on the wedding-garment. Grande profundum ejl homo y h.Mg. "The heart is a grand impofter." It is like a cheating tradefman, which will put one off' with bad wares; the heart will put a man off with feeming grace, inflead of faving. A tear or two fhed is repentance, a few lazy defires is faith : blue and red jflowers that grow among the corn, look like good flowers, but they are but beautiful weeds. The foolifh virgins' lamps looked as if they had had oil in them, but they had none. Therefore, to prevent a cheat, that we may not take falfe grace inltead of true, we had need make a thorough difquifition and fearch of our hearts before we come to the Lord's table.

{(5. ) Self-examiaing is needful, becaufe of thofe falfe fears the godly are apt to nourifli in their hearts, which make them go fad to the facrament. As they who have no grace, for want of examining, prel'ame; fothey who have grace, for want of examining, are ready to defpair. Many of God's children look upon themfelves through the black fpeclacles of fear : they fear Chriil is not formed in tliem, they fear they have no right to the pro-iBife; and thefe fears in the heart caufe tears in the eye: whereas, would they but fearch and examine, they might find they had grace. Are not their hearts humbled for fin ? and what is this but the bruited reed ? do they not weep after the Lord } an4 what are thefe tears but feeds of faith ? do they not thiril after Chrift in an ordinance ; what is this but the new creature crying for the bread? Here are, you fee, feeds of grace; and, would Chrillians examine their hearts, they might fee there is Ibme-thing of God in them, and fo their falfe fears would be prevented, and they might approach with comfort to thefe holy myf-teries in the eucharilt.

Mark xiv. 22. Jefus took Bread, &c.

(7.) Self-examining is needful, in refpeft of the danger in coming unworthily M'ithout examination, 1 Cor. xi. 27. * He fhall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.' Par facit qufi/i Chrijliun trucidaret, Grotius.—/. e. * God reckons with hi^i as with a crucifier of the Lord Jefus.' He doth not

OF THE lord's SUPPER, ^l

drink Chrift's blood, but flieds it; and fo brings fliat curfe upon him, as the Jews, * his blood be upon us and our children.* The virtue of Chrift's blood, nothing more comfortable, the guilt of it nothing more formidable.

4. We mult examine ourfelves before the facrament, in refpe6t of the difficulty of fell-examining work. Dilficulty raifeth a noble fpirit. Self-examining is difticult, (I.) Becaufe it is an inward work, it lies moll with the heart. External a6ls of devotion are ealy ; to lift up the eye, to bow the knee, to read over a few prayers; this is as eafy, as for the papifts to tell over a few beads : but to examine a man's felf, to take the heart as a watch all in pieces, to nnake a fcripture-trial of our fitnefs for the Lord's fupper, this is not eafy. Reflexive a6ls are hardeft: the eye cannot fee ilfelf but by a glafs; we mull have the glals of the word and confcience to fee our own hearts : it is eafy to fpy the faults of others, but it is hard to find out our own. (2.) Self-examination is difficult, in regard of felf-love. As ignorance blinds, fo fell-love flatters : what Solomon faith of love, Prov. X. 12. * Love coveveth all fins,' is moll true of felf-love : a man looking upon himfelf in the glafs of felf-love (that flattering^ glafs) his virtues appear greater than they are, and his fins lelfer. Self-love makes a man rather excufe himfelf, than examine himfelf; felf-love makes one think the bell of himlelf; and he who hath a good opinion of himfelf, doth not fufpe6t himfelf; and not fufpe6ling himfelf, he is not forward to examine himfelf. The work therefore of felf-examination being fo difficult, it requires the more impartiality and induftry ; difficulty fliould be a fpur to diligence.

(5.) We mull examine ourfelves before we come, becaufe of the beneficialnefs of felf examination. The benefit is great, which way foever things turn ; if, upon examination, we find that we have no grace in truth, then the miftake is difcovered, and the danger prevented ; if we find that we have grace, we may take the comfort of it. He who, upon fearch, finds that he hath the ininimum quod Jit, the leaft degree of grace, he is like one that hath found his box of evidences, he is an happy man, he is a fit guell at the Lord's table, he is heir to all the promiles, he is as lure to go to heaven, as if he were in heaven already. Thefe are the reafons why we muft examine ourfelves before we approach to the Lord's table.

Qu. 6. What miiji we examine 9

^7\f. (I.) Our fins. (2.) Our graces.

Firji^ our fins. Search if any dead fly might fpoil this fweet ointment. When we come to the facrament, we fliould do as the Jews did before the palTover ; they fearched for leaven, and having found it did burn it. 1. Let us learch for the leaven of pride; this fowers our holy things : we are born with a fpiritual

tympany. Will an humble Chrift be received into a proud heart? Pride keeps Chrilt out— Intus exijieiis prohibit alienum. -^Pride t'vvells the heart; and Ciirill cannot come into the heart if it be full already. To a proud man Chril't's blood hath no virtue : 'tis hke drfcorfimm put into a dead man's mouth, which loCeth its virtue. L^t usfeatch for this leaven of pride, and call it away. 2. Let us fearch for the leaven of avarice. The Lord's iupper is a f'piritual mydery, it reprefents Chrift's body aijd blood; what (houid an earthly heart do here? The earth puts out the fire; earthlinefs quencheth the fire of holy love. The eahh is elementum gravijjimnm, it cannot afcend. A Ibul belimed with earth cannot alcend to heavenly cogitation. Col. iii. 5. ' Covetouinels which is idolatry.* Will Chriil come into that heart where there is an idol ? Search for this leaven before you come to this ordinance. How can an earthly heart converle with that God which is a fpirit ? can a clod of earth kifs the fun? 3. Search for the leaven of hypocrify, Luke xii. 1. ' Beware of the leaven of the Pharifees which is hypocrify.' Aquinas defcribes it y?wM/af/o u/rfi/fw; hypocrify is a counterfeiting of virtue. The hypocrite is a living pageant, he only makes a fliew of religion : he gives God his knee, but no heart; and God gives him bread and wine in the facramen»t but no Chrilt. Oh let us fearch for this leaven of hyprocrify, and burn it?

Secondly, We muft examine our graces. I fliall inftance only in one, our knowledge.

1. Whether we have knowledge.

2. Whether it be rightly qualified.

(1.) We are to examine whether we have knowledge, elPe we cannot give God a reafonablefervice, Rom. xii. 1. Knowledge is a necefiary requifite in a communicant: without knowledge there can be no fitnefs for the facrament: a perfon cannot be fit to come to the Lord's table who hath no goodnefs, but without knowledge tlie mind is not good, Prov. xix. 2. borne lay they have good hearts though they want knowledge; as if one fiiould fay, his eye is good, but it wants fight. Under the law when the plague of leproly was in a man's head, the pried was to pronounce him unclean. The ignorant perlbn hath the plague in his head, he is unclean: ignorance.is the womb of lult, 1 Pet. i. 14. Therefore it is requifite, before vje come, to examine ourlelves what knowledge we have in the main fundamentals of religion. Let it not be laid of us, that * to this day the vail is upon our hearts,' 2 Cor. iii. 15. But fure in this intelligent age, we cannot but have fome infight into the mylteries of the gofpel. I rather fear, we are like Rachel, who was fair and vveU-fighted, but barren : therefore.

(2.) Let us examine whether our knowledge be rightly qualified. 1. Is it intluential? doth our knowledge warm our heart: Claritas intclledu parity ardorem in effeSlu. Saving knowledge doth not only direct, but quicken : 'tis the light of life, John viii. 1*2. 2. Is our knowledge practical? We hear much ; do we love the truths we know ? 'I'hat is the right knowledge which doth not only adorn the mind, but retbnii the life.

Secondhj, This folemn preparing for the facrament, as it con-fills in examining ourfelves, fo in drelTing our fouls before we come. And this foul-drefs is in two things;

I. Walhing in the laver of repenting tears; to come to this ordinance wilh the guilt of any fin unrepented of, makes way for the further hardening of our heart, and giving Satan fuller pofieflion of us, Zech. xii. 10. ' They (hall look on him whom they have pierced and fhall mourn for him.' The cloud of Ibr-row mull drop into tears. We mull grieve as for the pollution, lb for the unkindnefs in every fin. To fin againft Chrift's love \yho died for us. When Peter thought of Chrift's love, who called him out of his unregeneracy, made him an apoltle, and carried him up to the mount of transfiguration, where he faw the glory of heaven in a vifion ; and then, to think of his denying Chrifl, it broke his heart, • he wept bitterly,' Mat. x'kvi. 73.. To think, before we come to a facrament, of the fins againfl; the bowel-mercies of God the Father, the bleeding wounds of God the Son, the bleffed infpirations of God the Holy Ghofl; it is enough to l)roach our eyes with tears, and put us into an holy agony of grief and compunction. And we muft be fo dift.refied for fin, as to be divorced from fin. The ferpent, before he drinks, cafts up his poifon : in this, we muft be wife as ferpents; before we drluk of the facramental cup, we muft call up the poilbn of fin by repentance. /// vere plan" git comjnijja, qui non conimittit plangenda. Aug.—He dotli truly bewail the fins he hath committed, who doih not commit the fins he hath bewailed. And this is the drelfing our fouls before we come, wafhing in the waters of true^epentance.

'2. The foul-drefs is the exciting and flirring up the habit of gTace into a lively exercife, 2 'I'im. i. (5- ' 1 put thee in remembrance, that thou flir up the gift of God which is in ttiee,* i. e. the gifts and graces of the Spirit. The Greek word to ilir up fignifies to blow up grace into a flame. Grace is oft like fire in the embers, which needs blowing up ; it is polfiblc that evea a good man may not come fo well difpofed to this ordinance, becaufe he hath not before taken pains vvUh his heart to come in due order, he hath not ftirred up grace into its vigorous exercife ; and fo, though he dolh not eat and drink damoation.

yet he doth not receive confolation in the tacrament. Thus you fee what thisdreffing of our fouls is^ before we come.

Thirdly. This folemn preparing for the facrament is, in begging a blefling upon the ordinance. The facrament is not Hke pliyfic, which hath an inherent operative virtue : no, but the efficacy of the facrament depends upon the co-operation of the Spirit, and a word of blefling, in the inftitution, Chrill blefled the elements; * Jefus took bread and blefied it,' in the text. The facrament will no further do us good, than as it is bleffed to us. We ought then, before we come, to pray for a blefling on the ordinance, that the facrament may be not only a fign to repreCent, but a leal to conform, and an inltrument to convey Chrill and all his benefits to us. We are to pray, that this great ordinance may be poifon to our fins, and food to our graces. That, as it was with Jonathan, when he had tailed the honeycomb, his ' eyes were enlightened,' 1 Sam. xiv. 27- fo that by our receiving this holy eucharifl;, our eyes may be fo enlightened, as to 'difcern the Lord's body.' Thusfhould we implore a blefling upon the ordinance, before we come. The iiicra-ment is like a tree hung full of fruit; but none of this fruit will fall, uniefs fliaken by the hand of prayer.

{2.) That the facrament may be effectual to us, as there mud be a due preparing for it, fo a right partaking of it : which right participation of the facrament is in three things.

1. When we draw nigh to God's table in an humble fenfe of our unworthinef^i. We do not deferve one crumb of the bread of life ; we are poor indigent creatures, who have loft our glory and are like a velfel that is fhip-wrecked ; we fmite on our breails, as the publican, * God be merciful tousfinners.' This is a right partaking of the ordinance : 'tis part of our worthi-nefs to fee our unworthinef?.

2. We rightly partake of the facrament, when at the Lord's table we are filled with anhelations of foul, and enflamed de-fires after Chrilt, and nothing can quench our thiril but his blood, Matlh. v. 6. • Blefied are they that thirfl:.' They are blefled not only when they are filled, but while they are third-ing.

3. A right participation of the fupper is, when we receive in faith. Without faith we get no good : what is laid of the word preached, * It profiteth not, not beingmixed with faith,' Heb. iv. 2. is as true of the facrament. Chrill turned ftones into bread ; unbelief turns the bread into tlones, that it doth not nourifli. Then we partake aright when we come in faith : faith hath a two-fold &6i, an adhering, and an applying : by the firil a(5l we go over to Cln-ill, by tlie fecond ad we bring Chrift over to us, Gai. ii. 20. This is the great grace we mull let a-work, A(5tj» x. 43. Phiio calls it,y/t/e* occnlata : faiih i*

the eagle-eye that difcerns the Lord's body ; faith caufeth a virtual conta6t, it toucheth Chrill. Clirift faid to] Mary,

* Touch me not,' &c. John xv. 17. She was not to touch him with the hands of her body ; but he laith to us, ' Touch me,* touch me with the hand of your faith- Faith makes Chrill pre-fent to the foul ; the believer hath a real prefence in the facra-ment. The body of the fun is in the firmament, but the light of the fun is in the eye : Chrilt's elfence is in heaven, but he is in a believer's heart by his light and influence, Eph, iii. 17.

* That Chrift may dwell in your heart by faith.' Faith is the palate which taites Chrift, 1 Pet. ii. 3. Failh makes a concoction ; it caufeth the bread of life to nourilh. Crcde et mandu-* cajia, Aug. Faith caufeth a coalition, it makes us one with Chrift, Eph. i. 23. Other graces make us like Chrift, taith makes us members of Chrift.

Fourthli/, Then we partake aright of the facrament, whea we receive in love.

(I.) Love to Chrift. Who can fee Chrift pierced with a crown of thorns, fvveating in his agony, bleeding on the crols, but his heart muft needs be endeared in love to him ? ** How-can we but love him who hath given his life a ranfomfor us ?'* Love is the fpiced wine and juice of the pomegranate which we muft give Chrift, Cant. viii. 2. Our love to this fuperior and bleiied Jefus muft exceed our love to other things; as the oil runs above the water. Tho' we cannot with Mary bring our eoftly ointment to anoint Chrift's body, yet we do more than this, when we bring him our love, which is fweeter to him thaa all ointments and perfumes.

(2.) Love to the laints. This is a love-feaft : though we muft eat this fupper with the bitter herbs of repentance yet not with the bitter-herbs of malice. Were it not fad, if all the meat one eats ftiould turn to bad humours ? He who comes in malice tothe Lord's table, all he eats is to his hart: ' He eats and drinks damnation to himlelf,' 1 Cor. xi. S9--* Come in love/ It is with love as it is with hre ; you keep fire all the day upon the hearth, but upon fpecial occalionsyou draw out the lire larger ; fo, though we tnuft h:ive love to all, yet to the iaiurs, who are our fellow-members, here we muft draw out the fire of our love larger : and we muft ftiow the largenels of our af* fedlions to them, by prizing their perfons, by chufiiig their company, by doing all ollices of love to them, eounlelhug tht-m in their doubts, comforting them in their fears, fupplying them in their wants. Thus one Chriilian may he an Ebenezer to another, and as an anirel of God to him : the facrament cannot be efte6tual to him who doth not receive in love. If a man drinks poifon, and then takes a cordial, the cordial will do him little good ; he who hath the poifon of malice in his foul, the cordial of

Vol, IL No. 13. D

€6 or THE lord's srppER.

Chrift's blooci will do him no good ; come therefore in love and charity. And thus we fee how we may receive the fupper of the Lord, that it may be efre6tual to our falvation.

Ufe 1. From the whole doctrine of the facrament, learn, how precious fhould a facrament be to us. It is a fealed deed to make over the bleffings of the new covenant to us, [juftifica-tion, ian6lif]caiion, giory.] A fmall piece of wax put to a parchment is made the inltrument to confirm a rich conveyance or lordlhip to another; I'o thefe elements in the facrament of bread and wine, though in themfelve,^ of no great value, yet being conlecrated to be feals to confirm the covenant of grace to us, fo they are of more value than all the riches of the Indies.

Ufe 2. The ficrament being fuch an holy myllery, let us come to this holy myftery with holy hearts. There is no receiving a crucified Chrift, but into aconfecrated heart : Chrill, in his conception, lay in a pure virgin's womb, and, at his death, his body was wrapped m clean linen, and put into anew virgin-tomb, never yet defiled with rottennefs. If Chrift would not lie in an unclean grave, fure he will not be received into an unclean heart, Ifa. Hi. 11. * Be ye clean that bear .the veflelsof the Lord.* If they who did carry the veflels of the Lord were to be holy, then they who are to be the veflels of the Lord, and are to hold Chrift's body and blood, ought to be holy.

Ufe o. Confolation. Chrift's body and blood in the facra-rnent is a moft fovereign elixir, or, comfort to a diftreflTed foul. Chrift having poured out his blood, now God's juftice is fully Satisfied. There is in the death of Chrift enough to anfwer all doubts. What if fin is the poifon, here is the flefh of Chrift an antidote againft it,? what if fin be red as fcarlet, is not Chrift's blood of a deeper colour, and can wa(h away fin ? If Satan ftrikes us with his darts of temptation, here is a precious balm comes out of Chrift's wounds to heal us, Ifa. hii. 5. What though we feed upon the bread of afflidtion, as long as in the facrament we feed upon the bread of life } So that Chrift received aright facramentally, is an univerfal medicine for the healing, and an univerfal cordial for the cheering of our diftref-fed fouls.

III. The benefits of our redemption are applied to us by prayer.

OF PRAYER.

Psalm cix. 4. But I give my/elf to prayer.

I SHALL not expatiate upon prayer at large, being to fpeak more fully to it in the Lord's prayer. But to the words, * I give myfelf to prayer.' It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer : he who prays frequently, is laid to be given to prayer ; as he who often dillributes alms, is laid to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the foul's trading with heaven : God conies down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer.

Qu. 1. What is prayer ? ]

Anf. *' It is an offering up of our defires to God, for things *' agreeable to his will, in the name of Chrilt."

1. *' Prayer i? an oflering up of our defires."] Therefore it is called a making known of our requefts, Phil. iv. 6. In prayer we come as humble petitioners, begging to have our I'uit granted.

II. 'Tis ** offering up our defires to God."] Prayer is not to be made to any but God. The papifts pray to faints and angels, but they know not our grievances, Ila. Ixiii. 16. * Abra:-ham is ignorant of us.' And all angel-worthip is forbidden. Col. ii. 18, U). We mufl; not pray to any but whom we may believe in, Rom. x. 14. ' How Iball they call upon him in whom they have not believed ?' But we cannot believe in an angel, therefore we muft not pray to l^im.

Qu. Why muji prayer be made only to God ?

Anf. 1. Becaule he only hears prayer, Pf. Ixv. 2, * O thou thathearert prayer.' Hereby God is known to be the true God, in that he hears prayer, 1 Kings xviii. 37- ' Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God.'

2. BecAufe God only can help. We may look to fecond caules, and cry, as the woman did, 2 Kings vi. 2(5. * Help, my Lord, O king. And lie faid if the Lord doth not help thee, whence fhall I help thee?' If we are in outward diftrefs, God muft fend from heaven and fave ; if we are in inward agonies, he only can pour in the oil ofjoy^ therefore prayer is to be made to him only.

HI. •' For things agreeable to his will."] When we pray for outward things, for riches or children, perhaps God lees ihefe things are not good for us ; our prayers mull com port with God's will. We may pray abfoiutely for grace ; * for this is' the will of God, our fandtification,' 1 Thelf. iv. 4. There might

D2

SS OF PRAYER.

be no ft range incenfe offered, Exod. xxx. 9. When we pray for things which are not agreeable to God's will, it is offering ftrange incenfe.

IV. "In the name of Chrift."] To pray in the name of Chrift, is not only to mention Chrift's name in prayer, but to pray in the hope and confidence of Chrill's merits, 1 Sam. vii. y. • Samuel took a fucking lamb and offered it,' &c. We muff carry the lamb Chrifl in the arms of our faith, and fo we prevail in prayer. When Uzziah would offer incenfe without a prieft, God was angry, and ftruck him with leprofy, 2 Chron. xxvi. 10. When we do not pray in Chrill's name, in the hope of his mediation, we offer up incenfe, without a prieft ; and what can we expe6l but to meet with rebukes, and to have God anfwer us by terrible things ?

Qu. What are the parts of prayer ?

Anf. 1. There is the confeifory part, which is the acknowledgement of fin. f. The fupplicatory part, when we either deprecate and pray againft fome evil, or requell the obtaining of fome good. 3. The gratulatory part, when we give thanks for mercies received, which is the motl excellent part of prayer. In petition we a6l like men, in giving of thanks, we ad like angels.

Qu. 3. What are the feveral forts of prayer?

Anf. I. There is mental prayer, in the mind, 1 Sam. i. 13. 2f//»/, Vocal, Pf. Ixxvii. 1. ^dly, Ejaculatory, which is a fudden and (hort elevation of the heart to God, Neh. ii. 4. * So I prayed to the God of heaven.' 4thly, Conceived prayer ; when we pray for thofe things which God puts into our heart, Rom. vii. S(5. ' The Spirit helps us with fighs and groans.* Both the expreffions of the tongue, fo far as they are right, and the im-preffions of the heart, are from the Spirit. 5th/y, Prefcribed prayer : our Saviour hath fet us a pattern of prayer. God prefcribed a fet form of bleffing for the priefis. Numb. vi. 23. 6th!y, Public prayer ; when we pray in the audience of others. Prayer is more powerful, when many join and unite their forces. Vis unita furtior, Matth. xviii. 19. Ilthly, Private prayer; when we pray by ourfelves, Matth. vi. y. ' Enter into thy clolet.'

Qu. 4. What is that prayer which is moft like to prevail icith God?

Anf. VVhen prayer is rightly qualified. That is a good medicine which hath the right ingredients ; that prayer is good, and is moft like to prevail with God, which hath thefe leven ingredients in it:

(I.) Prayer muff be mixed with faith, James i. 6". * But let him }>ray iu faith.' Believe God hears, and will in his due time grunt; believe God's love and truth. Believe that he ia

lore, therefore will not deny you ; believe tliat he is truth, therefore will not deny him(elf. • Faith lets prayer a work.' "Faith is to prayer, as the feather is to the arrow, faith feathers the arrow of prayer, and makes it fly fwifter, and pierce the throne of grace. Prayer that is faithlefs is fruitlefs.

C-i.) A melting prayer, Pf. li. 17- * The facrifices of God are a broken heart.' The incenfe was to be beaten, to typify the breaking of the heart in prayer. O, faith a Chriftian, I cannot pray with fuch gifts and elocution as others ; as Mofes laid, * I am not eloquent :' but canft thou weep ? Doth thy heart melt in prayer ? Weeping prayer prevails. Tears drop as pearls from the eye. * Jacob wept and made fupplication ; and had power over the angel,' Holea xii. 4.

(3.) Prayer muft be fired with zeal and fervency, James v. 16. ' Efle6lual fervent prayer prevails much.* Cold prayers, Hke cold fuitors, never fpeed. Prayer, without fervency, is like a facrifice without fire. Prayer is called a * pouring out of the Ibul,' 1 Sam. i. 15. to fignify vehemency. Formality itarves prayer. Prayer is compared to incenfe, Pf. cxli. 2. ' Let my prayer be fet forth as incenfe.' Hot coals were to be put to the incenfe, to make it odoriferous and fragrant : fervency of atfedion is like coals put to the incenfe ; it makes prayer af-cend as a fweet perfume. Chrilt prayed with ftrong cries. Heb. V. 7. Clamor i/iepenetrat nabes, Luther. Fervent prayer, like a petard fet againft heaven's gates, makes them fly open. To caufe holy fervour and ardour of ibul in prayer, conlider, 1. Prayer without fervency, is no prayer ; it is fpeaking not praying : lifelefs prayer is no more prayer, than the picture of a man is a man. One may fay, as Pharaoh, Gen. xli. * I have dreamed a dream :' It is dreaming, not praying. Life and fervency baptizeth a duty, and gives it a name. 2. Conlider in what need we fland of thofe things which we afk in prayer. We come to alk the favour of God ; and if we have not hit* love, all we enjoy is curfed to us. VVe pray that our fouls may be wafhed in Chrifl's blood ; and if he wafli uh not we have ' no part in him,' John xiii. 8. When will we be in earnefl:, if not when we are praying for the life of our fouls ? 3. It is only fervent prayer hath the promife of mercy affixed to it, Jer. xxix. 14. ' Then fhall ye find me, when ye fearch for me with all your heart.' Ic is dead praying without a promife ; and the promife is made only to ardency. The Aediles among the Romans, had their doors always Itanding open, that all who bad petitions might have free accefs to them : God's heart is ever open to fervent prayer.

(4.) Prayer mutl be fincere. Sincerity is the filver thread which mult run through the whole duties of religion. Sincerity in prayer is, when we have gracious holy ends in prayer; our

prayer is not fo much for temporal mercies as fpiritual. We fend out our prayer, as a mercliant fends out his (hip, that we may have large returns of fpiritual blelfings ; our aim in prayer is, that our heart may be more holy, that we may have more communion with God ; our deligu is, that by prayer we may increafe the (lock of grace. Prayer which wants a good aim, wants a good ilfue.

(5.) Prayer that will prevail with God, muft have a fixation of mind. Pi". Ivii. 7. * O God, my heart is fixed.* Since the fall, the mind is like quick-filver, which will not fix, it hath principnimmotus, but nun qnietes: the thoughts will be roving and dancing up and down in prayer, juft as if a man that is travelling to fuch a place, fliould run out of the road, and wander he knows not whither. In prayer, we are travelling to the throne of grace, but how often do we by vain cogitations, turn out of the road ? Which is rather wandering than praying.

Qu. But how Jhall ice cure thefe vain impertinent thoughts, jchich doj'o dijiracl us in prayer, and, we may fear, hinder the acceptance ?

Anf. 1. Be very apprehenfive in prayer of the infirmities of God's majelty and purity, God's eye is upon us in prayer, and we may lay, as David, PC. Ivi. S. * Thou telleft my wanderings.' The thoughts of this world make us hog agere, mind the duty we are about. If a man were to deliver a petition to an earthly prince, would he at that time be playing with a feather? Set yourfelves, when you pray as in God's prefence ; could you but look through the key hole of heaven, and feehovy devout and intent the angels are in their worihipping of God, fure you would he ready to blu(h at your vain thoughts and vile impertinences in prayer.

2. If you would keep your mind fixed in prayer, keep your eye fixed, Pf cxxiii. 1. ' Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwelled in the heavens.' Much vanity comes in at the eye. When the eye wanders in prayer, the heart wanders. 'I'o think to keep the heart fixed in prayer, and yet let the eye gaze, is as if one (hould think to keep his houfe Cafe, yet let the windows be open.

3. If you would have your thoughts fixed in prayer, get more love to God. Love is a great fixer of the thoughts. He who is in love, cannot keep his thoughts otf the obje6l. He who loves the world, his thoughts run undillurbedly upon the world. Did we love God more, our minds would be more intent upon him in prayer. Were there more delight in duty there would be lefs dillra6tion.

4. Implore the help of God's fpirit to fix our mind«, and make them intent and ferious ii1 prayer. The (hip without a pilot rather floats than fails ; that our thoughts do not float up

and down in prayer, we need the blcfied Spirit to be our pilot to fteer us : only God's fpirit can bound the thoughts. A (baking hand may as well write a line (leadily, as we can keep our hearts fixed in prayer without the Spirit of God.

5. Make holy thoughts familiar to you in your ordinary courfe of life. David was oft mufing on God, Pf. cxxxix. 18. ' When I am awake, I am ftill with thee.' He who gives himfelf liberty to have vain thoughts out of prayer, will Icarce have other thoughts in prayer.

6. If you would keep your mind fixed on God, watch your hearts ; not only watch them after prayer, but in prayer. The heart will be apt to give you the flip and have a tliouiand vagaries in prayer. We read of angels afcending and delcending on Jacob's ladder: fo, in prayer you fliall find your hearts afcending to heaven, and in a moment delcending upon earthly ob-je6ts. O Chridians, watch your hearts in prayer. What a ihame is it to think, that when we are fpeuking to God in prayer, our hearts Ihould be in the fields, or in our counting-houfe, or one way or other, running upon the devil's errand ?

7. Labour for more degrees of grace. The more ballalt the fliip hath, the better it fails ; fo the more the heart is ballafted with grace the fl;eadier it will fail to heaven in prayer.

(6.) Prayer that is likely to prevail with God mult be argumentative : God loves to have us plead with him, and ufe arguments in prayer. See how many arguments Jacob uled in prayer. Gen. xxxii. 11. * Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother.' The arguments he ufed, are 1. From God's command, ver. Q. ' Thou faidfi; to me return to thy country;' as if he had faid, I did not take this journey of my own head, but by thy direction ; therefore thou canll not but in honour protedl me. And he ufeth another argument, ver. 1':^. • Thou faidfi:, 1 will furely do thee good.' Lord, wilt thou go back from thy own promile? Thus he was argunjentative in prayer; and he got not only a new blelfing, but a new name, ver. 2S. ' Thy name fhall no more be called Jacob, but Ifrael: for as a prince haft thou had power with God, and prevailed.* God loves to be overcome with fi:rength of argument. Thus, when we come to God in prayer for grace, be argumentative; Lord, thou calleft: thyfelf the God of all grace; and whither would we go with our veflel, but to the fountain; Lord, thy grace may be imparted, yet not impaired : hath not Chrill pur-chafed grace for poor indigent creatures? Every drachm of grace coll a drop ot" blood. Shall Chrill die to purchafe grace for us, and Ihall not we have the fruit olhis purchafe ? Lord, It is thy delight to milk out the brealt of mercy and grace, and wilt thou abridge thyfelf of thy own delight ? 'Phou hall promiled to give

thy Spirit to implant grace ; can truth lie? can faithfulnefs fle-ceive ? God loves thus to be overconrie with arguments in prayer.

(7.) Prayer that would prevail with God, niuft bejoined with reformation. Job xi. 13. * If thou ftretch out thy hands towards him ? if iniquity be in thy hand, put it faraway from thee.* Sin, lived in, makes the heart hard, and God's ear deaf. *Tis foolifh to pray againfl fin, and then fin againft prayer, fin fly blows our prayers, Plal. Ixvi. 18. * If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.' The loadllone loleth its virtue when beCpread with garlic ; fo doth prayer when polluted with fin. The incenie of prayer muft be oifered upon the altar of an holy heart.

Thus you lee what is that prayer which is rnofl likely to prevail with God,

• Uje I. It reproves, 1. Such as pray not at all: 'Tis made the note of a reprobate, he calls not upon God, Pfal. cxliv. Doth he think to have an alms, who never afks it ? do they think to have mercy from God, who never feek it? Then God Ihould befriend them more than he did his own Son, Heb. v. 7. Chrift offered up prayers with ftrong cries. None of God's children are born dumb. Gal. iv. 6.

(2.) It reproves I'uch as have left off prayer, a fign they never felt the fruit and comfort of it. He that leaves off prayer, a fign he leaves off to fear God, Job xv. 4. * Thou calteft off fear, and reftraineft prayer, before God.' A man that hath left off prayer is fit for any wickedneis. When Saul had given over enquiring after God then he went to the witch of Endor.

Ufe 9. Of exhortation. Be perfons given to prayer. * I give myfelf (faith David) to prayer.' Pray for pardon and purity ; prayer is the golden key that opens heaven. The tree of the promife will not drop its fruit, unlefs fhaken by the hand of prayer. All the benefits of Chrift's redemption are handed over to us by prayer.

Obj. But I have prayed a long time for mercy^ and have no anficer, Pf. Ixix. 3. ' I am weary of crying.'

Anf. I. God may hear us, when we do not hear from him : as foon as prayer is made, God hears it, though he doth not prefently anfwer. A friend may receive our letter, though he doth not prefently fend us an anfwer of it. 2. God may delay prayer, yet not deny.

Qu. But why doth God delay an anfwer of prayer 9

Anf. 1. Becaufe he loves to hear the voice of prayer, Prov. XV. t5. * The prayer of the upright is his delight.' You let the muficiun play a great while ere you throw him down money, becaule you love to hear his mufic. Cant. ii. 14.

2. God may delay prayer when he will not deny, that he may humble us ; perhaps God hath fpoke to us a long time in

or THE PREFACE, &c. S3

his word to leave fuch fins, but we would not hear him : therefore he lets U6 fpeak to him in prayer and Teems not to hear us.

3. God may delay prayer when he will not deny, becauCe he fees we are not yet (it for the mercy ; perhaps we pray for deliverance, we are not fit for it; our fcum is not yet boiled away ; we would have God fwift to deliver, and we are How to repent.

4. God' may delay prayer, when he will not deny, that the niercy we pray for may be the more prized, and may befweet-er when it comes. The longer the merchant's fliips flay abroad, the more he rejoiceth when they come home laden with fpices and jewels; therefore be not difcouraged, but follow God with prayer: though God may delay, he will not deny. Fmyer v/ncitinvmcibilem, it overcomes the Omnipotent, Hof. xii. 4. The Tymans tied fall their god Hercules with a golden chain, that he fhould not remove : the Lord was held by Mofes* prayer, as with a golden chain, Exod. xxxii. 10. ' Let me alone;' why, what did Mofes ; he only prayed. Prayer ufhers in mercy. Be thy cafe never fo fad, if thou canft but pray, thou needed not fear, Pfal. x. 17- Therefore give thyfelf lo prayer.

OF THE PREFACE TO THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Oiir FATHER which art in heaven.

Having (through the good providence of God) gone over the chief grounds and fundamenlals of religion, and enlarged upon the decalogue or ten commandments, I {liall now, at the clofe, fpeak fomething upon the Lord's prayer.

Matih. vi. 9. ' After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed,' &c.

In this fcripture are two things obfervable,

1. The introduction to the prayer.

2. The prayer itfelf which con fills of three parts. (I.) A preface. (9.) Petitions. (3.) The conclufion.

L The introduction to the Lord's prayer, * After this manner pray ye.' Our Lord Jefus, in thei'e words, prefcribed lo ]iis difciples and us a directory for prayer. The ten command-tnents are the rule of our life, the creed is the fum of our faith, and the Lord'sprayer is the pattern of our prayer. As God did prefcribe Mofes a pattern of the tabernacle, Exod. xxv. 9. fb Chrift hath here prefcribed ii«a pattern of prayer. * Alter this manner pray ye,' &c. The meaning is, let ihis be the rule and model accordioe to which you frame your prayers. Ad hanc

regulam preces nojiras exigere necejj'e ejl, Calvin. Not that we are tied to the words of the Lord's prayer : Chrid faith not, * After thefe words, pray ye;' but ' After this manner ;' that is, le't all our petitions agree and fymbolize with the things contained in the Lord's prayer: and indeed, well may we make all ©ur prayers confonant and agreeable to this prayer, it being a mod exa6l prayer. Tertullian calls it, Breviarium totias evangelii, a breviary an compendium of the go (pel: it is like an heap of mafly gold. The exaftnefs of this prayer appears, 1. In the dignity of the Author: a piece of work hath com-jnendation from the artificer, and this prayer hath commendation from the Author; it is the Lord's prayer. As the law moral was written with the finger of God, fo this prayer was dropt from the lips of the Son of God. Non vox hominem Jonat, eft Dens. 2. Theexadtnefs of this prayer appears in the excellency of the matter. I may fay of this prayer, it ' is as filver tried in the furnace, purified feven times,' Pfal. xii. ii. Never was there prayer fo admirably and curiouily compofed as this. As Solomon's fong, for its excellency, ib^ called, ' The. fong of ibngs;' fo may this well be called the " prayer of prayers." The matter of it is admirable, 1. For its fuccin6t-iiefs, 'tis fhort and pithy, multum in parvo, a great deal faid in a few words. It requires mofi: art to draw the two globes curi-oully in a little map. This Ihort prayer is a fyftem or body of divinity. 2. Its clearneis. This prayer is plain and intelligible to every capacity. Clearnefs is the grace of fpeech. 3. Its compleatneis. This prayer contains in it the chief things that we have to aflv, or God hath to bellow.

Ufe. Let us have a great efieem of the Lord's prayer: let it be the modern pattern of all our prayers. Thtre is a double benefit arifeth from framing our petitions fuitably to the Lord's prayer. 1.- Hereby error in prayer is prevented : 'tis not ealy to write wrong after this copy : we cannot eafily err, having our pattern before us. 2. Hereby mercies requefted are obtained : for the apoftle aflures us, God will hear us, when we pray,

* according to his will,' 1 John v. 14. And fure we pray according to his will, when we pray according to his pattern^ he

^ hath let us. So much for the introdu6tion to the Lord's prayer,

* After this manner pray ye.'

^ II. The prayer itfelf, which confifts of three parts. (I.) A preface. (2.) Petitions. (3.) The conclufion. .. F/r/i, The pi"eface to the prayer: (I.) ' Our Father.' (2,)

* Which art in heaven,^ To begin with the firft words of the preface.

* Our Father.' Father is fometimes taken perfonally, John xiv. 28. * My Father is greater than I:' but Father in the text is taken eiientially for the whole Deity. This title, Father,

TO THE lord's PRAYfiR. S5

teacheth us to whom we muft addrefs ourfelves in prayer; to God alone. Here is no fuch thing in the Lord's prayer, as, O ye faints or angels that are in heaven, hear us ; but, * Our Father which art in heaven.^

Qu. In what order muft ice dire6i our prayers to God? Here is only the Father named: may not we direct our prayers to the Son, and Holy Ghojif

Anf. Though the Father only benanied in the Lord's prayer, vet the other two Perfons are not hereby excluded : the Father is mentioned becaufe he is firft in order; but the Son and Holy Gholt are included, becaule they are the lame in eifence. As all the three Peribns fubfitlinoue God-head ; fo, in our prayers, -tho' we name but one Perlbn, we mult pray to all. To come 4hen more clolely to the tirlt words of the preface, * Our Fa-ther.' Princes on earth gt-e themfelves titles expreffing their grealnefs, as " High and Mighty :" God might have done fo, and exprefled himielf thus, " Our king of glory, our Judge :" but he gives himfelf another title, • Our Father,' an expretfion of love and condefcenfion. God, that he might encourage us to pray to him, reprefents himfelf under this fweet notion of a Father, * Our Father.' Dulce nomen Fatris. The name Jehovah carries majefty in it, the name Father, carries mercy in it.

Qu. 1. In what fenfe is God a Father ?

Anf. 1. By creation ; it is he that hath made us, A6ls xvii. 28. * We are his offspring,' Mai. ii. 10. ' Have we not all one Father ?' Hath not one God created us ? but there is little comfort in this : for fo God is Father to the devils by creation ; but he that made them will not fave them.

2. God is a Father by election, having chofen a certain number to be his children, whom he will entail heaven upon, Eph. i. 4. * He hath chofen us in him.*

3. God is a Father by fpecial grace ; he confecrates the ele6t by his Spirit, and infufeth a fupernatural principle of holinefs, therefore they are laid to be born of God, 1 John iii. 9. Such only as are fan6li(ied can fay. * Our Father which art in heaven.'

Qu. I. What is the difference between God being the Father of Chriji, and the Father of the eleSl ?

Anf. God is the Father of Chrift in a more glorious tranf-cendant manner. Chrift hath the primogeniture; he is the eldeft Son, a Son by eternal generation, Prov. viii. 23. * I was fet up from everlafting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.' ltd. hii. 8. ' Who (hall declare his generation ?' Chrift is a Son to the Father; yet fo as he is of the fame nature with the Father, having all the communicable properties of the Godhead belonging to him: but we are fons of God by adoption and

E2

grace, Gal. iv. 6. * That we might receive the adoption of Ions.'

Qu. 3. What is that which makes God our Father 9

Ai}j'. Faiti): Gal. iii. Sd. * V e are all the children of God by faith in Chrill Jefus.* An unbeliever may call God his Creator, and his Judge, but not his Father. Faith doth legitimate us, and make us of the blood-royal of heaven: ' Ye are the diiidren of God by faith.' Baptil'm makes us church-members, but faith makes us children : without faith the devil can (hew as good a coat of arms as we.

Qu. 4. How doth faith make God to he our Father?

Ai^f. As faith is an uniting grace; by faith we have coalition and union wifli Clnilt and lb the kindied comes in ; being united to Chrilt, the natural Son, we become adopted Ions: God is tlie Father of Chrdl; faith «iakes us Chrift's brethren, Heb. ii. II. and fo God comes to be our Father.

Qu. 6. IVherein doth it appear that God is the beji Father?

An/'. 1. In that he is moll ancient, Dan, vii. y. * Tlie ancient of days did lit.* A figurative repreientalion of God who was before all time, (his may caufe veneration.

9. God is the bell Father, becaufe he is perfe6t, IMat. v. 48. * Your Father which is in heaven is perfect;' he is perfe6lly good. Earthly fathers are fubjedt to infirmities : Elias (though a prophet) * was a man of like palfions,' Jam. v. 1?. but God is perfectly good. All the perfection we can arrive at in this life is lincerity : we may a little refentble God, but not equal hitn ; he is infinitely perfe6l.

3. God is the belt Father, in refpe6l of wifdom, 1 Tim. i. 17- ' The only wife God.' He hath a perfect idea of wifdom in himfelf : he knows the fittell nieans to bring about his own defigns ; the angels light at his lamp. In particular, this is one branch of his wifdom, that lie knows what is bell for us. An earthly parent knows not, in Ibnie intricate cafes, how to ^dvife his child, or what may be bell for him to do ; but God is a molt wile father, he knows what is bell for us, he knows what comfort is bell for us ; he keeps his cordials for fainting, 2 Cor. vii. 6. * God who comforteth them that are call down :' he knows when affliction is bell for us, and when it is fit to give a bitter potion, 1 Pet. i. (5. ' If need be, ye are in heavinefs.' He is the only wife God ; he knows how to make evil things work for good to his children, Rom. viii. 28. He can make a Ibvereign treacle of poifon ; thus he is the bell Father for wifdom.

4. He is the bell Father, becaufe the mod loving, I John iv. 16. • God is love.' He who caufeth bowels of alfcclion in others, mull needs have more bowels himlelf: quod e(ficit tale ; the afieClions in parents are but marble and adamant, in coni-

parifon of God's love to his children : he gives them the cream of his love, ele6ting love, laving love, Zeph. iii. 17- ' He will r^yoice over thee with joy, he will relt in his love, he will joy over ihee with Tinging :' no father like God for love ; if tiiou art his child, thou c-anll not love thy own Ibul ib entirely as lie k)ves thee.

5. God is the bed Father, for riches : God hath land enongh to give all his ciiildren, he hath unfearchable riches, Eph. iii. 8. He gives the hidden manna, the tree of life, rivers of joy, God hith treafures that cannot be completed, gates of pearl: who ever law gates of pearl ? pleafures that cannot be ended. Earthly fathers, if they fliould be ever giving, they would have nothing left to give : God is ever giving to his children, yet hath not the If is : his riches are imparted not impaired : like the fun that Hill fliines, yet hath not the lefs light. He cannot be poor who is infinite. Thus God is the bell Father ; he Skives more to his children, than any father or prince can beftow.

6. God is the bell Father, becaufe he can reform his chd-dren. A father, when his fon takes bad courfes, knows not how to make him bet4;er ; but God knows how to make the children of the election better ; he can change their hearts. When Paul was breathing out perfecution againll the faints, God loon altered his courle, and let him a praying, A6lsix. 11* * Behold, he prayeth.' None of thofe who belong to the elec-^ tion are fo rough-call and unhewn, but God can polilh them with his grace, and make them lit for the inheritance.

7. God is the bed Father, becaufe he never dies, 1 Tim. vi. 16. * Who only hath immortality.' Earthly fathers die, and their children are expofed to many injuries, but God lives for ever, Rev. i. 8. '1 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.' God's crown hath no fucceflfors.

Qu. 6. Wherein lies the dignity offuch as have God for their Father ?

Alt/. I. They have greater honour than is conferred on the princes of the earth ; they are precious in God's elleem, lia. xliii. 4. * Since thou wait precious in my eyes, thou hall been honourable ;' the wicked are drofs, PI", cxix. \IU. and chatV, Pf. i. 4. but God numbers his children, among his jewels, Mai. iii. 17. He writes all his children's names in the book of life, Phil. iv. y, ' Whofe names are in the book of life.* Among the Romans the names of their lenators were written down in a book, patres conlcripti: God enrolls the names of his children, and will not blot their names out of the regilier. Rev. iii. 5. ' I will not blot his name out of the book of life.* God will not be alhamed of his children. Heb. xi. l(j. ' God is not aihamed to be called your God.' One might think it were fomething below God, and he might dilUaiu to father

fuch children as are duft and fin mingled : but he is tiotafham-ed to be called our God ; and that we may fee he is not alham-ed of his children, he writes his own name upon them, Rev. iii. l'-^. ' 1 will write upon him the name of my God ;* that is, I will openly acknowledge him before all theangelsto be my child : I will write my name upon him, as the Ton bears his father's name ; what an honour and dignity is this ?

2. God confers honourable titles upon his children : he calls them the excellent of the earth, Pf. xvi. 2. or the magnificent, as Jiinias renders it. They muft needs be excellent, who are e ref^iojatigume nati, o^ the blood-royal of heaven ; they are the fpiritual phoenixes of the world, the glory of the creation. God calls his children his glory, lia. xlvi. 13. * Ilrael my glory.' God honours his children with the title of kings. Rev. i. 6. * And hath made us kings.' All God's children are kings ; though they have not earthly kingdoms, yet, 1. They carry a kingdom about with them, Luke xvii. 21. ' The kingdom of God is within you ;' grace is a kingdom fet up in the hearts of God's children ; they are kings to rule over their fins, to bind thofe kings in chains, Pf. cxlix. 8. 2. They are like kings ; they have their injignia regalia^ their enfigns of royalty and majefty. 1, They have their crown ; in this life they are kings in a difguife ; they are not known, therefore they are expofed to poverty and reproach ; they are kings in a difguife ; I John iii. 9. * Now we are the fons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we (hall be.' Why, what (hall we be .> Every fon of God (l)all have his crown of glory, I Pet. V. 4. and white robes, Rev. vi. 11. Robes fignify dignity, and white fignifies fan6tity.

3. This is their honour who have God for their Father they are all heirs : the youngefl fon is an heir. 1. God's children are heirs to the things of this life : God being their Father, they have the beft title to earthly things, they have a fan6lified right to them ; though they have often the leall (hare, yet they have the beft right ; and they have a blelTing with what they have, i. e. God's love and favour. Others may have more of the venifon, but God's children have more of the blefling : thus they are heirs to the things of this life. 2. They are heirs to the other world ; 'heirs of falvation,* Heb, i. 14. * Joint heirs with Chrift,' Rom. viii. 17. They are co-(har€rs withi Clirid in glory. Among men commonly the eldcll fon carries away all, but God's children are all joint-heirs wi'h Chrift, they have a co-partnerfliip with him in his riches. Hath Chrift a place in the celeitial manfions ? fo have the faints, John xiv. 2. ' In my Father's houfe are many manfions, I go to prepare a place for you.' Hath he his Father's love ? fo have they, Pf. cxlvi. 8. John xvii. 20'. * That the love wherewith thou halt

TO ¥HE LORD*S PRAYER. Sd

loved me, may be in them.* Doth Chiifl fit upon a throne ? fo do God's children. Rev. iii. 21. What an higli honour is this ?

4. God makes his children equal in honour to the angels, Luke XX. 36\ They are equal to the angels : nay thofe faints, who have God for their father, are in fome fenfe fuperior to the angels ; for Jel'us Chrift having taken our nature, naturam iwj' tram nobilitavit, Aug. hath ennobled and honoured it above the angelical, Heb. ii. 16. God hath made his children, by adoption, nearer to himfelf than the angels. The angels are the friends of Chrift, believers are the members of Chrift, and this honour have all the faints. Thus you fee the dignity of fuch as have God for their Father. What a comfort is this to God's children, who are here defpifed, and loaded with calumnies and inve^ives? 1 Cor. iv. 14. * We are made as the filih of the world,' &c. But God will put honour upon his children at the laft day, and crown them with immortal bills, to the envy of their adverfaries.

Qu. 7. Hoio may ice know that God is our Father ? All cannot fay, * Our Father:' the Jews buajted that God was their Father^ John viii. 5(3. ' JVe have one Father^ even God.' Chriji tells them their pedigree, ver. 44. * Ye are of your father the devil.* They who are offatanicalfpirits, and make ufe of their power to heat doicn the power of Godlinefs, cannot fay, God is tlieir Fa-ther, they may fay. Our father ichich art in hell. Well then how may ice know that Gud is our Father?

/inf. (1.) By having a filial difpofition : this is feen in four things, 1. To melt in tears for fin : a child weeps for otfending his father. When Chrift looked on Peter, and he remembered his fin in denying Chrift, he fell a weeping. Clen)ens Alex-andrinus reports of Peter, he never heard a cock crow, but he wept. This is a fign that God is our Father ; when the heart of (lone is taken away, and there is a graciou.* thaw in the heart; it melts in tears for i\n ; and he who hath a child-like heart, mourns for fin in a fpititual manner, as it is fin ; he grieves for it, I. As it is an a6l of pollution. Sin deflowers the virgin-foul ; it defaceth God's image ; it turns beauty into deformity ; 'tis called the ' plague of the heart,' I Kings viii. 3S. It is the fpirits of evil diftilled. A child of God mourns for the defilement of fin ; fin hath a blacker afpe(5t than hell. •2. He who hath a child-like heart, grieves for fin, as it is an a(5t of enmity. Sin is diametrically oppofite to God. It is called a walking contrary to God, Lev.xxvi.40. ' Iftheyfhall confefs their iniquity and that they have walked contrary to me.' Sin doth all it caa to fpight God ; if God be of one mind, fin will be of another ; fin would not only unthrone God, but it ftrikes at his very being:. if fin could help it. God iLould be no longer God. A

child-like heart grieves for this ; O, fiiith he, that I fhould have lb much enmity in me, that my will (hould be no more fubdued to the will of my heavenly Father! This fprings a leak of godly forrow. 3. A child-like heart weeps for tin, as it is an act of ingratitude ; fin is an abufe of God's love ; it is taking the jewels of God's mercies, and making ufe of them to (in : God hath done more for his children than others ; he hath planted his grace, and given them fome intimations of his favour ; and to Cm againd kindnefs, dyes a fin in grain, and makes it crini-fon : like Abfalom, who, as foon as his Father kilfed him, and took him into favour, plotted trealbn againll him : nothing Co melts a child-like heart in tears, as fins of unkindnefs : O that I (liould fin againft the blood of a Saviour, and the bowels of a Father ! I condemn ingratitude in ray child, yet I am guilty of ingratitude againlt my heavenly Father : this opens a vein of godly forrow, and makes the heart bleed afre(h : certainly this evidenceth God to be our Father, when he hath given us this child-like frame of heart, to weep for fin as it is fin, an a(5l of pollution, enmity, ingratitude: a wicked man may mourn for the bitter fruit of fin, but only a child of God can grieve for the odious nature of fin. (I.) A filial (or child-like) diCpofirioii is to be full of iympathy : we lay to heart the dillionours reflected upon our heavenly Father, when we fee God's worlhip adulterated, his truth niingled with the poifon of error, it is as a fword in our bones, to fee God's glory futftr, Pf. cxix. ^258. * I beheld the tranfgreiibrs and was grieved: Homer defcribing Agamemnon's grief when he was forced to facrifice his daughter Iphi-^enia, brings in all his friends weeping and condoling with him ; ib, when God is diflionoured we fympathize, and are as it were clad in mouining. A child that hath any good nature, is cut to the heart to hear his father reproached : an heir of heaven takes a dillionour done to God more heinous than adifgrace done to himltlf.

(3.) A filial difpofition, is to love our heavenly father; he is unviatural that doth not love his father* God who is crowned with excellency, is the proper object of delight: and every true child of God faith, as Peter, ' Lord, thou kuowell that 1 love thee.' But who will not fay he loves God ? if ours be a true genuine love to our lieavenly Father, it may be known, \Ji, By the effe6ts : 1. Then we have an holy fear; there is a fear U'hich arifeth from love to God, that is, we fear the lofs of the vilible tokens of God's profence, 1 Sam. iv. 13. ' Eli's heart trembled for the ark.' It is not iaid his heart trembled for his two Ions Hophni and Phineas ; but his heart trembled for the ark, becaule the ark was the fpecial fign of God's preience ; and if that were taken, the glory was departed. He who loves his heavenly Father, fears led tlie tokens of his prefence fliould b«

removed, loft profanenefs nionld break in like a flood, left popery (hould get head, and God flioyld go from a people : the prel'ence of God in his ordinanfe.s is the ii,\oTy and llrength of a nation. The Trojans had the image of Pallas, and they had an opinion that as long as that image was-prelerved among them, they fliould never be conquered : To long as God's prelence is with a people, fo long they are £ife; every trne child of God fears left God (hould go, and the glory depart. Try by this, whether we have a filial difpofition : do we love God, and dotli this love caufe fear and jealoufy ? are we afraid left we Ihould lofe God's prefence, left the Sun of righleoufnefs remove out of our horizon ? Many are afraid left they ftiould lofe Tome of their worldly profits, but not left they lofe the prefence ot God ; if they may have peace and trading, they care not what become of the ark of God. A true child of God fears nothing lb mucli as the lofs of his father's prefence, Hof. ix. 12. ' Wo to them when I depart from them.' 2. Love to our heavenly Father is leen by loving his day, Ifa. Iviii. 13. * If thou call the fabbatli a delight.' The ancients called this reginn dieruoi, the qneeii of days. If we love our Father in heaven, we fpend this day in devotion, in reading, hearing, meditating; on this.day manna falls double. God fand-lilied the labbath ; he made ail the other days in the week, but he haih lanCtified this day ; this day he hath crowned with a blefiing. 3. Love to our heavenly Father is leen by loving his children, 1 John v. l. ' Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him alio that is begotten of him.' If we love God, the more we fee of God in any the more we love them ; we love them though they are poor : a child love^ to fee his father's pi6lure, though hung in a mean frame j we love the children of our father, though they are perfecuted, I Tim. i. IG. ' Onefiphorus was not aftianied of my chain.* Conftantine did kifs the hole of Paphnuiius' eye, becaufe he fulFered the lofs of his eye for Chrift : it aopears they iiave no love to God, who have no love to his children ; they care not for their company : they have a fecret difguii; and aniipaihy againft them : hypocrites pretend great reverenge to the faints departed, they canonize dead laints but perfecute living; I may lay of thefe, as the apollle, Heb, xii. 8. ' They are baftards not Ions.' 4th Etfe6l of love, if we love our heavenly Father, then we will be advocates for him, and ftand up in the defence of his truth ; he who loves his father will plead for him wlien he is traduced and wronged ; he hath no child-like heart, no love to God, who can hear God's name dilhonoured, and be lilent. Doth Chrift appear for him on earth ? Such as dare not own God and religion in times ot d inger, God will be alhamed to be called their God ; it would be u reproach to hirn to have fuch children as will uot own him. SJ/y, A chikl-li'vfi Vol. II. No. 13. F

At OF THE PREFACa

love to God is known, as by the efFe6ts, fo by the degree ; it is a fuperior love. We love our Father in heaven above all other things ; above ellate, or relations, as oil runs above the water, Pf. Ixxiii. 25. A child of God I'eeinga fupereminency ofgood-nefs, and a conftellation of all beauties in God, he is carried out in love to him in thehigheft nieafure : as God gives his children fuch a love as he doth not beftow upon the wicked, ele6ling love ; fo God's children give fuch a love as they beftow upon none elfe, adoring love ; they give him the flower and fpirits of their love; they love him with a love joined with worfhip, this fpiced wine they keep only for their Father to drink of. Cant, viii. 2. (4.) A child-like difpofition is feen in honouring our heavenly Father, Mai. \. 6. 'A Ion honoureth his father.' Qu. Hoio do we flieio our honour to our Father in heaven f Anf. 1. By having a reverential awe of God upon us, Lev. XXV. 17. * Thou flialt fear thy God.' This reverential fear of God, is when we dare do nothing that he hath forbidden in his word, Gen. xxxix. 6. ' How can 1 do this great wickednefs, and fin againfl God ?' It is the part of the honour a fon gives to a father, he fears to difpleal'e him. (2.) We lliew our honour to our heavenly Father, by doing all we can to exalt God, and make his excellencies fliine forth ; though we cannot lift uf God higher in heaven, yet we may lift him higher in our hearts, and in the efteem of others. When we fpeak well of God^ fet forth his renown, difplay the trophies of his goodnefs ; when we afcribe the glory of all we do to God, when we are the trumpeters of God's praife ; this is an honouring our Father in heaven, and a certain fign of a child-like heart, Pfal. 1. 23. ' Whofo otfereth praife, glorifieth me.' ,

2. We may know God is our Father, by our refembling of him : the child is his father's pi6lure, Jud. viii. IS. ' Each one refembled the children of a king :' every child of God re-fembles the king of heaven. Herein God's adopting children and man's ditfer : a man adopts one for his fon and heir, that doth not at all refemble him ; but whofoever God adopts for his child, is like him ; he not only bears his heavenly Father's name, but image, Col. iii. 10. ' And have put on the new man, which is renewed after the image of him that created him.* He who haih God for his Father, refembles God in hohnefs : holi-* nefs is the glory of the God-head, Exod. xv. 11. The holinefs of God is the intriniic purity of his elfence. He who hath God for his Father, partakes of the divine nature ; though not of the divme effence, yet of the divine likenefs : as the feal fels its print and likenels upon the wax, lb he who hath God for his Father, hath the print and effigies of his holinefs ilamped upon him, Pf. cvi. l(j. • Aaron the faint of the Lord.' Wicked men delire to be like God hereafter in glory, but do not af}'e6t to be

like h\tfi here in grace; they give it <Sut t6" the world that Goet is their Father yet have nothing of God to be feen in them, tliey are unclean : they not only want his image, but hate it.

3. We may know God is uur Father, by having his Spirit in us : 1. By having the interceflion of the i'pirit; 'tis a fpirit of prayer, Gal. iv. 6. * Becaufe ye are fons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crymg, Abba, Father.' Prayer is the foul's breathing itfelf into the bofom of its heavenly Father: none of God's children are born dumb; hnplet Spiaitus Sancius organumfaum, ^ tanquam pila chordarum tan-git Spiaitus, Dei cordafandionini, Profper. A6ls xi. 11. * Behold lie prayeth :' but it is not every prayer evidenceth God's Spirit in us. Such as have no grace may excel in gifts, and affect the hearts of others in prayer, when their own hearts are not aQei5ted ; as the lute makes a Iweet found in the ears of others, but itfelf is not fenfible : how therefore (hall we know our prayers are indited by God's Spirit, and (b he is our Father. . Ref. I. When they are not only vocal, but mental ; when there are not only gifts but groans, Rom. viii. 26. The bell inuficis in confort; the beft prayer is when the heart and tongue join together in confort.

2. When they are zealous and fervent, Jam. v. 16. * The eflfeftual fervent prayer of a righteous manavaileth much.* The eyes melt in prayer, the heart burns. Fervency is to prayer, as fire to the incenfe ; it makes it afcend to heaven as a iWeet perfume.

3. When prayer hath faith fprinkled in it; prayer is the key of heaven, aud faith is the hand that turns it, Rom. viii. 15. * We cry, Abba, Father.' * We cry,' there is fervency in prayer ; * Abba, Father,' there is faith. Thole prayers fuffer ihipwreck, which dafh upon the rock of unbelief. Thus we may know God is our Father, by having his Spirit praying in us ; as Chrill interceeds above, lb the Spirit interceeds within. 1. By having the renewing of the Spirit, which is nothing elfe but regeneration, which is called a being born of the Spirit, John iii. 5. This regeneration work of the Spirit is a transformation, or change of nature, Rom. xii. 2. * Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' He who is born of God, hath a new heart: new, not for fubftance but for qualities. The Itrings of a viol may be the fame, but the tune is altered. Before this regeneration, there are fpiritual pangs, much heartbreaking for (in. Regeneration is called a circumcilion of the heart, Col. ii. 11. In circumcilion there was a pain in the flelh ; fo in this Ipiritual circumcilion there is a pain in the heart, there is much forrow ariling from the fenfe of guilt and wrath. The jailor's trembling, A6ls xvi. 30. was a pang in the new birth. God's fplrit is a fpirit of bondage, before it be a

F 2

fpiiit br'acToption. This blelTed work of regeneration' fpreads over the whole foui; it irradiates the mind, it conlecrates the heart, and reforms the life: tho' regeneration be but in part, yet it is in ever}' part, I TheiT". v. 13. regeneration is the figna-ture and engraving of the Holy Ghoft upon the foul ; the iiew horn Chrillian is befpangled with the jewels of the graces, which are the angels'glory. Regeneration is the fpring of all true joy : at our fii-ft birtlj we come weeping into the world , but at cur new birth there is caufe of rejoicing : for now, God is our Falher, and we are begotten to a lively hope of glory, 1 Pet. i. 3. We may trj- by this our relation to God. Hath a regenerating work of God's Spirit palfed upon our fouls ? are we made of another fpirit, humble and heavenly ? this is a good fign of fonfliip, and we may f^.y, ' Our father which art in heaven.'

3. By having the condu6l of the Spirit; we are led by the Spirit, Rom. viii. 14. * As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the fons of God.' God's Spirit doth not only quicken us in our regeneration, but leads us on till we come to the end of our faith, falvation. It is not enough the child have life, but he muft be led every ftep by the nurfe, Hof. xi. 3. * I taught Ephraim to go, taking them by their arms.' Their arms, as the liraelites bad the cloud and pillar of fire to go before them, and be a guide to them ; fo God's Spirit is a guide to go before us, and lead us into all truth, and counfel us in all our doubts, and influence us in all our actions, Pf. Ixxiii. 24. * Thou fhalt guide me by thy counfels.' None can call God Father, but fuch as have the-conduct of the Spirit. Try then ■what fpirit you are led by : fuch as are led by a fpirit of envy, kift, avarice, thefe are not led by the Spirit of God; it were blafphemy for them to call God Father : thefe are led by the fpirit of Satan and may fay, " Our Father which art in hell."

4. By having the witnefs of the Spirit, Rom. viii. 16. ' The Spirit itfelf beareth witnefs with our fpirit, that we are the children of God.' This witnefs of the Spirit, fu^gefling that God is our Father, is not a vocjl witnefs, or voice from heaven : ' the Spirit in the word witnefleth :' the Spirit, in the word faith, he who is fo qualified who is a hater of fin, and a lover of holinefs, is a child of God, and God is his Father : If I can find luch qualifications wrought, here is the Spirit witnefling with my Ipirit, that I am a chiid of God. Befides, we may carry it higher; the Spirit of God witnelTeth to our fpirit, by making more than ordinary imprefiions upon our hearts, and givingfonie lecret hints and whifpers, that God hath pnrpofes of love to us ; here is a concurrent witnefs of the Spirit with confcience, that we are heirs of heaven, and God is our Father^* this witnefs is better felt than exprefl^ed : this witnefs Icatters doubis and fears, filericeth temptations. But what fhall one do that hath

r\oi this xvitnefs of the Spirit? if «re want the witnefe of the Spirit, let us labour to find the work of the Spirit: if we have not the Spirit teliifymg, latwar to have it faDCtifying, and that will be a lupport to us.

4, If God be our Father, we are of peaceable fpirits, Matth. V. y. ♦ Bieiied are the peace-makers, they (hail be called the children of God.' Grace iufufeih a fv%eet, amicable difpofition ; it iiles otf ilie ruggedneiV of men's fpirits : it turns the lioo-like fiercenefs into a lamb-like gentlenefs, lid. si. 7- TTiey who have God to be their Father, foitow peace eis well as hoiinef*. God the Father is called the 'God of peace,' Heb. xiii. 90. God the Son, the * prince of peace,' Ila. is. d. God the Holy Ghoft is a ' Spirit of peace;' it is called * the unity of the Spirit in the bead of peace,' Eph. iv. 3. The more peaceable, the more like God. It is a bad figa God is not their Father, Ifi, Wiio are fierce and cruel, as if, with Romulus, they had ii'cked the milk of an wolf, Rom. iii. 17- * The way of peace iiAve they not known,' they fport in mifchief; thefe are they who are of a perfecuting fpirit as Maximmus, Dioclefiao, An-tiochus, who (as Eulebius) took more tediousjourneys, and raa more hazards in ve.King and perfecuting the Jews, than anr 01 tiis predeceirors had done in getting c> victories. Thefe furies cannot call God Father; if they do, they will have as little comfort in faying Father, as Dives had in hell, when he laid,

• Father Abraham,' Luke xvj. -24. 2d:y, VTho are makers of diviiio.isr Rom. xvi. 17 ' Mark them which caufe divitioos, and avoid them.' Such as are born of God, are makers of peace : what Ihall we think of fuch as are makers of divifions ? will God lather th-le r ' ' 11 made the nrii divifion ia heaven ; they may cali tiie ^^ ... .ether; they mav srive the clovea foot in their coat of arms ; their fweetefc mufic is ia difcord ; they unite to divide. Samfon's fox tails were tied together, only to fel the Philidines com on fire. Judges xv. 5. Papifis unite, oiily to fet the church's : ?? :^ ''- . Satan's ':-:-"'-m

grovs up uy diviiK»ns. St. C: rrveaoft;.^ ^.h

oi Cariuth, when many converts were brought in, Satan knetr no better way to damn up the current of religion, ihau to throvr in j.:x apple of t'.rife. and • ': them into parties ; one was-tbr Paul, ami anouier for .t.^ .;, but few for Chf.ii. Would not Chri.t have his coat rent, and can he endure to have his body rent.' Suie God will never father ihem who are not (bns of pe:ice : of a'.! • C ' • -, he is named for one,

* w(ioi>d ij.\ci .- _ „. -a,' Prov. vi. IJ).

5. If God be our Father ; then we love to be near God, and have coaverfe with him. An ingciiious cfaiid delights to appro.! ' - liiher, ar ' _ ce. D " :^-vieu ...^ ,.^^; -^-C ihev bu..v ...... ^^..c .^ ..^..r Goj ; ^..^.s.

when he was debarred his Father's houfe, Pfal. Ixxxiv. 3. True faints love to get as near to God as they can : in the word they draw near to his holy oracle, in the facrament they draw near to his table; a child of God delights to be in his Father's prefence ; he cannot ftay away long from God : he fees a fab-bath day approaching, and rejoiceth : his heart hath been often melted and quickened in an ordinance; he hath tafted the Lord is good, therefore he loves to be in his Father's prefence; he cannot keep away long from God. Such as care not for ordi-rances cannot fay, • Our Father which art in heaven.' Is God their Father, who cannot endure to be in his prefence ?

life. I. Of inftru6tion. See the amazing goodnefs of God, that is pleafed to enter into this fweet relation of a Father. God needed not to adopt us, he did not want a Son but we wanted a Father. God (hewed power in being our Maker, but merry in being our Father: when we were enemies, and our heans ftood out as garrifons againft God, that he fliould conquer our flubbornnefs, and of enemies make us children, and write his name, and put his image upon us, and beftovv a kingdom of glory ; what a miracle of mercy is this! Every adopted child may fay, * Even fo, Father, for fo it leemed good in thy fight,' Mat. xi. 26.

2d, Branch, or Inference. If God be a Father, then hence I infer, Whatever he doth to his children, is love.

1. If he fmiles upon them in profperity, it is love: they have the world not only with God's leave, but with his love. God faith to every child of his, as Naaman to Gehazi, 2 Kings V. 23. • Be content, take two talents.' So faitli God to his child, • I am thy Father, take two talents.' Take health, and take my love with it: take an eftate and take my love with it : take two talents: God's love is a fweetening ingredient into every mercy.

Qu. Hoio doth it appear that a child of God hath worldly things in love f

Anf. I. Becaufe he hath a good title to them. God is his Father, therefore he hatli a good title. A wicked man hath a civil title (o the creature, but no more ; he hath it not from the hand of a father : he is like one that takes up cloth at the draper's, and it is not paid for ; but a believer hath a good title to every foot of land he hath; his Father hath fettled it uponi him.

2. A child of God hath worldly things in love, becaufe they are fandified to him, (I.) They make hin:^ better, and are' loadilones to draw him nearer to God. (2.) He hath his Father's blelTing with them. A little bleft is fweet, Exod. xxiii. 25. ' tie Ihail blefs thy bread and thy water.' Efau had the veuifoii, but Jacob got the blelUng. While the wicked have

their meat faiiced with God's wrath, Pfal. Ixxvii. SO, 31. believers have their comforts fealbned with a blertinw. It was a Ifecret blelfing from God made Daniel's pulfe nourifh him more, and made him look fairer than they that ate of the king's meat, Dan. i. 15.

3. A child of God hath worldly things in love, becaufe whatever he hath is an earned of more : every bit of bread is a pledge and eanieft of glory.

(2.) God being a Father, if he frown, if he dip his pen in ffall, and write bitter things ; if he corre6t, 'tis in love : a father loves his child as well when he dothchaftife and difcipline him, as when he fettles his land on him, Rev. iii. 19. * As manv as I love, I rebuke.' Affli6lions are fharp arrows (faith Gregory Nazianzen) but they are fiiot from the hand of a loving Father. Conefjiio eji uirtutes gymnajium ; God afBi6ts with the fame love he gives Chrilt; he doth it to humble and purify : gentle correction is as neceffary as daily bread ; nay, as needful as ordinances, as word and Atcraments. There is love in all, God fnutes, that he may fave.

(3.) God being a Father, if he defert and hide his face from his child, it is in love. Defertion is fad in itfelf, a fliort hell. Job vi. 9. AVhen the light is withdrawn, dew falls. Yet we may fee a rainbow in the cloud, the love of a Father in all this. yiy God hereby quickens grace. Perhaps grace lay dormant. Cant. V. 2. It was as fire in the embers ; and God withdraws comfort, to invigorate and exercife grace: faith is a liar Ibme-times fhines brightell in the dark night of defertion, Jonah ii. 4. <2rf///, When God hides his face from his child, yet ftill he is a Father, and hisheart is towards hischild : as Jofeph, when he fpake roughly to his brethren, and made them believe he would take them for ("pies; ilill his heart was full of love, and he was fain to go afideand weep : fo God's bowels yearn to his children, when he feemsto look ilrango, Ifa. liv. S. ' In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, but with everlalling kindneis will I have mercy on thee.* Though God may have the look of an enemy, yet Hill he hath the heart of a father.

3rf, Branch, or Inference. Learn hence the fad cafe of the wicked : they cannot fay ' Our Father in heaven ;' they may fay. Our Judge, but not, ' Our Father;' they fetch their pedigree from hell, John viii. 44. • Ye are of your father the Devil.' Such asar'2 unclean and profane, are the fpurious brood of the old ferpent, and it were blafphen)y for them to call God Father. The cafg of the wicked is deplorable : if they are in mifery, they have none to make their moan to; God is not their Father, he difclaims all kindred with them, Mat. vii. S3. * I never knew you : depart from me, ye that work iniquity :* the wicked, dying in their (in, can expect no mercy from God

as a Father: many fay, He that made them will fave them ; but, 11a. xxvii. ll. ' It is a people of no underftanding, therefore lie that made them, will not have mercy on them.' Tho* God was their Father by creation, yet becaufe they were not his children by adoption, * therefore he that made them would not fave them.'

Ufe II, Of exhortation. To perfuade all who are yet Grangers to God, to labour to come into this heavenly kindred ; never leave till you can fay, * Our Father which art in heaven.'

Qu. But unll God be a Father to me, who have profaned his name, and been a great /inner 9

Anf. If thou wilt now at laft feek to God by prayer, and break off thy fins, God hath the bowels of a Father for thee, and will in no wife call thee out. When the prodigal did arife and go to his father, * his father had compaltion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kiffed him,' Luke xv. 10. Though thou hafl been a prodigal, and almoll fpent all upon thy lulls, yet, if thou wilt give a bill of divorce to thy fins, and flee to God by repentance, know that he hath the bowels of a father ; he will embrace thee in the arms of his mercy, and feal thy pardon with a kifs. What tho' thy fins have been heinous ? the wound is not io broad as the plaifter of Chrift's blood. The fea covers great rocks : the fea of God's compafTion can drown thy great lins; therefore be not difcouraged, go to God, refolve to call thyfelf upon his fatherly bowels; God maj^ be entreated of thee, as he was of him, Manaffah, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 13.

Ufe III. Of comfort. To fuch as can upon good grounds call God Father. There's more Iweetnefs in this word Father, than if we had ten thoufand worlds. David thought it a great matter to be fon-in-law to a king, 1 Sam. xviii. 18. * What is my father's family, that I fhould be fon-in-law to the king?* But what is it to be born of God, and have God for our Father ?

Qn. Wherein lies the happinefs of having God for our Father 7

Anf. 1. If God be our Father, then he will teach us. What father will refufe to counfel his fon ? doth God command parents to inflruci their children, Deut. iv. 10. and will not he infl:ru6l his? Ifa. xlviii. 17- * I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit.' Pfal. Ixxi. 17. * O Gcd, thou hafl taught me from my youth.' If God be our Father, he will give us the teachings of his Spirit; ' The natural man receives not the things of God, neither can he know them,' 1 Cor. i'l. 14. The natural man may have excellent notions in divinity, but God muft teach us to know the mylleries of the gofpel after

ATpintual manner. A man may fee the figures upon a dial, but he caniiol tell how the day goes, unlefs the fun Ihine : we may read many truths in the Bible, but we cannot know them favingly, till God, by his Spirit, fhine upon our foul. God teacheth not only our ear, but our heart : he not only informs pur mind, but inclines our will; we never learn till God teach us. If God be our Father, he will teach us how to order our affairs with dilcretion, Pf. cxii. 5. How to carry ourfelves wifely, 1 Sam. xviii. 5. * David behaved himCelf wifely.' He will teach us what to anfwer when we are brought before governors ; he will put words into our mouths, Matth. x. 18, 19. ■ 20. • Ye (hall be brought before governors and kings for my fake : but take no thought how or what ye (hall fpeak : for it is not ye that fpeak, but the Spirit of your Father which fpeak-elh in you.*

2. If God be our Father, then he hath bowels of afle6tion to-vi'crds us. If it be fo unnatural for a father but to love his child, can we think God can be defedlive in his love ? x'^il the atledions of parents come from God, yet are but a fpark from his flame. He is the Father of mercies, 2 Cor. i. 3. He begets all the mercies and bowels in the creature ; his love to his children, is a love which palfeth knowledge, Eph. iii. 19. It exceeds all dimenfions ; it is higher than heaven, it is broader than the fea. That you may fee God's fatherly love to his children ; I. Confider God makes a precious valuation of them, lia. xliii. 4. * Since thou wall precious in my light.' A father prizelh his child above his jewels ; their names are precious, for they have God's own name written upon them, Rev. iii. 12. * I will write upon him the name of my God.* Their prayers are a precious perfume ; their tears God's bottles, Pf. Ivi. 8. God efteems his children as a crown of glory in his hands, Ifa. Ixv. 3. (2.) God loves the places they were bora in the better for their fakes, Pf. Ixxxvii. 6. ' Of Zion it (hall be faid. This man was born there ;' this and that believer was born there : God loves the ground his children tread upon ; hence Judea, the featof God's children and chofen, God calls a delighlfome land, Mai. iii. 12. It was not only plealiint for fituation and fruitfulnefs, but becaufe God's children, wiio were his Hephjibah, or delight, lived there. (3.) He chargeth the great ones of the world not to prejudice his children : their per-fons are facred, Pf. cv. 14. ' He futfered no man to (Jo them wrong : yea, he reproved kings for their fakes, faying. Touch not mine anointed.' By anomted, is meant the children of the higii God, who have the uuclion of the Spirit, and are let apart for God. (4.) God delights in iheir company, he loves to fee their countenance, and hear their voice. Cant. ii. 14. He cannot refrain long fron:i their company ; let but two or

Vol, ii. No. 13. G

hO OF THE PREFACE

three of his children meet and pray together, he willbe fure to be among them. Mat. xviii. 20. ' Where two or three are met together in my name, lam in the midll of them.' (5.) God bears his children in his bofom, as a nurfing-father doth the fucking-child, Numb. xi. 12- Ifa. xlvi. 4. To be carried in God's bofom, (hews how near his children lie to his heart. (6.) God is full of folicitous care for them, 1 Pet. v. 7. * He careth for you.' His eye is ftili upon them, they are never out of his thoughts. A father cannot always take care for his child, he fometimes is alleep ; but God is a Father that never lleeps, Pf. cxxi. 4. • He neither llumbereth nor fleepeth.* (7.) He thinks nothing too good to part with to his children ; he gives them the kidneys of the wheat, and honey out of the rock, and * Wine on the lees well refined,' Ifa. xxv. 0. He gives them three jewels more worth than heaven, the blood of his Son, the grace of his Spirit, the light of his countenance. Never was there fuch an indulgent, aifedionate Father. (S.) If God hath one love better than another, he beftows it upon them : they have the cream and quinteffence of his love ; ' He will rejoice over thee, he will reft in his love,' Zeph. iii. 17. God loves his children with fuch a love as he loves Chriffc, John xvii. 26. It is the fame love, for the unchangeablenefs of it ; God will no more ceafe to love his adopted fons, than he will to love his natural Son.

3. If God be our Father, he will be full of fympathy, Pf. ciii. 13. ' As a father pitieth his children, lb the Lord pitieth them that fear him.' Jer. xxxi. 20. ' Is Ephraim my dear fon ? my bowels are troubled for him.* God pities his children in two cafes ; (1.) In cafes of infirmities, (2.) Injuries.

(1.) In cafe of infirmities. If the child be deformed or hath any bodily diftemper, the father pities it : If God be our Father, he pities our weaknefl'es ; and he fo pities them as to heal them, Ifa. Ivii. 18. * I have feen his ways, and will heal him.' As God hath bowels to pity, fo he hath balfam to heal*

(2.) In cafe of injuries. Every blow of the child goes to the father's heart ; when the faints fuffer, God doth fympathize, Ifa. Ixiii, y. ' In all their aftli6tions he was affli6led.' He did, as it were, bleed in their wounds. * Saul, Saul, why perfecut-eft thou me ?' When the foot was trod on, the head cried out. Judges X. 19. ' God's (bul was grieved for the children of Israel,' As when one llring in a lute is touched, all the red of the ftrings found ; when God's children arellricken, his bowels found, Zech. ii. 8. ' He that touchelh you, toucheth the apple of my eye.'

4. If God be our Father, he will take notice of the leaft good he fees in us : if there be but a figh for fin, God hears it, Pf. xxxviii. 9. • My groaning is not hid from thee/ If there be

but a penitential tear comes out of our eye, God fees it, Ifa. xxxviii. 5. • I have feen thy tears.' It there be but a good intention, God takes notice, 1 Kings viii. 18. * Whereas it was in thy heart to build an houfe to my name, thou didfl. well that it was in thine heart.' God punifheth intentional wicked-nels, and crowns intentional goodneCs, ' Thou didft well that it was in thine heart.' God takes notice of the \ezk\\ Jcintilla, the leaft fpark of grace in his children, 1 Pet. iii. 6. * Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord :' the Holy Gholl doth not mention Sarah's unbelief or laughing at the promil'e ; he puts a finger upon the fear, winks at her failing, and only takes no-^ tice of the good that was in her, her obedience to her hulband ;

• flie obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.' Nay, that good which the faints fcarce take notice of in themlelves, God in a fpecial manner oblerves, Matth. xxv. 35. ' I was an hungred. and ye gave me meat, J was thirdy and ye gave me drink.'

• Then fliall the righteous fay, Lord, when law we thee an hungred and fed thee ?' They did as it were overlook and dif-claim their own works of charity, yet Chrift doth take notice,

• I was an hungred and ye fed me.* What comfort is this ! God fpies the leall good in his children ; he can fee a grain of corn hid under chaif, grace hid under corruption.

5. If God be our Father, he will take all we do in good part. Thofe duties we ourfelves cenfure, God will crown. When a child of God looks over his beft duties, he fees fo much fin cleaving to them, that he is even confounded ; Lord, faith he, there is more fulphur than incenfe in my prayers. But for your comfort, if God be our Father, he will crown thole duties which you yourfelves cenfure; God fees there is fincerity in the hearts of his children, and this gold, (though light) Ihall have grains of allowance : though there may be defe6ts in the lervces of God's children, yet God will not call away their offering, 2 Chron. xxx. 20. ' The Lord healed the people.' The tribes of Ifrael being firaitened in time, wanted fome legal purifications ; yet, becaufe their hearts were right God healed them ; he pardoned them. God accepts of the good will, S Cor. viii. 12. A father takes a letter from his fon kindly, though there are blots or bad Englifh in it. What blottings are there in our heavenly things ; Yet our Father in heaven accepts ; faith God, it is my child and he will do better ; 1 will look upon him, through Chrilt, with a merciful eye.

6. If God be our Father, then he will corre6l us in meafure, Jer. xxx. 11. * I will correct thee in meafure ;' And thattwo ways ; IJiy It fhall be in meafure, for the kind ; God will not lay upon us more than we are able to bear, 1 Cor. x. 13. He knows our frame, Pf. ciii. 14. He knows we are not fteel or marble, therefore will deal gently, he will not over-afflid : as

G 2

the phyfician that knows the temper of the body, will not give! phytic too ftrong for the body : nor will he give one drachm or fcruple too much. God hath not only the title of a father, but the bowels of a father ; he will not lay too heavy burdens on his children, left their fpirits fail before him. '-^dhj. He will correct in meafure for the duration ; he will not let the affliction lie on too long, Pf. cxxv. 3. ' The rod of the wicked, fhall not rell upon the lot of the righteous.' It may be there, and not reft, Ifa. Ivii. 16. * I will not contend for ever.* Our heavenly Father will love for ever, but he will not contend for ever. The torments of the damned are for ever, Rev. xiv. 11. * The fmoke of their torment alcendeth up for ever and ever.* The wicked (hall drink a Tea of wrath, but God's children only tafte of the cup of affliction, and their heavenly Father will fay, tmnj'eat calix, ' let this cup pafs away from them,' Ifa. xxxv. 10. A fling a wing.

7. If God be our Father, he will intermix mercy with all our affli(5tions: if he gives us wormwood to drink, he will mix it with honey. In the ark, the rod was laid up, and manna ; with our Father's rod there is always fome manna.' * Aflier's fhoes were iron and brafs, but his foot was dipt in oil,' Gen. xxxiii. 24. Affli6tion is the fhoe of brafs that pincheth ; but there is niercy in the affli6tion, there is the foot dipt in oil. When God affli6ts the body, he gives peace of confcience ; there is mercy in the afflidtion. An affli6tion comes to prevent falling into fin ; there is mercy in an affliction. Jacob had his thigh hurt in wreftling ; there was the afiiiftion : but when he faw God's face, and received a bleffing from the angel. Gen. xxxii. 30. There was mercy in the afflidlion. In every cloud a child of God may fee a rainbow of mercy fhining. As the limner mixeth dark fhadows and bright colours together ; fo our heavenly Father mingles the dark and bright together, croifes and blefflngs ; and is not this a great happinefs, for God thus to chequer his providences, and mingle goodnefs with feverity ?

8. If God be our Father, the evil one Qiall not prevail againft us. Satan is called the evil one, emphatically : he is the grand enemy of the faints : and that both in a military fenfe, as he fights againfl them with his temptations ; and in a forenfical or law fenle, as he is an acculer, and pleads againft; them ; yet neither way ftiall he prevail againft God's children. As for his fhooting his fiery darts, God will bruife Satan fliorily under the faint's feet, Rom. xvi. yo. As for his accufing, Chrift is advocate for the faints, and anfwers all bills of indidment brought in againft them. God will make all Satan's temptations promote the good of his children, IJI, As they fet them more a-praying, 2 Cor. xii. 8. Temptation is a medicine for fecurity. SaVjz, As they are a means to humble them, 2 Cor. xii. 7. ' Ltit

TO THE lord's PRAYER. - 53

I fliould be exalted above meafure, there was given me a thorn ia the flelh.' The thorn in the fle(h was a temptation ; this thorn was to prick the bladder ot" pride. 3dh/, As they eilabhfh them more in grace : a tree (haUen by the wind is more letlled and rooted : the blowing of a temptation doth but fettle a child of God more in grace. Thus the evil one, Satan, Ihall not prevail apainll the children of God.

y. If God be our Father, no real evil (hall befal us, Pf. xci. 10. ' There fliall no evil befal thee.' It is not laid, no trouble : but, no evil: God's children are privileged perlbns ; they are privileged from the hurt of every thing, Luke x. ly. * Nothing iliaII by any means hurt you.' The hurt and malignity of the ailli6lion is taken away : affli6lion to a wicked man hath evil in it; it makes him worle, Rev. xvi. 9. ' Men werefcorch-e^i with great heat, and blafphemed the name of God.' But no evil belals a child of God, he is bettered by affliction, Heb. xii. 10. * That ye may be made partakers of his holinefs.* What hurt doth the furnace to the gold ? It only makes it purer: What hurt doth uffli6lions to grace ? Only refine and purify it. What a great privilege is this, to be freed, though not from the flroke of affliction, yet from the (ling 1 No evil fhall touch a faint: when the dragon hath poifoned the water, they fay, the unicorn with his horn doth draw out the poilbn : Chritl hath drawn out the poifon of every affliction, that it cannot prejudice a child of God. Again, no evil befals a child of God, becaufe no condemnation, Rom. viii. 1. * No condemnation to them in Chrill Jefus.' God doth not condemn them, nor confcience doth not condemn them. Both jury and judge acquit them; then no evil befals them, for nothing is really an evil but that which damns.

10. If God be our Father, this may make us go with cheerful-nefs to the throne of grace : were a man to petition his enemy, there were little hope : but when a child petitions his father, he may work with confidence to fpeed. The word father works upon God, it toucheth his very bowels. What can a father deny his child ? ' If a fon aflc bread will he give him a ftone?* IVIatth. vii. j). I'his may embolden us to go to God for pardon of fin, and further degrees of fan6tity. We pray to a Father of mercy, fitting upon a throne of grace, Luke xi. 13. ' If ye then being evil know to give good gifts to your children, how much more fhall your heavenly Father give his Spirit to them that afk him ?' This did quicken the church, and ad<l wings to prayer, lla. Ixiii. 15. ' Look down from heaven.' ver. Id. • Doubtlelij thou art our Father.* Who doth God keep his mercies for, but his children ? Th.ree things may caufe bold-nefs in prayer: we have a Father to pray to, and the Spirit to help us to pray, and an Advocate to prdent our prayers. God's

children fhoiiM in all their troubles, run to their heavenly Father, as that Tick child, 2 Kings iv. 19. * He faid unto his father, my head my head.' So pour out thy complaint to God in prayer, " Father, my heart my" heart : my dead heart, quicken it ; my hard heart, foften it in Chrift's blood. Father, my heart, my heart." Sure God, that hears the cry of the ravens, will hear the cry of his children.

11. If God be our Father, he will Hand between us and danger ; a father will keep off danger from his child. God calls himfelf Scutuin, a (hieid ; a (hield defends the head, guards the vitals ; God IhieldsotFdanger from his children. Acts xviii. 10.

* I am with thee, and none fliall feton thee to hurt thee.* God is an hiding-place, Pf. xxvii. 5. God preferved Athanafius ftrangely ; he put it into his mind to depart out of the houfe he was ill, the night before the enemy came to fearch for him. As God hath a breall to feed, fo he hath wings to cover his children, Pf. xci. 4. * He (hall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings flialt thou truft.' God appoints his holy angels to be a life-guard about his children,' Heb. i. 14. Never was any prince lb well guarded as a believer. The angels, IJi, Are a numerous guard, 2 Kings vi. 17. * The mountain was full of horfes of fire round about Eliflia.' The horfes and chariots of fire were the angels of God, to defend the prophet Eliftia. ^dly, A ftrong guard ; one angel, in a night, flew an hundred and fourfcore and five thoufand," 2 Kings xix, 32. If one angel flew fo many, what would an army of angels have done? Sdly, The angels area fwiftguard ; they are ready in an infiant to helpGod'schildren: therefore they are defcribed with wings, to fliew their fwiftnefs ; they fly to our help, Dan. ix. 21, 23.

* At the beginning of thy fupplication the commandment came forth, and I am come to thee.?' Here was a fwift motion for the angel to come from heaven to earth between the beginning and ending of Daniel's prayer. Athly, The angels are a watchful guard ; not like Saul's guard, afleep when their lord was in danger, 1 Sam. xxvi. 12. The angels are a vigilant guard, they watch over God's children to defend them, Pfal. xxxiv. 7.

* The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him.' There is an invifible guardianftiip of angels about God's children.

12. If God be our Father, we fliall not want any thing that he fees is good for us, Pfal. xxxiv. 10. * They that feek the Lord fhall not want any good thing,' God is pleafed fome-times to keep his children to hard commons, but it is good for them: ftieep thrive belt on fliort pafture; God fees too much may not be good : plenty breeds furfeit. Luxuriant anhni rebus fecundis. God fees it good Ibmetimes to diet his children, and

keep them fliort, that they raky run the heavenly race the bet-

ter : it was good for Jacob there was a famine in the land : it was a means to bring him to his Ton Jofeph : fo it is that God's children lometimes fee the world's emptinefs, that they may acquaint themfelves more with Chrift's fulnefs. If God fee it be good for them to have more of the world they (hall have it: God will not let them want any good thing.

13. If God be our Father, all the promifes of the Bible belong to us: God's children are called * heirs of the promife,' Heb. vi. 17. A wicked man can lay claim to nothing in the Bible but the curfes; he hath no more to do abfolutely with the promifes, than a plowman hath to do with the city charter : the promifes are children's bread : the promifes are muUtraUa Evan" gelii, the breads of the goipel milking out confolations; and who are to fuck of thefe breafts but God's children } The promife of pardon is for them, Jer. xxiii. 8. * I will pardon all their iniquity, whereby they have finned againft me.' The promife of healing is for them, Ifa. Ivii. IS. The promife of falvation, Jer. xxiii. Q. 'The promifes are fupports of faith: they are God's fealed deed ; they are a Chriftian's cordial. O the heavenly comforts which are diflilled from the limbec of the promifes! St, Chryfollom compares the Icriptures to agarden, the promifes are the fruit trees that grow in this garden : a child of God may go to any promife in the Bible, and pluck comfort from it: he is an heir of the promife.

14. God makes all his children conquerors : 1. They conquer themfelves ; fortior eji quife quam qui forti[Jima vincit maenia. The faints conquer their own lulls ; * they bind thefe princes in fetters of iron,' Pf cxlix, 8. Though the children of God may fometimes be foiled, and lofe a fingle battle, yet not the victory. 9. They conquer the world : The world holds forth her two breafts of profitand pleafure, and many are overcome by it; but the children of God have a worid-conquering faith, i John v. 4.

* This is the victory over the world, even your faith.* 3. They conquer their enemies; how can that be, when they oft take away their lives? 1. They conquer, by not complying with them : the three children would not fall down to the golden image, Dan. iii. 18. They would rather burn than bow ; here they were conquerors. He who complies with another's luti, is a captive ; he who refuleth to comply is a conqueror.

(9.) God's children conquer their enemies by heroic patience. A patient Chrillian, like the anvil,-bears all ftiokes invincibly : thus the martyrs overcame their enemies by patience. Nay,

* God's children are more than conquerors.' Rom. viii. 37.

* We are more than conquerors.' How are God's children more than conquerors ? Becaufe they conquer without lofs, and be-» caufe they are crovvned after death which other conquerors are not.

i

15. If God be our Father he will now and then fend us feme tokens of his love. God's children live far from home, and meet fometimes with coarfe ufage from the unkind world ; therefore,, God, to encourage his children, fends them fometimes tokens . and pledges of his love : What are thefe ? He gives them a return of prayer, there is a token of love ; he quickens and enlarg-eth their hearts in duty, there is a token of love ; he gives them thefirft fruits of his Spirit which are love tokens, Rom. viii. «3. As .God gives the wicked the firft fruits of hell, horror of con-fcience and defpair : fo he gives his children the fird fruits of his Spirit, joy and peace, which are foretalles of glory; (bme of God's children having received thefe tokens of love from their heavenly Father, have been fo tranfported, that they have died for joy, as the glafs oft breaks with the ftrength of the wine put into it.

16. If God be our Father, he will indulge and fpare us, Mai. iii. 17. * I will fpare them, as a man fpareth his own fon that . ferveth him.' God's fparing his children, imports this, his clemency towards them ; he doth not punilh them as he might, Pf. ciii. 10. ' He hath not dealt with us according to our fins.' We olt do that which merits wrath, grieve God's Spirit, lelapfe into (in ; God paileth by much, and fpares us ; God did not fpare his natural Son, Rom^ viii. 32. Yet he will fpare his adopted fons ; God threatened l^phraim, to make hinj as the chatf driven with the whirlwind, but he foon repented, Hof. xiii. 4. ' Yet I am the Lord thy God,' ver. 10. * I will be thy king.' Here God fpared him, as a father fpares his fon. Ifrael oft provoked God with their complaints, but God ufed clemency toward them, he oftanfwered their murmurings with mercies; here he fpared them as a father fpares his fon.

17. If God be our Father, he will put honour and renown upon us at the lad day. 1. He will clear the innocency of his children. God's children in this life are ilrangely mifreprefent-ed to the world ? They are loaded with invectives, they are called fadious, ('editions : Elijah, the troubler of Ifrael: Luther was called the trumpet of rebellion ; Athanalius was accufed to the emperor Conliantine, to be the raifer of tutnults; the primitive Chrillians were accufed to be infanticidn mcejine re?', killers of their children, guilty of inceft ; as TertuUian, reported St. Paul to be a pellilent perfon. Ads xxiv. 4. Famous WicklitT, called the idol of the heretics, and that he died drunk. If Satan cannot defile God's children, he will difgrace them ; if he cannot Itrike his fiery darts into their confcience, he will put a dead fly into their name : but God will one day clear his children's innocency, he will roll away their reproach; as God will make a reiiirredion of bodies, lb of names, Ifa. xxv. 8. ' The JLord God will wipe away tears from otl all faces, and the re-

buke of his people (hall he take away.' God will be the faints' compurgator, Pi", xxxvii. 6. ' He fhall bring forth thy righ-teoufnel's as the light.' The nii.ht cafts ils dark mantle upon the ntofl beautiful flowers; but the light comes in the morning and difpels the darkneis, and every flower appears in its orient brightnefs. So the wicked may by inilreports darken the honour and repute of the faints : but God will difpel this darknefs, and caule their names to fhine forth : * He (hall bring forth thy righteoulhefs as the light.' As God did ftand up for the honour of Mofes, when Aaron and Miriam went about to ecliple his fame, Numb. xii. 8. * Wherefore then were ye not afraid to fpeak againft my fervant Mofes ?' So will God (ay one day to the wicked, wherefore were ye not afraid to dffame and traduce my children .^ They having my image upon them, how durft ye abufe my pi6ture ? At latl God's children (liall come forth out of all their calumnies, as a * dove covered with filver, and her feathers with yellow gold,' Pf. Ixviii. 13. 2. God will make an open and honourable recital of all their good deeds: as the fins of the wicked fhall be openly mentioned, to their eternal infamy and confufion ; (ball the good deeds of the faints Ihall be openly mentioned, * and then Ihall every man have praife of God, I Cor. iv. 5. Every prayer made with meliiiig eyes, every good (ervice, every work of charity, (hall be openly declared before men and angels, Matih. xxv. 35. ' I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat ; thirlty, and ye gave me drink ; naked, and ye clothed me.' Thus God will let a trophy of honour upon all his children at the iaft day ; ' then (hail the righteous fhine forth as the fun in the kingdom of their father,' Matth. xiii. 43.

18. If God be our Father, he will fettle good land of inheritance upon us, 1 Pet. i. 4. * Blefled be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus, who hath begotten us again to a lively hope, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled.* A father may be fallen to decay, and have nothing to leave his Ion but his ble(f-ing; but God will fettle an-inheritance on his children, and an inheritance no lefs than a kingdom, Luke xii. 32. ' It is your Father's good pleafure to give you a kingdom.* This kingdom is more glorious and magnificent than any earthly kingdom; it is fet out by pearls and precious Hones, tlie rich-cftjewels. Rev. xii. U). Wh<\t are all the rarities of the world to this kingdom ? the coafts of pearl, the ilLaids of fpices, the rocks of diamonds? In this heaveidy kingdom is that which is fatisfying, unparalleled beauty, rivers of pleafure, and this fof ever, Pll xvi. 11. ' At thy ri;^ht-hand are pleafures for evermore.' Heaven's eminency is it.s permanency ; and this kingdom God's children Ihall enter into immediately after death : there is a fudden iranfition and paiiUge from death to glory,

Vol. n. No, IS, H

2 Cor. V. o. * Abfent from the body, prefent with tTie Lord.* God's children fliall not liay loner for their inheritance ; it is but winking, and tli.ey fhall fee God. How may this comfort God's children, who perhaps are low in the world? Your Father in heaven, will lettle a kingdom upon you at death, fuch a kingdom as eye hath not feen ; he will give you a crown not of gold, but glory : he will give you white robes lined with immortality. * It is your Father's good pleafure, to give you a kingdom.'

10. If God be our Father, it is comfort, 1. In cafe of lofs of relations : hati thou loll a father r Yet, if thou art a believer, thou art no orphan, thou halt an heavenly Father, a father that never dies, 1 Tim. vi. 16. ' \Yho only hath immortality.' '-2. It is comfort, in cafe of death ; God is thy Father, and at death thou art going to thy Father: well might Paul fay ' death is youi-s,' 1 Cor. iii. 2. It is your friend, that will carry you home to your father. How glad are children when they are going home ? This was Chrilt's comfort at death, he wat going to his Father, John xvi. 28. * I leave the world, and go to the Father.' And, John xx. 17. ' I afcend to my Father.' If God be our Father, we may with comfort at the day of death, refigu our fouls into his hand : to did Chrili, Luke sxiii. 40. ' Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit.' If a child hath any jewel, he will, in time of danger, put it into his father's hands, where he thinks it will be kept moil fafe : our foul i? our richelt jewel; we may at death rtlign our fouls into God's hands, where they will be fafer than in our own keeping ; ' F"a-ther into thy hands I commend my Spirit.' AVhat a comfort is this, death carries a believer to his Father's houfe, * where are delights unfpeakable and full of glory '.' How glad was old Jacob, when he law the waggons and chanots to ciury him to his fon Jofeph? The text faith, ' His fpirit revived,' Gen. xlr. i;7- Death is a triumphant chariot, to carry every child of God to his father's manfion-houfe.

20. If God be our Father, he will not difmherit his children ; God may for a tin)e defert them, but not diiinherit them. The fons of kings have Ibmetimes been difinherited by the cruelty of ufurpers; as, Alexander the Great, his fon was put by hisjuft right, by the violence and ambition of his father's captains : -but what power on earth ihail hinder the heirs of the promiie from their inheritance ; men cannot, and God will not cut otY the entail. The Arminians hold falling away from grace, arul lb a cliild of God may be defeated of hij inheritance; but I Ihall fhew that God's children can never be degraded nor difinherited, their heavenly Father will not caft them olffrom being children. 1. It is evident God's children cannot be finally difinherited, by virtue of the eternal decree of heaven. God's de-

cree is the very pillar and bafison which the faints' perfeverance depend ; God's decree ties the knot of adoption to fall that neither (in, death nor hell, can break it aliinder, Rom. viii. 30. • Whom lie dj«j predeftiiiate, them he alfo called,' »Scc. Pre-deltination is nothing eUe but God's decreeinfr a certain number to be heirs of glory, on whom he will fettle the crown ; whom he predeliinates, he glorifies. What (hall hinder God's electing love, or make his decree null and void ? 2. Befides God's decree, he hath en2:aged himfelf by promil'e, that the heirs of heaven fhall never be put by their inheritance. God's promifes are not like blanks in a lottery, but as a fealed deed which can-uot be reverfed : the promiles are the faints' royal charier ; and this is one promife, that their heavenly Father will not difinhcrit them, Jer. xxxii. 40. ' I will make an everlafting covenant with them, that 1 will not turn away from them ; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they fliall not depart from me.' God's fidelity, which is the richell pearl of his crown, is engaged in this promife for his children's perfeverance; * I will not turn away from them.' A child of God cannot fall away, while he is held fafi in ihefe two arms of God, his love, and his faithfal-nefe. 3. Jefus Chrilt undertakes, that all God's children by adoption Ihall be preferved, in a (late of grace, till they inherit glory : as the heathens feigned of Atlas, that he did bear up the heavens from falling; Jefus Chrilt is that blell'ed Atlas, that bears up the faints from falling away.

Qu. How doth Chriji pre ferve the faints' graces, till they come to heaven ?

Avf. I. Lnfluxu Spiritus. Chrift carries on grace in the fouls of the elect, by the influence and co-operation of his Spirit: Chrift doth, Spiritii, continually excite and quicken grace in the godly : his Spirit doth blow up the fparks of-grace into a holy flame ; Spiritus eji vicarius Chrifti; the Spirit is Chrift's vicar on earth, his proxy, his executor, to fee that all that Ciirill hath purchafed for-the laints be made good : Chrilt hath obtained an inheritance incorruptible for them, 1 Pet. i. 4. and the Spirit of Chrill is his executor, to liee that this inheritance be fettled upon them. 5. Chrilt carries on perfeveringly in the fouls of the elect, vi oratiouis, by the prevalency of his inter-celfion, Heb. vii. 25. * He ever iiveth to make intercellion for them.' Chrift prays that eveiy faint may hold out in grace till he comes to heaven ; can the children of fuch prayers perifli? If the heirs of heaven fhould be difinherited, and fall ihort of glory, then God's decree mull be reverfed, his promife broken, Chrift's prayer frullrated, which were blafphemy to imagine. 4. That God's children cannot be difinherited, or put by their right to the crown of heaven, is evident from their niyfiical union with Chrilt. Believer^ are incorporated into

H2

©0 OF THE PREFACE

Chrift, they are knit to Chrift, as the members fo the head, by the nerves and ligaments of faith, fo that they cannot be broken (AT, Eph. i. 22. 23. * The church which is his body.' What was once faid of Chrift's natural body, is as true of his myftical, • A bone of it (hall not be broken.' As it is impoflible to fever the leaven and the dough when they are once mingled and kneaded together; fo it is impoflible, when Chrift and believers are once united, that they thould never, by the power of death or hell, be feparated. Chrift and his fpiritual members make one Chrift : now, is it poflible that any part of Chrift fiiould perifh ? How can Chrift want any member of his body myftical, and be perfe6t ? Every member is an ornament to the body, and adds to the honour of it: how can Chrift part with any myftical member, and riot part with fome of his glory too ? So that by all this it is evident, that God's children muft needs perfevere in grace, and cannot be difinherited. . If they could be difinherited, then the fcriptue could not be fulfilled, which tells us of glorious rewards for the heirs of promife, Pfal. Iviii. 11. ' Doui)tlefs there is a reward for the righteous.' Now, if God's adopted children fliould fall away finally from grace, and mils of heaven, what reward were there for the righteous? and Mofes did indifcreetly tolook for the recompenceof the reward, and fo there would be a door opened to defpair.

Obj. This doctrine of God's children perfevering, and having the heavenly inheritance fettled on theniy may cauje carnal fe-curity, and make them lej's circumfpect in their talking.

Anf. Corrupt nature may, as the fpider, fuck poifon from this flower ; but a fober Chriftian, who hath felt the efficacy of grace upon his heart, dares not abufe this do6trine : he knows perfeverance is attained in the ufe of means, therefore he walks liolily, that fo in the ufe of means he may arrive at perfeverance. St. Pdul knew that he fhould not be difinherited, and that nothing could (Separate him from the love of Chrift : but who more holy and watchful than he ? I Cor. ix. 27« * I keep under my body;* and, Phil. iii. J4. * I prefs towards the mark.' God's children have that holy fear in them, which keeps them from fecurity and wantonneis ; they believe the promife, therefore they rejoice in hope; they fear their hearts, therefore they watch and pray. Thus you fee what ftrong confolation there is for all the heirs of the promife. Such as have God for their Father are the happieft perfons on earth ; they are in fuch a condition that nothing can hurt them ; they have their Father's blefiing, all things confpire for their good ; they have a kingdom fettled on theni, and the entail can never be cut oft". How may God's . children be comforted in all conditions, let the times be what they will ? their Father is in heaven, he rules all: if troubles arife, they (hall but carry God's children fo much the fooner to

their Father. The more violently the wind beats againft the i'ails of a (hip, the fooner the (hip is brought to the haven ; and the more iiercely God's children are aliauited, the fooner they come to their Father's houfe, 1 Thelf. iv. 18. * Wherefore comfort one another with thefe words.'

Uj'e 4. Of exhortation. Let «s behave and carry ourfelves as the children of fuch a Father, in feveral particulars.

1. Let us depend upon our heavenly Father in all our flraits and exigencies : let us believe that he will provide for us. Children rely upon their parents for the fupply of wants': if we trult God for fiilvation, fhall we not trult him for a livel-ihood ! There is a lawful provident care to be itfed, but beware of a dillruitful care, Luke xii. 24. ' Confider the ravens, they neither low nor reap, and God feedeth them.' Doth God feed the birds of the 3ir, and will he not feed his children? Ver. 27. * Confider the Jilies how they grow; they f pin not: yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of thefe.' Doth God clothe the lilies, and will he not clothe his lambs? Even the wicked talle of God's bounty, Pfal. Ixxiv. 7. • Their eyes (land out with fatnefs.* Doth God feed his flaves, and will not he feed his family? God's children may not have fo liberal a fliare in the thlng.s of this life, but little meal in the barrel; they may be drawn low, but not drawn dry ; they (hall have fo much as God fees is good for them, Pfal. xxxiv. 10. * They that feek the Lord (hall not want any good thing.' If God gives them not ad voluntatem, he will ad fanitatem ; if he gives them not always what they crave, he will give them what they need ; if he gives them not a fead, he will give them sl viaticum, a bnit by the way : let God's children therefore depend upon God's fatherly providence; give not way to diilruliful thoughts, di(lra6ting cares, or indire6t means ; God can provide for you without your (ins, 1 Pet. V. 7. * Cafi;ing all your care upon him, for he careth for you.* An earthly parent may have affection for his child, and would provide for him, but fbmetimes he is not able ; but God can create a fupply for his children ; yea, be hath promifed a fup] iy, Pfalm xxxvii. 3. * Verily thou flialt be fed.' Will God give his children heaven, and will he not give them enough to bear their charges thither ? Will be give them a kingdom, and deny them daily bre^d ? O depend upon your heavenly Father ; he hath faid, * He will never leave you, nor forfake you,' Heb. xiii. 5.

2. If God be our Father, let us imitate him : the child doth not only bear his father's image, but doth imitate him in his fpeech, gefture, behaviour : if God be our Father, let us imitate him, Eph. v. 4. * Be ye followers- of God as dear children.* 1. Imitate God in forgiving injuries, Ifj. xliv. 23. ' I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy trangrellions.' As the fun feat-

ters not only thin mifts, but thick clouds, fo God pardons great offences ; imitate God in this, Eph. iv. 32. * Forgiving one another.'—Cranmer was a man of a forgiving fpirit, he did bury injuries, and requite good for evil ; he who hath God for his Father, hath God for his pattern. 2. Imitate God in works of mercy ; He loofeth the prilbners, Pfal. cxlvi. 7- ' He open-eth his hand, and fatistieth the defire of every living thing,* Pfal. cxlv. 16. He drops his fweet dew as well upon the thif-tle as the rofe ; Imitate God in works of mercy ; relieve the wants of others, be rich in Good works, Luke vi. 36. * Be merciful as your Father alfo is merciful.' Be not fo hardhearted, as to fliut the poor out of the lines of communication. Dives denied Lazarus a crumb of bread, and Dives was denied a drop of water.

3. If God be our Father, let us fubmit patiently to his will : ifhejjiy his (Irokes on us, they are the corredlions of a Father, not the punifhmentsofajudge; this made Chrift fo patient, John xviii. 11. ' Shall I not drink the cup which my Father hath given me ?*, He fees we need afflidibn, I Pet. i. t). heap-points it as a diet-drink to purge and fantVify us, Ifa. xxvii. 9, therefore difpute not but fubmit, Heb. xii. [)• ' We had fathers of the flefli which corre6led us, and we gave them reverence ;* they might corre6t out of an humour but God doth it for our profit, Heb. xii. 10. Therefore fay, as Eli, 1 Sam. iii. 18. * It is the Lord, let him do what feemelh good.' What gets the child by ilruggling, but more blows } What got Ifrael by their murmuring and rebellion, but a longer and more tedious march, and at laft their carcafesfell in the wilderneis.

4. If God be our Father, let this caufe in us a child-like reverence, Mai. 1. (5. * If I be a Father, where is my honour ?' This is a part of the honour we give to God, when we reverence and adore him : if you have not always a child-like confidence, yet always prefeive a child-like reverence. And how ready are we to run into extremes, either to defpond or grow wanton } Becaufe God is a Father, therefore do not think you may be fecure and take liberty to fin ; if you do, God may carry it fo as if he were no Father ; he may throw hell into your confcience. When David prefumed upon God's paternal affection, and began to wax wanton under mercy, God made liim pay dear for it, he withdrew the fenfe of his love ; and though he had the heart of a Father, yet he had the look of an enemy. David prayed, ' Caule me to hear the voice of joy.' Pfal. li. S. He lay leveral months in defertion, and it is thought he never recovered his full joy to the day of his death. Oh keep ahve holy fear ; with a child-like confidence, prelervean hum-

■ ble reverence : the Lord is a Father, therefore love to fferve him ; he is the mighty God, therefore fear to offend him.

TO THE LORD S PRAYER. Q$

5. If God be our Father, let us walk obedientially, 1 Pet. i. 14. 'As obedient children.* When God bids you be humble and felf-denying, deny youi-s, part with yourbofoni-fin : be fober in your attire, favoury in your fpeeches, ^rave in your deportment, obey your Father's voice ; open to God, as the flower opens to the fun : as you expe6t your Father's bleffing, obey him in whatever he commands, firlt and fecond table duties. A lutanift, that he may make fweet mufic, toucheth upon every ftring of the lute ; "the ten commandments are like u ten-(lringed inllrument, touch upon every ftring, obey every commandment, or you cannot make fweet melody in religion. Obey your heavenly Father, though he commands things contrary to fleOi and blood. 1. When he commands to mortify fin, that fin which hath been dear to you : pluck out this right eye| that you may fee the better to go to heaven. 2. When be' commands you to fufl'er for him, be ready to obey, Ads xxi. 13. Every good Chriflian hath afpirit of martyrdom in him, and is ready rather to fuffer for the truth, than the truth fliould fufler. Luther faid, he had rather be a martyr, than a monarch, Peter was crucified with his head downwards, as Eu-febius. Ignatius called his chains, his fpiritual pearls, and did wear his fetters as a bracelet of diamonds. This is to carry it as God's children, when we obey his voice, and count not our Jives dear, fo that we may fhew our love to our heavenly Father, llev. xii. 11. * They loved not their lives to the death.'

0. If God be your Father, fiiew it by your cheerful looks that you are the children of fuch a Father. Too much drooping and defpondency difparageth the relation you ftand in to God! VVhat though you meet with hard ufage in the world ? You are now in a ftrange land, far from home ; it will be fhortly better with you, when yoii are in your own country, and your Father hath you in his arms. Doth not the heir rejoice in hope ? ihall the fonsof a king walk dejeded ? 2 Sam. xiii. 4. « Why art thou, being the king's fon, lean?' is God an unkind Father ? are his commands grievous ? hath he no land to give to his heirs ? W hy then do God's children walk fo fad > Never had children tuch privileges as they who are of the feed-royal of heaven, and have God tor their Father ; they fhould rejoice there-tore, who are within a few hours to be crowned with glory.

7. If God be our Father, let us honour him bv walking very Iiolily, I Pet. i. Id. ' Be ye holy, for I am holy.' A young pnnce aJking a philofopher how he fiiould behave himfelf, the philofopher (liid. Memento teji/lumejk re^w^—Remember thou art a king's fon : do nothing but what becomes the (on of a King : lb remember you are the adopted fons and daughters of the high God, do noihiog unworthy of fuch a relation. A debauched child is the dilgrace of his father. Is this thy ihns

coat ? fald they to Jacob, when they brought it home dipped ill blood. Gen. xxxviii. 32. lb when we lee a perfon defiled with malice, palfion, drunkeunefs, we may fay, is this the coat of God's adopted fon ? doth lie look as an heir of glory ? It is a blafpheming the name of God, to call him Father, yet live in fin. Such as prolefs God is their Father, yet live unholily, they ■will flander and defraud ; thefe are as bad to God as heathens, Amos ix. 7. • * Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians to me, O children of I frae I, faith the Lord .?' The Ethiopians were uncircumcifed, a bafe, ill-bred people ; when Ifrael grew wicked, they were no better to God than Ethiopians. Loofe ican-dalous livers under the gofpel are no better in God's efteem than Pagans and Americans ; nay, they (hall have an hotter place in hell. O let all who profefs God to be their Father, honour hiin by their unfpotted lives. Scipio abhorred the embraces of an harlot, becaufe he was the general of an army: abftain from all lin, becaufe you are born of God, and have God for your Father, 1 Theff. v. 21. * Abftain from all appearance of evil.' It was a faying of Auguftus, an emperor (hould not only be free from crimes, but from the fufpicion of them. By an holy life you would bring glory to your heavenly Father, and caufe others to become his children : EJi pa/lax virtutis odor. Cauiinus in his hieroglyphics fpeaks of a dove, whofe wings being perfumed with Tweet ointments, did draw the other doves after her; the holy lives of God's children is a fweet perfume to draw others to religion, and make them to be of the family of God. Juftin Martyr iaith, " 'J'hat which converted him to Chriftianity, was the beholding the blamelefs lives of the Chril^ians."

8. If God be our Father, let us love all that are his children, Pf. cxxxiii. 1. ' How pleaCant is it for brethren to dwell together in unity?' it is compared to ointment, ver. 2. for the iweet fragrancy of it, 1 Pet. ii. 17. * Love the brotherhood.' Idem eji motiis anmae in imag'mem et rem. The faints are the walking pictures of God -. if God be our Father, we love to fee his picture of holinefs in believers ; we pity them for their infirmities, but love them for their graces ? we prize their company above others, Pf. cxix. (55. It mayjutily be fufpe6led that God is not their Father, who love not God's children ; though they retain the * communion of faints' in their creed, yet they banilh the communion of faints out of their company.

9. If God be our Father, let us fhew heavenly mindednefs : they who are born of God, do fet their alfedions on things that are above. Col. iii. 2. O ye children of the high God ! cio not difgrace your high birth by fordid covetoufnefs. What, a ion of God, and a flave to the world ! what fprung from heaven, and buried in the earth ! For a Chriftian, who pretends to de-

riVe his pedigree from heaven, yet wholly to m?ncl earthly things, is to debafe himfelf : as if a king fhould leave his throne to follow the plocgh, Jer. xliv. 5. * Seeked thou great things for thyfelf ?' As if the Lord had faid, * What thou Barak, thou who art born of God, a-kin to angels, and by thy office a Le-vite, dofl. thou debafe thyfelf, and fpot the filver wings of thy grace, by beiiining them with earth? Seekeft thou great things? Seek them not.' The earth chokes the fire : earthlinefs chokes the fire of good atre6lions. •

10. nit. If God be our Father, let us own our heavenly Fa-tlier in the vvorll times ; ftand up in hiscaufe, defend his truths. Alhanafius owned God, when moftof the world turned Arians. If fufJeringscome, do not deny God : he is a bad fon, who denies his father. Such as are afliamed of God in times of danger, God will be afliamed to own them for his children, Mark viii. 38. * Whofoever therefore (hallbeafliamed of meand my words in this adulterous generation, of him alfo (hall the Son of man be adiauied, when he comes in the glory of his Father, with his holy angels.' So I have done with the firft part of the preface,

* Our Father.'

11. The (econd part of the preface (which I fhall briefly touch on) is, ' Which art in heaven.* God is laid to be in heaven^ not tha-t he is fo included there, that he is no where elfe ; for the ' heaven of heavens cannot contain him,* 1 Kings viii, 97. But, the meaning is, God is chiefly refident in the empyrean heaven, which the apoftle calls ' the third heaven,' 2 Cor. xli. 2. there God doth mod give forth glory to his faints and angels.

Qu. What may ice learn from this, that God is in heaven?

Anf. 1. Hence we learn that we are to raife our minds in prayer above the earth. God is no where to be Ipoken with, but in heaven. God never denied that foul his fuit, who went as far as heaven to afk it.

2. We learn from God's being in heaven, hisfovereign power. I]oc vocahulo intcUigitur omnia JubeJJ'e ejus imperio, Calvin. Pliil. cxv. 3. ' Our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatever he pleafed.' God being in heaven governs the univerfe, and orders all occurrences here below for the good of his children : when the laints are in ftraitsand dangers, and fee no way of relief, he can fend from heaven, and help them, Pf. Ivii. 3.

* He fhall fend from heaven, and fave me.'

3. We learn God's glory and niajefly : he is in heaven ; therefore ' he is covered with light,' Pial. civ. 2. ' Clothed with honour,' Pfal. civ. I, and is as far above all worldly princes, as heaven is above earth.

4. We learn, from God's being in heaven, his omnifciency ;

* All things are naked, and unmafked in his eye,* Heb, iv. 13.

Vol. II. No. 14, I

Men plot and contrive againft the church ; but God is in heaven, and they do nothing but vvliat our Father fees. If a man were on tlie top of a tower or theatre, he might thence fee all the people below: God is in heaven, as in an high tower or theatre, and he fees all the tranfa6tions of men. The wicked make wounds in the backs of the righteous, and then pour in vinegar; God writes down their cruelty, Exod. iii. 7. ' I have feen the affli6tions of my people.' God is in heaven, and he can thunder out of heaven tjpon his enemies, Pfal. xviii. 13. * The Lord thundered in the heavens ; yea, he fent out arrows, and fcattered them, andhelhot outlightenings, and difcomfited them.'

5. We learn, from God's being in heaven, comfort for the children of God ; when they pray to their Father, the way to heaven cannot be blocked up. One may have a father living in foreign parts, but the Avay, both by fea and by land, may be fo blocked up, that there is no coming to him : but thou faint of God, when thou prayell to thy Father, he is in heaven ; and though thou art never fo confined, thou mayeft have accefs to him. A prifon cannot keep thee from thy God : the way to heaven can never be blocked up.

So I have done with the word Father : I (hall next fpeak of the pronoun, * Our Father.* In the firft there is an appellation, Father; in the fecond-, an appropriation, * Our Father.' Chrift, by this word (Our), would teach us thus much ; * That in all our prayers to God, we Ihould a6t faith/ Our Father; Father, denotes reverence ; Our Father, denotes faith. In all our prayers to God, vi^e fhould exercife faith, * Our Father.* Faith is that which baptifeth prayer, and gives it a name ; it is called the * prayer of faith,' James v. 15. Without faith it is fpeaking, not praying. Faith is the breath of prayer ; prayer is dead, unlefs faith breathe in it. Faith is a necefiary requifite in prayer. The oil of the fan6tuary was made up of feveral fweet fpices, ' pure myrrh, caflia, cinnamon,' Exod. xxx. 23. Faith is the chief fpice, or ingredient into prayer, which makes it go up to the Lord, as fweet incenfe. Jam. i. 6. * Let him aflv in faith,' Mat. xxi. 22. * Whatfoeverye Qiallaflv in prayer, believing, ye fliall receive.' Invoco te, Domine, quayiquam languida et imhedlla fide, tamen fide ; " Lord, (faid St. Cru-ciger) I pray, though with a weak faith, yet with faith.'* Prayer is the gun we flioot with, fervency is the fire that dil^ chargeth it, and faith is the bullet which pierceth the throne of grace: prayer is the key of heaven, faith is the hand that turns it; * pray in faith,* * Our Father.* Faith muil take prayer by the hand, or there is no coming nigh to God ; prayer without faith is unfuccelsful. If a poor handy-craftfman, that lives by his labour, hath fpoiled his tools, that he cannot work, how

TO THE lord's PRAYER, QJ

Ihall he fubfift? Prayer is the tool we work with, which pro. cures all good for us : but unbelief Ipoils and blunts our prayers, and then we can get no bleffing from God: a prayer tliat is faithlels is fruitiefs. As Jofeph faid, ' You fhall not fee my lace, uniefs you bring your brother Benjamin with you,' Gen. xlii. 3. So prayer cannot fee God's face, uniefs it bring its brother faith with it. What is faid of Ifrael, ' They could not enter in becaufe of unbelief,' Heb. iii. I9. is as true of prayer, it cannot enter into heaven becaufe'of unbelief. This makes prayer often fuffer Oiipwreck, becaufe it dalheth upon the rock of unbelief. O Iprinkle faith in prayer. We mull fay, ' Our Father.'

Qu. 1. What doth praying in faith imply ? Anf. Praying in faith implies the having of faith ; the aft implies the habit. To walk implies a principle of life; lb to pray in faith implies an habit of grace. None can pray in failh but believers.

Qu. 2. What is it to pray in faith ?

Anf.^ 1. To pray in faith, is to pray for that which God hath promifed ; where there is no promife, we cannot pray in faith. 2. To pray in faith, is to pray in Chrill's meritorious name, John xiv. 13. ' Whatfoever ye Oiall afk in ray name, that will I do.' To pray in Chrill's name, is to pray in the hope ofconhdence of Chrill's merit. When we prefent Chrift to God in prayer ; when we carry the Lamb llain in our arms ; when we fay " Lord, we are (inners, but here is our furety .* for Chrill's lake be propitious :" this is coming to God in Chrill's name; and this is to pray in faith.

3. To pray in failh is, in prayer to fix our faith on God's faithfulnels, believing that he doth hear, and will help ; this is a taking hold of God, Ila. Ixiv. 7. By prayer we draw nigh to God, by faith we take hold ofhim, SChron. xiii. I4. ♦ The children of Judah cried unto the Lord ;* and this was the crying of faith, ver. IS. ' They prevailed, becaufe they relied on the Lord God of their fathers.' Making fupplication to God, and Haying the Ibul on God, is praying in faith. To pray* and not rely on him for the granting our petitions, irrejio Dei eji, faith Pelican; " it is to abule and put a fcorn onGod." By praying, we feem to honour God, by not believing we alTront him. in prayer we lay, Almighty, merciful Father; by not believing, we blot out all his titles again.

Qu. 3. How may we know that we do trulij pray in faith ? We may fay, ' Our Father; and think ice pray in faith, when it is jn prefiimption ; how therefji-e may we know that we do indeed pray in faith 9

Anf I When our faith in prayer is humble : a prelumptuous perfon hopes to be heard in prc.yer, for fome inherent worthi-

nefs in himfelf; he is fo qualified, and hath done God good lervice, therefore he is confident God will hear his prayer; fee an inltance, Luke xviii. 11, 12. ' The Pharifee Hood and ()ray-ed thus, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjuft : I fall twice in the week ; I give tythes of all I poilefs.' This was a prefumptuous prayer; but a fincere heart doth ax well a6t hunjility in prayer as faith, Luke xviii. 13. ' The publican (landing afar off would not lift upio much as his eyes to lieaven, but fniote upon his bread, faying, God be merciful to me a finner.' • God be merciful,' there was faith ;

* to me a finner,' there was humility and a fenfe of unworthi-nefs.

2. We may know we pf-ay in faith, when though we have rrot the prefent thing we pray for, yet we believe God will grant, therefore we will ftay his leifure. A Chriftian having a command to pray, and a promife, he is relblved to follow God with prayer, and not give over: as Peter, he knocked, yet the door was not opened ; but he contined knocking, and at laft it was opened, A6ls xii. 16. So a Chriflian prays and prays, but hath no anfwer; but he will continue knocking at heaven's door, knowing an anfwer will come, Pfal. Ixxxvi. 7- ' Thou wilt anfwer me.' Here is one that prays in faith. Chrill faith, ' Pray and faint not,* Luke xviii. 1. A believer, at Chrift's word, lets down the net of prayer, and though he catch nothing, he will cafl the net of prayer again, believing that mercy will come. Patience in prayer is nothing but faith fpun out.

Ufe 1. It reproves them that pray in formality, not in faith ; they queftion whether God hears or will grant, James iv. 3.

* Ye afk and receive not, becaufe ye afk amifs.' He doth not fay, ye afk that which is unlawful; but, ye afk amifs, and therefore they receive not. Unbelief clips the wiqgs of prayer, that it will not fly to the throne of grace ; the rubbifii of unbelief flops the current of prayer.

Ufe IL Of exhortation. Let us fet faith a-work in prayer, [Our Father.] The hufliandman fows in hope : prayer is the feed we fow ; when the hand of faith*Icatters thisfeed, it brings forth a fruitful crop of blefling, prayer is the fhip we fend out to heaven ; when faith makes an adventure in this (hip, it brings home large returns of mercy. O pray in faith, fay, * Our Father.' And that we may a6f faith in prayer, confider,

(1.) God's readinel's to hear prayer. Deus paratits ad vota exandienda, Calvin. Did God forbid all addreifes to him, it would put a damp upon the trade of prayer; but God's ear is open to prayer. It is one of the names by which God is known, Pfal. xlv. 2. ' O thou that beared p'rayer.' The Aediles among the Romans had their doors always danding open, that all who had petitions might have free accefs to them, God is

TO THE lord's PRAYER. QQ

both ready to hear, and grant prayer: this may encourage faith in prayer, And, whereas feme may fay, they have prayed, but have had no anfvver. 1. God may hear prayer, though he do not prelently anl'wer ; we write a letter to a friend, he may have received it, though we have yet had no anfwer of it. Perhaps thou praye[l for the light of God's face ; God may lend thee an ear, though he doth not (hew thee his face : 2. God may give an anfwer to prayer, when we do not perceive it. His giving an heart to pray, and inflaming the alfedlions in prayer, is an anfwer of prayer, Plal. cxxxviii. 3. * In the day that I cried, thou aniweredil me and llrengtheuedfl; me with ilrength in my foul.' David's inward Ibengih was an anfwer of prayer, therefore let God's readiuefs to hear prayer encourage faith in prayer.

2. That we may a6l faith in prayer, confider, we do not pray alone ; Chrili prays over our prayers again ; Chrid's prayer is the ground why our prayer is heard. Chrift takes the drofs out of our prayer, and prefeuts nothing to his Father but pure gold. Chrili mingles his fweet odours with the prayers of the faints. Rev. v. 8. Think of the dignity of his perfon, he is God ; and the fweetnefs of his relation, he is a ion. O what encouragement is here, to pray in faith ? Our prayers are put into the hand of a Mediator. Chrifl's prayer is mighty and powerful.

3. We pray to God for nothing but what is pleafing to him, and he hath a mind to grant : if a fon afk nothing but what his father is willing to bellow, this may make him go to him with contidence. When we pray to God for holy hearts, there is nothing more pleafing to him. 1 Theff. iv. 3. ' This is the will of God, even your fanclification,* We pray that God would give us an heart to love him, and there is nothing he more defires than our love. How may this make us pray in faith, when we pray for nothing but what is acceptable to God, and which he delights to beftow !

4. 1 o encourage failh in prayer, confider the many fweet promiles that God hath made to prayer. The cork keeps the net from fiuking; the promiles are the cork to keep faith from finking in prayer. God hath bound himl'elf to us by his pro-miles: the Bible is befpangled with promiles made to prayer, Ifa. XXX. 19. ' He will be very graciou^to thee at the voice of thy cry. The Lord is rich unto all that call upon him.* Rom. X. 12. Jer. xxix. 13. ' Then Ihall he find me when ye fearcli for me with all your heart,' Plal. xlv. 14. * He will fulfil the defire of them that fear him.' The Tyrians tied their god Hercules with a golden chain that he Ihould not remove : God hath tied liimfelf fall to us by his promiles : How Ihould thefe ani-

mate and fpirit faith in prayer ? Faith gets ftrength in prayer, by fucking from the beall of a promife.

5. That we may a6t faith in prayer, confider, Jefus Chrift hath purchafed that which we pray for; we may think the things we alk for in prayer too great for us to obtain, but they are not too great for Chrift to purchafe; we pray for pardon, Chrift hath purchafed it in his blood ; we pray for the Spirit to animate and infpire us, the fending down of the Holy Ghoft into our hearts is the fruit of Chrift's death, John xvi. This may put life into our prayers, and make us pray in faith ; be-caufe the things we alii in prayer, though they are more than vi'e deferve, yet not more than Chrift hath purchaled for us.

6. To make us pray in faith, conlider there is fuch a bounti-fulnefs in God, that he often exceeds the prayers of his people ; he gives them more than they aflc ! as Hannah afked a fon, and God gave her not only a fon, but a prophet. Solomon all<ed ■wil'dom, and God gave him not only wifdom, but riches and honour befides ; Jacob prayed that God would but give him food and raiment, and the Lord increafed his pilgrim's ftaft'into two bands, Gen. xxxii. 10. God is often better to us than, our prayers, as when Gehazi aiked but one talent, Naaman would needs force two upon him, 2 Kings v. £3. We aik one talent of mercy, and God gives two talents. The woman of Canaan afked but a crumb, namely, to have the liie of her child ; and Chrift gave her more, he fent her home with the life of her foul.

7. The great fuccefs the prayer of faith hath found ; like Jonathan's bow, it hath not returned empty. Vocula pater dicla in corde, faith Luther. This little word, father, pronounced in faith, hath overcome God, Gen. xxxii. 11. ' Deliver me, I pray thee.' And this was mixed with faith in the promife, ver. 12. 'Thou faideft I will furely do thee good :' and this prayer had power with God,, and prevailed, Hof. xii. 4. The prayer of faith hath opened prifon-doors, ftopt the chariot of the lun, locked and unlocked heaven, James v. 17« The prayer of faith hath ftrangled the plots of enemies in the birth, it hath routed their forces ; Moles' prayer againft Amalek did more than Jofhua's fword ; and may not this hearten and corroborate faith in prayer ?

S. If all this will not prevail, confider how heartlefsand com-fortlels it is Lo pray, and not in faith: the heart mifgives fecrel ly, God doth not hear, nor will he grant. Faithlefs praying muft needs be comforilefs ; for there is no promife made to unbeliev-i ing prayer. It is fad failing where there is no anchoring, and lad praying where there is no promife to ancher upon, Jame;^ i. 7. The dilciplos toiled all night and caught nothing: the. unbeliever toils in prayer and catcheth nothing; he receives not

any fpiritual bleflings, pardon of fin, or grace : as for the temporal mercies the unbeliever hath, he cannot look upon thorn as the fruit of prayer, but as the overflowings and fpillings ofGod's bounty, oh therefore labour to exert and put forth faith in prayer.

Obj. But there isfo nmchjin cleaves to my prayer y tJu.it I fear it is not the prayer of faith, and God icill not hear it.

Anf, If thou mournell for this, it hinders not but that thy prayer may be in faith, and God may hear it : weaknefs ia prayer fliall not make void the liiints' prayers, PfaIm xxxi. 22. ' I faid in my hafte, I am cut off.' There was much unbelief in this prayer: ' I faid in my hafl;e :' in the Hebrew, ' in my trembling.' David's faith did tremble and taint, yet God lieard his prayer. The taints' patfions do not hinder the faints' prayers, James v. 17. Therefore be not difcouraged ; though tin will cleave to thy holy offering, yea thele two things may comfort, thou mayetl pray with faith, though with weaknefs ; and God fees the fincerity, and will pafs by the infirmit}'.

Qu. How fJiall ice do to pray in faith ?

Anf. Implore the Spirit of God : we cannot fay, * our Father,' but by the Holy Gholt. God's Spirit helps us, not only to pray with fighs and groans, but with faith. The Spirit carries us to God, not only as to a Creator, but a Father, Gal. iv. 0. ' He hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.' 'Crying' there the Spirit caufeth us to pray with fervency : * Abba, Father,' there the Spirit help-eth us to pray with faith. Prayer is the key of heaven, the Spirit helps faith to turn this key, and then it unlocks heaven.

OF THE FIRST PETITION IN THE LORD'S

PRAYER.

INIaith. vi. 9. Hallowed he thy Name,

Having fpoken of the introduction to the Lord's prayer, * after this manner pray ye :' and the preface, ' Our Father which art in heaven ;' I come now thirdly to the prayer itfelf, which contifts of feven petitions: a fliort body of divinity is contained in them. 1 begin with the tiili petition.

I. " Hallowed be thy name.' In the Latin, it is, fanctifcctur nomen tuum, fandified be thy name. In this petition, 'hallowed be thy name,' we pray, that God's name may Pnine forth giorioufly, and that it may be honoured and fan6tijfied by us, in the whole courl'e and tenor of our lives. It was the angels' fong, * glory be to God m thehigheft;' that is, let his name be

OF THE FIP.ST PETITION"

glorified and holtowed. This petition, * hallowed be thy name',* is fet in the fore-front to fliew, that the hallowing of God's name is to be preferred before all things ; I. It is to be preferred before life ; we pray, * Hallowed be thy name,* before we pray, * Give us this day our daily bread.' It is ta be preferred before falvation, Rom. ix. 1. God's glory is more worth than the falvation of all men's fouls. As Chrilt faid of love, Matth. xxii. 37. ' This is the firft and great commandment ; fo I may fay of this petition, * Hallowed be thy name,* it is the firfl: and great petition ; it contains the molt, weighty thing in religion, God's glory. When fome of the other petitions (hall be ufelefs and out of date, we fliall not need to pray in heaven, * Give us our daily bread,' becaufe there fhall be no hunger; nor ' Forgive us our trefpalTes,' becaufe there (hall be no fin ; nor ' Lead us not into temptation, becaufe the old fer-pent is not there to tempt ; yet the hallowing of God's name, fliall be of great ufe and requell in heaven ; we fhall be ever finging hallelujahs, which is nothing elfe but the hallowing of God's name. Every perfon in the blelfed Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Gholt, muft have this honour ; to be hallowed ; their glory being equal, and their majelly co-eterrial. ' Hallowed be thy name.' To admire God's name is not enough ; we may admire a conqueror ; but when we fay, * Hal<-lowed be thy name;* we fet God's name above eveiy name, and not only admire him, but adore him ; and this is proper only to the Deity. For the further explication, 1 fliall propound three queilions:

1. IVhat is meant by God's name?

5. What is meant by halloicing God's name ?

3. When may we be faid to hallow orj'andlify God's name f

Qu. 1. Wliat is meant by God's name ?

Anf, 1. By God's name is meant his eifence, Pfal. xx. 1. * The name of the God of Jacob defend thee ;' that is, the God of Jacob defend thee.

2. By God's name is meant any thing by which God may be known ; as a man is known by his name, God's name is his attributes, wifdom, power, holinefs, goodnefs ; by thefe God is known as by his name.

Qu. 2. What is meant by halloicing God's name ?

Anf. To hallow, \sacommuni feparare, to fet a part a thing from the common ufe, to fome facred end. As the veflels of the fan6luary were faid to be hallowed ; fo, to hallow God's name, is to fet it apart from all abufes, and to ufe it holily and reverently : in particular, hallowing of God's name is to give him high honour and veneration, and render his name f.icred. We^ can add nothing to God's eflential glory ; but we are faid to honour and fanc^ify his name, when we lift him up in the

world, and make him appear greater in the eyes of others.— When a prince is crowned, there is foinething added really to his honour ; but when we go to crown God with our triumphs and hallelujahs, there is nothing added to his eilential glory : God cannot be greater than he is, only we may make him appear greater in the eyes of others.

Qu. 3. When may we be /aid to hallow and fanciify God's ruune ?

Anf. 1. When we profefs his name. Our meeting in his holy alfembly is an honour done to God's name ; this is good, but it is not enough. All that were God's livery by profellion, are not true lervants ; there are fome profelibrs Chrill will at the laft day prolefs againd, Matth. vii. 23. * I will profefs I never knew you.' Therefore, to go a little further.

y. We hallow and fan6lify God's name, when we have an high appretiation and etteem of God ; we fet him higheil in our thoughts : the Hebrew word to honour, fignifies to elteem precious ; we conceive of God in our minds as the mofl; fuper-ex-cellent and infinite good ; we apprehend in God, a condellation of all beauties and delights ; we adore God in his glorious attributes, which are the feveral beams by which his divine nature fhiaes forth : we adore God in his works, which are bound up in three great volumes, creation, redemption, providence : We hallow and fandlify God's name, when we lift him higheil in our fouls; we elleem him a fuper-eminent and incomprfchenfi-ble God.

3. We hallow and fanclify God's name, when we trull in his name, Pfalm xxxiii. 21. * We have trulled in his holy liame : No way can we bring more reverence of honour to God, or make his crown fliine brighter, than by confiding in him, Rom. iv. 20. * Abraham wasftrong in faith, giving glory to GoH :' there was an hallowing of God's name : as unbelief llains God's honour, and eclipfeth his name, 1 John v. lO. ' He that believ-eth not, makes God a liar :' fo faith doth glorify and hallow God's name : The believer trulls his bell jewels in God's hands, Pfalm iii. v. • Into thy hands I commit my fpirit :' Faith in a Mediator doth more honour and fanClify God's name, than martyrdom, or the moll fublime a6ts of obedience.

4. We hallow and fandlify God's name, when we never make mention of his name, but with the higheil reverence: God's name is facred, and it mull not be fpoken of, but with vtnera-tion : the Icripture, when it Ipeaks of God, gives him his tiiles of honour, Genefis xiv. 20. ' Blelfed be the molt High God :* Nehemiah ix. 5. * Blelfed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all praife :' To fpeak vainly or flightiy of God, is a profaning of his name, and is a taking of his name ia vain : Let

Vol. II. Nu. 14. K

his name be hallowed ; By giving God his venerable titles, wc (Ip as ir were hang his jewels on his crown. ; 5. We hallow and ian6lify God'.s name, when we love his name, Pf. v. 11. * Let them that love thy name be joyful:* and that love, which is honouring God's name, muftbea Ipecial difcriniinatiiig love, the cream and flower of our love; fuch a love as we give to none befides ; as the wife honours her huC-band, by giving him Inch a love as fhe giveth to none elfe, a conjugal love; fo we hallow God's name, by giving him fuch a love as we give to none elle, a love joined with worfliip, I fal. xlv. II. * He is thy God, and wor(hij) thou him.*

6. We hallow and faniStify God's name, when we give him an holy and fpiritual worthip : 1. We give him the fame kind of wordiip that he hath appointed : Levit. x. 3. * I will be ran<5lified of all then) that come nigh to me :' that is, I will be fun6lified with that very worfliip I have appointed : It is the purity of worfliip God loves better than the pomp ; it is a dif-honouring of God's name, to bring any thing into his worfliip which he hath not inftituted ; as if God were not wife enough to appoint the manner how he will be ferved, men will go to prefcrihe to him, and fuperadd their inventions ; This, God looks upon as offering Itrange fire, and it is an high provocation. 2. \Ve give God the fame heart-devotion in worfliip as he hath appointed, Rom. xii. 11. ' Fervent in fpirit, ferving the Lord :* The word for fervent, is a metaphor thiit alludes to water, that feethes and boils over; fo our atitdions fliould boil over in holy duties : To give God outfide worfliip, and not the devotion of the heart, is, inflead of hallowing and fan6tifying him in an ordinance, to abufe him ; as if one calls for wine, and give you an empty glafs; It is to deal with God, as Prometheus did with Jupiter, who did eat the flefli and prefent Jupiter with nothing but bones covered over with fldn. Then we hallow God's name, and fandify him in an ordinance, when we give him the vitals of religion, an heart flaming with zeal.

7. We hallow and fandify God's name, when we hallow his day, Jer. xvii. Q'-2. * Hallow ye the fabbath-day.* Our Chrif-lian fabbath, which comes in the room of the Jews* fabbath, is called the Lord's day. Rev. i. 10. This was anciently called dies lucis, a day of fight : wherein Chrift the Sun of righteouf-ncfs fliines in an extraordinary manner. It is an honour done to God, to liallow his (abbath. 1. We mufl; reft on this day from all fecularvvorks, Jer. xvii. 21. * Bear no burden on the fabbath-day.' As Jofeph, when he would fpeak with his brethren, thrud out the Egyptians : fo, when we would have coij-verfe with God on this day, vve muft thruft out all larthly employments : It i.s obfervable, Mary Magdalene refuted to anoint Chrift's dead body on the fabbath-day, Luke xxiii. 6(5. She

had before prepared her ointment and fpices, but came not to the fepulchre till the fabbath was pail; the relied on that day from civil work, thou^^h it were a commendable and glorious work, the anointing of Chrill's dead body. 2. We mull in a folemn manner devote ourfelves to God on this day ; we mufl fpend this whole day with God. Some will hear the word, but leave all their religion at church; they do nothing at home, they do not pray or repeat the word in their houfes, and fo they rob God of a part of his day : it is bewailing to fee how God'V, day is profaned. Let no man think God's name is hallowed while his fabbath is broken.

8. We hallow and lan6tify God's name, when we afcribe the honour of all we do to him, Plalm xciv. 8. ' Give unto the Lord the glory clue unto his name.' Herod, inltead of hallowing God's name, ftained the honour of his name, in aliuming that praife to himfelf which was due to God, Ails xii. 23. We ought to rake the honour from ourfelves and give it to God, 1 Cor. XV. 10. * I laboured more then they all :' one would think this had favoured of pride, but the apoltle pulls the crown from his own head, and fets it upon the head of free grace:

* Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.* If a Chriftian hath any alTillance in duty, or victory over temptation, he rears up a pillar, and writes upon it, Hueu/qiieadjuva-vit Deus, —Hitherto the Lord hath helped me. jfohn Baptift transferred all the honour from himfelf lo Chrift ; he was content to be eclipled, that Chrill might (hine the more, John i. 15. * He that cometh after me is preferred before me.' I am but the herald, the voice of one crying ; he is the Prince ; I am but a lelfer flar, he is the Sun : I ba'ptife only with water, he with the Holy Ghofl. This is an hallowing God's name, when we tranflate all the honour from ourfelves to God, Pial. cxv, I.

• Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.' The king of Sweden wrote that motto on the battle at Lypfwich, Ijia a Domino fadla J ant, llie Lord hath wrou-dit this vidory for us ! '^

9. We hallow and fan6lify God's name, by obeying him : how doth a Ion more honour his father, than bv obedience? Pfal. xl. 8. • I delight to do thy will, O my GodV The wife men Oiewed honour to Chriit, not only by bowing the knee to him, but by prefenting him with gold and myrrh, iMaith. ii. 11. We hallow God's name, not only by lifting up our eyes and hands to heaven, and bowing the knee in prayer, but by prefenting God with golden obedience. As the faftor trades for the merchant, fo we trade for God, and lay out our Itreni'th i^n his fervice. It was a faying of the reverend Dodor Jewel, ** I have fpent and exhaufled myielf in the labours of my holy calling." • To obey is better than facrifice.' The cherubims

K2

reprefenting the angels, arefet forth with their wings clifp]ayed, to (hew how read}? they are to do fervjce to God, To obey is angelical ; to pretend honour to God's name, yet not to obey, is but a devout compliment. Abraham honoured God by obedience ; he was ready to facrifice his fon, though the fon of his old age, and a fon of the promife, Gen. xxii. 1(5. ' By myfelf have 1 fworn, faifh the Lord, becaufe thou hail done this thing, and haft not withheld thy fon, thy only fon ; that in bleffing, I Avill blefs thee.'

10. We hallow and fan6lify God's name, when we lift up God's name in our praifes. God is faid to fan6t)fy, and man is faid to fan(5tify : God lan6iifies us, by giving us grace ; and we iandlify him by giving him praife. What were our tongues given us for, but to be organs of God's praife? Pf. Ixxi. 8. * Let my mouth be filled with thy praife, and with thy honour all the day.' Rev. v. 13. * Bleffing, honour, glory, and power be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever.' Thus God's name is hallowed and fan6lified in heaven ; the angels and glorified faints are finging hallelujahs ; let us begin the work of heaven here. David did ting forth God's praifes and doxologies in a moft melodious manner, therefore was called the i'weet finger of Ifrael, 1 Sam. xxiii. 1. Praifing God, is an hallowing of God's name ; it fpreads his renown, it difplays the trophies of his excellency, it exalts him in theeyes of others, Pf. 1. f3. * Whofooffereth praife-, glorifieth me.' This is one of the higheft and pureft a6is of religion ; in prayer we a6t like men, in praile we act like angels: this is the mufic of heaven, this is a work fit for a faint, Pf. cxlix. 5, 6. * Let the faints be joyful, let the high praifes of God be in their mouths.' None but faints can in a right manner thus hallow God's name by praifing him. As every one hath not fkill to play on the viol and organ, fo every one cannot rightly ibund forth God's harmonious praifes ; only the faints can do it; they only can make their tongue and heart join in concert, Pf. cxi. 1. 'I will blefs • thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; and Pfalm Ixvi. 17.

* He was extolled with my tongue.' There wasjoining in concert. This hallowing God's name by praife is very becoming a Chriftian : it is unbecoming to murmur, this is a difhonouring God's name ; but it becomes the taints to be fpiritual choirifters in finging forth the iionour of God's name. It is called the

* garment of praife,' Ifa. xli. 3. How comely and handfome is this garment of praife for a faint to wear? Pf. xxxiii. 1.

* Praile is comely for the righteous.' Efpecially, it is an high degree of hallowing God's name, when we can i'peak well of God, and blefs him in an afflidted ft:ate. Job. i. 21. The Lord liath taken away, bleffed be the name of the Lord. Many will blefs God when he gives; but to blefs him when he takes away.

is in an high degree to honour God, and hallow his name. Let us thus magnify God's name. Hath not God given us abundant matter of praifing him ? he hath given us grace, a mercy fpun and woven out of liis bowels ; and he intends to crown grace with glory : this lliould make us hallow God's name by being trumpets of his praife.

11. We hallow and fandlify God's name, when we fympa-thize with him ; we grieve when his name fuffers, 1. We lay to heart liis diOionour. How was Mofes affe6led with God's dilhonour ? He breaks the tables, Exod. xxxii. 19. We grieve to fee God's fabbaths profaned, his worfhip adulterated, the wine of truth mingled with error. 2. We grieve when God's church is brought low, becaufe now God's name fulfers. Ne-hemiah lays to heart the miferies of Sion ; his complexion begins to alter, and he looks fad, Neh. ii. 3. ' Why is thy countenance fad ?' what ! fad, when the kings cup-bearer, and wine fo near I O but it fared ill with the church of God, and religion feemed to lofe ground, and God's name futfered : therefore Nehemiah grows weary of the court, he leaves his wine and mingles his drink with weeping ; this holy fympa-tliy, and grieving, when God's name iuffers, God elleems an honouring and fanclifying his name. Hezekiah grieved when the king of Alfyria reproached the living God, Ila. xxxvii, 17. * He went into his chamber, and fpread the letter of blafphemy before the Lord.' 2 Kings xix. 14. And no doubt watered the letter with his tears ; he feemed not to be lb much troubled at the fear of lofing his own life and kingdom, as that God IhoukI lofe his glory.

i^. We hallow and fanclify God's name, when we give that fame honour to God the Son, as we give to Gad the Father, John V. 23. * That all men fliould lionour the Son, even as they honour the Father.* The Socinians deny Chnft's divinity, faying that Ite is a mere man ; this is to make him below the angels, Pfal. viii. 5. for the human nature, confidered inilfelf, is below the ani^elical : this is to refle6t diOioiiour upon the Lord of glory. We muft give equal honour to the Son as to the Fai!ier? we muft believe Ctirift's Deity, he is the picture of his Father's glory, Heb. i. 3. If the Godhead be in Chrill, he mud needs be God ; but the God-head fiiines in him, Col. iii. 9. * In whom dwells the fulnefs of the God-head bodily ;' therefore, lie is God. How could thel'e divine titles be given to Chilli? Omnipotenry, Heb. i. 3. Ubiquity, Matt, xxviii. 20. A power of fealing pardons, Alatth. ix. (i. Co-equality with God the Father, both in power and dignity, John v. 21, 23. How, I fay, could thefe titles of honour be afcrihed to Chrill, if he w I? re not crowned with the Deity? When we believe Chnll's God-head, and build our hope of falvalion on the cor-

ner ftone of his merit : when we fee neither the righteAnfnefs of the law, nor of angels can juilify, but we flee to Chrifl's hlood as to the altar of refuge : this is an honouring and fanc-tifying of God's name. God never thinks his name to be hallowed, unlefs his Son be honoured.

13. We hallow God's name by (landing up for hi^ truths. Much of God's glory lies in his truths : God's truths are his oracles : God entrufts us with his truths as a treafure ; we have not a richer jewel to entrutt God with than our fouls, nor God hath not a greater jewel to intrull us with than his truths. God's truths fet forth his glory ; now when we are zealous advocates for God's truths, this is an honour done to God's name. Athanafius was called the bulwark of truth : he flood up in the defence of God's truths againft the Arians, and fo was a pillar in the temple of God : better have truth without peace, than peace without truth. It concerns the fons of Zion to Hand up for the great do6trines of the gofjjel : the dodrine of the Trinity, the Hypoflatical union, jullification by faith, the faints* perfeverance, we are bid to contend earneflly, Jude 3. to ftrive as in an agony for the faith, that is the do6trine of faith : this contending for the truth, brings great revenues to heaven's exchequer ; this is an hallowing of God's name. Contend for the truth: fome can contend for ceremonies, but not for the truth. We Ihould count him unwile, that fhould contend more for a box of counters than for his box of evidences.

14. We hallow and fan6tify God's name, by making as many profelytes as we can to him, by all holy expedients, counfel, prayer, example, we endeavour the falvation of others. How did Monica, St. Auftin's mother, labour for his conver-(ion ? She had forer pangs in travel for his ncAV birth, than for his natural birth. It is an hallowing of God's name when we dilfufe the fweet favour of godlinefs, and propagate religion to others ; when not only we ourfelves honour God, but are in-ftruments to make others honour him: certainly when the heart is fieafoned with grace, there will be an endeavour to iea-fon others. God's glory is as dear to a faint as his own falvation ; and that this glory may be promoted, he endeavours the converfion of Ibuls : every convert is a member added to Chrilt. Let us thus hallow God's name, by labouring to advance piety in others : efpecially, let us endeavour that thofe who are nearly related to us, or are under our roof, (hall honour God, Jolh. xxiv. 15. ' As for me and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord.' Let us make our houfes Bethels, places where God's name is called upon. Col. iv. 15. ' Salute Nymphas, and the church that is in his houfe.* Let the parent endeavour that his children may honour God and the mafter that his lervanls honour him ; read the word, drop holy inftru6lion, perfume your

houfes with prayer : the Jews had facrifices in their family, as well as in the tabernacle, Exod xii. 3. This is an hallowing, God's name, when we make profelytes to him, and endeavour that*all nnder our charge Oiould honour and fanctify his name.

15. We hallow God's name, when we prefer the honour of God's name before the deareft things. 1. We prefer the honour of God's name before our own credit. The faints of old have, for the honour of God, been willing to endure reproach, Pf. Ixix. 7. * For thy fake I have born reproach.' David cared not what reproach he futFered, fo God's name might not fufi'er. The prophet Elijah was called in derifion, the ' hairy prophet ;' and the prophet Ifaiah, * the bearer of burdens :* and the prophet Zephaniah, the * bitter prophet:' but they did bind thefe reproaches as a crown about their head : the honour of God's name was dearer to them than their own honour : Mofes efleemed the reproaches of Chrift greater riches than the treafures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 26. The apollles went ^way rejoicing, that they were counted worthy to fufi'er (hame for the name ofChrift, A6ls v. 41. that they were graced fo far as to be difgraced for the name of Chrifl ; this is an hallowing God's name, when we are content to have our name eclipfed, that God's name may (hine the more. 2. We prefer the honour of God's name before our worldly profit and intereft. Matlh. xix. 28. ' We have forfaken all and followed thee.* When thefe two, God and ellate, come in competition, we will rather let eftate go than God's love and favour. Thus that noble marquis of Vico parted with a. fair eftate ufing thefe words *' Let their money periQi with them, that count all the gold and (ilver in the world worth one hour's communion with Jefus Chrilt." 3. We prefer the honour of God's name before our life, Rom. viii. 36. ' For thy fake are we killed all the day long.' The honour done to God's name, is not by bringing that outward pomp and glory to him as we do to kings, but God's honour comes in another wa^, and that is by the fufi'er-ings of his people : when the world fees htr^ entirely God's people love him, that they Will die in his fervice, this exalts and honours God's name: God's'ci^vn doth tlourifli inihe afhes of his martyrs. St. Bafil fpeaks of a virgin condemned to tha fjre, who having her life and eftate oftered her, if flie would how to the idol, anfwered Valeat vita perent pecuvia: let life and money go, welcome Chrift. When God's glory weighs heavielt in the balance, and we are willing to fuftpr the lofs of all, rather than God's name fliould fuft'er, now we do, in an high degree, hallow God's name.

10". uU. We do hallow and fan6tify God's name, by an holy converlation, I Pet. ii. 9. ' Ye area royal priefthood, a peculiar people : that ye fhould fliew forth the praifes of hini

o .

who hath called you.* As an unholy life doth difhonour God's name, Rom. ii. 24. * The name of God is blafphenied among the Gentiles thro' you ;' fo by our holy and Bible-converfation we honour God's name. A holy life fpeaks louder than all the anthems and praifes in the world ; tho' the main work of religion lies in the heart, yet when our light fo (hines, that others behold it, now they glorify God : when our lives Ihine, now God's name fhines. The Macedonians ufed one day in the year to wear the pi6lure of Alexander fet with pearl and coftly jewels ; lb, when we carry the picture of Chriil about us in our holy example, now we bring honour to God's name.

Ufe I. See the true note and chara6ler of a godly perfon ; he is a fantSlifier of God's name, ' Hallowed be thy name.' A true faint doth ambitioufly endeavour to advance God's name : this is the quellion he afks himfelf in every thing he is going about: Will this a6lion tend to the honour of God's name? will this exalt God ? This was St. Paul's chief defign, that * Chrilt might be magnified,' Phil. i. 20. viz. that the crown upon his head might flourifli : a godly n)an thinks it is fcarce Avorth the while to live, if he may not bring fome revenues of honour to God's name.

Ufe II. I may here take up a fad lamentation, and fpeak, as the apollle Paul weeping, Phil. iii. 18. To confider how God's name, inftead of being hallowed and fan6tified, is difhonoured. God's name which is more worth than the iaivation ofall men's fouls, I'utfers deeply. We are apt to fpeak of our fufferings ; alas ! what are all our fufferings ? God's name fufl'ers moft. God's name is the deareft thing he hath ; how do men (land upon their name and honour } God's name is this day difhonoured, it is like the fun in an eclipfe. Theodofius took it hein-oufly when they threw dirt upon his flatue ; but now (which is far worfe) dilg'.ace is thrown upon the glorious name of Jehovah. God's name, inllead of being hallowed, is diflionoured by all forts, (I.) By heathens, (2.) Turks, (3.) Jews, (4.) Pa-piits, (6.) Protefi.ants.

1. By heathens : they have a knowledge of a Godhead by the light of nature, Rom. i. 19. but they difhonour God, and fin againft the light of nature. The Egyptians worfhipan ox ; the Perfians worfhip the fun ; the Grecians and Romans, Jupiter; and the Parthians worfhip the devil.

g. God's name is difhonoured by the Turks ; they adore Mahomet their great prophet, as one divinely infpired : Maho-riiet was of an impure vicious life ; Mahomet plucks the crown from Chrift's liead, denying his Deity.

3. God's name is difhonoured by the Jews who give not equal honour and adoration to God the Son, as to God the Father : they expe6\ a MefTiah yet to come, feculum fmurnm,

IN THE LORD S PRAVER.

, if

'..^■

they "believe not in CJhrift, they blafpheme him, and flight righteoii(i>e(> imputed ; they vilify the ChrilVian fabbath.

4. God's name is diflionoured by the papifts. Popery is a God-di(hoiiourir.g rehgion ; they diQionour God's luime. (I.) By their idolatry, * which is fpiritual adultery,' Ezek. xxii. 37.. Idolcitry is to worfliip a falfe God, or the true God in a falfe; manner; this they are guilty of. 1. They diOioiiour God by their idolatry, in making- graven images, and giving the fame honour to them as is due to God ; images are teachers of lies/ Hub. ii. IS. they reprefent God ina bodily ftiape. S. By their itJolatrv in the mafs ; worlhipping the boll, and ofleringitup as A facrifice for fin ; the apollle faith, Heb. x. 14. ' By one of-iering Chrift hath perfected them that are fanaified :' but as if Chrilt's oflering on the crofs was in)perfe6t, they offer him up daily in the mafs, which is a difhonour done to Chrift's prieftly office. {Q.) The papilb, inilead of hallowing God's name, difhonour God's name, by locking up the fcriptures in an unknown tongue ; they as the Philiftines pluck out the people's eyes, and then make fport with them : the Bible is a fhining light, but fhey draw a curtain over it ; they ' take away the key of knowledge,' Luke xi. 59. And hinder God's glory by hindering men's falvation. (3.) Inflead of hallowing God's name, they diflionour it by giving men indulgences. They fay, the pope, as Peter's fuccelfor, hath power to grant indulgences, by virtue whereof, men are fet free in the fight of God. 1. It is to fteal a flower from the crown of heaven. The pope aliumes a power to pardon, which is God's prerogative royal, Matth. ii. 7- * VVho can forgive fin but God only ?' 2. The pope, by,his indulgence, encourageth men to fin. What need the papills care what fins they commit, when they have a licenceand patent from the pope to bear them harmleis (4.) Inflead of hallowing God's name, they difhonour God's name, by their invocation to laints. We are to pray only to God, Matth. vi. 4. ' Pray to thy Father;' not pray to a faint, or the virgin Mary, but pray to your Father in heaven : we may pray to none but whom we may believe in, - Rom. X. 14. The faints in heaven are ignorant of our grievances, Ifa. Ixiii. 17. * Abraham is ignorant of u.s.' (5.) Inliead of hallowing G-od's name, they difhonour it, by their luxury and uncleannefs : they allow of ilews. At Rome, fornication keeps open (hop, and is in fome cafes preferr<:d before honourable matrimony : urbs eft jam tula lapavur. (0.) Inilead of hallowing God's name, they difhonour it by their bblphemies. Tliey give equal, nay, more honour to the virgin Mary than to Chrill; they afcribe more to her milk ; than to his blood ; they call her 5ca/a Ctp//, the ladder of heaven : Janua paridiji, xha gate of Paradife. in their doxologies they fay, " Prdile be lo the Virgin Mary, and alfo lo Chrill." What blafphemy is ihis.

S9 OF THE FIRST PETITION

to fet the creature above the Creator! They fay to her, Ofelix pueipera, noftra piaris fee/era ! O happy mother of a Son that purgell away ourcrimes ! (7.) Inftead ot hallowing God's name, they difhonour it, by their Hes : their golden legend is an im-poflure, and is full of lying wonders : They fhew John Baptitl's forehead for a relique in Spain, yet his whole head they affirm to be feen in St. Sylvefter in Rome ; they fhew St. Peter's fliadow at Rome: indead we read of St. Peter's fhadow. Ads V. 15. But it is ftrange how the papids could catch his fhadow, and keep it by them lb long. (8.) Inftead of hallowing God's name, they dilhonour it, by baptizing fin with the name of virtue. Breach of oaths is with the papifts a virtue. If a man hath bound his foul to God by an oath, yet to violate this oath is virtuous, if it may propagate the catholic caufe. Killing thole who are of a different religion, is not only venial, but a virtue among catholics. Deiboying two hundred thoufand of the Albigeneles, who were proteftants, was commended as a glorious adion, honoured with a triumphat Rome, and crowned with his holinefs' blefling. Is not this an high difiionour to God, to gild over the fouleft crimes with the name of virtue and piety.? (y.) Inftead of hallowing God's name, they diflio-nour it, by their damnable affertions : 1. The papifts affirm, that the pope is above fcripture; that he may difpenle with it, and, that his canons bind more than the word of God. 2. They teach merit by good works ; but if a debtor cannot pay his creditor, how can he merit at his hands r 3. That the fcripture is not a perfe6t rule of faith, and manners; therefore they eik it out with their traditions, which they hold to be of equal authority. 4. They teach that an implicit faith is laving ; though one may have an implicit faith, yet be ignorant of all the articles of religion, b. They fay, that the inward a6l of the mind, is not required in God's worftiip } diverfion of the mind in duty, though one prays and never thinks of God, is no fin, faith An-gelus and Sylvefter, and other papifts. 6. The papifts make habitual love to God unneceffary : it is not needful, faith Bal-larmine, to perform any a6ls of religion out of love to God. Stapleton and Cnjetan affirm, that the precept of loving God with all our heart is not binding : by which they cut afunder the finews and foul of all religion. Thus, inftead of honouring God's name, the papifts difiionour it. Let us pray heartily, that this Romith religion may never again get footing in this nation: God grant that this poifonful weed of popery may never be watered here ; but that, it being a plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted, it may be rooted up.

.5. God's name is difiionoured by carnal protellants. How is God's name this day dilhonoured in England ? his name is like the fun in an eclipfe. Chriftians inftead of hallowing God's

name, reproach and diflionour it. (1.) By their tongues. (2.) By their lives.

1. By their tongues : (1.) They fpeak irreverently of God's name: God's name is facred, Deut. xxviii. 58. ' That thou mayelt fear this glorious and fearful name : the Lord thy God.* The names of kings are not mentioned without giving them their titles of honour, high and mighty : but men (peak irreverently of God, as if he w^ere like one of them, Pf. 1. 21. This is a taking God's name in vain. (2.) They fwear by his name. Many feldom name God's name but in oaths : how is God dif-honoured, when men rend and tear his name by oaths and imprecations ! Jer. xxiii. 10. * Becaufe of fwearing the land mourns.' If God will reckon with men for idle words, fliall not idle oaths be put in the account book? O but, faith one, I cannot help it ; it is a cuftom of fwearing I have got, and, I hope, God will forgive me! Anf. Is this a good plea, a cullom of fwearing.^ This is no excufe, but an aggravation of fin : as if one that had been accufed of killing a man fhould plead with the judge to fpare him, becaufe it was his cullom to murder; this were an aggravation of the offence ; will not the judge fay, thou flialt the rather die ? fo it is here.

2. As men diflionour God by their tongues, foby their lives. What is it to fay, * Hallowed be thy name,' when in their lives they profane his name? They diflionour God by their atheifm, fabbath-breaking, uncleannefs, perjury, intemperance, injuffice, men hang out a flag of defiance again ft heaven. As the Thra-cians, when it thunders, thoot their arrows againft heaven; fo men flioot their fins as bearded arrows againft heaven. Sinners are hardened in fin, they delpifecounfel, they laugh at reproof, they have caft olF the veil of modefty. Satan hath taken fuch full potfeffion of them, that when they fin, they glory in their fliame, Phil. iii. 19. They brag how many new oaths they have invented, how oft they have been drunk, how many they have defiled ; they declare their fin as Sodom; fuch horrid impieties are committed, that a modeft heathen would bluth at. Men, in this age, fin at that rate, as if either they did not believe there were an hell, or as if they feared hell would be full ere they could get thither. Was God's name every fo openly difliunourKd ? All our preachmg will not make them leave their fins. What a black veil is drawn over the face of religion at this day? Vivimus in temporumfoecibiis —Seneca. We live in the dregs of time, wherein the common Ihore of wickednels runs; phylicians call it [Gr. kachexia,] when there is no part of the body free from dillemper. England hath a kachexy"; it is alt over difeafe : ' The whole head is fick, the whole heart is. faint,' Ifa. i. 0. As black vapours rifing out of the earth, cloud and darken the fun ; fo the fins of people in our age, like hel-

L 2

Si OF THE FIK«T P:f;TITION

h(h vapours, cart; a dnud upon God's glorious name. O that our eyes were like limbecs, dropping the water of holy tears, toconfiderhow God's name, iuliead ot beiiig hallowed, i.s polluted and profaned ! Aud, may not we jultiy tear fome lieavy judgments? Can God put up our atFront? any longer? Can he endure to have his name reproached ? Will a king i'uiYer his crown-jewels to be trampled in the dud? Do not we fee the Symptoms of God's anger ? Do we not fee his judgments hovering over us? Sure God is whetting his fword, he hath bent his bow, and is preparing his arrows to flioot. Qitalis per arva ieo fu/vain minace fronte concutiens jubam, Senec. Trag. 'J'hc body fiohtic is in a paroxyfm, or burning fit; and may not tlie Lord caufe a fad phlebotomy ? Seeing we will not leave our iins, he may make us lofe our blood. May we not fear that the ark (hould remove, the vifion ceafe, the Itars in God's church be removed, and we fliould follow the gofpel to the grave? When God's name, which fhould be hallowed, is profaned among a people, it is juft with God to write that difmal epitaph upon a nation's tomb, ' The glory is departed.' And, that I may fpeak to the confciencesof all, and deal impartially, it were well if only the profane parly vyere guilty ; but, may not many profellbrs be called to the bar, and indi6led of this, that they have diihonoured God's name? 2 Chron. xxviii. 10. 'Are there not with you, even with you, fins againil the Lord your God ?' Are there not the fpots of God's children ? Deut. xxxii. 5. If you are diamonds, have you no flaws? have not you your vanities? If your difcourfe be not profane, is it not vain ? Have not you your felf-feekings, rafii cenlures, indecent dreiies? If the wicked of the land fwear, do not you fometimes flander? If they are drunk with wine, are not you (bmetimes drunk with paliion ? If their fin be blafpheming, is not your fin murmuring? ' Are there not with you, even with you, fins againlt the Lord ?' The fins of God's children go nearer to his heart, than the fins of others, Deut. xxxii. ly. * When the Lord law it, he abhorred them, becaufe of the provoking of his Ions and daughters.' I'lie fins of the wicked anger God, the fins of his own people grieve him ; he will be fure to punifli them, Amos iii. ^. ' You only have I known of all the families ot the earth ; therefore will I punifii you for all your iniquities.' O that our head were waters, that we could make this place a bochim, a place of weepers, that God's children might mix blulhing with tears, that they have fo little hallowed, and fp much ecliplied God's name! Truly God's own people have finned enough to juftify God in all his fevere actings againfl; them.

UfeMl. Of exhortation. Let us hallow and fandify God's name : did we but fee a glimpfe of God's glory, as Moles did in the rock, the fight of this would draw adoration and prailb

\i

from us: could we fee * GotI face to face,* as the angels ia heaven do, could we behold him lifting on his throne like a juf-per-llone, Rev. iv. 10. we (liould preltnitly, at the fight otliis glory, do as the twenty-four elder.s, Rev, iv. 10. * They worthip him that iiveth for ever, and cad their crowns before the throne, faying, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honour and power.' That we may be fiirred up to this great duty, the hallowing, adoring and fanclifying God's name, conlider,

1. It is the very end of our being; why did God give us our life, but that our living may be an hallowing of his name ? Why did he give us fouls, but, to admire him ; and tongues, but to prai/e hiu) ? The excellency of a thing is, when it attains the end for which it was made : the excellency of a ftar is to give light, of a plant to be fruitful; the excellency of a Chriftian is to anfwer the end of his creation, which is to hallow God's name, and live to that God by whom he lives. He who lives;, and God hath no honour by him, buries himfelf alive, and ex-pofeth himfelf to a curfe ; Chrift curfed the barren fig-tree.

2. God's name is lb excellent, that it deferves to be hallowed, Pfal. viii. 9. ' How excellent is thy name in all the earth!* Pialm civ. 1. ' Thou art clothed with honour and majefty.* As the fun hath its brightnefs, whether we admire it or not, fo God's name is illuftrious and glorious, whether we hallow it or not. In God are all fliining perfe6lions, holinefs, wifdom, mercy ; * he is worthy to be praiied,' 2 Sam. xxii. 4. God is d/gnus honore, worthy of honour, love, adoration. We often bellow titles of honour upon them tJiat do not deferve them ; but God is worthy to be pruifed ; his name deferves hallowing; he is above all the honour and praife which the angels in heaven give him.

3. We pray, • hallowed be thy name ;' that is, let thy name be honoured and magnified by us. Now, if we do not magnify his name, we coulradicl our own prayers : To lay, ' liallowed be thy name,* yet not to bring honour to God name, is to take his name in vain.

4. Such as do not hallow God's name, and bring revenues of honour to him, God will get his honour upon them, Exod. xiv. 17. ' I will get me honour upon Pharaoh.' Pharaoh would not hallow God's name; ' Who is the Lord, that 1 Ihould obey him?' Well, faith God, if Pharaoh will not honour me, I will get me honour upon him. Wiien God overthrew him and his chariots in the fea, then he got his honour upon him : God's power and julticc were glorified in his dellruciion. There are fnme whom God hath railed to great power and dignity, and they will not honour God's name, they make ui't of their power to dirtionour God, they call reproach upon God's name, and revile his I'civants; well, they who will not honour God, he

S5

OF THE FIRST PETITION"

will get his lionour upon tiiem in their final ruin. Herod did not give gioiy to God, and God did gel his glory upon him, .A6ls xii. 2o. ' The angel of the Lord fmote him becaufe he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms.*

5. It will be no fmall comfort to us when we come to die, that we have hallowed and iknclified God's name : It was Chrift's comfort a little before his death, John xvii. 4. ' 1 have glorified thee on the earth.' Chrift's redeeming mankind was an hallowing and glorifying of God's name; never was more honour brought to God's name, than by this great undertaking ofChrilf: Now, here was Chrift's comfort before his death, that he had hallowed God's name: and brought glory to him. So, what a cordial will this be to us at lad, when our whole life liath been an hallowing of God's name? We have loved him with our hearts, praifed him with our lips, honoured him with our lives; we have been to the praife of his glory, Eph. i. (5. At the hour of death, all your earthly comforts will vanith ; to think how rich you have been, or what pleafures you have enjoyed upon earth, this will not give one drachm of comfort: what is one the better for an eftate that is fpeni? But now, to liaveconlciencewitneffing, that you have hallowed God'sname, your whole life hath been a glorifying of him, what fweet peace and fatisfadion will this give? That fervant who hath been all day working in the vineyard, how glad is he when evening comes, that he fliall receive his pay ! Such ashavefpent their lives in honouring God, how fweet will death be, when they fliall receive the recompence of^-eward ? What comfort was it to He-zekiah, when he was on his fick-bed, and could appeal to God, Ifaiah xxxviii. 3. ' Remember, O Lord, how 1 have walked before thee with a perfe6t heart, and have done that which is good in thy fight?' I have hallowed thy name, I have brought all the honour I could to thee, ' I have done thai which is good in thy fight.'

6. There is nothing loft by what we do for God ; if we bring honour to his name, he will honour us. Honour is as Balak faid to Balam, Numbers xxii. 37. ' Am not I able to promote thee to honour?' So if we hallow and lan6tify God's name, is not he able to promote us to honour? 1. He will honour us in our life. (I.) He will put honour upon our perfons : He will number us among his jewels, Malachi iii. 17. He will make us a royal diadem in his hand, ICaiah Ixii. 3. He will lift us up in the eyes-of others, Zechariah ix. 17. ' They (hall be as the Hones of a crown lifted up, as an enfign of glory :' He will elieem us as the cream and llower of the creation, Ifaiah xliii. 4. • Since thou haft been precious in my fight, thou hail been honourable.* (2.) God will put honour upon your names, Prov. X. 17. ' The memory of the jult is bleifed.' How re-

nowned have the faints been in all ages, who have hallowed God's name ? How renowned was Abraham for his faith, Mofea for his meeknefs, David for his zeal, Paul for his'love to Chrift? Their names, as a precious ointment, fend forth a fweet perfume in God's church to this day. 2. God will honour us at our death, he will fend his angels to carry us up with triumph into heaven, Luke xvi. 'i'2. ' The beggar died, and was carried by theangelsinto Abraham's bofom.' Amahs, king of Egypt, had his chariot drawn with four kings, which he had conquered in war; but what is this to the glory every believer fhail have at his death? He fliall be carried by the angels of God. 3. God will put honour upon us after death: (1.) He will put glory upon our bodies : we fliall be as the angels, not for fubl'tance but quality;* our bodies (hall be agile and nimble : now our bodies are as a weight, then they Oiall be as a wing, moving fwifliy from place to place ; our bodies (hall be full of clarity and bright-nefs, like Chrifl's glorious body, Phil. iii. 21. The bodies of the faints (hall be as cloth dyed into a fcarlet colour, made more illuilrious; they (hall be fo clear and tranfparent, that the foul Ihall fparkte through them, as the wine through the glafs. (2.) God will put glory upon our fouls; if the cabinet of the body Ihall be fo illuilrious, of what orient brightnefs (hall the jewel be? Then will be the great coronation day, when the faints (hall wear the robe of immortality, and the crown of righteoufnefs which fadeth not away. O how glorious will that garland be which is made of the flowers of paradife ! who then would not hallow and glorify God's name, and fpread his renown in the world, who will put fuch immortal honour upon his people, as

* eye hath not feen nor ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive.'

7 4' uU. Such as do not hallow God's name, but profane and di(honour it, God will pour contempt upon them ; though they be never fo great, and though clothed in purple and fcarlet, yet they are abhorred of God, and their name (hall rot. Though the name of Judas be in the Bible, and the name of Pontius Pilate be in the Creed, yet their names (land there for infamy, as being traitors to the crown of heaven, Nahum i. 14.

* I will make thy grave, for thou art vile.' It is fpoken of An-tiochus Epiphanes, he was s king, and his name (iunifies illuf-trious, yet God elleemed him a vile perlbn. To flicw how bafe the wicked are in God's elleem, he compares them to things nioft vile ; to chalf, Pf i. 4. To drofs, Pfal. cxix. 118. and the filth that foams out of the fea, Ifa. Ivii. ■^0. And as God doth thus vilely elteem fuch as do not hallow his nam^, fo he fends them to a vile place at lall. Vagrants are lent to the hou(e of corredion : hell is the houfe of corredion, which the wicked

S3 OE* THE SECOND PETITION

are fentto when they die. Let all this prevail with us to hallow and lan^tify God's name.

Q«. What may ice do to honour and fanSiify God^s name 9 Anf. Let us^et, (1.) A found knowledge of God, (2.) A. (incere love to God :

'" 1. A found knowledge of God, take a view of his fuperlative excellencies ; his holinefs, his incomprehenfible goodnefs. The angels know God better than we, therefore they fandify his name, and fing hallelujahs to him. And let us labour to know him to be our God, Pfal. xlviii. 14. * This God is our God :' we may dread God as a judge, but we cannot honour him as a father, till we know he is our God.

2. Get a fincere love to God : A love of appreciation, and a love of complacency to delight in him, John xxi. 15. * Lord, fhou knoweft I love thee.' He can never honour his malter who doth not love him. The reafon God's name is not more hallowed, is becaufe his name is not more loved. So much for the firrt petition.

of the second petition in the lord's

praYer.

Watth. yi. 10. Thy Kingdom come.

A SOUL truly devoted to God, joins heartily in this petition, adveniut regnum tuum, ' Thy kingdom come :' In which words this great truth is implied, that God is a King ; he who hath a kingdom, can be no leCs than a king, Plalm xlvii. 7.

* God is King of all the earth.' And he is a King upon his throne. Plalm xlvii. 8. ' God fitleth upon the throne of his holinefs.' (1.) He hath a regal title. High and Mighty^ Ifaiah Ivii. 15. ♦ Thus laith the High and Lofty One.' (9.) He hath the enfigns of royalty: his fvvord, Deut. xxxii. 41. ' If I whet my ghttering fword.' He hath his fceplre, Heb. i. 8.

* A fceptreof righleoulhefs is the fceptre of thy kingdom.' (3.) He hath his crown royal, Rev. xix. K>. * On his head were many crowns.' He hath hisj^rra regalia, his kingly prerogatives ; he hath power to make laws, to leal pardons, which are the flowers and jewels belonging to his crown. Thus the Lord is king.

And, ef%, He is a great King, Pfalm xcv. 3. * A great King above all gods.' He is great in and of himlelf : and not hke other kings, who are made great by their fubjed?. That he is lb great a king, appears, (I.) By the immenfenefs of his being,-Jer. xxiii. 24. • Do not I fill heaven and earth .^ faiih

"> IN THE lord's PRAYER. ffi©

the Lord.' His centre is every where; he is no where included, yet no where excluded ; he is ib immenfely great, thnt * the heaven of heavens cannot contain him,' 1 Kings viii. 9,1. (^2-) His greatnefs appears by the etFefts of his power, * He made heaven and earth,' Plal. cxxiv. 8. and can unmake it. God can with a breath crumble us to dull: with a word he can unpin the world, and break the axle-tree of it in pieces; * he pours contempt upon the mighty,' Job xii. 21. ' He cuts off the fpirit of princes,' Pfalm Ixxvi. 11. He is Lord Paramount, * who doth whatever he will,' Pfalm cxv. 12. * He weigheth the mountains in Icales and the hills in a balance,' Ifa. xl. 12. Mhi, God is a glorious King? Plklni xxiv. 20. * Who is this King of glory? The Lordof Holls, he is the King of glory.* He hath internal glory, Pfalm xciii. 1. * The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majelly.* Other kings have royal and. I'umptuous apparel, to make them appear glorious to the beholders, hut all their magnificence is borrowed ; but God is clothed with majefty, his own glorious eflenceis inftead of royal robes, and ' he hath girded himfelf with flrenglh.' Kings have their guard about them to defend their perlbns, becaule they are not able to defend themfelves; but God needs no guard or affiflance from others : • He hath girded himl'elf with ftrength.' His own power is his life-guard, Pfalm Ixxxix. 6. * Who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord ? Who among the fons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord ?' God hath a pre-eminence above all other kings for majefty. Rev. xix. \6. * He hath on his vefture a name written. Rex Regum, KING OF KINGS.' He hath the highell throne, the richeft crown, the largefl dominions, and the longeft poffelVion, Plal. xxix. 10. * The Lord fitteth King for ever.' Though God hath many heirs, yet no fucceflbrs. He fets up his throne where no other king doth ; he rules the will and atfecSlions, his power binds the confcience: angels ferve him, all the kings of the earth hold their crowns and diadems by immediate tenure from this great King, Prov. viii. 15. ' By me kings reign ;' and to this Lord Jehovah all kings muft give account, and from God's tribunal there is no appeal.

Ufe I. Branch I. If God be fogreat a King and fits King for ever, then it is no difparagement for us to ferve him ; jD^o /!?r-vire eft regnare : it is an honour to ferve a king. If the angels fly fwiftly upon the King of heaven's mefiage, Dan. ix. 21. then well may we look upon it as a favour to be taken into his royal lervice. Theodcfius thought it a greater honour to be God's fervant, than to be an emperor. It is more honour to ferve God, than to have kings ferve us. Every fubje<5l of this kiug is crowned with regal Iwnour, Rev. i. 6*. * Who hath made us kings.* Therefore as the queen of Sheba, having feen Vol. II. No. H. M

the glory of Solomon's kingdom, faid, * Happy are thefe thy fervants which ftand continually before thee,' I Kings x. 8. So, happy are thofe faints who (land before the King of heaven, and wait on his throne.

Branch 2. If God be fuch a glorious King, crowned with wifdom, armed with power, bel'pangled with riches, then it fliews us what prudence it is to have this King to be ours: to fay, as Pf. v. 2. ' My King, and my God.' It is counted great policy to be on the llrongeft fide ; if we belong to the King of heaven, we are fure to be on the flrongeft iide: the King of glory can with ea(e deftroy his adverfaries : he can pull down their prjde, befool their policy, reftrain their malice. That (lone cut out of the mountains without hands, which fmote the image, Dan. ii. 34. was an emblem (faith Aullin) of Chrift's ^monarchical power conquering and triumphing over his enemies. If we are on God's fide, we are on the llrongell fide; he can with a word deflroy his enemies, Pl\ ii. 5. ' Then (hall he fpeak to them in his wrath.' Nay, he can with a look deftroy them. Job xl. 12. ' Look upon every one that is proud, and bring him low.' It needs cod God no more to confound thofe who rife up againft him, than a look, a cad of his eye, Exod. xiv. 24. * In the morning-watch the Lord looked to the hoft of the Egyptians, thro' the pillar of fire, and troubled their hoft, and took oft'their chariot wheels.' What wifdom is it then to have this King to be ours ? Then we are on the ftrongeft fide. life 2. Of Exhortation.

Branch I. If God be fo glorious a King, full of power and majetty, let us truft in him, Pialm ix. 10. * They that know thy name will put their truft in thee.' Truft him with your foul; you cannot put this jewel in fafer hands. And truft him with church and ftate affairs : he is King, Exod. xvi. 5. ' The Lord is a man of war.' He can make bare his holy arm in the eyesof all the nations. If means fail, he is never at a lofs ; there are no impolTibilities with him; he can make the dry bones live, Ezek. xxxvii. 10. As a king he can command, and as a king he can create falvation, Ifaiah Ixv. IS. * I create Jerul'alem a rejoicing.' Let us truft all our affairs with this great King. Either God can remove mountains or he can leap ovprthem. Canticles ii. 8.

Branch 2. If God be fogreataKing, let us fear him, Jer. v. 22. ' Fear ye not me : faith the Lord : will ye not tremble at my prefence.?' We have enough of fear of men. Fear makes danger appear greater, and fin lefier; but let us fear the King of kings, who hath power to call body and foul into hell, Luke xii. 5. As one wedge drives out another, fo the fear of God would drive out all bale carnal fear. Let us fear that God, whole throne is fet above all kings; they may be mighty, but he is

almighty. Kings have no power, but what God hath given them ; their power is limited, his is infinite. Let us tear this King, whofe eyes * are as lamps of fire,' Rev. i. 14. * The mountains quake at him; and the rocl<s are thrown down by him ;' Nahum i. 6. If he ftamps with his foot, all the creatures are prefently up in a battalia to fight for him. O tremble and fear before this God : fear \s janitor animce^ it is the door-keeper of the foul. It keeps fin from entering, Gen. xxxix. 9. * How can I do this great wickednefs, and fin againfi; God ?'

Branch 3. If God be fo glorious a King, he hath jus vitw necis, he hath the power of life and death in his hand. Let all the potentates of the earth take heed, how they employ their power againll the King of heaven : they employ their power againfi; God who with their Iceptre beat down his truth, which is the mofl; orient pearl of his crown ; who crufh and perfecute his people, who are the apple of his eye, Zech. ii. 8. Who trample upon his laws and royal edicts, which he hath fet forth, Pfalm ii. 3. What is a king without his laws ? Let all thofe that are invefted with worldly power and grandeur, take heed how they oppofe the King ot glory : the Lord will be too hard for all that come againfi him. Job xl. 9- * Hafi; thou an arm like God ?' wilt thou meafure arms with the Almisrhtv .'' Shall a little child go to fight with an archangel? Ezek. xxii. 14. * Can thy heart endure, or can thy hands be flrong in the day that I fhall deal with thee?' Chrill will put all his enemies at laft under his feet, Pf. ex. 1. All the multitude of the wicked, who fet themfelves againfi God fhall be but as fo many clufiers of ripe grapes, to be caft into the wine-prefs of the wrath of God, and to be trodden by him till their blood come forth. The King of glory will come off vidor at laft: men may fet up their ftandard, but God always lets up his trophies of vi6tory. The Lord hath a golden (ceptre, and an iron rod, Pf, ii. y. Thofe who will not bow to the one, fhall be broken by the other.

Branch 4. Is God lb great a King, having all power in heaven and earth in his hand? Let us learn fubjedtion to him. Such as have gone on in fin, and by their impieties hung out a flag of defiance againll the King of heaven, oh come in quickly, and make your peace, fubmit to God, Pf. ii. l!^. • Kifs the Son, left he be angry.' Kifs Chrill with a kifs of love, and a kifs of obedience : obey the King of heaven, when he Ipeakslo you by his minifters and ambaffadors, ^ Cor. v. 20. When God bids you flee from fin, and efpoufe holinefs, obey him ; to obey is better than facrifice. ** To obey God (faith Luther) is better than to work miracles." Obey God villiiioly, IIU, i. 19, That is the bell obedience, that is cheerful, A.i that is the fweetelt honey which drops out of the coinb : obey God fwiftly, Zech. V. 9. * I lift up mine eyes, and behold two women,

M2

and the wind was in their wings.' Wings are fwift, but wind in the wings denotes great Iwiftnefs ; fuch fliould our obedience to God be. Obey the King of glory.

Uje ILL Comfort to thofe who are the fubje6ts of the King of heaven ; God will p^Jt forth all the royal power for iheir iuc-cour and comfort.

1. The King of h&aven will plead their caufe, Jer. li. 36. * I will plead thy caufe, and take vengeance for thee.'

2. He will proted his people : he fets an invifible guard about them, Zech. ii. 5. • I will be a wall of fire to her roun d about.' A wall, that is defenhve ; a wall of hre, that is otlen-five.

3. When it may be for the good of his people, he will raife up deliverance to them, I Chron. xi. 4. ' The Lord faved them by a great deliverance.' God reigning as a King, can fave any •way : by contemptible means, the blowing of trumpets, and gazing of lamps. Judges vii. 90. By contrary means, he made the fea a wall to Krael, and the waters were a means to keep them from drowning. The filVs belly was a (hip in which Jonah failed fafe to (hore. God will never want ways of laving ills people ; rather than fail, the very enemies (hall do his work, 2 Chron. XX. 23. He fet Ammon and Mount Seir one againlt another. And as God will deliver his people from temporal danger, (b from fpiritual, from fin, and from hell; ' Jefi^ hath delivered us from the wrath to come,' I Theff. i. 10.

Uj'e IV. Terror to the enemies of the church. If God be King, he will fet his utmoft ftrength againft them who are the enemies of his kingdom, Pf. xcvii. 3. 'A fire goeih before him and burneth up his enemies round about.'

1. He will fet hirofelfagainll his enemies ; he will fet his attributes againft them, his powerand juftice ; and, • Who knows the power of his anger?' Pf xc. 11.

2. God will fet his creatures againft them. Judges v. 20. The ftars in their courfes fought againft Sifera. Tertullian ob-ferves, that, the Perfians fighting againft the Chriftians, a mighty wind arofe, which did make the Perhans' arrows to tly back in their own faces. Every creature hath a quarrel with a finner : the ftone out of the wall, Hab. ii. 11. The hail and the froft, Pf Ixxviii. 47. 'He deftroyed their vines with hail, and their fycamore-trees with fioft.'

3. God will fet men againft themfelves. 1. He will fet con-(cience againft them : and how terrible is this rod when turned into a ferpent ! Melancthon calls it Erynnis con/cientia, a hel-lifh fury ; it is called vermis confcientia^ the worm ofconlcience. Mark ix. 44. What a worm did Spira feel in his confcience ? He was a terror to himfelf : the worft civil wars are between a man and his confcience. 2. God will fet the difeafes of men's

bodies againftthem, 2 Chron. x\\. 18. * The Lord! fmote Je-horam in his bowels, with an incurable difeafe.* God can raile an army againll a man, out of his own bowels : he can (et one humour of the body againft anoilier : the heat to dry up the moillure, and the moilter to drown the heat : the Lord needs not go far for inllruments to punilli the finner ; he can make the joints of the fame body to I'lnite one againft another, as Dan. V. 6. 3. God will fet men's friendsagainll them ; where they ufed to h«ve honey, they (hall have nothing but aloes and wormwood. * When a man's ways pleafe the Lord, he fliall make his enemies to be his friends,' Prov. xvi. 7. But whea he oppofeth God, he maketh his friends to be his enemies. Com mod us the emperor, his own wife gave him poifon in perfumed wine. Sennacherib's two fons were the death of him, 9 Kings xix. 37. 4. God will let Satan againtl him, Pf. cix. (5. * Let Satan ftand at his right hand.' What doth Satan at the finners elbows ? I. He helps him to contrive fin. 2. He tempts him to commit fin. 3. He terrifies him for fin. He that hath Satan thus Handing at his right hand, is fure to be fet at God's left hand. Here is the mifery of fuch as oppofe God's royal fceptre, he will fet every thing in the world againlllhem : if there be either juilice in heaven, or fire in hell, finners (hall not be unpunifhed.

life laji, If God be fuch an abfolute monarch, and crowned with fuch glory and majefty, let us all engage in his fervice, and ftand up for his truth and worfliip ; dare to own God in the worft time : he is King of kings, and is able to reward all his fervants : we may be lolers for him, we fiiall never be lolers by him. We are ready to fay, as Amaziah, '2 Chron. XXV. <). * What thrtll Ido for the hundred talents.^' If 1 appear for God, I may lofe wy eRate, n)y life : I l"iy with tne prophet, God is able to g-.ve you much more than this ; he can give you, for the prelent, inward peace, and for the future a crown of glory which fades not away.

Qu. Wiiut kingdom doth Clinji mean here ?

Anf. Negnt. 1. He doth not mean a political or earthly kingdom. The apoltles indeed did defire, I. Chrifi's temporal reign, A<5tt. i. 0". ' When wilt thou reftore the kingdom to Ifrael.^' but Chrift laid, his kingdom was not of this world, John xviii. 30. So that, when Chrift taught his dii'ciples to pray, * thy kingdom come,' He did not mean it of an earthly kingdom, that he Ihould reign here in outward pomp and fplen-dor. It is not meant of God's provid-nfial kingdom, PI/ ciii. 19- * His kingdom rultth over all ;' that is, the kingdom of his'providence. This kingdom we do not pray for, when we fay, ' thy kingdom come ;' for this kingdom is already come ; God exercifeth the kingdom of his providence in the world.

?4 ©F THE SECOND PETTTIOX

PT. ]xxr. 7. ' He putteth down one and ietteth up another.' Xoih);.? Irrs in the world but God hath an hand in it: he lets eren wbee! a-working : he humbles the proud, and raireih the poor out of the duti, to fet them among princes, 1 Sam. ii. 8. The k r^iom of Gild's proTidence ruleth overall ; kinffs do notfi ; ^t what his providence permits and orders, Acts iv. £7- Ti-:? kingdom oi God's providence we do. What kingdom then T5 meant here, when we fay, * Thy kingdom come r* Af.i\ PofitiTely. There is a twotoid kingdom meant here. 1. Tbe kingdom of grace, which kingdom God esercifeth in the confcieBces of his people : this is re^num Dei mikro>. God's leifer kingdom, Luke v. 3. When we pray, * Thy kingdom come.* I. Here is fomething tacitly implied, that we are in the ' "- r- ?m ofdarknefe, 1. We prav that we may be brought out:. :. z iiingdom of daritnefs. 2. That the devil s kingdom in the world may be demolilhed. 9- Something pofiiively in-tenc , i^enifit reffirum^ratiae et glome. 1. We pray, that the kin: :f 2Tace n.ay be fet up in our hearts and increaled.

2. '.. ..;., ve pray * Thy kingdom come ;* we pray, that the kingdom of p^loiy may batten, and that we may in God's good lime be tranflated into it. Thefe two kingdoms of grace and glory, differ not fpecifica'ly, but gradually ; they differ not in nature, bat only in degree. The kingdom of grace is nothing but the inchoation or beginning of the kingdom of g'ory : the kingdom of grace is glory in the feed, and the kingdom of glory is ?race in the flower : the kingdom o\ grace is glory in the day-break, and thekiusdom of glory is grace in the full meridian ; the kingdom of ^race is zlory militant, and the kingdom of glory is grace triumphant. There is fuch an inleparable connectioa between thefe two kingdoms, grace and giory, that there is no pafiinz into the one kingdom but by the other. At Athens there were two tempies, a temple of virtue and a temple of ho-Boar ; and there was no going into the temple of honout, but through the teojple of virtue : K) the kingdoms of grace and glory are fo clofe joined together, that we cannot go into the kingdom of glorv, but ihroush the kingdom ot grace. Many people afpire after the kingdom of glory, but r.eTer look after grace ; but thefe two, which God hath joined together, may not be put afunder : the kingdom of grace leads to the kingdom of glory-.

T. rbegin with the firft thing implied in this petition, * Thy kingdom come :* it is implied, that we are in the kingdom of darkneli ; and we pray, that we may be bro _' ' ^ he

kingdom of darknefs : the ftate of nature is a ki. _ k-

Dfcls : it is a kmgdom : fin is fafd to reign, Rom. vi. 12. And it is a kingdom of darknefs : it i= called the povtr of darki efs. Col. i. 13. Man, before the feU, was iliuminated with perled

IX THE LORD S FRJLYEM Q^

loiO'iv^' - --, hut th'' '-r^t is dow edipfed, and he is falkn int* the ;t» of da - -,

Qu. Hoic nuui^ iMU/^ is a natxral man m the Idnzdomofdarb' nejsf . Ad/. 1. He is uD^er the darimeis of JTooraoce, EjA. ir. 18.

* Haviug the undenlandiag darkoed,' Ignorance is a bUck veil draM^a over the mind ; men by nature may bare a deep reach in the things of die world, but ignorant in the things ot Gjd. Xahaih the Ammonite wouid make a covenant with Ii'rael to thruit out their right eyes, 1 Sam. jd. 2. Since the fail, our left hand remains, a deep inughtinto worldly matters; but our right eye is thruti out, we have no i&ving knowledge of God ; lometh'mg we knon- by nature, * but notbieg a? we ought to know,' I Cor. viiL 2. Ignorance draws the cunaios rojod about the I'oui, I Cor. ii. 14.

3. A natural m. ji is under the dadcoels of pollutioo : heoce finfal aAioos are called * works of darknellt,' Rom. xiii. 1?. Pf: ie and luit dar<^en the glory of the fool; a Baner's heart is a, darrc conclave, it looks blacker than hell.

3. A natural man is under the darknels of mi(ery : he is eX' pofed to divine vengeance ; and the fadne& of ihis darkneis, is, that men are noc fenObie of it ; they are blind, vet tber think they fee ; the darknefs of Egypt was luch thick cdraneis as

• might be felt,' Exod. x. ii. Men are by nature in thick dark Dels, but here is the mifery ; the darknets cannot be felt ; they v\ili not believe they are in the dark, till ibey are pafi recovery.

Ute I. See what the fiate of nature is, * it is a kingdom of darknefs,' and it is a bewitching darknels, John iii. 17." * Me« lored d r :' rather than light ;* As the Athlaotes in Ethi-opiicui.r :..z iun. Such as are ftill in the kingdom of darknefs, tremble to think of this condition ; * this darknets of fin leads to the chains of darknefs.' Jude 6. What comfort can fuch take in earthly things ? The E^v ptians mieht have rood, gold, fiker ; but they could take bjt iittie comfon in them, vhile they were in fuch darknels as nn^ht be felt; to the natural man may have riches and friends to delight in, yet be is in the kingdom of darknels, and how dead are all thele coa^ forts ? Thou, who art in the kingdom of darkneis, knoweft not whither thou goeft. As the ox is driven to the (hambles, but he knows not whither he sroes, fo the devil is drivio* thee before hiai to hell, but thou snoweft not whither thou goelu i^bouldeft thou die in thy natural eira'-. -• - • - - m in the kingdom of darknets, blackoe.s of dar-. : _ r ;or thee,

Jude 13. * To whom is refertvd blacknefs of d^ukcels for ever.'

U/e II. Let us pray ihit God will brinii us out of this kiaj-dom of darkoei^. Cods kingdcm of grace caocot oome iot»

our hearts, till fiift we are brought out of the kingdom of dark-nffs, I Coioir. i. 13. Why fhould not we Ttrive to get out of this kingdom of darkneCs ? Who would defireto ftay in a dark dungeon? O fear the chainsof darknefs, Jude 6. Thefechains are God's power, binding men as in chainsunder wrath for ever. O pray that God will deliver us out of the kingdom of darknefs. 1. Be fenfible of thy dark damned eftate, that thou haft not one fpark of fire to give thee light. 2. Go to Chrift to enlighten thee, Ephef. v. 14. ' Chrift fhall give thee light:' he will not only bring thy light to thee, but open thine eyes to fee it. That is the firft thing implied, * thy kingdom come;' we pray that we may be brought out of the kingdom of darknefs.

The fecond thing implied in ' thy kingdom come,' we do implicitly pray againft the devil's kingdom, we pray that Satan's kingdom may be demoliflied in the world. Satan's kingdom ftands in oppofition to Chrift's kingdom ; and when we pray, ' Thy kingdom come,' we pray againft Satan'skingdom. Satan hath a kingdom; he got his kingdom by conqueft ; he conquered mankind in paradife. He hath his throne, Rev. ii. 13. * Thou dwelleit where Satan's throne is.' And his throne is fet up in the hearts of men ; he doth not care for their purfes but their hearts, Ephef. ii. 2. Satan is ferved upon the knee. Rev, xiii. 4. * They worfhip the dragon,' that is, the devil. Satan's empire is very large ; the moft kingdoms in the world pay tribute to him. Satan's kingdom hath two qualifications or charaders.

(1.) It is regnum nequHiae^ a kingdom of impiety.

(9.) It is regnum J ervitutis t a kingdom of flavery. 1. The kingdom of Satan is a kingdom of impiety : nothing but fin goes on in his kingdom, murder and herefy, luftand treachery, op-prefiion and divifion are the conftant trade driven in Satan's kingdom : Satan is called the unclean fpirit, Luke xi. 24. What elfe is propagated in his kingdom, but a myftery of iniquity ?

2. Satan's kingdom is a kingdom of flavery : Satan makes all his fubje6ts flaves ! Peccati reus dura daemonis tyrannide tenetuTf Muis. Satan is an ufurper and a tyrant; he is a worfe tyrant than any other, I. Other tyrants do but rule over the body, but Satan's kingdom rules over the foul; Satan rides fome men as we do horfes. 2. Other tyrants have fome pity on their flaves: though they make them work in the gallies, yet they give them meat, and let them have their hours for reft; but Satan is a mercilefs tyrant, he gives his flaves poifon inftead of meat, he gives them hurtful lufts to feed on, 1 Tim. vi. 9. nor will he let his flaves have aiiy reft, he hires thtm out in doing his drudgery, Jer. ix. 5. * They weary themfelves to conimit iniquity.' VVhen the devil had entered into Judas, he fends

IN IHE lord's prayer.

liini to tlie hi£,'h priefts, and from ihence to the garden, and never let him rell till he had betrayed Chrill, and hanged himfelf. Thus Satan is the worft tyrant; when men have ferved him to their utrnoft ftrength, he will Welcome them to hell with fire and hrimllone.

Ujc. Let us pray that Satan's kingdom fet up in the world may be thrown down. It is fad to think, that though the devil's kingdom be To bad, yet that it fhould have fo many to fup-port it. Satan hath more to Hand up for his kingdom, than Chrifl hath for his. What a large harveft of fouls hath Satan ? And God only a few gleanings. The Pope and the Turk give theiF power to Satan. If in God's vifible church the devil hath ih njany loyal fLihje6ts, that ferve him with their lives and fouls, then how do his lubje6ts fwarm in places of idolatry and paga-nifm, where there is none to oppofe him, but all vote on the devil's fide .^ Men are willingly fiaves to Satan; they will fight and die for him : therefore Satan is not only called the * prince of this world,' John xix. 30. but the 'god of this world,* 2 Cor. iv. 4, to fiiew what power Satan hath over men's fouls. O let us pray, that God will break thefceptreof the devil's kingdom, that Michael may dellroy the dragon, that by the help of a religions magiftracy and minifl:ry, the hellifh kingdom of the prince of darkuefs may be beaten down. Satan's kingdom muft be thrown down before Chrifl's kingdom can flourifli in its power and majefiy.

2. When we pray, * Thy kingdom come:' here isfomething pofitively intended.

1. We pray that the kingdom of grace may be fet up in our hearts, and increafed.

'2. That the kingdom of glory may haften, and that we may, in God's due time, be tranflated into it.

I begin with the firft, the kingdom of grace. When we pray, ' thy kingdom Come,' we pray, 1. That the kingdom of grace may come into our hearts: This is regman Dei, God's lefler kingdom, Rom. xiv. 17. * The kingdom of God is righ-teoufnefs,' Luke xvii. 21. * The kingdom of God is within you.'

Qu. 1; Why is grace called a kingdom ?

Anf. Becaute, when grace comes, there is a kingly government fet up in the foul. Grace rules the will and aftedlions, and brings the whole man in fubje6tion to Chriil: Grace doth king it ill the foul; it fways the fceptre, it fubdues mutiuouj lulls, and keeps the foul in a fpiritual decorum.

Qu. 2. Why is there fuch need that loe ffiould pray that this kingdom of grace may come into our hearts ?

Anf. 1. Becaufe, till the kingdom of grace come, we have no right to the covenant of grace*. The covtnant of grace is fwee;-

VoL. II. No. 14. N

Q8 OF THE SECOND PETITION

€ned with love, befpangled with promlfes ; the covenant of grace is our magna charta, by virtue of which God pafleth him-felf over to us to be our God : But who are heirs of the covenant of grace ? Only fuch as have the kingdom of grace in their hearts, Ezekiel xxvi. 96. • A new heart will I give you, and a new fpirit will I put within you;* there is the kingdom of grace fet up in the Ibul: then it follows, ver. 28. * I will be your God.' The covenant of grace is to an ungracious perfon a fealed fountain ; it is kept as a paradife with a flaming fword, that the finner may not touch it; without grace you have no more right to it than a farmer to the city-charter.

2. Unlefs the kingdom of grace be fet up in our hearts, our pureft offerings are defiled : they may be good as to the matter, but not as to the manner; they want that which fhould meliorate and f'weeten them. Under the law, if a man who was unclean by a dead body, did carry a piece of holy flefti in hisfhirt, the holy fle(h could not cleanlie him, but he polluted that. Hag. ii. 12. - Till the kingdom of grace be in our hearts, ordinances do not purify us, but we pollute them ; the prayer of an ungracious perfon becomes fin, Prov. xv. 8. In what a fad condition is a man before God's kingdom of grace be fet up in his heart! whether he comes or cornes not to the ordinance, he fins : if lie doth not come to the ordinance, he is a contemner of it: if he doth come he is a polluter of it: a finner's works are opera morhia, dead works, Heb. i. 6. and thole works which are dead cannot pleafe God ; a dead flower hath no fweetnefs.-

3. We had need pray that the kingdom of grace may come, becaufe till this kingdom come into our hearts, we are loath-fome in God's eyes, Zech. xi. 8. ' My foul loathed them.* Quanta ejl fceditas vitiofae mentis, Tully. An heart void of grace looks blacker than hell ; fin transforms one into a devil, John vi. 70. * Have not I chofen twelve, and one of you is a devil ?' Envy is the devil's eye, hypocrily is his cloven foot : thus it is before the kingdom of grace come. So deformed is a gracelefs perfon, that when once he fees his own filth and le-profy, the firft thing he doth is to loath himfelf, Ezek. xx. 43. • Ye (ball loath yourfelf in your own fight for all your evils.* I have read of a woman, who always ufed flattering glaffes; by chance, feeing her face in a true glat's, in infaniam delapfa, eft, fhe ran mad. Such as now drefs themfelves by the flattering glals of prefumption, when once God gives them a fight of their fiUhineis, they will abhor themfelves: ' Ye fiiall loath your-lelves in your own fight for all your evils.'

4. Before the kingdom of grace conies into us, we are fpiri-tually illegitimate, of the baftard-brood of the old ferpent, John viii. 44. To be illegitimate is the greareft infam)^ Deut. xxiii. 2. * A bafiard (hall not enter into the congregation of the Lord

IN THE lord's prayer. QQ

to the tenth generation.' He was to be kept out of the holy aflemblies of Ifiael as an infamous creature : a ballard, by the law, cannot inherit. Before the kingdom of grace come into the heart, a perfon is to God as one illegitimate, and fo con* tinuinff, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.

5. Before the kingdom of grace be fet up in men's hearts, the kingdom of Satan is fet up in them : they are (aid to be under the power of Satan, Acts xxvi. 18. Satan commands the will: though he cannot force the will, he can, by his fubtil temptations, draw it : The devil is faid to take ' men captive at his will,' 2 Tim. ii. 2(i. The Greek word fignifies, to take them alive, as the fowler doth the bird in the fnare. The fin-ner's heart is the devil's manfion-houfe, Matth. xii. 44. * I will go to my houfe.' It \sofficina diaboliy Satan's (hop, where he works, Eph. ii. 2. * The prince of the air now worketh in the children of difobedience.* The members of the body are the tools which Satan works with : Satan polfeU'eth men. In Chrift's time many had their bodies polfefled, but it is far worfe to have their fouls polleffed : one is polfelfed with an unclean devil, another with a revengeful devil. No wonder the fhip goes full fail when the wind blows ; no wonder men go full fail in fin, when the devil, the prince of the air, blows them : Thus it is ; till the kingdom of grace come, men are under the power of Satan, who, like Draco, writes all his laws in blood.

6. 7^11 the kingdom of grace comes, a man lies expofed to the wrath of God ; ' and who knows the power of his anger?* Pialm xc. 11. If, when but a fpark of God's wrath tlies into a man's conlcience in this life, it is (b terrible, what then will it be, when Godftirs up alibis anger? So inconceivably torturing is God's wrath, that the wicked call to the rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from it. Rev. vi. 1. The hellilh torments are compared to a liery lake. Rev. xx. 15. Other fire is but painted in comparilbn of this : and this lake of Itje burns for ever, Mark ix. 44. God's breath kindles this fire, liaiah XXX. 22. And, where Ihall we find engmes or buckets to quench it ? Time will not finifh it ; tears will not quench it. To this fiery lake are men expofed, till the kingdom of grace be let up in them.

7. Till the kingdom of grace come, men cannot die with comfort; only he who takes Chritt in the arms of his faith, can look death in the face with Joy. But it is fad to have the king of terrors in the body, and not the kingdom of grace in the foul. It is a wonder every gracelelis perfon doth not die dil-tra6ted ; what will a grace-defpifer do, when death comes to him with a writ of habeas corpus? Hell follows death. Rev. vi. 8. * Behold, a pale horfe, and his name that lat on him was death, and hell followed him.' Thus you fee what need we

have to pray that the kingdom of grace may come. He that dies without Chrift, I may (ay as Clirift, Matt, xxviii. 24. ' It had been good for that manjie had not been born.' Few do beheve the nectffity of having the kingdom of grace fet up in their hearts, as a|)pears by this, becaufe they are lb well content to live without it. Doth that man believe the iiecelhty of a pardon, that is content to be without it ? Moft people, if they may have trading, and may fit quietly under their vine and fig-trees, they are in their kingdom, though they have not the kindom of God within them. If the candle of profperity fiiine upon their iitad, they care not whether the grace of God (hino in their heart j3 : do thel'e men believe the necelhty of grace? Were they convinced how needful it were to have the kingdom of God within them, they would cry out as the Jailor, Acts xvi. 3. ' What Ihall 1 do to be faved ?'

Qu. 3. Moid may we know that the kingdom of grace is fet vp in our hearts ?

Anf. It concerns us to examine this; our falvaiion depends upon it; and we had need be curious in the learch, becaufe there is fomething looks like grace, which is not, Gal. vi. 3. * If a man thinks himfelf to be fomething, when he is nothing, he deceives himiielf.' Many think they have the kingdom of grace come into their heart, and it is only a chimera, a golden dream. Quam multi cum vanfifpc defcendat ad infera ! Aug. Zeuxis did paint grapes lb lively, that he deceived the living birds. There are many deceits about grace.

Deceit 1. Men think they have the kingdom of grace in their hearts, becaufe they have the means of grace ; they live where the filver trumpet of the gofpel founds, they are lift up to heaven with ordinances, Judges xvii. 13. * I have a Levite to my prieft,' fure I fliall go to heaven. The Jews cried, Jer. viii. 4. ' The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord ;' we are apt to glory in this, the oracles of God are committed to us, we have word and facrament. Alas! this is a fallacy; we may have the means of grace, yet the kingdom of grace may not be fet up in our hearts ; we may have the kingdom of God com* Tiigh us, Luke xi. 20. but not into us ; the found of the word m our ears, but not the favour of it in our hearts. Many of the Jews, who had Chrill: for their preacher, were never the belter : hot clothes will not put warmth into a dead man. Thou mayeft have hot clothes, warm and lively preaching, yet 1)8 fpiritually dead, Mat^ vii. 12. * The children of the kingdom ihall be caft out.'

Deceit 2. Men think they have the kingdom of grace fet up in their hearts, becaufe they have fome common works of the ipirit.

(I.) They have great enlightcnings of mind, profound know-

IN THE lord's prayer. lOt

ledge, an<l almoll fpcak like angels dropped from heaven : but tlie apollio luppolelh a caie, thai after men liave been enligtened they may fall away» Heb. vi. 4, 5, (5.

Qn. But wherein do til this illuvtiiiation come JJiort ?

yiiif. The illnmination of hypocrites is not virtual, it doth not leave au impretrion of liolineis behind ; it is like weak phy-fic, that w^ill not work. Tlie mind is enlightened, but the heart is not rene\ve<l. A Chriltian that is all head, but no feet, he doth not walk in the ways of God.

(2.) Men have had convidions and ftirrings of confcience for fin, they have leen the evil of their ways, therefore now they hope the kingdou) of grace is come ; but, 1 fay, convi6tions, though they are a (tep towards grace, yet they are not grace. Had not Pharaoh and Judas convidions? Exod. x. 16.

Qu. What makes convitiions inove abortive ? Wherein is the defect ?

Anf. I. They are not deep enough : a finner never fawhim-felf loll without Clirift : the feed that wanted depth of earth withered, Mat. xiii. 5. Thefe convidions are like bloflbms blown oft'before they come to matuvity. y. Thefe convidions are involuntary ; the (inner doth what he can to Itiflle thefe convictions ; he drowns them in wme and mirth ; he labours to get rid of tljein : as the deer, when it is Ihot runs and Ihakes out the arrow, fo doth he the arrow of convidion : or as the prifoner that files off his fetters, and breaks loofe ; fo a maa breaks loole from his convidions. His corruptions arefironger than his convidions.

(3.) ]\len have had feme kind of humiliation, and have (bed tears for their fins, therefore now they hope the kingdom of grace is come into their hearts. But this it no infallible fign of grace ; Saul wept, Ahab humbled himfelf.

Qu. Why is not humiliation grace ? Wherein doth it cone JJiort 9

AnC. I. Tears in the wicked do notfpring from love to God, but are forced by afflitticn, Gen. iv. 13. as water that drop.'if from the itill is forced by the fire. The tears of fiimers arc forced by God's fiery judgments. 2. 'i'hey ara deceitful tears lacliryniae mentiri doftae ; men weep, yet go on in (in ; thty do not drown their fins in their tears.

(4) iMt n have begun Ibme reiormation, therefore fure now the kingdom of grace is come ; but there may be deceit in this; 1. A man may leave his oaths and drunkennefs, yet ftill be in love with (in ; he may leave his fin out of fear of hell, or becaule it brings Ihanie and penury, but (till his heart goes after it, Hof. iv. S. • They fet their hearts on their iniquity ;' as Lot's wife left Sodom, but (till her heart was in Sodom. Hypocrites are like the Inake which calls her coat, but keeps her poilbn :

they keep the love of fin, as one that hath been long fuitor to another ; thouglj his friends break off the match, yet dill he hath a hankering love to her. 2. It may be a partial reformation ; he may leave ott'one fin, and live in another ; he may refrain drunkennefs, and live in covetoulhefs; he may refrain fwearing, and live in the fin of flandering; one devi! may be caft out, and another as bad may come in his room. 3. A man may forfake grofs fins, but have no relu6tancy againft heart-fins : motus primo primi, proud, lutlful thoughts; though he damns lip the fi:ream, he lets alone the fountain. O therefore if there be fo many deceits, and men may think the kingdom of grace is come into our hearts, when it is not, how curious and critical had we need be in our fearch, whether we have the kingdom of grace really come into our hearts } If a man be deceived in the title of his land, it is but the lofs of his efi;ate ; but if be deceived about his grace, it is the lofs of his foul. I fhould now come to anfwer this queition, how may we know that the kingdom of grace is fet up in our hearts ?

Qu. Hoiv may ice know the kingdom of grace is fet up in us ?

Anf. 1. In general, by having a metamorphofis or change wrought in the foul; this is called the ' new creature,' 2 Cor. V. 17. The faculties are not new, but there is a new nature ; as the firings of a lute are the fame, but the tune is altered. When the kingdom of grace is-fet up, there is light in the mind, order in the affections, pliablenefs of the will, tendernefs in the confcience ; iuch as can find no change of heart, they are the fame as they were ; as vain, as earthly, as unclean as ever ; there is no fign of God's kingdom of grace in them.

2. More particularly we may know the kingdom of grace is fet up in our hearts, 1. By having unfeigned defires after God ; this is the fmoakingilax Chrift will not quench. A true defire of grace, is grace ; by the beating of this pulfe, conclude there is life, Neh. i. il. * O Lord let thy ear be attentive to the prayers of thy fervants who defire to fear thy name.' But may not an hypocrite have good defires ? Num. xxiii. 10. ' Let me die the death of the righteous.* Therefore, I fay, unfeigned defires evidence the kingdom of God within a man.

Qu, But lioiv inaxj thefe unfeigned dejires he known ?

Anf. 1. An unfeigned defire is ingenuous ; we defire God propter fe, for himfclf, for his intrinfical excellencies, and the oriency of his beauty which fhines ; the favour of Chrift's ointments (/. e.) his graces, draw the virgin's defires after him. Cant. i. 3. A true faint defires Chrilt not only for what he hath, but for what he is ; not only for liis rewards, but for his holinefs. No hypocrite can thus defire God ; he may defire him for his jewels, but not for his beauty.

^. An unfeigned defire is unfatiable, it cannat be fatisficd without God : let the world heap her honours and richer, they will not fatisfy. Not flowers or mulic will content him who is thirlty ; nothing will quench the foul's third but the blood of Chrift ; he faints away, his heart bieaks with longing for God, Pial. Ixxxiv. 2. and cxix. 20.

3. An unfeigned defire is a6live, it flourilTieth into endeavour, lla. xxvi. y. ' With my foul have I delired thee, yea, with my fpirit within me will I leek thee early.' A foul that defires aright faith, Chrill I mult have, grace 1 muit have, I will have heaven, thmjgh I take it by llorm ; he who defires water, will let down the bucket into the well to draw it up.

4. An unfeigned defire is fuperlative : we defire Chrill, not only more than the world, but more than heaven, Pf. Ixxiii. 25. ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ?' Heaven itl'elf would not fati&fy without Chrill; Chrift is the diamond in the ring of glory ; if God fhould lay to the foul I will put thee into heaven, but I will hide my face from thee, I will draw a curtain between, that thou ("halt not behold my glory ; the foul would

•not be fatisfied, but lay as Abfalom, 2 Sam. xiv. 32. * Now therefore let me fee the king's face.*

5. An unfeigned defire is gradual : it increafeth as the fun in the horizon ; a little of God will not fatisfy, but the pious Ibul defireth dill more ; a drop of water is not enough for the thirfiiy traveller. Though a Chriilian is thankful for the leali degree of grace, yet he is not fatislied with the greateft ; ftill he thirfts for more of Chrift, and his Spirit. Defire is an holy droply : a faint would have more knowledge, more fan6tity» roore of Chrift's prefence. A glimpfe of Chrift through the lattice of an ordinance is fweet ; and now the ibul will never leave longing till it fees him face to face. He defires to have grace perfected in glory. Dnlc/Jfuno Deo tolas immergi. cnpit os invifcerari ; we would be fwallowed up in God, and be ever bathing ourfelves in thole perfumed waters of pleafure, which run at liis right-hand for ever. Sure this unfeigned defire after God is a blelfed fign that the kingdom of grace is come into our hearts, the beating of this pulle (hews life, EJia Deouthene lelimits, Aug. If iron move upwards contrary to its nature it is a fign fome loadftone hath been there drawing it ; if the foul move towards God in an unfeigned defire, it is a lign the loadftone of the Spirit hath been drawing it. We may kno\y the kingdom of grace is come into our hearts, by having the princely grace of faith. Fides eji Janiii/Jima hn)na?ii pectoris. Gemma.—Faith cuts us oft" from the wild olive ot nature ; and ingrafts us into Chrill ; faith is the vital artery of the ibul, Heb. X. 38. * 'i'he jutl (hall live by faiih.' Faith makes an holy adventure ou Chrift's merits ; when this faith, as a prince-

]y grace reigns in the foul, now the kingdom of God is come unto us. The Hebrew word for faith cotnes from a radix, which fignifies a nourifli ; faith nouriflieth tlie foul, and is the nurle of all the graces. But, who will not fay he is a believer ? Simon Magus believed. Acts viii. 13. Yet was in the gall of bitternefs. The hypocrite can put on faith's mantle. As thfe Devil did Samuel's. How fliall we know therefore that our faith is found, that it is the faith of the operation of God, CoU ii. 12. And fo that the kingdom ofGod is within us ?

Anf. 1. True faith is wrought by the miniflry of the word, Rom. X. 17« * Faith comes by hearing.* Peter let down the net of his miniflry, and at one draught catched three thoufand I'oul?. Let us examine how was'our faith wrought ? Did God in the miniftry of the word humble us ? Did he break up the fallow ground of our heart, and then call in the feed of faith ? A good fign, but, if you know not how you came by your faith, furpe6t yourfislves : as we fufpe6t men to have llolen goods, when they know not how they came by them.

^. True faith is at firll minute and fmall, like a grain of muf-^ tard feed ; it is full of doubts and fears, it is fmoaking flax ; it fmoaks with defire, but doth not flame with comfort ; it isfo fmall ihat a Chriftian can hardly difcern whether he hath faith or not.

3. True faith is long in working, non fit mjfanti——it cofts many fearchings of heart, many prayers and tears ; there is a fpiritual combat : the foul fulfers many fore pangs of humiliation before the child of faith be born. They whole faith is per J'altum, they leap out of fin into a confidence that Chrill is

theirs : I lay, as Ifoac concerning hisfon's venilbn. Gen. xxvii. eo. * How is it that thou halt found it fo quichly ?* HoiV is it that thou comell by thy faith fo foon ? The feed in the parable which fprung up fuddenly withered, Mark iv. 5. Solent proecoca J'ynito JlacceJJere .

4. True faitl'i is joined with fanclity ; as a little bezoar is flrong in operatiwi, and a little mulk Ivveetens ; lb a little faith punfies, 1 Tim. iii. 9. * Holding the myllery of faith in a pure conlcience.' Faith, though it doth but touch Chrift, fetcheth an healing virtue from him. Juftifying faith doth that, in a fpiritual ienfe, which miraculous faith doih ; it removes the mountains of fin, and calls them into the lea of Chrift's blood.

5. True faith will trull God with a pawn. Tho' a Chrillian cut (hort in provifions, the fig-tree doth not biollbm, yet he will trull in GoH : Fides famem nonformidal. —Faith fears not famine. God hath given us his pronnleas his bond, Pf. xxxvii. S. ' Verily thou (halt be fed.' Faith puts this bond in I'uit : God will rather work a miricle, than his promife fliall fail. He hath caufe to lufped his failh, who faith, he trulls God for the*

greater, but dares not. truft him for theleffer ; he trulls God for falvation, but dares not truft him for a livelihood.

(i. True faith is prolifical, it brings forth fruit; faith hath RacJiers beauty, and Leah's fruitfulnefs. Fides pinguei'cit ape-ribns, Luther. Faith is full of good works. Faith believes as if it did not work, and it works as if it did not believe ; faith is the fpoute-like grace which marries Chriil, and good works are the cliildren which faith bears. By having fuch a faith, we may know the kingdom of God is within us; grace is certainly in our hearts.

3. We may know the kingdom of grace is come into our hearts, by having the noble grace of love : faith and love are the two poles on which all religion turns, Cant. i. 4. * The upright love thee.' True love is to love God out of choice : love turns the foul into a feraphim ; it makes it burn in a flame of atiedion : love is the truett touchftone of fincerity : love is the queen of the graces, it commands the whole foul, 2 Cor. v. 4. If our love to God be genuine and real, we let him have the fupremacy; we fet him in the higheft room of our foul; we give him the purefl of our love. Cant. viii. 2. * I would caufe thee to drink of fpiced wine, of the juice of the pomegranate.' If the fpoufe had anything better than another, a cup more juicy and fpiced, Chrift fliould drink of that: we give the creature the milk of our love, but God the cream. In fhort, if we love God aright, we love his laws; we love his pi(5lure drawn in the faints, by the pencil of the Holy Ghoft; we love his pre-fence in his ordinances. Sledian faith. That the protellants in France had a church, which they called Paradife ; as if they thought themfelves in paradife, while they had God's prefence in his fanduary. The foul that loves God,, loves his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. It will be a glorious appearing to the faints, when their union with Chrift fhall be complete, then their joy fliall be full. The bride longs for the marriage-day : * the Spirit and the bride fay come: even lb come. Lord Jefus,' Re;^. xxii. 17. By this facred love we may know the kingdom of God is within us.

4. We may know the kingdom of grace is corae into our hearte by fpiritualizing the duties of religion, 1 Pet. ii. 5. * Ye are an holy priefthood to otfer up fpiritual facrifices.' Spiritualizing duty confills in three things.

1. Fixednefs of mind.

2. Fervency of devotion.

3. Uprightnefs of aim.

1. Fi.xednefs of mind : Then we fpiritualize duty, when our minds are fixed on God, I Cor. vii. 35. ' That you may attend on the Lord without di(lra6tion.* Tho' impertinent thoughts fometimes come into the heart in duly, yet they are not allow-

VoL. II. No. 14. O

lOS or THE SECOND PETITIOW

ed, Pful. cxix. 13. they come as unwelcome guefts, which arf no fooiier (pied, but they are turned out.

2. Fervency of devotion, Rom. xii. 11. * Fervent in fpirit, ferving the Lord.' It is a metaphor alludes to water that feethes and boils over; fo the affe6tions boil over, the eyes melt in tears, the heart flows in holy ejaculations.—We not only bring our oflering to God, but our hearts.

3. Uprightnefs of aim. A heart that is upright hath three ends in duty : 1. That he may grow more like God : As Mofes on the mount had fome of God's glory refleded on him, * his face fliined.' 2. That he may have more communion with God, 1 John i. 6. * our fellowrtiip is with the Father.* 3. That he may bring more glory to God, 1 Pet. iv. 11. Phil. i. 20. ' That Chriil may be magnified.' Sincerity aims at God in all; though we flioot ftiort, yet we take a right aim : this is ^ fure evidence of grace, the fpiritualizing- duty. The fpirits of wine are beil, fo isthefpiritual part of duty. A little fpiritual-nels in duty is better than ail the gildings of the temple, or outward pompous worlhip, which doth lb dazzle carnal eyes.

5. We may know the kingdom of grace is come into us, by our antipathy and oppofition againfl every known fin, Plal. cxix. 104. * I hate every falfe way.' Hatred is [Gr. profta gene, Arifl; ] againft the whole kind : hatred is implacable : anger may be reconciled, hatred cannot. A gracious foul not only forl'akes fin (as a man forfakes his country never to return to it more) but hates fin ; as there is an antipathy between the crocodile and the fcorpion. If the kingdom of God be within us, we not only hate fin for hell, but we hate it as hell, as being contrary to God's holinefs and our happinefs.

6. We may know the kingdom of grace is conje into us, when we have given up ourl'elves to God by obedience: as a fervant gives up himfelf to his mafiier, as a wife gives up herfelf to her hulband, lb we give ifj^ ourfelves to God by obedience : and this obedience is, 1. Free; as that is the fweeteft honey which drops from the comb. 2. Uniform; we obey God in one thing as well as another, Pfal. cxix. 6. * Then fliall I not be afiiamed ;' or, as it is in the Hebrew, I fliall not blufh whea I have refpe6l to all thy commandments. A good Chriftian is like a pair of compafies, one foot of the compals Hands upon the centre, and the other foot of it goes round the circle; io a Chriftian by faith ftands on God the centre, and by obedience goes round the circle of God's commandments : a fign the kingdom of grace is not come into the heart, when it doth not reign there by uniVerlal obedience. Hypocrites would have Chrift to be their (aviour; but they pluck the government from his Ihoulders, they vviil not have him rule; but he who hath the kingdom of God within him, fubmils cheerfully to every con>

imand of God : He will do what God will have him do ; he will be what God will have him be: he puts a blank paper into God's hand, and faith, *' Lord, write what thou wilt, I will fubfcribe." Bleffed is he that can find all ihel'e things in his foul, * He is all glorious within,* Pfaim xlv. 13. He carries a kingdom about him, this kingdom of grace will certainly bring to a kingdom of glory.

I (hall anfwer fome doubts and objeAions that a Chriftian may make againft himfelf.

Obj. I fear the kingdom of grace is not yet come into my heart.

Anf, When a Chriftian is under temptation, or grace lies dormant, he is not fit to be his own judge; but in this cafe he mult take the witnefs of others who have the fpirit of difcern-ing. But let us hear a Chriftian's objections againft himfelf, why he .thialis the kingdom of grace is not yet come into his heart.

Obj, 1. I cannot difcem grace.

Anf. A child of God may have the kingdom of grace in his heart, yet not know it. The cup was in Benjamin's fack, though he did not know it was there; thou mayell have faith in thy heart, the cup may be in thy fack, though thou knoweft it not. Old Jacob wept for his fon Jofeph, when Jofeph was alive ; thou rnayeft weep for want of grace, when grace may be alive in thy heart. The feed may be in the ground, when we do not fee it fpring up; the feed of God may be fown in thy heart, though thou doft not perceive the fpringing of it ap. Think not grace is loft becaufe it is hid.

Obj. S. Before the kingdom of grace come into the heart, there mufi be fome preparation for it; the fallow ground of the heart mufl be broken up : I fear the plough of the laio hath not gone deep enough, I have not been humbled enough, therefore I have no grace .

Anf. God doth not prefcribe a juft proportion of forrow and humiliation: the fcripture mentions the truth of forrow, but not the meafure. Some are more flagitious finners than others, thel'e muft have a greater degree of humiliation. A knotty piece of timber requires more wedges to be driven into it. Some ftomachs are fouler than others, therefore need ftronger phyfic. But wouldft thou know when thou haft been humbled enough for fin ?—When thou art willing to let go thy fins. Then the gold bath lien long enough in the furnace, when the droCs is purged out; fo, when the love of fin is purged out, a foul is humbled enough to divine acceptation, though not to divine fcitisfaclion. Now if thou art humbled enough, (though not fo much as others] what needs more? Frujirafitper plura, iScc

o«

If a needle will let out the impofihume, what needs a lance? Be not more cruel to thyfelfthan God would have thee.

Obj. 3. // the kingdom of God were loithin me, it would he a kingdom of power ; it would enable me toj'erve God with vigour of foul ; but I have afpirit of infirmity upon me, lam weak and impotent, a7id untuned to every holy aclion.

Anf. There is a great difference between the weaknefs of grace, and the want of grace; a man may have life, although he be fick and weak. Weak grace is not to be defpifed, but cheriflied ; Chrift will not break the bruifed reed. Do not argue from the weaknefs of grace to the nullity.

1. Weak grace will give us a title to Chrift, as well as ftrong. A weak hand of faith will receive the alms of Chrift's merits.

2. Weak faith is capable of growth. The feed fprings up by degrees, fnil the blade, and then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear: the faith that is ftrongeft was once in its infancy. Grace is like the waters of the fan6tuary, which did rife higher and higher: be not difcouraged at thy weak faith; though it be but bloffoming, it will by degrees come to more maturity.

3. The weakeft grace fhall perfevere, as well as the ftrongeft. A fucking child was as lafe in the ark, as Noah. An infant believer, that is but newly laiH to the breaft of the promife, is as fafe in Chrift, as the moft eminent heroic faint.

Obj. 4. I fear the kingdom of grace is not yet come, hecavfe I find the kingdom ofjinfo ftrong in me. Had I faith, it icould purify my heart ; but I find much pride, worldlinefs, pafjion.

Anf. The beft of the faints have remainders of corruption, Dan. vii. 22. * They had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for afeafon.' So in the regenerate, tho* the dominion of fin be taken away, yet the life of it is prolonged for a feafon. What pride was there in Chrift's own difciples, when they ftrove which Ihould be greateft ? The ifl'ue of fin will not be quite ftopped till death. The Lord is pleafed to let the in-being of fin continue, to humble his people, and make them prize Chrift the more; but, becaufe you find corruptions ftir-ring, do not therefore prefently unfaint yourfelves, and deny the kingdom of grace to be come into your fouls. That you feel fin, is an evidence of fpiritual life ; that you mourn for fin, what are thefe tears but fruits of love to God ? that you have a combat with fin, argues antipathy againft it: thofe fins which you did once wear as a crown on your head, are now as fetters on the leg; is not all this from the fpirit of grace in you ? fin is in you, as poifon in the body, which you are fick of, and ufe all fcripture antidotes to expel. Should we condemn all thofe who have the indwelling of fin, nay, who have had fin., (at feme-

times) prevailing, we (hould blot fome of the beft faints out of the Bible.

Obj. 5. Where the kingdom of grace comes, it foftens the heart: hut I find yny heart frozen and congealed into hardnefs^ I can hardly J'queeze out one tear. Do flowers grow on a rock ? can there be any grace infuch a rocky heart 9

Anf. I. 7'here may be grief where there are no tears; the beil forrow is rationai. In.your judgment you elleem fin the moil hyperbolical evil, jou have a difgull and a difplacency againft fin; this is a rational forrow, and fuch as God will accept.

1. A Chriftian may have fome hardnefs in his heart, yet not have an hard heart. A field may have tares in it, yet we call it a field of wheat; in the bed heart is a mixture of hardnefs, yet becaufe there is fome foftnefs and melting, God looks upoa it as a loft heart: therefore, Chritlian, difpnte not againft thy-felf, if thou canft find but one thing, " That the frame and temper of thy foul be holy." Art thou fl;ill breathing after God, delighting in him? is the complexion of thy foul heavenly? canit thou fay as David, Pl'al. cxxxix. 1?. \Wlien I awake, T am Hill with thee?* As colours laid in oil, or a (tatue carved in gold, abide, fo doth an holy complexion ; the foul is ftill pointing towards God. If it be thus wiih thee, aflure thy-felf the kingdom of grace is come into the foul; be not unkind to God, to deny any work of his Spirit which he hath wrought in thee,

Ufe. I. Of exhortation. Labour to find that this kingdom of grace is fet up in our hearts ; while others afpire after heavenly kingdoms, labour to have the kingdom of God within you, Luke xvii. 21. The kingdom of grace mufi; come into us, before we can go into the kingdom of glory. Motives.

Iji Motive. This kingdom of God within us is our fpiritnal beauty: the kingdom of grace adorns a perlbn, and fets hirn otfin the eyes of God and angels. This makes the king's daughter all glorious within, PC, xlv. 13. Grace fheds a giory and lultre upon the foul. As the diamond to the ring, fo is grace to the foul. An heart beautified with grace, hath the King of heaven's picture hung in it.

Qd Motive. The kingdom of grace fet up in the heart is our fpiritual defence. Grace is called the ' Armour of light,' Rom. xiii. 12. It is light for beauly, and armour for delence. He' who halh the kingdom of grace within him, is ' itrengihened with all might according to God's glorious power,' Col. i. 11. he hath the (hield of faith, the helmet ol' hope, the breait plate of righteonliiels ; this armour can never be (hot thro', it fortifies a Chrifiian againii the ailiiuUs of temptations, and the terrors of hell.

3d Motwe, The kingdom of grace iet up in the heart brings peace with it, Rom. xiv. 17. • The kingdom of God is righ-teoufnefs and peace.' There is a fecret peace breeds out of ho-linefs. Peace is the bell bleffing of a kingdom : Pax una tri-iimphis mnumeris melior. The kingdom of grace is a kingdom of peace ; grace is the root, peace is the flower grows out of it J it is pax in procella, iuch peace that no worldly affli6lion caa ibake. The doors of Solomon's temple were made of olive tree, carved with open flowers, 1 Kings vi. 32. in a gracious heart is the olive of peace, and the open flowers of joy.

iith Motive. The kingdom of grace enricheth the foul; a kingdom hath its riches. A believer is faid to be rich in faith, James iii. 5. How rich is he who hath God for his God^ who is heir to all the promifes ? Heb. vi. 17. A man may be rich in bills and bonds ; a believer, tho* he may fay as Peter, * Silver and gold have I none,' A6ts iii. 6. yet he is rich in bill* and bonds, he is heir to all God's promifes ; and to be heir to the promifes, is better than to be heir to the crown.

5th Motive. When the kingdom of grace comes, it doth fix and eftablKh the heart, Pf. Ivii. 7. * O God my heart is fixed.* Before the kingdom of grace comes, the heart is very unfixed and unfettled ; like a fliip without a ballaft, like quickfilver that cannot be made to fix ; but when the kingdom of grace comes,it (\olh Jiabilire animuTh, it fixeth the heart upon God ; and when the heart is fixed, it relts quiet as in its centre.

6th Motive. This kingdom of grace is dillinguifliing ; it is a fure pledge of God's love. God may give kingdoms in anger ; but wherever the kingdom of grace is fet up, it is in love ; God cannot give grace in anger. The crown always goes with this kingdom ; let us therefore be ambitious of this kingdom of grace.

Qu. Hoio fhould we do to ohtain this kingdom 9

Anf. I. In general, take pains for it : we cannot have the world without labour, and do we think to have grace } * If thou feekell her as filver,' Prov. ii. 3. A man may as well expert a crop without fowing, as grace without labour. We mufl; not think to have grace as Ilrael had manna ; they did not plow nor fbw, but it was rained down from heaven upon them : No we mufl operam dare, take pains for grace. Our falvation cofl Chrift blood, it will coll us fvveat.

2. Let us go to God to fet up this kingdom of grace in our hearts; God is called, * the God of all grace,' I Pet. v. 10. Say, Lord, I want this kingdom of grace, I want an humble, believing heart, O enrich me with grace, let thy kingdom come; and be importunate fuitors. As Achfah faid to her father Caleb, Jofli. XV. ly. * Thou hall given me a fouth land, give me alfo fprings of water:' fo. Lord, thou haft given m«

enough of the world, here is a fouth land ; but, Lord, give me the upper-fprings of grace, let * thy kingdom come.' What is the venifon ihou haft given me, without the blefllng ? When we are importunate with God, and will take no denial, then he will fetup his kingdom within us.

3. Keep dole to the word preached ; the word preached is virga virtutis, the rod of God's llrength ; it is the great engine God ufeth for the fetting up the kingdom of grace in the heart, Rom. X. 17- * Faith comes by hearing.' Though God could work grace immediately by his Spirit, or by the miiiiftry of angels from heaven, yet he choofeth to work by the word preached ; this is the ufual mean, by which he fets up the kingdom of grace in the heart; and the reafon is, becaufe he hath put his divine fan6lion upon it, he hath appointed it for the means of working grace, and he will honour his own ordinance, 1 Cor. i. 21. What reafon could be given why the waters of Damafcus fliould not have as fovereign virtue to heal Naaman's leprofy, as the waters of Jordan ? only this, becaufe God did appoint and fandify the waters of Jordan to heal and not the others; therefore let us keep the word preached, becaufe the power of God goes along with it.

Uj'e II. Such as have this kingdom of God fet up in them, it calls for gratulation and thankfgiving: what will you be thankful for, if not for a kingdom ? Grace is the bell blelfing, it is the refultand produ6l of God's ele6ting love: God, in fetting up his kingdom of grace, hath done more for you, than if he had made you kings and queens ; for now you are boru of God, and of the blood-royal of heaven. O admire and exalt free grace; make God's praife glorious, Pfal. Ixvi. 2. The apoftle feldom mentions the work of grace, but he joins praife. Col. i. 12. • Giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us meet for the inheritance of the faints in light.' If God hath crowned you with the kingdom of grace, do you crown him with your praifes.

2. The iecond thing intended by our Saviour in this petition is, that the kingdom of grace may increafe, that it may come more into us : and this may anfwer a quedion.

Qu. W/iy do loe pray, * thy kingdom come,' ivlien the kingdom of grace is already come into the foul ?

Anf. Though the kingdom of grace be already come into us, yetftill we muft pray, ' thy kingdom come ;* namely that grace may be increafed, and that this kingdom may flourilh Hill more in our fouls. Till we come to live anmng the angels, we fliali need to pray this prayer, * thy kingdom come;' Lord, let thy kingdom of grace come in more power into my foul, let grate be more augmented and increafed.

■Qu. (1.) When doth the Jdngdom of grace increafe in the foul ? When is it ajlontilhijig kingdom ?

Anf. \: When a Chriftian hath further degrees added to his graces : there is more oil in the lamp, his knowledge is clearer, his love is more enflamed : grace is capable of degrees, and may rife higher as the fun in the horizon. It is not with us as it ■was with Chrift, who * received the fpirit without meafure/ John iii. 34. Chrift could not be more holy than he was ; but our grace is receptive of further degrees, we may have more fanctity, we may add more cubits to our fpiritual ftature.

1. Then the kingdom of grace increafeth, when a Chriftian hath gotten more ftrength than he had, Jobxvii. 9. * He that hath clean hands (hall be ftronger and llronger.' Heb. ' He iliall add to his ftrength.' A Chriftian hath ftrength to refift; temptation, to forgive his enemies, to fufter affli6tion. 'Tis not eafy to fufi"er; a man muft deny himfelf before he take up the crofs. The way to heaven is like the way which Jonathan and his armour bearer had in climbing up afteep place, 1 Sam. xiv. 4. ' There was a fharp rock on the one fide, and a ftiarp rock on the other.* It requires much ftrength to climb up this rocky Avay. That grace which will carry us through profperity, will not carry us through fufterings: the fliip needs ftronger tackling to carry it through a ftorm than a calm. Now, when ■we are fo ftrong in grace, that we can bear up under aftli6tion, ■without murmuring or fainting ; here is the kingdom of grace increafed. What mighty ftrength of grace had he, who told the emperor Valentinian, you may take away my life, but you cannot take away my love to the truth.

2. Then the kingdom of grace increafeth, when a Chriftian hath moftconfli6t with fpiritual corruptions, he not only abftains from gvofs evils, but hath a combat with inward, hidden, clofe corruptions : as pride, envy, hypocrify, vain thoughts, carnal confidence : thefe are fpiritual wickednefi'es, and do both defile and difturb, 5 Cor. vii. 1. ' Let us cleanfe ourfelves from all fillhinefs of the flefli and fpirit.' Which Ihews there are two forts of corruptions, one of the flefli, the other of the fpirit. When we grieve for, and combat with fpiritual fin (asbeing the root of all grofs fins) now, the kingdom of grace increafeth, and fpreads its territories in the foul.

3. Then the kingdom of grace flourifiieth, when a Chriftian hath learned to live by faith. Gal. ii. 2, ' I live by the faith of the Son of God.' There is the habit of faith, and the drawing of this habit into exercife: for a Chriftian to graft his hope of falvation, only upon the ftock of Chrift's righttoufnefs, and jnake ChriiV, all in juftification; to live on the promites, as a bee on the flower, and fuck out the fweetnefs of them ; to iruft Cod where we canuot triice him ; to believe his love through a

frown ; to perHiade ourfelves, when he hath the face of an enemy, yet he hath the heart of a Father ; when we are arrived at iliis, here is the kingdom of grace flourilhing in our foulrf. ;'). When a Chriitian is arrived at holy zeal, Numb. xxv. 13. Phinehas was zealous for his God. Zeal is the (lame of the af-t'f'dions, it turns a laint into a leraphim : a zealous Chriilian is imp.\rierit when God is difhonoured, Rev. ii. 2. He will wref-t!e wifh difficulties, he will I'wim to Chrill throup;h a lea of blood, A(5ts xxi. 13. Zeal loves truth when it is dol'pil'ed, and oppofed, yC. cxix. l"-2^). ' 'I'hey have made void thy law, therefore I love thy law.'—Here is grace increahng, like the fun in the horizon. Zeal refembles the Holy Ghoft, Acts ii. 2. * There appeared cloven tongues like as fire, and fat upon each of thern.' Tongue:! of fire were an emblem of that fire of zeal, which the Spirit |)oured on them.

6. Then the kingdom of grace increafeth, when a Chriftiaii is as well diligent in his particular calling, as devout in his general. He is the wife Chriitian, that carries things Cvqually ; ihat doth lb live by faith, that he lives in a calling. Therefore it is •worth our notice, when the apollle had exhorted the Thelfalo-nians to increafe in grace, I Thelf. iv. 10. He prefently adds, ver. 11. ' And that yon do your own bufinels, and work with your hands.' This is a fign grace is increafing, when Chrifl;ians go cheerfully about their calling. Indeed to be all the day in the mount with God, and to have the mind fixed on glory, is more fweet to a man's f«lf, and is an heaven upon earth : but to be converfant in our callings, is more profitable to others. I may allude to that of St. Paul. To be with Chrift is belt for me ; yet to abide here is needful for you, Phil. i. 24. So, to converle with God in prayer and fweet meditation all the week Jong, is more for the conjfort of a man's own peribn ; but to be fometimes employed in the bufinefs of a calling, is more profitable to the family to which he belongs. It Ls not good to be like the lilies, which toil not, neither do they fpin. It fliews the increafe of grace, when the Chriilian keeps a due decorum : he joins piety and induflry, when zeal runs forth in religion, and diligence is put forth in a calling.

7. 'i'hen the kingdom of grace increafeth when a Chriftian is eftablifiied in the belief and love of the truth. The heart by nature is as a (hip without ballall, it wavers and ilucf nates. Beza writes of one Bolezius, his religion changed as the moon and planet Mercury. Such as are wandering Itars, will be falling il.ars : but when a foul is built on the rock Chrill, and no winds of temptation can blow it away, now the kiugdom of grace llourifneth. One calls A fhanalius, Adamas Ecclejue, an in-

"vincible adamant, in rel'pcct of hi: liability in the truth. Col. Vol. U. No. 1.). P

ii. 7- Rooted and built up in him ; the rooting of a tree'evidenc-eUi the growth.

6. Then the kingdom of grace increafeth in a man's own heart, when he labours to be irillrumental to fet up this kingdom in others. Though it is the greateft benefit to have grace wrought in ourfelves, yet it is the greateft honour to be inftru-ihental to work it in others, Gal. iv. 19. ' Of whom I travail in birth till Chrift be formed in you.* Such as are mafters of a family, fliould endeavour to fee the kingdom of grace fet up in their fervants ; fuch as are godiy parents, let not God alone by prayer, till you fee grace in your children : what a comfort would it be to you, to be both the natural and fpiritual fathers of your children ? Auftin faith, his mother Monica travailed with greater care and pain for his new birth, than his natural. This iliews the increafe of grace, when we labour to fee the kingdom of grace fet up in others; then the water abounds in the river, when it overflows and runs into the meadows ; then grace increafeth in the foul when it hath influence upon others, and we endeavour their falvation.

Qu. 2. Wherein appears the needfidnefs of this, that the king" dom of grace fliould be increafed?

Anf. 1. This is God's detign in keeping up a ftanding tnini-ftry in the church to increafe the kingdom of grace in men's hearts, Eph. iv. 8. * He gave gifts unto men ;' that is minif-terial gifts : why fo? ver. 12. ' For the edifying of the body of Chrift.' Not only for converfion, but for augmentation: therefore the word preached is compared not only to feed, but to milk ; becaufe by this breaft-milk, God defigns our growth in grace.

2. We had need have the kingdom of grace increafe, in re-fpe6l we have a great deal of work to do, and a little grace will hardly carry us through. A Chriftian's life is laborious, fo many temptations to relift, fo many promifes to believe, fo many precepts to obey, that it will require a great deal of grace: A Chriftian muft not only pray, but ' be zealous and repent,' Rev. iii. ly. Not only love, but * be fick of love,' Cant. ii. 5. How had he need therefore to have the kingdom of grace enlarged in his foul ? As his work increafeth upon him, fo his grace had need increafe.

3. If the kingdom of grace doth not increafe, it will decay. Rev. ii. 4. ' Thou haft left thy firft love.' Grace, for want of incieahng, is (bmetimes like a winter plant, all the fap runs to the root, and it looks asif it were dead, Rev. iii. 2. * Strengthen the things that remain, which are ready to die :' Though grace cannot expire, it may wither ; and a withering Chriltian loi'eth much of his beauty and fragrancy : what great need have we then to pray, ' thy kingdom come,' that this kingdom of grace

may be increafed ? If grace be not improved, it will foon be impaired. A Chriftiari, for want of increafing his grace, lofelli his llrength ; he is like a fick man, that cannot either walk or work; his prayers are fick and weak ; he is as if he had no life in him, his faith can hardly fetch breath, and you can fcarce feel the pulfe of his love to beat.

4. To have grace increafing, is fuitable to Chriftianity : Chriftians are called trees of righteoufnefs. Ha. Ixi. 3. The faints are not only jewels for Iparkling lultre, but trees for growth: they are called the lights of the world, Phil. ii. 15. Light is ftill increafing. Firft there is ihe crejpifculum, or daybreak, and lb it fliines brighter to the meridian. They who are the lights of the world mull increafe till they come to the raeridian of glory. Not to grow is fufpicious ; painted things grow not.

5. As the kingdom of grace increafeth, fo a Chriftian's comforts increafe. Comfort belongs to the bejie ej/e, or well-being of a Chrifiian ; it is like fweat meat, delicious to the tafl;e, Pf. xciv. 29. The more grace, the more joy. As the more lap in the root, the more wine in the grape. Who did more increafe in grace than David? And who more in confolation, Pf. iv. 7. * Thou hall put gladnefs in my heart.' Grace turns to joy, as milk to cream.

Qu. (3.) Hojv may they be comforted, who bewail their ic'ant of growth, and weep that they cannot find the kingdom of grace increafe ?

Anf. 1. To fee and bewail our decay in grace, argues not only the life of grace, but growth. It is a fign a roan recovers and gets ftrength, when he feels his weaknefs : it is a Hep forward in grace, to fee our imperfetlions. The more the fpirit fhines in the heart, the more evil it difcovers ; a Chriftian thinks it worle with him than it was, whereas his grace may not grow leffer, but his light greater.

2. If a Chrillian doth not increafe in one grace, he may in another ; if not in knowledge, he may in humility. If a tree doth not grow fo much ifi the branches, it may in the root: to grow downwards in the root, is a good growth.

3. A Chrillian may grow lefs in affection, when he grows more in judgment. As a mucifian when he is old, his fingers are ftitf, and not fo nimble at the lute as they were, but he plays with more art and judgment than before ; fo a Clirillian may not have lb much alfedion in duty as at the firlt converfion, but he is more Iblid in religion, and njore fettled in his judgment than he was before.

4. A Chrillian may think he doth not increafe in grace, be-caufe he doth not increafe in gifts ; whereas there may be a decay of natural parts, the memory, and other faculties, when

P2

OF THE SECOND PETITION-

there is not a decay of grace. Purts may be impaired, when grace is iiijproved : be not. clTcouraged, it, is belter lo decay in parts, and be enlarged in grace, than to be enlarged in parts, and to decay in grace.

.5. A Chriftian may increafe. in grace, yet not be fenfibleof it. The feed may grow in the earth, when we do not perceive it to fprmg up : tire grace may grow in time of deCertion, and not be perceived. So I have done witli the firll thing intended in this petition, ' thy kingdom come ;' we pray that the kingdom of grace may come into our hearts, and thaiit may increafe and floiiridi.

I (hould come to the fecond thing intended in this petition, * that the kingdom of glory may halien, and that we may in due time be tranflatcd into it.'

When we pray, ' thy kingdom come,' here is fomething po-fitively intended; we pray, (1.) That the kingdom of grace may be fet up in our hearts. (2.) That it may increafe and flourifh. (3.) That the kingdom of glory may haften, and that God would, in his due time, tranflate us into it.

1. What this kingdom of glory is.

2. What are the properties of it.

3. Wherein it exceeds all other kingdoms.

4. When this kingdom comes.

5. Wherein appears the certainty of it.

6. Why we fliould pray for its coming. Fiiji, What this kingdom of glory is.

Ail/. By this kingdom is meant, that glorious eftate which the faints Ihall enjoy, when they fhall reign with God and angels for ever. If a man Hand upon the fea-fliore, he cannot fee all the dimenfions of the fea, the length, breadth, and depth of it ; yet he may fee it is of a vail extenfion : fo, though the kingdom of heaven be of that incomparable excellency, that neither tongue of man or angels can exprels, yet we may conceive of it to be au exceeding glorious thing, fuch as eye hath not feen.

Concerning the kingdom of heaven 1 Ihall fhew, (I.) What it implies. (<2.) What it imports,

(I.) What it implies.

Anf. It implies a blelTed freedom from all evil.

2. What it imports.

^??/'. It imports glorious fruition of all good.

]. What the kingdom of heaven implies.

Anf. It implies a freedom from all evil.

1. A freedom from the necrdities of nature. We are in this life fubject to many neceflilies ; we need food to nourifh us, clothes to cover us, armour to defend us, fleep to refrefii us ; but in the kingdom of heaven there is no need of thefe things, and it is better not to need them than to have them ; and it is

better not tonecy] crutches, tlian to have crutches. What need will there be of food when onr hodisrs (hall l)e noade fpiritual ? 1 Cor. XV. 44. 'J'hough not fpiritual for fubltunce, y*t for quahlies. VVhat need will there be of clothing, when our bodies Ihall be hke ChritVs glorions body ? VVhat need will there be of armour, when there is no eneiiiy ? What need will there be of ileep, when there is no night ? Rev. xxii. o. The faints Ihall be freed, in the heavenly kingdom, from thefe necellities of nature to which ttiey now lie expofed.

2. In the kingdom of lieaven we fliall be freed from the im-perfe6tion& of nature. Since the fall, our knowledge hath ("uf-i'ered an eclipfe.

(1.) Our natural knowledge is imperfect, it is chequered with ignorance. There are many hard knots in nature, which we cannot eafily untie : why the fea (hould be higher than the earth, yet not drown it ? What way the light is parted ! Job xxxviii. 24. What is therealon of all the occult qaulities, tym-pathies, and antipathies! He who fees cleareft, huth a mitt before his eyes. Socrates laid on his death-bed, there were many things he had yet to learn. Our ignorance is more than our knowledge.

(2.) Our divine knowledge is imperfect; ; we know but in part, faith St. Paul, 1 Cor. xiii. 9. though he had many revelations, and was wrapt up into the third heaven. We have but dark conceptions of the Trinity, Job. xi. 7. ' Canli thou by fearching hnd out God ?'—Our narrow capacities will no more contain the Trinity ; than a little glafs-vial will hold all the water in the fea : We cannot unriddle the myftery of the incarnation, the human nature aflumed into the perlbn of the Son of God ; the human nature not God, yet united with God : We fee now in Aeni^mate, in a glals, darkly ; but, in the kingdom of heaven, the vdil Ihall be taken olf; all imperfe6ting of nature Ihall be done away. When the fun-light of glory fhall begin to fhine in the heavenly horizon, all dark (hadows of ignorance fliall fly away, our lanjp of knowledge ihall burn l)right, we Ihall have a full knowledge of God, though not know him fully.

3. In the kingdom of heaven we (Ivall be freed from the toil-fome labours of this life ; God enacted a law in paradil'e, * in the i'vveat of thy brows thou (halt eatbread,' Gen. iii. <). There is the labour of the hand in manufa6ture, and the labour of the mind in lludy, Eccl. i. S. 'All things are full of labour,' but in the kingdom of heaven we fliall be freed from our labours.

J. 'J'here needs no labour, when a man hath got to the haven ; he hath no more need of failing. In heaven their needs no labour, becaufe the faints (hall have that glory which they laboured for.

t2. Therefliail bene labour. Rev, xiv. 13. * They reft from

their labours.' As God, when he had finiflied the work of creation, refted from his labours. Gen. ii. 2. So, when the faints have Hnifhed the work of fanclihcation, they reft from their labours. Where (hould there be reft, but in the heavenly centre ? Not that this fweet reft in the kingdom of heaven excludes all motion, for fpirits cannot be idle ; but the faints gloriiied fhall reft from all wearifome employment ; it (hall be a labour full of eafe, a motion full of delight ; the laints in heaven Oiall love God, and what labour is that? Is it any labour to love beauty? They ftiall praife God, and that fure is delightful: When the bird fings, it is not (b much a labour as a pleafure.

3. In the kingdom of heaven, we ftiall be freed from original corruption : This is cauj'a caufati, the root of all actual fin. There would be no actual fin, if there were no original ; there would be no water in the ftream, if there were none in the fountain. Original fin is incorporated into our nature ; it is as if the whole mafs of blood were corrupted. This makes a Chril-tian weary of his life ; he oft'ends that God whom he loves. What would a Chriftian give to have his chains taken oft", to be rid of vain thoughts ? How did St. Paul (that bird of paradife) bemoan himfelf for his fins ? Rom. vii. 22. We cannot act either our duties or our graces without fin. The foul that is moft refined and clarified by grace, is not without fome dregs of corruption ; but in the kingdoui of heaven the fountain of original fin fliall be quite dried up what a blefled time will that be, never to grieve God's fpirit more ! In heaven are virgin-fouls ; there is beauty which is not ftained with luft : Nothing enters there that defiles. Rev. xxi. 27.

4. In the kingdom of heaven we ftiall be freed from all forrows. Rev. xxi. 4. ' There fhall be no more ibrrovv,' Our life here is interlarded with trouble, Pfalm xxxi. 10. Either lofies grieve, or law-fuits vex, or unkindnefs breaks the heart. We may as well feparate moifture from air, or weight from lead, as troubles from man's life. Quid eji diu vivere, nij'i diu tarqueai? Aug. But, in the kingdom of heaven, forrovv and fighing ihall fly away. Here the faints fit by the rivers weeping, but one fmile from Chrift's face will make them forget all their fufter-ings ; their water then ftiall be turned into wine, their mourning into mufic.

5. We ftiall, in the kingdom of heaven, be freed from the immodefty of temptation. Satan is not yet fully call into pri-fon ; but he is like a prifoner that goes under bail, he walks about tempting, he labours to trapan us into fin ; he is either laying of fnares or ftiooting ot'darts. StatinprocmSiu diabuhs. He laid a train of temptation to blow up the caftle of Job's faith. This is as great a grief to u believer, to be followed with temptations to fin, as it is for a virgin to have her challity

affaiilted : but in the kina:clom of heaven, the fdints fhall be freed from the red dragon ; he is call out of paradife, and ihall be for ever locked up in chains, Jude 6.

6. In the kingdom oflieaven, we fliall be freed from all vex-' ing cares. The Greek v;ord for care, comes from a primitive ■vK'hich lignifies, to cut the heart in pieces. Care difcruciates the mind, it waftes the fpirits, it cuts out the comfort of life. Care is an evil fpirit that haunts us ; care to prevent future dangers, and preferve prefent comforts. All care is full of fear, and fear is full of torment, I John iv. IS. God threatens it as a judgment, Ezek. xii. 19. 'They Aval 1 eat their bread with carefulnefs.' Every comfort hath its care, as every rofe hath its prickle; but in the kingdom of heaven, we fliall Hiake lytFthe viper of care. What needs a faint glorified to take any care, who hath all things provided to his hand ? There is the tree of life bearing all forts of fruit. When the heart fliall be freed from fin, the head fhall be freed from care.

7. We fliall, in the kingdom of heaven, be freed from all doubts and fcruples. In this life the beft faint hath his' doubt-ings, as the brighteft ftar hath its twinkling. If there were no doubtings, there would be no unbelief : aflfurance itfelf doth not exclude all doubting, Pf. xxvi. 3. ' Thy loving kindnefs is before mine eyes: butat another time, Pf. Ixxxix. 49. ' Lord where are thy former loving-kindneffes ?' A chriitian is like a fliip at anchor, which, though it be fafe, yet it may fonietimesbe toift-d upon the water. Sometimes a Chrillian quellions his intereft in Chrift,and his title to tiie promife : and thefe doubtings, us they ecliple a Chrillian's comfort, fo they^irea bearing faife vvitnef^ againfl; the fpirit. But, when the iaints fliall come into the kingdom of heaven, there (hall be no more doubtings ; then a Cliviftian fliall fay, as Peter, * Xow t know of a iurefy that the Lord hath lent his angel, and delivered me,* A<9:s xii. 11. So, now I know, that I am pafled from death to life, and am got beyond all rocks, I have fliot the gulf, now I am in my Saviour's embraces for ever.

<). We fliall, in the kingdom of heaven, be freed from all fo-ciety with the wicked. Here we are forced fometimes to t>e in their company, Pf. cxx. 6. * Wo is me that I dwell in JSItjfech, and fojourn in the tents of Kedar.' Kedar was Iflimael's Ibn, whofe children dwelt in Arabia, a profane, barbarous people. Here the wicked are ftill railing perfecutions againft the godly, and crucifying their ears tvith their oaths and curfes : Chrilt's lily is among thorns : but in the heavenly kingdom there (hall be no more any prickling briar, JVlatth. xiii. 41. * The Son of man fliail lend forth his angels, and they fliall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend.' As Mofes faid, Exod. xiv. 13. ' Stand ftiil and fee tli« (idvatioa

of the Lord : for theEg\'ptians whom ye have feen to-day, ye Ihalllee theni again no more for ever :' So will God (ay, Itand jtill and Jee the Iklvation of God ; thefe your enemies, that vex and moleil you, you fliall fee them again no more for ever. At that day God will feparate the precious from the vile ; then Chrifl will thoroughly purge his floor, he will gather the wheat into the garner, and the wicked which are the chaff, Ihall be blown into hell.

10. We (hall, in the kingdom of heaven, be freed from all figns of God's difplealure. Here God may be angry with his people : though he hath the heart of a Father, he may have the look pf an enemy ; this is fad. As when the fun is gone the dew falls ; when the light of God's face is gone, tears drop from the faint's eyes. But, in the kingdom of heaven ; there fhall be no fpiritual eclipfes, there (hall never appear any tokens of God's dilpleafure ; the faints fhall have a coniiant afpecl of love from God, they (hall never complain any more, as Cant. V. 6', ' My beloved hath withdrawn himfelf.'

11. We (hall, in the kingdom of heaven, be freed from all diviP.ons. That, which is the faddelt thing in the world, is to fee divifions among them that are good. It is (ad, tlsat (iich as have one faith, yet (hould not be of one heart: Ephrairn envies Jndah, and J udah vexeth Ephrairn ; it is matter of tears, to fee thole who are united lo Chrifl, to be divided one from another. The foldier's fpear pierced Chrid's (ide, but the divilion of (aints wound his heart. But, in the kingdom of heaven, there (liall be no vilifying one another, or cenfuring: thofe, who before could hardly pray together, (hall praile God together ; there (hall not be one jarring Itring in the faints' niudc. *

12. We fiiall in tlie kingdom of heaven, be freed from vanity and diflatisfa6tion. What Job faith of wifdom, chap, xxviii.

'l4. The depth faith. It is not in me; and the fea faith, It is not in me.' The fame may I fay concerning fatisfaCtion ; every creature faith, ' It is not in me.' Take things moll pleadng, and which we promife ourielves moft content from, diitil out the fpirits and pureft quinteiience of ihein, and we (hall fay, as Solomon did, Ecci. ii. 11. ' And behold all was vanity.' God never did, nor will put a I'atitl'ying virtue into any creature. In the fweetell naulic the world makes, either there is Ibmelhing wanting, or out of tune. Who would have thought that Hainan, who was (b great in the king's favour, ' He fet his (eat above all the princes of the provinces,' Efth. iii. I. ^ et for the want of the bowing of a knee he is di(latis(ied ? but in the kingdom of heaven, we fliall be freed from thele di(fati,sfjcfions. The world is like a landfcape, you may fee gardens and fruit trers, curioufly dra\\;n in the landfcape, but you cannot enter

into them ; but you may enter into the joys of heaven, * enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' The Ibul fhall be. fatisfied, while it bathes in thofe rivers of pleafure at God's right-band ; * I fhall be fatisfied, when I awake, with thy lil^ienefs,' PI', xvii. 15. Thus you fee what the kingdom of glory implies; namely, a blefi'ed freedom from all evil.

13. We (hall, in the kingdom of heaven, be freed from the torments of hell, I ThefT. i. 10. * Jefus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.'

(1.) The multiplicity of thefe torments. In this life, the body is ufually exercifed but with one pain, the ftone or headach; but in hell there is a diverfity of torments ; there is darknefs to affright, fire to burn, a lake of fulphur to choke, chains to bind, the worm to gnaw.

(2.) The torments of hell will feize upon every part of the body and foul; the eye fhall be tortured with the fight of devils; the tongue, that hath fworn fo many oaths, fhall be tortured, Luke xvi. 24. * fend Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue.' The memory fhall be tormented to remember what mercies have been abufed, what feafons of grace neglected; the confcience fhall be tormented with feif-accufations.

(3.) In the pains of hell there is no mitigation, no mixture of mercy. In this life, God in anger remembers mercy, Hab. iii, 2. But in hell there is no alleviation or lefTening of the pains : as in the facrifice of jealoufy. Numb. v. 15. God would have no oil of frankincenfe put into it, fo in hell there is no oil of mercy to lenify the futi'erings of the damned, no incenfe of prayer to appeafe God's wrath.

(4.) In the pains of hell there is no interrailTion. The poets feign of Endymion, that he got leave of Jupiter always to fleep. What would the damned in hell cive for one hour's fleep ? Rev. xiv. II. * They reft not day nor night.' They are perpetually on the rack.

(5.) In the pains of hell there is no expiration ; they muft always lie fcorching in flames of wrath, Rev. xiv. 11. * The fmoke of their torment afcended up for ever and ever:' but ia the heavenly kingdom the elect lliall be freed from all infernal torments; * Jefus hath delivered us from the wrath to come.* A prifon is not made for the king's children. Chrift drank that bitter cup of God's wrath, that the faints might never drink it.

Secondhj, In the kingdom of heaven there is a glorious fruition of all good. Had I as many tongues as hairs on my head, I could not fully del'cribe this; I may fay, as Judges xviii. 9, 10. Heaven is called, * the excellent glory,' 2 Pet. i. 17. I may as well fpan the firmament, or drain the ocean, as fet forth Vol. II. No. 15. Q

the glory of this kingdom, Ccelum non habit hyperbolum; the kingdom of heaven is above all hyperbole. AVere the fun ten thoufand times brighter than it is, it could not parallel the lulbe of this kingdom; Apelles' pencil would blot, angels' tongues would lelfen it: I can but give you tiie Jkiagraphia, or dark fhadow of it; expe6t not to fee it in all its orient colours, till you are mounted above the ftars. But let us not Hand afar off, as Moles, to behold this Canaan, but enter into it, and tafte the honey.

Concerning the fruitions and privileges of this heavenly kingdom,

1. We (hall have an immediate communion with God him-felf, who is the inexhaufted fea of all happinefs : This divines call, ' the beatifical vifion.' The Pfalmifl did triumph in that enjoyment he had of God in this life, Pfal. Ixxiii. 23. * Whom have 1 in heaven but thee?' If God, enjoyed by faith, doth give fo much comfort to the foul, how much more, when he is enjoyed by immediate vifion! Here we fee God but darkly through the glafs of ordinances, but, in the kingdom of heaven we (hall fee him * face to face,' 1 Cor. xiii. 12. We fliall have an intelle6lual fight of God, i. e. we (hall fee him with the eyes of our mind ; we (hall know God as much as the angels in heaven do. Mat. xviii. 10. and 1 Cor. xiii. 12. ' We (hall know as we are known.' We fhall have a full knowledge of God, though not know him fully; as a vefi'el in the fea is full of the fea, though it holds not all the fea. To fee and enjoy God, will be moft delicious ; in God are beams of majefty, and bowels of mercy. God hath all excellencies concentered in him, bonum in quo omnia bona. If one flower fhould have tho fweetnefs of all flowers, how fweet would that flower be : All the beauty and fweetnefs which lies fcattered in the creature, is infinitely to be found in God ; therefore to fee and enjoy him, will ravifh the foul with delight. We (hall fo fee God as to love him, and be made fenfible of his love; and when we fhall have this fweet communion with God, then (hall God * be all in all,' 1 Cor. xv. 28. light to the eye, manna to the tafte, mufic to the ear.

2. We (hall, in the kingdom of heaven, with thefe eyes, fee the glorified body of Jefus Chriffc. This our Saviour makes a great part of the glory of heaven, to view the glory of his human nature, John xvii. 24. * That they may behold my glory.' When Chrill was transfigured upon earth, it is faid, ' That his face did fliine as the fun, and his raiment was white as the light,' Matth. xvii. 2. If the glory of his transfiguration was fo great, what will the glory of his exaltation be? Much of the glory of God fliines in Chrift, by virtue of the hypoftatical union. Col. ii. y. • In whom dwells the fulnefs of the Godhead

bodily.' Through Chrift's humanity, as through a bright mirror, we may lee fome beams of the Divine Majelly fhine forth. Put a back of Heel to a glafs, and you muy fee a face in it: ChriiVs human nature is as a back of Heel put ou the divine nature; through this we may fee God, and then our capacities (hall be enlarged to a wonderful degree, to perceive this glorious objc(5l; and we fhall not only fee God's glory, but fome of his glory fhall be put upon us. Non tantum aderit gloria, fed in-erit, Bern. A beggar may behold the glory of a king, and not be the happier; but Chrill's glory (hall be ours, * We Ihall be like him,* 1 John iii. 2. We ftiall fhine by his beams.

3. We fliall, in the kingdom of heaven, enjoy the fociety of an • innumerable company of angels,' Heb. xii. 22.

Qu. But is there not enough in God to fill the foul with de^ light ? Can the Jight of angels add to the foul's happinefs ? What need is there of the light of torches, when the fun Jliines 9

Anf. Befides the divine eflence, the fight of angels is de-firable; much of God's curious workmaufhip (hines in the angels; the angels are beautiful, glorious creatures : and as the feveral ftrings in a lute make the harmony fvveeter, and the feveral liars make the firmament brighter, fo the fociety with angels will make the delight of heaven t he greater; and we fhall not only fee the angels with the glorified eye of our underfi:and-ing, but converfe with them.

4. We fhall, in the kingdom of heaven, have fvveet fociety with glorified faints; then the communion of faints will be illultrious.—O what a blelfed time will it be when thofe who have prayed, wept, futfered together, (hall rejoice together? we Ihall fee the faints in their white linen of purity, and fee them as fo many crowned kings: lu beholding the iaints glorified, we (hall behold an heaven full of funs. Some move the quel-tion, Whether we (hall know one another in heaven? Surely our knowledge fliall not be diminilhed, but increafed. It is the judgment of Luther and Anfelm, and many other divines, that we fhall know one another; yea, the faints of all ages, vvhofe faces we never faw : and, when we ftiall fee the faints in glory without their fpots, viz. their infirmities, pride and paffion, this will be a glorious fight. We fee how Peter was tranfported, when he (aw but two prophets in the transfiguration, Matth. xvii. 3. but, what a blelfed (ight will it be, when we fhaU fee I'uch a glorious company of prophets, and martyrs, and holy men of God? How fweet will the mufic be, when they ftiall all fing together in concert, in the heavenly choir! And though, in this great alTembly of (aints and angels, * one liar may diflfer from another in glory,' yet no fuch weed as envy ftiall ever

Q2

grow in the paradife of God ; then there fhall be perfe6t love, which as it calls out fear, fo alfo envy ; though one veffel of glory may hold more than another, yet every veffel Ihall be full.

5. In the kingdom of heaven there fhall be incomprehenfible joy. Ariftotle laith, *'joy proceeds from union." When the faints' union with Chrift is perfe6led in heaven, then their joy fhall be full; all the birds of the heavenly paradife fing for joy. What joy when the faints fhall fee the great gulf (hut, and knovv that they are palfed from death to life! What joy, when they are as holy as they would be, and as God would have them to be I What joy to hear the mufic of angels, to fee the golden banner of Chrifl's love difplayed over the foul, to be drinking the water of life which is quinteffential, and is fvveeter than all ne6lar and ambrofia ! What joy, when the faints fhall fee Chrifl clothed in their flefh, fitting in glory above the angels! Then they fliall ' enter into the joy of their Lord,' Mat. xxv. 21. Here joy enters into the faints, in heaven * they enter into joy.* O thou I'aint of God, who now hangeft thy harp upon the willows, and minglefl thy drink with weeping, in the kingdom of heaven thy water fliall be turned into wine; you fhall have fo much felicity, that your Ibuls cannot wifh for more. Thefea is not fb full of water, as the heart of a glorified faint is of joy : there can no more be forrow in heaven, than there can be joy in hell.

6. In heaven there is honour and dignity put upon the faints : A kingdom imports honour. All that come into heaven are kings; they have, 1. A crown, Rev. ii. 10. Daho tibi, the crown of life ; corona eji injignia regiae poteftatis. This crown is not lined with thorns, but hung with jewels, it is a never-fading crown, 1 Peter v. 4. 2. The taints in heaven have their robes ; they exchange their fackcloth for white robes. Rev. vii. * I beheld a great multitude, which no man could number, clothed in white robes.' Robes fignify their glory, white their fan6lity. And, 3. They fit with Chrill; upon the throne. Rev. iii. 22. We read 1 Kings iv. 32. the doors of the holy of holies were made of palm-trees, and open flowers covered with gold ; an emblem of that vi6tory and that garland of glory which the faints fliall wear in the kingdom of heaven. When all the titles and enfigns of worldly honour fhall lie in the duft, the mace, the filver ftar, the garter, then fhall the faint's honour remain.

7. We fliall in the kingdom of heaven, have a bleffed refl. Refl is the end of motion ; heaven is centrum qidetatimum animop., the blefied centre where the foul doth acquiefceand reft. In this life we are fubje6l to unquiet motions and flu6tuations, 2 Cor. vii. 5, ' We are troubled on every fide :' like a fhip on

the fea having the waves beating on both fides : but in the kingdom of heaven there is rell, Heb. iv. 9. How welcome is rell to a weary traveller? When death cuts afunder the firing of the body, the foul, as a dove, flies away, and is at rell. Tliis is when the faints (hall lie on Chrill's bofom, that hive of fweet-nefs, that bed of perfume.

8. The faints (hall, in the kingdom of heaven, have their bodies richly befpangled with glory ; they fhall be full of clarity and brightnefs. As Mofes' face (hined, thatIfrael were notable to behold the glory, Exod. xxxiv. SO. The bodies of the faints fliall Ihine feven times brighter than the fun, faith Chryfollom ; they (hall have i'uch a refplendency of beauty on them, that the angels (hall fall in love with them; and no wonder. * For they (Ivdll be made like Chrill's glorious body,' Phil. iii. 21. The bodies of faints glorified <ieed no jewels, when they (hall ihine like Chrift's body.

9. In the heavenly kingdom is eternity ; 'tis an eternal fruition, they (hall never be put out of the throne, Rev. xxiii. 5. * They (hall reign for ever and ever.* It is called, * the ever-lalling kingdom, 9. Pet. i. II. and * an eternal weight of glory,' 2 Cor. iv. 17. The flowers of paradife, of which the faints* garlands are made, never wither. If there could be a ceifatioti of heaven's glory, or the faints had but the leait fearor fufpiciori of lofmg their felicity, it would infinitely abate and cool their joy ; but their kingdom is for ever, the rivers of paradife cannot be dried up, Pf. xvi. 11. ' Atthy right-hand are pleafuresfor evermore.' The kingdom of heaven was typified by the temple, which was built with flone, covered with cedar, overlaid ■with gold, to (hew the fixed permanent (late of glory, that kingdom abides for ever. Well may we pray, • Thy kingdom come.'

Having f])oken of the kingdom of grace, and how we may know that kingdom is fet up in our hearts, I am next to fpeak of the kingdom of glory, or heaven.

1. What is meant by the kingdom of heaven.

2. What are the properties of this kingdom.

3. Wherein this heavenly kingdom excels all the kingdooxs upon earth.

4. When this kingdom fliall be bellowed.

6. Wherein appears the certainty and infallibility of it.

6. Why we fliould pray for the coming of this kingdona-

Qu. 1. What is meant by the kingdom of heaven ?

Anf. 1. It inports a blelfed freedom from all evil. 9. Ttim" plies a glorious fruition of all good, (l.) Immediate communion with God, who is the inexhaufted fea of all happinefs. (2.J A vifible beholding the glorified body ofjefus ChrilL (3.)

A glorious vifibn of faints and angels. (4.) Dignit)'and honour, the crown, and white robes. (5.) A bleiied refl. ^

Qu. 2. What are the properties or qualifications of the Jcmg" dam of heaven ?

Anf. 1. The glory of this kingdom is folid and fubftantlal ; the Hebrew word for glory fignifiesa weight, to fhew how folid and weighty the glory of the ceieftial kingdom is : the glory of the worldly kingdom is airy and imaginary, like a blazing comet ©r fancy, A<5ts xxv. 23. Agrippa and Bernice came with a great pomp, with a great fancy, Job xxvi. 7. The earth hangs jike a ball in the air, without any thing to uphold it. The glory of the heavenly kingdom is fubllantial, it hath twelve foundations. Rev. xxi. 14. That which God and angels count glory is true glory.

2. The glory of this kingdoo) is fatisfying, Pfal. xxxvi. 9, • With thee is the fountain of life.' How can they choofe but be full, who are at the fountain-head ? Pfal. xvii. 15. * When I awake, 1 (hall be fatisfied with thy likenefs,' i. e. when I awake in the morning of the refurreclion, having fome of the beams of thy glory (hining in me, I fliall be fatisfied, Jobxxviii. 14. The creature faith concerning fatisfadion, * It is not in me.' If we go for happinefs to the creature, we go to the ■wrong box : only heaven's glory is commenfurate to the valt defires of an immortal foul.. A Chriftian, bathing himfelf in thefe rivers of pleafures, cries out in a divine extacy, I have enough. The Ibul is never fatisfied till it hath God for its portion, and heaven for its haven. Diiratisfa6tion arifeth from fome defe(it, but God is an infinite good, and there can be no defe<5t in that which is infinite.

3. The glory of heaven's kingdom is pure and unmixed ; the llreams of paradife are not muddied, ojnnia clara, omniajncini' da ; there, that gold hath no alloy : no bitter ingredient in that glory, but pure as the honey-drops from the comb ; there is a role grows without prickles, the role of Sharon ; there, is eafe without pain : honour without difgrace, lite without death.

4. The glory of this kingdom is conftantly exhilarating and refrefhing ; there is fulnefs but no furfeit. Worldly comforts, though fweet, yet in time grow Itale : a down-bed pleal'eth a while, but within a while we are weary, and would rife. Too much pleafure is a pain ; but the glory of heaven doth rever furfeit or naufeate ; the reafon is, becaufe, as there are all rarities imaginable, fo every moment frelh delights fpringf from God into the glorified ibul.

5. The glory of this kingdom is diftribufcifd to every individual faint : in an earthly kingdom, the crown goes but to one, a crown will but fit one head ; but in that kingdom above the

crown goes to all, Rev. i. 6. AH the ele6l are kings. The land is (ettled chiefly upon the heir, and the red are all provided for ; but, in the.kingdom of heaven, all the faints are heirs, Rom. viii. 17. ' Heirs of God, and co-heirs with Chriit.' God hath land enough to give to all his heirs.

6. Lucid and tranlparent. The kingdom of heaven is adorned and befpangled with light, I Tim. vi. 16. Light is the glory of the creation, Eccl. xi. 7. ' The light is fweet.' Hell is a dark dungeon, Matth. xxii. 13. * Fire, but no light.' The kingdom of heaven is a diaphanum, all embroidered with light, clear as cryftal. How can there want light, where Chrifl; the Sun of righleoulnefs diiplays his golden beams ? Rev. xxi. yj. ' The glory of the Lord did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.*

7. The glory of this kingdom is adequate and proportionable to the defire of the foul. In creature-fruitions, that which doth recommend them, and fet them off to us, is fuitablenefs : the content of marriage doth not lie either in beauty of portion, but the fuitablenefs of dilpofition. The excellency of a fealt is, when the meat is fuited to the palate ; this is one ingredient in the glory of heaven, it exadliy fuits the defires of the glorified faints ; we fhall not fay in heaven, here is a dirti 1 do not love ! There fliall be mufic fuits the ear, the anthems of angels ; and food that fuits with the glorified palate, the hidden manna of God's love.

S. The glory of this kingdom will be feafonable. The fea-fonablenefs of a mercy adds to its beauty and fweetnefs ; it is like apples of gold in pi6tures of filver. After an hard winter in this cold climate, will it not be feaionable to have the fpring-flowers of glory appear, and the (inging of the birds of paradife come.^ when we have been wearied, and even tired out in battle with fin and Satan, will not a crown be feafonable?

Qu. Wherein the kingdom of heaven injinitely excels all the kingdoms of the earth 9

Anf. 1. It excels in the archite6l : other kingdoms have men to raife their (Irudlures, but God himfelf laid the firll ftone in this kingdom, Heb. xi. 10. This kingdom is of the greateil antiquity ; God was the firll king and founder of it ; no angel was worthy to lay a Hone in this building.

2. This heavenly kingdom excels in altitude ; it is higher fituated than any kingdom ; the higher any thing is, the more excellent : the fire, being the moll iublime element, is mofl; noble. The kingdom of heaven is feated above all the vifible orbs ; there is, 1. The airy heaven, which is the fpace from the earth to the fphere of the moon. 2. The fiarry heaven, the place where are the planets of an higher elevation, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. 3. The caelum empyraeum, the empyriuu heaven.

which Paul calls the third heaven : where Chrift is, there is the kinffdom of glory fituated. This kingdom is fo high, that no fcaling ladders of enemies can reach it; fo high, that the old ferpent cannot fiioot up his fiery darts to it. If wicked men could build their nefts among the liars, yet the leaft believer would fhortly be above them.

3. The kingdom of heaven excels all others in fplendor and riches ; it is defcribed by precious ftones. Rev. xxi. 19. What are all the rarities of the earth to this kingdom, coafts of pearl, rocks of diamonds, ifljnds of fpices ? what are the wonders of the world to it, the.Egyplian pyramids, the temple of Diana, the pillar of the fun offered to Jupiter ? what a rich kingdom is that where God will lay out all his coll? Thofe who are poor in the world, yet, as foon as they come into this kingdom, grow rich, as rich as the angels ; other kingdoms are inriched with gold, this is inriched with the Deity.

4. The kingdom of hwaven excels all other kingdoms in holi-nefs. Kingdoms on earth are for the mod part unholy : thera is a common fhore of luxury and uncleannefs running in them : kingdoms are flages for fin to be a6led on, Ifa. xxviii. 8. ' All tables are full of vomit.* But the kingdom of heaven is lb holy, that it will not mix with any corruption, Rev. xxi. 27. * There Ihall enter into it nothing that defileth.' It is fo pure a foil, that no ferpent of fin will breed there : there is beauty which is not ftained with lull, and honour which is not fwelled with pride. Holinefs is the brighteft jewel of the crown of heaven.

5. The kingdom of heaven excels all other kingdoms in its pacific nature; \t is regmim pads, a.king<iom of peace. Peace is the glory of a kingdom ; pax una triumphis innwneris melior, A king's crown is more adorned with the white lily of peace, than when it is befet with the red rofes of a bloody war. But where fhall we find an uninterrupted peace upon earth ? Either home-bred divifions, or foreign invafions, 2 Chron. xv. 5.

* There was no peace to him that went out, or to him that came in.' But the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of peace ; there are no enemies to confli6l with ; all Chrift's enemies fhall he • under his feet,' Pfalm ex. i. The gates of that kingdom fhall ftand open. Rev. xxi. 23. * The gates fliall not be lliut at all ;' to fhew, that there is no fear of an aflault of an enemy : the faints, when they die, are faid to enter into peace, Ifa. Ivii. 2. There is no beating of drums or roaring of cannons, but the voice of harpers harping, in token of peace. Rev. xiv. 2. In heaven, ' righteoufiiefs and peace kifs each other.*

* (3. The kingdom of heaven excels in magnitude ; it is of vaft dimenfions. Though the gate of the kingdom be (Irait, we muil pafs into it through the llrait gate of mortification ;^ yet, ^hen ottce vve are in, it is very large : though there be an in-

tiuinerahle company of faints and angels, yet there is room f nongli ibr tlu-ni. The kingxloni of heaven may be called by the nyjne of ihat well. Gen. xxvi. 22. ' Jacob called the name of it Rehol)oih ; for he faid, now the Lord hath made room for us.' Thou, who art now confined to a fmail cottage, when thou Cornell into the celellial kingdou), thou fhalt nor be Itrait-ried for room. As every Itar hath a large orb to move in, lb it fliall be with the faints, when they fliall Ihine as liars in the kingdom of heaven.

7. 'J'he kingdom of heaven excels in unity; all the inhabit-atits agree together in love : love will be the perfume and mufic of heaven ; as love to God will be intenfe, lb to the faints. Per-i'e6t love, as it cafts out fear, fo it cafls out envy and difcord. Thofe Chrillians who could not live quietly together on earth (which was the blemifli of their profelTion) yet, in the kingdon) of heaven, the fire of ftrife fhall ceafe ; there ihall be no vihfy-ing, or cenfurin^ one another, or raking into one another's /^>res, but all fliall be tied together with the heart-ftringsoMove ; there Luther and Zuinglius are agreed : Satan cannot put in his cloven foot there to make divifions ; there fhall be perfect harmony and concord, and not one jarring ilring in the laints* luufic. It were worth dying to be in that kingdom.

8. This kingdom exceeds all earthly in joy and pleafure ; therefore it is called paradife, 2 Cor. xii. 4. For delight: there are all things to caufe pleafure ; there is the water of life pure aschryflal; there is the honey-comb of God's love dropping:, it is called ' entering into the joy of our Lord.' Matth. xxv.23. Th«re are two things which caufe joy.

(1.) Separation from fin fliall be fliaken off, then joy follows,-There can no more be forrow in heaven, than there can be joy in hell.

2. Perfect union with Chrifl;: joy, as Ariftotle faith, flows from union with the objed. When our union wiih Ghrill fliall be perfect, then our joy fliall be full: if tht; joy of faith be fo great, 1 Pet. i. 8. Then what will the joy of fight be ? Jofeph gave his brethren provifion for the way, but the full facks of corn •were kept till they came to their father's houfe : God gives the laitits a tafle of joy here, but the full facks are kept till they come to heaven. Not only the organical parts, the outward lenles, the eye, ear, tafie, fliall be filled with joy ; but the heart of a glorified faint fliall be filled with joy. The under-fianding, will and affections are fuch a triangle, as none can fill but the Trinity : there mufi needs be infinite joy, where nothing is feen but beauty ; nothing ij; tafted but love.

D. This kingdom of heaven exceeds all earthly in frflf-perfec-tion : other kingdoms are defe6tive, they have not all provifion within themfelves, but are fain to trafF.c abroad to fupply their

Vol. IT. No. 13. R

wants at home : king Solomon did fend to Opliir for gold, 2 Chron. viii. 18. But there is no defe6l in the kingdom of heaven ; it hath all commodities of its own growth. Rev. xxi. 7. There is the pearl of price, the morning-ilar, the mountains of fpices, the hed of love ; there are thofefacred rarities, wherewith God and angels are delighted.

10. This kingdom of heaven excels all other in honour and nobility. It doth not only equal them in the enligns of royalty, the throne and white robes; but it doth far tranfcend them 83 other kings are of the blood royal; but they in this heavenly kingdom are born of God : other kings converfe with nobles ; the faints glorified are fellow-communers with angels: they have a more noble crown, it is made of the flowers of paradife, and is a crown that fadethnot away, I Pet. v. 4. They liton a better throne: king Solomon, 1 Kings x. 18. fat on a throne of ivory overlaid with gold ; but the faints are in heaven higher advanced, they fit with Chrift upon his throne, Rev. iii. 21. They fliall judge the princes and great ones on the earth, 1 Cor, xvi. 2. This honour have all the faints glorified.

11. This kingdom of heaven excels ail others in healtlifulnefs. Death is a worm that is ever feeding at the root of our gourd ; kingdoms are oft hofpitals of fick perfons ; but the kingdom of heaven is a mod healthful climate : phyficians there are out of date ; no diftemper there, no paflTmg bell, or bill of mortality, Luke XX. 36. ' Neither can they die any more.' In the heavenly climate are no ill vapours to breed difeafes, but a fweet aromatical fmell coming from Chrilt; all his garments fmell of myrrh, aloes, and calTia.

12. This kingdom of heaven excels in duration, it abides for ever. Suppofe earthly kingdoms to be more glorious than they are, their foundations of gold, thei." walls of pearl, their windows of i'apphire ; yet they are corruptible and fading, Hof. i. 4. ' I will caufe the kingdom to ceafe.' Troy and Athens now lie buried in their ruins ; jam feges eft iihi Troja fuit. Mortality is the difgrace of all earthly kingdoms ; but the kingdom of heaven hath eternity written upon it, it is an ever-laliing kingdom, 2 Pet. i. 11. It is founded upon a llrong balls, God's omnipotency ; this kingdom the faints (hall never be turned out of, or be depofed from their throne, asfome kings have been, viz. Henry VI. &c. But fhall reign for ever and ever, Rev. xxi. 5.

• - How fhould all this affe6l our hearts ? What fliould we mind but this kingdom of heaven, which doth more outfliine all the kingdoms of the earth, than the fun outfhines the light of a taper? !,;.4. Qu. Wlienjliall this kingdom he beftowed ?

Anf. This glory in the kingdom of heaven (hall be begun at death, but not perfe6led till the refurredion.

1. The faints (hall enter upon the kingdom of glory im-Tnedlately after death ; before their bodies are buried, their fouls (hall be crowned, Phil. i. 23. ' Elaving a defire to depart, and to be with Chriii ;' from this connexion, departing, and being with Chrift, we fee clearly that there is dijubtitus tran/ilus, Ipeedy pafTage from death to glory ; no fooner is the foul of a believer divorced from the body, but it prefenly goes to Chrift, 2 Cor. V. 8. • Abfent from the body, prefent with the Lord.' It were better for believers to ftay here, if immediately after death they were not with Chrift in glory ; for here the faints are daily increafing their grace ; here they may have many praelibamhia, fweet taftes of God's love ; fo that it were better to ftay here, if their foul fliould fleep in their body, and they fliould not have a ipeedy fight of God in glory : but this is the confolation of believers, they (hall not llay long from their kingdom ; it is but winking and they fliall fee God. It will be a blelfed change to a believer, from a defart to u paradife, from a bloody battle to a vi6lorious crown : and a fudden change : no iboner did Lazarus die, but he had a convoy of ajigels to con-du6l his foul to the kingdom of glory. You who now are full of bodily difeafes, fcarce a day well, Pf. xxxi. 10. * My life is Ipent with grief;' be of good comfort, you may be happy before you are aware ; before another week or month be over, you may be in the kingdom of glory, and then all tears (hall be wiped away.

2. The glory in the kingdom of heaven, will be fully per-fe6ted at the refurre<5tion, and general day of judgment ; then the bodies and fouls of believers will be reunited ; what joy will there be at ihe reunion and meeting together of the Ibul and body of a laint ! O what a welcome will the foul give to the body ! " O my dear body, thou didft otten join with me in prayer, and now thou (hall join with me in praife ; thou wert willing to fuller with me, and now thou (halt reign with me ; thou wert fown a vile body, but now thou art made like Chriit's glorious body ; we were once for a time divorced, but now we are married, and crowned together in a kingdom, and ihall mutually congratulate each other's felicity."

0. Qu. Wherein appears the certainty and infallibility of this kingdom of glory ?

Anf. That this bleffed kingdom fhall be beflowed on the faints, is beyond all difpute.

1. God hath promifed it, Lukexii. 32. ' It is your Father's good pleafure to give you a kin^tlom.' Luke xxii. 2i;. * I appoint unto you a kingdom.* [Gr. diatithemai'] ' I bequeath it as uiy lall-vvill and teftament.' Hath God promifed a king-

R2

dom, and will he not make it js^oocl ? God's promife is bftfer than any bond. Tit. 1. 9. * In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath promifed.' The whole earth hangs Upon the word of God's power; and cannot our failh hang upon the word of his promile?

2. There is a price laid down for this kingdom. Heaven is not only a kingdom which God hath promifed, but which Chrilt hath purchaied ; it is called a purchafed poflfellion, Eph. i. l-l. Though this kingdom is given us freely, yet Chrilt bought it wilh the price of his blood ; Chrid's blood is an heaven procuring blood, Heb. x. U). * Having boldnefs to enter into the bolieit {i. e. into Heaven) by the blood of Jefns.' Crux Chrijii clavis paradjji, Chrifl's blood is the key that opens the gates of heaven. Should not the faints have this kingdom, then Chrilt ftiould lofe his purchafe ; Chrift on the crofs was in hard travail, Ifa. xiii. 11. He travailed to bring forth falvation to the eletl : (hould not they poilefs the kingdom when they die, Chrift fliould lole his travail, all his pangs and agonies of foul upon the crofs fliould be in vain.

3. Chrift prays that the faints may have this kingdom fettled upon them, John xvii. 24. * Father, I will, that they alfo whom thou haft given me, be with me where I am,* i. e. in heaven. This is Chrift's prayer, that the faints may be wiih him in his kingdom, and be befpangled with fome of the beams of his glory : now, if they Ihould not go into this heavenly kingdom, then Chrift's prayer will be fruftrated : but that cannot be, for he is God' favourite, John xi. 42. • I know thou heareft me always ;' and befides, what Chrift prays for, he hath power to give : obferve the manner of Chrifl's prayer, ' Father, I will ;' Father, there he prays as man ; ' 1 will;' there he gives as God.

4. The faints mnft have this bleffed kingdom by virtue of Chrift's afcenfion, John xx. 17. 'I alcend to my Father and your Father, to my God and to your God,' Where lies the t'orofort of this ? Here it lies, Jefus Chrift afcended to take polleftion ol" heaven for all believers. As an hulband takes up land in another country in the behalf of his wife ; fo Chritl went to take polfellion of heaven, in the behalf of all believers. John xiv. «. * 1 go to prepare a place for you.' My afcenlioii is to make all things ready againft your coming ; 1 go to prc-paie I he heavenly manfionsforyou. The flefli Ifhat Chrift hath taken into heaven, is a fure pledge that all our tlefti and bodies Ihall be where he is ere long. Chrift did not afcend to heaven, as a private perlbn, but as a public perfbn, for the good of all believers : his afcenfion was a certain fore-runner of the taints* albiuling into heaven.

5. The ele(A muft have this bleffed kingdom, in regard of the previous work of the Spirit in their hearts. They have the be-

ginmng orthe1<in^dom of heaven in them here ; pfrace is hea-veubemin in ihe loul : befides, God skives tliem primitua J)nn-ttis, the tiill-fruits of the Spirit, Ron), viii. <^,'i. The tirll-fruits are the comforts of the Spirit. Thefe firll-fruits under the law were a certain (ign t6 the Jews of the full crop of vintage which they ihoiiid after receive : the firll-fruits of the Spirit conlifling of joy and peace, do aflure the faints of the full vintage of glory they Ihall be ever reaping in the kingdom of God ; and the faints in this life are laid to have the earneft of the Spirit in their hearts, 9 Cor. v. 5. As an earned is par!: of payment, and an alfurance of payment in full to be made in due time ; lb God's Spirit in the hearts of believers, giving them his comforts, bellows on them an earneft, or talle of glory, which doth further aifiire them of that full reward, which they (hall have in the kingdom of heaven, 1 Pet. i. 18. ' Believing, ye rejoice,' there is the earneft of heaven, ver. 9. * Receiving the end of your faith,' lalvation, there is the full pay-Qicnt.

6. The elecl mnfl; have this biefled kingdom, by virtue of their coalition and union with Jelu-s Chrill. They are members ofChrill, therefore they mull be where th(.ir head is. Indeed the; Acminians hold, that a jnllified perfon muy fall from grace, and <b his union with Chrilt may be diilolved, and the Uingdom k)Il; but I will demand of them, can Chrilt lofe a member of his body ? 'i'hen he is not perfed ; and if Chrift may lofe one r»ember of his body, why not as well all, by tlve fame realbu .^ And fo he fiiall be an ht-ad without a body : but be allured a believer's union with Chrill cannot be broken, and fo long he ouinot he himlred of the kingdom, John xvii. i'2, What'was laid ol Chrifl's natural body is as true of his myftical, John x. 39. • A bone of him Ihall not be broken.' Look how every bone and limb of ChriU's natural body was raifed up out of the grave, and carried into heaven: fo Ihall every, member of his inyllical body be carried up into glory.

7. We read of Ibme who have been IranHated into this kingdom. Paul h.id a (ight of it, for he was caught up into the third heaven, -J Cor. xii. And the converted thief on the crols was tranllated into glory, Luke xxiii. 43. * This day llialt thou be with me in paradife.' By all that hath been (aid, it is moll evident, that believers have a glorious kingdom laid up for them in reverlion, and thai they fhall go to this kingdom when they die : there are none that doubt of the certainty of the heaveniy kingdom, but fuch as doubt of the verily of Icripture.

t>. Qu. IVfuf Jhou/d wefo tarnejUy piui/Jor tkialieacenly kingdom, ' Thy kingdom come f

Auf. 1. Becaufe it is a kingdom worth the praying for; it exceeds the glory of all the tarihl} kingdoms, it hath ♦ gale^of

pearl,' Rev. xxi. ?l. We have heard of a cabinet of pearl, but when did we iiear of gales of pearl ? In that kingdom is the bed of love, the mtnintains of fpices ; there are the cherubims, Kot to keep ns out, but to welcome us into the kingdom. Heaven is a kingdom worth the praying for; there is nothing wanting in that kingdom wliich may complete the faints' happinefs ; for, wherein doth happinefs confilt ? Is it in knowledge ? We

* Ihall know as we are known :' is it in dainty fair? we (hall be at the ' marriage fupper of the Lamb.' Is it in rich apparel ? We Ihall be ' clothed in long white robes: is it in delicious mufic? We fliall hear the choir of angels finging : is it in dominion ? We fliall reign as kings and judge angels: Is it in pleafure ? * We fhall enter into the joy of our Lord ?' Sure then this kingdom is worth praying for, ' Thy kingdom come.* Would God give us a vifion of heaven a while, as he did Stephen who • faw heaven opened,' A6ts vii. 66. We fliould fall into a trance; and being a little recovered out of it, how importunately would we put up this petition, * Thy kingdom come.'

2. We muft pray for this kingdom of glory, becaufe God will not beltow this kingdom on any without prayer, Rom. il. 7- ' They who feek for glory and immortality,' and how do we feek but by prayer? God hath promifed a kingdom, and we mull by prayer put the bond in fuit: God is not foi lavifti as to throw away a kingdom on them who do not ail: it. And certainly, if Chrift himfelf, who had merited glory, did yet pray for it, John xvii, 5. ' Now, O Father, glorify me with thy own felf;' how much more ought we to pray for the excellent glory, who have this kingdom granted as a charter of God's mere grace and favour.

3. We muft pray that the kingdom of glory may come, that by going into it, we may make an end of finning. I think fome-times, what a bleifed time it will be, never to have a finful thought more! though we muft not pray, ' Thy kingdom come,' out of difcontent, becaufe we would be rid of the troubles and crolfes of this life. This was Jonah's fault; he would die in a pet, becaufe God took away his gourd ; * Lord (faith he) take away my life too,' Jonah iv. 8. But we muft pray,

* Thy kingdom come,' out of an holy defign that the fetters of corruption may be pulled off, and we may be as the angels, thole virgin-fpirits, who never fin. This made the church pray. Rev. xxii. 20. Veni Domine Jeju.

- 4. Becaufe that all Chrill's enemies (hall be put under his feet: the devil Ihall have no more power to tempt, nor wicked men to perfecute ; the antichriftian hierarchy, fhall be pulled down, and Zion's glory fhall Ihine as a lamp, and the Turkifh ftrength Ihall be broken.

.5. We miift pray earneftly that the kingdom of glory may Come, that we may fee God ' face to face,' and have an uninterrupted and eternal communion with him in the empyrean heaven. Mofes defired but a glimpfe of God's glory, Exod. xxxiii. 18. How then fliould we pray to lee him in all his embroidered robes of glory, when he (hall fhine ten thoufand times brighter than the fun in its meridian fplendor! here, in this life, we do rather dehre God, than enjoy him ; how earnell-ly therefore fhould we pray, * thy kingdom of glory come'/ the beholding and enjoying God will be the diamond in the ring, the very quintelfence of glory. And muft we pray, ' thy kingdom come ?' How then are they ever like to come to heaven, who never pray for it? Though God gives fome profane perfons ' daily bread,' who never pray for it ; yet he will not give them a kingdom, who never pray for it. God may feed them, but he will never crown them.

life I. 0( information.

1. Branch. From all this you fee then, that there is nothing within the whole fphere of religion impofed upon unreafonable terms. When God bids us ferve him, it is no unreafonable re-queft, he will out of free grace enthrone us in a kingdom. When we hear of repentance, fteeping our fouls in brinilh tears for fin ; or of mortification, beheading our king-fin, we are ready to grumble, and think this is hard and unreafonable : ' but, do we ferve God for nought ?' Is it not infinite bounty to reward us with a kingdom ? This kingdom is as far above our thoughts, as it is beyond our deferts. No man can fay, without wrong to God, that he is an hard mafter ; though he fets us about hard work, yet he is no hard mafter : God gives double pay; he gives great vails in his fervice, fweet joy and peace ; and a great reward after, ' an eternal weight of glory.' God gives the fpring-flowers, and a crop ; he fettles upon us fuch a kingdom as exceeds our faith. Framium quod fide non atlingitur, Aug. ' Such as mortal eye bath not feen, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive,' 1 Cor. ii. 9. Alas, what an infinite difference is there betweeen duty enjoined, and the kingdom prepared ! what is the fiiedding of a tear to a crown ? So that God's ' commands are not grievous,' 1 John v. 3. Our fervice cannot be fo hard, as a kingdom is fweet.

2. Branch. See hence the royal bounty of God to his children, that he hath prepared a kin<^dom for them, a kingdom be-fpangled with glory ; it is infinitely above the model we can draw of it in our thoughts. The painter going to draw the picture of Helena, as not being able to draw her beauty to the life, drew her face covered with a vail : fo, when we fpeak of the kingdom of heaven, we mud draw a vail, we cannot let it forth in all its orient beauty and magnificence ; gold and pearl

do but faintly fiiadow it out, Rev, xxi. Tlie-glory of this kingdom is belter fell than exprefied.

1. They who inherit this kingdom are nmifii Jiolis albk,

* clothed with white robes,* Rev. vii. (). White robes denote tliree things : (I.) Their dignity ; the Perlians were arrayed in white, in token of honour, {-i.) Their purity ; the magifirates among the Romans were clothed in white, therefore called carididati, to fhew their integrity : thus the queen the Lamb's tvife is arrayed in fine linen, pure and white, which is the

* righteoufnefs of the faints,' Rev. xix. 8. (3.) Their joy : white is an emblem of joy, Eccl. ix. 7. * Eat thy bread with joy, let thy garments be always white.'

2. The dwellers in this kingdom have * palms in their hands,' Rev. vii. 9. In token of vi6tory. They are conquerors over the world : and, being vidlors, they have now palm-branches.

3. They fit upon the throne with Chrift, Rev. iii. -21. When Cacfar returned from conquering his enemies, there was fet for him a chair of ftate in the fenate, and a throne in the theatre. Thus the faints in glory, after their heroic victories, (hall fit upon a throne with Chnft. Here is royal bounty in God, to beftow fuch an illuftrious kingdom upon the faints. 'Tis a mercy to be pardoned, but what is it to be crov/ned ? 'Tis a metcy to be delivered from wrath to come, but what is it to be iuvefted into a kingdom? ' Behold, what manner of love is this!' Earthly princes may bellow great gifts and donations upon their fubje6ls, but they keep the kingdom to themfelves. Thongli kiii^ Pharaoh advanced Jofeph to honour, and took the ring otf his finger and gave him, yet he would keep the kingdom to him-felf. Gen. xli. 40. But God enthrones the faints in a kingdom ; God thinks nothing too good for his children ; we are ready to think much of a tear, a prayer, or to lacrifice a fin for him ; but he doth not think much to beilow a kingdom upon us.

8. Branch. Sec hence, that religion is no ignominious, dif-graceful thmg. Satan labours to call all the odium and reproach upon it that he can ; that it is devout frenzy, folly in grain. Acts xxviii. 92. * As for this fe6l, we know that it is every where fpoken againft.* But wife men meafure things by the end ; what is the end of a religious life ? It ends in a kingdom. Would a prince regard the (lightings of a few frantics, when he is going to be crowned ? You who are beginners, bind their reproaches as a crown about your head, defpife their cen-fures as much as their praife ; a kingdom is a-coming.

4. Branch. See what contrary ways the godly and the \\Mcked go at death ; the godly go to a kingdom, the wicked to a prifon : the devil is the jailor, and they are bound with the

* ciiaius of darkQefb/ Jude 0'. But what are thele chaius? Not

iron chains, but worfe; the chain of God's decree, decreeing them to torment; and the chain of God's power, whereby he binds them fail under wrath : this is the deplorable condition of impenitent finners, they do not go to a kingdom when they die, but to a prilbn. O think what horror and defpair will poflefs the wicked, when they fee themlelves ingulphed in mifery, and their condition hopelels, helpleis, endlefs ; they are in a hery prilbn, and no poffibility of getting out. A fer-vant under the law, who had an hard mailer, yet every feventh year was a year of releafe when he might go free ; but in hell there is no year of releafe when the damned fliall go free ; the fire, the worm, the prifon, are eternal. If the whole world, from earth to heaven, were filled with grains of fand, and once . in a thouland years an angel (hould come and fetch away one grain of land, how many millions of ages would pais before that vail heap of land would be quite fpent: yet if after all this time the finner might come out of hell, there were fome hope ; but this word ever breaks the heart with defpair.

5. Branch. See then that which may make us in love with holy duties; every duty, fpiritually performed, brings us a liep nearer to the kingdom : finis dat amabililatem mediis. He whole heart is fet on riches, counts trading plealant, becaufe it brings in riches : if our hearts are fet upon heaven, we Ihall love duty, becaufe it brings us by degrees to the kingdom; we are going to heaven in the way of duty. Holy duties increale grace; and as grace ripens, lb glory hallens ; the duties of religion are irkfome to flefh and blood, but we Ihould look upon them as fpiritual chariots to carry us apace to the heavenly kingdom. The prot^ftants in France called their church paradife ; and well they might, becaufe the ordinances did lead them to the paradife of God. As every flower hath its fweetnefs, fo would every duty, if we would look upon it as giving us a lift nearer heaven.

6. Branch. It Ihews us what little caufe the children of God have, to envy the prolperity of the wicked. Quis cerario quis plenis locuUs indiget. Sen. The wicked have the * waters of a full cup wrung out to them,' Pfal. Ixxiii. 10. As if they had a monopoly of happinefs, they have all they can delire; nay, * they have more than their heart can wiih^' Pfal. Ixxii. 10. They deep themfelves in pleafure. Job xxi. 1-2. ' They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the Ibuad of the organ.' The wicked are high, when God'.s people are low in the world : the goats clamber up the mountains of preferment, when Chrill's Iheep are below iji the valley of tears : the wicked are clothed in purple, v/hlle the godly are in fackcbih; the prof-perity of the wicked is a great Humbling block : this made Averroes deny a providence, and made Afaph lay, * barely .1

Vol. II. No. 15, S

have cleanfed my heart in vain,' Pfal. Ixxiii. 12. But there is no caufe of envy at their prol'perity, iC we confider two things.

1. This is all they mud have, Luke xvi. 95. * Son, remember that thou in thy lile-time receivedll thy good things:' thou hadft all thy heaven here. Luther calls the Turkifh empire a bone which God cafls to dogs.

2. That God hath laid up better things for his children : he hath prepared a kingdom of glory for them ; they fhall have the beatifical vifion ; they fliall hear the angels hng in concert; they (hall be crowned with the pleafures of paradife for ever. O then envy not the flourifhing prolperity of the wicked ; they go thro' fair way to execution, and the godly go thro' foul way to coronation.

7. Branch. Is there a kingdom of glory a-coming? Then fee how happy all the faints are at death, they go to a kingdom ; they (hall fee God's iace," which fliines ten thoufand times brighter than the fun in its meridian glory, 'j'he godly at death (hail be inftalled into their honour, and have the crown royal fet upon their head. They have, in the kingdom of heaven, the quinteffence of all delights : they have the water of life clear as cryftal; they have all aromatic perfumes ; they ieed not on the dew of Hermon, but the manna of angels : they lie in Chrift's bofom, that bed of fpices. There is fuch a pleafant variety in the happinefs of heaven, that after millions of years it will be as fre(h and defireableas at the (irft hour's enjoying. In the kingdom of heaven, the faints are crowned with all thofe perfections, which the human nature is capable of: the defires of the glorified faints are infinitely futisfied ; there is nothing ahlent, that they could with might be enjoyed, there is nothing prelcnt that they could with might be removed. I'hey who are got into this kingdom would be loth to come back to the earth again, it would be much to their lofs; they would not leave the fatnefs and fweetnefs of the olive, to court the bramble; the things which tempt us, they would (corn. What are golden bags to the golden beams of the Sun of righteoufnefs ? In the kingdom of heaven there is glory in its higheft elevation ; in that kingdom is knowledge without ignorstnce, holinefs without fin, beauty without blemi(h, ftrength without weaknefs, light without darknels, riches without poverty, eafe without pain, liberty without rellraint, red without labour, joy without (brrow, love without hatred, plenty without furfeit, honour without diCgrace, health without ficknefs, peace without war, contentation without cellation. O the happinefs of thofe that die in the Lord, they go into this bleffed kingdom! And if they are lb happy when they die, then let me make two inferences.

. 1. Infer. What little caufe have the faints to fear death ? Are any afraid of going to a kingdom? what is there in this World (hould make us defirous to llay here ? do we not fee God diflionoured, and how can we bear it? is not this world a * valley of tears,' and do we weep to leave it? are not we in a wildernels among fiery ierpents, and are we afraid to go from theie ferpents? Our bell IVietids live above: God is ever dif-playing the banner of his love in heaven, and is there any love like his? are there any fweeter fmiles, or fot'ter embraces than his ? what news fo welcome as leaving the world, and going to a kingdorn ? Chriilian, thy dying day will be thy wedding day, and doll thou fear it ? is a flave afraid to be redeemed ? is a virgin afraid to be matched into the crown ? Death may take away a few worldly comforts, but it gives that which is better; it takes away a tlower, and gives a jewel; it takes away a fhort leafe, and gives land of inheritance. If the faints poiTefs a kingdom when they die, they have no caufe to fear death. A prince would not be afraid to crofs the fea, though tempellu-ous, if he were fure to be crowned as foon as he came at fhore.

2. Infer. If the godly are fo happy when they die, they go to a kingdom ; then, what little caufe have we to mourn immoderately for the death of godly friends? fliall we mourn for their preferment? why (hould we (hed tears immoderately for them who have all tears wiped from their eyes? why (hould we be (Wallowed up of grief, for them who are fwallowed up of joy? They are gone to their kingdom ; they are not loll, but gone a little before; not periflied, but tranQated, No7i amijfi Jed prccmij/i, Cyprian. They are removed for their advantage; as if one ihould be removed outof afmoaky cottage to a palace. Elijah was removed in a fiery chariot to heaven : fliall Elilha weep inordinately becaufe he enjoys not the company of l^lijah ? Shall Jacob weep when he knows his fon Jof-ph is prefeired, and made chief ruler in Egypt ? We (hould not be exceHive in grief, when we know our godly friends are advanced to a king* dom. I confels, when any of our relations die in their impeni-tency, there isjud caufeot mourning, but not when our friends take their flight to glory. David loll two Cons, Abfal. a a wicked fon, he mourned for him bitterly ; he loll the child he had by Bathfheba, he mourned not when thechild was departed. St. Ambrofe gives the reafon, David had a good hopfe, nay, a(furance that thechild was tranflated into heaven, but lie doubted of Ablliloni ; he died in his fins, therefore David wept fo for him, * O Ablalom, my fon, my (on.* But though we are to weep to think any of our fle(h (hould burn in hell, yet kt us not be call down for them who are ib highly preferred at

S2

death as to a kingdom. Our godly friends who die in the Lord, are in that bleffed eftate, and are crowned with fuch infinite delights, that if" we could hear them fpeak to us out of heaven, they would fay, ' weep-not for us, but weep for your-felves,' Luke xxiii. 28. We are in our kingdom, weep not at our preferment, * but weep for yourCelves,* who are in a fin-ful forrowful world ; you are tofling on the troublefome waves, but we are got to the haven; you are fighting with temptations, while we are wearing a vi6lorious crown ; * weep not for us, but weep for yourfelves.*

8. Branch. See the wifdom of the godly, they have the ferpent's eye in the dove's head, * wife virgins,' Matt. xxv. 2. Their wifdom appears in their choice, they choofe that which will bring them to a kingdom, they choofe grace, and what is grace but the feed of glory ? They choofe Chrift with his crofs, but this crofs leads to a crown. * Mofes chofe rather to fufl'er affli6tion with the people of God,' Heb. xi. 25. It was a wife rational choice, he knew if he fuffered he (hould reign. At the day of judgment, thofe whom the world accounted foolifh, will appear to be wife ; they made a prudent choice, they chofe ho-linefs, and what is happinefs but the quinteffence of holinefs ? * They chofe aftlidion with the people of God ;' but through this purgatory of affli6lion, they pafs to paradife. God will proclaim the iaints' wifdom before men and angels.

9. Branch. See the folly of thofe who, for vain pleafures and profits, will lofe fuch a glorious kingdom : like that cardinal of France, who faid, " He would lofe his part in paradife, if he might keep his cardinalfhip Jn Paris." 1 may fay, as Eccl. ix. 3. ' Madnefs is in their heart.' Lyfimachus, for a draught of water, lofl his empire ; fo, for a draught of linful pleafure, thefe will lofe heaven. We too much refemble our grandfather Adam, who for an apple loft paradife ; many for trifles, to get a fhilling more in the (hop or bufhel, will venture the lofs of heaven. This will be an aggravation of the finner's torment, to think how foolifhiy he was undone ; for a flafh of impure joy he loft an eternal weight ot glory. Would it not vex one who is the lord of a manor to think he ftiould part with his ftately inheritance for a fit of mufic } fuch are they who let heaven go for a fong. This will make the Devil infult at the laft day, to think how he had gulled men, and made them lofe their fouls and their happinefs for * lying vanities.' If Satan could make good his brag, in giving all the glory and kingdoms of the world, it could not countervail the lofs of the celeftial kingdom. All the tears in hell are not fuftlcient to lament the lofs of heaven. Ufe II. Of reproof.

1. Branch. It reproves fuch as do not at all look after this jiin^dora of glory ; as if all we fay about heaven were but a

romance, they do not mind it. That they mind it not, appears, becaule they do not labour to have the kingdom of grace fet up in their hearts : if they have fome thoughts of this kingdom, yet it is in a dull carelefs manner; they ferve God, as if they lerved him not; they do not vires exerere, put forth their ftrength for the heavenly kingdom. How indullrious were the laints of old for this kingdom ? Phil. iii. 13. * Reaching forth unto thofe things which are before ;' the Greek word is epek' iemomhios, ftretching out the neck ; a metaphor IVom racers, that Itrain every limb, and reach forward to lay hold on the prize. Luther fpent three hours a-day in prayer * Anna, the the prophetefs, departed not from the temple, but ferved God with fading and prayers night and day,' Luke ii. 37. How zealous and induftrious were the martyrs to get into this heavenly kingdom ! they wore their fetters as^ornaments, fnatched up torments as crowns, and embraced the flames as cheerfully as Elijah did the fiery chariot, which came to fetch him to heaven; and do we not think this kingdom worth our labour ? the great pains the heathens took in their Olympic race, when they raa but for a crown made of olive intermixed with gold, will rife up in judgment againft fuch as take little or no pains in feeking after the kingdom of glory. The dulnefs of many in feeking after heaven is fuch, as if they did not believe there was fuch a kingdom ; or as if it would not countervail their labour ; or as if they thought it were indifferent whether they obtained this kingdom or not, which is as much as to fay, whether they were faved or not; whether they were crowned in glory, or chained as galley-flaves in hell for ever.

s^. Branch. It reproves them who fpend their fweat more ia getting the world than the kingdom of heaven, Phil. iii. 19. * Who mind earthly things.' The world is the great Diana they cry up, as if they would fetch happinefs out of the earth ■which God hath curled ; they labour for honour and riches. Many are like Korak and Dathaiiy the earth J wallowed them «p. Numb. xvi. 3i2. So the earth fwallows up their time and thoughts : thefe, if they are not pagans, yet they are inhdels ; they do not believe there is fuch a kingdom : they go for Chril-tians, yet quellion that great article in their faith, life everlajl^ ing : thefe, like the ferpent, lick the dull. O what is there in the world, that we fhould fo idolize it ! when Chrill and heaven are not regarded ? What hath Chrift done for you ? Died for your lins : what will the world do for you ? Can it pacity an angry confcience.^ Can it procure God's favour.? Can it flee death ? Can it bribe our judge ? Can it purchafe for you a place in the kingdom of heaven ? O how are men bewitched with worldly profits and honours ! that for thefe things they will let go paradife, it was a good prayer of St. Bernard, Sic

pofjUdeamus tmindana, tit non perdamus ceterna Lo, let us fo

poiFefs things temporal, that we do not lofe things eternal.

3. Branch. It reproves fuch who delay and put off" feeking, this kingdom till it be too late : like the foolilh virgins whd^ came when the door was ihut. Mora trahit periculum. People let the lamp of life blaze out : and when the iymptoms of death are upon theni, and they know not what elfe to do, now will look up to the kingdom of heaven : Chrift bids them feek God's kingdom full, and they will feek it lad ; they put off the kingdom of heaven to a death-bed, as if it were as eafy to make their peace as to make their will. How many have loft the heavenly kingdom, through delays and procraftinations 1 Plutarch reports of Archias the Lacedemonian, being among his cups, one delivered him a letter, and defired him to read it prefently, being of ferious bufinefs ; faith he,/cr?a cras^ 1 will mind ferious things to-morrow ; and that night he was (lain. Thou that fayeft, thou wilt look after the kingdom of heaven to-morrow, knowefl not but that thou mayefl be in hell before to-morrow : fometimes death comes fuddenly, it ftrikes without giving warning. What folly is it putting otf feeking the kingdom of heaven till the day of grace expire, till the radical moiflure be I'pent ? as if a man fhould begin to run a race when a fit of the gout takes him.

4. Branch. It reproves fuch as were once great zealots in religion, and did feem to be touched with a coal from God's altar, but fince they have cooled in their devotion, and have left off the purfuing the celeftial kingdom, Hof. viii. 3. * Ifrael hatb call otf the thing that is good :' there is no face of religion to be feen, they have left off" the houfe of prayer, and gone to play-houfes : they have left off" purfuing the heavenly kingdom.

Qu. Whence is this?

Anf. 1. For want of a fupernatural principle of grace. That branch muft needs die, which hath no root to grow upon. That which moves from a principle of life laffs, as the beating of the pulfe : but that which moves only from an artificial fpring, when the fpring is done, the motion ceafeth ; the hypocrite's religion is artificial, not vital, he a6ts from the outward fpringof applaul'e or gain, and if that fpring be down, his motion toward heaven ceafeth.

2. From unbelief, Heb. iii. 19. * An evil heart of unbelief departing from the living God,' Pf. Ixxviii. 22. ' They believed not in God.' ver. 41. * They turned back.'-—Sinners have hard thoughts of God, they think they may pray and hear, yet never the better. Mat. iii. 14. They quellion whether God will give them the kingdom at laft, then they turn back, and throw away ChrilVs colours ; they difirull God's love, no won-

tier then they defert his fervice ; infidelity is the root of apof-tacy.

3. Men leave ofFpurfuing the heavenly kingdom ; it is from foine llecret lull nourifhed in the foul, perhaps a wanton or a covetous luft. Denias for love of the world forfook his religion, and afterwards turned priefl; in an idol-temple. One of Chrill's own apoftles was caught with a filver bait. Covetouf-nels will make men betray a good cauie, and make (hipwreckof a good conlcience : if there be any lull unmortilied in the Ibul, it will bring forth the bitter fruit either of fcandal or apollacy. 4. Men leave off purfuing the kingdom of heaven out of timor-oufiiefs ; if they perlill in religion, they may lofe their places of profit, perhaps their lives. The reafon (faith Ariftotle) why the camelion turns into lb many colours, is through excelTive fear. When carnal fear prevails, it makes men change their religion, as fall as the camelion doth its colours. Manv of the Jews who were great followers of Chrift, when they law the fwords and Haves, deferted him. What Solomon faith of the fluggard, is as true of the coward, he faith, * There is a lion in the way,' Prov. xxii. 13. He fees dangers before him ; he would go on in the way to the kingdom of heaven, but there is a lion in the way. This isdiAnal, Heb. x, 38. * If any man draw back (in the Greek, if he fteals as a foldier from his colours) my Ibul fhall have no pleafure in him.'

Uj'e III. Of trial. Let us examine whether we (hall go to this kingdom when we die : heaven is called ' a kingdom prepared,' Matth. XXV.

Qu. How /hall ice know this kingdom is prepared for us ?

Anf. If we are prepared for the kingdom.

Qu. How may that be known?

Anf. By being heavenly perfons : an earthly heart is no more fit for heaven, than a clod of dull is fit to be a flar : there is nothing of Chrift or grace in fuch an heart. It were a miracle to find a pearl in a gold mine; and it is as great a miracle to find Chrill the pearl of price in an earthly heart. Would we go to the kingdom of heaven ? Are we heavenly ?

1. Are we heavenly in our contemplations ? Do our thoughts run upon this kingdom ? Do we get fometimes upon mount Pifgah, and take i protpecl of glory ? Thoughts are as travellers: moll of David's thoughts travelled heaven's road, Pfalm cxxxix. 17. Are our nimds heavenlized ? Plalm xlviii. 12. • Walk about Zion, tell the towers thereof, mark ye well her bulwarks.' Do we walk into the heavenly mount, and iee what a gioriou^: fituation it is? Do we tell the towers of that kingdom? while a chrillian lixetlj iiis thoughts on God and glory, he doth as it were tread upon the borders of the heavenly kingdom, and peep within the vail : as Moles, who had a fight

of Canaan, though he did not enter into it; fo the heavenly chriftian hath a iight of heaven, though he be not yet entered into it.

2. Are we heavenly in our afFe6tions ? Do we fet our affections on the kingdom of heaven ? Col. iii. 2. If w^e are heavenly, we defpife all things below in comparifonof the kingdom of God ; we look upon the world but as a beautiful prifon, and we cannot be much in love with our fetters, though they are made of gold ; our heart is in heaven. A liranger may he in a foreign land, to gather up his debts owing him, but he defirea to be in his own kingdom and nation ; fo we are here a while as in a ftrange land, but our defire is chiefly after the kingdom of heaven, where we fhall be for ever. The world is the place of a faint's abode, not his delight : is it thus with us ? Do we, like the patriarchs of old, defire a better country, Heb. xi. 16, This is the temper of a true faint, his atfe(5ions are fet on the kingdom of God ; his anchor is call in heaven, and he is carried thither with the fails of defire.

3. Are we heavenly in our fpeeches? Chrifl after his refur-reclion did fpeak of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, A6ts i. 3. Are your tongues turned to the language of the heavenly Canaan ? Mai. iii. 16. * Then they that feared the Lord, fpake often one to another.* Do you in your vilits feafon your difcourfes with heaven ? There are many fay, they hope they fliall be faved, but you fhall never hear them fpeak of the kingdom of heaven; perhaps of their wares and drugs, or of Ibme rich purchafe they have got, but nothing of the kingdom. Can men travel together in a journey, and not fpeak a word of the place they are travelling to? Are you travellers for heaven, and never ipeak a word of the kingdom you are travelling to ? Herein many difcover they do not belong to heaven, for you (hall never hear a.good word come from them, verba J'unt fpecuia mentis, Bern. The words are the lookiqg-glafs of the mind, they fliew what the heart is.

4. Are we heavenly in our trading ? is our traffic and merchandize in heaven? do we trade in the heavenly kingdom by^ faith ? A man may live in one place and trade in another ; he may liv^ in Ireland and trade in the Weft-Indies : fo, do we trade in the heavenly kingdom ? They fliall never go to heaven when they die, who do not trade in heaven while they live. Do we (end up to heaven vollies of fighs and groans? do we fend forth the (hip of prayer thither, which fetcheth in returns of mercy ? is our communion with the Father and his Son Je-fus.? 1 John i. 3. Phil. iii. 20.

5. Are our lives heavenly ? do we live as if we had feen the Lord with bodily eyes? do we emulate and imitate the angels in fanclity ? do v.'e'labour to copy out Chrift's life in ours ^

1 John ii. 6. 'Twas a cuftom among the Macedonians, on Alexander's birth-day, to wear his pidure about their necks fet with pearl and diamond : do we carry Chrrft's pi6ture about us, and reiemble him in the heavenlinefs of our converfation ? If we are thus heavenly, then we (hall go to the kingdom of heaven when we die : and truly there is a great deal of reafon why we (hould be thus heavenly in our thoughts, affe^ions, converfation, if we confider,

(1.) The main end why God hath given us our fouls, is, that we may mind the kingdom of heaven : our fouls are of a noble extradlion, they are akin to the angels, a glafs of the Trinity, as Plato fpeaks. Now, is it rational to imagine, that God would have breathed into us fuch noble fouls only to look afLer fenfual obje6ts? were fuch bright ftars made only to (hoot into the earth? were thefe immortal fouls made only to feek after dying comforts ? Had this been only the end of our creation, to eat and drink, and converfe vi^ith earthly objeds, worle fouls would have i'erved us ; fenfitive fouls had been good enough for us : what need our fouls be rational and divine, to do only that work which a beaft may do ?

(2.) Great reafon we Ihould be heavenly in our thoughts, affections, converfation, if we confider what a blefled kingdom heaven is ; it is beyond ail hyperbole : earthly kingdoms do fcarce deferve the names of cottages compared with it. W« read of an angel coining down from heaven, who did tread with his right-foot upon the fea, and with his left-foot on the earth. Rev. X. 2. Had we but once been in the heavenly kingdom, and viewed the fuperlative glory of it, how might we, in an holy fcorn, trample with one foot on the earth, and with the other foot upon the fea? There are rivers of pleafure, gates of pearl, fparkling crowns, white robes; may not this make our hearts heavenly ; it is an heavenly kingdom, and only fuch go into it as are heavenly.

life IV. Of exhortation. To all in general.

1. Branch. If there be luch a glorious kingdom to come, believe this great truth. Socinians deny it. The Rabbins fay, the great difpute between Cain and Abel, was about the world to come ; Abel affirmed it, Cain denied it. Thisfhould be engraven upon our hearts as with the point of a diamond, there is a blefled kingdom in rcverfion, Pf. Iviii. 11. ' Doubt-lefs there is a reward for the righteous.' Let us not hefitater through unbelief; doubting of principles is the next way to de-Xiving them. Unbelief as Samfon, -would pull down the pillars of religion. Be confirmed in this, there is a kingdom of glory to come; whoever denies this, cuts afunder the main article of the creed, * life everlalling.'

2. Branch. If there be fuch a bieifed kingdom of glory to \oL. n. No. lo. T

come, let us take heed left we mifs of this kingdom ; let us feaf left we lofe heaven by fhort (hooting. Trembling, in the body a malady, in the foul a grace. This fear is not a fear of diffidence or diftruft, fuch a fear as dilcourageth the i'oul, for fuch a fear frights from religion, it cuts the fmews of endeavour ; but this holy fear, left we mifs of the kingdom of heaven, is a fear of diligence: it quickens us in the ufe of means, and puts us forward that we may not fail of our hope, Heb. xi. 7. Noah, being moved with fear, prepared an ark. Fear is a watch-bell to awaken ileepy Chriftians ; it guards againft fccurity ; it is a fpur to a fliiggilh heart : he who fears he fhall come fhort of his journey, rides the fafter. And indeed this exhortation to fear, left we mils of this kingdon), is moft necefl'ary, if we confider tw^o things ;

Firjt, There are many who have gone many fteps in the way to heaven, yet have fallen (hort of it, Mark xii. 54. ' Thou art not far from the kingdom of God;' yet he was not near enough.

Qu. How many fteps may a man take in the way to the kingdom of God, yel mifs ofitf

Anf 1. He may be adorned with civility, he may be morally righteous, he may be prudent, juft, temperate, he may be free from penal ftatutes; this is good, but not enough to bring a man to heaven.

2. He may hang out the flag of a glorious profeftion, yet fall fhort of the kingdom. The fcribes and pharifees went far; they fdt in Mofes* chair, were expounders of the law ; they prayed, gave alms, were ftrict In theoblervation of the fdbbath; if one had got a thorn into his foot, they would not pull it out on the fabhath-day, for fear of breaking the fabbath ; they were fo externally devout in God's worlhip, that the Jews thought, that if but two in all the world went to heaven, the one fhould be a fcribe and the other a Pharifee : but the mantle of their pro-felTion was not lined with fincerity : they did all for the applaufe of meii, therefore they millied of heaven, Matth. v. 20. * Except your righteoufnefs exceed the righteoulhefs of the fcribes and pharil'ees, ye fliall in no cafe enter into the kingdom of God.'

3. A man may be a frequenter of ordinances, and yet n>irs of the kingdom. It is a good fight to fee people flock as doves to tlie wiiulows of God's houfe ; it is good to lie in the way where Chrift paileth by : yet, be not oflended, if I fay, one may be an hearer of the word, and fall (hort of glory; Herod heard John Bapiilt gladly, yet beheaded John, inftead of beheading 'Oiis (in : the prophet Eztkiel's hearers did come with as much delight to Jiis preaching, as one would dotoafitof mufic, Ezek. XXX iii. 32. * Thou art to them as a lovely long of one that hatli

a pleafant voice, and can play well on an inftrument; they hear thy words, but they do them not.' What is it to hear one's duty, and not do it? As if a phyfician prelcribe a good receipt, but tile patient doth not take it.

4. A man may have Ibme trouble for fin, and weep for it, yet mils of the heavenly kingdom. Qu. Whence is this ?

Anf. 1. A finner's tears are forced by God's judgments ; as water which comes out of a ilill is forced by the fire. 2. Trouble for fin is tranfient, it is quickly over again. As fome that go to (ea are lea-fick, but when they come to land they are well again ; fo hypocrites may be fermon-fick, but this trouble doth not lad, the fick-fit is foon over. 3. A finner weeps, but goes on in fin ; his fins are not drowned in his tears. *, 5. A man may have good defires, yet mifs of the kingdom. Numb, xxiii. 10. ' O that I might die the death of the righteous!'

Qu. Wherein do thefe defires comePiort? Anf. I. They are fluggidi. A man would have heaven, but will take no pains. As if one Ihould fay, he defires water, but will not let down the bucket into the well, Prov. xxi. 25. * The defireof theflothful kills him, his hands refufo to labour.* 2. The finner defires mercy, but not grace ; he defires Chriil as a Saviour, but not as he is the Holy One; he defires Chrifl; only as a bridge to lead him over to heaven. Such defires as thefe may be found among the damned.

6. A man may forfake his fins, oaths, drunkennefi, unclean-nefs, yet come fliort of the kingdom. Qu. Whence is this ?

Anf. 1. He may forllike grofs fins, yet he hath no reluaancy againll heart-fins, pride, unbelief, and the firlt rifings of malice and concupifcence. Though he dams up the Itream, yet lie lets alone the fountain ; though he lop and prune the branches, yet lie doth not (trike at the root of it. 2. Though he leaves fin (for fear of hell, or becaufe it brings fhame and penury) yet he Hill loves fin, as if a fnake ihould ca(t her coat, yet keep her poifon, Hof. iv. 8. ' They let their heart on their iniquity.' S. It is but a partial forfaking of fin ; though he leaves one fin, he lives in fome other. Herod reformed very much, Mark vi. 10. * He did many things;' but he lived in inced. Some leave drunkt-nnefs, and live in covetoulhels ; they forbear fweai-ing, and live in llaudering. It is but a partial reformation, and fo they mifs of the kingdom of glyry. Thus you fee there are fome who have gone many f^eps in the way to heaven, yet have come (hort. Some have gone fo far in profefiion, that they have been confident their eilate hath been good, and they fliall go to^^e kingdom of heaven, yet havemiiled it, Luke xiii. 25.

T2

■ When once the mafter of the hoafe is rifen up, and hath (hut the door, and ye begin to (land without, and to knock, faying. Lord, Lord, open to us.' How confident were thefe of lalva-tion! they did not befeech, but knock, as if they did not doubt but to be let into heaven ; yet to thefe Chrift faith, * I know you not whence you are; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.* Therefore fear and tremble, left any of us mils of this kingdom of heaven.

Secondly, This fear is neceflary, if we confider what a lofs it is to lofe the heavenly kingdom. AH the tears in hell are not fufficient to lament the lois of heaven : they who lofe the heavenly kingdom, lofe God's fweet prefence, the ravifhing views and fmiles of God's glorious face. God's prefence is the diamond in the ring of glory, Pf, xvi. 12. ' In his prefence is fulnefs of joy.' If God be the fountain of all blifs, then, to be ieparated from him, is the fountain of all mifery. They who lofe the heavenly kingdom, lofe the fociety of angels ; and, what fvveeter mufic, than to hear them praife God in concert ? They lofe all their treafure, their white robes, their fparkling crowns ; they lofe their hopes, Jobviii. 14. * Whofe hope fhall be cut oiF.' Their hope is not an anchor, but a fpider's web. If hope deferred makes the heart Pick, Prov. xiii. 12. what then is hope difappointed ? They lofe the end of their being. Why were they created, but to be enthroned in glory ? Now, toloiie this, is to lofe the end of their being, as if an angel fhould be turned to a worm. There are many aggravations of the lofs of this heavenly kingdom.

1. The eyes of the wicked fhall be opened to fee their lofs ; now they care not for the lofs of God s favour, becaufe they know not the worth of it. A man that lofeth a rich diamond, and took it but for an ordinary ftone, is not much troubled at the lofs of it ; but when he comes to know what a jewel he loft, then he laments. He, whofe heart would never break at the fight of his fins, (hall now break at the fight of his lofs. Phine-has his daughter, when fhe heard the ark was loft, cried out, f The glory is departed,' 1 Sam. iv. 21. When the finner fees what he hath loft, he hath loft the beatifical vifion, he hath loft the kingdom of heaven ; now he will cry out in horror and de» fpair, *' The glory, the everlafting glory is departed."

2. A fecond aggravation of the loft of this kingdom will be, that finners (hall be upbraided by their own confcience : this is the * worm that never dies,' Mark. ix. 44. viz. afelf-accuf-jng inind. When finners (hall confider they were in a fair way to the kingdom ; they had apoifibility of ialvation, though the door of heaven was Itrait, yet it was open ; they had the means of grace; the jubilee of the gofpel was proclaimed in their ears ; God called, but they refufed ; Jefus Chrift offered

them a plaifier of his own blood to heal them, but they trampled it under foot : the Holy Spirit (lood at the door of their heart, knocking and crying to them to receive Chrill and heaven, but they repulfed the Spirit, and fent away this dove ; and HOW they have, through their own folly and wilfulnefs, loft the kingdom of heaven : this felf-accufing confcience will be terrible ; like a venomous worm gnawing at the heart.

3. A third aggravation of the lofs of heaven will be, to look upon others that have gained the kingdom ; the happi-nefs of the blelfed will be an eye-fore, Luke xiii. 28. * There (hall be weeping and gnaftiing of teeth, when ye (hall fee Abraham, Ifaac,,and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourfelves ihruil out.* When the wicked Ihail fee thofe whom they hated and fcorned, to be exalted to a kingdom, and Ihine with robes of glory, and they, ihemfelves mils of the kingdom, this will be a dagger at the heart, and make them gnalh their teeth for envy.

4. A fourth aggravation is, this lofs of the kingdom of heaven is accompanied with the punilhment of feole. He who leaps fliort of the bank, falls into the river ; fuch as come fhort of heaven, fall into the river of fire and brimftone. Pf. xc. 17. * The wicked (hall be turned into hell:' and how dreadful is that ! if, when but a fpark of God's anger lights into the confcience here, it is fo torturing, what will it be to have mountains of God's wrath thrown upon the foul ? Pf. xc. II. ' Who knoweth the power of thine anger ?* The angel never poured out his vial ; but fome wo followed, Rev. xvi. 3. When the bitter vials of God's wrath are poured out, damnation follows. Dives cries out, * O I am tormented in this flame,' Luke xvi, 24. In hell there is not a drop of mercy. There was no "oil nor frankincenfe ufed in the lacrifice of jealoufy, Num. v. 35. In hell no oil of mercy to lenify the futferings of the damned, nor incenfe of prayer to appeafe God's wrath.

5. A fifth aggravation of the lofs of this kingdom will be, to confider on what eafy and reafonable terms men might have had this kingdom. If indeed God had commanded impolfibiiities, to have fatisfied juftice in their own perfons, it had been another matter ; but what God did demand was reafonable, only to do that which was for their good, to accept of Chrift for their Lord and hufband, only to part with that which would damn them, if they kept their fins; thefe were the fair terms on which they might have enjoyed the heavenly kingdom : now, to lol'e heaven, which might have been had upon fuch eafy terms, will be a cutting aggravation ; it will rend a (inner's heart with rage and grief, to think how eafily he might have prevented the lofs of the heavenly kingdom.

a. It will be an aggravation of the lofs of heaven, for finners

to think how a6live they were in doing that which loft; thetn the kingdon' ; they were/e/o dej'e. What pains did they take ro lefid the Spirit, to llifle conlcience ? They (inned while they were out of breath, Jer. ix. 5. ' They weary themielves to commit iniquity.' What dilijcuities did men go through ? What did they endure for their lins ? how much fhame and pain ? how fick was the drunkard with his cups ? how ibre in the body was the adulterer? and what marksof fin did he carry about him ? what dangers did men adventure upon for their lull.-, ? They adventure God's wrath, and adventured the laws of the land. O how will this aggravate the lofs of heaven ! how v/ill this make men curfe themfelves, to think how much pains they were at to lofe happinefs? how will this fting men's con-fciences, to think, had they but taken as much pains/or heaven as they did for hell, they had not loft it.

7. Aggravation of the lofs of this kingdom, it will bean eternal irreparable lofs ; heaven, once lofl, can never be recovered. Worldly loires may be made up again : if a man lofe his health, he may have it repaired by phyfic ; if a man be driven out of his kingdom, he may be reftored to it again, asking Nebuchadnezzar was, Dan. iv. 36. * My honour is returned to me, and I >fvas eitabiiflied in my kingdom.' King Henry VI was de-poled from his throne, yet reftored again to it. But they who once lo(e heaven, can never be reftored to it again : after mil-. lions of years, they are as far from obtaining glory as at firffc. Thus you fee how needful this exhortation is, that we fhould fear left; we fall fhort of this kingdom of heaven. . Qu. What Piallwe do, that loe may not mifs of this kingdom ofg/ory ? '

Anf. 1. Take heed of thofe things which will make you mifs of heaven. 1. Take heed of fpiritual floth. Many Chriltians are fettled upon their lees, they are loth to put themielves to too much pains. It is faid of Iliael, * They defpifed the plea-fant land,'Pf. cvi. 24. Canaan was a paradife of delights, a type of heaven: ay, but fome of the Jews thought it would colt them a great deal of trouble and hazard in the getting, and they would rather go without it; * They defpifed the pleafant land.' I have read of certain Spaniards that live where there is great ftore of fifh, yet are fo lazy, that they will not be at the the pains to catch them but buy of their neighbours; fuch a linful ftolh is upon the moft, that though the kingdom of heaven be oflered to them, yet they will not put themielves to any labour for it. They have fome faint velleities and defires, O that I had this kingdom ! Like a man that Vvfiftiefh for venilbn, but will not hunt for it, Prov. xiii. 4. ' The foul of the ftuggard wilheth, and hath nothing.' Men could be content to have the kingdom of heaven, if it would drop as a ripe fig into their

mouth, but they are loth to fight foriti:. O take heed of fpiri-tual (loth ; God never made Iieaven to be a hive tor drones. We cannot have the world without labour, and do we think to have the kingdom of heaven ? Heathens will rife up in judgment againil many'Chriftians : what pains did they take in their Olympic races, when they ran but for a crown of olive or myrtle intermixed with gold ; and do we ftand ftill when we are running for a kingdom ? Prov. xix. 15. * Slothfulnefs cafleth into a deep deep.' Sloth is the fours fleep. Adam loft his rib when he was afleep. Many a man loleth the kingdom of heaven when he is in this deep fleep of floth.

2. Take heed of unbelief. Unbelief kept Ifrael out of Canaan, Heb. iii. 19. * So we fee they could not enter in becaufe of unbelief,* And it keeps many out of heaven. Unbelief is an enemy to falvation, it is a damning fin ; it whifpers thus, To what purpole is all this pains for the heavenly kingdom ? I hud as good fit Hill; I may come near to heaven, yet come fiiort of heaven, Jer. xviii. 19. * And they faid, there is no hope.* Unbelief deftroys hope ; and if you once cut this finew, a chril^ tian goes but lamely in religion, if he goes at all. Unbelief raifeth jealous thoughts of God, it reprefents him as a fevere judge ; this difcourageth many a foul, and takes it off from duty. Beware of unbelief; believe the promifes, James iii. 24. * God is good to the foul that feeks him ;' leek him earneftly and he will open both heart and heaven to you. Dens volentibus nou deeji. Do what you are able, and God will help you. While you fpread the fails of your endeavour, God's Spirit will blow upon thefe fails, and carry you fvviftly to the kingdom of^glory.

3. If you would not mil's of the heavenly kingdom, take heed of miftake, imagining the way to the kingdom of heaven to be eafier than it is ; it is but a figh, or. Lord have mercy. There is no going to heaven perfaltiun : one cannot leap out of Delilah's lap into Abrahams bofom. The finner is ' dead in trel-palfe?,' Eph. ii. 1. Is it eafy for a dead man to reftorehimfelf to liie ? is regeneration eafy ? are there no pangs in the new birth ? doth not the icripture call Chriilianity a warfare and a race ? and, do you fancy this ealy ? The way to the kingdom is not eafy, but the millake about the way is eafy.

4. If you would not mils of the heavenly kingdom, take heed of delays and procraftinations. Mora traliit pericidum. It is an ulual delufion, I will mind the kingdom of heaven, but not yet; when I have gotten an ellate and grown old, then I will look after heaven : and, on a fudden, death furprizeth men, and they fall fliort of heaven. Delay ftrengthens fin, hardens the heart, and gives the devil fuller poffefTion of a man. Take heed of adjourning and putting otf I'eeking the kingdom of heaven, till it be too late. Caefar, deferring to read a letter put into his

hand, was killed in the fenate houfe. Confider how fliort your life is ; it i? a taper foon blown out. Animantis conjufqiie vita infuga efi. The body is like a veffel tuned with breath, fick-nefs broacheth it, death draws it out. Delay not the bufinefs of falvation a day longer ; fometimes death ftrikes, and gives no warning.

5. If you would not come (hort of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of prejudice. Many take a prejudice at religion, and on this rock dafli their fouls. They are prejudiced at Chrift's perfon, his truths, his followers, his ways.

(I.) They are prejudiced at his perfon, Mat. xiii. 57. * And they were offended in him.' What is there in Chrift, that men fhould be offended at him ? He is the * pearl of price,' Matth. xiii. 46. Are men offended at pearls and diamonds ? Chrift is the wonder of beauty, Pfal. xlv. 2. * Fairer than the children of men.' Is there any thing in beauty to otfend ? Chrift is the mirror of mercy, Heb. ii. I7. Why fhould mercy offend any ? Chrift is a Redeemer; why (hould a captive (lave be offended at him who comes with a fum of money to ranfom him ? the prejudice men take at Chrift is from the inbred privity of their hearts. The eye that is fore cannot endure the light of the fun ; the fault is not in the fun, but in the fore eye. There ard two things in Chrift men are prejudiced at: 1. His meannefs. The Jews expeded a monarch for their Meffiah, but Chrift came not with outward pomp and fplendor : • his kingdom was not of this world.' The (tars which are feated in the lighteft orbs, are leaft feen : Chrift, who is the bright morning ftar, was not much feen ; his divinity was hid in the darklanthorn of his humanity ; all m ho (Ixw the man did not fee the Mefliah ; this the Jews Humbled at, the meannefs of his perfon. a. Men are prejudiced at Chrift's ftriclnefs ; they look upon Chrift as auftere, and his laws too fevere, Pf. ii. 3. ' Let us break their bands, and caft away their cords from us.* Though, to a faint, Chrift's laws are no more burdenfome than wings are to a bird ; yet, to the wicked, Chrift's laws are a yoke, and they love not to come under reftraint : hence it is they hate Chrift. Though they pretend to love him as a Saviour, yet they hate him as he is the holy One.

(2.) Men are prejudiced at the truths of Chrift. 1. Self-denial. A man muft deny his righteoufuefs, Phil. iii. 9. His duties and moralities : he will graft the hope of falvation upon the ftock of his own righteoufnefs. 2. He muft deny his un-tighteoufnefs. The fcripture feals no patents for fin : it teach-eth us to • deny all nngodlinefs and worldly lufts,' Tit. ii. 11. We muft divorce thofe (ins which bring in pleafures and profit. 3. Forgiving of injuries, Mark xi. 25. Thefe truths men are

prejudiced at; they can rather want forgivenefsfrom God, thanA they can forgive others. ^ ^v ^(3.) Men are prejudiced at the followers of Chrift. 1. Theiv paucity ; there are but few (in comparifon) that embrace Chrift: but why fliould this olfeiid ? Men are not otl'ended at pearls and precious ftones, becaufe they are but few. 2. Their poverty ; many that wear Chrift's Uvery are low in the world ; ■ but why (hould this give olfence ? Ift, Chrift hath better things I' than thefe to beftow upon his followers ; the holy anointing, the white ftone, the hidden manna, the crown of glory, ^dly. All Chrift's followers are not humbled with poverty : Abraham was rich with gold and filver, as well as rich in faith : though not many noble are callfed,. yet fome noble, Acts xvii. 12, * Honourable women which were Greeks believed,' Conftan-tine and Thodofius were godly emperors. So that this ftumb-ling-block is removed. 3. Their fcandals. Some of Chriil's followers, under a maflcof piety, commit fin ; this begets a prejudice againll religion ; but doth Chrift or his gofpei teach any ilich thing ? The rules he prefcribes are holy ; why (hould the mafter be thought the worfe of, becaufe fome of his fervants prove bad }

(4.) Men are prejudiced at the ways of Chrift ; they expofe them to fufterings, Mat. xvi. 24. * Let him take up his crofs and follow me.' Many ftumble at the crofs. There are, as TertuUian, delicatuUt filken Chriftians, who love their eafe ; They will follow Cbrift to mount Olivet, to fee him transfigiu-ed, but not to mount Golgotha, to fuffer with him. But, alas, what is afiSittion to the glory that follows I The weight of glory ijiakes affliction light. Adimant caput non coronnm. O take heed of prejudice ; this hath been a ftumbling-ftone in men's way to heaven, and hath made them fall (hort of the kingdom. . 6. If you would not mils of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of prefumption. Men prefume all is well, and take it as a principle not to be difpiited, that they (hallgo to heaven. The devil hath given them opium, to calt them into a deep lleep of llcurity. The prefumptuous finner is like the leviathan, ' made without fear ;' he hves as bad as the worll, yet hop>es he (hall be laved as well a^ the beft ; * he bleffeth himfelf and faith, he fliall have peace, though he goes on in fin,' Deut. xxix. 19. As if a man ihould drink poil'on, yet not fear but he fliould have his health. But whence doth this prelumptuous hope arife ? Surely fron. a conceit that God is made up all of mercy. U is true, God is uierciful, but with all he isjull too, Exod.: xxxiv. (>, 7. ,* Keeping mercy for thoufands, and that will by no means clear the guilty.* if a king proclaim, that only thofe ftiouid b?,pardoned, who came in and fubmitted ;-(hould any, ftill perfiiling in rebellion, claim the benefit of that V"oL. 11. No. ib, U

pardon, doft thou hope for mercy, who will not lay down thy weapons, but (land out in rebellion againft heaven ? none might touch the ark but the priefts; none may touch this ark of God's mercy, but holy, conlecrated perfons. Prefumption is heluo animarum, the great devourer of fouls. A thoufand have mil-fed of heaven by putting on the broad fpedacle^s of prefumption.

7. If you would not mifs of the heavenly kingdom, take heed of the delights and pleafures of the flefii : foft pleafures harden the heart, many people cannot eudure a ferious thought, but are for comedies and romances ; they play away their falvation. Hominescapiunturvohiptatef ut pifces homo, Cicero. Pleafur^ is the fugared bait men bite at, but there is an hook under. Job xxi. 12. ' They take the timbrel and harp ; and rejoice at the found of the organ.' And a parallelfcripture, Amos vi, 4. * That lie upon beds of ivory, that chant to the found of the viol, that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themfelves with the chief ointments.* The pleafures of the world do keep many from the pleafures of paradife. What a fhame is it, that the foul, that princely thing, which fways the fceptre of reafon, and is akin to angels, fhould be enflaved by finful pleafure \ Beard, in his theatre, fpeaks of one who had a room richly hung with fair pi6lures, he had mod delicious mufic, he had the ra-reft beauties. Re had all the candies, and curious preferves of the confe6lioner ; thus did he gratify hisfenfes with pleafure, and fwore he would live one week as a god, though he were fare to be damned in hell the next day. Diodorus Siculus ob-ferves, that the dogs of Sicily, while they are hunting among the fweet flowers, lofe the fcent of the hare ; fo many, while they are hunting after the fweet pleafures of the world, lofe the Icingdora of heaven. It is (faith Theophyla6l) one of the word fights, to fee a finner go laughing to hell.

8. If you would not fall fhort of the kingdom of heaven; take Jieed of worldly mindednefs : a covetous fpirit is a dunghill fpirit, it chokes good atfe6tions, as the earth puts out the fire. The world hindered the young man from following Chrift, abiit tri/iis,, he went away forrowful, Luke xviii. 23. which extorted thefe words from our Saviour, ver. 24. * How haVdly (hall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God ?' Diviiiae faeculifunt laquei diaboli, Bern. Riches are golden fnares. If a man were to climb up a fteep rock, and had weights tied to his legs, it would hinder him from hisafcent : too many golden weights will hinder him from climbing up that deep rock which leads to heaven, Exod. xiv. 3. * They are entangled in the land, ihe wildernefs hath fliut them in,' So it may be faid of many, they are entangled in earthly atiairs, the world hath fhut tk^m in ; the world is no friend to grace ; the more the child

fucks the weaker the nurfe is : and the more the world fucks and draws fVom us, the weaker our grace is, 1 John ii. 15. • Love not the world.' Had a man a monopol}' of all the wealth of the world : were he able to empty the weftern parts of gold, and the eaftern of Ipices ; could he heap up riches to the ftarry heaven, yet his heart would not be filled ; covetouf-nefs is a dry dropfy. Jofhua who could flop the courfe of the fun, could not ilop Achan in his covetous purfuit of the wedge of gold ; he whofe heart is locked up in his cheft, will be locked out of heaven. Some fliips that have efcaped the rocks, have been call away upon the fands ; many, who have efcaped grofs fins, have been caft upon the world's golden fands.

y. If you vyould not come fliort of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of indulging any fm ; one milftone will drown, as well as more ; and one fin lived in will damn, as well as more. Ubi regnal peccatum, non potejl regnare dei regnum, Hierom. If any one fin reign, it will keep you from reigning in the kingdom of heaven. Efpecially keep from fins of prefumption, vyhich waft;e confcience, Vaftare contientiami Tertul. And the fin of your natural conllitution ; the peccatum in delitiis, Aug. Thy darlnig fin, Pf. xviii. 23. ' I have kept myfelf from mine iniquity,' that fin which my heart would Iboneft decoy and flatter me into. As in the hive there is one mafi;er-bee, fo in the heart one mafter fin ; O take heed of this!

Qu. Hoiv may this Jin be known ?

Anf. (I.) That fin which a man cannot endure, the arrow of reproof Ihould flioot at, that is the bofom fin : Herod could not brook to have his incefl; meddled with, that was a noli me tan-gere ; men cannot be content to have other fins declaimed againfl;, but if a minider put his finger upon the fore, and touch-eih upon one fpecial fin, then igne mecant oculi, they are enraged, and fpit the venom of malice.

2. That fin which a man's heart runs out moft to, and he is moft eafily captivated by, that is the Dalilah in the bofom. Otie man is overcome with wantonnefs, another by worldlinefs. It is a fad thing a man (hould be fo bewitched by a beloved fm, that if it afk him to part with not only one half the kingdom, but the whole kingdom of heaven, he muii part with it to gratify that luft.

3. That fin which doth mofl; trouble a man and fly in his face in an hour of ficknefs and diftrefs, that is the fin he hath allowed himfelf in, and is his complexion fin ; when Jofeph's brethren were dillrelied, their fin in felling their brother came into their remembrance. Gen. xlii. 21. • We were verily guilty concerning our brother,' &c. So when a man is upon his fick-bed, and confcience (hall fay, thou hail been guilty of Xuch a fin, the fin of flandering or uncleaanefs, confcieac* read*

U2

a man a fad le6lure ; it affrights him moll for one fin, that is the complexion lin.

4. That (in which a man is lotheft to part with ; that is the endeared fin : Jacob could of all his fons moll hardly part with Benjamin, Gen. xlii. 35. * Will ye take Benjamin away?' So faith the linner, this and that fin I have left, but mufi: Benjamin go too? muft I part with this delightful fin ? That goes to the heart. As it is with a caftle that hath feveral forts about it; the firft and fecond forts are yielded ; but when it comes to the main caftle, the governor will rather fight and die than yield that; fo a man hiay fuller fome of his fins to be demolifhed ; but when it comes to one, that is like the taking of the calUe, he will never yield to part with that; furely that is the mafter-fin. Take heed efpecially of this fin ; the firength of fin lies in the beloved fin : that is like an humour linking to the heart, which brinps death. I have read of a monarch, that being purfued by the enemy, he thew away the crown of gold on his head, that he m.ight run the falter ; lb that fin, which thou didlt wear as a crown of gold, throw it away, that thou mayell run the faller to the kingdom of heaven : O, if you would not lole glory, mortify the beloved fin; let it, as Uriah, in the forefront of the battle to be fiain : by plucking out this right-eye you Ihall fee the better to go to heaven.

10. If you would not fall fliort of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of inordinate paflion ; many a Ihip hath been loft in a ftorm, and many a foul hath been loll in a Itorm of unruly pafiions. Every member of the body is infected with fin, as every branch of wormwood is bitter ; but, * the tongue is full of deadly poifon,' James iii. 8. Some care not what they fay in their palfion ; they will cenfure, fiander, wifh evil to others : how can Chrill be in the heart, when the devil hath taken pof-lefiion of the tongue ? Pallion difiurbs reafon, it is hrevis infarn'a, a Ihort frenzy. Jonah in a palfion flies out againll God, Jon. iv. 9. * I do well to be angry to the death.' What, to be angry with God, and to jullify it? 'I do well to be angry ;* the man wa.s not well in his wits, pallion unfits for prayer, 1 Tim. ii. 8. * I will, therefore, that men pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath.' He that prays in wrath, may lift up his hands in prayer, but he doth not lift up holy hands. Water, when it is'hot, foon boils over; fo, when the heart is heated with anger, it loon boils over in fiery paUionate fpeeches. Some cuiie others in their pallion : they whole tongues are let on fire, let them take heed that they do not one day in hell di fire B drop of water to cool their tongue. O, if you would not mils of the heavenly kingdom, beware of giving way to your unbirdled pafiions. Some lay, words are but wind ; but they are fuch a wind as may blow them to hell.

11. If you would not fall fliort of the heavenly kingdom, beware of too much indulging the fenfual appetite, Rom. xiii. 14. * Make no provifion for the flefli.' The Greek word, pro-noian poiein, to make provifion, fignifies to be caterers for the fleOi, Phil. iii. 1.9. ' Whole god is their belly.' The throat is a flippery place ; Judas received the devil in the fop ; and often the devil Aides down in the liquor: excefs in meat and drink clouds the mind, chokes good aft'e6lions, provokes lull; many a man digs his own grave with his teeth: the heathens could fay, magnus fum ^ ad mojora natus quam ut Jim corporis met mancipium, Sen. He was higher born than to be a flave to his body. To pajuper the body, and negle6l the foul, is to feed the flave, and to (tarve the wife. Take fuch a proportion of food as may recruit nature, not furfeit it: excefs in things lawful hath loft many the kingdom of heaven. A bee may fuck a little honey from the leaf, but put it in a barrel of honey, and it is drowned ; to fuck temperately from the creature, God allows; but excefs ingulphs men in perdition.

l^. If you would not fall fhort of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of injuftice in your dealings; defrauding lies in two things, Jirjl, Mixing commodities: as if one mix bad wheat with good, and fell it for pure wheat, this is to defraud, Ifa. i. 22. ' Thy wine is mixed with water.' Second, Giving fcant meafure, Amos v. 8. * Making the ephah fmall.' Ephah was a meafure which the Jews ufed in felling; they made the ephah fmall, they fcarce gave meafure. I with this be not the fin of many, Hof. xii. 7. * He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand.' Can they be holy, which are not juft ? Micah vi. 11. • Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances?* Is his heart fincere, who hath falfe weights? This hath mada many they could not reach heaven, becaufe of their over-reach-

13. If you would not mifs of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of evil company : there is anecefl'ary commerce with men in buying and felling, elfe, as the apoftle faith, * We muft go out of the world,' 1 Cor. v. 10. but do not voluntarily choofe the company of the wicked, 1 Cor. v. 11. * I have written to you not to keep company.' Do not incorporate into the fociety of the wicked, or be too much familiar with them : the wicked are God haters; and 2 Chron. xix. 2. * Shoaldlt thou join with them that hate the Lord ?* A Chriftian is bound by virtue of his oath of allegiance to God in baptifm, not to have intimate converfe with fuch as are God's fworn enemies ; it is a thing of bad report: what doth Chrift's dove among birds of prey? What do virgins among harlots. The company of the wicked is very defiling, it is like going among them that have the plague, Prov. vi. S7. * He that toucheth pitch, Ihali be defiled,' Pfal.

cvi. 35.. * They were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.' If you mingle bright armour with rufty, th« bright armour will not brighten the rufty, but the rufty armour •will Cpoil the bright. Such as have had religious education, and have fome inclinations to good, yet by mixing among the wicked, they will be apt to receive hurt ; the bad will Iboner corrupt the good, than the good will convert the bad. Pharaoh learned Jofeph to fvvear, but Jolephdid not learn Pharaoh to pray. 7"here is a ftrange attra6tive power in ill company to corrupt and poilbn the bell difpofitions ; they damp good atFe6lions. Throw a fire ball into the fnow, and it is foon quenched. Among the wicked you lofe your heat of zealous aftections : by holding familiar correfpondence with the wicked, one (hall hear them diffuading him from ftridl godlinefs, that it will debar him of his liberty and pleafure. Acts xxviii. 2. • This fed is every where fpoken againft.' Hereupon he, who before did look towards heaven, begins to be difcouraged, and gradually declines from goodnefs.

(I.) There fteals upon him a diflike of his former religious courle of life ; that he was righteous over-much, ftri6ler than needed.

(2.) There is inftilled into his heart a fecret delight of evil: be begins to like foolifti fcuriilous difcourfe : he can hear religion Ipoken againft, and be filent, nay, well pleafed ; he loves vanity, and makes fportof (in.

(3.) He is by degrees fo metamorphofed, and made like the company he converted with, that he now grows into a difguft, and hatred of his former fober ways ; he is ill-aft'e6ted towards good men, he is transformed into fcofting Ifhmael, a breathing devil; and becomes at laft as much the child of hell, as any of that gracelefs damned crew he converfed with : and what is the end of all ? A blot in the name, a moth in the eftate, a worm in the conlcience. O, if you would not mifs of the Idngdom of heaven, beware of evil company. Bad company is the bane and poifon of the youth of this age : fuch as were once foberly inclined, yet by coming among the profane, they grow familiar, till at laft they keep one another company in hell.

14. If you would not mils of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of partying with the fleftily part; the flefti is a bolbm traitor. When an enemy is gotten within the walls of a callle, it is in great danger to be taken. The tlelh is an enemy within: the flefti is a bad counfellor: the flefti faith. There is a lion ia the way ; it difcourageth from a religious ftridnefs, the flefti faith, as Peter did to Chrift, ' fpare thyfelf;' the flelh laith, as Judas, * what needs all this wafte?' What needs this praying? Why do you waile your ftrenglh and fpirits in religion ? What

needs all this wafte ? The flefh cries out for eafe and pleafure. How many, by confulting with the tleih, have iolt the kingdont ef heaven !

15. If you would not fall (hort of heaven, take heed of carnal relations: our carnal friends are often bars and blocks in our way to heaven : they will fay religion is preciCenefs and fingu-larity. A wife in the bofbm may be a tempter ; Job's wife was fo. Job ii. p. * Doll thou ftill retain thy integrity ? Curfe God, and die.* What, Hill pray? What doil thou get byferving God } Job, where are thy earnings? Whatcaufl thou Hiew thou hall had in God's fervice, hut boils and ulcers ? And dofl; thou ftill retain thy integrity ? Throw oflGod's livery, renounce religion. Here was a tentation handed over to him by his wife: the woman was made of the rib, the devil turned this rib into an arrow, and would have (hot Job to the heart, but his faith <5uenched this fiery dart. Bewaie of carnal relations: we read that fbme of Chrill's kindred laid hold on him, and would have hindered him when he was going to preach, Mark iii. 91. * They faid, he is befide himfelf.' Our kindred fometinies would ftand in our way to heaven, and, judging all zeal, rafhnels, would hinder us from being faved : fuch carnal relations Spira had ; for, advifing with them whether he (hould remain conllant in his orthodox opinion, they perfuaded him to recant: and fo, abjuring his fontier faith, he fell into horror and defpoudency of mind. Galeacius, marquis of Vico, found his carnal relations a great block in his way ; and what ado had he to break through their tentations? Take heed of a fnare in your bolbm. It is a brave faying oi' Jerom, Ji mater mi/ii libera ojiendat, &c. ♦* If my parent Ihould perfuade me to deny Chrift, if my mother fhould Ihew me her breail, that gave me fuck, if my wife fhould go to charm me with her embraces, I would forfake all, and fly.to Chrift."

16. If you would not fall (hort of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of falling off: beware of apoftacy ; he miifeth of the prize, who doth not hold out in the race ; he who makes Ihip-wreck of faith, cannot come to the haven of glory. We hve ir» the fall of the leaf: men fall from that goodnelis they feemed to have ; fome are turned to error, others to vice ; fome to drinking and dicing, and others to whoring, the very mantle of their profedion is fallen off. It is dreadful for men to fall off frorn hopeful beginnings. The apoilate, (faith 'J'erttiilian) feems to put God and Satan in the balance, and, havmg weighed both their fervices, prefers the devil's f«rvice, and proclaims him to be the befl mafter; in which refped, the apoflate is faid to put Chrifl to open fhame, Heb. vi. 6. This is fad at laft, Heb. X. 38. If you would not mils of the glory, take heed of apo^

tacy ; thofe who fall away, muft needs fall (hort of the kingdom.

1. If we would not come fhort of this heavenly kingdom, let us be much in the exercife of felf-deniaj, Matth. xvi. 24. • If any man will come after me, let him deny himfelf.' He who would go to heaven muft deny feif-righteoufnefs. Coven-dum eji a propria jujlitia : Phil. iii. 9. * That I may be found in him, not having my own righteoufnefs.' The fpider weaves a web out of her own bowels ; an hypocrite would fpin a web of falvation out of his own righteoufnefs, we muft deny our civility in point of juftitication. Civility is a good ftaft" to walk with among men, but it is a bad ladder to climb up to heaven. We muft deny our holy things in point of jullificatiou. Alas, how are our duties chequered with fin ! put gold in the fire, and there comes out drofs; our moft golden fervices are mixed with unbelief. Deny felf-righteoufnefs ; ufe duty, but truft to Chrift. Noah's dove made ufe of her wings to fly, but trufted to the ark for fafety : let duties have your diligence, but not your confidence. Self-denial \s via ad regnum; there is no getting into heaven, but through this ftrait gate to felf-denial.

2. The fecond means for the obtaining of the kingdom, is ferious confideration ; moft men fall ftiort of heaven for want of confideration.

1. Conjideralion. We fhould often confider what a kingdom heaven is : it is called regnum pwratum, a kingdom prepared, Matth. XXV. 34. which implies fomething that is rare and excellent. God hath prepared in his kingdom, * fuch things as eye hath not feen nor ear heard,' 1 Cor. ii. 9. Heaven is beyond all hyperbole. In particular, in this celeftial kingdom are two things. (1.) A ftately palace, (l.) A royal feaft.

(I.) A ftately palace. (1.) It is large, and hath feveral flories : for the dimenfions of it, it is twelve thoufand furlongs. Rev. xxi. 15. Or, as it is in fome Greek copies, twelve times twelve thoul'and furlongs: a finite number put for an infinite ; no arithmetician can number thefe furlongs : though there he an innumerable company of faints and angels in heave?), yet iIk re is infinitely enough of room to receive them. (2.) The palace of this kingdom is lucid and tranfparent; it is adorned with light, the light is fweet. Hell is a dark dungeon, but the palace above is befpangled with light. Col. i. 12. Such illuilrious beams of glory fhine from God, as Ihed a brightneis and fplon-dor upon the empyrean heaven. (3.) This palace of the kingdom is well fituated for a good air and a pleafant prol'pedt: there is the bell air, which is perfumed with the odours of Chrift's ointments; and a moft pleafant profpedt of the bright morning-ftar. (4.) The palace is rich ;i\;dfumptuous ; it liath gates of pearl. Rev. xxi. 21. It is enriched with white robos

and crowns of glory ; and thit palace never falls to decay, and the dwellers in'it never die. Rev. xxii. 5. * They fliall reign for ever and ever.*

(•-i.) A royal feaft. It is called * the marriage-fupper of the Lamb,' Rev. xix. 9. Which Builingerand Gregory the great, underlland of the magnificent fupper prepared in the kingdom of heaven. A glorious feaft it will be, in refpect of the founder God ; the glorified faints (hall feaft their eyes with God's beauty, and their hearts with his love ; a delicious feaft it will be, in re-fpe6l of the feftivity and holy mirth ; what joy when there ftiall be the anthems and triumphs of glorified fpirits? When faints and angels (hall twift together in an infeparable union of love, and lie in each others Aveet embraces : a royal banquet it ftiall be, where there is no furfeit, becaufe continually a I'refti courfe is lerved in. The ferious confideration what a kingdom heaven is, would be a means to quicken our endeavours in the pur-fuit after it. What caufeth men to make voyages to the Indies, but the confideration of the gold and fpices which are to be had there ? Did we ftjrvey and contemplate the glory of heaven, we would foon take a voyage, and never leave till we had arrived at the celeftial kingdom.

9. Confideration. How it will trouble you, if you fliould perilh, to think you came fliort of heaven for want of a little more pains. The prophet Eliflia bid the king of Ifrael fmite the ground fix times, and he fmote but thrice, and ftayed, 2 Kings xiii. 19. And he loft many vi6tories by it; fo, when a man ftiall think thus, I did ft)mething in religion, but did not do enough ; I prayed, but it was coldly ; I did not put coals to the incenl'e ; I heard the word, but did not meditate on it, I did not chew the cud ; I fmote but thrice, and I ftiould have fmitten fix times ; had I taken a little more pains, I had been happy, but I have loft the kingdom of heaven by Ihort-flioot-ing : the confideration how terrible the thoughts of this will be, that we ftiould lofe heaven for want of a little more pains, will be a means to fpur on our lluggifti hearts, and make us more diligent to get the kingdom.

3. The third means for obtaining this kingdom, is to keep up daily prayer, Pf. cix. 4. * I give myfelf to prayer,' Prayer inflames the affe6tions, and oils the wheels of endeavour : prayer prevails with God, it unlocks his bowels, and then he unlocks heaven ; all that have got to heaven, have crept thither upon their knees : the faints now in heaven, have been men of prayer: Daniel prayed three times a day, Jacob wreftled with God in prayer, and as a prince prevailed : this prayer muft be fervent, elfe it is thuribulumjine prunis, as Luther, a golden Cenfer without fire. O follow God with prayers and tears; fay as Jacob to the angel. Gen. xxxii. '2(i, • 1 will not let thea

Vol. U. No. 10". X

go, except thou blefs me.' Prayer vincit invincibilem, Luther ; it conquers the Omnipotent. Elijah by prayer, opened heaven ; by ardent and conltant prayer, heaven is at lall opened to us.

4. If you would obtain the heavenly kingdom, get a love to heaven. Love puts a iDan upon the ufe ot" all means to enjoy the thing loved. He that loves the world, how a6tive is he .? He will break his fleep and peace for it; he that love.s honour, what hazards will he run } He will fwirn to the throne in blood. Jacob loved Rachel, and what would not he do, though it were I'erving a two feven-years apprenticefhip for obtaining her ? Love carries a man out violently to the obje6t loved. Love is like wings to the bird, like fails to the fiiip, it carries a Chrifliau full-fail to heaven ; heaven is a place of reft and joy, it is para-dife, and will you not love \t? Love heaven, and you cannot mifs it: love breaks through all oppofition, it takes heaven by ftorm : love, though it labour, is never weary; it is like the rod of myrtle in the traveller's hand, which makes him frelh and lively in his travel, and keeps him from being weary.

5. Ifyou would obtain the kingdom of heaven, make religion your bufinel's. What a man looks upon as a parergon, a thing by the bye, he doth not much mind. If ever we would have heaven, we muft look upon it as our main concern, other things do but concern our hvelihood, this concerns our faivation ; then we make religion ourbulinefs, when we wholly devote ourfelves to God's fervice, Pf. cxxxix. 18. We count thole the belt hours which are fpent with God ; we give God the cream of our affedions, the flower of our time and ftrength ; we traffic ia heaven every day, we are merchants for the * pearl of price.* He will not get an eftate, who doth not mind his trade ; he will never get heaven, who doth not make rehgion his main bufinefs.

6. Ifyou would obtain the kingdom of heaven, bind your hearts to God by facred vows. Vow to the Lord, (that by his grace) you will be more intent upon heaven than ever. Pi'. Ivi. 12. * Thy vows are upon me, O God.' A vow binds the votary to duty ; he looks upon himfelf as obliged by his vow to cleave to God. Bees when they fly in a great wind, ballaft themfelves with little ftones, that they may not be carried away with the wind ; fo we muft fortify ourfelves with ftrong vows, that we may not be carried away from God with the violent wind of temptation. No queftion, a Chriftian may make I'uch a vow, becaufe the ground of it is morally good : he vows nothing but what he is bound to do by virtue of his baptifmal vow, namely to walk with God more clofely, and to purfue heaven more vigorouily.

7. Ifyou would obtain the kingdom, embrace all feafonsand opportunities for your fouls, Eph. v. 5. * Redeeming the time.*

Opportunity is the cream of time ; the improving thefeafons of grace is as much as our falvation is worth. The mariner, by taking the prefent feafon, while the wind blows, gets to the haven ; by taking (he leafon, while we have the means of grace, and the wind of the Spirit blows, we may arrive at the kingdom of heaven. We know not how long we (hall enjoy the gofpel; the feufons of grace, like Noah's dove, come with an olive branch in their mouth, but they foon take wings and fly. 1'hough they are Iweet, yet fwift. God may remove the golden candlertick from us, as he did from the churches of Afia. We have many fad lymptoms, ' Grey hairs are here and there upon us,' Hof. vii. y. Therefore let us lay hold upon the pre-lent feafons ; they that fleep in feed time, will beg in harveft. 8. If you would go to the kingdom of heaven, you mull excuhias agere, keep a daily watch, Mark xiii. 37. ' 1 fay unto all, watch.' Many have loft heaven for want of watchfulnefs. Our hearts are ready to decoy us into fin, and the devil lies in ambulh by his temptations ; we mult everyday fet a fpy ; and keep centinel in our fouls, Hab. ii. 1. ' 1 will ftand upon my watch.*

(1.) We mull watch our eyes, Jobxxxi. 1. *I made a covenant with my eyes.' Much fin comes in by the eye : When Eve faw the tree was good for food, and pleafant to the eyes, * then flie took,* Gen, iii. Q. Firll flie looked, and then fhe lulled : the eye by beholding an impure objedl, fets the heart on fire : the devil oft creeps in at the window of the eye. Watch your eyes.

(2.) Watch your ear. Much poifon is conveyed through the ear. Let your ear be open to God, and fijut to fin.

(3.) Watch your hearts ; we watch fufpicious perfons, * The heart is deceitful,' Jer. xvii. 9. Watch your heart: 1. When you are about holy things, it will be Healing out to vanity. When I am at prayer, faith St. Hierom, aut per porticwn deam-bulo, ant de foenore compiito : either 1 am walking through galleries, or cafting up accounts. 2. Watch your hearts when you are in company. The Bafilifk poifons the herbs he breathes on ; the breath of the wicked is infectious. Nay, watch your hearts when you are in good company : fuch as have fome good in them, yet may be Ibme grains too light ; they may have much levity of difcourfe ; and, if no fcum boils up, yet too much froth. The devil is fubtile, and he can as well creep into the dove, as he did once into the ferpent. Satan tempted Chrifi: by an apoltle. 3. Watch your hearts in profperity ; now you are in danger of pride. The higher the water of the Thames riieth, the higher the boat is lifted up ; the higher that men's eftates rife, the higher their hearts are lifted up in pride. In profperity, you are iii danger not only to forget God, but to

X 2

lift up the heel againft him, Deut. xxxii. i5. * Jeduirun waxed fat, and kicked.' It is hard to carry a full cup without fpillincr, and to carry a full profperous eftate without finning. Turpi fregerunt fecnla liixu divitiae molles. Sen. Trag. Samfon fell afleep in Dalilah's lap, many have fallen fo faft afleep in the lap of profperity, that they have never awaked till they have been in hell. 4. Watch your hearts after holy duties. When Chrift had been praying and fading, then the devil tempted him, Mat. iv. 23. After our combating with Salan in prayer, we are apt to grow fecure, and put our ipiritual armour oft', and then the devil falls on and wounds us. O if you would get heaven, be always upon your watch-tower, let a fpy, keep clofe centinel in your louls ; who would not watch when it is for a kingdom ?

9. If you would arrive at the heavenly kingdom get thefe three graces, which will undoubtedly bring you thither.

(1.) Divine knowledge : there is no going to heaven blindfold. In the creation, light was the firft thing that was made ; fo it is in the new creation : knowledge is the pillar of fire that goes before us, and lights us into the heavenly kingdom. It is light mufl bring us to the * Inheritance in light,' Col. i. 12.

(2.) Faith: faith ends in falvation, 1 Pet. i. 9. * Receiving the end of your faith, falvation.' He who believes, is as fure to go to heaven as if he were in heaven already, A6ts xvi. 31. Faith toucheth Chrift ; and can he mifs of heaven, who touch-eth Chrift.!^ Faith unites to Chrift ? and, ftiallnot the members be where the head is } All have not the fame degree of faith ; we mull diftinguifti between the dire6t a6l of faith, and the reflex a6l, aftlance and affurance ; yet the leaft feed and fpark of faith gives an undoubted title to the heavenly kingdom. I am juftified becaufe I believe, not becaufe I know I believe,

(3.) Love to God : heaven is prepared for thofe that love God, 1 Cor. ii. 9. Love is the f ul of obedience, the touch-ftone of fincerity, by our loving God, we may know he loves us, 1 John iv. 1{). And thofe whom God loves, he will lay in his hol'otn. Ambrofe, in his funeral-oration for Theodofius, brings in the angels hovering about his departing foul, and being ready to carry it to heaven, alked him, '• what that grace was he had rnoft pra6\ired ispon earth ?" Theodofius replied, DUex?, Dilexi^ ** I have loved, I have loved ;" and ftraitway he was, by a convoy of angels, tranflated to glory. Love is a facred fire kindled in the breail; in the flames of this fire, the devout foul aicends to heaven.

10. If we would obtain this heavenly kingdom, let us labour for fnicerity, Prov. xxviii. IS. * Wholbever vvaiketh uprightly, ftiall be laved.* 'J'he fincere Chriftian may fall (hort of fome degrees of grace, but he never falls fliort of the kingdom : God will pafs by many failings, where the heart is right. Num. xxiii.

IN THE LORD*S PRAYER. l^g

f I. True gold, though it be light, hath grains of allowance, PI'. 11. 6. * Thou defiretl truth in the inward parts.* Sincerity is the fauce which feafons all our a6lions, and makes them fa-voury ; it is the ingredient into every grace ; it is called * faitU unfeigned,' 2 Tim. i. 6. and * love in fincerity,* Eph. v. 24. Coin will not go current that wants the king's ftamp ; grace is not current, if it be not (lamped with fincerity. Glorious duties (bured with hypocrify are reje6led, when great infirmities fweet-ened with fincerity are accepted. If any thing in the world bring us to heaven, it is fincerity. Sincerity fignifies plainnel's of heart, Pf. xxxii. 2. * In whole fpirit there is no guile.* The plainer the diamond is, the richer.

(1.) Sincerity is when we ferve God with our heart; we do not only worfiiip him, but love him. Cain brought his facri-fice, but not his heart: this is God's delight, a facrifice flaming upon the altar of the heart. A fincere Cbrifl:ian, though he hath a double principle in him, flefli aad fpirit, yet he hatli not a double heart, his heart is for God,

(2.) Sincerity is when we aim purely at God in all we do. The glory of God is more worth than the falvation of all men's fouls. A fincere Chriflian, though he comes fliort in duty, yet he takes a right aim. As the herb Heliotropium turns about according to the motion of the fun ; fo a godly man's adlions do all move towards the glory of God.

11. If we would obtain the heavenly kingdom, let us keep vp fervency in duty. What is a dead form without the power ? Rev. ill. 16. * Becaufe thou art luke-warm, neither hot nor cold, I will fpue thee out of my mouth.* Fervency puts life kito duty, Rom. xii. 11. * Fervent in fpirit, ferving God.* Gr. Zenotes, ' boiling over.* Chrift prayed * yet more ear-neftly,' Luke xxii.' 44. When the fire on the golden cenfer was ready to go out, Aaron was to put more coals to the in-cenCe, praying with devotion, is putting more coals to the in-cenl'e. It is not formality, but fervency, will bring us to heaven ; the formalin is like Ephraim, a cake not turned, hot on one fide, and dough on the other. In the external part of God's worfhip, he feems to be hot; but as for the fpiritual part of God's worftiip, he is cold. Oh, if you would have the kingdom of heaven, keep up heat and fervour in duty, Elijah was carried up to heaven in a fiery chariot : if you would go to heaven, you mud be carried thither in the fiery chariot of zeal ; it is violence that takes the kingdom of heaven.

12. If we would arrive at the heavenly kingdom, let us che-rifli the motions of God's Spirit in our hearts. The mariner may Ipread his fiiils, but the ftiip cannot get to the haven without a gale of wind ; lb we may fpread the liiils of our endeavour, but we cannot get to the haven of glory, without the

WQ OF THE SECOND PETITION

north and fouth wind of God's Spirit blow : how nearly therefore doth it concern us to make much of the motions of God's Spirit, motions to prayer, motions to repentance ? 2Sam. v. 24. * When thou heareft the found of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou fhalt beftir thyfelf, for then fhall the Lord go out before thee ;' So, when we hear, as it were a voice within us, a fecret infpiration ftirring us up to good duties, we fhould then beftir ourlelves ; while the Spirit works in us, we Ihould work with the Spirit. Many men have God's Spirit ftriving with them, he puts good motions in their hearts and holy purpofes ; but they, neglecting to profecute thefe good motions, the Spirit is thereby grieved ; and, being grieved, withdraws its affiftance ; and, that afliflance being gone, there is no getting to heaven. O make much of the motions of the Spirit, it is as much as your falvalion is worth. The Spirit of God is compared to fire, A6ls ii. Q. if we are careful to blow this fpark, we may have fire to inflame our atre6i;ions, and to light our feet into the way of peace. If we quench the Spirit by our negle6ling and refiiling its motions, we cut ourfelves off from falvation. The Spirit of God hath a drawing power. Cant. i. 4. The blefied Spirit draws by attradion, as the loadftone the iron. In the preaching.of the word, the Spirit draws the heart up to heaven iti holy longings and ejaculations. Now when the Spirit is about thus to draw us, let us take heed of drawing back, left it be to perdition, Heb. x. We fhould do as Noah, when the dove came flying to the ark ; he put forth his hand, and took it into the ark ; fo when this fweet dove of God's Spirit comes flying to our hearts, and brings a gracious impulfe as an olive-branch of peace in its mouth, O take this dove into the ark, entertain the Spirit in your hearts, and it will bring you to heaven.

Qu. But how Jhall we know the motions of the Spirit from a debt/ion ?

Anf. The motions of the Spirit are always agreeable to the word. If the word be for hnlinefs, i^o is the Spirit; the Spirit perfuades to nothing, but what the word directs : which way the tide of the word runs, that way the wind of the Spirit blows.

13. We obtain the kingdom of heaven by uniform and cheerful obedience ; obedience is the road through which we travail to heaven. Many fay they love God, but refufe to obey him ; doth he love the prince's perfon who flights his commands ?

(1.) Obedience muft be uniform, Pf. cxix. 6. * Then fliall I not be afliamed,' [Heb.] " I fliall not blufli whffn I have re-fpedl to all thy commandments." As the fun goes through all the figns of the Zodiac, fo muft we go through all the duties of religion : if a man be to go an hundred miles, and he goes ninety-nine miles, and there ftops, he comes fliort of the place

he is to travel to ; if, with Herod, we do many things that God commands, yet, if we lie in the total negle6l of any duty, we come ihort of the kingdom of heaven; for inllance, if a man feem to make confcience of duties of the firfl table, and uot the duties of the lecond ; if he feem to be religious, but is notjult, he is a tranfgreflbr, and is in danger to lofe heaven ; a good heart is like the needle which points that way which the loadftone draws, fo he moves that way which the word draws. (2.) Obedience mull be cheerful : ' I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart.' Pf. xl. 8. That is the fweetelt obedience which is cheerful, as that is the fweetefl honey which drops from the comb freely. God doth Sometimes accept of willingnefs without the work, but never of the work without willingneft, Zech. v. 9. * I'liere came out two women, and the wind was in their wings.* Wings are fwift, but wind in the wings denotes great fwiftnefs : an emblem of the Iwiftneis and chearfulnefs which lliould be in obedience. We go to heaven in the way of obedience.

14. If we would obtain this kingdom, be much in the communion of faints ; one coal of juniper will warm and inflame another ; when the heart is dead and frozen, the cotpmunioti of faints will help to warm it, Mai. iii. Ki. ' They that feared the Lord fpake often one to another.' Chrifiians fhould never meet (faith Mr. Bolton) but fpeak of their meeting together in heaven. One Chriftian may be very helpiul by prayer and conference to another, and give him a lilt toward heaven. Old Latimer was much llrengthened and comforted by hearing Mr. Bilny's confellion of faith. We read that when Mofes* hands were heavy, and he was ready to let them fall, Aaron and Hur llayed up his hands, ExoH. xvii. 12. A Chrillian who is ready to faint under tentaiion, and lets down the hands of his faith, by converfmg with other Chiillians, he.is ftrengthened, and his hands are held up. A great benefit of holy conference is counlel and advice ; if'a man {(ailh Chrylbftom) who hath but one head to ad vile liim, could make that head a hundred heads to advife him, he would be very wife ; a (ingle Chriftian hath this benefit by the communion of faints, they are as fo many heads to advife him what to do in inch a cafe or exigency ; by Chrillian conference the laiiits can fay, ' Did not our hearts burn witiiin us .?' Communion of faints we have in our creed, but it is too little in our pra6tice ; men uiually travel fafteil in company ; we travel fafteil to heaven in the communion of Ikints.

15. If we would attain to this kingdom of heaven, let us be willing to come up to Chrill'b terms. Many will be cheapening, and bid foniething for the kingdom of heaven, they will avoid grofs lin, and will come to church, and lay their prayers; and yet all this while they are not willing lo corue up to God's

price, that is they will not refift the idol of felf-nghteoufnefs, flying only to Chrifl; as the horns of the altar; they will not facrifice their bofom-fin ; they will not give God fpirit-worlhip, ferving him with zeal and intenfenefs of foul, John iv. 24. They will not forgive their enemies; they will not part with their carnal profits for Chrift ; they would have the kingdom of heaven, but they will not come up to the price : if you would have this kingdom, do not article and indent with Chrift, but accept of his terms; fay. Lord, I am willing to have the kingdom of heaven whatever it coft me : I am willing to pluck out my right eye, to part with all for the kingdom ; here is a blank paper I put into thy hand. Lord, write thy own articles, I will fubfcribe to them.

16. If we would obtain the heavenly kingdom, let us attend to the holy ordinances ; thus God brings fouls to heaven, A6ts XJtvii. 31. * Except ye abide in the Ihip, ye cannot be faved.* Some people would leap out of the fliip of ordinances, and then God knows whither they leap ; but except ye abide in the Ihip of ordinances, ye cannot be faved. Efpecially, if you would get to heaven, attend to the word preached : it was by the ear, by our firft parents liftening to the ferpent, that we loft paradife; arii it is by the ear, by the hearing of the word, that we get to heaven, Ifa. Iv. 3. * Hear, and your fouls fhall live.* God, fometimes in the preaching of the word, drops in that holy oil into the ear, which foftens and fan6tifies the heart; the word preached is called the * miniitiy of the Spirit,' 2 Cor. iii. 8. becaufe the Spirit of God makes ufe of this engine to convert fouls. If the word preached doth not work upon men, nothing will; not judgment, nor miracles; no, nor though one (hould arife from the dead ; Luke xvi. 31. Ifa glorified faint fliould come out of heaven, and affume a body, and tell you of all the glory of heaven, and the joys of the bleffed, and perfuade you to believe; if the preaching of the word will not bring you to heaven, neither would his rhetoric do it who rofe from the dead. In heaven there will be no need of ordinances, but there is while we live here; the lamp needs oil, but the ftars need none. While the faints have their lamp of grace burning here, they need the oil of ordinances to be continually dropping upon them; but there will be no need of this oil when they are ftars in heaven, If you intend to get to heaven, be fwift to hear; for feith comes by hearing, Rom. x. 14, 17. Peter laid down the net of his miniftry, and at one draught caught three thoufand fouls. If you would have heaven's door opened to you, wait at the pofts of wifdom's door.

17. If you would arrive at heaven, have this kingdom ever in your eye : our blelfed Lord looked at the joy that was fet before him; and Mofes had an * eye to the recompence of re-

ward,* Heb. xi. 2S. Let the kingdom be much in our thoughts; meditation is the means to help us to heaven.

Qu. How doth it help ?

Anf. 1. As it is a mean to prevent fin. No fword Hke this to cut afunder the ftnews of tentation ; it is ahnofl; impofTible to fin prefumptuoufly with the lively thoughts and hopes of heaven : It was when Mofes was out of fight that Ifrael fet up a calf, and worfiiipped it; io it is when the kingdom of heavea is out of fight, 1 mean, out of men's thoughts, that they fet up their lufts, and idolize them. The meditation of heavea banifheth ?in ; he who thinks of the weight of glory, throws away the weight of fin.

2. To meditate on the kingdom of heaven, would excite and quicken obedience. We /hould think we cOuld never pray enough, never love God enough, who hath prepared fuch a kingdom for us. hnmenfum gloria calcar habet. St. Paul hati heaven in his eye, he was once caught up thither; and how adiive was he for God? 1 Cor. xv. 10. This would oil the wheels of obedience.

3. It would make us drive after holinefs, becaufe none but fuch are admitted into this kingdom, only the ' pure in heart fliall fee God,' Mat. v. 8. Holinefs is the language of heaven ; it is the only coin will pafs current in heaven : this confidered, would make us ' cleanfe ourfelves from all filthinefs of the flefh and fpirit, and perfe6t holinels in the fear of God,' 2 Cor. vii. 1.

Thus you fee how the meditation of he&ven would be a means to bring us thither.

18. The lall means for obtaining the heavenly kingdom is perfeverance in holinefs, Rev. ii. 10. « Be thou faithful unto death, and thou (halt receive the crown of life.' In Chrillians, non initia fed fines latidantur, Hierom.

1. Is there fuch a thing as perfevering?

2. How doth a Chriftian come to peifevere?

3. What are the encouragements?

4. What helps?

1. Is there fuch a thing as perfevering till we come to heaven? The Arminians deny it; and truly that any one holds out to the kingdom, is a wonder, if you confider,

1. What a world of corruption is mingled with grace : grace is apt to be flifled, as the coal to be choaked with its own afhes : grace is oft like a fpark in the fea, it is a wonder it is not quenched : it is a wonder fin doth not do to grace, as fome-times the nurfe to the child, overlay it, that it die ; fo that this infant of grace is fmothered.

2. The implacable malice of Satan ; he envies that we fliould have a kingdom, when he himfelf is caft out; it cuts him to

VoL.II. No. 16. Y

the heart to fee a piece of cluft and clay be made a bright ftar in glory, and he hinilelf an angel of darUnefs ; he will Acheronta movere, move all the powers of hell to hinder us from the k'w^-dom : he fpits his venom, flioots his fiery darts, raifeth a (torm of perl'ecution, yea, and prevails againfi; fonie. Rev. xii. 4. * There appeared a great red dragon, and his tail drew the third part of the ftars of heaven, and did caft them to the earth.* By the red dragon is meant the heatlienifli empire ; now when his tail caft ib many to the earth, it is a wonder that any of the ftars keep fixed in their orb.

5. The blandifhments of riches : the young man in the gof-pel went very far, ' thou art not far from the kingdom of God ;* but he had rich poflefiTioiip, and thefe golden weights hindered him from the kingdom, Luke xviii. 93. Jonathan purfued the battle till he came at the honey-comb, and then lie flood ftill, 1 Sam. xiv. 27- Many are forward for heaven, till they taile the fweetnefs of the world ; but when they come at the honeycomb, then they ftand ftill, and go no further. Fniiixs pecunice Jiimis animae. Thofe who have eicaped the rocks of grofs fins, yet have been caft away upon the golden fands : what a wonder therefore that any doth hold on till he come to the kingdom !

4. A wonder any holds oiit in grace, and doth not tire in his jiiarch to heaven, if you confider the difficulty of a Chriftian's work : he hath no time to lie fallow, he is either watching or fighting; nay, a Chriftian is to do thole duties which to the eye of fenfe and reaf<5n feem inconfillent: while a Chriftian doth one duty, he feems to crols another, e. g. He mult come with holy boldnefs to God in prayer, yet muft ferve him with fear ; he muft mourn for fin ; yet rejoice ; he muft be contented, yet covet: 1 Cor. xii. 32. contemn men's impieties, yet reverence their authority: what difficult work is this ? A wonder any faint arrives at the heavenly kingdom. To this I might add, the evil examples abroad, which are fo attractive, we may fay, the devils are come among us in the likenefs of men. What a wonder is it that any foul perfeveres till he comes to the kingdom of heave a? But as great a wonder as it is, there is fuch a .thing as perieverance. A faint's perfeverance is built upon two immutable pillars.

(1.) God's eternal love: we are inconftant in our love to God ; but he is not fo in his love to us, Jer. xxxi. <). * I have loved thee with an everlafting love;' with a love of eternity, God's love to the ele6t is not like a king's love to his favourite, when it is at the higheft fpring-tide, it Iboneft ebbs ; but God's Jove is eternized: God may delert, not difinherit; he may change his love into a frown, not into hatred ; he may alter his

IN THE lord's PRAYER. ]71

providence, not his decree: when once the fun-fhine of God's ele6ting love is rifen upon the foul, it never fets finally.

(2.) A. faint's perfeverance is built upon the covenant of grace; it is a firm, impregnable covenant: this you have in the words of the fweet fin^i^er of Ifrael, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. ' God hath made with me an everlalling covenant, ordered in all things and fare.* It is a fweet covenant, that God will be our God ; the marrow Juui quinlen'ence of all blelfing: and it is a fure covenant, that he will put his fear in our heart, and we Ihall never depart from him, Jer. xxxii. 40. This covenant is inviolable, it cannot be broken ; indeed fin may break the peace of the covenant, but it cannot break the bond of the covenant.

(o.) The third pillar perfeverance is built upon, is the myf-tical union: believers are incorporated into Chrift; they are knit to him as members to the head, by the nerve and ligament of faith, that they cannot be broken otf, Eph- v. 23. What was once faid ol'Chrift's natural body, is as true of his myftical body. John xix. 36. ' A bone of it (hall not be broken.' As it is impoflihle to fever the leaven and the dough when they are once mingled, fo it is impodiblc when Chrilt and believers are once united, ever by the power of death or hell to be fepa-rated : how can Chrill lofe any n*ember of his body and be perfect ? You i'ae upon what ftrong pillars the faints' perfeverance is built.

. 2. Qu. ffotv doth a Chrijlkin hold on till he comes to the kin<r-dam ? IIoio dolk he perfevere 9 °

Anf. 1. Anxiliu Spih'tus: God carries on a Chrillian to perfeverance by the energy and vigorous working of his Spirit. The Spirit maintains the eifenceand feed of grace, it doth blow up the (parks of grace into a holy llame. ISpiritus eft vicarins Chnjii, Tertul. It is Chrill's deputy and proxy ; it is everyday at work in a believer's heart, exerting grace into exercife, and ripening it into perfeverance : the Spirit doth carve and pohfli the vellels of mercy, and make them fit for glory.

2. Chrill caufeth perfeverance, and carries on a laint till he come to the heavenly kingdom, vi orafionis, by hisinterceffion ; Chrift is an advocate as well as a furety ; he prays that the laints may arrive lafe at the kingdom. Heb. vii. 25. * Wherefore he IS able to lave them to the uttermoft, [i, e. perfeftiy), leeing he ever liveth to make intercelTion for them.' That prayer he made for Peter on earth, he prays nov^ in heaven for the (aints, * that their faith fliil not,' Luke xxii. 32. * that they may be with him where he is.' John xvii. 24. And fure, if he pray that they may be with him in his kingdom, they cannot peridi by the way : Clirift's prayer is eUicacious. If the laints' prayers have lo much force and prevalency in them ; Jacob hud power with God, and as a prince prevailed, Hof!

Y 2

xii. 4. By prayer Elijah unlocked heaven: if the prayers of the faints have lb much po^yer with God, then, what hath Chrift*s prayer? How can the children of luch prayers mif-carry ? How can they fallfliort of the kingdom, who have him praying for them, who is not only a Piieft, but a Son ? and be-iides, what he prays for as he is man, that he hath power to give as he is God. Thus you fee how aChriftian conies to per-fevere till he comes to the kingdom.

Obj. But methinks I hearfome Chriftians fay, if only perfe-verauce obtains the kingdom, they fear they fiall not come thither; they fear they Jhall faint by the way, and the weak legs of their grace will never carry them to the kingdom of heaven ?

Anf, Wert thou indeed to ftand in thy own flrength, thou mighteft fall away : that branch withers and dies that hath no root to grow upon. Thou groweil upon the root Chrilt, who will be daily fending forth viral influence to ftrengthen thee; thou art iaibecil and weak in grace, yet fear not falling fliort of heaven : For,

1. God hath made a prornife to weak believers, what is a bruifed reed, but an emblem of a weak faith ? yet it hath a pro-mife made to it. Mat. xii. 20. ' A bruifed reed he will not break.* God hath promifed to fupply the weak Chrifiian with fo much grace as he (hall need, till he comes to heaven. Be-fide the two-pence which the good Samaritan left to pay for the cure of the poor wounded man, he pafled his word for all that he ftiould need befide, Luke x. 35. So, Chriil doth not only give a little grace in hand, but his bond for more, that he will give as much grace as a faint (hall need till he comes to heaven, Pfal. Ixxxiv. li. 'The Lord will give grace and glory;' that is, a fre(h fupply of grace, till he be perfeded ia glory.

2. God hath more care of his weak faints, who fear they (hall never hold out till they come to the kingdom. Doth not the mother tend the weak child moft? I(a. xl. 11. 'He will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bolbm.' If thou thinkeft that thou art fo weak that thou ftialt never hold out till thou Cornell to heaven, thou (halt be carried in the arms of the Almighty; he gathers the lambs in his arms; Chrilt, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, marcheth before his people, and his power is in their re-reward, fo that none of them faint or die in their march to heaven.

Qu. a. What are the encouragements to make Chriftians hold on till they come to the kingdom of heaven?

Anf. 1. It is great credit to a Chrifiian, not only to hold forth the truth, but to hold fall the truth till he comes to heaven; when grace doth flourilh into perfeverance, and with the

IN THE lord's prayer* }JJ^

eliurch of Thyatira, our laft works are more than our firft, Rev. ii. 19. this is iti/igne honoris, a ftar of honour. It is matter of renown to fee grey hairs grow with golden virtues: the excellency of a thing lies in the fmifhing of it. What is the excellency of a building, not when the (irft ftone is laid, but when it is Hnilhed ; fo the beauty and excellency of a Chriftian is, when he haih finithed his faith, having done his work, is landed fafe in heaven.

S. You that have made a progrefs in religion, have not many wiles to go before you come at the kingdom of heaven, Rom. xiii. 11.. • Now is our falvation nearer than when we believed.* You who have hoary hairs, your green tree is turned into aa almond tree; you are nearer to heaven, it is but going a little further and you will fet your feet within heaven's gates; oh therefore now be encouraged to hold out, your falvation is nearer than when you firft began to believe. Our diligence (hould be greater when our falvation is nearer. When a man is almoft at the end of the race, will he now tire and faint? Will he not put forth all his ftrength, and ftrain every lihib, that he may lay hold upon the prize ? Our falvation is now nearer; the kingdom is as it were withm fight; how Oiould we now put forth all our llrength, that we may lay hold upon the garland of glory? Do6lor Taylor, when he was going to his martyrdom, *' I hava (faith he) but two lliles to go over, and I fhall be at my Father's houfe." Though the way to heaven be up-hill, you muft climb the fteep rock of mortihcation ; and though there be thorns in the way, viz. fulferings, yet you have gone the greatert part of your way, you are within a few days march of the kingdom : and will not you perfevere ? Chriftian, pluck up thy courage, fight the good fight of faith, purfue holinefs ; it is but a while and ydu Ihall put off your armour, and end alt your weary marches, and receive a vidorious crown j-your falvation is nearer, you are within a little of the kingdom, therefore now perfevere, you are ready to commence and take your degree of glory.

3. The bleffed promife annexed to perfeverance; the pro* mife is a crown of life. Rev. ii. 10. Death is a worm that feeds in the crowns of princes, but behold here a living crown, and a never fading-crown, 1 Pet. v. 4. And Rev. ii. 2S. He that overcometh, and keepeth my words to the end, I will give him Jiellum matutinamy the morning-ftar : the morning-liar is brighter than the retr. This morning-ilar is meant of Chrill; as if Chrift had faid, I will give to him that perfeveres fome of my beauty ; I will put Ibnieof my illuftrious rays upon him ; he Ihall have the next degree of glory to me, as the morning liar is next the fun : will not this animate and make us hold out?

We fliall have a kingdom, and that which is better than the kingdom, a bright morning-liar.

Qu. (4.) What are the means conducing to perfeverance, or, what fJtail we do that we may hold out to the kingdom 9

AnJ\ 1. Take up religion upon good grounds, not in a fit or hunnour, orout of worldly defign ; but be deliberate, weigh things well in the balance, Luke xiv. 28. ' Which of you intending to build a tower, fitteth not down firft and countelh the coll?* Think with yourfelf what religion muft coft you, it mufl coft you the parting with your fins : and what it may coft you, it may coft you the parting with your lives ; conlider if a kingdom will not countervail your fufferings. Weigh things well, and then make your choice, Pf. cxix. 30. * I have chofen the way of th3' truth.' Why do many apoftatize and fall away, but becaule thev did never fit down and count the coft.

2. If we would hold out to the. kingdom, let us cherifii the grace of faith, 1 Cor. i. 24. ' By faith ye ftand.* Faith, like Hercules' club, it beats down all oppolition before it; it is a conquering grace.

Qu. How comes faith to hefojirong ?

Anf. Faith fetcheth Chrill's itrength into the foul, Phil. iv. 13. A captain may give his (bldier armour, but not ftrength : faith partakes of Chrift's ftrength, and faith gets ftrength from the promife ; as the child by fucking the breaft gets ftrength, ^o doth iuith by lucking the breaft of the promile ; hence faith is iuch a wonder-working grace, and enables a Chriftian to per-ievere.

• 3. If you would bold out to the kingdom, fet before your eyes the examples of thofe noble heroic faints, who have perfe-vered to the kingdom : v.iminv exempUs, examples have more influence on us than precepts, Job xxiii. 11, 12. ' My foot hath held his Iteps.' Though the way of religion hath flints and thorns in it,,yet my foot hath held his Heps ; I have not fainted in the way, nor turned out of the way. Daniel held on his religion, and would not intermit prayer, though he knew the writing was figned againft him, and a prayer might coll him his life, Dan. vi. 10. The bleffed martyrs perlevered to the kingdom throughftifterings. Saunders that holy man, faid, *' Welcome the crofs of Chrift ; my Saviour began to me in a bitter cup, and Ihall I not pledge him ?" Another martyr, killing the ftake, faid, " I fliall not lofe my lite, but change it for a better ; inftead of coals I (hall have pearl's.'' What a fpirit of gallantry was in thefe faints I Let us learn conftancy h'oni their courage. A foldier, feeing his general fight valiantly, is animated by his example, and hath new fpirits put into him.

4. Let us add fervent prayer to God, that he would enable iis to hold out to the heavenly kingdom, Pf. cxix. 117. * Hold

thou me upland I fhall be fafe." Let us not prefiime on our own flreiigtli. When Peter cried to Chrift on the water,

* Lord lave me,' then Chrift took him by the hand. Mat. xiv. 30. But when he grew confident of his own ftrenglh, then Chrift let him fall. O pray to God for auxiliary grace. The child is fiife when held in the nurfe's arms : fo are we in Chrift's arms. Let us pray that God will put his fear in our hearts, that we do not depart from him ; and that prayer of Cyprian, Domine, quod ca'pifti perfice, ne in porta naufragium accidat. Lord, perfect that which thou haft begun in me, that I may not fuffer fhipwreck when I am almoft at the haven.

3. Branch. Let us prefs forward with the greateft diligence to this kingdom. And here let me lay down fome powerful per* fuafives, or divine arguments, tro make you put to all your firength for the obtaining this bleffed kingdom.

1. This is the great errand for which God hath fent us into the world, to prepare for this heavenly kingdom, Matth. vi. 33.

• Seek ye firft the kingdom of God.' Firft in time before all things ; and hrft in affe6lions, above all things. Great care is taken for the achieving worldly things. Matt. vi. 25. To fee people labouring for the earth, as ants about a molehill, would make one think this were the only errand they came about: but alas ! What is all this to the kingdom of heaven ? I have read of a devout pilgrim travelling to Jerufalem, who pading through feveral cities, where he faw niajiy ftately edifices, ware and monuments, he would fay, " I muft not ftay here, this is not Jerufalem :" fo when we enjoy worldly things, peace and plenty, and have our preifes burft out with new wine, we fliould fay to ourfelves, this is not the kingdom we are to look after, this is not heaven : it is wildom to remember our errand. It will be but lad upon a death-bed for a man to think he was bufying himfelf only about trifles, playing with a feather, and neglecting the main thing he came into the world about.

2. The feeking after the heavenly kingdom will be judged molt prudent by all men at laft. Thofe who are moft regard-lefs of their fouls now, will, before they die, wi(h they had minded eternity more. When confcience is awakened, and men begin to come to themfelves, now, what would tliey give for the kingdom of heaven ? How happy were it, if men were of the Aime mind now, as they will be at death ? Death will alter men's opinions ; then thofe who did moft flight and dif-parage the ways of religion, will wi(h their time and thoughts had been taken up about the excellent glory. At death men's eyes will be opened, and they will fee their folly when it is too late. If all men, even the worft, will wifli at laitthat they had minded the kingdom of heaven, why fliould not we do that now, which all will wifh they had done when they come to die.

S. This kingdom of heaven deferves our utmoft pains and diligence; it is glorious, beyond hyperbole. Suppofe earthly kingdoms more magnificent than the}^ are, their foundations of gold, their walls of pearl, their windows of fapphire, yet they are not comparable to the heavenly kingdom. If the pavement of it be befpangled with fo many bright Ihining lights, glorious ftars, what is the kingdom itfelf ? 1 John iii. *2. ' It doth not yet appear what we (hall be.* This kingdom exceeds our faith. How fublime and wonderful is that place where the blefled Deity fhines forth in his iminenle glory, mfinitely beyond the comprehenfion of angels ?

(1.) The kingdom of heaven is a place of honour; there are the glorious triumphs and fparkliHg crowns. In other kingdoms, there is^but one king, but in heaven all are kings. Rev. i. 6. Every faint glorified partakes of the fame glory as Chrift doth, John xvii, 22. * The glory thou hall given me, I have given them.'

(2.) This kingdotn is a place of joy, Matth. xxv. 21. * Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' To have a continual afpect of love from God's face, to be crowned with immortality, to be as the angels of God, to drink of the rivers of pleafure for ever, this will caufe raptures of joy. Sure it deferves our utmofl pains in purfuing and fecuring this kingdom. Julius Caefar coming towards Rome with his army, and hearing the fenate and people had fled from it, faid, " that they will not fight for this city, what city will they fight for?'' If we will not take pains for the kingdom of heaven, what kingdom will we take pains for? It was the fpeech of the fpies to their brethren, Judg. xviii. 9. * We have feen the land, and behold it is very good ; and are ye ftill ? Be not (lothful to go, and to enter to poflefs the land.' We have had a lively defcription of the glory of heaven, we find the kingdom is very good ; why then do we fit ftill ? Why do we not operam novare, put forth our utmoft zeal and indufl;ry for this kingdom ? The diligence of others in feek-ing after earthly kingdoms, fhames our coldnefsand indifferency in purfuing after the kingdom of heaven.

4. The time we have to make fure of the heavenly kingdom is very fhort and uncertain ; take heed it doth not flip away before you have prepared for the kingdom. Time pafieth on apace, Clio pede preterita vita ; it will not be long ' before the filver cord be loofed, and the golden bowl broken,' Eccl. xii. The fkin wherein the brains are enclofed as in a bowl, this golden bowl will foon be broken. Our foul is in our body, as the bird is in the (hell, which foon breaks, and the bird flies out: the (hell of the body breaking, the foul flies into eternity. We know not whether we fhall five to another fabbath : before we . hear another lermon-bell go, our pafling bell may go. Ourlif*

funs as a Avift ftream into the ocean of eternity. Brethren, if our time be fo minute and tranfient, if the taper of life be fo foon wailed, or perhaps blown out by violent death, how fhould we put to all our ftrength, and call in help from heaven, that we may obtain the kingdom of glory? If time be fo fliort, why do we wafte it about things of lets moment, and negle6t the * one thing needful,' which is the kingdom of heaven ? A man that hath a great work to be done, and but one day for the doi ing of it, hath need to work hard : we have a great work to do, we are ftriving for a kingdom, and, alas! we are not certain of one day to work in ; therefore what need have we to beftir our-ieives, and what we do for heaven, to do it with all our might ?

5. To excite our diligence, let us con fid er how inexcufable we (hall be, if we mifs of the kingdom of heaven. Who have had fuch helps for heaven as we have had ? Indians who have mines of gold, have not fuch advantages for glory as we ; they have the light of the fun, moon, and ilars, and the light of rea-fon, but this is not enough to light them to heaven : but we have had the light of the gofpel fhining in our horizon ; we have been lifted up to heaven with ordinances; we have had the word in feafon and out of feafon. The ordinances are the pipes of the fan6lu;;ry, which empty the golden oil of grace into the foul; they are/'cala paradi/i\ the ladder by which we afcend to the kingdom of heaven, Deut. iv. 7. * What nation is there fo' great who hath God fo nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things tliat we call upon him for ?' We have bad heaven and hell let before us, we have had counfels of friends, warnings, examples, the motions and infpirations of the Holy Ghoft; how fhould all thefe fpurs quicken us in our pace to' heaven ? Should not that (hip fail apace to the haven, which hath wind and tide to carry it ? The tide of ordinances, and the wind of the Spirit. Surely if we, through negligence, mifs of the kingdom of heaven, we (hall have nothing to fay for our-felves ; we (hall be as far from excufe as from happinefs.

6. You cannot do too much for the kingdom of heaven : you cannot pray too much, llxn<5tify the fabbath too much, love God too much; you cannot overdo. In fecular things a man may labour too hard, he may kill himfelf with working ; but there is no fear of working too hard for heaven. In virtute non eji verendum ne quid nimiumfit, Seneca. The world is apt to cen-fure the godly, as if they were too zealous, and did overftraiii themfelves in religion. Indeed a man may follow the world too much, he may make too much halle to be rich: the ferry-man may take in too many palfengers into his boat, to the (inking of his boat; fo a man may heap up fo much gold and (ilver, as to fink hioifelf in perdition, I Tim. vi. 9. but one cannot be too earnefl; and zealous for the kingdom of heavea ; there i^ no f«ax

Vol.. II. No. le. z

of excefs here, when we do all we can for heaven, we come fhort of the golden rule fet us, and of ChriiVs golden pattern ; when our faith is higheft, like the lun in the meridian, yet ftill there is fomething lacking in our faith, 1 ThelT: iii. 1. fo that all our labour for the kingdom is little enough. When a Chrif-tian hath done his heft, yet ftill he hath fins, and wants to bewail.

7. By this you may judge of the ftate of j^our fouls, whether you have grace or not, by your earneft purfuit after the heavenly kingdom. Grace infufeth a fpirit of activity into a perfon ; grace doth not lie dormant in the foul ; it is not a fleepy habit, but it makes a Chriftian like a feraphim^ fwiftand winged in his heavenly motions: grace is like fire, it makes one burn in love to God ; and the more he loves him, the more he prefleth forward to heaven, where he may fully enjoy him. Hope is an adive grace, it is called * a lively hope,' 1 Pet. i. 3. Hope is like the fpring in the watch, it fets all the wheels of the foul a running; hope of a crop makes the hufbandman fow his feed ; hope of vi<5lory makes the foldier fight; and a true hope of glory makes a Chriftian vigoroufly purfue glory. Here is a fpiri-tual touch-ftone to try our grace by : if we have the anointing of the Spirit, it wmII oil the wheels of our endeavour, and make us lively in our purfuit after the heavenly kingdom. No fooner had Faul grace mfufed, but prefently, * Behold, he prays,* A(5ls ix. 11. The affedions are by divines called the "feet of the foul ;" if thefefeet move not towards heaven, itisbecaufe there is no life.

8. Your labour for heaven is not loft : perhaps you may think it is in vain that you have ferved God : but know that your pains are not loft. The feed is caft into the earth, and it dies, yet at laft it brings forth a plentiful crop ; fo your labours feem to be fruitlefs, but at laft they bring you to a kingdom. .Who would not work hard for one hour, when, for that hour's work, he faould be a king as long as he lived ? And let me tell you, the more labour you have put forth for the kingdom of heaven, the more degrees of glory you ftiall have. As there are degrees of torment in hell, Matth. xxiii. 41. fo of glory in heaven. As one ftar differs from another in glory, fo ihall one faint, 1 Cor. xv. 41. Though every veflel of mercy fhall be full, yet one veffel may hold more than another. Such as have done more work for God, fhall have more glory in the heavenly .kingdom. Could we hear the faints departed fpeaking to us from heaven, fure they would fpeak after this manner : were we to leave heaven a while, and live on the earth again, we .would do God a thouland times more fervice than ever we did : we would pray with more life, ad with more zeal; fpr now we

fee, the more hath been our labour, the greater is our reward ia heaven.

9. While we are labouring for the kingdom, God will help us, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. * I will put my Spirit within you, audcaulb you to walk in my flatutes.' The promife encourageth us, and God's Spirit enableth us. A mailer gives his fervant work to do, but he cannot give him llrength to work : but God, as he cuts us out work, fo he gives us llrength, Pf. Ixxxvi. 16. * Give thy fti'ength unto thy fervant.' God not only gives us a crown when we have done running, but gives us legs to run : he gives exciting, affilling grace; lex jubet gratia Juvat: the Spirit helping us in our work for heaven, makes it eafy. If the load-llone draw the iron, it is not hard for the iron to move :, if God's Spirit draws the heart, now it moves towards heaven, with facility and alacrity.

10. The more pains we have taken for heaven, the fvveeter heaven will be when we come there. As when an hulbandman hath been grafting trees, or letting flowers in his garden, it is plea-fant to review and look over his labours ; fo, when in heaven we Ihall remember our former zeal and earnellneft for the kingdom, it will fweeten heaven, and add to the joy of it. For a Chrillian to think, fuch a day I fpent in examining my heart, fuch a day I was weeping for iin ; when others were at their fport, I was at prayer : and now, have I loft any thing by my devotion ? My tears are wiped away, and the wine of paradile chears my heart; I now enjoy him whom my foul loves ; I am poffelled of a kingdom ; my labour is over, and my joy remains.

. 11. If you do not take pains for the kingdom of heaven now, there will be nothing to be done for your fouls after death : this is the only fit fealbn for working ; and if this feafon be loil, the kingdom is forfeited, Ecclef. ix. 10. * Whatfoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work nor device, nor wifdom in the grave whither thou goell.' It was a laying of Charles V. "I have fpent my treafure, but that I may recover again ; I have loft my health, but that I may have again ; but 1 have loft a great many brave foldiers, but them I can never have again." So other temporal bleflings may be loft and recovered again ; but if the term of life, wherein you Ihould work for heaven, be once loft, it is paft all recovery ; you can never have another feafon again for your fouls.

12. There is nothing elle but this kingdom of heaven we can make fure of; we cannot make fure of life. Quisjcit an adjici-q.nt hodiernae crajlina vitae tempora diijupen ? Hor. When our breath goes out, we know not whether we fhall draw it again ? How many are taken away fuddenly ? We cannot made riches fure, it is uncertain whether we fliall get ihem ;

Z2

the world is like a lotterj', every one is not Ajre to draw a prize t or, if we get riches, we are not fure to keep them, Prov. xxiii. 6. * Riches make themfelves wings and fly.' Experience leals to the truth of this. Many who have had plentiful eftates, yet, by fire, or lofles at fea, they have been fqueezed as ipunges, and all their eftates exhaufled : but if men (hould keep their eftates a while, yet death ftrips them of all ; when death's gun goes ofF, away flies the eftate, 1 Tim. vi. 7. * It is certain we can carry nothing out of the world :' lb that there is no making fure of any thing here below, but we may make fure of the kingdom of heaven, Prov. xi. 18. * To him that worketh righ-teoufnefs is a fure reward.*" He who hath grace is fure of heaven, for he hath grace begun in him. A believer hath an evidence of heaven, Heb. xi. I. ' Faith is the evidence of things notfeen.' He hath an earneft of glory, 2 Cor. i. 22. * Who hath alfo given us the earneft of his Spirit.' An earneft is part of the whole fum. He hath a fure hope, Heb, vi. 19. 'Which hope we have as an anchor.* This anchor is cafi upon God's promife, Tit. i. 2. * In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath promifed.' So that here is great encouragement to take pains for heaven, we may make fure of this king* fiom.

13. The kingdom ofheaven cannot be obtained without labour. No7i eft ad ajira molis e terris via. A boat may as well get to land without oars, as we to heaven without labour. We cannot have the world, without labour, and do we think to have heaven ! If a man digs for gravel, much more for gold, Phil, iii, 14. * I prefs toward the mark.* Heaven's-gate is not like that * iron-gate which opened to Peter of its own accord,' A<5ts xii. IQ. Heaven is not like thofe ' ripe figs which fall into the jnouth of the eater,' Nah. iii. 12. No, there muft be taking pains. Two things are requifite for a Chriftian, a watchful eye and a working hand. "We muft, like Hannibal, force away to the heavenly kingdom through difficulties. We muft win the garland of glory by labour, before we wear it with triumph. God hath ena6ted this law, ' That no man (hall eat of the tree of paradife, but in the fweet of his brows :' how then dare any cenfure chriftian diligence ? how dare they lay you take more pains for heaven than needs. God faith, * Strive as in an agony,* fight the good * fight of faith ?' and they fay, you aretooftri6t j but who ftiall we believe ? An holy God that bids us ftrive, ot a profane atheift that faith we ftrivp too much ? , 14. Much of our time being already mil^ent, we had need work the harder for the kingdom of heaven ; he who hath loft his time at fchool, and often played truant, had need ply it the harder, that he may gain a ftock of learning ; he who hath (lept S^nd loitered in the beginning of his journey, liad need ride \.h%

fader in the evening, left he fall (hort of the place he is travelling to. Some here prefent are in their youth, others in the flower of their age, others have grey hairs, the almond tree blof-ibms, and perhaps they have been very regardlefs of their fouls or heaven. Time fpent unprofitably is not time lived, but tim« loll: if there be any ilich here, who have mifpent their goldea hours, they have not only been flothful, but wafteful fervants ; how had you need now to redeem the time, and prefs forward with might and main to the heavenly kingdom ? 1 Pet. iv. 3.

* The time paft of our life may fudice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles.' It may fuffice us that we have loft fo much time already, let us now work the harder : luch as have crept as fnails, had need now fly as eagles to the paradife of God ; if, in the former part of your life, you have been as willows, barren in goodnefs, in the latter part be as • an orchard of pomegranates, with pleafant fruits,' Cant. iv. 13. Recompenfe former remiirnefs with future diligence.

15. How uncomely and lord id a flothful temper of foul is, Zephan. i. 19. * I will punifli the men who are fettled on iheic lees :* Heb. ** Crudled on their lees.* Settling on the lees, is' an emblem of a dull unadtive foul. The fnail by realbn of its flow motion, was reckoned among the unclean, Lev. xi. 30»

* A flothful man hideth his hand in his bofom,* Prov. xix. 24. he is loth to pull it out, though it be to lay hold on a crown, Non capit porta ilia ccelefiis torpori languidos, Brugenf. The devil himfelf cannot be charged with idlenefs, 1 Pet. v. 8.

* He walketh about.' An idle foul ftands in the world for a cipher, and God writes down no ciphers in the book of life ; heaven is no hive for drones ; an idle perfon is fit for a temptation. When the bird fits ftill upon the bough, then it is in danger of the gun ; when one fits ftill in floth, then the devil ihoots him with a temptation ; ftanding water pntrifies. Heathens will rife up in judgment againft lupine Chriftians ; what; pains did they take in the Olympic games ? they ran but for a. garland of flowers, or olive ; and do we fit ftill who run for a kingdom ? how can he expect a reward that never works, or a crown that never fights ? Inertia animaefomnus. Sloth is the Ibul's fleep. Adam when he was afleep loft his rib; and when a perfon is in the deep fleep of floth, he lol'eth falvation.

16. Holy a6tivity and induftry doth ennoble a Chriftian. Labor iplendore decoratur, Cicero. The more excellent any thing is, the more active. The fun is a glorious creature, it is ever in motion, going its circuit: fire is the pureft element, and the mofta6live, it is ever fparkling and flaming : the angels are the moft noble creatures, they are reprefented by the cherubims, with wings difplayed. The more adive for heaven the more ^Uuftrious, and the more do we relenoble the angels. The phoe-

nix flies with a coronet on its head ; the induftrious foul hath his coronet, his labour is his enfign of honour. . 17. It is a mercy that there is a poffibility of happinefs, and that upon our pains taking we may have a kingdom : by our fall in Adam we forfeited heaven : why niight not God have dealt with us as with the lapfed angels ? They had no fooner finned, but they were expelled heaven, never to come thither more ; we may lay, as the apolile, Rom. xi. 22. * Behold the goodnefs, and feverity of God.' To the apellate angels, behold the feverity of God, that he (hould throw them down to hell for ever ; to us, behold the goodnefs of God ; that he hath put us into a polTibiliiy of mercy ; and, if we do but take pains, there is a kingdom ftands ready for us : how may this whet and Iharp-en our induftry, that we are in a xa_pacity of falvation ? and, if we do but what we are able, we (hall receive an eternal "weight of glory.

18. Our labour for the kingdom of heaven is minute and traniient, it is not to endure long, our labour expires with our life ; it is but a while' and we ihall leave off working ; for a little labour an eternal reft. Who would think much to wade through a little water, that were fure to be crowned as foon as they came on fhore ; Chriftians, let this encourage you, you have but a little more pains to take, a few tears more to Ihed, a few more fabbaths to keep, and behold an eternal recompence of reward ; what are a few tears to a crown } a few minutes of time to an eternity of glory ?

19. What ftriving is there for earthly kingdoms, which are corruptible, and fubje6l to change ? with what vigour and alacrity did Hannibal's foldiers continue their march over the Alps, and craggy rocks, and Caefar's foldiers fight with hunger and cold ? Men will break through laws and oaths, they will fwini to the crown in blood : will they venture thus for earthly promotions, and (hall not we ftrive more for an heavenly kingdom ? This is ' a kingdom which cannot be ftiaken,' Heb. xii. 28. a kingdom where there is unparalled beauty, unftained honour, unmixed joy ; a kingdom where there Ihall be nothing prefent which we could with were removed, nor nothing ab-lent which we could wi(h were enjoyed. Sure if there be any fpark of grace, or true generofity in our breafts, we will not futfer ourfelves to be out-ftriven by others ; we will not let them take more pains for earthly honours, than we do for that excellent glory which will crown all our defires.

20. How much pains do forne men take to go to hell, and fliall not we take more pains to go to heaven ? Jer. ix. 5. • They weary themfelves to commit iniquity.' Sinners hack--ney themfelves out in the devil's fervice : what pains do fome niea take to fatisfy their unclean lulls 1 they waiie their ellates.

wear the fhameful marks of their fin about them : they will vilit the harlot's houfe, though it ftands the next door to hell, Prov. vii. 07, ♦ Her houie is the way to hell.' What pains do others take in perfecuting ! Holinefsis the white they Ihoot at. It is faid of Antiochus Epiphanes, he undertook more tedious journeys, and went upon greater hazards, to vex and oppofe the Jews, than any of his predeceflbrs had done in getting of victories. The devil blows the horn, and men ride poll to hell, as if they feared hell would be full ere they would get thither. When Satan had entered into Judas, how adlive was Judas ! he goes to the high priells, from them to the band of foldiers, and with them back again to the garden, and never left till he had betrayed Chrill. How induftrious were the idolatrous Jews ! fo fiercely were they bent upon their fin, that they would facri-fice their fons and daughters to their idol-gods, Jer. xxxii. 35. Do men take all this pains for hell, and Ihall not we take pains for the kingdom of heaven ? The wicked have nothing to encourage them in their fins, they have all the threatenings of God as a flaming fword againit them. O let it never be faid, that the devil's fervants are more a6live than Chrift's ; that they ferve him better who rewards them only with fire and brimllone, than we do God, who rewards us with a kingdom, 21. The labour we take for heaven, is a labour full of plea-fure, Prov. iii. I7. A man fweats at his recreation, tires him-felf with hunting, but there is a delight he takes in it, which fweetens it, Rom. vii. 22. * I delight in the law of God in the inner man,' Gr. I take pleafure. Not only is the kingdom of heaven delightful, but the way thither ; what delight hath a gracious Ibul in prayer ? Ifa. Ivi. 7. * I will make them joyful in my houfe of prayer.' While a Chriftian weeps, there is joy drops with tears ; vvhile he is mufing on God, he hath luch illapfes of the Spirit, and, as it were, fuch tranfigurations of foul, that he thinks himfelf half in heaven, Pf. Ixiii. 5, Q. * My foul fhall be falisfied as with marrow and fatnefs, and my mouth fliall praile thee with joyful lips, when I remember thee upon my bed,' &c. A Chriitian's work for heaven is like 3 bridegroom's work on the morning of the marriage-day, he puts on his vefture and wedding-robes, in which he (hall be married to his bride : fo, in all the duties of religion, we are putting on thofe wedding-robes, in which we fhall be married to Chrill in glory. O what folace and inward peace is there in clofe walking with God ! Ifi\. xxxii. 17. * The work of righteoufnefs (hall be peace.* Serving of God is like gathering of fpices or flowers, wherein there is Ibme labour, but the labour is recompenfed with delight. Working ibr heaven is like digging in a gold mine ; the digging is labour, but getting the gold is pleafure ; O thea let us beltir ourfelves for the kin^

iS^

dom of heaven ; it is a labour full of pleafure t A Chriftiatt would not part with his joy for the moil delicious mufic ; he would not exchange his anchor of hope for a crown of gold* Well might David fay, * In keeping thy precepts there is great reward.' Pf. xix. 11. not only after keeping thy precepts, but in keeping them : a Chriftian hath both the fpring-flowers; and the crop ; inward delight in ferving God, there is the fpring-flowers ; and the kingdom of glory at laft, there is th« full crop.

22. How induftrious have the faints in former ages been ! They thought they could never do enough for heaven t they could never lerve God enough, love him enough. Minus U amaviy Domine, Aug. Lord, I have loved the6 too little. What pains did St. Paul take for the heavenly kingdom ? Phil* iii. 13. * Reaching forth unto ihofe things which are before.' The Greek word to reach forth, (ignifies to ftreach out the neck : a metaphor from racers, who drain every limb, and reach forward to lay hold on the prize. Anna the prophetefs, Luke ii. 37. * departed not from the temple, but ierved God with fallrngs and prayers night and day.* Bafil the great, by much labour and watching, exhaufted his bodily ilrength. •* Let racks, pullies, and all torments come upon me (faid Ignatius) fo I may win Chrill." The indullry and courage of former faints, who are now crowned with glory, fhould provoke our diligence, that fo at laft we may fit down with theni in the kingdom of heaven.

93. The more pains we take for heaven, the more welcome will death be to us ; what is it makes men fo loth to die ? They are like a tenant that will not go out of the houfe till the fer-geant pull him out; they love not to hear of death ; why fo ? Becaule their confcience accufeth them that they have taken little or no pains for heaven ; they have been lleeping when they fhould have been working, and now they are afraid left; death fliould carry them prilbners to hell : whereas he who hath fpent his time in ferving of God, he can look death in the face with comfort : he was wholly taken up about heaven, and now he ftiall be taken up to heaven : he traded before in heaven, and now he (hall go to live there, Phil. i. 22. Cuph diffohi, * I defire to be diftblved, and to be with Chrift.' Paul had wholly laid himfelf out for God, 1 Cor. xv. 10. and now he knew there was a crown laid up for him, and he longed to take poffefTion. Thus 1 have given you twenty-three perfua-lives or arguments to exert and put forth your utmoft diligence, to the obtaining the kingdom of heaven. O that thei'e arguments were written in all your hearts, as with the point of a dia* ?^ond ! And, becaufe delays in thefe cafes are dangerous, let in* Jeftre you to fet upon this work for heaven prefently, Pf.

cxix. 60. * I made hafte, and delayed not to keep thy command ments.' Many people are convinced of the neceflity of looking after the kingdom of glory, but they fay asthofe, Hag. i. 2. * The time is not yet come.' They adjourn and put off till their time is flipped away, and fo they lofe the kingdom of heaven ; beware of this falacy : delay ftrengthens fin, hardens the heart, and gives the devil fuller poffeirion of a man, 1 Sam. xxi. 8. * The king's bufinefs requires hafte ;' fo the bufinefs of Pdlvation requires halle : do not put otf an hour longer, volat ambiguis mobilisaliis hora. What alfurance have you that you Ihall live another day ? Have you any leafe of life granted ? why then do you not prefently arife out of the bed of floth, and put forth all your ftrength and fpirits that you may be pofl'efled of the kingdom of glory; Ihould not things of the higheft importance be done Hrft ? Settling a man's eilate, and clearing the title to his land, is not delayed, but done in the firft place ; what is there of fuch grand importance as this, the laving of your fouls, and the gaining of a kingdom ? Therefore to-day hear God's voice, now mind eternity, now get your title to heaven cleared before the decree of death bring forth ; what imprudence is it to lay the heavieft load upon the weakelt horfe ? So, to lay the heavy load of repentance on ihyfelf, when thou art enfeebled by licknefs, the hands (hake, the lips quiver, the heart faints. O be wife in time, now prepare for the kingdom. He who never begins his voyage to heaven but in the ftorm of d-yath, it is a thouland to one if he doth not fuffer an eternal ftiipwreck.

Ufe VI. Of exhortation.

1. Branch. If there be fuch a glorious kingdom a-coming, then you who have any good hope through grace, you that are the heirs of this kingdom, let me exhort you to fix things :

1. Often take a profpe6t of this heavenly kingdom : climb up the celeftial mount : take a turn, as it were in heaven every day, by holy meditation, Pi', xlviii. l-J, 13. ' Walk about Zion, tell the towers thereof, mark ye well her bulwarks.* lee what a glorious kingdom heaven is ; go tell the towers, view the palaces of the heavenly Jerufalem : Chriftiau, Ihew thy heart the gates of pearl, the beds of fpices, the clutters of grapes which grow in the paradife of God ; Say, O my foul, ail this glory is thine, it is thy Father's good pleafure to give thee this kingdom, l^he thoughts of heaven are very delightfuli and ravifliing ; can men of the world fo delight in viewing their bags of gold, and fields of corn, and fhall not the heirs of promife take n)ore delight in contemplating the celeftial kingdom ? The ferious meditation of the kingdom of would glory work thefe three etfedls.

(I.) It would put a damp and flur upon all worldly glo-

VoL. II. No. Id. A a

ry : thofe who Hand upon the top of the Alps, the great cities of Campania feem butfmall in their eye ; could we look through the perfpe^live glafs of faith, and take a riew of heaven's glory, how fmall and minute would all other things appear ? Mofes flighted the honours of Pharaoh's court, having an eye to the recompence of reward, Heb. xi. 2(5. St. Paul, who had a vifion of glory, and St. John, who was carried away in the fpirit, and faw the holy Jerul'aleni deicending out of heaven, having the glory of God in it. Rev. xxi. U. how did the world after appear in an eclipfetothem?

(2.) The meditation of the heavenly kingdom would much promote holinefs in us : ' heaven is an holy place,' 1 Pet. i. 4, " An inheritance undefiled ;' it is defcribed by tranfparent glafs, to denote its purity, Rev. xxi. 21. The contemplating heaven would put us upon the (ludy of holinefs, becaulie none but fuch are admitted into that kingdom : heaven is not like Noah's ark, into which came clean beads and unclean ; only

* the pure in heart fliall fee God,' Matth. v. 8.

(3.) The meditation of the heavenly kingdom would be a fpur to diligence, Iramenfum gloria calcarkabet, 1 Cor. xv. 58»

• Always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour fhall not be in vain in the Lord.' When the mariner fees the haven, he plies it harder with his oars ; when we have a fight and profpe6t of glory, it would make us be much in prayer, alms, watching ; it would add wings to duty, and make the lamp of our devotion burn brighter.

2. If you have hopes of this kingdom, be content though you have but a little of the world : contentment is a rare thing, it is a jewel that but few Chriftians wear ; but if you have a grounded hope of heaven, it may work your heart to contentation. What though you have but little in poffelfion ? you have a kingdom in reverlion. Were you to take an eftimate of a man's eftate, how would you value it ? by what he hath in his houfe, or by his land ? Perhaps he hath little money or jewels in his houfe, but he is a landed man, there lies his eftate, A believer hath but little oil in the cruife, and meal in the barrel, but he is a landed man, he hath a title to a kingdom, and may not this fatisfy him ^ If a man, who lived here in England, had a great eftate befallen him beyond the feas, and perhaps had no more money at prefent but juft to pay for his voyage, he is content, he knows when he comes to his eftate, he ftiall have money enough ; thou who art a believer, hail a kingdom befallen thee : though thou hail little in thy purie, yet, if thou haft enough to pay for thy voyage, enough to bear thy charges to heaven, it is fuificient. God hath given thee grace, which \s the fore-crop, and will give thee glory, which is the after* crop; and may not this make thee content ?

3. Branch. If you have hope of this bleired kingdom, pray often for the coming of this glorious kingdom, * Thy kingdom -come:' only believers can pray heartily for the haftening of the kingdom of glor}'.

1. They cannot pray that Chrift's kingdom of glory may come, who never had the kingdom of grace fet up in their hearts : can the guilty prifoner pray that the aflizes may come?

2. They cannot pray heartily that Chrifi's kingdom of glory may come, who are lovers of the world ; they have found pa-radife, they are in their kingdom already, this is their heaven, «nd they defire to hear of no other : they are of his mind, who faid, if he might keep his cardinalHiip in Paris, he would lole l)is part in Paradile.

3. 'I'hey cannot pray heartily that Chrift's kingdom of glory may come, who oppoiie Chrift's kingdom of grace, who break his laws, wiiich are the fceptre of his kingdom, who fhoot at thofe who bear Chrift's name, and carry his colours : fare thele cannot pray thai Chrift's kingdom of glory may come, for then Chrift will Judge them ; and, if they fay this prayer, they are hypocrites, they mean not as fhey fpeak. But you who have the kingdom of grace fet up in your hearts, pray much that the kingdom of glory may haften, ' Thy kingdom come ;' wheu this kingdom comes, then you (hail behold Chrift in all his embroidered robes of glory, fhining ten thoufand times brighter than the fun in all its meridian i'plendor. When Chrift's kingdom comes, the bodies of the I'aintiS that fleep in the dull ftiall be raifed in honour, and made like Chrift's glorious body ; then Ihall your fouls, like diamonds, fparkle with holineis ; you fhall never have a finful thought more, you fliall be as holy as the angels, you (hall be as holy as you would be, and as holy as God would have you to be ; then you fliall be in a better ftate than in innocency. Adam was created a glorious creature, but mutable ; a bright ftar; but a falling ftar : but in the kingdom of heaven is a fixation of happinefs ; when Chrift's kingdom of glory comes, you ftiall be rid of all your enemies : as Mofes laid, Exod. xiv. 13. * The Egyptians, whom you have feen today, you fhall fee them no more for-ever.' So thofe enemies who have plowed on the backs of God's people, and made deep their furrows, when Chrift (hall come in hit; glory, you liiall fee thefe enemies no more. All Chrift's enemies (hall be * put under his feet.* <2 Cor. xv. 2. and before the wicked be deltroyed, the faints fhall judge them, 1 Cor. vi. 2. ' Know ye not that the faints (halljudge the world ?' This will cut the wicked to the heart, that thole whom they have form€riy fcorned and Icourged, fliall lit as judges upon them, and vote with Chrift in his judicial proceedings : O then well may yout

A a '2

pray for the haftening of the kingdom of glory, * Thy kiogdom come.' -- r 1 >

4. Branch. If you have any good hope of this bleffed kingdom, let this make the colour come in your faces, be of fan-guine cheerful temper ; have you a title to a kingdom, and fad ? Rom. V. 2. ' We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.* Chriftians, the trumpet is ready to Ibund, an eternal jubilee is at hand, when a freedom from fin (hall be proclaimed : your coronation-day is a-coming ; it is but putting olf your clothes, and laying your head upon a pillow of dull, and you (hall be enthroned in a kingdom, and inverted with the embroidered robes of glory : doth not all this call for a cheerful fpirit ? Cbeerful-nels adorns religion : it is a temper of foul Chrift loves, John xiv. 28. * If ye loved me, ye would rejoice.* It makes nsany fufpe6l heaven is not lb pleatant, when they fee thofe that walk thither fo fad. How doth the heir rejoice, in hope of the inheritance? Who fliould rejoice, it not a believer, who is heir of the kingdom, and fuch a kingdom as eye hath not feen ? When the fleth begins to droop, let faith lift up its head, and caufe an holy jubilation and rejoicing in the foul.

5. Let the faints long to be in this bleffed kingdom. A prince that travels in foreign parts, doth he not long to be in his own nation, that he may be crowned ? The bride defires the marriage day. Rev. xxii. 17. ' The i'pirit and the bride fay come : even fo, come, Lord Jefus.' Sure our unwillingnefs to go hence, fhews either the weaknefs of our faith in the belief of the heavenly kingdom, or the ftrength of our doublings, whether we have an interelt in it. Were our title to heaven more cleared, we fliould need patience to be content to itay here any longer.

Again, our unwillingnefs to go hence declares, we love the world too much, and Chrift too little. Love (as Arillotle faith) defires union ; Did we love Chrift as we fliould, we would de-fire to be united to him in glory, when we might taka our fill of love. Be humbled that we are fo unwilling to go hence : let us labour to arrive at that divine temper of ibul as Paul had, Cupio di[Jblvi, * I deiire to depart and be with Chrift,' Phil. i. 23. We are compufied with a body of fin ; fliould not we long to fliake oft" this viper? We are in Mefech, and the tents of Kedar, in a pUice where we fee God dilhonoured ; fliould not we defire to have our pafs to be gone? we are in a valley of tears, is it not better being in a kingdom ? Here we are combating wilh Satan ; fliould not we defire to be called out of the bloody field, where the bullets of temptation fly lb fail, that we may receive a vi6torious crown ? O ye taints, breathe after the heavenly kingdom. Though we fliould be willing to Hay to do fervice, yet we fliould ambitioufly defire to be always funning ourfelves in the light of God's countenance. Think

what it will be to be ever with the Lord : are there any fweeter fmiles or embraces than his ? Is there any bed fo foft as Chrift's bolbm ? Is there any fuch joy, as to have the golden banner of Chrilt's love difplayed over us ? Is there any fuch honour as to lit upon the throne with Chrift? Rev. iii. 21. O then long for the celeftial kingdom.

(5. Wait for this kingdom of glory. It is not incongruous or improper to long for heaven, yet wait for it; long for it becaufe it is a kingdom, yet wait your Father's good pleafure; God could prefently beltow this kingdom, but he fees it good that we Ihould wait a while.

1. Had we the kingdom of heaven prefently as foon as ever grace isinfufed, then God would lofe much of his glory. (1.) Where would be our living by faith, which is the grace that brings in the chief revenue of glory to God ? Rom. v. 20. (2.) Where would be our fuffering for God, which is a way of honouring him, which the angels in heaven are not capable of. (3.) Where would be the active fervice we are to do for God ? Would we have God give us a kingdom, and we do nothing ■ for him before we come there? Would we have reft before , labour, a crown before vi6tory ? This were difingenuous, Paul was content to ftay out of heaven a while, that he might be a means to bring others thither, Phil. i. 23. i

(2.) While we wait for the kingdom, our grace is increafing. Every duly, religioufly performed, adds a jewel to our crown. Do we delire to have our robes of glory (hine brighter? Let us wait and work; the longer vie ftay for the principle, the greater will the intereltbe. The hufbaiidman waits till the feed fpring up : wait for the harveft of glory, Ibme have their waiting weeks at court; this is your waiting time: Chrilt faith, * pray and faiiu not,' Luke xviii. I. So wait, and faint not. Be not weary, the kingdom of heaven will make amends for your waiting ; 'I have waited for thy falvation, O Lord,' faid that dying patriarch. Gen. xlix. 18.

Uje V. Comfort to the people of God.

{I.) In all their fufi'erings. The true faint is, as Luther faith, hceres crucis, heir to the crofs: afflidion is his diet-drink, but here is that may be as bezoar-ftone to keep him from fainting, thefe fufterings bring a kingdom. The hope of the kingdom of heaven, faith Bahl, ihould indulcerate and fweeten all our troubles, 2 Tim. ii. 12. * If we futfer, we fhall reign with him :* it is but a fliort fight, but an eternal triumph : this light fuffering produceth * an eternal weight of glory,' 2 Cor. iv. 17, * A weight of glor}'.' Things which are precious, the more weighty, the more they are worth, the more weight is in a crown of gold, the more it is worth. 'Tis a weight of glory. 2. ' An eternal weight of glory.' Did this glory laft for a

while, it would much abate and embitter the joys of heaven ; but the glory of that kingdom runs parallel with eternity ; God will be as a deep fea of bleffednefs, and the glorified faints fliall for ever bathe themfelves in that ocean. One day's wearing the crown, will abundantly pay for all the faints* fufferings; how much more then, when ' they (hall reign lor ever and ever?' Rev. xxii. 5. O let this fupport under all the calamities and fufferings in this life ; what a vaft dift'erence is there between a believer's futferings and his reward, Rom. viii, 18.

* The fufferings of this prefent time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which fliall be revealed in us.' For a few tears, rivers of pleafure; for mourning, white robes. Thid made the primitive Chriftians laugh at imprifonments, and fnatch up torments as fo many crowns: though now we drink in a wormwood-cup, here is fugar in the bottom to fvi^eeten it,

* It is your Father's good pleafure to give you a kingdom.'

2. Comfort in death : here is that which may take away from God's children the terror of death, they are now entering into the kingdom. Indeed no wonder, if wicked men be appalled and terrified at the approach of death, they die unpardoned. Death carries them to the gaol, where they mull lie for ever without bail ©r mainprize :" but why lliould any of God's children be fo feared and half-dead with the thoughts of death? what hurt doth death do to them, but lead them to a glorious kingdom ? Faith gives a title to a kingdom, death a pofledion '; let this be a gofpel-antidote to ex pel the fear of death. Hiiarion, that bleifed man, cried out, Egredere, anima, egredere, quid times? Go forth, my foul, go forth, what fearell thou? Let them fear death, who do not fear fin ; but let not God's children be over-much troubled at the grim face of that meifenger, which brings them to the end of their forrow, and the beginning of their joy. Death is yourB, 1 Cor. iii. 92. it is a part of the believer's inventory. Is a prince afraid to crofs a narrow tea, who (hall be crowned when he comes to fhore ? Death to the faints Ihall be an ulher to bring them into the prefeuce of the King of glory : this puts lilies and roles into the ghaltly face of death, and makes it look amiable. Death brings us to a crown of glory which fades not away : the day of death is better to a believer than the day of his birth ; death is additus ad gloriam, an entrance into a bleii'ed eternity. Fear not death, but rather let your hearts revive when you think thefe rattling wheels of death's chariot are but to carry you home to an everlailing kingdom*

OF THE THIRD PETITION IN THE LORD'S

PRA.YER.

Matth. Vi. 10. Thy Will he done in Earth, as it is in Heom

veri.

We come next to the third petition, ' Thy will be done in earth as it is ia heaven.' This petition confills of two parts.

I. The matter, *' Doing of God's will."

II. 'i'he manner, " As it is in heaven."

I. The matter of this petition is, *'The doing of God's will." '* Thy will be done."

Qu. 1. What is meant by the will of God?

Anf. There is a twofold will. (I.) Voluntas decreti, God's fecret will, or the will of his decree; we pray not that God's fecret will may be done by us. This fecret will cannot be known, it is locked up in God's own breail, and neither man nor angel hath key to open it. (9.) Voluntas revelata, God's revealed will. This revealed will is written in the book of fcripture, thefcripture is a declaration of God's will, it difcovers what he would have us do in order to our falvation.

Qii. 2. What do we pray for in thej'e words, ' Thy will be done .?'

Anf. We pray for two things; 1. For a6live obedience ; that we may do God's will a6\^ively in what he commands. 2. For paffive; that we may fubmit to God's will patiently in what he inflids. We pray, that we may do God's wilt actively, Itib-fcribe to all his commands, believe in Jel'iis, the cardinal grace, lead holy lives. So Aiiftin upon the petition, Nobis a Deo precainvr obedientiam ; we pray that we may actively obey God's xvill. This is the I'um of all religion, the two tables epitomized, the doing of God's will: ' Thy will be done.* We muft know God's will before we can doit: knowledge is the eye which muft dire6t the foot of obedience. At Athens there was an altar fet up, * To the unknown God,' Acts xvii, £3. It is as bad to offer the blind to God as the dead. Knowledge is the pillar of (ire to give light to practice; but tho' knowledge is re-quihte, yet the knowledge of God's will is not enough without doing his will : * Thy will be done.' If one had a fyftcra of divinity in his head ; if he had all knowledge, I Cor. xiii. 2. yet, if obedience were wanting, his knowledge were lame, and would not carry him to heaven. Kuownig God's will may wake a man admired, but it is doing God's will makes hinm

blefTed : knwving God's will without doing it, will not crown us with happinefs.

1. The bare knowledge of God's will is inefficacious, it doth not better the heart. Knowledge alone is like a winter-fun, which hath no heat or influence; it doth not warm the affections, or purify the confcience. Judas was a great luminary, he knew God's will, but he was a traitor.

2. Knowing without doing God's will, will make one's cafe worfe ; it will heat hell the hotter, Luke xii. 47- ' The fervant which knew his Lord's will, and did not according to his will, fhall be beaten with many flripes.* Many a man's knowledge is a torch to light him to hell. Thou who haft knowledge of God's will, but dofl not do it, wherein dofl thou excel an hypocrite ? nay, wherein dofl thou excel the devil, ' who transforms himfelf into an angel of light?' It is improper to call fuch Chrif-tians, who are knowers of God's will, but not doers of it. It is improper to call him a tradefman who never wrought in his trade; fo to. call him a Chridian, who never wrought in the trade of religion. Let us not reft in the knowing of God's will. Let it not be laid of us, as Plutarch fpeaks of the Grecians, * They knew what was juft, but did it not.* Let us fet upon this, the doing of God's will, * Thy will be done.'

Qu. 3. Why is the doing of God's will fo requifite?

Anf. 1. Out of equity. God mayjuftly claim a right to our obedience; he is our founder, and we have our being from him ; and it is but equal that we fhould do his will, at whofe word we were created. God is our benefactor; it is butjufl, that, if God give us our allowance, we fhould give him our allegiance.

2. The great defign of God in the word is, to make us doers of his will. \Ji, All God's royal edicts and precepts are to bring us to this, to be doers of his will; what needed God been at the pains to give us the copy of hi? law, and write it out with his own finger elfe? The word of God is not only a rule of knowledge, but of duty, Deut. xiii. 4. and xxvi. 16. * This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do thefe ftatutes; thou fhalt therefore keep and do them.' If you tell your children what is your mind, it is not only that they may know your will, but do it. God gives us his word, as a niafter gives his fcholar a copy, to write after it; he gives it as his will and teftament, that we fliould be the executors to fee it performed. 9dlyy This is the end of all God's promifes, to draw ris to God's will; the promifes are loadftones to obedience, Deut. xi. 27. * A blefiing if ye obey ;' as a father gives his fon money to bribe him toobedience, Deut. xxviii. I. * If thou /halt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and do all his commaudments, the Lord thy God will let thee on high above

all the nations of the earth ; bleffed iTialt thou be in the city and in the field.* The promifes are a royal charter fettled upoa obedience. 3G?/y, The minatory part of the word, thethreaten-ings of God, Ihiud as the angel with a flaming fword to deter us from fin, and make us doers of God's will, Deut. xi. 23. * A. curfe if ye will not obey.' Pfal. Ixviii. 2l. * God (hall wound the hairy fcalp of erery one that goes on ftill in his trefpaife?.* Theie threa(enings do often take hold of men in this life : they are made examples, and hung up in chains to fcare others from difuhedience, ithlj/. All God's providences are to make us doers of his will. As God makes ufe of all the feafons of the year for harveft, fo all his various providences are to bring on the harvefl of obedience.

1. Aftli6tions are to make us do God's will, 2 Chron, xxxiii. 1-^. • When Manaffeh was in affliction, he befought the Lord, and humbled himfelf greatly.* The rod hath this voice, * be doers of God's will.' Afflidion is called a furnace, Ifa. xxxvii. 19. * The furnace melts the metal, and then it is caft into a new mould.' God's furnace is to melt us and mould us into obedience.

2. God's mercies are to make us do his will, Rom. xii. 1< * I beleech you by the mercies of God, that ye prefent your bodies a living facrifice.' Body is by Synecdoche put for the whole man ; if the foul fhould not be prefented to God as well as the body, it could not be reafonable fervice; now, faith the apollle, * I befeech you by the mercies of God, prefent your-felves a living facrifice.' Mercies are the ftrongeil obligations to duty, Hof. xi. 4. ' I drew them with the cords of a man ;* that is, with golden cords of my mercy. In a word, all that is written in the law or gofpel tends to this, that we (hall be doers of God's will, * Thy will be done.*

3. By doing the will of God, we evidence fincerity. As Chrift faid in another fenfe, John x. 25, * The works which I do, bear witnefs of me :* So, it is not at all our golden words, if we could fpeak like angels, but our works, our doing of God's will, which bears witnefs of our fincerity. We judge not of the health of a man's body by his high colour, but by the pulfe of the arm, where the blood chiefly itirs; fo a Chriftian's found-nefs is not to be judged by his profefiion ; what is this high colour? but the eftimate of a Chrift.ian is to be taken by his obediential a6ling, his doing the will of God ; this is the belt certificate, and letters tellimonial to fhew for heaven.

4. Doing God's will much propagates the gofpel; this is tha diamond that I'parkles in religion. Others cannot fee what idith is in the heart; but when they i'ce we do God's will oa earth, this makes them have a venerable opinion of religion, and become profelytes to it. Juhan, in one of his epillles.

Vol. II. No. lt». B b

writing to Arfatius, faith, •* that the Chrifiian religion did much flourini, by the ianctity and obedience of them that pro-felfed it."

5. By doing God's will, we fliew our love to Chrift, John xiv. 21. ' He that hath my commandments, and keepetli them, he it is that loveth me.' What greater love to Chrift, than to do his will, though it crofs our own ? Every one would be thought to love Cbrilt; but, how (hall that be known but by this ; Do you do his will on earth ? Neque principem vene-ramm\Ji odio ejus leges habemus, Ifide. It is a vain thing for a man to fay he loves Chrift's perfon, when he flights his commands. Not to do God's will on earth, is a great evil. It is (I.) Sinful. (2.) Foolifli. (3.) Dangerous.

(I.) It is finful. (1.) We go againllour prayers ; we pray, fat voluntas tua, thy will be done, and yet we do not obey his will; we confute our own prayer. {^2.) We go againlt our vow in baplifm ; we have vowed to fight under the Lord's ban-^ ner, to obey his fceptre, and this vow we have often renewed in the Lord's ftipper : if we do not God's will on earth, we are forfworn, and God will indi6l us of perjury.

(2.) Not to do God's will on earth, is fooliPn ; (l.) Becaufe there is no (landing itoutagainft God. If we do not obey him, we cannot refift him, 1 Cor. x. 22. * Are weftronger than he? Job xl. J). ' Haft thou an arm like God?* Canft tiiou meafure arms with him ? To oppofe God, is, as if a child fhould fight with an archangel; as if a heap of briars (hould put themfelves into a battalia againft the tlame. (2.) Not to do God's will is foolilh, becaule, if we do not God's will, we do the devil's will. Is it not folly to gratify an enemy ? To do his will that feeks our ruin ?

Qu. But are any fo ivicked as to do the deivPs icill?

Anf. Yes : John viii. 44. * Ye are of your father the devil, and the lull of your father you will do.' When a man tells a lie doth he not do the devil's will ? A6ls v, 3. * Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie unto the Holy Ghoft?'

(3.) Not to flo God's will is dangerous ; it brings a fpiritual premunire. If God's will be not done by us ; he will have his will upon us ; if we obey not.God's will in commanding, we fhall obey his will in puuifhing, 2 ThelT. i. 7. * The Lord Jefus (hall be revealed with his nughty angel> in flames of fire, taking vengeance on them that obey not his golpel.* Either we mud do God's will, or fulfer it.

6'. Whatever God wills us to do, is for our benefit : behold here fcif intercft. As if a king commands his fubjeCl to dig in a mine of gold, and then gives him all the gold he had digged : God bids us do his will, and this is for our good, Deut. x. 13. * And now, O Ifraei, what doth the Lord thy God require of

thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and keep the commandments of the Lord, which 1 command thee this day for thy good ?' It is God's will that we fhould repent, and this is for our good, repentance ufliersin remiffion, Acts iii. 9. ' Repent that your fins may be blotted out.' It is God's will that we fliould believe ; and why is it, but that we fliould be crowned with falvation ? Mark xvi. 16. ' He that believes (hall be laved. \Vhat God wills is not lb much our duty, as our privi-Jege ; he bids us obey his voice, and it is greatly for our good Jer. VII. 23. ' Obey my voice and I will be your God.' I will not only give you my angels to be your guard, but myfelf to be your portion ; my Spirit Oiall be yours to fanaifyyou, my love ihall be yours to comfort you, my mercy fliall be Vours to ikve you, ; I will be your God.'

7. To do God's will, is our honour. A perfon thinks it an honour to have a king fpeak to him to do luch a thing : the angels count It their highell honour in heaven to do God's will • Jervire Deo regiiare eji, to ferve God, is to reign. Non unera7U nosjed ornant, Salvian. How cheerfully did the rowers row the barge that carried Caefar : ^o be employed iij his baro-e was an honour: to be employed in d(\ing God's ^xWWs mfv^nehoiioris, the Inghefl enfign of honour that a mortal creature is capable ot. Chrilt s precepts do not burtt^n us, but adorn u.s.

^/^.'^'l^^ ^*^^'^ ^'" °" ^^"'^' '"^^^s "3 'i'^e Chrill, and akin to Chrill. (1.) It makes us like Chria: is it not our prayer that we may be like Chrift ? Jefus Chrilt did his Father's will. John VI. 38. * I came down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him that fent me.' God the Father and thrill, as they have but one efTence, fo but one will; Chrill's vvillv<^as melted into his Father's, John iv. 34. « My meat is to do the will of him that lent me.' By our doing God's will on earth, we refemble Chrilt, nay, we are akin to Chrill, and are ot the blood-royal of heaven. Alexander called himfelf coufin to the gods ; what honour is it to be akin to Chrilt' Mat xii 50. * Whofoever Oiall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the fame is my brother, and fifter, and n)other.' Did king bolomoii arife off his throne to meet his mother and fet her on a throne by him ? 1 Kings iii. |(). Such honour will Chrill bellow on fuch as are doers of God', will, he will Iklute then) as his kindred, and let them on a glorious throne in the amphitheatre of heaven. '

/. ^: i^?-r ^' S'^^''^^ '^^''^ °" ^'^""^'^ '^''•""s peace in life and death. (I.) Inlile Pf. xix. n. • In keeping thy precepts (here is great reward, not only after keeping them, but in keeping them • when we walk clofely with God in obedience, there \A lecre't joy let into the foul, and how Iwifily and cheerfully do the vviieels of the foal move when they are oiled with the oil of

Bb^J

gladnef? ? (2.) Peace in death. When Hezekiah thought he was about to die, what gave him comfort ? This, that he had done the will of God, Ifa. xxxviii, 3. * Remember, O Lord, I befeech thee, how 1 have walked before thee in truth, and have done that which is good in thy fight.* It was Auguftus' wifh, that he might have an eafy death, without much pain. If any thing make our pillow ealy at death, it will be this, * we have endeavoured to do God's will on earth.' Did you ever hear any cry out on their death-bed, that they have done God's will too much ? No, hath it not been that they have done his will no more, that they come fo fhort in their obedience ? Doing God's will, will be both your comfort and your crown.

10. If we are not doers of God's will, we (hall be looked upon as contemners of God's will : let God fay what he will, yet inen will go on in fin ; this is to contemn God, Pf. x. 13. * Wherefore do the wicked contemn God ?' To contemn God is worfe than to rebel. The tribes of Ifrael rebelled againft Rehoboam, becaufe he made their yoke heavier, 1 Kings xii. 16. But to contemn God is worfe, it is to flight him : to contemn God is to put a (corn upon him, and atfront him to his face ; and an affront will make God draw his fword. Thus I have anfvvered that queftion,"why doing God's will on earth is fo requifite ? It is as neceffary as falvatioo.

4. Qu. In what manner are ice to do God's willy that we may Jlnd acceptance 9

Anf. The manner of doing God's will is the chief thing. The fchoolmen fay well. Modus rei caditfub precepto, *' The manner of a thing is as well required as the thing itfelf:" Ifa man build an houfe, if he doth it not according to the mind of the owner, he likes it not, but thinks all his charges loft ? ib»if we do not God's will in the right manner, it is not accepted ; we muft not only do what God appoints, but as God appoints : here lies the very life-blood of religion. Sol come to anfwer this great queftion, " In what manner are we to do God's will, that we may find acceptance ?''

Anf, We do God's will acceptably, when we do duties fpiri-tually, Phil. iii. 3. ' We worflhip God in the fpirit-* To I'erve God fpiritually, is to do duties ab interno principio, from an inward principle ; The pharifees were very exa6t about the external part of God's worfiiip ; how zealous were they in the outward obfervaMon of the fabbath, charging Chrill with the breach of it? But all this was but outward obedience, there was nothing of fpiritualily in it: then we do God's will acceptably, when we ferve him from a renewed principle of grace. A crab-tree may bear as well as a pearmain, but it is not fo good fruit as the other, becaufe it doth not come from fb fweet a rpQt: an unregenerate perfon may do as much external obedi-

«nce as a child of God, he may pray as much, hear as much, but his obedience is harOi and lour, becaufe it doth not come from the i'weet and pleafant root of grace ; the inward principle of obedience is faith, therefore it is called * the ol)edience of faith,' Ron), xvi. "^o". But why mull this (ilver thread of faith run through the whole work of obedience?

AnJ\ Becaufe faith looks at Chrill in every duty, it toucheth the hem of his garment; and through Chrill, both the perfon and the otfering are accepted, Eph. i. 6.

2. We.do God's will acceptably, when we prefer his will before all other ; if God wills one thing, and man wills the contrary, we do not obey man's will, but rather God's Acts iv. 19. * VV'hether it be right to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.* God i'aith, ' Thou (halt not make a graven image,* king Nebuchadnezzar fet up a golden image to be wor(hipped ; but the three children, or rather champions, refolve God's will Ihall take place, and they would obey him, though with the lofs of their lives, Dan. iii. 19. * Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not ferve thy go<ls, nor worfhip the golden image which thou haft fet up?'

3. We do God's will acceptably, when we do God's v/ill as it is done in heaven, that is, as the angels do it : to do God's will as the 'angelsJi'militudine)n nolat, non aeqiialitatem^ Brugen-fis : denotes this much, that we are to referable them, and make them our pattern. Though we cannot equal the angels it) doing God's will, yet we mull imitate them ; a child cannot write fo well as the I'crivener, yet he imitates the copy. In particular.

1. We do God's will as the angels do it in heaven, when we do God's will regularly,y/-'!e dejiexu, we do according to the divine inllitutions, not decrees of councils, or traditions : this is to do God's will as the angels ; they do it regularly, they do nothing but what fs commanded ; angels are not for ceremonies ; as there are ftatiitt-lavvs in the land which bind, lb the fcripture is God's Ibitute-law, which we muil exa6lly ob-ferve. The watch is fet by the dial ; then our obedience is right, when it goes by the lun-dial of the word. If obedience halh not the word for its rule, it is not doing God's will, but our own : it is will-worlhip, Deut. xii. 32. The Lord would have Moles make the tabernacle according to the pattern, E.xod, XXV. 40. If Moles had left out any thing in the pattern, or added any thing to it, it would have been very provoking ; .to mix any thing of our own devifing in God's worihip, is to go belide, yea, contrary to the pattern ; God's worfhip is the apple of his eye, that which he is moll tender of; and there i.s nothing he hath more fliewed his difpleafure againft, than the corrupting his worihip. How feverely did God punifli Nadab

and Abihu for offering up ftrange fire ? Lev. x. 2. that is, fuch fire as God had not fan6lif]ed on the altar : whatever is not divinely appointed, is ofTering up flrange fire. There is in many, a tlrange itch after fuperftition ; they love a gaudy religion, and are more for the pomp of worfhip than the purity ; this cannot be pleafing to God ; for, as if God were not wife enough to appoint the manner how he will be ferved, man will be lb bold as to prefcribe for him. To thrull human inventions into lacred things, is a doing our own will, not God's ; and he will fay, guis quae fivit hoc ? Who hath required this at your hand ? Ifa. i. 19. Then we do God's will as it is done in heaven, when we do it regularly, we reverence God's inflitutions, and the mode of worlhip, which hath the ftamp of divine authority upon it.

2. We do God's will as it is done by the angels in heaven, when we do it entirely,y??ie mutilatione, we do all God's will. The angels in heaven do all that God commands, they leave nothing of his will undone, Pf. cxxx. 20. * Ye his angels that do his commandments.' If God fent an angel to the virgin Mary, he goes on God's errand ; if he gives his angels a charge to miniller for the faints, they obey, Heb. i. 14. It cannot Hand with angelical obedience, to leave the leafl iota of God's will unfulfilled : this is to do God's will as the angels, when we do all his will, qukquid proptor Deumft aeqiialiter jit" This was God's charge to Ifrael, Numb. xv. 40. ' Remember to do all my commandments.' And it was fpoken of David, A6ls xiii. 22. * Thave found David, a man after mine own heart, who will perform all my will,' Gr. all my wills. Every command hath the fame authority ; and if we do God's will uprightly, we do it uniformly, we obey every part and branch of his will, we join firfl and fecond table. Surely we owe that to God our Father, which, the papifls fay, we owe to our mother the church, unlimited obedience ; we mull incline to every command, as the needle moves that way which the loadftone draws.

(2.) This difcovers the unfoundnefs of many, who do God's will by halves, they pick and chufe in religion, Ihey in fome things comply with God's will, but not in others ; like a foundered horfe, who fets but fome of his feet on the ground, he favours one foot. He who is to play upon a lute, mult llrike upon every firing, or he fpoils all the mufic. God's commandments may be compared to a ten-ftringed lute, we mufl obey God's will in every command, Itrike upon every ftring, or we can make no good Ynelody in religion, 'i'he badger hath one foot fliorter than the other ; hypocrites are fliorter in fome duties than others ; ibme wiU pray, not give alms ; hear the word, not forgive their enemies ; receive the facra-

ment, not make reftitution : how can they be holy, who are notjull ? Hypocrites profefs fair, but when it comes to lacri-ficing thellaac, crucifing the beloved fin, or parting with fome of their eftate for Chrift, here they (lick, and fay as Naaman, 2 Kings V. 18. ' In this thing, the Lord pardon thy fervant.' This is tar from doing God's will as the angel do ; God likes not fuch as do his will by halves if your fervant fhould do fome of your work, which you iet him about, but not all; how-won Id you like that ?

Obj. But who is able to do all God's will ? AiiJ\ Though we cannot do all God's will legally, yet we may evangelically : which is,

(1.) When we mourn that we can do God's will no better : when we fail, we weep, Rom. vii. 24.

(2.) When it is the defir^ of our foul to do God's whole will, Pf. cxix. 5. ' O that my ways were direded to keep thy precepts.' What a child of God wants in llrength, he makes up in defire, in magnis voluijfefat eft.

(3.) When we endeavour quod conatum to do the whole will of God. A father bids his child lift fuch a burden, the child is not able to lift it, but he tries and does his endeavour to lift it; the father accepts of it, as if he had done it: this is to do God's will evangelically, and God is pleafed to take it in good part; though it be not to fatisfa6tion, yet it is to acceptation.

3. We do God's will as it is done in heaven by the angels, vyhen we doit fincerely,/ne/wco. To do Go<;J's willfincerely, lies in two things ;

1. To do it out of a pure refpe6lto God's command.

2. With a pure eye to God's glory.

I. To do God's will out of a pure refpe6lto God's command. Abraham's facrificing Ifaac was contrary to flelh and blood : to aicrifice the fon of his love, the fon of the promife, and that nu other hand but the father's own fhould do this, here was hard fervice : but, becaufe God commanded it, out of pure relped to the command, Abraham obeyed : this is to do God's will aright, when though we feel no prefent joy or comfort in duty, yet, becaufe God commands, we obey ; not comfort, but the command is the ground of duty : thus the angels do God's will m heaven ; God's command is the weight fets the wheels of their obedience a-goino-.

2. To do God's will fincerely, is to do it with a pure eye to God's glory. The Pharifees did the will of God in givin^ alms ; but that which was a dead fly in the ointment, was^ that they did not aim at God's glory, but vain glory ; they blew a trumpet. Jehu did the will of God in dellroying the Baal-worfhippers, and God commended him for doing it ; but becaufe he aimed more at fettling himlelf in the kingdom, than

at the glory of God, therefore God looked upon it no better than n)urder, and faid he would avenge the blood of Jezreei upon the houfe of Jehu, Hof. ii. 4. Let us look to our ends in obedience : though we fhoot fhort let us toke a right aim ; one may do God's will, yet not with a perfect heart, 2 Chron. XXV. 2. * Amaziah did that which was right in the (iglit of the i.ord, hut not with a perfe6l heart.' The action was right for the matter, but his aim was not right ; that action which wants a good aim, vi'ants a good ilfue ; he doth God's will rightly, that doth it uprightly, his end is to honour God, and lift up his name in the world. A gracious foul makes God his centre. As Joab, when he had taken Rabbah, fent for king David, that he might carry away the glory of the vi6lory, 2 Sam. xii. 27. lb when a gracious foul hath done any duty, he defires that the glory of all may be given to God, l^Pet. iv. H. * That in all things God may be glorified.' This is to do God's will as the angels, when we not only advance God's glory, but defign his glory ; the angels are laid to call their crowns before the throne. Rev. iv. 10. Crowns are figns of greatelt honour, but thefe crowns the angels lay at the Lord's feet, to fhew they alciibe the glory of all they do to him.

3. We do God's will as it is done in heaven by the angels, when we do it willingly,^?2e mnrmuratione. The angels love to be employed in God's ler.vice ; it is the angels' heaven to ferve God : they willingly defcend from heaven to earth, when they bring meffages from God, and glad tidings to the church ; now, heaven being a place of fuch joy, the angels would not leave it a minute of an hour, only that they take fuch infinite delight in doing God's will. We do refemble the angels, when we do God's will willingly, 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. * And thou Solomon, my fon, ferve the Lord with a willing mind.' God's people are called a willing people, Pf. ex. 3. Heb. a people of willing-nefi'es ; they give God a free-will offering ; though they cannot ferve him perl'eftly, they ferve him willingly : a hypocrite, though he do\\\facere honnm, yet not velle, he hath no delight in duty ; he doth it rather out of fear of hell, than love to God ; when he doth God's will, yet it is againft his will, virtus nolen-tium nulla eft. Cain brought his facrifice, but grudgingly ; his worship was rather a taflc than an ofi'ering, rather penance than a facrifice ; he did God's will, but againll his will; we muft be carried upon the wings of delight in every duty, Ifrael were to blow the trumpets when they offered burnt-offerings. Num. X. 10. Blowing the trumpets was to fhew their joy and cheer-fulnefs in ferving God; we mufl read and hear the word with delight, Jer. xv. 15. ' Thy word was found, and I did eat it, and it was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.' A pious foul goes to the word as to a feall, or as one would go

with delight to hear muCic. Sleidan reports, that the Protef-tants iu France had a church they called Paradife, becaufe, when they were in the houfe of God, they thought thenrifelves in paradiCe : the lUints flock as doves to the windows of God's houfe, nil. Ix. 8. VVho are thefe that flock as doves to the wjudowe? Not that a truly regenerate perfon is always in the lame cheerful temper of obedience ; he may fomelimes find aa indilpofilion and wearinefs of foul, but his wearinefs is his burden, he is weary of his wearinefs, he prays, weeps, iffeth all means to regain that alacrity and freedom in God's fervice, that he was woiit to have : this is to do God's will acceptably, when we do it willingly ; it is this crowns all ourfervices ; delight in duty is better than duty. The nnufician is not com-n)ended for playing long, but well ; it is not how much we do, but how much we love, P#cxix. 97- * O how love I thy law'/ Love is as mulk among linen, that perfumes it ; love perfumes obedience, and makes it go up to heaven as incenfe. This is doing God's will as the angels in heaven do it ; they are ravilhed with delight while they are praifing God, therefoi'fe the angels are faid to have harps in their hands, Rev. xv. 2. as a fign of their cheerfulnels in God's fervice.

4. We do God's will as the angels in heaven, when we do God's will i'ervently, //ne reniijjione, Rom. xii. II. * Fervent in rj)irit, fervingGod ;' a metaphor from water when it feethes and boils over; lb our affeftions fhould boil over in zeal and fervency : the angels lerve God with fervour and intenfenefs; the angels are called leraphims, from an Hebrew word which fignifies to burn, to fhew how the angels are all on fire, Pfalni civ. 4. they burn in love and zeal in doing God's will; grace turns a faint into a feraphim ; Aaron muft put burning coals to the incenfe, Exod. xvi. 12. Incenfe was a type of prayer, burning coals of zeal, to fhew that the fire of zeal muft; be put to the incenfe of prayer. Formality ftaryes duty ; when we i'f.rve God dully and coldly, is this like the angels? Duty without fervency is as a facrifice without fire ; we Ihould afcend to heaven in a fiery charrot of devotion.

o. We do God's will as the angels in heaven, when we give God the beil in every fervice, Numb, xviii. 29. ' Out of all your gifts, ye (hall otfer of all the beiVlhercof,' Num. xxviii. 7. * In the holy place Oialt thou caufe the (trong wine tobe poured itnto the Lord for a drink-otfering.' The Jews might not offer to the Lord wine that was fmall or mixed, but the llrong wine, to imply, that we muft offer to God the bed, the llrongefl of our affedlions : if the fpoufe had a cup more juicy and fpiced, Chrid (hould drink of that, Cant. viii. 2. * 1 would caufe thee to drink of fpiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.' Thus the angels in heaven do God's will; they ferve him in the bert

Vol. 11. No. 10". C c

manner ; they give hirn their feraphlc high-ftvinged praifes: h* who loves God, gives him the cream of his obedience. God challenged the fat of all the facrifice as his due, Levit. iii. 16. Hypocrites care not what fervices they bring to God, they think to put him otfwith any thing, they put no coft in their duties. Gen. iv. 3. * Cain brought of the fruit of the ground.' The Holy Ghoft took notice of Abel's offering, that it was collly. * He brought of the firftlingsof his flock, and of the fat thereof,* Gen. iv. 4. But when he fpeaks of Cain's offering-, he only faith, * He brought of the fruit of the ground.' Then we do God's will aright, when we do otYerpi)iguia, we dedicate to him the beft. Domitian would not have his image carved in wood or iron, but in gold. God will have the beil we have, golden fervices.

(5. We do God's will as the angeii in heaven, when we do it readily and fwiftly : the angels do not diipute or reafon the cafe, but as foon as they have their charge and coinrniffion from God ; they immediately obey : and, to Ihew how ready they are to execute God's will, the cherubims reprelenting the angels, are defcribed with wings, to fhew how fvvift and forward they are in their obedience, it is as if they had wings, Dan. ix. 21.

• The man Gabriel (that was an angel) being caufed to fly fwiftly.' Thus fliould we do God's will as the angels ; as foon as ever God fpeaks the word, we fliould be ambitious to obey : alas ! how long is it fometimes ere we can get leave of our hearts to s;o to a duty ? Chrift went more readily ad crucem, than we to the throne of grace ; how many difputes and excufes have we ? is this to do God's will as the angels in heaven do it ? O let us fliake off this back ward nefs to duty, as Paul fliook of the viper, Nefcit tarda moUiminaJ'piritus fancii gratia ; Zech. v. 9.

* I law two women, and the wind was in iheir wings.' Wings are fwift, but wind in the wings is great fsviftnefs ; fuch readi-iiefs (hould be in our obedience. As Peter, as foon aseverChrifi: commanded him to let down his net, at Chrift's word he pre-fently let down the net, and you know what fuccel's he had, Luke v. 4. It was prophefied of fuch as were brought home to Chrift, Pf. xviii. 44. * As foon as they hear of me, they ftiall obey me.'

7. We do God's will as the angels in heaven, when we do it conftantly ; the angels are never weary of doing God's will, they ferve God day and night, Rev. vii. 17. thus muft we imitate the angels, Pf. cvi. 3. * Bleffed is he that doth righteoulhefs at all times.' Conftancy crowns obedience. Non cepfJJ'c, fed perferriffe, virtuiis cjt, Cypr. Our obedience mull be like the fire of the altar, which was continually kept burning, Lev. vi. 13. Hypocrites foon give over doing God's will; like the Chryfolitc which is of a golden colour, in the morning it is very

bright to look dn, but towards evening it grows dull; and hath loll its fplendor. We (hould continue in doing God's will, be-caufe of that great lofs tliat will bet'al us it' we give over doing God's will.

(1.) A lofs of honour, Rev. iii. 11. * That no man take thy crown ;' implying, if the church of Philadelphia left otfher obedience, (he would lofe her crown, viz. her honour and reputation. Apoftacy creates infamy : Judas came from an apoiile to be a traitor, it was a diihonour.

(2.) If we give over our obedience it is a lofs of all that hath been already done; as if one Qiould work in fiiver, and then pick out all the Hitches. All a man's prayers are loft, all the labbaths he hath kept are loft, he doth unravel all his good works, Ezek. xviii. '24. * All his righteoufnel's that he hath <lone (hall not be mentioried.' He undoesall he hath done; as if one draws a curious pi6lure with the pencil, and then come with his fpunge and wipe out all again.

(3.) A lofs of the foul and happinefs: we were in a fair way for heaven, but, by leaving off' doing God's will, we mifs the excellent glory, and are plunged deeper in damnation, S Pet. ii. 21. ' It had been better not to have known the way of righteoufnefs, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment.* Therefore let us continue in doing God's will; conltancy fets the crown upon the head of obedience. Thus you fee how we are to do God's will acceptably.

U/e I. Branch 1. See hence our impotency, we have no innate power to do God's will; what need we pray ' Thy will be done,' if we have power of ourfelves to do it ? 1 wonder free-willers pray this petition.

^ 2. Branch. If we are to do God's will on earth, as it is done by the angels in heaven, fee then the folly of thole who go by a wrong pattern ; they do as the moft of their neighbours do ; if they talk vain on the fabbath, they do but as their neighbours do ; if now and then they fwear an oath, it is the cuftom of their neighbours to do (b ; but we are to do God's will, as the angels in heaven : do the angels do fuch things ? We muft make the angels our patterns, and not our neighbours : if our neighbours do the devil's will, (hall we do fo too ? if our neighbours go to hell, (hall we go thither too for company ?

3. Branch. See here that which may make us long to be in heaven, then we (hall do God's will perfectly, as the angels do : alas, how defe6live are we in our obedience here ! how far do we fall (hort? We cannot write a copy of holinefs without blotting; our holy things are blemilhed, like the moon, which, when it (hines brighteft, hath a dark (pot in it; but in heaven we ftiall do God's will perfectly, as the angels in glory.

Ufe II. Of reproof.

Cc2

1 Branch. It reproves fuch as do not God's will: they have the knowledge of God's will, (knowledge they count an ornament) but though they know God's will, yei they do it not.

(I.) They know what God would have them avoid : they know they thould not fwear. Mat. v. 34. " Swear not at ail." Jer. xxiii. 10. * For this (in the land mourns.' Yet though they pray ' hallowed be thy name,' they profane it by Ihoot-ing oaths like chain-bullets againlt heaven : they know they fhouid abftain from fornication and uncleannefs, yet they cannot but bite at the devil's hook, if he bait it with flefh, .lode 7.

(2.) They know what God would have them praf'itiCe, but they '* leave undone thofe things which they ought to have done." They know it is the will of God they fiiould be true in their promiles, juft in their dealings, good in their relations; but they do not the will of God : they know they fhould read the Iciiptures, conl'ult with God's oracle ; but the Bible, like rufty armour, is hung up, and feldom ufed ; they look otlener upon a pack of cards than a Bible; they know their houles fliould he palejirw pietatiSf nur'eries of piety, yet have no face of religion in them; they do not perfume their houfes with prayer. What hypocrites are theie to kneel down in the church, and lift up their eyes to heaven, and fay, ' Thy will be done,' yet have no care at all to do God's will ? What is this but to hang out a flag of .defiance againlt heaven, and rebellion is as the fun of witchcraft.

2. Branch. It reproves thofe who do not God's will in a right acceptable manner.

(1.) They do not God's will entirely, all God's will : they will obey God in fome things, but not in others ; as if a fervaut fhould do fome of your work you let him about, but not the reft. Jehu deltroyed the idolatry of Baal, but let the golden calves of Jeroboam Hand, 2 Kings x. 30. Some will obferve the duties of the fecond table, but not of the fnft. Others make an high profeffion, as if their tongues have been touched with a coal from God's altar, but live idly, and out of a calling ; thefe the apoftle complains of, 2 Thefl". iii. 11. * We hear there are fome which walk among you diforderly, working not at all.' Living by faith, and living in a caliiug, muft go together : this is an evil thing, not to do all God's will.

(2.) They do not God's will ardently nor chearfully ; they do not put coals to the incenle ; they bring thek lacrifice, but not their heart: this is far from doing God's will as the angels; this lofeth the reward : how can God like this, to ferve him as if we ferved him not } How can God mind our duties, when we ourielves fcarce mind them ?

Ufe III. Of examination.

Let us examine all our adions, whether they are according

to God's will. The will of God is the rule and Oandard, it is the luu dial l»y which we muft let all our actions : he is no good workman, that doth not work by rule ; heran be no good Chril-tian who goes not according to the rule of God's will. Let us exauiine our actions whether they do quadrure, agree 'to the vvilL of God : are your I'peeches according to God's will ? are our words lavoury, being lealbned with grace ? is our apparel according to Go<rs will? I 'I'im. ii. 9. ' In hke manner, that women adorn themlelves with moded apparel ;' not wanton and gari(h to invite con)ers. Our diet, is it according to God's will? do we hold the golden bridle of temperance, and only take (b much as may rather fatisfy nature than Curfeit it ? Too much oil chokes the lamp. Is our wliole carriage and behaviour according to' Go<i's will ? are we patterns of prudence and piety ? do we keep up thecredit of religion, and (hine as lights in the world ? We pray ' Thy will be done' as it is in heaven;, are we like'our pattern ? would the angels do this if they were on earth ; would Jel'us Chrili do this ? This is to chrKlianize, this is to be faints of degrees, when we live our prayer, and our actions are the counter-pane of God's will.

Uj'e IV. Of exhortation.

Let us be doers of the will of God, * Thy will be done.*

1. It is our wifdoni to do Goii's will, D<,'ut. iv. (>. ♦ Keep and do thefe llatutes, for this is your wifdom.*

2. It is our lafety. Hath not mifery always attended the doing of our own will, and happineis the doing of God's will.^

(I.) Mifery hath always attended the doing of our own will. Our firft parents left God's will to fulfil their own, ' in eating the forbidden fruit;' and what came of it? The apple had a bitter core in it, thev Durchai<.-d a curie for themfelves and all their pollerity. King Saul left God's will to do his own ; he I'pares A gag, and the bell oi ihe Iheep, and what was the ilfue, but the lols of his kingdom?

(2.) Happineis hath always attended the doing of God's will. Joleph obeyed God's will, in refuling the embraces of his mil-trels; and was not tins h.is preferment? God railed him to be the fecond man in the kingdom. Daniel did God's will contrary to the king's decree ; he bowed I)is knee in prayer to God, and did not God make ail Perfia bow their knees tf» Daniel?

(3.) The way to l>iive our will, is to do Gi>J's will. Would not we Ijave a bkUing in oim' ellate? »';en let us do God's will, Deut. xxviii. 1, 3. * If thou (halt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to do all his conimandments, the Lord thy God will let thee on \wj}\ above ail the nations of the earth ; blell'ed llialt thou be in the city, and bleli'ed llialt IIk»u be in the field.* ^"his is the vvay to have a good harvt-ft. Would we have a blefling in our fouls? then let us do God's will, Jer. vii. '^J.

* Obey my voice, and I will be your God ;' I will entail my-felf upon you, as an everiafting portion ; my grace (hall be yours to fanclify you, my mercy fliall be yours to lave you. You fee you lol'e nothing; by doing God's will, this is the way to have your Will; let God have his will in being obeyed, and you Ihall have your will in being faved.

Qu. Hoio Oiall ice come to do God^s will aright 9 Anf. 1. Get found knowledge; we mull know God's will belore we can do it; knowledge is the eye to dire6l the foot of obedience. The papirts make ignorance the mother of devotion, but Chrift makes ignorance the mother of error, Matth. xxii. 2y. ' Ye err, not knowing the fcripture.* We mull know God's will before we can do it aright. AfFe6lion without knowledge, is like a horfe full of mettle, but his eyes are out.

2. If we would do God's will aright, let us labour for felf-denial; unlefs we deny our own will, we (hall never do God's will; God's will and ours are like the wind and tide when they are contrary ; God wills one thing, we will another ; God calls us to be crugified to the world ; by nature we love ihe world ; God calls us to forgive our enemies, by nature we bear malice in our hearts : God's will and ours are contrary, like the wind and tide; and till we can crofs our own will, we Ihall never fulfil God's.

3. Let us get humble hearts : pride is the fpring of difobedi-ence, Exod. v. 2. * Who is the Lord, that I (hould obey his voice?' A proud man thinks it below him to Hoop to God's will. Be humble; the humble foul faith, * Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?* He puts as it were, a blank paper into God's hand ; and bids him write what he will, he will fub-fcribe to it.

4. Beg grace and ftrength of God to do his will, Pf. cxliii. 10. * Teach me to do thy will:' as if David had faid, Lord, I need not be taught to do my own will, I can do it fall enough, but teach me to do thy will. And that which may add wings to prayer, is God's gracious promife, * I will put my Spirit within you, and caufe you to walk in my ftatutes;' Ezek. xxxvi. 27. If the loadftone draw the iron, it is not hard for the iron to move ; if God's Spirit enable, it will not be hard, but rather delightful to do God's will.

II. In this petition, ' Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,' we pray *' Tliat we may have grace to fubmit to God's will patiently in what he infli6ls." The text is to be underftood as well of futfering God's will as of doing it; fo Maldonet, and the moil judicious interpreters. I fliall fpeak now of patient lubmiffion to God's will in whatever he inflidts,

* thy will be done.' This Ihould be the temper of a good Chrif-

tian, when he is under any didiftrous providence, to lie quietly

at God's feet, and lay, * thy will be done.'

Qu. 1. What this patient fahrniJ[fion to God's will is not f Anf. There is Ibmething looks like patience which is not ;

namely, when a man bears a thing becaul'e he cannot help it;

he takes affliaion as his fate and deftiny, therefore he endures

that quietly which he cannot avoid ; this is rather neceffity than

patience.

Qu. 2. Wliat it is may fiand loith patient fuhmijfion to God's

will 9

Avf. 1. A Chriftian may be fenfible of aftliaion, yet patiently fubmit to God's will, we ought not to be Stoics, inlen-fible and unconcerned with God's dealings; like the fons of Deucalion, who (as the Poets fay) were begotten of a ftone. Chrirt was fenfible when he fvveat great drops of blood, but there was fubmiliion to God's will, Mat. xxvi. 39. ' Never-thelefs, not as I will, but as thou wilt.' We are bid to humble ourfelves under God's hand, i Pet. v. 6. which we cannot do unlefs we are fenfible of it.

2. A Chriftian may weep under an afflidlion, yet patiently fubmit to God's will. God allows tears ; it is a fin to be 'without natural atfeaion,* Rom. i. 31. Grace makes the heart \.qw<\q'[ ; ftrangulate inclufus dolor; weeping gives vent to for-row, exnlelur lachrymis dolor. Jofeph wept over his dead father; Job, when he had fo much ill news broughthim at once, rent his mantle, an expreflion of grief, but did not tear his hair in anger; only worldly grief mull not be immoderate ; a vein may bleed too much; the water rifeth too high when it overflows the banks.

3. A Chriftian may complain in his affliction, yet be fub-milfiveto God's will, Plal. cxlii. 2. * I cried to the Lord with my voice, I poured out my complaint before him.' We may (being under opprefiion) tell God how it is with us, and defire him to write down our injuries. Shall not the child complain to his father when he is wronged ? An holy complaint may Hand with patient fubmiflion to God's will; but, though we may complain to.God, we rnuft not complain of God.

Qu. 3. What is it cannot Jtand with patient JhhmiJJion to God's will?

Anf. 1. Difcontentednefs with providence. Difcontent hath a mixture of grief and anger in it, and, both thefe, mult needs raife a itorm of paflion in the foul. God having touched the apple of our eye, and fmitten us in that we loved, we are touchy and fullen, and God fljall not have a good look from us. Gen. iv. 6. * Why art thou wroth?' Likca fuUen bird, thatis angry, and beats herfelf againft the cage.

9. Murmuring cannot Qand with fubmifTinn fo God's will? niurmuring is the height of impatience, it is a kind of mutiny in the ibul againlt God, Numb. xxi. 5. ' The people fpake againftGod.* When a cloud of Ibrrow is gathered in the foul, and this cloud doth not only drop into tears, but out of this cloud comes hail-ftoues, murmuring words a^^inft God, this is far from patient fubmilfion to God's will. When water is hot the Icum boils up; when the heart is heated with anger asainft God, then this fcum boils up. Murmuring is very evil; it fprings, 1. From pride: men think they have deCerved better at God's hand ; and, when they begin to fwell they fpit poifbn. 9. Diftrull; men believe not that God can make a treacle of poifon, bring good out of all their troubles, therefore they murmur, Plal. cvi. 24. ' They believed not his word, but murmured.' Men murmur at God's providences, becaufe they diftrutt bis promil'es ; God hath much ado to bear this (in, Numb. xiv. ^7' This is far fron» fubmifliou to God's will.

3. Dilcompofednefs of fpirit cannot ibind with quiet fub-inillion to God's will. When a man faith, I am lb encom-|)alfed with trouble, that I know not how to get out: head and heart are fo taken up, that a perfon is not fit to pray. Wiien the ftrings of a lute are fnarlcd, the lute can make no good rnulic; (b, when a Chriilian's i'pirits are perplexed and dil-turbed, he cannot make melody in his heart to the Lord. To be under a difcotripofure of mind, is as when an army is routed, one runs this way, and another that, the arnty is put into dif-order; fo, when a Chriftian is in an hurry of mind, liis thoughts run up and down diftracted, as if he were undone ; this cannot Hand with patient fubmiffion to God's will.

4. Selt-apology cannot iland with fubminion to God's will; inliead of being humbled under God's hand, a perfon joitifies himfelf. A proud (inner itands upon his own defence, and is ready toaccufeGod of unrighteoufnels, which is, as if we fhould tax the fun with darknefs : this is far frorn fubmiOTion to God'« will. God fntote Jonah's gourd, and he (lands upon his own vindication, Jonah iv. {). * 1 do well to be angry to the death.* What, to be angry with God ! and to juftify this, ' 1 do well to be angry !' this was (trange to come irom a prophet, and was far from this prayer, Chrift hath taught us, ' Thy will be done.'

Qu. 4. What this patient fuhwijfion to God's mil is ?

Anf. It is a gracious frame of Ibul, whereby a Chriftian is content to be at God's difpoilil, and doth arquiefce in his wif-dom, 1 Sam. iii. 18. ' It is the Lord, let him do what (eemelh luui good.' A6ts xxi. 14. * The will of the Lord be done.* That I may further illullrate this, I (hall (hew you wherein

this fubmiffion to the will of God Hes; it lies chiefly in three things.

(1.) In acknowledging God's hand ; feeing God in the af-fIi6tion, Job v. o\ ' Aftli6lion arifeth not out of the duft;* it comes not by chance. Job did eye God in all that befel him. Job i.'2'2. • The Lord hath taken away:' He complains not of the Chaldeans or the influence of the planets ; he looks beyond fecond caufes, he fees God in the affli6tion, ' The Lord hath taken away.' There can be no fubmilFiop to God's will, till there be an acknowledging of God's hand.

(2.) Patient" fubmiflion to God's will lies in our juftifying of God, 'Pfal. xxii. 2. * O my God, I cry unto thee, yet thou heareft not, thou turneft; a deaf ear to me in my affliition ;' ver. 3. * But thou art holy.' God is holy and Jull, not only when he punilheth the wicked, but when he affli6ls the righteous, Tho' God put wormwood in our cup, yet we vindicate God, and proclaim his righteoulhefs. As Mauritius the emperor, when he faw his fon flain before his eyes, jnjiiis es, Domine^ righteous art thou, O Lord, in all thy ways. We juilify God, and confefs he puniflieih us lefs than we deferve, Ezra ix. 13.

(3.) Patient lubmilfion to God's will lies in the accepting of the punifliment. Lev. xxvi. 41. * And they then accept of the punilhment of their iniquity.' i\.ccepting the punifliment: that is, taking all that God doth in good part. He who accepts of the punifliment, (arth, ' good is the rod of the Lord ;* he kiffeth the rod, yea, blefleth God that he would ufe fuch a merciful feverity, rather to affli6t him than to lo(e him. This is patient fubmiflion to God's will.

This patient fubmiflion to God's will in afHi6lion fliews a great deal of wifdom and piety. The flvill of a pilot is moll dif-cerned in a ftorm, and a Chriftian's grace in the florm of af-flicl;ion; and indeed this fubmillion to God's will is molt re-quifite for us while we live here in this lower region. Li heaven there will be no need of patience more than there is need of the ftar-light when the fun fliines. In heaven tht^re will be all joy, and what need of patience then ? It requires no patience to wear a crown of gold ; but while we live here in a valley of tears, there needs patient fubmiflion to God's will, Heb. x. 36.

* Ye have need of patience.'

1. The Lord fometimes lays heavy affliction upon us, Pfal. xxxviii. 2. • Thy hand prefleth me fore.* The word in the original for * aflli6led,' fignifies to be * meltsd.' God fometimes melts his people in a furnace.

2. God fometimes lays divers affliij^ions upon us. Job ix. 17.

* He multiplies my wounds.* God flioots divers forts of arrows :

(1.) Sometimes God affli<5ts with poverty. The widow had Vol. II. No. 17. Dd

SIO OF THE THIRD P ETITION

nothing left her fave a pot of oil, 1 Kings xvii. 12. Poverty is a great temptation. To have an eftate almoft reduced to nothing, is hard to flelh and blood, Ruth i. 20. * Call me not Naomi, but Marah ; I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty.* This expofeth to contempt; when the prodigal was poor, his brother was afliamed to own him, Luke XV. 30. ' This thy fon ;' he faid not, this my brother, but this thy fon ; he fcorned to call him brother. When the deer is fhot and bleeds, the reft of the herd pufh it away ; when God (hoots the arrow of poverty at one, others are ready to pufh him away. When Terence was grown poor, his friend Scipio caft him olf. Themufes (Jupiter's daughters) the poets feign, had no fuitors, becaufe they wanted a dowry.

(2.) God fometimes affli6ls with reproach. Such as have the light of grace fliining in them, yet may be eclipled in their name. The primitive Chrifiians were reproached as if they were guilty of inceft, faith Tertullian. Luther was called a trumpeter of rebellion. David calls reproach an heart-breaking, PCal. Ixix. 20. this God lets his dear faints be oft exercifed with. Dirt may be caft upon a pearl, thofe names may be blotted, which are written in the book of life. Sincerity, though it fliields from hell, yet not from flander.

(3.) God fometimes affli6ls with the lofs of dear relations, Ezek. xxiv. 1(5. ' Son of man, behold I take away from thee the defire of thine eyes with a ftroke.' This is like pulling away a limb from the body. He takes away an holy child ; Jacob's life was bound up in Benjamin, Gen. xliv. 30. and that which puts teeth into the crols, and is worfe than the lofs of children, is, when they are continued as living croifes; where the parents expedled honey, there to have wormwood. W^hat greater cut to a godly parent, than a child who dilclaims bis father's God ; a corrofive applied to the body may do well, but a bad child is a corrofive to the heart. Such an undutiful fon had David, whoconlpired treafon, and would not only have taken away his father's crown, but his life.

(4.) God fometimes infli6ls with infirmnefs of body; fcarce a well day. Sicknels takes away the comfort of life, and n)akes one in deaths oft. Thus God tries his people with various af-flidions, lb that there is need of patience to fubmit to God's will. He who hath divers bullets ftiot at him needs armour ; when divers afflictions affault, we need patience as armour of proof.

3. God fometimes lets the affli6lion continue long, Pfal. Ixxiv. 9. As it is with difeafes, there are fome chronical, that linger and hang about the body feveral years together ; fo it is with aftli6tion, the Lord is pleafed to exercile many of his precious ones with chronical affli6tion, fuch as lie upon them a

long time: So that in all thefe cafes we need patience and f'ub-milfivenefs of Ipirit to God's will.

U/'e I. It reproves fuch as have not yet learned this part of the Lord's prayer, * Thy will be done ;' they have only laid it, but not learned it. If things be notaccording to their mind, if the wind of providence crolfeth the tide of their will, they are dilcontented and querulous. Where is now fubmidion of will to God ? To be difpleafed with God, if things do not pleafe us, is this to lie at God's feet and acquiefce in his will? This is a very bad temper of Spirit, and God may juilly punifh us by letting us have our will. Rachel cried out, * give me children or 1 die,' Gen. xxx. I. God let her have a child, but it coll her her life, Gen. xxxv. 8. Ifrael not content with manna (angel's food) they mull have quails to their manna, God puniHied them by letting them have their will, Numb. xi. 31. * There went forth a wind from the Lord and brought quails.* ver. 33. ' And while the tlelh was yet between their teeth, the wrath of the Lord was kindled againll them, and the Lorcl fmote them with a great plague.' They had better been without their quails, than had fuch four fauce to them. Many have im-poFtunately dehred the life of a child, and could not bring their will to God's, to be content to part with it : and the Lord hath punifhed them by letting them have their will ; the child hath lived and been a burden to them. Seeing their.wills croffed God, their child (hall crofs them.

Ufe II. Of exhortation. Let us be exhorted, whatever troubles God doth exercile us with, cequo aniino feire, to refio-a up our wills to God, and fay, * Thy will be done.' Which°is fitteft, that God (hould bring his will to ours, or we bring our will to his ? Say, as Eli, I Sam. iii. 18. * It is the Lord, let him do what feemeth him good :' and as David, 2 Sam. xv. 26. * Behold here am I, let him do to me as feemeth good unto him.' It was the faying of Harpukrs, placit mihiquod regi placet that pleafeth me which pleafeth the king : fo Ihould we fay, that which pleafeth God pleafeth us, ' Thy will be done.' Some have not yet learned this art of fubmidion to God ; and truly he who wants patience in afflidion, is like a foldier in battle who wants armour.

Qu. When do we not as we ovght,fuhmitto God's will in afjlic' tion ? "^

Afif. (I.) When we have hard thoughts of God, and our hearts begin to fwell againft him.

2. When we are fo troubled at our prefent affliction, that we are unfit for duty. We can mourn as doves, but not pray or praife God. We are fo difcompoled, that we are not fit to

Dd 2

hearken to any good counfel, Exod. vi. 9. * They hearkened not to Mofes for angiiifh of fpirit.' Ifrael was fo full of grief under their prefenl burdens, that they minded not what Moles faid, though he came with a meffage from God to them ; • They hearkened not to Mofes for anguiili of fpirit.'

S, We do not fubmit as we ought to God's will, when we labour to break loofe from afili6lion by indire6t means. Many, to rid themfelves out of trouble, run themfelves into fin ; when God hath bound them with thecordsof affli6lion, they go to the devil to loofen their bands. Better is it to Hay in affliction, than to fin ourfelves out of affli6fion. O let us learn to ftoop to God's will in all afllidlive providences.

Qu. But how fliall we bring our/elves to this Chrijlian temper in all occurrences of providence, patienthf to acquiefce in God's will, and fay t * thy icill he done T We know not ivhat trials perfonal or national we may be exercifed with. Wefeem noiv to be under the planet Saturn, which hath a malignant afpect. Our flip is fleered fo firangely, that ice are in danger, on one hand, ofthefands, on the other hand, of the rocks. Ifaffiiction comes, how fhall ice keep a Chriftian decorum f Howfiall we bear things •with equanimity of mind, and fay, ' thy will he done ?' • Anf. The meajns for a quiet refignation to God's will in affliction are,

1. Judicious confideration, Eccl. vii. 14. * In the day of adverfity confider.* When any thing burdens us, or runscrofs to our defires, did we but fit down and confider, and weigh things in the balance of judgment, it would much quiet our minds, and fubje6t our wills to God ; * In the day of adverfity confider.' Confideration would be as David's harp, to charm down the evil fpirit of frowardnefs and difcontent. Qu. But what fiall we conjider 9

Anf. That which may make us fubmit to God in affli6lion, and fay, ' thy will be done,' is,

1. To confider, that the prefent fl;ate of life is fubje6l to afflictions, as a feaman's life is fubjeCt to Horms ;/erre quam fortem omnes patiuntur nemo recufat: Job v. 7. * Man is born to trouble ; he is heir apparent to it; he comes into the world with a cry, and goes out with a groan.' Ea lege natifumus. The world is a place where much wormwood grows. Lam. iii. 15. * He hath filled me with bitternefs,' Heb. with bitter-Tiefles; he hath made me drunk with wormwood. Troubles arife like fparks out of a furnace. Affliclions-are fome of the thorns which the earth after the curie brings forth. We may as well think to fi^op the chariot of the fun when it is in fvvift motion, as put a flop to trouble : the confideration of this, our life is expofed to eclipfes and fufferings, ftiould make us fay

IN THE lord's prayer. gl3

with patience, * thy will be done.' Shall a mariner be angry that he meets with a llorni at lea?

2. Conlideration, God hath a fpecial hand in thedifpofal of all occurences that fall out. Job eyed God in the affliction, chap. i. 21. • The Lord hath taken away.' He doth not complain of the Sabeans, or the influences of the planets ; he looked beyond all fecond caufes, he law God in the affliction, and that made liiui cheerfully fubmit, * bleffed be the name of the Lord.' And Chrilt looked beyond Judas and ^ilate, he looked to God's determinate counfel in delivering him up to be crucified, A6ls iv. 27. this made him lay. Mat. xxvi. 3^. * Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt.' It is vain to quarrel with inflruments : wicked men are but a rod in God's hand, Ifa. x. 5. * O Affyrian, the rod of my anger.' Whoever brings an affliction, God lends it : the conlideration of this would make us fay, * thy will be done ;' what God doth, he fees a reafon for. We read of a wheel within a wheel, Ezek. i. 15. The outward wheel, which turns all, is providence ; the wheel within this wheel, is God's decree; this believed, would rock the heart quiet. Shall we mutiny at that which God doth ? We may as well quarrel with the works of creation, as the works of providence.

3. Confideration, which may make us humbly fubmit to God's will, is, that there is a necefifity of affliction, 1 Pet. i. 6. * (if need be) ye are in heavinefs.' It is needful fome things be kept in brine : affli6lioiis are needful upon leveral accounts.

(I.) To keep us humble. Oft-times there is no other way to have the heart low, but by being brought low, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12. * When Manalieh was in afflidtion he humbled himfelf greatly.' Corrections are corrofives to eat out the proud flefh. Lam. iii. 19. * Remembering my mllery, the wormwood and the gall, my foul is troubled in me.'

(2.) It is necelikry that there (hould be affliction ; for if God did not fomeiimes bring us into affliction, how could his power be feen in bringing us out ? Had not Ifrael been in the Egyptian-furnace, God had loft his glory in their deliverance.

(3.) If there were no affliction, then many parts of fcripture could not be fulfilled. God hath promifed to help us to bear affliction, Pf. xxxvii. 24, 39. how could we experience God's fupporting us in trouble, if we did not fometimeb meet with it ? God hath promifed to give us joy in affliction, John xvi. 20. how could we tafie this honey of joy, if we were not fometimes in affli(5lion ? Again, God hath promifed to wipe away tears from our eyes, Ifa. xxv. 8. how could God wipe away our tears in heaven, if we never (hed any ? So that, in feveral re-fpeds, there is an ablblute necelfity that we Ihould meet with

SI4 OF THE THIRD PETITION

affliction ; and, (hall not we quietly fubmit ? and fay. Lord, I fee there is a necelTity of it ; * thy will be done.'

4. Confideration, to make us fubmit to God's willin afiliAion, is, that whatever we feel, it is nothing but what we have brought upon ourfelves ; we put a rod into God's hand tochaf-tife us. Chrillian, God lays thy crofs on thee, but it is of thy own making. If a man's field be full of tares, it is nothing but what he hath fown in it: if thou reaped a bitter crop of affliction, it is nothing but what thou thyfelf hafl fown. The cords that pinch thee are of thy own twilling ; meme adfum que feci. If children will eat green fruit, they may thank themfelves if they are (ick ; if we eat the forbidden fruit, no wontler to feel it gripe. Sin is the Trojan horfe, that lands an army of afflictions upon us, Jer. iv. 16. * A voice publifheth affli6tion :' ver. 18. * Thy way and thy doings have procured thefe things unto thee; this is thy wickednefs.* If we by fin run ourfelves into arrears with God, no wonder if he fet affliction as a ferjeant oq our back to arreft us. This may make us patiently fubmit to God in af^idion, and fay, * Thy will be done.' We have no cauie to complain of God, it is nothing but what our fins have merited, Jer. ii. 17. 'Haftnotthou procured this unto thyfelf?' The crofs, though it be of God's laying, it is of our own making; fay then, as Micah vii, 9. • I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becaufe I have finned againfl him.*

6. Confideration, to cauie fubminion to God's will in afBic-tion, God is now about to make an experiment, he doth it to prove and try us, Pf. Ixvi. 10. * Thou, O God haft tried us as lilver is tried, thou laidft affli6lion upon our loins.' If there were no affiiclion, how fliould God have opportunity to try men? Hypocrites can fail in a pleafure boat, ferve God in profperity; but when we can keep clofe to God in times of danger, when we can truft God when we have no pawn, and love God when we have no fmile, here is the trial of fincerity ! this may make us fay, • thy will be done.' God is only trying us ; what hurt is in that ? What is the gold worfe of being tried ?

G. Confideration, to make us fubmit to God in afHi6lion, and fay, ' thy will be done,' is, that in all our crolfes God hath a kindnefs for us. As there-was no night fo dark, but Ifrael had a pillar of fire to give light; fo there is no condition fo cloudy, but we may fee that which gives light of comfort: David would fing of mercy and judgment, Pf. ci. 1. This may make our wills cheerfully fubmit to God's to confider in every path of providence we iu:iy fee a foot-ftep of kindnefs.

Qu. What kindnefs is there in afflidlionywhen Godfeems mojl unkind ?

Anf. 1. There is kindnefs in afflidion, in that there is love in it. God's rod, and God's love may fland together, Heb.

IN THE lord's prayer. gl5

xii. 6. * Whom the Lord loveth he chaftiieth :' whom he cock-ereth above the reft; fo Mercer. As Abraham, when he lift up his hand to facrifice ICaac, loved him ; fo when God aftli<5ls his people, and feems to facrifice their outward comforts, yet he loves them : the hulbandman loves his vine, when he cuts it and makes it bleed ; and, Ihall not we fubmit to God ? fhall we quarrel with that which hath kindnefs in it, which comes ia love? The chirurgeon binds the patient, and lanceth him, but no wife man will quarrel with the chirurgeon, it is in love, and in order to a cure.

2. There is kindnefs in afili6lion, in that God deals with us now as children, Heb. xii. 7« ' If you endure chaftening, God deals with you as fons;' God hath one Son without fin, but no fon without ftripes. Affliction is a badge of adoption; it is Dei/igilhiniy faith TertuHian, it is God's leal by which he marks us for his own. When Munfter, that holy man, lay fick, his friends afked him how he did } He pointed to his fores, faying, Haefunt gemmae Dei^ thefe are the jewels with which God decks his children. Shall not we then fay, * thy will be done ?* Lord, there is kindnefs in the crofs, thou ufeft us as children. The rod of difcipline is to fit us for the inheritance.

3. There is kindnefs, that God hath, in all our affli6lions, left us a promife ; in the moil cloudy providences, the promife appears as a rain-bow in the cloud.

(1.) Then we fhall have God's promife with us, Pf. xci. 15. * I will be with him in trouble.' It cannot be ill with that man with whom God is ; I will be with him, i. e. to fupport, fanc-tify, fweeten ; God's prefence is a fweetening ingredient into every affiliation. I had rather be in prifon, and have God's presence, than be in a palace, and want it.

•{2.) Promife, that he will lay no more upon us than he will enable us to bear, 1 Cor. x. 13. God will not try us beyond our llrength ; either God will make the yoke lighter, or our faith ftronger : may not this make us fubmit our wills to God, when aftliclions have fo much kindnefs in them ? In all our trials, God hath left us promiles, which are like manna in the vvilder-ncfs.

4. This is great kindnefs, that all the troubles that befal us fhall be for our profit, Heb. xii. 10. * He for our profit.*

Qu. But icliat profit is in affli6iion ?

Anf. 1. Affli6tions are dilciplinary, they teach us, SchnJa cruciSy Scliola lucis. Many pfalms have this infeription : Maj-chil, a pfalm giving inftru6tion : afTliclion may have this infeription upon it, Ma/cfiii, anaflli6lion giving in(lru6tion, Micah vi. 9. * Hear ye the rod.' Luther faith, he could never rightly underftand fome of the plalms, till he was in afflidiion, Judges viii. 10". • Gideon took thorns of the wildernefs, and briars, and

with them he taught the men of Succoth :' God by the thorns and briars of aftlidlion teacheth us.

(1.') Affli6lion fhevvs us more of our own heart than ever. Water in a glafs-vial looks clear; but fet it on the fire, and the fcum boils up ; when Qod fets us upon the tire, then we fee that corruption boils up which we did not difcern before. Sharp, af-flidlions are to the foul as a foakingrain to the houfes, we know not that there arefuch holes in the houfe, till the fhower comes, and then we fee it drop down here and there ; fo, we before did not know that there were fuch unmortified lufts in the foul, till the ftorm of affliftion comes, then we fpy unbelief, impatience, carnal fear, we fee it drop down in many places. Thus affliction is a facred collyriumy it clears our eye fight; the rod gives wifdom.

(2.) Affliction brings thofe fins to remembrance, which before we buried in the grave of forgetfulnefs. Jofeph'sbrethren, for twenty years together, were not at all troubled for their fin v in felling their brother; but when they came into Egypt, and began to be in llraits, then their fin in felling their brother came into their remembrance, and their hearts did fmite them. Gen. xlii. 21. ' They faid one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our brother.' When a man is in difi;rel's, now his fin comes frefli into his mind ; confcience makes a rehearfal fer-mon of all the evils which have pafied in his life; now his ex-pence of precious time, his iabbalh-breaking, his flighting of the word, come into his remembrance, and he g'oes out with Peter and weeps bitterly. Thus the rod gives wifdom, it fhews the hidden evil of the heart, and brings former fins to remembrance.

2. There is profit in afflidlion, as it quicken? a fpirit of prayer, premuntur jufti ut prejji clament. Jonah was afleep in the fliip, but at prayer in the whale's belly. Perhaps, in a time of health and profperity, we prayed in a cold and formal manner, we put no coals to the incenie, we did fcarce mind our own prayers, and how fliould God mind fhem ? Now, God fends forne crofs or other to make us ftir up ourfelves to take hold of God : when Jacob was in fear of his life by his brother, then he wreftles with God and weeps in prayer, and would not leave God till he blefied him, Hof. xii. 4. It is with many of God's children, as with thofe who formerly had the fweating ficknefs in this land, it was a fleepy difeafe, if they flept they died ; therefore to keep them waking, they were fmitten with rofe-mary branches ; fo, the Lord ufeth afl[li6tion as a rofemary branch to keep us from fleeping, and to awaken a fpirit of prayer, Ifa. xxvi. 16. ' They poured out a prayer, when thy chaftening hand was upon them ;' now their prayer pierced the heavens; in times of trouble we pray feelingly, and we never

pray Co fervently as when we pray feelingly ; and, is not this for our profit?

3. Affli6lion is for our profit, as it is a means to expe6torate , and purge out our fins, Ifa. xxvii. g. ♦ By this therefore (hall

the Iniquity of Jacob be purged.' Afflidion is God's phyfic to expel the noxious humour, it cures the impofthume of pride, the fever of Juft; and, is not this for our profit ? Affliction is God's file to fetch off our rufl:, his flail to threfti off our hufks : the water of affliction is not to drown us, but to wafh ofiour I'pots.

4. To be under the black rod, is profitable, in that hereby we grow more lierious, and are more careful to clear our evidences for heaven : in times of profperity, when the rock poured out rivers of oil, Job xxix. 6. we were carelefs in getting, at leaft clearing our title to glory. H^d many no better evidences for tiieir land, than they have for their falvatioii, they were but in an ill cafe ; but when an hour of trouble comes, we begin to look after our fpiritual evidences, and fee how things fland between God and our fouls ; and, is it not for our profit to fee our intereft in Chrift more cleared than ever }

5. Afiiiction is for our profit, as it is a means to take us more off from the world; the world oft proves not only a fpider's web, but a cockatrice egg : pernicious worldly thiiiQs are great inchantments ; they are retinacukifpei, Tertull. They hinder us in our paffage to heaven. If a clock beoverwound, itflands itill ; fb, when the heart is wound up too much to the world, it flands fiill to heavenly things : Affli6tion founds a retreat to call us off the immoderate purfuit of earthly things : when things are frozen and congealed together, the only way to fe-parate them, is by fire ; fb, when the heart and the world are congealed together, God hath no better way to feparate them than by the fire of affliction.

6'. Affliction is for our profit, as it is a refiner ; it works us to further degrees of fandity, Heb. xii. 10. ' He for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holinefs.' The veifels of mercy are the brighter for fcouring; you pour water on yuur linen when you would whiten it ; God pours the water of afflidion upon us, to lay our fouls a-whitening. The leaves of the fig-tree and root are bitter, but the fruit is fweet.: afflictions are in themfelves bitter, but they bring forth the fweet fruits of righteouiuefs, Heb. xii. ll. This mav make us fub-mit to God and fay, * Thy will be done ;' there's kindnefs in afflidion, it is for our fpiritual profit.

7. There's kindnefs in iiffli6tion, in that there is no condition

fo bad, but it might be worfe ; when it is du{l<ini it might be

darker ; God doth not nuke our crofs fo heavy as he might,

he doth not ftir up all his anger, Pf Ixxviii. '38. He doth

Vol. II. Nu. 17. Ee

not put fo many nails in our yoke, fo much wormwood in our cup as he might. Doth God chaftife thy body ? He might torture thy confcience. Doth he cut thee (hort ? He might cut thee oft"; the Lord might make our chains heavier. Is it a burning fever ? It might have -been the burning lake : Doth God ufe the pruning knife to lop thee ? he might bring his axe to hew thee down, Ezek. xlvii. 3. * The waters were up to the ancles.' Do the waters of afflidtinn come up to the ancles ? God might make them rife higher ; nay, he might drown thee in the waters. This may make us fubmit quietly, and fay, * Thy will be done,* becaufe there is fo much kindnefs in it; whereas God ufeth the rod, he might ufe the fcorpion.

8. There is kindnefs in affli6lion, in that your cafe is not fo bad as others ; they are always upon the rack, they fpend their years vvitli fighing, Pf. xxxi. 10. Have you a gentle fit of the ague ? Others cry out of the llone and ftrangulion : Do you bear the wrath of men ? Others bear the wrath of God : you have but a fingle trial, others have them twilled together : God flioots but one arrow at you, he (hoots a (hower of arrows at others : is there not kindnefs in all this ? We are apt to fay, never any fuffered as we : Was it not worfe with Lazarus, who was fo full of fores, that the dogs took pity on him, and licked his fores ? Nay, was it .not worfe with Chrift, who lived poor, and died curfed ? May not this caufe us to fay ' thy will be done ?' There is kindnefs in it, that God deals not fo feverely with us as with others.

9. There is kindnefs in affliction, in that (if we belong to God) it is all the hell we fliall have. Some have two hells, they futferin their body a»id confcience ; here is one hell, and another hell is to come, unquenchable fire* Judas had two bells, but a child of God hath but one hell. Lazarus had all his hell here ; he was full of fores, but had a convoy of angels to carry him to heaven when he died. Say then, Lo, if this be the word I fliall have, if this be all my hell, I will patiently acquiefce. * Thy will be done.'

10. There is kindnefs, in that God gives gracious fupports in affli6lion ; if hellrikes with one hand, he will fupport with the other, Deut. xxxiii. Q7. * Underneath are the everlafting arms.' There is not the leaft trial, but if God would defert us, and not afiTdl us with his grace, we fhould fink under it : the frown of a great man, the fear of reproach ; Peter was frighted at the voice of a maid, Matt. xxvi. 69. O therefore what mercy is it to have Chriil ilrengthen us, and as it were bear the heavieft part of the crofs with us. One faid, I have no raviOiing joys in my ficknefs, but, Iblefs God, I have fweet fupports : and fliould not this caufe fubmiffion to God's will, and make us fay, Lo, if thou art fo kind as to bear us up in

affli6^ion, that we do not taint, put us into whatwine-prefs thou pleafeft, ' Thy will be done.'

11. There is Uindnefs in afilidion, in that it is preventive. (1.) God by this ftroke ot his would prevent fome fin:

• Paul's thorn in the flelh,' was to prevent his being hfted up in pride, 2 Cor. xii. 7. As affli6lion is Ibmetimes fent for thy punifhing of fin, fo Ibmetimes for the preventing of fin. Prosperity expofeih to much evil ; it is hard to carry a full cup without fpilling, and a full efiate without finning. God's people know not how much they are beholden to their atHidlion, they might have fallen into fome fcandal, had not God fat an hedge of thorns in their way to ftop them : what kindnefs is this ? God lets us fall into fufferings, to prevent falling into fnares : fay then, Lord, do as it feems good in thy figiit, * Thy will be done.'

(2.) God by affli6lion would prevent damnation, 1 Cor. xi. 32. * We are corre6ted in the world, that we may not be condemned with the world.' A man by falling into the briars, is faved from falling into the river ; God lets us fall into the briars of afflidlion, that we may not drown in perdition. It is a great favour when a lefler punifhment is inflided, to prevent a greater ; is it not clemency in the judge, when he lays fome light penalty on the prifoner, and faves his hfe ? fo, when God lays upon us light affli6tion, and faves us from wrath to come. As Pilate faid, Luke xxiii. 16. ' I will challiie him, and let him go ;' lo God challifeth his children, and lets them go, frees them from eternal torment. What is a drop of forrow, the godly taile, to that fea of wrath the wicked (hall be drinking of to all eternity ? O what kindnefs is here ; may not this make us fay, * Thy will be done ?' It is preventing phyfic.

12. There is kindnefs, in that God doth mix his providences, Hab. iii. 2. * In anger he remembers mercy.' Not all pure gall, but (bme honey mixed with it. Alher's (hoes were iron and brafs, but his foot was dipped in oil. Gen. xxxiii. 24. Affliction is the Ihoe of brafs, but God caufeth the foot to be dipped in oil. As the limner mixelh with his dark Ihaciows bright colours ; fo the wife God mingles the dark and bright colours, croffes and blefliogs. The body isaffli6led, but within is peace of confcience : there is a bleifing. Jofepb was ibid into Egypt, and put in prifon ; there was the dark fide of the cloud. Job loft all that ever he liad, his Ikin was clothed with boils and ulcers ; here was a lad providence. But God gave a tellimony from heaven of Job's integrity, and did afterwards double his efi:ate, Job xlii. 10. ' I'he Lord gave Job twice as much ;' here was the goodnefs of God feen towards Job. God dotii chequer his works of providence, and Ihall not we fubmit

Ee2

£20 ©F THE THIRD PETITION

and fa5% Lord, if thou art fo kind, mixing fo many bright colours with my dark condition, ' thy will bedone.'

• 13. Tiiereis kindnels in affliction, in that God doth moderate his ilroke, Jer. xxx. H. '1 will corre6t thee in me;ii'ure/ God will in the day of his eail-wind ilay his rough wind, I(a. xxvii. S. The phyfician that undeiltands the crafis and temper of the patient will not give too ftrong pbyfic for the body, nor will he give one drachm or fcruple too much : God knows our frame, he will not over-affli6l; he will not itretch the firings of his viol too hard, left they break. And is there not kindnefs in all this ? May not this work our hearts to fub-miffion ? Lord, if thou ufeft fo much gentlenefs, and corre6left in meafure, ' thy will be done.'

14. There is kindnefs in affli6lion, in that God often fweet-ens it with divine conlblation, 1 Cor. i. 4. * Whocouiforteth us in all our tribulation.' After a bitter potion, a lump of fugar. God comforts in affliction.

(I.) Partly by his word, Pf. cxix. 50. * This is my comfort in my affliclion, for thy word hath quickened me.' The pro-inifes of the word are a ihop of cord*ialF.

(2.) God comforts by his Spirit. Philip, landgrave ^f Hefle, faid, that in his troubles, Se divinas martynimconjblationesfen-JlJ/e, he felt the divine conlblationsof the martyrs. David had his pilgrimage fongs, Pf. cxix. 54. and St. Paul his prifon fongs, Aftsxvi. 25. Thus God candies our wormwood with fugar, and makes us gather grapes of thorns. Some of the faints have fuch ravifhing joys in afflidlion, that they had rather endure their futTerings than want their comforts. O how much kindnefs is in the crofs ! In the belly of the lion is an honey-comb ; may not this make us cheerfully fubmit to God's will, when God lines the yoke with comfort, and gives us honey at the end of the rod }

15. There is kindnefs in alBiClion, in that God doth curtail and ftiorten it ; he will"not let it lie on too long, Ifa. Ivii. Itl.

• I wilLnot contend for ever, left the fpirit fhould fail before me.' God will give his people a writ of eafe, and proclaim a year of jubilee ; the wicked may plow upon the backs of the faints, but God will cut their traces, Pf. cxxix. 4. The gold-fmith will not let his gold lie any longer, in the furnace than till it be purified. 'J'he wicked muft drink a lea of wrath, but the godly have only a cup of affliction, Ifa, li. 17. and God will fay

* Let this cup pals away.' Affliction may be compared to froft, it will break, and Ipring-flowers will come on, 11a. xxxv. 10. * Sorrow and (ighing fhall fly away; Affliction hath a fting but withal a wing, forrow and lighing fhall fly away ; this land-llood fliall be dried up. If then there be lb much

kindnefs in the crofs, God will canfe a ceflation of trouble:' fay, then Jiat voluntas tua, ' thy will be done.'

16. Ult. riieft! is kindiiefs in afflidion, in that it is a means to make us happy, Job v. 17. * Bthold, happy is the n)aa whom God correc\eth.' This feems Itrange to flelh and blood, that attliction'Oiould make one happy : when Moles law the bulTi burning and not conlumed, ' I will (laith he) turn afide and fee this Itran^^e fight.' Exod. iii. 3. So here is a Itrange iight, a man affllcled yet happy. The world counts them happy, who can elbape afllitlion, but liappy is the man whom God corredeth.

Qu. Bid how do affi'iHinns contribute to our happhefs ?

Anf, 1. As they are a means to bring us nearer to God ; the load (tone of prolperity doth not draw ns fo near to God, as the cords of aftliCtion : when the prodigal was pinched with want, then, faith he, ' I will ariCe and go to my father,' Luke xv. 18. The deluge brought the dove to the ark: the floods of for row make us hailen to Chrili.

2. Alfli6tions make ns happy, as they are maundu6tions to glory. The iiorm drives the iTiip in the harbour: happy is that llorm which drives the foul into the heavenly harbour. Is it not better to go through affliction to glory, than through plea-fure to mifery ? Not that affli6tions merit glory : no crols ever merited, but that which Chrill endured, but they do difponere and prepare us for glory. Think, O Chrifiian, what alfliclion leads to, it leads to paradife, where are rivers of plealiire always running ; may not this make us cheerfully fubmit to God's will, and fay. Lord, if there be fo much kndnels in affli6lion, if all thou dolt, is to make us happy, ' thy will be doneJ": b .';<'

7. Confideration, it is God's ordinary courfe, to keep his people to a bitter diet-drink, and exercife them with great trials. Affli6li6n is the beaten road all the i'aints have gone in : the lively Itones in the fpiritual l)uilding have been all hewn and poliflied ; Chrilt's lily hath grown among the thorns, 9 Tim. iii. 12. ' All that will live godly in Chrilt Jefus (liall fufler perfecution.' It is too much for a Chriftian to have two heavens, that is more than Chrilt had. It hath been ever the lot of the faints to encounter with fore trials ; both of the prophets, James v. 10. ' Take my brethren, the prophets, for an exam pie of fullering afflidion ;' And of the a potties ; Peter was crucified with his head downwards, James beheaded by Herod, John banilhed into the ifle of Paimos, the apofile Thomas thrult through with a fpear. Matthias (who was choleri apoflle in Judas' room) was floned to death, Luke the evan-gelill hanged on an olive-tree. Thofe faints, of whom the world was not worthy, did pais under the rod, Heb. xi. 3(3.

S22 OF THE THIRD PETITION

Chrift,*s kingdom is regmim crucis, this is the way God hath always gone in : fuch as God intends to lave fronn bell, yet be doth not fave from the crols. The confideration of this (hould quiet our minds in aiflidlion, and make us fay, * thy will be done.* Do we think God will alter his courfe of providence for us ? why (hould we look for exemption from trouble more than others ? why fhould we think to tread only upon rofes and violets, when prophets and apoilles have marched through the briars to lieaveu ?

8. Confideration, God liath done that for thee, Chriftian, which may make thee content to fuffer any thing at his hand, and fay, ' thy will be done.'

(1.) He hath adopted thee for his child, David thought it no fmall honour to be the king's Ibn-in-law, 1 Sam. xviii. 18. What an honour is it to derive thy pedigree from heaven, to be born of God ? why then art thou troubled, and murmureft at every flight crofs, ? As Jonadab faid to Amnon, 2 Sam. xiii. 4. * Why art thou, being the king's fon lean ?' So, why art thou, who art fon or daughter to the king of heaven, troubled at thefe petty things ? Wiiat, the king's fon, and look lean I This may quiet thy fpirit, and bring thy will to God's; he hath dignified thee with honour, he hgith made thee his foQ and heir, and will entail a kingdom on thee.

(2.) God hath given thee Chrift. Chrift is communis, thefa-urus a magazine or Itore-houCe of all heavenly treafure ; a pearl of price to enrich ; a tree of life lo quicken ; he is the quin-telience of all blefllngs: why then art thou difcontented at thy worldly crofles? They cannot be fo bitter as Chrift is fweet. As Seneca faid once to Polybius, •' Why doll thou complain of hard fortune, falvo Ccefare? Is not CEeCar thy friend ?" So, is not Chrift thy friend ? He can never be poor who hath a mine of gold in his field ; nor he who hath the unfearchable riches of Chrift: fay then, Lord, * thy will be done;' though I have my crofs^ yet I have Chrift with it. The crofs may make me weep, but Chrift wipes oft all tears. Rev. vii. 17.

(3.) God hath given thee grace. Grace is the rich embroidery and workmanftiip of the Holy Ghoft ; it is the facred un6lion, 1 John ii. 27. The graces are a chain of pearl to adorn, and beds of fpices, which make us a fweet odour to God : grace is adiftinguiftiing blefling, Chrift gave Judas his purfe but not his fpirit. May not this quiet the heart in affli<5lion, and make it fay, ' thy will be done?' Lord, thou haft given me that jewel which thou beftoweft only on the ele6t: grace is a feal of thy love, it is both food and cordial, it is an earneft of glory. ' y. Confideration. When God intends the greateft mercy to any of his people, he brings them low in aftli6lion. God feems togo quite crofa to feafe and reafon ; when he intends to raile

US higheft, he brings us' lowed. As Mofes' hand, before it wrought miracles, was leprous; and Sarah's womb before it brought forth the fon of the promife, was barren; God brings us low before he raifeth us, as water is at the loweft ebb before there is a fpring tide.

(1.) It is true in a temporal fenfe. When God would bring Ifrael to Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, he firft leads them through a feaand a wildernefs. When God intended to advance Jofeph to be the fecond man in the kingdom, he caft him firll into prifon, and the iron entered into his foul, Pf. cv. 18. God ufually lets it be darkeft before the morning-ftar of deliverance appears.

(2.) It is true in a fpiritual fenfe. When God intends to raife a foul to fpiritual comfort, he firft lays it low in defertion, I(a. xii. 1. As the limner lays his dark colour firft, and then lays his gold colour on it; fo God firft lays the foul in the dark of delertion, and then he lays his golden colour of joy and con-folation. May not this make us cheerfully fubmit, and fay,

• Thy will be done ?' Perhaps now God affli6ls me, he is about to raife me, he intends me a greater mercy than I am aware of.

10. Confideration, the excellency of this frame of Ibul, to lie at God's feet, and fay, * Thy will be done.'

(I.) A foul that is melted into God's will (hews variety of prace. As the holy ointment was made up of feveral aromatic fpices, myrrh, cinnamon, caffia, Exod. xxx. 23. fo this fweet temper of foul, fubmiftion to God's will in aftliction, hath in it a mixture of feveral graces : in particular, it is compounded of three graces, faith, love, humility. 1. Faith: faith believes God doth all in mercy, that afflidion is to mortify fome fin, or exercife fome grace ; that God corre6ls in love and faithfulnefs, Pf. cxix. 75. The belief of this caufeth fubmiftion of will to God. 2. Love: love thinks no evVJ, 1 Cor. xiii. 5. Love takes all God doth in the beft fenfe, it hath good thoughts of God ; this caufeth fubmilTion, * Thy will be done.* Let the righteous God fmite me (faith love) it fhall be kindnefs yea, it (hall be an excellent oil, which ihall not break my head. 3-Humility : the humble foul looks on its fins, and how it hath provoked God ; he (Ixith not his afllidions are great, but his Cms are groat; this makes him lie at God's feet, and fay, * I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becAufe I have finne<l againft; him,' Micah vii. 9. Thus a fubmiflive frame of heart is full of grace, it is compounded of feveral graces ; it pleafeth God to fee fo many graces at once fweetly exercifed ; he faith of fuch a Chriftian, as David of Goliah'sfword, I Sam. xxi. y. * None like that, give it me.'

(9.) He who puts Wisfiat ^ placet to God's will, and faith,

• Thy will be done,' [hews not only variety of grace, but ilrengtb

of crrace. It argues much ftrength in the body, to be able to ^endure hard weather, yet not to be ahered by it ; lb to endure hard trials, yet not faint or fret, (hews more than ordinary ilrength of grace. You that can fay, you have brought your "wills to God's ; God's will and yours agree, as the copy and the original ; let me afTure you, you have outftript many Chrif-tians, who perhaps fliine in an higher orb of knowledge than you. To be content to be at God's difpofal, to be any thing that God will have us, (hews a noble heroic foul. It is reported of the eagle, it is not like other fowls ; they, when they are hungry, make a noife, the ravens cry for food, but the eagle is never heard to make a noife, though it wants meat, and it is from the noblenefs and greatnefs of its fpirit; the eagle is above other fowls, and hath a fpirit fuitable to its nature ; fo it is an argument of an holy gallantry and magnitude of fpirit, that whatfoever crofs providences befal a Chriltian, he doth not cry and whine as others, but isfilent, and lies quietly at God's feet: here is much ftrength of grace in fuch a foul, nay, the height of grace. When grace is crowning, it is not ib much to fay, * Lord, thy will be done ;' but when grace is conflidling, and meets with crolTes and trials, now to lay, * Thy will be done,* is a glorious thing indeed, and prepares for the garland of honour.

11. Confideration, perfons are ufually better in adverfity than in profperity, therefore ftoop to God's will. A prolperouscondition is not always fo lafe : it is .true, it is more pleafing to the palate, and every one defires to get on the warm fide of the hedge, where the fun of profperity fiiines, but it is not always beft; in a profperous eftate, there is more burden : many look at thefliining and glittering of profperity, but not at the burden, plus OTteris.

(1.) The burden of care, therefore Ch rift calls riches, 'cares,* Luke viii. 14. A rofe hath its prickles, fo have riches ; we think them happy that flourifh in their filks and cloth of gold, but we fee not the troubles and cares that attend them. A fhoe may have (ilver lace on it, yet pinch the foot. Many a man that goes to his day-labour, lives a more contented life than he that hath his ihoufands per annum. Difquieting care is the mains geuhis, the evil fpirit that haunts the rich man : when his cheUs are fuU'ofgold, his heart is full of care how to iucreafe, or how to lecure what he hath gotten : he is (bme-times full of care whom he (hall leave it to. A large eftate, like a long trailing garment, is oft more troublelbme than ufe-ful.

9. In a profperous eftate there is the burden of account. Such as are in high places, have a far greater account to give to God than others, Lukexii. 48. * Unto whomfoever much is given, of

him much fliall be required.' The more golden talents any are entruded with, the more they have to anlwer for; the more their revenues, the more their reckonings. God will fay, I gave you a great eftate, what have you done with it? how have you employed it for my glory ? I have read of" Philip king of Spain, when he was to die, hefaid. " O that I had never been a king! O that I had livt^d a private folitary life! Here is all the fruit: of my kingdom it hath made my accounts heavier." So then, may not this quiet our hearts in a low averfe condition, and make us fay, * Lord, thy will be done ?' as thou haft given me a lefs portion of worldly things, fb 1 have a lefs burden of care, aiid a lets burden of account.

3. A profperous condition hath plus pericidi, more danger in it. Such as are on the top of the pinnacle of honour, are ia more danger of falling, they are fubje6l to many temptations ; iheir table is oft a fnare. Heliogabalus made ponds of Iweet water to bathe in ; millions are drowned in the fweet watery of plealure. A great fail overturns the vefl'el; how many, by having too great fails of prolperity, have had their Ibuls overturned } It mud be a ftrong head that bears heady wine ; he had need have much wifdom and grace that knows how to bear an high condition. It is hard to carry a full cup without (pilling, and a full ellate without finning. Agur feared, if he were full, he would deny God and fay, * VVho is the Lord ?' Prov. XXX. y. Profperity breeds, 1. Pr'de : the children of Korah were in an higher ellate than the rell of the Levites, they were employed in the tabernacle about the moll; holy things of all. Numb. iv. 4. they had the firft lot, Jo(h. xxi. 10. but as they were lifted up above others of the Levites in honour, fo in pride. Numb. xvi. 3. In the Thames, when the tide rifeth higher, the boat rifeth higher; fo, when the tide of an eltate rifetli higher, many men's hearts rife higher in pride, 2. Profperity breeds fecurity. Samlon fell afleep in Dalilah's lap, fo do men in the lap of eafe and plenty: the world's golden fands are quick-fands. * How hard is it for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven .?' Luke xviii. 94. The confideration of this fliould make us fubmit to God in adverfity, and fay, ♦ thy will be done.' God fees what is beft for us ; if we have lefs ellate, we are in lefs danger ; if we want the honour of others, fo w« want their temptations.

IS. Confideration, the having of our wills melted into God's, is a good fign that the prefent anii6tion is fandtified ; then aa affliction is fan^lified, when it attains the end for which it was fent. The end why God fends afTliclion, is to calm the fpirit, to fubdue the will, and bring it to God's will, when this is done, afflidion hath attained the end for which it came; it is faa^i-

Vo^. II. No. 17. Ff

fied, and it will not be long ere it berenioved. When the fore is healed, the iVnarting plailler is taken off.

13. Conlideration, how unwonhy it is of a Chriftian to be froward and unfubmiOrive, and not bring his will to God's.

(l.) It ib below the fpirit of a Chrillian. The fpirit of a Chrif-tian is dove-like, it is meek and fedate, willing to be at God's difpofal; * Not my will, but thy will be done,' Luke xxii. 42. A Chriftian fpirit is not fretful, but humble ; not craving, but contented. See the picture of a Chriftian fpirit in St. Paul, Phil. iv. 12. ' I know how to be abafed, and how to abound.' •Paul could be either higher or lower, as God faw good ; he could fail with any wind of providence, either a profperous or boifterous gale, his will was melted into God's will : now to be of a crofs fpirit, that cannot fubmit to God, is unworthy of the fpirit of a Chriftian ; it is like the bird, that, becaule he is perit up in the cage, and cannot fly in the open air, beats himfelf againft the cage.

(2.) A froward unfubmiffive frame, that cannot fubmit to God's will, is unworthy of a Chriftian's profeffion : he profelf-eth to live by faith, yet repines at his condition, ' Faith lives not by bread alone,' it feeds on promifes, it makes future glory prefent ; faith fees all in God ; ' When the fig tree doth not bloffom, faith can joy in the God of its falvation,' Hab. iii. 17-Now, to be troubled at the prefent eftate, becaufe low and mean, where is faith ? Sure that is a weak faith, or no faith, which mull have crutches to fupport it. O be afliamed to call thyfelf believer, if thou canft not Iruft God and acquiefce in his will, in the deficiency of outward comforts.

(3.) To be of a froward unfubmiffive fpirit, that cannot fur-render its will unto God, is unworthy of the high dignities God hath put upon a Chrillian. 1. He is a rich heir ; he is exalted above all creatures that ever God made, except the angels ; yea, in fome fenfe, as his nature is joined in an hypoftatical union to the divine nature, fo he is above the angels : O then, how is it below his dignity, for want of a few earthly comforts, to be froward, and ready to qyarrel with the Deity? is it not unworthy of a king's fon, becaufehe may not pluck fuch a flower, to be difcontented and rebel againft, his royal father? 2. A Chriftian is efpoufed to Jefus Chrift : what, to be married to Cbrift, yet froward and unfubmilftve ? haft not thou enough in him ? as Elkanah faid to Hannah, 1 Sam. i. 8. * Am not I better than ten ions ?' is not Chrift better than a thoufand worldly comforts ? Omnia bona infummo bono. It is a difparagement to Chrift, that his fpoufe (hould be froward, when fhe is matched into the crown of heaven.

(4.) To be of a froward unfubmifllve fpirit, is nnfuitable to the prayers of a Chriftian ; he prays, * thy will be done :' it is

the will of God he (hould meet with fuch troubles, whether licknefs, Infs of eftate, crofies in children, God hath decreed, and ordered it; why then is there not I'ubmifiion ? why are we difconteoted at that which we pray for ? It is a faying of Latimer, (peaking of Peter, who denied his'mafter, Peter, faith he, forgot his prayer, for that was, ' hallowed be thy name.' So, oft we forget our prayers, nay, contradict them ; for we pray,

* thy will be done.' Now, if unfubmidivenefs to God be lb unworthy of a ClHiftian, Ihould not Ave labour to bring our wills to Gold's, and lay. Lord, let me not dilparage religion, let me do nothing unworthy of a Chrillian.

14. Confideration, frowardnefs and unfubmiffivenefs of will to God, is very finful.

(1.) It is finful in its nature; to murmur when God crolfeth us in our will, fhews much ungodlinefs. The apollle Jude fpeaks of ungodly ones, ver. 15. and that we may better know who thefe are, he fets a mark upon them, ver. l6\ ' Thefe are murmurers.' Some think they are not lb ungodly as others, becaufe they do not Iwear, nor get drunk, but you may be ungodly in murmuring ; there are not only ungodly drunkards, but ungodly murmurers : nay, tliis is the height of ungodlinefs, namely, rebellion. Korah and his company murmured againlt God, and lee how the Lord interprets this. Numb. xvii. 10.

* Bring Aaron's rod to be kept for a token againft the rebels ;* to be a murmurer and a rebel, is, in God's account, all one; Numb. XX. 13. * This is the water ofMeribah, becaule the children of Ilrael llrove with the Lord.* How did they ftrive with God, becaule they murmured at his providence, ver. 3. What! wilt thou be a rebel againft God ? It is a Ihame for a lervant to ilrive with his mafter, but what is it for a creature to lirive with its maker.

(2.) To quarrel with God's providence, and be unfubmiflTive to his will, is finful in the fpring and caufe ; it arileth from pride. It was Satan's temptation, * ye fliall be as gods,* Gen. iii. 5. A proud perfon makes a god ofhimfelf, he difdains to have his will crolied ; he thinks himlelf better than others, therefore he finds fault with God's wifdoni, that he is not above others.

(3.) Quarrelfomenefs and unfubmifiiveners to God's will, is finful in the concomitants of it. 1. It is joined with finful rif-ings of the heart. {!.) Evil thoughts ariie. We think hardly of God, as if he had done us wrong, or, as if we had del'erved better at his hands. (2.) Paflions begin to arife ; the heart fecretly frets againft God. Jonah was crofted in his will, and paffion began to boil in him, Jonah iv. 1. ' He was very angry.' Jonah's I'pirit, as well as the lea, wrought, and was tempeftu-ous* 1. Unfubmilliveuefs of will is joined with unthankfulnels.

becaufe in fome one thing we are afflicted, we forget ali the mercies we have ; we deal with God, juft as the widow of Sarepta did with the prophet; the prophet Elijah had been a Hieans to keep her alive in the famine, but as foon as her child dies, Ihe quarrels with the prophet, 1 King? xvii. 18. ' O ihou man of God, art thou come to flay my Ion r' So do we deal with God ; we can be content to receive bleiTings at his hand, but as loon as he doth, in the leaft thing, crofa us in our will, we grow touchy, and are ready in a paiiion to fly out a^ainft him : thuff God lofeth all his mercies, and is not tiiits high ingratitude ?

(4.) FrowardfifTs and unfubmifiivenefs to God's will, is evii in the efl'efts. 1. It unfits for duty : it is bad failing in a Itorin, and it is ill praying when the heart is ftormy and unquiet; it is well if fuch prayers do not fuffer fhipwreck. (2.) Unfuhmif-fivenels offpirit, fometimcs unfits for the ufe of reiifon. Jonah was difcontented, bt'caufe he had not hi« will ; God withered the gourd, and his heart fretted againfi God ; and in the midft of his pafiion, he fpake no better than nonfenfe and blafpherny, Jonah iv. 9. * 1 do well to be angry to the death.' Sure he did not know well what he fdid ; what! to be angry with God, and die for anger r He (peaks as if he had loft the ufe of his reafon. Thus unfubmilhvenefs of will is finful in its nature* caufes, concomitants, eftects ; may not this martyr our wills, and bring our wills to God in every thing, making us fay, * thy -will be done.'

15. Confideration, unfubmiCTivenefs to God's will is very imprudent, we get nothing by it, it doth not eafe us of our burden, but rather n)dkes it heavier. The more the child ftruggles with the parent, the more it is beaten : when we llruggle with God, and will not fubmit to his will, we get nothing but more blows, Inftead of having the cords of aflliction loofeoed, we make God lie the.n the ftraiter. Let us then fubmit, and fay, * Lord, thy will be done.' Why fliould I fpin out my own trouble by impatience, and make my crofs heavier? What got Ifrael by their frowardnefs, they were within eleven days Journey of Canaan, they fell a murmuring, and God leads them a inarch of forty years longer in the vvildernefs.

Hi. Confideration, themifchiefof being unfubmiflive to God's ivill in affli6tion, it lays a man open to many temptations. When the heart frets againft God by difcontent, heie'b good hfliingfor Satan in thefe troubled waters. He ufually puts dificonttnted perfons upon indire<^-t means. Job's wife fretted (lb far was flie from holy fubmiflion) and (he prefently puts her hufband upon curfing of God, Job ii. 9. * Curfie God and die.' What is the realbn why fome have turned witches, and given th<^n)lfciv<s to lite dpvii, but out of envy and difcontent, becaufl they luvtDot

IN THE'LORD S PRAYER. $05

had their will. Others being under a temptation of poverty, and and not haTin!^ their wills in living at fuch an high rale as others, have l.«id violent hands upon themlelves. O ilie temptations tliat u\^u of d I Icon ten ted Ipirits are expolVd lo ! Here (faith Satan) is good filhing tor me.

17. Cotdidorution how titr untubmillivenefs of tpirit is troav that temper of Ibnl which God requires in atlliciion. G\Hi wouKi have us in pafituce poliel's our fouls, Luke xxi. Ip. 'I'Ue Greek word lor patience, lii^nities to hear up und^r a burdeu without tiuntiiig or trettm^i ; but to be tVoward in iifHi0^i*»n, and (jiianel with God's wiii, where is ihis Chr-liian putieuce .^ God would have us -ejoice in ;iffl v"tion, James i. "-2. ' Count it all joy when ye fall into divt-rs temptations;* that is, afflictions, count it joy, he as birds thut iioir in winter, I TheU'. i. (>. ' Ye recvived the word in affl c^ion wuh joy.* Paul could leap in his fetters, and ling in tlu- ftock>, Acts xvi. ^.i. How far is a difcontented loul from this trame ; he is far Iroiu rejoicmg iu affliction tliat hath not learned to fubinit.

18. Conlideration, what is it makes the ditVerentv between a godly man and an ungodly man in affliClion, but only this, the {iodly man fuhudts to God's will, the ungodly man will not fubmit : a wicked man frets and fumes, and is like a wild bull in a net. lie in atHiclion blafphemes God, Rev. xvi. y. * Mea were fcorched with great heat, and blafphemed the name of God.' Put a lione in the tire, and it tiles m your face ; ilony hearts tly in God's face. A Ihitf that is rotten, the more it is rubbed, the nmre it frets and teariJ. When God afflicts the liu-n*T, he tears himfcti in ani^er; but a godiv nian is fweetlv I'ub-miliive to God's will : th»> is his i'peech, ' Shall 1 not drink the cup which my Father hath givt^i »ue ?* Spices, when tln-y are hruilod, fend out a tweet fragrant I'mell ; when God bruilllh his fah»ts, ihey fend out the Iwcet perfinne of patiencv. Servnlns, an holy man, lonij; affl c\ed with the paUy, yet this was his ordinary fneerh, lamictrtr Ueus, In God be praifed ; () let us fay, * "I'hy will be done;' lit us bear that patiently which God in-Hicts jntUy, eUe how do we (hew our gr^ce ? VV'hat drtVerence ij tht^re between us and the v\ irked in affliC'fion .^

H'. Conlidcratu>n, not to fubmit to God's providential will, is highly provoking to God. Can we ansrrr God more than by <pjarrclling with him. and not Wt him h^ve his will ? Kings do not love to have their will oppofed, though they m;iv tx- nn« jull; how ill doth God take it. when we will he difputmg •g.iinll his righteous will ? It is a (iu Goil cannot bear. Numb. XIV. Qti, ♦^T. ' How long (liall I hear with this evil ci-kngregii-iion, which murmur againll me ?' May not G(»d inUiy lay "thus, how l;»iu^ thall I bear with tjiiswickevl jM^rfoii. who, when uny thing falls out crcds, murmurs ai^'aiml me ? Vei. V^. * Say

unto them, as tnily as I live faith the Lord, as ye hare fpoken in my ears, (b will I do unto you.' God (wears againft a mur-niurer, ' as I live;' and what will God do as he lived ? Ver. '£9. * Your carcafes fhall fall in the wildernefs.' You fee how. j)rovoking a difcontented quarrelfome fpirit is to God, it may .coll men their lives, nay, their Ibul. God fent fiery ferpents among the people for their murmuring, I Cor. x. 10. He may ibnd worl'e than fiery ferpents, he may fend hell-fire.

i'O. Confideration, how much doth God bear it at our hand, and fliall not we be content to bear foraething at his hand ? It would tire the patience of angels to bear with us one day, 2 Pet. iii. 9. * The Lord is long-fuifering towards us.' How oft do we offend in our eye by envious impure glances ? in our tongues by ra(h cenfuring ? but God paifeth by many injuries, he bears with us. Should the Lord punifh us every time we offend, he might draw his fword every day, fhall God bear fo much at our hands, and can we bear with nothing at liis hands ? fliall God be patient with us, and we impatient with him ? Shall he be meek, and we murmur ? Shall he endure our fins, and fhall not we endure his flrokes ? O let us fay * Tliy will be done.' Lord, thou hafl been the greatelt lufferer, thou halt born more from me, than I can from thee.

21. Confideration, fubmitting our wills to God in afBiclion difappoints Satan of his hope, and quite fpoils his defign. The devil's end is in all our aflli6tions to make us fin. The reafon why Satan did Imite Job in his body and eflate, was to perplex his mind, and put him into a paflion ; he hoped that Job would have been difcontented, and in a fit of anger, not only have curled his birth-day, but curfe his God. But Job lying at God's feet, and blelfing him in affli6lion, difappointed Satan of his hope, and quite i'poiled his plot. Had Job murmured he had pleated Satan ; had befallen into an heat, and fparksof his anger flown about, the devil had warmed himfelf at this fire of Job's pafiion ; but Job quietly fubmitted and blefied God ; here Satan's defign was fruilrated, and he miffed of his intent. The devil hath oft deceived us ; the bell way to deceive him, is by quiet fubmilfion to God in all things, faying * thy will be done.'

S2. Confideration, it may rock our hearts quiet in affli6lion, to confider, that to the godly the nature of afHi6tion is quite changed ; to a wicked man it is a curfe, the rod is turned into a lerpent ; afiliclion to him is but an effe6t of God's difplea-I'ure, the beginning of forrow : but the nature of affliction is quite changed to a believer, it is by divine chymifiry turned into a bleiling ; it is like poifon corrected, which becomes a medicine ; it is a love token, a badge of adoption, a preparatory to glory; ihould not this make us fay, ' thy will be done?*

The polfoVi of the affli(5lecl is ^one ; it is not hurtful but healing. Tliis hath made the iaints not only patient in afflidion, but have founded forth thankfulnefs : as bells, when they have been call in the fire, do afterwards make a fweeter found ; fo the godly, after they have been caft into the fire of affliction, have founded forth God's praife, Pf. cxix. 71. 'It is good for me that I have been aftlic-led.' Job i. 21. * Bleifed be the name of the Lord.'

93. Confideration, to make us fubmit our will to God m afflidion, is, to think how many good things we receive froni God, and fliall not we be content to receive fome evil? Job ii. 10. ' Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and fhall we not receive evil.' In the Hebrew, fliall we receive good from God, and not evil. This may make us fay, * thy will be done.* How many blednigs have we received at the hand of God's bounty ? We have been bemiracled with mercy ; what fparipg, preventing, delivering mercy have we had ! the honey-comb of mercy hath continually dropped upon us, Larn. iii. 23. * His mercies are new every morning.' Mercy comes in as conftantly as the tide; nay, how many tides of mercies do we fee in one day? We never feed, but mercy carves every bit to us; we never drink but in the golden cup of mercy ; we never go abroad, but mercy fets a guard of angels about us; we never lie down in our bed, but mercy draws the curtains of protection dole about us ; now, fhall we receive fo many good things at the hand of God, and (hall not we receive evil ? our mercies far outweigh our affliiStions ; for one afflidlion we receive a thoufand mercies ; O then let us fubmit to God, and fay, ' thy will be done ;' the lea of God's mercy ihould i'wallow up a few drops of affli6tion.

24. Confideration, to bring our wills to God inafflidlion doth much honour the gofpel : an unl'ubmidive Chrillian reproach-eth religion, as if it were not able to fubdue an unruly I'pirit; it is weak phyfic, which cannot purge out ill humours ; and lure it is-a weak gofpel, if it cannot malter our difcontent, and martyr our wills ; unfjibmiirivenefs is a reproach, but a cheerful refignation of our will to God lets a crown of honour upon the head of religion, it (hews the power of the gofpel, which can charm down the paflions, and melt the will into God's will : therefore in Icripture fubmillive patience is brought in as an adorning grace, Rev. xlv, 21. ' Here is the patience of the laiiits.'

2b. Confideratioti, the example of our Lord Jefus; how flexible and fubmid'ive was he to his Father! he who taught us this prayer, * thy will be done,' had learned it hinifelf; Chrill's will was perfectly turned to his Father's will; it was the will of his Father that he lliould die for our fins, au«i he * endured the

crofs,' Heb. xiii. 2. * Itw^sa painful, ftiameful, cuiTed (]eath;' he Ciiirered the very pains of hell equivalently, yet he wllling-ly lubmilted. Ha. hii. 7. ' He opened not his njoulh,' he opened his fides when the blood ran out, but he opened not his mouth in repining, his will was refolved into the will of his Father, John xviii. ll. 'Shall not I drink the cup which my Father haih given me?' Now the more our wills are 1'ubje6l to God's will in affliction, the nearer we come to Cluiit «iur pattern ; is it not our prayer we may be hke Chrift ? by holy fubniiflion we imitate him; his will was melted into his Father's will.

26. Confideration to I'ubmit our wills to God is the wgy to have our will ; every one would be glad to have liis will ; the way to have our will is to rei»gn it ; God deals with us as we do with froward children ; while we fret and quarrel God will give us tioihing, but when we are fuhnjiTiive and fay, ' Thy will be done,' now God carves out mercy to us ; the way to have our will is to fubmit it. David brought his will to God, 2 Sam. XV. '26. ' Here am I, let him do to me as feems good to him.' And after he religned his will he had his will ; God brought him back to the ark, and fettled him again in his throne, 2 Sam. xix. Many a parent that hath had a dear child fick, when he could bring his will to God to part with it, God hath given him the life of his child ; there's nothing loft by referring our will to God, the Lord takes it kindly from us, and it is the only way to have our will.

27. and iilt. Confideration, we may the more cheerfully fur-render our fouls to God when we die, when we have furrender-ed our wills to God while we live. Our blefled Saviour had all along fubmitted his will to God, there was but one will between God the Father and Chrill. Now Chrift in his life-time having given up his will to his Father, at death he cheerfully gives u\) liis foul to him, Luke xxiii. 46. ' Father, into thy hands I commend my fpirit.' You that refign up your wills to God, may at the hour of death comfortably bequeath your fouls to hini.

IL The fecond means to bring our will to God in afflidion is, ftudy the will of God.

(1.) it is a fovereign will, he hath a fupreme right and dominion over his creatures, to dilpole of them as l)e pleafeih ; a man may do with his own as he lifts, Matth. xx. 15. * Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own ?' A man may cut his own timber as he will. God's Ibvereignty may caule fubmiifion, he may do with us as he fees good ; God is not accountable to any creature for what he dolh. Job x xxiii. 13. * He givetli not account of any of his matters.' Who (hall call God to account.? Who is higher than the Highelt? Eccl. v. 8. What man or angel dare fummou God to his bar? * He giveth

not account oF any of his matters.' God will take an account of our carriage towdrds him, but he will give no account of his carriage towards us : God hath an abfolute jurifdiftion over us ; the remembrance of this, God's will is a (bvereign will, to do with us what he pleafes, may filence all difcontents, and charm down all unruly paflions; we are not to difpute but to fubmit.

(9.) God's will is a wife will, he knows what is conducing to the good of his people, therefore fubmit, Ifa. xxx. IS. * The Lord is a God of judgment,' that is, he is able to judge what is beft for us; therefore red in his vviidom, and acquiefce in his will; we reft in the vvifdom of a phyiician, we are content he fhould fcarify and let us blood, becaufe he is judicious, and knows what is mod conducible to our health: if the pilot be Ikilful, the pafl'enger faith, ' let him alone, he knows beft how to fteer the (hip ;' and (hall we not reft in God's wifdom ? Did we but ftudy how wifely God fteers all occurrences, and how often he brings us to heaven by a crofs wind, it would much quiet our fpirits, and make us fay, ' Thy will be done.' God's will is guided by wifdom ; fhould God fometini^s let us have our will, we would undo ourfelves; did he let us carve for our-felves, we would choofe the worft piece : Lot chofe Sodom becaufe it was well watered, and was as the garden of the Lord, Gen. xiii. 10. but God rained fire upon it out of heaven. Gen. xix. 24.

(3.) God's will is a juft will. Gen. xviii. 23. * Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ?' God's will is regula et menfura^ it is the rule of juftice ; the wills of men are corrupt, therefore unfit to give law ; but God's will is an holy and unerring will, which may caufe fubmiffion, Plal. xcvii. 2. God may crofs, but he cannot wrong us ; fevere he may be, not unjuft; therefore w6 muft ftrike fail, and fay, * Thy will be done.'

(4.) God's will is a good and gracious will, it promotes our intereft: if it be God's will toafflidt us, he ft)all make us fay at laft, it was good for us that we were afflided. God's flail Ihall only threfh otf our hulks. That which is againft our will (hall not be againft our profit; ftudy what a good will God's is, and w^e will fay, fiat voluntas, ' Thy will be done.'

(5.) God's will is an irrefiftible will; we may oppofe it, but we cannot hinder it; the rifingof the wave cannot flop the fliip when it is in full fail; Co the rifing up of our will aguiuftGod cannot ftop the execution of his will, Rom. ix. ly, * Who hath relifted his will?' Who can Itay the chariot of the fun in its full career ? Who can hinder the progrefs of God's will ? Tluirtfore it is in vain to conteft with God, his will (hall take place ; there is no way to overcome God, but by lying at his feet.

3. Means to fubmiffiou to God in allliclion is, get a gracious' heart; all the rules and helps in the world will do but litUe V^oL. IL No. 17. G g

good, till grace be infufed ; the bowl muft have a good bias, or it will not run according to our defire ; fo till God put a new bias of grace into the foul, which inclines I he will, it never fub-roits to God ; grace renews the will, and it muft be renewed before it be fubdued : grace teacheth felf denial, and we can never fubniit our will till we deny it.

4. INleans, let us labour to have our covenant-intereft cleared, to know that God is our God, Pfal. xlviii. 14. ' This God is our God.' He whofe faith doth flourith in aliurance, that can fay, God is his, will fay, ' Thy will be done.* A wicked man may fay, God hath laid this affliction upon me, and I cannot help it: but a believer faith, my God hath done it, and I will fubiiiit to it. He who can call God his, knows God loves him as he loves Chrift, and defigns his falvation ; therefore he will, with St. Paul, take pleal'ure in reproaches, 2 Cor. xii. 10. and in every adverfe providence yield to God, as ihe wax to the im-preffion of the feal.

5. Mean to fubmiffion to God in affli6iion, get an humble fpirit: a proud man will never ftoop to God, he will rather break than bend ; but when the heart is humble, the will is pliable. What a vail difference was there between Pharaoh and Eli? Pharaoh cries out, ' Who is the Lord, that I fliould obey his voice?' Exod. v. 2. But Eli faith, * It is the Lord, let him do what feems good in his fight,' 1 Sam. iii. 18. See the diti'ereuce between an heart that is fwelled with pride, and that which is hallafted with humility ; Pharaoh faith, ' Who is the Lord?' Eli, ' It is the Lord.' An humble foul hath a deep fenfe of fin, he fees how he hath provoked God, he wonders he is not in hell; therefore, whatever God inflicts, he knows it is lefs than his iniquities deferve; this makes him fay, • Lord, thy will be done.' O get into an humble pofture, the will is never flexible till the heart be humble.

6. Means, get your heart loofened from things below; be crucified to the world : whence is children's frowardnefs, but when you take away their play-things? When we love the world, and God takes away thefe things from us, then we grow froward and uufubmiffive to God's will. Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd ; and when God fmote it, he grew froward, and becaufe God had killed his gourd, kill n)e too, faith he, Jonah iv. 8. He who is a lover of the world, can never pray this prayer heartily, ' thy will be done;' his heart boils with anger againd God : and uhen the world is gone, his patience is gone too. Get mortified afl"e6tionsto ih< fe fublunary things.

7- Means for fubmiflion to God's will, gel ibme good per-luafion your fin is pardoned ; feri, Doinine, feri, quia peccata men, coiidonatajunt: fmite. Lord, fmite where thou wilt, laid Lulher, becaule my fins are pardoned ; pardon of fin is a crown-

ing blelTing; hath God forgiven my fin, I will bear any thing, I will not murmur, but admire; I will not complain ot the burden of affli6lion, but bleCs God for removing the burden of fin : the pardoned Ibul Uiith this prayer heartily, * Thy will be done.' Lord, ul'e thy pruning-knife, lolong as thou wiltnot come with thy bloody axe to hew me down.

8. Means, if we would have our wills fubmit to God, let us not look lb much on the dark fide of the cloud as the light fide; that is, let us not look fo much on the fmart of affli6lion, as the good of affliftion ; it is bad to pore all on the fmart, as it is bad for fore eyes to look too much on the fire; but we fhould look on the good of affliction ; Samfon did not, only look on the lion's carcafe, but on the honey-comb within it, Judg. xix. 8. • He turned to fee the carcafe of the lion, and behold, there was honey in the carcafs.' Afflitlion is the frightful lion, but fee what honey there is in it: affli6lion humbles, purifies, fills us with the confolations of God ; here is honey in the belly of the lion ; could we but look upon the benefit of atHi6tion, ilub-bornnefs would be turned into Cubmiffivenefs, and we fliould fay, * thy will be done.'

9. Means, pray to God that he would calm our fpirits, and conquer our wills. It is no eafy thing to fubmit to God in affliction, there will be rifingsof the heart; therefore let us pray, that what God intli6ls righteoully, we may bear patiently. Prayer is the bell fpell or charm againll impatience ; prayer doth to the heart as Chrift did to the fea, when it was tempef-tuous, he rebuked the wind, and there was a great calm ; fo, when the palfions are up, and the will is apt to mutiny againft God, prayer makes a gracious calm in the foul: Prayer doth to the heart as the fpunge doth to the cannon, when hot, cools it.

10. Means, if we would fubmit to God's will in affli6lion, let us make a good interpretation of God's dealings, take all God doth in the bell fenl'e, we are apt to mifconltrue God's deafings, and put a bad interpretation upon them, as Iftael, Numb. XX. 41 ' Ye have brought the congregation of the Lord into this wildernefs, that we fhould die there.' So God hath brought this af!li6lion upon us, becaufe he hates us, and intends to deltroy us ; and fuch hard thoughts of God caufe fullennefs and flubbornnefs: O let us make a fair and candid iiiterpreta-tion of providence. Doth God afflidlus? Say thus, perhaps he intends us mercy in this; he will try us whether we will love him in affliclions; he is about to mortify fome iin, or exer-cife fome grace ; he fmites the body, that he may lave the Ibul. Could we put fuch a good meaning upon God's dealings, we (liould fay, ' thy will be done ; let the righteous God fmite me,

Gg2

@35 OF THE FOURTH PETITION

and it fiiall be a kindnefs, it (hall be an excellent oil, which fl)all not break my head, Pfal. cxli. 5.

11. and ult. Means, if you would fubmit to God in affli6tion, believe that the prefent condition is bell for you. We are not competent judges ; we fancy it is beft to have eafe and plenty, and have the rock pour out rivers of oil; but God fees afllic-tion beft; he fees our fouls thrive beft upon the bare common ; the fall of the leaf is the beft fpring of our grace. Could we believe the prefent condition is beft, which God carves out to us, the quarrel would foon be at an end, and welhould lit down fatisfied with what God doth, and fay, * thy will be done.' So much for this third petition.

OF THE FOURTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S

PRAYER.

Matth. vi. 11. Give us this day our daily bread.

In this petition there are two things obfervable, I. The order. II. The matter.

I. The order. Firft we pray, * hallowed be thy name,* before, * Give us this day our daily bread.* Hence we learn, Dod. * That the glory of God ought to be preferred before our own perfonal concerns.*

Firft we pray, ' hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done,' before we pray * give us this day our daily bread.* God's glory ought to weigh down all before it; it inuft be preferred before our deareft concerns: Chrift preferred his Father's glory before his own glory as he was man, John Tiii. 49, 50. * I honour my Father, I feek not my own glory.* God's glory is that which is moft dear to him ; it is the apple of his eye ; all his riches lie here. As Micah faid, Judges xviii. 24. * What have I more.^* So I may fay of God's glory, what hath he more ? God's glory is the moft orient pearl of his crown, which he will not part with, Ifa. xlii. 8. * My glory will I not give to another.' God's glory is more worth than heaven, more worth than the falvation of all men's fouls ; better kingdoms be demoliftied, better men and angels be annihilated, than God lofe any part of his glory. Firft we pray that God'ei name may be hallowed and glorified before we pray, * give us otHE^^daily bread.' We are to prefer God's glory before our nearelt concerns : before there can be a preferring God's glory before our private coqcerns, there muft be a new birth wrought, the natural man feeks his own fecular intereft before God's glory.

John iii. 31. * He is of the earth, earthly.' Let hlin have peace and trading, let the rock pour out rivers of oil, Job xxix. 6. and let God's glory go which way it will, he minds it not. A worm cannot fly and fing as a lark : a natural man, whofe heart creeps upon the earth, cannot admire God, or advance his glory, as a man elevated by grace doth.

Vfe. Of trial. Do we prefer God's glory before our private concerns ? Doth God's glory take place ? Minus te amat qui aliquid tecum amat, qnud non propter te amat, Aug. 1. Do we prefer God's glorv before aur own credit ? Fama pari pajju ambulat cum vita. Credit is a jewel highly valued ; like precious ointment, it calls a fragrant fmell: but God's glory mult be dearer than credit and applaufe : we mult be willing to have our credit trampled upon, if God's glory may be railed higher, A6ls V. 41. * The apoltles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to fufl'er Ihame for his name ;' that they were graced fo kr as to be difgraced for Chrift. 9. Do we prefer God's glory before our relations ? Relations are dear, they are of our own flelh and bone : but God's glory mull be dearer, Luke xiv, 46. * If any man come after me, and hate not father and mother, he cannot be my difciple.' Here, odium infuos, is pPetas in Deum. " If my friends (faith Jerom) fhould perfuade me to deny Chrift, if my wife fliould hang about my neck, if my mother (hould (hew me her brealls that gave me fuck, I would trample upon all, and flee to Chrill." 3. We mull prefer God's glory before eftate : gold is but ftiiningduft, God's glory muft weigh heavier. If it comes to this, I cannot keep my place of profit, but God's glory will be eclipfed ; here I mull rather iutfsr in my eftate, than God's glory Ihould fulFer, Heb. X. 34. 4. We mull; prefer God's glory before our life, Rev. xii. 11. * They loved not their own lives to the death.* Ignatius called his fetters- his fpiritual jewels, he wore them as a chain of pearl. Gordius the martyr laid, it is to my lofs, if you bate me any thing of my liifterings. This argues grace crefcent, and elevated in an high degree. Who but a Ibul inflamed in love to God, can f11 God higheft on the throne, and prefer him above all private concerns?

II. The Ifccond thing in the petition, is the matter of it. * Give us this day our daily bread.' The I'um of \\w* petition is, that God would give us fuch a competency in thefe outward things, as he fees moll expedient for us : It is much like that prayer pf Agur, Prov. xxx. 8. ' Feed me with food convenient for ine:' give me a viaticum, a bait by the way, enough to bear my charges till I come to heaven, and it luificeth. Let me explain the words, ' Give us this day our daily bread.' [Give] Hence note, that the good things of this life are the gifts of God : he is the donor of all our blefliugs, * Give us :' not only

fiiith, but food is the gift of God ; not only daily grace, is from God, ' bill daily bread ;' every good thing comes from God, James i. 17- ' Every good gilt, is from above, and conies down from the Father of lights.* Wildom is ijje gilt of God, Ifa. xxviii. 26. * His God doth inilru6l him to difcretion.' Riches are the gift of God, 2 Chron. i. 1'2. ' 1 will give thee riches.* Peace is the gift of God, Pf. cxivii. 14. * He makes peace in thy borders.' Healtli, which is ihe cream ofiife, is the gift of God, Jer. xxx. 17. * I will rellore health to thee.* Rain is the gift of God, Job V. 10. ' Who giveth rain on the earth,' All comes from God ; he makes the corn to grow, and the herbs to flouriih.

Ufe I. See our own poverty and indigence : we live all upon alms, and upon free gift, ' give us this day.' All we have is from the hand of God's royal bounty ; we have nothing but what God gives us out of his ftorehoufe ; we cannot have one bit of bread but from God. The devil perfuaded our firll parents, that, by difobeying God, they (hould * be as gods,' Gen. v, 3, but we may now fee what goodly gods we are, that we have not a bit of bread to put in our mouth, unlefs God give it us : here is an humbling confideration.

Branch 2. Is all a gift ? Then we are to feek every mercy from God by prayer, ' Give us this day.' The tree of mercy will not drop its fruit, unlefs fhaken by the hand of prayer. Whatever we have, if it do- not come in the way of prayer, it doth not come in the way of love; it is given, as Ifrael's quails, in anger. If every thing be a gift, we do not def'erve it, we are not ht for it, unlels we adc for this alms. And mull we go to God for every mercy ? How wicked are they, who inftead of going to God for food when they want, they goto the devil, they make a compact with him ; and if he will help them to a livelihood, they will give him their fouls ? Better to llarve than go to the devil for provender. 1 with there be none in our age guilty of this, who, when they are in want, ufe indirect means for a livelihood ; they confnit with witches, who are the devil's oracles ; the end of thel'e will be fearful, as that of Saul was, ■whom the Lord is laid to have killed, becaufe heaflved counfei at a familiar Ipirit.

3. If all be a gift, then it is not a debt, we cannot fay to God, as that creditor faid. Mat. xviii. 28. ' Pay me what thou owell.' Who can make God a debtor, or do any a6t that is obliging and meritorious } Whatever we receive from God is a gift ; we can give nothing to God but what he hath given to us, 1 Chron. xxix. 14. ' All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.' David and his people otTered to the buildino of Gud's houfe gold and filver, but they offered nothing but what God had given them, * of thine own have we given

thep.' If we love God, God it is that hath given us an heart to love him : if we praife him, he both gives us the organ of the tongue, and puts it in tune: if we give alms to others, God hath given ahiis to us firft, fo that we may fay, * we offer, O Lord, of thine own to thee.* Is all of gift, how abfurd then is the do6trine of merit ? 'I'hat was a proud fpeech of a friar, that (aid, redde mi/ii Vitam Aeternam cpiamdehes ; give me. Lord, eternal hfe, which thou oweft me. We cannot deferve a bit of bread, much lels a crown of glory. If all be a gift, then merit is exploded, and (hut out of doors.

4. If all be a gift, ' give us this day,' then take notice of God's goodnels: there is nothing in us can deferve or requite God's kindneCs ; yet fuch is tlie iVt-etnefs of his nature, he gives us rich provifioii, and feeds us with the fine(\ of the wheat. Pindar laith, it was an opinion of the people of Rhodes, that Jupiter rained down gold upon the city. God hath rained down golden mercies upon us; he is upon the giving hand. Obierve three things in God's giving;

(1.) He is not weary of giving; the fprings of mercy are evt?r running. God did not only difpenle blediugs in former ages, but he flill gives gifts to us ; as the fun not only enriches the world with its morning-light, but keeps light for the meridian. The honey-comb of GoA^s bounty is ftill dropping.

(5.) God delights in giving, Micah vii. IS. ' He delight-eth in mercy.* As the mother delights to give the child the bread, God loves we fliould have the breali of mercv in our >inouth.

(3.) God gives to his very enemies. Who will fend in pro-vifions to bis enemy ? Men ufe to fpread nets for their enemies, God ipreads a table. The dew drops on the thiitle as well as the role ; the dew of God's bounty drops upon the worll. TI)ofe who have their mouths opened againft God, yet God puts bread in thofo mouths. O the rova! bounty of God ! Pf. lit. 1. * The goodnels of God endureth continually.' Swinilh linners God put jewels upon, and feeds them evety day.

o. If all be a giit, fee then the odious ingratitude of men, wlio fin againll their giver. God feeds them, and they tight ag.iii)ll him ; he gives them their bread, and they give him affioiits. How unworthy is this ? Would we not cry fhame of him, who had a friend always feeding him with money, and he (hould betray and iojure that friend. Thus ungratefully do fnjiiers deal Willi God, they do not only forget his mercies, butabule them, Jer. V. 7. * When I had fed them to the full, tluy then com-n>itted adultery.' O how horrid is this, to (in agaiufl a bountiful God ! 'i'o llrike (as it were) thole hands that relieve us '. this gives a die and tindture to men's bus, and makes iheia Ciinifon. Huvv many make a duit o; God's mercies, and (hoot

€40 OF THE FOURTH PETITION

at him ? he gives them wit, and they ferve the devil with it; he gives them ftrength, and they walle it among harlots; he . gives them bread to eat, and they lift up the heel againft him, Deut. xxxii. 15. * Jefliuran waxed fat and kicked.' Thefe are like Ablalom, who as foon as David his father kifled him, plotted treafon againft him, S Sam. xv. 10. Like the mule, who kicks the dam after fhe hath given it milk. Thofe who fin againft their giver, and abufe God's royal favours, the mercies of God will come in as witneifes againft them. What fmoother than oil ? but if it be heated, what more fcalding ? What i'weeter than mercy ? but if itbeabuied what more dreadful ? It turns to fury.

6. If God gives us all, let God's giving excite us to thankf-giving ; he is the founder and donor of all our blefllngs, let Iiim have all our acknowledgments. * All the rivers come from the fea. And thither they return again,' Eccl. i. 7- All our gifts come from God, and to him mult all our praifes return. We are apt to ' burn incenfe to our own drag,' Hab. i. 16. To attribute all we have to our own fecond cautes.

(1.) Our own (kill and induftry. God is the giver : he gives daily bread, Pf. cxxxvi. 35. he gives riches, Deut. viii. 18. • He it is that giveth thee power to get wealth.*

Or, {^2.) We oft alcribe the praife to fecond caufes, and forget God. If friends have beftowed an eltate to look at them and admire them, but not God who is the great giver ; as if onefliould be thankful to the fteward, and nevertake notice of the mafter of the family that provides all. O if God gives all, our eye-fight, our food, our clothing, let us facrifice the chief praife to him ; let not God be a loler by his mercies. ■ Praife is a more illuftrious part of God's worfliip. Our wants may lend us to prayer, nature may make us beg daily j^read ; but it Ihews an heart full of ingenuity and grace, to be rendering praifes to God. In petition we a6l like men, in praife we a6t like angels. Doth God low feeds of mercy ? Let thankfulnefs be the crop we bring forth. We are called the temples of God, 1 Cor. iii. 16. and where fhould God's praifes be founded forth, but in his temples ? Pf. cxlvi. 2. * While I live will I blefs the Lord, I will fing praifes to my God while I have any being.' God gives us daily bread ; let us give him daily praife. Thankfulnels to our donor is the bell policy ; there is nothing Joft by it ; to be thankful for one mercy is the way to have more. Mulicians love to found their trumpets where there is the beft echo, and God loves to bellow his mercies where there "if. the beft echo of praife ; and it is not only otfering the calves ■^of our lips is enough, but we muft fliew' our thankfulnefs by improving the gifts which God gives us, and as it were putting them out to ufe. ■ God gives us an eftate, and we honour the

IK THB lord's prayer, S4l

Lord with our fubftance, Prov. iii. y. He gives us the ftaff of bread, and we lay out the ilrength we receive by it in his fer-vice ; this is to be thankful ; and that we may be thankful, be humble. Pride ilopa the current of gratitude : a proud man will never be thankful ; he looks upon all he hath, either to be of his, own procuring or deferving. Let us (ee all we have is God's gift, and how unworthy we are to receive the leall favour ; and this will make us much in doxology and gratitude, we will be filver trumpets founding forth Gt)d'ri praile.

Firil, Give, Hence I note, I That the good things of this life are ihe gifts of God : he is the founder and donor. 2. From this word give, I note, that it is not unlawfid to pray for temporal things ; we may pray lor daily bread, Prov. xxx. 8.

* Feed me with food convenient for me ;* we may pray for health, Pf. vi. 9. ' O Lord heal me, for my bones are vexed.* As thele are iu theml'tlves good things, fo they are ulVful for us ; they are as needful for prelerving the comfort of life, asf the oil is needful for preferving the laatp froni going out. Only let me infert two things.

I. There is a great ditference between our praying for temporal things and fpiritual. In prayii>g for fpintiial things, we muft be abfolute ; when we pray for pardon of fin, and the favour of God, and the fan^'^tifying graces of the Spirit, thele are indil'penfibly necelfary to lalvation, and here we mult take na denial ; but when we pray for temporal things, here our prayers muft be limited, we midl pray conditionally fo far as God fees them good for us ; God fometimes fees caufe to withhold temporal things from us : they iDay be Ihares, and draw our hearts from God, therefore we mull pray for tbefe things with fubmilTion to God's will. This was llVael's fin ; they would be peremptory and abfolute in their defire of temporal things r God's bill of fare did not pleafe them, they mull have damties. Numb. xi. 18. * Who (hall give us flelh to eat ?' God hatli given them manna, he fed them with a miracle from heaven, but their wanton palates craved more, they mull have quails ; God let them have their defire, but they had four fauce to their quails, Pf. Ixxviil. ,si. ♦ While the meat was yet in their, luouths, the wrath of God came upon them and flew them.' Rachel was importunate in her defires for a child, Gen. xxx. 1,

* Give me children or I die:* God lewher have a child, but it was a Benoni, a Ion of foirovv, it coll her her life m bringing forth. Gen, xxxv. 18. We muft pray for outward things with fubmiflion to God's will, elfe they come in anger.

'H. When we pray for things pertaining to this life, we muft defire temporal things for I'piritual ends ; we mull defire thefe things to be as helps in our journey to heaven. If we pray for health, it mult be that we way improv<i this talent of healLb,

Voi.. U. No. 17. H h

for GoiVs glory, and may be fitter for his fervice : if we pray for a competency of eftate, it mull be for an holy end, that we may be Ivept from the temptations which poverty ufually ex-pofcth to, and that we may be in a better capacity to fow th« golden feeds of charity, and relievefuch as are in want. Temporal things muft be prayed for, for fpiritual ends. Hannah prayed for a child, but it was for this end, that her child might bedevoted to God, I Sam. i. 11. * O Lord, if thou wilt-remember me, and wilt give unto tliine hand-maid a man child, then 1 will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.' Many pray for outward things only to gratify their fcnfual appetite ; ' the ravens cry for food,' Pf. cxlvii. [). To pray for outward things only to latisfy nature, is to cry rather like ravens than Chrillians, We muft have an higher end in our prayer?, we inuft aim at heaven, while we are praying for earth. And muit we pray for temporal things for Ipiritual ends, that we nsay be fitter to ierve God ? Then, how wicked are they, who beg temporal mercies that they may be more enabled to fin againll God, Janies iv. 3. ' Ye aflv, that ye may confurne it upon your iufts.' One man is fick, and he prays for health, that he may be among his cups and harlots; another prays for an eftate ; he would not only have his belly filled, but his barns; and why would he be rich, that he may raile his name, or that, having more power in his hand, he may now take a fuller revenge on his enemies? This is impiety joined with imprudence ; to pray to God to give us temporal things, that we may be the better enabled to ferve the devil.

Ufe. If we are to pray for temporal good things, then how much more for fpiritual.? If we are to pray for bread, then, how much more for the bread of life } if for oil, then, liovv much more for the oil of gladnefs? If we pray to have our hunger fatit^fied, much more (hould we pray to have our fouls laved. Alas! what if God (hould hear our prayers, and grant us thefe temporal things, and no more, what were we the better ? What is it to have food, and want grace.? Vi'hat is it to have the back clothed and the foul naked ; to have a fouth land, and want the living fprings in Chrift's blood ; what comfort could that be.? O thtfrefore let us be earneft for fpiritual mercies ; Lord, do not only feed nje, but limdify me; rather an heart full of grace, thau'an houl'e full of gold: if we are to pray for daily bread, the things of this life, much more for the things of the life that is to come.

3. From this word give, I note, that they whom God hath given a large meafure of outward things to, yet /nwlt pray, * Give us daily bread.' And this may anfwer a quellion.

Qu. So»te mail fay, we have an ejiate a/ready, andiohat need ivepmi/, ' Give us daily bread?'

IN THE lord's prater. S43

Anf. Suppofing we have a plentiful eftate, yet we need make this petition, * Give us bread ;' and that upon a double account,

(1.) That we may have a bleffing upon our food, and all that we enjoy, Pf. cxxxii. 5. * I will blels her provifion. Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of Gods moulli.' Matth. iv. 4. What is that but a word of blelTing? Though the bread is in our hand, yet the bleUiiig is in God's hand, and it mull be fetched out of his hand by prayer: Well therefore may rich men pray, * Give us our bread,' let it be feafoned with a blefiTing. If God Ihould withhold a bleflTing, nothing we have would do us good ; our clothes would not warm us, our food would nolnourilh u;^, Pi", cvi. 15. * He gave them their requell, but fent leannefsinto their foul;* that is, they pined away, and their meat did not nourilh them. If God Ihould withhold a blefTing, what we eat would turn to bad humours, and hallen death, if God do not blefs our riches, they will do us more hurt than good, Eccl v. 13. ' Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.' So that, granting we have plentiful ellates, yet we had need pray, * Give us our bread ;' let us have a bledjng with what we have.

(2.) Though we have eltates, yet we had need pray, gvve^ that we may hereby engage God to continue thefe comforts to us. How many cafualties may fall out.? How many may have had corn in their barn, and a lire hath come on a ludden and confumed all } How many have had loH'es at fea, and great eltates boiled away to nothing } Ruth i. 21. * I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty.' Therefore, though we have eftates, yet we had need pray, ' give us,' Lord, give a continuance of thefe comforts, that they may not, before we are aware, take wings and fly from us. bo much for this hrft word in the petition, give.

Secondly, M5, 'Give us.*

Qu. Why do we pray here in the plural? Why * Give us?* Why is it not J'aid, give me ?

Anf. To liiew that we are to have public fpirits in prayer; we mull not only pray for ourfelves, but others : both the law of God, and the law of love bind us to this, ' we mull love our neighbour as ourfelves ;' therefore we mud pray for them as well as ourfelves. Every good Chrillian hath a fellow-toeling of the wants and rnileries of others, and he prays God would extend his bounty to them, efpecially, he prays for the lamts, Eph. vi. 18. ' Praying always for all faints.* Thefe are the children of the family.

Ufe I. Should we have public fpirits in prayer, * give us.^' It reproves fuch n nrow-fpirited men as move only wiiliin their own iphere; they look only at theinfelves, but mind not the

H h2

cafe of others; they leave others out of their prayers; if they have daily bread, tliey care not though others ilarve ; if they are clothed, they caie not though others go naked. Chrift hath taught us to pray tor others, * g'we us :' but felfith perfons are ihut up within themfelves, as the fnail in the ihell, and never fpeak a word in prayer for others : thefe have no coni-miferation or pity ; they are like Judas, whole bowels fell out.

Ufe 11. Let us pray for others, as well as for ourfelves, * give us : ti?r bonus aliis prodeji ceguce acjibi. Spiders work only for themlielves, but bees work for the good of other? ; the more excellent any thing is, the more it operates for the good of others. The fprings refrefti others with their cryllal ftreams ; the fun enlightens others with its golden beams : the more a Chriltian is ennobled with grace, the more he befiegeih heaven with his prayers for others ; if we are members of the body mylticdl, we cannot but have a fympathy with others in their wants, and this fympathy fets us a praying for them. David had a public fpirit in prayer, Pf cxxv. 4. * Do good, O Lord, unto thofe that be good :' though he begins the plalm with prayer for him-felf, Pr. li. 1. * Have mercy upon me, O God;' yet he ends the pfalm with prayer for others, ver. 18. • Do good in thy good pleafure unto Zion.*

Uj'e IIL It is matter of comfort to the godly, who are but low in the world, yet they have the prayers of God's people for them; they pray not only for the increafe of their faith, but their food, that God will give them ' daily bread.' He is like to be rich, who hath feveral ftocks going; fo they are in a likely way to thrive, who have the prayers of the faints going for them in feveral parts of the world. So much for this fecond word in the petition, * Give us.*

'Ilihdly^ The third word in the petition is, * This day.* We pray nbt. Give us bread for a month, or a year, but a day ;

* Give us this day.*

Qu. It is not lawful to lay up for afterwards? Doth not the npojile fay, He who provides not for his family^ is worfe than an infidel,' t Tim v. 8.

A>if. It is true, it is lawful to lay up for pofterity; but our Saviour haih taught us to pray, * Give us this day our bread,' for two reafons;

(I.) That we Ihould not have carking care for the future. We fhould not (Vt our wits upon the tentor, or torment ourfelves how to lay up great eftates ; if we do vivere in diem, if vve have but enough to fupply for the prefent, it may fuftice;

* Give us this day :' take no thought for to-morrow. Matt. vi. 34. God fed Ifrael with manna in the wildernefs, and he fed them from hand to mouth : fornelimes all their manna was fpent; and if any one had afked them where they vvould have

their brcakfaft next morning, they would have faid, our care is only for this day, God will rain down what manna we need : if we have bread this day do not diftrull God's providence for the future.

{'i.) Our Saviour will have us pray, * Give us bread thi* day,* to teach us to live every day as if it were our la(l. We -are not to pray, give us bread to-morrow, hecaufe we do not know whether we (hall live while to-morrow: but, Lord-* * give us this day ;' it may be our lail day we (hall live, and then we (hall need no more.

Ufe. If we pray for bread "only for a day, * Give us this day,' then you who have great ellates have caufe to be thankful : you have more than you pray for : you prrjy but for bead for one day, and God hath given you enough to fuffice you all your life. What a bountiful God do you ferve ! Two things may-make rich men thankful ; I. God gives them more than they del'erve. 2. God gives them more than they pray for.

Fourthly, The fourth thing in the petition is, * Our bread.*

Qu. ^Vfiy is it called, ' Our bread,* when it is not ours, but God's f

An/'. I, We rauft underftand it in a qualified fenfe : it is our bread, being gotten by honell indullry. There are two forts of bread that cannot properly be called our bread. (I.) The bread of idlenefs. (2.) The bread of violence.

(I.) The bread of idlenefs, Prov. xxxi. 27. 'She eateth not the breaxi of idlenefs.' An idle peri'on doth vivere aliena quadra, he lives at anoth^ body's co(t, and is at their finding, Prov. i. '2d. ' His hands refufe to labour.' We muil not be as the drones which edL the honey that other bees have brought into the hive: if we cat the bread of idlenefs, this is not oiif own bread, 2 rhe(i". iii. tl, l\i. ' There are Come that walk dilorderly, working not at ?xll; fuch we command that they work, and eat their own bread.' The apoftle gives this hint, that fuch as live idly do not eat their own bread.

(2.) The bread of violence. We cannot call this * our bread,' for It is taken away from others : that which is gotten by tlealth or fraud, or any manner of extortion, is not * our bread,* it belongs to another. He who is a bird of prey, who takes away the bread of the widow and fatherlefs, he eats that bread which is none of his, nor can he pray for a blelling upon it: can he pray G )d lo i)lefs that which he hath j^otten unjuftly ?

2. It ih califd our bread, by virtue of our title to it. There is 4 twolold title to bread, (l.) A fpiritual title: in and by Chrill we have a right to the creaiure^ and may call it * our bread.' As we are lielievers, we iiave the bell title to earthly thinjs, we hold all in cupite, 1 Cor. iii. 22. ' All things are yours i* by what title, * ye are Chrill's.* (2.) A civil title.

which the law confers on us: to deny men a civil right to their poiroflions, and make all common, it opens the door to anarchy and contiifion.

Ufe. See the privilege of believers, they have both a fpiritual and a civil right to what they polfels : they who can fay, * our F-ither,' c:uj fay ' onr bread.' Wicked men, though they have a legal right to what they poffefs, yet not a covenant-right ; they hav-e it by providence, not by promile ; with God's leave, not with his love. Wicked men are in God's eye no better th.m ufdrpers; all they have, their money and land, is like cloth taken up at the drapers, which is not paid for ; but this is the fvveet privilege of believers, they can fay, * our bread ;' Chrill being theirs, all is theirs. O how fweet is every bit of brend dipped in Chrill'b blood ! How well doth that meatrelilh, which is"a pledge and earneft of more! The meal in the barrel is an earneii of our angels food in paradife. Here is the privilege of faints, they have a right to the earth and heaven.

Fifthly, The fifih and laft thing in this petition is, the thing we pray for * daily bread.*

Qu. What is meant hij bread?

Anf. Bread here, by a rynechdoche,/pm<??'pro genera, is put for all the tetnporal blefilngs of this life, food, fuel, clofhu)g. Quicqnid nobis conducit ud bene ejj'e, Aullin. Whatever may lerve for necelhty or fober delight.

Ufe. Learn to'be contented with that allowance God gives lis. If we have bread, a cotDpetency of thefe outward things, let us reli fati^tied. We pray but for bread, ' Give us our daily bread ;' we do not pray for i'uperfluities, not for quails or veni-fon, but for bread, that which may fupport life. Though we have not lb much as others, lb full a crop, fo rich an eltate, yet if we have the llalfof bread to fliore us from falling, -let us be confent. Moll people are herein faulty: though they pray that God would give them bread (fo much as he fees expedient for them) yet they are not content with God's allowance, but overgreedily covet more, and with the daughters of the horfe-ieech, cry, ' Give, give,' Prov. xxx. 15. This is a vice naturally ingrafted in us. Many pray Agur's firft prayer, ' give me not poverty,' but few pray hislali: prayer, ' give me not riches,* Prov. xxx. 8. They are not content with * daily bread,' but have the dry dropfy of covetoufnefs ; they are ftill craving for more, Hab. ii. 5. ' Who enlargeth his delire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be (ati^fied. There are (laith Solomon) four things fay it is not enough, Prov. xxx. 15. the grave, the barren vvoml), the earth, jl^e fire ;' and I may add a filth thing, the heart of a covetous man. Such as are not content with daily bread, but third infatiably after more, will break over the hedge of God's command ; and to get riches will Hick at uo fin.

Cut n'thil fatis ejl, eidem nihil turpe, Tiicitus. Therefore covet-oufiieC?; is called a radical vice, 1 Tim. vi. 10. * The root of all t'vils.* Quid non mortalia periora cogit miri facra fames ? The Greek word tor covetoufiiells 7^/eo7«ecr/a, fignifies an inordnate defire of getting. Covt touCuels is not only in getting riches unjullly, but in loving them inordinately: this is a key opens the door to all fin. It caufeth, 1. Theft; Achan's covetous humour made him (leal that wedge of gold which cleft afunder his Ibul from God, Jo(h. vii. 21. (2.) It caufeth treafon. What made Judas betray Chrill ? It was the thirty pieces of filver. Mat. xxvi. 5. (3.) It produceth murder. It was the inordinate love of the vineyard made Ahab. confpire Naboth's death, 1 Kings xxi. 13. (4.) It is the root of perjury, 2 Tim. iii. 3. Men Ihall be covetous ; and it follows, truce-breakers. Love of filver will make men take a falfe oath, and break a jufl; oath. (5.) It is the fpring of apoftacy, 2 Tim. iv. .10. * Demas hath forfiken me, having loved this prefent world.' He did not only forf^ike Paul's company, but his dovSlrine. Demas after-A^'ards became a priell iu an idol-temple, faith Dorotheus. (0.) Covetoulhefs will make men idolaters, Col. iii. 5. ' Covetouf-iiels which is idolatry.' Though the covetous man will not "worfliip graven images in thechmch, yet he will worfiiip the graven image in his coin. (?•) Covetoufnef^ makes men give themfelves to the devil. Pope Sylvefier II. did fell his foul to the devil for a popedom. Covetous perfons forget this prayer. • Give us daily bread,* that which may fatisfy nature, but they are infatiable in their defire. O let us take heed of this dry-dropfy, Heb. xiii. 5. Be content with fuch things as ye have.' Nalurd parva dimittitur, Senec. That we may be content with ' daily bread,' that which God in his providence carves out to us, and not covet or murmur ; let me propofe thefe things,

1. God can blefs a little, Exod. xxiii. 24. * He will blefs thy bread and thy water.' A bleiling puts fweetnefs into the Jeall morfel of bread, it is like fugar in wine, Pfal. cxxii. 15. * I will biefs her provifion.' Daniel, and the three children, ate pnlfe, (which was a coarfe fare,) yet they looked fairer than thol'f who did eat of the king's meat, Dan i. 15. Whence was this ? God did infule a more than an ordinary blefliug into the pulfe: God's bleiling was better than the king's venilbi* : a piece of bread v^ith God's love is angel's food,

2. God, who gives us our allowance, knows what quantity of thefe outward things is lit tell tor us : a fmaller provifion may be fitter for fome ; bread may be better than dainties ; every one cannot bear an high condition, no more than a weak bram can bear heady wine. Hath one a larger proportion of worldly things ? God Tees he can better manage fuch a condition ; he

S48 or THE FOURTH PETITION

can order bis affeiirs with difcretion, which perhaps another can-not; as he hath a large efiaie, fo he hath a large heart to do good, which perhaps another hath not; this fliould make us content with a ftiorter bill of fare : God's wifdom is what we muft acquiefce in, he fees whai is beftfor every one : that which is good for one, may be bad for another.

3r In being content with daily bread, that which God carves for us, though it be a leffer piece, much grace is feen in this ; all the graces ad their part in a contented foul. As the holy ointment was made up of feveral fpices, myrrh, cinnamon, caffia, Exod. xxx. 23. So contentment hath in it a mixture of feveral graces ; there is-faith, a Chrillian believes God doth all for the befi; ; and love, which thinks no evil, but takes all God doth in good part ; and patience, fubmitting cheerfully to what God orders wifely : God is much pleafed to fee fo niany graces at once fweetly exercifed, like fo many bright ftars iLining in a conftellation.

4. To be content with daily bread, the allowance God gives, though but fparingly, doth keep us from many temptations, which difcontented perfbns fall into ; when the devil fees a per-fon juft of Ifrael's humour, not content with manna, but muft have quails, faith Satan, here is good fiftiing for me. Satan oft tempts difcontented ones to murmuring, and to unlawful means, cozening and defrauding; and he who increafeth an eRate by indirect means, ftuffs his pillow with thorns, and his head will lie very uneafy when he comes to die : if you would be freed from tlie temptations which difcontent expol'eth to, be content with fuch things as ye have, blefs God for ' daily bread.*

5. What a rare and admirable thing is it to be content with • daily bread,' though it be coarle, and though there be but little of it ! a Chriftian though he hath btit a viaticum, a little meal in the barrel, yet he hath that which gives him content ^ what he halh not in the cupboard, he hath in the promife : that bit of bread he hath, is with the love of God, and that fiiuce makes a reliih fweet, that little oil in the cruife is a pledge and earned of thole dainties he (hall talle of in the kingdom of God, this makes him content : What a rare and wonderful thing is this 1 It is no wonder to be content in heaven, vihen we are at the fountain-head, and have all things we can defire ; but to be content when God keeps us to Ihort comn)ons, and we have fcarce * daily bread,' this is a wonder .-when grace is crowning, it is no wonder to be content ; but when grace is conflicting wiih ftraits, now to be content is a glorious thing indeed, and deferves the garland of praife.

(j. To make us content with ' daily bread,' though God ftraitens us in our allowance, think ferioufly of the dandier that is \n an high proljperous condition: fome are not content with

' dally bread/ but defire to have their barns filled, and heap up filver as duft; this proves a fnare to them, 1 Tim. vi, 10. • They that will be rich tall into a fnare.* Pride, idlene'fs, wantonnels, are the three worms that nfually breed of plenty. Prolperity oft deafens the ear agaitiit God, Jer. xxii. 'Jl. *I fpake to thee in thy profperity, but thou laidit, I will not hear.' Soft pleafures harden the heart. In the body, the more fat, the lefs blood in the veins, and the lefs fpirits ; the more outward plenty, often the lets piety. Profperity hath its honey, and alfo its fting : profperity, like the full of the moon, makes many lunatic. The pafiurespf profperity are rank and fnrfeit-ing. Anxious care is the mains genius, the evil fpirit that haunts the rich man, and will not let him be quiet: when his chefts are full of money, his heart is full of care, either how to manage, how to increafe, or how to fecure what he hath gotten. Sunlhine is pleafant, but foaietimes ii I'corchefh. Should not this make us content with what allowance God gives, it we have daily bread, though not dainties? Think of the danger of profperity : the fpreading of a full table may be the fpreadmg of a Tnare ; many have been funk to hell with golden weights. 'I'he ferry-man takes in all paffengers, that he may incredfe his fare, and fometimes to the (inking of his boat, 1 Tim. vi. 9. ' They that would be rich fill into many hurtful lufts, which drown them in perdition.' The world's golden fandsare quick-lands; this may make us take our daily bread, though it be but coarl'e, contentedly : what if we have lefs food, we have lefs fnare ; if lefs dignity, lefs danger : as we want the rich provitions of the world, lb we vvaut the temptations.

7. If God keeps us to a fpare diet, if he gives us lef-, temporals, he hath made it up in fpirituals; he hath it>iven us the pearl of price, and the holy anointing. (I.) The pearl of price, the Lord Jefus, he is the quinteii'ence of all good thing*. To give us Chrift, is more iluui if God had given us all the world. God can make more worlds, but he hath no more Cbrills to be-fiow : he is fuch a golden mine, that the angels cannot dig to the bottom, Eph. iii. 8. From Chrift we may have jultifica-tion, adoption, coronation. The fea of God's mercy in giving us Chrill (tailh Luther) fbould fwallow up all our wants, {"-2.) The holy imdion ; God hath anointed us with the graces of his Spirit. Grace is a feed of God, a blolibm of eternity; the graces are the imprellionsof the divine nature, ftars to enlighteu us, fpices to perfume us, diamonds to enrich us; and it" God hath adorned the hidden man of the heart with thel'e facreil jewels, it may well make us content, though we have but Ihort commons, and that coarfe too. God hath given his people better things than corn and wine ; he hath given them that which he cannot give in anger, and which cannot Hand with reproba-VoL. U. No. 17. I i

tion ; and they may fay as David, Pfal. xvi. (5. * The lines are fallen to them in plealant places, and they have a pfoodly heritage.' 1 have read of Didimus and Anthony, Didinms was a blind man, hut very holy; Anthony afked him, if he was not troubled tor the want of his eyes, he told him he WdS: why (Taith Anthony) areyou 'roubied, you want that which flies and birds have, when you bave that which angels have? So I fay to Chriltians, if God haih not given you the purfe, he hath given vou his Spirit; if you want that which rich men have, God hath given you that which angels have, and are you not content?

S. If you have but daily bread* enoucfh to fuffice nature, be content. Coufider it is not having' abundance makes the life always comfortable; it is not a i^'reat cage will make the bird fing: a competency may breed contentment, when having more may make one lef^ content: a ftaff may help ihe traveller, but a bundle of Haves will be a burden to him. A great eflate may be like a long traihng garnient, more burdenlbme than uftful. Many that have great incomes and revenues have not fo much comfort in their live*, as fome that go to their hard labour.

y. If you have lefs daily bread, you will have lefs accoimt to give. The riches and honours of this world, like Alchymy, make a great fhew, and, with their glifterin^, dazzle mens* eyes : hut they do not confider the great account they mud give to God, Luke xvi. 2. ' Give an account of thy flewardlhip.* What good haft thou done with thy eftate? Haft thou, as a good fteward, traded with thy golden talents for God's glory? haft thou honoured the Lord with thy fubftance ? The greater revenues the greater reckonings : This may quiet and content lis, if we have buf little daily bread, our account will be lefs.

10. You that have but a Imall competency in thefe outward things, your provifions are fhort, yet you may be content to confider how much you look for hereafter : God keeps the heft wine till laft. What though now you have a fniall pittance, and are fed from hand to mouth ? you look for an eternal re-■ward, white robes, fparkling crowns, rivers of pleafure. A fon is content tho' his father give him but now and then a little money, as long as he expe6ls hi.s father fhonid fettle all his laud upon him at laft : if God give you but a little at prefent, yet you look for that glory which eye hath not feen ; may not you be content } The world is but a diverfurium^ a great inn : if God give you fufiicient to pay for your charges in your inn, you n)ay be content, you (hall have enough when you come to your own country.

Qu. How may we he content, though God ait us fJiort in thefe externals \ though we have but htlle daily bread and coarfe?

Anf. 1. Think wilh ourfelves, fome have been much lower than we, who have been better than we. Jacob, an holy patriarch, ?oes over Jordan with his ftaff, and lived in a mean con-ditioVa long time; he had the cUnnh for his canopy, and l"l.»ne for his pillow. MoCes, that niight have been rich, fome hilto-rians fliy, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him tor her fon, becaule king Piiaraoh had no heir, and I'o Moles was like to have come to the crown, yet leaving the honour of the court, m what a low mean conditio-n did he live in, when he went to Jethro his father-in-law? Mulculus, famous for learning and piety, was put to great ftraits, he was put to dig in a town ditch, and had Icarce daily bread, yet content. Nay, Chrift, who was heir of all, yet, for our lakes, became poor, 2 Cor. viii. y. Let all thefe examples make us content.

2. Let us labour to have the intereft cleared between God and our fouls. He who can fay, ' My God hath enough to rock his heart quiet in the lowelt condition : what can he want who hath El-Shaddai, the all-futiicient God for his portion ? Though fhe nether-fprings fail, yet he hath the upper-fprmgs: though the bill of tare grow (hort, yet an inierelt in God is a pillar of fupport to u<, and we may, with David, encourage ourfelves in the Lord our God.

OF THE FIFTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S

PRAYER.

Matth. vi. 12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our

debtors.

Before I fpeak ttriaiy of the words, I (hall take notice, 1. That in this prayer there is but one petition for the bo.ly, « Give us our daily bread,' but two petitions for the foul, • Forgive us our trefpalles, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:' Hence obferve, that we are to be more careful for our fouls, than for our bodies : more careful for h race than for daily bread; more defirous to have our fouls laved, than our bodies fed. In the law, the weight of the fan6ttjary was twice as big as the common weight, to typity that Ipuitual things mufl be of far greater weight with us than earthly. I he excellency of the foul may challenge our chief care about it.

1. The foul is an immaterial fubllance ; it is an heavenly fpark, lighted by the breath of God. It is the more relmed fpiritual part of man, it is of an evangelical nature ; U hath fome faint refemblance of God. The body is the more dreg-£i(h part, it is but the cabinet, which though curioufly wrought, ^ lis

?32 OF THE FIFTH PETITION

the fou! is the jewel ; the foul is near a-kin to angels, it is ctt' pax heatitudwis capable of communion with God in glory.

2. It is ininiortal ; it doth never expire. It can att without the body ; though the body diflojve into duft, the foul lives, Luke xii. 4. The eifence of the ibul is eternal, it hath a beginning, but no end ; it is a bloiiom of eternity. Sure, then, if the foul be fo ennobled and dignified, more care (hould be taken about the foul than the body. We make but one petition for the body, but two petitions for the foul.

Uj'e. 1. It reproves them that take more care for their bodies, than tiieir fouls. I'he body is but the brutifh part, yet they take more care, 1. About drefllng their bodies, than their fouls. They put on their bell clothes, are dreffedin their rlcheft garb, but care not how naked or undrell their fouls are ; they do not get the jewels of grace to adorn their inner man. 2. About feeding their bodies, than their fouls, they are caterers for the fleih, they do make provihon ibr the flefh, Rom. xiii. 14. they have the bed diet, but let their fouls ftarve ; as if one fhould feed his. liawk, but let his child ftarve. The body niuft (it in the chair of flat e, but the foul, that princely thing, is made a lackey to run on the devil's errand.

Ufe. 2. Let us be more careful for our fouls, — omnia Ji per' das animamJervare memento. , If it be well with the Ibal, it (hall be well with the body. If the Ibul be gracious, the body lliall be glorious, for it (liall fhine like Clirift's body. Therefore it is wifdom to look chiefly to ihe foul, becaufe in faving the foul, we I'ecure the happineis of the body. And we cannot (liew our care for the body more than in taking all fealbns for our fouls ; reading, praying, hearing, meditating. O look to the main chance, let the (bul be chiefly tended ; the lofs of the foul would be fatal ; other lofes may be made up again. If one lofeth his health, he may recover it again ; if he lofe his edate, he may get it up again : but if he lofe his foul, this lofs can never be made up again. The merchant that ventures all he hath in oue (hip, if that that ftiip be loft, he is quite broken.

2. From triie conne<5tion in the text, as loon as Chrill hath faid give us * daily bread,' he adds, ' and forgive us.' Chrift joins this petition of forgivnefs of (in, immediately to the other of daily bread, to flievv us, that though we have daily bread, yet all is notifnig without furgivenefs. If our (ins be not pardoned, we can take but little comfort in our food.. As it is with a man that is condemned, though you bring him meat in jynlbn, yet he takes liitle coniUirt in it without a pardon ; fo, though we have daily bread, yet it will do us no good unlefs (in be forgiven. What though we (hould have manna, which was called angel's food, though the rock (huuld pour out rivers of oil. Job xxix. Q, all is nothing unlefs fin be done away.

When Chrill had faid, * Give us our daily bread,' he prefently adds, and ' I'orgive us our trelpalies.' Daily bread may iatibty the appetite, but tbr^ivenels of tin fatisfies the confcie»ice.

U/'e. 1. It condemns the folly of moll people : if they have daify bread, the delicious things of this hfe, they look uo further, they are not folicitous for the pardon of (in ; if they have that which feeds them, they look not after that which Ihould crown them. Alas ! you may have daily bread, and yet perilh. The rich man in the gofpel had daily bread, nay, he had dainties, he fared ' delicioufly every day, but in hell he lift up his eyes,' Luke xvi. 1}).

Ufe. "2. Let us pray, that God would not give us our portion in this life, that he would not put us oif with daily bread, but that he would give forgivenefs-., This is the fauce that would make our bread relilli the fweeler. A fpeech of Luther valde protefiatua fum me nolle fie fat iari ah illo. I did Iblemnly pro-teft, that God fliouid not put me off with outward things. Be not content with that which is common to the brute creatures, the dog or elephant, to have your hunger fatisfied : but, befides daily bread, g^et pardon of fin. A drop of Chrift's blood, a dram of forgiving mercy, is infinitely more valuable than all the delights under the fun. Daily bread may make us live comfortably, but forgivenefs of (in will make us die comfortably. So I come to the words of the petition, * forgive us our debts.* &c.

I. Here is a term given to fin, it is a debt. 2. The confefl*-ing the debt, * our debt.' 3. A prayer, * forgive us.' 4. A condition on which we defire forgivenefs, • as we forgive our debtors.'

I ihall fpeak of the term given to fin, it is a debt. That which is here called a debt is called fin, Luke xi. 4. * Forgive \is our fins.' So then fin is a debt, and every (inner is a debtor. Sin is compared to a debt of tenthoufand talents, Matth. xviii, 124.

1. Why is fin called a debt? 2. Wherein fin is worfe than other debts we contract? o. Wherein finnershave the property of bad debtors?

Qu. 1. Why is fin called a debt ?

Artf. Becauie it lo fitly refembles it.

1. A debt arifeth from non-payment of money, or the not paying that which is one's due. So we owe to God exa6l obedience, and not paying what is dup, thus we come to be ia debt. 2. As in cafe of non-payment, the debtor goes to prifon ; fo, by our fin, we become guilty, and liand o"bliged to God's curfe of damnation. Though God doth a while grant a limier a reprieve, yet he Itands bound to eternal death, if the debt be not forgiven.

§54 OF THE FIFTH PETITION

2. In ichatfenfe fin is the worji debt ?

Anf. I. Becaufe we have nothing to pay ; if we could pay the debt, what need we pray, ' forgive us ?' We cannot lay, as he in the gofpel, ' have patience with me, and I will pay thee all ;* we can neither pay principle nor interefl. Adam made us all bankrupts ; in innocency, Adam had a flock of original righteoufnels to begin the world with, he could give God perfonal and perfect obedience ; but, by his fin, he is quite broken, and halh beggared all hi^ pofterity. We have nothing to pay, all our duties are mixed with lin, and fo we cannot pay God in current coin.

2. Sin is the worft debt, becaufe it is againft an infinite ma-jefly. An olTence againft the perfon of a king, is crimen laefae majeftatis, it doth enhance and aggravate the crime. Sin wrongs God, and fo it is an infinite offence. The Ichoolirien fay, omne peccatum contra conj'cientmm eji quaji Deicidiuni, i. e. Every known lin ftrikes at the Godhead. The finner would not only unthrone God, but ungod him, this makes the debt infinite.

3. Sin is the worft debt, becaufe it is not a fingle, but a multiplied debt: forgive us ' our debts ;' we have debt upon debt, Plal. xl. 12. ' Innumerable evils have compaffed me about.' We may as well rtckon all the drops in the lea, as reckon all our fpiritual debts ; we cannot tell how much we owe. A man may know his other debts, but we cannot number our fpiritual debts. Every vain thought is a fin, Prov. xxiv. 9. ' The thought of foolifhnefs is fin.' And what fwarms of vain thoughts have we? The firll rifing of corruption, though it never blof-fom into outward a6t, is a fin ; ' then, who can underlland his errors ?' We do not know how much we owe to God.

4. Sin is the worft debt ; becaufe it is an inexcufable debt in two refpe6ts ; 1 There is no denying the debt. 2. There is no fhifting it off.

(1.) There is no denying the debt; other debts men may deny. If money be not paid before witneifes, or if the creditor lole the bond, the debtor may fay he owes him nothing ; but there is no denying this debt of fin. If we fay we have no fin, God can prove the debt, Pf. 1. 21. * I will let thy fins in order before thee.' God writes down our debts in his book of remembrance; and God's book, and the book of confcience do exa6tly agree, fothat this debt cannot be denied.

(2.) There is no fhifting oft" the debt ; other debts may be fhifted otf.

1. We may get friends to pay them, but neither man nor angel can pay diis debt for us : if all the angels in heaven Ihould go to make a purfe, they cannot pay one of our debts.

2, In other debts men may get a protedion, fo ttjat none can

touch their perfons, or fue them for the debt; but who fhall give us a prote6lion from God's juiiice ? Job x. 7- 'There is none that can deliver out of thine hand.' Indeed the Pope pretends that his pardon niail be men's protection, and now God's jnftice fhall not fue them ; but Ihat is only a forgery, and cannot be pleaded at God's tribunal.

3. Other debts, if the debtor dies in prifon, cannot be recovered, death frees them from debt; but if we die in debt to God, he knows how to recover it ; as long as we have fouls to ftrain on, God will not lofe his debt. Not the death of the debtor, but the death of the furety, pays a finner's debt.

4. In other debts men may flee from their creditor, leave their country, and go into foreign parts, and the creditor cannot find them ; but we cannot flee from God. God knows where to find all his debtors, Pf. cxxxix. 7. * Where Ihall I flee from thy prefence ? if I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utmoft parts of the fea, there fhall thy right-hand hold me.*

5. Sin is the word debt, becaufe it carries men, in cafe of nonpayment, to a worfe prifon than any upon earth, to a fiery prifon ; and the finner is laid in worfe chains, chains of dark-nefs, where the finner is bound under wrath for ever.

Q'J. 3. Wherein have ice the properties of had debtors f

Anf. I. A bad debtor doth not love to be called to an account. There is a day coming when God will call his debtors to account, Rom. xiv. 12. * So then, every man fliall give an account for himfelf to God.* but we play away the time, and do not love to hear of liie day of judgment ; we love not that muiillers fhould put us in mind of our debt, or fpeak of the day of reckoning. What a confounding word will that be to a fe-cure finner, redde rationem^ give an account of your fteward-Ihip?

9. A bad debtor is unwilling to confefs his debt, he will put it off, or make lefs of it ; lb we are more willing to excufe fin, than confefs it. How hardly was Saul brought to confefiion ; 1 Sam. XV. 20. * I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, but the people took of the fpoil.' He rather excufeth his fin than con-fefleth it.

3. A bad debtor is apt to hate his creditor, debtors wifli their creditors dead ; fo wicked men naturally hate God, becaufe they think he is a jnli judae, and will call them to an account; Or God-haters. I'he debtor doth not love to fee his creditor.

Ul'e 1, It n proves them who are loth to be in debt, but make po reckoninsr of fin, which is the qreatell debt; they ufe no mean^ to nei out of it, but run flill further in debt to God. We Would think it ftranij^e, if writs or warrants were out againll a man, or a judgment granted to feize his body and eftate, yet he

So6 OF THE FIFTH PETITION'

is fecure and regardlefs, as if he were unconcerned. God hath a writ out againfi; a finner, nay, many writs, for fwearing, drunkennefs, fahbath-breaking, yet ihe finner eats and drinks, and is quiet, as if he were not in debt; what opium hath Satan givpn men ?

Ufe 2. Exhortation. If fin be a debt. 1. Let us be humbled. The name of debt (faith St. Ambrofe) is grave vocabi' lum, grievous.

Men in debt are full of (hame, they He hid, and do not care to be Ceen. A debtor is ever in fear of arreft, Canis latrat i^ cor pnlphat. O let us blufli and tremble, who are fo deeply indebted to God. A Roman dying in debt, Auguftus the emperor fent to him for his pillow, becaufe (faith he) I hope it hath fome virtue in it to make me fleep, on which a man fo much in debt could take his eafe. We that have fo many fpi-ritual debts lying upon us, how can we be at reft till we have fome hope that they are difcharged.

2. Let us confefs our debt. Let us acknowledge that we are run in arrears with God, and deferve that he fliould follow the law upon us, and throw us into hell-prifon. By confefiTion we give glory to God, Jofh. vii. 19. • My fon give glory to the God of Ifrael, and make confelTion to him.* Say that God were righteous if he (honld ilrain upon all we have : if we confefs the debt, God will forgive it, 1 John ii. 9. * If we confefs our fins, he is juft to forgive.' Do but confefs the debt, and God will crofs the book, Pf. xxxii. 5. ' Ifaid, I will confefs my tranfgreffion to the Lord, and thou forgavell me.*

3. Labour to get our fpiritual debts paid, that is, by our furety Chrift. Say, " Lord, have patience with me, and Chriil fhall pay thee all. He hath laid down an infinite j>rice." The covenant of works would not admit of a furety, it demanded perfonal obedience : but this privilege we have by the gof^ pel, which is a court of chancery to relieve us, that if we have nothing to pay, God will accept of furety. Believe in Chrift's blood, and the debt is paid.

—=«.;;.::>-:-^3!Si><">«*—

Luke xi. 4. And forgive iis oiirjins.for ice alfo forgive every

one that is indebted to us.

In the words are two parts ; 1. A petition, ' forgive us our fins.* 2. A condition,'' For we alfo forgive every one that is indebted to us.' Our forgiving others is not a caufe of God's forgiving us, but it is a condition without which God \vili not forgive us,

Firfi, I begin with the firft, the petition, * Forgive us our

fins ;* a bleflTed petition ! the ignorant world fay, * Who will fiiew us any good ?' Pf. iv. 0'. meaning a good leafe, a good purchaie ; but our Saviour teacheth us to pray for that which is more noble, and will ftand us in more ilead, the pardon of fin, * forgive us our fins.' Forgivenefs of fins is a primary blelhug, it is one of the firll mercies God betlows, Ezek. xxx. 25. * I will Iprinkle clean water upon you ; that is, forgivenefs. When God pardons, there is nothing he will Hick at to do for the foul; he will adopt, landlify, crown.

Qu. 1. Wliat forgivenefs of finis f

Anf. It is God's pafiing by fin, Mic. vii. 18. his wiping off the fcore, and giving us a dil'charge.

The nature of forgivenefs will more clearly appear, 1. By opening fome fcripture-phrafes.

2. Bv laying down fome divine aphorifms and pofitions.

(1.) By opening fome Icripture-phrafes. 1. To forgive fin, is to take away iniquity, Job vii. 21. * Why doft thou not take away my iniquity ?' Heb. lift off. It is a metaphor taken from a man that carries an heavy burden ready to fink him, and another comes, and lifts otf this burden ; fo, when the heavy bur- ' den of fin is on us, God in pardoning, lifts offthts burden froni the confcience, and lays it upon Chriil, Ifa. liii. Q. ' He hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.*

2. To forgive fin, is to cover fin, Pf. Ixxx. 2. * Thou haft covered all their fin.' This was typified by the mercy-ieat covering the ark ; to Ihew God's covering of fin through Chriil. God doth not cover fin in the Antinomian fenfe, fo as he fees it not, but he doth fo cover it, as he will not impute it.

3. To forgive fin, is to blot it out, Ifa. xliii. 25. ' I am he that blotteth out thy tranfgreffions.' The Hebrew word, to blot out, alludes to a creditor, who, when his debtor hath paid him, blots out the debt, and gives him an acquittance ; lb God, when he forgives fin, blots out the debt, he draws the red lines of Chritt's blood over our fins, and fo crolfeth the debt book.

4. To forgive fin, is for God to fcatter our fins as a cloud, Ifa. xliv. 22. * I have blotted out as a thick cloud your tranfgreffions.' Sin is the cloud interpofeth, God difpels the cloud, and breaks forth with the light of his countenance.

5. To forgive fin, is for God to call our fins into the depths ofthefea, Micah vii. U). which implies God's burying them out of fight, that they fiiall not rife up in judgment aguinlt us. * Thou wilt call all their fins into the depths of the fea.' God w4ll throw them in, not as cork that rifeth agam, but as lead that finks to the bottom.

(2.) The nature of forgivenefs will appear, by laying dovva fome divine aphorifms or pofitions.

Afihorijin 1. Every fin 13 mortal, and needs forgivenefs; I Vol. 11. No. 18. K. k

fay, mortal, that is, deferves death. God may relax the rigour of the law, but every fin merits damnation. The Papifts dif-tinguilh of mortal fins, and venial : iome fins are exjurreptione, they creep unawares into the mind, (as vain thoughts, fuddea motions of anger and revenge) thefe, faith Bellarmine, are in their own nature venial. It is true, the greatert fins are in one fenfe venial, that is, God is able to forgive them ; but the leatl fin i^ not in its own nature venial, but deferves damnation. We read of the lulls of|he flefh, Rom. xiii- 14. And the works of the flefli, Gal. v. 19. The lufts of "the flefii are finful, as well as the works of the flefli. That which is a tranrgrelTion of the law merits damnation ; but the firft fi:irrings of corruption are a breach of the royal law, Rom. vii. 7. Prov xxiv. 9. therefore they merit damnation. So that the leafl fin is mortal, and needs forgivenefs.

,■ Aplior)J'ni 2. It is God only that forgives fin. To pardon fin is one of the jura regalia, the flowers of God's crown, Mark ii. 7. * Who can forgive fins but God only ?' It is moil proper for God to pardon fin, only the creditor can remit the debt. Sin is an infinite offence, and no finite power can difcharge an infinite offence. That God only can forgive fin, I prove thus:

No man can take away fin, unlel's he is able to infule grace; for (as Aquinas faith) with forgivenefs is always infufion of grace; but no man can infufe grace, therefore no man can forgive fin. He only can forgive fin, who can remit the penalty, but it is only God's prerogative royal to forgive fin.

Obj. 1. But a Chrijiian is charged to forgive his brother, Col. iii. 13. * Forgive one another.'

Anf. In all fecond-table fins, there are two diftin6t things; 1. Difobedience againft God. 2. Injury to man. That which man is required to forgive, is the wrong done to himfelf: but the wrong done to God, he cannot forgive. Man may remit a trefpafs againft himfelf, but not a tranfgrefTion againft God.

Obj. 2. But the fcripture fpeaks of the poicer committed to minijiers to forgive fn, John xx. 23. ' Whofe fbever fms ye remit, they are remitted unto them.'

Anf. Minillers cannot remit fin authoritatively and etTe6tual-ly, but only declaratively. They have a fpecial office and authority to apply the promifes of pardon to broken hearts. When a miniller fees one humbled for fin, yet is afraid God hath not pardoned him, and is ready to be fwallowed up of fbrrow; in this cafe, a miniller, for the eafing of this man's confcience, may, in the nameof Chrifl, declare to him, that he is pardoned ; the miniller doth not forgive fin by his own authority, but as an herald, in ChriJt's name, pronounceth a man's pardon. As it was with the priefl; in the law, God did cleanfe the leper, the priell only did pronounce him clean, fo it is God, who, by his

prerogative, doth forgive fin, the minifter only pronounceth for-giveneCs to the (inner, being penitent.

Power to forgive fin authoritatively in one s own name, was never granted to any mortal man. A Idng may pardon a man's life, but not pardon his fin: popes' pardons are mdguificant, like blanks in a lottery, good for nothing but to be torn.

Aphorifrn 3. Forgivenefs of fin is purely an ad of God s free grace. There are ibme ads of God which declare his power, as making and governing the world ; other a6ts that declare his juaice, as punifhing the guilty ; other ads that declare hit. free grace, as pardoning of linners, Ifa. xliii. 25. ' I am he that blotteth out fin for my own name fake.' As when a creditor .freely forgives a debtor, 1 Tim. i. 15. * I obtamed mercy.' I was all over befprinkled with mercy. When God pardons a fin, he doth not pay a debt, but give a legacy. Forgivenefs is fpun out of the bowels of God's mercy; there is nothing we can do can deferve it: it is not our prayers, or tears, or good deeds, can purchafe pardon. When Simon Magus would have bought the gift of the Holy Ghod with money, * thy money (faith Peter) periOi with thee,' Ads viii. 20. So they who think they can buy pardon of fin with their duties and alms, their money perilh with them : forgivenefs is an ad of God's free-grace, here he difplays the banner of love. This is that will raife the trophies of God's glory, and will caufe the (liints triumph in heaven, that when there was no worthinefs in them, when they lay in their blood, God took pity on them, and held forth the golden fceptre of love in forgiving: forgivenels is a golden thread fpun out of the bowels of free-grace.

Aphorifrn or pojition 4. Forgivenefs is through the blood of Chrift. Free grace is the inward caufe moving, Chritt's blood is the outward caufe meriting pardon, Eph. i. 7- ' In whom ■we have redemption through his blood.' All pardon^i are icaled in Chrill's blood ; the guilt of fin was infinite, and noUiing but that blood which was of infinite value could procure foiglve-nels.

Obj. But if Chrijl laid dotcn his hlood as the price of our pardon, then how can loefaj/, God freely forgives Jm ? If this be a purchafe, how is it by grace ?

Anf. 1. It was God's free grace that found out a way of redemption through a Mediator. Nay, God's love appeared more in letting Chrift die for us, than if he had forgiven us without exacting any fatibfactinn. I 2. It was free grace movt;d God to accept of the price paid for our fins ; that God Ihould accept a lurety : that one (hould fin, and another luiier, tins was free-grace. So that torgivenefs of liii, tho' it be purchuftd by Chnli's blood, >et it is by tree-

grace.

Kk2

Jphorifm 5. In forgivenefs of fin, God remits the ^niU and penalty. RenvJJaadpa, remittiturpana. Guilt is an obligation to punifliment, guilt cries i'orjuilice : now God in forgiving doth indulge the finner as to the penally : God leems to lay to the (inner thus, " tho' thou art fallen into the hands of my jui-tice, and delervell to die, yet I will take otF the penally ; whatever is charged upon thee fliall be difcharged." When God pardons a Ibul, he will not reckon with him in a purely vindictive way, he Hops the execution ofjullice.

Aphorijm Q. By virtue of thi^^ pardon God will no more call fin into remembrance, Heb. viii. ]2. * Their fins and iniquities will I remember no more.' God will pafs an ad of oblivion, he will not upbraid us with former unkindneiies ; when we fear God will call over our fins agam after pardon, look into this act of indemnity, • their iniquities will 1 remember no more.' God is (aid therefore * to blot out our fin.' A man doth not call for a debt, when he hath crofl'ed the book ; when God pnrdcns a man, his former difpleafure cealeth, Hof. xiv. 4. ' Mine anger is turned away.'

Qu. But is God angry icith his pardoned ones ?

Aiif, Though a child of God, after pardon, may incur God's fatherly difpleafure, yet God's judicial wrath is removed ; though God may lay on the rod, yet he hath taken away the curie : corre6iion may befal the faints, but not de(tru6tion, Pi\ Ixxxlx. 3^1. * My loving kindnels I will not take away.'

Aphorijm ox pojition 7. That (in isj^iot forgiven till it be repented of ; therefore the}' are put together, Luke xxiv. 47. * Repentance and remiffioii.' Domine, da pcenitentiam ^ pof-tea indulgentiam, Fulgentius. 9. Now in repentance there are three mam ingredients, and all thefe mufi; be before forgivenels. 1. Contrition, ^. Confeflion. 3. Converfion. (I.) Contrition, or brokennels of heart, Ezek. vii. 16. ' They (hall be like doves of the valleys, all of them mournin^g every one for his own iniquity.* This contrition or rending of the heart, is exprefied Ibmetimes by fmiting on the breaft, Luke xviii. 13. fometimes by plucking off the hair, Ezra ix. 3. fometimes by watering the couch, Pf. vi. 6. But all humiliation is not contrition ; fome have only pretended forrow for fin, and fo have miffed of forgivenels ; Ahab humbled himlelf, his garments were rent not his heart.

Qu. What is that remorfe and forrow which goes before for-givenefs of Jin ?

Anj', It is an holy forrow, it is a grieving for fin, qiialenus ifin, as it is fin, and as it is a difiionouring of God, and a defiling of the Ibul. Though there were no fufferings to follow, yet the true penitent would grieve for fin, Pf li. 3. ' My fin is ever beTore me.' This contrition goes before remififion, Jer.

xxfci. 18, 19. * I repented, 1 finote upon my tliic^h, is Ephriiim my dear fori ? my bowels are troubled fur him, I will iLirely have mercy upon him.' Ephraim was troubled lor finning, and God's bowels were troubli-d for Ephraim : the woman in the gofpel ftood at Jefus' feet weeping, and a pardon followed, Luke vii. 47. Wherefore 1 fay ' her fins which ate many, are foro;iven her.' The leal is let upon the- wax when it melts, God feals his pardon upon melting hearts.

(2.) The (econd ingredient inlo repentance is confeflinn, Pf. li. 4. * Againd thee, thee only have I tinned.* This is not auricular confeirion, tiiis the papilts make a facrament, and affirm, that without confedion of all ones (ins in the ears of the priefts, no man can receive iorgivenefs of (in ; the Icripture is igiiorant of it, nor do we read of any general council till the Lateran council, which was about twelve hundred years after Chrifl, did ever decree auricular confelTion.

Obj. But doth Jiot the fcripturej'ai/, Jiimes V. 15. * Confefs your Jim one to another ?*

Anf. This is abfuidly brought for auricular confelTion ; for by this, the prieft mull as well confel's to tlie people, is the people to the prieil. The fenle of that place is, in cafe of public I'candals, or private wrongs, here confelTion is to be made to otliers ; but chiefly confedion is to be made to God, who is the party offended ; * againfl thee, thee only have I finned.' Con-fellion gives vent to Ibrrow : confefTion muft be free without compulfion, ingenuous without referve, cordial without hypo-crify ; the heart mull go along with the confeiTion This confelTion makes way for forgivenefs, Pf. xxxii. 5. ' I laid I would confefs my fins, and thou forgavelt me.* When the publican and thief on the crofs confelied, they had that pardon ; the publican fmote upon his breaft, there was contrition ; and faid, ' God be merciful to me a finner,' there was confef-fion ; he went away jullilied, there was forgivenefs : and the thief on the crofs, * We indeed futfer julily,' There was con-fellion : and Chrill abfolved him before he died, Luke xxiii. 41. * This day (halt thou be with me in paradife.* Which words of Chrill might occalion that faying of St. Auftin, ron-feflfion flints the mouth of hell, and opens the gate of paradife.

3. The third ingredient in repentance is, converlion, or turning from fin, Judges x. 15. * \Ve have finned,* there wascon-ieiiion ; ver. 10". * They put away their flrange gods,' there was converfion. And it nuiitbe an univorfil turning from fin, Ezek. xviii. 31. ' Call away from you all yourtranfgrellions.* You would be loth God Ihould forgive only fome of your fins; would you have God forgive all, and will not you forfake all ? He that hides one rebel, is a traitor to tlie crown ; he that lives ill one known iin, ia a traiLerous hypocrite. And it mull not

only be a turning from fin, but a turning unto God ; therefore it is called * repentance (A6ts xx. 20.) towards God.' The heart points towards God, as the needle to the north pole. The prodigal did not only leave his harlots, but did arife and go to his father, Luke xv. I7. I'his repentance is the ready way to pardon, Ila. Iv. 7. ' Let the wicked forfake his way, and turn to the Lord, and he will abundantly pardon.' A king will not pardon a rebel, whilft he continues in open hoitility. Thus you lee repentance goes before remiffion : they who never repented, can have no ground to hope that their fins are pardoned.

7. Apkorifm or pofition is, that fin is not forgiven till it be repented of.

Caution. Not that repentance doth merit the forgivenefs of fin ; to make repentance fatisfa6tory is popifli; by repentance, we pleafe God but we do not fatisl'y him : Alas! * Chrift's blood muft wa(h our tears.* Repentance is a condition, not a caul'e ; God will not pardon for repentance, nor yet without it: God feals his pardons on melting hearts : repentance makes us prize pardon the more. He who cries out of his broken bones, will the more prize the mercy of having them fet again ; when there is nothing in the foul but clouds of forrow, and now God brings a pardon (which is a fetting upof a rainbow in the cloud, to tell the foul the flood of God's wrath fiiall not overflow), O what joy at the iight of this rainbow 1 the foul now burns in love to God.

8. Aphorifni or pq/ition. The greateft fins come within the compafs of forgivenefs. Incelt, fodomy, adultery, theft, murder, which are fins of the firil magnitude, yet theie are pardonable. Paul was a blafphemer, and lb finned againft the firft table ; a perfecutor, and fo he finned againft the fecond table ; yet he obtained mercy, 1 Tim. i. 13. I was all * befprmkled with mercy.' Zaccheus, an extortioner, Mary Magdalene, an unchafte women, out of whoui feven devils were caft, ManaHih, who made the ftreets run with blood, yet had their pardon. Some of the jews, who had a hand in crucifying of Chrill, were forgiven. God blots out not only the cloud, but the ihick cloud, Ifa. xliv. 22. Enormities as well as infirmities. The king in the parable forgave his debtor 'hat owed him 10 000 talents, Matlh. xviii. 27- a talent weighed 3000 (hekels, 10,000 talents contained ahnoll 12 ton of gold. This was an emblem of God's forgiving great fins, Ifa. i. 18. ' Though your fins wereasfcarlet, yetthey fliall be whiteasfnow ' bcurlet, in the Greek, is called twice'dipped, and the art o\ man cannot walh out the dye again. But though our fins are of a fcarlet dye, God's rnercv can wafli them away : the fea can as well covet great rocks as little fands. This I mention that finners may

IN THE lord's prayer. S63

not defpair. God counts it a glory to him to fprgive great fins ; now mercy and love ride in triumph, 1 Tim. i. l4. * The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant,' it was exuberant, it did overflow as Nilus. We mull not meal'ure God by our-felves : God's mercy excel our fins, as much as heaven doth earth, Ifa. v. 57. If great fins could not be forgiven, then great finners fliould not be preached to ; but the gol'pel is to be preached to all. If the}' could not be forgiven, it were a dil-honour to Chrift's blood ; as if the wound were broader than the planter. God hath firft made great finners * broken vef-fels,' he hath broken their hearts for fin, and then he hath made them * golden veffels,' he hath filled them with the golden oil of pardoning mercy ; this may encourage great finners to come in and repent. Indeed the fin againft the Holy Ghofl is unpardonable, not but that there is mercy enough in God to forgive it, but becaufe he who hath committed this fin will have no pardon ; he defpites God, fcorns his mercy, fpills the cordial of Chriil's blood, and tramples it under foot, he puts away fal-vation from him ; but elfe, the greatell fins are pardonable. When a poor finner looks upon hirafelf, and fees his guilt, and when he looks on God'sjufiice and holinefs, he falls down confounded ; but here is what may be as a cork to the net, to keep him from defpair, if thou wilt leave thy fins and come toChrift, mercy can feal thy pardon.

^pliorijm 9. When God pardons a finner, he forgives all fins, Jer. xxxiii. 8. * I will pardon all your iniquities,' Col. ii. 13. ' Having forgiven you all trefpalTes.' The mercy-feat covered the whole ark ; the mercy-feat was a type of forgive-nefs, to fhew that God covers all our tranfgrefiions. He doth not leave one fin upon the fcore : he doth not take his pen, and for fourfcore fins write down fifty, but blots out all fin,' Pf. ciii. 3. ' Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.' When 1 iky, God forgives all fins, I underftand it of fins pad ; but fins to come are not forgiven till they are repented of. Indeed God hath decreed to pardon them : and when God forgives one fin, he will in time forgive all : but fins future are not actually pardoned, till they are repented of; it is abfurd to think fin fliould |3e forgiven, before it is committed.

I. II all fins pafl; and to come are at once forgiven, then, what need a man pray for the pardon of fin ? It is a vain thing to pray for the pardon of that which is already forgiven,

9. 'rhis opinion, that fins to come (as well as pafl are forgiven, doth take away and make void Chriil's intercefiion _^ Cnriil isan advocate to intercede for daily fins, 1 John ii. 1, But if fin be forgiven before it be committed, what need is there of Chriil's daily interceifion ? what need have I uf an advocate if fin be pardoned before it be commiUed } So that

God, though he forg'.ves all fins paft to a believer, yet fins to come are not. forgiven, till repentance he renewed.

yiphonfm 10. Faith doth neceliariiy antecede forgivenefs ; there mult be believing on our part, bel'ore there is forgiving on God's part, A<5ls x. 43. * To him give all ihe prophets witnefs, that through his namt; whofoever believelh in him (hail receive remidion of fins.' So that faith is a neceflary antecedent to forgivenels. There are two a6ts of faith, to accept Chriit, and to irull in Chrift, to accept of his terms, to fruft in his merits : and he who dolh neither of thefe, can have no forgivenefs, he who doth not accept Chrift, cannot have his perfon ; lie that doth not trufi. in him, cannot have benefit by his blood. So that, without faith, noremidjon.

^phorifm 11. Though jufiification and fanclification are not the lame, yet God never pardons a finner, but he dolh liindify "Kim. Jutlification and fanclification are not the fame.

1. Julliiication is without us, fanclification is within us. The one is by righteoufneft imputed, the other is by righteoufnel's imparted. .

2. Judification is equal, fandlification is gradual. San6ti-■fication doth recipeae mojus et minus ; one is fanclified more thair*auother, but one is not juftified more than another; one hath more grace than a'tiother,, but he is not more a believer than another.

3. The matter of our juftification is perfe6t, viz. Clirift's righteoufhefs : but our fandlification is imperfect, thefe are the * ipots of God's children,' Deut. xxxii. 5. Our graces are mixed, our defires are defiled. Thus juilification and lant-iitication are not the fame : yet, for all that, they are not fepa-rated : God never pardons and juilihes a finner, but he doth lanctif'y him, 1 Cor. vi. 11. ' But ye are jufiilied, but ye are lanctified.' 1 John v. 6, * This is he that came by water and blood, even Jefus Chrifl;.' Chrifi comes to the foul by blood, that denotes remillion ; and by Vi'ater, that denotes lanc-titication. Let no man lay he is pardoned, that is not made holy. And this, I the rather urge againft Antinomians, who talk of being forgiven their fin, and having a part in Chriit, and yet remain unconverted, and live in the vroli'eil fins. Pardon and healing go together, lia. Ixvii. lo, * 1 create the fruit of the lips, peace. And I will heal him.* Peace is the fruit of pardon, aiid then it follows, ' I will heal him.' Where God pardons he purifies : as in the inauguration of kings, with the crown there is the oil to anoint : fo when God crowns a man with forgivenefs, there he gives the anointmg oil of grace to iantlify. Rev. ii. 17. ' I will give him a white ilone, and in the Itone a new name.' A * v\ hite fione,' that is abfoluliou : and a * new name' in the itone, that is faiidification.

1. If God fhould pardon a man, and not f;in6lify him, this would be a reproach to him ; then he fliould lt>ve and be well plealed with men in their fins, which is diametrically contrary to his holy nature.

9. If God Hiould pardon, and not ran6tify, then he could have no glory from us. God's people are formed to Ihew forth his praife, Ifa. xliii. 21. but if lie (hould pardon and not fane-tify US, how could we fhew forth his praife ? How could we glorify him ? What glory can God have by a proud, ignorant, profane heart.?

3. If God (hould pardon, and not fan6lify, then that fliould enter into heaven which defileth ; but Rev. xxi. 27- * Nothing fhall enter that defileth.* Then God fliould fettle the inheritance upon men before they are fit for it, contrary to that, Col, i. 12. • He hath made us meet for the inheritance ;' how is that but by the divine unction ? So that, whoever God forgives, he transforms. Let no man fay his fins are forgiven, who doth not find an inherent work of holinefs in his heart.

Aphorifm 12. Where God remits fin he imputes righteous-nefs. This righteoufnefs of Chrifi; imputed, is a falvn to God's law, and makes full fati^fa6tion for the breaches ofif. This righ-teoufnefs procures God's favour; God cannot but love us, when lie fees us in his Son's robe, which both covers and adorns us. In this fpotlefs robe of Chrill we outfhine the angel> : theirs is but the righteoufnefs of creatures, this is the righteoulnefs of God himfelf, 2 Cor. v. 21. * That we mi^^ht be made the righteoufiiefs of God in him.* How great a blefllng then is for-givenefs? With remiflion of fin is joined imputation of righteoufnefs.

Aphorifm 13. They whofe fins are forgiven, mud not omit praying for forgivenefs, * Forgive'us our trefpalfes.' Believers who are pardoned, muft; be continualfuitors for pardon. When ' Nathan told David, ' The Lord hath put away thy fin,' 2 Sam. xii. 13. yet David, after that, compofed a penitential plalm for the pardon of his fin. Sin, after pardon, rebels. Sin, like Sam-fon's hair, though it be cut, will grow ayain. We fin daily, and mud as well alk for daily parclon, as lor daily br«.-ad. Be-fides, a Chrifiian's pardon is not lb fure, but he may defire to have aclearef evidence of it.

Aphorifm li. A full ablblution from all fin is not pronounced till the day of judgment. The dny of juognent is called ' a time of refrelhing,' when fin Ihili be compleitly blotted out, A6ts iii. U). Now God blots out fi'n truly, but then ii ihall be done io a more public way ; God will openly pronounce tlie faints* abfolution before moti and angels: tht--ir huppiuefs is not completed till the day of judgment, becaule then tii«.'ir p.irdon Ihall be folemnly pronounced, and there (hall be the triumphs

V^OL. 11, No, 18. LI

of the heavenly hofi;. At that day it will be true indeed, that Gofl fees no fin in his children : they fhall be as pure as the angels ; then the church (hall be prefented without wrinkle, Eph. V. 27. She fhali be as free from ftain as guilt ; then Siitan no more accufe, Chrift will ftiew the debt-book crolfed in his blood ; therefore the church doth fo pray for Chrift's coming to judgment, Rev. xxii. I7. * The bride faith. Come, Lord Jefus:' light the lamps, then burn the incenfe.

Ufe 1. Of information. From this word, * Forgive,* we learn that if the debt of fin be no other way difcharged but by being forgiven, then we cannot fatisfy for it. Among other damnable opinions of the church of Rome, this is one, man's power to fatisfy for fin. The council of Trent holds, that God is fatisfied by our undergoing the penalty impofed by the cen-fure of priells : and, again, we have works of our own, by which we may fatisfy for our wrongs done to God : by thefe opinions, let any judge what the popifh religion is.' They intend to pay the debt they owe God themi'elves, to pay it in part, and do not look to have it all forgiven : but why did Chrift teach us to pray, * Forgive us our fins,' if we can of ourfelves fatisfy God for the wrong we have done him ? This doctrine robs God of his glory, Chrift of his merit, and the foul of falva-lion. Alas! is not the lock cut where our ftrength lay? Are not all our works fly-blown with fin, and can fin fatisfy for fin ? This do6lrine makes men their own faviours : it is moft abfurd to hold ; for, can the obedience of a finite creature fatisfy for an infinite otfence ? Sin being forgiven, clearly implies we can-^ not fatisfy for it.

9. From this word us, * forgive us,' we learn that pardon is chiefly to be fought for ourfelves: for though we are to pray for the pardon of others, James vi. 16. * Pray one for another,* yet in the firft place, we are to beg pardon for ourfelves. What, -will another's pardon do us good ? Every one is to endeavour to have hi? own name in the pardon. A fon may be made free by his father's copy, but he cannot be pardoned by his father's pardon, he muft have a pardon for himlelf. In this fenfe, fel-fifhnefs is lawful, every one muft be for himfelf, and get a pardon for his own fins. ' Forgive us.'

3. From this word o?/r, * our fins,* we learn how juft God is in puniftiing us. The text fays, * our fins ;* we are not puiiifhed for other men's fins, but our own. Nemo habet de proprw, niji peccatinn Auguftine. There is nothing we can call fo properly ours, as fin. Our daily bread we have from God, our daily fins we have from ourfelves. Sin is our o^v^ ad, a wel) of our own fpinniug; how righteous therefore is God in puniftiing of us ? we fow the feed, and God only m^'.kes us reap what we fow, Jer. xvii. 10. ' I give every man the fruit of his

IN THE lord's prayer. eQJ

ewD doings.* When we are punifhed, we but tafte the fruit of our owa grafting.

4. From this word^w^, fee from hence the multitude of fins we (land guilty of. We pray not, forgive us our fin, (as if it were only a fingle debt,) but fins, in the plural : fo vail is the catalogue of our fins, that David cries out, * Who can under-fland his errors ?' Pfal. xix. 12. Our fins are like the drops ia the fea, like the atoms in the fun, they exceed alt arithmetic. Our debts we owe to God, we can no more number, than we can fatisfy ; which, as it fliould humble us, to confider how full of black fpots our fouls are, fo it fliould put us upon feeking after the pardon of our fins. And this brings to the ftcond iij'e. Exhortation, To labour to have the forgivenefs of fin fealed up to us. How can we eat, or drink, or fleep without it? It is fad dying without a pardon ; this is to fall into the labyrinth of defpair ; of this the next time.

Ufe 2. Let us labour for the forgivenefs of fin. If ever this was needful, then now, when the times ring changes, and danger feems to be marching towards us. Labour, I fay, for the forgivenefs of fin : this is a main branch of the charter or covenant of grace, Heb. x. 12. * I will be merciful to your unrigh-teoufnefs, and your fins and iniquities I will remember no more.* It is mercy to feed us, but it is rich mercy to pardon us; this is fpun and woven out of the bowels of free-grace. Earthly things are no figns of God's love ; he may give the venifon, but not the bleffing : but when God feals up forgivenefs, he gives his love and heaven with it, Pf. xxi. 3. ' Thou letteft a crown of pure gold on his head.' A crown of gold was a mercy, but if you look into Pf. ciii. you Ihall find a greater mercy, ver. 3, 4, * Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who crowneth thee with loving-kinduefs.' To be crowned with forgivenefs and loving-kind nets, is a far greater mercy than to have a crown of pure gold fet upon the head. It was a mercy when Chrill cured the pally man; but when Chrill faid to him, * thy fins are forgiven,' Mark ii. 5. this was more than to have his palfy healed : for. givenefs of fin is the chief thing to be fought alter ; and lure, i conlcience be once touched with a I'eufe of fin, there is nothingaf man will thirfl: after more than forgivenefs, Pfal. li. 3. * My fin is ever before me.' This made David fo earnell for pardon, Pfal. li. 1. * Have mercy upon me, O God, blot out my traulgrel-fions.' If one (hould have come to David, and alked him, David, where is thy pain? what is it troubles thee? is it the fear of (hame which (hall come on thee and thy wives ? is it the fear of the fword which God hath threatened (hall not depart from thy houfe? He would have faid. No, it is only my fin pains nie; ' Aly fiu ib ever before rae.* Were but this remov-

ed by forgivenefs, though lh»^ fword did ride in circuit in my family, I would be well enough content. When the arrow of guilt Hicks in the conficience, nothing is fo defirable as to have this arrow pluclced out by Ibrgivenelk O therefore feek after

• forgivenefs of fin.' Can you make a fhift to live without it ? but how will you do to die without it ? will not death have a fling to an unpardoned finner? how do you think to get to heaven without forgivenefs? As at ibme folemn fellivals, there is no being admitted unlefs you bring a ticket : ib, unlefs you have this ticket to Ihew, * forgivenefs of fin,' there is no being admitted into the holy place of heaven. Will God ever crown thofe that he will not forgive? O be ambitious of pardoning grace. When God had made Abraham great and large pro-mifes, Abraham replies, * Lord, what is all, fedng 1 go child-lefs ?' Gen. xv. 2. So, when God hath given thee riches, and all thy heart can wi(h, fay tu him, LoixJ, what is all this, feeing I want forgivenefs? Let my pardon be feakd in Chrift's blood. A pritbner in the tower is in an ill cafe, notwithiiand-ing his brave diet, great attendance, foft bed to lie on, becaufe, being impeached, he looks every day for his arraignment, and is afraid of the fentence of death ; in fuch a calie, and worfe, is he, that fwims in the pleafures of the world, but his fins are not forgiven : a guilty conlcience doih impeach him, and he is in fear of being arraigned and condemned at God's judgment feat. Give not then deep to your eyes, or flumber to your eye-lids, till you have gotten fome well-grounded hope that your fins are blotted out. Before I come to prefs the exhortation to feek after forgivenefs of fin, I fliall propound one qucf-tion.

Qu. If pardon ofjtn hefo ahfolntely necejfary, without it no falvation, what is the rcaj'on that Jo few in the icorldfeek after it ? If they want healthy they repair to the phii/ician ; if they want riches, they take a voyage to the indies ; but if they ivant for' givenefs of fin, theyfeen\to he unconcerned, and do not feek after it: ichence is this ?

Anf. 1. Inadvertancy, or want of confideration : they do not look into their fpiritual eftate, or call up their accounts to fee how matters Hand between God and their fouls, Kij. i. S.

• My people do notconfider:' they do not confider they are indebted to God in a fum of ten thoufand talents, and that God will, ere long, call them to account, Rom. xiv. IZ. 'So then every one of us fliall give an account of himfelf to God.' But people fhun ferious thoughts; * my people'*cro not confider.' Hence it is they do not louk after pardon.

3. Men do not feek after forgivenefs of fin, for want of conviction. Few are convinced what deadly evil fin is, it is the fpirits of mifchlef dillilled, it turns a man's glory into fliame, it

IN THE lord's prayer. QQQ

brings all plagues on the body, and curfes on the^foul. Unlefs a man's fin be forgiven, there is nottlie vileft creature alive, the dog, l'er(3ent, toad, but is in a better condition than the finner; for when they die, they go but to the earth ; but he dying without pardon goes into hell-torments tor ever. Men are not convinced of this, but play with the viper of fin.

3. Men do not ieek earnettly after forgivenefs, becaufe they are feeking other things: they feek the world immoderately. When Saul was leeking after the afles, he did not think of a kingdom. The world is a golden fnare. Divitice faeciUi funt laqnei diabolic Bern. The wedge of gold hinders niany from feeking after a pardon. Minifters cry to the people, get your pardon lea led : but if you call to a man that is in a mill, the noife of the mill drowns the voice, that he cannot hear: fo, when the mill of a trade is going, it makes fuch a nolle, that the people cannot hear the miniller when he lifts up his voice as a trunjpet, and cries to thetn to look after ihe fealing of their pardon. He who fpegds all his time about the world, and doth rot mind forgivenefs, will accufe himfelf of folly at laft. You would judge that prifoner very unwile, thatfliould f|)end all his time with the cook to get his dinner ready, and ftiould never mind getting a pardon.

4. Men leek not after the forgivenefs of fin, through a bold prefumption of mercy ; they conceit God to be made up all of mercy ; and that he will indulge them, though they take little or no pains to fue out their pardon. It is true God is merciful, but withal he is juft, he will notvvrong hisjuftice by Ihewing mercy. Read the proclamation, Exod. x.xxiv. 6. * The Lord, the Lord God merciful ;* ver. 7. ' and that will by no means clear the guilty.' Such as go on in fin, and are fo (loth-ful or wilful, that they will not feek after forgivenefs, though there be a whole ocean of mercy in the Lord, not one drop Ihall fall to their fiiare, * he will by no means clear the guilty.'

5 Men feek not earnefily after forgivenefs, out of hope of impunity. They flatter themielves in fin, and becaule ihey h^ve been fpared fo long, therefore fure, God never intends to reckon with them, Pf. x. 11. ' He hath laid in his heart, God hath forgotten, he hides his face he will never lee it.' Atheilts think, either the judge is blind, or forgetful; but let; finners know, that long forbearance is no forgivenefs, God did bear with Sodom a long time, but at laft rained down fire and brimftonf upf>n them, the adjourning of the allizesdoth not acquit the pnlbner : the longer God is taking the blow, tiie heavier it will beat lall, if finners repent not.

0". Men do not ieek earntlily after forgivenefs through mif-take ; they think getting a pardon is eafy, it is but repenting

S70 OF THE FIFTH PETITIOJT

at the lafl hour, a figh, or a Lord have mercy, and a pardoor will drop into their mouths. But, is it lb ealy to repent, and have a pardon ? tell me, O finner, is regeneration ealy ? are. there no pangs in the new birth ? Is mortification ealy ? is it nothing to pluck out the right eye ? is it ealy to leap out of Dalilah's lap into Abraham's, bofom ? This is the draw-net, by which the devil drags millions to hell, the facility of repenting and getting a pardon.

7* Men do not look after forgivenefs through defpair. Oh, faith the delponding foul, it is a vain thing for me to expert pardon ; my liusare lb manyand heinous, that lure God will not forgive me, Jer. xviii. U2. * And they faid, There is no hope.' My fins are huge mountains, and, can they ever be cad into the Tea ? Defpair cuts the finews of endeavour ; who will ufe means that defpairs of fuccefs? The devil (hews fome men their fins at the little end of the perfpe<Stive-glafs, and they feem little, or none at all : hut he Ihews others their fins at the-great end of the perfpedive, and they fright them into defpair. This is a foul-damning fin, Judas defpair was worl'e than his treafon. Defpair fpils the cordial of Chrilt'.s blood : this is the voice of defpair, ChrilVs blood cannot pardon me» 71)us you fee whence it is that men leek not more earnelUy after the forgivenefs of fin." Having anfvvered this queftion, I fiiall now con»e to prefs the exhortation upon every one of us, to feek earneftly after the forgivenefs of our fins.

1. Our very life lies upon the getting of a pardon : it is cal» kd the * jufiiiication of life,' Rom. v. 18. Now, if our life lies upon our pardon, and we are dead and damned without it, doth it not concern us above all things to labour after forgive-neik of fin ? Deut. xxxii. 47. * For it is not a vain thing for you, becaufe it is your life.' If a man be under a fentence of death, he will fet his wits a-work, and make ufe of all his friends to get the king to grant him a pardon, becaufe his life lies upon it : fo we are, by realbn of fin, under a fentence of damnation : now, there is one friend at court we may make ufe of to procure our pardon, namely, the Lord Jefus : how earneft then Ihould we be with him to be our Advocate to the Father ? for us, and that he would prefent the merit of his blood to the Father, as the price of our pardon ?

2. 'J'here is that in fin may make us defire forgivenefs. Sin is the only thing that dil'quiets the foul. 1. Sin is a burdeii, it burdens the creation, Rom. viil. 2^. it burdens the con-fcience, iH\ xxxviii. 4. A wicked man is not fenfible of fin, he is dead in fin ; and if you lay a thoufand weight upon a ^ead man, he feels it not. But to an awakened conlcience their is no fuch burden as fin ; when a man I'erioufly weighs with hiuifelf the glory and purity of that Majefty which fin hath

offended, the precioufnefs of that foul which fin hath polluted, the lofs of that happinefs which fin hath endangered, the great-nefsof that torment which fin hath deierved, to lay all this together, fure mud make fin burdenfome : and fliould not we labour to have this burden removed by pardoning mercy ? 2. Sin is a debt, Matih. vi. 13. ' Forgive us our debts ;* and every debt we owe, God hath written down in hi^j book. I fa. Ixiv. 6. * Behold it is written before me,* and one day God's debt-book will be opened. Rev. xx. 12. * The books were opened.' And, is not this that which may make us look after forgivenefs ? Sin being fuch a d<?bt as we muft eternally lie in the prifon of hell for, if it be not difcharged ; fhall not we be earneft with God to crofs the debt-book with the blood of liis Son ? There is no way to look God in the face with comfort, but by having our debts either paid, or pardoned.

3. There is nothing but forgivenefs can give eafe to a troubled confcience. There is a great difference between the having the fancy pleafed, and having the confcience eafed : worldly things may pleafe the fancy, but not eafe the confcience : nothing but pardon can relieve a troubled foul. It is llrange what Hiifts men will make foreafe when confcience is pained, and how many falfe medicines they will ufe, before they will take the right way for a cure. When confcience is troubled, they ■will try what merry company can do ; they may perhaps drink away trouble of confcience ; perhaps they may play it away at cards; perhaps a lent-whippmg will do the deed; perhaps multitude of bufinefs will fo take up their time, that they fiiaii have no leifure to hear the clamours and accufktions of confcience: but how vain are all thefe attempts! ftill their wound bleeds inwardly, their heart trembles, their confcience roars, and they can have no peace. Whence is it? Here is the rea-fon, they go not to the mercy of God, and the blood of Chrift, for the pardon of their fins; and hence it is they can have no tale. Suppofe a man hath a thorn in his foot, which puts hitn

o*to pain ; let him anoint it, or wrap it up, and keep it warm ; yet till the thorn be plucked out, it aches and fwells, and he liath no eafe : fo when the thorn of fin is gotten into a man's confcience, there is no eafe till the thorn be pulled out; when God removes iniquity, now the thorn is plucked out. Hovr was David's heart finely quieted, when Nathan the prophet told him, ' The Lord hath put away thy fin,* 2 Sam. xii. 13. How (hould we therefore labour for forgivenefs! till then we can have no eafe in our mind : nothing but a pardon fealed with the blood of the Redeemer, can eafe a wounded fpirit.

4. Forgivenefs of fin is feafibk: ; it may be obtained. Im-poQibility dellroys endeavonr; but, as Ezra x. 2. * There is hope in Ifraei concerning this.' The devils are paft hope; a

fentence of death is pall upon them, which is irrevocable ; but there is hope for us of obtaining a pardon, Pl'al. cxxx. 4.

* 'Inhere is iorgivenefs with thee.' If pardon of fin were not polVible, then it were not to be prayed for; but it hath been prayed for, 9 Sam. xxiv. 10. * I beleech thee, O Lord, take away mine iniquity ;' and Chrift bids us pray for it, * Forgive us our trefpaHes.' That is poflible which God hath proniifed, but God hath promifed pardon upon repentance, Ifa. Iv. 7.

* Let the wicked forlake his way, and return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.' Hebrew, He will multiply to pardon» That is poffible which others have obtained ; but others have arrived at forgivenefs, therefore it is haveable, Pfal. xxxii. 5. Ilaiah xxxviii. 17. * Thou haft caftall my fins behind thy back.* This may make us endeavour after pardon, becaufe it isfeafible it may be had.

5. Confideration to perfuade to it, is, forgivenefs of fin is a cjjoice eminent blefling: to have the book cancelled, and God appeafed, is worth obtaining; which may whet our endeavour after it. That it is a rare tranfcendent bleffing, appears by three demonftrations.

IJi, If we confider how this blelTing is purchafed, namely, by the Lord Jeibs. There are three things in reference to Chrill, which fet forth the choicenefs and precioufnefs of forgive-nef-.

1. No mere created power in heaven or earth could expiate one fin, or procure a pardon : only Jefus Chrift. 1 John ii. 2.

* He is the propitiation for our fins.' No merit can buy out a pardon. Paul had as much to boaft of as any man, his high birth, his learning, his legal righteoufnefs ; but he difclaims all in point of juftification, and lays them under Chrift's feet to tread upon. No angel could, with all his holinels, lay down a price for the pardon of one (in, 2 Sam. iii. 23. * Ifa man fin againft the Lord, who fiiall intreat for him ?' W^hat angel duril be fo bold, as to open his mouth to God for a delinquent fin-ner.? Only Jefus Chrift, who is God-man, could deal with God's juftice, and purchafe forgivenefs.

2. Chrift himlelf could not procure a pardon, but by dying ; every pardon is the price of blood. Chrift's life was a rule of holinels, and a pattern of obedience. Mat. iii. 15. ' He fulfilled all righteoufnefs.* And certainly, Chrift's a6live obedience was of great value and merit; but here is that which raifelh the worth of forgivenefs, Chrift's a6tive obedience had not fully procured a pardon for us without the fliedding of his blood : therefore our juftification is afcribed to his blood, Rom. V. i>. • Being juftified by his blood.' Chrift did bleed out our pardon. There's much afcribed to Chrift's intercelfion, but

his interceffion had not prevailed with God for the forgivenefs of one fin, had not he (hed his blood. It is worth our ncitice, that when Chrill is defcribed to John as an intercelfor for his church, he is reprefented to him in the likenefsofa Lamb flain. Rev. v'. (). to (hew that Chrift mull die, and be flain, before he can be an interceflbr.

3. Chrili, by dying, had not purchafed forgivenefs for us, if he had not died an execrable death: he endured the curfe. Gal. iii. 13. All the agonies Chrili endured in his foul, all the torments in his body, could not purchafe a pardon, except he had been m'ade a curfe for us, Chrili muft be curfed, before we could be bleffed with a pardon.

Qdli/, Forgivenefs of fin is a choice blefling, if we confider what glorious attributes God puts forth in the pardoning of fin. (1.) God puts forth infinite power : when Mofes was pleading with God for the pardon of Ifrael's fin, he fpeaks thus, • Let the power of my Lord be great,' Numb. xiv. 17. God's tor-giving of fin is a work of as great power as to make heaven and earth, nay, a greater : For, when God made the world, he met with no oppofition ; but, when he comes to pardon. Satan oppofeth, and the heart oppoleth. A finner is defperate, and Ihghts, yea, defies a pardon, till God, by his mighty power, convinceth him of his fin and danger, and makes him willing to accept of a pardon. (2.) God, in forgiving fins, puts forth * infinite mercy,' Numb. xiv. 19. * Pardon, I befeech thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the grealnefs of thy mercy.' It is mercy to have a reprieve ; and if there be mercy in fparing a finner, what mercy then is in pardoning him ? This is thef OS ladJis, the cream of mercy. For God to put up with fo many injuries, to wipe fo many debts oft" the Icore, tliis is infinite favour; forgivenefs of fin is Ipun out of the bowels of God's mercy.

3dlij, Forgivenefs of fin is a choice blelTmg, as it lays a foundation for other mercies. It is a leading mercy. 1. It makes way for temporal good things. (1.) It brings health. When Chrili faid to the palfy man, 'Thy fins are forgiven,' thi? made way for a bodily cure, * Arile, take up thy bed and walk,* Matth. ix. 6. The pardon of his fins made way for the healing of his pally. (2.) It brings profperity, Jer. xxxni. 8, y. 2. It makes way for fpiritual good things. Forgivenefs ot' fin never comes alone, but hath other fpiritual bletlings attending it. Whom God pardons, he fandifies, adopts, crowns. U is a voluminous mercy, it draws the filver link of grace, and the golden link of glory after it. It is an high aft of indulgence, God teals the finner's pardon with a kil's. And Ihould not we, above all things, ieek after fo great a blefling as forgive-nels }

Vol. II. No. 18. Mm

6. Confuleration, that which may make us feek after for-givenels of fin is, ' God's inciinablenefs to pardon,' Neh. ix. it). • Thoulart a God ready to pardon.* In the Hebrew it is, •* A God of pardons." We are apt to entertain wrong conceits of God, that he is inexorable, and will not forsfive. Mat. XXV. 24. • 1 knew thou wert an hard man.' But God is a fin pardoning God, Exod. xxxiv. 6. ' The Lord, njerciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity, tranf^reffion and fin.' Here is my name (faith God) if you would know how I am called, I tell you my name, * The Lord, the Lord God, merciful, forgiving iniquity.' A pirate or rebel, that knows there is a proclamation out againft him, will never come in ; but, if he hears that the prince is full of clemency, and there is a proclamation of pardon to him, if he fubmit, this will be a great incentive to him to lay down his arms, and become loyal to his prince. See God's proclamation to repenting finners, Jer. iii. 12. ' Go and proclaim thefe words, and fay. Return, thou backfliding llVael, faith the Lord, and I will not caufe my anger to fall upon thee, for I am merciful.' God's mercy is a tender mercy. 'J"he Hebrew word for mercy fignifies bowels. God's mercy is full of fympathy, he is of a moft fvveet indulgent nuture, Pfal. Ixxxvi. 5. ' Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to fori3[ive.' The bee dolh not more naturally give honey, than God lliews mercy.

Ot)j. 1. But cloth not Godfeem to delight ifi punitive ads, or a6ls offeveriiy? Prov. i. 26. * I will lavgh at your calamity."

Anf. Who doth God fay fo to ? See verfe 25. ' Ye havefet at nought all my counfel, and would none of my reproof.' God delights.in their deftru6lion who defpife his inllruction ; but an humble penitentiary breaking off fin, and fuing out his pardon, the Lord delights in fliewing mercy to fuch an one, Micah vii. is. * He delighteth in niercy.'

Obj. 2. Bui though God be Jo full of mercy, and ready tofor-give, yet his mercy reacheth not to all ; he forgives only fuch as are elected, and I qnejlion my election 9

Afif. 1. No man can fuy he is not ele6led : God halh not revealed this to any particular man, that he is a reprobate, ex-cepling him only, who hath finned the fin againfl the Holy Ghoft: which fin thou art far enough from, l^who mourneft for fin, and feekeft after forgivenefs.

2. Thefe thoughts of non-ele6tion, that we are not ele(5led, jand that there is no pardon for us, come from Satan, and are the poifoned arrows he flioots. He is theaccufer; he accuieth TJs to God, that we are great finners; and, he accufeth God to us, as if he were a tyrant. One that did watch to deftroy his creature, thtfe are diabolical fuggeltions ; fay, * Get thee behind me, Satan.'

S. It is finful for any to hold that he is not defied ; it would take him oil" from the ufe of means, from praying, and repenting ; it would harden him, and make him delperate : therefore pry not into the arcana coili, the fecrets of heaven, llemeinbet what befel the men of Bethlhemefh, for looking into the ark, 1 Sam. vi. 19. Know that we are not to go to God's li-cret will, but by his revealed will ; look into God's revealed will, and there we (liall find enough to cherllh hope, and encourage us to go to God for the pardon of our (ins. God hath revealed in his word, • that he is rich in mercy,' Eph. ii. 4. That he dotli not * delight in the dellrudion of a finner,' Ezek. xviii. 3*2. Jurat per ejjentium, (Mufculus). Ho I'wears by his ell'ence, Ezek. xxxiii. II. ' As I live, faith the Lord God, I have no pleafure in the death of the wicked.* Hence it is God waits lb long, and puts off the felfions from time to time, to lee it* finners will repent, and leek to him for pardon : therefore let God's tender mercies and precious promiCes encourage us to feek to him for the forgivenels of our (ins.

Confideration 7. Not to leek earneltly for pardon, is thft unfpeakable milery of fuch as want forgivenefs ; it mull needs be ill with that malefactor that wants his pardon.

1. The unpardoned (inner (that lives and dies fo) is undei* the greateli lots and privation. Is there any happineCs like to the enjoying of God in glory; this is the joy of angels, the crown of faints glorified: but the unforgiven finner Ihall not behold God's Imiling face ; he fliall fee God as an enemy, not as a friend ; he Ihall have an affrighting light of God, not beatifical ; he (hall fee the black rod, not the mercy-i'eat. Sins unpardoned are like the angel with a flaming fword, who ft0{)ped the palfage to paradile ; (ins unpardoned Hop the way td the heivenly paradile ; and how doleful is the cotidition of ihat foul which is banilhed from the place of bills, where the King of glory keeps his court?

2. The unpardoned finner hath nothing to do with any pro-mife ; the promifes are mulclralia evangelii, the brealta that hold the fincere milk of the word, wiiich fills the Ibul with precious fweetnefs; they are the royal charter : but whathathaftrangei: to do to meddle with the charter? It was the dove plucked the olive-branch ; it is only the believer plucks the tree of the pio-mife. Til! the condition of the promile be performed, no miui can have right to the comfort of the promife; and how fad is that, not to have one promife to Ihew for heaven ?

3. An unpardoned finner is continually in danger of the outcry of an aculing conlcitnce. An acculing confcience is a little hell. Sicidi non invenire ti/rauni torment urn majns. VV'e tremble to hear a lion roar ; how terrible are the roarings of confcience ? Judas hanged himfelf to quiet his confcience : ^ lia*

Mm 2

rer's confcience at prefent is either afleep or feared ; but when God fliall awaken confcience, eitlier by affli6lion or at death, how will the unpardoned linner be atfrighted ? When a man fhall have all his fins fet before his eyus, and drawn out in their bloody colours, and the worm of conicience begins to gnaw ; finner, here are thy debts, and the book is not cancelled, thou murt to hell ; O what a trembling at heart will the finner have !

4. All the curfesof God fl:and in full force againft an unpardoned finner. His very blelTings are curfed, Mai. ii. 2. ' I will curfe your bleflings.' His table is a fnare ; he eats and drinks a curfe. What comfort could Dionyfis have at his feall, when he imagined he iaw a naked fword hanging by a twine-thread over his head ? This is enough to fpoil a finner's banquet : a curfe like a naked fword, hangs over his head : Caefar wondered to fee one of his foldiers fo meriy that was in debt. One would wonder that man would be merry who is heir to all God's curfes ; he doth not fee thefe curfes, but is blinder than Balaam's afs, who faw the angel's fword drawn.

5. The unpardoned finner is in an ill calt5 at death. Luther profeffed, there were three things which he durft not think of without Chrifi;; of his fins, of death, of the day of judgment. Death to a Chriftlefs foul is the ' king of terrors.' As the prophet Ahijah laid to Jeroboam's wife, 1 Kings xiv. 0\ * 1 am lent to thee with heavy tidings ;' fo death is fent to the unpardoned foul with heavy tidings ; it is God's jailor to arreft him. Death is a prologue to damnation : in particular,

(1.) Death is a voider, to take away all his earthly comforts, it takes away his fugared morfels ; no more drinking wine in bowls, no more mirth or mufic, Rev. xviii. 22. ' The voice of harpers and muficians fhall be heard no more at all in thee.* The finner (hall never tafte of lufcious delights more to all eternity ; his honey fhall be turned into the ' gall of afps,* Job XX. 14.

(2.) At death there fhall be an end put to all reprieves. Now God reprieves a finner, he fpares him fuch a fit of fick-iiefs ; he refpites him many years; the finner (hould have died fuch a drinking-bout, but God granted him a reprieve : he lengthened out the filver thread of patience to a miracle ; but the finner dying wit^hout repentance, unpardoned, now the leafe of God's patience is run out, and the finner mufl appear in perfon, before the righteous God, to receive his fentence ; after which there fhall be none to bail him : nor fhall he hear of of a reprieve any more.

6. 'Fhe unpardoned finner, dying fo, mufl: go into damnation i-this is the fecond death, mors fine morte. The unpardoned foul muft for ever bear the anger of a fia-uvenging Godi

as long as God is God, fo long the vial of bis wrath fhall be dropping upon the damned ibul ; this is an helplels condition. There is a time when a finner will not be helped : Chrift and lalvation are offered to him, but he (lights them, he will not be helped : and there is a time Ibortly coming, whe.n he cannot be helped ; he calls out for mercy, O a pardon, a pardon! but then it is too late, the date of mercy is expired ; O how lad then is it to live and die unpardoned ? you may lay a grave-flone upon that man, and write this epitaph upon it, * It had been good for that man that he had never been born.' Now if the mifery of an unpardoned fiate be fo inexprelTible, how fhould we labour for forgivenefs, that we may not beingulphed :n (b dreadful a labyrinth fire and brimftone to all eternity ?

7. Such as are unpardoned muft needs lead uncomfortable lives, Deut. xxviii. 66. 'Thy life fhall hang in doubt before thee, and thou fhalt be in continual fears.' Thus the unpardoned finner mull needs have a palpitation and trembling at the heart ; he fears every bufh he fees, 1 John iv. IS. ' Fear hath torment in it.' The Greek wofd for torment, Icolajis, is ufed Ibmetimes for hell; fear hath hell in it. A man in debt fears every Itep he goes, lell he (hould be arrefted : fo the unpardoned finner fears, what if this night death, which is God's ferjeant, fhould arrell him } Job. v'i- 21. ' Why doft not thou pardon my fin } For now fliall I fleep in the duft .^ as if Job had fiid, ' Lord, I fhall fhortly die, I fhall fleep in the dud ? and what fhall I do if my fins be not pardoned ?' What comfort can an unpardoned foul take in any thing } Sure no more than a prifoner can take in meat or mufic, that wants his pardon. Therefore, by all thefe powerful motives, let us labour for the forgivenels of fin.

Obj. 1. But I am difcoiiraged from going to God for pardon^ for I am tmworthij offorgioenefs ; what am I, that Godfhould do J'uch a favour for me ?

Anf. God forgives, not becaufe we are worthy, but becaufe he is gracious, Exod. xxxiv. 6. * The Lord, the Lord,mierci-ful and gracious.' God forgives out of his clemency : a6ts of pardon, are a6ts of grace. What worthinefs was there in Paul before converfion ? He was a blafphemer, and fo he finned againfl the firft table ; he was a perfecutor, and fo he finned againll the fecond table : but free-grace fealed his pardon, I Tim. i. 13. * I obtained mercy ;' I was all beilrowed with mercy. What worthinefs was in the woman of Samaria ? She was igno-raot, John iv. S2. She was unclean, ver. 18. She was morofe and churlifh, flie would not give Chrill fo much as a cup of cold water, ver. 9. * How is it that thou, being a Jew, afl^efl drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria ?' What worthinefs was here ? Yet Chrift overlooked all, and pardoned her ingrati-

tude ; and though fhe denied him water out of the well, yet We gjxve her the water of life. Gratia non mvenit digrios, fed facit. Free-grace doth not find us worthy, but makes us worthy. Therefore, notwithftanding unworthinefs, feek to God, and your fins may be pardoned.

Obj. 2. But I have been a greatjinner, andfure God willnot pardon me. '

y^nf. David brings it as an argument for pardon, Pf. xxv. 11. * Pardon mine iniqiiity, for it is great.' When God forgives great fins, now he doih a work hke himfelf. The delperatie-neis of the wound doth the more fet forth the virtue of Chrifi;'Js blood in curing it. Mary Magdalene, a great finner, out of whom i'even devils were cafl, yet (he had her pardon. Some of the Jews, who had an hand in crucifying of Chrifi;, upop their repentance, the very blood they fhed did leal their pardon*. Confider fins either for their number, as the fands of the fea ; or for their weight as the rocks of the fea ; yet there is mercy enough in God to forgive them, Ifa. i. IS. ' Though your fins be as fcarlet they fhall be white as fnow.* Scarlet fignifies twice dipped, which no art of man can get out; yet God can wafh out this fcarlet dye. There is no fin excepted from pardon, but that fill which deCpifeth pardon, viz. the fin againft the Holy Ghoft, Mat. xii. 31. Therefore, O finner, do not cafi: away thy anchor of hope, but go to God for forgivenefs. The vafl ocean hath bounds let to it, but God's pardoning mercy is bound-lefs. God can as well forgive great fins, as lefs ; as the fea can as well cover great rock?, as little fands. Nothing hinders pardon, but the finner's not aficing it.

That a great finner fhouid not defpair of forgivenefs, confult that fcripture, Ifa. xliii. 25. * I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy tranfgreflions.' If you look on the foregoing words, vou would wonder how this verfe comes in, ver. 24. * Thou haft made me to ferve with thy fins, thou haft wearied me with thy iniquities ;* and then it follows, ' I, even I, am he that blotteth out thv tranforeffions.' One would have thought it fhould have run thus, " Thou haft wearied me with thy iniquities ; I, even I, am he that will punifli thy iniquities ;" but God comes in a mild loving drain, * Thou hall wearied me with thy iniquities, 1 am he that blots out thy iniquities.' So that the greatnefs of our fins Ihould not difcourage us from going to God for forgivenefs. Though thou hall committed a6ts of impiety, yot God can come with an act of indemnity, and lay, • I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy tranfgreflions.' God counts it his glory to difplay free grace in its orient colours, Rom. v. '-20. ' Where fin abounded grace did much more abound.* When {\n becomes exceeding finful, free-grace becomes exceeding glorious. God's pardoning love can conquet

IN THE lord's prayer. €79

tlip fiiiner, and triumph over the fin. Confider, thou almoft defiMiring foul, there is not lb much fin in man, as there is mercy in God : man's fin in comparifon ot'God's mere}', is but as a (park to the ocean : and who would doubt whether afpark could be quenched in an ocean.

Obj. 3. But I have rehipfed into the fame fins, and how can I have the face to come to God for pardon of thofejins which I have more than once fallen into ?

Anf. I.know that the Novations held that after a relapfe no forgivenefs by the church. But, doubtlefs, that was an error: Abraham did twice equivocate. Lot committed incell twice, Peter finned thrice by carnal feur ; but thefe, repenting, had their abl'olution.

7"here is a twofold relapfe, 1. A wilful relapfe, when, after a man hath folemnly vowed himfelf to God, he falls into a league with fin, and returns back to it, Jer. ii. 25. ,* 1 have loved fi;Fangers, and aft<2r them will I go.'

2. There is a relapfe through infirmity, when the bent and refolution of a man's heart is agaiuft fin, but, through the violence of temptation, and withdrawing of God's grace, he is car-riecl down theitream againfi.his will. Now, though wilful and continued relapfes are defperate, and do vafiare confcifintianiy (as Tertul.) vAafte the confcience, and run men upon the precipice of damnation; yet, if they are through infirniity, and we mourn ibr them, we may obtain forgivenefs. A godly man doth not march after fin as his general, but is led captive by it; and the Lord will pity a captive prifoner. Chriil commands us to forgive a trefpafiing brother, ii.venty-times (even, Matth. xviii. 22. If he bids us do it, much more will he forgive a re-lapfiug finner in cafe he repent, Jer. iii. 22. ' Return, thou backfliding Ifrael, for I am merciful, faith the Lord.' It is not falling once or twice into the mire that drowns, but lying there ; it is not once relapfing into fin, but lying in fin iuipenitently, that damns.

Obj, 4. But God requiresfo muckforroio and humiliation before remiffioUt that I fear I Piatl never arrive at it.

Anf. God requires no more humiliation than may fit a foul for mercy. Many a Chriltian thniks, becaufe he hath not filled God's bottle fo full of tears as others, therefore he is not humbled enough to receive a pardon. But vy^e mull know God's dealings arc various; all have not the like pangs in the new birth : fome are won with love, the fenfe of God's mercy ai)ufed, cauleth ingenuous tears to flow ; others are more flagitious and hardened, and thefe Cod deals more roughly with. Tiiis is lure, that foul is humbled enough to receive a pardgn, who is brought to a thorough fenfe of fin, and fees the need of a Saviour, aod loves hlni as the fairell of ten thoufand : therefore

be not difcouraged, if thy heart be bruifed for Cm, and brokeo ofjfrom it, tijy finfliall be blotted out. Nolboner did Ephraim fall a-weeping, but God's bowels fell a-working, Jer. xxxi. 20. * My bowels are troubled for him, I will furely have mercy upon him.' Having anfwered thefe objeftions, let me be-ieech you above all things, labour for the forgivenefs of fin ; think with yourl'elves, how great a mercy it is : it is one of the richeftjewels in the cabinet of the new covenant, Pf. xxxii. 1. ' Blelied is he whofe iniquity is forgiven.' In the Hebrew it is bleffedneffes. And think with yourfelves, the unparalleled mifery offuch whofe fins are not forgiven. Such as had not the blood of the pafchal lamb fprinkled upon their door-poflis, were deftroyed by the angel, Exod. xii. So they who have not ChrilVs blood fprinkled on them, to wa(h away the guilt of fin, will fall into the gulf of perdition. And if you relblve to feek after forgivenefs, do not delay.

Many fay they will go about the getting their pardon, but they procraftinate and put it off fo long, till it be too late ; when the (hadows of the evening are ftretched forth, and the. night of death approacheth, then they begin to look after their pardon. This hath been the undoing of millions ; they purpofe they will look after their fouls, but they ftay fo long till the leale of mercy be run out: Oh, therefore halten the getting of a pardon ! think of the uncertainty of life. What fecurity have you that you (hall live another day } Volat ambigiiis mobilise aliis hora. Our life is a taper foon blown out; it is made up of a few flying minutes. O thou dufl and afhes! thou mayeft fear every hour to be blown into thy grave ; and what if death come to arreft thee before thy pardon be fealed ? Plutarch reports of one Archias, who being among his cups, one delivered to him a letter, and defired him to read it prefently, being about ferious bufinels ; faith hej'erio eras, I will mind ierious things to-morrow ; and that night he was flain. Thou that fayeii, to-morrow I will repent, I will get my pardon, thou mayett fuddenly be flain ; therefore to-day, while it is called to-day, look after the forgivenefs of fin : after a while, all the conduits of mercy will be flopped, there will not be one drop of Chrifl^'s blood to be had, there is no lealings of pardon after death.

S. Branch of Exhortation. Let us labour to have the evidence of pardon, to know that our fins are forgiven, A man may have his fins forgiven, and not know of it ; he may have a pardon in the court of heaven, when he hath it not in the court of confcience. David's fin was forgiven as (bon as he ref)ented. And God fent Nathan the prophet to tell him fo, 1 Sam. xii. 13. But David did not feel the comfort of it at prefent, as appears by the penitential plalmcompoled after, Pf li. 8 * IMake me to hear the voice of joy ;' and ver. 12. ' Call uie not away

IN THE lord's prayer, SST

from thy prefence.' It is one thing to be pardoned, and another to feel it. The evidence of pardon n)ay not appear for atin^e, and this n>ay be,

1. From the imbecility and weaknefs of faith. Forgivenefs of lin is fo ftrange and infinite a blefling, that a Chrillian can hardly perl'uade himfelf that God will extend fuch a favour to hiin ; as it is faid of the apoftlei*, whenChrift appeared to them firlt, ' they believed not for joy, and wondered,' Luke xxiv. 41. So the foul is foftricken with admiration, that the wonder

of pardon doth almolt dagger his faith.

2. A man may be pardoned, and not know it, from the ftrength of temptation. Satan accufeth the godly of fin, and tells them that God doth not love thein ; what, fliould fuch finners ihink of pardon ? Believers are compared to bruifed reeds, Matth. xii. 20. And temptations to winds, Matth. vii. 15, Now, a reed is eafily (haken with the wind. Temptations (hake the godly ; and though they are pardoned, yet they know it not; Job in a temptation thought God his enemy. Job xvi. (). Yet then he was in a pardoned condition.

Qu. But lOhy doth God fometimes conceal the evidence of par-don ?

Anf. Though God doth pardon, yet he may with-hold the fenfe of it a while ;

1. Becaufe hereby he would lay us lower in contrition. God would have us fee what an evil and bitter thing it is to'otiend him ; we fliall therefore lie the longer deeping ourfelves in the brinilh tears of repentance, before we have the fenfe of pardon : it being long before David's broken bones were let and his pardon fealed, the more contrite his heart was, and this was a fa-crilice God delighted in.

2. Though God did forgive fin, yet he may deny the mani-feftation of it for a time, to make us prize pardon, and make it fweeter to us when it comes. The diiTiculty of obtaining a mercy enhanceth the value : when we have been a long time tugging at prayer for a pardon of fin, and dill God with-holds, but at lad, after many fighs and tears, pardon comes ; now we edeem it the more, and it is fweeter,— Quo longius defertnr, €oJuavius laetutur, —The longer mercy is in the birth, the n)ore welcome will the deliverance be.

Let me now re-ad'ume the exhortation to labour for the evidence and fenfe of pardon. He who is pardoned and knows it not, is like one who hath an eltate befallen him, but knows it not. Our comfort confids in the knowledge of forgivenefs, Pfal. li. 8. * Make me to hear the voice of joy.' This is a proclaiming a jubilee in the foul, when we are able to read our pardon ; and to the witneii; of confcience God adds the witaef*

Vol. IL No. 18. N«

of his Spirit ; in the mouth of thefe two witnefles our joy is to 1 firmed : O labour for this evidence of forgivenefs. Qu. How piall ice know that our fins are forg'wen ? Anf.. we mull not be our own judges in this cafe, Prov. xxviii. 9,Q. * He that trufteth in his own heart is a fool.' • The heart is deceitful,' Jer. xvii. Q. And it is folly to truft a deceiver. The Lord only by his word mull be judge in this cafe, whether we are pardoned, or not. As it was under the law, no leper might judge himfelf to be clean ; ' but the pried was to pronounce him clean.' Lev. xiii. 37. So, we are not to judge ofourl'elves to be clean from the guilt of fin, till we are fuch as the word of God hath pronounced to be clean.

Qu. How then fliali we knoio by the icord whether our guilt is done away and ourJins pardoned 9

Anf. i. The pardoned finner is a great weeper. The fenfe of God's love melts his heart: that free grace fhouid ever look upon me ; that fuch crimfon fins (hould be waflied away in Chrifl's blood ! this makes the heart melt, and the eyes drop with tears; never did any man read his pardon with dry eyes, Luke vii. 38. * She Itood at his feet weeping ;' her heart was a fpiritual limbec, out of which thole tears were diflilled. Mary's tears were more precious to Chrill, thcUi her ointment ; her eyes, which before did fparkle with lull, whofe amorous glances had fet on fire her lovers ; now fiie makes them a fountain, and wafheth Chrill's feet with her tears. She was a true penitent and had her pardon, ver. 47- ' Wherefore, I fay, her fins, which were many are forgiven.' A pardon will make the hardeft heart relent, and caufe the fhony heart to bleed ; and, is it thus with us ? Have we been dilVolved into tears for fin } God feals his pardons upon melting hearts.

2. We may know our fins are forgiven, by having the grace of faith infnfed. Ads x. 43. * To him give all tJie prophets witnefs, that whofoever believes in him (hall receive remiilion of fins.' in fuving faith there are two things, abrenunciation, and recumbency; 1. Abrenunciation: a man renounceth all opinion of hinil'elf, digged out of his own borough ; he is quite taken ofihimfeH', Phil. iii. 9- He fees all his duties are but broken reeds ; though he could weep a lea of tears : though he had all the grace of men and angels, it could not purchale his pardon. 2. Recumbency. Faith is an affent with afliance : the fold doth get hold of Chriil, as zXdonijah did of the horns of the altar, I Kings i. 51. Faith calls itfelf upon the Itream of Chrid's blood, and laith, If I perifii, 1 perilh. If we have but the minium quod fie, the lall drachm of this precious faith, we havefomething to Ihew for pardon. * To him give all the prophets witnefs, that whofoever believes in him (hall receive remifiion of fin.* I. This fuiih is acceptable to God, it pleal-

eth God more than offering up ten thoufand rivers of oil, than working miracles, than martyrdom, or the higheft adls of obedience. 2. Faith is profitable to us ; it is our heft certificate to ihew for pardon : no fooner doth taith reach forth its hand to receive Chrilt, but Chrift fets his hand to our pardon.

3. Sign. The pardoned foul is a God-admirer, Micahvii. IS.

* Who is a God like thee, that pardoned iniquity?' O that God (hould ever look upon me, I was a finner, and nothing but a finner, yet I obtained mercy ? Who is a God like thee ? Mercy hath been defpifed, yet that mercy (hould fave me : Chrift hath been crucified by me, yet his crofs crowns me. God hath dif()layed the enfigns of free grace, he hath fet up his mercy above my fin, nay, in I'pite of it, this caufeth admiration, ' Who is a God like thee ?' A man that goes over a narrow bridge in the night, and ihe next morning comes and fees the danger he was in, and how miraculoufly he efcaped ; he is ftricken with admiration ; fo, when God (hews a foul how near he was a-falling into hell, and how that this gulph is (hut, all his fins are pardoned, he is amazed, and cries out, * Who is a God like thee, that pardoneft iniquity ?' That God fliould pardon one, and pafs by another ; one taken, another left; this fills the foul with wonder and altonifliment.

4. Wherever God pardons fin, he fubdues it, Micah vii. 19.

* He will have compafl'ion on us, he will fubdue our iniquity.' Where mens' perfons are juilified, their lulls are mortified. There is in fin vis imperatoria ^ damnatoria, a commanding power, and a condemning. Then is the condemning power of fin taken away, when the commanding power of it is taken away. When vve know whether our fins are forgiven, are they fubdned ? If a malefactor be in prifon, how (hall he know that his prince hath pardoned him ? if the jailor come and knock oft' his chains and fetters, and lets him out of prifon, then he may know he is pardoned : fo, how (hall we know God hath pardoned us? If the fetters of fin be broken otf, and we walk at liberty in the ways of God, Pfal. cxix. 45. * 1 will walk at liberty ;' this is a blelfed fign we are pardoned.

Such as are wafhed in ChriiVs blood from their guilt, are made kings to God, Rev. i. (5. As kings they rule over their fins.

6. He whofe fins are forgiven, is full of love to God. Mary Magdalene's heart was fired with love, Luke vii. 47- * Her fins, which are many, are forgiven -, for flie loved much.' Her love was not the caufe of her remilfion, but a fign of it. A pardoned foul is a monument of mercy, and bethinks he can never love God enough ; he wi(hes he had a coal from God's aliar, to inflame his heart in love; he wilhes he could borrow the wings of the cherubiois, that he might fly fwifter in obedience :

■ N n 2

a pardoned foul is fick of love. He whofe hvart is like marble, lockt up in impenitency, that doth not melt in love, a fign his pardon is yet to leal.

6. Where the fin is pardoned, the nature fs purified, Hof. xiv. 9. ' 1 will heal their backilidings, I will love them." Every man, by nature, is both guilty and diieafed : where God reniits the guilt, he cures the dileaie, Pf. ciii. 3. * Who for-givefh all thy iniquities, who healeth all thy difeaCes.* Herein God's paidon t;,oes beyond the king's pardon ; the king may forgive a maiefafctor, but he cannot change his heart, he may haveachievith heart ftill : butGod, when he pardons, changeth the heart, E^zek. xxxvi. 26. ' A new heart alio will I give you.' A pardoned foul is adorned and embelliflied with holi-nefs, 1 John v. 6". * This is he that came by water and blood.* Where Chrill comes with blood to jufi^ify, he comes with water to cleanle, Zech. iii. 4. * 1 have caufed thy iniquity to pals from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raimeiH.' I will cauCe thy iniquity to pals from thee, there is pardoning grace; and I will clothe thee with chang-e of raiment, there is fkn6tifying grace : let not him fay, he hath pardon, that wants grace. Many tells us, they hope they are pardoned, but were never fandlified ; yea, but they believe in Chrill: but what f^ith is it? A fvvearing faith, a whoring faith; the faith of devils is as good.

7. Such as are in the number of God's people, forgivenefs of fin belongs to them, Ifa. xl. 1. * Comfort ye my people, tell them their iniquity is forgiven.'

Qu. Hoiv piall we know that tee are God's elecf people ?

Anf. By three characters.

(1.) God's people are an humble people, the livery which all Chrill's people wear, is humility, 1 Pet. v. 5. ' Be ye clothed with humility.' 1. A fight of God's glory humbles : Elijah wrapped his face in a mantle when God's glory pafl'ed by, Job xlii. 5. ' Now mine eye feeth thee, wherefore 1 abhor mylelf.* The ftars vanilh when the fun appears. 2. A fight of fin humbles... In the glafs of the word the godly fee their fpots, and' thefe are humbling fpots. Lo, faith the foul, I can call nothing my own but fins and wants; this hunibles. A bumble finner is in a better condition than a proud angel.

(2.) God's people are a willing people: Pfal. ex. 3- 'A people of willingnefs:' love conltrains them: they ferve God freely, and out of choice. They Hick at no fervice; they will run through a lea and a wildernels;' they will follow the Lamb whitheiibever he goeth.

(3.) They are an heavenly people, I'lars, John xvii. 6. * Ye are not of the world.' As the primnm mobile in the heavens hath a motion of its own, conirary to the other orbs; fo God's

people have an heavenly motion of foul, contrary to the men of the world ! they ufe the world as their fervant, but do not follow the world as their mailer, Pliil. iii. 20. ' Our converiaiion is in heaven.' Sucli as have thefe three ch traders of God's people, have a good certificate to Ihew that tliey are |)ardoned. Forgivenefs of fin belongs to them : * comfort ye my people, tell them their iniquity i.s forgiven.'

8. A iign we are pardoned, if, after many ftorms, we have a fweet calm and peace within, Rom. v. 1. ' Being juilified we have peace.' After many a bitter tear flied, and heart-breaking, the mind hath been more fedate, and a fweet ferenity or Jtill mufic hath followed ; this brings tidings, God is appeafed : whereas before confcience did accnl'e, now it doth I'ecretly whifper comfort: this is a blelTed evidence a man's fins are pardoned. If tlve baililTs do not trouble and arreil the debtor, it is a fign his debt is compounded or forgiven : lb, if confcience do not vex or accuie, but upon good grounds whifper conloia-tion, this is a fign the debt is difcharged, the fin is forgiven.

9. A fign fin is forgiven, when we have hearts without guile, Pfal. xxxii. 1, a. ' Blelled is he whofe tranfgrefiion is forgiven, unto whom the Lord impuleth not iniquity, and in vvhoie fpirit there is no guile.*

Qu. What is this to be fine fuco, loithout guile f

1. He who is without guile, hath plamnefs of heart: he is without collufion, he hath not corrf?f/?/ex, a double heart; his heart is right with God. A man may do a right adion, but not with a right heart, 2 Chron. xxv. 2 * Amaziah did that which was right in the fight of the Lord, but not with a perfe6t heart.* To have the heart right with God, is toierv^^ God from a right principle, love ; by a right rule, the word ; to a right end, the glory of God.

2. An heart without guile dares not allow itfelf in the lead fin ; he avoids lecret lins. He dares not hide any fin, as Rachel did her father's images, under her. Gen. xxxi. 6^. He knows God fees him, which is more than if men and angels did behold him. Heavoids complexion-lins, Pf. xviii. 23. * 1 was alfo upright before him, and kept myfelf from my iniquity.* As in the hive there is a malter-bee, fo in the heart there is a matter-fin. An heart without guile takes the facrificing knife of ruortification, and runs it thro' his beloved fin.

3. An heart "without guile defires to know the whole mind and will of God. An unlbund heart is afraid of the light /yc?-

fugo^ he is not willing to know his duty. A fincere Ibui I'aith, as Job xxxiv. 32. * VVhat I know not, teach thou me :' Lord fliew me what is my duty, and wherein 1 ofiend ; let me not fin for want of light, what I know not, leach thou me.

4r. An heart without guile is uniform in religion : he hath

S8S OF THE FIFTH PETITION"

an equal eye to all God's commands. 1. He makes confcience t»f private duties ; lie worlhips God in his clofet as well as in the temple. Jacob, when he was alone, wreltled with the angels. Gen. xxxii. 3, 4. So a Chriitian when he is alone, wreitles with God in prayer, and will not let him go till he haih blelfed him. 2. He ptrt'orms difficult duties, wherein the heart and ipirit of relisfion lie, and which do crois fle(h and blood : he is much in felt-humbling and felf-exarnining, Uttitiir fpjecuUs magis quam per fpiciUis, Sen. He rather uleth the looking-glafs of the word to look into his own heart, than the broad I'petlacles of cenfure to ("py the faults of others.

5. An heart without guile is true to God's intereft. 1. He grieves to fee it go ill with the church. Nehemiah, though the king's cup bearer, and wine lb near, yet was fad when Zion's glory was eclipfed, Neh. ii. 3. Like the tree I have read of, if any of the leaves are cut, the reft of the leaves begin to flirink up themfelves, and for a lime to hang down the head ; fo a tiucere foul, when God's church futTers, feels himfelf as it were touched in his own perfon. 2. He rejoiceth to fee the caufe of God get ground ; to fee truth triumph, piety lifts up his head, and the flowers of Chrill's crown flourilh. This is an heart without guile, it is loyal and true to God's intereft.

6. An heart without guile isjuft in his dealings: as he is upright in his words, fo he is upright in his weights. He makes confcience of the lecond table as well as the ftrft : he is for equity as well as piety, 1 Theft", iv. 6. ' That no man go be-yund and defraud his brother in any matter.* A fincere heart thinks he may as well rob as defraud : his rule is * to do to others what he would have them do to him,' Mat. vii* 12.

7. An heart without guile is true in his promifes : his word is as good as his bond. If he hath made a promife, though it be to his prejudice, and doth entrench upon his profit, he will not go back. The hypocrite plays faft and loofe, flees from his word ; there is no more binding him with oaths and promifes, than Samfon could be bound with green withs. Judges xvi. 7. A fincere foul faith as Jephtha, Judges xi. 35. ' I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot go back.

8. An heart without guile is faithful in his friendfhip : he is what he pretends ; his heart goes along with his tongue, as a well-made dial goes with the fun. He cannot flatter and hate, commend and cenfure. Counterfeiting of love is hypocrily. It is too ufual to betray with a kifs, 9, Sam. xx. 9. * Joab took Abner by the beard to kifs him, and fmote him in the fifth rib that he died.' Many deceive with fugar words. Phyficians ufe to judge of the health of the body by the tongue ; if that look well, the body is in health : but we cannot judge of friend-: Ihip by the tongue : the words may be full of honey, when the

heart hath the gall of malice : Aire his heart is not true to God, who is treacherous to his friend. Thus you fee what an heart without guile is ; now, to have luch a heart is a fign fin is par-doued ; ' God will not impute fin to him in whole fpirit there is no guile.' What a blelfed thing is this, not to have fin imputed ? If our fins be not imputed, it is as if we had no fin : fins remitted, are as if they had not been committed: this is the bleliing belongs to a fincere foul, God imputes not iniquity to him in whofe fpirit is no guile.

9. He whofe fins are forgiven, is willing to forgive others who have offended him, Eph. iv. 3^2. * Forgiving one another, even as God for Chrift's fake hath forgiven you.' An hypocrite will read, come to church, give alms, build hofpitals, but cannot forgive wrongs, he will rather want forgivenefs from God than he will forgive his enemies. A pardoned foul argues thus, hath God been fo good to me, to forgive me my fins, and fhall not I imitate him in this ? Hath he forgiven me pounds, and fhall I not forgive pence. It is noted of Cranmer, nihil ohliuifd J'olet praeter injnrias, Cicero. He was of a forgiving fpirit, and would do offices of love to them that had injured him ; like the lun, which having drawn up black vapours fiom the earth, returns them back in fweet fhowers.

By this touchllone we may try whether our fins are pardoned : we need not climb up into heaven to fee whether our fins be forgiven, but let us look into our hearts ; are we of forgiving Ipirits ? Can we bury irjurieSj requite good for evil ? lA good fign we are forgiven of God. If we can find all thefe things wrought in our fouls, they are happy figns that our fins are j)ardoned, and are good letters teitimonial to fliew for heaven.

Ufe 3. Confolation. I fiiall open a box of cordials, and fljew you forae of the glorious privileges of a pardoned condition. 'I'his is a peculiar favour, it is a fpring fhut up, broached for none but the ele6t. The wicked may have forbearing mercy, but only an elec^ perfon hath forgiving mercy. Forgivenefs of fin makes way for folid joy, Ifa. xl. I. ' Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, faith your God, fpeak ye comfortably to Jerula-Jem :' or, as in the Hebrew, " fpeak to her heart."—What was this mufl; cheer her heart ? ' Tell her that her iniquity is pardoned :' if any thing would comfort her, the Lord knew it was this. When Chriil would cheer the palfy man, Matlh. ix. 2. ' Son, be of good cheer, thy fins be forgiven thee.' It was a greater comfort to have his fins forgiven, than to have his palfy healed. This made David put on his beft clothes, and anoint himfelf, 2 Sam. xii. 20. it was ilrange his child was newly dead, and God had told him * the fword fliall not depart from his houfe ;' yet now he fpruceth up himfelf, he puts on his bell clothes, and anoints himfelf: whence was this.? David

had heard good news : God fent him his pardon by N'athan thfc prophet, 2 Sam. xil. 13. * The Lord hath put away thy fin.' This could not but revive his heart, and in token of joy, he anoints himfelf. Philo faith, it was an opinion of fome of the phiiofophers, that among the heavenly fpheres there was fuch fweet harmonious melody, that if the found of it could reach our ears, it would affedl us with wonder and delight. Sure he who is pardoned hath fuch a divine melody in his foul, as doth replenifh him with infinite delight. When Chrifl had laid to Mary Magdalene, * thy fins are forgiven :' he prefently adds,

• go in peace,' Luke vii. 50. More particularly,

1. Comfort. God looks upon a pardoned foul, as if he had never finned. As the cancelling a bond nulls the bond, and makes it as if the money had never been owing, forgiving fin makes it not to be. Where fin is remitted, it is as if it had not been committed, Jer. 1. 20. So that, as Rachel wept becaufe her children were not, fo a child of God may rejoice becaufe his fins are not. God looks upon him as if he had never offended : though fin remain in him after pardon, yet God doth not look upon him as a finner, but as a juft man.

S. Comfort. God having pardoned fin, will pafs an a6l of oblivion, Jer. xxxi. 34. ' I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their fin no n^ore.' When a Creditor hath crofted the book, he doth not call for the book again. God will not reckon with the finner in a judicial way. When our fins are laid upon the head of Chrlft, our fcape-goat, they are carried into a land of forgetfulnefs.

3. Comfort. The pardoned foul is for ever fecured from the wrath of God. How terrible is God's wrath? Pf. xc. II.

• Who knows the power of thine anger ?' If a fpark of God's wrath when it lights upon a man's conlcience, fills it with fuch horror (as in the cafe of Spira) then, what is it to be always fcorching in that torrid zone, to lie upon beds of flames ? Now, from this avenging wrath of God every pardoned foul is freed : though he may tafte of the bitter cup of aftliction, yet he fliall never drink of the fea of God's wrath, Rom. v. 9. 'Being juilified by his blood, we fhall be faved from wrath thro* him.

Chrifi's blood quencheth the flames of hell.

4. Comfort. Sin being pardoned, confcience hath no more authority to accufe. Conlcience roars againfl the unpardoned finner, but it hath nothing to do to terrify or accufe him that is pardoned. God hath difcharged the finner, and if the creditor difcharge the debtor, what hath the ferjeant to do to ar-refl him? The truth is, if God abfolve, conii:ience, if rightly informed, abfolves ; if once God faith thy fins are pardoned, confcience faith, ' go in peace.' If the Iky be clear, and no florifls blow there, then the lea is calm ; if all be clear above.

and God fliine with pardoning mercy upon the foul, then coa-fcience is calm and ferene.

* 5. Comfort. Nothing that befals a pardoned foul (hall hurt him, Pf. xci. 10. * No evil flvall touch thee ;' that is, no de-tbu6live evil. Every thin^ to a wicked man is hurtful. Good things are for his hurt. His very bleffings are turned into a curfe, Mai. ii. 2. * I will curfe your bleffings.' Riches and profperitv do him hurt. They are not muneru, but hi/idia. Sen.

* Gold Ihares,' Eccl. v. 12. * Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.' Like Hanian's banquet, which did u(her in his funeral. Ordinances do a finner hurt ; they are a ' favour of death,' 2 Cor. ii. 10. Cordials themfelves kill. The beft things hurt the wicked, but the word: things which befal a pardoned foul fliall do him no hurt : the fting, the poifon, the Curfe is gone ; his foul is no more hurt, than David hurt Saul, when he cut off the lap of his garment.

6. To a pardoned foul, every thing hath a comiffion to do him good. Affli6lion (hall do him good ; ' poverty, reproach, perfecution,' Gen. 1. 20. * Ye thought evil againll me, but God meant it unto good.' As the elements, though of contrary qualities, yet God hath fo tempered them, that they work for the good of the univerfe ; fo the moft crofs providences (hall work for good to a pardoned foul. Corre6lion (hall be a corro-five to eat out fin ; it (hall cure the fwelling of pride, tlie fever of luft, the dropfy of avarice. It (hall be a refining fire to purify grace, and make it fparkle as gold. Every crofs providence, to a pardoned (bal, (hall be like Paul's Euroclydon or crofs wind, A6ls xxvii. which though it broke the fliip, yet Paul was brought to fhore upon the broken pieces.

7. A pardoned foul is not only exempted from wrath, but inveiled with dignity ; as Jofeph was not only freed from pri-ibn, but advanced to be fecond man in the kingdom.

A pardoned foul is made a favourite of heaven. A. king may pardon a traitor, but will not make him one of his privy-council; but whom God pardons, he receives into favour. 1 may fay to liim, as the angel to the virgin Mary, Luke i. 30. '-Thou hall found favour with God.' Hence fuch as are forgiven, are laid to be * crowned with loving-kindnels,' Pf. ciii.a, 4. Wiioni God pardons he crowns. Whom God abfolves, he marries himfelf to, Jer. iii. 12. ' I am merciful, and I will not keep anger for ever:' there is forgivcnefs; and in the 14th verl'e,

* 1 am married to you :' and he who is matchfd into the crown of heaven, is as rich as the angels, as rich as heaven can make him_.

9, Sin being pardoned, we may come with humble boldnefs to God in prayer, guilt makes us afraid to go to God. Adam having finned. Gen. iii. 10. * I was atraid, and hid myfelf.'

Vol.. II. No. IS. O o

Guilt dips the wings of prayer, it fills the face with blufhing '. but forgiv<5iie(s breeds confidence : we may look upon God as a Father of mercy, holding forth a golden fceptre : he that hath got his pardon, can look upon his prince with comfort.

p. Forgivenefs of (in makes our fervices acceptable ; God takes all we do in good part. A guilty perfon, nothing he doth pleafeth God. His prayer is ' turned into fin;* but when fin is pardoned, now God accepts our offering. We read of Jofhua ftanding before the angel of the Lord : * Jofhua was cloathed with filthy garments,' Zech. iii. 3. That is, he was guilty of divers fins : now, iaith the Lord, ver. 5. ' Take away his filthy garments, I have caufed thine iniquity to pafs from thee ;* and then he flood and miniflred before the Lord, and his fervices were accepted.

10. Forgivenefs of fin is the fauce which fweetens all the comforts of this life. As guilt embitters our comforts, it puts wormwood into our cup; lb, pardon of fin fweetens all, it is like fugar to Avine. Health and pardon, eilate and pardon re-Jifh w-ell. Pardon of fin gives a lan6lified title, and a delicious tafte to every comfort. As Naaman faid to Gehazi, 2 Kings V. 23. ' Take two talents ;' fo faith God to the pardoned foul, take two talents, take the venifon, and take a blelTmg with it; take the oil in the cruife, and take my love with it: ' take two talents.' It is obfervable," Chrift joins thefe two together, * Give us our daily bread, forgive us our trefpafies :' as if Chrift would teach us, there is little comfort in daily bread, unlefs fin be forgiven. Forgivenefs doth perfume and drop fweetnel's into every earthly enjoyment.

11. If fin be forgiven, God vv'ill never upbraid us with our former fins. When the prodigal came home to his father, the father received him into his loving embraces, and never mentioned his former luxury, or fpending hiseft:ate among harlots : fo God will not upbraid us with former fins ; nay, he will entirely love us, we Ihall be his jewels, and he will put us in his bofom. Mary Magdalene, a pardoned penitent, after Chrifl: arofe, he appeared firft to her, Mark xvi. 9. fo far was Chrift from upbraiding her, that he brings her the firft news of his re-furre6tion.

12. Sin being pardoned, is a pillar of fupport in the lofs of dear friends. God hath taken away thy child, thy hulband ; but withal he hath taken away thy fins. He hath given thee more than he hath taken away ; he hath taken away a flower, and given thee a jewel. He hath given thee Chrift and the Spirit, and the earueft of glory. He hath given thee more than he hath taken away.

13. Where God pardons fins, he beftows righteonfuefs. With reniillion of fin goes imputation of rightcoulhefs, Ila. Ixi.

10. * I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, he hath covered me with the robe ot" righteoulheis.* If a Ciiriltian can take any comfort in his inherent righteoufnefs, which is Co Itained and mixed with fin, O then what comfort may he take in Chrift's righteoufnefs, which is a better righteoufneCs than that of Adam ? Adam's righteoufnefs was mutaV)le; butfuppofe it had been unchangeable, yet it was but the righteoufnefs of a man : but that righteoLifnel's which is imputed, is the righteoulhefs of him who is God, 2 Cor. v. 21. * That we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in bim,* O blefl'ed privilege, to be reputed, in the fight of God, righteous as Chrill, having his embroidered robe put upon the foul! this is the comfort of every one that is pardoned, he hath a perfect righteoufnel's ; and now God faith of him, ' thy art all fair, my love, and there is no fpot in thee,* Cant. iv. 7.

14. A pardoned foul needs not fear death. He may look ort death with joy, who can look on forgivenefs with faith. To a pardoned foul death hath loft his lling. Death, to a pardoned finner, is like the arrejling a man after the debt is paid, death may arrell, but Chrill will fliew the debt-book croiled in his blood. A pardoned foul may triumph over death, * O death, where is thy lling! O grave where is thy vi6lory!' he who is pardoned needs not fear death, it is not a deltru6lion, but a deliverance : it is to him a day of jubilee or releafe, it releafeth him from all his fins. Death comes to a pardoned foul, as the angel did to Peter, it fmote him and beat oif his chains, and carried hmi out of prifon; fo doth death to him who is pardoned, it fmites his body, and the chains of fin fall off. Death gives a pardoned foul a quietus eji, it frees him from all his labours. Rev. xiv. 13. Falix trmi/itus alahore ad requiem, Bern. Death, as it will wipe olf our tears, fo it will wij)e olf our fweat. Death will do a pardoned Chriftian the greateft good turn, therefore it is made a part of the inventory, 1 Cor. iii. S2.

* Death is yours.' Death is like the waggon which was feut' for old Jacob, it came rattliwg with its wheels, but it was to carry Jacob to his fon Jofeph ; fo the wheels of death's chariot may rattle, and make a noife, but they are to carry a believer to Chrill. While a believer is here, he is abfent from the Lord, 2 Cor. v. 6. He lives far from court, and cannot lee him whom his foul loves : but death gives him a fight of the King of glory,

* in whole prefence is fulnefs of joy.' To a pardoned foul, death is tran/Uus ad regnum ; it removes him to the place of blifs, where he thall hear the triumphs and anthems of praife fung in the choir of angels. No caufe hath a pardoned foul to fear death ; what needs he fear to have his body buried in the earth, who hath his fins buried in Chrilt's wounds? What hurt can death do to him ? it is but his ferry-man to ferry him over

O 0 3

to the land of promife. The day of death to a pardoned foul, is his alct^nfion day to heaven, hih coronation-day, when he fliall be crowned with thole delights of paradife, which are unfpeak-able and full of glory. Thus you fee the rich confoiations which belong fo a pardoned (inner; well might David proclaim him bleiled. Pliil. xxxii. 1. ' Blelfed is he whofe iniquity is forgiven ;' in the Hebrew it is in the plural, bleHednelfes. Here is a plurality of bleflings. Forgivenefs of fin is like the firft link of a chain, which draws all the links after it ; it draws theie fourteen privileges after it; it crowns with grace and glory. Who then would not labour to have his fins forgiven ? * Blefi'ed is he whofe iniquity is forgiven, whofe fin is covered.'

Now follow the duties of fuch as have their fins forgiven.— Mercy calls for duty. Be much in praile and doxology, Plal.

eiii.

1. * Blefs the Lord, O my foul, who forgiveth all thy iniquities.' Hath God crowned you with pardoning mercy, fet the crown of your praife upon the head of free grace. Pardon of fin is a dilliriminating mercy, a jewel hung only upon the ele6t: this calls for acclamation of praife. You will give thanks for * daily bread,' and will you not much more for pardon ? You will give thanks for deliverance from ficknefs, and will you not from deliverance from hell ? God hath done more for you in forgiving your fin, than if he had given you a kingdom. And that you may be more thankful, do but let the unpardoned condition before your ey^s : how fad is it to want a pardon ? All the curfes of the law (land in full force againft fuch an one. The unpardoned finner dying, he drops into the grave and hell both at once; he mufi; quarter among the damned ; and will not this make you thankful, that this is not your condition, but that you are * delivered from the wrath to come?'

2. Let God's pardoning love inflame your hearts with love to God. For God to pardon freely without any defert of yours, to pardon fo many oflTences, that he fliould pardon you and pafs by others ; that he ftiould take you out of the ruins of mankind, and of a clod of dull and fin, make you a jewel fparkling with heavenly glory ; will npt this make you love God much ? Three priibners that deferve to die, if the king pardon one of thele, and leave the other two to the feverity of the law, will not he that is pardoned love his prince, who hath been fo full of clemency ? How (hould our hearts be endeared in love to God ? The fchoolmen dvllinguifli of a twofold love, amor grotuitons, a love of bounty; that is, God's love tons in forgiving: and amor dehitus, a love of duty ; that is, our love to God by way of retaliation. We (hould'^fliew our love by admiring God, by

fweetly folacin^ ourfelves in him, and binding ourfelves to him in a perpetual covei)ant.

3. Let the fonie of God's love in forgiving, make you more cautious and fearl'ul of fin for the futire, Pf. cxxx. 4. * There is forgivenefs with thee that thou nvayell be feared.' O fear to oft'end this God, who hath been fo gracious to you in forgiving. If a friend haih done a kindnefs for us, we will not diloblige him, or abule Ins love. Afier Nathan had told David, • The Lord hath put away thy fin :' how tender was David's con-fcience? How fearful was he of Raining his foul with the guilt of more blood ? Pi", li. 14. ' Deliver me from blood-guiltinefs,

0 God.' INlen committing grofs fins after pardon, God chang-eth his carriage towards them, he turns his fmile into a frown ; they lie, as Jonah, in the * belly of hell :' God's wrath fails into their confcience, as a drop of fcalding lead into the ey^ ; the promifes are as a fountain (ealed, not a drop of comibrt comes from them. O Chriitians, do you not remember what it cod you before to get your pardon ? how long it was before your • broken bones' were fet; and will you again venture to fin ? You may be in fuch a condition, that you may queliion whether you belong to God or not ; though God doth not damn you he may lend you to hell in this life.

4. If God hath given you good hope that you are pardoned, walk cheerfully, Rom. v. U. ' Wejoy in God, through our Lord Jefus Chrilt, by whom we have received the atonement.' * Who fhould rejoice, if not he that hath his pardon } God rejoiceth when he (hews us mercy ; and fliould not we rejoice when we receive mercy ? In the fadefi: times a pardoned foul may rejoice. Afflictions have a commiflion to do him good, every crols wind of providence fliall blow him nearer to the haven of glory. Chriltian, God hath pulled off your prifon fetters, and clothed you with the robe of righteoufnefs, and crowned you with loving-kindnefs, and yet art thou lad, Rom. V. 2. • We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' Can the ■wicked rejoice who have only a (hort reprieve from hell, and not they who have a full pardon fealed ?

3. Hath God pardoned you ? do all the fervice you can for God, 1 Cor. XV. 58. ' Always abounding in the work of the Lord.' Let your head lludy for God, let your hands work for him, let your tongue be the organ of his praife. Paul got his pardon, I Tim. i. 16". * I obtained mercy :' and this was as the oil to the wheels it made him move taller in obedience,

1 Cor. XV. 10. * I laboured more abundantly than they all.' Paul's obedience did not move flow, as the fun on the dial : but Aviftly, as the fun in the firmament, ' He did fpend, and was ipent for Chrift :' The pardoned Ibul thinks he can never love God enough, or ferve him enough.

$04 OF THE FIFTH PETITION"

The laft tMn^ is to lay down feme rules or direclions, how we n>ay obtain toigivenel's ot" iiri.

I. We nitiit take heed of miiiakes about, pardon of fin.

IJi Miftake, that our (ins are pardoned, when they are not. Qii. Whence ?s this nvfiake ?

Anf. From two grounds.

1. Becaule God is merciful.

Anf. God's being merciful, fhews,'that a man's fins are pardonable. But there is a great deal of difference between fins pardonable and fins pardoned ; thy fins may be pardonable, yet not pardoned. Though God be merciful, yet who is God's mercy for } Not for the prefuming finner but the repenting fin-ner. Such as go on in fin, cannot lay claim to it. God's mercy is like the ark, none but the prielis, might touch the ark ; none but fuch as are fpiritual priefts, facrificing their fins, may touch this ark of God's mercy.

2. Becaufe Chrill died for their fins, therefore they are forgiven.

Anf. That Chrifl; died for remiffion of fin is true ; but, that therefore all have remiilion is falfe ; then Judas Ihould be forgiven. Remillion is limited to believers, A6ts xiii. 39. * By him all that believe are juftified ;' but all do not believe : fome flight and trample Chritl's blood under foot, Heb. x. 29. So that, notwithftanding Chriffc's death, all are not pardoned. Take heed of this dangerous mirtake. Who will feek after pardon, that thinks he hath it alre^idy .^

Qd. Miftake, That pardon is ealy to be had ; it is but a figh, or Lord have mercy : but, how dearly hath pardon cofl them who haveobtained it? How long was it ere David's broken bones were let? Happy are we, if we have the pardon of finfealed, though at the very lafi hour : but, why do men think pardon of fin fo eafy to be'obtained ? Their fins are but fmall, therefore venial. The devil holds the fmall end of the perfpedive glafs before their eyes. But, Fuji, There is no fin fmall, being againft a Deity. Why is he punifhed with death that clips the king's coin, ordefaceth his flatue, but becaule it is an abufe offered to the perfon of the king ? Secondly^ little fins, when multiplied become great ; a little I'um when multiplied, comes to millions. What is Icfs than a grain of land, but, when the land is multiplied what heavier ? Thirdly, thy fins coil no fmall price. View thy fins in the glals of Chrifl's fufferings : Chrill did •vail his glory, lofe his joy and pour out his foul an offering for the leailfin. Fourthly^ little fins unrepented of, will damn thee, as well as greater. Not only great rivers fall into the lea, bjt little brooks ; not only greater Tins carry men to hell, but lelfer ; therefore do not think pardon eafy, becaule fin is luiall, beware of miltakes.

S. The fecond means for pardon of fin, is, fee yourfelves guilty ; con\e to God as condeained men, I Kin^s xx. 0^2. • They put ropes upon their heads and came to the king of U-rael.* Let us come to God iu profound humility: fay not thus. Lord, my heart is good, and my life blamelefs : God hates this. Lie in the dull, be covered with fackcloth ; lay as the centurion, Mat. viii. 8. * Lord, I am not worthy that thou fliouldeil come, under my roof ;* I deferve not the lealt fmile from heaven. This is thf^ way for pardon.

3. The third means for pardon is, hearty confelTion of fin, Pf. xxxii. 5. * I confeffed my fin, and thou forgaveft me.* WTould we have God cover our fins, we niuft difcover them, 1 John i. 9. • If we confefs our fins, he is jull to forgive them.* One would have thought it (hould have run thus, if we confefs our fins he is merciful to forgive them ; nay, but he is jull to forgive them. Why juft? Becaufe he hath bound himfelf by a promife to forgive an humble confeiTor of fin. Cum accufat, ex-cnfat ; Tertul. When we accufe ourfelves, God abiblves us. We are apt to hide our fins. Job xxxi. 33. Which is as great a folly as for one to hide his dil'eafe from the phyfician ; but when we open our fins to God by confelling, he opens his mercy to us by forgiving.

4. Means for pardon, found repentance : repentance and re-mifiion are put together, Luke xxiv. 47. There is a promife of a fountain opened for the wafhing away the guilt of fin, Zech. xiii. 1. But fee what goes before, Zech. xii. 20. ' Tliey Ihall look upon him whom they have pierced, and fliall mourn for him,' Ifa. i. 16. * Wafli ye, make ye clean ;' that is, waih in the waters of repentance ; and then follows a promife of for-givenefs, * though your fins be as fcarlet, they (hall be white as Ihow.' It is eafy to turn white into fcarlet, but not (b ealy to turn fcarlet into white : yet, upon repentance, God hath pro-mifod to make the fcarlet finner of a milk-white wliitenefs.

Caution. Not that repentance merits pardon, but it prepares for it. We fet our leal on the wax when it melts : God ieais his pardons on melting iiearts.

b. Means, faith in the blood of Chrifl:. It is Chrifl:'s blood walheth away fin. Rev. i. 6'. But this blood will not walh away fin, unlefs it be applied by faith. The apolile fpeaks of the Ipriiikling of the blood of Chrifi., 1 Pet. i. 2. Many are not pardoned, though Chrilt's blood be ftied, becaufe it is not fpriiikles : now it is faith that fprinkled ChrilVs blood on the foul, for tlie remilTion of fin. As Thomas put his hands into Chrilt's fides, John xx. 27- So faith puts its hand into Chrilt's wounds, and takes of the blood andfprinkles it upon the confci-ence, for the waihing away of guilt. Hence in fcripture, we are faid to obtain pardon through faith, Acls xiii. 3.9. * By him

ail that believe are juftified,' Luke vii. 48. * Thy fins are forgiven.' Whence was this, ver 56 ' Thy fuith hnth faved thee.' O let us labour for faith : Chrilt is a propitiation or atonement to take away fin ; but how ? ' Through faith in his blood.' Rom. iii. 25.

6. Means, pray much for pardon, Hof. xiv. 2. * Takeaway all iniquity,' Luke xviii. 13. * The Publican fmote upon his bread, faying, God be merciful to me a (inner.' And the text, faith, ' He went away jullified.' Many pray for health, riches, children ; but Chrift hath taught u^ what to pray for chiefly, Remitte nobis dehita nojira; ' Forgive us our fins.' And be earneli fuiters for pardon, confider what guilt of fin is ; it binds one over to the wrath of God ; better thy houfe were haunted with devils, than thy foul with guilt. He who is in the bond of iniquity, mull needs be in the gall of bittemefs, A6lsviii. 23. A guilty foul wears Cain's mark, which was a trembling at the heart, and a fhaking in his flefli; guilt makes the finner afraid, left every trouble he meets with Ihould arreft him, and bring him to judgment. If guilt befo difmal, and breed fuch convul-fion-fits in the confcience, how earneft fliould we be in prayer, that God would remove this guilt, and fo earneft, as to refolve to take no denial ! Plead hard with God for pardon, as a man would plead with a judge for his life. Fall upon thy knees, fay. Lord, hear one word. Why may God fay, what canft thou fay for thyfelf, that thou ftiouldeft not die ? Lord 1 can fay but little, but I put in my furety, Chrift will anfvver for me; O look upon that blood which fpeaks better things than that of Abel; Chrift is my prieft, his blood is my facrifice, his divine nature is my altar. As Rahab was to fhew the fcarlet thread in the window, and when Jolhuafaw it, he did notdeftroy her, Jofti. ii. 18, 21. and vi. 22, 23. So fliew the Lord the fcarlet thread of Chrill's blood, and that is the way to have mercy. But, will God fay, why lliould 1 pardon thee, thou haft nowife obliged me ? But, Lord pardon me, becaufe thou haft promiled it; 1 urge thy covenant. When a man is to die by the law, he calls for his book ; fo fay. Lord let me have the benefit of ni}' book : thy word faith, ' If the finner foriake his evil way thou wilt pardon abundantly,' Ifa. xliii. 25. Lord, I have forlaken my fin, let me therefore have mercy ; I plead the benefit of the book. But for whofe fake fiiould I pardon ? Thou caiilt not delerve it. Lord, for thy own name's fake : thou \}^^i (aid, thou wilt blot out fin, for thy own name's fake, ll'a. xliii. 25. 'Twill be no eclipfing to thy crown : how will thy mercy ftiine forth, and all thy other attributes ride in triumph, if thou (lialt pardon me ! Thus plead with God in prayer, and refolve not to give him over till thy pardon be fcaled. God cannot, deny importunity ; he delights in mercy. As the mother, lailh Chry-

foftom, delights to have her bread milked, fo God delights to milk out the breaft of mercy to the finner. Thefe means being ufed will procure this great bleiiednefs, the forgiveneCs of fin. Thus 1 have done with the firft part of this fifth petition, ' Forgive us our fins ;' I come to thefecond part of the petition * As we forgive our debtors.'

Matth. vi. 12. As we forgive our debtors: Or, as we forgive them that trej'pafs againjl us.

I Proceed to the fecond part of the petition, * As we forgive them that trefpafs againll us.'

As we forgive. This word, As, is not a note of equality, but iimilitude ; not that we equal God in forgiving, but imitate him.

This great duty of forgiving others, is a croffing the dream ; 'tis contrary to flefli and blood. Men forget kindnefl'es, but remember injuries. But it is an indifpenfible duty to forgive ; we are not bound to trull an enemy ; but we are bound to forgive him. We are naturally prone to revenge. Revenge (faith Homer) is fweet as dropping honey. The heathen phi-lofophers held revenge lawful. Ulcifci te lacej/itus pates, Cicero. But we learn better things out of the oracles of fcrip-ture, Mark xi. 25. ' When ye Hand praying, forgive.' Mat. V. 44. Col. iii. 13. * If a man hath a quarrel agaiull any, even as Chrilt forgave you, fo alio do ye.'

Qu. 1. How can we forgive others, when it is only God for* gives/in ?

Anf. In every breach of the fecond table, there are two things ; an oilence againfl God, and a trefpafs againft man : fo far as it is an offence againll God, he only can forgive ; but fo far as it is a trefpafs againll man, fo we may forgive.

Qu. 2. When do we forgive others ?

Anf. When we ilrive ag-ilnll all thoughts of revenge ; if it be in our pow«r to do our enemies milchief, we will not; we wilh well to them, grieve at their calamities, we pray for them, we feek recoticihatlon with them, we (hew ourfelves ready on all occafions to relieve them : this is gofpel-forgiving.

Obj. I. But I have been much injured and abufed, and to put it up tvi/l be aflainto my reputation. ^

Anf. 1. To pais by an injury without revenge, isnoeclipfing one's credit; the fcripture laith, Prov. xix. 11. ' It is the glory of a man to pals over a tranlgreffion.' 'Tis more honour to bury an injury, than revenge it : wrathfulnel's denotes weak-nefs ; a noble heroic fpirit overlooks a petty olTence.

Vol. 11. No. 18. P p

2, Suppofe a man's credit fliould be impaired with thofe whofe cenlure is not to be valued ; yet confiderthe folly of challenging another to a duel, 'tis little wifdom fora man to redeem his credit by iofing his hfe, and to run to hell to be counted valorous.

Obj. 2. B'(t the wrong he hath done me is great.

jlrij. But thy not forgiving him is a greater wrong ; he in injuring thee hath offended againfta man, but thou in not forgiving him offendeft againft God.

Obj. 3. But if I forgive one injury ^ I [hall occajion more.

Anf. If the more injuries thou forgiveil, the more thou meet-eft vi'ith, this will make thy grace fhine the more. Often forgiving will add more to the weight of his fin, and to the weight of thy glory. 11 any lay, I ftrive to excel in other graces, but as for this of forgiving, I cannot do it, 1 defire in this to be ex-cufed ; what dolt thou talk of other graces ? the graces are infer fe cotmexa;, linked and chained together ; where there is one, there is all: he that cannot forgive, his grace is counterfeit, his faith is fancy, his devotion is hypocrify,

Qu. 3. Biitfuppofe another hath wronged me in my ejiate, may not I go to law for my debt 9

Anf. Yes, elfe what ul'e were there of law-courts? God hath fet judges to decide cafes in law, and to give every one his right. It is with going to law, as it is with going to war; when the juft rights of a nation are invaded, here it is lawful to go to war: fo, when a man's eltate is trefpaffed upon by another, he may go to law to recover it. But the law muft be ufed in the laft place, when no entreaties or arbitrations will prevail, then the chancery muft decide it. Yet this is no revenge, it is not fo much to injure another, as to right one's felf; this may be, yet one may live in charity.

Uj'e 1. Here is a bill of indi6lment againft fuch as ftudy revenge, and cannot put up the leaft difcourtefy. They would have God forgive them, but they will not forgive others : they will pray, come to church, give alms ; but, as Chrift faid, Mark x. 21. ' Yet lackeft thou one thing;' they lack a forgiving fpirit, they will rather want forgivenels from God, than they w ill forgive their brother. How fad is it, that, for every flight wrong, or difgraceful word, men fliould let malice boil in their hearts ? would there be fo many duels, arrefts, murders, if men had the art of forgiving.'^ Revenge is the proper fin of the devil; he is no drunkard, oradulterer, but this old lerpent is full of the poifon of malice : and what fliall we fay to them who make profelhon of religion, yet, inftead of forgiving, purfue others defpitefully ? it was prophefied, the * wolf fliould dwell with the lamb,' Ifa. xi. 6. But what fliall we fay, when fuch as pro-fefs Lo be lambs become wolves; Thele open the mouths of the

profane againll religion ; they will (\w, thefe are as full of rancour as any. O whither is love and mercy fled ? If the Son of man did come, fhould he find charity on the earth ? I fear but little. Such as but cherifh anger and malice in their hearts, and will not forgive, how can they pray, ' Forgive us, as we forgive others P'Either they mull omit this petition (as Chry-ibllom fdith, fome did in his time) or elfe they pray againft themlelves.

Ufe '■>. Let it perfude us all, as ever we hope for falvation, to pais by petty injuries and difcourtefies, and labour to be of forgiving Ipirits, Col. iii. 13. * Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another.'

Herein we refemble God. He is ready to forgive, Pf. Ixxxvi. 5. He befriends his enemies ; he opens his hand to relieve them, who open their mouths againft him. It was Adam's pride to go to refenjble God in omnifciency : but here it is lawful to refemble God in forgiving enemies : this is a God-liUe difpofition ; and what is godlinefs but God-likenefs.?

2. To forgive is one of the higheft evidences of grace. When grace comes into the heart, it makes a man, as Caleb, of another fpirit, Numb. xiv. ^4. It makes a great metamorpholis, it fweetens the heart, and fills it with love and candour. When a fcion is grafted into a Hock, it partakes of the nature and fap of the tree, and brings forth the fame fruit ; take a crab, graft it into a pepin, it brings forth the fame fruit as the pepin ; fo he who was once of a four crabby difpofition, given to revenge, when he isonce ingrafted into Chriit, he partakes of the fap of this heavenly olive, and bears fweet and generous fruit : he is full of love to his enemies, and requites good for evil. As the fun draws up many thick noxious vapours from the earth, and returns them in fweet fliowers : fo a gracious heart returns the unkindnelfes of others, with the fweet influencesof love and mercifulnefs, Pfal. xxxv. 13. * They rewarded me evil for good : but as for me, when they were fick, my clothing wa^ fdckcloth, I humbled my foul with failing.* This is a good certificate to (hew for heaven.

3. The blelfed example of our Lord Jefus ; he was of a forgiving fpirit : his enemies reviled hmi, but he did pity them , their words were more bitter than the gall and vinegar they gave him, but Chriil's words were fmoother than oil; they fpat upon him, pierced him with the fpear and nails, but he prayed for them, ' Father, forgive them :* he wept over his enemies, he filed tears for them that (hed his blood : never fuch a pattern of amazing kindnefs. Chrift bids us learn of him, Mat. xi, 29. he doth not hid us learn of him to work miracles, but he would have us learn of him to forgive our enemies. If we do not imitate GhrilVs life, we cannot be flived bv his (^eath.

Fp2

4. The danger of an implacable unforgiving fpirit: it hinders the efficacy of ordinances; it is like an obftniction in the body, which keeps it from thriving. A revengeful fpirit poifons our facrifice ; our prayers are turned into fin : vpill God receive prayer mingled with this (Irange fire ? Our coming to the facra-ment is fin, we come not in charity^ fo that ordinances are turned into fin. It were fad if all the meat one did eat fhould turn to poifbn ; malice poifons the facramental cup, men eat and drink their own damnatiopi : Judas came to the paiibver in malice, and after the fop Satan entered, John xiii. ^7.

5. God hath tied his mercy to tliis condition, if we do not forgive, neither will he forgive us. Mat. vi. 15. * If ye forgive not men their trefpalTes, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trefpafi'es.' A man may as well go to hell, for not forgiving, as for not believing. How can they expect mercy from God, whole bowels are fhut up, and are mercilefs to their trefpafling brethren ? James ii. 13. ' He fliall have judgment without mercy, that hath fhewed no mercy. I cannot forgive, laid one, though I go to hell.

6. The examples of the faints, who have lieen of forgiving fpirits. Joleph forgave his brethren, though they put him into a pit, and Ibid him, Gen. 1. 21. ' Fear not, I will nou-rifh you, and your little ones.' Stephen prayed for his perfe-cutors. Mofes was of a forgiving fpirit ; how many injuries and affronts did he put up; The people of llVael dealt unkindly with him, they murmured againllhim at the waters of Ma-rah, (the water was not (b bitter as their fpirits) but he fell to prayer for them, Exod. xv. 25. ' He cried unto the Lord, and the Lord fhewed him a tree, wliich when he had call into the waters, they were made fweet.' When they wanted water, they fell a-chiding with Moles, Exod. xvii. 3. ' Why hall thou brought us out of Egypt, to kill us with thirfl ?' As if they had laid, if we die, we will lay our death to thy charge ; here was enough to have made Mofes call for fire from heaven upon them, but he pafleth by this injury, and, to fhew he forgave them, he becomes an interceffor for them, ver. 4. and let the rock a broach for them, ver. 5. The prophet F];lijah feafled his enemies, 2 Kings vi. 23. he prepared a table for them who would have prepared his grave. Cranmer was famous for forgiving injuries. When Luther had reviled Calvin, }iliom/i mil~ lies me diaboluni vocet ; I'hough he call me a devil a thoufand times, yet I will love and honour him as a precious fervant of Chrifi. When one had abul'ed and wronged a Chrillian, afk-ing him w hat wonders hath your mafter Chrifi wrought ? faith he, heiiath wrought this wonder, that though you have fb injured me, yet I can forgive you, and pray lor you.

7. Forgiving and rcquittinggood for evil, is the bell way to

IN THE lord's prayer. SOl

conquer and melt the heart of an enemy. Saul having purfued David with malice, and hunted him as a partridfi^e upon the mountains, yet David would not do him milchief when it was in his power. David's kindnefs melted Saul's heart, 1 Sam. xxiv. 16, 17. 'Is this thy voice, my Ion David ? And Saul litied up his voice and wept, and laid, Thou art more righteous than 1, for thou halt rewarded me good.' This forgiving is heaping coals, which nielts the enemy's heart, Rom. xii. 20. This is the moft noble vi6tory, to overcome an enemy without flriking a blow, tq conquer him with love. Philip of JNIace-don, when it was told him that one Nicanor did openly rail againft him, the king inttead of putting him to death, lent him a rich prefent ; which did Co overcome the man, and made his heart relent, that he went up and down to recant what he had iaid againtt the king, and did highly extol the king's clemency.

8. Fori^jiving others is the way to have forgiveneis from God» and is a (ign of forgiveneis.

(1.) It is the way to have forgivenefs, Matth. vi. 14. * If ye forgive men their trefpades, your heavenly Father will alio forgive you.' But one would think other things fliould Iboner procure forgivetiels from God, than our forgiving others: no iurely, nothing like this to procure forgiveneis ; f6r all other acts of religion may liave leaven in them. God forbade leaven in the facriiice, Exod. xxxiv. 25. One may give alms, yet there may be the leaven of vain glory in this; the Pharilees founded a trumpet, they did not give alms, but fell them for applaufe, Matth. vi. 2. One may give his body to be burned, yet there may be leaven in this, it may be a falfe zeal ; there may be leaven in many afts of religion, which lours the whole lump : but to forgive others that have oifended us, this can have no leaven in it, no finiller aim ; this in a duty wholly fpi-ritual, and it. done purely out of love to God ; hence it is, God rilher annexeth forgivenefs to this than to the highed and moll renowned works of charity, which are fo cried up in the world.

(2.) It is a hgn of God's forgiving us. U is not a caufe of God's forgiving us, but a fign : we need not climb up into heaven, to lee whether our lins are forgiven ; let us look into our hearts, and fee if we can forgive others. Then we need not doubt but God hath forgiven us ; our loving others is nothing hut the refledion of God's love to us: Oh therefore, by all thele arguments, let us be perfuaded to the forgiving others. Chrif-tians; how many otVences hath God palfed by m us } our hns are innumerable and heinous : is God willing to forgive us lb many oll'ences, and cannot we forgive a few ? No man can do fo much wrong to us all our life, as we do to God in one day.

Qu. But how mujl ice forgive ?

Anf. As God forgives us.

1. Cordially. God doth not only make a {hew of foro:iveners, and keep our fins by him ; but doth really forgive, he pailetli an a6t of oblivion, Jer. xxxi. 34. So we muft not only fay, we forgive, but do it with the heart. Mat. xviii. 35. * It ye from your hearts forgive not.'

2. God forgives fully ; he forgives all our fins. He doth not for fourfcore write down fifty, Pf. ciii. 3. * Who forgiveth

^11 thy iniquities.' Hypocrites pafs by fome offences, but retain others. Would we have God deal fo with us to remit only fome trefpaffes, and call us to account for the reft?

3. God forgives often ; we run afrefh upon the fcore, but God multiplies pardon, Ifa. Ivii. 7. Peter alks ihc queftion, Matth. xviii. 21. ' Lord, how oft fhall my brother fin againft me, and I forgive him .^ Till feven times? Jefus faith to him,

1 fay not, until feven times, but, until feventy times feven.* If he fay, I repent, you muft fay, I remit.

Qu. But this is one of the higheji acts of religionyjiepi and blood cannot do it: how fliall I attain to it ?

Anf. I. Let us confider, how many wrongs and injuries we have done againlt God : what volume can hold our errata ? Our fins are more than the fparks in a furnace.

2. If we would forgive, fee" God's hand in all that men do or fay againfl; us. Did we look higher than milruments, our hearts would grow calm, and we fhould not meditate revenge. Shimei reproached David and curled ; David looked higher,

2 Sam. xvi. 11. ' Let him alone, let him curfe, for the Lord hath bidden him.' What made Chrift, that when he was reviled he reviled not again ? He looked beyond Judas and Pilate, he faw his Father putting the bitter cup into his hand : and as we miiit lee God's hand in all the affronts and incivilities we receive from men, fo we muft believe God will do us good by all, if we belong to him, 2 Sam. xvi. 12. ' It may be the Lord will requite me good for his curfing this day.' Quisquis detra-liitjamcte meae addet mercedi meae, Aug. He that injures me ihall add to my reward ; he that clips my name to make it weigh lighter, fiiall make my crown weigh heavier. Well iTiight Stephen pray for his enemies, * Lord, lay not this fin to their charge,' Acts vii. GO. He knew they did but increafe his glory in heaven ; every llone his enemies threw at him, added a pearl to his crown.

3. Lay up a fi:ock of faith, Luke xvii. 4. * If thy brother trefpuls againll thee (even times in a day, and feven times in a day turn again unto thee, and lay, I repent, thou flialt forgive him.' And the apoille laid to the Lord, * increafe our faith ;' as if they had laid. We can never do this without a great deal ©f faith ; Lord, increafe our faith. Believe God hath pardoned

you, and you will pardon others ; only faith can throw duft i^pon injuries, and bury them in the grave of forgetfulnels*

4. Think how thou halt fometinies wronged others; and may it not be jnll with God that the fame meai'ureyou mete to olhers, (honid be meai'iired to you again ? Halt thou not wronged others, if not in their goods, yet in their name? If thou hafb not borne falfe witnefs againft them, yet perhaps thou haft fpoken falfely of them : the confideration of this may make Chrillians bury injuries in filence.

5. Get humble hearts. A proud man thinks it a difgrace to put up an injury. What caufeth To many duels and murders but pride? ' Be cloathed with humility,' Pet. v. b. He who is low in his own eyes, will not be troubled much though others lay him low : he knows there is a day coming, where there fhall bearefurre6lion of names as well as bodies, and God will avenge him of his adverfaries, Luke xviii. 7. 'And ftiall not God avenge his own ele6t?' The humble foul leaves all his wrongs to God to requite, who hath faid, * Vengeance is mine,' Rom, xii. 19.

life, of comfort. Such as forgive, God will forgive them. You have a good argument to plead with God for forgivenefs, Lo, I am willing to forgive him who makes me no lUtisfaction, and wilt not thou forgive me who haft received I'dtisfaction in Chrift my furety. So ends the fifth petition.

OF THE SIXTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S

PRAYER.

ISIatth. vi. 13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver

lis from evil.

This petition confiftsof two parts. Firji, Deprecatory, * Lead us not into temptation.' Secondly, Petitory, * but deliver us from evil.'

Firfi, * Lead us not into temptation.* Doth God lead into temptation ? God tempts no man to fin, James i. 13. ' Let no man fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God ternpteth not any man.' God doth permit fin, but doth not: promote it. He who is an encourager of holinefs cainiot be a patron of fin. God doth not tempt to that which he hath an antipathy againft. What king will tempt his fubjedls to break thofe laws which he himfelf hath eftabhlhed.

Qu. But is it not laid, God tempted Abraham? Gen. xxii. 1.

■/Inf. Tempting tliere was no more than trying. God tried Abraham's faith, as a goldfinith tries gold in the fire: but there

is a great deal of difference between God's trying his people's grace and exciting their corruption ; he trieth their grace, but doth not excite their corruptions: man's fin cannot be jullly fathered on God. God tempts no man.

Qu. What ih^n is the meaning of this, * Lead us not into temptation f

Anf. When we pray, * Lead us not into temptation ;* the meaning is, we defire of God, that he would not iuffer us to be overcome by temptation. That we may not be given up to the power of temptation, which is when we are trepanned into tin.

'Qu. 9. Whence do temptations come ?

Anf. 1. Ab intra, ivom ourl'elves. The heart is/o?72e^pec-cati, the bearer of all evil. Our own hearts are the greateft tempters: qiiifqnejihi Satan ejl, James i. 14. ' Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own luft.' The heart is a perfe6t decoy.

9. Temptations come ah extra, from Satan. He is called the Tempter, Mat. iv. 3. he lies in ambufh to do us mifchief; flat in procinclu diabolus, the devil lays a train of temptation to blow up the foit of our grace : the devil is not yet fully call into prilbn, but is like a priibner that goes under bail: the world is his diocefe where hevifits; we are fure to find Satan, whatever we are doing, reading, praying, meditating: we find him within, how he came there we know not; we are fure of his company, uncertain how we came by it. A faint's whole life (faith Auflin) is a temptation. Elias, who could fhut ht^aveii by prayer, could not fliut his heart from a temptation. This is a great moleftation to a child of God ; as it is a trouble to a virgin to have her chaftity daily alTaulted. The more one is tempted to evil, the more he is hindred from good : we are in great danger of Satan the ' prince of the air;' and we had need^ often pray, * Lead us not into temptation.* That we may fee in what danger we are of Satan's temptations.

Confider, (1.) His malice In tempting. This hellifh ferpent is fwelled with the poilbn of malice. Satan envies man's hap-pinefs:' to fee a clod of dufl: fo near to God, and himfelf (once a glorious angel) caft out of the heavenly paradife, this makes him purfue mankind with inveterate hatred. Rev. xii. 1^2. * The devil is come down to you having great wrath.' If there be any thing this infernal fpirit of hell can delight in, it is to ruin fouls, and bring them into the fiune condemnation with himfelf. This malice of Satan in tempting mull needs be great, if we confider three things :

1. That when ^atan is fo full of torment^ yet, that at fuch a time he fliould tempt. One would think that Satan fliould Icarce have a thought free from thinking of his own nufery;

yet fuch is his rage and malice, that, when God is puniHiing

hinj, he is tempting. , .., . i i i

2. Satan's mahce is great, thathew.ll tenopt where he knows he cannot prevail: he will put forth his iling, though he cannot hurt. He fempted Chrift, Matilj. iy. 3. ' If ihou be he Son of God.' He knew well enough Chrift was God as well as man. yet he would tempt him. Such was his malice againlt Chrift, that he would put an affVont upon CImft, though he knew he could not conquer him. He tempts the eled to blal-phemv: he knows he cannot prevail againft the elea; yet tuch is his malice, that though he cannot ftorm the garrilon ot their hearts, vet he will plant his pieces of ordinance againlt them.

3. Satan's malice is great, that though he knows his tempting- men to fin will increaie his own torment m he.l, yet he will ncU leave otf tempting: every temptation makes his chain heavier, and his tire hotter, yet he will tempt. Therefore Satan bein- fuch a malicious revengeful ipirlt, had we not need pray thatGod would not fufter hiin to prevail by his temptations? * Lead us not into temptation.'

(y.) Confider Satan's diligence in tempting. 1 Pet. v. S. « He walketh about.' He negleas no time; he who would have us idle, yet he himfelf is always bulled. This lion is ever hunting-- after his prty, he compalVeth fea and land to make a profclyte : he walks about, he walks not as a pilgrim, but al(>y; he watcheth where he may throw in the lire ballot a temptation. He is a reftlefs fpirit; if we repulfe him, yet he will noi delift, but come again with a temptation. Like Marcellus, a Komari captain Hannibal fpeaks of, whether he was conquered, or did conquer, he was never quiet. More particularly, Satan s diligence in tempting is feen in this. ^ r -.

1. If he gets the leaft advantage by temptation he purines it to the utmoft. If his motion to fin begins to take, he toUows it clofe, and preileth to the act of fin. When he n^mpted Judas to betray Chrift, and found that Judas was inchnable, and began to bite at the bait of thirty pieces of filver, he hurries him on, and never leaves him till he had betrayed his Lord and Mafter. When he had tempted Spira to renounce his religion, and law Spira begin to yield, he follows his temptation dole, and never left till he had made hirn go to the legate at Venice, and there abjure his faitli in Chrift. • i •

2. Again, Satan's diligence in tempting is feen in this, Uie variety of temptations he uleth. He doth not contme iymlelf to one fort of temptation, he liaUi more plots than one: ft he iinds one temptation doth not prevail, he will have another -. if he cannot tempt .to luft, he will tempt to pride : it a temptation to covetoulhefs doth not prevail, he will tempt to protule-nets : if he ctiinot fright men into deCpair, he will lee ft he can

Vol. 11. No. ly. ^ Q q

draw them to prefumption : if he cannot make them profane, he will fee if he can make them Tormaiifts : if he cannot make them vicious, he will tempt them to be erroneous. He will tempt them to leave off ordinances; he will pretend revelations. Error damns as well as vice ; the one piilols, the other poilons : thus Satan's diligence in tempting is great, he will turn every ftone, he hath feveral tools to work with ; if one temptation will not do, he will make ul'e of another. Had not we need then to pray, * Lead us not into temptation ?*

3. Confider Satan's po;;ver in tempting. Heiscalled, * the prince of the world,'John xii. 31. andlhe * itrong man,' Luke xi. 21. and ihe ' great red dragon,' who * with his tail cait down the third part of the ftars,' Rev. xii. 4. He is full of power, being an angel ; though Satan hath loft his holinefs yet rot his (Irength. The devil's power in tempting is feen feveral wavs: ]. He, is a fpirit having an intellectual being, can convey himfelf into the fancy and poifun it with bad thoughts. As the Holy Ghoft doth call in good motions, fo the devil doth bad , he puts it into .ludas' heart to betray Chrifl, John xiii. g.' 2. Satan, though he cannot compel the will, yet he can prefent plea ling objects to the fenfes, which have a great force in them. He fet a * wedge of gold' before Achan, and fo enticed him with that golden bait. 3. The devil can excite and ilir up the corruption within, and work fome inclinablenefs in tlie heart to embrace the tempfation : thus he fiirred up corruption in David's heart, and provoked him to number the people, 1 Chron. xxi. 1. Satan can blow the fpark of a lull into a flame.

4. Herein lies much of his power, that he being a fpirit, can fo ftrangely convey his temptations into our minds, that we cannot eafily dilcern whether they come from Satan, or from ourfelves : whether they are his fuggellions, or the natural births of our own hearts. A bird may hatch the egg of another bird, thinking it is her own : often we hatch the devil's motions, thinking they come from our own hearts. When Peter difiuaded ChriO from, futfering, fure Peter thought it came from the good alfedtion, which he did bear to his matter. Matt. xvi. 22. little did Peter think Satan had a hand in it. Now, if the devil hath fuch apovver to inftil his temptations, that we hardly know whether they be his or ours, we are in a great deal of d..iiger. and had need pray, not to be led into temptation. Here, I know, Ibme are defirt)us to move the quefiion.

Qu. Hoio PiaU ice perceive when a motion comes from our oicn heO"f.<!, and ichen from Satan?

AnJ'. It is hard (as Bernard faith) to diftinguifl) inter morfnm ferpentis & ?norbum mentis, between thofe fuggellions which

come from Satan, and which breed out of our own hearts. But I conceive there is this tiireeibld difference.

1. Such motions to evil .\s cone frotn our own hearts, fpring up more leifureiy, and by degrees ; a fin is long concocted m the thoughts, ere confent be given ; but ufually we inav know a motion comes from Satan by its luddennefs; therefore a temptation is compared to a dart, Epn. vi. 13, becaufeit is (liot fuddenly. David's numbering the people was a motion which the devil did inject fuddenly.

2. The motions to evil which come from our own hearts are not fo terrible ; few are frighted at the light of their v. a children ; but motions coming from Satan are more ghmlly and frightful, as motions to blafphemy and felf-murder. Hence it is temptatio4)s are compared to tiery darts, Eph. vi. for their terribleneis, becaufe they do, as tlafhes of fire, ftartle and affright the foul.

3. When evil thoughts are thrown into our mind, when we lothe, and have reluclancy againfl; when we ilrive againft them, and flee from them, as Moles did from the ferpent, this Ihesvs they are not the natural birth of our own heart, but the hand of Joab is in this. Satan hath injected thele impure motions,

4. Satan's power in tempting appears by the long experience he hath gotten in the art ; he haih been a tempter, well nigh as long as he hath beftn an angel. Who are fitter for action than men of experience ? who is fitter to fleer a fhip than an old experienced pilot ? Satan bath gained nujch experience, by his being fo long verfed in the trade of tempting. He having fuch experience, knows what are the temptations which have foiled oiiiers, and are moll likely to prevail: the fowler lays thofe fnares which have caught other birds. Satan having fuch power in tempting, we are in danger, and had need pray, • Lead us not into temptation.'

5. Confider Satan's fubtility in tempting. The Greek word to tempt, fignifies to deceive. Satan in tempting, ufeth many f ubtil policies to deceive ; we read of the depths of Satan, Rev. ii. 24. and devices and ftratagems, "2. Cor. ii. 11. we read of his fnares and his darts: he is called a lion for his cruelty, and an old ferpent for his fubtility ; he hath feveral forts of fubtility in tempting.

IJi, Subtility. The devil obferves the natural temper and conllitution. Omnium dij'eulit mores. —T'he devil doth not know the hearts of men, but he may feel their pulfe, ki\ow their temper, and fo accordingly can apply himlelf. As the huil)und-man knows what feed is proper to low in Inch a foil; fo :^alan finding out the temper, knows what temi'alion is proper to fbw in fuch a heart. That way the tide ot a man's v^onltitution runs, that way the wind of temptaliuu blows; batun tempts

Qq2

the ambitious man with a crown, the fanguine man with beauty, the covetous man with a wedge of gold. He provides favoury Hieat, fuch a.s the finner loves.

2o?, Subtility. Satan choofeth the fitteft feafon to tempt in. As a cunning angler cafts in his angle when the fifli will bait beft ; the devil can hit the very joint of time when a temptation is likelieft to prevail. There are feveral feafons he tempts in. yi. In our tirll initiation and entrance into religion, when we have newly given up our names to Chrilt. Satan will never diiturb his valTals : but when we have broke his prilbn in con-verfion, now he purfues us with violent temptations. Solet inter primprdia conver/ionis acrius infurgere, Bern. When II-rael were got a little out of Egypt, then Pharaoh purfues them. Herod, as foon as Chrift was born, fent to deftroy him; lb when the child of grace is newly born the devil labours to ilrangle it with temptation. When the firil buddings and blol-foms of grace begin to appear, the devil would nip thefe tender buds vvi[h the fharp blafts of his temptations. Indeed, at firfl: converfion, grace is lb weak, and temptation lb llrong, that one would wonder'how the young convert efcapes with his life : Satan hath a fpite at the new creature.

9d, Seafon. The devil tempts when he finds us idle, and unimployed. We do not fow feed in fallow ground ; but Satan fows moft of his feed in a perlbn that lies fallow. When the fowler fees a bird lit Hill and perch upon the tree now he (hoots it; fo when Satan obferves us to fit flill, now he flioots his fiery darts of temptation at us. Mat. xiii. 23. * While men flept, the enemy lowed tares ;' lb, while men flept in floth, Satan fow his tares. AVhen David was walking on the leads, and unimployed, now the devil fet a tempting obje6l before him, and it prevailed, 2 Sam. xi. 3.

3d, Seafon. When a perfon is reduced to outward wants and firaits, now is the devil's tempting time. When Chrifi; had fafted forty days and was hungry, then the devil comes and tempts him with the glory of the world, Matth. iv. 8. When provifions grow fhort, now Satan fets in with a temptation ; What, wilt thon ftarve rather than fi;eal ? reach forth thy hand, pluck the forbidden fruit. How oft doth this temptation prevail ? how many do we fee, who, inftead of living by faith, live by their Ihifts, and will Heal the veniibn, though they lofe the blelTing.

Ath, Seafon. Satan tempts after an ordinance. When we have been at hearing of the word, or prayer, or facrament; now Satan cafts in the angle of temptation. * When Chrift had been fafting and praying, then came the tempter,' Matth, iv. 3. Qu. Why doth Satan choofe this time to tempt in, after an

ordinance ? one would think this were the mnjl difadvnnlageous time for now the foul is raifed up to an heavenly frame ?

Anf. 1. Malice puts Satan upon it. 'I'he ordinances that caufe fervour in a faint, caufe fury in Satan. He knows in every duty we liave a defign againil him ; in every prayer we put up a iuit in heaven-againfl him ; in the Lord's fupper, we take the lacrament upon it, to fight under Chrift's banner againft the devil ; therefore now Satan is more enraged, he now lays his fnares, and flioots his darts againil us.

2. Satan tempts after an ordinance, bccaufe he thinks he (hail now find us more fecure. After we have been at the fo-lemn worfhip of God, we are apt to grow remifs, and leave off former ftridnefs ; hke a foldier, that after the battle leaves off his armour : now Satan watcheth his time; he doth as David did to the Amalekites, after they had taken the fpoil, and were fecure, they did eat and drink, and dance ; now David fell upon them, and did fmite them, 1 Sam. xxx. 17- So when we grow remifs after an ordinance, and perhaps too much indulge our-felves in carnal delights, now Satan falls upon us by a temptation, and oft foils us. As after a full meal, men are apt to grow drowly ; fo after we have had a full meal at an ordinance, we are apt to flimiber and grow fecure, and now Satan Ihoot.s his arrow of temptation, and hits us between the joints of our armour.

5th, Seafon. Satan tempts after fome difcoveries of God's love. Satan, like a pirate, fets on a fliip that is richly laden ; fo when a foul hath been laden with fpiritual comforts, now the devil will be fliooting at him to rob him of all. The devil envies to (ee a afoulfeafled with fpiritual joy. Jofeph's party-colured coat made his brethren envy him, and plot againil him. After David had the good news of the pardon of his fin (which muft needs fill him with confolation) Satan prefently lenipled him to a new fin in numbering the people : and foall his comfort leaked out, and ^vas fpilt.

6th, Seajon. Satan tempts when he fees us weakefl:. He breaks over the hedge where it is loweft ; as the fbn> of Jacob came upon the Shechemites when they were (ore, and could make no refillance, Gen. xxxiv. 25. At two times Satan comes upon us in our weaknel's.

(1.) When we are alone ; fo he came to Eve when her huf-band vva^ away, and fhe the lefs able to refill his temptation. Satan hath this policy, he gives his poifon privately, when no body is by ; others may dilcover his treachery. Satan is like a cunning fuiter, that wooes the daughter when the parents are from Ijome ; fo, when one is alone, and none near, now the devil comes a wooing with a teiiiptation, and hopes to have the match llruck up.

(2.) When the hour ofdeath approach<=s. Asthe poor (heep when it is fick and weak and can hardly help itl'elf, now (he crows lie picking at it ; i'o, when a faint i.^ weak on his deathbed, now the devil lies picking at him with a temptation ; he referves his moll; furious alFaults till the hift. The people of liTael were never fo fitrceiy aflaulted, as when they were going to take poiiellion of the |»romiled land ; then all the kings of Canaan combined their forces againll them ; fo, when the faints are leaving the world, and going to fet their foot on the heavenly Canaan, now Satan fets upon them by temptation ; he (ells them, they are hypocrites ; ail their evidences are counterfeit. Thus, like a coward, he^trikes the fiints when they are down ; when death is ftiiking at the body, he is llriking at the fouL This is his fecond fubtility, Satan choofeth the filteft feafon when to throw in a tenptation.

3. Subtilitij. A third fubtil policy of Satan in tempting, is, he baits his hook with religion ; the devil can hang out Chrift's colours, and tempt to fin under pretences of piety. Now he is the white devil, and transforms himlelf into an angel of light/ Celfus wrote a book full of error, and he entitled it, liber verita-tis, the book of truth. So Satan can write the title of religion upon his worft temptation. ,He comes to Chrifl with fcripture in his mouth, * it is written,* &c. So he comes to many, and tempts them to fin, under the pretence of religion ; he tempts to evil, that good may qpme of it ; he tempts men to fuch unwarrantable actions, that they may be put into a capacity of honouring God the more. He tempts them to accept of preferment againll confcience, that hereby they may be in a condition of doing more good : he put Herod upon' killing John Baptift, (hat hereby he might be kept from the violation of his oath. He tempts many to ojiprelTion and extortion, telling thein, they are bound to provide for their families. He tempts many to make away v\ iih themfelves, that they iDay live no longer to fin againll God : thus he wraps his poilbuous pills in fugar. Who would fufpe6l him when he comes as a divine, and quotes icripture.

4. SnbLility of Satan is, to tempt to fin gradually. The old, ferpent winds himfelf in by degrees, he tempts firll to lefferfins, that fo he may bring on greater. A fmall offence may occafion a great crime ; as a little prick of an artery may occafion a mortal gangrene. Satan firtl tempted David to an impure glance of the eye, to look on Bathfheba ; and that unclean look occa-fioned adultery and murder. Firft the devil tempts to go into the company of the wicked, then to twifl; into a cord of friend-fhip, and fo, by degrees, to be brought into the fame condemnation with them ; this is a great fubtility of Satan, to tempt to

lefler fins firft ; for thefe harden the heart, and fit men for the committing of more horrid and tremendous (ins.

5, Snbtilitij. Satan's policy is to hand over temptations to us, by ihoCe whom we lea ft fufpe6l.

1. By near friends ; he tempts us by them who are near in blood. He tempted Job by a proxy, he handed over a temptation to him, by hi.s wife. Job ii. 9. * Doll thou ftill retain thy integrity ?' As if he ha'd faid, Job, thou feeft how, for all thy religion, God deals with thee ; his hand is gone out Ibreagainll thee : what, and Hill pray, and weep ? Caft otF all religion, turn atheill; : ' curfe God, and die.' Thus fatan made ufe of Job's wife to do his work : the woman was made of the nb» and Satan made a bow of this rib, out of which he {hot the arrow of his temptation. Fer coftam petit cor. The devil oft Hands behind the curtain, he will not be feen in the bufinefs, but puts others to do his work. x\« a man makes ufe of a fer-jeant to arrell another; fo Satan makes ufe of a proxy to tempt: as he did creep into the lerpent, (6 he can creep into a near relation.

2. He tempts fometimes by religious friends ; the devil keeps ftill out of fight, that his cloven foot may not be feen. Who would have thought to have found the devil in Peter ? When he diiiuaded Chrift from futfering, maiter, * fpare thyfelf;' Chrill i'pied Satan in the temptation, * Get thee behind me, Satan.* When our religious friends would dilfuade us from doing our duty, Satan is a lying Spirit in their mouths, and would by them entice us to evil.

G. Siibliidij. Satan tempts fome perfons more than others: fome are like wet tinder, who will not lb loon take the (ixe of temptation as others. Satan tempts moll where lie thitiks his policies will more eafily prevail ; Ibme are filter to receive the impreilion of temptations, as (oft wax is fitter to take the ftamp of the leal. The apoftle (peaks of ' veifels fitted for deti;ru{"lion/ Rom. ix. 22. fo there are veifels fitted to*-temptation. Some, like the fpunge, fuck in Satan's temptations. There are five Ibrts of perfons that Satan doth molt fit brooding upon by his temptations.

\Ji, Ignorant perfons. The devil can lead them into any fuare ; you may lead a blind man any whither. God made a laW', that the Jews (hould not put a Itumbling-block in the way of the blinil, Lev. xix. 14. Satan knows it is oaiy to put a temptation in the way of the blind, at which they ihaii (tumble into hell. When the Syrians were fmitten with biinduels, the prophet I^IKha could lead them whether he would into the enemy's country, 2 Iviugsvi. 20. The bu'd that is blind is fooii ftiot by the fowler. Satan, the god of this world, blinds men and then (hoots them. An ignorant man cannot fee the de-

S12 OF THE SIXTH PETITION"

vil*s fnares ; Sataa tells him fuch a thing is no fin, or but a little one, and he will do well enough ; 'tis but repent.

2t////, Satan tempts unbelievers. He who, with Diagoras, doubts of Deity, or, with the Phocinians, denies hell : what iin will not this man be drawn to ? He is like metal that Satan can call into any mould ; he can dye him of any colour. An unbeliever will ilick at no fin : luxury, perjury, injuflice. Paul was afraid of none lb much as them that did not believe, Rom. XV. 31. ' That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea/

3cf/y, Satan tempts proud perfons ; thefe he hath more power of : None is in greater danger of falling by a temptation, than he who (lands high in his own conceit. When David's heart was lifted up in pride, then the devil llirred him up to number the people, 2 Sam. xxiv. 2. Celfae gravwre cqfic decidunt tunes, feriuntgue fummos fuhnina monies^ Hor. Satan made ufe of Haman's pride to be his fliame.

Athly, Melancholy perfons. Melancholy is afra Z>?7?>, a black humour, leated chiefly in the brain. Melancholy clothes the mind in fable, it doth difturb realbn ; Satan doth work much upon this humour. There are three things in melancholy, which gives the devil great advantage ; (l.) It unfits for duty, it pulls olFthe chariot-wheels, it difpirits a man. Lute-fi;rings when they are wet will not found ; when the fpirit is fad and melancholy, a Chriflian is out of tune for ipiritual a6lions. (2.) Melancholy fides often with Satan againil God ; the devil tells fuch a perlbn, God doth not love him, there is no mercy for him ; and the melancholy foul is apt to think lb too, and fets his hand to the devil's lies. (3.) Melancholy breeds difcont^nl, and difcontent is a caufe of many fins, unihankfulnefs, impa-liertce, and oft it ends in felf-murder. Judge then what an advantage Satan hath againft a melancholy perlbn, and how eafily he may prevail with his temptations. A melancholy perlbn tempts the devil to tempt him.

Qthly, Idle perfons. He who is idle, the Devil will find him work to do. Jerom gave his friend this counfel, To be ever well employed, thatvvhen the tempiercame, hemightfind him working in the vineyard. If the hands be not working, the head will be plotting fin, Micah. ii. 1.

7. SuhtUily of Satan is, to give fome little refpite, and feem to leave otf tempting a while, that he may come on after with more advantage. As Ifrael made as if they were beaten before the men of k\, and fled ; but it was a policy to draw them out of their fenced cities, and enfnare them by an ambulb, Jolh. viii. 15. The devil fometimes raifieth the fiege, and ftigns a flight, that he may the better obtain the viclory. He goes away for a time, that he may return when he iiees a better lea-

foi), Luke xl. 24. * When the unclean fpirit is . gone out of a man, he walks in dry places, lec^king relt ; and finding none, he laiih I will return to mine houfe whence 1 came out.' Satan, by feigning a flight, and leaving otf tempting a while, caufeth fecurity in perions, and ihey think they are fafe, and are become victors ; when, on a fudden, Satan falls on, and wounds them. As one that is going to leap, runs back a little, tiiai he may take the greater jump ; Satan feems to retire and run back a little, that he may come on again with a temptation more furioully and fuccefsfully : therefore we need always to watch and have on our fpiritual armour.

S. SuhtUity of the old lerpent is, either to take men off from the ufe of means, or to make them mifcarry in the ule of means. •

Firjl, He labours to take men oif from duty, from praying and hearing ; hisdefign is todilcourage them : and, to do that, he hath two artifices ;

1. He difcourageth them from duty, by fuggefting to them their unworthinefs ; they are not worthy to approach to God, or have any fignals of his love and favour, 'f hey are finful, and God is holy, how dare they prefume to bring their impure offering to God ? This is a temptation indeed. That we (hould fee ourfelves unworthy, is good, and argues humility ; but to think we Ihould not approach to God becaufe of unworthmefs, is a conclulion of the devil's making. God faith, Come, thougli unworthy ; by this temptation, the devil takes many otf from coming to the Lord's table. O (faith he) this is a Iblemn ordinance, and requires much holinefs ; how darelt thou lb unworthily come, led thou eat and drink unworthily? Thus, as Saul kept the people from eating honey, fo the devil by this temptation, tears many from this ordinance which is fweeter than honey and the honey-comb.

2. Satan endeavours to dilcourage from duty, by objecting want of fuccefs. When men have waited upon God in the ule of ordinances, and yet find not that comfort they defire : now Satan dilheartens them, and puts them upon relblves of declining all religion ; they begin to fay as that wicked king, 2 Kings vi. 33. ' Why Ihould I wait on the Lord any longer ?* When Saul faw God anfwered him not by dreams and vilions, Satan temjjted him to leave God's worfhip, and feek to the witch of Endor, 1 Sam. xviii. (>. No anfwer of prayer comes, therefore, faith Satan, leave off praying : who will low ieed where no crop comes up } Thus the devil would, by his (iibtil, logic, difpute a poor Ibul out of duty. But if he fees he cannot prevail this way, to take men olf from the ufe of means, then he labours,

Secondh/, To make them mifcarry in the ufe of means. By Vol. U, No. ly. 11 r

S14 or THE SIXTH PETITION

this artifice he prevails over multitudes of profefibrs. The devil Hands as he did at Jofliua's right-hand, to reliit men, Zech. iii. 9. If he can't hinder them from duty, he will be fure to hinder ihem in duty, two ways.

IJi, By cauhng di(lra6lion in the fervice of God ; and this he doih by propofing objects of vanity, or by whilpenng in men's ears, that they can fcarce mind what they are doing-

2d/y, Satan hinders, by putting mt^n upon doing duties in a wrong manner. 1. In a dead formal manner, that fo they may fail of the fuccefs. Satan knows duties done fuperficialiy were as good to be left undone. That prayer which doth not; pierce the heart, will never pierce heaven. 9. He puts them upon doing duties for wrong ends. Finisfpedjicat actionem ; he will make them look a-liquint, and have by-ends in duty, JSIatth. vi. 6. ' Be not as the hypocrites, for they love to pray (landing in the corners of the flreets, that they may be feen of men. Prayer is good, but to pray to be feen of men, this was the dead fly in the box of ointment ; the oil of vain-glory feeds their lamp : finiiler aims corrupt and fly-blow our holy things. Here is Satan's policy, either to prevent duty, or pervert it ; either to take men off from the ufe of means, or make them pjii'carry in the ufe of means.

, 0. Subtility, Satan can colour over fin with the name and pretence of virtue. Alcibiades hung a curtain curioufly embroidered over a foul pitlure or i'atyrs ; fo Satan can put the image of virtue over the foul picture of tin. Satan can cheat men with falfe wares ; he can make them believe, that pre-fumption is faith, that intemperate paffion is zeal, revenge is prudence, covetoufnels is frugality, and prodigality good hof-pitality. ' Come, fee my zeal far the Lord,' iaith Jehu. Satan perfuaded him it was a fire from heaven, when it was nothing but the wild-fire of his own ambition ; it was not zeal but ftate-policy. This is a fubile art of Satan, to deceive by tempting, and put men off with the dead child, inftead of the live child ; to make men believe that is a grace, which is a fin ; as if one fhould write balm-water upon a glals of poilbn. If Satan hath all thefe fubtil artifices in tempting, are we not in great danger from this prince of the air ? and had we not need often pray, ' Lord, i'ufier us not to be led into temptation ? As the ferpent beguiled Eve with his fubtility, 2 Cor. xi. 2. let us not be beguiled by the fnares and policies of this heilifli Ma-chiavel.

Satan hath a dexterity in fubtle contrivances ; he doth more hurt as a fox, than a lion ; his fnares are worfe than his darts, 2 Cor. ii. II ♦ We are not ignorant of his devices.*

10. The next fubtility of Satan is, he labours to enfnare u»

by lawful things, in Ileitis petimus omnes ; more are hurt by lawful things, than unlawful, as more are killed with wine than poifon : groi's fins atlVight, but hovv many take a furfeit and die, in uling lawful things inordinately ? Recreation is lawful; eating and drinking are lawful, but many offend by excefs, and their table is a fnare. Relations are lawful, but how oft doth .Satan tempt to over-love ? how oft is the wife and child laid in God's room ? excefs makes things lawful become finful.

11. Subtility of Satan is, to make the duties of our general and particular calling hinder and juftle out one another. Our general calling islervingGod, our particular calling is minding our employments in the world. It is wifdom to be regular in both thele, when the particular calling doth not eat out the time for God's lervice, nor the fervice of God hinder diligence in a calling. The devil's art is to make Chriftians defedive in one of thefe two : feme fpend all their time in hearing, reading, and under a pretence of living by faith, do not live in a calling; others Satan takes otl"duties of religion, under a pretence that they mufl; provide for their families ; he makes them fo careful for their bodies that they quite neglect their fouls. This is the fubtility of the old lerpent, to make men negligent in the duties (Zither of the firft tai)le or the fecond.

1^. Snblility of Satan in tempting is, to mifreprefent true ho-Jinefs, that he may make others out of love with it. He painta the face of religion lull of icars, and with feeming blemilhes, that he may create in the minds of men prejudice againft it, Satan reprefents religion as the mod melancholy thing, and that he who embraceth it, mufl banifhalljoy out ofhisdio-cels ; though the apoille faith, * Joy in believing,* Rom. xv. 13. Satan luggefts that religion expofelh men to danger ; he (hews them the crofs, but hides the crown from them : he labours to p«it all the dilgrace he can upon holinefs, that he may tempt men to the renouncing of it. Satan abufeth the good Chriiiian, and gives him a wrong name ; the truly zealous man, Satan calls hot-headed and factious : the patient man, that bears injuries without revenge, Satan reprefents him as a coward ; the humble man is low-fpirited ; the heavenly man Satan calls fool, he lets go things that are feen, for tilings that are not feen ; thus the devil milreprel'ents religion to the world. As John Hufs, that holy man, was painted with red devils ; lb Salan paints holinel's with as deformed, milliapen a face as he can, that he may by this temptation, draw men otifrom Iblid piety, and n)ake them rather Icorn than embrace it. The hand of Joab is in this : Satan is tempting perfons to atheifra, to caft oil"all religion.

13. Subtility of Satan iu tempting is, to draw men off frcm

Rr-2

the love of the truth to embrace errror, 9 ThefT. ii. 11. * That they (hould believe a lie.* Satan is called, in fcripture, not only an un(,'lerin I'pirit, but a lying fpirit. As an unclean ipirit, fo he labours to defile the foul with luft ; and as a lying fpirit fo he labours to corrupt the mind wjth error: and indeed this is dangerous, becaufe many errors do look fo like the truth, as alchymy reprefents true gold. Satan thus beguiles fouls. Though the fcripture blames heretics for being the promoters of error; yet it chargeth Satan with being the chief contriver of it. They I'pread the error, but the devil is a lying fpirit in their mouths. This is Satan's great temptation : he makes men believe fucli are glorious truths, which are dangerous impollures; thus he transforms himfelf * into an angel of light.' What is the meaning of Satan's fowing tares in the parable, Mat. xiii. 25. but Satan's fowing error inftead of truth? How quickly had the devil broached falfe doctrine in the apoftles' times. That it was neceilary to be circumcifed, A6tsxv. 1. that angei-worfliip was lawful, and that Chrilt w^as not yet come in the flefli ? 1 John iv. 3. Now the devil tempts by drawing men to error, becaufe lie knows how deadly his fnare is, and the great mifchief error will do when it comes. I. Error is of a fpreading nature ; it is compared to leaven, becaufe it fours, Mat. xvi. II. and to gangrene, becaufe it fpreads, 2 Tim. ii. 17. (1.) One error fpreads into more like a circle in the water, that multiplies into more circles ; one error feldom goes alone. (2.) Error fpreads from one perfon to another ; It is like the plague, which infeds all round about. Satan, by infecting one peribn with error, infects more: the error of Pelagius did fpread on a fudden to Palelfine, Africa, Italy : the Arian error was atfirft but a iingle fpark, but at laft it fet almoil all the world on fire. 2. The devil lays this fnare of error, becaufe error brings divifions into the church; and divifions bring an opprobrium and fcandal upon the ways of God. The devil danceth at difcord : divifion deftroys peace which was Chrift's legacy; and love, which is the bond of perfection. Not only Chrift's coat hath been rent, but his body, by the divifions which error hath caufed. In churches or families where error creeps in, whatanimofities and fadions doth it make? it fets the father againft the fon, and the fon againft the father. What fiaughters and bloodfiieds have been occafioned by errors broached in the church ? 3. The devil's policy in raifing errors, is to hinder reformation ; the devil was never a friend to relormation. In the primitive times, after the upoilles* days, the lerpent caft out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, Rev. xii. 15. Which was a deluge otherefies, that fo he might hinder the progrefs of the gofpel. 4. Satan tempts to error, becaufe error devours godlinelis. The Gnoilics, as Epiphanius obferves, were not only corrupted in

Hieir judgments, liut in their morals; tliey were loofe in their lives, Jude 4. ' Ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lafcivionrntfs.* The Faniihlts afterwards turned ranters, and gave themftlves over to vices and immoralities; and this they did, hoaltingof the fpirit and perfection. 5. The devil's dehgn in reducing by error, is, he know^s error is pernicious to fouls. Error damos, as well as vice ; poifon kills as well as piftol. 2 Peti ii. I. ' They Ihall privily bring in damnable herefies.* Now, if Satan be thus lubtiiin laying Ihares of error to deceive, had not we need pray tliat God would not futfer us to be led into temptation ; that he would make us wife to keep out of the li)ares of error, or, if we have fallen into it, that he would give us to recover out of the fuare by repentance ?

14. Another Jubtilitif of Satan is, to bewitch and enfnare men, by letting pleahng baits before them ; the riches, pleafures, honours of the world, Mat. iv. 9. ' All this will I give thee.' How many doth Satan tempt with this golden apple ? Pride, idlenefs, luxury, are the three worms which breed of plenty, 1 Tin), vi. 9. ' They that will be rich fall into temptation and a fnare.' Satan kills with theie filver darts: how many furfeit on lufcious delights? The pleafures of ihe world are the great engine by which Satan batters down mens' fouls. His policy is to tickle them to death, to damn them with delights. The fielh would fain be pleafed, and Satan prevails by this temptation ; he drowns them in the fwect waters of pleafure, fuch as have abundance of the world, walk in the midft of golden fnares. We had need watcii our hearts in proi'perity, and pray not to be ' led into temptation.* We have as much need to be careful that we are not endangered by profperity, as a man hath to be careful at a feali, where there are ibme poifoned diihes of meat.

15. Suhtility of Satan in tempting is, to plead necelTity, Satan's policy in tempting men under a plea of necelliJy is this, he knows that necedity may in Come cales feem to palliate and €xcufe a fin. It may feem to make a leiier evil good to avoid a greater, as Lot oli'ered to expofe his daughters to the Sodomites, and was willing that they fhould defile them, that he might prelerve the angel flrarjgers that were come into hishoufe. Gen. \ix. 8. Doubtltfs Satan had a hand in this temptation, and made Lot believe that the necellity of this adion would ex-cult; the fin. The tradefman pleads a necelhty of unlawful gain, ellehe cannot live; another pleads a necellity of revenge, elle his credit would be impaired : thus Satan tempts merj to fm, by telling thnm of the necefi'ity. Nay, the devil will quote fcripture for it, that in Ibme cafes extraordinary, there may ba a necelTity of doing that which is not jullifrable : did not David, in cafe of necellity, ' eat the {hew bread, which was not lawful

for him, bat only the priefts?' Mat. xii. 4. Nor do we read he was blamed ; then will Satan lay, why may not you in cafes extraordinary trefpafs a Uttle, and take the forbidden fruit? O beware of this temptation, tee Satan'scjoven foot in it: nothing can warrant a thing in its own nature finful; neceflity will not jultify imf)iely.

10\ Siibtility of Satan in tempting is, to draw men to pre-fumption. Prefumption is a confidence without ground : it is inade up of two ingredients, audacity and I'ecurity ; this temptation is common. There is a twofold prefumption : (I.) Satan tempts men to prefume of their own hearts, that they are better than they are ; they prefume they have grace, when they have none, they will not take gold on trufi;, but they will take grace upontruil; the foolifli virgins prefumed that they had oil in their vellels when they had none. Here that rule of Epicharmus is good, " diflruft a fallacious heart." (2.) Satan tempts men to prefume of God's mercy : though they are not fo good as they fiiould be, yet God is merciful. They look upon God's mercy with the broad fpectaclesof prefumption. Satan foothes men up in their fins; he preacheth to them *' all hope, no fear ;" and fo he deludes them with thefe golden dreams. Quayn mullicum vanafpedefcendantad inferos, Aug. Prelum|)-tion is Satan's draw-net, by which he drags millions to licll: Satan by this temptation, oft draws the godly to fin ; they prefume upon their privileges, or graces, and fo venture on occa-fions of (in. Jeholhaphat twilled into a league of amity with king Ahab, prefuming his grace would be antidote flrong enough againft the infedlion, ^ Chron. xviii. 3. Satan tempted Peter to prefume upon his own ftrength : and when it came to a trial, he was foiled, and came off with (hame. We had therefore need pray, * that we may notbe led into this temptation ;' and with David, ' Keep back thy fervant from prefumptuous fins,' Plal. xix. 13.

17. Subtiliti/ of Satan in tempting is, to carry on his defigns againll us under the higheft pretences of friendlhip: he thus puts filver upon his bait, and dips his poilbned pills in I'ugar. Satan doth, as fome courtiers, make the greateft pretences of love, where they have the moft deadly hatred. Joab's fword was ufliered in with a kifs; * He kified Abner, and then fmole him under the fifth rib.' Satan puts otf his lion's ikin, and comes in flieep's cloathing : he pretends kindncis and friend-fliip : he would confult what might be for our good. 'J'hus Sataii came to Chrilt, ' Command that thel'e Hones be made bread,' Matth. iv. As if he had laid to Chrili, I fee thou art hungry, and there is no table fpread for thee in the wildernels ; 1 thertfore, pitying thy condition, vvifli thee to get foraeihing to cat, tuin itoues to bread, that thy hunger may be ilitisfied ;

bat Chriflfpiefl the temptation, and with the fword of tlie Spirit woundtd the old ierpent. Thus Satan came to Eve, and tempted her under the notion of a friend ; eat, faitli he, of the forbidden fruit ; for the Lord knows, that • in the day ye eat thereof, ye Ihall be as gods.* as if he had faid, I perfuade you only to that which will put you into a better condition than now you are ; eat of this tree, and it will make you omnil'cient, ' ye liiall be as gods.' What a kind devil was here ? But it was a fubtil temptation, (lie greedily fwallowing the bait, it undid her and all her polterity. Let us fear his fallacious flatteries. Tvneo Danaos ^- dona ferentes.

18. SuhtHitij is, when Satan hath tempted men to iin, he perl'uades thetn to keep his counfel: like them that have Ibme foul dileafe, they will rather die than tell the phyfician. It were wifdom, in cafe ot lore temptation, to open one's mind to ibme experienced Chrillian, whole counlel might bean antidote againll the temptation : but the danger of a temptation lies in the concealing of it ; it is like the concealing of temptation, which may prove mortal. How had we need renew this petition, ' Lead us not into temptation ?'

U). Subtility of Satan in tempting is, to make ufe of fit tools and engines, for the carrying on of his work ; that is, he makes ul'e of Inch perfons as may be likely means to promote his tempting defigns. The devil lays the plot of a temptation, and as it were cuts out the work, and then he employs others to finifli it.

(I.) Satan makes ufe of fuch as are in places of dignity. Men of renown, he knows, if he can get theCe on his fide, they may draw others into I'nares : when the princes and heads of the tribes joined with Korah, they preiently drew a multitude into the con (pi racy, Numb. xvi. "i, 10.

(•^.j The Devil makes ufe of fuch to carry on his tempting deligns, as are men of wit and parts; fuch as, if it were poflible, Oiould deceive the very eledt. He mult have a great deal of cunning that (hall perfuade a man to be out of love with his food : the devil can make ufe of fuch heretical fpirits as (hall perfuade men to be out of love with the ordinances of God, which they profefs they have found comfort in. Many who once leemed to be firick frequenters of the houfe of God, are now perfuaded, by Satan's cunning inlirumenls, to leave oflall, and follow an ignusfaluns, the light within them. 'I'his is a great fubtility of the devil, to make ufe of fuch cunning, fubtle-pated men, as may be fit to carry on his tempting deligns.

(3.) Satan makes ufe of bad company to be uillruments of tempting; they draw youth to Iin. Full they perfuade them to come into their company, then to twill into a cord of friend-

flilp, then to drink with them ; and, by degrees, debauch them. 1 hefe are the devil's decoys, to tempt others.

20. SiibtiUtij of Satan is, he in his temptation, llrikes atfome grace n)ore than others : as in tempting, he aims at fome per-fons more than others*; To he aims at Tome grace more than others; and if he can prevail in this, he knows what an advantage it will l)e to hnn. If you alk what grace it is that Satan in his temptatioils doth moil ftrike at ? I anfwer, it is the grace of faith : he lays the train of his temptation to olow up the fort of our faith, Fidei feu turn, percutit. Why did Chrilt pray more for Peter's faith, than any other grace ? Luke xxii. 32. Be-caule Chrift law that his faith was moft in danger, the devil was ilriking at this grace. Satan, in tempting Eve, did labour to weaken her faith, Gen. iii. 1. * Yea, hath God faid. Ye iliall not eat of every tree of the garden ?' The devil would perfuade her, that God had not fpoken truth ; and when he had once wrought her to diltruft, then (he took of the tree. 'Tis called fcutumjidei, ' the fliield of faith,' Eph. vi. iQ. Satan in tempting, llrikes moft at our fliiel'-l, he ailaults our faith. True faith, though it cannot be wholly loft, yet it may fufJ'er a great eclipfe ; though the devil cannot by temptation takeaway the life of faith, yet he may the lively acting; he cannot gratiam diruere, but he may debilitare.

Qu. But lohj/ dolh Satan in tempting chiefly fet upon our faith? Anf. 1 Kings, xxii, 31. ' Fight neither with frntill nor great, fave only with the king.' So faith is as it were the king of the graces : it is a royal princely grace, and puts forth the moft majefticand noble a6ls, theie'fore Satan fights chiefly with this kingly grace. I fiiall ftievv you the devil's policy in af» faulting faith moft.

IJi, Becaufe this is th«? grace doth Satan moft mifchief; it makes the moft refiftance againft him, 1 Pet. v. 9. ' Whom refill, ftedfaft in faith.' No grace doth more bruifethe ferpent's head than faith. Faith is both a ftiield and a fword, defenfive and often five. (1.) It is a fliield : a (hield guards the head, defends the vitals ; the (hield of faith caufeth that the fiery darts of temptation do not pierce us through. (.2.) Faith is a fword, it wounds the red dragon.

Qu. Hole comes faith to be fofirong, that it can rejft Satan, and put him to flight ?

Anf. \. Becaulie faith brings the ftrength of Chrift into the foul ; Samfon's ftrength lay in his hair, ours lies in Chrift. If a child be aifaulted, it runs and calls to its father for help ; fo, when faith is allaulted, it runs and calls Chrift, and in his ftrcnglh overcomes.

2. Faith furniflies itfelf with ftore of promifes ; the promifes are faith's weapons to fight with. Now, as David by five ftones

in his fling, wounded Goliah, 2 Sam. xvii. 40. fo faith puts the promiles, as Hones, into its fling, * I will never leave thee nor forfake thee,' Heb. xiii. 5. * He will not break the bruifed reed,' Matth. xii. 20. ' He will not I'ufl'er you to be tempted above that ye are able,' 1 Cor. x. 13. ' The Lord will fliortly bruife Satan under your feet,' Rom. xvi. 20. ' None fliall pluck you out of my Father's hands,' John x. 29. Here are live promiles, like five fl;ones, put in the fling of faith, and with thele a believer wounds the red dragon. Now failh being iuch a grace, that doth fo refill and wound Satan, he will watch his opportunity that he may batter our fliield, though he cannot break it.

9dly, Satan firikes mofl, at our faith, and would weaken and deftroy it, becaufe faith hath a great influence upon all the other graces ; faith fets all the graces a-work. Like fome rich clothier, that gives out a ftock of wool to the poor, and fets them all a-fpinning ; fo faith gives out a ilotk to all the other graces, and lets them a-working. Faith fets love a-work, Gal. V. 6. ' Faith which worketh by love.' When once the foul believes God's love, this kindles love to God.

The believing martyrs burned hotter in love than in fire. Faith fets repentance a-work. When the foul believes there is mercy to be had, and that this mercy is for him, this fets the eyes a-weeping, O, laith the foul, that ever I fliould otFend fuch a gracious God! Repenting tears drop from the eye of faith, Mark ix. 23. * The father of the child cried out with tears, Lord, I believe.' Faith fets his eyes abroach with tears ; therefore the devil hath mofl: fpite at faith, and by liis temptations would undermine it, becaufe it is fuch an operative grace, it fets allthe other graces on work. If the devil cannot deftroy our faith, yet if he can diftiurb it, if he can hinder and flop the actings of faith, he knows all the other graces will be lame and una6live. If the fpring in a watch be flopped, it will hinder the motion of the wheels : if faith be down, all theothergraces are at a ftand.

21. Subtility of Satan in tempting, is, in broaching thofe do6lrines that are flefli-pleafing. Satan knows the flefli love,^ to be gratified, it cries out for eafe and liberty ; it will not endure any yoke, unlefs it be lined and made foft. The devil will be fure fo to lay his bait of temptation, as to pleafe and liumour the flefli. The word faith, ' Strive as in an agony' to enter into glory ; crucify the flefli ; take the kingdom of heaven by holy violence : now Satan, to enervate and weaken thefe Icriptures, comes with temptations and flatters the tlefii ; he tells men, there needs no fuch flrictnel's : why lb much zeal and violence? a fotler pace will ferve ? fure there is an ealier way to heaven : there needs no breaking the heart for fin : d»

Vol. II. No. 19. Sa

but confefs to a pried, or tell over a few beads, or fay fome Ave Maries and this will procure you a pardon, and give you admilTion into paradife. Or, the devil can go another way to work ; if he fees men ftartle at popery, then he ftirs up the flattering Antinomian, and he comes in another difguife, and faith. What needs all this cofl ? what needs repenting tears ? thefe are legal. What need you be fo ftri6l in your obedience ? Cbrill hath done all for you, you may make ufe of your Chrif-tian liberty : this temptation draws many away ; it takes them olFfrom llri6tnefs of life. He who fells cheapefl {hall have mort cullomers ; the devil knows this is a cheap eafy do6lrine, ■which will pleafe the fleih, and he doth not doubt but he fhali have cuftomers enough.

22. Snbtility oi Sditsixi in tempting, is, in reference to holy duties. His policy is either to hinder from duty, or difcourage in duty, or put men on too far in duty.

I. To hinder from duty, as I Theif. ii. IS. ' I would have come once and again, but Satan hindered me.' So many duties of religion had been performed, but Satan hindered. The hand of Joab is in this. There are three duties which the devil is aa enemy to, and labours to keep us from.

1. Meditation, He will let men profefs, or pray and hear in a formal manner ; this doth him no hurt, nor them no good ; but he doth oppoie meditation, as being a means to compofe the heart and make it ferious. Satan can Hand your fmall fhot, if you do not put in this bullet : he cares not liow much you hear, nor how little you medi^ate. Meditation is a chewing of the cud, it makes the word digell, and turn to nourifliment; meditation is the bellov\''s ottheaffe6lions; the devil is an enemy to this. When Chriil was alone in the wildernefs, giving him-felf to divine contemplations, then the devil comes and tempts him, to hinder him. He will thruft in worldly bufinefs, fbme-thing or other to keep men off from holy meditation.

2. Duty, which Satan, by tempting, would keep us from, is mortification. This is as needful as heaven, Col. iii. 5. * Mortify your members which are upon earth, uncleannefs, inordinate affedlion.' Satan will let men be angry v^ith fin, exchange fin, reftrain fin, which is keeping fin prifoner, that it doth not break out; but when it comes to the taking away the life of fin, Satan labours to (lop the warrant, and hinder the execution. When fin is mortifying, Satan is crucifying.

3. Self-examination, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. ' Examine yourfelves :* a metaphor from metal, that is pierced through, to fee if it be gold within. Self-examination is a fpiritual inquifition fet up in one's Ibul : a man muft fearch his heart for fin, as one would fearch a houle for a traitor: or, as Ifiael fought for leaven to

burn it. Satan, if it be polTible, will by his temptations, keep tnen from this duty ; he ufeth a great deal of fubtility.

(I.) Here, firft he tells them their eftate is good, and what need they put thenifelves to the trouble of examination ? Though men will not take their money on trult, but will examine it by the touch-(lone, yet Satan perfuades them to take their grace on iruft. The devil perfuaded the foolilh virgins, they had oil in their lamps.

(2.) Satan hath another policy, he will fhew men the faults of others, to keep them from f'earching their own : fee what a proud covetous man goes there. He will allow them l"pe6tacles to fee what is amif^s in others, but not alooking-glafs to behold their own faces, and fee what is amifs in themielves.

II. Satan's policy is to difcourage us in duty. When one hath been about the performing of holy duties, then the devil (lands up and tells him, he hath played the hypocrite ; he hatli ferved God for a livre : he hath had finiller ends : his duties have been full of diftra6lion ; they have been fly-blown with pride : he hath offered the blind and lame, and can he expe6t a reward from God? Satan tells a Chriftian, he hath increafed his fin by prayer; and, by this temptation, he would make a child of God quite out of conceit with his duties, he knows not whether he had bed pray or not.

III. Or thirdly. If this plot will not take, Satan labours by temptation to put a Chrillian on too far in duty : if he cannot keep a child of God from duty, he will run him on too far in it. For inllance, humiliation and mourning for fin is a duty, but Satan will put one on too far in it; thou art not (laitli he) humbled enough ; and indeed Satan never thinks a mcui is humbled enough, till he defpair. He would make a Chrilliati wade fo far in the waters of repentance, that he (hould wade beyond his depth, and be drowned in thegulph of defpair. Satan comes thus to the foul. Thy fins have been great, and thy for-row Ihould be proportionable to thy fins. But is it fo ? canft thou fay thou hall been as great a mourner as thou hall been a finner ? thou didll for many years drive no other trade but fin, and is a drop of forrow enough for a fea of fin ? No ; thy Ibul muft be more humbled, and lie Iteeping longer in the brinilh waters of repentance. Satan would have a Clirillian weep liim-felf blind, and in defperate mood throw away the anchor of hope. Now, lelt any here be troubled with tfiis temptation, let me fay this, this is a mere fallacy of Satan : for Ibrrow [>ro-portioual)le to fiu is not attainable in this life, nor doth God expect it. Itisfufiicient for thee (Chrillian) if thou iiall a golpel-forrow ; if thou grieveft fo far as to fee fin hateful, and Chriif^ pre-Ci^u-s: if thou grieveft (b as to break off iniquity ; ii liiy remori'e end in divorce, this is to be Immbled enou^li. Then the gold

Ss2

hath Iain long enough in the fire, when the drofs is purged out ? then a ChrilVian hath lain long enough in humiliation, when the love of fin is purged out; this is to be humbled enough to divine acceptation. God, for Chrifl:'s fake, will accept of this forrow for fin ; therefore let not Satan's temptations drive to defpair. You fee how fubtil an enemy he is, to hinder from duty, or difcourage in duty, or put men on too far indxity, that he may run them upon the rock of defpair. Had we not then need (having f'uch a I'uhtil enemy) pray ' Lord, lead us not into temptation ?' As the ferpent beguiled Eve, let us not be beguiN ed by this helliih Machiavel.

23. Siihtility of Satan in tempting to the a6l of fin, is the hopes of returning out of it by fpeedy repentance. But this is a fallacy : it is eafy for the bird to fly into the fnare, but it is not ealy to get out of the fnare. Is it fo facile a thing to repent ? are there no pangs in the new birth ? is it eafy to leap out of Delilah's lap mto Abraham's bolbm ? how many has Satan flattered into hell by this policy, that if they fin, they may recover themfelves by repentance } Alas! is repentance ia our power? a fpring-lock can fliut of itfelf, but it cannot open without a key : we can (hut of ourfelves to God, but we cannot open by repentance, till God open our heart, who hath the key of David in his hand,

24. Suhtility of Satan in tempting, is, to put us upon doing that which is good unleafonably.

(l.) To mourn for fin is a duty ; the facrifices of God are a broken heart, Pfalm li. 17. But yet there is a time when it may not befo feafonable : after fome eminent deliverance, which calls for rejoicing, now to have the fpirits dyed of a fad colour, and to fit weeping, is not feafonable. There wasa fpecial time at the feafl; of tabernacles, when God called his people to chear-fulnefs, Deut. xvi. 15. * Seven days (halt thou keep a folemn feafi", to the Lord thy God, and thou flialt furely rejoice.' Now, if at this time, the ifraelites had hung their harps upon the willows, and been difconfolate, it had been very unleafonable, like mourning at a wedding. When God by his providence calls us to thankfgiving, and we fit drooping, and, with Rachel, refufe to be comforted, this is very evil, and favours of ingratitude. This is Satan's temptation ; the hand of Joab is in this.

(2.) To rejoice isaduty, Pl'alm xxxiii. 1. • Praifeis comely for the upright.' But when God, by his judgments, calls us to weeping, now joy and mirth are unfeafbnable, Ifa. xxii. 12. * In that day did the Lord call to weeping, and behold joy and gladnefs.*

Oecolampadius, and other learned writers, think it was in the time of king Ahaz, when the figns of God's anger, like a

blazing (lar, did appear : now to be given to mirth was very un-I'eafonable.

3. To read the word is a duty, but Satan will fometimes put men upon it when it is unfealonable. To read it at home when God's word is preaching, or the facrament adminillerin^, is linfeafonabie, yea finful, as HuOiai (aid, 2 Sam. xvii. 7- ' The counfel is not good at this time.* There was a let time enjoined for the paiFover, when the Jews were to bring their offering to the Lord, Numb ix. y. Had the people been reading the law at home in the time of the paffover, it had not been in leafon, and God would have punilhed it for a contempt. This is the devil's fubtil temptation, either to keep us from duty, or to put us upon it, when it is leaft in feafon. Duties of religion not well timed, and done in feafon, are dangerous. Snow and hail are good for the ground when they come in their feafon ; but in hurveil; when the corn is ripe, then a ftorm of hail would do hurt.

25. Subtilty of Satan in tempting, is, to perfuade men to delay Uieir repenting and turning to God. He faith, as Hag. i. 2. ' The time is not yet come.' Now youth i^ budding, cr you are but in the flower of your age, it is too foon to repent, * The time is not not yet come.' This temptation is the devil's draw-net, by which he draws millions to hell: it is a dangerous temptation. Sin is duke venenum^ Bern, a poifon ; the longer poilbn lies in the body, the more mortal: by delay of repentance, fin (Irengthens, and the heart hardens. The longer ice freezeth, the harder it is to be broken: The longer a man freezeth in impenitency, the more dilucuit it will be to have his heart broken. When (in hath gotten a haunt, it is not eafy Ihaken otf. Befides, the danger of this temptation to delay repentance, appears in this, becaule life is hazardous, and may on a fudden expire. What fecurity have you that you fhall live another day? Life is made up of a few flying minutes ; it is a taper foon blown out. Jam. iv. 14. * What is your life it is but a vapour.' The body is like a veflel, tuned with a little breath ; ficknefs broacheth this veffel, death draws it out: how dangerous therefore is this temptation, to procrallinate and put off turning to God by repentance ! Many now in hell did pro-pofe to repent, but death furprized them.

26. Subli/iti^ o{ 'Snia.n in tempting is, to infringe and weaken the faint's peace. If he cannot dellroy their grace, he will dit-turb their peace. Satan envies a Chrillian fliould have a good day ; and if he cannot keep them from heaven, he will keep them from an heaven upon earth. There is nothing (next to holinefs) a Chrillian prizeth more, than peace and tranquility of mind : this is the cream of life, a bunch of grapes by the way. Now, it is Satan's great policy to Ihake a Chriliian's

peace ; that, if he will go to heaven, he fhall go thither through frights and plenty of tears. The devil throws in his fire-balls ot temptation, to fet the faints' peace on fire. Offuch great concern is fpiritual peace, that no wonder if Satan would by his intricate fubiilities, rob us of this jewel.

Spiritual peace is a token of God's favour. As Jofeph had a fpecial teftin>ony of his father's kindnefs in the party-coloured coat he gave him : fo have the faints a fpecial token of God's good will to them, when he gives them inward peace, which is, as it were, the party-coloured coat to wear. No wonder then, if Satan fo much rageagainft the faints' peace, and would tear off this comfortable robe from them.

The devil troubles the waters of the faints' peace, becaufe hereby he hopes to have the more advantage of them.

(I.) By this perplexing of their fpirits. Satan takes off their chariot wheels ; unfits them for the fervice of God : body and mind are both out of temper, like an inftrument out of tune, Sadnefs offpirit prevailing, a Chriftian can think of nothing but his troubles ; his mind is full of doubts, fears, furmiles, fo that he is like a perfon diftrafted and he is fcarce himfelf; either he negle6ls the duties of religion, or his mind is taken off from them vvhil6 he is doing them. Efpecially there is one duty that melancholy and fadnefs of fpirit unfits for, and that is thankfulnefs. Thankfulnefs is a tribute or quit-rent due to God, Pf cxlix. 3. 'Let the faints be joyful, let the high praifes of God be in their mouth.' But when Satan hath difturbed a Chriftian's fpirit, and filled his mind full of black, and almolt difpairing thoughts, how can he be thankful ? It re-jpiceth Satan to fee how his plot takes : by making God's children unquiet, he makes them unthankful,

(2.) Satan, by troubling the faints' peace, hath this advantage of laying a llumbling-block in the way of others ; by this policy, the devil gets an occafion to render the ways of God unlovely to thofe who are looking heaven-ward. He fets before new beginners, the perplexing thoughts, the tears, the groans of them who are wounded in fpirit, to fear them quite off'from all ftrioufnefs in religion. He will obje6l to new beginners. Do you not fee how thefefad fouls torture themfelves with melancholy thoughts, and will you change the comtbrts and plea-iures of this life to fit always in the houfe of mourning } will you efpoufe that religion, which makes you a terror to your-felves, and a burden to others ? can you be in iove with fuch a religion, as is ready to fright you out of your wits ? This advantage the devil gets by troubling the famts' peace, he would difcourage others who are looking towards heaven ; he \\oulcl beat them olf from prayer, and hearing all ibul-awakeiiiug iisr-

mons, left they fall into this black humour of melancholy, and end their days in defpair.

(3.) By this fubtil policy of Satan, in diflurbing the faints' peace, and making them believe God doth not love them, he hath his advantage, he fometimes fo far prevails over them, as to make them begin to entertain hard thoughts of God. Through, the black lpe6tacles of melancholy, God's dealings look fad and ghalily. Satan tempts the godly to have ftrange thoughts of God ; to think he hath caft otf all pity, and hath forgotten to be gracious, Pf. Ixxvii. and to make fad conclufions, Ifa. xxxviii. 13. * I reckoned, that as a lion, fo will he break all my bones ; from day, even to night, wilt thou make an end of me.* The devil fetting in with melancholy, caufelh a fad eclipfe in the foul ; it begins to think God hath fhut up thefprings of mercy, and there is no hope. Hereupon Satan getteth further advantage of a troubled fpirit; Ibmetimes he puts the troul)led foul upon finful wifhes and execrations againfl; it^lf ; Job, in diltemper of mind, curfed his birth-day. Job iii. 3. Job, though he did not curfe his God, yet h^ curfed his birth-day. Thus you fee what advantages the devil gets by raifing llorms, and troubling the faints' peace ; and let me tell you, if the devil is capable of any delight, it is to fee the faints' difquiets ; their groans are his mufic ; 'tis a fport to him to fee them torture themfelves upon the rack of melancholy, and almoft drown themfelves in tears. When the godly have unjuft furmifes of God, queflion his love, deny the work of grace, and fall to wifhing they had never been born ; now Satan is ready to clap his hands, and Ihoutfor a vi6lory.

Having (hewn you the advantages the devil gets by this temptation of diflurbing the faints* peace, I fhall anfweraquel-tion. By what arts and methods doth Satan, m tempting, dijiurh the faints* peace ?

Anf. (1.) Satan flily conveys evil thoughts, and then makes a Chriftian believe they come from his own heart. The cup was found in Benjamin's fack, but it was of Jofeph's putting in ; fo a child of God oft finds atheiftical, blafphemous thoughts in his mind, but Satan hath caft them in. The devil doth, as ibme, lay their children at another's door ; fo Satan lays his temptations at our door, fathers them upon us, and then we trouble ourfelves about them, and nurfe them, as if they were our own.

Ci.) Satm difturbs the faints* peace, by drawing forth their fins in the moll black colours, to aft'rightthem, and make them ready to give up the Ghoft, Satan is culled the accul'er of the brethren; not only becaufe he accufeth them to God, but ac-cufeth them to themfelves ; he tells them, they are guilty of fuch fins, and they are hypocrites ; whereas the fius of a be-

SS8 OF THE SIXTH PETITION

liever fhew only that grace is not perfect, not that he liath no grace. When Satan comes with this temptation, fhew him that fcripture, 1 John i. 7. * The blood of Jelus Chri.fthis foil cleanfeth us from all fin.*

27. Siibti/ity of Satan is, by plaufible arguments, to tempt men to hefelo defe, to make away themfelves. This temptation doth not only crofs 4he current of fcripture, but is abhorrent to nature to be one's own executioner : yet fuch cunning artifices doth Satan, that he perfuades many to lay violent hands upon themfelves, which the bills of mortality witnefs. (l.) He tempts fome to do this in terror of confcience, telling them, All the hell they fhall have is in their confcience, and death will give them prelent eafe. (2.) He tempts others to make away themfelves, that they may live no longer to fin againft; God. (3.) Others he tempts to make away themfelves that they may prefently arrive at happinefs; he tells them, the beft of the iaints defire heaven, and the fooner they are there the better.

Aun;in fpeaks of Cleombratas, who hearing Plato read a lecture of the immortality of the foul, and the joys of the other world,/e m praet cipitum dejecit \ threw himfeif down a deep precipice, or rock, and killed himfeif. This is Satan's plot ; but we muft not break prifon, by laying violent hands upon our-lelves, but ftay till God fend and open the door. Let us pray, • Lead us not into temptation.' Still bear in mind that icrip-ture, Exod. xx. 13. * Thou flialt not kill.' Clamitat in cce-

him vox fanguinis If we may not kill another, much lefs

ourfelves ; and take heed of.difcontent, which often opens the door to felf-murder.

Thus I have fhewn you twenty-feven fubtilties of Satan in tempting, fo that you may the better know them, and avoid them.

There is a (lory of a Jew that fhould have poifone^l Luther; but a friend fent to Luther the picture of this Jew, warning him to take heed of fuch a man, when he Taw him ; by which means he knew the murderer, and efcaped his hands. I have told you the fuhtil devices of Satan in templing ; I have fhewn you (as it were) the pi6lure of him that would murder you : i be-feech you, being forewarned, take heed of the murderer.

\Jly Uj'e. From this fubtilty of Satan in tempting, let me draw two inferences.

1. It may adminifter matter of wonder to us how any foul is faved. How may we admire, that Satan, this Abaddon, or angel of the bottomlefs pit, Rev. ix. 11. this Apollyon, this foui-devourer, doth not ruin all mankind ! What a wonder is it thatlbme are preferved, that neither Satan's hidden fnares prevail, nor his fiery darts j that neither the head of the ferpent, nor the paw of the lion dellroys them } Sure it will be matter

of adniiration to the faints, when they come to heaven, to think bow iirant^ely they came thither; that, notwithltanding all the force and iVaud, the power and pohcy of hell, yet they fhouid arrive fafe at the heavenly port: this is through the fafe con-dud of Qhrifi;, the captain of our falvation ; Michael is too hard for the dragon.

8. Is Satan fo fubtil ? See then what need we have to pray to God for wifdom to difcern the fnaresof Satan and llrength to refift them : we cannot of ourfelves ftand againll temptation ; '\i we could, this prayer were needlefs, * lead us not,' &c. Let us iDot think we can be too cunning for the devil, we can efcape ]bis wiles and darts. If David and Peter, who were * pillars in God's temple,' fell hy temptation, how foon fliould fuch >veak reeds as we be blown down, did God leave us. Take Chrifl's advice. Mat. xxvi. 41. ' Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.*

Inference 3. See wh^t the end of all Satan's fubtilties in tempting is, he is a tempter, that he may be an accufer. He lays the plot, enticeth men to fin, and then brings in the in-dictnjent; as if one ftiould make another drunk, and then complain of him to the magiftrate for being drunk. The devil is firll a tempter, and then an informer; firll a liar, and then a murderer.

Having (hewn you the fubtilties of Satan in tempting, 1 (hall anfwer two quellions;

Qu. 1. Why doth God fuffer his faints to be Jo hurried and buffeted by Satan's temptations ?

Anf. The Lord dolh it for many wife and holy ends.

(I.) He lets them be tempted to try them. The Hebrew word 7iija in pyhil, fignifies both to tempt and to try; temptation is a touchftone, to try what is in the heart; the devil tempts that he may deceive, but God lets us be tempted to try us. Quinon tentatur 71071 probatnr, Aug.

1. Hereby God tries our fiucerity. Job's fincerity was tried by temptation ; the devil told God that Job was an hypocrite, and Jcrved God only for a livery ; but, laith he, * touch him, (that is, let me tempt him) and then fee if he will not curfe thee to liiy face?' Job i. 11. Well God did let the devil touch him by a temptation, yet Job remains holy, he worfliips God, and blelfeth God, ver. i'O, 21. Here Job's fincerity was proved ; Job had fiery temptations, but he came out of the fire a golden Chriftian. * Temptation is a toudiftone of fincerity.'

2. By temptation God tries our love. The wife of Tigranea did never fo (hew her chaftity and love to her hulband, as whea Ihe was tempted by Cyrus, but did not yield; fo, our love to God is feen in this, wh^n we can look a temptation in the face, and turn our back upon it; though the devil come as a ferpent

Vol. II. No. 19. T i

fubtilly, and offers a golden apple, yet we will not touch the forbidden fruit. When the devil fhewed Chrift all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, fuch was Chrifl's love to his Father, that he abhorred the temptation. True love will not be bribed. When the devil's darts are moft fiery, a faint's love to God is moft fervent.

3. By temptation, God tries our courage, Hof. vii. 11.

* Ephraim is a filly dove without an heart.' So it may be faid of many, they are ex corde, without an heart; they have no heart to refill a'temptation; no fooner doth Satan come with his folicitations, but they yield ; like a coward, as foon as the thief approacheth, he delivers his purfe ; but he is a valorous Chriftian, that brandifheth the fword of the Spirit againft Satan, and will rather die than yield. The courage of the Romans was never more feen than when they were afiaulted by the Carthaginians ; the heroic fpirit of a faint is never more feen than in a field-battle, when he is fighting with the red dragon, and by the power of faith puts the devil to flight. Fidei rohor poteji ejje concv[jum, non exaij/um, Tertul. This is one reafon why God lets his people be tempted, that their metal may be tried, their fincerity, love, magnanimity; when grace is proved, the gofpel is honoured.

2. God fuffers his children to be tempted, that he may be kept from pride. Quo.t non gu/ajhpcrauit, Cypro Pride crept once into the angels, and into the apoftles, when they difputed

* which of them (hould be greatefi;;' and in Peter, * though all men forfake thee, yet I will not,' as if he had had more grace than all the apoftles. Pride keeps grace low, that it cannot thrive; as the Ipleen fvvells, fo the other parts of the body con-fume; as pride grows, fo grace confumes. God refills pride, and, that he may keep his children Innnble, he fuft'ers thern fometimesto fall into temptation, 2 Cor. xii. 7. * Left I ftiould be exalted, there was given to me a thorn in the flefh, a mei-fenger of Satan to buffet me:' when Paul was lifted up in revelations, he was in danger to be lifted up in pride : now came the melfenger of Satan to buffet him ; that wasfome (ore temptation to humble him. The thorn in the flefli was to prick the bladder of pride; better is that temptation that humbles me, than that duty which makes me proud. Rather than a Chriftian ftiould be proud, God lets him fall into the devil's hands a while, that he may be cured of his impofthume.

{3.) God lets his people be tempted, that they may be fitter to comfort others, who are in the fame diltrefs : they can fpeak a word in due feafcn to fuch as are weary. St. Paul was trained up in the fencing-ll'hool of temptation, 2 Cor. ii. U. And he was able to acquaint others with Satan's wiles and ftratagems. A man that hath rid over a jjlace where there are quick-lands.

is the fitteft to guide others through that dangerous way; he who hath been butleted by Satan, and hath felt the claws of this roaring lion, is the tittefl, man to deal with one that is tempted.

(4.) God lets his children be tempted, to make them long more for heaven, where they fliall be out of gun fliot; there they fliall be freed Irom the hilling of the old ferpent. Satan is not yet fully call; into prifon, but is like a prifoner that goes under bail, he doth vex and molell the taints ; he lays lus fuares, throws his fire-balls, but this is only to make the people of God long to be gone from hence, and that they may pray that they had ' the wings of a dove,' to fly away beyond Satan's temptations. God fulfered Ifrael to be vexed with the Egyptians, that they might long the more to be in Canaan. Heaven is the centrum, a place of reft, centrum quietatwium ; no bullets of temptation fly there. The eagle that foars aloft in the air, and fits perching upon the tops of high trees, is qot troubled with the Hinging of ferpents : fo, when believers are gotten above into the empyrean heaven, they fliall not be ftung with the old ferpent. The devil is caft out of the heavenly paradile. Heaven is compared to an exceeding high mountain. Rev. xxi. 10. It is lb high, that Satan's fiery darts cannot reach up to it. NuUns ibi hojlium metus, nnllcc injidke demonutn, Bern.

The temptations here are to make the faints long till death found a retreat, and call them off the field where the bullets of temptation fly fo thick, that they may receive a victorious crown. Thus I have anfwered this quellion, why God lets his dear fer--vants be tempted.

Qu. 2. What rocks ofjupport are there, or what comfort, for tempted fouls f

^itf. iji. That it is not our cafe alone, but hath been the cafe of God's eminent faints, 1 Cor. x. 13. 'There hath no temptation taken you but that which is common to man,' yea, to the beft: men, Chrift's lambs, which have had the ear-mark of election upon them, have been fet upon by the world. Elijah that could fliut heaven by prayer, could not fliut his heart from a temptation, I Kings xix. 4. Job was tempted to curfe God, Peter to deny Chrift ; hardly ever any faint hath got to heaven, but hath met with a lion by the way : j'ortem quam omnes fan^ti patiuntur nemo recnfut. Nay, Jefus Chrill hmifelf, though he was free from fin, yet not from temptation ; we read of Chrift's baptifm, Mat. iii. and Mat, v. I. ' Then was he led into the wildernefs to be tempted of the devil.' No fooner was Chrill out of the water of baptifm, but he was in the fire of temptation ; and if the devil would fet upon Chriil, no wonder if he let upo^ii us. There was no fin in Chrift, no powder for the devil's fire; temptation to Chrill, was like a bur on a cryflal-glafs, which

Tt2

glides off ; or like a fpark of fire on a marble pilHr, which will not ftick ; yet Satan was ib bold as to tempt Chrift. This is fome comfort, fuchas have been our betters, have wreflled with temptations.

2rf. Rock of fupport that may comfort a tempted foul, is, that temptations (where they are burdens) evidence grace. Satan doth not tempt God's children, becaufe they have fin in them, but becaufe they have grace in them. Had they no gpce, the devil would not difturb them : where he keeps pof-I'efiion all is in peace, Luke xi. 21. His temptations are to rob the faints of their grace. A thief will not aflault an empty houfe but where he thinks there is treofure ; a pirate will riot fit upon an empty fhip, but one that is full fraught with fpices and jewels ; fo (he devil moft aifaults the people of God, becaufe he thinks they have a rich treafure of grace in their hearts, and he would rob therti of that. What makes fomany cudgels be thrown at a tree, but becaufe there is i'o much fruit hanging upon it ? The devil throws his temptations at you, becaufe he fees you have fo much fruit of grace growing upon you. Though to be tempted is a trouble, yet to think why you arrf tempted is a comfort.

3d. Rock of fupport or comfort, is, that Jefus Chrift is near at hand, and ftands by us in all our temptations. Here take notice of two things.

1. Chrift's fympathy in temptation. 2. Chrift's fuccour in temptation.

(1 ) Chrift's fympathy in our temptations. Nobis compatitur Chrifivs.

Heb. iv. 15. * We have not an high-prieft who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.' Jefus Chrift doth fympathize with us ; he is fo fenfible of our temptations, as if hehimielflav under them, and did feel them in his own foul. As in mufic, when one llring is touched all the reft found, fo Chrift's bowels found ; we cannot be tempted but he is touched. ]f you (aw a wolf worry your child, would you not pity your child } You cannot pity it fo as Chrift doth tempted ones. Chrift had a fellow-feeling when he was upon earth, much more now in glory.

Qu. But how can itjiandmth ChrijVs glory now in heaven, to have a felloiv-feeling of our miferies and temptations?

Anf. i'his fellow-feeling in Chrift arifeth not from an infirmity or paftion, but from the myilical union between him and his members, Zech. ii. 8. * He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye.' Every injury done to a faint Chrift takes as done to him in heaven ; every temptation is a ftriking at Chrift, and he i^^ touched with the feeling of our temptations.

(2.) Chrift's fuccour in temptation. As the good Samaritan

firft had compaflTion on the wounded man, th6re wasfympathy, then he poured in wine and oil, there was I'uccour, Luke x. 34. So when we are wounded by the red dragon, Chrill is firft touched with compaffion, and then he pours in wine and oil, Heb. ii. IS. * In that he hirnlelf hath fuff'ered, being tempted, he is able to fuccour them that are tempted.' The Greek word lo fuccour [bceCltefai^ lignifies to run fpeedily to one's help; Co fierce rs Satan, lb frail is man, that Chrift, who is God-man, runs fpeedily to his help. When Peter was ready to fink, and laid, ' Lord fave me,' Chrill prefenlly ftretched forth his hand, and caught him ; fo when a poor (bul is tempted, and cries to heaven for help, * Lord lave me,' Chrill comes in with his auxiliary forces: nojcit Chrijius, our Lord Jefus knows what i£ is to be tempted, therefore he is fo ready to fuccour fuch as are tempted. It hath been an obl'ervation, that child-bearing women are more pitiful to others in their travails, than fuch women as are barren ; fo the Lord Jefus having been in travail by temptations and fuff'erings, is more ready to pity and fuccour fuch as are tempted.

Concerning Chrill's fuccouring the tempted, confider two things; (I.) Chrill's ability, (2.) His agility to fuccour.

IJi, Chrill's ability to fuccour, Heb. ii. 18. * He is able to fuccour them that are tempted.* Chrilt is called Michael, Rev. kii. 7. which fignifies ** Who is like God." Tho' the tempted foul is weak, yet he fights under a good Captain, • the Lion of the tribe of Judah.' When a tempted foul fights,, Chrift comes into the field as his fecond. Michael would be too hard for the dragon : when the devil lays the fiege of a temptation, Chrill can raife the fiege when he pleal'es; he can beat through the enemy's quarters, and can fo rout Satan, that he Ihall never be able to rally his forces any more. Jefus Chrilt is on the faint's Itde, and who would defire a better life-guard than omnipotency ?

9d/t/, Chrill's agility in fuccouring. As Chrift is abl^ to fuccour the tempted, fo he will certainly fuccour them. Chrill's power enables him, his love inclines him, his faiihfulnefs engages him to fuccour tempted fouls. This hs a gif'eat comfort toi a Ibul in teriiptaiion, he hath a fuccouring Saviour. As God did fuccour Ifrael in the wildernefs among licry ferptnts, they had the rock let abroach, the manna, the pillar of cloud, the brazent ferpent, what was this but ai type of God's fuccouring a poor foul in the wildernefs of temptation. Hung with the devil • that fiery ferpent ? Alexander beu)g allied how he could fleep fb fecurely, when his enemies were about him, laid, Aniipater is awake, who is always vigilant. So v^'hen our lenipfing enemy is near us, Jefus Chrilt is awake, Uho is a wall of fire about osi There is a great deal of fuccour to the tempted in the

S34 OF THE SIXTH PETITION

names given toClirift : as Satan's names may terrify, fo Chrifl's names may luccour. The devil is called Apollyon, the de-"vouror, Rev. ix. 11. Chrift is called a Saviour; the devil is called the * flrong man,' Matth. xii. 29. Chrift is called El Gibhor, the ' mighty God,' Ila. ix. 6. The devil is called the acculer, Rev. xii. 10. Chrift is called the advocate, 1 John ii. I. The devil is called the tempter. Mat. iv. 3. Chrift is called the comforter, Luke ii. 23. The devil is called the prince of darknefs. Chrift is called the fun of righteoufaefs. The devil is called the old ferpent, Chrift is called the brazen ferpent that heals, John iii. 15.

Thus the very names of Chrift have fome fuccour in them for tempted fouls.

Qu. Hoio, and in what manner, doth Chriji fuccour them that are tempted? *

Jnf. Several ways :

1. Chrift fuccours them, by fending his Spirit, whofe work it is to bring thol§ promifes to their mind, which are fortifying, John xiv. 25. ' He fliall bring all things to your remembrance.* The Spirit furniftieth us with promifes, as fo many weapons to fight againft the old ferpent, Rom. xvi. 20. ' The Lord will (hortly bruife Satan under your feet.' I Cor. x. 13. * God will not fufter you to be tempted above that ye are able,* Gen. iii. 15. * The ieed of the woman fliall break the lerpent's head.' We are oft in times of temptation, as a man that hatli his houfe befet, and cannot find his weapons, he hath his fword and gun to feek : now, in this cafe, Chrift fends his Spirit, and he brings things to our remembrance ; that helps us in our combat with Satan. The Spirit of Chrift doth to one that is tempted, as Aaron and Hur did to Moles, they put a ftone under him, and held up his hands, and then Ifrael prevailed ; fo God's Spirit puts the promifes under the hand of faith, and then a Chriftian overcomes the devil, that fpiritual Amalek. The promife is to the foul, as the anchor is to the ftiip, which keeps it fteady in a ftorrn.

2. Chrift fuccours them that are tempted by his bleffed * interceding for them.' When the devil is tempting, Chrift is praying. That prayer Chrift put up for Peter when he was tempted, extends to all his faints, Luke xxii. 32. Lord, faith Chrift, it is my child that is tempted ; Father, pity him. W^hen a poor foul lies bleeding of his wounds the devil hath given him, Chrift prefents his wounds to his Father, and in the virtue of thofe, pleads for mercy. How powerful muft Chrift's prayer needs be ? He is a favourite, John xi. 42. He is both an high prieft and a fon : if God could forget that Chrift were a prieft, yet he cannot forget that he is a Son. Belides Chrift prays for nothing but what is agreeable to his Father's

will : ff a king's fon petitions only for that which his father hath a mind to grant, his fuit will not be denied.

3. Chrift fuccurs his people, by taking off the tempter. A fhepherd, when the flieep begin to ftraggle, may fet the dog on thelheep to bring it nearer the fold, but then he calls off the dog again ; God will take off the tempter, I Cor. 10. 13. * He will with the temptation make a way to efcape,* he will make an outlet. Chrift will rebuke the tempter, Zech. iii. 2. * The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan.' This is fo fmall fupport, that Chrifl fuccours the tempted. The mother fuccours the child moft when it is fick ; (he fits by its bed-fide, brings it cordials ; fo, when a foul is moft aflaulted, it fhall be moft affifted.

Obj. But I have dealt unkindhj loith C/iriJi, and finned againji }vs\lov€ ; and Jure he will notfaccour tne, but let me peri/li in the battle 9

Anf. Chrift is a merciful higb-prieft, and will fuccour thee notwithftanding thy failings. Jofeph was a type of Chrift ; his brethren fold him away, and the * irons entered into his l<>ul :' yet afterwards, when his brethren were ready to die in the famine, he forgot their injuries, and fuccoured them with money and corn ; ' I am faith he, Jofeph your brother ;' fo will Chrift fay to a tempted foul, " I know thy unkindnelfes, how thou haft diftrufted my love, grieved my Spirit, but I am Jofeph, I am Jel'us, therefore I will fuccour thee, when thou art tempted."

Ath Rock of fupport. The beft man may be moft tempted. A rich fhip may be violently fet upon by pirates: he who is rich in faith, yet may have the devil (that pirate) fet upon them by his battering pieces. Job, an eminent faint, yet how fiercely was he affaulted ? Satan did (mite his body, that he might tempt him, either to queftion God's providence, or quarrel with it. St. Paul was a chofen veffel, but how was this vefiel battered wjth temptation-? 2 Cor. xii. 7.

Obj. But is it not/aid, ' He who is born of God the wicked one toucheth him not .?' 1 John v. 16.

Ajif. It is not meant, that the devil doth not tempt him, but he toucheth him not, that is tuSiulethali, Cajetan, with a deadly touch, I John v. 16. * There is a fin unto death.' Now Satan with all his temptations doth not make a child of God fin * a fin unto death.* Thus he toucheth him not.

5th Rock of fupport. Satan can go no further in tempting than God will * give him leave ;' the power of the tempter is limited. A whole legion of devils could not touch one f^wine, till Chrift gave them leave. Satan would have fitted Peter to have fifted out all his grace ; but Chrift would not fuffer him, * I have prayed for thee,' &c. Chrift binds the devil in a chain. Rev. XX, i. If Satan's power were according to his malice, not

one foul fliould be faved ; bjiit be is a chaiqed ertemy, this js a comfort, Satan cannot go a bair's breadth beyond God's per-miffion. Jf an enemy cpiild not touch a child further than the father did appoint, fure be fhould do the child no great hurt.

6tli Rock of fupport. It is not the having a temptation wakes guilty, but the giving conlient; we cannot hinder a temptation ; Elijah, that could by prayer fliat heaven, could not fliut out a temptation ; but if we abhor the temptation, it is our burden not our (in. We read in the old law, if one went to force a virgin, and (he cried out, (he was reputed innocent ; if ^atan would by temptation commit a r?ipe upon a Chriftian, and he cries out, and will not give confent, the Lord will charge it upon the devil's (core. It is not the laying the bait hurts the fi(h, if the fifh do not bite.

7th Rock of fupport. Our beingtempted is no fign of God's hating us. A child of God oft thinks God doth not love him, becaufe he lets him be haunted with the devil; jton fequitur, this is a wrong conclulion : was not Chrift himfelf tempted .f* yet by a voice from heaven proclaimed, * This is my beloved Son,' Mat. iii. 17. Satan's tempting, and God's loving, may ftand together. The goidfrnith loves his gold in the fire ; God loves a faint, though (hot at by fiery darts.

Sth Rock of lupport. Chrift's temptation was for our confo-lation, Aquaignis. Jefus Chrift is to be looked upon as a public perfon, as our head and reprefentative ; and what Chrilldid, he did for us; his prayer was for us, his fuflFering was for us ; when he was tempted, and overcame the temptation, he overcame for us. Chrift's cenquering Satan, was to (hew that ele6l perfons fhali at laft be a conqueror over Satan ; when Chrift overcame Satan's temptation, it was not only to give us an example of courage, but an aiVurance of conqueft : we have overcome Satan already in our bead, and we (hall at laft per-fe6tly overcome.

9^/i Rock of fupport. The faints' temptations (ball not be above their ftrength. The iutenift will not ftretch tlie ftrings of his lute too hard left they break, 1 Cor. x. 13. ' God is faithful who will not fuller you to be tempted above that you are able.' God will proportion your ftrength to the ftroke, 2 Cor. xii. 0. * My grace is fufticient for thee.' The torch light of faith (hall be kept burning, notwithllandmg all the winds of temptation blowing.

lOth Rock of fupport. Tbefe temptations (ball produce much good.

1. They fiiall quicken a fpirit of prayer in the faints, they fliall pray more and better, temptation is orationesJiahellem^ the exciter of prayer : perhaps, before, the faints came to God as cold falters iu prayer, they prayed as if they prayed pot.

Temptation is a medicine for (ecurity : when Paul had a mef-fenger of Satan to bufi'et him, he was more earned in prayer, 2 Cor. xii. 8. ' Three times 1 befought the Lord ;' the thorn in his flefh was a I'pur in his fides to quicken him in prayer. The deer beiii^ (hot with the dart, runs falter to the water ; when a foul is (hot with the fiery darts of temptation, lie runs the filler to the throne of grace : now he is eartieft with God, either to take off the tempter, or to (land by him when he is tempted.

2. God makes the temptation to fin a means to prevent fin. The more a Chrillian is tempted, the more he fights againfi. the temptation ; the more a challe woman is alfaulted, the more fhe abhors the motion : the ftronsjer Joleph's temptation was, the ftronger was his oppofilion. The more the enemy attempts to fl;orm a caftle, the more he is repelled and beat back.

3. Godly temptations caufeth the increaf*^ of grace. Ujius Chrijiianus temptatnsmiUe ; " one tempted Chrifiian (faith Luther) is worth a thoufand." He grows more in grace : as the bellows increafeth the flame : lo the bellows of a temptation doth increafe the flame of grace.

4. By thefe temptations God makes way for comfort ; as Chrid after he was tempted, the angels came and minillred unto him, INIatth. iv. 11. As, when Abraham had been warring, Melchifedeck brought him bread and wine to revive his fpirits. Gen. xiv. 18. lb, after the faints have been warring with Satan, now God fends his Spirit to comfort them ; which made' Luther fay, that temptations were amptexus Chrijii, Chrilt's embraces, becaufe he doth then mofl; fweetiy manifeil himlelf to the foul. Thus you fee what rocks of fupport there are for tempted fouls.

That I may further comfort fuch as are tempted, let me fpeak to two cafes of the tempted.

IJi Cafe. I have horrid temptations to hJajyihemy.

Anf. Did not the devil tempt Chrift after this manner ? Mat. iv. y. ' All this will I give thee if thou wilt fail down and worship me.* What greater blafphemy can be imagined, than that the God of heaven and earth Ihould worflilp the devil } Yet Chritl was- tempted to this. If when blalphemous thoughts are inje6led, you tremble at them, and are in acoldfweat, they are not yours, Satan (hall anfwer for them ; let him that plots the treaibn, fuller.

2rf Cafe. jB?/f my cafe is yet worfe: I have been tempted to J'uch fins, and have yielded : the tempter hath overcome me.

Anf. I grant, that, through the withdrawing of God's grace, and the force of a temptation, a child of God may be overcome. David was overcome by a temptation in caie of Bathlheba, and numbermg the people. There is a party of ^lace in the hwartj

Vol. 11. No. \i). U u

SSS OF THE SIXTH PETITION

true to Chrift ; but fometimes it may be overvoted by corruption, and then a Chriilian yields : it is fad thus to yield to the tenipter. But yet let not a child of God be wholly difcouraged, and fay there is no hope : let me pour in fome balm of Gilead into this wounded foul.

I. Though a Chriftian may fall by a temptation, yet the feed of God is in him, 1 John iii, Q. 'His feed remaineth in him.' Gratia concutitnr non excntitui\ Aug. A man may be bruifed by a fall, yet there is life in him : a Chiiftian, being foiled by Satan, may be like him who going to Jericho, fell among thieves, * wounded and half dead,' Luke x. o{). but ftill there is a vital principle of grace, his feed remains in him.

S. Though a child of God may be overcome in praelio, in a Ikirmifli, yet not iJi hello, in the main battle : an army may be worfted in a fkirmKh, but overcomes at lall. Though Satan may foil a child of God in fkirmifli by temptation, yet the believer fhall overcome at laft : a faint may be foiled, not conquered ; he may lofe ground not lofe the victory.

3. God doth not judge of his children by one a6tion, but by the frame of their heart: as God doth not Judge of a wicked man by one good action, fo neitlier of a godly man by one bad a6tion : an holy perfon may be worfled by a temptation, but God doth not meafure him by that. Who meafures milk when it feethes and boils up? God doth not take the meafure of a faint, when ihe devil hath boiled him up in a padion, but God judgeth of him by the pulfe and teniper of his heart : he would fear God ; when he fails he weeps. Gud looks which way the bias of his heart Hands : if his heart be fet againll fin, God will pardon.

4. God will make a faint^s being foiled by temptation, turn to his fpiritual advantage.

(1.) He may let a regenerate perfon fall by a temptation, to make him more v/atchful: perhaps he walks loofeiy, and fo was decoyed into (in ; but for the future he grows more curious and cautious in his walking. The foiled Chriflian is a vigilant Chriitian ; he will have a care of coming within the lion's chain any more, he will be fliy and fearful of the occafion of fin ; he will not go abroad without his fpiritual armour, and he girds on his armour by prayer. When a wild bead gets over the hedge, and hurts the corn, a man will make his fence itronger; ib, when the devil gets over the fence by a temptation, and foils a Chriitian, he will be fure to mend his fence, and be more vigilant againll a temptation afterwards.

(2.).God lets his children be fometimes foiled by a temptation, that they may fee their continual dependanceon God, and may go to him for ilrength. We need not only habitual grace» to Hand againll temptation, but au,\iliary grace; as the boat

needs not only the oars, but wind, to carry it againft a ftrong tide. God lets his children fometimes fall by a temptation, that, feeing their own weaknefs, they may relt more on Chrift and free-grace. Cant. viii. 5.

(3.) God, by lutfering his children to be foiled by a temptation, will fettle them the more in grace; they Ihall get ilrength by their foils. The poets feign, that AntiEas the giant, in wreftling with Hercules, got Itrenglh by every fall to the ground : it is true here; a faint, being foiled in wreftling with Satan, gets more I'piritual ftrength. Peter had never fuch a ftrength-ening in his faith, as after his being foiled in the high priell's hall: how was he fired with zeal, fteeled with courage? He who before was dallied out of countenance by the voice of a maid, now dares openly confefs Chrift before the rulers and ihe councils. Ads ii. 14. The Ihaking of the tree fettles it the more ; God lets his children be Ihaken with the wind of temptation, that they may be more fettled in grace afterwards. This I have fpoken, that fuch Chriftians as God hath fuffiered to be foiled by temptation, may not call away their anchor, or give way to fad defpairing thoughts.

Obj. But this may feem to make Chriftians carelefs whether they fall into a temptation urnot, if God can make their being foiled by a temptation advantageous to them.

Anf. We muft diltinguilh between one who is foiled through vveaknefs, and through wilfulnefs ; if a foldier fights, but is foiled for want of ftrength, the general of the army will pity him, and bind up his wounds ; but if he be wilfully foiled, and proves treacherous, he muft expert no favour; fo, if a Chrif-tian fight it out with Satan, but is foiled for want of ftrength (as it was with Peter) God will pity him, and do him good by his being foiled ; hut if he be foiled wilfully, and runs into a temptation, (as it was with Judas) God will (hew him no favour, but will execute martial law upon him. The ufes remain.

IJfe 1. See in what continual danger we are. Satan is an exquifite artift, a deep head-piece, heliesinambufli to enfnare ; he is the tempter, it is his delight to make the faints (in; and he is fubtil in tempting, he hath ways and methods to deceive. Firji, He brings a laint into (in, by making him confide in his habitual graces. Satan makes him believe he hath fuch a (lock of grace, as will antidote him againlt all temptations; thus Satan deceived Peter, he made him truft in his grace : he had fuch a cable of faith and llrong tack lings, that though the winds of temptation did blow never lb fierce, he could weather the point; ' Though all men forfake thee, yet I will not;' as if he had more grace than all the apollles; thus he was led into temptation, and fell in the battle ; a man may make an idol of

U u2

grace. Habitual grace is not fufficient without auxiliary. The boat needs not only oars, but a gale of wind to carry it againlt the tide ; fo we need not only habitual grace, but the blowing of the Spirit, to carry us againll a ftrong temptation.

Secondly, Satan tempts to fin by the baits and allurements of the world. Fanus pecunice funus ajiimcc,—One of Chrill's own apoftles was caught with a filver bait. Such as the devil cannot debauch with vice, he will corrupt with money : * all this will I give thee,' was his lalt temptation. Mat, iv. 9. Achau was deluded by tlie wedge of gold. Sylvelter II. did fell his foul to the devil for a popedom.

Thirdly, ScLtan templs to im,fuhfpecie boni, under a malk and fliew of good ; his temptations leem gracious motions.

1. He tempts men to duties of religion: you would think this ftrange, that Satan fhould tempt to duty ; but it is fo. I. He tempts men to duty out of finilter ends. Thus he tempted the Pharifees to pray and give alms, that they might be leen of men. Mat. vi. 5. Prayer is a duty, but to look a-fquint in prayer, to do it for vain glory, this prayer is turned into fin. 2. He temps to duty, when it is not in feafon. Numb, xxviii. 2. • My offering and my bread for my liicrifices, fliall ye offer unto me in their due iealon.' Satan tempts to duty when it is out of feafon : he tempts to read the word at home, when we ihould be hearing the word ; he will fo tempt to one duty as it may hinder another. 3. He tempts fome to duty, out of defign that it may be a cloak for fiq. He tempts them to frequency in duty, that they may fin and be lefs fufpeded. He tempted the Pharifees to make long prayers, that they might devour widows' houfes under this pretence, Mat. xxiii. 14. who would fufpedl him offalfe weights, that fo oft holds a Bible in his hand ? Thus cunning is Satan, he tempts duty.

2. He tempts men to fin, out of a fhew of love to Chrift, : you will think this (Irange, but there is truth in it. Many a good heart may think what he doth is in love to Chrift, and all this while he may be under a temptation. Chrill told Peter he mufi; fuller at Jerufalem ; Peter took him and rebuked him, * Be it far from thee, Lord,' Matth. xvi. 21. as if he had faid to Chrift, Lord, thou haft deferved no luch fliameful death, and this (hall not be unto thee. Peter, as he thought, did this out of love to Chrift, but Peter was all this while under a temptation. What had become of us, if Chrift had hearkened to Peter, and bad not futfered ? So, when Chrilt walhed his dif-ciples feet, Peter was fo mannerly that he would not let Chrift wafh his feet, John xiii. 8. ' Thou ftialt never v.alh n»y feet.', This Peter did (as he thought) out of love and refpect to Chrilt: Peter thought Ctirift was too good to waih his feet, and therefore would have put Chrift oft'; but this was ^ templalion, the

devil put Peter upon this finful modelly ; .lie ilruck at Peter's lalvation, infoniuch that ChrilUalth, * If I \va(h thee not, thou had no part in me.' So again, wlien the Samaritans would not receive Chrill:, thedilciples, James and John, faid, ' Lord, wilt thou that we command tire from heaven to conlume them ?* Luke ix. 54. They did this, as they thought, out of love to Chrift : they would with for fire to conlume his enemies : but they were under a temptation ; it was not zeal, but the wildfire of their own pallion ; * ye know not (faith Chrill) what Spirits ye are of.'

Fourthly, Satan tempts to that fin which a man's heart is naturally molt inclinable to ; he will not tempt a civil man to grofs fin, this is abhorring to the light of nature ; Satan never lets a difh before men that they do not love : but he will tempt a civil man to pride and to trull in his own righteoulhefs, and to make a Saviour of his civility. The fpider weaves a web out of her own bowels; the civil man would weave a web of falva-tion out of his own righteouluelis. See then in what danger we are, when Satan is continually lying in ambulli with his temptations.

Inf. 2. See man's inability of himfelf to refill a temptation. Could he Hand of himfelf againll a temptation, this prayer were needlefs, ' Lead us not into temptation :' no man jiath power of himfelf to refill a temptation, further than God gives him ftrength, Jer. x. £3. ' O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himfelf.' If Peter who had true grace, and Adam who had perfe6t grace, could not fland againtl temptation, much lefs can any Hand by the power of nature ; which confutes the dodrine of free-will : what freedom of will hath man, when he cannot refill the leafl temptation ?

Inf. 3. Here is matter of humiliation, that there is in us fuch an aptitude and pronenels to yield to temj)talion— Neti-mur in vetitum —We are as ready to fwallow a temptation, as the fifh to fwallow the bait. If the devil tempt to pride, lull, envy, revenge ; how do we fymbolize with Satan, and embrace his liiares ? Like a woman that hath a fuiter come to her, and ftie doth not need much wooing, fhe prefently gives her con-lent : Satan comes a-wooing l)y temjjtation, and we loon yield ; he llrikes fire, and we are as dry tinder that calcheth the (irjl ipark ; he knocks by temptation, and it is lad to think how loon we open the door to the devil, which is as if one lliould open the door to a thief; this may caufe a fpring of tears.

Inf. 4. See hence, a Chrillian's life is no eafy life ; it is military ; he hath a Goliah m the field to encounter with, one that is armed with power and lublilty ; he hath his wiles and darts. A Chrillian mull be continually watchingand fighting; Satan's defigns cany death in the front, i Pet. v. 8. ' Seeking

whom he may devour :' therefore we had need be always with our weapons in our hand. How few think their life a warfare ? Though they have an enemy in the field, that is always laying of fnares, or (hooting of darts, yet they do not ftand centinel, or get their fpiritual artillery ready ; they put on their jewels, but not their armour, Job xxi. 12. ' They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the found of the organ,' as if they were rather in mufic than in battle. Many are afleep in floth, when they (liouid be fighting againfl Satan ; and no wonder the de-Til Ihoots them when he finds them afleep.

life 2. It reproves them who pray, * Lead us not into temptation : yet run themfelves into temptation : fijchare they who go to plays and mafquerades, and hunt after fl;range flefli. Some go a flower pace to hell, but fuch as run themfelves into temptation, thefe go galloping thither : we have too many of thefe in this debauched age, who, as if they thought they could not fin fafl; enough, tempt the devil to tempt them.

Uje 3. Exhortation. Let us labour that we be not overcome by temptation.

Qu. What means may be iifed, that Satan's temptations may not prevail againji us ?

Anf, 1. Avoid Iblitarinefs. It is no wifdom in fighting with an enemy to give him the advantage of the ground : we give Satan advantage of the ground when we are alone. Eve was ioiled in the abfence of her hufband. A virgin is not fo foon let upon in company, Eccl. iv. 10. ' Two are better than one.' Get into the communion of faints, and that is a good remedy againft temptation.

2. If you would not be overcome of temptation, beware of the predominancy of melancholy ; this is eira bilis, a black humour feated chiefly in the brain. Melancholy dillurbs reafon, and expofeth to temptation. One calls melancholy balneum d'laboli, the devil's bath ; he bathes himfelf with delight in fuch a perfon. Melancholy clothes the mind in fable, it fills it with fuch difmal apprehenfions, as oft end in felf-murder.

3. If you would not be overcome of temptation, fl:udy fo-briety, 1 Pet. v, S. ' Befober, becaufe your adverfary walketh about.' Sober-mindednels confifts in the moderate ufe of earthly things : an immoderate defire of thefe things oft brings men into the fnare of the devil, 1 Tim. vi. 9. ' They that will be rich fall into a fnare.* He who loves riches inordinately, will pur-chafe them unjuftly. Ahab would fwim to Naboth's vineyard in blood. He who is drunk with the love of the world, is never free from temptation ; he will pull down his foul to build up an eftate. Quid non mortalia peclora cogis aurifacra fames .^ — Be fober, take heed of being drunk with the love of the world, lelt ye fall into temptation.

4. Be always upon your guard, watch againft Satan's wiles, and fubtilities, I Pet. v. 8. * Be vigilant, becaufe your adver-fary the devil walks about.' A Chriilian mull; excubias agere keep watch and ward : fee where Satan labours to make a breach, fee what grace he moll ftrikes at, or what fin he moll tempts to, Mark xiii. 37. * I lay, unto you all, watch.' Watch all the fenfes, the eye, the ear, the touch ; Sutan can creep in here ; O how needful is the fpiritual watch I fhall Satan be watchful, and we drowfy ? Doth he watch to devour us, and fhall not we watch to fave ourfelves ? Let us fee what fm our heart moll naturally inclines to, and watch againll this.

5. Beware of idlenefs ; Satan fows moil of his feed in fallow ground. It was Hierom's counfel to his friend, to be ever bu-fied, that if the devil did come he might find him working in the vineyard. Idlenefs tempts the devil to tempt: the bird t!iat fits ftill is fliot: he that wants employment, never wants temptation : when a man h;ith nothing to do, Satan will bring grill to the miln, and find him work enough.

6. Make known thy cafe to fome godly friend : the hiding a ferpent in the bofom, is not the way to be fafe ; when the old lerpent hath gotten into your bofom by a temptation, do not hide him there by keeping his counfel. If afpark be got into the thatch, it is not wifdom to conceal it, it may fet the houl'e on fire ; conceal not temptation. The keeping of fecrets is for familiar friends : be not fo great a friend to Satan, as to keep his fecrets ; reveal your temptations, which is the way to procure others prayers and advice, let all fee that you are not true to Satan's party, becaufe you tell all his plots, and reveal his treafons. Befides the telling of our cafe to fome experienced Chriflian, is the way to have eafe ; as the opening of a vein gives eafe, fo the opening of our cafe to a friend gives eafe to the foul, and a temptation doth not fo much enflame,

7. Make ufe of the word. This the apollle calls the • fword of the fpirit,' Eph. vi. 17. a fit weapon to fight againft the tempter. This ' fword of the Spirit' is gladiiis anceps, a two-edged fword : it wounds carnal lull, and it wounds Satan. He who travels a road where there is robbing, will be Cure to ride with his fword ; we are traveling to heaven, and in this road there is a thief will always befet us, Satan is in every place where we go ; he meets us at church, he doth not mils a fer-mon, he will be tempting us there ; fometimes to drowlinefs ; when you fleep at a fermon, the devil rocks you afleep ; fometimes he tempts by diflracling the mind in hearing, fometime* he tempts to queltion the truth of what you hear; thus we meet with the tempter at church. And he tempts in the fliop, he tempts you to ufe collufion and deceit, Hof. xii. 7. ' The ballances of deceit are in his hand ;* fo that we meet with the

tempter every where ; therefore, this thief being in the road, we had need ride with a fword ; we mull have the * fword of the Spirit about us.' We mud have (kill to ul'e this fword, and have an heart to draw it out, and this fword will put the devil to flight. Thus our blefled Saviour, when Satan tempted him to diitrufl; and blafphemy, he ufes a fbripture weapon, * It is written.* Three times Chritl wounded the old ferpent with this fword. Chrift could with his power and authority have rebuked the prince of the air, as he did the winds ; but he flops the devil's mouth with fcripture, ' It is written.' It is not our vows and refolutions will do- it, it is not the papilla' holy water or charms will drive away the devil, but let us bring the word of God againft him ; this is fuch an argument as he cannot anfwer. It was a faying of Luther, *' I have had great troubles of mind, but fo foon as I laid hold on any place of fcripture and tlaid myfelf upon it, as upon my chief anchor, ftraightway my temptations vaniflied away." There's no temptation but we have a fit fcripture to anfwer it. If Satan tempts to fab-bath-breaking, anfwer him, * It is written. Remember to keep the fabbath day holy.' If he tempts to uncleannefs, anfwer him. ' It is written, whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.' If he tempts to carnal fear, fay, ' It is written, fear not them that kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do.* No fuch way to confute temptation as by fcripture ; the arrows which we flioot againft Satan muft be fetched out of this quiver. Many people want this fword of the Spirit, they have not a Bible ; others leldom make ufe of this fword, but let it ruft ; they look feldom into the fcripture, therefore no wonder they are overcome by temptations. He who is well (killed in the word, is like one who hath a plaifter ready, to lay upon the wound as foon as it is made, and fo the danger is prevented. Oh lludy- the fcripture, and you will be too hard for the devil ; he cannot ftand agaiuft this.

8. Let us be careful of our own hearts, that they do not decoy us into fin. The apoltle faith, ' a man is drawn away of his own heart, and enticed.' James i. 14. Quisfque/ihi Satan eji, Bern. Every man hath a tempter in his own bofom. A traitor within the cafi;le is dangerous. The heart can bring forth a tetTiptatic>n, though Satan do not midwHe it into the world ; if Satan were dead and buried the heartwould draw us to evil. As the ground of all difeafes lies in the humours of the body ; fo the feed of all fin lies in the original luft. Look to your hearts^.

9. If you would not be overcome of temptation, flee the * occafions of fin.' Occafionsof fin have a great force in them to awaken lull within. He that would keep himfelf iVee from infedlon, will not coiije near an infecled houfe, if you would bft

f6ber, avoid drunken company. Jofeph when he was enticed by his miilreftf, rtiunned the occafion ; the text faith, ' he would not be with her,' Gen. xxxix. 10. If you would not been liiured with popery, do not hear the mafs. The Nazarite, who was forbid wine, might not eat grapes, which might occafion intemperance. Come not near the borders of a temptation. Suppole one had a body made of gun powder, he would not come near the leall fpark of fire, left he fhould be blown up ; many pray, * lead us not into temptation,' and they run them-felves into temptation.

10. If you wocld not be overcome by temptation make ufe of faith, • above all things take the fhield of faith/ Eph. vi. 16'. Faith wards off Satan's fiery darts, that they do not hurt, 1 Pet. V. Q. ' Whom refift, ftedfalt in the faith.' Mariners in a ftorm flee to their anchor ; flee to your anchor of faith : laith brings Chrift along with it, duellers bring their fecond with them into the field ; faith brings Chrift along for its fecond. Faith puts into Chrift, and then the devil cannot hurt us. The chicken is fafe from the birds of prey, under the wings of the hen ; and we are fecure from the tempter, under the wings of the Lord Jefus. Though other graces are of ufe to refift ihe impulfions of Satan, yet faith is the conquering grace; faith takes hold of Chrill's merits, value and virtue : and fo a ChriC* tian is too hard for the devil. The ftars vanifti when the fun appears : Satan vaniftieth when faith appears.

11. If you would not be overcome of temptation, be much in prayer. Such as walk in infectious places, carry antidotes about them ; prayer is the belt antidote againft temptation. When the apollle had exhorted ' to put on the whole armour of God,' Eph. vi. 11. he adds, ver. 18. 'Praying with all prayer.' Without ih\s, reliqua arma parum proj'unt, Zanchy. All other weapons will do little good. Chrift prefcribes this remedy, * W^atch and pray, leail ye enter into temptation,* Mark xiv. 38. A Chriftian fetcheth down ftrength from heaven by prayer. Let us cry to God for help againft the tempter, as Sanipfon cried to heaven for help. Judges xvi. 28. * O Lord God, remember me and ftrengthen !ne, I pray thee, that 1 may be avenged of the Phifillines.' And ver. 30. * The h'^tife '' upon the lords, and upon all the people.'

*ayer \sfiageltum diaboli, it whips, and torments the devil ; t apollle f3ids us ' pray without ceafing.' I Thelf. v. 17. It was Luther's advice to a lady, when temptation came, to fall upon her knees by prayer. Prayer doth ali'uage the force of a temptation. Prayer is the belt charm or fpell we can ufe againft the devil. Temptation may bruife our heel ; but, by prayer, we wound the ferpent's head. Wlien Paul had a * mef-fenger of Satan to buffet him,' what remedy doth he ufe ? He Vol. 11. No. 19. Xx

betook himfelf to prayer, 2 Cor. xii. 8. * For this thing I be-Ibught the Lord thrice, that it might depart from ine.' When Satan aflaults furioiifly, let us pray fervently.

12. If you would not be overcome of temptation, be humble in you own eyes ; fuch are neareft falling, who prefume of their own (Irength. Penelton, who laid, his fat flefh fhould melt in the fire : inftead of his fat melting, his heart melted, and he turned from the truth. When men grow into a big conceit, God lets them fall, to prick the bladder of pride. O be humble! fuch are like to hold beft out in temptation, who have mod grace ; but God gives more grace to the humble, James iv. 6. Beware of pride ; an impofthume is not more dangerous in the body, than pride in the foul. The doves (faith Pliny) take a pride in their feathers, and in their flying high; at laft they fly fo high, that they are a prey to the hawk ; when men fly high in pride and felf-confidence, they become a prey to the tempter.

13. If you would not be foiled by temptation, do not enter into a dif(>ute with Satan. When Eve began to argue the cafe with the lerpent, the ferpent was too hard for her ; the devil, by his logic dilputed her out of paradife ; Satan can minee fin, make itfmall, and varnifli it over, and make it look like virtue ; Satan is too fubtil a fophiller to hold an argument with him. Difpute not, but fight. If you enter into a parley with Satan, you give him half the victory.

14. If we would not be "overcome of Satan, let us put on Chrift;ian fortitude. An enemy we mull expe«5l who is either Ihooting of darts, or laying of Ihares, therefore let us be armed with courage, 2 Chron. xix. 11. * Deal courageoufly, and the Lord fliall be with the good.* The coward never won vi6loiy ; and, to animate us in our combat with Satan. (1.) We have a good captain that marcheth before us, Chrillis called the ' cap-tain of our falvation,' Heb. ii. 10. Ci.) We have good armour; grace is armour of God's making, Eph. vi. 11. (3.) Satan is beaten in part already ; Chrift hath given him his death wound upon the crofs. Col. i. 15. (4.) Satan is a chained enemy, his power is limited ; he cannot force the will ; it was all Eve complained of, that the ferpent * deceived her,' not conftrained her. Gen. iii. 13. Satan hdth avjiutiumjuae}!'. dendi not potentiam cogendi; he may perfuade, not compeL (;>.) He is a curled enemy, and God's curfe will blafl; him ; therefore put on holy gallantry of fpiritand magnanimity. Fear not Satan. Greater is he that is in you, than he that is againft you.

13. If we would not be overcome of a temptation, let us call in the help of others. If an houfe be fet on fire, would not you call in help } Satan tempts, that he may rob you of your foul;

acquaint fome friends with your cafe, and beg for their counfel and prayers. Who knows but Satan may be caft out by the joint prayers of others ? In cafe of temptations, how exceeding helpful is the communion of faints ?

16. If we would not be overcome of a temptation, let us make ufe of all the encouragements we can. If Satan be a roaring lion, * Chrift is the Lion of the tribe of Judah :' If Satan tempts, Chrift prays : if Satan be a ferpent to fting, Chrift is a brazen ferpent to heal; if the confli6t be hard, look to the crown, James i. 19. Whilft we are fighting, Chrift will I'uccour us ; and when we overcome he will crown us. What makes the foldier endure a bloody fight, but the hope of a golden har-^ veft. ? Think, that (hortly God will call us out of the field where the bullets of temptation fly fo faft, and he will (iet a garland of glory upon our head. How will the cafe be altered ? Inftead of lighting, finging ; inftead of an helmet, a diadem ; inftead of a fword, a palm branch of vi6lory ; inftead of armour, white robes; inftead of Satan's fkirmiflies, the kiftes and embraces of a Saviour, the viewing thefe eternal recompences, would keep us from yielding to temptation. Who would to gratify a lull, lofe a crown ?

Ufe 4. A word of counfel to fuch as are tempted ; he fo wife as to make good ufe of your temptations. As we thould labour to improve our afflictions, i'o to improve our temptations. We fhould pick fome good out of temptation, as Samfon got honey out of the lion.

Qu. What good comes out of a temptation? Can there he any good in being fet upon by an enemy ? Can there be any good to have fiery darts fiot at us ?

Anf. Yes, God that can make a treacle of poifon, can make his people get much good by their temptations. Firft, hereby a Chriftian fees that corruption in his heart, which he never faw before. Water in a glafs looks pure, but let it on the fire, and the fcum boils up ; ib in temptation a Chriftian fees that fcum of fin boil up, that pafiion and diftruft of God, as he thought had not been in his heart. Secondly, hereby a Chriftian fees more of the wiles of Satan, and is belter able to with-ftand them ; St. Paul had been in the fencing-fchool of temptation, and he grew expert in finding out Satan's ftratagems, 2 Cor. ii. 11. * We are not ignorant of his devices.' Thirdly, hereby a Chriftian grows more humble ; God will rather let his children fall into the devil's hands, than be proud : temptation makes the plumes of pride fall, 2 Cor. xii. 7. * Left I Ihould be exalted above meafure, there was given me a thorn in the flelh.' Better is that temptation that humbles, than that duty which makes one proud. Thus you fee how much good a Chril-

Xx2

tian may get by temptation ; which made Luther fay, three things make a good divine, prayer, meditation, temptation.

Ufe b. To fuch as have been under fore temptations and buf-fetings of Satan, to luft, revenge felf-murder, but God hath ftood by them, and given them ftrength to overcome the tempter.

1. Be very thankful to God ; fay as 1 Cor. xv. 57- * Thanks be to God, who gives us the vi6tory.' Be much in doxology. Why were we kept more than others from falling into fin } Was it becaufe temptation was not fo ftrong r No, Satan fhoots his darts with all his force. Was the caufe in our will ? No, fuch a broken fhield would never have conquered Satan's temptations ; know, that it was free grace that beat back the tempter, and brought us off with trophies of vi6lory. O be thankful to God : had you been overcome with temptation, you might have put black fpots in the face of religion, and given occafion to the enemies of God to blafpheme, 2 Sam. xii. 14. Had you been overcome you might have lain lick of a * wounded fpirit,' and cried out with David of * broken bones.' After David yielded to temptation, he lay for three quarters ofa year in horror of mind : and fome divines think, he never recovered his full joy to the day of his death. O therefore, what caufe have they to ftand upon mount Gerizzim blefling of God, who in a field of battle, have got the better of Satan, and been more than conquerors ! Say, as the Plalmift, Pfal. cxxiv. 6. ' Bleffed be the Lord who haih not given us as a prey to their teeth :' fo bleffed be God who hath not given us as prey to Satan that roaring Jion. When God putJj mercy in the promifes, we muft put praife in the conclufion.

2. You that have been tempted, and come ofFvi6lors, be full of fym'pathy, pity tempted fouls ; fhew your piety in your pity. Do you fee Satan's darts flicking in their fides.? Do what you can to pull out thefe darts: communicate your experiences to them ; tell them how you broke the devil's fnare, and your Saviour was your fuccourer.—The apoflle fpeaks of reftoring others in the ' f'pirit of meeknefs,' Gal. i. 6. The Greek word for reft, alludes to chirurgeons, who fet bones out of joint; fo, when we fee fuch as are tempted, and Satan hath, as it were, put their bones out of joint, labour to put them in joint again, with all love, meeknefs and compafTion- A word ' fpoken in feafon, may relieve a foul fainting in temptation :* and you may do, as the good Samaritan, drop in oil and wine into the wound, Luke x. 34. Vir fpiritualis confiUa magis guam convitia medi^ tatur, Aug.

3. You that ha-ve got a conquefl of Satan, be not fecure. Think not that you fhall never be troubled with the tempter more : he is not like the Syrians, 2 Kings vi. 23. * The bands

of Syria came no more into the land of Ifrael.* A cock, if he be made once to run away, he will fight no more; but', it is not fo with Satan, he isarelllefs enemy : and if you have beaten him back, he will make a frefli onfet. Hannibal faid of Mar-cellus, a Roman captain, that whether he did beat or was beaten, he was never quiet.

When Chrill had worlled Satan, he went away from Chrift, but ad tempus, for a fealbn, Luke iv. 13. as if he meant to come again. When we have gotten the better of Satan, we are apt to grow fecure, to lay afide our armour, and leave ofV our watch; which, when Satan perceives, then he comes upon us with a new temptation and wounds us : he deals with us as David did with the Amalekites, when they had taken the fpoil, and were fecure, 1 Sam. xxx. 16. * They were fpread upon the earth, eating, and drinking, and dancing:* then, ver. 17. * David I'mote them, and there efcaped not a man of them.* Therefore, after we have got the better of the tempter, we muft do as the mariners in a calm, mend our tackling, as not knowing how foon another dorm may come. Satan may for a time retreat, that he may afterwards come on more fiercely : he may go away a while, and bring other feven fpirits with him, Luke xi. 26.

Therefore, be not fecure, but (land upon your watch towers; lie in your armour, always expeCl a fight. Say, as he that hath a fliort refpite from an ague, I look every day when my fit (hall come ; fo fay, I look every day when the tempter fliould come; 1 will put myfelf into a warlike pollure. Satan, when he is beat out of the field, is not beaten out of heart, he will come again. He had little hope to prevail againll Chriil: Chrid gave him three deadly wounds, and made him retreat; yet he departed only ' forafeafon.' If the devil cannot conquer us, yet he knows he fliall moleft us; if he cannot deftroy us, he willfurely dillurb us; therefore we muft, with the pilot, have our compafs ready, and be able to turn our needle to any point where temptation (hall blow. If the tempter come not i'o foon as we expe6l, yet, by putting ourfelves into a pofture, we have this advantage, we are always prepared.

To conclude all; let us oft make this prayer, * Lead us not into temptation.' If Satan wooes us by a temptation, let us not give conlent. But in cafe a Chrillian hath, through weak-nefs (and not out of a defign) yielded to a temptation, yet let him not * call away his anchor:' take heed of defpair, this is worfe than the fall itfelf.

Chriltian, keep thy foul in the brinilh waters of repn^^, and God will be appealed. Repentance gives the foul a vomit: Chrift loved Peter after his denial of him, and fent the firft news of his rel'urre6tion to him ; * Go tell the dilljiples and

S50 OF TrfE SIXTH PETITION

Peter.* It is an error to think that one ad of fin can deftroy the habit of grace : It is a wrong to God's mercy, and a Chrif-tian's comfort, to make this defpairing conclufion that after one hath fallen by temptation, his eftate is irrecoverable. Therefore, Chriftian, if thou haft fallen with Peter, repent with Peter, and God will be ready to feal thy pardon.

Matth. vi. 13. But deliver us from evil.

The fecond branch of this fixth petition is, libera nos a mala: * Deliver us from evil.' There is more in this petition than is expreifed ; the thing exprefi'ed is, that we may be kept from evil, the thing further intended is, that we may make a progrefs in piety, Titus ii. U. * Denying ungodlinefs, and worldly lufts;' there is being delivered from evil; * that we Ihould live foberly, righteoufly, and godly ;' there is a progrels in piety.

I begin with the firft thing in this petition expreffcd, ' Deliver us from evil.'

Qu. What evil do we pray to be delivered from ?

Anf. 1. In general, from the evil of fin.

2. More particularly, we pray to be delivered,

(1.) From the evil of our own heart, it is called an evil heart, Heb. iii. 12.

(2.) From the evil of Satan ; he is called the evil one, Mat, xiii. 19.

(3.) From the evil of the world ; it is called the prefent evil world. Gal. i. 4.

Firji, in general, * Deliver us from evil:' we pray to be delivered from the evil of fin. Not that we pray to be delivered immediately from the prefence and in-being of fin, for that cannot be in this life, we cannot fhake off this viper; but we pray, that God would deliver us more and more from the power and pra6lice, from the fcandalous a6tsof fin, which call a reflection upon the gofpeL

Sin then is the deadly evil we pray againfi;; * Deliver us from evil ;' with what pencil (hall I be able to draw the deformed face of fin ? The devil would baptize fin with the name of virtue ; it is eafy to lay fair colours on a black face.

But I fliall endeavour to fhew you what a prodigious monfler fin is; and there is great reafon we fhould pray, * Deliver us from evil.'

Sin is, (as the apoftle faith) exceeding finful, Rom. vii. 13. Sin is the very fpirits of mifchief diftilled; it is called * the ac-

curfed thing,' Jofh. vii. 13. That fin is the mofl execrable evil, appears feveral ways:

1. Look upon fin in its original.

2. Look upon fin in its nature.

3. Look upon fin in the judgment and opinion of the godly,

4. Look upon fin in the comparative.

5. Look upon fin in the manner of cure.

6. Look upon fin in its direful efiPeds; and when you have {"een all tliefe, you will apprehend what an horrid evil fin is, and what great reaCon we have to pray, ' Deliver us from evil.'

Iji, Look upon fin in its original ; it fetcheth its pedigree from hell. Sin is of the devil, John viii. 34. Sin calls the devil father. It hferpentis vene7ium, as Aun;in faith, it is the poifon the old lerpent hath fpit into our virgin-nature.

«t//</. Look upon fin in its nature, and fo it is evil. (I.) See what the fcripture compares it to. Sin hath got a bad name, it is compared to the vomit of dogs, 2 Pet. ii. 22. to a men-firuous cloth, Ifa. xxx. 22. which, as Jerom faith was the mofl; unclean thing under the law : it is compared to the plague, 1 Kings viii. 38. to a gangrene, 2 Tim. ii. 17- Perfons under thel'e difeafes we would be loth to eat and drink with.

(2.) Sin is evil in its nature, as it is injurious to God three ways:

1. It is a breach of God's royal law, 1 John iii. 4. Sin is a tranlgreflion of the law : It is crimen lafae majejiutis, high trea-fon againft heaven. What greater injury can be offered to a prince, than to trample upon his royal edicts? Neh. ix. l(i. ' They have caft thy laws behind their backs.'

2. Sin is a contumacious affront to God, it is a walking contrary to him, Lev. xxvi. 40. the Hebrew word for fin fignifies rebellion : fin flies in the face of God, Job xv. 25. ' He llretch-eih forth his hand againft God.' We ought not to lift up a thought againll God, much lefs to lift up an hand agaiaft him ; but the finner doth fo. Sin is Deicidlum ; it would not only unthrone God, but ungod him : if fin could help it, God fhould be no longer God.

3. Sin is injurious to God, as it is an a6t of high ingratitude. God feeds a fiuner, fcreens ofl'many evils from him ; yet he not only forgets God's mercies, but abuleth them, Hof. ii. 8. ' I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her filver, which they prepared for Baal.' God may fay, I gave thee wit, health, riches, which thou haft employed againll me. A finner makes an arrow of God's mercies, and ihootsathim, 2 Sam xvi. 17. * Is this thy kindnefs to thy friend ?' Did God give thee life to fin ? Did he give thee wages to lerve the devil ? O what an ungrateful thing is fin 1 Ingratitude forfeits mercy, as the iiierchaut dolh his goods by not paying cuftom.

(3.) Sin IS evil in its nature, as it is a foolifli thing, Luke xii. 20. * Thou fool, this night thy foul (hail be required of thee.' Is it not fooiilh to prefer a fhort leafe before an inheritance ? A finner prefers the pieafure of fin for a feafon, before thofe pleafures which run at God's right hand fur evermore. Is it not folly to gratify an enemy ? Sin gratifies Satan. Morta-Hum errores epulaejunt daemonum, men's fins feaft the devil. Is it not folly for a man to befelo defe, guilty of his ovi^n de-ftru6tion, to give himfelf poifon ? A. finner hath an hand in his own death, Prov. i. 18. ' They lay wait for their own blood ;* no creature did ever willingly kill itfelf but man.

(4.) Sin is a polluting thing. Sin is not only a defe6lion, but a pollution ; it is as rufi: to gold, as a ftain to beauty ; it is called ' filthinefs of flefh and fpirit,' 2 Cor. vii. 1. It makes the foul red with guilt, and black with filth. Quanta feeditus vitiofae mentis ! Cicer. This filth of fin is inward : a fpot in the face may be eafily wiped off, but to have the liver and lungs tainted is far worfe ; fin hath got into the confcience. Tit. i. J5. Sin defilesall the faculties, the mind, memory, affedlions, i»s if the whole mafs of blood were corrupted ; fin pollutes and fly-blows our holy things; the leper, in the law, if he had touched the altar, the altar had not cleanfed him, but he had polluted the altar ; an emblem of fin's leprofy fpottingour holy things.

(3.) Sin is a debafing thing, it degrades us of our honour, Dan. xi. 26. • In thofe days (hall ftand up a vile perfbn.' This was fpoken of Antiochus Ephiphanes, who was a king, and liiif name fignifies illuftrious ; but fin had made him vile, Sitj blots a man's name ; nothing fo turns a man's glory into fliame as fin doth : fin makes a man like a bead, Pf. xlix. 20. it is worfe to be like a beaft, than to beabeafl;; it is no fliame to be a beaft, it is a fliame for a man to be like a beaft. Lull makes a man brutilh, and wrath makes him devilifli.

(6.) Sin is an enflaving thing. A finner is a flave, when he fins nioft freely. Grave fervituth jugum, Cicero. Sin makes men the devil's fervants ; Satan bids them fin, and they do it; he bid J udas betray Chrifl;, and he did it ; he bid Ananias tell a lie, and he did it ; A6ls v. 3. When a man commits a fin, he is the devil's lackey, and runson his errand ; they whoferve Satan, have fuch a bad mafter, that they will be afraid to receive their wages.

(7.) Sin is an unfavoury thing, Pfalm xiv. 3. * They are altogether become filthy ; in the Heb, they are become Itink-ing! Sin is very noifometo God : that perlbn who ftiall vvorfliip in God's houfe, yet live in the iin of uncleannefs, let him be perfumed with all the fpices of Arabia, his prayers are unfavoury, Ifd. i. 13. * Incenfeis an abomination tomei' there-

fore God is fuid to * behold the proud afar off,' Pf. cxxxviii. 6. He will not come near the dung-hill linner, that hath fuch noifome vapours coming from him,

(8.) Sin is a painful thing, it cofts men much labour and pains to accomplilh their wicked defigns, Jer. ix. 5. * They weary themfelves to commit iniquity.' Feccatnmejlfui, ii)/ius p(rna. What pains did Judas take to bring about his trealbn ? He goes to the high pried, and then after to the band offoldiers, and then back again to the garden. What pains did the powder-traitors take in digging through a thick Hone wall ? What pains m laying their barrels of powder, ajid then covering them with crows of iron ? How did they tire out themfelves in fin's drudgery? Chrylbllom faith, virtue is eafier than vice: It is eafier to be fober than intemperate : it is eafier to ferve God than to follow fin. A wicked man I'weats at the devil's plough, and is at great pains to damn himfelf.

(9.) Sin is a difturbing thing; whatever defiles, difl:urbs. Sin breaks the peace of the foul, Ifa. Ivii. 91. * No peace to the wicked.' When a man fins prefumptaoufiy, he llutfs his pillow with thorns, and his head will lie very unealy when he comes to die. Sin caufeth a trembling at the heart. When Spira had finned, he had a hell in his confcience ; he was in that horror, that he profeffed he envied Cain and Judas. Charles IX. who was guiltv of the mafl'acre in Paris, was afterwards a terror to himfelf ; he was frighted at every noife, and could not endure to be awakened out of his fleep without mufic.—Sin breaks the peace of the foul. Cain, in killing Abel, llabbed half the world at a blow, but could not kill the worm of his own confcience. Thus you fee what an evil fin is in the nature of it ; and had we not need pray, ' Deliver us from evil.'

Sdly, Look upon fin in the judgment and opinion of the godly, and it will appear to be the molt prodigious evil.

1. Sin is fo great an evil, that the godly will ratlier do any thing than fin, Heb. xi. 24. * Mofes chofe rather to fuffer with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleafures of fin.* The primitive Chrillians faid, ad leonum pot/ns quam lenonein^ they chofe rather to be devoured by lions without, than lulls within. Irenacus was carried to a place, where was a crofs on one fide, und an idol on the other, and he was put to his choice, either to bow to the idol, or fuffer on the crofs, and he chol'e the latter. A wife man will choofe rather to have a rent in liis coat than in his flelh : the godly will rather endure outward futferings than a rent in their confcience. So great an evil is in fin, tha^ the godly will not fin for the greatetl gain ; they will not fin though they might purchafe an ellate by it, nay though they were fure to promote God's glory by it.

2. The godly tefl:ify fin is a great evil, in that they defire to Vol. II. Nu. 20. Y y

die upon no account more than this, that they may be rid of fin ; they are defirous to put otf the clothing of the flefh, that they may be unclothed of fin : it is their greatefl; grief that they are troubled with fuch inmates, they have the ft;irrings of pride, lufi:, envy. It was a cruel torment Mezentius ufed, he tied a dead man to a living : thus a child of God hath corruption joined with grace : here is a dead man tied to the living. So hateful is this, that a believer defires to die for no other rea-fon more than this, that death fliall free him from fin. Sin brought death into the world, and death fhall carry fin out of the world. Thus you fee, in the opinion of the godly, fin is the moll hyperbolical and execrable evil.

Athly, Look upon fin in the comparative, and it will appear to be the moft deadly evil. Compare what you will with it; 1. Aftliaions, 2. Death, 3. Hell, and fl.ill fin is worfe.

Firji, Compare fin with affliction : there is more evil in a drop of fin, than in a fea of affli6lion.

1. Sin is the caufe of affliction, the caufe ib more than the eflPeCt. Sin brings all mjlchief: fin hath ficknefs, fword, famine, and all judgments in the womb of it. Sin rots the name, confumes the eftate, waftes the radical moift-ure. As the poets feign of Pandora's box, when it was opened, it filled the world full of difeafes ; when Adam broke the box of original righ-teoufnefs, it hath caufed all the penal evils in the world. Sin is the Phaeton that fets the world on fire. Sin turned the angels out of heaven, and Adam out of paradife. Sin caufeth mutinies, divifions, maflacres, Jer. xlvii. 6. ' O thou fword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet ?* The fword of God's juftice lies quietly in the fcabbard, till fin draws it out and whets it againfl;a nation. So that fin is worfe than affliction, it being the caufe of it : the caufe is more than the effect.

2. God is the au-thor of affliction, Amos iii. 6. ' Is there any evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?' It is meant of the evil of affliction. God hath an hand in affliction, but no hand in fin : God is the caufe of every aCtion, fo far as it is natural, but not as it is finful. He who makes an inftrument of iron, is not the caufe of the ruft and canker which corrupts the iron ; fo God made the infirument of our fouls, but the ruft and canker of fin, which corrupts our Ibuls, God never made, Peccatmn Deus non feceit, Auftin. God can no more aCt evil, than the fun can darken. In this fenfe fin is worfe than affliction, God hath an hand in affliction, butdifclaims||having any hand in fin.

3. Affliction doth but reach the body, and make that mifer-able ; but fin makes the foul miferable. The foul is the moft noble part. The foul is a diamond fet in a ring of day ; it is excellent in its effence, a fpiritual, immortal fubltunce ; ex-

cellent in the price paid for it, redeemed with the blood of God, Ads XX. ^8. It is more worth than a world ; the world is of a coarfer make, the foul of a tiner fpinning : m the world we fee the finger of God, in the foul the image ot God. lo have the precious foul endangered, is far worle than to have the body endangered. Sin wrongs the I'oul, Prov. via. 5(j. Sin calls tliis jewel of the foul overboard. AlIli6lion is but. Ikin deep, it can but take away the life, but fin takes away the foul Luke xii. •20. The lofs of the foul is an unparalled lots, it can never be made up again. " God (faith St. Chryfoftom) hath given thee two eyes, if thou iofeft one, thou hall another •" but thou hall but one foul, and if that be loll, it caa never be repaired." Thus fin is worfe than affliaion ; the one can but reach the body, the other ruins the foul. Is there not great reafon then, that we Ihould often put up this petition,

* Deliver us from evil }' t • j r

4. Afflidions are good for us, Pf. cxix. 71. It is good tor me that 1 was afflicted.' Many can blefs God for affliction. Affliction humbles. Lam. iii. ly. ' Remembering my affliction the wormwood and the gall, my foul hath them llill in remembrance, and is humbled in me.' Afflictions are compared to thorns, Hof. ii. 8. thefe thorns are to prick the bladder of pride. Affliction is the fchool of repentance, Jer. xxxi. IS. ' Thou hall challifed me, and I was challifed : I nepented. 1 he hre being put under the llill, makes the water drop from the rofes : the fire of affliction makes the water of repentance drop trotn the eyes. Affliaion brings us nearer to God. The loadlk)ne of mercy doth not draw us lb near to God as the cords ot affliction. When the prodigal was pinched with want, then, laith he * I will arife and go to my fVither,' Luke xv. 18. Afflictions prepare for glory, 'i Cor. iv. 1?. /This light affl.c^.oa works for us an eternal weight of glory ; 1 he limner lays his gold upon dark colours: lb God lays full the dark colours ot affliftion, and then the golden colour of glory. 'I'hus afflidion is for our good ; but fin is not for our good, it keeps good thmgs from us Jer. v 25. ' Your fins have withholdengood things from you.' Sin Hops the current of God's mercy, it precipitates men to ruin. Manaflbh's affliction brought him to humiliation ; but Judas' fin brought him to defperation.

5 A man may beafflided, and his confcience may be quiet. Paul's feet were in the Hocks, yet he had the witneis ot his confcience, 2 Cor. i. 12. The head may ache yet the heart mav be well : the outward man may be affli6led, yet the tout may dwell at eale,Pl' xxv. 13. The hail may beat upon the tiles of the houfe, when there is mufic within ; in the midft of the outward pam, there may be inward peace. 1 tius, m atttic-tiou. conlciencc may be quiet ; but wlieu a man commits a

Yy2

prefumptuoiis, fcandalous fin, confcience is troubled : by de« filing the purity of confcience, we lofe the peace of confcieuce. When Spira had finned, and ahjinvd the faith, he was a terror to himfelf, he had an hell in his confcience. Tiberius the emperor feit fuch a iiing in his confcience, that he told the fenate, he fuifered death daily.

6. In affli6tion we may have the love of God. Afflictions are love-tokens, Rev. iii. 1(). ♦ As many as I love, I rebuke.' A ffli6lions are fliarp arrows, but fhot from the hand of a loving father. If a man Ihould throw a bag of money at another, and it fi-;ouid bruife him a little, and raife thefliin, he would not be offended, but take it as a fruit of love ; lb when God bruifeth us with affli6tiou, it is to enrich us with the golden graces of his Spirit, all is love : but when we commit fin, God withdraws his love ; it is the fun overcafi; with a cloud, nothing appears but anger and difpleafure. When David had fiimed in the matter of Uriah, 2 Sam. xi. 27. The thing that David had done difpleafed the Lord.

7. There are many encouragements to fuffer affliction, God himfelf fuifers with us, Ifa. Ixii. 9. ' In all their affli6tions he was affli(5led.' God will ftrengthen us in our futferings, Pf. xxxvii. 39. ' He is their fi;rength in the time of trouble.' Either God makes our burden lighter, or our faith ftronger. He will com-penfateand recompenfe our futferings. Mat. xix. 29. * Every one that hath forlaken houfes .or lands for my name's fake, fhall receive an hundred-fold, and inherit life everlafling.' Here are encouragements, to futler afflidion, but there is no encouragement to fin ; God hath brandithed a flaming-fword of threaten-ings to deter us from fin, Pf. Ixviii. 21. * God Ihall wound the hairy fcalp of Cuch an one as goes on Hill in his trelpalfes.' There is a flying roll of curfes which enters into the houfe of a finner, Zech. V. 4. 'Ifa man fin, be it at his pearl, Deut. xxxii. 42. * I will make mine arrows drunk with blood.' God will make men weavy of their fins, or he will make them weary of their lives. Thus fin is worfe than affli6tion : there are encouragements to iutier affli6lion, but no encouragement to fin.

8. When a peribn is afflicted, only he himfelf fuflers ; but by finning o]>enly he doth hurt to others. (I.) He doth hurt to the unconverted ; one man's fin may lay a ftone in another man's way, at which he may ftumble and fall into hell ; O the evil of fcandalous fin ! Some are dilcouraged, others hardened ; thy finning may be the caufe of another's damning, IVJal. ii. 7, 8. The priells going wrong caufed others to ftumble. {'■>.) He doth liurt to the converted : by an open fcandalous fin he ofiends weak believers, and fo fins againll Chrift, 1 Cor. viii. 12, Thus fin is worie than afflidlion becaufe it doth hurt to others.

- 9. In afflidion the faints may rejoice, I ThefT. i. G. * Ye received the word in much afflidion with joy,' Heb. x. 34. ' Ye took joyfully the fpoiling of your goods.' Ariftotle fpeaks of a bird that lives amoup; thorns, yet fings fweetly ; fo a child of God can rejoice in aillidions. St. Paul had his phfon-fongs, Rom. V. 3. ' We glory in tribulation.' The Greek word figni-fies an " exuberancy of joy, a joy with boafting and triumph." God doth oft pour in thofe divine confolationsas caufe the laints to rejoice in afflitlions ; they had rather have their afflitSlions, than want their comforts ; God doth candy their wormwood with fugar, Rom. v. 5. You have feen the fun-fhine when it rains ; the faints have had the (fiinings of God's face, when af-fli6tions have rained and dropped upon them. Thus we may rejoice in aftli6tion, but we cannot rejoice in fin, Hof. ix. 1.

• Rejoice not, O Ifrael for joy, as other people, for thou haft gone a-whoring from thy God.' Sin is a matter of fliame and grief, not of joy. David having finned in numbering of the people, * his heartfmote him,' 2 Sam. xxiv. 10. As the pricking of a vein lets out the blood ; fo, when fin hath pricked the confcience it lets out the joy.

10. Aflli6tion is a magnifying of a perfon. Job vii. 17,

* What is man, that thou fhouldeft magnify him, and vifit him every morning ?* That is, vifit him with aflliclion.

Qu. How doth afjiiSiio'ns inagnify us ?

Anf. (I.) As they are figns of Ibnlliip, Heb. xii. 7. * If ye endure challening, God deals with you as fons.' Every print of the rod is a bagde of honour, (y.) As the fufferings of the godly have raifed their fame and renown in the world ; the zeal and conltancy of the martyrs in their i'utferings have eternized their name : O how eminent was Job for his patience ! James V. 11. • Ye have heard of the patience of Job,' Job the fuf-ferer was more renowned than Alexander the conqueror. Thus afflictions magnify a perfon, but fin dolh not magnify but vilify liini. When Eli's Ions had iinijed and profaned their piiellhood, they turned their glory into Ihame ; the text faith, * They made themfelves vile,' 1 Sam. iii. 13. Sin calls an indelible blot on a man's name, Prov. vi. 32, 33. ' Whofo commits adultery with a woman, a wound and difhonour fliall he get, and his reproach ihall not be wiped away.'

11. A man may futfer affli6lion, and bring honour to religion. Piiul's iron chain made the gofpel wear a gold chain ; futfering credits and propagates the gofpel; butcomnHlling of fin brings a dilhonour and fcandal upon the ways of God. Cyprian faith, when in the primitive times a virgin, who vowed herfelf to religion, had defiled hQ\' Q\r<x[\\\.y, totumecclpjiae ca:tnmernhej'cere^ Ihame and grief filled the face of the whole congregation. When fcandalous fins are coaimitted by a few, they bring a re-

proach upon all them that profefs ; as three or four brafs {hillings in a fum of money make all the reil fufpe6ted.

12. When a man's afflidtions are on a good account, that he Ajft'ers for Chrill, he hath the prayers of God's people. 'Tis no fmall privilege te have a flock of prayer going ; it is Ifke a merchant that hath a part in leveral ftiips : fuffering faints have a large fhare in the prayers of others. Ads xii. 5. ' Peter was in prifon, but prayer was made without ceafing of the church to God for him.' What greater happinefs than to have God's promil'es, and the faints' prayers ? but when a man fins pre-fumptuoufly and fcandaloufly, he hath the faints bitter tears and jull cenfures : he is a burden to all that know him, as David fpeaks in another cafe, Pfal. xxxi. 11. * They that did fee me without, fled from me.' So a fcandalous finner, the people of Cod flee from him, he is like an infected perfon, every one fliuns and avoids him.

13. Affli6lion can hurt a man only while he is living, but fin doth hurt him when he is dead. As a man's virtues and alms may do good when he is dead, foa man's fins may do him mif-chief when he is dead. When a fpider is killed, the poifon of it may do hurt ; fo the poifon of an evil example may do much hurt, when a man is in his grave. Afllidlion at moll can but lull a man's life, but fin lives, and doth hurt, when he is gone. Thus you fee fin is far worfe than aftli6tion.

Secondlyy Sin is worfe than death. Arifi:otle calls death the terrible of terribjes, and Job calls it, * the king of terrors,' Job xviii. 4. but fin is more deadly than death ilfelf. (l.) Death, though it be painful, yet it were not hurtful but for fin ; it is fin that imbitters death and makes it iling, 1 Cor. xv. bii. ' The iling of death is fin.' Were it not for fin, though death might kill us, it could not curfe us. Sin poiibns death's arrow, io that fin is worfe than death, becaufe it puts a fling into death. (2.) Death doth but feparate between the body and the ioul: but fin, without repentance, feparates between God and the foul. Judges xviii. 24. * Ye have taken away my gods, and what have I more?' Death doth but take away our life from lis, but fin takes away our God from us; fo that fin is worfe than death.

Thirdly, Sin is worfe than hell. In hell there is the worm and the fire, but fin is worfe. (1.) Hell is of God's making, but fin is none of his making ; it is a monfter of the devil's creating. (2.) The torments of hell are a burden only to the finner, but fin is a burden to God, Amos ii. 13. * 1 am prelled under you, as a cart is preiTed that is full of flieaves.' (3.) In hell torments there is fomething that is good ; there is the execution ot God'sJLifl:ice, there isjufticein hell ; but fin is the moll unjull thing ; it would rob God of his glory, Chrift of his

purchafe, the foul of its happinels ; fo that it is worfe than hell.

^thhjy Look upon fin in the manner of its cure; it coil dear to be done away : the guilt of fin could not be removed but by the blood of Clirift; he who was God muft die, and be made a curfe for us, before fin could be remitted. How horrid is fin, that no angel or arch-angel, nor all the powers of heaven, could procure the pardon of fin, but it coft the blood of God ; If a man fliould commit an offence, and all the nobles fhould kneel upon their knees before the king for him ; but no pardon could be had, unlefs the king's fon be arraigned and fuffer death for him ; all muft conceive it was an horrible fa6t that muft be the caufe of this ; fuch is the cafe here, the Son of God muft die to appeafe God's anger for our fins. O the agonies and fuffer-ingsofChrift! (I.) In his body ; his head crowned with thorns. Lis face fpit upon, his fide pierced with the fpear, his hands and feet nailed,— Totum pro vulnere corpus —(2.) He fuffered in his foul, Mat. xxvi. 38. * My foul is exceeding forrowful unto death.' He drank a bitter cup, mingled with curfes; which made him, though he was fanctified by the Spirit, fup-ported by the Deity, comforted by angels, fweat drops of blood, and cry out upon the crofs, * My God, why haft thou forlaken me?' All this was to do away our fin. View fin in Chrift's blood, and it will appear of a crimfon colour.

Othb/, Look upon fin in the difmal efte6ls of it, and it will appear the moft horrid prodigious evil, Rom. vi. 23. ' The wages of fin is death,' that is, the ' fecond death,' Rev. xxi. 8. Sin hath ftiame for its companion, and death for its wages. A wicked man knows what fin is in the pleafure of it, but doih not know what fin is in the punifhment of it. Sin is Scorpio pungensy it draws hell at the heels of it. This hellifti torment confills of two parts ;

1. Poena damni, the punifliment of lofs, Mat. vii. 23. * Depart from me.' It was a great trouble to Abfalom, that he might not ^e the king's face ; to lofe God's finiles, to be banifhed from his prefence, in whofe prefence is fulnefs of joy, how fad and tremendous! this word * depart,' (faith Chryfoftom) is worfe than the fire. Sure fin muft be the * greateft evil,' which leparates us from the * greatell good.*

2. Poena fenjiis, the puniftjment of fenfe. Mat. xxv. 4l. * Depart from me, ye curled, into everlafting fire, prepared foe the devil and his angels.* Why, might finners pledd, Lord, if we muft depart from thee, let us have thy 'blefting:' no, 'Go, ye curfed :' but if we muft depart from thee, let it be into fome place of eafe and reft; no. Go into fire. But, if we muft into fire, let it be for a little time ; let the fire be quickly put out; no. Go into everlafting fire: but if it be fo, that we muft be

SCO OF THE SIXTH PETITION

there, let us be with good company, no, ' with the devil and his angels.' O what an evil is fin ! all the torments of this life are but Indihrmm ^- rifits, a kind of fport to hell torments: what is a burning fever to the burning in hell! it is called * the wrath of the Almighty,' Rev. xix. 13. The Almighty God inflids the punifliment, therefore it will be heavy. A child cannot ilrike very hard, but if a giant ftrike he kills with a blow : to have the Almighty God to lay on the flroke, it will be intolerable. Hell is the emphasis of mifery. The body and foul, which have finned together, fhall fuffer together: and thei'e torments fhall have no period put to them. Rev. ix. 6. ' They Ihall leek death, and fhall not find it.' Rev. xiv. 11. * And the fmoke of their torments afcendeth for ever and ever ;' here the wicked thought a prayer long, a fabbath long ; but how long will it be to lie upon beds of flames forever.^ This word, ever, breaks the heart; thus you fee fin is the moft deadly and execrable evil: look upon it in its original, in its nature, in the judgment and eftimate of the wife ; look upon it comparatively, it is worfe than affli6lion, death, hell; look upon it in the manner of cure, and in the difmal effe6t, it brings eternal damnation : is there not then a ereat deal of reafon that we fhould make this prayer, * deliver us from evil?'

life I. Branch I. Is fin fuch a deadly, pernicious evil, the evil of evils? See then what it is we are to pray moft to be delivered from, and that is from fin, our Saviour hath taught us to pray, • deliver us from evil.' Hypocrites pray more againfb temporal evils than fpiritual. Pharaoh prayed more to have the plague of hail and thunder to be removed, than his hard heart thould be removed, Exod. ix. 28. The Ifraelites prayed, telle J'erpentes, take away the ferpents from us, more than to have their fin taken away. Numb, xxi. S. The hypocrite's prayer is carnal, he prays more to be cured of his deafnefs and lameneis, than of his unbelief: more that God would take away his pain, than take away his fin. But our prayer fhould be, * deliver us from evil.' Spiritual prayers are bed: hail thou a difeal'ed body ? pray more that the dileafe of thy foul may be removed, than thy body, Pfal. xli. 4. • Heal my foul, for I have finned.' The plague of the heart is worfe than a cancer in the bread, had thou a child that is crooked ? Pray more to have its unholinefs removed than its crookednefs: fpiritual prayers are more pleafing to God, and are as mufic in his ears-Chrid hath here taught us to pray againd fin, ' deliver us from evil.'

II. Branch. If fin be fo great an evil, then admire the wonderful patience of God that bears with finners. Sin is a breach of God's royal law, it drikes at his glory; now, for God to bear with finners, who provoke him, it lliews admirable patience j

well may he be called, * the God of patience,' Rom. xv. 4, 5. It would tire the patience of the angels, to bear with men's fins one day; but what doth God bear? How many aftVonts and injuries doth he put up? God lees all the intrigues and horrid impieties committed in a nation, Jer. xxix. 23. * They have committed villainy in Ilrael, and have committed adultery ; even 1 know, and am a witnels, faith the Lord.' God could flrike men ' dead in their fins;' but he forbears, and relpites theuj. Methinks I fee the juilice of God with a flaming fword in his hand, ready to (Irike the ftroke; and patience lieps m for the finner, Lord, fpare him a while longer. Methinks I hear the angel laying to God, as the king of Ifrael to the prophet, 2 Kings vi. 21. ' Shall I fmite them? Shall I fmite them ?' Lord here is fuch a finner, Ihall I fmite him ? Shall I take otF the head of fuch a drunkard, fwearer, fabbath-breaker ? And God's patience faith, as the drefier of the vineyard, Luke xiii. 8. * Let him alone this year.' O the infinite patience of God, that fin being lb great an evil, and lb contrary to God, he fi)ould bear with finners To long! 1 Sam. xxiv. 19. ' If a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away ?' God finds his enemies, yet he lets them go, he is not prefently avenged on them. Every fin hath a voice to cry to God for vengeance; Sodom's fin cried, Gen. xviii. 20. Yet God fpares men ; but let not finners prefume upon God's patience: if they repent not, long forbearance is no forgivenefs ; God's patience abufed will leave men more inexculable.

in. Branch. If fin be fo great an evil, then there is no fin little. There is no little treafon ; every fin ilrikes at God's crown and dignity : and in this fenfe it may be faid, as Job xxii. 5. • Are not thy iniquities infinite:' The leafl; fin (as the Ichoolmen fay) is infinite objeftive, becaufe it is committed againft an infinite Majefty; and befides, nothing can do away fin, but that which hath an infinitenefs in it; for though the fufferings of Chrill (as man) were not infinite, yet the divine nature did (bed forth an infinite value and merit upon his futfer-ings. So that as no fin is little, there is no little hell for fin. As we are not to think any of God's mercies little, becaufe they are more than we can deferve ; fo neither are we to tiimk any of our fins little, becaufe they are more than we can anfwer for. That fin weefteem lighteft, without Chrill's blood will be heavy enough to fink us into perdition.

IV. Branch. If fin be fo great an evil, then fee whence all perfonal or national troubles come ; they come from the evil of fin ; our fin grows high that makes our divifions grow wide; fin is the Achan that troubles us, it is the cockatrice egg, out of which comes a fiery flying ferpcnt. Sin is like PhEBton, who, as the poets feign, driving the chariot of the fun, fet the

Vol.. II, No. SO. ■ Z z

world on fire. Sin, like the planet Saturn, hath a malignant influence : fin brings us into llruits, 2 Sam. xxiv. 14. * David faid unto Go'l, I am in a great llrait.' Jer. iv. I7. ' As keepers of a field are they againft her round about:' as horfes or deer in a field are fo incloCed with hedges, and lb narrowly watched, that they cannot get out; fo Jerufalem was fo clofe befieged with enemies, and watched, that there was no efcape for her: whence was this? ver. 18. ' This is thy wickednefs.* All our evils are from the evil of fin. The cords that pinch us are of our own twitting. Flagitium et fiagellum funt tanquam acus ft fihim. Sin raifeth all the llorms in confcience: the fvvord of God's judice lies quiet till fin draws it out of the fcab-bard, and makes God whet it againlt a nation.

V. Branch. If fin be fo great an evil, then how little reafon hath any one to be in love with fin? I'onie are fo infatuated with fin, that they delight in it. The devil can fo cook and drefs fin, that it pleafeth the fianer's palate, Job xx. 12.

* Though wickednefs befweet in his mouth.' Sin is as delightful to corrupt nature, as meat to the tafie. Sin is a feaft on which men feed their lufls; but there is little caufe to be fo in love with fin. Job xx. 14. ' Though wickednefs be fweet in his mouth, it is the gall of afps within hijn.' To love fin, is to hug an enemy. Sin puts a worm into confcience, a fling into death, a fire into hell. Sin is like thole locufis. Rev. ix. T.

* On their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions, and they had tails like fcorpions, and they had ftings in their tails.' After the woman's hair comes in the fcorpion's fting.

VI. Branch, If fin be fo great an evil, then what may we judge of then) who make light of fin, as if there were no danger in it; as if God were not in earnell when he threatens fin ; or as if minifters were about a needleis work, when they preach againit fin ? Some people make nothing of breaking a commandment ; they make nolhi!)g of telling a lie, of cozening, of fiandering ; nothing of living in the fin of uncleannefs ; if you weigh fin in the balance of Ibme men's judgtnents, it weighs very light : but, who are thofe that make fo very light of fin ? Solomon hath defcribed them, Prov. xix. y. * Fools make a mock of fin.' Stultits in vitia cko dilahititr, \i\dor. Who but fools would make light of that which grieves the Spirit of God ? Who but fools would put fuch a viperous fin in their bolbm ? Who but fools would laugh at their own calamity, and make I'ports while they give themfelves poifon.

VII. Brunch. If fin be lb great an evil, then I infer, that there is no good to be gotten by fin ; of this thorn we cannot gather grapts.—If fiu be lb deadly an evil, then we cannot get

any profit by it; no man did ever thrive upon this trade ; Thofe Atheilts lUid, Mai. iii. U. • It is vain to lL>rve God, and what profit is it ?' But we may fay n)ore truly, what profit is there in fin ? Rom. vi. 21. What fruit had ye in tliefe things, whereof ye are now afljamed ?' Wliere are your earnings ? What have you gotten hy fin? It hath (hame for its companion, and death for its wages. What profit had Achan of his w€dge of gold ? That wedge feemed to cleave afuuder his Ibul from God. What profit had Ahab of the vineyard he got unjultly ? The dogs licked his blood, I Kings xxi. 19. What prolit had Judas of his treafon ? For thirty pieces he i'old his Saviour, and bought his own damnation. All the gain men get by their fins, they may put in their eye ; nay, they mull, and weep it out again.

VIII. Branch. If fin be fo great an evil, fee then the folly of thole who venture upon fin, becaufe of the pleafure they have in it, 2 Thefi". ii. 12. * Who have pleafure in unrigh-teeufnels.' As for the pleafure of fin, (1.) It is but feeming, it is but a plealant fancy, a golden dream. ('2.) And befides, it is a mixed plealure, it has bitternefs intermingled, Prov. vii. 17. ' I have (faith the harlot) perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. For one fvveet, here are two bitters ; cinnamon is fweet, but myrrh and aloes are bitter ; the harlot's pleafure is mixed. There are thofe inward fears and lafhes of confcience, as imbitter the pleafure. 3. If there be any pleafure in fin, it is only to the body, the brutifii part ; the foul is not at all gratified by the pleafure, Luke xii. 19.

* Soul, take thy eal'e ;' he might have more properly laid,

* Body, take thy eafe ;' the foul cannot feed on fenfual objecb. 4. In ihort, that pleafure men talk of in fin, is their difeafe. Some take pleafure in eating chalk or coals, this is from their difeafe ; i'o, when men talk of pleafure in eating the forbidden fruit, it is from the ficknefs and dileafe of their luuLs, ' they put bitter for fvveet,' Ifa. v. 20. O what folly is it, for a cup of pleafure, to drink a fea of wrath ? Sin will be bitter in the end, Prov. xxiii. 31, 32. 'Look not on the wine when it is red, when it gives its colour in the cup ; at lalt it bites like a ler-pent.' Sin will prove like Ezekiel's roil, fvveet in the mouth, but bitter in the belly, wel in ore, felin corde. Aik Cain now, how he likes his murder? Achan, how he likes his golden wedge ? O remember that faying of Auilin, Momentanenm eji quod deleUaty acternum (piod cruciat. The pleafure of fin is foon gone, but the (ling remains.

IX. Branch. If fin be fo great an evil, then, what wifdom is it to depart from evil : Job xxviii. 28. * To depart from evil is underftandiiig.' 'I'o fin is to do foolilhly ; therefore, to depart from fin, is to do wifely. Solomon faith, Piov. jixix..

Z z2

S64 OP THE SIXTH PETITION

6. ^ In every tranfgreflion is a fnare.' Is it not wifdom to avoid a fnare ? Sin is a deceiver, it cheated our firft parents ; inflead of being as gods, they became as the beafks that perifh, Pf. xlix. 2P. Sin hath cheated all that have meddled with it, is it not wifdom to fhun fuch a cheater? Sin hath many fai^ pleas, and tells how it will gratify all the fenfes with pleafure; But, faith a gracious foul, Chrill's love is fweeter ; peace of ccnicience is fweeter ; what are the pleafures of fin to the plea-fures of paradife ? Well may the faints be called wife virgins, becaufe they fpy the deceits that are in fin, and avoid thefnares. ' The fear of the Lord, that is wifdom; and to depart from evil, is underfl^anding.*

X. Branch. If fin be fo great an evil, then, how juftifiable and commendable are all thofe means which are ufed to keep men from fin ? how juftifiable are a minifter's admonitions and reproofs? Tit. i. 13. * Rebuke them fharply ;' cuttingly; a metaphor from a chirurgeon that fearches a wound, and cuts out the proud flefti, that the patient may be found ; fo God's minifter comes with a cutting reproof, but it is to keep you from fin, and to fave your fouls. Si merito ohjurgaverit te ali-quis, J'cito quia profuit, Seneca. ** Efteem them your beil friends, who would keep you from finning againft God." If a man were going to poilbn or drown himfelf, were not he his friend who would hinder him from doing it ? All a miniller's reproofs are but to keep you from fin, and hinder you from felf-murder ; all is in love, 2 Cor. v. 11. ' Knowing the terror of the Lord, we perfuade men.' It is the palTion of mofl to be angry with them that would reclaim them from fin, Amos v. 10. ' They hate him that rebuketh in the gate.' Who is angry •with the phyfician for prefcribing a bitter potion, feeing it is to purge out the peccant humour? It is mercy to mens' fouls to tell them of their fins. And furely thofe are priefl;s for the devil, 2 Cor. xi. 13. who fee men go on in fin, and ready to drop into hell, yet never pull them back by a reproof; nay, perhaps flatter them in their fins. God never made minifters as falfe glaffes, to make bad faces look fair : fuch make themfelves guilty of other men's fins.

XI. Branch. If fin be fo great an evil, the evil of evils, then fee what a bad choice they make, who choofe fin to avoid af-fli<5tion : as if, to fave the coat from being rent, one (hould fuffer his flefli to be rent. It was a falfe charge that Elihu brought againft Job, chap, xxxvi. 21. * Thou haft chofen iniquity rather than afHidion.' This is a bad choice. AfRi6lion hath a promife made to it, 2 Sam. xxii. £8. but fin hath no promife made to it. Affliction is for our good, but fin is not for our good ; it would entail hell and damnation upon us. Spira chofe iniquity rather than affliction, but it coft him dear; he at

lad repented of his choice. He who commits fin to avoid lutrering, is like one that runs into a lion's den to avoid the dinging of a gnat.

XII. Branch. If fin be fo great an evil, fee then whatfhouid be a Chriliian's great care in this life to keep from fin ; • Deliver us from evil.* Some make it all their care to keep out of trouble ; they had rather keep their fkin whole, than their conlcience pure: but our care fhould be chiefly to keep from fin. How careful are we to forbear fuch a dilh, as the phy-ficians tell us is hurtful for us : it will bring the ilone or gout ? Much more fiiould we be careful that we eat not the forbidden fruit, which will bring divine vengeance, 1 Tim. v. 22. ' Keep thyfelf pure.* It hath always been the ftudy of the faints to keep aloof off from fin, Gen. xxxix. 9. * How can I do this great wickednefs, and fin againil God .''* Pf. xix. 13. * Keep back thy fervant from prelumptuous fins.' It was a faying of Anfelm, If fin were on one fide, and hell on the other, he would rather leap into hell than willingly fin againfi; God. O what a mercy is it to be kept from fin ! We count it a great mercy to be kept from the plague and fire ; but what is it to be kept from fin ?

XIII. Branch. Is fin fo great an evil.? fee then that which may make us long for heaven, when we (ball be perfedly freed from fin, not only from the outward acts of fin, but from the in-being of fin. In heaven we (hall not need to pray this prayer, • Deliver us from evil.' What a bleifed time will it be, when we fiiatl never have a vain thought more? Then Chrift'sfpoufe ftiall bejineniacnla aut ruga, without fpot or wrinkle, Ephef. v. 27. Now there is a dead misn tied to the living : we cannot do any holy duty, but we mix fin ; we cannot pray without wandering; we cannot believe without doubting: but then, our virgin-fouls fliall not be capable of the lealt tincture of fin, but we fhall all be as the antjels of God.

In heaven we (hall have no temptation to fin. The old fer-pent is cafi: out of paradile, and his fiery darts iliall never come near to touch us.

2(^ Uj'e of exhortation. And it hath two difi;in6t branches.

I. Branch. To all in general. If fin be fo great und prodigious an evil, then, as you love your fouls take heed of fin." If you talle of the forbidden fruit, it will coftyou dear, it will colt you bitter tears, it may colt you lying in hell; O therefore flee from fin.

(1.) Take heed of fins of omifiion. Mat. xxiii. 23. It is as well dangerous not to do things commanded, as to do things forbidden, b^.taie think it no great matter to on)il reading fcrtpture : the Bible lies by like rufty armour, which they never ule : they think it no great matter to omit family or clofwt-

prayer; tbey can go feveral months, and God never hear of them. Thei'e liave nothing fanctified to them ; they feed upon a curie; ' for every creature is fanaified by prayer,' 1 Tim. iv. 5. The bird may fhame many, it never takes a drop, but the eye is hfted up towards heaven. O take heed of living in the negiedl of any known duty. It was the prayer of a reverend holy man on his death-bed, * Lord, forgive my fins of omif-fion.'

(2.) Take heed of fecret fins. Some are more modeft than to fin openly in a balcony ; but they will carry their fins under a canopy, they will fin in fecret. Rachel did not let her father's images be feen, ' but (he put them under her, and fat upon them,' Gen. xxxi. 34. Many will be drunk, and unclean, if they may do it when no body may fee them ; they are like one that (huts up his fliop windows, but follows his trade within doors. But if fin be lb great an evil, let me warn you this day, not to fin in fecret: Know, that you can never fin fo privately, but that there are two witnefTes always by, God and confcience.

(3.) Take heed of your complexion-fin, that fin which your nature and conftitution doth moft incline you to. As in the hive there is a mafler-bee, fo in the heart there is a mafter-fin, Pf. xviii. 23. • 1 have kept myfeif from mine iniquity.' There is fome fin that is a fpecial favourite, the peccatiim. in deliciis, the darling-fin that lies in the bolbm, and this doth bewitch and draw away the heart. O beware of this.

Qu. Hoxo 7nay this darling-fin be knoicn ?

Anf. 1. That fin which a man doth moft cherifh, and to which all other fins are fubfervient ; that is the fin which is moft tended and waited upon : the Pharifees darling-fin was vain-glory, all they did was to feed this fin of pride, Matth. vi. 2. * That they may haveglory of men ;' when they gave alms, they founded a trumpet. If a llranger had afked the queftion. Why doth this trumpet found ? The anfwer was, the Pharifees are going to give alms to the poor. Their lamp of charity was filled with the oil of vain-glory, Matth. xxiii. 5. all their works for to be feen of men. Pride was their bofom-fin. Oftentimes covetoufnefs is the darling-fin ; all other fins are committed to maintain this. Why do men equivocate, opprefs, defraud, take bribes ? All is to uphold covetoufneis.

2. That fin which a man doth not love to have reproved, is the darling-fin : Herod could not endure to have his incefl fpoken againft : if John Baptifl; meddles with that fin, it (hall coft him his head.

3. Thai fin which hath moft power over one, and doth mod eafily lead him captive, that is the beloved of the foul. There are fome fins a man can better put otf, and give a repulfe to : but there is one fin, which, if it comes to be a fuiter, he cannot

deny, bnt is overcome by it ; this isthe borom-fin. The young man in the goCpel had a complexion-fin which he could not refill, and that was the love of the world ; his filver was dearer to him than his Saviour. It is a fad thing a man (hould be i'o bewitched by a lull, that he will part with the kingdom of heaven to gratify it.

4. That fin which men ufe arguments to defend, is the darling-fin. To plead for fin, is to be the devil's attorney ; if the fin be covetoufnefs, and we vindicate it; if it berafli anger, and we juflify it, Jonah iv. 9. ' I do well to be angry :' this is the complexion-fin.

5. That fin which doth moft trouble one, and fly m his face in an hour of ficknefs and diftrefs, that is the beloved fin. When Jofeph's brethren were diftrelfed, their fin came to remembrance in felling their brother. Gen. xii. 2. So, when a man is upon his fick-bed, and confcience fliall fay, Doft not thou remember how thou haft lived in fuch a fin, though thou hafl been often warned, yet thou wouldft not leave it ? Confciencereads a cur-tain-le<5lure ; fine that was the darling-fin.

6". That fin which a man is moft unwilling to part with, that is the darling-fin. Jacob could of all his fons, moft hardly part with Benjamin, Gen.xlii. 36. 'Jofeph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away.' So faith the finner, this and that fin I have parted with ; butmuft Benjamin go ? mufti part with this delightful fin ? that goes to the heart. This is the Dalilah, the beloved fin. O if fin be fuch a deadly evil, dare not to indulge any bofom-fin : this is of all the moft dangerous : like an humour (Iriking to the heart, which is mortal. Leave open but one gap, the wild beaft may enter at it: one darling fin lived in, is letting open a gap for Satan to enter.

(4.) Take heed of the fins which attend your particular callings. A calling you m\jft live in ; Adam in Paradile tilled the ground,; God never (ealed warrants to idlenefs ; but every calling hath itsfnare: as fome fin in living out of a calling, fo others fin in a calling. Remember how deadly an evil fin is ; avoid thofe fins which you may be expoled to in your trade ; take heed of all fraud and collufion in your dealings, Matth. vii. i?.

* Whatfoever ye would that men ftiould do to you, do ye even fo to them.*

1. Take heed of a deceitful tongue in felling : the fcripture makes it the character of one that goes to heaven, Plal. xv. ^.

* He fpeaketh the truth from his heart.' It is the cuftom of many to fay, the commodity ftands them more, yet take lefs. This is hardly credible.

9. Beware of a deceitful balance, Hof. xii. 7- ' The balances of deceit are in his hand.' Men, by making their weights lighter, make their accounts heavier.

3. Beware of fophifticating, minirling and embafing commodities, Amos viii. 6. ' They fell the reful'eofthe wheat.' They would pick out the bed grains of the wheat, and fell the vvoril at the fame price as they did the bell: to mix a coarfer commodity with a fine, and yet fell it all for fine, is no better than deceit, Ifa. i. 2.

4. Beware of ftretching your confciences too far, or taking more for a commodity than it is worth, Lev. xxv. 14. If thou felleft ought unto thy neighbour, ye ihall not opprefs one another.' There is a lawful gain allowed, yet one may not fo advantage himlelf as to damnify another. Let that be the tradef-man's motto, Afks xxiv. 16. * A confcience void of offence towards God and towards man.* He hath an hard bargain, that doth ' purchafe the world with the lofs of his foul.'

3. Sin being fo deadly an evil, • take heed of the appearance of fin.' Abflain not only from apparent evil, but the appearance of evil; if it be not abfolutely a fin, yet if it looks like fin, avoid it. He who is loyal to his prince, not only forbears to have his hand in treafon, but he will take heed of that which hath a (hew of treafon. Jofeph's miftrefs tempted him, and he fled and would not be with her, Gen. xxxix. 12. An appearance of good is too little, and an appearance of evil is too much.

(1.) The appearance of evil is oft an occafion of evil : dalliance is an appeaj'ance of evil, and oftentimes it occafions evil. Touching the forbidden fruit, may occafion tailing: dancing in malquerades, hath often been the occafion of uncleannefs.

(2.) The appearance of evil may fcandalize another, 1 Cor. viii. 12. When ye fin againft; the brethren, and wound their weak confcience, ye fin againfl; Chrifl;: finning againft a member of Chrift, is a finning againil Chrift.

Thus you fee, fin being fo deadly an evil, we fhould avoid all fin ; fins of omiffion, fecret fins, complexion-fins, fins that attend our particular calling, yea, the appearance of evil.

Qu. What means /hall ice life to be kept from the a^s of fn ?

Anf. 1. If you would be preferved froma6lual and fcandalous fins, labour to mortify original fin. If you would not have the branches bud and blolfom, fmile at the root. I know original fin cannot in this life be removed, but labour to have it fubdued. Why do men break forth into a6lual fins, but becaufe they do not mortify heart fins ? Supprefs the firft rifings of pride, luft, paflion ; original fin unmortified, will prove fuch a root of bit-ternefs, as will bring the curled fruit of fcandalous fin.

2. If you would be kept from a<5lual fins, think what an odious thing fin is. Befides what you have heard, remember, fill is the accurfed thing, Jolh. vii. 21. It is the abonainable

thing Hod liatp?, Jer. xliv. 4. ' O do not this ahoniinahle thing that I hate.' Siu is the fpirit of witchcraft ; it is the devil's excrement; it is called filthinefs, James i. 21. If all theeviJs ia the world were put together, and their quinteHence llrained out, they could not make a thing fo filthy as fin doth. So odious is a finner, that God lothes the fight of him, Zech. xi. 8. ' My foul iothed them.' He who defiles himfelf with avarice, what is he but a ferpent licking the duft ? He who defiles himfelf with the lull of uncleannefs, what is he but a fwine with a man's head ? He who defiles himfelf with pride, what is he but a bladder, which the devil hath blown up ? He who defiles himlelf with drunkenuefs, what is he but aoeaft that hath got the fi;ag-gers ? To confider how odious and bafe a thing fin is, would be a mean to keep us from finning.

3. If you would be kept from a6tual fins, get the fear of God planted in your hearts, Prov. xvi. 6. ' By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.' CavehisJi pavebis ; fear is a bridle to fin, and a fpur to holinefs. Fear puts an holy awe upon the heart, and binds it to its good behaviour. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. When the emprefs Eudoxia, threatened to banilh Chryfofl:om, *' Tell her (faith he) I fear nothing but fin." Fear \s janitor anhnae : it fiands as a porter " at the door of the foul, and keeps fin from entering : all fin is commtted for want of the fear of God, ^om. iii. 14. ' Whole mouth is full ofcurfing and bitternefs ; their feet are fwift to fhed blood ; there is no fear of God before their eyes.' Holy fear (lands centinel, and is ever watching again it fecurily, pride, wantonnefs. Fear is a Chriftian's life-guard, to defend him againll the fiery darts of temptation. Si vis efje feciints, J'emper time. The way to be fafe, is always to fear, Prov. ii. 14.

(4.) If we would be kept from a6lual fins, let us be careful to avoid all the inlets and occafions of fin ; run not into evil company ; he that would not have the plague, will not go into aa infe6ted houl'e. Guard your fenfes, which may be the inlets to fin. Keep the two portals, the eye and the ear; efpecially, look to your eye; much fin comes in by the eye, the eye is oft an inlet to fin, fin takes fire at the eye : the firft fin in the world began at the eye. Gen. iii. G. * Wlien the woman (aw that the tree was good for food, and was pleafant to the eyes, then fhe took of the fruit thereof.' Looking begat lulling. Intemperance begins at the eye : looking on the wine when it is red, and gives its colour in the glafs, cauleth excefs of drinking, Prov. xxi. 31. Covetoufnefs begins at the eye, Jofh. vii. 21. * When I (liw among the I'poils, a goodly Babylonilh garment, and a wedge of gold, I coveted and look them.* The fire of luft begins to kindle at the eye ; * David walking upon the roof of his houfe, (aw a woman wafhiug herfelf, and fiie was (faith the Vol. n. No. 20. 3 A

text) beautiful to look upon, and he fent meflengers and took her, and defiled himfelf with her,' 2 Sam. xi. 2. O therefore look to your eyes, ' Job made a covenant with his eyes,' Job xxxi. 1. If the eye be once inflamed, it will be hard to (land out long againil fin : if the out*works are taken by the enemy, there !s great danger of taking the whole caftle.

5. If you would be kept from a6lual grofs fin, (ludy fobriety and temperance, 1 Pet. v. 8. Sobrii efte, be fober. Check the inordinancy of appetite ; fin dcih frequently make its entrance this way. By gratifying the fenfual appetite, the foul, that is a-kin to angels, is enflaved to the brutilh part. Many drink, if not to drunkennefs, yet to "!lrowfinefs. The not denying the fenfitive appetite, makes men's confcience fo full of guilt, and the world fo full of fcandal. If you would be kept from running into fin, lay reftraint upon the flefli. What hath God given reafon and confcience for, but to be a bridle to check inordinate defires ?

G. If you would be kept from actual fins, be continually upon your fpiritual watch.

(1.) Watch your thoughts, Jer. iv. 14. * How long (hall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee ?' Sin begins at the thoughts. Firft;, men cherifti revengeful thoughts, then they dip their hands in blood. Set a fpy over your thoughts.

(2.) Watch your pafifions: Pafiions of anger, paflionsof luft. The heart is ready to be deftroyed by its own pafiions, as the veffel is to be overturned by th? fail. Paflion tranfports beyond the bounds of reafon; it is hrevis injania, Seneca. A fliort frenzy. Mofes", in a paffion, i'pake unadvifedly with his lips, Pf. cvi. 3. The difciples, in a paifion, called for fire from heaven. A man in a paflion is like a Ihip in a ftorm, that hath neither pilot nor fails to help it, but is expofed to the waves and rocks.

(3.) Watch your temptations. Satan continually lies in am-buth, and watcheth to draw us to fin : Jiat m procin^u diabo' Ins : he is fifhingfor our fouls : he is either laying of fnares, or fliooting of darts ; therefore we had need watch the tempter, that we be not decoyed into fin. Moft fin is committed for want cl watchfulnefs.

7. If you would be kept from the evil of fin, confult with the oracles of God, be well verfed in fcripture, Pf. cxix. 11. * Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not fin againft thee.* The word is, anceps gladins, a two-edged fword, to cut afunder men's lulls. When the fogs and vapours of fin begin to arife, let but the light of fcripture thine into the foul, and it difpels thofe fogs ; * let the word of Chrift dwell richly in you,* Co!, iii. 26. Alphonfus, king of Arragon, read over tlie Bible fourteen times. The word Ihews the damnable evil of fin, it fur-

nirtieth us with precepts, which are fo many receipts and antidotes againft fin. When Chrill had a temptation to fin, he beat back the tempter, and wounded him three times with this fword of the Spirit, * It is written.*

Why do men Hve in fin, but becaufe they either do not read the word, or do not believe it?

8. If you would be preferved from grofs prefumptuous fin, get your hearts fired with love to God. Love hath great force in it, it is ' llrong as death ;* it breaks the league between the heart and fin.

Two things in God caufe love.

(1.) His * orient beauty :* Mofes defired to fee forne glimpfe of it; * Lord, fhew me thy glory.'

(2.) His amazing love : what a prodigy of love was it, to gfive his Son out of his bofom, and lay Cuch a jewel to pawn for our redemption ! thefe two, the orient of God's beauty, and the magnitude of his love, may, like two loadllones, draw our love to God, and if we love him, we will not fin againll him ; he that loves his friend, will not by any means difpleafe him. I have read of four men, meeting together, who alked one another, what it was that kept them from finning ? One faid, the fear of hell ; another (aid the joys of heaven ; the third faid, the odioulhefs of fin ; the fourth faid, that which keeps me from fin, is, love to God ; Ihall I fin againlt fo good a God ? (hall I abule love ? Love to God is the beft curbing-bit to keep from fin.

9' If you would be kept from the evil of fin, be diligent in a calling. Dii lahoribus omnia vendunt.-^?i.da.m in paradife muft till the ground. Such as live idly, expofe themfelves to fin ; if we have no work to do, Satan will find us work ; he fows moll of his feed in fallow ground. A woman being much tempted to fin, came to the Rev. Mr. Greenhara for advice, what (he fhould do to refill the temptation ? He gave her this anfwer, be always well employed, ihat lb when Satan comes, he may find thee bufied in thy calling, and thou raayell not be at leifure to liften to his temptations.

10. If you would be kept from fin, fix the eye of your mind upon the * beauty of holinefs.* Holinefs confills in our conformity to God : Holinefs is the fparkling of the divine nature, a beam of God (hining in the foul. How lovely is Chrill's bride, when decked and befpangled with the jewels of holinefs ? What makes the feraphims angels of light, but their holinefs ? Do but think with youifelves what a fplendid, glorious thing holinefs is, and it will caufe a difgull and hatred of fin, which is fo contrary to it. The beholding of beauty, makes one,out of love with deformity.

11. If you would keep from the evil of fin, meditate fre-

3 AsJ

quently on death, Firji, the unavoidableners of it, Heb. ix. 27. Statutum eji, ' It is appointed tor all men once,to die.' We are not fo lure to lie down this niuht in bed, as we are to lie down in the grave. Secondhj, The uncertainty of the time. We are but tenants at will : we hold our life at the will of our landlord, and how foon may God turn us out of this houfe of clay ? Death oft comes when we leall look for it. The flood (.as fome learned writers oblerve) came in the month of Zip k or April, in the Ipring ; when the trees were bloHoming, and the birds finging, then came the flood, when they leait looked for it : fo, oft in the fpring of youth, when the body is moil healthy and the fpirits moil fprightly and vigorous, and death is leait thought on, then it comes. Could we think often and ferioufly of death, it would give a death's-wound to fin. Nihil Jit re-vocato peccata qiiam crebra mortis contemplatio. Aug. No ftronger antidote againft fin than this ; I am now finging, and to-morrow may be dying? What, if death ihouid take me doing the devil's work, would it not fend me to him to receive my wages ? Would but the adulterer think, I am now in the a6lof fin, but how ibon may death come, and then I who have burned in luft, rnufl burn in hell : this fure would llrike a damp into him, and make him aiVaid of going after llrange flefh. 19. If you would be kept from grofs fcandalous fins, beware of a covetous heart. Covetoufnefs is a dry drunkennefs. He who thirils infatiably fifter the world, will llick at no fin, he will betray Chriil and a good caufe for money. Cui nihilfatis, eidem nihil turpe, Tacitus. I Tim. vi. 10. ' The love of money is the root of all evil.' From this root comes, Firfl, theft. Achan's covetous humour made him ileal the wedge of gold, Jofh. vii. 21. Covetoufnefs makes the goals fo full. Secondly, From this root comes murder. Why did Ahab flone Naboth to death, but to poflfefs his vineyard ? 1 Kings xxi. 13. Covet-oulhefs hath made many fwim to the crown in blood. Thirdly, From this bitter root of covetoufneis proceeds cozenage : it is the covetous hand holds falie weights. Fourthly, From this root of covetoufneis comes uncleanneis. You read of the hire of a whore, Deut. xxiii. 18. For money (he would let both her conii::ience and chaflity be fet to iale. O if you would be kept from the evil of fin, beware of covetoulbefs which is the inlet to fo many fins. \6. Let us be much in prayer to God, to keep us from ingulphing ouri'elves in fin, Pi", xix. 13. * Keep back thy fervant from preilimptuous fins.' We have 1)0 power inherent to keep ouri'elves from evil. Arnoldus faith, that man, in his corrupt eilate, hath alnjiias reliquias %;itae fpi-ritualis —ibme reliques of ipiritual life left. And Arminius laith, man hath a luiTiciency of grace in himfelf, whereby he njay ahftinere a u'lalo, abilain from evil; free-will is a fulfici^nt

curb to check and pull him back from fin. But then what needed Chrill to have taught us this prayer ; Libera nos a malo^

* Deliver us troni evil ?' If we have power of ourlelves to keep from (in, what need we pray to God for power? Alas! if David and Peter, who had an habit of grace, fell, for want of a freOi gale of the Spirit to hold them up, much more will they be in danger of falling, who have only the power of free-will to hold them.

Let us therefore fue to God for ftrength to keep us from finning : pray that prayer of David, Pf. cxix. 117. ' Hold thou me up, and I fhall be fafe.' And that other prayer, Pf. xvii. 6. • Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footllepsflip not.*

* Lord, keep me from dithonouringthee,* keep me from the defiling fins of the age, that I may not be the worfe for the times, nor the times the worle for me. ' Keep back thy I'ervant from prefumptuous fins.' Lord, whatever I futfer, keep me from fin. The child is fafe in the nurfe's arms ; and we are only fafe from falling into fin, while we are held up in the arm's of Chrifl; and free grace.

IL Branch of the exhortation hath an afpe6l to God's cliil-dren. You that are profefibrs, and carry Chrill's colours, I be-leechyou, above all others, to take heed ot'lin; beware of any action that is Icandalous and unbecoming the gofpel : you have heard what a prodigious hyperbolical evil fin is. Come not near the forbidden fruit, HoC. iv. 15. • Though Ifrael play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend.' So, though wicked men run into fin, yet let not the fpoufe of Chrill defile the breafls of her virginity. Sin doth ill become any, but doth worfe become pro-feffors. Dung is unhandlbme in the flreet; but to fee it in the temple, how otfenfive id it } Leproly in the foot doth ill, but to fee a leprous fore in the face is much worfe ; to fee fin break forth in them who have a face of religion, is moil to be abominated. The fins of the wicked are not lb much wondered at, Dan. xii. 10. ' The wicked Ihall do wickedly.' It is no wonder to fee a toad fpit poifon. It was not fo much wonder to fee Cain or Ahab fin : but to fee Lot's inceft, to fee David's hands rtained with blood, this was llrange. When the fun is eclipfed, every one ftands and looks upon it; fo, when a child of light is eclipfed by fcandalous fin, all fl;and and gaze at this eclipfe.

The fins of God's people do, in fome fenfe, more provoke God than the fins of the wicked. We read of the provokings of his fons and daughters, Deut. xxxii. ly. The (ins of the wicked anger God, but the fiub of his people grieve him. The fins of God's people have a more malignant aipe6t, and are of a blacker dye than others ; there are thole aggravations in the

fins of God's people, as are not to be found in the fins of th* unregenerate, in eight particulars.

For, I. The godly have fomething which may ponere ohicem\ reftrain them from fin. Wicked men, when they fin, have no principle to rellrain them; they have wind and tide to carry them, but have nothing to pull them back from fin ; but a child of God hath a principle of grace to give check to fin ; he hath the impuUes of God's Spirit dilTuading him from evil; therefore, for him to commit fin, is far worle than for others : this is to fin more defperately ; it is as if a woman ftiould go about to kill in her womb. Chriftian, this thou art to do, when thou finneil prelumptuoully, thou doft what in thee lies to^kill the babe of grace in thy Ibul.

2. The fins of God's people are greater than others, becaufe they fin againft more mercy. This is like a weight put in the fcale, it makes fin weigh heavier. God hath given Chrift to a believer; he hath cut him otf from the wild ftock of nature, and grafted him into the true olive ; and for him to abufe all this mercy, it is to outdo the wicked, and to fin with an higher aggravation, becaufe it is to fin againft greater love. How was Peter's fin enhanced and accented ; that when Chrift had done more for him than others, he had dropped fome of the holy oil upon him, he had taken him into the number of the apoftles, he had carried him up into the mount of transfiguration, and fliewn him the glory of heaven in a vifion ; now, that Peter iliould deny Chrift after all this mercy, this was heinous, and could not be forgiven, but by a miracle and prodigy of love.

3. The fins of the godly are worfe, and have this aggravation in them, that they fin againft more clear illuminations than the wicked. Job xxiv. 13. They are of thofe that rebel againft the light: light is there taken figuratively for knowledge. It cannot be denied but the wicked fin knowingly : but the godly have a light beyond them, fuch a divine penetrating light, as no hypocrite can attain unto: they have better eyes to fee fin than others: and for them to meddle with fin, and embrace this dunghill, how muft this needs provoke God, and make the fury rile up in his face? Oh therefore, you that are the people of God, flee from fin; your fins are more enhanced, and have worfe aggravations in them than the fins of the unregenerate.

4. The fins of the godly are worfe than the fins of the unregenerate ; for, when they fin, it is againft great experiences. They have felt the bitternels of fin in the pangs of the newr birth, and afterwards God hath Ipoken peace, and they have had an experimental tafte how ' Iweet the Lord is;* and yet, after thele experiences, that they (hould touch the forbidden fruit, venture upon a prefumptuous fin, how doth this enhance and aggravate their guilt, and is like putting a weight more ia

the Tcale to make their fin weigh heavier? The wicked, whea they fin, never tailed the fweetnels of an heavenly life; they never knew what it was to have any fmiles from God ; they never tafted any thing fweeter than corn and wine, therefore no wonder if they fin : but for a child of God, who hath had fuch love tokens from heaven, and fignal experiences from God, for him to gratify a lufl, how horrid is this! it was an aggravatioa of Solomon's fin, that his heart was turned from the Lord whicti had appeared to him twice, 1 Kings xi. 9.

5. The fins of the godly are greater than others, becaufe they fin againfl: their IbnQiip. When wicked men fin, they fia againil the command : but when the godly fin, they fin againfl; a privilege, they abufe their fonfhip. The godly are adopted into the family of heaven, they have a new name : Is it a light thing (faid David) to be fon-in-law to a king? So, to be called the ions of God, to be heirs of the promifes, is no fmall honour: now, for fuch to run into an open offence, it is a finning againfl: their adoption ; they hereby make themfelves vile, as if a king's fon fiiould be tumbling in the mire, or lie among fwine.

(5. The fins of the godly are worfe than others, becaufe they are committed againit more vows and engagements. They have given up their names to God ; they have bound themfelves Iblemnly to God by oath, Pf. cxix. 10(). * I have fworn that I will keep thy ftatutes.' And in the fupper of the Lord they have renewed this facred vow; and, after this, to run into a prefumptuous fin, itisa breach of vow, a kind of perjury, which dyes the fin of a crimfon colour.

7. The fins of the godly are worfe than others, becaufe they bring a greater reproach upon religion. For the wicked to fin, there is no other expected from them ; fwine will wallow iti the mire ; but when flieep do (b, when the godly fin, that redounds to the difhonour of the gofpel, 2 Sam. xii. 24. * By this deed thou huft given great occafion to the enemies of the Lord to blafpheme.' A iluin in (carlet, every one's eye isupom it: for the godly to fin, it is like a fpot in fcarlet, it is more taken noticeof, and it refleAs a greater cliflionour upon the ways of God. When the lun is eclipfed, every one Hands and looks upon it ; fo, when a child of light is eclipfed by fcandalous fin, all Hand and gaze at this eclipfe. How doth the gofpel fuffer by the milcarriages of the godly ? Their blood never can walh oif the llain that they bring upon religion.

8. The fins of the godly are worfe, becaufe they are a mean to encourage and harden wicked men in fin. If the wicked fee the godly to be loole and uncircumipe6t in their lives, they think they may do fo too : The wicked make the godly their pattern, not in imitating their virtues, but their vices; and is not this fearful, to be a mean to darau otberi? Thele are the

aggravations of the fins of the godly : therefore you, above al! others, beware of prefumptuous (in : your (ins wound con-fcience, weaken grace, and do more highly provoke God than the fins of others, and God will be fure to puni(h you : whoever efcapes, you fhall not, Amos iii. 3. * You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punifh you for all your iniquities.* If God doth not damn you, yet he may lend you to hell in this life : he may caufe fuch agonies and tremblings of heart, that you will be a terror to yourfelves ; you may draw nigh to defpair, and be ready to look upon yourfelves as caft-aways. \yhen David had Itained himfelf with adultery and murder, he complained of his broken bones, Pfal. li. 8. A metaphor, to fet forth the grief and agony of his foul : he lay in lore defertion three quarters of a year, and it is thought he never recovered his full joy to his dying day. Oh therefore, you who belong to God, and are enrolled in his family, take heed of blemifhing your profefiion with fcandalous fin ; you will pay dear for it; think of the broken bones : though God doth not blot you out of his book, yet he may caft you out of his prefence, Pfal. li. U. He may keep you in long defertion. You may feel fuch lafhes in your confcience, [that you may roar out, and think yourfelves half in hell.]

So much for the firft, * Deliver us from evil:' we pray to be delivered from evil, in general, that is fin.

Secondly, In fpecial. ' Deliver us from evil.' We pray to be delivered from evil, under a threefold notion. (1.) From the evil of our heart. It is called an evil heart, Heb. iii. 12. C^.) From the evil of Satan. He is called ' the evil one,' Matth. xiii. 10. (3.) From the evil of the world. It is called an • evil world,' Gal. i. 4.

\Jiy In this petition, ' deliver us from evil,' we pray to be delivered from the evil of our heart, that it may not decoy and trepan us into fin. The heart is the poilbned fountain, from whence all adual fins flow, Mark vii. ^l. ' Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, fornications, murders.' The caufe of all evil lies in a man's own brealt, all fin begins at the heart. Lull is firft conceived in the heart, and then it is midwifed into the world. Whence comes rafh anger } The heart lets the tongue on fire. "^Jhe heart is a (hop or work-houfe, where all fin is contrived and hammered out: how needful therefore is this prayer, ' deliver us from evil,'from the evil of our hearts? The heart is the greateil feducer, therefore the apollle James faith, • every man is drawn away of his own lull, and enticed,' James i. 14. The devil could not hurt us, if our own hearts did not give conlent. All that he can do is, to lay the bait, but it is our fault to fwallow the bait.

O let us pray to be delivered from the lufts and deceits of

our own heart, * Deliver Hsfrom evil.' Lutlier feared his heart more than the pope or cardinal, and it was Auftin's prayer, libera me, Domiue, a meipfo ; Lord deliver me from myfelf. It was a erood advice one gave to hi? friend, Caveas teipfum. Be-vi'are of the bofom traitor, the tielh. The heart of man is the Trojan horfe, out of which comes a whole army of lufts.

9dly, In this petition ' deliver us from evil,' we pray to be dehvered from the evil of Satan. He is * the evil one,* Matt, xiii. U)>

Qu. In 7vhat re/pec} is SataiJ the evil one ?

An/. 1. He was the hrll inventor of evil, John viii. 44.

• He plotted the firll treafon.'

€. His inclination is only to evil, Eph. vi. IC.

3. His conltant practice in doing evil, I Pet. v. 8.

4. All the evils and milchiefs that fall out in the world, he hath fome hand in them.

(I.) He hinders from good, Zech. iii. 1. * He fhewed me Jodiua the hiiih-prielt lUmding before the angel of the Lord, and Satan at his right-hand to relitl him.'

(9.) He provokes to evil; lie put it into Ananias' heart to lie, Acts V. 3. • Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Gholl ?' the devil blows the fire of lull and iirife. When men are proud, the old I'erpent hath poilbned them, and makes thein Iwell. Thus he is the evil one; and well may we pray,

* Lord, deliver us from tire evil one.' The word Satan in the Hebrew fignifies an opponent or adverlary.

1. He is a reftlefs adverfary, he never fleeps ; fpiritsneed no deep. He is a peripatetic, ' He walks about,' '2 Pet. v. 8. And, how doth he walk ? not as a pilgrim, but as a fpy ; he narrowly obferves where he may plant his pieces of battery, and mak^ his all'aults with moll advantage againlt us. Satan is a lubtil engineer ; there is no place that can fecure us from Satan's alldults and inroads. VV'e rtnd him while we are praying, hearing, meditating. We are fure of his company, uncertain how we came by it.

i2. Satan is a puilfant adverfary, he is armed with power. He is called the ' ftrong man,' Luke xi. '2\. He takes men captive at his pleafure, isJ Tim. ii. ^Jci. ' Who are taken captive by him at his will,' who are taken alive by him. It alludes to a bird that is taken alive in the fnare ; thus you fee he is the evil one. The devil's work is to angle for mens' luuls ; he lays fuitable bails ; he allures the ambitious man with honour, the covetous man with riches: he baits his hooks with filver; he allures the lullful man with beauty, he tempts men to Dalilah's lap to keep them from Abraham'.-^ bofom. The devil glories in the damnation of fouls. How needful then is this prayer, ' Deliver us from evil.?' Lord, keep us from the evil one; though

Vol. II. No. 'iO. 3B

S7S OF THE SIXTH PETITION

Satan may folicit to fin, fuffer us not to give confent; though he may aiTault the caftle of our hearts, yet let us not dehver up the keys of the callle to our mortal enemy.

3c?/?/, In this petition, ' Dehver us from evil,' we pray to he dehvered from the evil of the world. It is called an evil world, Ga!. i. 4. not but that the world, as God made it, is good, but through our corruption it becomes evil, and we had need pray, deliver us from an evil world.

Qu. In lohatj'enfe is it an evil ivorld ?

Anf. 1. As it is a defiling world. It is like living in an in-fe<5tious air, it requires an high degree of grace to ' keep our-felves unfpotted from the world,' James i. 27. It is as hard to live in the world and not be defiled, as to go much in the fua and not be tanned.

(1.) The opinions of the world are defiling ; that a little religion will ferve the turn ; like leaf-gold, it mufl be fpread but thin ; that morality runs parallel with grace : that to be zealous, is to be righteous over-much. That it is better to keep the fkin whole than the confcience pure : that the flefli is rather to be gratified than mortified. Thefe opinions of the world are defiling.

(*S.) The examples of the world are defiling examples, have

a great force in them to draw us to evil,— Princeps imperio

magnus exemplo jnajor. Princes are looking-glafies which we

drel's ourfelves by ; if they do "evil, we are apt to imitate them.

Great men are copies we fet before us, and ufually we write

mofi: like the copy when it is blotted. There is a great prone-

nefs in us to follow the example of the world ; therefore God

hath put in a caveat againft; it, Exod. xxiii. 2. * Thou (halt not

follow a multitude to do evil.* How eafily are we hurried to

fin, when we have the tide of natural corruption, and the wind

of example to carry us ? Lot was the world's wonder ; the

complexion of his foul kept pure in Sodom's infe6lious air.

The river of Peru in America, after it hath run into the main

fea, keeps frefii, and doth not mingle with the fait waters ; to

this river might Lot be compared, whofe piety kept frefh in

Sodom's fait water. Bad examples are catching, Pf. cvi. 35.

* They were mingled among the heathen, and learned their

works.* Had not we need then to pray. Lord, deliver us from

this evil world ? Living in the world is like travelling in a dirty

road.

2. It is an evil world, as it is an enfnaring world. The world is full of fnares. Company is a fnare, recreation is a fnare, oaths are fnares, riches are golden fnares ;— Opes irritamenta malo-rum. The apoftle fpeaks of ' the luft of the flefh, the luft of the eye, and the pride of life,' 1 John ii. 16. The lufl of the flefh is beauty, the luft of the eye is money, the pride of fife is

honour; thefe are the natural man's trinity, In mundo fplendor opum, gloriae majejias voluptatum illecebrae ah amore Dei nos ajirahunt. The world is a flattering enemy, whom it killes, it oft betrays; it is afilken halter : the pleafures of the world, like opium, call men into the fleep of fecority. Lylimachus i'old his crown for a draught of water ; fo many part with heaven for the world. It is an enl'naring world : the king of Armenia was fent prifoner to queen Cleopatra in golden fetters : too many are enflaved with the world's golden fetters. The world bewitched Demas, 2 Tim. iv. 10. One of Chrift's own apollles was caught with a filver bait. It is hard to drink the wine of profperity, and not be giddy. Thus the world, through our innate corruption, is evil, as it is a fuare, 1 Tim. vi. y. ' They that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a fnare.' If an angel were to live here there were no danger of the world's enl'naring him, becaufe he hath no principle within to receive the temptation : but we have a c"orrupt principle that I'uits with the temptation, and that makes us always in danger.

3. It is an evil world, as it is a diicouraging world. It calls fcorn and reproach upon them who live virtuoufly ; what, will you be holier than others, wifer than your aiiceilors ? The world deals with the profeHors of religion, asSanballatdid with the Jews when they were building, Neh. iv. 1. • He mocked the Jews, and laid. What do thefe feeble Jews? Will they fortify themfelves? Will they revive the Itones out of the heaps of rubbilh that are burnt }' So the wicked world calls out Iquibs of reproach at die godly, what, will ye build for heaven ? What needs all this cod? What profit is it to ferve the Almighty? thus the world will pluck otf our chariot-wheels when we are driving towards heaven : they are called cruel mockings, Heb. xi. 36. It requires a great meafure of lan6lity to withltand the difcouragements of the world, to dance among ferpents, to laugh at reproaches, and bind them as a crown about our head.

4. It isan evil world, as it is a deadniiig world. It dulls and deadneth the atfedlions to heavenly objects. The world cools holy motions, like a damp in a filver-mine, which puts out the light : earthly things choke the feed of the word. A man entangled in the world is fo taken up about fecular concerns, that he can no more mind the things above, than the earth can aC-cend, or the elephant fly in the air : and, even fuch as have grace in them, yet, when their atVe(ftions are bulimed with the earth, they fmd themfelves much indifpoft.d to meditation and prayer : it is like fwimming with a Hone about the neck.

5. It is an evil world, as it is a maligning world. It doth difgull and hate the people of God, John xv. Uh ' Becaufe ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you.' Hatred is (as Ariftotle faith) againft the whole kind. Haman's hatred

3 By

^SO OF THE SIXTH PETITION

was againft the feed of the whole Jews. When j'ou can find a ferpent without a Iting, or a leopard without fpots, then you may exped to find a wicked world without hatred. The white that is (hot at Is piety, Pf. xxxviii, £0. * They are mine adver-faries, hecaufe I follow the thing that is good.' The world pretends to hate the godly for fomething elfe, but the ground of the quarrel is holinefs. The world's hatred is in)placable : anger niay be reconciled, hatred cannot; you may as well reconcile heaven and hell, as the two feeds. If the world hated Chrilt, no wonder it hates us, John xv. 18. * The world hated nie before it haled you.' Why fhould any hate Chrilt ? This blefied Dove had no gall, this Rofe of Sharon did lend forth a molt Iweet perfume, but this fliews the world's balenefs, it is a Chrift-hating and a iaint-hating world. Had not we need to pray, deliver us from this evil world ?

0. It is an evil world, as it is a deceitful world.

(1.) There is a deceit in dealing. Hoi', xii. 7. ' He is a merchant, the baliances of deceit are in his hand.' The Hebrew-word rimmah in pihil, fignifies both to deceive and opprels. He who dares ule deceit, will not fpare to opprels.

('^.) There is a deceit in friendfliip, Prov. xx. 6. ' But a faithful man who can find ?'

Trita frequenfqne via eft per amicifallere nomen

Some ule too much courtlhip in friendflup, they are like trumpets which make a great noii'e, but within they are hollow. Si)me can flatter and hate, conmjend and cenl'ure. Melin ore, felin corde. Dii^embled love is worle than hatred.

(3.) There is a deceit in riches, Matth. xiii. 22. * The de-ceitfulnefs of riches.' The world makes us believe it will iU-tisfy our defires, and it dolh but increafe them ; it makes us believe it will Hay with us, and it takes wings, Prov. xxiii. 5.

7. It is an evil world, as it is a dilquieting world. It is full of trouble, John xvi. 33. The world is like a bee-hive ; when we have tailed a little honey, we have been fiung with a thou-fand bees. St. Bafil was of opinion, that before the fall, the rofe did grow without prickles : but now every fvveet flower of our life hath its prickles. There are many things caule dil-cpiiet ; loin of friends, law-fuits, croflfes in ellate : relations are not without their troubles : fume are troubled that they want children, others troubled that they have children : the world is a vexing vanity. If a man be poor, he is defpifed by the rich; if he be rich, he is envied by the poor. If we do not find it an enfiiaring world, we fliall find it an affliding world ; it hath more m it to wean us than tempt us. The world is a fea, where we are tolled upon the furgina- waves of Ibrrow, and often in danger of (hipwreck ; the world is a wildernefs full of fiery ierpents. [What llorms of perfecution are railed againll

the righteous ?' 2 Tim. iii. IS.] The wicked are briars, Mic. vii, 4. where Chriil's (heep lol'e ibme of their golden fleece. Then had we not need pray, Lord, deliver us from being hurt by this evil world ? Why ihould we love the world ? Though we are commanded to love our enemies, yet this enemy we mull not love, 1 John. ii. 15. * Love not the world.'

I have been all this while opening the hrll lenfe of this petition, * Deliver us from evil ;* we pray to be delivered from fin in general, and to be delivered from evil under this threefold notion, from the evil of our heart, from the evil of Satan, from the evil of the world. Ere I leave this, let me infert a

Caution. Not that our abftaining from, or forbearmg the ex* ternal a6ls of fin, is (ufficient to entitle us to falvation : but when we pray, * Deliver us from evil,' there is more implied in it, namely, that we make a progrefs in holinefs. Being divorced from (in is not enough, unlefs we are elpouled to virtue ; therefore in fcripture thefe two are joined, Pfal. xxxiv. 14. • Depart from evil, and do good.' Rom. xii. 9. and Ifa. i. lO. ' Ceale to do evil, learn to do well.' 2 Cor. vii. I. * Let us cleanfe ourfelves from all filthincfsof flefh and fpirit, perfecting holinefs.' Leaving fin is not enough, unlets we embrace rij^hteoulhefs. Virtutis eji magis honejia agere, qiiam non tur" pia. As it is in the body, it is not enough that the dileafe be Hopped, but it muft grow in health ; lb it is in the foul, it is not enough a6ls of fin be forborne, (which is the (lopping a di(« eafe) but it mult be healthy, that is, grow in holinefs.

U/e. Which reproves thole who labour only to fupprefs the outward a6ls of fin, but do not preCs on to holinefs ; they ceafe from doing evil, but do not learn to do well. Their religion lies only in negatives ; they glory in this, that they are given to no vice, none can charge them with any foul milcarriages, Luke xviii. 11. • God, 1 thank thee, that I am not as other men are : extortioners, unjuit, adulterer?.' This is not enough, you mull advance a Hep further in Iblid piety ; it is not enough that a field be not Ibwn with tares or hemlock, but it mull be (own with good (eed. Confider two things :

1. If this be the bell certificate you have to (hew that you are not guilty of grols fin, God makes no account of you. A piece of bials, though it be not i\> bad as clay, yet not being fo good as filver, it will not pal's for current coin ; lb, tho' you are not grol&ly profane, yet not being of the right metal, wantiug the (tamp of holinels, you will never pals current in heaven.

2. A man may abllain from evil, yet he may go to hell for not doing good, Matth. iii. 10. * Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and call into the (ire.* Why were the foolilh virgins Ihut out? they had done no hurt, they had not broke their lamps; yea^ but their fault was, there was

38S ^ OF THE SIXTH PETITION

no goodnefs in them, they had no oil in their lamps. Oh therefore let us not content ourfelves in being tree from grols adts of fin, but let us launch forth further in holinefs ; let us cleanfe ourfelves from all pollution, perfecting holinefs.

Secondly^ ' Deliver us from evil,' that is, from temporal evil. We pray that God vi'ill either prevent temporal evils, or deliver us out of them.

1. We pray that God will prevent temporal evils; that he will be our fcreen to ftand between us and danger, Pfal. vii. 1. * Save me from them that perfecute me.' We may lawfully pray againft the plots of the wicked, that they prove abortive ; that, though they have a defign upon us, they may not have their defire upon us, Pfal. cxH. y. * Keep me from the fnare which they have laid for me.'

^. We pray that God will deliver us out of temporal evils; that he will remove his judgments from us, whether famine, fword, peltilence, Pfal. xxxix. 10. ' Remove thy ftroke away from me.* Yet with this

Caution. We may pray to be delivered from temporal evils, only lb far as God fees it good for us. We may pray to be delivered from the evil of fin abfolutely, but we muft pray to be delivered from temporal evils conditionally, lb far as God fees it fitting for us, and may (land with his glory.

Uje. In all the troubles that lie upon us, let us look up to God for eafe and fuccour; ' Deliver us from evil,' lia. viii. 19. * Should not a peoplefeek unto their God ?' To blame then are the papifts, who knock at the wrong door ; when they are in any trouble, they pray to the faints to deliver them ; when they are in danger of fliipwreck, they pray to St. Nicholas; when they are in a lit of the fever, they pray to St. Petronelle ; when they are in travail, they pray to St. Margaret. How unlawful it is to invocate faints in prayer, 1 will prove from one fcripture, Rom. x. 14. * How then fhall they call on him, in whom they have have not believed }* We may pray to none but fuch as we believe in ; but we ought not to believe in any faint, therefore we may not pray to him. The papifts have, in their Lady's Pfalter, diredied their prayers for deliverance to the Virgin Mary ; Deliver me, O Lady. Benedi(5ia Domina, in manibus tuis repo/ita eji nojlra falus ; O thou blelfed Lady, in thy hands our falvation is laid up. But ' Abraham is ignorant of us,' Ifa. Ixiii. 1(3. The faints and Virgin Mary are ignorant of us.

To pray to faints, is idolatry advanced to blal'phemy. Our Saviour hath taught us better, in all our diftrelfes to pray to God for a cure, ' Deliver us from evil.' —He only knows wlmt our troubles are, and can give us help from trouble ; he only, that laid the burden on, can take it otF. David went to God,

Pf. XXV. 17. * O bring thou me out of my diftreffes.' God can, with a word, heal, Pf. cvii. 20. ' He ient forth his word, and healed them.' He delivered the three children out of the fiery furnace, Jofeph out of prifon, Daniel out of the lion's den : this proves him to be God, becaufe none can deliver as he doth, Dan. iii. 29. * There is no other that god can deliver after this fort.' Let us then, in all our ilraits and exigencies, feek to God, and fay, * Deliver us from evil.'

\

A FEW

SEILECT SERMONSj

PREACHED BY THE

Rev. Mr. THOMAS WATSON,

LATE MINISTER OF' St. STEPHEN'S, WALBROOiq.

—-^><r,"'lKjglT05(x!'.'.'t>o

OF WISDOM AND INNOCENCY.

Matth. X. 16. Be ye therefore wife as ferpents, and harmlefs

as doves.

THE apoftle faith, * all fcripture is of divine infpiration/ 2 Tim. iii. 1(5. God's word i.s compared to a lamp, for its enlightening quality, Pfal. cxix. 105. and to filver refined, for its enriching quality, Pfal. xii. 6. Among other parts of facred writ, this, in the text, is not the leait; ' Be ye wife as ferpents, and innocent as doves.* This is the fpeech of our blelfed Saviour ; his lips were a tree of life which fed many ; his works were miracles ; his words were oracles, and defcrve to be engraven upon our hearts as with the f)Oint of a diamond.

This is a golden fentence ; * Be ye wife as ferpenis, and harmlefs as doves.* Our Lord Jefus, in this chapter, \Ji, Gives his apoftles their commiirion ; 2d/y, Foretels their danger ; 3dly, Gives them feveral inftru6lions.

I. Chrift gives his apoftles their commiffion. Before they went abroad to preach, Chrift ordains theia; ver. 5. * Thefe twelve Jefus fent forth.' Thofe who exercife in the minifterial function muft have a lawful call, Heb. v. 4. * No man takes this honour to himfelf, but he who is called of God.' Chrdt gave not only the apoftles and prophets a call to th^ir olFice, (who were extraordinary minifters) but even paftorsand teachers, Eph iv. 11.

Qu. But if one have gifts, is not this fiifficient to the minifterial office ?

Anf. No: As grace is not fufficient to make a minifier, fo neither is gifts; therefore it is obfervable, that the fcripture puts a ditference between gifting and fending, Rom. x. 15. * How (hall they preach unlefs they be fent,^' If gifts were

enoup^h to conftitule a minifter, the apoftle fliould have faid,

* How (hall ihey preach unleis they be gifted?' But he faith,

* Unlefs they be font:' which denotes a lawful call, orinvefliture into the office. The attorney that pleads at the bar, may have as good gifts as the judge that fits upon the bench ; hut he nuift have a lawful commiflion before he fit as a judge. If it be thus in matters civil, much more in church-matters, which are of higher concern. Thofe therefore, who ufurp the work of the miniftry without being folemnly fet apart for it, difcover more pride than zeal, and they can expect no blefiing, Jer. xxiii. 32.

* I fent them not, nor commanded them ; therefore they (hall not profit this people faith the Lord.' So much for the firft, the apoflles' commiffion they received ; * Thefe twelve JefuS fent forth.'

II. Chrift foretels their danger, ver. \6. * Behold I fend you forth as (heep in the midd of wolves.' The apoftles were going about a glorious work, but an hazardous work ; they would meet with enemies fierce and lavage, like wolves^ As all that will live godly in Chriil fliall meet with fufferings ; fo commonly Chrift's anibafi'adors encounter the deepeft trials. Mofl of the apoltles died by the hands of tyrants : Peter was crucified with his bead downwards, Luke the evangeliil was executed on an olive-tree, John was call by Domitian into a veflel of fcalding oil. Maximinus the emperor (as Euiebius relates) gave charge to his officers, to put none to death but the governors and paf-tors of the church. The miniilers are Chrift's antejignani, his enfign-bearers, to carry his colours, therefore they are mod fhot at: they hold forth his truth, Phil., i. 17- * lam fet for the defence of the gofpel.' The Greek word, Cheimai, alludes to a foldier that is fet in the forefront of the battle, and hath all the bullets flying about his ears. The minifter's woik is to part between men and their fins ; and this caufeth oppofition. When Paul preached againft Diana, all the city was in an uproi»r^ A6ls xix. This may ftir up prayer for Chrift's rainifters, that tliey may be able to vvithftand thealfaults of the enemy, 2 TheflT. iii. 2.

III. Chrift; gives the apoftles their inftru6lions, whereof this in the text was one: ' Be ye wife as ferpents, and innocent as doves' (1.) The exhortation, • Be ye wife.' (2.) The fimile

* as ferpents.' (3.) The qualification of this wifdom ; a wi(^ dom niixed with innocency, ' Harmlefs as doves.'

This union of the dove and the ferpent is hard to find. Mat. xxiv. 45. ' Who then is a wifeand faithful fervant?' On which I'lace, faith St. Chryfojlom, it is an hard matter to find one iititliful ajid wife. Faithful, there is the dove; wife, there is . the Uipent: it is hard to find both. If one would feek for a luilhful man, queftionlefs he may find many, if for a wile man.

he miv finrf many; but if he feek for one both wife and faithful, this is rnra avis, hard to find, yet it is podible, thontih not conunon. Moles, a man learned in all the wilUotri of the Egyptians, Ads vii. ^'2. there was the wifdom of the ferpent; and the meekeft man alive. Numbers xii. 3. ' Now the man Mofes was very meek, above all the men upon the face of the earth ;* there was the innocency of the dove. Daniel was an excellent perfon, Dan. v. 14. * Excellent wifdom is found in thee;' there was the prudence of the ferpent; and Dan. vi. 4. ' The prefidents and princes (ciught to find occa-(ion againll Daniel, but they could find no occafion or fault ;* behold here the innocency of the dove. Look on St. Paul, A6ts xxiii. 6. * When Paul perceived that the one part were Sad* ducees, and the other Pharifees, he cried out, I am a Pharil'ee ;* by which I'peech Paul got all the Pharifees on his fide ; here was the wifdom of the ferpent: and ver. 1. * I have lived in all good confcience before God unto this day :* here was the in» nocence of the dove. How amiable is this, the union of the dove and ferpent.!* The fcripture Joins thefe two together, * meeknefs and wifdom,* Jam. iii. 13. Wifdom, there is the ferpent: meeknefs, there is the dove. This beautifies a Chrif-tian, when he hath theferpent's eye in the dove's head. We mufl have innocency with our wifdom, elfe our wifdom is but craftinefs; and we mud have wifdom with our itmocency, elfe our innocency is but weaknels. We mull have the innocency of the dove, that we may not circumvent others ; and we muft have the wifdom of the ferpent, that others may not circumvent us. We mull have the innocency of the dove, that we may not betray the truth; and the wifdom of the ferpent, that we may not betray ourfelves. In fhort, religion without policy, is too weak to be fafe : policy without religion, is toofubtil to be good. When wifdom and innocency, like Caftor and Pollux, appeair together, they prefage the (bul's happinefs.

Doer. 3. That Ckrijiians mujl be botli toife and innocent, I begin with the tirll, wife : be ye * wife as ferpents.' 1. 1 fliall fpeak concerning wifdom in general. Solomon faith, * Wifdom is the principal thing,' Prov. iv. 7. * It is better than riches,' Prov. iii. 14. * Happy is the man that findeth wifdom : for the merchandife of it is better than tire merchandife of filver.' If the mountains were fjearl, if every fand of the fea were a diamond, it were not comparable to wifdom. Without wifdom, a perfon is like a (hip without a pilot, in danger to fplit upon rocks. Job fets forth tlie encomiuoi and piaife of wifdom. Job xxviii. 13, 18. * I'he price of of wifdom is above rubies.* The ruby is a precious Hone, tranfparent, of a red fiery colour. It is reported of one of the kings of India, that he wore a ruby of that bigaefs and fpien-

3Ca

dour, that he might be feen by it in the dark ; but wifdom cafts a more fparkling colour than the ruby, it makes usfhine as angels. No chain of pearl you wear doth fo adorn you as wil-dom. Wifdom confilts chiefly in,three things: (i.) Know-lejdge todifcern. {"2.) Skill to judge. (3.) A6livity to profe-cute.

1. Knowledge to difcern where happinefs lies.

2. Skill to judge what will be the fitteft means to conduce to it.

3. A6tivity to profecute thofe things which will certainly ac-complith that end. So much for wifdom in general.

More particularly : wifdom is varioufly diftinguiihed. It is either natural, moral, or theological.

1. A natural wifdom ; which is feen in finding out the arca-nanatiircc, the fecrets of nature. Ariftotle was, by iome of the ancif^nts, called an eagle fallen from the clouds, becaufe he was of fuch railed intelleduals, and had fo profound an infight into the cauies of things. This natural wifdom is adorning, but it is not fufFicient to falvation. St. Hierom brings in Aritlotle with his fyllogii'ms, and Tully with his rhetoric, crying out in hell. '

2. A moral wifdom ; which confifts in two things malum refpnendo, bonumeligendo. Moral wifdom lies in the rejection of thofe things which are prejudicial, and the ele6tion of thofe things which are beneficial ; this is called prudence. Knowledge without prudence may do hurt ; many a man's wit hatli undone him, for want of wifdom. : >

3. A theological orfacred wifdom ; which is our knowing of God, who is the fupreme and fovereign good. Greece was counted the eye of the world for wifdom .'' and Athens the eye of Greece ; but neither of them knew God, A6ts xvii. 23.

• I have found an altar with this infcription, To the unknown God.' To know God, in whom is both vermn et bonum, truth and goodnefs, is the mafter-piece of wifdom, 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. ' And thou, Solomon my fbn, know thou the God of thy father.* And this knowledge of God is through Chrift : Chrift is the glafs in which the face of God is feen. Col. i. 15. And then we know God aright, when we know him not only with a knowledge of fpeculation, but appropriation, Pfal. xlviii. 14.

• This God is OUR God.' This knowledge of God isthemoft fublime wifdom : therefore it is called ' Wifdom from above,* Jam. iii. 17.

But to come nearer to the text, and fpeak of the wifdom of the ferpent : * Be ye wife as ferpents.*

Qu. But muji we in every thing he like the ferpent ?

An I'. No ; our Saviour meant not that in every thing we fhould imitate the ferpent. 1 thall fhew you, (1.) Wherein we fhould not be like the ferpent ; (2.) Wherein we ftiould be like the ferpent.

OF WISDOM AND INNOCENCY. SS9

I. Wherein we fliould not be like the ferpent.

1. The leipent eats dult, Ifa. Ixv. 25. ' Dufl: fliall be the ferpent's meat.' It was a curie upon the ferpent. Thus we ihotild not be like the I'trpent, to feed immoderately upon earthly things. It is uhl'urd for him that hath an heaven-born foul, capable of communion with God and angels, to eat greedily the ferpent's meat : a Chriftian hath better food to feed on ; the heavenly manna, the precious promifes, the body and blood of Chrill. It) is counted a miracle to find a diamond in a gold mine ; and it is 'as great a miracle to find Chrift, the pearl of price, in an earthly heart. The lapwing wears a little coronet on its head, yet feeds on dung ; to have a crown of profeffion on the head, yet feed inordinately on thefe dunghill-comforts, is unworthy of a Chriitian. What a poor contemptible thing is thew.orld? Itcannot fill the heart; If Satan (hould takeaChrif-tian op to the topof the pinnacle, and (hew him all the kingdoms and glory of the world, what would he fliew him, but a (hew, a plealant delufion ? There is a lawful ufe God allows of thefe outward things, but the fin is in the excefs. The bee may fuck a little honey from the leaf : but, put it in a barrel of ho-jiey, and it is drowned. The wicked are thus chara6terized, Eph. iii. 19. ' They mind earthly things.' They are like Saul, hid among the llutf. We (hould be as eagles, flying aloft towards heaven ; and not as ferpents, creeping upon the earth, and licking the dnft.

2. The ferpent is deceitful. The ferpent ufeth many fliifts, and glides (b cunningly, that we cannot trace him. This was one of thofe four things which wife Agur could not find out, * the way of a ferpent upon a rock,' Prov. xxx. l[}. It is a deceitful creature ; we fhould not in this fenfe be like the ferpent, for deceitfulnefs. Naturally we too much refemble the ferpent for fraud and collufion, Jer. xvii. <}. ' The heart is deceitful above all things.' }J}, Deceit towards man ; (1.) 'I'o dilfem-ble friendfhip ; to cover malice with pretences of love ; to commend and cenfure, to flatter and hate; a Judas' kifs, and a Joab's fword ; mclin ore, fel in corde (9.) To difl'emble ho-nefiy ; to pretend jull dealing, yet ufe falfe weights.

^dhj. Deceit towards God ; to draw nigh to God with the lips, and the heart is far from him : to ferve God, and feek ourfelves ; to pretend to love God, and yet be in league with fn) ; we Ihould not in this fenfe be like the ferpent, deceitful and given to Ihiftif. O be upright! be what you feem to be : God loves plainnefs of heart, Pfal. li. 6". The plainer the diamond is, the more it fparkles ; the [)lainner the heart is, the more it f|^arkles in God's eye. What a commendation did ChriU j;ive Nathariiel } John i. 47. * Behold an IlVaelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.*

e^

or WISDOM AND INNOCENCT.

3. The lerpent cafts the coat, but another new coat comes in the room ; in this we fhould not be hke the ferpent, to caft the coat, to call otTone (in, and another lin as bad to come in the room. The drunkard leaves his drunkennefs, but it impairs his health, his credit, his purfe, and falls to the fin of cozenage ; the prodigal leaves his prodigality, and turns ufurer ; this is as if one difeafe fliould leave a man, and he fhould fall into another as bad ; his ague leaves hinri, and he falls into a confumption. O be not like the ferpent, that cafls one coat and another comes ; this is hke him in the gofpel, that had one devil go out of him, and feven worfe fpirits came in the room". Matt. xii. 45.

4. The ferpent is a venomous creature, it is full of poifon^ Deiit. xxxii. 24. In this be not like the ferpent. It is laid of wicked men, their poifoii is like the poifon ofa ferpent, Pf. Ivill. 4. What is this poifon ? It is the poilbn of malice ; mahce is the devil's pi6lure. Lull makes men bruiifh, and malice makes them devililh. Malice carries in it its own punilhment; a malicious man, to hurt another, will injure himfelf. Quintilian fpeaks of one who had a garden of flowers, and he poifoned his flowers, that his neighbour's bees fucking from them might be poifoned, and die. Oh be not venomous like the ferpent! rtia-lice is mental murder; you may kill a man and never touch hintij 1 John iii. 15. * Whofoever hateth his brother is a murderer.* Malice fpoils all your good duties ; the malicious man dehles his prayer, poifons the lacramental cup ; he eats and drinks his own damnation.' I have read of one who lived in malice, and being afked how hecould fay the Lord's prayer? He anfwered, I leave out thofe words, * As we forgive them them that tref-pafs againfl us.* But St. Auftin brings in God replying thus to him : '* Becaufe thou dnll not fay my prayer, therefore I will not hear thine." The malicious man is not like to enjoy either earth or heaven : not the earth, for the ' meek (hall inherit the earth,* Mat. v. 4. Nor is he like to enjoy heaven, for God • will beautify the meek with falvation,* Pf. cxlix. 4. lb that the malicious man is cut off both from earth and heaven.

5. The ferpent is given to hifling: fo it is faid of thebafililk. In this be not like the ferpent, to hi(s out reproaches and invectives againfl; the faints and people of God ; they are the feed of the ferpent that hifs at godlinefs. The Lord will one day reckon with men for all their hard fpeeches, Jude 15. Lucian "vvas fuch an one who did hifs out and fcofl againfl; religion ; and as a jufi judgment of God, he was torn in pieces by dogs,

6. The ferpent Itoppeth her ear : it is an obllinate deafnefs, Pf. Iviii. 4. ' 7'hey are as the deaf adder, which lloppeth her ear.' In this be not like the ferpent, obftinately to flop your ears to the voice of God's word. While God calls you to re»

pent of fin, be not aa the bafiliik, to flop your ear, Zecb. vii. il. • They retufeil to hear; and flopped thejr ears, that they might not hear.* The word denouiiceth threaten'mgs againll fin ; hut many, inftead of beintj, like the Publican, fmitinsf on their breail, they are deaf as adders, (loppina: their ears. If you fliut your ear againll God's word, take heed God doth not fliut heaven againll you : if God cries to you to repent, and you will not hear ; when you cry for mercy, God will not hear, Zech. ifii. 13. * As he cried and they would not hear, fo they cried and I would not hear, faith the Lord of holls.'

7. The ferpent calls her coat, but keeps her fling : in thig fenfe be not 1 ke the ferpent, to cail off the outward acts of fin, and keep the love of fin : he whole heart is in love with any fin, is an hypocrite. (1.) A man may forbear fin, yet retain the love of it: he may furbear the a6t of grofs Ww, for mi dine pcenae, for fear of hell; as a man may forbear a dilh he loves, for fear it Oiould bring his difeafe upon him, the flone or gout. (2.) A man may forfuke fin, yet keep the love of fin ; he may forfake fin either out of policy or necelfity : ]Jl, Policy ; vice will impair his health, eclipfe his credit; therefore out of policy he will forfdke it: or '2dhj, NecefTiry ; perhaps he can follow the trade of fin no longer; the adulterer is grown old, the prodigal poor ; either the purfe fails, or the llrengih. Thus a man way refrain the ad of fin, yet retain the love of fin ; this is like the fer(>ent, which calls her coat, but keeps her iling. O take heed of this! herein be not like the ferpent; remember that Ciying of H ierom, gravins eji peccatum diligere qnain perpeirare ; i.t is worfe to love fin than to commit it: a man may commit fin throiioh a temptation, or out of ignorance; and when he knows it 10 be a Cm, he is forry for it ; but he that loves fin, his will is in the fin, and that aggravates it, and is like the dye, which makes the wool of a crimfon colour.

8. Serpents are chafed away with fweet perfumes; the perfume of harts-horn, or the fweet odour of the Styrax will drive the fnrpent away. In this be not like the ferpent, to be driven away with the fweet perfumes of holinels, Carnal hearts are for things only which delight the fenles : they will difcourfe of news ortraltii;, here they are in their element ; but let a man bring with him the fweet porfmne of religious difcourl'e, let him tilk of Chnll, or living by f^iith, this fpiritual perfume drives them away : oh, be not in this like the ferpent! how do you think to live with the faints in heaven, that cannot endure their company here ? You hate the fweet favour of their ointments, tbe fragrant nerfume of their sfraces.

Cf. Th^' ferpent {as is noted of the Stellio, a kind of ferpent) doth no fooner call his llcin, but he eat?, it up again : in this be not like the ferpent to forfake fin, and then take it up again,^

2 Pet.' ii.'22. It is happened according to the proverb, * The dog is returned tp his own vomit again.' Such were Denias and Julian. Many after a divorce el'pouCe their fins again ; as if one's ague fhould leave him a while, and then come again :' the devil Teemed to be call out, but comes thelecond time, and-the ' end of that man is vvorfe than his beginning,' Luke xi, S4. becaufe his fin is greater, he fins knowingly and wilfully, and his damnation will be greater.

10. Serpents are great lovers of wine. Pliny, who writes the natural hiftory, faith " If ferpents come where wine is, they drink infatiably." In this be not like the ferpent; though the fcripture allows the ufe of wine, 1 Tim. v. 23. yet it forbids the excefs, Eph. v. 18. * Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excels.* Be not like the ferpent in this Movers i)f wine.' Becaufe this fin of drunkennefs doth fo abound in this age, I (hall enlarge fomething more on this head. It is faid of the old world, ' They ate, they drank, till the flood came,' Lukexvii. S7. Drinking is not a fin, but the meaning is, they drank to intemperance; they difordered themfelves with drink ; and God let them have liquor enough, firft they were drowned in wine, and then in water.

There is no fin which doth more deface God's image than drunkennefs, it difguifeth a.perfon, and doth even unman him : drunkennefs makes him have the throat of a fifli, the belly of a fwine, and the head of an afs ; drunkennefs is the lliame of nature, the extinguiflier of reafon, the fliipwreck of challity, and the murder of conicience ; driuikennefs is hurtful for the body, the cup kills more than the cannon ; itcaufeth dropfiej;, catarrhs, apoplexies ; drunkennefs fills the eyes with fire, and the legs with water, and turns the body into an hol'pital; but the great-eft hurt is that it doth to the Ibul ; excels of wine breeds the worm of confcience. The drunkard isfeldom reclaimed by repentance, and the ground of it is partly, becaufe, by this fin, the fenfes are fo inchanted, reafon fo impaired, and luft fo inflamed ; and, partly, it is judicial, the drunkard being fo be-fotted with this fin, God faith of him as of Ephraim, Hofea iv. 17. ' Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone ;' fo, this man is joined to his cups, * let him alone,' let him drown hifhfelf ia liquor, till he fcorch himfelf in fire. How many woes hath God pronounced againft this fin, Ifa. xxviii. 1. * Wo to the drunkards of Ephraim !' Joel i. 5. * Howl, ye drinkers ofwine !' drunkennefs excludes a perfon from heaven, 1 Cor. vi. 10. * Drunkards (hall not inherit the kingdom of God :' a man cannot go to heaven reeling. King Solomon makes an oration full of invectives againft this fin, Piov. xxiii. 99. * Who hath wo ? Who^ hath contentions? Who hath babbling ? Who liath red nets of eycK ? they that tarry long at the wine. W^ho hath conten-

tions ?* Drink, when nbnfed, breeds qnarrels, it caufeth duels. .* Who hath habblinu?' When one is in drink, his tongue runs, he will reveal any f'ecrets of his friend. • Who hath rednefk of eyes?' Rednefs of eyes comes Sometimes from weeping, but too often from drinkijig ; and what is the iii\ie ? ver. 32. ' At lalt, the wine biles like a ferpent, and (lings hke an adder.' The wine Ihiiles in the glafs, but flings in the confcience. Driinkeunels is a fin againft all the ten commandments. (1.) Diunkennefs calls oft^he true God, Hof. iv. 11. * Wine takes away the heart.:' It takes the heart off from God, (2.) It makes the belly a god, Phil. iii. 19. To this the drunkard pours drink offerings ; there is a breach of the fecond commandment. (3) The drunkard in his cups takes God's name in vain by his oaths. (4.) The drunkard makes no oirt'erence of days ; he is feldom fober on a fabbath ; he on that day worfliips Bacchus. (5.) The drunkard honours neither his natural father, nor the magiftrate his civil father ; he will be intemperate tho' the laws of the land forbid it. {6.f The drunkard commits murder. Alexander killed his friend Clytus whea lie was drunk, for whom he would have given half his kingdom when he was fober. (7.) The drunkard's wine proves lull. Auftin calls w\ne fo)nentum iibidinis, the inflamer of iuft. Nun^ guam ego ebrinm cajium putavi ; I never did believe a drunkea man to be chafte, faith Hierom. (8.) The drunkard is a thief; he fpends that money upon his drunken lull, which fliould have been given to charitable ules ; fo he robs the poor. (9.) The ^drunkard is a flanderer ; he cares not when he is on the ale-bench, how he doth defame and belie others; when he hath taken his full cups, he is now fit to take a falfe oath. (10.) The drunkard fins againft the tenth commandment; for he covets to get another's eliate, by circumvention and extortion, that he may be the better able to follow his drunken trade. Thus he iins againft the ten commandments.

If this fin of drunkennefs be not reformed, I pray God, the fword 1)6 not made drunk with blood. And whereas fome will go to fliift off this fin from themfelves, that they are no drunk-urds, becaufe they have not drunk away their reafon ami fenfes; they are not fo far gone in drink that they cannot go : he is a drunkard in the fcripture fenfe, who is mighty to drink wine, £la. v. 92. * He is a drunkard (faith Solomon) that tarries long at the wine,* Prov. xxiii. 30. He who fits at it from morning to night, that drinks away his precious time, though he doth not drink away his reafon, he is a drunkard that drinks more than doth him good, and that, though he be not himfelf drunk, yet he makes another drunk, Hab. ii. 15 ' Wo to him that gives his neighbour drink, that putteft thy bottle to him, and makeft him drunk.' Oh! I befeech you, be not in this like the ferpent. Vol. II. No. 20. 3D

S94 OF WISDOM AND INNOCENCY.

lovers of wine. This I fear is one caufe wiiy the word preached dofii fo little good on many in this city, they drink away fer-inons ; they do as the hunted deer when it is wounded, runs to the water and drinks ; fo, when they have been at a (ermon, and the arrow of reproof hath wounded their eonfcience, they run prefenily, and drink away thofe conviftions ; they fteep the fermon in wine. The tavern-bell doth more hurt, than the fer-monbell doth good. Thus you have feen wherein we Ihould not be like ferpents.

11. Wherein we fliould be Hke the ferpent, and that is, in prudence and wildom ; ' be ye wife as ferpents.' The ferpent is a moil prudent creature, therefore the devil made ufe of the ferpent to deceive our firfi; parents, becaufe it was fuch a fubtil creature. Gen. iii. 1. ' The ferpent was more fubtil than any bead of the field.' There is a natural wifdom and fubtilty in every part of the ferpent, and we (hould labour to imitate them, and be * wife as ferpents.'

Firft, The ferpent hath a fubtilty in his eye, he hath a Angular Iharpnefs of fight; therefore, among the Grecians, a fer-pent's eye was a proverbial fpeech for one of a quick underftand-ing; in this we (hould be hke the ferpent. Get the ferpent's eye, have a quick mfight into the myfteries of the Chriftian religion. Knowledge is the beauty and ornament of a Chrillian, Prov. xiv. 18. * The prudent are crowned with knowledge.* Get the ferpent's eye, * be divinely illuminated.' Faith, with, out knowledge, is prefumption ; zeal, without knowledge, is paflion, Prov. xix. 2. ' Without knowledge the mind is not good :' for one to fay he hath a good heart, who hath no knowledge, is as if one (hould fay he hath a good eye, when he hath no fight. In this be like the ferpent, of a quick underftanding.

Secondly, The ferpent hath a prudence and fubtilty in his ear ; the ferpent will not be deluded with the voice of the charmer, but * (lops its ear :' In this we muft be * wife as ferpents,' (lop your ears to falfe teachers, who are the devil's charmers. (I.) We muit flop our ears to Arminian teachers, who place the chief power in the will, as if that were the helm that turns about the foul in converfion, 1 Cor. iv. 7. ' Who maketh the^ to difier from another ?' Ego meipfmn difcerno^ faid Grevinchovious, I have made myfelf to differ. Be as the ferpent, (lop your ears to fuch do6lrine. (2.) We muft (lop our ears to Socinian teachers, who raze the foundation of all religion, and deny Chrifl's divinity. This the apodle calls • a damnable hereiy,' 2 Pet. ii. (3.) We muft (lop our ears to po-pifti teachers, who teach merit, indulgencies, tranfubftantiation ; who teach that the pope is the head of the church. Chrift is called the head of the church, Eph. v. 23. For the pope to be head, is, to make the church monftrous, to have two heads : Popifli teachers teach the people nonfenle and blafphemy ; they

caufe the people to pray without underftanding, to obey without realbn, to believe without fenfe : It is a damnable religion ; therefore worlhipping the bead, and drinking the cup of God's Midignation are put together. Rev. xiv. i). Oh ! in this be * wife as ferpents;' (lop your ears to the charming of falfe teachers. God hath given his people this uifdom, to ftop their ears to heretics, John x. 3. * A ftranger will they not follow, but flee from him.'

Thirdly, The ferpent hath a chief care to defend his head ; a blow there is deadly : fo in this we (hould ' be wife as ferpents;" our chief care fhould be to defend our head from error. The plague in the head is worll. Loofe principles breed loofe practices. If the head be tainted with erroneous opinions, that believers are free a lege morali ; that there is no refurredtion ; that we may do evil that good may come of it ; what fin will not this lead to ? Oh keep your head : Error is afpiritual gangrene, 2 Tim. ii. 1?. which fpreads, and, if not prefently cured, is mortal. Herefies deflroy the do6lrine of faith, they rend the mantle of the church's peace, and eat out the heart of religion. TheGnoliics, as Epiphanius obferves, did not only pervert the judgment of their profelytes, but brought them at laft to corporeal uncleannels; error damns as well as vice. Vice is like killing with a pillol, and €rror killing with poifon. O be wife as ferpents, defend your head. * Be ye wife as ferpents, and harm-lefs as doves.'

Our Saviour Chrift here commends to us the wifdom of the ferpent, and the innocency of the dove. The e\e&. are called wile virgins,^Matth. xxv. 4. Virgins, there is the dove, wile, there is the ferpent. We mull have innocency with our wil-dom, elfe our wifdom is but craftinefs ; and we mud have wifdom with our innocency, elfe our innocency is but weaknefs. We muft have the innocency of the dove, that we may not circumvent others ; and we mull have the wifdom of the ferpent, that others may not circumvent us.

Do^. Chriltians muft be both wife and innocent. This union of the dove and the ferpent is hard to find, but it is poinble ; Moles was learned in all the wifdom of the Egyptians, A6ls vii. 22. there was the prudence of the ferpent; and he was * meek above all the men upon the face of the earth,' Numb, xii. 3. there was the innocency of the dove. But the moft famous inllance of wildrm and innocency was in our Saviour: when the Jews came to him with an enfnaring qiieftion, Mark xii. 14. • Is it lawful to give tribute to Casfar or not ?' Chrift anfwers wifely, vei*. 17. * Render to Caifar the things that are Caefcir's, and to God the things that are God's :' deny not Caelar his civil right, nor God his religious worlhip; let your loyalty be mixed with piety : here he Ihewed the wifdom of the fer-

3D2

pent. And would you fee Chrift's innocency ? 1 Pet. ii. 22.

* There was no guile found in his mouth;' who, when he was reviled, reviled not again : He opened his mouth in praying for his enemies, but not in reviling them : behold here the innocency of the dove.

Two things I am to fpeak of; the ferpent, and the dove.

I. The Serpent.

Qu. Wherein Jhould we he like the ferpent ?

Anf. In prudence and fagacity ; * Be ye wife as ferpents.* The ferpent is the moft prudent creature; therefore the devil made ufe of the ferpent to deceive our firll parents, Gen. ii. 1.

* The ferpent was more fubtil than any beaft of the field.* There was a natural wifdom and fubtilty in every part of the ferpent: and herein we fhould endeavour to imitate him ; * Be wife as ferpents.'

1. The ferpent hath a fubtilty in his eye : he hath a lingular iharpnefs of fight : therefore among the Grecians, a ferpent's eye was a proverbial fpeech for one of a quick underftanding. In this we fhould be like the ferpent, have a quick infight into the myl^eries of the gofpel. Get the ferpent's eye, Prov. x. 14. * Wife men lay up knowledge.' Faith without knowledge is prefumption, zeal without knowledge is frenzy.

2. The ferpent hath a prudence and fubtilty in his ear : the ferpent will not be deluded with the voice of the charmer, but Hops its ears: in this ' be wife as ferpents ;' ftop your ears from fuch as would difcourage you from llri6l holy walking. Some infpired by Satan, would raife prejudices againfi; the ways of God, that they are ftrewed with thorns of mortification and perfecution : if you will be religious, you muft hang your harps upon the willows, and bid adieu to all joy. Ads xxviii. 22.

* This fe6l is every where fpoken againll:' Oh, ' be wife as ferpents!' Stop your ears to fuch as would difcourage you from jioly walking ; they are the devil's charmers. Godiinels is the root on which all truejoy grows ; folid joy, though not wanton, Pfal. cxxxviii. 5. * Yea they willfing in the ways of the Lord.* Adsix. 31. If we leave God, whither fliall we go? When Saul left God, he went tothe witchof Endor, 1 Sam. xxviii. 8.

3. The ferpent hath a fubtilty in its wings: for naturalifts report, fuch ferpents are found in Ethiopia, as have wings ; and thefcripture mentions a fiery flying ferpent, Ila. xiv. 2y. which wings denote the fubtilty of the ferp-mt in the hafty profecution of his prey : in this be like the ferpent, in having winged de» fires after heavenly obje6ts. Defire is the wing of the foul, which fets it a flying : hafte after ordinances, they are pabulum (inimae^ the food of the foul ; fly to them with appetite. Get the ferpent's wing, Pfal. cxxii. 1. ' Come let us go up to the boufe of the Lord.' We know not how long we fljall enjoy

the blenirtgs of the fanftuary : when manna was to ceafe on the fevenlh day, the peo(»le of Ifrael gathered twice as much on the fixth. If We have the wifdom from above, we (hall neglect no lealbn wherein we may get the bread of life broken to us.

4. Serpents have a fubtilty and prudence in their drinking; before they drink, expiiunt veiienum, they caft up their poilbn. In this we ihould be ' wife as ferpents ;' before we come to ordinances, we (hould caft up the poifon of fin by repentance. If a man takes opium or mercury, a cordial will do him no good : So, as long as men feed on Iheir fins, ordinances will do them no good ; nay, much hurt : they eat and drink their own damnation. In this therefore let us * be wife as ferpents ;' caft up the poifon of (in, before we come to drink of the waters of the fanctuary.

Q. The ferpent hath a fubtilty in his whole body, which he wraps together like a circle to defend his head ; a blow on the head is deadly, and his chief policy is to fafe-guard his head : in this let us learn of the ferpent our chief care (hould be to defend our head from error; the apollle calls them danmable he-refies, ^ Peter ii. 1. they dellroy the do6lrine of faith, rend the coat of the church's peace, and eat out the heart of religion. Let us, as the ferpeni, defend ouf head ; let us keep our head from Socinian opinions, who deny the Deity of Chrift; from popilh opinions, merit, image-worfliip, tranfubftantiation : papifts cauCe the people to pray without underftanding, to obey without reafbn, to believe againft fenfe. Have a care to defend your head from being tainted with popiih aphorifms. Thus you fee wherein we (hould be like the ferpent, in prudence and fagacity.

II. The fecond thing I am to fpeak of is the dove; ' be harmlefs as doves.* The dove is an excellent creature ; it was fo acceptable, that in the old law, God would have the dove ofJered in facrifice : the Holy Ghoft, when he would appear in a vifible (liape, afi'umed the likenefs of a dove. Mat. iii. 16. We (hould be as doves in three refpe(^s ; I. In refpeA of meek-Befs; II. In refpe6t of innocency ; III. In refpect of purity.

I. In refpe6l of meeknefs. The dove is the erublem of niecknefs ; it '\s fine felle, without gall: we fhould be as doves for meeknefs ; we mull avoid unruly pallion, which is brevis in-Jania^ a (hort frenzy ; we muft be without the gall of bitternefs and revenge ; we mull be of mild fpirits, praying for our enemies : So Stephen, Ads vii. (jO. ' Lord, Lay not this fin to their charge.' This dove-like meeknefs is the bell jewel and ornament we can wear, I Pet. iii. 4. ' 'I'heornamentof a meek fpirit, which is, in the fight of God, of great price.' Pallion doth difguife, meeknefs adorns.

II. We Ihould be as doves for innocency.

The innocency of the dove is feen in two things. (1.) Not to deceive. (2.) Not to hurt.

1. Not to deceive. The dove is, without gall, fo without guile ; it Hoth not deceive or he at the catch : thus we (hould be as the dove, without fraud and craft. There is a holy fim-plicity conjniendal)le, Rom, xvi. 19. * I would have you fimple concerning evii;' to be a bungler at fin, not to have the art to beguile, this ib a good fimplicity : as Nathaniel, * in whofe fpirit there is no guile,' John i. 4'^. Where almoil is this dovelike innocence to be found? We live in an age, wherein there are more foxes than doves: perfons are full of guile, they ftudy nothing but fallacies, that one knows not how to deal with them, Pfal. xxi. 2. * With a double heart do they (peak.'

2. Not to hurt. The dove roftra non laedis, the dove hath no horns or talons to hurt, only wings to defend itfelf by flight: other creatures are commonly well armed ; the lion hath its paw, the boar its tufk; the (lag its horns; but the dove is a moft harmlefs creature, it hath nothing wiierewith to offend : Thus we fhould be as doves for harmleifnefs; we (hould not do wrong to others, but rdther fuffer wrong. Such a dove was Samuel, 1 Sam. xii. 3. * Whofe ox have I taken? or whofeafs have I taken ? or whom have I defrauded ?' He did not get mens* eftates into his hands, or raife himfelf upon the ruins of others. How rare is it to find (uch doves ? Sure they are flown away. ' How many birds of prey are there?' Micab vii. 2. * They all lie in wait for blood, they hunt every man his brother with a net;' thefe are not doves, but vultures : * they travail with mifchief, and are in pain till they bring forth.

ni. We fliould be as doves for purity. The dove is the emblem of purity ; it loves the pureft air, it feeds on pure grain; the raven feeds on the carcale, but the dove feeds pure. Thus let us be as doves for (anility, ' Cleanfing ourielves from all pollution bothof flelh and fpirit,' 2 Cor. vii. 1. Chnti's dove is pure, Cant. v. 2. ' My dove, my undefiled.' Let us keep pure among dregs, 1 Tim. v. 22. * Keep thyfelf pure.' Better have a rent in the flefh, than an hell in the confcience : the dove is a chafte, pure creature ; let us be doves for purity.

Ufe 1. See here the nature of a good Chrillian ; he is wiieand innocent: he hath fo much of the ferpent, that he doth not forfeit his difcretion ; and fo much of the dove, tha" he dnih not defile his confcience. A godly man is looked upon by a carnal eye, as weak and indifcreet, as having fomething of the dove, hut nothing of the lerpent: to believe things not leen, to choofe fufferings rather than fin, this is counted folly ; but the world is niillaken in a believer, he hath his ej'esin his head; he knows what he doth ; he is prudent, as well as holy ; he is wile that finds the pearl of price ; he is wife that provides for eter-

Dity ; he is the wifefl: man that hath wit to fave his foul: he is wife that makes him his friend who fhall be his judge. The godly man a<5ts both the politician and the divine ; he retains his inirenuity, yet he doth not part with his integrity.

Lf/tf 2. Reproof. It reproves them who have too much of the lerpent, but nothing of the dove, Jer. iv. 22. * Wife to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge ;' Thefe are like the devil, who retains his fubtility, but not his innocency. We have many in this age like the ferpent for craftinefs, Dan. viii. 2.5. ' Through policy he Ihall caufe craft to profper/ Men have the head-piece of fubtilty, but want the bread-plate of honelly ; they are wile to contrive fin, to forge plots, to iludy compliance, rather than confcience ; the port they aim at is preferment ; the com pais they fail by is policy ; the pilot that Iteers them is Satan. Thelie have the craftinefs of the fevpent, * They are wife to do evil.*

2. They are like the ferpent for mifchief. You know the fiery I'erpents did fling Ifrael ; thefe have the (ling of the ferpent ; they have a (ting in their tongues, dinging the people of God with bitter flanders and inve<5lives, calling them fa6lious and feditious ; and they ding with their indi6tments and excommunications. Gal. iv. 2y. Such dinging ferpents were Nero, Dioclelian, and Julian ; and their fpirit is yet alive in the world. Thefe have too much of the ferpent in them, but nothing of the dove, 2 Pet. ii. 3. * Their damnation flumber-eth not.'

Ufe 3. Exhortation. To put in prafticeour Saviour's coun-fel in the text, join the ferpent and the dove together, wifdom and holinefs : Here lies the knot : this is the great didiculty, to unite thefe two together, the ferpent and the dove, prudence and innocency ; if youfeparate thefe two, you fpoii all.

Qu. Wherein doth a Chrijiianjoin thefe two together, thefev' pent and the dove, prudence and holinefs ?

Anf. This I fhall anfwer in twelve particulars. I. To be wife and innocent confids in this, to be fenfible of an injury, yet not revenge it. A Chridian is not a doic, nor yet a fury : he is fo wife, that he knows when an injury is done him : but fo holy, that he knows how to pafs it by ; this is a mod excellent temper of Ibul ; I had almod faid angelical. As the wind doth allay the heat of the air, lb grace doth allay the lieat of revenge. Mofes herein fliewed a mixture of the ferpent and the dove : Miriam murmured againfl him, Numb, xii. 2. * Hath the Lord fpokeo only by Mofes ?' Is he the only prophet to declare God's mind to us ? Mofes wasfo wife, as to difcern her pride, and flighting of him ; yet fo meek as to bury the injury : When God llruck her with leprofy, he prays for her. Numb. xii. 13. * Heal her now, O God, 1 befeech

ihee.' Anr] upon his prayer, (he was cured of hrf leprofy« A ^ood Chiiflian hath Co much wifdotn as to difcvin his ene-nicy's malice, but fo much grace as to conquer his own : He knows it is the glory of a man to pafs by a tranigreHTion, Prov. xix. U. Though a Chriftian hath fo much |)rudence as to vindicate himfelf, yet fo much goodnefs as not to avenge him-feif. Behold here the ferpent and the dove united, fagacity and innocency.

9. The mixing wifdom and innocency is feen in this, (o be humble, but not bafe. Humility is part of the dove's innocency, 1 Pet. V. 5. * Be ye clothed with humility.* St. Paul, though the chief of the apollles, calls himfelf * the leaft of faints.'

A gracious foul hath low thoughts of himfelf, and carries himfelf lowly towards others ; but, though he be humble, he is not bafe ; though he will not faucily refift his fuperiors, he will not finfuUy humour them : though he will not do fuch proud a6lions, as to make his enemies hate him, yet he will not do fuch fordid a6tions as to make them defpife him ; here is the ferpent and the dove united.

A good Chriftian is fo humble as to oblige others, but not fo unworthy as to difobey God. St. Paul, as far as he could with a good confcience, did * become all things to all, that he might gain fome,' 1 Cor. ix. 20, 22. But he would not break a commandment to gratify any. * When God's glory lay at flake, who more refolute than Paul ?' Gal. ii. 5. The three children were humble, they gave the king his title of honour ; but they were not fordidly timorous, Dan. iii. 18. * Be it known unto thee, O king, we will not ferv^e thy gods.' Though they (hewed reverence to the king's perfbn, yet no reverence to the image he had fet up. A good Chriftian will not do any thing below himfelf : though he is for obeying of laws, yet he will not pro-llitute himfelf to mens' lufts. He is humble, there he (hews the innocency of the dove : but not bafe, there he (hews the wifdom of the ferpent.

3. The prudence of the ferpent, and innocency of the dove. Is feen in this, to ' reprove the fin,' yet * love the perfon.' We are commanded to reprove. Lev. xix. 17. 'Thou (halt not hate thy brother in thy heart ; thou (lialt rebuke him, and not fu(fer fin upon him.' Not to reprove fin, is to approve it ; but this fword of reproof is a dangerous weapon, if it be not well handled : to reprove, and yet love, is to a6t both the ferpent and the dove.

Qu. How may a Chrijlianfo reproveJin^ as to J}iewlove to the perfon ?

Arif. J. In takingafitfeafon to reprove another; that is, when his anger is over ; as, when God did rebuke Adam, he came to him ' m the cool of the day,' Gen. iii. S. So, when we are

to reprove any, we are to come lo them when their fpiiits are more cool, and fit to receive a reproof. To reprove a man when he is in a paHlon, is to give lliong water in a fever ; it cloth more hurt than good. By obCerving a Ht feafon, we (hew both prudence and hoUnel's ; we difcover as well difcretion as affection.

2. Reproving fin.fo as to (hew love to the perfon, is feen in this, when, though we tell him plainly of his fin, yet it is in mild, not provoking words, S Tim. li. 26. * In meeknefs in-ftructing thole that oppofe themfelves.' Peter tells the Jews plainly of their fin in crucifying Chrifi;, but ufeth luafives and gofpel lenitives, lo illure and encourage them to believe. Acts ii. y). ' Him ye have taken, and by wicked hands crucified ;' ver. .:J8. * Repent and be baptized in the name of Jefus Chrift for the remiirion of fin : for the proniile is to you, and to your children.' Reproof is a bitter pill, and hard to fwallow, there-fxne we mud dip it in lugar ; ufe thofe fweet mollifyingexpref-'fions, that others may lee love coming along with the reproof. David compares reproof to oil, Pf. cxii. 5. Oil fupplies the joints when they are hard and llitF; our reproofs benig mixed with the oil of compalTion, they work mofi kindly, and do moil foften lliirobdurate hearts.

3. Reproving fin, yet to love the perfon, is when the end of our reproof is not to revile him, but to reclaim him. While we go to heal mens' confciences, we muft take heed of wounding their names. The furgeon, in opening a vein, fhews both /kill and love ; fkill in not cutting an artery ; and love, in letting out the bad blood ; here is the mixing the ier|>ent and the dove ; the wifdom of the ferpent is feen, in not reproaching the finner; the innocency of the dove is feen in reclaiming hiin from fin.

4. Prudence and holinefs is feen in this, to ** know what we fiiould do, and do what we know." To know what we fliould do, there is the wifdom of the ferpent ; to do what we know, there is the innocency of the dove, John xiii. 17. Knowledge is a jewel adorns him that wears it ; it is the enriching and be-fp;mgling of the mind ; knowledge is the eye of the foul, to guide it in the right way : but this knowledge muft be joined wiih holy pra6tice : to feparate practice from knowledge, ' is to feparate the dove from the lerpent.' Many illuminated heads can difcourfe fluently in matters of religion, but they do not live up to their knowledge, this is to have good eyes, but to have the feet cutoff; they know they (hould not br«ak the fab-bath, they fhould not defame nor defraud : but they do not j>ra6tife what they know ; here they leparate the dove frofti the lerpent, virtue from knowledge. Hov/ vaia is knowledge without practice ! as if one (hould know a is^vereign mediciut

Vol. II. No. 21. 3E

and not apply it. Satan is a knowing fpirit, he hath enotrgh ot the ferpent ; but that which makes him a devil is, he wants^ the dove, he doth not pradife holinefs.

5. To mix the ferpent and dove, is to keep two trades going. To underftand worldly affairs, there is the wifdom of the ferpent; yet not neglp6t the foul, there is the innocency of the dove. God hath faid, * Six days (halt thou labour,' Exod. xx. P. Religion did never grant a patent to idlenefs ; there is a lawful care to be had about fecular things ; to have infight into one's calling is a commendable wifdom, but with this wifdom join the dove'» innocency ; fo follow your calling, as not to negleft your foul. The foul is a precious thing, it would beggar the angels to give half the price of a foul. Our greateft care (hould be to get grace. While you put gold in your bag, do not forget to put oil in your veffel. Trade beyond the Eaft Indies : drive a trade of holinefs. * This merchandife is better than the mer-chandife of filver,' Prov. iii. 14. Live in a calling, but efpe-cially live by faith; look to the providing for your families, but efpecially to the favingof your fouls. The ibul is the angelical part, the lofs of this can never be made up again. God (filth Chryfoftom) hath given a man two eyes ; if he lofe one, he hath another ; but he hath but one foul : if he lofe that, it is irrecoverable, it can never be made up again. O unite the ferpent and the dove, prudence and holinefs ; ufe the world, but love your foul ; trade on earth, but beware of breaking in your trade for heaven. How many part thefe two, the ferpent and the dove.? They are wife for the world, but fools for their fouls. It is too often feen, that men pull down their fouls to build up an eftate.

6. To join the ferpent and the dove, prudence and innocency, confilis in this, to know how to give counfel, and how to keep counfel. He hath the wifdom of the ferpent, that can give counfel : he knows how to advife another in difficult cafes, and fpeak a word in due feafon, 9 Sam. xvi. 13. ' The counfei of Ahitophel was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God.* But this is not enough, to have the wifdom of the ferpent in being able to give counfel, but there muft be the innocency of the dove too, in keeping counfel. If a friend's fecret be imparted to us (unlefs in cafe of blood) we are not to reveal it, A friend \s alter idem, as one's own foul, Deut. xiii. 6. and what he imparts of his heart, (hould be kept under lock and key, Prov. XXV. 9. * Difcover not a fecret unto another, left he that hear thee put thee to ftiame,' kc. To difclofe a friend's fe-crets, though it be not trealbn, it is treachery, it is moft un-chriftian ; a word may be fpoken in fecret, which, when it is trumpeted out, may occafion quarrels or law-fuits. He that cannot keep a matter committed to him, is like a velfel that

T«ns out, or a Tick ftomach that cannot keep the meat, but brings it up again. He that publiflieth his tViend's lecret doth pubiifh his own (hame.

7. To mix thefe two, prudence and holinefs, is to know the feafons of grace, and improve thein ; to know the lealbns of grace, there is the wii'dom of the ferpent. It is wifdom in the hufbandman to know the fit time for pruning of trees, fowing of feed : fo it is no lefs wifdom to know the golden fealbns of grace : while we hear the joyful found, while we have praying hours, while the Spirit of God blows on our hearts, here is a gale for heaven. The day of grace will not always lalt; the ihadows of the evening feem to be ftretched out; things look as if the gofpel tended apace to a fun fetting : be wife as ferpents, to know wliata prize is put in your hands. And with ihe ferpent join the dove, that is, in improving the feafons of grace. The (lork and turtle not only know their I'eafon but improve it ; they approach to the warmer climate againli the fpriug, iaith Phny. Here is the ferpent and dove united, knowing and improving the day of grace ; when we profit by ordinances, when we mix the word with faith, when an ordinance halli ilamped holinels upon us, as the leal leaves its print upon the wax ; thisia to improve the feafons of grace.

8. The ferpent and the dove, wifdom and innocency is to be moderate, yet zealous. Moderation is good in fome cafes, Phil. iv. 3. ' Let your moderation be known to all.'

Firjt, Moderation is good in cafe of anger. When the paf-fions are up, moderation fits as queen and governefs in the foul; it allays the heat of paflTion. Moderation is fraenum irae, the bridle of anger.

Secondlify Moderation is good in cafe of law-fuits ; fo the Greek word for moderation, is properly taken. If there be a difpnie in law between us and others, we are not to take the extremity of the law, but ufe Chrillian equity and mildnefs ; nay, for peace's fake, cedere de jure, rather part with fome of our right, than opprefs them : this much honours the gofpel.

Thirdly, Moderation is good in things inditferent. Things ought not to be rigoroufly impofed in God's worlhip, which are not of divine injuuClioii : God never made governors of the church to be like pilots ofalhip, to Iteer men's confciences which way they pleafe. Moderation and Chrillian forbearance, in things inditferent, would much tend to the peace and unity ot the church. All this moderation is commendable, and Ihews the wifdom of the ferpent: but remember tojoin the dove with the ferpent ; we mult lb exercife moderation, as withal to che-riih zeal. St. Paul in fome things was moderate, he did not prtl's circumcifion, A6ts xv. 25. He was tender of laying a yotie upon tiie coufciences of the dilciples; but he kiad zeal with

3 E sJ

his moderation, when he faw their idolatry at Athens, the fire pr his zeal broke forth, Acts xvii. l(j. ' His fpirit was Uirred in him.' It was good advice Calvin gave to Melandhon, that he fhould not fo aftc6t the name of moderation, as to loCe all his zeal. 'J'o be cool and (ilent when God's blelfed truths are undermined or adulterated is not moderation, but lukewarmnels, which is to God a moft hateful temper, Rev. iii. 15. * I would you were cold or hot ;' and afly thing but lukewarm. I'bis is to (hew prudence and holinefs, when we are moderate, yet zealous.

9. To unite ferpent and dove, confifts in this, when we dew fend the truth by argument, and adorn it by life : defending the truth is the ferpent's wifdom : an intelligent Chriftian can convince gainfayers. This witdom of the lerpent was eminently in Stephen, A6ts vi. 9. * There arofe certain of the fynagogue, difputingwith Stephen, and they were not able to refiflthe wifdom and fpirit by which he fpake.' We read in the a6^s and monuments of the church, John Fryth, martyr, being oppofed by three papifts, he, like another Hercules, fighting with ail the three at once, did, by his wifdom, fo convince them, that one of them turned from popery, and became a zealous proteftant. Herein is the wifdom of the ferpent, not only to love them that profefs the truth, but to filence them that oppofe it. But with this wifdom of the ferpent, there muft be joined the innocency of the dove ; together with defending the truth by argument, there muft be adorning it by life, Tit. ii. 10. ^ That they may adorn the do6trine of God our Saviour.' There are fome who can difpute for the truth, but difgrace it by their bad living; this is to aiSl both the ferpent and the dove, when we not only plead for the truth; but walk in the truth ; like Nazianzen, of jvhom it was laid, he did thunder in his doc\rine, and hghten in his converfation.

10. The uniting the ferpent and the dove, is to be ferious in religion, yet cheerful. Serioufnefs puts the heart in an holy frame, it tixeth it on God. Serioufnefs is to the foul, as ballad to the Ihip, it keeps the foul from being overturned with vanity ; the heart is ever beft when it is ferious. But this ferioufnefs in religion muft be mixed with cheerfulnefs: cheerfulnefs con-duceth to health, Prov. xvii= 22. It honours religion, it proclaims to the world we ferve a good mafter; cheerfulnefs is a friend to grace, it puts the heart in tune to prail'e God, Pfal. Ixxi. 21. Uncheerful Chriftians, like the fpies, bring an evil report on the good land : others fufpect there is fomething un-pleafant in religion, that they who profefs it hang their harps upon the willow.-, and walk fo dejedtedly. Be ferious, yet cheerful, Phil. iv. 4. ' Rejoice in the Lord always.' Why was Chrift anointed, but to give the oil of joy for mourning?

Ifa. xvi. 1. Joy is as well a fruit of the Spirit as faith. Gal. V. 2y. One way of grieving the Spirit (lUith Hein(ius) is l>y Chriilians' uncheerful walking : It"you would render the gofpel lovely, mix the dovt; and the ferpent; be lerious, yet cheerful in God.

il. The uniting of the ferpent and the dove, wifdom and holinefs, confilis in this, when we lb lay up as we lay out. It is a duty to provide for our charge, I Tim. v. 8. * If any man provide not for his own, he is worfe than an infidel.* Vo lay up for our family, here is the wifdom of the ferpent, but we mult lay out for the poor too, here is the mixture of the dove, 1 Tim. vi. 17. ' Charge them that are rich in the world, that they do good, that they be rich in good works.' The poor man is as it were an altar, if we bring our alms and lay upon it, with fuch facrifjces God is well pleafed. Faith, though it halh ibmetimes a trembling hand, it muft not have a withered hand, but mull ftrelch forth itfelf to works of mercy ; there's nothing loft by charitablenefs, Prov. xi. 25. * The liberal foul fiiall be made fat,' Pfal. xli. I. * BlefTed is he that confidereth the poor, thou wilt make all his bed in his ficknefs,' While men do fo remember their fati)ily, that they do not forget the poor, they (hew both prudence and piety ; they unite the ferpent and the dove.

12. The ferpent's wifdom and the dove's innocency is feen in this, fo to avoid danger, as not to commit fin ; to preferve our liberty, yet keep our integrity. There is a finful efcuplng danger, namely, when we are called to fuffer for the truth, and we decline it, but there is an eCcaping danger without fin ; as thus, when we do not betray ourielves into the enemies hands by rafiinels, nor yet betray the truth by cowardice, we have a pattern of this in our Saviour; he avoided his enemies in one place, that he might preach the gofpel in another, Luke iv. 30. • They brought him to the brow of the hill, that they might caft him down headlong : but he palling through the midftof them, went his way :' there was Chrift's wifdom in not betraying him-felftohis enemy: and ver. 43. ' I mult preach to other cities alio;' there was his holinefs. ChriiVs fecuring of himfelf, was in order to the preaching of the gofpel. This is to mix prudence and innocency, whea we fo avoid danger, as we do not commit fin.

Thus I have, as briefly and as clearly as I could, (hewn you how we mull unite thelii two, the ferpent and the dove, prudence and holinefs : for want of coupling thefe two together religion doth much fuffer in the Chriftian world. ** VVhat Chrill halh joined together let no man put afunder." Obferve thefe two, prudence and holint-fs; here is the ferpent's eye in the dove's head. When thefe two, wifdom and innocency

{like Caftor and Pollux) appear together, they prefage much good and huppiuels that will befai a Chrillian.

WHO ARE IN CHRIST, ARE NEW CREATURES.

1 Cor. v. 17. Therefore, if any man he in C/irift, he is a new creature \ old things are pajfed awayy behold all things ere become new,

i'*- In this fcripture confills theeflTence, and foul of religion.

I note here two things.

1. DocT. That the true definition of a Chrifiian is to be in Chrifi.

* If any'man be in Chrift.' He may be in the church vifible, yet not in Chrift; it is not to be baptized into Chrift's name, makes a true Chriftian ; but to be in Chrift, that is to be grafted into him by faith. And if to be in Chrift makes a Chriftian, then there are but few Chriftians : Many are in Chrift nominally, not really : they are in Chrift by profeffion, not by myftical union. Are they in Chrift that do not know him? Are they in Chrift who perfecute them that are in Chrift? Sure fuch aa holy head as Chrift will difclaim fuch fpurious members.

9. DocT. That whojbever is in Chrift, is a new creature.

For iiluftration, I fliall Ihew, I. What a new creature is; II. What kind of work it is.

I. What a new creature is : it is a fecond birth added to the firft, John iii. 3. It may be thus del'cribed : it is afupernatural "Work of God's Spirit, renewing and transforming the heart into the divine likenefs.

1. The efticient caufeof the new creature, is the HolyGhoft: no angel or archangel is able to produce it. Who but God can alter the hearts of men, and turn ftones into flefh ? If ihe new creature were not produced by the Holy Ghoft, then the grea'eft glory in a maa's converfion would belong to hin)felf: but his glory God will not give to another. The turning of the will to God is from God, Jer. xxxi. ly. * After I was turned, i repented.*

2. The organical caufe, or inftrument by which the new creature is formed, is the worj of God, James i. IS. ' Of his own will begat he us, by the word or truth.' The .word is the feed, out of which I'prings the flower of tlie new creaiuie.

3. The matter of which the new creature conhfts, is the re-ftoring God's image loft by the fall. i

Qu. Butduth God in the new creature, give a new faul / Auf. No ; he doth not bellow new lacuities, but new quali-

ties. As in the altering of a lute, the ftrings are not new, but the tune is mended ; (b, in the new creature, the fubilance of the foul is not new, but is new tuneci by ^race: the lieart that before was proud, is now humble ; the eyes, that before were full of luft, are now full of tears. Here are new quaUties in-fufed.

II. What kind of work the new creature is.

ly?, The new creature is a work of divine power ; fo much it imports, becaufe it is a creation. The lame power which raifed Chrift from the grave, goes to the produdlion of the new creature, Eph. i. 20. It is a work of greater power to produce the new creature, than to make a world. It is true, in refpeiSl of God, all things are alike poCTible to him : but, as to our appre-henfion, it requires a greater power to make a new creature, than to make a world : For,

1. When God made the world, he met with no oppofition : but when God is alx)ut tx> make a new creature, he meets with cppofilion ; Satan oppofeth him, and the heart oppofeth iiim.

2. It coft God nothing to make the world, but to make the new creature colls him Ibmething ; Chrift himfelf was fain to become man. In making the world, it was but fpeaking a word ; but in making the new creature, it coft Chrill the fhed-ding of his blood.

3. God made the world in lix days ; but he is carrying on the new creature in us all our lives long. The new creature is but begun here, it is not perfe6ted or drawn in all its orient colours till it come to heaven.

^dlif. The new creature is a work of free-grace. There '\% nothing in us to move God to make us anew ; by nature we are full of pollution and enmity, yet now God forms the new creature. Behold the banner of love difplayed ? The new creature may fay. By the grace of God I am what I am. In the creation we may fee the ftrength of God's arm, in the new creature we may fee the working of God's bowels. That God (hould confecrate any heart, and anoint it with grace, is an act of pure love : that he fliould pluck one out of the (late of nature and not another, mult be refolved into free-grace, Mat. xi. 2{). ' ^ven. fo, Father, for fo it feemed good in thy fight.' This will in-creafe the laints' triumphs in heaven, that the lot of free-grace fliould fall upon them, and not on oMiers.

Sdly, The new creature is a work of rare excellency. A natural man is a lufpp of earth and fir^ God lothes him, Zech. xi. 8, but upon the new creature is a fpiritual glory, as if we Ihould fee a piece of cl;iy turned into afparklinff diamond, Cmt. iii. 16. * Who U this that cometh out of the wildernefs, like pillars of fmoke perfumed -.vith myrrh and frankincenfe?' That IS the natural man coming out of the wddernefsof lin, perfumed

with all the graces of the Spirit. The new creature muO: needs be glorious, for it partakes of the divine nature, 2 Per. i. 4. A Ibui beautified with holinefs, is like the firmament befpaiigled with glittering liars. It is God's leffer heaven, Ifa. Ivij. 15. In the incarnation, God made himfelf in the imageof man ; in the new creation, man is made in the image of God ; by our being creatures, we are the fons of Adam ; by being new creatures, we are the members of Chriil. Reafon makes one live the life of a man, the new creature makes him live the life of God : a new creature excels the rational nature, and equals the angelical. It is excellent to hear of Chrifl; being crucified for us, but more excellent to have Chrift formed in us.

Concerning the new creature I ftiall lay down two pofitions.

\Ji Pojit. That it is not in the power of a natural man to convert himfelf; becaufe it is a new creation. As we cannot make ourfelves creatures, fo not new creatures.

Qu. But ichy doth God command ns to convert ourfelves, if ue have no power? Ezek. xviii. 31. * Make you anew heart.*

Anf. \. We once had power. God gave us a flock of holi-yiefs, but we loll it. Ifa mailer give his lervant money to employ in his fervice, and he walle and embezzle it, may not the mailer require his money of him ? Though we have loll our power to obey, God hath not loll his right to command.

2. Though men cannot convert themfelves, and make them-felves new creatures, yet they may do more than they do in a tendency to it : they may avoid temptations, they may read the %vord ; the fame feet that carry them to a play, will carry them to a fermon ; they may implore divine grace ; but they do not what they are able ; tlify do not improve the power of nature to the utmoft, and put God to the trial whether he will give grace.

3. God is not wanting to them who feek to him for grace. Dens volentihus non deejt; he is willing to put to his helping

'hand. With his command there goes a promiCe, Ezek. xviii. 31. * Make you a new heart;' and there is a promile, Ezek, xxxvi. "-26. ' A new heart will I give you.'

2c? Po/it. When God converts a finner, he doth more than life a moral perfualion.

For converlion is a new creation, Eph. iv. 24. The Pelagians talk much of free-will ; they fay, '* the will of man is by riature afleep, and converfion is nothing but the awakening a fmner out of lleep, whichfs done by moral perfuaHon." But • man is by nature dead in fin,' Eph. ii. 1. And God mull do niore than awaken him, he muft enliven him before he be a new creature.

1/? Ufe. Terror to fuch as are not new creatures. Such as are Hill growing upon the ftock of old Adam, who continue in

their fins, nnd are refolved fo to do, thefe are in the pall of bit-ternefs, and are fhemoft miferablecreatures that ever God nuide, exct |)t the devils. Thefe ftand in the place where all God's arrows fly ; thefe are the centre where all God's curfcs meet. An iinregenerate perfon is like one in debt, that is in fear to be arretted ; he is every hour in fear to be arrefted by death, and carried prifoner to hell. Can that traitor be happy, who is fed by his prince in prifon, only to be kept alive for execution ? G'od feeds the wicked as prifoners, they are referved for the day of wrath, 2 Pet. ii. 9. How fhould this fright men out of their natural condition, and make them reftlefs till they are new

creatures.

9d Ufe. TrJaL Whether we are new creatures ; our falva-

tion depends upon it.

I. I fliall fliew you the counterfeits of the new creature, or that which feeiDS to be the new creature, and is not.

l/i. Counterfeit natural honefty, moral virtue, prudence, jultice, liberality, temperance; thefe make a glorious fliew in the eye of the world, but difler as much from the new creature, as a meteor from a ftar. Morality indeed is commendable, and it were well if there were more of it ; this our Saviour loves, Mark x. «l. * Then Jefus beholding him, loved him.' It was a love of compalTion, not eleftion. Morality is but nature at boa, it doth not amount to grace (1.) There is nothing of Chrift in morality ; and that fruit is four which grows not on the root Chrift. (2.) Moral anions are done out of a vain-glorious humour, not any reipe6t to God's glory. The apoftle calls the heathen iDagiftrates unjuft, 1 Cor. vi. 1. While they were doing juilice in their civil courts, they were unjuft : their virtues became vices, becaufe faith was wanting, and they did all to raife them trophies for their own praife and fame. So that morality is but the wild olive of nature, it doth not amount to grace. Heat water to the higheft degree, you cannot make wine of it, it is water ftill; fo, let morality be raifed to the higheil, it is nature ftill; it is but old Adam put in a better drefs. I may fay to a civil man, * yet lackeft thou one thing,' Mark x. 21. Moral virtue may ftand with the hatred of godli-nefs. A moral man doth as much hate holinefs, as he doth vice. The Stoicks were moralifts, and had fublime notions about virtue, yet were the deadlieft enemies St. Paul had. Ads xvii. 18. So that this is a counterfeit jewel.

erf, Religious education is not the new creature. Education doth much cultivate and refine nature : education is a good wall to plant the vine of grace againft, but it is not grace. King Joafti was good as long as his uncle Jehoiada lived ; but when Jehoiadadied, all Joadi's religion was buried in his uncle's grave, Q Kings xii. 2. Have not wefeen many who have been

V^oL. II. No. 21. SF

trained op relitricufly under their parents, and were very hope* ful,, yet thele liair blolToms of hope have been blown off, and they have lived to be a iharae to their friends ?

irf, A iorm of godHuels is not the new creature. Every bird that bath fine feathers, hath not fweet fleOi; all that Ihine with the golden feathers of profeffion, are not faints, 2 Tim. iii. 5. * Having a form of godiinefs, but de^nying the power.* What is a iifelef^ form? Formality is the ape of piety : forma-lifis may perform all the external parts of religion: pray, faft, give alms. Whatever duties a believer doth in fincerity, the lame may a formaliu do in hypocrify. How devout were the Pharifees ? How humble was Ahab ? What a reformer was Jehu? Yet this was but a formal iliew of religion. Daedalus, by art, made imases to move ot themlelves, infomuch that people thought tliey were living : formalilts do fo counterfeit, and jii^y a df^votion, that others tbmk they are living faints ; they are religious moimtebanks.

Ath, Every change of opinion doth not amount to the new creaf'jre : man may change from error to truth, yet be no new creature; here is a change in the head but not in the heart: one may be orthodox in his judgment, yet not cordially embrace the golpel ; be may be no papift, yet no true believer. He who is changed only in opinion, is but almoli a Chriliian, and l"baU be but almolt faved.

olJi, Every fudden pafiion, or fiirring of the affections, is not the new creature. There may be afteciJons of Ibrrow : fome, upon the reading the hiftory of Chrilt's pafiion, may be ready to weep ; but it is only a natural tendernels, which relents at any tragical fight. Affections of defire may be ftirred, John vi. ' Lord, evermore give us this bread :' but thefe bafely de-ferted Chrifi, and would walk no more with him, ver. 66. Many defire heaven, but will not come up to the price. Atiec-tions of joy may be liirred ; in the parable, the fecond fort of hearers are faid to ' receive the word with joy,' Malth. xii. 20. What was this but to have the affections moved with delight in hearing? Yet, that this did not amount to the new creature, is plain, 1. Becaufe thofe hearers are faid to have no root. 2. Becaufe they fell away, ver. 21. king Herod did hear John Baptift gladly ; be was much ailected with John's preaching; Where then was the defect? Why was not Herod a new creature ? The reafon was, becaufe Herod was not reformed by the Baptift's preaching; his affections were moved, but his (in was not removed. Many have fweet motions of heart, and feem to be much affected with the word, but their love to iin is f" r than ibeir iove to the word ; therefore all their good

a.,..;..lis prove abortive, and come to nothing.

6lk, One may have trouble lor Cn, yet not be anew cjreature.

Trouble of fpirit may appear, %vhile God's jnd^raeDts lie upon men ; when tbefe are removed theiriroubieceaietD, Pf. Ixxviiu 84- * When he llew them, then they Ibu^t him ; neverwheteGi they did flatter him with their lips.' Metal thai raelU in a furnace, take it out of the furnace, and it retur*? to it* former hardneis: many, in lime of licknels, I'eem to be like melted metal; What weeping and wriniiing of hands? Wbat confei^ fions of fifl will they onake ? Do not thefe look like new creatures } But, as Ibon as they recover, they are as bad as ever; their pangs go oti aeain, and it never comes to a new birth.

7th, A n^Q may have the Spirit, yet not be a ^w creature. The apoltle luppoleth a cale, that one might be made partaker of the Hoiy Gholt, yet fall away, Heb. vi. 4. A maii may have fome flight traolient work of the Spirit, but it doth not go to the root: he may have the common gifts of the Spirit, but not the fpecial ?race; he may have the Spirit to coDviDCe bim, not to convert hira : the light he hath is like a winter fun, wbtck hath little or no intiuence, it doth not make him more bolv ? he hath the motions of the Spirit, but walks after tfee fle(h.

8thf Ever}' abfiainiug from fin is not the new creature. This abftaining may be, (I.) From reliraining grace, not renewing grace : as God with-heid Laban from hurting Jacob, Gen. xxxi. "ii. The Lord may relirain men from lin, by the terror of a natural conlcience. CoDtcience llands as the angel with a drawa fword, and faith, Do not this evil. Men may be frighted iVora fio, but not divorced. (2.) Men may abftain from lie tor a while, and then return to it a?ain ; as Saul ieiton puriuine David for fome time, and then hunted him again. This ;s iikr a man that holds his breath ando- water, and then takes breath again, Jer. xxsiv. 15, 1(5. * Ye were now turaed, and bad done right in my fight : but ye turned and polluted my holy Dame.' (3.) Men may leave grois fin, and yet live in more fp*-rilual fins; leavedrunkennef<, and live in pride ; leaveuDciean-nefs, and live in malice : The Pbarilee boaiied he was no adulterer, but he could not fay he was not proud or fupertV" • : here he left gro.sfin, and lived in fpiritual fins- {4-) Mc / leave fin partially ; abftain from Ibme 6as, not all; they feed fome fin in a corner. Herod left many fins, but one fin be lived in, viz. inceft. All this doth not amount to the new creature.

II. I (hall Ihew you wherein the etfence of the new creature confifis-

\fi. In general. To the contiituting of the new creature, there mult be a great change wrought. He who is a new cre.i-ture, is not the fame man he wjks. AUer idem. He is of another fpirit, Xumb. xir. ^24. * My ferrant Caleb, becaul'e he had aooiher ipiril.' Woea the hariot La;s came to cue of her okl

3 F C

acquaintance after he was converted, and tempted him to fin, ego nonfum ego, faith he, '• 1 am not the lame man."

When one becomes a new creature, there is inch a vifible change, that all may fee it; therefore it is called a change from darknefs to light, A6ls xxvi. 18. Paul a perfecutor, when converted, was fo altered, that all who faw him, wondered at him, and could fcarce believe that he was the fame man, Ads ix. 21. as if another foul had lived in the lame body. Mary Magdalene, an unchalle finner, when once favingly wrought upon, what a penitent creature did fhe become? fiereyes, that were enticement to luft, (he takes penance of them, and waflied Chrift's feet with her tears : her hair, which (lie was proud of, and which was a net to entangle her lovers, (he now takes penance of it, and wipes Chrift's feet with it. Thus the new creature makes a vilible change. Such as are the fame as they were, as vain and proud as ever, here is no new creature to be feen ; for then a mighty change would appear, 1 Cor. vi. 11. ' And fuch were fome of you, but ye are waftied, but ye are fan6tified,* &c.

But every change doth not evidence the new creature. (1.) There is a change from one extreme to another, from a prodigal to an ufurer ; from a Turk to a Papift. This is as if one ftiould recover of one difeafe and die of another. (9.) There is an outward change, which is like the wathing of a fwine. Ahab was much changed to outward view, when he • rent his clothes, and put on fackcloth,' 1 Kings xxi. 27. infomuch that God ftands and wonders at him : '* Seeft thou how Ahab humbleth himfelf:' Yet, for all this, he was but an hypocrite.

Qu. What change then is that which is requijite in the new creature ?

Anf. It is an inward change, a change of heart. Though the Jieart be not new-made, it is new-moulded, Jer. iv. 14. * Wath thy heart, O Jerufalem.' Ahab's clothes were rent, but not his heart. The outward change will do no good without the inward : what will become of them then, who have not fomuch as an outward change ?

l^husyou fee in general, that in the produ6lion of the nevr creature, there muft be a change.

2fl?/y, More particularly, the change in the new creature con-fifls in two things; and they are both let down in the text: • old things are paflfed away ; behold all things are become new.'

I. * Old things are paflfed away.' Old pride, old ignorance; old malice : the old houle muft be pulled down ere you can fet up a new.

Obj. Bat if all old things muft pafs away, then there are «•

new creatures : who can be quite freed from Jin ? Doth not Paul comp/din of a hodi/ of death i

Anf. We miill know that the change wrought in the new creature, iJiouyh it be a thorough change, yet it is not a per-ie6t change ;, hi) will remain. As ihere ts a principle of grace, lb of corruption ; hke wine and water mixed, there is in tlie regeneraie lleih as well as Ipirit. Here is a queftion arifeth.

Qu. If fin in the regenerate is not xjuile done away, then hoia far niufi one put off the old man, that he may be a new creature '?

Ot" which hereafter.

* Therefore if any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature : old things are paiied away, behold all things are become new.*

Dfxit. 'That whofoever is in Chrift is a new creature.

We are now upon the trial of the new creature. In it there is a change wrought, and this change confills in two things : which are fet down in the text, viz. 1. ' Old things are pai-fed away,' 2. ' All things are become new.'

1. * Old things are paifed away.' Old pride, old ignorance, old malice. The old houfe mull be pulled down ere you can iiet up a new.

Obj. Bat if all old things mnfl pqfs away, then there are no new creatures. Who can be quite freed from Jin? Doth not Faul complain of a body of death ^

Anf. We mull know the change wrought in the new creature is but imperfect; as there is a principle of grace, fo of corruption ; like wine and water mixed, there is in the regenerate flefli as well as fpirit.

Qu. If Jin in the regenerate is not quite done away, then how far muji one put off the old man that he may be a new creature ^

Anf. 1. There mud be a grieving for the remains of corruption, Rom. vii. 24. * O wretched man that I am, who (hal! deliver me from this body of death.?' Paul did not cry out of his futferings, his being beaten with rods, Uiipwrecked, Honed ; but (like the bird of paradife) he bemoaned himfelf for lin. In the new creature there mull be quotidiunus mugitus, a daily mourning for the indwelling prefence of corruption ; a child of God doth not wear fin as a gold chain, but as a letter.

2. In the new creature there mult be a deteftation of old things ; as one would deteft a garment in which is thie plague : it is not enough to be angry with lin ; but we mull hate it^ Pfal. cxix. 1()2. ' 1 hale and abhor lying.' Hatred it-thehighcll degree of enmity ; and we mull hate fin not only for its hurtful etfeCl, but its ioathl'ome nature; as oue hales a toad for its ])oilbnful quality.

:i* la the new creature there i:; an oppofition ag-diuft all old

things: a Cliridian not only complains of fin, but fights againft it, Gal. V. 17.

Qu. But may not a natural man oppofe fin ? ■ Anf. Yes: but there is a great difference between his op-pofing fin, and the new creatures oppofing it.

ly?. There is a difference in the manner of oppofitton. (I.) The natural man oppofeth fin, only for the fhame of it, as it eclipfeth his credit; but the new creature oppofeth fin for the filth of it; it is the fpirit of milchief; it is like rufi; to gold, or as a ftain to beauty.

2. The natural man doth not oppofe all fin. (1.) He doth not oppoi'e inward fins, he fights againft fuch fins as are againft the light of a natural confcience ; but not againll heart fins, the firft rifings of vain thoughts, the fl;irrings of anger and concupi-fcence, the venom and impurity of his nature. {2.) He doth not oppofe gofpel Tins; pride, unbelief, hardnefs of heart, fpi-ritual barrennels : he is not troubled, that he can love God no more. (3.) He oppofeth not complexion-fins ; fuch as the bias ©f bis heart carries him more ftrongly to, as lufl; or avarice : he faith of his conftitution-fins, as Naaman, 2 Kings v. 18. ' In this thing, the Lord pardon thy fervant.* But the new creature oppofeth all kinds of fin, odiiint circumfpeciem ; as he that hates a ferpent, hates all kinds of ferpents, Pfal. cxix. 140. * I hate every falfe way.*

^dly, 'fhere is difference between the natural man's oppofing fin, and the new creature's oppofing fin, in regard of the motives.

A natural man oppofeth fin from carnal motives ; to ftop the mouth of conference, and to prevent hell.

But the new creature oppofeth fin upon more noble motives ; out of love to God, and fear of difhonouring the gofpel.

4. in the new creature there is mortifying old corrupt luffs. Gal. V. ^4. * They that are Chrill's have crucified the flefh.* The new creature isfaid to be ' dead to fin,' Rom. vi. 11. He is dead as to the love of fin, that it doth not bewitch : and as to the power of it, that it doth not command. The new creature is continually crucifying fin : fome limb of the old Adam every day drops off': though fin doth not die perfectly, it dies daily.

A gracious foul thinks he can never kill fin enough ; he deals with fin as Joab with Abfalom, 2 Sam. xviii. 14. ' He took three darts in his hand, and thruff them through the heart of Abfalom.* So, with the three darts of faith, prayer, and repentance, a Chriftian thrufts through the body oi fin ; he never thinks this Abfalom is enough dead. • ;-Try then, if we have this firft figu of the new creature, * old

things are paflTed away.* There is a grieving for dn, a detef-ting it, an oppofing it, a mortifying it ; this is the pading away of old things, though not in a legal fenle, yet in an evangelical ; and though it be not to fatisfaAion, yet it is to acceptation.

The fecond trial of the r>€\v creature, is ' all things are become new.' The new creature is new all over : grace, though it be but in part, yet it is in every part.

By nature every branch of the foul isdefiled with fin, as every part of wormwood is bitter ; fo, in regeneration, every part of the foul is replenidied with grace ; therefore grace is called the new man, Eph. iv. 24. Not a new eye, or a new tongue, but a new man ; there are new difpofitions, new principles, new aims ; * all things are become new.*

I. In the new creature there is a new underftanding, Eph, iv. 23. ' Be ye renewed in the fpirit of your mind.' The firft thing a limner draws in a picture, is the eye: when God newly limns us, and makes us new creatures, the firlt thing he draws in our fouls is a new eye ; the new creature ib enlighten-r ed to fee that which he never law before.

I. He knows Chrill after another manner. An unconverted man. by the light of common grace, may believe Chrift to be the Son of God ; but the new creature knows Chrift after another guife manner, fo as to eileem him above all, to adore him, to tosjch him by faith, to fetch an healing virtue from him.

9. The new creature knows himfelf better than he did. When the fun (bines into a room, it difcovers all the dull and cobwebs in it ; i'o, when the light of the Spirit (hines into the heart, it difcovers that corruption which before lay hid ; it Ihews a man his own vilenefs and nothingnefs. Job xl. 4. ' Behold, I anti vile.' A wicked man, blinded with lelf-love, admires himfelf; like Narciflus, that feeing his own (hadow upon the water, fell in love with it. Saving-knowledge works felf-abafement ; * Lord, thou art in heaven, and I am in hell,' liiid a martyr. Hath this day-liar of knowledge Ihined on our mind ;

II. The new creature is renewed in his confcience ; the con* fcience of a natural man is either blind, or dumb, or feared; but confcience in the new creature is renewed. Let us examine. Doth confcience check for fin } The lealt hair makes the eye weep ; and the leait fin makes coulcience fmite. How did David's heart fmite him for cutting off the lap of Saul's garment ! a good confcience is a liar to guide, a regifter to record, ajudge to deterujine, a witnels to accufe or excufe ; if con-Icience doth all thele oftices right, then it is a renewed confcience, and fpeaks peace.

III. In the new creafcure the will is renewed. An old bowl may have a new bias put into it; the will having a new bias

of grace put into it, is (Irongly carried to good. The ^111 of a natural man oppofeth God ; when the wind goes one way, and the tide another, then there is a (lorm : fo it is, when God's will eoes one way, and ours another ; but when our will goes With God's, as the wind with the tide, then there is a fweet calm of peace in the foul ; the fanclified will aniwers to God's will, as the echo to the voice, Pfal. xxvii. «8. * When thoa faidft, feek ye my face, my heart faid unto thee, thy face. Lord, will I feek.' And the will being renewed, like the primwn mo^ bile, it carries all theaffe6lions along with it.

IV. The new creature hath a new converfation. Grace alters a man's walk ; before, he walked proudly, now humbly : before, loofely, now holily ; he makes the word his rule, and Chrift's life his pattern, Phil. iii. £0. * Our converfation is in heaven.' As a fliip that is failing eaftward, there comes a gale of wind and blows it weftward ; lb, before a man did fail hell-ward, and on a fudden the Spirit of God comes upon him, and blows him heaven-ward ; here is a new converfation. It was a fpeech of Oecolampadius ** I would not fpeak or do any thing that I thought Jelus Chrift would not approve of, if he Were here corporeally prefent." Where there is circumcidon of heart, there is circumfpection of life ; if we find it thus that • all things are become new,' then we are new creatures, and flial! s;o to the new Jerufalem when we die.

Uj'e 3. Exhortation. Labour to be new creatures ; nothing elfe will avail us. Gal. vi. 14. ' Neither circumcifion availelh any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature.' We are for new things ; we love new fafhions, and why not new hearts ? but people are full of prejudices againll the new creature.

Obj. I. If ice are new creatures, there mvji he fo muchftrici-nefs hi religion, Jo much praying and loatching, as difcourageth,

j^nf. (I.) Is there any thing excellent to be obtained without labour ? What pains is taken in fearching for a! vein of (il-Ter, or feeking the pearl? Men cannot have the world without labour; and would they have falvation fo ? (2.) The labour in religion bears no proportion with the reward. What area few tears thed to a weight of glory ? The foldier is content to wreftle with difficulties, and undergo a bloody light, for a glorious victory. In all labour for heaven, there is profit: itislikea man that digs in a gold mine, and carries away all the gold. (3.) Men take more pains to go to hell : what pains doth an ambitious man take to climb to the pinnacle of honour ? Tullia rode over the dead body of her father, to be made queen. How doth the covetous mail tire hinifelf, break his fleep, and his peace, to get the world ? Thus Ibme men take more pains in the fervice of fin, than oibers do in purfuit of holinefl. Men talk of pains in ?cligioo ; when God's Spirit comes into one, it turns labour

into delight. It was Paul's heaven to ferve God, Rom. vii. 22. * The vv°iys of wii'dom are pleaCantnefs,' Prov. in. 17. It is like walking among beds of fpices, which call forth a fweet perfume.

Obj. 2. But if loe leave our old company, and become new creatures, ive fhall he expofed to many reproaches.

Anf. Who are they that (peak evil of religion but fuch as are evil ? Male de me loqnnntur, fed mali, laid Seneca. Befides, is it not better that men reproach us for being good, than that God damn us for being wicked ! Matth.v. 11. ' Blefled are ye when men Oiall revile you.' Stars are never the lels glorious, though they have ugly names given them, as the bear and the dragon. A faint's reproaches are like a foldier's fears, honourable, I Pet. iv. U. * If ye are reproached for the name of Chrilt, the Spirit of God and of glory refts upon you.' While men cUp your credit to make it weigh lighter, they make your crowa

heavier.

Having anfwcred thefe objedions, I come now to re-aliume the exhortation, above all things labour do be new creatures.

MOTIVES.

\fl. In this, true Chrillianity doth confill. It is not baptifra makes a Chrillian ; many are no better than baptifed heathens. The eflontial part of religion lies in the new creature, Rom. ii. 29. ' Circumcilion is that of the heart.' Every thing hath a name from the better part; we call a man a reafonable creature, becaufe of his foul, whicii is the more noble part; lb one is called a ChriRian, becaufe he a6ts from a principle of the new creature, which the carnal man doth not.

2rf/</, It is the new creature fits us for communion with God ; we cannot converfe with God till then. Birds cannot converfe with men unlefs they had a rational nature put into them, nor can men converfe with God, unlefs, being made new creatures, they partake of the divine nature. Communion with God is a myllery to moll: everyone that hangs about the court doth not fpeak with the king ; all that meddle with holy duties, and, as it were, hang about the court of heaven, hath not communioa with God : it is only the new creature enjoys God's prefence ia ordinances, and fweetly converfes with him, as a child with a Father.

Mly, The neceffity of being new creatures. 1. Till then we are odious to God, Zech. xi. 8. * My foul lothed them.' A (inner is to God worfe than a toad ; a toad hath no poifon, but what God hath put into it; but a (inner hath that which the devil hath put into him. Ads v. 3. ' Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie ?' A wicked man is poifelled with an evil fpirit, ope man is polfeQ'ed with the devil of pride, another with the devil of majice ; this mail needs make peil>n3 Vol. II. No. 21, ' 3G

odioijs to God, to be pofffclTed with the devil. Thus it is till we become new creatures.

2. Till we are new creatures, our duties are not accepted with God ; they are but wild grapes, (i.) Becauie God accepts no man, but where he fees his image. The new creature is called the ' renewing of God's image,' Eph. iv. 24. When they brought Tamerlane a pot of gold, he afked what ftamp it had on it, and when he faw the Roman ftamp on it, he refufed it: lb, if God doth not lee his own ftamp and image on the foul, he reje6ts the moft fpecious fervices. (9.) Duties of religion are Hot accepted without the new creature, becaufe there is that wanting which fliould make them a fweet favour to God. The holy oil for the tabernacle was to be made of feveral fpices and ingredients, Exod. xxx. 23. Now, if any of thefe fpices had been left out, it had not been pleafing. The unregenerate man leaves out the chief I'pice in his duties, and that is faith. And, Heb. xi. 6. * Without faith it is impoflible to pleafe God.* Faith bys hold on Chrill, and fo is accepted.

3. Such as are not new creatures, but grow upon the ftock of old Adam, get no benefit by ordinances : they are to them as diafcordium in a dead man's mouth ; they lofe their virtue : nay, not only ordinances do them no good, but hurt. It were lad, if all a man did eat fhould turn to poifon. The word preached is a ' favour of death ;' it is not heahng, but hardening : nay, Chrift himfeif is arcidentally a * rock of offence,' 1 Pet. ii. 7. The wicked (tumble at a Saviour, and fuck death from the tree of life.

4. Without being new creatures, we cannot arrive at heaven. Rev. xxi. 27. * There fliall in no-wife enter into it any thing that defileth.* Heaven is not like Noah's ark, that received clean and unclean. A finner is compared to fwine, 2 Pet. ii. 22. and fliall a fwinifli creature tread upon the golden pavement of heaven. Indeed the frogs came into king Pharaoh's court, but in heaven there is no entertainment for inch vermin.

It is only tlie new creature qualifies us for glory : this confe-crales the heart, and only the pure in heart ftiall fee God. The new creature elevates the foul, as the loadftone elevates the iron. A foul renewed by grace, is fit to afcend to the heavenly glory.

Athly, The excellency of the new creature. (1.) The nobility. (2.) The immortality. (I.) The nobility. The new creature fetcheth its pedigree from heaven ; it is born of God ; God counts none el(e of the blood royal : it ennobles a man's fpirit: he afpires after the favour of God, and looks no lower than a crown. The new creature raifeth one to honour : he excels the princes of the earth, Plal. Ixxxix. 27. and is fellow-commoner with angels.

(2.) The in)murlality. The new creature is begotten of the

incorruptible leed of the word, and never dies; it lads as lon^ aji the foul, as angels, as heaven. God hath laid out much coit upon it, and if it perilh, he fhould lole all his coir. When Xerxes dellroyed all the temples in Greece, he caufedthe temple of Diana to be preferved for its beautiful (Iru^lure ; the new creature is God's temple adorned with all the graces, which he will not fuffer to be demolilhed. Riches take wings ; kings* crowns tumble in the duft : nay, fome of the graces may ceafe ; faith and hope fliall be no more, but the new creature abideth for ever, 1 John ii. 27.

bthhj. The mifery of the unregenerate creature ; dying fo, I may lay fo of him, as Chrift faid of Judas, Mark xiv. 21. ' It were good for that man if he had not been born.' Better have been a toad, a ferpent, any thing, if not a new creature ; the old finner mull go into old tophet, Ifa. xxx. 33.

Damned caititFswill have nothing to eal'e their torments : not one drop of honey in all their gall. In the Ikcrifice ofjealoufy there was no oil put to it, Numb. v. In hell there is no oil of mercy put to the fut]fering3 of the damned to lenify them.

Therefore get out of the wild olive of nature : labour to he new creatures, left you curfe yourfelves at laft. A finful life •will caufe a defpairing death.

Qu. What /hall we do to he new creatures ? Anf. 1. Wait on the ordinances. The preaching of the word is the feed of which the new creature is formed ; this is the trumpet which mull make the dead in fin come out of their grave.

2. Pray earneftly for the new creature ; * Lord, thou haft made me once, make me again ; what (hall I do with this old heart .^ It defiles all it toucheth.' Urge God with his promife, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. * A new heart will I give you.' Say, Lord, I am as the dry bones, but thou didft caufe breath to come into them, Ezek. xvii. 10. Do the fame to me : breath a fuperua-tural life of grace into me.

U/e 4. Thankfulnefs. Let fnch as are new creatures, ftand upon mount Gerizzim, blelTing and prufing God : afcribe all to the riches of God's love; fet the crown upon the head of free grace ; God hath done more for you, than if he had made you kings and queens ; though you have not fo much of the world as others, you are happier than the greatcll monarclis upon earth ; and, I dare fay, you would not change with them. The cipofiles feldom fpeak of the new creation, bwt tltey join fome thankful praifes with it, I Pet. i. 3- ' Blelled be God, who according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten iis again to a lively hope,' Col. i. 12. ' Giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us meet for the inheritance in light.' 'i'iie new creature is a fign of election, a badge of adoption. What diftinguiJliing

G ^2

Jove is this, that God fliould make any^ of us new creatures when he hath left the greateil part of the world to perifli in their fips? Such as are patterns of mercy, ftiould be trumpets of praife.

THE ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT.

CHAP. I.

THE INTRODUCTION TO THE TEXT.

Phil. iv. 11.' I have learned, in whatfoever Jiate I am, therewith to be cojitent.

These words are brought in by way of prolepfis, t© anticipate and prevent an objection. The apoftle had, in the former verfes, laid down many grave and heavenly exhortations; among the reil, ' to be careful for nothing,' ver. Q. Not to exclude, 1. A prudential care; for, * he that provideth not for his own houie, hath denied the faith, and is worfe than an infidel,' 1 Tim. v. 8. Nor, 2. A religious care ; for, we muft give all * diligence to make our calling and election fure,' 2 Pet. i. 10. But, 3. To exclude all anxious care about the iffues and events of things ; • take no thought for your life, what you ftiall eat," Matth. vi. 25. And in this fenfe it fliould be a Chrif-tian's care not to be careful. ■ The word in the Greek [careful] comes from a primitive, that fignifies " to cut the heart in pieces," a foul-dividing care ; take heed of this. We are bid to * commit our way unto the Lord,' Pfal. xxxvii. 5. The Hebrew word is, ' roll thy way upon the Lprd.' It is our work to caft care, 1 Pet. v. 7. And it is God's work to take care. By our immoderacy we take his work out of his hand.

Care, when it is eccentric, either diftruftful or dlftracting, is very diflionourable to God ; it takes away his providence, as if he fat in heaven and minded not what became of things here below; like a man that makes a clock, and then leaves it to go of itfelf. Immoderate care takes the heart off" from better things; and ufually, while we are thinking how we fhall do to live, we forget how to die. Care is a fpiritual canker, that doth wafte and difpirit; we may fooner by our care add a furlong to our grief, than a cubit to our comfort. God doth threaten it as a curfe, * They fliall eat thtir bread with carefulnefs,' Ezek. xii. ly. Better fall than eat of that bread. * Be careful for nothing.'

Now, left any one fliould fay, yea, Paul thou preacheft that

to US, which thou haft fcarce learned thyfelf; haft thou learned not to be careful ? The apoftle I'eems tacitly to anfwer that, in the words of ihe text; * I have learned, in whatfoever ftate I am, therewith to be content.*

A rpeech worthy to be engraven upon our hearts, and to be written in letters oi gold upon the crowns and diadems of princes. The text doth branch itlelf into thefe two general parts,

I. The Icholar, Paul : ' 1 have learned.'

II. The Icilbn : ' in every itate to be content.'

Chap. II. The firll branch of the text, the fcholar, with the firlt pro poll tion.

I begin with the firft. I. The fcholar, and his proficiency; * 1 have learned.* Out of which I (hall, by the bye, obferve two things by way of paraphrafe, 1. It is not [Gr. ekoiifa,'] but [Gr. emat}iun.~\ The apollle doth not fay, I have heard, that in every caiel (hould be content; but, I have learned. Whence, 1 Do6t. It is not enough for Ckrijiians to hear their duty, but they muft learn their duly. It is one thing to hear, and another thing to learn ; as it is one thing to eat, and another thing to conco6t. St. Paul was a pra6tili()ner. Chrillians hear much, but it is to be feared, learn little. There was four.forts of ground in the parable, Luke viii. 5. And but one good ground : an emblem of this truth, many hearers, but few learners. There are two things which keep us from learning.

1. Slighting what Ave hear. Chrift is the pearl of price: when we difeileem this pearl, we flial! never learn either its value, or its virtue. The gofpel is a rare myftery ; in one place (A6ls XX. 24.) It is called the gofpel of grace, in another, (I Cor. iv. 4.) The gofpel of glory : becaufe in it, as in a tranf-parent glafs, the glory of God is refplendent. But he that hath learned to contemn this mytlery, will hardly ever learn to obey it: he that looks upon the things of heaven as things by the bye, and perhaps the driving of a trade, or carrying on fonie politic defign to be of greater importance ; this man is in the high road to damnation, and will hardly ever learn the things of his peace. Who will learn that which he thinks is I'carce worth learning?

2. Forgetting what we hear. If a fcholar have his rules laid before him, and he forgets them as fall as he reads them, he will never learn, Janjesi- 25. Ariftotle calls the memory the fcribe of the foul; and Bernard calls it the llomach of the foul, becaufe it hath a retentive faculty, and turns heavenly food into blood and fpirits, we have great memories in others things; we remember that which is vain. Cyrus could remember the name of every Ibldier in his huge army ; we remember injuries. This is to fill a precious cabinet with dung,; but, quam,J'aciHs ohlivio boni? As Hierom laith, how Iboii do we forget the facred

truths of God ? We are apt to forget three things ; our faults, oiir friends, our inliruftions. Many Chriflians are like fieves ; put a fieve into the water, and it is full; but take it forth of the water, and all runs out; fo, while they are hearing of afer-iiion, they remember fomething; but take the fieve out of the water, as foon as they are gone out of the church, all is forgotten. • Let thefe fuyings (faith Chrift) fink down into your ears ;' Luke ix. 4i. In the original it is, put thefe faying into your ears ; as a man that would hide a jewel fronti being fi^olen, locks it up fafe in his cheft. Let them fink ; the word muil not only fiill as dew »hat wets the leaf, but as rain which foaks to the root of the tree, and makes it frudtify. Oh, how oft doth Satan, that fowl of the air, pick up the good feed that is fown!

Ufe. Let me put you upon a ferious trial. Some of you have heard much ; you have lived forty, fifty, fixty years, under the blefled trumpet of the gofpel; what have your learned ? You may have heard a thoufand fermons, and yet not learned one. Search your confciences.

1. You have heard much againfi; fin : are you hearers? or are you fcholars ?

How many fermons have you heard againfi; covetoufnefs, that it is the root on which pride, idolatry, treafon, do grow ? 2 Tim- iv. 2. and 4. One caWs it a metropolitan fin : it is a complex evil, it doth twifi: a great many fins in with it. There js hardly any fin, but covetoufnefs is a main ingredient into it; and yet are you like the two daughters of the horfe-leech, that cry, Give, give. How much have you heard againft rafii anger; that it is a fiiort frenzy, a dry drunkennefs; that it refis in the bofom of fools; and upon the leaft occafion do your fpirits begin to take fire : How much have you heard againfi fwearing? It is Chrift's exprefs mandate, * fwear not at all,' Mat. vi. 34. This fin, of all others, may be termed the unfruitful work of darknefs, Eph. v. 11. It is neither fvveetened with pleafure, nor enriched with profit (the ufual vermilion wherewith Satan doth paint fin.) Swearing is forbidden with a fuhpcena. While the fwearer flioots his oaths, like flying arrows at God to pierce his glory, God flioots a flying roll of curfes againft him, Zech. V. 2. And do you make your tongue a racket by which you tofs oaths as tennis-balls? Do you fport yourfelves with oaths, as the Philillines did withSamfon, which will at laft pull the houfe about your ears ? Alas! How have they learned what fin is, that have not learned to leave fin? Doth he know what a viper is, that will play with it?

3. You have heard much of Chrift;, have you learned Chrill ? The Jews (as Jerom iaith) carried Chr; t in their Bibles, but

not in their heart ; their found ' went into all the earth,' Rom. X. ly. The proj^hitb and apollles were as trumpeis, whole Ibiind went abroad into the world ; yet many llioul'ands wlio heard the uoile of thefe trumpets had not learned Clnift, * they have not all obeyed,' ver. \0.

1. A man may know much of Chrift, and yet not leara Chrift ; the devils knew Chrifi;, Matth. i. ^4.

2. A man may preach Chrift, and yet not learn Chrift, as Judas and the pfeudo apollles, Phil. v.Jo.

A man may profcis Chrift, and yet not learn Chrift ; there are many profellbrs in the world that Chrift will profels againft, Matth. vii. 29, 23.

Qu. IVliat is it then to learn Chriji?

Anf. 1. To learn Chrilt, is, to be made like Chrift ; when the divine charafters of his holmels are engraven upon our hearts. * We all with open face, beholding as in a glafs the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image,' 2 Cor. iii. 18. There is ? metamorphofis n^ade : a finner, viewing Chrift's image la the glafs of the gofpel, is transformed into that image. Never did any man look upon Chrift with a fpiritual eye, but went away quite changed. A true faint is a divine lanfcape or picture, where all the rare beauties of Chrift are lively pourtrayed and drawn forth. He hath the fame fpirit, the lame judgment, the lame will, with Jefus Chrilt.

2. To learn Chrift, is to believe in him : * My Lord,.my God,' John XX. 28. When we do not only credere Deum, hat in Deuin ; which is the actual application of Chrift to ourfelves, and as it were the fpreading of the facred medicine of his blood upon our fouls. You have heard much of Chrift, and yet cannot with an humble adherence lay, * My Jefus :' Be not offended if I tell you, the devi! can fay his creed as well as you.

3. To learn Chrift, is to love Chrift. When we have bible-converfations, our lives, as rich diamonds cafta fparkling luftre in the church of God, Phil. i. 17. and are (in feme fenfe) parallel with the life of Chrift, as the tranfcript with the original. So much for the full notion of the word.

Chap. lU. Concerning thefecond propofition.

L This word * 1 have learned,* is a word imports didlculty, it ftjews how hardly the apoftle came by contentment of mind ; it was not bred in nature. St. Paul did not come naturally by it, but he had learned it. It coll him many a prayer and tear, it was taught him by the Spirit.

Whence Doct, 2. Goud things are hard to come by. The hufinefs of rtiitiion is not. fo facile as n.oft do imagine. * I have learned,' lailh St. Paul. Indeed you need not learn a man to lin, this is natural, Pf. Iviii. 3. and therefore facile, it comes as water out of a fpring. It is an eafy thing to be wick-

ed : hell will be taken without, ftorm ; but matters of religion muft be learned. To cut the flefh is eaiy, but to prick a vein and not cut an artery is hard. The trade of fin needs not to be learned, but the art of divine contentment is not atchieved without holy indultry : ' I have learned.'

There are two pregnant reafons, why there niuil be fo much fludy and exercitation.

1. Becaufe fpiritual things are againfl nature. Every thing in religion is antipodes to nature. There are in religion two things, credejita etfacienda, and both are againfl; nature. 1. Credencia, matters of faith ; as, for men to bejuftified by the righteoulhefs of another, to become a fool that he may be wife, to (kve all by lofing all ; this is againlt nature. 2. Fadenda, matters of pra6lice ; as, I. Self-denial ; for a man to deny his own wifdom, and fee himfelf blind ; his own will, and have it melted into the will of God : plucking out the right eye, beheading and crucifying that fin, which is the favourite, and lies neareft to the heart ; for a man to be dead to the world, and in the midd of want to abound ; for him to take up the crofs, and follow Chrift, not only in golden, but in bloody paths ; to embrace religion, when itisdreffed in night-clothes, all the jewels of honour and preferment being pulled off; this is againlt nature, and therefore muft be learned. Self-examination; for a man to take his heart (as a watch) all in pieces : to let up a fpiritual inquifition, or court of confcipnce, and traverfe things in his own foul ; to take David's candle and lantern, Plal. cxix. 105. and fearch for fin: nay, as judge to pals the fentence upon himfelf, 2 Sam. xxxiv. 17. this is againil nature, and will not eafily be attained to without learning. (3.) Self-reformation, "j'o lee a man as Caleb of another fpirit, walking antipodes to himfelf, ihe current of his fife altered, and running into the channel of religion ; this is wholly againil nature. When a Hone alcends, it is not a natural motion, but a violent: the motion of the foul heaven-ward, is a violent motion, 4t mull be Jearned ; flefli and blood is not flvilled in thefe things ; nature can no more caft out nature, than Satan can call out Satan.

2. Becaufe fpiritual things are above nature. '^I'here are fome things in nature that are hard to find out, as the caufes of things, which are not learned without itudy. Ariftotle, a great philofopher, (whom iome have called an eagle falleti from the clouds), yet could not find out the motion oithe river Eu-ripus, therefore threw himfelf into it; what then are divine things, which are in fphere above nature, and beyond all human difquifition? as the Trinity, tlie hypolialical union, the myliery of faith to believe againil hope ; only God's Spirit can light our candle here. The apolile calls tliele ' the deep things ot God, 1 Cor. ii. 10. The gofpel is full of jewels, but they are lucked

up from fenfeand reafon. The angels in heaven are fearching into thefe facred depths, 1 Pet. i. ^'2.

Ufe. Let us beg the Spirit of God to teach us : we mufl; be div'mttasedodli ; the eunuch could read, but he could not un-derftand, till Philip joined himfelf to his chariot, Ads viii. 29. God's Spirit muft join itfelf to our chariot: ^le muft teach, or we cannot learn ; * All thy children (hall be taught of the Lord.' Ifa. liv. 13. A man may read the figure on the dial, but he cannot tell how the day goes, unlefs the fun fhine upon the dial ; we may read the Bible over, but we cannot learn to purpofe till the Spirit of God fhine into our hearts, 2 Cor. \v. 0". Oh, implore this bleifed Spirit, it is God's prerogative royal to teach. * I am the Lord thy God, that teacheth thee to profit,' Ifa. xlviii. 17. Minillers may tell us our leflbn, God only can teach us ; we have loft both our hearing and eye-fight, therefore are very unfit to learn. Ever fince Eve liftened to the ferpent, we have been deaf; and fince flie looked on the tree of knowledge, we have been blind ; but when God comes to teach, he removes thefe impediments, Ifa. xxxv. 5. We are naturally dead, Eph. ii. 1. who will go about to teach adead man? Yet, behold, God undertakes to make dead men to un-derftand myfteries! God is the grand teacher. This is the reafon the word preached works fo differently upon men ; Two in a pew ; the one is wrought upon etfe6lually, the other lies at the ordinances as a dead child at the breaft, and gets no nourifliment. What is the reafon ? becaufe the heavenly gale of the Spirit blows upon one, and not upon the other ; one hatU the * anointing of God, which teacheth him all things,' 1 John ii. 27. the other hath it not. God's Spirit fpeaks fsveetly, but irrefiftibly. In that heavenly doxology, none could fing the new fong, but thofe who were fealed in their foreheads. Rev. xiv. 2. reprobates could not fing it. Thofe that are flvill'ul in the myfi:eries of lalvation, mull have the feal of the Spirit upon them. Let us make this our prayer. Lord, breathe thy Spirit into thy word ; and we have a promife, which may add wings to prayer, Luke xi. 13. * If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children ; how much more fliallyour heavenly Father give his Spirit to them that afk him ?'

And thus much of the firll part of the text, the fcholar, which I intended only as a (hort glofs or paraphrafe.

Chap. IV. Thefecond branch of the text, the lfju7i itfelf, with ike propojition.

II. I come to the fecond, which is the main thing, the leflbn itfeif ; * In whatfoever ftate I am, therewith to be content.'

Here was a rare piece of learning indeed, and is certainly more to be wondered at in St. Paul, that he knew how to turn himfelf to every condition, than all the learning in the world be-

VoL. II. No. 21. 3H

fides, which hath been fo applauded in former ages by Julius Csefer, Ptolemy, Xenophon, the greiat admirers of learning.

The text hath but few worde in it, ' in every ilate content :* but if that be true, which one Fulgentius faid, that the moft golden fentence is ever meafured by brevity and fuavity, then, this is a moit accomplifhed fpeech ; here is magnum in parvo. The text is hke a precious jewel, little in quantity, but great in worth and value.

The main propofition I fhall infift upon, is this, that a gracious fpirit is a contented fpirit. The do6lrine of contentment is very fuperlative, and till we have learned this, we have not learned to be Chriftians.

1. It is an hard leflbn. The angels in heaven had not learn* cd it; they were not contented. Though their eftate was very glorious, yet they were ftill foaring aloft, and aimed at fome-thing higher, Jude, ver. 6. ' The angels which kept not their firft eftate.' They kept not their eftate, becaufe they were not contented with their eftate. Our firft parents, clothed with the white robe of innocency in paradife, had not learned to be con* tent; they had afpiring hearts, and thinking their human nature too low and home-fpun, would be crowned with the Deity, and be as gods. Gen. iii. 5. Though they had the choice of all the trees of the garden, yet none would content them but the tree of knowledge, which they fuppofed would have been as an eye-falve to have apade them omhifi:ient. Oh then, if this leflbn were fo hard to learn in innocency, how hard fhall we find it, who are clogged with corruption.

2. It is of univerfal extent, it concerns all. 1/?, It concerns rich men. One would think it needlefs to preis thofe to contentment whom God hath blefted with great eftates, but rather perfuade them to be humble and thankful, nay, but I fay, be content. Rich men have their difcontents as well as others; as appears, (1.) When they have a great eftate, yet they are difcontented, that they have no more; they would make the hundred talents a thoufand. A man in wine, the more he drinks, the more he thirfts : covetoufnefs is a dry dropfy ; an earthly heart is like the grave, that is never fatisfied, Prov. xxx. lO*. Therefore I fay to you, rich men, be content. (2.) Rich men, if we may fuppofe them to be content with their eftates (which is feldom) yet, though they have eftate enough, they have not honour enough ; if their barns are full enough, yet their turrets are not high enough. They would be fome body in the world, as Theudus, * who boailed himfelf to be fome body,* A6ls v. 3d. They never go fo cheerfully as when the wind of honour and applaufe fills their fails; if this wind be down, they aredif-contented. One would think Haman had as much as his proud heart could defire : he was fet above all the princes, advanced

Upon fhe pinnacle of honour to be the fecond man in the king* donj, Elih. iii. 1. Yet in the midft of all his pomp, becaule Mordecai woulcl not uncover and kneel, he is dilcontented, ver. 2. and full of wrath, ver. 5. and there was no way to af-ihdge this pleurify of revenge, but by letting all the Jews' blood, and otFering them up in facrifice. The itch of honour is feldom allayed without blood ; therefore I fay to you rich men, be content. (3.) Rich men, if we may fuppofe them to be content with their honour and magnificent titles; yet they have not always contentment in their relations. She that lies in the bo-fom, may fometimes blow the coals ; as Job's wife who in a pet would have him fall out with God himfelf, ' Curfe God, and die.' Sometimes children caufe difcontent ; how often is it feen that the mother's milk doth nourifli a viper ? and that he that once fucked her breaft, goes about to fuck her blood ? Parents do often of grapes gather thorns, and of figs thifi:les ; children are fweet brier. Like the rofe, which is a fragrant flower; but, as Bafil faith, it hath its prickles. Our relative comforts are not all pure wine, but mixed : they have in them more dregs than fpirits, and are like that river Plutarch fpeaks of, where the waters in the morning run fweet, but in the evening run bitter. We have no charter of exemption granted us in this life ; therefore rich men had need be called upon to be content.

9dly, The doctrine of contentment concerns poor men. You that do fuck fo liberally from the breads of providence, be content; it is an hard leflbn, therefore it had need be fet upon the fooner. How hard is it when the livelihood is even gone, a great eftate boiled away almoft to nothing, than to be contented. The means of fubfifi;ence is in fcripture called our life, be-caufe it is the very finews of life. The woman in the gofpel fpent * all her living upon the phyficians,' Luke viii. 43. In the Greek it is, Qie fpenther whole lifeupon the phyficians, becaufe Ihe fpent her means by which (lie fliould Hve. It is much when poverty hath clipped our wings, then to be content; but, though hard, it is excellent; and the apoftle here had ' learned in every ftate to be content.' God had brought St. Paul into ae great variety of conditions as ever we read of any man, and yet he was content; elfe fure he could never have gone through it with fo much cheerfulnefs. See into what vicilfitudes this blefied apollle was caft : * we are troubled on every fide,' 9 Cor. iv. 8. There was the fadnefs of his condition ; but not dil^ trefied. there was his content in that condition : we are per* plexed, there is his atflidtion ; but not in defpair, there is his conteniation. And, if we read a little further, 2 Cor. xi. 4. * In afflictions, in necelfities, in dillreffes, inftripes, in imprifon-meuts, in tumult?,' &c. There is his trouble : and behold hi»

3R^

content, ver. 10. * As having nothing, yet poflefling all things." When the apoftle was driven cut of all, yet in regard of that fweet contentnnent of mind (which was like mufic in his foul) he poffefled all. We read a fhort map or hiftory of his lutt'erings, 2 Cor. ix. 23, 24, 25. * In prifons more frequent, in deaths oft,' &c. Yet behold the bleffed frame and temper of his fpirit, * I have learned, in whatfoever ftate I am, therewith to be content.' Which way foever providence did blow, he had fuch heavenly (kill and dexterity, that he knew how to fteer his courfe. For his outward eftate he was indifferent: he could be either on the top of Jacob's ladder, or the bottom ; he could fing either placentia or lachrymce, the dirge or the anthem; he could be anything that God wouldhave him : ' I know how to want, and how to abound ;' here is a rare pattern for us to imitate. Paul, in regard of his faith and courage, was like a cedar, he could not be llirred ; but for his outward condition, he was like a reed bending every way with the wind of providence. When a pro-fperous gale did blow upon him, he could bend with that, ' I know how to be full:' and when a boifterous gull of affli6lion did blow, he could bend in humility with that, * I know how to be hungry.' St. Paul was (as Ariftotle fpeaks) like a die that hath four fquares ; throw it which way you will, it falb upon a bottom : let God throw the apoflle which way he would, he fell upon this bottom of contentment. A contented fpirit is hke a watch : though you carry it up and down with you, yet the fpring of it is not fhaken, nor the wheels out of order ; but the wateh keeps its perfe6t motion : lb it was with St. Paul, tho' God carried him into various conditions, yet he was not lift up with the one, nor caft down with the other; the fpring of his heart was not broken ; the wheels of his atfedions were not dil-ordered, but kept their conftant motion towards heaven ; ftill content. The fhip that lies at anchor may fometimes be a little fhaken, but never finks; fleQi and blood may have its fears and difquiets, but grace doth check them ; a Chriftian, having call anchor in heaven, his heart never finks; a gracious fpirit is a contented fpirit. This is a rare art; Paul did not learn it at the feet of Gamaliel. *I am inftru6led,' ver. 12. lam initiated into this holy myftery ; as if he had faid, I have gotten the divine art, I have the knack of it; God mult make us right artifls. If we Hiould put fome men to an art that they are not fkilled in, how unfit would they be for it ? Put an hufbandman to limning or drawing pi(5lures, what flrange work would he make ? This is out of his fphere. Take a limner that is exa6t in laying of colours, and put him to plough, orfethim to planting or grafting of trees, this is not his art, he is not flcilled in it ; bid a natural man live by faith, and when all things go crofs be contented ; you bid hira do what he hath no ikill in, you may

THE ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT. 499

ais well bid a child guide the ftern of a fhip ; to live contented upon God in the deficiency of outward comforts, is an art whicli *' flefti and blood haili not learned ;" Nay, many of God's own children, who excel in fome duties of religion, when they come to this of contentment, bow do they bungle ? They have fcarce commenced mailers of this art.

Chap. V. The refo/ving of fame quejiions.

For the illullration of this doctrine, 1 Ihall propound thefe queftions.

Qu. 1. Whether a Chrijiian may not he fenjihle of his condi' tiun, and yet be contented ?

Anf. Yes ; for elfe he is not a faint, but a ftoic. Rachel did well to weep for her children, there was nature; but her fault was, fhe refufed to be comforted, there was dilcontent. Chrift himfelf was fenbble, when he fweat great drops of blood, and faid, * Father, if it be poflible, let this cup pals from me,* Mat. xxvi. 39. yet he was contented, and fweelly fubmitted his will: • Neverthelefs, not as I will, but as thou vviit.' The apoltle bids us ' humble ourlelves under the mighty hand of God,' 2 Pet. V. 6. which we cannot do unlefs we are lenlible of it.

Qu. 2. Whether a Chrifiian may not lay open his grievances to God, and yet he contented 9

Anf. Yes : * Unto thee I opened my caufe,' Jer. xx. 12. and * David poured out his complaint before the Lord,' PU cxlii. 2. We may cry to God, and delire him to write down all our injuries? (hall not the child complain to his father ? When any burden is upon the fpirit, prayer gives vent, it eafeth the heart. Hannah's fpirit was burdened ; ' I am (fays (lie) a woman of a troubled fpirit,' 1 Sam. i. 18. Now, having prayed, and wept, (he went away, and was no more fad ; only here is the ditfer-ence between a holy complaint, and a difcontented complaint; in the one we complain to God, in the other we complain of God.

Qu. 3. What is it properly that contentment doth exclude ?

Anf. There are three things which contentment doth banilh out of its diocefe, and can by no means conlilt with it.

1. It excludes a vexatious repining; this is properly the daughter of difcontent. ' I mourn in my complaint,' Pfal. Iv. 2. He doth not fay I murmur in my complaint. Murmuring is no better than mutiny in the heart; it is a riling up againlt God. When the fea is rough and unquiet, it calls forth nothing but foam ; when the heart is difcontented, it calls forth the foam of anger, impatience, and ibmetinies little better than blafphemy. Murmuring is nothing elfe but the fcuni which boils olf from a difcontented heart.

2. It excludes aa uneven difcompofure : when a man faith.

I am in fuch ftraits, that I know not how to evolve or get out, I (hall he undone. Head and heart are fo taken up, that a man is not fit to pray or meditate, &c. He is not himfelf: juft as when an army is routed, one man runs this way, and another that; the army is put into diforder : fo a man's thoughts run up and down diftra6led. Difconteut doth diilocate and unjoint the foul, it pulls off the wheels.

3. It excludes a childifli defpondency ; and this is ufually confequent upon the other. A man being in an hurry of mind, not knowing which way to extricate, or wind himfelfout of the prefent trouble, beg'ms fuccumbere oneri, to faint and fink under it. For care is to the mind as a burden to the back; it loads the fpirits, and, with overloading, finks them. A defpondent fpirit is a difcontented fpirit.

Chap. VI. Shemng the nature of contentment.

Having anfwered thefe queftions, 1 fiiall, in the next place, come to defcribe this atarkeiUy or contentment.

It is a fweet temper of fpirit, whereby a Chriftian carries himfelf in an equal poife in every condition. The nature of this will appear more clear in thefe three aphorifms.

1. Contentment is a divine thing, it becomes ours, not by ac-quifition, but infufion; it is a ilip taken off from the tree of life, and planted by the Spirit of God in the foul : it is a fruit that grows not in the garden of philofophy, but is of an heavenly birth ; it is therefore very obfervable that contentment is joined with godlinefs, and goes in equipage ; ' but godlinefs with contentment is great gain,' I Tim. vi. 6. Contentment being a confequent of godlinefs, or concomitant, or both ; I call it divine, to contradiflinguifli it to that contentment, which amoral man may arrive at. Heathens have feemed to have this contentment, but it was only the Hiadow and pi6lure of it ; the beryl, not the true diamond ; theirs was but civil, this is facred ; theirs was only from principles of reafon, this of religion ; theirs was only lighted at nature's torch, thisatthe lamp of fcripture. Reafon may a little teach contentment; as thus : Whatever my condition be, this is what I am born to ; and if I meet with crolfes, it is but catholic mifery ; all have their fhare, why therefore fhould I be troubled ? Reafon may fuggeft this; and indeed, this may be rather conftraint; but to live fecurely and cheerfully upon God in the abatement of creature fupplies, religion can only bring this into the foul's excliequer.

2. Contentment is an intrinfical thing ; it lies within a man ; not in the bark, but in the root. Contentment hath both its fountain and ftream in the foul. The beam hath not its light from the air; the beams of comfort which a contented man hath, do not arife from foreign comforts, but from within. As for* row is feated in the fpirit, * the heart knows its own grief,*

Prov. xxiv. 10. So contentment lies within the foul, and doth not depend upon externals. Hence I gather, that outward troubles cannot hinder this blelfed contentment; it is afpiritual thing, and arifeih from fpiritual grounds, viz. " the apprehen-fion of God's love." When there is a tempefh without, there may be mufic within ; a bee may fting through the Ikin, but it cannot fting to the heart; outward affli6lions cannot fting to a Chrillian's heart, where contentment lies. Thieves may plunder us of our money and plate, but not of this pearl of contentment, unlefs we are willing to part with it; for it is locked up in the cabinet of the heart : the foul which is poifefled of this rich treafure of contentment, is like Noah in the ark, that can ling in the midft of a deluge.

3. Contentment is an habitual thing, it (hines with a fixed light in the firmament of the foql. Contentment doth not appear only now and then, as fome ftars which are feen but fel-dom ; it is a fettled temper of the heart. One adion doth not denominate ; he is not fain to be a liberal man, that gives alms once in his life ; a covetous man may do fo : but he is iaid to be liberal, that is * given to liberality,'Rom. xii. 13. That is, who upon all occafions is willing to indulge the necelVitiesof the poor; fo he is faid to be a contented man that is given to contentment. It is not cafual but conftant. Ariftotle in his rhetoric, diftinguiftieth between colours in the face that arife from paflion, and thofe which arife from complexion ; the pale face may look red when it blufheth, but this is only a palTion ; he is faid properly to be ruddy and fanguine, who is conltantly fo, it is his complexion. He is not a contented man, who is lb upon an occafion, and perhaps when he is pleafed ; but who is fo conftantly, it is the habit and complexion of his foul.

Chap. VII. Reafons prej/ing to holy contentment.

Having opened the nature of contentment, I come next to lay down (bme reafons, or arguments to contentment, which may preponderate with us.

The firft is God's precept. It is charged upon us as a duty ; * be content with fuch things as you have,' Heb. xiii. 5. The fame God who hath bid us.believe, hath bid us be content ; if we obey not, we run ourfelves into al'piritualp;-e??i«?i?Ve. God's word is a fuificient warrant; it hath authority in it, and mull fuperfedeas, or facred fpell to difcontent. Ipfe dixit was enough among Pythagoras' fcholars ; '* Be it enabled," is the royal ftile. God's word mult be the flar that guides, and his will the weight that moves our obedience : His will is a law, and hath majelly enough in it to captivate us into obedience ; our hearts muft not be more unquiet than the raging fca, which at his word isftilled, Matt. viii. 26.

2. The fecond reafoii inlbrcing contentment, i^, God's pro-

mife ; for he hath faid, * I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee,' Heb. xiii. a. Where God iiath engaged himfelf, under hand and leal, for our neceifary provifions. Ifakuig ihouid fay to one of his fubje6ts, 1 will take care for thee : a^ long as I have any crowii-reveuues, thou (halt be provided for ; if thou art in danger, I wi;i fecure thee : if in want, I will fupply thee ; would not that fubje6t be content? Behold, God haih here made a promife to the believer, and as it were entered iato bond for his fecurity, • I will never leave thee;' (hall not this charm down the devil of diicontent ? * Leave thy fatherlefs children with me, I will preferve them alive,' Jer. xlix. 11. Methinks I (ee the godly man on his death-bed much difcon-tented, and hear him complaining what will become of my wife and children when I am dead and gone ? They may come to poverty ; faith God, * trouble not thyfelf, be content,' I will take care of thy children ; and ' let thy widow truft in me.* God hath made a promife to us, ' that he will not leave us,* and hath entailed the promife upon our wife and children ; and will not this fatisfy ? True faith will take God's fingle bond without calling for witnefles.

Be content, by virtue of a decree. Whatever our condition be, God the umpire of the world hath from everlalling decreed that condition for us, and by his providence ordered all ap-pertinances thereunto. Let a Chriftian often think with him-ielf, who hath placed me heie ; where I am in an higher fphere or in a lower ? Not chance or fortune, (as the purblind heathens imagined) ; no, it is the wife God that hath by his providence fixed me in this orb ; we mud a6l that fcene which God would have us ; fay not, fuch an one hath occafioned this to me, look not too much at the under wheel. We read in Eze-kiel, of a wheel within a wheel, Ezek. i. 16. God's decree is the caufe of the turning of the wheels, and his providence is the inner-wheels that moves all the reft. God's providence is that helm, which turns about the whole ftiip of the univerfe. Say then, as holy David, ' I was filent, becaufe thou. Lord, didll it.' Pfal. xxxix, 9. God's providence (which is nothing elfe but the carrying on of his decree) ihould be a fuperfedeas and counterpoile againft diicontent; God hath fet us in our ftation, and he hath done it in wifdom.

We fancy fuch a condition of life is good for us ; whereas if we were our own carvers, we fhould oft cut the worft piece. Lot, being put to his choice, did choofe Sodom, Gen. xiii. 10. Which foon after was burned with fire. Rachel was very de-firous of children, * Give me children or I die;' Gen. xxx. And it coil her her life in bringing forth a child. Abraham was earneft for Khmael, ' O that Ilhmael may live before thee!" Gen. xvii. IS. But he had little comfort either of him

or his (eed ; he was born a fon of ftrife, * his hand was affainfl; every man, and every man's hand againft him.' The difciples wept for ChrilVs leaving the world, they chofe his corporeal prelence; whereas it was bed for them that Chriit (hould be gone, for * elle the Comforter would not come,' John xvi. 7. David chofe the life of his child, ' he wept and failed for it/ 2 Sam. xii. lO". Whereas if the child had lived, it would have been a perpetual monument of his fhame. We Hand oft in our own light; if we fhould Ibrt, or parcel out our own comforts, we (hould hit upon the wrong. It is not well for the child that the parent dothchufe for it.^ Were it left to iifelf, it would perhaps chufe a knife to cut its own fingers. A man in a paroxyfni calls for wine which if he had, it were little better than poifon : it is well for the patient, that he is at the phyfician's appointment.

The confideration of a decree determining, and a providence dilpofing all things that fall out, fhould work our hearts to holy contentment. The wife God hath ordered our condition : if he fees it better for us to abound, we fhall abound ; if he fees it better for us to want, we iliall want; be content to be at God's difpofai.

God lees, in his infinite wifdom, the fame condition is not convenient for all; that which is good for one, may be bad for another; one feafon of weather will not ferve all men's occa-* fions ; one needs funlhine, another rain : one condition of life will not fit every man, no more than one fuit of apparel will fit every body : profperity is not fit for all, nor yet adverfity. If one man be brought low, perhaps he can bear it better; he hath a greater flock of grace, more faith and patience ; he can * gather grapes of thorns,' pick fome comfort out of the crols ; every one cannot do this. Another man is feated in an eminent place of dignity: he is fitter for it; perhaps it is a place requires more parts of judgment, which every one is not capable of; perhaps he can ufe his ellate better ; he hath a public heart as well as a public place. The wile God fees that condition to be bad for one, which is good for another; hence it is he placeth men in different orbs and fpheres ; fome higher, fome lower : one man defires health, God fees ficknefs is better for him ; God will work health out of ficknefs, by bringing the body of death, into a confumption. Another man defires liberty, God fees rellraint better for him ; he will work his liberty by rtftraint; when his feet are bound, his heart fhall be moll enlarged. Did we believe this, it would give a check to the fiuful difputes and cavils of our hearts ; (hall I be d.("contented at that which is enacted by a decree, and ordered by a providence.-^ Is tliis t© be a child ur a r('l)el ?

\'oi.. II. No. 91. 3 I

Chap. VIII. Ufe I. Shewmg how a Chriftian may moke his life comfortable.

It (hews how a Chriftian maj' come to lead a comfortable life, even an heaven upon earlh, be the times what they will; viz. By chriftian contentment, Prov. xv. 13. The comfort of life doth not fland in having much; it is Chrift's maxim, "• man's life confifteth not in the abundance of the things which lie doth poffeis,' Luke xii. 15. But it is in being contented. Is not the bee as well contented with feeding on the dew, or fucking from a flower, as the ox that grazeth on the mountains ? Contentment lies within a man, in the heart: and the way to be comfortable, is not by having our barns filled, but our mind quiet. The contented man (faith Seneca) is the happy man ; difcontent is a fretting humour, which dries the brains, waftes the fpirits, corrodes and eats out the comfort of life ; difcontent makes a man that he doth not enjoy what he doth poflefs. A drop or two of vinegar will four a whole glafs of wine. Let a man have the aflTuence and confluence of worldly comforts, a drop or two of difcontent will imbitter and poifon all. Comfort depends upon contentment; Jacob went halting, when the finew upon the hollow of his thigh flirank ; fo, when the finew of contentment begins to flirink, we go halting in our comforts. Conientation is as necefl'ary to keep the life comfortable, as oil is neceffary to keep the lamp burning ; the clouds of difcontent do often drop the fhowers of tears. Would we have comfort in our lives? We may have it if we will. A Chriftian may carve out what condition he will to himfelf. Why doft thou complain ot thy troubles ? It is not trouble that troubles, but difcontent; it is not the water without the fliip, but the water that gets within the leak, w^hich drowns it; it is not outward aflli6lion that can make the life of a Chriftian fad : a contented mind would fail above thefe waters: but when there is a leak of difcontent open, and trouble gets into the heart, then it is difquieted and finks. Do therefore as the mariners, pump the water out, and ftop this fpiritual leak in thy foul, and no troubles can hurt thee.

Chap. IX. Ufe II. A check fo the dfcontented Chriftian. Here is a juft reproof to fuch as are difcontented with their condition. This dii'eafe is almoll epidemical. Some not content with their calling which God hath fet them in, muft be a ftep higher, from the plough to the throne ; who like the fpi-derinthe Proverbs, • will take hold with her hands, and be in kings' palaces,' Prov. xxx. 28. Others from the fliop to the pulpit, Numb. xii. 2. They would be in the temple of honour, before they are in the temple of virtue : who ftept into Mofes's chair, u .thout Aaron's bells and pomegranates; like apes, which do moft flievv their deformity when they are climb-

mg. Is it not enough that God hath beftowed gifts upon men, in private lo edify ; that he hath enriched tliem with many mercies ? But, * feek they the priefthood alfo ?* Numb, xvi.9. What is this but difcontent arihng from high-llown pride ? Thefe do fecretly tax the wifdom of God ; that he hath not Ibrewed them up in their condition a peg higher. Every man is complaming that his eilate is no better, though he feldom complains that his heart is no better. One man commends this kind of Hfe, another commends that, one man thinks a country life beft, another a city life ; the foldier thinks it bell to be a merchant : and the merchant to be a foldier. Men can be content to be any thing but what God would have them. How is it that no man is contented ? Very few Chriftians have learned St. Paul's lelibn : neither poor nor rich know how to be content, they can learn any thing but this.

1. If men are poor, they learn to be, 1. Envious ; they malign thofe that are above them. Another's profperity is an eye-fore. When God's candle fliines upon their neighbour's tabernacle, this light otfends them. In the midll of wants mea can (in this feni'e) abound, viz. in envy and malice ; an envious eye is an evil eye. 2. They learn to be querilous, ftill complaining, as if God had dealt hardly with them ; they are ever telling their wants, they want this and that comfort ; whereas their greateft want is a contented fpirit. Thole that are well enough content with their fins, yet are not content with their condition.

2. If men are rich, they learn to be covetous ; thirfting infa-tiably after the world, and by unjult means fcraping it together ; their ' right hand is full of bribes,' as the ?lalmi(l ex-prefleth it, Pf. Ivi. 10. Put a good caufe in one Icale, and a piece of gold in the other, and the gold weighs lieaviell. There are (faith Solomon) four thuigs that lay, ' it is not enough,* Prov. XXX. lo. I may add a tiftb, viz. the heart of a covetous man. So that neither poor nor rich know how to be content.

Never certainly fince the creation did this (in of difcontent reign, or rather ragtf, more than in our times; never was God more dilhonoured : you can hardly fpeak with any, but the paflion of his tongue betrays the dilcontent of his heart; every one lifps out his trouble, and here even the Hammering tongue Ipeaks too freely and fluently.

If we have not what we defire, God (hall not have a good look from us, but prefently we are (ick of dilcontent, and ready to die out of an humour. If God will not forgive the people of ifrael for their lulls, they bid him take their lives ; they mult have quails to their manna. Aiiab, tliough a king^ (and one would ihink his crown-lands had been fulhcient tor him, yet) Is fullen and dll(:ontented for Naboth's vnieyurd. Jou^U, thougii

3i xJ

a good man and a prophet, yet is ready to die in a pet, Jonah \v. 8. And becaul'e God killed his gourd, kill me too, Caith he. Rachel, ' Give me children, or I die ;' (he had many bleffings, if (he could have feen them, but wanted this contentation. God will iupply our wants, but mult he fatisty our lulls too ; Many are diicontented for a very trifle ! another halh a better drefs, a richer jewel, a newer falhion. Nero, not content with his empire, was troubled that the mufician had more llvill in playing than he: how fantaftic are fome, that pine away in difcontent for the want of thofe things, which, if they had, would but render them more ridiculous ?

Chaf. X. Uj'e III, A fuqfive to contentment.

It exhorts us to labour for contentation ; this is that which doth beautify and befpangle a Chriftian, and, as a fpiritual embroidery, doth let him off in the eyes of the world.

Obj. But, methinks I hear fome bitterly complaining, and faying to me, alas ! how is it pojjible to be contented ? The Lord hath made my chain heavy. Lam. iii. 7. * He hath caji me into fi very fad condition.*

Anf. There is no fin, but labours either to hide itfelf under fome mafk; or, if it cannot be concealed, then to vindicate itfelf by fome apology. This fin of difcontent 1 find very witty in its apologies, which I (hall firft difcover, and then make are-ply. We muft lay it down as a rule, that difcontent is a fin ; lo that all the pretences and apologies wherewith it labours to juflify itiielf, are but the painting and drefling of a llrumpet.

§ 1. The firft apology that difcontent makes anfwered.

The firft apology which difcontent makes is this ; I have loft; a child. Paulina, upon the lofsof her children, was fo pofiefied with a fpirit of fadnefs, that ftie had like to have intombed her-felf in her own difcontent ; our love to relations is oftentimes more than our love to religion.

Reply 1. We mult be content, not only when God gives mercies, but when he takes away. If we muft * in every thing give thanks,' 1 ThefT. v. 18. then in nothing be difcontented.

Reply 2. Perhaps God hath taken awa^ the ciftern, that he may give you the more of the fpring ; he hath darkened the ftar-light, that you may have more fun-light. God intends you fhall have more of himfelf, and is not he better than ten fons ? Look not fo much upon a temporal lofs, as a fpiritual gain ; the comforts of the world run dregs ; thofe which come out of the granary of the promife, are pure and fweet.

Reply 3. Your child was not given, but lent, * I have, faith Hannah, lent my fon to the Lord,' 1 Sam. i. 21. She lent him ! The Lord hath lent him to her. Mercies are not entailed upon ns, but lent ; what a man lends, he may call for again when he pleuies. God hath put put a child to thee a while to nurle ;

xvilt thou be difpleafecl if he take his child home again ? O be Dot dil'conteiited ihut a mercy is taken away from you, but rather be thaiiklul that it was lent yon fo long.

Reply 4. Soppore your child be taken from you, either he was good or bad; if he was rebeUious, you have not lb much parted with a child, as a burden ; you grieve for that which might hnve been a greater grief to you : if he was rehgious, then remember, he is taken from the evil to come. Ilk. Ivii. 1. and placed in his centre of felicity. This lower region is full of grofs and hurtful vapours ; how happy are tiiol'e who are mounted into the celeliial orbs ! the riglUeous is taken away; in the original it is, he is gathered ; a wicked child is cut otF, but the pious child is gathered. Even as we iee men gather flowers, and candy them, and prelerve them by them ; fo hath God gathered thy child as a I'vveet flower, that he may candy it with glory, and prelerve it by him for ever. Why then fhould a Chrillian be difcontented ? Why (hould he weep exceffively } * Daughters of Jerufalem, weep not for me, but weep for your* felves,' Luke xxiii. 28. So, could we hear our children fpeak-ing to us out of heaven, they would lay, weep not for us, who are happy: we lie upon a foft pillow, even in the bofom of Chrilt ; the Prince of Peace is embracing us, and killing us with the kiffesof hislips : be not troubled at our preferment; ' weep not for us,' but weep for yourfelves, who are in a finful (brrow-fuI world : you are in the valley of tears, but we are on the mountain of fpices ; we have gotten to our harbour, but you are ftill tolling upon the waves of inconilancy. O ChrilVian, be not difcontented that thou hail parted with fuch a child ; but rather rejoice that thou hadil: lUch a child to part with. Break forth into thankfulnefs. What an honour is it to a parent to beget fuch a child, that while he lives increaleth the joy of the glorified angels, Luke xx. 10. and when he dies, increaleth the number of the glorified liiints.

Reply b. If God hath taken away one of your children, he hath left you more, he might have (tripped you of all. He took away Job's comforts, his eltate, his children ; and indeed his wife was left, but ^s a crofs. Satan made a bow of this rib (as Chryfullom fpeaks) and (hot a temptation by her at Job, thinking to have him fhot to the heart; ' Curfe, God and die ;' but Job had upon him the breall-plate of integrity ; and though his children were taken away, yet not his graces ; ftill he is content. Hill he bleffeth God. O think how many mercies you ftill enjoy ; yet our bafe hearts are more difcontented atone lofs, than thankful for an hundred mercies. God hath plucked one bunch of grapes from you ; but how many precious clutters are le^'t behind ?

Obj. But it was my only cJiild thejiaffofmy age, (he feed of.

my comfort, and the only blojjbm out of which my ancient famih/ did groin.

Anl\ J. God hath promifed you (if you belong to him) *a name better ;ban of funs and daughters,'" ifa. Ivi. 5. Is he dead that (houid have been the monument to have kept up the name of a family ? God ha h given you a new name, he hath u^ritteti your name in the book of life : behold your fpiritual heraldry : here is a name that cannot be cut oti".

2. Hath God taken away thy only child ? He hath given thee his only Son : this is a happy exchange. What needs he complain of loffes, that hath Chrift? he is his Father's brightnefs, Heb, i. 3. His riches, Co!, ii. 9. His delight, Pf. xlii. 1, Is there enough in Chriil to delight the heart of God? And is there Dot enough in him to ravifli us with holy delight? He is wil-dom to teach us, righteoufneis to acquit us, fanaification to adorn us : he is that royal and princely gift; he is the bread of angels, the joy and triumph of faints; he is all in all, Col. iii. 10. Why then art thou difcontented ? Though thy child be loft, yet thou haft him for whom all things are lols.

7«/i and laft Reply, Let us bluOi \o think that nature ftiould c^utftrip grace. Pulvillus, an heathen, when he was about to confecrate a temple to Jupiter, and news was brought him of the death of his fon, would not defift from his enterprife, but, with much compofure of mind, gave order for decent burial.

§ 2. The fecond apology anfwered.

2. Apology that difcontent makes, is, I have a great part of my efbite ftrangely melted away, and trading begins to fail.

God is plealed fometimes to bring his children very low, and cut them thort in their eftate : it fares with them as with that ■widow who had nothing in her houfe, fave a pot of oil, 2 Kings iv. 2. But be content.

Reply 1. God hath taken away your eftate, but not your portion. This is a iacred paradox, honour and eftate are no part of a Chrillian's jointure ; they are rather acceftaries than ellen-tials ; and are extrinfical and foreign ; therefore the lofs of thofe catmot denominate a man miferable; ftill the portion remains; ' the Lord is my portion, laith my foul,' Lam. iii. 24. Suppofe one were worth a million of money, and he (hould chance to lofe a pin otf his fleeve, this is no part of his eftate, nor can we fay he is undone : the lofs of fublunary comforts is not fo much to a Chriftian's portion, as the lofs of a pin is to a million. * Thele things ftiall be added to you,' Mat. iv. 22. Adjiciimtur, they (hall be call in as overplus. When a man buys a piece of cloth, he hath an inch or two given into the mealure : now, though he lofe his inch of cloth, yet he is not undone: for ftiil the whole piece remains; our outward eftate is not fo much in regard of the portion, as an inch of cloth is to the whole piece;

THE ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT. 439

why then fiiould a Chriftian be difcontented, when the title to his fpiritual treafure remains? A thief may take away all the money that I liave about me, but not my land ; ftill a Chriftiaa hath a title to the land of promile. Mary hath chofen the better part, which (hail not be taken from her.

Reply 2. Perhaps, if thy eilate had not been loft, thy foul had been loft : outward comforts do often quench inward heat. God cannot beftow a jewel upon us, but we fall (b in love with it, that we forget him who gave it. What pity is it that we iliould commit idolatry with the creature! God is forced fume-times to drain away an eftate ; the plate and jewels are often caft over-board to fave the pall'enger. Many a man may curfe the time that ever he had fuch an eftate, it hath been an enchantment to draw away his heart from God. ' Some there ?re that will be rich,' 1 Tim. vi. 9. * And they fall into a fnare.' Art thou troubled that God hath prevented a fnare ? Riches are thorns, Matt. xiii. 7. Art thou angry becaufe God hath pulled away a thorn from thee ? Riches are compared to thick clay, Hab. ii. (i. Perhaps thy aftedions, which are the feet of the foul, might have ftuck fo faft in this golden clay, that they could not have afcended up to heaven. Be content; if God dam up our outward comforts, it is, tliat the ftream of our love may run falter another way.

Reply 3. If your eftate be fmall, yet God can blefs a little. It is not how much money we have, but how much blefling. He that often curfeth the bags of gold can blefs the meal in the barrel, and the oil in the cruife. What if thou hall not the full flefti-pots ? Yet thou hatla promife, ' I will blefs her provifion,' Pfal. cxxiii. 13. And then a little goes a great way ; be content, thou haft the dew of a blefting dillilled ; a dinner of green herbs, where love is, is fvveet : I may add, where the love of God is. Another may have more eftate than you, but, more care : more riches, lefs reft ; more revenues, but, with all, more occafions of expence : he hath a greater inheritance, yet perhaps God doth not give him power to eat thereof, Eccl. vi. 2, He hath the dominion of his eftate, not the ufe ; beholds more but enjoys lets ; in a word, thou haft lefs gold than he, perhaps lefs guilt.

Reply 4. You did never fo thrive in your fpiritual trade ; your heart was never fo low, as liiice your condition was low : you were never lb poor in fpirit, never lb rich in fiith. You did never run the ways of God's commandments fo fall as fiiice jbme of your golden weights were taken oft". You never had fuch trading for heaven all your life ; this is uherriinns quefius. You did never make fuch adventures upon the promift; as fince you left otF your foa-adventures. This is (he bell kind of merchandize : O Chriftian, thou never had fuch incomes of the

Spirit, fuch fpring-tides of joy ; and what ihough weak in eftate, if ftronsr in affurance ? Be content, what you have loft one way, yon have gained another.

Reply h. Be your loffes what they will in this kind, remember in every lofs there is only a fuff'ering, but in every difcon-tent there is a fin, and one fin is worfe than a thoufand fuffer-ings. What I Becaufe fome of my revenues are gone, (hall I part with fome of my righteoufnefs ? Shall nty faith and patience go too ? Becaufe I do not pnlTefs an eflate, fhall I not therefore poflefs my own fpirit? O learn to be content.

§3. The third apology anfwered.

The third apology is, it is fad with me in my relations ; where I fhould find moft comfort, there I have mod grief. This apology or obje6lion brancheth itfelf into two partaculars, whereto I (hall give a diftin6l reply.

\ft Branch. My child goes on in rebellion ; I fear I have brought forth a child for the devil. It is, indeed, fad to think, that hell fliould be paved with the fcullsofany of ourchildren, and certainly the pangs of grief which the mother hath in this kind, are worfe than her pangs of travail ; but though you ought to be humbled, yet not difcontented ; for, conlider,

Iji Reply. You may pick fomething out of your child's un-dutifulnefs ; the child's fin is fometimes the parent's fermon ; the undulifulnefs of children to us, may be a momenta to put us in mind of your undutifulnefs once to God. Time was when we were rebellious children ; how long did our hearts iland out as garrilbns againfl; God? How long did he parley with us, and befeech us, ere we would yield? He walked in the tendernefh of his heart toward us, but we walked in the fro-wardnefs of our hearts towards him ; and fince grace hath been planted in our fouls, how much of the wild olive is ftill in us? How many motions of the Spirit do we daily refifl ? How many unkindnefies and atfronts have we put upon Chrift ? Let this open a I'pring of repentance ; look upon your child's rebellions and mourn for your own rebellion,

%l Reply. Though to fee him undutiful is your grief, yet not always your fin. Hath a parent given the child, not only the milk of the breaft, but the fincere milk of the word ? 1 Pet. ii. 2. Hail thou feafoned his tender years with religious education ? Thou canll do no more; parents can only work knowledge, God mult work grace : they can only lay the wood together ; it is God mull make it burn : a parent can only be a guide to fhew his child the way to heaven : the Spirit of God mult be a loadltoue to draw his heart into that way.— * Am I in God's ilead (faith Jacob) who hath with-held the fruit of the womb ?* Gen. XXX. ^\ Can I give children? So, is a parent in God's Head to give grace? Who can help it, if a child having the

liglit of confcience, fcripture, education, thefe three torches ia his hand, yet runs wilfully into the deep ponds of fin ? Weep for thy child, pray for him ; but do not fin for him by difcon-tent.

Reply 3. Say not, you have brought forth a child for the devil ; God can reduce him ; he hath promifed to • turn the heart of the children to their parents,' Mai. iv. (5. and to ' open fprings of grace in the defart,' Ifaiah xxxv. 6. When thy child.is going full fail to the devil, God can blow with a contrary wind of his Spirit, and alter his courfe. When Paul was breathing out perfecution againft the faints, and was iailing hell-ward, God turns him another way ; before, he vi^as going to Damafcus, God fends him to Ananias ; before, a perfecutor, now a preacher. Though our children are for the prefent fallen into the devil's pond, God can turn them from the power of Satan, A6ls xxiv. 16. and bring them in the twelfth hour. Monica was weeping for her fon Auguftine ; at lad God gave him in upon prayer, and he became a famous inllrument in the church of God.

2. The fecond branch of the objedlion is, but my hufband takes ill courles ; where I looked for honey, behold a Iting.

Ajif. It is fad to have the living and the dead tied together: yet, let not your heart fret with difcontent ; mourn for his fins,, but do not murmur : for.

Reply 1. God hath placed you in your relation, and you cannot be dilcontented, but you quarrel with God. What! For every crofsthat befalls us, Ihall we call the infinite wifdom of God in queftion ? Oh the blafphemy of our hearts !

Reply 2. God can make you a gainer by your hulband's fin : perhaps you had never been fo good, if he not been fo bad. The fire burns hotteft in the coldeft climate : God often by a divine antiperijia/is turns the fins of others to our good, and makes our maladies our medicines. The more profane the huC-band is, oft the more holy the wife grows : the more earthly he is, the more heavenlyv flie grows : God makes fometimes the hufband's fin a fpur to the wife's grace. His exorbitancies are as a pair of bellows to blow up the flame of her zeal and devotion the more.

Is it not thus ? Doth not thy hufband's wickednefs fend thee to prayer? Thou perhaps hadll never prayed lb much, if he had not finned fo much. His deadnefs quickens thee the more, the ftone of his heart is an hammer to break thy heart. The apoftle faith, ' the unbelieving wife is fan6lified by the believing hufband,' 1 Cor. vii. 14. But i\) this fenle, the believing wife is fanftified by the unbelieving hufband, fhe grows better ; hjis fin is a whetftone to her grace, and a medicine for her I'ecurity.

§ 4. The fourth apology anfwered.

Vol. II. No. 21. SK

■''The next apology that difcoDtent makes is, but my friends, ha've flealt vety unkindly with me, and proved falCe. ■ y#^//* It is lad, when a frieml proves like a brook in fummer. Job VI, Jo. The traveller being parched with heat, conies to the brook, hoping to reirefti himlelf; but the brook is dried tip : yet be content.

Rep/i; 1. Tliou art not alone, others of the faints have beert' betrayed by friends : and when they have leaned upon them;^ they have been as a foot out of joint. This whs true in the' type of David, Pi'. Iv. 12, 13. ' It wasnotan enemy reproached me, but it was thou, O man, my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance : we tookfweet counfel together ;' and in the antitype Chriil, he was betrayed by a friend ; and why (Lould We think ft (Irange to have the fame mealure dealt out ta us as Jefus Chrifi had ? * The iervant is not above his mafter.'

Reply 'i. A Chriftian may often read his fin in his punifh-ment ; hath not he dealt treacheroufly with God ? How oft hath he grieved the Comforter, broken his vowfj, and through unbelief fided with Satan againil God ? How ofl hath he abul'ed love, taken' the jewels of'God's mercies, and making a golden calf of then), ferving his own lufts ? How oft hath he made the free grace of God, which fhould have been a bolt to keep out fin, rather a key to open the door to it } Thefe wounds hatlj the Lord received in the. houfe of his friends, Zech. xiii. d. Look ujx)n the unkindnefs of thy friend, and mourn for thy own unkindnefs againfl God ; fliall a Chriftian condemn that ia anotlier, which he hath been too guilty of himfelf ?

Reply 3. Hath thy friend proved treacherous ? Perhaps you d-id repofe too much confidence in him. If you lay more weight upon a houfe than the pillars will bear, it mull needs break.' God laith, ' trutl ye not in a friend,' Mic. vii. 5. Perhaps you did pwt rifiore truft in him, than you did'(hre to put in God. Friends are at Venice-glali'es ; we may ufe them, but if we lean too hard upon them, they will break ; behold matterof humility, but not of lullennefsand difcoutent.

Reply 4. You have a friend in heaven who will never fail you ; *■ there is a friend (faith Solomon) thatlticketh clofer than a bra*-ther ?' Prov. xviii. ^4. Such a friend is God ; he is very ftudi-ous and inquifitive in our behalf; he hath a debatingwith himfelf, a conluUing and projecting, how he may do us good ; he ig the bell ft lend which may give contentment in the midfl of all d ifcourttfies of friends.

. Coiifider, 1. He is a loving friend. * God is love,* I John iv. I'Ov Hence he is laid fometimes to engrave us on the ' palm oChis hand,* Ila. xlix. 1(3. That we may never be out of his eye, and to carry * us in his bo(bm,' Ifa. xl. II. Near to his heart. There is no Hop or Hint in his love ; but as tl]e river

Nilus, it overflows all the banks; his love is as far beyoiul our thoughLs, as it i.s almveour deferts. O the infinite love of God, ill giving tl)e Son of his love to be nnade ilelh, which was more than if all the angels had been made worms? God in giving Chrill to us gave hiss very heart to us; here is love penciled out in all its glory, and engraven as with the * pointof a diamond.* All other love is hatred in comparifon of the love of our friend. ^ 2. He is a careful friend ; * he careth for you,* 1 Pet. v. 7. (1.) He minds and tranfads our bufinefs as his own, he accounts his people's intercfts and concernments as his intereft. (2.) He provides for us grace to enrich us, glory to ennoble us : it \va^ David's complaint, * no man careth for my foul,' Pfal. cxlii. 4. A Chrilliaii hath a friend that cares for him.

3. He is a prudent friend, Dan. ii. 20. A friend may fome-iimes ert" through ignorance or miftake, and give his friend poifon inftead of lugar; but ' God is wife in heart,' Job ix. 4. He is fkilful as well as faithful: he knows what our difeafe is, and what phyfic is moft proper to apply ; he knows what will do us good, and what wind will be beil to carry us to heaven.

4. He is a faithful friend, Deut. vii. 9, U). And he is faithful, 1. In his promifes, ' in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie halh promifed,' Tit. i. 2. God's people me ' children that will not lie,* Ha. Ixiii. 8. But God is a God that cannot lie : he will not deceive the faith of his people ; nay, he cannot: he is called the truth ; he can as well ceafe lo be God, as ceafe to be true. The Lord may fometimes change his pro-uiife (as when he converts a temporal promife into a fpiritual) but he can never break his promile.

5. He is a compafTionate friend, hence in fcripture we read of the * yearnings of his bowels,' Jer. xxxi. 20. God's friend-fhip is nothing elfe but compaffion ; for there is naturally no af-fedtion in us to defire his friendfhip, nor no goodnefs in us to deferve it; the loadllone is in himlelf. When we were full of blood, he was full of bowels; when we were enemies, he fent an ambaflage of peace ; when our hearts were turned back from God, his heart was turned towards us. O the tcnderuel's and fympathyof our friend in heaven! We ourlelves have ibme re-lentings of heart to thofe which are in milery ; but it is God who begets all the mercies and bowels that are in us, therefore he is called, * the Father of mercies,' 2 Cor. i, 3.

6. He is a conltant friend. His companions fail not, Lara, iii. 22. Friends do often in adverfity drop otf as leaves in autumn. Amici circa fartaginem, as Plutarch faith ; ihele are rather flatterers than friends;. Joab was for a time faithful to king David's houfe, he went not after Ablaiom's trealbn ; but within a while proved fall'e to the crown, and went after the trealon of Adonijulj, 1 Kings i. ?• God is a friend for ever,

3K2

• having loved his own, he loved them to the end,' John xiii*, 1. What though lam def'pifed ; yet God loves me: what though my friends cad me off? yet God loves me ; he loves to the end, and iheYe is no end of that love. '

This, methinks, in cafe of difcourtefies and unkindneffes, is enough to charm dowrn difcontent.

§ 5. The fifth apology anfivcred.

The next apology is, I am under great reproaches. Let not this difcontent: For,

Anf. 1. It is a fign there is fome good in thee; faith Socrates, What evil have I done, that this bad man commends me? The applaufe of the wicked ufually denotes fome evil, and their cen-fure imports fome good, Pfal. xxxviii. 20. David wept and fafted, and that was turned to his reproach, Pfal. Ixix. 10. As we muft pafs to heaven through the pikes of futfering, fo through the clouds of reproach.

• Reply 2. If your reproach be for God, as David's was, * for thy fake 1 have borne reproach,' Pfal. Ixix. 7- then it is rather matter of triumph, than deje6lion : Chrift doth not fay, when you are reproached, be dilcontented ; but rejoice, Mat. v. 12. Wear your reproach as a diadem of honour, for now a fpirit of

• glory refts upon you,' 1 Pet. iv. 14. Put your reproaches into the inventory of your riches ; fo did Mofes, Heb. xi. 26. It fhould be a Chriftian's ambition to wear his Saviour's livery, though it be fprinkled with blood and fullied with difgrace.

Reply 3. God will do us good by reproach, as David of Shimei's curfing, * it may be the Lord will requite good for his curfing this day,' 2 Sam. xvi. 12. This puts us upon fearch-ing out fin. A child of God labours to read his fin in every ftone of reproach that is cafi; at him ; befides, now we have an opportunity to exercife patience and humility.

Reply 4. Jefus Chrift was content to be reproached for us;

• hedefpifed the fliame of the crofs,' Heb. xi. 2. It may amaze us to think, that he who w*as God could endure to be fpit upon, to be crowned with thorns, in a kind of jeer ; and when he was ready to bow his head upon the crofs, to have the Jews in fcorn wag their heads, and fay, * he faved others, himfelf he cannot fave.' The fliame of the crofs was as much as the blood of the crofs ; his name was crucified before his body. The fharp arrows of reproach that the world did (hoot at Chrift;, went deeper into his heart than the fpear ; his fufterings was fo ignominious, that, as if the fun did blufti to behold, it withdrew its bright beams, and mafked itfelf with a cloud ; (and well it might when the Sun of righteoufnefs was in an eclipfe) ; all this contumely and reproach did the God of glory endure, or rather defpife for us. Oh then, let us be content to have our names eclipfed for Chrift ; let not reproach lie at our heart, but

let «s bind it as fei ctowh about our head. Alas! what is reproach ; This is but fmall (hot; how will men (land iu »ae mouth of a cannon ? Thole who are dilcontented at a reproach, will be ofTended at a faggot.

Reply 5. Is not many a man contented to luffer reproach for maintaining his luft ? And ftiall ncl we for maintaining the truth ? Some * glory in tb^,t which is their (hame/ Phil. iii. 19. And fhafl we be afliamed of that which is our glory? Be not troubled at thefe petty things ; he whofe heart is once touched with the joadftone of God's Spirit, doth account it his honour to be diflionoured for Chrilt, Acts xv. 4. and doth as much defpife the world's cenfure, as he doth their prail'e.

Reply Q. We live in an age, wherein men dare reproach God himfelf. The Divinity of the Son of God is blafphemoufly reproached by the Socinian ; the bleifed Bible is reproached by the antifcripturift, as if it were but a legend of lies, and every man's faith a fable ; the juftice of God is called to the bar of reafon by the Arminians ; the wildom of God in his providential a6lings, is taxed by the iVlheilt; the ordinances of God are decreed by the Familiits, as being too heavy a burden for a free-born conlcience, and too low and carnal for a lublime f'eraphic fpirit; the ways of God, which have the nuijei\y of holinefs (hining in them, are calumniated by the profane ; the mouths of men are open againfl God, as if he were an hard mailer, and the path of religion too flrid and i'evere. If men cannot give God a good word, fliall we be dilcontented or troubled, that they fpeak hardly of us ? Such as labour to bury the glory of religion, (hall we wonder that their throats are open fepuichres, Rom. iii. 31. to bury our good namc.'^ Oh, let us be contented, while we are in God's fcouring-houle, to have our names ful-lied a little; the blacker we feem to be here, the brighter ("hall we (hine when God huth fet us upon the celeftial Iheif.

§ 0'. TheJixlh apology aiijwered.

The hxth apology that difcontent makes, is, difrefpecl in the world. 1 have not that efteem from men as is luitable to my quality and graces. And doth this trouble ? Confider,

Reply 1. The world is an unequal judge; as it is full of change, fo of partiality. The world gives her relpecls, as Hie doth her places of preferment; more by favour often, than de-Cert. Hall thou the ground of real worth in thee ^ That is bell; worth that is in him that hath it ; honour is in him that gives it : better deferve refpecl, and not have it, than have it, and. not delerve it.

Reply 2. Haft thou grace ; God refpe6ls thee, and his judgment is bell worth prizing. A believer is a perfou of honour, being born of God. Since thou wall precious in mine eyes, * thou haft been honourable, and i have loved thee/ Ilk. xliii.

A,, .;Let the world think what they will of you ; perhaps in tii^Jr ey^s you are a caft-away ; in God's eyeh a dove. Cant, ii, 1.4. A ij^ure. Cant. V. 1. A jewel, Mai. id. 17. Othe.iis account you ihe dregs and off-fcouring of the world, 1 Cor. jv, i4. but God will gi>0 * whole kingdoms for your ranlbm,* Ifa. xliii. 5. Let thii> content : iio matter with what oblique eyes I aui looked upon in the world, ifIa.iD recli^ in curia, God thinks well of me. It is better that God approve, than man applaud, :T.he world may put us in their rubric, and God puts us in his JbUck book. What is a man the better that his fellow-priioaefs commend him, if his judge condemn him? O labour to keep in with God, prize his love : Let my fellow-fubjects frown : t am contented, being a favourite of the King of heaven.

Reply 3. If we are the child of God, we muft look for difre-fpe6l; a believer is in the world, but not of ihe world : we are here in a pilgrim condition, out of our own country, therefore mult not look for the refpe<9:s and acclamations of the world ; it is fuilicieiit that we (hall have honour in our own country, Heb. xiii. 14. It is dangerous lo be tht,- world's favourite. . Reply A. Difcontentarifing from difrefpe6t, (avours too much pf pride : an humble Chrifiian hath a lower opinion of himfelf than others can have of him. He that is taken up about the thoughts of his fins, and how he hath provoked God, he cries out, as Agur, * I aui more brutifh than any man,' Prov. xxx. U. And therefore is contented, though he be let among ' dogs of the tlock,' Job xxx. 2. Though he be low in the thoughts of others, yet lie is thankful that he is not laid * in the Ibwelt hell,' Pf. ixxxvi. 13. A proud man fets an high value upon himfelf; and is angry with others, becauCe they will not come up to his price. Take heed of pride : O had others a window to look into their breafl, (as Crates once exprefled it) or did thy heart (land where thy face doth, thou wouldell wonder to have fo much refpcct.

^7- The feventh apology qnficered.

The next apology is, I meet with very great fufferings for the truth. Confider,

Reply 1. Your fufferings are not fo great as your fins : put thele two in the balance, and lee which weighs heaviefl ; where fin lies heavy, fulferings lie light. A carnal fpirit makes more of hi.> lufTeriugs, and lefs of his fins ; he looks upon one at the great end of the perfpeclive, but upon the other at the little end of the perfpective. The carnal heart cries out, take away the frogs ; but a gracious heart cries out, take away the iniquity, 2 Sam. xxiv. 10. The one faith, never any one fufiered as I have done ; but the other fuith, never one linned as I have done, Micali vii, 7.

Rephi ^. Artthou u?)rler futrerin^s; rhduh^ll\\n opjjoitMi^iiv' to (hew Ihe valour and conlhuK'y ol'lhy mind. Somt- of God'i laints would have ac<iountfd it i» {jreat iavoiir to have btvMi ho-noiiiV(i wit^h rnirtyrdoirt. One laid, * I am in prifon till I be HI prilbn.' Thou counted that a trouble, which others would have worn as aineiUign of their glory; " '' ''"''' • ? Reply 3. tlven fhol'e who have i^one only nponmoral principles, have fhewn much conllancy And contentment in (heir fuf-feriu^b. Curiius, bein©' bravely mouivted, and in armour, thievv htmliFdrinto a great ^ulf, that the city of Rome might, accord-inof to the oracle, be delivered from th^ peftilence. And we havins^ a divine oracle, * that they who kill the body cannot hurt the foul,' Ihall we not with much cotdlancy and patience devote ourlejves to injuries for religion, and rather littler for the truth, than the truth i'utfer for us ? The Decii among the Ro-inans vowed themlelves to death, tllat their legions and foldiers might be crowned with the honour of the vic'*lory. O what /bould we be content to fulVer, to make the truth victorious ! Regulusjf having fworrt that he would return to Carthage, (though lie knew there was a furnace heating for him there) yet not daring to infrinj.'e his oath, he did adventure to go : we then who are Chriltian*, having made a vow to Chrill in baptifm, and fo often reti"e\Ved in the blelied lacrament, fliould with much con-t^ntatton rather choole to fuller, than violate our facred oath. Thus the blelfed m'artyrs, with what courage and cheertulnefs did they yield up their fouls to God ? And when the fire was fet to their bodies, yet their I'pirits were not at all fired with padiort or difconlent. Though others hurt the body, let them not the .aind, through difcontent; fliew by your heroic courage, that you are above thoCe troubles which you cannot be without,

§ ft. The eighth apology anfwered. The next apology is, the profperity of the wicked. Anf. t confels it is fo often, that the evil enjoy all the good, and th(} good endure all the evil. David though a good maa ilimUHt^d at this, and had like to have fallen, Pf. lxxiIi.^2. Well, be corilented ; for retnt-njber,

1. 'I'hefe are not die only things, nor (he heft things ; they are mercies without the pale: theie are but acorns \\iih which G^od feeds IWine ; you who are believers have more choice fruit, tlie olive, the pomegranat •, the fruit which grows on the true viiie Jefus Chrift ; others have the fat of the earth, you have the dew of heaven ; they have a fouth laud, you hive thole fpriugs of living water which are clarified with Chrilt's blood, ^.nd indulcerated with his love.

Reply 2. To fee the wicked flourilh is matter rather of pity than envy : it is all the heaven they muft have. ' SVoe to you.

rich men, for you have received your confolatibn,' Luke vi. ?4. Hence it was that David made it his Iblemn prayer, ' Dehver rue from the wicked, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whofe beily thou filleft with thy hid trea-fure,' Pf. xvii. 15. The words (methinks) are David's htany; from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, ** good God deliver me." When the wicked, have eaten of their dainty difhes, there comes in a fad reckoning which will fpoil all. The world is firft mufical and then tragical: if you would have a man fry and blaze in hell, let him have enough of the fat of the earth. O remember, for every fand of mercy that runs out of the wicked, God puts a drop of wrath into his vial. Therefore as that foldier faid to his fellow, do you envy my grapes ? they coll me dear, I muft die for them : fo I fay, do you envy the wicked. Alas, their pj-ofperity is hke Haman's banquet before excution. If a man were to be hanged, would one envy to fee him walk to the gallows through pleafant fields and fine galleries, or to fee him go up the ladder in clothes of gold ? Tbp wicked may flourilh in their bravery a while ; but, M'hen they flourilh as the grafs, it is, that they fliall be deftroyed for ever, PI", xcii. 7- The proud grafs fliall be mown down. Whatever a finner enjoys, he hath a curfe with it, IMal. ii. 2. and fhall we envy ? What if poifoned bread be given the dogs ? The long furrows in the backs of the godly have a feed of blef-ling in them, when the tabk of the wicked becomes a fnare, and their honour their halter.

§ 9' The ninth apology anjwered.

<}. The next apolosy that difcontent makes for itfelf, is, the evils of the times. The times are full of herefy and impiety, and this is that which troubles me. This apology confin:s of two branches, to which I fhall anfwer mfpecie ; and.

Branch 1. I^he times are full of herefy—This is indeed fad ; when the devil cannot by violence deflroy the church, he endeavours to poifon it; when he cannot with Samtou's iox-tails fet the corn on fire, then he fows tares ; as he labours to deftroy the peace of the church by divifion, fo the truth of it by ^-rror : we may cry out with Seneca, x^ere vwinms in tewpuriim f(mb%isy we live in times wherein there is flnice open to all nove! o-pinions, and every man's opinion is his Bible. Well; this may usake us mourn, but let us not murmur through difcontent : Con-lider.

Reply 1. Error makes a difcovery of men. 1. Bad me\i; error difcovers inch as are tainted and corrupt. Wh<M) the h-profy brake forth in the forehead, then was the leper difcovered. Error is a fpiritual baftard ; the devil is the father, and pride the mother : you never knew an erroneous man, but he was a proud man. Now, it is good tliat fuch men fliould be laid

THE ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT. 449

open, to the intent, Firjl, That God's righteous judgment upon thenri may be adored, a Theif. ii. 12. Secondly^ That others, who are free, be not infe6led. If a man have the plague, it is well it breaks forth : for my part, I would avoid an heretic, as i would avoid the devil, lor he is Tent on his errand. I appeal unto you, if there were a tavern in this city, where, under pretence of felling wine, many hogHieads of poifoo were to be fold, were it not well that others fliould know of it, that they might not buy ? It is good that ihofe who have poifoned opinions fhould be known, that the people of God may not come near either the fcent or taile of that poifon.

2. Error is a touch-ftone to difcover good men ; it tries the gold. • There muft be herefies, that they which are approved, maybe made manifeft,' 1 Cor. xi. 14. Thus our love to Chrift, ?nd zeal for truth doth appear. God (hews who are the livin? lifh, viz. fuel) as fvyim againft the ilream ; who are the found (heep, viz. fuch as feed in the green pafturesof the ordinances ; who are the doves, viz. fuch as live in the bell air, where the fpirit breathes ; God fets a garland of honour upon thefe,

* Thefe are they which came out of great tribulation,' Rev. vii, 14. So thele are they that have oppoled the errors of the times ;

♦ he(e are they that have preferved the virginity of their co^i-tcience, who have kept their judgment found, and their heart loft. God will have a trophy of honour fet upon (bme of his faints ; they (hall be renowned for their fincerily, being like the cyprefs, which keeps its greennefs and frefhnals in the winter-lea fon.

Reply ^. Be not fiiifiilly difcontented, for God can make the' errors of the church advantageous to truth. Thus the truths of God have come to be more beaten out and confirmed ; as it is in the law, one man laying a falfe title to a piece of land, the true title hath by this means been the more fearched into and ratified ; fome had never fo lludied to defend the truth of fcrip-ture, if others had not endeavoured to overthrow it by fophillry ; all the mills and fogs of error that have rifenout of the bottom-iefs pit, have made the glorious fun of truth to Qiine ^o mudi the brighter. Had not Arius and Sabellius broached their dam-iiable errors, the truth of thoi'e quellions about the bleUed Trinity, had never been fodilcuifed and defended by Athanafius, Augutiine, and others ; had not the devil brought in fo much of his princely darknefs, the champions for truth had never ruo io fall to fcripture to light their lamps. So that God, with a wheel within a wheel, over-rules thefe things wifely, and turns them to the belt. Truth is an heavenly plant, tliat fettles by (haking.

Ueply 3. God raifeth the price of his truth the more; the verv ihreds and fiUugs of trutU are venerable. When there is

much counterfeit metal abroad, we prize the true gold the more ; pure wine ot truth is never more precious, tiiau when unfound dodrinesare broached and vented.

Reply 4. Error makes us more thankful to God for the jewel of truth. When you fee another infe6ted with the plague, how thankful are you, that God hath freed you from the infe6tion ? When we fee others have the leprofy in the head, how thankful are we to God that he hath not given us over to believe a lie, and lb be damned ? It is a good ui'e that may be made even of the errors of the times, when it makes us more humble and thankful, adoring the free grace of God, who hath kept us, from drinking of that deadly poifon.

2. The I'econd branch of the apology that difeontent makes, is, the impiety of the times. 1 live and converfe among the profane ; ' O that I had wings like a dove, that 1 might fly away and be at reft,' Pf. Iv. 6.

Anf. It is indeed fad, to be mixed with the wicked. David beheld ' tranfgreffors and was grieved,' Ff. cxix. 58. and Lot (who was a bright ftar in a dark night) was vexed, or, as the \vor<l in the original may bear, * wearied out with the unclean converfation of the wicked,' 2 Pet. ii. 7. He made the fins of Sodom fpears to pierce bis own foul ; we ought, if there be any I'park of divine love in us, to be very lenfible of the fins of other."*, and to have our hearts bleed for them ; yet let us not break forth into mourning o\' difeontent, knowing that God, in his providence, hath permitted it, and furely not without fome reafon ; for,

Reply I. The Lord makes the wicked an hedge to defend the godly ; the wife God often makes thofe who are wicked and peaceable, a means to fave-guard his people from thole who are wicked and cruel. The king of Babylon kept Jeremiah, and gave fpecial order for his looking to, that hedid want nothing, Jeremiah xxxix. 11, 1*2. God Ibmetimes makes brazen lin-iiers to be brazen walls to defend his people. - Reply 2. God doth interline and mingle the wicked with the godly, that the godly may be a means tofave the wicked ; fuch is the beauty of holinefs, that it hath a niagnetical force in it to allure and draw even the wicked. Sometimes God makes a believing huftjand a means to convert an unbelieving wife, and e contra. —' What knowell thou, O wife, whether thou fhallfave thy hufband ? Or how knowell thou, O man, whether thou ihalt lave thy wife ?' 1 Cor. vii. 1(). The godly living among the wicked, by their prudent advice and pious example, have won themto the embracing of religion ; if there werenot Ibme godly among the wicked, how, in a probable way, without a miracle, can we imagine that the wicked fl)ould be converted ? Thofe who are now Oiining faints in heaven, i'ometimes ferved vers lulls, Tim. iii. 3. Paul, once a perfccutor ; Augultme,

, once a manichee: Luther, once a monk; but by the fevere and holy carriage of the godly, were converted to the faith.

§ 10. The tenth apology anfwered.

The next apology that dilcontent makes, is, lownefs of parts and gifts ; I cannot (faith the Chrillian) difcourle with that fluency, nor pray with that elegancy, as others.

Reply Q, Grace is beyond gifts; thou compareft thy grace with another's gifts, there is a vafl difference ; grace without gifts is infinitely better than gifts without grace ; In religion, the vitals are bed ; gifts are a more extrinfical and common work of the Spirit, which is incident to reprobates ; grace is a more diftinguilbing work, and is a jewel hung only upon the ele6t. Haft thou the feed of God, the holy anointing? Be content.

, I. Thou fay eft, Thou canft not difcourfe with that fluency as others.

Anf. Experiments in religion are beyond notions, and im-prelfions beyond expredions. Judas, no doubt, could make a learned difcourfe of Chrill, but well fared the woman in the gofpel, that felt virtue coming out of him, Luke viii. 47. A lan6tified heart is better than a lilver tongue. There is as much difference between gifts and graces, as between a tulip painted on the wall, and one growing in the garden.

2. Thou fay eft, Thou canft not pray with that elegancy as others.

A7\l'. Prayer is a matter more of the heart than the head : in prayer it is not fo much fluency prevails, as fervency, James v. 10\ nor is God fo much taken with the elegancy of I'peech, as the elficacy of the fpirit. Humility is better than volubility ; here the mouth is the orator ; fighs and groans are the bell rhetoric, l/.u, <?• .;

Reply 2. Be not difcon tented ; for God doth ufually proportion a man's parts to the place where he calls them : Ibme are let in an higher fphere and function, their place requires more parts and abilities ; but the moft inferior member is ufefui in its place, and Ihall have a power delegated for the difcharge of its peculiar office. - § II. Thje eleventh apology anfwered?

The next apology is, the iroubles of the church. Alas, my difquiet and dilcontent is not fo much for mylelt, as the public? The church of God fufl'ers.

Anf. 1 confefs it is tad, and we ought for this, * to hang our harps upon the willows,' Pfal. cxxxvii. He is a wooden leg in Chrilt's body, that is not feniible of the ftato of the body. As a Chriftiun mult not be proud fleth, lb neith> r dead fleih. When the church of God iutlers, he miiii (ympath ze ; ' Jeremiah wept for the virgin daughter of Sion.' Vv'e niull leei our

3L 2

brethren's hard cords through our foft beds : In fnufic, if one (Iring be touched, all the reft Ibnnd ; when God llrikes upon our brethren, ' our bowels mull found as an harp,* ICa. xvi. 11. be fenfible, but give not way to difcontent. For, confider, - Reply 1. God (its at the item of his church, Pf. xlvi, 6. Sometimes it is a (hip tofled upon the waves, ' O thou afflicted and toifed,' Ifa. liv. 12. But cannot God bring this fliip to ha-ten, though it meet with a ftorm upon the fea ? This (hip in the gofpel was tofied, becaufe (in was in it ; but it was not overwhelmed, becaufe Chrift was in it. Chrill is in the (hip of his church, fear not finking ; the church's anchor is cad in heaven. Do not we think God loves his church, and takes as much care of it as we can ? The names of the twelve tribes were on Aaron's breaft, fignifying how near to God's iieart his peo* pie are ; they are his portion, Deut. xxxvii. 9. and (hall that be loll; his glory, Ifa. xlvi. 13. and (liall that be finally eclip-fed ? No certainly. God can deliver his church, tjotonly from, but by oppofition ; the church's pangs (hall help forward her deliverance.

Reply S. God hath always propagated religion by (uflTerings. The foundation of the church hath been laid in blood ; and thefe fanguine (howers have ever made it more fruitful. Cain put the knife to Abel's throat, and ever fince the church's veins have bled : but (he is like the vine, which by bleeding grows; and hke the palm-tree, which may have this motto, percvJJ'a reJuT" git ; the more weight is laid upon it, the higher it rifeth. The holinefs and patience of the faints, under their perfecutions, hath much added both to the growth of religion, and the crown, Bafil and TertuUian obferve of the primitive martyrs, that divers of the heathens feeing their zeal and conftancy, turned Chriflians. Religion is that Phoenix which hath always revived and flouri(hed in the a(hes of holy men. Ifaiah fawn afunder, peter crucified at Jerufalem with his head downwards ; Cyprian, bi(hop of Carthage, Polycarp, of Smyrna, both martyred for religion ; yet evermore the truth had been fealed by blood, and glorioufly difperfed ; whereupon Julian did forbear to perfecute, non edc dementia fed invidia ; not out of pity, but envy ; becaufe the church grew fo faft, and multipfied^ as Nazianzen well observes.

§ IQ. The twelfth apology avfivered.

The twelfth apology that difcontent makes for itfelf, is this. It is not my trouble that troubles me, but it is my fins that do difiquiet and difcontent me.

Anf. Be fure it be fo ; do not prevaricate with God and thy own foul : In true mourning for (in, when the prefent fufi'ering is removed, yet the (brrow is not removed : but fuppofe the apology be real, that fin is the ground of your difcontent; "yet I

anfwer, a man's difquiet about fin may be beyond its bounds, in tliele three cales.

1. When it is diflieartening, that is, when it fets up fin above mercy. If Iliael had only pored upon their I'ting, and not looked up to the brazen I'erpent, they had never been healed. That forrow for tin which drives us away from God, is not without fin, for their is more defpair in it than remorfe; the foul hath lb many tears in its eyes, that it cannot lee Chrift. Sorrow, as forrow, doth not fave (that were to make a Chrill of OUT tears) but it is ufeful, as it is preparatory in the foul, making fin vile, and Chrilt precious. Oh look up to the brazen ferpent, the Lord Jefus ; a fight of his blood will revive, the medicine of his merits is broader than our fore.

It is Satan's policy, either to keep us from feeing our fins, or, if we will needs fee them, that we may be fwallowed up of forrow, 2 Cor. ii. ?• either he would ftupify us, or affright us ; either keep the glafs of the law from our eyes, or elfe pencil out our fins in fuch crimfon colours, that we may fink in the quick-fands of defpair.

- 2. When forrow is indifpofing, it untunes the heart for prayer, meditation, holy conference ; it cloifl:ers up the foul. This is not forrow, but rather fullennefs, and doth render a man not fo much penitential as cynical.

3. When it is out of feafon ; God bids us rejoice, and we hang our harps upon the willows ; he bids us trull, and we call ourlelves down, and are brought even to the margin of defpair. If Satan cannot keep us from mourning, he will be fure to put us upon it when it is leaft in feafon.

When God calls us in a fpecial manner to be thankful for mercy, and put on our white robes, and Satan will be putting us into mourning, and inllead of a garment of praife, clothe us with a fpirit of heavinefs ; lb God lofeth the acknowledgement of mercy, and we the comfort.

If thy forrow hath tuned and fitted thee for Chrift, if it hath raifed in thee high prizings of him, llrong hungerings after him, fweet delight in him ; this is as much as God requires, jmd a Chrillian doth but fin to vex and torture himfelf further upon the rack of his own difcontent.

And thus I hope I have anfwered the moft material objedions and apologies which this fin of diicontent doth make for itfelf. I fee no realbn why a Chrillian fhould be difconteutcd, iinlefs for his diicontent. Let me in the next place propound fome-thing which may be both as a loadflone and a whetllone to con-tentation.

CHAi'. XI. Divine motives to contentment.

And lb I proceed to the arguments or motives that may . quicken to couteutment.

• § 1. Thefir/t argument to cojiientation. I. Confider the excellency ot it. Contentment is a flower that doth not grow in every garden ; it teacheth a man how in the midft of want to abound. You would think it were excellent if I would prelcribe a receipt or antidote againll poverty : but behold, here is that which is more excellent; for a man to want, and yet have enough, this alone contentment of fpirit doth bring. Contentation is a remedy againlt all our troubles, a levamen to all our burdens, it is the cure of care. Contentation though it be not properly a grace, (it is rather a difpofition of mind) yet in it there is a happy temperature and mixture of all the graces : it is a moft precious compound, which is made up of faith, patience, meeknefs, humility, &c. which are the ingredients put into it. Now there are in Ipecie thei'e feven rare excellencies in contentment.

1. Excellency, a contented Chriftian carries heaven about him : for, what is heaven, but that fweet repofe and full contentment that the foul fliall have in God ? In contentment there is the firft fruits of heaven. There are two things in a contented i'pirit, which make it like heaven. (I.) God is there ; fbme-thing of God is to be feen in that heart. A difcontented Chriftian is like a rough tempeftuous lea ; when the water is rough, you can fee nothing there ; but when it is fmooth and ferene, then you may behold your face in the water, Prov. xvii. 19. When the heart rageth through difcontent, it is like a rough fea, you can fee nothing there, unlefs paflion and murmuring ; there is nothing of God, nothing of heaven in that heart : but by virtue of contentment, it is like the fea when it is fmooth and calm, there is a face ihining there ; you may fee fomething of Chrill in that heart, a reprefentation of all the graces. (2.) Reft is there ! O what a fabbath is kept in a contented heart! What an heaven! A contented Chriftian is like Noah in the ark ; though the ark were tofled with waves, Noah could lit and ling in the ark. The foul that is gotten into the ark of contentment, fits quiet, and fails above all the waves of trouble ; he can lirig in this fpiritual ark : the wheels of the chariot move, but the axle-tree ftirs not; the circumference of the heavens is carried about the earth, but the earth moves not out of its centre. When we meet with motion and change in the creatures round about us, a contented fpirit is not fiirred or moved out of its centre. The fails of a mill, move with the wind, but the mill itfelf (lands ftill; an emblem of contentment: when our outward eftate moves with the wind of providence, yet the heart is fettled through holy contentment; and when others are like qiiick-lilver, fliaking and trembling through difquiet, the contented fpirit can lay, as David, •' O God, my heart is lixed," Pikl. ivii. 7. What is this but a piece of heaven ?

TEH ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT. 455

^2. Excellency, whatever is defedtive in the creature, is made up in contentment. A Chridian may want the comloi ts that others have, the land and poifefTions •, hut God hath diftilled into his heart that contentment which is far better : in this fenle, that is true of our Saviour, * he fhall have in this life an hundred fold,' Mat. xix. ^2y. Perhaps he that ventured all for Chrift, never hath his houf'e or land again : ay, but God gives him a contented fpirit; and this breeds fuch joy in the foul, as is infinitely fweeter than all his houles and lands which he left for Chrill. It was fad with David in regard of his outward comforts, he being driven (as fome think) from his kingdom ; yet, in regard of that fweet contentment he found in God, he had more comfort thati men ufe to have in the time of harveft and vintage,' Pf. iv. 7. One man hath houfe and lands to live upon, another hath nothing, only a fmall trade ; yet even that brings in a livelihood. A Chriftian may have little in the world, but he drives the trade of contentment; and fo he knows as well how to want, as to abound. O the rare art, or rather miracle of contentment! wicked men are often difquieted in the enjoyment of all things ; the contented Chrillian is well in the want of all things.

Qu. But how comes a Chriftian to be contented in the deficiency of outward comforts ?

Anf. A Chriltian finds contentment diftilled out of the bveafts of the promifes. He is poor in purfe but rich in promife. There is one promife brings much contentment into the foul— • They that feek the Lord Ihall not want any good thing,' Pfal. xxxiv. 10. If the thing we defire be good tor us, we (hall have it ; if it be not good, then the not having it, is good for us. The refting fati&fied with the promife gives contentment.

3. Excellency, contentment makes a man in tune to ferve God ; it oils the wheels of th6 foul, and makes it more agile and nimble ; it compofeih the heart, and makes it fit for prayer, meditation, &c. How can he that is in a paffion of grief, or difcontent, ' ferve God without diftra6lion ?' 1 Cor. vii. 35. Contentment doth prepare and tune the heart. Firft you prepare the viol, and wind up the Itrings, ere you play a fit of mufic : when a Chriflian's heart is wound up to this heavenly frame of contentment, then it is fit for duty. A difcontented Chrillian is like Saul, when the evil fpirit came upon him : O what jarrings and difcords doth he make in prayer! When am army is put into diforder, then it is not fit for battle ; when the thoughts are fcattered and diflra6ted about the cares of this lifei a man is not fit for devotion. Difcontent takes the heart wholly otf from God, and fixeih it upon the prelcnt trouble, fo that a man's mind is not upon his prayer, but upon his crofs.

Dilconleat doth di-joint the foul, and it is impoflible now

that a Chrillian fhould go fo (leadily and cheerfully in God's lervice; O how lame is his devotion ! The djlcontented perfon gives God but a half-duty, and his religion is nothing but bodily exercii'e, it wants a foul to animate it. David would not offer that to God which * cod him nothing,'2 Sam. xxiv. 24. Where there is too much worldly care, there is too little fpiritual cell in a duty. The difcontented perfon doth his duties by halves; he is jult like ' Ephraim, a cake not turned,* Hof. vji. 8. He is a cake baked on one fide, he gives God the outfide, but not the fpiritual part; his heart is not in duty, he is baked on one fide, but the other fide dough ; and what profit is there of fuch raw indigefted fervices? He that gives God only the fkin of worfliip, what can he expe6t more than the (hell of comfort; Contentation brings the heart into frame ; and then only do we give God the flower and fpirits of a duty, when the foul is com-pofed : now a Chriftian doth rem agere, his heart is intent and lerious. There are fome duties which we cannot perform as we ought without contentment; as, (1.) To rejoice in God. How can he rejoice that is difcontented ? He is fitter for repining than rejoicing. (2.) To be thankful for mercy. Can a difcontented perfon be thankful? He can be fretful, not thankful. (3.) To juftify God in his proceedings, Ezra ix. 23. How can he do this who is difcontented with his condition ? He will Sooner cenfure God's wifdom, than clear his jufl:ice. Oh then, how excellent is contentation, which doth prepare, and as it were, firing the heart for duty,? Indeed contentment doth not only make our duties lively and agile, but acceptable. It is this that puts beauty and worth into them ; for contentment i'ettles the foul; now, as it is with milk, when it is always llir-ring, you can make nothing of it, but let it fettle a while, and then it turns to cream : when the heart is over-much ilirred with difquiet and difcontent, you can make nothing of thofe duties : how thin, how fleeting and jejune are they ? But when the heart is once fettled by holy contentment, now there is fome worth in our duties, now they turn to cream.

4. Excellency, Contentment is the fpiritual arch, or pillar of the foul ; it fits a man to bear burdens ; he whofe heart is ready to fink under the leafl; fin, by virtue of this hath a fpirit invincible under futFerings. A contented Chriftian is like the camomile, the more it is trodden upon, the more it grows ; as phyfic works difeafes out of the body, fo doTh contentment work trouble out of the heart. Thus it argues, if I am under reproach, God can vindicate me ; if I am in want, God can relieve me. * Ye ftiail not fee wind nor rain, yet the valley Ihall be filled with water,* e Kings iii. 17. Thus holy contentment keeps the heart from fainting; in the autumn, when the fruit and leaves are blown off, ftill there is fap in the root: when there is an autumn upon

our external felicity, the leaves of our eftate drop off, flill there is the lap of contentment in the heart; and a Chrillian hath life inwardly, when his outward comforts do not bloifom. The contented heart is never out of heart. Contentation is a golden Ihield, that doth beat back difcouragements. Humility is like the lead to the net, which keeps the foul down when it is rifing through pafTion : and contentment is like the cork, which keeps the Ibul up when the heart is (inking through dilcouragements. Contentment is the great underprop : it is like the beam which bears whatever weight is laid upon it ; nay, it is like a rocl« that breaks the waves.

It is ftrange to obferve the fame afflt6lion lying upon two men, how differently they carry themfelves under it. The contented Chriftian is like Sampfon, that carried away the gates of the city upon his back, Judg. xvi. 3. he can go away with his crofs cheerfully and makes nothing of it ; the other is like Kfitchar, couching down under his burden. Gen. xlix. 14. The teafon is, the one is content, and that breeds courage ; the other difcontented, and that breeds fainting. Difcontent fwells the grief, and grief breaks the heart. When this facred (incw of contentment begins to (hrink, we go limping under our af^ fli6tions, we know not what burdens God may exerciCe us with ; let us therefore prelerve contentment: as is our contentment, fuch will be our courage. David with his five ftones and his fling defied Goliah, and overcame him. Get but contentment into the fling of your heart; and with this facred Hone you may both defy the world and conquer it; you may break thofe af* flii'^lions, which elfe would break you.

5. Excellency is, contentment prevents many fins and tenta-(ions.

Fhft, It prevents many fins. Where there wants content-* nient there wants no fin ; difg^ntentednefs with our condition, is a fin that doth not go alone, but is like the fnit link of the chain, which draws all the other links along with it. In particular, thefe are two fins which contentation prevents. (I.) Impatience. Difcontent and impatience are two twins : ' this evil is of the Lord, why fliould I wait any longer.?' 2 Kings vi. .33. As if God were fo tied, that he nuift give us ilie mercy juft when we defire it. Impatience is no fmall fin ; as will appear, if you confider whence it aril'eth: as, (1.) It is for want of faith. Faith gives a right notion of God; it is an intelligent grace ; it believes that God's wildom tempers, and his love Iweetens all ingredients; this works patience: * Shall I not drink the cup which my Father hath given me?' Impatience i3 the daughter of infidelity. If a patient have an ill opinion of the phyfician, and conceits that he comes to poifon him, he will liave none ot his receipts. When we have a prejudice agniulV

Voh, II. No. 22. 3 M

God, and conceit that he comes to kill us, and undo uf, then we-itorm and cry out like a foolifli man (it is Chryfollom's fimile) that cries out, away with the plaifter, though it be in order to a cure; is it not bettev that the plaifter fmart a little, than the wound fefter and rankle? (2.) Impatience is for want of love to God. We will bear his reproofs whom we love, not only patiently, but thankfully, * Love thinks no evil,' 1 Cor. xiii. 5. It puts the faireft and moil candid glofs upon the a6lionsof a friend, ' Love covers evil.' If it werepoffible for God in the leali. manner to err (which were blafphemy to think) love would cover that error; love takes every thing in the beft fenfe, it makes us bear any ftroke; * itendureth all things,' 1 Cor. xiii. 7. Had we love to God, we fhould have patience. • (3.) Impatience is for want of humility. An impatient man was never humbled under the burden of fin ; he that fiudies his fins, the numberlefs number of them, how they are twifted together, and fadly accented, is patient, and faith, * I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becaufe I have finned againft him,' Mic. i. 9. The greater noife drowns the leflier ; when the fea roars, the rivers are fiill: he that lets his thoughts expatiate about fin, is both filent and amazed ; he wonders it is no worie with him. How great then is this fin of impatience ! and how excellent is contentation which is ?i fuperfedeas or counterpoife againft this fin ? The contented Chriftian, believing that God dodi all in love, is patient," and hath not one word to fay, unlefs to juftify God, Pfal. li. 4. That is the fin that contentation prevents. II. It prevents murmuring, a fin which is a degree higher than the other: murmuring is quarrelling with God, and inveighing againft him, ' they fpeak againft God,' Num. xxi. 5. The murmurer faith interpretatively, that God hath not dealt well with him, and he hath deferved better from him. The murmurer chargeth God wi.th folly -. this is the language, or rather blafphen^.y of a murmuring ipirit, God might have been a wifer and better God. The murmurer is a mutineer. The Ifraelites are called in the fume text murmurers and rebels. Numb, xvii, 10. And is not rebellion as the fin of witchcraft.^ Thou that art a murmurer, art in the account of God as a witch, a foicerer, as one that deals with a devil. This is a fin of the firft magnitude; murmuring often ends in curfing: Micah's mother fell to curfing when the talents of filver were taken away, Judg. xvii. 2. So doth the n)urmurer when a part of his eltale is taken away : our murmuring is the devil's mufic; this is thatlin which God cannot l)ear : ' How long (hall I bear with this people that murmur againft me ?' Num. xiv. 7. It is a fin winch whets the fvvord againft a people, it is a land-deftroy-ing fin ; • murmur ye not as fonte of them alfo murmured, and were deftroyed of the deftroyer,' 1 Cor. x. 10. Il is a ripeumg

fin this, without mercy, it will haflten England's funerals. O then how excellent is contentation, which prevents this fin ? To be contented, and yet murmur, is a folecifm : A contented Chriliian doth acqiiiefce in his prefent condition, and doih not munnur, but admire. Herein appears Hie excellency of contentation ; it is a i'piritual antidote againli fin.

Secondly, Contentment prevents many temptations; difcon-tent is a devil that is always tempting. 1. Tempt. It puts a man upon indiredl means. He that is poor and dilcontented. will attempt any thing; he will go to the devil for riches; he that is proud and dilcontented will hang himfelf, as Ahithophel did when his counl'el was reje6led. Satan takes great advantage of our difcontent; he loves to fifii in thefe troubled waters. Diliiontent doth both ecliple reafon and weaken faith ; and it is Satan's policy, he doth ufually break ov^r the hedge where it is weakeft. Difcontent makes a breach in the foul, and ufually at this breach the devil enters by a temptation, and ftorms the fcul. How eafily can the devil, by his logic, difputea difcon-tented Chriftian into fin ? He forms I'uch a fyllogifm as this. He that is in want muft ftudy felf-perfervation. But you are now in want, therefore you ought to fi;udy I'elf-prefervation. Hereupon, to make good his conclufion, he tempts to the forbidden fruit, not dillinguifiiing between what is needful and what is lawful ?—What! faith he, doft thou want a livelihood ? Never be fuch a fool as ftarve ; take the rifing fide at a venture, be it good or bad. ' Eat the bread of deceit, drink the wine of violence.'—Thus you fee how the difcontented man is a prey to that fad tentation, Prov. xxx. 9. * To Ileal and take God's name in vain.* Contentation is a fhield againlt tentation ; fur he that is contented knows as well how to want as to abound. He will not fin to get a living ; though the bill of fare grows fhort, he is content. He lives as the birds of the air, upon God's providence, and doubts not but he (hall have enough to pay for his pail'age to heaven. 2rf Tempt. Dilcontenl tempts a man to atheifin and apoftacy. Sure there is no God to take care of things here below ; would he fujfer them to be in want who have walked ' mournfully before him,' iVlal. iii. 14. i tith difcontent. 'J'hrow otf Chrift's livery, defill iVom thy religion. Thus Job's wife, being difcontented with her condition, laiili to her hufband, * Doft thou ftill retain thy integrity ?' Job ii. 9. As if (he had faid, doft thou not lee. Job, what is become of all thy religion? * Thou feareft God and efcheweftevil,' and what art thou the better? See how God turns his hand againft thee; he hath fmitten thee in thy body, eftate, relations, and * doft thou ftill retain thy integrity ?' What! ftill devout? Still weep and pray before him ? Thou fool caft otf religion, turn atheilt. Here was a fore tentation that the devil did hand over to Job by

3M ^Z

bis difcontfnted wife ; only his grace, as a golden fhieid, did ward off" the blow from his heart; ' Thou fpeakelt as one ot the fooliOi woQien/ What profit is it, laith the diloontented per-lon, to lerve the Almighty ? Thole that never trouble them-felves ahout religion, are the profperous men, and 1 in the mean while futfer want: as good give over drivinff the trade ol religion, if this be all my rev^ard. This is a lore tentation, and oft it prevails : atheilm is the fruit that grows out of the blol-fom of difcontent. Oh then, behold the excellency of contentment ; it doth repel this tentation. If God be miiie, faith the contented fpirit, it is enough ; though I have no lands or tenements, his Imile makes heaven ; his loves are better than wine ; better is the gleaning of Ephraim than the vintage of Abiezer, Judges viii, 2. I have little in hand, but much in hope; my livelihood is Ihort, but this is his promile, • even eternal life,' 1 John ii. go. I am perfuaded by malice : but better his per-fecuted godlinefs, than profperous wickednefs. Thus divine contentment is a fpiritual antidote both againft fin and tentation.

6 -Exce//e;2ci/, Contentment fweetens every condition. Chrift turned ihe water into wine ; fo coutentment turns the waters of Marah into fpiritual wine. Have I but little ? Yet it is more than I can deler^e or challenge. This modicum is in mercy ; it is the fruit of ChrilVs blcod", it is the leg?.cy of free-grace: a fmall prelent lent from a king is highly valued': this little I have is with a good c nlcience. It is not ftolen waters ; guilt hath pot muddied or pcifoned it; it runs pure. This little is a pledgee of more; this bit of brer, d is an earneft of that bread which I fliall eat in the kingdom of God. This little water in the crule is an earneft of that heavenly neclar, which (hall be diftilled from the true vine. Do I here meet with Ibme croifts ^ My comfort is, if they be heavy, I have not far to ?o ; I iTiall but carry n-y crofs to'Golgolha," and there 1 iliall leave it ■: mvcrols is light in regard of the weight of glory. Hath God'taken away my comforts from me ? It is well, the comforter fiill abides. Thus contentment, a? an hone\--comb, drop- fweet-nels into every condition. Difcontent is' a leaven that fours every comfort, it puts aloes and wormwood upon the breafi of the creature, it lelTens every mercy, it trebles everv crofs ; but the contented fpirit fucks Aveetnels from every flower of providence ; it can make a treacle of poilbn. Coni'eutation is full of confolation.

7. Excellency, Contentment hath this excellency, it is the beft commentator upon providence : it makes a fair interpretation of all God's dealings. Let the providence of God be never fo dart\ and bloody, contentment doth conltrue them ever in the IjeCi fenle. 1 may fay of it, as the apoftle of charity, • itthioks

no evil,' 1 Cor. i. 4. Sickneis (Ikith contentment) is God's furnace to retiue his gold, and make it Iparkle the more ; the prilbn is an oratory, or houfe of prayer. What if God melts away the creature froni it? He faw perhaps my heart grew lo much in love with it ; had I been long in that fat pafture, I lliould have lurfeited ; and the better my eftate had been, the '"worfe my foul would have been. God is wife; he hath done this, either to prevent Ibme fin, or to exercife feme grace. What a blefled frame of heart is this? A contented Chriftian is an advocate for God againft unbelief and impatience; wliereas ditcontent takes ever\- thing from God in the worft fenfe ; it: doth implead and cenfure God : this evil I feel is hut a fymptom of greater evil : God is but lo undo me; ' The Lord hatli brought us hither into the wildernefs to flay us,' Xumb. xx. 4. The contented foul takes all well ; and when his condition is never lb bad, he can lay, ' yet God is good/ Pf. Ixxiii. 1.

§ 2. The lecond argument to contentment, is, a Chriitiaa hath that which may make him content.

1. Hath not God given thee Chrift? In him there are un-fearchable riches, Eph. iii. 1. He is fuch a golden mine of wif-dom and grace, that all the faints and angels can never dig to the bottom. As Seneca laid to his friend Polybius, never complain of thy hard fortune as long as Caefar is thy friend : lb I fay to a believer, never complain as long as Chriit is thy friend : He is an enriching pearl, a fparkling diamond ; the infinite luftre of his merits makes us fhine in God's eyes, Eph. i. 7. In him there is both tulnefs and I'weetnefs; he is unfpeakably good. Screw up your thoughts to the higheft pinnacle, Itretch them to the utmoli period, let them expatiate to their full latitude and extent ; yet they fall infinitely Ihort of thofe ineffable and inexhaufiible treafures which are locked up in Jefus Chrift : and is not here enough to give the foul content ? A Chriftian that wants neceliaries, yet having Chrift, he hath the ' one thing needful.'

2, Thy foul is exerciled and enamelled with the ijracps of the Spirit, and is not here enough to give contentment ? Grace is of a divine birth, it is the new plantation ; it is the flower of the heavenly paradife ; it is the embroidery of the Spirit. It is * the feed of God,' 1 John iii. 9. It is ' the facred unction,' 1 John i. 27. It is ChrilVs prolraiture in the foul; it is the very foundation on which the fuperftruclure of glory is laid. Ol), of what infinite value is grace 1 What a jewel is faith ? Well may it be called precious faith, C Pet. i. 1. What is love, but a divine fparkle in the foul ? A foul beautified with grace, is like a room richly hung with arras, or tapellry, or the firmament befpanijled with glittering liars. Thefe are the true riches, Luke xvi, U. which cannot ftaud with reprobation ; and is not

here enough to give the foul contentment ? What are all other tilings but like wings of a butterfly, curioufly painted? but they defile the fingers. Earthly riches, faith Augulline, are full of poverty ; i'o indeed they are. For, 1. They cannot enrich the foul: oftentinies under filken apparel, there is a thread-bare foul. 2. Thefe are corruptible : • Riches are not for ever,' as the wife man (aith, Prov. xxvii. 24. Heaven is a place where gold and filver will not go ; a believer is rich towards God, Luke xii. 21. why then art thou difcontented ? Hath not God given thee that which is better than the world ? What if he doth not give the box, if he gives thee the jewel.? What if he denies thee farthings, if he pays thee in a better coin .? He gives thee gold, viz. fpiritual mercies. What if the water in the bottle be fpent.? though had enough in the fountain : What need he complain of the world's emptinefs, that hath God's fulnefs ? — The Lord is my portion, faid David, Pf. xvi. 5. Then let the lines fall -where they will, in a fickbed or prilbn ; I will fay, * the lines are fallen unto me in pleafant places ; yea, I have a goodly heritage,'3. Art thou not heir to ail the promifes.? Haft thou not a reverfion of heaven .^ When thou letteft go thy hold of natural life, art thou not fure of eternal life ? Hath not God given thee the earneft and firfl; fruits of glory ? Is not here enough to work the heart to contentment.

§ 3. The third argument is, be content, for elfe -yve confute our own prayers ; we pray, * thy will be done :' it is the will of God that we (hould be in fuch a condition ; he hath decreed it, and he fees it bell for us ; why then do we murmur, and are difcontented at that which we pray for ? Either we are not in good earned in our prayer, which argues hypocrify ; or elfe we contradict ourfelves, which argues folly.

§ 4. The fourth argument to contentment is ^ becaufenoic God hath his end, and Sata?i miJJ'eth of his end.

1. God hath his end. God's end in all his crofs providences, is to bring the heart to fubmit and be content ; and indeed this pleafeth God much ; he loves to fee his children fatisfied with that portion he doth carve and allot them. It contents him to fee us contented ; therefore let us acquiefce in God's providence ; now God hath his end.

2. Satan mifieih of his end. The end why the devil (though by God's permiflion) did fmite Job in his body and eftate, was to perplex his mind : he did vex his body on purpofe that he mi,'j;lit difquiet his fpirit. He hoped to bring Job into a fit of difcontent ; and then that he would in a paflion break forth againdGod; but Job being fo well contented with his condition, as (hat he falls to blefiing of God, he did difappoint Satan of his hope, ' the devil will cad fome of you into prifon,* Rev. ii. 10. Why doth the devil throw us into prifon } It is

not fo much the hurting our body, as the molefting our mind, that he aims at; he would impril'on our contentment, and dillurb the regular motion of our fouls ; tliis is his dehgn : it is not I'o much the putting us into a prifon, as the putting us into a pal-iion, that he attempts; but by holy contentation, Satan loleth his prey, he mifleth of his end. The devil hath often deceived us ; the bell way to deceive him, is by contentation in the midll of temptation ; our contentment will difcontent Satan. Oh, let us not gratify ourenemy. Difcontent is the devil's delight ; now it is as he would have it, he loves to warm himfelf at the fire of our palTions. Repentance is the joy of the angels, and dilcontent is the joy of the devils : as the devil danceth at clifcord, fo he fings at difcontent. The fire of our palfiona makes the devil a bon-fire ; it is a kind of heaven to him to fee us torturing ourfelves with our own troubles ; but by holy contentment we fruftrate him of his purpofe, and do as it were put liim out of countenance.

§ 5. The f fill argument is, by contentment a Chriftian gets a v'lctorif over himfelf; for a man to be able to rule his own fpi-rit, tliis of all others is the moil noble conquefl. Palfion denotes weaknefs : to be difcontented is fuitable to tlelh and blood : but to be in every Hate content : reproached, yet content ; imprifoned, yet content ; this is above nature : this is Ibme of that holy valour and chivalry, which only a divine fpi-rit is able to infufe. In the midft of the affronts of the world to be patient, and in the changes of the world to have the f pirit calmed : this is a conquell worthy indeed of the garland of honour. Holy Job, dlvefied and turned out of all, leaving his fcariet, and embracing the dunghill, (a fad cata(irophe) yet he had learned contentment. It is laid, * he fell upon the ground and worlhipped,' Job i. 20. One would have thought he fhould have fallen upon the ground and blalphemed ! xsTo, he fell and worfhipped. He adored God's jultice and holineft ; behold the Itrength of grace ! here was an humble fubnullion, yet a noble conquefl ; he got the vi6lory over himfelf. It is no great matter for a man to yield to his own padions, this is facile and feminine ; but to content himfelf in denying of himfeif, this is lacred.

§ 6. The fixth great argument to vi'oik the heart to contentment, is the conlideration that all God's providences, liowcrols or bloody foever, Ihall do a believer good ; ' and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,' Rom. viii, 28. Not only all good things, but all evil things work for good ; and fliall we be difcontented at that which works for our good ? Suppofe our troubles are twifted together, and fadly accented ; what if ficknefs, poverty reproach, law-fuit?;, Sec. do unite and inufler their forces agaiufl us ? All fliall work for

good ; our maladies fhall be our medicines : and fhall we re* pine at that which (hall undoubtedly do us good ? * Unto the upright there arifeth light in darknel's,' Pfal. cxxii. 4. Affli6iion may be baptized Marah ; it is bitter, but phylical.—-Becaufe this is fo full of comfort, and may be a molt excellent catholi-con againll difcontent, I (hall a little expatiate.

Qu. It loill he enquired how the evils of affiiclion work for good ? Anf. Several ways.

Firjl, They are difciplinary ; they teach us. The pfalmift having very elegantly defcribed the church's trouble, PI". Ixxiv. pre-fixelh this title to the pfalm [^Mafchil.'] which lignilies a plalra giving inliruclion ; that which feals up inftruftion, works for good. God puts us fometimes under the black rod ; but rt is virga difciplinaris, a rod of difcipline ; * Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it,' Mic. ix. J). God makes our adverfity our univerfity. Affli6lion is a preacher ; * Blow the trumpet in Tekoah,' Jer. vi. 1. The trumpet was to preach to the people, as appears, ver. 6. * Be thou inflru^led, O Jerufalem.* Sometimes God fpeaks to the miniiler to lift lip his voice like a trumpet, Ilk. Iviii. 1. and here he fpeaks to the trumpet to lift up its voice like a miniiler. Afflidions teach us, (U) Humility : commonly prolperous and proud. Corrections are God's corrofives to eat out the proud flelh. Jefus Chrift is a lily of the valleys. Cant. ii. I. ■ He dwells in an humbje heart: God brings us into the valley of tears, that he may bring us into the valley of humility ; • remembering my af8i6tion, the wormwood and the gall : my foul hath them Hill in remembrance, and is humbled in me,* Lam. iii. 19, '■20. When men are grown high, God hath no better way with them, than to brew them up a cup of wormwoud. Afflictions are compared to thorns, Hof. ii. 8. God's thorns are to prick the bladder of pride : Suppofe a man run at another with a fword to kill him ; accidently, it only lets out his impofthume ; this doth him good. God's fword is to let out the impolthume of pride ; and lliall that which makes us humble, make us difcontented ? (2.) Afflictions teach us repentance ; ' thou halt chaftifed me, and I was challiied. I repented ; and after 1 was inltruCted, I Imote upon my thigh,' &c. Jer. xxxi. 18, 19. Repentance is the precious fruit that grows upon the crois. When the tire is put under the Itill, the water drops from the roles ; fiery afflictions make the waters of I'epentance drop and diltil from the eyes : and is here any caufe of dilcontent ? (3.) Afflictions teach us to pray better, * they poured out a prayer when thy chaftening was upon them,' Ifa. xxvi. 16. Before they would ■fey a prayer; now they poured out a prayer. J onah was afleep in the Ihip ; but awake and at prayer in the whale's belly. Wheh Cod puts under the fire-brands of affliction, now our

hearts boil over the more ; God loves to have his children pof-leHed with a Ipirit of prayer. Never did David the fvveet finger of Ifrael, tune his harp more melodioufly, never did he pray better than when he was upon the waters. Thus affli^lions do indilcipline, and (hall we be difcontent at that which is for our good.

Secondly, Affli«5lions are probatory, Pf. Ixvi. 10, 11. Gold is not the worle for being tried, or corn for being fanned. Affliction is the touch-llone of fincerity, it tries what metal we are made off; afflidlion is God's fan and his fieve. It is good that men be known : fome ferve God for a livery': they are like the fidiermian, that makes ufe of the net, only to catch the fi(h ; ^o they go afifhing with the net of religion, only to catch preferment ; affli6lion diicovers thefe. The Donatiits went to the Goths, when the Arians prevailed ; hypocrites will fail in a ftorm ; true grace holds out in the winter-Ceafon. That is a precious faith, which, like the ftars, Ihiiies brighteft in the dark-eit night. It is good that our graces Ihould be brought to trial; thus we have the comfort, and the goi'pel the honour: and why then dilcontented.

Thirdly, Afflidlions are expurgatory ; thefe evils work for our good, becaufe they workout fin, and lliall I bedifcoritented at this ? What if I have more trouble, if I have lels fin ? The brighteft day hath its clouds, the pureft gold its drofs, the moft refined Ibul hath fome lees of corruption. The faints lofe nothing in the furnace but what they can well fpare, their drofs ; is not this for our good ? Why then Ihould we murmur? * I am come to let fire on the earth,' Luke xii. 4y. Tertullian under-llands it of the fire of afflidion. God makes this like the fire of the three children, which burned only their bonds, and fet them at liberty in the furnace ; fo the fire of affliction ferves to burn the bonds of iniquity. * By this therefore ihall the iniquity of Jacob be purged ; and this is all the fruit, to take away his fin,* Ilk. xxvii. Q. When affli6tion or death comes to a wicked man, it takes away his foul : when it comes to a godly man, it only takes away his fin: is there any caufe why we Ihould be difcontented ? God lleeps us in the brinilh ^vaters of affliction, that he may take out our fpots. God's people are his hufbandry, 1 Cor. iii. 9. the ploughing of the ground kills the weeds, and the harrowing of the earth breaks the hard clods : God's ploughing of us by affliction, is to kill the weeds of fin ; his harrowing of us to break the hard clods of impenitency, that the heart may be the filter to receive the feeds of graqe ; and if this hie all, why Ihould we be dilcontented,?

Fourthly, Afflictions do both exercife and increafe our garce* (I.) The exercife grace; afflidion doth breath out graces; every thing is moll in its excellency, svhen it is molt in itsexer*

Vol. II. No. '22. 3 N

Add THE ARTOF DIVINE CONTENT MENT.

cifp. Our grace, though it cannot be dead, yet it may be afleep, and hath need of awakening. What a dull thing is the fire when it is hid in the embers ; or the iun when it is mafl^ed with a cloud ? A fick man is living, but not lively ; afflidions quicken and excite grace. God doth not love to fee grace in the eclipie. Now faith puts forth its pureft and molt noble a6ts in times of affli6\ion ; God makes the fall of the leaf the fpring of our graces. What if we are more paflive, if graces be more adlive. (2.) Afflidions doincreafe grace : as the wind I'ervesto incrcale and blow up the flame ; fo doth the windy blafts of affli6tioti augment and blovv up our graces : grace fpends not in the furnace, but it is like the widow's oil in the crufe, which did in-creaf'e by pouring out. The torch, when it is beaten, burns brightell; lb doth grace when it exercifed by fufferings. Sharp froils nourifli the good corn, fodo fliarp afilidlions grace. Some plans grow better in the (hade than in the fun : as the bay and the cyprefs ; the (hade of adverhty is better for feme than the lunHiine of profperity. Naturalills obferve, that the colewort thrives better when it is watered with (alt water than with frefh : fo do fome thrive better in the lalt water of afflicVion, and (ball we be difcontented at that which makes us grow and frudlify more ?

Fifthly, Thefe afflidions do bring more of God's immediate prefence into the foul. When we are mod aifaulted, we fiiall bemoftaffifted, ' I will be with him in trouble,' Pf. xci. 15. It cannot be ill with that man with whom God is, by his powerful prefence in fupporting, and his gracious prefence in fweet-ening the prelent trial. God will be with us in trouble, not only to behold us, but to uphold us : as he was with Daniel in the lions' den, and the three children in the fiery furnace. What if we have more trouble than others have, if we have more of God with us than others ? We never have fweeter fmiles from God's face, than when the world begins to look flrange : thy flatutes have been my fong ; where .^ ' Not when I was upon the throne, but in the houfe of my pilgrimage,' PI', cxix. 64. We read ' the Lord was not in the wind, nor ia the earthquake, nor in the fire,' 1 Kings xix. II. but in a metaphorical and fpiritual fenfe ; when the wind of aiflidtion blows upon a believer, God is in the wind ; when the fire of affliction kindles upon him, God is in the fire, viz. to fan6tify, to fupport, to fweelen. If God be with us, the furnace fhall be turned into a feftival, the prifon into a paradife, the earthquake intQ a joyful dance. O why fiiould I be difcontented, when I have nj^ore of God's company.

Sixth/i/, Thefe evils of aftli6tion are for good, as they bring with them certificates of God's love, and are evidences of hi.s fjpecial favour. Aflliclion is the faint's livery : it is a badge and,

THE ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT. AQf

cognizance of honour ; that the God of glory fliouM look upon a wornn, and take fo much notice of him, as toaffli6l him rather than lofehim, is an high a6l of favour. God's rod is a fceptre of dignity, Job calls God's afflicting of us, his magnifying of us, Job vii. 17. Some men's proiperity have been their (hame, when others* affli6tion hath been their crown.

Sevejithly, Thefe affli^lions work for our good, becaufe they work for us a far more exceeding weight of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 16. That which works for my glory in heaven, works for my good : We do not read in Icripture that any man's honour or riches do work for him a weight of glory, but afflictions do ; and fhail a man be difcontented at that which works for his glory? The heavier the weight of affli<5lion, the heavier the weight of glory ; not that our futFerings do merit glory (as the papilts do wickedly glofs), but though they are not caufa, they are via ; they are not the caul'e of our crown, yet they are the way to it, and God makes us, as he did our captain, * perfect through futFerings,* Heb. ii. 10. And fliall not all this make us cot:tented with our condition ? Oh, I befeech you, look not upon the evil of afflidlion, but the good. Affli6tions in fcrip-ture are called vifitations. Job vii. 18. The word in the Hebrew to vifit, is taken in a good lenfe, as well as bad ; God's affli6tions are but friendly viilts : behold here God's rod, like Aaran s rod, bloflfoming, and Jonathan's rod, it hath honey at the end of it. Poverty llrall ftarve out our fins ; the ficknefs of the body cures a fin-fick Ibul ; O then, inllead of murmuring and being difcontented, blefs the Lord ; hadll thou not met with fuch a rub in the way, thou mighteft have gone to hell and never (topped.

§ 7. The feventh argument to contentation.

The next argument to contentation is, confider the evil of dilcontcnt. Mal-content hath a mixture of grief and anger in it, and both thcfe mult needs raife a ilorm in the foul. Have you not feen the pofture of a fick man ? Sometimes he will fit up in his bed, by and by he will lie down, and when he is down he is not quiet; firft he turns on the one lide, and ii»rn on the other, he is reftlefs : this is jult the emblem of a dilconfented fpirit; the man is not fick, yet he is never well; Ibmetimes he likes fuch a condition of life, he is foou weaiy ; and then another condition of life; and when he hath it, yet he is not plealed, this is an evil under the fun.

Now the evil of difcontent appears in three things.

Evil I. The fordidnefs of it is unworthy of a Chriltian.

1. It is unworthy of his profeliion. It was the laying of an heathen, bear thy condition quietly, nofce te ejje homiuem, know thou art a man : \'o I lay, bear thy condition contentedly, nofce te eJJe Chrijiiauum, know thou art a Chriilian. Tkou profellelt

"O : •■ "

to live by faith ; what! and not content ? Faith is a grace that doth fubftantiate things not feen, Heb. xi. 1. Faith looks beyond the creature, it feeds upon promifes ; faith Uves not by bread alone, when the water is fpent in the bottle, faith knows whither to have recourfe ; now to fee a Chriltian deje6led in the want of vifible fupplies and recruits, where is faith ? Oh, faith one, my eilate in the world is down. Aye, and which is worfe, thy faith is down. Wilt thou not be contented, unlefs God let down the vefl'el to thee, as he did to Peter, ' wherein were all manner of beafts of the earth, and fowls of the air?' A6lsx. 12. Muft you have the firft and fecond courfe ? This is like Thomas, * unlefs I put my finger into the print of the nails, 1 will not believe,' John xx. 25. So, unlefs thou hall a fenfible feeling of outward comforts, thou wilt not be content. True faith will trull God where it cannot trace him, and will adventure upon God's bond, though it hath notliing in view. * You who are difcontented, becaufe you have not all you would, let me tell you, either your faith is a non-entity, or at beft but an embryo ;' it is a weak faith that muft have ftilts and crutches to fupport it. Nay, difcontent is not only below faith, but below reafon : why are you difcontented ? Is it becaufe you are difpofleifed of fuch comforts } Well, and have you not reafon to guide you ? Doth not reafon tell you, that you are but tenants at will ? and may not God turn you out when he pleafes ? You hold not your eftatejwre, but gratia ; not by juridical right, but upon favour and courtefy.

2. It is unworthy of the relation we fland in to God ; a Chrif-tian is invefted with the title and privilege of fonfhip, Eph. i. 5. He is an heir of the promife : Oh, confider the lot of free-grace is fallen upon thee, thou art nearly allied to Chrill, and of the blood-royal, thou art advanced, in fome fenfe, above the angels ; ' why then art thou, being the king's fon, lean from day to day ?' 2 Sam. xiii. 4. Why art thou difcontented } Oh, how unworthy is this! As if the heir to fome great monarch fhould go pining up and down, becaufe he may not pick fuch a flower.

Evil 2. Confider the finfulnefs of it; which appears in three things; (1.) The caufes ; (2.) The concomitants; (3.) The confequences of it.

I. It is finful in the caufes, which are thefe.

1. Pride. He that thinks highly of his deferts, ufually efteems meanly of his condition: a difcontented man is a proud man, he thinks himfelf better than otl>ers ; therefore finds fault with the wifdom of God, that he is not above others. Thus the thing formed, faith to him that formed it, * why haft thou made me thus V Rom. ix. 20. Why am I not higher.? Dif-

contents are nothing elfe but the aefluations and boilings over of pride.

2. The fecond caufe of difcontent is, envy, which Anguftine calls the fin of tlie devil; Satan envied Adam the glory of para-dii'e, and the roI)e of innocency ; he that envies what his neighbour hath, is never contented with that portion which God's providence doth parcel out to him ; as envy llirs up ftrife, (this made the Plebeian faction lo ftrong among the Romans) lb it creates difcontent: the envious man looks fo much upon the bleflings which another enjoys, that he cannot fee liis own mercies, and fo doth continually vex and torture himfelf. Caia envied that his brother's facrifice was accepted, and his rejected : hereupon he was difcontenled, and prefently murderous thoughts began to arife in his heart.

3. The third caufe is, covetoufnefs. This is a radical fin. Whence are vexing law-fuits, but from difcontent ? and whence is difcontent, but from covetoufnefs ? Covetoufnefs and content-ednefs cannot dwell in the fame heart. Avarice is an heluo, that is never fatisfied. The covetous man is like Behemoth, * Behold he drinkelh up a river, he trudeth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth,' Job xl. 33. ' There are foin" things (faith Solomon) lay not, it is enough.* I may add a fifth, the heart of a covetous man, he is Hill craving. Covetoufnefs is like a wolf in the breaft, which is ever feeding; and becaufe a man is not fatlsfied, he is never content.

4. The fourth caufe of difcontent is, jealoufy, which is fome-times occafioned through melancholy, and fometimes mifappre-henfion. The fpirit of jealoufy caufeth this evil fpirit. Jealoufy ' is the rage of a man,' Prov. vi. 34. And oft, this is nothing but fufpicion and fancy : yet fuch as creates real difcontent.

5. The fifth caufe of difcontent is diftruft, which is a great degree of Atheifm. The difcontented perfon is ever didrullful. The bill of provifion grows low ; I am in thefe flraits and exigencies, can God help me ? * Can he prepare a table in the wildernefs?' Sure he cannot. My efiate is exhauiled, can God recruit me } My friends are gone, can God raife me up more? Sure the arm of his power is Ihrunk. I am like the dry fleece, can any water come upon this fleece ? * If the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?' 1 Kings vii. 2. Thus the anchor of hope, and the fhield of faith, being caft away, the foul goes pining up and down.

Dilconlent is nothing elfe but the echo of unbelief: and remember, diftrufl is worfe than diltreis.

II. Difcontent is evil in the conconiitants of it, which are two.

1. Difcontent is joined with a fallen melancholy. A Chrif-

tian of a right temper fhould be ever cheerful in God ; * ferve the Lord with gladnels,' Pf, c. 9. A (ign the oil of grace hath been poured into the heart, when * the oil of gladnels' (hines in the countenance. Cheerfuinel's credits religion ; how can the dilicontented perfon be cheerful ? Dilconterit is a dogged, fullen humour; becaule we have not what we delire, God fliall not have a good word or look from us ; as the bird in the cage, becaule ftie is ptnt up, and cannot fly in the open air, therefore beats herleif againll the cage, and is ready to kill herfelf. Thus that peevilh prophet; ' I do well to be angry to the death/ Jonah iv.

2. Difcontent is accompanied with unthankfulnefs; becaufe we have not all we defire, we never mind the mercies which we have ; we deal with God as the widow of Sarept.a did with the prophet : the prophet Elijah had been a means to keep her alive in the famine ; for it was for her lake, that her meal in the barrel, and her oil in the crufe failed not: But as foon as ever her fon dies, Ihe falls into a paflion, and begins to quarrel with the prophet; * What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come to call my fin to remembrance, and flay my fon ?' 1 Kings i. IS. So ungratefully do we deal with God : we can be content to receive mercies from God ; but if he doth crofs us in the jeaft thing, then, through difcontent, we grow touchy and impatient, and are ready to fly upon God ; thus God lofeth all his mercies; We read in Icripture of the thank-offering, 2 Chron. xxix. 30. The difcontented perfon cuts God fhort of this ; the Lord lofeth his thank-offering. A difcontented Chrillian repines in the midftof mercies, as Adam who finned in the midil of paradife. Difcontent is a fpider that fucks the poifon of unthankfulnefs out of the fweeteft flower of God's blefiing, and a devililh chymiftry that extracts drofs out of the molt refined gold. The difcontented perfon thinks every thing he doth for God too much, and every thing God doth for him too little. O what a fin is unthankfulnefs! it is an accumulative fin. When Cicero laid of parricide, I may fay of ingratitude ; ' there are many fins bound up in this one fin :' It is a voluminous wickednels ; and how full of this fin is difcontent? A difcontented Chrillian, becaufe he hath not all the world, therefore dilhonours God with the mercies which he hath. God made Eve out of Adam's rib, to bean helper (as Chryfoftom faith) but the devil hath made an arrow of this rib, and Ihot Adam to the heart : fo doth difcontent take the rib of God's mercy, and ungratefully Ihoot at him ; eftate, liberty ihall be employed againll God. Thus it is oftentimes. Behold then how difcontent and ingratitude are interwoven and twilled one with the other: Thus difcontent is finfuLin its concomitant t.

III. It is finful in its confequences, whirh are tliefe :

(I.) It makes a man very unlike the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is a meek Spirit. The Holy Ghoft defcended in the likenefs of a dove. Mat. iii. 6. A dove is the emblem of meeik'nefs : a difcontented fpirit is not a meek fpirit,

(2.) It makes a man like the devil : the devil being fwelled vi^ith the poilbn of envy and malice, is never content. Juft lb is the malcontent. The devil is an unquiet fpirit, he is ftill walking about, I Pet. v. 8. It is his reft to be walking. And herein is the difcontented perfon like him ; for he goes up and down vexing himfelf, ' feeking reft, and finding none ;' he is the devil's p!6lure.

(3.) Difcontent disjoints the foul, it untunes the heart for duty ; • is any man afilicled, let him pray,' Jam. v. 13. But, is any man dilicontented .? How ftiall he pray ? ' Lift up pure hands vi/ithout wrath,' 1 Tim. v. 8. Difcontent is full of wrath and palfion ; the mal-content cannot lift up pure hands; he lifts up leprous hands, he poilbns his prayers ; will God accept of a poifoned facrifice .^ Chryibftom compares prayer to a fine garland ; thofe, iaith he, that make a garlarxl, their hands had need to be clean ; prayer is a precious garland, the lieart that makes it had need to be clean. DKcontent throws poifon into, the fpring (which was death among the Romans) ; difcontent puts the heart into a diforder and mutiny, and tuch an one cannot ferve the Lord ' without diitradion.'

4. Difcontent fometimes unfits for the very ufe of reafon ; Jonah, in a paflion of difcontent, fpake no better than blafphe-my and nonfenfe ; * I do well, faid, he, to be angry unto tlie death,' Jon. iv. 8. What! To be angry with God! and to die for anger ? Sure he did not know well what he faid. When discontent tranl'ports, then like Mofes, wefpeak * unadvifedly witli our lips.' This humour doth even fufpend the very ads of reafon. '

(5.) Difcontent doth not only difquiet aman's felf, but thofc who are near him. This evil fpirit troubles families, parlilies, &c. If there be but one ftring out of tune, it I'poiis ail the mu-fic. One dilconlented Ipirit makesjarrings and difcords among others. It is this ill humour that breeds quarrels and law-fuits. Whence is all our contentions, but for want of contentation ? From whence ' come wars and fightings among you ? Come they not heuce, even of your lufts .>' James iv. 1. In particular from the lull of difcontent.^ Why did Ablalom raife a war againll his father, and would have taken oif not only his crown, but his heid ? Was it not his difcontent? Abfalom would be king. Why did Aliab ftone Naboth ? Was it not dilcontent about the vineyard? Oh this devil of difcontent! Thus you have feen the fmfulnefs of it.

Eiiil 3. Confider the fimplicity of it. I may fay as the Plahiufl:, ' lurely they are difquieted in vain :* Pf. xxxix. ti. which appears thus ;

1. Is it not a vain fimple thing to be troubled at the lofs of that which is in its own nature perifliingand changeable ? God hath put a viciflitude into the creature ; all the world rings changes ; and for me to meet with inconftancy here, to lofe a friend, eitate, to be in a conilant flu6luation, is no more than to fee a flower wither, or a leaf drop off in autumn, there is an autumn upon every comfort, a fall of the leaf; now it is extreme folly to be difcontented at the lofs of thofe things which are in their own nature lofeable. What Solomon faith of riches, is true of all things under the fun, ' they take wings.' Noah's dove brought an olive branch in its mouth, but prefently flew out of the ark, and never returned more ; fuch a comfort brings to us honey in its mouth, but it hath wings ; and to what pur* pofe fliould we be troubled, unlefs we had wings to fly after and overtake it ?

2. Difcontent is a heart-breaking : * by forrow of the heart, the fpirit is broken,' Prov. xv. 13. It takes away the comfort of life. There is none of us but may have many mercies, if we can fee them ; now, becaufe we have not all we dehre, therefore we will lofe the comfort of that which we have already. Jonah having his gourd fmitten (a withering vanity) was fo difcontented, that he never thought of his miraculous deliverance out of the whale's belly; he takes no comfort of his life, but wiflieth that he might die. What folly is this ? We muft have all or none ; herein we are like children, that throw away the piece which is cut them, becaufe they may have no bigger. Difcontent eats out the comfort of life. Befides, it were well if it were ferioufly weighed how prejudicial this is, even to our health : for difcontent, as it doth difcruciate the mind, fo it doth pine the body ! it frets as a moth, and by watting the fpirits, weakens the vitals. The pleurily of difcontent brings the body into a confuraption ; and is not this folly ?

3. Difcontent does not eale us of our burden, but it makes the crofs heavier. A contented fpirit goes cheerfully under its affli(5tion. Dilcontent makes our grief as infupportablc, as it is unreafonable. If the leg be well, it can endure a fetter and not complain ; but if the leg be fore, then the fetters trouble. Difcontent of mind is the fore that makes the fetters of afflidlion more grievous. Difcontent troubles us more than the trouble itfelf, it fteeps the affliction in wormwood. When Chrifk was upon the crofs, the Jews brought him gall and vinegar to drink, that it might add to his lorrow. Difcontent brings to a man iti affliction, gall and vinegar to drink ; this is worfe than the

affli6lion itfelf. Is it not foUy for a man to embitter his own crols ?

4. Difcontent fpins out our troubles the longer. A Chriitian is difcontent becaufe he is in want ; and therefore he is in want, becaufe he is difcontented : he murmurs becaufe he isaflli6ted ; and therefore he is affli(5led, becaufe he murmurs. Dilcontent doth delay and adjourn our mercies. God deals herein with us, as we ufo to do with our children ; when they are quiet and cheerful, they fhail have any thing ; but if we fee them cry and iVet, then we withhold from them ; we get nothing from God by our difcontent but blows, the more the child ftruggles, tiie more it is beaten ; when we ftruggle with God by our finful paCTions, he doubles and trebles his ftrokes; God will tame our curll hearts. What got Ifrael by their peeviflinefs } They were within eleven days journey of Canaan, and now they were dii-contented, and began to murmur : God leads them a march of forty years long in the wildernefs. Is it not folly for us to adjourn our own mercies ? Thus you have feen the evil of difcontent. L have been long upon this argument; but nnnquam ni-mis dicitur, quod nunquamfatis dicitur.

§ 8. The eight argument to contentation. <• The next argument or motive to contentment is this. Why is not a man content with the competency which he hath ? Perhaps if he had more he would be lefs content; covetoufnefs h a dry drunkennefs. The world is fuch, that the more we have, the more we crave ; it cannot fill the heart of man. When the fire burns, how do you quench it? Not by putting oil on the flame, or laying on mor« wood, but by withdrawing the fuel. When the appetite is enflamed after riches, how may a man be fatisfied ? Not by having juft what he defires, but by withdrawing the fuel, &c. Moderating and lelTening his de-fires. He that is contented has enough. A man in a fever or dropfy thirds; how do you fatisfy him ? Not by gi^-ng him liquid things, which will inflame his thirlt the more ; but by removing the caufe, and lb curijig the dillemper. The way for a man to be contented, is not by railing his eftate higher, but by bringing his heart lower.

§ 9. The ninth argument to contenLation.

The next argument to contentment is the fdortnefs of life. It is but a vapour, faith James, Jam. iv. 14. Life is a wheel ever running. The poets painted time with wings to fliew the volubility and fwiftnefs of it. Job compares it to a fvvift poft. Job ix. 25. (Our life rides poll) and to a day, not a year. It is indeeed like a day. Infancy is as it were the day-break, youth is the fun-riling, full growth is the fun in the meridian, old age is fun-fetting, ficknels is the tvening, then comes the night of death. How quickly is this day <jf life fpei;}t ? Often-

Voh. II. No. 22. ZO

times this Cun goej< down at noon-day : life ends before flie eVf n-ing of old aj^e coinos ; nay, fonielinies the fun of life lets pre*, lently after lun-rifing. Quickly after the dawning of infancy the night of death approaches. Oh, how ftiort is the life of man! The confideration of the brevity of life, may work the heart to contentment. Remember thou art to be here but u day ; thou halt but a fhort way to go, and what needs a long provifion for a fliort way ? If a traveller hath but enough to bring him to his journey's end, he defires no more. We have but a day to live, and perhaps we may be in the twelfth hour of the day ; why if God gives us but enough to bear our charges, till night, it is fufficient, let us be content. If a man had the leafe of an houl'e, or farm but for two or three days, and he • lliould fall a building and planting, would he not be judged very indifcreet ? So, when >ve have but a l"hort time he're,^ and deatft calls us prefently off the llage, to thirft immoderately after the. world, and pull down our fouls to build up an effate, it is an extreme folly. Therefore, as Bfau faid once, in a profane fenle, concerning his birth-right, ' lo, I am at the point to die, and what profit (hall this birth-right do me ?' So let a Chriliian fay in a religious fenfe, lo, 1 am even at the point of death, my grave is going to be made, and what good will the world do me! If I have but enough till fun-letting, I am content.

§ 10. The tenth argument to contentation.

The tenth argument or motive to contentment is, confider ferioufly the nature of a profperous condition. There are in a profperous eftate three things.

1. Plus molejiice, more trouble. Many who have abundance of all things to enjoy, yet have not fo much content and fweet-nefs in their lives, as fome that go to their hard labour. Sad folicitous thoughts do often attend a profperous condition. Care is the mahis genius, or evil fpirit which haunts the rich man, and will not futVer him to be quiet. When his cheft is full of goW, his heart is full of care, either how to manage, or how to increafe, or how to fecure what he hath gotten. Oh the troubles and perplexities that do attend profperity ! The world's high feats are very uneafy ; funfliine is pleatant, butfometimes it fcorcheth with its heat; the bee gives honey, but fometimes it flings : profperity hath its fweetnefs, and alfoits fling, ' competency with contentment is far more eligible.' Never did Jacob fleep better than when he had the heavens for his canopy, and a hard ftone for his pillow. A large voluminous eftate, is but like a long trailing garment, which is more troublefome than ufeful.

2. In a profperous condition there is plus periculi, more danger, and that two ways.

Firft, ex parte, ipJiuSf in refpe6l of a man's felf, the rich man's

table is oft his fnare ; he is ready to ingul^>h himfelf too deep iti thele Tweet waters. In this I'enfe it is hard to kr^ow how to abound. It mult be a Ibong brain that bears heady wine ; he had need have much wifdora and grace, that knows how to bear an high condition ; either he is ready to kill himfelf witli care, or to furleit himfelf with iufcious dehghts. Oh the hazard of honour, the damage of dignity! Pride, fecurity, rebellion, are the three worms that breed of plenty, Ueut. xxxii. 15. The pallures of profperity are rank and furfeiting. How foon are we broken upon the foft pillow ofeafe? Profperity is often a trumpet, that Ibunds a retreat, it calls men otf from the purfuit of religion. The fun of profperity oft dulls and puts out the lire of zeal, how many fouls hath the pleurify of abundance killed ? * They that will be rich, fall into fnares,' I Tim. vi. 10. The world is birdlime at our feet, it is full of golden fands, but they are quick-lands. Profperity, like fmooth Jacob, will fup-plant and betray; a great ellate, without much Vigilancy, will be a thief to rob us of heaven ; fuch as are upon the pinnacle of honour, are in moft danger of falling.

A lower eftate is lefs hazardous, the little pinnace rides fafe by the fliore, when the gallant (hip advancing with its maft and top-fail, is call away. Homo vi6iusin paridifo, victor inftercore. Adam in paradife was overcome, when Job on the dung-hill was a conqueror. Samfon fell afleep in Dalilah's lap : fome have fallen lb faft afleep on the lap of eafe and plenty, that they have never awakened till the}- have been in hell. The world's fawning is worfe than its frowning; and it is more to be feared when it fmilesthan when it thunders. Profperity, in fcripture, is compared to a candle. Job xxix. 3. ' When his candle Ihined upon my head.' How many have burnt their wings about this candle! Se(ieiem nhertas nimia Jiernit, rami oiiere frangmi' lur, ad maturittitem non pervenit nimiae fcecunditas: the corn being over ripe, fheds, and fruit, when it mellows, begins to rot; when men do mellow with the fin of profperity commonly theit fouls begin to rot in fin. * How hard is it for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven !' Luke xviii. 24, His golden weights keep him from afeending to the hill of God ; and lliall we not be content, though we irre placed in a lower orb? What if we are not in fo much bravery and gallantry as otheis? We are not in fo much danger ; as we want the honour of the world, fo the tenjptations. Oh the abundance of danger that is in abundance ! VVe fee, by common experience, that lunatics, ^vhen the moon is declining and in the wane, arefober enough ; but when it is full they are wild and more exorbitant: when men's eftales are in tlie wane, they are more ferious about their fouls', more humble: but when it is the full of the moon, and ihey have abundance, then their hearts begin to fwell with their eltates,

30 a

and ate fcarce themfelves, Thofe that write concerning the feveral climates, obferve, that luch as live in the northern parts of the world, if you bring them into the fouth part, they lofe their ilomachs and die quickly ; but thofe that live in the more fouthern and hot climates, bring them into the north, and their ilomachs mend, and ihey are long-lived ; give me leave to apply it, bring a man from the cold, ilarving climate of poverty, into the hot fouthern climate of profperity, and he begins to lofe his appetite to good things, he grows weak, and a thoufand to one, if all his religion doth not die; but bring a Chriftian from the fouth to the north, from a rich flourilhing ellate into a jejune low condition, let him come into a more cold and hungry air, and then his ftomach mends, he hath a better appetite after heavenly things, he hungers more after Chrift, he thirils more for grace, he eats more at one meal of the bread of life, than at fix before ; this man is now like to live and hold out in his religion: be content then with a modicum ; if you have J)ut enough to pay for your paflage to heaven, it fufficeth.

2. A profperous condition is dangerous in regard of others ; a great eftate, for the moft part draws envy to it. Gen. xxvi. 12, 13, 14. Whereas in little there is quiet. David a (hepherd was quiet; but David a courtier was purfued by his enemies : envy cannot endure a fuperior ; an envious man knows not how to live but upon the ruins of his neighbours ; he raifeth himfelf higher by bringing others lower. Profperity is an eye-fore to many. Such ftieep as have moft wool are fooneft fleeced. The barren tree grows peaceably : no man meddles with the afti or willow ; but the apple-tree and the damafin fhall have many rude fuitors. Oh then be contented to carry a lefler iail ; he that hath lefs revenues hath lefs envy ; fuch as bear the faireft frontifpiece, and make the greateft drew in the world, are the white for envy and malice to flioot at.

3. A profperous condition hath in it a greater reckoning ; every man muft be refponfible for his talents. Thou that haft great pofleflions in the world, doft thou trade thy eftate for God's glory } Art thou rich in good works ? Grace makes a private perfon a common good. Doft thou difburfe thy money for public ufes.-^ It is lawful, in this lenfe, to put out our money to ufe. O let us all remember an eftate is a depofitum ; we are but ftewards, and our Lord and Mafter will ere long fay, * give an account of your ftewardftiip:' the greater our eftate, the greater our charge, the more our revenues, the more our reckonings. You that have a lefler mill gomg in the world, be content ; God will exped lefs from you, where he hath lowed more fparingly.

§ 11. The eleventh argument to contentation.

The eleventh argument is the example of thofe who have been

THE ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT. 477

temitient for contentation. Examples are ufually more forcible than precepts. Abraham, being called out to hot fervice, and' iuch as was againlt flelh and blood, was content. God bid him oHer Lip his Ion Ifauc, Gen. xxii. '2. This was great work ; liaac was fi/iiis feneStutiSy the fon of his old age ; films dekCtionis, the Ion of his love ; JiUus promijji, the fon of the promife ; Chrift the Mediah was to ceme of his hne. * In Ifaac fhall thy feed be blelled :' fo that to offer up Ifaac feemed not only to oppofe Abraham's reafon, but his faith too ; for, if Iliiac died, the world (for ought he knew) mull be without a Mediator. Befides, if Ifaac be facrificed, was there no other hand "to do it but Abraham ? Mull the father needs be the executioner ? Muft he that was the inftrument of giving Tiaac his being, be the inftrument of taking it away?—Yet ' Abraham doth not difputeor hefitate, but believes againft hope, and is content with God's prefcription : fo, when God called him to leave his country, Heb. xi. S. he was content. Some would have argued thus : What ! Leave my friends, my native foil, my brave fituation, and go turn pilgrim ? Abraham is content ; befides, Abraham went blindfold, ' he knew not whither he went,' ver. 8. God held him in liifpence, he mull go H'ander he knew not where ; and when he dolh come to the place God had laid out for him, lie knows not what oppofitions he fhall meet with there: the world dothfeldom call a favourable afpedt upon ilrangers, Gen. xxxi. 15. Yet he is content and obeys, ' he fojourned in the land of promife,* Heb. xi. {). Behold a little his pilgrimage. Firii he goes to Charran, a city in Mefopotamia ; when he had fojourned there a while, his father dies ; then he removed to Sichem, then to Bethlehem in Canaan ; there a famine arifelh ; then he went down to Egypt, after that he returns into Canaan ; when he comes there (it is true he had a promife) but he found nothing to anfv\'er ex()ec-tation ; he had not there one foot of land, butwa:<an exile : in this time of his f(jjourning he buried his wife ; and as for his dwellings he had no fumpiuous buildings, but led his life in poor cottages ; all this was enough to have broken any man's heart. Abraham might think thus with himfelf, is this the land I ^ Jiiuft pofl'efs ? here is no probability of any good ; all things are againll me ; well, is he difcontent ? No ; God faith to him, Abraham, go, leave thy country : and this word was enough to lead him all the world over ; he is prefently upon his march ; here was a man hac) learned to be content. But let us del'cend a little lower, to ht-athen ZtMio (of whom Seneca Ipeaks), who had or.ce been very rich, hearing of a fliipwreck, and that all l^is guods were drowned at fea ; fortune, faith he, (he fpake in an heathen dialed) hath dealt with me, and would have me now iludy [)hiiofophy ; he was content to change hi:»

courfe of life, to leave off being a merchant, and turn a philo-foplier. And if an heathen faid thus, Ihall not a Chrillian much more fuy when the world is drained from him, Jtibet Dens mnndum derelinquitur et Chrijium expeditusfequi : God would have w.e leave off following die world, and liudy Chrill more, and how to gel to heaven. Do I fee an heathen contented, and a Chrillian ditquieted ? How did heathens vilify thofe things which Cluiftians did magnify ? Though they knew not God, nor what true happioef-^ meant, yet would fpeak very fu-blimely of a nuaien or deity, and of the life to come, as Arifto-tle and Plato ; and for thofe Elyfian delights, which they did but fancy, they undervalued and contemned the things here below ; It was the doclrine they taught their fcholars, and which fome of them pra6lifed, that they (hould ftrive to be contented with a little ; they were Vv'iliing to make an exchange, and have (efs gold, and more learning : and fliall not we be content then to have lefsof the world, ib we may have more of Chrift? INIay not a Chrillian blulb to fee the heathens content with a viaticum, fo much as would recruit nature ? and to fee them-felves fo tranfported with the love of earthly things, that if they begin a little to abate, and the bill of provifion grows fhort, they murmur, and are like Micah, * have ye taken away my gods, and do you al'k me what I ail ?' Judg. xviii. 24. Have heathens gone fo far in contentation ? And is it not fad for us to come fhort ot heaven ? Thefe heroes of their time, how did they embrace death itfelf? Socrates died in prifon, Hercules vas burnt alive, Cato (whom Seneca calls the image and Portraiture of virtue) thrull through with a fword ; but how bravely, and with contentment oflpirit did they die? ** Shall I, faid Seneca, weep for Cato, or Regulus, or the reft of thofe worthies, that died with fo much valour and patience?" Did notcrofs providence make them to alter their countenance ? And do I lee a Chriftian appalled and amazed ? Did not death affright them ? And doth it diftra6t us ? Did the fpring-head of nature rife fo high ? And (ball not grace, hke the waters of the fanduary, rife higher ? We that pretend to live by faith, may we not go to fchool to them, who had no other pilot but reafon to guide them ? Nay, let me come a ilep lower, to creatures void of reafon ; we fee every creature is contented with its allowance; the beails with their provender, the birds with their nelJs, they live only \ipon providence ; and fliall we make ourfelves below them ? Let a Chrillian go to fchool to the ox and the afs, to learn contentednels ; we think we nev-er have enough, and are flill laying up ; the fowls of the air do not lay up, • they reap not, nor gather into barns,' Mat. vi. 26. It is an argument which Chrift brings to make Chriftians contented wtih their cbndiiion : the birds do not lay up, yet they are

provided for, and are contented ; arc ye nnt faith Chrift, mucU better tlum they? But if you are difconietitod, are you not nuicli vvorfetlian tliey ? Let thefe examples quicken us. § 12. The twelfth argument to contentotion. The twelfth argument to contentment is, whatever change of trouble a child of God meets with, it is all the hell he fhall have. Whatever eclipfe may be upon his name or eftate, I may lay of it as Athanafius of his banifliment, it is a little cloud that will loon be blown over; and then his gulph is fliot, his hell is pa(t. Death begins a wicked man's liell, but it puts an end to a godly man's hell. Think with thvfelf, what if I endure this ? It is but a temporary he!!; indeed if all our hell be here, it is but an ealy hell. What is the cup of aflli6lion to the cup of damnation ? Lazarus could not get a crumb; he was fo difeafed, that the dogs took pity on him, and,'as if they had been his phylicians, licked his fores: but this was an eafy hell, the angels quickly fetched him out of it. If all our hell be in this life, in the midlt, of this hell we may have the love of God, and then it is no more hell, but paradifc. If our hell be here, we nray lee to the bottom of it ; it is but fkin deep, it cannot touch the Ibu!, and we may fee to the end of it; it is an hell that is rtiort-lived ; after a wet night of affli6lion, comes a bright morning of the refur-rc6lion ; if our lives are fliort, our trials cannot be long : as our riches take wings and fly, fo do our futferings; then let us be contented.

§ 13. The thirteenth nrgnment to conlentatwn. The laft ar2:ument to cantentment, is this, to have a competency, and to want contentment, is a great judgment. For a man to have an huge ftomach, that whatever meat you give him, he is ftill craving, and never falisfied ; you ufe to lay, this is a great judgment upon the man ; thou who art a devourer of money, and yet never had enough, but ftiil crieft, give, give, this is a fad judgment; * they (hall eat, and not liave enough,* Hof. iv. 10. The throat of a malicious man isan open fepuichre, Rotn. lii. 13. fo is the heart of a covetous man. Covetoulhefs is not only malum, culijx, but via/ton panac ; it is not only a fin, but the punilliment ot a fin. It is a fecret curie upon a covetous perfon, he fhall thirll, and thirft, and never be fatisfied ; • he that loves filver lliall not be fatisfied with lilver,' Eccl. v. 10. And is not this a curfe? What was it but a fevere judgment upon the people of Judah ? * Ye eat, but ye have not enough ; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink,* Hag. i. (i. Oh let us take heed of this plague. Did Efau fay to his brother, * I have abundance, my brother,' Gen. xxxvii. [). or, as we tranflaie it, 1 have enough; and Ihall not a Chriftiuii {'wy much more.'' It is (Ud, tjiat our hearts lliould be dead to hcu-

venly things, and a fpunge to fuck in earthly. Yet all that hath been laid, will not work our minds to heavenly conientation.

Chap. XII. Three thmgs inj'erted by waif of caution.

In the next place, I come to lay down Ibme necelfary cautions: though (I fay) a man flliould be content in every eftate, yet there are three eitates in which he mult not be contented.

Caution 1. He muft not be contented in a natural eftate; here he niuft learn not to be content. A finner in his pure naturals is under the wrath of God, John iii. 15'. and (hall he be content, when that dreadful vial is going to be poured out ? Is it nothing to be under the fcorchings of divine fury ? * Who .can dwell with everlafting burnings.^' A finner, as a finner, is under the power of Satan, Acts xxvi. 18. and (hall he in this eftate be contented ? Who would be contented to ftay in the enemy's quarters.? While we fleep in the lap of fin, the devil dolh to us as the Philiftines did to Samfon, cut the lock out of our llrength, and put out our eyes ; be not content, O finner, in this eftate. For a man to be in debt, body and foul, in fear every hour to be arrelted and carried prifoner to hell, (hall he now be content? Here I preach againlt contentation. Oh get out of thi^j condition : I would haften you out of it, as the angel haft^ned Lot out of Sodom, Gen. xix. 13. There is the fmell of the fire and brimftone upon you. The longer a man ftays in his fin, the more fin doth ftrengthen ; it is hard to get out of fin, when the heart, as a garrifon, is vidualled and fortified. A young plant is eafily removed ; but when the tree is once rooted, there is no ftirring of it; thou who art rooted in thy pride, unbelief, im-penitency, it will coft thee many a fad pull ere thou art plucked out of thy natural eftate, Jer. vi. l6. It is an hard thing to have a brazen face and a broken heart; ' hetravuileth with iniquity,* PI", vii. 14. be aifured, the longer you travail with your fins, the more and (harper pangs you muft expe6l in the new birth. O be not contented with your natural eftate. David faith, * why art thou did^uieted, O my foul ?' PI", xliii. 5. But a finner fhould fay to himfelf, why art thou not difquieted, O my foul.^ Why is it that thou layeil afflidions (b to heart, and canft not lay fin to heart ? It is a mercy when we are difquieted about fiu. A man had better be at the trouble of letting a bone, than to be lame, and in pain all his life ; bleded is that trouble that brings the Ibul to Chrift. It is one of the worft fights to fee a bad con((c;ience quiet; of the two, better is a fever than a lethargy. I wonder to fee a man in his natural eftate content \ what! content to go to hell ?

Caution 2. Though, in regard of externals, a man ftiould be in every (late content, yet he muft not be content in fuch a condition, wherein God is apparently diflionoured. If a man*s trade be fuch, that he can hardly ufe it, but he muft trefpafs

upon a commanil (and fo make a trade of fin) he mud not content himfelf in luch a condition; God never called any man to fucli a calling as is finful; a man in this cafe, had betl«?r knock of!" and divert; better lofe fonie of his gain, fo he may leffen Ibuie of iiis guilt. So, for fervanits who live in a profane family (the fuburbs of hell) where the name of God is not called upon, nnlejs when it is taken in vain; they are not to content them-ielves in luch a place, they are to come out of the tents of thefe fioners; there is a double danger in living among the profane.

J. Left we come to he infected with the poifon of their ill example. Jol'eph, living in Pharaoh's court, had learned to fwear ' by the life of Pharaoh,' Gen. xlii. 15. We are prone to fuck in example ; men take in deeper impreflions by the eye than by the ear. Dives w^as a bad pattern, and he had many brethren that feeing him fin, trode jull in his Heps ; therefore, laith he,

* I pray thee fend him to my father's houfe; for 1 have five brethren : that he teftify to them, that they come not into this place of torment,* Luke xvi. 27, 9S. Dives knew which way thfty went; it is eafy to catch a difeafe from another, but not to catch health. The bad will fooner corrupt the good, than the good will convert the bad. Take an equal quantity and proportion, fo much fweet wine with fo much four vinegar ; the vinegar will fooner four the wine, than the wine will i'weeten the vinegar. Sin is compared to the plague, 1 Kings viii. 30. And to leaven, 1 Cor. v. 7. To ihew of what a fpreading nature it is. A bad mailer makes a bad fervant. Jacob's cattle, by looking on the rods which were fpeckled and ring-llraked, conceived like the rods. We do as we fee others do before us, efpecially thofe that are above us. if the head be fick, tb*' other parts of the body arc dillempered. If the fun (hine not upon the mountains, it muft needs let in the vallies. We pray,

* lead us not into temptation ;' Lot was the world's miracle, who kept himfelf frefii in Sodom's fait water.

2. By living in an evil family, we are liable to incur their puniniment; * Pour out thy wrath upon the families that call not upon thy name,' Jer. x. 25. For want of pouring out of prayer, the wrath of God was ready to be poured out. It is dangerous living in the tents of Kedar. When ' God fends liis flying roll, written within and without with curies, it enters into the houfe of the thief and the perjurer, and conl'uines the timber and the ftones thereof,' Zech. v, 4. Is it not of fad confeqnence to live in a profane perjured laniily, when the fin of the governor pulls his houfe about his ears? If the ftones and timi)f?r be deftroyed, how fhali the fervant eUape ? And fup-» iwle God fend not a temporal roll of curies in the family, there jb a fpiritual roll, and that is worfe, Prov. iii. 33. Be not con

Vol. II. No. 22. 3 P

tent to live where religion dies. ' Salute the brethren, atid Nymphas, and the church which is in his houfe,' Col. iv. 15. The houle of the godly is a little church, the houfe of the wicked a little hell, Prov. vii. 27. Oh, incorporate yourfelves into a religious family ; the houfe of a good man is perfumed •with a blefling, Prov. iii. 33. When the holy oil of grace is poured on the head, the favour of this ointment fweetly dif-fuleth itfelf, and the virtue of it runs down upon the fl^irts of the family. Pious examples are very magnetical and forcible. Seneca faid to his filler, though I leave you not wealth, yet I leave you a good example. Let us ingraft ourfelves among the laints ; by being often among the fpices, we come to fmell of them.

Caution 3. The third caution is, though in every condition we muft be content, yet we are not to content ourfelves with a little grace. Grace is the bed bleffing. Though wefhould be contented with a competency of eflate, yet not with a competency of grace. It was the end of Chrifl's afcenfion to heaven, to give gifts ; and the end of thofe gifts * that we may grow up into him who^is the Head, Chrifl,' Eph. iv. 15. Where the apoitle diflinguiflieth between our being in Chrift, and our growing in him ; our ingrafting and our flourifliing : be not content withamodicum in religion.

It is not enough that there be life, but there muft be fruit. Barrennefs (in the law) was accounted a curie. The farther we are from fruit, the nearer we are to curfing, Heb. vi. 8. It is a iad thing when men are fruitful only in the unfruitful works of darknefs. Be not content with a drachm or two of grace ; next to a ilill-born, a ftarvelling in Chrifi: is worft. Oh covet more grace ; never think thou haft enough ; we are bid ' to covet the heft things,' 1 Cor. xii. 31. It is an heavenly ambition, when we defire to be high in God's favour ; a bleifed contention, when all the flrife is, who (hall be moft holy. St. Paul, though he was content with a little of the world, yet not a little grace ; * he reached forward, and prelTed towards the mark of the high calling of God in Chrift Jeius,' Phil. iii. 13, 14. A true Chrilliun is a wonder, he is the moft contented, and yet the leaft iatisfied ; he is contented with a morfel of bread, and a little water in the crufe, yet never fatisfied with grace ; he doili pant and breathe after more ; this is his prayer. Lord, more conformity to Chrift, more communion with Chrift; he would fain have Chrift's image more lively pi6lured upon his ibul. True grace is always progreffive ; as the laints are called lamps and liars, in regard of their light; lb trees of righ-teouCnels (tla. Ixi. 3.) for their growth ; they are indeed like the tree of life, bringing forth leveral forts of fruit.

A true Chriftian grows, 1. la beauty. Grace is the bed completion of the foul ; it is at the (irlt plantation, like Rachel, fair to look upon ; but rtili the more it lives, the more it fends forth its rays of beauty. Abraham's faith was at firft beautiful; but at lall did fhine in its orient colours, and grew i'o illullrious, that God himfelf was in love with it, and makes his faith a pattern to all believers.

2. A true Chriftian grows in fvveetnefs. A poifonful weed may grow as much as the hyflbpor rofemary, the poppy in the field, as the corn ; the crab as the pearmain, but the one hath a harlh four tafte, the other mellows as it grows ; an hypocrite may grow in outward dimenfions, as much as a child of God ; he may pray as much, profefs as much : but he grows only in magnitude, he brings forth only four grapes, his duties are leavened with pride; the other ripens as he grows : he grows in love, humility, faith, which do mellow and fweeten his duties, and make them come otf with a better relifh. The believer grows as the flower, he cafts a fragrancy and perfume.

3. A true Chriftian grows in ftrength : he grows ftill more rooted and lettled. The more the tree grows, the more it fpreads its root in the earth ; a Chriftian who hath a plant of the heavenly Jerufalem, the longer he grows, the more he incorporates into Chrift, and fucks fpiritual juice and fap from hiui ; he is a dwarf in regard of humility, but a giant in regard of ftrength. He is ftrong to do duties, to bear burdens, reiiil tentations.

4. He grows in the exercife of his grace ; he hath not only-oil in his lamps, but his lamps are burning and fliining. Grace is agile and dexterous. Chrift's vines do ilourifli, Cunt. vi. 11. hence we read of a lively hope, I Pet. i. 3. and a fervent love, 1 Pet. i. 21. here is the activity of grace. Indeed fome-times grace is a fleepy habit of the foul, like fap in the vine, not exerting its vigour, which may be occafioned through fpiritual floih, or by reafon of falling into fome lin ; but this is only for a while ; the fpring of grace will come, ' the flowers will appear, and the fig-tree put forth her green figs.' The frefti gales of the Spirit do Iweetly revive and refociliate grace. The church of Chrift, whole heart was a garden, and her graces as precious fpices, prays for the heavenly breathings of the Spirit that her lacred fpices might flow out, Cant. vi. l(i.

1. A true Chriftian grows incremento, both in the kind and in the degree of grace. To his fpiritual living he gets an augmentation : he adds to 'faith, virtue: to virtue, knowledge : to knowledge, teniperance,' &c. 2 Pet. i. 5, 0\ Here is grace growmg in its kind ; and he goes on * from faith to faith,' Eom, i. 17. there is grace growing in the decree, ' we are bound to give thanks to God for you, brethren, becaule your faiih groweth exceedingly,' 2 Theft", i. 2. It increal'eth over aud above.

3P .J

And the apoftlefpeaksof thofe fpiritual plants which were laden with goi'pel fruit, Phi!, i. 2. A Chridian is compared to the vine, (an emblem of IVuitfulnefa) he muft; bear full clufters : we are bid to perfect that which is lacking in our faith, I Thelf. iii. 10. A Clirillian mud never be lb old as to be paft bearing ; he brings forth fruit in his old age, Pf, xcii. 14. An heaven-borri plant is ever growing ; he never thinks he grows enough ; he is not content unlefs he adds every day one cubit to his fpiritual llature. We mull not be content jull with fo much grace as will keep life and foul together, a drachm or two will not fuflice, but we miift be (till increafmg, * with the increafe of God,' Col. ii. 9. We had need renew our ftrength as the eagle, Ifa. xl. 21. Our fins are renewed, our wants are renewed, our tenta-tions are renewed, and fhall not our ftrength be renewed ? O be not content with the tirll embryo of grace, grace in its infancy and minority. You look for degrees of glory ; be you Chril-tians of degrees. Though a believer fliould be contented with a modicum in his ellate, yet not with a modicum in religion. A Chriftian of the right breed labours ftill to excel himfelf, and come nearer to that holinefs in God, who is the original, the pattern and prototype of all holinefs.

Chap. XIII. Ufe 4. Sheicmg how a Chrijiian may know whether he hath learned this divine art.

Thus having laid down thefe three cautions, I proceed in the next place to an ufe of trial. 4. How may a Chriftian know that he hath learned this leflon of contentment ? I (hall lay down Ibme pharaders by which you (hall know it.

Character I. A contented fpirit is a (jlent fpirit, he hath not one word to fay againft God, * I was dumb or filent, be-caufe thou, Lord, didft it,' Pfal. xxxix. Contentment filenceth all difpute, ' he fitteth alone and keepeth iilence,' Lam. iii. 28. There is a finful filence, when God is difhonoured, his truth wounded, and men hold their peace ; this filence is a loud fin : and there is a holy filence, when the foul fits down cjuiet and content with its condition. When Samuel tells Eli that heavy meffage from God, * that he would judge hishoufe, and that the iniquity of his family (hould not be purged away with (iacrifice for ever,' 1 Sam. iii. 13. Doth Eli murmur or difpute ? No, he hath not one word to fay againft God ; ' It is the Lord, let him do whatfeemeth him good,* ver. 18. A di(-contented fpirit faith as Pharaoh, ' Who is the Lord }* Why (liould I fuffer all this ? Why fhould I be brought into this low condition ? ' Who is the Lord }' But a gracious heart faith, as Eli, * It is the Lord, let him do what he will with me.' When Nadab and Abihu, the fons of Aaron had offered up ftrange (ire, and fire went from the Lord and devoured them. Lev. x. 1. Is Aaron now in a paflion of difcontent.? No, Aaron held

his peace, ver. 3. A contented fpirit is never angry, unlefs with himleir, for having hard thoughts of God. When Jonah laid, * I do well to be angry ;' this was not a contented Ipirit, it did not become a prophet.

Chararler 9. A contented fpirit, is a cheerful fpirit ; the Greeks call it eiithema. Contentment is fomething more than patience ; for patience denotes only fubmifiTion, contentment denotes cheerfulnefs. A contented Chrillian is more than paC-five; he doth not only bear the crofs, but take up the crofs, Matth. vi. ^4. He looks upon God as a wife God ; and whatever he doth, though it be not willingly, yet fen(ibly, it is in order to a cure. Hence the contented Chriftian is (;heerful, and with the apollle, * takes pleafure in infirmities, diltrefles/ v^c. 2 Cor. xii. 10. He doth not only fubmit to God's dealings, but rejoice in them ; he doth not only fay, ' Jull is the Lord in all that hath befallen me;' but * good is the Lord.* This is to be contented. A fullen melancholy is hateful ; it is faid, • God loves a cheerful giver,' *i Cor. ix. 7. ay, and God loves a cheerful liver. We are bid in fcripture, ' not to be careful,' but we are not bid not to be cheerful. He that is contented with his condition, doth not abate of his fpiritual joy ; and indeed he hath that within him which is the ground of cheerfulnefs ; he carries a pardon fealed in his heart, Matthew ix. 2.

Character 3. A contented fpirit is a thankful fpirit. This is a degree above the other; ' In every thing give thank?,' 1 Thef. V. 15. A gracious heart fpies mercy in every condition, therefore hath his heart fcrewed up to thankfulnels ; others will blefs God for profperity, he blelieth him for affli(5lion. Thus he reafons with himfelf; Am 1 in want? God fees it better for me to want than to abound ; God is now dieting of me, he fees it better for my fpiritual health fometimes to be kept fafting : therefore he doth not only fubmit but is thankful. The mal-contejit is ever complaining of his condition : the contented ipirit is ever giving thanks. Oh what height of grace is this I A contented heart is a temple where the prail'es of God are lung forth, not a fepulchre wherein they are buried. A contented Chriftian in the greateft ftraits hath his heart enlarged, and dilated in thankfulnel^, he oft contemplates God's love in election ; he fees that he is a monument of mercv, therefore de-fires to be a pattern of praife. There is always gratulatory mu-fic in a contented foul: the Spirit of grace works in the heart like new wine, which under the heavielt prelfures of forrow will have a vent open for thankfulnefs : this is to be content.

Characler 4. He that is content, no condition comes amifs to him ; fo it is in the text, ' in whatever ftate I am.' A contented Chriftian can turn himfelf to any thing ; either want or

abound. The people of Ifrael knew neither how to abound,-nor yet how to want: when they were in want, they murmured ; * Can God prepare a table in the wildernels ?' And when they ate, and were tilled, then they lifted up the heel. Paul knew how to manage every ftate ; he could be either a note higher or lower ; he was, in this fenfe, an univerfalift ; he could do any thing that God would have him : if he were in profperity, he knew how to be thankful; if in adverfity, he knew how to be patient; he was neither lifted up with the one, nor caft down ^vith the other. He could carry a greater fail, or a lefler. Thus a contented Chriftian knows how to turn himfelf to any condition. We have thofevvho can be contented in fome condition, but pot in every efiate : they can be content iq a wealthy eilate, when they have the Itreams of milk and honey ; while God's candle fhines upon their head, now they are content; but if the wind turn and be againft them, now they are difcontented. While they have a filver crutch to lean upon, they are contented ; but if God breaks this crutch, now they are difcontented. But Paul had learned in every eftute to carry himfelf with equanimity of mind ; others could be content with their afflidion, fo God would give them leave to pick and choofe. They could be content to bear fuch a crofs ;' they could better endure fick-nefs than poverty, or bear lofs of eftate thiin lofs of children ; if they might have fuch a man's crofs they could be content. A contented Chriftian doth not go to choofe his crols, but leaves God to choole for him ; he is content both for the kind and the duration. A contented fpirit faith, let God apply what medicine he pleafeth, and let it lie on as long as it will; I know when it hath done its cure, and eaten the venom of fin out of my heart, God will take it otF again. In a word, a contented Chriftian, being fweetly captivated under the authority of the word, defnes to be wholly at God's difpolal, and is willing to live in that fphere and climate where God has fet him : And if at any time he hath been an inftrument of doing noble and brave fervice in the public, he knows he is but a rational tool, a fer-vant to authority, and is content to return to his former condition of life. Cincinnatus, after he had done worthily, and purchafed to himfelfgreatfamein hisdidlatorlhip, did, notwith-lianding, alterwards voluntarily return to till and manure his four acres of ground : thus ftiould it be with Chrillrans, profef-fing godlineis with contentnjent, having ferved Mars, daring to otlend Jupiier; left olherwile they difcover only to the world a brulilh valour, being lb untamed and head-ftrong, that when they had conquered others, yet they are not able to rule their own fpirits.

Charadier 5. He that is contented with his condition, to rid hinifeif out of trouble, will not turn himfelf into fin. I deny

not but a Cliriftian may lawfully leek to change his condition : i'o far as God's providence doth go before, he may follow ; but when men wdl not follow providence, but run before it, as he that faid, ' This evil is of the Lord, why Ihould I wait any longer ?' 2 Kings iv. 33. If God doth not open the door of his providence, they will break it open, and wind themfelves out of affliction by lin ; bringing their Ibuls into trouble.—'I'his is far from holy confentation ; this is unbelief broken into rebellion. A contented Chrillian is willing to wait God's leifure, and will not flir till God open a door. As Paul laid in another cafe, * they have beaten us openly, uncondemned, being Romans, and have call us into prilbn ; and now, do they thrult us out privily ? Nay, verily, but. let them come themfelves aiui fetch us out,' Acts xvi. 37. So, with reverence, faith the contented Chriitian, God hath call me into this condition ; and though it be lad and troublelbme, yet I will not flir, till God by a clear providence fetch me out. Thus thofe brave fpirited Chrifiians, Heb. xi, 35. * They accepted not deliverance,' that is, upon bale di(honourable terms. They would rather ftay in prilbn than purchafe their liberty by carnal compliance. E'ftius obl'erves on the place, "they might not only have had their enlargements, but been raifed to honour, and put into offices of Iruft; yet the honour of religion was dearer to them than either liberty or honour." A contented Chrillian will not remove, till, as the Ifraelites, he fee a pillar of cloud and lire going before him. ' It is good that a man Ihould both hope, and quietly wait for the falvation of the Lord,' Lam. iii. 16. It is good to ftay God's leilure, and not to extricate ourfelves out of trouble, till we fee the flar of God's providence pointing out a way to us.

Chap. XIV. Ufe 5. Containing a Chriftian direStory, or rules about contentment.

Iproceed now to an ufe of diredion, to fiiew Chrifiians how they may attain to this divine art of contentation. Certainly it is feafible, others of God's liiints have reached to it. St. Paul here had it ; and what do we think of thole we read of in that little book of martyrs, Heb. xi. who had trials of cruel luockings and fcourgings, who wandered about in delarts and caves, yet were contented ; lb that it is polhble to be had. And here I (hall lay down fome rules for holy contentment.

§ 1. Advance faith.

All our difquiets do ilTue immediately from unbelief. It is this that raifeth the llorm ofdilcontent in the heart. O let faith a-work ; it is the property of faith to liience our doubt-ings, to Icatter our fears, to Itill the heart when the paHions are up. Faith works the heart to a fweet, ferene compolure ; it is not having food and raiment, but having faith, which will

make us content. Faith chides down pafTion ; when reafon begins to fink, let faith I'wim.

Qu. How doth faith icork contentment ?

Anf. 1. Faith fliews the foul, that whatever its trials are, yet it is from the hand of a father ; it is indeed a bitter cup, but * (hall I not drink the cup which my Father hath given me to drink ?' It is in love to my foul: God corre6ls me with the lame love he crowns me : God is now training me up for heaven ; he carves me, to make me a polifhed fhaft. Thefe futferings bring forth patience, humility, even the peaceable fruits of righ-teouinefs, Heb. xii. 11. And if God can bring fuch a fweet fruit out ofafourftock, let him graft me where he pleafes. Thus faith brings the heart to holy contentment.

2. Faith fucks the honey of contentment out of the hive of the promife, Chrill is the vine, the promifes are the clufters of grapes that grow upon this vine ; and faith prelfeth the fweet wine ofcontentment out ofthefefpiritual clufters of the promiles. I will fliew you but one clufter, ' the Lord will give grace and glory,' Pf. Ixxxiv. 11. Here is enough for faith to live upon. The promife is the flower out of which faith diftils the fpirits and quinteflfence of divine contentment. In a word, faitli carries WT) the foul, and makes it afpire after more generous and noble delights than the earth affords, and to live in the world above the world. Would ye live contented lives ? Live up to the height of your faith.

§ 2. Rule 2. Labour for affurance.

Oh let us get the intereft cleared between God and our fouls. Intereft is a word much in ufe, a pleafing word ; interell in great friends, interell-money. Oh, if there be an intereft worth looking after, it is an intereft between God and the foul: labour to fay, * my God.' To be without money, and without friends, and without God too, Eph. ii. 12. is fad ; but he whofe faith doth flourifti into afllirance, that can fay, ' I know in whom I have believed,' as St. Paul, 2 Tim. i. 12. that man hath enough to give his heart contentment. When a man's debts are paid, and he can go abroad without fear of being arrefted, what contentment is this! Oh, let your title be cleared; if God be ours, whatever we want in the creature, is infinitely made up in him. Do I want bread ? I have Chrift the bread of life. Am I under defilement ? His blood is like the trees of the fan6luary ; not only for meat, but medicine, Ezek. xlvii. 12. If any thing in the world be worth labourir)g for, it is to get found evdiences that God is ours. If this be once cleared, what can come amifs? No matter what ftorms I meet with, fo that I know where to put in for harbour. He that hath God to be his God, is fo well contented with his condition, that he doth not much care whether he hath any thing elfe. To

reft in a condition where a Chriftian cannot fay God is his God, is matter of fear ; and if he can fay fo truly, and yet is not contented, is matter of fhame. 'David encouraged him-felf in the Lord his God,' 1 Sam. xxx. 6. It was fad with him, Ziklag burnt, his wives taken captive, he loll ail, and like to have loithis ibldier's hearts too, (for they fpakeofiloning him,) yet he had the ground of contentment within him, viz. an iu-tereft in God ; and this was a pillar of fupportment to his fpirit. He that knows God is his, and all that is in God is for his good ; if this doth not fatisfy, I know of nothing that will. § 3. Rule 3. Get an humble fpirit.

The humble man is the contented man ; if his eftate be low, his heart is lower than his eftate ; therefore be content. If his efteem in the world be low, he that is little in his own eyes, will not be much troubled to be little in the eyes of others. He hath a meaner opinion of himfelf, than others can have of liim. The humble man ftudies his own unworthinefs; he looks upon himfelf as ' lefs than the leaft of God's mercies,* Gen. xxxiii. 10. and then a little will content him : he cries out with Paul, that * he is the chief of finners,' 1 Tim. i. 15. therefore dotli not murmur, but admire : he doth not fay his comforts are fmall, but his iins are great. He thinks it a mercy he is out of hell, therefore he is contented. He doth not go to carve out a more happy condition to himfelf: he knows the worft piece God cuts him, is better than he deferves. A proud man is never contented ; he is one that hath an high opinion of himfelf; therefore under fmall bleflings is difdainful, under fmall croifes impatient. The homble fpirit is the contented fpirit; if his crofsbe light, he reckons it the inventory of his mercies ; if it be heavy, yet he takes it upon his knees, knowing that when his eftate is worfe, it is to make him the better. Where you lay humility for the foundation, contentment will be the fuperllruc-ture.

§ 4. Rule 4. Keep a clear confcience.

Contentment is the manna that is laid up in the ark of a good confcience : Oh take heed of indulging any fin. It is as natural for guilt to breed di((:juiet, as for putrid matter to breed vermin. Sm lies as Jonah in the (hip, it raifeth a tempeft. if duft or motes be gotten into the eye, they make the eye water, and caufe a forenels in it; if the eye be clear, then it is free from that forenels : if fin be gotten into the confcience, which is as the eye of the foul, then grief and dilquiet breed there ; but keep the eye of confcience clear, and all is well. What Solomon faith of a good Itomach, I may fay of a good confcience, Prov. xxvii. 7. ' To the hungry foul every bitter thing is fweet:' fo to a jrood conlicience every bitter thing is fweei ; it can pick contentment out of a crolii. A good coa-Vol. li. No. £2. 3Q * ' '

fcience turns the waters of Marah into wine. Would you hav« a quiet heart ? Get a fmiling confcience. I wonder not to hear Paul fay, he was in evei-y ilate content; when he could niake that triumph, ' 1 have lived in all good confcience to this day.* When once a man's reckonings are clear, it muft needs let in abundance of contentment into the heart. A good confcieiice can fuck contentment out of the bittereft drug, under flanders ; * this is OUT rejoicing the teftimony of our confcience,' 2 Cor, i. 17. In cafe of imprifonment, Paul had his prifon-fongs, and could play the fweet leifons of contentment when his feel were in the Hocks, A6ls xvi. 25. Auguftine calls it' the para-dife of a good confcience ;* and if it be fo, then in priforv we may be in paradife. When the times are troublefome, a good confcience makes a calm ; if confcience be clear, what though the days be cloudy ? Is it not a contentment to have a friend always by, Jo fpeak a good word for us ? Such a friend is confcience. A good confcience, as David's harp, driveth away the evil fpirit of difcontent. When thoughts begin toarife, and the heart is difquieted, confcience faith to a man, as the king did to Nehemiah, * Why is thy countenance fad ?* Nehem. ii. 2. So faith confcience. Haft not thou the feed of God in thee ? Art not ihou an heir of the promife ? Haft not thou a treafure that thou canft never be plundered of? Why is thy countenance fad ? Oh, keep confcience clear, and you (hall never want contentment. For a man to keep the pipes of his body, the veins and arteries free from colds and obftru6iions, is the beft way to maintain health ; fo, to keep confcience clear, and to preferveit from the obftru6lions of guilt, is the beft way to maintain contentment. Firft, confcience is pure, and then peaceable.

P 5. Rule 5. Learn to deny yoiirfe/ves.

Look well to your affections, bridle them in. Do two things, (1.) Mortify your defires. (2.) Moderate your delights.

1. Mortify your defires. We rauft not be of the dragon's temper, who, they fay, is fo thirfty, that no water will quench his thirft ; ' mortify tlierefore your inordinate aft'e6tions,' CoK iii. 5. In the Greek it is, your evil affections ; to fliew that our defires, when they are inordinate, are evil ; crucify your de-fires, be as dead men ; a dead man hath no appetite.

Qu. Hoiv piould a Chrifiian marlyr his defires.

Avf. 1. Get a right judgment of the things here below ; they are mean beggarly things; * Wilt thou fet thine eyes upon that which is not ?' Prov. xiii. 5. The appetite muft be guided by reafon ; the atFe6tions are the feet of the foul, therefore they muft I'oUow the judgment, not lead it.

2. Often ferioufly meditate of mortality ; death will foon crop ihefe flowers which we delight in, and pull down the fabric of thoie bodies which we fo garnifti and beautify. Think,

when you are locking up your money in your cheft, who fliall (hall (hortly lock you up in your coffin.

'2dly, Moderate your delights. Set not your heart too much upon ar>y creature, Ifa. Ixil. 10. What we over-love, we Ihall over-grieve. Rachel fet her heart too much upon her children, and wlien (he had loilthem, (he loft herfelf too : iuch a vein of grief was opened, as could not be ftenched, ' (lie refufed to be comforted.' Here was difcontent. When we let any creature lie too near our heart, when God pulls away that comfort, a piece of our heart is rent away with it. Too much fondnefs ends in frowardnefs. Thofe that would be content in the v/ant of mercy, mull be moderate in the enjoyment. Jonathan dipt the rod in honey, he did not thruft it iff. Let us take heed of ingulphing ouri'elves in pleafure ; better have afparediet, than, by having too much to furfeit.

§6. Rule 0'* Get much of heaven into your heart.

i>piritual things fatisfy ; the more of heaven is in us, the lefs €arth will coateut. He that hath once talted the love of God, Pfai. Ixiii. 0. his third is much quenched towards fublunary things : the joys of God's Spirit are heart-filling and heart-^ chearing joys; he that hath thele, hath heaven begun in them, Kom. xiv. ^7. And (hall not we be content to be in heaven ? Oh get a fublime heart, ' feek the things that are above,' Col. iii. 1. Fly aloft in your alFe6tions, thirft after the graces and comforts of the Spirit; the eagle that flies above in the air, feari not the fting of the lerpent; the ferpentcreeps on his belly, and ftings only I'uch creatures as go upon the earth.

§ 7. Rule 7. Look notfo much on the darkle of y out condition ^ as on the light.

God doth chequer his providences, white and black, as the pillar of cloud had its light fide and dark : look on the light .fide of thy eftate ; who looks on the black fide of a landfcape ? Sup-pofe thou art call in a law-fuit, there is the dark fide ; yet thou Jiaft fome land left, there is the light fide. Thou hall ficknefs in thy body, there is the dark fide : but grace in thy loul, there is the light fide. Thou hall a child taken away, there is the dark fide; thy hufband lives, there is the light fide. God's providences in this life are varioufiy reprefented by thefe fpeckled horCes among the myrtle trees, which were red and white, Zech. i. I, Mercies and afflidlions are interwoven ; God dolh i'peckle his work. Oh, faith one, I want fuch a comfort? But weigh all thy mercies in the balance, and that will make thee content. Ifa man did want a finger,.would he be fo dilcon-tented for the lot's of that, as not to be thankful for all the other parts and joints of his body ? Look on the light fide of your condition, and then all your difcontents will eatily difband : do not 'pore upon your iolies, but ponder upon your mercias,

3 Q tJ

What! wouldeft thou have no crols at all? Why fhould one man think to have all good thhigs, when himfeif is good but in part ? Wouldeft thou have no evil about thee, who haft fo much evil in thee? Thou art not fully fan6lified in this life, how then thinkeft thou to be fully fatisfied ? Never look for per-fedtion of contentment, till there be perfe6tion of grace.

§ 8. Rule 8. Conjider in ichat a pojiure we jiand here in the U'orld.

1. We are in a military condition, we are foldiers, 2 Tim. ii. 3. Now a foldier is content with any thing ; what though he halh not his ftately houfe, his rich furniture, his foft bed, his full table, yet he doth not complain: He can lie on ftraw as well ab down ; he minds not his lodging, but his thoughts run upon dividing the fpoil, and the garland of honour fliall be fet upon, his head ; and for hope of this is content to run any hazard, endure any hardlhip. Were it not abfuid to hear him complain, that he wants luch provifion, and is fain to lie out in the fields ? A Chriftian is a military perfon, he fights the Lord's battles, he is Chrift's enfign-bearer. Now, what though he endures hard fate, and the bullets fly about? He fights for a crown, and therefore muft be content.

2. We are in a peregrine condition, pilgrims and travellers. A man that is in a firange country, is contented with any diet or ufage, he is glad of any thing ; though he hath not that re-l"pe6t or attendance which he looks for at home, nor is capable of the privileges and immunities of that place, he is content; he knows, when he comes into his own country, he hath lands to inherit, and there he (hall have honour and refpedl: fo it is with a child of God, he is in a pilgrim condition ; ' I am a ftranger with thee, and a fojourner, as all my fathers were/ Pfal. xxxix. 19. Therefore let a Chriftian be content; he is in the world, but not of the world ; he is born of God, and is a citizen of the New Jerufalem, Heb. xii. 10. therefore, though * he hunger and thirft, and have no certain dwelling place,' 1 Cor. iv. 11. yethe muft be content: it will be better when he comes into his own country.

3. We are in a mendicant condition ; we are beggars, we beg at heaven's gate, ' give us this day our daily bread :' We live upon God's alms, therefore mull be content with ajiy thing; a beggar muft not pick and choofe, he is contented with the re-fule. Oh, why doft thou murnuir that art a beggar, and.art fed out of the alms-bail»:et of God's providence.

§ y. Rule 9. Let not your hope depend upon thefe outward things.

• Lean not upon Tandy pillars ; we oft build our comfort upon fuch a friend or eftate ; and when that prop is removed, all our joy is gone, and our hearts begin either to frail or fret. A laine

iDan leans on his crutches; and if they break, he is undone. Let not thy contentment go upon crutches, which may foon fail; the ground of contentment mult be within thylelf. The Greek word ajitarkeia, which is uf'ed for contentment, fignities felf-lulikiency. A Chriltian hath that from within that is able to fupporthim; that firength of faith, and good hope through grace, as bears up his heart in the deficiency of outward comforts. The philofophers of old, when their eftates were gone, yet could take contentment in the goods of the mind, learning and virtue ; and (hall not a believer much more in the graces of the fpirit, that rich enamel and embroidery of the foul ? Say with thylelf, if friends leave me, if riches take wings, yet I have tliat within which comforts me, viz. an heavenly treafure : when the blolibms of my ellate are blown off, ftill there is the Tap of contentment in the root of my heart; I have Hill an intereft in God, and that intereft cannot be broken off. Oh never place your felicity in thefe dull and beggarly things here below,

^ 10. Rule 10. Let us often compare OUT condilion.

Qu. How fhon/d I compare ?

Anf. Make this five-fold comparifon.

Comparifon 1. Let us compare our condition and our defert together ; if we have not what we defire, we have more than we deferve. For our mercies we have deferved lots ; for our afflictions, we have deferved more.

Firjl^ In regard of our mercies, we have deferved lof's. What can we deferve } Can man be profitable to the Almighty.? We live upon free grace. Alexander gave a great gift to one of his iubjeds ; the man being much taken with it, this (faiih he) is more than I am worthy of. I do not give thee this, faith the king, becaufe thou art worthy of it, but I give a gift like Alexander. Whatever we have is not merit, but bounty; the leafl bit of bread is more than God owes us ; we can bring faggots to our own burning, but not one flower to the garland of our fal-. ration ; he that hath the lealt mercy, will die in God's debt.

Secondlyy In regard of ourafVlidtions, we have deferved more. * Thou halt punilhed us lels than our iniquities deferve,' Ezra ix. 13. Is our condition lad? We havedeferved it (hould be worfe; hath God taken away our eitate from us ? He might luive taken away Chrilt from us : hath he thrown us into prilbn ? he might have thrown us into hell, he nught as well damn us, as whip us; this Ihould make us contented.

Comparifon 2. Let us compare our condition with others? and this will make us content : we look at them whoare above us, let us look at them who are below us ; we fee one in his filks, another in his lack-cloth : one lialh the waters of a full cup wrung out to him, another is mingling his drink with tears ; how many pale faces do we behold, whom not licknefs, but vvaufc

hath brought into a confumption! Think of this and be content. It is worfe with them who perhaps deferve better than we, and are higher in God's favour. Am I in prifon ? Was not Daniel in a worfe place, viz. the hon's den ? Do I hve in a mean cot-tas^e ? Look on them who are baniflied from their houfes. We read of the primitive faints, * that they wandered up and down in Oieeps' fkins and goats' fkins, of whom the world was not worthy,' Heb. xi. 37. Haft thou a gentle fit of an ague? Look on them who are tormented with the ftoneand gout, &c. Others of God's children have had greater aftliiSlions, and have borne them better than we. Daniel fed upon pulfe and drank water, yet was fairer than they who ate of the king's portion, Dan. i. 15. Some Chriftians who have been in a lower condition, that have fed upon pulfe and water, have looked better, viz. been more patient and contented than we who enjoy abundance. Do others rejoice \n affliction, and do we repine ? Can they take up their crofs, and walk cheerfully under it, and do we under a lighter crofs murmur?

Comparijon 3. Let us compare our condition with Chrift's upon earth ; what a poor, mean condition was he pleafed to be in for us? He was contented with any thing. ' For ye know the grace of our Lord Jeius Chrift, that though he was rich, yet for your fakes he became poor,' 2 Cor. vii. 9. He could have brought down an houfe" from heaven with him, or challenged the high places of the earth ; but he was contented to be in the wine-prefs, that we might be in the wine-cellar; and to live poor, that we might be rich ; the manger was his cradle, the cobweljs his canopy : he who is now preparing manfions for us in heaven, had none for himfelf on earth, ' he had no where to lay his head.' Chrift came \x\ forma pauperis ; who * being in the form of God, took upon him the form of a fervant,' Phil, ii. 7. We read not of any fums of money he had ; when he wanted money, he was fain to work a miracle for it, Mat. xvii. 27. Jefus Chrift was in a low condition, he was never high, but when he was lifted up upon the croi's, and that was his humility ; he was content to live poor, and die curfed. O compare your condition with Chrift's.

Comparijon 4. Let us compare our condition with what it was once, and this will make us content.

Firji, Let us compare our fpiritual eltate with what it was once. What were we when we lay in d'ur blood ? We were heirs apparent to hell, having no right to pluck one leaf from the tree of the promife ; it was a Chriftlefs and hopelefs condition, Eph. ii. 12. But now God hath cut oft the entail of hell and damnation ; he hath taken you out of the wild olive of nature, and ingrafted you into Chrift, making you living branches ©f that living vine ; he halh not only cauied the light to Ihins

upon you, but into you, 2 Cor. vi. 6. and hath interefled you in all the privileges of lonfliip; is not here that which may make the Ibul content.

Secondly, Let us compare our temporal ellate with what it was once : Alas, we had nothing when we ftepped out of the womb; • For we brought nothing with us into the world,' 1 Tim. vi. 7. If we have not that which we defire, we have more than we did bring with us; we brought nothing with us (but fin) ; other creatures bring fomething with them into the world ; the lamb brings wool, the filk-worm filk, &c. but we brought notliing with us. What if our condition at prefent be low? It is better than it was once ; therefore, having food and raiment, let us be content: whatever we have, God's providence fetcheth it in to us ; and if we lofe all, yet we have as much as we brought with us. This was that made Job content, * Naked camel out of my mother's womb,' Job i. 21. As if he had faid, though God hath taken away all from me, yet why ftiould I murmur? I am as rich as I was when I came into the world : I have as much left as I brought with me ; naked came I hither: therefore blelied be the name of the Lord.

Compar'ifon 5. Let us compare our condition with what it fhall be fhortly. There is a time fliortly coming, when, if we had all the riches of India, they would do us no good ; we mud die, and can carry nothing with us ; fo faith the apollle, * it is certain we can carry nothing out of the world,' 1 Tim. vi. 7, Therefore it follows, * having food and raiment, let us therewith be content,' ver. 8. Open the rich man's grave, and fee what is there ; you may find the mifer's bones but not his riches, fays Bede. Were we to live for ever here, or could we carry our riches into another world, then indeed we might be difcon-tented, when we look upon our empty bagis ; but it is not lb; God may prefently feal a warrant for death to apprehend us: and when we die, we cannot carry our ellate with us : honour and riches defcend not into the grave, why then are we troubled at our ontward condition ? Why do we difguile ourfelves with difcontent? Oh, lay up a fl:ock of grace ; be rich in faith and good works, thefe riches will follow us. Rev. xiv. 13. No other coin but grace will pafs current in heaven, filver and gold will not go there ; labour to be rich toward God, Luke xii. 21. And as for other things, be not felicitous, * we Ihall carry nothing with us.'

§ 11. Rule 11. Go not to bmig your condition to your mindf but bring your mind to your condition.

The way for a Chriftian to be contented, is not by raifing his eftate higher, but by bringing his fpirit lower; not by making his barns wider, but his heart narrower. One man, a whole

lordftiip or manor will not content; another is fatisfied with a few acres of land : what is the ditference? The one lludies to fatisfy curiolity, the other neceffiiy ; the one thinks what he may have, the other what he may fpare.

§ 1'3. Rule 12. Study the vanity of the creature.

It matters not whether we have lei's or more of thefe thing's, they have vanity written upon the frontilpiece of them ; the world is like a (liadow that declineth ; it is delightful, but deceitful ; it promifeth more than we find, and it fails us when we have mod need of it. All the world rings changes, and is oondant only in its difapointments ; what then, if we have lefs of that which is at heft but voluble and fluid ? The world is as full of mutation as motion ; and what if God cut us (hort in fublunaries ? The more a man hath to do with the world, the more he hath to do with vanity. The world may be compared to ice, which is fmooth, but flippery : or to the Egyptian temples, without very beautiful and fumptuous, but within nothing to be feen but the image of an ape ; every creature faith con cerning fatisfa6lion, it is not in me. The world is not a filling but a flying comfort. It is like a game at tennis ; providence bandies her golden balls, firfl to one, then to another. Why are we difcontented at the lofs of theie things, but becaufe we expert that from them which is not, and repofe that in them which we ought not ? Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd, Jonah iv. 6. What a vanity was it ? Isit much to fee a withering gourd fmitten } or to fee the moon drefling itfelf in a new ihapeand figure. *

% 13. Rule 13. Get fancy regulated.

It is the fimcy which raifeth the price of things above their real worth ; what is the reafon one tulip is worth five pounds, another perhaps not worth one Ihiiling ? Fancy raifeth the price ; the difference is rather imaginary than real; fo, why it fliould be better to have thoufands than hundreds, is, becaufe men fancy it fo ; if we could fancy a lower condition better, as having lefs care in it, and lefs account, it would be far more eligible ; the water that fprings out of the rock, drinks as fweet as if it came out of a golden chalice : things are as we fancy them. Ever fince the fall, the fancy is difi;empered ; ' God faw that the imagination of the thoughts of his heart were evil,' Gen. vi. 5. Fancy looks through wrong fpe6tacles ; pray that G(»»d will Ian6lify your fancy ; a lower condition would content, if the mind and fancy were fet right. Diogenes preferred his cynical life before Alexander's royalty ; hf fancied his little cloilter belt. Fabricus, tho' a poor man, yet defpiled the gold of king Pyrrhus, Could we cure a diilempered fancy, we might foon conrjuer a difcontented heart.

§ 14, Rule 14. Coiykler how little willfiiffice nature.

The body is but a fmall continent, and is eafily recruited. Chrill hittli taught us lo pray for our daily bread ; nature is content wiih a little. Not lo thirit, not to liarve, is enouj^jh, lUith Gregory Nazianzen ; meat and drink are a Chriitiau's iidles, faith St. Hierom ; and the apoltle lailh, ' having food and raiment, let us be content.' Tlie llomach is fooner tilled than the eye ; how quickly would a man be content, it'he would Itudy rather to fatisfy his hunger than his humour.

^ 15. Rule lo. Believe the prej'ent conditio7i is heft for us.

Flelh and blood is not a cotupeient judge. Surfeiting rto-machs are for banqueting ftuff; but a man that regards his health, is rather for Iblid food. Vain men fancy fuch a condition bed, and would tlourilh in their bravery ; whereas a wife Chriltian hath his will melted into God's will, and thinks it bell to be at his finding ; God is wife, he knows whether we need food or phyfic : and if we could acquiefce in providence, the quarrel would foon be at an end. Oil, what a (Irange creature would man be if he were what he could wilh himfelf? Be content to be at God's allowance ; Gud knows which is the fit-teft pafture to put his Iheep in : fometimes a more barren ground doth well, whereas rank pallure may rot. Do 1 meet with fuch a croi's } God (hews me what the world is : he hath no belter way to wean me, tlian by putting me to a itep-mother. Doth God (lint me in my allowance } He is now dietmg me. Do I meet with lofles? It is that God may keep me from being loft. Every crols wind (hall at lalt blow me to the right port. Did we believe that condition bell which God doth parcel out to us, we ftiould cheerfully fubmit,and fay, * The lines are fallen in plealant places.*

§ 16. Rule 1(5. Do not too much indalge theflefh.

We have taken an oath in baptilm to forl'ake the tlefli. Th# flelh is a worfe enemy than the devil, it is a bolbm-traitor ; aa enemy within is worft. If there were no devil to terapt, th« flelh would be another Eve to tempt to the forbidden fruit. Oh, take heed of giving way to it ; whence is all our dilcontent but from the flelhly part } The flelh puts us upon the immoderate purfuit of the world : it conlults for eafe and plenty, and if it be not fatisfied, then dilcontent begin to arile. Oh, let it not have the reins : martyr the flelh. In Ipiriiual things the Uelli is a fluggard, in liecular things an horle-leech, crying, ' give, give,' The flelh is an enemy to futlering ; it will fooner make a man a courtier, than a martyr. Oh, keep it under ; put its neck under Chrill'syoke, liretch and nail it to his crols ; never let a Chrillian look for contentment in his fpint, till there be confinement in his flelh.

§ 17. Rule 17. Meditate much on the glory which/hall be re* vealed.

Vol. II. No. 23. 3 R

There are great things laid up in heaven. Though it be Cdd for the prefeut, let us be content, in that it (borlly will be better ; it is but a while and we (hall be with Clirift, bathing our-felves in the fountain of love ; we fliall never complan of wants and injuries any more ; our crofs may be heavy, but one fight of Chriil will make us forget all our former fbrrows. There are two things fliould give contentment.

1. That God will make us able to bear our troubles, 1 Cor. X. 13. God (iaith Chryfoftom) doth like a lutanift, who will not let the itringsof his lute be too flack left it fpoil the raufic of prayer and repentance ; nor yet too much adverfity, ' left the fpirit fail before me ; and the fouls that I have made,* Ifa. Ivii. 16.

2. When we have fuffered a while, 1 Pet. v. 10. we fhall be perfedled in glory ; the crofs (ball be our ladder, by which we ihall climb up to heaven. Be then content and then the fcene will alter : God will ere long turn our water into wine : the hope of this is enoujrh to drive away all diftempcrs from the heart. Blefied be God it will be better ; ' We have no continuing city here,' Heb. xiii. therefore our affli6tionscannot continue. A wife man looks ftill to the end ; * the end of thejuft man is peace,' Pf. xxxvii. 7. Methinks the fmoothnefs of the end ftiould make amends for the ruggednefs of theway. O eternity, eternity ! Think often of the kingdom prepared. David was advanced from the field to the throne ; firft he held his ibepherds ftaff, and fhortly after the royal fceptre. God's people may be put to hard fervices iiere, but God hath chofen them to be kings, to fit upon the throne with the Lord Jefus. This being weighed in the balance of faith, would be an excellent means to bring the heart to contentment.

§ 18. Rule 18. Be much in prayer.

The laft rule for contentment is, be much in prayer. Beg of God, that he will work our hearts to this blefled frame ; * Is any man aftli6led, let him pray,' James v. 14. So, is anymaa difcontented ? Let him pray. Prayer gives vent; the opening of a vein lets out bad blood ; when the heart is filled with for-pow ixnd difquiet, prayer lets out bad blood. The key of pray-eroiled with tears, unlocksihe heart of all itsdifcontents. Prayer -is an holy fpell or charm to drive away trouble ; prayer is the unbnloming of the foul, the unloading of all our cares in God's breaft ; and this ulhers in fvveet contentment. When there is any burden upon our fpirits, by opening our mind to a friend we find our minds finely eafed and quieted. It is not our Urong lefolutions, but our ftrong requeils to God, which muft give the heart cafe in trouble ; by prayer the ftrength of Chrift comes into the foul ; and where that is, a man is able to go through any condition. Paul could be in every eftate content;

but that yon may not think he is able to do this himfelf, he tells you, that though he could want and abound, and * do all things ;' yet it was • through Chrill ftrengthening him,' Phil, iv. 13. It is the child that writes, but it is the fcrivener guides his hand.

Cn\L'. XV. Ufe 6. Of confolation to the contented Chrif-tian.

• The lafi; ufe is of comfort, or an encouraging word to the contented Chriftian. If there bean heaven upon earth thou haft it. O Chrillian, thou mayeft infult over thy troubles, and, with the leviathan, * laugh at the fliaking of a Ipear,' Job xiv. 29. What fhall 1 fay ? Thou art a crown to thy profeffion ;' thou doft hold it out to all the world, that there is virtue enongh irt ieligion to give the foul contentment. Thou (hewell the high-eft of grace. When grace is crowning, it is not fo much for us to be content : but when grace is conflicting, and meets with crofles, temptations, agonies ; now to be content, this is a glorious thing indeed.

To a contented Chriftiah, I fliall fay two things for a fare-wel.

Firft^ God is exceedingly taken with fuch a frame of hearts God faith of a contented Chriftian, as David once faid of Go-liah's Iword, * there is none like that, give it me,* I Sam. xxi. 9. If you would pleafe God, and be men of his heart, be contented. God hates a froward fpirit.

Secondly, The contented Chriftian ftiall be no lofer. AVhat loft Job by his patience ? God gave him three times as much as he had before. What loft Abraham by his contentment ? He was content to leave his country at God's call: The Lord makes a covenant with him, that he would be his God, Gen. xvii. He changeth his name; no more Abram, but Abraham, the father of many nations. God makes his feed as the ftars of heaven; nay, honours them with this title, ' the father of the faithful,' Gen. xviii. 17. The Lord makes known his fecrets to him, * ftiall I hide from Abraham the things that I will do ?* God fettles a rich inheritance upon him, that land which was a type of heaven, and afterwards tranflated him to the bUHed paradife. God will be fure to reward the contented Chriftian. As our Saviour faid in another cafe to Nathaniel, ' becaule I faid I law thee under the fig-tree, believeft thou? Thou (halt fee greater things than thole,' John i. 50. So I fay, Art thou contented, O Chriftian, with a little? Thou (lialt fee grealef things than thefe : God will diftil the fweet influences of his love into thy foul : he will raiCe thee up friends; he will blefs the oil in the crufe? and when that is done, he will crown theo with an eternal enjoyment of himfelf; he will give thee heaven,

3R 2

where thou {halt have as much contentment as thy foul can poffibly third after.

■ lilllSOJMIli

DIVERS DISCOURSES.

James iii. 6. And the tongue isajire, a world of iniquity.

The apoftle James, in this fcripture, defcribes the evil of the tongue, ' The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.'

1. * It is a fire.' It burns with intemperate heat; it caufeth the heat of contention ; it fets others in a flame.

2. * A world of iniquity.' It was at firil made to be an organ of God's praife, but it is become an infl;rument of unrigh-teoufnefs. All the member.s of the body are finful, as there is bitternefs in every branch of wormwood, but the tongue is ex-ceflively finfuf ' full of deadly poilon,' verfe 8.

Doctrine. The tongue, though it be a httle member, yet it hath a world of fin in it: the tongue is an unruly evil. 1 fliall fliew you fome of the evils of the tongue.

1 The evd tongue (travel a little over this world) is the filent tonoue ; it is wholly mute in matters of religion ; it never fpeaks of God or of heaven, as if it cleaveth to the roof of the mouth. IVIen are fluent and difcurfive enough in other things, but in matters of religion their lips are fealed up. If we come in to fbofne peoples' company, we do not know what religion they are of, whether Jews or Mahometans, for they never fpeak of Chrifl ; they are like the man in the gofpel, who was pofl'efTed with a dumb devil, Mark ix. 17.

2. The evil tongue is the earthly tongue: men talk of nothing but the world, as if ail their hopes were here, and they looked for any earthly eternity ; thef'e have earthly minds, John iii. 6{. * He that is of the earth, fpeaketh of the earth.*

3. The evil tongue is the hafty or angry tongue; they have no conmi^nd of paffions, but are carried away with them, as a chariot with wild horfe-s. I know there is an holy anger, when we are angry with fin : Chrift had this anger when they made the temple a place of merchandize, John ii. 13. That anger is without fin, which is againft fin : but that is an evil tongue, which is prefently blown up into exorbitant paffion ; this * tongue is feton fire from hell.' A wrathful fpirit is unfuitable to the gofpel; it is a gofpel of peace, and its author is the Prince of Peace, and it is lealed by the Spirit, who came in the form of a dove, a meek peaceable creature. Thou who art given much to paflion, whofe tongue is often fet on fire, take heed

thou doft not one day in hell defire a drop of water to cool thy tongue.

4. The evil tongue is the vain tongue, that vents itfelf in idle words: Plal. x. 7. * Under his tongue is vanity:' A vain tongue (hews a light heart: a good man's words are weighty and prudent; his lips are as a tree of life to feed many; his fpeech is edifying, Prov. x. 20. * The tongue of the juftisas choice filver.' But, Prov. xv. 1. • The mouth of fools pours out foolininels :' How many idle away the day of grace in frivolous dilcourCes.? A. wife man's words are like gold, weighty, and will (ink into the hearts of others ; but the words of many are light and feathery; and will make no impreflion, Mat. xii. 313,

* Every idle word that men (hail fpeak, they ihall give an account thereof in the day of judgment.'

5. The evil tongue is the cenlbrious tongue. James iv. 12.

* Who art thou that judgell another?' Some make it a part of their religion to judge and cenfure others ; they do not imitate their graces, but cenfure their failings; fuch an one is an hypocrite ; this comes from pride. Were men's hearts more humble, their tongues would be more charitable. The cenl'urer fits in the chair of pride, and palfeth ientence upon another, and doth reprobate him : this is to ufurp God's prerogative, and take his work out of his hands; it is God's work to judge, not oin's. He who I'pends his time in cenluring others, fpeuds but little time in examining himfelf; he doth not fee his own fiiults. There is not a greater fign of hypocrify, than to be over hally in judging and cenluring perlbns.

a. The evil tongue is the flanderous tongue, Pfal. 1. 20.

* Thou fittelt and (landerell thy own mother's fon.' Slandering is when we fpeak to the prejudice of another, and fpeak that which is not true. Worth and eminericy are commonly blalled by flander ; holinefs itfelf is no fhield from flander : * John Baptilt came neither eating nor drinking, yet they fay he hath a devil,' Mat. xi. * Come and let us fmite him with the tongue.* A flanderer wounds another's fame, and no phylician can heal thele wounds. ' The fvvord doth not make (b deep a wound as the tongue.' The Greek word for flinderer, fignilies Devil, 1 Tun. ill. ll. Some think it is no great matter to belie and defame another ; but know this is to a6l the part of a devil. The flanderer's tongue is a two edged fword, it wounds two at once ; while the flinderer wounds another in his name, he wounds himfelf m his coufcience. This is contrary to icrip-ture, James iv. 11. * Speak not evil one of another.' God takes this ill at our hands, to fpeak evil of others, efpecially fuch as are eminently holy, and help to bear up the honour of religion. Numb. xii. 8. ' VV"ere ye not afraid to fpeak againfl my lervaat Moles r What, my lervant, who hath wrought lb

many miracles, whom I have fpoken with in the mount face t© face, were not ye afraid to fpeak againft him ? So will God fay. Take heed of this, it is a fin our nature is very prone to ; and remember, it is no leCs fin to rob another of his good name, than lo fteal hJB goods or wares out of his (hop.

7. The evil tongue is the unclean tongue, that vents itfelf in filthy and fcurrilous words. Ephef. iv. 29. * Let no corrupt communications proceed out of your mouth.* A fignof a great dirtemper, that the fever is high, when the tongue is black : a fign men's hearts are Very evil when fuch black words com6 from them.

8. The evil tongue is the lying tongue. Col. iii. 9. * Lie not one to another.' * The Cretians were noted for liars.' Tit. i. 12. * The Cretians are always liars.' It becomes not Chriftians to be Cretians. Nothing is more contrary to God than a lie ; it fhews much irreligion : lying is a fin that doth no go alone, it ushers in other fins. Abfalom told his father a lie, that he was going to pay his vow at Hebron, 2 Sam. xv. 7. and this lie was a preface to his treafon. Lying is fuch a fin, as takes away all fociety and converle with men : how can you have converfe with him, that you cannot truft a word he faith ? It is a fin fd fordid, that when the liar is convidled, he is afhamed. God's children have this character, they are * children that will not life,' Ifa. Ixiii. 8. the new nature in them will not futfer them. The liar is a near a-kin to the devil, and the devil will fhortly claim kindred with him, John viii. 44. * The devil is a liar, and the father of it.' He leduced our firft parents by a lie. Gen. iii. 4. How doth this fin incenfe God ? He ftruck Ananias dead for telling a lie, A6ts v. 5. the furnace of hell is heated to thrown liars into. Rev. xxii. 13. * Without are dogs and forcerers, and wholbever loveth and telleth a lie.*

9. The evil tongue is the flattering tongue, that will fpeak fair to one's face, but will defame, Prov. xxvi. 25. * He that hateth, diflembleth with his lips.' When he fpeaketh fair, believe him not; dilfembled love is worfe than hatred. Some can commend and reproach, flatter and hate : [honey in their' mouths, but a lling of malice in their hearts :3 better are the wounds of a friend, than the kifl'es of fuch an enemy. Hierom faith, "the Arian fa6tion pretended friendfliip; they (faith he) kiffed my hands, but flandered me and fought my ruin.'* Many have diflembling tongues, they can fay, yourfervant, and lay fuares, Prov. xxix. 5. * A man that tlattereth his neigh-hour, fpreadeth fnares for his feet.' You oft think you have a friend in your bolbm, but he proves a viper. To diifemblelove is no better than to lie : for there is a pretence of that love which is not. Many are like Joab, 2 Sam. xx. 9. * And Joab faid to Amafa, art thou in health, my brother .^ And he took him

by the beard to kifs him, and ho fmote him on the fifth rib that he died.* For my part, I muil queftion his truth towards God, that will flatter and lie to his frjend. God will bring luch an one to (hame at lad, Prov. xxvi. 2(j. * Whole hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedneis Oiall be (hewed before the whole congregation.'

10. The evil tongue is the tongue given to boafting, James iii. 5. * The tongue is a little member, and boaftelh great things.* There is an holy boufting, PC. xliv. 8. ' In God we boatl all the day,' when we triumph in his power and mercy : but it is a finful boading, when men dif'play their trophies, boaft of their own worth and eminency, that others may admire and cry them up : a man's lelf is his idol, and he loves to have this idol worshipped, Acts v. 3(5. * There arofe up Theudas, boall-ing himfelf to be fomebody,* 2. Sinful boafting is when men boaft of their fins, Pf. Iii. 1. • Why boaileft thou thyfelf inmif. chief, O mighty man ?* Some boatt how mighty they have been : how many they have made drunk ; how many they have deflowered ; as if a beggar ihould boaft of his fores ; or a thief boaft of being burnt in the hand ; fuch as boaft of tlieir finful exploits, will have little caufe to rejoice or hang up their trophies when they come to hell.

11. 'J'he evil tongue is the fweariug tongue, Matth. v. 34. * Swear not at all.' The icripture allows an oath for the ending of a coHtroverfy, and to clear the truth, Heb. vi. 16. But in ordinary difcourle to ufe an oath, and fotake God's name in vain^ is (iniul. Swearing may be called the * unfruitful works of dark-nefs,' there is neither pleafure nor profit iu it: It is like an hook the fifh comes to without a bait, Jer. xxiii. 10. * Becaufe of fwearing the land mourns.' Some think it the grace of their fpeech ; but if God will reckon with men for idle words, what will he do for finful oaths ?

Obj. But it, is only a petty oath, they fwear by their faith ?

Anf, Sure they which have lb much faith in their mouth, have none in their heart. But it is my cultom. Is this an excufe, or an aggravation of the fin } If a malefa<5lor fliould be arraigned for robbing, and he (hould fay to the judge, fpare me, it is my cuftom to rob on the high-way ; the judge would fay, thou Ihalt the rather die. For every oath thou fweareft, God puts a drop of wrath into his vial.

Obj. But, may fome think, w/mi though noiv and then Ifwear an oath .^ IVoixis are but icind,

Anf. But they are fuch a wind as will blow thee into hell, without repentance.

12. The railing tongue is an evil tongue : this is a plague-fore breaking out at the tongue; when we give opprobrioui language. When the difpute was belweep the archangel au4

the devil about the body of Mofes, Jude ver. 0. * The archangel duril not bring a raihng accufation againft him, but faid, the Lord rebuke thee.' The archangel durll not rail againft the devil. Railing oft ends in reviling, and fo men bring them-felves into a premunire, and are in danger of hell-fire, Matth. V. 22.

13. The reducing tongue is an evil tongue. The tongue that by fine rhetoric decoys men into error, Rom. xvi. 18. 'By fair fpeeches they deceive the heart of Uie fimple.* A fair tongue can put oft' bad wares ; error is bad ware, which a reducing tongue can put off. The deceit lies in this : a fmooth tongue can make error look fo like truth, that you can hardly know them afunder: as thus, in juftification, Chriil bears infinite love to juftified perfons; this is a glorious truth, but under this notion, the Antinomian preffeth libertinifm ; believers-may take more liberty to fin, and God fees no fin in them. Thus, by crying up juftification, they deftroy fanftification, here is the feducing tongue: and error is as dangerous as vice : one may die by poifon as well as by a piftol.

14^ The evil tongue is the cruel tongue, that fpeaks to the "wounding the hearts of others. The tongue is made almoft in the faftiion of a I'word ; and the tongue is (harp as a fword, Pf. Ivii. 4. • Their tongue is a fharp fword.' Kind, loving words ihould be fpoken to fuch as are of a heavy heart. Job vi. 14.

• To him that is aftlidted, pity (hall be fliewi .' Healing words are fitteft for a broken heart; but that is a crueJ, unmerciful tongue, which fpeaks fuch words to the aftli6led, as to cut theni to the heart. Pi". Ixix. 26. * They talk to the grief of thole whom thou haft wounded.' Hannah was a woman of a troubled fpirii, 1 Sam. i. 10. * She was in bitternefs of foul, and "wept fore.' And now Ell, ver. 14. ' Said unto her, how long wilt thou be drunken.^ Put away thy wine from thee.' This word was like pouring vinegar into the wound. When Job was afflidled with God's hand, his friends inilead of comforting him, tell him he was an hypocrite. Job xi. 2. Thete were cutting words, which went to his heart : inftead of giving him cordials in his fainting, they ufe corrofives. This is to lay more weight upon a dying man.

15. The evil tongue is the murmuring tongue, Jude 16.

• Thele are murmurers.' Murmuring is difcontent breaking out at the lips; men quarrel with God and tax his providence, as if he had not dealt well with them. Why (hou!d any murmur or be difcontented at their condition ? Doih God owe them any thing r Or, can they deferve any thing at his hands ? Oh, how imcomely is it to murmur at providence } It is fitteft for a Cain to be wroth with God, Gen. iii. 6. (1) Murmuring proceeds from unbelief. When men diitruft God's promife, then they

murmuf at his providence, Pf. cvi. 24, 25. * They believed not his vjTord, but murmured.' When faith grows low, rhea padion grows high. Cs.) Murmuring proceed& from pride. Men think they have deferved better; and, becaufe they are croffed, therefore they utter dilcontenred exprellions ;igaitift God. He who is humble bears any thing from God ; he knows his punifliment is lefs than his fin, therefore faiih, ' I will bear the indignation of the Lord,* Mic. vii. 9. But pride raifesdif-content; and hence comes murniurings. Murmuring is a fin that God cannot bear, Numb. xiv. 27 * How long fliall I bear with this people that murnuir againil me.''' The murmurerdif-covers much ingratitude ; a murmuring tongue is always an unthankful tongue: he confiders not how much he is a debtor to free grace, and whatever he hath is more than God owe^ him : he confiders not that his mercies outweigh his afflictions ; there is more honey than wormwood in his cup: he confiders not what God hath done for him, more than luchas are better than he : he hath the fineft; of wheat when others feed, as Daniel, on pulfe. The marmurer, i fay, doih not confider this : but becaufe he is croifed infome fmall matter, he repinesagainll God. Oh ingratitude! Ifrael, though they had manna from heaven to fatisfy their hunger, angels food ; yet murmured for want of quails ; not content that God (hould fupply their want, but muft; fatisfy their lull too. Oh unthankful ! [frael's murmuring cofl; many of them their lives, I Cor. x. 10. ' Neither murmur ye, as fome of them did, and were deitroyed of the de-ftroyer.' Their fpeeches were venomous, and God puuilhed them with venomous ferpents.

16. The evil tongue is the fcoffing tongue. The fcofFer fits in the chair of Icorners, and derides religion : I'urely the devil hath taken great pofleflion of men, when they have arrived at fuch a degree of fin as to feoff at holinefs. It was foretold as a fin of the lall times, 2 Pet. iii. 3. * There Oiall come in thel^Pt days fcofters.* Some fcotfat the authority of fcripture, the deity of Chriil, the immortality of the foul : this is the worit fort of tongues. When men have laid afide the veil of modelty, and their confcience are feared, then they tall aCcotiing at religion ; and when once they are come to this, their cale is defjierate; no reproofs will reclaim them : tell them of their fin, and they will hate you the more, Prov. ix. 8. ' Reprove not a icorner, lell he hate thee.' Such a man is on the threfliold of damnation.

17. The evil tongue is the tongue given to curfing, Pf. x. 7. * His mouth is full of curfing;' a vvilhin^ fome great evil to be-fal another: curfing is the Icum that boils otf from a wicked heart. ThoMgh it is true, the curfe caufelefs fliall not come ; (it is not in man's power to make another curfed), yet to wiHi

Vol. II .No. 23. 33

a curfe, is a fearful fin. If to hate our brother be murder, 1 John iii. 15. then, to cuife him, which is the higheft degree of hatred, niuft needs be murder. To ufe an execration or curfe, is for a man to do what in him lies to damn another. Some wiQi a curfe upon thenifelves : fo the Jews, ' his blood be upon us,' &c. And fo do your God damnes, as if damnation did not come fad enough, Pf. cix. 7. ' As he loved curfing, fo let it come to him.'

18. The evil tongue is theunjuft tongue ; that will for a piece of money open its mouth in a bad cauf'e. The lawyer hath linguam venofem, a tongue that will be fold for money, Pfalni Ixxxii. 2. * How long will you judge unjuftly ?' Some will plead any caufe, though ever fo bad : though it appears the deeds are forged, the witneffes bribed, there is perjury in the caufe; yet they will plead it. When a man pleads a bad caufe, he is the devil's attorney : as God hates falfe weights, fo afalfe caufe. Better be born dumb, than open one's mouth in a bad caufe. Oh, what times are we in! Many pervertjuftice, and, for enriching themfelves, overthrow a righteous caufe; thefe are worfe than they that rob ; for they fleece mens' eftates under colour of law, and ruin them under a pretence of doing juftice.

Ufe 1. Branch 1. See what a blow we have fuftained by the fall; it hath put out of frame the whole courfe of nature. Original fin hath ditfuled itfelf as a poifon into all the members of the body : it hath made the eye unchafl:e, the hands full of bribes ; amongft the reft, it hath defiled the tongue; * it is a world of iniquity.' That which was made to be the organ of God's praife, is become a weapon of unrighteoufnel's.

Branch 2. If there be fo much evil in the tongue, what is the heart ? If the ftream be fo full of water, how full of water is the fountain ? If there be a world ol'iniquity in the tongue, how many worlds of fin are there in the heart? Pfal. v. 9. * Their inward part is very wickednefs.' If the tongue, which is the outward part, be fo wicked, the inward partis very wickednefs, Plal. Ixiv. (5. ' The heart is deep:' it is fuch a deep as cainiot be fathomed ; deep pride, hypocrify, atheifm.

The heart is like the fea, where is the leviathan, and creeping things innumerable, Pf. civ. If the ficin hath boils of leprofy in it, how much corruption is in the l)lood ? If the tongue be fo bad, how diabolical is the heart ? It is the heart fets the tongue at work : ' Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth fpeak-eth.' There are the feeds of all atheifm and blafphemy. Mat. XV. t). • Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries; thefe defile a man,' If a branch of wormwood be fo bitter, then how bitter is the root ? Oh, what a root of bitter-nefs grows in a man's heart! Some fay they have good hearts ;

but if the tongue be fo bad, what is the heart ? If I fee fmoke come out of the top of a chimney, what a fire burns witliin ? Prov. vi. 13, 14. ' A wicked man walketh with a fro ward mouth ; frowardnefs is in his heart,' Solomon (hews the reatbn why the mouth is fo froward, ' Frowardnefs is in his heart.* The heart is a (lore-houfe of wickednefs, therefore called the

♦ evil treafure of the heart,' Matth. xii. 25. On<,nnal righteouf-nefs was a good treafure, but we were robbed of that ; and now there is an evil treafure of fin. The word trcalure denotes plenty ; to (liew the fulnefs and abundance of fin that is in the heart. The heart is a leffer hell, which is a matter ofdeep humiliation, the heart is, like the Egyptian temples, full of fpiders and terpents.

Ufe 2. Of reproof. It reproves fuch as abufe their tongues in all manner of evil fpeaking, lying, flandering, ralh anger. The heart is a veii'el full of fin, and the t»ngue lets it abroach. O how faft; do mens' tongues gallop in fin ! they fay, they give God their hearts, but let the devil take polfelliou of their tongues, Pr. xii. 4. * Our lips are our own, who is the Lord over us ? Who hath any thing to do with our words ? Who ihall controul us.? Who is our Lord? There is no engine the devil makes more ufe of than the tongue : what errors, contentions, impieties have been propagated this way, to the dilho-nour of the High God : David calls his tongue his glory, Pl'al. Ivii. 8. * Awake my glory.* Why did he call his tongue his glory, but hecaufe by it he did let forth God's glory in praifing him ? But a wicked man's tongue is not his glory, but his (hame ; with his tongue he wounds the glory of God ; * it is fet on fire from hell.*

Ufe 3. Confutation. Branch I. It confutes the Catharifts and Perfeailis, that plead for perfection in this life. If the tongue hath lb many evils in it, how are they perfe6t ? Prov. XX. 9. * Who can lay, I have made my heart clean, lam pure from fin ?' He makes a challenge to all the world. But the Perfedift faith, he is pure from fin: like Ifidore the monk, No7i haheo Domine, quod nihi ignofcos ; I have nothing. Lord, for thee to pardon. If pure and period, then they put Chrift out of office, he hath nothing to do for them as an advocate, they have no need of his intercelfion : but, Eccl. vii. 20.

* There is notajull man upon earth, that doth good, and fin-nelh not;' how proud and Ibperciiious are they who hold they are perfect, when the holiell men' alive, at Come time or other, offend in their tongues? There is no perfection on this fide the grave.

Branch 2. It confutes the Arminians, thofe patrons of freewill: they fay, " they have power to their own iaivation ; they can change their hearts." Theapollle tailh, ' the tongue

3 S 2

can no man tame/ James iii. 8, If they cannot bridle their tongue, how can they conquer their will ? If they cannot mafter thi> little II ember, toogue, how can they change their nature? Uie 4. Caution. Take heed to your tongue; have a care that ye offend not with your tongue, Plal. xxxiv. 14. ' Keep thy tongue from evjl,' Plal. xxxix. 1. ' I fa'id, I will take heed to my w sys, that I offend not with my tongue.' An hard lef-fon! Pambus laid he was above twenty years learning that fcripture, not to olFend with his tongue. The tongue is an un-Tuly member; God hath let a double hedge before the tongue, the teeth and lips, to keep it within its bounds, that it do not fpeak vainly. O look to your tongue. When a city is befieged, he that keeps the gates of the city, keeps the whole city fafe ; fo, if you keep the gates or doors of your mouth, you keep your whole foul.

Rules for the well ordering and regulating your words, or the governing of your tongue, that you do not dipionour God th^rei with.

lit Rule. If von would have better tongues, labour for better hearts. It is the heart hath influence upon the tongue. If the heart be vain and earthly, the tongue will be lb : if the heart be holy, the tongue will be fo. Look to thy heart; get a better heart, and a better tongue.

Qu. How fhall I get my heart bettered ? Anf. Get a principal of grace infufed. Grace is like the fait caft mtothe fpring : grace changeth the heart, and fan6lifies all the members ot the body ; it fandifies the eyes and makes them chaite; it fanctilies the tongije, and makes it meek and calm. When the Holy Ghoft came upon the apoftles, * they began to fpeak with other tongues,' Acts ii 4. When God's Spirit comes on a man with a lanctifying work, he {"peaks with another tongue; the fpeecb is heavenly. Grace makes the heart feri-ous, and that cures the levity of the tongue; when the heart is ferious, the words are favoury.

''2d Rule If you would not fin in your tongue, call to mind how you have formerly offended in your tongue, and that will make you more watchful for the future. Have not you fpoken woids that have Ikvoured of di(i:;ontent and envy.I* Have rot you hern guilty ol'cenfuring and flandering } Have not you been diG-guiJierl with pafTion } Hath not your tongue out-run your difcre-tion .'' Have not you fpoken words that you have been forry for afterward^, and have caufed either fiiame or tears } O oblerve former failings, how you have finned in your tongue, and that will be a good help for the future. David certainly made a critical obfervatiun upon Ibme of his words wherein he had offended : wordh of pride, Pf. xxx. fti. * In my profperify I faid, I fhall never be moved.* And, Pfal. cxvi. 14. * I faid in my

hade, all men are liars ;' even Samuel, and all the prophets, who promirod me the kingdom, they are all liars ; and I fhall die before I can come to enjoy it.—David having obferved how he had otfended in his tongue, he is more careful of his words, and made a Itricl vow with himfelf, that he would look better to them, ?['. xxxix. 1. ' I laid, 1 would take heed to my ways, that I oflend not with my tongue.' Look to the former flips of your tongue, and how you have by your words provoked God, and that will be a good means to make you more cautious for the future. A marnier that hath twice touched upon a rock, and been like to be call away, will be more careful how he comes there again.

Sd Rule. Watch your tongue : mofi fin is committed for n-ant of watchfulnefs. x\s the tongue hath a double fence let about it, lb it had need have a double watch. The tongue, when it is let loole, will be ready to Tpeak loofely ; watch it, left it run beyond its bounds in frothy and (inful dilcourfe, Prov. xxx. 32. * U thou halt thought evil", lay thy hand upon thy moulh :' that is (fay fome) lay thy hand upon thy mouth, in token of repentance. But it may bear another lenfe : if thou haft thought evil, if angry malici<ius thoughts come into thy mmd, lay thy hand upon thy mouth to flop thy lips, that thy thoughts come not into words.

4tli Rule. If you would not offend in your tongue, ponder your words well before you fpeak, Eccl. v. 1. * Be not rafli with thy month.' Some I'peak vainly becaufe inconllderatcly ; they do not weigh their words before thoy fpeak iliein. A talkative man doth not mind his words, but gives his tongue liberty ; he may fpeak not only utiadvifedly, but unholi'y, and give juft otl'ence,

5tli Rule. If you would not offend in your tongue, pray to God to guard your tongue, Pf. cxli. 3. * Set a watch, O Lord, before my month.' Set not about this work in your own ftrength, but implore God's help ; the tongue can no man tame, Jauies iii. 8. but God can tame it ; therefore go to him by prayer : pray, * Lord, fet a watch before the door of my lips;* keep me, that I may fpeak nothing to grieve thy Spirit, or that may tend to thy dilhonour.

6th Rule It you would be kept from evil fpcaking, inure your tongues to good fpeaking. If you would not have the calk have a bad fcent, put good liquor into it ; fo, if you would not liave \ our tongue run out linfully, let it be ufed to good dilcourfe ; fpeak otien one to another of Cinift, and the things pertaining to the kingdom of God ; ' the fpoufe's lips dropped as an honeycomb,' Cant. iv. II.

MOTIVES.

Uje. To beware of tongue-hns.

Id Motive. If you have no care of your tongues, all youl* religion is vain, James i. 26. • If any man among you feem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, this man's religion is vain.' Many a one will hear the word, and make a profeflion of religion, but cares not what liberty he takes in his tongue, to reproach and vilify others. This man's religion is vain ; that is, I. He hath no religion, his religion is but a (hew or pretence. 2. It is vain, becaufe it is ineffectual ; it hath not that force upon him as religion ought.

2d Motive. The tongue diicovers much of the heart, fuch as the tongue is, fuch commonly the heart is. A iafcivious tongue fliews a liiflfLil heart; an earthly tongue a covetous heart ; A murmuring tongue a dilcontented heart. The tongue is oft a commentary upon the heart.

3d Motive. To allow ourfelves in the abufe of the tongue^ cannot Hand with grace. I know a good man may fometimes fpeak unadvifedly with his lips ; he may fly out in words, be in a paffion but he doth not allow himfelf in it; when his paflion is over he weeps, Rom. vii. f5. * What I do I allow not :' but, for a man to allow himfelf in fin, cenfuring, llandering, dropping words like coals of lire ; fure it is not confiilent with grace,

4th Motive. The fins of the tongue are very defiling, James iii. 6. ' The tongue defileth.' Defiling to one's feIf, and chiefly defiling to others. The tongue conveys poifon into the ear of another; fometimes by falfe fuggeftions, raifing prejudices in the mind of another againfi. fuch a perfon ; fometimes by paffionate fpeeches the fpirit of another is provoked.

5th Motive. The fins of the tongue are provoking to God, and prejudicial to us. 1. Provoking to God, PCal. cvi, 33. Mofes i'pake unadvifedly with his lips ; what was this unadvifed fpeech .'' Numb. x. 11. ' Hear now ye rebels; muft we fetch you water out of this rock?' Though he were a favourite, and God had fpoken with him face to face, yet God gives him a check for it; it turned his ("mile into a frown. 2. Prejudicial to us ; Molies' rafb fpeech fliut him out of Canaan; it may fhut us out of heaven, of which that was but a type. Origen notes he had finned moft in his tongue ; and God punifhed him moll in his tongue.

6th Motive. He who offends not in his tongue, is a perfe6t: man : an high expreflion ; * if any man offend not in word, the fame is a perfe6t man,' that is, attains to a very high degree, in the highelt form of Chrilt's fchool. A prudent man, or an upright man ; or comparatively, in comparifon of others, fuch as have not gotten the conquelt over their paffions, he is far above them, and, in comparifon of them, he is a perfed man ; fuch an

DIVERS DISCOURSES* 611 '

one was holy CrarinrK^r, that could not he provoked hy the ill earriage of others, but requited injuries with iiindnels.

7th Motice. You mull give an account to God, as well of your fpeeches, as your actions. Mat. xii. 36. * Every idle word that men fliall Ipeak, they (hall give an account thereof in the day of judgment:' words of no account, will have an heavy account. And, if Godwin reckon with men for every idle, angry ~ word ; then, what will he do for fmful oaths? ' O that my words were written,' Job ix. 23. Truly, if many peoples' words were written, they would be afha\ned of them. And, let me tell you, your words are written, Rev. xx. ' The books were opened.* In the book of God's remembrance all your words are written : you had need then be careful you otFend not with your tongues; God writes down all you fpeak, and you mult give an account to him. When Latimer heard the pen going behind the hangings, he was careful in his anfwers : and, let me tell you, as your words are, I'uch will your fentence be ; whea the books are opened, God vvill proceed with you in judicature, according to your words. By your words you fiiall be faved or condemned. Mat. xii. 37. * By thy words thou ilialt be jufti-fied, and by thy words thou flialt be condemned.'

Gfi.L. vi. 9. And let us not he weary in well-doing; for in due feafon we Jhall reap, if we faint not.

In the verfes before the text, the apollle had laid down a propofition, ' What a man foweth that thall he reap,' ver. 7. He that fowsin (in, (hall reap in forrow ; he thatfows the leeds of grace fliall reap glory : there is the propoliiion. In the text, the apoftle makes the application, ' Let us not be weary in w<dl-dou)g.* We that have (own the good feed of repentance, and un holy life, ' Let us not be weary; for in due realbu we (hall reap, if we faint not.'

1. A Dehortarion ; * Let us not be weary ;*

2. "^rhe arii^umen: ; * we (hall reap in due feafon.'

Firji, A Dehortation ; * Let us not be weary.' Where there is, (J ) Something implied; that we are apt to be weary in weil-doinir. (2.) Something exprelfed : that we ought not to be weary in well-doing.

I. The fhing implied, that we are apt to be weary in welldoing. This wearinefs is not from the regenerate part, but the flelhiv : as Peter's finkin^in the water, was not from the faith in him, but the fear ; tliis weanuels in a Chrillian courfeis oc-cafioned from four things ;

(I.) From the revilings of the world, Pf. li. 5. * My ene-

iniesfpeak evil of me.' Innocency isnolhield again ft reproach. But why fhould this make u^ weary of well-doing ? Did not Jefus Chrill underi>o reproaches for us, when the Jews put a crown of thorns on him, and bowed the knee infcorn ? Is it any dilhonour to us to be reproached for doing that which is good? Is it any difparagement to a virgin to be reproached for her beau-» ty and chaftity ? Our reproaches for Chirft we fhould bind as a crown about our head. Now a Spirit of glory refts upon us, 1 Pet. iv. 14. * If ye be reproached for the name of Chrift, happy are ye ; for the Spirit of God and of glory refteth upon you.* Regium efi bene facereet male audire : he that clips our credit to make it weigh lighter, makes our crown heavier. (2.) That which is apt tooccafion wearinefs in well-doing, is the pre-fent fiifferings we are expofed to, 2 Cor. iv. 8. * We are troubled on every fide.' But why fhould this make us weary in welldoing ? is not our life a warfare ? It is no more llrange to meet with futferings in religion, than for a mariner to meet with llorms, or a foldier to meet with bullets. Do not we confider upon what terms we entered into religion ! Did not we vow in baptifm to fight under Chrift's banner ? Doth not our Lord tell us, we muft take • up the crofs and follow him ?' Matth. xvi. 24. Is not this part of the legacy Chrift hath bequeafhed us ? John xvi. 33. We would partake of Chrift's glory but not of hisfufferings ; befides doth not many a man futfer for his fins ? Do not men's lufts bring them to an untimely end ? Do men fufter for their fins, and do we think much t lufFer for Chrift ? How did St. Paul rejoice in fufterings ? 2 Cor. vii. 4. How did he glory in it ? ' As a woman that is proud of her jewels,* Chryfoft. Why ftiould fufterings make us faint ? Who would not be willing to tread upon a few thorns, that is going to a kingdom.

3. That which is apt to occafion wearinefs in well-doing, is the deferring of the reward. We are apt to be difcouraged and grow weary, if we have not what we defire preftntly ; we are all for prefent pay. But confider.

(l.) Our work is not yet done, we have not yet finiftied the faith ; the fervant doth not receive his pay, till his work be done. Even Chrift's reward was deferred till he had done his work ; when he had completed our redemption, and faid upon the crofs, * It is finiflied,' then he entered into glo y.

(2.) God defers the reward, to make heaven more welcome to us. After all our praying, weeping, fufl'ering, how fvveet will the joys of paradiie tafte !

4. That which is apt to occafion wearinefs in well doing, is the greatnefs and difficulty of a Chriftian's work, but why Ihouid this make us weary } Difficuliy whets a generous nmid ; the foldier's life hath its difficulties, but they raile his Ipints the

more ; he loves to encounter hardiliip, and will endure a :bloody fight tor a golden harveil.

Betides, where is the leall principle of giace, it renders the way of religion, ea(y and pleal'ant. When theloadftone draws, it is ealy for the iron to move ; when God's Spirit draws, we move in the way of religion with facility and delight. ChrilVs Xervice is freedom. Pf. cxix. 4.). * 1 will walk at liberty.' To ferve God, to love God, to enjoy God is the I'weetell liberty in the world. Betides, while we lerve God, we gratify ourfelves ; as he who digs in a mine, while he fweats, he gets gold ; while we glorify God, we promote our own glory.

II. The fecond thing exprctied, is, That we tliouid not grow weary in a Chritlian courle, we fliould not tire in our race : ' Let us not be weary in well-doing.' The Greek word, to be weary, (iguities, * to fllrink back as cowards in war ;' let it not be thus with us ; let us not thrink back from Chrift's colours, Heb. iv, 14. * Let us liold fall our profelBon ;' We niufl not only hold forth our profeilion, but hold fall our pro-fetlion. The crown is not given to hmi that tights, but to hiai that overcomes.

IJi Uj'e. Of Reproof. It reproves fuch as are weary of well-doing. There are falling liars, 2 Tim.' iv. 10. Demas foiiook God, and afterwards became a priett in an idol temple, Dorotheus. Hof. viii. * Ilrael hath call off the thing that is good.' Many liave thrown offClirili's livery ; they liave left olFan holy courfe of life, they have turned to worldlinels or watjtonnets. Gal. v. 7. * i e did run well, who hindered you ?* Why did you tire in your race ? 2 Pet. ii. 21. * It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteoulhel's, than after they have known it to turn from the holy cominand-iiient.'

9d Ufe. Exhortation ; * Let us not be weary in well-doing.* Conlider, «.

1. The wa}'of religion is of good report, Heb. xi. 9. * By faith the elders obtained a good report.* Shall we be weary of that which is our credit ? If indeed the Chriftian religion were a thing that would bring thame or lots (as the ways of tin do) then we had caule to delert it, and grow weary of it ; bat it brings honour, Prov. iv. y. ' She (hall give to thy head an ornament of grace.* Why then thould we be weary of welldoing }

2. The beauty of a Chriftian is to hold on in piety without being weary, Adl^ xxi. 1(5. * Mnatbn of Cyprus an old diiciple-* It is a beautiful tight to'fee (ilver hairs crowned with golden virtue ; the beauty of a thing is when it comes to be tinifhed. The beauty of a picture is, when it is drawn out in its full lineaments, and laid in its orient colours. The beauty of a Chril-

V OL. II. No. ^3. 3 T

tian is, when he hath finifhed his faith, 9 Tim. iv. 7. It was' the glory of the church of Thyatira, (he kept her belt wine till laft. Rev. ii. 19. ' I know thy works, and the laft to be more than the full.'

3. Such as are weary of well-doing, it is a fign they never a6ted in religion from choice, or from a principle of faith, but from the external fpring of applaufe or preferment ; fo that, when thefe fail, their feeming goodnefs ceafeth.

4. God is never weary of doing us good; therefore, we fhould Dot be v,'eary of i'erving him. A king that is continually obliging his (bbje6l by gifts and gratitudes that fubjedt hath no caufe to be weary of lerving his prince.

5. If we grow weary, and throw off religion, we make all we have done null and void, Ezek. xviii. 24. * When the righteous turneth away from his righteoufnefs, allhis righteoul^ nel!^ that he hath done Ihall not be mentioned.' He who hath been ferving God, and doing angels' work, if once he grows weary and defilts, he unravels all his work, and miifeth of the recom pence of reward : ' He that runs half a race, and then tires lofeth the garland.' O what folly is it to do well a while, and by apoftacy to undo all ! As if a limner thould with a pencil draw a fair picture, and then come with his fpunge and wipe it out again.

6. Confider the examples, of fuch as have continued their progrelsunweariably in a Chriflian courfe. Theapolllefets before our eyes a cloud of witneiies ; Heb. xii. 1. ' Being cora-palied about with lb great a cloud of witneiies, let us run the race that is fet before :' let us run it with Iwiftnefs and conftan-cy. How many noble martyrs and confeflbrs of old, have walked in the ways of God, though they have been llrewed with thorns ? They fcorned preferment, laughed at imprifon-ments, and their love to Chrift burned hotter than the fire. Polycarp, when he came before the proconlul, and he bade him deny Chrifl ; he replied, " I have lerved Chrift thefe eighty-fix years, and he hath not once hurt me, and (hall I deny him DOW ?" Tertullian faith, fuch was the conitancy of the primitive laiiits, that the jjerfccutors cried out, ' what a milery is this, that we are more weary in tormenting, than they are in enduring torment?' Let us tread in their Heps, who through faith anil patience inherit the promiles.

7. It will be our conifort on our death-bed, to review a well fpent life. It was Auguilin's wi(h, that he might have a quiet ealy death. If any thing make our pillow ealy at death, it will be this, thai we have been unweariable in God's work ; this will

.be a death-bed cordial. Did yon ever know any repent at death that they bad been too holy ? Many have repented that they

have fuilowed the world too aiuch, not that they have prayed

too much, that they have repented too much. What hath made death fweet, but that they have * finilhed their courfe, and kept the faith ?'

8. Think of the great reward we fliall have, if we do not give over, or grow weary, and that is, glory and immortality. (1.) This glory is ponderous : it is called a ' weight of glory,' 1 Cor. iv. 17. The weight adds to the worth ; the weightier a crown of gold is, the more it is worth. ('5.) It is latisfying, Pfal. xvii. 15. * I fhall be fatisfied when I awake with thy likenefs.' This glory will abundantly recompence all our labours and fufferings. The joy of harveft will make amends for all the labour in (owing, O what harvell fhall the faints reap ! It will be always reaping time in heaven, and this reaping will be in due fealbn ; fo the apoftle faith in the text, ' We fliall reap in due feafon.' The hufbandman doth not defire to reap till the feafon ; he will not reap his corn while it is green, but when it is ripe ; fo we fliall reap the reward of glory in due feafon ; when our work is done, when our fins are purged out, when our graces are come to their full growth, then is the feafoa of reaping; therefore let us not be weary of well doing, but hold on in prayer, reading, and all the exercifes of religion : we fliall ' reap in due feafon, if we faint not.' To keep us from fainting, know, that the reward promifed is very near, Rom. xiii. 11. Our falvation is nearer than when we believed.' We are but within a few days march of the heavenly Canaan ; it is but a few more prayers and tears (hed, and we ihall be perfect in glory ; as that martyr. Dr. 'I'aylor faid, '* I have but one ftile more to go over, and I fliall be at my Father's houfe." Stay but a while, Chriftians, and your trouble fliall be over, and your coronation day fliall come. Chrill who is the oracle of truth hath i'ald, ' Behold I come quickly.' Rev. xxii. 20. And yei death's coming is fuoner than Ciinll's per-fonal coming, and then begins the faints blefl'ed jubilee.

Qu. What means Jhall ive uje, that ice maij not loeary in a Chrijiian courfe.

Anf. 1. Let us fliake off fpiritual floth : floth faith, * there is a lion in the way.' He who is flothfui, will foon grow weary; he is fitter to lie on his couch, than run a race. It is a firange fight, to fee a bufy devil, and an idle Chrillian.

Anf. 2. If we would not grow weary, let us pray for per-fevering grace. It was David's prayer, Pfal. cxix. 117. ' Hold thou me up, and I (hall be (afe.* And it was Beza's prayer, ** Lord, perfect what thou had begun in me." That we may hold on a Chrillian courfe, let us labour for three perfevering graces. (1.) Faith. Faith keeps from fainting ; faith gives a lubllance to things not feen, and makes them to be as it were prefent, Heb. xi. 1. As a perfpective glafs makes thole

3T^2

things which are at a diflance near to the eye, fo doth faith, heaven, and glory, feeni near. A Chriihan will not be weary of fervice that hath the crown in his eye. (2.) The fecond perfevering grace is hope. Hope animates the fpirits ; it is to the Ibul as cork to the net, which keeps it from finking. Hope breeds patience, and patience breeds perfeverance. Hope is compared to an anchor, Heb. vi. lo. The Chriftian never fuis\ but when he cafts away his anchor. (3.) Perfevering grace is love. Love makes a man that he is never weary. Love may be compared to the rod of myrtle in the traveller's hand, wljich reirelheth him, and keeps hin) from being weary in his journey. He who loves the world, is never weary of following the world : he who loves God will never be weary of ferving him ; that is the reaibn why the faints and angels in heaven are never weary of prailing and worfhipping God ; becaufe their love to God is perl'ed, love turns fervice into dehght. Get the love of God into your hearts, and you will run in his ways, and not be weary.

• iiilI14©IMIIIti>"'""

James iii. 17. To him that knoweth to do good, and doth it

not, to him it is Jin,

The apoftle, in the former verfes, had met with a fin common in thofedays, a finful boafting among men, verfe 13.

• Go to now, ye that fay, to-day or to-morrow, we will go into fuch a city, aiid buy and fell, and get gain ;' whereas you know not what fhall be on the morrow : you may be in your graves before to-morrow ; ' for vihat is your life } It is even a vapour.* A vapour being an exhalation, it cannot continue long ; as it is railed by the fun, fo it is difperfed by the wind ; fuch is your life ; a vapour ; a fhort breath, a flying (hadow ; it appears for

• a little time, and then vaniflieth.' Well might they fay, what need we be taught fuch a plain leffon .^ Who knows notall this, that life is a vapour, and that we ought not to boall what we will do to-morrow. The apoftle feems in the text to meet with them by way of anfwer, Do ye know all this.- Then the greater is your fin that you do it not; * to him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is fin.' I fhall only explain this phrafe, ' to him it is fin ;' that is, it is an heinous fin, it is a fin with a witiiefs : every infirmity, every thing that falls fhort of this rule, i^ fin ; much more, that which contradicts the rule. This man's fin hath an emphafis, it isacrimfon fin, and it fhall ' have a great*r punifhment; * he that knew hi^ mafter's will, an<i did it not, fliall be beaten with many ftripes,' Luke xii. 47.

It he that fins ignorantly be damned, then he that fins knowingly fhall be double damned.

1. Dodrine implied. That we ought to Icnow to do good; know our duty.

2. That we ought not onhf to knoio to do good, but to do it.

3. That he that knoweth to do good, and doth it nut, is of all others moji guUty.

1. Dodlrine implied, That we ought to know to do good ; we ought to be well int'ormed of thofe things which are lo be done by us, in order to (alvation. The word written is a rule of knowledi^e, and the word preached is a commentary upon the word written : and both of them are to enrich our under-ftanding, and to nurfe us up in the knowledge of that which is good.

The reafons why ice Jliould knoio to do good, are, \. Knowledge is our lamp and ftar to guide us in the^ruth. It fliews us what we are to do, and what we are to leave undone. If we do not know that which is good, we can never practife it.

2. Knowledge is the foundation of all graces; of faith; * They that know thy name will put their trull in thee,' Plal. ix. iO. and of love, Phil. i.}). ' This [ pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge.' And of perfeverance : the apoftle joins thefe two, luch as are unlearned, will be unliable.

3. The chief work in converfion confids in knowledge, Rom. xii. 2. ' Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.* The mind being renewed, the man is transformed. The firll part of God's image conliits in knowledge. Col. iii, 10.

4. There is nothing in religion, though never fo excellent, can do us good without knowledge.

Ufe. See how necellary it is to get the knowledge of what is good ; it ulhers in lalvation, I Tim. ii. 4. Ignorance of God is the caufe of all fin, Jer. ix. 3. Ignorance of God damns. Hoi", iv. (j. It is lad to be ignorant in gofpel times; but many, alas! do not only not know God, but they are not willing to know, Jer. ix. 0". • They refulc to know me, faith the Lord."

II. Do«5lrine. * That we ought not only to know lo do good, but to do it.' This the apoltle implies, ' to him that knows to do good, and doth it not;' he implies, that he who knows to do good fliould do it; the end of knowledge is pracSlice. Search from one end of the Bible to the other, and you will find, that it is the practical part of religion is chiefly intended. The crown is not fet upon the head of l^nowledge, but pradice. Rev. xxii. 14. * Blelled are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life.'

Ufe I. It (hews us wherein moft Chriflians are defev'^live in the times of gofpel, viz. in the doing part of religion, they know how to do good, but do it not. They know they lliould abllaiii

from evil, and purfue holinefs; but though they know this, yet they do it not.

(1.) They know they fliould ahftain from evil. Thus they know thev Ihould not fwear. Mat. v. 34. * Swear not at all;' yet they do it; they are more free of their oalhs than their alms. They know uncleannefs to be a fin ; that it waftes the body, wounds the conCcience, blots the name, damns the foul. Gal. V. ly. yet they will go on in that fin, and for a cup of plea-fure drink a fea of wrath. They know drunkennefs to be a fin ; that it doth make them like beails, takes away their reaibn, unfits them for happinefs; for they cannot think to go reeling to heaven ; they know that God is preparing a cup for the drunkard, Rev.xvi. 19. yet for all that they will not leave their drunken fits. Men know thatralh cenfuring isafin, James iv. 11. ' Speak.not evil one of another, brethren ;' yetthey are guilty of this ; they will not fwear, but they will flander ; and fpeak to the prejudice of others ; they can never make them recompence for this : no phyfician can heal the wounds of the tongue. Thus they know that covetoufnefs is a fin, yea, the root of all evil; yet the world engroffelh all their time and thoughts : they third after gold more than grace, and are labouring more to have a full purfe than a good confcience. They know they fliould not vent their paflions. Jam. i. 2(5. * If any man among you feenis to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, this man's religion is vain.' Origen obferves of the rich man in the gofpel, he had no water to cool his tongue : he had finned moft in his tongue, therefore was puni(bed moft in it. How unworthy is it for men to have their eyes and hands lifted up to heaven, and their tongues fet on fire from hell; at one time praying, and another time curfing ? How can fuch pray in a family, that are poiTefled with an angry devil ? Thus men know they fliould abftain from evil, but they do it not.

(2.) They know they fiiould purfue holinefs, but they do it not. They know they ftiould read the word, fan6tify the iab-bath, ufe holy conference, pray in their families, redeem the time, walk circumipe6lly ; they know to do good, but do it not.

Qu. Whence is it that men know to do good, yet do it not.

An/. It is for want of found convi<5tion. Men are not thoroughly convinced of the necelfity of pra6lical godlinefs ; they think there is a neceffity of knowledge, becaufe elfe there is no falvation ; they will get feme notions of Chrift, that he is a Saviour, and hastatibfied divine juliice, and they hope they believe in him ; well then, we tell them that faith and obedience go together; then God is merciful; and though they are not lb good as they fiiould be, yet free grace will lave them. Thus men conteut

Ihemfelves with jo-eneral notions of religion, but are not convinced of the pra6tical part of godlinefs.

(2.) Men know to do good, yet do it not, becaufe they are not awakened out of their fpiritual floth. It is eafy to get the knowledge of a truth, to give affent to it, to commend it, to profels it; but to digeft knowledge into pra6lice is difficult.

3. Men know to do good, but do it not, ihrouj^h incredulity ; they are in part Atheiils. Did they believe that fin were fo bitter, that wrath and hell followed it, would they not leave off their fins? Did they believe that to do the will of God were a privilege, religion were their interefi, that there is joy in the way of godlineis, and heaven at the end, would they not efpoufe holinefs ? But people, though they have fome flight tranfient thoughts of thefe things, yet ihey are not brought to the belief of them ; therefore though they know to do good, yet they do it not. The reafon why there are fofew doers of the word, is, becaufe there are fo few believers.

4. Men know to do good, but do it not, becaufe the knowledge in their head never works into their hearts ;' it doth not quicken them, nor warm their affedtions with love to the truth.

6. Men know to do good, but do it not, becaufe of prejudi-cate opinion. The things to be done in religion are judged to be too (lri6t and fevere ; they rellrain fin too much, or they prefs too nmch to holinefs.

G. Men know to do good, yet do it not, becaufe they love their fin more than they love the world, Hof. iv. 8. * They fet their heart on their iniquity.' Some content ihemfelves with having means of knowledge. Judges xvii. 13. 'Then laid Mi-cah, now I know that the Lord will do me good, feeing I have a Levite to be my pried.' But what is one the better to know what phyfic he fliould take, if he doth not take it.

Uje 2. Of Exhortation. Let me befeech you all who have been hearers of the word, and have gotten a great meaCure of knowledge, that, as you know to do good, you would do it. This is tlie foul of religion, Luther fays, 1 had rather do the will of God, than be able to v/ork miracles. Iji, To do what you know, evidenceth your relation to Chrift. You count it an honour to be near allied to the crown, but it is more honour to be a-kin to Chrifl;. 2c?/?/, To know to do good, and do it, fets a crown upon the gofpel, Rom. xvi. U). ' Your obedience is come abroad unto all men ;* not your knowledge, but your obedience. To know to do good, and not do it, hardens others in fin, fcandalizelh religion, and makes people ready to turn athe-ifts. When Ibme of the Spaniards came to Hifpaniola, the Spaniards' carriage being loolb and profane, the Indians afked them, W'hat God theyferved.^ 1'liey anlWered, the God of

Heaven : the Indians replied, fure your God is not a good God that hath iiich had fervants. Thus to know to do good, yet do it not, puts a (car in the face of religion, and brings an evil report upon it ; but to do what we know, trumpets forth the fame of the gofpel, and makes them that oppol'e it, to admire it.

3d/y, To know to do good and to do ii, entitles you to bleiT-ednels. Jam. i. 25. * He (hall be blefTed in hrs deed :' not for the deed, but in the deed.

III. Do6t. That he who knowelh to do good, and doth it not, is of all others the moji guilty ; to him it i.s (in, crin)fon fin ; that is, it is heinous fin, capital fin, fin emphatically ; fin with a witnefs, and punilhed with a vengeance.

Qu. What is it to Jin prej'nmptuoujly ?

Anf. To fin prefumptuoufly, is to liu againft the light which fhines in a man's conicience, i. e. A man is convinced thofe things he doth are fin : confcience (kith, O do not this great evil : confcience,, like the cheruhims, hath a flaming (word in its hand, to affright and deter the finner, yet he will pluck the forbidden fruit : This is to fin prefumptuoufly.

This fin is highly aggravate, for two reafons.

(i.) Becaufe finning prefumptuoufly againfl confcience, is after counfels, admonitions, warnings. Such an one cannot fay, he was never told of his fin ; he hath liad minifters rifing t)p early, who hath told him what a damnable thing fin was, yet he would venture on ; fo that now he hath no excufe, John XV. 22. * Now vou have no cloke for your fin.'

(2.) It is an aggravatioti to fin prellimptuoufly againft confcience, when it is after a(Ili6tions. After God hath made him hear the voice of the rod, he hath made him to feel fin bitter, to read his fin in his punifhnient, yet he fins; his fin was following evil company, and God hath punilhed him for it; he hath almoft wafted his edate with riotous living, or he hath almoft drunk himfelf blind, yet he will not leave his fin: his fin was uncleannels, and his body is difeafed, and full of noxious hu-inoins; yet though he feels the ihiart of fin, he retains the love of fin. Here is an aggravation of fin, 2 Chron. xxviii. -^2. * In the time of his difirefs, did he trefpafs yet more againft the Lord : this is that king Ahaz.'

life 3. To know what is good, yet not to do it, is to fin prefumptuoufly, is full ofcbllinacy and pertinacioufhefs ; it is fo, becaufe men can fay nothing for their fins, can bring no rea(bnj they make no defence for themfelves, yet they are refblved to hold fad their iniquity like thofe, Jer. xviii. 12. * And they laid, there is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do after the imagniation of his own evil heart.*

Vje 3. Take heed of prefuraptuous fin. If God hath been

DIVERS DISCOURSES* £iSl

fo terrible a^ainft fins of infirmity and paffion, as we fee in Moles and Uzziah ; O how fierce will his anger be againft the prefumptuous finner! better never have known the ways of God, ihao to know and not do ic. Oh! as you love your fouls, take heed of this !

1. Prefumptuous fins are defperate fins, becaufe they are committed with much premeditation and forethought. The prefumptuous finner dolh not fin unawares, but he doth project and call in his mind, how to bring his fin ab..ut ; As Jo-leph's brethren did in betraying him ; as Judas did in betraying Chrill; and as thofe Jews did that laid wait for Paul.

(i2.) Prefumptuous (ins are defperate, becaufe they are accompanied with piide. The finner who knows the mind of God, yet will a6l contrary to it, fays like Pharaoh, ' Who is the Lord that I (hould obey him ?'

(3.) Prefumptuous fins are defperate, becaufe they are accompanied with impudency. Such finhers are hardened, fear-lefs and without fhame. Like Judas they are hardened : though woes be pronounced againll them, they will fin ; they are without fear like the leviathan. Job iv. 33. ' And they have finned away (hatne,' Zeph. iii. 5. ' The unjuft knoweth no Oiame, he hath a forehead of brafs.' Nay, fume are lb far from blulh-ing, that they glory in their fliame, Phil. iii. ly.

4. To fin prefumptuoully, to know what is good, yet not to do it, is heinous, becaufe it is ingratitude : it is a hii^h abule of God's kindnefs, and God cannot endure of all things, to have his kindnefs abufed. God's kindnels Is feen in this, that he hath acquainted the finner with his mind and will; that he hath not only in(lru6led him, but perfuaded him, made mercy fioop and kneel to the finner ; he hath wooed him with his fpirit, that he would flee from fin, and purine holinefs : kindnels is feen in this, that God hath fpared tlie finner fo long, and not llruck him dead in the a6l of fin : kindnefs in this, that though the finner hath finned againll his confcience, yet now, if he will repent of fin, God will repent of his judgments, and mercy (hall be held forth, Jer. iii. I. ' Thou hall played the harlot with many lovers ; yet return again to me, faith the Lord.' But the finner is of a bafe fpirit: he is not melted with all this love, hut his heart like clay hardens under the fun. Here is an a(>parent abufe of God's kindnefs; and God cannot endure to have his kindnefs abufed. The vulture draws ficknefs tVoiu perfumes; fo the finner contra6ls wickednefs from the mercy of God, Here is high ingratitude.

5. To fin prefumptuoufly, to know what is good, yet not to do it, is a contempt done to God. He cares not whether God be pleafed or not ; he will have his fin. Therefore the prefumptuous finner is faid to reproach God, Numb. xv. iQ.

Vol. II .No. 23. SU

• The foul that cloth ought prefumptuoufly, the fame reproach-elh ihe Lord,' lie reproacheth the Lord, though not explicitly, yet interpretatively ; by his prefuniptuous fin, makes as it God were either ignorant, and did not know his wickednefs ; or impotent, and were not able to punith him. How horrid is this ! there is a kind of blafphemy againft God in every prefumptuous fin.

6. To fin prefumptuoufly, to know what is good, yet not to do it, is a bold contefl; with God, a daring of God to punifii. The man that fins againft confcience prefumptuoufly, and will not be reclaimed, doth in effe6l fay, what care 1 for the commandment ? It fhall be no check upon me, but I will go on in fin, and let God do his worft. A godly man is faid to fear the commandment, Prov. xiii. 13. He dares not fin, becaufe the law of God fi:ands in his way : but the prefumptuous finner doth not value the commandment; he will fin in fpite of God's law. O defperate madnefs, to dare God to his face! 1 Cor. x. 99,

* Do we provoke the Lord to anger ? Are we flronger than he ?* Good realbn then we fl)ould take heed of prefumptuous fin, fince it is fo heinous and defperate! ' To him that knows to do good, N^et doth it not to him it is fin ;' it is fin with a witnefs,

Ufe 2. Trial. Let us examine if we are not guilty of finning thus prefumptuoufly, knowing to do good, yet not to do it. (1.) Ls it not to fin prefumptuoufly, when we live in the total neglect of duty? We know we ought to pray in our families, yet do it not. To live in the negle6l of family duties, is not this to fin prefumptuoufly ? (2.) Is it not to fin prefumptuoufly, when we will venture upon the fame fins which we condemn in others? Rom. ii. I. Thou (Chriftian) condemneft another for pride, and yet thou liveft in that fin thyfelf. A father condemns his fon for fwearing, yet he himfelf fwears ; the mafter reproves his fervant for being drunk, yet he himfelf will be drunk. Is not this to fin prefumptuoufly, to live in thofe fins 'which we condemn in others ? (3.) Do not they fin prefumptuoufly againft confcience, who will fin in fpite of heaven ? Though they fee the judgments of God executed on others, yet Sviil adventure on the fame fins? Dan. v. 22. * And thou his fon, O Belfliazzar, haft not humbled thy heart, though thou kneweft all this :' that is, thou faweft the judgments I infli6led on thy father. (4.) Do not they fin prefumptuoufly, they know to do good, yet do it not, who labour to ftifle the con-vi6tions of their conlcience, and will not let confcience fpeak freely to them ? This the fcripture calls, * Holding the truth in unrigbteoufnefs,* Rom. i. 18. (5.) Do not they fin prelum ptuoudy who after they have felt the fmart of fin, it hath bred a wnrn> in their confcience, a moth in their eftate ; yet after all this, they again embracre their fins.

That I may fhew you what you have to fear, and that I may beat you olftrocn preCumptuous fins, let thel'e tilings be lerioully laid to heart; (I.) Thele prel'umptuous lius, do much hardeu the heart. Thefe are two of tlie greatell bleffings, a found judgment and a foft heart : but finning prefumptwoufly and knowingly doth congeal the heart; it doth both wafte the conscience, and fear it, 1 Tim. iv. 2. By finning knowingly, a perfon gets a cuftom of fin: and the cullom of finning takes away the fenfe of finning, Eph. iv. W. ' being paft feeling.* Tell the prefumptuous finner, there are treai'ures of wrath laid up for him, he fears not; his heart is Jike a piece of marble or adamant, that will take no impreflion. When men know to do good, yet do it not, their hearts are hardened infenfibly, and that is dangerous. (2.) Such as fin prefumptuoully, or they who know to do good, yet do it not, are felf condemned, 'J'ii. iii. U. The finner knows in his confcience he is guilty : that he hath finned againfl warnings, education, conviction, therefore his own heart does and mult condemn him. And when God judges and condemns him, he will clear his judge, Pf. li. 4. (3.) Prefumptuous fins make deep wounds in the foul. They lead to del'pair, and defpair is the agony of the foul. Spira, in defpair, was like a living man in hell: defpair did fuck out bis marrow and vital blood : it made hina a very anatomy. The finner goes on flubbornly : yet his foolifli heart tells him all will be well ? but, when God begins to fet his fins in order before him, and confcience, which was before like a lion afleep, begins to be awakened and roars upon him, and he fees death and hell before him, now his heart faints his prefumption is turned to defpair, and he cries out as Cain, Gen. iv. 13. ' My punilh-nient is greater than I can bear.' Now tlie finner begins to think with himfelf thus ; I would have my fins, and I had them ; and now I have the wrath of God upon them ; O hov/ foolilh was I to refufe inftruclion ! But it is too late now ; the mercy-feat is quite covered with clouds ; I am ihut out from all hopes of mercy ; my wounds are fuch, that the balm of Gilead will not heal. The more prefumption in the time of life, the more defpair at the hour of death.

(4.) To know to do good and not to do it, to fin prefumptu-oufly, God may, in juft judgment, leave fuch an one to himfelf. It is a terrible thing, when God Ihall lay, thou haft, by thy prefumptuous fin, affronted me, and prevoked me to my face; therefore I will give thee up to thine ovvn heart, thou fhalt fin llill, feeing thou wilt be filthy, thou llialt be filthy ftill. (5.) To know what is good, yet not to do it; to lin pre-fumptuoufly, is a great degree of the fin againft the Holy Gholt. Such as fin prefumptuoufly fin wilfully. Though prefumption is not finaj apollacy, yet it comes very near to it; and a little

3U 2

matter more will make thee fo guilty, that there remains no more facrifice tor fin. To fm prefumpiuoufly againll light, may in time bring on malice and defpiteto ihe Spirit; as it was with Jidian, who threw up his dagger in the air, as if he would be revenged on God : when once it is come to this, there is but one ftep lower a man can fall, and that is into hell.

(d.) There is little hope for fuch as know to do good, yet do it not : know what is evil, but will not forbear. There were facrifices for fins of ignorance, but no facritices for fins of pre-fumption. Numb. xv. 30. Indeed prefumptuous finners hope all will be well, Prov. xv. 16. * The fool is confident.' Such a fool fs fpoken of, Deut. xxix. 19. ' When he hears the words ofthiscurfe, he blelfeth himfelf, faying, I fiiall liave peace, though I walk after the imagination of my heart, to add drunk-cnnels to thirft ; the Lord will not i'pare him, but the anger and jealoufy of the Lord (hall (moke againft that man.'

(7.) Such as fin prefuniptuoully, that know to do good, yet do it not, know what is evil, yet will not forbear it, God reful^ eth all their Cervices, whether reading, hearing, praying, or communicating. * God abhors their facrifice,' Ifa. i. 13. ' When you make many prayers, I will not hear ; your hands are full of blood.' And Hof. viii. 13. * They facrifice fle(h for the facrifice> of mine offerings, but the Lord accepted them not ; now will he remember their iniquities, and vifit their fins.' Thus you fee whatcaufe youhave to tremble, who are guilty in this kind ; you fee your mifery.

Befides all that hath been faid, confider thefe two things. (I.) You that fin prefumptuoufly, that know to do good, and do it not; that know what is evil, yet will not forbear ; you cannot fin fo cheap as others : though fin will cod every one dear, yet it will coll you dearer. You go dire6tly againft confcience ; and if there be either juftice in heaven, or fire in hell, you (hall be fure to be puniftied.

(2.) You who fin prefumptuoufly, cannot take fo much pleafnre in your fin as another may have. One whofe confcience is lefs enlightened, though his fin will be bitter to him afterwards, yet at prefent he may roll it as honey under his tongue, and find plea-fure in it: but yon that fin againll your knowledge, you cannot have fo much pleafure in fin as he ; for confcience will put forth a fiing, and all the threatenings of the word will fet themfelves in battle-array againfi you, lb that you can have no quiet. And that trouble thou feelell now in thy confcience, is but the beginning of Ibrrow.

Qu. What fJiall we do, that we may not Jin 'prefumptuoufly agahiji confcience f

Avf. 1. Take heed of little fins, though (to fpeak properly) there are no fuch things as little fins, no little trealbn ; but com-

paratively, one fin may be lefler than another. Take heed of little (ins. The frequent committing of lefler fins, will prepare for greater. A lefler dillemper of the body, if it be let alone, prepares for a greater dillemper : being unjuft in a little, prepares for being unjull in much, Luke xvi. 10. Such as were at firil more modell, yet by accutioming themfelves to lefler fins, by degrees their fins have grown up to a greater heighth, jail-fins have begun at little fins. (2.) If you would not fin pre-fumptuoufly, viz. knowingly and wilfully, then reverence the dictates of confcience : get confcience well informed by the word, as you let your watch by the fun, and then be ruled by it ; do nothing againll confcience. If confcience faith. Do fuch a thing, though never (b unpleafing, let upon the duty. When confcience faith, Take heed of fuch a thing ? come not nigh the forbidden fruit. Confcience is God's deputy or proxy in the foul ; the voice of confcience is the voice of God ; do not llifle any checks of confcience, led God lufler thee to harden in fin, and by degrees come to prefumptuous tin. (3.) Labour to have your knowledge lan6lified. Men fin againll their knowledge, becaufe their knowledge is not ftindlified. San6iified knowledge works upon the foul ; it inclines us to do good ; it makes us flee from fin ; fan6lified knowledge is like a breall-plate, which keeps the arrowTof prefumptuous fin from entering.

Col. iii. 11. But Chriji is all in all.

The Philofopher faith, every fcience takes its dignity from the objedl ; the more noble the objec"^, the more rare the knowledge. Hence it is that Jefus Chriil being the moll fu-blime and glorious objecl:, that knowledge which Jeads us to Chrilt, mull needs be niofl; excellent ; it is called the * excellency of the knowledge of Clirill,' Phil. iii. 8. So fweet is this knowledge, that St. Paul * determined to know nothing but Chriil,' 1 Cor. ii, «. And indeed what needed he to know more? for • Chrilt is all in all,'

In the text there is a negation and an afl^umption, fomething the apollle fets down privatively, and fomething pofitively.

1. Privatively. St. Paul tells the Coloflians what will not avail them, * neither circumcifion, nor uncircumcifion availeth,* &c. Circumcifion was a u^reat privilege, it was a badge and cognizance to diflinguilh the people of God from thole who were exteri and foreign ; it was a pale between the garden incloled, and the common. The people of circumcifion were a people of God's circumfpection, they were under his eye, and his wing ; they were his lioufehold family ; rather than they fliould want.

God would make the heavens a granary, and rain down manna tipon them : he would fet the rockabroach, and make it a living iprin^; how glorious was circumcifion ! Rom. ix. 4, 5. What rich jewels hung upon Ifrael's crown ! but in matters of fulva-tion, all this was nothing, * neither circumcifion, nor uncircum-cifion,' &c. From whence we may obferve,

That external privileges commend no man to God : whether wife, or rich, or noble, this doth not iet us off in God's eye, 1 Cor. i. Q6. God fees not as man fees r we are taken with beauty and parts ; thefe things avail not with God. God lays his left hand upon thefe, as Jacob did upon Manaffeh, Gen. xlviii. 14. God often paffeth by thofe who cad a greater fplen-dor and lufire in the world, and looks upon them of an interior alloy ; the reafon is, * that no tlelh (hould glory in his pre-fence,' I Cor. i. 2P. If God fhould graft his gTace only upon wifdom and parts, fome would be ready to lay, my wifdom or my eloquence, or my nobility have faved me ; therefore * not many \\i(e, not many noble are called.' God will have no priding or vaunting in the creature.

Ufe. Reft not in outward privileges or excellencies, thefe are no ftocks to graft the hopes of falvation upon ; many of Chrill's kindred went to hell. Paul is called the fervant of the Lord, Rom. i. 1. And James is called the brother of theLord, Gal. i. 19. It is 'better to be the fervant of the Lord, than the brother of the Lord. The virgin"Mary was faved, not as Ihe was the mother of Chrift, but as Che was the daughter of faith ; it is grace, not blood, gives the precedency ; an heart that hath Chrill formed in it, is God's delight, and this brings me to the next.

2. The apoftle lets down fomething pofitively ; * But Chrift is all in all ;* in whicii words there is,

1. The fubjecl Chrift ; his name is fweet, it is * as ointment poured forth,' Cant. i. 3. It was Job's wilh, * O that my words wer^ now written, that they were graven with an iron pen, and laid in the rock for ever,* Job xix. 23. And it is my wifh, O that this name (this fweet name) of Chrift, were now-written, that it were graven with the pen of the Holy Ghoft in our hearts for ever : the name of Chrift hath in it, laith Chryfoftom, a thoufand treafuries of joy.

2. The predicate, * all in all,' Chrift is all fulnefs/ all fweet-nefs ; he is all that is imaginable, all that is defirable ; he who halh Chrift, can have no more, for * Chrift is all.'

The propoiiiion out of the words, is, that Jefus Chrift is the quintefllence of all good things, * he is all.'

1. Sometmies faith is faid to be all. Gal. v. 6. nothing avail-eth but failh ; faith is all, as it is an inftrument to lay hold oa

Chrlft, whereby we are faved ; as a man is faved by catching hold of a bough.

2. Sometimes the new creature is Taid to be all, Gal. vi. 15. Nothing availeth but a now creature ; the new creature is i<ll, as it qualities and fits for glory ; * without holinefs no man fliall fee the Lord,' Heb. xii. 14. It is a laying of Chryfoftom, at the day of judgment God will a{k that queftion, as our Saviour did, Matth. xxii. 20. * Whofe image and fuperfcription is this ?' So will God fay, whofe image is this ? If thou canll not fliew him his image confifting in holinefs, he will reje6l thee ; thus the new creature is all.

3. Here in the text Chrift is (aid to be all; but in what fenfe is Chritt all ? (1.) Chrillis ail by way of eminency ; all good things are eminently to be found in him ; as the fun doth virtually contain in it the light of the leller ftars. (2.) Chrift is all by way of derivation ; all good things are tranfraitted and conveyed to us thro' Chrift ; as your rich commodities, jewels and fpices come by fea ; fo all heavenly bleiringsfall to us thro* the red fea of ChriiVs blood, Rom. xi. 36. 'Through him are all things.* Chrift is that fpiritual pipe, through which the golden oil of mercy empties itfelf into the foul.

Chrift muft needs be all ; for * in him dwelleth all the fulnefs of the God-head,' Col. ii, 7. He hatha partnerftiip with God the Father. John xvi. 15. ' All that the Father hath is mine,* fo that there is enough in him to (catter all our fears, to remove ?ill our burdens, to fupply all our wants ; there can be no defe^ in that which is infinite.

life 1. Information. And it hath fix branches. (1.) It fhews us the glorious fulnefs of Jeftis Chrift ' he is all in ail/ Chrift is a panoply, a magazine and ftorehoufe of all fpiritual riches : you may go with the bee from flower to flower, and fuck here and there a little fweetnefs, but you will never have enough till you come to Chrift ; for he is ' all in all,'

Now, in particular, Chrift is all in fix refpe6ls. (I.) Chrift is all in regard of righteoufnefs. 1 Cor. i. 30. * He is made to «s righteoufnefs.' The robe of innocency, like the vail of the temple, is rent afunder ; ours is a ragged righteoufnefs. Ifa. Jxiv. Q. * Our righteoufnefs is as filthy rags.' As under rags the naked body is feen ; fo, under the rags of our righteoufnefs, the body of death is feen ; we can defile our duties, but they cannotjuftify us; but Chrift is all in regard of righteoufnefs, Rom. X. 4. ' Chrift is the end of the law for righteoufnefs to them that believe:' that is, through Chrift we are as righteous as if we had fatisfied the law in our own perfons. Jacob got the blelftng in the garment of his elder brother; fo, in the garment of Chrift our elder brother we obtain the blelling; Chnli's righteoufneis isacoat woven without feam, ^J Cor. v. tdt. ' We

are made the righteournefs of God in him.' (2.) Chrifl is all in regard of fanctification, I Cor. i. 30. * He is made unto us fan6lification.' San6lification is the fpirilual enamel and embroidery of the foul; it is nothing elfe but God's putting upon us the jewels of holinefs, the angel's glory; by it we are made as the king's daughter, ' all glorious within,' Pfal. xlv. 13. This doth tune and prepare the foul for heaven ; it turns iron into gold, it makess the heart, which was Satan's pi6lure, Chrift's epiftle. The virgins, Ellh. ii. 1*2. * had their days of purification ;' they were firft to be perfumed and anointed, and then they were to Hand before the king : we mufthave ' the anointing of God,' I John ii. ^7. and be perfumed with the graces of the Spirit, thole fweet odours, and then we fhall ftand before the King of heaven ; there mull be firll our days of purification before our days of glorification ; what a bleiVed work is this ! a foul beautified and adorned with grace, is like the firmament befparigled with glittering ftars. O what a metamorphofe is there! I may allude to that. Cant. iii. 6. ' So, who is this that comes out of the wildernefs of fin, perfumed with all the graces of the fpirit?' Holinefs is the fignature and engraving of God upon the foul ; but whence is this ? Chrill is all, he is made to us fanctification ; he it is that fends his Spirit into our hearts, to be a refiner's fire, to burn up our drofs, and make our graces fparkle like gold in the furnace ; Clirift arifeth upon the Ibul • with healing under his wings,' Mai. iv. 2. He heals the underltanding, and laith, * Let there be light;' he heals the heart by diffolving thefione in his blood ; the heals the will, by filing off its rebellion. Thus he is all in regard of fan6tification. (3.) Chrifl is all in regard of divine acceptance. Eph. i. 6. He hath made us favourites ; fo Chryfoftom and Theophyla6l render it; through Chrill God is propitious to us, and takes all we do in good part.

A wicked man being out of Chrift, is out of favour; as his ploughing is fin, Prov. xxi. 4. fo his praying is fin, Prov. xv. 8. God will not come near him, his breath is infe<5lious ; God will hear his fins, and not his prayers; but now in Chrill God accepts us, Eccl. ix. 7. As Joleph did prefent his brethren before Pharaoh, and brought them into favour with the king. Gen. xlvii. <2. So the Lord Jefus carries the names of the faints upon his breafl, and prefents them before his Father, fo bringing them into repute and honour; through Chrill God will treat and parly with us, he fpeaks to uf, a.s Ifa. Ixii. 4. Through the red glafs every thing appears of a red colour; through the blood of Chrift we look of a fanguine complexion, ruddy and beautiful in God's eyes. (4.) Clirill is all in regdrd of divine affiftance; a Chriftian's llrength lies in Chrift, Phil, iv. 13. Whence is it a Chriftian is able to do duty, to reliil

temptation ; but throu<i;li Chrift's ftiengthening? Whence is it that a Iparkle ol" grace hve.s io a lea of corruption, the ilonns of perfecution blowing, but that Ctirill holds this fpurUle in ihe holiosv of his hand ? Wlitnce is it that the roaring hon hath not devoured the faints, but that the Lion of the iribeofjudah hath defended them ? Chrill not only gives us our crown but our fiiield ; he not only gives us our garland when we overcome, but our (Irength whereby we overcome, Rev. xii. 11. ' They overcame him (that is, the accufer of the brethren) by the blood of the Lamb.' Chriii keeps the fort-royal of grace that it be not blown up ; Peter's fliield was bruifed, but Clirili kept it that it was not broken. * I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not,* Luke xxii. 31, 32. that it be not in a total eclipie. The crowa of all the faints' victories muft be fet upon the head ot Clirill, Rom. viii. 38. Write the name of Michael upon all your con-(juell. (■).) Chrill is all in regard of pacification ; when con-Icience is in an agony, and burns as hell in the fenfe of God's wrath ; now Chrill is all, he pours the balm of his blood into thele wounds; ' he maketh thelturm a calm.' Chrill doth.not only make peace in the court of heaven, but in the court of con-Icience ; he not only makes peace above us, but within us, John xvi. uU. Saith Cyprian, all our golden Iteanis of peace How from this fountain. John xiv. 27. ' Peace I leave with you, my peace 1 give unto you.' Jefus Chrill not only purchafed peace for us, but fpeaks peace to us; he is called ' the Prince of peace,' Ifa. ix. (i. Thus Chrill is all in regard of pacification, he makes peace for us, and in us ; this honey and oil flow out of the rock Chrill. (6.) Chrill is all in regard of remuneration, he it is that crowns us after all our labours and fulferings : he died to advance us ; his lying in the wine-prefs, was to bring us into the wine-cellar; he is gone before to take poflefliou of heaven in the name of all believers. Heb. vi. •20. ' Whither the fore-runner is for us entered, even Jefus.'—Chrill is gone to befpeak a place for the faints, John xiv. 9. He makes heaven ready fo.r them, and makes them ready for heaven. Thus Chrift is all in regard of remuneriition. Rev. xxii. 12. * Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me.' • 2. If Chrift be all, it fliews us what a vail difproporlion there is between Chrift and the creature ; there is as much ditference as between ens and nihil; Chrill is all in all, and the creature ia nothing at all, Prov. xxiii. 5. ' Wilt thou fet thine eyes on that which is not?' The creature is a non-entity ; though it hath a phyfical exiilence, yet confidered theologicAlty, it is nothing; it is but a gilded fliadow, a pleafant fancy ; when Solomon had fifted up the tinell flour, and diltilled the fpiritsof all created excellency, here is the refult, ' ALL WAS VANITY,' Eccl. ii. 11. We read, the earth in the creation was voi<l; Gen, i. 2. Vol. II. No. 23. 3 X.

fo are all earthly comforts void ; they are void of that which we think is in them, they are void of fatisfa6lion ; therefore they are compared to wind, Hof. xii- 5. ' A man can no more fill his heart with the world, than he can fill his belly with the air he draws in.—Now the creature is faid to be nothing in a threefold ienfe.

1. It is nothing to a man in trouble of fpirit; if the fpirit be wounded, outward things will give no more eafe than a crown of gold will cure the head-ache.

2. 'i he creature is nothing to a man that hath heaven in his eye ; when St. Paul had feen * that light fliining from heaven, furpairmg the glory of the fun,' A6ts xxvi. 13. though his eyes Were open, ' he faw no man,' A6ls ix. 8. fo he that hath the glory of heaven in his eye, is blind to the world ; he fees nothing in it to allure him, or make him willing to flay here.

3. The creature is nothing to one that isdyiog ; a man at the hour of death is moft ferious, and is able to give the truefi; ver-di6l of things ; now at fuch a time the world is nothing, it is in an eclipfe, the forrow of it is real, but the joy imaginary. Oh then what a vafi ditference is there between Chritt and the creature ! Chriil is * all in all,' and the creature nothing at all; yet how many damn their fouls for iiolhing?

3. It fhews whither the foul is to go in the want of all; go to Chrift who is all in all. Dofl, thou want grace ? Go to Chrifi:, Col. ii. 3. * In him are hid all the treafures of wifdom and knowledge.* Chrifi is the great Lord tr^afurer; go then to Chrift; fay. Lord, I am indigent of grace, but in thee are all my frefh fprings, fill my ciftern from thy fpring. Lord, I am blind, thou haft eye-falve to anoint me; I am defiled thou haft water to cleanfe me ; my heart is hard, thou haft blood to foften tne : I am empty of grace, bring thy fulnefs to my emptinefs. In all our fpiritual wants, we fliould repair to Chrift, as Jacob's fons did to their brother Jofeph ; * He opened all the ftore-houfes,' Gen. xli. 56. and * gave to his brethren corn and pro-vifion for the way,' Gen. xlii. 25. Thus the Lord hath made Chrift our Jofeph. Col. ii. 3. * In him are hid all treafures.' Oh then finners, make out to Chrift ; he is ' all in all;' and to encourage you to go to him, remember there is in him not only fulnefs, but freenefs: * Ho every one that thirfts, come ye to the waters ;' Chrift is not only full as the honey-comb, but he drops as the honey-comb.

4. If Chrift be all, fee here the Chriftian's inventory, how rich is he that hath Chrift! he hath all that may make him completely happy. Plutarch reports that the wife of Phocion being afked where her je\vels were, fhe aniwered, my hufband, and his triuntphs are my jewels ! fo, if a Chriftian be allied, where are his riches, he will fay, Chrift is my liches. A true faint

DIVERS DISCOURSES. S31

cannot be poor, if you look into his houfe, perhaps he hath fcarce a bed to lie on, 1 Cor. iv. 11. ' Even to this prefent hour, we both hunger and thirft, and are naked, and have no certain dwelling-place.' Come to many a child of God, and bid him make his will, he I'aiih as Peter, A(5ts iii. (5. ' Silver and gold have I none;' yet he can at the fame time make his triumph with the apoftle, 2 Cor. iv. 10. * As having nothing, yet poirelfing all;' he hath Chriil who is all. When a believer can call nothing his, he can fay all is his. The tabernacle was covered with badger llcins, Exod. xxv. 5. yet moll of it was of gold; lb a faint may have a poor covering, ragged clothes, but he is inlaid with gold, • Chriil is formed in his heart,' and lb he is all glorious within.

.5. How Ihould a Chriftian fit down fatisfied with Chriil! • Ciirill is all.' What though he wants other things, is not Chrid enough? if a man hath fun-fhine, he doth not complain he wants the light of a candle ; hath he not enough who hath the * unfearchable riches of Cikrill?' I have read of a godly man, who being blind, his friend alked him if he was not troubled for the want of his fight? he confelVed he was ; why faith his friend, are you troubled becaufe you want that wlficli flies have, when you have that which angels have? So I fay toaChriftian, Why art thou troubled for wanting that which a reprobate has, when thou hall that which the glorified faints have ? Thou hall Chrifl with all his perquifites and royalties! fuppofe a father fhould deny his ion furniture for his houCe, but Ihould fettle all his land upon him, had he any caule to complain ? If God denies thee a little furniture in the world, but in the mean time fettles his land upon thee, he gives thee the held wheiem the pearl of price is hid, hall thou any caufe to repine ? a Chriftian that wants neceffaries, yet having Chrifl, he hath the one thing needful, Col. ii. 10. ' Ye are complete in him ;' What ? complete in Chrifl, and not content with Chrifl? Luther faith, the lea of God's mercy fhould fwallow up our particular afflictions ; furely this fea of God's love in giving us Chrifl, fliould drown all our complaints and grievances; let the Chrillian take the harp and the viol, and blefs God.

6. If Chrifl be all, fje the.deplorable condition of a Chriftlefs perfon ; he is poor, he is worth nothing, Rev. iii. 17. ' Thou art wretched, miferable and poor,* &cc. The fadnefs of a man that wants Chrilt, will appear in thefe feven particulars.

1. He hath no juftification ; what a glorious thing is it when a poor finner is abfolved from guilt, and is declared to be rectus in curia.' but this privilege flows from Chrift : all pardons are fealed in his blood. Ads xiii. 39. ' by him all that believe are juftitied :' lb that he who is out of Chriil is unjultitied : the guilt of fin cleaves to him ; he mull be refponfible to juftice in

his own' perfon, and the curfe ftands in full force againft the-finner.

2. He that wants Chrift, wants the beauty of holinefs ; Jefus^ Chrift is a living fprinq- of grace, John i. 14. ' Full of grace and truth.' Now a Chridlefs perfon, is a gracelefs perfon, he hath not one fhred of hohnels. The fcions muft firit, be ingrafted into the ilock, before it can receive lap and influence from the root; we mud firll be ingrafted into Chrift, before we can of his fulnefs receive grace for grace, John i. 16. A man out of Chrid is red with guilt, and black with filth ; he is an unhallowed perfon, and dying in that condition, is rendered incapable of feeing God, Heb. xii. 14.

3. He that wants Chrill, hath no true nobility ; it is through Chrift that we are a-kin lo God, of the blood royal of heaven ; it is through Chrift that ' God is not alhamed to be called our God,' Heb. xi. lO. But out of Chrift we are looked upon as ignoble perfbns; the traitors' blood runs in our veins: a man out of Chrift is bafe-horn : whoever is his natural father, the devil is his fpiritual father, John iv. 48.

4. He that wants Chrift, wants his freedom ; John viii. 36. ' If the fon make you tree, you fhall be free indeed.' A man out of Chrift, is a flave, when he fins moft freely.

. 5. He that wants Chrift, hath no ability for fervice ; he is as Samfon, when his locks was cut ; his ftrength is gone from him, he wants a vital principle, he caiwiot walk with God, he is like a dead member in the body, that hath neither ftrength nor motion, John XV. 5. * Without me ye can do nothing.' The organs will make no found unlefs you blow in them ; fo unlefs Chrift by his Spirit breathe in the foul, it cannot make any harmony, or put forth ftrength to any holy a6tion.

6. He that wants Chrift, hath no confolation ; Chrift is called the conlblation of Ifrael, Luke ii. 25. A Chi'iftlefs foul is a com-fortlefs foul; how can fuch an one have comfort when he comes to die? he is in debt and hath no furety ; his wounds bleed, and he hath no phyfician ; he fees the fire of God's wrath approaching, and hath no fcreen to keep it otf; he is like a ftiip in a tempeft; ficknefs begins to make a tempeft in his body, and fin to make a tempeft in his confcience, and he hath no where to put in for a harbour ; oh the terror and anguifti of fuch a man at the hour of death ! Ifa. xiii. 8. ' Their face ihall be as flames ;' an elegant expreftlon! the meaning is, fuch fear and horror Ihall feize upon finners in the evil day, that their countenances ftiall change and be as pale as a tlame ; what are all the comforts of the world to a dying finner.-^ he looks upon his friends, but they cannot comfort him ; bring his bags of gold and filver, they are as fmoak to fore eyes, it grieves him to part with them ; bring him mufic, what comfort is the harp and viol

te a condemned man ? There is in Spain Tarantulas, venomous fpiders, and tlioi'e wlio are llung wirh them, are aUnoll dead, and are cured with mufic ! but thole that die without Chriil, who is the conColation of Il'rael, and are in I'uch heliidi pangs and atronics, that no mulic is able to cure them. . 7. He that wants Chrili, halh no lalvation. Eph. v. 23. • He is tbe Saviour of the body ;' he faves none but the/n who are members of his body myllical; a (Irong icriptureagainll the do6trine of univerlal redenijition ; Chrift leaped into the lea of his Father's wrath, only to lave his fpoulefroiu drowning ; * he is the Saviour of the body ;' ib that thofe who die out of Chrifl, are cut otY from all hopes of falvation.

. 2. It reproves tliein who buty tiiemfeives about other things with a neglecl of Chrili ; Ifa. Iv. 2 * Wherefore do you fpend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which fatisfieth not?' If you get all the world, you are but golden beggars without Chrid. The pliyfician tinds out noxious difeales, but is ignorant of foul-difeales ; and while he gets receipts to cure others, henegle6ls the receipt of Chnft's blood to cure himl'elf. The lawyer while he clears other men's titles to their land, he himlell" wants a title to Chriit. The tradefman is bulled in buying and felling, but negle6ls to trade for the pearl of price ; like Ifrael, who went up and down to gather llraw : or like the load-llone, that draws iron to it, but refufetti gold. Thefe who mind the world, lb as to negle6t Chrili, their work is but fpider work. Hab. ii. 13. ' Is it not of the Lord of holis that the people fliall labour iu the fire, and weary them-I'elves for very vanity ?'

1. If Chrili be^ll, then fet an high valuation upon Jefus Chrili, 1 Pet. ii. 7- ' To you that believe he is precious.* If there were a jewel which contained in it the worth of all jewels, would you not prize that ? Such a jewel is Chrili; fo precious is he, that St. Paul counted all things ' dung, that he might win Ghrill,' Piiil. iii. 8. Oh that 1 could raife the appretiation of Jefus Chrift ! prize Chriit above your eftates, above your relations ; that man doth not delerve Chrili at all, who doth not prize Chrili above all. Jefus Chrift is an incomprehenfible blef-ling ; whatever God can require for fatisfaclion, or can defire for lalvation, is to be found in Chrift; oh then let him be the highell in our efteem ; no writing fhall pleafe me, faith faint Bernard, If I do not read the name of Chrift there. The name of Chrili is the only mufic to aChrillian's ear, and the blood of Chrili is the only cordial to a Chriftian's heart.

2. If Jefus Chnft beall, then niake fureofChrift; never leave trading in ordinances, till you have gotten this pearl of price ; iti Chrift tiiere is the accumulation of all good things ; oh then let not your fouls be quiet, till this bundle of myrrh lie between

your breads, Cant. i. 13. In other things we drive for property ; this houfe is mine, thefe jewels are mine, and why not this Chrifl; is mine ? There are only two words which will fatisfy the foul. Deity and property : quid eji Deus^ non eft. meus ? faith Audin. What was it better for the old world they had an ark,-as long as they did not get into the ark ? And that I may per-fuade all to get to Chrid, let me fliew you what an enriching bleding Chrift is.

1. Chrid is a fupreme good ; put what you will in the balance with Chrid, he doth infinitely outweigh. Is life fweet ? Chrift is better ! he is the life of the foul. Col. iii. 4. * his loving-kind-nefs, is better than life,' Pfal. Ixiii. 3. Are relations fweet ? Chrid is better ; he is the friend that * dicks clofer than a brother.'

2. Chrid is a fudicient good ; he who hath Chrid, needs no more ; he who hath the ocean, needs not the cidern. If one had a manufcript that contained all manner of learning in it, having all the arts and fciences, he need look in no other book ; fo he that hath Chrift, needs look no further. Chrift gives grace and glory, Pf. Ixxxiv. 11. The one to cleanfe us, the other to crown us : as Jacob faid, * It is enough, Jofeph is yet alive,' Gen. xlv. 28. So he that hath Chrift, may lay, it is enough, Jefus is yet alive.

3. Chrift is a fuitable good ; in him dwells all fulnefs, Col.> i. 19. He is whatever the foul can defire, &c. Chrift is beauty to adorn, gold to enrich ; balm to heal, bread to drengthen, wine to comfort, falvation to crown ; if we are in danger, Chrift is a lliield ; if we are difconfolate, he is a fun ; he hath enough in his wardrobe abundantly to furnidi the foul.

4. Chrift is a fandlifying good ; he makes every condition happy to us, he fvveetens all our comforts, and fandtifies all our erodes.

1. Chrift fweetens all our comforts, he turns them into blef-fings ; health is bleffed ; eftate is bleded, relations are blef-fed. Chrift's love is as the pouring fweet water on flowers, which makes them caft a more fragrant perfume. A wicked man cannot have that comfort in outward things which a godly man hath ; he may poffefs more, but he enjoys lefs ; he who hath Chrift may fay, this mercy is reached to me by the hand of my Saviour, this is a love-token from him, an earneft of glory.

2. Chrift fan<5lifies all our croffes, they fliall be medicinal to the foul ; they diall work fin out, and work grace in : God's ftretching the firings of his viol, is to tune it, and make the mu-fic better ; Chrid fees to it that his people lofe nothing in the furnace but their droffy impurities.

5. Chrift is a tare blefiing, there are but few that have him ;

ihe bed things when they grow common, begin to be flighted ; when ' filver was in JeruCalem as Itones,' 1 Kings x. 27. It was apt to be trod upon ; Chrill is a jewel that few are enriched with, which may both raife our elleem ot him and quicken our purCuit after him ; thofe to whom God hath given both the Indies, he hath not given them Chriil; they have the fat of the earth, but not the dew of heaven ; and among us protectants, many who hear of Chrift, but few thatliave him. Read Luke iv. 25. There are many in tliis city who have Chrift founded in their ears, but few who have Chrift formed in their hearts ; O how fliould we labour to be of this few ! they who are Chriftians fliould be reftlefs.

6. Chrift is a fele6l choice good ; God ftiews more love in giving us Chrift, than in giving us crowns and kingdoms. God may give us others things, and bate us ; but in giving Chrift to a man, he gives him the bleliings of the throne : what though others have a crutch to lean on, if thou haft Chrift to lean on ! Abraham fent away the fons of the concubines with gifts, but * he gave all he had to Ifaac,' Gen. xxv. God may fend away others with alittle gold or filver ; but if he gives thee Chrift, he givfcs thee all that ever he halh ; for * Chrift is all, and in all.'

7- Chrift is fuch a good, as without which nothing is go(fd ; without Chrift health is not good, it is fuel for luft ; riches are not good, they are golden fnares ; ordinances are not good, though they are good in themfelves, yet not good to us, they profit not ; they are as brealls without milk, us bottles without wine ; nay, they are not only a dead letter, but a favour of death ; without Chrift, they will damn us ; for want of Chrift, millions go loaded to hell with ordinances.

8. Chrift is an enduring good ; other things are like the lamp, which while it (hines it fpends ; ' the Heavens (hall wax old like a garrnetii,* Pf. cii. 26. —But Jefus Chrift is a permanent good, with him are durable riches, Prov. viii. IS. They laft as long as eternity irfelt lalls.

9' Chrift is a ditiulive comuiuuicative good ; he is full not only as a velTel but as a fpring, he is willing to give himlelf to us. Now then if there be all this excellency in jefus Chrift, it may make us ambitioufly defirous of an intereft in him.

Q. But hoiv fJiall I get a part in Chrijl.

Anf. I. See your m ed of Chrift, know that you are undone without him. How obnoxious are to you to God's eye ! how odious to his nature ! how obnoxious to his jullice ! O finner, how near is the fergeaut to arrfft thee! the furnace of hell is heating for thee, aiul what wilt thou do without Chrift. It is only the Lord Jelus, caa ftand as a li;reen to keep oil" the

fire of Goci's wrath from burning thee. Tell me then, is there ijot need oi Chi i(l ?

9. Be importunate after Chrift, Lord, give n»e Chrift, or I *lie. Asx'Vchlah (aid to he father Caleb, Jo(h. xv. 19. 'Thou hall ^iven hie fouth land, give nie aifo I'prings of water.' So ihou!d a poor foul fay, Lord, thou halt given me an edate in the world, but this fouth-land will not quench my thirll, give me aifo fprings of water. Give me thofe living fprings which run in my Saviour's blood ; thou had faid, * Let him that is a thirft come, and whofoever will, let him take the water of life freely/ Rev. xxii. 17, i8. Lord, I ihirll after Jefus Chrift, nothing but Chrift will llitisfy me ; 1 am dead, I am damned without him, oh give me this water of life.

3. Be content, to have Chrift, as Chrift is otFered, a Prince and a Saviour, A6is v. 31. Be fui'e you do not compound or indent with Chrift. Some would have Chrift and their fins too. Is Chrift all, and will you not part with fomething for this ail ? Chrift would have you part with nothing but what will damn you, if you keep, namely your fins.

There are Ibtne bid fair for Chrift, they will part with Ibme fins, but keep a referve. Doth that man think he ftiafthave Chrift's love that feeds fin in a corner ? O part with all for him who is all. Part with thy lufts, nay thy life ifChrift calls. It exhorts us not only to get Chrift, but to labour to know that we have Chrift, John ii. 3. ' Hereby we know that we know him.* This reflex a6l of faith is more than the direct a6l. Some divines call it fhe perception, or fenfible fiseling of faith ; now concerning this knowledge that Chrift is ours, which is the fame with afi'urance, 1 ftiall lay down thefe four corollaries or con-clufions. 1. That this knowledge is feafible, it may be had, 1 John v. 15. * Thefe things have I written to you that believe, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.*

1. Why elfe doth God bid us make our calling and eledion fure,2Peter. i. 10. if alfurancemay not behad ? and to * prove ourfelves, whether we are in the faith,' 2 Cor. xiii. 5. if we cannot come to this knowledge that Chrift is ours ?

2. What are all the figns which the Icripture gives of a man in Chrift but fo may cyphers, if the knowledge of his intereft may not be had? 1 John iii. 14. and John iv. 13.

3. There are fome duties enjoined in fcripture, which to perform is utterly impoflible, if the knowledge of ati intereft in Chrift be not attainable ; we are bid * to rejoice in God,' Phil. iv. 4. and * to rejoice in tribulation,' 1 Pet. iv. 13. How can he rejoice in fuftering, who doth not know whether Chrift be his or not ?

4. W^jy hath Chrift promifed to fend the comforter, John

xiv. 1(5. Whofe very work it is to bring the heart to this alTur-ance, ifaflTuiunce that Chrift is ours may not be had ?

o. Some of the faints have arrived at this certainty of knowledge ; therefore it may be had. Job knew that his Redeemer lived. Job xix. 25. And faint Paul had this a(furance, 2 Tim. i. 1^2 Gal ii. "^O. Yea, may fonte lay, Paul was an eminent believer, a Cbrillian of the firlt magnitude, no wonder if he had this jewel ol ali'urance ! nay, but the apot\le fpeaks of it as a cafe incident to other believers, Rom. viii. 35. * Who (hall feparate us from the love of Chrift ?' He doth not lay, who (hill! feparate me ? but us I fo that by all it appears that a believer may come to fpell out his intereft.

Caution 1. Not that the laints have always the fame certainty, or that they have fuch an affurance as excludes all doublings and couflids ; there will be flowings and ebbings in their comforts, as well as in their graces : was it not fo in David ? Sometimes we hear him fay, ' God's loving-kindnefs was before liis eyes,' Pf. xxvi. 3. iVs it is a proverbial fpeech, I have fuch a thing in my eye, I fee it jult before me ; but at another time, * Where are thy loving kindnelTes?' Pf. Ixxxix. 49. Thefe doublings a"nd convulfions God fulFtrs in hii children fometimes, that they may lontf the more for heaven, where they (ihall have a conftant fpring-tide of joy.

Caution 2. Not that all believers have the fame afTurance. (I.) Aiiurance is rather the fruit of faith, than faith : now as the root of the role or tulip may be alive, where the flower is not vifible; fo faith may live in the heart, where the flower of alfurance doth not appear. (2.) AlTurance is difficult to be obtained ; it is a rare jewel, but hard to come by, not many Chril-tians have this jewel. (1.) God fees it good Ibmetimes to withdraw affurance from his people, that they may walk humbly.

(2.) Satan doth what he can to way-lay and obliruct our affurance; he is called the red dragon, Rev. xii. 3. If he cannot blot a Chrillian's evidence, yet fometimes he cads fuch a mift before his eyes, that he cannot read his evidence ; the devil envies that God fliould have any glory, or the Ibul any comfort. (3.) That we want affurance, the fault for the moll part is our own ; we walk carelelsly, negledlour fpiritual watch, let ^o our hold of promifes, comply with temptations; no wonder then if we walk in darknefs, and are at fuch a lofs, that we canuot tell whether Chrift be ours or not.

(3.) Affurance is very fweet; this wine of paradife cheers the heart.

(4.) Affurance is very ufeful, it will put us upon fervice for

Chrift. (I.) It will put us upon adtive obedience; affurance

will not (is the papifts fay) breed fecurity in the foul, but

agility : it will make us mount up with wings, as eagles, in holy

Vol. II. No. 24. 3 Y

duties; faith makes us living, afTurance makes us lively; if we know that Chrili is ours, we fhail never think we can love hinm enough, or lervehim enough, 2 Cor. v. 14. ' The love of Chrifl; conftraineth us.'

2. Affuranee will put us upon paffive obedience: Rom. v, 3, 5. ' We glory in tribulation, becaufe the love of God is fhed abroad in our hearts.' Mr. Fox fpeaks of a woman in queen Mary's days, who, when the adverfaries threatened to take her hulband from her, fhe anfwered, Chrift is my hufband : when they threatened to take away her children, (he anfwered, Chrift is better to me than ten ions; when they threatened to take away all from her, faith fhe, Chrift is mine, and you cannot take away him from me. No wonder St. Paul was willing to be bound and die for Chrift, A6ts xxi. 13. when he knew that Chrift loved him, and had given himfelf for him. Gal. iii. '20. Though I will not fay, Paul was proud of his chain, yet he was glad of it, he wore it as a chain of pearl.

Qu. B}U how fhall I get thisjeicel of ajfiirance ?

Anf. 1. Make duty familiar to you ; when the fpoufe fought Chrift diligently, fhe found him joyfully. Cant. iii. 4.

(4.) Preferve the virginity of confcience ; when the glafs is

full you will not pour wine into it, but when it is empty; fo

when the foul is cleanfed from the love of every fin, now God

will pour in the fweet wine of afturance, Heb. x. 22. * Let us

draw near in full alfurance of faith, having our hearts fprinkled

from an evil confcience.' (3.) Be much in the adtings of faith ;

the more active the child is in obedience, the tboner he hath his

Father's fmile; if faith be ready to die. Rev. iii. 2. if it be like

armour hung up, or like a lleepy habit in the foul, never look

for alfurance. (4.) If Chrift be all, then make him fo to you.

(1.) Make Chrift all in your underftanding, be ambitious to know

nothing but Chrift, 1 Cor. ii. 2. What is it to have knowledge

in phyfic? To be able, with Eilculapius and Galen, to difcourfe

of the caufes and fymptoms of a dileafe, and what is proper to

apply, and in the mean time to be ignorant of the healing under

Chrift's wings? What is it to have knowledge in aftronomy, to

difcourfe of the ftars and planets, and to be ignorant of Chrift,

that bright morning-ftar which leads us to heaven ? What is it

to have (kill in a ftiop, and ignorant of that commodity which

dolli both enrich and crown ? What is it to be verfed in mufic,

and to be ignorant of Chrift, whole blood makes atonement in

heaven,^ and mufic in the confcience? What is it to know all

the ftratagems of war, and to be ignorant of the ' Prince of

peace ? O make Chrift all, be witling to know nothing but

Chrift; though you may know other things in their due place,

yet know Chrift in the fidl place; let the knowledge of Jefus

Chriil have the pre-eminence, as the fun among, the lefler planets.

This is the crowning knowledge, Prov. xiv. 18. * The prudent are crowned with knowledge.' (I.) We cannot l<now ourfelves unlets we know Chnd ; he it is who lights us into our hearts, and fliews us the Ipots of our louls, whereby we abhor ourfelves in dull and arties. Chriil (hews us our own vacuity and indigency; and until we I'eeourown enjptinefs, weaie not fit to be filled with the golden oil of mercy. (2.) We cannot know God, but through Chriil; 2 Cor. iv. 6.

2. Make Chriil all in your affedions. (1.) Defire nothing but Chriil; he is the accumulation of all good things. * Ye are com|jlete in him,' Col. ii. 10. Chriil is the Chriliian's perfection ; what Ihould the foul defire lefij ? What can it defire more.? (2.) Love nothing but Chriil; love is the choicefl af-fedlion, it is the richeft jewel the creature hath to bellow : Oh, if Chrift be all, love him better than all.

Confider 1. If you love other things, when they die your love is loft; but Chriil lives for ever to requite your love. (2.) You may love other things in the excefs, but you cannot love Chriil in the excels. (3.) When you love other things, you love that which isworfe than yourfelves; if you love a fairhoufe, a plea-fant garden, a curious pi6ture, thefe things are worle than yourfelves ; if I would love any thing more intenfely and ardently, it ftiould be fomething which is better than mylelf, and that is Jefus Chrid. He who is all, let him have all: give him your love who defires it moll, and deferves it bed.

3. Make Chrilt all in your abilities, do all in his (Irength, Eph. vi. 10. * Be llrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.* When you are to refill a tentation, to mortify a corruption, do not go out in your own llrength, but in the ftrength of Chriil: * Be ftrnng in the Lord.' Some go out to duty in the llrength of parts, and go out againll fin in the llrength of relblutions, and they come home foiled. Alas! What are our refolutions, but like the green wilhs which did bind Sanipfon! A finful heart will loon break thole ; do as David when he was to go up againll Gohah, laith he, * I come to thee, in the name of the Lord.' So fay to thy Gcliah-lull, I'come to thee in the name of Chrift. I'hen we conquer, when the Lion of the tribe of Judcih marchelh before us.

4. Make Chriil all in your aims, do all to his glory, 1 Pet. iv. 11.

6. Make Chriil all in your affiance, truft to none but Chrift for falvation, the Papills make Chrift fomething, but not at all.

And is there not naturally a fpice of popery in our hearts? We would be grafting happinefs upon the Itock of our own righ-teoufnefs ; every man (faith Luther) is born with a pope in his

3 Y 2

heart. O make Chrift all in regard of recumbency, let him be our city of refuge to fly to, and your ark.

0'. Make Chriil all in your joy, Gal. vi. 14. * God forbid that I fliould glory, fkvein thecrofsof our Lord Jefus Chrift.' Luke i. 57. O Chrillian, hall thou feen the Lord Jefus? Hath this morning-liar (bined into thy heart with its enlightening, quickening beacns? Then rejoice and be exceeding glad. Shall others rejoicf in the world, and will not you rejoice in Chriil? How much better is he than all other things? It refle6ls difparage-meot upon CNrill when his laints are fad and drooping? Is not Chrift yours, what would you have more?

Ohj. 1. But faith one, I am low in the world, and that takes otF the chariot-wheels of my joy, and makes me drive heavily,

Aiif. But haft thou not Chrift ? And is not Chrift all ? Pfal. xvi. 5, 6.

Obj. "2. If indeed I knew Chrift were mine, then I could rejoice, but how fhall I know that?

All/. 1 Is thy foul filled with pantings after Chrift ? Doft thou defire as well water out of Chrift's fides to cleanfe thee, as Blood out of his fides to fave thee? Thefe fighs and groans are ftirred up by the Spirit of God, by the beating of this pulfe, judge of the life of faith in thee.

2. Haft thou given up ihyfelf by an univerfal fubje<5tion to Chrift ? This is a good fign that Chrift is thine.

3 Be thankful for Chrift ; God hath done more for you in giving you Chrift, than if he had fet you with the princes of the earth, Pfal. cxiii. 8. or had madeyou angels; or had given you the whole world. In (hort, God cannot give a greater gift than Chrift; for in giving Chrift he gives himfelf to us; and all this calls aloud for thankfulnefs.

Ufe ult. Here is a breaft of comfort to every man that hath Chrift, ' Chrift is all;' it is good lying- at this fountain-head When a Chriftian fees a deficiency in himfelf, he may fee an all-fufticiency in his Saviour. * Happy is that people whofe God is the Lord,' Pf cxliv. ult. That fervant needs not want, who hath his mafter's full purfe at command : he needs not want who hath Chrift ; for * Chrift is all and in all.* What though the fig-tree doth not flourilli, if thou haft Chrift the tree of life, and all fruit growing there ? In the hour of death, a believer may rejoice, when he leaves all, he is pofl'efled of all; as Ambrofe faid to his friend, '* I fear not death, becaufe I have a good Lord." So may a godly man lay, I feai'j not death, becaufe I have a Chrift to go to ; death will but carry me to that torrent of divine pleafure which runs at his right hand for evermore. I will end with that 1 Theft", iv, 13, ' Wherefore, comfort one another with tliefe words.'

Phil. iv. 9. Tliafe things which you have both learned^ andre-ceivedy and heard, andjeen in 7ne, do^ and the God of peace Jhalt be icith you.

What the particular reafon of my choice of this fcrip-ture this day is, if yoii compare iDy prefentltation, with the intent of the apoilie, in thel'e words, you will eafily underlland.

Thele words of the apoille, being part of the clofe of his epiftle to the Philippians, are his vaiedi6tion or farewel to them : It is not unknown to you, that I mull now be parted from you; and I have pitched on thisl'cripture, to be the clofe of my twenty years miniliry among you.

God hath lent me among you to be a builder ; and I have cholen this text, to be a hammer to fallen, and drive home thofe nails of in(tru6lion and confolation, which I have been 16 long endeavouring to enter into you.

God hath fent me among you as a fiflierman ; and I have cholen thel'e words to be as the clofing of the net. Behold! once more the net is fpread, and I am now making my lall draught; and oh that it might have the lame good fjjeed as Peter's lad had, Luke v. 6. It would then pay the charges, though the net break.

God hath fent me among you as an hufband-man, to plow and to fow ; and I am now come to cover what hath been fown.

What my aim is in preaching, let it be yours in hearing ; Oh that both preacher and hearers might heartily join in this de-lire! This once more, God fpeed the plough.

In tills delire and hope 1 drive on. In the text obferve, a precept, a promile, an entail of the promife on the precept. In the precept we have, 1. An adl; ' do.' "2. An object: * The things that you have learned, received, heard, and feen.'

The promife is in thel'e words, ' the God of peace fliall be with you.'

The entail of the promife on the precept, you have in the connective particle, ' and,' which knits them up together. Do the work, and have the reward ; obey the precept, and enjoy the promife ; ' do what you have received and heard, and the God of peace fliall be with you.' Be careful of the former, and be not careful about the latter; if the precept be performed, the promil'e Ihall be made good.

Dot\. y. Cbritiians Uiult be learners, before they can be doers. ' What you have learned, that do.'

Du6t, 2. He hath learned well, that hath learned to do well.

Doct. 3. Chriftians eyes, as well as their ears, may help theni on in religion ; or, the holy examples of niiniflers, fhould be living ferinons to people. * What you have feen in me.* Therefore theapoftle exhorts, Phil. iii. 17. * Mark them which fo walk, as you have us for an example;' and 1 Cor, xi. 1. * Be ye followers of me, as I am of Chrift;* that is, either I have been a follower of Chrill, be ye therefore followers of me ; or elfe be ye followers of me, as tar forth as I have been a follower of Chrift. Thofe miniilers may go off the ftage with ho-; rour and comfort, who have left behind them the good feed of found do6lrine, and the good favour of an holy example.

For my own part, what my dodrine and manner of life hath been among you, you are witnelies, and God alfo. Andhovif-ever, I have great realbn to judge and condemn myfelf before the Lord, and to bewail it, that my converfation hath been leis exemplary and ufeful, than, oh that it had been ! yet I go oft" from you, with this teftimony upon my heart, that I have not been of thofe who bind heavy burdens, and lay them on other mens* flioulders, but will not touch them with one of their, fingers ; but my endeavour hath been, to prefs on my own foul, and hold it out in my own pia6lice, that word of hfe which I have preached to you ; and therefore am bold, in this fenfe, to eixhort you, in the words of the apoftle, * Be ye followers of me, as far forth as you have feen me a follower of Chrift.'

Do8:. 4. Godly miniilers when they are parted from their people, would fain leave God behind them. Though it be not unufual, when the Lord fends them away, he goes with them ; God and his meffengers, do not feldorn take their farewel of people together; yet their earnell defire is, that though they muft away, yet the Lord would ilay.

Doct. 5. Faithful niiniflers would be meffengers of peace, going, as well as coming.

As the apoftles firft words were to be, * Peace be unto you,* Matth. x. fo fome of this apollle's lall words were, ' the God of peace Ihall be with you.*

Doci. 0'. Whenever ininiflers part with their people, if they can but leave godlinefs in them, they fhall certainly leave God with them. Or,

Thofe that obey the gofpel, whatfoever or whomfoever they "want, fliall ever be in a peaceful and bleffed condition.

* Thefe things do,' that is, live in the pradice and power of that do6lrine of godlinefs * which you have received and heard ;' and then fear not, * the God of peace fhall be with you.'

This do6lrine I lliail fully prove to you, after I have pre-miled.

That the doclrine which I have preached to you, is the doc-

trine of godlinefs ; the fiim whereof take in thefe four particulars :

1. That Jefiis Chrifl, who came into the world to fave fia-ners, carne alio to iandity and pur^e ihein froin their fins.

2. That thole that believe in Jelus, mull be careful to maintain good works, or to Uvea godly life.

3. That this godlinefs is not fuch a flight, and eafy, and empty thing, as the niillaken world imagine ; but (lands in an exa6t conformity of the whole man, heart and life, to the whole will of God.

4. That as whofoever believes not in Jefus, fo whofoever is fliort of this true fincere godlinefs, cannot be faved.

This is the fum of that doi'^trine which I have preached unto you ; which being the eternal truth of God, I herein embark my own foul and life, defiring to be found in that fame Jefus, and to be found walking in thai fame way of righteoufuefs, which I have declared unto you.

2. That my dehgn and aim, in preaching this doctrine to you, hath been to beget in you, and through the influence and. afliftance of the eternal Spirit, to bring you to this true godli-nefd. I have travailed in birth with you, that Chrift might be formed in you ; that I might leave you pofleli'ors and partakers of that grace which accompanies lalvation ; that your faith might (land, not in the wifdom of men, but in the power of God ; that your repentance might be repentance unto life, not to be repented of ; that you might obey from the heart, that form of do6lrine that hath been delivered unto you; that you might (land complete in all the will of God ; that you might be l»oly, andharmlefs, the children of God without rebuke, in the niidll of a crooked generation, amongft whom you muft Ihine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life ; that being rooted, and grounded in love, you might comprehend with all faints, what is the height, and depth, and length, and breadth, and might know the love of Chrilt, which pafTeth knowledge, and be filled with all the fulnefs of God : to this end have I taught every one, and warned every one, that I might prefent you perfect in Chrilt Jefus.

3. That as fur forth, as the fuccefs hath anfwered my defiga and aim upon any of our fouls, fo far forth (land you entitled to this glorious promile in the text, * the God of peace (hall be with you.' Look how many (buls there are amongfl;you, that live in the power and obedience of thefe truths you have received ; to fo many can I, with confidence, give tjiis farewel of the apoltle, without ifs or ands ; ' the God of peace (hall be with you.* To whonifbever the Lord hath been a God of grace, to them will he be a God of peace. Whoever umongfl you have

this God of grace dwelling and ruling in you, fliall certainly find this God of peace dwelling and abiding with you.

Thefe things prenufed, I (hall now give you the full proof of the doctrine, in the following Reafons. The do6trine you remember is, thole that obey the gofpel, whatfbever, or wht>m-loever they want, Qiall ever be in a peaceful and blelfed condition.

The Reafons are,

1. The God of peace fhall be with them.

2. If God be with them, all things whatfoeverthatbefalthem, Ihall make for their good.

Reaf. 1. The God of peace (hall be with them ; thefe things do, live in the obedience of the holy do6lrine which you have received, and the God of peace (hall be with you. This glorious promife is pregnant with all the blelTings that heaven and earth can afford.

If you afk, why, what is there in it? I demand of you. What h there in God ? God is in the promife, all that is in God is here affured to the godly. The philofophersof old attained to fome glimmerings oi" the excellencies that are in God, by thefe three ways.

1. Perviam negationes, conceiving of him as a Being removed, from all things, (ignifying imperfection : as ignorance, impotence, iniquity, corruptibility, compofition, alteration, or any limits or bounds of this elfence, power and glory.

9. Perviam cafualitatis, conceiving of him, as the fountain of all other beings ; and thence concluding, that whatfoever excellencies, or perfe6lions are fcattered up and down, in the whole creation, are all united in him, from vi'hom they had their original.

S. Perviam €7nine7itiae, by way of exceUency ; fo that whatever perfections, whatever goodnefs is to be found in any creature, though it be not to be found in God, fornialiter, yet there is that in him (he being the firft caufe of all) that doih in()nitely, fu-perabundantly anfwer them all. Though there be not the fame ipecific excellencies in him, nor thole very pleafures and delights ilTuing from him, which the creatures yield ; yet there are fuch excellencies, fuch perfecfions, as tranfcend and furpafs them all.

The fcriptures tell us more pofitively and plainly, that God is almighty, omnifcient, omniprefent, infinite, eternal, uncliange-able, all fulBcient, holy, righteous, gracious : the portion, the protection, the rewarder, yea, the exceeding great reward of them that diligently feek him. And this is he that is in the promife. God is in the promife. I mull not enlarge in this fpacious^ield ; I (hall keep nearer the text, and (hail coufine inyfelf to thefe four particulars.

t. God is in the promife, as the God of peace, as the author ami bei^owor nt peace. The greateft of bleflhigs, is the bletling ol' peace, peace hath all l)le(rings inchxled in it. It hiiih pol-feilion, tiuilioii, and fecurity ; it hath plenty, pleafure and Irifety ; where there is no peace, tiiere is no lecurity for the holding, nor opportunity of enjoying what we have. Whatever we have, we have it as if we had it not. Peace is the great-eft of bleffings.

Peace with God is the mod glorious of peace. What is there that is excellent, what is there that is defirable, that is not comprehended in this peace with God ? Where there is peace, there is pardon; guilt cannot confilt with this peace; * being jtillified by faith, we have peace with God.* Where there is peace, there is grace and holinefs; * there is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked.' Where there is peace, there is love and good wih. As love, fo peace is the union of hearts. The God of peace is witli you, fignifies no lefs than this ; the almighty God bears you good-will. Thefe two, peace and goodwill, are twins ; ' on earth peace, good-will towards men.* Where there is peace, there is life, everlafling life ; internal, is the feed of eternal peace.

Thi*^ peace is a portion ; peace with God is our polfeffion of the God iof peace ; this peace is a lan6luary ; if the God of peace bo with us, the peace of God will keep our hearts.

Chriftians, in the world you mull have trouble; fuppofe you have, yet in him you fliall have peace, who hath overcome the world, I(a. xxvi. 3. * Thou wilt keep him in perfe6t peace,* (in peace, as it is in the original) * whofe mind is Itayed on thee,' Pf. Ixxxv. 8. * I vvill hear what the Lord God will fpeak, he willfpeak peace to the people, and to his faints.' What a clat tering is there in the world ? what tumults and commotions are railed about the followers of Chrilt, as if the world were falling about their ears ? The devil fpeaks wrath ; evil men fpeak death and bonds to them ; breathing out threatenings, reproaches, perfecutions againll them. In the midft of all this» fearful noife, I'll hearken, faith the Pfalmift, what the Lord God will fpeak. Whatfoever men or devils fpeak, I will hearken, if the Lord God fpeak at the fame rate. Oh no, he will fpeak peace to his iaints ; let the Ions of contention do what they can, the fons of God Ihall be fons of peace, they Ihall live in peace, they fhall die in peace, they dwell in peace for ever. Ifd. xxxii. 17, 18. * The work of righteoufnefs Ihall be peace, and the effect of righteoufnefs (hall be quietnefs and alfurance for ever. And my people (hall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in lure dwellings, and in quiet veiling places; oh how great is the peace that they have, who love thy law '.* Chriliians, fear not to follow God ; let not that fud word, not

Vol. II. So. 24. 3 Z

the fulfilling of it, fear you out of your duty, * All that vtlFi live godly in Chrift Jefus, (hall fuffer perfecution.' What if they do ; whilll you are able to fay, I am perfecnted, but I have peace ; I am poor, but I have peace ; in prifon, but I have peace ; in a wildernefs, but I have peace : though all the world be againft me, God is at peace, my foul is in peace, whatdifcouragement fhould all that.be to you !

2. He that is the God of peace, is the God of power. He promifes peace, and he promifes no more than he can perform. He can create peace, he can make their enemies to be at peace with them. He can make a league for them with ihe beads of the field ; with the lions, with the wolves, with the mod bru-tifli among the people. He can fay to the proud winds and waves. Peace, be dill, and they obey him. He can give them reft (from) the days of adverfily ; he can give them red (in) the days of adverfity ; he can give his beloved fleep upon the points of fwords and fpears.

3. He that is the God of peace, is the God of patience. This is my great fear, that though God gives, yet I (hall break my peace ; the God of peace with me ? oh ! this is he whom I diflionour, and difoblige daily ; by my didruds, difcontents, impatiencies, murmurings ; and what peace to fuch an heart ? what peace, fo long as iiich unbelief; fo much iniquity as I find daily within me, remains upon me? Will he, with whom no iniquity can dwell, dwell in that heart, where there is fo much iniquity, by which he is provoked every day ; but he that is the God of peace, is alfo the God of patience ! who tho' he will not bear the iniquities of,his adversaries, yet he will bear much with the infirmities of his people. Pfal. Ixxxix. 30. &c. * If his children forfake my law, and walk not in my judgments ; if they break my datutes and keep not my command--ments ; then wijl I vifit their tranfgrefllons with a rod, and their iniquities with dripes. Neverthelefs, my loving-kindnefs will I not utterly take from him, nor fufl'er my faithfulnefs to fail.'

4. He that is the God of peace, is the God of hope. I have no peace in poifeflion, whatever there be in the promife. I live in the fire, am born a man of contention. What likelihood is there, that I fhould ever live to fee a good day ? my comforts are broken, my efiate is lod, my liberty is gone ; friends 1 have none, enemies I have many, and mighty. I dwell in Mefech, I have my habitation in the tents of Kedar ; I am for peace they are for war ; whither ever I look, round about me, before me, behind me, on the right hand or on the left, all fpeak trouble and terror to me, 1 have no peace; what, nor no hope of peace, neither? where is thy God, man? had thou a God in thee, and yet no hope in thee ? the God of peace, and

yet no peace ! the God of hope, and yet no hope ! tlie God of hope will yet fill thee with joy and peace in believing, Rom. XV. 13. * Why art thou caft down, O my foul, and why art thou difquieted within me? hope in God, for I (hall yet praile him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.' Pfal. xliii. 11. The God of hope will open a window of hope in the darkelt times, a door of hope in the moll defperate cales. The Gud of hope will bear up the fpirits of his laints, in hopeagainll hope ; and this hope will never difappointthem. It Ihall never belaid, there is no peace, there is no hope, till it can be laid, there is no God in lliael.

But how, or in what fenfe, is it to be underftood, that this God of peace will be with us. I anfwer in three particulars.

1. The heart of God will be with you. Jofeph^s blelTing, * the good will of him that dwelt in the bulh,' will be thy portion, Deut. xxxiii. 16. What was thatbufh ? the church or If-raelofGod. What cafe was that budi in ? 'twas all on a light lire : 'twas all in a flame. Who was it that dwelt in the bulh ? God was in the bulh ; and that kept it from coufum-ing, though not from burning. The good will of this God lliall be with thee ; his love, his favour, his care. * 1 love them that love me,* Prov. viii, I7. * The Lord loveth the righteous,' PlUl. cxlvi. 8. The love of God, is the womb of all good. Hence fprang the morning ftar, from the love of God came the fon of God ; hence came that ivomb of the morning, the bletied golpel ; which is fo big with glorious grace ; with hght, life, pardon, peace, glory, immortality ; from the loveof God came the glorious gofpel of God. The upper j'prings, all ipiritual and heavenly blellings ; the netherfprings, all earthly and outward blelfings, do all rife and buoble upoutof this fountain, * the loveof God.' • Tiie precious things of heaven ; the precious .fruits brought forth by the fun ; the precious fruits put forth by the moon ; the chief things of the ancient mountains ; the precious things of the laliing hills ; the precious things of the earth, and the fulnefs thereof -,' all thefe flow ia with the ' good will of him tliat dwelt in the bulh.'

Love is all ; the apollle tells us, Rom. xiii. our love to God is the * fulfilling of the law ;' that is, it will bring forth all that to God, all that duty, and obedience which the law requires. I may tell you, that God's love to us is the fulfilling ol'ilie golpel, that is, it will pour down all that upon us, it will do all that for us, which the gofpel promil'es. Look over the whole golpel ; read and ttudy every precious leal and lint; of that bie(-led book ; and if ihere be enough in all that to Jiiake thee hleT fed, and to encourage thee on in thy holy courle, all this is thine. Taou hail that love of God with ii*ee, which will fulfil

3Z^Z

the gofpel ; there fnall not one jot or tittle fail thee of all that the gofpel promifes. ' The zeal ol" the Lord of hods will perform this.*

2. The he/p of God will be with yf^", the Lord will be your helper in the day of your diftrels. Heb. xiii. 5, (i. ' He hath faid, 1 will never leave thee, nor forlake thee.' So that we may boldly lay, ' The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do unto me.' He hath faid * I will not leave thee ;' and therefore we may fay, * I will not fear ;' He hath faid ' I will be,' and therefore we may boldly fay, ' the Lord is my helper;' he hath faid, ' He will not forfake, he will help :' and who is he that fliall fay. There is no help for thee in thy God.

There is no man, whofe cafe may not be fo defperate, as to be above ail human help. If he fliould cry out, as the woman to the King- of Ifrael ; ' Help, O king,' the king mull anfwer, f If the Lord do not help thee, whence fhall 1 help thee ?' If he ihould cry out, * Help, O man of God,* the man of God muft anfwer, ' If the Lord do not help thee, whence (hall I help th?e ? If he cry out, ' Help 0 my friends, my wit, my policy, my purfe ; all fhefe muft anfwer, * If the Lord do not help thee, whence fliall we help thee ?* But what cafe is there, wherein an [^lielp Lord'] will not do ?

Foolifli men count their cafe delperate, when they come to their [G'oo? he/p'] that is an ufual expreflion to fet foith the extremity and helplefnefs of any man's cafe. When we fee men even loll in any niifery, and their cafe even utterly hopelefs ; then to fignify our fenfe of fuch metji's loft condition, we cry out, God help that man, God help that woman, they are loll creatures. Ay, but if nien did underftand and confider what the help of the Lord is, they would fee there could be no cafe fo defperate, but an [^heip Lord] might recover all, 1 Sam. XXX. 6. When David was greatly diflrelTed, and ail was gone, • he encouraged himfelf in the Lord his God.'

Conlider here two things.

1. What his cafe then was ; he was in great diflrefs; he had loll all that ever he had ; his fpoils that he had taken were all gone, his corn, and his cattle, his wives and his city were all loll, he had not an habitation in all the world ; he had nothing left him but a poor army, and thefe were worfe^than loll; they were even ready to fall upon him. ' Tlie people fpake of fton-ing him, but he encouraged himfelf in the Lord his God.'

2. What the event hereupon was : why God helped him to all he had again : ver. 19. ' There was nothing lacking to them, neither fmall nor great, neither fons nor daughters ; neither fpoil, nor any thing they had taken, David recovered all.' Hence note.

1. That a Chiiftian when he hath loll all, hath yet a God to 2fo to at lafi.

Whilfl: a Chriflian hath a God to g^o to, his cafe is never def-perate ; let him but encourage himiell' in his God, and all will be recovered.

Sinners, triumph not over the poor people of God ; when they are at their word, when they are brought as low as your pride and nialice can lay them ; tho' they fliould be llript naked, and left deltitute of all their coniforts, tho' all the world fliould ride on their backs, and tread on their necks, yet rejoice not againll them : tho' they fall thi^y (hall arile ; when they are at their word, there's dill help for them in their God.

3. The prefence of the Lord fliall be with them. Whitherfo-ever they may be fcattered, they (hall not be fcattered from their God. That promile made to Mofcs, Exod. xxxiii. 14. ' My prefence (hall go with thee,' belongs to all the Ifrael of God. QMy prefence] in the original, 'tis niif face ; in the Septuagint,

* niyfelf fliall go with thee.'

The prefence of God is either general or fpecial. By his general prelence, he is every where.

1. Per ejfentiam, he fills all things.

2. Per cognilionem, he beholds all things.

3. Per fnfienlationem^ he upholds all things.

4. Per dominiumy he governs all things.

But to let this pals, as not fo proper to our purpofe. 9. There is \\\'s. fpecial or gracious prefence, whereby he ma-niftds himfelf to be with his people.

1. In fome vilible and ilandin}^ tokens of his prefence ; as in thofe extraordinary, the pillars of the cloud and of the fire ; and in thofe ordinary, the ark and the temple of old, and the ordinances of the gol'pel now.

2. In (bme inward inlluences, and irradiations, upon the hearts of his people.

3. In fome vilible and fignal efre6l3of his prefence ; whereof there are very many. "^I'litre are, amongll others, thefe two notable eileds of God's gracious prefence, which his people, by virtue of this promife, may with confidence expe6t. Conduction, Covering ; they (hall be led in their way, and they fliall be hid in their way.

1. Conduction: the Lord will be with them, to lead them and guide them in the way that they lliould go. Pl'al. xxv. f>, 12. ' The meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he teach his way.' Pfal. cvii. 7. * He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.' Pfal. v. 8.

* Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteoulheis, becaufe of mine enemies, make thy way llraight before my /ace.'

'I'he Lord leads liis people in their wiiy, chiefly by his word.

which is a light to their feet, and a lanthorn to their paths r And fometiiues alfo by his providences, hedging up all by-v/ays, and leaving but one way open to them, that hath the ieait appearance of the way of God. So ordering the matter, that any other way that is before ihem, looks with too foul a face to leave any doubt upon them, whether that be the way of God or not.

It is never uncomfortable to the people of God, while they fee their way before them ; doubts about their way, are more perplexing than dangers in their way. When they know what God would have them do, they can chearfully trull him for any thing they are like to futfer. Dolt thou meet with wolves or lions in thy way ? thou mayeft blefs God it is there thou meet-ell them, it would be ill meeting them elfewhere.

2. Covering or protection in their way : Pfal. xxxi. 20. * Thou (halt hide them in the fecret of thy prefence, from the pride of man ; thou (halt keep them fecretly in a pavilion, from the (Irife of tongues.' (Thou (halt hide them in thy prefence} or face ; thy light (hall be their dark place to cover them : ' thou art my hiding place,* Pfal. xxxii. 7. (In the fecret of thy prefence) the faints' hiding place is fecret; fuch, where neither the pride of men can find them, nor can they underftand what it is. Reproaches (hall not find them, perfeculion (liall not find (hem, whole fouls are hid in God : they are not found, when they are found ; they are hid when they feem to lie mod open, and moft expofed to mens' will and lull. Sinners do not underhand what refuge the faints have in God. It is a great fecret, a myllery to them : as the joy of the faints, the comforts of the faints, are a fecret. A (Iranger (hall not meddle with hisjoy: fo is their fafety of fecurlty ; they do not underftand what kind, nor how great fecurity ; what fure, nor what fweet repofe the faints find in God. The fecret of God's prefence is a fure and a fweet retting-place for all his faints ; but how fure, and how fweet, no man knows, but they that enjoy it. The fecret intimations of the care of God for them ; of his everlalling kindnefs to them ; of his governing hand, in all that befals them, working it to their greater good ; the fecret fupports and refrethings darted in, as the beams of his countenance ; their fecret fenfe that their head, their main, is in fafety, though they have bruifes in their heel, will yield fuch reft in the day ofgreateftadverfity, as men can neither fee, nor take from them. The pillar of the cloud interpofed, did both hinder the Egyptian purfuit, and hide from their eyes, the comfort of that light which ftiined upon the camp of Ifrael. INlofes knew what the comfort of God's prefence meant, when he laid, Exod. xxxiii. 15. ' If thy prefence go not with us, carry us not hence.' Ii is (if con-lidered) a great word, Ifrael was then in a wildernefs : among

'H-ilJ beafts ; among briers and thorns ; in a weary pilgrimage ; but they had God among them : the Lord was carrying them to Canaan, the land of their reft, a land flowing with milk and honey ! but Mofes prays, * If thy prefence go not with us, carry us not hence.* We had rather be where we are, in a wildernefs with God, than go to Canaan, and leave our God behind us. If thy prefence go with us, we are willing to go, when thou wilt, whither thou wilt, which way thou wilt; the* by the tents of Edomites, Ifhrnaelites, Moabites, Hagarens; though through the armies of Anakims, Zamzummims: we will go any where, fo God go v;i:h us. The abfenceofCod makes a Canaan worl'e than a wildernefs: the prefence of God makes a wildernefs better than a Cannaan : and this prefence of God fliall be the lot of all his faints.

Reafon 2. If God be with you, all fhall make for you: all providential occurrences and events whatfoever, all difficulties, flraits, difaflers, dilappointments whatfoever, that may come upon you, fhall make for your good, Rom. viii. 31. • If God be with us, who can be againft us?' Who can be againft us? that is, none can be againll us : or if any be, yet thofe that are againft you (hall be for you. Gen. xlii. 3a. ' Jofeph is not, and Simeon is not (faid old Jacob), and mull Benjamin away too ! all thefe things are againft me :' butj'et, as old as he was, he lived to fee all making for him, Rom. viii. 2(5. * We know all things fhall work together for good to thofe that love God.' This is fuch a promife, as, ifit were thoroughly believed, would fet our feet on the necks of all our fears and dangers; and will prove the truth of Sampfon's riddle, * Out of the eater came meat, and out of theftrong, fvveetnefs.'

Now becaufe there is fo great encouragement to godlinefs in it, I fhall fpend the more time in enlarging upon it; and fliall Oievv,

1. What thofe things are, which are efpecially intended in that comprehenfive term, * all things.'

2. What that good is, which thefe things fhall work to.

3. To whom thefe things fliall work for good.

4. How thefe things fliall work for good.

5. That they fliall undoubtedly work for good to them that love God.

I. What thofe things are, which are efpecially intended, in that comprehenfive term, * all things.* Some there are, as Auguf-tine with others, who underlland it univerfally, of all things whatfoever, whether good or evil, extending it even to the fius of the faints. It is true, God doth often bring good out of thefe evils; making ufe of former fins to be forces againft future : There is nothing that doth make the finner more weary and wary of fin, than fin itfelf; the review of what we have done

doth ofteneft fright us from doing fo any more. When yoa look back on fin, and (ee its face, (for fin carries its face in its back) you will fear it the more, whenever you meet it again. There is no argument doth more etfe<5lualjy humble and bre«k the heart, and make it more fearful and watchful againft fin, than the fhame and the fmart of thofe fins we have (alien by. This is true, God doth often make this ufe of fin, to lie its own cure : and therefore it is not feldom feen, that the chief of fin-ners have come to be the chief of faints. Yet, befides, that this is not the fubje6t matter that the apoflle is here treating of; let thofe that bring fin within the compafs of this promife, and make this to run into the fenfe of it; that even all the fins of the faints fliall work for their good, let I'uch tell us, how, or in what way it is imaginable, that the finful decays of fuch who backflide from God, and never recover to their former life and vigour, but live and die in a languifhing ftate of foul; let thern tell us, how luch fins can be imagined to work for their good : till then, we muft enter our diflent from this interpretation.

This then is not the fenfe of the proniife, that all fins (hall work together for good.

And yet if it were, it would be but a poor argument, to take the more liberty to fin, becaufe God will turn it to good ; this would be even as rational, as for a man to tear his flefli, break his bones, pluck out his eyes, burn his houfe, &c. becaufe God will turn ail his futfering to good : he is little better than mad, that would not conclude fuch a man out of his wits.

Others reftrain it to the evil things that befai the faints, not the turpia^ but the triftia^ their fuiierings and aft!i6lions; to that vanity, and thofe vexations they are in bondage under, and under which, with the whole creation, they groan and travail in pain, waiting for their redemption ; of which the apoflle had been treating in the former part of the chapter. And yet while they pitch the fenfe, efpecially on fuch things as thefe, they grant it may be extended to all other things, fin only excepted ; ad 07unes res, creatiiras, eventus, ttimfecundos, turn adverfos : To all things and events, whether profperous or afflicting. So ParcGus with others.

And thefe I take to have hit the right. All heavy things, all the fufferings and afflictions of the faints ; and not only thele, but all things elfe whatfoever, that in the whole courfe of Providence be their lot or portion ; all the dealings of God with them, all the difpenfations of providence towards them, fhall all work for their good.

: 2. What is that good, which thefe things work to the faints; or in what fenfe all things may be faid to work good to them.? The fenfe in general is this : They fhall all walk to their welfare, they Ihall all happen to them for tlie better : there fhall

nothinj* beflil them, but one time or other they (liall have rea-Ibn to fay, It was well for me, that it was thus with me. The wifdom and goodnefs of God did cut out luch portions comiuu-ally for me, did lead me through luch a feries and fucceflion of caies and events, which though I could not underlland, yetncv/ I fee tluit every condition, every contingency and occurrence of my life, through which Providence led me, was ufeful, and could not well have been wanted, but it would have bjeen the worfe for me. Thus in the general.

Particularly, for the fuller underftanding what good it is that all things work to, confidcr, That there is a twofold good of the faints ; fuch as they obtain and enjoy, whilft they are in via in their way or couf-fe ; or fuch as they (hall obtain, when they are in tcrmino, when they are gotten to the end of their way, when they are come to their place. Or thus ; there is a threefold good of the faints, temporal, fpiritual, eternal.

1. Temporal good, or our 6o7za corporis, the outward good things of this life, which may lerve and plea!)^, and delight us in thefe days of our pilgrimage ; which may abide with us, and attend us to our graves, but there will take their leave of us.

2. Spiritual good,' or our bona aninicc, and thofe are either, 1. External, as the ordinances of God ; the light, liberties, and privileges of the gofpel ; the fociety, and communion of faints, and our peaceful and plentiful enjoying of them. 2. Internal^ as fpiritual grace, faith, love, hope, patience, &;c.

3. Rternal good, or that glory and joy, that everlading rc.ii and peace, the poffefilon of that inheritance incorruptible, and undeliled, that is relerved in heaven for us.

Now here note thefe things.

1. That our bona corporis, our outward good things, are only good for us, as they are conducible ad bonum fpiritnalis, to the good of our fouls. The bona vitjR, are only good in the event, when they tend to the bonum patriae. This world is but a nur-fery for eternity ; we are planted in this, in order to our tranl-planting into the other world ; and whatever we have here, is either good or evil, according to the refpe6t that it bears to hereafter: As far forth as our immortal part is improved by thofe perifliing things, i'o far forth only are they good for us. He that hath this world's goods, and is not hereby made more rich towards God ; he who profpers in this world, and yet his loul doth not profper; much more, he whole worldly fuinefs becomes the emptinefs, and leannefs of his foul: Are thefe good things good tor him.? Is he in profperity upon a true account, whole Ibul profpers not? It is not ever good to profper in the world ; it cannot be univerl'aily laid, it is good to be rich, it is good to be in liealth, it is good to be in honour, it is good to be at liberty ; the contrary may Ibmelimes be true ; it is good to

Vol. II. No. Q^. ' 4 A

be poor, to be fick, to be in difgrace, to be in bonds ; the ne-cedit)' of our ibuls doth not feldoai require it: then alone it is good to be full, and to abound, when our outward abundance farthers our fpiritual welfare.

Chriftians, could we receive this truth, that our outward good things are only good for us, as far forth as they conduce to our fpiritual good : could we receive this truth, and live under the power of it, what a different judgment fhouid we then have of all thefe worldly matters, from what we have ? and how f^rangeiy would the courl'e of this world be then changed? Would there then be fuch a violent and eager purluing thefe carnal tliipgs? Would there then be fuch whining and complaining, and murmuring at every crofs providence? We v/ould then fay, this may be good for me; good for my foul, how fad foever it looks.

S. That external fpiritual good things, the miniftry, and ordinances of the gofpel, &c. are fo far good for us, as they conduce to our interual fpiritual good : and they being ordinarily fo, it muft be concluded, that ordinarily it is good for us that we enjoy them, and be not deprived of iheni. God may fee the cutting Chriflians fliorr. of ihofe privileges, and liberties, to be fometimes needful for them ; and then even this alfo makes for thqjj" good ; whereof more anon.

3. That our inward fpiritual good, is good for us, fo far forth as it tends to our eternal good : and therefore grace is ever good for us. It is ever true ; it is good to be holy, good to be humble, to be in the fear of God, and to flounOi in his grace. We n>ay have too much money,"too much credit, but we c-m never have too much grace. Our greatefl flourijhing and fruitfuhicfs in grace, will certainly abound to our more full reward.

4. Note, That this is the plain fenle and meaning of the pro-niife, ' all things fhall work for good,' that is, w hat foever be-fals, fliall certainly promote our internal and eternal welfare ; and as far forth as the outward privileges of the gofpel, yea, and the good things of this life, conduce towards tliis, all (hall work for thefe alfo. If it be good for us to be rich, if it be good for us to be in honour, good for us to be at liberty; good for our fouls, good in reference to our eternal Hate ; if it be good for us that we enjoy the minilby of the gofpel; there (hall nothing befal us, that (hall hinder; there (liall be nothing wanting to us, that might further this our good.

The fum is. That all providential difpenfations (hall be fo ordered, that we fhall want nothing but what it is belter to want than have: we fiiall fuffer nothing but what we cannot well be without, but what the good of our fouls requires; atid that which we do polfefs, and that which we do futfer, fhall not fail of bringing about its end, the advancing our eternal good.

And if this be the meaning, what a glorious promife is this? What can any rational nian defire more? nothing fliall befal him but fliall be lor his good : he (hall be deprived or kept (hort of nothing, but what he had better be without than have. He that is uni'atisfied with this promife, it is either from luft or unbelief; either he doth not bdieve, that God is true, and will perform this word : or elfe it is becaufe his luft mull be fatit-fied, though with the denial of his reaibn and intertft; he thatdelires an eliate in the world, eafe, pleafure, liberty ; or any thing elle vipoii any other terms, but as they may l)e for his real good, liaih as much loll his wits as his faith ; and he that will take upon him to know what is good for him, lietter than God, may as well take upon him to govern the world. You may with as good reafon, defire a fever, or adropfy, that you may have the l)lea!ure of your drink; as for the pleafures that carnal things >\'ould bring you in, to defire them, when they would be a Ihara tp your fouls, r

;, 3. To whom thefe things fliall work for good ; to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpofe : to the people of God, who you lee, are here defcribed by their election and vocation, * the called acpordinji to his purpofe,* and their fauclification, * they that love God.' Love God, and you will live in the obedience oihis whole will: Thefe are the peor pie, to whom this promife is made; prove your calling and ele^lion, prove your fandtifics^tion,, and you may write your names in this glorious promife; * all things Ihall work for your good.' , .j.j-ivji vji

To thofe that are rebels, and reprobates from God, all things fliall work together for evil. Whilll things hurtful work together for good to the faints; all good things vvork together for theburt of finners : their pea.ce hurts then», their plenty hurts them, their pleafure hurts them ; yea, both their profperity and »dverfity, their plenty and their poverty, their pleafure and their trouble, their honour and difgrace, every thing that befals tliem, turns to their prejudice. Their profperity deltroys them ; their tabje is their ihare; their plealures are their plagues ; and their very puniOimeuts are turned into (in; every thing that befals them, heightens and hardens them in their wickednefs, and ripens them for vengeance. God is not with them, and therefore nothing profpers with them. God is with his taints, and therefore nothing comes amils to them, but all for ilieu" greater advantage : Chrillian«, this is your portion, and your peculiar, whereit^ the ipea of this world (hall neither partake with you, nor be ever able tq deprive yoiu of jt.

4. How all things (hall work for their good ; in fpecial, how fliall the evil things, the fufteriiijgs of this life be for iheir good: ^o\v can this Ue .^ j;uult we niifbelieve our fejiiesi Uy down our ' 4A2

reafons, ere we can believe the fcriptures? Muft we call evil good, aud good evil ? Muft we count darknefs light, and light darknels? Is pleal'ure pain, and pain plealure? Is lofs gain, and gain lols ? Is eale torment, and torment eafe? Doth religion make things ceale to be what they are, and to be what they are not? oral leall, muft we believe, that darknefs is the mother of light, that good is the daughter of evil? Can we gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thiftles? Can darknefs give light, or death itfelf bring forth life ? Muft we lay, that contraries no longer deftroy, but produce each other, and that the womb brings forth its own deftruction ? How can thefe things be ?

But muft God give a reafon of his adtions, or elfe they are not! though evil cannot bring forth good, darknefs cannot bring forth light? yet, cannot God bring forth good out of evil, light out of darknels? though darknefs cannot bring forth light; evil cannot bring forth good by a natural caulation ; yet caimot God make evil an occalion of good ? Though it doth not work efficiently, yet can it not work objectively neither to it? Though the torment the medicine puts men to, be not eafe, yet may it not work towards eale ? May not the ftorm, though it help not, yet haften the labourer on his work, the traveller on his way ? May not the darknefs of the night, make more diligent in the day ? May not ficknefs teach men more temperance, and poverty more frugality ?

But to proceed more diftin6tly ; how can the faints evil things work to their good ? That they do fo, cannot be denied, unlels we deny, not only fcripture, but common lenfe, and experience ; but how comes it to pafs ? I anfwer in lour particulars ;

1. The aftlidlions and tribulations of the faints are the way that leads them on to the pofTeflion of that good, which God hath intended to them ; affliftions are the way of the kingdom ; the crols is the way to the crown, A6ts xiv. 2^. ' Through many tribulations we muft enter into the kingdom of God.' Plal. Ixxvi. il, 12. ' Thou broughteft us into the net^ thou haft laid affliction upon our loins, thou haft caufed men to ride over our heads ; we went through fire and water, thou broughteft us into a wealthy place.'

Obferve it ; their troubles are their way to their triumph; their very fulling into the net, their way to efcape. Their enemies boalt ; Efcape ! Ariie 1 yes, let them free themfelves With fuch hopes while they will, we have them fure enough, we have them underfoot, we have them in the net; if this be their way, we will keep them in their way long enough ; now we have them down, they Ihall not be able to rife. Ay, but yet it appears, through all this the Lord led them forth, into a wealthy place, 1'he high-way of the proud is it not

their more ready way to the duft, than the dull of faints is their lure way to honour. When IlVael were to go to Canaan, they niufl. take the brick kihis, the Red-lea, the wildernels, Jordan, in their way ; could any one have imagined, that the bondage, the ilraits they were under, the doubhng their tafks, the cruelty of their taflv-malters, their encloler at the Red-lea, did mean any good to them ? yet, How tell it oat at lalt ? their darkell dil'penlUtions had hght in their latter end ; their greatelt bondage leads on to their greateft liberty.

Every crofs providence, is a liep to the accomplilhment of the promife; the wheel is ever moving on its end ; it moves ftill forwards, even when it Teem to go quite backwards ; as the river, by its many turnings and windings, forwards and backwards , is Hill in motion to the lea, when its I'eems to be run-nini; quite codtrapy.

Chrillians, if ever the falvation of God feems to be removed farther olffrom you ; if the work of God Ihould at any time ieem to go backwards, if crofs winds Ihould turn the whole courfe, lb that you appear rather to be marching back to tlgypt than on to Canaan, yet be not difcouraged ; though your way be unlikely, and unpromifing way, though you be led about forwards and backwards, yet Itill you are making on ; though the lelier wheels be never fo crofs and contrary in their motions, yet the great wheel is Hill moving right on to your bleffed and hoped end. God intends your good, yourlpiritual good here, your eternal good hereafter : and believe it now, for he will let you fee it hereafter, that thole very things which mofi; threaten your mili^arriage, and a total abortion of your hopes, are made all to concur to the bringing them about, and to your more full and fpeedy poli'elfionof them.

Note farther here two things.

1. All things work ; not they (liall work, de fut7iro,ln\t do prefenti, they do work : as the apollle fays, * The myllery of iniquity ;' fo we may fay, the myftery of the faints redemption doth already work ; the work is already on the wheel, and every wheel is on its motion for you ; not only your brethren, the faints and angels, who ail are praying for your peace, and leeking your good, but your enemies ulfo, the dragon with all his armies, are at work for you : all the councils of this world, are already litling upon the very matter: God hath called them together for this purpofe, the Pope, with all his conclave ; the Jefuits, Priells, Monks and Friars, wUh all their convent; yea, the devil, with all his conclave of hell, are all at work for the good of laints. It is true, they mean not, nor intend any fuch thing, their defigns are againll you ; they count they are working for themfelves; as it is faid concerning tiiC Aflyriao, Ifa. x. 0, y* God feuthim forth upon a delign df

■SoS ^ JDIV£RS DISCOURSES.

his own, to execute his counfel, in the punifliing of hypocrites; to purge out the chatf from the wheat ; nevertheleffs, he meaiiT eth not i'o, nor doth his heart think lb : the Aflyrian minds Dot what God's defign is, but follows his own defign ; fights for himfelf, and fpoils for hirafelf; but God's defign is (lili carried on by him, though he thinks not of it. ,

All the events in the world are driving the fame way, every fjifeafe or infirmity that comes upon you, every lofs that yoi^ fuftain, every fcoifor reproach that you fufter ; the fhame in your faces, the lorrow of your hearts, the torment in your bowels, the aches in your bones, are all working your good. AU the changes of your conditions, your fair weather, and your foul, your fun-lhine and your clouds, your plenty and youv wants, your eafes and your pains, your liberties and your pri-fons, are all making for you : your good is already working by till thele things.

See Chriftians, what an harveft of bleflednpffj is growing up to you, out of this promife ; the feed is already lowing, your good is already working : God is at work, the whole creation is at work, men and angels, good men and evil men, friends ancl enemies, heaven and earth, and hell, are already engaged to "Nvork your good.

2. They work together, that is, as fome underftend it, they work together with God ; all thefe lecond caufes worl^ together with the tirft caufe ; or as others, they work together amongft ihemfelves. There is fuch a concatenation and concentring of all thefe fecond caufes, in .the fame defign, that however they feem to thwart, and crofs, and deftioy fome of Ihem, what the others build and advance, yet they are all united in their end ; they jointly contribute to the weal of the faints. Though, i(| niiltakenot, this latter be the more fenfe of the two: Yet I know no reafon why both may not be underllood. In the hand, and under the conduction of Providence, all thefe lower things concur and co-operate in the good of the church.

By the way, obferve, what an harmony there is in all the works of providence; The moll crofs and thwarting occurrences, do all conl'pire, and go hand in hand, to bring about the fame end. As the differing virtues of various drugs do all concur to make up the medicine ; As the diifering founds of feve-ral firings or inftruments, do altogether make up the melody ; As the diifering colours in a picture, the dark as well as the brighter, do jointly contribute to the beauty of the piece ; no lefs do the moll contrary, and eontradi6tory a6lions and events, both make up the beauty of providence, and jointly fubferve that one end, to which, by an unfeen hand, and an all feeing eye, they are dire6ted, and intended.

2. The evil things that b$fal the faints, come upon them to

keep out worfe things. Wherever the crofs comes, iF it had hot come, fomething worfe might? The crofs may be a means to lecure from the ciirfe: the curfe was flain on the crofs of Chrill; and our crofs alfo hath its ufe, to the deliveri/ig us from it.

Cor. xi. 39. * We are chaftened of the Lord, that we fhould not be condemned with the world;' periijjem niji peruJJ'em: I had died, if I had not fuffered ; it is more men's cafes, befides his that fpake it; it is no bad exchange to have a crofs inflead ofa curfe.

3. The evil things of the fliints, prepare them for better things ; that they may work good for them, they are working them to good ; working out their fm and iniquit}^ wearying them of fin. Hofea ii. 6. * I will hedge up her ways with thorns, then fhall fhe fay I will return :' fin brought in afilic-tions into the world, and afflidions help to carry fin out; the crofs, to which fin was once nailed, is now nailed to fin : the faints can feldom be meddling with fin, but they find it too heavy for them. Our Lord beats the devil with his own weapons, by thofe very means, purging his faints, by which he endeavours to pollute them; making thofe very perfecutions, by which he labours to force them from holinefs, to fix them in it.

Chriftians comfort your hearts; thofe floods that are caft againfi; you, (Iiall but wafii you the whiter, and make you more meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light: your purgatory prepares you for your paradife. No unclefin thing mtift enter in thither : and you are not like to be made fo clean, as by falling into the hands of the unclean. The faints never look fo well, like flieep come from the wafhing, as when thoy come up from the pots, their very black makes them comely.

Oh Chriftians! what st comfort would it be, if your experience might come in, and feal to this truth: if you could fay, thus it hath been with me; ' Before I was afllidled I went albay : I was proud, and vain, and wanton, and flothful, and carnal, but now have I kept thy word.'

Sinners, whatever your mind be in perfecuting the faints, never think to debauch them by it ; if that be your aim, you miltake your courfe ; the living fpark which God hath kindled in them will not be blown out, but be blowing up, by your puffing at it; the dirt you caft upon them, doth but fcour them the brigluer. You take the bell courfe you cm, to keep them ploler to the Lotl, and his way ; the warm fun will more hazard the lofs of their garments, than the bluftering wind : let them alone, the Spirit of the Lord within them, will be too hard for hell, with all its black regiments; and will not only lecure

them, but advance tliem yet higher, by all their afTault?:. Thefe ftars fliine the brighteft when the night is darkeft: when you have done your worft, it will be the better with them 5 though they will not thank you, yet they will thank God, for what they have fufFered by you. If this be your aim, to make them like yourfelves, you may fet your hearts at reft, and give over fuch a vain attempt: your fury is hke to do as little to force them, as your virtues are to invite them to a compliance with you. Your facesare too foul to draw them into your love, and yet not fierce enough to drive them into your fear. Satan, try thy utmoft flrength and fkill, and if thou lofeft not by thine own play at lalt, if thou lindeft not the poor people of God gotten nearer heaven, by thy attempts of plucking them down to hell, then let thy lies be believed, before the everlafting gofpel. Chriftians, make me not afhamedin this fame confident boaft-ing of you ; yea, contradict not your God, by fuffering your-i'elves to be corrupted by the evil men. The Lord himfelf hath adventured deep upon your integrity and ftedfaftnefs : The honour of his truth and faithfulnefs lies at ftake, he hath faid, • That they fhall not be afraid of any evil tidings, their heart is fixed, trulling in the Lord,' Pf. cxii. 7. He hath faid, ' By this fhall their iniquity be purged, and this (hall be all the fruit, to takeaway their fin.* God hath laid, * All things fliall work together for good to them.' They ihall not be the worfe, but the 4)etter, for all that befals them : they fliall love me and my holy ways the more, they fliall cleave unto me the clofer, they fhall be made more pure, and more tender : by all they fuf-fer for righteoufnefs lake ; they fliall love confcience, and their integrity, and faithfulnefs to it never the worfe, for that it hath coft them fo dear, but (hall prize it the more : and be the more wary and tender, how they pollute and turn afide from it. God hath ventured deep on you ; make not him a liar : the devil and his inilruments will be ready to fay, concerning you, as once he did to the Lord concerning his fervant Job; Put ihem into our power, let us have the handling of them a while, and thou flialt quickly fee, what truth there is in them, or what truft there is to them ; they will curfe thee to thy face; they will deny thee to thy face, they will eat their own words, they will be afliamed of their God, their godlinels and confidence. Let God be true, Chriftians, and the devil a liar ; be living commentaries on this blefied text; let the world, and their black prince fee, that they cannot make you miferable, becaiife they cannot make you fin-iiers like themfelves : that you are ftill the more upright, for falling into the hands of a crooked generation: let them (ee, that though your God will not fufter you, yet you are contented, to ferve him for nothing. That though this hedge be removed from you, yet your heart is not removed from him ; be able to

fay, • Though all this be come upon us, our heart is not turned back, neither have we declined thy way.' Let your Handing and increafiug in the grace ot God, and abounding in the works of righteoufnefs, be a (landing witnefs for God in the world, and a feal to his fcriptures, and in f'pecial to the glorious truth of this text.

4. The evil things of the faints, prepare better things for them ; their futferings go into their reward : * As the fufferings of Chrift abound in us, fo our confolation alfo aboundeth by Chrift :' every fuffering comes with a comfort in its belly ; and the fweet is fo great as fwailows up the bitter ; it is a hundredfold that the faints gain by all their loifes in this life ; but how great (hall their reward be in heaven. 2 Cor. iv. 17. * Our light aflli6lion, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory.* They (hall not only have weight for weight, meafure for meafure, their load of glory for their load of fufferings ; but they fhall have over-weight, over-meafure ; good meafure preiTed down, heaped together and running over, (hall then be given unto them : according to their deep poverty, (hall be the height of their riches ; according as their blacknefs hath been in their houfes of bondage, (liall be their brightnels in the land of promife ; ♦ for all thy fhame thou (halt have double :* the double of thy reproach in renown, the double of thy tears in triumphs, all thy bottled tears (hall be returned in flaggons of joy ; yea, in rivers of eternal pleafure.

By this time, Chrillians, you fee what glory there is in this good word : * All things (hall work together for good to them that love God.' And that none may have the face to fay all this is but conceit; I (hall, in the next place, bring in clear and undeniable evidence, that it is certainly and unqueftionably fo as hath been (aid ; and therefore know,

5. That all things do, and Ihall certainly work * for good to them that love God.' This (befides the teftimony of the lcrii>-ture) I (hall make evident from thefe three propofilions :

1. There is a Divine Providence that governs the world.

2. The defign of providence, is the accomplilliment of the good purpofe and promife of God.

3. The providence of God (ball never fail of accomplifhing its end.

1. There is a Divine Providence which governs the world ; the Epicureans, who deny Providence, and leave all on chance and fortune, may as well deny that there is a God, which yet they are alhamed to ftand to. Of Epicurus himfelf it was (aid. Quern nihil pudendum pudet, pndet tameii Deum negare.

It can be no way reconoileable to the infinite wildom of God, who made this glorious fabric with the various creatures therein, either not to determine them to their ends, or elfe to take no

Vol. il. No. 21. 4 B

care for their accompli(hing thofe ends they are determined to. The whole current of fcripture is fo plain in thefe matters, that he that runs may read. Let the following fcriptures, (amongft others) be confidered.

P(al. xcvii, 1. * The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, let the illes be glad.' Pfal. Ixxvii. 15, 16. * The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givefl them their meat in due feafon ; thou opened thy hand, and fatisfieft the defires of every living thing.* P(al. xxxvi. 6. * Thou prefervelt man and bealt.' Pfal. Ixxv. 6, T. ' Promotion cometh neither from the Ead, nor from the AVeft, nor from the South, but G«>d is the judge, he putteth down one, and fetteth up another, Amos iii. (5. ' Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it ?' Pfal. xvii. 13, 14. ' Deliver my foul from the wicked, which is thy fword ; from men which are thy hand.' The confelTions of thofe infi« dels, Nebuchadnezzar and Darius fpeak the fame. Dan. iv. 35. ' All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doih according to his will, in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can flay his hand, er fay unto him, what doeft thou }' Dan. vi. 26. * I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom, men tremble, and fear, before the God of Daniel ; for he is the Living God, and ftedfaffc for ever; and his kingdom that which fhall not be deftroyed ; and his dominion fhall be even to the end : He de-livereth and refcueth, and he worketh figns and wonders in heaven and earth ; who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.'

But more diflinclly, the Lord governs all inanimate and fenfi-tive creatures in their actions ; he orders the ftars in their courfes. The ftars in their courfes he made to fight againft Sifera. -He governs the winds and the floods ; he bringeth forth the winds out of his treafures, he rides upon the wings of the wind. He maketh the clouds his chariots, he fitteth on the floods ; the thunder, and the hail, and the rain, and the frofts, are all at his command. He giveth fnovv like wool, and fcattereth the hoar-frofl like afhes. He cafteth forth the ice like morfels ; he fets bounds to the lea, which it (hall not pafs ; the birds of the air, the hearts of the field, the fifties of the lea ; yea the Hones and dull of the earth, are all at his beck.

More efpecially, he rules and governs the men of this world. He fits in all the councils of men, though they fee him not: he orders all their decrees: There is no decree can pafs, unlefs God gives his vote. He rules in all the a6tions of men ; even thofe things that are a6led through our improvidence, come not to pafs witjiout the providence of God. He rules in all the changes that'are in the world ; he changes the times and the feafons : he changes kingdoms and governments ; he reraoveth kings.

artel fetteth Op kings ; he makes war and creates peace ; he bendeth the l)o\v, and breaketh the bow, and cutteth the Ipear in I'under, and burnelh the chariots in the fire ; peace and war, health and ficknel'^i, plenty and famine, Hfc and death, are all the difpofures of his hand. He orders all the events and cau-falities of the world ; even from the grealell to the ftnallell. Without him not a fparrow fhall fall, nor a hair ot'the head Oiali periih ; though there be to men, yet to the Lord there are uo caulalities, or contingencies. But all things come to pdfs according as his hand, and council had before determined.

^. The delign of providence (as it refpedts the eledl) is the accompliOiinent of God's good purpofe and promife. Providence governs the world, and the purpole and promife governs providence. All the works of providence hath rationem inedi' orum ad Jinem. God doth nothing in vain : it is not confilteut with the wildoni ol' God, to do any thing for nothing. God would have his people look farther tlian to the things that are Dcfore them, becaufe all thofe things have a farther afpedt ihem-felves. All the works of providence have a double afpe6t; they look backward, to the purpofe and promife; and they look forward, to the end for which they are; as they look backward, fo they have truth in them, exactly anl'weriug the purpole and promife from which they have their birth. As they look forward, to their end, lb they have good in them, and that good (their lubfervience to their end) is the reafoa of their being. Here note two things.

1. That the fubfervieiicy of things to their end, is the good-nefs of them ; if tiie end be good, the means muft (as fuch) be good alio ; if v/hat God hath purpofed and promiied be good, then all things that fall in between, having the relpe6t of means to their accompliihment, mull upon that account be good. If our erodes and afflictions, to fubferve the bringujg about of God's good will, and good word, we tnuft fay concerning them, * good are the works of the Lord.' It is not, how any thing looks or feels at prefent, but what it means, and to what it tends. If the portion be bitter, and yet it tends to health ; if the melfenger be ilHooked, and ill-favoured, and yet comes upon a good errand, you may bid them welcome. And thus all the providences ol God are good. It you ihould alk of any providence, wherefore art thou come? comelt thou peitceably? comeft thou for good.-' they mult all anf\ver, yes, peaceably, for good, and no hurt. 'Tis but to help all thai good into thy hand, which hath been in the heart, and haib proceeded out of the mouth of thy God that loves thee. There is not a mef' longer of Satan that comes to butiet thee, but is alio a nielienger from God, that conies to thee for good, rhe very thorns ia

4 B 2

thy flefli fhall ferve thee for plaiilers, thine eye>fores (hall be thine eye-lalve, and thy very maladies thy medicines.

2. That this relative goodnefs of ail the works of providence is the realbn of their being. Therefore God doth what he doth, and hereby he may do vi^hat he hath laid and intended. I do not fay that the reafon of God's taking this or that means, is always from any thing in itfelf, or for its natural tendency to fuch an end above any thing elfe ; God hath his choice of means, he can chufe here or there at pleafure, can make ufe of what he will to ferve his defign ; but the realbn why things are, is this, God in his wifdom, faw their ordinability to this good end, and thereupon in his providence, he orders and brings them to pafs.

So that now, whatever befals a Chriftian, he hath this to allay and take otF the grievoufnefs and ifiarpnefs of it; this had never been, but for the good will and good word of the Lord to me. The Lord God hath faid he will blefs me, and do me good ; he will heal me, and ian6tify, and lave me, and now he is about it; by this, he is working that falvation for me.

Chriftians< you have no realbn to fay, if the Lord be with me, why am 1 thus? why fo poor, why lb pained, whyfo per-fecuted, lb Icorned and trampled upon? fure, if the Lord had meant my good, it would have been better than 'tis with me : no, no, it is becaufe the Lord is with thee, and means thee well, that he deals in this manner with thee. The defign of his providence towards thee, is the accompliflimentof his promil'e.

3. The providence of God fiiall never fail to accomplifhing its end. There is nothing vi^anting that might give us the fulleil atfurance hereof. For,

1. The providence of God hath power with it. lie is the Almighty that hath promifed : he that ruleth in the earth dwellelh in the heaven, and doth whatlbever he will. * Our God is in heaven, and doth whatlbever he will. I will work, and who fiiall let it?' Ifa. xliii. * Who canftay his hand, or fay to him, whatdoefb thou ?' were it not for our unbelief, our cale would be itill the fame, in greatell difficulties, as when thecoafts are moll clear. We might fay of difficulties as ihe Plalmift of darknefs, ' there is no darknel's with thee, to thee the day and night are both alike.' Difficulties are no difficulties with thee, nor is there ditierence betwixt hard and eafy. He can fave with many, or with few ; and with none as well as with fome. We once read he had too many, but never that he had too few, to bring about his work. Oh how do we dil^parage the power of God, when our difficulties make us doubt? Is he God, and not m.ai ? Is he i'pirit and not fleffi ? Wherefore then dofl thou doubt ? whatever God hath laid he can do: believe he is a God, and thou wijl never fay, how can thefe things be?

S. The providence of God hath wiCdom with it; he is the only wife, he is the all-wife God ; • Heknowelh liow to deliver the godly out of temptations,' 2 Pet. ii. y. He knowelh what is good tor his iUints, and when it will be in I'ealon ; he under-rtandeth what is proper and pertinent to every cale. What in proper to every purpofe, to every people, to every perfon, and lor every feafon ; he knows when it is a feal'on to abate, and when to exalt; when to affliCi, and when to deliver; when to put on the yoke, and when to take otf the yoke ; when to pull down, and when build up; every thing is beautifid in its lea-Ion. If mercies come out of Ibafon, mercies would be no mercies; and if troubles coa\e in their feafon, troubles Uiould be no troubles ; he knows the bell method, and means to his end ; the fitteit means ; he i'ees Ibmetimes, the unfitteil to be the titlell; the moft unlikely unpromifing means, do often belt ferve God's end.

Ckr/Jtians, if you would receive every difpenfation, as coming from the hands of the wile God ; you would never quarrel with your lot, nor (ay of any thing ihat befals, I might be happy, but this ilands in my way. If you would give God leave to be wifer than you, you would fay wherever you are, it is good for me to be here, this is my way to my rell.

3. The providence of God hath faithfulnefs with it, Pf. xxr. 10. * All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his covenant, and his teflimonies.' Pfal, cxi. S. His works are done in truth. God's works may be laid to be done in truth in a double fenfe.

In reality, in fidelity . 1. In reality, not in fpecie, or in fhew only, but mdeed God's comforts are comforts indeed : God's falvation, is falvation indeed. The devil will come with his gifts, comforts and deliverances: but they are for the molt \}ii\l, but Jpe^ira, like himfelf, fliews and apparitions : quite another tiling than what they feem to be : finners comforts, deliverances, enjoyments, wherewith the devil feeds them, do leave them in as poor a cafe, and worfe than they found them : you will never thank the devil for his kindncfs, when you have proved them what they are. If you do not find yourfelves as fall bound in the midft of all your liberties ; if you be not vvrap'd up in as many Ibrrows, after all the joys he hath procured to you; if the glittering glories, the glaring pleafures he entices you by and entertains you with, prove not tralh and dirt, and mere lies in the end, then fay, the devil hath Ibrgottea his trade of lying; the devil's works will be even like himlislf, lUlfe and deceillul. But God is true, and all Ins works are done in truth.

2. In lidclity, his works are according to his word, I Kings viii. 24. • Thou imll fpokeu with thy mouth, and hall fuUilled

with thine lianrl, in thy faithfulnefs fhou haft afilided me.* Pf. cxix. Not only in thy faithfuhiefs thou haft laved me, in thy tailhfuhiels thou haft comforted me, in thy faiihfuUiefJs thou haft fuccoured me; but in thy faithfuhiefs thou haft aflhdled me : in thy faithfulnefs thou haft humbled, and broken me, and caft me down. The promife of God is, that we ftiall want nothing; we (hall neither want his ftaft", nor his rod ; neither comforts nor croiies : neither joys nor forrows ; we cannot well want either, and we fhall want neither, becaufe God is faithful. You may not only write down with the apolile, * God is faithful, and willnot fu tier you to be tempted above that which you are able to bear.' But you may write alfo, God is faithful, and will not ftjfter you to want a temptation. When it is fealbnable, your hearts fliall be glad ; and if need be, for a feafon you Ihall be in heavinda. God is faithful, he will ever be true to himfeif, and therefore to you. 2 Tim. ii. 9. ' He abideth faithful, he cannot deny himfeif.' Should he be falfe to his people, he cannot be true to himielf, to his purpofe and promiie: his word is not yea and nay. God is not as a man, that he fliould lie, or the fon of man, that he fhould repent ; that he fiiould fay, and wniay : that he fliould fay, and not do : you may write God's name upon every word he hath fpoken, you may write his name (I am) upon all that he hath faid : it fliall be.

Now Chriftians, put thefe three particulars together, and if you cannot fpell out the conclufson out of them, ' the providence of God will certainly accomplifn his good purpofe and promife concerning you:' You are of little underftanding as well as of little faith.

If God governs the world and nothing comes to pafs but by his providence; if providence governs accordin'g to God's purpofe and promife: if providence cannot fail of accomplilhing both.

If God be almighty, and can, if God be wife and knows iiovv, if God be faithful and true, let the devil if he can, with all his fophiftry, evade the conclufion, * That he wiil certainly do all that good for you, which he hath purpofed and promiied :* If God be not able to perform, he is not almighty : if he mif-take his way, if he ufe impertinent, improper means, he is not the all-wife God. If he doth not adually perform what he is able and knows how to do, when he hath laid it, he ceafes to be the true God : So that the matter is brought plainly to this ilfue ; if God be God, if God be the all-wile God, if God be the true and faithful God, this word which he hath fpoken, * All things fliall work together for good to thoi'e that love God,' Ihall not fail of its accomplifliment in its feafon.

Having thus provtd the doctrine, I fliall add a few words by way of caution.

Caution 1. Limit 7Wt the Lord to your time and way \ God will make oood his word, but you mull j^ive him leave lo take his own foyibii : ' He that believeth, fliall not make hade.* Believe God, but do not prejudge nor precipitate, left you fall into temptation. Put no more into the promile, neither for matter nor circumftance, than God hath put in it : put not thai into the promile, which God hath not put in it, left you mils and come (hort of that which God hath put in it. Let others njif-takes and miicarriages be warnings to you : till God hath mani-feftly faid, do not you fay, this is the time; build not your confidence on conje6lures, your faith on the llrongeft prefumptions, left, your faith prove but a fancy, and yourconlidence your con-fufion : make not the promife of God of none etffc6t, by looking for its efte6l out of feafon.

Believe not yourfeWes into fidelity : Confider, Acts i. 7. * It is not for you to know the times and the feafons, which God hath put in his own power. Study the word and its commentary, the u:orks of God, but be fober in your conclu-fions.

This you may flifely depend upon, and this will be enough, if you have no more : God will make good his word to you, fooner or later, in one time or other, in one way or other; in the beft time, in the belt way, in the appointed time, the vifioii ihuU fpeak, and ftiall not lie ; Hab. ii. 3. * Thou^ih it may tarry, wait for it ; becaufe it will hirely come, and will not tarry.* At leaft, at the ends of the days, when j^ou (hall ftand in your lot, when you ftiall be gotten on the banks of Canaan, and fliall thence look buck on the promifes and providences of God, you (hall fee and fay, God is faithful, there hnth not faded one word of all that he hath promifed : Now I underftand, though once I could not, how every wheel was turning, every inftrument was moving, every event was working towards my good and everlalling welfare.

2. Let not your expeciation caufe an abortion. Let not your looking for mercy hinder the working of your afflid-tion : it is notfeldom, and ihe Lord grant it be not too conunon a cafe, that our door of hope becomes a door of (in. Wc do not fet ourfelves with that ierioufnel's to humble, to purge ourl'elves from our iniquities, as we would do, did wo apprehend our cafe more defperate ; our fears and our fnrrows have not their kindly work upon up, our hope hinders it. We might have been more broken hearted, had it not been for our hopes of building up: as it is with a perfon who conceives hinifelf to be dying, he then falls to praying and repenting, and fetting his heart in order, becaufe he mull die; but upon a little hope of recovery, he lays by his flying thoughts and preparations.

ChrijlianSy When ever you are under ufilidlious take heed

that yniir cxpe6lation of deliverance be near, put it not f» much the farther off. Watch narrowly over yourfelves, and ]ook diligently to il, that your4iope of redemption do not harden j^our hearts, nor hinder your humiliation and repentance. Hope in God, and wait for the promife of his coming : but know, that till the rod hath done its work, it is not like in mercy to be laid by ; and it is better to be continued in the furnace, than to be brought forth with your drofs unpurged away.

By the way, learn hence two things.

1. Rejoice in this promife of God : Hath the Lord put in thy name here : let thine heart fay, it is enough. Be more joyful in this, that God hath thus undertaken the care of thee, than if God had wholly put thee to thine own hand ; giving thee power to help, and liberty to chufe for thyfelf. In what wilt thou rejoice, if not in this, that the whole creation is engaged to do thee a kindnefs, to help thee into the poffeffion of thy God ? Thou mayeft now not only fubaiit to, but thankfully embrace every providence, knowing upon what errand it comes to thee, for good, and not for hurt. Thou mayeft now triumph not only in theconllernations, but in the trumphs of thine enemies. Whether they ride over thy back, or thou tread over their neck, 'tis all one, the iffue will be the fame. Thy troubles and thy confolations ditfer only in their countenance ; with whatever grim face thy affli6lions look, there are fmiles under ; learn to fee thro' them, and thou mayeft fee light on the further fide. Believe this word, thou mayeft read it written upon every thing that befals thee ; there's no meftenger that comes but brings this promife in his hand, * Even this ftiall work for good.' Read it and rejoice.

2. Lay thyfelfdown quietly under it. No more preplexing ordiftra6ling cares, what ftiall become of thee ; no more unwarrantable fliifting for thyfelf : Let God alone. Shift not for thyfelf, left God leave thee to thine own fliifts. Let not the violence of evil men difturb thy peace, or provoke thee to unpeace-ablenefs. Whatever provocations thou mayeft have, avenge not thyfelf, neither give place unto wrath, murmuring, or fears. In thy patience, poflefs thy foul, thy God, and his good word ; thy ftrength is to fitftill. Stand ftill and fee the falvation of God ; thou haft nothing to do but to be holy ; let that be thine only care ; thy God will fee to it thou (halt be happy ; be is faithful that hath promiied. Love God, and leave thyfelf and thy whole intereft in this blefled word, • all things fliall work to thee for good.'

By this time you fee fomething of the riches of this promife ; God is in the promife ; the God of peace, the God of power, the God of patience, the God of hope, the heart of God, the

help of God, the prefence of God ; by virtue whereof, all that ever befalsthem (hall work for their g^ood. Methiuks the hearing of this pron)ile opened, fhould fet your fouls, and all that is within you a crying out, O that this were my portion ! Where-ever my lot do fall, as to outward things, though in a pnlun, though in a deliirt, though on a dung-hill; let the lot of my foul lie in this protnife, * the God of peace (hall be with you.' Why, brethren, will you take up with godlinels; you have learned, and received, and heard the word of the Lord ; the word of faith, the word of righteoufnefs, and holinefs, will you hearken to, will you obey thefe words ? Thefe things do, and the God of peace (hall be with you.

O what foolifh creatures are we, that ever we fhould be afraid of religion, afraid of holineis, afraid to own, obey, aqd follow God and his holy ways. What unreafonable fears are thefe, to thole that believe the*fcriptures ? If the (criptures be true, this is the only way, this following God in holinefs, to put yourfelves out of all danger, to put yourfelves into the heart, arms, prefence, and protedtion, of the almighty God of heaven and earth.

O that I could perfuade you in thither, and there leave you ; if you are once in the Lord's arms, you are fafe enough, into whatever hands you fall.

Ch^iftians, my bulinefs whiKl I have been with you, hath been, to bring you to God, to efpoufe you to Chrift ; and you that have already, or will yet at laft be perfuaded to give your confent, and will give me leave to make up the match, 1 can give you affurance, that he will fliortly come and make up the marriage ; and muft fay to you, as Naomi to Ruth, Ruth iii. 10. • Sit ftill my daughter, till you fee how the matter will fall for the man will not be in reft, till he hath finilhed the thing this day.' Sit ftill, Chriftians, till you fee how matters will fall ; and however they fall, know, your Lord will not be iu reft, till he haih fmilhed this thing, and brought you home, to be with him where he is.

I am now parting from you in this confidence, that however, after a few days I ftiall fee your faces no more in this world,, yet I fliall fhortly meet you in the bride-chamber of glory, where we fhall ever be with the Lord.

Beloved in the Lord, 1 muft now leave you, but give me leave ere I go, to deal freely with you, and yet a little further, in the clofe of my day, this ouce more to open my heart to you ; and to tell you,

1. What my parting fears.

2. What my parting wifties for you are, which I carry upon my fpirit.

- 1. My parting fears, I go otT from you with, are efpecially thefe: Vol. II. No. 24. 4 C

1. I am afraid, that there are many of you, upon whom I have beftowed my labour in vain, I am afraid, that I have ia-flru6led you in vain, exhorted, perfuaded, befeeched, and reproved you in vain : It was the apoftle's cafe, and his fear, concerning the Galatians, chap. iv. 11.

It is my grief, that when I would have no more to fpeak, but an healing word, a comforting word ; I mull yet drop down a bitter word on fomeofyou ; that when I would fpeak only from mount Gerizzim, I muft yet again fpeak to fome from mount Ebal ; that when I would leave a blefling behind me upon you all, am like to leave fome bound under a curfe. It is grievous to me thus to fpeak, yet for the difcharge of my duty, and for your own neceffity, bear with me ; I am afraid, that whilft I have been preaching to you, of an incorruptible crown, of an everlafting reft, a kingdom of joy and glory; I am afraid there are many of yofl, * That have no part nor lot in the matter, but are ftill in the gall of bitternefs and bond of iniquity ; if the gofpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft.' And are there none among you, from whom this gofpel is hid ? hid as to the light of it, hid as to the faving power and elFicacy ©fit? I am afraid there's many a blind eye, many an hard heart, many a fpirit ftill in prifon, under the power of their luftsand brutifh fenfuality ; I am afraid'there are many fuch among you ; and are not you afraid i'o too ? Oh that you were!

®. I have a greater fear than this ; I am afraid of fome of you that not only all my paft labours, but this laft will be loft alfo. Thofe that ftand it out to their laft day, do ufually ftand it out in their laft day. Bleflled be God, that there are amongft you thofe over whom my foul is comforted ; to whom I can fpeak in the words of the apoftle, Rom. vi. 16. * God be thaniied, that ye were the fervants of fin ; but ye have obeyed from the heart, that form of dodrine that hath been delivered unto you ; and being now made free from fin, you are become thefervants of righteoufnefs.* Oh that I could thus fpeak ! Oh that I could thus rejoice over you all ! But as the apoftle faid to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. xii. 90. * I fear, left when I come, I ihall find you fuch as I would not.' So muft I fay with a grieved heart ; I fear, that now I am going, I ftiall leave you fuch as I would not. I would not leave one blind perfon, one vain perfon, one loofe liver, not one unbeliever, or impenitent amongft you all. O what a good day would this day of my departure be ? what light would there be in this dark evening, were it thus with you ? If I might fee you ail recovered out of the fnares of the devil ; every man's eye opened ; every man's fetters oft; every man's prifon broken, and his foul efcaped from that deadly bondage : if every poor deadly creature amoB vou, who yet lies bound hand and foot in his grave-

clothes, might now at laft ftand up from the dead, and live the Jife of God ; this would be mine and your threat rejoicing ; but oh I fear with this apoftie, ^ Cor. xii. 2i. 'My God will humble me,' and grieve me, and aflli<5t me, to fee in what a wo-ful plight I muft leave divers of you.

Oh ye fons of the night, you poor, ignorant, and dark fouls, upon whom the light hath Ihined, but your darknefs compre-hendeth it not : Oh you poor, obtlinate and hardened fouls, upon whom I have been plowing, as upon rocks, and hewing as upon adamants, who lliil remaui under as great hardnels, as if no dew nor rain hud ever fallen on you. Oh you poor, half-baked, almoll Chriftians, that have taken up your ftand in your prefent attainments ; my foul is under great fears, and mull weep in fecret for you, whilll my tongue mull be henceforth filent : Oh every foul, that is without fear of himfelf; my foul is afraid of you ; the fearlefs f(ful is in a fearful (late.

Sinners, let my fears be your fears ; What, is there fuch aftoniftiing guilt upon you, and yet not afraid ? Such a dreadful roll writ againft you, and yet not afraid ? So many fabbaths, fermons, warnings loll, and never to-be recalled ; nor any af-furance left of one fermon, or warning more, and yet not afraid ? Such a fubtil devil, fuch a deceitful heart, lUch a tempting world, that you have to deal withal; fuch a black and bot-tomlefs pit, into which you are falling, and yet not afraid : Oh what flocks and Hones hath the gofpel to deal wiihal !

Beloved, I have laboured much with you, both publicly, and from houl<3 to houle, to bring you under a due fear and jealouly of yourfelves ; but hitherto your hearts have been too hard for me : Oh yet for trembling hearts, tremble and fin not ; fear and pray, fear and hope, fear and repent : * Work out your Ihl-vation with fear and trembling.' Oh if my fears were once become your fears; your fears would become my hopes! Oh what a day-fpring of hopes would arife from the Ihaking of ie-cure hearts ! Thele fears would be as the thicker darknefs, forerunners of break of day.

2. My parting wilhes, and defires for you are,

1. That the good feed which hath been Ibwn amongft: you, were well rooted in every heart : I wilh that my twenty years minirtry among you, may not be loft labour to any one of your fouls.

2. I wifh that your next feeds-man may be more fkilful and fuccefsful ; that the good Lord will provide you a man, that may teach you in wildom, gain you in love, lead you on to life, by an holy example ; and if the Lord grant you this mercy, I with that fuch an one may be dearly prized, and cheerfully accepted by you. God keep this Hock from a ravening wolt, and a deceitful Qiepherd.

4C2

3. I wi(h that there may be no root of bitternefs fpringin"" up amongft you : that there be no divifions or contentions', but that you may live in peace and love, that the God of peace atid love may be with you.

4. I wi(h that this place, where fo much good feed hath been fown, may become a fruitful field, that the fruits of faith and repentance, the fruits of righleoufnefs and holinels may be in you and abound ; that you may be neither barren, nor unfruitful, that religion in the power and pra6tice of it, may fo vifibly flourifh, in the feveral perfons, in the feveral families of this congregation, that they that go by, may fee and fay. This is the field which the Lord hath blelfed.

5. I wifh, that wherever clouds may at any time gather over you, may not fall down in a withering iiorm or a fweeping flood, but may pafs away in a mill, or dilfolve into a fruitful dew ; that no perfecutions or temptations may ever carry you down the dream with evil men, nor blight any hopeful beginnings, that are budding forth in any of your fouls, : if tribulation fhould be any of your lots, I wifh it may not be to you as the hail of Egypt, but as the dew of Hermon.

1 wifh you a joyful harveft, that you may reap in eternity what hath been ibwn in time ; may you now fow in righteoul-nels, and hereafter reap in mercy : may every one that is now fowing in tears, forever reap in joy ; may you that go on your ■way weeping, bearing precious leed, return with joy and bring your fheaves with you : may the fhowers of this day, be the watering of your feed, that it may fpring up to eternal life, m

Brethren, my heart's defire for you all is, that you may be faved ; and if there be any perfons that bear evil will to me, my particular wifh for them is, the good will of him that dwelt in the bufh be thole men's portions for ever.

Thefe are fome of my wifhes for you : will you join your wifhes with mine: will you turn your wifhes into prayers, and let this be your prayer ; • The Lord grant thee thine heart's de-lire, and fulfil all thy mind.'

Brethren, do I wifli you any harm in all this? If not, if it be to be wifhed that the word of Chrifl; were rooted in your hearts, and )'Our fouls thereby rooted in the grace of God ; if it be to be wifhed, that your luft were rooted out, your fins dead and dried up, your foot gotten out of the fnare, your fouls brought into the fold, your fruits of righleoufnefs and holinefs abounding and growing up to eternal life : If all this be to be wifhed, then give in your votes with mine; wifh and pray, pray and prefs on ; prefs on and wait for the accomplifhment of this grace in you all. I tell you again, I wifli you well ; and not only I, but the Lord God hath fent me to you : the Lord Jefus wifhes you well; he wifhes and woos, woes and weeps, weeps and

dies, that your fouls might live, and be hlell'ed for ever : he hath once more lent me to you, even to the worl't amongilyou, to tell you from him, that he is unwilling you iliould perilh; that he hath a kindiitCs for you in his heart, it you will accept it: he hath blood and bowels for you : blood to expiate your guilt, to walh away your filth,; and bowels to olfer you the benefit of his blood; with this wilh, ' Oh that it were theirs! Oh that they would hearken and accept!' Only I muit add, that the Lord hath two ibrts of wilhes concerning finners : the firll is, * Oh that they would hearken.' Oh that they would come in, be healed, and be faved, Deut. v. 99. This wifh is an olive-branch that brings good tidings, and gives great hopes of peace and mercy.

His la(l wifh is, ' Oh that they had hearkened, that they had accepted,' Pfal. Ixxxi. 13. * Oh that my people had heark-iied tome!' Lukexix. 4^. * Oh that thou hadll known in this thy day, the things that concern thy peace.' This wilh hath nothing but dread and death in it: it is the black tlag hung out, that proclaims eternal wars. The fenfe is, Ifrael had once a fair time of it; a time of love, a time of grace, a time of peace : Oh that they had hearkened then, that they had known the things that concern their peace ! But woe, woe to them, it is now too late, the door is ihut, the feafon is over, the day is pall; ' But now they are hid from thine eyes.'

There are three deadly darts in this wifh, f Oh that thou hadfl) it concludes in it thete three cutting words. Thou haft not: Thou mightell : Thou (halt not for ever.

1. There is this in it, (Thou halt not)—What have I not? Why, ' thou hall not known the things that belong to thy peace.' Thou halt had the door of glory, the gate of heaven open to thee, and halt been called for, and invited in, but thou hall loll the opportunity. Thou kneweft not when thou wert well otUred, nor wouldtll take notice what a day was before thee, what a price was in thine hand ; ihy peace, the golpel of peace, the Prince of peace, a kingdom of peace was let open, olfered and brought home to thy doors, but thou hadll i'o many-other matters to look after, that thou lookell no notice of it, but halt let it flip. There is one dart, (Thou halt not known.) There is a golpel gone, there is a Chrill gone, there is a foul, a kingdom loll.

2. There is this in it, (Thou mightefi). Oh that fhou hadll? Why, might 1 ? Yes, thou mightell, if thou wouldil, thou mightell. I'hy God did not mock thee, wiien he preached peace to thee ; he was willing, and wiQied it thine; if thou wouidell thou mightlt have made it thine own : but whilll he would thou wouidell not.

I'here is another dart (I might have known), I have none to

thank but myfelf for the lofs ; mine undoing was mine own doing. There are no fuch torments, as when the foul flies upon itfelf, and takes revenge on itfelf; oh the gaOies that luch lelf refledtions make. Soul, how cameft thou in hither into all this mifery ? oh it is of myfelf, myfelf that my deftrudtion is. The door was open, and I was told of it, and was bid come in, but I would not. That I am loft and undone, was not my fate, which I could not avoid, but my fault and my folly. It feems to give fome eafe of our torment, when we can (hiftoffthe fault. It was not I, but the woman faid Adam ; It was not I, but the ferpent, faid the woman ; if that had been true, it would have given eafe, as well as ferved for an excufe. This thought (it was mine own doing) tears the very caul of the heart. Oh I have none to blame but myfelf; mine own foolifti and froward heart. This is my ignorance, this is my unbelief, this is my wilfulnefs, my lull, and my pleafures, and my idols, that I was running after, that have brought me under this dreadful lofs. It was my own doing.

3. There is this in it, (Thou fhalt not for ever.) Oh that thou hadft! why, may I not yet? Is there no hope of recovering the opportunity? not one word more, not one hour more, may not the fun go one degree backward ? No, no, it is too late, too late ; thou haft had thy day ; from henceforth no more for ever. There is the lalt dart, (time is paft) there is the death, the he!!, the anguifti, the worqi that ftiall gnaw to eternity.

This one word (time is paft) fets all hell a roaring; and when it is once fpoken to a (inner on earth, there is hell begun. Go thy way wretch, fill up thy nrjeafure, and fall into thy place. The gofpel hath no more to fay to thee, but this one word ; * Becaufe I have called, and thou refufedft, I have ftretched out my hand, and thou regardeft not, but haft fet at nought all my couniels, and vvouldil none of my reproofs ; I alio will laugh at thy calamities, and mock when thy fear cometh ; when thy fear coineth as defolation, and thy deftruction cometh as a whirlwind, when diltrefs and anguilh cometh upon thee; then fhalt thou call, but I will not anfwer, thou ftialt feek me early, but (halt not find me.'

Beloved, my hopes are, and I am not able to fay, but that you are yet under the firft wilh ; Oh that they would. Chrift is yet preaching to you faith, and fends his wilh along with his word, * Oh that they would believe!' Chrift is yet preaching repentance and converfion to you, and wiflies, ' O that they would repent,' that they would be converted ; and to this w\ih of my Lord, my Ibul, and all that is within me, fays Amen.

Brethren, will you yet again fay your Lord nay ? fliall Chrift have his wiQi ? Ihall your fervaut for Jefus fake, ftiall I have

ray wi(h ? will you now at laftconfent tobefandilified, and to be laved? let me have this wiUi, and I dare promile you from the Lord« you iliall have yours, even whatever your Ibul can defire.

Brethren, this once hear, this once be prevailed upon ; he content that your lufts be rooted out, and your Lord planted into your fouls. Be content to be pardoned ; content to be converted, content to be laved. This once hear, iell if you now refute, ye no more be perfuaded with, * Oh that they would !* but be for ever confounded with, * Oh that they had !' Left-^jU our wiflies, and wooings of you be turned into weepings, and mournings over you ; this once hear; Oh that you would.

1 heartily thank you, for your good wiflies, and good-will towards me ; for your willing and chearful entertainment of my perfon, and attendance on my miniftry. And particularly, for your paffionate defire of my longer Itay among you. Which defire if God had not, my foul could not have denied you. Though the Almighty, to whofe pleai'ure it is meet that we all fubniit; he hath laid nay to that wifh of yours; yet let your fouls fay Amen, to this laft of mine, that the Lord God would dwell among you, and in you, both now and for ever.

And having thus finifhed my labours among you, I fliall now clofe up with this double account.

1. Of my difcharge of my miniftry in this place.

2. Of my deprival. And Oiall (b commit you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance amongft all them that are lanc'rtified.

1. Of my difcharge of my miniftry ; what my dodrine and manner of life have been, is known to you ; and what my aim and intent hath been, is known to God. The fearcher of hf arts, Unows that it is the falvalion of fouls that hath been the mark at which I have levelled. My way hath been to ufe all plainnefs, that I might be made uianifeft in your corifciences: weakneffes, and iniirmities, l>oth natural and finful, (the Lord pardon it) I have had many. 1 am fenfible that much more mii^ht have been done, both in public and private, had it not been for a weakly body and a flothful heart.

1 repent that 1 have had no more zeal for God, no more companion to fouls ; I repient that I have been no mote conilantand importunate with you, about the matters of eternity. ' Oh eternity, eternity'.' that thou wert more in the heart and lips of the preacher, in the hearts and ears of the hearers. But while 1 thus judge myfelf for my failings, bleifed be God, I have a witnefs in my conlcience, and I hope in yours alfo, that I have not Ihunned to declare to you the wiiole counfel of God. Brelhren, I call heaven at)d earth to witnefs* this day, that I have let before you life and death, good and evil, and have not

ceaffd from day to day, to warn you to choofe life, and that good way lh;»t leads to it; and to efcape for your lives from the way of fin and death. Oh remember the many inllru6tions I have given you, the many arguments whereby I have ftriveti with you, the many prayers that have been offered up, for the guiding and gaining your fouls into the path of life, and the turning your feet out of the way of deftru6lion. Oh might I be able to give this teftimony concerning you all, at my departure ; * they have troden in the right path; they have chofen the good part that fhall not be taken from them.'

Brethren, beloved, with whom I have travailed in birth, that Chrift might be formed in you; I mud fliortly give up my account in a more folemn afl'embly ; will you help me to give it up with joy, by (hewing your fouls before the Lord, as the feal of my miniftry. Every (incere convert among you will be a crown of rejoicing to me in that day. So let me rejoice, and let my joy be the joy of you all.

What ihall I fay more ? If there be any confolation in Chrift, if any comfort of love, any bowels and mercy ; if the glory of the Eternal God, the honour of the everlailing gofpel, the fafety of your immortal fouls ; the incorruptible crown ; the exceeding eternal weight of glory, weigh any thing with you, then once more let me befeech you by all this, to hearken to that word of the gorpel, which God hath fpoken to you by me.

2. Of my deprival. The moft glorious morning hath its evening ; the hour is come wherein the fun is fetting upon not a few of the prophets ; the fiiadows of the evening are ftretched forth upon us; our day draws, our work feems to be at an end. Our pulpits and places muft know us no more.

This is the Lord's doing, let all the earth keep filence before him.

It is not a light thing for me, brethren, to be laid afide from the work, and call out of the vineyard of (he Lord ; and it muft; be fomething of weight that muft fupport under fb I'evere a doom.

I know there are not a few that will add to the aftliftion of the affli6ted, by telling the world it is their own fault, they might prevent it if they would ; whether this be fo or no, God knoweth, and let the Lord be judge. Blefl'ed be God, wJiatever be, this is not laid to our charge, as the reafon of our feclufion, either infufticiency or fcandal.

You are not ignorant what things there are impoCed on us, as the condition of our continuing our miniftration ; which how lawful and expedient foever theyfeem in the judgment of many, yet have the moft fpecious arguments that plead for them, lett me utterly diftlitisfied in my confcience about them,

I mull profels before God, angels and men, that my non-

fubmiflion is not from any diHoyalty to authority, nor from j)ricle, humour, or any fa6lious difpofition, or defign ; but, be-caufe 1 dare not contnidi<it my hght, nor do any thing concerning which my heart tells me, the Lord (ays, do it not.

After all my moil impartial enquiries, after all ray feeking counfel from the Lord, atter all n)y conhdering, and confulling with men of all perfuafions about ihefe matters, Lfitid myfelf lb far (liort of fatisfadion, that I am plainly put to this choice, to part with my miniftry or my conlcience. 1 dare not lie before God and the world ; nor come and tell you^ I approve, I allow, I heartily conlent, to what I. neither do, nor can ; but muft choofe rather, that my minillry be (baled up by my fuflerings, than lengthened out by a lie : through the grace of God, thougii men do, yet my heart fliall not reproach me while I live ; ' If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things.' But however, though I mull now no longer ad as a minifter, I fliall, through the grace of God endeavour peaceably, and patiently, to fuller as a Chriflian.

I fiiould, to teilify my obedience to authority, have become all things to all men, to the uttermoft that I could, with any clearnefs of heart: but fmce matters ftand fo, I mull lofe my place, or my peace, I chearfully fuller myfelt to be thrull otf the ftage.

And now welcome the crofs of Chrift, welcome reproach, welcome poverty, fcorn and contempt, or whatever elfe may beful me on this account. This morning I had a flock, and you had a paft:or; and now behold a pallor without a flock, a riock without a fhepherd : this morning I had an houfe, but now I have none : this morning I had a living, but now I have none : * The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, BlefFed be the name of the Lord.'

Beloved, I am fenfible of many weakneffes and difadvantages I am under, which may render a fullering ftate the harder to be borne ; help me by your prayers ; and not me only, but all my brethren alio, wiih whom my lot muft fall; * Pray for us, for we. trult that we have a good confcience, in all things willing to live honeftly.' Pray,

1. That God would make our filence fpeak, and preach the lame holy do6lrine that we have preached with our lips.

2. That he would give fupports anfwerable to our futferings ; that he who comforteth thole that are call down, will alio comfort his fervants that are caft out.

3. That, according to our earnell expe6lation, and our hope, as always, fo now alio, Chrill may be magnified in us, whether it be by life or by death.

And thus. Brethren, I bid you all farewel, in the words of the apolile, 2 Cor. xiii. 11. 'Finally, Brethren, farewel, be Vol. U. No. 24, 4 D

perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace ; and the God of peace and love (liall be with you.*

* And that God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the iheep, throujjh the blood of the everlafting covenant, make you perfect in every good work, to do his will; working in you that which is weli-pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

FINIS.

TT&tA^/» C^~ . ;*d7/"^''"^.'^

1iSlill'lllffffl!Sf,l,.?P'"ary Libra

rres

1 1012 01237 9774